Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Wednesday 23 January 2019

Manifesto Mania [ # 1 ]




It is manifesto season , once again


Political parties ( led by BJP and Congress ) are out to woo the voters


They are asking citizens to send in their suggestions for things that the parties would promise to implement , “ if they get voted to power for the next 5 years “ – ( but promise to oppose if they fail to come to power ? )


They want our suggestions for framing their ELECTION MANIFESTOS



This raises following questions :


·         Why do suggestions get invited only a few months before the elections ?

·         Why are the parties unwilling to acknowledge suggestions received at other times ?


·         How many suggestions ( sent now ) will get acknowledged / get incorporated in manifestos ?

·         Why do citizens wait for this “once – in - 5 - years“  invitation to send suggestions  ?


·         Do citizens track the  “ implementation “ of their suggestions throughout years ?



Even though I have no answers to these questions , I decided that I will keep sending my suggestions to the “ Party in Power “ , all throughout the years


Without waiting for any invitation or even hoping for an acknowledgement !


And , I will track their implementation ( even if partial or in progress ) , from reports in News Papers



That attitude made me list some 26 of my suggestions under implementation , at :






But there are many more ( sent to our Cabinet Ministers – NITI Aayog , as e mails ), whose fate I don’t know and about which I will continue to shout ( politely ), till I am heard !



Following are a few – but very important ones :


=========================================================


Suggestion :  Bring amity between Hindus / Muslims thru this Ayodhya solution
Reach - Out Time ?                                                                           [  20  Sept  2013  ]

=========================================================


Suggestion :  No more tax-evasion by making every tax payer honest

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE ?                                                                        [  04  Jan  2015  ]


=========================================================


Suggestion :  How to kill Corruption by eliminating Black Money

One Small Step for a Man                                                                     [  19  May  2016  ]


=========================================================


Suggestion  :  A way to ensure totally transparent  Funding of Political Parties

Transparency in Political Funding ?                                                        [  06  July  2017  ]


=========================================================


Suggestion :  Ensure Indians stay in control of their Personal Data – and sell it for money

Only Answer : a Statutory Warning                                                       [  10  Nov  2018  ]


=========================================================


Suggestion :  Save 12 lakh Indians dying from Air Pollution each year thru traffic pollution

Transport : an Integrated Logistic Plan ?                                                [ 20  Nov  2018  ]


=========================================================


Dear Shri Rajnath Singhji,



I believe you head the BJP committee entrusted with framing the election manifesto of BJP


I urge you to consider my above-mentioned suggestions for inclusion in that


There are many others which too , I can search out from my past emails to the Cabinet Ministers , and send if I get your acknowledgement  !



========================================


23  Jan  2019

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com


Sunday 20 January 2019

Weave a Wondrous World [ W3 ]





Of late, there is a lot of debate in respect of the following dimensions of  E Commerce :



BUSINESS  STRUCTURE

·         Domestic   vs   Foreign Multinationals

·         Single Product  vs   Multi Product


·         Marketplace   vs   Inventory-based

·         FDI   vs  Domestic Investment


·         Selling from  own web site  vs  from someone’s web site

·         Related Entities  vs  Non-related  Firms


·         Vendor   vs   Platform

·         How much can be sold by one Vendor  vs  Unlimited  Sale by any Vendor


·         Preferential  treatment   vs   Equal  treatment

·         Private  Labels   vs   Public  Labels




I do not know if anyone has also added to this endless debate , the dimension of “ Ownership “ , viz :



·         Single Person owned / Partnership / Private Ltd / Public Ltd / Co-operative etc



Given these  11 variables , how many “ Permutations / Combinations  can we get ?


If my math has not got too rusted , could these amount to :


L 11  ( Factorial Eleven )

=  11x10x9x8x7x6x5x4x3x2x1 =  39.92  Million  ?




Next , let us consider the following dimensions of E Commerce :



BUSINESS  PROCESSES


·         Nature 
     (  a “ physical “ product  vs a “ virtual “ service )


·         Geographic Spread
    (  “ within a State  vs  “ across India   vs  “ across entire World  )


·         Supply Chain / Intermediaries
     (  Mfr  >  Distributor  >  Dealer  >  Retailer  >  Buyer )


·         Order Placement and Acceptance
     ( Shop / Store / Office / Factory / Home / Web site / Mobile App / SMS /  Email  /
      Phone /  Video Conference for a Service )


·         Delivery
( Personal pickup  / Delivery Boy / Drone / Self 3D Printed at home )


·         Payment
(  Cash / Cheque / Credit-Debit Card / Payment Wallets – Gateways / Bank Transfer / Barter )



I am at a loss to calculate the number of  “ Permutations and Combinations “ that these “ variables “ could generate , in conjunction with those 39.92 million mentioned above


Quite likely , TRILLIONS  !


It is simply impossible to structure a “ E Commerce  Policy “ which can address all of these permutations  !


So , how will the E Commerce game  get played out  ?


Here is a hint :




Extract :
Industry sources told Reuters the policy would delay or derail some investment plans and push companies such as Amazon and Flipkart to create new, more complex business structures

    
                              
How complex can these Business Structures get  ?

I expect Shri Mukesh Ambani to conjure up for Reliance Retail , a complex structure comprising following elements :



·         Holding Company  and  Subsidiary company Reliance Retail Ltd ( RRL )


·         A “ Cooperative “ of 4 million Kirana Shops ( ala AMUL ) – KIRIL



·         Cooperative holding “ non-transferable / non-voting “ shares in RRL


·         Holding Company giving loans to Kirana Shops to buy shares of KIRIL



·         Manufacturers of Consumer Goods launching “ E Com Platform


·         4 million Kirana shops listing their inventory on this “ E Com Platform “



And here are some “ legit “ ways to overcome those hurdles placed by DIPP :



·         Instead of E Com platforms offering discounts , Banks / Credit Card Companies / Mobile Wallet companies etc to offer  Discounts


·         Logistics / Delivery companies to offer “ FREE DELIVERY


·         Manufacturers to make “ Exchange Offers


·         Instead of calling it “ Cash Back “ , just say “ 50 % off “ or “ Today’s Price



I choose to envision the following :


·         E Commerce is as elusive as an molecule of Air “ , that travels freely around the Earth – and unstoppable by national boundaries or un-implementable laws ?

Neither its Origin , nor its Destination will be apparent !



·         Someday soon , everything will be displayed and sold “ Online



·         The only sensible ways is to treat “ E Commerce “ as a “ Traditional Commerce without bothering to define its “Business Structures” and “ Business Processes” ?




REFERENCES :



Extract :
“The new e-commerce platform will empower and enrich our 12  lakh small retailers and shopkeepers in Gujarat

………intends to take on the world’s largest retailers by combining his JIO telecom service , mobile devices and a vast physical retail network



Financing  >  Interest – free loans from 90 IT professionals to 98 farmers

Payment   >  Barter system through groceries ( “ Return “ on investment  ?  )

Delivery   >  From a designated outlet

Ordering  >  Online



This e-commerce platform will help connect artisans to buyers directly, enabling them to expand to newer customers and markets.



[  D  ]   Swadeshi Jagran Manch urges govt not to go easy on e-commerce


Extract :
The SJM cited that China-based sellers are selling Chinese products illegally on e-commerce sites, and said it has identified 200,000 such orders being fulfilled on a daily basis via this channel in India.


These companies are delivering goods via couriers and postal gift shipments, bypassing and evading a range of laws regarding payment gateways, custom duties and GST



[  E  ]   Call  it  tech biz , or  retail  biz  ? 


(Debashish.Mukherjee@atkearney.com )

 

Extract :

 

One, the assumption that ecommerce is a technology business and not a retail business.

 

However, it is clear that any entity that,

 

·         controls or curates the assortment for sale,  

·         has pricing power,  

·         acquires customers and,  

·         to some extent, deals with inventory and other services to the end customer ,

 

is a retailer






Extract :

Laws regulating E – Commerce

·         Drugs and Cosmetics Rules – 1945
·         Packaged Commodities Rules – 2011
·         Consumer Protection Bill – 2018
·         Food and Safety Standards Act – 2006
·         FDI Policy – Press Note 3
·         Foreign Exchange Management Act
·         National Telecom Policy
·         Draft – National Digital Communications Policy – 2018
·         Personal Data Protection Bill – 2018
·         IT Act – 2000
·         Payment and Settlement Act – 2007



[  G  ]    MA  =  DA x 4,000,000  ?          [  17  July  2018  ]

                 Jio Hubs : Entrepreneurs Apply   [  19 Sept  2018  ]

            Mukesh has the last laugh !        [  31 Dec  2018  ]


                Game plan of how Reliance Retail plan to make Amazon / Flipkart etc , irrelevant


===================================================

21  Jan  2019

Rsvp :  hcp@RecruitGuru.com