Hrithik is the next superstar

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The industry, the media and the masses are always waiting for a superstar. They have always created one and carried him on their shoulders as long as they want or believed the superstar should be carried. They give some of them a long life. They give others time till they don’t get on their nerves because of their standing as superstars. They have dumped some of the best of them whenever they have behaved in ways other than the ways they want them to and left them to fight their own battles to survive and then look for other superstars.


There have been times when there have been more than one superstar like there was the time when the trio of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor ruled. There was a time when there was just one Rajesh Khanna. Then there was a superstar like Amitabh Bachchan who is a superstar among superstars even after 30 years. There is Shah Rukh Khan, the King or Baadshah Khan as they call him now but the King has suddenly found competition. For a time it looked like there would be a tough competition between Hrithik Roshan and Abhishek Bachchan and there were bets laid on who would emerge the winner at the end of the year but with 'Dhoom-2' Hrithik has clearly emerged as the superstar today and for a long time to come.


Hrithik has been a very careful and cautious player. He proved that he was a star with his very first film 'Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai', which was a golden jubilee hit. He proved that he was a bigger star who was also a very good actor in 'Koi Mil Gaya'. He showed the first major signs of being a superstar when he grew into a cult figure with Krrish. And now with 'Dhoom-2' he has just sailed through and staked his place and even claimed it as the next superstar. There are experts who claim that he has taken the place of the King. This talk started when Hrithik was the first ever star to sign a 36 crore contract for three films with a leading corporate company, a fact that took the industry by storm.


His performances, his personality and the élan and ease with which he has carried himself in a daringly different role for the Hindi film hero and despite the competition from Abhishek, the other contender for the throne, he has made his intentions clear without making any overtly and conscious efforts.


Hrithik has all the other qualities that go to make a superstar. He has the patience. He has hardly had ten releases during his less than ten-year-old career. He has steered clear of all controversies and gossip. He is unanimously accepted as the most well-behaved, disciplined and knowledgeable star. He is in no hurry to grab films. Surprisingly he has just one film on the floor, Jodhaa Akbar when other stars of his generation have them by the dozens.I always knew Hrithik would make it big and I am happy that he has proved me right. He is the biggest young star today, you can call him the next superstar who can take on challenges even from Hollywood and give some of the best actors a run for their money. So, isn’t it time to welcome the new superstar and give him the place he has earned for himself?

Clarification

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sowwie, was having some prob at home so cudnt post in. in fact will be dormant in days to come as loads of exigent wrk ahead. bear with me.
Yup the poll stands cancel, as when i have posted the poll, that was an inchoate poll and with the passage of time the things changed . Release date of Dhoom2 and UmraoJaan postponed (perhaps because of tough competition or may be post production delay or as consequence of good understanding berween distributers and directors of the movies). and Jaan-E-Mann vied with the DON, the release date of which was nt in the picture at the time, poll started off..
However here is the result Dhoom2 is clearly emerged as the winner and UmraoJaan is on astonishingly on second spot, The picture might have been diffrent if the Jaan e mann wud have been in the poll.
Selection Votes
DHOOM-2 Back in action 56% 5
DON - The chase begins again 11% 1
Umrao JAAN 33% 3

9 votes total

thanx to everyone who actively on inactively participated in the poll.
will be back in action very soon.

Anil Ambani gets go ahead for DTH

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Nothing can beat the relaxed hours one spends before a television
after an office/school rigour. Be it a bloody battle between Brazil
and Argentina (people call it football!!) or be it the Devil's
Advocate with Karan Thappar at his articulate best, everybody enjoys
watching TV. However here and there, a middle class wife will fight
with her husband around 28th or 29th of every month to cancel the
cable TV subscription pointing to the ever-burgeoning cable cost and
the dip in the quality due to illegal usage. Well here is an answer
to all the problems abovementioned- DTH expanded to Direct To Home.

When DTH was first introduced in the late nineties by private
players, the Government was not in all favours citing security
problems. However the idea was revamped in 2001 and Rupert Murdoch
owned iSkyb launched he first DTH service and the government too
forayed with the DD direct plus. Now the market has become
competitive with the entry of R-ADA into the broadcasting setup.

If one has followed the recent activities of Anil Ambani he/she
wouldn't be surprised with this move. Anil has began to expand his
grip over the Indian market by including diversity in his ambit and
it is evident from his investment in joint ventures with PVR and
Adlabs in building multiplexes, in FM radio channels and in
producing films in synergy with high network bollywood people.

A smart businessman that Anil is, has been fast in realizing the
growth potentials one has in the broadcasting market.
PricewaterhouseCoop er has predicted a manifold increase in the
number of DTH subscribers. From a mealy 3.25 millions to 15 millions
in two years is a real growth if PricewatrhouseCoope r is to be
trusted. Further more Anil could also make his viewers subscribe to
his multiplex shows or listen to his FM if he can gain a strong hand
in the DTH market.

This R-ADA foray into DTH market may make profound implications on
1) The market cap of Reliance
2) The competitors' interest and
3) The public

Despite the split of the Reliance Empire, Reliance stocks still soar
high and Anil's strategic moves have been instrumental in
maintaining the momentum. The latest arrow from the Ambani quiver is
Reliance Blue Magic the subsidiary, which will deal with the DTH
market. With only four major private players viz IskyB of News Corp,
Dish TV of Zee groups, Sky TV- an 80:20 venture of Tatas and Star TV
and the South Indian major SUN Network, much is at the offering and
Anil has displayed immaculate entrepreneurial skills in setting up
this DTH service providing venture. With the Midas touch that he
has, no doubt Reliance Blue Magic will hit the target and bring in
more revenue to Reliance Energy, the parent organization of Anil
Dhirubai Ambani enterprise.

The Cable TV operators' honeymoon is going to end soon with CAS and
DTH's taking over. Zee is offering its DTH services at Rs 200/- and
the package includes eventy five channels. Star offers similar
number of channels for Rs 180/-. These charges do not include the
setting-up charges and with the entry of RBM will only make the
setting more interesting and it will be a good spectacle to watch
how these competitors battle it out.

With all these private parties engaging in a gripping combat, the
viewers will be promised the best of the quality, making TV watching
a pleasant experience. The viewers now have a wide choice of service
providers to choose from, with the package from each being more
attractive than the competitor's in one way or the other. Gone are
the days of illegal usage and cable operators' escapade from higher
entertainment taxes.

Having done all the formalities and with the LoI of the government
in its kitty, RBM is all set to make its presence felt in the DTH
services. Anil's strategy to win the battle will also be a thing to
watch out and having seen him all these days I am sure it will be
unique and successful as usual.

H k

HDFC to raise Rs 3240 cr from FDI

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They say, "When it pours, it pours heavy". It is indeed pouring
heavily in India. Apart from the torrential rains the FDI is also
pouring into the country, which is expected to quadruple in the next
seven years. Gone are the days when the government was reluctant in
allowing foreign companies to enter the Indian market. These days
India and China are branded as the best places to invest for at
least another 25 years and no surprises foreign organizations are
competing big time to be a part of this FDI spree. The latest
participator is the housing finance leader HDFC. The proposal of
HDFC o invest a staggering Rs 3240 crore ($720 mn) into the Indian
real estate business has been a given an affirmative nod by the
Cabinet Committee on External Affairs.

India is currently holding the position, which was
formerly held by the US (in the post war years) as the best place to
invest thanks to the burgeoning economy and scrupulous economic
planning. The Real Estate Market of the country deserves a special
mention, which is expected to grow from the current $12 bn market
position to an Himalayan $90 bn in the next decade, courtesy Merrill
Lynch. May be that will be an eye opener for those who wonder at the
reason behind giants Farallon Capital Management, Morgan Stanley,
Merrill Lynch and GE Commercial Finance Real Estate craving to
dominate the Indian real estate space, needless to mention the local
players. Now HDFC has forayed into the market by registering India
Offshore Real Estate Investments, a fund raising company in
Maurtius, which will invest in the Indian real estate. Its inviting
International Banks, Financial Institutions and high network
Individuals to invest in the fund for a minimum period of three
years.

This investment plan of HDFC has direct implications on
1) Its own revenue
2) The "home country" economy and
3) The market capitalization of local players

HDFC has made many smart moves in the past, joining hands with SBI,
being one such and this investment plan is another strategic move,
every economic pundit would say. The Indian government has signed a
treaty not to tax the Mauritius investors, which will directly
benefit HDFC. The stock value has already increased by 3.07% in BSE
and the future looks really rosy for the organization.

The liberalization and the globalization binge have benefited
the country largely with its economy growing at a breakneck speed.
This approval by CCEA will attract other international players to
pour in investments and thereby adding to the FDI revenue. It's a
win-win situation and surely India would cash in by making use of
these opportunities.

The real problem is for the Indian players who with their
already fragile investment now should meet this external pressure
from the foreign investors as well. If only they stand tall in this
competition, it would make the market positions more exciting and
the investors more interested. Companies like UB group of Vijay
Mallaya have the financial cushion and they can offer stiff
challenge to HDFC and only time will decide the winner.

Harish Krishnan

Google Offers Classics for Free

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Books are no doubts " treasures of knowledge and wisdom" , and making
them accesible in this way via internet has really helped the
information on net to be gathered in organised form,all credits to
Google.Getting a printed copy is now going to be less expensive than
to pay the cost of toner and paper.The Google mechanism,would also
beuseful for a book that's hard to find.

By taking this huge step forward Google has helped realising words of
'Charles W. Eliot ' who said "Books are the quietest and most
constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of
counsellors, and the most patient of teachers", google has helped in
realising these word into physical world with this step. The step
taken by google in this direction is really a big step which is not
only going to help the current generation but is also going to add
feathers in knowledge of future generations who'll have very easy and
free of cost access to all hidden knowledge of their past and
future.This step also has added to the reputation of expanding google
as a big-wig under the leadership of 'Larry Page',Sergey Brin' and
'Eric Schmidt' who have allready prooved Google's brilliance in
fileds like Search Engine,Google Earth,Mail,Chat,Video's ,Image's etc
etc. the step taken by google can now help an avid reader to scan
through his list of books on internet and see what is available
easily.


Though the other side of google step may sound little bit shaky as
formainstream publishers It's certainly going to hurt a little bit, but
one should be surprise to see if it hurts very much.Google has also
tried it' best to make it's critics silent by not allowing access to
books still under copyright, for them only bibliographies are
available along with limited extracts Also for books made available
toGoogle via publisher, including editions from Oxford University
Press,Penguin, and Dover the viewer would only gets only a "limited
preview"of a few pages. In other cases, where Google believes that a volume
might be in copyright, but has no relationship with the publisher,
Google provides an even more restricted "snippet view."

I guess the step taken by google should be really appreciated as it
has tried its best to save the interest of both the publisher's and
ofcourse the readers.
Gurpreet

Volvo in talks for stake in Ashok Leyland

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Today's market is full of competition, with one firm trying to
usurp another.Competition brings out the best in anybody and it has
direct implications in all kind of markets. The partnership talks
between two automobile majors, Volvo and Ashok Leyland is only a
testimony for the aforesaid.

Volvo has been India for the past eight years, doing decent
business by selling buses and trucks to both government and private
parties. In Volvo's perspective, entering into the medium commercial
vehicle market is very crucial for its expansion. The medium
commercial vehicle business has not been in its ambit as far as the
Indian market is concerned and this partnership would suffice its
needs to gain a stronghold. Volvo was forced to payback a sum of
$2.2 bn due to recent pressure from its shareholders and this has
made it inquisitive in making acquisitions and adding to its
repertoire. So this alliance would and could prove to be beneficial
to the Swedish giant.


On the other hand, Ashok Leyland would consider this partnership
as a filling of gap caused due to the quitting of IVECO Fiat, the
Italian player. With IVECO Fiat- the heavy truck arm of Italian
automobile giant, having joined hands with rivals, Tata Motors after
selling its 15% stake in LRLH, the Hindujas are all set to enter
into a partnership with Volvo. LRLH, the holdings firm of the
Hindujas family who now hold 51% of Ashok Leyland, requires
technology for its own betterment and it would expect the much
needed technology exchange would happen in this partnership. With
global conglomerates like Daimler Chrysler, International Truck &
Engine Corporation and MAN Nutzfarhzeuge vying the Indian Market and
Tata Motors planning to introduce world truck range in 2008 Ashok
Leyland has to try every trick to be competitive enough in the
market.

Though the fiscal dealings haven't been disclosed yet, this
partnership would certainly be fruitful to both the parties. The
salubrious competition would also bring the best out of the people,
as said before and when two firms, best in their business, tie up,
it is needless to say it would benefit the people and the nation at
large.

KRISHNAN

Samsung to open second plant in India

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Looking at the present industrial trend the first thing which comes
to mind is the Darwin's theory " Survival of the fittest". Only the
Companies having the zeal for quality, price competance and custumer
satisfaction can survive in present market scenario in almost any
sector of bussiness.The south korean major Samsung electronics
declaration that it is going to start a new venture in south india
in near future does supports the survival theory. From an annonymous
brand in India in 1995 to the market leader position in 2006 does
takes a lot of efforts and grit.

Positive impacts:

The company has so far invested 150 million dollars at the noida
facility, in uttar pradesh. Not to mention that employement
oppertunities and vendor development are a few tangible benefits
that are generated due to the presence of a market leader in state,
also the intangible benefits like Best quality product at most
competance price with exempler custumer support services are also
noteworthy. As Samsung India is the hub for Samsung's south west
asia region, the local talent also gets the oppertunity to work with
the best in industry and to get the acclaim at international arena.
Also, as the world is heading towards free trade, Indians should
look to it as an oppertunity to raise its level to compete for the
rest of world by lowering the manufacturing cost so that more
bussiness houses are attracted to shift towards indian market to
invest for other manufacturing facilities. Mr. Ravinder Zutsi's
remark that exports from the Indian subsidiary were to tune the
Rs.100 crore in 2005 and were expected to touch Rs 150 crore this
year clearly make a note that indian manufacturing sector is at its
flourish and this positive trend has to be maintained further in
near future.

Negative Impacts:

With the rise of foreign companies snaching the market share, Indian
companies in respective sectors seem to lose their identity. But the
only solution to this is that Indian companies will also have to
sharpen their technological skills and should invest more in R&D so
that they are also able to stand in front of these International
players rather than to follow anachronicle methods of production.

Bottom line:

With the announcent of 2nd production facility in India, Samsung is
ushering in a new era for Indian base as a Manufacturing hub, which
will speeden up the countries pace to compete up with the other
countries like China ,Malaysia & Hong Kong which are supposed to be
the front runners in cheap production with cutting edge
technological facilities.

AMIT G

India offers more duty cuts to ASEAN

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Free Market economy has been the buzz word that has been driving indian trade policy over the last 15 years and the country yesterday showed the interest and the commitment it has got towards the concept. The announcement of tariff cuts by Indian trade and commerce minister Mr.Kamalanath, highlights the importance India gives to the ASEAN in terms of trade. The asean which is a regional trading block is a consortium of the far-east countries. The announcement by the honoured minister is laudable for many but is quite a catastrophe for some others. Tariff cuts on agro based products are a serious threat to the local industry, so are tariff cuts in other areas like textiles. Indian farming is largely indigenous and does not make much use of the modern technology. In light of the above stated reasons the decision to lower the tariffs is a dangerous game that India is playing and to favour one side of the argument is only being baised.

Looking at the positive side of things, the tariff cuts are a good sign of things to come in the future. India has shown it's commitment to keep the talks alive by rising the number of products out of the tariff cuts to 94p.c from 69 p.c last year. The decision by the commerce ministry is largely influenced by the fact that the trade between the two countries has risen to a high figure of $17bn but still is very less compared to the amount of trade between ASEAN and the United States which is of the order of $132Bn. It can be seen from the above facts that India is eyeing the huge gains that the trade between the two groups can offer and is ready to forefit a bit from it's side. The fastly growing Indian middle class and the plans by major companies like Reliance to enter the retail sector are also major catalysts in lowerng the tariff cuts. There is a large and yet untapped market in india which the trade can leverage upon.

On the negative side of things the decision posses a great challenge to the government to protect it's own industries and agriculture. A 40 p.c cut on tariff is not something that pleases the average farmer and it would not be easy for the government to implement it. Tea estates are largely labour intensive. In this context the move to reduce the tariff by half on black tea and other varities is something that needs to be discussed more. Tariff cuts on Textiles is also of concern as the Indian textile industry has just learned to make use of advanced technology and is still in a growing stage. However, The government has a timeperiod of 5 years a la WTO agreements and major steps have to be taken to make both the retail and textile sectors to be competent.

To Sum it up, It was a brave, visionary and commendable move from India to lower the tariff rates. This agreement if implemented would bolster the trade withe countries like Malysia which augument for 70p.c of India's oil needs. But having said all this the government should realize that the opening up of market comes at a price and sufficient and quick measures are required to prevent the price from becoming too high.

Prasad

Crackdown on colas can hurt investement in India!

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After 3 years, Capital based CSE has again tests positive the famous
Cola brand of India and cosequently the denate over COLA ban is
again making news.. SOon after the announce ment of CSE that the
famous COLA brand has exceed the limit of permissible pesticdes in
the contents. the news was hot and even the traces have been seen in
the indian Parliament. Around six ates of India has banned cola
partaially or fully lead by KErala who was the first to introduce
ban .

The reaction has taken no time to come up and within few hrs The
American Government and Business leaders had warned India the the
move to ban Cola will lead to thwart the investors in India. Indian
business leaders and Association were coherent with their american
counterparts in criticizing the move.
Actually In India there is no any written specification for the
permisible limit of pesticides in the ingredients of soft drink .
The CSE , which is claiming that pesticide limeit is higher than
permissible is taking the latest draft into account , which is nt
yet a law. So in the wake of just a private NGO's test the move of
Govt sounds hurried move.
However if the limit is crossed and its nt the violation of law ,
still its condemnable. Indian soft drink market is of 2 bn USD. and
a bn plus populated country cant be just ignored in terms of Quality
and these MNCs sud understand this.
It s still remains to be seen that the present fizz over to make
unfizzy cola giants will sustain and will give us some fruitful
results or it will be just a fizz and wioll cool down with time as
it had been three yrs back.

AMIT

NO FDI in retail sector !

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Much awaited FDI in retail is again in abeyance and If commerce minister Mr. Kamal nath to be beleived, there seems no sign of nod for the FDI in retail sector until its going to create technological advancement and betterment of indian workers at large scale.
Indian retail sector is one of the booming sector in India of late and Foreign giants have already having close watch on the indian govt's move on the issue.
The big players in the retalil like wallmart have already expressed their willingness to take on the indian players which are blossoming and gathering momentum lead by Pantaloons group and the likes.
Now the statement of Mr. Kamal nath is a move which can shatter the dreams Foreign investors.
If the FDI in retail is allowed it will give consumers of India a wide option to choose from and the healthy competition will sure make the sector as buyers market. This will wrk like it has wrked in other sectors so there is no need to be be sceptic. The move will ensure betterment and it will generate employment opportunities.
However, the small players in the field may get adversely affected and consequently there may be shortage of some unskilled employment. Also the technology stagnation is the area to be concern. sinnce the fibished good r nt going to evolve the technology.
Till date only the single brand retail has been allowed . now it will be interesting to see the move of Indian govt. in days to come , which will decide the future of indian retail sector.

AMit

India a step closer to Rupee convertibility

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In the wake of submission of The report by S. S. Tarapore committee on fuller capital account convertibility to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday the debate over full convertiblity of Rupee is again on.
some say we have been thgirved ovewr the time and now as the Indian multinationals r ready to take on the world time is arrived for full convertiblity of rupee. The hunger of indian multinational is increasing for M&A of world's companies, so its high time to leverage their move by allowing full convertiblity.
However the other side of coin is not to allow this in a hurry and RBi sud keep close watch on this issue. The inflation rate is already high and Fiscal deficit is also fluctuating so these two areas should be considered before being liberal on this issue.
To sum it up , nothing can be better except the quote of Assocham President Anil K. Agarwal, who said, "CAC is a welcome goal, but India needs to tread on this path with care as the country faces a large number of challenges relating to CAC which include macroeconomic scenario, capital mobility and foreign exchange reserves

India Rejects $100 Laptop Project

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Well, yet here again we have an exciting issue on the table which
though doesn't need a debate at all, its still there. So for the
sake of it being there let me present my point of view on it.
Needless to say, the much-hyped about issue on `one laptop per
child' is entirely baseless, at least in a developing country like
India. It is a surprise in fact that the planning commission had
actually done lots of paper work on this program put forth by Prof
Nicholas Negroponte who is very well known for his innovative ideas
in the field of education. However, as said by Aswari Ghatage, a
student at Mount Carmel College, the professors at MIT are far too
removed to feel the reality on India, it is only too true that a
program such as OLPC despite being just too good and innovative for
students has no real value in actuality unless these students are
provided with the basic needs. Here are some of the very basic
reasons why this program if put in place in India in the recent
times is going to have a fiasco:
1. more than half the Indian population communicates and learns
in vernacular languages and hence the introduction of laptops is
going to be of little use to these majority of children.
2. the children who still depend on the government to provide
them their basic primary education are hardly capable enough to even
buy books or uniform for their school. How are they going to be able
to pay for the maintenance and internet connectivity in case they do
receive the laptops?
3. giving these children computer education is another hurdle
since their parents themselves are computer illiterates.
4. now comes the shipping and delivery of these laptops. We all
know just too well how the Indian system works. Even in the
instances of natural disasters, only a small part of the relief
reaches the victims, so how can it be ensured that the supply of
laptops to all the areas would be penetrated enough with so much of
corruption through out the way right from the workers to high level
officials?
Well these are just some of the superficial apprehensions by one and
all, if the program is ever put into place, more problems which have
not yet been even thought of will pop up from nowhere. So the stand
taken by our government is completely justified. Also the positive
point to this issue is its capability of creating innovativeness and
creativeness in students as young children are far too curious and
fast learners through creative ideas such as these. But that only
becomes possible when they are already proficient with using the
computers easily that these ideas can actually be realized. So
programs such as these will actually be a big hit in developed
countries but for the still developing ones, that's far too a reach.
The good times for Indians is yet to come and soon. Till then we
need to wait patiently and be rationale towards all the decisions
without hurrying into things.

Singh P.

Bharti - Airtel's Profit Soars

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The financial results of the first quarter for FY'07 of Bharti
Airtel, India's largest cellular provider showed an increase in net
profit by 48% to Rs.755 crore as compared to FY'06. The growth was
on account of increase in its customer base and expansion of
cellular phone market in the country.




The Company: Overview
Bharti, a New Delhi based company is the country's largest
telecommunication and wireless service provider, covering almost 46%
of the population. Around 30.8% of the company is owned by Singapore
telecommunications ltd. and nearly 10% by Vodafone Group Plc.

Reasons for the growth
Growth could be attributed to mainly 3 reasons.
Firstly, a strong growth in the Indian mobile market with cheapest
local mobile calling rates has attracted 4million new users. The GSM
market constitutes about 75% of Airtel's revenue. Owing to the
expanding markets, firm's sale was up by 53%. The mobile base of the
firm rose by 88.2% earlier this month and wireless services
accounted for the 74% of the quarter sales. The total customer base
grew by 86%, which included fixed line users.
Secondly, with lowering of entry barriers through lifetime pre-paids
and reduced handset prices, there has been a decline in monthly
mobile average revenue per Airtel user, which also has triggered the
growth.
Thirdly, the firm has a strong network cover reaching 4026 towns and
101614 villages with more than 100 million subscribers to its
services. The company plans to invest around $2million by March to
cover 5200 towns and thousands of villages across the country all
over.

Company's analysis
Bharti Airtel has been ranked among the top 10 best performing
companies in the world by business week in its IT100 list.
Currently, Bharti's shares have been trading at 373.30 on the BSE
and have a 3.8 percent weighing in the BSE-30 share index. The co's
CMD is confident that with a strong operational performance in the
beginning of the year and new management structure, it will be able
to sustain the growth and improve.
surabhi

WTO : Ministers Try to Salvage Doha Talks

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Courses on conflict management often say how it is better to have
a win-win resolution to a conflict, but it is seldom told by the
pedagogues the difficulty that lies lurking. The Doha round of talks
among the heavyweights of WTO to create a global free trade policy
is a classic lesson that can be taught to every student of the fore
mentioned course. It has been four long years and the talks have not
yet resulted in a fruitfull agreement. It is difficult to comment on
the outcome of the talks that would take place soon, some quoting
them as the last attempt to come to an agreement. With the likes of
India, China and Brazil on one side representing the 149
strong "developing nations" group and the EU along with the
Economic gaint United States on the other it is a very difficult
possibility that a Win-Win Situation is the ultimate outcome.

A look at the history shows that the primary reason in
establishing a World Trade Organization is to allow countries to
levrage the oppurtunities existing all over the globe rather than
those specific to a region. Free Trade above all is the main motto
with which WTO functions. Reducing the high tariffs and other trade
barriers that were in operation in the past can be said to be the
most successful of WTO's achievements overall. But having said all
this it is not to claim that the WTO has been really successful.
Countries have found other ways of mitigating competition from the
external sources and the US is the perfect example. The US in order
to protect it's local farming sector has ganted subsidies in the
range of billions of dollars to it's farmers. The EU on the other
hand, still maintains huge tariffs, thus protecting itself from the
competition. The "Developing nations" meanwhile are seeing a lot of
growth in services sector and other manufacturing areas where
factors like resource abundance and low cost of labour paly a major
role. In order to protect their local industries from the higly
advaced western manufacturing sector these developing nations have
levied high duties on imports from the west.

The Doha Round of Trade Talks was aimed at resolving all these
disputes and creating a trade atmosphere benificial to all the
countries. The trade talks have not been fruitful because of some of
the following reasons.
a ) The pressure within the US against the cut in the large scale
subsidies enjoyed by the local farmers.

b) EU's reluctance to decrease it's tariff rates to the extent that
countries like India and Brazil are demanding.

c) Reluctance on part of Brazil, China and India to lower the
tariffs in their countries as long as the Western countries do not
carry out the required reforms from their side.

The above factors are some of the most important. EU is especially
adamant at the lowering of tariffs because it fears competition from
not only the latin american and Asian countries but also from the
US. EU has agreed to lower the tariffs to approximately 38p.c, but
Brazil and India are firm about decreasing it further. On the Other
hans the US is still in a fix upon the cut in the subsidies demanded
by the developing nations. With the fast approaching mid-term
elections President Bush cannot take a step that would adversly
effect his party. However it is all over the news that an agreement
has been reaches behind the doors that US would cut down the
subsidies by 60p.c and India and Brazil would lower the tariffs from
their side. However it is just a speculation and it remains to be
seen, what the outcome of the talks will be.

To Sum it up, Given the huge stakes that are involved, it is really
difficult to come to a perfect solution that can be agreeable to all
the parties. Havin said this it is not to say that there is a lot of
skepticism about the outcome. Every one is waiting with plenty of
anxiousness for the result, For this would provide an entirely new
dimension the world wide trade.
Prasad

Government Nods 6th pay commission

Ignoring recommendations of 2 finance commissions in a row, govt
noded to set up the sixth pay commission. It will cost additional
22000 crore. VEry soon PM with the consultation of FM will announce
a chairman and other officials of the commission.
It seems more or less have been stablished being politically
motivated and for political benefit instead of the essentiality and
need of the hour.
Let me vindicate my views with facts. If everything will be
positive, this commission will come up with their report and
recommendations in 2008 which is the year for elections and its goin
to be mandated to revise the remuneration paid to central employees.
so clearly indicate that govt is trying to reap up the seeds of
commision establishment at the time of election in 2008. Central
govt employees are ecstatic and they r lookin forward for increase
in remuneration which is not clear at all but the trends say that
its more likely going to be happen.
However it cannot be said completely wrong and done only for
political benefits, since commission is more likely going to address
some other issues of performance-linked benefit and the role of
employees in the wake of change in governance practices. Also soring
inflation rate of recent time also vindicate the move.
To sum up it would have been better if Govt wud have delayed the
establishment and have waited for another finance commission's rep
[ort.
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Oil surged to record highs above $78

Burning Fuel:

The crude prices have surged further! A news that has become
the talk of the household in India and is in everybody's lips
everywhere in the world.

The causes are attributed to

1) The West Asian Crisis that is bleeding after the Victory
of Hamas in Palestinian Polls,

2) The ambitions of United States over Iran and

3) Several unimportant issues as the Nigerian Crisis.

Impact on the world:

Crude oil prices are expected to rise to a three digit
further and it is not far in sight. But if an analysis of the impact
is made, it can be found that the worst hit is the developing
nations such as India and China.

This is because the developed nations have the ability to
bear the impact that is created by their own ambitions (The United
States) or atleast have control over it. The under developed nations
need not be worried because this is only one of the reasons that is
keeping them backward and it is only an addition of woes.

The one who is terribly affected are the developing nations
that has to bear the impact for a cause that is in no way related to
them except that they are the fellow beings of the world.

Impact on economy:

India is one of the nations whose consumption of petroleum
products is rocketing every year.A rise in crude prices means a rise
in prices of petroleum products. It has a direct impact on the
prices of essential commodities and hence a rise in inflation. The
factors are so complicated but interrelated. The ultimate reason
attributed however is the rise in prices of fuel.

Central Government vs. Oil Prices

The ex refinery costs of Petroleum is said to be only
Rs18.50.But the price paid for a litre of petrol is Rs.50(approx) in
India thanks to the taxes that have been levied. Even though the
Central Government is not reform oriented (the result of being a
coalition) and has not pushed for reforms seriously, it has brought
a little of it by reducing the subsidy on petroleum drastically. The
ultimate loser is the common man.

A Government is for the people and when it is necessary the
reforms have to take a reverse track. It is unfortunate that the
Central Government (the real benefitter of the price hike)is
reluctant either in reducing the taxes or in rising the subsidy.

Remedy:

Hope for the best (disaster)!

Possible solutions:

India is one of the nations whose importance in the world is
beyond question. India can bring the developing nations together and
the developing nations should have a say in every activity in the
world. The WTO conference is an indication.

The common man should be spared of price hike that is taking
place often. The government should drop the attitude of raising the
prices for every 5 dollar hike in a barrel of crude. (Interestingly
a barrel of crude oil contains 79 litres but we are charged at
almost a barrel of crude for a litre.)
M.V.Balaji Arunkumar and amit


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THE STATEMENT : Realty prices to fall by 20%

as of now there have been a upward swing in the prices of real estates across the India specially the Mumbai, whre the record high has been marked recently and was largely covered by media. It has been seen from previous six months.
And now Mr. Parekh , chairman of India's largest housing loan bank, indicating for the southward move of reality prices.

The remark of Mr. Parekh can be seen as the well researched statement in the light of some relevent facts like the recent hike in reverse repo rate from RBI and the peak of housing loan rate to 9.25 percent.SO it can be infer as after the peak there nust be faal of prices. its true for almost every economic activity. Reality state is not an exception.

On the other hand rising prices of reality state is least likely to fall in next few months as the Govt is ready to increase FDI in almost every crucial area which is responsible for stunning economic growth. India is witnessing high economis growth of 8-4 % previous year, and likely to maintain this growth . In turn India is a favourable destination for investment in many sectors. If we consider partcularly Mumbai, this metropolis is also attracting a lot of investors coupled with the huge population coming here for employment will surely increse demand for land, in the wake of this surge in real state price seems imminent.

Mr. parekh's statement is based on facts however the current trend say the other story so only time can vindiacate Mr. parekh's statement.






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Mittal's takeover of Arceler

After five months of tussle, Lakshmi Mittal finally managed to
acquire world's second largest steel manufacturing company Arcelor.
The merger would lead to the Arcelor-Mittal co, which will be 3 times
as large as its nearest rival. It would account for 10% of the world
steel.
The deal
Mittal steel has offered 25.6 billion euro for the take over. It
raised it bid for the second time to almost double offering 40.40 per
share. Mittal had initially offered 23.6 billion euros for the
merger. Arcelor shareholders will receive 13 Mittal shares for 12
Arcelor shares. The new company is expected to have projected annual
sales of 38 billion euros.
The Challenge
One of the challenges which Mittal faced was to convince culture
conscious European about the deal. Initially the Belgian co. Arcelor,
was extremely hostile towards non-EU nation taking over the co.
Oppositions came mainly from the CEO Guy Dolle who planned to merge
with Russian steel co. Severstal to become world's largest steel
producer. The government of Belgium and France where Arcelor has most
of its steel plant located also opposed the Mittal offer.
One step more to go…
The only hurdle now remains is the shareholders meet of Arcelor on
3oth June, where they are to vote for the Severstal's proposal.
Arcelor will pay a break up fee of 140 million euros to the Russian
entity, if the shareholders halt the deal.
Benefits
After the merger, the newly formed entity will be able to meet the
demands of Chinese market that is currently in the process of
developing its infrastructure. China is currently in need of approx
730 tones of steel for its projects. In the past few years, the
demand has increased over 50%. The new co. will have a strong hold on
the world steel supply, and would still not gain monopoly in any
specific area. This is so because both Arcelor and Mittal steel have
targeted different parts of the world and would be able to fulfill
global needi.
Effect on world market
The shares of the new entity are expected to be listed in NYSE among
others. After the merger was announced the shares of Mittal steel
closed down by 2.4% while that of Arcelor jumped up by 7.2%.
Investments after the new entity is formed are expected to rise
higher.
Conclusion
With the acquisition of Arcelor, Mittal has been able to create a new
economic culture where countries with different mindset can work. The
deal is a victory of corporate democracy and makes Mittal of the
largest steel producer of the world.
Mittal steel has grown over the past years through various mergers
one the most important being merger of International steel based in
Chicago two years back.
The deal also reflects the excellent entrepreneur abilities possessed
by the Mittal who was able to convince Arcelor board, shareholders
and president Joseph Kinsch about efficacy of the merger taking
place



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Inflation in India Hits 56-Week

The news of rose of inflation to 5.74%, the highest over the previous
56 weeks , was the headline of all indian dailies and webportals. The
rose is the effect of hike in essential food stuffs like lentils,
sugar, vegetablesand hike of price in diesal and petrol.
The impact of this will be open and hidden both, even it may cost
heavily to the UPA govt. in the coming elections as the indian voters
are very sentimental to this issue. It is to be seen that whether RBI
will firther hike the interest rate or not since it already have
hiked the rates recently. These all collectively are going to affect
a normal middle class indian's life which inturn will afect India.
------------------




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Comments on Jet -Sahara merger deal off

Not much time,when media was full with newses of jet sahara merger . Now after more that 2 months, Jet boss Naresh Goel is taking his hands back from the deal, whatever will be the reason because the one party is silent on the issue till date but its the high profile war of two of India's biggest corporates. Prima facie it seems the breach of pact from Jet side but delving into the matter it is easily seen that Just after announcing the deal of merger Naresh Goel realised that the deal is not worth of Rs. 2300 crore and since then he is demanding of around 10-20% reduction . However Sahara is rght on his own way because its not the way to get reverse like this.

Its going to be very intersting in days to come, the war is in court now and every body is just guessing what next? including other players of the same fields (Kingfisher , GoAir etc.)




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JV between MS and Nortel

Ubiquitous computing is the philosophy that Microsoft strongly
belives in and yesterday it took a gaint step in realising it's
dream. The colloboration between Nortel and microsoft certainly is a
step that can pioneer a massive change in the way people communicate
all around the world. The technology, outreach and the money that
microsoft has, no doubt will play an important role in making this
collobaration a successful one. As Microsoft CEO Michael Ballmer
said "It is Shame on Microsoft if this does not work out ". I
provide some examples to stregthen my argument.

A look at history of computing provides the evidence for
communications and software are bound to cross eachother at some
point. Original invented for doing large scale calculations the role
of computer has changed over the years. Computers today are being
used not only to prepare software and do large scale computations
but also for communicating with your peers whereever you are.
Electronic mail has had a deep impetus on the way people keep in
touch all round the globe. VOIP, Online Chat are some of the othere
examples which would emphasize the merger of communication and
computing.

As I Stated before Microsoft takes ubiquitous computing very
seriously and it comes as no surprise that it is chartering into the
unknown waters of Communications. Microsoft Office is on of the
largely used softwares all around the world and the company can
obviously leverage on it's oureach by writing additional plug-ins
for this project. The market is expected to be close to 40bn$ in a
couple of years. If this proves to be true and the alliance provides
a breakthrough, it stregthens Microsoft's position beyond
imagination. It is understood from the excerpts from an interview
with Microsoft's business head Jeff Reiks that the software that
would be written would have the capability to analyse where to
transfer your call (a choice between your office phone, home, your
mobile) depending on your status. Such an indepth analysis and
programming requires a lot of skill which microsoft has got in loads.
Networking company Nortel stands to gain a lot from the deal.It's
share has already seen a 6p.c growth and the people at Norton are
optimistic about this growth being sustained over a long period in
the future. Norton estimates that they are going to gain
approximately 1bbn$ from this deal. If the alliance continues for a
longer period (the current deal is for 4 years), the stakes might be
much higher.

Having said all this , it is not to say that this alliance is going
to be unchallenged and the sailing is going to be smooth. Microsoft
may be the largest software company in the world but the world of
networks and communication is an entirely new domain to them. There
are well established comapnies like AVAYA and CISCO who have lot of
domain knowledge and industrial experience along with the monetary
power. These comapnies also have a similar vision and they have
already entered into tie-up with IBM, another large scale provider
of software. This battle for the highly productive market is going
to be a treat for all the analysts out there.

To sum it up, This alliance marks a transformation of the industry
dynamics. It also shows the changing strategy of Microsoft , willing
to come out of the traditional software that has proved to be highly
successful and experiment on other fronts. The clash for the market
share is going to be huge. With the likes of AVAYA, CISCO, IBM,
MICROSOFT, NORTEL in the battle field it can be called as "The Clash
Of The Titans".

Prasad



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Gr8 site

this site is very thought provoking on the ongoing quota row in india. A lot of extremely informative articles r there. check it...
http://noquotaplease.blogspot.com/

Get rid of anxiety

All success in the world... is the result of
indomitable spirit.
So don't be anxious,
just develop a 'can-do'
attitude. Nothing
is impossible.
A P J Abdul Kalam's advice to students

Look at people whenever they get excited, anxious or angry. They actually go mad. Anger is nothing but temporary madness, and it is the same with excitement and anxiety. When you are extremely angry you are crazy; you speak and act in a crazy way. It is a temporary state, in which you lose your mental balance.
Mata Amritanandamayi

Keeping stress down
is essential for good
physical and mental health, and unless
we master stress,
stress masters us.
So we all must make sure that we are not overcome by tension and worry.
E Sreedharan, MD, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation

This we can all bear
witness to, living
as we do plagued by
unremitting anxiety.
It becomes more and more imperative that the life
of the spirit be avowed as the only firm basis upon which to establish
happiness and peace.
The Dalai Lama

The bow too tensely strung is easily broken.
Publius Syrus

A Psalm of Life

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
"Life is but an empty dream!"
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
"Dust thou art, to dust returnest,"
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Finds us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labour and to wait.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(1807-1882)
US nineteenth century poet and author.

Run to grab ur DREAM!!

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running".

India Calling !!

"If there is one place on the
face of this Earth where all
the dreams of living men
have found a home from
the very earliest days when
man began the dream of
existence, it is India".
Romain Rolland, French
philosopher

The Indian economy has witnessed significant change in the last decade. Almost
all the sectors have been opened up for private participation. Import licensing has
been abolished and Import duties have now been rationalized to internationally
acceptable levels. Peak import duty is now at 15 per cent. The sensex is getting new peak daily and it is very close to 12000 now. I t is standing tall defying even Dow Jones. The corporate India is crossing his fingers since best is still to come.
The process of reforms since independence in 1947 has been slow but steady.
The 50s through the 70s saw agricultural reforms, 80s up to the mid-90s was the
phase of industrial reforms, while the post-90s era has seen the emergence of
information technology and service sector reforms, showcasing India as an
information technology and service industry powerhouse.
The economy had registered a growth rate of 8.5 per cent in 2003-04, the
highest ever except in 1975-76 and 1988-89. The economy grew at 6.9 per cent
in 2004-05.
Now one destination for all the industries come and feel the diffrence India is calling..............

Courtesy : KPMG

AMitabh BAAP of the STARS !!

Amitabh......... the man, the power, the leader, the stalwart, the performer, the actor, the star, the legend..... Reaching daily a new height, where nobody dared to.
Here;s presenting reverse countdown of AKELA AJOOBA AMITABH BACHCHAN..........



10. Kaalia
"Hum jaha pe khade ho jaate hein , line wahin se shuru hoti hai."



9. Trishul
"Sahi baat ko sahi waqt pe kiya jaye to uska maza hi kuch aur hai, aur main sahi waqt ka intezaar karta hoon."



8.Satte Pe Satta
"Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain! Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain! Chain kuli ki, main kuli ki chain!"



7.Chupke Chupke
"Jis tarah gobhi ka phool phool hokar bhi phool nahi hota, waise hi gainde ka phool bhi phool hokar phool nahi hota."



6.Zanjeer
"Yeh tumhare baap ka ghar nahin, police station hai! Is liye sidhi tarah khade raho!"



5. Agneepath
"Pura naam, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan. Baap ka naam, Dinanath Chauhan; Maa ka naam, Suhasini Chauhan, gaon Mandwa; umar chhattis saal..."


4.Namak Halal
"I can talk English, I can walk English, I can laugh English because English is a very phunny language."


3.Shahenshah
"Rishte me to hum tumhare baap lagte hain , naam hai Shahenshah."


2. Deewar
"Haan, main sign karoonga, lekin pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao, jisne mera baap ko chor kaha tha ; pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao jisne meri maa ko gali deke naukri se nikal diya tha; pehle us aadmi ka sign le ke aao jisne mere haath pe ye ('mera baap chor hai') leekh diya tha. Uske baad... Uske baad, mere bhai, tu jo kahega us par main sign karoonga."


1.Sholay
"Tumhara naam kya hai, Basanti?"

Generation awakened?

The stupendous success of Movie RANG DE BASANTI invoked my fingers to write. Its long time to relesem of the movie, so no review , infact the astounding success tells us the story so far that the movie is undoubtedly one of the gr8 masterpiece of bollywood.
The impeccable performances delivered by Amir, sharman, Kunal wont be go from memory easily , and how can one forget the ALICE PAten, gal who is the surprize package with the movie. Alice Paten ! hats off to u8r cute and sincere performance.And dear Rakesh (Director of the movie)! kudos to u! u dared to make a movie on offbeat subject and more u tasted success too. Now the movie is the second highest grosser of Decade in India so its time to just think that whether the movie was wholesome entertainer only or it has relation to msg too.
I think the baseline of the movie A generation awakens........ says it all.
Now introspect and just ask whether u awakened or not........
its not late we still can change and rule the world. So what say! sud we do the try......
LOVE

Cruise

Have u landed on the cruise???????? Hey not yet?
Yes this Tom cruise is ready to enthrall u............ Coming soon...

Extempore

Hi readers,
Welcome abode!

what to say? its really gr8 to post first articl e on this blog. Yes im also the prey of this fad! so what, i have already made some blogs and kept promise to post in that regularly but now u r in the brand new amit's BLOG. Nedd less to tell because i didnt kept promise for my previous blogs . im a little apologitic why? because i didnt kept promise but now its new day and i promise i will be regular in updating this. i promise! Believe me!
Got time to write something so its my fingers who r inking something not by pen but with the natuaral pen our fingers. u will be happy to check this blog in future just keep visiting .
So have a nice day!