At the click of the mouse...

People in my house complain about the time i spend on the internet.. browsing online newspapers, facebook and online forums. To justify my time I often tell them about the rupees I save them by shopping at the online stores. My wife promptly points out that this online binge brings home many things we do not really need, so its more of  rupees wasted instead of saved.. well that argument will never end..  

Recently Swaminathan S Aiyer, in his column in the Times of India, opined that the traditional retailers should be more afraid of the competetion from online shopping portals rather than international chains like Wall Mart. These online retailers not only offer a wide variety to choose from, they also offer substantially lower prices. With substantially low overheads (mainly showroom rentals and interors),and with good logistics network in place, they are able to ship the items in a short time and in good condition to your doorstep. As broadband internet connectivity is growing every day especially among urban users, and secured payment gateways being offered by most banks, online shopping is becoming an increasingly 
pleasant experience.

Touted as the Amazon of the Orient, Flipkart(www.flipkart.com) has made rapid strides in the online shopping space. What started off as a small venture by young entrepreneurs who initailly managed everything from procurement to packing and delivery, Flipkart has grown today into a mature organization offering a slew of products from mobiles and laptops to books and movies, and a lot more. It usually offers substantial discounts to the MRP. Packing is usually excellent and delivery on time through its own  logistics arm Flipkart logistics. Its a while since I went to the local bookstore after discovering flipkart. The site has book and movie reviews by users, that helps you choose from the options available. Flipkart was also quiet generous with return policy, on the only occasion I had to return a DVD received with Region 2 encoding (Indian players usually have 5). Flipkart organised the return logistics themselves with full refund.

Started by a Pune entrepreneur, Sameer Bhagwat from the travel and tourism industry, is the site http://traveloworldonline.com/. I was pleasantly surprised by the range of services offered. It offers online Hotel, Flight and taxi booking, something that only mature portals like makemytrip and yatra can offer. In addition it offers Indian and international holidays at competetive rates. According to Sameer, the site offers rates which are LOWER than the other portals, and lower even what the offcial web sites offer. In addition you can contact them for customised Railway, bus and cruise bookings. The site looks quiet professional and the interface is friendly too, although the hotel booking retrieval is a little slow. Online payment through secured gateway is available. They also offer passport and visa assistance and assistance with medical insurance. A one stop shop for those planning a trip.

Another interesting site is the troika of Lenskart, Watchkart and Bagskart (not sure if related to Flipkart, probably not although name sounds similar).. again the same story of low prices, prompt delivery and good return / refund policies.I tried lenskart.. It has succeeded in making the shopping of a complicated product quiet easy. Detailed helppages on how to choose the frame size to user friendly data entry for the lens power. Not to forget HUGE savings in cost. Offers a wide variety of lens types, branded frames, and contact lenses.

In the US, amazon has already put the brick and mortar retailers out of business. Is India heading the same way? 

Movie Inside Job

As the world totters on the brink on economic uncertainty, we wonder if the financial crisis of 2008 which nearly brought the world on the brink of collapse, will come back to haunt us again.Although the situation looks better than then, it still leaves a lot of room for doubt. With the increasing delinking of the Indian economy, the threat to us is even less. But nevertheless, the economic might the west exercises, and the world economies getting inextricably interlinked, when the west sneezes the rest of the world quickly catches the cold.

What really caused a crises of such magnanimous proportions ? What measures have been taken to prevent a recurrence ? Three years down the line the layman is pretty hazy about what really precipitated this huge crisis. We have all heard about sub prime and derivatives and the greed of the wall street and the eventual collapse of Meryil Lynch and AIG, but the terms seem too technical and its difficult to make much out of the jargon.

"Inside Job" tries the demystify the world of Wall street to the common man. Its more a documentary than a movie. The reel stars are the big bosses of the real Financial world themselves. Based on detailed interviews with bankers, heads of regulatory authorities and academicians, it tries to put the story in a way you and me can understand. So what was it that brought down the whole world in late 2008 - GREED, callousness, bad judgement, bad luck or a deadly concoction of all?

The world over, the Financial sector comprising banks, institutions, mortgage (housing and other loan) companies, stock and bond markets is a subject of strict regulation. It is also one most susceptible to fraud. Who hasnt heard of ponzi schemes which promise to double your money in no time? Unlike manufacturing the sector has little tangible assets like building, Machinery, which the investor can see. The value creation process is very slow and is based on integrity and sound judgement, rather than innovation and enterprise. So what happens when the companies forget these time tested principles of honesty and integrity?

The sub prime mortgage crisis which lies at the crux of the financial debacle did not happen overnight. So why were powerful regulators and politicans watching when banks went about "manufacturing" derivatives out of this air? Why did the rating agencies handing out AAA rating to bonds which were backed by sub prime loans? How were Freddie Mac and Fannie May (the biggest housing lenders in US) able to retain their AAA ratings upto the day of their collapse? And most importantly, a full three years after the crisis, why are the key perpetuators not just not prosecuted, but appointed to key positions in the Obama team?

So who benefited from these crises? The executives of Goldman Sachs who reaped millions in bonuses? Or the banks who profited by speculating AGAINST their own derivates? The politicians who depend on Wall street for their election campaigns? The crux lies in the increasing control exrcised by Wall Street on US politics. The fundamental culture of greed of Wall Street that has many willing supporters in powerful positions.. So what does the US need for a redemption ? An "imported" Anna Hazare ???

Overall a must watch ..

Available at -
http://www.indiaplaza.com/inside-job-movies-mov1005201101cyg02-10.htm

Mesmerizing

When Balgandharva preformed to packed drama houses during his heydays, the state of the audience could be described in one word: Mesmerized. So captivating was his charm (he performed more female roles as women were not allowed by society to perform in those days) and his voice, the audiences felt as if he was a performance from god. Legendary freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak once heard him sing and gave him the name of Gandharva - a heavenly being.

Almost a century later, Nitin Chandrakant Desai has attempted to recreate the magic through his movie Balgandharva. Desai is known for his grand sets and costumes, which contributed a big way towards the success of Jodha Akbar. Thats suits the movie's script as Balgandharva himself was known for his high living.

The duration of two hours is probably too short to showcase the life of a "happening" personality of those times.. as they say in Marathi..akashala chimpit pakdu pahanya sarkha aahe..but the writer has made a good attempt nevertheless. Subodh Bhave fits the role perfectly. His performances of Sangeet natak (musical drama), for which Balgandharva was really known, makes you feel you are actually in those old days. Balgandharva worked with many personalities of those times, like Govindaro Tembe, and always believed in giving the best to his audiences. His unwavering commitment to art is shown when he performs even on coming to know about his daughter's death.

The movie does not devote much time to his family life. Vibhavari Deshpande (of Harishchandrachi factory fame) again plays a similar role, this time it gets more poignant towards the end.
Balgandharva's talent brought him enormous wealth, but his opulent lifestyle and his reluctance to appreciate commercial realties also resulted in huge debts, which took years to repay. With his increasing age and with the audience for drama decreasing rapidly with the advent of movies, the sun starts setting in his life.
As he accepts the new reality, his words remind you of of Shakepeare's quotes :

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts...

This movie is a must watch for many reasons, even for those (like me) who do not understand or appreciate classical music. Firstly it tells the story of an artist who was probably the greatest ever Maharashtra has produced . Secondly Subodh Bhave's performance makes you feel as if you actually watching the great man himself. And thirdly the excellent sets and jewelery make the whole thing grand on a scale never seen in Marathi movies.

As with balgandharva's performances, this movie deserves a "once more".

Sizzling Yana!

Yana's superb! You may think I am referring to the fantastic performances of Yana Gupta on the sets of Jhalak Dikhla Ja, which this year feathured none other than the indefatigable Madhuri Dikshit as judge. Of course they were sizzling too.. as well those of Chang and Sushant, and many others.

Yana is the restaurant in Pune that offers Sizzlers and Wok. For a long time Touche in camp was probably the only place that served sizzlers in Pune. Now we have Kobe on Law College Rd which is another autentic Sizzler resturant. For those who haven't been there, Yana is at the end of the Fergusson College Rd opposite to Hotel Lalit mahal. Yana has a big menu for sizzlers with Cheese, Mushrooms, Noodles , Rice , Corn, and Veggies and other interesting stuff mixed in various proportions to get many variants. The salads are pretty good too and so are the soups. We tried the Onion Cheese soups which was quiet different and well made. The ambience is a bit casual, prabably keeping in the mind the tastes of the young crowd that frequents the place. Spend - approx 250-400 per person.

Since coming back from Singapore we have sort of emabraked on a culinary expedition. On dasara we went to Thaat Baat, which is the new Rajasthani restaurant in Kothrud. The ambience is typically Rajasthani, and waiters wear traditional village attire to match. The silver vessels add to the rustic feel. The food is more customised to local tastes, many punjabi style vegetables along with daal baati and malpua. Good value at Rs.180 with unlimited sweets.

Janseva on Deccan was more of a "khanaval" , where people could have there everyday lunch at affordable prices. After upgradation it has totally changed its look. The food remains excellent, with a home-like taste. Thali includes sweet dish (again excellent homely taste) and spicy items like dahi Wada or small samosa/kachoris or kothimbir wadi types. At Rs.120 on weekdays and 180(multiple sweets) on Sunday, its a steal.

Many more restaurants to explore..

Dreams come true..

For some reason I have a grave fear of driving the four wheeler. I have been trying to learn to drive for a long time now. So when I enrolled in the driving school refresher course none of my family members were impressed. “You drive so slowly even the cyclists will overtake you”, my wife pitched in ‘enthusiatically’. So it was like.. now or never...!

“Have you ever driven a rickshaw (3 wheeler / auto) ?”, asked my driving teacher half mockingly. “Of course not, but I have sat in it many times”, I retorted. “Then you should know how they negotiate the traffic”, was his reponse , “if you are so cautious, you can never drive in Pune”. Well there i was , coming back from Singapore where the traffic is as methodical as every aspect of its life and my driving instructor was telling me that method was madness on Pune roads. “You have to learn to squeeze you car in, and use the horn often and scare the other guys a bit. You have to assert yourself on the road”. Phew!

So the next logical step was to buy a car myself so that while I do not forget how to drive again, we can also go out for a trip once in a while. I told my thought to my wife. “Get as old a car as possible, and don’t spend too much money on something you may hardly use”, was her polite advice. I evaluated various options - small, not so small, then there are petrol ones and diesel ones. Diesel ones don’t have a good pickup. That should not matter, considering that I will use the brakes more than the accelarator.

Finally I gave settled for an old Alto. I am yet to take it to office. Its too crowded in the evening at the time of returning, and I don't want to take a chance with anybody's life. Besides in Pune the two wheeler rules the road and no one dare mess up with them.

When I mention the long drives to my wife, she gives a strange look..but never mind.. dreams do come true..even if they may take a little longer ..

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

It’s back to India after two years and I am glad to be in amche Pune. Things have changed a lot. Swanky malls and multiplexes have sprung up. New high rises in place of rustic bungalows. We have KFC, Subway and all the multinational brands. It takes me a while to locate my bank’s ATM, which has shifted during the time. So has our Cyber Cafe. Many old shops have shut down, and new ones have come up.. Pune is changing fast..
The superstores are full of all the goods which we thought as novelties in Singapore. LCD Tvs, computers, Mobile phones. The models are a bit behind the developed world, but they are good nevertheless.. for those who can afford them. I am getting really excited about being back in India.
I need a new cell phone connection. Calling rates are among the cheapest here and now you can get the 3G services as well, of course for a price, and the same goes for Broadband. Just two years ago, reliable Broadband was just beyond the reach of the common man. But there are options available today. India is changing fast. I select my mobile plan and the shopkeeper tells me it will be activated “tomorrow”. I believe him. I am back from Singapore, staying there for two years. Well two years is not that long considering that I have stayed in India for almost 34 years before that. But one gets spoilt easily. In Singapore tomorrow means tomorrow and if it’s a week they tell you upfront. What he actually meant was that the phone will be activated in a couple of days. I should have known.
There is some construction work going on, and the main road is dug up. They are laying out new sewage lines. Our suburb is growing so fast that it is no wonder they require to upgrade the infrastructure. That’s good news. The bad news is that there is dust everywhere, the traffic is in chaos and more importantly we do not know when it will be finished. Add to that the existing potholes and I feel I am racing my bike on a dirt track. Getting used to Travelling in Air Conditioned Buses and Metro trains and reaching in time was a different story altogether. Everything moved on so smoothly even during crowded hours. Disciplined, efficient, dependable. When can we have that? India is changing, albeit gradually, and we are all optimistic.
There are new buses on Pune’s road. Plus the BRT. Its another thing that I don’t know where it goes. We rarely take public transport in Pune. People use two wheelers and now increasingly, cars. All the latest vehicles models are there. So what if the roads cannot keep up and are choked in the evening. Or that, on a working day, it will be eight before a person reaches home negotiating the traffic. But it’s a passing phase. There are roads, highways and elevated railways in the pipeline. It’s just a matter of time before all falls in place.
We are slowly settling down. The new “basic necessities” of life are back – Mobile, cable TV and internet! Reconnecting with friends and relatives. It’s cold in Pune. The temperature has fallen to less than 10 degrees Celsius. Back in Singapore, the weather was as predictable as its MRT, always warm. Enjoying again sleeping till 8 o’clock in warm sweaters and blankets..wow! But forget the cold weather. India is the hottest place for investors today, with growth rates reaching 10% p.a. We are growing at an amazing pace. India will be the next superpower along with China towards the end of the century. China is already far ahead, and it has the advantage of a centralised vision and the will and the machinery to implement it. They have already hosted the Olympics. We scraped through with the CWG games. But we can surely host the Olympics one day! That day is not close.. but I am optimistic still it will come.
Well known economist Keynes once said that, in the long run, we are all dead! Where will India be in the long run? Well we can’t be sure yet. No doubt we are growing at a fast rate now. But even at this rate of growth of around 10%, it will still take almost 8-10 years for our incomes to double. And as the growth can never be equally spread out, it will be almost 25 years before the common man in India reaches any acceptable standard of living. Many of us will be retiring by that time .. so is there anything in store for you and me in India’s growth story.. definitely .. but only in the long run.. by that time we will be on the way to heaven..!
On second thoughts, how about back toSingapore again? 