Category: Thoughts

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6 Questions on Caring for the Elderly That We Need to Ask Ourselves

In India, until just a few decades back, a large family living together under the same roof and sharing food from a common kitchen was a common sight. Today, joint families are on the verge of becoming an endangered species. Among the many implications of this trend, one aspect that stands out to me at a personal level is what it means for the ageing and the elderly.

Taking care of each other has always been a given at our home. My late grandmother, who recently passed away, lived with us till she was 99 years old. Over the last few years, our lives had sort of come to revolve around her. We also have similar fond and cherished memories of being with my grandfather till his last breath. 

But that does not mean that the many reasons why people choose to live in nuclear setups are lost on me. Nor does it imply that I am some kind of an expert on senior care. My simple realization is this – the experience of looking after the ones who once looked after us is largely a matter of following our heart.

You cannot fake it, and if done with selfless intent and without any expectations, it can be truly gratifying. On the other hand, the process of watching them age, wither, and one day, leave behind nothing but memories and photographs, is a humbling experience. It puts into perspective our own changing bodies and minds, our inevitable ageing process, and the physical and emotional dependencies that sooner or later come with it. 

Earlier, I had considered turning this blog into a series of tips and suggestions on caring for the elderly. But, then I changed my mind. For those interested to become better caretakers and companions for senior citizens in their family, community, and beyond, there are plenty of such articles on the internet.

Instead, I would like to raise a series of questions that have often occurred to me along my journey with my grandparents. I believe that whether you are in a position to help your elderly family members or not, these are questions that you will relate to at a human level. 

1. If ageing is natural, why is it so hard to see it happen to your loved ones?

On the face of it, the passing of time seems like such a natural phenomenon.

Since the day we are born, we start ageing. The process is usually enjoyable as we progress to youth and then reach the mid-mark. After that, as we age further,  it tends to become a bit scary and unpleasant. We all know the tell-tale signs – greying hair, shrivelling skin, loss of senses, cognitive failures, disabilities, various health conditions, and so on. These are more or less known to us. Yet, watching it from close-up, while someone in your family starts to degenerate and weaken right before your eyes, is one of the hardest things to do. 

My grandmother was active and healthy until a little over a year ago. We were so used to seeing her happy and fully functional that when the change suddenly came in the form of illness, getting bed-ridden, experiencing hearing-loss, and later, the loss of her vocabulary, it was too painful to watch.

One part of it was the feeling of helplessness – the sheer pain of not being able to help her in any way. The other aspect was realizing that she was fully aware of her own degeneration and that it was unknowingly eating away at her sense of feeling alive, confident, and happy. 

My learning is this – even if you know it all, you cannot prepare yourself for this moment before it arrives. You will probably have to just wing it, and whatever pain comes along the way, you will have to live with it with grace and acceptance, reminding yourself every moment that their pain is probably much, much bigger than yours.

2. Is physical care enough for the ageing?

This is another question that often tugs at my heart. 

Is it enough to ensure that they are well-fed, rested, clean and hygienic, and under high-quality medical care? Or is there more to it?

Some of the aspects that we often tend to overlook are things like companionship and adding meaning and value to their lives. It is one thing to have a nice cup of tea, for example, but it is another thing to share it with your grandson. It is one thing to undergo routine blood tests – it is another thing to have your granddaughter hold your hand while the needle pierces your skin.

A key cause of depression among the elderly is the feeling that they have nothing more to offer to the world or to the people around them. Up until 2018, my grandmother took care of our kids while my wife and I could focus on work. It was extremely beneficial for us, but more importantly, it gave her a feeling of belongingness, meaning, and contribution.

3. Can good and holistic care guarantee anything?

The simple answer is this – no, it cannot. But knowing it doesn’t stop us from letting our hopes run high.

By God’s grace, and with support from everyone around us, we were able to take excellent care of my grandmother for several decades. It was mostly a joyful experience. But over time, it sort of made us forget that no amount of care, companionship, or love could stop age-related degeneration in her and eventually – death

When the inevitable happened, we initially struggled a lot to accept the new reality. Then, as she began to deteriorate and her health and wellness began to slip through our fingers, we realized that we no longer had any control over it. It was then that we began to pray for her suffering to end instead. 

It’s not a journey that you can possibly imagine without going through it yourself, but in the end, it made me realize how little is truly in our control.

4. Do we, as a nation, have adequate infrastructure to make life comfortable for the elderly?

I can’t stress this enough. There is only so much that you can do as a son, daughter, grandson, or granddaughter. Beyond the capabilities of an individual or even that of an entire family, we need to have the right kind of technology and infrastructure to make life easier for the ageing and the debilitating.

India is still too far behind when it comes to having innovative and effective solutions for her elderly population.

Challenges like reduced mobility, impaired cognitive functionality, and loss of senses are still largely unaddressed – i.e. there is not enough technical support for the elderly to live a relatively full life despite these conditions. There are hardly any community-building initiatives for senior citizens. Geriatric care is still limited to the economically privileged and/or the socially privileged. 

It makes me wonder – if the process of growing old and nearing death is so terrifying and scary for those blessed with money and family support, how much harder is it for those who are stripped of these things?

One can only hazard a guess.

5. Is the tradeoff worth it?

Fair warning – this is a very subjective question.

Deciding to be there for your ageing parents and grandparents is a life-changing decision. You will probably stop having your own space, your freedom gets somewhat curtailed, your career choices become limited, and your finances can easily go for a toss if you are not careful. 

But is the tradeoff worth it? For me, it is. It gives me a sense of alignment with the full circle of life and more importantly, it lets me sleep with a clean conscience. But for those who are still sitting on the fence, here’s my humble suggestion – give it a try before you reject it outright. You may be pleasantly surprised.

6. Do we really understand old age?

I don’t know the answer to this question. But I think that that’s what makes it so enigmatic.

No matter how much we love, respect, or care for the elderly, old age will always remain a puzzle, or at the very least, a black-box to me.

Sometimes I think I have cracked it, but now I know better. 

And when my time comes, I hope that I can face it with the kind of grace, strength, and compassion that I often saw in my grandparents. It’s a lofty goal, but it’s also one that’s incredibly empowering. Perhaps one of that many advantages of being next to your loved ones as they age is to feel somewhat reassured that if they could do it, so can you.

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What Will It Take to Make Himachal’s IT Policy a Real Win for the State?

Background

Several states in the country have stepped up their IT game over the last decade by coming up with progressive, forward-looking and incentivising policies, including Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh.

Himachal Pradesh is the latest State to join their ranks come out with an IT, ITes(IT-enabled services) and Electronic System Design Manufacturing(ESDM) policy. This article is an attempt to assess the policy in a holistic manner and explore how it can be a real win for the State and its growing IT entrepreneurial community. 

To begin with, it is heartening to note that the Department has envisioned a 360o view of enabling IT development in the State by mapping the policy objectives towards fuelling IT investments, infrastructure, manpower, startups and entrepreneurs, e-governance and ease of doing business in the State.

Progressive Outlook and Generous Incentives

Let us now delve deeper into the incentives and stimuli offered by the policy. It is reassuring to note that the policy of Himachal Pradesh fares at par or better than similar policies adopted by other states and neighbouring countries of India.

For instance, affordable power/subsidy, skilled manpower incentives, subsidy on quality certification, land banks, promoting data centres, and e-governance are some of the areas where the policy offers comparable incentives in line with the offerings by the policies of the aforementioned states and neighbouring countries.

Lease Rental Subsidy, which is proposed to be 75% (up to Rs 15 lacs) for the first year and 85% (up to Rs 20 lacs) for the first year for Green Data Centres compares well with that of Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

With regard to tax benefits, Himachal Pradesh has put forward 100% reimbursement of Net SGST for 7 years, unlike Gujarat where there is a limiting upper cap on SGST reimbursement, the flat 5 years exemption in Uttarakhand, or the minimum floor rate charged in Maharashtra. 

Along with attractive Interest Subsidy and Capital Subsidy, in view of the transportation challenges arising in Himachal’s hilly roads, the draft has further offered 50% Assistance for Transportation of Plant and Machinery (up to Rs 7 lacs).

Environment Protection support to entrepreneurs through funding 25% of ETP/ETF expenditure (up to Rs 3 lacs) and 50% of power tariff for running the ETP (up to Rs 1 lac per year for 4 years) puts the policy’s environmental lens in good perspective, as opposed to Gujarat where such support is glaringly absent. In comparison, Uttarakhand offers a significant one-time capital subsidy of Rs 50 lacs, but only for ETF. 

Another boost to IT innovation in the State has been the provision for assistance for patent filing/IPR which is reimbursed up to Rs 5 lakhs or 75% of actual expenditure for domestic patents up to Rs 10 lakhs or 100% of actual expenditure for international ones. Overall, it seems like a great first step towards supporting Himachal entrepreneurs and innovators in protecting and capitalizing on their innovation.

Painting The Big Picture – What’s Missing?

Thus, prima facie, the policy pans out well in comparison to comparable policies already in place and doles out substantial benefits, generous incentives and attractive stimuli which could be perceived as a major step in the direction of meeting its objectives over the next five years. 

However, it is impossible to overlook the deeper realities of Himachal Pradesh that threaten to compromise the efficacy of the policy significantly, especially in the long-run. A case in point is the series of assumptions underlying the policy, one of which is the abundance of skilled manpower in the State. 

Skilled Manpower in Himachal Pradesh – Reality or Myth?

While it is true that the State is home to several prestigious institutes such as IIT Mandi, NIT Hamirpur and IIM Sirmaur these are hardly entirely consisting of Himachalis. On the whole, the availability of a skilled workforce in the State is rather dire, especially when considered in the context of employability in the IT sector. 

Aside from academic and professional eligibility, the sheer lack of awareness on appropriate work ethics, acceptable workplace behaviour, the lacklustre attitude on professional commitment and delivering responsibilities on time, and even the basic ability to have a dialogue and negotiate is starkly missing among the State’s youth. 

Bridging the Manpower Gap

Upgrading the Education Curriculum to Meet Industry Needs

The IT sector is one domain that hinges on exports to be profitable and scalable – but unfortunately, the majority of the workforce in the State is neither IT-ready nor groomed appropriately to interact with foreign clients. Those who do attain higher education, professional training and soft-skills up-gradation are drained out of the State through out-migration spurred by the lack of opportunities in the State to climb the ladder or innovate profitably at scale.

Unless the State Government gives due attention to the upliftment of the curriculum and bringing it in sync with the industry requirements, and unless it takes the responsibility of training teachers who will deliver such curriculum, Himachal’s IT dreams are bound to crumble. 

The questions one needs to ask are – Which are the jobs of the future? What skills do these jobs necessitate? How can these skills be imparted? Once skilled and trained, how can our workforce be adequately incentivised to remain in the State and boost our GDP? IT is a sector that is heavily reliant on quality manpower to become successful, and if we ignore this simple truth, it will have to be at our own peril.

Empowering & Incentivising IT Entrepreneurs to Carry Out On-the-job Training & Up-skilling

Until the necessary changes in curriculum and industrial training are ushered in, the State Government can also be proactive in bridging the current gap in manpower by stimulating enterprises who are ready to train the youth on-the-job and make them industry-ready. Given that even the workers churned out by the skill development centres in the State require substantial training and grooming by the entrepreneurs before they start adding any value to the enterprises.

Apart from running skill development centres, the state can look at providing incentives to IT businesses in the state towards hiring and training of interns by such business. Upon successful completion of their internship, such candidates can be offered jobs within such enterprises.

The government can share the burden of conducting such on-the-job training for 6 months to 1 year with the entrepreneur. Sharing the burden on a 50:50 or 60:40 basis by the State Government will incentivise entrepreneurs to take such calculated risks while still remaining accountable for such risks.

Small Entrepreneurs Need State Support to Boost Himachal Pradesh’s Growth Story

It is critical to take cognisance of the fact that Himachal Pradesh’s IT landscape cannot be perceived as identical to that of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat or the likes, where large IT corporations can mushroom and thrive overnight.

The State is ridden with a manpower shortage, infrastructure woes and the situation is further aggravated by its precarious hilly terrains, making it more realistic to promote IT entrepreneurship through clusters of many small to medium businesses, instead of a handful of large corporations. Given this reality check, what does the policy have to offer to the small entrepreneur ecosystem? Unfortunately, not much as yet.

The first step in this direction would be to take stock of the challenges faced by small and medium entrepreneurs in the State. Suboptimal condition of manpower aside, the State is severely constricted in terms of availability of such basic amenities such as affordable co-working spaces across the main cities of the State and a general lack of robust IT infrastructure such as universal availability of reliable telecom and internet networks.

Provisions to complement IT parks with plug-and-play co-working arrangements along with omnipresent and reliable network & connectivity would go a long way towards enabling the burgeoning community of small entrepreneurs. 

Making Market Access a Reality at the Grassroots Level

Secondly, while the draft does bring up the issue of market access and earmarks incentives for the same, small entrepreneurs in Himachal Pradesh cannot gain real access to market unless there are opportunities created by the State to help entrepreneurs pitch in various national and international events and gain the attention of the world.

The State and its entrepreneurship talent need to be showcased to the world in order to invite investments, partnerships and projects. The State can also take the initiative in launching its own set of networking and showcasing events for its entrepreneurs, especially in the IT domain.

Procurement Preference to Local Entrepreneurs

Lastly, the policy needs to be clearer and sharper in its provision to confer local preference to Himachali entrepreneurs. 

One way to ensure local preference would be to give procurement preference to entrepreneurs in the state. Various Government projects, IT infrastructure initiatives, eGovernance solutions, and so on, should award preference of procurement to local IT entrepreneurs who have the capability and can offer competitive or near-competitive pricing. In case of a mega-scale project, multiple small entrepreneurs can be awarded projects in clusters or groups.

Even when a project is awarded to a non-local entity, the State can mandate that such non-local corporations should necessarily onboard Himachali entrepreneurs as local partners with adequate in-project incentivisation. This will be a great opportunity for fledgeling entrepreneurs to learn from the experience and imbibe expertise, cross-cultural training and export orientation while getting a significant boost on the cash flows. 

Fostering Local Innovation

The mechanism of such preference becomes particularly critical where the Government is the sole buyer of the product or service such as need for creating some social impact. The preference process can commence right at the inception of the pipeline where innovative ideas are being generated through startup incubators and entrepreneurship cells of leading institutes of pedigree in the State.

The State can have in place a policy on accelerating IT, ITes and ESDM innovation by absorbing them into the State machinery such that a suitable price is preempted between the State and the innovator. To keep the process fair, the State can open applications for bidding on tenders once the proof-of-concept is attained while giving the innovator a chance to match the lowest bid and guaranteeing a reasonable amount as compensation in case the innovator is unable to do the same.

This way, the State Government can prevent the IT ecosystem and innovation economy in Himachal from suffocating and stifling, and instead generate a multiplier effect by empowering competent entrepreneurs and innovators. 

Concluding Note

In conclusion, while the draft policy looks promising & progressive, to ensure a level playing field for IT entrepreneurs of Himachal Pradesh it has to account for the lack of skilled manpower in the State, initiate partnerships to help showcase Himachal’s IT talent at national & international events, address the needs of small entrepreneurs through innovative solutions like co-working arrangements, establish a clear mechanism to award local preference by giving priority to local entrepreneurs and IT solution providers as well as taking the lead in boosting local IT innovation by minimizing the risks of local innovators.

The road to success lies through mitigation of these overarching problems and ignoring them will drastically reduce the chances of the policy attaining its stated and implied objectives over the next five years.

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5 Things You Need to Know to Start Your Career the Right Way

Rohan, a young graduate of 23 years, completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology in 2016. About 6 months later, he landed his first job with an IT company. It was a reason for celebration because, after a long wait, he had cleared the interviews of a company, and had finally got an offer letter in hand. He joined the office and was enjoying the work, and was just beginning to gain a few new skills, but within six months, he switched to another job. The reason? The new job offered a slight hike in his salary. 

3 years later, coming back to 2019, Rohan has already switched 5 jobs with a marginal increase in his pay each time. But, he is not getting any more offers because companies don’t trust him to continue with commitment and dedication for long enough to deliver. Rohan wants to apply for better jobs or switch careers completely, and is even considering the idea of starting something on his own. But, with no real skills added to his profile and no capabilities that he can successfully apply, he feels unsure and lost. Where did Rohan go wrong? What should he do now?

Thousands of young job-aspirants like Rohan are waiting for the dream job – the perfect combination of a great salary, easy-going office culture, and a quick climb to the top. A recent study by YouGov Mint Millennial Survey, 2018 shows that freshers out of colleges and universities expect a salary of Rs. 30, 000 per month[1]. 

Desiring a great salary to get a jumpstart in life is not wrong. But, how many freshers evaluate their skills objectively and justify the number they are asking for? How many of them realize their strengths and weaknesses, including their real value to a job or a company? Many youths are falling victim to this false expectation-setting. As a result, young people like Rohan get easily demotivated and switch jobs in rapid succession, until they reach a dead-end in their careers. 

Virat Tandon, the CEO of Mullen Lintas, a leading Indian company in advertising & marketing communications, says, “From my experience, you don’t gain anything by changing jobs so frequently. You get some money, but there is no scope of learning. You don’t get a chance to prove anything and eventually, it hurts your career as stability and learning to work in culture is important for better teamwork, and these things do not happen overnight.” 

We entrepreneurs are constantly at the receiving end when it comes to bad investments made on candidates who were simply not serious, expected too much from day one, and refused to stay the course long enough to demonstrate any contribution or pick up any valuable skills. However, I also empathize with our youth – perhaps they are misguided, perhaps they bow down to family and peer pressure, or maybe, they just need to see the big picture to make the right choices early in their career. 

Here are 5 tips that I would like to share with young aspirants that I hope will help them make wise choices early in their career and lay the foundation for sustainable professional success. 

1. Develop & demonstrate a professional attitude – Nothing is more disappointing than a new, inexperienced recruit who refuses to pick-up skills on-the-go and doesn’t commit to walking the extra mile when needed. My first advice is this – don’t give your employer a reason to pin these red-flags on yourself – lack of focus on work, lack of understanding of work culture and protocols, rigidity and stubbornness, lack of punctuality, poor communication skills, and lack of commitment. 

Understand the culture  of the workplace and understand what is expected of you in terms of both conduct and performance. Meet these expectations, if not exceed them. Talk to your colleagues and seniors if you have any doubts, or simply ask for their views on the industry, the company, the trending skills, and the opportunities around. You will be surprised how much you will learn and educate yourself within a few months. 

2. Up-skill yourself by building capabilities that are on-demand – Sadly, our education system is based on rote-learning and is not focused on developing industry-ready skills. This means that our youngsters are not equipped to meet the requirements of even entry-level jobs while aiming for the moon all along. There are two things you can do to address this challenge. Firstly, learn and upgrade yourself as much as you can. You can do this even while you are studying. Interact with seniors who are working in reputed and well-off firms in your domain. Learn about what skills they need to bring to the table at their jobs and get yourself ahead of the curve by mastering those skills as much as you can. 

Secondly, accept that no matter how much you up-skill yourself, you will still need to learn a great deal on-the-job. Walk the extra mile while you are employed and don’t give up until you have added a new portfolio of skills to your profile which can be your bargaining chip in the next job. The minimum time that you will need to stay in an organization to achieve this is 2-3 years, based on how quickly you can learn and apply. Remember, beyond specific job skills, you should also step up your soft skills like leadership, communication and personality development.

3. Start your career instead of waiting for your dream job – Unfortunately, fresh graduates often prefer to sit it out at home instead of taking up the best opportunity that comes to them. Some prepare for competitive exams to take a shot at government jobs while others stay idle, disappointed and frustrated. Instead of spending precious time waiting for your ideal job, start your career in a decent workplace. Prepare for government jobs on the side if you are  interested in it – but don’t sit back at home feeling demotivated just because you are offered a salary that’s lower than what you wanted. To tip the job market’s supply-demand dynamics in your favour, you will have to start somewhere and get things rolling. 

4. Get over social pressure – Family and peer pressure often sabotage the dreams of the young people who find it difficult to overcome it, especially when they see their friends or family members well-settled in a high paying job. Sometimes, parents might unknowingly set the wrong expectations about what to expect in one’s first job and advise youngsters to sit at home until they get a high paying job. 

Avoid a career gap – it’s a trap that will quickly demoralize and demotivate you while stealing precious years from your career. 

5.  Stick to a job for a few years and demonstrate a track record – Amanda Augustine, a career expert at Top Resume says, “…you should try to stay at each job for a minimum of two years.[3]” A recruiter will doubt your commitment if you have short stints with nothing substantial to demonstrate your performance continuum. Being in a continuous mode of job-hunting reflects poorly on your professionalism and career path. It shows that you are not dependable. While you need not become stagnant at one place, add something tangible to your employer and your resume before you move.

Here’s what I would like to leave you with – as a fresher, you will be at a clear advantage if you study the current trends in the job market and plan your steps accordingly. In 2019, for example, technology has seen a massive boost. With artificial intelligence and machine learning making inroads into our daily lives, the hiring trends will change. Focus on intellectual workers will increase. Be a patient learner and stay the course for a while to prove yourself before you take the next plunge – your persistence will not go unrewarded. And remember, it’s never too late to begin!

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Things which make us unique despite our diversity

Over the years, I have spent a fair amount of time in different parts of our country – for education, then work and ofcourse leisure travel. One such travel a few months ago, brought up some thoughts which I decided to pen down here.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say India is country of many nations. Even within each of our states, there is so much diversity that when we meet each other we will think of how “we” are different or what sets “us” apart from “them”. “Them” could be people living across the street (since ages), from a neighbouring city/state or someone from the opposite side of our Country.

There is no denying the magnitude of social and cultural differences in India. We like to identify ourselves in many ways. Tamils, Mallus, Punjabis, Jats, Marathas, Khasis, Dogras and so on. Then we have religious identities and of course the caste and the sub castes dynamics.

There is diversity and we revel in it. It doesn’t matter which region of the country we come from, or which caste, community or religion we affirm to, we have things in common which continue to unite us. Bollywood for one, cricket matches, disdain for our politicians, love for our country which especially peaks during Independence and Republic Days or when faced with military aggression, and so on.

However today on this Republic Day, I would like to highlight some nuances, which we tend to overlook, cause they are not bragworthy.  Yet these are common traits we have as Indians, notwithstanding the north-south, east-west divide. 

We love breaking the traffic rules: Not sure about the several archaic traditions or customs that we still follow doggedly, but traffic rules are something we love to break. As far as this aspect goes, there is no difference above or below the Vindhyas. Pune, Chennai, Shillong or Delhi, we are like that only. Then, what about CCTV cameras, challans, fines, etc ? Well those are for the faint hearted. Not for the most of us. And the famous trick with a Gandhi note works with most of the traffic cops in all parts of the country. 

We love our potholes: People who allege that our governments are elitist and pro-urban, I’d say you are wrong. Look at the state of our roads. Whether its a city or a town, it’s bad everywhere. In fact, bigger the city, bigger the potholes on the roads!

Piles of garbage on our streets is a way of life for us: Except for a few high streets, like roads around the Raj Bhavan and the Vidhan Sabhas and the like, most streets are littered with garbage. After all, we like to keep our street animals well fed, even if it is plastic or spoilt food. And we are now so used to garbage, just like advertisements, that garbage is no longer visible to our naked eyes.  

We don’t mind urinating in public: Whether it is a bus stopping at a wayside dhaba or a wall on a corner of a busy street. The stench of urine is all pervasive. We like our share of ammonia. The only difference maybe is that at some places men take off their pyjamas and the other they pull up their lungis. 

Shabby Government offices: A visit to a government office anywhere in the country and one can find walls and corridors smattered with paan stains, tables piled high with files, damp rooms with little or no ventilation.

However, somehow magically there is one room in the whole office, which is always spick and span. You guessed it right, that is the room of the officer in charge. By the way, it also has a clean toilet, a soap, cleaner and for some reasons, there is always a white towel on the officer’s chair. 

Officials demanding ‘their cut’ haq se: Any department you go, any part of the country there will be someone demanding a couple of notes to get the work done faster. It could be worse in some parts of the country, but unfortunately, this is something that unites us all. It is here our boundaries fade, we are no longer Bangla, Bihari or Telgu. 

We like taking selfies with wires dangling behind us: The jumble of tangled, messy electrical wires and cables hanging from electrical poles is common sight whether you live in an urban sprawl or a small town. Whether you are in Ludhiana or in Bangalore. And somehow we make sure there is a wire dangling on the spots, where one can admire or take pictures of  the beautiful valleys or beachfronts which abound in India . 

Cheating in exams: My friends across different states can vouch for examination centres, especially in border areas of the state, where students get to cheat. Somehow the invigilators on duty don’t seem to be aware of such things ever. The kind of social service we do is immense, after all, a kid barely able to pass in school can actually become a good doctor or engineer in the future. 

We are all civil engineers: Well all Indians, at least once in a lifetime, do become civil engineers, architects, structural engineers and sometimes even Masons. We fancy designing and building our own homes, our own way. We don’t care whether we have planned roads, utility ducts or garbage disposal systems. All those amenities come as an afterthought. 

We are a country of adventure-seeking backpackers:  Yes, you heard me right, we are a country seeking adventure. Every day, we see people, mounting their motorbikes, with a backpack, without helmets, of course, seeking a daily dose of the adrenaline rush of going to and coming back from the office.  And then if this was not enough, we like to cling to the buses and trains on the sides or on the rooftops. And this happens regardless of where we live in this country. 

Well, there are many more which can be enumerated here. However, I am hopeful, a day will soon come when these things will not be a common recurrence in our country. Till then let us continue to enjoy the unfettered freedom, which has been bestowed upon us. 

Wishing you the best for what the Republic of India can offer in its 71st year of existence. May we contribute our bit in stenghthening our country and continue to celebrate our unity in diversity. 

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New year and new pursuits

With the beginning of 2011, life has come full circle for me. A journey which started in 1998 of growing out has moved to be of growing within. Back then I was a teenager raring to go out and explore new territories. Leaving behind high mountains and a doting family to find out what I wanted to be.

The journey has been long and eventful. In this period I did loose some loved ones and met some many more loving and affectionate people. No doubt that I can now claim of have friends sitting in every nook and corner of this world. Be it micro finance practitioner in Kenya to a techie in New york or a Doodhwala in AMUL.

Over the years I had dreamt of moving back to Himachal and so I did with a IL&FS in 2007. But it is only now that I have truly started exploring my real dreams of being an entrepreneur. Last few months have been quite exciting and at the same time have tested me as well. From managing HimVani.com,one of the largest read news portals about Himachal to hosting the toughest Mountain Biking Challenge in India and helping start GreenKrafts, a handicrafts based social venture near Dharamshala. Have tried my little bit of contributing to the society in a positive manner.

More recently have been involved with few like minded entrepreneurs to start an IT initiative in Himachal Pradesh. We have some interesting plans for up-skilling the youth in the region and hope to generate employment for many. In the process we probably will end up guiding few youngsters in setting up similar initiatives.

So the task is cut out in front of us and we shall use every second of this year working towards fulfilling our dreams.

Ending this piece on a rather selfish note, I seek your blessings, support and guidance throughout the year.

So wish us luck ! Bon Voyage !

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Price comparisons of VOIP telephony operators

VOIP services in India have become legal for quite some time now. Moreover with family and friends staying all over the world reaching out to them  is also becoming common. Keeping this in mind I tried to figure out the cheapest possible VOIP service available.

The figures are based on the pricing sheet provided by these service providers on 30th March 2010. The Euro and the Dollar conversion rates into Rupees are also of the same date. Hope this is of some value to my fellow internet users.

Pricing comparison of VOIP operators (Rs / Min)
as on 30th March 2010
Smart VOIP Skype Just VOIP Webcalldirect VOIP Buster vBuzzer ooVoo
Dubai Landline 10.12 13.92 10.12 9.15 9.01 13.52 12.62
Dubai Mobile 10.12 13.56 10.12 5.88 12.17 13.52 12.62
Germany Landline 0.00 1.08 0.00 0.00 1.35 6.76 1.08
Germany Mobile 5.15 12.75 5.76 4.24 9.91 20.28 13.07
India Landline 0.79 4.78 2.91 1.33 9.01 6.76 4.51
India Mobile 0.79 4.78 2.55 1.33 18.02 6.76 4.51
Saudi Arabia Landline 2.55 12.71 6.49 0.97 2.48 11.72 12.17
Saudi Arabia Mobile 5.39 13.70 10.12 3.94 7.21 13.52 12.17
South Korea Landline 0.73 1.08 0.00 0.00 0.90 9.01 1.58
South Korea Mobile 1.21 3.79 1.46 0.97 2.70 11.27 3.83
Switzerland Landline 0.36 1.08 0.00 0.00 0.90 9.01 0.00
Switzerland Mobile 7.21 19.02 7.21 6.55 14.87 18.02 0.00
US Landline 0.00 1.08 0.00 0.00 9.01 6.76 0.90
US Mobile 0.00 1.08 0.00 0.00 9.01 6.76 0.90

Exchange rate

1 Euro = 60.53 INR
1 $ = 45.06 INR

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Public sector all the way in financial sector

Himachal has recently seen a spate of financial institutions opening offices and branches here. In the past 2 years banks like ICICI, HDFC have opened branches in the major towns of the state. The skylines are dotted with hoarding of insurance companies such as Bajaj Allianz, HDFC Standard Life, Reliance Insurance and Max New York life amongst many others. So are the offices of brokerage and share trading firms like Reliance money and India Infoline. Certainly the people who were once left to deal with public sector behemoths have newer options and opportunities to seek better financial services. But the question here is “Are these private sector firms offering any better services?

The picture is not so rosy when it comes to the service delivery aspect of it. In the last 3 months HimVani team has been hearing stories of customer apathy from many of its readers and citizen journalists. Boudhayan, who had recently moved to Shimla from Delhi wanted to renew his motorcycle’s insurance policy. The last one was issued by Reliance General Insurance in Noida. But he was shocked to find that in spite of having centralised systems the companies branch in Shimla was unable to process the renewal of the policy reason given was that branch did not fall in the same zone as Delhi. The option available to him were to go back to Delhi with his vehicle, get it inspected and then a new policy would have been issued.

Service delivery in private sector bank is no better. On a visit to ICICI bank in Shimla one is bound to find bored to death faces of front desk staff, which is just doing its job rather then creating a customer experience. The latest PR campaign of the bank says that it is well capitalised and has high networth. Well Mr. Kamath, certainly your bank is doing well in financial terms but customers expect good service. The “Hum Hein Na” factor is missing in this part of your operations.

Closer by on the mall road, the branch of HDFC bank is no better. Recently a friend wanted to open an institutional savings account for their society in the bank. She was surprised to find that the staff did not proper knowledge of the product as well as the documentation required for it. An account which normally takes an hour to open in a public sector banks is yet to be opened after chasing bank officials for more then 20 days. At the time of application the bank executives found that the board resolution is not in the format which is acceptable to the bank. However they accepted the application with a promise that they will be able to take approvals from their Cluster Head for the same. Surprisingly the approvals are yet to be taken in spite of chasing the bank executives almost every day.

Surprisingly in the both cases the ray of hope came in the form of the much criticised public sector institutions. Boudhayan who finally went to United General Insurance in Shimla had a new policy issued in one hour . All his paper work, vehicle inspection and processing of papers was done by an agent of the company who did not even charge any money from him. Shilpa got her societies account opened with State bank again in one hour and could put in her first cheque the same day. In both the situations the paperwork was completed and the service delivered at the branch itself. The same would have taken 15 – 20 days in private sector institution as service delivery comes from centralised offices in Mumbai or Gurgaon.  It is due to this the HDFC bank executives are still figuring out whether they will get approvals from their bosses or not.

An analysis into the situation shows that in public sector institutions the branch managers have lot more decision making authority. Moreover for them the business is totally dependent of relationships and not on the process. A branch executive in a private sector institution is not confident while committing a service delivery to their clients unlike their counterparts in public sector institutions. Now that most of the public sector institutions are heavily using IT to deliver services through ATM and Online banking the staff is lot freer to offer personal services to customers thus increasing the whole customer experience as well as competition for the private banking and financial institutions.

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Garbage queen Shimla amongst garbage capped mountains of Himachal

Thinking of Shimla, Dharamshala or Manali will lead you to think of snow covered peaks, green and pollution free environs. Let’s get the record straight as most of these hill stations in Himachal will welcome you with tonnes of garbage lying along the streets or thrown along the crevices in forests. The local newspapers write every other day about the crisis like situation in Shimla with respect to garbage disposal. Few days back Nityin a blogger from Shimla raised this issue in his blog. The issue is being raised constantly but a solution is no where in sight.It will be unfair to put the complete blame on the government or Municipal Corporation. A fortnight ago, I saw a young worker of the municipality cleaning the road near bus stand in Shimla at 5:30 in the morning with temperature down to -9 degree Celsius. I distinctly remember him using a broom with bare hands. A news article in one of the prominent Hindi news daily, mentioned about the shortage of staff for keeping Shimla clean. Continue reading “Garbage queen Shimla amongst garbage capped mountains of Himachal”