For the politicians, Youth and YOU

Politics is a dirty place… and as a rule I stay miles away from it [ I believe that even reading about it might corrupt me :-) ]… but when politicians start (mis) using their power to play on the common man’s emotions and jeopardize the harmony of our country… I guess its time we – the youth of India, stand up, take notice and raise our voice!

The Nehru - Gandhi family treat the political arena as though its a family matter... but not even this can justify the nasty 'Hate speech' delivered by Varun Gandhi at Pilibhit recently. It is indeed strange that Mrs Maneka Gandhi, instead of apologizing, chose to hit out at the Congress for their Anti-Sikh Acts. And this blame game never stops -- Congress hits back with 'Godhra Riots', Ayodhya issue and Blah and Blah!!

I am ashamed that 'We' have elected such insensible 'kids' to represent us. I call them kids, because it is very kiddish of them to squabble over what happened in 1984, or 2002... and forget the present or even the future!! It is no wonder too, that they choose to fight only over religious issues... 'coz these would generate the maximum interest amongst the people and thus get them the maximum votes!

But what they forget is that this is not '47 or '84 or even '02. India has learnt its lessons --- the hard way. There is no place for religious fanatics in India now... no place for people who want to divide us. Pramod Muthalik being bombarded with ‘Pink Chaddis’ and then arrested and Shri Ram Sena being banned provides proof of this fact.

My family has suffered first hand due to communalism – both in ’47 and ’84. In 1947, my grandparents were forced to leave behind everything… their homeland (Rawalpindi) and flee – just because some people (Read Nehru and Jinnah) felt that India would be better off if Hindus and Muslims lived separately!! My grandparents consoled themselves by saying that they would be safer in ‘India’… or so they thought, till that fateful day in 1984 when thousands of Sikhs were massacred in their own country… Their only crime being that they were Sikhs!! That was a Black Day not only for the Sikhs but also for all of India… For Sikhs, it was 1947 revisited… the horrors and insecurities came rushing back. What made it worse, was that this time they were being treated as second citizens in their own country.

But… we have moved on. And so have scores of other people. What is important for us now, is the present and our future. What is important, is that there should not be another 1947 or ’84. What is important, is that no more innocent lives should be lost due to religious fanaticism. No more religious places should be demolished in the name of ‘God’. Its high time we all realise that God would never want to see his children fighting – and least of all over religion!!

The world would indeed be a better place if we all performed our duties to the best of our abilities – if the politicians focussed on governance and economic issues, rather than religious ones, if the police force made sure that criminals were punished and innocent people were protected. Let us pledge to work towards a peaceful and harmonious India, and ensure that India does not fall prey to communalism and remains Secular, now and forever. Amen.

The Nemesis of Maruti 800 ?

'Nano' is the new buzz word... I-phones and I-pods have taken a back seat... people have even stopped talking about politics and the impending elections!! Nano Mania has truly caught on and the Tatas seem to have hit a jackpot!! They have survived all odds including the tantrums of Mamata Di (Read Singur), shifting of the mother plant to Sanand and even the recession!!



It truly is a great step forward for the Indian auto industry... a revolutionary step, which may force all other car manufacturers to change the way they price their cars and rethink their strategy. However, the greatest threat by far is for the Maruti 800, which so far was the market leader in the small car segment. Over 2.5 million Maruti 800's have been sold since its launch in 1984 but the Nano may just end its dream run. Not only is the Tata Nano cheaper priced ( at Rs 1.3 for the base variant compared to Rs 1.8 lakh for the Maruti 800 ) , but it has a lot of other benefits over the 800 too. Most of us would have sat in a 800 some time in our life and would know how cramped its interiors are, but the Nano brings with it the promise of spacious interiors. The Tata Nano has an 8 percent smaller exterior size and a 23 percent larger interior space compared to an 800!! Now this has a another advantage -- that of finding parking space in todays jam-packed roads :-)



A few years earlier, a car buyer with a limited budget had almost no options except the Maruti 800... now he can choose. I've tried to draw up a comparison between the Nano and 800, based on the initial reviews coming in.










Price

The first and the most important factor is of course the price without compromising on the quality. The on road price of a Nano is around Rs 1.3 lakh while a maruti 800 costs around 1.8 lakhs. They have acheived this amazing feat by sticking to just the basics ie: the base variant has has no radio, power windows or air conditioning albeit these are all available in the deluxe versions... the same is with maruti 800. The Deluxe version of Tata Nano costs around rs 1.72 lakhs while Maruti 800 offers the same at Rs 2.1 lakhs.


While still at the price factor, it is interesting to know about some of the methods used by the Tatas to cut costs:-

• The Nano's boot does not open, instead the rear seats can be folded down to access the boot space.


• It has a single windscreen wiper instead of the usual pair.


• Some exterior parts of it are glued together, rather than welded.


• It has no power steering, except in the Cx version.


• It has 3 nuts on the wheels instead of the statutory 4 nuts.

By the looks of it, Maruti 800 would now have to change its pricing strategy to match up with that of Nano, else the evergreen 800 would soon lose its glory.


Looks

Here, I think the Nano beats the 800 hands down. The Nano has a snub-nosed look like the Zen Estillo Car and Matiz, which definitely looks more stylish than the outdated looks of an 800. Everywhere you look you see a 800, and its been that way for ages... plus Maruti hasn't changed the appearance of their car much... thus the modern, smooth looks of the Nano offers a refreshing change.


Power

This is THE most important factor for some, the thing which makes a car a car!! The Nano comes with a 625 cc engine while the maruti 800 has a 796 cc engine… if you look at sheer capacity then the Maruti 800 seems a better choice. But, the ultimate measure of the actual performance of a car is its power to weight ratio. The highest power generated by a Nano is 33 BHP while that generated by Maruti 800 is 37 BHP. But due to the great difference in the weight of the two cars – a Nano weighs only 580 Kg compared to Maruti 800’s weight which is 660 Kg—their power to weight ratio works out to be nearly the same ( 0.057 for Tata Nano, and 0.056 for the Maruti). Thus, the feel of the Nano will be nearly the same as a Maruti!!

The Nano’s engine is, however, rear mounted and this comes with its own share of problems. According to experts, the Nano becomes very noisy at high speeds because noise insulation is not possible in a rear mounted engine. Also, as mentioned before, the rear is welded shut and cannot be opened, this means the engine bay which lies under the rear seats also can only be accessed from inside the car. This could be a little problematic.

Mileage and Fuel Efficiency

A Maruti 800 is known to give around 16.1 km/l while the Nano claims to give much more – around 20 km/l, this would lead to a 20% savings in fuel costs which is quite a considerable amount. Tata Nano managed to score around 24 km per litre during its ‘homologation’ tests with ARAI. This makes the Nano the most fuel efficient car in India. Also due to its lower power engine, the Nano’s engine consumes less petrol, and thus leads to greater fuel efficiency.





Some Miscellaneous points

Nano is a real Eco friendly car, which complies with Euro IV standards (while Maruti 800 meets up with only the Euro III norms). A lot of fear has been expressed over the fact that Nano would increase pollution significantly but a study done by a German newspaper indicated that Tata Nano has lower emissions compared to the average Volkswagen, and that developing countries shouldn't be denied the right to motorized mobility whereas industrialized countries should be looking to reduce their emissions and usage of cars.


Although the Nano may seem to be better than the Maruti 800 on almost all counts… but one must not forget that the 800 has proven its mettle as a safe, reliable, sturdy and a no nonsense dependable car. The Nano has a rear mounted engine, the safety of which has not yet been established.


My Verdict

At last the common man’s car has arrived – the Tatas have delivered their promise. A good all rounder at a cheap price. Nano is a great threat, not only for Maruti 800, but also to the two wheeler market and the second hand car market because now, at just Rs 1.3 lakhs, you can be the proud owner of a brand new car. No longer would one have to save for years in order to buy a car…
The Nano complies with all the emission standards and safety norms... in fact it surpasses them... it has a great advantage here that it already complies with Euro IV norms even though it comes into effect in India only in 2010. Thus, Nano is safe -- not only for the people driving it but also for the environment. So much safer than a scooty or a motorbike... so save a little more and buy a Nano!!

The future of safe and cheap travelling has arrived...



The Rating Agency CRISIL, has predicted that Nano's launch would expand the Indian car market by 65% and would push up car sales by 20%. This would be beneficial not only for the Tata's but also for India's economy, which seems to gone into a slump.

The biggest challenge ahead for the Tata's, is to maintain their price offering... but for now they have struck gold. Nearly everybody sees their dreams one step closer now and have a good reason to smile :-)

Auto drivers, Motor cycle drivers... all seem to be saving up for their very own Nano!! Ab Gaadi chalaana seekh lo India... Go get your licence today!

What about you? Would you buy a Nano? I certainly would :-)

Abra-Ca-Dabra

A wonderful solution to escape the traffic problem of Kolkata.. teach people magic so that they can travel on brooms and whiz by the honking cars!! I am not day dreaming -- this might soon be a reality.. with P.C Sorcar (Jr) and his daughter planning to open a school for magic in Kolkata.

For as long as I can recollect, I've wanted to learn magic... I've always been fascinated by David Blaine, Houddini and the likes. As a kid I believed that magic was for real. But as i grew up... I realised that most of the tricks were mere illusions are sleight of hand. I've done extensive research on the net on card tricks etc, and it has made me respect magicians even more 'coz if they had some special power with the help of which they performed the tricks it was ok... but these tricks actually involve a lot of practice and hard work. These people are ordinary people who work very hard and who have mastered every trick in the book.

For ages if somebody wanted to learn magic, he had to do it all by himself. This is a very good initiative to pass on centuries old wisdom. The employment opportunities for good magicians is endless too... from having their own TV shows, to performing in private parties, to opening another school :) Magic is magic... it has a charm like nothing else and is sure to attract a lot of people.

Indrajaal, the ancestral house of the Sorcaars will be used as a university to offer two year and five year courses. The university will be equipped with lighting and special effect facilities which are said to be the backbone of magic. Sorcaar has not yet decided whether he would be seeking any assisstance from the Govt, but has assured the public that his plans would definitely be a reality by July of this year.

So would you enroll yourself here or not? I sure dont mind...

And anyway.. after the Satyam fiasco, lotsa people are saying that MBAs = Masters of Trickery so I might as well...

So lets get started... "Sir, how did you make the Taj Mahal vanish?"...

The future is always uncertain...

Being a student of MBA it is indeed very interesting to follow the everchanging world of Finance, each time coming to same old conclusion that it is nearly impossible to predict what is going to happen a few months hence. A study of the life and background Mr Henry M. Paulson, the current United States Treasury Secretary, proves just this.

Currently, Mr Paulson is in the limelight for the much debated $700 billion bailout plan to rescue the US economy from the aftermath of the subprime crisis, which led to major investment banks, like Lehman brothers and Bear Stearns, going bankrupt.

What is interesting to note is the role the "Net Capital Rule" ( or rather the lack of it) plays in these bankruptcies. According to this rule, brokerages and firm that are under the regulation of the US SEC are supposed to maintain a minimum amount of capital reserves for protection against just this type of a situation :)

In April 2004, heads of the major Investment houses met the then SEC chairman, Mr. William S. Donaldson and requested him to release them from the restrictions of the Net capital rule. As a result, this rule was unanimously abolished by the commission for banks whose assets exceeded $5billion. This SEC decision allowed firms to invest without restrictions which resulted in massive borrowings and dwindling assets. In Bear Stearns case the ratio was 33:1, with heavy investments in mortgage backed securities. With the collapse of the real estate sctor they had no hope of ever recovering their money and thus went bankrupt.

That famous meeting in 2004 was presided over by none other than the current US Treasury Secretary, Mr Paulson who was the CEO of Goldman Sachs at the time! Little did he know that that meeting would be one of the major reasons for a global financial crisis and trigger off a recession in America which he would have to control!