A business school mourns the passing away of Baroness Margaret Thatcher

The passing away of Baroness Thatcher on 7th April 2013 and will be laid to rest on 17th April 2013 is significant to SP Jain Institute of Management and Research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

http://www.spjimr.org/discover_spjimr/discover_spjimr.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahu_Shanti_Prasad_Jain

Baroness Thatcher laid the foundation stone for SP Jain Institute of Management and Research. on April 17th  1981. The speech at this function can be found at http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/104629

It was the culmination of the efforts of  S. Ramakrishnan, the then Director General of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,(http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/culture/indology/vidya-bhavan.asp )  and his team in garnering support from  Bennet Coleman and the UK Prime Minister's office for its inauguration in founding the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research in the Bhavans campus in Andheri.

In the old SP Jain campus we used to have this foundation at the entrance of the building and would see it every day when we trudged our way to our classroom above the chemistry laboratory, today I am sure it is enshrined somewhere in the new campus.

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS was a British Conservative Party politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and the Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. Wikipedia

The growth of the SP Jain Institute has been phenomenal but the institute  & students owed credit for its National & International recognition without much history & credibility to Ms. Thatcher.

Thirty two years one cannot  recollect any other Management Institute in India that was inaugurated by a head of State, much less from a head of state of a leading advanced country like UK at that time or even in recent times.

My alumnus Akhil Chaturvedi remembers as a Management Trainee meeting the Swedish expatriate MD of Wimco who had no idea of SPJIMR, when he told him this is the Institute Mrs Thatcher inaugurated and he was from the  6th Batch his reaction was  "WHO?? Mrs Thatcher, REALLY in India??" That set the tone amongst the rest of the corporate hierarchy to look at us as students beyond Bombay University MMS.

SP Jain has grown global today but one should not forget its origins and its connection with Baroness Margaret Thatcher in a era when there All India Radio was the only means of connecting the country and most roads were bullock cart worthy.

Looking Ahead Looking Behind

Every year we ring in the new and ring out the old at New Year, with pomp and celebration.
But let us pause to think ! We have lots to learn from what we have left behind.
Some are tangible but many are intangible, taking stock of this will help us to focus on our future.
We see people passing on, we make new friends, families expand and some contract, jobs are changed, we see ourselves different in the mirror based on our cycle of life.
For a teenager it is coming out into the world and learning to be an adult, for twenty plus time to start life in a job and as a bread-winner,  for someone in their thirties it is time to  work harder to achieve their goals, for someone in their forties it is time to discover the first grey hair and wrinkles and for those above fifty time to plan their retirement or reminiscence on how the world has gone by despite them and those over sixty it is time to start the downhill ride out of this world living and savoring every day they live and those who are luck to have crossed eighty every hour is a boon.

[caption id="attachment_319" align="aligncenter" width="300"]  [/caption]

Whatever your age maybe is it is a time to look behind in the year gone by and take stock.
The lessons of success and failure  is our experience and is our most valuable Teacher.
Write down the best moments, best relationships, best success and also the worst moments, worst relationships and the failures in the year 2012 and make sure you learn from them so that you have a Wonderful and  Fruitful  year ahead in 2013.

Looking Ahead Looking Behind maybe the one of the best investments you can make for  your future.

Memories of the Cox Town Market

As the year comes to a close, I remember the Cox Town Market at Bangalore and the memories of an era gone by and only the great New Year fair at Cox Town which still endures.

My family moved into Hutchins Road, Cooke Town in 1965 and the local market was the Cox Town Market, if you did not get stuff here then you would go the big brother Russell Market and if you wanted more aggressive deals to the City Market.

The shopkeepers spoke excellent English at Cox Town Market and though it was a small market it had almost everything you needed to run your home. The tall rain trees always kept the market cool and shady and I still remember there was a cycle stand outside the gates of the market.

The opening and closing time was 9 a.m.  to 1 p.m., afternoon break and then 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  on the dot and on Sunday’s  it would be closed; actually the huge metal gates would open and close at the given time like clockwork.

The  best memories of the Cox town market is the New Year Fair, the market and the road and the tree would be lit for the evening fair, though the crowds would start assembling from 4 p.m. right through the night.

People of all walks of life would overflow from the footpath onto the road which was closed to traffic for the New year Eve fair. The old and young would haggle with the hawkers all set for this one big day  who would line both sides of the road from Cox Town market all the way to Cox Town Circle. The whole area had a festive air and we would make it a point to visit the fair year on year to buy some trinkets and other stuff from the vendors. There used to balloons, masks, bows and arrows, guns, all sorts of clay figures,  eats and cakes and whole lots of other stuff on sale and the final  price depended on your ability to haggle with the road side sellers. It used to be a cacophony of noise with trumpets, stringed instruments, drums and all sort of musical instruments including whistles and blow horns all going together with the church bells ringing at midnight to usher in the New Year.

The  shops were not many, as you entered the gate were the provision stores and on the left corner I remember the fruit and vegetable shop and at the end of the market was the butcher and at the entrance on the right the fish shop.  The fruit display was awesome and so was the display at the vegetable shop. There were stone barriers put up at the gate to keep out cycles and the cattle from coming into the market. One outstanding feature of the Cox Town Market was it was always kept clean.

The shops had beautiful tiled roofs and lovely granite support for the roofs and plastered walls made of brick, the whole market had an imposing feel and looked like it would last forever.

The best times in the Cox town market was when there were the unpredictable cloud bursts of Bangalore and you had to take shelter in the shops till the rain stopped. These are wonderful memories the rain hitting the tiled roofs and cascading down into a torrent neatly into the gutter provided for taking the rain water away. The huge trees around the market would continue to drip water even after the rains stopped and the pungent smell of the fresh earth, the meats, poultry, fishes, spices and others in the market would really bring one’s sense alive and if it was in the late afternoon as you cycled home you would wade through the aroma of fresh baking Thomson’s Bakery.

Opposite the market was the Cox Town Ladies Gymkhana, with its tennis court and next to it the Frazer Town Police Station (I wondered why this was not called Cox Town Police station, though it was situated in no man’s land between Cox Town and Frazer Town boundaries). The police station was an imposing building made of granite and very grand and forbidding. Towards the Cox Town circle were a few imposing bungalows (all demolished now) and across the road there was the Church. There was also the Municipal Hospital at Cox Town and the Cox Town Girls School run by the municipality.

At about 3.30 p.m. everyday other than Sundays the air would be filled with the aroma of fresh baking from the Thomson’s Bakery. The Thomson’s Bakery too was English and Bread Paper was used to wrap the bread and milk buns which were outstanding, The best season for the Thomson’s Bakery was Christmas, New Year and Easter, when you would get the best from the bakers.

The old Cox Town market has been demolished and replaced with a new concrete structure,  with this simple act the historical landmark  of an era gone by has been buried forever.

 

From the Palace to the Shack

When people transcend from the Palace to the Shack how do they adapt; the story of Buddha is one of  these life transformations where a Prince leaves the palace to become a nomad with not even a shack on his head.
Buddha's teachings and thought leadership still guide the destiny and inspire millions of people all over the world.
In an ever changing world how do real people handle this transformation which is handed to them without their consent, business downsize and you are suddenly without a job and no income.
We  find most people find it difficult to accept the changed situation and continue to live in their grand past, thus they become more confused and non-focused in their new situation.  Most people are never prepared for this eventuality and it is important that we are prepared for unexpected downturns in our circle of life.

[caption id="attachment_311" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Circle of Life ![/caption]

Fortitude and Character are two key attributes which will help us through the circle of life and this we need to focus on strengthening these attributes  as we develop. How do we build equanimity in our view of life ! Can Religion help? Is our Attitudes and Beliefs shaped by our Religious interface and understanding?
If you are a non believer of Religion or an atheist then how to do you prepare yourselves for these unexpected events in your life.
One approach is to ride on regardless, just like a surfer rides the waves, you need to maneuver  yourself with agility and courage through the thralls of the currents of life and believe in yourself that you will overcome whatever obstacles that are placed in your path.
We have inspiration from many Asian leaders which include Jesus Christ, Buddha, Mahavira, Sankara, Gandhi, Osho the list is endless, we have an equal number of leaders from the rest of the world where you will find the answers to guide your through your trials and tribulations.
Remember you are not the first to transcend from the Palace to the Shack, there have been others before you who have come out as better people and persons after their trials and tribulations.
Chin up and ride the wave of life! and Enjoy every moment of it as you transform into a better person and human being!

 

 

 

 

Connecting with schoolmates thanks to Social Media

I am today connected to many of my schoolmates thanks to social media, I am connected  with my friends in all continents of our little earth but for Antarctica. But sustaining and rekindling the old relationship after many decades opens a new chapter in  our lives.

Digital connection is social media takes a few minutes, then you join a group made for your schoolmates or classmates and you now connect with more friends from your early and formative years. The Adrenalin rushes as you suddenly realize your school friends have also become old like you and have a family and the pictures belie their age.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="608"] We have taken different routes but are connected again ![/caption]

Meeting some of them in fresh and blood throws up new challenges,we suddenly realize we have nothing much in common other then our years in school. We have taken different paths to reach our life goals and  when we meet again it just seems yesterday that we shared a school bench.

The connect become stronger both in person and in our digital avatars in the social media.

Deep down in our hearts we wish we had more time and opportunities to set the clock back and be school boys once again.

How we wish we could set the clock to relive the wonderful days of comradie  and innocence and the joys  shared in school. Amen.

A Tribute to Dr. M. L. Shrikant Hon. Dean SP Jain Institute of Management and Research

Dr. M.L. Shrikant has been associated with the SP Jain Institute of Management Research for 25 Years and it has been his relentless efforts that have brought this Institute to be counted among the best in the World.

I was fortunate to be among the first students whom Doctor taught at S.P.Jain and I value my learning from  this great  Guru.
Let us turn the clock back to 1987 when Doctor Shrikanth decided to come back to India and contribute to management education at a time when Indians were waiting for their visas to leave the country.
Doctor  joined as Director of S.P.Jain a Management Institute which was then affiliated to Bombay University for the Master in Management Studies Program.
In 1987 SP Jain had two outstanding qualities, it  belonged to the Bhavan’s family and was inaugurated by Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher, the then Prime Minister of U.K.
Dr. Shrikant has  a brilliant academic record; he is a B.S. ( Production) from the Michigan Technology University and an M.S. (Mechanical) at the University of Illionis.
Until 1974 he was one of the youngest CEO’s in India heading Mukand Ltd. He then went back to the United States to pursue his MBA (Finance) at Cornell and finally completed his DBA from Harvard the Mecca for Management education.
We were fortunate to have Dr. Shrikant as  the Director of our Institute and also as our Professor, he taught us to use the Porter's  Framework for Competitive Strategy at a time when Indian corporates were waking up to global competition.
Our Strategic Management project had to use the Porter’s framework. He hand picked several companies for us so that we could have practical experience in using the Porter’s framework.
We still remember he would refer to Mike (Dr. Michael Porter) and we were intrigued, until someone in the class figured that Doc had known Mike at Harvard. Our awe and reverence for Dr Shrikant was amplified after this discovery.  Doc  I still use the Porter framework for strategic mapping and it has never failed me.
It has been a long journey for Doctor and today SP Jain is ranked among the best in the world for management education.
Doctor this has been due to your vision and tireless striving.Doc has worked hard to raise funds to built a world class campus and a team of  outstanding teachers. Thanks to Doc we are proud to be part of the SP Jain family today.
On the completion of your 25 years in bringing quality management education to India and the rest of the world we salute you Doctor.
Doc your legacy will live beyond your time in your students who will use their education to make India and the world a better place for future generations.

Thank you DOC !

Bio : Dr. Shrikant M.L. : Hon Dean, D.B.A. Harvard, M.B.A. (Finance) Cornell, M.S. (Mech.) University of Illinois, B.S. (Production) Michigan Technology University. Chief Executive, Mukand Ltd. till 1974. Director on boards of several firms, in India & U.S., on strategic issues of Management. Areas of interest : Business Policy, Finance, Business Environment & Research. (Photo courtesy SPJIMR).

#Mephisto and #Facebook

 Mephisto is a movie of the last century, but  the message of the movie is etched in my mind, especially the ending.

Well, how do you

enjoy this limelight?

This is the real light, isn't it?

What do they want of me? After all...
  ... l'm only an actor.
Source courtesy : http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/mephisto-script-transcript-klaus-mann.html

( More about Mephisto at the bottom of this blog).

Facebook has become every persons delight,  I opened my Facebook page and presto I had this lovely picture of the Miami beach posted by my friend with the time and date. Mobile computing makes everything a breeze. One button click and presto you have it on Facebook. Wow

Are we trading our soul, our privacy for the moment of glory to tell our family, friends and fools connected with us on FB our innermost secrets and not to forget everyone else who buys our data from Facebook. Facebook already has  our timeline ready thanks to power of its data analytics.

Are we the  Emperors and Empresses in the world of Facebook, just like the King in the story of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Well we seem to be blind to fact that we are naked in a digital world and even this blog I am cranking away is faithfully logged in by my browser.

Is Facebook the Devil, actually Facebook is the only the messenger, the Devil is in the details we post on Facebook.  Amen.

Source : http://www.flixster.com/movie/mephisto/

Mephisto (1981)

Based on Klaus Mann's novel, Mephisto details the rise of a Faustian character who figuratively sells his soul in exchange for greatness. Hendrik Hofgen (Klaus Maria Brandauer, offering an electric performance) is the star of a state-funded theater department who tires of his job. Like his friends, he pays lip service to socialist ideals fashionable for artists of his time -- that is, until the Nazis rise to power. He then sees an opportunity to achieve his objective of fame: he will perform propaganda plays and thereby use the Nazis as a vehicle to spread his name across the country -- only too late does he realize his mistake. This well-adapted version of the book featured the first teaming of Brandauer with director Istvan Szabo; they would later reunite to make Colonel Redl and Hanussen. Brandauer first gained attention in the U.S. after the film's release and would be cast as the villain in Never Say Never Again as a result. ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi