tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22726194276577163842024-03-13T13:36:04.373+05:30Musings of a free mindThoughts that I want to shareRahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-15923134930610174272015-08-16T08:35:00.000+05:302015-08-16T08:35:18.946+05:30Where the mind is without fear<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday, India celebrated it's 69th Independence Day and the mood everywhere was patriotic. When I was browsing through Facebook, I came across a friend sharing <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1913/tagore-bio.html">Rabindranath Tagore's</a> famous poem: Where the mind is without fear:<br />
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<i>Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;</i><br />
<i>Where knowledge is free;</i><br />
<i>Where the world has not been broken up into fragments</i><br />
<i>By narrow domestic walls</i><br />
<i>Where words come out from the depth of truth;</i><br />
<i>Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;</i><br />
<i>Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way</i><br />
<i>Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;</i><br />
<i>Where the mind is led forward by thee</i><br />
<i>Into ever-widening thought and action;</i><br />
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This got me thinking. This poem was written in 1910 and Tagore must have hoped for this future based on the World/India back then. Much has happened since then:<br />
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India achieved its freedom; became a democratic republic; became world's largest democracy; ushered in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Revolution_in_India">green revolution</a> to become self sufficient in agriculture, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Flood">white revolution</a> to become self-sufficient in milk; made rapid strides in science and technology, became world's biggest provider of human capital, underwent massive economic reforms - lifting millions out of poverty; adopted telecom/mobile revolution to become world's second biggest mobile subscribers country and is today widely recognized as an economic superpower.<br />
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So, if Tagore were alive today would he feel his dream has turned into reality? To me, the answer is a big NO. Let's see:<br />
Neither is the mind without fear nor is the knowledge free; the world is as fragmented as ever by religion, race and economic inequality; it is difficult to speak freely for fear of political/ideological backlash; it is difficult to find reason in everything that's happening around us and the mind isn't being led forward.<br />
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In summary, while India (and the world) has made rapid economical and technological progress, the basic principles of freedom of speech/life and easy access to Roti, Kapda and Makaan still remains a dream to millions around us.<br />
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Hope Tagore's dream turns into reality some day..</div>
Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-83963696187703197672015-08-05T22:03:00.001+05:302015-08-05T22:03:38.328+05:30Anyone can run<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The title of this post is inspired by Ratatouille movie's line "Anyone can cook". Anyone who wants to run can; all it takes is a good technique (running form), patience and perseverance. <br />
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When I picked up running two years ago, I started with a 5 minutes walk interspersed with 1 min run. Gradually the walking time reduced and running time increased. The first time I ran continuously for 10 min, I was elated. Every subsequent week brought a new milestone. It was after training (running) for almost 2 months (completing a 10K+ run), I thought I could do a half marathon. So, I participated in and completed Airtel Delhi Half Marathon (ADHM) 2013 in 2h39 minutes. Since then, I have participated in 5 half marathon races with my personal best of 2h18 minutes. My target for this ADHM is 2 hours!<br />
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Anyone who thinks he/she is too unfit to run should watch this:<br />
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Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-55128016758479816072015-01-22T07:10:00.000+05:302015-08-05T21:40:35.897+05:30The Running Man<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've been out of blogging action for over 2 years now. When I was in an introspection mode during the recent holiday season, I thought I should get back to writing and here I am..
Over the past 2 years, I've done 2 main things - Work and Run.<br />
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Work has been crazy - our company has been growing fast and I've been busy in restructuring operations, setting up new systems/processes and establishing overseas entities. The other exciting thing I have done is pick up running.<br />
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Sometime in early 2012, I was introduced to <a href="https://duplaysgurgaon.playpass.com/">Duplays</a>, a venture that promoted Sports in working professionals. I joined the group and started playing basketball/squash with them. In July 2012, I noticed an ad from them about a running group. That drew my attention and I decided to join it - primarily to get fitter.<br />
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In Aug 2012, I started training with the running group (about 10 of us with ages ranging from 25 till 45). Long story short, I loved it and became a regular. Started with small distance running and gradually built distance, fitness for half marathon. Ran my first half marathon (<a href="http://adhm.procamrunning.in/">ADHM in Delhi</a>) in December 2013 and with the recently concluded <a href="http://scmm.procamrunning.in/">SCMM in Mumbai</a>, I have run 4 half marathons till now. I now want to run a full marathon this year but haven't been able to figure out the training plan for that.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQB6p_LyNyB47SZU14Oay2FaqUGe6VsHKo8Q_elX4LUNXUUK5pyPLqqNOHf8ztZkTEnq7YE1plRS_m0BM7LeMhuctpDNSypS-QvlIIHwori_O63OJj_kkiTW6ibnOzRLco1rfiHAGU-tc/s1600/1937446_10204385552265679_4979974822036998845_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQB6p_LyNyB47SZU14Oay2FaqUGe6VsHKo8Q_elX4LUNXUUK5pyPLqqNOHf8ztZkTEnq7YE1plRS_m0BM7LeMhuctpDNSypS-QvlIIHwori_O63OJj_kkiTW6ibnOzRLco1rfiHAGU-tc/s320/1937446_10204385552265679_4979974822036998845_n.jpg" /></a></div>
Running is a passion now and I will continue continue writing about it regularly.</div>
Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-31439523766361512952011-10-06T09:19:00.000+05:302011-10-06T09:19:08.626+05:30Rest in Peace Steve Jobs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Woke up today to the sad <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304447804576410753210811910.html">news of Steve Jobs demise</a>. There aren't possibly enough words to measure the impact he had on modern technology and world. Leaving his astronomical accomplishments aside, what stands out to me is his humility. He spent the last 7 yrs of life fighting a rare form of cancer and even during those days he continued working and changing the world!! To me, his life is best summed up by his address at Stanford graduation ceremony in 2005: Stay Hungry Stay Foolish:<br />
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Rest in Peace Steve! You were one of the all time greats and will be truly missed.Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-22913718068152861212011-09-11T09:46:00.001+05:302011-09-11T21:06:29.834+05:30Future of Groupon and daily-deals sites (in India)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The past fortnight has seen some not-so-encouraging activity in the daily-deals sites space. Facebook <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/26/us-facebook-deals-idUSTRE77P6Q820110826">announced</a> that it is ending its deals "test": Groupon has also <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904537404576554812230222934.html?KEYWORDS=groupon">postponed its proposed IPO</a> There was also this <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/08/groupon_doomed_by_too_much_of.html">great post</a> on HBR on Groupon and future of online daily-deals business.<br />
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These items add credence to a growing concern on the future of group deals sites. Many industry veterans have questioned the sustainability of this business model citing high customer acquisition (sales & marketing costs) and lack of customer loyalty. I think these are valid concerns but it is early to say that daily-deals as a business is doomed to failure.<br />
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My concern with their current business model is their marketing/targeting style - I am subscribed to 3 group deals sites in India (<a href="http://www.snapdeal.com/">Snapdeal</a>, <a href="http://www.sosasta.com/">Sosasta</a> (bought by Groupon), <a href="http://www.fashionandyou.com/fashionandyou-client-http-shop/shop">Fashinandyou</a>) and receive their emails daily. However, these emails advertise all their offerings/deals and not the ones I would be interested in. This is a classic case of push v/s pull strategy. They are pushing deals on me without bothering to cater to my interests. Also, when I look for a deal on something specific - say "pizza", it is difficult to find information on their websites (there are no "Search" boxes on any of these sites). Considering that there are dozens of these sites in India (without any significant differences between them) an average shopping enthusiast will get a dozen emails each day and I am not sure if people even open these emails daily. I personally prefer searching for a deal rather than browsing through all emails.<br />
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The mushrooming of these deal sites has now led to the growth of deal aggregators (metasearch) industry i.e. sites which search for deals across these sites and put them at one location, similar to what Kayak does for OTA sites. Interestingly, <a href="http://www.pluggd.in/deal-aggregators-india-297/">there are over 20 such sites in India</a> !! Now, how does one choose among one of these sites?<br />
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Clearly - there are just too many of these sites. With e-Commerce market in India expected to grow exponentially over the next decade, a lot of VC money has flown in India. Companies like Tiger Global, Accel Partners, Helion Venture, SAIF Partners, Norwest have been pretty active in the past two years and have invested in over a dozen startups.<br />
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While I am confident of the future of eCommerce in India, I think that daily-deals sites will soon have to change their business model to survive. Anyone interested in exploring this space further should read this great article: <a href="http://news.discovery.com/tech/the-dirt-on-daily-deals-sites-110812.html">The Dirt On Daily-Deals Sites</a></div>
Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-18808810850378026032011-07-17T07:56:00.000+05:302011-07-17T07:56:25.140+05:30The web is what you make of itOver the past few weeks, I've noticed this Google Chrome ad on several channels:<br />
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I love this ad because of its simplicity and message: "the web is what you make of it". This is so true - internet and sharing/networking sites have made it so easy to pursue your passions and even make money of it. I know some people who started blogging on topics of their interest. Slowly, their blogs became popular and they were eventually approached by publishers to write book(s). So, if you have a passion, the web gives you enough opportunities to pursue it. But there is a flip side to the viral nature of internet - if you publish something that people find ridiculous, the results could be catastrophic. A case in point, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_(Rebecca_Black_song)">Rebecca Black</a>, the US teenager whose video became one of the most watched videos on Youtube but not for the right reasons.<br />
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So, the next time you publish something on internet, be careful.Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-37145728252445552262011-07-11T07:35:00.000+05:302011-07-11T07:35:38.688+05:30Google+ - Impressive debutI got a Google+ invite last week and immediately started exploring it. The first thing I noticed (and loved) is the concept of Circles - a way to organize your contacts list. It is so intuitive - you drag and drop a contact to any of the predefined circles (Family, Friends, Acquaintance or Following) or create new circles.<br />
When you want to share anything, you just have to choose the circles that you want to share it with. Google+ also saves your default share settings thus avoiding the hassle of choosing circles every time you want to share something.<br />
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So far I have found Google+ to be quite interesting and easy to use. Haven't spent a lot of time on it since there are very few friends on this network right now. But with more people joining Google+ each day, the usage will only increase.<br />
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The key question is how Google+ will fare in the long run. With 750 Million users, Facebook has the world's biggest social network and it is not easy for a user to migrate to another social network with existing contacts and data that has already been shared. Also, I am not sure if a user will share hist posts/pictures on both networks as it will be too time consuming. The big advantage Google+ has is its potential integration with other Google products - gmail, google search, google maps, picasa etc. This should allow users to share from within a google product and without having to log onto Google+.<br />
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The one Google+ feature that I haven't explored is Hangout - its group video chat feature. Immediately after the launch of Google+, Facebook announced an integration with Skype (Microsoft owns Skype and also has 1.6 percent stake in Facebook with its USD 240 Mn investment in 2007) to launch a video chat feature. This goes to show how competitive this space is going to be with Microsoft + Skype competing with Google.<br />
I wonder if Apple will make a move into this space ;)<br />
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Here are 2 related interesting articles:<br />
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<ul><li><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-20077327-75/facebook-skype-and-microsofts-savvy-investment/">Facebook - Skype and Microsoft's savvy investment</a></li>
<li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/10/google-plus-20-billion-market-cap/">Google + adds $ 20 Bn to Google's market cap</a></li>
</ul>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-43854613751039769642011-07-10T08:55:00.001+05:302011-07-11T09:01:02.696+05:30E-commerce in India: Pleasant surprise with online book orderI was pleasantly surprised last week when I ordered <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/books/0470521163?_l=CJHVEqJO3veuHytbACc9dw--&_r=3Sxvsd8YBQ%20EfPfCskKHWw--&ref=fa78f7c8-51d5-456f-b213-398e7e92ba5f&pid=0xw3f96egl">Behind the Cloud : the untold story of how salesforce.com went from idea to billion-dollar company - and revolutionized an industry</a> from <a href="http://www.flipkart.com/">Flipkart</a>. I placed the order at 6:45 pm on Thursday evening. At 11pm, I received a confirmation email that book had been shipped, and at 4 pm the next day, I received the book. This took me by surprise - a book ordered online (no delivery charges, no special instructions) was delivered to me within 24 hours. The fact that this happened in India which is not exactly known for speedy delivery of goods makes it all the more impressive.<br />
However, a closer look at the wrapping on the delivery package told me something - the book was delivered to me from a warehouse/store which was located just 4 kms from the delivery address. That explained the incredibly low delivery time.. I guess I got lucky. I'll keep an eye on the delivery time the next time I place an order on Flipkart.<br />
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This story apart, credit does go to Flipkart and other similar sites for improving the online shopping experience in India. e-tailing is a current rage in India and there are dozens of sites competing in this space. This intense competition means companies are trying hard to differentiate and offering sweet deals to customers. As a customer, I am not complaining :)Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-43080695313116273402011-03-20T00:23:00.000+05:302011-03-20T00:23:45.009+05:30The world cup just became interesting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">After two weeks of not-so-interesting action, the world cup became interesting again with <a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/icc_cricket_worldcup2011/content/current/story/507010.html">Pakistan defeating Australia and ending their unbeaten streak of 34 matches in the world cup</a>. It is remarkable that Pakistan was the last team to have defeated them in the 1999 world cup. This will make tomorrow's match between India and West Indies very interesting. If India wins, they will play Australia in the QF, if they lose they'll play either Sri Lanka or Pakistan, depending on their net run rate after the match. This makes for an interesting situation - India has never lost to Pakistan in a world cup and has had a pretty good record against Sri Lanka. However, they have defeated Australia only twice in the world cup and the last victory against them was in 1987. The last time India played Australia in a world cup match was in the finals of 2003 world cup where they lost badly. Given this history, will India be better off losing tomorrow's match?<br />
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Hats off to the Pakistan cricket team. They have had a horrible past few years in Cricket - international teams have stopped visiting Pakistan after the attack on Sri Lankan team's bus in 2009; they have been mired in one controversy after the other - death of Bob Woolmer, ball tempering charges, doping charges, spot fixing charges and the subsequent suspension of their three top players just before the world cup. No one had given them a chance when the world cup begun but they have finished at the top of Group A. This team continues to surprise me.<br />
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Like I said, the world cup just became interesting and the real action begins tomorrow. I am confident that India will win tomorrow. If that happens, I fear for them in the QF against Australia ;)<br />
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</div>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-7719292339782040952010-09-11T23:27:00.000+05:302010-09-11T23:27:24.232+05:30Is Orkut dyingI read <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS15459745120100825">an article</a> some days ago that Facebook had taken over Orkut (in India) in terms of total number of users. At that time, I did not pay much attention to this article. However, I did notice the difference yesterday. I celebrated my b'day yesterday and, as expected, some friends wrote scraps for me on Orkut and others wrote on my wall on Facebook. Now, when Orkut was at its peak in India (I guess in 2006), I remember getting 100 odd b'day scraps on Orkut and hardly anything on Facebook ( I don't even remember if Facebook had the feature of wall posts!). The stats for yesterday - 50+ posts on Facebook and around 15 scraps on Orkut. I have many friends who are both on Orkut and Facebook and even among them, most posted on my Facebook wall and not on Orkut. For me, it is a strong indicator of the future - Facebook will keep up its growth and Orkut will have a really hard time adding new users.Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-30849998779101851502010-07-22T12:06:00.000+05:302010-07-22T12:06:42.790+05:30Back from HiatusI've been out of blogging action for a long time now - the key reason for my absence was work (loads of it) and lethargy (I didn't feel like blogging when I got off work). Now that work is back to normal, I am back to blogging.<br />
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The past 3 months were quite intense for me. My company was participating in a trade show in USA and I was put in charge of the entire event. This doesn't sound big was it was quite a challenge. I had to ensure that everything was in order, which meant:<br />
1. Renting the exhibition space<br />
2. Designing the booth (working with our booth designers)<br />
3. Making the booth functional (furniture, electrical, network connections etc.)<br />
4. Graphics (working with our designers to get booth panels, display graphics, brochures etc.)<br />
5. Giveaways (choosing and sourcing giveaways for visitors)<br />
6. Communication (sending out emails to prospects, before and after the event)<br />
7. Logistics (taking care of travel and accommodation)<br />
8. Product demos - This was the most important part. There was no point in doing anything if we couldn't demo our products successfully. This involved working with different teams to ensure that our products were ready for demo, everyone was trained on the latest features, laptops/mobiles/hardware were configured properly and most importantly, failure points were identified and backups were ready for contingencies.<br />
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Because the buck stopped at me, I had to ensure that EVERYTHING was in place. e.g. I had to proof read each and every word on our marketing collateral (brochures) before it went to print. This was quite demanding and at times I was literally talking in my sleep.<br />
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In the end, the show went really well. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of visitors in our booth and now have some very promising leads to pursue. Personally, it was a great learning experience. It helped me develop an eye for detail and I can see the difference in my work style now. Hope this habit stays for life..Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-87335862939886009962010-01-31T10:17:00.001+05:302010-01-31T10:17:19.499+05:30Kotak Securities - Worst Customer ServiceIf I were to rate companies on the poor customer service operations, I'd rate <a href="http://www.kotaksecurities.com/">Kotak Securities</a> as the worst. This <a href="http://www.kotak.com/Kotak_GroupSite/groupcos/securities.htm">award winning company</a> has really shocked me with their lack of accountability and careless approach. Here's what happened.<br />
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I had invested in 2 mutual funds and on Dec-29, I sold these funds because I wanted to invest in new funds (to claim tax benefits). I called them few days later to check when and how I'd receive the money. They told me that they could not credit money electronically to my account because of a name mismatch between my Kotak Account and my Bank Account (This name mismatch occurred because someone in Kotak mis-spelt my name while creating my account!). So they would send cheques to my registered address. I requested them to send cheques at my current address because I don't live at my registered address any more (the registered address is my parents' address). They said they would try to do it but no assurances were given. After calling them several times, they told me that one of cheques had been dispatched to my registered address on Jan-18th (20 days after I sold my funds!!). I still haven't received that cheque and have called them several times. Every time I call them, they tell me that they are coordinating with their back-end team and will give me an update soon. The last update they gave me was 3 days ago when they will still coordinating with their team.<br />
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The story of my other cheque is worse. Ironically, the 2nd cheque was supposed to come from Kotak Mutual Fund (a part of the Kotak group of companies). Till date, no one has been able to tell me if that cheque has even been dispatched. Imagine this, I sold my mutual funds over a month ago and till now they can't tell me where my money is.<br />
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I must have called Kotak Customer Care at least 15 times in the past month and have even escalated my issue but there is no resolution in sight. Here's what I intend to do next:<br />
1. Write to the head of Kotak Securites, explaining this situation.<br />
2. Write to the head of Kotak group<br />
3. Find out the regulatory body who deals with these issues and write to them<br />
4. Close my account with Kotak once I have collected all my dues<br />
5. Discourage people from opening account with them.<br />
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Any suggestions to deal with this issue and get my money back??Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-48657183378084573542010-01-31T09:51:00.000+05:302010-01-31T09:51:21.811+05:30Customer Service WoesFor the past 2 weeks, I've spent almost 30-40 minutes each day over phone, complaining to companies and trying to deal with multiple issues.<br />
Issues: credit card problem, mutual fund redemption, extra billing on internet account, bank account problem etc.<br />
Companies: Some of the leading names like Reliance, ICICI, Kotak Securities, Standard Chartered etc.<br />
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Till date, none of these issues has been resolved and I am still fighting. This has made me realize the pathetic state of customer care, careless attitude of companies and lack of regulatory/reporting mechanism to deal with customer complaints. My next few posts will be dedicated to the problems that I've facedRahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-67408221921908046332010-01-03T10:58:00.004+05:302010-01-04T08:41:20.419+05:30The Year Gone ByI had started blogging 3 yrs ago and I've not been as regular at blogging as I would have liked. However, one of my resolutions for 2010 is to be regular at blogging.. Let's see how it goes...<div><br /></div><div>To start with, 2009 is over and I was thinking about my life over the year gone by; Here are the highlights for the last year:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Graduation: I had always wanted to do an MBA and after postponing my MBA plans for 4 yrs, I finally finished MBA in 2009. Even though this was probably the worst year to get out of a b-school, I still feel it was completely worth it.</div><div>2. Travels: I love travelling and 2009 (esp. the first half) was great in terms of travelling. Some of the places I travelled to are London, Loire Valley, Barcelona, Brussels, French Riviera (Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo), Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. Among these, trips to Barcelona and Budapest were really great.</div><div>3. Books: I got back to reading after a long time and read many books in 2009. Most of the books I read were about history and wars. All the books I read were great but these stood out: </div><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Haj">The Haj</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus_(novel)">Exodus</a> by Leon Uris, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_god_delusion">The God Delusion</a> by Richard Dawkins, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_(novel_series)">Emperor</a> Series by Conn Iggulden , <a href="http://books.google.co.in/books?id=9rxqJ1IC3mIC&dq=The+African+Dream&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=0Wif92Ni-1&sig=uWxyrzV4iuSj2pdiZ9gxxg9BmB8&hl=en&ei=ny9AS7HyFIuTkAXByZGtDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CAoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=&f=false">The African Dream</a> written using excerpts from the diaries of Che Guevera and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ak-47-Story-Gun-Michael-Hodges/dp/1596922869">AK-47</a> by Michael Hodges.</div><div>4. Getting back to work: Getting work after graduating with MBA in 2009 was not easy; It took me some time to get the kind of job I wanted and in the end the wait was worth it. I am currently working with a young technology company and am really enjoying the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>So this is it for 2009. I hope 2010 will be much better.</div>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-37810758557057223922009-08-01T10:10:00.005+05:302009-08-11T11:38:05.467+05:30Swine flu scare in India<div>Yesterday I returned to Pune after 10 days and was shocked to see almost half the population wearing face-masks to protect against swine-flu (H1N1 virus in India). Considering that there have been 6 H1N1 related deaths in Pune in the last week, the fear among the people is understandable. But is the mass hysteria justifiable?</div>Y'day, I watched a TV interview by the Indian health minister talking about the preventive measures taken by his goverment. He <a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/azad-blames-travellers-for-bringing-in-swine-flu/98972-17.html">proudly claimed that India has screened 4.7 million people</a> which is the biggest exercise of its kind in the world. He also blamed travellers coming to India for bringing this virus into the country. <div>While I agree that this virus has come to India through passengers coming from overseas, I would say that the biggest blame lies with the Indian government for its negligent attitude which has led to this situation in India. </div><div><br /><div>The first reports of Swine flu came from Mexico in April and in May, the WHO talked about Swine Flu being a potential pendemic. What was Indian government doing then to prevent the spread of this virus in India? I returned to India from Paris on 29th June. I took the flight from Paris to Abu Dhabi and then changed a flight from Abu Dhabhi for India. After the flight landed at Abu Dhabi, every passenger had to undergo a test where thermal scanners manned by doctors screened passengers for potnetial flu symptoms. The system was very simple to implement and very efficient as well. Compare this to how this threat was dealt in India. </div><div><br /><div>Before landing in Mumbai, each passenger was given a declaration form in which the person had to fill in some basic information like whether they had been to a flu affected country or had been in contact with a flu infected person. I filled this form in the flight and then landed at the airport. There was utter chaos at the terminal. There were some officials who wore face masks and asked each passenger to go to a particular room to get the form attested. I duly went to that room and got the form attested. After that I cleared immigration and entered into Mumbai with that form still with me; no official had looked at that form after I got it attested. So here I was, back in India, with a useless form in which I had mentioned that I had been to a swine flu infected country. No one had bothered to read that form and test me for any possible symptoms. And now the government blames travellers!!!!!</div><div><br /></div></div></div>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-49018072893292591202009-06-11T12:00:00.007+05:302009-06-12T00:44:45.676+05:30My latest reads<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n24/n121535.jpg"></a>In the last couple of months, I've read many books and thought it worthwhile to write brief reviews of some of the books I liked and would recommend reading:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/all/1/6/9781594201561L.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/all/1/6/9781594201561L.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Totem">Wolf Totem</a> - A story, set in the late 1960s, about some Chinese students who spent some months in the Mongolian grasslands as part of their academic project. It is a<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-size:medium;">n interesting book that sheds light into the relationship between man and wolf, Chinese and Mongols, nature and civilisation, nomads and settled farmers...</span></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kxJo3todL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click-to-search,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 115px; height: 115px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kxJo3todL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click-to-search,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/AK47-Story-Peoples-Michael-Hodges/dp/0340921048">AK47</a> - A very interesting book, which examines the genesis and impact of the most widespread assault rifle the world has seen. Of particular interest are the stories of how this weapon came to be used in all the major conflicts in last 60 yrs and how it has now become a cultural icon - both as a symbol of resistence and of terror.</div><br /><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><br /></div><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512CN4Z552L._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px; " /></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/African-Dream-diaries-Revolutionary-Congo/dp/0802138349">The African Dream</a> - This book has been written by using excerpts from the recovered diaries of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Che_Guevara">Che Guevara</a>. It describes the events surrounding his attempt to support the struggle in Africa (mainly Congo) against the "Imperialistic powers". It makes an interesting read if you want to understand the history and political aspects of the conflicts in the African continent.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n24/n121535.jpg"><img src="http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n24/n121535.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 150px; " /></a><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Field_of_Swords">Emperor: The Field of swords</a> - A part of a series of books on Julius Caeser, this book details the period when Caeser returned from Spain to Rome, won the election as a Counsel and then left Rome to conquer the world; It vividly describes the battles he fought in conquering the Gaulish region. The book ends with Caeser's return to Rome setting into motion a bloody power struggle which eventually led to a civil war and downfall of Roman Republic.</div> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/214GYHp5eWL._SL160_AA115_.jpg"><img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/214GYHp5eWL._SL160_AA115_.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px; " /></a><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion">The God Delusion</a> - One of the most thought-provoking books I've read, it talks about the conflict between science and faith (or superstition). Dawkins raises questions about the existence of God and then uses scientific arguments to challenge the theories commonly used to support God's existence. He also raises important questions about religion and its impact on our lives.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="http://www.stephenclarkewriter.com/IMAGES/BOOKS/mini/00048.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 115px; " /></span><div><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Year_in_the_Merde">A Year in the Merde</a> - One of the most hilarious books I've read, it is about a Briton who moves to Paris to work and about the merde (shit) he finds himself in. Having lived in Paris for almost 2 yrs now, I could relate with most of the book :). A must read book for anyone who has spent some time in Paris. </div><div><br /></div></div></span></div>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-26193976651595667982009-04-17T02:29:00.004+05:302009-04-17T17:30:20.713+05:30HEC and Exchange programs<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Here's a question I received in response to my last post:</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><i>In every interview or article regarding HEC i see that it partners with 50 schools around the world for Exchange programmes. I get that you did not do the exchange program. Any reasons? How is the procedure of selection? or does every one get to do the exchange prgm.</i>"</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am glad that someone asked this question because this is a topic which I had missed covering in my posts and this is quite an important question. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So this is how exchange program works:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Procedure of selection</span></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">HEC has exchange program partnerships with close to 50 schools across the world. The way it works is pretty simple. HEC announces the opening of applications for exchange programs with its partner schools - the announcement basically informs students about three things -</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. Names of the partner schools</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2. No. of seats with each school</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3. Deadline of application</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Once the announcement is made, every MBA participant is free to submit his/her application for target schools. The application contains some short questions asking applicants about their motivation for that school etc.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">After the deadline, all applications are collected and reviewed by a committee at HEC. In case of multiple applications for a school, the participants are invited for interview and then a final decision is made. The decision is made solely by the committee at HEC and the partner school is not involved in this decision.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Why did I not go for an exchange program</span></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As with your b-school application, there are several factors that you should consider while applying for an exchange program. Why do you want to go for an exchange program? The main reasons are:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. A different experience - HEC gives you a European experience. You could go to a US b-school to get a different experience and enhance your professional network</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2. Brand Name - Getting a better recognized b-school name on your resume</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">3. Career - You have specific career objectives that you could achieve by going to a particular b-school</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For me, there were two main reasons why I did not go for an exchange program:</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">1. Career - I figured that going for an exchange program will not improve my career prospects. Most of the schools I was interested in were based in US. Going to a US school as an exchange student did not appeal to me because of the economic uncertainties and work-visa related problems faced by international students. Also, by staying at HEC, I had better chances of leveraging its brand in France and continental Europe to get a job</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">2. Funds - Going to any school for an exchange program will have required me to spend around 5K $ which I was not keen on spending</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Does every student get to go for an exchage program</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">?</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The answer is No (generally). I think there are around 50 seats for exchange and there are 130 odd students in Sep intake. So it's not possible for everyone to go on exchange. However, there are only 50-60 students in Jan intake. So most of the students in Jan intake can go for exchange program.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:7;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-size:48px;"><br /></span></span></div></div></span></div></span>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-14629803318411870132009-04-03T15:09:00.007+05:302009-04-17T02:33:46.436+05:30HEC MBA - differences between Sep and Jan intakesIn some of previous posts, I have addressed the common queries about HEC that people have asked me over the past couple of years. In this post, I am addressing another such important query - the difference between Sep and Jan intakes<br /><br />The biggest difference is the program structure. Click <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pIiG1KR30plnuoVs5JT6GRg">here</a> to look at the program structure for the two intakes<div><br /><div>The 16 month HEC MBA program is divided into two halves - Core Phase and Personalized Phase; Core Phase is the backbone of the MBA and has common, mandatory courses for everyone. Personalized Phase allows one to customize the program and provides options for electives, internship and exchange program.</div><div><br /></div><div>As can be seen from the table, the program structure for Sep and Jan intakes is very different. Personalized phase for Sep intake allows for a lot of options - one can attend classes at HEC for the entire 16 months, for 8 months (do the core phase at HEC, take up a long term internship and then go on exchange program) or 12 months (core phase, internship and electives/exchange).</div><div>For Jan Intake, things are completely different. They must take classes at HEC for 1 year (Core Phase and PP1) and in the last 4 months, they must either do an internship or go for exchange. Thus, even if they want, they cannot attend classes at HEC during the last 4 months.</div><br /><br />Apart from the program structure, the main differences are:<br />1. <b>Class Size</b> - Sep intake has around 130 people and Jan intake has 60-70 people. So Sep intake allows you to interact with more people<br />2. <b>Choice of electives</b> - This comes directly from the difference in program structures. During summers, HEC attracts some great visiting professors from other universities; Sep intake is at an advantage here and I've had some of my best courses with visiting proffs.</div><div>3. <b>Internships</b> - In Jan intake, you can finish classes in 12 months and then start working (even full time without technically finishing your MBA). It also becomes easier to find a long internship if you are in Jan intake. So if you want to spend less time studying, Jan intake is better.</div>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-48485098497697120902009-03-27T13:23:00.002+05:302009-03-27T13:27:58.256+05:30HEC - top b-school outside US for marketingIn a survey of over 19,000 students conducted by <a href="http://www.princetonreview.com/">The Princeton Review</a>, HEC has been voted as the top b-school outside USA for teaching of marketing. You can read a press article <a href="http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-26-2009/0004995124&EDATE=">here</a>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-17996955983594393942009-03-23T16:09:00.002+05:302009-03-23T16:17:33.281+05:30HEC v/s other European schoolsHere's a post to address another frequently raised question - How does HEC compare with other European b-schools.<br />Disclaimer: The views given below (in Italics) are <span style="font-weight:bold;">NOT</span> mine, but of an INSEAD 2003 alum who shared his views on <a href="http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/international-indian-mba-schools-accepting/28981-hec-paris-mba-post1404905.html#post1404905">this forum</a> in response to a question on HEC v/s IE <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Now here's the scene. I am going to give u a non-biased opinion on both the schools. Having said this, please understand both are superior business schools and I have not done my MBA at either school, so I can only tell you from what I have heard and understood.<br /><br />Let me dissect your question.<br /><br />1. Lets keep RSM aside when you have already made it to IE.<br /><br />2. IESE - It's a two year program and very expensive. So when you have IE, lets even keep IESE aside.<br /><br />3. ESADE - What is your career goal? is it in marketing? Then Esade is a very good school. But for other specializations like finance and strategy, ESADE is just about mediocre. But, I would definitely put ESADE on the league of IE Spain though there is a huge difference in their rankings.<br /><br />Now we come to HEC v/s IE Spain. I need to know your career interests to give u a more detailed answer on this. If i were you, I would have taken HEC - Paris and I'll let you know the reasons.<br /><br />(i) Curriculum - The way HEC has planned its 16 months curriculum is fantastic with projects, internships and its a shortened 2 year program. So you enjoy the process of management.<br /><br />(ii) Diversity - After INSEAD, HEC is second when it comes to class diversity. With IE you will have 75% Spanish speaking people. If you know Spanish well, its great (you will anyway have to learn either French or Spanish) but you might just feel left out because the Asian influence on this school is very low. <br /><br />Whereas HEC is 30%+ Asian, along with applicants from other parts of the world. The school is completely in English. I have also visited HEC long time back and the campus is beautiful. You will definitely need to learn French but during the 16 months, French is not a mandate, you pick it up along the way. and that's beautiful because by the time u r out, you know an extra language which takes u so many notches higher. <br /><br />(iii) INSEAD does not give HEC a competition, for one that HEC has a class size of 150 and its easier to place these students. INSEAD is in a different league altogether. INSEADians wont find it tough to get a job.<br /><br />(iv) Placements wise IE and HEC will have the same placements, though HEC being in France, closer to LUX, BEL, SWI and UK will give u better opportunities.<br /><br />(v) It scores over IE in marketing, strategy and finance. IE scores over in entrepreneurship.</span>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-49715982312366583962009-03-12T21:42:00.002+05:302009-03-12T21:46:35.752+05:30100 blogs for MBA students/aspirantsI received an email today with a link to 100 blogs for MBA students. I believe that most people reading my blog are interested in MBA and could benefit from this list. You can access the list <a href="http://www.graduatedegree.org/blog/2009/03/100-best-blogs-for-mba-students/">here</a>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-71986712835733468602009-03-10T20:36:00.005+05:302009-03-11T02:27:03.731+05:30H1-B issue - BofA withdraws job offers from MBA studentsIn my <a href="http://blogsbyrahul.blogspot.com/2009/03/problems-for-prospective-h1-b-workers.html">last post</a> I had talked about the possibility that MBA students could face problems because of the restrictions imposed on companies receiving TARP funds. Well, the problems have begun. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/09/foreign-workers-visas-business-banks.html">BofA becomes the first company to withdraw job offers from MBA students</a> because of these restrictions.<br /><br />Is this a stand-alone incidence or just the tip of the iceberg? I hope it is an isolated instance otherwise it will have a huge negative impact on USA's reputation as an attractor of world's brightest minds for higher studies!Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-48942940876416615992009-03-02T18:51:00.003+05:302009-03-03T15:33:27.300+05:30Problems for prospective H1-B workers in USIn my previous <a href="http://blogsbyrahul.blogspot.com/2009/02/getting-uk-tier-1-visa-to-get-tougher.html">post</a>, I had touched upon the new clause in US Stimulus Bill to prevent companies from hiring foreign nationals on H1-B visas.<br /><br />I found some more details about the same:<br /><a href="http://www.ustreas.gov/initiatives/eesa/docs/transaction_report_02-10-09.pdf">Companies currently seeking Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/EconoStimulus_TARPRecipients_LF_17feb09.pdf">Specifications on how companies receiving TARP funds will impact H1B hiring</a><br /><br />I think this is an issue which MBA applicants should consider before applying to US schools.Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-15171375987613092662009-02-23T12:51:00.002+05:302009-02-23T13:11:49.188+05:30Getting UK Tier 1 visa to get tougher from AprilCame across <a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=47994bf9-7c89-4396-a7a7-13acb303572e&MatchID1=4932&TeamID1=7&TeamID2=8&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1247&PrimaryID=4932&Headline=Getting+UK+job+visa+will+be+tougher+from+April">this article</a> yesterday. This comes only a week after the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/02/13/Stimulus_bill_keeps_H1B_hiring_limits_on_bailout_recipients_1.html">clause in US Stimulus Bill</a> to prevent companies receiving bail-out funds from hiring foreign workers on H1-B visas.<br /><br />One's opinion about this story will depend on which side of the fence one is on - you'll applaud if you are a US/UK resident who is worried about his job and you'll despise it if you are looking to enter US/UK on H1B/Tier 1 visa.<br /><br />With no clear signs of improvement in the world economy and looming fears of <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/more-1000-banks-may-fail/story.aspx?guid={E2F58082-D9BB-4EBA-AEAE-2E6CEE571BD3}&dist=TNMostRead">more bank failures</a>, I believe that such protectionist measures will only increase. Makes me wonder if this is a reversal of globalization??Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272619427657716384.post-89796887063969522052009-02-22T18:59:00.003+05:302009-02-22T19:04:49.393+05:30Understanding the Credit CrisisCame across these videos which explain the credit crisis: <br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0zEXdDO5JU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q0zEXdDO5JU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYhDkZjKBEw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iYhDkZjKBEw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Rahulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07988620433181972473noreply@blogger.com1