The Artist Who Lost His CountryMaqbool Fida Husain, aged 95, passed away this week at London's Royal Brompton Hospital. Popularly known as "MF", he was called the Picasso of India. The barefooted painter was born in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, on 17 September, 1915. It was with calligraphy that he set out on the road as a painter. At first, it was billboards in Bollywood. He then went on to become part of the Progressive Artists Group led by F.N. Souza in the 1940s. He made his mark on the world stage with his 1952 Zurich debut; and went on to become one of the country's highest paid painters. His first film Through the Eyes of a Painter bagged the Golden Bear Award in 1967 at the Berlin Film Festival. He also made two in Hindi: Gaja Gamini — Madhuri Dixit was his muse; and Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities.During the 1990s, he upset the Hindu right wing parties after his depiction of goddesses in the buff; it did not matter at all to them that these were paintings done way back in the 1970s. He had been living in exile in Dubai since 2006. Last year, he had accepted the citizenship of Qatar.It was his dream to come to India and breathe his last. The powers-that-be — who seek votes on the secular platform — did nothing to help Husain whose last rites were performed in London. India should hang its head in shame.Husain put Indian contemporary art on the world stage. He was one of India's best selling artists. The painting Battle of Ganga and Yamuna: Mahabharata 12 set a record in 2008, when it fetched $1.6 million. More recently, three of his paintings were auctioned at Rs 2.32 crore. Ironically, his works are doubly precious now. OFF THE SADDLE: Max India executive chairman Analjit Singh (left), and DMK MP Kanimozhi (BW pic by Sanjay Sakaria Analjit Singh Makes WayThe New Delhi-based Max India has a new managing director, Rahul Khosla. He replaces founder Analjit Singh, who held the post till date. Prior to joining Max, the 51-year-old Khosla was group head of products for Visa in Asia Pacific. Singh will continue to be the executive chairman of Max India, but he is said to be not keen on an active role. He is seen making a foray into the hospitality sector in his private capacity. He has roped in Ranvir Bhandari, who was previously vice- president (north) for ITC Hotels and general manager of The Maurya, New Delhi.Wrong And Missed CallsThe Delhi High Court once again threw out the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV's managing director, Sharad Kumar. Justice Ajit Bharihoke, who broke tradition of not appearing during the summer vacation, said: "… prima facie show the complicity of the petitioners in the conspiracy and their having received illegal gratification of Rs 200 crore in the account of the company controlled by them, namely Kalaignar TV". Denying bail, he pointed out that the duo being in control of Kalaignar TV were in a position to influence witnesses of the company. Kanimozhi will have to bear the hospitality of Tihar jail until the Supreme Court decides on her bail plea. She will move the highest court in the land. All Eyes On TatasOn 18 June, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will host industrialists in an attempt to get them to invest in the state. It would have been just another interaction, but for the state government's decision to take back the 997.11 acres lying with the Tatas and vendors in Singur through an Ordinance. Of course, the Tatas would be compensated. But the suddenness of the move is sure to make potential investors jittery; its legality is also under the scanner. Banerjee was clearly playing to her constituency, but she could have waited till the date of her appointment with India Inc.'s heavyweights. Will Ratan Tata show up for Banerjee's do or not? It will be a show-stopper either way.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-06-2011)
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A day before the Reserve Bank is expected to raise benchmark interest rates, the government on Wednesday said there is nothing alarming about inflation.The overall inflation, as per the latest data, crossed 9 per cent for May against expectations. Food inflation too rose to a 2-month high of 9.01 per cent for the week ended May 28."There is nothing to be alarmed about the current inflation...the government is taking stock of the situation and will take appropriate steps if need be," new Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth told PTI.Seth, who paid a "courtesy call" to Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, said he would not like to comment on what RBI would do on Thursday in its mid-quarterly policy review."I cannot pre-judge what RBI is going to do at this point of time," he said.Experts have predicted that RBI would raise key policy rates by at least 25 basis points on Thursday to curb price rise.The Reserve Bank has hiked key policy rates nine times since March 2010 in its bid to tame inflation. Inflation continues to remain high despite RBI's raising lending (repo) and borrowing (reverse repo) rates.The central bank on Tuesday said inflation would continue to face upward pressure in the months ahead, indicating that it could further raise key interest rates to check rising prices in its mid-quarterly policy review."Global commodity prices, particularly oil, and performance of the monsoon, are the key risk factors to inflation management in the months ahead," RBI Governor D Subbarao had said.(PTI)
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For real estate companies, it has been an unusually bad year. Poor sales, few new launches leading to poor ‘booking' income, and a race against time to reduce high debt have defined the year. In case of some of the big realtors such as DLF, even while total income increased in FY 2011, net profit declined on poor margins and high input costs.DLF reported a consolidated total income of Rs 10,144 crore in 2010-11, up from Rs 7,851 crore in the previous financial year. However, net profit fell 4.7 per cent to Rs 1,640 crore from Rs 1,720 crore in the previous year. For the past quarter, net profit fell 19 per cent to Rs 345 crore as the company adjusted Rs 475 crore towards "one-time cost reset due to input price inflation". The company admitted sales volume had declined 20 per cent to 10 million sq. ft in FY 2011 from 12.5 million sq. ft in the previous year.For Unitech, too, total income rose 9 per cent to Rs 3,187 crore for FY 2011, but net profit slumped by over 16 per cent to Rs 581 crore from Rs 695 crore in the previous year. Another big Delhi realtor, Omaxe, pushed up consolidated sales from Rs 1,001 crore to Rs 1,522 crore through FY 2011, but net profit plummeted nearly 18 per cent to Rs 93 crore from the previous year's Rs 113 crore. Mumbai-based realtor HDIL performed marginally better. The group's annual top line grew 24 per cent to Rs 1,900 crore, while net profit went up 45 per cent to Rs 823 crore for the year ended 31 March.The fourth quarter has proven to be the biggest drag with a slowdown in sales volumes and high input costs squeezing margins. According to an Enam Securities report on the Q4 performance of realtors, revenues for the January-March quarter of 2011 for most developers (with the exception of Godrej Properties and Indiabulls Realty) declined 10-30 per cent due to slowdown in sales. Simultaneously, high input costs hit margins in the range of 2-10 per cent. DB Realty, whose credibility has taken a knock with its promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka jailed for their role in the 2G spectrum scam, saw its Q4 profit-after-tax sink to just Rs 8 crore on sales of Rs 392 crore for the quarter. Click here to view enlarged image Interestingly, there has been some spin-off effect from the slowing realty sector on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies, which came under severe earnings pressure in the latest quarter. An analysis by Angel Broking of construction companies showed that except for Sadbhav and MPL, which showed robust growth in net profits, most others including Simplex reported a fall in net profits. "Margin pressure due to high commodity prices and spiralling interest cost resulted in disappointing earnings despite decent top-line growth," the report said.Investor confidence, or the lack of it, has been ahead of the results. In the past 18 months since January 2010, the BSE Realty Index has plunged 44 per cent, compared to a 5 per cent rise in the BSE Sensex. "The market was expecting capital infusion from operations would help improve the financial health of real estate companies. But failing to sell sufficient stock has led to a poor show by these companies," says Varun Goel, head of equity-PMS at Karvy Private Wealth. Property pundits feel the paralysis in the market may pan out over another 3-4 quarters before sales begin to move. "There is sufficient demand in the market, but property buyers are waiting for a 15-20 per cent correction in prices, while sellers aren't willing to bring down prices," explains Goel. Governance issues have now become evident after a string of scams, and that has further eroded market confidence.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-06-2011)
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Corporate profit margins in the United States are likely to remain at elevated levels for the foreseeable future, despite concerns about an economic slowdown, former IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan said on Wednesday.His comments at a financial conference in Singapore were in contrast to several US equity strategists, who said at the Reuters 2011 Investment Outlook Summit last week that optimism about robust profits may be waning."The bottom line is that the underlying private sector economy in the United States is extremely profitable at this point and is looking to grow," Rajan said."For the first time, I have heard my private sector businessmen friends talk about investing in the United States, especially in manufacturing."The US strategists had said their forecasts were below Wall Street consensus estimates, saying corporations may be feeling the effects of unexpected headwinds, including the disaster in Japan."History suggests that about one year after the ISM peaks, margins peak," said Goldman Sachs Chief US Equity Strategist David Kostin.The Institute for Supply Management's closely watched manufacturing index peaked in February, at 61.4, and is now just holding in expansion mode, above 50. It was 53.5 for May.Kostin said S&P 500 earnings per share are poised to climb back this year above the previous peak of $91 from 2007, rising to $96 in 2011 from $84 in 2010, and increasing another 8 percent to $104 in 2012.The Thomson Reuters consensus forecast for 2011 earnings per share for the index is $100.07, and for 2012 it is $113.43.Rajan said he did not margins easing in the near future."It's reasonable to accept some sort of narrowing of those margins over time but I don't see the mean (average) revision happening as quickly," he said.The former IMF chief economist, who is a professor at the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business and also economic adviser to the Indian prime minister, said high margins usually attracted new entries or higher input costs, but neither seemed to be happening."I don't see either of those really big right now in the United States," Rajan said."Especially at the small and medium business level, they are still struggling for capital, and so it's hard to see a huge amount of new entry."As far as the input costs being bid up, it seems to be that apart from commodity prices, labour costs are still relatively contained although that depends on whether it's skilled labour or not."(Reuters)
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Today organisations world over are emphasising the importance of a gender balanced workforce. This emphasis of including a balanced ratio of women in the workforce is essentially pronounced through a multitude of HR policies. Though individual organisations have their signature approach in terms of creating gender neutral work environments there are certain broad hallmarks that characterise these organisations. Firstly gender neutral organisations are conscientious about providing equal opportunities to men and women. There is psychological evidence that women are predisposed with a set of qualities that place them in a winning stead as far as certain organisational roles are concerned. For instance women have an inherent sense of empathy that auger well in positions pertaining to corporate social responsibility and human resource development and management. At one important level ender neutral organisations are essentially those organisations that on one hand support more avenues that can translate to fulfilling careers for women. They also score high in terms of offering training and mentoring programmes that are tailored to meet specific needs. Study after study shows that having more women in the boardroom improves corporate financial performance. Companies with more women on boards far outperform those companies with fewer women directors: by 66 per cent return on invested capital of companies, 53 per cent return on equity, and 42 per cent return on sales between 2001 and 2004, according to Catalyst, a diversity organisation Further there are enough studies to suggest that women have a set of leadership styles that in turn translate to a beneficial equation for the progressive minded organisations of today which thrive on innovation and are constantly seeking newer and more effective management styles. For instance women core higher than men in areas such as participative decision-making, mentoring and coaching, defining expectations and offering rewards, inspiring peers and taking the mantle of role model. These facts clearly portend to the fact that women are endowed with certain unique leadership traits. Consequently organisations that want to truly qualify as gender neutral organisations need to recognise this fact and have structured leadership succession programmes for the benefit of aspiring women leaders. Further organisations that are genuinely inspired by gender balance imperatives are the ones that champion transparency in the decision making process so that all employees irrespective of their gender feel valued in the organisation. Moreover such organisations are sensitive to the unique challenges faced by a woman and hence provision flexible timings and virtual work environments that in turn considerably help in easing the pressures of work life. Another distinguishing hallmark of gender sensitive organisations is that they provide ample opportunities for women to network both within the organisation as well as outside of it in the business ecosystem. This is done both with the objective of helping them establish their professional credentials and identifying new people, causes and opportunities that can absorb their interests and potential. One simple way through which organisations can help women increase their network is by placing them in charge of new organisational initiatives. This approach automatically increases the scope of interaction with a greater number of colleagues. There are some networks in companies that are only cater to women. It is advisable to run these networks through men and not women. This is one way of ensuring that the issues of women employees are understood by their male counteraprts. More usually than not when there are male champions of women centric networks the potential of women and their issues are better understood. This invariably leads to the creation of a humane and sensitive work environment. It is not just enough for organisations to take a stand on gender equality. Women themselves have to be assertive in terms of their rights and prospects at the workplace. They need to ascertain their unique skills and aptitudes and be clear about their professional goals and expectations. This clarity will help them determine the exact support that they require from the organisation (in terms of training etc) and enable them to be more convincing and assertive while asking for the same. Women should also be conscientious of sharpening their negotiation skills to reach senior leadership positions. It is also advisable to find mentors and learn from experience sharing. Last but not the least they should always be forthcoming in terms of learning new skills and accepting fresh career challenges. The author is Associate Vice President - Diversity & Sustainability at HCL Technologies
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US jobs growth ground to a near halt in June as employers hired the fewest workers in nine months, frustrating hopes the economy would bounce back quickly from a slowdown in the first half of the year.Nonfarm payrolls rose only 18,000, the Labor Department said on Friday. It was the weakest reading since September and below even the most pessimistic forecast in a Reuters poll of economists.The dismal report, which showed the unemployment rate climbing to a six-month high of 9.2 per cent, stood in stark contrast with recent data on manufacturing and retail sales that had shown activity starting to perk up."This report has dashed hopes that the economy was about to accelerate again," said Nigel Gault, chief US economist at IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. "It is showing a much bleaker picture than other indicators and we must hope that it is overstating the extent of the slowdown."Investors, who had positioned for a fairly strong number after a bullish reading on private hiring from payrolls processor ADP, took a dim view of the report and sold US stocks. Global equities retreated from five-week highs and oil prices slumped.But prices for US Treasury debt rallied on views the Federal Reserve would keep overnight interest rates near zero well into next year. The dollar rose against a broad basket of currencies as investors turned risk averse.Adding to the weak tenor of the report, the department said the economy created 44,000 fewer jobs in April and May than previously thought.Government Bleeds JobsGovernment was the biggest drag in June, but the weakness was widespread and could pressure the Fed to consider further action to help the economy. Officials, however, have set a high bar after completing a $600 billion bond-buying program last week.Still, economists are holding to their belief that the economy will soon pull away from its first-half soft patch and do not see a new recession on the horizon.Joel Naroff of Naroff Economic Advisors in Holland, Pennsylvania, noted that other recent data has been more positive. "We haven't seen the economy faltering further, instead we have seen the economy coming back," he said.Motor vehicle manufacturers are ramping up production as a shortage of parts from Japan eases and retailers reported better-than-expected sales in June. In addition, gasoline prices have dropped 38 cents from their lofty levels in May, which should bolster consumer spending.The employment data dealt a blow to the Obama administration, which has struggled to get the economy to absorb the 14.1 million unemployed Americans. The economy is the top concern among voters and will feature prominently in President Barack Obama's bid for re-election next year.Two years after the US recession ended, employment is still nearly 7 million jobs below its January 2008 peak. At the employment growth pace of the last three months, it would take nearly seven years to replace the lost jobs.The data could stiffen the resolve of Democrats to push for near-term stimulus as they seek a deal with Republicans to cut the US budget deficit.In an appearance at the White House, Obama said an impasse in budget negotiations that is blocking a needed increase in the nation's debt limit had contributed to the reluctance by businesses to hire."The sooner we get this done, the sooner that the markets know that the debt limit ceiling will have been raised," he said.Republicans pointed the blame at Democrats."Today's report is more evidence that the misguided 'stimulus' spending binge, excessive regulations, and an overwhelming national debt continue to hold back private-sector job creation in our country," House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said in a statement.Workweek Shrinks, Earnings WeekThe private sector added 57,000 jobs last month, while government employment shrank 39,000 -- the eighth straight monthly decline -- as local and state governments continued to wield a budget ax.Factory payrolls rebounded 6,000 after contracting in May for the first time in seven months, reflecting a step-up in motor vehicle production. Construction employment fell 9,000 last month after declining 4,000 in May.The length of the average workweek fell to 34.3 hours from 34.4 hours. Employers have been reluctant to extend hours because of the uncertainty surrounding the recovery and the decline suggested they were facing little pressure to increase hiring soon.Temporary help, another leading indicator of future hiring, fell for a third straight month.Average hourly earnings slipped a penny, the first decline since November and more evidence that wage-driven inflation is not a risk. Over the past year, earnings have risen only 1.9 percent.(Reuters)
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Oil prices, it seems, are not going to come down in a hurry. The 8 July meeting of the ministers of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) ended without any agreement to raise its current production levels that would raise the global output from 28.8 million barrels a day (mbd) to 30.3 mbd. Brent crude has been trading above $110 a barrel for several weeks now (and West Texas Intermediate, the US version, trades at $100 on the New York Mercantile Exchange or NYMEX).Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries - Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE - were pushing for an increase of 1.5 million barrels a day, but the other six members of Opec, led by Iran, vetoed the idea. Saudi oil minister Ali Naimi called it the worst Opec meeting he had attended, and left the meeting saying that his country and its Gulf neighbours would go ahead and increase production anyway.It has been argued in recent months that the Opec is no longer a cartel. In January 2009, Opec ministers had agreed to cap production quotas at 24.9 mbd (till 2007, quotas were set country by country, the last time being October 2007). But that limit has never been adhered to. A review of the data from 2004 to 2007 showed total oil production routinely exceeding set quotas; except for perhaps a few months between late 2007 and mid-2008, production quotas have been routinely violated. According to secret cables between the US State Department and Saudi Arabia in 2008 that were made public by Wikileaks, the Saudis had agreed to raise production to help manage the crisis.So what's keeping oil prices up? Speculation. On 10 June, the Commodities and Futures Exchange Commission (CFTC) presented data that almost nine out of every 10 trades in oil were made by speculators, not end users. In a speech in New York, CFTC chairman Gary Gensler cited 31 May data to show that 12 per cent of all oil contracts were 'long', or for end use; 88 per cent were financial bets by hedge funds and Wall Street banks. The CFTC data also showed that 80 per cent of trades in key markets were either day trades or around contract expiration dates. Gensler and the CFTC are not the only ones putting out such data; according to some analysts, even Opec ministers believe there is a $15-20 risk premium embedded in current oil prices, implying a high degree of speculation.But others believe that growing demand for oil is also a factor, mainly from China and other emerging markets, including India; on 8 June, US Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke said in Atlanta that demand is outstripping supply of oil and feeding market volatility. BP's June report suggested that China already has overtaken the US as the world's largest consumer of oil. In April this year, global production was at 28.8 million barrels a day; demand in 2011 is estimated at 29.9 mbd, according to the May 2011 Opec Monthly Oil Market report. So where does that leave the prospects for the Indian economy? Between a rock and a hard place. High oil prices will sooner rather than later have to be passed through to consumers if sanity is to be restored to public finances. But the government also faces extraordinary political opposition on managing inflation by passing through higher oil prices that will push inflation even higher. From being on the horns of a dilemma, the government could get skewered on it.(This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-06-2011)
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Oil-rich South Sudan on Saturday became the world's newest country, splitting away from Khartoum-ruled north after decades of brutal war that claimed some two million lives.Glorious celebration of the long-awaited independence began in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, at midnight Friday night (0230 IST this morning).Frenzied people poured into the city streets, dancing, banging drums, waving flags and chanting the name of Salva Kiir Mayardit, the President of the new nation.As a countdown clock in the city centre reached zero, the new national anthem of South Sudan, which became the 193rd country in the world and 54th UN member state in Africa, was played on television, marking the culmination of the January independence referendum.A host of foreign dignitaries, including Vice President Hamid Ansari, Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, are attending celebrations in Juba.Sudan last evening extended official recognition to South Sudan, calling it an "independent state"."The Republic of Sudan announces that it recognises the Republic of South Sudan as an independent state, according to the borders existing on January 1, 1956," Minister of Presidential Affairs Bakri Hassan Saleh said in a statement broadcast on state television."The government of Sudan is committed to implementing the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) and to resolving all the post-referendum issues," Saleh said. South Sudan had reached a comprehensive peace agreement with North Sudan in 2005, brokered by US Secretary of State Colin Powell under former President George W Bush, that stopped the bloody civil war and paved the way for the January referendum.Some 99 per cent of southern Sudanese had voted for independence from the north of Sudan in the referendum.But, major elements of the 2005 peace agreement are still unresolved like which side will control the oil-rich region of Abyei, where fighting has also broken out raising concerns that conflict may flare up again; citizenship protection for minorities; where final borders will be set; and how oil earnings will be shared -- the south has 70 per cent of the reserves."This is a fragile and fraught moment as well. It cannot and must not be taken for granted," US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, who is leading a bipartisan American delegation to the independence celebration in Juba, said on Thursday.She asked the northern and southern governments to resolve issues related to the resource-rich area of Abyei and other border regions.The US and its partners have offered to convene a global conference in September for South Sudan, which will allow the new country's leaders to present their plans for encouraging the much-needed private investment. (PTI)
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Congress President Sonia Gandhi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday giving further momentum to the talk of an imminent Cabinet reshuffle possible early next week.The meeting this morning comes in the aftermath of resignation of Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran and the offer of resignation by Corporate Affairs Minister Murli Deora, apparently lending a sense of urgency to the long speculated exercise of restructuring of the Union Council of Ministers.Singh-Gandhi meeting also came even as senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee met DMK chief Karunanidhi in Chennai and discussed the current political situation.It was not clear whether the DMK would be sending replacements for Maran and former telecom minister A Raja, who both had to quit on the 2G issue. Reports had it that the DMK may not be keen on such replacements immediately.Mukherjee merely said, "There is a lot of speculation whether the alliance between Congress and DMK is continuing or not."My respectful submission is this alliance is there, the alliance will continue and it will be strengthened."There has been speculation for a long time about the cabinet expansion and reshuffle as the Prime Minister himself had spoken about a "more expansive exercise" after he undertook a rejig of the Cabinet in January. In his recent interaction with print editors, Singh had said the the reshuffle of the Cabinet was a "work in progress".There are a number of vacancies in the Union Cabinet like Railways, following resignation of Mamata Banerjee who became West Bengal chief minister, and Textiles in the wake of Dayanidhi Maran's resignation on the 2G issue.There are a number of ministers holding dual charge like Kapil Sibal who has Telecom and HRD. P K Bansal handles portfolios of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences and Parliamentary Affairs.Elevation of some of the ministers particularly from Uttar Pradesh which is goes to polls next year is expected.There is also possibility of dropping some ministers considered to be non-performing.(PTI)
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Didn't I read somewhere that the British royals were once really TV-shy? Either it was Queen Elizabeth's wedding or her coronation, but there was much convincing before they allowed a television crew (TV was new back then) to film and broadcast the event. Well, what a far cry William and Kate's wedding is from that. They're saying an estimated two billion people all over the world will "participate" in the wedding; and I can quite believe it. But what's most remarkable is the manner in which they'll do so. The number of apps that have sprung up around the royal wedding leaves you a bit flabbergasted. Broadcasting organizations, media houses, regular developers and just anyone, have put out a slew of apps out on the Apple store and on the Android market. And if you think these are a total waste of time, let me tell you that thousands seem to disagree as they download these apps and rate them high. One app, from Harper Collins, features the popular historian and television presenter, David Starkey. He's presented many riveting documentaries on the kings and queens of England and is wholeheartedly embracing technology today, making the transition to the app world quite happily. Starkey's and other apps feature timelines, family tree, British royal history and the entire story of the ten-year Kate and William romance. Other apps have a live stream of the event and one extremely popular app has a countdown to the final ceremony. The countdown started when they got engaged, by the way. Some apps have live wallpapers and beautiful images, constantly updating. There are some that lap up and relay every bit of trivia, from the dress to the car to the public kiss – nothing will be missed. The guest list and news on the many activities happening leading up to the event also make up much of the app content. Some of the apps are games, predictably. Apps also stream content from Twitter and Facebook updates on the subject and pick out interesting content from blogs. Not all of this is trivial and fluffy. The more attention the royal wedding gets, the nicer it is for brand Britain. This is a time when Britain is reeling under the effects of a faltering economy and the way it conducts itself through this event will be watched and probably admired, throughout the world. That can only help. I have a long time fascination for the British royals (specifically the head-chopping Tudors) but it's equally fascinating that apps can today spring up in response to events. Certainly, they'll have a short life, but that's fine; as long as they do the job they were intended to. They could, for example, develop in response to a disaster or a social cause. They could come up in response to political events, letting people participate in different ways. They do so on the social networks to begin with, but on smartphones and tablets, mobility adds a new angle of immediacy. As cricket fanatics, we are of course already familiar with cricket apps which come up in response to our national's obsession. Mala Bhargava is a personal technology writer and media professional. Contact her at mala@pobox.com and @malabhargava on Twitter
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