Sutanu Guru reminisces about a forgotten story from 2006 Perhaps the most embarrassing self goal scored by the BJP in recent times came after super star Shah Rukh Khan voiced his opinions on growing intolerance in the country. Worthies ranging from Sadhvi Prachi to Lok Sabha MP Yogi Adityanath to Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvarghava attacked Shah Rukh in the most tasteless and vile manner. Their attacks actually ended up lending weight to critics of the Modi regime who insist people who are not liked by the Sangh Parivar are being targeted and persecuted. Even as this debate over the "persecution" of Shah Rukh Khan goes on, it would be interesting to recall a similar situation faced by super star Amitabh Bachchan almost ten years ago. The author does recall media coverage of that controversy, but not the manner in which the diatribes against Shah Rukh are being projected against authoritarian assaults on regime critics. Let's quickly recap what exactly happened back then. In 1984, when the late Rajiv Gandhi won a historic mandate for his Congress party, Amitabh Bachchan was not just a close family friend, but also a Congress candidate who had inflicted a humiliating defeat on a powerful opposition leader like H.N. Bahuguna from Allahabad constituency. Incidentally, the daughter of the late Bahuguna is now a fiercely loyal spokesperson for Congress and its President Sonia Gandhi. By 2004, the family friendship between the Gandhis and the Bachchans had gone, replaced by what many insiders suggest to be bitterness and acrimony. So when the UPA led by Sonia Gandhi formed the government in Delhi, Jaya Bachchan became a Rajya Sabha MP representing the Samajwadi Party. In 2006, Jaya Bachchan was disqualified as a Rajya Sabha MP because she was holding an "office of profit" (Chairperson of the UP Film Development Corporation). This created a storm of controversy as even Sonia Gandhi was then holding an "office of profit" as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council. Sonia Gandhi delivered a master stroke by resigning as Lok Sabha MP and seeking re-election. Many intellectuals and even media professionals elevated her to almost a goddess like figure. Even as everyone was raving about Sonia, Amitabh Bachchan was admitted at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai for a surgery. Then came reports that officials of the Income Tax department had visited the hospital to issue notices to him. Initially, the Income Tax department denied any such move. But it soon became clear that the income tax guys not only served notice to Amitabh, but also made various allegations against his wife Jaya Bachchan. Amitabh protested against this "persecution" and appealed to the concerned tax authorities. The higher authorities found that the income tax department had no business serving notices to Amitabh Bachchan and his family members. This verdict was delivered in 2008 and barely covered by the media. The income tax department wasn't giving up so easily. It appealed against the verdict. In 2010, the appellate authorities quoted chapter and verse and rejected the appeal filed by the income tax department. In fact, the appellate authorities had quite a few harsh words to say about the income tax officers who were targeting Amitabh and his family members. You can read the detailed verdict online. This verdict too was largely ignored by the media. A few months after the verdict, Amitabh Bachchan became the brand ambassador of Gujarat Tourism. We all know who the chief minister of Gujarat was in 2010!
Read More
Sutanu Guru examines if the current regime is even trying to change the policy paradigm Since exit polls for Bihar elections, Chotta Rajan, Intolerance and maybe yet another loony remark by a card carrying member of the Sangh Parivar will dominate the headlines, this piece of news will not get a lot of traction. Yet, it appears significant on the face of it. On November 5, the Union Cabinet accepted recommendations made by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices related to maximum support prices for the coming Rabi season. The MSP for the dominant crop wheat has been raised by Rs 75 per quintal, a 5.2 per cent rise from Rs 1,450 to Rs 1,525 per quintal. More importantly, the Cabinet has accepted the recommendations of the CACP for really big increases in the MSP of pulses. For both gram and masoor that are sown during the Rabi season, the MSP hike recommended by the CACP is Rs 250 per quintal. The Cabinet has gone two steps ahead of the CACP. First, it has added a "bonus" of Rs 75 per quintal to the MSP. Second, it has instructed the Food Corporation of India and other procurement agencies to procure both gram and masoor at recommended prices plus bonus. Even a duffer can figure out the reason behind this steep hike in the MSP of pulses. Alarmingly high prices of pulses, with that of arhar dal crossing Rs 200 per kg at one stage, have caused severe embarrassment to the Narendra Modi government. The hope is that the big increase in the MSP along with the promise of FCI procurement will send the right signals to farmers who would hopefully increase the area under cultivation for pulses. A long running critique has been that successive governments have paid scant attention to crops like pulses even as they have constantly encouraged farmers to grow more wheat and rice. Hard data show the long term consequences of this neglect. The total pulses output in 1970-71 in India was 11.8 million tons. After two decades of Green Revolution, the output had gone up to 14.3 million tons. Shockingly, the total output in 2000-01 was below the output achieved 30 years ago at 11 million tons. During the same period, the wheat output had gone up five times and that of potato by about 10 times. It is only in the last decade and half that one has seen a sustained, if modest rise in pulses output. But one bad monsoon and the gains vanish. In 2013-14, there were encouraging signs when the output of pulses rose to about 19.5 million tons. But then, there was a drought next year and output declined to about 17.2 million tons in 2014-15. With the monsoons failing in large parts of the country even this year, one expect another year of low output. Of course, policy makers are hoping that the high MSP will lead to at least a better Rabi crop. But this can at best be described as fire fighting in terms of agriculture policy. One of the promises made by NDA during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign was to take concrete policy steps to address the deep crisis in Indian agriculture. So far, one hasn't seen any bold and transformational moves in the last 18 months.
Read More
Brands need to recognise the power of brand hacktivism and develop integrated social media strategies to diffuse brand's negative sentiments on social media, or pay for the consequences.
Read More
Sutanu Guru looks at the reasons that will ensure the Indian Parliament remains paralysed A recent report by Moody's Analytics (not Moody's ratings) that warned the Narendra Modi regime that foreign investors might be spooked by the growing menace of intolerance in the country has triggered a furious debate. The usual ideological wars are being fought on social and mainstream media. The author personally feels that the report will hardly have any impact on global investors who want to genuinely participate in the Make in India and Digital India missions. But what could spook them for sure would be signs that the Modi regime is unable to move ahead with key economic decisions and legislations. The winter session of Parliament is just round the corner. While the Land Bill has been consigned to the dustbin, there are several key bills pending passage; and a few that would be introduced very soon. The most important new Bill will be related to a new Bankruptcy law that has been approved by the Union Cabinet. The GST Bill is still pending. As are crucial bills related to money laundering, black money, whistleblower protection and some more. If the Modi regime successfully manages to get these bills passed, there would be a direct impact on the Ease of Doing Business rankings that will be released by the World Bank next year. But if the bills remain pending because the Parliament is paralyzed as it was during the monsoon session, there is no doubt that India would be sending a negative message to investors. Given that backdrop, why does it appear as if the Modi regime might fail yet again in ensuring that the parliament does its basic job: of debating and passing bills? There are three reasons for this: The Bihar effect, the 2016 Electoral effect and the Fringe effect. Though actual results would be out on November 8, 2015, there seems to be a consensus that the Grand Alliance led by chief minister Nitish Kumar and friend turned foe turned friend Lalu Yadav are heading for a more than comfortable victory. If this happens, the opposition parties will definitely get a booster dose of confidence. They will realise that this is right time to expose and exploit the chinks in Modi's armor. While the Bihar elections are not a referendum on the performance of the Modi government at the center, there is little doubt that the seemingly impregnable persona of Modi would be severely dented if the NDA loses badly. After all, by not nominating a chief ministerial candidate, Modi has staked his personal charisma and popularity. In a weird manner, the opposition will be determined to stall the Parliament even if the Bihar results are different. If the NDA wins, the Congress, finding itself increasingly irrelevant and hopeless, will again attempt a repeat of the monsoon session of Parliament. Then, Parliament was paralyzed because of alleged improprieties of senior BJP leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This time, it will be stalled because of "growing intolerance and fascism" in the country. Deft political management might possibly have helped the NDA try to isolate the Congress in the Parliament by striking deals with other regional parties. But that is where the 2016 Electoral effect will kick in. It is quite strange how pundits obsessed with Bihar and Intolerance have not yet pointed this one out. The fact is: Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Assam go to polls in 2016. Very soon, you will start hearing noises about campaign strategies for these elections. Assam promises to be a thoroughly "polarized" elections with identity politics playing a major role. To some extent, the BJP has to play the "Hindu" card it is serious about wining Assam. So whatever the Bihar verdict, don't expect any softening of the Hindutva stance. Precisely for the same reason, it would be in the interests of Mamata Bannerjee to appear hostile towards the Modi regime. With close to 30 per cent Muslims as voters in West Bengal, it makes sense for Mamata Bannerjee to be "seen" as anti-Modi. What better place and time than the winter session of the Indian Parliament to display this? Something similar can be expected from the Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha. In effect, the 2016 electoral effect will prompt regional parties to remain hostile to the Modi regime. Add to this the third "Fringe" effect and you have a recipe for a washed out winter session. The NDA regime has spectacularly failed to rein in r control "fringe" elements whose atrocious and lunatic statements in front of TV cameras have started worrying even Modi supporters. Just look at how senior BJP leaders like Yogi Adityanath and Kailash Vijavarghava have ensured that the BJP looks like an intolerant villain in the Shah Rukh Khan episode. Going by the track record of the last year and half, we can be fairly certain that some BJP or Sangh Parivar motor mouths will issue crazy statements. That would be enough reason for opposition parties to stall Parliament till Modi "issues a statement on the floor of the house". Forget Moody's Analytics. It is the prospect of another washed out session of Parliament that should be giving sleepless nights to Modi.
Read More
Sutanu Guru examines five "narratives" that have no basis in reality Even the most tolerant folks are finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate the relentless debate going on in mainstream media and Luyten's Delhi about the rise and rise of intolerance in India. The Goddess of Big Words Arundhati Roy has delivered a verdict that equates India with a hell hole. There is no need really to repeat the dozens of statements that keep frothing out in this ideological war. But most Indians, I suspect, are a tad confused with this whole brouhaha. If you are an ideological warrior bristling to fire the next missive, what I write next will be of no interest to you. But if you are a normal Indian, it might well be worth giving a second thought to these thoughts: 1. The Sangh Represents Hindus: This myth was arguably born in the 1980s when the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal suddenly burst onto the scene with their tridents and saffron paraphernalia. These images were far more compelling than the drab khaki shorts and sticks wielded by RSS volunteers. Since then, "narrative" building has been so successful that it is now widely accepted that the Sangh is the sole protector of Hindusim and Hindu values and "culture" in India. This is pure hogwash. I would wager a Sahitya Akademi award to say that a majority of Hindus in India simply do not subscribe to the views of the Sangh. Most Hindus like me are proud of our civilizational heritage. But that is where our agreement with the Sangh ends. And most of us recoil in revulsion at the thuggish moral policing of Bajrang Dal goons and the hateful and prejudiced words used by them towards Muslims. The Sangh claims to represent Hinduism. It doesn't. Period. 2. Luyten's Delhi protects liberal values: Far from it. It is the illiberalism and intolerance of Luyten's Delhi to alternative views that has led to the parallel rise of the goons of Bajrang Dal. The fact is, Luyten's Delhi and the ecosystem that survives on its patronage has never been liberal in the true sense. The word "selective" is apt when describing these so called liberals. Let me give you two examples of their shameless hypocrisy. These liberals go on and on about prejudice towards Muslims and their ill treatment. The sad and brutal truth is that there are many who are prejudiced. But why do I laugh at them at the same time? Now, these folks have a visceral hatred for Narendra Modi. That's OK because everyone is entitled to their quota of hatred. But what do they do? They petition the regime of George W Bush Jr. to deny a visa to Modi because he is a "mass murderer" of Muslims. What about George Bush and his crusades in Afghanistan and Iraq that resulted in more than a million Muslim deaths? Then there is the Chinese regime. It actually prohibited Muslims in its Xinjiang province from observing the fast during Ramzan. Heard a squeak of protest from these "liberals"? I rest my case 3. Nehruvian India has a legacy of free speech, dissent and personal liberty. This is perhaps the most persistent myth that has been successfully woven into a narrative. Now, I don't detest Nehru like so many Sanghis do; nor do I idolize him like so many "eminent historians" do. He was a product of his times, a great leader with many flaws. Period. But people who go on and on about this Nehruvian legacy conveniently forget the First Amendment to the Indian Constitution and the continued presence of Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code. Both are legacies of the Nehru era and both impose draconian restrictions on free speech and dissent. No political party has ever launched a nationwide movement to do away with these draconian laws. No "liberal" has passionately written about their abolition. Articles 19(1)(f) and 31 of the Indian Constitution guaranteed individual property rights. Successive governments kept adding amendments to dilute these rights and finally in 1978, when there was a Janata Party government, the 44th Amendment abolished the rights. If liberals are honest to themselves, they will accept that free speech, dissent and individual property rights are mythical creatures in India. If you have laws that seek to limit Liberty, they are bound to be (mis)used. 4. Intolerance and authoritarianism will scare away investors and capital. Now this myth is as endearing as the appeal to George W Bush to save Indian Muslims. Worse, this provides a halo of morality to capital that has never existed. Capital has never been moral or immoral; it has been simply amoral in pursuing money and markets. Contemporary history is full of intolerant, authoritarian and even "fascist" nations that have had no problems in attracting investors and capital. The fact is: since the end of the Second World War, barring the G-7 nations, it is authoritarian regimes that have attracted the most investments and capital. Of course, capital runs away from instability and persistent unrest. The moot question is: Is India heading for violent instability, unrest and even civil war? You decide. 5: The media reflects what people think: This one too has become a laughable myth. Contemporary media in India is driven by two objectives: corporate profits and ideological warfare. These objectives have nothing whatsoever to do with what the majority of Indians feel and think. A number of opinion polls in recent times have shown that the Indian media has succeeded in destroying its credibility. It has done this by faithfully following the "narrative set by Luyten's Delhi. This is indeed a monumental tragedy because a credible media is critically important to fight Bajrang Dal goons.
Read More
Sutanu Guru analyses how the fascinating wars between Indian and global companies and brands maintain a blistering pace Marketing wars have always been exciting. Legendary stories have been built around marketing whiz kids and advertising brains scripting scenarios as if in a war. At the end of the day, the war is all about capturing a larger market share; just as real warriors in ancient times fought to capture more territory. But a special flavor is added to these marketing wars when we provide an interesting and thought provoking context. Perhaps the most thought provoking one at the moment in India is a series of brutal marketing wars being fought by "desi" and "firang" firms. In simple English, that would be territorial wars between companies that have origins in India versus companies whose headquarters are based overseas. You think desi versus firang is not happening in India? Look again at the market place around you and you will be amazed by the extent and intensity of these no holds barred battles between the desi and the firang. Say you have fallen in love with taxi aggregating services: like millions of urban Indians have. While there are lots of choices in offer, the real war is between desi Ola Cabs and firang Uber. No trick is being ignored, and no stone unturned by Ola and Uber as they furiously expand across India and come up with strategies to lure-and keep- more and more consumers. Estimates and projections vary wildly, but the fact is that Ola and Uber are fighting to be top dog in a market that could be worth as much as Rs 25,000 crores a year by 2020. There is another cruel choice aspirational Indians face as they live out their online dreams. Most analysts reckon that the online shopping industry could touch gross revenues of $60 billion by 2020. Dozens of players are jostling for a slice of the explosively growing pie. The company Snapdeal is indeed a force to reckon with. But we all know who are the two rivals fighting it out to be numero uno. Yes, we are talking about the unending and unrelenting marketing war between desi Flipkart and firang Amazon. In the years to come, this one will undoubtedly be a case study that will be taught by marketing professors in B schools across the world. Don't for a moment think that these desi versus firang marketing wars can be found only in the brave new world of the Internet and Apps. They are very much a part of even traditional segments of the marketplace. Recently, Café Coffee Day listed its share on stock exchanges. This is no place to comment on the listing and its aftermath. The really interesting story is how the desi Café Coffee Day is taking on competition from a globally iconic brand like Starbucks. As India becomes more and more urban, this will be another riveting war to witness. But perhaps the bid daddy of them all when it comes to marketing battles is between two former partners turned rivals, Hero and Honda. Between 1984 and 2011, the desi Hero group and the firang Honda forged a strategic partnership that became a global success story. Hero Honda emerged as the largest two wheeler company in the world. The two parted ways in 2011 and have since been locked in a brutal marketing war. With annual sales in units expected to cross 5 million in fiscal 2016, Honda is breathing down the neck of Hero which expects units sales in excess of 6.5 million in fiscal 2016. There are dozens of similar battles being fought across the Indian market. And each one is unique and fascinating in its own way. But a look at how marketing wars have evolved over the last three decades in India reveals two things. The first is the enduring strength of many Indian brands. Just one example will prove this point. After fighting a pitched and brutal war with Pepsi for years, Ramesh Chauhan, who promoted Thums Up, Limca and Gold Spot, sold off his brands to Coke when it re entered India in the early 1990s. Everyone, including marketing whiz kids at Coke thought Thums Up would die a natural death in a few years. But so powerful was consumer loyalty towards Thums Up that Coke bosses had to eat humble crow and continue the brand they had planned to kill. Many such desi brands have survived the onslaught of foreign Giants and tell a story of their own. The second thing is that with increasing globalization, there is a blurring between pure desi and firang brands. Since the company was originally promoted by an Indian, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Airtel can be considered to be a desi brand. But then, Bharti has expanded to many other countries and is considered a firang brand in many African countries. Then again, if you add institutional and other strategic investors, the firang ownership quotient at Airtel is perhaps bigger than the desi one. Perhaps it is worth doing a series of stories on these individual marketing wars between desi and firang brands. They always make for an interesting read anyway!
Read More
Retail entertainment zones will figure in cities’ master plans and development control regulations, and get up to 50% additional FSI writes, Ashutosh LimayeConsidering retail to be an essential amenity, the Maharashtra state government recently shared the draft of a new retail trade policy. To help retailers achieve optimal potential, the state government has suggested making some exceptions and relaxations in the current regulatory framework. Among the key suggestions is the introduction of retail entertainment zones (REZs).Why REZs Are NeededThe development control regulations (DCR) shall reserve spaces for retail and entertainment on the same lines as reservations for essential services and restaurants, in order to make retail more affordable. Currently, the urban policy does not clearly reserve spaces for shopping and recreational needs of citizens, so shops tend to be set up in a haphazard manner. More importantly, shops compete for spaces in commercial locations, which are extremely expensive and untenable for the retail industry.Creating a zone for retail and recreation will help increase consumption and simultaneously raise the standard of well-being of citizens. With this new policy, the state government will aim to recognise the need for shopping and recreational areas to create a much-needed balance between residential, commercial, industrial, shopping and recreational areas in urban places.Accordingly, efforts will be made to:· Provide retail areas with direct access to mass public transport systems,· Secure a traffic plan designed for the long term,· Ensure year-round electricity, water, gas, sewage and IT connections.REZs will be large retail developments where many big-box and other retailers will come together and give families an opportunity to spend an entire day out. The state government will consider such a ‘retail park’ concept under its master plans to give the advantage of choice to consumers, increase competition (which will help reduce prices for consumers) and also reduce vehicular usage by eliminating the need to travel to different parts of the city merely to compare retailers.These retail parks would preferably be adjacent to highways and have an integrated public transport system. This will support connectivity, ease traffic in and around the city, provide customer convenience and result in cleaner cities.Retail Zones To Figure In Regional/Town PlanningCity master plans shall reserve land for retail development on the lines of Delhi, where they have been able to create specific centres in South and West Delhi for retail.Benefits1. Large malls of international standards require larger land parcels. Earmarked spaces in master plans will help them maintain high standards of development2. The earmarked spaces for retail / entertainment development would also rationalise land prices3. Infrastructure like roads, public transportation and power will be planned in advance.Development Control RegulationsRequirements for retail and other businesses are different, and there is a need to incorporate such specific business needs. The following modifications will be done to enhance viability and quality of development for retail centres:· Higher ground coverage: Malls house various retail components across floors but customer movement reduces on the higher levels, making them less productive. Retail development shall be allowed higher ground coverage up to 70% (subject to setback and fire safety regulations as also FSI norms being followed).· Recreation ground: In a retail environment, organised players offer various types of recreational facilities and activities on a commercial basis. Such activities, within the applicable norms, should be allowed to set up in a ‘recreation ground’.· Floor to floor heights: Retail developments, being public spaces, get crowded. The availability of higher floor-to-floor height allows the common areas and shops to look spacious and provide a relaxed and comfortable shopping environment to customers. The floor-to-floor height limit shall be raised to 5.5 meters, as is allowed in several other states.· Parking norms: Malls, depending on their sizes and locations, receive a large number of vehicles. Limited parking space not only reduces the number of people visiting malls but also creates traffic hassles in and around them, leading to public inconvenience. The parking rules, which currently consider parking in excess of regulation as FSI, will be changed to allow larger numbers of car parks – without FSI implications.· Services: Unlike office spaces, retail spaces need more services due to movement of goods and customers throughout the day. Retailers need to replenish their stocks in the store to service customers’ needs, and thus require higher storage space in a mall. Moreover, to cater to large numbers of customers and to provide ease and comfort of movement, high capacity air-conditioning, escalators and lifts are required. 15% of development will be allowed as services including storage areas in the basements, etc.· Changes: Space requirements of retailers and demographic profiles of customers both keep changing. Changes in use of spaces - for example, from fashion retailing to restaurants to entertainment or vice versa, are frequently seen. To address these needs, spaces for retail and other uses will be allowed to amalgamate, divide or interchange with simplified approval processes.· Building height: Currently, there is a height restriction of 30 meters for buildings that house a multiplex or auditorium. Retail developments generally do not work at higher levels. Therefore, to use the entire eligible FSI of the land, alternate commercial use like hotels, service apartments, offices, etc. are required to be developed on upper floors. Restrictions on building heights will be relaxed as done in neighbouring states.· Additional FSI for retail zones: To enhance the viability and quality of development for retail centres, up to 50% additional floor space index (FSI) will be admissible over and above the base FSI subject to payment of full applicable premium, as per the prevailing ready reckoner rates.The author is National Director – Research, JLL India
Read More
After more than a century of air travel across the world, airports have transformed radically from simple transitory stations to sophisticated commercial hubs, which are as complex to operate as small cities. Fast-moving technological developments in aerospace infrastructure, flight operations and managerial intelligence are serving to usher in a new era of airport functionality. Further, with the proliferation of more pervasive connectivity, access to more bandwidth at lower costs, reduced data storage maintenance as well information processing and comprehensive analytics - a new paradigm for aircraft and airport connectivity has been created.Here in India, airports across the five major metros of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai have experienced a rapid transformation and any recent traveller will testify to their international standards. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has put in place a laudable goal of upgrading all of the country's airports within a span of 10 years to ensure better connectivity within the country as well as to international destinations. This is a crucial move as passenger numbers across the country are expected to reach 540 million annually by 2025 up from 169 million witnessed in 2013-14. However, operator margins have remained tight despite continued growth in passengers. Thus, lowering of operational costs has become one of the key challenges in the Indian aviation industry.To cope with the country's growth, new airport systems need to be adopted to significantly streamline the growing air traffic. There has to be a closer synchronization between the facets of air traffic flow management, air traffic control, aircraft operators, ground handling and airport operations. In essence, creating an ecosystem of next generation, satellite-based technologies that provides flight crews, passengers as well as maintenance and operations personnel with real-time seamless access to information is pivotal. Further, airports must be able to know their future resource needs by traffic forecasting done by simulation softwares. In other words, India's airports of the future need to become smarter.It would serve the authorities operating these various aviation hubs well to make note of some of the newer technologies that would assist them to address multiple situations being faced by operations staff and travellers. For instance, Near Field Communications (NFC) can make the experience of flying seamless by reducing processes and allowing direct contact with the passenger. For example, unmanned boarding will automatically admit travellers by reading the boarding pass stored on their phones. In addition, providing phone notifications in the event of travel disruptions and immigration procedures will ensure a more tranquil travel experience. Hence, airport operators should ideally look at investing further in solutions that further consolidate their current Wi-Fi networks and enhance their cloud infrastructure to allow for better movement of passengers through an airport terminal. While the journey towards completing the defined target of upgraded aviation hubs within the next 10 years is a formidable one, the right steps are being taken to guarantee its completion. Thus, various stakeholders in India's aerospace sector should look to streamline the sanction and implementation processes to put in place solutions that can greatly increase the overall capacity handling of airports as well as reduce their respective carbon footprints and enhance safety. By doing so, the country's aviation hubs would also be able to handle a larger volume of air cargo and remove the current challenge of transport aircraft competing for take-off and landing space with commercial aircraft. Hence, various market players should aim to develop and offer the AAI solutions that will aid in creating a smarter airport ecosystem, which will in turn power both the local and national economies.The author, Arijit Ghosh, is president, Honeywell Aerospace India
Read More
