The culture jammers force brands out of their comfort zone and branding managers are finding it harder than ever to control the terms of this monstrous brandenstein.
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BW Smart Cities organised its third ‘Enabling Smart Cities’ conference in Bengaluru on 28 August 2015. Adding a new dimension to the discussion on infrastructure and services crucial for realising the government’s vision of 100 Smart Cities by 2022, it added ‘Startups for Smart Cities’ and a panel discussion on the ‘Internet of Things’ to the agenda.Interesting thoughts included a speaker wondering whether by making metropolitan cities like Bengaluru better we were actually making them worse as we increase their magnetic appeal. Another spoke about the difficulty of limiting the genius of people to only four or five interventions that can make a city smarter. Re-emphasis on the optimisation of resources, sustained citizen engagement and an optimal management formula for cities resonated with the audience, along with the need to reduce the pressure of cars on roads — especially for a city like Bengaluru.The next in the series is scheduled for 30 September in New Delhi.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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Everything Experiential.com celebrated its second anniversary with the launch of BW APPLAUSE, a magazine that will cater to the experiential marketing and events industry in the country.The launch, organised by BW Businessworld, was held on 5 September 2015 at Shangri-la's Eros Hotel, New Delhi. The event was attended by the country's leading brand owners, event planners, marketers, agencies, event service providers and other stakeholders. They discussed the needs of the experiential marketing industry.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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BW Businessworld hosted its second Digital India Summit in association with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on 26 August 2015 at The Oberoi, New Delhi. The event was inaugurated by Union minister for communication and information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad.The summit discussed how 'digital access' was a catalytic agent that needed to be universally accessible. The discussions sought to map new business models and solutions to unlock the potential to enable digital citizens. With a mission of moving from e-governance to m-governance, the summit also discussed India’s pivotal role in the world by giving innovative and credible solutions. It also witnessed various stimulating panel discussions which presented the participants with a chance to interact with the speakers and panelists.The first session on “Digital India Mission: Empowering the Digital Citizen” focused on the need and ways for empowering the digital citizen. The speakers deliberated and discussed strategies for bridging the digital divide between the haves and have-nots and enabling millions of people in developing and joining the Digital-Nation. Since mobile connectivity may not always mean a connected citizen, the session discussed the need to educate people to participate in ‘citizen to government’ mode of communication using their smartphones.The second panel discussion on "Mobiles First: Governance and Services on Demand" witnessed deliberations on the subject highlighting the need for educating and empowering citizens as to how government departments like the Indian Railway and the Passport Seva Programme have made it simpler for people to use mobile based services from e-ticketing to SMS-based interactions, paperless travel as well as easy access to tickets for unreserved travel.The third session titled “Securing Digital India: Towards A Safer Cyberspace” discussed the Digital India initiative and its transformational ramifications. The panellists highlighted the nature and scope of threats and vulnerabilities in the cyberspace and discussed how these can jeopardise the smooth rollout of the Digital India programmes.They discussed a wide range of issues related to security of cyberspace including the need to coopt security aspects at both the macro and micro levels in the various Digital Indian programmes, the varying nature of threats emanating from social media and their security implications, cyber espionage and deterrence, security of data contents and its flow — end user responsibilities, national/ international level cooperation to strengthen the cyber security framework and the means to inculcate a cyber security culture in the country.The session also witnessed an innovative engagement format called The World Café. It was a structured conversational process intended to facilitate open and intimate discussion.(This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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Disruptive technologies like the Internet of Things and Big Data are also expected to continue to expand and become part of our everyday lives, says B.V.R. Mohan Reddy Propelled by technology and business services, India’s economy has witnessed an unprecedented acceleration in recent years. Technology has brought a number of changes to our lives — from how we work to what we choose for recreation. The electronic age has connected everyone. Smartphones and tablets have turbocharged networking on platforms of all kinds, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. These tools have forever altered the usual concept of time and space. Thanks to the Internet, all of us today are no more than a click away from communicating with anyone whom we have ever met or known. In essence, all of this has radically changed the pace of our lives. Not only are we bombarded with more input — information and data — than ever before, but also expected to respond faster than ever before. The Internet has revolutionised communication. The connected world is also transforming education and learning. Universities globally are redefining distance learning by offering massive open online courses (MOOCs) reaching an unprecedented number of students. With access to the Internet, students here can access and complete the same courses online as their counterparts in the US. Thanks to global connectivity, Indian businesses — both startups and established ones — have access to the technology and best practices followed by their peers across the globe. Collaboration and sharing are far easier today than they were 20 years ago. By 2020, we are expected to have approximately 20 billion devices globally. China is projected to have 5.1 billion and India 1.5 billion. In just five years, we are looking at a world with 10 connected devices per household. What does this mean? Digital content is doubling every 18 months, and 90 per cent of all data today has been created in the last two years. However, consumers will eventually have more control over how and with whom they share personal data, such as shopping habits, health records, and online behaviour. Disruptive technologies like the Internet of Things and Big Data are also expected to continue to expand and become part of our everyday lives. Some experts expect everything from cars to coffee cups to be connected to the Internet by 2025. Increasingly, sophisticated algorithms will help knowledge workers — such as those in medicine, law and analytics — navigate large bundles of information. Automation will either enhance jobs or replace them outright, depending on the pace of advancement. These technology-driven changes present a big opportunity for entrepreneurs. Indeed, entrepreneurship carries much promise and potential in a country like India, where more than 50 per cent of the population is below the age of 25. If we want sufficient jobs to be created for everyone, entrepreneurship is the way to go. Startups in India have become a hotbed of innovation. There is a need for at least 50,000 startups every year, which could engender 5,000 mid-size firms after five years, and 50 large ones after 10 years. This scale of business creation and growth is a precondition for generating 100 million new jobs. Associations like NASSCOM have been working relentlessly to create a sustainable ecosystem for startups. It is running an ambitious programme named “10,000 Startups” with the aim of funding, acceleration, and incubation support to 10,000 technology startups in India over the next 10 years. NASSCOM has been partnering with the government to lead India into the digital age, enhance the skills of employable population, mobilise participation and support from businesses, and play an advisory role in transforming the Make in India dream into reality.At Cyient, we are using technology to connect students from rural schools to the digital world. Recently, Cyient Foundation launched a digital library initiative at the Akshara Vidyalaya School in Nellore and in TSSP 8th Batallion School, Kondapur to help underprivileged students gain access to repositories of high-quality educational resources. Most of the students of these schools come from families that cannot afford to have an Internet connection, computer, or even mobile phones. In such an environment, most of these students find digital information an alien world and if they stay away from it for very long in their formative years, we will end up having a digitally illiterate generation. To turn the vision of Digital India into reality, it is therefore very important that we develop a generation that is familiar with the digital world and technology so that it can use the digital tools for its growth and becomes skilled to contribute to the society. The world is going digital. Developing countries like India can accelerate prosperity by adopting digital technologies. By creating digital libraries, we are democratising learning as we enable students to have access to a wealth of information and knowledge including courseware, general knowledge and current affairs online. The most awe-inspiring aspect of technology is how it continues to empower and engage with us at an individual level. No longer can one use the uncertainty of future as an excuse — technology is placing innumerable tools right in our hands, and making us increasingly aware of our personal contribution to shaping it. The author is the founder and executive chairman of Cyient and chairman of NASSCOM (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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US has been eyeing policy changes that Modi was expected to bring in, writes Rajendra Abhyankar Prime Minister Narendra Modi again visits New York from 23 to 28 September 2015 for the UN Sustainable Development Summit. Yet the focus of his visit will be business and technology with visits to the Silicon Valley. It was the symbol of India’s prowess in information technology, innovation and entrepreneurship when this century began. It is well to recall this potential at the present time when there is considerable scepticism about the promised potential of the Indian economy. Studied preparations have seen the New Delhi visit of US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Nisha Desai Biswal to discuss points of common interest. With continuing tensions with Pakistan, Susan Rice, the US National Security Advisor has made an impromptu visit to Islamabad on 30 August 2015 in an effort to rein in their ally. Modi’s visit will be preceded by the first India-US commercial and strategic dialogue in Washington from 21 to 23 September 2015 led by Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.US business and technology sector has been keenly eyeing policy changes that Modi was expected to bring in since the Indian market still remains economically buoyant and politically stable. However, Budget 2015 did not bring the expected changes in foreign direct investment caps or close the pending issue of retrospective corporate taxation. In the US view, the Indian trade and investment structure remains very difficult and has prevented a bilateral investment treaty. Also, it has prevented the US supporting India’s entry into multilateral economic forums like the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEF). Similarly, the setback on the land acquisition Bill and the government’s inability to find a via media to ensure a productive monsoon session have all impacted the positive sentiment that Modi created within the US government, business sectors and the Indian-American community. An increasingly charged US presidential election scenario, with an abundance of Republican aspirants led by Donald Trump and a widening Democratic field led by Hillary Clinton, has made Barack Obama a lame-duck president. Most analysts are focusing on primarily the economic benefits that can be pulled out of the Modi visit. Major US think tanks have set up task forces or have got their India specialist to produce reports on what can be expected from India-US engagement. Emphasising that economic outcome alone would boost the tenor of the overall relationship, Ashley Tellis of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace writes that ‘economic engagement with India is important to the US if it wants to maintain international primacy, while the US is important for India’s attainment of its great power ambitions’. This seems prophetic coming on the heels of the unexpected turmoil in global financial and commodity markets caused by China’s multiple devaluations of the yuan. While looking at a two-year time-frame, till the next US President assumes office, the US observers are prepared to take the long view believing that Modi will succeed in enacting long-delayed reforms that will benefit India and make possible free-trade agreement between the two countries. The US and India can make incremental progress on some of the pending bilateral issues provided Obama makes trade and economics a much higher priority; and India moves ahead with its domestic economic reforms to encourage US business to further enter India. Also, the US needs to display some patience by not pressurising the Modi government to damage any of its other bilateral relationships like with Iran. The author earlier served as India’s ambassador to the European Union and other countries and is currently Professor of Practice of Diplomacy and Public Affairs, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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Being overweight, being fatigued without a reason, getting unexplained rashes or twitches, can all be signs of a compromised liver, says Rachna Chhachhi We all love living it up, and with the festive season round the corner, living it up will mean different things to different people. From sweets to alcohol to fatty foods to high-carb meals, our night bingeing and day pujas leave one poor organ in our body totally stressed out: the liver. As you all know, the liver’s primary role is to expel toxins from the body. In the scenario where toxins build up, disease comes calling. Fatty liver, alcoholic liver disease, liver cancer, liver cirrhosis are the main diseases that affect the liver. And these are becoming increasingly common simply because we forget to eat the foods and follow a lifestyle that can help expel toxins from the body. The liver gets affected by two things: alcohol and fat. When I say fat, it also means excessive carbohydrates. That explains why people have a fatty liver even though they don’t drink alcohol. Being overweight, being fatigued without a reason, getting unexplained rashes or twitches, can all be signs of a compromised liver. The good news is that all these are easily reversible. Here are simple steps to get your liver back on track, even during the festive season. All the advice here is for people who haven’t yet had a liver disorder, but feel there is an overload due to their lifestyles. If you already have liver issues, please consult a nutritionist: Have one cleansing drink every day. If you can reach out for hard liquor or high-carb fat food without guilt, then you can definitely consume one detox drink every day. This will ensure that the daily damage gets reversed on a daily basis and doesn’t get accumulated. A smoothie of wheatgrass or celery, with half a pomegranate, half a carrot, one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 20 ml aloe vera juice and 50 ml cranberry juice, when had without straining, ensures the liver gets the fibre to detox, the anti-inflammatory oil to refurbish and the aloe to restore pH balance. Nutrient up. The liver needs some basic nutrients to stay healthy, and they get depleted if one leads a liver unfriendly life. So start taking milk thistle, dandelion root teas, glutathione and sulphur-rich vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, mustard greens, kale, to keep the liver healthy. Reduce the toxins. Go easy on carbohydrates, fat and alcohol. Up to two small drinks a day is fine, not more. Only 30 per cent of your calories should come from carbs and 10 per cent from fats, out of which 9 per cent should be from good fats like nuts, seeds and cold pressed oils, not cooked oils. Follow these daily, and you’ll be surprised how fresh and energetic you feel despite late nights and hectic schedules. And that’s because your body is clean and free of toxins. Happy feasting! Question Of The FortnightSend in your questions to askrachnachhachhi@gmail.com I’m 30 years old, 68 kgs, almost slim, but not an excercise person. But I want my belly fat to go away. Please advise.— Vaibhav Kholia, Mumbai Dear Vaibhav,To get rid of belly fat, you need to eat high-fibre foods, raw foods and good fats. These include a snack of fruits with five almonds, four walnuts mid-morning or early evening; a leafy salad with dinner with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; and high-fibre grains like oats, bajra, oats and wheat bran. Cut out refined foods, eat an early dinner and include the above. You will see your belly disappearing in two weeks! The author is a certified nutritional therapist and WHO certified in nutrition. She is the writer of Restore, a book on how to fight diseases for working professionals. Order your copy from amazon.in (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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Freedom of speech is all good, but then what about the choices the media makes, what about running alternative media trials and passing reckless judgements? asks Gurbir Singh The media blitz around the Sheena Bora murder case evaporated as fast as it had engulfed drawing rooms. Two things happened. After Indrani Mukerjea was granted jail custody, the daily television carnival around Mumbai’s Khar Police Station abruptly ended. Second, Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, who had stoked the media fire with his unprecedented daily briefings, was replaced by a more sober Ahmed Javed, who put a media gag on his officers. Suddenly, the ‘news’ dried up. Here we are not exploring the ‘evil’ life and times of Indrani Mukerjea; or whether she wanted to kill her second son Mikhail from her first marriage so that her daughter Vidhie from her second marriage would inherit her wealth. This is more about the opprobrium the media coverage of the Indrani-Sheena case has brought to Indian journalism. From TV screens screaming breaking news – “Indrani Ne Sandwich Khaya” to News X anchors yelling ‘Mukher..JEEE..YAAH’ outside the Worli home of the murder accused, the coverage showed journalistic illiteracy, and the ignorance of the law. The least the News X anchors should know is how to pronounce the names of the promoters who started their channel! But the foot soldiers shouting outside the Khar Police Station are not so much to blame as their editors. It is the newsroom bosses who have been forcing the boys on the ground to bring in new ‘twists’ on an hourly basis in a bid to outdo each other with sensationalism. There is no denying that the case is gripping. The contours of the crime are far ahead of the raciest of Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Hollywood’ scripts. But we journalists must realise lives are at stake. There is a family, many of whom may be innocent. The trial has not even begun, how can the media decide who is guilty? It was embarrassing to see a Times Now reporter chasing accused Sanjeev Khanna at the airport demanding to know: ‘Why did you kill Sheena?’ and ‘What was your motive?’ Perhaps, the only network that covered the crime story with decorum was NDTV; it did not make unsubstantiated charges and took the story off prime time when it flagged. Equally to blame for the media binge was the police. Even the clerk at Khar Police Station became an anonymous ‘source’ of what transpired during ‘interrogation’. The Bombay High Court when dealing with journalist J. Dey’s murder in 2011, restrained the cops from making inspired and anonymous leaks. Updates on investigation the police wanted to communicate, the court pointed out, should be ‘on record’ and not anonymous ‘leaks’. Similarly, in the Arushi murder case, the Supreme Court gave an interim direction in 2008 saying: “Both the press and the electronic media should exercise caution in publishing any news regarding the case in question, which may have the effect of prejudging the defence of the accused or damaging the reputation of any of the persons connected with the case.” And when the media failed to ‘exercise caution’, the courts have passed gag orders as in the sexual harassment case against Justice Swatanteer Kumar. In the Sahara versus SEBI case, the Supreme Court, justifying the gag, said: “Courts are duty bound…to protect the presumption of innocence which is now recognised by this court as a human right under Article 21…” We stand for the freedom of the press, but that cannot be equated with mediapersons running amuck conducting trials and becoming prosecution, and judge. The Indrani case, as other such crime stories, should and must be covered. But editors must also spend time and money to train their reporters on the ethics of good journalism, and on the law that assumes a person is innocent till proven guilty. (This story was published in BW | Businessworld Issue Dated 05-10-2015)
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