Saturday, September 26, 2009

Innovation...Akshaya Patra... and .. Dr JJ Irani Live!

I was attending the 36th Annual conference of AIMA in Chennai last week. Second day morning session was interesting. This was a session on Innovation chaired by Dr JJ Irani with presentations from Akshaya Patra Foundation and NOKIA. Looked promising!
Dr Irani started the proceeding with a easy flowing introduction explaining how innovation was forced on many including TATA Steel post liberalization. In a mischievous tone he noted… before the economy opened up all had freedom to heap substandard products on customers including steel of course.
After narrating the evolution and relevance of innovation he introduced Sreedhar from Akshay Patra Foundation. Sreedhar – a career Sales professional turned philanthropist started narrating the vision called Akshay Patra – No child in India should give up education due to empty stomach!....Education alone can change financial status of a family even in a first generation of education… He narrated true story of a boy studying in one of the Government schools scoring at about 45% marks on an average…. Problem very simple …. One full meal was a luxury…never had one! As he started getting his one full meal a day – performance improved …. 90%+ in 10th and eventually working in an MNC…. Sreedhar presented some statistics on reduced drop-out ratio at schools due to Akshay Patra and it was quite touching…. Then came the innovation piece. He just ran thru the videos of how the whole machinery runs like any corporation to feed 1 million + children every day! It was amazing to see rice cooked in tons and curry by barrels in most aseptic conditions. Then he came to the “assembly line” of chapattis – production of 10,000 chapattis per hour on one assembly line - the dough kneaded without touch and then stretched like a piece of cloth in a mill – this sheet is then stamped by round moulds to cut chapattis that go for oven – Rest of the sheet of dough (after circles being cut for chapattis) is recycled again for next round…. As Sreedhar stopped his presentation there was a spontaneous applause from the audience… As Sreedhar started to move away towards his seat Dr Irani interrupted…. “Mr Sreedhar, just a minute .. just one suggestion”.. I strongly felt that after such a wonderful experience even Dr Irani should maintain the silence… but what he said after that was perhaps a glimpse of characteristics that made him Dr Irani the great… “Why don’t you just make square chapattis instead of round – that way the recycling of the dough can be almost completely avoided” … Sreedhar almost froze in his steps and as he smiled at what now looked the most obvious innovative solution…. There was another thunderous applause… even louder than the original!!!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Remembering Appa....

Today Appa would have been 90.... actually I should say today he turns 90 as he lives on in our memory.

I first met Appa when I was 21.... little tentative about how would a grandfather react to grand-daughter’s ‘boyfriend’. What struck me about Aaji (grandmother) and Appa was that they were a peculiar pair of grandparents. Well, they looked like any normal, sweet and loving grandparents but were not actually the archetypical grandparents..... with the twinkle in the eyes they would discuss good novels, films – both English and Hindi and of course music.

Generally when you go to meet the older people, apart from affection, there is also a feeling at the back of your mind to lighten up their day.... in my case I used to visit Appa to lighten up my own day.

As the collage emerges, sweet memories come one after other...

Rarely have I seen such an amazing sense of humor with an exquisite timing..... once in a nationalised bank, an arrogant cashier asked ,”What do you want??” “ 1 Kg potatoes and 1 Kg Onions” pat came the reply. As the fellow was frothing with anger, Appa burst out laughing...... We wanted to run for cover when he asked the fruit vendor “imli kya bhaav diya (whats the price of tamarind?)” because the fellow had given him sour oranges on earlier occasion. Aaji would get extremely worried at these antics but he had a simple theory which made a lot of sense – he would generally calm her down saying “I am an old man and so frail that no-one would ‘dare’ to touch me, at best they would think I am senile which is quite alright!”

I always found it amusing when he used to go to drop my mother-in-law to the bus-stop and check out whether she has got into the bus properly. Aged around 50 and a distinguished educationist in her own right, Appa would treat her exactly like a school-kid. I stopped feeling funny as I waved to my daughter getting into her school bus years later.....

For me, talking to Appa was like watching an old Dev Anand movie like a CID. Apart from being a Dev Anand fan I love that genre of movies as they show a Mumbai of 60’s...... I just love watching the old Mumbai of that era. Appa would walk me down the era much before my birth.... like a grandfather taking a child for a walk. He was an engineer by profession and had a long stint with ACC.....was an outstanding expert in Engineering Design..... we would talk those times... working culture... social life. There was never “good old days compared to today”. While we were discussing job changes he once told me..”I also wanted to change my job once .. but then realised I was working for the best and biggest company of my sector.. where would I go?” – in a life with extremely insecure childhood and lot of struggle he always maintained a very clear-headed approach.

We were gifted to hear the stories from him – he would narrate the old English movies and we would just become kids all over again. One of his most favourite was “The Good Earth” – a movie in 30’s based on Pearl Buck’s novel by the same name. He would tell me about the story, acting, cinematography and virtually everything about the movie. “Lets watch it together if you get it” he would always say. Years passed by, but somehow, I never could lay my hands on that. Once during a long transit period between the flights at JFK, as I was passing time at Madison Square, I walked into a huge bookstore. On a kiosk, I just casually typed “The Good Earth” in the Films section .....and got it .... almost ran to the second floor to pick up the DVD. I hurriedly came back to the Airport to watch it on my laptop. As I started watching it...I realized Appa’s power of narration.....Sitting alone at a far-off place, mist in my eyes blurred the movie.... a thought gnawed my mind.....I knew Appa was on the final stage of his life....we were never going to watch it together....nothing in the world could bring me that moment......As the protagonist (character “lived” by Paul Muni) enters the local entertainment house.....I shut down the laptop..... It is over two years, I have still not watched “The Good Earth” .............may be one of Appa’s Birthdays, I’ll sit together with family and watch it..........

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Rs 112/-.....

I can still almost feel and live that morning in 1998. Six months into being an entrepreneur I drove my dad’s Premier Padmini (we all used to call it ‘Fiat’ you know) to the busy market street in Vile Parle and parked it right in front of United Western Bank. I was on my way to market for some sundry work and needed to withdraw Rs 2000/- from my current account on the way. As I waited to pick up my money after handing over the cheque the clerk said – “You don’t have an OD facility but I can give you the money right now” “What do you mean by Overdraft? I just need 2000...whats my balance?” I asked incredulously.”Rs 112/-“ he replied quietly....I just walked back holding the cheque. After studying cash flow and other stuff in MBA, obviously I was stupid with my handling that part. Well... it is not about the cash flow though...I still was fresh from my “salaried” mindset and sense of security and self worth still revolved around the bank account.....

I can still feel that cheque in my hand and the sweat flowing down my face as I sat back in the car feeling low.... what have I done? With a one year old daughter and wife working on her Research, was it really wise to throw away my job and get into something like this? It felt so stupid to be worthy of Rs 112/- .... suddenly also realised the car was also dad’s...actually!

I came home and called Pallavi. When I called up at an odd time of 10.30 in the morning at her Lab she sensed the problem..”What happened?” She asked. “I just went to the bank... we just have Rs 112/-“ .... though I don’t believe in chauvinism, thank god that we were on phone and would have hated her to see my eyes welling up. “So what?” I almost felt stupid at that remark as if it was routine for me to blow up everything and show her an blank bank account.. she continued sweetly ..I guess cautious not to be sympathetic though .. “don’t dramatise the situation... we are not worried about when the next meals will come from and how do we pay for our stay... money will come” . “ Yes but I feel guilty to even go to restaurant and use my credit card”...”So we will not go to one till you feel OK about it..just don’t worry”. Life continued and as I went slogging as usual, money came in ..... one got used the fluctuations also ... no longer money matters were scary .... just kabhie khushi kabhi gum!

Down the line towards the end of the year another incident happened. It was my dear nephew’s thread ceremony (which actually is quite a big function... almost a mini marriage albeit with celibacy J ). As the morning part got over, I just came back to make a few important calls in the afternoon only to realize that my Dubai based customer will not be paying me Rs. 1,00,000/- of my well-deserved consulting fees!!! For a 28 year old middle class boy way back in 1998 – losing a clean 1 lac was quite a news! Well I had to go back for the evening part of the function where the maternal uncle – yours truly – was supposed to be the host! So there I was standing at the function smiling at my guest. Something strange happened – as I was delivering my Oscar-worthy performance... I really started enjoying sometime later.

Apart from financial gains and losses my entrepreneurial stint gifted me with some rare insights into the life. It taught me to size up the risks ..... they are really as small or big as you make them to be.

So whenever I land up in some trouble today... the risk you know... I think of Rs 112/- .... wipe the sweat and move on with a smile!!!!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Spare a Thought for our politicians...

All the News channels were flashing the news of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy missing on 2nd September. Not that I know much about YSR’s politics or himself as a politician but as I got up next day, my first reaction was to switch on the News channel hoping for some good news – Unfortunately that was not to be and the tragedy hit everyone a few hours later.

The News channel covered all related stories – about his possible succession and its impact on Andhra politics. There were politicians cutting across party lines paying tribute – while a quiet YSR lying deep in the jungle was being brought back!

There was something disturbing about the whole incident and mind you I am not really talking about Media sensitivity and stuff – I guess they were just carrying on with their jobs!

I was intrigued with my own feelings about the man whom I hardly knew. Why should I be so disturbed – it was definitely not about the accident – those keep happening all the time. No one would ever know what must have crossed his mind dying in a remote place after spending a lifetime in a public glare.

Politicians work almost round the clock at the age when people generally retire, relax and are happy if they are able to take care of their own health and pride (I love the HDFC Standard Life Ads!). I wonder what drives them so hard through-out the life. Do they really have power to live life their own way – indulge in their impulses the way we can. I doubt – I guess it’s a life like a goldfish in a glass bowl – constantly under public glare, constantly meeting the demands of the public image, never setting a foot wrong.

Wouldn’t there be objectives higher than simple greed that keep one away from simple liberties of life:

I’ll be petrified if I am smashed every time I contradict myself – I would be more like a mashed potato than a human body!

I shudder at the thought of being told that my every action must be seen as towards the betterment of someone else!

Even at a workplace I feel the right to have a “Friday Dressing” to break the shackles of formality that tie me down from Monday to Thursday

What if I am told that I cannot change my job for higher salary because that would be very selfish of me!

Professionals with a combination of excellent leadership and management capabilities are jewels in the corporate world – a combination that you will find almost in every successful politician. As you go up the ladder, ability to handle grey areas define the success and here is a job where its only grey that you handle right from the beginning. Most of the stories have started with a cause....on the street.......taking on all that comes along the way – the good, the bad and the ugly.

We have not only lost Andhra Chief Minister but someone has lost a father, a brother, a friend, a husband and most importantly someone has lost a precious life. This is the time when a family may need a private moment to bid farewell to the dear one – a basic privilege that is invariably denied.

Adieu YSR – may your soul rest in PEACE!