After an unintended performance and scare rain falls you ofcourse can’t expect a blockbuster from markets. But the story lies elsewhere. With some of the economies around the world recovering a wee little bit, expect a slight jump in FII investment. After the reports that the tax heaven Cayman islands based hedge funds may get an easier entry to trade in India, things may just slightly pull up from here. Expect a pull back to 15,500 levels in the initial period how ever the end result will be around a sub 15k levels as it is today. The ideal level to trade at would be 14,600 if the present market continues its downward rally. Place some risks in auto sector, pharma and infrastructre. There may pay off by a small profit if exits are possible at 15k levels.
Category: India
Tata Docomo launched in Mumbai
Tata Docomo will launch their GSM Services in Mumbai today. The plan details are sketchy at the moment, but expect the one second billing to be re – introduced in Mumbai. Re – introduced, because erstwhile BPL had launched India’s first one second billing pulse rates in Mumbai in 2005.
Key to Tata Docomo’s success will be its network. While no reports about their Mumbai network have come up yet, any Mumbaikar will only buy Tata Docomo if their network is strong. Mumbai is a very interesting market with a huge dynamic environment. With Tata Docomo coming in, Mumbai has now 10 telecom service providers. The list of service providers is as follows.
Vodafone, Airtel, Loop, MTNL, Reliance GSM, Aircel, Idea Cellular. In CDMA, Reliance CDMA, Tata Indicom, Virgin (Serviced by Tata Indicom),
Air India and its never ending woes
Air India has everything it possibly can, except for productivity. Majority of the airline work force are working like typical babus who work from 9 to 5 with more than 180 off days in a year.
The recent cash crush is caused by inefficient management of resources and underling assets that are not utilized. There were question raised on why does not sell 25% of the stake to a Private company so that Air India can clean up the mess.
If any wants to see an example of a world class company that is fully government owned, look for Temasek. It is Singapore Government’s investment company that has around 350 employees and manages assets around US$130 Billion. And it is a multinational. Or look at Singapore Airlines. A Government controlled airline that is now the best airline in the world.
Why can’t National Aviation Company of India pull up their socks and start working? By stopping pay cheques, isn’t touching employee’s loyalty any where? Or just because its government money and people will keep paying taxes, you don’t have performance responsibility?
I would like to mention what I had read in DNA news paper where the author (sorry, forgot the name, can some one send that story link or the name of the author) who is an ex-board member of Indian Airlines mentioned what changed in Indian Airlines that is not happening in Air India or now NACL.
It’s the Employees motivation factor. Employees are the internal customers and if you don’t treat them good, the external customers are going to suffer.
If you are wondering that airline has old staff (Air Hostess) as a reason, that you would be wrong. I have only travelled twice on Air India and it has been a pleasant journey for me, with Air Hostess and Stewards giving proper attention and treated everyone equally. Even the sister airline, Air India Express was very good and comparable to some of Private airlines.
The problem is not onboard aircraft; it’s with the management and its work culture of a typical babus. The managers are not chosen on merit or are under performing because once you become permanent, no one can push you out. Or if that happens, the Worker association starts an agitation and strike, further dampening the airline.
If you plan to privatise, then employees start an agitation. They do that because then they become accountable and which is bad for their leisure.
This is the culture that needs to change in Air India and only then will be there any hope revival for country’s premier airline. Brining on board Ratan Tata may help in getting more money from Government, but I guess even Tata will not be interested in taking reins on the Airline with no control over the staff performance.
This Blog post was selected for the Tangy Tuesday Picks by blogadda.com Tangy Tuesday Picks – July 28, ’09 
India in Recession: An short note to be noted!
I read an interesting news on DNA Mumbai edition.
Are you worried about Job losses and Job security? Then you have a robot for a company now! Japanese companies are axing hired Robots in the wake of recent plummeted demand in Industrial production. According to what the newspaper published, in 2005, more than 370,000 robots worked in factories across Japan, about 40% of the Global total.
There are still people who think Recession prevails in India, but its not. In fact, it never was. It’s only the Recessionary Mood that is prevailing. I saw people who were searching Google when “India recovering from Recession” and “how IT can recover from recession in india”
I can understand their curiosity. I get a hit on my Blog for at least once in a day for Recession. The geography is not limited to India, even outside India. Recession might effect the IT Industry if things still go bad in other countries. So will be all Export oriented units.
Whatever the mindset says, India is clearly out of Recession. As of now and largely enough, the wave has gone by and things look again, back to square one.
The Seconds Effect! Will Tata DoCoMo change market Dynamics
If you are a Mumbaikar, you will remember this. BPL (now Loop) Mumbai had launched an aggressive campaign which reduced customers bill by almost 30%. That was called One Second Billing.
Tata DoCoMo is the GSM based telecommunications service of Tata Indicom in partnership with Japan’s leading mobile operator, NTT DoCoMo. They have a Pan – India licence and are already live with 5 circles, covering Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. With interesting banners shouting “Why pay for unused?” and “One paisa across India”, you would be keen to know what are the charges and how do you save huge cost in your monthly bill. (more…)
Mud Slunging; Congress takes the credit
I saw an advert in HT yesterday. And it was funny. It read “we thank the Democratic Front Government for not allowing price increase in electricity rates.” Now this is what I call a hit back with a bigger punch. Two weeks ago, Shiv Sena hit the roads protesting this move while MNS was busy with water issue. Its funny! Why do you need to thank the government on something that they are supposed to make sure it never happened at first place.
Markets Tank: FM the culprit
I know there are many people who would be cursing our beloved Finance Minister. Market expectation were largely ignored, some of them like major reforms, changes in corporate tax, fuel prices, removal of surcharge, but given that this budget is more of a populist budget it was pretty much obvious that Markets tanked.
And how! The biggest ever dive on a Budget day. The positives were extension of STPI tax holidays by one year which is going to help the IT sector, abolishing FBT and transaction tax on trading in Commodities.
For those who provide services within infrastructure will get a chance to bid for more Government projects, expenditure of which will be in the range of 9% of the total GDP.
I guess this is more or less an ideal budget that is not focused only on the corporate sector. Our corporates should not only think about how the budget is affecting the India Inc.
The whole media is hoop-halla about the negative aspect of budget as if they have stopped getting negative news elsewhere. Media should also have had shown the positives.
Hope I would be able to make this much more simpler in another post, after analysing what went good for a Common Man.
Finger Prints? Sorry, excuse me!
Now your friendly neighborhood cyber cafe wala will ask you to give your finger print before you can sit on the machine and start browsing. That is if Mumbai Police had its way.
Mumbai police recently had proposed that we should make it mandatory for everyone who is visiting a Cyber Cafe to have their finger print submitted. This recommendation has come up after series of cyber crime that is happening out of these cyber cafes.
Will you be comfortable with that? I guess no. Not for me. If I ever wanted to access internet over the public domain, I would not do so just because I have to share my finger print. I would rather go to a friend’s place or reach home to have my internet connected.
What this move will do is to close the cyber cafes and a boom for ISPs and Computer dealers in these gloom times. People will prefer to spend money and use it for a net connection rather have their finger prints scanned.
What is the guarantee that this will be foolproof? People can also steal my finger print! Why the hell should I leave my identity at risk?
The War of Boards
As you might know, there are various types of Boards which your school and colleges might be affiliated to. So when Maharashtra Government decided to put a Quota for SSC students who come from State Boards, it was pretty much obvious that the parents of students who studied in CBSE and ICSE are now knocking the court room doors. The swap ratio is not acceptable which as of now stands at 90:10. Funny as it might sound, but those students who belong to CBSE and ICSE who had scored 90% looking for decent college seats may not bag them at all.
From one point of view, this is also the right thing to do. Why not CBSE and ICSE have their own 11th and 12th? Though students who belong to these Boards are not much in numbers, they always end up taking the creamy seats and some others. That leads to a blank hole for the colleges by some thousands in numbers.
State board students are 2.7 lacks. Now that is where it sounds problematic. State Boards students are no less than CBSE, but these students pass through a good bad time, starting from the schools to examination and invigilating officers may put scores to their mood.
I accept this change! Hope this brings in more challenges.
The Markets will remain positive for June 2009: A little worry though
It was two horrific news with a good one. What a combination you may ask?
The first and obvious story that captured the headlines were the racism attacks on Indians in Australia. That followed with the news that Oil prices will be de-regulated which means that things could go costlier in future.
However, it may just be good that it will happen. The reforms was what was expected of Congress and they are bang on it! It also may turn out to be good for the economy overall. Because that inflation can grow up from here and this will help the country to be back on the fast track out of recession in general.
The Good news from a cell phone user point of view was that Minister A. Raja said that he wished the Telephonic rates to come down to 10 paise for local calls and 25 paise for STD calls. What the government has dones is done a small harm with even smaller good.
This can spell doom for mobile telephonic companies profit margins, but then they will have to resort to VAS for earnings. This is a bit tricky one which may not necessarily boost healthy competition. Instead, I forsee mobile companies getting too agressive with VAS and customer will be bombared with calls and SMSes ignoring privacy and Do Not Disturb facility.
These news’ will have its effect on the Sensex and how! I stand by my prediction on Sensex crossing 16K by June end which I had posted earlier on my Blog. Trade safe, dont be aggressive in your investment decisions.
The Google Power: Mapping the Consumption, suggesting saving
Wow, that it now finally has happened is really a good news. Google’s non-profit arm, Google.org now has announced that it, along with Power utility companies now will put an online power consumption report that will tell consumers their power usage, and ways to save power in an initiative that helps in reducing the Carbon Foot Print.
Compete with Neighbours and Friends?
That sounds really interesting. Yea, now you can strike up a little competition with your neighbour to win a friendly race in saving power or to put it google way, using your power efficiently. (more…)
Its really disturbing; are anti-social elements creeping up
Let me put the pic right here. Its disburbing, and is against law. Law of the land and the law of human being. Its a message that is spreading hatered and I strongly oppose it. Shortly after this post, I am going to share this picture with most of the leading media channels and newspapers and hope we can start the movement here.
Reader Discretion Advised
I was shocked to see a message like this! It is usual to find graffiti on the Mumbai local train. I boarded the Kalyan fast from Byculla at 8.37 pm when I was on the way to my home. Unfortunately I was not carrying my deo, with which I would have removed this otherwise.
I am used to see some of graffiti on the inside of locals and those generally are of funny nature where friends write their names, sometimes their crushes or lovers names often. At times, it evens goes to an extent of giving numbers of call girls and boys! I ignore them since these are not those that hurt me bad.
But this one was different, it was disturbing and it was painfull. Who would have this kind off problem with Sonia Gandhi and Muslims? What wrong did they do? Is not India a free, democratic country for anybody having the right to follow their own religion?
It was done by someone who was saddened by the victory of Congress in the General Elections, 2009! Is some one really inspired by what Varun Gandhi said??? That is why he have been booked, but that is done more harm than good. Isnt it?
Why are these brothers of ours against us living peacefully in our own country? Without any differences in caste and creed, there are a lot of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikh, Jains, Buddhists and others who take these trains everyday which gives India and its very financial capital with their man hours!
Why do you want to create a stirr again. Mumbai has left everything behind and has always looked forward to what the future beholds.
I would request one and all and specifically those who travel in these locals, do not go by them. If you can use a bit of your deodrant what you carry everyday to just remove these horrible message with a peice of rough paper, we can remove these messages. Deodrants work!
Make it clean, in the trains and our lives. Let’s pledge!
