Book launched by Rakesh Godhwani, PGSEM 2004, 'Public Speaking Kaleidoscope'.

This is the author's fourth book and will help the readers to understand the various interconnected components of public speaking when viewed together from three broad academic lenses.

Power Leader and author Debjani Mukherjee Biswas asks "Why is there a global epidemic of the 'miserably successful'? "

Miserably Successful No More asks how individuals can harness the authentic power and emotional intelligence by understanding their unique styles. The author uses an engineering mindset of data harvesting and pattern recognition to identify keys to stress reduction.

Life is name of happenings. Life teaches many lessons. Each lesson has interesting and inspiration story. I believe one should read real life inspirational stories. For few, life is very easy. Such people are born with luck. But for the rest, life is real struggle. To them, life poses very difficult challenges for their own survival. 50 shades of life, is a compilation of short stories and based on some positive life experiences, which will make you smile and take life head-on grabbing the horns. Most stories are based on real life heroes. I hope the readers will love the twist that I has added that will inspire you to look at life differently. Would like to end with a quote from J.K.Rowling, “There is always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”

Floating Happiness is writing from the author's concern for the struggle, pain and stress in a person’s day to day life. It provides the reader with the secrets of ‘Joy of Living’ leading them to live a productive and balanced life.The techniques suggested by the author in Floating Happiness are aiming at assuring the readers to employ the abundant flow of energy available to them to attain improved health, relationships, peace of mind and financial goals.
The book is structured in an ‘easy to understand’ manner and presents the readers with practical techniques that would help them lead the kind of life they desire.

Hi all,
Last year many of you helped me put Cancer on the Run.
Thanks to the generosity of many of you, I raised Rs. 1,08,350.00 to support Tamanna Cancer Treatment & Research Foundation.
Since I ran 10 Kilometers in a time of under 57 minutes at Sunfeast 10K, the money you donated helped Dr.Nalini Killara and her co-doctors of Tamanna help many poor patients, who otherwise would not have been able to afford the expensive medications typically associated with treatment of cancer. I also ran the 10 kilometers at the Sunfeast run this May 23rd.
This year I have ambitious plans to raise to raise Rs. 2,50,000.00. However I am doubly committed to this cause as well:
- I will plonk down Rs 25,000.00 of my own money
- In addition this year I will participate in the BSA Hercules Duatholon on June 13th, when I will run 5 kilometers, cycle 20 kilometers and run another 5 kilometers, all part of the Duatholon.
I get asked this question quite a bit - Why club a Marathon (even if it is only a quarter marathon) and a Duatholon with raising funds for a worthy cause (or the other way round)? The best answer I have is that it helps me display my committment to my cause. It is a cause that is very close to my heart and something that I very strongly believe in. So when people hear I am willing to pound the pavement for 20 kilometers, and pedal another 20, they get the idea that I am serious about my cause.
This year I have made it easy for you folks to donate. You can pick from the following modes:
Do an online transfer into my ICICI Bank Account number: 016901564839;
RGTS/NEFT IFSC Code: ICIC0000169. Full name on account: Jayaram Srinivasan. Account at Indiranagar Branch, Bangalore.
If this seems mumbo-jumbo to you, please use the traditional method of cutting a check in favor of "Tamanna Cancer Treatment & Research Foundation" and mail it to:
Jay Srinivasan
G1, Elite Premier
54 Surveyors Street
Basavanagudi
Bangalore - 560 004.
If you are overseas, please pay to my PayPal account - jramns@gmail.com.
If you are using either of the online modes, please send me an Email when you have effected the transfer so that I include it in my remittance to Tamanna. I intend to hand over Tamanna my collections on the June 20, 2010, so please work with me on these schedules.
Some statistics about my fund raising last year:
- I raised a total of Rs. 1,08,350.00
- From 38 individuals
- Making an average of about Rs. 2,850.00 per individual contributor
- This means that if I want to collect Rs. 2,50,000.00 this year, either the average contribution should increase by 150% or my base should increase by 150%.
If you contributed last year: Please! I need your support this year as well. Please consider contributing more than what you did last year. If you cannot, please help me grow my prospect base, by sending this to at least 5 people in your circle (but outside mine).
If you did not contribute last year: Please consider contributing this year. Any amount is good!
I look forward to your support in accomplishing my fund raising. You have my assurance that short of injury, I will sweat out for my cause at the marathon and the duatholon.
If you have any questions, please ask.
Thanks
Jay
Phone: +91 99008 64168

Excerpt from ‘When the Boss is Wrong: Making and Unmaking of the Leader within You’, by Sibichen K Mathew PGPPM 06, Published by Rupa Publishers, 2015
MR JOHN IS a ‘runaway’ boss. He does not vanish forever; he will come back on sensing that the environment is conducive for his appearance. He tells his subordinates, ‘Don’t bring problems to me. Come with solutions.’ Indeed it seems like a sensible approach. But is it really the empowerment of subordinates or simply an abdication of responsibilities? More often, it is the latter.
Bosses like John can shine only when the ‘going is good’. The moment an issue or challenge comes up, they prefer to run away from the field. For example, they could postpone meetings if they fear that certain unpleasant issues will crop up. They might prefer to inspect field offices where they face lesser resistance. They might keep away from areas where troubleshooting and firm decisions are necessary, saying, ‘I don’t want any problems during my tenure.’
Runaway bosses also include those who would not run away literally, but never repond to proposals or requests. Due to their perennial lethargy or indecisiveness on important issues, they stack all the files for days, weeks and months. If you ask the status of your proposal or query, they would promptly say it is ‘being examined’ or ‘under consideration’. However, this examination and consideration continues indefinitely.
The biggest challenge for a leader is not maintaining the status quo, but overseeing the changeover to a higher level of development. Runaway bosses do not like to be in the thick of action and their strategy is to train their subordinates not to allow anyone with problems to gain access to themselves. Over time, the staff often becomes adept in screening all the ‘trouble-makers’. Only the problem-solvers and sycophants then have the ear of the boss!
Here is another characteristic: The boss cannot handle it if anyone contradicts his point of view. Instead of justifying his position or examining the contrary view, he would conclude the meeting abruptly. He simply ‘runs away’ from it.
An example of a runaway boss narrated by a manager in a software solution firm is very interesting: ‘There was a client who visited our office with an unresolved issue. My boss told my team and me about the importance of the visit and subtly threatened us, saying “Don’t goof up!” He also said, “Refer to me if the client is not happy with your explanation.” However, when the client came, my boss made an excuse and left the office. That incident made me completely distrust him.’
Runaway bosses create runaway organizations!
Unfortunately, there are organizations that have to carry the load of a number of runaway bosses in the top management. Such organizations invariably become runaway organizations, as they would have to run away from clients, employees and other stakeholders due to a few bad bosses. A young civil servant shared this: ‘THere is an organization that is in the area of public service delivery. It is reluctant to organize any grievance redressal meetings. It is not only scared of the wrath of the public but also is conscious of its inability to provide any solution to or explanation of the problems.’
The omnipresent boss (except in the organization)
A CEO of a top IT Services company is fond of public appearances. He always likes to be with people outside the organization. All invitations to be a guest at cultural and social functions are accepted without any fuss or thought. He likes to be part of all panel discussions in the city and on television. However, his team leaders and other top managers of the organization rarely get a chance to meet him to discuss issues and get guidance. He gets worked up if someone approaches with a problem that requires immediate attention.
Though too much public engagement by CEOs takes away from their time being used for the organization’s interests, Kotter and Mintzberg,17 who are scholars and management experts, concluded that certain obligations to attend functions and ceremonies, though unimportant and time-wasters, can be advantageous for oneself and the organization. It is true that such public exposure can help the organization gain brand recognition. However, being absent from the workplace for too long should not become a way of shirking the real problems and grievances.
A successful leader is the one who never runs away from problems. Rather, he is one who considers every problem an opportunity to develop his and others’ skills.
Are you a runaway boss?
Yes, if
✓ You procrastinate on decisions
✓ You do not like to face problems
✓ You abdicate your responsibilities
✓ You delegate more than required
✓ You dislike listening to grievances
✓ You are scared of being questioned by others
✓ You like to absolve yourself from issues
Prescription for you, the boss
If you do not do what you are supposed to, someone else will (and soon sit on your seat).
The more you procrastinate on a decision, the more problematic it will become to decide.
If you run away from a battle, you might fall into a much tougher and longer battle.
Precaution for you
Try and communicate your concerns to your boss without being aggressive or trying to show him in poor light. However, escalate the matter if it starts affecting your work too much.
Precept for the organization
Organizations need to formulate timeframes for decisions even at the highest level, as well as put in place a prompt reporting system that confirms everyone’s accountability.
The signs of recovery
A true leader is at the immediate reach of the team whenever they face a challenge. He has the confidence to find a remedy to any problem, especially when the team has attempted and failed.

About the Author: A senior civil servant, Dr Sibichen K. Mathew, is also a leadership trainer, blogger, sociologist and a policy researcher. He is the recipient of the UGC Research Fellowship and has been awarded gold medals from the University of Kerala, National Police Academy and National Academy of Direct Taxes. He is the author of the book, Making People Pay: The Economic Sociology of Taxation. Dr Mathew is currently the Advisor, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.

The #100sareepact is a promise between Ally Mathan and I, to wear one hundred sarees this year.

Why ? Because we want to show our sarees some love. For too long we had relegated the saree to the back of the closets only to be worn on special occasions, mostly festivals. So we decided, we would air them and wear them. But it doesn’t stop there. We are both story tellers.I am a Communications consultant in rich media, Ally is a perfumier. We were compelled by habit to take the pact further to weave a narrative with the memories attached to each saree.
And so it began on March 1st this year. I posted on Facebook, more to hold myself accountable by announcing that this is what I was doing. The next day a few friends joined in. Ally began to post too. And her friends joined in. And the next thing we both knew, the #100sareepact had gone viral.
We would post updates on what we were were wearing and a story about it. Sometimes about it’s legacy, sometimes about the weave, other times an instance that occurred when we wore it last or just how we felt being enveloped in our mother’s saree and love. An emotion, a glimpse into our past and present.
Social media helped us to amplify the message.This is as much a story of the pact as it is about the power of social media. Our pact and it’s stories were amplified by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr by women and men in the pact. The #100 sareepact is now all over the world. In all major cities of India - Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Cochin, Mumbai, Delhi, Amdavad, Lucknow, Kolkata,Assam, Kashmir… and across the globe in Australia, Korea, UK, Netherlands, Italy, France and the US of A. And now the regional press is taking it deeper into India also.
My friend, Rekha, wrote about wearing the saree that her mother had worn, 56 years ago, and how she remembered her father being stunned every time her mother wore a saree. He would sing for her, in front of the children, much to her chagrin and embarrassment, and laugh away her protest. “ There, I hear him sing a song”, she wrote wistfully about her parents that are no more.
A gentleman wrote to us about his grandmothers sarees. She has passed on. She would keep cotton soaked in her cupboard of sarees which she draped, every single day. Another gentleman, a photographer is contributing to #100sareepact with photo shoots telling the story of one hundred women with his editorial twist. A Spanish professor opened his talk on the history of the saree in a museum, in Madrid, with the story of the #100sareepact and how the story of the saree is told in modern times.
One lady stepped out in the cold in Michigan, in boots and a turquoise blue saree peeping from beneath the jacket. Another lady went for her book reading meet in a saree in Netherlands. And in a poignant post, a mother wore a blue saree to spread awareness on autism and it’s challenges.
There are memories of special moments, gifts of sarees, mother & daughter relationships that have been shared since. Also strong statements about being comfortable in one’s skin, colour tone, gender diversity, choice and prevailing prejudice have emerged. The myriad rituals practiced by different families, their customs & traditions. The canvas of the stories is growing in expanse everyday, with every post.
So the saree is now a medium to tell stories. THAT is what interests me the most.
I’ve told stories of my roots, my friends, my upbringing, my travel. I have to say, this has spiralled way beyond what we had thought or hoped for. We never planned for this. I shy away from writing some days, knowing that so many I don't know will read my account through my saree photo. Is this too public ? Then, some days, I am compelled to tell my story. To be heard. To find an audience that will listen and understand. That will respond to my telling and to me.
This is more than clicking a photograph, and putting it up, to make myself accountable to my pact of wearing a saree a hundred times this year. This has now become about finding a voice through my sarees to tell my story.

The other day a bunch of us were in a saree for a shoot for a news channel, and a cleaner lady leaned from a few floors above and called out that we looked lovely. My "aha" moment. This movement is cutting across boundaries laid down by society too…I waved my gratitude to her.
I eagerly await the morning to see who will wear what saree, and tell which story. There are common threads running through the sharing, and that commonality, of belonging to a narrative that unfolds, has been my most delightful discovery.
Everyone keeps asking me which is my favourite story so far. My answer remains the same. EVERY story needed telling. My favourite are those that I connect with, that make me privy to a moment in life that may have long gone, but whose fragrance lingers.
We recently launched #sareedate where we meet in the real world in cities across the world and celebrate our stories.
There is something magical taking place here. This coming together of a community of saree lovers and storytellers, and we are archiving it for the future at www.100sareespact.com, work in progress, as we steal time from our day jobs to refine it.
The #100sareepact is a celebration of our lives. I’ve been asked often what we are selling. The #100sareepact doesn’t sell anything. It is a platform where happiness is being shared. Positivity too. We are seeing the silver lining in our everyday living.
I invite you to join us in building this legacy of the saree and it’s story.

Many many years ago, two people met at IIM Bangalore - he from the North, she from the South of India. Both from IITs, he from IIT Bombay and she from IIT Delhi. And then, they married.. another "2 states" love story... Alok and Aina's story, a story created with many other IIMB 93 co- conspirators and actors supporting the plot- Hyma, Puneet Gupta, Jyoti- Rupal, Viraj-Neetu, CP Madhu, Rakesh Pandya ( Rocky), Shailu, to name a few.. . A story now renamed " Many states", with the creative insight of " Jayaram Krishnan- JK, also PGP 93" , who, rather smartly pointed out, that many states were involved in the making of it, not just two.

They moved around states, cities and countries.. Bombay, Delhi, London.. but always, their first love remained Bangalore. And it is here that they returned with their two girls, Giri and Taru, considering themselves so lucky, to be living close to their closest friends from IIM Bangalore, in the heart of Bangalore, yet in the midst of two villages, Challagatta and Nagasandra, rustic and green surrounds ...

And then, some years later, their daughter Girija, did the city proud.. by topping the state CET and Comedk too -Medical, Dental Veterinary, Agricultural and Homeo exams. A determined girl, a runner, bharatanatyam dancer,budding artist, inspired and nurtured by her many, but very much a product of this city.

Alok and Aina consider themselves fortunate to be back here. For Bangalore it is they love. The ever-blossoming flowers, calm lakes and salubrious climate of Bangalore, unbeatable by far. And the city, their first love, inspired Alok to turn marathoner** and Aina to turn writer- even while she works as a techie in the Indian Silicon valley , she writes a blog, as the character "the amblingindian" - the female aam aadmi, ambling around Bangalore, India and the world, keenly observing, loving everything around her, everything that is so special about this place. And writing about it, in her own quirky, funny way. "A shower of flowers" about Tippasandra, "Bangalore monsoons and Bollywood", a flavourful mix of words and videos.. A book, now ready for publishing, the story of India, as written by the amblingindian, and the story of Bangalore, coming up next...

Bangalore it is, and IIM Bangalore it will be, always the very best..

Alok Agarwal and Aina ( Nagu )Rao, PGP 1993

Supermarketwala, Damodar Mall's intriguing and revelatory debut book, Supermarketwala, provides the very basics for the growth of modern retail and consumerism in India, through interesting and carefully studied consumer behaviour, an art that few in his domain possess. Supermarketwala, is intended to be the go-to book for all consumer business enthusiasts and readers alike, who wish to understand how and why we as consumers behave in a certain manner at different places. These insights, which are the analyses of the sector so far, could become the pillars for shaping successful consumer products and retail businesses in the huge consumer economy that India will soon be.
Read excerpts from the Chapter titled 'Thank You McDonald's, Welcome Idly Factory'.

Sir, would you like your idlis plain, Kanchipuram, or Guntur?’ a smartly dressed woman at the counter asks me. I’m in the departure lounge of Hyderabad airport, and ready for a quick bite, while I wait for my flight. Usually, I’m confronted with the ubiquitous fast food restaurants, McDonald’s, KFC, Pizza Hut and so on. I indulge in a burger occasionally, though it doesn’t really appeal to my palate. This time, I make a tentative move towards the smartly named Idly Factory. It is a new concept — this offering of traditional food in a modern location like an airport — and I’m not too sure about it. But I’m in a mood for adventure, and so I rush in where others before me have feared to tread. Glancing through the witty one-line descriptions of each type of idli, I choose the Kanchipuram idlis with a distinct cumin, ginger and pepper flavour.

‘One Kanchipuram....,’ whispers the server, wearing a smart cap and apron, into a small microphone next to the counter. Turning to me, she asks, ‘Today, we have sambar in vengaya Tamil style as well as tomato Kanara style. What would you prefer? And shall I make a combo with filter coffee, buttermilk, or Coke?’ ... Next to the delivery counter is a ‘chutney bar’ with six types of ethnic dry and wet chutneys. My sense of choice and empowerment, already at a pleasant high, increases dramatically as I help myself to a few of these offerings...
As I enjoy a very fresh, aromatic and tasty idli meal, I notice almost similar size stalls for a pizza brand, a burger restaurant, and of course, the place I described above — the ‘Idly Factory’. In their construction and layout, all the three stalls are nearly identical... Global brands like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut have taken the casual, functional eating occasions to an excellence level. At a global, cross-cultural level, they bring in standardisation of products and service, hygiene, transparency of process, branding, and a very modern young ambience. They also establish in our minds a new price point for casual dining — Rs 50 for a simple burger and Rs 100 for a snack meal. We get used to the new price points and with all the excitement, modernity and compelling offers from time to time, we are satisfied with the value we get. Seen in isolation, paying a hundred rupees for a quick snack might not suit every pocket, but customers have learnt to accept that standardisation and professionalism comes with their own costs. A burger and Coke combo in a wayside shack might cost less than McDonald’s, but that’s not where the hungry Indian middle-class is headed. We are growing to expect quality and learning to pay for it.

At the same time, it is important to realise that no vada-pav or idli eatery, starting from today’s Udipi prices, can on its own hope to scale the Rs 40 price point. Those higher price points and customers like me who are happy to pay that price are the contribution of global players in this space.

Until just a few years ago, we were happy with the concept of casual dining equal to street stalls, and paid accordingly. Multinational food chains showed us a different world altogether, one of comfortable ambience, low prices, and high hygiene...

With these new price points as the norm for casual dining, any Udipi diner worth her salt knows that it can create a completely exciting world of taste, ambience, choice, and service. Thanks to McDonald’s and its global peers, the customers are now more than willing to pay Rs 100 for an idli and coffee, too. Equally important, casual dining will no longer imply rock bottom prices and squalor. Customers will expect something better and be willing to pay for it.

That’s when our Udipis and Darshanis can morph into ‘Idli Factorys’ or ‘Banana Leaf Cafes’. They know their splendid recipes and fresh food formulae, for generations. They also have a loyal following, developed over decades. Indian food is what Indians want to eat. If they can get it in an international ambience, they will throng these eateries. All that the local restaurants need to do is change their backroom methods a little bit, modernise their serving styles and lo and behold! we have idli-dosa joints, chat, and bhel counters and ice-gola stalls in malls and elsewhere that can pass the global standards with ease...

At a highway halt in Muzaffarnagar near Delhi, McDonald’s and Haldiram’s restaurants are located in a common facility... Their menus are completely different, though. Haldiram’s even has a special ‘Vrat (fasting) menu’ during the fasting week of Navratra in North India. This is a popular highway stop for people driving out of Delhi, or into Delhi. The parking lot is full... this place is busy! The point to be noted is that at any hour of the day, the number of people eating at the Haldiram’s side of the facility is double the number of people at McDonald’s. This is not just true for adults. Children, too, prefer Haldiram’s. Clearly, when the ambience and facilities are the same, customers prefer local flavours.

The shape of the Indian casual dining opportunity is now crystal clear. International standards and methods are here to stay. Thank you, McDonald’s! And, of course, welcome Idly Factory!
____________________________________________________
Damodar Mall PGP 86, CEO of Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail Limited: Starting career with consumer goods leader Unilever Damodar went on to being an early stage professional involved in steering modernising retail in India. He has been in leadership roles with retail concepts like Big Bazaar, D Mart and now Reliance Fresh. Damodar believes that in Asia families and communities influence behavior of both, the consumer and the entrepreneur much more. Therefore, brands and even businesses will shape differently in markets like India, even as buying capacity increases rapidly. He has shaped unique Indian models in his entrepreneurial stint that led to creation of DMart stores and then with many brands at Future Group and Reliance Retail. A keen observer of consumer and shopper behavior, Damodar is often found in stores and markets. His usual allies are sociologists, ethnographers and design professionals. Modernizing entrepreur run small retail is his current field of study and work.

Many times life throws a curve ball and we try to deal with it. My kid, now seven, fell into autism at age two. He is a lovely child. He was lovely and sociable before age two and is lovely now and getting there.
This is my story – from the eyes of a dad facing autism. This was something I was unprepared for in 2006, when autism came home to us. If you see one of the videos in the book, it shows my kid as a gregarious one year old in Singapore. He was the darling of all. All that changed in a short time. The last 5 years have been tumultuous for our family. Initially there was disbelief and heartbreak. Then of course, we started on the arduous task of getting him back on track. As usual, Vijnan, my dear friend, played his part in helping me.
To cut to the chase, I wrote this book primarily to pass on the guidance and help I received from various parents in similar situations. In some ways autism is worse
than cancer. It strikes the young. It changes families. Then there are parents who have taken their kids totally off the spectrum using therapies and other techniques. I know of at least one kid who is now excelling in mainstream school. However, the spectrum is broad and something which helped one kid may not apply to another. That is the challenge thrown to parents. I cannot tell you how many times I have felt my brain exploding just thinking about what to do and how to do it..
It’s my heartfelt wish to get this book in the hands of all the fathers who feel powerless and unsure of what to do. It is neither a panacea nor intended thus. Even if it helps one kid through the parent, I will be glad. I am positive it will. We have come quite some way in our struggle to understand, accept and move forward with determination. I am waiting for the day when autism will be found, tried and exiled. Till then the kids need all the help they can get.
My work is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.in, Amazon.jp and across the world as “Autism and a dad”. It took me 4 years to write it with everything else that was going on.
Autism and a DAD, listed on AMAZON., the brief states…
The book explores the role of Dads as the focal point in the struggle over autism. Since most books are by mothers, I felt the need to write down my experiences as a father with a child on the spectrum and share the guidance received from other fathers.
Dealing with autism needs to be considered a race. Many times dads seem to think better on those lines – Something akin to the Iditarod in Alaska – A project to be embarked upon with the ultimate challenge to be not only completing the race but most important, planning for the milestones in advance. These are Insurance, Biomedicals, Special services and Therapy. Dads need to aim to get a coterie of important professionals around them early on and believe in them to avoid information overload in terms of therapies and biomedicals.
All of us are autistic. We differ only in degrees. It is difficult to tell at what point in our upbringing our caregivers should have intervened to broaden our vision. However, when we do see a young child of two struggling to make a connection, we cannot sit back and let nature take its course. We have to rise to the challenge nature has thrown to the child’s parents.
There are many aspects of dealing with autism. Running away from the problem is a way out. Why not take up the challenge instead, as for a long-playing activity. The benefits are too many to enumerate.

The rapid beating of my heart against my chest was the only sound I could hear amidst the rising euphoria that pervaded my entire body when I saw the finishing line barely 100 feet away. I don’t know what came over me, but, suddenly my weary, aching muscles that had begun to slow down over the last 5kms, throbbed to life propelling me forward as I sprinted at top speed to cross the last stretch that lay between me and the finishing line.
As an official placed the medal around my neck, tears of joy blurred my vision and I sank to the ground and thanked the Almighty for making my dream a reality. I had just completed 1.5 kms of swimming in the choppy waters of the mighty sea, followed by 40 kms of cycling in a circular track amidst a verdant landscape, which ended with 10 kms of running alongside the sea, to the finish line. While I soaked in feelings of intense joy, relief, satisfaction and pride that came with representing my country successfully; the blood, sweat and toil of the last 9 months flashed like myriad scenes from a movie reel in quick succession through my mind’s eye.
I had done what I had set out to achieve – successfully completing the Singapore International Triathlon in 2 hours 49 minutes, earning a first-timer like me 32nd ranking in the age category of 30-34 years, which saw over 1000+ men and women participating. It was then that I wished more than ever, that my family and all those friends who had stood by me and seen me through to this moment, were present to celebrate my victory which is as much theirs to revel in as it is mine. I consider myself truly blessed, because in all honesty, I couldn’t have made it, without their collective and individual support.
I had woken up at 4am on D-Day - 29th September to prepare to get to the Singapore International Triathlon venue at East Coast Park, an hour’s drive away from where I was staying with friends. The Met Dept had forecast mild rains, but the Rain Gods decided to pelt down mercilessly that morning. So, the Triathlon kicked off at 9am instead of the scheduled 6.30am. I was overwhelmed at the huge turnout which included 60 blind men and women too. If visually challenged people could dare to compete, then, the adage ‘mind over matter’ applies to this sport more than anything else, I thought to myself, more determined than ever to complete the race, no matter what. The fitness levels of the participants with their well toned, chiseled muscles impressed me immensely and as I warmed up, I had goose bumps and butterflies in my stomach – early signs of panic, which quickly dissipated when I heard the Race Caller say “GO.”
All participants ran 50 meters to the sea and plunged into the cold, murky waters, a bundle of arms and legs colliding against each other as we made our way toward the markers that identified the 1.5 km distance we had to cover. I’ve always loved the waters and decided that the only way to avoid bumping into other swimmers is to create a strong lead, which I did effortlessly, making the rest of the distance traffic-free allowing me to clock 35 minutes. Within 30 seconds of emerging out of the sea, I was on my cycle – TREK – with my feet strapped on to the pedals, navigating the wet roads with my heart in my mouth. I couldn’t afford to slip, skid and fall off the cycle at 38 kms an hour…..I saw many fall and hurt themselves badly, being carried away by paramedics in an ambulance. I didn’t want 9 months of effort to be wasted in a matter of a few seconds, so I sent up a silent prayer seeking His blessings once again. Thoughts of bettering my timing and speed was the last thing in my head at that moment. I just focused on the road ahead with one thought in my head – to complete the race in one piece, without a mishap.
After my 40 kms was up without a hitch, I started on my last leg of the race – the 10 km run to the finish line. I began to believe in myself as the possibility of finishing the race loomed large in front of me. Mixed feelings of anticipation, relief and intense excitement washed over me, and within a few minutes it was all over. I had done it!
How did I, a working IT professional accomplish this despite spending 40+ hours at work every week? Here’s my story: It all began in the winter of 2012. I remember that December night as clearly as if it were yesterday – I sat in my study chalking out my top 5 priorities, outside of my work-related goals, for 2013. The continual stress that comes with a high pressure sales job involving lots of travel, in an IT multinational, had taken its toll not only on my health but also on my relationships. It was a case of all work and no play! I had to break that vicious cycle and so being a sport enthusiast, I decided on picking a sport as one of my priorities for 2013.
After hours of research, I picked a sport that had negligible representation from India – Olympic Distance Triathlon – surprising given that our country has over a billion people. What attracted me most to this endurance sport, involving 1.5 kms of sea swimming, 40 kms of cycling and 10 kms of running is that, it requires a high degree of self-motivation where one has to compete against oneself before taking on competition from other countries. Second, India had less than 1 % representation in this sport, which is a shame for a country of our size and achievements. Choosing my priority was the easy part, changing my lifestyle proved to be a Herculean task.
Years of indulging myself in smoking, drinking, irregular meals, late nights etc, had eroded my stamina considerably. First things first, I changed my entire routine. Going to bed at 8.30 pm to wake up at 4 am for 9 months consistently, without skipping my schedule was hard, but, I stuck to it relentlessly. My daily workouts ranged between 6-8 hours a day, peaking during weekends which were very strenuous. As a result of my daily regimen I became more focused, efficient and productive at work, packing a lot more into correspondingly fewer hours.
Of course, this meant that I ruffled a few feathers at work. My boss didn’t like it when I refused outright to spend my evenings and nights drinking and partying with him. My conversations with him diminished and were restricted to email conversations, which he detested. I surprised myself and everyone including my boss when I received the sales achievement award for FY 2013 from none other than John Chambers himself. Need I say more about the benefits of pursuing a sport.
I admit, that not many of my colleagues and friends understood what motivated me to change my entire lifestyle overnight, making me totally inaccessible to them. At first my family thought my decision to compete in the Singapore International Triathlon, was made in a moment of temporary insanity, and were waiting for it to pass, like many of my other fads in the past. But, when they saw me doggedly pursuing my rigorous workout schedule from 4 am – 8 am and later on in the evening from 4pm – 7 pm, day in and day out, they realized I was dead serious and decided to back me every step of the way.
My wife and mom chipped in with providing for my special diet and cleaning/readying my workout-wear. My diet consisted of 6 small meals per day. My dad accompanied me on my long runs and cycling as often as he could. But, what kept me going like a man possessed was one dream, one goal – representing India in Olympic Distance Triathlon, with the ultimate aim of qualifying for the Olympics. It was during those long arduous months that the Bollywood movie, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ released with a splash all across the country and I like many others was thoroughly inspired by the accomplishments of the Flying Sikh. After that, my momentum stepped up and I practiced like there was no tomorrow.
While it’s easy enough to start off on something, to be able to afford what it takes to compete in a sport like the Triathlon is another big cross to bear. My special diet cost me approximately 25,000 INR a month, gym fees 5,000 INR, gym trainer fee 5,000 INR, personal equipment 30,000 INR, swimming pool & trainer fees – 15,000 INR, cycle 1.5 lakh INR .
It would be great if sport enthusiasts and patrons could consider sponsoring serious Indian talent in such endurance sports, instead of concentrating only on popular sport like cricket, tennis and golf, which already enjoy rich patronage. There is abundant talent in this country which is home to 1.2 billion people. If only sporting authorities and large corporate houses could tap into this talent pool, I am sure the effort would spawn many medal winners in International Triathlons.

Kuldeep Singh EGMP12, is a triathlete who specializes in Olympic distance triathlon - 1.5 Km Sea swimming, 40 Km Cycling, 10 Km Running at one go. He has won a Bronze medal at National Level championship in Jan 2014 and the only Indian to hold a 32nd Rank in Singapore International Triathlon 2013.

Me : (looking up from my Blackberry) Hey, who are you and how did you come in? I mean that window is not big enough for you and I did not see the door open.
I am the one. I did not come in. I chose to be visible to you.
Me: What crap! (On the intercom) Dina! Whose is this guy you sent in?
Dina (walking in): what person sir? I did not send anyone in.
Dina can’t see me. I chose to be visible to you and only you.
Me: It’s Ok Dina, I must have seen a shadow. You can leave for the day. Please lock the door on your way out.
Me: Now tell me, why me? Because I am the boss?
(Guffaw) No! Because your wife is pestering me with her prayers to help you.
Me: Look I don’t know if you are him, but now that you are here, why don’t I give it a shot. It can’t hurt right? I am so overburdened that I would welcome any help. So shoot.
You are overburdened. Your wife says you don’t sleep well.
Me: True! I have people here who don’t take initiative. They have no sense of ownership and I carry the burden like Atlas. Don’t laugh!
So you always recruit people who have never shown a trace of ownership and initiative in their employment history.
Me: I did not say that. You mean something around here is causing that to happen.
Something or someone?
Me: Hey do not turn it back on me. You are here to help. Tell me how to fix it.
Have you told your people about this ‘initiative and ownership’ problem? Have you asked them how to fix it?
Me: Hey I can’t ask them for help. I am the boss. I provide the solutions here.
Oh! You provide the solutions. Then, why do you want them to take ownership and initiative?
Me: mmm, Got it! I’ll call for a meeting with my immediate reports right away.
Now?
Me: Yes. Time for action. Time is money you know.
Whose time? Your time or their time?
Me: Everybody’s. I mean this is as important to them as it is to me. Besides I am paying them for their time.
You are confident they all see this problem the same way as you do?
Me: Yes! Mmm well not all of them, may be some? A few? At least Dina?
So you want to call for a meeting where all your people come unprepared, and to do so, stop everything they are doing right now. And you are paying them to do so.
Me: I’ll mail them an invite for tomorrow with a brief note on what this is all about.
Me: Having got that out of the way; let me tell you I don’t buy this scheduling thing. People are not machines, why schedule them? Besides how can I schedule a meeting in advance about a customer calling me about a delivery delay? May be you can see the future, but I can’t.
Does it always come out from the blue?
Me: Only now. When I was working the inside the bowels of the organization, I always knew beforehand what would go wrong and even when.
You have lost your wisdom?
Me: Wisdom my foot! I was on the shop and knew what was going on. But the people in the shop now don’t know a thing. Or at least they do not tell me.
But you always told your boss?
Me: I guess yes. I would tell him this is the problem and this is what I have done so far and that I had told the customer that we would deliver part of the shipment on time but the balance would be off by 2 days.
You were cool.
Me: Not that. I mean these guys just come in and give me the bad news. No solutions. No attempt to take the customer into confidence. So I beat the shit out them. May be that’s why they do not tell me anything. But that is not my fault is it?
You were a model employee for your boss.
Me: That’s right. That’s why he had confidence in me and when he moved to Corporate, recommended that I take over the business.
Your current employees are not model employees and you can do nothing about that.
Me: Don’t make this a capability thing. You are challenging me.
Perhaps!
Me: I need to coach them. Yeah but who has the time to coach in the middle of a crisis?
Time or inclination?
Me: Ok inclination. Mom had a lot of that. The first time she taught me to cook was when she fell ill. I mean she was down with Malaria, wrapped in a blanket and she was telling me step by step. It paid off later when I lived abroad by myself. A crisis is an opportunity to coach. Yeah I’ll do that.
You can cook? No wonder your wife prays for you.
Me: Stop kidding me. Besides we were talking about scheduling. I hate schedules. They cramp me.
Nobody likes schedules. But that is the price you pay to work together. Or would you rather work solo?
Me: I guess not. But if I am not spontaneous I cannot be productive.
Like when you were working in shifts and your wife had a sales job. Both of you were very productive?
Me: Yeah!
That’s why she moved to an office job and you to a day job.
Me: That was because we wanted to raise a family. Otherwise we had no time for each other.
Touche!
Me: But there is also an element of luck.
You want your team’s performance to depend on luck.
Me: But I want to catch them off guard, otherwise they’ll put their best foot forward and pull wool over my eyes.
Is that bad?
Me: which? Best foot forward or pulling wool over my eyes?
Or not being able to catch them off guard?
Me: you want to discuss all 3 – I am game. Let’s play this your way. When do you think I should catch them off guard?
On something they are supposed to do day in day out.
Me: So if they are not doing it, they should know it. You mean like hold a mirror to them. But when it is something I want them to contribute about, I should give them time to come prepared. In that situation best foot forward is actually good for me. I get the best out of them.
If that is settled, can we move on?
Me: Are you mocking my style. See the problem with listening to them in these reviews is that they come up with some Jack and Jill story. Root cause, countermeasure etc. and they make it so technical that I do not have time to look into it. I wonder whether they mean it or they are just managing me, buying time till the next review.
You never did these things with your boss? Or should I say to your boss?
Me: No way. When I told my boss I am gonna fix something, I did it. And then I would take him to the spot and showed him. That’s why he knew I was good.
If your people do not show you the evidence of fixing, have you ever asked them to show you.
Me: No I can’t waste time during the review. And outside the review I have other things to do.
No wonder!
Me: Hey! I thought you were here to help me. You mean I have to see these things outside the review. And expose my ignorance. Also won’t it look like I don’t trust them?
Did you expose your boss’s ignorance on the floor? Did it look he did not trust you?
Me: On the contrary he trusted me. That’s why he came to floor to look at what I had to show him. Okay, I got it. If they can’t show initiative on this, I should. After all I am the boss.
You are.
Me: Hey stop vanishing. You can’t go away. I need you.
No you don’t. Not anymore.

Written by Sandeep Das, ‘Yours Sarcastically' is a 'not-so-diplomatic' take on the life of a 20-something person in contemporary India. It is the protagonist’s saucy journey from post graduate education to his experiences in selling mustard hair oil, his marketing stints and his rich experience during his international management consulting experience along the Indo-Nepal border. Some of his professional experiences include: interviewing 60 size zero south Bombay women, negotiating with the right hand man of an underworld don, managing drunken brand managers at corporate off-sites, the extensive preparation done by sales people for 'surprise' visits by their bosses and the hiring of cheerleaders by a premier consulting firm to turn around their client's fortunes. In his free time, he likes to write movie scripts for C grade movies, transform behenjis to blockbuster babes, visit top brothels in Mumbai and indulge in politics and backbiting.
Along the way, he falls in love with his batch-mate and hankers after professional success. Needless to say, there is a villain who runs after the same lovely girl and the same crown of success. As the stakes keep getting higher, will this rollercoaster ride meet a dead end or will everything fall in place like any other happily ever after?
As part of the Yours Sarcastically series, we bring to you some of the most entertaining, sarcastic excerpts from the online bestseller. As part of the first article in this series, we bring to you an Oscar winning movie script mentioned in the book, which has potential to break all box office records. Yours Sarcastically has been featured in the Times of India, CNN IBN, Asian Age, Hindu, Air India’s in-flight magazine amidst other places. Yours Sarcastically is available on Flipkart.
Book Excerpt:
Character Introduction:
Hero:Middle-aged, overweight Bengali guy who has the best occupation any lead character in a movie can dream of – a paan spitting, balding, potbellied intellectual coolie.
Heroine:She has been picked from a certain state where the stature and success of the heroine is directly proportional to her waist size. In this case, she has a waist size of 45 inches. As you can gather, she is an upcoming actress who has just gotten past the casting couch.
Villain:A typical one-toothed, sadistic man, hell-bent on wreaking havoc upon the whole world.
This is how the movie goes:
The heroine is being eve-teased by the villain and his gang at a railway station. The heroine is crying for help. The hero coolie, travelling in a chopper, notices the act of indecency and decides to come to the rescue of the heroine. The hero, in ultra-tight jeans which is bursting at the seams, battles all the men with panache and there are bodies everywhere. Each goonda gets a kick on his jaw and collapses.
The hero and the heroine exchange glances now, and realize that they are meant to be together for the next seventy-seven rebirths. As a mark of his love and respect for her, he spits his paan out on her face, which she gracefully accepts. However, the villain runs away with the heroine.
The hero, now in a cycle rickshaw, (the chopper was hired only for twenty minutes so it cannot be used here) is chasing the villain who is in a Mercedes Benz. It is a super close chase, with both within striking distance of each other. The twenty-minute chase sequence runs across the Himalayas, the Thar Desert, the Deccan peninsula, the Sunderban forests and with foreign travel so cheap nowadays, a two-minute sequence near the Big Ben in London is also included. After the nerve-wracking chase, the heroine has been taken away into a secret hideout. The hero is chasing the villain’s accomplice who knows where the hideout is.
What happens next has defined Indian Cinema over the last fifty years. Most people believe that the 1991 financial reforms led to India’s development, but it is actually the inspiration from this scene that changed everything in India. There is a very high wall, with the villain’s accomplice on the other side and the hero on this side. The hero has just two guns with him and has no view of the accomplice on the other side. He throws the first gun up and shoots from the second gun. The bullet from the second gun hits the trigger of the first gun, and the bullet from the first gun gets the villain’s accomplice. However, the guy does not die straightaway. He survives just long enough to tell the hero where his ‘hot, slim and sexy babe’ is hidden.
The next action-packed scene is in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean. The villain, anticipating the hero’s arrival, has put a 40,000 volt transformer in the ocean and is hovering in a chopper over the centre of the ocean. The hero jumps into the ocean and tries to swim to the centre. The villain anticipates the hero’s electrocution. A thundering voice is heard, much to the villain’s disappointment:
alt‘When most people touch electricity, they get current. When I touch electricity, electricity gets current!’
The transformer supplying the 40,000 volts of electricity explodes under the sheer pressure of the dialogue. A five second pause has to be given here as people in the theatre need to finish whistling and throwing money at the screen. However, the hero realizes he cannot swim to the centre of the Pacific Ocean as time is running out. In this moment of despair, he meets an unlikely ally – a blue whale.
Recap:Seven births ago, when the hero was very young, he had given this whale food to eat which had helped her survive.
Coming Back:Overwhelmed by emotion; the blue whale begins to cry beneath the surface of the ocean. Her transparent tears are clearly glistening in the blue waters of the Pacific. The hero keeps wiping her tears as she takes the hero to just below the point where the chopper is hovering. The hero, in a moment of gallantry, jumps out of the water and pulls the chopper down with sheer might. Obviously the chopper sinks, the one-toothed villain dies, and the heroine is in the hero’s arms and the blue whale drops them safely to the shore. The hero and the heroine live happily ever after with their twenty-seven kids.
About the author:
Sandeep Das, from IIM Bangalore (PGP 2007 – 2009), is an author, anchor, debater, freelance journalist, motivational speaker and a management consultant.

Lessons in forgetting is a film close to my heart; not only because it is directed by a very dear friend, Unni Vijayan but also because I was privileged to be involved in the project right from the time when the story was being finalized. I was just curious about the whole process of film making and requested to tag along and they readily agreed.
What surprised me was the story they chose to make the film on. Being first time film makers, I would have thought the easiest way to get recognized for them would have been to make a commercially viable film and get mileage out of it. But this young group of film makers chose a book by Anita Nair based on the issue it centred around, they wanted to make an issue based film. Lessons in Fogetting one of Anita Nair's most recent books deals the subject of selective abortion of female foetus.
The backdrop of the story is: a young non resident Indian girl's need to find her roots and identify herself with the India that she sees.
Smriti, the young girl, is raised by her single Father JAK (J. A. Krishnamurthy), comes down to India to find herself. In her attempt to live the Indian life she comes in contact with a group of youngsters who put up awareness based street plays, their latest play deals with: selective abortion of female foetus. They take this play to a small town in Tamil Nadu and during her stay there, Smriti stumbles upon a dark secret the town is hiding. She slowly realizes that the secret is not even hidden, it is out in the open but people turn a blind eye to it, everybody has accepted the fact that, if a woman is carrying a girl, the chances of her being born are bleak.
Smriti is disturbed by this and decides to bring the nexus to book but in the process is brutalized in a freak mishap. The incident leaves her in a comatose and her father follows a delicate trail of clues to find out what led to his daughter's condition. It is a long journey but he is prepared to dig deep and find the answer. At the end what he finds is that his daughter wore her heart on her sleeve and lived an unapologetic life but despite taking a few wrong turns in life, she ended up being right. Fighting a cause that each one of us should be fighting for: "A Girl Child's Right to be Born and Treated Equally"
The story is subtly told, so as to not become preachy but to bring an awareness that the issue of selective abortion, despite all the laws enforced, still persists.
I am proud to be associated with the film. It was an amazing experience, the locations, the direction, the camera work, the music, everything fell in place, once the ball was set rolling.
Anita Nair herself did the screenplay and she was indeed the right person to do it. The music, which flows perfectly with the pace of the story, is given by the brilliant violinist duo Ganesh and Kumaresh, the only song in the film, an adapted original folklore is rendered beautifully by M.D. Pallavi. The actors are all mostly from the theatre and most of the time, know what they are doing. Most of the crew, including the director, are FTII graduates.
The film is produced, like I mentioned before, by a first timer, Prince Thampi, under the banner Arowana Studios.
Although the film is doing well at the international film circuit, being screened to a packed hall giving a standing ovation, it hasn't got a release in India yet, due to the lack of courage from the distributors. But I recommend this film, everyone should atleast watch it, for the effort that the people involved have put into the making of it. They did not think of the eventuality when it was made but put a lot of heart in the subject and the film.

It is a travesty of the times we live in that, in very few minds today there rings a bell, at the mention of a name like Prof. N S Ramaswamy, the man singularly responsible for the institution and campus and all the people that it shelters.
I fondly recall my meeting with him sometime in October 2002. I had gone to his Cartman office to invite him on behalf of the organizing committee for our class’s Bees Saal Baad reunion program at the institute.
He was immensely grateful for the invitation and immediately accepted to come. I practically had tears in my eyes, when he told me “In the last twenty years after I left the institute, nobody has ever called me. You are the first to do so!” - in that same inimitable voice and accent of his that always rings in our ears.
And he came to the event and regaled us with his wit (which if you recall was pitted in the BSB meet against that of Prof BKC, on the same stage!).
And then subsequently on the occasion of our Pachees Saal Baad reunion too - despite being 5 years older, weaker and sadly more senile - he yet obliged us with his presence at the session at the institute. On this occasion, we had assembled as many as three former Directors in one room – Profs. NSR, PG Apte and MR Rao!
Prof. NSR was a man of great wisdom who lived so staunchly by his convictions. Made from a mould that has long since disappeared from this world.
RIP Sir.