MBA - My Career and Progress

It has been a year since I started my MBA preparation. I got various abroad calls (nothing worth mentioning except a few). Last year I found myself running on high commitments with my project activities. Added to those tool development activities by learning VB macros didn’t give me enough room for my MBA. But this year I have made it a point to sustain both from my project and MBA perspective. How will I? “I can” is the answer. I need to allocate enough time for my career. Various frustrations, lost momentum and unexpected critics aroused a hatred thought. Despite we completed the project on-time some times as a team (and many a times as a two or three) we are not a well-deserved team. I don’t want to point my finger at anyone. There were many people who were backing me up and provided the needed support. Also a universal comment “you are unlucky buddy”. When people sympathize it inclines our frustration. I always ensured that I was beyond my “Call of Duty”. Enough I don’t want to ponder on it. Now there is no guarantee that same might repeat. I could have put some quality effort for my MBA preparation which might have fetched my dream. Now I want to come back!!! But never mind that all of them with whom i worked know my potential. It was because of this they were in want my time and talent. Time and circumstances might have made them to show who they were.

This time I am not going to let out my plans. This section I would like to see how far I have developed and in what way I need to improve. My first rule would be to have a perfect balance in life. How can I ensure is purely in my hands. My foremost rule is “Don’t tame anyone to exploit your time, talent or privacy”. The project right now I am in to is not going run under stringent schedule. We do have leisure timelines. This is right now a boon in disguise. I would like to enhance my managerial skills. I don’t know whether this year’s MBA preparation would get what I desire. Hope and confidence are the key factors for my motivation. Another four months from now I want to prove myself. Many thought that I took this MBA initiative in emotional distress. Actually I didn’t get time for myself to realize my emotional frustration. When I look back things seems to have gone out of hand. By now I have almost gained three years of experience. The only constraint which I can foresee is my employer VISA processing and onsite assignments. I am least bothered of it at this time as I am very unlucky in this perspective. My application was not picked up in the previous lots. Now this is has also become a trivial factor. If this time I win I will take a look and consider my thoughts and plans if needed.

The next most important thing would be expand my horizons and broaden my verticals. I don’t want to limit my thoughts office and work. My source of inspiration is going to be the “Mein Kamph” (My Struggle) the autobiography of Hitler. Right now i am working on the positives to look how I can develop the hidden and cremated skills. The next thing is to change my perspective. Stephen Covey’s attitude to look at things from universal perspective might fetch us great heights at times. I have learnt a few skills on which I would like to work up. I hate monotonous life and I would like to structure my daily program every morning. The good news is I have started to work on my plans. Considering my experience I have learnt is what I guarantee my thoughts.

I would be away from my site for another three months (Till September end). I would update my progress and plans after October. I consider these three months of my MBA preparation is going to be my turning point. Let me pray that this would turn out white and I would shape my career to the best.

Goodbye IPL 2009

I am coming back after sometime to update my blog. I have been bit busy with my project activities. Today I found time as I was not well. I am initiating this post from my laptop (A first one). It just a 150 word post. Of course I would post one more for the day.

An ugly adieu by IPL Season 2! This time neither the matches nor the proceeding were commendable. The retired players proved that it’s their time. They capitalized on their momentum. Especially the Kangaroo batsmen proved their best. Again this year cup was backed by a team led by an Australian. A well deserved ovation to Gilchrist and his men. Hats off captain! The closing ceremony was the worst. This season was monotonous and boring. The “Prince of Patiala” proved his captaincy can ruin his career. The brain storming “Aila” and his team didn’t have a proper line up though they were backed by the best. Certain under-22 youngsters played their game to the best and proved that they can lift Indian team to great heights. The only nail-biting moment was which all teams would make it to the semis’ and whether Fake IPL Player would reveal his identity. This Season is not something which will be heard for ages. I believe it would evade by the time T20 takes its form

IPL 2009

IPL 2009 is a welcomed entertainment for cricket lovers. A lot of gambling, critics and politics are involved. Finally it’s the 160 minutes which matters. At the worst we might shirk our work commitment for a matter of 160 minutes. This is least when compared to the schedule which we dedicate for our career and wanted (or unwanted) commitments.

The 16:00 (IST) match might be missed during weekdays but the match which commences at 20:00 (IST) would draw a huge amount of fans for sure. The IPL 2008 season was a success for sure. The Indian central government denied adequate protection (owing to Lok Sabha elections) to the players which made the IPL commission to shift its 2009 matches to a different country. South Africa and England were there on the list. England has its EPL league on the go with South Africa being the only alternative. This format of game saw a huge welcome in South Africa. The Indian sub-continent pitches have proven to be a batting pitch which saw a huge cheer in India for 2008 season. But this season in South Africa is a bouncy bowling pitch which might favor the bowlers. The IPL format though draws a huge cheer for a batsman game it has seen a change in trend this year with no dip in the cheer level. Both England and South Africa are not worth mentioning for an ODI or 20-20. Leaving the bouncy pitches apart the climate has a huge role to play for each and every match. The rain can spoil any match at any moment and the worst part is if two consecutive matches are held on the same day with same pitch.

The opening ceremony finding a bit vague was not cheered as expected. The concept of strategy break controversy is something which must be made clear. An unwanted discussion and warm up when players are in good form of their game. The entertainers lose their energy with the spectators going to the peak of aggravation. The way in which these people earn these days are made clearly visible. These breaks have proven to be futile. Cricket legends are completely against this. But the egoist commission has plans to reduce it to 2.5 minutes rather going for “great” says. Cash flow can create and break “Rules”.

Each franchisee has something to say through this IPL. They try to exhibit their cine talents to a worldwide welcomed sport. Huh, I am not sure whether these franchisees take it as a sport or a hobby to promote their deeds. What does “Big Sister” has to do with cricket? She claims – “I watched a few matches last time. My father was a die-hard fan of cricket. So this time I want to get in to this seriously.” Implication she bought the “Rajasthan Royals” from IPL commissioner. Sounds Silly. Circles say that last time the IPL commissioner made his team (Rajasthan Royals) to lift the trophy.

Few indisputable “Legends” make up for the debris. Politics, rumors, fake plays sometimes test spectator’s patience. “Master Minds” like Sachin talents always stands in front of this speech and action.

The anonymous fake IPL player claiming to be a Kolkata Knight rider has created was a warm welcome to the monotonous game played by this team. Though it seems to be fictional to some extent this blog has created a great interest among KKR rival fans. The ambience which prevails in this spendthrift circle is indeed truth thrown out in light. Let’s see what facts (stupidity of the players and team) he has got to say.

Nonetheless these facts might make one to feel that it’s a serious market business. A good set of well-disciplined talented franchisee can opt for players and make each and every match worth watching. The bidding process relates to selling a product (talent) in a market to the richest person. One welcoming approach would be to have a mix of performers. A board can be formed and players can be nominated. After several rounds of players, franchisees and the board’s consensus the final list can be out.

My home team being Chennai Super Kings has Mumbai Indians as a rival team with some of my friends and colleagues supporting Mumbai Indians. Though Tendulkar remains the Legend forever I can’t stop holding up the potency of Chennai Super Kings as a team. This great season has many things to say by May 24. This is the first write-up for the season. Will be updated with more at the earliest…

Trivia:

• The IPL is the richest cricket sponsored by BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India).
• For five years (Starting from 2008 to 2012) IPL would get 20% of the money. The eight franchises would get a greater deal of 72%. The prize money carries the least of 8%.
• For the next 10 years Sony Entertainment bought the broadcasting right for US$1.026 Billion.
• The strategy break after 10 overs raised a few controversies. The undisputed fact is for a 3 second advertisement Sony Entertainment charges 4.5Lakh INR.
• Apart from five icon (playing for their hometown) players - Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians), Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab), Virendar Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils), Rahul Dravid (Bangalore Royal Challengers) and Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders), V.V.S Laxman (Deccan Chargers) was also offered to become an icon player but he rejected it thinking of the financial benefit which his club might incur during the player auction.
• The icon players will be paid 15% more than the second highest player in that team.
• This cricket format will be tried out in America as APL (American Premier League). This might include 6 teams Premium Pakistan, Premium India, Premium West Indies, Premium World and Premium America.

Online and Mobile Banking in India

In this advanced world “Money” has become “Information” communicated over the internet. Online and Mobile banking has changed the banking routines to a great extent. Many initiatives, downturns and fraudulent scam have been the regular banking cycle since the inception of technological advances. These technological advances have become one of our daily basic amenities. Unbiased study with pros and cons would give an individual a good picture of which banking technology suits him/her the best. The ATM‘s has offered a great customer service these days. Gone are the days where an individual spends at least half-an hour to withdraw or deposit cash. The introduction of VSAT technology has proved worthy to this sector of banking. Though long waiting hours has been seen in front of an ATM, installation of more number of machines has removed this inconvenience too. More number of proliferations in the ATM installation is not a true sign of ATM’s optimum use. This is very clear from the fact that the target audience of the use of this ATM is not the senior citizens - The reason being “mugging” and other security threat. When an option is given to women and senior citizens to use the ATM many prefer the manual banking. As the technology advances the banking frauds does increases exponentially. Some means which can be adopted for secured ATM transactions are,

1. The use of biometrics technology can defer impersonations.

2. The subscribers must be educated on the use of ATM cards.

3. The password change after a fixed number of transactions, say after 10 transactions should be made mandatory.

4. Devices like NCR Intelligent Fraud technology can be made mandatory for all the ATM’s. This can avoid card skimming. (NCR - New York corporation helps business to build strong relationship with the customers)

Internet banking is another area where users of all the age are targeted. This doesn’t mean that Internet users have o% security threat. Phishing is one major attack which has become common these days. Almost all the well-established private bank has introduced this online banking. This is not only a time saving option but a greater customer satisfaction is acquired. Many of the nationalized government banks are still facing challenges in getting these technological advances to their network. Maintaining the network legacy has always remained a nightmare. This is because the customers should not be separated by geography, introduction of new customers should not imbalance the network, the security threats needs to be consolidated and the network should be upgraded often. To add upon the RBI has laid out various regulations and constraint which a bank must adhere while implementing or renovating their network. It mainly concentrates on the customer’s privacy, best levels of authentication and authorization with predicted list of risks and mitigation strategies. Vaidyanathan Iyer, National Manager, eSecurity Business Computer Associates which provides networking solutions to banks point out that “the guidelines have been created with a lot of thought of regarding the business scenario in India. It is at Par with the International Banking Standards. Also it is very comprehensive.” The ways to get rid of some internet security threats are,

1. Getting a Client Level certificate is bit tougher but then once acquired with the help of digital technology (like encryption and decryption) the network can be well-secured.

2. A secured SSL VPN connection can prevent outside intruders to access the bank’s network. Firewalls, filters and digital signatures can make give one of the best networks. Much important is the network administration of a bank should be well aware of the updates in the market and keep enriching the bank’s network at regular intervals. The net result is to how many customers these advances reach.

3. The users should be made aware that their account sensitive information like passwords and PIN’s should not be shared. Don’t click the links from Emails which asks for account confidential.

4. A trusted genuine anti-virus should be installed.

Mobile technology has the great potential to revolutionize the modern banking system. Even in a place where the ATM’s and the access to internet is minimal mobile technology comes as a savior, the reason – Mobile communication awareness has reached to almost every nook and corner of the world. India has more than 200 Million Mobile subscribers and the number continues to explode. Financial institutions were having vendors like MChek to mobilize the banking technology. But the RBI was very clear on the non-involvement of third party vendors. This is a good sign as the banks themselves have to come up with optimized solutions. The Mobile technology has not proved its worth yet. Again there are several security challenges while dealing with the Mobile banking. It would be easy for a person’s mobile to get stolen and masqueraded. But a good set of norms and well-recognized security standards can avoid these security threats.

1. The use of a security PIN to identify a person is one simple solution.

2. Patches should be updated in mobiles over air. These patches should be made available as soon as it is released.

3. The device should be configured securely that it should not get affected even when made available in the open network.

4. The bank statement should be available to the concerned person after each and every transaction.

In this fast growing world it is impossible to sustain without having a touch to any of these technologies. It is quite natural for a subscriber to become a victim of malicious network/user. It is the responsibility for the individual banks to educate their customers, after all no one will take chance on their hard earned money. A good set of security practices should be made available to the customers. The help lines should volunteer and provide the best solutions to the customers at the earliest. An approved list of risk and mitigation plan should be made available. This list should be upgraded frequently. The financial institutions network should undergo various stress and loyalty test before made available to the customers. A good set of structured hierarchy should be created so that the next time a customer goes for online or mobile banking he/she should feel comfortable in entering their bank account credentials.

Sensex Impact in India 2008-2009

India is the second fastest growing economy as per the economist and statisticians throughout the world. The year nineties opened the doors for investment from many sources. Foreign investment is one such major aspect which proved to be a worthy source. The foreign investment increased the sensex points at BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) and NSE (National Stock Exchange). The rate at which the economy boomed was increasing exponentially over time. The sensex were at its peak. Indian investors got well-acquainted with the process that they invested bulk amounts. The market was building up with a good rapport from the society. Though there were leaps and bounds with a few fraudulent scams the optimistic roar has enlightened the market.

Market experts pointed out flawlessly that “Corporate Performance and liquidity flows are the two major factors one should look for in the coming year. Those investors who fail to convert the invisibles to visible will be punished with profit-booking. The efficient one will be rewarded for sure.”

The whole nation had a unified towards vibrant boom until the Wall Street Stock Exchange at US crashed all of a sudden - The reason being the delinquency in the housing loan sector. If a government meets the following three criteria then it is classified as a folly,

1. It must have been seen as counter-productive in its own time and not by hindsight.

2. A feasible alternative course of action must have been available at the time.

3. The adopted policy must have been the action of a group rather than an individual and its impact must have persisted beyond one political lifetime.

The investment banks sector was give the liability to participate in the public market. But when the late nineties saw a boom in the market, the Commercial bank was given the same relaxation. For eight long years the market boomed as if it had never seen a depression. Following caveats was thrown,

1. Economist warned that these merge would fluctuate the regulatory structure drastically.

2. When such boom is filling the air it is not advisable to take such an unpredictable move.

3. As pointed out these worthless changes will haunt us to for a decade if such predictions pose to be a risk.

The financial section doom showed a cascading effect by posing a risk to the Indian Market. This term is inclusive of the corporate sector which was outsourcing to these unpredicted arenas. The tight integrated bond with foreign investment has a tumbling effect. If one card is pulled from the middle the entire industry falls down. The aviation industry saw huge layoffs. Salary cuts were filling the office atmosphere. The worst sensex dips was observed on Jan 18 2008 with 687.82 points.

Initially the government confirmed that the subprime mortgage crisis has got no direct impact to India except the Private Sector bank which had shown its face. But when this Mortgage crisis was directed to Housing loan and credit card market a big blow to Indian economy became inevitable. There were impacts in term of cash flows and regulations. The former Finance Minister P Chidambaram added that the other Asian markets like Hong Kong, Tokyo and China opens well before and a keen observation on would provide valuable inputs for Indian Stock Market.

Analysts expect that the Market can further go down. The market will take shape only when the global liquidity comes down and the commodity prices settle. The US recession has a global meltdown and for a developing nation like India there is no room for escape. This period can be best looked as an opportunity to buy shares. Long term investment can be given a second thought.

3% of the Indian population is directly or indirectly associated with the Indian Stock Market.

The RBI’s intervention to FOREX can reduce the volatility of the Indian Stock Market.

The best investment option at this time would be gilt funds. Two reasons why to go for this is

Government can print money to pay for its obligations. It can get the tax for the money printed and circulated. Mutual funds would also be a better option.

A good thorough audit by the auditing companies can provide valuable inputs to the investors. This can avoid the recent corporate fraud which made many investors to lose their hope for the money they invested.

It is better to look at decent returns when recession is ruling the market. Long term investment with decent returns could fetch far better results.

Bonds such as United States Saving Bonds are another low risk, low return investment. There are many types of bonds issued by local governments and corporate entities. The bond is basically a promise to repay at certain amount of money and interest over a certain time span. They are similar to Certificates of Deposit in many ways. Once again, the drawback is a lower rate of return on your investment.

It doesn’t matter how much you invest but where you invest this “how much”. The rate of return for long term investment is quite low. But can procure decent returns as a reward. The short term risk option is highly suitable for one who has a good amount of experience with a thorough knowledge of the market. One thing sure is “The Market will always have bullish and bearish period”. Long term will compensate and balances both the market. The saving account in a bank is far better for an amateur to invest in.

As the knowledge of Market prediction is made literate to each and every investor the term recession can be removed from “Investopedia”.

2008 Thanksgiving

Photo Gallery of the Trip

Album 1

Album 2

A long wait (probably the one which we were longing) came true. The day was 26-November-08. I fled from office by 8:30 PM (which is too early) for me. I have never seen such an evening (for quite some time). I was praying for the dawn - Our Trip starts by 8:00 AM next morning. Myself with three of my college friends were planning for a holiday trip. The plan was charted out two months back. Though lot such plans were drafted in the past those were futile attempt as nothing came alive. Pure coincidences as our calendars were relatively free. It was “Thanksgiving”. I started from Trivandrum by 9:00 PM. As usual I didn’t get a proper sleep while on-board. I reached Coimbatore by 7:00 AM. My home is temporarily out of Coimbatore so I was to go to Vineeth’s house for getting ready. I called up my friend Vineeth to ensure that he picks me on time. The only thought pondering in each one of our mind is when we will meet each other for fun. As usual Vineeth came late by half-an-hour. We started towards his house. On the way we were trying to reach two other friends – Rajeev and Jagan. Both of them were reachable and they were getting ready. We were convinced that Jagan reached “IN TIME”. On our way to Vineeth house I wanted to have a look at our new construction site (of our house). We headed directly without any hesitation as I assured that I would get ready by 8:00. We went and had a glance. Thoughts were pondering in my mind like – How was I? How am I now? How many friends since my childhood? How independent am I? I know that these were really absurd question for the moment. But a flash passed through my mind with these questions. This was my trip to Coimbatore since March, 2008. Many places seem to be more urbanized. Vineeth was having a constant chat with me without a break. We were making many plans for the trip. We finally reached Vineeth’s home by 7:45. I was ready by 8:00. In the meanwhile the cab which we booked arrived. We called up Jagan confirming our arrival in next 15 Mins. As usual he was searching for something at the last moment. Think he got it finally. Jagan started his show from that moment. The next 15 mins was full of fun. We asked Rajeev to make his way to a famous landmark as we were not sure of his new house. The trip started. Finally the awaiting moment came true. We started to feel that Audio/Video CD would make our trip much more enjoyable. But then our efforts were in vain as we didn’t find a Music shop open at such “Odd” Hours. Actually I asked Jagan to be ready with a music CD. I thought that he might clutter the plan. No surprise as he made a mess while “burning” the music CD. But we want our trip to be more memorable. As a first step we made a pit stop for our “Breakfast” (I was having my breakfast after a long time). We had a very heavy breakfast that it was enough to carry us till midnight. Fun, frolic, photos, pranks and sarcastic words were roaming around that none of us felt bored or alone. Finally we reached Munnar with some unforgettable scenes. But we were not able to spot our cottage as it was too dark. Added to it fog made us to watch our movement. Finally we spotted our destination and reached the cottage by 8:00 PM. We already had enough food and junk items that we hardly felt hungry. We switched on the TV and to our dismay we came to know about the “Mumbai Terror”. Conversations, agreements and debate were going among us on this “Controversial” issue. We flicked from one channel to another for updates. Situation calmed among us and we planned for a game of cards. The one good thing which Jagan did was having a “Pack of Cards” ready for us. Our game started. The game turned to be very interesting as “Rajeev” and “Jagan” started fighting for their “Losing” position. Though Jagan was targeted, Rajeev won this losing position to our surprise. The one thing which I would cherish is the location of the “Cottage”. It was a nice lonely place. We felt like we were in the mid-forest – away from the buzzing city. I used have dreams of this kind of house (with more hi-tech facilities). We went out for a few snaps with the nature. It was really a good experience. Day1 came to a close as we were very tired of our journey. We called our day by around 3:00 AM. Day2 started by 7:00 AM. Though we started our day by 7:00 AM, the dawn came for us by 10:00 AM as we started our day by then. It was a lazy morning as we nearly took 3 hours to get ready. We started to a hotel as we were hungry. After our breakfast we started our trip. We went to Mattupatti Lake. The climate turned out to be too cold. We are having a guy (Rajeev) who took photos of almost everything we saw. He didn’t spare the common things which we see day to day. If you have a look at his photos there will be no need of a trip to Munnar. From here we headed to “Echo Point”. The places are really nice to visit as the climate was flavoring each and every moment of our enjoyment. We spent enough time at each and every place. From here we headed to “Top Station”. We had a nice trekking as we went for nearly a 2 Km walk. We had a look at “Idduki district”, “Tribal village” and a falls at a single stroke which would remain in the memory of each person who makes it to this place. It was a narrow trekking. Vineeth was not able to make it as he felt tired half-way. Our never mind attitude made us to reach the destination. Really scenic!!! It was getting dark and we made our way to the cottage. Again the night life started for us – Cards, TV and Photo sessions packed with fun. Jagan went to bed early as he had an eagerness to get up early next day. We three chatted for long hours and went to bed by 03:00 A.M. Day3 started in the same way as Day2. But our photographer wants his camera to be filled with the flower garden. So we started our day a bit fast. We packed our things and vacated the cottage. We settled the bill and beckoned a bye to the lovely cottage. We started our day with the flower garden. I gave my camera to Vineeth and he was involved in his work for some time. Though I and Rajeev alone had camera the entire Munnar can be view through our albums. We headed towards “Rajamalai hills”. We went to the top and took a trekking up the hills for 2 kms. The fog and mist was accompanying our trekking. It was hard to believe where I am. Photo-sessions ended as we spent a 4 hour time over there. It was time and we bid adieu to Munnar. We started our way back to “Coimbatore”. We crossed the mid-forest. It was a rejuvenating experience!!! Tiredness can be very easily spotted out in each one of our face. We reached and waved hands at each other with a light disheartened feeling. I am not sure as to when I would get such an opportunity again. I often get pre-occupied as we may not get such opportunities. The commitment to the fast pace world is one such reason. The next day I promised to Vineeth for movie “Varnam Ayaram” at KG Multiplex. I was really tired as I didn’t have proper sleep for some long time. This trip added to my tiredness. But I was not able to feel the ache at any point. At night I geared myself for the next day. I called up my teammate to get update on the “Project Status” to ensure that things were smooth. Though I took one day leave it was too much for me. I heard the good news that everything is fine and we were doing well as a “workaholics”.The days when we meet our alumni will be cherished in each one’s life. I am sure that this written memoir will never fade away from my heart. I have had grudges, misunderstandings and arguments with some close people and these three carried it in the long run. Still I long for a “wind back” button to go back and spend time with my close buddies.