State of the Union

President Barack Obama’s speech couple of days ago on the State of the Union was a pleasure to watch.

Disclosure: I do not support some of his policies, especially his moving away from the “friend of India” position established by the previous administration of George W Bush.

I thought that everyone around the world should watch the U.S. President’s State of the Union Address delivered at the beginning of each fiscal year, since it reveals so much about the way in which government business is conducted in the U.S. and the foreign policy positions of the U.S. Government.

What is different with President Obama is his oratorical skills. He speaks with clinical precision, with hardly much of an emotion, but with lots of conviction. He is a great communicator, and appeals to a wide spectrum of people easily.

It surprised me a lot when I was watching the video on his website. He did not, not even for once, refer to the booklet in front of him which contained his speech. Nor was he aided by a teleprompter device with running words from his speech. He never had an inch of hesitation, and his speech was almost like an extempore delivery. But obviously, great preparation has gone into the speech as always, and the extensive use of slides to demonstrate key points of his speech was impressive. President Obama did not even gesticulate towards the slides, he was absolutely focused on making a solid impression on the very important people assembled at Capitol Hill and on the American people listening to him live.

And, I think he achieved his goal. He drove home the key points pending before the Congress and the absolute necessity to move ahead in cooperation, rather than fight on issues between the two Parties as has been happening increasingly in Washington. I do not think his appeal towards collaborative approach to solving the nation’s huge problems would have much of an impact on the Republican Party or its Senators. But I think it would have had a good positive impact on the American people.

All in all, it was a solid State of the Union speech, well prepared and extremely well delivered by a superbly knowledgeable President who appeared to be in total control. This sounds good for America, but it is anybody’s guess whether Americans would re-elect him as President.

Americans like strong, good and persuasive communicators in all spheres of life, and do not like ambiguity. The President made his business case for his agenda for government in 2012 very persuasively and firmly.

I was not amused by the fact that he did not mention India even once, though he referred to China atleast twice, and to Israel, Burma, Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let us see if he can carry through on his agenda and his commitments to the American people. Let us see if the American Corporations would bring back more jobs to the U.S.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
26th January 2012
Mumbai

Jacob’s Creek Chardonnay 2010

This is the USD 9 (INR 450) wine that I picked up recently at the DFS at Mumbai International Airport.

Very good Chardonnay with fresh flavours. This is a medium-bodies wine with lemon and peach flavours. Amazingly fresh.

The colour is pale yellow and the palate is soft with strong citrus flavours.

For its price, this is a wonderful wine. I liked it so much that I am looking for more of it, but unfortunately it is not available in the wine shops at the shopping malls.

Have to find some other way of sourcing this price-effective and very nice wine. Any ideas from anyone living in Mumbai ?

Strongly recommended. You will like it. It is better than the Sula wines or any other Chardonnay from Indian wineries. And, it is less expensive !

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
22nd January 2012
Mumbai

And Quiet Flows the Don

This movie came on the TV one late evening.

I was mesmerized by the movie. It is a Russian movie with English subtitles. I could not move away from the TV and continued watching the unfolding landscape of Russia entwined with human emotions in the midst of miseries of war.

“And Quiet Flows the Don” movie is based on the famous novel “…and Quiet flows the Don” by Mikhail A. Sholokhov, for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I am yet to read the book, but I will. It is a fascinating movie and I am sure the book would be even better than the movie.

I have always been fascinated by world war movies and historical movies. Soviet Russia has long been an intriguing country, and no experience in my life has been more thrilling than visiting Russia twice in the early Nineties, when it had just come out of its communist rule.

So, it was not surprising for me to be drawn to a Russian movie, I guess ! The scenery along the Don River was rural agrarian, not akin to what I saw in St Petersburg and Moscow. The unforgiving terrain of Russia and the Cossack life depicted in the movie was simply unforgettable. More than that the scenes of human passion and valour, family squabbles, the harshness of the Russian winters, et al, were shown in this movie with such splendour that I was captivated.

This is a long movie which requires lot of patience and understanding of Cossack culture. But for those who wish to be fascinated by a long bygone culture in a mysterious country, this is the movie to see.

The actors and the director have done a fabulous job, and the movie depicts human emotions in vivid colour. The World War I followed by the Russian Revolution and the continuous misery inflicted by the wars on the Cossacks is so well taken (though not in great detail) that this movie beats some of the best war movies from Hollywood.

I thought the Cossacks are tough warriors and bear the brutal impact of war and weather equally well, while masking their emotions. That may not be true – they are as human as others are, and the women show that very well in this movie. Gregori’s dad is another hot spot of emotions, who shows his anger against his son’s indiscretions rather well.

All in all, this is an amazing movie, and I would recommend that you see it.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
22nd January 2012
Mumbai

Grillo

I thought it was a strange name for an Indian wine. It is not surprising that Indian wine makers wish to adopt foreign names, I have seen that repeatedly over the past several years of living in India. But Grillo ? I did some research and found that Grillo is a type of white grape harvested in Sicily !

Wow, Sicilian white wine in India !?

I got a complementary bottle of Grillo 2010 recently. It is produced in Nashik wine-growing region of Maharashtra State of India, by Vintage Wines Private Ltd., who produce the Reveilo range of wines that you can see at most wine shops in Mumbai.

I was really surprised with this white wine. Actually, I was not expecting much, but was pleasantly impressed with the quality of the Grillo 2010 from Reveilo. Both my wife and myself enjoyed this wine as an aperitif, which is how this wine should be tasted, I guess. The acidity of Grillo is not missed at all, one can sense strong citrus and lemon flavours. I could not get the orange bouquet that was mentioned on the wine tasting note, but may be I will try again with a new bottle (having finished the first one !).

This is a sophisticated wine, and I would rate this in complexity closer to a Sauvignon Blanc, rather than the usual sweet Chenin Blanc or a Chardonnay. I have not yet figured out the food pairing, but I guess it would go well with seafood.

I think this is a good discovery, but I did not find this wine in the local wine shop which had other Reveilo wines. The shop keeper did not know about Grillo. Again, wine education and knowledge is lacking, and this factor continues to impact wine consumption in India.

I am not going to bore the readers with yet another wine sermon, but I recommend the Grillo 2010 strongly for a trial. You would surely like it, that is if you are a sophisticated wine drinker.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
21st January 2012
Mumbai

DFS – A better deal in India

This was surprising to me.

Shopping at DFS (Duty Free Shops) at the international airports in India was neither useful nor pleasurable from time immemorial, as the shops were not consumer friendly and used to stock things which were not really in demand. The shopping on the India side when you land from overseas was usually ignored by tourists, especially the Indian tourists. Any comparison with overseas DFS shopping did not make any sense at all. Further, the prices in Singapore or Hong Kong Airport DFS shops were much more attractive.

How things have changed, and how things are still changing !

Now, the Duty-Free Shopping experience on the Indian International Airports such as Mumbai and Delhi has improved significantly. There are many more things to shop for, and the shop attendants are hovering around trying to help. Of course, the infrastructure is not comparable as the shops in India are much smaller and are not gleaming reproductions of Singapore shops.

But, the fact is that almost the same things are now available, and at cheaper prices. I don’t know how, I thought stuff should cost more since Indian Rupee has depreciated by some 10 to 15% over the past three months.

The Singapore Changi Airport prices for wines for example, are much higher, and given that one has got to multiply by a much higher exchange rate, the price in Indian Rupees is really high (by more than 20 to 30%) for similar wines. I think the whiskeys are slightly cheaper on the Singapore side, though I did not buy any whiskey. I roamed around the DFS Liquor Shop at Changi for quite some time, and then decided not to purchase, as I came to the conclusion that the prices are higher than on the Indian side.

I still found many folks on my flight carrying stuff from the Changi Airport DFS, but probably they have not done their due diligence, or they are buying non-liquor things which are not readily available at the Indian airports.

As I rightly guessed, the Mumbai International Airport DFS had some very good wines (and many whiskeys and other liquors) and I picked up couple of Australian wines for USD 22 less a discount of USD 4 ! I had to pay in USD, but that was fine. At the end of the day, I know that these wines are more expensive in Singapore and very expensive in the usual wine shops of Mumbai out there in the city.

The pity is that they allow only two bottles of duty-free wine (and just one bottle of whiskey), so one can enjoy only for a short time !

Welcome to DFS experience in India, and keep some USD change while arriving back !!

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
21st January 2012
Mumbai

The Taxi Ride

Courtesy: Anu, my IIM-B Classmate

Note: I do not know the original author, so I am unable to give the credit that is absolutely due to him/her. I am just reproducing this outstanding story from an email I received from my classmate, and I believe that the more it is read, the more it would convey the importance and criticality of its central message to a wider audience. This truly impressed me and is really a great story with a strong message on how small acts of courtesy would go a very long way in life.

The Taxi ride….this is beautiful

I arrived at the address and honked the horn. after waiting a few minutes, I walked to the door and knocked.. ‘Just a minute’, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90′s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940′s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knick-knacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

‘Would you carry my bag out to the car?’ she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. ‘It’s nothing’, I told her.. ‘I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother to be treated.’

‘Oh, you’re such a good boy, she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address and then asked, ‘Could you drive through downtown?’ ‘It’s not the shortest way,’ I answered quickly… .

‘Oh, I don’t mind,’ she said. ‘I’m in no hurry. I’m on my way to a hospice.

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. ‘I don’t have any family left,’ she continued in a soft voice.. ‘The doctor says I don’t have very long.’ I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

‘What route would you like me to take?’ I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds
She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, ‘I’m tired. Let’s go now’.

We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.

I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair.

‘How much do I owe you?’ She asked, reaching into her purse.

‘Nothing,’ I said.

‘You have to make a living,’ she answered.

‘There are other passengers,’ I responded.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. ‘You gave an old woman a little moment of joy,’ she said ‘Thank you.’

I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life…..

I didn’t pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don’t think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We’re conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.

PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID BUT THEY WILL
ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL

You might help make the world a little kinder and more compassionate by sending it on and reminding us that often it is the random acts of kindness that most benefit all of us.

Thank you, my friend…

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here, we might as well enjoy it…….

Courtesy: Anu, my IIM-B Classmate

Note: I do not know the original author, so I am unable to give the credit that is absolutely due to him/her. I am just reproducing this outstanding story from an email I received from my classmate, and I believe that the more it is read, the more it would convey the importance and criticality of its central message to a wider audience. This truly impressed me and is really a great story with a strong message on how small acts of courtesy would go a very long way in life.

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
21st January 2012
Mumbai

Cricket Shame

It was another shameful display of lousy cricket at its nadir by India at the Perth Test Match against Australia. India lost by more than an innings. Having lost the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, India has lost the series 0-3. It is more or less clear that Australia will decimate India in the last Test at Adelaide.

India has come out as a cropper in this Series against Australia. Before the Series started it was the Australian Team which was in a disarray, and was expected not to do well even by Australians. But look at what they have achieved. Huge hits against the Indians.

It was funny that at my gym, no one was interested to see the Star Cricket Channel which was showing the match live. Everyone in India seems to have correctly guessed that India was going to be thrashed. And it was thrashed.

What happened to the Indian Captain’s famed leadership skills ? What happened to the formidable batting lineup that the Australians were worried about ? What happened to the fabulous skills of the Team Selectors who seem to have gone into the cold ? What happened to the famous coach of the Indian Cricket Team ?

To add insult to the injury, the Indian Captain MS Dhoni was fined for slow delivery of overs by the International Cricket Council. What a shame ?!

It is time to replace the aging batsman irrespective of any national or international record requirements. What is needed is a fresh lineup, dominated by strong batsmen, and development of pace bowlers. We need a young team, a team which would fight aggressively and vigorously for Indian success.

We don’t have that spirit in the current Team, notwithstanding their past successes. True success becomes enduring and sustainable in the longer term if the team is constantly assessed and rejuvenated without fear or favour. The only thing that should matter is India’s success and ascendancy to the top of the world cricketing league.

The current team cannot deliver and should be dismissed (selectively). Only the right guys should be retained and put through a rigorous training programme. It is not necessary to drive the team constantly through non-stop matches.

Let money not be the motivator of the Indian Cricket Team or the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) any longer.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
15th January 2012
Mumbai

Traffic of the Rich (Cars) !

Mumbai has a shortage of broad roads. Most roads are narrow. Nothing unusual about that as it is kind of an island town, thin and narrow, unlike bigger cities such as New Delhi which does not have a space constraint to expand.

I do not think Mumbai can expand any further than it has done over the past several decades. There is not even an inch of space anywhere to expand, and the strain on infrastructure is now so enormous that the government is struggling to keep pace (and of course, the people have always been struggling !).

Instead of 3 lanes on one side of arterial highways, there are 5 or even 6 lanes of cars nudging against each other to find the tiniest of spaces to move ahead. It is a wonder how the traffic moves at all. Sometimes, it might be better not to look elsewhere and just concentrate on the car in front of you, lest you get scared with the chaos around you everywhere. I do not understand how a total foreigner would take in all the scary stuff around and still hopes that everything would be fine at the end of the day.

So, it is only interesting to see the increasing population of bigger SUVs and state-of-the-art sedan models from around the world, competing with thousands of the usual small cars on Mumbai roads (I presume that this scenario repeats in all major metro cities of India). Due to the phenomenal commercial and entertainment success of Mumbai, probably the proportion of large cars on the road is higher in percentage terms (New Delhi should have more such cars in absolute terms as it is the political capital wherein politicians feel safer in very large SUVs).

Given that the roads cannot be widened anymore in Mumbai, the plethora of large SUVs reduce the number of possible lanes – that’s what you would tend to think, right ? No, that is not really the case. The SUVs are treated the same way as any other small car, and the SUV driver cannot ignore the presence of all the small cars around him/her and needs to navigate rather carefully. This is unlike in New Delhi, where “might is right”, if you know what I mean.

Occasionally, I try to estimate the penetration of cars such as Audi, BMW, Porsches and Mercedes Benz in the ever swirling traffic situation outside, when I am travelling and I am kind of bored. My latest analysis shows that Audi has overtaken all the other luxury cars and models out there on Mumbai roads. I may be wrong but believe eyes do not lie, however I do not have access to car sales data for the current year, I am sure Audi would have stolen a march over the others all across India for sure.

So, I sometimes wonder how these car owners react to the chaotic situation out on the roads when they move around. On the highways it is not just cars, but also other types of vehicles such as buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters and autorickshaws which collectively try to outnumber the cars. This is unlike in most parts of the developed world where the highways are only for cars, buses and trucks. I mostly see fully tinted glass windows on these high-end cars, and they do mean something, I guess.

All in all, this traffic situation is not going to change for the better anytime soon – in fact, I believe it will never change. The proportion of luxury cars on the roads can however vary, in some relationship to the country’s GDP growth rates in the coming years. The issue is always on how the government can rise up to the alarming situation of worsening traffic on the roads and ensure safety for one and all.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
15th January 2012
Mumbai

Essay on Socialism

It is rather funny that I should be writing about Socialism.

I have written earlier on about the importance of Capitalism and the necessary free movement of capital and labour to the best possible location so as to derive maximum economic return. In fact, I think there should be totally free movement of qualified capital and labour across the world.

Well, I have not abandoned those principles, I still believe that free Capitalism is the best form of economic model out there and we have seen how even a socialistic country like India could transform by adopting capitalism. There is no doubt in my mind that entrepreneurs and established industrialists would not be driven by patriotism only, they would rather be driven by demand and economic returns on invested capital and labour.

However, this might be a good occasion to relook at some fundamental principles from a government and governance perspective. It is critical to ensure that no person is left to die on the streets for want of medical care or food. The State (government) is responsible for ensuring that poverty and restricted access to government or private resources should not stand in the way of providing essential items or care to people below the poverty line.

I am not talking about subsidies here. The subsidies that the Indian government provides to various sectors of the economy are untenable even in the medium term, and I believe these will disappear soon. Imagine if those subsidies are used to fund the healthcare and education needs of the poor people at the bottom of the society. Given that the bottom part of the Indian society is probably more than 200 million people, a significant 18 to 20% of the overall population, there is an urgent need for the government to ensure their well being.

I am writing this piece, as I was impacted by published stories by news media on the plight of very poor “street” people who were turned away from government hospitals in Kolkata. This really hurts any decent person’s sentiments and one tends to think “what is this government doing – do they even care ?”. It was pathetic to see the husband of the lady who died for want of medical care, carrying two just-born kids who would now be left without their mother in this cruel world of insensitive Indians (and Indian government).

Please see the news item in Times of India “Two hospitals ‘refuse’ admission, woman dies after delivering twins”

Actions have to be immediately taken to ensure that such scenarios do not repeat in any part of the country. The administrator of the hospital should be summarily dismissed, sending a very strong message to the medical community that they have to live by their motto of service to mankind and Hippocratic Oath. Of all people, medical administrators and doctors in India cannot behave as though they are disconnected from the problems of the poor people on the street without any resources. In fact, they should go out of their way for ensuring delivery of immediate medical attention without any consideration.

Teaching our children about socialism and empathy is now becoming very critical in this extremely materialistic world of India. How do we ensure that our children are not insensitive to the sufferings around them ? How do we involve them in difficult community service, wherein they would come face to face with the human sufferings of the very poor people of India ? What can the government do to ensure that no one dies on our streets for lack of food or health care ?

Instead of tackling such huge problems, our government is embroiled in scandal after scandal and frittering away our scarce resources on funding Air India type of companies which should have gone away long time ago. Let us worry about the poor people of this country who are poorer than the folks in sub-Saharan Africa and ensure that the benefits of a growing economy trickle down to them as well. This might require “start-up” thinking.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
15th January 2012
Mumbai

Friend of India

Israel has been a friend of India for a long time.

Now, it appears that India is finally taking political cognizance of the fact that Israel has indeed been a good friend in good and bad times, and has taken the bold step of formalizing and strengthening the relationship during Foreign Minister SM Krishna’s visit to Israel.

Israel has helped India in getting latest arms and ammunition, counter-terrorism inputs and techniques, advanced missiles, airborne warning systems, and what not. Israel has also helped India get access to its advanced agricultural technology.

Israel has delivered all this under the glare of India’s strident anti-Israel voting record in the United Nations.

Who will do that for India or for any other country ?

It is critical for India to have a few strong and all-weather allies. The Arab countries will not step up and provide a strong support to India, as they have to contend with Pakistan all the time. Which are the countries that will truly support India in a moment of crisis ?

Israel will be there. I am not sure of any other country in the same breath. No country in South East Asia would support India should India run into a problem with China or Pakistan.

Not sure about the U.S. Not yet, that’s what I mean. The U.S. needs to prove to India that it does care for the largest democracy in the world if and when it comes under a military attack.

The last time that happened, the U.S. was against India. Hence, the need for the proof and the reassurance.

Let us all be very clear – if India is attacked by a foreign power, democracy world-wide would come under intense threat.

And, which country wants to provide arms and ammunition in times of war, either to the victim or the attacker ?

I am sure Israel will support and provide the necessary help in such a time of national crisis. Israel is really keen to work with India. But no friend is truly a friend unless he is able to support in times of acute crises.

Let us not worry about pressures emanating from within and without – it is critical for India to strengthen its partnership with Israel in all possible areas of cooperation, and ensure that the political ties are built aggressively over the next few years. Both countries will benefit enormously from such a partnership. India should invest in Israel.

Cheers,

Vijay Srinivasan
14th January 2012
Mumbai