Goodbye China, goes the title of this post. For this will be my last post from China as I wind up here and head back to India. For nearly three years, Guangzhou has been my home and you’ll perhaps forgive me for a misty eyed long farewell post.
One of the first things that struck me when I decided to come here was how little, we in India, know about China. We study a lot about European history and...
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Friday, 23 July 2010
How to score an own goal
China’s bosses sometimes find it difficult to understand the world; especially as seen through their own lenses, which are admittedly very thick. What can you make out of the following news report – “The western rating agencies are politicised and highly ideological and they do not adhere to objective standards,” Guan Jianzhong, chairman of Dagong Global Credit Rating, told the Financial Times in...
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Et tu J&J ?
What on earth is happening at Johnson & Johnson ?? It is one of the world’s foremost and respected companies. For 120 years it has commanded trust from consumers, employees, governments, investors – virtually everybody. It is a regular in the Top 5 of the World’s most admired companies – this year it is 4th. Consumers know it largely for its baby products – every mother trusts Johnson’s baby...
Sunday, 18 July 2010
Why, oh why, do they come back
Why , Oh Why, do they come back ?Don’t look back. Don’t ever look back. Please. You are an all time great. You have millions of adoring fans. You have made enough money. Yes, I know that the road forward seems only downhill and the wonders of the lands you have just passed is fatally alluring. But bite your tongue. Thrust your chin forward. Go forward. And don’t look back.This could be true for any...
Saturday, 17 July 2010
What a waste of time
If you are an Indian, by now you would have seen the new symbol designed for the Indian rupee. Given the close attentions of my beloved net nanny, I cannot reproduce it , but if you really wish to see it, you can do so here.This is a small matter, but is so typical and representative of India. Symbolism and pride is wildly disproportionate to reality. Currencies such as the US dollar, the Euro, the...
Tuesday, 13 July 2010
Whys is AAA not a coveted prize any more ?
Hold your breath, all ye men and women – there are now only four companies in the world which are AAA rated – ADP, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and ExxonMobil. That’s it. Why are there so few in this exalted list ?Before I go further, this is not a “technical” blog. Technically I should be saying companies whose bonds are rated AAA . Short term or long term ? Moody’s or S&P or Fitch ? Is...
Sunday, 11 July 2010
"Person" Chauvinist Pig
This zone has been tag free for some time now, achieved by skillful deflecting of the multitude of girlie tags that swish around in the blogosphere. But when cornered by two begums, here and here, and one gils, this MCP could not resist nibbling at this loose grenade that has been lobbing about.The tag is supposedly about gender stereotypes and you are cursed with wearing pink pants for 12 years (?)...
Friday, 9 July 2010
Capitalism vs Altruism
One of the fields in which the forces of capitalism and those of altruism come head to head is the unlikely field of microfinance. Microfinance as a concept was pioneered by the Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus in Bangladesh; it involves lending very small amounts to the poor, often as little as $50, for a very small business activity. The poor are untouched by the banking and credit system and microfinance...
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
KKR goes public at last
In the rarified world of Private Equity, the firm of Kohlberg, Kravis and Roberts occupies a special place. KKR, as the firm is called, achieved legendary status very early on in its life. The firm came into existence in 1976, but its real fame and notoriety came in 1988, when it orchestrated the largest leveraged buyout of that time, the hostile acquisition of RJR Nabisco.The RJR Nabisco transaction...
Sunday, 4 July 2010
The perfect gift
“The Gift of the Magi” , O Henry’s beautiful short story, is perhaps something you read in school. It’s the story of Jim and Della, a young couple, who were broke. One Christmas they wanted to give each other something special. Well, I won't tell you the story if you haven't read it before. Read the story via the link - even now it can bring a lump to the throat. A moving story, that made a deep impression...
Friday, 2 July 2010
A consultant worth the money
Consultants are renowned for being expensive and useless. Every company has horror stories of incredibly expensive consulting which has proved to be utterly worthless. That doesn’t stop companies from continuing to splurge untold millions on consultants though. The consulting industry is alive , well and thriving.But this is a story of a consultant who delivered a zillion times more value than what...
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