Is it ethical to sell medicines in the same way as you sell soap ? A trivially put , but troubling question. Consider the arguments for and against.
The problem in the medical industry is that the consumer, in most cases, is absolutely ignorant and is completely reliant on a doctor's opinion. But it is not the doctor who is paying - it is the consumer. At the time of consumption, the consumer...
Monday, 30 December 2013
Thursday, 26 December 2013
When two arrogant heavyweights meet
In the blue corner - the gigantic gorllia, sometimes the most valuable company in the world. The inventor of the smartphone and the giant who believes that you can have any colour you want as long as it is black or white. Yes it makes a great product, but then behaves like a monopolist - sets prices , forces you and carriers, charges an absolute bomb and snubs India, launching its product whenever...
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Oh Yes, Wait a minute Mr Postman
There are some endangered species in the business world. One is the Secretary - gone are the good old days when an Amazon or a pretty young thing (you had a choice) would guard the entrance to your cabin, get you tea, organise your wife's kitty party, bring a shorthand notebook and take dictation...
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
United States beware - you have twisted Ramamritham's tail
The recent diplomatic spat between India and the US, should normally not be the subject matter of this blog - it having nothing to do with economics or business. However, since the nuclear weapon of Ramamritham has been invoked by India, it now falls into the realm of comment here, considering rhe world beating expertise this blog has on that venerable gentleman.
In case you have not been following...
Friday, 13 December 2013
I love Samoa Air
I am likely to vote for Samoa Air as the best airline in the world. I have never flown the airline, nor have I been to Samoa. So why this sudden fancy ? Its because I just discovered that they charge passengers based on their weight !
I have traveled many a long mile on planes and can be considered...
Saturday, 7 December 2013
How about a WTO deal inside India
If you can get 159 people to agree to anything, you must be a magician. Well, Roberto Azevêdo, did just that. The Brazilian is the Director General of the World Trade Organisation and today 159 countries agreed to a treaty. For years and years, nothing but bickering has the been the result - in Geneva, in Seattle, in Cancun, in Doha. But at last in Bali today, something has been signed. Modest...
Thursday, 5 December 2013
Blimey ; what a spectacular trade deal
The sight of David Cameron, prostrating himself flat at the feet of the Chinese "emperors" is a beautiful reminder of the state of affairs of the British Empire. To understand the context, about a year or so ago, David Cameron had the temerity to meet with the Dalai Lama. Now anybody who even smiles...
Wednesday, 4 December 2013
Send Ramamritham to Mars
Statutory Warning : This piece is not a sober, reasoned, point of view. It is an unadulterated rant. It may be highly biased and devoid of much logical argument. But , what the hell, once in a while a blogger deserves a good yell. So here goes
I wish the Indian Space Agency had hit upon the idea of sending somebody with a one way ticket in the recently launched Mars expedition. I would have...
Sunday, 1 December 2013
Hooray Hooray; It was not a holiday !
I never thought that my Nobel Prize winning poetry ( !!) , featured in the previous post, would so fox my readers. No my dear ladies and gentlemen , No, I was not on a holiday. I did not go trekking in the hills. I was not marooned on Robinson Crusoe island. I was not a trillion miles away from civilization.
I was in the People's Republic of China. And all of the facts mentioned in my "poem"...
Sunday, 24 November 2013
With apologies to Rabindranath Tagore
Where the mind is maybe with a little fear but the head is held high
Where there is no Blogger to corrupt the thoughts
Where there is no Facebook to waste time
Where there is no Twitter to inform the world that you are
brushing your teeth
Where there is no YouTube so that you don’t watch Justin Bieber
Where there is no Google for you to check what sesquipedalian
means
Where...
Monday, 18 November 2013
No Tim, No
Caesar's wife must be above suspicion , as the saying goes. It is not just important to be right, you must also appear to be right. This is even more important for very public figures. That is why this post is titled No Tim, No .
Timothy Geithner, the former Treasury Secretary (in Indian parlance, Finance Minister) is going to become the President of Warburg Pincus, an investment banking firm....
Sunday, 10 November 2013
Wonga Wonga
If you are a Brit, you know Wonga very well. If you aren't, you probably have not heard of them. Ed Miliband, Britain's opposition leader even called the ruling government's philosophy, the "Wonga economy". This post is a continuation of my struggle with moral dilemmas - its been that sort of a time these days. What was black and white long ago, now, appears to be impossible shares...
Friday, 8 November 2013
Are all jobs OK ?
Are there "good" jobs and "bad" jobs ? Are some jobs inherently demeaning in nature and therefore to be banned ? Or is the economic imperative an acceptable argument for any job where there is demand and where people do of their own free will ? Unforced prostitution is one such example. Manual...
Sunday, 3 November 2013
The US Treasury should be ashamed of itself
There is nothing more irritating than somebody who pontificates. Even more irritating is if the guy has absolutely no credentials to pontificate on the subject in question. Imagine the Pontiff (if you'll pardon the pun) lecturing on the merits of Viagra. Or Sarah Palin extolling the merits of Shakespeare. Or even this blogger blogging about Kollywood !!
That is how I can best describe the...
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Big Mac, but no Heinz ketchup
Corporate battles are usually hard fought, but this really is the limit. McDonald's is blacklisting Heinz because they had the temerity to appoint the ex chief of Burger King as their CEO. Sure, some rivalries are legendary - Coke vs Pepsi, P&G vs Unilever, Apple vs Microsoft, Walmart vs every other retailer, and indeed McDonald's vs anybody else who sold burgers. But isn't this a step too far...
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
The war of the old on the young
The old have declared war on the young. Few dare say this, but the other day Alan Milburn did just that. This is an emotive issue and there are bound to be strong and passionate feelings. But this blogger, who is himself more in the old category rather than the young, is in agreement with this premise.
Alan Milburn, a former UK government minister and an advisor to the current...
Sunday, 20 October 2013
IPO yourself !
Initial Placement Offer (IPO), is the first sale of shares in a company to the public - remember Facebook's IPO and now coming on, Twitter's IPO. It is when successful entrepreneurs who have built a good business cash their millions, along with those who invested early in their company. We've heard...
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
T I N A
If there was, the dollar would be kaput. But there is really no alternative. So it has to be the dollar as the world's reserve currency.
It would be useful to go back to basics and understand what a currency really is. A currency is really nothing more than a piece of paper backed by the promise of a government. If you believe in the promise of the government , you hold that currency....
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