3rd June Congratulations Mr.Yediyurappa
By Harish Bijoor
As the Global Investors Meet (GIM) kicks off in Karnataka today, the BS Yediyurappa government in the State, which has just about entered its third year at the helm of affairs, has fired its first serious salvo of development for the state. The GIM in many ways is the first big organized bid by the State to attract investors to a State that has everything to offer to the serious investor. Well, almost everything, except Power. But then the flip side of that statement is that Power sector investment is also an opportunity in itself for the serious investor.
The Yediyurappa government that came to Power 2 years ago has had serious issues at its doorsteps to date. Like a true-blue Sandalwood film unrolling itself, it has had a lot of drama. The euphoria of victory, the throes of division of power through the various ministries, two successive budgets that had Ministers clamoring for more in terms of expenditure limits, depending how much political clout they brought to the party. Ministries such as the Tourism Ministry, oft ignored and pushed into a corner of the budget, benefited for sure out of this. By reasons of default, rather than by reasons of conscious planning.
And then there was deceit and dissension to boot. A performing minister such as Shobha Karandalije had to leave the Ministry, thanks to egos at play. Nature had its play. Severe floods at one end that disrupted thousands of lives, and a severe drought at the other that had the government pushed onto the brink on its promise of the Rs. 2 per kg rice scheme. And amidst it all, the only missing element has been ACTION. It has had plenty of lights, lots of camera. But not too much action to date.
There was off-screen action though. There were bad-words in plenty, mouthed against a Chief Minister in front of television channels waiting to unfold it all. There were patch-ups cobbled together in Delhi. There were euphoric patch-up returns played out at the BIAL.
Amidst all the ‘nataka’ we have witnessed thus far, Karnataka and the BSY government in the State has fired the first serious salvo of good intent, backed by good planning through the GIM kicking off today. Hopefully thousands of serious investors will throng the show, and by the end of the 4th of June, 2010, we will know for sure how the event converted into serious bucks of investments. The MOU’s and their value (whether it be 4 lakh Crore INR or more or less), and more importantly the very many verticals that will receive investor interest will define the path of development the State will traverse over the next decade.
Every vertical of value and significance has been targeted, be it aerospace, biotech, pharma, Services, auto, infrastructure, power, food processing, health, education and more.
I do believe this festival of investment organized by the BSY government in the State is the first serious investment oriented foray launched in a State that deserves this and more. To that extent, the BSY government in the State earns its first positive spur of serious intent towards the development of the State.
Karnataka will move ahead basis the MOU’s signed. If we sign a 4 lakh crore INR set of MOU’s, conversion of this into actual projects, and on time as committed, is going to be a serious issue to tackle in the future. It is important for the government to set up a single-point nodal body that does serious follow-up on each investment oriented MOU. Investment-intent as exhibited in MOU’s need to convert to serious action plans cleared as projects by the State government. These need to be backed by loans as lined up by the plethora of banks that are keen participants in this 'mela'. And that needs to convert into actual on-ground action with the several projects being set up all over the state.
This nodal body needs to be empowered with action-parameters that help rather than hinder. The GIM is a terrific piece of proactive Karnataka-oriented development action. Let’ remember, this is just the beginning. From intent to plan to action to fulfillment is a long phase of dedicated work a lot of our bureaucrats need to get involved in. The game in many ways has just begun.
If good work results out of it all, and if investment intent translates into ground-level action, and if completed projects result in jobs and resultant prosperity, it can all only reflect in positive votes for the BJP government by the time we get to elections. Development is always a positive vote. And a well deserved one.
This is one big opportunity for Mr. BSY to emerge as a Statesman-planner of the State of Karnataka. The planning effort is excellent. It is important to witness the same degree of efficiency and follow-up action in terms of fast-tracking intent and implementing it all. And with pace.
Congratulations Mr.Yediyurappa! May the force be with you!
The author is a business-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: harishbijoor@hotmail.com
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Prosperous Cities
On-street Value
By Harish Bijoor
How rich and prosperous is a city? Is there a quick measure and metric for this one?
Is a city defined to be prosperous basis the number of cars its citizens buy? Or by the ownership pattern of homes? Or by the investment profiles represented by the stash in their banks as cash or in their lockers as paper securities and gold on hand?
Having spent a fair bit of time with macro-economic data that talks of prosperity indices that are complex and aggregated to a country, I have been in the quest for a measure that is true-blue micro, true-blue representative and true-blue comparable across cities and economies, never mind the color of their politics.
Being as rustic as I am, I have always wanted to get at it simply rather than look at complex numbers that boggle more than answer right. One measure that serves me right and serves me well, particularly after using it across cities in India (21 to date), and across cities from some 17 countries (Eastern Bloc cities included), the On-street value method is a great way to go.
What does this method do? It very simply looks at the on-street value of the citizens of a city and does a quick valuation of the various commodity items and brands carried on the persona of an individual on the street.
Take for instance Bengaluru. Hit the street and pick a whole cross-section of people off the street for an assessment. Pick from bottom to top. Pick up an auto rickshaw driver, a bus conductor, a newspaper hawker, the driver of a BPO van, the cook at a local dhabha, the pan-wallah at the street corner, the BPO employee in a hurry either to or from office, the Tech-worker from an end-to-end services enterprise, the bank clerk, the tinker, the tailor, the teacher and more.
Having picked sets of people who truly represent a city, run a clear and clean audit on what he or she is wearing, carrying and with. Let me look at two possibilities we have explored.
Look at the tailor and the techie for a start. The tailor has on him a shirt, which is stitched by him. Check the cost of garment and put a notional stitching cost to that. Add to it the price of vest and every other under-garment he is wearing. In most cases, the under-garments are aggressively branded items and the over-garment is not. Put a price tag to everything.
Look at the watch he is wearing and the purse she is carrying. The mobile phone, the blue-tooth device, and more. The contents of the purse, every one of them, lipstick, mascara, comb and every one of the 26 other items that adorn a woman’s handbag. The cost of the slippers, the belt, every earring, every accessory and right upto the point of assessing the value of the brand of perfume sprinkled onto her. Add the gold and silver ornaments on the persona as well. The cost of the 'Janivaara' (sacred thread) as well. God is in the details of this assessment.
Having done this basic exercise across every one of them, do it across every city. Do it across countries and you have a benchmark that tells a rich story. A story that is both gory and dark as well as bright and prosperous.
Is Chennai more prosperous than Bangalore? And is Delhi equally as prosperous as is Istanbul? The answers are blowing in the winds of such a study.
Some quick data points then for Bangalore.
The average on-street value of a techie on the street of Bangalore is INR 87,500 when on the way to work. At a weekend his value dips to 31,450, as he is without his trusted laptop on shoulder.
The average on-street value of an auto rickshaw driver in Bangalore is INR 12,100. And this is nearly three times more than the on-street value of a black and yellow taxi-driver in Mumbai.
The average on-street value of a BPO employee in Bangalore is INR 13,700, not too far from the on-street value of the auto rickshaw driver he employed to ferry him around.
The data goes on and on in the impact-throw of prosperity and flaunt value of the man and woman on the street.
A great way to check, compare, collate and literally run on a quarter to quarter basis as well to see a change in trend, if any. A rustic route to market. A rustic route to understanding cities and consumers who live and thrive in them as well.
We have just emerged from a study of some 7970 such on-street people from all walks of life. A study that looks at 38 cities across 18 countries. A study that is rich and compelling and a study that can get richer by the day.
Reading a city off its streets is a rich and satisfying way to go.
The author is a brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
By Harish Bijoor
How rich and prosperous is a city? Is there a quick measure and metric for this one?
Is a city defined to be prosperous basis the number of cars its citizens buy? Or by the ownership pattern of homes? Or by the investment profiles represented by the stash in their banks as cash or in their lockers as paper securities and gold on hand?
Having spent a fair bit of time with macro-economic data that talks of prosperity indices that are complex and aggregated to a country, I have been in the quest for a measure that is true-blue micro, true-blue representative and true-blue comparable across cities and economies, never mind the color of their politics.
Being as rustic as I am, I have always wanted to get at it simply rather than look at complex numbers that boggle more than answer right. One measure that serves me right and serves me well, particularly after using it across cities in India (21 to date), and across cities from some 17 countries (Eastern Bloc cities included), the On-street value method is a great way to go.
What does this method do? It very simply looks at the on-street value of the citizens of a city and does a quick valuation of the various commodity items and brands carried on the persona of an individual on the street.
Take for instance Bengaluru. Hit the street and pick a whole cross-section of people off the street for an assessment. Pick from bottom to top. Pick up an auto rickshaw driver, a bus conductor, a newspaper hawker, the driver of a BPO van, the cook at a local dhabha, the pan-wallah at the street corner, the BPO employee in a hurry either to or from office, the Tech-worker from an end-to-end services enterprise, the bank clerk, the tinker, the tailor, the teacher and more.
Having picked sets of people who truly represent a city, run a clear and clean audit on what he or she is wearing, carrying and with. Let me look at two possibilities we have explored.
Look at the tailor and the techie for a start. The tailor has on him a shirt, which is stitched by him. Check the cost of garment and put a notional stitching cost to that. Add to it the price of vest and every other under-garment he is wearing. In most cases, the under-garments are aggressively branded items and the over-garment is not. Put a price tag to everything.
Look at the watch he is wearing and the purse she is carrying. The mobile phone, the blue-tooth device, and more. The contents of the purse, every one of them, lipstick, mascara, comb and every one of the 26 other items that adorn a woman’s handbag. The cost of the slippers, the belt, every earring, every accessory and right upto the point of assessing the value of the brand of perfume sprinkled onto her. Add the gold and silver ornaments on the persona as well. The cost of the 'Janivaara' (sacred thread) as well. God is in the details of this assessment.
Having done this basic exercise across every one of them, do it across every city. Do it across countries and you have a benchmark that tells a rich story. A story that is both gory and dark as well as bright and prosperous.
Is Chennai more prosperous than Bangalore? And is Delhi equally as prosperous as is Istanbul? The answers are blowing in the winds of such a study.
Some quick data points then for Bangalore.
The average on-street value of a techie on the street of Bangalore is INR 87,500 when on the way to work. At a weekend his value dips to 31,450, as he is without his trusted laptop on shoulder.
The average on-street value of an auto rickshaw driver in Bangalore is INR 12,100. And this is nearly three times more than the on-street value of a black and yellow taxi-driver in Mumbai.
The average on-street value of a BPO employee in Bangalore is INR 13,700, not too far from the on-street value of the auto rickshaw driver he employed to ferry him around.
The data goes on and on in the impact-throw of prosperity and flaunt value of the man and woman on the street.
A great way to check, compare, collate and literally run on a quarter to quarter basis as well to see a change in trend, if any. A rustic route to market. A rustic route to understanding cities and consumers who live and thrive in them as well.
We have just emerged from a study of some 7970 such on-street people from all walks of life. A study that looks at 38 cities across 18 countries. A study that is rich and compelling and a study that can get richer by the day.
Reading a city off its streets is a rich and satisfying way to go.
The author is a brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
A Budget for Bangalore
Budget ethos for the city of Bengaluru
By Harish Bijoor
Bengaluru is a very vital part of Karnataka. The city is today not only the capital of Karnataka, but in many ways, is the Intellectual capital of India as well.
If Mumbai is the financial capital, Delhi the political capital and Kolkata the cultural capital, Bengaluru is surely the Intellectual capital of India.
In many parts of the world where I travel, I have had cab drivers ask with awe about the mystique of Brand Bangalore. Many flatteringly mistake the city to be the capital of India as well. This has happened to me equally in Singapore as it has happened in Addis Ababa and Ankara alike.
Bengaluru is therefore a city with a significance index for the nation, which is larger than life. The city in many ways belongs to each and every one of us in India who believes in the power of knowledge and the power of technology and technology enabled services.
If I am to look at the Budget ethos for a city such as Bengaluru, I do believe attention needs to be disproportionate, futuristic, global and of a cutting-edge variety. The city needs all of this and more.
Let me start on the allocations side. The budget for Bengaluru for a start must look at an outlay that is significantly larger than the INR 3000 Crore that was allocated in the Karnataka Budget for 2009-10. There is a demand that seeks a minimum INR 5000 Crore need. Bengaluru needs the attention of funds that are disproportionate to the total outlay on the Urban Development initiatives in the Budget. The last budget saw 40.7 percentage of the Urban Development budget kitty go to Bengaluru. This year, for a start , the need lies in a deeper percentage as the budget allocation to Urban Development initiatives deepen all across.
I would list the following basic ethos that the budget document needs to follow and use as a beacon light:
1. Infrastructure spending has been earmarked well budget after budget. This time round, there needs to be investments in the maintenance and sensible enhancement of the infrastructure that has been put into place. There is a need to allocate moneys on the soft side of infrastructure as well. It is important not only to build the flyovers and under-passes, it is important to invest in educating the public on the proper use of roads and the sensible use of infrastructure as well. Lane driving for one is a forgotten aspect on Bangalore roads.
2. Bengaluru is a really big city today under the BBMP limits. This mega-city produces a lot of waste. There is little expenditure that goes into waste-management. It is important to focus on this. Recycling of water and recycling of non-bio degradable waste is an important imperative the budget needs to allocate moneys to. Garbage is the biggest issue staring at us. Creative use of garbage needs the application of minds and moneys. I do believe the budget has a role to play here by upping allocations to recycling expenditures.
3. Slum rehabilitation is an important city need. As the city spreads and as consumptiveness becomes more and more vulgar in its orientation, it is important to manage the needs and wants of those who live in our city slums. It is important to invest in infrastructure development to provide for decent houses with drainage and water facilities. The city cannot cater only to the needs of the haves. It needs to look after the needs of those who have very little. The polarization of wealth is a big issue in a city like Bengaluru. This is a powder keg that acts as a crucible for the development of crime and simmering social discontent that waits for an opportunity to erupt.
4. The Language of GREEN is important to back. It is important to look at showcasing Bengaluru as a green-city that believes in green initiatives that are eco-friendly. Investment in building a nodal body that spearheads this and showcase Bengaluru to the world as a leader among all cities going green is an initiative that is needed. Bengaluru has up-rooted many trees in the last two years. It is important to focus on re-greening Bengaluru back. It needs to be disproportionate to need. Budget allocations on this count is what I look forward to.
5. Bengaluru can be an excellent tourist destination. We need the allocation of moneys for the re-invention of the tourist route of Bengaluru. The last budget saw an excellent allocation of INR 180 Crores for Tourism initiatives. In this budget ahead, I look forward to see a healthier still allocation with a focus on Bengaluru as well. Properties such as Nandi Hills are screaming for the need of attention. Let’s give it that.
Lastly, as a parting note to this budget-need piece, I do believe it is time for Bengaluru to invest in the creation of a logo of its own. We need a symbol the city can own and nurture. Bangalore is already a brand. The brand now needs a symbol. Progressive cities of the world own symbols of their own. I think Bengaluru has arrived enough to ask for one its own. Let’s start the debate on this at least now in this budget with a small allocation that helps put together an eco-system to make it happen.
The author is a brand-expert & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
By Harish Bijoor
Bengaluru is a very vital part of Karnataka. The city is today not only the capital of Karnataka, but in many ways, is the Intellectual capital of India as well.
If Mumbai is the financial capital, Delhi the political capital and Kolkata the cultural capital, Bengaluru is surely the Intellectual capital of India.
In many parts of the world where I travel, I have had cab drivers ask with awe about the mystique of Brand Bangalore. Many flatteringly mistake the city to be the capital of India as well. This has happened to me equally in Singapore as it has happened in Addis Ababa and Ankara alike.
Bengaluru is therefore a city with a significance index for the nation, which is larger than life. The city in many ways belongs to each and every one of us in India who believes in the power of knowledge and the power of technology and technology enabled services.
If I am to look at the Budget ethos for a city such as Bengaluru, I do believe attention needs to be disproportionate, futuristic, global and of a cutting-edge variety. The city needs all of this and more.
Let me start on the allocations side. The budget for Bengaluru for a start must look at an outlay that is significantly larger than the INR 3000 Crore that was allocated in the Karnataka Budget for 2009-10. There is a demand that seeks a minimum INR 5000 Crore need. Bengaluru needs the attention of funds that are disproportionate to the total outlay on the Urban Development initiatives in the Budget. The last budget saw 40.7 percentage of the Urban Development budget kitty go to Bengaluru. This year, for a start , the need lies in a deeper percentage as the budget allocation to Urban Development initiatives deepen all across.
I would list the following basic ethos that the budget document needs to follow and use as a beacon light:
1. Infrastructure spending has been earmarked well budget after budget. This time round, there needs to be investments in the maintenance and sensible enhancement of the infrastructure that has been put into place. There is a need to allocate moneys on the soft side of infrastructure as well. It is important not only to build the flyovers and under-passes, it is important to invest in educating the public on the proper use of roads and the sensible use of infrastructure as well. Lane driving for one is a forgotten aspect on Bangalore roads.
2. Bengaluru is a really big city today under the BBMP limits. This mega-city produces a lot of waste. There is little expenditure that goes into waste-management. It is important to focus on this. Recycling of water and recycling of non-bio degradable waste is an important imperative the budget needs to allocate moneys to. Garbage is the biggest issue staring at us. Creative use of garbage needs the application of minds and moneys. I do believe the budget has a role to play here by upping allocations to recycling expenditures.
3. Slum rehabilitation is an important city need. As the city spreads and as consumptiveness becomes more and more vulgar in its orientation, it is important to manage the needs and wants of those who live in our city slums. It is important to invest in infrastructure development to provide for decent houses with drainage and water facilities. The city cannot cater only to the needs of the haves. It needs to look after the needs of those who have very little. The polarization of wealth is a big issue in a city like Bengaluru. This is a powder keg that acts as a crucible for the development of crime and simmering social discontent that waits for an opportunity to erupt.
4. The Language of GREEN is important to back. It is important to look at showcasing Bengaluru as a green-city that believes in green initiatives that are eco-friendly. Investment in building a nodal body that spearheads this and showcase Bengaluru to the world as a leader among all cities going green is an initiative that is needed. Bengaluru has up-rooted many trees in the last two years. It is important to focus on re-greening Bengaluru back. It needs to be disproportionate to need. Budget allocations on this count is what I look forward to.
5. Bengaluru can be an excellent tourist destination. We need the allocation of moneys for the re-invention of the tourist route of Bengaluru. The last budget saw an excellent allocation of INR 180 Crores for Tourism initiatives. In this budget ahead, I look forward to see a healthier still allocation with a focus on Bengaluru as well. Properties such as Nandi Hills are screaming for the need of attention. Let’s give it that.
Lastly, as a parting note to this budget-need piece, I do believe it is time for Bengaluru to invest in the creation of a logo of its own. We need a symbol the city can own and nurture. Bangalore is already a brand. The brand now needs a symbol. Progressive cities of the world own symbols of their own. I think Bengaluru has arrived enough to ask for one its own. Let’s start the debate on this at least now in this budget with a small allocation that helps put together an eco-system to make it happen.
The author is a brand-expert & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
Cities lose thier Frugality-mindset
Losing My Frugality
By Harish Bijoor
Decades ago all of us were very frugal in everything we did. If not us, at least our parents were.
Decades ago there was a method to every spend. There was a calculation that went behind every replacement of a pressure cooker in the kitchen and the good old 'tawa' to fry the puris in. There was a calculation at play even when it came to replace bed-sheets in the bedroom and towels in the bathroom. Decades ago, there was an entire attitude of frugality that was the big sentiment at play.
And then the decades rolled by. We now enter a brand new one in the series of years that will follow 2010. I now wonder, where has frugality as a sentiment gone? Where did it go? How did it go? When did it all happen?
Look into our city lives today. Is frugality a sentiment we associate a bit too closely to that one big vice called stinginess? Has it somehow got lost and has it altogether vanished form our lives?
Forty years ago, when I was al of 5 I grew up with a shortage of sugar. While holidaying with my grandparents in Mumbai one felt he pinch of shortages al the time. Delhi was no better. The sugar shortage was so acute that Udupi restaurants in Mumbai had stopped keeping sugar in eh small little bowls on the table for use with your cup of coffee or tea. Restaurant guests wee in the habit of swiping the sugar with eh bowl in tow. The shortage had bitten everyone hard.
This was one thing that spurred on the sentiment of frugality all around I guess. Everyone used everything frugally. With care. The more expensive the item, the more the care that was shown to it.
And then things changed. As India moved on from a supply-short economy to a supply-excess mode, advertising helped changed peoples mindsets on what to use and how much to use.
In a nation where even toothpaste it eh bathroom was used frugally, in came mass media advertising that encouraged consumers to fill the entire space of their tooth-brushes with sensuous looking tooth-paste (at least in the ads made during the day). India changed. Gradually though.
I still remember catching the sight of a ‘chimta’ in several bathrooms in North India and South India alike. These 'chimtas' were used to squeeze out the last bits of paste from the metal tubes of toothpastes the day. And we did it with pride.
That’s how frugal we were.
In the mid eighties and right upto the last years of the series 1900, India remained reasonably frugal, despite what mass media advertising has always wanted us to do. Sped more. Use more. Waste more even.
Mass media advertising wants us to have three television sets in the home. One in the drawing room as the family TV set. One in the bedroom for private viewing. And one in the kitchen for the moment, for Shantha-bai to watch while she cooks.
Mass media advertising has also wanted us to have more than one car in the home, use a lot more of snack-food and maybe even have three hair-dryers in the home.
India somehow remained rigidly and resolutely frugal. For a long number of years. An older generation of people who had seen wars ands shortages and strife, helped rein in sentiment.
India somehow continued to be rooted to the method of using what we must use, saving what we must save and not throwing what we must not throw.
We continued to be a nation that still has homes selling old newspapers to a “raddi-wallah” at the end of every month. In many of our homes we still save up empty plastic sachets that bring milk in them to our homes. At the end of the month we sell them to the 'raddiwalla' as well.
We buy a new car and keep the polythene seat covers on them on for a year and more. Never mind how sweaty and uncomfortable it gets. D never mind how yucky it looks. It at least prolonged the life of the seat cover.
As we enter the years of the 2010 series, I am afraid things are morphing. Frugality has somehow slowly found it sway out. Our city lives are filled with attitudes that fight frugality instead of perpetuating the sentiment.
We buy more than we must. We eat more than we must. We waste more than we should as well. We buy things we don’t really-really need. We buy things on impulse. We buy things led by emotive appeal rather than functional need and want.
I think advertising has succeeded at last. If you really peek at every product and service we buy and use, every one of them has two dimensions to them.
One is the “need and want” dimension. The other is a “desire and aspiration” dimension.
Let me explain. Coffee has a “need and want” dimension. When you need and want it, you go buy it. It is simply to satisfy this need and cravingn that is reasonably functional.
Coffee does also have a “desire and aspiration” dimension. When you want to try an exotic Colombian blend that costs twenty times the price of your local blend from Sunticoppa, in comes the dimension of “desire and aspiration”/ This is mostly cosmetic. This is mostly led by the allure and drama of branding and advertising at play. It is also spurred on by the influence of the Joneses, or the neighbors and peers who do the same.
Frugality as a sentiment has gotten lost from our city lives slowly but surely. Some of us are still frugal. But the rest may not allow us to be. For long. So watch out.
Must we then re-invent frugality in outr lives once again? Just to stay in touch with who we are rather than who or what we want to be?
Touche!
The author is a brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
By Harish Bijoor
Decades ago all of us were very frugal in everything we did. If not us, at least our parents were.
Decades ago there was a method to every spend. There was a calculation that went behind every replacement of a pressure cooker in the kitchen and the good old 'tawa' to fry the puris in. There was a calculation at play even when it came to replace bed-sheets in the bedroom and towels in the bathroom. Decades ago, there was an entire attitude of frugality that was the big sentiment at play.
And then the decades rolled by. We now enter a brand new one in the series of years that will follow 2010. I now wonder, where has frugality as a sentiment gone? Where did it go? How did it go? When did it all happen?
Look into our city lives today. Is frugality a sentiment we associate a bit too closely to that one big vice called stinginess? Has it somehow got lost and has it altogether vanished form our lives?
Forty years ago, when I was al of 5 I grew up with a shortage of sugar. While holidaying with my grandparents in Mumbai one felt he pinch of shortages al the time. Delhi was no better. The sugar shortage was so acute that Udupi restaurants in Mumbai had stopped keeping sugar in eh small little bowls on the table for use with your cup of coffee or tea. Restaurant guests wee in the habit of swiping the sugar with eh bowl in tow. The shortage had bitten everyone hard.
This was one thing that spurred on the sentiment of frugality all around I guess. Everyone used everything frugally. With care. The more expensive the item, the more the care that was shown to it.
And then things changed. As India moved on from a supply-short economy to a supply-excess mode, advertising helped changed peoples mindsets on what to use and how much to use.
In a nation where even toothpaste it eh bathroom was used frugally, in came mass media advertising that encouraged consumers to fill the entire space of their tooth-brushes with sensuous looking tooth-paste (at least in the ads made during the day). India changed. Gradually though.
I still remember catching the sight of a ‘chimta’ in several bathrooms in North India and South India alike. These 'chimtas' were used to squeeze out the last bits of paste from the metal tubes of toothpastes the day. And we did it with pride.
That’s how frugal we were.
In the mid eighties and right upto the last years of the series 1900, India remained reasonably frugal, despite what mass media advertising has always wanted us to do. Sped more. Use more. Waste more even.
Mass media advertising wants us to have three television sets in the home. One in the drawing room as the family TV set. One in the bedroom for private viewing. And one in the kitchen for the moment, for Shantha-bai to watch while she cooks.
Mass media advertising has also wanted us to have more than one car in the home, use a lot more of snack-food and maybe even have three hair-dryers in the home.
India somehow remained rigidly and resolutely frugal. For a long number of years. An older generation of people who had seen wars ands shortages and strife, helped rein in sentiment.
India somehow continued to be rooted to the method of using what we must use, saving what we must save and not throwing what we must not throw.
We continued to be a nation that still has homes selling old newspapers to a “raddi-wallah” at the end of every month. In many of our homes we still save up empty plastic sachets that bring milk in them to our homes. At the end of the month we sell them to the 'raddiwalla' as well.
We buy a new car and keep the polythene seat covers on them on for a year and more. Never mind how sweaty and uncomfortable it gets. D never mind how yucky it looks. It at least prolonged the life of the seat cover.
As we enter the years of the 2010 series, I am afraid things are morphing. Frugality has somehow slowly found it sway out. Our city lives are filled with attitudes that fight frugality instead of perpetuating the sentiment.
We buy more than we must. We eat more than we must. We waste more than we should as well. We buy things we don’t really-really need. We buy things on impulse. We buy things led by emotive appeal rather than functional need and want.
I think advertising has succeeded at last. If you really peek at every product and service we buy and use, every one of them has two dimensions to them.
One is the “need and want” dimension. The other is a “desire and aspiration” dimension.
Let me explain. Coffee has a “need and want” dimension. When you need and want it, you go buy it. It is simply to satisfy this need and cravingn that is reasonably functional.
Coffee does also have a “desire and aspiration” dimension. When you want to try an exotic Colombian blend that costs twenty times the price of your local blend from Sunticoppa, in comes the dimension of “desire and aspiration”/ This is mostly cosmetic. This is mostly led by the allure and drama of branding and advertising at play. It is also spurred on by the influence of the Joneses, or the neighbors and peers who do the same.
Frugality as a sentiment has gotten lost from our city lives slowly but surely. Some of us are still frugal. But the rest may not allow us to be. For long. So watch out.
Must we then re-invent frugality in outr lives once again? Just to stay in touch with who we are rather than who or what we want to be?
Touche!
The author is a brand-strategy specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Cities and attitude,,,,
Scratch My Back Cities
By Harish Bijoor
Mrs. Reddy came over the other day and gave a big bowl of Sambar just before dinnertime. Dinner was good. The wife is now thinking. What do I send back in that bowl?
And then there are wives and wives and wives. Some will want to send something of equal quantity back. Some will want to send something of equal value back. And then there will be the others who will want to send something of bigger quantity or bigger value back. Just to make a point. Ouch!
Living in a city is all about giving and taking. This is a give and take society. Sending an empty bowl back is not the done thing. It is against our culture of city living altogether. If someone gives, you must give as well.
This giving and taking is not all about the women in our lives alone. It is about the men as well. It is only decent to return favors. Someone paid a restaurant bill the last time round and now it is time to do the honors. Its time to fight to pay the bill. Its only decent.
This moves on. In corporate work life, the give and take syndrome transcends from paying a bill by turn to scratching someone’s back because they scratched yours sometime or the other. Favors make the world go round big time in corporate life. Somebody stood by someone some day and it is now time to stand by the person who did it for you the last time round. Never mind the issue. Never mind the situation. Ouch!
This give and take life has invaded our city lives completely. Corrupted it totally as well.
In comes Diwali and Christmas and Id and every other festival that dot our lives. It is time to give. And take. Ouch.
If you sent a box of sweets for Diwali to Mrs. Popat, and Mrs. Popat did not return a box, it is time to blacklist Mrs. Popat the next time round. Ouch!
Have you ever wondered about the dynamics of give and take?
If you are visiting the Tuntuns, it is time to check out what to take as a gift. And it sure is time to quickly calculate the value of the gift the Tuntuns brought home the last time round when they were over. Time to benchmark value and deliver it back. Give and take seems to make the world of city living go round and round. I sometimes wonder if people keep little black-books that record quantum, value and returns.
Give and take city living comes to such a pass that there sure are a whole lot of gift items that keep circulating from home to home, without ever being used by any of the homes they touch down upon. If there is a gift that lands at home which you don’t quite like, or have too many of(or whatever), it is time to buy fresh packing paper, check for engraved notations of name on the gift, and if you find nothing exists, time to pack it all up once again and set it going on its give and take routine.
I have often wondered whether something sent out two years ago by the Jalpaiguri family ever reaches them back as well. And if so, do they recognize it, or do they just set it going once again?
Why am I talking about all this give and take routine? Why am I belaboring the point this much?
Very simply because it is time we got back to be genuine and real. Time to sit up and literally cause tumult. Time to sit up and say that you will not simply return a gift because you were gifted something.
Time to get real and genuine once again in our city lives. Time to say that I will gift something to someone only f I feel like it. Not because I am forced to return a favor.
Time to stop this charade for sure. Time to get a little uncivil and break out of the ennui of the predictable.
But why?
Very simply because what starts out as simple exchanges of Sambar for Pindi Chhole, rather quickly morph to boxes of sweets and vases and chalices and favors as well, a bit too fast.
City living seems replete with favors that are not done, but favors that are exchanged. I have nothing against favors being done to people. What I have my hackles up is against the exchange of favors altogether. At times, one favor does not deserve a return favor. Unfortunately however, we tend to forget this all the time. And that is the crux of the issue.
If you scratched my back the last time round, I sure do have to scratch your back the next time round dude! Never mind what the issue is all about. I am obliged to. Touche!
The author is a brand-specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: harishbijoor@hotmail.com
By Harish Bijoor
Mrs. Reddy came over the other day and gave a big bowl of Sambar just before dinnertime. Dinner was good. The wife is now thinking. What do I send back in that bowl?
And then there are wives and wives and wives. Some will want to send something of equal quantity back. Some will want to send something of equal value back. And then there will be the others who will want to send something of bigger quantity or bigger value back. Just to make a point. Ouch!
Living in a city is all about giving and taking. This is a give and take society. Sending an empty bowl back is not the done thing. It is against our culture of city living altogether. If someone gives, you must give as well.
This giving and taking is not all about the women in our lives alone. It is about the men as well. It is only decent to return favors. Someone paid a restaurant bill the last time round and now it is time to do the honors. Its time to fight to pay the bill. Its only decent.
This moves on. In corporate work life, the give and take syndrome transcends from paying a bill by turn to scratching someone’s back because they scratched yours sometime or the other. Favors make the world go round big time in corporate life. Somebody stood by someone some day and it is now time to stand by the person who did it for you the last time round. Never mind the issue. Never mind the situation. Ouch!
This give and take life has invaded our city lives completely. Corrupted it totally as well.
In comes Diwali and Christmas and Id and every other festival that dot our lives. It is time to give. And take. Ouch.
If you sent a box of sweets for Diwali to Mrs. Popat, and Mrs. Popat did not return a box, it is time to blacklist Mrs. Popat the next time round. Ouch!
Have you ever wondered about the dynamics of give and take?
If you are visiting the Tuntuns, it is time to check out what to take as a gift. And it sure is time to quickly calculate the value of the gift the Tuntuns brought home the last time round when they were over. Time to benchmark value and deliver it back. Give and take seems to make the world of city living go round and round. I sometimes wonder if people keep little black-books that record quantum, value and returns.
Give and take city living comes to such a pass that there sure are a whole lot of gift items that keep circulating from home to home, without ever being used by any of the homes they touch down upon. If there is a gift that lands at home which you don’t quite like, or have too many of(or whatever), it is time to buy fresh packing paper, check for engraved notations of name on the gift, and if you find nothing exists, time to pack it all up once again and set it going on its give and take routine.
I have often wondered whether something sent out two years ago by the Jalpaiguri family ever reaches them back as well. And if so, do they recognize it, or do they just set it going once again?
Why am I talking about all this give and take routine? Why am I belaboring the point this much?
Very simply because it is time we got back to be genuine and real. Time to sit up and literally cause tumult. Time to sit up and say that you will not simply return a gift because you were gifted something.
Time to get real and genuine once again in our city lives. Time to say that I will gift something to someone only f I feel like it. Not because I am forced to return a favor.
Time to stop this charade for sure. Time to get a little uncivil and break out of the ennui of the predictable.
But why?
Very simply because what starts out as simple exchanges of Sambar for Pindi Chhole, rather quickly morph to boxes of sweets and vases and chalices and favors as well, a bit too fast.
City living seems replete with favors that are not done, but favors that are exchanged. I have nothing against favors being done to people. What I have my hackles up is against the exchange of favors altogether. At times, one favor does not deserve a return favor. Unfortunately however, we tend to forget this all the time. And that is the crux of the issue.
If you scratched my back the last time round, I sure do have to scratch your back the next time round dude! Never mind what the issue is all about. I am obliged to. Touche!
The author is a brand-specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: harishbijoor@hotmail.com
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Bangalore Rage!
The Rage of Bangalore
By Harish Bijoor
Bangalore is an attitude.
A city is really an attitude. A reflection of the collective attitude of its people. In many ways Bangalore is not about this now sprawling BBMP area of 740 sq km. It is not about the eclectic mix of its people. It is not about the ethnographic mix. It is not about its varied food habits. Not about its varied dressing habits. Not about its many languages. Not about the 10,000 plus expatriates who have adopted the city as their own. Remember, the city boasts a third of the expatriate population in India. The highest single cluster of expatriates anywhere in India.
A city is really the aggregate of the attitude of its people. What is the mindset of the Bangalorean at large? What is her world-view? What is her civic-view? Is she inclusive in her mindset or exclusive? What is her social attitude? How is her economic attitude fashioned? And what of his Religious attitude? How is his political attitude?
It is therefore all about attitude. A city is defined by the attitude of its people. Attitude as reflected in behavior. Attitude as portrayed by the actions of its peoples. Attitude as displayed on the sleeves of the people who make up this city.
Who makes this city then? An eclectic mix of the haves and have-nots. Bangalore boasts of a large population of industrial workers. Textile workers even. Auto-rickshaw drivers (1, 21,000 at last count), drivers of every kind who make for the travel comfort of this city. Servants and cooks and home comfort-enablers of every kind. Sweepers in the formal sector, and indeed a whole host of rag-pickers and beggars and street-singers and street-acrobats in the informal sectors.
The city ticks on with its complement of tech-workers. A big chunk of the 16 lakh population of tech-workers in the country have made Bangalore their home. Add to this people from every part of the country who work within the confines of the many enterprises in end-to-end-services, the BPO industry, retail, marketing, manufacturing, aviation and more. Name a business vertical of significance, and we have it here in Bangalore.
If you speak a region, we have them all here. Literally every one of our many States is represented in this microcosm that is Bangalore. The languages are multifarious today. From the biggest non-local chunk contribution of Telugu (12% plus), every language that is spoken in India is here. As is the food of these many regions. Add to it the many foreign languages and cuisines. Sushi is now found in as many as 19 different restaurants in Bangalore. And Korean cuisine in as many as 11.
We are a mixed city then. A healthy mix from everywhere. A mix that has found Bangalore a pleasant place to be, sans the jingoism that mars many a city elsewhere. The Kannadiga is the most hospitable and inclusive person there is. Embracing everyone into the myriad folds of the city. Bangalore is a ‘bisi-bele-baath’ all of its own. A very tasty one at that.
As I write, the city remains what it was, inclusive. What worries me though are incidents that seem to come up every now and then on our roads. Road-rage for a start. These incidents are small in number but deep in the anguish they cause among those exposed to it.
If the city is an attitude, road-rage is a stress-induced manifestation of the attitude of a city as well. There was a time when road-rage manifested itself rather politely in this city. I have personally seen instances where people have gotten out of their cars with folded hands and apologized to those who they have upset. Gone are those days. This is getting to be an angrier city. Why?
Road-rage seems to be inversely proportional to the education of its peoples. We are a reasonably well-educated city. The most educated seem to get the most angry on our roads. And road-rage seems to be a vent-point. A point where the issue of the “outsider” and the “insider” seems to manifest itself suddenly. When someone gets angry, very angry, the first shout that seems to emerge is in the mother-tongue of choice. And this is where it all starts. This is where language comes in, one opposing the other. And this is where the status of the “insider” and “outsider” comes in. And this is precisely where the government machinery and its possible biases come in as well. To the chagrin of the affected.
The attitude of the city needs a balm on the roads, particularly as our traffic-snarls increase. The snarl is really in us. We need to very consciously control this animal. Shall we make a conscious effort? And let’s educate one other person on this. Just for a start.
We need a public program that educates us about road rage. Any takers?
Harish Bijoor is a brand-expert & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
By Harish Bijoor
Bangalore is an attitude.
A city is really an attitude. A reflection of the collective attitude of its people. In many ways Bangalore is not about this now sprawling BBMP area of 740 sq km. It is not about the eclectic mix of its people. It is not about the ethnographic mix. It is not about its varied food habits. Not about its varied dressing habits. Not about its many languages. Not about the 10,000 plus expatriates who have adopted the city as their own. Remember, the city boasts a third of the expatriate population in India. The highest single cluster of expatriates anywhere in India.
A city is really the aggregate of the attitude of its people. What is the mindset of the Bangalorean at large? What is her world-view? What is her civic-view? Is she inclusive in her mindset or exclusive? What is her social attitude? How is her economic attitude fashioned? And what of his Religious attitude? How is his political attitude?
It is therefore all about attitude. A city is defined by the attitude of its people. Attitude as reflected in behavior. Attitude as portrayed by the actions of its peoples. Attitude as displayed on the sleeves of the people who make up this city.
Who makes this city then? An eclectic mix of the haves and have-nots. Bangalore boasts of a large population of industrial workers. Textile workers even. Auto-rickshaw drivers (1, 21,000 at last count), drivers of every kind who make for the travel comfort of this city. Servants and cooks and home comfort-enablers of every kind. Sweepers in the formal sector, and indeed a whole host of rag-pickers and beggars and street-singers and street-acrobats in the informal sectors.
The city ticks on with its complement of tech-workers. A big chunk of the 16 lakh population of tech-workers in the country have made Bangalore their home. Add to this people from every part of the country who work within the confines of the many enterprises in end-to-end-services, the BPO industry, retail, marketing, manufacturing, aviation and more. Name a business vertical of significance, and we have it here in Bangalore.
If you speak a region, we have them all here. Literally every one of our many States is represented in this microcosm that is Bangalore. The languages are multifarious today. From the biggest non-local chunk contribution of Telugu (12% plus), every language that is spoken in India is here. As is the food of these many regions. Add to it the many foreign languages and cuisines. Sushi is now found in as many as 19 different restaurants in Bangalore. And Korean cuisine in as many as 11.
We are a mixed city then. A healthy mix from everywhere. A mix that has found Bangalore a pleasant place to be, sans the jingoism that mars many a city elsewhere. The Kannadiga is the most hospitable and inclusive person there is. Embracing everyone into the myriad folds of the city. Bangalore is a ‘bisi-bele-baath’ all of its own. A very tasty one at that.
As I write, the city remains what it was, inclusive. What worries me though are incidents that seem to come up every now and then on our roads. Road-rage for a start. These incidents are small in number but deep in the anguish they cause among those exposed to it.
If the city is an attitude, road-rage is a stress-induced manifestation of the attitude of a city as well. There was a time when road-rage manifested itself rather politely in this city. I have personally seen instances where people have gotten out of their cars with folded hands and apologized to those who they have upset. Gone are those days. This is getting to be an angrier city. Why?
Road-rage seems to be inversely proportional to the education of its peoples. We are a reasonably well-educated city. The most educated seem to get the most angry on our roads. And road-rage seems to be a vent-point. A point where the issue of the “outsider” and the “insider” seems to manifest itself suddenly. When someone gets angry, very angry, the first shout that seems to emerge is in the mother-tongue of choice. And this is where it all starts. This is where language comes in, one opposing the other. And this is where the status of the “insider” and “outsider” comes in. And this is precisely where the government machinery and its possible biases come in as well. To the chagrin of the affected.
The attitude of the city needs a balm on the roads, particularly as our traffic-snarls increase. The snarl is really in us. We need to very consciously control this animal. Shall we make a conscious effort? And let’s educate one other person on this. Just for a start.
We need a public program that educates us about road rage. Any takers?
Harish Bijoor is a brand-expert & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.
Email: ceo@harishbijoorconsults.com
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