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Guest Column
Is this the Indian Renaissance?
by Nitin Dahad
Our tech guru does a year-end wrap of the exciting world of Indian technology.
I probably just attended the worst event I have ever attended in my life, and it almost certainly set back the branding of India by at least a year.
But first some context. In 1999, the then Prime Minister asked me to be part of the inaugural UK India Roundtable, to be co-chaired by Lord Paul. Our remit was to look at ways of enhancing bilateral relations. Back then I remember trying to convince the High Commission to brand India. I said one day Indian brands will be global. So this is something close to my heart.
This week, the Powerbrands event was a lesson on how not to brand your country and your company. Let me give you some lessons. This is important if you are an Indian brand looking to go global.
- When you speak, understand there is a slim distinction between a speech and a lecture. I don’t want to be lectured. How come you don’t know that and are in branding? Ever read about advocacy, about rhetoric. No? Then there is a whole game going on out there that you don’t know about. Get out of branding.
- Remember the words of Keynes: ‘A speech is like urinating in a dark room; you may get a nice relieved warm feeling but your audience thinks you’re an idiot’. In other words, don’t speak for yourself. Speak for the benefit of the audience. Value; add value. I’ve taken time out. Respect me. Earn it by the words you use. Waste my time and I will talk while you do.
- Don’t patronise me, just because you’re on stage.
- You are in branding, so learn to speak, to annunciate, to communicate. Take elocution for god’s sake. Because, quite frankly, otherwise you sound like you’re constipated. Don’t spit into the microphone. Vary your tone. You sound like your testicles are being extracted from the microphone. It hurts me more to hear it, trust me. Don’t know about breathing exercises, jaw exercises? Then I wonder how badly you run your company if you run yourself as a brand ambassador this badly.
- You are not American. You may picture yourself in your bedroom as Obama, or Anthony Robbins. You are not. Be confident in your own style. Aping an American makes you just look like an ape.
- If you have to type out every single last word, then at least don’t staple your speech. And if you do, then don’t end each page mid-sentence… so you pause, turn the page, hit the mic, and then say… the last… word on the page… overleaf.
- Ummm... if you don’t know what to say…’ummm’ is not a clever filler. If you don’t know what to say, then why the heck are you up there?
- Don’t lecture me about the Gita and how business is about the journey and not the destination and at the same time talk about ‘passion’. Really? Have your read the Gita? What does it say about ‘passion’? You sound like a wannabe guru – just one who does not know if it is business guru or religious guru
- It is possible to sell a simple old trite message for millions. Like ‘be passionate’ but it’s old and clichéd. So are you and so I assume is your company.
- If you really want to know about passion, it comes not from the volume of your voice, but the depth of your message. Think about substance, not marketing. The Indian style is the style of Gandhi, not of Anthony Robbins.
- Don’t ask me to wear black tie then serve me a buffet? Get it? And then call it branding!
- Don’t plug your book. You sound desperate. Author royalties are peanuts, so it’s not the money, it must be your ego. I’ve written 13 books genius and I don’t plug mine. Bad branding. It’s better if someone plugs them for you. Didn’t know that? Then I wonder how much you do know about branding.
The greatest irony was that the worst speech of the evening was from someone who wrote a book called Thorns to Competition. I left the free book on the table. They should have just left two aspirins on the table instead.
So when the genius points out that there are no Indian brands in the top 20 brands in the world, now you know why. If they make errors like this, no wonder they need to buy British and other brands. And that is good. Good for Britain. Good for British companies. I am not saying all things British are good, but being the new loud brash kid on the block ain’t gonna get you a seat at the table. You just look jumped up.
I left before my friend Guy Kawasaki spoke. Guy is a great communicator. Guy has substance. Read any of Guy’s books.
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www.alpeshblog.com
Alpesh Patel read Modern Greats at Oxford University (now better known as Philosophy, Politics and Economics). He is a former Visiting Fellow in Business at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and alumnus of Boston University, and lectured in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guatemala and India on global economics. He has a degree in Law from King’s College, London, and is the author of 13 books. He is the founder of private equity and hedge fund firm, Praefinium Partners.
Guest Column
Stronger, Wider, Deeper
by Nick Baird
A year-end review of India-UK trade and investment ties across the board.
Guest Column
FDI in retail: Let's lend our ears for once
by Ridhika Batra
A panoramic view on opening India's retail sector to global competition.
Vikas Pota speaks to Subhash Thaker from the Taj Group…
Subhash Thaker is vice-president, sales and marketing - UK and Europe, at Taj International Hotels.
1. Is giving important? Why?
It is very important. Since we take so much from society, it is incumbent upon us to give back if we have the capacity to. It is natural law. If the world has to progress and move on, it is very important to create wealth for society.
Our future generations will judge us on the basis of what we did today for those who are under-privileged and deprived. To give to people who do not enjoy the same benefits as we do, is the fundamental instinct of mankind.
2. What charities do you personally support?
There is a charity called Sarvam that works for villages near Pondicherry in South India. It takes an integral and holistic approach to charity work. The agenda is driven by the villagers themselves and a resource group determines grants for specific activities based on the needs of the particular village. It could range from sanitation and road works to setting up a new school.
It is a terrific example of scalable support. The village is the cell of a nation and if you tackle the cell, the entire body will be healthy. To create a truly empowered nation and tomorrow’s India, we need to create these kind of communities.
3. What was your first ever donation to a charity?
It was to an ashram in Pondicherry when I was about 10 years old. My link with the region goes back to my school days because my parents chose vedantic education from the Sri Aurobindo International School of Education for me.
4. Do you have a focus on where you donate your money?
Anything that we focus on must have a holistic approach. Only an integral approach can get to the roots of all the ills of society and transform it to the next level.
It is ultimately about no dogma or religion but human will to make a difference.
5. Which individuals stand out for their support to charitable causes?
J.R.D. Tata is very inspirational. Even today 30 per cent of all company profits go to charity through the Tata Foundation, which is a very enlightened concept.
Then there is Krishna Kumar from Ayushman Ayurvedic centre, Coimbatore, who has been nurturing the age-old art of ayurvedic treatment. He offers free-of-charge treatment to those who can’t pay for it. It is admirable when someone dedicates his life to a cause.
6. What percentage of our income should we give to good causes?
I think it should be between one and three per cent of one’s income.
7. What do you personally gain from contributing?
The satisfaction that I am not a selfish, egoistic human being who just believes in procreating and gathering for himself.
8. How do you decide on where to donate? Does your family factor in?
As long as it helps society as a whole, it doesn’t matter where the money goes. There can be variant themes, the only restriction being that it should be done properly. It is not based on family influences or a particular value system. It should just help the Indian cause in the long run; help India stand in line with other great nations.
9. What was the last charity fundraiser you attended?
It was a fundraiser in aid of children in Hyderabad by this wonderful charity called Soham for Kids. We raised £200,000 through an auction at Christie’s.
10.·Should charitable donations be private?
Yes. Advertising one’s giving takes away from the essence of giving. Charity work does not make us superior. It just means we happen to have the means to make a difference.
We are all trustees of the money we have and it is up to us to use it for a good cause.
Contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Through these in-depth interviews with industry leaders, Vikas Pota asks charity-related questions that unearth the driving force behind their philanthropy and social responsibility.
Guest Column
Entrepreneurship as an engine
by Sanjeev B. Ahuja
An analysis of why entrepreneurship is the key to sustainable global economic growth as TiE UK prepares to celebrate achievements in the field.
India is the land of the Guru. The concept is of a mentor in business. An elder we would tend to trust and rely on. A practice going back centuries.
It’s something that has helped many businesses – a mentor. But, in my experience it’s the business guru in a deal who is meant to be watching your back who is just as likely to stab it.
Here’s how, in my experience of Indian business, it works:
- The guru is older. They’ll keep repeating they are a friend and want to see you succeed. Expect an invite home for dinner with the wife and dimwit children.
- The guru tries to be a friend, probing into personal matters – may even introduce you to a relative for marriage – anything that does not cost them financially is seen as a win to gain your trust.
- Religion is another tool the guru will use – they will probe for your beliefs and then maybe even invite you for a Diwali puja – appearing to let you into their family. Remember it costs them nothing so it is a benefit to them as it builds up your trust.
- How you know you are not just being cynical?
- They will not disclose personal matters
- They will seek to put you down in front of others through a comment or phrase – betraying their true feelings – usually of jealousy of your youth and potential and their goal to ultimately harm your business
- They will want a stake in what you do – so are not just a disinterested party
- They will repeat they are a disinterested party and well-wisher – “protesting much”
Once you see them as a trusted advisor they will look to use you in the following ways:
- Use your name to open doors in their own business behind your back
- Try to put some obligation, usually financial, upon you – one which they have through their own misdeeds suffered but want you to take on the responsibility. This won’t simply be “here, you owe me a million”. It will be something along the lines of, “oh, I heard your name come up – you may be in a lot of trouble. You know two parties to a deal that went sour. (Even though it was not your deal, they knew each other before you came along). But your name was mentioned by someone in association with it. You better take on the debt to clear your name.
- In print, it sounds ridiculous but the point with this type of guru is ultimately that they are not as clever as they think they are – in fact that is why they are not a genuine business guru at all.
www.alpeshblog.com
Alpesh Patel read Modern Greats at Oxford University (now better known as Philosophy, Politics and Economics). He is a former Visiting Fellow in Business at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, and alumnus of Boston University, and lectured in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guatemala and India on global economics. He has a degree in Law from King’s College, London, and is the author of 13 books. He is the founder of private equity and hedge fund firm, Praefinium Partners.
Guest Column
India finds its niche in the G20
by Ridhika Batra
As the G20 summit wraps up in France, we take a look at India's journey from apathy to interest in such economic clubs.
About two years ago I went to Greece as part of an EU conference. It had been a complete waste of time and money and I thought no more of it after my flight home. The conference had been titled the “human face of entrepreneurship” and I had gone to it because a dear friend of mine thought that we might be able to influence the event.
One example of why the Greek policy makers had “lost it” was demonstrated by the fact that the conference timetable was put back repeatedly in half hour units until a smartly dressed minister in fashionable sun glasses could come and make his speech on entrepreneurship and its human face! Well, the face that he put on was clearly two-faced, bearing in mind the fiasco that the EU is in now.
The self importance, arrogance and hollow words that I witnessed are captured in the sound-bite of the Greek housewife in the link here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15586673
The ordinary Greek citizen has paid a heavy price for the incompetence of their policy-makers.
A similar nonsense was visible a few years ago when I was at an event in Ireland. One of the government people made a speech that Ireland would overtake India as a hotbed of technology entrepreneurship. I did point out to him that the Infosys headcount in Bangalore out-numbered the total technology entrepreneurs available to him in Ireland. He was offended for some reason. We know what happened in Ireland recently.
In January of this year I had the rare pleasure of driving on empty highways in Spain. And Italy continues to have an emperor who is playing his fiddle while Rome burns. All these peripheral countries got way more support than their absorption capacity has allowed them to manage, deluded their policy-makers and bankers in smart suits.
I believe that the problem is also the result of EU folly or enlargement. Brussels seems keen on growing the list of countries that are part of Europe. Even Turkey is knocking on the door and Israel is part of the tame Eurovision contest!
The EU’s vision of enlargement to now include 27 countries and the desire of the poorer European countries to be members of the rich club is playing havoc with any sense of vision and purpose.
The fiasco in the EU should serve as a clear warning to policy-makers in other countries and regions about the merits of regional policies.
I can recall when Indian politicians deluded themselves with “India Shining”. Eventually the voters punished them and for that we have to be thankful because people who are thought to be semi-literate made a difference. I fear that the Greek tragedy is that the citizens of Greece may not have the same level of autonomy to punish their politicians. Italians have shown no gumption at all to deal with Berlusconi and his bunga bunga ways.
The mood among a small number of protestors in Wall Street and at the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral and elsewhere are thin voices raising alarm bells in the G20 countries that all is not well.
The elite decision-makers (UK CEOs, for example) have rewarded themselves again at obscene levels while ordinary citizens cannot afford fresh milk (see video link above).
So – what is the answer? There is no silver bullet, but finding a way to absorb the ideas of C.K. Prahalad and the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, being more “bottom-up” and empowering, fewer rules restraining entrepreneurs and more rules restraining the elite must all be steps that need to be considered.
I like it when leaders have a vision and a clear set of values. At present it is hard to see many leaders in the G20 with that. I hope people power helps out as we may well have to rely on the wisdom of the crowds to sort this out.
Dr Shailendra Vyakarnam is Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning, part of Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. He currently holds the Otto Monsted Guest Professorship at Aarhus School of Business in Entrepreneurship, Denmark. Shai is also Senior Member at both Darwin College and Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge. He has published five books and several papers on entrepreneurship and has combined academic and business interests having co-founded several businesses.
