Lead India - a Times of India initiative is a right step
Thursday, August 30, 2007

What is it that lacks in today's youth ? In my opinion they are missing out on strong leadership, good moral values, an ideal or true hero that he or she can idolize or find inspiration from. TIMES NOW, India's leading English news television channel of big stories gets associated with 'Lead India - a Times of India initiative' to seek out the next generation of leaders for the nation. This is very significant because, for one, a leading media group in the country has finally stated it openly that we lack good leaders, and for other, it is giving an opportunity to the common man to aspire for something bigger.

In todays time the best and brightest are just not coming forward to be a part of the political mainstream. Deterred by the increasing muddiness of politics - and with several attractive career options opening up in the past decade - politics has come down dramatically in the list of viable career options. 'Lead India' aims to change this perception and present a new linage of leaders for the nation. This initiative give the exact right platform for our potential leaders.

So, what are the qualities we would want in the leadership today! According to a poll conducted by the Times Of India the qualities that were most sought in a leader are: - Honesty, Efficiency, Ability to inspire, Education, and carry people along.

This is definitely a right step in the right direction. And hope that there would be more similar campaigns taken up by corporate groups provide a platform for true future leaders of India !

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posted by Mohanan @ 9:29 PM, ,


The Taj Mahal - Pride of India
Saturday, August 25, 2007

Taj Mahal, beyond doubt, is the most precious architectural heritage of the wonder that was India. As Fergusson remarked, "it is the combination of so many beauties, and the perfect manner in which each is subordinated to the other that makes up a whole, which the word can not match and which never fails to impress even those who are most indifferent to the effects produced by architectural objects in general".

Located at the city of Agra in the State of Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of architecture in the world. Agra, situated about 200 km south of New Delhi, was the Capital of the Mughals (Moguls), the Muslim Emperors who ruled Northern India between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Mughals were the descendents of two of the most skilled warriors in history: the Turks and the Mongols. The Mughal dynasty reached its highest strength and fame during the reign of their early Emperors, Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jehan.

The unique mughal style combines elements of Persian, Central Asian, and Islamic architecture. Most impressive are the black and white chessboard marble floor, the four tall minarets (40 m high) at the corners of the structure, and the majestic dome in the middle. On closer look, the lettering of the Quran verses around the archways appears to be uniform, regardless of their height. The lettering spacing and density has been customized to give this impression to the beholder. Other illusionary effects have been accounted for in the geometry of the tomb and the tall minarets. The impressive pietra dura artwork includes geometric elements, plants and flowers, mostly common in Islamic architecture. The level of sophistication in artwork becomes obvious when one realizes that a 3 cm decorative element contains more than 50 inlaid gemstones.

The Makrana white marble of the Taj Mahal assumes subtle variations of light, tint and tone at different times of the day. At dawn it assumes a soft dreamy aspect; at noon, it appears to be a dazzling white, and in the moonlight the dome looks like a huge iridescent pearl. Not surprisingly, then, the Taj is today regarded all over the world as a supreme labour of love

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posted by Mohanan @ 5:52 AM, ,


Medical Tourisim in India

Medical tourism can be broadly defined as the provision of 'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of specialized treatment. India is promoting the "high-tech healing" of its private healthcare sector as a tourist attraction. The government hopes to encourage a budding trade in medical tourism, selling foreigners the idea of travelling to India for low-cost but world-class medical treatment.

India has originated as one of the most important hubs for medical toursim. Many people from the developed countries come to India for the rejuvenation promised by yoga and Ayurvedic massage however, a nice blend of top-class medical expertise at attractive prices is helping more and more Indian corporate hospitals to lure foreign patients, including patients from developed nations such as the UK and the US, for high end surgeries like Cardiac ByPass Surgery or a Knee/Hip Replacement.

Take the rising popularity of "preventive health screening". At one private clinic in London a thorough men's health check-up that includes blood tests, electro-cardiogram tests, chest x-rays, lung tests and abdominal ultrasound costs £345 ($574, €500). By comparison, a comparable check-up at a clinic operated by Delhi-based healthcare company Max Healthcare costs $84.

Not just cost savings or the high standard of medical care facility, but also the waiting time is much lower for any treatment in India than in any other country. Medical help is often an emergency and situations can turn worse if the treatment is delayed. While you might have to wait for several months to get a surgical operation done in the US, in India things can be arranged within a week.

Medical tourism is going to result in a number of demands and changes in the areas of financing and regulations. There will be a greater push for encouraging private insurance tied to systems of accreditation of private hospitals. There is a huge concern in the developed countries about the quality of care and clinical expertise in developing countries and this will push for both insurance and regulatory regimes. The potential for earning revenues through medical tourism will become an important argument for private hospitals demanding more subsidies from the government in the long run.

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posted by Mohanan @ 5:01 AM, ,


Wipro all set to acquire Infocrossing
Sunday, August 19, 2007

Wipro Ltd., India's third-largest software company based in the southern Indian city of Bangalore, will acquire U.S.-based Infocrossing Inc., which provides information technology outsourcing to mid-sized companies in the United States, for $600 million to add customers and widen the services on offer. Wipro has offered to pay $18.70 per share of the New Jersey-based company. The acquisition, the biggest-ever by an Indian services company, will help Wipro enhance its service, especially the off-shoring of technology infrastructure services by Western companies to low-cost destinations like India.

The acquisition will add five data centers and about 900 employees to Wipro Ltd. Wipro and larger rivals Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. and Infosys Technologies Ltd. have been buying software services companies overseas to bolster their menu of offerings and also acquire new clients. Buying a competitor in the U.S., the main market for India's software services industry, allows companies to be nearer to their customers.

Infocrossing reported a net income of $1.8 million on revenue of $59.2 million for the first quarter ended March 31, the company said on its Web site. Infocrossing has customers such as Sunoco Inc., the largest oil refiner in the U.S. Northeast, and Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG.

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posted by Mohanan @ 8:03 AM, ,