A load of crap from an idle brainPersonal, Movies, Music, IT, India, Singapore, Politics, Fun

Iam a strong believer in the theory that the government has no business doing any business.  The government has no business running steel companies, textile mills, condom companies etc.  All that the government has to do is to manage the law and order machinery, keep the country safe and to create laws and an environment that is conductive for its people do do business and prosper.  The government exists so that the common man can use his skills to run his own business and employ people.  More than 60 years ago when the country got its independence, it was ok for the government to get into all the industries so as to kick start the process of industrialisation.  As time went by, the citizens of the country got into the business of making money and it was time for the government to sell off the businesses and do what it was mandated to….and that is to govern the country.

But under the socialist regime of our succesive governments, the economy has been screwed up badly and sadly even 63 years after independence, we have millions of our citizens going hungry every day while millions of tons of foodgrains rot in open grounds for lack of storage space.

Meanwhile we have a food and agricultural minister who is busy hobnobbing with the glamour of industry and entertainment and involving himself in cricket. Not to mention monopolising the sugar business in his home state of Maharashtra. All this at time when foodgrains have no place to be stored and are left to the mercy of rains and heat in some open lands.

Even though the Supreme Court has woken up late, its good to see that the apex court has now come out with a ruling stating that not a single grain should be wasted and if the government cant do the needful, it must distribute the food to the poor free of cost.

The Supreme Court has observed that not a single food grain should be wasted. In a strongly-worded ruling, the apex court has told the government that foodgrains are rotting and if you can’t do anything about it then distribute it among the poor. The court has also sought government’s response on this.

Meanwhile, as the government faces flak over letting close to 30 lakh tonnes of foodgrain rot across the country, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) on food has reportedly decided to sell an additional 30 lakh tonnes of rice and wheat to 11.5 crore Above-Poverty-Line (APL) families through ration shops.

Didnt such a though occur to the incompetent government and the food minister earlier?

PS: Remember the days of waiting for 2 years for a land line, booking periods for a Bajaj scooter or a Maruti car?  That’s the kind of pathetic performance only our government can do.  That’s why agriculture, retail and everything to do with logistics needs to be deregulated.  So that the private sector can do in a few years what our government hasn’t been able to do in decades.

Picture courtesy: Poonam

+++

After years of talking to many industrial and retail houses, the French retail giant, Carrefour has agreed for a retail alliance with Kishore Biyani’s Future Group.

Future Group will open Carrefour-branded franchise stores in the country under a deal signed three months ago, said the two persons, who spoke on condition of anonymity because an announcement is yet to be made.

Future Group plans to open between 150 and 300 Carrefour-branded hypermarkets in the next five years, said one of the two persons.

“This is quite ambitious given the challenges in finding right space required for such hypermarkets,” said the person.

Future Group, which runs Pantaloon and the Big Bazaar chains, will pay the French retailer a royalty for using the brand, said the person, who declined to specify the royalty amount.

Indian rules allow foreign multi-brand retailers to operate in the country only through franchise agreements with local firms.

Carrefour has been scouting for a partner for several years, without success. It has previously held talks with Bharti Enterprises Ltd, which teamed up with Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Wadia Group, and real estate firms DLF Ltd and MGF Ltd, among others.

In 2007, Carrefour started two separate units in India, Carrefour WC and C India Pvt. Ltd to roll out fully owned wholesale stores, and Carrefour India Master Franchise Co. Pvt. Ltd, which was to partner an Indian company to open the French firm’s branded stores in the country.

Full article here

+++

With the commies and regional parties out of the reckoning, the stock market is going to give a real high five when it opens today in approx 2 hours from now.  I would reckon at least a 500 point upside for the BSE.  Like some panelist commented on CNBC-TV18 on Saturday, “the fact that we wont see Prakash Karat’s face on TV for the next few years itself is worth 500 points.” Well said.

5 years ago admist the uncertainity over the economic reforms , the stock market crashed by over 790 points to finish at around 4200 points as the UPA with the support of the Left came to power in May 2004.   Since then, the market touched 22000, crashed to 8000 and is now hovering around 12000.

With the commies not around this time and a decimated BJP, its time for the UPA to look at the real issues on ground.  We could look at FDI in retail and that’s sure to give a fillip to the economy in general.  Its probably time for Singh and his team to unleash the 2nd generation of reforms.

Montek Singh Ahluwalia seems to be in running for the post of Finance Minister.  Chidambaram would go back to his Home ministry (and hopefully do a good job of overhauling the creaking law and order machinery and intelligence gathering in the country).  Pranab Mukherjee is poised to be the External Affairs minister.  India would need his expertise a lot considering a volatile neighbourhood.  Hope Dayanidhi Maran comes back to Telecom/IT ministry.  We need a good minister for the post of Highways and surface transport unlike the previous scumbug, TR Baalu.  AK Antony will be the Defence Minister again.

Thank God, the moron Ramadoss is gone.  He was a pathetic joke.  Hope we will have some good Health minister who will work on the lousy public health that we have and the pathetic conditions of government run hospitals than spend his/her time watching if SRK is smoking on screen or picking up fights with the AIIMS chief.

Wonder if Advani has gone to the gym in the morning.  My prediction that Advani will NEVER become the PM of India came true.   He was, is and always will be an also-ran. At least with his new found love for exercising, he will die a healthy man physically.  Unfortunately, there can be no cure for his crooked and power hungry mind.

Here’s the best wishes for a great 2nd innings to the UPA led government.

+++

Picked up this book from Crosswords on my last trip to Hyderabad. A few reviews on the book by some famous personalities…

Rama has done a great service by capturing her vast experience this book for the benefit of all-from CEOs to market and business development professionals… She has developed a very strong case for learning India on its own terms before investing. This book is a critical read for anyone considering building a large franchise for themselves in India. – C.K. Prahalad

India is a “chaos” market with many layers of opportunity beyond the obvious. This book has the rare insight and courage to describe the Indian market as it truly is and will be in the future. It is essential reading for anyone who is serious about doing business in India. – Kishore Biyani

+++

India’s two leading conglomerates, Tatas and Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Group, have made it to the league of the world’s 25 most innovative companies, riding on the cheapest commercial car Nano and an aggressive growth path, respectively.

In the list of world’s 25 most innovative companies released here on Friday, Tata group is ranked at the sixth position, while Reliance Industries is at 19th spot. The list, published in the April 28 edition of BusinessWeek magazine that hit the newsstands on Friday, has been compiled by the US financial publication in collaboration with Boston Consulting Group.

Both Tata and RIL have made it for the first time to the annual list which is topped by Apple Computer, the maker of iPod music players and Mac personal computers. Apple is followed by Internet search giant Google, Japanese auto major Toyota, industrial conglomerate General Electric (GE) and software behemoth Microsoft in the top five.

About Tata group , BusinessWeek said that “Mumbai-based conglomerate jumps onto our list for the first time, fuelled by its paradigm-busting 2,500 dollar ‘Nano’ car for the masses”.

“The car, from its Tata Motors unit, is the world’s cheapest, thanks partly to a distribution model that sells the auto in kits to entrepreneurs who assemble them for buyers.”

About RIL, it noted that “the Indian petrochemicals giant made it onto our list this year thanks to fans of its aggressive growth. “But its ambitious plans to reach into grocery retailing, which is dominated in India by small shopkeepers who have rebelled against corporate entrants, have faltered,” it added.

Above news courtesy: TimesofIndia

+++