Hyderabadi Road (NON)Sense

4 years of being in Hyderabad I have understand that Hyderabad do not have traffic sense at all.  Don't know if this is specific to Hyderabad or other cities also.

Auto are the Kings of Roads.  They can stop anywhere in the middle of the road and expect you to anticipate that and apply brakes immediately

Never drive on the left side of auto. You never know when they may feel the urge to go to left side of the road.

People will cross the roads only when the traffic signal light for that lane is green and they expect you not to hit them.

Crossing the road is another hell because when you are about to cross there will an auto standing in front of you as if to kidnap you.

Every non metered auto will start quoting for 50 rs even if the distance may be less than half kilometer.

Footpaths in Hyderabad is an virtual concept, which only archaeology department can trace where the path lies. Every path is for vehicles.  Pedestrians have to be careful for their own life while walking on so called footpath as vehicles from both direction will be coming.

No software programme can trace out the pattern of the auto driving, sorry not even Google

People waiting for city bus will scuttle in middle of the roads for catching the bus.  They will come to the other side of the road if the bus is going from that side to avoid bus stand.

 

FDI for Banks

The PM last week announced scores of measures that will allow FDI in retail, aviation, power exchanges and others. Well according to me, all these measures are aimed at reducing the exposure of Banks towards this sectors.  If you see the power sector, the current reforms does not penalize the State Electricity Boards but convert their loans taken from Banks into long terms bonds which will be paid by states at a later date.  The exposure to aviation sector is already high.  The private sector banks (read ICICI) has already reduced its exposure to aviation sector by selling the loan to private investor.  The Public sector banks (PSBs)are not that lucky in that aspect.  The PSBs acts on the whims and fancy of the local politicians.  They also consider every public utility as their own.  Instead of rolling out their own purse strings they ask the public utility to shell out benefits which the politicians claim as their own.  Consider the current example of Oil and Gas subsidy given by ONGC and OIL India to the Refiners (BPCL, HPCL, Indian Oil).  Instead of Government paying subsidy as per their claims they are asking ONGC and OIL India to pay the subsidy for selling it for less the cost price.  These subsidies are making ONGC and OIL India bankrupt and they are not adding any new reserves as they don't have money to explore new regions.

Online Grocery Stores in India

Why online grocery may not be successful in India
Some time back two things happened.  I and my office colleague were having discussion on his friend opening online grocery store in Hyderabad.  Also another friend posted an quote on FB "Currently people are suffereing from MALLaria".  This got me thinking about the success of online grocery store in India and will it be ever successful in India. 
 
Family Weekend Get-together
Logistical Issues
Quality Issues
Peripheral purchases
Time of Matter
Online Population
Inhibitive Costs and thin margins
Proliference of nearby Stores

Giveter - A gift recommending engine

Today in this fast paced world, people jump to look for better work. One company to another company. One city to another city. But often they leave behind folks with whom they had interacted for months and even years. They develop special relationship which weather out over time as we make new acquaintances. Often we remember the time we have spent together; those celebrations; those exchanges of gifts.
Giveter.com gives an opportunity to relive those moments. Giveter.com allows you to send gifts even to persons you don't have address of. So there is no need to worry if the person has moved on to a different place and you want to be uncomfortable to ask their address; because it ends in a long series of question and answers. In the present scenario, all the current ecommerce portals require the delivery address to be entered in order to process the order. But with Giveter.com, you only have to select the gift. In fact, Giveter.com will also suggest you gifts based on occasion, relationship and other factors. In order to send the gift, Giveter.com will need receiver's address, Facebook/Twitter ID or email ID. Giveter.com contacts the receiver at the specified ID and convey in email details like the gift received, sender details, any personal message left by sender. After receiving the email, the person responds back with his address. Giveter.com will send the gift and the personal message to the receiver

Double-edged sword on Nokia

Currently Nokia is facing double whammy. Clearly with so many advertisements airing on the TV, online and print media, they are bearing huge costs to sell their phones. Also revenues are down from the previous high. Currently it is very short in losing the top position for top mobile makers. Stephen Elop joined Nokia as CEO from Microsoft. He is the first non-Finn to become so. Nokia is closing the Meego division, a joint venture with Intel. Thats also after launching a single phone (Nokia N9). Nokia is also shutting down the Symbian division and will be releasing only Windows phones from now on. They are transferring the Symbian division to Accenture They should follow what Samsung has done. Samsung is the lead Android phone maker apart from HTC. It is also making phones on Bada platform and on its own proprietary OS for lower end phones. So different phones at different price tags for different type of people. So is it all lost for Nokia. Will it see another bright rise. Well that is for time to tell. What do you think which strategy will work for Nokia. Or is it becoming a Titanic midway to the iceberg.