Reunion at IIM Bangalore

This was a much-awaited event we waited five years for. The last one was the 25th, and this, the 30th. Gives you a fantastic feeling of nostalgia, with all the 'masks' you wear falling off, and leg-pulling and joke-telling taking centrestage. We also had a couple of genuine articles that were new this time, thanks to the team at the alum office and student volunteers.

One was a good stand-up comedy act from a student who is a budding stand-up, and a big surprise, a sports tournament in various games with us versus current students. I played a bit of Badminton partnering Venky, our batchmate who is actually nicknamed Baddy after his love for the game, and won a game against the youngsters, most born in 1982 or later! I was never in any kind of doubt about the talent we have in our batch, and it manifested itself in myriad ways in these two days.

You name any kind of achievement, interest or talent, and we seem to have someone in our group who is very good at it. Music, sports, NGO type activity, teaching, entrepreneurship, corporate achievement, and so on..but more than all of that, a certain goodness of the heart, or a generous sharing of laughter, and an ability to switch careers and take risks, like retiring from regular work when it felt like a burden.

We interacted with faculty and tried to provide our perspectives on getting IIMB more global, diverse and socially relevant. One suggestion we made was that an IIMB manager must stand up for what is right and not buckle down under wrong kinds of pressure. Another was to improve the EQ through interventions in the two-year program. Challenging, but doable.

Since I also teach, I got a few questions about IIM Indore's Industry FPM (part time doctoral program) and encouraged a few colleagues to join it. They just might. Giving back in some way seemed on the minds of many people.

Naturally, I went back to see my room, and a few other things in campus. Many things have changed for the better, and the water tank from the film '3 Idiots' was now hidden from view by trees that have grown up tall around it. But we did go around and click it.

Outside the campus, we met former students- mine from KIAMS, who now works for Ogilvy New York, and my wife's, one who works in Bangalore, and another studying at Clemson, where I got my PhD in 1989. All in all, a full and fulfilling week!

What I Remember of 2014

I remember..

times spent with family..particularly an adventurous drive to Udaipur from Indore via Banswada.

attending a birthday party of my niece in Hyderabad...re-watching The History of The World by Mel Brooks.

golfing at Nagpur at the Air Force club and the holes no. 0 and 19 before and after...yet another session at Kodaikanal where I got a hole-in-one..wonders never cease!

visits to Bangalore where I met friends from the past (colleagues from IIM, PESIT & IFIM, IIMB classmates, PESIT/IMT Nagpur alums in particular). Exploring crafted beers in the original pub city...the first pub started around the time I was studying at IIMB.

reading some good books, including a collection of humourous essays by Art Buchwald, whose column once appeared in The Hindu, and a nice fiction story Kalyug by Sreeram, an ex-student.

some good films, like Finding Fanny, Zed Plus, City Lights, .and some good episodes of Comedy Nights with Kapil, a show that's sustained its popular appeal.

tasting some excellent wines at a friend's place, same place I learnt how to quaff single malts..well, well, learning happens in the most unexpected places, when you least expect it..Eureka! Newton, are you listening?

meeting IMT Nagpur alums at Mumbai, Hyderabad meets.

a trip to Bali, Indonesia to present a conference paper...it's a lovely place.

'discovery' tours of the Indore surroundings with new-found friends from the faculty.

a case-writing expedition that's still on.

an innovative research project on Online personal branding that's also on.

teaching a course on advertising after a break...it's easier with the Youtube chronicles.

...and there's more to come..a batch meet at IIMB this weekend. Not yet goodbye, 2014.

I am 200

No, not really. It's just that it is the blog speaking, about the number of posts this year: 2014.

That means I found something to write home about, at least that many times.

Happens to be the 200th post of the year. So,instead of writing about something, I will let it wander about a bit.

Just noticed that I have 102 followers. That is nice to know. Motivating.

Went to Nagpur this weekend and played Golf with friends there, after some suspense as to whether the Golf club would be open on that day. A new IIM is going to come up at Nagpur, it seems like.

Just finished teaching a course (barring the shouting, and the grading of exams) on advertising at Indore, and am getting ready for one on Marketing Research next term.

I always wonder why calendars and year planners (organisationally) come too late for any planning to happen in the first calendar month. Oh, well, such is life.

Heard a nice radio program on Shreya Ghoshal the singer, and found there is a lot of sweetness in her voice, though she also sang a couple of item numbers.

Will attend  the 30th reunion of my MBA class at IIM Bangalore next month. We graduated in 1984. Not bad at all.

There is a chill in the air. Wonder if a chilli will be an antidote?

Election Speech 1

Potentially, there could be many for the upcoming elections. This is a first attempt, so please excuse glitches. I promise to get better with time-

Brothers and sisters (and all the rest),

I promise that it will be a never-ending party. I mean, India will never grow up. We will remain teenaged party-lovers, always -starting with Valentine's Day of 14th Feb fame. You are all invited, except for the owls and other party-poopers, I mean.

Our country has had a great tradition of parties- only, we suitably disguise them as family functions or religious occasions. Countless times, I have attended The Great Indian Wedding, which runs for days, and has costumes which would put erstwhile monarchs to shame. This is all for a good cause, lest you scream "conspicuous consumption." Our detractors may scream all they want, but think of the hungry weavers, spinners (no, not of our party yarns, the real ones), cotton growers and cloth merchants who are able to feed their hungry ones because of these.

I promise that we at our party will serve food that is cooked in pure desi ghee, again aimed at benefiting our home-grown dairy industry, and keeping the greedy multinationals away.

And of course, we will provide everybody jobs in catering to the Great Indian Party that never ends. Think of the impact on our doddering GDP growth! Thank you, and hope for your support.

Ullu ki Dum (Tail of an owl)- I mean, Jai Hind!

Anopheles and Elections 2014

Anopheles, my female mosquito pal visited me yesterday after a long time. She was curious about the elections of 2014. We got talking.

" Can you tell me what is the significance of these elections?" she asked me.
"Well, we have these big two political parties, and then 250 other parties, and we all have a party at the cost of the parties, but they make money by swindling us for five years, so it's actually a party thrown at our cost, to put it simply," I tried explaining.

"And who are contesting, if I may ask?" Anopheles wanted to know.

"Well, there's a religious greeting, and there's a musical composition."
"What do you mean?" She didn't quite get it.

"I mean, the major candidates are Namo and Raga. That's what these names signify."
"Oh, that way. I have tried stinging them, but the Z level security they have was impenetrable."

"Well, they have promised F or FOOD security for all the rest, if not Z," I said.
"And what are the election issues?" Anopheles innocently carried on.

I said, "The same as they were in any earlier one. Poverty, bad infrastructure, good governance..."
She was surprised. " You mean after 1947, not much has changed? "

I said, " We have, we used to expect the moon. Now we are grateful for a piece of earth. And some cooking gas cylinders."

On that note, she promised to fly in again and said goodbye, as she still had to find her dinner in a STING operation.

My manifesto for 2014 elections

No, I am not entering politics. But politicians are welcome to steal the ideas here. Free.

That the Lok sabha will be used to support aspirations of the average Joe. There will be an invited speaker to voice them, once every week. And no one will create a ruckus while he/she speaks. Like TED talks.

Roads built will be of good quality.

There will be no moral policing of any kind, until the elected reps prove that they have some.

Women (and men) will be respected. Children too.

We will not blindly ape the West. But good governance and civic sense will be aped. Spitting will attract a HUGE fine.

Healthcare will be a basic right, and anyone found corrupt in it will be shot.

PGDM will be renamed MBA, and FPM, Ph.D. The institutes will remain autonomous, and degree granting.