Mangalyaan 2 ..

The brilliant Indian innovative mindset of waste reduction, energy  and cost optimization and performance maximization has got the French interested to partner with India on the second Indian Mission to Mars, Mangalyaan 2, which will be a Mars Lander, by 2020.

Closing in on US, the only other country to have landed a Lander on Martian surface (12th anniversary today of the rover) and far ahead of other European and Russian space faring nations, (sadly, China never comes into the discussion anywhere, never having ventured into deep space at all !), India will relish the great space future awaiting it. 

France by itself, would never have attempted this mission ever !

It is also evidence of the great confidence the scientific community of the world has in the Indian advanced technological capabilities to undertake a mission of this caliber and scale ..

Thanks to the pioneers of India's space research endeavours, INCOSPAR ('62) Nehru, Vikram Sarabhai and Homi Bhabha with the first rocket launch in Nov '63 and the formation of ISRO on 15 August '69, India has come a long way !!

May India go further and conquer the unknown confines of the solar system and the Milky Way galaxy, giving political, scientific and technological leadership to the world for the betterment of humanity ..

George ..

Zika virus and aegyypti mosquito

Newborns infected with zika virus carried by aedes aegypti mosquitoes, develop microcephaly (less developed brains, small heads). Brazil has upto 1.3m cases. No cure yet..

US visas denied to aegypti mossies !

Sadly, no vaccine developed yet for this deadly virus !! Like chikungunya, attacking the carrier agent, aegypti mossy is the only cure ..

Asking Brazilian couples to delay child bearing by upto two years is the only intelligent remedy to combat the ill effects of this deadly virus. 

George

Dr. Bhaskaran Nair and stories from Alleppey..

Welcome Babu Bhaskar to this group .. 

While doing II PUC in Alleppey, we were in the same class in SD College Alleppey. In Engg at TVM, we were in same batch.

Once during holidays, Babu and our friends went for a swim in Alleppey beach. I was tossed badly in the rough Arabian Sea  water and thrown on the beach with a fractured leg. Though none of us knew swimming, all others returned safe.  (though we were warned not to venture into the rough waters by the local fishermen).

With a swollen leg and a hurt pride went to Alleppey medical college ortho HOD, Dr. Bhaskaran Nair ( babu's father) and all the beans got spilled there..

After a minor surgery to demo to his medical students, Dr. Bhaskaran Nair plastered my right knee and I was bedridden for two months !

I will never forget this incident in my life !!

Dr. Bhaskaran Nair was a very kind hearted person, so was Babu's  mother !

Great quotes on passion ..

New trends in Innovation .. Carl Bass, TEDx talk ..

I was listening to a TEDx Berkeley talk by CarlBass, the President and CEO of Auto Desk Inc, talking on the new trends in Innovation..

Very deep, enriching and gives lot of food for thoughtl. Click here for the video ..

All innovations tht are happening these days are highly individualistic, both in terms of development and use. 

Innovation as told by Carl Bass here is all about taking the risk and breaking the rules..

He says that 5 top trends that are evolving are as below.

1. Access and experience of the user 

2. Unusual ways of doing business

3. Digital fabrication - Multi layered additive manufacturing, 3D manufacturing

4. rise of information

5. infinite computing - in the cloud

ge..

Oxfam statistics on the rich poor divide ..

Startling facts from Oxfam !!

The richest 1% of the world own more than the other 99% of world population !!

The richest 62 people  of the world own more than the poorest 50% of world population (down from 388, five years ago) !!

http://mg.co.za/article/2016-01-18-richest-1-own-more-than-the-rest-of-us

Wilfredo Pareto (Pareto's 80-20 rule) said at the beginning of 20th century, 80% of land in Italy was owned by 20% of people and vice versa. It had been extended to global wealth later, that 80% of the wealth of the world is owned 20% of its population and vice versa ... He has been proved completely wrong now !!

Oxfam 99-1 rule (thanks to capitalism) is running now ! Richest 1% own about 51% of the world wealth, the other 99% owning the balance 49% ... I had read in the Economist last year that approximately 2000 families of the world last year were having control of 40 % of global wealth..

Do not where globalization, capitalism, global trade, global stock markets etc are taking humanity. Will we have something like the stage set before the start of the French revolution, great inequality and then the revolution, hope not ! Lets hope the earth finds some commonly acceptable formula whereby wealth is more equitably distributed !!

ge..

How individual passion can direct organisational growth and excellence .. V J Kurian ..

This is the demonstration of the amazing leadership style of an individual senior bureaucratic officer from the administrative service working in Kerala, V J Kurian. The videos in Malayalam show how it can influence great projects leading to demonstration of great entrepreneurship and innovation.

Kochi International airport is the first in the country in public private partnership format. It has been such a great success. The videos are in Malayalam. Great leadership videos too ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92-wp541wnY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTJqaqW2kxU

Greening of Kochi airport - Al Jazeera video  . World's first energy neutral, 100% green airport !!

The success of the airport running on solar energy will be the tipping point for global solar energy acceptance ..

george..

Operations strategy - basic concepts

Some interesting definitions on Operatins Strategy from literature : 

Operations Strategy is a plan specifying how an organization will allocate resources in order to support infrastructure and production. An operations strategy is typically driven by the overall business strategy of the organization, and is designed to maximize the effectiveness of production and support elements while minimizing costs - www.businessdictionary.com

Operations Strategy is the total pattern of decisions which shape the long-term capabilities of any type of operations and their contribution to the overall strategy. " Operations strategy is the tool that helps to define the methods of producing goods or a service offered to the customer.

Operations Strategy is the tool that helps to define the methods of producing goods or a service offered to the customer - www.wikibooks.com Operations strategy is the total pattern of decisions which shape the long-term capabilities of any type of operations and their contribution to the overall strategy.- Slack and Lewis, Operations Strategy.

Difference between Operations Strategy and Operational Strategy
Operational Strategy is the plan of action implemented by a firm that describes how they will employ their resources in the production of a product or service. An operational strategy is a necessary element for a business and supports the firm's corporate strategy. - www.businessdictionary.com

While operational strategy is basically how the different resources and capacity of the organisation are used to meet the demands of the organisations, Operations strategy is related to how the operations of the organisation could be classified as strategic, tactical and operational operations.

For example, the Works Manager / Supervisor deciding how to meet the day's demands most efficiently utilising the resources at a very cost effective way is Operational Strategy for the day. Deciding on where to locate the plans, warehouses, deciding on the level of replenishment etc are Operations Strategy decisions.

Reliance Fresh deciding on where to locate their warehouses and stores to effectively meet customer demands, how frequently to make purchases, etc relate to Operations Strategy.

Rafale fighter jets and Indian Air-defence preparedness, at what costs ?

Does Indian airforce really need all those Dassault Rafale fighters for Rs 60,000 crores ?

Is France and the West ditching us by pulling us into the deep cauldron of defence expenditure so that we will never rise again ? 

We can convert more than one thousand international and national airports and other super critical applications around the country to complete 100% solar energy with this money.

Air-defence preparedness at what cost ??

Couldn't we have avoided this expenditure totally for the good of the country ? For development ?

What if we delay air force modernisation by another five years by embarking on effective, peace seeking and non-provocative foreign policies ?

Usually, the trap in which nations fall, to the delight of the west, goes like this.. When we buy from the French out of fear of an ageing hardware, our neighbours would buy from other western powers. Finally billions of dollars would still flow to the west. The same west would come again with more logical reasons like making an effective deterrence etc and pull us deeper into the trap. Finally the west would have the last laugh walking to the bank ..

Should we remain dumb or see thru this devious plot by the west on us ?

Somewhere somebody has to pull the plug ! Let India demonstrate the courage to expose the western plot. This is where our IFS officers can show their innovation and smartness, not maintain status quo ! Our officers are capable and they can. 

I may appear immature, and out of sync, but still believe that in the long run, aggression can still be contained by peace and tact !! Somehow the flow of dollars to the west should stop, I would welcome if it stops completely, even it should not flow in reverse to the east.

George..

DMRC's integrity. . E Sridharanji ..

Respects to Sridharanji !! 

A demo of our metro man, 83 year old, E Sridharan and DMRC's 's integrity .. 

The govt already having decorated him with a Padma Vibhushan years back, Sridharan deserves the Bharat Ratna much more than anybody ..

The Pachalam bridge of Kochi metro which was planned to be built at Rs. 53 crores (530 million), was completed by DMRC (Delhi metro rail corp) for Rs. 39.6 crores (396 million) and the balance was given back to Govt ..

Exemplary truthfulness. Unheard of in our country's shameful and abominable public industry culture.

A lesson for our private and corporate industry culture too.

Prof. Jagdish Sheth, speech at Alliance University ..

Prof. Jagdish Sheth,  humility personified.

It was very pleasing to listen to a great Management Marketing guru speak this morning at Alliance University Bangalore.

Prof. Jagdish Sheth, Marketing Professor at Emory University, US, is the Chairman Board of Governors of Alliance University Bangalore, India.

This time he spoke on how to build and nurture great global Universities .. I was fortunate enough to listen to him ..

How to build a world-class University 

Prof. Jagdish Sheth spoke of 8 important points which will help every institute to become a global leader

1. A University must not only be involved in knowledge dissemination, but in knowledge creation and knowledge dissemination 

2. Benchmark the faculty performance to global standards - ensure global standards in content preparation and delivery and also encourage faculty to go for more global publication (in reputed peer-reviewed journals) 

3. Strong community outreach programmes in the University to be more responsive to community needs 

4. Top Universities eventually get to have a say in formulating public policies. 

5. Top Universities have great global diversity, they tend to have good number of foreign students 

6. Top Universities also have a strong and loyal alumni 

7. Top Universities have strong world class library with world class infrastructure 

8. Top Universities believe in creating a brand through differentiation ..

Prof. Sheth was very particular in pointing out a very common drawback that happens to academics and institutions alike, plateauing.. The plateauing of institutions and individuals is a great negative point to be avoided as this hampers the growth of both.

The University needs to do more value add, to society, the students and the industry around, not just have great students !! ( IITs in India get great students, but do we provide great value add for these brilliant students, that they finally run away to other great universities..)

Finally, the university needs to move with a strategic intent, with long term planning, to take the university to world stage and try everything in one's quiver to accomplish this...

ge..

Rune Gjeldnes. .

44 yr old Norwegian Rune Gjeldnes, the only person to have  crossed the Antartic continent (size of US+Mexico), Arctic and Greenland on skis without resupplies !!

problems in life, quotes ..

India and US, approach to terrorism ..

Let us analyse US and Indian response to recent incidents of terrorism.

US, an accepted superpower, with an immature culture and an infant 

 democracy, misstepped many times in the past, the burdens of which they are still carrying on in modern day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria.

India, on the other hand, peace loving, takes time to respond. Aggression and haughtiness is not in our blood.  We know even our greatest enemy can turn around with a change of heart. 

We may have had many a heart burn, but we believe in intelligent moves, with an eye on future global peace, not immediate selfish concerns.

You will know finally, in the run of time, who will withstand aggression and who will prevail.

Peace comes not from the barrel of the gun or from power, but from intelligence and a genuine love for humanity .. 😃🙏👍

I do not expect India to follow the dumb Americans, who are in a deep abyss from which they can never climb up and the Israelis who are in deeper shit, living with a gun to their head.

Violence only begets more violence, handle violence with peace and understanding for a lasting and intelligent solution .. 

george..

Kochouseph Chittilapilly ..

What a big heart !!

Kochouseph Chittilapally, the 65 year old billionnaire philanthropist of the Rs. 500 crore V-guard business empire, donated one of his kidneys FREE to a needy poor patient in 2011-12.

Billionnaires around the world like Rockefeller have donated money, but no billionnaire has ever donated part of his body and part of his life !!

An ounce of action is heavier than a tonne of speech - anonymous.

Some of us are too good at the yapping kind but scared when it comes to real action !

Salute You Sir .. 🙏🙏

How the big three would fare, 35 years hence..

World Bank came up with reports that India would grow by 7.8% this year. Narayana Murthy, the person who founded Infosys from Bangalore was saying that this decade for India is going to be the decade of entrepreneurship.

Lot of new enterprises would come up and many would survive creating jobs and wealth, helping improve standard of living and development of the economy.

I did some calculations based on the present estimates from international agencies as to how the big three economies are growing and extrapolated it to 2050. AD. Here are my rough forecasts ..

From the present 2015 figures of $8.4 trillion GDP at PPP for India, India would reach $110 trillion in 2050 AD

China from the present $ 18.5 trillion growing at 5% would reach $ 99 trillion in 2050.

US from the present $18 trillion now, growing at the rate of 2% would hit $43.9 trillion in 2050 AD.

Sounds interesting ...

This is called positive thinking and we Indians have lots of them. Since we only wish well for others, only good things will happen to us.

ge..

Distinguished Lecture Series - Alliance University, Bangalore, Jan 13 2016.

Interesting session at ASC Centre, Bangalore for Company Commanders ..

An earlier pic, class for Colonels at ASC .. Never in my life
have I engaged classes with students seated in easy chairs, 
but very gentlemanly in their approach .. :)

Classes for senior army officers have always enticed me from the beginning, because we are interacting with some of the finest men in the country. I always considered it my privilege to be able to do so..

I have been getting this golden opportunity for the past three years, four to five hours every month where I used to interact with senior officers from the Armed Supply Corps (ASC HQ at Bangalore) of the Indian Army on topics as varied as Inventory Management, Supply Chains, Transportation, Total Quality Management, Warehousing etc.

On 5 th January, 2016, I had a class with the Company Commanders on the topic of Inventory Management. Even though I went with the preparation to play the Beer Distribution Supply Chain game, I could not due to the fact that the basics of Inventory Management itself took time. 

ASC logo ..

The session went simply fine, but what greatly motivated me was when at the end of the class I asked the senior officers, that I would not leave them unless they asked me a couple of questions. Initially they hesitated then the barrage of questions started.

The question answer session was the most interesting session, which made the classes worth teaching. There was so much exchange of information among ourselves, that even the non-interested would be dragged in and would give a comment or two.

It was a great learning session both for me and the Company commanders of ASC. 

To be able to take classes for senior officers of the Army of our age and then to engage them creatively and attentively for the duration of almost two hours and at the end get their appreciation by a standing ovation, is the greatest gift for the teacher, not money or perks, but recognition from the students.

I have been getting it all the while and am basking in its warmth !!

ge.

Einstein's top inspirational quotes ..

Albert Einstein is one of the greatest scientists to have walked on planet earth in the 20 th century. He lived from 1878 to 1955. read his bio at Nobel Institute ..

During his life time, he made numerous speeches and writings, these quotes carry the essence of life as understood by him. 

Einsten as much as he was a scientist and phycist, also enjoyed philosophy and tried to understand the unanswered questions of life. In that search he came with these quotes in his writings, some of which are being quoted here.

Some of the quotes are so relevant and thought provoking, it has the power to change even lives !! Read it, give enough thought to it, ruminate it in your minds and re-read it again and again, hopefully we should get a peep into the mind of this great man who once walked on planet earth.

1."Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value."

2. "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."

3. "A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new."

4."Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."

5. "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."

6. "Imagination is more important than knowledge."

7. "Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character."

8. "Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds."

9. "It's not that I am so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer."

10. "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."

11. "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."

12. "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else."

13. "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

14.  "The only source of knowledge is experience."

15.  "You never fail until you stop trying."

16. "Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them."

17. "A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is NOT what it is built for."

18. "If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things."

19. "Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible."

20. It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in so doing you bring everything to the realm of possibility.

21.  "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe."

         
         22. "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."


23. "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

( taken from www.motvationgrid.com)

Quotes on Life ..