Seasonal Magazine - Breaking Views

Nitesh Estates IPO: Ignore or Invest?

2010-03-05T16:11:00.003+05:30

The about to be launched IPO of Bangalore based developer Nitesh Estates may not be coming at a very opportune moment for the company or investors. Though the market is on a roll after the budget, with listed realty companies also participating in the rally, the time doesn’t feel much favourable for yet another realty IPO. Mumbai’s No.2 developer DB Realty had listed at a discount just before the

Seasonal Magazine - March Issue

2010-02-15T15:26:00.002+05:30

Where Will Financial Crisis Hit Next?

2009-12-10T19:27:00.003+05:30

1997. Asian Financial Crisis.What started from Thailand soon spread like a contagion to Indonesia, South Korea, Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore, rattling these economies for years.2008. US Subprime Crisis.What started off as an aftermath of the housing boom, got a shot in its arm with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, and most of the world is yet to recover from it.2009. Dubai

How LIC Remains Life Insurance Leader: 10 Strategies

2009-11-05T12:58:00.003+05:30

LIC was not self-made. It was chosen from among many, more than 50 years back. Chosen to be made the only operator in life insurance. But the acid test came in 1999. The sector was deregularized, with multiple private operators entering the sector. Most predicted a la BSNL for LIC, if not an untimely demise. But Life Insurance Corporation of India has emphatically proven that it has a long long

Can Public Make Money From the Coming IPOs?

2009-11-04T16:46:00.002+05:30

First, a small quiz. Here is a recent corporate quote. You have to identify who said the following recently:“As and when I find the market is favourable and I can get good money, I will go for IPOs & FPOs.”You need not strain. Here are the choices:A) Anil Ambani B) Gautam S Adani C) Subrata Roy Sahara D) Vijay Mallya E) None of the above.Since you are smart, you would have zeroed in on Choice E,

Apartment Buying? Meet India’s Real Estate Ironies

2009-09-29T10:36:00.012+05:30

After nearly a year of lull, Indian real estate is fighting back to its lost glory, driven by steadily increasing consumer demand for houses. But many things can still spoil the party, including a tendency to hike prices, and the still-to-pick-up demand for office spaces. A new real estate regulator is also coming to the scene, which can prove to be a real game changer. Where is India’s real

Reliance ADAG IPOs Coming: Will Markets Soar or Crash?

2009-09-09T10:45:00.006+05:30

With Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (Reliance ADA) Group trying to launch three IPOs this year, the moot question will be whether the markets will soar, or crash, as after the much hyped Reliance Power IPO in 2008.India’s third largest private business conglomerate, Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (Reliance ADAG), is planning to launch the initial public offerings (IPOs) of three group

What Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, & Microsoft Does Right…and Wrong

2009-07-30T17:34:00.004+05:30

From cloning to bear-hugs to street-fights, every trick in the trade is being employed in the new fight for mindshare between the internet giants and the wannabe giants. But it is also really amazing how little they learn from each other.Who is fighting whom, and who is cloning whom in this newly intensified fight between the net giants? Facebook is cloning key Twitter features like

Will India Become a Superpower? Here are 12 Hints

2009-07-16T15:54:00.006+05:30

With its abysmal poverty levels, its rampant corruption, and surprisingly low per capita income, India still doesn’t come across as a superpower in the making. But a closer look at recent developments hints at several unique strengths that can offset these intrinsic disadvantages for India in the coming days.World’s First CEO-Style Prime MinisterWho introduced professional leadership in politics?

Confused About Diabetes Symptoms?

2009-07-14T12:35:00.004+05:30

Are diabetes symptoms too vague or too late? Here is how you can be more precise with the classic diabetes symptoms, as well as about more reliable ways to be sure whether you have diabetes or not.We have all heard the list – fatigue, thirst, hunger, urination, weight loss – all in excess. Yet, it will be interesting to analyze how many people have actually found out about their diabetes through

Recession Strategies From Ram Charan & Other Top Gurus

2009-04-17T11:04:00.007+05:30

COVER STORY1) RAM CHARAN: “Raise Cash to Weather the Storm”ABOUT RAM CHARAN:As a poor boy growing up in a village near Delhi, Ram Charan helped his mother by making cow-dung cakes for fire. Later, he would consult for some of this world’s most powerful CEOs including Jack Welch. As a high-schooler, Ram Charan helped his father and uncle in their small shoemaking setup. Today, Fortune 500

Do a Satyam-Rescue on the Economy

2009-04-17T11:03:00.000+05:30

EDITORIALAmidst election madness and recession blues, a good thing went unnoticed. That is, for its goodness.Satyam found a suitor. And a good suitor at that. Willing to pay more than the fair price.Dr. Manmohan Singh, Kamal Nath, and Prem Chand Gupta can be proud.The 6 guys that they entrusted ‘Truth Computer Services’ with, did a splendid job. From Chairman Kiran Karnik to Directors Deepak

How Google Stays Ahead of Yahoo, Facebook, Microsoft, Wikipedia, MySpace, & Twitter

2009-04-17T11:02:00.005+05:30

15 Lessons From a 3-IN-1 Leader - Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Eric SchmidtHis last part-time job was to advice Barack Obama during his campaign. His next part-time job is to advice David Cameron on how to become UK’s next Prime Minister. Between such temporary assignments, Dr. Eric Schmidt holds a regular job – Chairman & CEO of Google Inc. While screening the then 45-year old Dr. Schmidt for the

Frontier Mediville From Frontier Lifeline

2009-04-17T11:01:00.003+05:30

Designing the Future of HealthcareThe future of healthcare is not happening in US. But in a hitherto nondescript village called Elavur, 45 km from Chennai, South India’s biggest metropolis. India’s first medical SEZ is happening here on 400 acres of land, and refreshingly it is not by real estate giants or corporate hospitals. And surprisingly, not named a medi-city too. Frontier Mediville is the

MIOT Grows 10 Times in 10 Years

2009-04-17T11:00:00.001+05:30

THE 'MAYO OF MADRAS' TO GROW 25 TIMES IN NEXT 2 YEARSPadmasri Dr. PVA Mohandas led MIOT Hospitals of Chennai is celebrating its 10th anniversary in style. From 40 beds to 400 beds, and from a single speciality to a multi super speciality, MIOT has grown unbelievably fast in its first 10 years. The further vision of Dr. Mohandas and Chairman Mrs. Mallika Mohandas is even more challenging – to grow

NATUROC From NITCO

2009-04-17T10:59:00.001+05:30

After Vitrified, What?After ceramic and vitrified, and after glossy and matt, Nitco is pioneering a 3rd category of tiles in the country – Naturoc. The Gres Lapato range in Naturoc gives the best of both worlds- it’s a matt tile and yet has a glossy finish. It addresses all needs the customer looks for in flooring – natural looking designs, anti-skid properties, and easy to clean as well.

Buying a Branded Home in India? Think Again…

2009-03-28T13:10:00.005+05:30

Driven by the downturn, expensive apartments and villas have ceased to be high-return investments in India, thereby finishing off the only remaining reason for buying one such unit in the country. The only exceptions are ultra-low-cost homes and the high-value offerings from a few national developers. First, a little history.Late 2007. Seasonal Magazine issued an advisory to homebuyers:‘AVOID

Homebuying Advisory For Kerala - 2009-10 - Seasonal Magazine

2009-03-28T13:05:00.004+05:30

With the Kerala real estate market soaked in uncertainties, here are the only safe options for buying a home during 2009-10: READY-TO-MOVE-IN HOMES @ BARGAIN PRICESFully ready to occupy homes make some sense. That is, if you get it for bargain prices. Not at fancy rates like Rs. 2500 per sq ft. Yes, that is fancy these days. Especially, if it is from a local, Kerala-only builder. Rs. 1000

Politics for a Living

2009-03-18T11:54:00.002+05:30

We are going to decide. Vote in once and for all, the 500 odd leaders who should lead our lives for the next five years. There will be three-way fights at most constituencies. That makes around 1500 aspirants. And each party had to deal with at least three times as many aspirants before finalizing their list. That makes around 5000 serious aspirants. The crème-de-la-crème of Indian Politics.

Bankers Call the Bluff of Realtors

2009-03-17T12:41:00.003+05:30

Now, who will call the bluff of bankers?Finally, somebody is daring to tell the King that he is naked. That you can’t sell 1 or 2 cents of undivided share and 1000 odd sq ft for Rs. 4000 - 3000 per sq ft. Simply because, customers now realize that it just doesn’t cost that much to build and deliver. Developers who recently approached banks for their debt restructuring were given this music by

Toyotas & Hondas to be Costlier

2009-03-06T17:37:00.001+05:30

Reliance on Japanese component imports is making it difficult for Toyota & Honda to handle the hot Indian market conditions. The yen has been getting stronger by the day, making a major price hike imminent on their existing families like Camry, Altis, Innova, Accord, CR-V, Civic, & City. Already hit by slowing sales, there is no chance that the price hikes will be taken kindly by the market. The

Buy 2 Nanos or 1 Alto?

2009-03-06T17:16:00.001+05:30

Is it nightmare days at Maruti Suzuki? 800 can’t be coaxed to do Euro 4, and that leaves only Alto to withstand the upcoming Nano deluge. The problem? Now you can buy two Nanos at one Alto’s price! So, Alto Standard is going to climb down from its 2.3 lakh price position. Maruti is pinning its hopes on Alto’s 800 cc (Nano is just 624) and bigger size. Tata also can’t service the acute demand for

Pressure Not Just on Satyam; IT’s Big-4 Feel Heat

2009-03-06T16:10:00.001+05:30

Is Satyam losing clients due to Raju’s creative accounting or the stark recession? The happenings at Indian IT’s Big-4 – TCS, Infosys, Wipro, & HCL – would make us believe that creative accounting is only half the story at Satyam. The tainted company has already lost major contracts like Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Coca-Cola, Glaxo-Smithkline, Novartis, Cigna, State Farm Insurance, SanDisk etc with

DLF Tries to Mend Ways; But Will Anybody Believe?

2009-03-06T09:27:00.001+05:30

How did DLF become India’s leading developer? They led in all those shrewd business practices that defined Indian reality during this last bull run – amassing vast land banks, announcing extravagant projects, hiking up prices to astronomical heights, collecting huge advances from homebuyers, failing to keep deadlines, and, ultimately, financing this utopia-of-an-industry manifold times with

Indian Credit Card Industry Buckles in Sub-Prime

2009-03-06T09:26:00.000+05:30

In US, it was the housing segment that dominated sub-prime borrowing. In India, it has been the credit card business. Sub-prime lending or lending to less-than-qualified borrowers has already made 22 lakh cards out of circulation in the country.