Showing posts with label People. Show all posts
Nandan, first day at office in new Role..
Disclaimer: I have received this on my email,can't comment on authenticity of this. It may be a joke floating around on net. So just read and enjoy.
Continuing my tryst with capturing the life and times of Nandan Nilekani in his new avatar as a Cabinet Minister, here is what he had penned after his first day in the Parliament. The last entry stopped when the House was just about to begin. Let’s see what happened thereafter….
The House was in pin drop silence. I was brimming with anticipation and excitement!!!! Manmohan had informed me that my introduction was one of the important points of the agenda. I hoped that I will be able to make my speech properly. After so many interviews and conferences, I was nervous today!!!! After the Speaker indicated that the proceedings of the House could begin, Manmohan formally introduced me to the entire House. He mentioned that as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, I was responsible to ensure that each and every Indian had a digital smart card as a proof of his existence.
Manmohan spoke about why I was selected and also some references to the various projects executed by me in Infosys were mentioned. The House listened with rapt attention. I was asked to say a few words and I did exactly the same!!! I thanked the Government of India for having given me this opportunity and I assured the House that I would strive to successfully deliver this project. The Speaker then formally inducted me into the House and before the proceedings could move any forward, there was a small commotion on the other side of the hall.
It was Minister of Textiles who had a comment to make before the next point on the agenda. He made a request that I should be attired in a more austere way instead of a flashy suit. It did not go well with the image of a minister who should live to serve the common man and should be less ostentatious in his habits.. I stood up to reply. I offered my apologies to the Honourable Minister and assured that I shall be in a more acceptable dress next time. I felt that he was right. We also used to have corporate dress code in Infosys. So it’s here as well!!!!
I sat down and felt somebody nudging me. I turned around and to my surprise; it was the former Indian skipper and one of my favourite batsman Mohd. Azharuddin. I remembered that he had recently won the elections. I smiled at him and mentioned to him that I used to like his game very much, shaking his hand. No Rolex, I noticed. Azhar told me that he would “fix” me an appointment with an Italian designer who had designed his dapper Kurta suit. An Italian designer in Milan doing Kurtas!!!!! I made a note of this and reminded myself to give this example to Friedman for his next book,” The World Markets are flattened”.
Since there was no doubt about the “Fixational” capacities of Azhar, I told him to give me the details and I would consider. The proceedings of the House went on with numerous bills being debated and passed as I sat as a passive audience waiting for my project’s turn to come up. After the lunch break, it was the moment for me!!!!
MY PROJECT”S FIRST REVIEW CAME UP FOR PRESENTATION.
I was at sea. My laptop did not have any reserve power. I went to Manmohan and apprised him of the situation. I was sweating. He calmly replied that this would not be a cause of concern. I was flummoxed!!!! The Speaker asked me to explain to the House on what were my plans for the Unique Identity Project. I replied that I have a plan prepared for 30-60-90-120 days’ milestones and I have presentation to make for which I need a power socket, a projector and a screen. I had no idea what was going to happen after this.
The next couple of minutes were a complete jolt for me. I was completely in a tizzy. Let me just summarize what happened. A Joint Cabinet Secretary Committee was set up to judge the feasibility of my request. The Under Secretaries for the Ministries of Power, IT and Broadcasting will prepare a Viability Report after scrutinizing National Security threats to my request. This was because the power socket comes under Power, laptop comes under IT and projector comes under Broadcasting. I have also been told to reconsider my timelines of 30-60-90 days and start thinking in terms of years. Probably, they are right. I did not have the foresight in this matter.
The summary of the issue is that I need to come up with a more inclusive, democratic, comprehensive long term plan for this project to be executed over the next five years. I have also been given a presentation slot 3 months from now (by which the issues related to the power cord etc will also be resolved). I am filled with mixed reactions. I was planning for a quick resolution; the management wants a strategic solution. I come out of the House and text Murthy.
“You won’t believe it but these guys work just like us. I am on a NATIONAL BENCH for the next three months!!!!!!!!”
[Nandan shouldn't be astonished to know that till date all Hon'ble Members of our Parliament have been sitting on Bench. They are on project only when they have to "earn" something :) ]
Continuing my tryst with capturing the life and times of Nandan Nilekani in his new avatar as a Cabinet Minister, here is what he had penned after his first day in the Parliament. The last entry stopped when the House was just about to begin. Let’s see what happened thereafter….The House was in pin drop silence. I was brimming with anticipation and excitement!!!! Manmohan had informed me that my introduction was one of the important points of the agenda. I hoped that I will be able to make my speech properly. After so many interviews and conferences, I was nervous today!!!! After the Speaker indicated that the proceedings of the House could begin, Manmohan formally introduced me to the entire House. He mentioned that as the head of the Unique Identification Authority of India, I was responsible to ensure that each and every Indian had a digital smart card as a proof of his existence.
Manmohan spoke about why I was selected and also some references to the various projects executed by me in Infosys were mentioned. The House listened with rapt attention. I was asked to say a few words and I did exactly the same!!! I thanked the Government of India for having given me this opportunity and I assured the House that I would strive to successfully deliver this project. The Speaker then formally inducted me into the House and before the proceedings could move any forward, there was a small commotion on the other side of the hall.
It was Minister of Textiles who had a comment to make before the next point on the agenda. He made a request that I should be attired in a more austere way instead of a flashy suit. It did not go well with the image of a minister who should live to serve the common man and should be less ostentatious in his habits.. I stood up to reply. I offered my apologies to the Honourable Minister and assured that I shall be in a more acceptable dress next time. I felt that he was right. We also used to have corporate dress code in Infosys. So it’s here as well!!!!
I sat down and felt somebody nudging me. I turned around and to my surprise; it was the former Indian skipper and one of my favourite batsman Mohd. Azharuddin. I remembered that he had recently won the elections. I smiled at him and mentioned to him that I used to like his game very much, shaking his hand. No Rolex, I noticed. Azhar told me that he would “fix” me an appointment with an Italian designer who had designed his dapper Kurta suit. An Italian designer in Milan doing Kurtas!!!!! I made a note of this and reminded myself to give this example to Friedman for his next book,” The World Markets are flattened”.
Since there was no doubt about the “Fixational” capacities of Azhar, I told him to give me the details and I would consider. The proceedings of the House went on with numerous bills being debated and passed as I sat as a passive audience waiting for my project’s turn to come up. After the lunch break, it was the moment for me!!!!
MY PROJECT”S FIRST REVIEW CAME UP FOR PRESENTATION.
I was at sea. My laptop did not have any reserve power. I went to Manmohan and apprised him of the situation. I was sweating. He calmly replied that this would not be a cause of concern. I was flummoxed!!!! The Speaker asked me to explain to the House on what were my plans for the Unique Identity Project. I replied that I have a plan prepared for 30-60-90-120 days’ milestones and I have presentation to make for which I need a power socket, a projector and a screen. I had no idea what was going to happen after this.
The next couple of minutes were a complete jolt for me. I was completely in a tizzy. Let me just summarize what happened. A Joint Cabinet Secretary Committee was set up to judge the feasibility of my request. The Under Secretaries for the Ministries of Power, IT and Broadcasting will prepare a Viability Report after scrutinizing National Security threats to my request. This was because the power socket comes under Power, laptop comes under IT and projector comes under Broadcasting. I have also been told to reconsider my timelines of 30-60-90 days and start thinking in terms of years. Probably, they are right. I did not have the foresight in this matter.
The summary of the issue is that I need to come up with a more inclusive, democratic, comprehensive long term plan for this project to be executed over the next five years. I have also been given a presentation slot 3 months from now (by which the issues related to the power cord etc will also be resolved). I am filled with mixed reactions. I was planning for a quick resolution; the management wants a strategic solution. I come out of the House and text Murthy.
“You won’t believe it but these guys work just like us. I am on a NATIONAL BENCH for the next three months!!!!!!!!”
[Nandan shouldn't be astonished to know that till date all Hon'ble Members of our Parliament have been sitting on Bench. They are on project only when they have to "earn" something :) ]
Tags:
People
Mukesh Ambani -Unplugged
Few likes of the chairman, managing director and the largest shareholder of Reliance Industries
Mukesh Ambani likes very basic food – dal chawal, roti, sabzi , etc. Will eat anywhere, roadside or fancy restaurant,as long as it’s tasty. He is a vegetarian. His favourite places are Mysore Café in Matunga. Part of their menu is also on his private planes. Loves paanki at Swati Snacks and will ask anyone heading there to parcel him some
- Loves chaat at Taj Colaba.
- When guests are home, he enquires what they want to eat and asks for it to be prepared. Will always serve a special dish with his own hands to his guests.
- Nita Ambani practises her classical dance everyday and Mukesh can’t resist watching her dance!
- Must have his father’s photo or the family photo with his parents and siblings in every room of the house.
- The richest Indian spends Sundays with his mother and children and catches up on movies. He loves Hindi movies and doesn’t miss a single one. Will also watch all the latest Hollywood releases. His friends swear by his verdict on a film (whether it’ll be a hit or flop), and they claim he is rarely off the mark.
- Has never celebrated a birthday except his 50th one at the Jamnagar plant with his employees. Yet, he spends three months planning wife Nita’s birthday bashes and presents! Believes that the best celebrations are with family.
- Never leaves home without praying.
- Colleagues claim they have never known him to shout or lose his temper.
- He is a very late riser... gets up at 10:30 in the morning!
- Loves eating roasted groundnuts.
- When on vacation with kids, makes sure it’s a twothree weeks’ long trip.
- Favorite heroes are SRK, Hrithik and Aamir Khan.
- The business honcho reaches office at noon and works till midnight.
- Makes it a point to shake hands with each of his sons’ friends whenever they come home.
- Loves to catch up. He can chat with people for an hour or more.
- Ambani senior is never seen wearing brown shoes.
- Mukesh’s best friends from the industry are Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej and Anand Jain, who was his schoolmate.
- Follows the handshakehug- shrug approach when greeting someone – always shakes the hand, then wraps his arm around the person in a semi hug.
- Loves old Hindi songs, and spends Sundays listening to them.
- Nickname is Muku; sisters and brothers-inlaw call him Muks!
- Loves expensive British cars. Always owned executive cars – Mercedes, Bentley and Maybach.
- Ardent reader of management books. Will read them and implement the lessons learned in his business. And also gives lectures on it whenever required.
- Wears clothes similar to his dad; white shirt and dark-coloured trousers. Has no knowledge of brands. If asked, he shrugs, “I wear anything that fits me.” Buys Provogue shirts often, so the company makes shirts in his size in various colours. Will wear a tie, whether Satya Paul or Zodiac, if he likes the colour.
- Mukesh loves long walks. He often takes a colleague along and then begin the brainstorming sessions.
= via ==
Mukesh Ambani likes very basic food – dal chawal, roti, sabzi , etc. Will eat anywhere, roadside or fancy restaurant,as long as it’s tasty. He is a vegetarian. His favourite places are Mysore Café in Matunga. Part of their menu is also on his private planes. Loves paanki at Swati Snacks and will ask anyone heading there to parcel him some - Loves chaat at Taj Colaba.
- When guests are home, he enquires what they want to eat and asks for it to be prepared. Will always serve a special dish with his own hands to his guests.
- Nita Ambani practises her classical dance everyday and Mukesh can’t resist watching her dance!
- Must have his father’s photo or the family photo with his parents and siblings in every room of the house.
- The richest Indian spends Sundays with his mother and children and catches up on movies. He loves Hindi movies and doesn’t miss a single one. Will also watch all the latest Hollywood releases. His friends swear by his verdict on a film (whether it’ll be a hit or flop), and they claim he is rarely off the mark.
- Has never celebrated a birthday except his 50th one at the Jamnagar plant with his employees. Yet, he spends three months planning wife Nita’s birthday bashes and presents! Believes that the best celebrations are with family.
- Never leaves home without praying.
- Colleagues claim they have never known him to shout or lose his temper.
- He is a very late riser... gets up at 10:30 in the morning!
- Loves eating roasted groundnuts.
- When on vacation with kids, makes sure it’s a twothree weeks’ long trip.
- Favorite heroes are SRK, Hrithik and Aamir Khan.
- The business honcho reaches office at noon and works till midnight.
- Makes it a point to shake hands with each of his sons’ friends whenever they come home.
- Loves to catch up. He can chat with people for an hour or more.
- Ambani senior is never seen wearing brown shoes.
- Mukesh’s best friends from the industry are Anand Mahindra, Adi Godrej and Anand Jain, who was his schoolmate.
- Follows the handshakehug- shrug approach when greeting someone – always shakes the hand, then wraps his arm around the person in a semi hug.
- Loves old Hindi songs, and spends Sundays listening to them.
- Nickname is Muku; sisters and brothers-inlaw call him Muks!
- Loves expensive British cars. Always owned executive cars – Mercedes, Bentley and Maybach.
- Ardent reader of management books. Will read them and implement the lessons learned in his business. And also gives lectures on it whenever required.
- Wears clothes similar to his dad; white shirt and dark-coloured trousers. Has no knowledge of brands. If asked, he shrugs, “I wear anything that fits me.” Buys Provogue shirts often, so the company makes shirts in his size in various colours. Will wear a tie, whether Satya Paul or Zodiac, if he likes the colour.
- Mukesh loves long walks. He often takes a colleague along and then begin the brainstorming sessions.
= via ==
Tags:
People
Vijay Mallya - Unplugged
His first Ferrari was at four, and they are still coming, and every aircraft he buys circumambulates Tirupati first. Here are some lesser known Vijay Mallya
facts about liquor baron Vijay Mallya.
- His passion for cars started real early. The owner of the Formula 1 team ‘Force India,' got his first Ferrari at age 4 from his father. Of course, it was a child's version.
- Dhaneshwar Bahera, a household help has been with the Mallya family for forty years. He's served Mallya's father the late Vittal Mallya and now takes care of Mallya's kids too.
- For all the partying image, Mallya's a very religious man. He goes on the Sabarimala pilgrimage every year and on the last stretch walks barefoot like a normal, ordinary devotee.
- The King of Good Times makes sure that every aircraft he buys, first goes to Tirupati and circumambulates the shrine of Lord Venkateshwara before being pressed into service.
- Favourite haunt in India with close friends is Mandwa where he keeps his fabulous collection of cars. He had a famous re-union party for old friends and family there a few years ago.
- The Bangalore-boy was raised in Kolkota – went to Le Martinere – where he almost bagged the best student award, which eventually went to Rafiq Zakaria.
- Mallya loves jewellery. He sports a huge, diamond studded ‘VJM,' bracelet on his right hand, a huge diamond, ruby and emerald pendant of Lord Venkateshwara. On his ears are eye popping solitaires that belonged to his grand mother.
- His favourite aunt was the late Prema Mallya. She lived in a house in the Mallya compound off the posh Grant Road (now renamed the Vittal Mallya road after his late father).
- Loves the turf. His jockeys turn out in his colours of black and white. Owns a stud farm near Bangalore.
- Is a linguist. Speaks fluent Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Gujarati and of course English. He's also learnt French.
- Loves coastal food. Favourite being Mangalorean specialities like ‘Kane rava,' (Kane fish in rava batter), ‘Kori gasi,"( Chicken curry), appams and sannas.
- Some of his other favourite food includes MTR Masala Dosa and Crab in south Indian gassi from Trishna in Mumbai.
- His favourite sweet include mishti doi and chocolates
- His favourite wine is Ferrari Carano
- His favourite cigar is café crème blue
For any important event, personal or professional, he makes it a point to go by auspicious time.
- He loves listening to English retro music of the sixties and seventies...yes the songs he has grown up with.
- When he is in office, loves to go for light lunch - kebabs, kati rolls, veg sandwich etc.
- He loves his Bentley.
- He loves to wear designer clothes. His preferred names include Armani, Valentino, Manoviraj Khosla and Roberto Cavalli
- His favourite colour is red. Wherever he is, home, office, car...will see specs of red either in his apparel or in the ambience.
- He has never taken a day off. Whether at office or at party, he is forever working.
- He is very tech savvy, Blackberry is his constant companion.
- He is the king of good times. Whatever he buys - shirt, watch, car or a yatch, he invests lot of time, energy and enthusiasm in it. He has a deep knowledge of whatever he is buying.
- He is not particularly a brand conscious person. Whatever he likes, he buys it. It could be anything from flea market to fashion stores in Paris.
- He has a son named Sidhartha from his first wife Samira. He gifted Kingfisher on Sidhartha's eighteenth birthday in May 7, 2005. Mallya apparently has a great "relationship" with the London-based Samira.
- He has two daughters from second wife Rekha. Leana and Tanya are teenagers now. The daughters stay in San Francisco with their mother. The reclusive Rekha, who hails from Coorg, hates parties.
- Vijay Mallya makes it a point to celebrate every family members birthday by being personally present at wherever they might be located. When it comes to his own birthday, he gets the entire family beside him.
Tags:
People