Unique Selling Excercise
BEAUTIFUL!!! Often i have heard of the term USP - Unique selling proposition. And to satisfy the jargon-crazy mangers of the world, you now have the ESP - Emotional selling proposition, aimed to tug at the hearts of the customer. WOMEN.
So i decided what could be the USP of a blog or worse ESP of my blog. I have often heard from my friends and even read through their blogs that have amazingly brilliant articles yet get very few people to read them. WEALTH. Thinking of it, i put myself in the shoes of the reader. It takes a conscious effort for one to first get an interest into a topic and even worse try to relate to the topic. HARASSMENT
It was then that i decided that i would do a simple excercise. GIVE ME A BREAK. Intersperse few words that catch the eye of any guy and make him read the blog. EYECATCHER. However inane the blog may be, one then reads through the blog, trying to FIGURE out if there might be some connection between the words and the blog. SEXY.
I have noted that even the most brilliant of authors or the finest of directors often use the time tested tactics of placing a PROVACATIVE scene in the name of artistic license. But then no one questions their actions and in turn end up singing peans in honor of them.
STOP!!! Having read through this entire article one would have easily guessed that though i have tried fitting in many of the capitalized letters into the passage, they act more as a TOTEM POLE to my blog than adding much meaning.
The man, the machine, the superstar
Least one would expect sitting in Indore would to glance across a tamil film ad. But then it just happened, on a cloudy misty morning, when i got hold of the ad featuring a Tamil film, a movie almost the entire Tamil film industry awaits with bated breath. Well, if these weren't clues enough, the person who is acting the movie should atleast familiar to one and all across the nation, one who has been referred to as the Amitabh Bachan of the south! Yes this blog is dedicated to the one and only Superstar - Rajni aka Rajnikanth
Rajni - the name that evokes just one response down south - that of cheers, is not the conventional hero that one would expect. Of average height, medium build, dark, he is the total anithesis of a hero. But then it is this image of him that has endearred to the masses. He may never go on to win a National award, he may never even be called a great actor, but then he was never moulded in for that role. He has been hanging around, more to say the entire tamil industry has been hanging around with him for the last 25 years just for the fact that hes the perfect entertainer a person whose movies run and make huge money.
My admiration and fascination for Rajni dates back to when i was around 5 years old or so, when i used to practise the cigarette smoking skills of rajni albeit with a matchstick, throwing it up and tryin to catch it in the same way he does with penchant. Well i never did master the art of the catching it between my lips, it resulted in a burnt lip and nose when once i tried to light a matchstick. JOkes apart, this living legend of tamil cinema is a man who is adored by millions of his fans, old or young, poor or rich. A man who inspires others to love a life as he does, with simplicity, poise, grace, etc. The cynics would love to disagree with me but then i am more than willing to listen to them.
Rajni, a person simply referred to as the Superstar, has delivered more silver jubilee hits, more money to the distributors than any other film star in Tamil nadu. His movies are simple - entertainers. No high flying logic or deep thinking involved in it. A person from and for the masses, Rajni is epynomous for his style. All the elemts of cinema making, you name it - comedy, drama, suspense, revenge - you will find in his movies, all of them are clean family entertainers. His dressing sense, stylish glasses, have evoked awe among even his fiercest critics. Addd to that the enormous amount of franchisee that comes along with each of his movies, The padayappa jeans, Mannan shoulder bag, Basha glasses and what not.
Each of his movies, even his flops have always been money spinners,Flops being termed those rajni movies that dont run for more than 100 days. Baba, one of the
forgettable movies that Rajni made for instance ran for around 75 days, turned in more money than lotsa other movies (rumoured around 20 crores) but still was termed a flop.
Its this larger than life image that Rajni has grown up to that has often been his undoing. In 1996, when he became the defacto voice of Tamil nadu inspiring the people to throw out the Corrupt Jayalalitha government, he was respected by one and all. He rose from a superstar to a superpower. But then he couldnt sutain this image, often looking confused.
But then theres good news. Rajni has decided that here on only movies, and this shougur well for the millions of his teeming fans.Rajni in his latest movie, Chandramukhi, plays a role of a doctor nad reports say that the movie has been sold out, way over. So much so that even in Japan, where Rajni has a huge fan following, the theaters have been booked for a fortnight or so. Many of his movies have gone on to be a blockbuster in Japan, a place almost unlikely for a person to have a hit. But then such is the charisma of Rajni, that he never ceases to amaze. He lloks fittingly sprightly at his age, 53, and looks like he could give any of the younger heroes a run for their money.
For a man who came from being a bus conductor, to a villian, to a supporting actor, to a hero, to a superstar, his rise has been well documented and read over again and again. Yes, there are certain elements of incredulity in his movie, like his bullet antics, his antics with villains, cows, cars, cycles, and what not that would give quite a headache to many a scientist. But then isnt cinema a medium for make beleive, a medium for letting out the human creativity loose, for bringing to screen the wildest dreams. It is this craving that each one of us has that Rajni, the superstar, has brought to the screen.
Long live the superstar.
Venkat
Class of 2005 - Final Placements
Following is our official placement report...
Corporate India swooped down on the portals of one of India’s premier business schools and walked off with the crème de la crème of the country’s future business leaders. So much so, that with an average of 1.8 offers per student at the end of Day 0, placements never got to see Day 1.
Placements 2005 was distinguished by the participation of companies from a wide range of industry sectors, a 66% increase in the number of recruiters, veritable downpour of lateral offers and a 20% increase in the average salary. The average accepted CTC salary was 8.16 lakhs. The corresponding figure for the lateral offers stood at 8.60 lakhs.
The Lateral factor
The batch of 2005 at IIM Indore was rich on experience with almost 80% of them vying for lucrative lateral placement offers. Most of the candidates possessed relevant experience in sectors of their choice, culminating in 93 lateral offers of which 67 were finally accepted. Most of these offers went hand in hand with commensurate increases in pay packages.
Around 10% of the batch had prized Pre-Placement Offers from top-notch organizations like HLL, Standard Chartered Bank, GE, Wipro Technologies, Patni Computer Systems and Asian Paints. 5% of the batch also had prior international exposure, which provided a definite fillip to their final placement efforts.
Recruiters galore
The list of recruiters at IIM Indore resembled a virtual who’s who of India Inc. Apart from the regular recruiters like Standard Chartered Bank, PepsiCo, ICICI Bank, Asian Paints, IBM, Wipro and Infosys Technologies, this season also saw relationships developing with ITC, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan, Covansys, GSK, Accenture, Satyam, CitiFinancial, Mahindra British Telecom, EXL Services, Kotak Group and Sony Entertainment Television. All recruiters expressed extreme satisfaction with the smooth conduct of the placement process and left the campus with firm commitments to be back next year.
Sector-wise breakup of accepted offers
Marketing: The FMCG giants like HLL, ITC, Glaxo SmithKline, PepsiCo and Asian Paints picked up the bulk of marketing talent. The average accepted salary in this sector was 7.98 lakhs. Pharma and Media sectors too were well represented by companies like Glenmark Pharma, Wockhardt and Sony Entertainment TV among others.
IT: The continued growth of the Indian IT sector was clearly evident with all the big names like Infosys Technologies, Wipro, Patni Computer Systems, CSC India, Mahindra British Telecom, Tata Consultancy Services and Satyam Computers coming together to offer the highest number of jobs across sectors. The average accepted salary in this sector was 8.05 lakhs.
ITES: The Indian BPO industry sent strong signals of an exciting future as the average accepted salary in this sector stood at 9.19 lakhs with leaders like Progeon, Gecis, EXL Services and Evalueserve offering lucrative job profiles.
Banking and Financial Services: Banking stalwarts like Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI and UTI Bank led the banking sector while the financial services sector was represented by the likes of Citigroup, Kotak Group, SBI Caps, Adventity, ICICI Lombard and Larsen & Toubro among others. The average accepted salary in this sector was 8.40 lakhs.
Consulting: With 21% of students opting for consulting jobs, companies like TSMG, Accenture, CapGemini, IBM Consulting and Mahindra Consulting continue to be hot draws at IIM Indore. The average accepted salary in this sector was 8.02 lakhs.
General Mgmt., Operations and HR: Opportunities in these sectors were offered by leading companies like Bharti Televentures, Madura Coats, Gecis, Maruti, GMR Group and Anand Corporate Services.
Financial Services and IT/ITES sectors witnessed the maximum number of visiting companies, together constituting almost 60% of the overall recruiters and making around 125 offers between themselves. The meteoric strides being made by the ITES industry were epitomized by hefty salary packages and exciting job profiles. One of the visiting VPs hit the nail right on the head when he remarked: “The BPO sector is not about creating growth. Growth per se is guaranteed. The challenge now is to manage growth. It is a whole new paradigm.” Going by the way these new economy jobs were lapped up, the outgoing batch of IIM Indore couldn’t agree more.
A problem of plenty
A staggering total of 202 offers were made in all to the batch of 112 students. This left many students in a quandary as they found themselves in the enviable situation of having to choose from multiple offers, each one more exciting and challenging than the other. Recruiters too faced a tough time with some who appeared to be certain recruits opting out in favor of more exciting career prospects in other organizations.
Sector-wise breakup of total offers made and accepted
Needless to say, a 100% placement record at IIM Indore is not just a mere statistic but a foregone conclusion.
Money matters
Or so it would seem. But therein hangs a tale, one that is subject to many interpretations and statistical juggling at B-School campuses. Not so at IIM Indore. The figures calculated on a Cost-to Company basis and taking only the 112 accepted offers into account speak for themselves. The sector-wise average and highest CTC salary is given below.
Sector-wise breakup of Average and Highest salary accepted
Some of the highest paymasters were Gecis, Progeon, EXL Services, GSK, ITC, Kotak Group, Sony Entertainment Television and JP Morgan. The effects of a booming economy were fully evident in the final salary scores as majority of the students walked out with substantially higher pay packages compared to previous years.
The Bottom line
“The placement process and co-ordination at IIM Indore is one of the best we have experienced among all the institutes we have interacted with.” – ITC Ltd.
“The batch profile is outstanding. We are yet to see anything like it in other campuses.” –Gecis
The last few years have seen IIM Indore mature into a happy hunting ground of management talent for India Inc. Within just 6 years of its existence, IIM Indore has succeeded in attracting the best of corporate participation in its placement processes. With an international student exchange program all set to take off this year and the superb feedback that we have received from recruiters, IIM Indore looks all set to retain its status as a B-School of choice for both students as well as the corporate world.
Cheers
venkat
PS: shall post of somethign interesting today.. till then have to bear with this Ctrl C + Ctrl V report of my college placement report
Home Sweet home - Singara Chennai... or is it ?
Hmm... an idle mind is a devil's workshop... realised that and here am truthffully posting off something that is clsoe to me... something that i realised when one of my batchmates here got his summers at Chennai and was asking about Chennai and its so called hot spots... god knows who told him about it or was it the effect the ultra glamourous girlfriend video song in the movies "Boys" that prompted him to ask me about Chennai. so i decided to dedicate this post to the place i love the most - home sweet home - Chennai.
Chennai - the very word would bring in images of the climate first - hot, hotter and hottest. Of idlis, dosas, piping hot coffee served by fast speaking waiters in a flash of a second. Of beautiful south indian women performing Bharatanatyam, the traditional dance of the Tamilians. Of Margazhi, the cultural festival in December the awesomely melodious Carnatic music, rendered by the best musicians in the business. Of temples with gopurams as tall as 11 floors. Of a city known for its traditonal society where cuture and heritage coexist with the razziest discos, techno savvy IT professionals.
Of a place where Cyclones and tsunamis batter the coastline. Of a city that boasts of the reportedly second largest beach in the world, The Marina ,with its stretches of miles and miles of golden sand interspersed with the Samadhis (final resting places) of the founding fathers of the state and the ubiquitous Bajji and Sundal(chaaat) selling kids. Of a place that is highly (in)famous for its autorickshaw driver famed for their near death defying stunts with their atuorickshaws and their equally exorbitant amounts that they charge as fares.
Of Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan and Kollywood, of hero - worship, movie crazy public who would willingly bunk classes or even an exam or two to watch their favourite filmstar on the silver screen. Of a city that boasts of one of the most advanced port and airport in the country.
All said and done, Chennai has moved and made immense progress in areas that have little connection with the state of affairs in which it lies - IT/ITES, The Detroit of India, The automotive components hub of India, The Gateway to the South, The cultural capital of the south - just a few of the latest terms that one now associates with it. A place that boasts of some of the best educational institutions in india, the capital of the second most industrialized states in India. An elevated railway network, the very first of its kind in India, and tis equally beautiful techno parks that serve as the hub for many of the global IT majors in the world. A city that now has a more transitional population than residential, Chennai is evolving to be a city that is one of the most desired locations in India.
But then dont most beautiful love stories always have a twist in the tale - having painted an almost rosy picture of chennai, i would be missing out if i didnt bring out a few hard facts that i would love people to give a thought to.
Singara (beautiful) chennnai - thats how it was visioned to be by 2005 by the ex-mayor, Thiru.M.K.Stalin in 1996. The chennai part still remains, as dirty and dusty as it has ever been with all its pot holed roads and mosquitoes, and crowned with The Cooum, the coupe de grace of Chennai.
And where does it lie now. Highly questionable! Though it still maintains a distinctive advantage over other cities in india as having better infrastructure, the dirt part is the major source of worry, the crowning glory being the Coouum river that flows through the heart of the city which is nothing but an urban wastewater tract. One of the most polluted rivers in india, it is compunded by problems of hutments all along the embankment. And the administration what does it do? It turns a completely blind eye to it. The roads surrounding the chief ministers house and the ministers house are spic and span. They would give any road in the USA a road for its money. But then are they the only people living in one of indias most populated cities.
Lots of things do exist about Chennai, both pleasant and the not so pleasant, things that would be best explained and felt if one gets to have a piece of Chennai, living amongst the myriads of teeming masses, watching a movie or two with the hordes of whistle blowing frontbenchers on Rs. 7.5 tickets, strolling along the majestic Marina in the ealry morning when one gets to bask in the brilliant early morning sushine with the wind ruffling through ones hair.
Go Chennai Go!!!
Venkat
PS: try visiting www.chennaionline.com or related sites to know more about Chennai.
Why a Blog?
One post i almost see at every blog that i visit (have been doing that for almost the last 1 year without caring a dime to create one of my own) is the author explaining hazaar reasons as to why the created their own blog. I decided if at all i were to create one of my own ( the chances of which i rated as high as Holland winning the Cricket world cup) the very first thing i would avoid would be the standard customary "Why this blog" kind of post. But then what else can an idle mind come up!!! Running short of ideas to post on my blog here i am back to square one writing almost a kind of "why this blog" post.
Serious the concept of blogging seemed real exciting to me as long as i was the spectator, silently bowsing through loads of blogs and sometimes not so silently, commenting at will at several of my friends blogs. Its only when i created my blog and had to write something in it that i realised the amount of pains and efforts each of m ffriends put in to write one good article. Some of the articles that i have read on my friends blogs like Govar's, Jams's and Chandoo's are to say almost so insightful, meaningful (and god knows what other superlatives that i have to use) that i dont know whether i would ever do justice to my blog.
anyways this is one helluva starting for my blog i hope. Shall keep adding more and keep everyone updated.
Cheers
venkat
