Bapu@150 in Sudan

In 1935 Mahatma Gandhi on his way to England had stopped over at Port Sudan and met the members of the Indian Community who hailed from the same region as Gandhi in India. The name of Gandhi is known to young and old in Sudan.I have met more than one Sudanese person named Gandhi.There is a street named after Gandhi.On the occasion of 150 years of celebrating the Mahatma popular Sudanese singer Reemaz Mirghani sang Bapu’s favourite song Vaishnava Jana to…

Dental Extraction and Implant on the same day but make it in the morning

Patients should get their Dental procedures done in the morning. Be it extraction, root canal or implants. In the evening the patient has already had a stressful day. The Dentist’s chair invites more stress and anxiety and the patient does not cooperate with the Dental surgeons procedures. I’m speaking from personal experience. I had fixed an appointment for extraction of my impacted molar and the next molar on Friday evening. I thought I could rest on following two days being Saturday and Sunday. I had delivered four lecture sessions on Friday and I was more stressed in the Dentist’s chair. I was very anxious and could not give my full cooperation to the extraction procedure of my molar. The confident and dexterous dental surgeon called it a day and asked me to come the next morning.

The next morning I not only got my two molars extracted smoothly but I walked back home from the clinic with two implants. It was like getting rid of the old teeth and getting new ones the same day. Thanks to Doctors at #ParthaDental.

Traditional pharmacies to go on strike with the threat of online pharmacies.

While transferring the money through the mobile app to the KBC participant tonight, I heard Amitabh Bacchhan say ‘Aaj kal Digital ka zamana hai’ – the new digital age. And tomorrow, on 29 Sept, we have an All India Strike by the Chemists & Druggists (Medicine Retailers) in protest against the newly emerged On Line Pharmacies. #Netmeds.com –India ki Pharmacy; #Medlife; #Frontline Pharmacy ; #MediBuddy; #Practo; #Medikabazar; #1mg; #PharmEasy. These are some of the on line chemists. Like how Amazon and Flipkart have come to stay, so will the e-Chemists. My friends have said that on line pharmacies will benefit patients and senior citizens who will get their medicines delivered at home on a regular basis. On line confidential consultations can also be made with anonymity. Moreover medicines will be much more affordable on line. What we need is a strong regulation and strict adherence to guidelines of Schedule H & X drugs. Even in business models with digital touch points the human factor makes a lot of difference in credibility and trust. Hope the on line e-Pharmacies will live up to these expectations.

Jugaad for Creative Destruction

The ‘Negatives’ or film rolls of the old camera have become a victim of ‘Creative Destruction’ and sadly ‘Kodak moments’ are now of bankruptcy. However our Photo Studios in the city have found a ‘Jugaad’ (innovative fix) for these rolls. They scan and digitalise these rolls and give you prints. Digital transformation of one roll or five strips with medium resolution costs Rs.300 and with high resolution Rs.500. So next time you take out your old suitcases and find negatives of your past, be positive.

Blessing us All is this Sand Art in a Mall

A Vegan Lunch –a birthday resolution?

The way it has gone viral, most of you must have watched Phillip Wollen, in social media, speak of his support for Animal Rights and about being a Vegan. I was surprised to know that this Australian Philanthropist was born in Bangalore. I was reminded of him when my daughter took me to a vegan restaurant in Bangalore. I have tried to capture my first time experience through these pictures. Let me add that the Ragi Roti (Millet bread) looked like the ‘burger pack’ and the raw banana fry which was served as a starter appeared like a fish piece. Can I ever become a Vegan?

Effective Executive need not be a Charismatic Leader

I learnt a new phrase ‘all over the map’. I came across this phrase written by none other than the Father of Modern Management Peter Drucker. He wrote ‘They were all over the map in terms of personalities, attitudes, values, strengths and weaknesses. They ranged from extroverted to nearly reclusive, from easygoing to controlling, from generous to parsimonious’. He was referring to Effective Executives. But what was common in all Effective Executives was that they followed the same eight practices: They asked what needs to be done? , what is right for the enterprise? , they developed action plans, they took responsibility for decisions, they took responsibility for communicating, they focused on opportunities rather than problems, they ran productive meetings and they thought and said “we” rather than “I”. The first two practices gave them the knowledge they needed. The next four helped them convert this knowledge into effective action. The last two ensured that the whole organization felt responsible and accountable. Leadership is not about charisma or extroversion. It’s about these practices.