As published in Financial Express – http://www.financialexpress.com/news/acquiring-debt-fund-customers-cheaper/853670/2

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog are my personal and in no way express or implied, of that of the company I work with, or have worked with in the past.

When I was growing up, cricket was just a game. Test matches were watched patiently for five days and irrespective of the result, we followed the game just for the love of it. But the inception of the 20-20 format caused a paradigm shift in how sporting events are packaged for consumption. Cricket is no longer just a game it is an entertainment juggernaut for the shorter format means a higher adrenaline rush in three hours or less, much like a masala movie that gets a thumbs up from adoring fans.

Greater participation means more revenue for the organisers. This, in turn, gives advertisers, corporates and other institutions an opportunity to pull at the purse strings of a vast and varied population with an easily consumed product. Indeed, sports is not a friendly contest on a playing field but paid content. And advances in technology ensure that this content is easily and efficiently delivered to paying customers in every nook and corner of the country. Apart from broadcast media, online delivery of paid content to desktops, handheld devises, multiplexes and other channels has redefined how sports is consumed.

Monetisation of sports in India has enabled fans platform-agnostic access to their favourite sports. With more purchasing power and acceptance of technology in the mainly 25-35 age groups, Indians are keen to explore new hi-tech mediums to consume entertainment. In doing so we are replicating proven business models to earn maximum revenues. In the US, the most popular sports – baseball, basketball, football and ice hockey – are sold online as live streaming paid content, much to the dismay of broadcasters. But it should be remembered that for Americans the dynamics of consuming entertainment is different than ours. India still has 37 % of its population living under the poverty line and internet penetration is dismal, only a small section of society has the wherewithal to explore new-age technology.

Unfortunately, like education, sports too have also become big business in India. The most adverse affect of this monetisation of sports in India has been the rise of corruption. BCCI – the world’s richest cricket association – operates in a closed manner beyond the pale of regulatory bodies. Not surprisingly, the draft National Sports Development Bill aimed at curbing corruption and bringing transparency in sports was shot down by the Union cabinet after several ministers who head sports federations objected vociferously.

The CWG was a wonderful opportunity to revive the status of other sports in the country but the organisers were busy cashing in on the opportunity to make money illegally. Though few talents in boxing, badminton, shooting and tennis came into the limelight, there is very little effort from the authorities to popularise these sports. While cricket still rules the roost as it generates more revenue, hockey our national sport, has lost its glory and is dying by the day. Recently, FIH announced it was taking away India’s hosting rights of the Champions Trophy, which was to be held later this year, because of the issues concerning game’s governance in India.

Even in cricket, talented youngsters are more interested in playing in the IPL than for the national team because IPL pays them better. While they make good bucks in the IPL, they shame the country by losing abominably in international matches. The drubbing our team received in England this summer is symptomatic of the disease. Sure, I’m not against cricketers being paid well. I also enjoy watching a 20-20 cricket match.

Where is the essence of the game? I can replace a high octane IPL match with a hit Indian masalal movie; but I cannot do that for an India vs. Australia test match at Eden Gardens. Why? Because I still love cricket!

To read the complete article, visit this link:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-08-15/news/29889138_1_mutual-funds-financial-freedom-financial-planner

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog are my personal and in no way express or implied, of that of the company I work with, or have worked with in the past.

An entire nation rose to cheer when Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit that last six in the world cup final 2011. It’s difficult to let go of the memories of the WC final. Indeed WC 2011 was an affair to remember. But to my mind, what contributed to this success were the efforts of the small-town non-legacy boys in team India.

It’s quite amazing that at a time when India is doing well in sports, there’s a parallel upsurge of small-town boys contributing to the growth of the nation in areas other than sports. There are some wonderful similarities between these small-town cricketers and small-town business entrepreneurs who have made it big. But if we look at team India’s victory, the boys in blue mirror a few unique attributes that defines the new progressive India.

•The team is packed with small-town and non-legacy boys led by MSD who hails from Ranchi in Jharkhand. Munaf Patel, Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla also belong to small towns.
• The prodigy phenomenon is passé. Phrases like ‘textbook technique’, ‘God gifted’ etc. have given way to elementary traits like grit & determination, hard work & fitness, practice & performance.
• The young men have used their small-town upbringing to their advantage. A heady cocktail of outward simplicity and rawness, and internally the guts to take on the best in the world has been the key to their success.

Post economic liberalization, India Inc. has behaved similarly. People with a lot of courage, determination and vision have outshone established players. Young entrepreneurs like Sunil ‘Airtel’ Mittal from Ludhiana, Anil ‘Vedanta’ Agarwal from Patna, Gautam Adani from Ahmedabad, and Kishore ‘Future’ Biyani have come from nowhere to surprise biz pundits with their success.
Companies like GMR, GVK, Micromax Mobiles, Make My Trip, Flipkart etc. are few examples who have grown exponentially to become national brands. These new-age players are pushing the limits of excellence and strategic thinking to challenge global concepts. On the other hand, some of the biggest brand names of the past have lost their grip in business and their growth has stagnated. They have failed to innovate and as a result have almost moved out of the Indian business radar.

Interestingly, none of these small-town entrepreneurs flaunt fancy education credentials; neither do they have powerful surnames to cash in on. All they had when they started were dreams and the determination to put in hard work to make it big. Sheer resilience to hold on to their dreams and self-belief has produced these great business leaders who have gone on to become the poster boys of India Inc. even in international markets.

This leads me to believe that India’s future business leaders will keep emerging from small towns and cities – common men with down-to-earth attitudes but dreams to touch the sky. The new age business leaders from small towns have proved that they are capable of competing globally. They boldly go eye-to-eye with prominent industry scions holding the advantage of a royal business lineage and experience.

Leadership is then about courage and fair play, guts and determination, ideas and execution!

The whole nation erupted in joy when Dhoni hit that famous six to seal our glorious World Cup campaign. I watched with pride as thousands of fans poured into the streets, taking processions and praising the team. In the passion of the moment, I took my car for a drive to soak in the euphoric atmosphere. I rank this win among the most cherished moments in my life.

The next day was a Sunday and I had the opportunity to catch up with family and friends. Amidst the exciting chatter on India’s win, one name was constantly on everybody’s lips – “Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar”. I could glimpse an aura of pride whenever a fan talked about him. He was special to all of us.

Sachin’s growth from a cricketing prodigy to the most celebrated batsman in International cricket has always been a source of inspiration for me. There are a couple of lessons that I wish to extract from his exciting life:

Lesson 1: Longevity in business
Let’s face the truth – no other player has performed consistently for so long in the International arena. Sachin made his debut as a shy 16 year old and today, at age 37, he is leading Mumbai Indians in a quest for IPL glory.

What drives this passionate man to push the boundaries of excellence? How has he managed to break every conceivable record in history?

It is common knowledge that Sachin had to undergo the agony of being a part of five heartbreaking World Cup losses before the 2011 win. But he was not ready to give up easily. He strived to make himself fitter and hungrier for a final shot at glory. As a result, he played a key role in our World Cup win with 482 runs in 9 matches at an average of 53.55.

Very often, companies that were successful at one point in time find it difficult to sustain themselves in the long run. Prominent names such as Videocon and Onida come to mind. These companies are not revered anymore because they failed to re-assess their strategy in the wake of fierce competition. For longevity, it is important to study your competition’s strengths and weaknesses first. You should then sharpen your expertise to work better in challenging circumstances.

Sachin adapted himself to perform better in foreign pitches and continuously strived to perfect his batting technique. His 99 International centuries is no fluke – it is a result of years of perseverance.

Lesson 2: Handle criticism with dignity
“I converted stones into milestones” – Sachin Tendulkar

Fans may have bequeathed Sachin with the title of “The God”, but he wasn’t immune to criticism – he was constantly berated at every failure. A normal batsman could falter and still get away with it. But Sachin was different. The burden of an entire nation was firmly placed on his shoulders.

19TH March 2006 was a sad day for Sachin – he hit a weak 1 off 21 balls against England in the 3rd test at Wankhede, his very own ground. The very fans that cheered him on numerous occasions earlier booed him off the field. Fans and the media signaled that it was the end of his career.

But he didn’t give up. He took each criticism in his stride and decided to bounce back with a vengeance. He gave each critic a fitting reply by hitting his 40th century in a match against West Indies during the DLF Cup in Malaysia.

We should adopt Sachin’s approach towards criticism and learn to accept it as a form of feedback. Is the critic qualified to provide you with inputs? If yes, then give importance to what he has to say. But never let any criticism affect you. Instead, we should plan on how to perform better next time.

Lesson 3: Humility at its best
Sachin’s humility has won him the love of millions of fans from around the world. In Mumbai Indians’ recent win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Sachin was declared man-of-the-match. He came to collect the prize along with Ambati Rayudu and said, "It will be bad if I don’t share this with Rayudu."

As Sachin has always shown, a perfect blend of humility and strong will are the right ingredients to ensure success in life. As a humble role model, he was always admired, approachable and open to ideas.

I end this article with a fervent hope that Sachin leads his team to IPL glory. I am confident that he will channel his longevity, dignity and humility to a famous win. All the best!

Disclaimer: All views expressed in this blog are my personal and in no way express or implied, of that of the company I work with, or have worked with in the past.