Sensex ....a Yo-Yo......

Tuesday, very bad day for Indian investors. People lost their hard-earned money. I am sure many must have given a call to hospitals to send a Ambulance to pick them up. Things were really not understandable why suddenly people panicked so much that they started cashing out their portfolios on the half of the price they bought. There was not change in Indian economy, there is no change in technicals or fundamentals of most of the companies at least in last 2 days, then why market doomed was kissing 1000 or 2000 points below the level on these days.

Few reasons what I can understand for this Doomsday Conspiracy may be:

Future Capital & Reliance Power IPO

Things started worsening on the same day when Future Capital IPO was scheduled to close & Reliance made the things even worse by sucking out more then INR 100,000 crores from the market.

Global Cues

Though it’s difficult to understand how suddenly things became so worse in the global market that it pulled down each other. Though there was always a fear of recession in US economy but it was not the trigger at least this time for this global downturn.

Very high valuations of the companies listed in Indian Equity

Though talking about first two points, I don’t understand why these trade Gurus & Analysts are overlooking third point which is also equally important as first two. Its not only Indian equity, but other Asian equities also on the verge of over-heating, but the sentiments had been so strongly positive that people were buying on those levels also which they could see in their dreams only.

Now what:

Few things which can give new breath of life to Indian equity are:

Fed Cut:

Mr. Ben Barnanke, did the same what we’re expecting. He injected enough liquidity to the market by cutting Federal Rate by 75 basis points, biggest in past 23 years American economy. This will definitely boost the moral of the market at least in short-term.

IPOs' Listing:

Those IPOs which sucked the money out of market can give new life to market, when people will start getting their refunds. From Indian perspective, the listing of these scrips especially Reliance Power will be a most important event of the Indian economy in recent past & near future.

In my understanding, Markets has got bottomed out. Things do not look any mmore gloomier from here because at lest two out of three reasons mentioned above (Global Cues & valuations), should be the biggest strength of the market now after enough liquidity (because of Fed-rate cut) has been injected & valuations should not be expected any better.

Hope today will be different then last two days, & once again we’ll able to see the smile on the investors’ faces.

Will this make any impact on Hospital’s business, because if market booms, nobody will call Ambulance? :-)

6 kms in 28 minutes.......

Life is like Marathon. After running few miles, every next moment you run, you feel like you will fall next moment, but then there is some motivational force, few say divine force which pushes you to complete the race.

This is the spirit we saw in Mumbai Marathon 2008. This is not the first time when I was participating in this one of the Greatest Race On Earth (other GROEs are Nairobi, Singapore & Hongkong), but every-time I feel different. Whoever was there could catch those rare glimpses of spirit of humanity, spirit to struggle, spirit to excel & spirit to motivate others as well who are running with you. This is the same thing we do in Life, we push ourselves hard, we break the limits, we get slow, we feel tired, but we fight back & ultimately we triumph & come out victoriously. But if we think we haven’t triumphed yet....”tab phir picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!!! (Movie hasn’t reached its climax, my friend!!!)”.

Anyway let me picturise something about this year’s Marathon, which was really amazing. Runners were amazing, Volunteers were great, Music bands & Cheerleaders were awesome, Media was good & above all, Crowd was very wonderful & supportive. As I entered into Azaad Maidan from where we were supposed to start the race, it was crowded like any other big fare in India.

Pic: TCS Corporate Challenge participants in Corporate Challenge Area

When you are a serious runner Dream run always gives you a tough starting point where you have to face so much crowd when it starts. We get only two options, one, you come in front anyhow & just shoot off from there with the "Get Set Go", two, you spend whole of your time in crossing those layers of people to run.

And as a serious runner myself I chose the first option. I came in front of the crowd & jst shot off as the rope was down.

I (in TCS Tunic-Shirt, Red & Yellow Headband, TCS cap in one hand & mobile in other hand) was very excited & determined to give my best & get my best timing in this race. I started with first 10 participants & was trying hard to finish the race in sub-30 mins. On the, Pizzeria-turn, TCS Music band was playing, but till I could see them, my speed had taken me ahead. There were few Indian participants who were running ahead me but few Non-Indians were running pretty well. As I completed 3 Kms. My will-power was trying to leave me, but the self-esteem was still there, & that kept me running. On the Fly-over, my self-esteem also got an excuse because there was hardly any spectator. I slowed down my speed & started walking. But it was only 20 seconds, that one little boy, who was running behind me & motivated me to run, & after that I just couldn’t feel like stopping myself before finish line.

I had finished the race in 28 mins, bettering my last time of 30 mins. I was feeling great, though my eyes were burning, my body was sweating, my hamstrings were paining but when you have given your best & finished the race in first 10 participants, its obvious to feel great.

TCS Marathon Runners

I really enjoyed this. Now I am looking to participate in some other marathon also may be somewhere in United States.

From marketing perspective, both lead sponsors Standard Chartered & TCS got the desired visibility among the eye-balls. Though they must have spent few crores for this one-day event but it was really worth.

Hope to see the same or better ambience next time……till then bye from Marathon on the roads & lets run the Marathon-life with the same enthusiasm, same eagerness, same motivation & same will-power.

Hats-Off to Marathon Spirit.

It feels great giving joy to others.......

My VMS Volunteers team with two of the kids during Christmas Celebration in "Victoria Memorial School for Blinds"

Scorpions' Live

Though I missed it somebody else attanded it

My First Journey to Trivandrum.......

In college, I got my first Job offer & that was from Biggest IT organization in India & since the day I was selected to the day I needed to join, I made so many expectations about this Organization & about my future.

After passing out from the college & lot of wait for the joining, that much awaited day Oct 27th, 2005 had come, when I was leaving to Trivandrum, Kerala (GOD's Own Country). I always had a wish that I would go to Kerala, & this is what else than a lovely coincidence that I was joining an Organization which had its Corporate Learning Center In Kerala itself. I was very excited about all these coincidences. I won't be wrong, if I would say that that journey from Jhansi to Trivandrum was the most exciting journey in my life & even God made all the arrangements to make it even more excited.

When I & one of my friends boarded the train, we were just excited about the job environment & Kerala tour but we were not aware that there were many flavors of the season were waiting for us.

This was an evening train & after a gossip of almost 4-5 Hrs, we went to sleep. When we woke up in the morning what we were told that Train was running 4 Hrs late.

When we were in Ramaguntam, somewhere in Andhra Pradesh, we got the news that because there was a flood in Chennai & whole Tamilnadu belt and one train had already fallen into o some river, our train would be routed Via Secunderabad. Till this time train was already running late by almost 7-8 Hrs. In Secunderabad, we got the news that many other trains which were following us had been stuck in Flood.

Anyway, this was the Palghat (Palakkad), from where we entered in Kerala. I had some special feeling, this was the evening & train was running late by 10 Hrs. The first evening in Kerala was really beautiful. By night about 10'O clock we had reached the Ernakulam, & there we got the news about Bomb-blast in Paharganj (Delhi).

Till this time I had got the good estimation of what I was going to get in Trivandrum to eat. Till now I was living on the food & snacks I was carrying from my home as I was not very fond of Idli-dosas.

On Oct 30th after a journey of more than 60 Hrs (originally of 47 Hrs.) at about 3'O clock we landed at Trivandrum. There were many people sailing in the same boat as we were. Then we started searching for some means of commutation to the hotel where we were directed to go for the accommodation.

This was really a great experience that at mid of the night we were searching for some computation which could take us to our Hotel & the biggest hurdle in this was the Language. We couldn't speak/understand Malayalam, & those guys couldn't speak/understand Hindi or English either. Anyhow, we managed by a combination of sign language & few English words. We were aware that our accommodation would be in Hotel Highness Inn, but even the Rickshaw-wala who was carrying us to that place was not sure about its perfect location. Anybody can imagine how would be feeling in that midnight when our Rickshaw-wala was asking other Rickshaw-walas whoever he met in our way about this location. Ultimately one of them told him that this was the same hotel which they used to call Highness Bar (Most famous bar of TVM having 3 Bars). Then we had understood that although we were not getting accommodation in any 3 Star hotel, we got a 3 Bar hotel.

Somehow about 4'O Clock we were standing in front of our Hotel. We went to the manager & asked him to show us the way to our room. He was a real nice guy. Even in that Midnight when we disturbed him in his sleep, he was smiling. We were two guys & fortunately, we got a two-person bedroom.

This was the first day (though I shouldn't say it a day) in Trivandrum.