We've heard a lot about management strategies, the elevator pitch for wooing investors, the financial forecasting plans, customer engagement strategies, pricing policies and what not! Entering into the world of business is pretty tough considering all the paper work, the investments and the planning at stake. But India is a proud nation which houses one of the most incredible businesses which have been running successfully for ages now, probably without even knowing as to what a few of the above mentioned terms mean. Yes, I'm talking about the age old dabbawalas!
The 'dabbawala business' is pretty simple. It aims at providing freshly cooked food for the people who slog their hearts out in their shops or offices. It has indeed become a tradition for Mumbai's working class to rely upon these guys for their lunch. What makes the dabbawalas so special? The answer is simple, it is the efficiency with which their business is carried out. Most of you would be knowing that the dabbawalas have been awarded with the six sigma certification for the fantastic efficiency which their business model possesses.
What's so unique about the dabbawalas is fact that their business is almost 100+ years old and the business is still growing at 5%-7% which is pretty fabulous to note. Also, these men are highly disciplined and dedicated which helps them to battle through the war against time that arises everyday during lunch time. The organizational structure brings in almost 5000-6000 people who work their way towards achieving an immaculate efficiency of 99.999%. The most amazing part about this business is that they do not take the help of any modern day technology. However, the business model now accepts orders through SMS which is the way to go!
The dabbawalas have been recognized and admired by the western countries for their outstanding performance. Big heads like Prince Charles and Richard Branson have all taken note of this inspiring model of business.
We salute the dedication of the dabbawalas and only wish that they continue to make India proud!
Friday, May 31, 2013
If You are an Indian, Are You Bound to Be a Software Engineer or a Doctor?
We are proud sons and daughters of Mother India. A nation that is slowly getting stung by a bug called 'Western Culture' . We Indians love Domino's Pizzas, KFC's chicken and at the same time we do not ditch our traditional pani pooris or vada pav. We love to alter our lifestyle and lean a lot towards the western style of living, but when it comes to certain aspects, our society is yet to see a drastic change.
The children of today have a lot to do apart from their regular academics. They are exposed to a lot of things which a student of the 90's wouldn't have had the chance to. One of the major things that tops this list is the Internet. However, Indian students begin to face the heat right from school. Here, marks matter more than the knowledge that you gain. Parents have literally transformed their child's academic performance as a factor which could boost their pride in the society. 'My son scored 96.2% in his +2 and has applied for his MS in the US' - How often have you heard this?
Forget the marks, of course it is important to score well in school, thanks to the heavy competition offered by your fellow friends who are squeezed to perform. A teen who is a great artist by nature, can definitely end up scoring decent marks in his schooling but that does not qualify him to become an engineer. The Indian society has been effectively molded in such a way that parents can go out and tell the world that their son or daughter is an engineer or doctor and if they end up becoming something else, they end up bringing shame to their family. The situation is as dirty as this!
I'm not writing this post with the outright idea of blaming our parents. I understand that it is absolutely natural for them to dream and have good aspirations for us, but at the end of the day I feel they should be more concerned about the happiness of their children than thrusting their dreams onto their children.
The world is filled with opportunities and it is the not the engineers or doctors who are the most successful people in the country today. An English daily reported a few weeks ago that around 180 and a total of 1700 graduates had applied for the job of cleaning Chandigarh! How pathetic can it get ? Of course, if you have the passion to do engineering, there is nothing that should stop you from doing it, but if it is not really your passion, then there is a lot of thinking to do.
We are in the 21st century and the world is filled with opportunities. There are a million ways to earn money and at the end of the day if you are making money and still happy , your life is a dream come true. If not, well, it is never too late to rediscover your passion. If you are really good at it, I'm sure you are going to succeed bigtime, no matter what!
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE, and you are the one who can change the course of your life!
The children of today have a lot to do apart from their regular academics. They are exposed to a lot of things which a student of the 90's wouldn't have had the chance to. One of the major things that tops this list is the Internet. However, Indian students begin to face the heat right from school. Here, marks matter more than the knowledge that you gain. Parents have literally transformed their child's academic performance as a factor which could boost their pride in the society. 'My son scored 96.2% in his +2 and has applied for his MS in the US' - How often have you heard this?
Forget the marks, of course it is important to score well in school, thanks to the heavy competition offered by your fellow friends who are squeezed to perform. A teen who is a great artist by nature, can definitely end up scoring decent marks in his schooling but that does not qualify him to become an engineer. The Indian society has been effectively molded in such a way that parents can go out and tell the world that their son or daughter is an engineer or doctor and if they end up becoming something else, they end up bringing shame to their family. The situation is as dirty as this!
I'm not writing this post with the outright idea of blaming our parents. I understand that it is absolutely natural for them to dream and have good aspirations for us, but at the end of the day I feel they should be more concerned about the happiness of their children than thrusting their dreams onto their children.
The world is filled with opportunities and it is the not the engineers or doctors who are the most successful people in the country today. An English daily reported a few weeks ago that around 180 and a total of 1700 graduates had applied for the job of cleaning Chandigarh! How pathetic can it get ? Of course, if you have the passion to do engineering, there is nothing that should stop you from doing it, but if it is not really your passion, then there is a lot of thinking to do.
We are in the 21st century and the world is filled with opportunities. There are a million ways to earn money and at the end of the day if you are making money and still happy , your life is a dream come true. If not, well, it is never too late to rediscover your passion. If you are really good at it, I'm sure you are going to succeed bigtime, no matter what!
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE, and you are the one who can change the course of your life!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Vanishing Lakes of India - I Thought I saw A Lake there 4 years ago!
It's summer time and our throats are running dry. Living in a country that greatly depends on the monsoon for its water requirements, we've got to act smart when it comes to saving this precious resource. More often than not, we tend to be the people who tend to feel the heat only when we're devoid of something and the same is the case with water.
I had already mentioned about the reckless usage of water in one of my previous post and today I have something to share, that is even more alarming - the story of the vanishing lakes of India.
Our national anthem portrays our country to be a paradise on earth with its description of the wonderful serene landscape of India. Today, we've come to a situation where we doubt if this is the same India which was being talked about. Wondering why?
Here's a simple stat. In our very own Bangalore, there were more than 250+ water bodies which ensured that Bangalore wasn't dry at any point of time. But today, the number has fallen by almost 500% to around 50+. Can you imagine the impact of that drastic drop?
The corporation always has answers to our questions. They claim to have a whopping 900 crore lake conservation project to save the little that this urban jungle has to boast about.
What's the mystery behind the vanishing lakes of India? It's pretty simple. The residential towers, parks and townships that we see today were all lakes once upon a time! If this is the case with lakes that dry up, the ones that are filled are not spared either. They are blessed with sewage and toxic contaminants which ensure that they become one of those ugly useless pond which is eventually useful for absolutely nothing and slowly vanish .
Wake up India ! We still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE!
I had already mentioned about the reckless usage of water in one of my previous post and today I have something to share, that is even more alarming - the story of the vanishing lakes of India.
Our national anthem portrays our country to be a paradise on earth with its description of the wonderful serene landscape of India. Today, we've come to a situation where we doubt if this is the same India which was being talked about. Wondering why?
Here's a simple stat. In our very own Bangalore, there were more than 250+ water bodies which ensured that Bangalore wasn't dry at any point of time. But today, the number has fallen by almost 500% to around 50+. Can you imagine the impact of that drastic drop?
The corporation always has answers to our questions. They claim to have a whopping 900 crore lake conservation project to save the little that this urban jungle has to boast about.
What's the mystery behind the vanishing lakes of India? It's pretty simple. The residential towers, parks and townships that we see today were all lakes once upon a time! If this is the case with lakes that dry up, the ones that are filled are not spared either. They are blessed with sewage and toxic contaminants which ensure that they become one of those ugly useless pond which is eventually useful for absolutely nothing and slowly vanish .
Wake up India ! We still believe that ONE CAN CHANGE!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Concrete Jungles Chewing Up Trees - A 'Warm(n)ing' Issue At Stake!
Temperatures are soaring high and none of us are spared from the blistering heat. Every six months , the scenario with the urban concrete jungles keep changing. We have become slaves to comfort and we are ready to do anything for it. We are happy going about in our cool cars with the air conditioners on and we do not have the time to even spare a thought for these widely expanding concrete jungles which are eating up the greenery at a rampant rate.
There once existed a time when people used to cut down forests to bring large vacant lands under cultivation. Today, we do not spare the agricultural lands either. Just take a time to sit back and rewind a little. If you've been to Bangalore about ten years ago, I'm sure you would've loved the place primarily for its climate, especially if you are from the 'land of humidity' - Chennai. But today , you can find that 'mission urbanization' has succeeded to the maximum extent possible and there are hardly any trees in places which used to be lush green. Coimbatore is just another victim of urbanization to a slightly lesser extent than Bangalore. A whopping 50,000 trees have been cut in the recent years in Bangalore, thanks to the rapid infrastructural development projects like the metro rail. The metro rail projects in Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad have also come under the fuming ire of environmentalists for cutting down trees mercilessly.However, the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has promised to plant 15,000 trees to compensate for the loss but whether this takes to immediate effect, is a question which can be answered only by time.
The overall picture doesn't look bright. We need infrastructural development and I do not deny that at all. But this cannot continue at the cost of the environment.
Here's a simple strategy. Say, Chennai has lost around 10,000 trees over the last one year due to various reasons. Imagine that each one of us who owns a car in Chennai promises to plant a tree every six months, we would match the number without a doubt and exceed it by a pretty decent number too. This is just one small example and imagine the power of a million when engage in saving their city.
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE! Plant a tree, it is an investment that you can always fall back on..
There once existed a time when people used to cut down forests to bring large vacant lands under cultivation. Today, we do not spare the agricultural lands either. Just take a time to sit back and rewind a little. If you've been to Bangalore about ten years ago, I'm sure you would've loved the place primarily for its climate, especially if you are from the 'land of humidity' - Chennai. But today , you can find that 'mission urbanization' has succeeded to the maximum extent possible and there are hardly any trees in places which used to be lush green. Coimbatore is just another victim of urbanization to a slightly lesser extent than Bangalore. A whopping 50,000 trees have been cut in the recent years in Bangalore, thanks to the rapid infrastructural development projects like the metro rail. The metro rail projects in Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad have also come under the fuming ire of environmentalists for cutting down trees mercilessly.However, the Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) has promised to plant 15,000 trees to compensate for the loss but whether this takes to immediate effect, is a question which can be answered only by time.
The overall picture doesn't look bright. We need infrastructural development and I do not deny that at all. But this cannot continue at the cost of the environment.
Here's a simple strategy. Say, Chennai has lost around 10,000 trees over the last one year due to various reasons. Imagine that each one of us who owns a car in Chennai promises to plant a tree every six months, we would match the number without a doubt and exceed it by a pretty decent number too. This is just one small example and imagine the power of a million when engage in saving their city.
We believe ONE CAN CHANGE! Plant a tree, it is an investment that you can always fall back on..
Friday, May 24, 2013
Billions Being Fooled For Millions of Money?
Scams, scandals and corruption, have become synonymous to India. Crores of rupees go down the drain and get locked in the hands of people who do not deserve it. What makes it more disgusting is the fact that people target sports as a source of infusing their acts of fraudulence.
I need not talk about how addicted we Indians are towards the sport of cricket. We wouldn't bother skipping a meal but we just can't refrain from watching Sachin Tendulkar play! Yes, I agree that it is a 'good' addiction but looking behind the curtains, you are most likely to find something which is alarming, disappointing and absolutely shocking.
We stay glued for hours to the TV screens to hoping that our favorite team win, we spend thousands of rupees to buy tickets in 'black' to watch our favorite stars on the pitch. It is because of us that the BCCI has become the richest cricketing body in world. But, what we get in return is something we need to ponder upon. With all the scandals and betting allegations which is giving the media a good time, there is definitely a point where we think 'Are we being fooled?'. Yes, that's a fact indeed.
The rot in the apple is deeper than we think it is. Team owners, players and who else do you need to spoil the name of this game? We hope that in the times to come, players with integrity step will on to the field rather than players who are looking at cricket as a 'quick money churning machine'. Let us not speculate on what the media says. I'm not here in support of the Indian justice system but I'm sure truth shall triumph someday. There is still hope ! We still believe, ONE CAN CHANGE a billion fans' fate.
I need not talk about how addicted we Indians are towards the sport of cricket. We wouldn't bother skipping a meal but we just can't refrain from watching Sachin Tendulkar play! Yes, I agree that it is a 'good' addiction but looking behind the curtains, you are most likely to find something which is alarming, disappointing and absolutely shocking.
We stay glued for hours to the TV screens to hoping that our favorite team win, we spend thousands of rupees to buy tickets in 'black' to watch our favorite stars on the pitch. It is because of us that the BCCI has become the richest cricketing body in world. But, what we get in return is something we need to ponder upon. With all the scandals and betting allegations which is giving the media a good time, there is definitely a point where we think 'Are we being fooled?'. Yes, that's a fact indeed.
The rot in the apple is deeper than we think it is. Team owners, players and who else do you need to spoil the name of this game? We hope that in the times to come, players with integrity step will on to the field rather than players who are looking at cricket as a 'quick money churning machine'. Let us not speculate on what the media says. I'm not here in support of the Indian justice system but I'm sure truth shall triumph someday. There is still hope ! We still believe, ONE CAN CHANGE a billion fans' fate.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Stop Haggling , Start Travelling - 'Namma Auto' is Here !
How often do you see the people of Chennai haggling with the autorickshaw drivers. Every now and then we read from the newspapers about the atrocities which these drivers in khaki bless the hapless citizens of this beautiful city. It is indeed a shame to note that tourists from other nations are warned about auto drivers who are bound to cheat them. Chennai is in dire need for a system that regulates the prices that we pay for our commute and with ventures like Namma Auto, the good days don't seem to be far away.
Even though ventures like these have gone down the drain in the past, Namma Auto does offer some promise. It hopes to create an envy in the minds of the other drivers who will have to face a stiff competition from around 350 autos which are set to join the Namma Auto fleet by June. I'm sure you wouldn't have dreamed of a day when you would see autos in Chennai with meters, which give out bills too! Namma Auto is indeed a dream come true for people who have to rely upon autos for their daily commute. A minimum charge of Rs.25 (for 2 kms) and Rs.10 for every additional km is not going to hurt you badly considering the face that we're paying more than 40% of that fare today.
It is really early to predict the rise or fall of Namma Auto , but we hope ventures like these help the common man to the maximum extent possible. We believe ONE CAN CHANGE and there are many more ventures like these which spell good news to the citizens of this wonderful country.
Here's an article about Namma Auto in an English daily:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-19/chennai/39369332_1_autorickshaw-drivers-auto-meters-auto-drivers
Even though ventures like these have gone down the drain in the past, Namma Auto does offer some promise. It hopes to create an envy in the minds of the other drivers who will have to face a stiff competition from around 350 autos which are set to join the Namma Auto fleet by June. I'm sure you wouldn't have dreamed of a day when you would see autos in Chennai with meters, which give out bills too! Namma Auto is indeed a dream come true for people who have to rely upon autos for their daily commute. A minimum charge of Rs.25 (for 2 kms) and Rs.10 for every additional km is not going to hurt you badly considering the face that we're paying more than 40% of that fare today.
It is really early to predict the rise or fall of Namma Auto , but we hope ventures like these help the common man to the maximum extent possible. We believe ONE CAN CHANGE and there are many more ventures like these which spell good news to the citizens of this wonderful country.
Here's an article about Namma Auto in an English daily:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-05-19/chennai/39369332_1_autorickshaw-drivers-auto-meters-auto-drivers
Monday, May 20, 2013
Save Water Before It Fails to Save You!
'Save water' is too cliched. We have heard it a thousand times now but we don't seem to care much about it. Just imagine a day when you shall not have a drop of water for your umpteen numbers of needs. Won't life come to a standstill? In life, we understand the importance of something only when we are deprived of it and in future, the same could be the case with water!
Chennai is estimated to have a population of 12 crore people by the end of 2020. We currently possess a shortage of around 12% which is bound to grow to 20% within ten years. These are alarming numbers considering the impact it would have on millions of people.
The need of the hour is trying to optimize our usage of water and find alternate ways of protecting it. We are one of the blessed nations which receives rainfall which covers the entire nation, yet we struggle to meet the demands of every citizen. Have you ever wondered why? Let me give you a simple example. Your body has numerous veins and arteries that carry blood to and from all the parts of the body. Have you ever thought what will happen if your veins or arteries get choked? You will collapse! That's exactly the scenario with India and its numerous rivers. The vital arteries which carry water through thousands of cities, villages and towns are getting choked. As a result we do not have enough of fresh water sources where we can fall back on even during the times of adequate rainfall. Be it the Ganga or Yamuna in the north or the Palar and Coovum in the south , rivers and water bodies are being brutally exploited. Encroachments along water bodies are cropping up by the day. We are sucking up our ground water at a massive rate. We are not bothered about tomorrow at all!
The youth play a major role in any step that this country takes and it is certainly in our hands to tackle this crisis. Here are a few steps that we could take:-
Chennai is estimated to have a population of 12 crore people by the end of 2020. We currently possess a shortage of around 12% which is bound to grow to 20% within ten years. These are alarming numbers considering the impact it would have on millions of people.
The need of the hour is trying to optimize our usage of water and find alternate ways of protecting it. We are one of the blessed nations which receives rainfall which covers the entire nation, yet we struggle to meet the demands of every citizen. Have you ever wondered why? Let me give you a simple example. Your body has numerous veins and arteries that carry blood to and from all the parts of the body. Have you ever thought what will happen if your veins or arteries get choked? You will collapse! That's exactly the scenario with India and its numerous rivers. The vital arteries which carry water through thousands of cities, villages and towns are getting choked. As a result we do not have enough of fresh water sources where we can fall back on even during the times of adequate rainfall. Be it the Ganga or Yamuna in the north or the Palar and Coovum in the south , rivers and water bodies are being brutally exploited. Encroachments along water bodies are cropping up by the day. We are sucking up our ground water at a massive rate. We are not bothered about tomorrow at all!
The youth play a major role in any step that this country takes and it is certainly in our hands to tackle this crisis. Here are a few steps that we could take:-
- Persist your mom or dad to change those leaking taps in the house or sacrifice a meal at McD or KFC to change them. After all, they are worth every penny that you spend on repairing / changing them.
- Avoid showering to the maximum extent possible. Using buckets to bathe could save anywhere between 5-6 liters everyday. That is the amount of water which a small town could probably use in a day!
There are a lot of things that you could do other than these two steps to save water. Raise an alarm to the authorities when you find the government's water tankers literally washing the road with their leaks tanks. Make sure sufficient water seeps into the ground during rain . If each one of ensures this happens around our houses, we could go a long way in enhancing the health of the ground water system.
Let's take a pledge to save water and most importantly, protect the water bodies. Let's reduce our talking and increase our actions! Because we believe that ONE CAN CHANGE!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The One Can Change Campaign- Lending Voice For A Better India!
This blog was almost dead but WonderWords wasn't . We have been loving every minute of our work in the content development/SEO industry for the last three years and ironically, we never felt the need to update this blog. However, today we need a voice, not to broadcast our business, but for a cause.
We live in India, a country that is shining on one side and is plagued by umpteen numbers of issues on the other.I need not tell you how cruel and inhumane our race is becoming. Forget crimes, for we not bothered about how we spend our precious resources either. Our race is growing at a rampant rate without thinking about tomorrow. If the media talks about these issues today, there will be some new scam / crime that makes the headlines tomorrow. It doesn't mean a lot to the media, but it does mean a lot to us, our lives and our future.
We Indians forgive and forget too easily. We strive for a change through street protests for a week or two and a few weeks later we are back to our own lives. We do not bother about the perennial eradication to these problems.We do not have the time and energy to care about eradicating the rot from our system once and for all.
We at WonderWords pledge to change the way things work. We've got to learn to stop complaining and start working. We aren't powerless, for every'ONE CAN CHANGE'. A change that will bring bliss to the future. Let's start acting before it is too late.
WonderWords is proud to launch it's ONE CAN CHANGE campaign. We will address every issue that needs a change or a revolution to make this country a better place to live. We shall cover each and every issue that is affecting our life. Bring it to our blog/ Facebook page and we'll make a strong community! Because each ONE CAN CHANGE.
Looking forward to your support, comments and posts!
ONE CAN CHANGE (OCC)
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