Book Review: The Tipping Point

In this brilliant book, Malcolm Gladwell explains and analysis the ‘tipping point’, that magic moment when ideas, trends, and social behavior cross a threshold, tip, and spread like wildfire. Taking a look behind the surface of many familiar occurrences in our everyday world. Gladwell explains the fascinating social dynamics that cause rapid change.

Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

Gladwell introduces us to the particular personality types who are natural pollinators of new ideas and trends, the people who create the phenomenon of word of mouth. He analyzes fashion trends, smoking, children television, direct mail, and the early days of the American Revolution for clues about making ideas infectious, and visits a religious commune, a successful high tech company and one of the world greatest salesmen to show how to start and sustain social epidemics.

There are three principles of social epidemics in the book: the law of the few, the stickiness factor and the power of context. The law of the few is roughly comparable to the 80/20 rule, that 20% of the people do 80% of the work. Gladwell attributes the success of social epidemics to the efforts to three types of individuals: connectors, mavens and salesmen. The Tipping point is a powerful and fascinating book that cuts across a variety of fields of interest. Within, Gladwell constructs and details ideas that change the way one perceive social trends one might not otherwise think to question.

The True Cost

The True Cost is a Documentary Movie by Andrew Morgan. This is a story about clothing. It’s about the clothes we wear, the people who make them and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. The True cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to consider, who really pays the price for our clothing?

It is filmed in countries all over the world, from the brightest runways to the darkest slums and featuring interviews with the world’s leading influencers including Stella McCartney, Livia Firth and Vandana Shiva. The True Cost is an unprecedented project that invites us on an eye opening journey around the world and into the lives of the many people and places behind our clothes.

The movie suggests another expose of corporate greed versus environment well-being. Andrew Morgan dives to the bottom of the supply chain, to the garment factories of Cambodia and Bangladesh and the cotton fields of India, where he links ecological and health calamities to zealous pesticide use. Garment workers subsisting on less than $3 a day recount beatings by bosses who resent unionization and request higher wages.

The film is sadly unlikely to affect the buying habits of consumers who have become addicted to low retail clothing prices in difficult financial times. But hopefully more films like the True Cost will mark the beginning of a movement and not just a brief, painful journey into a world we’d rather forget. If films like Super-Size Me and Fast Food Nation can begin to put a dent in the similarly harmful fast food industry, it’s certainly possible that this film will mark a step in the same direction for fast fashion.

Movie Review: Particle Fever

Particle Fever is a 2013 documentary film tracking the first round of experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva, Switzerland. The film follows the experimental physicists at CERN who run the experiments, as well as theoretical physicists who attempt to provide a conceptual framework for the LHC results. The film begins in 2008 with the first firing of the LHC and concludes in 2012 with the successful identification of the Higgs Boson.

The subject of the film is the Large Hadron Collider, a massive miles long particle accelerator designed to detect the Higgs boson by replicating, miniature, the Big Bang. It works by smashing together two high-energy proton beams aimed directly at each other. Comprised of liquid helium cooled magnets and complex microelectronics, the LHC is the world largest crash test Laboratory.

One doesn’t have to be a physicist or good at math, to enjoy the energy and thrill of discovery that radiates from the documentary “Particle Fever”. Mark Levinson, director of the film has taken a potentially daunting topic, the search for the elusive and highly significant Higgs Boson particle, also known as “God Particle” and turned it into a movie that not just accessible but fun, with a surprisingly emotional playoff at the end.

Real stars of the film are the half dozen physicists who tell the story of the search for the Higgs Boson, lending the tech talk real drama. They are led by David Kaplan, a theoretical physicist at John Hopkins University who acts as a kind of tour guide to the story and helps simplify a complex subject for a general audience, many of whom would never otherwise care about any of this. The pursuit of knowledge sake is science as purest. As Kaplan says, everyone looking for the Higgs particle always understood that the search could yield nothing, other than understanding everything.

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Book Review: Outliers – The Story of Success

When we try to understand success, we normally start with the wrong question. We ask ‘what is the person like or what is his background?’ Is he born with a silver spoon? What we should really be asking his ‘where are they from?’ The real secret of success turns out is surprisingly simple, and it hinges on a few crucial twists in people life stories, on the culture they grow up in and the way they spend their time.

Outlier: The story of Success is all about above Paragraph. Gladwell doesn’t discount the necessity of innate ability, and he points to hard work as a crucial factor for success in any endeavor. But he finds in these success stories that factors such as timing, circumstance, and crucial heritage play an off-overlooked yet critical role. This book is distributed in two parts: Opportunity and Legacy.

Outlier clearly answers why do some people achieve so much more than others? Can they lie so far outside the ordinary? What is the secret of their success? In this proactive and inspiring book, Malcolm Gladwell examines everyone from Business giants to scientific geniuses, sports stars to musicians, and reveals what they have in common. The facts in the book are very interesting and clearly indicate that the author did a deep research on everything.

Outlier offers an implicit message for companies as well. There is great competitive advantage for the organization recognizing that the work environment can nurture talent and also suppress it. The best companies will not only seek to provide their employees with enrichment but will also have the insight and courage to identify and recruit exceptional though neglected talent that could flourish under the right conditions.

He examines the causes of how Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates achieved his extreme wealth, how the Beatles became one of the most successful musical acts in human history, how cultural differences play a large part in perceived intelligence and rational decision making and many others. This book really will change the way one think about their life and it will challenge one to make the most of their own potential. 

Protect Information: The new Currency

A growing economy and a fast Internet population make India one of the most attractive targets of Cyber Criminals. In a digital world, Information is the new currency. In the past, many threats are done by hackers on companies to collect data or release data. Any loss or theft of information can lead to irreparable damage in terms of overall competitiveness.

In connected world, network now ends with the user device, which makes it more difficult to prevent theft of data intentional or unintentional. In a recent research, it points that India is the number one host country of Botnet related Malware, Sality Malware contributor and Ramnit Malware contributor globally. Malwares like Botnet, Ramnit, and Autorun are designed to hack into various devices to steal data, banking credentials, cookies and other vital information.

As India’s smartphone and Internet base rises, the number of Malware directed at Indian firms will continue to rise. Today, companies are still spending significant sums on security systems. Securing the data is the first priority for any company which was previously ignored. Cyber-attacks on business come from bugs in outdated software. Malware creators are quick to spot these opportunities and create Malware that scan unpatched operating systems.

On Mobile phones, Android is still the number one target. Recent attacks on Apple iCloud and Sony had cost them a huge price. Malware creators today are not only stealing data but they also make sure that the original user pays for the data he owns. Original user can get the data back if he pays for the decryption key. About 80 percent of top 10 Malware can be avoided by up to date software. Tools, which can automatically update software offer protection against threats.

With regular increase in Internet users and connectivity, it has become very important to secure information. As Information is the new currency in Digital World. Just as a strong immune system in human body can prevent most dangerous diseases in same way most deadly viruses and malware can be kept out of most networks.

Book Review: Jugaad Innovation

In India, the word “Jugaad” is something that we lived with it. It means finding an innovative solution to a problem arising out of very limited resources. Recently, I had finished reading “Jugaad Innovation” by Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu, and Simone Ahuja. For me, Jugaad is a creative improvisation, a medium to somehow find a solution based on a refusal to accept defeat and calling on quick thinking.

In Jugaad Innovation, authors challenge the status quo of traditional organizations in terms of how they think and act. The book outlines six principles of Jugaad: Seek Opportunity in adversity, do more with less, think and act flexibly, keep it simple, include the margin, and follow your heart. The book also argues about that West must look at countries like India, China, Brazil, for a new approach to frugal and flexible innovation.

The book begins with Simone meeting with Mansukh Prajapati who has designed a fridge that costs Rs 2500, is made out of clay and runs without electricity. This innovation has made it possible for even people in rural India have access to cool water and the option to store fruit and vegetables for three days. In India, such examples of human ingenuity are part of common folklore. I have seen carts fixed with diesel engines and people call them ‘Jugaads’.

The material in the book is thoroughly referenced and well structured. Each chapter begins with an inspirational quote and ends with takeaways, things to measure, things to do, and experiments to conduct. The concluding chapter ties all the material together. Innovation is driven by curiosity and creativity. It is an iterative process involving risk taking along with the risk assessment and mitigation.

Filled with engaging stories of resourceful Jugaad innovators and entrepreneurs in emerging markets and the United States, the book is a resourceful guide to help readers unlock the value of principles of Jugaad Innovation in enabling innovation. It is must read for Entrepreneurs. Overall, I loved the book and its examples of human creativity. It takes examples from developed and developing nations. Jugaad is practiced by almost all Indians in their daily lives to make the most of what they have. 

My Love for Cycling & My Mountain Bike

Albert Einstein once said, he thought of the theory of relativity while riding a bicycle. Cycling is third most popular recreational activity in the UK. About 3.1 Million people ride bicycle every month. I too love cycling since childhood and my new Mountain Bike “Rockrider 5.3”. There are many reasons that turn me on for cycling every time including its benefits.

Regular cycling can help one shed weight, regulate stress and improve fitness. It saves transport & fuel expenses. The best thing about cycling is that it is pollution free which is good for environment. According to a research by Illinois University researchers, cycling helps build brain cells in the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory, which keeps on deteriorating after the age of 30.

Cycling also beats illness and keeps doctor at bay. It is also helpful for Insomnia sufferers who can’t sleep at nights. Cycling helps in getting proper sleeps because it prevents the stress hormones and regenerate sleep. Regular cycling can protect skin against the harmful effects of UV radiation and reduce signs of ageing. It also helps in living longer because body becomes much more efficient to regenerate new cells.

Cycling also helps avoid obesity which means guilt free snacks at any party. It also helps me to get fitter and hence better at sports. Professionally, cycling also helps to maintain and create network with people. Last but not the least; twenty bicycles can be parked in the same space as one car. It takes around five percent of the materials and energy used to make a car than to build a bike and a bike produces zero pollution.

Cycling is an activity that involves the whole body. Therefore, arm-to-leg, feet-to-hands and body-to-eye coordination are improved. I love my bike because it has twenty seven gears, disc brakes and a light weight frame to pull. Apart from physical structure of bike I would like to add that cycling also builds leadership & strategy skills. Above image describes meaning of all parts of cycle. Gear part is engagement and chain is the feedback point.

So, one can’t easily measure the benefits of cycling on one’s life. Most of the times, people ask me “Why don’t you buy a motor bike in same price”, well the answer is simple, it will make me lazy and increase risks of accident. When I travel from one place to another in a city, my ultimate goal is to cover a distance, which can be done from cycling as well.

Book Review – The Google Story

Recently, I had finished reading The Google Story by David A. Wise. This is not a geek manual. There is enough technical information to keep the story moving without losing the reader in code waffle. Google was founded in 1998 and within a span of 17 years; it has become a world leader in internet. Founders Sergey and Larry started Google when they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University in computer science. They both had a crazy idea to download entire information available on the Internet.

There is a lot in the book about the culture of Google, which is compared to a university campus more often than a corporation. Most people works in teams of three to five maximum, and engineers are given 20% time, one day a week in which to work on stuff that’s interesting to them, regardless of its commercial viability. One of the colleagues even writes an equation to explain the whole phenomenon: “youth + freedom + transparency + new model + the general public’s benefit + belief in trust = The Miracle of Google”. The Google story seems to be the mission to prove that equation from first principles.

It is also a business story. For the business reader, it’s fascinating to learn how venture capital firms, still reeling from the post dot com collapse, approached the infant Google with great suspicion, but found the founders and their ideas irresistible. One lesson from the book – no matter how brilliant your science and engineering credentials, you need a business person to talk to the Wall Street and lead your company into the IPO.

It also answers a question that most of our daily users have asked to some point: how does Google makes any money? Vise sees Google as just like any other media corporation in that regard: Advertising. Again the Google Adwords model is described simply. It is a great story. It is a series of chapters that read like articles. There is a whole chapter on Google Chef, Issues in China, and competitive wars with Microsoft. The Google story is the living example of dedication and continued struggle of men who succeeded in achieving their magnificent goals.

Barriers & Panacea to Women Entrepreneurship

Women today play multiple economic roles in our society. They are consumers, farmers, labourers, teachers, bankers, innovators, scientists, pilots and astronauts. Many are self-employed while some are turning entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship provides the most powerful economically empowering avenue for the women, for the community and the nation. But according to a report, it is estimated that globally there are only roughly 9.34 Million women owned formal small and medium enterprise in over 140 assessed countries.

The above data is very small. So why there are so few women Entrepreneurs? In my opinion, the four main barriers to women becoming entrepreneurs are these. The first set of limiting factors is intrinsic i.e. within the self and family. Most educated women are turned to take up jobs; it is easy and lends the stability of a fixed salary. But with more women leaders coming to the forefront on corporate boards and as entrepreneurs, like Indira Nooyi, Chanda Kochar, and Kiran Majumdar Shaw hopefully all intrinsic pressures will slowly fade away.

The second set of problems is the most critical. These include lack of access to resources like credit, technology and markets. Lack of access to formal, easy, collateral free, and transparent financing for women start-ups is a major problem area. Women also lack access to latest technologies that could enable them to climb up the value chain. The third factor that is a hindrance is that women are not always equipped with adequate knowledge and skills to tap opportunities. They lack exposure to practical aspects of running a business.

The fourth issue is that of networking. Creating wide and sustainable network of women producers and consumers is essential to build and nurture women entrepreneurship. There are many corrective measures to increase women entrepreneurship in India. Increase the volume of women support systems like child care and family support. Enlarge upon development and capacity building processes for soft skills, technology and management skills.

Amplify mentoring and market linkage to support for women owned enterprises through networks like women entrepreneur associations. Simplify the external entrepreneurial ecosystem by enabling ease of doing business. Make simpler government schemes eligibility criteria, documentation and clearance mechanisms. Bring in smarter technology and better inter-departmental coordination to enable simpler, faster, transparent and effective service delivery for women start-ups.

Snow Trek Expedition to Laka

The best travel stories are the ones that teach you something along the road. Being a sports lover, the dream of my life is to experience most of the sports. I remember the cheerful times when I used to play hide n seek, carom, soccer, and now taking up adventure sports with nature. 2015 has been my ninth year to go for Adventurous Trips to North India. As Every year, this time also the place was new and exciting. I would like to thank the Youreka Team for making me a part of this wonderful expedition. This time I decided to do something daring and thus I went for a Snow Trekking expedition to Laka for a time period of 8 days.

Laka is situated on the base of Dhauladhar Mountain Range which is the highest peak of Himachal Pradesh. It is a beautiful valley surrounded by green trees, fresh air, snow, sense of peace, and with a height of 11000ft. This place is located above the Triund peak and one can see the beautiful range from the Triund base camp, which is above Mcleodganj near Dharamshala. I along with a group of 23 others completed this expedition successfully.

The Journey to this long expedition started from Delhi on Thursday night and the very next day we reached the beautiful campus in Dharamshala. After taking some rest and knowing some basic skills, next day we geared ourselves up to trek till Triund. A long trek of 1300m was athough challenging but the scenic beauty of the mighty mountains made it easier for us to do the challenge. We stayed there for a night and began to trek towards Laka the very next day which was our final destination. We reached Laka by Sunday afternoon and for the first time I had experienced Hailstorm in Mountains which was like no ordinary. The snowballs were as big as Ferrero Rochers. After pitching our tents there, we took some rest for sometime which was followed by collecting wood for the bonfire in the forest.

Next day, we began our day with learning some techniques of Snow Craft. As the session got over it again started raining and for the first time I experienced snowfall in the month of June. Temperature dipped below and nights up there were freezing cold. On Tuesday, we went to Lahesh Cave and spent an afternoon in the cave. The cave was surrounded by clouds that were at a height of 12500-13000ft which is one third the height of Mt. Everest. The following night was therefore very challenging because of the continuous rain and cold breeze that hit us. But we accepted the challenge with full courage and fearlessness.

On Wednesday, we trekked back to our campus in Dharamshala and after five days I finally took a refreshing and had a sound sleep on a mattress. I felt incredible and actually patted myself for the endurance I had shown. I got to know the importance of water, kerosene, natural resources, tissue paper, food, fire, wood, and many other resources. For the first time, I lived without any sort of gadgets and internet for five days that helped me explore that there is a much more beautiful world beyond these artificial things. Although, I felt the absence of Internet that connects to the world but its absence helped me explore the other world virtually. I want to keep this spirit of adventure alive in me for all my life. This helps me to be strong, blissful, fresh, and motivated and that helps me to lead a better life ahead.

I hope the next expedition is going to be more longer and challenging than this one!

Symbols of Women Power in India

The status of Women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. History of Women in India has been eventful. In Modern India, women have held high offices in India including that of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Olympic Medal winner, an Astronaut, and to the CEOs. Women have done India proud in Sports where they were not counted for much.

If Kalpana Chawla is the first Indian Women to move in Space than Saina Nehwal is the first Indian to win a Superseries Premier Title and an Olympic Medal. These are no means of achievements in a country where people do not see beyond cricket and the place considered dangerous for girl child by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations.

There may not have been any biopics made on the two champion women yet like the one on boxer M.C. Mary Kom, portrayed by Actress Priyanka Chopra, but there have been any number of outstanding Athletes who have inspired generations of individuals sportswomen. There was a time women outshone men. Take P.T. Usha, Shiny Abraham, Anju Bobby George in athletics or Karnam Malleswari and Kunjarani Devi in weightlifting.

I would love to watch a biopic movie on Kalpana Chawla, portrayed by Deepika Padukone. From political world to business world, Indian Women proved themselves as the top performer and a good manager. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is really an inspiration for entrepreneurs and society in India. At the age of 62, when most people retire, she is managing director and chairman of Biocon Limited.

Past two-three years, we have seen many campaigns on YouTube around the world for women rights. HeForShe campaign by UN Women, #VogueEmpower in India, No Ceilings by Hilary Rodham Clinton aimed at measuring the progress of Women’s rights. This is symptomatic of the deep malaise where the female child in India has her role defined very early in life and sports hardly features, essentially because the need for education itself is stymied. To become a nation of equality, it requires a large effort not only by government but by every individual of a nation.

It’s Time for “Apponomics”

Having an app is not a need now; e-commerce firms are actively pushing their consumers to their apps and encouraging them to buy through them with attractive discounts and sales. There was a time when sale was put on once or twice a year, but in present era it is every day and several hours sale. For a large percentage of Indians, the mobile phone is either the only or the primary gateway of the Internet.

Internet based companies and social media platforms are in race to acquire Mobile platforms companies. Mobile app also means less data usage and lower load on the server. Marketing cost on mobile app is lower than desktop. This year InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising company launched its first book, “Apponomics – The Insider Guide to a Billion dollar App Business.” This book is helpful for developers to turn their apps into a successful and sustainable global business.

The great benefit of e-commerce is one can click and buy. But there is a biggest challenge in Mobile app, one has to demonstrate to the people how wonderful the app is so they can download it in the first place and then show them how great the shopping experience could be over and over again. Between a Mobile app and Mobile website, mobile apps are faster and can provide a better customer experience.

There are crucial differences in the way mobile apps and mobile websites allow customers to navigate and experience the shopping journey. Although a mobile app functions a lot like a mobile website but it has certain functional and operational benefits over a mobile website. It gives businesses the advantage of having their own corner on a customer device. Because users have to download and install the app, businesses have more control over their presence on a device. For instance, a mobile app can be closed or inactive, but it still works in the background to send geotargeted push notifications and gather data about the customer preferences and behavior.

There are various considerations before making Mobile apps for a business. Cost of development is high and need to be developed and maintained separately for iOS and Android. It is possible to design Mobile apps for offline usage. Mobile apps provide high speed and rich user experience. In the end, Mobile is the primary source of traffic and conversions and it is becoming one. Products or service is sticky resulting in high percentage of repeat visitors and transactions and a loyal customer base makes the business case for apps very easy.

IPL: Super Bowl for Advertisers

Cricket is most watched game in India. It may be because of famous cricketers like Sachin, Kapil Dev, MS Dhoni and others or it is due to back to back cricketing action. Despite five months of regular cricket, the hype around the sport is far from waning. Advertiser’s interest in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is proof of this. There were many successful campaigns launched between these time periods including the most successful #MaukaMauka campaign in India. 

IPL tournament is similar to Super Bowl in US, the annual championship of the National Football League (NFL), which is known for Brands showcasing of their biggest campaigns of the season. There are some of the big spenders in on advertising in the popular cricketing league this year. Amazon India latest campaign and its biggest so far have managed to capture the attention of audiences with its catchy jingle and tag line: ‘aur dikhao’ (show more). The advertisement has been created by Orchard Advertising.

Hector Beverages Pvt. Ltd has rolled out its first television and multimedia campaign for its range of Indian ethnic beverages under the Paper Boat Brand. Vodafone India has chosen to lead its biggest campaign so far this year by highlighting the speed and efficiency of its 3G network. The mobile commerce firm Paytm continues with its advertising spree on television and other mediums. The company has said it is setting aside Rs 50 Crore just for this season of IPL out of total advertising budget this year.

The cola brand has taken to crowdsourcing for its latest campaign for IPL crash the Pepsi IPL. As part of the global Pepsi Challenge Program, the company is asking consumers to make a 30 second advertisement showing their love for brand. Winners will get exciting prizes. Snapdeal has roped in Hindi movie actor Aamir Khan for its latest campaign, with the tagline, ‘Dil ki Deal’. These advertisers are spending Crore in outreaching customers and compete with their competitors.

There are other advertisers who are not spending in TV ad but are spending in getting their names placed on Players jerseys and caps. Mankind, Rupa, Nokia, Aircel, Hero Honda, Royal Challenge, Videocon, UltraTech, WHSmith, Spice Jet, Just Dial are among the ones. In my opinion it is a tournament where advertisers are spending around 1000 crore this year. This is a good symbol for Indian Economy and other leagues in different sports will make companies to spend more money on advertisement.

Things to know about Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality has been in the news and on social media these days. Everyone in the world is talking about Net Neutrality. Some people are in support of it and some are not. The debate over net neutrality has now snowballed into a national movement and this is good news for a consumer. Here are few things to know about Net Neutrality.

A neutral internet is one in which all the websites are equally accessible on all internet connected devices. All of these should be accessible at the same speed and one should pay the same amount for said data regardless of the kind of content one is looking for. The fuss triggered by Airtel Zero which is a new platform created by telecom major which allows other corporations to pay, so that user get access to a particular service for free.

The TRAI has put up a consultation paper on regulatory framework for over the top services (OTT) on its website. It defines typical OTT services as Viber, Skype, Whatsapp, Chat On, Snapchat, Instagram, Hike, Line, e-commerce sites, videos and gaming sites. The telecom service providers aim to more closely watch and control these OTT services so that they can charge more or differential rates.

Telecom and Internet companies have spent huge sums of money on setting up infrastructure and that cost needs to be recouped. Their argument is that hugely profitable companies that provide OTT services have built massive profits by utilizing neutrality. All of these companies use internet pipe for free and in turn profit from millions of consumers. As an individual one must care for net neutrality.

If one don’t care or support net neutrality then in future one will face difficulty in accessing data on internet. There will be fast lanes and slow lanes of internet traffic. A company which pays more to an internet provider will come under fast lane. Access to information could be controlled online. E-commerce or other business sites can pay internet providers to block negative reviews sites. One might have to pay more and separate for different type of content online. As a whole one must support net neutrality and make these things to stop happening in future. After all, Internet can make India a trillion economy and there will be no living without Internet. 

Rural Connect is boon for Indian MNCs

Seven countries in Asia (India, China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Philippines) and three in Africa (Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia) collectively include about 2.2 Billion rural consumers out of more than 3.4 Billion rural consumers in the world and 3 Billion rural consumers in Asia and Africa. In India, more than 800 Million consumers live in rural markets and more than 150 Million rural migrants living in urban centres maintain links with their families, visiting them during festivals, weekends, and other occasions.

Rural Migrants living outside India are connected with their families through Skype and mobile phones. In BRIC countries Brazil and Russia are most urbanized with less than 15% and 26% of their population living in rural areas. Brazil is more urbanized than USA. USA urban population size is more than 80%. India and China are far away from USA. Now, it becomes very difficult for a company to grow in these markets. In India, progressive company grows by having an inclusive strategy that focuses on both on Urban and Rural consumers. It is in their DNA.

Consider HUL, although it is a European MNC but its DNA in India is rural along with Pakistan and Bangladesh. HUL caters need of more than 1 Billion rural consumers. Reaching Rural Consumer by “Missed Call” is the new thing adapted by companies in India. Even the Indian TV Industry is using Rural or semi-rural settings and stories to create successful TV serials. Many NGOs are helping rural people to connect them with urban areas and inclined them towards technology.

In my Opinion, the rural DNA of Indian MNCs is their biggest strategic asset that will be hard for any other country to match. They understand how to appeal to the aspirations of rural consumers amidst lack of infrastructure, economic and language diversity, and unorganized retail markets. Technology will drive Indian MNCs and rural consumers to connect with each other and make India a better country in the world.

New Government vision of 100 smart cities will turn out to be positive factor and Indian MNCs will grow more. Their strategy of connecting with people will shift more towards consumer aspirations and service, not to build awareness. To make a better future and country Round Robin work has to be done, and then only we will be counted as citizen of developed nation.