Wake Up: This is the time to act; not sulk, sympathize, and feel sad…

"What have done to deserve this?" Earlier I asked this question each time a terrorist attack happened in our country. Not any more.

This “war-on-Mumbai” was different. Watching this horror drama unfold on the television made me realize that this is a reality we Indians have to live with. Now no political party, no security agency can help us, unless we as responsible citizens keep our eyes and ears open, take responsibility of our own and our neighbors’ safety, and create a noisy momentum to make the political parties unite to prepare India to tackle such strikes and take “stern” action against terrorists.

Here are a couple of reasons why I feel this attack was different:
- For the first time, the attack happened not on masses but on “real people” (don’t get me wrong here). This was not some blast on a railway station where the terrorist and the victims remained faceless. This time around we exactly knew who was attacking and who was being attacked.
- For the first time the nation saw in real-time the helplessness of authorities around the entire process. It took several battalions of NSG men, police, SRPF, marine commandos three days to salvage the situation.
- The attacks happened on Indian soil but were targeted towards citizens of multiple countries.
- No political party could get any political mileage (I am so glad!). In fact this was the time when Mr. Raj Thakare’s Nav-Nirman-Sena was required to “save Mumbai,” for Mr Advani to mobilize and pacify the masses, for Mrs. Gandhi to make some “constructive” appeals to the nation. I wonder where they were through all this!

Here are my reflections from this “mayhem:”
- Gone are the days of unrestricted freedom for all citizens to walk freely in public places. From now on, there will (and should) be metal detectors at most public places (hotels, monuments, cinema houses, restaurants, etc.). And, we as citizens should take these “little” inconveniences in our stride.
- Unless political parties take concrete steps to ensure such things do not happen in future through increased security, institution building, enabling foreign policy, etc., they can forget coming to power in any state.
- People have had enough of this, and are clamoring for change. And, this voice-of-the-people will only get louder in future.
- We have to live with the uncertainty; this sword of terror will dangle over our heads at all times.

Wake up politicians, we do not want to see you visiting the war zone, we do not want to see you at the hospitals visiting the injured, we do not want to see you holding protests and "bandhs," and we certainly do not want to see any political mileage or finger-pointing happening post this terror strike. It is we as a nation (irrespective of our political beliefs, religious following, casts, etc.) that was attacked, and it should be “one” nation that responds to the situation.

U.S. Gets a New President -- Clean Energy Has a New Hope!

The "most powerful" country in the world has a new president. And, this seems to be good news for clean energy lovers. Under President-elect Barack Obama, the fossil fuels industry may face "dark days ahead," while alternative energy sectors are likely to flourish.

Obama's lynchpin policy is a climate change bill that would cap emissions such as carbon dioxide and auction greenhouse gas credits to encourage a fundamental transition away from high emitting industries to low-carbon alternatives. As part of that policy shift, renewable energy, natural gas, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and advanced electricity transmission are forecast to receive a major boost. Senator Obama has proposed using $150 billion from the emissions auction to fund such low-carbon alternatives over the next decade.

Obama administration energy and environment policy marks a tectonic shift for the nation. He plans to move the U.S. away from petroleum as its primary energy source and towards renewable energy, advanced biofuels, efficiency and low greenhouse-gas-emitting technologies. And the effect is likely to “rub off” to the entire world.

From N-pariah to N-power…

Great news for the energy sector!

India finally has entered the “much coveted” nuclear club. Despite China’s efforts to scuttle the NSG clearance process, we pulled it through. Congratulations “Mr Singh and company!”

Being of the opinion that we need the nuclear deal to come through (hopefully the US Congress will oblige!) – not only for energy but also for international strategic geo-political reasons – I feel, at the very least, the development results in the following three fall outs:
- it allows the flow of nuclear fuel, helping the country's nuclear programme grow faster
- it will open up trade for global players to export reactors to India
- it will open up opportunities for export by Indian companies

Owing to India's nuclear isolation since 1998, capacity utilisation of approx. 4,000 MW power plants had come down from 90 per cent in 2001-02 to 54 per cent in 2007-08. The existing and new plants can now hopefully work at a load factor of up to 80 per cent given the assurance of fuel supplies.

With the market estimated at Rs 1,000 billion over the next two decades (Rs 60-80 million per MW x 16,000 MW estimated potential capacity) four of the world's biggest nuclear power station makers will be keen to supply reactors to India. These are France's Areva, US's General Electric, Toshiba's Westinghouse Electric and Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom.

The development may also result in incremental business of some of the Indian companies that have already announced their intention to enter/expand in the nuclear technology arena. These include L&T, Reliance Power, state-owned NTPC, Jindal Power and the Tata Group.

My second innings at IIM-A starts tomorrow!

Two terms down, two more academic terms to go.

Am I tired? I do not know!

This seems like one long, yet interesting journey. Have found some great friends here at IIM-A, interacted with some very bright folks, learnt some management “gyan,” but above all have finally come to terms with what I want to do post this sabbatical. Past one week was great since I found some time to introspect and evaluate where I am and where I really want to go from here (well quite literally as well!).

I am looking forward to the next term starting tomorrow – not for any academic advancement, but for joy that the next two months may bring in my personal life.

For now, it is back to reading cases for tomorrow. Bring it on…..

It is raining……cases!

Monsoon is here.

Outside (our syndicate) it is raining water, and inside it is raining cases, assignments, and suggested readings! (f.y.i. syndicate is a study den allotted to each PGPX group; these essentially become PGPXers' "second home" as participants typically end up spending more than 8 hours in these study dens each day after classes preparing for next day’s lectures).

As Ahmedabad enjoys its first monsoon rain, our group is stuck with a retail case, an inventory management case, and a 20+ page corporate finance reading. In such “romantic” weather just outside the window, our D-Company (incidentally this is what we call our Group D) is discussing inventory strategy for part #4915082 in some nondescript trading house.

Who says life is fair?