You can contact me for detailed explanation of themes: kaustavsengupta@yahoo.com www.kaustavsengupta.com
Showing posts with label indian youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indian youth. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
youth macro trend direction themes @India
You can contact me for detailed explanation of themes: kaustavsengupta@yahoo.com www.kaustavsengupta.com
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The generation biasness and perception of being “lonely”
The survey commissioned by Yours magazine (the study included people aged between 18 and 80) stated that over a third of people spend more time chatting online than going out with friends. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they found it difficult to make friends 'in real life' compared with online and a similar number (69 per cent) said they believe that Britain is an unfriendly place to live. Youngsters are turning 'skin hungry' as networking online leaves them feeling as lonely as the elderly, a study has found. Having an average of 243 Facebook friends, teenagers are spending so much time on the internet that they have little time to move out with friends. This report was widely published in india (covered by The Hindu. Deccan Chronicle, Asian Age etc.) and as usual the “gray hairs” (midnight’s children, as named by Sashi Tharoor) enjoyed it as the “declining social behaviour” of youth in India.
The online- offline war has reached in a level where we tend to feel a perverted fulfilment by proving the “online” behaviour is actually making us “unsocial”. We decline to accept that online is also a parallel society which has its own benefit and system. The online life of youth is grooming them well into various fields; right from personal styling, learning English / communication skills, presentation skills and knowledge. At SNS like facebook or blogs, the GEN next learns the skill to write on the wall, pursue the opposite sex into friendship (online), share knowledge, build community, be fashionable (and load photos in the album), learn new skills (through the how to videos) etc. Even, the online activity makes an introvert more of a “smart kid”. This boosts the confidence level of an individual.
The parallel society is not only relevant when one wants to widen his/ her friendship circle without being pestered much about the security factor of adding an “unknown” but also the knowledge sharing possibilities are immense.
Today, the youth are omnipresent in both the societies (online , offline). They are aware of what best they can get from both. Otherwise, the overwhelming crowd in malls, parks, pubs and concerts will not consist of 80% population below 30. Neither they are "isolated" from their peergroup nor they feels lonely. It's the other generation who makes them feel lonely and insist them to accept it! The report quoted the so called relationship expert Julie Peasgood who says "instead of breaking down society's barriers, technology has made us more isolated and it is affecting young people". Its totally opposit to what the youth thinks about their social presence, online. The offline society no more attaracts them cause they are too limited in knowledge and domintae by the other two generations in India.
The places to hangout might have changed but the mentality to hangout remains same and the physical presence should not be considered as the only factor of being “social”!
The online- offline war has reached in a level where we tend to feel a perverted fulfilment by proving the “online” behaviour is actually making us “unsocial”. We decline to accept that online is also a parallel society which has its own benefit and system. The online life of youth is grooming them well into various fields; right from personal styling, learning English / communication skills, presentation skills and knowledge. At SNS like facebook or blogs, the GEN next learns the skill to write on the wall, pursue the opposite sex into friendship (online), share knowledge, build community, be fashionable (and load photos in the album), learn new skills (through the how to videos) etc. Even, the online activity makes an introvert more of a “smart kid”. This boosts the confidence level of an individual.
The parallel society is not only relevant when one wants to widen his/ her friendship circle without being pestered much about the security factor of adding an “unknown” but also the knowledge sharing possibilities are immense.
Today, the youth are omnipresent in both the societies (online , offline). They are aware of what best they can get from both. Otherwise, the overwhelming crowd in malls, parks, pubs and concerts will not consist of 80% population below 30. Neither they are "isolated" from their peergroup nor they feels lonely. It's the other generation who makes them feel lonely and insist them to accept it! The report quoted the so called relationship expert Julie Peasgood who says "instead of breaking down society's barriers, technology has made us more isolated and it is affecting young people". Its totally opposit to what the youth thinks about their social presence, online. The offline society no more attaracts them cause they are too limited in knowledge and domintae by the other two generations in India.
The places to hangout might have changed but the mentality to hangout remains same and the physical presence should not be considered as the only factor of being “social”!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The human ATM
The geographic and economic constrains of this subcontinent are bringing professional opportunities to many young aspirants!
Swati Yashwant, a 29-year-old mother of one, is part of a growing legion of roving tellers (human ATM) intent on providing bank accounts to the nearly 50 percent of India’s 300 million households that do not have them. Using a laptop computer, wireless modem and fingerprint scanner, Ms. Yashwant opens accounts, takes deposits and processes money transfers for farmers and migrant workers in this small town 70 miles south of Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
To reduce the risk of robbery or theft, no transaction by law may exceed 10,000 rupees (about $212). And in practice, many amount to no more than a dollar or two. But with the bulk of India’s population living in villages that have never had a bank branch, Ms. Yashwant, with her electronic devices, is a missionary of financial modernity.
Many Indians “don’t know anything about banking,” she said in her small office here, which is decorated with a garlanded picture of Ganesh, the Hindu god believed to remove obstacles. “I want to open their accounts and help them understand banking.”
Economists and policy makers say mobile agents like Ms. Yashwant represent one of the most promising ways to help the rural poor save and protect their money. Many people in India who do not have bank accounts, for instance, buy gold necklaces or simply keep cash in their unlocked homes.
“This is something that could be powerful,” said Abhijit V. Banerjee, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who wrote “Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” with Esther Duflo.
The banking agents enable the poor to easily save money they otherwise might be tempted to spend, Mr. Banerjee said. And when times are lean, people could withdraw money they had saved, instead of borrowing cash at high rates of interest. The accounts earn currently earn 4 percent annual interest, which is standard for savings accounts in India. There are no maintenance fees or charges for deposits or withdrawals. “It’s true that this will not make them rich,” Mr. Banerjee said, “but it will make them less likely to face starvation someday.” Ms. Yashwant is one of an estimated 60,000 of what Indian bankers call “business correspondents,” who are not bank employees but earn commissions that the banks pay them for each transaction.
The Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank, began the push for banking correspondents about five years ago. After slow initial growth, the central bank predicts the ranks of correspondents will more than double, to 126,000, by March. The Reserve Bank has ordered commercial banks to set up correspondents in every village with more than 2,000 people and has assigned each of those villages to one bank or another.
For India’s banks, it is a relatively inexpensive way to recruit customers. While about 70 percent of India’s population is dispersed among more than 600,000 villages, the entire country has only 33,500 bank branches. Correspondents like Ms. Yashwant have set up 74 million bank accounts in India.
“If you used the traditional high-cost banking system, you will never reach these people,” said Jayant Sinha, who is managing director of the India office of Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm set up by Pierre M. Omidyar, the founder of eBay.
Ms. Yashwant has been a correspondent in Kolad for four months, for State Bank, India’s biggest bank. The $200 or so she earns in an average month is a good wage in rural India, where the average monthly income is only about $65.
Traveling by bus or rickshaw to villages around her town to recruit customers, Ms. Yashwant meets a variety of challenges. In some remote villages her wireless Internet connection fades in and out. Frequent blackouts disrupt the work. And the fingerprint scanner can struggle to read the calloused fingers of farm laborers.
On a recent rain-soaked afternoon, in her Kolad office, she patiently persevered to take a print from Rajashri Nakati, a 35-year-old farmhand. “I want to save my money,” said Ms. Nakati, a mother of five. “If I leave it at home, it will get spent.”
Ms. Yashwant dragged Ms. Nakati’s rough fingers over her scanner several times, sighing as her laptop beeped when the scan did not render an acceptable imprint. She repeated the exercise with six fingers, three on each hand, as a gaggle of women, friends and relatives of Ms. Nakati, dressed in brightly colored saris watched through a window.
Finally, Ms. Yashwant captured a print. That scan, with a simple one-page application and a passport-size photo of Ms. Nakati, would next go to the bank’s back office. It would take two days before the account was ready for Ms. Nakati’s first deposit of 100 rupees (about $2).
Such banking represents the kind of “frugal innovation” that India has become known for in recent years — finding inexpensive solutions to its development challenges.
State Bank is also buying hundreds of solar-powered A.T.M.’s that have fingerprint scanners and do not need air-conditioning at temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) from an Indian company called Vortex Engineering. The machines are being placed in small towns, and, for now, are meant for customers who open regular bank accounts, not the no-frills accounts set up by the roving correspondents, which do not come with A.T.M. cards.
Because of the small sums involved, State Bank says it loses money on most of the accounts opened by correspondents. The balances in those accounts total 1.1 billion rupees ($21.8 million), not even a rounding error relative to State Bank’s total deposits of about $200 billion.
Still, officials said that while the average account balance was only 160 rupees ($3.30) at the end of August, it has increased steadily. As recently as March, the average balance was just 100 rupees. Over time, State Bank officials say, they expect the accounts to be large enough to be worth the bank’s investment. “Right now, it’s more of a social obligation,” Krishna Kumar, a managing director at State Bank, said in his wood-paneled 18th-floor office in Mumbai. “But in a few years, it will be significant.”
Swati Yashwant, a 29-year-old mother of one, is part of a growing legion of roving tellers (human ATM) intent on providing bank accounts to the nearly 50 percent of India’s 300 million households that do not have them. Using a laptop computer, wireless modem and fingerprint scanner, Ms. Yashwant opens accounts, takes deposits and processes money transfers for farmers and migrant workers in this small town 70 miles south of Mumbai, India’s financial capital.
To reduce the risk of robbery or theft, no transaction by law may exceed 10,000 rupees (about $212). And in practice, many amount to no more than a dollar or two. But with the bulk of India’s population living in villages that have never had a bank branch, Ms. Yashwant, with her electronic devices, is a missionary of financial modernity.
Many Indians “don’t know anything about banking,” she said in her small office here, which is decorated with a garlanded picture of Ganesh, the Hindu god believed to remove obstacles. “I want to open their accounts and help them understand banking.”
Economists and policy makers say mobile agents like Ms. Yashwant represent one of the most promising ways to help the rural poor save and protect their money. Many people in India who do not have bank accounts, for instance, buy gold necklaces or simply keep cash in their unlocked homes.
“This is something that could be powerful,” said Abhijit V. Banerjee, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who wrote “Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty” with Esther Duflo.
The banking agents enable the poor to easily save money they otherwise might be tempted to spend, Mr. Banerjee said. And when times are lean, people could withdraw money they had saved, instead of borrowing cash at high rates of interest. The accounts earn currently earn 4 percent annual interest, which is standard for savings accounts in India. There are no maintenance fees or charges for deposits or withdrawals. “It’s true that this will not make them rich,” Mr. Banerjee said, “but it will make them less likely to face starvation someday.” Ms. Yashwant is one of an estimated 60,000 of what Indian bankers call “business correspondents,” who are not bank employees but earn commissions that the banks pay them for each transaction.
The Reserve Bank of India, the country’s central bank, began the push for banking correspondents about five years ago. After slow initial growth, the central bank predicts the ranks of correspondents will more than double, to 126,000, by March. The Reserve Bank has ordered commercial banks to set up correspondents in every village with more than 2,000 people and has assigned each of those villages to one bank or another.
For India’s banks, it is a relatively inexpensive way to recruit customers. While about 70 percent of India’s population is dispersed among more than 600,000 villages, the entire country has only 33,500 bank branches. Correspondents like Ms. Yashwant have set up 74 million bank accounts in India.
“If you used the traditional high-cost banking system, you will never reach these people,” said Jayant Sinha, who is managing director of the India office of Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm set up by Pierre M. Omidyar, the founder of eBay.
Ms. Yashwant has been a correspondent in Kolad for four months, for State Bank, India’s biggest bank. The $200 or so she earns in an average month is a good wage in rural India, where the average monthly income is only about $65.
Traveling by bus or rickshaw to villages around her town to recruit customers, Ms. Yashwant meets a variety of challenges. In some remote villages her wireless Internet connection fades in and out. Frequent blackouts disrupt the work. And the fingerprint scanner can struggle to read the calloused fingers of farm laborers.
On a recent rain-soaked afternoon, in her Kolad office, she patiently persevered to take a print from Rajashri Nakati, a 35-year-old farmhand. “I want to save my money,” said Ms. Nakati, a mother of five. “If I leave it at home, it will get spent.”
Ms. Yashwant dragged Ms. Nakati’s rough fingers over her scanner several times, sighing as her laptop beeped when the scan did not render an acceptable imprint. She repeated the exercise with six fingers, three on each hand, as a gaggle of women, friends and relatives of Ms. Nakati, dressed in brightly colored saris watched through a window.
Finally, Ms. Yashwant captured a print. That scan, with a simple one-page application and a passport-size photo of Ms. Nakati, would next go to the bank’s back office. It would take two days before the account was ready for Ms. Nakati’s first deposit of 100 rupees (about $2).
Such banking represents the kind of “frugal innovation” that India has become known for in recent years — finding inexpensive solutions to its development challenges.
State Bank is also buying hundreds of solar-powered A.T.M.’s that have fingerprint scanners and do not need air-conditioning at temperatures as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) from an Indian company called Vortex Engineering. The machines are being placed in small towns, and, for now, are meant for customers who open regular bank accounts, not the no-frills accounts set up by the roving correspondents, which do not come with A.T.M. cards.
Because of the small sums involved, State Bank says it loses money on most of the accounts opened by correspondents. The balances in those accounts total 1.1 billion rupees ($21.8 million), not even a rounding error relative to State Bank’s total deposits of about $200 billion.
Still, officials said that while the average account balance was only 160 rupees ($3.30) at the end of August, it has increased steadily. As recently as March, the average balance was just 100 rupees. Over time, State Bank officials say, they expect the accounts to be large enough to be worth the bank’s investment. “Right now, it’s more of a social obligation,” Krishna Kumar, a managing director at State Bank, said in his wood-paneled 18th-floor office in Mumbai. “But in a few years, it will be significant.”
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Social Changemakers: meterpodu- crowdsourced local problem-solution
The local problems are getting addressed by the new breed of young experts through their knowledge and experience. The "social good" is prevalent in various efforts like the one mentioned below:
Most visitors find two very good reasons to hate Chennai within minutes of landing in the city. One, the weather. Two, the auto drivers. Nothing can be done about the first one. And nothing has been done to address the second reason - auto drivers who compulsively fleece passengers.
Here's a fact: fare meters in Chennai autos have just ornamental value; they aren't used. For the same distance by auto, Chennai would be comparatively far more costlier to any other city in India. The fare for each trip is decided in advance - the result of hard and tiring negotiations between the parties. This has been the case for decades, and yet absolutely nothing has been done by the administration. Of course, the story circulating for years is that it's the policemen who own most of the autos plying the city.
So Chennai-ites have often been left to wonder why on earth, for example, does the auto driver in Kerala not take a paise more from his passenger than what the meter indicates. There's always anger in Chennai on this point - arguably not good enough to translate into votes. That's why a Mirinda ad, in which actor Asin gives it back to an unruly auto driver, was so well received. In fact, someone I know even wrote to the State Government suggesting that it take over the auto service in the State. And, why not, when the Government seems to believe it is its duty to provide everything from rice to laptops free. It is thus hardly surprising that a recent initiative called meterpodu (or put the meter) has created some buzz. Its creators, Anantha Subramanian and Mayur Narasimhan, both of whom have worked in the US, came back home to the shocking auto scene and decided to do something about it. The Website meterpodu.in is the result. It works on a crowdsourcing model - users of its info also add to its info base.
So, for instance, you log in to the site (or use sms) to find out the likely charge between two points in the city. The meterpodu model then digs into its database (contributed by other users) for an answer. You now are better equipped to bargain. There ends your problem. But the meterpodu team wouldn't like you to stop there - ideally, they would like you to feed the fare you paid for the trip so that the database becomes better. That's how crowdsourcing could be a success.
Here's the interesting point. Despite what the name suggests, meterpodu wouldn't make auto drivers adhere to the meter. It would only ensure the user is aware of the going rate - still the product of hard and tiring negotiations. So even a visitor would be aware of that going rate, wherever he wants to travel.
That would be the state unless the administration wakes up to the problem of the ornamental meter. For the time being, this seems a solution which the auto drivers won't find unacceptable. Because, it's unlikely that the database gets weighed down by rates that are near what the meter would prescribe.
Both Anantha and Mayur have no plans to gain monetarily from this exercise. So, its success would depend entirely on users voluntarily coming forward to do their bit to limit fleecing. Like all crowdsourcing projects, it also runs the risk of finding it tough to motivate participation from users. For the time being, though, meterpodu is an indication that at least someone is thinking about the problem!
Check this initiative here: http://www.meterpodu.in/
Monday, February 27, 2012
The global consumer trends and influential local trends among youth in India
Below are few pivotal macro trends that are emerging in the global consumer scenario:
1. Personalization and interactivity: the consumers are demanding more personalized products that will have a story to tell and will be capable of “interacting” with the user in a smarter manner. The “mute” products with no relevant stories to be connected are appearing as “dead” products to display one’s association. Right from the Levi’s “custom fitted” denim to the Gucci bag “for a cause” (where the money donated for the betterment of AIDs patients in Africa) has their own stories to tell and carry over. Even in the luxury watch segment, the customized watches with personal touch (ie. Writing one’s most memorable incident in the dial, a miniature tattoo at the back or the number of diamonds equal to the age of the consumer) are in demand.
2. Environment friendly, organic, recyclable or ethical: with the growing awareness of global warming, ozone layer destruction and carbon credits, the global consumers are looking for products that will enable them to exhibit their belonging to the cause. The survey also suggests that the consumers are willing to pay more if the products are eco-friendly, recyclable or ethically produced. The organic shapes are becoming predominant in product design.
3. Multi functional: Consumers are looking for products that will have multi functionality. A mobile that can also function as a computer and a TV, a laptop that will also be a data warehouse, mobile office, TV etc. or a jewel that can be worn at multiple occasions with equal relevance and adorning various body parts.
4. Globally local: the local products with global essence are in vogue. Right from the discovery of long lost jewellery craft skills to the herbal local medicines the consumers are becoming conscious (and proud) about their local heritage and craftsmanship.
The Indian young consumers will look for three distinct yet interconnected product directions: the affordable affluence, cultural & social connectivity and power prominence.
An affordable product that doesn’t “appear” affordable will be in trend. The retailers must carefully choose the promotional mode so that the products doesn’t overtly exhibit the essence of being affordable or otherwise the product fate can be similar to the “people’s car” Nano! Today the consumers don’t like the fact that the products will loudly speak their “cheapness” thus demeaning the economic status of the user.
Consumers will love to reconnect with the glorious past and redefined heritage with eagerness to contribute to social cause. The Corporate Social Responsibility will also emerge as a defining factor of the product. Protecting the heritage will fuse with CRM. The pseudo luxury of acquiring the gold / diamond will move to real luxury of philanthropic activities.
The Power of womanhood has to reflect in the product. The retro trends of 80’s “power women” will be back with extravaganza. The designs should suit the varied role of young women in contemporary social environment.
The recently published Juxt Indian Women 2011 study report (in the Marketing Whitebook 2011-2012) states that the order of priorities for Indian women in different strata has been changed from the previously perceived one. The highest priority in life is money (76%) which comes above family (35%) and taking care of children (15%)! The romantic relationship (2%) and spiritual experience (1%) is at the bottom of the list. One must be wondering of why the money is in the top of priority list and what the ladies will do with this money? Will not they be tempted to flaunt their newly acquired economic power? Will not they be taking their own decisions without depending on their counterparts? Will not they love to “wear” their power rather than appearing as a decorated (by the family members) docile housewife? The luxury and fashion is an essential tool to exhibit one’s monitory power so that she can access the desired social status denied till date. In the slow economy scenario, fashion is also an essential trait to exhibit that one is far ahead of the “have not” / grassroots (who will presumably suffer in economic downfall). As the Valblen’s theory of Conspicuous Consumption states, the over consumption is one method to show that one is “having power to consume”. The new Indian women in corporate and political arena are proving that they can play the pivotal role when it comes to appear “strong yet emotional” and they can also camouflage well within the social norms. The latest directional trends towards men’s checks and prints being introduced among female shirts, the broad shouldered suits, the stilettos and the “manly” BlackBerry mobile
Monday, February 13, 2012
Indians are among the happiest!
Notwithstanding the economic woes and conflicts, the world is a happier place now than what it was in 2007 and Indians are among the happiest on this planet, says a survey.
According to a poll conducted by global research company Ipsos, despite woes, conflicts, world a happier place than in 2007 as 22 per cent (up 2 points) of global citizens say they are "very happy" and the happiest people reside in Indonesia, India and Mexico.While eight in 10 (77 per cent) citizens in 24 countries surveyed said they are 'happy' in their lives, one quarter (22 per cent) said they are 'very happy' ? a key measure that identifies comparative depth and intensity of happiness among country citizens and the world, the report said.On a national level, Indonesia has the highest proportion of happiest people with 51 per cent citizens reporting they are 'very happy' followed by India and Mexico (43 per cent) each.Brazil and Turkey shared the third position, where 30 per cent of citizens expressed their contentment, followed by Australia and the United States each at 28 per cent.On the other end, Hungary (6 per cent), South Korea (7 per cent) and Russia (8 per cent) have the lowest number of 'very happy' people, followed by Spain (11 per cent) and Italy (13 per cent).Regionally, Latin America has the greatest proportion of 'very happy' people (32 per cent), followed by North America (27 per cent).Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa shared the third place with 24 per cent of 'very happy' people.Not surprisingly, it is citizens in Europe who drag the global average assessment of happiness downward as only one in six (15 per cent) say they are 'very happy'.The poll of 18,687 adults conducted from November 1 to 15 2011 also demonstrates that those who are married appear to be the happiest when compared to all other groups, especially those who are not married. Besides marriage, age and socio-economic factor also played an important role for determining the level of contentment among people.Those who are under the age of 35 are more likely to say thet are 'very happy' than those who are in the age bracket of 35-49 across all countries surveyed, meanwhile, those with a high education and those with a high household income are among those most likely to be 'very happy'.The greatest improvements were found in Turkey (up 16 points since 2007) followed by Mexico (up 10 points), Australia (up 7 points), Japan (up 6 points) and India and Canada (each up 5 points).Of the 24 countries measured, 9 countries experienced increases in happiness intensity compared with 13 that dropped and two countries with no change.Those countries experiencing the greatest drop in happiness intensity were Brazil (down 9 points) followed by Indonesia (down 7 points), Russia (down 6 points) and South Africa (down 5 points).
According to a poll conducted by global research company Ipsos, despite woes, conflicts, world a happier place than in 2007 as 22 per cent (up 2 points) of global citizens say they are "very happy" and the happiest people reside in Indonesia, India and Mexico.While eight in 10 (77 per cent) citizens in 24 countries surveyed said they are 'happy' in their lives, one quarter (22 per cent) said they are 'very happy' ? a key measure that identifies comparative depth and intensity of happiness among country citizens and the world, the report said.On a national level, Indonesia has the highest proportion of happiest people with 51 per cent citizens reporting they are 'very happy' followed by India and Mexico (43 per cent) each.Brazil and Turkey shared the third position, where 30 per cent of citizens expressed their contentment, followed by Australia and the United States each at 28 per cent.On the other end, Hungary (6 per cent), South Korea (7 per cent) and Russia (8 per cent) have the lowest number of 'very happy' people, followed by Spain (11 per cent) and Italy (13 per cent).Regionally, Latin America has the greatest proportion of 'very happy' people (32 per cent), followed by North America (27 per cent).Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and Africa shared the third place with 24 per cent of 'very happy' people.Not surprisingly, it is citizens in Europe who drag the global average assessment of happiness downward as only one in six (15 per cent) say they are 'very happy'.The poll of 18,687 adults conducted from November 1 to 15 2011 also demonstrates that those who are married appear to be the happiest when compared to all other groups, especially those who are not married. Besides marriage, age and socio-economic factor also played an important role for determining the level of contentment among people.Those who are under the age of 35 are more likely to say thet are 'very happy' than those who are in the age bracket of 35-49 across all countries surveyed, meanwhile, those with a high education and those with a high household income are among those most likely to be 'very happy'.The greatest improvements were found in Turkey (up 16 points since 2007) followed by Mexico (up 10 points), Australia (up 7 points), Japan (up 6 points) and India and Canada (each up 5 points).Of the 24 countries measured, 9 countries experienced increases in happiness intensity compared with 13 that dropped and two countries with no change.Those countries experiencing the greatest drop in happiness intensity were Brazil (down 9 points) followed by Indonesia (down 7 points), Russia (down 6 points) and South Africa (down 5 points).
Thursday, December 29, 2011
India- Ahead 2012
More than 35% of our population is below the age of 20. By the end of 2020, it is expected that 325 million Indian will reach working age, which will be the largest in the world.This will come at a time when the rest of the developed world will be faced with an aging population. It is estimated that by 2020, US will be short of 17 million people of working age, China by 10 million, Japan by 9 million and Russia by 6 million. At the same time, India will have a surplus of 47 million working people. Even when compared to developing countries, Brazil’s working population is set to grow by 12%, China’s by 1%, Russia’s will decline by 18%, while ours will grow by 30%. This is the reason Goldman Sachs predicted that only India can maintain a 5% growth rate until 2050.
With a huge working population will also come a huge consumption boom, as it has happened in China. China accounts for 20% of world’s consumption of aluminum, 35% of the global demand of steel and coal, and 45% of the worldwide cement purchase. The challenge for India will not only be economic growth, but also make it sustainable and bearable for the environment.
But keeping everything in mind, India will become the biggest consumers in the world, that means right from education to FMCGs the demand will cross countries like USA (already a saturated and deteriorating market) and UK.
Before the FDI policy opens in India, the Foreign investors should look at these opportunities and establish their brand, long ahead the demand reaches to the peak. Unlike China, India has its own consumption pattern which is influenced with the strong ethnic root as well as colonial rules.
The brands/ retailers / companies should consider a serious consumer research before venturing into this subcontinent otherwise they will face constrains and lagged growth.
With a huge working population will also come a huge consumption boom, as it has happened in China. China accounts for 20% of world’s consumption of aluminum, 35% of the global demand of steel and coal, and 45% of the worldwide cement purchase. The challenge for India will not only be economic growth, but also make it sustainable and bearable for the environment.
But keeping everything in mind, India will become the biggest consumers in the world, that means right from education to FMCGs the demand will cross countries like USA (already a saturated and deteriorating market) and UK.
Before the FDI policy opens in India, the Foreign investors should look at these opportunities and establish their brand, long ahead the demand reaches to the peak. Unlike China, India has its own consumption pattern which is influenced with the strong ethnic root as well as colonial rules.
The brands/ retailers / companies should consider a serious consumer research before venturing into this subcontinent otherwise they will face constrains and lagged growth.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Indian teenagers losing sleep over excess use of tech: study
Teenagers spend maximum time on gadgets such as computers, video games and cell phones, which causes sleep deprivation, resulting into health problems like obesity and depression, a study has said.
These days children spend over eight hours a day playing video games, browsing Internet, sending SMSes and watching TV, an Assocham study said.
“Easy access to technology with lack of parental supervision is the main reason for increasing technology addiction among youths. Activities like watching TV and chatting online have greatly reduced teenagers' sleeping time,” it said.
The chamber surveyed 2,500 youths (both males and females) in 10 major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune.
The study said majority of youngsters, mainly in the age group of 10-18 years, are getting less than eight hours of sleep.
“Children of working parents are found to be more technology addictive in the absence of parental supervision as compared to those whose single-parent is engaged in employment,” it said.
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/article2747496.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home
These days children spend over eight hours a day playing video games, browsing Internet, sending SMSes and watching TV, an Assocham study said.
“Easy access to technology with lack of parental supervision is the main reason for increasing technology addiction among youths. Activities like watching TV and chatting online have greatly reduced teenagers' sleeping time,” it said.
The chamber surveyed 2,500 youths (both males and females) in 10 major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune.
The study said majority of youngsters, mainly in the age group of 10-18 years, are getting less than eight hours of sleep.
“Children of working parents are found to be more technology addictive in the absence of parental supervision as compared to those whose single-parent is engaged in employment,” it said.
Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/article2747496.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home
Thursday, December 22, 2011
the viral music video and internet swarming : Kolaveri di
In a multilingual country like India, its not easy to break the social and semiotic barrier to become viral. For long, the north south division of language and culture made a huge barricade on promoting local-lingo influenced videos across Bindha mountain (a mountain which is in the middle of Indian subcontinent). Various reasons can be cited for this. The pronunciation of southern languages are very different than the north as well as the meaning and expression of the words. Interestingly, the "Kolaveri di" broke this barrier smoothly and became instant hit among the younger population in India. The words in this song are simple, easy to pronounce and emotional (the love-break-hate is very catchy theme among youth). The singer used Tanglish (quirky mix of Tamil and English) which is very popular way of communication (bengali+english, Hindi+english, punjabi+tamil etc.)among the youth (read my earlier posts on language innovations among the youth in India). Also, the tune is simple to adopt into any language or sing.
(Original video)
(Punjabi version)
(Garhwali version)
(Gujrati version)
(female version)
'Kolaveri di', a song from the upcoming Tamil movie '3', sung by popular Tamil movie star Dhanush has become an internet rage. That Kolaveri Di, which will feature on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Tamil film 3 starring Dhanush, has found success beyond anyone’s expectations is obvious. Almost a month after its release, it is still being given more airtime than Anna Hazare! According to 18-year-old composer Anirudh Ravichander, the director Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush (who is the wife of the actor Dhanush) wanted a "light-hearted" song about failed love. Ravichandar quickly composed the tune. Dhanush then began work on the lyrics, which he completed in about 20 minutes of playful singing and writing. In an interview to The Times of India, Dhanush said "When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. Words like I, you, me, how, why, cow.. I just framed them into sentences and thats how I came up with the song." The promo of the song, which was released on November 16, became an instant hit on social networking sites for its quirky 'Tanglish' (Tamil-English) lyrics. The promo features the actor-playback singer Dhanush, son-in-law of superstar Rajinikanth, singing the song in a studio, and composer Anirudh at the piano, while wife & the director Aishwarya Rajinikanth and co-star Shruti Hassan watch along and give suggestions.
"Why this kolaveri di. 24 hours 83000 you tube views. Thank you guys. For making it the most viewed you tube video in music category yesterday. God bless," Dhanush tweeted on the day of the release of the song. The song Kolaveri appeared as the number one Indian trend on Twitter on November 21. The lyrics of the peppy song are simple and since it is a live recording, Dhanush keeps firing instructions while singing, making it more endearing. "yo boys I am singing song soup song flop song why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di rhythm correct why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di maintain this why this kolaveri..di.." goes the song.
Last weekend, the viral video of the song reached two milestones that confirmed its arrival in the YouTube hall of fame. It reached 15 million views—the target that Ashok Parwani, the associate director at Sony Music, which promoted the song, set for it on 25 November. It also got its own “Hitler gets angry about...” video—an essential accolade for any Internet meme and also the first for any Indian music video. (For the uninitiated, Hitler gets angry about is a series of videos featuring a scene of Adolf Hitler ranting in German from the 2004 movie Downfall. Subtitles are changed to make it seem like the subject of his rant is the meme in question.)
According to social media analytic firm Social Hues, the song was being talked about up to two weeks before the video appeared on YouTube on 16 November. A fan from Chennai, with the Twitter handle @arundanush, alerted both Dhanush’s sister-in-law Geetanjali Selvaraghavan and the composer of the song, Anirudh, to the fact that the song had been uploaded to YouTube on 31 October. His tweet, which read “Kolaveri song from 3 again uploaded in YouTube, pls inform Dhanush”, suggested it was not the first time such a leak had taken place.
Over the next few days, people began tweeting about the lyrics of the song and other details of the film. The publicity was global. Between 1 and 10 November (even before the official launch of the song), there were 43,800 mentions of Kolaveri in the US, 7,000 in France and 4,000 from the UAE. Tamil movie fanatics (mostly male) and non-resident Indians drove most of the traffic in the US and the Gulf, and students studying abroad made up the majority of mentions in Europe.
"Kolaveri di" Flash dance at Auckland
Kolaveri already had a significant following days before the official video appeared on the 16 November.
"Kolaveri di" Flash dance at Bangalore
(Kolaveri dance in urban India)
Aishwarya Dhanush said she was alerted to the leaked version via Twitter. “Even now I do not know the source (of the leak),” she said. “Initially I was upset, but since I felt that people needed to hear the right version, I wanted to bring out an official video. In two weeks (we) put together the video as there was no time for CD covers or publicity. Something of this magnitude cannot be planned. It just happens.”
That might be so, but even if the leak wasn’t planned, it’s clear that Sony Music India was quick to capitalize on it and turn it into a marketing advantage. Parwani told NDTV that the video accompanying the song was recorded at 2am, the night before the release on the 16 November, and edited the next morning.
But he also insisted that “we wanted this song to go viral in cyberspace. We marketed aggressively to make the song a national rage”. Parwani said that his team had been posting the song on Tamil, Hindi and international Facebook pages to drive traffic. From 16 November on, according to Social Hues, the rate of Twitter mentions of Kolaveri increased by nearly 200% every day, starting at 179 and peaking a week later at 14,907 tweets on 24 November—the day after it became the first Tamil film song to be played on MTV and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan had tweeted about his admiration for the tune.
It is not easy to send a video viral, despite the claims of myriad Web pages touting lessons from Kolaveri on how to make a viral video. The publicity has to be spread across all forms of social media. In Kolaveri’s case most traffic was driven by Facebook, which accounted for nearly 80% of social media mentions of the song, followed by Twitter and YouTube, according to Social Hues.
Dhanush’s song had something else going for it. The novelty of the word kolaveri was a great driver of interest. Twelve per cent of all conversations on Kolaveri were about the meaning of the word, generally translated as murderous rage.
Then, a series of serendipitous news events drove the #kolaveri hashtag (a hash sign followed by a tag word to indicate importance). When agriculture minister Sharad Pawar got slapped by a youngster on 25 November, tweeters cheered Kolaveri and a Punjabi version of the song known as the Sharad Pawar slap song appeared on YouTube the same day. It has logged over one million views of its own. The following week, when bail was finally granted to Tamil Nadu member of Parliament K. Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case, the felicitous assonance of her name with Kolaveri did not go unnoticed.
Overseas, the selling point seemed to be the Tanglish lyrics; the Huffington Post tweeted: “Adding a ‘u’ sound to the end of English words is the latest trend in India.” London radio presenters Sunny and Shay raved about the novel lyrics to the song on air when they broadcast it on BBC Radio 94.9 on 26 November.
Nearer home, Sony Music was trying to decide how to encash the Internet buzz. It hadn’t originally monetized the YouTube video, because, according to Shridhar Subramaniam, president of Sony Music Entertainment India, “We initially wanted to release it through Vevo, which is a video platform owned by Sony, but there was some delay because of Thanksgiving weekend, so we decided to release it on YouTube.”
In order to make money out of the swarming viewers, Sony needed to become a content partner with YouTube, which it eventually did on 30 November. Since then, Sony has taken 50% of the revenue generated by the video, Subramaniam said.
Viral popularity might be great publicity for the song, and, therefore, for the film, but it isn’t necessarily an immediate money maker. The nine million odd views that had accumulated before Sony monetized the video would remain unharvested, but the loss would only be an estimated $4,000, he said. “It is a $1 CPM here. The same on Vevo would have been a $40 CPM.” CPM is short for cost per thousand impressions, a term used in digital marketing.
Still Kolaveri’s popularity online must be attractive to marketing gurus looking for inexpensive ways to promote movie songs. Kolaveri marks a tipping point in the industry, after which the social media will emerge as a mainstream option alongside the television and radio, says some analysts.
It is only fair to point out that Kolaveri is not the first movie promotion to be launched on social media first—makers of the movie Peepli [Live], the hit song Sheila ki Jawani and music band Euphoria, among others, have in the past experimented with releasing bits and pieces of their work on Facebook and other social networks.
Nothing on this scale has, however, been attempted before. Don’t be surprised if you find film makers hoarding social networking sites trying to recreate the buzz and popularity of Kolaveri, says one analyst.
“If something is a hit on social media, then your fans become your ambassadors and it goes viral in no time,” said Jehil Thakkar, executive director, KPMG India. “No one can really say what works, so replicating it (success of Kolaveri) is next to impossible.”
Seeing the popularity and far-reaching appeal of the song 'Kolaveri Di', the police have decided to capitalize on its fame to ask motorists to remain calm on roads - a step that might help in bringing down road accidents.
Chennai Police has already brought out posters asking 'why this anger' with the words 'Kolaveri Di' painted in bold. The same poster was added to Delhi Police's Facebook website by a member and became an instant hit.
The idea has got the thumbs up by hundreds of Facebook users - it has 130 "likes" - and the site is awash with suggestions to replicate the same campaign in Delhi. Even joint CP (traffic) Satyendra Garg was taken with the idea and added his comments. He seconded the thought that "murderous rage" (meaning of the Tamil word 'kolaveri') is a contributing factor in road accidents in the city.
"Going by the national obsession with the song, Chennai Police rightly utilized its value for safer traffic measures. This applies to other cities including Delhi. Why this kolaveri? Just drive without anger...'' Garg posted.
In another post, the joint CP emphasized the need for "restraint'' during driving. "Let there be restraint and disciplined behaviour. It isgood for the safety of everybody,'' he wrote on Facebook.
However, not everybody was as optimistic. A central district officer told TOI that everybody in Delhi won't understand the Tanglish version of the song, so the idea will not find resonance with some. "However, we have always welcomed help of any sort to ensure discipline on roads and any effort by the citizens is appreciated," said the officer.
However, that has not stopped youngsters from showering praise on Chennai Police and urging Delhi Police to follow suit. "Well this is now imaginatively cool,'' commented Ankit Nauriyal. "Imaginative, intelligent thought...now this song has been used for better causes,'' commented Vishnu Panicker.
various brands and retailers started using the phrase as their ad-taglines innovating new "meanings" of "kolaveri".
(Ad for "discounts" at a furniture shop)
(Ad for "fruit shop" a juice joint)
(Amul butter ad)
This soup song has become an anthem for the future managers of the country too! The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are treating the popular song Kolaveri Di from an upcoming Tamil film '3' as a classic example of viral marketing.
IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A ), for instance, plans to dedicate a session to Kolaveri Di as part of its course on Contemporary Film Industry: A business perspective. Bharathan Kandaswamy, faculty and co-ordinator of the course, says, "I will discuss Kolaveri Di as part of a session on social media and online tools when my class starts in December. Kolaveri Di is a perfect case of viral marketing,http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif which has created a huge difference in the world of publicity."
Why this Kolaveri Di, which means 'Why this rage towards me, girl' has actually become a rage across IIMs with faculty of marketing playing the song during class.
Professors of IIMs - Bangalore, Rohtak and Lucknow - have played the song in class and later discussed its strategy. The institutes have also made videos of the entire class singing to Kolaveri Di and posted them on networking sites. "Kolaveri has been screened in many classes in IIM Bangalore . The professor sits along with the students and enjoys-... Real Rage," posted Ramya, a student at IIM Bangalore on a social networking site.
(this one is "ladies version" of the same song!)
for more information about this viral video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_This_Kolaveri_Di
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/brandline/article2692416.ece
(Original video)
(Punjabi version)
(Garhwali version)
(Gujrati version)
(female version)
'Kolaveri di', a song from the upcoming Tamil movie '3', sung by popular Tamil movie star Dhanush has become an internet rage. That Kolaveri Di, which will feature on the soundtrack of the forthcoming Tamil film 3 starring Dhanush, has found success beyond anyone’s expectations is obvious. Almost a month after its release, it is still being given more airtime than Anna Hazare! According to 18-year-old composer Anirudh Ravichander, the director Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush (who is the wife of the actor Dhanush) wanted a "light-hearted" song about failed love. Ravichandar quickly composed the tune. Dhanush then began work on the lyrics, which he completed in about 20 minutes of playful singing and writing. In an interview to The Times of India, Dhanush said "When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. Words like I, you, me, how, why, cow.. I just framed them into sentences and thats how I came up with the song." The promo of the song, which was released on November 16, became an instant hit on social networking sites for its quirky 'Tanglish' (Tamil-English) lyrics. The promo features the actor-playback singer Dhanush, son-in-law of superstar Rajinikanth, singing the song in a studio, and composer Anirudh at the piano, while wife & the director Aishwarya Rajinikanth and co-star Shruti Hassan watch along and give suggestions.
"Why this kolaveri di. 24 hours 83000 you tube views. Thank you guys. For making it the most viewed you tube video in music category yesterday. God bless," Dhanush tweeted on the day of the release of the song. The song Kolaveri appeared as the number one Indian trend on Twitter on November 21. The lyrics of the peppy song are simple and since it is a live recording, Dhanush keeps firing instructions while singing, making it more endearing. "yo boys I am singing song soup song flop song why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di rhythm correct why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di maintain this why this kolaveri..di.." goes the song.
Last weekend, the viral video of the song reached two milestones that confirmed its arrival in the YouTube hall of fame. It reached 15 million views—the target that Ashok Parwani, the associate director at Sony Music, which promoted the song, set for it on 25 November. It also got its own “Hitler gets angry about...” video—an essential accolade for any Internet meme and also the first for any Indian music video. (For the uninitiated, Hitler gets angry about is a series of videos featuring a scene of Adolf Hitler ranting in German from the 2004 movie Downfall. Subtitles are changed to make it seem like the subject of his rant is the meme in question.)
According to social media analytic firm Social Hues, the song was being talked about up to two weeks before the video appeared on YouTube on 16 November. A fan from Chennai, with the Twitter handle @arundanush, alerted both Dhanush’s sister-in-law Geetanjali Selvaraghavan and the composer of the song, Anirudh, to the fact that the song had been uploaded to YouTube on 31 October. His tweet, which read “Kolaveri song from 3 again uploaded in YouTube, pls inform Dhanush”, suggested it was not the first time such a leak had taken place.
Over the next few days, people began tweeting about the lyrics of the song and other details of the film. The publicity was global. Between 1 and 10 November (even before the official launch of the song), there were 43,800 mentions of Kolaveri in the US, 7,000 in France and 4,000 from the UAE. Tamil movie fanatics (mostly male) and non-resident Indians drove most of the traffic in the US and the Gulf, and students studying abroad made up the majority of mentions in Europe.
"Kolaveri di" Flash dance at Auckland
Kolaveri already had a significant following days before the official video appeared on the 16 November.
"Kolaveri di" Flash dance at Bangalore
(Kolaveri dance in urban India)
Aishwarya Dhanush said she was alerted to the leaked version via Twitter. “Even now I do not know the source (of the leak),” she said. “Initially I was upset, but since I felt that people needed to hear the right version, I wanted to bring out an official video. In two weeks (we) put together the video as there was no time for CD covers or publicity. Something of this magnitude cannot be planned. It just happens.”
That might be so, but even if the leak wasn’t planned, it’s clear that Sony Music India was quick to capitalize on it and turn it into a marketing advantage. Parwani told NDTV that the video accompanying the song was recorded at 2am, the night before the release on the 16 November, and edited the next morning.
But he also insisted that “we wanted this song to go viral in cyberspace. We marketed aggressively to make the song a national rage”. Parwani said that his team had been posting the song on Tamil, Hindi and international Facebook pages to drive traffic. From 16 November on, according to Social Hues, the rate of Twitter mentions of Kolaveri increased by nearly 200% every day, starting at 179 and peaking a week later at 14,907 tweets on 24 November—the day after it became the first Tamil film song to be played on MTV and Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan had tweeted about his admiration for the tune.
It is not easy to send a video viral, despite the claims of myriad Web pages touting lessons from Kolaveri on how to make a viral video. The publicity has to be spread across all forms of social media. In Kolaveri’s case most traffic was driven by Facebook, which accounted for nearly 80% of social media mentions of the song, followed by Twitter and YouTube, according to Social Hues.
Dhanush’s song had something else going for it. The novelty of the word kolaveri was a great driver of interest. Twelve per cent of all conversations on Kolaveri were about the meaning of the word, generally translated as murderous rage.
Then, a series of serendipitous news events drove the #kolaveri hashtag (a hash sign followed by a tag word to indicate importance). When agriculture minister Sharad Pawar got slapped by a youngster on 25 November, tweeters cheered Kolaveri and a Punjabi version of the song known as the Sharad Pawar slap song appeared on YouTube the same day. It has logged over one million views of its own. The following week, when bail was finally granted to Tamil Nadu member of Parliament K. Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum case, the felicitous assonance of her name with Kolaveri did not go unnoticed.
Overseas, the selling point seemed to be the Tanglish lyrics; the Huffington Post tweeted: “Adding a ‘u’ sound to the end of English words is the latest trend in India.” London radio presenters Sunny and Shay raved about the novel lyrics to the song on air when they broadcast it on BBC Radio 94.9 on 26 November.
Nearer home, Sony Music was trying to decide how to encash the Internet buzz. It hadn’t originally monetized the YouTube video, because, according to Shridhar Subramaniam, president of Sony Music Entertainment India, “We initially wanted to release it through Vevo, which is a video platform owned by Sony, but there was some delay because of Thanksgiving weekend, so we decided to release it on YouTube.”
In order to make money out of the swarming viewers, Sony needed to become a content partner with YouTube, which it eventually did on 30 November. Since then, Sony has taken 50% of the revenue generated by the video, Subramaniam said.
Viral popularity might be great publicity for the song, and, therefore, for the film, but it isn’t necessarily an immediate money maker. The nine million odd views that had accumulated before Sony monetized the video would remain unharvested, but the loss would only be an estimated $4,000, he said. “It is a $1 CPM here. The same on Vevo would have been a $40 CPM.” CPM is short for cost per thousand impressions, a term used in digital marketing.
Still Kolaveri’s popularity online must be attractive to marketing gurus looking for inexpensive ways to promote movie songs. Kolaveri marks a tipping point in the industry, after which the social media will emerge as a mainstream option alongside the television and radio, says some analysts.
It is only fair to point out that Kolaveri is not the first movie promotion to be launched on social media first—makers of the movie Peepli [Live], the hit song Sheila ki Jawani and music band Euphoria, among others, have in the past experimented with releasing bits and pieces of their work on Facebook and other social networks.
Nothing on this scale has, however, been attempted before. Don’t be surprised if you find film makers hoarding social networking sites trying to recreate the buzz and popularity of Kolaveri, says one analyst.
“If something is a hit on social media, then your fans become your ambassadors and it goes viral in no time,” said Jehil Thakkar, executive director, KPMG India. “No one can really say what works, so replicating it (success of Kolaveri) is next to impossible.”
Seeing the popularity and far-reaching appeal of the song 'Kolaveri Di', the police have decided to capitalize on its fame to ask motorists to remain calm on roads - a step that might help in bringing down road accidents.
Chennai Police has already brought out posters asking 'why this anger' with the words 'Kolaveri Di' painted in bold. The same poster was added to Delhi Police's Facebook website by a member and became an instant hit.
The idea has got the thumbs up by hundreds of Facebook users - it has 130 "likes" - and the site is awash with suggestions to replicate the same campaign in Delhi. Even joint CP (traffic) Satyendra Garg was taken with the idea and added his comments. He seconded the thought that "murderous rage" (meaning of the Tamil word 'kolaveri') is a contributing factor in road accidents in the city.
"Going by the national obsession with the song, Chennai Police rightly utilized its value for safer traffic measures. This applies to other cities including Delhi. Why this kolaveri? Just drive without anger...'' Garg posted.
In another post, the joint CP emphasized the need for "restraint'' during driving. "Let there be restraint and disciplined behaviour. It isgood for the safety of everybody,'' he wrote on Facebook.
However, not everybody was as optimistic. A central district officer told TOI that everybody in Delhi won't understand the Tanglish version of the song, so the idea will not find resonance with some. "However, we have always welcomed help of any sort to ensure discipline on roads and any effort by the citizens is appreciated," said the officer.
However, that has not stopped youngsters from showering praise on Chennai Police and urging Delhi Police to follow suit. "Well this is now imaginatively cool,'' commented Ankit Nauriyal. "Imaginative, intelligent thought...now this song has been used for better causes,'' commented Vishnu Panicker.
various brands and retailers started using the phrase as their ad-taglines innovating new "meanings" of "kolaveri".
(Ad for "discounts" at a furniture shop)
(Ad for "fruit shop" a juice joint)
(Amul butter ad)
This soup song has become an anthem for the future managers of the country too! The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) are treating the popular song Kolaveri Di from an upcoming Tamil film '3' as a classic example of viral marketing.
IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A ), for instance, plans to dedicate a session to Kolaveri Di as part of its course on Contemporary Film Industry: A business perspective. Bharathan Kandaswamy, faculty and co-ordinator of the course, says, "I will discuss Kolaveri Di as part of a session on social media and online tools when my class starts in December. Kolaveri Di is a perfect case of viral marketing,http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif which has created a huge difference in the world of publicity."
Why this Kolaveri Di, which means 'Why this rage towards me, girl' has actually become a rage across IIMs with faculty of marketing playing the song during class.
Professors of IIMs - Bangalore, Rohtak and Lucknow - have played the song in class and later discussed its strategy. The institutes have also made videos of the entire class singing to Kolaveri Di and posted them on networking sites. "Kolaveri has been screened in many classes in IIM Bangalore . The professor sits along with the students and enjoys-... Real Rage," posted Ramya, a student at IIM Bangalore on a social networking site.
(this one is "ladies version" of the same song!)
for more information about this viral video: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_This_Kolaveri_Di
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/brandline/article2692416.ece
10 Indians among Forbes' 'tomorrow's brightest stars'
Ten Indians rub shoulders with the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, human rights activist Ronan Farrow and pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber in a Forbes list of 'tomorrow's brightest stars'.
The US business magazine's '30 under 30' list profiles about 360 young 'ultra impressive up-and-comers' that the companies should either 'hire today' or would be working for them in the future as they are the young people of today 'who matter'.
Among the Indians on the list of people from 12 diverse fields, including energy, finance, media, law, entertainment, science, design and technology, who are 'reinventing the world' is Kunal Shah, at 29, the youngest managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Also on the list is Param Jaggi, 17, an 'award-winning high schooler' at Austin College, who created an algae-filled device that fits over a car's tailpipe and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Vivek Nair, 23, chief executive of Damascus Fortune, is developing a technology that transforms industrial carbon emissions into carbon nanotubes.
Vikas Mohindra, 25, financial advisor at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch gathered $38 million in three years from scratch, while Manvir Nijhar, 28, co-head of European Equity Derivatives Sales at Citigroup, gave 'Citi's derivatives business a jolt.'
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Raj Krishnan, 29, chief executive of Biological Dynamics is developing blood tests that use electric fields to detect key signals that a patient has cancer from the blood.
Sidhant Gupta, 27, a graduate student at the University of Washington, is developing new sensors and software for the home that conserve electricity, heat and gas.
Nikhil Arora, 24, co-found a business that sells 'grow-your-own-mushroom' kits using one million pounds of recycled coffee grounds and Maneet Ahuja, 27, a producer at CNBC and a hedge fund expert has been on Wall Street since she was 17.
source: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/10-indians-among-forbes-tomorrows-043142201.html
The US business magazine's '30 under 30' list profiles about 360 young 'ultra impressive up-and-comers' that the companies should either 'hire today' or would be working for them in the future as they are the young people of today 'who matter'.
Among the Indians on the list of people from 12 diverse fields, including energy, finance, media, law, entertainment, science, design and technology, who are 'reinventing the world' is Kunal Shah, at 29, the youngest managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Also on the list is Param Jaggi, 17, an 'award-winning high schooler' at Austin College, who created an algae-filled device that fits over a car's tailpipe and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Vivek Nair, 23, chief executive of Damascus Fortune, is developing a technology that transforms industrial carbon emissions into carbon nanotubes.
Vikas Mohindra, 25, financial advisor at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch gathered $38 million in three years from scratch, while Manvir Nijhar, 28, co-head of European Equity Derivatives Sales at Citigroup, gave 'Citi's derivatives business a jolt.'
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Raj Krishnan, 29, chief executive of Biological Dynamics is developing blood tests that use electric fields to detect key signals that a patient has cancer from the blood.
Sidhant Gupta, 27, a graduate student at the University of Washington, is developing new sensors and software for the home that conserve electricity, heat and gas.
Nikhil Arora, 24, co-found a business that sells 'grow-your-own-mushroom' kits using one million pounds of recycled coffee grounds and Maneet Ahuja, 27, a producer at CNBC and a hedge fund expert has been on Wall Street since she was 17.
source: http://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/10-indians-among-forbes-tomorrows-043142201.html
Monday, December 5, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Metallica concert in India
Music is perhaps a quintessential part of youth, and implicit in the development of the notion of the 'teenager', providing a way to sculpt an identity and at once rebel against authority figures, with each generations music being considered better in every way than the predecessor. It should come as no surprise then that the upcoming series of gigs planned by Metallica in India have caused such furore. Not least when the first had to be cancelled due to safety issues.
The audience reacted to the news that the gig was cancelled in a way that is reminiscent of 1969's infamous Hell's Angels plagued Rolling Stones concert, and certainly at odds with the international perception of a skilled, intellectual generation of Indian teens coming through. Could it be that the implied violence associated with the 'Metal' genre inspired such reaction, or could it be the result of a newly established youth conscience within India? What is certain is that the uproar came as a shock to the world observing it eliciting commentary from, amongst others, the Huffington Post. What is undeniable however, is that the event proves Indian teens to be a passionate collective, dedicated to their interests.
As one of the world's youngest, and yet largest countries it stands to reason that India has reached a state of national (and cognitive) maturity to enable the demarcation of a group of individuals that can define themselves in such a way as to spontaneously protest, however, it would be unfair if the world viewed both India, or the individuals involved negatively as a result of them mimicking decades old behaviour of likeminded teenagers.
Additional information: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-29/gurgaon/30336704_1_lars-ulrich-metallica-concert-indian-fans
The audience reacted to the news that the gig was cancelled in a way that is reminiscent of 1969's infamous Hell's Angels plagued Rolling Stones concert, and certainly at odds with the international perception of a skilled, intellectual generation of Indian teens coming through. Could it be that the implied violence associated with the 'Metal' genre inspired such reaction, or could it be the result of a newly established youth conscience within India? What is certain is that the uproar came as a shock to the world observing it eliciting commentary from, amongst others, the Huffington Post. What is undeniable however, is that the event proves Indian teens to be a passionate collective, dedicated to their interests.
As one of the world's youngest, and yet largest countries it stands to reason that India has reached a state of national (and cognitive) maturity to enable the demarcation of a group of individuals that can define themselves in such a way as to spontaneously protest, however, it would be unfair if the world viewed both India, or the individuals involved negatively as a result of them mimicking decades old behaviour of likeminded teenagers.
Additional information: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-29/gurgaon/30336704_1_lars-ulrich-metallica-concert-indian-fans
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Most of the Indian youth reads news at the online sites
The year 2010-2011 can very appropriately be termed as ‘The Year of Scams’ for India. From CWG to Adarsh Housing Society, India witnessed scams in almost every major sector. The common man in India who has seen and heard about numerous such scams with regularity that leaves the outside world astonished, is mostly unflustered after any such news breaks. But the sheer number and magnitude of scams those were unearthed before the common man in the past year surprised and generated interest from all in the country.
Not to surprise an astonishing 77 % of readers read about the 2G scam on the internet which is said to be one of the biggest scams of recent times. This was followed by the CWG scam read by 16% of readers. Adarsh, land scams and LIC corporate loan scam followed the list.
The data was analyzed and collected basis ViziSense panel’s consumption of news content across top news / web portals.
Monday, October 17, 2011
facebook brings in "other life" of "romantic utopia" in the life of urban and rual youth in India
The adopted otherness in a SNS away from the conservative society and ever increasing social pressure brings in SNS utopia as a "release point":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=begUTxCzoZw&hd=1
here's a statement from a viewer in youtube:
"I actually had an incident like this happened to me a few months back .. I met this girl from out of town a day before she was leaving... We clicked and I was like ... Shinning .. So i gave her my card and told her to get in touch with me.. She mailed me .. got me on facebook .. We send mails back and forth ... and she told me she would come to town in a few months .. Then a friend who happened to know her.. told me She was married.. She came to town yesterday ... I won't meet her.. :'(" - oooohyaaah100
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=begUTxCzoZw&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=begUTxCzoZw&hd=1
here's a statement from a viewer in youtube:
"I actually had an incident like this happened to me a few months back .. I met this girl from out of town a day before she was leaving... We clicked and I was like ... Shinning .. So i gave her my card and told her to get in touch with me.. She mailed me .. got me on facebook .. We send mails back and forth ... and she told me she would come to town in a few months .. Then a friend who happened to know her.. told me She was married.. She came to town yesterday ... I won't meet her.. :'(" - oooohyaaah100
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=begUTxCzoZw&feature=player_embedded#!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Youth in Manipur demands "change"
It's hard to see anything positive coming out of the 60-day economic blockade in Manipur (India). But the blockade and counter blockade by two communities have actually led to a new wave of consciousness in this northeastern state with people, particularly youngsters, getting together and demanding a change in the present state of affairs.
With assembly elections due next year, many people are networking online and off it too to organise themselves and be the arbiters of their own 'destiny' in the Congress-led state wracked by unrest.
Anguished by the poor state of affairs in his home state, Bimol Akoijam has started an online campaign on the social networking site Facebook titled 'People's Campaign for Assembly Election 2012: Deciding Our Destiny'.
'It's time we act in order to have a life with dignity and well-being. The right to choose our political leadership is the basis for the change that we are seeking. The aim is to make the political class accountable for the mess and decadence that we are in today,' Akoijam wrote on his Facebook page.
The economic blockade called by the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee (SHDDC) Aug 1 and a counter blockade called later by the United Naga Council have crippled normal life in Manipur, making prices of household commodities soar and resulting in acute scarcities, including of life-saving drugs.
Among the various activities planned is one on Oct 18 that aims to bring together all those who have moved out of the state for education, employment or other purposes and take their help in spreading awareness about the upcoming assembly elections and urge people to vote for the right candidate and make it an 'issue-based election'.
The meet, which is to take place in different cities across the country, has found many takers.
Yet another online group, 'Debate on Economic Blockade in Manipur' has scores of followers voicing their opinion.
'The economic blockade is happening because some people have political authority over their tribe, but even their own tribe people condemn this (blockade). Majority of people- whatever be their tribe- are suffering because of this,' wrote Achilles Vaiphei.
'The people of Manipur have been taken for a ride for far too long,' said Sharmila Singha, a homemaker from one of the worst affected districts, Chandel. 'Because of the interest of a handful of people, the entire state is in doldrums. And all the while the government has not been able to do anything about it.'
The main bone of contention in the logjam is the demand by the SHDDC for a separate Sadar Hills district, which is strictly opposed by some other sects as the area also includes some ethnic-Naga settled areas.
So, as the clashing communities remain firm on their demands, the rest of the state looks on helplessly and pays a heavy price.
Therefore, even as people in other states protest the rise of petrol prices to Rs.67 per litre, in Manipur it is being sold at around Rs.200 in the black market. An LPG cylinder can cost anywhere between Rs.1,800-2,000.
'We have gone back to using firewood for cooking. How can anyone afford a cylinder at such prices? Whatever be the issue, it's always...always the common man who suffers,' said a bitter Priyanka Yumnam, a homemaker.
Madhu Chandra, who hails from Manipur and is the spokesperson of the Northeast Support Centre in Delhi, told IANS: 'There is a feeling that there is a dearth of things in the state, but these are available in the black market for those who can afford the high prices...the blockade has therefore unleashed corruption in a big way.'
Mandira Singha, a 20-year-old who lost her father to the blockade because of lack of life-saving drugs, added: 'There is government apathy towards our condition. It's been 60 days and nothing has been done by the centre. Why? Had this happened anywhere else in the country would the reaction have been the same?'
(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)
Source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/demand-change-cry-manipur-youth-052243212.html
Thursday, September 15, 2011
the youth in India- La Tomatnia or anna team?
To me, India is not one country but a "theme & ideology" under which many countries stay together...the demography, psychography and even economy changes in each 500kms...we have more than 200 languages, varied cultures, rituals, society. Even the religious belief for each religion are diversified (even within same religion)...it is actually very tough to create one movement pan-India.
Interestingly, I understood that we do have common AIOs (Youth segment) for few factors...one of them is the "hatred against the politicians and bureaucrats". the "anna team" (the team behind anti corruption movement in India) understood it well and created the movement successfully. This is the first ever post-independent movement in India which appeals to all the youth in India across the demography, culture, class, economy and social barrier. the team successfully promoted it through alternative media, word-of-mouth, open press, radio stations to gather support. The govt was bent, finally.
in other hand, we have "other india" who lives in socio-cultural Utopia and dreams of being "exotic" in this very country.
In the wake of a popular Bollywood movie which glorified Spain through its crap story, half Indian actress and a six fingered Hero, the “La Tomatnia” came in India!
The original La Tomatina festival which once started in Spain (once a year) to overcome the over-production of Tomatoes and reincarnate Spanish tourism is now being enthusiastically “copied” as a “social activity” by some enthusiasts in Bangaluru and Delhi! It’s unfortunate that we, being Indian, fail to understand that this country is culturally rich enough to arrange or re-invent any mode of “social activity” (which is fit for our demography) rather than merely copying the “others”. A socio-cultural activity as “Holi” (which unfortunately became religious, later) was designed by our fore-fathers to initiate the social network, break self-barrier, social belonging, spreading happiness and peace; the same motto, that La Tomatnia has in Spain.
The fetish of being “westernized” is rooted so deep in our gene that we fail to recognize the price of a tomato (in India) vis a vis the hungry Indians (for original La Tomatina at Spain, the tomatoes come from Extremadura, where they are less expensive and are grown specifically for the holidays, being of inferior taste)!
Or is it actually a fetish of showing off the power of money to the “other India”? A fetish that is growing in monstrous proportion in the cities like Bangaluru and Delhi… “See I can smash so many tomatoes with my girlfriend which you might never have eaten in your life”…a Spanish dream in dreadful Bangaluru traffic!
The most common disease in “India.inc” is ‘living in a socio-cultural Utopia’ which many youth relishes everyday. When these day dreams break, they lands into the Smokey, polluted, poverty ridden, class barricaded roads of modern India…
Read more about Anna team and La Tomatina, India:
Friday, July 15, 2011
The “we” factor of generation Y and the need of “involvement”
In the book “how cool brands stay hot-Branding to Generation Y” Joeri Van Den Bergh and Mattias Behrer(2011) mentioned that there is an ancient saying that bears much truth: ‘people resemble their times more than they resemble their parents’. More than half of the world’s population is under the age of 30. Gen Y (those born between 1980 and 1996) is currently one of the largest demographic groups and will soon outnumber the Baby Boomers generation. Unlike previous generation, this youth generation has been bombard with commercial messages from their birth. However, they have learned to filter out all those loud messages and they have been empowered by their parents and teachers to have an opinion of their own and never merely believe whatever somebody is proclaiming. To survive in the current, cluttered and fragmented environment, today’s teens and adolescents use collective peer wisdom and social connections. Youngsters pick and mix individual parts of media to create their own personalized products and services that fit their individual needs. The Dell and Nike website gives freedom to their consumers to pick and mix the products to create their own computers or shoes.
This Gen Y is a generation of “givers” and ready to contribute to the “we” factor than remaining as “I”. There are an increasing number of forums, sites, movie uploading sites like youtube and torrents (ie. Piratebay) which offer free advices, do-it-yourself demos, movies and having enormous content of valuable material for “free use” which shows statics that though they are as competitive, commercial and ambitious as any other generation in history but they are abandoning the prevailing ethos of their parent’s generation of baby boomers and adhering more to the values of their grandparents, the war generation. In a 2006 USA Today poll, 61 percent of thirteen to twenty five year old felt personally responsible for making difference in the world; 81 percent have volunteered in the past year; 69 percent consider a company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop; and 83 percent trusted a company more if it was socially/ environmentally responsible.
In his lecture, Thomas W. Malone of MIT mentioned parallels between the emergence of democracies in political and business worlds, and technological advances in communications. He notes that in the age of the Internet, businesses are growing decentralized, markedly departing from “command and control” organizational models to newer environments where “workers seek advice instead of approval.” Empowered by new technologies, workers will exercise ever greater strength in important decisions -- even while corporations expand and sprawl across borders.
Unfortunately, India is still following the Top Down model and this model wont work in current scenario where collaborative initiatives are the only way to sustain in a new digitally democratic world.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
grassroot youth in delhi
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iQGr_EMCfg
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iQGr_EMCfg
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