From medieval times, when Africa was known as the “Dark Continent” to now, it is ignorance about this vast land that rules popular perception. Then, little by little - although it has taken a very long time - explorers and writers began to shed some light on the continent. Or at least on small pockets… Continue reading Africa, The Continent of Hope at Last
March-April usually means the start of a new financial year and new opportunities at work in India. Appraisals, new assignments, new responsibilities. My mind turned to the rather high rate of joblessness in India (a subject of much debate) and whether it will be an important issue in the elections that are just a few… Continue reading Jobs Going This Time Aren’t Coming Back
The last time the Western world traded with China and it led to wars, it was of the opium kind, in which India too was involved. That was over a century ago. The opium trade with China and the exploits of the East India Company have since been evocatively recreated for us in fiction by… Continue reading Global Growth on a Slow Boat to China
Millennials will go on to become the largest population cohort in the US this year. They’ve been bringing marketers and advertisers waves of excitement and anticipation, as the largest consumer group. They’ve also been bringing them nightmares. Everyone is busy studying this group of youngsters aged anywhere from 16 to 34 who comprise such a… Continue reading Making Sense of the Millennial Myth
Recent events in Venezuela have put the spotlight once again on a part of the world that is hardly ever given any attention, save when it is about commodity exports to the rest of the world, most importantly, to China. Then again, hasn’t it been this way since the 15th century, when King Ferdinand and… Continue reading Still Searching for El Dorado in Venezuela
It's finally time for me to write a post that is more closely related to my work. And I am conscious while writing this post, that I am something of an anachronism in today’s world of advertising and brand communications, where every brand is trying to woo the millennial. Having spent more than twenty years… Continue reading How Ageing Brands Can Stay Relevant
You’d think that I would be far away from cares about climate change, living in an idyllic place like Goa. Yet, millions of tons of coal that India now imports to feed her ravenous power, steel and cement plants make their way through Mormugoa Port, located in the city of Vasco-da-Gama, not too far from… Continue reading Why Businesses Shouldn’t Cop Out of Climate Change
Large giveaways, sops to please various constituencies, tax concessions to win the middle class, etc. Nothing surprising in the interim (read election) budget announced a few days ago in India. But when you consider that the ruling party alliance came to power with the largest majority in a long time and on the back of… Continue reading Largesse Oblige Needed
As we commemorate India’s 70th Republic Day, I can’t help but think how our politicians have distorted and misconstrued our nation’s great Constitution. And when Election season comes around, we are always prone to resort to populist measures and gestures of grandeur. The illuminated Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of 60th Republic Day celebrations in… Continue reading India’s Great (10%) Leap Forward
If Britain severs its ties with the European Union, where does it belong? It’s too small to be a continent by itself. Many think it’s too diverse to even be called a country. The Scots and the Irish don’t want out. But the Welsh want to leave. And, most importantly, Brexiteers want out, we are… Continue reading Breaks-it, But Will Britain Make It?
