Global Growth on a Slow Boat to China

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

Making Sense of the Millennial Myth

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

An Owl Wisdom Piece on War

Trade wars, cold wars, real wars, culture wars... these are nothing but questions being asked of our humanity, our capacity to think, reason, share, cooperate, love, endure and grow. As a writer, I thought I'd share an idea that provides a fresh twist, and an emphatic nod of agreement, to an old and famous adage… Continue reading An Owl Wisdom Piece on War

Still Searching for El Dorado in Venezuela

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

A Winter-Springtime Ode to Goa

“If Winter is here, can Spring be far behind?” - Percy Bysshe Shelley So said the great poet, but strangely enough, winter is springtime in Goa! It’s when the air is clean and crisp and when the skies are blue. It’s when the sun smiles down gently and when the birds sing. It doesn’t just… Continue reading A Winter-Springtime Ode to Goa

How Ageing Brands Can Stay Relevant

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

Why Businesses Shouldn’t Cop Out of Climate Change

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