The vision of Dubai Marina is to create an awe-inspiring city-within-a city that delights residents with its cosmopolitan, free-spirited atmosphere and unique, invigorating lifestyle. It will be an urban centre on the water, comparable to the most exclusive waterfront developments in the world’s leading cities. Dubai Marina is unlike anywhere else in Dubai, the Middle East and even the world.
India is a land of enormous internal diversity. On your journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, the cultures and things you encounter are lot more diverse and complicated than you think. There are many actions which seem to be normal to you but are extremely offensive in certain areas. Here we list ten things which is considered as offensive or bad throughout the country.
Religious discussions
You can freely discuss about anything in India, especially politics. Most people will have an opinion but they will not mind their opinion being contradicted. But be careful while including the religion into any of your discussions especially with the strangers since it is one of the sensitive areas in the minds of Indian people and they will feel offended for no reason!
The beautiful backwater sceneries in Kerala and the story of Taj Mahal- the symbol of love may make you romantic. But think twice before performing any acts of love in public since the people around you in India is very conservative and doesn’t want to watch or do public displays of affection.
Left Hand Rule
You can give rest to your left hand while you are in India. Indian people never eat with their left hand or they won’t pass or receive anything with it. So remember – never give any gifts, money or anything with your left hand.
Feet Rule
According to Indian culture, the head is considered as the superior part of the body and feet, the inferior. So try not to touch anything important with your feet, especially books. Also never point your feet at someone and if you do, express your apologies immediately. However touching elder’s feet is considered as a sign of respect in India.
Clothing Rule
Majority of Indian people dress conservatively and it is advisable if you do the same, especially when you are in rural areas. It is better not to wear revealing or tight clothing especially when you visit places of religious significance.
Handshake rule
In India, it is generally not acceptable for men to shake hands with a woman until and unless she offers the same. If she extends her hand, you should reciprocate otherwise it is better to join your palms and wish her in Indian style.
Shoes rule
It is generally considered as good manners to remove shoes and sandals before you enter someone’s home. In some temples, people are not allowed to enter into holy areas with their shirts on.
Gift rules
The rules related to gifts vary in different parts of India. In some areas it is considered as an offence to gift white flowers since they are used in funerals. Gifting alcohol and animal-skin made products are considered as offensive in some other areas. Generally it is better to carry some sweets along with you when you are invited to someone’s home.
Smoking and drinking in Public
In India, it is offensive to consume alcohol or smoke in public. Even if you smoke, remember to ask the permission, otherwise it is considered rude. You are also not allowed to hunt or hurt animals, especially cow, which is considered as a holy animal in many areas.
Last but not the least, there are a lot of spiritually elevated people in each and every corner of India who offers magic remedies and spiritual salvation and there is no way you can distinguish the crooks. So as a traveler, it is advisable not to get into their traps and lose your money.
Excessive bureaucratic hurdles, inflation and political instability have emerged as the top concerns for the Indian businesses, while larger companies are more worried than their smaller peers about global issues, a survey has found.
According to the survey conducted by workplace solutions provider Regus, almost half of the decisions makers at Indian businesses (47 per cent) fear that the red tape is a serious threat to growth in the country.
However, the discontent over red-tapism is slightly less prevalent among larger companies, as greater resources are available with them to deal with paper work and regulation.
The survey, conducted among 387 businesses, noted that 48 per cent of small companies and 52 per cent of medium-sized firms identify red tape as harmful.
“This research shows that red tape and inflation are a real worry for India’s vibrant businesses, and they want India’s policymakers and bureaucrats to improve their performance,” Regus Regional Vice-President (South Asia) Madhusudan Thakur said.
Other major causes of disquiet among business community are inflation, political instability and the state of the global economy. Further threats to growth mentioned by business leaders include terrorism, corruption, and the lack of easily-available finance for small businesses.
Besides, larger companies, with their more globalised activities, are more worried about the global economy than their smaller counterparts.
“Businesses can counter such problems themselves, by looking for ways to manage their cost base, and for ways to spend more time on core business,” Thakur said.
“Whilst they may not be able to move the red tape mountain, they can minimise or outsource other non-aspects that consume management time, leaving them with more time to pursue growth,” he added.
“The evidence of the obstacles faced by businesses comes as growth is forecasted to slow to 6 per cent in 2012, with blame being put at the door of policymakers,” he said.
Source: PTI
It is pretty difficult to get a job at this time as the competition has increased in a rapid way than before. At present, jobs seekers are in the dual mind, whether to go for a job which offers them more salary or to choose a better place to work where the company’s cultural atmosphere is well established.
You might have experienced this situation before you got into a job. You must have experienced confusion while you were been offered many job offers at a time because each company had its own advantages and drawbacks.
As the companies are aware of the fact that it is their company’s culture which depends on the overall success of the company, they have given equal prominence to build a healthy working atmosphere along with their daily business activities.
There are people who give more prominence to their money rather than the company’s cultural atmosphere. They don’t bother whether their company is a good place to work or not, they will be just interested in their pay for their work and they are also least bothered about the type of colleagues they have next to them.
At the same time there are people who get to know about the company’s poor cultural atmosphere at the time of the interview by the way the interviewers speak. Some of the interviewers seem very harsh and strict by which many candidates drop the hope of joining that company. Many of them calculate pros and cons before joining a company, like there are few who see the travelling distance from their home to the workplace even though they are paid well. But there are very few people who search a job that is next door because at the present day situation, where finding a job is very difficult, people have very less interest in concentrating on job offers which are of total convenience to them. To have a career growth, people at present, are compromising regarding any issues that are related to their career.
Nowadays, the employees at every office are given equal prominence by the HR Departments of their respective companies. The employees are free to share any problems related to their workplace and get it solved. Like this there are many facilities given to the employees to increase their productivity at their work.
So, what is your take, will you work for a company which is culturally well established or are you more concentrated on the high pay offer given by companies which has poor cultural atmosphere?
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Marry me!”
That’s Direct Marketing…
You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl.
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you and says,
“He’s very rich. Marry him.”
That’s Advertising…
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day you call and say,
“Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me.”
That’s Telemarketing…
You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and pour her a drink. You open the door for her; pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, “By the way, I’m very rich. Will you marry me?”
That’s Public Relations…
You’re at a party and see a gorgeous girl.
She walks up to you and says, “You are very rich.” Will you marry me?”
That’s Brand Recognition…
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say, “I’m rich. Marry me”.
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face.
That’s Customer Feedback…
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and say: “I am very rich. Marry me!”
And she introduces you to her husband.
That’s demand and supply gap…
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her:
“I’m rich. Will you marry me?” and she goes with him.
That’s competition in your market share…
You see a gorgeous girl at a party.
You go up to her and before you say: “I’m rich, Marry me!”
Suddenly your wife enters the scene.
That’s restriction to enter new markets…
There are six drivers of trust: stability, innovation, relationship, practical value, vision, and competence; all these are equally correlated with brand trust states ifm in depth research and strategies. An independent survey conducted for Brand Equity by Nielsen is the benchmark for trust, which every brand wants to achieve. Here is a list of the most trusted brands in India.
One of the early entrants, Nokia has established itself as the market leader in the mobile devices market in India, by building a diverse product portfolio and offering products across various categories. With the launch of its Ovi store, Nokia is renewing itself to be at the forefront, after the customer-driven devices by other companies started eating into Nokia’s market-share. The company is driven by consistent performance, delivering ‘more’ than the promise every day.
Colgate
The company made a modest start in 1937 and used hand-carts to distribute its Dental creams. Today Colgate-Palmolive has one of the widest distribution networks, a logistical channel spanning around 4.5 million retail outlets across the country. The company has grown with a outstanding record of enhancing value for its strong shareholder base. Colgate was ranked as India’s Most trusted Brand across all categories by Brand Equity’s Most Trusted Brand Survey for four consecutive years from 2003 to 2007.
Lux
Lux promises beauty and glamour and has been changing trends, evolving the beauty needs of the customers since 1929. It offers a wide range of soaps and body washes, with unique elements to make customers hooked on to it. The company feels that excitement can be created; but trust must be earned. The challenge before marketers is to deliver excitement in a way which enhances the trust, rather than violating it.
Lifebuoy
The company was launched 1895, and has ever since been synonymous with health and value. It was re-launched in 2002, 2004, and again in 2006, as having a superior formulation, new fragrance, and contemporary shape. Its vision is to make a billion Indians safe and secure by meeting their health and hygiene needs.
Dettol is the gold standard for its proved ability to kill germs effectively and is recommended by experts. The brand is up to date with the changing lifestyle and has launched products like sanitizers, shower gels to meet the current trends. According to industry experts, even if Dettol is able to achieve a sales target of Rs 1,000 crore, it will be the second company, after Hindustan Unilever Limited to achieve this milestone.
Horlicks
Horlicks enjoys more than half of the health-food market, which makes it the leader in its segment. It went a major revamp in 2003 to increase its relevance, and has added more variants – biscuits, instant noodles and more to its folds, making it a family brand from mothers to kids.
Pepsodent
Pepsodent was launched in 1993, as the first toothpaste with unique anti-bacterial agents, which addressed the needs of the consumers to check germs even hours after brushing. In 2002, it launched a pack which contained a ‘germ indicator’, which enabled the consumers to see the efficiency of the toothpaste. It also offered Dental Insurance in the same year, to demonstrate the confidence it has on the superiority of its product. Its most recent campaign aims to educate consumers on the need for germ protection through the night
In 1983, Tata Salt became the pioneer in the branded salt movement in India. It was the first of its kind to use vacuum evaporation technology. It campaigns itself as ‘desh ka namak’ (salt of the nation), which has lent voice to the emotional connect and warmth. It has earned the trust of the people by insisting on usage of salt for taste and adequate amount of iodine for complete wellness. It appeals across regions and has become an integral component of majority of Indian kitchens.
Britannia
Britannia has always been recognized for its innovative approaches to products and marketing them. It has been India’s biggest and pre-eminent food brand. Its 50-50 Maska-Chaska campaign became one of the country most successful product launches. In 2002, Britannia’s New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra (the world’s second largest diary), which led to the birth of Britannia New Zealand Foods. Its vision and accelerating graph made Forbes magazine to include Britannia’s name in “one amongst the Top 200 small companies in the world”.
Ponds
Ponds, is one of the most dependable names in the skin-care products for ladies. It offers affordable products, which cater to individual skin-types. Ponds’ range of talc and creams has been among the trusted brands for Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), which had six of its brands in the top list.
The time when British ruled India and every Indian was struggling for freedom, three friends took a step ahead to fulfill their dream and incorporated Mahindra & Mahindra. Today, the company is one of the renowned names in the world for its diversity and innovation. Let us take a ride into the legacy of the company.
Mahindra & Mahindra
Incorporated in 1946, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) formerly known as Mahindra & Mohammad was a steel trading company. The brain child of JC Mahindra, who was prescient about the opportunities that Indian entrepreneurs would have after independence to contribute towards the growth of the new born India. He along with his brother KC Mahindra, who was no less than his best friend, and Ghulam Mohammad founded the company. After India gained independence, Mohammad migrated to Pakistan and the company changed its name to Mahindra and Mahindra in 1948. Since its inception, Mahindra Group has ventured into several sectors and has created a strong foothold.
Automotive
M&M is a major automobile manufacturer of utility vehicles, passenger cars, pickups, commercial vehicles and two wheelers. It ventured into the segment through assembling under license the Willys Jeep in India. Today, it has subsidiaries including Mahindra Europe Srl. based in Italy, Mahindra USA, Mahindra South Africa and Mahindra (China) Tractor Company. Its automotive division makes a wide range of vehicles including MUVs, LCVs, and two and three wheelers. This year in February, Mahindra Racing Team showcased its 125cc GO race-bike in red and silver racing livery in the MotoGP tests.
Farm Equipment
One of the leading tractor brands in the world by volume, it is also the largest tractor manufacturer in India with a leadership of over 25 years. Its China-based manufacturing unit manufactures tractors for the growing Chinese market and is a hub for tractor exports to the U.S.
Aerospace
A new player in the space of delivery of aircraft, aero-structure components and aircraft development services, Mahindra Group is poised to deliver new aircraft to the international general aviation sector and capture significant growth opportunities in India’s defense and civil aerospace market. It has acquired Aerostaff Australia and Gipps Aero and is developing a comprehensive metallic aerostructures manufacturing capability in India through a combination of quickly operational rented facilities and the longer-term development of Greenfield manufacturing facilities.
Ocean Blue Marine
With Mahindra Odyssea 22 and Mahindra Odyssea 33, the Mahindra Group has entered into the leisure and hospitality world. It provides complete customer care from boat customization to registration, onboard maintenance and security and financing options to make help the customers for a smooth and simple experience of adventure.
Financial Services
The financial service sector is no untouched by Mahindra Group. With Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, Mahindra Insurance Brokers and Mahindra Rural Housing Finance, it tends to explore the opportunities that the rural sector provides by serving in the areas where the demand for financial products and services is higher than the formal banking system can supply. Mahindra Finance and its subsidiaries offer a complete range of financial services and insurance solutions for both businesses and personal life.
Information Technology
Mahindra has entered into the IT sector in 1986 through the formation of Tech Mahindra. It provides end-to-end IT solutions across the value chain to world’s leading telecommunication companies. It has successfully implemented more than 15 Greenfield Operations globally and over 128 active customer engagements mostly in the Telecom sector. Further, Mahindra Group acquired Satyam through the bid in June 2009 and the company is now called as Mahindra Satyam.
Some of the other sectors where the Mahindra Group has ventured into are consulting, retail, defense, energy, industrial equipments, logistics, agribusiness, metals, sports, hospitality, real estate, media and education.
