Thinking like a Marketing student……helps you understand the choices you make.

It so happened , I decided to buy a bike. One of my childhood dreams of biking through the highway, exploring places. After much thought process I had finally decided to buy a bike and live my dream.
But the big question was “Which bike” shall I go for?
Seeing the rising prices I concluded that a 125cc bike would meet most of my needs. The Bike that topped the charts was Honda Shine, which unfortunately had min 1 month waiting period, so I had to switch to indigenous options. The two obvious choices were Bajaj Discover 150cc and Hero Honda Glamour 125cc.
Ironically both lay in the same price range i.e. 60k, I was more inclined to buy discover (perception) as I was getting more power at the same price.
But fortunately there was a hero Honda showroom near by and we managed to have a look at the 125cc Hero Honda Glamour. The differences were as follows:
Hero Honda Glamour:
125cc
Digital Odometer
2yrs warranty+3yrs extended warranty at INR 1500 total 5 yrs warranty
6 services free.
State of the art servicing

Bajaj Discover
150cc
Analogue Odometer
2 yrs warranty only -No extended warranty
3 services free
Local Garage type servicing.

Bajaj 150cc is the cheapest bike in 150cc segment. Even in its brochure it compares itself to 125cc Honda Shine and 100cc Hero Honda Splendor.

The DTS-i engine technology of Bajaj, reminded of a case study, which talked about “Tide” giving some hi-tech fundu name to it’s washing powder formula, to make it’s place in the market.
I asked myself, am I the kind of a customer who is looking for a “sasta ,sundar aur tikau” product or am I the kind who would prioritize the quality of the product over anything else.
What struck me most about Hero Honda that they are giving 5 years warranty on all of their bikes, which shows they are confident about the quality of the product they are making. This was one of the main reasons for me choosing 125cc glamour over 150cc Discover. Even though both are coming at almost equal prices.
But being a marketing student it was wonderful to have experienced, the marketing strategies implemented by these companies in real life.

The Extra Mile

The race seems to have ended, when he touched the finish line…
No one around, besides or behind…...as he decides to walk the extra mile…
Hoping to see her, on the horizon, running to him from nowhere…
Fooling yourself is a temptation, like the Cadbury’s éclair…
He clings to hope and fights against it, to keep the flame alive….
In spite of all odds....... he walks “the extra mile”

Hang on……for another second!!(email fwd going around on net :) )

One day I decided to quit…..I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality…I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have a final word with god.
“God” I said.” Can you give me one good reason not to quit?” His answer surprised me…
“Look around “, He said… Do you see the fern and the bamboo?
“Yes” I replied.
When I planted the firm and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. It’s brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed.
But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful.
And again, nothing grew from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. He said.
“In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again there was nothing from the bamboo seed. “I would not quit” He said.
Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.
It had spent the five years growing roots.
Those roots made it stronger and gave it what it needed to survive, “I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle”
He said to me-“Did you know, my child, that all these time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots”
“I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.”Don’t compare yourself to others” The bamboo had a different purpose than that of the fern , Yet they both make the forest beautiful.
Your time will come “God said to me” You will rise high!” How high should I rise?” I asked.
“How high will the bamboo rise?” he asked in return.
“As high as it can be?” I questioned.
“Yes” He said-“ give me glory by rising as high as you can”

I hope these words can help you see that god will never give up on you. He will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life.
Good days give you happiness
Bad days give you experiences. Both are essential to life.
A happy and meaningful life requires continuous input and creativity. It does not happen by chance. It happens because of our choices and actions, and each day we are given new opportunities to choose and act, and in doing so we create our own unique journey”
Keep going…

Wisdumbized

Finding an oxymoronic heading was as pleasant a surprise as surfing the radio and hitting the song you were just thinking about. It’s been a week of gaining wisdom and getting rid of it.
Few hours ago I was anesthetized by the dentist.(my jaw to be particular). I lay on the long seat looking straight into two bulbs hanging before my eyes. It was an experience of it’s kind, to have been aware that I was operated upon ,but couldn’t feel anything. Anesthesia is indeed a boon. Pain is pain, even to the strongest person .I dazed into those lights as the dentist wrestled through my Jaw bone. He injected me with two sleek injections, and every time they were handed by the assistant to the doc over my eyes ,I feel short of vocabulary to define the dip in the sine wave my heartbeat travelled.
I tried not to get nervous, by thinking, that I was undergoing a tooth surgery. I tried thinking about something else. But damn!! Nothing came to my mind and I allowed myself to be hypnotized by the mild lights which took me away with them.
Though I didn’t feel any pain, I was feeling depressed and nervous after the surgery. It was good to have mom accompanying me.(I have several stitches in my Jaw bone and gums)
So I got my wisdom tooth extracted and it’s there with me well preserved (Though it still stinks of the medicines)

A dream called CorpApps...a journey called iGATE...

After having decided to move on I’d always savored on the day to have written my final mail. This heading had been buzzing around, in some corner of my sub-conscious mind, and why not?? ,as it aptly describes my experience at iGATE.. J
A dream called CorpApps:
Recession days!! (FBP08 batch-8th-Jan 09)….we were out of the training after a tough fight and lost 8 of our friends to the excruciating screening process of the training. That was a day of mixed emotions, the road ahead was tougher , we had to prove our mettle to get into projects…and one fine day 5 of us were selected in the prestigious GE projects….My team was ….and is still called Corpapps……. It was this place which taught me many things, both on professional and personal levels….The grooming was so refined and round the clock that the culture became integrated to my personality and refined it by the day…….I’d seen my seniors saying one line before they moved on.. “There can be no team like Corp Apps” and I see myself saying the same while I leave….Proud to be a corp-Apian ;)
A Journey called iGATE:
iGATE has been very special to me in very special ways(Yeas just like VVS laxman ;)). I was undergoing a very tough phase when I was selected in iGATE, and since then everything had fallen into place. Be it getting onboard during recession or getting into a hot skill project. It has always been my lucky charm. I’ll remember it for the security guards who are so very dedicated and alert….for the cab services….who perform under such pressure…Polar Bear ice-cream..The Akshara project....campus..the DJ party..TGIMs…the folks at Cafeteria who maintain it with such smoothness, the office boys for their dutifulness,…iOlympiad football finals …people on the floor… in short everyone around, who is always there to extend a helping hand .…..they have been my inspiration .What is common with anyone who has been at iGATE is co-ordination, humility and above all “ work with a smile”…which I think is a rare thing to achieve and could be seen here.
So here I am signing off with a box-full of memories and wishing iGATE all the very best not only as a brand but also as a special place to be J
Kind Regards,
Akshat Joshi
(Emp id:711669)
Email: akshatjoshi28@gmail.com
Blog: www.pgsfromthepast.blogspot.com
Phone: 9739100246

The Bridge of Hope

Days, Weeks and months go by…
From January to the October Sky…
November , December come and go….like a fairy riding the rainbow…
Another year, another mile…..in our journey like the Nile…
Which meanders through the sandy terrain…
Giving hope to the ones in pain….
The bridge of hope is what we walk… over the creek across the path
And when a fellow mate says good bye…who chooses to disappear in the sands of time…
I see myself on my knees….faithless, tired and so weak
I raise my head for one last time….to see a glimpse on the other side…
There is an old woman working in her shop…..preparing sweets for those who crossed…
She has wrinkles and her hands shiver…..as she cleans the shop and carries the chair….
There is no ending to her faith…in the good lord who had taken away her children (I intended to write mate here but he is still alive :))…
She waves at me from the far off shore…….like the mother encouraging a new born to roar..
“This is what the bridge of hope is!!!”….….I suddenly realize….
Connecting the darkness to the bright side(of life)
I stand on my feet awake and calm….looking around like the white swan….
My bite of enlighten…. resides in those sweets….
Across the bridge, beside the beach….
I say my goodbyes to the lost soul… Whom I’d mourned so deeply though…..
It’s time now to walk the path….which led me to that sweet shop :)

The Windsor Knot.

The Mac-daddy of all tie knots is what the youtube video said about the Windsor Knot.
It is hard core old school. Which reminds me of the good old school days when we had to beg the boarders to do it for us, an art which was known by the few and made them hailed by mere mortals like us. This incompetency was like a thorn in my flesh for ages now , and it struck me off-late to learn it over the youtube.
The Algo is as follows:
1. Cross
2. Rabbit
3. Half cross
4. Half rabbit
5. Roll
6. Rabbit
7. Google
And I remember the Instructor saying wallah :D we have the windssor knot prepared.
Three cheers for me !! :)

Shayar ke Dohe ;)

humari ye ada humari ye wafa....humara ye style....sabko pani karde jaisay river nile,
jalim hai jamana......jalim hai aapki smile.....munaabhai foreign gaye to circuit short ho gaya bhai,
Office main hum gaye to kya pata chale hamien yara.....boss hamara doston, hai kamzori ka mara.
hai kamzori ka mara wo , karta na samne baat....peet peechay chaku ghope...log usko kehte smart....
humne bhi tamanche nikale....udankhatole pe huay sawar....apni shayari se zalim....kar diye humne bhi do do haat :D
aisi hai hamari dastan....dukhbhari story for the while...jaisay Musharaf ki qawaidi...qawalli banke samne ayi...
nadani hamein aati nahi , firki ki tarah kartein hain baad.....hyderabadi istyle main hum hain lucknowi nawab ;)

-Aadab arz hai :D

Examination Blues

Another lazy morning.....11:00 a.m. on the clock.
Figuring out what to do next...was something that struck me off.
My head was spinning with debit and credit,ratios and balance sheets.
and trial balance of my state was like "Sugar witthout sweet" ;)
As per an ancient hostel saying, when the examination fever hits...
going to the moon and coming back, happens like a quick fix :))

I need an inspiration, or a kick on my butt to be precise...
to pass this financial hurdle without any debts by my side... :D
(P.S: I haven't started with OB, shall be dedicating a separate prose for the same.
may the OB gods be kind to me-Amen)

...And then the OB gods appeared in my dream...
they recited their versus of high performing teams..
In Desi if I say the idea was so damn simple,
I needed the Junta with me to do a little Jingle and mingle ;)

Now it comes upon us, to show the lessons that we have learnt.
In OB,PM and finance to see if good marks are earned :)