Carpooling – The Good, the Bad and the Environment

Fuel prices have been stable for the past couple of weeks, but this trend is not going to continue nor is it going to go backward (wishful thinking). Some newspapers have already carried the news that we should be prepared for a substantial hike in fuel prices once the election season is over. The lull in price fluctuation was enforced by the Election Commission of India and comes under its code of conduct, which was lifted last week.

When faced with news, especially bleak news – there are two ways a person can go about dealing with it. Accept it or take steps for change. In this scenario, we can either accept that fuel prices will keep on rising. After all, that’s how it’s always played in the past OR we can take concrete alternative steps to counter it. The rise in fuel prices is just one of the many reasons why we should start looking at ways to share our daily commute. Look at it this way, more people in one automobile = less number of cars on the road = less chances of a traffic jam happening. More people reaching on time to their destinations is just one of the many positive outcomes arising out of this practice.

What’s stopping us from making group commuting a habit? Not only are we saving money, resources and time – we are making sure we leave a small carbon footprint in our country (more on carbon footprints here: http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx).

The only challenge I can see can come in the form of organizing everyone’s time and habits when heading out together in a single vehicle – but technology can help us here with many online services coming out to help us in this regard. One of the more helpful ones is - http://www.carpooling.in/

Here at Hero BPO, we have a culture of our employees travelling to and fro from work and home in company cabs – highlighting our commitment to group comminuting. People living in the same neighborhood travel together saving costs and thus helping leave a leaner carbon footprint.

“We're in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyones arguing over where they're going to sit” ― David Suzuki

Mindmine Summit 2013

Last week I was part of the 8^th annual Mindmine Summit by the Hero Group. I have attended the past summits as well and like them, this one too was an enlightening experience with discussions on matters that concern the nation & economy as a whole.

At the summit, I had the opportunity of being witness to discussions among some luminous minds and also interacted with the likes of Mr. Salman Bashir current high commissioner of Pakistan to India. Being part of a platform where well known individuals from across various industries put forth their views on the economics & politics of India was an opportunity which can be used for introspection. Introspection not only for the system and authorities in the society but also the role that one can play in this, being a fresher to any industry or being the CEO of a well known organizational body.

Ms. Poonam Dhillon presented insightful piece on how adaptation of external culture is adding to our progress as a nation as long as we make it centered and do not blindly follow any one culture. Also, an interesting point made by Subodh Gupta was about how while we are worried about being “wrongly influenced” by other cultures, but are we really making efforts to preserve our cultures vis a vis museums and heritage.

Another intriguing discussion was how technology is leading India forward. A point put forth by one of the panelists, with which I agree, was that it is not  only about the gizmos that are invented, it’s about doing things smartly and efficiently. 

 Other dignitaries such as Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar, Mr. Devang Nanavati & Ms. Smriti Irani debated on the topic ‘India needs stronger leadership, not democratic leadership.’  

An all in all wonderful experience and I look forward to the 9^th annual summit. 

Mr. Shashi Tharoor at the Mindmine Summit 2013

Ms. Poonam Dhillon speak on the topic ‘Culture Club: Will Adaptation Enrich or Destroy Our Heritage?’

Panelists at the summit

Mr. Omar Abdullah, who was part of the panel discussing ‘Return of Regionalism: Are the States ruling Delhi?’

Interacted with Mr. Salman Bashir, current high commissioner of Pakistan to India & Mr. G. Parthasarathy, former diplomat.

Ms. Smriti Irani, Mr. Devang Nanavati, Dr. Bibek Debroy, Ms. Shereen Bhan & Mr. Kanwal Sibal, during the debate on Day 2 of the Summit.

With Poonam Dhillon

With Prabhu Chawla

Empowering Women, Empowering India

In this contemporary world, the role of a woman is as crucial as that of her male counterpart. When women and men lead together, decisions reflect and respond better to the diverse needs of society. Women are smart & capable and when they are empowered, it only gives them an extra edge.

Women empowerment has been close to the heart of many in the past. According to Mahatma Gandhi, “If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate an entire family.” Be it education, politics, architecture, science & technology, entertainment, communication… women have made a mark everywhere.

The young women of today are weaving their personal and professional lives with élan, without compromising on their goals. They are as responsible about their roles as being daughters, wives, and mothers as they are about their professional commitments as team members, managers or leaders.

But in spite of so much power that has been conceded to them, the patriarchal values which continue to engulf our society, have taken away all the righteousness. Good education and an economically strong background are one of the many things required for ensuring empowerment to a woman, but the right attitude of the society goes a long way.

It is time for all the women to take a stand as one for their collective interest because equality depends on each one of us. From the government that changes its laws, to the company that advances equal pay and opportunity, to the parents that teach their daughter and son that all human beings should be treated equally- we are all part of the solution. Unfortunately it is easier said than done.  It is evident that there continues to exist deep-rooted prejudices against women in India and it is far more difficult to change these opinions by just talking about ideals.

At the same time, it is not enough to hold a rally for few days and expect that structural changes will take place overnight. It takes a decade of rightful action to undo the wrong. With time I hope that we are able to instil a sense of freedom for women to travel freely without them doubting or fearing their security. A change is beginning to happen.

Swami Vivekananda has said “That country and that nation which doesn’t respect women, will never become great now and nor will ever in future” and in pursuit of making India a great nation, let us work towards giving women their much deserved status. 

Indian woman are slowly breaking away the shackles of atrocities and emerging as a strong contender in all walks of life. They are standing up for themselves and are realizing that their empowerment is the most critical element for the sustainable transformation of any nation. The time is right for them to take on leadership roles and more responsibilities and make changes wherever they go.

Respect woman, for it is a woman who has always held a powerful influence on us and who has nurtured us into who we are today.

The Wheel of Change moves on…

“To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” – Henry Bergson

They say ‘change is inevitable’. But some changes are long awaited and once they finally begin to happen, they are ought to be revolutionary.

Having spent over two decades towards my passion, I moved ahead in my career as a start-up specialist and co-founded SPARSH BPO Services Ltd. & SPANCO BPO Services Ltd. During my years with them, I always stuck to the belief that the outsourcing industry had more to it. It had the potential to grow bigger and better.

And continuing with my commitment towards delivering revolutionary and innovative services to the marketplace, it became easy for me to recognize the change taking over the BPO sector in India, when I came to Hero BPO.

Given the market dynamics, the outsourcing industry today stands at a juncture where it is not only trying to shed its 'call centre' image, but also spearheading towards becoming a larger entity - Business Process Management, as opposed to just outsourcing or off-shoring.

I feel re-branding the term BPO to BPM is more appropriate to the industry considering the maturity level it has attained now. From just being a mere third party service provider to becoming a business partner who will manage the entire business process of their clients, this key transformation will help the stakeholders (both inside and outside the country) understand the value of outsourcing industry in India.  

In India, BPO operations kick started with call center business where agents answered calls from overseas, spoke in the regional accent and tried selling products to people back in the home country. Earlier outsourcing was nothing more than a cost saving proposition for companies. However, I believe as the market and vendors got evolved, companies’ expectations grew and there was a demand for specific business outcomes. Over the years, Indian service providers managed to deliver flexibility in operations, innovation in products and services as well as skills and expertise in core processes which their clients lacked in-house and re-positioned themselves as partners to their clients.

BPO companies’ rapid transformation from business process outsourcer to business process manager is one of the vital factors which have helped India maintain its leadership position in the global outsourcing market.

Therefore, this re-engineering strategy has lead many BPO, now called BPM companies, to deliver high end services that has had direct impact on the business outcomes of their clients.