JOB SPECIAL .................WAYS TO Stay Relevant in the Job Market

WAYS TO Stay Relevant   in the Job Market   The job market is constantly evolving and recruiters are doing the best they can to find the right candidate for a job. In addition to traditional methods, human resource managers and headhunters are using tools like SWOT analysis as well as behavioural and psychometric tests. HOW you can maintain an edge in this ever-changing, competitive job market. 1 Demonstrate Curiosity If you are seeking an edge over your peers, push the boundaries of your comfort zone, says Aditya Narayan Mishra, president -staffing, Randstad India. “Show an interest in your industry and its functions,“ he says. “Analytical skills and a finer eye for detail are also vital,“ says Somesh Dasgupta, national president, National Institute of Personnel Management. 2 Embrace Diversity With organisations increasingly becoming globally integrated, employees should be able to appreciate diversity of thought and perspectives, says Sandeep Kohli, national director -HR, Ernst & Young. “Employees must be able to collaborate, capitalise on differences, and work effectively with colleagues who are different from them,“ he says. 3 Network Effectively Building professional relationships will stand you in good stead. “Interpersonal skills are an effective tool to stay ahead in the job market“, says Dasgupta. “Connectivity matters, both inside and outside your organisation.“ 4 Use Technology Networking on social media platforms, identifying and following online trends and accessing the abundance of information available on the internet are required skills. “Use the online world to your advantage,“ says Mishra. 5 Interact Offline Some employees, in their zeal to cement an online presence, don't take the time to hone their soft skills. “Don't send an email to a colleague sitting two desks away,“ advises Mishra. “Work on interpersonal relations; the trick is to build a balance between your online presence and offline interactions.“ Brinda Dasgupta ET21APR15

APPLE WATCH SPECIAL .............WHAT'S THE APPLE WATCH FOR? YOU FIGURE IT OUT

WHAT'S THE APPLE WATCH FOR? YOU FIGURE IT OUT

APPLE'S HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT HOW ITS WATCH LOOKS, WORKS, AND IS MANUFACTURED, BUT HASN'T LAID OUT THE NEED IT SERVES.

In 2010, when Steve Jobs introduced the iPad—Apple’s last new product category before the debut of the Apple Watch—he first set up the product by publicly pondering what had been the middle space between the smartphone and laptop. In doing so, he asked whether there was a need for a device that did a few things better than either of them. Surprise, there was, with books, email, movies, web browsing, and games leading the way. It wasn’t that some combination of smartphone or laptop couldn’t handle these things. It was that the iPad was optimized for them.

The way the iPad was introduced helped set expectations for a device whose purpose many questioned. Five years later, Apple has talked a lot about what the Apple Watch does—activity tracking, notifications, maps, and novel non-verbal communications, mostly. It has also shared a good number of videos celebrating not only its design but the many watch and strap combinations. It’s even provided a rare and welcome peek at its envy-inducing production process. But all of this hasn’t provided a raison d'être for the company's wrist-worn fusion of steel, sapphire, and silicon.

There could be several reasons why Apple hasn’t gone to great lengths to explain who its watch is for or even what big-picture need it serves.

It’s self-evident. The closest analog equivalent to the modern tablet is a magic sheet of paper that can display any kind of content. Given that the iPad was introduced during the netbook fad, Apple may have felt the iPad needed to be explained. The Apple Watch, though, includes what it is right in the name. It is, like its forebears, a piece of jewelry, and provides useful information you can digest in a glance—in the same spirit as how watches have always let you quickly check the time.

It’s tough to predict. Jobs was right about the tasks at which the iPad excelled. Its uses, however, went well beyond a few isolated things. The number of iPad apps in the five years since the tablet's introduction has swelled from 3,000 to more than 725,000.Many of the top apps are, indeed, games, just as they are for the smartphone. However, there have been others—Skype, Facebook, Pandora, Dropbox, and Twitter, for example. When Microsoft released its free Office apps for the iPad, they shot straight to the top of its download charts. And of course there have been many highly specialized apps for the iPad.

This time it’s personal. Apple has noted many times how personal a device the Apple Watch is, a claim it has stood behind by releasing an unprecedented number of models and accessories at launch. The Apple Watch targets a broader array of price points than any product in Apple history, and the fitness-focused enthusiast snapping up a $349 Sport model for classy heart-rate monitoring may have an entirely different purchase motivation than the $10,000 Edition buyer primarily considering it as high-tech jewelry. Besides, its success with the iPad gives Apple the confidence to know its strong developer network will follow it to new platforms—giving the watch a path to an array of uses that even Apple can't predict.

Competitors have paved the way. Coming into the market with not the first but the most transformative product is an Apple badge of honor. Apple did not release the first app-centric watch. When the first Pebble smartwatch was released, I wrote about how its app selection set the rules of the road for smartwatches in terms of their basic capabilities. To be sure, Apple Watch is a more capable device than the original Pebble or even the Pebble Time, but is attracting many of the same kinds of apps, at least as a baseline.

BY ROSS RUBIN

http://www.fastcompany.com/3045210/tech-forecast/whats-the-apple-watch-for-you-figure-it-out

PERSONAL SPECIAL ..................15 Secrets of Really Persuasive People

15 Secrets of Really Persuasive People

Persuasive people have an uncanny ability to get you leaning toward their way of thinking. Their secret weapon is likability.

  

Whether you're trying to get the boss to fund your project or your preschooler to wipe his own hiney after using the bathroom, persuasion is a skill that's instrumental to success in life.

Persuasive people have an uncanny ability to get others leaning toward their way of thinking. Their secret weapon is likability. They get you to like more than their ideas; they get you to like them.

Here are the 15 tricks of the trade that exceptionally persuasive people use to their advantage.

1. They Know Their Audience

Persuasive people know their audience inside and out, and they use this knowledge to speak their audience's language. Whether it's toning down your assertiveness when talking to someone who is shy or cranking it up for the aggressive, high-energy type, everyone is different, and catching on to these subtleties goes a long way toward getting someone to hear your point of view.

2. They Connect

People are much more likely to accept what you have to say once they have a sense of what kind of person you are. In a negotiation study, Stanford students were asked to reach agreement in class. Without instruction of any kind, 55 percent of the students successfully reached agreement. However, when they were instructed to introduce themselves and share their backgrounds before attempting to reach agreement, 90 percent did so successfully.

The key here is to avoid getting too caught up in the back and forth of the discussion. The person you are speaking with is a person, not an opponent or a target. No matter how compelling your argument, if you fail to connect on a personal level, he or she will doubt everything you say.

3. They Aren't Pushy

Persuasive people establish their ideas assertively and confidently, without being aggressive or pushy. Pushy people are a huge turnoff. The in-your-face approach starts the recipient backpedaling, and before long, the person's running for the hills. Persuasive people don't ask for much, and they don't argue vehemently for their position, because they know that subtlety is what wins people over in the long run. If you tend to come across as too aggressive, focus on being confident but calm. Don't be impatient and overly persistent. Know that if your idea is really a good one, people will catch on if you give them time. If you don't, they won't catch on at all.

4. They Aren't Mousy

On the other hand, presenting your ideas as questions or as though they need approval makes them seem flawed. If you tend to be shy, focus on presenting your ideas as statements and interesting facts for the other party to mull over. Also, remove qualifiers from your speech. When you are trying to be persuasive, there is no room for "I think" or "It is possible that."

5. They Use Positive Body Language

Becoming cognizant of your gestures, expressions, and tone of voice (and making certain they're positive) will engage people and open them up to your arguments. Using an enthusiastic tone, uncrossing your arms, maintaining eye contact, and leaning toward the person who's speaking are all forms of positive body language that persuasive people use to draw others in. Positive body language will engage your audience and convince them that what you're saying is valid. When it comes to persuasion, how you say something can be more important than what you say.

6. They Are Clear and Concise

Persuasive people are able to communicate their ideas quickly and clearly. When you have a firm grasp on what you're talking about, it's fun and easy to explain it to those who don't understand. A good strategy here is to know your subject so well that you could explain it to a child. If you can explain yourself effectively to someone who has no background on the subject, you can certainly make a persuasive case with someone who does.

7. They Are Genuine

Being genuine and honest is essential to being persuasive. No one likes a fake. People gravitate toward those who are genuine because they know they can trust them. It's difficult to believe someone when you don't know who the person really is and how the person really feels.

Persuasive people know who they are. They are confident enough to be comfortable in their own skin. By concentrating on what drives you and makes you happy as an individual, you become a much more interesting and persuasive person than if you attempt to win people over by trying to be the person they want you to be.

8. They Acknowledge Your Point of View

An extremely powerful tactic of persuasion is to concede the point. Admit that your argument is not perfect. This shows that you are open-minded and willing to make adjustments, instead of stubbornly sticking to your cause. You want your audience to know that you have their best interests at heart. Try using statements such as, "I see where you are coming from" and "That makes a lot of sense." This shows that you are actively listening to what they are saying, and you won't just force your ideas upon them. Persuasive people allow others to be entitled to their opinions, and they treat these opinions as valid. They do this because it shows respect, which makes the other person more likely to consider their point of view.

9. They Ask Good Questions

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to listening is failing to hear what's being said, because they are focusing on what they're going to say next or how what the other person is saying is going to affect them. The words come through loud and clear, but the meaning is lost. A simple way to avoid this is to ask a lot of questions. People like to know you're listening, and something as simple as a clarification question shows not only that you are listening but also that you care about what they're saying. You'll be surprised how much respect and appreciation you gain just by asking questions.

10. They Paint a Picture

Research shows that people are far more likely to be swayed by something that has visuals that bring it to life. Persuasive people capitalize on this by using powerful visual imagery. When actual images aren't available or appropriate, these people tell vivid stories that breathe life into their ideas. Good stories create images in the minds of the recipients that are easy to relate to and hard to forget.

11. They Leave a Strong First Impression

Research shows that most people decide whether or not they like you within the first seven seconds of meeting you. They then spend the rest of the conversation internally justifying their initial reaction. This may sound terrifying, but by knowing this, you can take advantage of it to make huge gains in your likability and ability to persuade. First impressions are intimately tied to positive body language. Strong posture, a firm handshake, a smile, and opening your shoulders to the person you are talking to will help ensure that you make a good first impression.

12. They Know When to Step Back

Urgency is a direct threat to persuasion, so tread lightly. When you try to force people to agree instantly, studies show that they are actually more likely to stand by their original opinion. Your impatience causes them to counter your arguments in favor of their own. If your position is strong, you shouldn't be afraid to back off and give it time to sink in. Good ideas are often difficult to process instantly, and a bit of time can go a long way.

13. They Greet People by Name

Your name is an essential part of your identity, and it feels terrific when people use it. Persuasive people make certain they use others' names every time they see them. You shouldn't use someone's name only when you greet him or her. Research shows that people feel validated when the person they're speaking with refers to them by name.

If you're great with faces but have trouble with names, have some fun with it and make remembering people's names a brain exercise. When you meet someone, don't be afraid to ask his or her name a second time if you forget it right after you hear it. You'll need to keep the name handy if you're going to remember it the next time you see the person.

14. They Are Pleasers

Persuasive people never win the battle only to lose the war. They know how and when to stand their ground, and yet they are constantly making sacrifices that help their cause. They are always giving in, giving ground, and doing things for other people that make them happy. Persuasive people do this because they know in the long run this wins people over. They know it's better to be successful than it is to be "right."

15. They Smile

People naturally (and unconsciously) mirror the body language of the person they're talking to. If you want people to like you and believe in you, smile at them during a conversation, and they will unconsciously return the favor and feel good as a result. Persuasive people smile a lot because they have genuine enthusiasm for their ideas. This has a contagious effect on everyone they encounter.

Putting It All Together

Persuasive people are adept at reading and responding to other people. They rely heavily on emotional intelligence (EQ) to bring people to their way of thinking. With 90 percent of top performers rating high for emotional intelligence, it's no wonder that persuasive people rely on it to get ahead. Add these skills to your repertoire, and you're on your way to joining this exclusive group.

BY TRAVIS BRADBERRY

http://www.inc.com/travis-bradberry/14-secrets-of-really-persuasive-people.html?cid=em01014week15e

ECO SPECIAL.......... Solar powered device to clean greenhouse gases

Solar powered device to clean greenhouse gases   Researchers have developed an artificial photosynthetic system to convert carbon dioxide into useful products like plastics, pharmaceuticals and liquid fuels using solar power A potentially game-changing breakthrough in artificial photosynthesis has been achieved with the develop ment of a system that can capture carbon dioxide emissions before they are vented into the atmosphere and then, powered by solar energy, convert that carbon dioxide  into valuable chemical products, including biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs and even liquid fuels. Scientists with the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California (UC) Berkeley have created a hybrid system of semiconducting nanowires and bacteria that mimics the natural photosynthetic process by which plants use the energy in sunlight to synthesise carbohydrates from carbon dioxide  and water. However, this new artificial photosynthetic system synthesizes  the combination of carbon dioxide and water into acetate, the most common building block today for biosynthesis. “We believe our system  is a revolutionary leap forward in the field of artificial photosynthesis,“ says Peidong Yang, one of the leaders of this study. “Our system has the potential to fundamentally change the chemical and oil industry in that we can produce chemicals and fuels in a totally renewable way, rather than extracting them from deep below the ground.“ The research appears in the journal Nano Letters. The more carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere the warmer the atmosphere becomes. The artificial photosynthetic technique developed by the researchers solves the storage problem by putting the cap tured carbon dioxide to good use. “In natural photosynthesis, leaves harvest solar energy and carbon dioxide is reduced and combined with water for the synthesis of molecular products that form biomass,“ says Chris Chang, an expert in catalysts for energy conversions. “In our system, nanowires harvest solar energy and deliver electrons to bacteria, where carbon dioxide is reduced and combined with water for the synthesis of a variety of targeted, value-added chemical products.“ HOW IT WORKS By combining biocompatible lightcapturing nanowire arrays with select bacteria, the new system offers a winwin situation for the environment: solar-powered green chemistry using sequestered carbon dioxide. “Our system represents an emerging alliance between the fields of materials sciences and biology, where oppor tunities to make new functional devices can mix and match components of each discipline,“ says Michelle Chang, an expert in biosynthesis. “For example, the morphology of the nanowire array protects the bacteria like Easter eggs buried in tall grass so that these usually-oxygen sensitive organisms can survive in environmental carbon-dioxide sources such as flue gases.“ The system starts with an “artificial forest“ of nanowire heterostructures, consisting of silicon and titanium oxide nanowires, developed earlier by Yang and his research group. “Our artificial forest is similar to the chloroplasts in green plants,“ Yang says. “When sunlight is absorbed, photo-excited electron whole pairs are generated in the silicon and titanium oxide nanowires, which absorb different regions of the solar spectrum. The photogenerated electrons in the silicon will be passed onto bacteria for the CO2 reduction while the photo-generated holes in the titanium oxide split water molecules to make oxygen.“ Once the forest of nanowire arrays is established, it is populated with microbial populations that produce enzymes known to selectively catalyze the reduction of carbon dioxide. For this study, the team used Sporomusa ovata, an anaerobic bacterium that readily accepts electrons directly from the surrounding environment and uses them to reduce carbon dioxide. Once the carbon dioxide has been reduced by S ovata to acetate. “We are currently working on our second generation system which has a solar-to-chemical conversion efficiency of three per cent,“ Yang says. “Once we can reach a conversion efficiency of 10 per cent in a cost effective manner, the technology should be commercially viable.“

MM21APR15

COMPANY SPECIAL...................... SAINT GOBAIN Heart of Glass

SAINT GOBAIN Heart of Glass





How Anand Mahajan turned Saint Gobain India into a market leader

A s designations go, it's unusual. Anand Mahajan's calling card proclaims him to be `General Delegate,' head of Saint Gobain's General Delegation in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. Taking the corporate-asa-country analogy, that makes him the 350-year-old French multi-national's ambassador to these three countries, though he's not French and doesn't even speak the language. Indeed, when he was awarded the designation 19 years ago, Mahajan recalls there were murmurs at the company's headquarters (HQ) in Paris: “The delegates in other regions were all French. People wondered if there might be a conflict of interest in an Indian representing the company in India. In the end, they decided to make an exception in my case.“

There was also the fact that Saint Gobain was in a hurry to get going in India. Though it had an established presence in the Americas, the 42 billion company was still new to Asia in the mid-90s. The acquisition of Norton, an American abrasives company, had then given it a timely toehold in India in the form of Grindwell Norton, a listed entity whose managing director was Anand Mahajan. Though it was a small company, Grindwell owned a remarkable pool of managerial talent, thanks to its recruitment of engineer-MBAs from the IIMs in 80s.

Saint Gobain has since then leveraged this talent to grow its business at a compounded rate of 20.7%. The group's annual turnover in India now stands at `4900 crore and it's the largest glass producer in India and the market leader in construction glass. Through all this it has maintained a steady record of profitability, which has recently led to HQ budgeting for another `2300 crore of investments in India. “Saint Gobain India's success lies in the way we have managed to keep a good balance between growth, profitability and return on investment,“ says B Santhanam, managing director of Saint-Gobain Glass India and one of the original IIT-IIM graduates from Grindwell Nornton.

House of Glass

When Saint Gobain made its first in vestment in a glass plant in Chennai, there were already five established players in the market -including global joint ventures Gujarat Guardian and Tata Asahi -and all of them were then losing money. But coming in late was not without its advantages. Santhanam says: “We took a different view of the market. We went for scale and the latest technology in the belief that the Indian market was set to evolve.“

It was a gamble that played off. By the time the Chennai project (total investment: `1400 crore) came on stream, the market had expanded and Saint-Gobain Glass India began making profits earlier than expected. The company repeated this strategy of investing in a downturn with the `686 crore acquisition of the float glass business of Sezal Glass in 2011, giving it a presence in Western India. This was followed by a greenfield facility in the North, located in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, pegged as Saint Gobain's biggest glass manufacturing unit in the world. In a recent article in Corporate Dossier, Professor Vijay Govindarajan of Tuck School used the Bhiwadi project as an example of the boldness with which corporates are seizing opportunities in India.

An Indian View

When Saint Gobain India launched an advertising campaign highlighting the clarity of its glass, it initially caused much discomfiture at HQ. The big-budget TV campaign featured a group of Japanese suits at a restaurant in a five-star hotel cowering in alarm as a cleaning lady flings a bucket of water in their direction, which actually hits a glass wall. But it wasn't just the cost of the campaign that raised eyebrows in Paris. Glass is a commodity in Europe, a B2B product, and Saint Gobain had never in its history advertised it. “We didn't realise this was something we had to get cleared by HQ,“ says Santhanam. “But when the global head of the glass business came to India, he saw our point of view. He said even the butler in his hotel knew the Saint Gobain brand, thanks to our advertising.“

Today, Saint Gobain is the lead supplier of glass to the construction industry, which accounts for 80% of its production. The rest goes to the automotive industry, where the market leader is Asahi of Japan. Over the years, Saint Gobain has played the role of an evangelist in its industry, contributing to the architecture and design options available to the construction industry. Now another business in the group is playing a similar role, with a different construction material.

Playing Evangelist

In 2005, Saint Gobain acquired British Plaster Board, which came with a company called India Gypsum. Now rebranded as Gyproc , the business is set to become one of Saint Gobain's major areas of investment. Gypsum has been around for a while, but has only recently begun to find favour in the Indian construction industry. “As the market leader, we work with architects, builders and contractors at the design stage. This allows us to get out of competing on cost,“ says V Subramanian, managing director, Gyproc.

Gyproc also makes plaster for false ceilings and its showpiece project is the Infosys cafeteria in Bangalore. The cafeteria was an incredibly noisy place until the company installed a false ceiling that reduced the noise by 11 decibels. “Huge, noisy cafeterias are a typically Indian problem. My colleagues in other parts of the world are not conditioned to think of our product as an acoustic solution, but we've demonstrated it's an opportunity.“

Delegation Network

Saint Gobain has 13 `delegates' around the world but Anand Mahajan has always been a little different. While other delegates play the role of governors, with no direct business responsibilities, the 62 year old Mahajan has continued to head Grindwell Norton (he will complete a record 25 years as managing director next year). Governor-delegates usually have a separate office with their own staff, but Mahajan has chosen to create a different structure. Instead of creating new roles at group level, he's assigned added responsibilities to people at Grindwell. For example, Grindwell's company secretary doubles up as legal and taxation head for the Saint Gobain group in India. “We have a network instead of a country-head staff office,“ says Mahajan. “This has kept things lean. In this system, career growth comes horizontally, with more responsibilities for the person, rather a vertical promotion.“

This philosophical aversion to flab has helped Mahajan maintain a level of profitability in Sanit Gobain Indian that's far better than the group's record in China.“If you're able to give returns, getting resources from HQ is not difficult,“ says Subramanian. “China operations have delivered volumes, but profitability there has been lower than India.“

A graduate of St Xavier's College, Mumbai, who worked with SBI before going to Cornell University to do an MBA, Mahajan recalls his early days with Saint Gobain, when he would sit through meetings conducted in French, not understanding a word. “The company was so Europe-centric in those days, it didn't even have translators. But things have changed,“ he says.

What are the challenges being the bridge between corporate HQ and India?
“The biggest pain is when new people come in at HQ and you have to educate them from scratch. If you think they have to take your word for it, it will backfire.You have to sell yourself all over again,“ says Mahajan.

by Dibeyendu Ganguly CDET10APR15

FINANCE SPECIAL........ Five financial planning lessons from Sachin Tendulkar

Five financial planning lessons from Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar`s long career has lessons for all those who want to achieve their financial goals.

If there is one thing that unites India, irrespective of state, language, religion, caste, color and creed, it has to be Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The name Sachin has reverberated in our ears and souls for more than 24 years and it still has mysticism when we hear it even today, 2 long years after the great man hung up his playing boots. We feel he would come out to bat every time an Indian wicket falls and resurrect the innings like only he can, how he has always done.

If we closely look at his career and personality how he went about becoming himself, we would be amazed to note some stand-out points that teach us invaluable lessons in personal finance. Let us take a look at 5 fundamental financial planning lessons that we can learn from Sachin:

1. Starting early helps
Sachin started playing when he could barely hold a bat. He played for the country when his classmates were yet to write their 10th standard exams. If we look at the length of his tenure at the top level of cricket, it can be attributed to the early beginning he received. It would be difficult to imagine any other contemporary cricketer to last 24 years.
Similarly, when it comes to financial planning, we keep hearing this all the time, to start saving early. Let us take an example of a 25 year old professional who starts to invest INR 4000 per month and he would continue investing the same amount till he is 60 years old, till his retirement. If we consider the rate of return as 10%, can you imagine what kind of corpus he would be left with when he retires? It is a whopping INR 1.53 crore. Behaviorally, we postpone investing thinking that we would start to invest when we start earning more. Consider the same professional starts investing INR 8000 per month when he is 35 years old and keeps investing till he retires at the age of 60 years. Now can you imagine what corpus he would have earned? Even though, he was saving double the amount, his corpus is only INR 1.07 crores. This clearly illustrates the power of compounding.

2. Unflinching focus on the goal
One thing that separated Sachin from other cricketers is his focus. He never had time to stare back at a fast bowler who beat him, or the unlucky few who tried in vain to sledge him, only to realize that he is just not cut out for that treatment. He would just look down, walk down a few paces, tap the pitch and take guard again, this time with double the concentration. Right from his childhood, he wanted to play for India and win matches for it. For him, that goal never faded, never became routine, nor stale even though he had done it a thousand times in all forms of cricket. It shows the measure of the character of Sachin who never flinched even when there were questions raised about his intentions. He stuck to his trade, his skills and let them do the talking.

Similarly, in financial planning it is important to stay focused on our financial goals all the time. There would come times when there would be multiple options in front of us. But it would be always prudent to stay focused and not lose sight of our financial goals. This would ensure that we would definitely reach our financial goals.

3. Discipline definitely pays
If we have to choose one quality among the many he possesses, it would be his discipline. Even at the peak of his career, when he got out to a particular ball or a bowler more than once, you can see him working on his technique, ironing out the flaw that only he saw, because for others, he was flawless. That discipline, that commitment to his career and the cause, is the single most important virtue that made him what he is today.

Similarly, in financial planning, it is always recommended to have discipline. There are no short cuts to become wealthy. It is only through discipline that we can accumulate wealth. Instead of expecting miracles when investing, it would be prudent to stick to the basics and be disciplined. For example, if you are doing a monthly investment for one of your goals, never stop it till the goal is achieved.

4. Choose your own time to quit
Sachin chose the day he would hang up his playing boots. Only he knew the wear and tear his body was being subjected to in each match and how much more it could take. Also, more importantly, only he knew when he should pack his bags because Indian cricket was going through a transition. His presence was needed by the youngsters in the dressing room and on the ground. His wisdom was cherished by them like many of them have acknowledged openly. Keeping this in mind, he chose his retirement at the most appropriate time, right after India won the World Cup, 2011.

Similarly, when it comes to financial planning for retirement, we should take into account our responsibilities and our contribution before taking a call on retiring before the age of 60. All aspects of personal finance should be taken into consideration and only then the decision should be taken. We have to remember, that it is our decision.

5. Have a post-retirement plan in place
Even during his playing days, Sachin followed his dream and being a foodie, opened a chain of fine-dine restaurants. Apart from this, Sachin has also invested in 7 different companies where he holds various percentage of stake. This supplements his other income that he receives from endorsements. He had started to diversify and plan for his retirement even during his playing days. A rare quality that we need to learn a lot from.

Similarly, it is very important to plan for one’s retirement well in advance and not when we are just a few years away from it. It would be a wise to start planning for retirement at the peak of our career as this is when we can plan the best for our retirement.

Conclusion
“Chase your dreams, because dreams do come true.” Sachin retired from international cricket with these inspiring lines on November 16, 2013, leaving millions of fans in tears. Arguably the best batsman spanning two generations, this man has gone down in the annals of cricketing history not just as the player with the most records to his name, but also as the ambassador of the game, transcending boundaries that define countries, both that play cricket and the ones that don’t. He has inspired a whole generation of cricketers and taught us valuable lessons in financial planning which, if implemented with the same dedication and commitment that Sachin showed throughout his career, would be very beneficial to the common man as well to accumulate wealth.

Nitin Vyakaranam http://www.moneycontrol.com/master_your_money/stocks_news_consumption.php?autono=1360776#sthash.AlTrWY76.dpuf

HEALTH SPECIAL................... Health is a call away

Health is a call away





The Piramal Foundation helpline uses the ubiquitous mobile phone to touch lives in rural India.

Since 2007, the Health Information Helpline has extended to a complaint redressal system, clinical and psychological counselling, anti-addiction helpline, mother-and-child tracking system, and India's only AIDS awareness helpline.

29 million calls (that's more than the population of some countries) addressed in the HIHL's existence have not merely enhanced convenience; they have helped avert more than 950 suicides and nearly 15 million outpatient visits.

I have a short-term solution for all us urban ites who complain till kingdom come each time we feel miserable with something as basic as a cold. We only need to remember that in rural India, about half the population has no access to healthcare, and over threefifths need to commute beyond 5 kilometres to reach a healthcare centre.

I also have a solution for all those who crib each time the domestic support staff (we called them `servants' once) falls ill and we have to pay for their treatment. Poor rural patients receiving private outpatient care for chronic conditions spend an average 44 per cent of their monthly household expenditure per treatment. The result is that a number of them don't just fall ill; they become indebted as well.

The Piramal Foundation recognized this inequity and did something about it ­ a comprehensive primary healthcare solution touching the lives of rural Indians through a complement of initiatives. Their Health Information Helpline is what I will discuss in this column.

What makes the helpline different from similar initiatives is the delivery backbone ­ the means by which Piramal Foundation reached the remotest corners of this country without blowing resources on overheads. The foundation turned to that ubiquitous trusted complement of our daily living ­ the mobile phone.

The Piramal Foundation recognised that the mobile phone could help faster than most conventional healthcare service providers. It could reach everywhere, connect in seconds, understand patient needs and administer solutions ­ in less time than a villager would have taken to reach the bus stop to go to a healthcare service provider.

Overnight, Piramal's network could be everywhere a mobile phone reached. The harder a telecom service worked, the wider Piramal's health footprint became.

This is how Piramal's health helpline is structured at the back end. The service is driven by a call centre. The service comprises trained counsellors, paramedics and doctors who respond telephonically to medical queries. The interaction is facilitated by a sophisticated computer based template programmed to “comprehend“ a patient's medical reality on the basis of questions asked and answers provided. The result is that when a call centre executive plugs basic details, the “intelligent“ computer throws up the right prescription.

Critics have argued that such a service has downsides. How can the “computer doctor“ get it right each time? Piramal's answer is that the service addresses primary healthcare needs, the bulk of which concern headache, cough, cold and viral infections. These ailments have been so comprehensively mapped for symptoms and probable remedies that there is no satellite science in being able to recommend a paracetamol or analgesic.

The result is that this combination of technology, core medical knowledge and commonsense has helped create one of the widest and deepest networks delivering primary healthcare.

What is fascinating is how the extension of an urban service in a rural setting has transformed realities. Over the years, rural patients have moderated the need to travel long distances and expend precious resources; a solution can be competently delivered in a fraction of the time, effort and cost by the simple leverage of the country's telecom network.

You would think that the service would end with this simple telephone call. Interestingly, when you encounter a voice at the other end that is as patient as it is caring, you start talking. You feel you have found someone you can trust. You feel that a “doctor“ at the other end understands you. You feel the world is sympathetic. And that is how this simple telephonic service has evolved: it is no longer seen just as a functional service provider; it is seen as a “friend“ at arm's each; it is a confidante to those needing an inducement to consume their prescribed medicines; it is seen as the unseen guide to issues that may extend from the medical to the social.

Since 2007, the Health Information Helpline has extended to a complaint redressal system, clinical and psychological counselling, anti-addiction helpline, mother-and-child tracking system, and India's only AIDS awareness helpline.

The Health Information Helpline operates 24x7 across seven states. All patient details are recorded electronically. Medically validated algorithms and disease summaries provide a valuable building block of prevailing realities, around which paramedics and doctors deliver competent and reliable medical services. The service is supported by 200 full-time doctors and 1,000 qualified paramedics.

I have a different way of looking at this: the 29 million calls (that's more than the population of some countries) addressed in the HIHL's existence have not merely enhanced convenience; they have helped avert more than 950 suicides and nearly 15 million outpatient visits. Commend this service only for its environment-friendliness, even if you don't get the full import of its sweeping therapeutic impact.

MUDAR PATHERYA

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