Business World Magazine Presents the Final Bid for Satyam
Posted by: Sukhwinder on: March 31, 2009
Its nearly 90 days when the CEO of Satyam Computers, Ramalinga Raju confessed to the financial fraud and falsification of accounts. (January 7th)). The month of February witnessed Satyam up for sale wherein several firms expressed interest to buy Stayam Computers. Finally, the race for acquiring Satyam Computers is reaching its final stages. A cover story detailing about the plans on how the prospective buyers of Satyam Computers are going to deal with the business and staff of Satyam is presented in the March edition of the Business World magazine. The cover story, titled “Satyam into the final lap” also talks about how the buyers intend to satisfy the clients of what used to be India’s fourth-largest information technology firm.
The cover story is very well written. It covers all the aspects of bidding and sale of Satyam Computers. The cover story is divided into sub heading, such as A Few Rumblings, Sidelined, and End Game. The sub headings deal with all the aspects of bidding, its impact of different sections of people, and finally Satyam’s sale. The story also answers an important question: “what if there is no bidding”.
In addition to this, the cover story presents an inset of the events that took place in Satyam Computers in a chronological order. Right from the date when the confession is made by Ramalinga Raju till the deadline finalized for financial bids all are mentioned in the story.
Apart from the Satyam story, the magazine presents many other interesting stories that are sure to grab your attention. One such story is titled, “Global Economy: The Second Helpline”. The story states that if all goes well, the US’s plan to buy toxic assets could revive the economy.
A story related to the agriculture sector that will give you some food for thought is titled, “Corny Trials”. The story raises a question: are genetically-modified foods slowly entering the food cycle?
Another story titled, “Mango Exports Turn Sour” talks about the fact that the high cost of Indian mangoes in the US is affecting their exports.
The story titled, “Inflation Near-Zero Levels, And The Variations” talks about the fact that despite WPI-based inflation coming down, prices of food articles remain a concern. On the other hand, the story titled “International Premier League” states that Lalit Modi has saved IPL for now, but the league’s challenges are far from over.
In addition to these stories, the magazine also features many stories related to economics, politics, media and entertainment, and sports, making it a suitable for people of all age groups.
Business Today Magazine Brings Out Star Performers Amidst Recession
Posted by: Pradeep Dhaka on: March 25, 2009
There are a handful of companies that are successful in beating recession. They are noteworthy because they have succeeded in taking off at a time when industrial growth is slowing down. The March issue of the Business Today magazine features a comprehensive cover story on companies that have emerged as winners during this slowdown in its cover story titled, “Winners in the downturn”.
The cover story is very well written and presents a detailed bar graph presentation of the companies that are braving the downturn admirably. The cover story has been broken down into twelve related stories and each of the related stories presents a detailed account of the winner company. The related stories present a bulleted inset describing what makes the company a winner even during the time of recession.
The related cover stories also present a comparison between net profit for the quarter ended September, 2008 and the net profit for the quarter ended December, 2008. Along with this, the stories also feature a year on year growth for the quarter ended September, 2008 and the quarter ended December, 2008.
Each of the related stories is well connected to the cover story, making the cover story interesting and informative to read.
Another story related to recession that is sure to leave you awed is titled, “Race and Joblessness”. The story presents a graphical representation of vanishing jobs amongst Whites, Blacks, and Asians. While, black Americans show the highest percentage of job loss, it is the Asian workers who have suffered the most as their unemployment rate has almost doubled.
Another story titled, the Crisis manager contains a profile of Deepak Parekh. Deepak is the Executive Chairman, HDFC Troubleshooter. He is almost as famous a brand as HDFC, the institution that he has helmed for decades.
he magazine also covered another aspect of recession in its story titled, “An American dream gone sour”. The story states that Indian professionals can bid goodbye to their dreams of working in the US this year.
Apart from recession, the magazine also covers other aspects as well. A story titled, “Don’t let tax bite” talks about Equity-Linked Savings Scheme that will help you save tax. Another story titled, “Google goes rural” deals with the efforts taken by the company Google to create an awareness about the company in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu.
The magazine also features various stories related to politics, economics, and health along with a note from the editor, making it useful for people belonging to diverse age groups.
Know more about cost cutting from the March issue of the Outlook Business Magazine
Posted by: Aman on: March 17, 2009
Coming to terms with recession, most companies have got really serious about bringing down their operational costs. The steps undertaken by various companies to reduce their costs are highlighted in the March issue of the Outlook Business magazine. The magazine presents an interesting cover story titled, ‘India’s Cost Leaders’ which states that companies are doing everything possible to cut down their costs. From raw materials to salaries, from advertising to fuel burn, companies are cutting costs to stay in the competition.
The cover story points out the steps taken by various companies to cut their costs in an attractive pamphlet presentation. The pamphlet presentation, incorporating different colors, is one of its kinds. Each colorful pamphlet illustrates a step taken by a company to cut down its costs.
The cover story which is divided into eleven parts also features a tabular representation of effective saving figures by different companies, making the cover story easy to understand and informative to read. The cover story also features small insets on how a company is asking its employees to save cost. Extremely well written, the cover story maintains a flow from the beginning to the end. The useful tips and comments from various top shots of the industry make the cover story interesting and useful.
In addition to the cover story, the magazine features many stories on the Information Technology (IT) sector as well. A story titled, ‘Learning to live’ talks about the fact that with outsourcing calls dropping, a question mark hangs over the Indian BPO industry.
The magazine also presents an interview with Gary Steel, Chairman of ABB India, and Head of HR and Sustainability. It also features a question answer session with Ron Resnick, chairman of WiMAX Forum.
A catchy title that is sure to grab your attention is ‘Playing in the clouds’. This story talks about cloud gaming. The story states that the days of downloading video games to PCs could soon be over and that cloud gaming would be the next big thing in line.
The use of cartoons in some sections makes the magazine very interesting as it conveys the meaning of a serious subject in a humorous and sarcastic manner. In addition to this, the magazine also presents the review of the book, ‘The sign of four’. The book talks about how do business leaders turn in exceptional results? The book also charts the four guiding principles through a wealth of corporate experiences.
The magazine also offers stories related to economics and politics, making it suitable for people from all walks of life.
Business and Economy magazine’s March issue bids farewell to many top Tata employees
Posted by: Pradeep Dhaka on: March 12, 2009
The March issue of the Business and Economy magazine presents an interesting cover story about the Tata’s. Its cover story, “Tata’s CATCH 65” talks about Tata Steel, TCS, and Tata Motors losing their top men to retirement in the year 2009. The story raises an important question as to whether the Tata Group is prepared for this leadership crisis?
The cover story is flawlessly written. The paragraphs are well connected and they offer each and every fact related to the age limit for retirement in detail. The story also throws open questions like can ‘chairman’ Ratan Tata become a ‘Managing Director’ with a hand picked nominee as ‘Chairman’ and rule from the shadows? Will that be healthy for the group’s future? Will he then seriously look for a successor? Or will he end up adopting the Vladimir Putin cum Hugo Chavez model of governance whereby he extends his reign further through ‘popular mandate’? All the questions are well knitted in the story making it interactive for the readers.
In addition to these questions, the story also presents a positive side of the picture which states that counting for all delays and overruns, Tata’s Nano should be on Indian roads by end of 2009 or early 2010.
The magazine also presents a host of other interesting stories. A story titled, “Defence = Offensive economics” talks about the fact that this equation is running the global defense equipment sales with US, Russia, basking ingloriously. Another story, “ The footage behind a crime” states that the more chaos the world inherits, the more revenue Boeing generates. Yet, another interesting title, “Guns Vs Butter?” deals with the fact that the developing nations are as much into arms trade as developed nations.
An interesting title from Robert Frost’s poem: Stopping by woods on a snowy evening: And mile to go before I…is sure to catch your attention. This story talks about Nitish Kumar becoming the CM of Bihar after a long fight and that he is now campaigning for a second term.
Another story titled, “More blasts from the past” deals with a recent release of classified documents showing how US has manipulated West Asia.
“Are you doing your ‘job’ well?” is the question most of us are asked everyday. A story based on the same title states that if you’re not the apple of your boss’s eye, don’t sulk! Ask the right questions for yourself and reach the top.
Last but not the least, the editorial titled, “Get set for the 16th Lok Sabha polls‘ talks all about the forth coming elections.
The magazine has something to offer to everybody be it politics, economics, security, fashion or special features. The diversity offered by the magazine makes it a must read for all.
Businessworld Magazine Brings You The Release Story Of Sony’s Ex-CEO
Posted by: Pradeep Dhaka on: March 4, 2009
The corporate sector is in news for some or the other reason. First, it was the Satyam scam that created a havoc in the corporate sector, and currently, the big news is the press release announcing the end of Kunal Dagupta’s 14-year run as CEO of Multi Screen Media (MSM; formerly Sony Entertainment Television). The March 4th issue of the Businessworld Magazine presents an interesting cover story titled, `The Blowout At Sony’. The story highlights the reasons for Dasgupta’s release.
The cover story is presented in a very balanced manner as it offers a point of view of all the parties in question. On one hand, it contains the version of Andy Kaplan, president of Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI), while on the other hand, it also puts across the view of Atlas Equifinn. Atlas Equifinn is a consortium of Indian shareholders (Singapore-based Rakesh Aggarwal, World Media Group director Sudesh Iyer, Shemaroo Entertainment Managing Director Raman Maroo, MobiApps Holding’s Jayesh Parekh, B.R. Sule, Sushil Shergil and actor Jackie Shroff ) holding 32 per cent of shares in MSM. The cover story also features Kunal Dasgupta’s views in a question answer round with him.
The cover story offers graphical representation of the gradual decline of Sony channel’s share in the past few years during Dasgupta’s leadership. It also features small insets of Dasgupta’s version, making it more interesting and balanced to read.
The March issue not only deals with the release story of Dasgupta, but also covers the other important news of the corporate sector by featuring a story related to Satyam which is titled ‘Satyam: Entering The Home Stretch‘.
The Magazine also features an Economic Survey, ‘Delayed Prospects’. In addition to this, the magazine also features a special report on trade, titled “Trade: Double Impact China’s economic slowdown brings its skyrocketing trade growth with India down to earth”. It also presents many stories on telecom, finance and education.
In its book mark section, the magazine presents the review of the book, “The Man Who Sold The World”. The magazine devotes a separate section on fashion and trend where it talks about drinks, travel, and living in detail. Last but not the least, in its profile section, the magazine features the profile of Axel Meyer. He is the man behind the design of N-series mobile phones. The March issue of Businessworld Magazine has some thing for all. Be it sports, fashion, education, politics or economics, making the issue worth reading.
Catch the grim realities of recession through the February issue of Business Today Magazine
Posted by: Jitender on: February 24, 2009
There is not even a single person or a company who is safe from the clutches of recession. Employees are losing their jobs every second and are struggling to find new jobs. The current scenario has been illustrated in the cover story of the February issue of the Business Today Magazine, titled Job Loss: Are You Next?
The story has been covered in such a way that it is sure to run a chill wave down your spine. You just cannot help, but exclaim at the real instances of lay-off and retrenchment present in the cover story. The story offers not one, but many such real instances where right from newly appointed freshers to experienced top level managers, all are going through the same trauma of job loss.
The story also presents a graphical presentation of the new job generation. It compares the job generated in the year 2007-08 which was around 9.7 lakh with the jobs generated in the year 2008-09 which was only 6.7 lakh. It also reveals a shocking figure of the jobs loss in the first quarter of 2009. This figure is estimated to be around 80,000.
In addition to this, the story also offers small insets on how the companies are making lay-offs lesser painful for its employees and how the employees can retain their jobs amidst this grim situation of recession.
The cover story also reveals that though the job cuts, on an average, have not exceeded 5-10 per cent of any company’s payroll (except in cases where the entire business or division has been shut), the insecurity is affecting the behavior of the remaining 90-95 per cent of employees. It is the ‘What if-I-am-the-next’ syndrome that has restrained people from spending on things that they would shell out money for without a thought just a few weeks ago.
The cover story is well supported with the related stories, making it all the more hard hitting. One such related story is the `5 lakh to 50 lakh’. This story presents a recent survey by the Ministry of Labor and Employment which states that almost half a million jobs were lost in the three-month period from October to December 2008. The story also reveals that sectors, such as mining, textiles, metals, gems & jewelery, automobile, and transport were the worst affected sectors. Yet, another story `There’s life after lay off’ points out what a person must do to begin afresh after his lay-off. This is not all, the magazine offers more than half a dozen stories related to the cover story, making it a must to read for all.
The magazine not only talks about the effects of recession on companies and its employees, but also on sensex and the markets. Its story `Markets head south amidst volatility’, talks about the volatile market trade during recession. The magazine also offers various other stories related to the Indian markets, foreign markets, and the rupee.
The magazine also features a story on the Ambani brothers. The story `Ambanis may reunite on mother’s 75th birthday’ points out that the two Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil Ambani, who parted their ways in 2005, will once again come together on the occasion of their mother’s 75th birthday.
There are various other stories on how to find a job and the IT sector which will make this issue helpful for most of the people during this time of recession.
Read about China in 1989 & 2009 in the February issue of Business and Economy Magazine
Posted by: Rumani on: February 19, 2009
If you thought that China, known to be one of our most powerful neighbours, would grow as a super power, think again. The current conditions and those likely to be prevailed in 2009 in the world’s largest economy are signalling towards altogether a different story. The February issue of the Business and Economy Magazine brings into light the problems likely to be faced by the Chinese government in its cover story, titled “China 1989-2009: Heading for Tiananmen Square Part II”.
If you are wondering why the title is so, let us take you all back to 1989, when thousands of protestors, gathered at the Tianannem Square demanding for democracy from the Chinese government, were killed. The cover story has impressively given all the evidences that justify the occurrence of another Tiananmen Square incident. In 2009, the Chinese economy may see it tanked as it was in 1988-89. This is quite expected because the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate crashed from 13% in 2007 to a figure of mere 6.8% in the last quarter of 2008. What makes the cover story worth reading is its extraordinary comparison between the situations prevailing in China in 1989 and those in 2009. Also, in the minds of intellectuals from the field of politics and history, the cover story may germinate some crucial questions like the nature of protects by the educated Chinese this time, the suppressing strategies of the Chinese government, and so on.
The cover story of this issue, in short, has presented a detailed report on the prevailing economical conditions in China and its possible repercussions on its political set up.
The issue also features many other interesting stories from the field of politics, company management, tourism, business, culture, law and order- the list is close to endless. For instance, the story titled “Dress up Girl!” speaks about the extent of barbaric incidents in the name of honour killings across India. Similarly, you will find it quite heartening to read about the dismal situation of the Indian judiciary system where majority of prisoners in Indian jails die before their cases reach a fair end (in the story “Justice is a birthright given at death”). The massive job cuts in the ongoing recession have been accounted for in the story titled, “You’d do ‘Neutron’ Jack Proud!” That is not all. The issue features many more worth reading stuff, presented in a language simple enough for even a lay man.
The February Issue of India Today Magazine Brings To You The Story of Fake Indian Currency Notes
Posted by: Swati on: February 11, 2009
The February 16 issue of India Today Magazine has come up with a very interesting cover story. Titled, “Fake Currency: The New Threat”, the cover story has dealt with a very sensitive issue which is as gruesome as a terrorist attack on the Indian soil. The cover story has presented a comprehensive view of the current Indian economy which is flooded with fake Indian currency notes and how every common Indian is affected by it. It has also unfolded the role of Pakistan in corroding India’s monetary system through fake currency injections, which is no less than an economic terrorism.
What is impressive about this cover story is its comparative analysis of the number of seizures in 2006 and 2007 across all Indian states. The figures presented, which clearly indicate a stupendous rise in the in the circulation of fake currency notes, can compel anyone to have sleepless nights. Even the major Indian nationalized banks are not left untouched. The cover story is extremely well-structured in the sense that it also features separate sections for how to identify fake notes, the Indian agencies looking into the problem of fake currency, new security features introduced by the Reserve Bank of India to fight counterfeit notes, and even a quote section that features the opinions of some of the eminent personalities regarding the problem of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN). Till date, no other magazine issue has dealt with this problem in so much of depth.
If you want to read more about the growing circulation of FICN in the Indian economy and its repercussions, you can read the “From the Editor-in-chief” section of the magazine which presents a true picture of this problem and what India should do to curb it.
The February issue of the India Today Magazine is also a must read for many other interesting stories. For instance, the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka in the ongoing battle between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Army is well covered in one of its stories, titled “In the Line of Fire”. Another equally interesting story of this magazine issue is “Do it or be damned”. It presents a survey report on the likability of the present day politicians in the eyes of the young generation. It also captures the degree of political activeness amongst the youth of all major Indian cities. If you are a movie buff, the issue also brings the review of the recently released movie, Dev D. The issue also presents stories on sports, industry, science and technology, and so on.
February Issue of Outlook Business Magazine Brings To You The Dismal Condition Of The Software Sector Post-Satyam
Posted by: Aman on: February 3, 2009
The February 7 issue of Outlook Business Magazine has touched every aspect of the Indian software sector after the Satyam chapter came into light. Its cover story, titled ‘Why Software Companies Fail’ offers a comprehensive analysis of the downfall of the once glorious Indian software post-Satyam. It has brought into light the fact that Indian entrepreneurship in software services have failed to rise above self-interest and build sustainable businesses. However, if you thought that it is Ramalinga Raju who is solely responsible for this disgrace, read this cover story. It brings to you some heartbreaking facts related to fraudulent conduct by some Indian software entrepreneurs in the past as well.
The cover story has also been quite impressive in drawing a line between failure and fraud, and how the Indian software sector has tasted both in the last few years. It will be quite interesting to read about some culprits disguised as entrepreneurs in software services who have already defamed India on a global scale long before Ramalinga Raju. Their cartoons in the cover story rightly portray their fraudulent practices motivated by their thinking that says, “Growth over Morals”.
Another section “What Now” of the cover story should not be missed, as it features answers to eight crucial questions that may have been bothering Satyam’s unfortunate shareholders, employees and customers even since the fraud came into light. The cover story also brings to you a brief account of the investigations surrounding Satyam’s two real estate ventures: Maytas Properties and Maytas Infrastructure. Post-Satyam, no other magazine till date has presented such a detailed account of the Indian software services.
If you thought, the February 7 issue of Outlook Business Magazine is only about Satyam and entrepreneurship failure in the software sector, you are wrong. The magazine also offers a wide choice in reading by presenting stories on business, economics, politics, science and technology, and so on. For instance, you will be elated to read the story, “Island in the Sun” which narrates how the people of a small island in the West Bengal’s Sunderbans have resorted to solar power for carrying out their day-to-day activities. If this is not enough, you can read “Sun and the City” to find out about myriad applications powered by solar power in the cities. The magazine also features an impressive story on the booming retail sector. Titled, “When Less means More”, the story presents the success saga of Loot, a retail chain that sells top brands at 25 -60% discount to MRP.
Jan26 Issue of the Businessworld Magazine Talks All about the Satya of Satyam
Posted by: Sukhwinder on: January 28, 2009
Post Satyam scam, investors are now seeking a satisfactory explanation regarding the discrepancies that led to this grave fraud and how this fraud may impact their investments. Covering all the answers to such questions and other finer points, the January 26 issue of the Businessworld Magazine has presented an impressive cover story titled, “Ghosts in Balance Sheets”. As the title suggests, it is all about the Satyam scam. The cover story presents a detailed view of how different government and accounting agencies are approaching this matter. Academics, regulators and analysts call this creative accounting, while managers call it Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In order to present a clear picture of the scam, the cover story is divided into two parts parts titled, “Hidden From View” and a “Guest Coloum”.
The story, Hidden From View, offers a point wise presentation of the ways of making a company more transparent. It also offers examples of companies following a transparent process. One such example stated in the story is the Ghaziabad-based company, Dabur. Dabur sends the full annual report to all shareholders, and also voluntarily sends them a half-yearly report. The guest column by Saurabh Mukherjea gives the point wise presentation of the ways for avoiding such scams in future. Stronger accounting rules, better market regulation and stronger independent directors are some of the points suggested by him. On whole, the cover story has been written in a language that even a layman can understand easily. This becomes even more important when the subject in question is quite complicated for a common man to comprehend.
Apart from the cover story, what makes this magazine worth reading are the stories related to the cover story. A story titled “Defying Logic” talks about the fact that despite Satyam’s collapse, people still traded in its shares. Adding to the season of fraud is the story titled, “It Happens Only In India!” This story deals with the fraud that occurred in a painting exhibition.
The magazine also talks about other major happenings all around the world. The story titled “Agent of Hope” talks about the challenges in front of the 44th President of the US, Barack Hussein Obama. On the other hand, the story titled, “Truce Not Yet” deals with the facts behind the reports of a patch-up between the Ambanis. One of the most interesting features of this issue is that it offers reviews of the must read books under its bookmark section. “The Partnership A History of Goldman Sachs” by Charles D. Ellis and Penguin, “Sex and Power Defining History, Shaping Societies” by Rita Banerji, and “The Next 100 Years: A Forecast For The 21st Century” by George Friedman are a few to name. Apart from this, the magazine also contains stories related to politics,sports, science, agriculture, and environment.
