This was quite and interesting lecture by three panelists.All doing business in India or trying.All three had a different prospective.All of them had a connection to Rhode Island and URI.
John S Struck managing director Wand Partners had started a seed company in India. Their Company name US Seed exploits its connection with America.They have grown from a start up company of million dollars to a vertical integrated seed company .They have hired Indian Technologists and are very pleased in their performance and business in particular.Projected profit for this year is 4 million dollars quite impressive any where. John has travelled all over the world after finishing his studies at URI in 1974.Has been to India many times and is very impressed by its potential.He feels that his company is making contribution and making money at the same time.
Tobias Luehrig also a URI Graduate works for German Truck manufacturer.He explained how in India A twenty ton truck will cost 30 to forty thousand dollars while in Europe similar capacity truck will cost 130 thousand dollars.Naturally it would have a after market body on a truck chassis.Many times in India trucks carry large volume of materials as very little compressed packing is available and drive at 40 miles and hour .With excessive manpower available minor maintenance can be done on a routine basis.His presentation was interesting and showed how even at the cot of 30 thousand dollars in India margins of profit can be in the range of 20 percent or up.
These trucks had GPS tracking devices.
Final guest speaker was Shivam Subramanium Chairman,CEO of FM GLOBAL a Rhode island company.A unique company which is an Insurance ,engineering company in the business of loss mitigation for large industrial companies.From the discussion i became aware that they did not have clients in toxic or potentially hazardous manufacturing industries like nuclear,oil and petrochemical.Their engineers are specially trained for safety and it takes an engineer three years to train for the job in the company. His company has gone with their fortune 1000 clients as their businesses have expanded overseas.Now as international companies are starting plants in India they are developing facilities in India.He does not have any Indian clients yet.But sees a great potential.
A question was raised about employment of women in their enterprises.Shivam felt that lack engineering schooled women is a challenge he faces in all the countries .
Other panelists had also shared that women participation in their businesses was minimal.This disturbed my Daughter Sabrina who is a Junior at URI.I do not see many women go into sciences nad engineering as i would like.I wonder was Larry Sommer's in his remarks about women and science(in this case engineering) was that much of the mark ?
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Trains for women only in India, good or bad of it !!.
India has problems with over crowding in Trains.It is very difficult for handicapped and not most agile of people to travel in them . For women it is doubly difficult to protect the dignity,honor and that feminine charm while traveling in trains.
India's new female railway minister(Mamta Banerji) has solution in women only trains .For short term it may be accepted as a solution to help professional women to travel. Segregation is not the solution for overcrowding and bad service.It is time that enough seats be created so that anybody who wishes to travel may travel in comfort.It is better for india to Double the railway lines and improve the seating in numbers and comfort to international standards.
It is also very important to note that India can not afford to go to Automobile age without ruining its economy and environment .Railways( electric) are the best solution in short as well as long run.If India is able to bring nuclear power as fuel for electric generation it will save the hydro carbon polution for sure and use electricity as in electric trains in transportation.Noneed of hybrid or electric cars.
India does not need prohibitively expensive solutions for simple problems.It is lucky that it can exploit efficiencies of scale and density to its advantage.Scale is smaller compact and more efficient.Need to create lakes waterways, dams,nuclear ,hydro,solar,and power generation.Number one factor for India's slow growth has been its inability to produce enough electricity.
With its society getting better educated and better reproductive information, size of indian families has started to shrink without the cruel and harsh methods adopted by China or total failure of the systems in Pakistan.
India needs to improve all the infrastructure in a public service model .It will will fail as a total for profit enterprise.Proper measures have to be taken where national agenda for development moves forward.First step is to bring the lot of poorest of the Indians up.INdia needs to bypass the Auto age and take the benefits of information and nuclear age for its citizens
India's new female railway minister(Mamta Banerji) has solution in women only trains .For short term it may be accepted as a solution to help professional women to travel. Segregation is not the solution for overcrowding and bad service.It is time that enough seats be created so that anybody who wishes to travel may travel in comfort.It is better for india to Double the railway lines and improve the seating in numbers and comfort to international standards.
It is also very important to note that India can not afford to go to Automobile age without ruining its economy and environment .Railways( electric) are the best solution in short as well as long run.If India is able to bring nuclear power as fuel for electric generation it will save the hydro carbon polution for sure and use electricity as in electric trains in transportation.Noneed of hybrid or electric cars.
India does not need prohibitively expensive solutions for simple problems.It is lucky that it can exploit efficiencies of scale and density to its advantage.Scale is smaller compact and more efficient.Need to create lakes waterways, dams,nuclear ,hydro,solar,and power generation.Number one factor for India's slow growth has been its inability to produce enough electricity.
With its society getting better educated and better reproductive information, size of indian families has started to shrink without the cruel and harsh methods adopted by China or total failure of the systems in Pakistan.
India needs to improve all the infrastructure in a public service model .It will will fail as a total for profit enterprise.Proper measures have to be taken where national agenda for development moves forward.First step is to bring the lot of poorest of the Indians up.INdia needs to bypass the Auto age and take the benefits of information and nuclear age for its citizens
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Some thing about President Pratibha Patil of India
It is facinating to note that first woman president of India is taking an active role in the development of India. she is playing a much more important role than all the prevoious presidents of India had done.
I am not talking about politics but of the things which matter,human development,girl power and rights,education and even international relations.Her soft diplomacy has been vital to develop ties with important nations where indias ministers can not spend enough energies and time .She is the power, by spending a week at a time in a country she has braught respect to the office of the president and truely helped the government in doing tasks assigned to it. I am impressed how she has visited central asian and other not so sexy but vital nations in the region.By her visits indian public also gets a lesson in geography and civics of tthe world.
Her ease and confidence in travels to all these capitals of the world showes the strength of this woman. I am proud of what she has done and am sure prestige brought to office of President Of India will serve the nation in the long run.
I am not talking about politics but of the things which matter,human development,girl power and rights,education and even international relations.Her soft diplomacy has been vital to develop ties with important nations where indias ministers can not spend enough energies and time .She is the power, by spending a week at a time in a country she has braught respect to the office of the president and truely helped the government in doing tasks assigned to it. I am impressed how she has visited central asian and other not so sexy but vital nations in the region.By her visits indian public also gets a lesson in geography and civics of tthe world.
Her ease and confidence in travels to all these capitals of the world showes the strength of this woman. I am proud of what she has done and am sure prestige brought to office of President Of India will serve the nation in the long run.
Monday, August 17, 2009
warriors of gentler sex
Story in NYT women in arms 8-16-2009 Steven Lee Myers.
Women are fighting on the front lines of our war .They are getting killed and defending their partners as equal .
This is the first time for American men and women soldiers, who are away from home for long periods of time,to live and work in close proximity in war zone. With the culture of sexual freedom and adult autonomy the problems are arising which are more unique for military and not for society.
These are strong women who can hold on their own .Without moral judgement can decide responsible sex if they choose. As only women can become pregnant military has evacuated pregnant women from war zones . Numbers for evacuated women has been very small. These are the signs that military is adjusting to having women as part of its readiness mix.Women by standing strong and adjusting to female particularities to rugged war condition have proven that they are more than match for any enemy or competitor alike.
They have used wide mouthed bottles to pee on the road and have proven that difference in physical equipment(biolgy)can not be allowed to be hindrance in performance of their duty.It is time that every body took these soldiers seriously and for good reason.
Women are fighting on the front lines of our war .They are getting killed and defending their partners as equal .
This is the first time for American men and women soldiers, who are away from home for long periods of time,to live and work in close proximity in war zone. With the culture of sexual freedom and adult autonomy the problems are arising which are more unique for military and not for society.
These are strong women who can hold on their own .Without moral judgement can decide responsible sex if they choose. As only women can become pregnant military has evacuated pregnant women from war zones . Numbers for evacuated women has been very small. These are the signs that military is adjusting to having women as part of its readiness mix.Women by standing strong and adjusting to female particularities to rugged war condition have proven that they are more than match for any enemy or competitor alike.
They have used wide mouthed bottles to pee on the road and have proven that difference in physical equipment(biolgy)can not be allowed to be hindrance in performance of their duty.It is time that every body took these soldiers seriously and for good reason.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
About time a uniform marriage act be passed for India
India's traditions and culture has made the society more or less uniform in accepting certain norms in marriage.Largest majority of Muslims marry once and for life . It is time that a civil marriage act be implemented ,where children would be protected.Women's rights and children's well being should be taken into account.Systems needs to be modernised to protect widows rights.
It is time that in case of irreconcilable differences an equitable system of divorce be allowed for the general benefit of the society.Divorces should be handled by a family court with special training for handling such issues.
It is time that India's laws protect women and children irrespective of competing family laws of different faiths.These laws should provide minimal legal protection and all different faiths should be encouraged to enhance these protections if they can.
It is time that in case of irreconcilable differences an equitable system of divorce be allowed for the general benefit of the society.Divorces should be handled by a family court with special training for handling such issues.
It is time that India's laws protect women and children irrespective of competing family laws of different faiths.These laws should provide minimal legal protection and all different faiths should be encouraged to enhance these protections if they can.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
India's newly recruited women border security guards.
India is fast moving to create environment of gender equality .Slow but surely it is happening.
178 newly trained women recruits will join the BSF in coming weeks and months.This is pioneering and proud group of young women ages 18 to22 selected from a group of 8000 candidates.
The outstanding calibre of this group is a proof how India is changing. Among the new recruits, 14 are post-graduates, 22 graduates and 128 studied up to Class 12.In India high school is 10 years of schooling.Only 14 were high school graduates they may be the youngest students as such their achievement is more commendable.
BSF is the semi military part of the border security at the border .They are the ceremonial as well as first line of guards at the border posts .Would it change the BSF for better? Will the presence of women humanise this organisation.Is India ready for presence of women in this force.I hope we all learn something from it .Woman soldiers from India have made UN proud of their service .This is a happy day for the world and India ,US along with other democracies can be proud that long awaited changes for the better are happening.To me it always seems women make military lesser militaristic and we are better for it.
178 newly trained women recruits will join the BSF in coming weeks and months.This is pioneering and proud group of young women ages 18 to22 selected from a group of 8000 candidates.
The outstanding calibre of this group is a proof how India is changing. Among the new recruits, 14 are post-graduates, 22 graduates and 128 studied up to Class 12.In India high school is 10 years of schooling.Only 14 were high school graduates they may be the youngest students as such their achievement is more commendable.
BSF is the semi military part of the border security at the border .They are the ceremonial as well as first line of guards at the border posts .Would it change the BSF for better? Will the presence of women humanise this organisation.Is India ready for presence of women in this force.I hope we all learn something from it .Woman soldiers from India have made UN proud of their service .This is a happy day for the world and India ,US along with other democracies can be proud that long awaited changes for the better are happening.To me it always seems women make military lesser militaristic and we are better for it.
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