India-reports.com

Where are the experts?

Politicians, bureaucrats, IT czars and the common man- there is lot of talk and suggestions on how to manage the Bangalore traffic. The talks have been on for few years now and nothing has changed on the ground.

Have you ever heard any expert talk about managing transport problems of Bangalore?

Maybe we aren’t looking for solutions.

Bangalore is failing in urban management due to poor governance. A sense of urgency is missing.

Talk of public participation is fine but large scale infrastructure improvements need vision and planning.

A tale of 2 airports: Bangalore

The Bangalore International airport is ready for take off and the city professionals are upset as travel time and poor connectivity to the new airport becomes a major issue.

It is indeed a disappointment that infrastructure development in India continues to be done in a fragmented manner and with a short term approach.

As far as transportation goes, it is a matter of connectivity. You need to get the connectivity in place or else the system may not work.

Wonder how we build a facility sooner than we create the access to it. Thats the way its been happening in Bangalore- houses in urban villages with no access roads, utilities are the norm. But i guess as long as investors come and knowledge professionals are around, the city grows. There is no politocal will or commitment to urban governance.

While the debate for 2 airports continues, its time someone took charge of Bangalore's city woes.

GDP of urban areas in India

A recent study on ‘District GDP of India’ has generated statistics on city GDPs.

The study points to the fact that economic momentum is ensuring growth of cities despite inadequate infrastructure.

Surat, in the state of Gujarat, has the highest urban GDP growth, averaging 11.5% annually, between 2001-02 to 2006-07.

Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore are on top in GDP growth.

An important observation is that Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune have underperformed, below the national average of 8%annual growth.

Indian cities need better infrastructure – are the politicians and bureaucrats listening?

Fun & Games

One of the most public functions of an HR department is to manage people development through training. Unfortunately, most small and medium companies don’t have a clue of how to go about it. In its most simplistic form, a corporate training program evolves out of an understanding of the organizations goals and what skills are going to be needed to take it there. Having done this, many HR departments then hunt for consultants or trainers who can impart the necessary skills.

But there much more to it than this. I may be a pessimist but I feel that 80% of the people who attend these workshops go there either because they are made to or because they feel it will give them a break from the office routine. All the better if it is in an exotic location like Goa – then its a paid holiday with good food and cocktails in the evenings. The small price to be paid is to attend some boring interventions during the day. The end result? Nothing!

Training does not exist in a vacuum. The concept of continual learning has to be part of the company culture. People have to know that if they stand still they will be overtaken by those better equipped to lead in the future. While there are many aspects to this, there are two key ones to start with. Firstly the concept of learning new skills has to be not just empahsised but demonstrated by the top management. And secondly, demonstrate the seriousness of this by fast tracking a few people who have acquired new skills. Nothing like a public demonstration of learning can achieve.

Bangalore tees off!

The perception of the game is changing – no doubt about it. Once only considered for retirees and the elite, youngsters and corporate ladder-climbers too are showing an interest in the sport.

Bangalore ’s KGA still boasts of a waiting list of anything from 10-20 years, but the city is doing its bit to democratize the game. Seen as a classy way to build networks, Bangalore’s three golf courses see a healthy mix of professionals – IT professionals, doctors, lawyers and expats.