Lessons to learn from Infosys

“Wooing the press is an exercise roughly akin to picnicking with the tiger. You might enjoy the meal but the tiger always eats last.”

_ Maureen Dowd

Let me begin by clarifying that I am great admirer of Infosys, I have worked with them in their early days and have written about how Infosys has been built by PR and not by advertising. In that context, their taking the media to court has put them in the spotlight and I believe that there are lessons that can be learnt from this.

As the baton is passed

Was it the cold shoulder to advertising in their marketing initiatives or the PR strategy that could be faulted? From the days when the company made news thanks to the net worth of Narayan Murthy's driver to the current news items, that are focussed on the state of flux that the leadership is in, I look at what they need to implement to bring back the good old days, in the Hindu Business Line.

If you wish to read the whole story, you can find it here.

Bye Bye Bangalore?

I moved to Bangalore in the early eighties and haven't left since. The weather, the people, there are a lot of things that are agreeable in our city that have aided the migration boom that we've witnessed over the last decade.

But is it still a coveted destination for talent and entrepreneurs? After the Zomato incident, I was approached for my thoughts on where Bangalore stands.

Still preferred?

I believe that in terms of Tech talent and having the right ecosystem, players in the IT space still need to treat Bangalore as a priority. You can read the full piece here.

A time to start up?

In 1987, I was asked to open a branch for Mudra Communications, a growing agency of that time. My boss, an outstanding Manager, asked me a question - “What do entrepreneurs do when they start up?” Having been an employee all my life, I waited for him to guide me.

“They are so keen to succeed in business; they will even pawn their wife’s jewels if the need presents itself. I want you to have that attitude even if you are only a Branch Manager.” I took his advice seriously and threw myself into the venture. I ran around looking for office space, getting a telephone connection, finding clients, finding people…. The biggest challenge was getting a telephone connection and I had to move heaven and earth and do stuff that I am ashamed of today.

Things have gotten a lot easier for the entrepreneurs of today. I look at the Start up ecosystem as it exists in Bangalore and the challenges and the eco system that they will deal with today.

I've also talked about startups that I know of personally like this one. You can read the full piece on Money Indices here.

MTR vs Maiyas: Bangalore and Beyond

As a true blue Bangalorean, this is a market share battle that is close to my heart (possibly in the stomach region!)

An interesting piece in Business Today, on the Maiya's brand and how it will compete with the MTR foods business that it started and sold. Although the market is big enough to accommodate the two and more, I feel distribution and other factors will play a deciding role.

Brand Bangalore in need of a makeover

"Bangalore as a Brand has registered its mark world wide as the Software hub, thanks to companies like Infosys and Wipro. However the image of Bangalore as a brand is getting tarnished because of poor Infrastructure and governance, the city is in need of a "Brand Champion".



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