Elections in India... Transparency International, HELP!

Elections were announced in Karnataka yesterday, and soon, we will further have a rash of elections in some of the major states, with its citizens electing several thousand representatives. Over the past few years, the quality of the elected representative has been dropping quite alarmingly, giving rise to law-makers with criminal pasts and destroying the decorum of Parliament and the Legislatures with lumpen behavior, voting for a financial consideration, watching porn in the assembly and obstructing the conduct of House Business at the slightest possible instigation.

I believe that the time has come where India needs to show the way to the world that its people have no patience for corruption and corrupt politicians anymore, and I decided to write a mail to Transparency International seeking their support in making this a different kind of democracy from now on. The mail I wrote is reproduced below:

Dear TI,

I write this mail to bring to your attention that starting from May 2013, several states in India (Karnataka and others) will be going to the polls to elect new governments, culminating in the General Election expected in Mid-2014.

As you may be aware, the Indian polity has been plagued by corruption and election malpractice in the past, and seems to have crossed all acceptable limits in recent times, judging by the number of scams the media highlights each month. I understand that close to a third of all elected representatives in India face criminal charges or already possess criminal records. I believe that an organization like yours can help our country fight this cancer.

Please can you consider developing an India specific Charter and popularize the same by placing Mass Media Advertisements and propagating through other means a 'Charter Against Corruption' that every candidate should be encouraged to sign. There are anti-corruption movements like India Against Corruption and Loksatta, who may be happy to push this agenda. Similarly, media houses like NDTV and CNN-IBN could be roped in to support this initiative.

Extensive and intense media coverage of every candidate's stand via-a-vis corruption, judging by whether or not they sign the TI charter will let the voters know if they deserve to be elected or not. With such a movement in place, I'm sure many more deserving candidates will get elected and candidates who do not demonstrate an active abhorrence of corruption find it harder to win.

I do hope you will be able to take this initiative and help clean up the politics of the world’s largest democracy. Even in the international community, your involvement and services in this regard would get much attention and acclaim.

Regards,
Hemanth Sharma

Sent from my iPhone

If you have chanced upon this blog and agree that something needs to be done to bring about changes in the Indian political scenario, please do leave a comment in the comment section below mentioning your stand on the same. Sharing this article in your social media page will also be welcome and will go a long way in helping the anti-corruption movement gets the attention and support it deserves.

Do we Indians observe the Quality paradigm?

I have just had the pleasure of being drawn into a fairly detailed technical discussion in one of my forums that discuss issues concerning Civil Engineering and Construction Management, when one of the members asked a seemingly innocuous question as to what needs to be done when he faces a failed Cube Test.

Cube Tests for the uninitiated, is basically the casting of a few standard sized cubes of concrete using the same mix as is used in the building concrete pours, and testing them for compressive strength in the lab. Thus, if a cube fails to achieve the required strength in 7 days, the concrete members cast with that mix are considered suspect.

I am firmly of the opinion that one needs to ensure a 100% Quality Control Regime in our sites, and also feel that in India, we seem to be happy to accept failure and shoddy work as something inevitable, akin to perhaps being a part of ones’ karma – an attitude I personally abhor. My recommendation would naturally be – to establish a Zero Tolerance Policy towards Controllable Errors, and asking the contractor to demolish the faulty section and re-cast. Thus, when I suggested this, I was quite shocked to find almost every one of the other respondents attempting to minimize the impact on the contractor, saying that one must only demolish as a last resort, and have suggested various (expensive) methods of testing and corrective measures lasting from 28 to 75 days to retain a flaw that should not have been permitted in the first place. I feel that our Engineers sadly, are sometimes too over confident in their views, and are incapable of a balanced view to perceive the problem from the clients’ perspective too. Perhaps an expectation that they also consider the ethics of the issue while giving decisions is wildly unjustified? Should it be so?

Speaking of Civil Engineering Construction and Project Management in India, I’m sorry to say that we have not imbibed the true Quality Philosophy that we ought to have since independence and we are quite happy to condone and even defend poor quality work, perhaps overlooking the fact that our actions may have repercussions on the safety, utility and life of the building, and also that it is ethically wrong to pass sub-standard work never seems to occur to many us.

In my experience of having worked abroad in South East and Far East Asia, and thus being able to compare the knowledge level and skill level of the Chinese Engineer and Workman and Indian Engineers and Workmen, I must say that the differences are quite stark. Most of the Indian Engineers are brilliant (and cocky!), full of theoretical knowledge and are mostly looking to find short-cuts rather than doing the job right. Of course, one cannot generalize, but Indians unfortunately seem to need a very high degree of constant supervision and review, sometimes just to ensure that they are seeing the project from the correct perspective, while Chinese Engineers (or Koreans and Japanese) are respectful, studious and measured in their approach. It is a pleasure doing business with them.

Similarly, a Chinese workman I once interacted with, really managed to impress me. It was for a Retail Store Fit-Out project in Jakarta, and considering the fact that I had to handover the project to Operations in 48 hours, I had asked him to complete a task (plastering) expeditiously, not bothering too much about the finish as it was not going to be visible above the false ceiling. He was visibly shocked at my suggestion, and rejected it outright saying that his conscience would never permit him to do a shoddy job, and that he would ‘lose face’ if another worker discovered his slip-shod work in future. How many Indian Workmen will have the same work ethic? Your guess!

(What follows is a verbatim reproduction of the discussions. It really makes for interesting reading. Please note that all the persons mentioned herein are actual persons and their comments have been reproduced without specific permission, but as this is also an academic discussion, I do hope none of them will object to such usage. Further, some portions have been edited to improve clarity and remove typos and grammatical errors).

What does one need to do if a cube test fails to achieve required design strength after casting a slab or any other R.C.C. work?

Added by: Ashutosh Sonawane on: 17 Feb, 2013 | Views: 118 | Comments: 27

Comments

Showing 27 recent comments

R. Sundara Raman: Best possible solution is to take 3 core samples and test its compressive strength, but this can be done only after 28 days of casting the element. Posted: 10 days ago  

Dileep Kumar: Check the concrete strength after 28 days. If the strength is within allowable factor of safety of the design criteria we can continue with further construction. We have to redesign the structure. If the results are poor, we have to break and recast. Posted: 9 days ago  

Narendra Kumar Mishra: I do agree with Mr. Dileep Kumar. The final strength is to be ascertained by core tests only. Posted: 9 days ago  

V K Gupta: One can also conduct nondestructive testing to ascertain approximate strength. Load tests can also be done before acceptance of structure. However, payment terms would be governed by agreement. Posted: 9 days ago  

Rajveer Singh: Conduct NDT by Ultrasound Pulse Velocity Test after that, a final decision can be taken by the designer. Posted: 9 days ago  

Satendra O. Saxena: While Testing of Cubes, if trend is towards failure, some cubes minimum 3 or more should not be tested for 28 days strength. They may be tested for 56 or 75 days if further construction can be held up. Alternatively, Cores taken from structure may be tested for acceptance. Best Criteria for acceptance is to conduct Load test for Design Load, and if satisfactory accept or reject. Posted: 8 days ago

Hemanth Sharma: Technicalities apart, if the cube test fails, one must demolish and re-cast. Ethically, this is the best approach as it is a question of safety of the occupants. Further judging from the cost of delay in handing over projects these days, it may also work out cheaper than delaying the project by 28 days + testing time + decision making process. Posted: 8 days ago

Narendra Kumar Mishra: Demolishing the structure must be last option. But we should go for load test of the structure or other suitable tests to confirm the failure. Merely cube failure should not be the reason to demolish the structure. Posted: 8 days ago

Hemanth Sharma: Mr. Mishra, I would generally agree with you, however in this case, the concrete is most probably batch mixed in-situ and is not RMC, hence the veracity of the cube is also sometimes in doubt. I used to jokingly ask in my sites whether the cubes have been cast with a representative sample or a 'special Cube Mix', as the mason has the tendency to reserve his best concrete for casting his cubes. Thus, if the cube itself has failed, the chances are that the concrete cast was of even lower strength. Demolition of one pour of batch mix would be just a few Cmtr of concrete and its removal in its green state is much easier than when it has reached virtual strength. Projects are run with very stiff penalties these days and to wait for 30 odd days for testing, during which one cannot pour on that section of the structure, and then be asked to demolish if the strength test fails is too large a risk to take. Thus, demolition of one days' worth of pour is an option of minimal risks.  Posted: 8 days ago

Narendra Kumar Mishra: Hemanth Ji, you are correct but my point is - we test the cube after 7days and within this period, concrete attains 60-70 % of its strength and further lifts are been cast. So it becomes difficult to dismantle the particular pour without affecting preceding / succeeding lifts. In all, it depends upon actual situation at site and decision regarding dismantle / retain should be taken accordingly. Posted: 8 days ago

Satendra O. Saxena: Responding to comment of Mr. Hemanth. Failure of concrete is evident only after testing of Cubes normally after 7 days, at this stage dismantling of structure may not be feasible unless the strength is very low. Normally it may be preferable to conduct Load test after 28 days to verify whether structure / component is stable. Posted: 7 days ago

Uday Joshi: It is also possible to wrap more reinforcement and use epoxy concrete to cover it and strengthen the member, after proper review of design. Dismantling is wasteful in time, material and money. Why waste if safety is taken care of?

Pethanna: Additional strutting / strengthening measures with structural beams can be handy if the site condition permits so. If the failure is due to some poor concreting / compaction, cement / epoxy grouting will be good enough. Posted: 5 days ago

Arvind Savant: Checking of the concrete strength at every required number of days as suggested by IS code is important, as we know that normally concrete attains only 60-70% of its strength in 7 days result. We also know that later the duration after its cast the slower is the speed of gaining its strength by concrete. If the strength is within allowable factor of safety of the design criteria (± permissible allowance as per IS code) we can continue with further construction. But, if the results are failing even after 30 days, we shall switch over to conduct core tests of concrete strength / load test etc. We can also conduct NDT (Non Destructive Test) by Ultrasound Pulse Velocity Test, even after the final tests have failed. It is also possible to wrap more reinforcement and use epoxy concrete (as mentioned above) to cover up its lost strength and to improve upon its ability on its behavior as per the concrete member (for ex. slab - a horizontal member has completely different load behavior when compared with column - a vertical member). Then a combined decision needs to be taken on mutual & proper peer review over design requirements and its re-execution feasibilities. Dismantling shall be kept as the last option which brings in a lot of impact over time & cost. Posted: 3 days ago

Rohit Mallaiya: Conduct NDT test eg. Rebound Hammer Test, also the same concrete mix design trial can be redone and conduct ACT Test, check result parameters, workmanship failure or design failure. Posted: 1 day ago

Naresh Chandra Arya: I fully agree with Mr. Hemanth Sharma. Posted: 1 day ago

Buchhi Sundararami Reddy Gangadhara: I believe nowadays the minimum accepted strength of RCC is M25, but to my knowledge, 20 years earlier M15 was accepted for all structures, I believe that structures are stable for average of 50 years (this is my knowledge and supervision), so correlating strengths with that day to present strengths, we need to ensure the pass of the structures of that load taking capacity, still if you are not convinced and if client is having too much money, then you can go for other tests as stated by various readers here. (or) if the results are well below M15, Then it should be dismantled there is no secondary opinion.  Posted: 10 hours ago

Hemanth Sharma: I'm really happy to see the animated discussion taking place in response to the question. I would like to post my final views for the consideration of the forum. Everyone seems to be viewing this problem only from their perspective and answering while wearing their Structural Consultants' cap / Contractors' cap. I think we should view the problem primarily from the perspective of the end-user or client organization, and our considerations then would be quite different from the designers’ perspective.

1.   When a contractor is carrying out batch mixing and not using RMC, the concrete manufacture is normally done by volumetric mixing. Thus, if he can go wrong in mixing in a ratio of 1:1.5:3 or some other specified by the consultant, it is a poor comment on either his capability or integrity. Thus, first and foremost, we need to have a Zero Tolerance Policy towards such a shortcoming in a contractor and he needs to reverse the damage caused to the building, by demolition of the pour relating to the failed 7-day cube test. Please note that I mean no disrespect to anyone, but I feel that we in India do not place a sufficient focus on quality and the 'First Time Right’ paradigm, and that needs to be urgently addressed.

I see comments justifying the failed test, and advocating post-facto corrective action. This is okay only in theory, as the building is not just a structure that has to satisfy basic design considerations, but is a living space, and hence has many more roles to play than that one, which simply satisfies the basic test of strength. Can one assure me that a failed pour that still satisfies the factor of safety will continue to behave in the same manner as a pure concrete structure would for the life of the building? For instance, will the slab be as impervious to humidity as sound concrete would and prevent the corrosion of the reinforcement for the expected life of the building? Or, will we have an assurance that we can safely suspend by anchor-fastening all the services loads like AHU’s without any failure, which can have catastrophic, life threatening consequences? Or, can we all assure the occupants (or even the designers) that during a future alteration (introduction of a staircase / escalator) the structure will remain stable and continue to meet design parameters? Surely not?

2. I would like repeat here, that as I mentioned before, as Engineers, we all have an ethical responsibility that far outweighs our technical ones - to build the best structure that we are capable of building using every ounce of our current knowledge to benefit the client. Giving him a building while knowing it has sub-standard elements is not what is expected of us as professionals, as the client does not pay a reduced rate for the volume of failed concrete poured, does he? Can we repair a clients’ professional status when a portion of the building fails, or repay the loss of life or property? If we do not want to take chances that endanger the client in any manner, we have no option but to demolish and rebuild. It is also unfair to expect the client to bear the costs of all the high tech tests that are being recommended, is it not? 

3. I do however agree that corrective action can be taken if there are compaction problems or other construction errors with the guidance of the consultant, but quality failure of concrete established on day 7 should be sufficient reason to commence demolition. If the faulty pour has occurred in the slab, then the subsequent work will be minimal and may typically consist of a few column starters and lifts by day 7, and will not mean large-scale demolition. I do not therefore subscribe to the view that one needs to wait for 21 or 28 days before taking a view, as by then, the progress would be too far advanced to consider demolition. 

4. A comment also suggested additional reinforcement and epoxy treatment, which may be fine in the realm of design, but such corrective action will alter the surface of the slab, add additional thickness, render it unacceptable to have as part of an exposed ceiling plan, cause problems in laying of under-deck conduits / raceways due to level difference and cause the surface to be unfit for laying of certain types of flooring above, and certain type of paint finishes below. Do we as Engineers have the right to place such constraints on the client or his tenants? Do they not deserve a 100% compliant building considering the money they have spent? 

5. Finally, I would like to make a point that all of us seem to be so sure of our knowledge or specialties that we perhaps tend to forget that Civil Engineering is not an exact science by any stretch of the imagination. There is still so much we do not know about the behavior of materials, especially when they age. Modern Concrete itself has been studied for just over a 100 years, and its properties with advancing age are still being determined and defined as we go along. Thus, I would like to advocate a certain amount of circumspection and a spirit of inquiry, rather than over confidence in our current knowledge. Let us know that our knowledge is yet very far from complete and hence recommending the retention of a known flaw is both unethical and unprofessional on our part. Perhaps, only God knows how many unknown flaws one has to live with in a building, that is built with our current incomplete knowledge of our materials, attention to quality and quantum of supervision, so why add a flaw willfully?! Posted: 1 hour ago

A new role for the Highways Authority of India

When the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) was formed, India was still reeling from the ravages of colonial rule that had impoverished her, and left her with scarce resources and scant infrastructure. Thus, the then role of the NHAI was to deploy a portion India’s revenue collected by the Central Government to create roads for ushering in prosperity, connectivity and development. At a time when no individual possessed the wherewithal to invest in the infrastructure needs of the nation, the NHAI did what it could to meet its mandate.

The NHAI first created single lane highways, that very slowly evolved into double lane ones and right up until even the late Nineties, India hardly boasted of a decent highway, even by SAARC standards. The roads were created to connect every village and town, and as was the thinking back then, actually meandered around and passed through virtually each and every habitation before reaching its destination. Journeys were long, uncomfortable and perilous.

Fast forward to today. India has several corporate entities that can invest the humongous sums of money that is required for the development of the Highway infrastructure, and many of them have invested and built thousands of kilometers of four and six lane highways of very high quality, that run in the shortest distance between the main destinations, and towns along the way are served by connecting roads, rather than the highway itself meandering out of alignment. (In another article I had commented on the lawlessness that exists in these highways, but that is different story altogether). Thus, what one increasing sees nowadays, is that the NHAI need not be required to spend scarce national resources in the creation of highways, as private enterprise is more than willing and also well able to do this, and have delivered infrastructure of higher quality than what the NHAI was able to do for over 50 years. Perhaps, it is time for the NHAI to morph itself into a different kind of entity playing a slightly different kind of role.

The NHAI can concentrate on the creation of Highways in regions of the country where private enterprise is unwilling or unable to do so, like politically sensitive and security challenged areas. The rest of the Highway building should be entrusted to private enterprise, and the NHAI should play the role of an Administrator of the Highways, rather than the creator of them. My understanding of the role is elaborated below:

Consider this. I recently drove from Bangalore to Chennai, a journey of about 340 kilometers. During this very short journey, I had to stop, get into somewhat long queues of vehicles, and pay small sums of money at no less than 7 toll collection booths, each transaction consuming close to 5-8 minutes to complete. This added a needless 40 to 50 minutes to my journey time, and also contributed to unnecessary irritation and tension, as the toll collectors were generally uncaring about the contemporary requirement of journeys having to be safe, fast and tension free experiences. I do understand also that each stretch of the highway was built by a different investor and thus, each of them was legitimately entitled to revenues generated from the road users. What I am against however - is permitting each of them to repeatedly impede my progress by collecting small sums in payment, delaying me by insisting on exact change and other such inanities.

This is where a new role of the NHAI can be considered. The primary mandate of the NHAI shall remain as the creation and maintenance of Indian Highways, but, instead of directly getting out there and constructing them; I sincerely believe they should rather concentrate on the following:

•       Contracting out the creation of Highways to the private sector wherever possible, and directly involve itself in the creation of only very critical or financially non-remunerative highways which are required in the national interest.
•       Defining a contemporary Highway Driving Code and the setting up of a Highway Patrol to very strictly implement the same. This will include clearly defining which vehicles are permitted to use the Highway (banning those very slow moving 3-wheelers, and mini transport vehicles for a start), and for those that are permitted, which lane they are eligible to use, etc. Code of Conduct during an accident, etc.
•       And finally, the main focus of this article - Collecting the Toll from the road users on behalf of the investors, and depending on how many vehicles use a particular stretch of road, set up a mechanism for making a payment to the concerned investor. Permit me to briefly explain the concept below.

I am not discussing about the existing Smart TAG or On Board Transponder Units. These are used by daily users of the Highways, and is an excellent solution for such users. While the investment in the infrastructure required is really quite high for the TAG system, I’m sure they have been found to be justified over some usage parameters, considering their popularity all over the world. My discussion is centered on improving the road usage experience of occasional Highway users, who have to today, stop and pay cash. My suggestion is that the whole process be made cashless at the Toll Booths. What if all occasional Highway users can buy a NHAI Pre-charged card, for a particular sum, let’s say Rs. 500.00, which can be made available at every store or shop that sells Mobile Telephony Recharge cards. Highway users should then be able to just insert the card into a slot and retrieve it after a few seconds of processing time, and then drive away, saving many precious minutes. Each time that the card is inserted, the following transactions can occur – deduction of the current Toll amount, updating of the Balance in the Card, capture of any other data from the card and also the display of Currency Balance information on the LED screens. In my reckoning, most of the required infrastructure already exists at every Toll Booth, and minimal additional equipment will be required to accept the payment made with the proposed NHAI Cards. If on occasion, the charge in the card is insufficient, the road user should have the option to revert to cash payment mode. If this method of payment is implemented, I’m certain that a large majority of the road users, particularly those who are not technology challenged will gladly adopt this.

The benefits of such a system of pre-collection are manifold. The road users will have a faster, more efficient and less stressful journey, while the NHAI will be the main beneficiary as it would be able to collect a very large sum of money upfront, and will be required to consolidate a weekly or monthly payment settlement to the investors based on the actual usage which will always be lesser than the face value collected for the card. Since the revenue collected is always larger than the payout, the NHAI will also develop a large and attractive financial float, which can be used for funding its highway expansion, technology upgrades, etc. Even the investors will stand to gain much by adopting this system of toll collection as their highway usage efficiency will dramatically increase, the safety of the road users will be hightened and they will also see the reduction of security concerns involved on the collection and handling of large sums of cash at remote locations. They will also be able to minimize the quantum of manpower required to man a toll plaza while increasing the efficiency of the transaction which will drastically increase their Nett Earnings per vehicle. The main benefit to all will be the minimization of leakage, which could occur due to underreporting of traffic by the Booth Collectors, collection of incorrect toll, and other such issues.

Some user friendly features in the Online Interactive Portal that will be necessary to manage customers will be very helpful, like perhaps getting a downloadable Statement of Account on a particular date, which will be useful for people who need to claim reimbursement of expenses. Also, one should be able to recharge the card using the portal by linking up with payment gateways of Credit Cards or Internet Banking. Unused currency in a card should also be refundable by direct Credit into ones’ Bank Account, etc. Needless to say, a portal such as this, which has the ability to garner literally millions of eyeballs, should also lend itself to lucrative advertisement opportunities. The possibilities are endless and very exciting! Soon, we may see one such card being used for many other transactions like Metro Rides, Bus Rides, Purchase of Fuel, and Payment of Fines for infractions caught by the Highway Patrol, etc., as the only issue would be to track the usage of the card and ensure that the correct entity receives the required amount as payment.

I wish and pray that the Management of NHAI will agree that my bullish enthusiasm for such as Card Based Payment system is well-placed and will start thinking along these lines and usher in a very early implementation. I will look forward to the day this happens.

Additional Reading:

http://sharmahemanth.blogspot.in/2012/03/indias-new-highways-are-like-lawless.html

Multiple Toll Collection receipts for a short 340 Km journey.

What on Earth are Single and Multi Brand Retail?

After a long and very hard fought intellectual, political and very personal battle, the Government of India has finally decided to permit international retailers to invest directly in the country. It has taken close on 10 years for this decision to come through, and sadly, despite this momentous event, it has still left the retail industry in utter confusion. I have always wondered why Retail in India had become the unfortunate victim of a completely unjustified political focus, for, what ought to have been a simple technical decision based on sound economics has unfortunately become an unexpected high decibel all-stakes-on-the-table battleground. The notifications over the past few months – Single Brand Retail earlier and the current one (please see link below) has laid out some very rudimentary guidelines permitting investments under two broad sub-divisions – Single Brand Retail and Multi Brand Retail, but the absence of clarity is quite disconcerting, due to which, no major retailer can be expected to be queuing up at the Ministry’s doors begging to be allowed in – not presently, anyway.

Single Brand Retailing is totally stuck due to a rule that mandates 30% local sourcing from launch of business, and even a cursory internet search on this subject throws up an equal number of stories that speculate that the rule will be diluted and an equal number that disdainfully insist that it will never happen. One is appalled that we as a nation have the gall to invite investment in this cloak and dagger manner and one is equally amazed that the world’s finest retailers are still taking us seriously! In my view, ‘Single Brand Retail’ is not even a genuine and cogent classification, and if it were to exist, this rule that defines the quantum of local sourcing must be introduced in a phased manner over a 5-year period in the least. While the silly season on this rule is not in a hurry to end anytime soon, some sense needs to prevail and the Government must not insist that the sourcing should be made only from SME’s, and should be extended to cover any Indian manufacturer. As the rule currently reads, an SME who is trained and developed to supply quality merchandise by a global retailer has to be dropped as soon as his turnover crosses USD 1.0 Million. The retailer, who spends a lot of time and effort in developing a reliable resource and enriched him in the bargain by sourcing from him, has to dump this supplier and search for a new one. So we are penalizing success now? Come On! Really?! What are we, some banana republic?

Multi Brand Retailing is in an even worse bind if that were possible. Apparently, this Government has been accused of policy paralysis for too long, and decided that it is best to promulgate a ‘paralyzed policy’ with a view to possibly taking some heat off its rear end! I am amazed as to how a national Government can make a rule that is not applicable by law all over the country automatically. This policy, which leaves the adoption of the rule or of dropping it to the States, is a very confusing and spineless one. Perhaps, a new retail entrant into the country will have a somewhat lesser cloud of confusion, as they can pick and choose to enter only those States that have adopted the new rules. While this is possible in theory, it is highly unlikely for a major retailer to invest in the country if he is not sure of how many states he can operate in and how many stores he can ultimately build. If one is not sure of one’s operational scale in the medium term, one is sure of nothing, and when one is unsure, how will the investment come in? On the other hand, for an international Multi Brand Retailer who is interested in buying into an existing Indian chain the situation is simply hilarious. For instance, Future Retail* will have to perhaps split into multiple business entities each registered in various State Capitals and the investor can own 51% of only those entities that are registered in States that have adopted the new rules. Even if this is done, what happens to the Brand name of the retail chains in question? You cannot have a 100% Future Group entity and a 49% Future Group entity both owning the same Brand Name, so something will have to give. Also, without the ownership of the Brand Name and the goodwill it carries, what would be the use of investing in that chain? This is an unmitigated disaster in the making, and the mess is largely due to unnecessary politics.

So, why has Indian Retail become so embroiled in politics? I really do not have the answer to that. It will take a more diligent student of Indian Politics and apparently even of Indian Retail than I to answer that one. I can say only this. Retail is a very ordinary, low-tech, basic but capital intensive (both fiscal and human) industry and it is only an implementation of globally tested best practices, intelligently adapted to the Indian market, together with the investment of virtually unlimited resources and promoters equity that will make retail work in India. Retail really is undeserving of the shrillness of the political debate it has attracted. The NDA Government, in 2004 had the opening up of this sector in their Manifesto, but chose to 'U turn' on it in 2009. The UPA Opposition in 2004, who was the shrillest opponent of FDI in Retail, is now the one who is saying it is the best panacea for the nation in 2012 and neither position is entirely true. Also now, the NDA opposition is willing to verily bring down the Government for this rule, despite it being promulgated at least 10 years too late, by their own reckoning. It is evident that both political alliances have been working only for their own short-term benefit than to formulate policy for the good of the industry for the long term. I think that Politicians are the Worlds’ small people with even smaller minds, but are those that possess the Worlds’ biggest egos. This has been proved true in the case of Retail in India. Will they ever change and see the big picture? Will the UPA Government ever have the sagacity to seek the NDA’s support for a slightly modified bill and pass it through Parliament and end this atrocious debate once and for all? Will the NDA show the required bipartisanship that would be required? Can they agree to share the credit (or the blame), as the case may be? My expectations from the current crop of political leadership are unfortunately abysmal.

Another aspect of the debate that has befuddled me no end is the seemingly senseless and unnatural segregation of Retail into ‘Single Brand’ and ‘Multi Brand Retail’. My reading is that this classification was conjured up by the UPA Government, to perhaps try and get some Retail investment into the country by the back door. Obviously, the ploy has not worked, and one has heard of only 3 so-called 'Single Brand Retailers' of repute having made a formal application at the time that this was written. Looking at the minefield that the rules of Multi Brand Retail will be, I do not expect any serious Retailer to put his money where his mouth is. Investment will come only when there is complete clarity. Even with a very restrictive 26% regime but a very clearly framed rule structure, investors would be tempted to go all the way, considering the innate attractiveness of the Indian market. With all the confusion hanging over our 51% and 100% regimes, I do not expect the investment flood gates to open anytime soon.

A more logical and sensible categorization of Retail would be one divided along the lines of ‘Food Retailing’ and ‘Non Food Retailing’ which would be more appropriate for the Indian scenario. State Governments must look at the Retail industry from this paradigm and formulate the rules as required of them by the Central Government. One can understand the political sensitivity of food retailing, but why are we having the Government clubbing all retail together? What are the risks in permitting retail of let us say, Books, Consumer Durables, Cosmetics, Jewelry and a host of other lifestyle goods and services by Multi-national Retailers? This artificial Clubbing together of all Retail is ham-handed and ill-conceived as it would surely be counterproductive - both to the politics of the issue and for the retail industry, and the nation as a whole. While one can understand the social context of Food Retail needing to be restricted to ensure that the political agenda is addressed, one firmly believes that Non-Food Retail should be simply removed from all unnecessary controls and allowed to propagate freely.

This kind of rational categorization will perhaps prevent State Governments from viewing retail with a jaundiced eye and ascribing the motives of the Devil himself to all the international Retailers. It is hilarious to hear some of the comments made on Walmart and Tesco during all the media sound-bites that our politicians love so much. Makes one believe that they are invading Huns or Vikings coming here to pillage and loot!


Perhaps when provided with this new perspective, even State Governments that are politically adversarial to the Central Government, but of otherwise progressive states like Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, where modern retail struck its first roots, will be more inclined to notify their own versions of the Retail rules and perhaps choose to restrict Food Retail while permitting Non Food Retail to proliferate as that has no political minefields to be negotiated. For most International Retailers, the markets of these two States and Andhra Pradesh are seen to be the most attractive as modern Retail has been in practice here since 1996, due to which the customers are quite sophisticated and pre-accustomed to the USP of Modern Retail. Also, as they are progressive States, their denizens have higher purchasing power, and also enjoy a relatively politically stable and generally peaceful business oriented atmosphere. I wouldn’t be very surprised if many International Brands choose to postpone their entry into India until these crucial States notify their version of the rules. This would be particularly true for Karnataka, and it needs to look at this very closely and very seriously as many international retailers would be keen to be headquartered in Bangalore, considering the fact that it is the most preferred city for expat managers. Thus, if Karnataka chooses political exigency over sound policy and economics, they will stand to lose a huge opportunity in the form of being the repository for all the investment and being the beneficiary of the tax revenues accruing out of such business entities.

Business and politics aside, I for one, truly believe from the bottom of my heart that modern retail will genuinely and substantially benefit India, especially with the rules mandating a 50% quantum of investment in the setting up of Retail Backend Infrastructure. I draw attention to another article of mine, where I have written about the need for the betterment of the agricultural infrastructure, which I feel large retailers will be most willing to undertake. I do hope that someone out there is listening….


Note.

* The Retail Entity has been named only for illustration purposes and not with any other intent. The scenarios mentioned above would be true for all other Indian promoted retail chains too, many of which are on the edge of financial ruin and quite a few of them may be open to welcome an equity infusion at this point in time.

Additional reading.

http://sharmahemanth.blogspot.com/2012/02/grain-elevators-are-needed-in-india.html

http://dipp.nic.in/English/acts_rules/Press_Notes/pn1_2012.pdf

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/fdi-in-multi-brand-retail-full-text-of-goverment-policy-approval/opinions/16398474.cms

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-29/india/30454303_1_multi-brand-retail-trade-retail-sector

In and around Nanjangud - A brief travelogue

I am a great admirer of the history, culture and architecture of Karnataka. Particularly when it came to Temple Architecture, the people of historical Karnataka were apparently as hospitable and were ready to embrace influences from their neighbors and other cultures as they are today. Thus, in the North of Karnataka one sees the influences and the architectural styles of the Deccan and the Andhra’s, temples in the South East is so much like North Tamil Nadu that it becomes difficult to tell them apart and Dakshina Kannada looks like an extension of Kerala.

The Heartland of Karnataka however was the modern districts of Hassan and Mysore, where either the influences were somehow limited or imbibed into the local ethos without smothering the culture. Karnataka’s most unique architectural spots are here – Belur, halebeedu, Somnathapura, and others. Inside this heartland of Karnataka is my personal favorite, Nanjangud – if not illogical, one would refer to it as the ‘heart of the heart of Karnataka’!

Mysore and Nanjangud have been blessed with incredible natural beauty, fertile soils, abundant water and benevolent rulers. Apparently, when a race of people have their stomachs full and live in tranquil and peaceable surroundings the mind tends to seek out the higher ideals and hence this place has become the repository of all that is essentially Karnataka – art, literature, drama, harikathe and architecture. This has resulted in Mysore District and particularly Nanjangud Taluk being filled to the brim with places of Historical / Archeological interest and several scenic spots. Most of these spots are just a short drive away (from 10 minutes to within an Hour) and every one of them is well worth the effort. Listed below are some of the important must-see locations.

Nanjangud, has its most famous place of worship called the Sreekanteshwara Devasthana. This is a somewhat rare Shaivaite temple, dedicated to Shiva in a region that seems to abound in Vaishnavaite or Vishnu Temples. This temple is located at the center of Nanjangud town, and a short walk from the Railway Station. The main entry has been recently made from the Bathing Ghats on the banks of the River Kapila, where one is expected to bathe and purify one’s soul before entering the temple.

The Sreekanteshwara Devasthana is about 1,000 years old and is believed to have been built by the Cholas. The entire structure is a very large and elaborately built temple complex with a large central courtyard in which the main temple is located. Small temples dedicated to Ganesha, Shardaamba, Satyanarayana and Anjaneya are located all along the route of a pilgrim visiting the main deity and that of his consort Parvathi. A temple visit is rounded of by visiting the ancient Navagraha temple, where each of the planetary positions are represented by beautifully and intricately carved statuettes. On the outside, temples dedicated to Nataraja and Nandi can be seen. This temple is believed to have one of the largest monolith Nandi statues in the state. No visit to this temple is complete without visiting the spot where Chandikeshwara (the ‘Stenographer’ to the Gods) is seated and making sure he knows that you have visited this temple and hence ‘eligible’ for your due brownie points. One is expected to clap or snap one’s fingers to catch the attention of Chandikeshwara, as he is apparently hard of hearing, so that he notices you and marks your attendance!

Nanjangud, is also famous for its Parashurama Skeshtra. This believed to be the spot where Parashurama is said to have rested after his battle with the Asuras. An ancient temple marks the spot and is held in much reverence by the local people.

Nanjangud, has another must-see for believers of the Hindu persuasion. An old Raghavendraswamy Matha, which is very popular amongst the Madhwas and said to be built around a swayambhu moorthi or a statue that was found to pre-exist in the likeness of Sri Raghavendraswamy. A window to the ancient way of life for the pious Brahmin can be seen here, as all the sacred rituals and traditions are zealously followed and maintained over the years.

Nanjangud, also has another ancient but not very famous temple, which is believed to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old! Easily the oldest monument in the vicinity, and is dedicated to Lord Prasanna Nanjundeshwara and gives the town of Nanjangud its name. The locals say that this was the original site for the deity in the now famous Sreekanteshwara temple, and had to be abandoned over 1,000 years ago due to constant flooding of the site. Archeological excavations are being carried out at this site and recently, an ancient temple tank has been found and cleared of accumulated silt. Surely, this is a site that one cannot miss!

Hedatale, which is about 10km from Nanjangud and boasts of an incredibly beautiful temple, believed to be about 800 years old, built by the Hoyasalas. The Temple is called as Trikootachala Devasthana and has an unusual specialty of having three sanctums sanctorum in a single layout, dedicated to Venugopalaswamy, Lakshmikantaswamy, and Lakshminarashimaswamy.

The Main temple is very beautifully done with impeccable carvings. The idols are also carved with much love and dedication and abound in special effects like the eyes of the Lakshmi idol seem to follow the priest’s aarati flame and other such wonders. The Temple has a covered courtyard that is believed to have been added on more recently by a local Palegara (Chieftain) which seats each of his 16 daughters and their spouses in such a manner that the Palegara could see all the 16 couples, while his wife sitting beside him could see only her daughters as it was considered inappropriate for the Mother in Law to see her Sons in Law. The marked difference in the quality and the finish of the Temple and the Courtyard is very evident.

 Hemmaragala, a really ancient temple which is believed to be about 1,500 years old, and located at about 14Km from Nanjangud. This temple is built in the Chola style and most of the original structure and design has remained undisturbed to this day. The locals believe that this temple has the power to grant one their wishes. An interesting story is told about a Chola King who came here and prayed for a male heir and in due course, this King had a daughter. Apparently peeved at being ‘cheated’ by the Lord, he is believed to have brought the daughter to the temple and demanded justice - and in a miraculous move, the Lord changed the gender of the child. Thus, the King called the temple the Hucchu (insane) Venugopalaswamy in place of Santaana (heirs) Venugopalaswamy!

People from all over come and ask for favors and tie a lemon to the temple pillars, and come back for thanksgiving when their wish has been granted. It is interesting to note that this temple offers a Kondaya Rishi Danda Seve (prayer using the staff of Sage Kondaya) only on Saturday and Sunday, when the priest places the staff on your head and prays that your wishes be granted. Everyone I spoke to swear that this definitely works, and is a must for every believer. However, if one wants to enjoy the Temple for its historical treasures, the weekend can be avoided as very long queues of people seeking favors would be encountered.

Kalale, another ancient temple believed to be about 1,000 years old, again built by the Cholas. The temple is dedicated to Lakshmikantaswamy. The temple is at a distance of about 7Km from Nanjangud. Though the original temple must have been built in the style typical of the Cholas – flat roofs, Square plan columns, somewhat rough hewn and minimalist treatment in terms of carvings and architecture, it has suffered a series of renovations using poor quality modern materials and shoddy workmanship, which has resulted in most of the original look and feel being lost. The temple however is a repository of the Tamil Brahminical faith and consists of many small statues and carvings recording the contributions of this community.

Himavatha, this is a hill station temple, about 50Km from Nanjangud on the way to Bandipur and is famed for being located on a hill that is always misty or covered in Hima, hence the name. The temple is called Himavat Gopalaswamy and is believed to be over a thousand years old.

T Narasipura, or the town of Narasipura located at a distance of about 36Km boasts of a Sangama of three rivers and hence believed to be a very sacred place. The river Kapila, Kaveri and Gupta Gamini meet at the Spatika Sarovara. One can see the dark, still waters of the Kapila meeting with the white choppy waters of the Kaveri and becoming crystal clear at a point where even the rocks at the bottom of the river bed become visible. This is believed to be the point at which the mythical underground river Gupta Gamini joins the Sangama. As this is considered to be both a spiritual as well as a geographical wonder, a visit to this Sangama is an effort that is definitely rewarding.

On the banks of this Sangama, two famous temples, the Narashimaswamy Devastana and Agasteshwara Devastana each believed to be over 1500 years old can be visited.

Upon traveling a further 20Km from T Narasipura, one can visit the famous archeological site of Somnathapura. Here, ruins of temples built during the Hoysala reign can be found, equaling in beauty and execution the ruins at Beluru and Halebeedu.

Parvathi Betta, another hill temple located at about 30Km from Nanjangud, dedicated to Lord Sreenivasa can be found. This Sreenivasa temple is believed to be a close by alternative to the more famous one at Tirupathi. The temple is about 800 years old and like most temples boats of a miracle story. It is believed that a pious man who in advanced age wanted to get a darshana of the Tirupathi lord, but was unable to do so due to his infirm condition. He apparently prayed to the lord Sreenivasa and asked him for a solution, and the lord responded saying “Just turn left and look, I’m there”. The devotee is said to be turned left and walked, soon to discover this temple.

Finally, no visit to Nanjangud will be complete without learning a little about one of the most famous son of this land, the founder patriarch of Sadvaidashala, B. V. Pandit. His historical factory is located right in the middle of the town, and was established almost a hundred years ago, where all the Ayurvedic preparations are made exactly the way they are recommended to be made in the medical texts themselves.

The story of the founder reads like a veritable fairy tale – a man of incredible vision, clarity of thought, battling against poverty to start a small unit making medicines and cycling to Mysore every day to sell them, until one day, he had the brainwave to formulate and manufacture the famous and iconic product Nanjangud Hallina Pudi (tooth powder), which brought him much fame and renown. Do visit the Sadvaidashala factory and ask to have a guided tour of their facility. It is advised to ascertain before hand when would be the best time to visit.

Right next to the factory is the old and beautifully built house in which B. V. Pandit lived and ruled over a large family and vast business interests. The house is now abandoned and slowly falling to ruin, and surely it will be most appropriate if the same can be converted into a museum showcasing the life and times of this visionary. One hopes to be able to see portraits, photographs, films and the personal effects of this great personage located in the place where he lived a major portion of his life.