Consumer Notes
Beyond ill-will
On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, I came across an interesting document, Patients' Charter, prepared by Sothi Rachagan, Regional Director, Consumer International -- Asia-Pacific.
Corporate
Discipline is the word
For many new entrepreneurs and independent professionals (IP), the most critical period is the initial stage when there is no business coming in. This stage is critical not only for obvious reasons -- no money -- but also because it can create habits tha
t limit one's efficacy.
The great Indian laboratory
The country is fast becoming a hub of research centres. MNCs, seeing opportunity in the wealth of human talent, have chosen India as their base for R&D activities. Where are these research centres sourcing their manpower from? Are they wooing staff from
Government-led research labs? Or are they looking at freshers from IITs and RECs? And, more important, how attractive is a research job compared to, say, a job in the corporate sector?
Hotels
Curry favourites
What does the Executive Director of Mohan Meakins, Rakesh Mohan, share with chefs Ramayah and Raja of the Holiday Inn group of hotels? Well, in addition to a passion for good food and the ability to toss up mouth-watering delicacies, the trio recently se
t up a speciality Indian food restaurant for Holiday Inn, Pune.
Information Technology
Facing up to IT
Rupika Mohan, a graduate in English Literature, was looking for means of adding to her family income when she came across the New Delhi-based institute, Studies in Information Technology Application (SITA), which trains needy women, divorcees and widows
in computer skills.
Miscellaneous
Action for the couch-potato
What can you do on a long hot summer day except loll around in front of the television and catch the latest show? With May round the corner, it's couch-potato season, and now's the time to catch your spills, thrills and chills -- all from the comfort of
your rocking chair.
Prizes for guessing
Guess who is one of the recipients of the 2001 Limca Book of Records' `People of the Year Awards'? A quizzer with the Midas touch. No, not Amitabh Bachchan, whom you see on your screen every day, but the man behind many a quiz, including Kaun Banega Cror
epati --- Siddhartha Basu.
States
Taking the bull by its horns
It is not often that you get a really close look at how corruption can corrode people's lives. Everyone knows people in power or in public office are corrupt but to actually track down the exact sums involved and pinpoint the people who cheat and have be
en cheated, is something that is rarely done, never mind the Tehelka expose.
Textiles
Fashioning trends
Making waves in the fashion world, but not as model or designer, is Trendvision, a company that does research on trends and makes forecasts, thereby enabling designers and merchandisers to stay tuned.
Travel & Places
Disney magic in the air
`Magic and fantasy are reality...' -- this best sums up Wait Disney World (WDW), Orlando. The result is that visitors to this unique vacation destination can leave the real world behind, enjoying the `Disney Magic' factor, which comes from years of tradi
tion, making this a heritage operation. Little wonder that they market Disney World as `Disney Magic', an umbrella that includes the branding, with magic, animals and showbiz combining to provide the Disney experience.
To Sar, with love
Famed for its snow-clad mountains, perennial rivers and picturesque valleys, Himachal Pradesh draws young adventure-seekers who come in search of serenity.
Luscious, golden moments
If mangoes are your favourite fruit, then Maharani Bagh is the place for you. Under the spreading branches of an ancient mango grove, at the foothills of the Aravalis, Maharani Bagh is a Nature-lover's paradise. The retreat is also favourably placed on t
he shortest route to Udaipur -- 160 km from Jodhpur and 140 km from Mount Abu.
