Cover Story
- The chairman of Godrej Group says the best advice he ever got was from his mother, who put him on an allowance from which he had to manage every expenditure.
- Personal accounts of 50 of India's "wise" men and women - the country's biggest corporate leaders. Each one of them writes about the advice that worked for them. What is important to note is that they chose which advice they wanted to follow, and profited from it.
- Y.C. Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC Limited says the best advice he has received is to listen to his inner voice.
- K.V. Kamath, Non-Executive Chairman, Infosys and ICICI Bank says the best advice taught me to always challenge the status quo and to not be daunted by a change in orbit.
- Snapdeal CEO Kunal Bahl says the best advice he received from her mother always keeps him honest, and aware that there is limited margin for treating the task at hand with any degree of levity or any value in trying to pass the buck to someone else.
- redBus CEO Phanindra Sama says the best advice he got came form his mentor Sanjay Anandaram who said that it is the senior management that makes an organisation what it is.
- Games2win.com Co-founder & CEO Alok Kejriwal tells how the best advice he got "be yourself. If that means stupidly audacious, then so be it" inspires him.
- Pallav Nadhani, Co-founder & CEO, FusionCharts says the best advice he got 'sleep with your competition' told him to respect your competitors, try to be friends with them outside of work, and look at ways of collaborating with them to increase the market rather than chipping away at each other's market share.
- 99labels.com Co-founder and CEO Ishita Swarup shares her among the best advices she has received is one needs to have patience to weather out storms, and storms don't last.
- B.S. Nagesh, Founder, TRRAIN and Vice Chairman, Shoppers Stop says when the slowdown actually hits, most reactions are knee-jerk, and we start seeking advice from everyone other than our truly loyal customers.
- Sachin Bansal, CEO & Co-founder, Flipkart.com says this particular advice 'think long-term, act short-term' has helped in these five years of being an entrepreneur.
-
- Dhruv Shringi, Co-founder & CEO, Yatra.com says how the best advice he got helped the company gain market share.
- Bharat Forge's Chairman and MD Baba Kalyani tells how the best advice helped the company sail through slowdown.
- Gautam Thapar, Chairman & CEO, Avantha Group my mentor - the late Mr Brij Mohan Bakshi - gave me instinctual but insightful advice.
- Manmohan Agarwal, CEO, Big Shoe Bazaar says the best advice he ever got was from his father.
- Future Group director Ashni Biyani says she stumbled upon best advice in book 'The Element by Ken Robinson'.
- Suzlon Energy Ltd Chairman Tulsi Tanti tried to carry his grandfather's advice in all his endeavours.
- Krishnan Ganesh, Founder & CEO, TutorVista; CEO, Smarthinking says advices have stood me in good stead for all my business endeavours.
- Anil Gupta, Joint MD, Havells India says the advice given by his father is inspired by the Bhagwad Gita and has helped him during crises.
- Prashant Tandon, MD & Co-founder, Healthkart.com got the best advices from his entrepreneurship professors at Stanford University who said as a leader, one needs to find the right team.
- Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO, One97 Communications says the best advice I ever got guided me to the discipline of business planning.
- Riyaaz Amlani, MD, Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality says he got the best advice from the Tariq Ansari of Mid-Day.
- V.G. Siddhartha, Founder, Cafe Coffee Day says the best advice he ever got prompted him to buy coffee estates in Karnataka and diversify investments.
- Kushagra Nayan Bajaj, Vice Chairman, Bajaj Group says the best advice guides him to keep simpler the business and transaction, making it easier to operate and prosper in today's highly volatile world.
- Ajay Bijli, Chairman & MD, PVR Ltd says he has been fortunate enough to have a group of mentors and inspirational leaders who have given me a lot of guidance in his journey so far.
- Glenn Saldanha, Chairman & MD, Glenmark Pharma says from all the advice that I ever got, and when I look back at my years, I feel the most important advice given to me was: "Marry the right person."
- Leela Group chairman C.P. Krishnan Nair says the best advice has been my source of inspiration and guidance over the years.
- Pankaj R. Patel says the best advice got helped us address the growth aspirations of our people and maximise their talents
- Mohammad Imthiaz, Co-founder & CEO, Hoppr says the best advice 'change and persevere' helped him become a successful entrepreneur.
- Schauna Chauhan, CEO, Parle Agro says the best advice I ever got was - Always question everything, before I started working.
- Meher Pudumjee, Chairperson, Thermax the simple piece of advice has guided her through life.
- Deepak Ravindran, Co-founder & CEO, Innoz says advice is free - never take too much but take a handful.
- Mehul Choksi, CMD, Gitanjali Group says he will always treasure the advice that he got from his father in those early days: "Combine professionalism with instinct, and don't be afraid to experiment and try out new ideas."
- Subhash Chandra Chairman, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd & Essel Group says the best advices helped him gain credibility.
- Emami's R.S. Agarwal says he got his best advice from Sri R.S. Goenka
- Shiv Nadar, Founder & Chairman, HCL and Shiv Nadar Foundation, says he got the best advice from late C.K. Prahalad
- Bajaj Auto Rajiv Bajaj says the best advice that I ever got was upon reading The Organon of Medicine by Dr Samuel Hahnemann.
- Sasha Mirchandani, Founder & MD, KAE Capital says one of the key drivers for me to start my own fund was the desire to create something of my own.
- BankBazaar.com's Adhil Shetty got the best advice from a fellow entrepreneur who said that one should treat investment in a company as if it were a loan from the company treasury.
- Canaan Partners India's Alok Mittal says the best advice came to him multiple times from the same person - the late Arun Kumar, then Managing Director of Aricent.
- IndusInd Bank Romesh Sobti got the best advice from one of his bosses at Grindlays Bank that success is not only the consequence of our individual skills and determination but also an enabling social and professional ecosystem which we tend to abandon as we move up in life.
- N.R. Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus, Infosys says he learnt one of the most important lessons from his favourite teachers.
- Shivinder Singh, Vice Chairman, Fortis Healthcare says he didn't heed the best advice initially till life beat him into realising that he should follow it.
- Y.M. Deosthalee, CMD, L&T Finance Holdings Ltd says the greatest learning I had during my tenure as the CFO of L&T is risk management and taking bold decisions.
- Anji Reddy, Chairman, Dr Reddy's Labs got the best advcie from a guide book for chemistry practical exams written by a professor in VR College, Nellore
- Piramal Group Chairman Ajay Piramal says he got the best advice from the Bhagwad Gita which advocates the concept of Trusteeship.
- Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources says two pieces of advice from my father have remained the guiding force of my journey.
- Azure Power CEO Inderpreet S. Wadhwa says from this advice, I have imbibed persistence, patience and resilience in both my personal and professional life.
- Lintas Media Group Chairman and CEO Lynn de Souza says mentors, bosses, colleagues, clients, friends and family have been a great source of advice
- Naveen Tewari, Founder & CEO, InMobi says following the best advice we didn't take up corporate careers and pursued our dream.
Places to visit before they vanish
Prioritise your travel list in favour of here-today-gone-tomorrow destinations.Taking South Africa's Garden Route
South Africa isn't just about Sun City and Kruger National Park. Here's why the 'Garden Route' should also be on your list.Protecting yourself from the swine flu
New research shows swine flu was far deadlier than we first thought. What does this mean for global travellers?Showstoppers from recent Swiss watch shows
Some believe that time as we know it would end in the year 2012. Instead, we now see it continuing to be redefined by the masters of haute horology.The watchmakers' craft put to the test
The Swiss watch fairs of 2012 have been abuzz with astronomical dials, chimes that run on acoustic physics and new discoveries in the mechanic dynamism of precious metals. Let's take a look at the movements that put the watchmakers' scientific and artistic abilities to test.
Top luxury sailing watches
A compass for sailors caught in the high seas, a timekeeper for a regatta racer and a clear reading of time for a navy warrior, the merits of nautical instruments are countless.Luxury watches that combine speed and time
Like time, speed too is a subject of perpetual intrigue. When the two come together on a dial, there's an orchestrated chaos of sorts.Watchmakers up the exclusivity factor
In the watchmaking universe, exclusivity comes in the name of Limited Edition series. An ode to excellence, these watches are the crowning glory of their brands.Watches that offer good value for your money
The season's watches feature advanced movements, ornate detailing in straps and dials and are great value for money.
Vinoteca By Sula: A Spirited Hangout
For some swilling and tapas sampling in a hyper social ambience, head to Vinoteca by Sula.Restaurant review: La Bauhinia at Shangri-La, Paris
You dine like a king in his castle here. Yet you won't feel the snub of French aristocracy.Food review: Cavalli's Visionnaire Cafe in Gurgaon
Cavalli's IPE Visionnaire Cafe reaches out to the well-to-do suburbanite on Gurgaon's Golf Course road.Tips for building your wine collection
Once a preserve of deep pockets and deeper cellars, wine collecting has caught up with a younger generation.
Four must-have gadgets for serious gamers
The country's best gamers let us in on the technology that makes them score.Pamper yourself with Canali's made-to-measure suits
At Canali, the art of tailoring is at its highest. Yet it now offers a 'made-to-measure' service to design to your desires.
Colours and themes for spring and summer of 2013
While cuts and lines are still being discussed and debated, the colours seem to have been decided.Fashion circuits are abuzz with couture watches
Diamond bracelets are passe and fashion circuits are abuzz with couture watches. Here's a look.
Roundup: People who made news last fortnight
Starring: Raghuram Rajan, Ravneet Gill, Karl Slym, Claus Heckerott, Aijaz Tobaccowalla
Digital media creating new career opportunities
Though digital communication accounts for a small pie of the overall advertising industry, it is growing at a scorching pace. And global acquisitions in this space are adding to its lure.
'CAG is accountable to the Constitution'
A Comptroller and Auditor General who does not evaluate the performance of the government is failing in his constitutional duty, writes former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramanium.
How to restore old photographs, place speakers properly, stock your wine cellar
Photographer Ranjit Madhavji shares tips on restoring and preserving old images and film.
Tihar Jail products find their way to more shelves
TJ's, the multi-product brand from Tihar Jail, is a brand with a diverse product portfolio. The mix includes everything from bread, apparel, furniture and mustard oil to paper products. It is now looking to hit the big time through tie-ups with mainstream retail stores.Rapid growth brings its own set of challenges: Roberto Zagha
Roberto Zagha has been the World Bank's Country Director in India since January 2009. Days before he ended his India assignment, Zagha sat down with Chaitanya Kalbag and Sanjiv Shankaran for a frank, wide-ranging interview.Bollywood having a dream run at the box office
Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} In 2010, two films made Rs 100 crore in net box office collections, excluding taxes. The number of films touching the new benchmark for a blockbuster rose to five in 2011. Less than eight months into this year, five films have already crossed that mark.Political chaos over CAG reports is catalysing reform in business of government
CAG audits may not speak about corruption explicitly, but they highlight gaps in implementing policy, and the arbitrary manner in which decisions have been taken. This has partially contributed to the so-called policy paralysis.
Will RBI's draft guidelines on intragroup transactions strengthen financial system?
The central bank's objective is to minimise the risk arising from large financial institutions operating multiple subsidiaries or forming joint ventures. RBI's proposals on intra-group transactions might hurt banks but will make the financial system more robust.Sebi's mutual fund push raises conflict of interest worries
The regulator's mission to expand the reach of mutual funds and the primary market may be at odds with its regulatory role, writes IIM-A Director Samir Barua. The Union government has initiated steps to contain the radiation emitted from mobile phones and towers following growing public concern over health hazards.FIIs preferred India over other Asian markets this year: Report
Foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows into the Indian stock markets have scaled record highs so far in 2012. Indeed, FIIs have preferred India to all other Asian markets this year, according to BNP Paribas's "India Market Outlook" report.On Record/India restrains social media after the North-east crisis
We find a cyber attack on a country to create a divide among the population and create panic. It is unprecedented, says Pavan Duggal, Cyber Law Expert, on CNN-IBNAmkette EvoTV to make TV smarter and Samsung Galaxy Beam with a built-in projector
A media player to make your TV smarter and a smartphone with a built-in projector.Biggest deals in the past 30 days: N.V. Tiger Tyagarajan
US private equity (PE) firm Bain Capital will buy a 30 per cent stake in outsourcing company Genpact Ltd for $1 billion (Rs 5,525 crore).Roundup: Events of the fortnight
Oil and Natural Gas Corp has discovered a new pool of reserves in the D-1 field of the western offshore basin. The find may make D-1 the basin's third-largest field, after Mumbai High and Heera fields.
Watches that bring the best of both worlds
With brands presenting paired models for men and women, these sets of watches marry aesthetics, technology and design to deliver the very best for both worlds.
