India - Historic Places

While in India we visited many historic sites.  Our first visit was to the summer palace of Muslim general Tipu Sultan built sometime in the late 1700’s.  While there we saw a Persian manuscript book written by hand which contained the code of regulations used by the general and his Army.  It was a beautiful palace requiring some restoration which was being done while we were there.  From there we visited the gorgeous cathedral of St. Philomena.   For lunch we headed to the Queen’s Castle in Mysore.  Professor Rao explained that the ladies of the court stayed with the queen in this smaller palace while the king conducted business across town in his much larger and more majestic palace.  The Queen’s Castle was now a five star hotel accommodating guests as a cost of about 6000 rupees per night for two people in a standard room.  The grounds had monkeys roaming around and were found in the outdoor pool when one of the group jumped in for a swim.  Sitting at the lunch table under the Wedgewood blue colored ceilings we ate from a Thali.  The Thali contains a plate of various curry entrees, bread and a dessert.  There were sitar players serenading the group.  It was a magical experience completed with a surprise visit by a lizard on the veranda as we left the building.  From there we ventured across town to the King’s Palace with many cannons guarding the entryway.  Large photographs of royals showed the group who inhabited these magnificent domains.  There was a quick stop to the Timpurthy Temple and the wonders at Mahabalipuram.  There were many temples throughout our visit.  While in Chennai we went with a guide to the oldest temple there.  We left there to see St. Thomas’ Basilica and then to Fort James Museum.  We ended that day with a trip to the Snake Park seeing massive reptiles all in one place.  The next day we set out for a long drive to Pondicherry, a French colony.  This looked a lot like the architecture of New Orleans.  Pondicherry is also on the ocean.  We rode by another beautiful Christian church and stopped at an ashram where silence was a requirement.  The last and most breathtaking monument (for me) was that of Golkonda.  This fourteenth century fortress encompassed a massive amount of property which included several walls to surround several villages.  To reach the top one must climb more than 350 stairs passing two mosques along the way.  That evening we took our seats to a fascinating history of the fort including a light show.  The challenge besides the 360 stairs was staying awake after the early morning departure, physically exhausting day and the excitement of being in India.  Fortunately some old was mixed in with the new when we had a stimulating visit to the new golf country club in Hyderabad courtesy of Professor Rao’s former classmate, Mr. Amarnath Devabhaktuni. 

India - Transportation

Transportation throughout India was indeed a challenge.  We were blessed to have luxurious bus service everywhere we went but it was not without its moments.  On our first business visit while dressed for success, we ventured into the city to the EcoScience Park for a visit with MicroLand.  Our journey was not without excitement.  The traffic of India is not something you can envision driving down our own landscaped expressways and clearly laid out road systems.  This is a country exceeding one billion people with a median age of 24 years old.  Just as done by their former British rulers, Indians drive on the left hand side of the road.  Most roads are narrow and the cacophony of horns is overwhelming.  There is a horn blast for getting a slower vehicle out of your way or for letting oncoming traffic know that you are passing on the right.  While we were travelling to MicroLand the left hand lane was obstructed with a rare piece of some type of construction vehicle.  Vehicles, cars, busses, bicycles, auto rickshaws, etcetera were all trying to get around and to continue on their journey.  In a flash a city bus came by and knocked off the driver’s left hand mirror from our bus.  The driver stopped, put the bus into park and took the keys with him as he ran after the offending bus.  It appeared that as the city bus stopped to hear the complaint that the two drivers may come to blows.  Instead, our driver entered the bus which continued down the roadway!!!  We sat stupefied unsure of what to do next.  After a lengthy period of time the driver returned saying that he settled with the city bus driver for ten rupees (approx. $4.50) for the damage and we continued on our way to the happiness of all of the traffic stalled behind us.  Auto insurance is essential in India (says Auto Mobile India, internet January 21, 2011) and there were many billboards advertising this service.     

To give us an additional lesson on day to day life in India, the two professors took us to the train station where tickets were purchased for us, handed out and we boarded the train for a short ride to the bazaar.  It was explained that there was an upcoming holiday which required new clothing so everyone was shopping this particular Saturday afternoon.  Entering and exiting the train was done in a rhythm that did not allow for error.  The throng of thousands banded together and moved.  The same precision was necessary to get from one end of the market to the other.  Stopping for a transaction was out of the question since the study group would have been lost in the masses.  Similarly we returned to our hotel by city bus with so little space people were standing on the stairs leaning out of the bus. 

Coconuts in India

We received an additional education while in India in the use of coconuts.  While having a sightseeing excursion to Mysore (famous for its silk fabric), we had a visit to the cathedral built in 1933 (Wikipedia says 1936) to honor Saint Philomena .  It was quite beautiful having the catacomb for St. Philomena located in the lower area with the alter on the ground floor above.  Outside are vendors selling religious relics, teak carvings, etc.  Professor Rao steered the group to a local vendor selling coconuts.  He purchased a round for the group.  The vendor took his machete and hacked off a portion and dropped a straw into the liquid inside.  Once you drank the liquid, the coconut was handed back to the vendor.  He carefully took his machete and hacked the coconut in half and then whacked off another piece of the hard outside to be used as a knife to cut through the soft inside of the coconut to eat.  We wandered off leaving the two shells of the coconut with the vendor.  Later we learned that the shells are burned for fuel.  Coconuts grow very well in India and could be seen in many of the areas we visited.

India Rising - One Billion Reasons to Care

In the ABC Documentary India Rising – One Billion Reasons to Care, the videographers took to the streets of India to see life as it occurs in India.  It was quite surprising to see the internet school with the older model computer knowing that the call centers of India are taking incredible volumes of calls on such outdated computers.  The language of English was constantly referred to but as we viewed many signage throughout the country, the use was not always correctly stated or spoken.   The housing was as poor as it was in the first video and transportation also difficult with so many people to be transported.  I also viewed another video not on the list about the Indian Military:  Future Superpower.  This made me very curious about an aspect that was spoken little about – the role of women in Indian society.  While travelling about we did see women performing in military uniform.  In the prestigious companies of Infosys and Microland we saw women employed at those businesses but it was in the pharmaceutical company of Astrix Laboratories that we heard that the social norm only allows women to work during certain hours of the day (I assume this is outside of the home).  We saw women selling fish and working in the fields of the village. 

Review of the Future of India

The video, Future of India was very insightful giving a history on the many contributions to progress the Indian people have made.  It also appears that with the challenging educational process that is common in the nation of India, there is much more to come from them.  One must wonder, however, when people will become unsatisfied with the poor housing, challenging public and private transportation, long workdays and lower pay. 

U.S. Anti-Trust from the U.S. Government

Mergers and acquisitions are two different ways of bringing organizations together.  In a merger two entities are brought together and combined to become one larger entity.  In an acquisition, one entity transfers its control to another but may still act independently.  Prior to these acts being finalized for entities acting within the United States, there must be a review and acknowledgement from the Antitrust Division, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice all enforcing federal anti-trust laws. To gain more information on mergers and acquisitions being considered within the United States is at the Federal Register.  This publication is created and printed by the Government Printing Office which also includes information for the National Archives and Records Administration.  According to the webpage for the Federal Register, it is the “official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.”  When making business decisions, it is important to have the most up to date information available when considering purchases from either stock or companies.  This publication is just one of the many ways to acquire information relevant to those decisions. 

Marriott Corporation In India

 Entering foreign markets is not a new phenomenon for Marriott International.  For the last 53 years Marriott has been generating growth in the hotel industry.  Marriott actually owns few hotels, but adds its name through franchising and licensing agreements.  The Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre will be located in Pune near Mumbai, India.  This is the 500^th Marriott Hotel being opened by the corporation.  You will recall that Mumbai, India, a tourist area, had a major bombing a few years ago.  The Marriott organization announced that it intends to quadruple its inventory of hotels in India over the next three years and that India has proven to be a successful market for the Marriott Corporation.  In determining where growth should be in the hotel industry there are several factors to consider.  There is enormous growth in the business world of India making a name brand such as Marriott something to be sought out when making a business trip to another culture whether you are an American or European, etc.  India also offers a wealth of history and tourist attractions bringing customers from a myriad of cultures for vacations as well as business.  In keeping with the cultural differences, the organization has brought both together to make each feel comfortable in this environment.  During the celebration opening the new hotel used a traditional lighting ceremony, music and dance performances native to the Indian culture.  The rich fabrics of India are used throughout the hotel.  But the quality of the Marriott organization is familiar to those that use Marriott Hotels throughout the world.  The hotel ownership is Indian business owners having previous ties to this community and knowledge of institutions in India.  Marriott also encourages community and is a major sponsor of many charities involving children.  Leprosy continues to be a challenge that India deals with and prior to the opening of this hotel, another Marriott hotel became sponsors of a local orphanage in Chennai that has children and parents suffering from leprosy.  The hotel staff began Rising Star Outreach, a non-profit organization to provide schooling, housing, sanitation and good nutrition to people with Leprosy in India.  The road to India is being paved with good works as well as offering jobs and services to the local community.