Way to go Nandan!

Nandan Nilekani is one of the icons of modern India. The company he founded with Narayana Murthy - Infosys - is one of the biggest global Indian brands today.

A couple of years ago Nandan surprised many people by taking up a position with the Indian Government - to implement a Universal ID for all Indians. Surprised because he was the first successful Indian businessman to take up a non-elected position with a view to implement a clearly defined program. Other businessmen have gotten into governance in the past - Vijay Mallya and Rahul Bajaj are notable examples who have done so by sneaking their way into the Rajya Sabha. They have made virtually no visible impact on policy, and have certainly not boosted their reputations through these stints.

Nandan is different - he did some stellar work on the UID project and has taken it to a point where it is ready to be rolled out.

That is why the recent announcement that Nandan has signed up to pilot an alternative to the subsidy regime of the Government of India made me sit up and take notice.

For the longest time our governments have been handcuffed by the socialistic agenda pursued by successive governments since we became independent. Subsidies on things like fertilizers, sugar, kerosene, petrol and many other big ticket items have been part of this sorry agenda. Sorry not because of the intent, but due to the stupid implementation. Racketeering, adulteration, corruption and many other side effects have resulted from these policies. Finally the government is talking sense - direct cash transfers to the people who need help, rather than market-distorting subsidies that are causing undesirable side effects. And they have chosen Nandan to pilot the implementation - I can't think of a better guy to do it.

All the best Nandan - kick some ass. Hopefully some other industry leaders will get their hands dirty with such initiatives to bring about the change we need to take our country to the next level.

Happy Birthday Joshi kaka!

Joshi kaka is our upstairs neighbour and one of the youngest 70-year olds I have ever known. Recently he celebrated his 70th birthday, and threw a party for his close friends. The party was typical of the man - merry yet understated, full of life yet very simple.

I have known Joshi kaka for several years now. His wife Vaishali Joshi lost her battle with cancer a few years ago. The family must have gone through an ordeal during Joshi kaku's illness, but I have never heard Joshi kaka complain about the pain the family went through and I have never known him to give up the passion for living.

Joshi kaka's son Sagar lives in the US with his family. Sagar and his wife Kashmira have an adorable son Aadit, who is now 11 years old. Almost every year Aadit comes to India to spend time with his grandfather. Joshi kaka and Aadit spend up to 2 months together playing, traveling, and having fun together - just by themselves. Many fathers dream of having a friend-to-friend relationship with their sons - this is one of the few instances I have seen where a grandfather has an authentic friend-to-friend relationship with his grandson!

Joshi kaka with Aadit

One of Joshi kaka's favourite past times is translating interesting English books into Marathi. I am not sure how many he has already translated, but the number is surely more than 25. He splits his time between translating books, spending time with his family and friends, and making our housing community a fun place to live.

The best thing about Joshi kaka is that there is nothing phoney about him. For his 70th birthday party he had invited a close friend who happens to be a good Accordian player. Joshi kaka requested his friend to play some songs on the occasion. His friend just rocked! I almost had tears in my eyes listening to this gentleman play lovely melodies on this incredible instrument. But the most most incredible thing about the party was the sense of togetherness everyone felt. It was as if we had been transported to another world - away from the maddening everyday world. It was a celebration of the joy of living with Joshi kaka leading the celebration.

Happy birthday Joshi kaka, it has been an absolute pleasure knowing you!

Joshi kaka at his birthday party

Love the commute!

Recently I said goodbye to my brief stint as an entrepreneur, and got back into the corporate grind as an IT professional. Part of the transition to the corporate world was getting used to the long commute to my office located about 20 kilometres from home. For those who know Pune, the traffic here is very interesting to say the least. Traffic rules are non-existent, and there is virtually no traffic education or enforcement. It is easy to get into an accident, and easier still to get frustrated with the utter disregard for rules on the roads.

Two months into my new job, I must be pulling my hair out with the long commute to and from work, right? Dead wrong! I actually look forward to the commute. What the hell is going on here?

As I started going to work, I realized that I needed some entertainment during the commute. My iphone came to my rescue here. I have my favourite music loaded on my iphone, and the first thing I do when I get into the car is put on some music. The second thing I do is pick a couple of people I need to catch up with over the phone. I put on the hands free headphones on my phone, and call these people on the way.

However what has really changed the nature of the commute for me is a change in my attitude to driving. I no longer drive with a view to get to my destination as soon as possible. If someone cuts me off, I let them do it with a smile. The chaos around me is no longer a source of frustration, it is a source of amusement. A few extra minutes to get to my destination is an opportunity to listen to an additional song, or speak with a friend.

What is extremely interesting is that I have found many more people driving with the same kind of attitude during rush hour. I see many more smiles, and decent, careful drivers patiently going about their business. Either this is a new phenomenon, or I am noticing it for the first time. Either way, for the first time in my life, the commute is an opportunity, not a royal pain in the ass!

Good work Brendon!

The ICC world cup of cricket is almost here. This evening I was watching a warmup game between India and New Zealand and saw something that I had never ever seen in all these years of playing and watching cricket.

New Zealand were chasing a big Indian total. Brendon McCullum was batting really well, when all of a sudden his partner Jesse Ryder ran him out, going for a non-existent single. McCullum was disappointed, Ryder was crestfallen, and the Indians were rejoicing. As McCullum turned around and started his walk back to the pavillion, everyone fully expected him to curse, give Ryder a glare, or at the very least walk away talking to himself.

McCullum did none of these things. Instead he did what I have never seen done on a cricket field. As he walked past Ryder, he patted Ryder on the back in a very friendly manner, as if to say "Its OK mate, keep going and play well". What a guy, and what a team player!