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TOP BRASS

Young, dynamic and dashing Jeh Wadia is scion of the famous Industrialists family of Wadias' for whom the dream is to see all 600000 villages in India turn self reliant. Though, age and opportunities are on his side, he is quite busy, yet he obliged us by sharing his frank views in an interview with the "whispersinthecorridors.com".

He emphatically said "innovation and premium quality service have always been the hallmark of the Wadia Group. As part of restructuring the Group, we plan to capture various sunrise businesses in India."

As Managing Director of the of the low cost carrier (LCC) i.e. the "GoAir" he said "we are aiming at expanding our fleet to 33 aircrafts by end 2008.Nanaji Deshmukh has been a mentor for me and under his leadership I started to volunteer for the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh).President APJ Dr. Abdul Kalam's project, PURA focuses on connectivity of villages primarily and one of its goals is also to provide vocational training to villages, while DRI focuses on making villages self sufficient.

He listed various measures of making LCCs in India more viable while stating the "GoAir" aims to be the premium low-cost airline in India and will provide passengers a comfortable and affordable option to popular holiday and business destinations in India. We have a market share of 4% and plan to increase the same to 10% by second year of operations."
Unveiling expansion plans he said, "we have also made strategic investments in the healthcare, retail and real estate arena. We are now looking at setting up GoCargo and GoEngineering."

To chill he loves three things sun, sea and surf which are available at his one of the favourite holiday spots in Thailand. Jeh Wadia as well said "I enjoy adventure sports. I'm also a complete beach person and love to spend time with my family in Goa. Here goes his interview:

1/What are your expansion plans? As a low budget airline how are you surviving?

GoAir's first service on 4th November 2005, started with 4 destinations with 6 scheduled flights a day - today we service 13 destinations with 385 flights per week. We have just added one more aircraft to our fleet making it a total of 7 aircraft which will go up to 8 by December 2006. We are aiming at expanding our fleet to 33 aircrafts by end 2008.

GoAir aims to be the premium low-cost airline in India and will provide passengers a comfortable and affordable option to popular holiday and business destinations in India.

We are currently at a 30-35% cost advantage compared to full fare carriers due to the low turn around times, higher utilisation, no interlining principles, sale of meals on board, more efficient staff utilisation etc. We have a market share of 4% and plan to increase the same to 10% by second year of operations.

In terms of Distribution, GoAir too has reduced its distribution costs with internet booking, E-ticketing etc. With the increase in internet connectivity and the realisation that the cheapest fares are available directly on the net, more and more passengers are now opting to book their tickets online.

As a low budget airline, one of the key concerns today is infrastructural support. The LCCs abroad have the support of fantastic subsidised infrastructure and are not at par with the Full service carriers. However, in India, the LCCs have to pay the same as the Full service carriers for infrastructure, fuel subsidies, parking costs, etc, which can be quite a hindrance to becoming a true LCC in every sense.

Also, certain other policy changes like the option to outsource areas like Security, Ground Handling and the ability to hedge ATF prices will make LCCs even further competitive.

2/What are the disadvantages of being born with a silver spoon in the mouth?

The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. I've always had a lot of leeway in what I wanted to do and have tried out new business ideas.

But I haven't exactly had it served on a platter to me. My parents wanted me to start right from the shop floor and not directly inherit a comfortable position at the top. Hence my work with the Wadia Group started on the shop floor as a Spinning Manager in Bombay Dyeing textile mills where cotton used to go in my ears and get stuck to my clothes. This initial start up helped me in the long run as regards discipline, understanding my employees and appreciating the privileges in life. Also, the understanding of the production process enhanced my knowledge and helped me deal with clients.

3/Any further plans for diversification?

The Wadia group has just signed a Term Sheet to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) with SIA Engineering Company Limited to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in India. They would operate as separate entities.

We have also made strategic investments in the healthcare, retail and real estate arena. We are now looking at setting up GoCargo and GoEngineering.

4/What's your favourite food? How do you like to chill out?

One of my favourite restaurants is Nobu in London, a Japanese fine dining restaurant and my favourite dishes are Salmon and Caviar tartare, Black Cod, Snow Crab, Lobster Wasabi and Spicy Prawn Tempura.

I enjoy adventure sports. My stint with a car dealer in London during my student days saw me speeding in Ferraris and Bentleys. I also have pleasant memories of having piloted the MIG29 aircraft a few years back.

I'm also a complete beach person and love to spend time with my family in Goa. As far as holidays destinations go, Thailand remains one of my favourite holiday spots for the sun, sea and surf.

5/Since age and opportunities are with you, how would you like utilise innovations for a better industrial growth?

Innovation and premium quality service have always been the hallmark of the Wadia Group. Today only those who combine a great vision with a strong operational capability, resulting in higher growth and higher profitability are termed as successful organisations. As part of restructuring the Group, we plan to capture various sunrise businesses in India.

GoAir is a brilliant example of innovation in the current travel and aviation sector. The concept of a low cost airline is relatively new in a country like India. With GoAir we have commoditised air travel by offering fares at affordable prices which are at par with train or bus fares.

Going forward we will continue to ensure that there is innovation in everything we do, in all departments where human resources are deployed, including planning, development, marketing and also at the delivery end point.

6/Who is your role model & why?

Nanaji Deshmukh has been a mentor for me and under his leadership I started to volunteer for the Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in Chitrakoot. You see, he started this development in 1973 and his vision was that the reform of rural India cannot come through politics and hence he chose to opt out of politics in '73 when his government came into power and decided to take up this cause through private initiatives. That's how the DRI was born, with the very simple objective: Making people self-reliant.

DRI's core competence is to develop working models for villages in rural India adopting models of Health & Hygiene, Education, Entrepreneur training, Agriculture development etc. Nanaji Deshmukh's dream was to distribute the knowledge to 6,00,000 villages making them all self-reliant and it his dream which I wish to fulfil during my lifetime.

7/Is there any possibility of launching a nation wide drive for villagers' upliftment,on the lines of your contribution at the Chitrakoot located Deendayal Shodh Sansthan(popular as the DRI)?

As mentioned above, currently we are looking at making 6,00,000 villages self-sufficient through the Chitrakoot project which is quite a significant number. It will take us some time to achieve this mission after which we will evaluate the options of extending this to other areas of the country.

8/How is it different from President Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's concept of providing urban amenities in rural areas (PURA)?

President APJ Dr.Abdul Kalam's project, PURA focuses on connectivity of villages primarily and one of its goals is also to provide vocational training to villages, while DRI focuses on making villages self sufficient.

The similarity between both the projects is that of helping villages with regards to the betterment of their economy and standard of living, but the difference is that while PURA looks at the connectivity angle, DRI aims at making them self reliant.
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NAME THE NAMELESS

Who is the Super Boss & Super Cop-name the nameless.

For a change, this is not a whisper. In fact, it's a yell from the housetop. A yell for the year 2007.If our patrons endorse it, this yell from the WHISPERS should reverberate in corridors of all state capitals, besides of course the heart of India-that Delhi has always been and shall so remain all times to come.

These are happening times. You don't do things. They happen. Or you make them happen. Everywhere on the eve of or at the advent of New Year, people were or are busy looking for their Man of the year. Politicians, businessmen, moviemen, sportsmen and social activists are hogging limelight. The civil servants continue to remain the self-effacing names behind the supposedly big names. They run the Rails and the rustic humour of someone Read gets Qudos and Credits. Thats the funny way democracy goes. Interesting, isn't it?

We thought on the New Year Day we should attempt doing the hitherto unattempted and un-done. You and us will make it happen. We are going launch you this year on a thrilling voyage of a discovery. We are declaring that in the Year 2007 all of you would help us discover the Bureaucrat of the Year and also the Super cop of the Year in each of our major states. Besides, New Delhi's 'Supers' which will happen in December 2007.Every month we will be looking for a Super Boss and Super Cop of the Year in a particular state.

We request all those who are interested in our WHISPERS and visit us frequently to send us the names of such individual officers whom they consider as a Super Bureaucrat and a Super Cop in their state. We are putting forth no yardsticks. You judge entirely on your own. The nominations will rest entirely and exclusively on your wisdom. Just E-Mail the name of Super Boss and Super Cop of your state. This flow of nominations will end on the last day of the month.
We will announce the winner on the 7th day of next month. Seven, the numerologists say, is the number of mystery. Therefore, a good day to unfold it.

And Uttar Pradesh is the first state, we are beginning with. Arguably the most appropriate state to discover the undiscoverable or to name the perennially nameless. There is no territorial bar. You can nominate even for an incumbent outside your state. You can be brief or elaborate. As you choose. You don't even have to disclose your identity. We will trust you.
So, here we begin. Just E Mail us on <sureshmehrotra@yahoo.com>A very Happy New Year.

19 IPS officers of 1973 batch empanelled
As many as 19 IPS officers belonging to 1973 batch are believed to have been empanelled to the rank of DG in the Government of India.

Kumawat empanelled
M L Kumawat has been empanelled to the rank of DG in the Government of India .1972 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS officer, Kumawat, is presently ADG in the BSF.

Pattanaik to be JS Culture
Gopa Bandhu Pattanaik is being tipped to be new Joint Secretary Culture in the Government of India. He is 1978 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre.

Orders of 1973 batch IAS soon
Orders of the promotion of 1973 batch IAS officers to the rank of Secretary in the Government of India are expected to be issued in a week or two. Most of them will get in-situ promotions.

Will Mathoda be Member of CBDT ?
Name of R S Mathoda has started doing the round for the post of CBDT Member. He is 1971 batch IRS officer.

Parihar is Secretary to CM in Madhya Pradesh
S P S Parihar has been appointed Secretary to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister. He is 1986 batch IAS officer.

Kirty Kumar joins IT Ministry
1974 batch CSS officer Kirty Kumar has joined as DDG in the Ministry of Information Technology.

Suspension of IPS officer revoked in UP
Suspension of 1991 batch IPS officer P C Meena has been revoked in Uttar Pradesh.

K P Singh is back to Madhya Pradesh
K P Singh is back to the parent Madhya Pradesh cadre from central deputation. On return 1985 batch IAS officer K P Singh has been appointed Commissioner Food.

Ms Madhavan to join Telecom Commission
Ms Manju Madhavan is joining the Telecom Commission as Member (Finance). She is 1971 batch IRS officer.

Differences in Uttaranchal BJP
Scarcely have the dates for Assembly polls in Uttaranchal been
Announced, fissures have started appearing in the state unit of the BJP. On one side is former Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshiari who is said to be close to the RSS as well, while on the other side is former Union Surface Transport Minister Major general B C Khanduri who enjoys the confidence of top Delhi leaders and even outside party circles.

Muslim MPs boycott Sachar meeting
Only 15, of some 45, Muslim MPs belonging to both Houses of Parliament, sources said, bothered to attend the Sachar Committee meeting held last week. Expectedly, MPs from the BJP and the Samajwadi Party have boycotted the meeting, calling it a political stunt of UPA Government.

Dr. Chandra Pal is Secretary SSI & ARI
Dr. Chandra Pal, a 1972 Batch IAS Officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has taken over as the Secretary, Ministry of Small Scale Industries and Agro and Rural Industries (SSI & ARI).

Liberhan Commission term extended
The term of the Liberhan Ayodhya Commission of Inquiry has been extended by three months up to 31st March, 2007. The Commission is inquiring into the destruction of the Ram Janma Bhoomi-Babri Masjid structure at Ayodhya on 6th December, 1992.

Nand Lal joins DDA
Nand Lal, has taken over as Finance Member of the Delhi Development Authority. He is 1979 batch IA & AS officer.
( We said this on December 18)

B M Singh to be Member (P) in CBDT !
B M Singh is likely to be appointed Member (P) in the CBDT. He is 1970 batch IRS officer.

FORUM
Too much for officers to bear !

This is a weird idea, it's too much for the officers to bear with. It is misconceived and illogical to follow. It will result in denying opportunities in future career growth. DS/Dir level in the States is a formative grade for IAS and IPS in the district administration, district magistracy etc and they should not be wasted at the centre.
M E Kutty

Why this discrimination ?
So much is being said about discrimination in services. Here is yet another example of how the so called elite would like to distinguish themselves. An order of the Dept. of ExpenditureNo.7(14)/c&v/2006 dt. 14th Nov. '06 has given the entitlement of officers for reimbursement of telephone bills. By this order Additional Secretary and Joint Secretaries in the GOI can get reimbursement upto Rs 2000 but those of equivalent rank can get the claim only upto Rs 1800. When the pay scales at each level are same discriminating for purpose of reimbursement is a symptom of narrow mindedness. In case you choose to publish this, please do so anonymously as it will not be palatable.
Dr S Rohini

Aaj Ki Aawaz
Noida murders look like to be a sex cum organ trade matter,
With every passing day the alleged crime file gets fatter!!!

The torso bones and skulls are missing!!!! Where did these two Rippers take the torsos and heads???? And this investigation needs to be handled by CBI…… UP is not competent to handle this matter……. all that they are competent is to beat up people and turn their heads away!!! There has to be connivance by Police in this matter!!!! After the matter is handed over to it, CBI should start by finding out the VIPs who got kidneys in the past couple of years and then work backwards!!!!

Making hay in the setting sun now Amrinder and gang are in a tearing hurry,
Amrinder is facing from his gang requests ka flurry!!!

Look at Chahal , Amrinder's Man Friday, he's got the JIT to bend backwards for him!!!! Dhillion, Rana 'Poorana ' Sodhi and others in his gang are also standing in line to get their pending jobs done!!! There is no doubt that for a free and fair election DGP Virk has to be shifted!!! Elections this time are going to be violent and there is a need for an unbiased Police Chief and Policing….. otherwise rather than quelling the violence the Punjab Police would be actively participating in the violence!!!!

If Rahul is going to Command Congress in the UP elections he needs to from the front,
And its already been clarified that for CM's post he is not in the hunt!!!

Congress needs to spend time on getting to know what the people want and then work on the people's wants....... caste and religion only to decide choice of candidate ..... after that purely local issues!!!! People in UP are aware of the problems of a mismatch in the State and Central Sarkar!!! Congress should go in for positive campaigning ….. forget Mulayam , as the people have borne him and know that in his Raaj only goons prospered....... candidates talk on local issues and Central Leaders talk about the help Centre will be able to provide if there is a Congress Government in UP!!! Talk of the what changes Congress will bring….. and try to give a timetable for the changes!!!! Congress should realize that it should not get into the gutter to fight Mulayam….. in the gutter Mulayam is a crocodile….. its his territory!!!!

Now USA is on a treasure hunt……..Saddam's booty,
Bush says that to return this booty to Iraq is his duty!!

Its rumoured that Saddam has more than $ 23 Billion stashed away in dummy accounts and lockers!!! USA now wants to interrogate Saddam's two daughters on this hidden wealth!!! Now there are rumours that say that Iraqis hung an actor who played his role to the hilt and that the real Saddam is alive!!!! A good plot for a Hollywood movie…. just like in the Silence of the Lamb's Hannibal Lector , Saddam runs away!!! One of his duplicate's playing his part to the hilt is arrested and hung!!!! The real Saddam undergoes facial surgery and ultimately starts an Arab Cosa Nostra and becomes one of the biggest Mafia Bosses..... or even better....... Saddam gets a facial job and changes his accent to an American accent and becomes a Politician and ends up in the White House as President of USA!!! The curtains scene in the movie is Saddam revealing his true identity in his Presidential farewell address!!!

Bharat Kumar
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CORPORATE

Sutharia to be Director (Marketing) NTC
Bombay based Sutharia is being tipped to be new Director (Marketing) of the National Textile Corporation (NTC).

42 join billionaire club post
Forty-two new members have joined the billionaire club in the calendar year 2006 after their initial public offerings. G M Rao of GMR Infrastructure, Kalanithi Maran of Sun TV, Pradeep
Kumar Jain of Parsvnath Developers and Sobha & P C Menon of Sobha Developers, L Madhusudhan of Lanco Infratech, S N P Punj of Punj Lloyd, Shashi Kiran Shetty of Allcargo Global Logistics, Rajhoo and Rikiin Bharot of Atlanta, Shashikant Patel of Plethico Pharma, H S Bedi of Tulip IT Services and Vinod Kashyap of B L Kashyap & Sons are major new issue billionaires with net worth of over Rs 1,000 crore each.

Cochin Port Trust reconstituted
K N Satheesh will continue as the MD of Cochin Port Trust. The other members of the board are Jiji Thomson, P Kumari Geetha and Captain Paul M. Joseph.

Mangat gets additional charge
G.S. Mangat CMD of National Fertilizers Limited has been given additional charge of Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT).He replaces G.C. Gopala Pillai, who resigned from the post of CMD, FACT in December.

Mysore is country head
Venkatesh Mysore has been appointed as Vice-President and Country Head, Sun Life Financial, India.