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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.

Balagopal is JS Revenue
B Bala Gopal has joined the Ministry of Finance as Joint Secretary Revenue. He is 1977 batch CSS officer.

Mamta Shankar is Dy Secretary Agriculture
Mamta Shankar has joined the Government of India as Deputy Secretary Agriculture and Cooperation. Mamta Shankar is Indian Economic Service Officer.

Teotia is Dy Secretary Company Affairs
Jai Krishna Teotia is new Deputy Secretary Company Affairs. Teotia is 1992 batch Indian Cost Accounts Service Officer.

Rajendran is Income Tax Ombudsman
C Rajendran has been appointed Income-Tax Ombudsman in Cochin. He is 1970 batch IRS officer.

Matiyani joins in Delhi
Baljit Matiyani has joined as Income-Tax Ombudsman in Delhi. She is 1970 batch IRS officer.

Jain transferred
K S Jain,SG/IRSME, North Eastern Railway has been transferred and posted in RDSO, in the same capacity against an existing vacancy

Mukerji to go to London
Asok K Mukerji, Ambassador Almaty, is moving to London in place of Ranjan Mathai. Posting of Mathai is yet to be made.

Chakravarti to move to Melbourne
Sarvajit Chakravarti, acting High Commissioner Dhaka, will go to Melbourne in place of Butshikan Singh who is retiring.

Ketan Shukla shifted to Nairobi
Minister in Thimpu, Ketan Shukla, will be going to Nairobi in place of Manpreet Vohra who will move to Islamabad.

IPS reshuffle in Delhi
DC Shrivastava has been posted as DCP North in Delhi replacing Sunil Garg who has been elevated as Addl CP PM Security. Virender Singh will now be now Addl CP.

IPS changes in Sikkim
Gyanendra Verma is new SP South. Ms Mrinalini has been shifted as SP communication.

Chandra promoted in Manipur
P Sharat Chandra has been promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary in Manipur. He is 1982 batch IAS officer.

Singh is Member (P) in CBDT
B M Singh will be new Member (Personnel) in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
( We said this on January 3 )

Pillai is CGM BSNL,Kerala
S.R. Pillai has taken over as Chief General Manager (CGM) of BSNL, Kerala Circle.

FORUM

Bharat Kumar's disgust is natural
Bharat Kumar's disgust with Noida Killings are natural.For many years now-but much more in last 3 years- Governments in UP have been posting raw and juniormost police officers as SHOs/SSP /DIG/ DGP on factors other than merit.SSP Noida got into IPS only few months ago.Predecessor was also very junior, like Meerut SSP. Even in critical security crises of Kavita/Noida, the DG remains invisible and non-answerable.Loyalty to ruling caste/ Man Friday is only consideration.Govt is still resisting SC directed police reforms.Public is having to pay a very heavy price while Raj Bhawan continues to fiddle.Will this nightmare never end?.

S Bhargava

Aaj Ki Aawaz

As per Shivpal Yadav Nithari killings are chotti si baath,
With humanity this is nothing but vishwaasghaat!!!

And what is with that silly grin on his mug???? Really showed the true face of Samajwadi Party!!!! And Mulayam was in Delhi but he did not have the guts to show up in Noida!!!! Amar Singh and Mulayam have the time to burn Bush's effigy but they do not have time to go and wipe the tears of those affected by the Nathari murders!!! Why is Mulayam not willing to handover this matter to CBI??? Why does he want the same Police that is being blamed for closing its eyes to these murders to investigate the murders?????

Amar Singh has just one dialogue whenever he or his Party are in a muddle,
With 'Baath nikle gi toh dur takk jaaye gi' he tries to befuddle!!!

Now Amar's shayri and dialogues have gotten stale!!! He should realize that in the Nithari case if baath goes dur takk then it will travel from Noida to Lucknow!!!! In scores of murders and kidnappings UP Police have not even registered FIRs and they've not done this on pressure from Mulayam Sarkaar, so that the crime stats can be kept as low!!!! Amar baath nikle go toh dur takk jaye gi, Aur Mulayam Sarkaar ko lapette mein le jaye gi!!!!

Who is the Punjab Industrialist Politician who was pressurising the Noida Cops????
Who was this person who ensured that Moninder got from the Police sops!!!

Its alleged that the Cops had got on Moninder's trial some time back!!! But its alleged that a Punjab Industrialist Politician put pressure to get Moninder off the hook!!! In fact its alleged that Moninder was habituated to throwing weight of his political connections with the Noida Police!!!! Would the Congress High Command kindly check out if this person is a Congressman.... could be very embaressing!!!!

In Agra SP supporters went mad,
What they did was really sad!!!

They stoned a bus carrying tourists from Goa!!!!! Agra depends a lot on the tourism and this incident would have made Countries like USA and UK take note and wouldn't be surprised if they issue advisories to their Citizens that they should keep away from Agra!!! SP is trying its best to endear itself to Mulsims ……… UP is a prime case for Governor's rule….. don't know what is preventing this from being done?????

In Punjab seems Amrinder has already thrown in the towel,
That's why suddnely he's gone AWOL!!!

Amrinder's just vanished from the campaigning trail!!! Nowadays he's busy entertaining guests from Pakistan!!! In fact so enthusiastic was he to play an ideal host that he flew down his Pakistani guests to Ajmer without even bothering to check their Visas….. they have Visas only for Punjab!!!! Seems now up to the elections its going to be fun and games for Amrinder and just prior to the counting he's going to 'go for treatment' abroad!!!!

Bharat Kumar
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CORPORATE

Gupta elected President of FIEO
G K Gupta has been elected President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).

Murthy in NABARD Board
K. Narasimha Murthy has been nominated to the Board of Supervision, National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD

Agrawal is President of CSI
K. K. Agarwal has been elected president of the Computer Society of
India.

Two members of Spices Board
PT John and Charles J Kithu have been been appointed directors of the Spices Board.