Facebook is Not Cool Anymore

Here's an excerpt from the article on rt.com:

"Older teenagers have turned their backs on Facebook, an EU-funded study has found. Young people are opting for alternative social networks like Twitter and WhatsApp, while the worst people of all, their parents, continue to use the service."

Analyzing how 16-18 year-old teenagers from eight EU countries use Facebook, researchers came to the conclusion that youngsters are no hooked on Facebook any longer while their parents are. According to the head anthropologist on the research team, Daniel Miller, "mostly they feel embarrassed even to be associated with it." "

MWAH HAHAHAHA !!!

You can read the rest of the article here: http://rt.com/news/embarrassed-facebook-teens-parents-942/ 

His Royal Cuteness

Methinks he knows already that he is the future King...

 

Our Third Baby

Dear First Mate,

 

I am watching the years run past, and resolutely facing the march of 'creative deadlines'. I have to get my Ph.D. I want this baby!  

Love,

 

Yours truly.  

 

An Examination of the American and Indian COI Wheels

Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE, once shared -

 

“The Jack Welch of the future cannot be me. I spent my entire career in the United States. The next head of General Electric will be somebody who spent time in Bombay, in Hong Kong, in Buenos Aires. We have to send our best and brightest overseas and make sure they have the training that will allow them to be the global leaders who will make GE flourish in the future.”

 

Welch knew that the best strategy for any MNC to develop its global management team would be to send that team all around the world and study its markets. You have to interact with your customers in their element and in their specific markets before you figure out know how to move your company's pawn forward. And that's where intercultural communication comes into play.

For instance, if the Walmart global team had properly studied the Indian market, the company wouldn't have burnt its fingers during its first entry. The Walmart way of bulk shopping will not gel with the Indian way of life, where groceries are bought everyday or every couple of days. The majority of Indians drive smaller cars for convenience. How would they bring their bulk shopping home? In their fast-paced lives, where would they have the time to spend a few hours every weekend just to do the groceries? If they can't spare the time, most Indians have their groceries delivered home.

Besides, the retail distribution network of family businesses in India is intricate. The neighborhood 'uncle' who owns the corner grocery will always cut his price lower than Walmart could. Even if Walmart can offer a good price due to volume sales, the retailers can always gang up and secure a better deal due to collective bargaining. Walmart would do well to distribute its shop brands via India's family retailers rather than spend on retail space. The gap here is not only in Walmart's team's skills, but also reflects its teams' inability (or unwillingness) to understand the Indian market.

Today, 90% of the 120 hitherto mixed and socialist economies have embraced free market reforms and capitalism (thought not all have accepted democracy). Therefore, it is all the more crucial to recognize that globalization is becoming the political economic network that links and uplifts nations (as per Ricardo's trade theory in 1817), and the necessity to negotiate intercultural communication.

 

The first step towards this is self-analysis and self-knowledge. Thus equipped, we can move forward and extend our hands towards the other culture we are interacting with, while being mindful of the communication gaps (verbal, physical, emotional, cultural). As the Bhagavad Geetha mentions, "Knowledge is power. It is a raft that can lead one to safety."

 

The focus of my lectures at a local college has been on intercultural communication between American and Indian engineers, in India. Here is the first step then, in self-knowledge - an examination of the American and Indian COI (Cultural Orientation Indicator) wheels...

 

As the COI wheel indicates, there are 3 dimensions of culture that help one define exactly where one stands in terms of the way in which one thinks, behaves, and acts in life. If you like, you can explore your own specific COI profile by visiting this website - www.culturalnavigator.com - and participating in an evaluative questionnaire for the same.

 

Given below are the COI profiles of Americans and Indians - a rather general picture of both. It is possible you may not strictly fit into these profiles, but it is equally possible that you would possess some core qualities (that might come as a surprise!). This analysis and comparison was a great process of self-discovery for me, because it revealed just how Indian I am, despite all my convictions of being modern, Westernized, and liberated!

 

I call Americans 'avocados' because while they are easy to work with and very friendly, one can never be sure of their true convictions, and if all their good cheer is only driven by business and socio-political considerations. Sometimes, I get very lonesome in the U.S.A. because even though I am grateful for and cherish my small circle of Indian and American friends, I still haven't 'cracked' my American buddies despite having intense, deep conversations with them. Should I be mixing with artsy-fartsy crazy creative types?...I don't know... 

 

Indians, on the other hand, are 'watermelons'. They are not hard to crack, like European 'coconuts'. Indians do maintain a friendly reserve, but once they get to know the real you and once trust has been established, they will be your friends for life! They are also very colorful, emotional, warm, ardent, creative people - just like the brilliant flesh of the watermelon that is full of sweet and plentiful juice...I am talking of my Indian friends in India, that is... 

 

The American COI Wheel – The Avocado	The Indian COI Wheel – The Watermelon
1.      Environment: (1) Control 2.      Time: (1) Single-focus,                        (2) Fixed, and                        (3) Present 3.      Action: (1) Doing 4.      Communication: (1) Low-context,                                              (2) Direct,                                              (3) Instrumental, and                                              (4) Informal 5.      Space: (1) Private 6.      Power: (1) Equality 7.      Individualism: (1) Individualistic and                                           (2) Universalistic 8.      Competitiveness: (1) Competitive 9.      Structure: (1) Flexibility 10.    Thinking: (1) Inductive,                                 (2) Linear	1.      Environment: (1) Harmony 2.      Time: (1) Multi-Focus,                        (2) Fluid, and                        (3) Present 3.      Action: (1) Being 4.      Communication: (1) High-context,                                               (2) Indirect,                                               (3) Expressive, and                                               (4) Formal 5.      Space: (1) Public 6.      Power: (1) Hierarchy 7.      Individualism: (1) Collectivistic and                                           (2) Universalistic 8.      Competitiveness: (1) Cooperative 9.      Structure: (1) Order 10.    Thinking: (1) Inductive,                                 (2) Linear
Americans are direct in speech and assume personal responsibility for their actions and environment.	Indians believe in the subtle approach and think of consequences before speaking. They will avoid conflict if possible, to the greatest extent.
Low-context speech. Little emphasis on non-verbal communication.	High-context speech. Expressive and formal, more emotional and subtle.
Individualistic culture. Americans value personal gain and accept this life philosophy as part of their adventurous spirit. They are competitive.	Collectivistic culture is oriented with consensual decision-making.  Family/ religion/ spirituality are emphasized. Indians understand competition, but they value trust more. E.g., to an Indian, a work-life balance will matter more than an attractive pay only.
Equality and fairness are emphasized. Hard work is given merit.	Relationships and caste/community ties are valued.
Rigidity towards task completion.	Multi-dimensional, and prefer to focus on simultaneous tasks. Fluid, do not strictly adhere to strict time frames.
Low power distance = structural flexibility and informality.	High power distance =  hierarchy and order.  However, Indians tend to be much more cooperative in their interactions while Americans are competitive.
Americans draw on personal experiences and examples to solve problems.	Indians also draw on experience and rely on examples for problem solving, but take a consensual approach as opposed to a “hands-on” American approach.
Believe that only hard work and dedication will bring success. You are in control of your destiny and can work hard to realize goals.	Overall, Indians value harmony – they want everyone to be heard. They place considerable value on communication, tradition, structure and order. They want to find their place in the big picture.

 

 

 

For the American Traveller in India...

1. Americans need a visa to enter India. You can apply for the visa at the nearest Indian embassy either in person or online.
2. When in India, stay in a reputed hotel where you can be assured of safety and security, preferably close to your office.
3. Exercise the same caution that you would in any global metropolis. In India, this means both men and women should dress appropriately (no shorts, mini-skirts, sleeveless/ revealing/ tight-fitting clothes), and maintain a low profile (no flashy jewellery/watches, no high-end gadgets on display 24/7, no pulling out a wad of notes, no indiscriminate spread of information about oneself/ hitchhiking with strangers you just met at the bar/ striking up deep conversations with the opposite sex). 
4. You must have a local emergency contact, as well the numbers of the local police/ hospital/ taxi service/ local embassy.
5. Wear comfortable shoes at all times as not all environments will be conducive to walking carelessly.
6. Exercise caution while walking on the road – watch out for crazy traffic.
7. Stick to eating fully cooked dishes at reputed hotels and restaurants, or at your Indian friend’s home, where you can be assured of cleanliness in preparation and freshness of the ingredients. No salads/ fresh juices, or raw meats, no dishes from roadside vendors (including juices/ milkshakes or yogurt drinks/ water/ other cooked foods). Always drink bottled water.
8. Always venture outside with a trusted companion – this goes especially for women – and preferably during the day (6 a.m. – 7 p.m.). Don’t travel so far that returning to the hotel is a problem.
9. Don’t rely on public transport. Always hire a taxi from a recommended service.
10. While shopping – take along an Indian friend to help you bargain. If not, shopkeepers may not give you the best price. Bargaining is acceptable only in markets or with small-time retailers. The upscale and larger retailers don’t compromise on their fixed sales price.
11. Go armed with basic medical supplies for cold/ fever/ stomach flu/ headaches/ etc. If you fall ill, you can always rely on these till you meet an Indian doctor. Most Indian GP’s have a private practice and charge a fee sans insurance. If your case is serious, they will refer you to a hospital where you can seek treatment by paying first and then contacting your American insurance company for reimbursement. Indian doctors are better than world class due to the sheer number and types of cases they treat every day! Indian medicines are generic and most affordable. If you are so inclined, you can also check out ayurvedic (Indian), yunani (Greek), or homeopathy doctors.

Have fun in India :)!

Etiquette and Tips for the Business Traveller in India

Flexibility is key!

1. When meeting for business, be formally dressed (a tie, shirt, and pant are enough – no need for a jacket in the heat), and appropriately dressed (low-key, functional, but still presentable and smart). Be simple in appearance, but knowledgeable in conversation. Indians respect simple living and high thinking, and tend to look past the superficial to gauge value.
2. When meeting your senior colleagues (either in rank or age), or when meeting important VIPs, always address them as “Sir”, “Madam”, “Dr.”, or “Mr./Mrs. so-and-so”. Calling the same by their first names is seen as disrespectful.
3. Always stand up when a senior executive or VIP enters the room. To remain seated is considered disrespectful.
4. Always exchange business cards in the first meeting. Give and receive respectfully, tucking the card into your card case or wallet (not shoving it down your pants).
5. In a business meeting or dinner, approach the most important person first to give them your respects. If the most important person is absent (e.g. – director of the company you are dealing with, who makes the important decisions), then you can be sure that the serious level negotiations have not yet begun. 
6. Hierarchy – decisions are made only at the highest level. Therefore, depending on your rank (size of your team/ department/ company, your company’s value, etc.), you can expect to meet with an equally ranked person, and to finally close the deal only with the top boss’ approval. Consequently, the high-power structure may slow down communication and deal making. Therefore, be prepared for a slower but surer process than usual.
7. The end of negotiations/ a project, and deal closing are usually followed by a celebratory dinner (usually the Indian host. If not, the person who invites the group should pay). Enjoy and continue to build the relationship!
8. Factor in delays with regard to appointments and be prepared to wait when meeting local officials and bigwigs, or top bosses in your office. A 10 minute delay is acceptable in India, as flexibility is paramount. Sometimes, it is possible that you could face a last minute cancellation due to a family emergency (which takes precedence). 
9. Be prepared for a lot of tea (chai) drinking in India. Most meetings take place over the customary tea and biscuits/ savory snacks. Relationships are not made instantly but developed over time. Like a marriage, you are in this for the long haul!
10. When scheduling meetings or business trips – email or snail mail the person, and confirm the meeting by phone. Avoid scheduling meetings close to national holidays and festivals.
11. Always be polite, build trust, maintain a good temper/ demeanor/ character, and keep your word/ honor. Don’t get angry or display frustration. Be calm, no matter the situation. Indians watch your behavior closely while building relationships, and value your overall character even more than your ‘achievements’ (e.g. – a smashing PPT presentation, dashing personality, extra confidence, fantastic rewards offered, etc.). Relationship-building can last the entire duration of your trip.
12. Meetings are always chaired by the person who is in the highest position. Meetings may run beyond their scheduled times, and are usually held in confidence, behind closed doors. Ideas are developed in the middle/senior management levels, and the decision-making process is not inclusive of junior staff.
13. Don’t try hard selling/ high-pressure tactics. Always use diplomatic language and no bad/swear words please. Indians may not say “no” out right, and instead reply, “I will try”, “Let me see”, etc. It could be frustrating, but slow is the way to go, as Indians are highly risk-averse and want to be sure of the person they are placing their trust in.
14. In an Indian office, white collar workers don’t want to get their hands dirty by doing menial jobs, so you might find that work moves slowly (e.g. – having to set up a work area by simply moving a desk and chair may depend on the office help's availability).

Shashi Tharoor on Business, Ethics, and The Meaning of Profit (ability) Today

Shashi Tharoor is an Indian Renaissance man of today, for his achievements as a brilliant student (a Tufts Ph.D. at the age of 23!), diplomat (UN Under Secretary General to Ban Ki-Moon), politician (currently, Member of Parliament and Minister of State for HRD), thought leader, writer, and columnist.

 

His words on sustainability and ethics in business will hopefully influence global business leaders and statesmen to turn the tide away from self-interest and profit-making alone, and towards an inclusive, committed, and ethically aware global management vision.

 

Here is his (edited) address at the Indian Institute of Management's World Conference. It is a seminal speech because it points out the need for a value-driven knowledge society led by not only value-driven captains of industry but also ethical civil servants and politicians. After all, the world we inhabit has been driven by political economy, so why not?

 

I am sure it will be a point of reference in the future, in management and history classrooms and corporate training seminars...

“EDUCATION & LOOKING BEYOND PROFIT”

Keynote Address by Dr. Shashi Tharoor

Hon’ble Minister of State for HRD

IIM World Conference, Goa, 31^ST May 2013

Let me begin by saying how delighted I am to be amongst you all today for the inaugural edition of the IIM World Conference with the theme “Emerging Issues in Management”...The theme I have chosen for my remarks today...is “Looking Beyond Profit.”

 

I chose it because I think it represents a vital area where management theory meets the challenges of the real world and is forced to acknowledge both its internal limitations and external constraints.

Given the experience of the developed world in the last half-decade or so, especially the recent backlash against the Anglo-American model of laissez faire capitalism, in the wake of the global recession, and given the difficult choices we have had to make during our own six decades of experience as an independent nation, and we will need to make for the foreseeable future, I am sure you will all agree that it is a theme that is relevant for not just teachers and students of management such as yourselves but  for all of us who care for India’s present and future.

We are dealing with two topics of long-standing controversy here: the role of profit in economic activity, and the role of government in economic activity. The former has seen much debate – and evolution – since Adam Smith’s work on The Wealth of Nations was decried as promoting the “worship of Mammon”. The latter, too, has seen its share of theorists and trials, be it the dominant Keynesian formulations of the 20^th century, or India’s own experiments with Nehruvian / Fabian socialism and the planned economy.
 

What we are seeing evolve today, however, is a sophisticated and interconnected system which I like to think of as an emerging knowledge society...dedicated to the greater goals of development and integration in an atmosphere of enlightenment; the rules of the market economy certainly have their role to play, and indeed are of great benefit when applied in their proper place, but that is no invitation to apply the economics of the market-place indiscriminately to every field of human endeavour.

After all, another long-running debate has been about whether rules of economic rationality also approximate rules of justice, fairness and morality. The jury is still out on this one – there is, for instance, Justice Richard Posner’s persuasive writing in the USA regarding the economic efficiency of the Common Law – but suffice it to say that human rationality can factor in more variables than the traditional economic model would permit.
 

In this emerging (also, emergent) system, our concept of profit too must be re-examined, to align more closely to what is profitable in a knowledge society.   Traditionally, profit (and its related concept, profitability) reflect simply an assessment of the extent of returns one can expect from any economic enterprise – that is, how much one can expect to make over and above the amounts needed to cover the costs involved in that enterprise. That is to say, barring any form of impropriety or diversion, shareholders can expect to see their share of profits generated by enterprises in which they have invested. This is, of course, a simplified view of profit and business.
 

The moment we delve into the definition of profit, some reservations can arise. One is fairly evident and well-explored: a preoccupation with profit in the present too often translates into neglecting the sustainability of profit (or the enterprise, community or society itself) into the future.

The practically universal adoption of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) norms and practices can be seen as one form of awareness of this shortcoming: businesses across the world now accept that their earnings, their profits, come from society, and as such they must take steps to ensure the health and vibrancy of society if they are to thrive. Further, as we are coming to realise, globalisation and a shrinking planet – on which, more to follow – do not permit the commercial equivalent of slash and burn agriculture.

Rather, a society or community must be cultivated with care and attention if it is to serve as a lasting asset. As the global financial crisis most recently established, anyone who erodes parts of the foundational linkages between economics and people anywhere in the world soon finds that he has undercut himself in the bargain. Regaining a steady footing from that position is proving a challenge for two entire continents even today, and the measures those nations take in this effort continue to have implications for every one of us, even here in India.
 

This idea – that profits ultimately stem from society – can be thought of in terms of Public Trust doctrine. Gandhiji had spoken of trusteeship, this is a related idea. Simply put, we are given only temporary stewardship over the resources we use, which makes it our duty to pass on to our successors resources undiminished in quality or value, though they may be transmuted in form. (Environmentalists have long made this argument: an African proverb which my former boss, Kofi Annan, often quoted says the Earth is not ours, it is a treasure we are meant to safeguard for the next generation.)

In this new conception, 100% efficiency is the minimum we demand, because trading off our resources for gains in the short term would be a loss. Applying gains to improving our stock of resources would be true profit...I put it to you, then, that an understanding of profit suitable to the 21^st century is this: profit is a measure of capacity building, and profitability is the ability to improve on existing assets.
 

Evidently, profitability refers to net improvement...If using my resources to generate a profit also causes the degradation of someone else’s resources, then that is a loss, and a loss that must be taken into account before declaring a profit!
 

We have environmentalists to thank for drawing our attention to this concern. In the decades since Rachel Carson first wrote about the environmental costs of pollution, most nations have brought in legislation to ensure that firms are forced to take account of these implicit costs – paying taxes equivalent to the damage they cannot avoid, and liable to massive fines if they cause damage by negligence.

Whether it is superfund legislation in the USA, methane taxes on livestock in New Zealand, international treaties to protect fish stocks under the Law of the Sea, or our own Supreme Court’s 2009 judgment in the Vedanta / Niyamgiri alumina mining case, we already have an understanding that costs are no less real merely because they are imposed on others. How else can one explain the outrage against clothing or sporting goods multinationals when their products were found to be the result of sweatshop labour, or the willingness of customers to pay a premium – a loss to them! – for Fair Trade goods?
 

The challenges and opportunities that corporations and industries pose for business leaders, nations and governments pose for politicians. Owing to my own background, much of what I have to share with you about leadership today will be applicable to both business and politics in equal measure.  

By now, most of you would have heard endless times that a new age is upon us. This is a banal and trivial truism if ever there was one, for new ages are always dawning upon the generations that live in them. The old order is always changing and yielding to the new, sometimes smoothly and sometimes in extremely disruptive and disorienting ways. What makes this new age of our times so different from the new ages of the past?  I believe it is the speed with which it has come into being.

In the last 25 years or so, beginning with the fall of Communism in 1989, a paradigm shift has taken place in politics and business. The salient features of this paradigm shift are – the spread of globalization, the growth and success of democracy and universal ethical standards, and the occurrence of sudden systemic shocks both in politics and business. Related to these features are the no less significant changes caused by the spread of technology and environmental degradation.
 

The first challenge for leaders in our new age is of course globalization. Professor Theodore Levitt, a marketing professor at the Harvard Business School, first employed it in a 1983 article in the Harvard Business Review. Globalization became a buzzword following the end of the Cold War, but the phenomenon has long been a factor in the foreign relations of the United States.

Globalization is a complex, controversial, and synergistic process in which improvements in technology (especially in communications and transportation) combine with the deregulation of markets and open borders to bring about vastly expanded flows of people, money, goods, services, and information. This process integrates people, businesses, nongovernmental organizations, and nations into larger networks. Globalization promotes convergence, harmonization, efficiency, growth, and, perhaps, democratization and homogenization.
 

But globalization has a dark side too. It promotes convergence but also disruption: the era of increasing globalisation is also an age of terrorism, religious intolerance and the so-called clash of civilisations. It produces economic and social dislocations and arouses public concerns over job security; the distribution of economic gains; and the impact of volatility on families, communities, and nations. 

In the words of the distinguished Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, “We cannot reverse the economic predicament of the poor across the world by withholding from them the great advantages of contemporary technology, the well-established efficiency of international trade and exchange, and the social as well as economic merits of living in an open society. Rather, the main issue is how to make good use of the remarkable benefits of economic intercourse and technological progress in a way that pays adequate attention to the interests of the deprived and the underdog. The question is not just whether the poor, too, gain something from globalization, but whether they get a fair share and a fair opportunity.” The assets of the 200 richest people in the world are more than the combined income of 41% of the world’s people; this would be one indication that our ideas of profit and profitability have some disconnect from ground reality.
 

The second element of leadership in the new age is learning how to deal with black swans – especially the psychological bias that makes people individually and collectively blind to uncertainty and unaware of the massive role of rare events. Black swans have existed throughout history, yet their shape has transformed.  The Cretaceous-Palaeogene extinction event, almost 66 million years ago, wiped out the entire dinosaur population; while closer home, one of the greatest financial crisis of all times threatened to throw the Euro zone into darkness. Uncertainty affects decision making in many ways. For instance, if firms cannot predict future levels of effective demand or growth rates, how can they take a rational decision regarding investment? Similarly, how can banks lend to potential borrowers if they do not know whether they will be able to repay their loans, given the uncertain levels of effective demand in the future?   Malcolm Gladwell’s theory on uncertainty provides some valuable insights.
 

In his book 'Blink', Gladwell narrates the story of a statue dealer. A dealer brings a new statue to the Getty Museum, a Greek Kouros.  The Museum was ecstatic, but first wanted to check the statue’s authenticity. The lawyers went first and found no problem with the paperwork. Next the Museum checked the stone to see if it came from the right quarries and see if it had been out of the ground long enough. So far, so good. Getty’s then decided to buy it, pay a huge amount of money ($10M) for it and invite an expert to see it.

The expert takes one look at the statue and says it’s a fake, but can’t explain why. Another expert is called in; he too gives the same immediate response, but is unable to say why. The Museum takes the statue to Greece and unveils it to a huge audience of experts who then have the same response. When they get back, the lawyers call to say that there is now in fact a problem with the paperwork and the geologists calls to say that there is a problem with the age test. In the end, the data proves that it is indeed a fake, just like the experts thought it was. In the statue example the experts were doing a kind of complex pattern matching – taking a pattern they had in their head about real Kouros statues and matching it to the actual example in front of them. In military circles they talk about coup d’oeil – at a glance – the ability to see immediately what was needed.

Building such deep levels of intuition requires great amounts of experience. Research suggests that a person needs 10,000 hours of experience to build the kind of knack we described.
 

One of the effects of globalisation and the knowledge society will be to give any person easier access to others who possess such expertise, and to reduce the opportunities for arbitrage based on unequal access to information (though opportunities for discretionary arbitrage will remain nonetheless). Despite that advantage, though, not everyone can be an expert, and even an expert can be wrong. In dealing with uncertainty, there will always be those who make the wrong bet; I put it to you that there is nothing wrong with this, unless (as with white swans) they persist in making the wrong bets by being repeatedly and predictably wrong.
 

The third and last element relevant in this new age that I would like to talk about is one that is often characterized by grey – ethics in business. The key difficulty surrounding business ethics is that ethics, by definition, goes beyond the merely legal— but how far beyond? No institutionalized rules exist defining an upper limit. Public opinion is not a very good guide. It is subject to change. Ask Ramalingam Raju! Then as leaders how do we judge what is right and what is wrong?

A great philosopher who sought to establish ethical rules on the firmest possible foundation was Immanuel Kant. His deontological ethics principle puts forth a simple question – “What if everyone did that?” When one is in doubt about a particular course of action, consider the impact if everyone does the same thing. If it will lead to greater harm to society – to a loss to everyone involved – then it is just as wrong for even a single person to do it.
 

Ethics in business & government has to be the anti-clogging device that cleans the system every now and then, lest it burst from the pressures of greed and corruption. So in a world mired with shaky souls and broken promises, we must each find the will to stick to the right path as leaders of not only a knowledge-driven but also a value-driven society. The experience will be an eloquent argument for appreciating the role of societal context in determining profit, and of ensuring that we do our part to protect and maintain that context in its most conducive state.
 

I’d like to end by quoting a few lines by Rabindranath Tagore, “The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” This is a wonderfully Indian idea – a Tagorean idea of harmony. I thank you all and I have been able to strike some modest chords of my own.
 

Thank you, and Jai Hind!