Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Sunday 4 June 2017

That is Peanuts compared to the Potential !



Following was reported on Inc42.com ( 30 May 2017 ) :


Switching From Offlin And Policies To Empower It
Switching from Offline to Online : The $ 26 Billion B2C e-commerce market in India and Policies to Empower it


Where Does The Opportunity Lie: Potential buyers, Bestselling Products, Marketing Platforms, & Lucrative Markets



With ecommerce changing every facet of the world, the B2C ecommerce market has not been left behind, as per the latest report released by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry-Confederation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (FICCI-CMSME), in association with eBay India.



The B2C ecommerce market in India is expected to store a potential of $26 Bn.



The study also estimates that $2 Bn in revenues can be achieved by 2020 if the repository of B2C ecommerce is realised and explored.



As per the report, MSMEs are responsible for 6% of India’s GDP and employ almost 80 Mn people in the country.



As per the report, the ecommerce spend in India accounts for 2% of the total retail spending, as compared to 10%-13% in other developing countries.



With increasing Internet penetration, the on-going digital drive and the push to Make in India, the report indicates that the time is indeed ripe to capture the opportunity.



 According to the above-mentioned report, the B2C ecommerce sales currently stands at $25.5 Bn, placing it at the 9th position, globally.




Of the products range, the fastest selling Indian exports are gems, handlooms, leather, and auto components.







My following blog provides a better perspective :




Tuesday, 30 June 2015


Export Strategy ?



News reports are agonizing over the declining figures of exports for the past 6 months - month after month


There is no doubt , among many corrective actions being undertaken by the Central Government , promoting exports from MSME , is one



No need to look far, for a reason for this emphasis


Just look at how much MSME in our neighbouring countries are exporting :



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Country         /     No of  MSME     /     Ave Export / year ( $ )
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Singapore     /    9,296                /       6.74    Million
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Malaysia       /    28,840               /       2.05    Million 
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S.Korea        /    2.9 million           /       45 , 000
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India            /   30 million        /          4, 000
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Now , even if each of our MSME succeeds in exporting just $ 40,000 worth of exports per year , that would amount to ,



$ 40,000*30 million  !



Currently each MSME ( on an average ) employs 2.5 persons


How many more persons would 30 million MSME need to employ , if each were to raise exports by 10  times ? ( from $ 4000 to $ 40,000 )


It is reported that , even at the current level of operations , India's MSME sector creates 1.3 million jobs every year


For raising (ave) MSME exports by 10 times , would that figure go up to 13 million new jobs / year  ?


Enough to absorb the 12 million persons joining our job market each year ?


It is time for re-thinking our Export Strategy 


By emulating smaller neighbours , we could solve two problems , at one time !





Given this abysmal state of exports from our 30 million MSME , - and the VAST UNTAPPED POTENTIAL – it comes as a SAD NEWS that the GST Council has not agreed to the Commerce Ministry’s suggestion of exempting exporters from the MSME sector from paying GST , ( instead of blocking their capital by making them pay first and then giving refunds )


If our ULTIMATE GOAL is JOB GENERATION , listen to what Shri Kalraj Mishra ( Minister – MSME ) said yesterday :



11 LAKH jobs had been created in three years under the Prime Minister’s Employment Guarantee Programme ( PMEGP )



Khadi & Village Industries institutions have provided employment to more than 11 LAKH persons , EACH YEAR , in the last 3 years “



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05  June  2017



When 2 is greater than 7 ?



That is the caption of a informatics block appearing in Times of India ( 02 June 2017 )


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It provides following figures for economies of          India  /  China  /  USA

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·         % growth in GDP in 2017 ( at constant prices ) :  7.2   /   6.6      /      2.3

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·         
% growth in GDP in 2017 ( at current prices )   :  8.8   /   5.1      /      4.6

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·         
Addition to GDP in $ Billion ( current prices )     : 198   /   577      /     848

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·         Addition to per capita income in $                    :  127   /  367       /    2173




The report goes on to say :



·         To match the absolute GDP growth of USA , India’s GDP at current prices should have grown at…………. 37.6 %



·         To match the absolute GDP growth of CHINA, India’s GDP at current prices should have grown at………….  25.6 %





I got reminded of my following earlier blog :



WholeTruth Please !  ( 30  Nov  2015 )




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05  June  2017


Finding a Bakra ? Possible ?



Over the past 3 weeks , there is a lot of “ noise “ about selling off Air India , which has been making huge losses for years and has a current debt of  Rs 60,000 crore


Noise makers include , Arvind Panagariha , Amitabh Kant , Arun Jaitley and Ashok Gajapathy Raju ( Civil Aviation Minister ),who recently said to CNBC TV !* : 


“ There are hardly any bakras around, so to get one is difficult and businessmen are businessmen


There are limitations . One thing is for sure, the taxpayer’s money cannot be committed for eternity


So, that is one problem . Failures are there on the financial front , so there are problems and these will be attended to 


Arvind Panagariah has suggested that the government write off that Rs 60,000 cr debt , ( in order to “ attract a bakra “ ? ). Better than throwing away GOOD money after BAD !


If the government is also ready to write off that other “ liability “ called “ Manpower “ , ( approx. 21,000 people ) , there is a possibility that a “ bakra “, with an ability to turn Air India profitable , can be found.


Let there be no doubt . No one , repeat NO ONE , will want to even touch Air India , if the deal includes taking over that “ Manpower “ !


That bakra could be , RYANAIR of Europe ( founded in 1985 and profitable throughout ) – perhaps the only WHITE KNIGHT capable of rescuing !


Those having the responsibility to find that “ bakra “ might want to look at the following statistics about RYANAIR :



·         Chairman …..Michael O’leary

( who , once said , “ If you have complaints about RyanAir , don’t fly with us “ . For a long time , RyanAir refused to have a Customer Complaint department )



·         Airfare

Average Fare per Passenger Flown………….. Euro  33 ( Rs 2,600 )

Dublin ( Ireland ) to ANYWHERE……………… Euro  150 ( Rs 11,000 )



·         No of Employees……………………………………….. 12,000



·         No of Employees / Aircraft………………………..        30

( 12,000 for 400 Aircrafts )


  { Air India’s No of Employees / Aircraft ……………. 178 ( 21,000 for 118 Aircrafts )




·         Employee Growth ( June 15 – June 17 )…..  12 %



·         No of Passengers flown (2016 -17 )………….  130 Million



·         Traffic Target ( FY 2024 )…………………………..  200 Million



·         No of Countries served……………………………….    34



·         No of Cities served……………………………………….  200



·         No of bases…………………………………………………..    86



·         No of daily flights………………………………………….  1800



·         No of Aircrafts……………………………………………….    400 ( 737 )



·         Aircrafts on Order………………………………………..   300  ( 737  )



·         On time Performance……………………………………    FIRST  in Europe



·         Profit ( expected for 2016-17 )……………………    Euro  1300 Million




Dear  Shri  Raju :


RyanAir’s Michael Leary is an Irishman, with its headquarter in Dublin ( Ireland )


Ireland’s next “ Prime Minister – to be “ is Mr Varadkar ( whose father hails from Varad town of Maharashtra )


How about sending a “ feeler “ to Michael through Shri Devendra Fadnavisji ?





05  June  2017



Saturday 3 June 2017

Permanent Solution for Kashmir ?



During the past few days , Shri Rajnath Singhji ( Home Minister ) has spoken several times, about finding a permanent solution to Kashmir Issue



Hindustan Times ( 04 June ) reports following :




Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reiterated the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is working towards a “permanent solution” to the seven-decade-old Kashmir issue but added it may take “some time”.

This is the second time that the home minister has spoken about a government plan to find a permanent solution to the conflict in Kashmir, which is battling decades of a violent separatist campaign, in the last few weeks.

Singh, however, refused to divulge anything else about the “permanent solution” while addressing a press conference on the completion of three years of the Narendra Modi government.

“I have said this with utmost responsibility after much thinking and deliberations. We have some plans and are working in this direction and will find a solid solution in the future. It may take some time,” Singh said when asked what he meant by a permanent solution.”

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While praying for the success of Shri Rajnathji’s efforts , I cannot escape the following questions :

·         Will the solution be acceptable to the PEOPLE of India ( including Kashmir ) and Pakistan ?

·         Will it also be acceptable to those POLITICIANS ( on either side ), who have , for 70 years , managed to remain in power by keeping the Kashmir Issue boiling ?


·         Will it be acceptable to sundry FOREIGN POWERS , who do not want India and Pakistan to stop fighting over Kashmir and thereby, keep them from growing / prospering in peace ? ( Who will buy their military ware ? )

·         Will the POLITICAL LEADERS ( of both India and Pakistan ) have the courage to tell their fellow citizens there can be no permanent solution without a COMPROMISE  / a GIVE – and – TAKE ?


·         Can my following suggestions become the basis for a solution ?

·         AContrarian View  (  20  Oct  2013  )
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·         A 100years Stand Off  ( 28 Sept  2013  )
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·         Referendumin Kashmir ? ( 07 Jan 2014 )
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·         The BitterTruth  ( 07 June 2015 )
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·         Kashmir  Conundrum ? ( 26  Dec  2015  )



04  June  2017