Manali is a 14-16 hour drive from Delhi. The route is picturesque; in particular, the segment between Kullu and Manali that runs parallel to a meandering river covered on either side by lush green tall mountains - just heavenly.
Manali is a small town and could probably be covered in a day's walkaround. Old Manali has some interesting spots - Manu's temple being one - and was packed with foreign tourists (for some reason a majority being Israelis) when I landed up. There were even some signboards in Hebrew!
The ride up from Manali to Rohtang freaked me out initially, I caught a 4 am bus that wound its way in the darkness and fog along a precipitous narrow road up the mountains; but the sun came out as we crossed the pass and the snow covered peaks presented an awesome sight. The road was in quite a pathetic state with a gazillion bumps and much credit must be given to the driver of the HPSRTC bus (and the bus itself) that navigated such roads. Rohtang was all melted - I've seen photos of the pass covered in snow - but when I landed in mid July, it was just wet foggy land.
The bus crossed the pass to enter the Lahaul and Spiti valley. The ride downwards from the pass into the valley zigzags, covered with lush green meadows - at the background were the snow covered tall peaks, dotted with small houses and monasteries at the base. This is, by far, the most beautiful mountainous landscape I've ever seen - and is quite a sight to behold.
After reaching the valley, the road followed the Chenab river, bordered by dry barren mountains, passing the location of formation of the Chenab by the merger of the Chandra and the Bhaga rivers.
Keylong is a small town on the route, often considered a night rest spot for people who continue on to Leh and for trekkers to the nearby mountains. Per se, the town has little to offer; yet its location amidst tall mountains with snow peaks in sight makes it a beautiful resting spot. What surprised me was that so remote is town had impeccable broadband connectivity and TV access showing every channel out there. And, the town even has a non-stop bus service into Delhi.
I had to turn back from my explorations at Keylong, given insufficient time at hand. Keylong is considered as a sort of a base camp for trekkers to the glaciers nearby and into the Leh/Ladakh region. June-September, when the passes melt, is the season to get here. A good trekking trip is estimated to last a week or two at least, and I am resolved to come back to the region some day to try it out.
I started back at 4 am (what's it with me and these 4 am bus rides, I wonder), got chased by a couple of dogs along deserted roads (its interesting how these make memorable experiences), and finally repeated the 6 odd hour bus ride back into Manali. This time, I could experience travel back from the pass into Manali in daylight and it was a beautiful experience - coniferous trees and green meadows at the end (with the pot-holes of course).
In sum, to Manali one must go to see tourist tumult; beyond Rohtang, one must go to experience solitude.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Friday, July 04, 2008
Can firms grow too fast?
Notwithstanding our volatile and depressed equity markets...
One of the good things about working in growing economies like India is the sort of interesting things you get to hear about managing growth - things unspoken in mature markets. Instead of grappling with growth challenges, here one gets to ask questions such as in the title line.
But this is an interesting question: Can a firm grow 'too' fast for its own good? Over the past few months, I've been fortunate to be exposed to industries and firms which are witnessing explosive growth; and I've heard people talk terms such as 'sustainable growth' and 'manageable growth'- terms which you'd typically hear only in the context of national economics.
But after all, firms resemble nation states, in a sense. Just as countries can overheat if fiscal and monetary economics are not managed to suit growth (these days, they can overheat otherwise as well, as we've learnt to our chagrin) firms too can overheat their operating models when faced with huge unprecedented growth.
Ultimately, a firm's operating and financial structures are designed for a certain range of volumes. And if these structures are not modified in time to support a much higher range, it is likely that they'll strain; just as short-term mismatches can drive up national inflation, such strains can drive up internal cost to serve, destroying firm value.
Another issue with growth is the change in the nature of the firm in relation to its size. A small firm is quite different from a medium-sized firm, which is quite different from a large sized firm: in its operating structures, in its human capital and policies, in its customer relationships, in its ambitions. As firms rapidly make the transition from one-stage to another, the sheer nature of the firm changes. People used to the informality and flexibility of the startup suddenly get saddled with policies and formal mechanisms. Internal divisions suddenly grow into the size of small firms ...
Of course, nobody wants to give up on growth (I doubt if any nation state would either) - after all, who knows how long it would last. But is it sometimes detrimental to grow too fast? Economies like China and India have been caught at the raw end these days from unmanageable growth. Statements have been made on sacrificing growth to rein in overheating. Should growing firms also 'manage' their pace of growth? Of course, firms dread being left behind in the marketplace, but would slowing down sometimes make you a 'better' firm?
The below is from the Ram Charan chronicles :
"We were driving to the airport in Charleston, W.Va., and he said to me, 'Why are you trying to grow this thing so fast?' I was sort of shocked by the question. Three weeks later my financial guy came to me and said, 'We don't have money to meet payroll.' Charan realized we were growing too fast, that's why he asked me that question."
One of the good things about working in growing economies like India is the sort of interesting things you get to hear about managing growth - things unspoken in mature markets. Instead of grappling with growth challenges, here one gets to ask questions such as in the title line.
But this is an interesting question: Can a firm grow 'too' fast for its own good? Over the past few months, I've been fortunate to be exposed to industries and firms which are witnessing explosive growth; and I've heard people talk terms such as 'sustainable growth' and 'manageable growth'- terms which you'd typically hear only in the context of national economics.
But after all, firms resemble nation states, in a sense. Just as countries can overheat if fiscal and monetary economics are not managed to suit growth (these days, they can overheat otherwise as well, as we've learnt to our chagrin) firms too can overheat their operating models when faced with huge unprecedented growth.
Ultimately, a firm's operating and financial structures are designed for a certain range of volumes. And if these structures are not modified in time to support a much higher range, it is likely that they'll strain; just as short-term mismatches can drive up national inflation, such strains can drive up internal cost to serve, destroying firm value.
Another issue with growth is the change in the nature of the firm in relation to its size. A small firm is quite different from a medium-sized firm, which is quite different from a large sized firm: in its operating structures, in its human capital and policies, in its customer relationships, in its ambitions. As firms rapidly make the transition from one-stage to another, the sheer nature of the firm changes. People used to the informality and flexibility of the startup suddenly get saddled with policies and formal mechanisms. Internal divisions suddenly grow into the size of small firms ...
Of course, nobody wants to give up on growth (I doubt if any nation state would either) - after all, who knows how long it would last. But is it sometimes detrimental to grow too fast? Economies like China and India have been caught at the raw end these days from unmanageable growth. Statements have been made on sacrificing growth to rein in overheating. Should growing firms also 'manage' their pace of growth? Of course, firms dread being left behind in the marketplace, but would slowing down sometimes make you a 'better' firm?
The below is from the Ram Charan chronicles :
"We were driving to the airport in Charleston, W.Va., and he said to me, 'Why are you trying to grow this thing so fast?' I was sort of shocked by the question. Three weeks later my financial guy came to me and said, 'We don't have money to meet payroll.' Charan realized we were growing too fast, that's why he asked me that question."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
World's top tech companies
The Businessweek Infotech 100: the world's top tech firms, ranked by shareholder return, return on equity, total revenues, and revenue growth.
Telecom firms with a presence in emerging markets rank high, dominating traditional tech players. Bharati, for example, the highest ranked firm from India, comes in at #21, higher than Microsoft and Oracle. In shareholder return terms, Redington India comes ranks at #3.
Telecom firms with a presence in emerging markets rank high, dominating traditional tech players. Bharati, for example, the highest ranked firm from India, comes in at #21, higher than Microsoft and Oracle. In shareholder return terms, Redington India comes ranks at #3.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Unlearning to drive
It is often required to unlearn old habits, before learning new ones. Driving, is clearly one such area.
The last generation largely grew up driving on narrow one lane roads, sometimes unpaved. Four wheelers were for a fortunate few, and that too in the last decade. We, in this generation, are indeed blessed to be driving more comfortable transport on wider roads. However what we seem to retain, are vestiges of driving skills from an earlier era.
We seem to have been thrust into an era of laned roads, without being taught the associated rules. To look at rear view mirrors, to use indicators while changing lanes, to suit lanes to speed, to wait at signals, to honk with reason... are some traits we've never learnt.
We continue to view four laned roads as a wide one laner with markers that never matter, zigzag as if we drove two wheelers and honk our way to glory, as if we were clinking those cycle bells.
None of this is more apparent anywhere in India than in NCR, a region endowed with awesome infrastructure... and with drivers with archaic driving etiquettes.
Now, I don't blame our forebearers (and us). Its just that change has been so rapid, that some of what we learnt (at times by observation), is now a liability. We have so much to unlearn, and so much to learn.
PS: The above is a hypothesis, based on just three data points, seeking to explain the mystery behind abysmal driving skills in the area where I live
The last generation largely grew up driving on narrow one lane roads, sometimes unpaved. Four wheelers were for a fortunate few, and that too in the last decade. We, in this generation, are indeed blessed to be driving more comfortable transport on wider roads. However what we seem to retain, are vestiges of driving skills from an earlier era.
We seem to have been thrust into an era of laned roads, without being taught the associated rules. To look at rear view mirrors, to use indicators while changing lanes, to suit lanes to speed, to wait at signals, to honk with reason... are some traits we've never learnt.
We continue to view four laned roads as a wide one laner with markers that never matter, zigzag as if we drove two wheelers and honk our way to glory, as if we were clinking those cycle bells.
None of this is more apparent anywhere in India than in NCR, a region endowed with awesome infrastructure... and with drivers with archaic driving etiquettes.
Now, I don't blame our forebearers (and us). Its just that change has been so rapid, that some of what we learnt (at times by observation), is now a liability. We have so much to unlearn, and so much to learn.
PS: The above is a hypothesis, based on just three data points, seeking to explain the mystery behind abysmal driving skills in the area where I live
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Of golden temples and snow covered summer peaks
and ... I must add, jingoism, rickety bus rides and eternal peace.
Amritsar: A dusty little town with an old world charm, its crowded streets lined with age old buildings, its colorful markets that seem to have stood still in a byegone era, the mouth-watering food; The Golden Temple - so peaceful, so quiet, so beautiful; Wagah border - a interesting display of well orchestrated jingoism, a spectacle of marches and crowd chants, from both sides.
Dharamsala: A rickety eight hour bus ride away from Amritsar, along broken meandering roads in a suspensionless bus; the first view of the snow-capped peaks blowing away all fatigue, the twisting roads of Mcleodganj; the Tibetan monks, their temples and protests; yet a place of all pervading peace; Triund - a worthy 2-3 hr trek up the hills, a hailstorm covering the land with white, a meadow out of the sound of music, all beneath the beautiful peaks.
Memoirs of my travel through two interesting towns, just the essence.
Amritsar: A dusty little town with an old world charm, its crowded streets lined with age old buildings, its colorful markets that seem to have stood still in a byegone era, the mouth-watering food; The Golden Temple - so peaceful, so quiet, so beautiful; Wagah border - a interesting display of well orchestrated jingoism, a spectacle of marches and crowd chants, from both sides.
Dharamsala: A rickety eight hour bus ride away from Amritsar, along broken meandering roads in a suspensionless bus; the first view of the snow-capped peaks blowing away all fatigue, the twisting roads of Mcleodganj; the Tibetan monks, their temples and protests; yet a place of all pervading peace; Triund - a worthy 2-3 hr trek up the hills, a hailstorm covering the land with white, a meadow out of the sound of music, all beneath the beautiful peaks.
Memoirs of my travel through two interesting towns, just the essence.
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