What's up WhatsApp?

In November 2009 WhatsApp was launched on the iOS platform as a iPhone app. It was converted from a free app to a paid app to cover the costs of verification which WhatsApp does. By January 2010 it was made available on Blackberry too. From there on there was no looking back for this app. It reached the 200 million user mark by February 2013 and rocketed to 400 million users by December 2013. When Facebook took over the company formed by Koum and Acton by paying 19.5 billion USD it had touched 500 million users.

What is significant is, in India the growth has been phenomenal and has not just kept pace with the overall growth of WhatsApp but probably set a trend by itself. We love to chat and if it is free then we can do it for hours together. It is estimated that 9-10% of the overall WhatsApp users are from India and if we include the PIO's probably we would be about 12% of the overall user base. Indeed we will have to wait to see what will happen when WhatsApp goes subscription model, which it hasn't on Android platform

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Today we have become slaves for WhatsApp. There was a time when we sent a mail we used to sit and eagerly wait for the reply. Today thanks to the smart phone revolution we are totally been enslaved by WhatsApp. We send a message look for the second tick to appear and then the waiting is for the 'Double Tick' to change its colour to Blue to indicate to us that the message is read.

The Blue ticks have made many a person's life miserable because they would be questioned as to why they didn’t respond even after seeing the message. Other problem is the message 'Last seen' that appears just below the name or number of the person. This instantly tells us that when our contact was online in WhatsApp. In spite of these small irritants the usage of WhatsApp has been very extensive in India and uses have been innumerable.

WhatsApp has got features which make us use it extensively, on top of all this no cost for sending messages or chatting. Cool thing about this is to add variety of Emojis for flavour. Latest release also helps you choose the skin colour which you might feel comfortable with. Have you checked it or not? They have about 5 shades to choose from depending on which part of the world you are from, i.e. in case you wish to choose.

Let's deal with some of the features one by one.

Chatting: today a lot is said by using the right emoji of WhatsApp than typing, Imagine quizzes n puzzles are being designed using the emoji's and it is a big pass time for the users, un-raveling the mystery of the emoji based questions.

Photos: There is a whole lot of pictures (700 Million at the last count) being shared everyday on WhatsApp. Range of pictures is left to one's imagination, it could be a cute new born to a cartoon to a Good morning picture with a bunch flowers in the back ground. We Indians love to share the God's images in plenty. Erotic pictures too get shared in the process like other pictures.

Videos: Today if there is one place where you need not worry about copyright violation and share a video it is only on WhatsApp, however there are or some constraints on the file size, however that might be changed in the near future. Talent shows, News stories, Sexual videos to speeches and discourses of Guru's are all shared on this platform. Biggest worry is the lack of monitoring on the content unlike in the case of a computer (Parental Control) makes the viewing of sexual videos on WhatsApp easy and this is a threatening feature.

Voice Chat: This is one feature which helped 'Wechat' app to establish it's presence, however once

this was introduced in WhatsApp, it took the steam away from their campaign. This actually helps when you want your kid to respond to some wishes or a grand parent Who cant type on a smart phone.

Groups: Unlike in Facebook, WhatsApp groups help people to connect more instantly since smart phones have become part and parcel of our lives. There are any number of innumerable variety of groups. I myself have set up multiple family groups, simply choosing how wide you want the audience to be. Family, Friends, Alumni of College/ School, Job, Association you name it, people have groups being formed and enjoying the fellowship. It has actually helped connecting the disconnected lot.

We do see some amount of misuse of this group feature by people, who want to carry out marketing activities. One way is blocking such people and reporting them so that WhatsApp can take care of them at their end. Today group membership is restricted to a maximum of 100.

Voice Calling: This is the most disliked feature of this app by the telecom companies. The moment WhatsApp announced this feature, telecom companies increased their voice, which they didn’t when the same feature was available on Viber, Hangouts 

etc, simply because it was not threatening their income. WhatsApp calling after the initial glitches has picked up clarity and is being extensively used. WhatsApp has even come up with, low bandwidth enabling so that you can talk even on 2G bandwidth and not just Wi-Fi broadband.

Broadcast: This is a feature meant to make announcements, send out wedding/event invites to many (256 people) at one go from your contact list. Only requirement is the recipient should have you in their contact list, otherwise, this message will not get delivered. This is in a way good red-herring, so that people don’t misuse this feature for marketing activities. Any message sent through 'Broadcast' will be delivered like a regular message, with , ,  markings to tell you whether the message you sent has been seen, read etc.

Web.whatsapp.com: This is a feature to integrate PC/Laptop with your phone so that you don’t miss out on WhatsApp activity. This is particularly convenient when you want to send some attachments from your computer, which you do not wish to have on your phone. Integration is a simple procedure, however for this feature to work effectively phone has to be connected by Wi-Fi with your PC.

With WhatsApp, even senior citizens are getting into the play. My 74 year old mother, shops sarees for her business when the supplier sends the images by WhatsApp, similarly she sends the images for those who seek to buy from her. Marriage proposals have been made, by sharing pictures & profiles on WhatsApp. Medical reports including X ray images are shared on WhatsApp. Uses are left to your imagination these are just but few examples. You would be commonly hearing people telling take a picture and send it on WhatsApp.

Thanks to WhatsApp voyeurism has increased with sexual videos, pictures being shared rampantly, the convenience of viewing in privacy, sharing without any worry etc make this app a handy one for the youth and those who are young in mind. This indeed is a worrying factor.

WhatsApp is seriously concerned about the user, their recent version includes a 'Mute' option for silencing notifications, in case you find a person or a group sending you too many messages and you don’t want to get disturbed at your work. This problem is faced in a different way when you have members of your group living in USA, your constant messaging disturbs their sleep due to time difference.

Similarly, it doesn’t encourage spamming, if you try to send messages to too many numbers from your phone, where you are not listed in their contact list, automatically you will be barred from using WhatsApp for a period of 4 hours and if you continue to do it, then your number could be deactivated for WhatsApp activity.

This is an effort to share info which might be useful for many who use WhatsApp but don’t know about many of the features in it. We will talk about WhatsApp emojis in my next blog.

Screwed by the Government

This is an interesting story of a prime property in Hyderabad city, which has seen many a twist and turn.

During the famous rule of Sri YS Rajasekara Reddy as CM, then government of AP decided to auction various properties of Hyderabad and it's surroundings by public auction for development into various categories. Only issue, as realised much later by the successful bidders, with these auctions was the lack of clarity on the background of these properties and or no clear vision on the likely impediments for the planned development.

LANCO hills has the issue of WAKF land sitting around its neck, where politician after politician using the blackmailing tactics on the developer irrespective of the fact it was a government auctioned site, which is supposed to be a clean sale. Similarly the land that was auctioned in Kokapet by the government, which got later embroiled in litigation on ownership, the buyers are not even able to get their monies back from the government for the reasons best known to all of us 'Speed money demand'.

I am more keen to discuss the famous triangular plot in the heart of the city. Here lies a plot measuring about 6 acres abutting the famous green corridor KBR park and positioned in the 'Çheck post' junction of Jubilee Hills.

The plot was put up for auction on 21^st Feb 2006 with offers from bidders having stopped at Rs.1,35 lakh per Sq. Mtr, they opened the sealed bids which surprisingly had a bid for Rs.1.42 lakh per Sq. Mtr (Which roughly translates to Rs. 1.18 lakh per Sq. Yard), which was the highest transaction value in those days in the given area.

Government having got a sale value of Rs.333.70 crores from this sale, was quite happy. The successful bidders were told they can do any kind of development in that place. Bidding consortium being Nagarjuna Construction Company, Maytas, ICICI. The consortium then started working on the project and wished to build a high rise commercial complex.

Problem 1: Being a prime piece of land that was auctioned with a 'Áll Go' statement by the government, the bidders went without a worry and offered the highest price. Once they firmed up their plans and sent the plan for approval to the competent authorities, they were told they cannot have a building higher than 3 or 4 floors, this being in the funnel of the air traffic of Begumpet airport, the then primary airport of the city.

Problem 2: One of the consortium partner Maytas went into a huge turmoil after its associate company Satyam founder chairman B Ramalinga Raju, confessed to accounting malpractices in Jan 2009 in a letter t the SEBI.

Google Earth Images of the said property from 2005 to 2015

The Begumpet airport became only a VIP and Air force airport from March 2008 after the opening of the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad. However considering the 'Funnel' route there was no improvement in the plan sanction. Meanwhile Maytas started going into further problems with its accounts being seized and assets being attached etc. Maytas was taken over by IL & FS and named as IL&FS Engineering company.

Finally Mantri Developers of Bangalore walked into the consortium as a developer in December 2011 and decided to change the plan to a high end residential complex and targeted a price of 13 to 15 k per sq. Ft of constructed area. Building height was reduced to the statutory needs and construction work started in right earnest. Other builders / developers were waiting for the success of this project as it would have created a new benchmark for pricing in the heart of the Hyderabad city, the much wanted improvement in a city which went through the separate state agitation and suffered in brand image.

Luckily the pace of work picked up in 2014 as the new Telangana state was formed and the new government was in place. Here started the travails for the consortium. The new government had its own vision for the city and the new state. In the process the CM of the state Sri K Chandrasekar Rao wanted to make the city of Hyderabad a no signal city by building flyovers across the city where today there is congestion.

Jubilee hills near the Check post^th of May 2015 asking for stoppage of work at all projects where (Including the ones where plan approvals are in place) these flyover projects are proposed to come up.

junction happens to be one such place where government wants a new flyover. They issued a fresh GO on the 30

Now this project is one of those affected by this GO, for the consortium as they are licking their wounds of 2006 this bolt from the blue, is a bigger threat, as until government decides on the design of the flyovers, they cannot progress on their plans. Even some of the luxury apartments they managed to sell will get delayed.

Would you call this triangular plot a 'Jinxed' plot or something else and would you not categorise it under the 'Government f**ks me' category as far as the developers are concerned. They could be big and might be able to manage their way, but the interim delay cannot be compensated by anyone.

(This article is based on inputs from industry players)

Teacher's Day Special! - By an employee of Amazon

 Is it really worth being a teacher? 

I mean...There were times in school, college when I used to think, these people have no other work! You know...the amount of homework, tests etc. which were given to us. I despised them! Then, I used to mock them whenever they missed out on an error in my test or homework. 

That used to be my opportunity to ruin their credibility! Going around the class, spreading nasty jokes and never losing a chance to gain attention! Whether it's intentionally cracking silly jokes between lectures or unfortunately forgetting to do homework, I did it to annoy the teacher! Not my fault, most of them were scary, strict and what not! I respected very few teachers for the kind of effort they put in class after class. But, somehow, always felt they were annoying and jobless too!

It all turned around when I got into Amazon's training team! I love training. I honestly do, however the kind of sacrifices we as trainers make, are sometimes not really advisable. That's when I realized that my teachers also would have made similar sacrifices, if not more! Let me give you a glimpse. 

The first sacrifice starts with their income! A sacrifice of free time, a sacrifice of family time! Did you know most teachers are an integral part of a family? They are home makers. They sacrifice their family time just to complete corrections and assessments on time for which they'll anyways be criticised! For me, it's just my notebook/test paper that I'm concerned about. For them, there are 25-30 such students in my class alone! Yet I complained when they step into the class, why can't you do your work on time!? We want to know our scores now!!!! I ensured to keep a disappointed face and not allow the class to happen. 

You know exactly how that scene is. However, In the corporate world, we don't have that pressure, but I sure can relate to it now. The sacrifices don't stop here. Teachers sacrifice staying in a physical shape. Most of them are under/over weight, stressed, bald, wrinkled, dark eyed, dull, under dressed! 

Ever wondered why? No, cos we were too busy mocking them. All this aside, there were a few teachers who came and inspired us within a few minutes! They very quickly became our favorites! They used to entertain us, yet teach us! They concentrated more on our moral values and our methods of studying than our A+ scores! They made us achieve wonders. Taught us more than just subjects. Hmmm...why the difference? Why couldn't the others do it? Inexperience? Unwillingness? Or is it because WE never gave them a chance for them to show us their complete potential? 

Think about it, when did we behave like the best students? Only during that one awesome class or throughout the day? Let me tell you a secret, when a flower doesn't bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower! By being a good student and creating an atmosphere to learn, you'll bring the best out of any teacher! That's exactly what these awesome teachers did! They didn't change you! They changed the environment around you which in turn made learning so much fun and brought the best out of you! Now, back to the question, is it really worth being a teacher? 

YES!! Oh the joy, when people come to you and say, "if it wasn't for you, I would've hated English" or dedicate an award saying "I'd like to thank my trainer for all the efforts he's put to make me graduate!" - inexplicable. Sometimes, just seeing a student grow successfully, fills our hearts with immense happiness. In fact, the more I train, the more convinced I become that teachers are a powerful force in students’ lives with the ability to inspire greatness in our children! So, here's to wishing all the real superstars in everybody's life! For without you, we'd all be incomplete in one way or the other! Happy teacher's day! Stay blessed

(This is a post made by Bezawada Sri Prakruth an employee of Amazon.co.uk in Facebook, since he is my son and i was impressed with post decided to share it with my readers)

copy right of the pictures used in this blog rests with the respective owners

Bhale Bhale Magadivoy – Is he?

Got to see Bhale Bhale Magadivoy on the first day late night show at Chennai. Predominant male audience, almost a full balcony. Interesting to note that Nani the self made hero has a good following, considering the number of whistles and hoots we could hear.

Maruti Dasari the director had a fresh subject, good producer and probably a limited budget. He did his best to complete an entertainer without forgetting for a minute that his hero is a forgetful guy, which could have been better, but not a bad boring movie.

Story revolves around a man who has the habit of forgetting the job on hand the moment he is accosted by another job. It is scary to even imagine being like one, considering the ill effects, theme has been well emphasised by the Director till the end.

Nani, had a good scope to act, but the thought that he has become a “hero” seems to be getting in to his mind, some scenes, he seems to be showing that forgetting he is an actor.

Lavanya Tripathi looked pretty, well picturised. Her predicament of the hero's forgetful nature was well documented. Some scenes her acting could have been better, probably the problem is the understanding of the language or explanation for this Miss Uttarakhand 2006.

Murli Sharma as the father of the heroine, had a full length role unlike his typical villainy roles in the Telugu films. He could deliver as he was expected to.

Naresh, Sithara, Kishore etc had their own part to play to make the movie interesting. Ajay played the role of Cop/Villian role effectively. There were many actors whose presence was there but didn’t have much of a role, wonder why they were hired.

Songs are OK, picturisation was budgeted, they had to complete with low cost it looks like. No fancy cars, bungalows all taken care of to ensure movie is completed within the given budget. Marketing of the movie was done very well, innovative slots taken on television making the announcement look like a new serial coming or a new premier show happening on the TV.

Movie had a climax to ensure heroism as shown in the tollywood movies. My 10 year old daughter who is a big fan of Mahesh, was almost disappointed that there was no action till almost the end. The twist in the movie was well presented.

Bhale Bhale Magadivoy – Rating given by me  

(Copyright of the pictures used rests with the respective owners)

Is the location, best for your business

What is in a location, when I have a great concept and people will flock, where ever I am, this can be a killer thought, literally. Where your business is located is going to be a very crucial.

Having worked with a Brand which was in to franchising of spoken English classes, the need to locate the centres at the right place was always dwelled by me to the people who were getting the franchisees on board. We had few very successful centres, each one of them ideally located. One near the Bus terminus & Suburban station in Chennai, Near Dadar Station in Mumbai, One at the busy SR Nagar bus stop in Hyderabad and another at Maitri Vanam in Ameerpet, Hyderabad.

First two being closer to the railway stations, the centre was easily accessible to the learners, SR Nagar is a busy location and a centre close to the Bus stop was just the place. Maitri Vanam was where hundreds of training institutes were located and what better place to be. You may be located at the 2^nd or 3^rd floor of a building without a lift, students will still come, same thing cannot be said if your target client is elderly, they will simply stay away.

All these places you would get lot of walk ins without much publicity. This fact has to be remembered depending on the business we select. Today in T. Nagar Chennai, you start a textile shop or a gold souk, you are sure to get business, simply because the place got recognised for these two. Similarly the various Khao Gallis in various cities, start a cart or a shop in this location to serve any variety food, you are sure to find business. It is unfortunate, our governments don’t try to encourage Khao gallis or food courts like the Singapore government did.

I have a case study of two confectionery outlets which started setting up their outlets about the same time in Chennai. One went boldly and started choosing locations which are on prominent roads, with parking and the other started where ever they could get a place irrespective of the fact whether the outlet is visible n accessible. I am sure you would have known the result the one which didn’t go for proper location had to shut shop soon, in spite of serving better variety.

It is also important how you position yourself. There was this place on Ormes road, Chennai, where many a restaurant was started and soon shut shop. Then came Murugan Idly who opened in this so called 'Jinxed' place and today they are going strong in that location, simply because, they were a best option for many a vegetarian household (north Indian community) in that locality and it is doing well. This had prompted many fresh Vegetarian only outlets to come up in the vicinity, all doing well.

One famous garment brand opened an outlet near a flyover in the second floor of a building in T. Nagar, with an entrance which needs to be searched, soon they had to shift out and start it on the main road, wonder why in the first place the franchise owners allowed them to open the outlet in the first location.

Sometimes your brand or offering might get you crowd where ever you are located but, being better located can get your more business, unless you are someone, who makes only 50 dosas in a day and sell them each at Rs.250 a pc and still be happy (Avenue Road, Bangalore)

Today biggest problem in the cities and towns is the parking, however much you have perfect valet system in place, people would be mindful, if you have sufficient parking, based on which they would like to visit your outlet.

Keeping this fact in mind, many an outlet is being set-up in malls, simply because there is plenty of parking available. Walk-ins are assured, but how do you convert the crowd in to business is up to what you have to offer. UB city, Bangalore, is an exclusive place for up market brands, however their restaurants are flocked by youngsters, who are wanting a good time. In this place one should not get carried away by seeing the crowd and start an outlet, as the restaurant going crowd is most unlikely be the buyers for your offerings.

What can be concluded from all this is, you have to have an ideal location for your kind of business, for this, it will be very worth while to spend time understanding your clientele and how best to reach them.

You want help in choosing a good location for your business, call 9840429384

(Copyright of the pictures used in this blog rests with the respective owners)