Mounting Bad Loans : Indian Banks

The letter arrived along with hundreds of pages of demand for settlement of business loan against our firm. For small men this is a nerve wrecking event well not only banks loans from any source also is. The worst is money borrowed from private players who charge exorbitant interest and can thug whenever needed especially in case of default.   

Though we cleared money the form owed to the Government many are not so fortunate. The banks are empowered through DRT to recover money through assets owned by the firm or else personal assets. But in spite of stringent laws the amount of  NPAs (Non Performing Assets) are staggering. 

A very massive number of default cases are pending in DRT pertaining to thousands of crores of Rupees. A very large number of cases will never see the end of the day for a meaningful recovery.    

Why does this happening? 

Well I am not a financial wizard hence the question is aimed at the Gurus. But even for the common man can figure out...

Corrupt practices used while disbursing loans.  

Improper assessments of securities.  

The lure of the lucre in case of eager financial institution.

Political proclivity in case of major players. 

Did something like this happen in case of Mallya? Will we know? 

Why are their no secure assets in place with the lending banks?

Hope the riddle is solved on some points. This is public money those responsible for lacunae should be brought to justice and timely.  

Empowering Economy : Green Renewable Energy

Energy has played tremendous role in shaping economies the World over. No wonder so much depends upon the price of crude and extraction of coal. Both are fossil fuels that generate warming with the emission of carbon dioxide.    

To make matters worse elements that control global warming are being decimated massively. All over the World especially in South Americas and some Asian countries the denudation is at its worst. The countries desperate for revenue generation seek short term benefits from fossil fuels, and activities that permanently destroy the best ecosystems in the World.     

The answer lies in harnessing renewable energy that is emission friendly and does not deplete our resources. All said and done many countries across the globe are actively perusing their agenda to win this battle. So far in spite of positive results they are not tangible.  Alternative energy means like the wind mills, solar panels and bio gas have not been implemented on a large scale to counter the usage of fossil fuels. The problem lies in the cost of the infrastructure which is still high in spite of strides made into the technology.    

All three are future energy sources though substantial generation is taking place.  In case of bio gas generation South Korea leads by example. The waste recycling plants using animal excreta has been set up at places using advance technology. India should emulate such positive development taking into consideration the colossal amount bio waste generated from large live stock population all across the country.      

Though economies have benefited by drastic reduction of price or crude the green answer remains elusive. Sound industrial development, construction and daily usage means using energy that is green or recyclable.   

There is no limit to sources that yield  alternative or renewable energy some of other means are ocean energy, hot rock geothermal power, hydroelectricity, solar heating and of course the much maligned nuclear energy. The latter poses safeguard threats and yes as lately mention the fear of theft of fissile material by terrorists.  .  

Out of the Brink - Construction Industry

The decade was abuzz with the slow down in major economies of  Europe and America the leading power house of modern civilizations. From the world of monopoly and dominant economic centers the World has become multi-polar with many centers of economy.     

The paradigm shift has affected many traditional industries especially augured by a devastating slow down. The recent down slide in oil prices has added to the woes. 

The rapidly emerging economies in Asia, East Europe, Middle East and Latin America offers hope to many in the construction industry with constant needs of urbanization.  In USA salvage packages diversified funding and new opportunities spur growth to new heights changing the dismal picture few years ago. However companies better able to adapt to the changing landscape globally will reap major benefits.     

Though work force concerns will remain new technology trends and increase in spending will fuel growth in 2016. Most of the work force that had migrated back to their countries have not returned. Further tech savvy younger generation neglected during the slowdown so no inclination towards joining the sector.  This continuing trend has resulted in curtailing the project handling capacities of many builders in US. .        

Prefab or modular construction has proven to be more cost effective, green with less time consumption. This is attracting companies to move towards this emerging technology.  

But as per prediction single family housing construction will pick up this year to the tune of twenty five percent.But the multifamily sector will remain as the stabilizing factor.   

Construction activities include commercial construction, engineering projects and urban developments. But the housing sector takes the cake hence the focus of this article.  

Another sphere of activity is the house remodeling sector which is an indicator of increase in spending ability. This is often compounded with repair and renovation work which is so much a part of industry. Thus the professional contractors have added work requirements whence spending is good.   

Oil Prices & Global Impact

For some countries the drastic reduction in crude price has a devastating effect. Most of these countries are into production and refining. The reduction in prices has been due to over production and low demand. This status is going to be further fueled by lifting embargo on Iran and its entry into the oil market.        

In spite of global reduction in the prices the cat and mouse game goes on with the recent upsurge.  In US the swing has been highly volatile with as much as eleven percent rise. Will the price stabilize is at best a conjecture albeit production cut is being talked about among the OPEC and other producers.  The recent slump has been the cause of loss for many oil majors like Shell and BP. 

For UK the slump has been good for the economy resulting rise of wages. According to BBC the heaviest losers are:

Russia with over seventy percent of export income arising from energy.
Venezuela is one of the largest exporter of crude and hence has been hot hard by the slump.

Saudi Arabia can bear the slump for a longer time thanks to its fund reserves.       

For more information read: Impact of falling crude

Moving Services About & Trends

Moving is certainly for fun and rarely a decision. Families move because of corporate transfers, house sale or change in the rental occupancy. The move can be local or long distance.  Major companies in USA involved in this industry are Moving Masters NY, UniGroup, Graebel and SIRVA to name a few.  Forty plus share of business is held among fifty companies.    

Trucking and warehousing plays a major role in this enterprise. However the professionals should also be expert in packing especially in sensitive product category.  Transportation is done by trucks and delivery vans as well.  Most of the goods transported are family furniture office equipment and furniture as well industrial equipment and furniture. The former is known as residential moving while latter is commercial moving. The companies are often referred as packers and movers.      

Storage is provided for long term as well as short term basis. Home relocation which accounts for more than fifty percent of turnover generally requires short term storage. Most of the storage is done at company owned warehouses which is more trustworthy. In case of public facilities mix up can take place and their could loss due to this. Logistics and efficiency is a must for a good relocation enterprise this can be done with own trucking in place. Warehousing services are specialized service since the category of products being transported may differ.  

Trucking is a special operation but many relocation have their own in place. The vehicles are in good condition manned by a dedicated staff well versed with transportation of household goods and furniture. Large trucks and mid sized delivery vans are good enough for the job. The vans are most suited for local transportation.

The industry faced its worst during the economic slowdown in US whence the operations of many companies came to a halt. This was mainly impacted by new house purchases which came down drastically. However the status is improving thanks to settling economy. By the year 2020 a good performance is projected. For all the moving services some regulatory laws apply besides safe guarding the environment concerns in USA and else where.

Stationary Products in News

Brand awareness is paramount for stationary products used in offices and many businesses. As models and technology changes so does the usage and with it the buying pattern.  One way this can be done is to pursue news based on the products and company information. This is available on many portals that maintain current development as their prime focus.

With the changes in technology core products manufactured by not only leaders but by new startups as well.  These sites offer not only the news but even the features of the items for the buyers knowledge. Keeping abreast of new developments is not only a necessity it is a smart strategy as well.

The developments are not related only to existing items but to new entrants as well. Shaping your office or business needs requires rapt attention in this regard. The products used are mostly for communication via written or printed text. Some products like paper mats and colored crayons find different us other than communication. Hence entertainment, storage, presentation is also provided by many items sold by the stationers  all over the World.     

In time to come the industry has become multipurpose as well as important strategic move. Day to day items for usage other than communication are also part of the stationers inventory. Items like counterfeit detection pens, binders, time clocks,  calculators, adding machines, cash registers, Micros ID cards and of course the printers.

All these products are part of the inventory and are displayed on their websites for sale. Hence the overall development in this category has increased phenomenally from some basic pen and paper related materials in earlier times.    

Nevertheless in spite of all the innovations paper rolls, ink cartridges and inked pads are still the mainstay of many stationary product dealers and manufacturers. Most of the products are used in printers that now come in various shapes and size. Paper rolls are manufactured according to various specification besides some that are thermal coated. This are used in adding machines, calculators, ATMs and what not. Ink cartridges are the mainstay of printers and are most searched online. Some of the stationery products are subject to various schemes and discounts and to keep abreast a comparison site is a must visit.

Regularly visiting the websites devoted to trends in this industry as well as participating in the annual show is productive. Some of these activities results in fabulous finds besides inspiration by innovative design and developments.  Hence sellers, dealers, manufacturers and most important the purchasers should come out of their shells and become enlightened. The tight fist competitive industry demands involvement and participation. The harder you strive the better is the outcome.

Modi US Visit: An Eminent Journalist Writes

Shekhar Gupta very well known journalist and TV anchor write on Modi's visit to US on UN Annual General Assembly Meet. 

In my own words..... 

The crux of the visit for the first time has shifted to business rather then petty issues. The euphoria created by his visit should be tempered stating the fact the globally stronger country leaders get more attention...as was the case with the Chinese and Russian heads of states.  Hence we have to be an economic powerhouse in order to come closer to them. Though highly successful, his achievement were much appreciated by Indian diaspora and those with interest in the country economically.       

Further Mr.Gupta states that we declare ourselves victorious in haste.  We are inclined to lay too much stress on few failures and suffer from depression as well as get elated by little bit of success. 

Since Indira Gandhi he is our globally best leader. Albeit India is growing fast the economy is minuscule compared to major power and on per capita basis it is dismal. 

The greatest threat that India is facing now is not the tilt to the left but more so because messy politics and the emergence of right wing. Both are antithesis for the goals which we wish to achieve. All the best India big brand, modern technology, education and entrepreneurship.      

I would further add that for US we have become a major arm purchase which is not the make in India campaign aims for.

But remember with the rising popularity as Mr.Gupta states, the warts gets publicity too, corruption of sickening level, crime against women, pollution, caste based discrimination, poor hygiene and yes our ban culture.

Modi: Business and Trade

Since the time he was elected, the premier and his team are making a sincere effort to bring about a paradigm shift as to how India conducts business. The decadent era  of absolute stillness well almost needs a magnanimous effort in the right direction if the country has to move in tandem with the developed World.  

No easy task this, the first signal of intent was brought to notice whence the government decided to bring around a change in the stagnating labor laws. These laws have not seen the daylight since the days of the Raj. Albeit heavily in favor of the work force they did not provide even an iota of encouragement to the business fraternity.         

It is not easy to go about rectifying stagnancy in the governance but nevertheless the Damocles sword that hanged over business practice in India hindered growth out of  draconian penal fear and uncertainty.  However much the developed World pressurizes for level playing field, keeping the ground situation is mind the turn about should come in a reasonable time...after all pros and cons have been taken into consideration.

The emergence of a right lobby is looming over the head and challenging secular and liberal promises made in our constitution. This is detrimental to our image abroad. Investors not only keep business propositions in mind but also the atmosphere prevailing in the country. Hence the direction the Nation is moving towards is of utmost importance for those willing to invest large sum of money and secure the future of their enterprise.      

Most of the policies and systems are based with heavy flavors of socialism shaped during the cold war. The CEO fraternity belonging to major corporate views with much reservation the opening up of India. This was evident in the recent visit of the Prime Minister and subsequent meetings with them in USA.

The red tape, bureaucratic arrogance and lethargy, inherent corruption, inexplicable delays and abeyance of futuristic imperatives  have discouraged direct foreign investment in the country. This is further acerbated by frequent strikes, irrational political opposition and the skewered attitude prevailing in the arena towards  governance.          

No party is unaffected by the populist measures required to please various aspects that keep a party in power. To really stem the rot the Government has to look askance and take step amenable to conduct business in India .     

Albeit labor welfare cannot be neglected, but at least the atmosphere should create a malleable ambiance. This is imperative for a fast growing economy if it has to stay that way. I hope the present Government at least does away with the paralysis that historically evolved since independence...without pointing a finger at any element.    

Designer Jewelry and Trends

Jewelry is an object of body adornment, popular since the beginning of civilization.  The goldsmiths or metalworkers belonging to ancient cultures created fine jewelry. They were master craftsmen who gave shapes to metals, bones and wood to create the fine specimen of body adornment.  

Today jewelry industry runs into billions of dollars all over the world not counting the priceless items which are more of an antique. The jewelry designers are professional who render metal into fine jewelry and embed gems and diamonds into them. Hence the designers are masters in creating fine jewelry as well as metallurgist who understand the properties of noble metals and gems. 

In current scenario delicately hand crafted designer jewelry is in vogue. The jewelry designers are expert in creating fine jewelry out of white and yellow Gold, Silver and Platinum. The creation is mush different from traditional jewelry that represented objects of nature and oriental designs.

Modern jewelry stands apart from traditional jewelries. It is a fusion of tradition and contemporary art or stand alone creation of the artist. Modern jewelry incorporates contemporary designs that are in vogue. The objects most preferred in present times are necklaces, bracelets, rings for various occasions, pendants and ear rings.  

Wooden, bone and bead jewelry are not popular today. With discovery of gem stones the popular form of jewelry shifted to gem or diamond studded metal jewelry. The jewelry making turned into art form making shift from traditional jewelry making profession.

Major jewelry designers created jewelry items that differed from prevailing concepts. The art jewelry was propagated by the rich and the glitterati and many top rung artists in all fields.  The top rung buyers prefer delicate handcrafted designer jewelry to mass produced jewelry.

In order to qualify as handmade jewelry the object should not be created using machines or casting. If any machine tools are used they should be hand guided. The art jewelry comprises of buyers who are mainly collectors or museums. The art jewelry industry is not very popular as compared contemporary fashion jewelry trade.

Handicraft Business

Handicraft is popularly referred to as craft work or craft its purpose is to create home decorative or products that are worn. They are created hand using simple rustic tools by creative artisans. The people who make handicrafts are usually craftsmen from rural or tribal background. Hence most of the handicraft items have a traditional or ethnic touch. Most of the handicraft products especially statues have cultural or religious significance. This is more evident in case of Indian handicrafts, which comes from a country with strong ethnicity and diverse cultural backgrounds.

The handicrafts are created for sustenance by local communities in India and elsewhere. They have a hall mark of local communities which create unique styles and trendy items. The product design and style often marks the origin of the crafts work.

In current scenario the demand for Indian handicraft is increasing day by day. The designer jewelry and dresses are in vogue as well. This is  due to their diversity and ethnic stamp that attracts buyers especially from western countries. The developed seeks exotic products from various Asian countries for their decorative value as well as items of fashion to be adorned with.  

The handicraft industry favors the local artisan who makes handicraft items for survival on daily basis. With the demand increasing for genuine exotic items they are able to market their products easily. The India handicrafts exporters are a channel that tribal and other ethnic communities seek to sell their products through.  

The handicraft industry in India is thousand of years old whence the Kings and local landlords created a demand. The genuine crafts work are used as investment items too as their worth rises with passage of time.

Unlike arts and crafts which can be a creation of hobbyists handicrafts are more serious output meant for sustenance.  It is for this reason that NGOs government and businesses help create a market for the products. They help in providing outlet for products made by local artisans often poor. But Indian handicrafts are a source of generating foreign exchange as well as creating wealth for some traders in India.