November 2015 Woman At Work Digital

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From the editor
Technology has made changes to the way we
live. Shopping from one’s smart phone, using
the tablet to order dinner on a lazy Sunday
evening, finding long lost schoolmates: are all just a
click away. Technology has also changed the way we
work. From chat systems to conferencing to sharing
documents, a lot has changed at the workplace.
Technology has made work, location agnostic.
Working from home or telecommuting has been
doing the rounds of workplaces atleast for the last
ten years. Pioneered by technology companies
in the West, this concept made inroads into other
countries in Europe and Asia along with their carrier
companies’ global footprints. In the war for talent,
especially in the 21st century, this became a ticket
to attract professionals who were no longer lured by
just fancy titles and pay packages. They wanted to
have a life alongside work, and a location agnostic
workplace held such a promise.
Given the strong gender stereotypes, work from
home or telecommuting policies started off with
being made available to working women. But with
many voices of dissent from both men and women
on how gender biased this was, companies that offer
workplace flexibility offer this as a gender neutral
workplace policy.
But work from home was not the panacea it
was made out to be. It came with its own set of
challenges. While on one side, it did raise employee
morale, in others it made them feel lonely and
alienated from the company’s culture. When Marissa
Mayer abolished the work from home policy at
Yahoo as soon as she took over as the CEO, she cited
greater collaboration and team synergy as the need of
the hour for her company, which she felt could only
be achieved if people worked together in a common
physical workplace.
While the jury is out on whether work from
home or anyplace is a win-win both for companies
and professionals, most progressive companies today
have flexibility in their workplace policies and work
from home or telecommuting does find a place there.
Happy Reading!
Poornima
Parameswaran
Batish
Editor-in-Chief
P.S We would be delighted to hear your
feedback, views, insights and suggestions
poornimapbatish@womanatwork.in

Contents
Cover Story
Location No Bar
Redefining the Workplace
Simply Successful
Leading from The Front
Special Feature
Shaping Your Dreams
In Conversation
Forging Relationships,
Building Success
Trendsetters
Fixing Forensic Troubles
Society
Lending A Helping Hand
Brand ‘You’
Do You Look Like An Achiever?
By Invitation
Soft is The New Hard
Travelust
God’s Own City
24
32
18
12
38
41
16
9
51
32
18
12
4
| November 2015

YOUR TRAINING
CRACKERJACK
ALLY
IN CORPORATE AND
SOFT SKILLS TRAINING
> Personal and Role Effectiveness
> Organizational Cultural Transition Soft Skills
> Busninsess Communication

46
44
22
Startup Smart
Protecting Brand Identity Through
Trademarks
From Being Proactive to Being Legally
Proactive
Lens At Work
Bidding Adieu to The Elephant God
Special Coverage
Shaktibandhan: World Sisterhood Day
Tech At Work
Wheels At Work
Professions on the Table
Bookshelf
Netsetters
Women in the News
46
22
44
7
8
21
15
53
54
EDITOR IN CHIEF
: Poornima Parameswaran Batish
CONSULTING EDITOR
: Suchismita Pai
COVER PAGE & GRAPHIC DESIGN : Yellow Creatives
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
: Sanjiivv B Batish on behalf of Woman at Work Media
PUBLISHED AT : 5, Ganga Plaza, Off NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune – 411048
PRINTED AT
: Neha Creations, off Sinhagad Road, Pune
For your feedback, ideas and suggestions, write to info@womanatwork.in
Website : www.womanatwork.in
Note to the Reader
*All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner without prior permission is prohibited. The views expressed in the articles are of the authors and not
necessarily of the magazine. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy of information in the magazine. But neither the editors nor the publisher
can take responsibility arising out of errors or omissions in the information provided.

TECH AT WORK
Apple Watch Hermès
Apple Watch Hermès: Apple Watch Hermès is the culmination of a partnership based on
parallel thinking, singular vision and mutual regard between the top 2 brands in the world. Its
Apple Inside with a touch of class from Hermès. With leather straps handmade by Hermès
artisans in France and an Hermès watch face reinterpreted by Apple designers in California,
Apple Watch Hermès is a product of elegant, artful simplicity .
Toshiba Dynapad
Toshiba has a new Windows 10 convertible – DynaPad and is a good bet for
anyone who needs to use a stylus. The selling point is the bundled Wacom Active
Electrostatics TruPen, which offers 2,048 levels of pressure and works with
Microsoft's pre-installed Office and Edge software, along with Toshiba's own, too.
Ola 'Share'
Taxi aggregator Ola announced the launch of its 'Share' social ride-sharing feature
on its app. The Share carpooling feature, still in beta, is live on its mobile app and can
be used by customers in Bengaluru at an introductory flat fare of Rs. 50, the company
said.
Mumbai Metro Smart Card Recharge
Snapdeal-owned mobile transactions platform FreeCharge announced the
launch of its online recharge facility for smart card users of Mumbai Metro. The
feature, still in beta, enables Mumbai's metro commuters to recharge on the go,
and has been rolled out its website, Android, iOS, and Windows app.

wheels at work
BMW X6M and X5M
Price : INR 1.55 crores
Noteworthy
The new gen high performance Sports Activity Vehicles
(SUVs in BMW lingo) are based on the latest iterations of the
X6 and X5.
2015 Toyota Liva
with dual tone colours
Price : INR 5.7 lakhs onwards
(ex-showroom)
Noteworthy
Offered in petrol and diesel engine option, the new
Liva comes with dual tone body colours, which the
company claims is factory built, making them as the
first manufacturer in the segment to launch such a
product.
Hero Maestro Edge and Duet
Price : INR 49,500 onwards
Noteworthy
The Hero Maestro Edge and Duet have impressive
features list backed up by good quality levels and the
brand’s immensely strong presence across the country
(6,300 network points). The former also benefits from
a design that stands out.
All information & photos in this section is courtesy RushLane which is a leading source of cars / bikes news & reviews.
@rushlane

By Invitation
Soft Is The New Hard
Sayali Shende is a Corporate Trainer and Founder of Crackerjack, a training & development
solutions company. She has rich and diverse experience with corporate and academia in USA
and India. She is a professional brand strategist, a prolific writer and a blogger. She likes to
write and blog on a variety of subjects right from branding to emotional intelligence to women
empowerment.
A
few months ago, I walked into
the dealership of a leading
car company. The plethora
of swanky cars, all crying out loud
for my attention made my head spin.
Which one should I buy? Just as I was
grappling with an answer, a salesman
quickly ushers me aside and gives me
a litany of car descriptors. Mileage,
version, variants, colours, and what
have you! I was more confused than
before. Sensing my predicament, a
cheerful youth, another sales person
comes and greets me warmly. After
initiating a small talk about “did I
find the store easily, have I come
alone or with my family and most
importantly, what kind of a car would
best symbolize me?” He instantly
warmed up my heart and I was ready
to handover my cheque. This guy was
on a fast track mode to a rocking sales
career!
The striking difference
between the straight jacketed first
salesman and the next were not his
technical competence, but his savvy
interpersonal skills. Impressed with
him? Oh yes! My shiny new car is a
testimony to that. Was there a leader
waiting in the wings in that warm
sales man….yes just waiting to be
discovered!
Most organizations struggle to
discover their next leader. Most leaders
from within are chosen on the basis of
their technical competence, “go getter”
attitude and astute foresight. But the
chosen leader is still found at large.
So what does a leader need
to have? How do organizations
know what sets leaders apart from
managers? Its time every one wakes
up to the fact that “it’s not only hard
skills that maketh a leader, it’s the soft
skills too”. A technically competent
and aggressive leader with no human
element will not go far. He will be like
a rudderless ship on stormy waters.
Soft skills are the wind in the sails of a
leader’s boat.
November 2015 | 9

By Invitation
Organizations should gently probe
their teams to find out which leader
would they prefer? Someone who
drives them ruthlessly to achieve their
goals and chastise them or someone
who works with them to find their
“achievable” target? Would they prefer
a leader who criticizes in public and
appreciates in private or someone who
does the exact opposite? Would they
merrily support a leader who “talks
to” them or a leader who “speaks with
“them”? The writing is clear on the
wall.
Years ago, in my stint as a banker
in the USA, my bank’s Regional
Director used to come in for surprise
audits in the bank. On a busy day, one
would not notice him slipping in the
bank and masquerade as a customer. A
cashier who didn’t make eye contact
or a relationship manager who didn’t
jump in to “handle” an irate customer
were often gently chided in private
and made to sharpen their service
skills. Did we love the RD? We used
to wait for our turn to get audited..
Now that’s a first! He was a soft skills
personified leader!
While most companies identify
their next level leadership team
on the basis of technical skill
sets, they need to take efforts to
awaken their softer side too. Just
as technical and competency skills
are enhanced through a battery of
such trainings, soft skills need to
be reinforced through a series of
workshops and trainings. Team
building, collaboration, interpersonal
skills and emotional intelligence are
as important as business planning,
strategizing and quotas. These tough
tasks seem easy when they are backed
with excellent soft skills. It’s easy
to follow a leader who is technically
adept and also connects with you
deeper than sales figures. A leader who
has open channels of communication
gains more respect than the one who
gets lost in approval emails. The gap
between managers aspiring to be
holistic leaders is glaring and its time
it gets bridged.
If organizations lean in to internal
cues, they can pick on the telltale signs
of poor soft skills of their managers.
Contrary to popular belief that soft
skills or rather the lack of it are tough
to nail, they are quite easy to identify.
If managers acquire clients easily but
struggle to retain them, if employee
turnover is higher than industry
average, if managers are reactive
rather than proactive, if channels of
communication are long and if all
managers are like cookies cut by the
same cookie cutter, there is a huge soft
skills gap, a gaping chasm that has
to be filled pronto. Its time soft skills
become an integral part of the “JD” of
a leader, its time soft skills became the
new hard skills. •
www.crackerjack.in
10
| November 2015

November 2015 | 11

Forging Relationships
Building Success
From Bokaro Steel City to Pune to California, Shabnam Asthana’s journey has been
nothing short of spectacular. It was no surprise to her clients, colleagues and friends
when she won the National Award for Public Relations in 2012, which is India’s most
prestigious award, given by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI). Woman At
Work talks to the mutli-faceted Shabnam Asthana, Founder & CEO of Empowered, a
leading PR firm and a Director on the Board of IND TV, which is a San Francisco based
Media channel.

In Conversation
WW : Tell us about your education and
growing years.
SA: I grew up in the lovely Bokaro Steel City, which
is today in Jharkhand. My parents moved from the
then USSR to India. My father was a Public Relations
professional and my mother was a senior manager
in the Design Bureau of Bokaro Steel Plant. My
three sisters and I always looked up to our parents,
especially our working mother as a great source of
inspiration because in those days, it was a rare sight to
see a working woman, let alone a senior professional.
When I was in senior school, my parents gave me
a challenge that if I did well in my academics, they
would allow me to go to study in Delhi.
WW: Did you take up the challenge?
SA: I love challenges. I studied hard and was
privileged to get into Lady Shri Ram College,
Delhi for my graduation in English. After my post
graduation in English, I went to IMD Switzerland
for a course in management. Marriage brought
me to Pune where I did my Masters in PR and
Communication.
WW: Did you plan for a career in PR
or English given that you had dual
specialisations?
SA: The job market at that time was not a very
matured one. Even though I wanted to start working,
my husband and I didn’t know where to start for
me. We applied through an employment exchange
and fortunately, I got a call for a lecturer’s job in the
prestigious National Defence Academy, Pune. To
my delight, I bagged the role and that is where my
professional journey began.
WW: How did you shift to a career in
Public Relations?
SA: While at the NDA, I used to compere a lot
of events like the Passing out Parade. In one such
event, the Late Dr B V Rao, then the Chairman of
Venkateshwara Hatcheries , heard me and came up
to speak with me. He asked me to join him in the PR
department of his company, directly working under
him and reporting to him. It was my foray into PR
and I was glad I had made the right choice. After a
few years with them and the sad demise of Dr Rao, I
decided to move on. I then got an offer from a leading
Swedish company, Hoganas India, as Manager Public
Relations. After this I worked with Garware Wall
Ropes and then a Greek company as Vice President
Marketing. All through, I was very fortunate to get
an exposure to varied industries and enable these
organisations get positive visibility through my work.
WW: How did entrepreneurship happen?
SA : While I moved jobs, I was in touch with all
my previous companies and somewhere there was
an emotional connect I had with them. One day a
thought occurred to me, “Why could I not work with
all them?” That is when I founded my own PR firm
with all of them as clients. It was the best decision of
my career.
WW: Tell us a little more about your
company?
SA: I wanted to be a boutique PR firm and focus on
key clients and quality rather than volume. Since I had
a reasonably good network, I was able to establish
my company in a short time. I also setup a branch in
California, US, with teams working out of Pune and
California.
WW: How did you get associated with a
media channel in San Francisco?
SA: Given my work in California, IND TV, an
upcoming channel wanted to get associated with my
firm. I currently am on their Board as a Director. I
also have had the opportunity to anchor the Miss
California event. I was completely taken by surprise
and also very excited when recently a regional film
offer came my way.
WW: How do you manage 2 time zones and
both these roles?
SA: I think an important part of management is to
build the right teams and make the clients comfortable
with your teams. I also make sure that I am accessible
to my clients if they ever need to reach me. I also
travel across the countries to oversee business matters.
WW: Tell us a little about your family?
SA: My husband and daughter are my pillars of
support. I have never really faced any challenges as a
working woman. I never had to choose between home
and work. My late father has been and even today is,
November 2015 | 13

In Conversation
my biggest inspiration. He came from a humble
background but made sure that he gave his
family the best he could afford. My mother has
been a silent but strong backbone of our family
and I feel blessed that despite my busy work
schedule I am able to give her quality time since
she stays with me.
WW: Do you find any differences in
the way media works in India and the
US?
SA: Since I have worked with both media for a
good period of time, I would say that both bring
their own strengths to the table. Some of the
best brains are part of the media here. In the US,
the discussions are more focused and decisions
get made faster because of their cultural style.
WW: What does ‘me’ time mean to
you?
SA: I love to play golf and dance. Music is
my biggest de-stressor. I also love to teach PR
and Marketing and soft skills and interact with
students.
WW: With Social media, everyone is
a self styled PR expert. Is PR still a
relevant profession?
SA: I agree with you that with social media,
every person has the ability to build their own
image and brand. But one of the big issues of
the digital era is that it is now much harder to
stand out in the clutter. And that is where a good
PR expert can enable brands and companies
optimise use of various forms of media to get
the right messages out.
WW : What is your advise to
women who want to pursue PR as a
profession?
SA: If you love to build relationships, then
this is a good profession to be in. But given
the nature of the job, women have to draw a
line between being persuasive and crossing
the line where they send wrong messages to
clients. Also I believe that women can build
strong careers provided they are determined and
inspired. •
14
| November 2015

BookShelf
Louder than
Words
According to Todd Henry, there has never been a better time
to build an audience around your idea or product. But with so
many people and companies clamouring for attention, it’s also
more challenging than ever to do work that deeply reverberates
with the marketplace and creates true and lasting impact. Henry
illustrates the five attributes of resonant work: authenticity,
uniqueness, consonance, empathy and timing. This book is for
those who have the courage to reinvent themselves and who
have an instinct and drive to achieve an inner strength.
The Confidence
Code
In this insightful book, the authors demystify the value of
confidence in the marketplace and in everyday life and why it
is some of us have it and some us don't. Mixing the right levels
of science, intrigue, example, humour and humility--they even
go as far as personal genetic testing to see how they fare on the
confidence scale. Journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman travel
to the frontiers of neuroscience on a hunt for the confidence gene
and reveal surprising new research on its roots in our brains.
November 2015 | 15

Brand ‘You’
DO YOU LOOK
Like an achiever
In this monthly series, Ruchi Suneja,
founder of Ikon Image Consulting and
one of the leading Image Coaches in
Western India talks to us about how to
build one’s personal brand to standout
in the crowd and carve a space for
ourselves in our career of choice. In this
column, she talks about starting inside
out and the importance of external
appearances.
How do we remember any brand? The possible
answers could be its logo or name or punch
lines. We see or hear them and we get used
to their appearance, which is governed by design,
color, shape or symbols. Similarly individuals
and personalities are also remembered or judged
through their appearances because human memory
is photogenic and our mind keeps clicking pictures
of people we meet. When you go to any gatherings,
be it social or professional, you remember people
who looked either the best or were seemingly out of
place. You might not remember their name or their
qualifications or titles, but your memory has their face
ingrained.
16
| November 2015

Brand ‘You’
We all must have sometime or the other been
a recipient of this statement - I have seen you
somewhere however I cannot seem to remember your
name or where we met. This is because our brain
clicks pictures and that image is fetched from one’s
memory when we see the same person again. Let us
relate this to social media websites. Most of us, if
not all, have social media profiles. Many of us keep
updating our profiles and keep our best pictures there
to make positive impressions on those viewing our
profiles. This is exactly how it needs to work in the
physical world as well.
The first step in creating an individual brand
begins with building our image “inside out” so that
the picture clicked in others’ brains leaves a mark in
their memory. What does it mean? It suggests that
we need to start with believing, appreciating, loving
& respecting ourselves. Because the way we think
about us is the way we feel about us. This in turn
decides on how we appear and behave in front of
others and results in how they react to us. Positive
thinking and belief that we are worthy, capable
and deserving can boost our confidence and get us
positive reactions from our customers or employers.
It also works the other way. If our self confidence is
low, it reflects in our conduct and then it spirals into
a lose game.
Our next focus should be on our external
appearance which includes the clothes which we
wear, accessories we choose and how we carry
ourselves. If we ask the base question on why we
need clothes, many responses could be around that
they help us to cover our body, provide protection
in adverse weather conditions and also help us
look good. Let us think beyond the obvious. Let
us take a sneak peek into a typical schedule of
ours. When we go for exercise in the morning, we
change from nightwear to track pants & tees or some
other exercise attire. When we go out for work or
meetings, we change clothes based on the kind of
work we need to do. In the evening if we need to go
for any birthday party or social gathering, we change
our clothes. Why do we change our clothes numerous
times in a day based on the kind of event?
Wearing appropriate clothes is a key factor in
external appearance. Appropriateness means that we
look the part we are there to play. A business party
and a business meeting are two separate occasions
and require different attires. Many factors like venue
of the meeting, purpose & nature of the meeting,
your own objective of attending the meeting and
the kind of people you are meeting – all these and
more decide the appropriateness of the attire. I was
recently interacting with graduates with a fashion and
interior design background and asked them on what
their professional dresscode was. To my surprise,
it turned out to be trousers or skirts with shirt in
blue, black or white color. Do you think people from
creative backgrounds should wear similar kind of
clothes which people from management or technical
fields wear to look professional? In creative fields
like fashion, your professional clothes can also
convey your skills or talent while being appropriate
and functional. Will that not be more impactful than
talking about the institute you belong to?
You should also be comfortable and be able
to carry what you wear with ease so that it doesn’t
look like you have borrowed clothes or styles. That
could be a deterrent to your external appearance and
image as you might become overly conscious of your
looks and might get fidgety. One common myth that
surrounds most professionals is that western clothes
are most appropriate for business. But today, there
are enough Indian styles available which are equally
appropriate for business. Be yourself, be appropriate
and that will make you look and feel good.
Let us also look at one often used word for
external appearances – ‘attractive’. Being attractive
means our overall presence is pleasing to the
other person and nothing is distracting or out of
place about our appearance. A friend of mine
recently went to meet the Head of Department of
an organization. She had to walk through the office
corridor to reach his cabin. Her shoes made a lot of
noise and as she passed by every cubicle, people
started looking up to see who it was and even the
Head could not but notice her shoes as she walked
towards his desk. So minute things like this can leave
not-so-nice memories in people’s heads.
To build a strong personal brand, both your
external appearances and inner feelings have major
roles to play. You need to dress and behave like an
achiever to be one. •
ruchi@ikonimageconsulting.com
November 2015 | 17

Special feature
Shaping your
dreams
Have a vision of your dream office or home? If you want your living and working spaces
to inspire you everyday, meet two design professionals who have carved a niche` in
their field. With ideas in their heads and design in their fingers, they can make any
space within four walls look like your dream space.
By Megha Johari
Furniture C outure
If you think that it is always
important to be in the midst
of a metro city’s hustle-bustle
to succeed in your business, then
knowing more about Amrutha Joshi
Yuvraj may change your view.
Far away from the noisy life of a
metro, nestled in the tranquil town
of Coimbatore, is a manufacturing
unit working on creating customized
and extremely creative kids furniture
under the brand name Lollipop Kids.
The brand is designed and owned
by Amrutha. When quizzed on her
inspiration behind the designs, she
beams proudly, “my two young kids.”
Amrutha studied interior
designing in Mumbai and worked
for many years in specialized design
firms like DSP Design Associates
and Equis India where she learnt not
only designing but also end-to-end
project execution. With this width of
experience behind her, she started a
partnership firm with her architect
husband. The couple did residential
and commercial projects, with
Amrutha looking at the interior design
part of the projects.
While on these projects,
Amrutha’s head was brimming
with ideas and energy. She forged
another partnership with her friends
and started a bespoke furniture line
named BelleeArts. It began with
doing customized luxurious furniture
and accessories. BelleeArts has
a consulting partner based out of
Mumbai. All her firms, including the
newest kid-on-the-block, Lollipop
Kids are doing unrestrained creative
work using forms like teak wood,
glass, metal and many other materials,
wooing clients with repeat projects.
At Lollipop Kids Furniture, Amrutha
offers appealing graphics, lightweight
and functional furniture
which becomes the child’s friend,
18
| November 2015

Special feature
accessory, storage and play area. It is
her understanding of children’s need
for space, storage and safety which
inspires her furniture at Lollipop.
She has made many theme based
rooms, like a ballerina, a bakery, a
departmental store or a superhero’s
room, with furniture, paints, and
soft decor in tandem with the room’s
concept. To keep the safety and
mobility in mind, they
use chests, bunk beds,
cupboards, study tables,
chairs in light weight
material and use a modular
style.
Amrutha and her team
have chosen to develop
their clientele base through
referrals and word of
mouth publicity as she
feels that is the best way
to build reputation in a
market full of big brands
and unorganised players.
In the initial days of her
business, she focused
on selling through her
website. “We realised
that people preferred to
trade through e-commerce sites.
Hence we sold our offerings through
our portal.” Gradually they started
getting appreciated for their work and
projects started pouring in through
references. Amrutha explains that they
saw opportunity in the southern part
of India and since her manufacturing
unit of Lollipop Kids was based out
of Coimbatore, it gave her a logistical
edge. Her firms do niche` work for
their clientele and they focus on the
cities of Chennai, Coimbatore and
Bangalore in the South and Mumbai in
the West.
After four years of being on her
own and with a highly successful
first six months of Lollipop, Amrutha
recalls her journey as nothing short
of building from scratch. She learnt
about taxes, copyrights, transportation,
payments and billings, trademarks,
labour and contractual labour laws like
never before. She took a leap of faith
relying on her ideas and her hunger to
create. Most of her learning happened
on the job.
Along all her learning, her
ventures and her projects, her pillars
of strength have been her family
and husband. “My husband always
supports my ideas and my children are
the source of inspiration behind my
designs,” she quips. An avid traveller,
a gardener and an organic
farming enthusiast, Amrutha
is an excellent example on
how to draw inspiration from
your surroundings.
Looking back, she
shares that working as an
entrepreneur has given her
the flexibility and freedom
to be creative beyond the
conventional. The best reward
for her has been to have
broken even in her venture
and get repeat business from
clients over the years. “We
have many clients who just
call us for designer, luxurious
and singular pieces of
furniture and leave the rest to
our expertise.”
Her advice to the young, waiting
to start, is to just take the plunge. If
you believe in your instincts, then
don’t give up. Everything takes time
to build. But if the foundation is
strong, you know the only way to go is
forward! •
The Finishing Touch
Being surrounded by majestic
and beautiful horses since
childhood in the fascinating
stud farms of Pune, it was natural for
Mukul to love animals and graduate
in Zoology. But her passion for art,
colour and a keen sense of aesthetics
led her down the path of home styling
and designing which eventually
became Mukul Talwalkar’s profession.
Mukul started her career as an
interior designer working with many
architectural and design firms doing
multiple projects. It was in her last
company where her professional
shift from interior designing to home
styling happened. “My colleagues
and my seniors recognised my talent
November 2015 | 19

Special feature
and panache for soft styling, and they
encouraged me to start home styling
as an extension to my profile.”
Home Styling is a relatively new
concept in India. While most people
engage interior designers to build their
dream homes, the home stylist comes
in after the interior designer has done
her job. As a home decor artist, one
has to bring the furniture, walls and
wood work to life by decorating them
with her handpicked artefacts and
upholstery, splash of colour and seal
of elegance. Mukul explains that being
a home decor artist, one needs to have
an eye for art and understand working
with different media like fabric, paint,
wall papers, decal, glass and more.
She shares her experiences and
says that, “interior designing has
its own thrill and opportunities, but
the projects can prolong for months,
and the designer has to be involved
with electricians, carpenters, and
civil workers to get the project to
completion. But home styling is quick
in execution, and leaves you with
ample of time and space to explore
the market at your own pace before
picking up the products.” Home
styling is a profession where you can
work alone, do something niche` and
creative while staying connected to
your profession.
While home styling and
accessorizing are still not very
matured professions in India, she
says, patience, an eye for detail and
understanding of the technical and
architectural components of a design
gives her an edge as a home stylist.
Mukul’s firm, T Mukul Home Styling,
has decorated show apartments for
well known builders like the Ajmeras,
Nandan builders, and styled houses of
politicians and the elites of the society.
She is also an accessorizing consultant
with many eminent interior designers
of Pune and Mumbai. Her business
makes her travel throughout India and
China to pick up the best object d'art,
upholstery, tapestry, curtains and more
for her sites.
Mukul believes that women have
a natural flair for decking and jazzing
up surroundings and also have the
patience to spend time hunting for
the right things and co-ordinating
and combining pieces of art and
accessories which go well with each
other.
This profession is also a great
opportunity for newcomers as home
styling is the next logical progression
to interior designing and staying
relevant in a market which is looking
for special talents. Mukul explains that
with online shopping and foldable,
DIY furniture available all over the
internet, people do not invest time and
effort in making bulky or elaborate
furniture. Hence embellishing the
home with perfect curtains, tapestry,
art works, paints, graffiti, and
furnishings is the new thing. She says
that there are many fabric and art
manufacturers who are looking for
professionals like her for inputs and
ideas to manufacture products relevant
to the customer.
Mukul is a perfectionist; she is
her best competitor and worst critic.
Her spiritual and fitness pursuits
enable her lead a balanced and holistic
life while staying agile and creative in
her profession. She winds up saying,
“there is a new segment of society
which is looking for homes with
harmony, beauty and peace through
artwork and that’s what I am here to
do.” •
20
| November 2015

Bakery Chef
Professions on the Table
Have the fresh bread, croissants & cookies slowly rising in the oven, spreading the most blissful
aromas, drawn you to them? Wonder who creates this wonderful experience. A chef with
passion for baking. Sudha Thakur of RIBDA, a UK based training company talks about how
anyone with a passion can get some qualifications and put their oven mitts and baking hat on.
Must have an eye of a sculptor to bring out life in the baked products.
Patience and perseverance when designing and decorating.
Most kitchen jobs are standing positions and good stamina will always come handy.
Qualifications
Awareness of health and safety skills and to be able to handle hygienically.
This is a highly skilled area. While basic certification or diploma courses could help
to begin the career, training and apprenticeship may be an added advantage. There are
a huge range of certifications and diplomas available at different levels. It takes around
two to three years for a new entrant to master the art, exceptions of course are born
bakers and decorators. Some qualifications one could acquire are
A baker chef creates baked products like bread, cookies,
cakes and more by scaling, moulding, finishing, garnishing
and packaging. As a decorator, one has to create design
and beautify the baked products in amazingly imaginative
ways. Baker chefs know how to create ‘the difference’.
Essential Skill Sets
They both work on styles and themes as well as ideas and
inspirations to create wonderful customised products.
Passion for cooking and baking.
Sound Knowledge about the baking industry.
Practical baking and familiarization with baking machinery and equipment.
What does a bakery Chef & Decorator primarily do?
Basic math skills, especially knowledge of fractions, in order to precisely blend
recipes, weigh / measure ingredients, or adjust the mixtures.
Diploma Or Certificate In Patisserie And Artisan Bakery Craft,
Certificate In Bakery Arts
Specific Courses Like Cake Baking Bread Baking,
Job Opportunities
Confectionery& Cake Decorating Diploma,
You could work with leading hotels, bakery chains as an
employee. There are plenty of freelancing avenues. Part time
Certificate In Sugar Craft And Fondant Making
or weekend baking is an option. With a little investment, you
could also start your own bakery.
@RIBDA_UK
November 2015 | 21

Lens at Work
22
| November 2015

Lens at Work
Bidding Adieu to
the Elephant God
Ganesha Chaturthi marks the beginning
of the festive season in many parts of
India. Celebrated over 11 days, the Lord of
auspicious beginnings is bid adieu on the
11th day with his idol immersion known
as Visarjan. Over the years, women and
girls have become an integral part of the
celebrations whether it is as part of Dhol
Tasha ( drum playing groups) or flag bearers
to lead the ceremonies. Suman Thakur
visits Ganesh Pandals and captures some of
the splendid moments with her lenses.
November 2015 | 23

24
| November 2015

Cover story
Working from home, remote locations and home offices is getting more and more popular.
Whether one is working with a company or is a start-up, technological advancements, time
crunch and crowded urban areas are luring people to explore options of working from home
offices or teleworking. But like they say, there are always two sides of a coin. If you want to
work from home or remotely, then you need to make it work for you.
Mehika Uttam has been
working from home for
the past ten years. She is
a Chartered Accountant and an avid
blogger. Mehika has three children
whom she drops to swimming
coaching, dancing classes and football
practice. She takes client calls and
does accounting work during the eight
hours when the kids are off to school.
The beauty of working from home is
she can decide when her time of work
and time off work will be.
Mimi Gosh, a Technical
Enablement Manager at IBM, rushed
her 12 year old daughter to the hospital
when her daughter was bitten by a dog.
After getting her the proper medical
attention, she got her back home,
tucked her into bed and went back to
her laptop and finished her remaining
work for the day. “All this was possible
because I work from home” says Mimi
as she recalls the trauma.
Just in case you are thinking that
everyone who worked from home
was a soap watching and cake baking
woman, then there is a surprise
for you. The survey, conducted by
Flex+Strategy Group, found that
36 percent of men work remotely
(from home or a coffee shop or
someplace not considered their place
of employment) compared to only 23
percent of women.
Karthik Kumar, Head of
Department of a leading IT company,
does not plan for face time meetings
at his office in Gurgaon after 330pm
everyday. He needs to fetch his
daughter from school and manage
her classes in the evening. So he
works from home and his schedule
is managed in such a way that he
can manage work and his daughter’s
schedule since his wife works late
evenings.
The nature of work, and more
importantly, the work place is
changing. Many employees are just
flocking from their bed to their desk
in the next room. Many organizations
are becoming flexible and are
providing location and time flexibility.
More and more self employed people
and entrepreneurs are working
remotely. They have an “office” at
home, or a co-owned space or work
from the nearest coffee shop or
bookstore providing Wi-Fi access.
Such arrangements seem almost
surreal in a world where you find
yourself commuting from home to
office in bumper to bumper traffic, or
a few minutes of an extra wink in the
morning may mean running behind
schedules for the next few hours. In
a lifestyle where we all are juggling
elephants, an option of meeting
deadlines and office responsibilities
right from your home may mean a new
lease of life. Due to this need, the work
culture and work location emphasis
is going through a metamorphosis.
Various perceptions about working
from home are changing, including the
gender stereotypes and remuneration.
While it is still a reality that women
are usually the first to opt for such
opportunities given their role as
primary caregivers at home, more
and more men are also joining the
bandwagon in search of a better quality
of life and to have equal homes.
Nandita Goel is a product
developer at a multinational enterprise
solutions company. She has been
working from home for a year now,
after moving to Mumbai. She says I
got enough time to settle and explore
November 2015 | 25

Cover story
the new city. Her organization gave
her the option of working from home.
She adds, “I got enough time to get
acclimatized with Mumbai because
I was not rushing to office from day
one. I work from home, save myself
from commuting and I feel I have
more energy to manage my life.”
With an energetic smile and an upbeat
disposition, Nandita says, “working
from home has taken away a huge
stress factor from my life.” She says
there are some indisputable benefits
of working from home like speed of
execution though she says she does
miss in-person interactions. Nandita
confides, “I remember times when a
small conversation over lunch would
be so enriching and guiding. A piece
of advice given in a light mood goes
a long way solving big problems.
Sometimes little issues don’t need
escalation when discussed and sorted
among team mates outside the work
station.”
The upsides of working from
home are many.
No commuting: You may end up
saving few valuable hours of travelling
and the related fatigue after that, if you
can eliminate travel time to work. “It
takes me 30 seconds from bedroom to
my office desk”, says Sujata Kabraji, a
44 year old wealth manager.
Flexible scheduling: Whether you
like to work in the quite of the night
or wee hours of the morning, you have
the flexibility to choose your most
productive hours to work. “I work till
late or start my day early, depending
on the task. It gives me immense
freedom to schedule my day such
that nothing on the to-do list remains
undone”, says a technical engineer
with a software company.
Balance family responsibilities:
When you work from home, it
becomes easy to lend a hand to a
family member when you take a few
minutes break from your chair. You
can time your gaps such that you can
run a few errands, pick up kids, or
give medicine to an ill family member.
“It is so much easier to take care of
old parents or pick up your kids from
school,” says Mimi Gosh.
Higher Productivity: With less
chat time and shorter coffee breaks
and no onlookers peeping into your
machine, you have complete privacy
and uninterrupted time. You can get
into extensive research and finish off
things faster without having the time
restraints of logging off when office
hours are over. When you are working
from home, you can use your free
time in reading up, updating yourself,
unravelling a new software or learning
a skill or two. This time is completely
yours where you do not have to suffer
small talk or office politics.
Financial Savings: You can expense
out a small portion of your home
office costs to reduce your tax
outgo. You can save on fuel and
travel costs. “The cost of running a
business from home as a freelancer
or an entrepreneur can be claimed as
expenses deduction in the income tax
section 30 to 37 (1)”, says CA Manish
Jain. The expenses can be categorized
as cost of running the business like
rent, communications costs and as
occupancy costs like advertising.
But before you decide to quit your
job to start something from home, or
before you take a call to broach this
topic with your boss, do a reality check
on what to expect. Just like all things
in life, working from home is a mixed
bag. While there are lots of good
things about working from home, it is
not as easy to make work from home
really work, especially in the Indian
context. It takes tyrannical amount of
discipline to resist the temptation of
mixing work and pleasure.
Shalini Jha, a technical lead at
Elucian software, has been working
from home for eight years. She
says, “At times I am at my peak
efficiency when I work from home,
but there are a few limitations. I
have to take up projects which are
less elaborate, involve smaller teams
and fewer complications. Since I
am not physically present at office,
I feel like an odd one in the group. I
have to become less ambitious and
lots of times forgo an opportunity, a
promotion or a leadership profile.”
Another problem with working from
home is that it becomes difficult to
explain to friends and family that
work from home is not frivolous. It
is serious work and she is not ‘free’
to attend to household work and run
errands while she is working.
Shalini is not alone. Many
women and men face this challenge
of convincing their families or friends
or neighbours that when they work
from home, they are really working.
Multiple interruptions during the day
can mar your effectiveness. Here are
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| November 2015

November 2015 | 27

Cover story
some things you need to be mindful of
while working from a remote location.
Discipline : It takes a herculean
amount of discipline to start your
work at office hours and wind up at
or after office hours. With so much
hustle bustle happening around, it can
be difficult to shut yourself into your
home office or get into the working
mode at 9am.
Out of sight, out of mind: In certain
work cultures, employee has to
position himself and gun for a new
project or opportunity. If you work
out of home it may be difficult for you
to grab an opportunity as the chances
of your knowing of the latest office
dynamics are slim. The boss cannot see
that you are working hard or putting
in extra hours, so you are judged more
on the numbers than your work ethic
and other intangible factors. Nandita
confides, “Sometimes details and
information never reach you.
Self Motivation: When you are
working alone, you need to be self
driven to meet the deadlines. Even if
you don’t feel like it or have had a bad
day, you cannot stop work and go for
a little coffee chat with colleagues.
You need to recharge yourself and
continue.
Distractions: The temptation to have
that another cup of tea and read the
supplement newspaper in between
work, or lingering around after lunch
may be difficult to fight with no one
watching or questioning. An incident
at home or in the society can also
interrupt your work.
Lack of competitive spirit: A major
disadvantage of working from home
is the lack of camaraderie which
stems from meeting and working
together each day. Colleagues and
peers also help keep the competitive
spirit and mental agility alive which
increases productivity. Talking to
people over calls can only mitigate
this to an extent. You may not be
able to collaborate with the team
or have in person interactions
and team meetings with as much
effectiveness as the ones in office.
Says Nandita, “Working from home
has its own benefits especially for an
individual contributor, but it creates
a communication gap when you have
to handle a team”. Concurs Mimi, “I
miss my colleagues. I miss that bond.”
Working hours are not defined:
Since you'll never be out of office,
the chances of getting calls at odd
hours increase. In fact, you may end
up working more as there are no
dedicated 'office hours'. Companies
keep tabs on your working hours
through software that monitors your
login and logout time.
There is a lot of reassuring
rhetoric doing rounds in the top
management, and leadership
conferences and boardrooms about
flexible working and working from
home, but a lot of this is spiel. It is
not backed by supportive policies or
actions which promote working from
remote locations or telecommuting.
Marissa Mayer, the youngest CEO
of Yahoo, banned work from home
affirming, “We need to be one Yahoo!,
and that starts with physically being
together.” She believes that people
are more productive when they're
alone, but they're most collaborative
and innovative when they're together.
Some of the best ideas come from
pulling two different ideas together.
The issue is an interesting
and controversial one, with some
organizations considering this practice
disposable, while some using it
judiciously and a very few viewing
it the wave of the future. Shalini
recalls, “I was the first person to get a
work from home arrangement”. She
says the company does not have any
documented or regular policy towards
allowing employees to work from
home. She was given an exception
only because she was moving out of
the city and both she and the company
wanted to continue with each other.
Most multinational firms have
immense respect and cognizance of
cultural diversity, and the impact of
demographics on people’s perception
and performance at work. Yet one
thing that remains common is the
apprehension to encourage work
from home, ‘as it requires a lot of
commitment, and ownership for the
tasks to be completed’.
How organizations view work
from home is also a function of the
industry they operate in. A capital
market professional says, “We need
our team together to take a decision on
buying or selling a stock. The market
is dynamic and decisions need to be
taken at the spur of the moment.”
Technology has redefined the
workplace and it is upto organizations
and individuals to adopt it as a
practice and make it work based on
their unique needs. •
November 2015 | 29

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| November 2015

November 2015 | 31

Simply Successful
This monthly series endeavours to showcase and applaud the focus and passion of
professional women leaders who have pursued successful professions and lived life on
their terms. Meet these four fantastic women who are simply successful.
By Editorial Team
lEADING
from the front
Pragati More
IT Professional. Government Officer
Of all the things that children
mention about when they
speak about career aspirations,
the career of a government officer,
other than Civil Services, is rarely
what one hears a mention of. So when
a software professional decides to opt
out of campus placements and cushy
onsite jobs, that sure draws a lot of
attention.
Pragati More was born in a
middle class family in Pune. Both her
parents were working. Her parents,
especially her teacher mother, were
very clear that she and her sisters
must get good education and be
self reliant and pursue careers. With
good grades, Pragati finished her
Masters in Information Technology
management from Pune. But contrary
to the trend in the early 2000s where
youngsters chose IT jobs and went for
onsite assignments, she opted out of
placements and decided to pursue a
government job.
Pragati was of a different breed.
Her strong patriotic values, imbibed
by her parents and her passion to do
something for the country made her go
against the tide. According to Pragati,
“I could best serve my country by
staying here and being a part of the
government machinery rather than
from outside it”.
A determined Pragati cleared
the State examinations and joined
the District Administration. Her first
posting was in a village called Loni,
in the outskirts of Pune. She had never
stepped out a city before and to work
in a village was a completely different
ballgame. But her passion to serve
the people and attitude of customer
orientation made her standout. For
those who visited the government
offices and were always sceptical
about the attitude of government
officials, Pragati’s willingness to go
out of the way and help them won her
many compliments and blessings of
the villagers.
32
| November 2015

simply successful
After three years, she got posted
back to Pune at the Sub Divisional
office. Unlike the usual grim and
uninterested looks that greets one in
a typical government office behind
a pile of files, Pragati’s smile and
her interest in making life easy for
people who visit the office has won
her a special place in the hearts of
young and old visitors. Pragati draws
a lot of inspiration from her superior,
Ms Snehal Burge, SDM, Pune who
is a role model for many working
women on how to manage a career
successfully.
Her husband has been extremely
supportive of her career though she
is the only woman to work on his
side of the family. Initially there were
reservations about her job but with
I could best serve
my country by
staying here and
being a part of
the government
machinery rather
than from outside it.
her determination, she impressed
upon her in-laws and today, her
mother-in-law is one of her biggest
supporters. Pragati’s son is the centre
of her universe and she likes to spend
as much time with him. She wants
to make sure that he imbibes the
values of respect for women and her
independence.
Pragati’s father has always stood
like a pillar for his family. Her mother
has been her inspiration and guiding
light. Pragati was touched by the huge
farewell gathering her mother received
when she retired from her job as a
teacher. Pragati’s mission to make
a contribution to the nation through
her work drives her everyday and she
is proud to have taken the path less
travelled. >>>
Lata Rajan
HR Trainer.Fitness Freak.Fitness Academician
She ran her first marathon as a
birthday gift to her 24 year old
daughter. Lata Rajan believes
fit is the new young. A Senior Faculty
& Fitness counsellor at K11 Fitness
Academy, Lata says that exercising is
like meditation for her. Lata’s foray
into the world of fitness began when
she was exercising herself to defeat
her family genetics of obesity. It was
then that the teacher of human skills
courses had to make a career choice.
She recollects, “In those years when
I was fighting to be fit, my interest in
health and fitness sciences peaked.”
The processes of reforming her body
acquainted her with the aspects of
holistic or integrated fitness. The
more she dwelled into it, the more she
realised how much she was enjoying
understanding human body from a
fitness perspective.
She decided to leave behind her
education as a certified teacher, and
chose to convert her passion for fitness
into a profession. She did personal
fitness training for ten years and all
the while enriched herself with the
latest trends in fitness like Pilates
and completed personal & master
trainer courses in handling injuries,
special population and much more.
The Mumbai based fitness expert is
a Certified Strength & Conditioning
Specialist, and focuses on teaching
all the components of fitness i.e.
strength, endurance and flexibility.
The CSCS certification had broadened
her perspective on fitness, raised her
November 2015 | 33

Simply Successful
standards of practice and also given
her wherewithal to train or mentor a
sports team.
As a personal trainer Lata is
her own testimonial. She says as
clients watched her workout, they
got inspired and engaged her as their
instructor. In the business of fitness
the best self promotion technique is
satisfied clients, and Lata has ample of
them. “I measure myself on how much
my clients have achieved”, says Lata.
She recalls an experience, “Once I had
a client suffering from mild polio in
her leg, which led her to believe that
she was capable of doing only floor
or free hand exercises. By training
with me, she realized that she could
do squats, leg press and other weight
training exercises, within her range
and capacity. She was even jogging
for a few minutes on the treadmill
each cardio session.”
As a health coach, there are
tough times when the clients get
disillusioned or lack motivation
when they do not see quick changes,
but that is where Lata’s counselling
skills come handy. She explains that
as a personal trainer you not only
condition the clients’ physique but
also work on their emotional health.
Her counselling makes them resilient
and more focused towards their goal.
Lata says, “I also slip at times, yet I
see myself as someone who gets up,
dusts off and bounces right back.”
Her positive attitude and ability to
motivate is what makes her popular
at her academy, among her students,
clients and at the gyms. She proudly
recollects, “A participant in one of
my workshops gave up smoking soon
after the session.”
Lata has progressed from
being a personal trainer to a fitness
academician. In order to grow and
increase her horizon she studied at
the K11 Fitness academy to become a
lecturer in fitness science. Her depth
and width of understanding has made
her a senior faculty at K11 Fitness
Academy where she takes lectures,
trains new faculty, does fitness
counselling, evaluates students and
trains the gym trainers as a part of
her illustrious profile. Lata was the
only student in her batch to clear the
Lecturer Training Course. She is a
living example of how two seemingly
different professions of life skills
training and Fitness can be blended so
beautifully.
While wondering about how she
handles work pressure, she brushes
away the fact of having any. “My work
gives me energy.” This perfectionist
likes to go well prepared for her
lectures, doing her own research,
finding new case studies, learning aids
and keeping the class interactive. “I
I also slip at times,
yet I see myself
as someone who
gets up, dusts off
and bounces right
back.
love teaching and enjoy being with my
students”. Her knowledge and warm
disposition makes her a favourite
among her students. The humble Lata
smiles and says, “As a teacher I try to
guide my students beyond academics.
If I can teach them to love learning, I
am ensuring their lifelong growth.”
Lata’s hard work and the quest to
do more are the prime drivers for her
success. When she cleared the CSCS
(Certified Strength and Conditioning
Specialist) at the age of 51, Lata says
“Difficulty of the goal makes me work
harder. Clearing CSCS and completing
the requirements to become a senior
faculty at K11 Fitness Academy was a
huge achievement.”
Having obtained the academic
wherewithal, Lata is bubbling with
ideas. She feels that being a woman
fitness professional gives her a natural
ability to understand their fitness
needs, body image, mindsets and
behaviour choices. Hence she wants
to undertake projects which promote
awareness among women about bone
health, menopausal changes, anti
aging and related areas. She also is in
the process of working with corporates
to conduct workshops on mitigating
health hazards of a sedentary
routines and ways to incorporating
exercise in their daily life. Lata also
wants to develop empowerment
workshops for trainers. She wants to
have a repository of work, data and
techniques ready for the trainers to use
as guide, and reference. Lata explains
that getting into the academic side
of business has not just given her a
wide perspective but also helped in
balancing personal and professional
life. An educator can always reinvent
herself and be at the top of the game.
It is not dependent on demand and
supply, it is only a function of being
updated and being passionate.
Lata is a role model for magical
anti aging effects of exercise and
high fitness levels. While her friends
marvel at her agility, swiftness and
strength, she strokes her Labrador and
laughs it away, “it’s my pet Dusky
who keeps my fitness levels in check.”
Her daughters and her husband are
her biggest champions. It has been
their motivation which has bought
her so far. An artist at the gym, a
theatre aficionado, and an epicurean
in her kitchen, you will find Lata
immersed in reading and engrossed in
improvising her lectures for the next
class.
Lata in her fluent French leaves
a note for us, “l’important c’est
d’essayer.” (Importance is in trying).
>>>
34
| November 2015

simply successful
Sudha Setty
Development Consultant.Energy Expert
Sudha Setty is working on
energy access in rural India
and promoting clean cooking
solutions. She is the Country
representative of Global Alliance
for Clean Cookstoves (GACC), an
initiative of the UN Foundation. The
Alliance was launched by former
Secretary Hillary Clinton at Clinton
Global Initiative in September 2010.
Sudha Setty has been in the
business of promoting and using
energy efficiently for the past 15 years.
The entrepreneurial streak in Sudha
got ignited after she returned to India
with another masters from the USA.
She started her own consultancy Esse
n Elle International. The firm worked
with many clients across the globe and
Sudha developed a valuable network
in the energy efficiency segment. As
a business consultant Esse n Elle had
Alliance to Save Energy as its biggest
client. Later she was invited to join
Alliance to Save Energy as a senior
program manager. With her sharp
business acumen, Sudha became a
catalyst in building Alliance’s brand
and presence in India and Sri Lanka.
The use of open fire and
traditional cookstoves and fuels is one
of the world's most pressing health
and environmental problems. Billions
of people rely on solid fuels to cook,
Our best
accomplishment
will be when
we can ignite a
change in Indian
cooking methods,
and spread the
message that
energy saved is
energy created, in
the rural areas.
causing serious environmental and
health impacts that disproportionally
affect women and children. She
plunged full-fledged into her mission
of working on saving energy, while
going through a broken marriage
within a few months of tying the
knot. Travelling across 44 countries,
on work and holiday, she engaged
with stakeholders – Governments,
manufacturers, distributors,
investment institutions, NGOs, and
corporates, she was busy carving her
place under the sun.
Sudha then decided to become
an freelance consultant based out of
Bangalore. During this journey, Sudha
got a chance to join Global Alliance
for Clean Cookstoves as their India
Representative. The GACC aims at
promoting and fostering adoption of
clean cooking in developing countries
and providing access to safe and
affordable cooking solutions. In
India, the Alliance aims at bringing in
behaviour change and moving people
from cooking on traditional chulhas to
efficient and clean stoves and fuels.
Now she works with an
international platform and is involved
in strategic decision making, research
and evaluation of technological
advancements in cooking fuels,
market development, mobilizing
November 2015 | 35

Simply Successful
resources, increasing investment and
spreading awareness about this cause.
With her passion, positive attitude
and zeal, Sudha is an authority in her
domain.
A voracious reader and an avid
traveller, she has been travelling solo
for twelve years and has explored
countries and cities. She loves to
spend time with her 9-year old
daughter Zoya. The day she adopted
a 16-months old Zoya was a turning
point in her life. She says with a
smile, “I became a mother, and my
life found a new purpose.” Sudha
shares how presence of Zoya has
made her explore the new aspects of
her personality. Three generations of
women under one roof, her house is
a women powerhouse and resonates
with love and laughter of her mother
and her daughter.
She believes that a lot remains
to be achieved on her professional
and personal aspirations. Sudha says,
“the best accomplishment in India
will be when we can help households
transition to adoption and sustained
use of clean cooking solutions.'' >>>
Swapna Bhatawadekar
Ayurveda Doctor. Marketeer. Entrepreneur
When you first meet Swapna
Bhatawadekar, you can
sense that she is a lady on a
mission. Bubbling with energy and an
angelic smile on her face, she seems
ready to face life as it comes.
Swapna grew up in Ratnagiri, a
small district in Konkan, Maharashtra
where as she says, she was lucky to
get good education. Born in a middle
class family, education was of primary
importance to the family. With the
limited exposure and choices that
she had, she opted to graduate in
Ayurvedic medicine. She then set up
clinics in and around her home town
and did well for herself.
Swapna is a learner at heart and
wants to keep exploring newer things
in life. She decided to pursue her
post graduation in management. She
got married in the second year of her
course and went with her husband to
the US. She returned to Delhi in 2002
with an infant daughter in tow. While
her focus was on family, she knew
that she had to channelize her energy
into something constructive. She had a
choice whether to go for a job or setup
her own clinics. She decided to do
the latter. Just as things were settling
down and her practice was looking
up, her husband got a job in Pune.
The family relocated to Pune but
for Swapna, it was a tough decision.
She was starting to question her own
self worth. Her lament was that
everytime she would startup and just
set base, she needed to uproot. After
she came to Pune, she decided that
she will work and challenge her own
capabilities and build from scratch.
She started working in the social
sector where, with her specialisation,
she worked on a healthcare project
with an NGO.
At the same time, she used to
visit a friend’s factory in Delhi. He
was an industrialist. Swapna had a
passion for manufacturing and loved
to visit his factory. One day in 2007,
he called her out of the blue and asked
her if she would like to lead account
management & business development
36
| November 2015

simply successful
in the Western Region for his
company. Swapna could not fathom
on how someone with no experience
in management or selling would get
offered such a key role. But, as is
her persona, she decided to go with
the flow. She trusted his intelligence
about her capabilities. This was a
turning point in Swapna’s life. She
confesses, “This experience exposed
the marketing potential in me. It also
ignited the ambition in me to earn
money for my sense of worth.”
She took his offer and worked
with him for three years and this was
a life changing experience both from a
professional and personal perspective.
Not only did she learn the ropes of
client and account management,
she also got an opportunity to visit
steel manufacturing factories in the
US which was a rare thing for any
person. In just a couple of years, she
had discovered her own potential
and earned accolades from all.
Unfortunately, when the company
decided to setup operations outside
Maharashtra, she had to part ways
since she could not relocate.
She sat at home for a few months
to be with her growing daughter and
also plan for her next journey. She
now wanted to explore her own
business and earn her own space.
She wanted to create something
of her own, given her passion for
manufacturing. She decided to get
into herbal medicine manufacturing
with her healthcare background. She
got in touch with an ex-colleague in
Konkan, Dr Anand Tedulkar and his
wife Anagha Tendulkar to seek their
advice. Swapna was a tad disappointed
when he discouraged her from getting
into that line of business. But she was
grateful to him for that because he had
incurred heavy losses in that line of
business and given their value system
and ethics, he felt that she might head
the same way.
Coincidentally, at this time, his
wife and he were in the business of
selling cashews to the wholesale
trade. He asked Swapna if she was
interested to join in. After looking at
the project reports and plans, she felt
that she could give it a shot. Given
This experience
exposed the
marketing
potential in me.
It also ignited the
ambition in me
to earn money
for my sense of
worth.
the strong sense of trust they shared,
they decided to team up and work in
their individual areas of strength –
he in manufacturing quality cashew
products and she in marketing and
business development.
When Swapna started to work
on this business, she first went to her
husband to fund her venture, but he
was not willing to back it financially at
that time. Swapna made the next call
to her mother-in-law whose response
surprised Swapna. “In our family, no
one else has the guts to do business.
Only you have the ability and
gumption. So I am happy to fund you
because anyway I will leave money
for you in my will. I don’t think we
need to wait till then!” This gave
Swapna a shot in the arm and now
the marketer in her was buzzing. She
went back to her husband, narrated
this conversation with her mother-inlaw
and then asked him if he wanted
to review his decision. And of course
he did! And that’s how Swapna got her
seed capital and her confidence to take
the plunge.
After a year of market testing,
they launched their brand Nut Savvy.
Given the initial positive reception
to the brand, Swapna’s dream is to
create a world-class product that will
have its pride of place in airports and
international malls. Her lucid vision of
true success is when she will be able
to afford to take the team of people
working in Nut Savvy on a flight
where they will see Nut Savvy getting
sold in-flight as a testimony of their
hard work.
As Swapna looks back at her
own journey, she rues that in a typical
middle class Indian household, girls
are given good education only to get
married and focus on domesticity and
family. Swapna recalls what an exboss
said to her once, “Unfortunately
even today, we don’t bring up our girls
to be CEOs.” That stayed with her and
she wants to ensure that her fourteen
year old daughter doesn’t get stuck in
the domesticity focus that is imposed
by stereotypes.
“I learnt to take risks and bet
on my strengths”, says Swapna. Her
dream is to own a powerful SUV a
couple of years down the line. Today,
Nut Savvy is the dream that keeps her
awake. •
November 2015 | 37

TRENDSETTERS
Fixing Forensic Troubles
The word ‘fraud’ today is as ubiquitous as the internet. As technology advances, so do the
breed of people who want to beat technology either to show their prowess or to make a quick
buck. Not too many people are privy to a career in the world of fraud detection. We spoke to
Apurva Joshi, who is one of the youngest Certified Fraud Examiner and Forensic Accountant
in India and was featured in Rashmi Bansal’s ‘Arise Awake’ for her pioneering career choice.
She launched her company Fraudexpress, which then merged with Riskpro which is into fraud
Management. She is now an independent director in Quick Heal Technologies Limited - one of
the leading IT security companies of India.
WW: Could you tell us about the field of forensic accounting?
AJ: I discovered this domain accidently. We were working on an audit
assignment when my team found out an incidence of fraud and I was
supposed to quantify the damages. Till then I did not know that there is a
field of accounting which studies this quantification and it is called forensic
accounting. Once I got acquainted with this subject, my interest kept getting
deeper. I also realised that this field has not been tapped by many accountants.
WW: What qualifications did you acquire to become an expert in
forensic accounting?
AJ: I did my graduation in Commerce. I have done a certified bank forensic
accounting course, a certified forensic accounting professional course and a
certified anti-money laundering expert course conducted by India Forensic.
I have also done the executive programme conducted by the Institute of
Company Secretaries of India and the professional competence examination
conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.
38
| November 2015

TRENDSETTERS
WW: What inspired you to set up Fraudexpress ?
AJ: Fraudexpress was set up at a time when India was attracting a lot of
foreign investment, mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. The presence
of huge capital was giving rise to a lot of frauds in accounting. As chartered
accountants, we were witnessing a surge in misdeeds and discrepancy
incidents. I also realized that practitioners and students were not equipped
to handle these cases. Hence Fraudexpress was set up with the objective of
equipping students and practitioners with anti-fraud tools and training. We
partnered with the University of Solapur to conduct programs for students in
fraud investigation and money laundering. We created campaigns to create
awareness about insurance frauds, banking frauds and others on social media
and we subsequently published newsletters and books.
WW: There are not many women in forensic accounting.
AJ: There are two main reasons for this. Primarily, not too many people
know about it. With increase in frauds and with investors and government
specific about due diligence, fraud accounting is getting its true recognition.
Another reason is that it is perceived as a risky career option for women. Fraud
fighting involves interaction with difficult clients and sometimes dangerous
too. You need to be mentally tough to be in this profession. There was a time
in our industry when three out of the Big Four Consulting firms were led by
the women professionals in forensic audits but later they were replaced by the
male leaders. Women constitute only 5% of the workforce in forensics.
WW: How would you explain the typical job profile of a forensic
accounting professional to non industry readers?
AJ: Just as an accounting professional we look at the financial statements,
do audits, and work on taxation, due diligence and compliances etc. for a
company, as a forensic accounting person, we go a step further. We don’t only
work on the above but we also carry out due diligence and similar activities
by getting the information on the promoters, their nexus and their sphere of
influence. We also perform due diligence on digital, legal, and strategic aspects
of the firms and their promoters. A forensic accountant’s role is detecting
misdeeds in cases of employee frauds, third party frauds, IP thefts and more.
WW: During your career, you have also worked as a research
analyst. How did your research skills serve you in the anti-fraud
profession?
AJ: Our research is always aimed at quantification of the fraud’s impact.
Also, I have always supported numerous research projects, including studies
on insurance fraud and corruption. In India, our research papers are considered
benchmarks for academics and are often quoted.
WW: What do you consider your most special professional
achievement?
AJ: I authored a book called Students Handbook on Forensic Accounting
which was well received and read by thousands of students to understand
the history of forensic accounting and basic aspects of this domain. Being
the youngest forensic accountant in India, I realised the absence of literature
November 2015 | 39

elated to forensic accounting and hence took it up on myself to write the book.
WW: What advice do you have for those who would like to explore this
profession?
AJ: This is an upcoming specialized field. Frauds are increasing in the
corporate sector and creating demand for experts in this field. I would
recommend programs which provide global certifications like the CFE,
apart from local accreditations like CFAP (Certified Forensic accounting
professional) or CBFA (Certified Bank Forensic Accountants).
WW: What are the key attributes required for this kind of a
career?
AJ: If you have an affinity for numbers, an analytical mind, patience, a
keen eye for detail, and an open mind to absorb information from your
surroundings, you have the right attributes for this domain. One needs to be
mentally alert and be prepared for a lot of hard work, sometimes long working
hours as well.
WW: Is there someone who has influenced you most as a
professional?
AJ: Kailash Katkar of Quick Heal Technologies has been a professionally
inspirational figure for me. With his vision and foresight, he has built an
industry of technology security products in India and is a true example of the
make-in-India mindset. His pioneering work has also put India on the global
map in the space of digital security.
WW: What are your plans for the future?
AJ: I want to build a technology based product which will help in checking
and decoding nexus between various individuals and businesses. This
information will be useful for lenders and investors in reducing risk of
exposure to fraud-prone businesses.
WW: Any message for women exploring this profession as a career?
AJ: I have perceived some gender bias against women in this domain.
However like for any other profession, those who have the skills and passion
can prove naysayers wrong. •
Disclaimer: Quick Heal Technologies Limited is proposing, subject to receipt
of requisite approvals, market conditions and other considerations, an initial
public offering of its equity shares (the “Equity Shares”) and has filed a draft
red herring prospectus (the “DRHP”) with the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (“SEBI”). The DRHP is available on the website of the SEBI
at www.sebi.gov.in and the websites of the Book Running Lead Managers
at www.icicisecurities.com, www.jpmipl.com and www.jefferies.com. Any
potential investor should note that investment in Equity Shares involves a high
degree of risk. For details, potential investors should refer to the section titled
“Risk Factors” in the red herring prospectus to be filed with the Registrar of
Companies. Investors should not refer to the DRHP for making any investment
decision.
40
| November 2015

SOCIETY
Lending A Helping Hand
The Meher Baba Foundation for Peace and Social Upliftment started
on its mission of serving the disadvantaged with a small cluster of
villages in Maharashtra. Spreading its arms, the Foundation is moving
forward to make a difference to the life of urban and rural youth of
India. Rupam Nangia, the founder & convenor of the Foundation, is
committed to following the principles of selfless service and has a vision
of enabling the next generation to become productive & self sufficient.
November 2015 | 41

Junnar Taluka is a cluster of villages in Pune District,
Maharashtra. In this cluster is Hivare Gaon. With a
population of 700 people this village had water only
six months in a year, during and after monsoon. The natural
ponds of the village dried up by the end of the year leaving the
village parched dry till the next monsoon. Water was denied
to this village merely for want of a proper storage facility. The
women of the village had to trek 5 km to reach the nearest
water supply. Rupam Nangia and her team, with assistance
from The Rotary Club of Nigdi, built a reservoir which
collected natural rain water and led to underground natural
springs. This resolved the water problems of the once waterdeprived
village.
This was the first successful project of The Meher Baba
Foundation for Peace and Social Upliftment or Meher Peace
Foundation as it is called. The Foundation stands for service
to the most disadvantaged and marginalised sections of
society in rural and urban India, irrespective of caste, colour
and religion. The Foundation cherishes the values of honesty
and selfless service and is obligated to those whom it has
an opportunity to serve. Rupam Nangia, the founder and
convener of Meher Peace Foundation elaborates why they
choose to work in these areas, “The reason is that we felt these
are areas which compel our intervention and provide us with
opportunities to serve the disadvantaged in keeping with our
vision. I am sure as we go along we will build our capacities
and our areas of intervention will broaden. For a young
organisation like ours, our choice of areas of work depended
also on what is feasible and practical for us.”
Meher Peace Foundation was started in 2013 and is not
affiliated to any religious or political organisation. It carries
the name of Meher Baba as a salute to his teachings and the
need for a constant reminder to serve selflessly and without
any discrimination on any grounds whatsoever.
Rupam descends from an illustrious family of lawyers,
philanthropists and social reformers from Dera Ismail Khan,
now in Pakistan. During partition, they migrated to India
and settled in Roorkee. Rupam’s father’s job bought them to
Mumbai where she and her four sisters studied and pursued
their careers. Her scholastic brilliance made her ambitious and
a perfectionist. With her hard work, passion and intelligence,
Rupam climbed the corporate ladder and became the Head of
Corporate Social Responsibility for one of the leading Indian
conglomerates, L&T. While she was successful in her career,
she felt something was amiss. After some soul searching, she
decided to quit her corporate career and laid the foundation of
a trust which would treat all humans equally and work towards
narrowing the divide created by disparity and deprivation,
drawing inspiration from the teachings of Meher Baba.
42
| November 2015

SOCIETY
The Foundation aims to work for the
disadvantaged in urban and rural areas. Rural
projects focus on facilitating access to basic
amenities such as drinking water, electricity,
or health care facilities in four tribal villages in
Junnar, Maharashtra. As a complete coverage
plan, the Foundation aims to work on rain water
harvesting, solar or bio gas energy, as well as
focus on fundamental issues like health, education
and introduction to modern agricultural methods.
There are a host of projects in the pipeline
over the coming months. It has started programs
on Vocational Training and Placements for the
youth in the disadvantaged sections in Pune.
For this, the foundation is working closely with
Tata Motors, their lead sponsor, along with
implementing partners, LabourNet and Mitcon.
MPF wants to bring together all NGO's working
with youth together to work on issues related
to vocational training and livelihoods for the
disadvantaged youth to enable them lead a life of
dignity.
The Foundation has started Happy Meals, a
program to provide nutritional meals to children
who are not covered under the mid-day meal
scheme. Venky’s India is donating four hundred
eggs every week for this cause. Most of the
projects carried out by the Foundation so far,
have been successful because of the selfless
participation of volunteers who are professionals
from different walks of life.
Rupam says in a calm and serene voice, “I
am work in progress and my progress, I believe,
is my Master’s craft.” She believes that the
Foundation has opened new doors to see a new
world with new eyes. She says “I would like to
believe in Meher Baba’s words that God is for
those who are not for themselves.” •
www.meherpeace.org
November 2015 | 43

Special Coverage
Shaktibandhan:
World Sisterhood Day
All Ladies League (ALL)
44
| November 2015

Special Coverage
The Pune Chapter of All Ladies
League (ALL) hosted a grand
celebration of World Sisterhood
Day or “Shakti Bandhan” at Four
Points Sheraton on Saturday. Five
eminent women of substance shared
their thoughts about shakti, how they
found their shakti and how today,
they are sources of shakti to society.
The audience included women from
ALL spheres of life: business leaders,
lawyers, media professionals, artists,
entrepreneurs, authors, sportspersons,
homemakers, teachers etc.
Chapter Chairperson, Ms. Kuiljeit
Uppaal introduced ALL and its global
vision to seamlessly connect women
from ALL strata of society, from ALL
spheres of work and cultures and from
ALL parts of the world with positivity
and love. When referring to the World
Sisterhood Day or Shakti Bandhan,
she said “This is a day of celebration
that strengthens the bond of the divine
‘shakti’ and positivity amongst women
of the world promising to empower
each other with love, care, concern
and commitment.”
The five panellists included Ms.
Laleh Busheri, CEO Prashanti Cancer
Care Foundation, Dr. Indira J. Parikh
former President FLAME University,
Ms. Shital Mahajan, Padmashree
Sky Diving Expert, Ms. Samana
Tejani Director of Production, Gits
Food Products Ltd. and Ms. Vidya
Tiwari, Editor Citadel. Ms. Laleh
Busheri spoke about harnessing one’s
divine cosmic energy or Shakti to
overcome diseases like breast cancer.
Dr. Parikh explained to the gathering
how preserving their femininity is
crucial to retain their power or Shakti
and their strength: “Trust your power
and you will discover your courage”.
Ms. Mahajan shared how the support
of other women in her life was her
Shakti to achieve her dreams. Ms.
Tejani shared how she sees Shakti
in her female workforce and their
empowering approach towards others.
Ms. Tiwari encouraged the gathering
to use their Shakti to change the
environment in which we live to make
it more empowering for women.
All women present participated in
the Shakti Bandhan ceremony in true
spirit and cheer, tying “Shakti bands”
created out of 'left over' pieces of cloth
from quilt making, in alignment with
Vidyadan, a rural women's group. The
beautiful bands were adorned with
immense love and dignity. This event
at Four Points Sheraton touched the
hearts of many and ushered immense
positivity and happiness. •
November 2015 | 45

Startup Smart
PROTECTING BRAND IDENTITY
THROUGH TRADEMARKS
Advocate Anand Mahurkar, a Partner at Krishna & Saurastri
Associates, is a techno-legal expert practicing in the field of
Intellectual Property (IP) for more than a decade. He is an
engineer and a lawyer who has been a brand and innovation
consultant and IPR consultant for SMEs and Fortune 500
companies. He has experience of handling matters pertaining
to patents, copyrights, trademarks, industrial designs and more
for his clients across India, USA, Canada, South Africa, Europe,
China, Japan. In this feature, he talks about the importance
of Intellectual Property rights for start-ups and early stage
ventures.
India has very strong legacy of
using symbols or marks. The
symbols are representatives of
some meaning, character, function
etc. For example, the ancient Hindu
symbols like trishula, aum, swastika
or tilaka signify some philosophy,
teaching or gods/goddesses. The origin
of trademarks dates back to ancient
times. Indians had used suvarna
mudras with particular symbols on
them signifying a particular dynasty.
Egyptian craftsmen reproduced
predefined marks on their artistic
products to associate them with those
products. Use of marks is reported
in the Middle Ages too. Shiva Rajya
Mudra is very famous in the state
of Maharashtra. It is an embossed
mark that signifies the ownership of
the great Shivaji Raje. In the 18th
century a need of associating marks
with the businesses emerged to
avoid counterfeit goods and identify
original goods that ultimately resulted
in the creation of trademarks. Many
countries developed their trademark
laws and started offering legal
protection to symbols, marks and
logos.
Generally any business offers
either goods or services or both.
A trademark signifies a mark that
November 2015 | 47

Startup Smart
is associated with a business. An
entrepreneur offers his goods or
services under one or more brand
names. These brands or brand names
are protectable by trademarks. Let us
understand the connection between a
brand and a trademark. A trademark
provides legal protection to a brand
and the ownership lies with the
person who applies for the trademark
registration. A trademark is a mark
that is capable to distinguish goods
and services of one person from those
of another person. Registration of a
trademark gives exclusive right to
the proprietor of the trademark to use
the mark to represent his goods and
services.
Any person who is proprietor
of the mark can apply for trademark
protection in India. The trademark
protection is limited to a class in which
the application is made for protection.
There are 45 classes in which known
goods and services are classified. The
trademark office has classified all of
the goods and services in the world in
45 classes. 1-34 classes are in respect
of manufacturing and 35-45 are in
respect of services. India has adopted
7th edition of classification of goods
and services. It is referred as NICE
classification of goods and services.
Most of the countries of the world
follow NICE classification.
One has to identify the class of
his service and apply in that class for
the protection of his mark. One can
apply for more than one class also.
Sometimes the spread of the services
offered ranges in multi classes. So
the owner of the mark is advised to
file application in those classes. In
India, it takes 12-15 months, from a
date of filing, to register a trademark.
However, in case of objections from
examiners or any objection from any
interested person or any hearing, it
may take up to three years to register a
trademark.
Trademark protection is a
perpetual right. Initially it is granted
for 10 years and one has to renew it
before the expiry of the term for which
it is in force. If a registered trademark
is not renewed before expiry of the
mark then it may lose validity. While
applying for a trademark the applicant
has to provide a statement of use
of the trademark under question. A
statement of use is a description of
the activity carried under a trademark.
Such a statement should be made in
the trademark application form.
Lets look at the features of a
good trademark and the highlights of
a good application that is accepted
by the Registrar of the Trademarks.
An applicant’s trademark is supposed
to be registrable if it is distinctive
and it is not conflicting with existing
trademarks in the trademark register
of the trademark office. Legally there
are two types of grounds of refusal
of trademarks : absolute grounds and
relative grounds. It is to be noted
that a good trademark is catchy in
appearance. It is original representation
of the owner’s goods or services. It
is preferably a coined name. It is not
inspired from its competitors. A good
trademark is not a suggestive mark.
It doesn’t indicate its primary use or
advantage. It is easy to pronounce
and appealing to eye. It should have
ability to distinguish the goods and
services it is representation from other
competitors. It has generally three or
more letters or characters. Generic
names are not good trademarks. For
example, the brand name Google
is a registered trademark of Google
Inc. USA. It is derived by diluting
the term GOOGOL which means a
number equal to 10 to the 100th power.
However, many trademarks became
so popular that people use them
alternatively with the generic word.
For example, Google has become an
equivalent word of search.
A brand, coined name, logo,
label, shape of goods, signature,
slogan, symbol, smell, sound, three
dimensional representations, word
etc. can be registered as a trademark.
Service is a trademark which is
specially used to distinguish services
of the proprietor of the mark. A
collective mark is a trademark that is
used by any organisation/ association
or a collective group. A trademark
and trade name might be same,
however, it is not a thumb rule. They
can be different too. For example:
Blackberry is a registered trademark
of a Canadian Company Research in
Motion (RIM) where the trade-name is
RIM. A business name generally used
to identify a business associated with
it. For example: Rajmal Lakhichand is
a business name.
Now, lets understand
international trademark protection.
There is no international trademark
as such. However, one can protect the
same trademark in desired countries
internationally. There are various
treaties that promote protection of
trademarks crossing the boundaries
of countries. For example, OAPI
and ARIPO are group of countries
in African continent where you can
protect a trademark in more than one
country by filing a single application
for trademark. Similarly, OHIM is a
system of harmonisation of trademark
rights in European continent.
A registered trademark gives an
exclusive right to the proprietor of the
mark to use that mark for the goods/
service within the country. It allows
the owner to prohibit others from an
illegal use of the mark in respect of
similar goods or services. One of the
least known facts about trademarks is
that it can be sold, leased, assigned,
gifted like any a real estate property. •
anand@krishnaandsaurastri.com
48
| November 2015

Startup Smart
From Being Proactive to
being Legally Proactive
Mr Manoj Wad is a leading Corporate Lawyer and Partner at
J S Wad & Company. In his career spanning 27 years, he has
practised in the Supreme Court and is on the legal advisory
board of leading Multinational and Indian companies. His
firm provides a bouquet of legal services to assist individual
professionals, start ups and established business entities in their
vocational and professional endeavors.
Being proactive is a trait that sets apart a successful entrepreneur from the non-achievers. Being legally proactive is a
trait that sets apart the leaders from other entrepreneurs. Here is a walk through of the prime traits of legally proactive
entrepreneurs:
Update
Give up the tendency to avoid legalities of the business and completely
depend on your team. Keep yourself updated with the laws in your
field. The web is filled with e-zines volunteering to guide you in your endeavours free
of charge. Subscribe to good material. Understand the relevant legal terminologies of
your field. It’s never too late to learn. Become friends with the laws. Meet your lawyer
regularly to keep you posted, during normal times, rather than only during pressing
urgencies. This is the key to avoid many hassles in the long run and taking legally sound
decisions. It is essential for you to have a brief overview of the securities laws, labour
laws, legal audits related to your venture.
November 2015 | 49

Startup Smart
Consult the professional
Very often, amidst the excitement to establish the business venture,
legal compliances, due to their innate complexities are often pushed to
the back seat. Remember, legal issues are a priority, not something to
be postponed, in order to avoid them turning into emergencies, a few months or even
years down the line, long after the venture has been established.
Professional consultation is the key to resolving various issues prior to the setting up
of the entity, especially while choosing the type of business structure, be it a sole
proprietorship or LLP or Company, depending on your needs, availability of funds and
resources and the different tax treatments accorded to each structure.
A thorough Due Diligence Review of the proposed areas of investment conducted by
an efficient team of professionals is what is required rather than making investments
based on friendly advices or hearsay.
Remember to hire a professional who is best suited for the job, rather than someone
you know or someone, whom you know, knows. Give precedence to the best over the
familiar. After all, entrepreneurship is all about taking risks and proving your instinct
right. Trust in the business world is a highly luxurious commodity. Do not part away with
it for free. Allow the professional to earn it.
Write
You may enter into a partnership deed with your best friend or loan an
amount from someone really close in the family. Irrespective of the amount
invested or the relationship, put the arrangement into writing, clearly and
precisely. As they say, hard conversations when you are in love are always better than
hardly any conversation when you are at war. Make the laws your best back up.
Well drafted agreements clearly lay down all the possibilities and their solutions. They
impart transparency to the dealings and stability to the venture. The clauses relating to
the termination of the agreement must as distinctly as possible spell out the division
of assets and liabilities, post the termination, so that you avoid paying more than what
is due. Efficiently drafted clauses for confidentiality, non-disclosure, non-compete and
dispute resolution specifically safeguard your interests even after the termination of
the agreement.
manojwad@jswad.in
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| November 2015

Travelust
GOD’s
OWN CITY
Mayokun Aduwo is an avid traveler and a full time HR
professional with IBM, based out of India. When she is not
busy with corporate deadlines, she is busy exploring
the world, literally. This is a personal account of her
travel tales.
I
love conferences. Well to be precise I love conferences held
outside the city I live in and to be more specific, conferences
held in cities I have never been too. I was fortunate an
annual conference I usually attend year in year out was held in
God’s own city, a city that lies on the South West Coast of India
overlooking the Arabian Sea and this beautiful city is Kochi, in
the state of Kerala.
The flight started off from Kempegowda airport in Bangalore
and I could not wait for the plane to land in Kerela. What nobody
told me was that the month that the conference was held in was
the hottest month in the calendar year in Kochi.
My friends and I landed at the airport and we got an airport
taxi to drive us to Kochi. The conference was being held at a
hotel and we opted to stay in the same venue as the conference.
My room had a huge window with a view of the backwaters and
that was bliss.
November 2015 | 51

Travelust
I had too much to see but limited time in
Kochi and with the weather not much on my
side. My first stop was to tour the city by car
to Fort Kochi. Kochi is the only place outside
of China where you can find fishing nets
and the huge cultural scene is very similar
to China. If you love to walk like me then
you definitely must visit Fort Kochi. It has
a wonderful walking trail and it is the not so
huge and too crowded like you would expect.
If you want to get a picture perfect scene like
in one of your favourite romantic movies,
then go take a walk when the sun is about to
set. It is a beauty to behold.
On my way back, I noticed that the
buildings along the narrow roads were heavily
influenced by European architecture. The
Dutch cottages and the storied buildings lining
up the streets could be a village in the west
midlands of the UK and this made the scenery
more enjoyable. Our guide later mentioned in
passing that a lot of the houses were built by
rich traders during the British Era.
I also visited St. Francis Church which
was built in 1503. The church contains the
tombstone of Vasco-da-Gama, the explorer,
where he was initially buried and his body
was later transported to Spain. The Church
like any other tourist spot, attracts millions
of tourists ever year. Mattancherry is also
one of the major tourist spots here and this
is where you will find the Dutch Palace.
Another must visit in Mattancherry is the Jew
Town and it has a Synagogoue that was built
in 1568 and is still standing.
Kochi is lined up with unlimited little
shops selling various items like statues, lamps
and also there is a history of spice trading in
Kochi. A couple of my friends indulged in
cloves, pepper and many other spices one had
never heard of.
If I could name one thing I absolutely
enjoyed about Kochi, it has to be the fish
dishes. They were absolutely delicious. I did
not do justice to Kochi given the limited time
I had. Another visit is definitely imminent
from the little I saw and experienced and it
has left a mark I cannot erase. I bid adieu to
the city with a promise to be back soon! •
52
| November 2015

Netsetters
Courtesy: TED.com
Image courtesy: marfis75 on flickr
Margaret Heffernan: Why it's
time to forget the pecking order
at work
The former CEO of 5 businesses, a
management thinker and a business
leader Margaret Heffernan
observes organizations are often
run according to “the superchicken
model,” where the value
is placed on star employees who
outperform others. And yet, this
isn’t what drives the most highachieving
teams. She observes that
it is social cohesion — empathy,
giving time to each other as a team
and more often presence of women
in teams is what made the group
leads to great results over time. It's
a radical rethink of what drives us
to do our best work, and what it
means to be a leader. Because as
Heffernan points out: “Companies
don’t have ideas. Only people do.”
Sarah Lewis: Embrace the near
win
Art historian and critic Sarah
Lewis celebrates creativity and
shows how it can lead us through
fear and failure to ultimate
success. At her first museum
job, Sarah noticed something
important about an artist she was
studying: Not every artwork was
a total masterpiece. She asks us
to consider the role of the almostfailure,
the near win, in our own
lives. In our pursuit of success
and mastery, is it actually our
near wins that push us forward.
Success motivates us, but a near
win can propel us in an ongoing
quest. The reason the near win has
a propulsion is because it changes
our view of the landscape and puts
our goals, which we tend to put at
a distance, into more proximate
vicinity to where we stand.
November 2015 | 53

Women in the News
Arundhati Bhattacharya, the chairperson of Sate Bank of India (SBI), has been named as the
most powerful woman in business in India by Fortune Magazine. ICICI’s Chanda Kochar
and Shikha Sharma of Axis Bank follow Ms Bhattacharya at the second and third places,
respectively.
Courtesy: sbi.co.in
British native of Indian origin Ishveen Anand was featured at second position in the Forbes
annual list of ‘young game changers, movers and makers’ under the age of 30. She was
chosen in the Sports category for having founded OpenSponsorship, a first of its kind online
marketplace for sports sponsors to connect and sponsor various types of teams, athletes,
federation, leagues, agents or stadiums.
Courtesy: Entrepreneur India
The Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama has been criticised for making a sexist remark, saying
his successor could be a woman, but she “needs to be very attractive, otherwise she is of not
much use”.
Courtesy: Chris Radburn/PA
Piplantri village in the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan is practising its indigenous eco by
planting 111 trees every time a girl is born and on an average 60 girls are born each year.
Courtesy: www.piplantri.com
54
| November 2015

Inspite of martial arts trainings, pepper sprays
on sale, mobile apps & CCTVs, crimes against
women continue unabated.
WONDER WHY?
Most of these are focused on reactive
safety measures.
A pioneer Women Safety Consulting Company that works on
an integrated safety solution that includes Preventive &
Responsive management