“It happened in India”, is one poster which might be still hanging in your nearest Big Bazaar. This book, written by Kishore Biyani, the founder and CEO of the Future group is about his journey into the corporate world and the making of Pantaloons and Big Bazaar, one of the biggest brands in India, inshort forms his ‘corporate-autobiography’.

    This book is subtitled ‘the story of Pantaloons, Big Bazaar and the great Indian customer’ and is narrated by KB (Kishore Biyani as called by his collegues). It starts with the description of ‘Sabse Sasta Din’, and its implications and impact on the retail market, and continues with his experiments in the consumer market, with Pantaloons and Big Bazaar. This advent of the Big Bazaar has changed the face of Indian markets to say the least. Widely lauded by the business pundits as the Indian retail Guru, Mr.Biyani unfolds the story of his life in a simple and lucid style, starting with the aspirations in his youth of making it big in the market, and ending it with a glance into the future course of ‘Future group’. The testimonials from his associates, friends and family members are aptly in between the narration to add their own perspective and also their role in his life. KB just doesn’t stop with presenting his ideas, intuitions on Indian consumers and Indian retail market, and preaching it, but also gives his own outlook towards life in general, some being queer but interesting like ‘Time-pass’ theory. A pleasant read, with an insight into the Indian retail, perhaps this book is a good recommend for young Indian entrepreneurs.

Mr.Biyani has succeeded once again. This simple and straight forward book priced at Rs.99/- is well received, not just by MBA aspirants, but among every one who is interested in knowing more about Business. Yes KB! You made it happen in India and we look forward more from you!   

       The scam in ‘Satyam’, which has made news world wide as the biggest in Indian corporate history, is now a ‘trump card’ for three major political opponents in Andhra Pradesh, Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Praja Rajyam Party (PRP). The mutual mud-slinging is wide-spread among these parties since the scam has come to the spotlight. Since it is hardly 3 months for the general elections in the state, each of the the trio want to squeeze out maximum benefit of this fiasco.

The Chandra Babu Naidu, the chief of TDP, was once renowned world wide as ‘Hi-tech’ CM of Andhra Pradesh is portrayed as one of the ‘chief benefactor’ of the scam in the Satyam. Though Congress doesn’t claim this directly, the representatives of the party have alleged that Mr.Naidu has not just given excess ‘support’, but also culprit in most of the ‘gains’ in the money laundering. The plenory of Congress party is busy campaigning by especially using the pictures of Mr.Naidu with the ex-CEO of Satyam, Ramalinga Raju with Bill Clinton, to convey a message to the electorate that it was the TDP who was responsible for the Satyam. 

   The present party in the power, Congress seems equally ‘uncomfortable’ with these events, since the MAYTAS has been offered a principle share in the contracts, the significant being the Hyderabad Metro and IIIT campus construction. Moreover, during the Congress Government for the past four years, 108 services which has won wide appreciation and accolades, and started under the banner of ‘Rajiv Aarogya Shree’, was a collaborative effort of Byrraju Foundation, Satyam Computer Services Ltd., and the ministry of Primary Health, Andhra Pradesh. The allegations from the oppositions include that there has been investments from Mr.Raju into the newspaper daily, ‘Saakshi’, started by the son of YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr.Y.Jaganmohan Reddy. 

It is ironic to see that these comments from the leaders who once generously praised Ramalinga Raju as the ‘Andhrite of the year’, and tried to ‘own’ the IT revolution, as their own party’s contribution to the state.