Capt. Shaji Kumar

Category: Personal Reflections

  • Positivity, Confidence & Guidance

    There are some arguments that nobody can win. The truth of the matter, with regard to that thorny old question; ’Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ is that there is no ultimate truth. No logical process will ever decide it. Similarly there are many such unanswerable question in life. We always need to work around it, rather than through it. But some challenges in life are just not worth contemplating. Where, even if you can move a mountain, where are you actually going to move it TO? And what kind of an advantage will you gain for all that effort? Just think what could be possible if only you were to stop attempting the impossible! 

    Whenever the world prepares for any sporting games, conversation turns to the issue of drug abuse in sport. When does an achievement become artificial? When it is fuelled by steroids and stimulants? When the obsessive determination to win stems from a warped experience of childhood? What’s relevant here is the whole notion of competition. What’s fair or unfair? Where DOES the need to prove oneself come from? At what cost should it be indulged? Pertinent food for thought now! However, Don’t ever underestimate the power of positivity. Confidence, in association with a little cleverness and being positive can accomplish a great deal.

    Just the other day, I was in conversation with a very dear Friend of mine. He is a World renowned “Coach” who has been coaching, guiding and “helping” many top honchos in the Business World across 24 Countries. He also works with lot of other groups like Youngsters and provide guidance. He explained to me, very pertinently that all he can do is guide you to find solutions, the answers and solutions will have to be found by the Individual. Citing the example of Sachin Tendulkar, he explained that Sachin’s Coach Achrekar can only help him when he is out of the field, while in the middle of a game it will have to be Sachin who will have to do what he has to do.Sometimes, reflecting back I wonder, maybe I should have had a Coach to guide me in my endeavour. I had a Coach when I used to play Basketball. He would tell me things implementation of which helped me in my game and a better player out of me. Or in the Military Academy we had our “Ustads” who taught us everything from firing Guns to Missiles. Yes, without their support you would never learn HOW. Maybe things would have turned out “differently”. But then just like the example of Sachin, I have been doing what I have been doing in the field. However, maybe if I had a Coach it would have helped. People always look to someone for guidance. GURUS. And they do have a very pertinent and integral place in our lives. Who knows how things would have panned out otherwise.

  • Happiness

    Happiness is a state of mind, and we alone are responsible for how we can make ourselves happy. We seek answers outside while all the time the answer is glaring at us from within. Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically. The cataclysm has happened, we are among the ruins, we start to build up new little habitats, to have new little hopes. It is rather hard work: there is now no smooth road into the future: but we go round, or scramble over the obstacles. We’ve got to live, no matter how many skies have fallen.”

    Unfortunately, for a majority this truth is revealed quite late, by which time we have already spent a major part of our lives fretting and worrying, about what in the hindsight can be termed as trivial. In fact the secret to success is happiness. Being happy helps us resolve problems in a much better manner and it does improves our thinking. Our brains also function better when we are happy. Happiness starts inside you. Never put your happiness in someone else’s hands. When you take stock of the situation at a later stage in life, one does wonder what was the need for all that fretting and discomfort that we spent the major part of our lives. That is when you start reflecting on What If…

  • SUCCESS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR – III

    The grass on the other side is always greener. Is it genuinely green or is it actually an illusion. I ventured out long time back, and can’t really say that it has turned green, even though like the salt and pepper hair that I have now, it does seem to be interspersed with some green. And mind you I have spent some 21 years tending to it. A lot of ex-employees who were at one point associated with me did jump into the sea of entrepreneurship. I am not aware of how they fared in their endeavor and whether for them it turned greener almost instantaneously. One thing is however very certain, those who feel that entrepreneurship is indeed a get-rich-quick scheme are headed for a disaster. I meet so many people who rattle out the road map, get funded, create valuation and bring out an IPO / get acquired and then walk away with tons and tons of money. A select few hit par dirt and which triggered this berserk stampede. That is why today we find that 90% of startups are failing. 

    Anyone who aspires to be an entrepreneur should have a innate desire to achieve success. And it has a long gestation time and the budding entrepreneur has to be prepared for the long waiting period during which the test would be severe and relentless. How does an Olympian win the Medal that he/she aspires for. There is no short cuts here.

    You need to have a vision, ascertain the “WHY” factor and start small. Let the light far off be burning even though dim from afar. If Birbal could find warmth from the candle burning miles away then surely you can keep the desire burning till you reach your goal. Mistakes, aplenty are inevitable. But with each mistake the resolve should keep getting stronger. Never give up in the face of adversity. The situation will change eventually. The fire in the belly should remain burning. Perseverance and willingness to work hard. If you choose to be an entrepreneur then you have to choose to sacrifice a lot of other things. 

    Your enterprise is your baby. Be proud of it. Never be dazzled with what is around you. A very senior person remarked to me recently about the location of my Office. It is my Office and I am proud of it. I am the “employer”, and if employees do not want to compromise and have their own locational preferences then it is their own restricted mindset and I cannot help it. Whoever heard of a well walking up to a thirsty person!! But then you can provide Value addition. 

    I have built a goodwill by practicing integrity and taking very good care of my Customers. And this has definitely resulted in a very positive retention of Customers with solid goodwill. The Customers should not stop believing in your Venture. Never take them for granted. You exist only because of them and it can never be the other way round. If our reputation and integrity exceeds expectation then Customers will be willing to be associated with you regardless of the cost. It will not matter if you are more expensive. 

    When you embarked on your entrepreneurial journey, was it a “risk” or a “gamble”. Just like success is never guaranteed, failure does not mean the end. Nothing is final. At one point, I went on to scale heights and in the very next year my business had plummeted. The slide could be stopped only recently and have again regained the upward momentum. Entrepreneurship has its flips and flops. Never be discouraged. If you do not give up, there is nothing that can stop you from succeeding…a true life story.      

  • Time…Part I.

    Yesterday, while in the middle of a training program, something about time came up and I thought it best to share some of my thoughts on TIME. How often in any given day do we hear this oft repeated lamenting remark, “I just don’t have the time”.

    I have personally practised this my entire life, where I rise quite early in the morning and in the matter of exceeding programmes, I have managed to accomplish as much in one morning hour as in two evening hours.

    We are all quite familiar with the phrase “Time is Money”, in fact Time is a great deal more than money. If you have time you can obtain money—usually. At the same time you may have all the wealth in the World, you cannot buy yourself a minute more time than what you have. The scientists & researchers have explained space, but no one has been able to explain time. It is the inexplicable raw material of everything. With it, all is possible; without it, nothing.

    Time is also an astonishing daily miracle. Every morning as soon as you wake up your time purse is filled with 24 hours magically, yours to spend as you deem fit. And everyone – the richest of rich and the poorest of poor gets exactly the same measure. It is the most precious of possessions. No one can take it from you, it is un-stealable. And no one receives either more or less than you receive. Use it as you like – there is no punishment for right or wrong. It is not like the ones who “use” time better are rewarded by an extra hour or two. Waste your infinitely precious commodity as much as you will, you will still be rewarded with a fresh 24 hours tomorrow. No mysterious power is going to come bearing down and pass any judgement, “this man does not deserve time, and cut him off the meter”. You cannot waste your tomorrow, it is kept safe for you, you cannot even waste the next hour, you can only waste the Present hour.

    We never shall have any more time. We have, and we have always had, all the time there is. It is a profound and neglected truth.

  • Self Employed!!! 

    Yesterday one of my my staunchest Critics, commented “once again” that I have made a complete “hash of my business”. This has happened many times with many “critics”. Does that make me an unsuccessful person? Have I not been able to achieve anything meaningful till date? These questions set me thinking!! What was it that I had set out to achieve? Did I make any promises to anyone? Did I make an announcement at any stage in my life? After pondering over it, I decided to draw up a complete “To Do List” and double check on what may have been missed out, giving reasons to attract such “comments”. 

    I have enjoyed the privilege of a normal and quite pleasant childhood, thanks to my ever loving parents. However, since the beginning of this peculiarly horrendous year (thus far) their existence status regrettably has been reduced to singular surviving. Then to my surprise, even to this day, I managed to scrape through the education system schematics, which labels me as being “qualified”. Thereafter given the first opportunity, I scurried off to the Military Academy, as I deemed that it would be the only place where I could seek redemption, not to forget the “holy cow” bestowing its blessings, which was the tipping point. Alas that was not to be the final destination, and I opted to resign my commission after 5 years. To this day, even after 32 years, I have not been able to figure out the real reason – Why? Hence I have never actually had any definitive answers, when people used to ask me this question “to begin a conversation”. The reason still eludes me, though with no regrets, however thankfully these reason seeking questions have stopped. 

    Then one fine morning, I decided that I wanted to be my own master – be Self Employed. The terms like Self-Employed or Self-Dependent [Atmanirbhar] were not quite in vogue,  during that period in history. However, I wanted to live the way I wanted to live. Blissfully and peacefully, on my own terms. Does that make me a risk taker, yes definitely – a “foolish” risk-taker, I can say since I had no plan – I mean I did not even have a documented Business Plan or a Power-Point presentation [I did not even own a Computer] with number crunching etc. The only thing that I did was, take the DECISION. This first step put the odds in my favour. This process kicked into motion one of Darwin’s Survival theories. It was the double ditch, either I jump through or fall in. It’s all about odds – put the odds in your favour. It is a decision making process. This is what I want my Sons to follow. This is the only legacy that I want to leave them. They should do whatever it is that they want to do – but they have to take that decision and be responsible for it. I have never interfered and neither do I want to. It is their Life and they have to be able to take that decision and live by it – as I have lived mine. 

    “Heaven is a conscious choice to defy the ego’s voice”. Creating opportunities, maintaining momentum and advancing one step at a time. This was the focus. All the time I spent over the last 2 decades, engaged in  the so called “Hard-Work”. Thinking without awareness is the main dilemma of human existence. What was it that I wanted to be when I started this journey – to be Self Employed. Be on my own. I did manage to achieve that by providing above-average sustenance to my own family, and in the process also helping a few more, to earn their daily bread by way of their association with my business. I don’t owe it to anyone, but myself and today no one can lay a blame on me for anything – I am responsible only to myself and no one. I have never announced anything at any point, made any promises to anyone, then why does expectations have to be raised – of me. I know myself, and I know my strengths and weaknesses. The change we’re really looking for is inside our heads. The moment you become aware of the ego in you, it is strictly speaking no longer the ego, but just an old, conditioned mind-pattern. To this day, I have never even used the term “Founder” against my name. I have not founded anything, so why should I use this term. I have set my own goals, on my own terms have managed to achieve whatever it is that I set out to be – Self Employed.   

  • The advent of a new Morning…

    Even the longest and darkest of night, ends with morning light. We are nearing the end of the 3rd Lockdown. Maybe, just maybe, even if the announcement of the lockdown was abrupt and sudden in line with what we have come to accept as the innate style of our Prime Minister, it may have helped India avoid what could have been a large scale devastation, as seen elsewhere in the World. Still waiting, but the statistics till date does project quite an encouraging outcome. Anyway, lockdown or not it is time when manufacturing and other operations will be and undoubtedly should be permitted to restart in a phased manner. How much more can we remain locked up? This is an extremely critical and delicate operation that will involve clear guidelines, operating principles and a very vigilant approach to health and safety.

    Communication that is simple, easy to understand and practice becomes an essential tool in this phase. Unlike what we saw in these last 50 days, all stakeholders need to be explained the steps and procedure for operating productively while maintaining social distancing and essential practices. As also everyone in the Industry will be waiting in hope when the Finance Minister unwraps the Economic Stimulus announced by the Prime Minister in his 3rd address to the nation tonight. Astrology is always capable of predicting the future for anyone, whether it is a man, woman, country or the world itself, but astrologers can sometimes predict the future and events accurately and at times can even fail to predict it correctly. But I do firmly believe, as the Prime Minister reiterated, we can really turn the tide and change things – to make India great again. This is an opportunity for us to change things.

    When we see a hole in a piece of silk, we are hardly surprised. It may be a shame but given the susceptibility of this fabric to wear and tear, it is inevitable. When we see a hole in a piece of steel, we are amazed. What on earth caused this?  Our psychological armour is sturdy. For all our inner sensitivity, it takes a lot to dent our external confidence – and it has been proved many times over. We are made of quite sturdy stuff. The experience of this pandemic will yet again just prove the point. I am quite certain that collectively we would see a resurgent India galloping ahead.

  • The World at War?

    This Covid-19 pandemic has gripped the entire World in a vicious vice, well almost the entire World but for one – where it all began. It has now been proven beyond  doubt, that if the alert had been sounded and strict measures enforced just a mere two weeks before it was eventually acted upon, we would all still be going about our lives as “old normal” instead of trying to adapt to a “new normal”. How the severity of the spread has been targeted or diverted more towards the developed part of the World, where despite the most advanced health care system, these Countries have grappled helplessly as the pandemic spread throughout, leaving in its wake an unpreceded toll.  All these years, ever since the last World War, nations have been foolishly spending enormous amounts of money, in stockpiling weapons & weapon systems including the lethal nuclear arsenals. We always tried to visualise a World, as how it would be, the day after a nuclear holocaust. Never, has anyone in their wildest dream imagined a parasitic holocaust. Biological warfare – yes, but it was always deemed to be restricted to a vicinity of geographical area and much less potent than a nuclear holocaust.  Who would have thought that devious minds enshrined in God knows what agenda, would work silently to create a situation where the entire World is brought down without lifting a single finger or ordering the troops out of their barracks. Introducing – “The Parasite” that would rule the World.

    This World is at War!! People are inside the cover of their homes, not because of an imminent bomb raid, but to protect themselves against a far more viciously lethal enemy – an enemy which can’t be seen with naked eyes. Like a seasoned predator this particular enemy can wait patiently, lurking on some surface always ready to invade the body of an unsuspecting victim, the moment he lets his “mask” down. As leaders across the Universe are trying to take a sneak peek and test waters by announcing cautious lifting of Lockdowns, the coming few weeks and months will be the deciding factor on which way this situation is going to swing. While all this has been going on, there is but one Country which is preparing, to go shopping. Pick up the spoils of the war from the devastated battlefield, just like the old times where the victorious troops would be allowed to scavenge off the corpses, whatever precious things could be scavenged. Like a soap opera, the plots and sub-plots keep changing. The days, weeks, months ahead would be very interesting to see how this drama unfolds.

    The truth is that human behaviour all over the World has made pandemics like this inevitable. We have shrunk the natural habitats, thereby giving more opportunities for viruses to combine and create lethal iterations. Then with the current socio-environmental set up in our cities, we give them more opportunities to spread, making the demarcation line very thin. Then we have provided ample opportunities. Just remember that, there’s always something to panic about, worry about or generally be in fear of. There always has been and there always will be. What’s upsetting or disturbing us now is, no more, or less serious than anything we have ever faced in the past. Over-react to it and it will get worse. Deal with it calmly and confidently and it will go away again – as ever. It is said that Good always prevails over the evil. This is what we have always been led to believe. We need to get faster at containment. We need to catch the virus at source. We know what it takes and fighting every pandemic since life on earth began – and no virus has ever beaten us yet. Historically whenever a pandemic virus has invaded causing destruction, all of human ingenuity has been brought to bear together to bring them down. It is only a matter of time…

  • WHAT NOW….?

    More than a month has passed since the Prime Minister announced a National Lockdown. What Now? Do we continue in this state of suspended animation and continue to dwell ensconced within our respective dwellings? It appears that the respective State Governments do not want to take a chance. A chance with what? It is time that the Government starts work on a broader plan so as to allow the life to go on. Fear of death by Covid-2019 virus would far outweigh the fear of death by starvation. In absence of any lifeline or monetary support each business is left to fend for itself. The roll call at some point will determine as to how many would be left standing.

    In the meeting with Chief Ministers on Monday, the Prime Minister had rightly pointed out that importance needed to be given to the economy as well. It’s high time to walk the talk. There is no way that there is going to be an end game anytime soon as far as this particular virus is concerned. So when is it going to be the right time? Whatever, the diktats that may be given there is bound to be a massive fallout if this lockdown restrictions is not lifted and things allowed to resume post 03 May 2019. Yes this is definitely a risk that no State Government can avoid. People have become wiser and as adults, all the sane ones would follow the NEW Normal. We will forget what the Old Normal was. There was a logic to the first and even the second lockdown…but to nurture the thought of a Third…will most definitely be catastrophic and maybe even more devastating than the deaths which will be caused by the Covid-2019 virus.

    This undoubtedly is a crisis situation. When you’re in the midst of a crisis, it can be hard to think past your short-term response. Lockdown is indeed that – a short-term response. But, the primary focus of leaders should be on the long term. After all, it is their job to lead people into the best possible future. But their diverse army of experts now marched out a phalanx of hypotheses to explain the consequences.

    The People have been made adequately aware of the grave consequences this particular virus is empowered to inflict. Trust the people to handle the situation from hereon. Provide them with support and guidance. Locking them up in homes is definitely not a solution anymore. When it was right it was right, but now it is overdoing it. The virus isn’t going to go anytime soon, that is for sure. We just need to adapt to the NEW Normal. As Bill Joy, the brilliant thinker and engineer reminded us, “great medicines have saved lives, but it’s the simpler things, like clean water, proper hygiene and a cleaner way of life that have saved the most lives”. We are quickly learning what is causing our immune systems to react. Social distancing works but it’s a temporary answer. Lack of testing will haunt us but it will be solved over a period of time. Ventilators and hospitals will be better equipped and in a better state of readiness. We will see patterns on how to treat, or vaccinate, or both. In the meantime, there are ways to beat the virus and return to versions of a normal life. Masks hold the promise of protection at a minimum, and eradication at best. Just as there is a lot about the virus we don’t understand, there’s a lot about how it spreads we don’t understand. It can peter out and come back. It can weaken over time.

    Work From Home may become a norm in times to come at least for some time, not as a forced one but as a way of life in the future. We can see the multiple benefits of such an arrangement. What can be done for the IT Industry, can be adapted to other verticals as well. But we just need to take this calculated risk. Some collateral damage is imminent, however comparatively it will be worth the chance. However, we can just wait and watch as the decision makers have to take that call..

  • THE LONG WAIT….

    “Light at the end of the tunnel”, somehow this idiom has always mystified me for most of my adult life, especially the latter half. It has always so happened that every time I “sensed” that I could see the light; it has always been harshly extinguished as an illusory figment of my imagination. During this waiting for the light to appear, I find that a far more devastating and vicious tunnel has enveloped my proverbial tunnel. Now what? It has all got quite entangled in a spirally mess. The tunnel keeps stretching by the passing of every single day. I might as well be penning “Prison Diaries…”. Since I happen to be trapped in a “Red” Zone, the gates are locked and the “Police” stand guard. Every passing day is becoming quite chaotic.

    What if there is no drop in the rising incidence of cases? Does this “Lockdown” continue indefinitely. It is ironic, a rich Country like The US wants to do away with the lockdown and get on with the business of making money, while a poor Country like India, does not want to take that risk. Wonder what would be the decision of Warren Buffet in terms of Investing and placing the bet on –  India or US!!

    For How Long? I am sure this question would be on the mind of every administrative & political Leadership across the World where Lockdown has been in place for quite sometime now. Eventually some decision would have to be taken, before it is too late. After all we certainly do not have a bottomless magic pot full of money, and whether we have the pot at all is also a worrisome factor. Ray of hope as always rests with the return of Vijay Mallya whose extradition appeal has been turned down. Maybe the UK courts have relented during this “difficult” time and have played angel. Maybe we can get the pot after all, question remains whether it is full or empty.

    Well as long as we have the Pot…we can use it to store some spill over “oil” as there seems to be no more space to store the one time precious fluid around which the World once revolved. The American crude oil crashed below “zero”…does this mean that now America will have a free for all garage sale of Oil and throw in a burger to boot…OPEC’s opulence is at stake if the lockdown remains status quo. Even in times like this “Politics” and “Power” maintains centre stage as exhibited by the B&B of the Israel’s political set up. Benjamin Netanyahu & Benny Gantz have joined hands to rule a nation, where one half of the population never wanted the other to rule them.

    Walt Disney has asked 100,000 of its employees to get out of its payroll and instead apply for Government support. A lot of Governments have taken it upon themselves to “provide” for. A lot of us in India are still waiting on a solution as all we have had so far are Government Orders asking all Companies to continue paying Salaries irrespective of the Head “Income from Sales” representing the biggest invention of the mathematical genius Aryabhata. Hope for the Light at the end of the tunnel continues…

  • “LOCKDOWN” ITS IMPACT ON MSME SECTOR.

    The entire World is presently in the grip of Covid-19 virus. It has been declared a pandemic, consequently fear bordering on paranoia has taken grip across the World. Consequently almost the entire World is in a state of Lockdown. The fear in the minds of people is so much that If you happen to venture out to purchase some daily essentials and happen to come across someone in the street, you are treated as if you are the manifestation of a walking virus in human form. However, historically looking back, the present condition is nowhere near the level of devastation that was inflicted by far more lethal epidemics in the past like the Spanish Flu or many such attacks by the “militant” virus community. Eventually in a few months time this Covid-19 threat would have been conquered successfully by our brilliant Scientists and eventually humankind will cope to co-exist as we have done with the mother of this present iteration, “Influenza”.

    What is more of a concern is not the medical pandemic of Covid-19, but the economic pandemic that is going to spell a much more vicious and lethal impact. Talking about India, it would be a huge challenge for the Government to bring the economy back on track and once again set it back in motion. Almost 40% of the current economy is supported by the MSME Sector. In fact most of the migrant workers who have fled from Cities are in some form employed by the MSME Sector. Even considering the fact that all goes well and we re-open for business post 15 April 2020, it is going to be a very tough challenge to get things going before the beginning of July/August 2020. And God forbid, if the present state of limbo were to extend to say May 20 / June 20 it will most definitely be catastrophic.

    As a MSME Business Owner, I certainly do not want the situation to come to a point where I have to “lay-off” people or be in no position to continue to pay salaries. However, so far apart from Office Orders there has been no concrete plans for recovery announced by the Government. The Government has only stipulated by way of series of office orders that “No employee” should be retrenched” or that “full Wages” need to be paid etc. But HOW? This is the big question that needs to be addressed. And the solution has to be given by the Government. Most of the Business owners in the MSME have very limited or absolutely no “cash reserve” unlike its more affluent and well established counterparts. Under the current circumstances, It is feared that MSMEs—the key pillar of the Indian economy and the second largest provider of jobs—will no longer enjoy the same status post COVID-19 once the Lockdown ends. The pandemic has posed an existential crisis for the MSMEs. What choice does a business owner have?

    The Reserve Bank of India, in a recent announcement of three-month moratorium on payment of instalments of term loan outstanding, deferring of interest rate on working capital and also not considering the deferment for NPA is expected to benefit a lot of MSME borrowers. The RBI’s measures are estimated to inject Rs 374 crore liquidity in the economy. This has come in as a relief but there is a lot more that needs to be done. What the Government has to consider is that the MSME sector contributes significantly towards the GDP. If this sector were to be crippled the entire economy will indeed slip back by 21 years as announced by our Honourable Prime Minister.

    It is time that the government announces and implements schemes to provide specific relief measures to the small businesses, which are amongst the worst hit. The need to working capital and cash flow lending both without any need for collateral, is more pronounced during these times than ever before. We completely understand that India unlike the other more affluent Countries may not be able to support the Industry financially by announcing direct aid packages. However, what can be very easily done is to provide “working Capital Loans” at a marginal Interest with a moratorium of 6 months to 12 months.

    It is time that the Government and intelligentsia domain experts and stakeholders from banking, financial services, think tanks, policymakers, industry, chartered accountants, consultants and economists get down to the task of charting out a specific plan to resuscitate the MSME, rather than allow it to die of asphyxiation. Like the dilemma of the Prince of Denmark in Shakespeare’s play, the question is not if the Lockdown ends or gets extended, the support and firm hand-holding by the Government would be a mandatory requirement to pull the economy out of this quagmire.