Meet Your Colleagues

A)        Personal Information

a)     Name – Mohammad Faiyaz Ahmed

b)    DOB – 15^th February 1979

c)     Place of Birth – Kolkata

d)    Marital Status - Married

e)     Year of Marriage - 2005

f)     No. of kids - 2

B)        Educational Qualification

Humor in Management

Management Revisited

• The first myth of management is that it exists.
• Some people manage by the book, even though they don't know who wrote the book or even what book.
• Give all orders verbally. Never write anything down that might go into a "Pearl Harbor File".
• We are too busy mopping the floor to turn off the faucet.
• Management by objectives is no better than the objectives.
• "I've given you an unlimited budget, and you have already exceeded it!"

IT GLOSSARY

System Bus

The path between a microprocessor and the chipset on the motherboard. This bus may or may not run at the same speed as the memory bus.

Usenet Newsgroups

Also referred to simply as “newsgroups,” Usenet newsgroups are a huge bunch of Internet discussion groups that replicate across the Internet every so often. If you get a bunch of people together and request a group for yourself, you’ll probably be able to create it. Topics range from technical discussions and debate to flame wars. However, the most infamous use of the newsgroups is the distribution of binary pictures and files as text.

Rs 20,000 crore deposits & a land bank the size of Bangalore: 'Realtor' PACL's 'illegal schemes' may drown millions' money

NEW DELHI: On a recent Saturday afternoon, the A6 DDA market in West Delhi's Paschim Vihar looked desolate. Rows of shops remained shut and a few people milled about unhurriedly as the summer heat soared. On the third floor of the complex, up a dark flight of stairs with betel-juice-stained walls, the office of an obscure real estate company called PACL India Ltd was an oasis of activity. 

Hundreds of people had gathered there, giving it the appearance of a busy bank branch on payday. Transactions abounded across counters, people chatted animatedly in small groups, and streamed in and out amid long, snaking queues. 

From this office and 279 more across India, PACL runs an operation that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) deems illegal because it considers it a collective investment scheme in the garb of a real estate company. But the final word has not yet been said about what kind of an animal PACL actually is. That dispute will be settled by the Supreme Court, where the case has lain for eight long years. 

ET spent six weeks interviewing about two dozen people to piece together the picture of a company that looks suspiciously like a pyramid scheme and whose downfall could wipe out the savings of millions of people. While the dispute waits to be resolved by the Supreme Court, PACL has grown a 100-fold, aided by customers who have given money to the company ostensibly to book a plot of land they can't see or choose. Deposits with PACL-the company calls them 'customer advances'-have ballooned to Rs 20,000 crore. 

It has used the money to buy land in various parts of the country, including barren desert land. Its land bank, PACL said in a filing with the Registrar of Companies, is 1.85 lakh acres, roughly the size of Bangalore (In comparison, large realty firms such as DLF or Unitech typically own 12,000-15,000 acres). More than the prospect of owning land, customers are more likely lured by the 'expected value of land' the company indicates for investment terms ranging from 5 to 10 years. 

This works out to more than a 12.5% annual return on investment. PACL's deposits are brought in by a network of about 8 lakh agents, who are organised in the manner of a classic pyramid scheme, or "chain system", and stake their credibility for the company in return for attractive commissions on deposits brought in by them and other agents linked to them in the chain. 

If the Supreme Court decides in favour of Sebi and says PACL indeed operates a collective investment scheme that must be strictly regulated, several million small investors risk losing the savings they have invested in the hope of an attractive return. 

Those at the bottom of the pyramid will be the worst affected. PACL is perhaps only the largest among a number of such schemes mushrooming across the country. 


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Indian enterprise software market grows by 16.3% in 2010: Gartner

The Indian enterprise software market grew by 16.3% in 2010 to Rs 11000 crores, higher than 4.2% growth in 2009, according to research firm Gartner . 

Microsoft, IBM, Oracle and SAP outperformed their peers in terms of revenue. Microsoft ranked highest as it increased its enterprise software revenue market share in India to 28 percent in 2010. 

IBM followed suit with its software revenue growing more than 15.3 percent in 2010. IBM expanded dramatically in 2010 into the applications segment with a focus on e-commerce, marketing and sales with more than 20 industry solution frameworks as its "smarter planet" go-to-market strategy evolves. 

Oracle showed the strongest growth among the top five vendors, as it increased its revenue by 25.2%. Its growth was achieved across all software markets, with faster growth emerging from its business intelligence, security, IT operations, and data integration and quality tools offerings. 

Among the top 25 vendors in India, VMware led the group with more than 51 percent growth in 2010, followed by Cisco with more than 31 percent. The top 25 vendors accounted for nearly 94 percent share, or more than Rs 10000 crores, of the overall software market. 

"In 2010, major software vendors expanded their product portfolios, acquired companies where appropriate to their plans, and reached deeper into emerging markets including India," said Asheesh Raina, principal research analyst at Gartner. "The year represented a return to solid footing as the India market expanded in terms of revenue and maturity."

Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

ONGC board approves follow-on share sale offer

MUMBAI: Indian state-run explorer Oil and Natural Gas Corp's board on Tuesday approved a follow-on share sale plan, but the company will file papers with the markets regulator only after it gets the greenlight from the government, its chairman said. 

"This (offer date) is the job of the DoD (department of disinvestment). We are waiting for the communication. It all depends on the government," A K Hazarika told Reuters. 

The company had hoped to launch the offer in July. The offer, expected to raise up to $2.8 billion, has been delayed by several months as rising crude oil prices and consequently higher subsidy burden kept the state-run firm away from the market. 

India raised diesel prices last week, which is likely to bring down the subsidy burden on state-run oil companies, including ONGC. 

ONGC shares closed at 284.80 rupees, 0.2 per cent higher in a Mumbai market that rose 0.4 per cent.


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Gold edges above $1,500/oz as euro, oil recover

LONDON: Gold rose back above $1,500 an ounce in Europe on Tuesday, following three days of losses, as hopes that Greece's debt crisis may be contained tempered risk aversion and helped the euro to regain some ground. 

Prices remain rangebound, however, as traders seek clarity on the euro zone debt crisis and the subsequent direction of the euro. Gold is closely linked to fluctuations in the foreign exchange markets, as it is often traded as a currency. 

Spot gold rose by 0.5 per cent on the day to $1,5 04.19 an ounce at 

1454 GMT, US gold futures for August delivery rose $ 9.20 an ounce to $1,5 05.60. 

The euro has suffered in recent weeks from worries Greece's debt crisis could destabilise the euro zone. If these concerns are allayed the euro could recover, benefiting gold despite the fact that it would lose some of its safe-haven bid. 

"There are days on which gold benefits because the risk-on trade comes back into vogue and it doesn't matter what commodity you look at, they're all going up," said Natixis commodities strategist Nic Brown. 

"More recently, ETF demand has plateaued and is not really going up, so although every now and then you get a blip in gold prices on concerns on Greece and Europe generally, we have to say in terms of flows ... the big flows are finished and short of a major catastrophe, we would be surprised to see a huge amount of upside in gold based on the Greek story." 

Gold priced in euros reached record highs above 1,088 euros an ounce in late May as the Greek debt crisis deepened and investors shunned assets in the single European currency. 

But as the euro has stabilised and some confidence has returned to markets of Greece's ability to clear the way for a second international bailout by pushing tough budget cuts through parliament this week, euro-denominated gold has fallen. 

"Even with the events going on in Europe, the euro-dollar has still been at $1.40-1.42 -- still quite an undervalued level for the dollar, despite what is going on in Europe," said Michael Lewis , head of commodities research at Deutsche Bank. 

"If there is any slight marginal improvement in Europe, and if the European Central Bank is going to be starting to raise rates in September and December, you might have a currency story that could be quite positive for gold." 

Greece's parliament is set to vote on Wednesday and Thursday on a new austerity programme required for Athens to receive more aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. 

An agreement by heavily exposed French banks to roll over Greek debt and talk that European Union officials are working on a contingency plan if Greece's parliament rejects an austerity package lifted hopes its debt crisis may be contained. 

OIL RECOVERS 

Brent crude futures rose more than $3 on Tuesday, extending gains and pushing above $109 a barrel as the dollar weakened and optimism grew that Greece's government will pass an austerity program. 

Gold's correlation with oil has been patchy in recent years, turning negative in early 2009 as the credit crunch hit economic growth while lifting risk aversion, and in early 2010 when the euro zone debt crisis fuelled interest in gold as a haven. 

Gold prices could see further short-term weakness, as physical buying remains soft during the seasonally weak summer months and as the US. Federal Reserve's $600 billion bond-buying programme comes to an end on June 30. 

But in the longer term low interest rates, prospects for dollar weakness and better consumer appetite for gold at lower prices are likely to support the precious metal. 

"This is typically a quiet time of year for physical buyers, and the buying we've seen on this dip have not so far been of the magnitude that would be required for a proper bounce," said UBS in a note. "Should prices fall far enough, however, the physical market will react, summer notwithstanding." 

"Indian buying has picked up since late on Friday, but a move down to $1,485, where many orders are sitting, is likely required to bring this market out in force. Chinese physical interest has also been tweaked by recent price action." 

Among other precious metals, silver was up 1.2 percent at $33.95 an ounce, while platinum rose 1 percent to $1,688.74 an ounce and palladium was up 1 percent at $732.47. 

The white metals have come under significant pressure from recent falls in industrial commodity, with platinum touching 3-1/2 month lows and palladium near six-week lows on Monday.


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Microsoft to make big move into 'cloud computing' with revamped Office; confronts Google

SEATTLE; Microsoft Corp is making its biggest move into the mobile, Internet-accessible world of 'cloud' computing this week, as it takes the wraps off a revamped online version of its hugely profitable Office software suite. 

The world's largest software company is heaving its two-decade old set of applications -- including Outlook email, Excel spreadsheets and SharePoint collaboration tools -- into an online format so that customers can use them on a variety of devices from wherever they can get an Internet connection. 

It wants to push back against Google Inc, which has stolen a small but worrying per centage of its corporate customers with cheaper, web-only alternatives, which remove the need for companies to spend time on installing software or managing servers. 

"It's obvious that Microsoft has to do this if they're going to remain competitive with Google," said Michael Yoshikami, chief executive of money manager YCMNET Advisors. "It's something they have to do." 

Microsoft shares rose 3.7 per cent on Monday, the largest gain in a single trading day since September, partly buoyed by hopes that it can ultimately boost profits by extending its software dominance to the growing cloud sector. 

"If they execute effectively and it's adopted, it could be a game changer," said Yoshikami. "Whether or not that will happen is a whole other story." 

Microsoft has offered online versions of some Office programs -- chiefly Outlook email -- for its corporate customers for several years, and last year rolled out free versions for individual home users. 

Chief Executive Steve Ballmer is set to present an overhauled and updated set of offerings -- collectively called Office 365 -- at an event in New York City on Tuesday morning, underlining the company's newfound online focus. 

GROWING MARKET 

The market for web-based software services is heating up, and every company, government department and local authority is getting pitches from Microsoft and Google whenever they reevaluate their office software.


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Mobile banking to help 2 billion people by 2020: Study

FRANKFURT: Mobile financial services are expected to improve the lives of around 2 billion people in developing countries within a decade and boost economies, a Boston Consulting Group study found. 

"Overall, mobile financial services can reduce financial exclusion by 5 percent to 20 percent through 2020 and increase gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 5 percent, with Pakistan, for instance, potentially seeing a 3 percent uplift," the study said. 

It added that improved access to finance fostered entrepreneurship, new business creation and new jobs. 

The report, released by Norwegian telecom group Telenor on Tuesday, focused on five countries -- Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Serbia -- which represented a broad development range, it said. 

Some 72 percent of the population in developing countries are without access to banks or credit cards according to the study. 

They manage to work around this by borrowing from friends and family, obtaining short-term credit from employers, forming savings clubs or seeking out moneylenders but these options were often risky, costly and with indeterminate results. 

Telecom firms such as Telenor, Vodafone, Orange and MTN have begun investing in mobile payment systems in Asia and Africa that allow consumers to make basic payments for utilities for example but also participate in savings, credit and insurance programs via mobile phones. 

Mobile financial services can also help overcome economic shocks such as natural disasters or unexpected medical emergencies, the study said. 

In Kenya, Safaricom's M-Pesa's UAP Insurance insures poor farmers through mobile phones against weather-induced crop failures for example. 

Norway's Telenor said it was still early days but that the potential for growth was expected to be huge. 

Telenor's EasyPaisa program in Pakistan started with 2,200 retail outlets in October 2009 and now has 12,600 retailers spread over 650 cities across the country. 

It has some 10 million estimated users and the total value of money transfers has reached 17.4 billion Pakistan rupees ($167.2 million). 

"We believe that mobile financial services will be one of the key drivers for financial inclusion going forward and thus has the potential to be the most powerful tool for economic and social development in emerging economies," Telenor Chief executive Jon Fredrik Baksaas said in a statement on Tuesday.


Source : http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/

Business News

• IDBI, OBC, BOI raise deposit rates
• FDI in November dips by 7% to Rs. 51,968 cr.
• GDP will grow 8.4% in next 5 years

IGate, Apax set to buy Patni in 3-stage for around $1bn

The promoters of Patni Computer Systems Ltd, India's seventh largest information technology (IT) firm by revenue, are set to sell their 45.88% stake in the company, as is private equity (PE) firm General Atlantic Llc its 17.5% in a structured deal to iGate Corp., backed by Apax Partners Llc, for around $1 billion (`4,500 crore), two investment bankers working on the deal, said.

Once the deal is done, the buyers will have to make an open offer to acquire at least another 20% of Patni Computer, in accordance with existing takeover norms that say any entity buying 15% or more in a company is required to make an open offer for at least 20% more. The stake sale will take place in three stages.

In the first phase, Apax Partners will pick up a minority stake in iGate by subscribing to a preferential issue. In the second phase, which will hap- pen simultaneously, the PE fund will lend up to $500 mil- lion to iGate to finance the buyout. IGate will raise another $400 million through a mix of equity and debt. It has at least $100 million of cash on its books to complete the deal, one of the investment bankers said. Both bankers did not want to be identified. 

Case Study

Klipper Kuik, Inc. sells sail boats to upper crust clients who live in the Chesapeake Bay area, particularly, Annapolis, Maryland. The company has been in existence only a short time, but sales are up and business is booming. Sara Tonin, the CEO, got the company off to a good start with her patented sail design. She discovered a way to make smaller sails which could catch more wind, even when there is no wind. She guarantees smooth sailing in any weather condition. This has made the boats very attractive to weekend sailors. Sara says, "let's capitalize on this while the getting’s good." As she puts it, "get them in, seller, and clipper quick before they get away."  However, her husband Jibb, who she assigned to supervise the sales staff, has had problems getting his salespersons motivated to do their job. Some seem to want no supervision while others want to know exactly what it is they are supposed to do. A couple of them insist on being managers themselves. Jibb is confused about how to organize and lead the staff. Should he develop teams, supervise them individually, or just leave them alone? Since Jibb's only work experience was as a weekend life-guard before he met Sara, he is floundering, as he puts it, "rudderless in a turbulent sea." He wants you, an expert HR specialist consultant, to help steer him back on course. Therefore, he has contracted you at $1000 a day, to develop a leadership development plan for Klipper Kuik, Inc.

Questions:

1. Decide on what leadership theory(s) to implement.

2. Develop a plan to train managers if necessary.

IT Glossary

Authentication

A process of proving the identity of a computer or computer user. For users, it generally involves a user name and password. Computers usually pass a code that identifies that they are part of a network.

Attachment

A file embedded in an e-mail message. It is possible to have one or more attachments embedded in an e-mail message. If you are sending or receiving attachments, you must have an e-mail client that supports MIME encoding, or the attachments will show up in encoded form, which basically looks like a large block of numbers and letters.

Font

As it relates to computers today, a font is a specific style of displaying characters, often scalable to a variety of sizes. “Arial” is a font, for example. This differs from the traditional definition of font, where each style and size was its own font (i.e., “9 point Arial” as opposed to simply “Arial”).

Folder

A term coined to be synonymous and more accessible than “directory.” Now the terms are basically synonymous, but folder tends to imply a more graphical interface for managing files.

INTERVIEW QUESTION TIPS

What Do You Expect From a Supervisor? 

·                        I appreciate a work environment where supervisors try to make personal connections with their employees.

·                        In my last job, I liked the fact that management did not show favoritism and they were understanding of employees needs, as well as their strengths. Of course, these things take time to know, but I would want my supervisor to try to know me in that way.

·                        I would like to be able to go my manager if I have an issue or idea and to be able to feel comfortable to expressing my thoughts. I would also expect my supervisor to be open and honest with me and to let me know if there is anything I could do to improve upon or do differently in my work.

v     Why did you leave your last job?

Stay positive regardless of the circumstances. Never refer to a major problem with management and never speak ill of supervisors, co-workers or the organization. If you do, you will be the one looking 

Latest Answer: Because I want to expand my expertise and want to go to that field where I can get outcome in terms of both financially and non-financially in the same proportion of my inputs. ...

v     Are you applying for other jobs?

Be honest but do not spend a lot of time in this area. Keep the focus on this job and what you can do for this organization. Anything else is a distraction.  

Latest Answer: Of course. I am looking for the best place to apply my abilities, and so far this place looks excellent. Side note - if you sent the resume, rather than went on a recommendation from a friend, it would be obvious you sent it to other places as well.

v     How long would you expect to work for us if hired?

Specifics here are not good. Something like this should work: I'd like it to be a long time. Or

As long as we both feel I'm doing a good job.  

Latest Answer: I worked for my previous employer ... years. That demonstrates my loyalty. So, as long as the work is challenging, and I will have growth and training potential, I will be happy to work here. ...

v     What are the competitive challenges in Human Resource Management? Explain managing changes in HRM?

1. What are the competitive challenges in Human Resource Management? Explain managing changes in HRM? Explain developing human capital in HRM? 2. How does your organization can achieve sustained competitive advantage through people? a. What resources must be valuable? How can be difficult to imitate? 3. Describe your view of the importance in HRM? What is the best way to compromise with a critical customer? What does team work means in Human Resource Management?

Why is retirement easier to afford if you start early?

Young people have it made. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and ample time to plan for retirement. The trouble is that few actually plan. Even those that save a decent percentage of their take-home pay rarely plan for the future and fund tax advantaged accounts like they should. But the good news is that you can achieve your financial goals if you start early enough.

Debt

So many financial advisors recommend using a low-rate loan to consolidate debts and reduce annual interest expenses Home equity loans range anywhere from 8% and up, while credit card rates are around 20% per annum; running a monthly balance will run you big money

India's forex reserves rise by $1.68 bn

MUMBAI: India's foreign exchange (forex) reserves rose by $1.68 billion to $310.21 billion for the week ended May 27 on the back of a sharp increase inforeign currency assets.

This is the second consecutive weekly jump in the country's forex reserves kitty. The forex reserves had increased by $1.04 billion during the previous week.

The foreign currency assets, the biggest component of the forex reserves kitty, increased by $1.67 billion to $278.87 billion during the week under review, according to the weekly statistical supplement of theReserve Bank of India (RBI).

The foreign currency assets expressed in US dollar terms include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies such as British pound sterling, euro and Japanese yen held in reserves.

The value of special drawing rights (SDRs) increased by $6 million to $4.59 billion and reserves with the International Monetary Fund increased by $4 million to $2.96 billion.

The value of gold reserves remained unchanged at $23.79 billion.

‘RIL now among top 30 shale gas players’

Mukesh Ambani announced on Friday that Reliance Industries has become a significant player in the shale gas business within a year of its entry into the US shale gas sector. “Reliance now finds a place among the top 30 players in terms of shale gas acreage,” Ambani said, adding RIL has 15 drilling r igs in operation.

RIL entered US shale gas via partnerships with Atlas Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources and Carizzo Oil and Gas.

Ambani also said RIL will jointly work with Britain’s BP to address production issues at its key gas field, the KG-D6.

“After government approvals, KG-D6 reservoir will be jointly assessed to address technical issues in ramping up production,” he said.

Gas output in KG-D6 has been slipping in recent times, drawing government concern. 

...But lays down contours of company’s broadband plans...

Even after nearly a year of acquiring pan-India spectrum for broadband wireless acces (BWA) services, RIL is still in the “process of conceptualising” product and services. BWA is primarily used for high speed data access and offers speed up to 80 Mbps. RIL entered the broadband business when it ac quired a 95% stake in Infotel last June for R4,800 crore.

In Friday’s AGM, Mukesh Ambani said RIL plans to create end-to-end solutions that address the complete digital value chain.

“Such services would be in the domain of education, healthcare, entertainment, financial services and government-citizen interfaces,” said Ambani.

In India, telecom operators focus on plain vanilla voice service or broadband connectivity. RIL’s focus will be on selling content and applications with value-additions. With les than one per cent broadband penetration in India, this has potential to expand the market.

Sources said RIL would make some of the equipment, though this could not be confirmed.

‘No plans to enter banking’

Modelo, Molson mull Foster’s bid

Molson Coors Brewing Co and Mexico’s Grupo Modelo are exploring a joint bid for Australia’s Foster's Group Ltd , a source said, amid talks that further suitors may emerge for the maker of VB and Cascade beer. Speculation of a possible takeover pushed Foster’s shares up more than 7% early on Friday, lifting the value of Australia’s largest brewer to A$8.9 billion ($9.5 billion). The stock pulled back in afternoon trade to close 3.5% higher after Foster’s said it was not aware of any reason for the gains.

Foster’s has been the subject of takeover talk since it announced plans last year to spin-off its struggling wine operations, which was seen as a deterrent to potential suitors.

Since then, potential buyers such as world number two brewer SABMiller have been seen as the most likely to bid, according to banking sources.

A successful bid for the company would be the biggest deal in the beverage sector globally and the largest inbound Australian takeover this year.

“It is 100% likely that they (Molson and Modelo) have been contemplating that kind of thing, but only in the sense that any major global brewer is always looking at potential targets,” said Angus Gluskie, portfolio manager at White Funds Management, which holds Foster's shares.

Bank of America and Deutsche Bank are helping Molson, which makes Coors Light beer, and Modelo, the maker of Corona beer, come up with financing for a possible offer for Foster’s, sources said.

Lenovo acquires German computer seller for $666 mn

Chinese computer maker Lenovo Group has agreed to buy Germany’s Medion AG in a deal valuing the electronics retailer at up to $900 million, to boost its marketshare in Europe. Lenovo will pay up to $666 million for the deal. The acquisition, Lenovo’s biggest since its purchase of IBM's PC busines s six years ago, comes four months after Lenovo signed a joint venture deal with NEC Corp to sell laptops in Japan.

The deal will double market share to more than 14% of the PC market in Germany and give the combined company a share of about 7.5% in the western European PC market, Lenovo said on Wednesday.

At the same time, larger rival Acer, the world’s number two PC maker, said it will take a $150 million charge to write down excessive inventory and cover potential accounts receivable problems in Europe, and will also lay off 300 staff.

The two companies agreed that no jobs would be cut or sites shut down as a result of the takeover, and Medion's management will remain in place.

Lenovo will pay €231 million, or €13 per share, to Medion's biggest shareholder Brachmann for a 36.6% stake. Brachmann owns almost 55% and will keep about 20% of the shares. CFO Eigen, who holds 75,000 shares, has also agreed to divest his stake, and Lenovo will make a conditional offer to other shareholders.

Benchmarks nudge up, broader indices soar at markets

Benchmark indices for equities markets nudged up during the week but broader markets put on a spirited rally as foreign funds lent critical support. The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) nudged up on a weekly basis to 18,376.48 points, up 0.6% or 110.38 points, com pared to its previous weekly close of 18,266.1 points.

At the National Stock Exchange, the 50-scrip S&P CNX Nifty too closed in the green at 5,516.75 points, up 0.74% compared to the previous Friday close of 5,476.1 points.

Broader market indices did much better, with the BSE midcap index rising 2.46% higher and the BSE smallcap index gaining 1.59%.

According to data available with the Securities and Exchange Board of India, foreign institutional investors bought stocks worth $549.68 million during the week.

However, disappointing growth numbers and a decline in output of core industries weighed on market sentiments.

The Indian economy grew by 8.5% in 2010-11, around 10 basis points below earlier projections, due to lower expansions in factory output and financial services in the fourth quarter.

Six core industries grew at a slower 5.2% in April compared to the previous corresponding period.

On a weekly basis, among the top gainers on the 30-scrip Sensex were: Reliance Communciations, up 15.7% at Rs 93.40; DLF, up 7.2% at Rs 233.60; Jaiprakash Associates, up 6.1% at Rs 84.75; and SBI, up 5.1% at Rs 2,312.80.

Major Sensex losers included: Tata Motors, down 13.5% at Rs 1,025.10; M&M, down 3% at Rs 667.20; Bhel, down 1.2% at Rs 1,911.65; and Tata Steel, down 0.6% at Rs 573.50.

Asian stocks slipped during the week.

The Japanese Nikkei average ended the week 0.31% lower at 9,492.21 points, while the Hang Seng of the Hong Kong stock exchange closed 0.73% lower at 22,949.56 points.

The Shanghai composite index of the Chinese stock exchanges rose 0.67% at 2,728.02 points.

The European stock markets too ended the week in the wake of disappointing economic data coming from the US and another downgrade by a ratings agency for Greece.

The German DAX closed 0.76% lower at 7,109.03 points while the French CAC 40 ended 1.53% lower at 3,890.68 points. Britain's FTSE too moved down 1.41% at 5,855.01 points.

US markets too closed in the red.

Wall Street closed the week on a weak note with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending 2.33% lower at 12,151.26 points, while the S&P 500 moved down 2.32% at 1,300.16 points.

The technology-heavy Nasdaq too ended 2.29% down at 2,732.78 points.

WHY MBA ??

In the last few years of your academic career, you have been searching for a number of career options according to your interest and popularity. The underline question is what kind of work you want to do for the rest of your life? Now if you plan to take MBA as your career so let discuss about the MBA as a career option and why MBA Should be Choosen and its relevance in the market. Why to do MBA? A very general question asked during MBA interviews is WHY MBA is important, but one should also ask from himself why he choose MBA as his career. Doing an MBA course is not as same as doing other degree courses, it is a heavy investment both in terms of time and money, so one should be clear about Why MBA he is choosing as his career option.

Why people chose MBA degree --- 1) A person who wants to set up his own business and wants the basic knowledge and tools to run a business or a person have to take over the running of an existing business is choosing MBA . 2) The person who want to increase his income rapidly, want to increase his market value. 3) As MBA is considered as one of the lucrative career professional course so the person who is simply a graduate believes that non- professional graduate courses don’t have any marketable value these days , therefore he choose MBA as a career for make himself market worthy.

The MBA programme expose you to a wide networking area of subjects and people, giving much experience in the subject area of marketing, finance, operation research etc. some of the comer reasons why people choose MBA are the high pay packages, higher positions in the organisations and the well status life style.

While selecting for an MBA programme one should asses his goals and motivation behind pursuing MBA. while selecting an MBA college for admission the candidate should consider the factors like the location of the college, international opportunities, cost of living, culture, student life, curriculum, reputation, placements records and faculty. For doing pre MBA school research one can deeply visit the college website, college brochure, talk to admission representative, feedback from current and old student of the same college. Before opting to any MBA college or a programme one should be crystal clear about his goals, reasons for pursuing MBA. Self assessment of his strength and weaknesses and his career planning. After This Self Assessment you will definately Get the Answer WHY MBA ??

Manufacturing slows down in China.

BEIJING: China's manufacturing sector is showing signs of a slowdown in the face of anti-inflationary steps taken by government, which is worried about the political fallout of price rise.

The purchasing managers index, which is a reflection of the conditions in 50 important segments of the manufacturing industry, showed a decreasing rate of growth for the ninth straight month in May.

The last slippage was from 52.9 points in April to 52 in May, according to the government-backed China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing. The PMI is quickly reaching the level of 50 points, which indicates a contraction.

Observers said credit controls imposed by the government and power shortages are two most important reasons for the slower growth in manufacturing.

Sensex sheds 114 points on concerns over recovery of US economy....!!

MUMBAI: The BSE benchmark Sensex on Thursday fell 114 points to 18,494.18 as investors booked profits amid overseas concerns as the US market on Wednesday dived on release of a weak manufacturing and jobs data in the country.

However, a slight dip in food inflation here, which fell to 8.06 per cent during the week under review from 8.55 per cent in the previous week, capped the losses.

Bombay Stock Exchange 30-share index, Sensex, which had gained over 376 points in the last two trading sessions, fell by 114.63 points as investors preferred to book profits after the two-day rally.

Broad-based National Stock Exchange index Nifty, too, fell by 41.65 points to 5,550.35 level.

Brokers said trading sentiment turned bearish as Asian stocks dropped for the first time in three days, the regional indices fell to their biggest drop since May 23, spurred by the rout in the US market on Wednesday.

The banking stocks index suffered the most by 1.52 per cent to 12,378.69 as ICICI Bank fell by 3.10 per cent to Rs 1,051.40 and HDFC Bank by 1.27 per cent to Rs 2,358.95.

The metal sector index lost 1.32 per cent to 15,241.99 followed by realty sector index by 1.26 per cent to 2,144.42.

The auto sector index lost 1.16 per cent to 8,836.14 as Tata Motors declined by 2.81 per cent to Rs 1,049.10 and Mahindra and Mahindra by 2.19 per cent to Rs 660.85, Maruti Suzuki by 2.03 per cent to Rs 1,223.50.

US dollar eases against rupee.....

MUMBAI: The US dollar eased against the rupee at Rs 44.82/83 per dollar and the Pound sterling ended lower at Rs 73.40/42 per pound at the close of the Interbank Foreign Exchange Market (Forex) on Thursday.

The Following are the Interbank Forex and RBI rates: (In Rs Per Unit) Unit Interbank RBI Reference US Dollar 44.82/83 US Dollar Rs 44.94 Pound Sterling 73.40/42 Euro Rs 64.58 Euro 64.85/87 Japanese Yen (100) 55.49/51.

What are the highest paying MBA careers ?

Is an MBA your ticket to a higher salary? Earning the degree can expand your career opportunities and increase your future income. However, before you start dreaming about that annual seven-figure income, let's take closer look at the facts.

A Master's of Business Administration (MBA) program usually requires two years of study beyond an undergraduate degree; the curriculum includes courses in finance, marketing, accounting and management, as well as coursework in computer science, database administration and related technologies. The number of MBA degrees awarded annually has grown from around 5,000 in the 1960s to more than 150,000 currently. Costs can range from $30,000 at a regional school to more than $100,000 at a more prestigious school.

Yet, even in an economic downtown, companies value the skills that an MBA degree brings to the table. Some employers say they plan to pay those they hire with an MBA degree nearly twice as much as those with only an undergraduate education. If that wasn't enough, more manufacturing and health care companies are now seeking out MBAs -- although industries like banking and consulting have typically recruited the most MBA students.

According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), salaries for MBAs vary according to the industry where they're employed. The median salaries of MBA graduates are as follows:

• Consulting -- $105,000
• Energy/utilities -- $97,770
• Finance/accounting -- $95,000
• Health care -- $95,973
• Technology -- $95,000
• Manufacturing -- $91,560
• Products/services -- $88,518
• Nonprofit/government -- $70,000
  
  
  The potential for growth varies within industries, as well: Positions in consulting, finance, accounting and health care offer the greatest potential upside. Median salaries increase as careers move from entry level to the executive suite. Total compensation may climb even higher, especially when bonuses and stock options come into play [source: GMAC].
  Before you start filling out applications, keep in mind that these starting salaries are only guidelines. Individual salaries vary depending on a number of different factors, including your school's reputation, geographic location, regional cost of living, prior work experience and undergraduate degree . The potential for growth varies within industries as well: Positions in finance and consulting may have more upside in the long run than positions in health care or manufacturing, especially when you factor in perks like bonuses and stock options.
  An MBA degree is an impressive credential to put on a resume, but even in this rarefied world, some MBAs are better than others. Who are the crème de la crème? Find out on the next page.

How an MBA Work for firm ?

The MBA degree, or Master of Business Administration, is highly coveted among business professionals and corporate recruiters. Determining whether, when, and where to get your MBA degree is important to your success. MBA candidates typically have significant business experience in addition to a four-year undergraduate degree. Here are some tips to help you decide if an MBA is right for you, and how to match your experience and career goals to an MBA program.

The ABC’s of Graduate School: Finding an MBA Program That Works for You Admissions to top MBA programs can be highly competitive, and you’ll want to do your research before applying. The Graduate Admissions Council suggests the following tips for selecting an MBA program that will best assist you in advancing your business career.

• Accurately assess your skills and experience. Avoid embellishing your credentials, or writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Your knowledge of your abilities and goals will help you (and MBA admissions committees) determine if a particular program suits you.
• Is Your Timing Right? Many MBA programs require significant business career experience. If you want to advance your career with your current employer, are there opportunities for MBA graduates? Are you financially and personally prepared for the commitment required of graduate study?
• Know the Culture of Your Prospective Schools. Academic institutions, like corporations, have specific cultures. If possible, arrange to visit the campus or contact current students and faculty to learn about the culture of MBA programs you’re considering.
• Consider What You Can Contribute. A major aspect of success in your business career and successful MBA study is teamwork. What will you contribute to your MBA program? Students consistently rate the contributions of their colleagues as significant to the quality of their MBA programs.