Travel to Singapore

Recently took a guided tour to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand during the last two weeks of September.  Part of the tour was spending time on a cruise and travelling to some of the port cities of the above-mentioned countries.

Herein the blog, I am recording the travel as to what we did and when.  But more importantly, I am recording my thoughts and feelings about the trip and its various highlights.

Departure from Mumbai

There is always a pleasant excitement when going on an international tour.  This is the feeling one gets at the airport right from the time you arrive at the check-in gate at the terminal, put your baggage on the trolley and wheel it to the check-in counter.  Once the proceedings are done and you get the seat of your choice (perhaps), the time is to clear the security and go to the waiting area at the boarding gate.  But smart airport design means you go through the duty-free shops on your way to the gate.  Also, there is a food court next to the shops. Given that my flight is around mid-night, I have a personal pan pizza at Pizza Hut.  I like it that there are good bookstores at the airports.  I manage to find a couple of bookstores and spend some time leafing through some books and Fortune magazines.

Finally, I take a seat at the waiting area at the boarding gate.  People slowly start filling in at the waiting area.  This is the time I look around and check out the waiting public.  Most of them are on their mobile phones, some are conversing with others, a few are reading.  Me – I am people watching.

One of the best part of the travel was we were flying Singapore Airlines – one of the best airlines in the world.

Soon, the boarding call was announced and we got in a queue to board the airplane.  We were greeted warmly at the airplane door and then walked the narrow aisle to my seat.  I was traveling with my parents so all three of us got in a single row.  They had arrived to the seat before me being given first preference because of being elderly.  Soon everyone was settled in and the plane departed about 50 minutes late than the original time which was past midnight.

Later beverages were served and then the supper.  I put my glasses in the case and put it in the front pocket, put on the eye mask and went to snooze.

Arriving in Singapore

The flight was about 5 hours flying time.  Singapore being 2.5 hours ahead of India time, we arrived in Singapore early morning local time about 8 am.  We finished the immigration and customs and were soon breathing the early morning Singapore air outside the airport.  I was in a group tour of 11 people, me including.  All of us were soon seated in a 12 seater minivan.  The group was split in 2 minivans with the luggage distributed accordingly.

Driving through the beautiful city state of Singapore was truly pleasing.  The sun shone brightly with the temperature in the upper 20s.  On the expressway the traffic wasn’t much.  In the city, the traffic was alright and the road connections were good with not much of waiting at the traffic lights.  The lanes are wide with superb landscaping with trees planted on both sides of the roads.

Our hotel was in Little India.  Once we arrive at the hotel, our luggage is sorted out and we sit in the waiting area awaiting our turn for checking in which was mid-afternoon.  In the meanwhile, Mukeshbhai, our tour leader took us to a tea shop close-by to experience a novel masala tea.  This tea is served in a tall beer like glass and along with the quantity, the quality is amazing.  From there we go to a nearby Indian restaurant for lunch.  We return back from lunch to the hotel and are allotted our rooms.  The room is on the eighteenth floor and is pleasantly furnished with AC cooling.

Sightseeing Begins – Night Safari

After a brief period of rest, we head out to world’s only night safari.  At the safari we see an animal show first.  Then we take a tram ride through the park.  The tram proceeds very slowly as we see the habitats of the various animals.  There is no barricade between the road on which the tram travels and the place where the animals live.  Yet, the tram ride proceeds everyday without any incident.  We see lions, hyenas, foxes, rhinos, hippopotamus, elephants and many other species on the ride.  All animals were awake and lazing around. 

Later, we went to a riverfront restaurant for dinner.

The Cruise

Next day, by noon we check out of our hotel and head to the cruise terminal to board the Genting Dream cruise.  As expected, the queue was very big and we wait for our turn at the counter.  Standing in line there gave us a feeling of the enormity of the cruise liner.  Except for the rooms, everything about the cruise liner is huge.  We clear the check-in proceedings and head to our room.  From here on, our cruise travel begins.

To describe our room, it is narrow and tight.  There is a balcony which overlooks the sea with two chairs facing each other and a small coffee table in between.

The way hotels handle luggage is amazing.  Of so many bags for different decks, your bags arrive at the door intact without any incident.

Once settled in, it is about evening and we head out to one of the lower decks to see a live dancing show.  Walking around in the cruise doesn’t feel like you are on water.  There are six elevators in front of the boat and six in the rear, each elevator big enough to carry 10 people.  As we walk around, we pass through an arcade where there are several different types of casino machines and cards tables.

The show was ongoing when it was past 8 PM and it was dinner time.  We head over to one of the upper decks for dinner at The Lido restaurant.  Meals in cruises means crowd.  The people are more, the lines longer and the meal stations less than what is needed.  One major issue was not sufficient chairs and tables to handle the crowd at meal times.  A whole group may not get an entire table.  But we managed, throughout the cruise time.  The food is a different story.  Surprisingly, the food is mainly Indian fare even though the crowd is mixed.  However, the taste is not what we would find in a restaurant in our city.  The taste of a normal Punjabi subzi is different from the regular taste of that subzi outside.   One thing about the food though, is the variety.  Apart from the vegetables, there is fruits, pastry, ice cream, juices, pizza and many other varieties.  The crowd means noise, not deafening but still more of chattering than what we would expect at mealtime.

For things to do on the cruise at night, there is Zouk Beach Club which is outdoors and Zouk Night Club which is indoors.  Both the clubs are with music and dancing floor.  They open at 10 PM.  From 10 to 11 PM, there is one hour of dancing lesson where a dance teacher teaches the various steps.  Post 11 PM, it is dancing to the music.  The club stays open till early morning, but I stay till a little after 12 and head back to my cabin.

Shore Excursions

Next morning we get up, refresh and head over for breakfast.  The same meal crowd but the breakfast with eggs and a few other varieties makes it okay.  Today, we are arriving in the port city of Penang, Malaysia.  We have our lunch and proceed for the shore excursion.  We have a 12-seater minivan with a tour guide.  We visit a few Buddhist temples.  The temples have a quiet atmosphere with pleasant incense sticks burning.  In one of the temples, there are different poses of Buddha statues.  Post that in the evening, we head back to the cruise.

There are several activities in the evening to choose from.  I go to the pool deck for swimming and jacuzzi.  Post that, it is dinner.  After dinner, I head over to the Zouk night club.  Zouk every evening has a different dance trainer and different music themes.  I stay till a little past midnight and then head back to my cabin.

Next day, we visit the port city of Phuket, Thailand.  We visit a Gems International shopping mall where there is a varied collection of pearls and precious stones.  The prices are extremely high but overall the place is worth seeing to see the fancy craftmanship on the gems.  From there we go to a sightseeing point, something similar to what one finds in a hill station.  From there, we go to a beach which is clean with white sand.

One thing about the port cities is that there is very less population so the roads and shops seem empty.  People in the various attractions in the port city are mainly from the cruise as the cruise rents several buses for the travellers for shore excursions.

The next day we dock at Langkawi – which means eagle on a stone in Malaysia.  We go to Langkawi park to see a huge eagle statue on stone.  Post visit to Langkawi we are back in the cruise.  This evening, Mukeshbhai has booked tickets for all for a show in the cruise.  This was a live song and dance show some of which we had seen on the evening of the first day.  Post that dinner and Zouk night club where the music theme was the 70s and 80s.

The next day, we go to Port Klan – Kuala Lampur in Malaysia.  We visit the King’s Palace which wasn’t much as the main gate was closed and we could see the palace only from a distance.  We go to Kuala Lampur City Center – the Petronas Towers but could not get the tickets as the show was full.  We head back to the cruise.  Post dinner, it is Zouk night club where tonight, there was a special called Bollywood Funk.  Post-midnight, head back to the cabin.  Tonight, we pack our bags, attach luggage tags and put them outside our door before 1 AM for pickup.

Back in Singapore

Next day, it was check out time from the cruise.  We have brunch today and then carry our hand baggage for checkout.  Every thing on the cruise works on cabin key including any extra charges and giving and picking our passport and during visiting port cities.  We steadily exit the cruise terminal, pick up our baggage which is neatly arranged by the deck floors and wait outside for our pickup – similar to when we landed in Singapore – Changi Airport.  Our pickup arrives and we are transferred to the same hotel we were in before the cruise.

That afternoon, we go to Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.  Marina Bay Sands has an observation deck on one of the top floors that overlooks the city.  Post that, Gardens by the Bay has The Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest.  The flower dome is simply superb with an airconditioned dome with glass panels to let the outside light in.  The flowers are of many varieties but the atmosphere inside is simply irresistibly pleasing.  The Cloud Forest is similar with a waterfall and greenery inside.  Later, we have our dinner in one of Little India’s restaurant and then folks in our group go to Mustafa for shopping.

The next day we visit the Jurong Bird Park in the morning.  First, we see a bird show and then take a tram ride throughout the bird park to see birds of many different varieties.  It was interesting to see birds how they are trained for the show.  They would fly from the main floor to the end of the stadium and perch themselves there and fly back once they are called back in. 

Later in the day, we visit Sentosa island.  We take the cable car and then see the aquarium and then the maritime museum.  The Typhoon Theatre was a simulated boat ride in a storm with water being sprinkled to simulate the storm.  Later in the evening, we see a show “Wings of Time”.  This is a light and sound show and is about time travel where we are transported to different centuries in the past.  Post the show, we head back to the Hotel and have dinner on the way.

Next day, 29^th September was the last day of the tour.  We check out in the morning and leave our bags at the concierge to be picked up later and dropped at the airport.  Amazing again, how luggage is handled by the hotel and tour guide without any incident.  We then head out for city tour.  First stop is the Singapore Flyer which is a slow moving giant wheel with view of the city.  I had a chat with Mukeshbhai where he advised me regarding my meals and what to take.  Yogurt, he said should be taken at lunch daily which helps build the stamina.  Then, we head out to Merlion park for photo session with the Merlion.  Then, we go to Chinatown for shopping.  The prices in Chinatown were at an amazing discount compared to other branded stores and there are plenty of shops with different items to sell. After that we go to precious moment shop for some souvenirs and memorabilia.  It’s time now to head out to the airport.

We are dropped at the airport with our baggage to arrive later to the airport.  We put our hand baggage in a trolley and rest on a few benches inside the check-in gate.  The tour is coming to an end.  If we think of home and that in a day’s time we will be back to the old routine, then there is a feeling of melancholy.  So we don’t.  Instead we talk about the highlights of the tour and how we felt at various stages of the tour.  Mukeshbhai, our group leader even found something at the airport to see – two attractions – one a waterfall in Terminal 1 and a butterfly garden in Terminal 3.  We were in Terminal 3.  We take the train to Terminal 1 for the waterfall, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall which is surrounded by terraced forest settings.  The waterfall is an attraction at the Changi airport.  From there we come back to Terminal 3.  The Butterfly garden is shut down as the Butterflies are sleeping by the time we reach there.  We head on to our boarding gate.

Our flight is at 8:40 PM.  We arrive in Mumbai at 11:45 PM.  Our group is dispersed upon arrival and by the time we arrive at the baggage collection counter, all of them have left or are leaving.

All in all, it was a memorable experience.  The three countries we visited were south east Asian nations and part of the ASEAN countries organization.  Experiencing their rich heritage and culture was an enjoyable experience.

Travel to Lonavala

Took a one week trip to Lonavala with my father and mother, in the first week of September.  People go to Lonavala to experience the climate of hill station.  But the rainy season is a different story.  The rainy season in Lonavala is beset with thunder, gusty winds and heavy rains and so it was when we went there.

We stayed in Kapol sanitorium where mainly elderly couples come for a week-long vacation.  Their package is such that rooms are booked for a week, from Thursday to Thursday.  They have a mess which serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.  So pretty much, it is a resort like atmosphere at low cost.

The place is well staffed with helpers to help with luggage and other housekeeping chores including washing our daily clothes and keeping the room clean.

Initially, the room we were allotted had a major issue.  It was on the ground floor and the ceiling in the room was leaking water from the room upstairs.  They had no choice but to shift us to another room which was an AC room in another building.  AC was of no use this season.

Now, a little bit about the place.  There is a semi open main hall in another building with a big seating area, which also houses the office and the keyboard to leave our keys.  All activities, games and bhajans are held here in the hall.  This hall also has a TV set so people can come and watch TV here as the rooms in the non-AC buildings do not have TV in the rooms.

There is a open square walk area next to the hall outside, where 1 round = 75 metres with 14 rounds = 1 Kilometre and people take walks here to fulfil their daily quota of walking.  In the rainy season, this is possible when there are no rains.  I took walks here during the brief periods when rains would stop.  But such periods of no rain weren’t many.

The daily routine in this place is pretty set.

Morning activities begin post breakfast at 10:30 AM.  There are different activities like games, sketching, mind games, spinner etc.  Prizes are given out to winners and some prizes are also given to participants thus to encourage people to participate in the activities.  Every day for the seven days, there are different activities.  The activities last from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM.  Since the hall was partly open and the rains were in full force, it was cold in the hall and sweaters / scarfs / shawls were needed when sitting in the hall.  Across from the hall, there is an open-air library, for reading daily newspapers and Gujarati books kept in the cupboards there.  It’s cold in this library as well so cold weather clothing is a must.

12 to 1 is lunch time.  Post lunch, 1 PM to 4 PM is rest period.  At 4 PM other activities mainly bhajans and garba take place.  All religious activities here are based on Shrinathji.  One day, the entire afternoon was dedicated to Mansi Seva.

5 PM is tea time and only tea, no snacks.  So, snacks that we have packed from home help at this time.  Post tea, some people watch TV, others retire to their rooms, if there are no activities.

At 7 PM sharp, every evening there is Aarti.  There is a mandir with open seating area next to the main hall where the Aarti is held.  The mandir has God LaxmiNarayan and other deities.  Every evening there are chairs kept here for people to sit through the Aarti.  There are handouts given to people so they can recite the Aarti with others.  Some have memorized all the different Aartis.  Others, like me need a handout.  The Aarti lasts for about 45 minutes.  The prasad in the Aarti is sponsored daily by different people.  Post the Aarti, we all move to the main hall for bhajans.  Some people from the audience come over to the front to sing the bhajans.  The inn-keepers for the sanitorium are Mr. Antubhai and his wife, the lady of the house, both senior citizens.  Some of the last bhajans before dinner are always sung by Mr. Antubhai’s wife. 

One evening during the bhajan time, they had invited blind people from a nearby academy to sing songs and play musical instruments.  It was a humbling experience to see them perform.  One evening, they had invited writers and poets from the Kapol gnati who gave expression to their literary skills which was well received by the audience.

Post Aarti and Bhajans, it is dinner time and then we retire to our rooms.  Our room now has a TV, so we watch news in the room, post dinner.  For those persons who do not have TV, they go to the hall to watch some popular programs like KBC.  With the heavy rains, I look forward to snuggle in a warm blanket, sometimes to watch TV, sometimes to read and other times to just get a restful sleep,

Technical Blog – MMB and FMB

MMB and FMB – Who they are

Mobile hawkers and street vendors with no shop have access to mobile technologies – Tablet and Mobile.  Fixed stall vendors with shop have access to mobile plus stationary computing.  We shall refer to such businesses in this article as minibusiness. 

F-minibusiness or FMB will refer to the fixed format shops and M-minibusiness or MMB will refer to the mobile shops.

General and Provision stores, Chemist and Druggist, Medium Kiranawalas, Dudhwalas (milk vendors), Hardware shops, Electrical shops, Paint shops, Kitchenware, Houseware and other such are all examples of FMB

MMB are also those businesses who may not appear mobile as they have a stationary location but they do not operate from a fixed shop.  They occupy space on the street.  Vegetable and Fruit vendors fall in this category.  Street sellers, feriwallas, tea-stall owners and many such mobile businesses are typical examples of MMB.

In a country like India, offline big box retails chains, and online ecommerce portals will not replace the MMB and FMB.  There is scope for all to co-exist as we have seen in the last five plus years.  However, a digital economy requires all businesses including minibusinesses to adopt technology for business.

What is cashless and why go cashless

Cashless transactions are those where physical forms of currency does not change hands.  The transaction is handled cash free as making and receiving payments goes digital.  Naturally, then technology plays a part in this.  Both ends of the transaction are technology enabled.  A protocol exists for secure electronic transaction to happen. 

Cashless offers many benefits as well.  The risk of handling cash is lowered.  Regular deposit and withdrawing of cash goes away lowering thus the risk and effort involved in what we call the subsidiary transactions.  The businesses have a digital identification which helps in the authentication during the transaction.

Through government policies, necessary IT infrastructure has been in place for the mobile application companies to develop the user applications for facilitating electronic transactions and access bank accounts electronically.

Moreover, if any FMB or MMB do not have a bank account then storing cash becomes risky.  Cashless transactions not only obviates this risk but then also requires the minibusiness to open bank accounts so that electronic transactions to and from the bank account can happen seamlessly.

The near future is not a question of offline versus online, but how online can complement offline; as both will continue to thrive in different ways.  Over time, cashless will supersede cash and have a higher adoption margin than cash.

By modernising the FMBs and ensuring that business becomes better for them on the supply side and the consumer side, we will be ensuring that both customers and business owners benefit.

It is the era of digitalization and one has to be technology-updated to compete in the market.  Digitalization eases effort and management in the long run as can be seen from the proliferation of various software applications in the PC market.

Many developed countries in the world are gradually going towards cashless society at an increasing rate over the last 10 years.

Helpful to the minibusinesses is also inventory management software for FMB and MMB – scope for such software exists.  Mobile wallets are transaction management software.

-- V20 begins --

FMB and MMB and the drive to go cashless

Mobile Wallets or e-Wallets are one mechanism for FMB and MMB to go cashless and thus play a transformational role for the business.  They not only allow cashless transactions but also help to transfer money to other accounts.  One important criterion of mobile wallets is that they are secured.

From a customer’s viewpoint FMB and MMB are convenient, reduces time and saves money when buying goods.

Going cashless has additional benefits of little management of cash resulting in less transaction errors and proper maintenance of records.

After demonetisation in India, mobile wallets or e-wallets have proved to be very helpful for several vendors and shopkeepers.  In some cases, tea vendors and other street vendors are also making use of mobile wallets.

It is interesting to note that something as simple as a smartphone can be so transformational for business for MMBs and FMBs.

Some FMBs for example Chemist and Druggist have a customized inventory management software with bar code facility to track their inventories.  There is scope for other types of   FMB to adopt inventory software.  Many FMBs just like organized retail have credit and debit card facilities to facilitate payments which are classified as electronic payment systems.

Even with the proliferation of big format retail chains and ecommerce portals, FMBs like Kiranas still own 96% of the grocery market.  Kirana will adopt more digitisation and hyper localisation.  Some solutions like POS billing, payment app and back-end integration of the kirana with the wholesale suppliers ensures the customer’s needs are met at the right time. Mobile and PC applications which have the ability to scan and issue bills from a printer thus facilitating inventory management which is the next stage of evolution for the kirana and other similar FMB.

Mobile wallets on the other hand transact payments through mobile phones or tablets.  This caters to those buyers who may or may not have credit or debit card on them and also to those sellers who do not have credit / debit card facilities.

Mobile wallets allows users to pay bills without using cash.  Top off of mobile wallets can be done by connecting electronically with the user’s bank account.

Going digital has also resulted in development of apps that handle order and delivery.  When a MMB or FMB commits to going digital, they are in turn enabling the order placement and delivery handling to also go digital.  Customers can call them on their mobile to place orders, inquire about an order and complete the order at delivery and payment.  For FMBs like restaurants, going digital has given rise to certain apps that act as intermediaries between the customer and the business.  These apps are Zomato and Swiggy amongst others.  Through these apps, customers have the choice to select items from multiple vendors and have multiple orders be delivered as a single order by these intermediaries.  Wireless card swipe machine can be carried by the delivery person and on delivery payment can be made cashless, if so required.

This article mainly caters to FMB and MMB and their push towards digitization.  It does not delve into the details of developing the various mobile applications except where such details are required when describing a particular point.

Digital Economy is a key element in any country’s transformation into a smart nation and is impossible without the development of a first-class payment ecosystem that is efficient, secure and allows people to make seamless mobile transactions.  India has shown remarkable progress in this direction over the last few years.

While mostly, this article caters to the Indian minibusinesses, its applicability could be global with many developing countries push for cashless society leading to a smart nation.  Digitization aids in improving the economy of a nation.

The various mobile wallet applications discussed here are only India-based.  The choices for mobile wallet applications are - PayTM, Phone Pe, Mobikwik, Airtel Money, Oxigen, Chillr, Razorpay and others.

Mobile Wallet Applications

PayTM: Paytm is the most commonly used mobile wallet as it helps people to shop, travel, pay bills etc. It lets you send money to anyone with a mobile phone number or transfer money into any bank account. The wallet can easily be topped up using networking, credit card, debit cards and IMPS merchant payments. Its wallet partner includes BookMyshow, Uber, Makemytrip, etc.  Bank to Bank transactions are possible using PayTM.  PayTM wallet and Pay with PayTM are the services it offers.

Phone Pe: BHIM UPI based App to provide a cashless and a seamless payment experience.  From utility bills, mobile & DTH recharge, sending & requesting money, to paying credit card bill and insurance premium.  All this and more is possible on the PhonePe app.  Choose from options like BHIM UPI enabled bank account, PhonePe wallet, Debit and Credit Cards to make seamless payments daily.

Mobikwik: Mobikwik is a mobile wallet with a strong offline presence. It helps to recharge mobile phones and pay bills. It also offers to transfer money to friends and family. It’s recent “nearby feature” has helped users in identifying shopping and food outlets. Since demonetisation, many people have downloaded this app as it also shows the cash deposit locations around them with this feature. This app also offers doorstep cash collection service making it easy for users who do not have access to bank account.

Airtel Money: Airtel Money is another kind of a mobile wallet which has become popular in recent times. One can send money, pay bills or recharge and pay for the shopping. It is convenient and easy to use. Payment transactions are secured as each transaction is confirmed with your PIN code. This app gives exclusive offers and discounts. Any Indian citizen can have one account in his name. The app lets you split the expenses with your friends while shopping, eating etc by entering their phone numbers.

Oxigen Wallet: Oxigen Wallet also let users recharge mobile phone bills, pay electricity bills, shopping online etc.  Users can receive and send money with another Oxigen wallet or directly to a bank account. It can transfer money instantly and with ease. The Oxigen wallet can have a maximum of INR 10,000 per month.

Chillr: This mobile app is available exclusively for HDFC customers. This app lets you send money to anyone 24*7 without any hassle of adding beneficiaries. One can easily split money with friends, recharge mobile, buy data cards and DTH. Though other bank customers can receive money using the app. The user first has to enable the account via net banking or mobile banking. Soon the app will allow people to pay at online and offline stores.

Razorpay: Razorpay allows online businesses to accept, process and disburse digital payments through several payment modes like debit cards, credit cards, net banking, UPI and prepaid digital wallets.  Razorpay payment solutions can be integrated by both web applications and mobile applications.  Razorpay provides developer friendly API and integration process.  In September 2017, Razorpay launched four products - Route, Smart Collect, Subscriptions and Invoices, which allow businesses to manage multiple aspects of money movement including collection, reconciliation, and disbursal.

Thus, businesses can download anyone of the above applications and go cashless in few simple steps. These applications can help them ease their business.

As we have seen, some mobile applications like Razorpay provide the ability to add extensions to the application thus catering to third party developers who can further customize the app using their extension-based APIs.

The Hows of going digital for FMB and MMB

After demonetization in India, there has been traction for minibusinesses to go digital.  Basically, we are looking at three types of hardware – One is PC, second is Tablet and third is Mobile Phone.  PC software will be somewhat different than the Tablet or Mobile Phone as the PC operating system is Windows whereas Tablet and Mobile Phones have largely Android or iOS operating system.

A payment gateway processes payment in mobile applications and on websites. Mobile applications and web applications implement a payment gateway allowing payments to the merchant by securely authenticating with the customer’s bank.  It’s the best and the only way to handle online payments.

Mobile applications will need to cover the supply chain as well since if a MMB is being paid in cashless, the MMB will also need to pay its suppliers in cashless mode and this backward integration should go all the way through the MMB, the middle man and finally the producer.

If this is not handled then the MMB cannot go cashless until the supply chain also goes cashless.  Though users and businesses see the end transaction, the parts (and the payments) that are not visible are important as well.

Luckily, all infrastructure needed for mobile applications is in place.  Companies like the ones mentioned above can develop applications using this infrastructure and protocol and then these applications are available for free download to the users – both buyers and sellers.

Cashless – Adoption and Policies

Mumbai has over 250000 hawkers or MMBs.  All across India, the number could be in few crores.  In Mumbai, the annual turnover of all hawkers is approximately Rs. 1500 crore as given by the National Association of Street Vendors in India.  FMBs also could be in few crores all across India.  Their annual turnover in Mumbai is approximately Rs. 2000 crore.

There is scope for mobile applications developed by municipalities and local and state governments.  Hawker registration, domicile certificates, licence agreements, and any other such documents can be uploaded electronically by MMB.  These types of applications can be developed by the above-mentioned government branches.  MMBs can use these applications to keep themselves up-to-date with government compliance.

Government can also help by providing free WiFi access to those pockets where MMB and FMB operate.

In India, there is a third-party application called - Hawker Inspection Application - available for city government’s use.  This application which comes with RFID chip based Smartcard to differentiate between authorized and unauthorized hawkers.  With ready to use Hawker Inspection application, government officers can manage all the reports digitally that will eliminate the hassle of making paper-based reports.

Smartcard comes with RFID chip and barcode that gives accurate information about the hawker.  Inspector just has to ask for the card to hawker and scan its barcode through the app or he can also scan the card through Radio-frequency identification device. By scanning barcode and RFID chip, the inspector can verify the hawker and his complete details.  The Smartcard will help to verify the location of hawkers and check their violation reports if any.

Studies done in Thailand regarding Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) have revealed a connection between a business’s entrepreneurial orientation and technology adoption.  Thus, technology acceptance model holds true and viable for MMBs given their entrepreneurial orientation.  The more a user perceives usefulness, the more likely they are to adopt new technologies.

FMBs have higher rate of cashless transactions than cash transaction, specially after the adoption of credit card and debit card payments.  MMBs and FMBs as things stand, view cashless payments as complementary to cash payment but not a substitute for it.

The QR (Quick Response) code mobile payment method adopted by various businesses has benefitted from cost savings and efficiency.  As QR payments could be an e-wallet or funded by a credit or debit cards, consumers retain the flexibility in choosing how to fund their QR payments.

Multiple mobile applications means many different QR codes for the business as well as for the consumers.  A centralized collector will ease this pain by creating a commercially viable, interoperable and open access e-payment solution.  

Singapore has implemented a single QR code (SGQR) that is compatible with as many as 27 e-payment solutions.  Multiple payment schemes, which require merchants to accept multiple QRs, are consolidated in the SGQR.  Thus, a consumer keeps his mobile app and not have to worry about whether the vendor supports his app.  The vendor too does not have to worry if he is supporting the mobile app that the consumer is using as SGQR supports that app.

Barriers to cashless payments are mainly traditional where businesses want to stay with the familiar mode of cash payment – but proper education can easily remove this barrier.  At times there is usage barrier because of the new medium of payment but with us continuous  usage this barrier goes away as well.

Trust is an integral part in electronic payments.  Trust is when one party is confident in an exchange because of his partner’s reliability and integrity.  Trust helps extend business relationships through m-commerce and foster the growth and success of using m-commerce in business.

Into that heaven of Freedom

Where the mind is without fear

and the head is held high;

Where knowledge is free
(and wisdom abounds);
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
by narrow domestic (communal and caste) walls;

Where words come out from the depths of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

(not perfect but towards perfection);

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by thee

into ever widening thought and action;

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

- Rabindranath Tagore

(with reverence and due respect to the Master Poet, a few minor additions by me)

What does it matter, if you are an Apple!!

With Apple now valued more than Microsoft, that is, with it's market capitalization having crossed that of Microsoft - does it really matter for Apple that the US economy is slow or recovering???

Thus, if you are a good business, does it really matter that the economy of the country is not that great.  I don't think it does!!!

Apple started its turnaround in 1997, when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. That was the time when Steve Jobs was brought in to steer the company. The dot com bust happened three years later and the US economy went into a tailspin ever since and worsened during the financial crisis of 2008. Yet, through all that time, Apple continued to innovate and churn out great products and considerably increased its profits and shareholder value.

With $40 billion in revenues and climbing and a product set that could fit on a student's desk and all of it mostly organic growth, Apple is a marvel in business turnarounds.

A toast to the i-Age!!

Agar Firdaus Baroohe Zaminast, Hameenasto Hameenasto Hameenast

Yes, if there is a heaven on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here - in Kashmir, India.

Heaven otherwise, is a state of mind which can be found in your own home, car, workplace and elsewhere if you so desire and develop it.  Ask an enlightened Tibetan or a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who carry heaven with them in every breath and every step they take - anywhere on the planet.

Just visited Kashmir.  Kashmir is very much under-developed compared to other tourist spots which has helped in retaining its rustic charm.  The natural beauty of Kashmir has to be seen and experienced to be believed and felt.  Experience Kashmir with your *being* not with your mind. 

There is something about the mountains that is magnificent, thrilling, awe-inspiring and peaceful - all at the same time.  One experiences a sense of calm amidst the mountains. 

Some of my memorable moments of the Kashmir trip are -

Shikara ride on Dal lake

The Shikara ride on Dal lake in Srinagar takes you back to different time.  One of the best times of the day to take a Shikara ride is late evening just after it gets dark.  The lake is quiet and peaceful at this time, with the houseboat lights flickering in the distance.  All you hear is the sound of the oar slicing the waters.  If you are lucky enough, be with someone you love while enjoying the cool evening breeze and the quietude of the lake.

Sonmarg

Even before arriving at Sonmarg, the car ride to Sonmarg on the Srinagar-Leh road is so beautiful, alongside snow-capped mountains and the Indus river flowing by.  The flowing river all along the drive is gorgeous with crystal clear ice water.  Take a stopover and experience the beautiful flowing river.

Sonmarg is a "golden meadow" at a height of 2700 meters surrounded by snow capped mountains all around.  It's an incredible feeling to stand in the Sonmarg valley surrounded by magnificent snow covered mountains all around, the sun shining through them and the gigantic shadows that the mountains beget. 

Reminded me of the Sundance Resort in Utah in the US which I visited once.  And I realized why in the world is it called "Sundance".  When you are sitting in the valley surrounded by the mountains, you can see the sun play hide and seek amidst the mountain peaks and hence once gets a feeling of sun "dancing" amidst the mountains.  Utah is another beautiful place to experience the calm and serenity of the mountains.  One stands in awe at such wondrous creation of nature.  I was humbled and grateful at the same time - humbled at the magnificence of nature, grateful that I was experiencing it.

At Sonmarg, for a while, I just sat cross legged on the lawns with my eyes closed and my face towards the heavens above, soaking in the sun.  A pure meditative experience.

Gulmarg

In Gulmarg, took the Gandola cable car ride to Khilanmarg which is at the height of 13,200 feet.  The snow here is over four feet deep.  The whole area is a deep blanket of snow to walk and explore.  But the worst thing is people have littered the place with plastic and glass bottles and snacks wrappers and such.  So one has to be careful walking around in the snow.  It's a pity we never learn to respect and maintain our own environment even when it is a part of our paradise.  At this height and with the limited accessibility, cleaning this place is not going to be easy.

Pahalgam

Pahalgam is peaceful, wonderfully peaceful.  

So, what say you??  Want to pay a visit to the heavens...

Khuda Hafiz!!

A day in Chandigarh!!

Recently went on an overnight office trip to Chandigarh on February 26, 2010. The purpose of the trip was to conduct interviews at the Punjab Engineering College in Chandigarh and recruit fresh graduate students for our company.

I take an early morning flight from Mumbai and land at the Chandigarh airport at about 12:20 pm on that Friday afternoon and as I step out of the plane, down the steps and on to the tarmac (Chandigarh has a small airport and they don't have airport gates) - was the weather something?!! It was crisp, sunny 22 degrees and it felt just so very wonderful!!

We get into an Innova and head out to The Taj, Chandigarh. As we are driving to the hotel, I notice the beautiful city - the wide roads, the trees lining and arching the roads, the lean traffic. Yogesh from my team who is a native of Chandigarh, is explaining about the sectors and the general layout of the city. We were passing through one of the sectors and I notice some of the most beautiful, sprawling bungalows I have ever seen.

We reach The Taj, dump the luggage in the room and head down to the restaurant for the lunch buffet. Hmm... indulge in some delicious, sinful pastries ("What the heck", I somehow convince myself , "I am not going to be eating at Taj everyday"). Done with the lunch, hop into an Innova and head to the Punjab Engineering College (PEC).

We reach the college around 2:30 PM. We are greeted by the student representatives and settle in a cosy air-conditioned room with sofas and wide arm-chairs, that is allocated to us. From there, it's a short company presentation and then the interviews begin.

It felt good to be meeting students who are on the verge of finishing their college life and are on the brink of starting their professional life - the work jungle. One could sense in them that respite of having finished the four gruelling years, and at the same time, the excitement of getting into the "real world".

The students we met were understandably nervous, but still handled the interview with a dose of confidence and composure. Students were given analytical problems and it was interesting to see how differently students handled these questions -- some would take a pen and a paper and go through a maze of calculations, some would do it in a flash (like they have answered these questions many times over).

While most students knew the subject material well, they fumbled when it came to general knowledge. Having said that, most students had participated in some kind of extra-curricular activities in the college, things like dramatics, sports, editorial board of college magazines and newspaper etc. One student had done multiple motor-cycle rides to Manali.

Students liked discussing movies (3 Idiots was a rage at that time and did come up in few interviews -- like "which character did you like?", "Rancho", "why Rancho?")

So all in all, I was happy to see the youth of India ready to take on the challenges of the new world. They are doing the best they can with the facilities that are provided by our educational system. Indian education today as before is still very heavy on theory (even in a discipline like engineering). I have seen the US educational system - the labs, the workshops, the practical experience that students get over there during their college days is phenomenal. We have a lot to catch up in that aspect. Part of the story is that US Colleges are well funded by private companies as well as government (Internet came out of DARPA Department of Defence funding) and that makes a lot of difference in the quality of education that they provide.

Coming back to Chandigarh, we finished with the interviewing by around 8:00 PM. Seemed like a long day, with the early morning flight from Mumbai and all. So on return to the hotel, when someone in the group suggested we head out to the Taj bar, boy were we excited?!! I went up to the room, dumped my suit, got into casuals and before I knew I was at the bar along with Karthik and Gaurav and some live music playing in the background. Later the rest of the group join in and we all settle into cosy sofas in the bar and indulge in some gupshup (that's casual chat in Hindi).

But hold on!! If you think that's the end of the story, it isn't -- the best was yet to come. By the time we were done with the drinks, the Taj restaurant had closed for the day.  Karthik suggested that we head out to a Dhaba (a roadside eatery) for dinner. So at 11:30 PM in the night, we (Gaurav, Ganesh, Vinod, Vishal and myself) get into an Innova. Gosh, I can't even describe how good it felt to have the car windows rolled down and the cool breeze of the February Chandigarh night grazing my face!! (graciously the guys let me take the front seat...)

We reach a very "busy dhaba" about 20 minutes away. At 12:00 in the night, the dhaba was filled with Punjabis, Sardarjis and us Mumbaikars. The food we had was unbelievable!!! We had Amritsari Kulcha and Dal Makhani, some Paneer dish and a few other things and Goodness Gracious!! it was an incredible experience - to have such fabulous food, in an open atmosphere, the aromas, on that cool night -- all I can say is you have to experience it to believe it!!

All in all, it was a day to remember.

Thank You, Karthik. Thank You, Gaurav and all the rest for making this such a wonderful lifetime experience.