iBlog: Nishit Shah

Read this interesting quote by the Hip-Hop artist Jay-z in Robin Sharma’s The Greatness Guide“I’m not a businessman. I’m a business, man.” Think about it. It means a lot about how big a brand a person can be. There is only one person who I can think of as a true Brand Ambassador. It’s Dr. Vijay Mallya. The image of Kingfisher immediately comes in my mind. I don’t think of Pepsi / Coco Cola when I see Indian cricket team or film actors on TV. This is exactly what this quote means…

This is a story about the King of Indian retail industry, Kishore Biyani. I just happen to come across this book while browsing Futurebazaar.com. As a part of the promo, first 500 people to order the book on the site got a book autographed by Kishore. I consider myself lucky to have got hold of one such paperback

Coming back to the book, I have heard and read a lot about Mr. Biyani in news / business magazines and always wanted to know more about how exactly he started and went about being the King of Indian Retail industry. When he started he had almost nil capital and with no B-School degree but with high amount of passion and desire to do something great. Its a really inspiring story about how Kishore who was born in a middle class trading family, Kishore Biyani started his career selling stonewash fabric to small shops in Mumbai. Years later, with the launch of Pantaloons, Big Bazaar, Food Bazaar, Central and many more retail formats, he has redefined the retailing business in India. It Happened in India features not just his words but insights and anecdotes from people who joined his roller coaster ride- academicians, former colleagues, investors, business partners, family member, and college batch mates.

It took three days of traveling from my house to my workplace to complete reading this book. There are very few biographies that one can read of great Indian head honchos and this is one is not worth missing. Do check it out !

The Afghan, a novel by Frederick Forsyth, is about Islamic terrorism its a chilling story of modern terrorism from the grandmaster of international intrigue.

Combining meticulous research with crisp narratives and plots as current as the headlines, Forsyth shows us the world as it is in a way that few have ever been able to equal.

And the world as it is today is a very scary place.

When British and American intelligence catch wind of a major Al Qaeda operation in the works, they instantly galvanize- but to do what? They know nothing about it: the what, where, or when. They have no sources in Al Qaeda, and it’s impossible to plant someone. Impossible, unless . . .

The Afghan is Izmat Khan, a five-year prisoner of Guantánamo Bay and a former senior commander of the Taliban. The Afghan is also Colonel Mike Martin, a twenty-five-year veteran of war zones around the world-a dark, lean man born and raised in Iraq. In an attempt to stave off disaster, the intelligence agencies will try to do what no one has ever done before-pass off a Westerner as an Arab among Arabs-pass off Martin as the trusted Khan.

It will require extraordinary preparation, and then extraordinary luck, for nothing can truly prepare Martin for the dark and shifting world into which he is about to enter. Or for the terrible things he will find there.

Filled with remarkable detail and compulsive drama, The Afghan is further proof that Forsyth is truly master of suspense.

Today’s Economic Times had a very interesting encounter between two men who are somewhat responsible in changing the face of Indian aviation industry or as Mr. Mallya puts it, that he is into aviation hospitality business. I have always admired Mr. Mallya for his leadership qualities as well Richard Branson / Larry Ellison type of living. This dude has made himself a biggest brand ambassador of Kingfisher and is a King of good times. Read out the full ET Encounter to know more about on man catering to the common Indian from village who dreams of flying someday and at the other end of the spectrum as Mr. Mallya puts it if Gopi is going to get the guy from the village to fly, great. Once he flies and once he prospers, he’ll come to me, in any case. He he..I am really waiting for Mr. Mallya’s biography. Have seen couple of interviews on CNN-IBN and he is someone whose talks make us think over it for some time.

My house is under renovation for the past 2 months and its approximately gonna take another 2 more months. Its come to a stage where only the drawing room and my room are remaining to be furnished. So, I have been chucked out of my room along with my belongings to my little sister’s room and to my discomfort, when the electric connections were being taken around the house I didn’t take my net connection in her room nor parent’s bedroom. Reason, I wanted to setup Wi-Fi at my place so that I can access net anywhere at my place. Of course, I will be setting this up once the house is furnished, however, I am without Internet till that time It wouldn’t have harmed me if I would have taken a Cat-5 connecting other rooms. Now its too late because conceal wiring has already been done Feel so bad about it !