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  • 8/12/2019 e GlobuzZ Oct Dec Issue

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    E - G L O B U Z Z

    Faculty Mentor-

    Prof. C.P. Joshi

    EditorSanghmitra VarmaSayoni MaitraDivya MidhaHardik DhagaiMeenakshi Vyas

    DesignersManu Manaswi

    Aayush VelagaAnkur Chauhan

    Did you know?Trimurti GuptaSanghmitra Varma

    Circulations

    Praneeta Shukla,Sabika Naqvi

    All the views expressedin this magazinereflect the personalopinions and views ofthe authors and do notreflect IBS@SIMSR

    views

    A TRIBUTETONELSONMANDELA

    COVERSTORY

    US FEDERALSHUTDOWNOF2013

    ADAPTORDIE

    COUNTRIESINFOCUS

    WINDSOFCHANGEUSHERINMYANMAR

    GREECENEEDSAREBOOT

    VIETNAM- THERISINGJEWEL

    PERSONALITYINFOCUS

    MARIODRAGHI

    KNOWLEDGECENTRE

    BITCOIN: BREAKINGMONETARYBARRI-ERS

    IBS UPDATES

    IBS LAUNCHESITSNEWLOGO

    IBS EVENTS

    PANGEA2013 BYIBS@SIMSR

    IBS CELEBRATESITS4THANNIVERSARY

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    Nelson Mandela, South Africas first President,

    who transformed the country from apartheid

    to a democracy and emerged as an interna-

    tional icon of justice, passed away at the age

    of 95 on 5thDecember, 2013. By the time of his death, he

    was declared as the greatest persona of mankind. The

    idea of greatness now retires into the historical shadows.

    As the saying goes Death is not the greatest loss. The

    biggest loss is something that dies inside us while we

    continue to exist. But everything has not come to an end,

    as he has left us with a great legacy richer than anything

    money can buy. He endured great personal hardship when

    he was imprisoned for nearly three decades, so that oth-ers could have a life full of dignity, equality and opportu-

    nity. He fought against discrimination and exclusion, but

    rose above hardest of the evils to heal and reconcile a

    fractured nation. He lived his life by virtues of honesty,

    trust sharing with peace, without even once compromising

    on his beliefs or his principles.

    "India, in particular, had great affection and regard for

    him. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's principle of Ahimsa

    (non-violence), his mission was a moral bulwark for our

    principled struggle against apartheid in South Africa that

    was marked by violent attacks during those days. It also

    reflected Indias fight for a world free from violence. We

    were highly honored when Nelson Mandela accepted

    Bharat Ratna, the highest Indian civilian award, much be-

    fore being conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993,

    which he shared with Mr. Klerk, who helped him to get a

    release from the prison three years earlier than the de-

    clared sentence. Mr. Klerk also bought peace to the ongo-ing apartheid.

    Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspirational people

    without whom we would have been living in a largely

    restricted world even today. Apart from making a differ-

    ence to the quality of life globally, he did serve the world

    with many other teachings too. He inspired us to believe

    that no hurdle is too big; no way is too hard to choose, and

    no rival is so powerful for us to quit. The sun keeps rising

    each day, necessarily not as bright as yesterday, but theshow must go on!!

    The important message he delivered to the world is that

    forgiveness is not our weakness. It was evident when he

    quoted: Its reconciliation & forgiveness but at no cost any

    form of revenge. He was crystal clear about the fact that

    just as it could not be a country of white men in power; it

    could not be a country of black domination either. In the

    future, the majority would need the minority and vice-

    versa. Ultimately there is a power in forgiveness too, bothin granting and seeking it.

    In a true sense, he showed us the path of truth and

    strength of human spirit inspiring us in many ways with his

    work, his life and his words. The legacy he has left us with

    is one we will always cherish and we will always thank God

    for Nelson Mandela. Let us all join together to mourn the

    legend who never differentiated any individual on the ba-

    sis of their ethnicity and saw everyone as a human being

    to be treated with equal respect and dignity.

    May his soul rest in peace knowing that he leaves behind

    many who will always continue his struggle, his fight and

    carry forward his legacy.

    Shagun Changoiwala (PGDM-IB, 1stYear)

    A Tribute to Nelson Mandela a true

    statesman; a man destined to lead and

    a freedom icon

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    US Federal Government shutdown occurs when

    laws funding the government are not passed

    by the Congress. The US governments fiscal

    year is from October 1 to September 30 and these laws

    need to be passed for proper functioning as mentioned in

    the US Constitution. Government

    shutdown doesnt imply that US

    has no government. Services im-

    portant for law and order defi-

    nitely function normally. Other

    departments function only with

    minority of their staff reporting

    and performing basic functions. Some of the government

    institutions are entirely shut down.

    Till date, the US has faced three major federal government

    shutdowns. The first shutdown took place in 1978 and

    lasted for 18 days, when Jimmy Carter was the president.

    The issue was related to a defence bill which included the

    funding of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. In 1995-

    1996, the second shutdown which lasted for 21 days,

    took place during Bill Clintons tenure as the president.

    This shutdown was caused due to the conflict in funding

    of Medicare, education, environment and public health in

    the 1996 federal budget. The recent shutdown took place

    from October 1 to October 16, 2013 under the presidency

    of Barrack Obama. This shutdown resulted due to the fail-

    ure of the Congress to pass a law related to appropriating

    funds for the fiscal year 2014.

    The recent shutdown took place as a result of a funding

    gap. This was created by the two chambers of the Con-

    gress, the House and the Senate, after they failed to agree

    on two aspects. One aspect was the funding of Patient

    Protection and Affordable Care Act, also called

    Obamacare, and the other being Debt Ceiling. Currently

    the House is dominated by the Republicans and the Sen-

    ate by the Democrats. Obamacare needs funding from the

    Federal Budget the next fiscal year. The House Republi-

    cans insist on a new bill to defund Obamacare.

    Obamacare aimed at making health insurance mandatory

    for Americans. Republicans feel that it'll hurt employers

    and add to overreach by the federal government. Republi-

    cans critiqued that imposing medical device will lead to

    sending jobs overseas. Democrats support the law saying

    that it will increase the access to health care. Obamacare

    prevents those with pre-existing medical conditions from

    being denied health insurance, and advocates that those

    who have health insurance will no longer pay indirectly to

    those who show up in emergency rooms uninsured.

    Another reason for shutdown was that of the Debt Ceiling.

    VISHNU MANASA KANCHIRAJU & SAKSHI SINGHANIA(PGDM IB 2013-15)

    US Federal Government

    Shutdown of 2013

    Republicans critiqued

    that imposing medical

    device will lead to

    sending jobs overseas.

    Democrats support

    the law saying that it

    will increase the ac-

    cess to health care.

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    Business Name

    led to a lost productivity equivalent to $2.0 bn. It was esti-

    mated that the shutdown would cost the economy about

    $55 bn and as per Goldman Sachs the GDP growth of US

    would be reduced by 0.9%. Key government functions

    such as health services, training and support of traffic con-

    trol services were affected and also national parks, monu-

    ments, museums remained closed.

    A temporary solution was found to the US shutdown on Oct

    16, 2013. Congress passed an interim appropriations bill

    with majority from both the Senate and the House. The

    deal funded the US government until January 15, 2014

    and raised the debt ceiling of the country until February 7,

    2014, which finally ended the economic shutdown.

    Debt ceiling is the limit fixed for the money that the gov-

    ernment can borrow. It was first introduced in 1917 and

    since 1960, the government has raised it 78 times. Cur-

    rently it is set at $16.7 trillion and it was estimated that by

    October 17 this limit would be exceeded. Had the debt

    ceiling not risen by then, the US would have begun to de-

    fault on its debt, for the first time. Once when it nearly hap-

    pened in 2011, the US credit rating was downgraded. Re-

    publicans indicated that they will demand concessions

    from Democrats on spending so as to raise the debt ceil-

    ing. President Obama opinionated that there will be no

    negotiation on the issue as defaulting on the national debt

    would make Americans deadbeats.

    The shutdown had major consequences. One of the signifi-

    cant effects of this shutdown was that approximately

    800,000 government employees were furloughed, which

    Singapore has the highest ratio

    of millionaires in the world.

    Did You Know

    USAs biggest export to China for

    the last 5 years has been trash.

    Did You Know

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    What if, one morning you woke up and real-

    ized that your business is obsolete. What

    would you do to reclaim your market and

    become relevant in your business again? Can you leverage

    this opportunity to take your business to new heights?

    This scenario is the prelude for the articlestaying relevant

    in the current economic scenario. In the current volatile

    environment companies need to

    be flexible to remain relevant. The

    adage Either you change or you

    die holds perfect in todays time

    and age. One needs to constantly

    monitor his businesss relevance

    in the market and acclimatize quickly enough to maintain

    it.

    Let us look at some real life examples of such a nightmar-

    ish scenario. We all remember Eastman Kodak, which

    used to sit pretty at the top till a few years ago. Founded in

    1892 it was a quintessential American company whose

    brand was known worldwide due to its film photography.

    Kodak had captured 90% market share in the USA and

    enjoyed 70% margins.

    Kodak was caught unaware as the realms of photography

    moved from Analog to Digital. The company simply could

    not match the pace with which the transition was taking

    place. With the advent of digital photography people could

    create, edit, store and share images instantly. As a result,

    Kodaks core competence had started to become obso-

    lete. In Jan 2012, the company filed bankruptcy. It re-

    emerged from bankruptcy in Sep 2013, but only as a pale

    shadow of its former self.

    The lesson to be learnt from the Kodak saga is that unless

    your business possesses ongoing relevance, you are not

    going to survive however good you may be in your busi-

    ness. If you focus only in the current market space you

    might miss on the bigger picture.

    Lets move on to the next example. In 1991, Nokia lost its

    major market when the Soviet Union dissolved as an eco-

    nomic entity but this proved to be a blessing in disguise for

    the company. Earlier the company focused on manufactur-

    ANIRBAN CHAKRABORTHY(PGDM IB 2013-15)

    Adapt Or Die

    One needs to con-

    stantly monitor his

    businesss relevance

    in the market and ac-

    cl imatize quicklyenough to maintain it .

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    it had itself created. Nokia could not establish its strong

    hold in the US market and it did not focus on the Smart-

    phone arena, the telecom industrys fastest growing area.

    By 2012, Samsung had captured the market big time and

    production of Nokia fell below the breakeven point. Micro-

    soft acquired Nokia in Sep 2013 for $7 bn a remarkably

    low price considering Nokias market share of $77 bn five

    years ago.

    So the biggest hurdle is how do you ensure that your com-

    pany is relevant? One thing which can be done is to ask

    yourself the hypothetical questions of the nightmare sce-

    nario: if your biggest market or your core business van-

    ishes over night, can you think of ways to bring impetus to

    the business? This mental exercise will keep you agile and

    help you monitor the underlying relevance of your busi-

    ness.

    ing paper, rubber and wood-based products. Mobile

    manufacturing was a miniscule portion of the companys

    business. Nokia realized the potential in this miniscule

    portion and decided to leverage on it for future growth. By

    1994, Nokia sold its industrial units and got listed in NYSE

    as a premier manufacturer of mobiles, hence creating a

    completely new market space. Such was the dominance

    of Nokia that the market share of Nokia was more than

    the combined share of its top three competitors.

    Nokia could not afford to be complacent having estab-

    lished itself as the market leader in this new market

    space. Over the recent years Nokia failed to keep pace

    with the latest technological developments in the market

    Business Name

    After Coca-Cola was forced out of

    India in 1977, the Indian

    Government started its own brand

    of cola known as Double Seven.

    Did You Know

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    Sitting on the floor of a semi-furnished flat in cen-

    tral Yangon, men in the early twenties are tapping

    vigorously on the old laptops and occasionally

    gazing at the bits of paper pieces scattered around them.

    These men would easily pass for college going guys fid-

    dling with their Facebook. These

    men are in the Research team

    of NLD (National League for

    Democracy). It is Myanmars

    main opposition party and is led

    by Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi. They

    need to produce a weekly media

    -monitoring report shortly which

    will provide links to all the main references to the NLD and

    Myanmar in the international press.

    These people dont have any office so they meet at Mr.

    Nay Chi Wins flat. Mr. Win is the founder of the Unit at the

    age of 32. The only accessory the team working at his

    place is a whiteboard. His main concern is whether he

    would be able to afford the rent. However, the founding of

    the Research Unit signifies that they are taking rapid

    strides to transform the NLD.

    NLD was founded in 1988 by Ms Suu Kyi and others to

    stand against the dictatorial military rule in Myanmar but

    all these years it has found it very difficult to function with

    its full potential. The partys power had been on the wane

    because most of its leaders were put behind bars and

    tortured and the party was declared illegal. However, since

    2011 under the reins of the President Thein Seins de-

    mocratic reforms, the party has been on the verge of

    power. It won 43 out of 44 seats in the by-elections con-

    tested in 2012. If the same trend continues in 2015 gen-

    eral elections, NLD could sweep the parliament and Miss

    Suu Kyi can become the president.

    There has been a complete reversal in the partys fortunes

    but many people still feel that the party has not been able

    to keep pace with the changes. The party was criticized

    vehemently in its first National Congress Meet in March

    due to its dominance by old leaders. Moreover, there were

    accusations that Miss Suu Kyi is largely inaccessible and

    HARDIK DHAGAI & ANIRBAN CHAKRABORTHY (PGDM IB 2013-15)

    Winds of Change in

    Myanmar

    NLD was founded in 1988

    by Ms Suu Kyi and oth-

    ers to stand against the

    dictatorial military rule

    in Myanmar but all these

    years it has found it

    very difficult to function

    with its full potential.

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    Business Name

    been sent to USA for English training and to learn democ-

    racy.

    There has been constant criticism from all quarters due to

    Miss Suu Kyis continued isolation from the party and also

    on her lack of willingness to deliver the required knowl-

    edge on policy framing to others. Also, the leadership has

    been trying to get the clauses in the constitution changed

    so that Miss Suu Kyi can become President in 2015.

    These arguments have irked her advisers. They have im-

    plored the people to be more patient considering the short

    time frame and slender budget at their disposal. While she

    is being attacked for being isolated from the party, she is

    frustrated that nobody is willing to raise his voice against

    her. Fame has allowed her to control a world audience

    and at the same time taken her away from her own peo-

    ple.

    the party members do not have any voice in policy making.

    Some even go to the extent of complaining that the party

    does not have a basic policy formation framework so it is

    highly underprepared to form the government in two years

    time. And so the young generation party members have

    taken it upon themselves to carry the baton ahead.

    The research unit was set up by Mr. Nay Chi Win to

    institutionalize and decentralize the party because he

    felt it was too dependent on Miss Suu Kyi. Training is pro-

    vided to NLD members in local branches all around the

    country. The cadres who make it Yangon are given training

    on basic administrative functions and Public Relations.

    They are also provided training in personal grooming by

    Ms. Tin Moe Lwin who is a famous model. The MPs have

    The campaign of Amul girl is the

    oldest continuous running

    campaign in the history of

    advertising.

    Did You Know

    How massive is IKEA? It

    consumes 1% of the worldswood!

    Did You Know

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    Despite being a developed nation, Greece has

    been a troubling pot for quite a while now.

    Though July reports show that the trade deficit

    has slightly reduced, a lot more damage has already been

    done. Global investor community has lost confidence in

    Greece and the currency is in a

    bad shape. Traditionally, Greece

    has been an exporter of food,

    beverages and textiles. Although

    the Current Account Deficit re-

    duced marginally during reces-

    sion, it has always been a cause

    of concern. Tourism recorded a

    robust growth even during reces-

    sion years and contributed 15% to GDP.

    Unemployment and low productivity are the biggest prob-

    lems for Greece. Machinery, transport equipment, fuels

    and chemicals are major imports in Greece. Greece, a

    capitalist economy, has 40% of public sector contributing

    40% to its GDP. Athens Olympic Games in 2004 provided

    some spotlight on the global platform to Greece, provided

    better infrastructure, support from other countries but re-

    cession in 2008 proved it be the worst performer. Austere

    measures were introduced; imports were reduced, but it

    hardly made any mark on the report card. Today, Greece

    hangs in a delicate balance between economic sanctions

    from Euro zone, remittances from expatriates, shipping

    and tourism revenues and revival methods to reboot its

    economy. The culprit in the entire scenario is the huge

    borrowings made over the time.

    According to a recent report, Greece government has

    taken many measures to simplify and ease pre-customs

    and customs norms to encourage exports. The key point-

    ers in this proposal seek to reduce the number of days

    needed to export by 50% and reduce cost by 20% by

    2015. A single national clearance window for exports has

    also been proposed. With intent to improving trade relation

    across borders and attracting foreign investors, sound ex-

    port policy is under creation. Government has shown keen

    interest in resolving issues related to lack of information

    and transparency; this will help to boost confidence in

    MEENAKSHI VYAS (PGDM RM 2013-15)

    Greece Needs a Reboot

    Today, Greece hangs

    in a delicate balance

    between economic

    sanctions from Euro

    zone, remittances

    from expatriates,

    shipping and tourismrevenues and revival

    methods to reboot its

    economy.

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    Business Name

    beverages and textiles. I wouldnt call it a lost battle for

    Greece, because as a nation Greece has a plethora of re-

    sources, trustworthy trading partners and warming up re-

    forms. If played patiently and wisely, Greece can regain its

    lost aura and stance.

    start-up firms. For example, providing information regard-

    ing the number of items approved for imports and exports,

    clearing unnecessary documents for set up procedures,

    legal and fair procedures will be promoted. Greece relies

    on tourism, services and exports for most of its GDP. Infra-

    structure of the country is pretty well settled since Greece

    remains one of the developed countries. Hence, Greece

    has little to worry in this sector.

    Outside EU, United States is Greeces largest trading part-

    ner. Traditionally, Greece has been an exporter of food,

    The Hard Rock Cafe is owned by the

    Seminole Tribe of Florida. They

    purchased Hard Rock Cafe

    International Inc. and all relatedentities for almost $1 billion in March

    2007.

    DID YOU KNOW

    SONYs most successful business is

    selling Insurance, which contributes

    about 63% of their total profit.

    DID YOU KNOW

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    V

    ietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Viet-

    nam, is the easternmost country on the Indo-

    china Peninsula in Southeast Asia with a popu-

    lation of around 88.78 million (2012). Vietnam

    has a long seacoast in the eastern side, is bordered by

    China to the north, Laos to the northwest and Cambodia to

    the southwest. Its capital city is Hanoi the second larg-

    est city in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City (Old name: Sai-

    gon a gem stone city of Indochina during USA domi-

    nated). Other major cities of Vietnam are Da Nang (main

    city of center Vietnam) and Hai Phong (the most important

    northern seaport due to its large maritime facilities).

    History

    Vietnam has one of the longest histories in the world. Ac-

    cording to researchers, Vietnams history has been divided

    into seven periods from 500,000 BC. These being: Prehis-

    tory, Bronze Age, Dynastic Vietnam, French Vietnam, First

    Indochina War, Vietnam War and Reunification & Reforms.

    During the Dynastic Vietnam period, Vietnam was domi-

    nated by China for over 1000 years. The Chinese rule im-

    mensely influenced the Vietnamese administration, law,

    education, culture, literature and language. In 938 AD,

    after a millennium of Chinese domination Vietnam re-

    gained complete independence.

    For centuries to come, China

    continued its attempt to gain

    dominance over Vietnam, but

    the citizens of Vietnam never

    stopped fighting to stay inde-

    pendent.

    In the 17thcentury, Vietnams independence was gradually

    terminated by France. The French administration imposed

    significant political and cultural changes on the Vietnam-

    ese society. A Western-style system of modern education

    was developed. The French created plantations and pro-

    moted the export of tobacco, indigo, tea and coffee. How-

    ever, their policy was strict for civil rights, the Vietnamese

    suffered a lot in this period. A nationalist political move-

    ment soon emerged, with leaders such as Phan Boi Chau,

    Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Dinh Phung, Emperor Hm Nghi and

    Ho Chi Minh fighting for independence. The French main-

    tained control of their colonies until World War II, when the

    war in the Pacific led to the Japanese invasion of French

    Indochina in 1941. The Japanese Empire exploited Viet-nam's natural resources to support its military campaigns,

    leading to the Vietnamese Famine of 1945, which caused

    up to two million deaths.

    The year 1925 also marked the founding of the Viet Nam

    Thanh Nien Cach Menh Dong Chi Hoi (Revolutionary Youth

    League) in Guangzhou by Ho Chi Minh. Ho Chi Minh is also

    called the Father of Vietnam. He was influenced by the

    Marxist-Leninist revolutionary doctrine. In 1941, the Viet

    Minh, a communist and nationalist liberation movement,

    sought independence for Vietnam from France and the

    Pham Thi Huyen, PGDM-Marketing (2012-14)

    Vietnam The Rising Jewel

    The Chinese rule im-

    mensely influenced the

    Vietnamese administra-

    tion, law, education,

    culture, literature and

    language.

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    also reached the shores of the Red River Delta. A maritime

    trade among China, India and Indonesia used the delta as

    a convenient stopover. Among the array of goods and

    ideas, thus brought to Vietnamwas Buddhism from India. While

    the Vietnamese aristocracy

    clung to Chinese Confucianism,

    during most periods the com-

    mon people embraced Bud-

    dhism, adapting it to fit their

    own indigenous religions and

    world view. During the French

    colonial period, the Vietnamese culture was influenced by

    the Europeans in terms of religion (Catholicism) and hand-

    writing language (Latin alphabet). Since independence,

    the cultural life of Vietnam has been deeply influenced by

    government controlled media and socialist programs.

    Vietnams religion is a mix of Buddhism, Confucianism,

    Catholicism and Taoism. Vietnams visual art is strongly

    influenced by the Chinese Buddhist art. Vietnamese music

    varies from three regions: North, Central and South. Water

    puppetry is a distinct Vietnamese art which had its origins

    in the 10th century and is very popular in the northern

    region. Vietnamese cuisine is created by the traditionally

    cultivated wet rice and extremely diverse follow regions.

    One of the nations most famous dishes is the Pho. The

    national costume of Vietnam is the Ao Dai. However, Ao

    Dai is worn only in traditional festival, school uniform and

    wedding. In daily life, Vietnamese clothes are Western

    styles.

    Political

    The Socialist Republic of Vietnam follows a single-party

    socialist republic framework, where the President of Viet-

    nam is the head of the state and has executive power. The

    Prime Minister of Vietnam is the head of the government,

    in a one-party system led by the Communist Party of Viet-

    nam. Legislative power is vested in the National Assembly

    of Vietnam. The Judiciary is independent of the Executive.

    The election for the President of the Socialist Republic is

    end of the Japanese occupation. Following the military

    defeat of Japan and the fall of its puppet Empire of Viet-

    nam in August 1945, the Viet Minh occupied Hanoi and

    proclaimed a provisional government, which asserted na-tional independence on 2nd September. The first govern-

    ment of Vietnam was formed Ho Chi Minh's Democratic

    Republic of Vietnam.

    After independence in North Vietnam, United States rea-

    soned to support South Vietnam against the communist

    insurgency. The United States gradually increased their

    contribution to the Vietnam military. US forces became

    involved in ground combat operations in 1965, and at

    their peak they numbered more than 500,000. After that

    they indulged in nonstop bombing on North Vietnam, caus-

    ing many deaths of both, American and Vietnamese peo-

    ple involved in warfare. During this time, Vietnam received

    lots of support from China and the Soviet Union. On 2 nd

    July 1976, North and South Vietnam were merged to form

    the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The war left Vietnam

    devastated, with the total death toll standing between

    800,000 and 3.1 million, and many thousands crippled by

    the use of chemical weapons such as Agent Orange.

    ulture

    Vietnam is known as the Cultivator of Wet Rice and the

    nation of the Fertile Plains of the Red River Delta in north-

    ern Vietnam. Vietnam is considered as part of the East

    Asian Culture due to long term dominance by the Chinese.

    During the Chinese millennium, other cultural influences

    While the Vietnamese

    aristocracy clung to

    Chinese Confucianism,

    during most periods the

    common people em-

    braced Buddhism,

    adapting it to fit their

    own indigenous religions

    and world view.

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    done in period of five years and is decided by the National

    Assembly of Vietnam. The political environment of Vietnam

    has been very stable after independence. At present, Mr.

    Truong Tan Sang is the President and Mr. Nguyen Tan Dungis Prime Minister of the socialist Republic of Vietnam.

    Economy

    Vietnam is a developing country and is a well known emerg-

    ing market with an attractive location and a stable political

    environment. After 1991, the Vietnam economy experienced

    rapid growth with average GDP growth rate at 7.3%. IT was

    the target market of many global firms then. Vietnam has

    become a leading agricultural exporter and has served as an

    attractive destination for foreign

    investors. Nowadays the econ-

    omy of Vietnam relies largely on

    Foreign Direct Investment to

    attract capital from overseas to

    support its continual economic

    development. Over the past 20

    years, FDI inflows into Vietnam

    have increased tremendously in

    terms of share of investment,

    trading turnover and GDP per-

    centage. As of December 2012, the country is home to

    14,522 valid foreign investment projects with a total capital

    of over US$210.5 billion.

    In terms of demographic, Vietnam has 70% of its population

    in working age (from 15 to 65 years). In 2012, GDP was

    141.69 USD billion, growth rate at 5% and inflation rate was

    9%. The economy has been unable to achieve its targets in

    the recent years because it was affected by the slower lend-

    ing as banks strain under the weight of bad debt incurred

    largely by the state sector.

    Economic sectors are Agriculture, Energy, Industry and

    Manufacturing, Service and Tourism, and Banking & Fi-

    nance. In 2012, the best performing sector was Agriculture.

    During this year, Vietnam became the biggest coffee ex-

    porter and also the top supplier of rice to the world. Petro-

    leum is the main source of energy which contributes to

    about 25% of the countrys energy consumption. Besides

    that, mining and quarrying are also important industries that

    contribute to GDP and provide employment to the workforce.

    The growth rate of GDP for this industry is 9.34% per year.Vietnams banking system consists of a combination of state

    -owned, joint-stock, joint-venture and foreign banks, but the

    state-owned commercial banks predominate over most of

    the state-owned enterprises. Vietnam has two stock ex-

    changes the Ho Chi Minh Stock

    Exchange (HOSE) and the Hanoi

    Stock Exchange (HNX).

    Vietnams currency is called Viet-nam Dong (VND).

    International Relations

    The Vietnamese governments policy is very liberal towards

    other countries. As of July 2013, Vietnam has diplomatic

    relations with 182 nations throughout the world. Vietnam

    became a member of ASEAN in 1995 and the WTO in 2007.

    Besides that, Vietnam is also a member of the World Bank,

    IMF, The Asian Development Bank and APEC. A critical rela-

    tionship of Vietnam is with ASEAN.

    ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) was established in January

    1992. The AFTA effectively removed trade barriers such as

    tariffs in order push for freer trade among member states.

    This led to the creation of opportunities for companies with

    an ASEAN presence to take advantage of the 10 different

    economies in the region by way of the Common Effective

    Preferential Tariff Scheme. Vietnams major ASEAN exports

    Vietnams banking system

    consists of a combination

    of state-owned, joint-

    stock, joint-venture and

    foreign banks, but the

    state-owned commercial

    banks predominate over

    most of the state-ownedenterprises.

    Vietnams major ASEAN

    exports are crude oil,

    computers, rice, steel,

    gas and petrol, phones

    and components, coffee.

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    are crude oil, computers, rice, steel, gas and petrol, phones

    and components, coffee. If comparing with other countries

    in the block, Vietnam is the potential location as center

    among members in block.

    India and Vietnam relations

    The Republic of India and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

    enjoy strong bilateral relations in terms of economic and

    cultural ties. Bilateral trade touched US$ 2.5 billion in 2008

    and continues to grow rapidly. Vietnams exports to India in

    2008 registered an increase of 47% over 2007 and reached

    USD 389 million. More than thirty

    Indian companies have set up

    Representative Offices in Viet-

    nam. A large majority of these

    offices are located in Ho Chi Minh

    City. India now ranks 11th among

    the main 4export markets of Viet-

    nam. In the first seven months of

    2011, the two-way trade value

    was over US$2 billion, 41 percent

    more than the same period last year, with US$1.3 billion by

    imports from India and US$739 million by Vietnamese ex-

    ports.

    Major commodities exported from India to Vietnam are ani-

    mal feed, machinery & equipment, pharmaceuticals and

    pharmaceutical materials, ordinary metals, material for plas-

    tics, iron & steel, leather & textile materials, medicinal ingre-

    dients, cotton and pesticides.

    Indias imports from Vietnam are largely dominated by com-

    modities such as coal, pepper, rubber and cinnamon. Com-

    puter hardware parts, garments and textiles also figure

    among prominent items imported from Vietnam.

    Both India and Vietnam have been working to strengthen

    their cultural ties as well. The Indian Council for Cultural Re-

    lations (ICCR) annually organizes the Cultural Exchange Pro-

    gram, signed between the Government of India and the Gov-

    ernment of Vietnam for studying, training and research in

    various fields. 6 (six) scholarships are also awarded under

    GCSS scheme annually to Vietnamese students for the un-

    dergraduate, postgraduate degrees and for pursuing re-

    search at Indian universities.

    New Road

    The new trend of many international manufacturing enter-

    prises has been to look for relocation or expansion of their

    China operation to capture alternative markets and thus,

    hedge their risk of operations in China. Vietnam is a huge

    market for consumption, is also easy to connect with ASEAN

    countries in terms of location and tax deduction. Besides

    that, the Vietnamese government offers many attractive

    advantages for foreign businesses, including a number of

    preferential policies and tax incentives, free trade status

    within the thriving ASEAN region and a variety of economic

    zones and industrial parks with an abundance of low priced

    labor. Vietnam will become the most attractive place forcompanies that are looking for emerging markets.

    More than thirty Indiancompanies have set up

    Representative Offices

    in Vietnam. A large

    majority of these offices

    are located in Ho Chi

    Minh City. India now

    ranks 11th among the

    main export markets of

    Vietnam.

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    He is the 9th most powerful personality

    in the world according to Forbes Power-

    ful People list of 2013, is the most

    popular name in the news since the European crisis

    and he is, none other than, Mario Draghi. Draghi is

    the 66 year old President of the European Central

    Bank. He succeeded Jean-Calude Trichet as the third

    President of the European

    Central Bank on 1stNovember,

    2011, after being appointed

    by the leaders of 17 eurozone

    countries.

    He was born in Rome on 3rd

    September 1947, and com-

    pleted his graduation from La

    Sapienza University under the

    supervision of Federico Caff-

    a notable economist. In the year 1996, he earned a

    PhD in economics from the renowned Massachusetts

    Institute of Technology, United States of America in

    Economics with his thesis Essays on Economic

    Growth under the supervision of two other well

    known and Nobel Prize winner economists Franco

    Modigliani and Robert Solow.

    Mario Draghi brings a rich experience with him. He

    was previously appointed the Head of the Bank of

    Italy- the central bank of Italy. From 1984 to 1990,

    Mario was the Italian Executive Director at the World

    Bank. During the tenure of 1991-2001, he was the

    Director General, Italian Treasury. He was also the

    Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs International from

    2002-2005. From 2006-2011, he headed the Finan-

    cial Stability Board (FSB), an international organiza-

    tion that seeks to head off the risk from the global

    financial systems.

    Mario has earned the nickname Super Mario for

    having navigated through the minefield of Italian poli-

    tics ingeniously.

    The European Central Bank is the eurozones central

    bank which is responsible for the currency Euroand

    administrating the policies of 17 European Union

    states which makes use of the Euro. The main objec-

    tive of the ECB is to maintain the eurozones price

    stability.

    In late 2009, the Eurozone was entering one of the

    worst sovereign debt crises and the former President

    Jean-Claude Trichet had resisted strongly within the

    European Central Bank to providing any contempla-

    KINNAR GALANI (PGDM-IB 2013-15)

    Personality in Focus-

    Mario Draghi

    Draghi is the 66 yearold President of the

    European Centra l

    Bank .He was also the

    Vice Chairman of Gold-

    man Sachs International

    from 2002-2005.From

    2006-2011, he headedthe Financial Stability

    Board (FSB), an interna-

    tional organization that

    seeks to head off therisk from the global

    financial systems.

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    ing cost low. It also helped the government to finance

    themselves in the time of crisis. On 7th November

    2013, Mario dropped the interest rates to a record

    low to prevent rapid disinflation in the eurozone.

    However many economists argue that the OMT pro-

    gram may have pacified the financial market but it

    will not help in meaningful recovery. The OMT pro-

    gram has the potential to backfire and it may have

    already backfired even though it is not used.

    Mr. Draghi is credited for his efforts which have pre-

    vented the eurozone from collapsing and tearing off

    from each other. However the uncertainty and latent

    challenges in the measures implemented by ECB to

    solve the problem of euro crisis will surely put his fire

    -fighting skills to real test.

    tion to Greece which had defaulted on its debt. Jean-

    Claude Trichet had faced a serious criticism for the

    European Central Banks response towards the great

    recession.

    After the end of his term in October 2011, Mario had

    the herculean task of maintaining the financial unity

    and stability across the seventeen European states.

    In 2011, Mario took his first move by inundating the

    bank with cheap liquidity using a program called the

    Long Term Refinancing Operation (LTRO) which

    helped in stabilizing the banks and prevented the

    seizing up of the inter-bank lending market.

    On 26thJuly 2012, Mario Draghi said at an investors

    conference in London, Within our mandate, the ECB

    is ready to do whatever it takes to preserve the

    euro, he added And believe me it will be enough.

    In September 2012, he revealed his nuclear move of

    ECB would see buying unlimited quantities of short-

    term sovereign bonds which would keep the borrow-

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    Ever thought of a currency which defies all theories

    about money till date, which is neither regulated by

    any country or central bank but by a cryptography

    algorithm, a currency which even doesnt require your

    personal identity to transfer funds across borders

    and is acceptable irrespective of the country you are

    using it in. Welcome to the world of digital currency:

    it oin.

    Bitcoin is an open source peer-to-peer electronic

    money and payment network introduced in 2008

    by pseudonymous developer "Satoshi Nakamoto".

    Though nobody could ever trace him, the idea has

    $1.5 billion under circulation.

    How does it work?

    The system is based on

    cryptographic code which

    acts as money and cantbe replicated on the net-

    work. As soon as you in-

    stall the Bitcoin app on

    your computer or mobile a

    wallet is generated. This

    wallet has public address and private keys. Anyone

    can send Bitcoins to a wallet using the public address

    provided by the owner of the wallet, while the private

    key must be entered by the wallet owner to send Bit-

    coins. New Bitcoins are created by an algorithm and

    computing power is taken from all computers on the

    Bitcoin network. The entire network is then used to

    monitor and verify both the creation of new Bitcoins

    through mining and the transfer of Bitcoins between

    users. Each new transaction is broadcast across the

    Bitcoin network and a log is maintained called block

    chain which is validated every 10 minutes. The sys-

    tem thus makes it computationally nearly impossible

    to make any illicit transaction like using same codeagain or reversing the transaction after the seller has

    dispatched the item. That is because having such

    forged transactions validated and attached to the

    globally accepted block chain would require outpac-

    ing the network's combined computing power.

    Confused..? J Well dont worry; understanding the

    technology behind is not our prime objective. Lets

    focus on what its bringing to trade.

    MANU MANASWI & KUSHAL SUNEJA (PGDM IB 2013-15)

    BITCOIN:

    Breaking Monetary Barriers

    Bitcoin is an open sourcepeer-to-peer electronic

    money and payment net-

    work introduced in 2008by pseudonymous developer

    "Satoshi Nakamoto". The

    system is based on crypto-

    graphic code which acts asmoney and cant be repli-

    cated on the network

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    We at IBS@SIMSR believe in evolving with

    the world and continuing to grow. This

    change in our logo, as a visible part of our

    steps towards rebranding, is

    intended to align ourselves

    with the idea of a more dy-

    namic and focused 'us'.

    The new logo has come by

    way of our attempts to lu-

    cidly visualize our ideology

    as a team driven to engage

    in constantly building stu-

    dents' domain knowledge in

    the realm of international

    affairs while functioning as a

    connect between the stu-

    dents and industry experts, our guests and our alumni.

    Dear readers, this is what the transformed 'us' stand for

    vis--vis the renewed logo.The new logo is a picture of the

    globe surrounded by forward rolling spokes. The globe indi-

    cates our vision of transcending borders to understand the

    forces that drive the world. These multi-dimensional driving

    forces are represented by the surrounding, forward moving

    spokes. This forward move-

    ment symbolizes our consis-

    tent effort to enhance global

    sensitivity.

    This logo is an interpretation

    of the very same objective

    which is at the heart of our

    committee, which is to act as

    an instrument for students

    to gain knowledge of the

    global business environment

    and connect them to busi-

    nesses worldwide. It is with

    great pleasure that we share this with you!

    SAYONI MAITRA (PGDM-IB 2013-15) & DIVYA MIDHA (PGDM 2013-15)

    IBS@SIMSR Launches

    its New Logo

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    19thOctober, 2013 witnessed another successful

    annual International Business conference

    PANGEA 2 13at SIMSR. Taking forward the pur-

    pose of IBS@SIMSR to bring education and industry to-

    gether to enrich the students through interaction with sen-

    ior and competent company executives, this flagship event

    brings various industry experts together on one platform to

    address and interact with the SIMSR students.

    The event began as scheduled at 10:30 am in the Red

    Auditorium of the Institute with lamp lighting ceremony by

    our honourable Director Dr. Satish Ailawadi and our es-

    teemed guests. Introductory addresses were delivered by

    Director Sir and Prof. C. P. Joshi, the Area Chairperson,

    General Management and Program Coordinator for PGDM

    and PGDM-International Business. The event was graced

    by our most eminent speakers: Mr. Sunil Bahl (Vice Presi-

    dent) - Sara Hong Kong Ltd, Mr. Rohit Pandya (General

    Manager) - ECGC, Mr. Rishikesh Joshi (Head, Corporate

    Services) - L&T Infotech and Mr. Somashekhar (VP, Treas-

    ury and Forex Management) - AXIS Bank. They spoke on

    various interesting topics like Third Country Trading, Coun-

    try Risk Mitigation, challenges in entering new markets

    and the latest developments in Treasury and Forex man-

    agement worldwide. Students interacted with the industry

    panellists and discussed various other topics in a brief Q

    and A session. Finally the conference closed with the vote

    of thanks given by our Faculty Mentor-IBS@SIMSR Prof C.

    P. Joshi.

    IBS@SIMSR Hosts

    Pangea 2013

    Meenakshi Vyas (PGDM-RM 2013-15)

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    One ought to focus on we and us and

    not on I and me to be a person of

    worth in todays world.

    Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam

    This has been the crux of wisdom from all our Vedas

    and scriptures and moral stories, probably since

    time immemorial, and no one could have explained

    it better than our esteemed guest Mr. Prafulla

    Gupta.

    Friends! We are talking about the recently and suc-

    cessfully concluded 4 th Anniversary of IBS@SIMSR.

    With

    guidance of our mentor Professor C P Joshi, hard

    work of the team and pleasing presence of a lovely

    and lively audience, we were able to pull together a

    great event on our teams 4 th anniversary on 18 th

    Nov, 2013.

    IBS@SIMSR thanks you all for gracing the occasion

    and making it a success.

    The celebrations commenced with SIMSR prayer,

    followed by a welcome address by Prof. C P Joshi.

    He cast light on the motto of IBS@SIMSR i.e. to com-

    plement classroom learning through interaction with

    international experts. Sir also talked about various

    events conducted by IBS@SIMSR over the last four

    years and about our very own quarterly e-publication

    e -

    GloBuzZ.

    We also had the privilege of having with us another

    esteemed guest Prof. Dr. Porus Olpadwala.

    DIVYA MIDHA (PGDM 2013-15)

    IBS@SIMSR Celebrates its 4th

    Anniversary on 18th Nov 2013

    (From Left to Right) Dr Porus Olpadwala, Ms. Kanchi Daiya, Prof C.P.Joshi, Shri Sameer Somaiya and Mr Prafulla Gupta

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    Mr. Prafulla Gupta, who has over 40 years of inter-

    national experience and has worked in more than

    40 countries in diverse sectors like Management

    Consulting, FMCG, Banking, Petrochemicals & Phar-

    maceuticals, enlightened us with the lessons of life.

    He was Senior Partner at Booz, Allen & Hamilton,

    USA.

    He emphasized on judgment skills, power of expres-

    sion, ability to build institutions, leadership capabil-

    ity, strength of character and ability to take deci-

    sions to be the keys to success for aspiring manag-

    ers today.

    Prof. Dr. Olpadwala, who is on the Academic Board

    of Somaiya Vidyavihar and is Dean Emeritus of Col-

    lege of Architecture, Art & Planning, Professor

    Emeritus Department of City & Regional Planning-

    Cornell University, Ithaca, New York answered que-

    ries of students related to higher studies abroad.

    Ms. Kanchi Daiya, Manager, New Initiatives at

    Somaiya Vidyavihar also graced the occasion.

    This very interactive session ended with a vote of

    thanks by Prof. C P Joshi.

    As our Director Prof. Dr. S C Ailawadi said in his in-

    augural address at PANGEA 2013 on 19 Oct, 2013,

    IBS@SIMSR has achieved many milestones and

    many are yet to be achieved.

    We are confident of achieving new challenging mile-

    stones with your continued support.

    Did You Know

    While the global agency, the United

    Nations has 193 members, the

    behemoth global beverage giant Coca

    Cola is sold in 205 nations. Now Cuba

    and North Korea are the only two

    countries where Coke is not sold.

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