Top 5 secrets of hiring managers - according to Learn Vest - Forbes contributor.
1. Hiring managers prefer to hire people who are already employed:
 Tips: In order to fill the gap, opt for some educational courses or charity work which you can fill in your resume.   
2. Hiring managers spend less than 30 seconds on each resume that they receive:
Tips: frame a resume that highlights your skill without much exaggeration
3. Hiring managers always look for the reason that can keep you from bagging the offer:
Tips: Since today's process of recruitment is elimination, keep very good relationship with your friends/bosses/social contacts/acquaintances....especially on your honesty/integrity/character.
4. Hiring managers tend to avoid newly married women:
Tips: if you are newly married or planning to have a family, do not take a job that demands too much of your time & effort like front office, cashier, secretarial jobs etc. Look for casual/ past time jobs for time being & try to develop newer skill sets.
5. Hiring managers have no hint of what they are doing:
Tips: Try to impress upon the interviewer & do not get into doing that he will not like you doing. Be interactive & ask questions to understand if he is looking for a person like you. Then grab.

An Incomplete Story of an Imperfect Vision


Vajrasan was a reputed sculptor in Vidhanpur, a small kingdom famous for arts and crafts, located on the bank of a legendary river, Revati. He had never disappointed any of his clients who included most of the famous elites of the kingdom. Some were even from outside the kingdom. He had only one problem, he used to leave at least one feature incomplete. For instance, he would leave one leg unsculpted, or one arm, or one ear, or some part in human sculptures incomplete.

This was something people did not like, but given his reputation, nothing could be done. They accepted his idiosyncrasies. He believed that the incomplete part was the conversation starter whenever the people saw his sculptures. Very soon, the conversation moved on to the parts they liked.

One day Nachiketa, a young trainee sculptor, working diligently with him putting things together, by mistake injured a sculpture in making. Vajrasan was very angry and shouted at his disciple. Nachiketa politely said, “Sir, you anyway leave some part of the sculpture incomplete, why can’t you leave the part which got damaged as incomplete?” This infuriated the master Sculptor even more. Vajrasan said, “Do you know anything about the theory of incompleteness? Unless I can see the emerging balance in a sculpture, I can’t decide which part to leave incomplete. In this sculpture, I have not reached that stage yet.”

Nachiketa did not understand the logic, but he kept quiet.

Do you understand? Why should incompleteness be so significant and that too the way it is left in any act, in which part, when and how much? Perhaps, only these imperfections draw our attention to the perfections that any act or person has. Are not these imperfections which keep the act, or the event, or the person, stay with us; don’t we get over the perfect forms, acts, events rather easily? But then obviously, these imperfections or incomplete acts, in company of certain highly exalted act, perhaps make more sense.


Courtesy - Honey Bee Network Magazine Issue - October - December / 2010 - 2010       Volume - 21 
                    Title - An Incomplete Story of an Imperfect Vision

Education and Training Industry in India

Brief Introduction

With a growth rate of 10 to 15 per cent expected over the next decade, the Indian education market has witnessed a series of developments and changes in the last few years, which has resulted in a significant increase in the market size of the education industry compared to previous years. With a combined market size of US$ 50 billion per annum with more than 450 million students, and investment requirement of approximately US$ 100 billion by 2014 to meet growing demands of the sector, education industry is one of the largest service sector industries in India.

Market Size

The education industry in India can be broadly classified into the Regulated segment (K12 and higher education) and the Un-regulated segment (pre-school, multimedia, ICT, coaching cases, vocational training and books). The expected market size of K-12 sector in 2012 (E) is US$ 34 billion, with a rise of 14 per cent as compared to US$ 20 billion in 2008. The corresponding figures for the higher education sector are US$ 10.3 billion in 2012 (E) with a rise of 12 per cent as compared to US$ 6.5 billion in 2008. The coaching institutes in India will witness a 17 per cent increase from US$ 0.3 billion in 2008 to US$ 0.6 billion in 2012 (E). Similarly, the Pre-schools market in the country will witness a rise of 36 per cent from US$ 0.3 billion to US$ 1 billion and the vocational training from US$ 1.6 billion to US$ 4 billion in 2012 (E).

"The Indian pre-school market is set to become the largest in the world. In India, the pre-school segment is currently worth US$ 750 million and is expected to reach US$ 1 billion by 2012," as told by Arun Arora, Chairman,Serra International Pre-Schools.

Private Equity (PE) Investments

The Private equity and venture capital investors have pumped US$ 93 million into 10 education companies by July 2011, and are bullish about the sector's prospects going forward according to Venture Intelligence. PE investment in the education sector increased from US$ 129 million in 2009 to US$ 183 million in 2010. The other large deals in the country include PremjiInvest's US$ 43 million investment in Manipal Education and India Equity Partners' US$ 37 million investment in IL&FS Education and Technology Services.

Government Initiatives/Policies

Union Budget 2012 - 2013 Highlights

Education

• For the year 2012-13, Rs 25,555 crore (US$ 4.98 billion) have been allotted for RTE-SSA (Right to Education - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) which represents an increase of 21.7 per cent over the previous year allotment in 2011-12
• 6,000 schools have been proposed to be set up at block level as model schools in the Twelfth Five Year Plan (2012-17)
• Rs 3,124 crore (US$ 0.61 billion) have been provided for the RMSA (Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) which is an increase of 29 per cent over BE 2011-12
• In order to ensure a better flow of credit to students, a Credit Guarantee Fund has been proposed

Skill Development

• National Skill Development Corporation has approved projects that are expected to train 6.2 crore people at the end of 10 years
• The National Skill Development Fund has been allocated Rs 1,000 crore (US$ 0.19 billion) for the period 2012-13
• To improve the flow of institutional credit for skill development, a separate Credit Guarantee Fund will be set up
• "Himayat" scheme introduced in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to provide skill training to 100,000 youth during the next 5 years and the entire cost will be borne by the Government of India

• Chicago-based Encyclopedia Britannica intends to launch online learning and knowledge products in India. The Indian market, in which Encyclopedia Britannica has been present for 12 years, accounted for about five per cent of the company's global print sales. Britannica has sold around 1,100 of each edition in the country over the past 30 months.
• The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM-K) has signed an agreement of co-operation with Leeds University Business School, UK to promote the internationalisation of efforts by the institute. The project intends to enable both the institutions to carry out activities such as exchange of students, exchange of faculty members and collaborative research on contemporary management issues.
• India developed Intel Future Scientist programme that aims to sustain the innovative streak in students, has been launched by the global chip maker, Intel Inc. The programme will provide support to teachers in transforming the method of teaching science and math subjects. The focus of the initiative is to help science teachers present their curricula from an inquiry-based perspective to help foster a spirit of research and innovation among their students.
• India's growing Rs 350 crore (US$ 68.33 million) executive education space continues to attract B-schools. US-headquartered Harvard Business School (HBS) will offer executive programmes at the TajLands End, at Bandra, in suburban Mumbai. The Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, will also set up its own centre in India. University of Chicago, Tuck School of Business, INSEAD, Oxford University's Said Business School and Duke University are among others, to offer their executive education programmes in India.
• Technology-based education solutions provider Core Technologies will set up 150 skill development centres across the country. With an investment of Rs 450 crore (US$ 87.86 million), these training centres will offer vocational training across disciplines such as automobile, construction, hospitality, retail, IT and IT-enabled services.
• IIHT Ltd, a technology-training organisation, along with Microsoft, has announced the launch of a certified cloud expert programme at Kochi Infopark. The programme would help information technology (IT) professionals acquire the necessary skills to develop into cloud professionals.

Road Ahead

With the focus on the Indian education sector, an increase in allocation for Right to Education - Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan reiterates the Government's commitment towards education. The increase in budgetary allocations for school education and adult literacy is also a welcome step for the future of the Indian education sector.

Exchange Rate Used: INR 1 = US$ 0.0195246 as on March 23, 2012

References: Press Releases, Media Reports, KPMG Report

Real Estate – An industry in transition - ATANU KUMAR DAS -

Real estate in India, though fast growing, is still a nascent industry that offers immense scope, says Atanu Kumar Das.

The numbers say it all.

The Indian real estate industry, valued at about US$ 12 billion, ranks second in the world, after the United States, in terms of contributing to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating employment. Presently, real estate accounts for about five per cent of India’s GDP; in the next five years its share is expected to rise to six per cent. It is also the second largest employer in India after agriculture.

According to some real estate firms, employment generation has grown two-fold in the last two to three years. “Five years ago, we used to do two to three projects at one time, but now things have changed and we are doing 15 to 20 projects at one time and this means we require more manpower and mostly we need people at the middle management and senior level who can drive the project. I feel that since the demand supply ratio is still skewed, we will witness lot of more real estate projects taking place across the country,” said Rajeev Talwar, Group Executive Director, DLF.

What’s driving Real Estate?

Real estate in India, though it is a fast growing vertical, is still a nascent industry that offers immense scope. Though it may see spikes and trenches in keeping with the trends of the past few years, it holds out the prospect of unhindered growth over the next two decades:
• Real estate thrives on growth of national infrastructure and is fuelled by the Government of India’s thrust on infrastructure development. In last year’s budget the Indian government outlined an investment of Rs 1,73,552 crore for infrastructure development, in its bid to attract investment from the international community.
• India’s fast paced growth in recent years – including its success as an outsourcing hub in various fields like banking, finance, information technology, high-end information technology-enabled services (ITES) & consultancy services – has given a boost to the demand for commercial space and urban housing. Despite weakening global sentiment, given India’s growing population, there will be no slackening in the demand for housing.
• Liberalization policies have simplified the investment process by reducing the need for permissions and licenses for large scale construction projects. The government has opened its doors to foreign investment, which has given a further push to the development of the real estate industry in India.
• Organised retail in India is also accelerating with players like WalMart, Bharti & Reliance as well as multinational retail players making their foray into retailing and thus stepping up the demand for real estate. This has led to capturing of prime retail locations in metro cities as well as Tier I & II cities. Real estate firms that were earlier invested into the residential segment have recognized this opportunity and ventured into commercial real estate. Moreover, if FDI into multi-brand retailing does go through as planned, it will be a boon for the realty industry.

On the other hand…

Though seeming unstoppable, the real estate sector faces two key challenges. According to real estate analysts, one key concern is that the realty market is still an unorganized one and lacks a transparent pricing mechanism. The government needs to step in and appoint a regulator to ensure fair pricing in markets across the country. The silver lining: the Ministry of Urban Development is working on the first draft of bringing in a regulator for this sector that will ensure fair pricing across the country, boost consumer confidence and facilitate transactions.

Another concern that looms over the sector is that of the recent Repo rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of India. The Central Bank has raised the repo rate – interest rates at which it gives loans to banks – 13 times in its bid to control raging inflation in India, before finally pausing last week. However, the impact of successive rounds of increases is yet to play out.

Reacting to the repo rate increases, Mr. Lalit Kumar Jain, president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) said, “It has come as a shock to the realty industry as it would hit developers as well as home buyers.” Moreover the cost of materials for manufacturing has increased by over 40 per cent and the wages of labour have also doubled during the last three years. The increases in repo rates and spiraling costs have hit builders who will most likely pass the burden to consumers and dampen the demand for housing.

Key Players

Most of the real estate companies, be it big or small, have been growing at 20 to 35 per cent on a yearly basis and this clearly shows the immense demand which persists in this market. While national real estate developers like DLF, Unitech, Emaar MGF, Jaypee Greens, Tata Housing, Ansal API, Ansal Properties have carved out a name for themselves, regional players, too, have grown from strength to strength. These include Omaxe, Parasvnath Developers, Assotech, Amrapali, Housing Development & Infrastructure Ltd, Purvankara, Supertech, Orior Developers, Tulip Infratech, Lodha Developers, Mantri Developers, Nitish Estate, HM Constructions, Bengal Ambuja Housing Development, Purvanchal Construction Works, Ashiana Homes to name a few. Projects like the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor will bring real estate development to this zone and in the coming years will be a major contributor for the real estate sector.

The Indian real estate today offers potential for tremendous career growth and enhancement. However it is still in a stage of transition from a relatively unstructured industry to an evolved one in keeping with its counterpart in more developed countries. While this will pose challenges, it will reward those who have the mettle to take it on.

About the Author: Atanu Kumar Das is a business journalist.

Introduction

India is set to witness the next revolution in the food processing industry, as per Mr Subodh Kant Sahai, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries. The Centre has set an investment target of Rs 100, 000 crore (US$ 18.90 billion) by 2015 in the sector. The sector is expected to grow by 20 per cent and value addition to increase by 35 per cent by 2015.

India is the second largest producer of food and holds the potential to be the biggest on global food and agriculture canvas, according to a Corporate Catalyst India (CCI) survey. The Indian food industry comprises of food production and the food processing industry. The food processing industry is one of the largest in India – it is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth.

Market Size of Indian Food Industry

The Indian fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market is estimated to grow to US$ 100 billion by 2025 from US$ 12 billion in 2011, according to market research firm Nielsen's report titled Consumer 360. The report has identified four key trends that will drive consumption: premiumisation, consumers switching from commodity to brands, from indulgence to regular consumption, and acceptability.

Food Processing Industry

The Union Ministry of Food Processing plans to give emphasis on improving supply chain, by creating large primary collection and distribution centres throughout the country involving private sector, in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) period.

Food processing industry is of enormous significance for India's development because it has linked up economy, industry and agriculture in India, efficiently and effectively. The three pillars being together have synergised the development process and promoted the growth of the nation to a great extent.

There are 25, 367 registered food processing units in the country whose total invested capital is Rs 84,094 crore (US$ 15.90 billion), as per a competitiveness report of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council. This information was provided in a written reply to the Lok Sabha, by Dr Charan Das Mahant, the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries.

Food processing industry is one of the largest industries operating in India and is divided into several segments.

Segments

The Food Processing Industry operates across various segments that include:

• Fruits & vegetables
• Meat & poultry
• Dairy
• Marine products, grains and consumer foods (that includes packaged food, beverages and packaged drinking water)

Value addition of food products is expected to increase from 8 per cent to 35 per cent by 2025. Fruit & vegetable processing is also expected to increase from the current level of 2 per cent to 25 per cent of total production by 2025, as per the CCI report. Dairy sector – that holds highest share in processed food market – holds large potential to be exploited. The report reveals that 37 per cent of the total dairy produce is processed, of which only 15 per cent is done by the organised sector. Hence, there lies a plethora of opportunity for investment and development.

The Vision Document 2015 envisages increasing the value addition to 35 per cent by 2015. The food processing sector is presently growing at an average rate of 13.5 per cent per annum. Food processing industry is a potential source for driving the rural economy and is of great importance to an agrarian economy like India.