Smart City Kochi IT park suffered a setback after Smart City Dubai, which has signed a pact with the state government to develop the project, said it wanted the freehold land issue resolved.
Saving bank account will now earn interest on daily balances against the old practice of interest on minimum balance between 10th to last day of the month for whole month.
The other day I received the following e-mail from a client’s office in response to a request I had made for some information:
WE WILL SEND THE INFO BY 2MRW EVE
FYI
NXT MEET PREPONED ON 12
HOPE U R FREE 2 ATTND
RGDS
XYZ
Looking at it, I realised that our young and “with it” population, one of our greatest assets, need to polish their e-mail etiquette.
My guess is that several readers of this e-mail will find nothing wrong with it. There probably would not be anything very wrong had it been sent as a casual communication between friends. But in a business scenario, it is all wrong.
Capital mistakes
First things first. Look at the font. The entire message is typed in capital letters. In the world of e-mails, that amounts to shouting. A Westerner receiving such a mail would jump to the conclusion that the sender is very angry or irritated with him/her, and is not bothering to hide the fact.
James, one of my newer clients, took offence when my colleague, Sharada, wrote in the subject line “RESENDING” in caps. He told her politely that she needed to stay cool! Needless to say, the Indian correspondent was not being rude but was merely using the All Caps option for ease of typing.
So please take care to press the Shift key when you want to put in capital letters where grammar requires you to, but otherwise stick to the lower case.
No short forms pls
To get back to our sample e-mail: You will notice several abbreviations. So what, you might ask. I don’t even recommend this for SMS communication. In an e-mail, abbreviations such as 2mrw and U R are totally unprofessional and unacceptable. Treat e-mails just as you would any other business correspondence.
Remember you are making a lasting impression on people you may never meet in today’s virtual world. This attention to detail is as important as a live meeting where women business managers would not want to appear with lipstick smudges on their teeth, or men with spinach stuck in them!
Punctuation points
There are also no punctuation marks in the e-mail I have quoted. Perhaps the sender thought they were not necessary, considering it was “only” an e-mail. There are others who simply strew their e-mails with exclamation marks, question marks and even emoticons. Take this one, for example:
Hello!!
We have received the communication yesterday!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!! Boss was happy. But one of the rods was bent in transit. What to do????
Both extremes are unprofessional and create a bad impression not only about you but also about the company you represent.
Grammar matters too. In the first e-mail that I quoted, there are a couple of grammatical and semantic mistakes. See if you can spot them.
Whether you are dealing with expats or Indian colleagues, ensure that your communication is framed in correct, official language. A well-written e-mail earns you plus points in your readers’ minds. Here are some general tips to follow while sending e-mails:
· If you are unsure of how to address a person, stick to being formal. Dear Mr/Ms X can’t be wrong. If you don’t know the gender, address the person by the full name, Eg. Dear Yasoshui Hanegawa or Dear Jeanne Ranay.
· Be crisp, concise and clear in your communication. Aside from an occasional friendly enquiry once you have established a level of comfort, keep to the point.
· Format your e-mail so that the lines are well-spaced and if you have to set down points, use bullets or even numbers.
· Do not put read or delivery receipts giving the reader the task of pressing the button; instead, you could request them to acknowledge receipt of the e-mail.
· Limit attachments. They clog the in-box and generally only serve to irritate recipients. Avoid them where possible.
· Where relevant, preserve the e-mail thread so that the readers can follow the sequence of developments.
· Don’t hit the Reply All button as a matter of course. Think whether your reply to an e-mail merits being sent to everyone who has been copied on it.
· Use the CC button judiciously. The other day, a colleague had to tell a co-worker that I need not be copied on every e-mail communication between them, as it would only clutter up my in-box and add unnecessarily to my load.
· Read your e-mail carefully for mistakes, check that you have put what you want to convey in the clearest possible way, and only then press the Send button.
· And finally, be prompt with your correspondence. The e-mail is sent in the expectation of a quick response. Make sure that the expectation is met. Even if you cannot sort out the problem, acknowledge the e-mail and let the sender know roughly when he or she should expect a response.
The drive and enthusiasm of the brave new generation is something the West envies. We also have the trump card of English knowledge which even China doesn’t possess. With a little polishing in e-etiquette, we could make the most of these advantages.
PS: “Preponed” is not accepted English usage. The correct word is “Advanced”. Also, the e-mail should have read “advanced to 12th” instead of “preponed on 12”.
Gold sales drop by 60% in Dubai in 2009.
Remittances from NRIs may decline 20 per cent -Planning Commision
Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India, part of the Mahindra Group, is planning major expansion in Kerala.
As many 19 Indian co-operative banks collapsed for the 12 months ended March 2009 against 44 American entities failing during the same period.
A hoax email is circulating among NRIs which claims that Government of India has imposed income tax of 5% on foreign income of NRIs. This is completely false and baseless.
A good number of rubber farmers and dealers in Kerala are tracking the prices of the commodity real time, helped by a service by the Rubber Board which through SMSes updates the farmers with rates in the global as well as domestic markets.
The World Investors’ Meet-Focus Kerala will be held here on July 24, 25 to propagate the concept of responsible investment in the state.
Almost 10,000 Indian and other non-European Union professionals will be eligible to claim compensation for hardship caused by the 2006 changes to immigration rules that were struck down by the London High Court.
NRIs hare finding it difficult to access the Right to Information with complaints about the cumbersome process of fee payment that includes a deposit fee of Rs 10 from abroad to the public authority.
Britain's Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced a new visa regime for Indians and non-European Union students, as part of the Tier 4 points based rules that will make the visa process simpler, more objective and transparent for applicants and importantly prevent abuse of the immigration system.
Worried Employees
Employees of a Company are all worried. Some are roaming around. Some are in loud discussions during office time.....
Some Trainees, who had just joined, notice this and enquire about what happened to a senior employee, they ask, "What's going on?"
"Terrorists have kidnapped our Boss.
They're asking for Rs.1 Crores ransom, otherwise they're going to douse him with petrol and set him on fire.
We're going from desk to desk, taking up a collection."
One Trainee asks, "How much is everyone contributing, on average?
"About 1 litre."
Secret of Success
A young man asked an old rich man how he made his money.
The old guy fingered his worsted wool vest and said, "Well, son, it was 1932, the depth of the Great Depression. I was down to my last nickel. I invested that nickel in an apple. I spent the entire day polishing the apple and, at the end of the day, I sold the apple for ten cents.
The next morning, I invested those ten cents in two apples. I spent the entire day polishing them and sold them at 5:00 pm for 20 cents. I continued this system for a month, by the end of which I'd accumulated a fortune of $1.37.”
“Then what happened”, the young man became excited.
Old man replied “Then my wife's father died and left us two million dollars."
India's software exports slowed down, those from Kerala grew 43 percent.
Kerala is planning three schools for children of NRKs (Trivandrum, Kochi, Malappuram ).
Kerala to set up a welfare fund for people settled here from other states.
The coconut productivity in Kerala is expected to go up. Central Government sanctioned a huge amount for the same.
Malappuram district has the highest number of emigrants from Kerala followed by Trivandrum - Centre for Development Studies.
Kerala is set to have a Lok Sabha polls on April 16 two days after Vishu.
India ranks second in the world in medical tourism after Thailand.
Indians have formed 15 percent of America's foreign student population, the largest, since 2001.
US NRIs are wealthiest among all communities in USA and face least violent crime as per a new study.
NRIs remitted a record US$ 45 billion in 2008 to India, highest in the world and expected to slow down - World Bank.
The Reserve Bank of India said the global financial crisis has not resulted in reverse migration from the Arabian Gulf.
France introduces new visa rules for Indian professionals.
A London School of Curry is being proposed by leaders of the 3.5 billion pound restaurant industry to overcome shortage of Indian cooks.
Some 100,000 Indians will return to India from US in the next three to five years, a move that will undermine tech innovation in America - one study.
Kerala is setting up the country's first Aqua Technology Park (ATP) at Aluva.
Alappuzha will soon get a "floating market" that will sell provisions to people living on the banks of the Vembanad Lake.
Kerala is aiming to double its power generation capacity.
America will need over 50,000 nurses to meet shortage. Kerala worried after Obama says no to foreign nurses.
Indian Institute of Architects has recommended that the State should increase the floor area ratio.
Stock Market
Global markets recovered on expectation that worst fears are already factored into the prices. There are some nascent signs of economic recovery as well. Market is the midst of a very strong bear market rally. Economic deterioration may have slowed down but it is still in declining phase and this may cause rally to suddenly reverse if bounceback runs ahead of fundamentals.
FII are again started purchasing Indian stocks on net basis which is positive. Valuations are attractive and downside risk is limited from these levels. Markets are showing considerable strength inspite of bad news. Negatives include - Possibility of major US auto companies going bankrupt, declining economic indicators especially from Europe and Japan & uncertainty over next government.
Insurance
SBI Life is now offering SBI Smart ULIP. A unit linked (stock market related) insurance plan. Here the scheme tries to give certain protection to the invested amount. This scheme offers NAV guarantee – Investors are guaranteed highest NAV (net asset value) of 168 months. Maturity is at 10th year and proceeds are tax free. Age bracket is 8 to 60 years. Minimum investment Rs.50,000/-. Premium Payment period is 3 or 5 years. Charges are lower.
Please contact your SBI branch or us for more details.
Mutual Fund
SBI Mutual Fund launched Gold Exchange Traded Scheme (GETS). It is very convenient way of investing in Gold. All you need is a valid Demat Account. Each unit of GETS will be roughly equal to 1 gram of Gold. It will be listed at stock exchange and after listing investors can buy and sell units of GETS at stock exchange freely. The advantage over physical gold is security, liquidity and convenience. Investors need not worry about purity of gold and can invest with minimum Rs 5000/-.
Please contact your SBI branch or us for more details.
Bank Deposits
As inflation is dropped below one percent - real rate of interest (interest rate minus inflation) is at high levels during recent times. If inflation remains below 1 percent chances of interest rates coming down substantially is higher. Going for fixed deposits quickly is advisable in such scenario.
NRIs and PIOs (Person of Indian Origin) find it difficult to start business in India and those who start often fail in the venture. Here are some basic steps required by NRIs for this -
1. If you are a foreign citizen then get an OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) Card that puts you on par with an Indian as far as business and tax matters are concerned. NRIs (Indian Citizens) do not require this card.
2. Get a PAN or Permanent Account Number card issued by the income-tax department. Since you plan to go into business in India, you will eventually file your income-tax returns annually.
3. Choose a Business Partner in India. It makes things much easier for you if you are not planning to stay back in India for doing business. You will identify and select your partners on the basis of their track record, honesty and other personal attributes. The reason of failure for most NRI businesses is choosing a relative or close friend as business partner for emotional reasons. When the business collapses, you have lost not only your money but also a priceless relationship.
4. Choose a Proper Business Entity. A simple partnership is a viable takeoff for your venture although it has some pitfalls. All it takes is to draw up the agreement between you and your partner(s) and register on a legal, stamp paper and it takes just a few days to complete this simple formality. When your turnover exceeds four million rupees, you need the services of a qualified accountant to audit your accounts and file your tax returns. Limited liability companies take a lot of time to get off the ground and it is very expensive/troublesome to maintain. You can also consider new form of entity – Limited Liability Partnership.
5. Once you take all these steps, you are - at last! - ready to launch into business. Of course, you have decided the area in which you are going to engage in business. So your firm should become a member of the different business organizations looking after this sector in addition to the local chamber of commerce.
6. Many NRIs have ventured into exports from India as they help in marketing through their contacts. All export/import business must be registered with the Director General of Foreign Trade. The application form requires a bank account number and a letter from the bank plus various details of partners/directors. The registration takes about two to three weeks.
7. Getting proper legal/accounting guidance is very important. Check whether your business require other approvals (like environment/pollution).
8. Control expenses at all levels – if possible start business in your own premises, hire minimum workers, use outsourcing judicially.
9. Establish & maintain good relationship with government officials, political leaders, chartered accountants, bankers etc.
10. Visit following websites for Kerala specific information –
http://www.pppinindia.com/states_kerala.asp
http://www.kerala.gov.in/
A lady has changed her habit of how she lists her names in her cell phone directory after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, purse, etc.., was stolen.
Twenty minutes later she called her husband, from a pay telephone telling him what had happened. Her husband said, 'I have just received your text message asking about our pin number and I have replied a little while ago.'
When they rushed down to the bank, the staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text her husband listed in the directory and got hold of their pin number.
Within twenty minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
So whenever sensitive information is being asked for through text messages, confirm by calling back.
Kerala is mulling establishment of three schools in the state, at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Malappuram to cater to children of non-residents.
Asian Lite, a newspaper for the British-Asian community is short-listed for the 'How-Do Media Awards', one of the largest industry accolades in Britain.
India ranks second in the world in medical tourism after Thailand, even though it spends less than 1.2 percent of GDP on its health sector.
Indians have formed 15 percent of America's foreign student population, the largest, since 2001.
Vikram Sunderam executive chef at Rasika, an Indian cuisine restaurant in Washington DC, is one of the nominees in the 'Best Chefs of America' category for the biggest US food awards.
US NRIs are wealthiest among all communities in USA and face least violent crime as per a new study.
NRIs remitted a record US$ 45 billion in 2008 to India, highest in the world and expected to slow down - World Bank.
The Reserve Bank of India said the global financial crisis has not resulted in reverse migration from the Arabian Gulf nor is there a slower flow of funds from NRIs in the Mid East or North America.
France introduces new visa rules for Indian professionals.
A London School of Curry is being proposed by leaders of the 3.5 billion pound restaurant industry to overcome shortage of Indian cooks.
Some 100,000 Indians will return to India from US in the next three to five years, a move that will undermine tech innovation in America - one study.
India's election to cost more than US presidential poll.
The Indian Cabinet approved the establishment of the Overseas Indian Centre in Abu Dhabi.
.JPG)
