This is a hypothetical theory I have come up with that, only the biggest companies will survive the 21st century. The smaller ones will either shut down or get taken over.
– Mahesh Hegde
This is a hypothetical theory I have come up with that, only the biggest companies will survive the 21st century. The smaller ones will either shut down or get taken over.
Inspired by the above, I would like to use the phrase / hypothetical theory — Survival of the biggest — in the context that every day in 21st century the newspaper is filled with news of mergers and acquisitions.
All of us (in India) have seen lots of “petty” shops in our lives, and I predict that by the end of the 21st century there will be no more small enterprises. The mounting pressure on delivering quality goods and lowest prices will require so much infrastructure and automation (in both office and on the production floor) that the small shops will not be sustainable over an extended period of time.
There will be exceptions. The small firms which will be doing well will get taken over by larger companies.
So, if you are still alive in the 22nd century people will not be asking you about your nationality. They will ask you which company. According to my theory there will not be more than 500 companies in the world. So the fortune 500 list will be changed to Fortune 5 list.
Every company would have diversified to such a vast extent that there will be no term called Business-To-Business (B2B). Every company will have its own virtual world (intranet) on the cloud. Employee numbers will have portability between companies, so if you change companies your employee number will remain, so will your bank and Provident Fund accounts.
All the worlds consultants / freelancers will have grouped together to form a global consulting pool (another big company).
Operating systems and computers will be obsolete, all you will require is a display plugged on to the cloud – no OS no Applications.
My Job in L-3 India took me to various places around the world including Canada, South Korea, Khandala / Lonavala …. The most interesting of the places my job has taken me is to Andaman Islands. I was in Port Blair Andaman for giving a training to Indian Navy personnel for a week followed by a vacation for about 5 days.
My Job in L-3 India took me to various places around the world including Canada, South Korea, Khandala / Lonavala …. The most interesting of the places my job has taken me is to Andaman Islands. I was in Port Blair Andaman for giving a training to Indian Navy personnel for a week followed by a vacation for about 5 days.
It all started when the requirement for giving training in Andaman came up in office and lot of people wanted to take up this task including me. There was not much discussion in office for this assignment as Madhukar and I were pretty senior we were the chosen ones (actually there were not too many choices as people do not like to give trainings).
Since this kind of an opportunity does not come very often I decided to take my wife Prashanti along so that I can have a great time during my vacation in Andaman. So what happened to start as a teaching assignment, ended up as a training assignment + an extended vacation with my wife.
We had to take two flights to reach Port Blair and this is how Madhukar was after our first flight from Bangalore to Chennai.
Sleeping Madhukar @ Chennai Airport
Thanks to the scarce seats at Chennai airport. The sad part about it is that if you have to transfer from one domestic flight to other you need to go out of the airport and come back in! Luckily you do not have to check in again. Chennai to Port Blair flight was longer than what I expected. It is a hard to believe fact that Andaman is closer to Burma than India. Please don’t be surprised if people ask you weather you need a passport / Visa to go to Andaman. Many people have asked me that assuming that Andaman is a separate country!
This was my first glimpse of the Andaman Islands from the plane. I just said WOOW!! Photography is banned in the Port Blair Airport so the air hostess asked me to switch off my phone as soon as I took this.
First view of Andaman
Landing in the Veer Savarkar Airport in Port Blair, named after the freedom fighter who had once escaped from the jail in Andaman, the weather was pretty hot and humid, but not as bad as Chennai. We picked up bags and met our driver who was holding a placard outside the airport. I had no idea about the common cabs in Port Blair; I was expecting at least a Tata Indica. To my disappointment our cab happened to be a rickety old Ambassador which we had to bear with for the rest of the week. We got into the Amby and then came our next surprise as the car started to take us towards our “VIP” accommodation!! We were driving on the airport runway!!!! I couldn’t believe this; I have seen the airport vehicles run on a runway sometimes, and also some defense vehicles allowed on the runway like in Pune airport. This was the first time I came across a civilian car being allowed to go on the runway. Here is a picture I took, you can observe a black dot far on the runway is a chopper trying to take off while we enjoy the “Runway Crossing”
Runway Crossing
It was a very hot Day and we were first taken to a Navy Commander’s residence who arranged accommodation for us in Andaman. I really envy this Commander’s sea facing house, although the house was an old Government building, the view of the sea from the living room was awesome. It reminded me of one of the hotels in Ulsan, South Korea where I used to stay which has a cool view of the ocean. We were shown our accommodation at the officer’s mess which was kind of descent but the air conditioning was not sufficient to fight the heat. So on day two we decided to move to a hotel SeaShells a highly recommended place to stay.
Cellular Jail – Kaala Paani
Sound & Light Show @ Cellular Jail / Kaala Paani
Our first tourist spot we saw was the cellular jail in Port Blair which has a distressing history behind it. You can walk through the empty corridors of the jail which once was filled with the determination and sorrow of the freedom fighters who were deported from the main land to this jail nick names Kaala Paani. This website gives a lot more info on this jail which is a National Monument today. The sound and light show which is conducted every evening at the Jail tell about the story of the jail in the sight of a tree which stands in the jail’s gardens. A very touching story makes u realize the cost of freedom. This is a must see if you are in Andaman.
During the entire week we spend the days on board Indian Navy Ship INS Kesari which is one of the Shardul class ships in service as a Landing Ship Tank (Large). This type of ships are exceptionally valuable in rescue missions during Tsunami and other natural mishaps as they have the capability to beach in shallow waters, where other ships cannot enter. These ships also have a huge storage space where you can play a casual game of cricket or soccer J this space is used to store tanks and trucks in battle or to transport people and supplies during emergencies. I had worked on the project to design and deploy an Integrated Machinery Control System (IMCS). Madhukar and I spent most of the week giving training to the Navy personnel on board the ship on the IMCS. We spent the evening checking out places within Port Blair like, the Marina / Water Sports Complex and Ross Island.
Ross Island – The Strange contrast
View of Ross Island from Cellular Jail
We chose Ross Island over Mount Harriet National park (Highest peak in Andaman) and in the end I feel we took a good decision. If you have seen the Cellular Jail you must also visit Ross Island as the history of these two places are linked. Exactly across the jail is this Island called Ross Island which was the administrative headquarters of Andaman now managed by the Indian Navy as INS Jarawa named after the tribal group of Andaman. When the freedom fighters were struggling in the Jail the British enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle in Ross Island where they had club houses, ball room, cricket and tennis grounds, spotted deer, peacocks and a lovely white sand beach with crystal clear ocean waters. It is said that the British used the local tribes and the inmates to build their paradise in Ross Island. Ross Island takes u back in time and boosts the respect you have for our Nation’s freedom fighters.
Tsunami hit beach @ Ross Island
North Point – My first experience with underwater world
Corals of Andaman
On the last day on board the ship we had the privilege to meet the Captain of the ship we were giving training on. After we were presented with some mementos Captain asked us what plans we had for the next day, we told him that we were planning snorkeling in North Point. The Captain instructed one of his Commanders and an expert diver who free dives for more than 50 feet to guide us the next day. The next day we started early from our hotel and were surprised to see that at about 5.30 am college and school students were ready to catch their bus to the school. This seems normal in Andaman as the sun rises early there compared to the mainland India. We left the jetty at about 6 am in a small inflatable motor boat. It took us about half an hour to get to North Point. I also had brought my wife along and it was her first experience on a boat like this. It was our first experience at snorkeling for all three of us (Madhukar, my wife and me). The ride to North Point was little bumpy as we had some small waves in the sea due to cool breeze from the east. Once we reached North Point we got some lessons on how to use the snorkeling gear from the Navy Commander Madhukar was the first who wanted to jump into the sea which he tried for about 10 minutes and gave up (for the time being). So it was me who jumped into the sea first. The water was warm and comfortable and the early morning sun was not very harsh. I put on the snorkeling gear and then Commander gave me a quick tour of the corals at North Point. Woooow!!! I never expected the underwater world to be so beautiful, rich and breathtaking, colorful corals, variety of shapes, strange creatures and fish – lots of them. This moment is the most memorable one of my trip to Andaman. After Madhukar saw me in the water, he got more confidence and he also jumped in. Then, my wife joined me in the water and I took her for a tour holding her in one hand and swimming using my other hand. Although, my wife does not know how to swim, we had some floats to help her stay on the surface of the water. All of us enjoyed the spectacular views of the corals lit by the slant rays of the early morning sun in the crystal clear waters. Some of the corals here were really huge, probably as huge as an elephant. I really missed an underwater HD camera to capture the moments. The absence of any tourists as it was early in the morning made the place even better.
We were snorkeling for almost over an hour. Once we were done, I took my wife for a quick tour of the Naval ship and then we were dropped back to the jetty from where we went to our hotel in the Amby by about 9 a.m.
Some facts about North Point:
– North Point appears on the back of the Indian 20 rupee note
– This is the first point of reference for navigation on Indian Territory for incoming vessels from the east; there is a light house here on top of a small hill to guide the boats.
Havelock Island – Thick tropical forests, mangroves, one of Asia’s best beaches
Makkruzz Catamaran @ Havelock Jetty
This island is about 2-3 hours by sea from Port Blair and a must visit if you want to see some really great beaches and thick tropical forest. There are two boats that operate between Port Blair and Havelock. The best option is the private “Cruize” This is a very efficient boat and since it’s a catamaran hull it is also fast and takes about an hour and a half. This is very similar to the ferries from Busan to Okpo in South Korea. Beware as the private boat may be cancelled if the weather is bad. On our return trip the private boat was cancelled and so we had to take the only other option i.e. the Government operated boat. The government operated ferry stinks, makes u puke and also takes almost double the time. I somehow managed to stay stable after the 3 hour journey, but most people did not!
We arrived in Havelock at about noon, the resort where we were booked (SeaShells Havelock) has a small private beach lined with mangrove trees. The resort is setup in a coconut plantation and has several independent wooden cottages which are maintained well. You really do not feel like going out of this place. The resort arranges vehicles and boats to visit the different parts of the island.
Seashells Resort Havelock
The first location we checked out was Elephant Beach. To go to Elephant beach we took a scary motor boat from the Havelock jetty. It takes about 45 minutes to reach Elephant beach. A rare feature about the beaches of Havelock is that the beaches have a rich tropical forest backdrop lined up with really huge trees. A “glass bottom” motor boat at this beach was very useful to take some pictures of the colorful and shallow coral reefs. The corals here are really colorful and there are lots of varieties. However I felt that the corals at North Point are bigger. Snorkeling in Havelock was banned when we visited as a crocodile had lately killed a foreign tourist.
Back in the resort in the night I spent some time taking pictures of the resort at night. The next day we had planned to visit one of Asia’s best beaches.
After a heavy breakfast, we started for Radhanagar Beach which is about 15 Kms from our resort. Once we reached Radhanagar we were disappointed as the sky was overcast and the waves were too high for swimming. We were probably the only tourists on the beautiful beach. Setup against a thick tropical forest lined up with huge trees. The clouds started to clear, as the sun started shining we could see the different shades of blue in the water due to the varying depth of the ocean bed. The colors were incredible. A photo op and this is the result.
Radhanagar Beach Havelock
More tourists started coming in and I enjoyed swimming in the beach, hitting against the waves & jumping on them. Just as I started coming out of the water the clouds were coming in from the sea and the sun still shining on the beach. It was a perfect moment and a perfect photo reflecting the spirit and the weather of Andaman.
As we packed off from the beach for lunch, I took a final look at the beach and the sea and thought this is the best beach I have ever seen.
Key attractions at Havelock:
– Radhanagar beach
– Boat ride through the mangrove trees
– Corals at Elephant beach
– Neil Island – Beaches and Corals – this is a smaller island beside Havelock
Waiting for the boat at Havelock Jetty
Havelock was the last place we visited. We took the Govt. ferry to get back to Port Blair and took the next day early morning flight back to Bangalore via Chennai. The next time I go to Andaman I would like to take the Great Andaman Trunk road all the way to the top most Islands in Andaman and check out the sand bars connecting two islands there. I have heard a lot about this place. We could not do it on this trip due to time constrains and uncertainty about the road. Sometimes this road is closed to preserve the tribal people who live along the road.
Before I start writing about other people I thought it’s a nice idea to write a little bit more about myself.
More about me
Before I start writing about other people I thought it’s a nice idea to write a little bit more about myself. I know, you may be thinking that I am trying to glorify myself….. then so be it. I don’t mind 🙂
This is what my Orkut profile states and this was more apt in the earlier days of my career – I though it’s worth a mention here
“
Well… dinner in Bangalore, Lunch in Bangkok, coffee break in Taipei evening snacks in Seoul , supper in Ulsan … but yelle hodru… namma Mysoreeee great!!! sounds like some movie??? Well not too much…. I have done this several times by now. And got used to the changing place around me…… I sometimes feel that I am not going places… but the places are going around me… and I am playing musical chair with the world as the playground… and then… when I am at sea… for days together … nothing moves…. Water everywhere…. However fast you go …. There is nothing around… that’s when I realized that really a significant part of our earth is covered by water… and the amount of water…. You will only realize when you are in the middle of an ocean on a ship with nothing around you…
yes I always wanted to travel… seeing different places is everyone’s dream… Its been reality to me….. and I really don’t know whom to thank for this… is it just co- incidence.. is it just good luck? Is it bad luck?? Whatever it is… I am sure it is not hard work!!!! Ha ha.. u guys know what I am talking about.
Yes I have been one hell of a lucky guy… keep wondering if I should change my name to that … “Lucky” sounds a bit girlish tough…. .
Seeing many different parts of the world… I feel that we being Indians are biased about our self our country and our hometown. Not that I am criticizing that… but… I feel we have a lot to learn from outside… and try devote our lives to a purpose that will set an example for others back home. I have been looking for this purpose in life… and I know as long as we don’t change our way of thinking we cannot change our lifestyle. I have started to think big… and want to do something big…after all size does matter… (a cliché eh!)
Nothing is of too much interest in life these days when compared to “thinking” or is it day dreaming? Or is it imagination at work? Whatever you may call that… hope it turns out into an Idea, a vision some day… hope that day will come soon… ‘cos time is running faster than ever…. and the world is getting faster every moment…
“
I wrote the above when I used to travel a lot due to work outside India. Priorities seem to have changed these days, I do continue to enjoy travel, and however, I tend to devote more time to family and my camera than ever before.
When I say family I definitely want to boast about the kind and size of family I come from. My grandfather Hosamane Patel Devappa Hegde (Ajja) was a landlord and ruled thousands of acres of land in Sorab taluk, Shimoga district. I have always envied my grandfather’s lifestyle. My Ajja lived like a king and people often respect him for his humble nature. A snapshot at my family tree is worth a look. 20+ uncles and aunts 40+ first cousins… so if there is a family function you can guess how big it is.
Mahesh Hegde Family Tree
Right from my formative days I have had a keen interest in Technology in form of toys, gadgets, cars, machines. This interest in me probably drove me to start a part time computer assembling business when I was in my pre-university days. It ran pretty well until the “Cheaters” took over. I call the computer vendors who sell at rock bottom prices by cheating their suppliers as “Cheaters”. Since I was not inclined to be a Cheater myself I had to stop this business although I made handful of money from it enough to afford a mobile phone when the call rates were like INR 4-5 for 1 min of incoming call and about INR 8-9 for a min of outgoing. I remember those days when if the landline at home rang once they used to call my cell phone and when it rang twice they used to call my dad’s cell phone. This was to save on the cell phone charges. Also, I used the profit from the computer assembling business to buy a computer for myself, fuel for my first car (a Maruti 800) and all other miscellaneous expenses during college.
My first camera I remember was a point and shoot film camera from Yashica. In the early 90’s a Yashica camera was like a luxury gadget which only people who had relatives abroad could get. If you bought one in India it was considered as duplicate! Those were the days before India’s Globalization. My first digital camera was a Canon A510 point and shoot which some people still use today. I gave away this camera to my relative who still uses this for his “studio” photography in a remote village near Sagar, Shimoga. Then came the Canon IXUS 70 à Sony Alpha 100 à Sony Alpha 230 and now a Nikon D5000. I will share my reviews of each one of these cameras in a separate blog.
You might be wondering why am I talking about my camera in a blog about myself. Well, I just have to say “I am incomplete without a camera”
As I stated to build my own website with a blog, my passion for technology continues. This was a pretty easy task when compared to complete automatic machines which I have built with sparing support from others. I was just chatting with my friend Subbu and asking him what it takes to have a website of my own with some galleries and a blog. Subbu gave me good links and I just started working on the website. It took me about a week to create a complete website and about a month to fill up the initial content.
For now I feel that’s all I have to say, keep watching for my latest blogs and photos.
So if you want to be healthy travel without a plan. This, I feel is an extension of the famous statement “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” by Lao Tzu
I modify the above quote and say “A good and healthy traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
– Mahesh Hegde
Most of the times when I or we a group of friends plan for a trip, IT FAILS, it fails miserably. Probably it never takes off. So my policy about a travel is – Never plan. I would like to quote an incident when we were in 3rd year of engineering and we all friends Planned a trip to Goa. The idea was first brought up by a friend who was the first to pull out of the plan then the rest of them followed. I am sure most friends who planned for this trip and reading this will know who I’m talking about.
When you do not plan a trip you are like having an open mind to go anywhere and do anything. So there is an element of surprise when you do not plan. In addition to it, there is also the excitement of what is going to happen next. This excitement keeps your tempo up and the blood pressure slightly higher than normal so when there is blood circulation in the body is good, which in turn keeps you healthy.
So if you want to be healthy travel without a plan. This, I feel is an extension of the famous statement “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” by Lao Tzu
I modify the above quote and say “A good and healthy traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.”
! Caution: This blog is not meant for BP patients. 🙂 You guys better plan.
In my first blog I will write about why I decided to have a blog and how I went about creating my blog site.
– Mahesh Hegde
In my first blog I will write about why I decided to have a blog and how I went about creating my blog site.
I had got fed up of updating status in Facebook, Twitter, Linked in and other social networking sites. I had put up a status update on these sites which read “Mahesh Hegdeis wondering how to generate revenue from the photos he has taken” I decided that I will first create a website, to showcase the photos I have taken. I am already sharing my photos on many other sites. Flickr is my favorite for the amazing slideshow interface they have. But that is something most people do these days.
I had a thought of an online photo gallery for a while. It was time I start doing something about it, so I decided to have an online photo gallery and a photo blog site to accompany the gallery and to share my views, both from my mind and from my camera. This statement eventually became the caption for my website.
I asked a couple of friends about the ways to start a website and have a gallery of my own. Subbu and Vybhav helped me out and gave me their suggestions. I went through lot of website links they sent me and understood that having a website has two layers:
1. The hosting service
2. Application or scripts that display the content
I selected hostmoster as a host and wordpress as my blogging application to start with. I am still figuring out how to create a photo gallery and an online store where you can buy the photos and use them. I am considering the Trendy Site builder that hostmoster provides and also Joomla Content Management for the gallery. I will update this blog as soon as I complete the gallery.
Ammedned: 18 Nov 2010
The trendy site builder was very flashy but not very flexible. Hence I tried and strongly recommend Concrete5 as a Content Management System (CMS) for your website. I also recommend WordPress for a blog which is feature rich and also user friendly.
Enjoy my views both from my mind and from my camera!
Hegde's Blog 