“Any new reform in India is often clouded by debates and discussions about its need and viability. Opposing a change comes naturally for the self appointed so called public messiahs of the country. One such reform that has not been able to meet its due fate is the issue of FDI in retail. Anaggh Desai shares an interesting take on the benefits of FDI from a customer perspective”…..This article appeared as a Perspective in StoRai magazine Jan-Feb 2012.

A debate on this question has been going on for a long time; with government wishing to introduce the bill, it just gathered momentum recently.

The past couple of weeks, every platform/gathering somebody or other has asked me the question ‘Why should FDI be allowed in India?’ I do not object to the question on principle, it is quite amusing to note that everyone has a view about why it should be allowed/not allowed – mostly like East Bengal & Mohun Bagan match in Kolkatta. Read the rest of this entry »

This article first appeared in StoRai magazine page 44 and can be read here.

After joining twitter way back in 2009, there was always this major hashtag #FF (follow friday) every friday which used to cause disruption all around. I had blogged about it here and here.

In 2010 I had done a follow recommendation at the year end of all those who I followed. 2011 begun well enough, with my interacting with a lot of people but not following many of them. Some of them took it to heart, called me upon it etc, but I unfortunately just could not understand the logic. However I have always made it a point to try & respond to every reply that I receive.

Come December and a couple of people even asked me, whether I would do a yearly recco like the past year. Yes, it was on the top of my mind, but needed to do so for those who had made time for me, helped me without expectations - isn’t that what twitter and internet all about?

I tried to cover as many as my feeble memory could recall, however I am sure that many have been missed out, but hey keep interacting and there’s always the future. So here it goes, in no particular order……. (collation has been done thanks to Atul Karmarkar ) Read the rest of this entry »

I had blogged about authors from IIM & IIT in February 2010 here.

A lot of my twitter comrades had commented on it too. In the meantime, I had read the mint occasionally. After a while, maybe a year or so, I realized that I had the pleasure of interacting and then subsequently getting followed by the phamous Sidin and his more beautiful colleague Priya Ramani Read the rest of this entry »

I had earlier blogged about Sabarna Roy’s books here.

Then, I picked this up. Finished it over last weekend; but dilly dallied about writing here. The fourteen stories are based in Bengal and cut it too close to the bone in some instances, particularly some facts/fiction that is similar to some people’s stories I have actually heard over the years.

The stories, separate but all carry a tinge of pathos, happiness, question and leave you wanting more. There is not much to just read about, but even learn from it with different human tendencies that everyone has in some measure, but refuse to acknowledge mostly.

Unfortunately, the poems are not mu cup of tea and hence gave them a miss. But, definitely a read.

Had been meaning to visit the place, more so since, had recommended it to friends but could not manage to join them.

Last week, after a heavy lunch, was feeling a bit peckish and so decided to try it out. Called up and they said no reservations taken, but since it was already 9 pm, they said come by and we’ll find you a place.

With the humidity, we opted to sit inside, which was pretty full. Ordered a drink and they kindly made a mocktail off the menu for my wife, who is a teetotaller and vegetarian.

We ordered french fries - just perfect, far superior to McD and the ilk. This was followed by onion rings - which were nice, but New Yorker has better. And then asked for a vegetable club sandwich - but had mushrooms - so changed it to Veg Burger (ya ya I know, there is no such thing) which was pretty good in itself, but the accompaniments - wedges and salad were outstanding.

A visit to try out the non vegetarian side of the menu is being planned soon, but overall it just proved why now we do not have to travel all the way to town.

Books from an author, that normally I would not read. However receiving those books and reading them, I was glad having read them.

Pentacles The first book that I finished reading has one long story and couple of four short poems. I just gave the poems a miss because I do not understand anything remotely poetic, but the story was something extremely magnetic and believable taking up from a soft beginning, playing on natural emotions like indifference, bits of hatred, love and finally acceptance over the years of childhood, adolescence, youth and finally maturity. I am sure all of us have undergone in some manner or other.

Abyss is a full length play in two acts. A sort of familiar story with twists and a bit of suspense, which fiction readers of theatre watchers may pick up by the end of Act one. Having said this, it looks something where I would like to see a Paresh Rawal directed Play itself.

I still have to commence reading Frosted Glass…..hopefully over the coming weekend.

I had visited this place 4+ years ago with a friend for a leisurely lunch and had come away completely disappointed.

However, last week, on my quest for a dining table, ended up at Home Stop and felt like having a Thali, which meant either Rajdhani or Bhagat Tarachand (which unfortunately had not opened). That narrowed the options to Pizza Hut (too crowded), Ruby Tuesday (does not really have food) when my wife bull dozed me to Moti Mahal Deluxe.

Upon entering, saw it was more than half full, with mostly families. Given a nice table, started perusing the menu, which was quite exhaustive. Unfortunately, they did not have old monk and hence had to settle for Bacardi.

We opted for some roasted masala papads and a portion of Subz mix grill which consisted of paneer, aaloo & mix vegetable kebabs - very nicely marinated and served hot.

For the mains, we tried Veg kofta - very nice - a bit spicy & tangy with brown gravy and methi mutter malai which had a taste of real methi and was not too sweet. But it is the roti’s which were extremely nice, in particular the chilly paratha, which had bits of green chilly and went extremely well with the methi mutter malai.

We were too stuffed to try out the sweet and left it for another time.

Address: Inorbit, Malad west, Mumbai

I had first eaten at Faasos in Pune more than a couple of years back and had loved their service and food, So when they opened in Bombay a while ago, passing by, I dropped in and found the same taste and put their number on my speed dial.

Over the past 6-8 months I have ordered half a dozen times and have had sweet-bitter experiences every time - starting from perfect delivery, not being delivered for more than 2 hours and being constantly assured that the boy had left, specifically requesting for change of 500/- and not receiving it etc. etc.

The last order was on Wednesday, when they managed to send an egg roll without onions against an Aaloo+Egg and that too after 4 calls and nearly 60 minutes.

Having said that, the price point has made it a run away success, added to that is the yummy taste of wraps.

The portions are decent. Two wraps are good enough to have your fill.

Now if they only get their delivery right!

In my phase of wanting to try out Indian authors writing fiction, I ordered a couple of books from flipkart, which provided a good deal on them. I have blogged some of the better known earlier, but did not have the energy to do so for all of them, so clubbed the rest of them.

1888 Dial India by Anuvab Pal - Part Rant, Part Satire is how it is described, however it looked as if a collection of Tweets that were Rants. One of the most useless book I have had the misfortune to read.

Accidentally in Love by Nikita Singh - A truely chic lit fiction, where the so called modern self earning woman falls in love and is undecided. Add a bit of sex in Indian Mills & Boon and there you are. Managed to read it in an hour flat.

I never thought I could fall in Love  by Chanchaldeep Singh Sandhu - Seems to be part autobiographical in nature written by Punjab da Puttar, something a lot of college students or millennials would identify with.

The Company Red by Shantanu Dhar - Soon to be a major motion picture says the mast head, humans, vampire, different fonts…..phew left it half way.