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29th All India PR Conference
'PR and Infrastrucutre Development
in India'
Seminar web album: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29_all_india_pr_conf/ |
People responsible for quality of
life
Leveraging its strengths and becoming a model country is India's
challenge, says
Dr. Partha Ghosh, founder and director, Partha Ghosh & Associates.
He is for celebrating India's Vedic philosophy and creating 'humanware'
that can be the envy of others.
K.V. Rangaswami, president (construction) and member of the board,
Larsen & Toubro, feels what matters ultimately is deliverance.
He is confident India will become a developed country by 2020.
The 29th All India PR Conference, hosted by the Public Relations
Society of India, Chennai Chapter, began with a devotional song
rendered by Anusha. It was after 14 years that Chennai was playing
host to members of the PRSI from across India. After bouquets were
presented to the chief guests, R.K. Dharan, vice president - south,
PRSI, welcomed the gathering and stressed that 'PR and Infrastructure
Development' was an apt theme for the Conference since India was
progressing fast on various fronts. The theme had elicited good
response from members, he said, pointing out that the first registration
(by Ramkumar Singaram, Chennai) had been made within 48 hours of
it being made open.
Dr. Ajit Pathak, national president, PRSI, lauded the efforts of
PRSI members in making the Conference possible. He said that although
infrastructure and development were well and good, PR practitioners
could not ignore the vast community that looked for fruits of development.
“We must showcase India in the best possible way to foreigners.
The Chak De feeling is there everywhere,” he reminded the
audience.
Stealing the limelight at the inaugural session was Dr. Partha Ghosh,
founder and director, Partha Ghosh & Associates, Boston, U.S.A.,
who presented the keynote address. An IIT Kharagpur graduate, Dr.
Ghosh had started his career with Eveready India. “People
from different echelons of society are involved with various activities.
Infrastructure is an important subject worldwide; while it includes
security in the U.S.A., it also means integration and security in
Europe,” he said, emphasising that each individual had to
play a role in developing infrastructure and that the 'humanware'
element was vital “the way we behave, whether we spit or not.”
“It is the behaviour of people that determines the quality
of life we have,” he said, narrating his experience of driving
from Meenambakkam Airport to the hotel. He noticed car drivers,
belonging to upper echelons of society, unmindful of red lights
at traffic signals.
Recalling his visit to Nippon Steel in 1985, Japan, Dr. Ghosh spoke
about how a blast furnace installed in 1933 in the factory was maintained
every year at a high level of efficiency. He outlined the fundamental
challenges facing the country as being subject to scale, severity
and sensitivity. “So, how we relate to nature is important;
how we connect with infrastructure matters. How do we move from
'entropy to symphony'? We are talking about the lives of people
coming together physical, spiritual, monetary and educational. If
we can as a nation leverage the strengths we have…”
Talking about India's stable democracy, Dr. Ghosh said that the
country had strengthened its balance sheet since Independence and
that Indians had the confidence to move ahead. The country had gained
global stature, its economy driven by the IT, pharmaceutical, automobile
and construction sectors. While 1,500 villages had electricity in
1947, 500,000 villages were electrified by 2003. By the end of the
11th Five Year Plan, 70 percent of India's villages would have electricity.
However, there were several disconcerting areas: 60 percent of the
population did not have access to sanitation; 40 percent had no
access to clean water.
India's per capita consumption had increased 30 times during the
past 50 years. But the per capita consumption of electricity was
very low. Based on per capita income and per capita consumption
parameters, India was at a very early stage of development. “You
can design economic activity that generates wealth whether you follow
the Canadian or Japanese example.
In the past five years, I do not see emphasis on energy efficiency.
If India has to achieve 20 percent of the per capita consumption
of the U.K., we have to add capacity equal to what we have built
in the past 100 years. Such is the challenge of scale. Without (proper)
behaviour and discipline, everything goes waste. It's disheartening,”
Dr. Ghosh said. According to him, 59 percent of electricity capacity
was not used in India. If the power plants were run at 80 percent
efficiency, then 100 billion watts could be produced and savings
of 2.5 trillion rupees, he added.
Dwelling on rural aspects, Dr. Ghosh pointed out that land productivity
had to be increased by a factor of 3. “I am not surprised
you have suicides in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. We have not
solved some of the fundamental problems.” In the Ninth Plan,
63 percent
of the allocation was for top-end infrastructure. Water, sanitation,
agriculture and education got only 37 percent of the resources.
He was all for the development of a strategy to balance portfolios.
Talking about India's metro cities, Dr. Ghosh said that pavements
were fast disappearing. On the road, the Mercedes Benz, a handcart
and people struggled for space. “We have to bring a certain
amount of order,” he stressed. “When I was in China
in 1979, I was amazed at the orderliness. People ride properly,
cross the road at the right place, throw garbage at the right spot.
This doesn't need a lot of money. The challenge is: how do we become
a model country?”
Dr. Ghosh referred to a World Bank report of ten years ago in which
it was mentioned that 35 percent of India was exposed to arsenic
poisoning. “The trade balance is negative although foreign
capital is coming in. India is not competitive vis-à-vis
China and Vietnam. Whose life and what competitiveness are we talking
about? Can we develop a vision of what we want the country to be,
in a knowledge-intensive global environment?”
Infrastructure, Dr. Ghosh said, could not be thought about in isolation.
The challenge was to create equitable wealth, he added. The world
was changing rapidly. By 2050, 65 billion tonnes were likely to
be thrown into the atmosphere. Many places could be under water.
With increased population, there would be more deforestation. The
rich-poor divide would persist. “The world is running out
of resources.
Even Bill Gates and Warren Buffet drive small cars. PR has to develop
public awareness. We have to think of infrastructure with a different
perspective and move to conservation-centric models. We have developed
a consumption-based economy. We have to think of creating small
towns, decentralise, instead of creating another Bangalore or Hyderabad.
Think of mass transportation. Move away from consumption-centric
models. We
have to think of innovative solutions,” he urged.
Dr. Ghosh reiterated the need to enrich the fundamental relationship
between man and nature to fabricate infrastructure of the future.
“The packages we develop for our villages can be sold worldwide.
We have the Vedic advantage, the stabilising factor, in times when
skills are getting challenged every five years. If the Vedic philosophy
can be celebrated, we can create humanware that could be the envy
of others. We need to practise the Vedic philosophy, not by chanting
slokas though.”
Chief guest of the evening, K.V. Rangaswami, president (construction)
and member of the board, Larsen & Toubro, presented a brighter
picture of India. According to him, things had begun to fall in
place, India was almost in a significant stage of development, and
infrastructure was keeping pace with development. The next world
war, he said, would be fought for water. “Some of the primary
needs will become high-end as we go along. We have to ensure that
our villages get electricity and water. What matters ultimately
is deliverance. There is a long gap between concept and commissioning.”
Rangaswami said that the manufacturing, service and agriculture
sectors should all contribute towards growth. India, he pointed
out, would need $500 billion in the coming 5-10 years for infrastructure
growth. Only one-fourth of what was planned had been achieved. Against
a construction market in India worth $ 60-70 billion, only $ 20
billion worth of activity was going on. “Good supervisory
staff and workmen are not available. Massive training is required.
Project managers are in short supply. Cement, steel and stone aggregates
are in short supply. Machinery is in short supply. Natural resources
are available in plenty. We need to see how we can get along without
affecting nature. I am confident India will become a developed country
by 2020. PR has an important role to play.”
A copy of Pathak's book, ‘Dedication to the PR Community’,
was released at the inaugural.
Top |
Zelma Lazarus receives Lifetime Achievement Award
 
The Public Relations Society of India presented Zelma Lazarus,
director, Impact India, the Lifetime Achievement Award for her invaluable
contribution to public relations spanning 35 years. Rajesh Kumar,
vice-president (north), PRSI, read out the citation:
Ms Zelma Lazarus has come to epitomize professional excellence,
personal dedication, devotion to a cause and a zest to excel in
the chosen cause. She has brought to the profession of Public Relations
a deep honesty and dynamism, which has kindled respect for her among
Public Relations professionals the world over. As a PR professional
for over 35 years now, Ms Lazarus has been an inspiration to scores
of us who have drawn inspiration from her leadership, clarity of
thought and courage of conviction. She has been the President of
International Public Relations Association (IPRA) and has taken
Public Relations to a new pedestal.
Over the years she has successfully shown the way forward by spreading
happiness among thousands of disabled people. As CEO of Impact Foundation,
Ms Lazarus has brought together NGOs, Corporates, the government
and other world agencies in order to bridge the gap between the
privileged and the underprivileged. She has been a catalyst in making
the world a better place for at least some of the marginalized people
of the society.
Today, the Impact Foundation has spread to about 15 countries the
world over. The foundation's flagship project - the Lifeline Express
Hospital Train - has spelled magic in the lives of over 50,000 people
from rural India. Impact Foundation has been recognized as the United
Nation's Inter Agency Global Initiative for the prevention of disablement.
In the personal sphere, Ms Lazarus is an accomplished artist. She
loves to paint when she is not busy spreading happiness among people.
Her humbleness, humility and her ability to take everyone along
are worth emulating.
Today, as Public Relations Society of India bestows the Lifetime
Achievement Award on Ms Zelma Lazarus, the fraternity of Public
Relations practitioners salutes her endeavour to give the profession
a nobility of purpose and benevolence of thought.
It is a great privilege to honour Ms Zelma Lazarus.
Lazarus received the award from K.V. Rangaswami, president (construction)
and member of the board, L&T.
Speaking on the occasion, Lazarus said that everybody who had made
the Impact project successful would share the credit for the award.
Chennai, she said, was the place where Impact India had organised
its first major activity - in 1986, 3,00,000 children were immunised
against polio. The United Nations had cited it as an outstanding
project.
“PR has come to occupy a unique place in the intellectual
life of PR practitioners and has tried to reflect the larger and
more enduring challenges of our times. India is a land of contrasts.
The corporates are aware of the need to address the agenda of human
development. Illiterate and underpowered people are an economic
and social liability. How can we in PR contribute to rapidly remove
this imbalance? How can creativity and empowerment be created in
rural areas, and development be ushered in? No government can do
this alone. The corporate world and NGOs can contribute to building
a strong, competitive, prosperous country. Joint partnerships between
NGOs and the corporate world can contribute a strong force towards
development,” she said.
Lazarus worked for Tatas for 30 years where the philosophy was 'what
people give has to be returned'. Impact's Lifeline Hospital training
programme had helped about 5,00,000 people with hearing and facial
deformities; 75,000 surgeons from across India had donated professional
skills. “Partners in a common cause can create healthy, skilled
and empowered people,” she said, beseeching the audience to
help put together corporate and NGO skills.
Lazarus presented Dr. Ajit Pathak, national president, PRSI, a book
on Mahatma Gandhi's sayings.
Top
Infrastructure needs sensitive touch
You need to be sensitive before starting to build infrastructure.
PR has a far bigger role with people than with companies and media
relations, says Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consultants. Prof.
Atul Tandon, director, Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA),
wants Indians to look at the country's achievements with some degree
of pride and understanding.
The session on 'India and Infrastructure' got off to a flier with
Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consultants, narrating an interesting
experience he had in Munnar years ago. Once, while staying in a
guesthouse atop a hill there, he noticed a set of lights on either
side of a distant hill at 5 am and wondered why they were on. Later,
he found that the lights belonged to the homes of workers in a competitor's
tea estate. The workers were out of their homes for early morning
ablutions. It was a practice they had been following the past 80
years.
Researching further, he found that a young management graduate had
one day told the managing director of the company to build toilets
for the workers at the base of the hill. Rs 16 lakh was spent on
the toilets, and none other than the district collector turned up
to inaugurate. Ten days later, the management found to its dismay
that not a worker was using the toilets. When a survey was conducted,
it all boiled down to idle talk - women loved to banter while squatting
in the fields… it was a habit that had grown over generations
and they were loathe to leave it. The toilets were broken down and
turned into tea stocking godowns.
“You need to be sensitive before starting to build infrastructure.
The standard development paradigm need not be common to all. PR
has a major role here, but PR has forgotten its actual vocation.
PR practitioners believe that their fundamental role is creating
an image for their companies and media relations. There is a far
bigger role with people. We have forgotten the role of 'public';
PR has become more of 'private relations'. PR's meaning has got
hijacked,” he said, adding, “PR is not about a small
set of people who run newspapers or read them. PR is tactical, skin-deep
and strategic, a forever campaign. Sustainable PR is a long-term
effort. This is the future, it is broad-based.”
Bijoor explained that there were five layers to PR:
1. decision-making PR,
2. pink-paper PR (business dailies),
3. white-paper PR (mainline dailies),
4. mass media PR and
5. consumer PR or one-to-one PR.
According to Bijoor, a study on 216 PR organisations in India revealed
that only 2-3 percent of time was devoted to the fifth layer, while
84 percent of time was devoted to mainline and business dailies.
Infrastructure, Bijoor, stressed, was not about building roads and
bridges; it was also about taking into consideration the emotional
aspect, the mindset of people. His question: how does the Indian
start respecting infrastructure? “Forty-seven percent of Indians
urinate in public; 98 percent of them men. It is all about attitudes.
Infrastructure development must have a model that believes in consumers
being important. Infrastructure is not a friendly word. It needs
to be demystified. You have to make it friendly for consumers to
understand,” he said, referring to bang-for-the-buck economics.
Bijoor also pointed out the need to remove caste differences, plan
right and get rid of the I-me-myself attitude. Green infrastructure
was the future, he added.
Prof. Atul Tandon, director, Mudra Institute of Communications (MICA),
explained that culture, consumer and communication were three verticals,
with PR and communication influencing changing behaviour. He believed
that private individuals and the government were doing a good job
in communicating. Prof. Tandon wondered whether India could sustain
its progress. The huge business opportunity in the country presented
PR an equally huge role to invite industry and government to invest.
“We must look at infrastructure keeping in mind the stakeholders
involved and encourage private-public partnerships. Funding options
will be driven by government.”
Prof. Tandon listed out the investments needed in various sectors
of infrastructure: $150 billion for 70,000 MW power; $ 76 billion
for roads, expressways and national highways; $ 63 billion for railways;
$ 18 billion for ports; and $ 65 billion for telecom and IT. He
pointed out the need to educate people on how to drive on roads,
change lanes; maintain parking around railway stations; reduce congestion
at ports; and to build a sense of national pride.
Prof. said that ITC's e-chaupals were a great step forward in contributing
to rural infrastructure. PR's role, he cautioned, was not just about
educating people, it included creation of infrastructure by inviting
participation, maintenance of infrastructure, and preservation (educating
people on how to use infrastructure). Citing the case of Nandigram
in West Bengal as a bad case of PR, he said that it was important
to convince people to give up land they own for infrastructure development.
Had any PR agency taken the initiative to create a rapprochement
between different political parties on the nuclear issue, he asked.
Centre-state coordination was vital, especially when political ideologies
were different, he added. Prof. Tandon pointed out that the future
of India lay in creating pride in the minds of 500 million people
who are less than 25 years of age and 300 million below 15. “People
appreciate cleanliness irrespective of illiteracy or education.
Only by example can we demonstrate. Let us look at what we have
achieved so far with some degree of pride and understanding. Can
PR correct India's standing in the World Development Index?”
he asked, urging PR members to do something.
Renuka Salwan, deputy director-PR, Bureau of Indian Standards and
representing the Chandigarh Chapter, PRSI, chaired the session.
She mentioned how, thanks to her Chapter's efforts, the Chandigarh
Government had sensitized auto drivers to project the city in a
good light to tourists.
Top
A world-class facility does not come free of cost
 
Thomas Abraham, general manager-corporate communication, Ashok
Leyland, lists the challenges of the transportation sector as maintaining
operational efficiency, providing safety and comfort, and creating
communication opportunities. Rohit Modi, chief executive, Roads
& Bridges, L&T, says the best PR person of a company is
the CEO himself. PR, he adds, is about listening 80 percent of the
time. S. Viswanathan, editor and publisher, Industrial Economist,
says PR practitioners have spoiled journalists who rely on press
handouts. He is all for state governments to undertake large infrastructure
projects.
Thomas Abraham, general manager-corporate communication, Ashok Leyland,
set the tone for the session on Indian highways by recalling the
names of ordinary citizens who had made a mark and made India proud:
M.S. Dhoni, son of a migrant mechanic; Prashant Tamang, a policeman,
another son of a migrant; E. Sreedharan, who introduced 'corporatisation'
in project management; B. Seenaiah, a builder of roads; A.B. Vajpayee,
India's former Prime Minister who kicked of modern highway construction;
and Arvind Kejriwal, an IT professional, a “singular influence”
on the Right to Information Act. Highways, the roads towards efficiency,
he said, represented modern India. India that once looked up to
the U.S.A., now had newfound confidence; Indian economy had found
its own idiom of efficiency.
“Idle inventory is a sin. We need reliable logistics, predictable
roads. Highways reduce hold-ups, inventory cost, transportation
cost,” he said, relating one instance years ago of how he
had reached late for an appointment with his would-be father-in-law
due to oversleeping and a bad Mumbai-Pune road. “Today, thanks
to the expressway, I could oversleep for another two hours,”
he quipped.
Providing the industry perspective, Abraham said that the extra
demand for vehicles had softened the blow of recession. The transportation
sector had witnessed a 26 percent growth in the past six years because
of the demand for modern vehicles. The average age of vehicles had
come down, and the market profile of vehicles was changing to 'hub-and-spoke'
and tractor-trailer. This had resulted in quicker turnaround time,
better payload, better power-to-weight ratio, the demand for ready-to-use
vehicles with specialised and customised bodies that came with maximum
productivity had increased, and the importance of reliability and
service to guarantee delivery time had gained momentum. Thanks to
privatisation of road maintenance, there was a move towards a rated
payload regime. “We must change the lives of the average trucker.
The second generation of truckers is holidaying in places like Honolulu,”
he pointed out.
Touching upon the aspect of road safety, Abraham said that powerful
vehicles, increased road speed and driver shortage were leading
to more accidents. Many drivers were 21-26 years of age. “The
Indian truck driver does not come out of any academy. Driving often
runs in the family. Most drivers start as cleaners, and no skills
are taught as such. If we can give drivers respect, they will take
care of vehicles and people.”
Abraham listed the challenges of the transportation sector as maintaining
operational efficiency, providing safety and comfort, and creating
communication opportunities. A truck stops almost every 50 km for
tolls; it has to cross 73 checkposts travelling Chennai-Delhi! Abraham
stressed that stricter safety norms, vehicle inspection and proper
driving license systems, and providing car-like driving comfort
were key issues. And about communication: “Do people in India
really understand the benefits from the Golden Quadrilateral? We
have to demonstrate them on the national stage. We have to involve
corporates, and make travel a pleasure,” he said.
Taking off from where Abraham left, Rohit Modi, chief executive,
Roads and Bridges, L&T, dwelt on the critical role PR and communication
played in public-private initiatives. He listed six “facts”:
India is a trillion dollar economy. Against a population of 1.1
billion, the average per capita income is less than US $1,000. Any
developed country has an average per capita income of
US $16-20,000. If India grows 15-16 percent every year, the country
would reach US $ 8,000 per capita in five years, if population does
not grow. Since that will not be the case, the 8000-mark would be
reached only in 20 years. By then, developed countries would have
reached the US $50,000-mark
With the Indian economy likely to grow 9-10 percent in real terms
over the next 20 years, we are talking about one of the strongest
economies in the world, with savings/investments exceeding a growth
rate of 35 percent
lWhile earlier, the entire economic growth was driven by states
such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil
Nadu, today the growth process is getting widened and most chief
ministers were talking about development
There is a deepening of the growth process. Earlier, it was IT,
services and manufacturing. Now we talk of inclusive growth, rural
employment, agricultural productivity and more money in the hands
of the poor
The world is aging. Seventy percent of the work force is young.
By 2025, Indian growth rates would overtake China. India will become
a preferred supplier (“sweet spot of demography”)
Three years ago, the question was how to attract FDI. Today, we
talk about managing foreign capital. India is the only country to
have a realistic interest rate of 6 percent or thereabouts. With
expected rupee appreciation, there will be huge capital inflows
and investments can actually exceed the domestic savings rate
Talking about Indian highways, Modi pointed out that transportation
had a demand elasticity of 1.2 to 1.5, and that the demand for transportation
would grow 12-15 percent every year at a conservative estimate,
what he termed as “an incredible growth beyond all expectations.”
Railways and ports, he added, were beneficiaries of such demand.
Through the 1990s, the average expenditure on national highways
was Rs 500 crore. Between 2000 and 2006, it had multiplied ten times,
to Rs 5,000 a year. Modi was of the view that expenditure during
2007-2015 would multiply five times to reach Rs 25,000 crore a year.
“But nobody talked about this. It is a PR failure,”
he said.
“The U.S. was able to construct fantastic highways thanks
to the Federal Highways Act of 1956, which levied a road cess. India
was among the first countries to have a road cess - 3 paise per
litre in 1927. It remained the same for 70 years! It was Vajpayee's
vision to levy a Re 1 cess on diesel. He avoided the rural backlash
by saying he would use 50 percent of the money generated on rural
roads,” explained Modi, referring to the Pradhan Mantri Gram
Sadak Yojna that has now not only made the Golden Quadrilateral
(Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Saurashtra to Silchar) possible, but also
made every state government a stakeholder. He lauded Vajpayee's
standing firm when truckers struck work then. “We have not
had an issue on tolls since. The Indian Tolls Act is vintage. The
issue was never willingness to pay, but unwillingness to charge.”
Modi also referred to a “celebrated case of PR failure”
in Coimbatore. A bridge and bypass were being built; construction
of the bridge was completed in 12 months, the bypass took another
12 months. However, the bridge was opened earlier and a toll was
collected from passing vehicles. People were reluctant to pay because
the bypass was not ready; and were not well-educated on this first
“BOT (build-own-operate) concept based Road & Bridge project”.
Modi provided the East Coast Road example as one of good PR. He
said that the instance of a PR practitioner becoming the CEO of
a company was rare, but the best person for PR was the CEO himself.
“PR is actually a strategy about listening 80 percent of the
time and responding. If you want a world-class facility, you cannot
get it free of cost. You will have to pay a world-class price for
it.” He exhorted PR practitioners to follow the 3Ps of attitude
(pride and passion, perseverance, patience), backed by the 3Ps of
planning, preparedness and pragmatism.
Recalling his experience about PR, S. Viswanathan, editor and publisher,
Industrial Economist, who was once editor of a transport monthly,
said that there were very few PROs in the 1970s. Once, a cigar-smoking
PRO of a cycle manufacturing company, attired in a three-piece suit,
asked Viswanathan how the latter had got figures relating to cycle
production in his company, for even he had no access to that information.
Viswanathan had sourced the figures from a report of the Industries
Department that mentioned production figures of large transport
companies. Such were the disclosure norms in those days. “I
see a tremendous transformation in the past 50 years. The public
sector has done
a remarkable job in giving PR stature. The PR practitioner may head
organisations as a matter of right,” he said.
When Viswanathan visited Germany in the 1960s, he noticed that the
major thrust then was on infrastructure, the autobahn. “Till
Vajpayee, our approach to highways and tolls was atrocious. He drew
a similar parallel in the Indian Railways for 40 years, addition
to the railways was zilch till George Fernandez (former minister)
came along. Most of the development of the railways happened under
the British. Under the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Five Year Plans,
additions amounted to less than 50 percent of targets, according
to him. “There was failure across the board. Shipping, for
example, carried hardly ten percent of the traffic.
A minister, after the crashing of an Airbus 320, grounded all such
aircraft for a year. It was Rudy (Pratap) and Praful Patel (the
first a former civil aviation minister and the second who took over
from him) brought about change in the skies.”
“We have been spoilt by PR practitioners like you, relying
on handout journalism. You have made us lazy. Very little of investigative
work is being done. In SEZs (special economic zones), for instance,
there is no proper knowledge about rehabilitation packages. It is
essentially an art in PR. Development issues are given less importance.
Let us not concentrate on peripheral issues, let us look at issues
of development,” he said, pointing to the introduction of
the Rs one lakh car to be launched by Tatas. “Imagine the
state of our roads then. The solution lies in going for mass rail
transit systems, like in London and New York, the London underground.
Today, Tamil Nadu, with a budget of Rs 45,000 crore, can afford
to think of large projects. Large-scale funding is viable today.
The southern regions are prosperous but not thinking of large projects.
Can we have a Chennai-Bangalore corridor, through Sriperambudur,
Kancheepuram, Ranipet, Vellore, Krishnagiri and Hosur? Can we not
then raise such a corridor to Hosur? Companies can afford if they
have the commitment.”
Viswanathan had a few more pertinent questions for PRSI members:
Three lives are lost in Chennai everyday due to road accidents.
Can something be done about it?
Except Ashok Leyland, no company in the south offers training or
induction programmes to drivers. Can others too set up driving schools?
Two-wheeler drivers do not use helmets. Can something be done about
it?
Answers to these questions could be found, he was convinced, if
media and corporates became more conscious about the issues.
Top
Transparency in communication earns respect, goodwill
Cities and citizens get the infrastructure they deserve, says
V. Suresh, director, Gold Souk, pointing to several low levels:
of infrastructure, service, maintenance, capacity to pay, collection
and recovery, and investments. Ramesh Nair, director-corporate solutions,
Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj, stresses that clients seek world-class
facilities and that the communication strategy should focus on the
client. Anuj Dayal, chief PRO, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, is
convinced that the old style of working no longer helps. Construction
areas have to be barricaded, made protected areas. It improves the
image of any construction organisation, he says.
As against 10 percent urbanization in 1900, more than 50 percent
of the world's population today lived in the cities. From two billion
a hundred years ago, urban population had grown to six billion.
Twenty-one megacities were situated in the developing world. By
2050, urban population was likely to cross 9.3 billion, and the
developing countries' population will constitute 88 percent of the
total population. In India, 540 million people, or 40 percent of
the population, would be urban dwellers by 2021. V. Suresh, director,
Gold Souk, a real estate development company, provided the interesting
statistics.
The growth of India's cities continues unabated. While greater Mumbai,
Kolkata and Delhi were 10 million-plus population cities, Chennai,
Bangalore and Hyderabad were fast catching up, each with population
exceeding 5 million. Ahmedabad, Pune and Surat followed, in the
3-5 million population range; Kanpur, Jaipur, Lucknow and Nagpur
in the 2-3 million category; and Patna, Indore, Allahabad, Rajkot
and many other cities brought up the rear with populations of 1-2
million each.
Cities were major growth engines that contribute to the economy.
In India, city-based economies contributed 70 percent of GDP, thanks
to the manufacturing and services sectors. The average GDP growth
rate hovered around 8-9 percent. Disposable incomes were five times
more than they were in 1995. According to Suresh, Rs. 2,20,000 crore
would be spent by 2012 in modernising and upgrading highways, building
four-lane (14,274 km), and two-lane (2000 km) roads, as well as
express highways (1000 km).
Suresh said that the Indian Railway network needed modernisation
and expansion, introduction of high-speed trains, container trains,
and freight corridors for which an investment of Rs. 300,000 crore
was needed. He added that 750 metric tonnes of goods were transported
every year, and 6.5 billion people travelled in trains every year,
the number growing at 5 percent annually. In the world's second
largest commercial aircraft market, passenger traffic was growing
20 percent a year. Modernisation and expansion of airports would
require an investment of Rs. 40,000 crore. And 23 more ports at
an investment of Rs. 8,000 crore were needed (there are only 13
ports now) along India's 6,400-km long coastline to be able to handle
various cargos. Nearly 400 projects under the National Maritime
Development Programme needed an investment of Rs. 50,000 crore.
Additional power generation required Rs. 6,10,000 crore investment.
An annual investment of Rs. 2,25,000 crore was required to set up
all this.
Suresh listed out areas that were not drawing necessary attention
from government: water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste management,
roads and city transportation networks. Protected water supply,
proper sanitation, provision of latrines, refuse collection and
disposal, or electrification, there was all-round deficiency. “Maintenance
of assets is the key. Cities are bursting at the seams and civic
conditions are in disarray because funding from central and state
governments, local bodies, and banks and financial institutions
only add up to a tenth of the resources needed. It is a vicious
circle: low level of infrastructure, low service level, low maintenance,
low capacity to pay, low collection and recovery, and low investments.
Cities and citizens get the infrastructure they deserve. According
to the WHO, 85 percent of all diseases is due to bad quality water
supply, lack of sanitation, drainage and waste disposal and environment
pollution. Every one rupee spent on infrastructure saves Rs 10 crore
in public health cost later,” Suresh pointed out.
Suresh provided the example of Alandur in Chennai, where 20,000
families raised money to set up a good sewerage system. “No
city has taken the initiative to recycle water; in China, 65 percent
of the water is recycled. We need additional finance, the latest
technologies, and Indian managerial skills. A regulatory authority
is needed to ensure that projects are completed on time,”
he said. Drawing from the Philippines, Gujarat was the first state
to formulate an Infrastructure Development Act, he pointed out.
Suresh listed the “imperatives” as; development of legal,
regulatory and institutional mechanisms; a fiscal and financial
framework; creation of a new breed of urban managers; development
of innovative financing and security mechanisms, creation of public-private
and government-citizen partnerships; general consensus on national
issues; and creation of awareness and mobilizing public opinion
to attract investments.
Ramesh Nair, director-corporate solutions, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj,
touched upon the trends in the real estate sector and the broad
communication strategy for PR in the sector. Stating that current
trends as well as a future outlook were important, he mentioned
that sustainability of projects, environmental responsibility and
management, investing in high-performing systems, indoor air quality
were all important considerations today. Energy consciousness, he
added, was viewed as the best long-term method for stretching scare
resources, and investors were pushing for 'green building' norms.
Fifty percent of the FDI coming into India was targeted at the real
estate sector. Global companies had established offices in Chennai.
“With globalisation, clients seek world-class facilities.
The latest trends come here in two or three months. There are four
generations at work in the real estate business, each with different
values. The communication strategy should focus on change management.
The focus has to be on the client. You must differentiate, focus,
personalise, build trust and be professional,” Nair said.
Anuj Dayal, chief PRO, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, emphasised
that communication and construction went hand in hand; communication
helped reflect the working culture. With the experience of the Delhi
Metro behind him, Dayal looked at the construction activity at the
Kathipara junction with a critical eye. As he drove from Meenambakkam
airport, he noticed various places dug up, no barricades, and no
apparent concern for public safety. “Expectations of people
have risen in proportion to their standards. People in Delhi now
are not willing to accept low standards. You cannot get away with
the old style of working. In Delhi, construction areas are barricaded;
they are protected areas. “It improves the image of any construction
organization,” he said.
He went on to narrate how proper communication had enabled Delhi
Metro to get its approvals quickly, how it led to people associated
with the Delhi Metro project being treated with respect, and how
it helped save money in advance (the reference was probably to legal
claims). Communication was essential, especially at the implementation
stage, he added.
Incidentally, the Delhi Metro was the largest urban intervention
project since the country's Independence. Overseas visitors arrive
every day to have a look. Sixty-five km of metro rail was built
three years ahead of schedule. The success of India's most modern
metro has led to its likely introduction in Bangalore and Hyderabad
soon, and possibly in Chennai, Kochi and Ludhiana.
The success, according to Dayal, was about selling dreams to the
public, while controlling information outflow. “Getting media
interested was important. There was emphasis on local reporting.
Site visits were arranged for the press. I have learnt a lot of
civil engineering myself to be able to communicate to the press.
Civil engineering can be converted into very interesting stories.
We did not use much advertising but conducted community interaction
programmes where our engineers were introduced to the public and
our schedules explained. The communication channel opened a safety
valve. We listened, addressed grievances, replied to queries; so
they were thoroughly surprised.”
Thus, there was grassroots interaction. Students were sent to malls
to educate people on how to use the escalator, for example, in Hindi,
Punjabi and Haryanvi. “You have to be careful with television;
to be used only sparingly. Most of the reporters (TV) are young
with no background (civil engineering). No camera byte was given.
Radio was very effective. We don't participate in exhibitions -
not worth the money. Printed literature, yes. You have to be prepared
as a PR person to act very fast. Give accurate information always.
Allow only interaction with the PR department.”
Dr. Ashok Kumar Balyan, director - HR, ONGC, moderated the session.
|
Top
When private enterprise scored
Why can't we build an airport like the one in Singapore? Because
we don't have the pride in ourselves to say we can; we have first-class
talent but no unity (of purpose), says
Dr. A. Ramakrishna, former president and joint managing director,
L&T, and adds that both PR pressure and private enterprise is
needed.
Captain K. Mahadevan, former GM-marketing and planning, Spice
Jet, points out that cheap air travel motivates people and gives
them reason to travel more often.
Dr. A. Ramakrishna, former president and joint managing director,
L&T, set the ball rolling, stating that engineers and contractors
preferred to keep a low profile and did not communicate to the outside
world as they should. Referring to a point made in an earlier session,
Ramakrishna confessed that in the case of the Coimbatore bypass
project, there was lack of proper communication to the people at
large.
Returning to the subject on hand, Ramakrishna said that the boom
in the civil aviation sector was a big success story. The number
of airlines and airplanes had increased, making air travel affordable,
popular and useful. “When we started bidding for the Bangalore
airport, the Karnataka Government had failed in negotiations with
Singapore Airlines even though Deve Gowda (former Indian Prime Minister)
had signed the agreement. Because no decisions were made. The Tatas
gave up and L&T was thus involved.”
Ramakrishna provided the example of Switzerland's Zurich airport,
built by Siemens, Germany. “Nobody thought that a private
company could build an airport and maintain it well. The airport
caters to three million passengers a day.” In the case of
Bangalore, S.M. Krishna (former Karnataka chief minister) extended
full support; the Vajpayee government was very proactive. “They
supported us. It took two and a half years for all agreements to
be signed and a policy framework to be put in place. Hyderabad under
Chandrababu Naidu (former chief minister) followed the Bangalore
example. So, we had two Greenfield airports, 5,000 acres each, and
the BOO (build-own-operate) mode in place,” he explained.
The challenge was, of course, to make the Bangalore project viable.
Siemens contributed 40 percent, L&T and Zurich Airport 17 percent
each, the Airport Authority of India 13 percent, and Karnataka Industrial
Development Corporation 13 percent. The objective was to work together
and gain public acceptance in the face of opposition. The project
provided direct employment to 1,000 people; and indirect employment
to 4,000, for every million passengers using the facility.
When 9/11 happened, the civil aviation sector faced a setback. Only
7 percent growth in air traffic could be projected. Subsequently,
after Praful Patel (Minister of Civil Aviation) visited the United
States and announced the 'open sky' policy between the two countries,
it made a tremendous change. Many private operators came into the
picture. Fares turned cheaper. Common people were able to travel
by air. And there was a lot of PR exercise by different airlines.
Elaborating on the Hyderabad airport project, Ramakrishna said that
it took three and a half years for all the agreements to be signed
and passed. The project was executed under the BOOT (build-own-operate-transfer)
model and a concession fee of 4 percent was paid to the government.
By then, the aviation sector was booming at 26 percent growth and
the project became viable. The Bangalore and Hyderabad success stories
(increased passenger inflow and increased economic activity) led
to proposals for modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports. By
2012, these are likely to turn into world-class airports, fit to
cater to 100 million passengers.
“Why can't we build an airport like the one in Singapore?
Because we don't have the pride in ourselves to say we can. We have
first-class talent but no unity (of purpose). Again, connectivity
from the city to the airport is not happening, unlike in Singapore,
Hong Kong and Kuala Lampur. PR pressure is needed and private enterprise
should come in even for railways. Non-metro airports will witness
tremendous growth,” Ramakrishna said. However, he bemoaned
the lack of engineers who could plan with a long-term view. He estimated
the total investment in airport in the coming five years to be about
Rs 50,000 crore. He was confident that finances would come from
the private sector and stressed the need for public-private partnerships.
Captain V.K. Mahadevan, former GM-marketing and planning, Spice
Jet, and former head of in-flight business development and sales,
Air Deccan, remarked that everybody was looking forward to developments
in the aviation industry. Earlier, airlines were never considered
as an option for the common man, but low-cost airlines had brought
convenience and grown the economy. He spoke of the need to play
the AIDA marketing ploy - Attract attention, raise Interest, translate
interest into Desire, and transform desire into Action. Air Deccan
had followed this method and relied on word-of-mouth publicity.
Capt. Mahadevan added that cheap air travel motivated people and
given them reason to travel more often. Internet had changed the
rules of the game, and quality had improved with competition. There
was need to focus on destinations and several other areas. Today's
traveller was more demanding, and information, from reservations
to car rentals, was always solicited. Attracting new customers and
retaining existing ones was not an easy task, he said.
Anu Mazumdar, PRO, Power Grid Corporation of India, and chairperson,
PRSI, Guwahati Chapter, chaired the session.
Top
Words and pictures play their part
 
How many of us work on the computer using our mother tongue?
Jagruti Trivedi, CEO, MINE, says that it is time we are able to
do things ourselves without being dependent. Creating software for
all Indian languages is as tough as getting to know the existence
of language specialists, she adds. Pablo Bartholomew, ace Indian
photographer, explains the need for more interaction between linguists
and industry and points out that archiving and delivery of content
are some of the challenges facing photographers and users today.
Words and visuals constitute 'mental infrastructure' in the modern
era. While bridges and roads connect physically, language connects
people mentally by providing understanding; words not only enable
clear thinking, but also better social organisation; words and visuals
are a better medium for education, transmission of knowledge and
propagation of the arts; they open new roads for the transport and
traffic of ideas, said Dr. Sundari, head of the PR and Communications,
Department of Stella Maris College, Chennai, introducing the session
on language and communication.
Expanding on the topic, Jagruti Trivedi, CEO, MINE, and former secretary
of the Vadodara Chapter of the PRSI, pointed out that language represented
many aspects, including silence and body language. Whether you called
a person 'tum' or 'aap', it was good enough as long as the message
was communicated, she added. “Literature is the deepest form
of communication. We always tend to think of the language we represent
as important. The world is shrinking and there is a need for open
minds and harmonious communication. We have to understand the mind
and psyche of consumers. We have to learn more about other languages.
Person-to-person communi-cation is important,” Trivedi explained,
pointing out that with multinational organisations entrenching themselves
in India, French and German were no longer just foreign languages;
many Indians spoke them. According to her, knowing the native language
was the best means to penetrate the population, it helped you cross
the bridge halfway.
Global companies, spanning telecom, medicine, engineering, finance,
automotive, heavy engineering, legal, religion, and even NGOs, were
focusing on India. The need for language specialists had arisen.
No longer was it enough to produce a company brochure in English.
User manuals usually included local languages. With the Right to
Information Act coming into force in India, even patients could
seek explanations from doctors in the language preferred. At another
level, foreigners liked to know more about India's local deities,
for example, not just about the Ramayan and Mahabharata.
Talking about the technical aspects of language communication, Trivedi
said that the focus had to shift from pen and paper to computers
because it saved time and was more productive. There was the need
for computerisation at the grassroots level, and server-based or
server-independent translation memory tools. There had been some
technological development in India in these aspects thanks to the
initiative taken by the Technological Development for Indian Languages,
which had developed tools such as the Desika software and Sanskrit
processing tools. “Can you work on the computer using your
mother tongue? Today, you have to do things yourself, not be dependent.
How do we go about doing this for all Indian languages? How do we
get to know the existence of language specialists? There is a need
for more interaction between linguists and industry. There are 1076
distinct languages in India; 33 of them are spoken by at least a
lakh,” she said.
Dwelling on visuals as a key aspect in communications, Pablo Bartholomew,
ace Indian photographer known worldwide and who now specialised
in photo data-based solutions and server-based digital archiving
systems, displayed a series of his pictures that sought to sensitise
the community to certain subjects such as the Bhopal gas tragedy,
tribal life in India, refugees, and morphine addicts. He mentioned
photography as “only emerging” in India and classified
it as documentary, photojournalism, editorial, corporate events,
advertising, weddings and portraiture.
Photography came to India fairly early, starting with glass negatives
and the large wooden camera. World War II saw 35 mm photography
becoming popular, as well as the compact hand-held camera. Magazines
such as Life, Time and Paris Match began to use a lot of visual
material. “Photography is now in everybody's hand. You can
take pictures with a cell phone. It has propelled the citizen journalist
in everybody and you can use the image to document or tell a story.
You are the fly on the wall and can see how things evolve,”
said Bartholomew whose pictures had appeared in Time, Newsweek,
National Geographic and won several awards including the World Press
Photo Award in 1975 for pictures portraying the junkie era in India
(after the hippie era). Bartholomew had also captured life behind
the scene in the Bombay film industry - pictures of Big B, Nafisa
Ali, stuntmen as well as poignant images of suicide deaths in Vidharba,
pictures of Nihangs in Punjab, of Sant Bhindranwale in the Golden
temple complex, and of surrender after Operation Bluestar.
Bartholomew urged PR practitioners to consider some “crucial
questions” before hiring a photographer for corporate work:
the kind of photographer, who owns the rights to pictures, the assignment
and day rate, negotiation of licensing, buying photography or hiring
work. “A photograph is really the intellectual property of
the artiste that is translated into film.” Referring to the
American Society of Media Photographers, he said that there was
a need to develop such an association in India. He pointed out that
archiving and delivery of content were some of the challenges facing
photographers and users.
Top
Internet, Indian Railways: powerful forces both
 
David Appasamy, chief communications officer, Sify Technologies,
says PR helps build the right perception about a company and if
only 'old media' is used, it is not effective in today's world.
He stresses on two-way communication and the power of the Internet,
which he says must form the core of any PR programme. S. Anantharaman,
chief commercial manager, passenger marketing, Indian Railways,
points out that if the Indian Railways is absent, then seven crore
lorries and 5.11 crore buses will be needed to transport men and
material.
The road ahead, he adds, lies in strengthening core competency and
pursuing public-private partnerships.
In recent years, information technology (IT) was the driving force
behind the Indian economy. The IT boom in India would not have been
possible without the Internet, which had led to the creation of
development centres across the country delivering work to other
parts of the world. Talking about 'PR in the age of the Internet',
David Appasamy, chief communications officer, Sify Technologies,
pointed out that Internet was a network of networks that touched
human beings. “We in PR have not truly understood the power
of the Internet nor embraced it. Others have and are doing wonderfully
well.” The power of the medium, he said, lay in the fact that
users generated a whole lot of content, and that the IT infrastructure
would get more and more ubiquitous because of anywhere-anytime connectivity.
The possibilities for PR would thus be immense.
While print publications provided static, one-way communi-cation,
and radio and television too, to a large extent, the Internet had
opened out a whole new world of possibilities. According to Appasamy,
it democratised information (made information available to anyone
anytime, anywhere); it was a dynamic, interactive platform; the
medium enabled text, audio, video and rich graphics; and the user-led
content invited participation, enables social interaction.
“PR is a relationship between the general public and an institution
of any kind. It helps build the right perception about a company.
If you continue using 'old media', you are not building relationships.
You need a two-way communication channel. The power of IT infrastructure
is that it is open to all whatever be the size of the organisation.
There is global IT infrastructure you can use to build and shape
your business,” he explained. Appasamy narrated the example
of Steve Madden whose shoe business boomed thanks to his Website
catalogue and his interaction with customers through chats and blogs.
Madden was able to connect and give customers what they wanted.
The Steven Madden brand was driven by PR empowered by the Internet,
Appasamy said, adding that Madden used minimal advertising.
“How many of you have the Internet at the core of your PR
programme? We are using it only peripherally. Fifty percent of India's
GDP is from the service sector where PR is important. Look how the
Internet can be leveraged. Hire young people to strategize. Identify
opportunities. Create a new momentum to relationships you build
for companies and brands. See how you can lift PR to a higher level,”
Appasamy exhorted PRSI members.
Turning the spotlight on the Indian Railways was S. Anantharaman,
chief commercial manager, passenger marketing, Indian Railways,
and zonal secretary, Institute of Rail Transport India. Fourteen
lakh railway employees ran 9,200 passenger trains everyday; more
than 22 lakh people travelled everyday on the Indian Railways;
720 million tonnes of freight were carried in 2007. Referring to
romantic journeys, Samir Goswami, former national president, PRSI,
and chairman, Kolkata Chapter, who chaired the session, said that
Indian Railways not only carried men and material, but also helped
the development of the country's socio-economic culture.
Anantharaman put the role of the Indian Railways in better perspective
by pointing out that if the railways were absent, then seven crore
lorries and 5.11 crore buses would have to be used to transport
men and material. “So you can imaging the impact on roads,
environment, health, economic growth and mobility. In Chennai, for
instance, we would need 14 lakh lorries to carry coal to power houses;
3835 additional lorries in Chennai!”
Calling the Indian Railways the 'real link in the supply chain,
Anantharaman listed the 'elements of turnaround' as: higher asset
utilisation, rationalisation of tariff, higher speed incentives,
leveraging of economic growth, a re-look at operating prices, and
higher employee morale. The railways, he added, always had a favourable
turnaround ratio. The past two years had witnessed an incremental
loading of 70 million tones; productivity had increased substantially,
return on investments too. The Railway Minister (Laloo Prasad Yadav)
had focused on two aspects: utilisation of assets, and leveraging
systems to the hilt. Speeds of all mail and express trains had increased.
A series of incentives had been introduced for corporates such as
bulk and volume discounts and specific concessions.
The GDP growth of 8.9 percent coincided with the railway boom. The
Railway Minister, Anantharaman said, had suggested a re-look at
operating practices and set a “virtuous cycle” in day-to-day
operations. “Everybody wants to be a part of a success story.
It is the greatest motivation. We are growing at ten percent. While
staff size is reducing, we are geared to meet the challenges ahead.
Faster-heavier-longer is the mantra. The operating ratio (78 percent)
or expenses-revenue ration of the Indian Railways is the best in
the world,” he said.
On the anvil was the setting up of a dedicated freight corridor
(Mumbai-Delhi; Delhi-Calcutta), laying of 5,000 km of track with
higher axle load capacity at a cost of Rs 35,000 crore. The road
ahead, according to Anantharaman, lay in strengthening core competency,
pursuing the public-private partnership model especially for financing
railway projects, development of agro chains for better movement
of agri products, establishment of a dedicated freight corridor
and enabling port connectivity. Space on stations would be exploited,
gauge conversion would continue, there would be track renewals for
safety and comfort, bridges and world-class terminals would be built,
and suburban transportation infrastructure would be developed. All
this, he said, would come about by 2015, at an estimated cost of
Rs 3,00,000 crore.
Top
Nuclear energy in the time of power shortage
 
Rural electrification is the biggest joke; many Indian village
have feeble electricity or hardly any power at all, says Prof. A.
Gopalakrishna Iyer, editor-in-chief, Enertia-Falcon Media. He adds
that malls must set up captive power plants or find a source of
their own.
Dr S.K. Malhotra, head-corporate communications, Department of Atomic
Energy, clears misconceptions about nuclear power with a humour-packed
lecture. No debate about going hydro, thermal or nuclear is needed
when there is shortage of resources, he says, and is convinced that
if the Indo-U.S. nuclear talks fail, India will lose face and there
will be a 6,000 MW shortfall.
It was with a comparison between India and China that Prof. A.
Gopalakrishna Iyer, editor-in-chief, Enertia-Falcon Media, Mumbai,
kick-started the session on power. As against an installed capacity
of 1,30,000 MW (shortfall of 40,000 MW) in India, China had an installed
power capacity of 4,00,000 MW; however, China's GDP, at $ US 3.8
trillion, was three times more than that of India's $ US 3.8 trillion.
India was a more efficient user of energy, but did not have the
resources. During the past five years, Mumbai, Delhi, the National
Capital Region, and Chennai, thanks to call centres and industries,
faced a peak power situation almost throughout the day. Tamil Nadu
usually had a shortfall of 600 MW, with the shortfall peaking in
summer, at 1,500 MW.
“Rural electrification is the biggest joke. Feeble electricity,
or hardly any electricity at all, flows in Indian villages. And
I'm not talking of Bihar. Even in Maharashtra I know of several
such villages. Against an installed capacity of 15,000 MW, the state
has a shortfall of 8,000 MW. Dabhol, a power project that could
have developed the Konkan and Vidharba areas, was an example of
bad communication,” said Iyer, pointing to the negative publicity
that the failed power project generated. “You need to make
development fit for everybody. Malls may lift the lifestyles of
a few but they must go for captive energy or find a source of their
own. They are only compounding the electricity crisis in Mumbai.
Our development model is incorrect. Farmers need electricity,”
he added.
Iyer provided the example of a pilot project in a village in Gujarat
where a 24-hour single-phase connection was provided to homes and
a three-phase, three-hour connection to farmers. This led to women
turning entrepreneurs and generating income. “We need to use
electricity efficiently. When states overdraw, grids trip. Electricity
is a concurrent subject while the Centre lays down one policy, states
follow other policies.” The Central Board of Irrigation Power
that conducted a lot of research was a powerless body, according
to him. The Planning Commission did not take into account ground
realities. “Policy making, planning and implemen tation is
not seamless. Our electricity model is skewed. Only 45 percent of
power is available for the domestic and agricultural sector. The
next big war will be fought over electricity and water,” he
cautioned.
Referring to the importance of hydro energy, Iyer remarked that
Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina had together set up a 14,000
MW power project. “You may displace people but you can provide
them alternate accommodation. NGOs can play an important role and
make long-term investments sustainable. If the private sector invests
and builds, it can bring about a very important element of change
in the energy sector. You can use coal as well as futuristic technology.
Energy can make or break our nation. It is the driver of our economic
growth.”
In a presentation peppered with humour, Dr S.K. Malhotra, head-corporate
communications, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, spoke about
the advantages of nuclear power and helped clear several misconceptions
about it. The various aspects of atomic energy included electricity
generation; and use of it as a fuel substitute, for producing hydrogen,
and as the future fuel for transport. Nuclear power had applications
in the fields of health, food, agri industry, environment, water
resource management and national security.
“India is the fifth largest generator of electricity. Except
human resources, whatever we produce has to be divided by a large
denominator. If you consider the per capita generation of electricity,
you are pushed to the 120th or 130th position. This (per capita
consumption) is what determines the growth of a country. Double-digit
GDP growth can happen only if we can ensure 6-7 percent growth in
electricity production year after year. That is, 45-50 years from
now, we must be able to produce ten times of what we produce today,”
Malhotra said.
Six percent of the world's coal was consumed by India. If India
had to produce ten times of what it was producing today, it would
have to use 46 percent of the world's coal, which was not practical.
According to Malhotra, studies showed that in spite of a judicious
mix of available resources, 25 percent of the energy needs would
have to be imported. “So the problem is big. We must not debate
whether hydro, thermal or nuclear. Each resource has to be used.
No debate is needed when there is shortage of resources.”
Malhotra explained what India's three-stage nuclear power programme
was all about. He termed it as “unique” moving from
stage to stage, from production of Uranium 235 to Plutonium 239
and Uranium 233. He said that unless there was a strong base of
using U 235, you could not move to the second stage to multiply
energy capacity manifold. The spent fuel of the first stage was
used for the second stage, to run the fast breeder reactor programme.
The challenge, he felt, was to convince people who did not know
much about nuclear science. “Until you have sufficient uranium-based
reactors, you won't have enough plutonium, and until you don't have
enough plutonium to have a large fast breeder capacity, you will
not be able to convert thorium into usable fuel. We are commercial
as far as stage one is concerned,” Malhotra said.
India now had 17 nuclear reactors operating with an installed capacity
of 4120 MW. The installed capacity would grow to 7,000 MW in the
coming five years. By 2020, nuclear power would account for 20,000
MW, 12,000 MW from indigenous resources. “If the Indo-U.S.
talks fail, we will lose face. There will be a 6,000 MW shortfall.
Everyone has some opinion about nuclear energy. Many look at it
favourably, yet suffer from 'not in my backyard' or the NIMB syndrome.
Such skepticism is based on false presentation of facts. There are
lots of erroneous facts floating in the media. Again, if you are
a good environmentalist, you oppose nuclear power,” quipped
Malhotra, adding that people like him had to deal with NGOs who
opposed development programmes, politicians, medical and health
professionals, academicians, citizens in a locality and media.
Some experiments of the Department of Atomic Energy had succeeded,
such as the conduct of regular journalist workshops. “We need
to change public perception. Dust in a uranium mine is far less
than in the outside world,” he said, pointing to the wrong
perceptions that existed nuclear mines were associated with Hiroshima
and Nagasaki; nuclear reactors were not safe; nuclear waste is dangerous.
“If an average Indian family of four is to use nuclear energy
for 25 years, the wastage generated would be of the size of a paperweight.
If it is coal, your house would be buried under the ash. Death is
not present in a nuclear power station. You are at a higher risk
on the road,” he said.
Top
Of alliances, social responsibility, simple communication, controlled
PR
Cooperatives, numbering 5,00,000 in India, should go for partnerships
and alliances since they have unique networking strengths, says
Mohan Mishra, director-PR and chief vigilance officer, National
Cooperative Union of India. Nazeeb Arif, vice president-corporate
communications, ITC, is for business creating social capital, synergising
shareholder value enhancement, and embedding CSR in its business
model. With 17 major languages and 1,650 dialects, getting messages
across to rural masses in India is a communication person's nightmare.
R.V. Rajan, chairman, Anugrah Madison, and founder-president of
the Rural Marketing Agencies Association of India, stresses the
need to keep communication simple and to take time in communicating
messages. There are different mindset patterns, so think differently,
there is no standard formula, he says. S.W.M. Rizvi, GM-PR, Hindalco
Industries Ltd., showcases his company's active contribution to
encouraging a sustainable way of life for weaker sections of society.
There is lack of information and knowledge and farmers are getting
into debt traps and committing suicides; there is lack of will power
on the part of governments to solve problems, Ganshyam Das, GM,
IFFCO, points out. Positioning a company properly before an IPO
is crucial, says P.D. Hindwan, consultant, Ernst & Young and
Reliance Industries Ltd., Controlled PR is better than a burst of
PR, and one or two spokespersons at the most, he cautions.
Chairing the final session at the 29th All India PR Conference,
Dr R. Kannan, former administrator and now academician and writer,
made an interesting point that the Madras Presidency was a pioneer
of cooperative credit societies and cooperative wholesale and retail
stores. Infrastructure, he pointed out, encompassed a wide spectrum
of economic activity, including agriculture, marketing of horticultural
produce, environment and climate change. He mentioned that the cooperatives
were an intermediary between unfettered capitalism and state ownership.
The cooperative sector did not have expertise in PR although ITC
had created some change with its e-chaupals.
Elaborating on cooperative societies in India, Mohan Mishra, director-PR
and chief vigilance officer, National Cooperative Union of India,
said that the immense depth of the cooperative sector was not well
known to many, and the fact that cooperatives were pockets of excellence
was not acknowledged. The need of the hour, he added, was more PR
and communication.
What was once a monopoly was now a playground for the private sector.
India, with a GDP growth of 9.6 percent, was the second largest
growing economy after China (11.3 percent). There were contradictions
in managing a large diversified economy; the task of managing sustained
growth is evidently complex. “Cooperatives have served the
country in isolation for 100 years. Cooperatives should now go for
partnerships and alliances since they have unique networking strengths.
Cooperatives have a social purpose, they are actually business organisations
where profits are shared by members,” Mishra said.
Mishra named cooperative society values as self-help, self-responsibility,
democracy, equality, equity and solidarity, honesty, openness, and
social responsibility and a sense of caring. In India, 240 million
people spread over 5,00,000 cooperative societies formed part of
the cooperative movement. Canada and the United States had one-third
and one-fourth of their populations as part of the cooperative movement;
worldwide, 800 million people were members of cooperatives. Thus,
cooperative societies played a significant role in various economies
of the world. The cooperative movement covered more than 70 percent
of rural households in India. According to Mishra, the challenges
were many: cooperatives could function in isolation, members' expectations
and market needs had to be balanced, the management system had to
be modernised, and there was the need to safeguard against 'corporatisation'.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, some of the recurring themes
were globalisation and sustainable and inclusive growth. ITC was
one company in India's corporate sector that included the aspect
of 'sustainable growth' in its corporate campaign strategy and brought
growth and a meaningful difference in the country's rural sector.
Nazeeb Arif, vice president-corporate communications, ITC, spoke
about growing inequities in India and the world. For example, ten
percent of the top richest adults controlled 80 percent of the household
wealth; the bottom 50 percent owned only one percent! India, which
had joined the world's trillion-dollar economy, had the largest
number of the billionaires among countries in Asia, and had 200
companies each with a market capitalisation of one billion US dollars.
However, one-third of India's population was illiterate; 1.1 million
infants died in the first month of birth; one mother died every
seven minutes; 300 million lived in abject poverty; there was social
unrest. Arif pointed out that the economic growth machine was not
going hand in hand with equity.
So, what are the issues confronting India that had 17 percent of
the world's population, 2.4 percent of its landmass, 4 percent of
its water resources, and one percent of global forest resources?
Arif mentioned depleting natural capital as one of the main issues
it was not enough to fuel ten percent growth, he said. Pressure
on water, soil, air and biodiversity was another. India faced the
largest impact of climate change.
“If we are growing at the rate we are, we still need the resources
of two planets,” he said. He added: “Business must contribute
to society. Creating social capital is very important. We need to
synergise shareholder value enhancement and societal goals of sustainable
and inclusive growth. CSR (corporate social responsibility) is embedded
in our (ITC's) business model, such as in our e-chaupals, social
forestry and farm projects.” ITC has trained farmers as sanchalaks,
introduced them to best practices in farming, provided them access
to quality inputs and services as well as information about the
weather. ITC's Chaupal Sagar provides farmers the urban retail experience.
Arif stressed on the potent force or the power of consumer franchise.
He was for enlisting consumer support and enhancing their awareness,
creating an institutional framework that would help consumers make
an informed choice.
Throwing light on aspects of rural communication was R.V. Rajan,
chairman, Anugrah Madison, and founder-president of the Rural Marketing
Agencies Association of India. Rural marketing was given step-motherly
treatment, he pointed out, adding that except for Hindustan Lever
and ITC, which had deep pockets, there was little effort from anybody
else. Low literacy levels, poor media reach, and a heterogeneous
and diversely spread audience posed challenges to the communicator.
With 17 major languages and 1,650 dialects, getting messages across
to rural masses was a communication person's nightmare.
It was important to invest in the right communication package aimed
at a specific target audience. More and more sons of farmers were
getting educated and moving into non-agri ventures, Rajan pointed
out. Rural masses were intelligent and could not be hoodwinked.
They understand symbols and colours better, were conscious of value
for money, spent a lot of time with products.
“It is important to have an in-depth study of the mindset
of consumers of each region for each product category before developing
any communication package. Experience of one product category cannot
be automatically extended to other categories. Keep communication
simple; take time in communicating messages. Think in the local
language; traditional and cultural considerations have to be borne
in mind. Demonstration is important. Analogies help better in comprehension.
There are different mindset patterns, so think differently, there
is no standard formula,” advised the veteran ad man.
S.W.M. Rizvi, GM-PR, Hindalco Industries Ltd., and chairman of the
Varanasi Chapter of the PRSI, showcased his company's active contribution
to encouraging a sustainable way of life for weaker sections of
society. The company had adopted 250 villages covering 3,69,000
people under the 'model village' concept. Based on five focus areas
of sustainable livelihood, education, health, infrastructure development
and social issues, Hindalco's PR team made strategies and acted
as catalyst, coordinating between villages and government agencies.
Hindalco programmes included running four Aditya Bal Vidya Mandir
schools, five balawadi centres, providing support to local government
schools, distribution of merit scholarships, conducting pulse polio
immunization, family planning and widow re-marriage programmes,
construction of low-cost latrines, and running a rural technology
park and a vocational training-cum-production centre.
“Indian agriculture is at the crossroads. Productivity is
declining across states and the impact of fertilizers is reducing.
Farmers are consuming more fertilizers than necessary. Input costs
are growing all the time. We exist because of farmers. Farmers are
not getting adequate returns; the new generation is not interested
in farming. There is lack of information and knowledge and farmers
are getting into debt traps and committing suicides. There is lack
of will power on the part of governments to solve problems. Communicating
effectively with the rural audience is not easy. We must keep the
soul of farmers in our advertisement campaigns,” said Ganshyam
Das, general manager, IFFCO.
IFFCO was helping farmers with information about the weather, and
which mandi they could get remunerative prices. It was entering
into joint ventures with companies in India and abroad to help farmers.
Its Kisan Seva Trust helped farmers in times of need and addressed
location-specific concerns through fairs, exhibitions, distribution
of crop-specific literature in the vernacular, and the media.
Emphasising the importance of IPOs (initial public offerings) for
infrastructure development,
P.D. Hindwan, consultant, Ernst & Young and Reliance Industries
Ltd., said that India needed $ 600 billion in the coming five years
for infrastructure development. Raising that kind of money was not
easy, and contributions from banks and financial institutions were
not enough, he added. ONGC, NTPC and ICICI had in recent years raised
thousands of crores of rupees through IPOs.
The top ten companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the
top 50 NIFTY companies together accounted for 77 percent of India's
share market. Giving an example, Hindwan said that on a particular
day (December 10, 2007), 10.70 lakh shares were traded on the BSI
transactions worth Rs 47,278 crore. Foreign investments had helped
raise the Sensex to 20,000 points. According to Hindwan, 70 percent
of retail applications were from Western India, especially Mumbai,
and 90 percent of money came from these applicants.
How did an issue oversubscribe? Well, the image of the company mattered,
valuation of the company, the grey market quote for issue, profit-equity
ratio, earning per share, and the sector of industry the company
belonged to. “Positioning of a company, the growth potential
of the industrial sector it is in, the company's performance and
track record are important factors. Good listed companies yield
good dividends, you get a good return on investment, there is good
liquidity and you can work out your future plans. The IPO of equity
shares through the book-building route is what is being followed
in the country,” Hindwan explained.
In 2003, Maruti's IPO had kick-started a dormant market. Disinvestments
by the government helped people to invest in large blue-chip companies.
Retail investors were greatly influenced by opinion makers and the
media. Many options were available to investors in the primary market
at any point of time. Targetting retail investors, intermediaries,
institutional investors and influencers, the communication objective
should be to create an image for the company and “an appetite
for its equity.” “You must create a buzz to ensure that
the IPO is a success with high levels of investor participation,”
Hindwan said, adding, “The communication mix must include
corporate PR, corporate advertising, statutory advertising, issue
advertising, road-show management, and messages to intermediaries
and opinion makers. Controlled PR is better than a burst of PR.
And one or two spokespersons at the most.”
Top
Call for a more professional approach to PR
K.K. Acharya, MD, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., bemoans
the dearth of competent people in every sector, especially civil
engineers, even PR practitioners. He emphasizes the need to grow
skilled manpower and urges universities to include PR as a part
of its curriculum. Dr. Narasimha Reddi, editor, PR Voice, says PR
and infrastructure development must go hand in hand. He wants the
government to establish a PR and communication division at the national
level, encourage PR education, and also to revive India's communication
heritage and integrate it with the IT boom.
Addressing PRSI members at the valedictory session, Dr. Ajit Pathak,
national president, PRSI, urged everybody to ensure that PR was
used as a tool to propel India to the top of the table among nations
of the world. He acknowledged that PR practitioners were finding
it difficult to convince top managements in companies about the
need for a more strategic role for PR. PRSI, into its 50th year,
had witnessed several ups and downs, he said.
Dr. Pathak announced that the All India PR Conference 2008 would
be held in Guwahati, in PRSI's golden jubilee year. PR conferences
for students would also be held in Delhi and Raipur. Ek Shaam Jawano
Ke Naam, a programme for the jawans will be held.
He announced the release of two issues of the academic journal.
He encouraged members to study for a doctorate in PR (he is India's
first) and said that a member achieving a PhD would be given life
membership of the PRSI and a cash prize of Rs. 11,000.
Guest of Honour K.K. Acharya, MD, Chennai Petroleum Corporation
Ltd., displayed the logo symbolizing 50 years of the PRSI. The first
All India PR Conference was held in Delhi in 1968 when a code of
professional ethics was adopted. The objective was to promote PR
as a strategic management function. The growth of the PR movement
in India went back to 1958 when visionaries such as Farukh Ismullah
established PRSI in Bombay. The Society has grown and today it was
a partner of the Global Alliance for PR headquartered in Chicago,
Illinois, U.S.A.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Narasimha Reddi, editor, PR Voice,
said that the 29th Conference was a well-organised conference. He
termed it as “unique” - for the first time a topical
subject was the theme. He lauded Chennai PRSI for being a vibrant,
model chapter. “Now we can invest communication capital to
provide quality services on par with international standards. PR
is essential to encourage transparency and reduce corruption. Media
relations have hijacked PR and we should maintain relations with
the management and stakeholders. There is lack of training, and
there are no quality books on PR,” he said.
Dwelling on the theme of the Conference, Dr. Reddi said that there
should be more investment in infrastructure in India through public-private
partnerships. “PR and infrastructure development must go hand
in hand. The government should establish a PR and communication
division at the national level. We must encourage PR education.
PR in India lives in towns. We must develop a global perspective
to PR and focus on integrated PR communications. We need to revive
our communication heritage and integrate it with the IT boom,”
he added. Citing the examples of Buddha, Ashoka, Swami Vivekananda
and Mahatma Gandhi.
Acharya said that PR had become all the more important as India
was projecting itself through road shows to the world. China, India,
Brazil and Russia would dominate as global players in the coming
10-20 years, he added. Acharya bemoaned the non-availability of
skilled manpower and human resource development people. “There
is a dearth of people almost everywhere, especially civil engineers.
Nowadays the accent is on electronics and communication. We need
to grow skilled manpower in the country. There is a shortage of
PR practitioners too. Universities must include PR as a part of
its curriculum and provide best skills to institutions.
Suganthy Sundararaj, secretary, PRSI, Chennai Chapter, proposed
the vote of thanks, and brought the curtain down on an eventful
three days.
Top
Winners all
At the 29th All India PR Conference 2007, PRSI National Awards were
given to PR practitioners in recognition of their outstanding exhibition
of talent and creativity. In all 38 Awards in 14 categories were
presented to the best of works by PR practitioners across the country.
At the valedictory session, R.K. Dharan announced the names of the
winners. K.K. Acharya, MD, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., presented
the awards.
PRSI congratulates the winners.
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Seminar
on Travel Tourism & Hospitality PR
Seminar Web Album : http://www.flickr.com/photos/44538498@N00/show/
World’s
No. 1 industry desperately needs effective PR
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| While Tamil Nadu may one day well
become the No. 1 tourist destination in India, for domestic and foreign
visitors, a lot remains to be done to make it happen. At another level,
the travel and tourism industry is the largest income generator in
the world and in India as well, way ahead of the IT sector that many
think is the only money-spinner. India is today the world's tenth
largest economy. The potential the country has for tourism is simply
huge. But can we leverage on our strengths and build a national brand
to emerge as one of the top tourist destinations in the world? We
can, but success will have a lot to do with effective communication
and PR. |
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Tamil Nadu is the No. 2 destination
in India for foreign tourists (12 lakh tourists visited the State
last year), and the No. 3 destination for domestic visitors (three
lakh are expected this year), and if we have to make the state the
No. 1 destination in the country on both counts, it will only be
with the help of people like you,” said N. Suresh Rajan, Minister
for Tourism, Government of Tamil Nadu, addressing public relations
practitioners at the inaugural session of a seminar on Travel, Tourism
and Hospitality PR conducted by the Public Relations Society of
India, Chennai Chapter, at The Accord Metropolitan Hotel.
Rajan pointed out that the State Tourism Department was working
towards promoting various tourism initiatives: setting up a tourism
police force, putting in place a team of tourist guides, extending
support to those who wished to promote lesser-known places by waiving
tax for the first five years, providing easy finance and clearances,
promoting employment, and producing publicity material in English
and Hindi. Rajan also said that the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.
Karunanidhi, was keen to promote tourism in the State and make it
the No. 1 tourist destination in India.
Earlier, Rajan lit the kuthuvilakku to inaugurate the
seminar. He was joined by Aswini Kakkar, executive vice-chairman,
Mercury Travels, and former chairman of the World Travel and Tourism
Council; Ajit Pathak, president, PRSI, National Chapter; Geoff Magee,
CEO, Accord Metropolitan; V.S. Ramana, chairman, PRSI, Chennai Chapter;
and R.K. Dharan, regional vice-president, south, PRSI.
After a short film on PRSI, Chennai Chapter, Ramana welcomed the
gathering and said that the Society had shared knowledge and information
the past 38 years with PR practitioners. “PR has undergone
a sea change. We are exploring all facets of providing enhanced
services. The changing environment is challenging the old order,”
he said, adding, “Indians are re-exploring their own country.
The focus of this seminar will be brand-building, forming strategic
partnerships, networking and PR.”
Pathak praised the Chennai Chapter team for having worked hard
to earn the status of being the No.1 PRSI chapter in India. He declared
that Chennai would be the venue in December for the 13th All I | |
