Posts by Category
Posts by Year
Blogs
Chapter 4F: unknown to Bose or BN
Chapter 4F: unknown to Bose or BN – someone was plotting to eliminate them. BN...
Chapter 4E: On March 23, 1940
Chapter 4E: On March 23, 1940 – as BN and Subhash Chandra Bose were locked...
Chapter 4D: Writing a constitution is one thing
Chapter 4D: Writing a constitution is one thing. Implementing it is another. As India’s march...
Chapter 4C: The art of a deal. Beyond money is power
Chapter 4C: The art of a deal. Beyond money is power. And beyond power ?...
Chapter 4B: “Freedom is not the destination
Chapter 4B: “Freedom is not the destination. It is a pre requisite for economic progress...
As world headed to the bloodiest of all wars – World War II
As world headed to the bloodiest of all wars – World War II – the...
Chapter 3F: His Holiness had assumed that all Muslims would want an independent Muslim nation
Chapter 3F: His Holiness had assumed that all Muslims would want an independent Muslim nation....
Chapter 3E: His Holiness understood the power of privileged networks
Chapter 3E: His Holiness understood the power of privileged networks. He had learned the ways...
Chapter 3D: The Aga Khan was the most socially astute of the three
Chapter 3D: The Aga Khan was the most socially astute of the three. He was...
Chapter 3C: For close to ten years, I saw this gate every school day
Chapter 3C: For close to ten years, I saw this gate every school day. It...
Chapter 3B: Concurrent to the concept of democracy
Chapter 3B: Concurrent to the concept of democracy was that of a joint stock company...
By 1921, the three groups – BN, AK and Others had taken positions
By 1921, the three groups – BN, AK and Others had taken positions. It was...
Chapter 2F: The period between the two World Wars is not when independence was won
Chapter 2F: The period between the two World Wars is not when independence was won....
The Partition Saga part 2
Chapter 2E: The Kumbh 1921 was a crazy hit. Ten million people attended the Ardh...
Chapter 2D: The war ended sooner than expected
Chapter 2D: The war ended sooner than expected. The wildcard entry of USA was a...
Chapter 2C: When millionaire genius’s compete
Chapter 2C: When millionaire genius’s compete – it is a fight between unequals. Beyond money...
Chapter 2B: Aga Khan and Basheshwar Nath were friends of the British
Chapter 2B: Aga Khan and Basheshwar Nath were friends of the British. So much so...
Chapter 2: Once the idea of an independent Muslim nation had been conceived
Chapter 2: Once the idea of an independent Muslim nation had been conceived – the...
Chapter 1D: Aga Khan III had made up his mind by 1933
Chapter 1D: Aga Khan III had made up his mind by 1933 that the only...
Chapter 1C: Aga Khan II succeeded his father in 1881
Chapter 1C: Aga Khan II succeeded his father in 1881. His Imamate was short lived....
Chapter 1B: Two titans fought
Chapter 1B: Two titans fought. One was a merchant of war, one of God. The...
The Partition Museum in Amritsar and its second phase in New Delhi
The Partition Museum in Amritsar and its second phase in New Delhi have got prominent...
Amritsar is the city on the cusp of change
Amritsar is the city on the cusp of change. Not only can it beat Mahakal/Ujjain...
A common set of bad actors seem to be in control of these organisations
Tatas, SBI, HDFC, L&T, Axis, ILFS, ICICI.A common set of bad actors seem to be...
Startup ecosystem
In the last 100 days, 10 new cities have joined the Startup ecosystem. Three new...
The battle for cultural diversity
The battle for cultural diversity. And the role of the seniormost Tamilian – Venu Srinivasan....
Digital Rupee Bank
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpdWZLY88lA Digital Rupee Bank India’s chance at Global retail bank leadership Bitcoin is probably the...
Chapter 14D: Citibank ecosystem
Chapter 14D: Citibank ecosystem used basic principles derived from the Morgan Stanley mutual fund scam,...
Chapter 14C: Judicial Reform in india
Chapter 14C: one simple step can clean up Indian judiciary overnight. Before joining as a...
Chapter 14B: Just about three months ago a simple post on my account pointed the need to break up HDFC.
Chapter 14B: Just about three months ago a simple post on my account pointed the...
Chapter 14A: Rs 1 lac per sq feet and the rise of Gurgaon
Chapter 14A: the principle beneficiary and key propagant of the Harshad Mehta scam was Citibank....
Chapter 13: Diners Club takever and the RBI restriction on Credit Card issuance
Chapter 13: in 2011, the HDFC and Citi networks were interconnected with the equivalent of...
Chapter 12I: HDFC Bank
Chapter 12I: the single biggest regulatory error of independent India was to allow public deposits...
Chapter 12H: Nira Radhia tapes have extensive conversations with the Tatas.
Chapter 12H: Nira Radhia tapes have extensive conversations with the Tatas. It is about getting...
HDFC Bank
Till someone churned the pot, it is something that everyone knew. Yet no one did.Till...
Chapter 12G: Fall and Rise
Chapter 12G: citi met more than their match in DLF. Their idea here was to...
Chapter 12F: KSS Oil Ltd
Chapter 12F: if you don’t lend money, how do you pay interest to the depositors....
Chapter 12E: HDFC Bank
Chapter 12E: The rape of rapeseed and the rise of DLF. Ending in the child...
Chapter 12D: Private Banks are not Bankable
Chapter 12D: Given the status of cybersecurity, global geopolitics and national needs – there is...
Chapter 12C: 25 years ago I led the team which corporatised BSNL.
Chapter 12C: 25 years ago I led the team which corporatised BSNL. Do we want...
Justice Vinod Diwakar
When times are right, wisdom comes from the most unexpected of places. This time it...
Chapter 12B: Baby fish eats its mother
Chapter 12B: in early 2000, the Rothschild Asia Pac chief made a casual remark over...
Chapter 12A: Eight years ago, I got a strange call from an IIT Alumnus.
Chapter 12A: Eight years ago, I got a strange call from an IIT Alumnus. His...
Chapter 11J: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11J: There are two Padma Bhushan’s in Indian banking. KV Kamath of ICICI and...
Chapter 11i: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11i: the common man rarely understands legalese. They rarely understand who is the acquired...
IIT Alumni
Aggregation of power and the rise of domination. The late eighties and early nineties marked...
Chapter 11H: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11H: Cyrus Mistry exit was the ultimate success of the Citi legal ecosystem. By...
“System Samajhne Wala Babu” on Every Troubled Board: India Inc’s Favourite Governance Sham
Independent Directors as gig workers. Just like Zomato. Paid per appearance. Like lawyers defending you....
Chapter 11G: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11G: In 2010, a writ was filed in the Supreme Court by Ratan Tata...
Chapter 11F: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11F: How did the infamous Tata Finance become Tata Capital which did the highly...
Chapter 11E: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11E: To continue on legal luminaire Jagdish Salwan and Justice Shamit Mukherjee. As an...
Chapter 11D: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11D: For some bureaucrats it doesn’t matter which party is in power. They remain...
Chapter 11C: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11C: The role of Citi in the Indian judiciary is the kind of stuff...
Chapter 11B: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11B: The real power of the Citi HDFC duo came from their power over...
Chapter 11A: Foreign Bank exits India
Chapter 11A: India is not an easy place to do business. For some strange reason,...
Chapter 10C: Change of Guards
Chapter 10C: 2014 was the beginning of the end of the money export industry. It...
Chapter 10B: Change of Guards
Chapter 10B: in the aftermath of the 2008 meltdown, the PMO had got their best...
Chapter 10A: Change of Guards
Chapter 10A: There are insiders. And then there are absolute insiders. And then within them...
Chapter 9C: A Compromised Leader
Chapter 9C: words like havala, benami or dabba trading are just Indian words for American...
Chapter 9B: A Compromised Leader
Chapter 9B: the export of money has been the main corporate objective of the Citi...
Chapter 8C: Paresh Sukhtankar leaves and Faering Capital rises
Chapter 8C: there is an exit playbook in Citibank. It is akin to joining the...
Chapter 9A: A Compromised Leader
Chapter 9A: God runs India. The bundle of contradictions called India is beyond the capability...
Chapter 8B: let me go back to 2008.
Chapter 8B: let me go back to 2008. There was a leadership dispute and one...
Chapter 8A: what is a fair wage for an employee ?
Chapter 8A: what is a fair wage for an employee ? Does an employee really...
Chapter 7D: one old Citibank playbook is to merge, demerge, name, rename … back to where you were. And it is all cleaned up.
Chapter 7D: one old Citibank playbook is to merge, demerge, name, rename … back to...
Chapter 7C: There was just too much happening in 2008.
Chapter 7C: There was just too much happening in 2008. A bunch of engineers in...
Chapter 7B: NPCI, a clone for discover
Chapter 7B: real estate, bank deposits, insurance and stock markets – this is where middle...
Ai can redefine how video content is created
Ai can redefine how video content is created. Twenty five years ago, IIT Alumnus Pawan...
Chapter 7A: NPCI, a clone for discover
Chapter 7A: Scam of a lifetime. Became a global success story. One that took DPI...
Chapter 6: Rs 6800 crore profit and the creation of dominance
Chapter 6: I got to see RBI at work very closely in those days. A...
Chapter 5: Foreign take over of HDFC Ltd
Chapter 5: 2004 marked the start of a ten year term at the centre by...
Chapter 4: Sabre Capital and sector domination
Chapter 4: sometimes the primary reason you form new teams is because you have a...
Chapter 3: Rise of a new leader
Chapter 3: leaders are never good or bad. It is the results they generate which...
A bank CEO is declared not “fit & proper”
A bank CEO is declared not “fit & proper”RBI passes strictures. Bank exits. A fund...
Chapter 2F: Two servers, not one!!!
Chapter 2F: Two servers, not one!!! And this is something no one ever told you...
Chapter 2E: the same bad actors across HDFC, L&T, Tatas.
Chapter 2E: the same bad actors across HDFC, L&T, Tatas. And how they created billions...
HDFC, Citi … and now NSE.
HDFC, Citi … and now NSE.They say once you open a can worms, there is...
Chapter 2D: Around 1998, the HDFC airship hit turbulent weather.
Chapter 2D: Around 1998, the HDFC airship hit turbulent weather. A new government was about...
Chapter 2C: By the time, HDFC reached 1993, the contours of a conspiracy were taking shape.
Chapter 2C: By the time, HDFC reached 1993, the contours of a conspiracy were taking...
Chapter 2B: When the going gets smooth, the founders are dumped.
Chapter 2B: When the going gets smooth, the founders are dumped. When the going gets...
Chapter 2A: Birth of a conspiracy
Chapter 2A: First and foremost, it is important to note that there is no immediate...
Chapter 1C: In 1987 whilst in college, I got a modelling assignment.
Chapter 1C: In 1987 whilst in college, I got a modelling assignment. The product was...
Chapter 1B: Success has many fathers
Chapter 1B: Success has many fathers. And history is not what happened but what historians...
Chapter 1A: The Birth of a category creating institution
Chapter 1A: The HDFC story can be divided into five phases: 1. The birth of...
Technology is a levellor
Technology is a levellor. And chartered accountants dont develop technology. They may not even be...
HDFC, Tatas and L&T are three systemically important, Board run, professionally managed, promoterless company
HDFC, Tatas and L&T are three systemically important, Board run, professionally managed, promoterless company. Of...
HDFC is a story like no other
HDFC is a story like no other. And it started as a great one. Even...
India fights with no one
India fights with no one. To the best of its ability, it helps everyone in...
The Untold Unknown story of what happened in HDFC
There is a PR narrative. And then there is reality. And the two rarely meet....
Chairman Departure
Banking is the only industry where you intimidate your customers. And treat both customers (loan...
Brand Prostitution at its very best
Bring in a Parsi – quench a controversy. Bring in a large corporate name –...
Vijay Crishna’s
Vijay Crishna’s life is a reminder that you can blend profit, non-profit and art /culture...
As salesmanship goes, no one can really beat Nvidia
As salesmanship goes, no one can really beat Nvidia. The narrative is brilliant. Basically they...
The creation of HDFC – supposedly as a proxy for a now exited foreign bank
The creation of HDFC – supposedly as a proxy for a now exited foreign bank...
The next frontier for ai is consciousness
India can lead in the next frontier for ai – consciousness. Buddhism shows the way....
Dubai in the rapidly changing geopolitics of Asia
For India, the Middle East is home to 10 million Indians. And the geopolitics of...
India Can’t Thrive Under Just a Banyan Tree
Indian conglomerates grow horizontally. World leaders are built vertically. Nature intelligence allows for both. The...
Big Business is a big failure in tech
There is capacity and capability.Capability has to precede capacity.If not, you are just an intermediary....