DK Kapila The Oracle

  Just Wondering- Recession- Shrinkflation Anyone and a Twist ! Dinesh Kumar Kapila A major investor out of Mumbai is honestly puzzled. He keeps wondering where is the recession when he says consumption patterns have gone awry. He is a very aware investor and has to be considering the amount he invests and commits too. He is simply amazed that while the Government and the RBI discuss inflation and the fallout, there has been a major boom in the buying of property abroad by many businessmen. Ans it's only gaining traction. And then within India in peaceful or maybe less crowded location in the hills and Goa and a couple of other places, there too a major demand for premium housing has emerged and is being attended to by builders at a fast pace. The number of businesses suddenly emerging in the ecosystem and the wealth that has been generated is another contradiction in an economy which is apparently struggling and specially its middle class. He says an indication is the demand fo...

  https://www.drvk.in/ I started my career in SAIL (Steel Authority of India Ltd) as a Management Trainee. I was highly influenced by him as a very junior officer.. Of course the distance was too vast between a Chairman of such a huge Corporate Organisation and a Management Trainee / Junior Manager. But that was the impact. On most of us in SAIL.. At turn around workshops he would make teams sit irrespective of hierarchy and Departments and make it a point to give each participant a personal touch. A great leader and manager and he motivated each member of SAIL. There would be much I would not be privy to certainly and later I moved to NABARD. But The lessons which I learnt and imbibed in leadership and the deft touch and the ability to focus on what requires a change and taking people along and giving a sense of ownership and commitment has stayed deep within me as with certainly many others. It was a period of enlightenment and pride in the organisation and what could be achieved...

Just Wondering - Climate Change by DKK Thirty odd years ago, we had heat waves. In Chandigarh as in this region of India. It was normal as it is now. But earlier we would have in the middle of heat waves or the peak summer season dust storms and sharp showers and it would cool down for a while. I have seen at that time even clothes being blown into the houses of neighbour. The evenings were still tolerable in peak summer due to the cool winds from the nearby hills. Now it’s all over it seems. The Last few years it’s day after day of scorching heat and hardly any relief. We see the odd micro precipitation but that’s about it. Climate change is seemingly a reality now. The Shivalik Hills nearby Chandigarh are barren. All the hills are denuded and it’s man made. And planting eucalyptus or poplar etc is not plantations. Chandigarh and it’s surrounding cities are evolving as a major urban centre but the upcoming suburbs are without much thought to planning trees and shrubs. We are certainly...

  Just Wondering- The Ukraine War - The White Man Loves to wage war. Dinesh Kumar Kapila The White Man has loved and continues to love to wage war. This is a fact and no amount of grand cathedrals and artwork and platitudes can cover this up. The White Man in this case would include a geographical cum cultural area traditionally over what encompasses today Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, United Kingdom (high up in the classification- way high), Hungary, Austria, Serbia, Croatia, Rumania, Turkey, Greece mainly. I think we ought to place tiny Belgium here too. Over a few hundred years they were the main nations or kingdoms at war consistently, individually or as an alliance, they just had to wage war. Consistently here implies the ability to wage war was always there, there could be prolonged periods of peace but overall they had to wage war. While simultaneously there would be a great explosion of tremendous explosion of great culture or the arts. Then the main cultural su...

  Cremation Grounds or Burial Grounds and what not. Dinesh K Kapila Logically no one would be keen to go to a cremation ground or a burial ground for that matter.    Stories of ghosts or bhoots abound and it’s a world of its own. We avoid it as it also reminds us about loss and grief and the inevitable which awaits all of us. The supreme reality as most spiritual gurus put it. As we grow older, as I have, you see an entire gamut of emotions there, from palpable grief and immense sadness to even humour there.   But as I notice the way we behave there at times is also somewhat bizarre or at least in an absolute contrast to the sombre atmosphere. At the parking lot – Chandigarh has a well planned area for those who have passed on -   well if the hearse or funeral van is late in bringing the body and family, the friends and relatives gather in small groups. As I can make out, the close friends and relations are normally at the house and accompanying the funera...

About to Retire or Just Retired – Well Encounters of a Different  kind !     Dinesh K Kapila The reality. Retirement . Specially in the Government or Government Owned arms, this is known to you while joining itself, as the seniority list will indicate where you stand in the pecking order and when you will retire. Well, initially it may seem years away but then it will be just around the corner and then upon you. Over the years I watched the process of retirement and the way each individual sought to play it out. More interesting is how you suddenly become important a few months before retirement, then at retirement and for a few months post retirement. Enjoy the process and don’t miss out on the whole show as it plays out. In any case it cannot be avoided. And then as suddenly as your nearly exponential increase in importance started, it will just fade away. One way or the other, the financial players in the market come to know about your impending retirement...

  The CDS – What is it about !                                Dinesh K Kapila   The previous CDS sadly passed away in the helicopter crash in early December 2021. Now what could be the reasons for the position to be unfilled,   this is a mystery. A major mystery as the position was created with much fanfare and a lot of debate. What could be the reasons – 1.      The Powers to be just did not like the badges of rank and other accoutrements connected with the uniform of the CDS. Come to think of it, it did seem a bit theatrical, so maybe that is the main reason as they debate any changes.   Just maybe.         2.      The lack of talent, maybe they are looking for a senior officer who combines the talent of Porus, Eisenhower, Patton, Montgomery, Sat...