My Columns: Without Fear and Favour

Reporters Vs Byte Collectors – The dilemma of news television in India By Deepak Parvatiyar (This article was published in Sahara news portal in 2009) In an open letter on the web to the National Broadcasters Association ( a body representing many of major news channels of the country) recently, BV Rao, who happened to be my editor in Free Press Journal in the early nineties, wrote about the superficiality of news television while lamenting the way the Mumbai terror attack was covered on the Television. “We could have cut down heavily on the empty hyperbole and lent substance and sobriety to the proceedings,” he mourned. Is that possible? For years…ever since the initiation of private news channels in the nineties…TV news content is on a gradual yet phenomenal decay.  If we thought we could beat BBC or CNN, our reporters woefully lack their exposure and experience. The more our tv journo try to ape them, the more they expose their limitations…and foolhardines...

The Business of Journalism  By Deepak Parvatiyar (This article was published in Indian Media Centre's journal Media Critique in its October-December  2010 issue) S o you thought a business reporter is more of a gift voucher collector! That he/she is driven more by the power of the currency than issues of social equality and justice. You argue there is nothing wrong in that. After all, we are vigorously pursuing free economy and it is just a matter of time that rupee becomes fully convertible. So what is wrong if the reporter secures his/her livelihood in this era of highly competitive markets? Protectionism is history and jobs are as temporary as flight. So given an opportunity, why shouldn’t a business journalist make hay when the sun shines? We all are mortal beings after all! If with a stroke of the pen I do good to the fortunes of a company, isn’t it good for me? In an open market economy where virtually everything has a customer, value judgment is impracti...

Delhi Elections 2015 : Five Stumbling Blocks for BJP By  Deepak Parvatiyar January 19, 2015 At the onset, odds still favour the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to emerge stronger than other parties in the Delhi elections. Various election surveys point to this possibility. There are ample reasons to believe them considering the BJP had emerged as the largest party in the state Assembly by winning 31 of the 70 seats in the last elections too. Besides, the Lotus had a clean sweep in last summer general elections too as it won all seven Lok Sabha seats from Delhi. But the biggest question remains: Will the BJP get the required numbers to form the government this time? We analyse the five biggest hurdles that the BJP would require to overcome if it hopes to rule Delhi after a gap of 16 long years. 1. Alone at the top The simple fact that the BJP could not form its government in Delhi in 2013 was that no other party besides its pre-poll alliance partner Shiromani A...

Inspiring Tales Part 7: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big August 2013 Published in Business For All From a crippled childhood, he aims to be the richest Patel From Deepak Parvatiyar in Ahmedabad    Ramesh Patel When he was just 11 months old, Ramesh Patel got polio in his left leg. After 29 surgeries, and a crippled childhood, he was able to walk at the age of 18. Today, as a 30-year-old, he aims at running against the tide to realise his many dreams -- that also include flying for which he is taking training. Patel is the CEO of the Sankalp Group, which he set up on September 25, 2000. A commercial artist by training, initially he set up "Sankalp Art" and started promoting the artists (Art Pieces) to corporate & residential high societies on commercial base. Recognition came to him when his Sankalp Artist Association – an NGO that provides support and inspiration to the economically weak and middle inco...

Inspiring Tales Part 6: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big November 2013 The Transformer Man of India On 3 rd April 2013, Anil Aggarwal, Chairman & Managing Director, PME Power Solutions ( India ) Ltd, received the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises’s First Prize in the Medium Enterprises (Manufacturing) category. This is not the first time that he got a national award. Some of the prestigious awards under his belt include the “Niryat Shree Gold Trophy” for the year 2009-2010 by FIEO (”Federation of Indian Export Organization”) that was given to him by the President of India and India Exporters Excellence Award from ECGC-D&B in 2012. Awards mean a lot to this 57 year old entrepreneur, who has carved a niche for made in India transformers, globally. In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar and Ajit Kumar at his manufacturing unit in Greater Noida, he speaks at length about his business, disappoin...

Inspiring Tales Part 5: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big May 2013     Aiming for the Stars     Dr. AK Agarwal     CEO, Autometer Alliance Ltd, Noida He wanted to become a movie star and had even fled to Bombay to try his luck. But destiny had something else in store for Dr. AK Agarwal , son of a teacher. He could not get a break in the tinsel town but today, this village bred, cow rearing, and God fearing person, is considered a man with the Midas’ touch who not just turned around the fortunes of Autometer Alliance Ltd. from a turnover of just about Rs 1.8 crore in the late eighties, to the present Rs. 175 crore, he set up another company – River Engineering Private Limited – which in just five year has recorded a turnover of Rs. 65 crore. In an exclusive interview to Deepak Parvatiyar , he speaks about his life, achievements and dreams. Excerpts: You never wanted to be an entrepreneur. How d...