| Working Women Rank Low In Bridal Preferences |
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| When looking for a life partner, men seem to prefer non-working women. A study by matrimonial site Jeevansathi.com found that grooms going in for arranged marriages are increasingly searching for women who are home makers. In the last one year, the demand for women who are not working has gone up 15 percent. Grooms these days want a more peaceful, family-oriented life, which is why they prefer non-working women, said Rohit Manghnani, business head, Jeevansathi.com. Software engineers are the most sought after prospective grooms on matrimonial sites, the study said. They get 26 percent of the marriage initiatives, non-IT engineers 9 percent, businessmen 8 percent and banking professionals 7 percent. The tide seems to have turned against government employees, who feature much lower in the list, with only 7 percent of prospective brides showing such a preference. |
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| Source : 08-08-12 Jeevansathi.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Survey Says Q2 Business Confidence Hit |
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| Low consumer demand and the slow rate of reforms affected business confidence between July and September. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) business confidence index for the period fell 3.7 points to 51.3. It had risen to 55 in the April to June quarter. The index was at 52.9 between January and March. The fall is an indication of dampened business sentiment prevailing for the last few quarters, said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general, CII. A majority of the respondents polled expect credit availability to fall or remain unchanged in the current quarter from the previous quarter. However, the investment climate is likely to improve with, more than half of the companies planning to boost investments. About 46 percent of the survey participants said GDP growth would be between 6 percent and 6.5 percent this fiscal. |
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| Source : 11-08-12 Financial Chronicle Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| PM Confident, But Fitch Raises Rating Cut Spectre |
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| Fitch Ratings said the possibility of downgrading India's sovereign rating in the next year or two is more than 50 percent. This came amid Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's warning to global rating agencies on India's growth forecasts. Fitch had lowered India's credit outlook from stable to negative on June 15. There is more than a likely chance of revising the rating downwards from BBB- to BB+ in the next 12 to 24 months. The downgrade is an indication that medium- to long-term growth could gradually worsen if structural reforms are not put into motion, affecting investor sentiment and borrowing costs. Another rating agency Moody's recently cut India's growth estimate to 5.5 percent because the slowdown was more deeply entrenched than expected. |
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| Source : 11-08-12 Deccan Herald Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Four Sectors May Lift Job Numbers By 16 Lakh |
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| A study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry said job creation in healthcare, hospitality, IT and IT-enabled services (ITeS) may witness an upswing this fiscal. These sectors are unaffected by the economic environment and are likely to create 16 lakh jobs in 2012-13, Secretary General DS Rawat said. Healthcare and IT/ITeS would add the maximum number of jobs followed by hospitality and media, he added. Healthcare alone is expected to create about 4.5 lakh jobs in 2012-13 and IT/ITeS more than 3.8 lakh. The study also reported a positive trend in campus placements. It is likely to continue for the next six months to 12 months. The booming tourism industry may create more than 3.7 lakh jobs in a year. The media and entertainment industry is expected to create 3.5 lakh jobs. |
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| Source : 11-08-12 Financial Chronicle Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Talent Tests More In Vogue With Off-Campus Hiring |
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| As companies move away from campuses, they are expected to rely more on assessment tests. The slowdown and the not so encouraging quarterly results have prompted companies to increase their off-campus intake to 30 percent from the previous year's 10 percent, say industry observers. IT companies such as Wipro, Infosys and HCL Technologies have decided to step up their off-campus hiring. This is the first time that the leading five or six IT companies have decided to use tests such as NAC-Tech by NASSCOM and IRIX by Pearson-PurpleLeap when hiring freshers, says Sangeeta Gupta, vice president, NASSCOM. Previously, these tests were more popular with midsize IT companies. Almost 50,000 students have taken NAC-Tech in the last three years. These tests will also mean students from tier II and III colleges would also be able to apply in bigger companies. |
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| Source : 13-08-12 Financial Chronicle Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Sudhir Mathur Joins Cairn India As CFO |
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| Sudhir Mathur has joined Cairn India as its Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, he was with Aircel Cellular as its CFO. His appointment comes on the heels of Cairn India's Chief Executive Office Rahul Dhir stepping out of the company on August 31.Sudhir Mathur graduated in Economics from Delhi University and completed a Masters of Business Administration from Cornell University. He was also associated with Delhi International Airport, Idea Cellular, Ballarpur Industries and Price Waterhouse Coopers India. |
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| Source : 10-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Lower June Output Raises Downgrade Risk |
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| The index of industrial production (IIP) fell 1.8 percent in June owing to a drop in manufacturing activity. Capital goods and non-durable goods also fell sharply, giving all indications of a very poor first quarter of the current fiscal. Official data showed the index fell 0.1 percent in the quarter ended June, compared to a 6.9 percent growth in the same quarter last year. Finance Minister P Chidambaram attributed the decline to lower production in the manufacturing sector, which recorded negative growth in June, -3.2 percent, and in the June quarter, -0.7 percent. Apart from manufacturing, capital goods also declined 27.9 percent and consumer non-durables 1 percent. The fall in the index has increased the chances of the first sovereign ratings downgrade for India in more than a decade. |
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| Source : 11-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Bolster Women Networks, Add Skill Training |
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| Women networks are important in offices and deserve more attention. Networks serve as platforms to find mentors and sponsors, and can provide companies with an excellent opportunity to spot talent. However, such networks need to build more credibility. A study conducted by the Simmons School of Management in 2011 suggests that the efficacy of a women's network is enhanced if it provides skill-building opportunities or senior management visibility. Unlike men, women shy away from typical male-bonding opportunities over beer or a game of football. They are reluctant to compromise on family time. Thus, companies should organise events around short lunch or breakfast meetings and include some skill training. Saundarya Rajesh, founder and president of AVTAR Career Creators and FLEXI Careers India, says most women today seek mentoring, flexible working and skill-building initiatives. |
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| Source : 11-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Citi, CLSA Pare FY13 Growth Forecast For India |
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| Citibank and global brokerage CLSA have cut their growth estimates for India to 5.4 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively. Citi had earlier estimated growth this fiscal at 6.4 percent but pared it to 5.4 percent. All growth drivers have been affected. If drought conditions worsen, growth may drop to 4.9 percent, according to the report by Rohini Malkani, chief economist, Citi India. CLSA joined Citi in trimming the GDP growth estimate to 5.5 per cent from 6 percent earlier. Senior Economist Rajeev Malik said this may not be a final revision because the monsoon is not yet over. |
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| Source : 12-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| FICCI Sees Manufacturing, Hiring Taking A Hit In Q2 |
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| A survey by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said second-quarter manufacturing growth may be subdued. The survey drew responses from 418 manufacturing units. Demand was low, with only 31 per cent of the respondents saying they had higher order books for July to September. More than 70 percent of respondents did not plan to add to their workforce in the next three months. The rupee depreciation has affected the sector. Some 67 percent respondents said imported raw materials were 5 percent to 25 percent costlier. Sectors such as automobiles, electronics, capital goods, chemicals and textiles were affected the most. However, 42 percent of those polled said, exports had improved on the back of a weak rupee. Sectors likely to witness growth in the second quarter were chemicals, textiles, paper, capital goods and electronics. |
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| Source : 12-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| IT Unfazed By HSBC, Stanchart Outsourcing Cases |
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| The recent controversy surrounding the outsourcing models at HSBC and Standard Chartered will not affect the IT/BPO industry in India. Industry observers said these were isolated cases that involved only the captive arms of the companies. Swami Swaminathan, CEO, Infosys BPO, said most service providers and clients have a fair amount of risk and compliance processes in place. Therefore, such isolated instances will not hurt the industry. A probe by the U.S. Department of Financial Services had found irregularities in money laundering controls in outsourcing by Standard Chartered to India. |
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| Source : 10-08-12 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| B-Schools Offer Niche Courses To Meet Varying Needs |
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| Institutes are offering specialised programmes to students seeking other than plain vanilla courses. XLRI, Jamshedpur, runs an executive management programme for former defence personnel to polish their skills and prepare them for the corporate world. The Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research has rolled out E-Biz, an electronic business course. According to Uday Salunkhe, group director, while several IT-related courses are available in the country, there is need for a mix of system knowledge and management education. The global sports equipment industry valued at £200 billion requires graduates with a mixture of high-level engineering skills and knowledge of sports physiology and biomechanics. U.K.'s Sheffield Hallam University is offering a master's course in sports engineering and sports business management. Imarticus Learning is introducing in September courses for certified investment banking IT professionals and certified investment banking operations professionals. |
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| Source : 10-08-12 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Placement Record Key In Choice Of Institution |
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| When enrolling for higher education, a majority of students first look at an institution's placement record. A study by Google India and market research firm TNS Australia polled 2,229 students from seven Indian cities. About 56 percent rated placements as the most important criterion for selecting an institute and course. For 49 percent, the second criterion was faculty, followed by course content at 48 percent, reputation 43 percent and fees 41 percent. Students take huge loans for their education, said Debashish Sanyal, dean, Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies. It is thus natural for them to expect good placements. The survey also examined search patterns of people in the 18 to 35 age bracket. Some 44 percent searched for courses in IT and vocational subjects and 40 percent engineering. Queries related to education were up 46 percent. |
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| Source : 10-08-12 Hindustan Times Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Job Openings In U.S. At Four-Year High In June |
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| In a sign that the U.S. job market may be recovering, employers posted the most job openings in four years in June. The openings increased to a seasonally adjusted 3.8 million in June, up from 3.7 million in May, the Labour Department said. Manufacturing, education, healthcare and hotels and restaurants all posted more openings. Retailers and state, local and federal government agencies reduced available jobs. The numbers follow last week's report which said employers added the maximum number of jobs in five months in July. This could signal improved recruitment in the coming months. Hiring remains competitive despite the increase. There were 12.7 million unemployed people in June, or an average of 3.4 unemployed people for each job. Lay-offs fell to 1.8 million in June, down from nearly two million in May. |
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| Source : 10-08-12 Deccan Herald Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
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| Unhealthy Routine Telling On IT Professionals |
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| Unhealthy eating habits, hectic work schedules and strict deadlines are taking a toll on the health of IT professionals. According to a study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, about 55 percent of the youth employed in the IT sector suffer from chronic health problems. The study polled about 2,000 young men and 1,000 women in the age group of 22 to 30 in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Pune. Irregular meals and incessant telephonic conversations were causing gastric problems, fatigue and headaches. Apart from that, junk food, lack of physical exercise, long working hours and lack of sleep was affecting the health of BPO and IT professionals in the cities. Most of them eat food from small, takeaway restaurants and this may have a detrimental effect on their health in the long run. |
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| Source : 07-08-12 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan |
