Web 2.0 + Outsourcing
“Sandeep Sood asks, How do you use Iterative software development methods, a la Agile Methodologies, in outsourced efforts such as Web 2.0 kinds of software development?”

Bringing Desi Back
“No, I am not referring to Sanjaya Malakar, because I wouldn’t want American Idol commentators to think that desi-Americans are monolithic in their support of him (we’re not), and I am not referring to me because well, desi never left my life. What I am getting at is the attempted resurgence of desi influences in mainstream American popular music…”

Back Office No More
“There is no job that is done in Cisco that a guy in India can’t do,” said Samu Devarajan, a Cisco managing director in Bangalore. “If this theater becomes successful and grows the way we want it to grow, I see no reason why the CEO of Cisco couldn’t sit in India.”

Beyond Bangalore
“Clearly, Bangalore is bursting in its seams, and Mumbai & Delhi are also not options, as they are also already bursting, and too expensive. Hyderabad has done an excellent job as a second tier city to capture Microsoft’s India HQ. It is well on its way to becoming a booming IT destination in its own right. Chennai is doing well in ramping up, and Kolkata, after a long slumber, has woken up, and decided to create whole new IT townships in suburbs like Rajarhat.”

Being Muslim, Female, and Chic
“Being a Muslim woman in the West isn’t easy—and if you practice some form of purdah (covering), it can be especially tricky. You want to fit in and assert yourself as a proud, educated, modern woman, but throw on some extra clothes and a headscarf and you might as well be sporting a neon sign on your head that screams, ‘I’m Muslim! I’m DIFFERENT!’”

David is getting squeezed
“The small and medium-size outsourcers have to differentiate to survive. These companies generally spread their limited staff and monetary resources too thinly among different services and lines of business, according to Apte. “They usually want to be mini-TCSs or mini-Wipros,” he said.”

The Bengalaru Globe
“What’s funny is that the same people protesting globalization also protest poverty. Yet at the same time they oppose building economically efficient orgs which help U.S. workers and the economy. And they oppose helping Bangaloreans who are objectively less wealthy. So for many, it’s really an anti-modernity-if-it-takes-money-from-me movement.”

Entrepreneurship In India
“Enterpreneurship is a critical element of a growth economy, and India is poised to unlock a Silicon Valley like entrepreneurial boom through the next 10 years. The beginnings are already in place, steps have been taken in the right direction. ”

Monsoon Marketing (subscription necessary)
“So Stag launched umbrellas with a built-in high-power flashlight for those who walk unlit roads at night, and models with prerecorded tunes for music lovers. For women who walk secluded streets after dark, there’s Stag’s Bodyguard model, armed with glare lights, emergency blinkers, and an alarm. Aziz says customers pay up to a 100% premium for the new products.”

Message to Returning Entrepreneurs – take more risks

The expatriate who returns to India tends to take up jobs with large multinationals rather than joining smaller Indian start-ups. This has resulted in their knowledge not being transferred to the local entrepreneurs, who are left learning the intricacies of market, products and business models through trial and error methods.

If the expatriates coming back to India started joining small Indian start ups, it could accelerate the evolution of Indian technology start ups. We’re starting to see some do this, and we’re extremely happy with their decisions. We are hoping more will join the bandwagon.

Infosys becomes first Indian company in Nasdaq-100

Infosys called its addition to the index an important milestone for the company. Over the years it has tried to break out of the mold of an Indian services provider, to establish itself as a global company on a par with competitors like Accenture and Electronic Data Systems. It has also started to offer higher-value consulting services in addition to its contract application development and business process outsourcing.

8 Trends in 2006

Can anything slow the offshoring/outsourcing machine that is India? It doesn’t seem likely. Despite any inroads China may be making, India’s outsourcing numbers keep getting larger. The country’s software and services voice, National Association of Software and Service Companies says the country’s BPO services will grow 35% to 40% in fiscal year 2007 to achieve between 8 billion and 8.5 billion vs. $6.3 billion in the previous fiscal year.

Yoga….and wine?

“Yoga can be very serious, sure, but why not have it be really fun?” she said, shrugging off concerns that yoga purists might raise an eyebrow at her latest venture — yoga-and-wine retreats.