Amarnath Ananthanarayanan, 40, CEO & Managing Director, Bharti Axa General insurance

Bharti Axa General Insurance currently has a 3.6% market share among private companies and 1.7% overall.
Under Amarnath's stewardship, the company has grown from Rs 32 crore (gross written premium) in 2009 to Rs 550 crore in 2011.
Flexibility quotient is crucial
When I went to do my PhD in economics from Rutgers University in 1993 and took up teaching as an adjunct faculty of economics, entering the corporate world was far-fetched; more so, the idea of becoming a CEO. The only things I thought about then were research, teaching and publishing papers. That was between 1993 and 1998.
In 1998, the noise about Indian growth was getting louder. Everybody talked about how the country was the future hub of growth for almost every kind of business. And then came an opportunity to join GE Capital in India.
Professional and personal reasons drove me back to the country and I joined GE at 27 years. That was the beginning of a couple of years of learning. I worked across GE's financing business, including M&A, retail insurance, consumer finance, as well as collections operations at Genpact (erstwhile Gecis), spanning 10 countries. I worked towards setting up GE Money India's insurance distribution operations in 2002, which gave me the platform to create a strategic vision for the organisation as well as execute it.
For all that I did, I got the GE Capital India president's award for Outstanding Leadership & Demonstrating GE Values. That gave a huge boost to my confidence and I thought there was something good in store for me in the corporate world.
I took up another challenge and at 38, joined as the CEO and MD of Bharti Axa General Insurance in 2009. Through these years, some of the things I learnt as an academician and then as a corporate executive kept repeating themselves.
First, a good leader should be flexible and receptive to new ideas. Second, a CEO with strong physique and a domineering voice is respected and gets work done unlike in Thailand, where tall and dominating personalities are intimidating.
You have to change accordingly, and become a part of the environment that you are in, to be successful.

Deep Kalra, 41, Founder & CEO, MakeMyTrip.com

 

Started his online venture in 2001
In August 2010, MakeMyTrip had a dream debut on Nasdaq, with the parent company's shares soaring over 80% after listing, catapulting its valuation to $800 million on Day 1.
The company raised $58 million from its initial public offer. At an offer price of $14 per share, the company was valued at close to $450 million prior to listing, and is currently valued at close to $1 billion.
The company achieved sales of Rs 2,200 crore in the financial year ending March 2010 and continues to grow rapidly at over 50% in the current year.
A good team is a plus
I had always aspired to be an entrepreneur. During my assignment with GE, I realised the potential of the internet. This, and my passion for travel gave birth to MakeMyTrip. Finding investors for an online venture in India was difficult, so we started services for NRIs in the US.
Success is a combination of factors. For me, having a great team to support the venture and work with is on top of the list. Another big factor is perseverance.When I started the company in 2001, market conditions were poor. I could have called it quits and moved on, but I decided to hold on to the venture. We worked on execution and innovation, which helped the business grow immensely. This was a decade ago. My stints with GE Capital, AMF Bowling and ABN Amro Bank, too helped. At GE, I learnt how to handle scale, AMF was an entrepreneurial experience while ABN Amro was a young company when I joined.
Creating a good work environment is a bigger validation than any financial achievement.
I truly believe that without happy employees, you can't have happy customers.

Nadia Chauhan

Nadia Chauhan, 25, Joint MD & Chief Marketing Officer, Parle Agro

As the scion of the promoter family, Nadia was learning the basics of business in her school days.
When she finally joined in 2003 as a marketing executive, her main task was to expand Parle Agro's product portfolio
Eight years down the line, Nadia is at the helm of the company, which has entered newer categories like food and juices, grown the turnover from Rs 400 crore to Rs 1,500 crore with a 40% growth rate, and increased its market share in the fruit-based beverage category to 85%.

When in doubt, always ask
I firmly believe the starting point of a successful leader is good induction into the business. My visits to the office and plants during weekends since the age of 11 helped me grasp little bits about brand building, business culture and operations. With a good induction, leaders can draw their future strategies based on both past performance as well as the current scenario.
Another way to success is to work at the ground level and be passionate about the job. For instance, during my early days, I was part of the launch of our jelly drink, Jolly Jelly. Since this was the first time any Indian brand had launched a jelly product, there was a misconception that the product was non-vegetarian. In those days, there was also no concept of vegetarian and non-vegetarian logos. We went to Mumbai's Juhu beach and marketed the product as 100% vegetarian. That worked miracles and the sales increased.
Since I attained a leadership role while in my 20s, there were apprehensions about how to work with people who are much older. I realised that one needs to give equal importance to everyone and view things with an open mind.
Also, never fear to ask a question even if it is basic. I have made it a point to ask 'why' six times whenever someone comes with a new business proposal or for an approval. This only helps the person improve his/her idea and concept about the subject.

Latest Gadgets I have read about

 

1. TYLT Energi+ Backpack:The ENERGI+ BACKPACK is a next-gen briefcase, backpack and mobile charging station. TYLT designed the charging system so you can route the cables to any one of the 5 External Pockets or 2 internal Pockets.

Yes, for all you tunes lovers, there is a neatly located headphone pass-thru. The removable 10,400mAh rechargeable Lithium Ion battery provides up to 4 full Smartphone charges or 1 full tablet charge. With over 1,450 cubic inches of internal space and 13 total pockets it's designed to stand up when put on the ground and it's built with the finest materials available. For the true traveler there is a trolley slot hidden in the backpack panel, a headphone carrying compartment on the backpack strap and a full length zipper pocket right on the front of the bag for airline tickets and passports. The bag was thoughtfully designed to be fly-through friendly at airports - you can pass through security without removing your laptop. For the tablet user there is a dedicated soft lined tablet pocket with a 3/4" zipper that allows you to easily and safely get your tablet out without opening your entire backpack. The laptop compartment is soft lined and will accommodate laptops up to 15.5in x 10.5in x 1.5in.

Backpack Specs
• 1680D Poly Material
• Fly-through Friendly
• Brushed Metal Zippers

Battery Specs
Input Voltage: 5V 1Amp (Micro USB)
Output Charging Current: 4.75V - 5.25V - 1Amp
Lithium Ion Battery - 10,400 mAh
Battery Charge Time 7-8 Hours
Two 1Amp USB ports for charging phones
One 2.1Amp USB port for charging tablets

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http://www.tylt.com/energi-backpack/

2. Solar backpack:

http://indiasolarhomes.com/the-indian-made-solar-backpack-to-charge-your-gadgets-on-the-move/

CITRUS FLUSH – For Liver Cleansing

Loss of appetite, nausea and extreme tiredness – these are the symptoms of an unhealthy lever. Although most liver diseases are associated with alcoholism and substance abuse, several other factors may also contribute to its deterioration. It is important to note that unhealthy liver symptoms may take several years to surface, making it even more important to give your liver that extra attention.

Types of Liver Disorders:

1. Hepatitis: Common forms are A, B and C. It causes inflammation of liver.

2. Cirrhosis: Blocks the flow of blood through liver, disrupting metabolic processes and causing permanent damage to the liver.

3. Steatosis (Fatty Liver): This causes accumulation of fat in the liver due to excessive alcohol consumption or obesity

4. Gilbert’s Syndrome: It is  fairly common liver disorder especially among men during their teens or early adulthood.

Liver Failure:  When a large part of the liver gets damaged beyond repair and is unable to perform its function, it is referred to as liver failure. It is very often life threatening.

Studies show that  one out of 10 teenagers suffer from liver disorders. This could be due to:

1. Reduced or no exercise.

2. Excessive consumption of processed food.

3. Excessive consumption of Alcohol.

How to control Liver Disorders:

The best way is to  invest in a balanced diet. This can be achieved by:

1. Eat 4-6 small meals throughout the day so that there are enough calories to sustain body functions.

2. Stay away from foods and liquids that contain high amount of sodium.

3. Restricting alcohol consumption to within prescribed limits.

Cleansing Liver:

Here is the recipe called Citrus Flush which helps cleansing Lever

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2-4 cloves of raw garlic

In  a blender combine all these and mix well until mixture is frothy. Drink it at least once a day in the morning empty stomach or twice daily (morning and evening). This drink can be refrigerated for 1 week.