India's High Networth Individuals Risen by 19%!

Last updated on: October 12, 2006 at 8:11 pm By Desh Kapoor

It was only last week I was talking about the disparities in India rising high. As much as India is a land of contrasts, the middle class sections are also getting richer. Here is an interesting story on the increase in the High Networth Individuals (HNIs). Buoyed by strong growth in real gross domestic product, India registered the world's second highest growth in high net worth individuals (HNIs), after South Korea, in 2005. According to an Asia-Pacific Wealth Report released by Merrill Lynch on Monday, HNIs in India swelled to 83,000 at the end of 2005, up 19.3% compared to the previous year. They hold $290 billion in assets, 3.8% of the total Asia-Pacific HNI wealth. The average networth of Indian HNIs-at $3.5 million per person-was the fourth highest in Asia. Equities constituted the largest portion of their portfolios at 31%, while fixed-income and alternative investments constituted 19% and 20%, respectively. The report also forecast India's GDP to grow to 17% of the world's aggregate GDP by 2050, from 2% now. Read more

Tampa and the Cabbies

Last updated on: October 12, 2006 at 5:57 pm By Desh Kapoor

This week has been busy - have been in Tampa trying to get some stuff finished. Tampa is a nice city .. nice weather and not-so-overweight people as in Texas! The funniest experience for me when I come to Tampa is the cab ride from the airport to downtown. There are 99% chances that your cab driver will be from an African country. And boy are they pissed with life! First its a major battle to have them accept credit cards - something that is a norm everywhere.. but these guys wont go for it! Ok, thats fine.. but at least smile a bit will you? I try my best to strike a conversation but have never been successful. They keep mum. The guy this time had a nice incense running that was kind of nice .. and there was almost negligible hint of body odor that is so prevalent in the cabs around the country... so I remarked "Nice smell" and smiled. He.. straight faced "Yeah". And keeps driving on. Read more

Homeschooling and Jehadi Madrasas

Last updated on: October 9, 2006 at 9:36 pm By Desh Kapoor

Home Schooling is becoming more and more popular in the United States. The numbers increased by 29% in 2003 from that of 1999. Here is a very informative byte from Yahoo Answers. Overall, roughly 2.2% of American students are homeschooled. According to the National Center for Education Statistics(NCES), "the weighted estimate of the number of students being homeschooled in the United States in the spring of 2003 was 1,096,000." That's a 29% increase from 1999. Read more

My experience with Citibank Money Transfer to India

Last updated on: October 8, 2006 at 6:47 am By Desh Kapoor

I had to send some money to India on a regular basis. So I looked around for options available to me in Houston, TX USA. The normal ones are HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Citibank. Now, HDFC and ICICI are Indian banks .. with good services in India but they dont even have reps in the various US cities. WIth the kind of money that is at stake, I would assume that they could at least keep one each in the 5-6 largest US cities. But like most Indian companies they would like to cut cost at the price of growth! Anyways, I went with Citibank. Here is what I did: Read more

What has India Given to the World and Why is it Important?

Last updated on: October 8, 2006 at 3:38 am By Desh Kapoor

You must have gotten and read many of those emails that talk of India's historical accomplishments. They are meant to enhance and help our ego. Why do we need such a "boost" to our "ego"? I believe that for Indians it has been the issue of getting their place under the sun... after the damage that Brits did to the culture. Examples like messing up temples and buildings like Konark etc.. and usurping the inventions like Wireless by Marconi from Jagdish Chandra Bose are but a few examples where the Europeans simply put a name to discoveries that someone else was responsible for or messed up stuff that they just couldnt deal with! Read more

Fishing in Houston Lakes and Sadism

Last updated on: October 7, 2006 at 8:02 pm By Desh Kapoor

This morning I went for a walk to the nearby lakes. Some folks were fishing there. Now, most of the city lakes have a rule that fishing in the lakes can be done but the fishes need to be released back into the lakes. So all these guys are busy throwing their fishing hook into the lake and some guys that I saw actually got the fish too.. after a few moments of the fish gasping for breath and feeling the pain of the hook being taken out and generally lack of water .. she is thrown back in. Read more

Gung-ho on Genetic Engineering Without Knowing what a Gene is!

Last updated on: October 7, 2006 at 4:53 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is a great post from Deepak Chopra. Usually scientists claim knowledge. Its unusual for the scientists to claim ignorance of the direction of their path. This post is about the many claims on genetics by various scientists and apparent lack of the very basic and foundational information. Is it important or scary? I think so. But then everyone is a judge. Write in with your thoughts: Read more

I am still an Atheist, Thank God!

Last updated on: October 7, 2006 at 3:25 am By Desh Kapoor

Any external ideology really messes up a country and society... such that the people start behaving in ways that are downright crazy and hypocritical! Remember Karunanidhi? That DMK joker from TN? He is an "anti-God" guy.. so what does he do? He visits temples at night.. when no one is looking! This crook is a Maoist leader in Nepal.. so being a communist he is not supposed to be religious. So he went to the Manakamana (Wish) temple to ... well.. wish for success for his talks with the Nepalese PM. And why did he come there - he was asked? Please do read his reply (in bold)! He could have as well have said: Read more

India: its Good and its Bad

Last updated on: October 7, 2006 at 12:45 am By Desh Kapoor

In reply to my email on my impressions of India on my recent visit, Anurag had written his thoughts on how there is little hope. In another personal message, he also felt that people from other countries - specially the Europeans and Australians - do not feel bad going to India because of the dirt, stray animals and other loud and dusty environment that the country has to offer. Raj, another friend, argued that some of his friends would like to go to India for just those reasons and that despite the mess, India does offer a "unique" culture! Read more

A Muslim Girl Tops in Sanskrit and Recites Shlokas

Last updated on: October 6, 2006 at 5:39 pm By Desh Kapoor

This is very interesting. Language really knows no bar of religion and that is how it should be. At a time when inspiring lyrics like Vande Mataram are branded communal, a Muslim girl who opted for Sanskrit has topped the Kerala University MA (Sanskrit) exam in 2006.Shajeena S notched up 79% and is the first Muslim topper in the university's history.The 24-year-old is the second of three daughters of Shahul Hamid, a poor labourer from Navaikulam. She took up Sanskrit three years ago. Read more

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