About the author

The founder of Qualified Learning System Inc, USA, Shiv Khera is an educator, business consultant, much sought after speaker and a successful entrepreneur. He inspires and informs people, helping them to realize their true potential. He has taken his dynamic personal messages all round the globe, from the US to Singapore and to India. His common sense approach and deeply held beliefs have motivated countless people to mend their attitudes. His 20 years of research, understanding and experience has helped people on the path of personal growth and fulfillment.

Book Review : By Chikita Kukreja
I want to be a winner. Isn't this every individual's heartfelt desire? The revised edition of You Can Win lays emphasis on the very notion of winning and focuses on what it takes to be a winner. A construction manual offering footprints to follow and help you build a triumphant and a gratifying life. It puts forth the ingredients to cook up the right recipe required to be successful in life.

The very first chapter leaves the reader hankering for another dose of positive attitude and a brighter approach towards life. So, what are the different approaches to accomplish that single motive in life i.e to win and succeed. The author focuses on steps to build a positive attitude in life. Along with this, he suggests that one needs to start off with an action plan in terms of what you want to achieve, how and by when?

Shiv Khera says that the first step to alter our lives is to adopt a positive attitude in life; whatever be our profession. Without getting into any self-help jargon, he concentrates on developing the `self' or ones personality. There are chapters on building ones self- esteem, importance of interpersonal skills, personality traits, positive habits and goal setting.

What strikes one is Khera's writing style. He goes on to illustrate every bit with an interesting and engrossing story, followed by a moral. These morals make the reader believe nothing is impossible. So, it's all about getting together the right recipe for success through the web of life.

In all, a beautiful book with stories, anecdotes which can help a prson rise to any situation not just professionally but even on a personal level. You Can Win is a must read for people in the corporate world, as much as it is for the common man.

So, sharpen your claws and get going in life!

The Indian Derby, run at Mahalakshmi Race Course, is the highlight of Mumbai's racing year. Traditionally run on the first Sunday of February, the race is known as the "Crown Jewel of the Triple Crown".

It is restricted to four-year-old horses, both colts and fillies, but is almost of secondary importance to the activities surrounding the event. Serious punters are comprehensively outnumbered on Derby day as the course overflows with well-heeled viewers. As personalities go however, it has been the colorful presence of Dr Vijay Mallya that has brought that added dosage of high glam, glitz, style, and fashion into the sport.

Historical Background
Racing in India is a legacy of the British Raj. Though it is well documented that the British were always serious about the business of efficiently running the Empire, they invariably found time for sport and recreation, and wherever they went, they created the necessary infrastructure for its pursuit. It must be remembered that in India, the British presence depended for a very long time on its military strength. The armies of the 18th and 19th centuries were cavalry-oriented and the overwhelming involvement with horses inevitably meant that equine sports like fox-hunting, polo, point-to-point racing, steeple chasing and flat-racing came to the fore. Almost every cantonment in India had a racecourse and race meetings were organized as far back as the 18th century.

Present status
The balance sheets of a majority of the race clubs are awash in red ink and owners are deserting the game in droves, as prize money is unable to keep pace with inflation. What is keeping the game going is the patronage of Mallya and other Indian booze barons as too local industrialists. Another silver lining is that Indian racehorses have proved themselves in the markets of Singapore and Malaysia and now even Dubai, therefore a continuous inflow of capital for the better racehorses is likely.

Race Tracks
All racetracks in India, except Delhi, are variations of the round/oval in shape, and are generally level. Mumbai has a full-fledged season, Madras holds Monsoon racing on the dirt training track. Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune hold their Monsoon Meetings on Monsoon Tracks (parallel to the main tracks), which are turf tracks with better drainage. Sand or tan tracks are used for training, all of which takes place at the racecourses. There are no private training centers.

Metric System
Indian racing switched over to the metric system of weights and distances from the 1962-63 season. In handicaps, bottom weight is usually 47.0 kg., while top weight is usually 59.0 kg.

Sponsorship
Of racing in India is significant. McDowell & Co. Ltd., United Breweries Ltd., Herbertsons Ltd., VST Ltd., Shaw Wallace Group, ITC Ltd., etc. have been amongst the major sponsors.

Betting
Betting is permitted on Tote as well as with the bookmakers operating at the racecourses. Volumes are significant - legal Tote wagering is estimated at Rs 2 billion annually, with a similar figure for legal betting with licensed bookmakers. All centres conduct "off-course" or "inter-track" wagering on races run at other centers, mainly with live TV coverage at the receiving course. There is no legal telephone betting, smart card wagering or internet betting. Programmes are so arranged by mutual consultation that overlap of racing days is kept to a minimum. On occasions, morning racing is held for this purpose.

Statistics

This time 1,072 horses took part under the guidance of 42 trainers. Stake money paid out: Approx. Rs 8.3 million. With attendance of 30,000 jet set biggies.

Whether these facts lure you to the race course or not, if you get yourself invited to this annual event make sure you pick the right outfit. Because this is truly British Raj redux with all the propah English gentry trimmings - hats, gloves, cucumber sandwiches, scones... The magnificent thoroughbreds pounding the turf on race day are merely the sideshow.

As Anon puts it: 'A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn't like the tune'. Pix business head and AXN, Animax India country manager Sunder Aaron tells Nidhi Jain that in today's business scenario one has to play a dual role, that of a manager and mentor.

Lessons you learnt
First and foremost - in India it has to be kept in mind that it has a very young corporate culture, because business culture has been around for just 10-20 years. It is a very important thing to be kept in mind while managing people. The work force is predominantly very young, so lots of inexperienced, na?ve people come in. We have to give them lessons not only on business but also life. Therefore, a lot of compassion and empathy is required.

I have to be a good manger and mentor on a personal basis too. We, all of us, not only have to improve our lives, but also get better jobs. I cannot prevent anyone going to a better company for a better life. I have to groom these people so that they can go on to have better lives, not just be a better employee for me, but also to do better in whatever they do.

We also need to delegate, give others responsibility, which often doesn't happen. There's a lot of fear in organizations. It's just the nature of the business. Organizations are also political creations. As we all are humans and have egos, politics is bound to enter.

India has a history and tradition of being bureaucratic. When people are always too eager to please, fear enters people and organizations. We have to try our best to remove those obstacles.

I encourage my staff to make mistakes, make a decision, and gather all information you can. Juggling balls means you are not doing anything and that's the worst being in business. We should be fast and determined.

Method of pacifying madness
Things do get out of hand when there is so much of stress. The best way is to personally have discussions with the team, about what they are feeling and thinking. Even five minutes on that can calm everything. Retrieve time outside office too.

Max DePree - "Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice".

People that influenced
In India, (Set India CEO) Kunal Dasgupta has been a big influence. He is calm, controlled and has a great vision. (Times Now CEO) Sunil Lulla is a strong inspiration, the way he manages people, and is very successful.

We ought to maintain a balance between personal and professional life. Mumbai can be hard city. Just like New York, it's always about 'moving' very fast. We have to make real commitments also to other things like being healthy, staying active in sports, staying close to the closest friends. My friends in the US have fundamentally had a lot of influence on my life. We should not dilute our relationships because of work. There are periods when we work harder and take a lot of time, and then communication becomes important. We have to work and maintain those relationships.

Strategies at Work
Sometimes it's very frustrating, and it is visible also. One of the simple strategies is to calm down. So think and relax before saying anything or dealing with people. Being impatient is certainly not the best thing.

In the market, I am in favor of doing unique things, strategies or approaches for people in business. We have to think out of the box.

For instance, when we were launching our new movie channel Pix, it was coming into an already crowded market. Our approach was to emphasis on stories in the movies with no big stars, budgets. A famous book on screenwriting called Story was where I got the inspiration to launch a channel focusing on the fundamentals. Movies are human experiences and watching them is so human. Like parents telling us stories, caveman told stories by engraving. We strive and communicate through storytelling.

As the Pix example shows, an idea doesn't always come from conventional sources.

Changing rules of work
Rules have not been formed yet. Being motivated does not work in a company that we don't want to work with. I am in this industry because I love film and TV. I enjoy my work and am good at it also. It's important to be balanced; we shouldn't overspend life within the office because it will be no good for anybody. One needs to bring freshness to work.

Charles S. Lauer - "Leaders don't force people to follow - they invite them on a journey".

Ensuring that team delivers
Communicate what is expected of the team. Juniors have a hard time communicating to their seniors. After delegating, we need to monitor also. They should not be intimidated that you are peering over their shoulders. You should be a mentor to help them do their jobs.

Fun part of your business
Almost everything. It's very competitive working with creative, bright people instead of a bunch of dumb, boring people. TV is an enormously growing industry.

Max DePree -"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality".

A total of over Rs 1.6 billion invested, the park spread over an area of 62 acres features over 20 different rides and attractions, supplied by leading European manufacturers such as Intamin, Moser and Zamperla, who supply rides to Disney, Universal Studios and Six Flags. It is the Rohini, Delhi Adventure Island and Metro Walk by Unitech Amusement Parks Ltd. and International Amusement Ltd.

The Rohini Amusement Park combines the experiences of both retail and entertainment destination through its two distinct zones. The retail experience is called Metro Walk and the amusement park area Adventure Island. A separate zone in Adventure Island has been designed along with Turner Networks and is called Planet Pogo, which will house a MAD Theatre and Pogo Plazas for children. Adventure Island will also include a water park and a multimedia area, says managing director Rakesh Babbar.

Toronto-based leading architecture firm Forrec Limited, designed the layout of the park. Internationally renowned consultants such as City Design Group, Electrosonic, Management Resources and Cini Little have also been roped in to create a world-class amusement park and retail destination that promises to be a one-of-its-kind entertainment destination bigger that anything else in its catchment area.

The amusement park featuring 15 rides will be specific to children and teenagers and for the whole family.

Adventure Island comprises of a separate children's zone that will be themed around the popular children's entertainment channel Pogo. This zone will be called Planet Pogo and will house special attractions such as the MAD Theatre, H2O zone and HQ.

Another major attraction is the water park that will feature several long water slides, a large lazy river, fountains and a wave pool.

Metrowalk Mall

With a total area of 200,000 sq. ft., Metro Walk is one of the biggest malls retail, food and entertainment. An artificial lake spread across 3.5 acres provide refreshing backdrop to exclusive retail experience. Themed signages and extensive interiors in vibrant colours will line the central courtyard of the Metrowalk.

Water Management

The promoters have commissioned an environment-friendly water management system, sourced from 8 tube wells located along the site, will then be treated at the RO plants for water filtration before being used in the park. To counter the drawing of ground water, the park has outlined a plan to harvest water. Recharge pits will be constructed within the site that will absorb rainwater back in the ground. The park also plans to set up a water treatment plant in the future that would make it possible to recycle and reuse unclean water.

The latest thing to happen in the world of wireless gaming is the number of big and not so big Bollywood honchos making their presence felt.

There is the Badshah of Disco and bling 'Boppy Da' (Bappi Lahiri for the uninitiated) who is engaged on a new mission - to get back at the baddies who have robbed him of his jewels. The mobile game featuring the portly composer has been making tracks on the popularity charts in India and abroad. The game has him him stunning the villains, with his high-voltage guitar.

Then there is also southside actor Madhavan, who is busy evading the paparazzi in 'Run Maddy Run'.

Already in the pipelines are Hrithik Roshan (in a Krrish game) and Bollywood badshah Shahrukh Khan (Don).

Gaming centering around Bollywood celebrities has been around for some time but now market forces are swinging the other way with actors wooing gaming companies, signing contracts, negotiating royalty money which on an average is 10 to 20 per cent of the download revenues.

Gaming is expected to grow annually and actors are queuing up to get featured. A well crafted and hyped mobile game spreads through the personal network of friends,

colleagues and business contacts abroad. The bigger canvas is that of simultaneous releases of Hindi films in foreign countries with promotional and ground events with the stars. For old actors it's a better and faster way to keep them alive amongst the youth.

Games are also being designed on brash heroes like Salman Khan and Bollywood bombshells Priyanka Chopra and Bipasha Basu are hopping aboard the bandwagon as well. Sameera Reddy who's got her own share of adulation, is getting into another mobile game with 'Sameera Acquadventure'.

It has become a greater vehicle for brand visibility. A few hundred downloads per day will do wonders for star image. There can't be a bigger lure for actors having a multi-faceted image, which leads them to actively participate and even lend concepts during the scripting stage.

By Nidhi Jain

Turner India advertising sales vice-president Monica Tata tells Nidhi Jain how kids changed the cycle of her life.

My life has to be dramatic? I need to spice it up though it's been a good life so far. I started off being a traveler because my dad was in the Air Force. That bug of traveling caught me. It has lessened now but conceptually I love to travel. I can't have an environment which doesn't allow me to travel and meet people. I would not be able to take it since I need to have constant interactions with people. But at this stage of life I also want time for myself as well, my own space. Sometimes I wish to do nothing and just sit at home and watch TV and spend time with kids. Kids have been my huge source of strength .I just enjoy having them around.

During the course of my career, which happened by default, I got an exposure to an industry that is a great place. I love every part of this industry. I can't even think of any life not being in media. If given a chance and choice again, I would definitely choose media only.

I Love to watch movies. I'm a complete movie buff. When I get a chance to watch Hollywood or Bollywood, I just grab it. I Love music, and have an eclectic taste. Feel no shame about dancing my night away to Bollywood songs.

I like music ranging from Jazz to rock to pop. I am not at all into heavy metal though, which is something I can't understand and relate too. I would love to see U2's Bono who is GOD, somebody to look out for.

Travel schedules are more tuned according to the kids. Personally, hopping over to goa is a must, since it is my favorite place. Besides that, Europe is something I have liked as a holiday destination. London is quite a favorite. I like this place called Kosamvi where I had gone for a conference.

I love New York. As a tourist I have managed to get into a bus and see the city on my own.

I have a fetish for shoes, bags and jewellery. I have to buy from everywhere and continue stocking up when I get an opportunity. I am not a fussy shopper. I spend money fast.

Over the years I have become quite regimented in my health routine. As we grow older we have to be more aware. Have a controlled diet, go to the gym and have regular health check-ups. Yoga is something which I really want to explore. I am quite attuned and attached towards alternative mediums like Reiki. I am looking for both a yoga teacher and time. I thoroughly believe in alternative form of thinking. Reiki is a very close part of my existence.

I love food but a key difference is I eat to live but not live to eat. In cuisines I love Thai but I truly believe that Indian food is the best - Rajma Chawal, bhindi, chapatti, dal works for me big time. Not too much into continental and Italian, European or French. I like spice, love to have green chillies with Pasta. Kashmiri food is my all time favorite.

I would have loved to sing and write songs. I get to do this when I am at parties or with friends. Whenever there is a karaoke opportunity I just let myself go. I really wanted to pursue singing. I learnt guitar, harmonium. Once I started work, I didn't give that attention to other things. It's about focus and priority. If you have the will, you will find a way. I just wasn't willing enough.

Lyrics I have written...
O sanam,
Aaja Sanam,
Main hun kahan,
Tu hai kahan,
Tu aa bhi ja mere sanam,
Tujhe meri kasam?

Athletics is in my blood since childhood. Whenever I get an opportunity I play basketball and badminton. I haven't lost touch. I have done river rafting, bungee jumping. I jumped from the second highest fall in the world in Nepal, an exhilarating experience. That was a fabulous free fall from a ridiculous height. I would love to do it again. I love crazy roller coaster rides.

In my life there is still so much to be done. I want to make a difference in people's lives. Many many miles to go before I sleep. Thank God.