india

India as i know today as is home to 1.21 billion hearts pumping through the streets.It is the 2nd largest in population and 7th largest in economy in terms of nominal GDP and stands at no.87 on the corruption perception index. Corruption wise we are doing way better than Somalia and Chad but not nearly as well as Samoa or even closer home, Bhutan. Statistics don’t mean much to the layman, what matters is the quality of life that you and I lead on a day to day basis and above all the quality of life that the country is able to provide to the few hundreds of millions who live below the poverty line. Despite the per capita income now standing at a paltry Rs 46,492 there is still some cause for cheer. India is extremely affluent in terms of ordinary people she has birthed, who have set out to achieve stupendous results. For every thousand Indians, there may be one corrupt neta or one corrupt government babu but there are likely to be nine hundred and ninety nine Indians with well meaning intentions and who do not wish to see this country be popular for corruption and scams alone. These men and women are ordinary Indians with extraordinary thinking and striving to empower India.

Dhirubhai ambani

Born: December 28, 1932
Died: July 6, 2002
Achievements: Dhiru Bhai Ambani built India's largest private sector company. Created an equity cult in the Indian capital market. Reliance is the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list

Dhirubhai Ambani was the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur. His life journey is reminiscent of the rags to riches story. He is remembered as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global corporate group.

Dhirubhai Ambani alias Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on December 28, 1932, at Chorwad, Gujarat, into a Modh family. His father was a school teacher. Dhirubhai Ambani started his entrepreneurial career by selling "bhajias" to pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends.

After doing his matriculation at the age of 16, Dhirubhai moved to Aden, Yemen. He worked there as a gas-station attendant, and as a clerk in an oil company. He returned to India in 1958 with Rs 50,000 and set up a textile trading company.

Assisted by his two sons, Mukesh and Anil, Dhiru Bhai Ambani built India's largest private sector company, Reliance India Limited, from a scratch. Over time his business has diversified into a core specialisation in petrochemicals with additional interests in telecommunications, information technology, energy, power, retail, textiles, infrastructure services, capital markets, and logistics.

Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with shaping India's equity culture, attracting millions of retail investors in a market till then dominated by financial institutions. Dhirubhai revolutionised capital markets. From nothing, he generated billions of rupees in wealth for those who put their trust in his companies. His efforts helped create an 'equity cult' in the Indian capital market. With innovative instruments like the convertible debenture, Reliance quickly became a favorite of the stock market in the 1980s.

In 1992, Reliance became the first Indian company to raise money in global markets, its high credit-taking in international markets limited only by India's sovereign rating. Reliance also became the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list.

Dhirubhai Ambani was named the Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). A poll conducted by The Times of India in 2000 voted him "greatest creator of wealth in the century".

Dhirubhai Ambani died on July 6, 2002, at Mumbai.

shikha sharma

Career: Managing Director, CEO, Axis Bank

Starting her career with the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) in 1980, Shikha Sharma was picked to head the life insurance division of ICICI when it became the first bank in the private sector to get a license to carry out the business of insurance. She was able to maintain a lead from the first day which helped the organisation to remain the largest private sector life insurance company in India. Considering ICICI as her second home, she worked towards the development of the organisation, the growth of which can be considered parallel to hers. Born to an Army officer, Shikha Sharma maintained discipline in her life and this disciplined showed right through her career too. In a male dominated financial world, she carved a niche for herself. She is the kind of person who considers every job that comes towards her as a challenge. It's no wonder then that she was chosen as the CEO of Axis bank, almost unanimously.

Early Life
Shikha Sharma was born to a soldier who travelled all over India, before settling down in Delhi. She completed her school education at the Loreto Convent in Delhi and graduated in economics from the Lady Sreeram College, Delhi. She finished her post graduate diploma in software technology from the National Institute of Software Technology, Mumbai. She also completed her Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmadabad.

Career
Shikha Sharma started her career with ICICI, India's largest financial service provider in 1980. She joined ICICI right after graduating from IIM, Ahmadabad. In her 28 year association with ICICI Group, she set up various businesses. In 1992, she set up ICICI Securities which is a joint venture of ICICI and J.P. Morgan. She started setting up various group businesses for ICICI which included investment banking and retail finance. In 1995, she moved to ICICI Securities and was deputed to J.P Morgan. In 1997, she rejoined ICICI as the General Manager in charge of Strategic Planning and Development. In 1998, she became the Managing Director of ICICI Personal Financial services. Shikha Sharma also served as the Director of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company till April 2009 and was the Independent Director of ACC limited December 2006 to May 2009. She is the Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of Axis Bank Limited and Chairperson and associate Director of Axis Asset Management company Limited since June 1, 2009.

Contributions
Shikha Sharma made ICICI Prudential what it is today. It is the organization she built from scratch; the leading player in the life insurance business .In her 28 year old association with the ICICI Group, she was instrumental in setting the foundation for the bank's personal financial services business. Here, she also launched an innovative micro insurance cover of 1 dollar a month for poor people in India. In December 2008, under her leadership, ICICI Prudential commanded a market share of 13 %.

Legacy
Shikha Sharma is one of the two women entrepreneurs who are at the helm of a private bank in India. In a male dominated banking and insurance sector, she, with her exceptional leadership qualities, made ICICI Prudential, the largest private insurance company in the country. She has left behind a legacy which is followed by millions of women aspirants.

Awards and Accolades
'Woman Business Leader' by CNBC TV18, 2007
'Business Woman of the Year' by Economic Times, 2009
Ranked 89th in the list of 'World's 100 Most Powerful Women' by Forbes magazine, 2010

Timeline

1980: Shikha Sharma started her career with ICICI as a project officer.
1992: Set up ICICI Securities which was a joint venture of ICICI and J. P Morgan.
1995: Moved to ICICI Securities and was deputed to J.P. Morgan.
1997: Rejoined ICICI as the General Manager in charge of Strategic Planning and Development.
1998: Became the Managing Director of ICICI Personal Financial Service.   

                                                     

                      Sir M. Visvesvaraya

BORN : September 15, 1860
Died: April 14, 1962
Achievements: Architect of Krishnarajasagar Dam; devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams; honored with Bharat Ratna.

Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya was an eminent engineer and statesman and played a key role in building of modern India.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya was born on September 15, 1860 in Muddenahalli village in the Kolar district of the erstwhile princely state of Mysore (present day Karnataka). His father Srinivasa Sastry was a Sanskrit scholar and Ayurvedic practitioner. His mother Venkachamma was a religious lady. He lost his father when he was only 15 years old.

Visvesvaraya completed his early education in Chikkaballapur and then went to Bangalore for higher education. He cleared his B.A. Examination in 1881. He got some assistance from the Government of Mysore and joined the Science College in Poona to study Engineering. In 1883 he ranked first in the L.C.E. and the F.C.E. Examinations (equivalent to B.E. Examination of today).

When Sir M. Visvesvaraya cleared his engineering, Government of Bombay offered him a job and appointed him Assistant Engineer at Nasik. As an engineer, he achieved some marvelous feats. He planned a way of supplying water from the river Sindhu to a town called Sukkur. He devised a new irrigation system called the Block System. He devised steel doors to stop the wasteful flow of water in dams. He was the architect of the Krishnaraja Sagara dam in Mysore. The list is endless.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya lead a very simple life. He was a strict vegetarian and a teetotaler. He was known for his honesty and integrity. In 1912, Maharaja of Mysore appointed Visvesvaraya as his Dewan. Before accepting the position of Dewan of Mysore, he invited all his relatives for dinner. He told them very clearly that he would accept the prestigious office on the condition that none of them would approach him for favours. As Dewan of Mysore, he worked tirelessly for educational and industrial development of the state. When he was the Dewan many new industries came up. The Sandal Oil Factory, the Soap Factory, the Metals Factory, the Chrome Tanning Factory , were some of them. Of the many factories he started the most important is the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works.

Sir M. Visvesvaraya voluntarily retired as Dewan of Mysore in 1918. He worked actively even after his retirement. Sir M. Visvesvaraya was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1955 for his invaluable contribution to the nation. When he reached the age of 100, the Government of India brought out a stamp in his honor. Sir Visvesvaraya passed away on April 14, 1962 at the age of 101.

Some of the honours and laurels conferred on Sir M. Visvesvaraya

1904:  Honorary Membership of London Institution of Civil Engineers for an unbroken period of 50 years

1906:  "Kaisar-i-Hind" in recognition of his services

1911:  C.I.E. (Companion of the Indian Empire) at the Delhi Darbar

1915:  K.C.I.E. (Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire)

1921:  D.Sc. - Calcutta University

1931:  LLD - Bombay University

1937:  D.Litt - Benaras Hindu University

1943:  Elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Institution of Engineers (India)

1944:  D.Sc. - Allahabad University

1948:  Doctorate - LLD., Mysore University

1953:  D.Litt - Andhra University

1953:  Awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Institute of Town Planners, India

1955:  Conferred ' BHARATHA RATNA'

1958:  'Durga Prasad Khaitan Memorial Gold Medal' by the Royal Asiatic Society Council of Bengal

1959:  Fellowship of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

J C BOSE

Born: November 30, 1858
Died: November 23, 1937
Achievements: He was the first to prove that plants too have feelings. He invented wireless telegraphy a year before Marconi patented his invention.
Jagdish Chandra Bose was an eminent Indian scientist. He was the first to prove that plants and metals too have feelings.

Jagdish Chandra Bose was born on November 30, 1858 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh). His father Bhagabanchandra Bose was a Deputy Magistrate. Jagadish Chandra Bose had his early education in village school in Bengal medium. In 1869, Jagadish Chandra Bose was sent to Calcutta to learn English and was educated at St.Xavier's School and College. He was a brilliant student. He passed the B.A. in physical sciences in 1879.

In 1880, Jagdishchandra Bose went to England. He studied medicine at London University, England, for a year but gave it up because of his own ill health. Within a year he moved to Cambridge to take up a scholarship to study Natural Science at Christ's College Cambridge. In 1885, he returned from abroad with a B.Sc. degree and Natural Science Tripos (a special course of study at Cambridge).

After his return Jagadish Chandra Bose, was offered lectureship at Presidency College, Calcutta on a salary half that of his English colleagues. He accepted the job but refused to draw his salary in protest. After three years the college ultimately conceded his demand and Jagdish Chandra Bose was paid full salary from the date he joined the college. As a teacher Jagdish Chandra Bose was very popular and engaged the interest of his students by making extensive use of scientific demonstrations. Many of his students at the Presidency College were destined to become famous in their own right. These included Satyendra Nath Bose and Meghnad Saha.

In 1894, Jagadish Chandra Bose decided to devote himself to pure research. He converted a small enclosure adjoining a bathroom in the Presidency College into a laboratory. He carried out experiments involving refraction, diffraction and polarization. It would not be wrong to call him as the inventor of wireless telegraphy. In 1895, a year before Guglielmo Marconi patented this invention, he had demonstrated its functioning in public.

Jagdish Chandra Bose later switched from physics to the study of metals and then plants. He fabricated a highly sensitive "coherer", the device that detects radio waves. He found that the sensitivity of the coherer decreased when it was used continuously for a long period and it regained its sensitivity when he gave the device some rest. He thus concluded that metals have feelings and memory.

Jagdish Chandra Bose showed experimentally plants too have life. He invented an instrument to record the pulse of plants and connected it to a plant. The plant, with its roots, was carefully picked up and dipped up to its stem in a vessel containing bromide, a poison. The plant's pulse beat, which the instrument recorded as a steady to-and-fro movement like the pendulum of a clock, began to grow unsteady. Soon, the spot vibrated violently and then came to a sudden stop. The plant had died because of poison.

Although Jagdish Chandra Bose did invaluable work in Science, his work was recognized in the country only when the Western world recognized its importance. He founded the Bose Institute at Calcutta, devoted mainly to the study of plants. Today, the Institute carries research on other fields too.

Jagdish Chandra Bose died on November 23, 1937.