Zune vs Ipod

Top destinations for indian travellers

US still remains the number one choice for an international holiday, followed by Singapore, UK, Switzerland and Australia. In India, it’s the beaches of Goa that are the biggest draw, closely followed by Kashmir, Kullu Manali/Simla and Ooty. Interestingly Mumbai is one of the top 10 choices for a holiday. But, that’s just one part of the story. According to Mr Madhavan Menon, managing director, Thomas Cook India: ‘‘The study also indicates that people want to visit off-beat, exotic locales like Turkey, Bahamas and Russia over traditional foreign desinations like Nepal and Thailand."

Global gold biscuit crunch? Blame the Gujaratis

AHMEDABAD: If there is a shortage in the supply of gold biscuits the worldover, blame it on the Gujarati back home. Investment-savvy Gujaratis have been gobbling up 50 gm and 100 gm gold biscuits at the retail level ever since gold prices plunged a few weeks ago. The gold-hunt continued during the one-month Shraddh period, which is considered inauspicious. It is expected to boom in the festival season, which kicks off on Saturday, and in the ensuing wedding season. Gold sales soar during Diwali, which is a month away.

Producers of gold biscuits in South Africa, Australia and Switzerland are working overtime to cater to the spurt in demand. With gold prices having come down to Rs 8,800 from Rs 10,140 per 10 gram, buyers have rushed in to secure small-sized gold bars ahead of the festival and wedding seasons. On an average, Gujarat consumes 200-250 tonnes a year, out of the total gold import of 800 tonnes into the country. Demand for the yellow metal, considered a safe long-term investment, had dwindled in the previous four-five months after prices touched a 26-year high in May.

“In India, it is only in Gujarat and Hyderabad where a rush for 100 gm gold biscuits is being seen. Of the estimated 600-700 tonnes imported into the country, nearly 90% is in the form of 1 kg bars,” said Rajan Venkatesh, director — bullion at Scotiabank, one of the biggest importers of gold. As it takes more time to produce 100 gm bars compared to 1 kg bars, global refineries may take a few weeks to meet the soaring demand, Mr Venkatesh said.

Paul Walker of GFMS, a London-based precious metals consultancy specialising in the research of global bullion markets, told ET: “There is a high demand for gold in India, the world’s largest buyer of the metal, and it is possible that there is a shortage of small bars globally. Refineries normally stock kilo bars, so any spurt in demand for smaller bars could create a short-term tightness.”

A World Gold Council spokesperson said from London, “Obviously production of the 100 gm biscuits was reduced during the period of price volatility. It is encouraging to see the resurgence of demand following the recent period of price stability. However, it obviously takes time for producers to respond to this.”

Production in gold refineries worldwide were cut over the past three-four months, following a massive slump in the demand for gold. Demand, however, picked up as soon as prices dropped in the past 2-3 weeks, with the Gujaratis looking to make the best use of this opportunity. Now, there is a demand pull for even 1 kg blocks.


Sources said that MMTC is unable to supply 100 gm biscuits in Rajkot and Ahmedabad as it has run out of stock. It may take a week before it can import “some” quantities from London. MMTC officials expect the shortage in 100 gm biscuits to continue for at least another month. Even the 10 tonnes of gold brought into the state last week by a foreign bank was not enough to meet the spurt in demand for 100 gram gold biscuits.

Three big players — Scotiabank, ICICI Bank and MMTC — control nearly 70% of the gold imported into India. “The daily gold demand has nearly doubled from 500 gm to 1 kg and it may rise to over 2 kg per day by Diwali,” says Girish Venkat, ICICI Bank’s Gujarat retail head.

The global gold prices have dropped from a peak of $700 to $583 now. “Prices may drop to $540, but thereafter there will be a rebound and a sharp upward move, which would then take them to the previous high of $700 in a year’s time,” says Kunal Shah, executive director at Kunvarji Commodities.

Microsoft unveils wireless iPod killer

Reuters REDMOND (WASHINGTON)

MICROSOFT unveiled on Thursday its new Zune portable media player, hoping its ability to share music wirelessly can win over consumers despite its late entry five years after Apple’s market-dominating iPod. The world’s largest software maker said the music player is the first step in creating a whole brand of portable devices, and a Zune mobile phone is also in the company’s plans.
Microsoft said it will launch a 30-gigabyte Zune and an iTunes competitor called the Zune Marketplace in the United States this holiday shopping season. The new rectangular player, which was handed to reporters at a news conference, is similar in appearance to the iPod, with a round click wheel but a larger 3-inch screen. The Zune comes in black, white and brown.Microsoft did not give a launch date or pricing, but said the Zune’s wireless connectivity feature, which allows users to beam photos and songs to one another, will differentiate it from Apple Computer’s popular iPod.
Analysts said the wireless feature, currently unavailable in the iPod, will attract some customers but market share gains will probably come at the expense of other music player makers like Creative Technology and SanDisk Corp.
“Zune isn’t an iPod killer but it does offer some compelling features that Apple currently lacks,” said JupiterResearch analyst Michael Gartenberg. “It still looks like short term market share will come from other device vendors, not Apple.”
The Zune, along with the Xbox game console, is part of Microsoft’s strategy to diversify beyond its core desktop computer business, which is facing competition from Web rivals like Google.“Microsoft has to stay relevant to how people are accessing information and entertainment.

Deccan to give free tickets if flight delayed beyond three hours

TIMES NEWS NETWORK



Bangalore: Air Deccan will launch its ‘Wow’ campaign from September 19 and offer to put up passengers on a Jet Airways flight or any of its partner airlines if any of its flights is delayed beyond three hours. Alternatively, if the passenger is still not able to fly to his/her destination, a free ticket on its flight will be offered to them.
Announcing this new scheme to reporters on Saturday, Air Deccan managing director Captain G R Gopinath and Chief Operating Officer Warwick Brady said that the airline has now brought down the delays in flights and cancellations considerably.
The current on time performance within 15 minutes from scheduled departure is between 75 per cent to 80 per cent, and within 60 minutes is over 98 per cent. We want to improve this further. Air Deccan has tied up with Lufthansa German Airlines for Airbus spare parts stock. Simultaneously, Air Deccan has signed a three million dollar deal with Airbus to station Airbus engineers at various bases in India and train Air Deccan engineers and a two million dollar deal with ATR for a similar arrangement. Air Deccan will soon launch services into Kulu, Bellary and Salem among other places.

Finish Rich
Making crores is not just about financial planning and prudence. Here are six stellar qualities that can usher in wealth.

"The person who goes farthest is generally the one who iswilling to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from the shore."
Dale Carnegie (1888-1955), failed farmer, teacher,journalist, actor, novelist, stock market investor. Also the bestselling authorof How to Win Friends and Influence People that made him a millionaire.

The better informed among us might blurt out the conventionalfinancial wisdom which Outlook Money and other publications have come up withfrom time to time—start saving and investing early and keep doing itregularly, take loans within limits, insure your life and assets and so on. Butwhile financial prudence and planning are important prerequisites to makemillions, they aren't enough. In the wealth creation derby, what do the winnersdo which the also-rans don't?

Six qualities of crorepatis. To get the answer, we studiedthe wealth creation stories of some crorepatis and picked up lessons from theirlives that you can use. We found that six old fashionedattributes—self-belief, perseverance, seizing opportunities, innovation,betting on your talent and constant learning—play a pivotal role in determiningour wealth. From the individual stories of six people, it comes out clearlythat, though wealth wasn't their primary goal when they set out, it was adriving force for the success they achieved.

Self-Belief

The path of wealth creation is often bumpy and can evenresemble a roller-coaster ride. Ask Delhi-based Sanjay Chowdhary, 39,franchisee, Reliance Webworld Express, and he will tell you, for he has seen itall. He began as a government upper division clerk (UDC) with a salary of Rs1,400 per month in 1987, went on to clock annual revenues of Rs 25 lakh fromhis Airtel shop in partnership with his sibling by 2003, then gave it all awayto his brother and started from scratch to build a successful Reliance WebworldExpress franchise. "When I got engaged to my wife Radha in 1996, I used to ridea motorbike to meet her. Today, I own a Chevrolet Optra," says Chowdhary,summing up his journey of wealth. What kept Chowdhary on course towards histryst with fortune? The answer: a peerless quality called self-belief.

From employment to self-employment.
When Chowdhary quit hisgovernment job in 1995, his monthly pay stood at Rs 6,500. "Since I was a UDC,I could not have done much in that department," says Chowdhary. Realising thatmobility was restricted in a government set-up, he opened a shop along with hisbrother in the refurbished drawing room of his house in Delhi's swanky GreaterKailash-II. The start-up capital of Rs 1 lakh was drawn from family reserves. "We wanted to be different and offer products that were not available in thevicinity," says Chowdhary.
At that point, the telecom sector was still in its infancyand Chowdhary decided to take up an Airtel dealership. Gradually, he startedselling cell phones and also sundry gift items. The business soon became profitableand in five years, revenues from the store skied to Rs 25 lakh annually.

Plunge into the abyss.
In 2003, tragedy struck. Chowdharylegally split with his brother and surrendered the shop to strike out on hisown. At this juncture, Reliance stormed into the telecom scene and Chowdharychose to become a franchisee of Reliance Webworld Express. The company rentedout Chowdhary's property for the venture. Apart from the rent he got fromReliance, he managed the franchise as well. With old customers coming in,collections from his franchise now stand at Rs 30 lakh a month. While Chowdharyis diplomatic when quizzed on his net worth, taking his revenues and financialand real estate assets into account, he can safely be termed a crorepati.

Perseverance
The year: 1969. Trekking his way through Iran and Turkey,Mahesh Naithani, 23, on his way to England for higher studies, is temporarilyincarcerated in a Bulgarian transit jail. Naithani, son of an AllahabadUniversity academic, was armed with a Master's degree in Political Science andsaddled with the disappointment of a futile one-year search for a corporate jobwhen he boarded a cargo ship from Mumbai a few months back with just Rs 500 inhis pocket. He ran out of money on the way and had to sell his prized watch for$50 in Teheran to raise money for the air journey to Turkey. Was he running outof luck? Would he have to shelve his plans for a better future? Cut to 2006 andsuccessful US-based serial entrepreneur Naithani talks about his net worth inexcess of $25 million with nonchalance. What powered his remarkable journey towealth? Perseverance.
From the Bulgarian transit jail to Yugoslavia, then again toan Austrian transit jail, finally to Germany, where by working night shifts atan exhibition, staying at a youth hostel and surviving on free hot dogs, hemanaged to save money for his trip to England via France. Dismayed with theanti-immigration sentiments in England when he landed there, Naithani sooncrossed the Atlantic to the US for higher studies.

Turnaround begins.
With a little help from an Americanfriend, Naithani managed to land a factory job in Minneapolis at a wage of$2.75 an hour that helped him save enough to enroll in the MBA programme in theUniversity of Minnesota in 1970. Naithani's perseverance and never-say-dieattitude was fashioning his life's turnaround. The good luck continued. At acultural gathering, he mistook Christina, a sociology student from El Salvador,for a Manipuri girl. Thus began their relationship that culminated in marriage.In 1972, Naithani completed his MBA and took up a $14,000 per annum job offerby New York Times. For the next ten years, he remained in the corporate sector,working in large companies, moving up to the post of vice president with anannual pay packet of $54,000.
In 1982, seeing an emerging opportunity in medical contentbusiness, he bought a small company called QSI for $50,000. He ran the companyfor three years and sold it for $250,000 to industry major InternationalThomson in 1985. He then acquired a company called HCI for $200,000. In 1997,Naithani sold HCI to industry leader VNU for $24 million. "A five-yearnon-compete clause in the deal meant that I had to devote my energy to otherthings," says Naithani. He turned to his passion, art and culture, and producedthree movies, Jai Ganga, Bombay Boys and Such a Long Journey. But a failedtake-over attempt of a movie company and a shelved BBC documentary project madehim reconsider his options. In 2003, as the non-compete clause tenure ended,Naithani decided to re-boot into medical content. This was how MedMeme was bornwith a $2.5-3 million start-up capital. The company specialises in collectionand analysis of clinical and marketing intelligence and has the world's toppharma and healthcare companies as its clients with its back-office in Gurgaon.Naithani's repeated successes underscore the importance of perseverance even inthe wake of dismal failures.

Seizing opportunities
"Successful people screen incoming information differentlysince they constantly seek new growth opportunities," points out Jacob SamuelVazholil, associate partner, Elixir Web Solutions, a leading recruitmentprocess outsourcing firm. Opportunities are like waves and wealth creators aresurfers. They have to spot the waves and position themselves to ride these. Ifyou want an appropriate example, look no further than Jagdeep Khandpur, 47, ofPrerna Management Consulting. Throughout his career, Khandpur spotted waves ofemerging opportunities early, rode them and then moved on to the next emergingone. This approach has made Khandpur a crorepati.
Khandpur graduated in Economics from Punjab University in1978 and then did his MBA from the same varsity before joining VardhamanSpinning as a management trainee at Rs 1,200 a month. "The stint gave meimmense exposure," says Khandpur. The lad from Ludhiana gradually rose throughthe ranks until he became the deputy manager, HR. Another opportunity camecalling when Milk Food appointed him personnel manager. "I chose Milk Food asit offered challenges. At 25, I was made its HR head," says Khandpur.
Four years at Milk Food, and Khandpur was just ripe to tapthe opportunity in the emerging soft drinks industry. He joined Pepsi as itsnorthern region head and went on to become vice president, HR. He shifted basefrom Chandigarh to Delhi and after a short stay at Duracell, was lapped up bythe Thapars as group vice president, HR, Ballarpur Industries. The high note ofthe rising trajectory of opportunities was struck when five years on, Khandpursigned up with Bharti Televentures as director, HR, at a time when telecom wasstill an emerging sector. "The prospects at Ballarpur were brilliant, but I wasnot getting a chance to do something new after a certain point," says Khandpur.He was corporate director, HR, in Bharti when he quit his job in October 2005to start his own enterprise, Prerna Management Consulting. "I wanted to dosomething that provided me enough challenges and opportunities to learn," saysKhandpur. He arranged for the start-up capital and his company's revenues arealready at Rs 6 crore now.

Innovation

It is now a cliche to say innovation creates wealth, formost successful IT entrepreneurs in India and abroad bear testimony to thefact. But can an ordinary person innovate and create wealth? Yes, if he doesn'tmind taking risks. "Risk taking is about having the inner confidence in what you're doing and learning to match your strengths with yourgoals," says Anil Sachdev, founder and CEO, Grow Talent Company. Take a peep into the life ofSanjiv Saran Mehra, 44, CEO, Saran Presents, an event management company, andyou will realise how innovation helped him turn his love for sports—hehas played games like squash and tennis at the club level—into a money spinner.
Mehra, a management graduate from SP Jain Institute ofManagement and Research, Mumbai, started his career as an investment bankerwith Lazard India making about Rs 2 lakh a year in 1985. "I realised what I wasdoing at Lazard could be done better if I started something on my own," hesays. When he left Lazard in 1990, Mehra drew around Rs 8-12 lakh per annum. Hestarted Vision Financial Services, a finance boutique that organised SMEfunding, in a 200 sq ft office in Mumbai, with Rs 40,000 from his provident fundmoney. At Vision, his third eye enabled him to garner three-four times what heearned at Lazard. However, what put Mehta on the wealth creation fast track wasa chance meeting with his old pal, Cawas Billimoria, who asked him to help himbuild the Sumo Federation of India which he was planning to set up. "That's howSaran Presents was born," says Mehra. Once Saran Presents was on a roll, Mehra's financial boutique went into the green room. Being an ardent sportsenthusiast, Mehra realised it could be frustrating for a busy executive to giveup participating in competitive sports due to changed priorities. To fulfillthe needs of such executives, Saran Presents started organising sports eventsamong corporates from 1997. Through corporate sports alone, Mehra now makes40-50 times of what he used to make when he ran Vision. Today, he is in anenviable position: he earns millions from something close to his heart.

Betting on talent

Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu had said,"Turn beinginto an advantage and non-being into utility." Millionaires know where theirstrengths lie and play to these. See how well Chennai-based Sadhana, 38, chiefmarketing officer, Focus Infotech, has played the wealth creation game.
"I am more of apeople's person," says Sadhana. Sheleveraged her communication skills and excelled in various marketing jobsthough she has never been formally trained in marketing. With a PG inmicrobiology from the University of Mumbai and a two-and-a-half-year course atNIIT, what were her chances of success in marketing? Of course, Sadhana hadother ideas.

Talent buds.
In 1990, she signed up with Aurelec DataProcessing System, Pondicherry. "My CEO wanted me to be an analyst while myreporting officer wanted me to join the sales team," says Sadhana. The branchofficer had his way and Sadhana found herself in the sales team. Her salarythen stood at Rs 2,500 per month. That's when her communication skills begantalking results. Within six months, she was promoted to area manager and soonerthan you think, she became a branch manager. Under her leadership, thePondicherry branch was voted the ÔBranch of the Year' for three consecutiveyears. She even received the ÔSalesperson of the Year' award from her company.
In 1991, Sadhana moved to Nexus Computers,Aurelec's newavatar after reconstruction. Here, from regional director, she was promoted tovice president, networking. She was not only instrumental in setting up Nexus'networking division, but helped it touch a turnover of Rs 7 crore. Again, hertalent for communication bore results.
In 2002, she bid adieu to Nexus and started her own companyPlatinum Technologies. In January 2003, she converted Platinum Technologies toa private limited company, Platinum Infosystems. It was a true blue IBMbusiness partner. In the first year of operations, Platinum Infosystems didbusiness worth Rs 5 crore and also won the ÔIBM Business Partner of the Year'award. Sadhana's people skills were now in full bloom. Around the same time,she began consulting with Focus Infotech and joined the company as its chiefmarketing officer in December 2003. In three years, the firm's revenues of Rs 9crore more than doubled. While Sadhana wouldn't tell us about her exact networth, it is clear that her earnings from Platinum along with her pay in Focus,which, in all likelihood, would be having a key performance-based component,would have made her a member of the crorepati club by now. She can now indulgeherself in her hobbies of horse riding and collecting antiques.

Constant Learning

Catwoman Eartha Kitt in the TV series Batman once crooned,"I'm learning all the time. The tombstone will be my diploma." Ordinary peoplewho finish rich use Kitt's philosophy to the hilt. One example is Arvind T., 34, business head, MeritTracServices, a skills assessment company.
After an MBA from IIM Lucknow in 1995, Arvind joined RPG asa management trainee at a salary of Rs 1.6 lakh a year. "The atmosphere and theopportunity to learn is great at RPG. They ensure that the trainees get anall-round view of their functional area," says Arvind, who soon got a chance towork in different companies of the RPG Group, including RPG Cellular, RPG Cableand HMV (the music arm of RPG). He remained a management trainee for about ayear and slowly moved up the ladder, getting promoted from assistant manager tomanager, sales. When he finally quit RPG after four years to join GE, he hadbecome branch manager and had an annual pay of around Rs 4-5 lakh. The exittrigger: new learning opportunities. "Every assignment was a challenge as youneeded to complete them with the least amount of resources. This gave me lot ofopportunity to innovate on the job," says Arvind of his stint at GE. AlthoughArvind was enjoying his work at GE, he wanted to gain international experience.So after four years at GE, he joined a small Singapore-based trading firm thatpromised him international exposure.
By now, the learn-and-earn bug in Arvind helped him draw anannual pay cheque of Rs 40 lakh. Soon, he recast his eyes on India—theeconomy was booming and everyone wanted a piece of the growth pie. "I did notwant to miss the action," says Arvind. He took a huge cut in his salary andreturned to India to MeritTrac in early 2006. "I was given the task of settingup a division and making it functional. There was no limit to what I could do,"says Arvind. Unlimited learning opportunities were guiding him again to higherearnings. Arvind's strategy to enter the crorepati club is simply this:accumulate a wide range of experience now for higher future earnings.

The six qualities we have gleaned from the stories of sixindividuals shed light on the behavioural basics that form the foundation ofwealth creation. Of course, you still have to adhere to the financial basics . Does this mean that wealth isguaranteed if you have these qualities? Unfortunately not, since no defined formula yields wealth. However,building blocks are clearly identifiable. Once you have them, you can combinethem skilfully to immensely enhance your probability of hitting the bull's-eye.

Are Indians the Model Immigrants?

They have funny accents, occasionally dress in strange outfits, and some wear turbans and grow beards, yet Indians have been able to overcome stereotypes to become the U.S.'s most successful immigrant group. Not only are they leaving their mark in the field of technology, but also in real estate, journalism, literature, and entertainment. They run some of the most successful small businesses and lead a few of the largest corporations. Valuable lessons can be learned from their various successes. According to the 2000 Census, the median household income of Indians was $70,708—far above the national median of $50,046. An Asian-American hospitality industry advocacy group says that Indians own 50% of all economy lodging and 37% of all hotels in the U.S. AnnaLee Saxenian, a dean and professor at University of California, Berkeley, estimates that in the late 1990s, close to 10% of technology startups in Silicon Valley were headed by Indians.You'll find Indian physicians working in almost every hospital as well as running small-town practices. Indian journalists hold senior positions at major publications, and Indian faculty have gained senior appointments at most universities. Last month, Indra Nooyi, an Indian woman, was named CEO of PepsiCo (PEP) A MODEST EXPLANATION. Census data show that 81.8% of Indian immigrants arrived in the U.S. after 1980. They received no special treatment or support and faced the same discrimination and hardship that any immigrant group does. Yet, they learned to thrive in American society. Why are Indians such a model immigrant group? In the absence of scientific research, I'll present my own reasons for why this group has achieved so much. As an Indian immigrant myself, I have had the chance to live the American dream. I started two successful technology companies and served on the boards of several others. To give back, I co-founded the Carolinas chapter of a networking group called The Indus Entrepreneurs and mentored dozens of entrepreneurs. Last year, I joined Duke University as an executive-in-residence to share my business experience with students (see BusinessWeek.com, 9/14/05, "Degrees of Achievement") and research how the U.S. can maintain its global competitive advantage1. Education. The Census Bureau says that 63.9% of Indians over 25 hold at least a bachelor's degree, compared with the national average of 24.4%. Media reports routinely profile graduates from one Indian college—the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). This is a great school, but most successful Indians I know aren't IIT graduates. Neither are the doctors, journalists, motel owners, or the majority of technology executives. Their education comes from a broad range of colleges in India and the U.S. They believe that education is the best way to rise above poverty and hardship.2. Upbringing. For my generation, what was most socially acceptable was to become a doctor, engineer, or businessperson. Therefore, the emphasis was on either learning science or math or becoming an entrepreneur. 3. Hard work. With India's competitive and rote-based education system, children are forced to spend the majority of their time on their schooling. For better or for worse, it's work, work, and more work for anyone with access to education. 4. Determination to overcome obstacles. In a land of over a billion people with a corrupt government, weak infrastructure, and limited opportunities, it takes a lot to simply survive, let alone get ahead. Indians learn to be resilient, battle endless obstacles, and make the most of what they have. In India, you're on your own and learn to work around the problems that the state and society create for you. 5. Entrepreneurial spirit. As corporate strategist C.K. Prahalad notes in his interview with BusinessWeek's Pete Engardio (see BusinessWeek.com, 1/23/06, "Business Prophet"), amidst the poverty, hustle, and bustle of overcrowded India is a "beehive of entrepreneurialism and creativity." After observing street markets, Prahalad says that "every individual is engaged in a business of some kind—whether it is selling single cloves of garlic, squeezing sugar cane juice for pennies a glass, or hauling TVs." This entrepreneurial sprit is something that most Indians grow up with. 6. Recognizing diversity. Indians hold many ethnic, racial, gender, and caste biases. But to succeed, they learn to overlook or adapt these biases when necessary. There are six major religions in India, and the Indian constitution recognizes 22 regional languages. Every region in the country has its own customs and character. 7. Humility. Talk to almost any immigrant, regardless of origin, and he will share stories about leaving social status behind in his home country and working his way up from the bottom of the ladder in his adopted land. It's a humbling process, but humility is an asset in entrepreneurship. You learn many valuable lessons when you start from scratch and work your way to success. 8. Family support/values. In the absence of a social safety net, the family takes on a very important role in Indian culture. Family members provide all kinds of support and guidance to those in need. 9. Financial management. Indians generally pride themselves on being fiscally conservative. Their businesses usually watch every penny and spend within their means. 10. Forming and leveraging networks. Indians immigrants found that one of the secrets to success was to learn from those who had paved the trails (see BusinessWeek.com, 6/6/05, "Ask for Help and Offer It").Some examples: Successful Indian technologists in Silicon Valley formed an organization called The Indus Entrepreneurs to mentor other entrepreneurs and provide a forum for networking. TiE is reputed to have helped launch hundreds of startups, some of which achieved billions in market capitalization. This was a group I turned to when I needed help. Top Indian journalists and academics created the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) to provide networking and assistance to newcomers. SAJA runs journalism conferences and workshops, and provides scholarships to aspiring South-Asian student journalists. In the entertainment industry, fledgling filmmakers formed the South Asian American Films and Arts Association (SAAFA). Their mission is the promotion of South Asian cinematic and artistic endeavors, and mentoring newcomers. 11. Giving back. The most successful entrepreneurs I know believe in giving back to the community and society that has given them so much opportunity. TiE founders invested great effort to ensure that their organization was open, inclusive, and integrated with mainstream American society. Their No. 1 rule was that their charter members would give without taking. SAJA officers work for top publications and universities, yet they volunteer their evenings and weekends to run an organization to assist newcomers. 12. Integration and acceptance. The Pew Global Attitudes Project, which conducts worldwide public opinion surveys, has shown that Indians predominantly hold favorable opinions of the U.S. When Indians immigrate to the U.S, they usually come to share the American dream and work hard to integrate.Indians have achieved more overall business success in less time in the U.S. than any other recent immigrant group. They have shown what can be achieved by integrating themselves into U.S. society and taking advantage of all the opportunities the country