May the best man win; it’s time to change this idiom

"A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform." ~Diane Mariechild

Well, I do understand that the idiom “May the best man win” does not specifically imply any gender bias, but it does inspire me to talk about gender equality, women empowerment and most importantly, the change of winds in India.

I have my reasons to be inspired and yes, it is one of those path-breaking moments that we witnessed a couple of days back. We celebrated our 66th republic day with usual fanfare, heightened patriotic emotions, show of military might amidst President Obama receiving a much louder applause than our own president! However, I was delighted to witness a change which none of us expected or anticipated during the republic day parade.

This year, we dedicated the auspicious day of 26th January to the theme of “Naari Shakti”, which means ‘Women empowerment’ and I was delighted to see it happening on the greatest platform of the biggest democracy on the planet. India, being a male dominated society has been trying to break the shackles and while it’s true that women empowerment is still nascent, I am thrilled to experience the efforts by the new federal regime, which was voted to power last year on the promises of bringing about real change.

I was enthralled to know that this year, an Indian air force officer, Wing Commander Puja Thakur, led the ceremonial guard of honor to visiting US President Barack Obama at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (President’s House) in New Delhi. An incredibly proud moment for this country and its citizens!

(Wing Commander Pooja Thakur leads guard of honor for US President Barack Obama)

(All-woman Indian army contingent march at the Republic Day parade in New Delhi on Jan. 26, 2015)

This year, the Republic Day Parade saw the all-women contingents from the army, air force and navy walking at the same pace, with the same discipline and same dignity as the men in uniform. People watching live telecast saw a prominent federal minister smiling, applauding and standing in awe of this spectacle. Not only is this minister a favorite of Indian households, she also personifies the changing dynamics of India’s gender inclusiveness.

(All-woman contingent from the Indian Air Force marching at the Delhi parade marking the 66th Republic Day of the country)

(All-woman contingent from the Indian Navy march during the Delhi parade marking the 66th Republic Day of the country)

One might argue whether such moments will make any real difference to the realities of women safety, social and financial equality on the ground, however I believe these are strong measures towards recognizing that our societies simply cannot progress without having women at the forefront.

As a corporate professional, I am happy to see more women graduating in rank and position while taking up leadership roles. Women in corporate help balance power equations, bring diversity to thought-processes, put checks on rampaging egos and boost healthy competition. I cannot believe any organization could sustain real growth unless it creates a culture of gender inclusivity. There have been debates on whether women have been disadvantaged in terms of their rightful place in the corporate world and I do see a lot of merit in such facts, but what we forget is that it will take time for the society to evolve and it’s a healing process that we need to give time.

Just when I was finalizing this article, I got to know that the Indian Government had unleashed several measures for saving the “Girl child” and improving the overall gender-ratio in the country. Christened as the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign (save girl child and educate her) it talks about measures to prevent female infanticide and providing financial incentives to parents of girl child. These measures are deserving of a genuine applause and will serve as an inspiration to cultures and societies where female oppression is observed on a rampant and mass scale.

My article is dedicated to all the existing corporate and non-corporate efforts towards women empowerment. If you know of real-life examples of individuals, companies, Non-profit organizations working in this direction, do let us all know about them and tell us about the unique and innovative idea we could replicate.

You can reach me on Twitter: @vishalg82 or Facebook: Click Here

If you have an incredible, innovative idea that you would like to share with the Office of the Prime Minister of India, use Twitter: @PMOIndia or visit website: Click Here

Strategy Execution - Harvard accredited certification

Hello Bloggers,

I recently accomplished my second Harvard accredited certification. This is a joint collaboration between TATA Management Training Centre & Harvard Business Publishing.

Some of the most exciting and insightful modules are as follows:

• Understand what strategy is, the elements of a strategic plan, and the strategic planning process
• Develop action plans for strategic initiatives that support your company's strategy
• Execute your action plans
• Ensure that your action plans remain focused and aligned with the corporate strategy
• Evaluate and reward excellence

I am proud of this and would like to thank the Tata Group for providing this immense opportunity.

Happy blogging everyone!

AirAsia Disaster: My open-letter to top IT CEOs of the world

“Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity or neglect” - Captain A. G. Lamplugh, British aviation expert

• AirAsia Flight QZ8501 disappears and crashes into the sea on December 28^th 2014
• Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 shot down in Ukraine on the 17^th of July 2014
• Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 still “Missing” since March 8^th 2014

What a terrible year for the aviation industry and what a frightening saga for flyers & relatives alike. Some of these people got closure and some still awaiting to solve the greatest mysteries of the modern day avionics. To me, this situation is not acceptable and though I may not be an aviation expert, I refuse to agree that the human race cannot do better.

My open-letter to the top IT CEOs of the world: its high time technology becomes an integrator and enabler of the supreme measures of security, ensuring that the next time you board that aircraft, you can sleep peacefully and look forward to hugging your loved ones once you land.

I cannot believe an aircraft of enormous measures goes missing and none on the planet can find it? How is that even possible?

I do not want our aircrafts to be sitting ducks in the hands of some fanatic holding an anti-aircraft gun in the air and shooting like an errant kid. Is this some kind of a cruel joke?

I do not want an aircraft laced with sophisticated equipment on board, not able to send some basic distress signals because the weather is too bad? Who knows AirAsia passenger could have been saved if the plane emitted proper signals at the right time? Are we still living in the age of the Titanic? No, we are not and I believe it’s time technology again comes to the forefront, making it mandatory for any aircraft manufacturer on the planet to install the latest and the greatest mechanisms on each and every plane out there.

I want this change to happen soon and now! I am not willing to hand over my near-and-dear ones to luck and fate. I believe we have enough technological advancement available with us that can help modern-day aviation to meet its challenges.

Imagine, we can send a successful mission to Mars, in its first attempt and cannot protect human-lives on this planet? I don’t think so.

I call upon the top IT CEO's of the world, to put together an invincible set of measures that compels giants like Airbus and Boeing (and others) to understand that human lives are non-negotiable henceforth.

Let us bring the experts, the technologists and the controllers, all under one roof to make air travel 100% safe. This is an open and earnest request to the top brains of the aviation industry to come together and make flying safe again.

I invite everyone to share their valuable thoughts, suggestions, opinions on how could we support the aviation industry in this hour of need. If you are a techie or otherwise, do leave your comments for benefit of all.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn Pulse: Click Here

Wharton Business School - Certified at 90.5%

Dear Bloggers,

Yesterday, I received my coveted certification from the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania, through their educational collaboration with Coursera.

I would encourage you all to leverage this immense platform www.coursera.org and learn from Internationally accredited faculty.

My course titled: "Analyzing Global Trends for Business and Society" was delivered across 7 weeks by Prof. Mauro Guillén.

The course touched upon the following topics:

• Globalization
• Demographic Trends
• Inequality and the Global Middle Class
• Global Economic and Financial Imbalances
• The Shifting Geopolitical Landscape
• The Quest for Sustainability
• Global Powers of the 21st Century

I am so privileged and thankful to the Wharton School & Coursera for opening a new world of opportunities for ambitious professionals like me.

I invite you to visit the verifiable links, a feature which is so incredibly unique and helpful from Coursera.

• Course Records' Page: Click Here
• Verified Certificate: Click Here

Vishal Gaurav's Certification on Analyzing Global Business Trends at 90.5% Score

Happy blogging everyone!