The protracted delay in the signing of new performance based contracts that have a lower than existing "fixed" base stipend, between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the contracted Indian cricketers as it now unfolds is owing to the reservation expressed by some our star players.

This phenomenon is symptomatic of the "secure job" syndrome among Indian professionals who are generally averse to exposing themselves to the benefits that come with over achievement in a job. Variable pay still remains a stumbling block for compensation managers though some of the larger IT companies have been able to enforce this clause in their employment contracts.

But the floating element of salary hardly ever exceeds twenty per cent of the fixed component as anything above that threshold meets strong resistance from potential candidates in India.

It is the same job obsession rather than a spirit of enterprise that drives most of our highly educated young managers passing out of the hallowed portals of IIMs to seek the potential security that positions with large MNCs employers’ offer.

Indian cricketers are of course in an orbit of their own as in financial terms, some of them end up making more than all members of the Pakistani squad.

Sponsors continue to air TV spots featuring cricketers who have a miserable run which make them ra-ther insensitive to consumer perceptions. But being icons in a country starved of credible celebrities, our cricketers’ professional moves are closely followed and replicated by India’s young managers who look at a job as a "deal of a lifetime" rather than a platform to exhibit their talent on a sustained basis.

STATE AMBASSADOR

As the Uttar Pradesh elections inch closer, the ruling dispensation in the state is running a TV spot that projects the strife ridden and generally lawless state as a viable business destination. The advertorial features one of India’s most enduring actors who proclaims that there is a nayee lagan (new era) in Uttar Pradesh. Another high profile political leader from this state projects the state as ‘Uttam Pradesh’ (the best state).

The jury is still out on the efficacy of this aggressive political campaign which is couched in marketing language but after the ghoulish events in Noida, one would have expected the movie icon to express his views on the administrative machinery of the state. Instead, he has maintained a studied silence.

How many industrialists are headed towards Lucknow after the NOIDA NIGHTMARE? Readers would be most curious to get an update.

SUBJECTIVE FORECASTS

Over the last couple of weeks, two of the largest flexi and temporary staffing companies in India, Manpower and Team Lease, have released their forecasts for job creation this year. While the former estimates that West India would generate the highest number of incremental jobs, the latter company has thrown its lot with Bangalore.

My sense is that Team Lease is closely aligned to the technology sector whose Mecca is Bangalore whereas Manpower probably works closely with the manufacturing industry which remains vibrant in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Job seekers need to balance their perspectives when they peruse through these surveys.

Bharti Airtel, India’s largest private cellular operator, on Thursday announced an investment of over $2 billion (Rs 9,000 crore) in 2007-08 to expand network.

"Of the total capex for the next financial year, maximum will go for the rural areas," Akhil Gupta, joint managing director, Bharti Airtel, said on the sidelines of a conference organized by CII and Ericsson.

Mr Gupta, however, rai-sed the issue of infrastructure sharing with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd., saying this would lead to faster roll out of networks there.

"I appeal to the government to force BSNL to share its infrastructure with private operators," he said. BSNL has so far opposed such an arrangement, saying huge investments have gone in creating rural infrastructure and private players should not be allowed to take undue advantage.

Mr Gupta also said the company was waiting for rules to be framed for introduction of next generation (3G) mobile services to start operations both in rural and urban areas.

The company has chalked out its rural strategy and would concentrate on rural areas, which have huge growth potential, in the years to come, he said.

Bharti, which has 30 per cent market share in GSM-based industry with 32 million subscribers, would also bring the broadband in rural areas, Mr Gupta said.

Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel said that it has received a Letter of Offer from Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka to provide 2G and 3G mobile services in Sri Lanka. This will be the first international operation of Bharti Airtel and is in line with the company’s plans to expand its telecom operations in the South Asian region. (PTI)

The outsourcing market in Asia-Pacific (APAC) grew str-ongly in 2006, acc-ording to TPI, the world’s largest sourcing advisory firm. In its first, semi-annual ‘TPI Index’ for the region, TPI reported that the number of deals signed in APAC valued at more than $25 million had increased by 43 per cent. The total value of these contracts has increased 67 per cent, representing a five year high in outsourcing activity.

This level of activity contrasts sharply with the global trend. Although the number of contract aw-ards globally incr-eased by three per cent, the value of these awards dec-lined by eight per cent compared to 2005.

"2006 was a stand-out year for outsourcing in Asia-Pacific. The region accounted for 13 per cent of the global outsourcing market in 2006, the first time its market share has exceeded 10 per cent since 2002. However, because the relative immaturity of the Asia-Pacific market ma-kes it prone to spikes in activity, it remains to be seen if this is the start of an on-going growth trend," says Arno Franz, managing partner of TPI Asia-Pacific.

Asia-Pacific is also showing consistent year-on-year growth in annualised revenues, the total revenues available ann-ually to the service provider community.

The CAGR for the region stands at 10.5 per cent, more than double the global rate of 4.5 per cent.

Heightened competition

"Despite the ‘lu-mpy’ nature of the Asia-Pacific market in terms of yearly contract awards, the sustained growth in annualised revenues since 2002 suggests that there is strength in the Asia-Pacific outsourcing market," Mr Franz says.

At the same time, competition in the region has been heightened. The Big Six of outsourcing (Accenture, ACS, CSC, EDS, HP, IBM) are winning a decreasing proportion of those deals valued at over $25 million. This group won 40 per cent of Asia-Pacific total contract value, compared with a 60 per cent share in 2002.

GPS-ready camera

Ricoh has launched a digital camera with integrated GPS technology. The 500SE GPS-ready digital camera has been developed for outdoor location-based photography.