Medicine – The Theatres of Change : Implications for India

Posted on May 9th, 2012

Medicine, in the way it is practised and administered in India will change because the world is changing. Significantly. Eric Topol, in a recent article titled “How to Change Medicine” said “New tools in medicine can reboot the future of health care, making it more precise, consumer driven and truly preventive“. This, interestingly, mirrors the trends in technology as also those in many consumer facing industries.

Before we look at the ramifications these new technological developments have for India lets get an overview of the current medical scenario and the milestone discoveries/advances that will change medical practice and administrative protocols worldwide. Perhaps, forever…

Whither Responsible Luxury?

Posted on January 12th, 2012

I love luxury. And luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity. Vulgarity is the ugliest word in our language. I stay in the game to fight it.” – Coco Chanel

The contrarian forces – the recession in the western hemisphere and the sustained growth of the emerging economies – have together fostered some interesting, global dynamics that the luxury industry cannot ignore.

The Trends

Western wealth reconsiders indulgence and investment

The core luxe consumer, traditionally located in wealthy western economies, is rethinking her consumption for several reasons. The recession has forced a broader, societal soul searching about the values we have lived by and wish to live by. Further published data recurrently show that societal disparity is larger than ever, making conspicuous consumption a tricky choice to make.

As “vintage” makes a comeback in both couture and jewellery, investment is clearly as important a criterion for her to make a monetary outlay on luxe as indulgence is.

Eastern wealth rises

At the same time, emerging markets such as India, China and Brazil are booming, creating what some have called a two-speed economy.

CSR: Sustainability and the Technology Company

Posted on January 11th, 2012

Companies that take the lead on “sustainability” will be market makers rather than market takers. The Business Case for Sustainability, World Economic Forum, January 2009.

Strategic capability in sustainability is increasingly an important measure of corporate success. From being optional, “nice to have” metrics, sustainability and CSR measures have come to be integral to the c-suite agenda now.

As Sustainability begins to rework the soul of the organization, the roles of the CIO and the organisation’s IT nerve centre become central to companies. Competitive advantage may be gained variously from green or sustainable IT enabled supply chains, or from social or community initiatives. But one thing is clear: the internal and the external faces of the organisation are inextricably linked. The CIO and the IT departments are increasingly being asked to provide crucial input into the sustainability impact of various company initiatives.

The question we asked as we read through the DQ Top-20 was: shouldn’t sustainability be a measure included in assessing the performance of DQ top 20 companies? After all there are key trends that are shaping the world around us.

Re-energizing the GP

Posted on January 10th, 2012

In the last 2 decades despite state of the art medical care being offerred by corporate owned private hospitals in most metros in the country patient dissatisfaction with the quality and most importantly the cost of medical treatment remains extremely high. Why is this so?

We might find some answers to this question when we examine factors that are impacting the quality and cost of care to the end consumer.

Health care delivery is largely a localized need. Having a network of providers within commuting distance is value to a consumer which today is not being met. Instead, with the corporatization of healthcare with large private hospitals the consumer is increasingly moving towards centralized locations.

Let us take a look at some of the key issues that impact healthcare delivery .