About the Author - Ashok V. Desai is the consulting editor of The Telegraph. He also writes for the Business World. Before becoming a columnist and commentator, he was advisor to the then Indian finance minister Manmohan Singh in the early 1990s, when India embarked on economic reforms. In the 1980s, Desai coordinated a large project on energy research across the world, the results of which were published in a 15 volume study. Desai speaks fluent German and once wrote a thesis on German wages in the nineteenth century.

India has evolved with the passage of time and so has its telecommunications industry. More than a decade back in 1992, the Indian telecommunication industry was totally monopolised by the government, but now with the advent of new technology, it is growing at a rapid pace and seeing more and more private players.

In the 1990s, the government of India appointed regulators as an alternative to the direct control of industries such as telecommunications, banking, capital markets, insurance, hydrocarbons and electricity. But in spite of tremendous efforts, it seemed to go in vain and was by and large ineffective.

The book takes holistic look at the industry's past, incumbent and future trail. The author creates an atmosphere for the readers and provides a detailed view of the technical world. Through the book, Desai attempts to bring forth arguments as to why regulation does not work in India.

India's Telecommunications Industry showcases the birth and growth of the industry. Desai throws light on the industry from the time of DoT to internet telephony.

He also talks about the impact technology has on the telecommunications industry. He divulges a well known fact, which is understood by all in fast paced world --- the importance of networking and staying connected.

Who can do without a mobile or a personal phone in today's world? And to top it all, with increasing competition, the calling rates too are lowering day by day. With the advent of more and more channels of communication, the need seems to be unending.

India's Telecommunications Industry had been written in a lucid manner and is also packed with a punch. It is an essential read for policy makers, economists and industry watchers. The book will also be of interest to students of industrial economics and management.

"Just as one thinks that one has reached the full stop, something happens that renders an entire chapter out of date," says Desai. As a result, this book is a result of four drafts spread over a year coupled with a whole lot of effort on the author's behalf.

The countdown has begun. Nine days to go until we know the winner of the Fifa World Cup 2006, which is currently underway in Germany. All thanks to media proliferation in India, the hype for football has never been as much as it is this time round.

While cricket still rules in the hearts of our top industry honchos; football has now managed to carve a niche for itself. What's more, many executives have either already been to Germany or are on their way there to catch the action live as it happens.

However, what better than mixing work with pleasure and that's what people like Sam Balsara (Madison Communications chairman and managing director), G Krishnan (TV Today CEO and executive director), Uday Shankar (Star News CEO), I Venkat (Eenadu TV director), Srinivasan K. Swamy (RK Swamy BBDO CEO), Madhukar Kamath (Mudra Communications managing director and CEO), Vinod Berry (Sony Entertainment Television (SET) India Ltd. senior vice president revenue management) and Joy Chakraborthy (Zee Telefilms executive vice president network sales) will be doing today (30 June).

The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) have their joint body meeting in Hamburg today and the Indian television and media team will head to the stadium to catch the Italy versus Ukraine match soon after wrapping up work. (We'll surely be watching out for them on television tonight!)

Now let's take a dekhho at what games drives our industry. Ever wondered what do Star India CEO Peter Mukherjea and SET India CEO Kunal Dasgupta have in common apart from each being the head of a television company? Here's what? they both love to play golf. But since we're kicking a bigger ball here, let's find out what their football mantra is.

Peter Mukherjea

While Dasgupta went to Germany to catch the Brazil versus Japan match, Mukherjea, on the other hand, despite having tickets for the semi-finals, is not too keen on going all the way!

"I do like football but I am not keen on going all the way to Germany for the matches even though I got the tickets for the semi-finals. I enjoyed the Brazil versus Ghana match, though the result was expected. I do catch up with most of the matches keeping aside the late night matches," says Mukherjea.

Dasgupta is gung ho over his experience in Germany. "The experience of watching the teams live is just awesome and amazing. My all time favorite team is Brazil but this time Portugal is gaining my attention. As far as players are concerned, there is no one who stands out this time but my favorite player is Miroslav Klose from Germany," he says.

However, both Dasgupta and Mukherjea believe that Germany stands a good chance to steal the show this time round as home ground and home crowd support plays a vital role.

Raveena Raj Kohlli

Sundial Creative Media Pvt. Ltd founder Raveena Raj Kohlli loves watching cricket, football and Wimbledon. "All the hype around football is because of great marketing and excellent presentation. It is a fresh and lively game. Even a person who does not know much about the game can watch and enjoy the matches," she says.

However, she regrets the fact that she can't go to Germany to catch the matches there unlike some of her peers. "Many of my friends did catch up with the matches there and according to them the place is unbelievably boisterous. The stadium is jam packed with people from all walks of life, enjoying, shouting and freaking out," she adds.

Commitments at work have even deprived Kohlli of watching most of the matches on TV. "I was not even lucky enough to catch up with the Brazil-Ghana match, which I wished to watch desperately. Of the others, I could hardly view a few. The Australia-Italy match was an awesome one," she

says. But she's adamant that she's not going to let anything deter her from watching the finale on 9 July.

Times Now vice president and editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami is another one of those die hard cricket fans but has been bent towards football lately, more likely due to the fatigue factor that has been surrounding cricket.

"People are hardly interested in the test series going on in West Indies after the Fifa World Cup began. They have sort off switched to a new game, which is more lively and exciting. It is also because of the cable and satellite penetration that the game is getting such hype. Even the news channels are doing two to three shows a day analyzing football and are neglecting cricket to a great extent," he says.

Due to incessant work demands, Goswami literally lives life in his office and hence catches all the matches there with the Times Now sports bureau. But the news man is now going to leave his abode and head to Europe to catch one of the matches - not in the stadium but in a London pub! "I was looking forward to the Brazil- Ghana match but it was a total disappointment. I was quite impressed with Ghana though but it has ruined my expectations," sighs Goswami.

Lynn de Souza

Goswami, like all Indians, is backing Brazil and his favourite player is Ronaldo. "I feel Germany and Brazil will reach the finals as many factors like local support and good performance count a lot for the two teams," he says.

A tennis player and a fan of the game (of course), Lintas Media Services director Lynn de Souza is clued on to tennis more than football. But being in the media business, one has to be abreast with the happenings all around and that's what de Souza does. "I don't really watch the football matches but I manage to keep a track about what's happening as people around me keep me in the loop and I also read up on it," she says. However, as the drama unfolds and becomes more exciting on the field, de Souza will be glued to the television to catch the live matches. Backing Brazil, she feels that either her favourite team or Argentina will grab the Cup this year.

She is of the opinion that because India did not play too well in the cricket World Cup, the viewership has drifted towards football. "Matches are being telecast in the primetime slots and this is affecting the regular viewership. This shows what a hype football has taken all of a sudden. The kind of promotion newspapers are giving Fifa is tremendous. Something of this sort has never happened before," de Souza says.

Here we have another die hard cricket fan in Buena Vista International Television (India) director Amit Malhotra but at the same time, he likes football too and prefers to watch it in a pub or bar with some like-minded people.

Malhotra feels that the sudden bent towards football is a combination of a few factors. "One of them is the way India performed in the last Cricket World Cup and also because we've had an overdose of cricket in the past four years. What's more, media is also giving hype to this cause. In the next two - three years football will be a very popular sport in India," he says.

Patronizing Argentina just this once, Malhotra (whose favourite team is Brazil) is looking forward to the Germany - Argentina match. "In the past, Brazil - Japan match was just too engrossing. The first goal made by Japan was heart-taking. My heart supports Brazil to all extents as the team is very talented. My all time favorite player is Ronaldinho as he rocks. I feel Brazil is definitely going to grab the Cup because it is the best and the most consistent team. It is one team, which plays without any pressure on their mind. They are the ones who enjoy the game to the fullest," says he.

Keertan Adhyantaya

Cricket has a fan club member in Vh1 general manager Keertan Adhyantaya too, who is of the opinion that no other game can create the fervor that cricket generates in India. "It's just the explosion done by the media that football is getting such hype. A few years ago, there were hardly two news channels and those too were not giving it so much of importance. But now with the phenomenal development in the cable and satellite industry, every sport is managing to find its place under the sun," he says.

However, notwithstanding that Adhyantaya has managed to latch on to the football fever with family, friends and colleagues. "For the finals, I will be going out with a few friends to a club and watch the event on the big screen," he reveals.

While his favorite team is Portugal, his gut tells him that Brazil will be taking the cake this time too.

So whether it's Brazil, Portugal, Argentina or Germany; one thing's for sure? however much our execs might love cricket? they are all clued on to football fever for sure!

"Since my early days I have been reading books related to astronomy and cricket. It's not that I was deeply inclined to study about planets and space, but it's been in me because of the course I chose in my post graduation level. We were required to do projects on the subject and therefore my liking for it sort of grew," says Tam India CEO LV Krishnan.

As far as cricket is concerned, it's been my passion to know about it in depth. Though I can't play cricket at all, I love reading about it. After all, it is not essential to virtually practice what you read. I never lay my hands on self-help and motivational books as I find them very boring.

I spend quite a lot of money on books at times and I usually shop at the Crossword book store in Bandra.

My favourite books...

Sunil Gavaskar's Sunny Days has been my best read ever. The book is an autobiography of the great cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. This was the first book he wrote and after this another three followed.

I'm not a fiction fan at all and so I have no favourite authors. As far as non-fiction is concerned, I only read in about astronomy and cricket.

I'm reading Steve Waugh's autobiography Out Of My Comfort Zone, which I find extremely entertaining. It gives a detailed description of another great man in the field of cricket.

Books that do not hold me?

No other books hold me the way books related to these topics do. I haven't really been able to peruse any 400 page books for the past many years now. There is hardly any time left for all this.

Browsing and E-Reading...

I do read a lot of snippets on the internet but not any kind of books. Apart from books and related material there is a lot to be learnt from the net. Advancements in the field of technology have taken great leaps and the net is catching more and more viewership than any other form of media.

His life has come full circle. He started his career with his family business of film distribution, left it to try his hand at various other trades right from garments to even handling shipments to production. But he is back at it again, this time with Indonesian entertainment baron Raam Punjabi's company PT Parkit Films' Indian distribution arm, Multivision Multimedia India. Just a couple of years ago, he was spearheading Indian media czar Subhash Chandra's forays into the cinema business.

With reason. Gupta believes in giving it all that he has got. He narrates an incident when he was in the shipment business when he chose to stay in the factory till 2 am just because he felt maybe his mere presence would help others work faster and prevent casualness from creeping in.

However, it's a tad difficult to believe that a man who looks all of 40 has a daughter who will turn 24 in October!

A Delhiite by birth he came to Mumbai in 1998 and joined a production house. This was followed by the Essel Group's E-City, where he spread the mutliplex chain in four cities across India before helping Punjabi set up his Indian arm.

We get him to talk about his journey so far, and get to know a lot many hidden secrets about him.

Sporty to the core in school and college?
As long as one is in school or college everything is great but once you are out, the strive begins. I used to be very active in sports. I've played hockey at the national level and table tennis at the state level. Later my passion for sports led me to play games like golf and pool. But now who has the time for all that? It's very rare that I play a frame of pool when I'm out on a trip with friends.

What's cooking today???
I won't call myself a foodie but yes, I do like eating and make it a point to try out different cuisine whenever I am out. I love the exquisite food in Bukhara and the barbecued dishes in Delhi and that's something you can't get anywhere. Very recently, I tried pizzas in La Pizza at the Cannes film festival. They were baked on earthen ovens and had a totally different taste just like the roties made on earthen stoves in villages. Also there is an Algerian restaurant where they serve you starters like kababs and a wholesome full course. I am extremely fond of Chinese cuisine and therefore land up normally at Mainland China, the Chinese restaurant in the Mumbai suburbs.

Normally, I prefer having anything vegetarian. I even like having continental dishes and as a matter of fact I even love cooking, but then everything has to be done by me. On Sundays the lunch menu is fixed comprising Curry chawal (Punjabi Curry).

No Yoga-shoga for me
I try to be regular with my gym routine or go for a walk at times. I wake up at 7.30 am and my day winds up at around 8 pm. I've also tried, what you call, the new life or the alternate healing - Art of Living and Reiki. I don't really believe in Yoga as such. I agree everything has a benefit but it's not often possible to practice everything because it all depends on your conviction.

I don't believe in giving prasad or donations...
I believe there is someone up there who has control over all of us. I am religious but I don't believe in rituals as such. I believe in a private conversation with God even if it's for 10 minutes a day. On Sundays the first three hours are totally devoted to God. I don't believe in giving prasad and donations; instead I would go and help some NGO like CRY or something else on those lines. And I believe that God is with me all the time... I don't search for him. I am not an extreme person, so when one is walking on a moderate line it is very easy to choose which way to go. Therefore I haven't felt his absence till date.

Books lag behind, TV reigns supreme
Very frankly, with the advent of so many channels, the reading habit has taken a back seat. In the past three years I have started reading many books but haven't managed to finish even one. By the time you get back home, seeing something visually is more appealing than a fat book of 400 pages. I read fiction and religious books at times. I usually like reading those books that do not require long attention spans. There are certain stories, which are just 40 pages long but have a great moral. As far as religious books are concerned, I would say, I don't really read mythological books but mostly books on their analysis is what I prefer.

Historical destinations beckon
Though traveling happens quite often but holidays are a far fetched dream now. There are a lot many places left to be visited. My wife is very interested in history so I want to take her to her dream destinations like Egypt, Greece, Cambodia and places, which offer historical background. Apart from that there are so many places in India too where you get a variety of things. Our dream destination in the monsoons used to be this place called Chail, which is 45 kilometers from Shimla. There is a Chail Palace that used to be the summer palace of the Maharaja of Patiala and has now been converted into a hotel. It has four - five cottages and the whole place had hardly 25 shops, a bus stop and a post office. We used to plan a week long trip so that we could utilise the fire place in the evenings and enjoy the cold breeze.

I believe?
Since adulthood I've believed in just one thing - whatever you do, every single thing comes back to you in this one life only.

Ghulam Ali fan
I love listening to yesteryears' music. I have my own collection of Boney M and the likes. I don't mind listening to Indian classical, instrumental and other music of the same era. There was a time when I was hooked on to Ghulam Ali.

As far as movies are concerned I would say, every genre has its own charm. Mackenna's Gold is one such movie. It was made so differently that even today it is fresh in my mind. If I am switching channels in the night and happen to see Sholay, I till date stop and watch it. Lord of The Rings and My Fair Lady are some of my favorites.

A nose only for Davidoff Cool Water
Shopping has become so very easy now with the advent of malls. My personal favourite is InOrbit. A lot of mix and match brands do for me. In perfumes, I prefer only Davidoff Cool Water. I am not very particular about the brand of clothes I wear as long as they are comfortable. As I have been associated with the fashion garment industry, I go in for the cut and fit and not much for the brand.

My priorities have changed
In the last three years, there has been a total shift in my lifestyle. Earlier I was a party animal and had less time for my family but now it has become vice versa. It was more of a conscious choice because with time priorities change and so did mine. Since my profession demands it, I try to catch up more on films now and films have always interested me. Moreover it also becomes a family outing when we go for movies, film festivals and screenings together.

Beautiful Dreams
Ten years from now I wish to be in the Bahamas, holidaying (chuckles). Actually a lot depends on my luck and circumstances. But I do want to own a wooden cottage on a hill where I can hear the sound of running water.

About the Author - Dr. Nalini Rajan is associate professor at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai. Her key academic areas are key issues; deprivation; identity politics; democratic practices and institutions. The other two books penned by her are Mass Media, New Technology, and Culture and Secularism, Democracy, Justice.

The GenX journalists of today (including me) have had it much easier in life. Neither do we have to scan through bulky newspaper archives for a past report nor do we have to visit libraries for research work. All it takes is to enter a "key word" on the internet search page and in a blink you have hundreds of pages on the topic you've been looking for.

Why I mention this is because Dr. Nalini Rajan's Practising Journalism - Values, Constraints, Implications throws light on the journalism days gone by starting from the days of the British Raj and the kind of conditions that journalists and the publishing industry used to work in. At the same time, it also dwells on the days to come. An interesting collection of factual accounts from various editors and journalists highlighting the dos and don'ts of journalism is how this book can be best described as.

If you want a crash course in the history of the Indian press and the trials and tribulations it underwent from the times of the Colonial rule, till date; then this is the book to read. Rajan gives us a more-than-brief introduction to the content of the book, which tells us in a jiffy what to expect in the 400 page tome. As Rajan puts it, the history of journalism is not linear but consists of a series of criss-crossing loops.

This book, which has been divided into four parts, has contributions from stalwarts like B R P Bhaskar, N Ram, Harivansh, Dilip D'Souza, Mukund Padmanabhan, Valerie Kaye, Darryl D'Monte, Pamela Philipose, V Geetha, Nirmal Shekar, Devinder Sharma, Kalpana Sharma, Lawrence Liang, S Anand, MH Lakdawala, Praveen Swami, Shyam Tekwani, Bindu Bhaskar, Robert Brown, Robin Jeffrey, S Gautham, KP Jayashakar and Anjali Monteiro, Mahalakshmi Jayaram, Steven S Ross, Ashish Sen and Anjali Kamat.

While it is a comprehensive account of what the Indian press was / is all about, it does at times become more of a platform for contributing editors to tom-tom about their newspapers. One such example is a chapter by Harivansh where he glorifies Prabhat Khabar and tells us how it emerged a winner without bending the norms and succumbing to various external pressures.

It also dwells on topics like the growth of the regional and 'national' media in India, investigative journalism, sting operations, Page 3 journalism, online journalism, rural and urban reporting, agricultural reporting, sports journalism, sensationalism in reporting and the new age journalist.

Overall, it's an interesting and comprehensive piece of reading, which tries to touch upon every important aspect of journalism with illustrative articles.

By Hetal Adesara

Celebrated for his rich marketing and editorial experience, Bharat Kapadia is regarded of the leading names of the publication industry. Former editor and associate publisher of the Chitralekha Group, Bharat Kapadia firmly advocates 'the power of positive thinking'.

We take Mr. Kapadia on a spiritual quest and what comes across an iron willed person who not only thrives on conflict and competition, but seeks it out! In a t?te-?-t?te with the exec life, this enterprising man from Divya Bhaskar discusses his ideologies on God, religion and devotion.

By Birth?
I'm a Hindu Vaishnav by birth, partisan of Lord Krishna. Other than adorning the traditional necklace 'janoi' during my childhood days, I can't testify as a firm believer of God. By the way, I'm no more wearing the 'janoi'.

Family Values?
My parents were extremely devotional; they conducted pujas and other rituals. My wife, Ronak, belongs to the same school of thought. But I don't subscribe to it. My mother used to narrate the holy books to me when I was a child. Talking about my kids (a daughter and two sons), I try to infuse the philosophies of Subhash Chandra Bose in them. Except naming my kids as per their rashi, I have taught them to act rational and be pragmatic in all walks to life.

My belief?
I'm neither an atheist nor a devotee. Yes, a 'super natural force' does exist but I don't get carried away with that thought. If God does exist, I'm thankful that he has been kind to me so far. I feel the biggest tribute that we can give to our parents is by following their inculcated values and not just by blindly believing in the existence of God. Also, I have adhered to being a pucca vegetarian and teetotaler.

Rituals?
I have never succumbed to any rituals. Even when I was supposed to conduct the shraads on the demise of my parents, I entrusted the deed to the temple through donation. On rare occasions like Diwali, I do participate in the

chopda pujan, where the books of account are worshipped

Divine Visits?
I don't intentionally plan a visit to a temple. But when accompanied by my family on devotional trips and on social occasions, I do give in without reluctance.

Spiritual Guidance?
I haven't investigated any books which explore the being of The All Mighty. With my editorial experience of years, it's ironical but amusing to say, I can write but cannot read! As far as guidance goes, I listen to my heart. I have always believed that God, if there, is within us.

Positive thinking?
The power of positive thinking can change and enrich our life. Being sanguine and zealous in our deeds will, for sure, guarantee success and happiness.

Karmalogy?
Good karma or bad karma?I don't know. What I adhere to: do whatever pleases you.
The power is within us; how you utilize it is subjective.

Relaxing mantra?
No, I don't chant any mantras as such. Music is what works as a stress-buster for me. At present I'm being coached for vocal classical music. So you can say the music mantra works in my case. As far as being fit is concerned, I do workout regularly under a trainer.