Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
A Minute to Win it
ins ght....
Jan 2013
COUNCIL
Hello Friends, We are pleased to present the next edition of Ambit's own INSIGHT magazine!
In the last six months, different business lines within Ambit witnessed some great developments and there were some good corporate initiatives. The Fun@work council also came into action! This period was also marked by two key celebratory events - the Founder's Day & the Diwali Party!! We have tried to capture all this in this edition.
We hope you will enjoy reading this edition. We thank you for your support to our efforts. Special thanks to all those who took out valuable time to contribute to this edition. We always look forward to your feedback on current content and new ideas for INSIGHT. You can always reach us at editorialcouncil@ambitpte.com.
All the very best wishes for a very happy new year 2013 !
Team Members: Chhavi Agarwal, Christine Dmello, Gautam Gupte, Nirmesh Prakash, Priyanka Jain, Rashmi Agarwal, Romolina Charatkar, Simmy Pawar & Suhail Sheikh,
Special Thanks to Sajid Merchant for helping us with the designing of Insight
CEO Speaks
It has been a tough 2012 for the world, for financial services industry and for our business. Having said that, it is in times like this that the real mettle of an organisation and the character of its leadership team is shown. Our Institutional Equities team has been voted as the most improved Brokerage House in India by Asia Money. In addition, we have increased our market share quarter over quarter. Despite these achievements, we need to continue working hard since the commission pools have reduced considerably. I think we have a unique opportunity to significantly enhance our position in this business, given the recent developments in the industry. We remain committed to making necessary investments to take advantage of the current situation. Our Investment Advisory business has delivered the best results ever, in the current year. A return of 75%, even in a bull market is an outstanding performance. Based on this we are preparing to launch a fund under newly announced Alternative Investment Fund scheme. Having demonstrated our Investment capability, IA needs to focus on raising additional AUM using the distribution capability of our Partners, Nikko and QInvest and using the domestic distribution capability of the Private Wealth Business. Across all our peer group companies Private Wealth business has been the most affected, due to the withdrawal of retail investors from equity markets coupled with regulatory changes. PW has had to innovate and re allocate their resources to pursue small equity and debt raising deals for the PW Clients, without compromising on effort to raise additional AUM. Despite outstanding performance by our NDPMS and DPMS funds, which have delivered superior results in comparison to most of our peers, we continue to make slow progress in convincing clients to invest in equity products. This business will continue to operate in a challenging economic environment for some time. We will have to develop new and transformational strategies to be successful despite the weak environment. Ambit Finvest continues to deliver yield in excess of 15.5% on capital invested. Many of you may recollect that the growth in this business is critical to achieving our 2016 vision. We have to raise additional capital and we have to leverage our networth to deliver sustainable and scalable business model. The CEO's office is working on multiple strategies and by the time the next issue of Insight is published some of the results would have been delivered and we will have greater visibility on the progress in this business. Our Investment Banking business has performed well, relative to the market and we should close the year relatively high (1-3 on deal number and 5-10 on deal value) on the Bloomberg league deal table. We added an ECM team in the current year and hopefully we will make an appearance on the ECM league tables in the near future. The market environment continues to be challenging but we would need better ideas and greater coverage if we wish to sustain our leadership position in this business. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Tamim-Al-Kawari, CEO of QInvest, as our new Board member. The Board, in its meeting held earlier this month, discussed the need to have a comprehensive review of our strategy for each business and this will be discussed in detail at the next Board Meeting in February. As we continue to chart our growth to remain competitive and meaningful, we will have to be cognizant of the changing environment. Our ambitions have to be moderated to match the reality of the environment in which we live, largely volatile and certainly uncertain. We have the strength and character of an organisation that can reflect upon this reality and yet develop winning strategies that will help us build a leadership position. Wishing you and your family the best of 2013. Regards, Ashok
Jaideep Anand
VP - Sales Trading
Nothing is permanent but change wrote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, and unsurprisingly the dealing room has taken this saying to heart by implementing sea changes over the past two years. These changes have borne fruit. The result: the efficiency of our dealers has increased, with minimal execution errors, even after volumes have quadrupled in the past two years. In our journey to achieve the best and in keeping with Ambit's values and vision, first, we changed our trading platform. Nearly two years ago, we shifted from a neat plus (NSE) and bolt (BSE) based trading terminal to the Omnesys platform. Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts. But, we were able to forge through our apprehensions, which proved to be extremely rewarding. Through the Omnesys platform, a dealer can now execute trades over various exchanges (including the F&O segment) through a single terminal only. Moreover, the platform gave us the option to introduce robust risk management system (RMS). It also helped us to differentiate between the terminals of a sales trader from that of a dealer, which led to better monitoring of trades. For instance, a sales trader can now see all his clients' trades that are being executed at different terminals on his terminal. Furthermore, the platform provided a base for moving towards an electronic order routing system and algorithmic trades. To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often. Thus, the adoption of the new platform was only the first step. Next, we upgraded Omnesys. We began with Omnesys version 73.4 and upgraded it to the current 98.2 version. This constant upgradation helped us to improve our execution capabilities tremendously. Through fix connectivity, order routing through Bloomberg/Reuters can now be done directly over the trading terminal. Clients can discreetly route their orders from their Bloomberg terminal without making any phone calls or any floor shouting and the order will directly reach the designated trader. Orders then can be assigned to dealers for execution. As the trades are executed, the fields will be updated on the clients' Bloomberg automatically. There is no need for a trader to update the client repeatedly. Moreover, the latest version of Omnesys supports algorithmic trades. Algorithms are prewritten execution codes that are offered to clients. While routing their orders from Bloomberg/Reuters, the clients can choose algorithms from their dropdown list. Depending on the chosen algorithm, the trade will automatically be executed on designated trader's terminal. Omnesys has also helped us in more efficient execution. For instance, if orders are routed through the fixed option then the order quantity and rate can never be breached. In addition, a buy and a sell can never be executed on opposite sides even by mistake. These were common errors in manual execution earlier. The Omnesys RMS helps in setting risk parameters to cover risk in trading. We can limit the order value per client and per order. We can also limit the price over and below the CMP until the order is accepted. All trades are continuously monitored and any exceptions (such as rejection) are immediately escalated to the RMS terminal. . The Omnesys platform requires robust IT infrastructure (support and monitoring). We have to upgrade the hardware continuously in line with increasing volumes. System downtime has to be near zero during trading hours, because algorithmic trades cannot be interrupted. An IT person is always present in the dealing room to monitor the systems. However, we still have some distance to cover until we move to an upgraded IT infrastructure in the dealing room. Overall, large volumes are now executed over the Omnesys platform . We execute nearly 80-85% of the volumes every month over algorithms sent from client terminals. Change brings opportunity. And, we look forward to many more opportunities to change not only ourselves but also our work.
In The Spotlight
Prabhas Dhanuka
Director - Sales Trading
1. Share a memorable experience of your childhood Cannot point out one instance in particular but can confidently say that I wasn't half as smart as my daughter or any other child that I know of today 2. A college memory you distinctly remember/cherish This was during my S.Y. B.Com days; there was this professor of ours who everybody used to trouble a lot but much to our frustration he wouldn't react at all. One day while he was teaching, my friend and I got up from our seats, walked up to him and turned his table upside down!! Unfortunately, the principal saw us, he stormed into the classroom, caught me by the collar and gave one across my face. I was very lucky neither to be suspended nor were my parents summoned. 3. Describe yourself as a teenager and a habit you would not want the world to know then... As a teenager I was a carefree person I still don't want the world to know as those habits die hard 4. An interesting anecdote from your first job My first large deal (tiny by today's standard) I remember it was a cross of 100,000 LML. I felt I had reached the moon and I remember telling my senior, small step for you but a giant's leap for me 5. A word that best describes you Two words; FUN LOVING 6. Philosophy of Life There is just one thing better than money and that is MORE money. But make it in a clean and transparent way 7. Your motivation mantra People who criticise you are actually giving you an opportunity to improve
8. A failure you learnt from This happened in one of my earlier firms. Due to some miscommunication we had to take some shares off a client in our books, my boss asked me to knock it off immediately as the extent of loss was known at that point of time. The markets were in full swing and greed got better of me and I didn't sell it. Despite the market going up, the stock kept tanking and eventually when I sold it the loss was almost 3 times higher. My boss fired me left, right and centre and I learnt two things that day: (a) en error trade has to be sorted out immediately as nobody would give you a medal if the stock moves in your favour and you make a profit but if the loss increases you are gone, (b) draw a line to your greed. 9. Weekends are for... Family, friends and if I can sneak out of the house, the bartender in our club 10. Favourite Actor/Actress? Hindi: Amitabh Bachchan and Nutan. English: Charlton Heston, Harrison Ford and Julie Andrews 11. Superstitions, if any None 12. Things that you and your spouse don't agree on This space is too short to answer this (maybe that is why we are still happily married) 13. Experience so far in Ambit Better than I imagined. A very professional set up and I am in the midst of some excellent people who are willing to put 5 times the effort of their peers even if it means getting 1/5th of their peer's business.
Founders Day
We are 15 now!
A Minute to Win it
Andrew Holland
CEO - Investment Advisory
Although here in India we are delighted with the performance of the stockmarket so far this year, it masks the negative sentiment that India (particularly with respect to political and economic events) received overseas. Indeed, a large part of discussions with our Nikko colleagues focused around these relevant issues. But as we all know, things on the ground can change very quickly in India. So how do we communicate this to sales/marketing people around the world, given the enormous amount of emails everyone receives daily, whilst also competing with news from other markets?? Well, first of all, we had to think of frequency of update, a month seemed too long and a weekly maybe too much info. Our thinking though moved towards a weekly if we could make it a product which updated you on major India events without too much work from the readers end. Then, what should be the focus of the weeklywell that was fairly easyMacro, Politics and Markets. Cutting a long story short, it was decided that the weekly should land in your email -ready to read -take no more than One-Minute to read -have links to reports/articles so the reader can access more info if desired Ok that was the easy part. Next was to tell Romolina the vision and then have her create a template which fitted all of the above. Despite never having created a template before she delivered (taught herself) the first template within a week and after providing various options we narrowed down to one. Next was test marketing within the Nikko world and the response was extremely positive with comments like This is excellent. I really like the format with the overview that allows you to get to the reports with a good variety of sources and Thanks, this looks extremely informative, I like your approach in getting India into the consciousness of our colleagues. We went live on the 22nd November and the aim is to add our own views and thoughts going forward.but that's an early 2013 project. The great part about the product is that every team member helps in its production through highlighting relevant news during the week, but more importantly (in Romolinas case) shows how one can stretch themselves outside of their normal comfort zone. If anyone in Ambit would like to see the product or be added to the mailing list please contact Romolina.
Sudoku
Nanhi Kali
Aakriti Sethi
KC Mahindra Trust
Born into an agricultural laborer family and belonging to one of India's 250 most backward districts, Mahbubnagar, is Renuka. Renuka, the eldest daughter of Lalappa and Ananthamma is a bright child, hailing from an economically deprived family, with an annual income below Rs. 15,000/-. The increasing cost of education has been a constant source of worry for Renuka and her family. Coupled with these economic troubles is the poor environment they live in where the average literacy rate in Mahbubnagar is merely 56.06% and female literacy is as low as 45.65%. Also plaguing this district are issues like child labor, malnutrition and anemia in the children. Moreover many schools do not have proper furniture, basic infrastructure, and a proper educational atmosphere. This is the story of not just one, but several girls like Renuka who in spite of harsh circumstances, strive to bring about a change in their lives and the community around them. Profiled in the year 2009, Renuka started receiving support under the umbrella of Project Nanhi Kali. Renuka is fortunate to be one of the 112 girls who are currently being supported by Ambit Capital as a part of the Diwali Promotion that they ran in November 2012, supporting Project Nanhi Kali and the cause of Girl child Education. As part of the Nanhi kali program she receives support in the form of a material kit which comprises of uniforms, a school bag, shoes, socks, hygiene material etc. to enable her to go to school with dignity. Apart from this, she receives academic support through a 1-2 hour class conducted before or after school hours called the Academic Support Centre, where concepts in Maths, Science and Language are taught to bridge the gaps in learning and enable children to attain grade specific competency levels. The teaching methodology includes the extensive use of innovative teaching tools and activities such as storytelling, group games etc which make learning not only meaningful but also fun. The Nanhi Kali team also works with the parents and community to sensitize them on not only gender equity but also issues related to adolescent health & hygiene. Post this intervention, it was observed that Renuka's performance and confidence accelerated a great deal. Before becoming a Nanhi Kali, Renuka was an above average student scoring 65%. However, after th being enrolled into the program she started scoring as high as 89%. She did her level best in the 9 grade st exams and came out with flying colors by securing the 1 rank (89%) in her class. Her parents are proud of their daughter's achievement and would like her to further pursue higher education! The importance of Girl Child Education cannot be stressed more. Education enhances lives. It ends the generational cycles of poverty and provides the means for sustainable development. A high quality basic education will better equip girls with knowledge and skills needed to adopt healthy lifestyles, and to take an active role in social, economic, and political decision-making as they transition to adolescence and adulthood. We believe education will also radically change the perception towards girl children from being considered as a burden today, to becoming potential leaders and building blocks of the society tomorrow.
Giving Back
CSR Council
The council was formed in 2009 under the name Ambit Oditi Foundation. Since then we have carried out different activities like blood donation camps, clothes collection drives and voluntary activities for Muktangan (a school for underprivileged children). The Ambit Oditi Foundation was granted the 80G certification in April this year. We commenced fund collection in May 2012 with around 10% employees. By July 2012, 88% employees were contributing 0.25% of their annual CTC, which is being deducted from their salary on a monthly basis. The total monthly collections are matched by Ambit. Primarily the funds are being utilized to support our office boys / housekeeping staff / security guards. For them, the two main causes we support are: - Education for their children: We reimburse their school fees and vocational training cost - Medical reimbursements for their parents / family members Till date we have reimbursed school fees for 13 children and provided medical assistance to 1. We also have made significant contributions to Magic Bus a non-profit organization, founded in 1999, that works with 200,000 children every week from marginalized communities in India. The primary objective of the NGO being to aid children in helping them living a better quality life through specialized mentoring and coaching initiatives. This is the 2nd consecutive year where, Ambit employees have volunteered to teach at Muktangan a school for underprivileged children. 4 employees go twice in a week to teach mathematics and English to class 9 students. We organized a clothes, toys and books collection drive in November. The collections were donated to GOONJ - a non-profit organization initiated in 1998, GOONJ provides clothes & other basic amenities to millions in the far-flung villages and they send out 80 to 100 tonnes of material every month, across 21 states of India. This has been an important year for Ambit CSR, where virtually every employee in the organization has very literally contributed to the initiative! We look forward to your continued support through both higher contribution to the fund and active participation in the volunteering activities for Muktangan and for Magic Bus (will commence based on employee interest) in the coming year.
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Achievement
Simran Phatak (11), daughter of Amarendra Phatak, is a Rhythmic Gymnast. She is a national player since 2008. In 2012 she represented Maharashtra at both, the School Nationals & the National tournaments conducted by the All India Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics. She won 2 Gold Medals. 2 Silver Medals & 1 Bronze in these tournaments
Grand Recognition !
Mohammed Suhail Sheikh
VP - Private Wealth
When I joined Ambit little did I know that I would be part of a team which is like "A List" where each member of the team comes from different banks and different skill sets and forms a part of the same team under the leadership of Sutapa Banerjee. In a short span of two and a half years, we have created a platform of private bank which is "bespoke" for clients wherein each client is catered with personalised solutions depending on individual needs rather than "one size fits all", which is still not so easily available in a country like ours where you have very large players operating in a similar space with a "me too" attitude. When Asia money polls was conducted at the beginning of this year to identify the best private bank in India, our clients willingly participated in the polls. Conducting of such polls is fool proof as each of the respondents is called back and then asked to verify the answers which they have given in the survey either online or via an email. All the players operating in India participated which includes the likes of Citibank, RBS coots, Kotak Private Bank, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, etc. To our surprise, we were positioned as The 3rd Best Private Bank in India. This is a laudable achievement as we covered huge grounds in terms of service and product identification and offerings to our clients. I would like to share a snapshot of the survey with you with respect to Ambit:
ASiA MONEY
3rd Best private bank in India (Over all) 2nd in Discretionary portfolio management services 3rd in quality of advice 3rd in holistic approach addressing advise 3rd in quality and diversity of products 3rd in client relation management and service 3rd advisory portfolio management 3rd in structured products and derivatives 3rd in alternative investments 3rd in issue of confidentiality and security. We still have a lot of ground to cover and ensure that we do not rest on our laurels but continue to strive to reach and stay at the top in the coming years.
Achievement
Paresh Kapadias son, Spandans first stage performance since he started to learn the guitar. He is 7 years old and he played the tunes of "National Anthem" & "We shall overcome".
In The Spotlight
Premal Doshi
Director - Corporate Finance
1. Share a memorable experience of your childhood Amitabh Bachchan coming to my school for the shooting of Amar Akbar Anthony. 2. A college memory you distinctly remember/cherish During my 12th std, I was part of a group that engaged in organizing Dandiya events. I remember working tirelessly for organising these events from scratch to end, including sponsorships, financing, budgeting, logistics, ground levelling, decorations, catering, security, etc. I also won the Best Dancer prize making me one of the popular ones in the college. 7. Your motivation mantra If you think negative, only negative will happen in your life. Always think that you can do it, only then you can do it. Be optimistic.
8. A failure you learnt from This was during college, after having cleared the ICWA Inter (Costing exam), being over confident I appeared for the C.A. entrance exam without any preparation whatsoever and did not clear. After this, I learnt not to take things for grantedwhich is reflected by the fact that ICWA Final, CA Inter 3. Describe yourself as a teenager and a habit and Final levels (all groups) were cleared in first you would not want the world to know then... attempt. I was hardworking and independent as a teenager and did all kinds of jobs like taking tuitions, doing 13 9. Weekends are for... field surveys for companies, setting up an ice Family and Children cream parlour, running stalls for card and other games at fairs. No negative habit as such. 10. Favourite Actor/Actress? Akshay Kumar and Dimple Kapadia 4. An interesting anecdote from your first job Started working in CIFCO post qualifying as CA in 11. Superstitions, if any 1991. Six months into the job, the Harshad Mehta None scam got exposed engulfing CIFCO, leading to CBI raids and the firm closing down. At that point in 12. Things that you and your spouse don't time, many people including family and friends agree on told me to take up CA practice or join a corporate Well, it is a long list, difficult to fit in here. However, as a career move as this was more stable than over the last 20 years have adjusted to most of it financial services. However, my fiance (now my except when it comes to eating sweets wife, Nipa) encouraged me to pursue my passion and this landed me a job in Jardine Fleming (now 13. Experience so far in Ambit JP Morgan) where I ended up for about10 years. Its been great so far. It is motivating to come across such high calibre individuals and such a 5. A word that best describes you vibrant and professional setup that drives one to Happy go lucky perform to his/her optimum capability. Moreover, the people are friendly, having access to people 6. Philosophy of Life across different verticals/ businesses is enriching Every moment is precious, make the best of it as the coupled with the presence of an open door culture moment gone will never come again.
Nevertheless.all is well that ends well. Finally both the transactions got signed and sealed by the end of Aug 2012 and post that achieved a quick (which was unexpected and surprising given the speed of transactions so far!!!) simultaneous financial closure in early Oct 2012. A long journey through the transaction process came to an end with happy faces all across (which was well celebrated by some important stakeholders at German Beer Festival and in Bangkok) As I look back at the transactions, its a different feeling altogether of having grown up studying both SChand and Vikas Publishing books (or may be sitting at the back benches and making paper airplanes out of them) during my school / college days and years down the line applying a part of the same learning to put together a transaction for both these companies (this time.of course flying through the real airplanes between Mumbai Delhi !!!). As it is rightly said..certain things do come back in life.though in different forms.. We look forward to many more back-to-back transactions for Ambit.
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Diwali 2012
Yeh duniya mein agar jannat hai to yehi hai ..yehi hai, yehi hai
Celebrating Happiness
Diwali 2012
De Tally 6.5
Firecracker time
Liquidity
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In The Spotlight
Kashyap Choksi
VP - Corporate Finance
1. Share a memorable experience of your childhood A: During our summer holidays, we used to go to our Nana's (Maternal Grandfather) place in Ahmedabad. I always admired my Nana for his business acumen and he was my role model. During one of the summer holidays, Nana offered me whether I would like to stay at home and play with other cousins or accompany him to our Jewellery shop. My Nana had 4 Jewellery shops in Ahmedabad. I quickly grabbed the opportunity as I would get to spend more time with Nana and understand his style. Consequently, most part of the summer holidays I had spent going along with Nana to the Jewellery shop, observing him, having lunch with him and also assist in the sales in the showroom. Since I was small, I was placed in the Pendant and Earrings counter. I was fast at learning the tricks of the trade. At the end of the vacation, Nana offered me stipend and said how much do you want as your stipend for the hard work put in by you for the period of 2 months. I found it very difficult to ask money from Nana ..so.as a token of appreciation, I requested Nana whether I can get a sweet looking pendant as a gift for my sister. During those days casting pendants (pendants molded in a pre-designed particular shape) were a novelty. He smiled and asked me which one do you want. I pointed to a small sweet looking pendant .to which Nana agreed and readily packed it in a gift wrap box. The smile on my Nana's face is still very fresh in my memory. It's not that I could not have bought the pendant for my sister but the token of love (from my first stipend) was something that is very special to me. When I came back to Mumbai, I gave the pendant gift in the same way as was packed by Nana - to my sister. She was completely overwhelmed and so were my parents. The smile and happiness on their face is still very fresh in my memory and as a mark
of appreciation, my sister, amongst various other pendants, adorably wears that sweet small pendant. 2. A college memory you would like to share This one incident relates to the day when my CA Foundation results were announced. I was in NM College attending lectures. During the break, few of my friends came and congratulated me for not only clearing the CA Foundation exams but also coming in All India Level rank. This was double news to me as I was not aware that 1) the results were announced and 2) that I had scored a rank All India Rank I was not willing to believe the news and asked them how did they come to know about my results and about my rank which is when they revealed the secret of star mark (*) besides the name and its relevance. All my friends started asking for Party and as news started spreading, even acquaintances started wishing me.but I was not willing to accept this mentally till I saw it with my own eyes. Not willing to believe them, I went to the CA Institute at Cuffe Parade to check out the results on my own, praying to God while my eyes were searching my name on the small Notice Board and somewhat torn list pasted in one corner. Finally, I saw my name in the Results List and yes.also saw the star mark (*) besides my name. Still unable to understand the relevance of the star mark and not willing to believe the truth, I went to the Enquiry Office of the CA Institute and asked the gentleman sitting at the counter the relevance of the star mark.
I saw a spark in the person's eyes and he said with a big smile . Congratulations my boy, you have scored a Rank. He asked my roll number, entered it in his system and said that you have scored 35th Rank. This was a big surprise for me. I was jumping in my mind and left the CA Institute happily..and started humming a song of the movie that had just released- the song from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Khamoshi.Aaj Mein Upar..Aaasman Niche.aaj mein aage.zamana hai pichchein Singing, Humming, Dancing, Jumping I would have walked more than half way from CA Institute to Churchgate station.which is a decent distance. when I realised that my legs started screaming and then I took a cab to station. 3. Describe yourself as a teenager and a habit you would not want the world to know then... A bright student with clear focus on studies first and everything else later. As regards habits not known to world, these secrets are better kept to myself 4. An interesting anecdote from your first job This was in SBI Capital Markets, my first exposure to Investment Banking. This place gave me the exposure to the world of Investment Banking, introduced me to some good colleagues / seniors whom I still regard in high respects and maintain good relations. One of our Team Members was to appear for his exams to get admission for MBA in one of the foreign university. He had therefore proceeded on leave which I came to know when I casually asked my senior about his absence. Now as luck would have it, he was working on a transaction the details of which were known only to him. I or other Team Members did not have any clue about the deal. Suddenly, the transaction became live and the client wanted to open the Issue. Consequently, the regulatory filings were to be done in a short span of time with loads of pending issues. My senior said that we need to complete this as the firm's reputation is at risk. Without uttering a single word, all other Team Members joined up and completed the transaction .ofcourse it took a toll on us as we had to get to the depth in a short time without compromising on the quality. We consciously did not disturb our colleague friend as we had decided that we should not disturb him during his important studies.
When he came back, we just informed him that Friend, this assignment is done and these are the relevant papers for you to take charge of it. No sign of any favour done or special efforts undertaken.not by any single team member senior or junior. This incident strengthened the bonding amongst us and we still share a very good rapport even when all of us are in different organisations.as if just a phone call away and ready to help. 5. A word that best describes you Calm and Composed 6. Philosophy of Life Live and Let Live 7. Your motivation mantra Believe in God and When the Going Gets Tough..the Tough Gets Going!! 8. A failure you learnt from Keep your Personal Relations and Money Matters separate. If you mix the two, you will have to lose one. I learnt this the hard way. 9. Weekends are for... Family and catching up on pending sleep 10. Favorite Actor/Actress? Actor: Different Actors in Different Genres ..but if I have to select one name in the current breed of Actors it has to be Amitabh Bachchan Actress: Can be different.but one actress that looks good on screen and I like watching her Katrina Kaif ;) 11. Superstitions, if any None 12. Things that you and your spouse don't agree on During Vacations, she prefers to spend more time in exploring Shopping Places, Fashion Trends etc while I prefer to explore the place and the scenic beauty around it 13. Experience for far in Ambit Ambit was my second job when I had joined this organization in 2002..at that time Ambit was relatively small and we had our office in Dalamal Towers. I was here till 2009 and had a good time. Moved out for a brief period of 3 years, learnt some new things and am back here. Don't think, anything more needs to be said about the experience in Ambit and that this is like coming back to my own Home
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The Alps
After an enchanting 10 days in Italy we drove through Milan towards Zurich via De Stelvio pass at a height of 9050 feet through the Alps. We crossed 60 hair pin bends through the Alps to crossover to Switzerland. This route is rated amongst the top 3 motorways by BBC Topgear. The villages with their European style cottages, bright colour flower pots on the windows, snowcapped Alps in the back ground and rivers flowing through were just 'picture perfect'. No wonder there have been so many famous artists in Europe. Who wouldn't get inspired by such beauty that nature has bestowed?!
After a 16 hour drive we reached Zurich and the first home cooked Indian meal in 3 weeks was just purely satiating. Next morning, as we travelled through the streets of Zurich we found the restaurant where many years ago we had fed bread to the Swans and danced to live music. What happiness living old memories, provides to the human soul! It drizzled right through while we Outside The Zurich Restaurant travelled with our friends to a nearby village the next day. Reliving golden memories Finally I was not voted out and got to listen to Hindi music in the car as now we were 3 (our friends and I) against 2 (my husband and daughter). The combination of great company, good music and rain made the last part of the trip truly memorable. And then it was time to say goodbye and head home. Three countries over 3+ weeks by road, just reinforced our faith in our road journeys -for the flexibility it provides to stop at any place anytime, follow any route one desires to take and witness the changing landscapes as one meanders from place to place.
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Money Talks !
2. Healthy diet - Have a balanced nutritious diet spread throughout the day in smaller quantities; remember, moderation is the key - Consume foods rich in fibers and whole grains, and replace saturated fatty foods with unsaturated ones - Daily diet should consist of about 5 portions of vegetables and fruits; one portion is the amount one can fit in their palm - Learn how to read and compare food labels that will help you choose the right options 3. Regular physical activity - Aim for at least 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week of brisk walking, running, swimming, etc - Invest in a pedometer and try walking Set SMART goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic 10,000 steps a day by walking to your and Timely goals office, taking stairs instead of elevators Start small Take one step at a time, break in to smaller - Warm up and cool down before and milestones after exercising Track it Monitor your progress to know where you are and - Keep yourself adequately hydrated by what needs to be done drinking fluids in between exercises and whenever possible Reward yourself On achieving smaller milestones, reward yourself to keep you motivated 4. Good Health behavior - For any current illness, visit your doctor regularly and stick to your doctor's advice - Contact your doctor and get immunized for flu, hepatitis, tetanus, typhoid, etc. - Maintain adequate oral health brush your teeth at least twice daily, floss at least once a day and see your dentist at least once a year - Quit smoking write down why you want to quit, make non-smoking friends, reduce your cravings by avoiding the triggers 5. Emotional health - Mind controls the body, and hence, you have to be emotionally sound to be physically fit - Set priorities at work and at home and act accordingly - Go to bed early and get at least 6-8 hours of sound sleep - Make a note of things that stress you and try to avoid or overcome them in a positive way
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Rehan Shaikh My precious milestone! Being a recipient of the prestigious award for 5 years' long association with the Ambit family, I am overwhelmed and have immense gratitude for acknowledging my sincere efforts and consistent performance and this, moreover, gives me an impetus to strive and encourages me each day to make a difference in the company. Being a part of this Ambit family gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction that I shall cherish always.
Nilesh Oza Today, on this occasion, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about my journey at Ambit. It has been a long and memorable journey filled with stories of struggle, success, fun and joy. It is the combined effort of my colleagues and consistent support of my seniors, specially Mr Ashok Wadhwa who motivated me to continue in this organisation for all these years. I take this opportunity to thank one and all at Ambit who has made it possible for me to reach this position. I have had the privilege of serving our great organisation with honor, commitment, vision & spirit that all of us value so much. I am also privileged to be part of the team that has successfully implemented many projects and surpassed many major milestones and achievements. There are many people, both in past & in present, who have helped make my time here pleasant, enjoyable, worthwhile and I've enjoyed every moment of it here at Ambit. It was not easy for me to move from Finance & Accounts to HR and for that I must make a special mention of the enormous support given by Mrs Shalini Kamath & rest of my team without whom, none of this would have been possible. It is a dream come true for me to be working at Ambit, the journey is still on & I feel proud to be a part of Ambit. I personally wish to see our organisation grow & achieve many more success.
Invictus
In a conversation on the big screen with Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon, the captain of South Africas rugby team), Mandela (Morgan Freeman) shared with Pienaar that during his darkest moments in prison, his spirit was lifted and sustained by the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley, and that he would not have made it through prison if not for the words of this English poet who lived from 1849 to 1903
Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.
Contributed by Sujal Patwardhan
Structured Financing
Sanjay Dhoka
COO - NBFC
Apart from the standard products like promoter funding, margin financing, loan against securities, IPO financing etc., Ambit Finvest also offers a tailor made solution which is specifically designed to meet the client's requirements under its structured financing product. The loan facility under this product is specially structured / designed to enable the client to take advantage of a special situation or an investment objective keeping in view the constraints faced by the client. Special situations in which Ambit Finvest undertakes financing includes Buyback, Delisting offers, Open offers, Rights issues, Creeping acquisitions, Acquisition financing, Working Capital and projects bridge financing, PE drawdown financing, Bidding financing and PE cash outs. As a process, Ambit Finvest understands the client's requirements/objectives along with the constraints in detail, checks for the legal and the regulatory aspect related to the transaction and then designs a mutually accepted deal structure best suited to client's requirements and compliant with all the regulations. Post the agreement on the deal structure and commercial terms, the documents specific to the deal are prepared and executed along with security creation by client. After the disbursal of the funds to the client, Ambit Finvest continuously monitors the transaction flow so that the same complies with designed structure till the final settlement of the transaction. Ambit Finvest's niche lies in providing lending solutions to the client with value added services like helping the client in overcoming the constraints, guidance on legal and statutory compliances etc. at attractive terms and conditions.
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Little Angels
HRITHIKA
Daughter of Simmy Pawar (Assistant Manager - Corporate Communications)
ARAINA
Daughter of Avril Ruzario (Secretary)
Sudoku Solution
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Desi Daaru!
Sukkerrr or (Means sugar cane in Danish) Or Vodgun A Vodka based desi cock-tail! Ingredients: - Vodka 120 ml (Plain or vanilla flavored) - Sugarcane juice 250 ml - Lemon Juice 2 tbsp - Lemon wedges / Mint leaves to Garnish - Ginger juice 2 tbsp - Crushed Ice one full martini glass - 3 splash Grenadine - 2 Martini Glass Kept in freezer for an hour Fill the two martini glasses with crushed ice. Mix 120 ml of vodka, 250 ml of sugar cane juice, 2 splash of Grenadine and 2 tbsp ginger juice and shake it well. Divide one splash of Grenadine between the two glasses and pour the mixture equally on both the glasses. Add one tbsp of lemon juice in each of the glasses and garnish with lemon rind and fresh mint leaves.
Contributed by Sujal Patwardhan
In The Spotlight
Himanshu Damania
VP - Business Process & Operations
1. Share a memorable experience of your childhood Tour to Kashmir with my parents when I was 10 yrs old. Few of most memorable experiences were staying in houseboat, Sledge car ride , beautiful rose gardens (must say i plucked lot of different color of roses for my Mom) and shikara in Dal lake. 2. A college memory you distinctly remember/cherish We were 10-12 friends in the group and use to celebrate birthday of each person in the group with different theme. I would like share Few of themes like dress color code, beach party , traditional wear, Street food party etc. The best part was that all expenses were shared by all friends. 3. Describe yourself as a teenager and a habit you would not want the world to know then... Always ready to have fun. No unknown habits. 4. An interesting anecdote from your first job My first job was with Action financial services, I started as trainee in 1995. In those days, Stock market had settlement cycle of 15 days. On the settlement day, brokers get physical certificate delivery of securities and all employees including senior management work over night to deliver shares on the next day to customers. I was always amazed to see team energy reaching at highest level while working over night on such settlement day. 5. A word that best describes you Flexible
6. Philosophy of Life Taking action in present keeping mind future you want to create. 7. Your motivation mantra Do not stop by any breakdown and find alternate possibilities to meet the goals. 8. A failure you learnt from Nothing significant to share. 9. Weekends are for... Spending time with my wife & kids 10. Favourite Actor/Actress? - Jim Carrey - Jean Claude van Damme 11. Superstitions, if any No purchases on inauspicious days 12. Things that you and your spouse don't agree on My wife likes going out on Sunday evening and I don't. 13. Experience so far in Ambit I am really impressed with organization's philosophy of caring about employees. Ambit's senior management team members are very humble and easy to access. On the whole, the entire team is very talented and focus on delivering what is expected of them.
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Sushant Bhansali
AVP - CEOs Office
Milan Sarvaiya
Sr. Executive - Operations
Nishat Vakil
Sr. Executive and Secretary
If you allow people to make withdrawals than deposits in your life, you will be out of balance and in the negative. Know when to close the account.
10% of with world's food supply is consumed by insects Japanese people don't have middle names Employees of the Vatican pay no income tax The only thing that can destroy a diamond is intense heat Bill Gates began programming computers at the of age 13
Flies can react to an object it sees and change direction in less than 30 milliseconds The first drug that was sold as a water soluble tablet was aspirin in 1900 The ice cream cone was introduced in 1904 Green tea has 50% more vitamin C than black tea The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year Superman dates back to June 1938 (he first appeared in Action Comics No. 1) The first crossword puzzle appeared in 1913 The dollar values on the board game Monopoly have been the same since 1935 The first taxi service began in New York in 1907 The elevator was invented in 1850 The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum It took Leonardo Da Vinci 10 years to paint Mona Lisa Wine is sold in tinted bottles because it spoils when exposed to light The youngest pope was 11 years old. They have square watermelons in Japan - they stack better Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone. Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old The original name of Bank of America was Bank of Italy. There is a Starbucks in Myungdong, South Korea that is five stories tall. Ted Turner owns 5% of New Mexico There are more 100 dollar bills in Russia currently than there are in the United States A Boeing 767 airliner is made of 3,100,000 separate parts
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