Karina Pandya

An area, which is known to occupy the western edge of the Tibetan Plateau in Northwest India, the vibrant Tibetan Buddhist culture and spectacular landscape has enchanted tourists from across the world. Ladakh is dotted with colourful monasteries, surrounded by magnificent mountains with snow-capped peaks, black-billed magpies and narrow stretches of trees along water channels. Whether you are a cultural connoisseur or an avid adventure enthusiast a trip to Ladakh is sure to leave you spell-bound. This oasis of tranquillity and natural beauty is an ideal retreat for those who live in cosmopolitan cities. Most of Ladakh is yet only accessible by foot (century old foot paths that were used by villagers and traders) and exploring the region in this manner is known to be extremely fascinating. There are plenty of trails which pass through ancient monasteries, arid canyons, glacier covered mountains and farming villages. Trekking in this area is known to be the main highlight if on a va...

Playing an indispensable role in the overall development of the country, the financial sector plays a very important role in the welfare of the Indian economy. There are different types of banks, NFBC’s (Non-Financial Banking Institutes) which are known to provide various banking options for people across the country. One of the most important constituent of the financial sector is the financial institution . These establishments focus on providing various financial transactions such as loans, deposits and investments. It is an institution where financial services are provided to people. Most of these bodies are known to be regulated by the Government of India. In India, the RBI (Reserve Bank of India) usually takes care of all the financial institutions. The RBI is also known as the Central Bank of India and serves as a regulatory authority with regard to the functionality of different commercial banks. In order to provide adequate supply to the different sectors of the econom...

We all have been to restaurants throughout our lives, but wouldn’t you want to visit a funky, out-of-the-box styled restaurant as well? Wouldn’t it be cool to dine in a Shikhara or even an ice-lounge; or perhaps have your food while sitting in a rickshaw? Mumbai is a place where you not only can eat in luxurious restaurants and even find small quaint cafes as well; but you can also find extremely ‘unusual’ places to dine at. Not only will you find good food with great music in most of the restaurants in the city; but you will experience a different ambience in each place. Some of the unusual but unique restaurants in Mumbai that you might want to try out include: 1) KongPoush - Flavour of   Kashmir, Goregaon: Apart from the breath-taking view of Kashmir, the state’s delectable cuisine adds to the list of the country’s regional food favourites. Located on a rather inconspicuous street ( BEST Colony Road) near Oshiwara Bus Depot in Goregaon (W) KongPoush is a popular join...

Hailing from a life led in three different places- Mira Nair has made her impact world-wide. This realistically driven film-director captures the rhythm behind her career as a film-director to Karina Pandya.   Many Stories in India are just crying out to be made, and famous International and National film director Mira Nair loves to tell a good story no matter what the genre is. “Everyone has lost someone, everyone has been a parent or a child, everyone has been somewhere in that tapestry”, claims well-known Indian born and New York based film director Mira Nair, about her recent film The Namesake which won credential awards three years in a row. Born to both Indian parents Mira Nair has led a very conservative life. Mira Nair studied in the Delhi University and then went to the United States to study sociology at Harvard, where she received a scholarship. While at Harvard her focus drifted to documentary film. She describes documentary as "a marriage of my inter...

With digital penetration on a high all over the world, social media sites and trends have paved way for not only personal branding but also for companies and businesses to turn to this platform to reach out to customers. This use of ‘web-based’ and ‘mobile technologies’ in order to turn communication into an interactive dialogue has taken form through various tools such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Foursquare- to name some of the most popular social media networking sites. These social networking sites are now NOT ONLY a means to reach out and connect with friends and relatives, but also a potential way to advertise and promote small/large businesses. It is an excellent solution for money-making and is currently a very important source for sharing and transmitting information. So the question that may arise is whether Facebook can work as a potential ‘STAND-ALONE’ Web Presence for entrepreneurs and small businesses across the world.  Most pot...

Life is all about happiness, for some relationships, others their job, yet others family or mental peace; and this can go on and on and on... But, the truth is that life is all about striking a right balance between all of these elements. The toughest thing about this, is when any one of these elements gets disturbed or broken. Starting all over again could require allot of courage, determination, inner strength and allot of optimism- a trait very hard to show time again and again. Stability is the key word here and this is essential for any person to be peaceful with oneself. Working in the corporate world or anywhere for that matter leaves you no escape from running risk to instability. Its a dog eat dog world, and every single person is struggling and trying to make their own place in this world. Having worked for over 2 and half years I have understood and seen that no one 'actually' cares for the success or happiness of the other. After-all this is no 'altruist...

Emerging as a brand comes effortlessly for few, but with hard-work, determination and self-packaging personal branding has become an easy-tool to enhance your business, and gain more publicity. For example, Sachin Tendulkar, world-famous for his batting ability is a strong brand associated with cricket. ‘Consistency, good performance and his dependability’ have carved a niche for this Master Blaster in the field of cricket. His extra-ordinary abilities in batting have led him to be appreciated not only by cricketers, but also by different international sports persons across the globe. In a very similar manner, you need not depend merely on your profession to brand or market yourself. By simply broadcasting you’re area of expertise, you will be able to position yourself in the professional sector and attract more and more potential customers. When you gain this type of identity you will be able to place yourself on a platform, whereby you will feel much more confident, assured and...