Book Releases
The Counterfeiter : Abdul Karim Telgi and the Stamp Scam – Bhaswar Mukherjee, PGP 1988
About the Book
Telgi and the stamp scam? Didn’t that happen a quarter of a century ago? Why now? Because the complete story of the counterfeiter and scamster has never been told before. Because the story of the sheer innovation and audacity of an underdog needs to be told. Because the complex web of corruption involving lawmakers and law-keepers continues. Because the crime has all the overtones of a Bollywood potboiler, replete with chases, corrupt government officials and policemen, political chicanery, bar dancers and yes, a murder too! Because of the many unanswered questions that remain, so many years after the crime and the death of Abdul Karim Ladsaab Telgi in 2017. How was it possible for a man like Telgi to establish a pan-India ‘business’ in 74 cities and reach such dizzying heights of power and pelf, amassing a personal wealth of over Rs 17,000 crore while swindling the economy to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore? How did he manage to undermine the hallowed institutions of India? What was the size of the scam? How did CBI peg the figure at a mere fraction of the guesstimated amount? The Counterfeiter chronicles the audacious swindle by the flamboyant mastermind in a blow-by-blow account of its execution, investigation, charge sheets, legal developments, Telgi’s incarceration, trial, death – and finally exoneration. An unputdownable true-crime dossier!
About the Author
Bhaswar Mukherjee calls himself an accidental writer. He has a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from IIM-Bangalore. After close to 18 years in multinational banks, he quit in 2005 to set up his own company, Bridgepoint Solutions Pvt Ltd, which provides consultancy and learning solutions in the banking domain. His short story, Unrequited, was selected in a contest by Readomania and was one of the two winning entries. Acceptance was selected by Sudha Murty and published by Penguin India. Another story, Garib Rath, was picked up by author Ravinder Singh for his anthology entry. Bhaswar has contributed to 11 anthologies and his solo anthology, It Happens: Stories of Human Relationships, was published in May 2020.
Book now available on Amazon..
The Happiness Trail: A Road Map to Success – Ramesh Venkateswaran, PGP 1980
About the Book
We live in a fast-paced and highly competitive world. The last few years have seen changes not witnessed in centuries. Have all these developments increased our sense of well-being? Data seems to suggest otherwise!
The Happiness Trail shows us an attainable, contextual way to achieve two seemingly complementary goals, happiness and success, that we many a time discover to be contradictory.
In this book Ramesh Venkateswaran lays down five easy-to-follow approaches to a happy and successful life, which he calls the five I’s: Integrity, Interact, Involve, Imbibe and Impact. Armed with this road map, the ever-elusive happiness seems within reach and success a natural consequence.
About the Author
Ramesh Venkateswaran has donned many hats over the years. After a successful stint in the corporate world and as a corporate consultant and trainer, he has devoted his time to teaching. He is an adjunct faculty member at his alma mater Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore for close to three decades. He has also headed The Lawrence School Lovedale, Nilgiris and SDM Institute for Management Development Development, Mysuru.
Ramesh is a co-founder, chairman and volunteer at Vishwas, Society for Mental Health, Bengaluru, a not-for-profit organization that offers free counselling to people in emotional stress.
Book now available on Amazon..
A Dire Isle (Harith Athreya Book 2) – RV Raman, PGP 1988
About the Book
An archeological team is excavating on the banks of the Betwa River near Jhansi. A place where, legend has it, a couple forbidden to marry had run away to be together—forever cursing anyone who dares set foot on the island. When an archeologist defies the myth, the fallout is swift and deadly, the body found exactly as the ancient stories describe. Is the death a result of the ancient curse, or is it a down-to-earth case of murder?
Harith Athreya, an investigator with a vivid imagination, begins to uncover a mystery where the lines between past and present are blurred, reaping a harvest of evidence and motives—theft, plagiarism and a host of other crimes, showing that few of the archaeologists are what or who they appear to be. Will he be able to unravel the truth from legend before the curse strikes again?
The second novel in the internationally acclaimed Harith Athreya series is perfect for fans of riveting classic mysteries by Agatha Christie and films such as Knives Out.
About the Author
RV Raman is the author of the Inspector Ranade and Inspector Dhruvi thrillers, published in India, which are loosely based on his corporate career spanning three decades and four continents. His latest book, published by Agora Books in October 2020, A WILL TO KILL, is the first in the Harith Athreya series, and is an Agatha Christie-esque whodunit, set in India. In addition to writing, he teaches business strategy at the Indian Institute of Management. Find him at www.rvraman.com and on Twitter @RVRaman_ –This text refers to the hardcover edition.
Book now available on Amazon..
Mystery Of The Missing Cat (SMS Detective Agency Book 2) – Ravi Subramanian, PGP 1993
About the Book
The charming hill town of Solan is playing host to the cricketing match of the year – a match between India and Australia. Naturally, its close-knit community is all abuzz! Not only are the top cricketing stars going to descend upon them, but also the glamorous film star married to the dashing cricket captain. Will India manage to snatch a much-needed victory from the Aussies, is the big question. However, even before the match begins, it seems this victory might be slipping away. All because of a missing feline.
Enter the Super Mystery Solvers or the SMS gang of Aditya and Akriti, the nine-year-old twins, and their close friend Kabir. Can they find the missing cat and help India win the match? Together, they must solve this mystery that has even the police completely baffled.
About the Author
Ravi Subramanian is the award-winning author of nine novels. His stories are set against the backdrop of the financial services industry. He has won the Economist Crossword Book Award for three years in a row, as well as the Golden Quill Readers’ Choice Award. This is his first fiction series for children. Visit him at www.ravisubramanian.in
Book available now on Amazon..
AN ATHEIST GETS THE GITA – Rahul Singh, PGP 2015
About the Book
‘Will this make us happy?’
This question troubles 25-year-old IIM graduate Anveshak Jigyanshu, an investment banker in Singapore, as he meets his two-decade senior Charan Saket. Their conversation reminds the reader of the dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna. Anveshak, a self-proclaimed atheist, is mesmerized by the compelling arguments put forth by Charan as they both explore the world of science and its limitations, what proof means, the dilemma of ethics and finally, what real and everlasting happiness is. In a way, Charan explains the essence of the Bhagavad Gita. Slowly turning from a disbeliever to one who accepts logic, Anveshak discovers the key to his question.
In a tightly gripping narrative, the authors gently persuade the reader to relook and understand the essence of the Bhagavad Gita in the modern world. Anveshak represents the modern intellectual who seeks happiness but does not want to follow anything blindly. This book will change the way one looks at happiness.
About the Author
Rahul Singh is a banker, author and community builder. He is the principal of corporate advisory group at IIM Udaipur and the president of IIM Bangalore alumni association in Singapore. He regularly speaks at corporates and universities at international level on topics that concern millennials such as careers in the twenty-first century, conscious capitalism and cross-cultural understanding. He has co-authored Engineering to Ikigai and You Know the Glory, Not the Story. Brought up in Lucknow, he received a full scholarship to study B.Eng. (Honours) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, and has an MBA from IIM Bangalore.
Galyna Kogut is a researcher with the National Institute of Education and has a PhD from NTU, Singapore. She focuses on pedagogy, with specific emphasis on language acquisition and teacher professional development. Born in Ukraine, Galyna has widely researched and taught western psychology and eastern philosophies. She has translated various Indian scriptures into Eastern European languages and co-authored Digital Storytelling for Educative Purposes. She is the president for Ukrainian club in Singapore and was the founder for Ukrainian Language School, Singapore.
Book available now on Amazon..
Shifting Orbits: Decoding the Trajectory of the Indian Start-up Ecosystem
About the Book
In the new millennium, the shape of India’s vibrant entrepreneurial economy has changed significantly to move towards one driven by technology and innovation. Today, India is one of the largest start-up and innovation hubs in the world, and the Indian start-up ecosystem has become an important contributor in our journey to become a $5 trillion economy.
Shifting Orbits Italic text chronicles the spectacular rise of the start-up landscape in India in four different sections: innovation, incubation, funding and industry perspectives.
• The first section dives deeper into understanding how India is faring on innovation-led entrepreneurship and delineates the challenges to be overcome.
• The next section explains how incubators provide a safe harbour for start-ups so that they can survive and flourish as viable businesses.
• For start-ups to be able to grow and create an impact, funding is critical – the third section examines the current funding scenario and lists the policy changes essential for its growth.
• The section on industry perspectives takes an analytical, practice-centred view of the growth of the Indian innovation ecosystem.
Taken together, Shifting Orbits is a comprehensive narrative on innovation and venturing in India and provides valuable insights on current trends and practices as well as the challenges and potential benefits for the future.
About the Author
Thillai Rajan A is a Professor in the Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Madras. He is also an associate at the Mossavar Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School,Harvard University.
Srivardhini K Jha is an Associate Professor in the Entrepreneurship area at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
Joffi Thomas is an Associate Professor in the Marketing area at the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
Rohan Chinchwadkar is an Assistant Professor (Finance) at the Shailesh J Mehta School of Management, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Book available on Amazon..
