The song of Happiness
Come July, we pay homage to one of its doyens who as a young boy of 13 took tiny steps to publish his own book. A man with a deep conviction that every literate person should have a book that he has published, he went on to build the MBD Group which celebrated its 60th year in 2016 and is the largest education company in India today. That visionary and pioneer is none other than our founding father, but also my father Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra. He believed not just in being the biggest but also in being the BEST. His inspiration marks our step at MBD every day. Shri Ashok Kumar Malhotra — a firstgeneration entrepreneur and a pioneer of the publishing industry in India — has been honoured as a “Publishing Icon” by the International Publishers Congress 2018. He was a force in shaping the publishing sector in India and elsewhere; not only did he understand the significance of creative learning, but he was also instrumental in modernising the publishing business and introducing contemporary learning practices among other things. He was a man with a mission to transform a book-selling business unit into a financial giant and one of the most successful brands of all times. His dynamism made him an extremely successful businessman, one who shouldered multi-business responsibilities with ease and huge success. In this issue, we celebrate his life and success.
The Platform section throws light on why China, in the recent Doklam crisis, did not pursue the military option to settle its claim over Bhutanese territory points to the fact that its ability to project conventional military power beyond its periphery remains limited.
For those who care about the country’s environment and development discourse, State of India’s Environment 2018, India’s much awaited annual statement on environment and development, has been recently released by Centre for Science and Environment. A serious look at the issues raised and how to address these concerns are highlighted in the Environment and Climate Change section.
It is not the time to be minimal or understated. Cannes Film Festival provides an opportunity for the stars from Hollywood and the elite from across the world to celebrate fashion in sweeping princess gowns or mermaid dresses. We look at the ongoing trend.
Contrary to popular belief, traveling in monsoon in India is a calm and affordable affair. With the waning of peak summer holiday season, crowds and prices at some of the popular tourist destinations in India come down steeply. In fact monsoon is an excellent time for planning holidays in India with some very spectacular monsoon destinations in India offering load of activities. Let us travel to those exciting destinations to beat the heat.
In a few days, as India will take on England for their much awaited cricket series it must be said that not everyone associated with Lord’s is necessarily soaked in its history. The fact that Sourav Ganguly’s high-voltage, melodramatic victory celebration was the highest point of his career, let us take a look at the man who is a perfect example of born Leader who projects the Big Five model of Leadership in his attitude!
Writing success stories is never easy. While most see the success on the outside, what is usually skipped over are the grit and the passion that goes into making the story what it is – a success. Go on, feed your passion and see the change. We did!