IMG's Ravi Krishnan: A Merc's all matters

In most CEOs' thesaurus, the word jeans is synonymous with sacrilege. Imagine making a pitch to your customer's board for a $50-million deal, dressed in nothing but blue jeans and a T. You lost the deal the moment you entered through the door, so don't even bother unpacking your laptop. But what is it about jeans-or waist overalls, as they were called until the 1950s-that makes them the most scandalous bit in corporate dress code? Blame it on what denim has come to symbolise: fierce individualism and casualness. And serious-minded corporates hate both these qualities in their people. Don't believe us? Go ahead, think of one top Indian CEO who dresses to work in jeans. Rahul Bajaj? You are more likely to find him in a safari suit. Kumar Mangalam Birla? He's young and should be wearing denim, but prefers business suits. Anil Ambani? Chinos is as brave as this MTV Youth Icon of the Year gets.

But thanks to some intrepid CEOs, jeans are beginning to earn their place in the corner room. Siddharth Lal, Managing Director, Royal Enfield Motors, doesn't think twice before turning up at his office in Chennai, dressed in his Diesel jeans, polos and Getz shoes everyday. "I am mostly at my plant and I feel most comfortable in a pair of jeans," he says. Another CEO who won't lose his job for wearing denim to work is Ravi Krishnan, Managing Director of IMG India. In Australia, where the 35-year-old, lawyer-turned-sports-marketer grew up, he'd be called a larrikin (down under, that means maverick) for wearing jeans everywhere. But there are times when even Krishnan has to eschew the rugged cloth. "Many people view jeans to be too informal, which may not be correct, but you still can't meet them wearing that," he says.

Maybe the serious denim fans in corporate India should do what Jasjeet Sawhney, the 29-year-old CEO of Net4India does. He keeps a pair of jeans handy in his office and gets into them as soon as he's back from a meeting that requires formal wear!

-By T.R. Vivek with inputs from Dipayan Baishya

CORNER ROOM FREAK

Would you hire a CEO with a Mohawk haircut, a pierced lip, or a visible tatoo? Three headhunters answer:

R. SURESH, CEO, STANTON CHASE: I'll certainly consider the person for the top job at companies in the media and entertainment sectors, even retail. But anyone with a funny haircut or a body tattoo would be a definite no for an investment banking or hardcore financial services firms.

K. PANDIARAJAN, MD, MA FOI: If it's a job that involves customer interface in a tradition-bound industry, I would have to overlook him. But if it's a position in media, or even the telecom sector, I'll certainly hire him.

MOHIT MEHRA, VP, GILBERT TWEED AND ASSOCIATES: It wouldn't be difficult to place such a guy as a fund manager or at a lifestyle products company. But the thing I would watch out for is his style of functioning. If that is as quirky as his hairstyle, then he's best kept away from all process-driven jobs.

-T.R. Vivek

TEST DRIVE
Digital Delight

Canon's IXUS 400: A nifty package

The first thing I noticed about the Canon IXUS 400 camera, while trying to get it away from the kind gentlemen over at the photography department, was how small it was. It was the same size as the 20-pack of Classic Milds in my pocket. Most digital cameras are a pain to get used to, but this Rs 49,995 piece of engineering wizardry turned out to be the best amateur digital camera that I have ever used (the Nikon SLR digicams with BT photography folk are astounding).

I am no expert, but I have tried out some 10-12 digital cameras over the past few years, and this had the most intuitive interface and easy-to-programme menus. The camera is loaded to the brim with features such as the brightest and clearest LCD screen one has seen on a non-professional digital camera. It also has the iSAPS technology, which reduces the photographer to a mere finger on the button.

One of the most common issues with amateur photographers is 'red-eye', but the IXUS 400 has possibly the best red-eye reduction I have seen on any digital camera. You can also set the 'white-balance', ISO speed, colour intensity (as well as sepia and B&W modes) by fiddling around with the controls.

From a technology standpoint, the camera has a 4.0 megapixel sensor, which can take super sharp images. The problem is that on maximum image size and resolution, the former hovers at the 1-1.5 megabyte mark, and this with the camera's limited 32mb 'CompactFlash' card (you can buy additional memory). If you set everything to minimum (image size, image quality), you can cram over 200 pictures into the memory.

However, taking pictures at maximum resolution is the only way to go if you want to take a printout. For this, I had Canon's I70 portable (and surprisingly light) bubblejet machine (Rs 22,995). A few irritating minutes untangling wires later, I hooked up the camera to the printer, which can also print from camera-equipped cell phones like the Nokia 7650. A quick glance through the manual, and I was ready to print. Choose the print command in the camera and, voila, a nice half-page image came out. OK, it did take some time (it's faster via a pc), but image quality was pixel perfect.

Should you buy the IXUS 400? Well, think about it. For one, the camera is more than what most people need (a two or three megapixel camera will serve you just fine). But if you are planning to buy a digital camera, keep Canon top of mind; it does make some very good and affordable cameras lower in its range like the 3 megapixel A300 (Rs 19,995) and the PowerShot A70 (Rs 27,995). However, if you have the bucks to blow on what is essentially a really cool grown man's toy, this is worth it.

-Kushan Mitra

BUYER'S GUIDE TO DIGI CAMS

Here's what you need to know about digital cameras before buying them:

MEGAPIXEL: This is what makes the camera, and refers to the number of pixels the camera can shoot at its maximum resolution. The more the pixels, the sharper the picture. Modern digi cams, however, offer three or four resolution modes (1 mp to 4 mp) since you don't always need to shoot at maximum resolution.

MEMORY CARD: This is where images get stored. Memory cards come in a huge range: from 2 MB to 128 MB. If you like shooting in high resolution, go for a bigger memory card.

DIGITAL ZOOM: This is nothing more than the camera's internal software doubling the image. Optical Zoom is the real deal, but costs a lot. So don't believe the '10x Digital Zoom' business, go in for a '2x Optical Zoom' baby. Act pro.

SOFTWARE: Often the overlooked part of the digital camera buying guide, good photo editing software can make a world of difference.

USER INTERFACE: Finally, if it comes to choosing between a fully-loaded but complex camera and one that's easy to use, opt for the latter.

HEALTH NOTES
Smart Bingeing

A friend whose job frequently involves striking deals with clients while plying them with booze-it's a perfectly decent above-the-board company that he works for and not what you think-swears by something he calls the Prairie Oyster. It's a concoction of a raw egg, some tomato juice, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper and, of course, vodka. Mix it up and swallow it all at once, he advises, adding that it's the best cure for a binge-induced hangover. Most bingers have their pet recipes for 'a hair of the dog that bit you' remedy but believe me, they don't work. Bingers who insist they do are in denial. Period. The morning after is going to be miserable if you've not been responsible the night before.

A better strategy is to be smart while tippling. First, remember that alcohol's extreme dehydrating effects cause much of the pains that accompany heavy drinking. A simple tip to follow, therefore, is to keep your system hydrated-drink lots of water before and after a boozing session. Remember too that drinking too fast is a sure-fire recipe for disaster. Try to restrict yourself to one (or a maximum of two drinks) per hour. One drink equals a small bottle of beer or 60 ml of 80 proof spirit or a glass of wine. Also, never drink on an empty stomach. Alcohol hits you worse on an empty stomach and the ingestion of food in the small intestine helps slow down the absorption of alcohol into the system and keep you from getting drunk.

If it's a thirsty client you have to meet for a drink, ensure that you follow some precautions. Or tricks. Says S. Jagadeesh, National Sales Manager of Sun Microsystems (India): ''If the client is someone who can drink a lot and not drinking along with him would seem rude, we organise a dinner to allow the client less time to drink. Or, we try to meet such clients in a team-while one of us keeps pace with him in drinking, the others remain in control.''

Of course, nothing works better than not bingeing at all. But if you're forced to go overboard on occasion, remember these tips: drink a lot of water; opt for water as a mixer rather than soda; and never drink on an empty stomach. As for the morning-after miseries, don't fall for an alcohol-based 'hangover cure' but settle for fruit juice or water and perhaps a good old aspirin to soften the pounding in your head. Cheers!

-Ananya Roy

HEALTH SNIPPETS

STONE-WASHED
Kidney stones can be killing-figuratively, of course. Not only do they hurt like hell, but they have a tendency to return unless you guard against them. The number one cause of stones, which are actually mineral deposits, is not drinking enough water. A proper diet can also minimise occurrence of stones. Here's a short list of what's OK and what's not.

GOT STRESS? TRY YOGA
If you're doing yoga, you're doing the right thing. Studies at the Center of Integrative Medicine of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia found the cortisol (or stress hormone) levels in the blood of 16 healthy yoga novices decreased after a 50-minute yoga session. So roll out your mats and do those asanas.