Mercury aside, IPL cricket fever hots up Pune further this summer...CSK vs Pune Warriors. If you think you can get a ticket for today's match, keep dreaming ! I tried with no luck! So its sour grapes and how wonderful it is going to be to catch replays sitting in the comfort of my recliner, with my favourite poison !

The minnows have been keeping Pune's hopes raised and today it promises to be a clash of the Titans ! Can Dhoni assure a nail biting cliif hanger once more (Kohli's cockiness waning as CSK hit 28 in just one over of his in the last match,was a sight to see) or is 'gung holy' Sourav, out to prove that he still has it in him to sweep the Marathas to victory.

Whatever the outcome, the woofers will be on, the pizza has been ordered and the recliners are set...all it takes is to see if this match will leave me shaken for I don't plan to stir !

As an educational professional in India…

As an educational professional in India…

Images of elephants and tigers apart, India is fast emerging out of its ancient cocoon, to the more modern picture of a nation grappling with an educated workforce, mushrooming presence of global brand names and Fortune 500 companies, including international training organizations and increasing disposable incomes.

Companies, and more importantly their backbone, the HR (and L&D) departments are coming to terms with this surge. Never has the spotlight been so much on training, ramping up skills and retaining talent, as now. For trainers it is a dream come true, but for companies it is a Herculean effort to sift the chaff from the grain, especially since every street in India has at least one HR consultancy (Recruitment/ Training/ Payroll processing/Talent Management/Data Analysis… ‘you name it, we have it’ is their ‘mantra’) wanting to cash in on this boom or an aspiring training professional who proffers to be a consultant with a difference!

Where quality holds its sway is when a trainer has skill sets that are rooted in the present, speaks a language that reflects the corporate ethos in every industry sector being trained, is passionate and open about learning with every session he/she facilitates and has an edge with bona-fide qualifications that are globally recognized.

Having been in the business development side for education services for 6 years and thereafter as a training professional for an equal amount of time, it has never been more challenging than now for me, to cross the divide and continue making that difference in the world of training.

And I am ramping up even as I sign off !

Article created for the March 2012 Newsletter of International Board of Certified Trainers, Europe