My name is Pranav. I am your regular technology industry worker bee residing in Bangalore.
One not so regular thing may be the fact that I have traveled a lot within India. That is partly because I grew up in east (the famous Bokaro Steel City, now in Jharkhand), studied in the west (Bombay became Mumbai while I was there), and started my software career in the south (Bangalore turning Bengalooru). Bigger reason was my Dad who loved playing domestic tourist. Thanks to him, I have been almost everywhere, Kashmir to Kanyakumari, with the exception of North Eastern states.
Software industry took me to the San Francisco bay area, US where I spent a little more than all of my six H1B years. I moved back to Bangalore – from Santa Clara to be precise – in early 2005.
I am a news junkie and follow growth and development related news as much as I can. Besides current affairs, a key interest is Indian History, especially the ancient, pre-medieval part. Not because I am a BJP RSS type (I strictly am not), but simply because there is so much suspense and unknown about those times thanks to our fore-fathers who didn’t appreciate the idea of leaving behind written traces of themselves.
Another interest is gadgets and technology in general. Technology sucks, but I still like these early generation, scaringly-geeky, hard-to-use and overly-expensive gadgets around us.
And last, this note about myself wont be complete without mentioning love for music, primarily Bollywood, ancient, medieval or modern.
/India/Bangalore/things 
[…] About Me […]
Came here through DS’s post. Was comparing his ‘About me’ section with yours. Pranav is my nephews name, which means Omkaara(Ohm)..
Six H1B.. Ha Ha..!!
Silk board reminds me the place which generally cloggs with traffic jams here on hosur road. Quite amazing to see that as your blog name..
I am yet to read your post Pranav. There is another person called Somebody who is referred SB .. We can call you SB1 or SB2. :-)
Take Care,
Veena
veena:
me too.
pranav:
me spent a good portion of my life in jharkhand too, and fractions at bombay (it was not yet mumbai :-), and bangalore, the capital of mysore! go figure!!
– s.b.
-s.b.,
Start your blog, you are very must a eligible candidate(with grey matter!)
thx
Pranav, thanks very much for your comment on my cricket blog. Appreciate it. Sorry for the late reply; I didn’t see it and had then headed off to India (where I visited Bangalore for the first time and had an absolute blast!).
Hope to see you again on the blog sometime.
Cheers,
Samir
Hello Pranav,
From what I heard, the new 2007 Bangalore CDP should have been signed and released last month (January 2007). Do you know when (by which day/month) the new 2007 Bangalore CDP expected to be signed and released? Thank you very much.
I write in response to your “Mad dogs and drivers” post on Metroblogging. I cannot understand how you can compare the actions of humans with animals (stray dogs). Humans are a different species in that they possess many abilities that animals do not possess like the ability to think, the ability to understand, the ability to change the way they conduct themselves and so on and so forth. And above all humans can be held responsible for their actions and inaction, in other words humans have responsibiities toward society, fellow citizes, their families etc. This is not the case with animals. TO give you an example humans can be taught ways they can adopt to control the size of their families. This cannot happen with animals. Even animals rights and animal lovers accept this as they know that trying to control the stray population with such methods as condoms etc. will not be possible. That is why they are trying to control the stray population with sterilization.
You compare the statistics about the number of people killed by mad drivers and those killed by stray dog. The point is mad drivers can be disciplined in a number of ways to respect the rights and lives of pedestrians provided there is a will. They can be put into jails, fined and so on; this cannot happen with stray dogs.
Because humans can be held responsible, because humans can be talked to and reasoned with they are to be treated differently from animals. Because humans can be asked to control the size of their families in the interests of their children, their society, their nation and so on they can be asked to adopt family planning measures. On the other hand since such an approach cannot work with animals, stray dogs have to be mass sterilized. However even mass sterilization is impossible due to a variety of reasons and besides, there are other problems, therefore stray dogs have to be put to sleep.
Vivek, either I didn’t that write well, or the humongous amount of comments on that post made you think I was defending the dogs. The point I was making was only about why this dog problem gets every one worked up so much (inc those ministers, Revanna etc) when the other menace – taxies running over pedestrians, esp in the night hours – has just been accepted as “unsolvable” and “accidents”.
Yes, both the problems (so similar, both our creations, both kill people at the very same venue, one kills 3-5 every day, other kills 5-10 whole year) need to be solved. But the one that should require more energies and effort from us – does not.
About the dogs, sorry, but I don’t wish to be dragged into that part of the debate. But I can tell you one thing. We, the drivers, behave just like those dogs or worse on our city roads today.
I’ll begin my response with an incident, its narration to my cousin and the consequent comment from him and then I’ll (try to) make my point which should, perhaps by then, be obvious.
Well, a friend of mine went to Johannesburg (or thereabouts) on a short business trip. On return he told us that he had been chauffeured around (car provided by his employer) for otherwise he would have been possibly robbed at traffic junctions. The miscreants just smash the window panes at traffic stops even in broad daylight. People take precautions to minimize the possibility of such an incident happening to them.
When I shared this with my cousin he said if it were to happen in India the public would have lynched (may not be literally) the robbers. I said perhaps, but you know, we (Indians) have been silently stomaching similar incidents too without realizing that. Corrupt traffic policemen (!) trying to make money blatantly at traffic lights, corrupt government officials harassing gullible public to make money and even more. Those incidents have become so common and usual that we accept them as the order of the day. We even fail to see them synonymous with the incident in Africa my friend narrated. A deep and calm thought about these would perhaps help us realize the otherwise obvious!
Now, this is the point I’m trying to make: We’ve incidents in roads (we call them accidents!) that happen so regularly that we don’t find anything unusual about it and gradually started accepting them as usual and normal. In reality, normal and usual they are not. I hope that’s the point what SB too tried to make. I’m not advocating for SB but in this topic his thought resonated with mine & hence the comment.
SB perhaps you should have wrote this? – It’s good the media is giving due attention to the cases of death due to mauling. If only at least the same attention be given to even more tragic killings of our brethren by 2 legged ANIMALS (animals, please pardon me for equating such motorists with you, I know it’s an insult to you) that drive recklessly.
Friends – death caused by the dogs are no cheap in ANYWAY for them to be sidelined. But hasn’t the frequency of incidents in road (I won’t call them accidents!) that kill our beloved ones increased to an extent that we started accepting them as regular affairs? When someone calls attention for those incidents TOO, in NO WAY the need to prevent killing by dog takes a backseat.
My final thought on it: Maybe the general awareness of the public wasn’t that good the days when callousness towards fellowmen on roads started showing up that they failed to raise voice and thus gradually accepted it? Both of these types of incidents are brutal and both are by animals the only difference is the ones with 2 legs kill more! We need to realize that.
Simi, I take that as a word of support, and thanks for the same. These things (1000 fender benders and 5 pedestrian deaths every day, lack of civility, unwanted stress for all) are not accidents, all are solvable problems. I am shocked to find that we have all just chosen to live with the jungle on our roads.
You are right, 2 legged animals need bigger and more severe punishments than these dogs.
hey pranav how’s it going. Interesting blog you have here. email me when you get the chance I have some interesting news for you.
/arvind/
pranav:
are you originally from bihar, or are you a kannadiga who was in bihar once upon a time?
– s.b.
Hi Pranav,
I got to your blog when enquiring about Auto Transmission cars in India on google. Ended up reading your review of the Honda City CVT. Must say that you have done a good job with the detailed description of your experience with the car and the pre-sales research. I have been a user of the Esteem AX since moving back to India from LA in 98 and have been largely happy with the choice I made at that time, when there were very limited options in all segments. Honda was yet to launch the City. Now I am going in for another AT and would have gone for another Esteem or Baleno had they offered an AT variant. Surprisingly, they have withdrawn this option. So as you rightly said, the option for under Rs. 10 lakh remains a Hobson’s Choice. Santro is too cramped, so the Honda City CVT seems the best bet.
Just wanted to check if your experience with your Honda CVT remains as positive as it was back in mid 2006 when you did that review. Any issues that might have cropped up lately, after almost 2 years of Bangalore City driving?
Would appreciate a reply. I am very close to placing my order for the Honday City CVT. I live in NOIDA and recently left the IT world to pursue my interests in teaching, training and mentoring. Have an old connection with Bangalore, having done my higher secondary from KV Hebbal (near IISc) and then my PGDM from IIMB before hitting the IT sector two decades ago!
Cheers!
Pramod.
98101 41654
I had stopped tracking comments here.
Arvind – just emailed you, better late than never.
some body – born in the east, settled down south
Pramod – CVT is just they way it was when I bought it. no issues or change in my original impressions – good mileage, power (slightly low), nice practical city car. I have not been tracking ATs actively, but I didn’t I see any AT launches under 10L. May be corolla has dropped down now. But you should look at Civic AT if you can afford it.
pranav:
that’s still neither here nor there. my sibling was also born in the east. ok, let me try it this way – where (if you know) were your forefathers born? don’t bring up harappa now ;-).
– s.b.
Not near harappa s.b., my forefathers were born near Vikramshila :) Originally from Bihar s.b, though I was born in what is now jharkhand.
Thanks for the enlightenment, Pranav. I have in fact gone ahead and placed my order on the City CVT. Hope to be behind its wheel next week. And you are right, there have not been any additions to the AT options under 10L since the time you bought yours :-(
Cheers!
Pramod.
PS. Is there any online group of Honda City buyers? Would like to join it if there is one. Else, maybe you can start one :-)
too many sbs! this would be a nice title to a post.
when i first became ‘s.b.’, i thought i was a unique ‘some body’ – now, in two days, i have been flabbergasted to come across two other “sb“s! all this in addition to you, pranav, but at least you uncloaked yourself :-).
btw, i now know of four pranavs including you, though you are the only one i have interacted with!
– s.b.
Hi Pranav,
I am writing a report on “urban transportation in India”. I would like to ask you a few questions to get your views on urban transportation situation at bangalore. Please do mail me with your contact number if you are interested.
Thanks
Pradeep, sent you a mail on the id you left here.
Hi Pranav,
I am working on a “context-specific” public transport system called MetroPLUS. It uses a fleet of eco-freindly vehicles – electric scooters/bikes, cars, auto-rick, 6-15 seater open minibus – running on either batteries (solar power charged as much as available) or 4-stroke LPG and other clean fuels and large numbers of bicycles. These will be for short trips and for feeder trips to demand-responsive and transaction-oriented car-pooling and limited-stop bus service.
I would like to further talk to you. Can you mail me your contact details.
Regards,
Vikash
P.S. Incidentally, I also studied in that amazing place called Bokaro Steel City.
Hi Pranav,
I came across your blog when i was searching for blogs related to Bangalore.
The reason why i was looking for blogs related to Bangalore is coz we are coming up with a portal for the city Bangalore, and would like to know if you can publish your posts about Bangalore in our portal too (with the links to your blog also published).
You can rit to me on bharadwaj[dot]rao[at]gmail[dot]com
hoping to here from you
good job here. but blog more often, write longer posts, or join a group blog.
What does it take to be in your blogroll?
-Su
http://bangalorebuzzz.blogspot.com/
anon, thanks. longer posts demand time and patience. I do try group blogging at Praja. And did some earlier at Bangalore Metblogs.
Suzanna, just a few nice blog posts on Bangalore, or perhaps an unlocked iPhone or a Wii. Kidding. I haven’t updated by blogroll for sometime now, will do soon.
Grrr!
:-)
Pl do!
(hmm. iPhone. hacked one?)
Hi Pravin, this is a vibrant blog that you are running. Just read your recent autorickshaw post. I wonder why most India bloggers have at least one post about autorickshaws (probably because its so central to Indian middle class life, and those drivers have no clue what is being said and can’t reply anyway :-) Keep up the good work and post more photos.
Hi
I visited your blog and it is truly amazing.
I would like to discuss more on Indian Traffic with you, so please have some your email address. You can catch me catch_dev83@yahoo.com
And one more thing. I took a video of Indian Traffic in my city, Rajkot. And to my surprise it received over 29000 HITS in just two weeks. You might like to have a look at it.
Here it is: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1029994/traffic_on_indian_road/
Found your website via Google, while searching for “automatic cars in India”! Great blog… :)
-jen
p.s. I also came to India via the SF Bay Area – lived in the City for most of my time there.
Enjoy your blog. Better than most of the other Bangalore centric ones. Recently stumbled upon http://www.citizenmatters.in/. Seems they have taken a different approach – collate contributions from amateaur/professional bloggers/journalists into a newspaper kind of look. What do you think?
“Long time …”, thanks for the comment. If you are involved with citizenmatters, let me tell you that I have met their ‘founders’ a few times, to see if Praja-bangalore and CM can work together. Doors are still open, and we will keep talking.
I wish CM all the best, and do think its a nice venture. But my personal wish is to tap into this “blogging” wave (there are tons of people who don’t do it for money, see – there are no ads here) and somehow create a platform for “meaningful blogging”. A “meaningful blogging” place would be a platform where you will not only get to say, but will have a door open for doing what you say as well. Hard to do, and harder to explain as well, but some of us are trying at http://bangalore.praja.in
Citizenmatters, since they are commercial, and more “journalistic”, are not what I have in mind. When you are in it for money, sooner or later, you will hit those conflicts of interest that traditional media sees. Its a matter of time for CM, but knowing Subbu a bit, I will be watching with interest as to how they’d deal with that.
Hi Pranav,
Looking forward to proving you wrong :-))
BTW, just for the record, though you are well aware of our approach: Citizen Matters is a commercial venture & the primary reason is sustainability. Quality journalism needs to be encouraged & supported, especially at the local level.
Citizen Matters’ focus is a balanced reflection of the city, with professional journalism and citizen voices complementing each other.
Meera, yes, sustainability is a very important angle. We are seeing this ourselves at Praja where the site has become big enough that part-time watching over may not suffice from now on.
We should talk again soon. After a few months of trying our ways, we will have more to share with each other.
Hi pranav,
Thought you are silk board at silk board circle representing a governament organization called the Silk Board! I was plesently surprised to know that you are Pranav.
I am a brand new blogger at
http://developingbangaloreonline.blogspot.com/
Yours is a very professional web site. Will be visiting often.
—-Ananthram PS, Senior Citizen.
Ananthram sir, thanks. However, I am about to either wrap up or redo this personal blog. Saw your posts on Praja, you write well. Hope to see more from you there, and perhaps see each other at the next Praja meet.
Pranav, i was just surfing the net when i came across your blog. I am Preeti and am working for business magazine as an editorial executive. I read about construction of elevated expressway from Silk Board to Electronic City and I feel that it can be taken as an article in our magazine Construction of India. If u can write an article of about 1500 wordson this topic and can send us with your photo alongwith your qualification and designation we can carry it in our august issue. I hope to hear a positive response from you. U can mail me at my mail id.
i wanted to know the procedure for paying the road tax.
recently i bought a new bike in some other state and then i was shifted to the city of garden and now i wanted to stay here for another 3 or 4 months. now in order to ride my bike, here in bangalore, what i need to do? whether i have to pay road tax or is there any other procedure so that i can drive my bike here for another 3 months.
Hi, your blog is a very interesting one. I would really like to get in touch with you. It would be really nice if you could give me your email address.
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Hey, Pranav!
Are You Indian? Are You traveler? Have You ever been in Europe… for exemple – in Poland? :)
(sorry for my poor English, but my native language is Polish)
You must see my beautiful country, old castles, amazing landscapes, delicious food, great people… and other more :) if You want know more about Poland let type EPIC POLAND in search-box on Facebook :) or here is link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Epic-Poland/652932704723120?fref=ts
And if You were ever in Poland, in Wroclaw city, I can help You :)
Greetings from Poland!
Oleg