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<ul><li><keyword id="6374020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anant-Ambani">Anant Ambani</keyword> is the youngest son of <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, the current chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries.</li><li>Anant, who has stayed away from his family business so far, has joined Jio Platforms as an additional director.</li><li>Delivering his first keynote speech, Anant Ambani said, “Reliance meri jaan hai”.</li></ul>Anant Ambani, the youngest son of Mukesh Ambani, has joined Jio Platforms as director. The wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries has been in the news for the past few weeks as it received <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambani-may-not-be-done-selling-stake-in-jio-even-after-one-sixth-of-the-telco-is-already-out-of-his-hands/articleshow/75892898.cms">billions of dollars of investment</a> from Facebook, KKR, Vista and others. But who is Anant Ambani? The 25-year old is the third child of Mukesh and Nita Ambani. He’s the latest in the Ambani family to join the business, delivering a keynote speech at the birth anniversary of his late grandfather and RIL founder Dhirubhai Ambani. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="71514281" title="Meet the new generation of Ambanis — Isha, Akash, Anant, Anshul and Anmol" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> “India should lead the change and Reliance should be at the forefront of that change. Reliance meri jaan hai (Reliance is my life),” he said during his speech. Anant Ambani <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/more-than-half-of-transportation-and-logistics-professionals-still-use-a-pen-and-paper-to-manage-their-supply-chain-heres-how-blockchain-could-change-that/articleshow/71513443.cms">spent most of his life</a> at Jamnagar, Gujarat. He studied at the Dhirubhai Ambani International School and completed his graduation from Brown University in 2017. He lost a whopping 108 kilos in 18 months <div type="image" title="Anant Ambani" msid="76006049" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Anant Ambani before and after the weight loss.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Anant is known for being involved in social activities with his mother. But most prominently, he’s known for his drastic weight loss – he lost 108 kilos in less than 18 months. Anant has a history of chronic asthma, and the medication he took for this was the reason behind his massive weight gain. He shed the flab with a <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/photo-stories/this-diet-had-helped-anant-ambani-shed-108-kgs/photostory/62381982.cms">combination of dietary changes</a> and a strict exercise regimen of 5-6 hours a day. Anantvilas, a luxury resort by The Oberoi Group, is named after him The Oberoi Group, known for its luxury hotels across and outside the country, <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/oberoi-luxury-resort-to-be-named-after-mukesh-ambani-s-son-anant-119090100749_1.html">announced</a> its first urban luxury resort in September last year. Called Oberoi Anantvilas, the resort is named after Anant Ambani. The resort is located in a real estate corridor owned and operated by Reliance Industries and the Maker group. Joining the family business <div type="image" title="Anant and Akash Ambani" msid="75996531" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Anant and Akash Ambani.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While his elder siblings Isha and Akash had joined the family business early and delivered speeches during the launch of the Jio Phone 2, Anant stayed away so far. Now at the age of 25 years, he joins Isha and Akash as an additional director on the board of Jio Platforms. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/meet-the-new-generation-of-ambanis-isha-akash-anant-anshul-and-anmol/articleshow/71514281.cms">Meet the new generation of Ambanis — Isha, Akash, Anant, Anshul and Anmol</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambani-may-not-be-done-selling-stake-in-jio-even-after-one-sixth-of-the-telco-is-already-out-of-his-hands/articleshow/75892898.cms">Mukesh Ambani may not be done selling stake in Jio even after one-sixth of the telco is already out of his hands</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/how-to-apply-for-reliance-industries-rights-issue-shares/articleshow/75862683.cms">How to apply for RIL rights issue shares</a>

Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son Anant Ambani who said “Reliance meri jaan hai” joins Jio Platforms as Director

The old adage ‘health is wealth’ still holds golden in this tech-savvy world and right from Bollywood celebrities to corporate honchos to politicos, they all seem to have cracked it. 
 
The internet went berserk after images of a lean Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, surfaced and everyone wanted to know the secret potion. 
 
Days after, we saw a slimmer looking Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister, and now these two men have given us some real fitness goals. 
 
But let’s face it, we all give ourselves excuses of being stuck in the vicious circle of home-work-work after office. If Fadnavis, who works 18 hours every day throughout the week, can do it, we can also nail it. 
 Of course, one of the main reason why Fadnavis managed to pull off this feat was that he was being personally guided and coached by holistic, global health guru <keyword id="144538" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mickey-Mehta">Mickey Mehta</keyword>, to reduce 18 kilos in just 3 months. 
 
“I life coach people who are willing to add meaning to their lives, are true to their purpose and objective and yes, Mr Fadnavis fit the bill. The journey was extremely good. So, my primary objective is well-being, wellness, healing, holistic health and not weight loss,” said Mehta. 
 
A doughty looking Fadnavis did not look obese in his recent public engagements and it was refreshing to see him in a new avatar. 
 
When asked how Mehta, who has trained many Bollywood celebs like Aamir Khan, Preity Zinta, managed with Fadnavis’ schedule, he said two hours every day were enough. 
 
“It was difficult and I literally had to message him, everyday reminding and motivating him and it truly makes a difference. He sacrificed his sleep and gave time. In two hours a week also, there is lots of dynamic breathing, yogic breathing, there is lots of stretching, contracting , there is lots of walking also and I addressed his muscular skeletal system bit by bit,” revealed Mehta. 
 
Mehta, who has a PhD for Philosophy in well-being, said Fadnavis is also spiritually very inclined and they did a lot of chanting. 
 
“We do a lot of chanting, we make him lie down on grass, take lot of sunshine on his face, chant lot of mantras and that’s perfectly enough to transform anybody physically, physiologically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. End of the day, activation of brain, endocrine system, the nervous system influences the state of body,” he said. 
 
So, what does it take for an obese person to lose weight? Determination and right combination of eating and exercises. 
 
Here are his best kept secrets for obese people to lose weight: 
 
1) Lie down and don’t do things standing up at all or very little, because a lot of body weight falls on the knees. 
2) Make sure you take baby steps while walking and going from one exercise to the other. 
3) Do lot of yogic, dynamic breathing, administer a lot of stretching and open up. 
4) Progressive resistance training really needs to be scaled up but once again in small baby steps. 
5) Be very careful that you don’t hurt the back, the joints, ligaments. Hurting these could end in spasms and injuries.

Health guru Mickey Mehta reveals how he made busy Maharashtra CM knock off 18 kilos in 3 months

Bollywood celebrities, industrialists, politicians, entrepreneurs, etc have given us new <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=fitness&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">fitness</a> goals. Slim avatars of who’s who are going viral every day and celebrities such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Stunning-Parineeti-shows-what-a-make-over-should-really-look-like/articleshow/50124643.cms">Parineeti Chopra</a>, Alia Bhatt, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=devendra+fadnavis&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=anant+ambani&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Anant Ambani</a>, Manish Paul, etc have become our role models. 
 
Such <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=weight+loss&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">weight loss</a> stories are motivating enough to shake us out from our sedentary lifestyles and move us towards our fitness goals. 
 
And, as the old adage goes ‘nothing is impossible’, all you need is dedication and motivation. 
 
“Staying positive is very important. If you are determined enough, you will find a way and do it. You need to follow perfect practices to lose weight,” said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/John-Abrahams-personal-trainer-tells-you-7-easy-steps-to-get-a-body-like-the-star/articleshow/49338802.cms">celebrity fitness trainer Vinod Channa</a>, who is presently training actor John Abraham for his next movie. 
 
If you are focussed on weight loss, start with these 7 steps 
 
1. Don’t waste time. If you want to lose weight, NOW is the time. Take guidance from the right fitness expert and a certified one, who has 5-10 years of experience. 
 
2. Keep a target in mind which is realistic and attainable. Be positive and keeping small targets and achieving them will boost your morale. 
 
3. Add protein in your diet but also keep your meal balanced. Eat carbohydrates and fats according to your body requirement and fat percentage. 
 
4. Avoid junk, oily food, maida and sweets. 
 
5. Make sure you eat right the type of food and on right time without fail. Have a diet plan which is not boring and you don’t have to go for a cheat day. 
 
6. Workout on regular basis such as resistance training, functional training, walking and cycling. 
 
7. Don’t take your workout and diet plan as a punishment. Be consistent and you will see the results. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Start your weight loss regimen with these 7 easy tips

When American nutritionist Adelle Davis said, ‘Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper’, of course she had strong claims to back it. 
 
Fitness experts also swear by the same advice as they suggest people to go light on dinners. Science also backs it as going to sleep with a heavy calorie intake slows metabolism, digestion and leads to weight gain and lethargy. 
 “Dinner should be a light, well-portioned meal. One should avoid heavy meals at night, because our metabolism is at its lowest towards the end of the day,” said celebrity fitness trainer <keyword id="943140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Channa">Vinod Channa</keyword>, who is also training Ambani scion, <keyword id="6374020" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anant-Ambani">Anant Ambani</keyword>. 
 
Apart from light dinner, a lot of consideration also goes into what is on your plate and sometimes preparing a nutritious dinner also seems like rocket science. 
 
“You should know how to stock your kitchen with healthy nutritious foods, which are both colourful and tasty. It is also good to have an early dinner because you are a little active than you would be too late in the night,” suggested Channa, who is presently training John Abraham for his next movie. 
 
So, if you want to know what to eat and what to avoid, Read on: 
 
(Images: Thinkstock)

This celebrity trainer tells you what NOT to eat for dinner, especially when you want to lose weight

Anant Ambani’s epic weight loss is astonishing and reads like a story out of a before-and-after weight loss advertisement. 
 
But it was not as simple as it sounds. From weighing 208 kilos to 100 kilos now, a staggering loss of 108 kilos and that too within 18 months, reveals the amount of hardwork and dedication a person has put in to get back into shape. 
 
For Anant, the journey wasn’t easy, as coupled with bad eating habits, medical issues, he had to make some serious sacrifices, but for good, of course. 
 His trainer <keyword id="943140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vinod-Channa">Vinod Channa</keyword> is to be applauded for the astounding weight loss. Channa, who is a celebrity fitness trainer and has trained John Abraham, Shilpa Shetty, among other Bollywood stars, says Anant has everything a person needs to achieve his/her goal. 
 
“Anant Ambani’s body transformation was a team work. This is not only done by me but it was effort of Anant and Dr. Andre Chimone as well. In my 22 years of career, I have never seen a person with so much dedication,” said Channa. 
 
So, what was the Anant’s schedule like, including his fitness training and diet? Anant focused on yoga, cardio, strength or functional training. 
 
“During the first phase, we focused on his nutrition which included protein, low carbs, fibres, etc. We started walking from 30 minutes to two hours, depending on his capacity. For resistance training, we added supporting equipments like leg press, chest press. Initially, the workouts were low on intensity as he was unable to do high sets, high reps due to his medical issue and body balancing problems,” said Channa. 
 
Speaking about the diet, Channa had put Anant on a strict diet, consuming only 1200 calories in a day. 
 
“His diet includes lots of vegetables, sprouts, cottage cheese, lentils, pulses and half teaspoon of ghee. This was the only diet he had stick to. His calorie consumption in a day was 1200 -1400 calories,” the trainer said. 
 
Well, we all have our weak moments and Anant is also a human after all. When asked about his weak moments and if he thought of giving up, Channa said ,“Sometimes he used to expect that he needs to lose certain gram of weight everyday, which is not possible every time. His lifestyle, like late nights and hormonal changes and lot of other issues made him gain 200-300 grams due to which he felt de-motivated at times. He would be very tensed about his workout and diet routine. He wanted a diet plan that would make him lose weight everyday, which is impossible,” said Channa. 
 
But, we all know he did not give in and Anant displayed to the world his slim avatar. 
 
“Anant was aware what he needs to do and where he needs to reach. He was dedicated and strict with his diet which is very difficult for an individual who has a past of over eating and junk food,” said Channa. 
 
Channa advised Anant to be positive and eat right at the right time. 
 
“I also used to give him break diets so that he felt motivated for regular workouts also. Workout sessions, with time, became fun and enjoyable for him,” said Channa. 
 
Now since the secret is finally out, you know where to head!

Anant Ambani’s trainer reveals the workout routine and diet plan that led to the epic weight loss

<ul><li>Mukesh Ambani became a grandfather, today, after his son Akash Ambani and daughter-in-law Shloka Mehta gave birth to a baby boy in Mumbai. </li><li>This is the first child of Shloka Mehta and Akash Ambani after the couple tied the knot in March 2019. </li><li>The 63-old Ambani is the richest man of Asia and has a net wealth of $77.2 billion, according to Forbes.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/">Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.</a> </li></ul>Asia's richest man and the owner of the most valued company of India, Mukesh Ambani became a grandfather after his son Akash Ambani, and daughter-in-law Shloka Mehta gave birth to a baby boy in Mumbai. "Nita and Mukesh Ambani are delighted to become grandparents for the first time, as they welcomed the great-grandson of Dhirubhai and Kokilaben Ambani," the family said in a statement, according to <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/shloka-akash-ambani-become-parents-of-baby-boy-7694741.htm">CNBCTV18</a>. The statement <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/shloka-akash-ambani-become-parents-of-baby-boy-7694741.htm">reportedly </a>mentioned that both mother and son are doing well. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Shloka Mehta is the daughter of diamantaire Russell Mehta and Mona Mehta. The couple were reportedly school friends who met at Dhirubhai Ambani school. And, got engaged in June 2018 before getting married last year, which was attended by some of the world's most rich and powerful including Hillary Clinton, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and former British PM Tony Blair. This is the first child of Shloka Mehta and Akash Ambani after the couple tied the knot in March 2019. The 63-old Ambani is the richest man of Asia and has a net wealth of $77.2 billion, according to Forbes. Ambani's have three children — twins Akash and Isha, and Anant. Akash Ambani is the eldest son of the family. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-hit-with-2-massive-antitrust-lawsuits-from-the-ftc-and-46-states-seeking-to-spin-off-instagram-and-whatsapp/articleshow/79652195.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Facebook hit with 2 massive antitrust lawsuits from the FTC and 46 states seeking to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/airbnb-prices-ipo-at-68-per-share-will-raise-3-5-billion/articleshow/79653812.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Airbnb prices IPO at $68 per share, will raise $3.5 billion</a>

Asia's richest man now has a grandson

<ul><li>Reliance Industries’ share price surged by over 2% even as volatility loomed large on other stocks in the market.</li><li>This comes after RIL’s stock witnessed a battering of nearly 5% over the last month, after touching an all-time high recently.</li><li>Two factors are responsible for investors throwing their weight behind <keyword id="3820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani" source="Orion">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>’s company, and they both have to do with the company’s telecom ambitions.</li></ul>Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries staged a rebound on Monday even as markets experienced volatility on the back of two positives – a 21% <keyword id="5921297" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jio-tariff-hike" source="Orion">Jio tariff hike</keyword> and reports of Reliance being interested in UK telco British Telecom. Shares of Reliance Industries were trading at ₹2,465 a piece as at 10:30 a.m., on Monday, November 29, up by more than 2% when compared to the closing price on November 26. <div type="image" title="Reliance 01_11_21 to 29_11_21." msid="87974178" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Reliance share price in November, 2021&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Earlier yesterday, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/mukesh-ambani-led-reliance-jio-hikes-prices-of-its-plans-by-21/articleshow/87965329.cms">Reliance Jio announced</a> an anticipated tariff hike of up to 21% across all of its prepaid offerings, following in the footsteps of rivals <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtels-popular-prepaid-plans-may-now-cost-you-up-to-25-more/articleshow/87840177.cms">Airtel</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-hikes-tariffs-by-up-to-500-for-its-popular-plans/articleshow/87864183.cms">Vodafone Idea</a>. Additionally, the second factor that has given the stock price of Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate a boost is a report by <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/reliance-industries-weighs-bid-for-uks-telco-bt-group/articleshow/87970538.cms">The Economic Times</a> that states that Reliance is considering acquiring a stake in the UK telecom provider, British Telecom. British Telecom is the largest UK telecom provider with a market share of 28%, according to a report by <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/375986/market-share-held-by-mobile-phone-operators-united-kingdom-uk/">Statista</a>. This comes merely months after Reliance was <a href="https://telecoms.com/511232/reliance-reportedly-closes-in-on-acquiring-t-mobile-netherlands/">reportedly</a> close to acquiring T-Mobile Netherlands, eventually losing out to a consortium of private equity firms Apax Partners and Warburg Pincus. Despite losing the bid, the move signalled Reliance’s global telecom ambitions. The ET report notes that the deliberations to acquire a stake in BT are still in the early stages, which means that a potential deal might still not fructify. However, later during the day, RIL denied any intent to bid for BT, in an exchange filing. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/mukesh-ambani-led-reliance-jio-hikes-prices-of-its-plans-by-21/articleshow/87965329.cms">Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio hikes prices of its plans by 21%</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtels-popular-prepaid-plans-may-now-cost-you-up-to-25-more/articleshow/87840177.cms">Airtel’s popular prepaid plans may now cost you up to 25% more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-is-slowing-down-in-the-race-to-500-million-subscribers/articleshow/87862415.cms">Jio is slowing down in the race to 500 million subscribers – a goal set by none other than Mukesh Ambani</a>

Jio tariff hike and reports of bid for UK telco British Telecom help Reliance bounce back

<ul><li><keyword id="6354504" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="reliance-jio" source="Orion">Reliance Jio</keyword> has launched the <keyword id="14068505" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jio-game-controller" source="Orion">Jio Game Controller</keyword> in India.</li><li>The controller is compatible with Android tablets, TVs and the <keyword id="2003276" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="jio" source="Orion">Jio</keyword> Set-top box.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the Jio Game Controller.</li></ul>In a major step towards introducing its gaming platform, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio has introduced a new accessory for gamers – the Jio Game Controller. Jio has been working on the <keyword id="7201654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jiogames" source="Orion">JioGames</keyword> platform for some time now. The JioGames Platform will include a host of devices – gaming controllers, mobile controllers, VR headsets and more. The company has also launched the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jio.jiogames&amp;hl=en&amp;gl=US">JioGames app</a> that allows you to play games, watch livestreams and more. The controller is compatible with Android tablets, Android TV and Android and the Jio Set-top box. This is not compatible with PlayStation and Xbox. The Jio Game Controller will allow you to play your favorite games with ease as a controller makes it easier to play the game. It is a Bluetooth-enabled wireless gaming controller, so you don’t have to worry about tangled wires. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio Game Controller price and availability" comment="subhead" text="Jio Game Controller price and availability">Jio Game Controller price and availability</cmsannotation> The Jio Game Controller has been priced at ₹3,499 and is available from the <a href="https://www.jio.com/shop/en-in/jio-game-controller/p/491894897">Jio website</a> and Reliance Digital stores across the country in Matte Black color option. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Jio Game Controller features" comment="subhead" text="Jio Game Controller features">Jio Game Controller features</cmsannotation> The Jio Game Controller features a sleek design and weighs 200 grams, which is on the lighter side, so you don’t have to worry about the weight during extended gaming sessions. The Jio Game Controller offers low latency, which is important while playing online games as a delay could result in you losing the game. It is equipped with two vibration feedback motors, which ensure an immersive gaming experience. The Jio Game Controller features a 20-button control layout and 2 sticks, allowing you to perform several actions easily. The device is equipped with a rechargeable battery and comes with a microUSB port that allows you to easily charge the device. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/simple-one-test-drives-to-begin-from-july-20-how-to-book-cities-and-everything-you-need-to-know/articleshow/91888008.cms">Simple One test drives to begin from July 20 – how to book, cities and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/how-to-apply-isro-free-online-course-and-check-out-eligibility-criteria/articleshow/91831777.cms">ISRO announces free online course for students above 10 years – eligibility, how to apply and everything you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/how-to-find-out-how-much-you-have-spent-on-swiggy-so-far/articleshow/91810447.cms">How to find out how much you have spent on Swiggy so far</a>

Reliance Jio Game Controller – price, features and everything you need to know

Cancer is an unnatural growth of cells that wrecks the healthy environment of the body. The complications associated with it is not because of the disease, but due to the delayed diagnosis as the symptoms are mostly unclear at times. India has recorded a 333 per cent increase in online consultations with oncologists between January and December 2020, as per Practo's latest insights report. Of the total online consultations, 40 per cent came from non-metro cities while 60 per cent from metro cities. Non-metros recorded a steep 932 per cent increase in the number of online consultations, while the metro cities grew by 410 per cent. The findings indicated increased awareness about the disease and improved access to cancer specialists online, especially in non-metro cities - from 5 per cent in 2018 and 20 per cent in 2019 to 40 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile, a new observation was made in 2020 - the top searched queries were different in different parts of the country. People in non-metro cities enquired more about types of cancer such as bladder, thyroid, ovaries, and anal. In metro cities, on the other hand, the majority of queries revolved around more common types of cancer (like blood, breast, cervical, and oral). On <keyword id="104309" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Cancer-Day">World Cancer Day</keyword> marked across the globe on February 4 every year, Oncologist at Practo shares a list of commonly ignored symptoms, which could be warning signs of cancer. Cancers are painless when they start and so they get ignored by the patient and doctors alike. Anaemia: Tiredness in cancer is usually due anaemia (lack of blood) and deficiency of nutrition. The cancer drains most of nutrients from the body in its race to grow rapidly. Also there is bleeding from cancer tissue that makes one anaemic. Blood while passing stool: Very often, this is due to piles or similar causes. However, colon cancer and rectum cancer can also cause this. If a person happens to find blood in stool, it is wise to do colonoscopy to look inside of the colon. Cancer of colon can cause change in bowel habit (like alternating constipation and diarrhoea) Blood in urine: This always requires further tests. Cancer of the kidney or urinary bladder or prostate can result in blood in urine. The worst part is this bleeding can be irregular. This infrequency makes patients ignore this symptom. Even one episode of blood in urine needs through examination. Bleeding in between periods (women): Any bleeding that does not follow the usual pattern of menstrual period is a warning sign. Cancer of the uterus or cervix can cause these kinds of symptoms. Patients with cervical cancer also bleed after sexual intercourse. A patch or wound inside mouth: Oral or mouth cancers are common in India. These cancers start as a patch or wound and progress over months. If diagnosed early they can be treated effectively. Lump or swelling: Cancers of breast and limb begin as painless lumps or swellings and progress over months. Any newly appearing lumps or swellings should be thoroughly examined. Loss of weight without trying: A sudden weight loss when you are not dieting needs investigations. As cancer consumes most of the nutrition that you take, you tend to lose it. Loss of appetite and bloating food: This could be because of obstruction to bowel or because of a cancer secreting its toxic substances. Thorough examination is needed to reach a diagnosis. Lymph node enlargement: Lymph nodes are present everywhere in the body and function as filters. Most of the time they enlarge due to infections. The cancer cells also get filtered in these nodes and are trapped. They grow in these nodes and the nodes enlarge because of this growth. Trouble swallowing or vomiting after taking food are both warning signs of a cancer in the digestive tract. These need to be evaluated with endoscopic tests to identify the cause. Some patients have only persistent heartburns which are misdiagnosed as gastritis and treated only for months before correct diagnosis reveals itself. Pain is the last feature of cancer. Do not wait for it. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/news/new-citizenship-law-pulls-india-down-in-the-democracy-rankings-and-2021-is-not-looking-better/articleshow/80671194.cms">New citizenship law pulls India down in the democracy rankings — and 2021 is not looking better</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/bank-unions-strongly-oppose-divestment-bad-bank-and-fdi-in-insurance-with-threats-to-go-on-strike/articleshow/80668430.cms">Bank unions strongly oppose divestment, a bad bank and threaten to strike</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/budget-2021-22-prioritises-gaganyaan-indias-human-spaceflight-mission-over-all-others-heres-why/articleshow/80663272.cms">Budget 2021-22 prioritises Gaganyaan, India’s human spaceflight mission, over all others — here’s why</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-ratan-tata-and-anand-mahindra-might-come-together-for-indias-new-national-hydrogen-mission/articleshow/80645570.cms">Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, and Anand Mahindra might come together for India’s new National Hydrogen Mission</a>

World Cancer Day —  Ten warnings signs that could indicate an unnatural growth of cells

<ul><li>Several poor families have lost their livelihoods during this pandemic, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52210888">leaving at least 115 </a>million <keyword id="6354493" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="children">children</keyword> at the risk of <keyword id="6378239" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="malnutrition">malnutrition</keyword>. </li><li>However, according to Economist Mohan Guruswamy, the decline in the next quarter is<a href="https://twitter.com/fayedsouza/status/1300487337739055104"> going to be horrendous.</a> </li><li>Experts say while we control <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, we should not forget the development of other health issues and should continue to <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/malnutrition-causes-68-of-under-5-deaths-in-india/">pay attention to them as well. </a> </li></ul>In India, the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> pandemic forced tens of thousands of children to go to sleep on an empty stomach. Several poor families lost their livelihoods, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-52210888">leaving at least 115 </a>million children at the risk of malnutrition. And, the latest GDP number isn’t comforting. Economists believe India’s worsening economy — <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/gdp-growth-at-23-9-in-q1-worst-economic-contraction-on-record/articleshow/77851891.cms">which saw a -23.9% dip in GDP in three months</a> — is going to push more people under poverty and is also going to affect the country’s progress in reducing malnutrition. "What will happen is more people will lose jobs, and they'll lose hope. Hunger will increase, child malnutrition will increase, and more people will be pushed into poverty." Santosh Mehrotra, Professor of Economics and Chairperson, Centre for Informal Sector and Labour Studies, <a href="https://twitter.com/fayedsouza/status/1300491428003364864">JNU said in an interview</a>. Prof Mehrotra believes the economy will shrink further and which will reduce daily wages in rural areas. People will come to urban cities to find work, but due to a lack of jobs in the market, we will see a lot more beggars on the streets. However, according to Mohan Guruswamy, the decline hasn’t begun yet and the decline in the next quarter is<a href="https://twitter.com/fayedsouza/status/1300487337739055104"> going to be horrendous.</a> Guruswamy heads the Centre for Policy Alternative and has worked as an adviser to the Finance Ministry in 1998. COVID-19 brings India’s little progress to a halt Over the last few years, India was able to make a little progress in its fight against malnutrition, with a significant decline in child mortality rate. Between 2000 and 2017, India’s under-5 mortality rate (USMR) declined by 49% from 83 deaths per 1000 live births in 2000 to 42 deaths in 2017. There were 1.04 million under-five deaths in 2017, against 2.24 million in 2000, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2820%2930471-2">according to the latest research published in the Lancet. </a> The mortality data becomes a crucial indicator as <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/malnutrition-causes-68-of-under-5-deaths-in-india/"> 68% of under-five deaths in India are due t</a>o inaccessible proper meals or maternal and child malnutrition. If this progress were to continue, India would have met its Sustainable Goal of reducing under-five mortality to reduce to 25% by 2030. However, the progress came to a halt after the COVID-19 lockdown forced millions of children to stay out of school. For thousands of children in rural areas, this also means they won’t be able to get <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/malnutrition-could-cost-childrens-health-lives-for-years-after-covid-crisis-experts-warn/">food under the Mid-Day meal programme.</a> The World Health Organisation <a href="http://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/nutrition-infocus/feeding-babies-and-young-children-during-the-covid-19-outbreak.htmles,%20protein%20and%20milk">advised </a>people to give fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, protein, and milk to young children and infants during the pandemic. But, migrant labourers and other poor families could not afford to buy fruits and milk every day. Even getting by with a decent meal everyday was becoming a struggle. “I can only give them what I can afford,” a worker<a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/malnutrition-could-cost-childrens-health-lives-for-years-after-covid-crisis-experts-warn/"> told IndiaSpend. </a> Malnutrition perpetuates the vicious cycle of intergenerational undernutrition that results in a high incidence of babies born with low birth weight, more susceptible to infections, more likely to experience growth failure, reflected in high levels of child undernutrition and anaemia, Dr. Sunil Rajpal, Associate Professor, Health Economist, IIHMR University, Jaipur told Business Insider India. Experts say while we control COVID-19, we should not forget the development of other health issues and should continue to <a href="https://www.indiaspend.com/malnutrition-causes-68-of-under-5-deaths-in-india/">pay attention to them as well. </a> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/rise-in-work-from-anywhere-will-lead-to-more-outsourcing-thats-an-opportunity-for-tcs-infosys-and-hcl-tech/articleshow/77864248.cms">Rise in 'work from anywhere' will lead to more outsourcing — that's an opportunity for TCS, Infosys and HCL Tech</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/ambani-vs-damani-indias-635-billion-retail-ring-will-see-the-countrys-two-richest-men-battle-with-different-strategies/articleshow/77846555.cms">Ambani vs Damani ⁠— India’s $635 billion retail ring will see the country’s two richest men⁠ battle with different strategies</a>

COVID-19 has added a layer to malnutrition crisis in India

<ul><li><keyword id="2003276" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio">Jio</keyword>, Airtel and Vodafone say that a minimum floor price should be fixed for telecom tariffs. </li><li>BSNL and MTNL want to be exempted from a possible minimum floor price as their market share is lower than 15%. </li><li>Jio opposes the idea and says that it will promote inefficiencies and also believes free outgoing calls are a bad idea.</li></ul> The tables have turned and Mukesh Ambani’s <keyword id="10926" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance">Reliance</keyword> Jio, the top telecom player in the country, is consolidating its position. As a result, it now wants a minimum floor price and no exceptions. While Airtel and Vodafone are onboard with this, there are a new set of challengers with nothing to lose and a lot to gain -- BSNL and MTNL. These state owned telecom companies which are hoping to make a comeback after shedding employee weight and government’s capitalisation, want to play the tariff game. Now, it is Jio which is taking a diametrically opposite view. Reliance Jio has opposed the suggestion of BSNL and MTNL to exempt telecom operators having less than 15 per cent market share from minimum rates for phone calls and data services, according to a PTI. Exemption from floor prices will promote inefficiencies, says Jio The telco which started with free data and free calls now wants to oppose free outgoing calls, as long as mobile call termination charges are applicable. Termination call charges are paid by the network on which a call originates to the network where it lands. "We also oppose the BSNL/MTNL suggestion on exemption from floor when the market share based on VLR subscriber is less than 15 per cent, as the same is totally untenable, (and) would in fact promote inefficiencies and the intended objectives would not be met if the revised tariff regime is not implemented uniformly across all operators," Jio said in its comments to Trai on fixing floor prices. The <keyword id="30356" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (Trai) is holding consultations with interested parties over fixing a minimum price for call and data services following demand from the industry. According to Trai data for December 2019, BSNL has 10.26 per cent and MTNL 0.29 per cent market share in mobile services. MTNL operates in two circles - Mumbai and Delhi while BSNL operates in the rest of the country. Jio leads the market with 32.14 per cent market share. At present, telecom companies are free to decide on call and data rates but due to stiff competition, they have sought regulatory intervention. Vodafone Idea wants a minimum data price of ₹35 per GB Mobile subscribers get access to 4G data at a price as low as ₹3.5 per GB but if the floor price is fixed as demanded by telecom operators, mobile internet prices will rise 5-10 times from the current level. Debt-ridden Vodafone Idea has proposed that the minimum price of data should be fixed at ₹35 per GB, Bharti Airtel has proposed a minimum price of ₹30 per GB for low data users and Reliance Jio wants it to be hiked gradually to ₹20 per GB. Vodafone Idea (VIL) in its counter comments reiterated the need for fixing floor price for telecom services. It said that Trai should choose between "short term tariff corrections that are presently below costs and a long term monopoly". According to VIL's submission, it will take three years for the company to restore its revenue levels after minimum tariff regime is introduced. "Trai may also consider what it would be like to have a virtual monopoly and what will be the fall-out on the consumers including connectivity, prices, security, innovation, impact on Government exchequer and unduly high dependency on one or two players for this critical sector which is in nature of an essential service and of critical importance to India's security," VIL said. (With inputs from PTI) SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/mukesh-ambanis-jio-disagrees-with-airtel-vodafone-on-everything-except-tariffs-and-transparency/articleshow/74221520.cms">Mukesh Ambani’s Jio disagrees with Airtel, Vodafone on everything except tariffs and transparency</a>

Now, BSNL, MTNL want to wage a tariff war and Reliance Jio is fighting to stop it

<ul><li>The startup, which turned operationally profitable in April 2020, is looking to clock $20 million in run-rate by January. </li><li>In an interview with Business Insider, Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder &amp; CEO, <keyword id="2698623" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="HealthifyMe">HealthifyMe</keyword> shares how the startup has grown in the past few months as health became the focus of every Indian.</li><li>Their EBITDA has gone from -300% to -40% as of August, which is why Vashisht is bullish on EBITDA profitability soon.</li></ul>The coronavirus pandemic brought health to the forefront of almost everyone’s priorities. From the rising demand for ‘immunity boosters’ to finally starting their exercise regimen to keep a check on lifestyle diseases, health has been the prime focus for most over the past few months. And this focus bodes well for health tech startup HealthifyMe.The startup, which turned operationally profitable in April 2020, is looking to clock $20 million in run-rate by January. In an interview with Business Insider, Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder &amp; CEO, HealthifyMe claims that the app continues to be India’s number one health app and shares their aim to become EBITDA profitable in the next 12 months. COVID-19 brought in profitability The focus on health during the pandemic has pushed the startup towards profitability. “Our topline and quarterly revenues have been growing and in fact, the last three quarters have been phenomenal,” said Vashisht. He added that they are looking at a revenue of 5 million dollars for the last quarter of the current financial year. Vashisht shared that during the lockdown, the sessions and engagement on the app improved dramatically. As reports started doing the rounds about comorbidities during COVID-19, people started paying more attention to their health issues. <div type="image" title="Capture" msid="78384973" hostid="261"></div> “One thing that COVID has taught us is that lifestyle diseases and obesity are death sentences in this environment. There are over 240 million obese or overweight people in India with urban India accounting for 100 million of them, 77 million are diabetic – all of these people are at the risk of hospitalization if they contract COVID,” said Vashisht. Their EBITDA has gone from -300% in 2018 to -40% as of August, which is why Vashisht is bullish on EBITDA profitability soon. What is driving the growth in paid subscribers? Healthifyme’s paying subscribers have doubled during lockdown, currently standing at 100,000 users. And Vashisht expects this number to double once again by the end of the current fiscal year. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total registered users </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Monthly active users </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Paid subscribers </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.5 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">100,000 </td></tr></tbody></table> The growth in subscribers has come through their AI-powered smart plan with the chatbot Ria which is priced at about ₹200 per month. This smart plan accounts for 60% of their paying subscribers, which is why they are doubling down their investment on the AI platform. “Our low cost high margin plan is something that none of our competitors have. With income levels also having been hit due to COVID, consumers want cost effective plans,” he said. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">70% of HealthifyMe customers are from non-metros </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">79% of their customers are obese/overweight </td></tr></tbody></table> Word of mouth referrals have also grown for them as Vashisht said that organic traffic has grown from 25% pre-COVID and stands at 42% today. “All of this is because consumers have also been seeing results. 80% of our customers have seen a drop in their diabetes, cholesterol, thyroid metrics. On an average, a customer loses 4.5 kgs weight within 180 days of joining HealthifyMe,” he shared. Investing heavily in technology For HealthifyMe, another thing that has worked is its UI/UX, which has often been appreciated by many. And Vashisht admits that most of their capital (they have raised $30 million to date) has gone into tech investments. “Half of the team of 150 people are in data science, engineering, and product who all work towards building and maintaining a high-quality app,” he said. He also added that they are currently hiring for various tech roles. Global revenues and dealing with competition HealthifyMe has expanded recently into South East Asia and launched in Malaysia and Singapore. That is already bringing in money for the company. “Of the $15 million run rate we are doing currently, $2.5 million is coming from outside India. We want to expand more into SouthEast Asia,” he said. But HealthifyMe also sees competition from a rising number of health tech <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">startups</keyword>, including the very popular Cult.fit. However, Vashisht remains confident. He believes that they were among the first to secure the market in the digital space, and other startups will go through their growth curve before making a mark digitally. “We are already the market leaders. My revenue is possibly higher than other players because we have been in the digital space for seven years,” he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/mukesh-ambani-added-90-crore-per-hour-to-his-wealth-in-the-last-six-months-says-hurun-report/slidelist/78381430.cms">Mukesh Ambani added ₹90 crore per hour to his wealth in the last six months, says Hurun report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/byju-raveendran-vijay-shekhar-sharma-nithin-kamath-and-udaan-co-founders-are-in-the-list-of-richest-entrepreneurs-of-india/articleshow/78380782.cms">From Byju Raveendran, Vijay Shekhar Sharma to Nithin Kamath and Udaan co-founders – Here are the richest entrepreneurs of India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-10-richest-tech-billionaires-in-india-in-hurrun-richest-list/slidelist/78380931.cms">India’s richest tech billionaires in 2020</a>

COVID-19 has accelerated HealthifyMe’s path to profitability – CEO shares how paid subscribers doubled during lockdown

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>THE "Lucky Sperm Club", as Warren Buffett likes to call it, is still going strong in the commanding heights of business. On opposite sides of the Atlantic, Ana Botín and Abigail Johnson have recently succeeded their fathers in filling two of the most powerful jobs in finance, as chairman of Banco Santander and chief executive of Fidelity Investments, respectively.
Founding dynasties run, or wield significant clout at, some of the world's largest multinationals, from Walmart to Mars, Samsung to BMW. Half a century ago management experts expected the hereditary principle to fade fast, because of the greater ability of professionally-run public firms to raise capital and attract top talent. In fact, family firms have held their ground and, in recent years have increased their presence among global businesses.
Family-controlled firms now make up 19% of the companies in the Fortune Global 500, which tracks the world's largest firms by sales. That is up from 15% in 2005, according to new research by McKinsey, a consulting firm (which defines such firms as ones whose founders or their families have the biggest stake, of at least 18%, plus the power to appoint the chief executive). Since 2008 sales by these firms have grown by 7% a year, slightly ahead of the 6.2% a year by non-family firms in the list. McKinsey sees these trends continuing for the foreseeable future.
This is largely because of rapid growth in big developing economies where family ownership is the norm among large businesses. Since 2005 the countries that have most increased their share of the Fortune Global 500 are Brazil, China, Russia, South Korea and Taiwan. By 2025, McKinsey forecasts, there will be more than 15,000 companies worldwide with at least $1 billion in annual revenues, of which 37% will be emerging-market family firms. In 2010 there were only 8,000 firms worldwide of this size, and only 16% of them were family-controlled and from emerging markets.
Around 85% of $1 billion-plus businesses in South-East Asia are family-run, around 75% in Latin America, 67% in India and around 65% in the Middle East. China (where the proportion is about 40%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (35%) stand out for their relatively low share of family firms, because in both cases many large firms are state-owned.
However, even in the rich world, big family firms are defying expectations of their demise. The tendency for founders and their heirs to abandon control to faceless institutional shareholders seems to have reached a limit. Of the American firms in the Fortune Global 500, 15% are family ones, only slightly less than in 2005. Among them is the world's largest family firm, Walmart, in which the children of the late founder, Sam Walton (pictured, third from left) are still big shareholders. His eldest son, Rob, is the chairman, another son, Jim, is also on the board and their sister, Alice, also inherited a huge stake. In Europe, 40% of big stockmarket-listed companies still have a controlling family.
Until recently many emerging economies lacked the large, liquid capital markets that rich countries enjoy. So local firms could not rely on them to provide funds for expansion, and depended instead on founding families reinvesting their profits. As such firms' access to domestic and global stock and bond markets continues to improve, it is possible to imagine this situation changing; family owners could seize the opportunity to make a lucrative exit, as happened for a time in the rich world.
However, one reason why the experts' predictions of 50 years ago have proved wrong is that stockmarkets and regulators have been so accommodating in letting founding families retain a fair degree of control despite selling large stakes to outside investors. One way they have done so is through special classes of shares--a trend that has lately featured in a number of technology-firm flotations: who knows, perhaps in future Facebook will be controlled by the Zuckerberg dynasty and Google by the Page and Brin clans.
Investors have accepted such arrangements as the price of getting a slice of these firms' profits, but they rarely like them. Some institutional investors were unhappy, for example, when a deal struck years ago by her father allowed Ms Botín to succeed him in the chair at Santander shortly after his death in September, even though the family owned only 2% of the bank.
Besides being able to access capital markets without losing control, there are at least four other reasons why so many big firms have defied expectations and stayed under family control. One is that they are often the product of a superbly talented entrepreneur like Sam Walton. While such founders are alive and on form, the combination of their abilities and the freedom they have as controlling shareholder to run by their own rules often gives them a strong competitive advantage. Even after they are gone, their heirs can keep up the firm's success, simply by continuing to follow the founder's successful principles.
Whether private or public, family firms also tend to take a longer-term perspective. As Heinrich Liechtenstein of IESE business school in Barcelona observes, this is true both relative to non-family-controlled public companies, which tend to be obsessed with meeting the demands of investors to maximise short-term profits, and companies owned by private-equity firms, which although able to take a longer view than public firms must still cater to investors who want to sell up for a juicy profit within a few years.
Family firms are also less likely to load up on debt. An obvious exception, and an illustration of why most family capitalists fear debt, is the recent collapse of Espírito Santo. Massive debts turned the family-owned Portuguese financial conglomerate into one of Europe's largest corporate failures, ending in a state bail-out of the bank at the group's core. A reluctance to borrow may limit growth in good times, but it can make family firms more resilient when the going is tough.
They also tend to have better labour relations, according to studies by Holger Mueler and Thomas Philippon of New York University's Stern business school. This may be because workers are readier to believe promises that they will be rewarded for delivering in the long run, if such pledges are made by founding families rather than outsider bosses who may be gone in a few years. And in situations where businesses have to push through efficiency improvements, family owners may be more willing to act firmly when dealing with labour unions, because of their significant stake in the business, than salaried outsider bosses, the studies suggest. These are advantages especially in countries with generally hostile relations between workers and management, say the two economists.
Overall, those family firms that get big tend to have a superior corporate culture to their non-family peers, reckons Heinz-Peter Elstrodt of McKinsey. The firm has applied its index of "organisational health" to 114 family firms and around 1,200 other large companies. Family firms scored significantly higher on their culture, worker motivation and leadership, though they lagged slightly on innovation and being too internally focused.
The presence of a founding family seems to be good for a business's image. In a recent survey in 12 big economies by Edelman, a (family-run) PR firm, 73% of people said they trusted family-owned companies, compared with 64% who trusted publicly-traded companies in general, and 61% for both private-equity-owned and state-owned firms. This is no doubt why S.C. Johnson, a household-products maker, has as its slogan, "A Family Company".
There is evidence of a positive "family effect" on financial performance, according to a new study by Cristina Cruz Serrano and Laura Nuñez Letamendia of IE business school in Madrid. They calculated that EUR1,000 invested in 2001 in a portfolio of publicly traded family firms in Europe, weighted by market capitalisation, would have generated EUR3,533 by the end of the decade, compared with EUR2,241 from a portfolio of non-family firms. The difference is equivalent to five percentage points of extra return per year.
All this may be why, for all his professed disapproval of the Lucky Sperm Club, Mr Buffett wants his son, Howard (pictured, left, with his son, Howard Warren Buffett, an academic) to succeed him as chairman, and guardian of the firm's culture. The elder Mr Buffett is such a big fan of family firms that he likes to buy them: in October he bought Van Tuyl Group, America's largest family-owned car dealership chain. As with LVMH and Kering, two family-run French luxury-goods giants that have bought a number of European fashion houses, Mr Buffett's spiel to founding families is: if you want to sell up but want your business's culture preserved, it will be in safe hands with us.
Ultimately, whether big family firms will continue to defy expectations of their demise will depend on their ability to negotiate the rocks on which family businesses have a unique propensity to founder. One is the risk of squabbles among relatives. This summer, for example, a family feud nearly destroyed Market Basket, an American supermarket chain. Workers went on strike when their popular boss, Arthur T. Demoulas, was fired at the behest of his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas. Disaster was only averted after pleas to the family by the governors of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
No issue is potentially more toxic than the transition from one generation of a family to the next. In India, an epic feud began in 2002 after Dhirubhai Ambani, the founder of Reliance Industries, died without naming a sole heir. The battle between his sons, Mukesh and Anil, eventually led to the group being split in two.
In some cases even strong and successful firms can implode soon after a generational succession, which is why so many countries have some variation of the saying, "from shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" (clogs to clogs, kimono to kimono). Edelman's survey found that the public's trust in family firms falls once the baton is passed from the founder to the next generation. Alarmingly, a study of 2,400 family firms in 40 countries published last month by PwC, a consulting firm, found that only 16% of them had a "discussed and documented" succession plan in place.
The families that do best are those which understand that their interests and those of their business can diverge, and put in place processes to manage the consequences of these differences, says John Davis of Harvard Business School, the author of several books about family firms.
Some families are adept at training the next generation to work in the family firm. Illycaffé, a coffee-maker now run by a third-generation Illy family member, has a pact setting the rules for when an Illy can go into the business: competence for the job is paramount. Sweden's Wallenberg business empire is run by a fifth generation of the founding family: two cousins, Jacob and Marcus Wallenberg, were groomed from an early age to run the group's industrial and financial sides respectively.
However, sometimes children do not want to join the family business, or turn out not to have inherited the entrepreneurial genes of the founder. It may then be in the best interests of the firm for a professional to run it, rather than a reluctant or incompetent scion, even if the family retains some control. Letting professionals take over can make a lot of sense. Talented managers are more likely to join a firm where there is a chance of getting to the very top, or at least where they do not have to work under a useless heir. Some 40% of the family firms interviewed by PwC said that professionalising their business was among the main challenges they face in the next five years.
Even when they have agreed to let an outside manager run their businesses, families sometimes find it hard to keep their hands away from the wheel. Luxottica, an Italian maker of sunglasses, was well run by a professional chief executive for ten years, but recently lost him, and six weeks later his successor, reportedly following differences of opinion with the founder, Leonardo Del Vecchio, and his wife, Nicoletta Zampillo.
Even when independent outsiders are brought in to serve on a family company's board, they can often fail to make the impact they should, notes Mr Davis. Outsiders often refuse to get involved in managing tensions within the family and assume their job is just to oversee the running of the business, when in reality they may be the last line of defence against a family breakdown destabilising the firm, he says.
In the rich world there is a strong contingent of firms which have demonstrated an ability to get the best out of being both family-controlled and professionally run. In some emerging markets, however, things are not so clear. Many of their big firms are still run by a founder with strong links to those in power, and only time will tell if they have what it takes to survive the passing of either the founder or the regime. However, the positive examples of Tata in India and Samsung in South Korea suggest that it is possible, even in places with a strong tradition of crony capitalism, for world-class, professionally run family firms to emerge.
As big emerging-market firms pass from the founders to their heirs, the challenge will be, as it has been in the rich world, to reconcile the family's needs and desires with the demands of running a successful business. They will need to learn that when it comes to company matters, as Michael Corleone put it in "The Godfather", that great study of a family firm, "It's not personal...it's strictly business."
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