World’s top innovative nations

1. United States

The United States still rules the world when it comes to innovation. This is no surprise, as the US with a legacy of over 100 years in innovation, has been consistent in taking the leader’s slot. The US knows it must continue to innovate to stay ahead. It tops in three areas: human capacity, business markets and competitiveness. The five input pillars that are included in the GII are: Institutions and Policies, Human Capacity, General and ICT Infrastructure, Markets Sophistication and Business Sophistication. The input pillars define aspects of the conducive environment required to stimulate innovation within an economy. There are three output pillars which provide evidence of the results of innovation within the economy: Knowledge Creation, Competitiveness and Wealth Creation. The US scored high on both input (ranked 2nd) and output (ranked 1st) pillars.

2. Germany

Germany follows in second position, maintaining its position from last year. Germany scores relatively low on the input pillars (10th) and very high on the output pillars (2nd), leading to an overall second rank. It is important to note that that eight out of the top 10 countries in the list are from Europe. As global competition intensifies and innovation becomes more important, the business sector has been internationalizing knowledge-intensive corporate functions, including research and development, the study points out.

3. Sweden

Sweden rises to 3rd rank in 2008 year from 12th position in 2007. It’s important to provide a safety net to innovators, says the study. There must be a conducive environment for innovative companies. A ’succeed or perish’ environment often kills innovative ideas in the nascent stages as people will be too intimidated to take creative risks that could fail.

4. United Kingdom

The United Kingdom fell from 3rd to 4th position in 2008. The study reflects that innovation is correlated with income levels in a country. For example, the innovation levels in the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries are much more than non-OECD countries. The high income countries do significantly better by topping innovation rankings. The average innovation index falls with the income levels of the country.

5. Singapore

Singapore rose to 5th rank in 2008 from 7th. Singapore is also 2nd from the Asian region. Innovation is not just about generating new ideas, says the study. It is about translating these ideas into value-added products and services. This requires flexibility of attitude and a willingness to adapt and welcome unprecedented levels of change on the part of all stakeholders involved, says the study.

6. South Korea

South Korea made a giant leap by grabbing the 6th rank, up from 19th position in 2007. Over the last two decades, the Republic of Korea has undergone a great change, with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and innovation becoming the power engine for its high economic growth. After facing a big financial crisis in 1997, Korea emerged into a powerhouse of knowledge through the consolidation of knowledge industries with the ICT industry itself contributing to more than 30 per cent of its total exports, the study states.

7. Switzerland

One of the world most beautiful places has also made it to the top innovative nations’ list. Switzerland is ranked 7th in the global innovative index. Innovation is the key driver of any economy. It works best when like-minded individuals come together in small collectives, irrespective of political and cultural differences and work on projects that yield value for all parties involved.

8. Denmark

While Denmark features among the top nations with an overall score of 5.73 along the different input pillars, it ranks relatively low at position 21st along the output pillars. This pulls the overall GII rank of Denmark down to 8th and raises questions as to why despite creating a highly conducive environment for innovation, it is not able to capitalize on it. The remarkable leadership and phenomenal development of the three Nordic countries of Finland, Denmark and Sweden have consistently done well in the development of institutions and policies that nurture innovation. Denmark tops the ICT and infrastructure pillar. Denmark also comes at top position in the 2008 Networked Readiness Rankings of the World Economic Forum.

9. Japan

The world’s industrial powerhouse Japan moved down to 9th position in 2008. It was ranked fourth in 2007. Ranked relatively lower along the input pillars (16th), Japan comes in at an impressive 3rd position along the output pillars. Clearly, Germany and Japan are able to leverage their less favorable innovation environments into more effective innovation results. The Japanese society is currently undergoing deep structural changes. Japan enjoys a competitive edge in business sophistication, innovation and R&D (research and development) spending. But its macroeconomic weaknesses have led to one of the highest debt levels in the world. People are also questioning the values of the political, economic and social institutions, and alternatives are being explored. This includes the fields of education, research and innovation as well. The government and the private sector give high priority to R&D spending.

10. Netherlands

The Netherlands with a prosperous economy is ranked 10th in the list. It is also the 16th largest economy in the world. A country’s readiness is linked to its ability to garner the best from leading-edge technologies, expanded human capacities, better organizational and operational capabilities and improved institutional performance, according to the study.

10 best workplaces in India

1. RMSI

You may hardly have heard about RMSI, but — according to the survey — it is the best company to work for in India. In the survey conducted by the ‘Great Place to Work Institute’ RMSI tops the charts on credibility, respect, pride and camaraderie. Based in Noida, India, RMSI provides critical geographic information systems (GIS), modeling and analytical services to customers worldwide. It develops innovative solutions that integrate geographic information with niche business applications. Known to be highly ethical and transparent, the company is employee-centric. It offers equal employment opportunity, regardless of gender, age, race, physical disability, sexual orientation, or marital status, communicating openly and honestly, respects the individuality of all employees and does not tolerate harassment of any kind. RMSI has also been voted as one of the great workplaces by Dataquest IDC India’s Top 20 Best Indian IT Employers survey.

2.Marriott Hotels India

Marriott India’s human resource practice has won it the 2nd best workplace award. Marriott India is the only hotel chain in India’s top 50 Workplaces. Marriott India has won this recognition for the 3rd consecutive year. The current Marriott portfolio in India is represented by six hotels: the JW Marriott Mumbai, the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel & Convention Center, Lakeside Chalet-Marriott Executive Apartments (Mumbai), the Goa Marriott Resort, the Hyderabad Marriott Hotel, and the Courtyard by Marriott, Chennai. Marriot believes that ‘if you look after your associates (staff) well, they will look after the guests.’

3.Google India

Google India is ranked as the third best place to work in India. A lot has been said about the work environment at Google. A cool and happening place to work for, Google offers an environment which is diverse, inclusive and collaborative. It provides a flexible working environment with perks that are designed to make life easier and more convenient for employees to manage their life-work balance. Employees benefit from on-site services like car wash, onsite doctors, and dry-cleaning, while other perks like massages just help you relax and feel good. Google also offers free food to employees. One of the things that Google does to encourage innovation and provide an inclusive working environment is to actively encourage the ‘20 per cent project’. All Google engineers get to spend 20 per cent of their time to pursue projects they are interested in. Google has been voted one of the best companies to work for by various publications, including the Fortune Magazine’s Best Places to Work list.

4. Agilent Technologies

Agilent, the fourth best workplace in India, strives to become better and better with policies and practices that support work-life success. It provides various offers like electronic job posting, harassment-free work environment, domestic partner benefits, non-discrimination policy, employee network group guidelines, open door policy, education assistance program, employee and family assistance program (EFAP). Employees benefit from a share in the company’s success, competitive pay practices, flexible work hours, creative, energetic and innovative work environment. The company operates two primary businesses — electronic and bio-analytical measurement — supported by Agilent Laboratories. Agilent offers innovative measurement solutions that enable customers deliver the products and services that make a measurable difference in the lives of people everywhere. For instance, Agilent helps test more than half of the world’s 1.13 billion cell phones. Agilent spun off from Hewlett-Packard Company in 1999 as part of a corporate realignment that created two separate companies.

5. Classic Stripes Pvt Ltd

Classic Stripes Pvt Ltd ranks fifth in the list of India’s best workplaces. The company believes its core competence is its people. At CSPL, there is scope for professional as well as personal growth. There is freedom to explore and learn, with opportunities for many new initiatives. The company believes in letting employees’ dreams drive the company’s excellence. The company was ranked 19th in Great Place to Work in 2004 and was ranked 16th in Great Place to Work in 2005, a survey done by Business World. With a clear sense of direction and focus, the company always looks for talented, individuals who are ambitious, who love challenges and have a passion to excel. Established in 1987, the company is in the business of producing decals which are used in the 2-wheeler and 4-wheeler industry. The company has a production capacity to produce 10 million motorbike decals sets per annum and is the largest manufacturer of 2-wheeler graphic worldwide. Classic Stripes is a complete solution provider for all automotive screen printed graphics.

6.American Express India

American Express is the 6th best place to work in India. The bank operates in over 130 countries around the globe allows options like rating the boss! Employees get an opportunity to rate their bosses anonymously. A company that prides on its employees’ strengths and capabilities, allows them freedom and a great work environment. Quality, integrity, teamwork and respect for people are the focus areas at American Express. The company encourages people to contribute towards development and rewards their performance. It is a diversified travel and financial services company. It was established in 1850 in New York.

7. Cadbury India Ltd

Cadbury India has been ranked as the 7th Great Place to Work and the No. 1 FMCG company in India in 2008, by the Great Place to Work Institute. This is the fourth time Cadbury has been featured amongst the Great Places to Work in India. It was ranked 10th in 2003, and was among the top 25 in 2004 and 2005. Cadbury began its operations in 1948 by importing chocolates and then re-packing them before distribution in the Indian market. After 59 years of existence, it has five company-owned manufacturing facilities at Thane, Induri (Pune) and Malanpur (Gwalior), Bangalore and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) and four sales offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The corporate office is in Mumbai. A part of the Cadbury Schweppes Group, the world’s leader in confectionery, the company believes in spreading happiness!

8.NTPC

The 8th best company to work for in India is NTPC. The only public sector unit in the top ten list of best workplaces across all industries in India, the country’s leading power company has also been ranked No.1 in ‘Best Workplaces for Large Organizations’ in the country. NTPC, a premier public sector enterprise of Navratna status, was established in 1975. It is the largest power utility with an installed capacity of 28,644 MW through 26 power stations including 4 stations operated under joint venture companies. NTPC has emerged as an integrated power major with presence in hydro power, coal mining, oil & gas exploration, power distribution & trading. With its excellent practice in human capital management, NTPC is among the most admired organizations in the public sector. The company prides itself on its dynamic and dedicated workforce.

9.Godrej Consumer Products

Godrej Consumer Products is ranked the 9th best company to work for in India. Creating and maintaining an energetic and innovative work culture is at the heart of its corporate strategy, says the company. It describes its work culture as a combination of fun, sharing, collaboration and connection. The company believes in the philosophy of holistic employee care, taking care of not just the employees but also their families. The company also believes listening to employees and inspiring them to do better. It offers a good compensation package and other benefits. Various internal surveys are conducted to discover issues that need to be addressed. The company’s work/life balancing programmes provide employees with resources that help them balance responsibilities. Godrej Consumer Products is a major player in the Indian FMCG market with products in personal, hair, household and fabric care segments. The company employs 950 people and has manufacturing facilities at Malanpur (Gwalior), Guwahati (Assam) and Baddi (Himachal Pradesh).

10.Hilti India

A company that stresses on professional as well as personal development of employees, Hilti India is ranked the 10th best company to work for in India. The company deals in construction equipment and supplies solutions for measuring, fastening, demolition and construction chemicals worldwide. The company focuses on professionalism, contentment, continuous development as success factors to achieve sustainable and profitable growth. The company believes that customer satisfaction is strongly interlinked with a highly motivated workforce. The Hilti Group is a world leader in developing, manufacturing and marketing added-value, top-quality products for the construction industry and building maintenance. Its product range covers drilling and demolition, direct fastening, diamond and anchoring systems, firestop and foam systems, installation, positioning and screw fastening systems as well as cutting and sanding systems. Hilti India is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Liechtenstein based Hilti Corporation.

World’s best Metro Rail Systems

Here are the world’s most popular international underground transit systems. . .

1. New York

The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority. The NYCTA is a subsidiary of Metropolitan Transportation Authority. From 28 stations, when it was founded in October, 1904, it has grown to 462 stations. The subway carries 4.9 million people daily. It is one of the most extensive public transportation systems in the world, with 369 km of rail route. The subway is also among the few rapid transit systems in the world to run 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

2. London

The London Underground, usually referred to as the Tube, is Europe’s largest metro subway system and also the world’s oldest. Inaugurated in 1863, today it has 268 stations and covers 405 km of rail tracks. It transports over 976 million people yearly. The Underground serves a large part of Greater London and neighboring areas of Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in England.

3. Paris

The Paris subway system is the second oldest in the world and transports roughly 1.5 million people daily at modest fares. The subway system runs over 214 km and stops at 380 stations. The network is so extensive that almost every building in Paris is within 500 meters of a subway station. Many of these stations are famous for their architecture, representing the Art Nouveau style.

4. Moscow

The Moscow subway system caters to 3.2 billion riders travelling annually on 12 subway lines to 172 stations. The Moscow Metro covers approximately 290 km. On an average weekday, the subway itself carries about 8.2 million passengers. Each subway line is identified by an alphanumeric index (usually consisting of just a number), a name, and a color. The voice announcement systems refer to lines by name, while in colloquial usage they are mostly referred to by color. While most of the Moscow trains run underground, some lines cross bridges overlooking the Moskva and the Yauza Rivers.

5. Montreal

The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Inaugurated in 1966, it is not too extensive — about 60 km, reaching 68 stations on four lines — but is a very modern system that was inspired by the Paris Metro. It caters to 835,000 people daily. The Metro is operated by the Societe de Transport de Montreal

6. Madrid

The Madrid Metro is the second largest underground system in Europe and the sixth largest in the world. The first line of the Madrid metro opened on October 17, 1919, under the direction of the Compania de Metro Alfonso XIII, with 8 stations and a 3.5-km track. This metro network now has 231 stations on 12 lines. It has 227 km of track and an additional 44 km of track is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The Madrid Metro is one of the densest metro networks in the world.

7. Tokyo

Tokyo Metro is one of two metro systems making up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Toei. In addition to underground subways, the Tokyo transit system consists of the Toden Arakawa light rail line and the Ueno Zoo Monorail. The Tokyo subway system carries approximately 2.8 billion people per year to 282 subway stations. Efforts are made to make the system accessible to non-Japanese speaking users. Many train stops are announced in both English and Japanese. Announcements also provide connecting line information. Ticketing machines can switch between English and Japanese user interfaces. Many stations’ railings often have Braille at their base meant for visually challenged commuters.

8. Seoul

The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is one of the most heavily used subway systems in the world with more than 8 million daily trips. Seoul Metro is a public corporation which runs the Seoul Subway. During 1970-2006, it was called Seoul Metropolitan Subway Corporation. It is also one of the longest subway systems worldwide, running 287 km in length. The trains mostly run underground, but 30 per cent of the system is above ground.

9. Beijing

The Beijing Subway opened in 1969 and serves Beijing and the surrounding suburbs. Just before the 2008 Beijing Olympic games began, it was further developed at a cost $7.69 billion. The expansion project has taken the length of the subway station to about 480 km. With almost a dozen lines and 123 stations currently in operation and average passenger strength of 3.4 million per day, the Beijing Subway is the busiest in mainland China.

10. Hong Kong

The Hong Kong subway, also known as the Mass Transit Railway Corporation, was set up in 1979. Despite its relatively small size (90 km), compared to other metro systems across the globe, the MTR transports an average of 2.46 million rides per day. The Hong Kong system is based on a British design. Recently, approval was granted for the merger of the MTR and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation, to make the system more cost-effective and efficient.

11. Sao Paolo

The Sao Paulo Metro is the first underground transit system in Brazil and it began operations in 1974. It works alongside a larger company called the Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) and together they cover about 300 km of track and transport approximately 3.7 million people daily. Sao Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of 19 million. Its metro system consists of four color-coded lines: Line 1-Blue, Line 2-Green, Line 3-Red and Line 5-Lilac. Line 4-Yellow is currently under construction and is due to start operating in late 2009. The metro system carries 3.2 million passengers a day.