BSNL resurrects…

Mahindra holidays’ initial public offer (IPO) seems to have revived the moods of many. So much so that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) is once again planning to bring its $10 billion IPO to floor. BSNL had announced last year to come out with its IPO. However, BSNL’s ambitious plans were sidelined due to opposition from Left and worker and employee unions. The stock market meltdown also crashed BSNL’s hopes to go public. Following the victory of the UPA regime with an overwhelming majority has once again revived BSNL’s reveries as the state run telecom operator now hopes to get a nod from the newly formed government. And it is also hoping to negotiate with the employee unions to a good effect. As per Kuldeep Goyal, Chairman, BSNL, the company will start with the (employee) unions once it gets the green signal from the government. Sources close to developments suggest that the government is planning to sell 10% stake in BSNL to raise around $10 billion with a paid-up capital of Rs.50 billion. BSNL, which garnered revenues to the tune of Rs.450 billion in FY 2008-09, is preparing itself to step on the gas and go on a mega expansion spree. Goyal has confirmed that BSNL is not only looking for telecom licenses in African countries, but eyeing probable acquisition opportunities. Though BSNL already has cash balance of Rs.300 billion in its books for the expansion projects, materialisation of the IPO will definitely be very timely and help in raising funds for expansion. Also, with declining average revenue per user (ARPUs), BSNL is also contemplating to join hands with a strategic foreign partner. Not only will it improve the company’s valuations (pegged at $100 billion), but will also enahnce BSNL’s brand equity. BSNL today is a laggard in the burgeoning Indian telecom sphere and is in talks with foregin players like AT&T, who are waiting to enter the Indian market. BSNL, like any other PSU, has a conventional management with a traditional working style. Joining hands with a strategic foreign partner will change that perception and turn around its fortunes.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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INDIA’S BEST SERVICE COMPANIES

METHODOLOGY

Okay... here’s how 4Ps B&M and Indian Council of Market Research (ICMR) went about this most exhaustive survey (with a whopping 8,825 respondents) to arrive at the list and rankings for INDIA’S BEST SERVICE COMPANIES. For the record, it took us 10 long months and two different phases to arrive at the final figures. Here they come...

FIRST PHASE :

The first phase of the research was initiated by preparing a list of brands under various short-listed categories. The broad categories considered for the survey were aviation, hospitality, telecom, organised retail and banking & financial services. As per the table (above), six broad categories with 17 sub-categories were finally taken into consideration.

SECOND PHASE :

The second phase of the study was initiated after tabulating brands/ companies under each of the categories and sub-categories. Parameters were designed based on five dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale as given below:

• TANGIBLITY: Physical service facilities and infrastructure.
• RELIABILITY: Ability to perform and deliver the promised service.
• RESPONSIVENESS: Willingness to bridge customer and service gaps.
• ASSURANCE: Customer knowledge & customisation capability.
• EMPATHY: Willingness to associate with customer perils. Customised attention and service.

The areas that the study broadly covered are:

• Consumer’s expectation, need, demand, preference & achievement.
• Personalised service offerings.
• Analysis of the present customer redressal system and gaps therein.

A structured questionnaire was designed and one-on-one interviews were carried out with 8,825 respondents across the different categories in five cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore & Chennai) across India. Structured questionnaires for each respondent group helped us understand the difference in their interests and requirements with respect to the overall quality of services.

While a few core parameters were kept constant throughout the survey (due to the generic nature of the parameters); overall, each service category had a few customised questions. The random sampling technique has been used for each of the given categories. In certain cases, such as credit cards, the snowball sampling technique has been used instead. The respondents under each segment were primarily the ones who have used or own one or more brands under the category with a minimum of one year of experience/ usage. In case of life and general insurance as well as debit and credit cards, respondents with a minimum of three years service experience were selected. For the insurance category, the sample size given is for the entire category of general insurance (e.g. motor, health, et al).

Special care was taken to interview only decision makers or CWEs (Chief Wage Earners) for the survey. The number of respondents covered were divided based on socio-economic classifications, including education, occupation and gender related classifications. Apart from all this, the monthly income of the respondents was additionally taken into consideration – signalling whether they could have used/ are using/ or will use the specified service in the near future. So sit back and flip though the most exhaustive survey ever of India’s Best Service Companies...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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PRATHAP SUTHAN, NCD, CHIEL COMM.

IIPM Best B-school

1. Surf’s ‘Lolitaji’ ad campaign
2. Liril’s ad commercial showing a girl bathing under the waterfall
3. Cadbury’s ad where the girl excitedly danced on the cricket ground when her boyfriend hit a six on the last ball
4. Bajaj’s ‘Humara Bajaj’ campaign
5. Incredible India’s ad campaign

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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IIPM, GURGAON

Top advertising campaigns as per 4Ps B&M-ICMR survey 2009

Rank Advertising campaigns
1. Vodafone - Pug
2. The Times of India - Lead India
3. Happydent - Kingdom
4. Idea - An idea can change your life
5. Fevikwick - Chutki Mein Chipkaye
6. Tata Sky - Isko Laga Dala Toh Life Jhingalala
7. Airtel - Barriers Break When People Talk
8. Cadbury - Kya Swad Hai Zindagi Mein
9. Bajaj - Humara Bajaj
10. Liril - Girl bathing under waterfall
11. Tata Tea - Vote Do
12. Fevicol - Poochengein Nahin...
13. Kerala tourism - God’s Own Country
14. Incredible India
15. Pepsi - Yeh Hai Youngistan Meri Jaan

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).


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You wanted Akio Morita? We get you his protégé...

IIPM only B-school in India to be Ranked Ahead of The IIMs in so Many Parameters! Regularly!

He’s not an Indian and can’t understand Hindi for nuts. But Tamagawa claims to understand India better than his competitors. Can Masaru really bite the bullet?

4Ps B&M: Has there been any impact of the slowdown on your business?
MT: Not really. Under good economic environment every brand can enjoy growth; however under difficult situations only a company which has strong brand, products and operation can keep their growth. Thus we believe that if you provide high quality products, which meet the consumers’ needs and demand through strong sales channel network, you can maintain growth momentum and we believe that Sony has the advantage of all these factors. In that sense it is a good opportunity for Sony to widen the gap from competitors with the advantage of capability and quality.

4Ps B&M: With the slowdown creeping in, are you making any changes in your marketing strategies for this summer as compared to last year?
MT: Sony’s strategy in India has not changed from previous plan. We are focusing on three pillars of marketing strategy, which are focusing on key strategic growth categories like LCD, DSC, VAIO, MP3WM, PS et al, further enhancement of sales channel network and local staff development.

4Ps B&M: Retail stores are an important platform for sales of consumer durables. So, what plans have you drawn in this regard?
MT: As a part of enhancing the quality of our stores, we have taken a number of steps, which include a change in the branding of our exclusive retail store - Sony World to Sony Centre in order to brush-up our brand-shops. Then secondly, we have also upgraded our display, way of demonstration and quality of floor salesmen to match global standards. This is done with a view to provide new shopping experience to the consumers.

4Ps B&M: What are the product categories on which you are betting high?
MT: Those categories, which are strategic growth categories for Sony like LCDs, Laptops, Digital Still Cameras, Home theatres, MP3 Walkman and PlayStation. These will be the growth categories for the industry as well.

4Ps B&M: A lot of consumer durable companies are making a shift form urban to rural areas. So are you planning anything on the similar lines?
MT: Our target customers are those households, which have an annual income of Rs.5 lakh and above. The rich who have the money are also included in this. Talking about the recession, we think the segment whose household income is less than Rs.5 lakh will be the most affected one. And this is also the segment which uses consumer finance as a means to buy their requisite consumer durables. Going by facts, nearly 30-40% of the total electronics sales are based on such finance schemes. But for Sony, it is less than 5%. This clearly indicates that Sony’s customers have a high income level and most of them buy products with cash. Thus we do not have such plans as of now.

4Ps B&M: What are the challenges you foresee for Sony this season?
MT: Exchange rate impact is currently being absorbed by Sony India, and this is possible due to the profit that we had earned in the first half of FY’08. But if current exchange rate continues or further declines in FY’09, we may not be able to avoid a price increase. Furthermore, the duty structure of India is still very high as compared to other countries, and the consumer is the one who pays this high taxes. Thus, the government should consider a reduction in the duty structure as a means to stimulate consumer demand.

4Ps B&M: What are your plans for the future?
MT: We do not see a pessimistic business environment for this year. Market growth, which has been around 10% for the past few years might slow-down forcing us to look carefully at the category wise trend rather than the total CAV market. But, it will help us to identify which categories will grow and which will shrink. We will drive the growth categories with attractive products and effective marketing communication.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The current slowdown is taking a toll on organised retail, as players fight back to survive. Haunted by rising debt and interest cost,

Vishal Retail too is ready with its quiver to drive away the slowdown monster. But will arrows hit the bull’s-eye? Wonders Savreen Gadhoke…

“The growth in India’s organised retailing will be hit due to weak consumer sentiments and the slowdown in fresh investment…,” avers Kumar Rajagopalan, CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI). RAI, who had once forecasted a 30% annual growth rate of this burgeoning sector, has slashed its outlook to a 12-15% growth. Raison d’être: After the nerve-wrecking Subhiksha default case, the consumer as well as the market sentiments attached with this once most sought after sector is rather incredulous. Experts even claim that the retail sector is mostly riding on the back of huge debts. All major retail chains including Pantaloons, Shoppers Stop, et al, are not only facing the heat of slowdown and low consumer spendings, but are also under the scanner for their high debt obligations. In fact, under the eagle eye this time is yet another giant retailer – Vishal Retail Limited (parent company of Vishal Mega Mart).

With Rs.10 billion turnover in 2008, and growing at 100% (y-o-y), it was little expected that Vishal Retail could also fall into the deadly debt trap. But it did! The company’s un-audited financial results for the quarter ended December 2008 reveal that the retailer’s expenditure on interest has increased by a whopping 137.26% as compared to the same quarter last year. What’s more? The profit for the December quarter too plunged by a pathetic 86% and stood at a miniscule Rs.21.5 million (as against Rs.155.6 million last year). So, with liquidity crisis, reduced cash flow, mounting debt obligations and a huge fall in profits, the daunting question arises – is Vishal Retail heading toward becoming another Subhiksha?

“Vishal Retail’s total debt obligation is about Rs.7.5 billion, of which Rs.1.4 billion is high-cost short-term debt,” avers Raghav Sehgal, Retail Analyst, Angel Broking. Considering this, the road ahead certainly offers a bumpy ride to Vishal Retail. Even the rate of interest, which the company is liable to pay on this debt, is between 14-16%. So, with an interest coverage ratio of about 1.5 and estimated debt-to-equity of about 2.66, the company certainly faces an uphill task in its effort to sustain growth and profitability.

However, in order to improve profitability and bring the conditions back to normal, the honchos at Vishal Retail have already started wasting a lot of chalk on the drawing board and are making efforts to re-organise and revive their retail venture. But will the efforts really pay-off amid slowdown is the question that’s doing rounds in many minds!

In fact, the company has already started consolidating its back-end and front-end operations. The first step in this direction has been the centralisation of its warehouses. From 22-23 warehouses across the country, the number has been drastically reduced to 4-5 warehouses and that too concentrated in north India. Avers Ambeek Khemka, Group President, Vishal Retail, “Huge warehouses in south & west India have been shut down and a centralised hub has been opened in Gurgaon.” Although Khemka agrees that this will lead to job losses, the move will certainly help in improving operational efficiency by reverse logistics. Moreover, transportation vehicles can not only be used to deliver stock & inventory to stores in far-flung areas, but on their way back to the centralised hub, can be used to collect deliveries from vendors’ en-route, thereby saving on transportation fee payable to vendors.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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CAN nanomania revive Tata Motors?

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

So the core team at Tata Motors is working over time to deliver on the Ratan Tata promise. Never mind that the company can produce only about 3,000-4,000 units of Nano per month for now (from the Patnagar and Pune plants, say sources), as the Gujarat plant is not yet ready. Given the few thousand units of Nano, which will be ostensibly ready by the launch date, sources opine that it will be a mere farcical launch, with the waiting period for deliveries stretching to even 6-9 months! The company, on its part, has issued a virtual whip on its vendors, dealers and other partners to not say a word about the launch strategy. Mahesh Chauhan, CEO, Rediffusion DY&R, which won the creative duties for Nano, is upbeat on the ‘rewards’ for the agency, but mum’s the word on strategy. “It’s work in progress,” is all he says.

In the meantime, the buzz about the Nano is reaching a crescendo amidst the junta, ahead of its official launch. PR and publicity stunts are at their peak, if you take into account the ‘pilgrimage’ that Nano is being taken for across India – Golden Temple, Amritsar; Ajmer Sharif, Rajasthan – to invoke divine blessings and also contributing to the hype among curious onlookers. But will this NanoMania be able to stem the mounting losses at Tata Motors?

Before answering that however, it may be advisable to look into the company’s plummeting profitability. From earning a Rs.500 crore profit in the same quarter last year, in the third quarter of FY09, Tata Motors recorded a loss of Rs.263 crore – a steep dip of 152%, its first in seven years! Worse, the fall would have been steeper, if not for the fact that the group sold off its investment in Tata TeleServices at a profit of Rs.478 million in the same quarter and attracted another Rs.1,740 million via a new FD scheme for the public.

For those wondering why we are singling out Tata Motors when the entire automotive sector is gasping under the slowdown winds, the answer is elementary. While every automaker has taken a hit in numbers, Tata Motors has by far seen the worst casualty (see chart). This is because a major chunk of Tata Motors’ domestic sales come from the commercial vehicle segment, which has been badly hit due to the economic slump. A tightening of credit supply from commercial banks for auto loans is the other spoilsport, which is also playing havoc with passenger vehicle sales. The fact that Tata Motors does not have latest variants of its cars in the market (perhaps because the Nano obsession has taken all their mindspace) is another dampner. So after months of decline, when Tata Motors passenger car sales rose (albeit incrementally) in February, it was on the back of their only launch in recent months – the Indica Vista!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The most-hyped President of the United States

The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School

Changing for deep-pocked corporates however is one thing and quite another for the average retail customer. Can it be done merely by brandishing a new logo and hiring expensive ad agencies and image consultants? The most-hyped President of the United States, Barack Obama is already finding out that selling ‘hope’ and ‘change’ on his campaign trail was one thing, but actually selling a 1,100 page stimulus package is quite another uphill task. Points out Anand Halve of Chlorophyll: “Logo change is just a part of the story and not the most important part either. For a PSB with 8,000-10,000 branches for example – it’s not so easy to communicate and monitor the huge change.”

State-run banks are quick to counter such assumptions. M.V. Nair, CMD of of Union Bank of India (which went for a logo change and re-branding exercise – Good People to Bank With – a few months ago) argues that the ‘change’ being communicated is actually the culmination of a back-breaking, 18-month process change that the bank underwent. “The real expenditure was in the area of process change in terms of investment of technology and training of our 27000 workforce,” he says. The supposedly fuddy-duddy bank smartly teamed up with Infosys Technologies to roll out its Core Banking Solution across its 1000 branches within a record time of 4 months; Boston Consulting Group developed their game plan for transforming employee mindset, while Mudra Communications was handed the task to study, assess and change the market perception of the bank! Nair finds it difficult to hide his delight. “The customer response has been overwhelming,” he says. While it is tough to say whether retail consumers are going to Union Bank out of sheer desperation (thanks to the global financial strain) or due to their makeover gambit, fact is it’s tough to ignore the state-run bank’s brand messages that fill up television sets across the nation’s living rooms every evening. Coupled with their Internet banking services, ATM proliferation, personalised cheque books and focus on customer service, the icing on the cake is all but complete.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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A myth called ‘long-term’ and a view called non-Warren’ted!

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Going against Buffett’s mantras, A. Jainani claims that active trading, instead of taking long-term positions, is the right strategy in a volatile capital market...

Equities always outperform all other asset classes over the long term. Market experts do not tire in telling that to an investor day in and day out. They go on endlessly describing the virtues of long-term investing. Our analysis of the returns over the last twenty years of the two most important equity indices of the world – the Sensex and the Dow Jones Industrial Average – shockingly reveal that there is nothing which can universally be called as long-term and the returns during different long-term intervals within long term are anything but predictable.

Different set of investors have differing notions about the concept. For a savvy trader, one month is a very long term; for institutional investors and taxmen for the purpose of computation of capital gains tax, even one day more than one year is long term; and for insurance companies, five years is fairly long enough to be called as long term. But no one tells you how long should the long term be and that is applicable to all investors across stages in life and whether the time horizon of investment has anything to do with one’s risk appetite. Worse, they do not even say that you have to carry that much risk on your head, and also on your finances, for an inordinately long period since equities are commonly perceived to be riskiest assets of them all.

Our analysis of the Sensex returns during various time intervals of five, ten and entire period of last twenty years show that there are pretty long periods within which the equities actually do nothing. In fact, the interest accumulated on term deposits, 23.8% is higher than cumulative returns from the Sensex, which were negative 35% over three years from 2000 to 2002. The critics may also consider the 20-year trend witnessed in returns by the DJIA, which is considered to be the most developed market in the world. During the last decade (1999 to 2008), the returns from DJIA were -4.4% whereas the 10-year American treasuries gave cumulative returns of 46.8%.

The horrific results of the long-term investing can not be forgotten by the one who invested at the peak of the dot-com bubble in January 2000. More often, even though the Sensex is able to go back to previous levels witnessed in the bull market, many stocks, even blue chips, find it hard to climb back to those levels even after a very long term. It took full four years for the Sensex to retrace the fall and come back to the level seen in early 2000. Whereas, blue-chips such as Dr Reddy’s Lab, Hindalco, Wipro, Ranbaxy, Ashok Leyland, Indian Hotels, MTNL and many other stocks have given poor to negligible returns if one held them for these nine years. Currently, after nine long years, the Sensex is trading at 8,900 yielding an appreciation of just 65% over January 2000 levels.

The advocates of long-term investing say you can win without taking risk of repeated entry and exit. Their advice is simply to buy and forget it. Few, however, take the opposite route, and take the risk of riding the waves by timely entry and exit – in other words, actively trade. Though, it is possible to cut one’s personal risks to a minimum by being passive long-term investor, and in the process abandon all hope of becoming anything but a face in the crowd. To make any kind of gain from the stocks one must place some of the material and emotional capital at risk and resist the passive philosophy of long-term investing.

Going through the above arguments, one can conclude that the sensible way to manage one’s hard-earned savings and investments is not to shun the risk of trading but to expose oneself to it deliberately. Join the game, with care and thought. To trade in such a way that large gains are more likely than large losses.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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From sports mavericks to luxury on wheels

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

“The demand for Porsche vehicles, even in cities where we do not have showrooms currently, is growing and we intend to capitalise on the brand pull.”


4Ps B&M: With the Panamera, Porsche enters the main stream luxury car market in India. How will Porsche position itself in a market with well established players like BMW, Mercedes, Audi, et al?

RW: Through its design language alone, the Panamera will establish a new segment versus the competition. The four-door Panamera combines a wide range of features seemingly contradictory at first sight, and offering a unique synthesis quite unparalleled in the premium segment. Panamera comes with all the sporting and dynamic characteristics of a genuine Porsche combined with a high standard of motoring comfort. The symbiosis of sports car DNA derived from the looks of a coupé, the unique interpretation of the classical sedan body and the benefits of a variable space concept give the new Porsche Panamera its truly unmistakable appearance.

Like all Porsche models, the Panamera is oriented in every respect to the needs and wishes of the driver. But now, thanks to the new concept of space and the sporting architecture of the interior, the car’s occupants are also able to experience this special “pilot feeling” on all four seats. All four occupants enjoy supreme ergonomic comfort on both the front seats and the two firmly contoured single seats at the rear. We are confident of good response from Porsche fans in India.

4Ps B&M: How has Porsche managed to do well in the SUV market in India, when the company was known more for its sports cars globally?
RW: The Cayenne is suited to Indian driving conditions and from the day it entered our showrooms, the Cayenne has been a great success, thrilling Porsche aficionados in the country. Never before has there been a car so capable of performing as both a race-bred sports car and a truly specialised 4x4, like the new Cayenne. All of Porsche’s engineering talent has been employed in the development of this car to ensure it successfully captures the essence of two contradictory personalities shared in a single package.

Despite the size, the Cayenne is as spirited as the sports cars from Porsche. The Cayenne Turbo, for example, generates 700 Nm of torque and 500 bhp which is higher than even the 911 Turbo.

4Ps B&M: How has been the India experience so far?
RW: The India experience has definitely been good. We have received excellent customer response to both the sports cars and the Cayenne model range. The Cayenne is Porsche’s best selling model in India with a major share of the overall luxury petrol-engined SUV market and we are encouraged as the sports cars continue to grow in sales and popularity. We sold 101 cars in 2007. Figures for 2008 came close to the 200 mark, making for good year-on-year growth in sales.

4Ps B&M: How have you positioned Porsche in India?
RW: Porsche, globally, has a strong following as a brand and we are fortunate with a strong presence of Porsche enthusiasts in India too. Most of our communications, including advertisements, are subtle and at all times catch the eye of the successful and the discerning. Direct communication with customers and prospects has always been the preferred mode of contact. A highlight of 2008 was the Porsche World Roadshow held at Aamby Valley in November where prospective customers got to experience Porsche in the best possible way – by driving the cars. We had 18 cars from the Boxster, Cayman, 911 and Cayenne ranges with four German Porsche certified instructors who took our guests through courses specially designed to highlight just how enjoyable driving a Porsche can be. Our experience says once our prospects drive a Porsche, the outstanding performance and product substance along with a unique design convinces them easily. We recently sent to selected prospects, a product introduction brochure on the soon-to-be-launched Panamera – the first four door luxury sedan from Porsche - and the response has been encouraging.

4Ps B&M: Does Porsche intend to expand its number of dealerships in India?
RW: The demand for Porsche vehicles, even in cities where we do not have showrooms currently, is growing and we intend to capitalise on the brand pull. We are hopeful of having Porsche Centres in nine more cities by 2010, with carefully selected local partners and customer service facilities that meet all the Porsche criteria and with fully trained staff.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM Admission Detail
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Entertainment

1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

What rocked?

Besides cricket, they also do the bhangra, rock n’ roll and salsa. The year not just saw Bhajji slap Sreesanth on field, but the duo showed up as rivals in a TV reality show. Bhajji won the ‘Ek Khiladi...’ contest (thanks to his partner Mona Singh), but he still ‘really’ can’t dance saala!

What didn’t?

He may be King of tinsel town, but SRK did not pass muster in the much-hyped game show ‘Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas...’ Star honchos tried every tool in the trade, created a mad buzz, but audiences gave a thumbs down.


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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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Six Sixes of India Inc.

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Strange visitors from the same nation!

Amidst the scare, amidst the fear, there have been a few superheroes with their superacts that made 2008 worth remembering for India Inc. steven philip warner gives an account of what and who went right...

What a year bygone, was 2008! During the year bygone, we stood ‘not-so-mute’ spectators to the Sensex resonating at 21,000-plus (in January) and then crashing to levels seen three long years back at sub-8000 points, eroding close to a pythonic Rs.70 trillion in the process (as on December 16, 2008). During the year bygone, we saw, and for the first time ever, an Indian donning the title hat of ‘the world’s richest man’, and shortly thereafter, we mourned the loss of a mighty Rs.7 trillion by just the four richest of Indian tycoons (and that includes the aforementioned ‘world’s richest man’)! Such has been the year, when, almost out of compulsion, we had inculcated the habit of waiting for a bomb to be dropped on our heads, after every glorious fest. In this chessboard of a year, there have been goods, and India luckily, has stood witness to some superhero acts too (we call them the ‘Six Sixes of India Inc.’). Yes, they emerged at regular intervals, from the same tribe of corporate India, making memories not ‘all that pungent’ for India Inc. to remember the year 2008 as the year that ‘was’!

And for once, these ‘six’ superheroes (allow us to call them Supermen), proved thumpingly that this tribe had found no sadistic reason to degenerate from within… Pray, allow us to prove their superacts. Hyman Rickover once famously quoted, ‘Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people;’ immodestly accepting our average-minded smallness today, allow us to discuss these supermen and the events that makes us repeat the first statement, in a more realistic fashion: ‘What a ‘great’ year bygone, was 2008!’

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Monojit Lahiri attempts a checkout on a time-tested ‘war’ that frequently invades the ‘creative’ space of most ad agencies!

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As every moron knows, an ad comprises of words and pictures. The word component is the domain of the Copywriter and the visuals, the Art person. Interestingly, although their combined creativity, skills and craft went into the making/creation of the ad, they functioned separately. This meant that the Copywriter wrote his stuff and handed it over to the Art person – usually with some guidelines – who then proceeded to visualise it in an appropriately meaningful manner. The duo also (frequently) came from different ‘social’ stratospheres. The Copywriter, usually, came from a Convent/Public School background, was fluent in English and totally comfortable with both the command and nuances of the language. He was also heavily into what this world offered – theatre, poetry, literature, cinema, cocktail parties… this invariably made him the ‘spokesperson’ of the creative team and the front guy during briefing, interaction and presentations. The Art guy, a hugely gifted person, normally was an Art School/College product, not terribly comfortable either with the English language or its fancy manifestations. He/she was happy to do the work assigned to the best of his/her ability and go home, quite content to live in the shadows…

In the year 2008, does the Art-Copy divide still exist – in any form? Does the subliminal khunnas in the Art guys still remain with the Copy brats for constantly stealing their thunder, unfairly? Do the Copy-hotties still luxuriate in the old smugness… or in this new world-order, is all that a thing of the past with convergence finally replacing conflict?

Ogilvy’s talented Delhi-based Creative Director, Titus Upputuru takes first strike. “Weird as it may sound today, this kind of crazy division of labour did exist, once! Three things slammed it out. One, the concept of ideation [replacing the earlier juvenile words and pictures ying-yang] that demanded collaboration, shared thinking and brainstorming. Two, the tacit recognition by the Art guys that there is a world of difference between Art [aesthetics and design by-the-book] and Art Direction [creating powerful seductive communication that will sell in the market place] putting an end to the dreaded, old-fashioned Art College syndrome! Lastly, the entry and popularity of Design Yatra – an art-specific fest held every year, where hot-shot globally acclaimed Art and Design Gurus come down to India [Goa?] every year to conduct workshops with our art guys.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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It’s not global turmoil or exposure to the US, it’s rumour that’s killing ICICI Bank, says Ankur Chandra

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“Dear Customer, Your deposits with ICICI Bank are safe. Your bank is well capitalised with good liquidity. Please do not listen to baseless rumours.” India’s largest bank in terms of market capitalisation must have understood how deadly rumours can be on this particular day when they were forced to send an SMS to all its customers to save itself from a crash in terms of the market price of its shares and in terms of liquidity. The crisis started on September 29, 2008 when rumours spread of ICICI Bank going bankrupt due to its losses on account of exposures to Lehman Brothers and the US sub prime crisis. Customers rushed to withdraw their deposits from the bank’s ATMs. Share prices dipped 14% in a day to a 52 week low of Rs.483. Not only that, these rumours also ensured that the bank lost its position to HDFC Bank for a couple of days in the Nifty.

Following the near mad rush the central bank, RBI, had to intervene and assure the depositors about the health of the bank. But rumours continued to batter ICICI’s share prices. And therefore ICICI had to lodge a complaint in the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police against major brokers. The complaint even includes the name of Motilal-Oswal Securities.

The ongoing crisis raises several questions and issues about the fragility of the financial system as a whole. It is worth analysing because its implications are not limited to ICICI bank alone. Post US subprime crisis, confidence in the banking industry as a whole has been lowered. But the whole Indian banking system is largely unexposed to the ongoing derivatives crisis in US. The stringent regulations in Indian banking sector which have made the cost of banking among the highest in India have worked in its favour.

ICICI Bank too seems to be in a very sound financial position. Its capital adequacy ratio (CAR) [a measure of how much risk the banks can absorb] is still hovering at 13.97%. This is much higher than the 9% CAR that banks are required to maintain under Basel-II norms. The CAR is also higher than the present CARs of other major Indian banks, including the SBI. Its exposure to the US crisis is limited to that of its London subsidiary, ICICI Bank UK Plc alone. ICICI bank UK holds 57 million euro of senior bonds of the now bankrupt investment bank, Lehman Brothers. But despite this 98% of its non-India investment is rated investment grade.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The man who calls the shots... Of course, figuratively

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He doesn’t believe in blinking and shooting at the same time; near-misses were never in his lexicon! With no love lost or time wasted, CEO Sudip, live...

4Ps B&M: In a short span of time, Reliance Money has emerged as a force to reckon with; could you elaborate upon the strategies that have been the driving forces towards the company’s success?
SB: Reliance Money has ensured that its services are cost effective, secure and convenient. Multiple innovations have resulted in our services being available to the customers at the best possible cost and in the most efficient manner. Our unique fixed fee model in lieu of the traditional brokerage, coupled with outstanding security token and convenience (amongst others, trading through ATM like kiosk), real-time online chat for retail customers, advance charting facilities, etc. have made our products great successes.

4Ps B&M: What has been your strategy for international markets?
SB: Our strategy in the International market is to work with local established players for catering to the needs of NRIs, PIOs and Institutional Investors willing to invest in India. This is an extremely low cost model and focused on serving international markets for Indian investments. The strategy in India is to have a complete basket of financial products and services. Whereas in international markets, the strategy is restricted to only facilitating investments into India.

4Ps B&M: Reliance Money has already established its presence in the entire Gulf. Why are you betting so heavily on these markets? What are your other focus markets?
SB: Middle-East is a market with significant potential. There is also a huge NRI & PIO population in the Middle-East who are very keen on investing in India. Apart from this, local institutions in the middle-east are also keen to invest in India due to geopolitical reasons. Apart from that, we are also looking at the African and South-East Asian markets. Offices have been established in Lagos (Nigeria) and Hong Kong. We have also established our presence in Ireland (Dublin).

4Ps B&M: How much investment are you making in these markets? What new products and services are you planning to introduce?
SB: As explained earlier, the investments in the international markets are not significant at this stage. However, a separate strategy is being followed for Saudi Arabia. In Saudi, we have floated a local company and this company (Riyada Reliance Money) is obtaining the requisite approvals from the local regulators for taking license to operate in the Saudi Stock market.

4Ps B&M: In the current volatility of stock markets, how do you make sure that risk averse investors are maintained? What according to you are the emerging trends in the sector?
SB: Yes, the investors are risk averse and rightly so. We are devising appropriate strategies and products to meet the requirements of these investors. Investors are also deploying funds in FMPs of mutual funds, liquid funds and other secured avenues.

4Ps B&M: Reliance Money has an offshore investment platform... Why?
SB: Reliance Money, amongst others, facilitates investments by domestic Indian retail investors in the international markets under the RBI approved window of up to $200,000 per year. We have international partners like OptionsXpress (3rd largest retail broker in US), Goldride Securities (Hong Kong), Mubhasher (Gulf), CMC Plc (UK), etc. who facilitate the transaction in the international markets.

4Ps B&M: What are the challenges you face while expanding in the international markets?
SB: The regulations are different in each country and the approval processes are cumbersome. Our working with local partners facilitates the navigation.

4Ps B&M: Your vision for Reliance Money for next five years?
SB:Reliance Money would become the largest broking and distribution company in Asia and amongst the top such companies in the world, within the period of next 5 years.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Rewrite rules but retain values!

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Retailing is all about understanding the consumer. The more you are able to connect yourself with the consumer the chances of success are higher...

They have not only built a successful business from scratch but have also redefined the way the common Indian consumer shops. They wanted to deliver everywhere, every time to every Indian consumer in the most profitable manner and they have done it successfully so far. In fact, with some of their leading retail formats which include Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, Food Bazaar, Central, Planet Sports, eZone, Collection i, Brand Factory and Home Town, the duo seems to be present almost everywhere. Certainly their strategy has paid off in the past and they plan to continue with the same in future too. Future Group’s Kishore Biyani (Founder & CEO, Future Group) and Rakesh Biyani (CEO, Future Retail) share their future strategies with 4Ps B&M Angshuman Paul...

In this fiercely growing retail rodeo, where do you think Future Group stands?
Kishore Biyani (KB): Retailing is all about understanding the consumer. The more you are able to connect yourself with the consumer the chances of your success are higher and that’s what we have been doing in Future Group.

Do you think national players understand Indian consumers in a better way as compared to foreign players?
KB: To some extent yes and I feel there’s no need of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail. I always encourage domestic competition like from Reliance and Subhiksha, et al.

What are the key challenges for Indian retail industry?
Rakesh Biyani (RB): Infrastructure and real estate, particularly in big cities, are some of the key challenges. The real estate cost in India is not in sync with the productivity. Even the energy cost in India is higher than any other country in the world. Apart for these there’s lack of skilled manpower. Certainly these are some of the challenges that all retail players in India have to face.

Your growth model has always revolved around private labels. Why so and any intention to change such strategy in the near future?
KB: We believe in giving consumers what they want at an affordable price without compromising with the quality. That’s the reason we create brands. So if the demand and the need of the consumers are taken care of, then the brand can become the favourite brand to the consumers. We are also eyeing for 50% stand-alone stores for all our brands in near future.

RB: In the near future our focus would also be on private labels. In fact we are planning to launch about 35 to 40 stores every year and by June 2009, approximately 140 stores will come up. We are also looking forward to experiment with new formats in terms of sizes. However, our formats would be on the basis of need and demand for the consumers, which our team is finding out through intensive research.

As a pioneer and veteran in this industry what changes do you see in today’s retail industry?
KB: I think one should look at expansion in terms of the number of stores to reach more and more people and not in terms of the formats. We in Future Group are looking at opening more and more stores in the near future under any format, depending upon the need of the market. Retailers, of late, have been too much into rolling out new formats but what’s the point in opening such formats if there’s no demand in the market. That’s the reason we believe in doing research before opening a store and if our team finds out there’s a good demand in rural India, then we would definitely go there as well.

Can you elaborate on how you conduct this type of research?
KB: We conduct extended market research and the core focus of our research is to understand the Indian consumers and markets. For the past one year we have done research with McKinsey Group. However, we are now focusing on conducting research on a more innovative way.

Tell us about your future investment plans?
RB: We don’t believe in announcing investment figures, wherever and whenever required we have invested. Our IPOs have been very successful. We know we will have to invest more on the potential areas of retail. We have big plans with hyper-marts and we would be investing there. We even have big plans for fashion retailing, as fashion retailing is comparatively easier than food and grocery retailing.

Why do you say so?
RB: Because in fashion retailing you don’t require a cold store, which you definitely need in food and grocery retailing. Moreover, in fashion retailing you can always be in direct touch with the brand manufacturer, which is not always possible in case of food retailing. Anyway that doesn’t mean fashion retailing doesn’t have any challenges, it has its own bottlenecks particularly in apparel and fashion retailing you definitely have to be more creative.

Over the last decade, how do you think Indian retail industry has changed and what are the more changes we can one expect?
KB: Definitely, the Indian retail industry has been growing much faster in the last three years as compared to the earlier seven years. Retail is becoming more organised with its arm spread across all the corners of the country. In fact there has been a phenomenal change in consumer awareness, today’s consumer are much more educated about brands. Regarding the future, by next year all most all the malls in the country would be operational.

RB: On that even I agree too, you can’t take consumers for granted. There’s certain rise in consumerism in India, it’s good and this will give birth to more and more organised retail. I think we would be able to address all the challenges that we have today for the retail growth by the coming years.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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AN AMERICAN DREAM... AN INDIAN REALITY!

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Can American Express take advantage of the ‘Great India Opportunity’? And how is it different from the slew of plastics available? The Country Head speaks...

4Ps B&M: What do you feel about market potential for plastic money business in India?

RH: In India, the credit card market is witnessing amazing and rapid growth at a healthy rate of 30-35% per annum. The total card market today in terms of billings is growing at over 30-35% per annum and is estimated to touch over the $20 billion mark this year. Having said that, the Indian card market is still relatively untapped and offers a huge potential. The current India context presents unprecedented opportunities to American Express to further its strategy to own and serve the premium segment. American Express’ strategy to own the premium segment fits in extremely well in the present Indian environment...

4Ps B&M: Do you cater differently to Indian consumers as compared to your competitors?

RH: The edges that American Express enjoys over the other cards are several. American Express is a company, which provides seamless service to customers travelling in India and overseas and offers a host of global benefits such as special offers and savings opportunities. For instance, we have the unique American Express Selects platform. This platform allows us to create significant value for our merchants and our card members. Through this ongoing, consistent and value-added approach, we deliver competitive advantage to our customers. In addition, being a leading travel agency we provide Membership Travel Services through our travel network. The strategy enables us to provide card members with a range of services such as tele-ticketing, special discounts on international fares, free airport transfers, et al, again something which no other card company can offer. We offer the best Protection Package that includes limited loss liability for a Card member.

4Ps B&M: What are your strategies to increase your consumer base in the Indian sub-continent?

RH: Our strategy will revolve around gaining leadership position and owning greater base amongst the rapidly growing affluent customers in India. The key elements of our strategy include our laser-like focus in providing premium value to all our customer segments and we continue to innovate to meet our card members’ changing financial and lifestyle needs. Over the last two years, we have expanded our product set to including innovative Platinum Club and Kingfisher cards.

4Ps B&M: How do you plan to retain consumers, given new buying patterns and shifting loyalties?

RH: In India, the opportunity is pretty large and we are focused on gaining industry leadership, and are making significant investments to this end. A leader in product innovation to raise the bar in the industry, American Express plans to continue to invest in advertising and marketing its products across the country. We will also continue to work with key partners to develop innovative product offerings to match customers’ needs and wants in the premium space.

4Ps B&M: Your take on the growing competition in the India?

RH: American Express is a key player in the cards business in India and offers unparalleled and comprehensive portfolio. There is space for everyone, but we like to differentiate ourselves. Unlike other cards, the Amex Card member is liable only up to a maximum of Rs.1,000 before report of loss of card and zero after report of loss. This feature is well recognised and appreciated by card members.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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If iPhone has enigma and reach, Nokia N96 is dialling the marketing number.

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If iPhone has enigma and reach, Nokia N96 is dialling the marketing number. But then, Nokia cannot afford to lose out to Apple’s iPhone. By pawan chabra

Imagine the delight that would have lit up author J.K. Rowling’s face when she heard that people have been actually queuing up since midnight to get their hands on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the last book in the series. Well, Apple’s Steve Jobs must have been anticipating something similar, with all the hype surrounding the iPhone’s launch in India. But instead of delight, his facial muscles ended up being concentrated in a frown. Why? Well, big brother Nokia had managed to steal the thunder. Fearing that the iPhone may snatch its lead in the Indian market, Nokia, in a surprise move, announced the India-launch of its N96 – a feature-rich smart phone from its N series stable, scheduled for launch much later in the country.

The industry is already hailing the N96 as the ‘iPhone killer’ and clearly these marketers have a war on hand. Already, most consumers who had been impatiently waiting to buy the iPhone as soon as it hit the stores have shelved their plans to wait for the N96 (to be launched on 16th September), compare the two handsets, and only then make a studied decision. Highlighting the imminent power of this newest model, Devinder Kishore, Director-Marketing, Nokia India says, “If the N series belonged to someone else other than Nokia, that player could alone become the second largest handset manufacturer in the country.”

To be fair, Apple iPhone’s global success story is almost legendary and the legacy has travelled to India, giving Apple’s smart phone the aspirational edge in Indian consumer-scope. In fact, to deal with criticism over its premium pricing, both Airtel & Vodafone (exclusive partners for iPhone in India) belatedly launched EMI schemes to lure in more buyers. Sanjay Gupta, CMO (Mobile services), Bharti Airtel, believes that the tie-up with Visa for finance options will “provide a new opportunity for consumers who aspire to own the 3G iPhone” and widen the market for the product in India. Incidentally, AT&T is able to sell the iPhone for $199 onwards globally, as the subsidy can easily be recovered because of higher ARPUs in developed nations. But Airtel and Vodafone do not have that luxury as lower ARPUs in India will not allow them to recover subsidy costs anytime soon.

Nokia too will pull all stops to stop iPhone’s success in India (like the surprise launch of N96) – largely because it cannot afford to let Apple win the Smart Phone battle in India. Nokia commands over 70% share of Indian handset market, with about 6-7% total share of smart phones. With the maturing of the handset mart, more users are expected to shift to smart phones, and Nokia does not want to stumble on this growth trajectory. Other smart phone players are also gearing up to cash in. Ajay Sharma, Country Manager, HTC India says that he’s ready for the battle ahead. “If we just limit it to smart phones, we can give Nokia a run for their money any day.” On the iPhone, Sharma says that till the time 3G is not available in the country, “people buying 3G phones are wasting their money unnecessarily,” but is confident of HTC’s ability to flood the market with 3G phones when the technology will get the green signal.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Hey! Who needs a wallet to shop?

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With unique offerings in the Indian VAS sphere, Oxigen plans to make the most of the maturing Indian telecom market. 4Ps B&M’s pawan chabra presents an insight on this emerging player in the Indian VAS industry...

Consider a situation where your mobile phone replaces your wallet. And, what more can you ask for than to get relieved from the long standing queues at various bill payment counters! What if it’s done just by clicking a few buttons on your mobile phone? Sounds like a dream?! But no more as that’s exactly what Oxigen Services (India) Pvt. Ltd. plans to do with its newly launched product called ‘OxiCash’.

Working on the lines of PayPal, (a US based subsidiary of eBay) OxiCash is one of its kind offering in the Indian value added services (VAS) sphere by Oxigen. “PayPal is very popular in the US and is recharged only through credit or debit card. But the worst part is still almost 20-25% population of United States doesn’t hold a bank account, so, talking about the potential of a product like this in India, it has enormous potential to grow,” avers Pramod Saxena, Founder and Chairman Oxigen Services (India) Pvt. Ltd. Certainly true and if banked upon rightly, OxiCash happens to be a billion dollar opportunity for Oxigen that started its operations just four years back in 2004.

Well, the idea of starting the company emerged out of a vision of Pramod Saxena, who in association with South African Blue Label Telecom, made all possible arrangements to take on the Indian telecom VAS sphere by storm. And with the kind of performance the company has shown in the last four years, its existence has surely emerged as a threat to many. In fact, Oxigen’s growing popularity has even forced the global software giant, Microsoft to acquire a whopping 35% stake in the company in January earlier this year.

The alliance with Microsoft will not only make Oxigen stronger on the financial grounds, but will also enable the company to expand its business rapidly in the virtual payments and distribution space by making use of Microsoft’s web and mobile based technologies. Another major advantage that the company has gained through its association with Microsoft is that Oxigen can now also access Microsoft’s advertising services. However, other than Microsoft, Blue Label Telecom holds 35% stake in the company while the remaining 30% is held by Saxena and other employees of the company.


With a vision to be a pan India virtual distribution network for electronic delivery and payment of prepaid and post-paid services of all kinds, the company is all set to give some more innovative products to the Indian VAS industry. “We started this business forecasting the growth in the Indian pre-paid sphere and the various dimensions where it will be entering in the future. We wanted to become a one-stop shop for recharging mobile phones and then slowly we moved on to post-paid and other services. OxiCash is the first major diversification that has come out of our door,” Saxena shares with 4Ps B&M. And no doubt, this has paid them well too. With the current turnover of Rs.7 billion the company at present is a leader in the area of bill payments and prepaid services in the country. Moreover, with its pan India retail network, Oxigen currently holds 50,000 touch points which it wants to increase to a mind-boggling figure of 2,50,000 by 2010. This is certainly an essential step for the growth of the company, as it will be distributing its neonate in the VAS sphere through these touch points only.

The company is also equally focusing on the rural areas, as it believes that Oxigen is more prominent in these areas. “Oxigen has much deeper penetration in the rural areas as compared to any other telecom operator in the country, this acts as a major plus point in our business model,” Mehar Sarid, Director – Brand, Marketing & VAS Oxigen services (India) Pvt. Ltd. tells 4Ps B&M. Even a study on the Indian VAS industry shows that the usage of VAS services in the rural parts of the country is increasing very fast as compared to the growth of the usage of VAS services in the urban population. “The Indian VAS market is expected to reach a figure of more than $2 billion by the end of 2008 and with the retail sector getting organised by the day in the country, the company has enormous potential to grow in the coming times,” avers a recent report on the sector by PwC. Even the company is going gung ho over the potential the industry has and as such doesn’t want to leave any stone unturned. To create a buzz over its new offering, OxiCash the company has recently launched a TVC featuring their brand ambassador, Javed Jaffery. When asked about the selection of Javed as the brand ambassador, Sarid states, “We had gone through many names in the industry before finalising with Javed, as according to us he is the person who connects the best with the audience for a product offering like we have.”

Other than Oxigen cash and Oxigen Services, this company has another innovative service called MobiBuzz, which is all set to take the market by storm. With a strong backing of more than 50 content partners’ worldwide and its own video production house in Mumbai, this service is capable enough of providing the world’s finest content to its customers.

Though, the Indian VAS market is still in its emerging phase as compared to the global markets, where VAS services have entered into a more mature phase, in the near future the Indian market is all set to touch new heights. With the aggressive plans that the company has for the Indian market the company’s balance sheet can grow many folds if the fine work that is being done by the company on papers is successfully rolled out in the market.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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If you took emails on your cell phone for granted..

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

If you took emails on your cell phone for granted, remember that only around 0.1 million subscribers out of a huge 270 odd million cell phone users have access to such facility. Enter the email via sms facility!

If Charles Babbage takes credit for inventing the term ‘mechanical computer’, the term ‘teleputer’ can be credited to George Gilder, a man who saw the future of the modern day computer on mobile screens; and given the pace of things, that day in human history may not be distant anymore. The world that we live in is deeply connected through technology and there are vast number of gadgets of various shapes and sizes on which we are dependent to make our lives simpler or to help us remain connected. On this technological planet that we live on, experts have been on a constant lookout for a particular device that could get us as close to true convergence as possible. Of course, there have been many experiments made in the past on devices like the computer and television etc. But it was only when technology experts started fiddling with ‘mobile handsets’ looking for achieving similar results with them, and when typically capitalist companies realised the money promise that the concept held, that the idea of a mobile phone being the one and all convergence platform, started taking a structure with more reality than Star Wars hype.

For the mobile suddenly was being perceived as being not just a device that enabled one to cut down distances through voice, but also a device where you could download music, watch TV, cable channels and oh, sending and receiving emails was obviously taken for granted as the birth right of any mobile user. And some of the smarter users [one should mention, extremely rare] now are even vying for the swanky concept of Global Positioning Radio Systems (GPRS). Ironically, although GPRS has been around for a while, in India there have been very few takers for this till date; unlike the smartphone or Blackberry users who have been using Internet services since some time now. But even that perhaps might be pushing it too much. Factor this; in a country that has a population of over 1.2 billion and a mobile subscriber base running into 267 million, there are not even one lakh people in the country who own a Blackberry.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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Bose Lifestyle 48 series III DVD Home Entertainment

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification

Inputs and switching for 4 audio sources (4 analog, 4 coaxial digital, 1 optical digital); Digital outputs: 1 optical, 1 coaxial; Acoustimass® module • 13”H X 8”W X 21 5/8”D • (33 cm H X 20.3 cm W X 54.9 cm D) • 26.22; lbs (11.9 kg)
PRICE: Rs.2,36,138;
WARRANTY: 1 year

The Lifestyle 48 DVD system features award-winning jewel Cube speakers measuring only 4½” high – for high-quality sound. Says Ratish Pandey, GM, Bose Corp. India, “It incorporates the ADAPTiQ technology that helps the system calibrate to room acoustics ensuring optimal performance independent of the room acoustics.” The VS-2 video enhancer simplifies the system’s integration with other sources including those with HDMI.

Marketers’ delight: The uMusic® intelligent playback system records preferences – customised music in short.

Tester’s note: Con – HD & Blu-Ray incompatible.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
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B&O Beosound 9000

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification

60 radio presets with naming, FM (with RDS) and AM, 6 discs changer, frequency range from 20 – 20,000 Hz, ±1 dB, Typical 101 dB signal-to-noise ratio.
PRICE: Rs.3,00,000
WARRANTY: 2 years (International warranty)

The sleek and stunning BeoSound 9000 is a system which can be loaded with six CDs at a time. And well, you don’t need to worry about placing them as its unique auto-positioning technology ensures that your discs are aligned within +/- 1 degree according to the position you’ve stored. Designed to adapt to an array of placement options, BeoSound 9000 has the ability to get automatically accustomed to the physical changes in the surrounding environment. Further, the system can act as a BeoLink Master, dispensing music to any Bang & Olufsen speakers around the place. Not to forget, the rapid speed at which it zips you from first to sixth CD as if it was just one big disc that you were listening to! Marketers’ delight: Stylish & minimum lead time.

Tester’s note: Pros – Excellent sound quality complimented by design. Easy set up and control. Con – Very expensive.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
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India in a trance

Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!

Struck by back to back wars and a terrible food crisis, India had a golden opportunity back in 1966 to alter its destiny. Unfortunately, we let it pass...

Just a year before the UK devalued its pound, India, too, had done a devaluation of its currency. The magnitude of that devaluation (by 37.5% from Rs.4.75 per dollar to Rs.7.50 per dollar) and a series of policy moves before and after the devaluation present the incident as a unique case in India’s economic history.

As an evolving economy throughout the 1950s, India experienced deficits in trade and the government budget, which the government tried to cover up with foreign aids. Though the foreign aid was never greater than the total trade deficit of India (except for 1958) during the period of 1950 through 1966, it was substantial enough. But an abrupt discontinuation of aid by US and other western countries after India’s war with Pakistan in 1965 forced India to literally bend in front of the World Bank, which had been shouting for liberalisation and rupee devaluation for some time.

Apart from the foreign exchange crisis, two additional factors also played a major role in the 1966 devaluation. Firstly, there was an accelerated inflation (due to huge deficit spending required by the war) that led to a disparity between Indian and international prices. India’s defence spending was at 24.06% of total expenditure in 1965-66 (as per the book ‘Foundations of India’s Political Economy’). Second, the drought of 1965/66 caused a sharp rise in prices in this period. Severe droughts and stagnant agricultural production started to build up pressure on the government.

Subsequently, food-grain production dropped by 17% and wholesale prices of food-grain shot up by 14%. By November 1965, all buffer stocks had been exhausted. When the then finance minister Sachindra Choudhuri was asked why the government did not wait another six months to see whether a good monsoon might make the devaluation unnecessary, he replied, “If we had waited another six months, we would have had absence of imports in India… action could not be postponed because all further aid negotiation hinged on it.” This shows how critical the dependence on US and World Bank was at that time. Dr. Subrat Kumar Mandal, Senior Economist, Public Finance and Policy avers, “The food crisis is the major reason that drove the government for devaluation and export promotion measures.”

Being promised assistance, the Indian Government, then led by Indira Gandhi, devalued the currency. This was associated with dismantling of the plethora of import controls and export subsidies as asked by the World Bank. It was perhaps India’s first step towards liberalisation; but unfortunately, it was done under pressure and by a team of policy makers who never believed that growth can also be achieved by liberalising the economy. As a result, when the World Bank failed to provide assistance as promised and the government was criticised by statements like, “You sold the country and have not even got the price,” it backtracked. Thus India gave up on growth opportunities provided by international trade that Europe, Japan, Taiwan and Korea exploited so effectively. Not only that, India also gave license raj a new breath of life by reverting back to an ever more stringent form of import substitution after 1969.

If policy makers then would have carried forward with what was forced upon the country, perhaps India might have been be 10 years ahead of China instead of 15 years behind. But there’s a parallel school of thought too. Mandal says, “India was not mature enough at that time for liberalisation.”

By deepak ranjan patra

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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MICHAEL LYNTON - hollywood comes to india

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

MICHAEL LYNTON
hollywood comes to india

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Michael Lynton recognises that fiscal responsibility, technological innovation and global growth are key to the studio’s future. He and co-Chairman Amy Pascal are very enthusiastic about India and its potential as our business expands there.

Sony Pictures Entertainment produced its first Bollywood film Saawariya, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali last year. In an article to the Wall Street Journal (September 2007), Lynton stresses that globalisation is not turning the world into a huge shopping mall. Rather, instead of creating a boring global village, he feels that the “forces of globalisation are actually encouraging the proliferation of regional diversity.” So, in his view, the world is changing the way Hollywood works, and it makes sense to “marry our production, marketing & distribution experience with the growing global appetite for entertainment tailor-made by and for a variety of cultures.”

With strong roots in India, particularly in television, Sony Pictures is growing its film and visual effects businesses in the country and Michael is quite optimistic about our potential for future growth in the country. In the entertainment marketplace, India is an exciting place to be doing business, and Sony looks forward to deepening our ties with the very talented community of filmmakers and others involved in the film business there.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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AMITAV GHOSH - Messiah of literature

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

AMITAV GHOSH
Messiah of literature

A a poet, novelist, author and anthropologist, that’s what describes Amitav Ghosh. Although he was born in undivided east India (now Bangladesh), but he has a close connection with India, Pakistan, Burma, Iran and finally New York by an umbilical cord.

An artist is best known for his art and Ghosh is no exception. He is an ideal figure, travel writer to usher in a new way of investigating the world. “His travel covers long periods of time, both in lived history and in human history. He is not a consumer of landscapes but someone who inhabits a place. His first contact with Egypt was as a quiet young professional academic. His later contacts were to re-establish relationships, to revive again what he’d seen and known,” Brian Kiteley, a professor of English and creative writing at University of Denver, and a good friend of Amitav tells B&E. So, as art is outbound to land, race, religion or territory, Ghosh is no more limited to Bengal, he is in fact a messiah in ‘the world of literature’.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Technology

IIPM - Admission Procedure

In this era where knowledge is the keyword for development and power, technology provides knowledge a platform to exhibit its metal. Despite the status as a world leader in information technology, India fails to get any slot in among the top 20 of the world’s ‘Most Networked Economies’. This failure is chiefly because of the poor infrastructure for information and communication network across the country. Indian telecom had set a target to install 250 telephones in the country which is far too less when compared to other developing countries in terms of per capita telephone availability. However, this target should be enhanced, and around 750 million telephones should be installed with major focus in rural area. This device does not only let one communicate but also will help in fortifying projects like e-choupals. Along with the telephone there should also be accessibility to internet (broadband) and 75 more Indian cities should be installed with free broad band facilities i.e., should be made wi-fi cities. More of Nanotechnology institutes and courses be started, a minimum of 75 institute or colleges should be asked to introduce nanotechnology courses in their curriculum.

Bridging the decade long ‘digital divide’ is not an easy task but not even impossible. But then with collaboration with private companies and by replicating viable model, this divide can at least be minimised.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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Since the 1950s, rapid GDP growth along with social justice

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Since the 1950s, rapid GDP growth along with social justice, rural employment schemes, welfare economics, hikes in threshold limit for personal income tax, taxes on cigarettes, and proposals to broaden the tax net were the underlying themes of almost all the election Budgets.

The shackled Indian elephant is running. The Asian tigers have given way to the dragon. Globally, there’s an ongoing tussle between the ‘Lexus’ factor and the ‘Olive Green’ one. The world has changed. But there are things that seem to go on and on. The Indian Budget, especially in the year before an impending general election, is one of them. It’s surprising, even funny, how the Budget speeches of the country’s Finance Ministers through the nearly six decades of Independence have read almost the same in such crucial years. The FMs seem to just borrow the ‘right’ phrases from their predecessors.

The rhetoric is the same. So are the sound bytes. The logic is straightforward. The proposals are only a bit different, and change with the context of the era. At the end of the day, the various Finance Ministers – ranging from Morarji Desai, Indira Gandhi, S.B. Chavan, Manmohan Singh, and Jaswant Singh to P. Chidambaram have talked in the same ‘Budget’ language, used the same expressions, and openly wooed the country’s voters. The Election Budgets, dear friends, have always been the same.

Invariably, the speeches begin with how India has truly – and finally – embarked on the growth path. They talk about how India is on the verge of going beyond the past years of slow and ‘edgy’ growth. Listen to Desai who, in 1961, said: “…the last 10 years have been a period of striking development in almost all sectors of the economy. Large investments have been made in agriculture, irrigation and power, major as well as medium and small industries, transport and social services. We are perhaps too near these events to be able to assess their full impact or significance.”

Chavan continued with the same economic theme in 1989, 28 years later. “I am happy to inform the House that the latest estimates of economic performance in the drought year of 1987-88 indicate that, despite the drought, GDP grew by 3.6 per cent. This commendable performance in a year of drought has been followed by vigorous growth in the current year and we expect the GDP to grow by 9 per cent or more in real terms. For 4 years in succession, manufacturing output has grown by over 8 per cent per year which is a clear vindication of the industrial policy of the Government.” Obviously, the architect of economic reforms, Manmohan Singh, couldn’t resist talking about how he has cut through the ‘shackled’ growth, and put India on to a path where she could soon become an economic superpower. In 1995, before the 1996 elections, he announced in his Budget speech that “the growth of our economy had fallen to less than one per cent in 1991-92. We brought the economy back to a growth of 4.3 per cent per year in the two years thereafter, and growth has accelerated further to 5.3 per cent in 1994-95. Few countries can claim as quick and smooth a recovery from as deep an economic crisis.” After all, he was the ‘original’ reformer.

This year too, Chidambaram continued with the same theme. And let me not bore you with extracts from his speech. I am sure all of you heard and saw it. So, what do these Finance Ministers do then in a year that has seen unparalled economic growth? What is their focus to provide further impetus to it? Do they go ahead and announce policies that will unleash the private sector and entrepreneurial activities? Sorry, they don’t. After all, it’s their last Budget before the forthcoming general elections.

So, they contend that economic growth is fine, but it has to definitely go hand-in-hand with development and social justice. For example, Desai said that “it would, however, not be wise to rest on our oars and take the present improvement for granted. A greater intensification of our efforts will be necessary in order to achieve that target. Development involves sacrifice and the essence of democratic planning is that the sacrifice should be evenly spread and should be forthcoming readily and voluntarily. I invite every citizen to participate in this sacrifice and to save more in order to invest more in the Small Savings Schemes.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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The deal wouldn’t ‘Burn’ away

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Even without Nicholas the deal will see through, but it may dilute the process a bit
While the Indian Left is hell-bent on seeing the Indo-US nuclear deal die its natural death – the rightist forces led by some religious groups in the US are launching a campaign against the deal on the grounds that it goes against the US non-proliferation goals & strengthens India’s strategic options. In addition, the recent resignation of US’ Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, the Chief Architect of the 123 agreement sent shivers down the Indian strategic community. However, the fears were short-lived – Nicholas will continue as the Special Envoy on the nuclear deal till at least the end of the Bush Administration.

The ongoing safeguards negotiations between the India administration & the IAEA are reported to be moving in a positive direction. The IAEA is considering India’s concerns regarding ‘disruption in fuel supplies & also ‘non-intrusive inspections’ – leaving its defence nuclear reactors outside the purview of inspections. However, it is difficult to say that any kind of agreement with the IAEA will be acceptable to the Indian Left, especially because their opposition is to the Indo-US nuclear deal & not really against the de-nuclearisation of India.

Taking Prakash Karat’s statement on January 21 into account, it seems that the deal is unlikely. But, Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar, former Director, IDSA, adds, “Even if Indian Communists oppose the deal and pull down the government, then the next Congress or BJP government will have to face India’s nuclear reality of shortage of fuel and nuclear isolation and will carry though the deal.” On the success of the deal, post-Burns, Ajay Lele, Research Fellow, Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, (IDSA) India, said, “Nicholas Burns, before resigning has said that they have done as much as they could and won’t be making any more concessions. The fructification of deal will depend on how Congress is able to manoeuvre Indian Communists.”

B&E edit bureau: Rajeev K. Singh

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Sky’s the limit

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Wish a Jaguar or a Land Rover could fly...

Has anybody ever wondered why Ford, world’s third largest automobile manufacturer and seventh largest in Fortune list finds it difficult to manage such niche and high-end brands like Jaguar and Land Rover? Well, the answer lies not with the dynamics of automobile industry but something else. For long, world has witnessed the exponential consumerism of the US. And now its becoming ambitious too. Consider this: Forecast International states in its report, ‘The Market for General Aviation/Utility Aircraft 2007-2016’ that ‘makers of general aviation and utility aircraft will turn out nearly 27,140 aircrafts worth approximately $22.55 billion during the period 2007-2016.’ It further states that ‘of the total number of aircrafts produced, 22,477 piston aircrafts will account for the vast majority of units produced (82.8% of the total).

Turboprop aircraft manufacturers will turn out aircrafts in lower numbers, for total production of 4,660 units (17.2% of the total). Turboprop value of production is projected to amount to $13.7 billion or 60% of the total, while the value of production of piston aircraft will amount to $9 billion or 40% of the total, due to the much higher unit prices of turboprop aircraft.’ Moreover, Very Light Jets (VLJ) are changing the dynamics of the private jet industry. Companies such as Cessna with its Citation Mustang VLJ, Eclipse Aviation’s Eclipse 500 are revitalising the fractional ownership industry. Reports state that more than 3,000 VLJs are already on order. A report by Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport, states, ‘The FAA/Transportation Research Board Business Aviation Panel has suggested that the market for VLJs could add an additional 4,950 of these aircrafts to the general aviation fleet by 2017. Other forecasts project from 7,400 to 10,900 new business jets entering the market between 2006 and 2014.’ Furthermore, it states that Federal Aviation Administration expects another 14,000 light sport aircrafts to be added to the General Aviation fleet by 2017 and that ‘the growth of the active general aviation aircraft fleet is forecast to increase by an annual average rate of 1.4% through to 2017, growing from an estimated 214,591 aircrafts in 2005 to 252,775 in 2017.’

So what does all this have to do with the inability of Ford to manage Jaguar and Land Rover brand? Well, no prize for guessing that these are not utility cars but essentially status enhancers. Yet on any given day, even a single engine piston aircraft like Cessna 172, or a twin engine turboprop like Cessna 421C is more of a status enhancer than a Jaguar or Land Rover, simply because they can fly. Already the VLJs are being termed as SUVs of the sky. Americans now buy personal aircrafts, the way Indians buy cars now. A Very Light Jet costs a shade more than a two million dollar while one can get a second hand piston aircraft at the price of a high-end Jaguar. Expecting this craze to go northward, Honda and Toyota have started working on making private jets. In contrast, in emerging economies like India and China, the craze for high-end cars is just growing due to increased affluence, just as the demand for Rs.1 lakh car would explode. Here, Ford prefers the Tatas exactly for the same reason for which Fiat finds it more feasible to sell its cars through Tatas as dynamics of these markets are far more different than the US and Europe. Ford bettered what Fiat did first. But don’t get surprised if Tatas bid for Fiat in a few years’ time.That’s the future of automobile makers in the US and Europe. Realisisng this, Ford has already started the exit game.

Pathikrit Payne

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Unravelling the first family of sarod…

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

The inimitable impressions of the Bangash family on Hindustani classical music…
Melodious notes have wafted through the corridors of their homes and wide-eyed cherubs have soaked them in, learning to recognise the notes of the Sargam long before comprehending the ABCs of the spoken language. Since ages, just as family values and traditions are handed down to the next generation, the passion and understanding of music has also been sown into their souls. The Bangash family’s affair with the sarod began in mid-17th century, when Mohammed Hashmi Khan Bangash – an Afghan horse trader with a penchant for the rebab (a plucked lute) – settled in India. As he developed an interest in Indian classical music, he egged his son, Ghulam Bandegi Khan Bangash, to modify the rebab so as to allow the best of both the cultures to fuse together. Thus the sarod was born and the next Bangash – Ghulam Ali Bangash – further tuned the instrument to perfection and also the techniques of playing the ragas on the same.

“In the family of khaandaani musicians (who belong to a long lineage), it is difficult to pin-point the time, age or date of entering into the world of music. There is no way to actively decide, I just absorbed everything happening around me. I just realised one day and felt honoured to be the humble representative of the Senia Bangash gharana,” says the 6th generation scion of the Bangash family, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. His father Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan, learnt the fundamentals of the Senia gharana from Ustad Pyar Khan and Ustad Jafar Khan, who, incidentally, traced their lineage to one of the greatest music composers of all time – Tansen. In his career, he received patronage from the courts of Gwaliar and was the recipient of many awards including the Padma Bhushan in 1960.

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan was not one to merely loll on his forefather’s fame and he would go on to become noted for his style of playing the sarod. He also brought about new changes to the sarod and is today among the most respected musicians of our country. Holding audiences across the continents captive with his mesmerising performances, Amjad Ali Khan is a sparkling gem in the current Indian music milieu and has been honoured with a host of awards and recognitions such as the Padma Vibhushan. Reminiscing the years of his struggle, the doyen of Indian classical music says, “Nothing is easy, especially in the world of classical music. There was struggle, there is struggle and there always will be struggle in the future. There is no shortcut in this field. The expectations of the world are very high and there has to be quality music.”


From the outside, it might seem simple enough to carry on the legacy and many would chastise those who patronise every new generation of the same family and neglect artistes from not-so distinguished dynasties. “It is a great bonus. Like in any field, be it films or for that matter even a business house, a legacy always helps. You get the opportunity, the attention and the love of people. Having said that, one must keep in mind that eventually your work has to speak for itself. We cannot keep getting invited to a concert hall or to a music festival because we are sons of a famous father or for that matter, having seven generations of musicians behind us. Your work has to speak for itself. In fact, your legacy and your worth should speak through your work,” opine the sons of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan. “There are a section of people who would blindly love you because they loved your father. Then there are a section of people who love you for your own space and finally a section that would come to tear you apart! The mantra once again lies in the fact that one must never take any concert for granted. Smallest of concerts can become the turning points of your life and the biggest of concerts can be disasters. Every concert should have the same feeling and approach as if it’s your first concert,” assert the brothers.

The impression that many have of Amaan and Ayaan being privileged and given opportunities that most music enthusiasts would label as ‘unfair’, is something Amaan and Ayaan have had to contend with. While they shrug off such sentiments with a, “Like the saying goes ‘it’s not as easy as it looks’,” they also have been putting in their all to come into of their own. With concerts in 20 different nations already behind them and capital world music and electronica albums to their credit, the two have moved on and today are often compared with their father. “In all honesty,” remark the boys, “it’s an honour to be compared to a man like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. For at the end of the day, you’re being compared to the best! We don’t think anyone takes anyone’s place in life. There is room for everyone. Our father has already done the unthinkable to the sarod. But then, the work that we have done with the sarod had also never been done before. Today, the youth connect to the instrument, we see it in films, hear it in lounges and even clubs! Collectively as a family, we are trying our best to carry forward the tradition of Indian music.” The illustrious Ustad Amjad Ali Khan perhaps sums it up the best, “It’s a commitment from generations. We must surrender ourselves to God and to our guru… We feel happy and honoured to have received so much love and blessings from the whole world.”

B&E edit bureau: Anu Gulmohar & Neha Sarin

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Mind’s like that...

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

The real assets are perhaps those we overlook...

The world might have come a long way since Adam Smith wrote his pathbreaking book, The Wealth of Nations, but the essence of wealth in any business or for any nation, remains as inevitable as ever, even though its paradigm is ever changing. Gone are the days of Oregon Trail and the mad rush for gold; in today’s era, gold has been replaced by many of its poorer brethren as more important assets. Late 20th century saw the ascent of many of the Middle East countries simply because they were hosts to one of the largest reserves of crude oil in the world, an incredible wealth to hold on to. Soon it became one of the richest parts of the world. Yet the Arab sheikhs were prudent enough to realise that crude oil is an exhaustible wealth which made them start investing in physical infrastructure of Arab world as well as in the global financial markets.

The Arab investments in the US markets is just a shade less than a trillion dollar and ever increasing to make sure that even when oil is exhausted one day, their owners would not be. Similarly the world was for long divided between those countries which were bestowed with rich mineral resources and those which were not. Mother Earth by that standard has been a little more generous on Africa than many others. Yet more minerals and metals does not necessarily translate into more prosperity. Africa stands testimony to that. Contrast this with a country like Japan, devoid of any mineral wealth worth talking about. Yet, when Japan imports iron ore to make quality steel and from it makes world class cars to sell at a premium, it vindicates that the real wealth is perhaps not in metals but in the mind which can add value to them.

No wonder that Japan and the US are some of the richest nations of the world as they have allowed entrepreneurs to unleash the power of their minds and catapult the society to a higher paradigm.

Today, an operating system, a mobile phone or a micro processor can be called wealth but the real wealth are those whose gave shape to them. In the same league population was considered to be a major liability. But of late, two of the most populous countries of the world, China and India have realised that if they have ever done anything worthwhile, that was to nurture such huge population. In an era of market economy, the shrinking population and saturated market of the West, leaves the MNCs with only one choice, i.e. to invest and market in India and China. Not just as markets, India’s and China’s population can be considered wealthfor the incredible source of manpower they have become for the world. While the Chinese have specialised in being the manufacturer of the world, the Indians have specialised in the after sales service of the same.

But that this population doesn’t want to get restricted in it, is vindicated by the Tatas and Lenovos calling shots in global acquisitions.It doesn’t end here only. The biggest wealth of this world is still a calm mind and hope nurtured by the principle of self actualisation of East.Even wealthy West has accepted it. Against all odds, mankind still dream to live another day and wither the next Tsunami. So long this wealth of hope remains, other assets will work too.

Pathikrit Payne

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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What happens to the rest of Indian pharma when the leader takes the consolidation dose? virat bahri & manish k. pandey discuss the fallout...

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

What happens to the rest of Indian pharma when the leader takes the consolidation dose? virat bahri & manish k. pandey discuss the fallout...

In times of despair that they live in, rarely do pharma CEOs have an opportunity to cheer. Pfizer CEO Jeffrey Kindler, though, did get one with the Ranbaxy stake sale. After all, his company has crossed swords with Ranbaxy for quite some time now on the issue of the Lipitor drug. What could be better than one of your most bitter competitors getting bitten by the consolidation bug?

Or, taking a more realistic view, what could be worse? Once Ranbaxy is under the control of Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer will face a larger, more formidable competitor, with strengths in both generics and R&D, which would be ranked 15th in the global pharmaceutical space. And even if rumours of Pfizer attempting to put in a competing bid for the open offer for Ranbaxy shares are grossly untrue, it is for sure that such a strategic calculation would have crossed Kindler’s mind too.

If it is still a consideration, analysts now feel he needs to brush it under the carpet. Sujay Shetty, Associate Director, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, avers, “The way valuations are going, it isn’t such a good idea, even if we consider the benefits of Lipitor. Besides, it is difficult to carry on without the support of promoters.” He feels that they may compel Daiichi to pay more, but even that does not bring any compelling benefits to Pfizer. They may indeed end up overpaying. Comparisons being made with Pfizer’s acquisition of Warner Lambert, where it overpaid by around $20 billion to acquire it for around $90 billion. But then, Warner Lambert had Lipitor, which has been delivering annual sales of around $13 billion for Pfizer (nearly 13 times Ranbaxy’s annual revenue for 2007!).

So in all probability, the coast is clear for Daiichi, which unveiled its open offer to buy an additional 20% stake in Ranbaxy through an open offer (the promoter family, led by CEO & Chairman Malvinder Singh, have already committed their 34.8% stake to Daiichi) at a price of Rs.737 a share, which effectively values Ranbaxy at $8.5 billion. A shocker indeed for the Indian pharma industry and India in general, which is used to seeing the other side of the consolidation needle so far. If at all, we could raise a toast to East-East solidarity, even if that kind of emotion hardly ever crossed our mind before this landmark divestment of India’s largest pharmaceutical company!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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R. Balakrishnan, Chairman, Lowe Lintas

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

R. Balakrishnan, Chairman, Lowe Lintas: I think he is very intuitive and instantly understands the problem at hand. He has no particular style. However, he has this unique ability to tailor his style to suit the client’s brief. I mean we can solely depend on him to solve even extremely complex problems. A simple thing like the ‘daag achche hain’ campaign of Surf Excel, no one in this world except Arun could have cracked this puzzle. He is a very humble and a nice person. He doesn’t think of himself as a genius. For him, coming up with a big idea is no big deal – totally unassuming guy.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
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Welcome to creative-dom!

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

They say old is gold. But the new is not on hold either... Watch out as the youth brigade in ad-land storms into your living room and influences everything, from your choice of detergent to the car you race to work and back. By VAREEN RAY & SURBHI CHAWLA

It was the summer of 1963. An undergraduate advertising major at the University of California, as a part of his assignment, submitted a campaign for Honda to his guide. Amazed at the clever communication, the instructor persuaded the student to submit the work to Grey Advertising. The campaign – You meet the nicest people on a Honda – went on to completely redefine Honda motorcycle’s brand recall and market share in the United States.

Or consider this. Two over-enthusiastic Wisconsin boys were looking for a way to make their rowboat get to the fishing hole faster. They read all available stuff on gas motors. In the end, they shoved their plans for the rowboat and instead decided to work on motorised bicycles. In 1903, by the time the boys were in their early twenties, their first prototype was ready. The two boys from Wisconsin were William Harley and Arthur Davidson. Take Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He lived for only 35 years, wrote his first piece of music at the age of five and completed his first symphony at the age of eight. Why Mozart, take Pablo Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Shakespeare instead. History is littered with examples of young, adventurous people, who with their fresh insights, have consistently thought differently and delivered innovatively.

That’s the power that youth brings to the table. More recently, consider Microsoft, Motorola, Google, Apple, Oracle or Sony – what sets them apart from the rest? Almost all these companies have had innovative people at their helm, who gave up their youth to nurture these innovative corporations. Larry Ellison started Oracle when he was 32; Paul Vincent, founder of Motorola was also 32 when he set out on his trailblazing path; Akio Morita founded Sony when he was 25; Bill Gates was 20 when he founded Microsoft; Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs were 20 when they seeded Apple; Larry Page and Sergey Brin were 24 when they started Google; and they all continue to fanatically believe and invest in the power of youth.

So, when the 4Ps B&M team went into a huddle to plan an issue on India’s choicest creative brains, we decided to give the reigning stalwarts a miss and focus instead on the young generation. The reasons were clear to us. The veterans may be the anchors of any industry or company, but fresh blood is the lifeline that actually takes the industry forward. Leaders have a natural responsibility, to hone and nurture the bright sparks; but when fed into the industry, these bright sparks make for the choicest future leaders.

There was a time – from 1960s to 1990s – when names like Alyque Padamsee, Kersy Katrak (of the MCM fame), Mohammed Khan, Gerson and Sylvester DaCunha were taken in revered whispers in the Indian creative circles. Today, those names have been replaced with Piyush Pandey, Prasoon Joshi, R. Balakrishnan, Priti Nair, K. V. Sridhar, among others, whose creative campaigns have already been etched in Indian advertising history.

But keenly waiting in the wings, are a slew of young ones, who over the last few years, have been wowing audiences with their creative acumen. Names that are perhaps a little less heard, but have conjured up the coolest of creative storyboards to sell a variety of products from colas to cars. And as they say, one fresh campaign is all it takes to change the rules of the game. So, while the veterans are going great guns, the young turks of ad-frat are fast moving up the creativity ladder. They are smart, have age by their side, constantly question and challenge older established systems and do not hesitate while creating the wackiest of campaigns.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
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Pretty tales of ad-land

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Preity Zinta on all the reasons why she loves posing for the young turks of advertising

“I strongly believe that during the past 4-5 years the Indian entertainment industry has changed dynamically and this change is very visible, both in Bollywood and television. Ad-world is no different. Being a part of the industry, I’ve worked with both senior & young directors and have had memorable experiences working with them. But what I find interesting is the kind of young creative talent that has come in and is adding so much variety to the entire entertainment industry and ad-world as well. I think their thought process and creativity has no limits (quite literally) and that’s the reason their creativity is free from any stereotype bottlenecks. I have worked with so many of the next generation ad-guys, whose creative elasticity has really surprised me. They think out-of-the-box and little wonder then that ads have now become totally different from before.

I have worked in many ads and with many brands, and I particularly share a comfort level with young creative guys who always add something new to the ads. Whether it’s about women’s lib or the changing face of urban India, these ad guys have been able to effectively communicate changes in society.

Apart from their creativity, another reason why I appreciate this group of fresh talent is for their dedication and hard work. I won’t say that seniors are not hard working enough or lack dedication. But, this young dedicated talent is taking Indian creativity to an absolutely world class level. They are making something different and taking the plunge into the deeper end. But, I also feel that creativity in India is being hindered by the so-called social care takers. There have been instances when for absolutely no reason some group of people accuses a creative guy of going too far. But personally, as a colleague, it has been great to work with these young pals and who have been able to direct me very nicely. You can feel the difference when you see today’s ads. These young creative brains have indeed contributed a lot. And while there’s always something to learn from seniors, these young guys have proven that there is indeed something to learn from them too!”

As told to Angshuman Paul

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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General on a march

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

India is like an ace of spade for GM, they have a killer strategy in place, let’s see what...

GM has been bleeding profusely, what with the US & European markets in a state of flux. Also adding to its woes are the Japanese car-makers Honda & Toyota, that are eating away GM’s market share. Contrary to this, the Indian automobile industry is growing at a brisk pace of 15%, and offers that much needed relief package for GM. The pawns and pieces for this US automobile giant are falling in exactly the places it wants them to.

Till now GM’s Indian expedition has been ‘so far, so good.’ However, in 2008 the company has some mighty plans up its sleeves, to duel their dominating stand in the industry. Growing by a phenomenal 74%, GM India sold close to 64,032 units in the year 2007, almost doubling last year’s sales of 34,900 units. With introduction of newer models in the portfolio, the company is anticipating an increase in its demand. The capacity of the Halol plant has been increased to 85,000 units while the new Talegaon facility is expected to produce 140,000 units. The new exuberance has percolated to almost all the company catered segments. GM has now overtaken the mighty Honda and the agile Toyota in sales, occupying the fifth place. GM expects the market to expand further and is firing all cylinders to get the desired volumes. After a mixed bag response in higher segment, GM is now concentrating on small cars segment.

Karl Slym, MD & President, GM India, told 4Ps B&M, “There is more opportunity for the small cars in India and there is room for more vehicles. We are developing something in our labs and will be launching another car in the Spark segment some time soon.” Clearly this time, GM is leaving no room for mistakes. It is now very clear that GM has chosen the Chevrolet brand as the platform for its future growth. Also all new products introduced will be un der the brand name Chevrolet. Explains Slym, “We added Spark, U-VA, Optra Magnum and Captiva to the Chevrolet brand as it is important to clarify to the customers what the GM brand stands for in India.” As branding holds such relevance, the company is “now banking on brand enhancement and building consumer awareness.” In order to reach these ends effectively, GM is now ready to bring in its premium brands into Indian terrain. “I’ll be definitely going beyond the Chevrolet brand. Presently Chevrolet looks after 90% of the market. Now we also have to take care of the remaining 10% of the market,” says Slym.

With its portfolio and strategy in place, it seems that GM is well on its way to become a wholesome automotive player in India. Apart from the innovative small cars like the Spark and U-VA, the introduction of punchy CRDi’s in its range has further filled the lacuna that was left due to lack of diesels earlier. With the dealer and service outlets growing in numbers, the company is thinking about being both “flexible and nimble” in the long term. Even though Toyota might eventually clinch the numero uno position in the global auto mart, the hard hitting truth remains – GM has left it way behind in the Indian market, a market, which may finally decide the destiny of the global auto market.

Edit bureau: Karan Mehrishi

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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SABKA SAPNA MONEY MONEY!!!

IIPM, GURGAON

Everyone’s gushing crazily about the great investment options proliferating in the market. So, what’s your route to mint moolah while the sun shines? Here’s the 4Ps B&M take...

“Money is not the most important thing in the world. Love is. Fortunately, I love money”. Well, you don’t necessarily have to be passionately and obsessively in love with money to be able to fathom its worth and value. You don’t even have to be an Ayn Rand fan and a fellow traveller of capitalism to make money work for you. As another famous proverb spells it out quite beautifully, “Whoever said money can’t buy happiness, doesn’t know where to go shopping”. Quite simply, in this 21st century age, where many certainties of the past have yielded ground to an incessant barrage of uncertainties, money becomes the ultimate insurance policy for the individual and the family.

There was a time when there was certainty about jobs and tenures. Today, job security is as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster or the Yeti. So, building a nest egg for the rainy day is no longer smart behaviour; it is a strategic tool of survival. Once upon a time, you could be assured of a pension that would take care of your needs, as you faded into the golden years of your life. No longer. So investing wisely and smartly is all important for ensuring an old age with dignity. Yet, like relationships and love, different folks have different needs and preferences. You could trigger chuckles of sarcastic laughter if you are die hard bachelor and start investing for your natural born child! Similarly, you could end up spending nerve racking and torturous days and years of agony if you are naturally risk averse and yet follow the advice of a rampaging bull and plunge into equity investments and commodities.

As Dalal Street roars and middle India generates bigger surpluses, 4Ps B&M provides an exclusive and in-depth analysis of the kind of investments you need to make to build that cosy and safe nest egg for your and your family’s future. Find out if you are risk averse; or a natural born gambler or someone who doesn’t understand money but knows that he needs a lot of it to be able to lead a good life!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

The deal clinchers...

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

By keeping a consistent focus on grabbing more and more offshore deals, TCS is aiming to become an “integrated full service provider”. Thumps Ramadorai, “We have won some major deals; one of the major ones was from Latin America, where one of Ecuador’s largest banks engaged TCS for an integrated asset plus BPO and IP services deal worth more than $140 million.” In fact, the aim of the company is to generate as much as 45% of its revenues from offshore service deals.

Infosys has been very strong in the European market, which contributes 26.8% to its revenues. “We have crossed a full year revenue in 9 months of this year… package implementation and consulting together are showing good traction and are giving us a significant opportunity in the transformation type of projects,” disclosed Kris Gopalakrishnan, COO, President & Joint MD, Infosys. In fact, China seems to be quite high on the agenda as well, he reveals.

Wipro is in the same mode. “On the global delivery front, we continue to pursue our approach of focused expansion of our geographical footprints,” points Azim Premji, Chairman Wipro, “Our Romania center is now operational, we are creating a third centre in China and we will be expanding our Brazil centre that came through our Enabler acquisition.” Of course, the BPO business, despite high attrition rates, is high on the agenda, as news circulates of Wipro scouting to acquire a major partner like Spectramind. The booty available for investment is supposedly upto $50 million.

It is interesting to note that all three have China in mind, and the main growth drivers identified by them have been banking, insurance and related financial sectors plus retail. There, however, seems a clear understanding amongst the technology czars that the next wave of mergers and acquisitions and new business wins will be directed towards health care, life sciences, travel and entertainment businesses, even though the current revenues from them maybe marginal.

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B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
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I ‘Am(the)way ‘ Follow me folks!

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Amway’s foray into mainstream advertising is indeed a strategic masterstroke!

I n 1995, when Amway decided to serve a huge & diverse market such as India, it did it in its own way. Before launching its products, Amway learnt, understood & prepared itself for three long years. However, the core strategies remained the same as for the other markets. No doubt, it succeeded by doing so. From a miniscule Rs.91 crore company in 1998, Amway India Enterprises went on to become a company worth Rs.738 crore in just over eight years. It’s 2007 now, and the business environment in India has changed. And thankfully, Amway’s strategy has changed too! A part of the US-based $6.2 billion, Amway Corporation, which believes in the word-of-mouth advertising to promote its range of products, has suddenly started looking at television to showcase its presence.

A young professional wishing he had a bit more stamina to catch up with the fast moving world, a woman aspiring to defy her growing age, a little boy wishing to become tall and an exhausted servant in search of something that could ease his work! Well, these are nothing else but some of the scenes that make up its first television commercial through which it advertises products in health, homecare and beauty segments. “We have been advertising through hoardings and in print media in the past, and we have added TV this year to promote ourselves as a company that produces world class products,” William Pinckney, Managing Director, Amway India tells 4Ps B&M.

But then, direct selling firms hardly ever advertise, particularly on TV. Raison d’être, the concept of direct selling is based on eliminating the middlemen & pursuing promotional activities which take up 60-70% of operational costs. So, what’s the reason that Amway has started looking at audio-visual to advertise its presence? Explains Pinckney. “Amway is a direct-selling company and its products will only be sold through its distributors. Amway has had a satisfying growth graph – but we see ourselves as a Rs 3,000-crore plus company in the next few years. To get there, we believe it is necessary for larger audiences to know more about Amway.”

No doubt, the direct-selling industry has grown annually at over 17% in the past 3 years to Rs 3,100 crore. There are new entrants as well – both overseas as well as domestic. And of course, the presence of other established players (like ModiCare Ltd, Oriflame India. Ltd, Avon and Hindustan Lever Network), is enough to keep the fire on in Amway’s belly to strive for a larger market share. Amway plans to double its offices from 120 to 300 in next 3-5 years. The company is also looking to add more products to its portfolio which comprises 85 products. With an estimated growth of 22% in its home delivery model, which is limited to around 3,000 towns and a 17% growth in distributorship per annum, the company hopes to expand its reach to more tier-II towns during 2007. With such aggression, it needs to strengthen its bond with its end consumers, most of whom which happens to be its distributors too.

In addition, the past 12 years have proved to be a learning experience for Amway. It started with a bang by roping in distributors in the metros and big cities. Within years, it faced resistance from the distributors and was forced to move on to the smaller towns. However, the company realised that the ‘real’ consumers for its seemingly-expensive products are in cities like Delhi & Mumbai, where people have huge disposable incomes. The TV commercials are a step to woo a new set of customers – those who had never known Amway in its previous avatar, and have become rich in the recent years. However, while Amway is gung-ho over the growing market, its competitors, on the contrary, have a different view to share. “We don’t believe in direct advertising like TV ads. As a multi-level marketing company we always believed in word of mouth, which can be done by our members. Our core focus is to expand our membership and not just increasing consumer base,” says a source in Avon. But, then as the competition stiffens, others may follow Amway’s strategy...

A closer look at the sector and you get the right perspective. In comparison to other Asian economies, India lags far behind Japan and South Korea in direct selling despite having a larger population. “Even Mexico, which has a similar socio-economic environment and a tenth of India’s population, has an annual turnover of over Rs.15,000 crore. This showcases the potential that India has,” says Rajat Banerji, Head Corporate Communications and Social Responsibility, Amway India.

But, at the same time Amway needs to be careful as there is the fear of “negative publicity” that could hamper its growth. And who else could know better than Amway which already has witnessed it at several occasions in different geographies. But then, “It takes time for a market to understand direct selling simply because it is something new. There is resistance to something that is perceived as radically new. During and immediately after these challenging times, a clearer picture emerges,” the Amway MD tells 4Ps B&M.


Edit bureau: Manish Pandey

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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And you thought it was just an ‘underdog’?

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With premiums worth Rs.912 crores and with a noteworthy count of 4,50,917 policies in its pocket, Reliance Life Insurance Limited aptly finds a place in our list. Born in the stable of Reliance Money, this insurance company is considered to be amongst the top private players in the Indian life insurance platform. But of late, the company seems to have gained greater aggression in deploying its strategies to gain a better grip over the market and to make life tougher for its competitors.

As disclosed recently, the company plans a huge expansion worth Rs.1000-1200 crores over the next couple of years. The company also has plans to open 400 more branch offices pan-India, adding to its existing kitty of 340 branches. The company is also trying to carve a niche for itself by offering innovative products. Express Life, the recent launch of the company focuses on providing instant coverage to its customers by circumventing all the paperwork and hassles that come free with a life insurance coverage. The product promises to offer coverage within three days of submission of the application form, something which sounds new and surely is new on the Indian sub-continent. This express service is considered to be most innovative and will surely change the buying and selling dynamics in the Indian insurance sector. As put forth by P. Nandagopal, CEO, Reliance Life Insurance, “This is the first-of-its-kind initiative in the sector. It would offer life insurance cover almost instantly to customers, without the hassles of a long waiting period, follow-ups and medical check-ups.” To garner greater market share, it is focusing on improving its distribution network and is also working towards an increased presence in rural and semi-urban India. Having set a target of selling a million policies during 2007-08 alone, one thing has become clear – this one’s not an underdog!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The Fly’ING’ Dutchman

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It’s time to take India to the world; and ING Investment knows it.

VINEET K. VOHRA, MD & CEO OF ING INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT (INDIA)

In the Hollywood blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean, the ‘Flying Dutchman’ was a fictional ghost ship which could never sink and was destined to sail forever. Cut to the real world, there is a Dutch company which seems to have been blessed accordingly, destined to sail forever in the rough financial oceans; just like the Flying Dutchman – ING Investment Management (India) Pvt. Ltd.. Today, ING has expanded its arms to 50 countries and on the Indian soil; it is recognised as one of the most trustworthy investment management companies. And the credit for this goes to the captain of this Indian safari. Yes, this Dutch ship has found a deft captain to spearhead its Indian venture in the form of Vineet K. Vohra, its MD & CEO. Creating a trust level and sustaining it in investment & banking market is not easy. But this company has been sustaining its goodwill since 1999 and cashing in on this trustworthiness, ING Investment Management – the flagship company from the ING Group, has become one of the country’s fastest growing fund houses. Today with 40 branches and as many as 100,000 clients in the country, the company has the widest reach among private sector mutual fund players.

An MBA degree holder from IIM(C) and a qualified CFA, Vineet fitted the bill perfectly. He is also a mechanical engineer by education and prior to joining ING, he’d worked with Citibank, across Asia. Setting the ball rolling from day one at ING, he’s currently on a roll to introduce innovative investment modes for Indians and even take them to the huge global investment market.

He unleashed the ING Global Real Estate Fund on November 19, 2007, which is an open-ended fund scheme and furnishes accessibility to Indian customers towards reaching the global market. And just as fortune favours the brave, for Vineet too the story was no different with his home soil brimming with promises of colossal returns; and reasons enough to pay heed to investing opportunities in the global market, as he asserts, “India has gone global in every aspect, then why not in financial investments? Real estate risk in many countries is less than in India and we’re helping people manage their financial assets with lower risks by taking Indian investors to global markets.”

Surely, global diversification is a term unknown to many Indian investors who want to enjoy the fruits of rich returns at comparatively lower risks. So how does he actually succeed to bring in the differentiating factor in the face of all and one in the financial sector claiming the same and with the customers flooded with varied investment options, besides the promise of ‘geographical’ diversification? Ask him that and pat comes the reply, “Most Indian consumers prefer investing in low-risk bonds. But they give you only 5% return! So what we give them is higher returns at the same levels of risks, which like our other offerings will spread your investments in the widest possible modes. For instance, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) is a new concept in India but at the same time it’s very lucrative investment globally. So 55% of our portfolio is loaded with REITs. It’s rich returns guaranteed! And that is a differentiator alright.”


Today, the company has 40 branches, which no other asset management company has managed so far. Even when you talk about the leadership model he follows, the answer is not too hard to guess – participative leadership. Yes, his management model is not based on the keystone of dictatorship or authoritarian leadership as he explains, “If you take all decisions by your own, you can’t come out with any better option. So I encourage my people to contribute in all the activities of management decision-making. We believe in team work and we always motivate freshers to take risks. I think this also helps to create future managers....” When asked about the youthfulness in his organisation, he has another line to add, ‘The secrets of success lies in believing that you can do it and then step out there to take any risk. Most of our team members are between 28 to early 30s and I simply keep on repeating this mantra to them.”

Although he finds it very difficult to give time to his family, he manages it really well. Maintaining a balance in his personal and professional life, Vineet believes that, “you need to draw a line in both your professional and personal world. Everything has to have a limit and it becomes necessary to have a sound sleep every night. I think an adequate sleep helps you to keep fit and to perform in both the worlds....”

So what next? “We have long lasting stable plans in India as 44% of our investment is in Asia and India holds a key position in Asia. There is no subprime and it’s the right time to invest in India,” replies the promising leader. As we bid him good bye, like the perfect industry expert, he gave us a piece of wisdom, “invest for a better future.” Sure thing, Captain! We’re willing to jump onto the Flying Dutchman, for we know that its captain will only fill our pockets with double digit profits.


Edit bureau: Angshuman Paul

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Of the people, by the people & for the people

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On what makes Ashok Leyland a deserving winner of the ‘Employer of Choice Award 2007’ for the manufacturing sector instituted by CNBC-TV18.Fighting the ‘war for talent’ and making the right HR decisions is what sets the company apart from the herd. Excerpts from the interview...

What are the main initiatives taken up by the company till date that makes it an employer of choice?

We have built a young technical talent pool by inducting around 350 engineers annually. Ashok Leyland is considered as a Day One recruiter in the top engineering colleges. In contrast to the industry, Ashok Leyland sees an annual turnover of only 1.5% of high potential personnel, thanks to an enabling, performance oriented culture. It has been further enhanced by the creation of the Young Executives (YEs) Forum for addressing aspirations of the 42% of Ashok Leyland’s executives below 35 years of age. The YEs forum is a platform to showcase their talent and innovative ideas. Another index of the changing climate is the very open, energetic and effective ‘bottom-up’ communication that occurs within the Company through a variety of channels- from the annual communication meetings where the top management interacts with employees in groups, to ‘soapbox’, an employee’s direct channel to the Managing Director.

The company has also initiated several employee engagement programmes like Improve – a company-wide employee project contest, BITES (Breaking thresholds by Involving Total Employees), RISE (Reward for Individual’s Search for Excellence) to recognise individual efforts at achieving excellence in any area of working as on date et al.

Investments in brand building advertising campaigns have also revolved around the employee-centric theme of ‘Passion for Engineering’. Then there are personal development plans through 360 degree competency assessment, Future Leader Development Programme and e-learning initiatives across the board, collaborative off-campus programmes (Ashok Leyland has a tie-up with BITS, Pilani for the BS and MS programmes).

Why is it becoming increasing important for companies to become employer of choice?

Primarily this is so because because because of the ever intensifying ‘War for talent’ as right talent is a scarce resource and today, attrition and re-training hidden costs are very high. Surely, hiring and honing key skills in your company is a competitive advantage today.

How does it help the company (not just in terms of hiring people but branding to the public at large) to be crowned as the best employer?

Surely, employee opinion helps build brands and reinforces share-holding value and our employees are our best ambassadors. So winning such an award creates positive word of mouth which translates into superior brand image and brand perception which in turn lends for attracting the right talent. It also helps in building employer branding initiatives at leading business schools adn therefore gives a higher pay-off from brand building advertising expenditures.



Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Hello Moto... watch your back!

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Nokia rules indisputably; but every other player is trying to snatch the No.2 slot!

Who had thought that voodoo inspiring numbers (1100 or a 6300) would become brands in their own right. But, Finnish handset manufacturer, Nokia, through its irresistible prices and marketing blitzkrieg ensured that it is numbers that matter more in the ‘dialled numbers’ game! And Nokia continues to rule hearts in the Indian terrain, still controlling nearly two thirds of the market. What’s more, this is despite other players – Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG – eroding away some market share from the leader in recent times. Considering that Nokia (still!) corners a large chunk of the market and remains the unbeatable No.1, all other players in the segment are engaged in a similar (agonising?) struggle, to snatch away market share from Nokia. Since the 2nd slot is occupied by Motorola (with a much smaller market share by comparison - 12%), all players in the segment are vying for a larger share to dominate the number two slot, with a respectable margin that is.

Nevertheless, in the past year, Nokia’s position has somewhat weakened, with some of its market pie being sucked up by Motorola and Sony Ericsson. With its range of stylish phones like RAZR, SLVR, KRZR and lately MotoROKRamong others, Motorola has been able to divert some attention from Nokia toward itself. What has helped Motorola sustain and retain its second position has been the aggressive marketing and great positioning that the American major continues to indulge in. With Bachchan Jr. as brand ambassador, Motorola is indeed finding it easy to attract attention. The American major is also consolidating its position in the burgeoning PDA segment, with the latest addition to the portfolio being the MotoQ.

The actual number three slot among handset makers in India is with Sony Ericsson, which despite witnessing bouts of success (both in the country and globally); remains stuck as an also-ran in the Indian market with a mere 9% market share. But Sony Ericsson has the advantage of having brands in its portfolio that are already legends the world over. Aidedwith great campaigns and attractive features, its Walkman and Cyber-shot series have become a huge hit, helping Sony Ericsson to consolidate its No.3 position in India. While it’s Q2 results show an upswing of 59% year-on-year basis on the Indian turf, they have piled up a descent market share vis-à-vis Motorola. “We expect the market to remain competitive, but with products such as Walkman, we aim to grow faster than the market,” says Miles Flint, President, Sony Ericsson.

Sudhin Mathur, GM, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (India) adds: “We are not bothered about being number 3, but about delivering products that are technologically superior and meet customer demand.” Better watch out Moto, this one’s on track to snatch the No. 2 slot from you, the anguish of Nokia’s lead notwithstanding...

Edit bureau: Karan Mehrishi

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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An insured innings!

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Shot at Madh Island in Mumbai, the ad has been conceptualised by Nima Namchu, Senior Creative Director of Publicis India and has been directed by Soojit Sircar of Red Ice Productions. Namchu recollects the experience of working with Sachin and says, “He was very easy to work with and displayed no airs of being such a big star. We had already sent the scripts to him in advance and he was prepared completely and knew what was expected out of him.” Namchu goes on, “During the shoot, the entire team was in awe of the man. He is Sachin, after all! And there were young boys (many of whom idolize him!) and we had our share of autographs by the maestro during the shoot!”

Just like the message in the ad, Namchu points out that the central concept of the advert was to not be restrained and play the shots ‘Khul Ke’. The group of boys who are seen playing alongside Sachin play an important role in the ad and Namchu says, “Before every commercial, we do the auditioning of the actors. In this one, we wanted to have nice looking kids who could play cricket. I think that was more important.” He adds that the kids were fun to shoot with. “Kids are easy to shoot because they are not conscious about the fact that they have to act alongside a celebrity and in this case it was Sachin Tendulkar,” says Namchu.

Though the ad does not have a very strong story-line, it conveys the message (to enjoy every moment by letting Aviva take care of the future) through an association with cricket. And that’s where the use of Sachin stands out. Unlike most ads, this one does not waste the celebrity and employs him to convey its message simply yet powerfully. The clutter-free background of the ad along with the actors clad in a soothing white and yellow really stand out.

More than three centuries in this business and with Sachin to score runs for them now, Aviva seems set for a longer innings and Sachin needn’t really worry about the pitch, as everything is ‘insured’ this time!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The maestro bats to provide ‘Kal Par Control’…

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His career graphs boasts of a successful series against the Proteas (South Africans) and a forgetful first test against the Poms (England), but this ad of Aviva Life Insurance has marked a new innings for the Master Blaster – Sachin Tendulkar. While younger colleagues like M.S. Dhoni don the glove for GE Money India and skipper Rahul Dravid bats for Max New York Life Insurance India, Sachin has just made his debut in the insurance domain. Bert Paterson, MD of Aviva India seems ecstatic at the prospect of the ‘Little Master’ endorsing Aviva, “Sachin is the most popular icon in India for all age-groups and his popularity transcends the boundaries of religion, caste and region.”

With this cricketing icon as its ambassador, Aviva has come out with a commercial that showcases Sachin Tendulkar enjoying an energetic encounter with a group of boys on a windy day by the shore. Even as he indulges in the enduring game, the batting maestro takes the viewer on an interesting journey that embodies his and Aviva’s beliefs of leading a life that is tension-free and ‘Khul Ke’ by drawing a connection between life and the game of cricket. The commercial’s genesis has been customer insight, which pointed out that ambiguities and concern about the future restrict one from deriving maximum pleasure from the present and living life to the fullest.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Dragon gotta fire right!

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China must direct its economic growth

If statistical jugglery is anything to go by, then China, growing at an extraordinary rate of 11.9%, is poised to overtake Germany this year as the world’s third largest economy. But the key concern is whether the growth is sustainable. Rhetoric in Beijing goes on to suggest it is, and that the government is taking steps to change the patterns of economic growth & deepen reforms; yet 1.3 billion people still have a long way to go before their living standards compare to counterparts in developed economies.

The growth in top three matured economies of the US, Japan & Germany, which have occupied the top three slots for the last three decades, has slowed down; and as a result of foreign investments & trade, economic growth of China has been accelerating. Some analysts are of the view that these statistics signal overheating, which would prompt the government towards top-down measures. OECD feels that the Chinese government has been ineffective n countering negative impacts of its rapid economic development.

Inflation is yet another concern; the CPI has jumped to 4.4%, a 33-month high; which is bound to influence low-income earners. Aveek Barua, Chief Economist, HDFC Bank, commented to 4Ps B&M, “The Chinese economy is definitely not cooling, though there have been signs of interest rate hike...” The economic growth is being fuelled by government-led investments rather than spontaneous improvements in the demand and supply relationship. Economists caution against being too optimistic and argue that more attention should be paid to economic structure rather than growth rate.

Edit bureau: Gyanendra Kashyap

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Can we af‘Ford’ a toast?

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Ford has only made a partial recovery

Rallying from the brink is a rare character trait, which few possess. For a change, ailing American automotive giant Ford Motors seems to have it. Even after analysts had lost all hope on American auto makers, Ford has stunned everyone with its $750 million profits for Q2, 2007.
Amidst the criticism, the profits have acted as a saving grace for thecompany, which was reeling under insurmountable losses of $1.3 billion last year! It is believed that the raison d’etre behind these unexpected profits has been impressive performance of Ford’s overseas markets in Asia Pacific & Latin America. North America continues to bleed though, with losses of $279 million. Effective contributions came from Ford South America ($255 million), Ford Europe ($262 million) & Premiere Auto Group (PAG, $140 million).CEO Alan Mulally said, “Our team is very encouraged by the significant progress we are making.”

Mulally cannot ignore, however, that the biggest boost for Ford has been the Aston Martin sell off, which infused $925 million into Ford’s coffers. Furthermore, the company is apparently looking to sell off all PAG brands. As a further cost-cutting exercise, Ford has reportedly cut close to 6,400 jobs in North America, saving it almost $600 million in second quarter. Of course, with such massive milking of assets, this latest trickle of black stops well short of a rally. And by blindly selling of high value brands, the company only seems to be delaying the inevitable.

Edit bureau: Karan Mehrishi

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Despite many geo-political roadblocks and flaws, America stands undisputed...

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Leaders from countries like Venezuela and Iran, emboldened by the changing geo-political balance of power, feel no compunction whatsoever, denouncing America. Sarkozy’s opponent, Ségolène Royal, made anti- American sentiment, a cornerstone of her campaign, and 47% of the populace apparently thought, she picked the right villain. Even Russia, which held hands with the US while it was in the process of returning to the global economy, has started treating the US Government with the impudence of a teenager toward his dumb blundering dad.

But if America’s political reputation is faltering, its business reputation decidedly is not.

Today, American companies and entrepreneurs operate around the world with unparalleled vitality and access. Europe is still the largest investor in the United States, and the US is the single largest foreign investor in France.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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What can America do to improve its brand in the world?

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Q: What can America do to improve its brand in the world?
– Julie Meyer, London

A: It can start winning. Basically, that’s the only choice for any organisation, be it a company or a country, that wants to repair a damaged reputation.

For instance, imagine if US policy and military action finally managed to install a peaceful democracy in Iraq. Such a victory would no doubt change a lot of minds about America’s “brand”. We would go from incompetent, arrogant bullies to brave, persevering heroes in about the time it took to report the news. But before we go too far down this path, let’s get clear about the kind of trouble the American brand is really in.

Yes, a boldly pro-American President, Nicolas Sarkozy, was recently elected in France, and leaders of Britain & Germany are also supporters of the US. And, yes, the number of people trying to get into America has never been higher. But broadly speaking, the US has undoubtedly lost respect on the world’s political stage.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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London is the new face of Facebook

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Facebook, one of the hippest social networking sites in cyber world, has a ‘hot spot’! Guess what? London! Recently, it was revealed that London recently eclipsed Toronto as having the biggest network on Facebook. com. In all, 790,615 members are listed from London; and whereas the site’s user base has been growing at 3% every week on an average, in London, the base is growing by 6%. Even Matt Hicks, Senior Communications Manager of Facebook, admits, he can’t give a specific reason to why London shot past Toronto, but said that both cities’ growth rates are in line with the company’s worldwide user base. With close to 30 million users, Facebook is signing up 150,000 new users everyday. If you look at country statistics, then Canada leads the Facebook race, followed by the US; the UK has the third largest number of users. Little wonder that thousands of workers across the UK have been banned from using the popular social networking site to cut down the wastage of man-hours.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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‘Mac’king coffee...

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After the phenomenal success in the fast-food market, McDonald’s is ready to replicate this success elsewhere. Reportedly, McDonald’s is all set to enter the estimated $60 billion global coffee market in a big way and will earmark certain percentage towards its expansion funds. It is believed that the legendary American fast-food giant has been enticed by the growth prospects in the global coffee market and will go all the way in establishing itself as a dominant coffee vendor. McDonald’s will enter in both hot and cold market segments for maximum reach. As per certain surveys, McDonald’s high-end coffee even beats the quality of Starbucks and that is truly a way forward! Sitting on the back of this chutzpah, McDonald’s will try to win the coffee race from Starbucks, which is planning to increase prices owing to high input costs.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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In our view, this credit crisis is just a financial sector crunch, not an economic Armageddon

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All of those dislocations came, wrecked havoc and eventually got cleaned up by market forces with some form of government intervention. Without question, that will happen this time around too, most assuredly because the underlying global economy is so fundamentally strong. Yes, it may be entering a period of slower growth, but thanks to record levels of economic interdependence and activity, it is more resilient than ever. Which is why now is the perfect time to take the big swings. The rewards can be huge, even disruptive – in the best sense of the term. Case in point is Bank of America’s recent $2 billion investment in Countrywide Financial Corp., a leading mortgage banker that was facing a liquidity and credibility crisis. The deal not only delivered short-term paper profits to Bank of America, it allowed BofA to leapfrog its way into the mortgage business and opened the gateway to a flood of new deposits. In one fell swoop, Bank of America expanded its market share and enhanced its industry profile, basically changing its competitive position.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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It happens only in India

Guess what the famed ruthless MNCs fear in India? 500 bhelpuri hawkers, 5,000 dabbawalas, 40,000 illiterate papad makers, and of course, 1 ubiquitous brand called Banta! Rest assured...

There are two stunningly successful businesses in Mumbai. One is run by 5,000 people and makes roughly Rs.25 crore a month. The other provides employment to some 500 people and has net sales of more than Rs.5 lakh everyday. The first one has been ranked by Forbes magazine at par with Motorola and General Electric on the basis of the highly prized Six Sigma rating for quality assurance. It is a business that is probably as complex as FedEx. The only difference being, this one is run with uneducated staff, without telephones, computers or even delivery trucks. Both the above-mentioned businesses are run by simple, almost illiterate people, yet they have made many multinationals gasp at their efficiency. If you haven’t yet grasped it; I’m talking about the ‘dabbawalas’ and the hawkers who sell ‘bhelpuri’ on the streets of Mumbai.

More than one lakh meals in aluminium tiffin boxes are carried from homes and delivered to people at their workplaces – just in time for lunch! These 5,000 odd dabbawalas have no computerised database records. They simply memorize the 30-35 addresses from where they need to pick up and drop the lunch boxes. They have been around for almost a century and the organisation is still going strong, so much so that when Prince Charles visited India, he singled them out and met them – these simple men dressed in white shirts and pants and Gandhi caps, bound and committed so strongly to each other, have shown that if you are motivated and committed, even huge MNCs with very large marketing budgets cannot beat you. They have helped Mumbai retain its passion for home-cooked food, by making sure it’s delivered on their work-desks, right on time!

If men in Gandhi caps have created a stir in Mumbai, then those are Gandhi’s philosophies that have changed the lives of more than forty thousand illiterate women. Started by a bored housewife and her six friends, this organisation took off with no huge initial investment and no super qualified staff to run it. Just sheer common sense and Gandhi homilies have made it today into a $65 million company. Mrs. Popat started Lijjat Papad in a chawl in central Bombay. Today, it has its headquarters in the swish Bombay suburb – Bandra. All that the housewives did was to make papad from the raw material given to them during their free time. Today, the papads are sold in the US, UK and Middle East. A few dedicated women, a sunny rooftop and an idea became the foundation of this organisation, which today fears no competition ‘Yeh Hai India!’McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC and many more, with their smart packaging and snappy advertising, have not been able to take away the charm of a ‘bhelpuri’ made in 5 minutes and delivered in simple plates made out of leaves on a street corner under the blazing sun, sans any air-conditioning or hip-hop music and modern lighting. So much so that now these very MNC food chains have included dishes in their menu which no one ever thought existed. It’s only in India that one could find a ‘Do Pyaza Tandoori Masala Pizza’ or a ‘McAloo Tikki’ burger. If you need to succeed here, you need to take care of not just their taste buds, but also their religious beliefs. No wonder so many big food joints have ‘Navratra’ meals. Some even have a Jain menu. Guess it wouldn’t be long before a McJain burger would find a place in the McDonald’s outlets here! Necessity is the mother of all invention.

If our taste buds are unique, then so are our TV viewing habits. Nowhere else, could a whole nation come to a stand still when a mythological serial was aired on TV. That is exactly what happened when Ramayana and Mahabharata were aired on Doordarshan. People sat glued to the television sets on Sunday mornings. Till date, no other channel has been able to create such hysteria. However, there is someone who is making a lot of money with her serials. No where else, but in India could bickering of saas-bahus have made so much moolah as in India. ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ brought back TV to life. It turned Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Productions into a Rs.200 crore organisation in a couple of years. In fact, Ekta Kapoor’s serials generate TRP ratings, which are much higher than that of the live Indo-Pak cricket matches!

Nevertheless, cricket is one sport, which can drive a whole nation into a frenzy. In fact, it’s the Indian cricket team that can drive any nation into a frenzy. Whenever our team plays and wherever it plays, the TRP ratings shoot up. No one else worships the game as we do! Coke and Pepsi may fight their guts out trying to prove which tastes better, but on the Indian turf stands a drink that does not advertise, is made in not-so-hygienic conditions, yet has a large market share. ‘Banta’, the lemon flavoured drink, still remains a popular thirst-quencher of Indians. It has survived and thrived in a way that Coke and Pepsi’s marketing analysts can never imagine.

Lay’s potato chips is finding tough competition from our home-grown entrepreneurs – Haldiram’s. Lay’s just sell potato chips, Haldiram’s, with its collection of bhujias and mixtures etc sells a whole lifestyle. The whole country’s culture and its snacking habits are what Haldiram’s is all about. Someone rightly said: The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Haldiram’s has found a permanent place in the heart of Indians forever. Come what may – Akhir Dil Hai Hindustani! We are different, our culture, climate, language makes us so. We have some good and some bad. A population of one billion and yet we cannot win a gold medal in the Olympics. Cameroon, Mozambique, Bahamas, all much smaller than us, yet they each have taken home a ‘Gold’, not us!

We pray to female deities, and yet, there are fewer people hunting down tigers and lions, compared to the number hunting down female children. India has killed 10 million girls in last 20 years.Snake charmers still remain a very important part of our tourist promotions. Snake charmers, like royalty, attract foreign tourists still. These snake charmers are the ones who don the role of doctors in rural India providing cures for diseases like asthma, skin infection, gastric problems etc. They also provide themes for Bollywood movies. A snake woman got the cash registers jingling never before. ‘Nagina’ could have been a box-office hit only in this land.

Bollywood too, with its unique way of movie-making, is something Hollywood has never seen before. We take their movies and remake them, almost scene by scene, and they turn out to be bigger and better hits. This Republic Day, let’s take a few minutes to ponder on our uniqueness and find a way to minimize the negatives. We are a very special nation. A nation, which still values families, love and all things wonderful. When anyone – MNCs, tourists, etc – comes to India, they need to understand our uniqueness to really be able to succeed and enjoy here... After all, certain things happen in India only!

Copyright © : Rajita Chaudhuri and Planman Media.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Why Pepsi went BLUE!

Give me a red, and a blue, and yes a green, maybe a white too, and let’s not leave black behind! Because the rules of competition are very clear; and there’s no space for shades of grey... Presenting, a thoroughly ‘coloured’ perspective on market leadership!

Colour my world
Whenever you think of a colour, do you feel something?
Or whenever you feel something, do you think of a colour?
Confused? Let’s put it this way... When you think of ‘purity’, which colour do you think of? Probably
white.When you think of ‘passion’, which colour do you think of? Probably red.
When you think of ‘peace’, which colour do you think of? Probably white.
When you think of ‘cool’, which colour do you think of? Probably blue.
When you think of ‘freshness’, which colour do you think of? Probably green.
Not just feelings, our association with colours has extended to products too.Try this...
If it has to be a detergent, which colour should it be? Blue!
If it has to be a lemon soap, which colour should it be? Green!
If it has to be a beauty soap, which colour should it be? White or Pink!
If it has to be an environment-friendly product, which colour should it be? Green!
It doesn’t stop here. Think of this...

COKE is RED
LIRIL is GREEN
NIVEA is BLUE
MAGGI is YELLOW

Opposite sides of the spectrum

What colour do you associate Coke with? Red?

Yes! It’s the red colour that makes it distinct and gives it a unique identity, apart from other factors like the brand name, flavour, shape of the bottle etc. After all, if Coke is evaluated as a brand, the colour red would be contributing 40% to its equity.

A question that comes to mind is – if Coke is red, then what colour is Pepsi associated with? Blue??Pepsi tried to go blue.

It wanted to associate itself with the colour blue. It was ready to shell out a neat $500 million (Rs.17.50 billion, approximately) to go blue. For 40 years, it has used the colour mix of red and white and blue so as to give it a distinct colour identity. Pepsi went to the extent of painting blue a concord supersonic jet to carry the colour message to bottlers around the world. This colour differentiation would help in giving Pepsi an identity distinct and different from Coke. To increase the association of the colour with the brand, Pepsi highlighted the colour blue in all its advertisements. What I’m trying to say here is that colours compete as much as brand names do. Close your mind’s eye and try to think of Coke – you will see a splash of red. Then think of Pepsi and you will, probably now, think of blue. If this exercise had been done a few years back, you would have been unable to decide whether Pepsi was blue or red.

What is it that made Pepsi turn electric blue? Is it then true that Pepsi’s erstwhile red and blue combination served just as a reminder of Coke? To cut a long story short, the bottom line is, when it comes to colours, be opposites if you are competitors. Many brands, consciously or otherwise, have followed this.

• Perk is blue while its competitor, Kit-Kat, is red.
• Kodak is yellow while the counterpart, Fuji, is green.
• Polo is green and blue while Minto is now red and yellow.
• Hertz picked up yellow, so Avis picked red.

There’s a powerful logic in selecting a colour that is opposite to that of your major competitor. It is more important to create a separate brand identity with the help of colour than it is to use the right symbolic colour. To put it simply, consider this example. For an eco-friendly product the right symbolic colour is probably green, but if your competitor has chosen it first, it’s best to avoid green and choose a contrasting colour. This way, you shall be saved the pain of being a ‘me-too’ product, and would have a distinct identity. Remember, Pepsi learnt it the hard way... after 40 years!

What is brand recall? It’s finally your ability to stand out in a crowd of similar sounding, similar looking products. To be successful, a brand needs to stick out like a sore thumb in the market place. This immediately makes it more noticeable and memorable. Think of the corporate world where everybody is dressed in blue or black suits. An orange suit would immediately be noticed and remembered. Similarly, in the market place, a colour strikingly different from your competitor’s will make you stick out, get you noticed and remembered. With the help of advertising, you could strengthen this association of the desired colour with your brand and help it build strong colour equity.

If you are the first to enter the market, you have a choice of which colour to associate your brand with. When you are second, it has to be a colour strikingly different from your competitor’s. When you have the freedom to choose, a colour should be chosen with great care. Colours influence us in a variety of ways. They seem to have a direct physical impact on us. Donald Kaufman conducted experiments to show how colour influenced our daily lives. He found that when we are placed in a room with red light and all of a sudden the light is switched to blue, instantaneously, our body temperature falls.

Moody blues and the flashing reds

Colours don’t just have a physical impact; they also have a deep psychological impact. Our association with colours is natural. The reds and yellows will always be associated with warmth and passion. The coolness of the blues and greens will also remain. Moreover, due to our desire for warmth, we would always prefer warm colours, red being the quintessential colour of warmth.

Colours conjour up certain images. The reds and yellows give the image of youth, as they are considered to be young colours. Black is a very interesting colour. It can draw up numerous images almost at the same time! It can be perceived as sinister, sensual, mysterious or even inauspicious. The way you use it in your advertisement makes all the difference. Purple is a colour symbolising luxury.

Things become more interesting when we combine colours. It is said, putting two colours together causes them to vibrate! Thus, it produces a dramatically different effect. Think of a restaurant done up in shades of red and burgundy. It would have a very rich and sophisticated ambience about it. The colours would decide what kind of people, what kind of menu, what pricing this kind of place would have and hence, what kind of advertising would go with it. Now let’s combine red with yellow and see how dramatically different the effect would be. The same place would have a different ambience, a different menu, different pricing and a different clientele. It would be a funky place, average priced for the youth, probably serving fast food! It was the same red both times, but different combinations produced different effects.

An advertisement, which just tells us what the product is all about and what it does, is not a good ad. Believe it or not, but most of the time, when we buy things, it’s on the basis of emotions. As an advertising man, one must always remember ‘people don’t buy things or products or even brands – they buy solutions’. Those are our emotions that help us in finding these solutions. When an advertisement is created, it should evoke the right kind of emotions. Using the right colours or the right colour combinations holds the key to trigger the right emotional response... after all, as I asked in the beginning, when you think of a colour, do you feel something?

Copyright © : Rajita Chaudhuri and Planman Media.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) .

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The Marketing of Love

“I feel it in my fingers I feel it in my toes, The love is all around me, And so the feeling grows”...

I have been humming this song for days, and wondering why! It’s one of my favourites, but not one to be sung for days. I tried to figure out why, and then realized that everywhere I looked, every shop I went to, every website I visited, every dinner I attended, there was one thing that was always present; and that too in large doses – love! Yes, I realized it’s that time of the year when love is on sale, everybody, everything, is drenched in “red,” the colour of love. The red hearts, the red roses are just ‘unmissable’.

If Saint Valentine were here, he would have been a very happy saint, for what he did in secret and under great fear, is today being done so openly and with so much gusto that even those remotely aware of him cannot miss this day.

Of Chocolates and Teddy Bears

If legend were to be believed, then Saint Valentine was a priest during the third century in Rome. At that time, Emperor Claudius II wanted more and more men to join his army; and figured out that single men made better soldiers. So he outlawed marriage. Valentine decided to help these young souls and began performing marriages for young lovers in secret. Valentine was caught and put in jail by the king. It was in the jail that the first ‘Valentine’ message was sent by him to the jailor’s daughter, with whom he fell in love. Before his death, he wrote her a letter and signed as “from your Valentine.”

That one letter has today turned into an avalanche of letters. If statistics are to be believed, then half of the US population celebrates Valentine’s Day by purchasing at least one greeting card. Who knew V’day would become the second largest holiday (after Christmas) for giving greeting cards; after all, giving a card is so much easier than writing letters, since there is now a card for every feeling and emotion... Some cynics say, Valentine’s Day was created by card companies to fill their coffers. I must say the strategy has paid off. Americans are spending to the tune of $13 billion on Valentine’s Day. Now that’s something to cheer about, not just for the card companies, but for the candy makers, the chocolate companies & teddy bear companies too. The Vermont Teddy Bear Company sells 100,000 teddy bears on this day. As much as 30% of its yearly sales come from Valentine’s Day sales itself. According to the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold on Valentine’s Day itself!

The amount that is being spent on Valentine’s Day is increasing every year, making it a very special day for retailers the world over. Almost everyone has something unique to offer to their customers on this day.

A couple of years back, Pepsi launched ‘Pepsi, Love Wrap’, where consumers could get their messages printed on customized labels. These labels would then be stuck on 500 ml Pepsi bottles and delivered by hand to their Valentines! McDonald’s too had come out with an offer called ‘All for my love’, which was a special Valentine meal combination, and it came with a special ‘scratch-and-win’ coupon. You could win shoes, chocolates, cosmetics, music and even jewellery.

Look what’s happened to those roses!

There was a time when the demand for roses used to shoot-up because a large event was coming up. Indian roses were in huge demand when UK was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Queen ascending the throne. The Chinese New Year also gave a boost to the export market of roses sometimes. Now, every year, the demand for roses shoots-up, thanks to Valentine’s Day. Around 13 million rose stems were exported from Bangalore and Pune in 2002. For those who believed in “Love lasts forever, roses don’t,” a company called I. K. Silver has come out with roses that stay in bloom forever. Skilled artisans coat each rose with 24 carat gold, thus preserving the bloom’s loveliness. At Rs.1,000 a stem, this rose is for the not-so-thrifty lovers. If this sounds steep, then consider this – in Singapore, cupid has struck so hard that people are paying $30 for roses with the name of their loved ones printed on the petals.

The business of loving

For those who think cola and roses are cheap options, there are bigger brands that have also planned ways to help you profess your love. From Titan watches with their ‘Big Heart’ limited edition watches, to Corum and its Rs.500,000 watch, you could express your love and your bank balance on this day!

Brands are doing a whole lot of things to increase their sales. In fact, Valentine’s Day has become the perfect time to launch new products. From coffee to cola, from scooty to suitcases, from special dinners to diamonds, everything is being customized for the V’day!

La Salle decided to introduce its “Panache” range of soft luggage on this day. Christian Dior made a splash into women’s watch segment on this day. So much so that a no-fuss bank with a serious image – SBI – decided to roll out a host of direct marketing activities on this day. They sent around 30,000 direct mailers. Each mailer had a card that read, “From Your Loving Husband.” The card, however, was dated Feb 14th, 2032. The mailers went on to explain that their lifelong pensions could give you financial independence forever. Even when you are sixty and not earning a regular salary, you can still keep showering your wife with gifts on special occasions like this. How sweet!

Not just this, the company decided to follow it up with an event at multiplexes, where visitors would be asked what they would give their wife when they would be sixty, and the best answer would win a prize of course. Pension policies never sounded more romantic.

So while you thought Valentine’s Day was only for the oh-so-much-in-love couples, a lot of firms are finding it the right day to express their love for – who else – their customers. The CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi came out with a book titled, Love Marks, the Future Beyond Brands. He proved how loving your customers generates a following for your brand, which he termed “loyalty beyond reason.” Al Ries (the famous ‘marketing warfare’ guru) too believed that tender-loving-care always helped in building loyalty for your brand; and what better a day to show it than Valentine’s Day.

Love in movies, malls and MTV

From Google changing its logo to suit the occasion, to TV channels customizing their programmes for the V’day, everyone is using love to promote themselves. Story lines of serials are changed to fit the event, so Jassi of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin receives a Valentine gift from her boss Armaan on this day. Not to be left behind, Star Plus started a contest where you could mail Valentine messages to the characters of its popular serial Kahiin To Hoga. The best message would have won a dinner date with the stars of the serial. Zee Cinema came out with a whole movie festival around the love theme called Dil Deke Dekho.

This day of love is loved by the retailers, and where else is this more evident than in the malls. They are designing promotions in such a way that one can spend the whole day there. Keep spending, and let love keep flowing. Not surprising then, Fun Republic in Chandigarh created a record of sorts when 40,000 footfalls were clocked on 14th February (in 2005); and the McDonald’s outlet in their mall achieved its highest per day sales in the nation, at this very mall. Not just the mall, a whole lot of other brands have begun earmarking this day. MTV hosts its MTV Asia Awards bash on this day. Cashing in on love, the theme for the bash naturally is ‘Love’. Not just this, the Chicago based Wrigley decided to venture into chocolates just days before the nation, or rather the world, got into a love-frenzy. It bought a premium chocolate company in Russia just in time for Valentine’s Day! Even anti-love sells!

All those who don’t believe “love is a wonderful thing,” there are savvy marketers who have designed things to help you express your feelings. So while brands like GAP, DKNY are designing t-shirts with “I love you’s” and kisses planted on them, you could visit spreadshirt.com and design your own anti-Valentine t-shirt (and you thought only Shiv-Sena was anti-Valentine). You could get one that reads, “Love is for losers,” which, incidentally, also is also their official anti-Valentine’s day motto; or you could go in for stronger messages like “Love makes me puke.” So whether there is love in your life, or lack of it, marketers have found a way to spin money out of it. If there is something for couples, then there are a whole lot of offerings for singles too. The Taj Group has a vacation scheme for singles. The TVS Scooty invites single yuppies to answer questions like, “A Scooty Pep is preferable to a date because...”

The power of love

The business houses are loving this business of love. The V’day has cut across all barriers of caste language, religion and even age. Everybody, everywhere is celebrating it. If in 2001 people were spending on an average $82 on this day, then till last year the average spend had gone up to $100. What’s even more interesting – than the fact that the day is snowballing into a big event – is, the people in the age group of 45-54 are spending more and more each year on this day. While the 18-24 year olds actually are decreasing their spends! No wonder marketers whose target audience falls in the 40+ age group are promoting their goods like never before. In 2006, for the first time, De Beers launched its Valentine’s Day marketing campaign. The campaign was inspired from classic romance novels and ran during the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.

While Star Plus may still be wondering if it was a good idea to run Kaun Banega Crorepati with King Khan, the department store ‘Lifestyle’ is sure its Valentine’s Day contest Kaun Banega Pati will generate a greater audience participation than KBC’s TRP. So be it Papa Murphy’s heart shaped pizzas in Vancouver (Canada) or the British Heart Foundation launching its online campaign of Valentine’s Day to encourage donation, when it comes to matters of the heart, savvy marketers know there is a lot of room for creativity and profits. After all, this is one day when you can shop to your heart’s content! “That’s the magic of the marketing of love.”

Copyright © : Rajita Chaudhuri and Planman Media.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) .

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Monopoly allegations…

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Even apart from the hype, the score is already 1-0 in the tight match between ICL and BCCI, in favour of ICL. On September 6th 2007, BCCI received the first shock of its crumbling monopolistic status, when the country’s anti-monopoly watchdog MRTPC initiated investigations against BCCI for bullying players, ordering the Director General of Investigation and Registration (DGIR) to probe allegations that BCCI has threatened players of life-time ban if they play for ICL. Even in 1994, BCCI had been fined by DGIR for adopting restrictive trade practices and the ghost has come back to haunt the apex cricketing body.

But the going’s not as easy for ICL either. Subhash Chandra, in the hope of breaking BCCI’s monopoly, has brought in more than 50 cricketers (from the domestic as well as international arena) and plans to kick-start his own series. However, unlike Kerry’s story, in case of Chandra, not even a single player from India’s playing eleven has switched their guard toward ICL. Chandra’s camp is full of players who are either on the verge of retirement or those who had long been waiting to get a chance to play in team India. The gargantuan task that stands ahead for Chandra is how he will recreate stars out of retired players, new kids on the block and ones who have been washed-off from spectators’ heart because of their average performance. Even more daunting questions for Chandra are: who will watch the game without the big league stars? Let’s not forget that even at the Ranji level, despite a plethora of senior members and stars, enthusiastic spectators and sponsorships are tough to come by. So without stars and viewers, will hefty sponsors bet on ICL? Chandra, who has already floated initial proposals to various media buying houses, clearly believes that they will. And media planners across the board agree whole heartedly.

“It should be amongst the more marketable local leagues in the country with LIVE television backing it up. ICL could also drive sponsorship throughout for a brand for a particular city; not very common otherwise,” Praveen Sharma, COO, Madison Media told 4Ps B&M. He adds that ICL would provide another window of sports sponsorship opportunity to brands. When quizzed about the revenue generation plan, Kaul of Zee was non-comittal. “It is far too early to discuss revenue plans. The key challenge is to stay focused and deliver what we promise, a talent pool that will be nothing but the best,” he told 4Ps B&M.

Clearly, it will not be an elephantine task for a sharp businessman like Chandra to capitalise on the huge hype that has been created around the League. Irrespective of the absence of star players (at least to begin with), there’s no dearth of companies who will willingly shell out moolah in the name of cricket. Reportedly, for ICL’s upcoming 20-20 tournament, Airtel and Future Group have been signed up as the sponsors. And despite the price of the sponsorship being all hushed up like the ‘dead man’s chest’, the buzz in the market is that the sponsorship comes with a price tag of Rs.3 crore.

Moreover, for brands that were unable to catch the cricket inferno on the BCCI route, it will be a case of re-birth in the cricket sponsorship domain. Explains K V Shridhar, NCD, Leo Burnett, “At present, ICL poses no threat to BCCI as far as snatching sponsorship rights are concerned. But ICL is a great opportunity for cricket and advertisers.”

So yes, for now, ICL is not infringing on BCCI’s moneybags, but hey, as smaller brands (that couldn’t touch cricket or cricket players because of their sky-high prices) start aligning with ICL, rest assured that big moneyand bigger brands will follow suit, as they do in the multi-billion soccer and basketball leagues in Europe and the United States, respectively. As for Sharad Pawar and gang, the time has come for the big brother of cricket to watch his back because big marketer Chandra means big business.

Edit bureau: Siddharth Nahata, Priyanka Rajpal

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Batting for the golden goose

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Watch how Pawar and Chandra are slugging it out for the coveted trophy. And there have been no maiden overs yet!

The year 1991 came as a watershed. The Indian economy broke free from the shackles of decades of inward looking policies that curbed its potential. Circa 2007: Indian cricket is all set to be unchained from the monopolistic hegemony of its master of many years, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI). Upon liberalisation, big business names like the Modis, Dalmias, Shrirams and Nambiars (business monopolies in the pre-liberalisation regime), succumbed to the challenges thrown by the post liberalisation scenario and withered away. Similarly, with a dream of replicating Australian biggie Kerry Packer’s action-packed cricketing thriller in the 1970s (which gave rise to today’s hugely popular one-day cricket), media magnate Subhash Chandra’s Indian Cricket League (ICL) has invaded BCCI’s cricketing turf, complete with a war chest of Rs.1 billion. With ICL knocking on its doors, has the beginning of the end for the very cash-rich BCCI (net profit of Rs.2.32 billion in FY07) begun? Or will BCCI manage to deliver a bouncer to its challenger?

Sharad Pawar is digging out every trick from his cricketing bag to protect the BCCI turf from an ICL onslaught, even resorting to some Machiavellian tactics to curb ICL’s cruise, among them blacklisting players, selectors and whosoever dares to associate with ICL; as also hiking up fees for all its players to avoid attrition. Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev, who showed the audacity (?) of publicly siding with ICL was sacked within hours by the BCCI from the chairmanship of the National Cricket Academy. BCCI is clearly feeling the heat.

But it will be a big mistake to underestimate the cricketing behemoth, which has managed cricket in India for close to 75 years. Says Rahul Mehra – the only lawyer who has fought and won a case against BCCI for fiscal malfeasance, “BCCI has always threatened, bought off or manoeuvred a way out to succeed against its opponents.” So of course, there are little chances of BCCI letting go of its monopoly control over the money-spinning game.

ICL may feign hurt at BCCI’s stiff upper lip reactions, but for tough man Chandra, tough times have never lasted long. Remember how in the 1990s, he successfully broke the monopoly of Doordarshan among Indian television viewers? Or even how over the last one year, he’s managed to trip Sony television and race ahead in the TRPs game? Chandra’s enthusiasm is infectious as he believes, “A professional league is the need of the hour as is the killer instinct in the players...” He also says that his ICL is certainly “not in conflict with the BCCI, but is complimentary to it.” Unperturbed by BCCI-led hinderences, ICL is steadily gearing up for the days ahead. Ashish Kaul, Exec. VP, Essel Group told 4Ps B&M, “No doubt, there are others who claim to have developed the game in the name of destruction and marred it with gradual decline and decay; To all of them I say, let the best team win!”

For an inning’s start, ICL is maintaining a steady average without loss of any wickets. With players from the India’s dream team of 1983 and mighty names from the international circuit – Dean Jones, Tony Greig, Inzamam- ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Klusener, Boje – supporting the structure, ICL’s foundations looks rock solid. The League has even been able to win support of the Railway Minister, Lalu Yadav, who has offered stadia under his department at ICL’s service.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Come, let’s meet the world’s richest man

Now, it’s official – the Fortune magazine way! The magazine has declared that Carlos Slim – the Mexican telecom billionaire, who owns Latin America’s largest cell phone company America Movil – is now the richest man in the world. Slim – with a bounty of personal riches of $59 billion – has overtaken Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Fortune also added that Slim’s companies (other than Movil, he has a range of business interests – from a restaurant chain to a bank) accounted for a third of the Mexican stock market and that his family’s holdings was worth more than 5% of Mexico’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) last year.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Beijing begins the Olympics countdown

Quick, tell us why Wednesday, August 8, was so important? We’ll tell you why! In exactly a year’s time, the Beijing Summer Olympics – easily the greatest sporting extravaganza in the world – will be declared open! In the midst of strong criticism from all over about the host country’s violation of human rights (the fact that more than 70 local laws and decrees will be made before the Games that will banish local people who don’t have residency permits in Beijing – among other things) and faulty foreign policy (particularly with regard to African nations), there is reason to rejoice, be happy and raise a toast to China’s coming of age in the most global way possible!

This is going to be only the third time – since the modern Olympics began in 1896 – that the Games will be held in an Asian venue. In 1964 the Olympics took place for the first time in the continent – in Tokyo, Japan. After that, Seoul in South Korea played host in 1988. And now Beijing. The games will be celebrated from August 8 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony commencing at 8:08 pm and 8 seconds at the Beijing National Stadium (nicknamed the “Bird Nest” because of its nest-like skeletal structure). The Games will consist of 302 events in 28 sports – just one event more than the Athens Olympics in 2004. Now for some news for marketers: throughout China, licensed Olympics merchandise stores have been in business since early 2007.

More than 800 official stores were in operation at the end of last month. Since July 31, 2007, Olympic merchandise has also been available online, with more than 5,000 products available via the official merchandising website, including apparel, mascot dolls, key-chains and even commemorative chopsticks.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Murdoch gets his Journal!

So, finally the deed is done! After weeks and weeks of negotiating and renegotiating, media tycoon Rupert Murdoch has finally bought over Dow Jones and its flagship The Wall Street Journal. The world’s best-known – and most respected – financial daily now has a new owner. Of course, all this came for a price – and a whopping one at that: $5 billion, which is estimated to be 65% more than what the current market price of Dow Jones is! With this, the owner of News Corp. (Murdoch, who else?!) now has controlling rights of one more media company – the others being Fox Network, Sky Broadcasting and the Times of London. Earlier, the Bancroft family, (owners of the largest block of shares in Dow Jones & Co, and therefore had controlling rights over the company), had been apprehensive that the buy-out would lead to a compromise in the Journal’s renowned editorial independence. Two things happened after that. Murdoch promised that he is going to set up an independent editorial board that will oversee the content of the paper (so that it is not guided by any kind of vested interest). And, of course, the Bancrofts could not find a better offer – as good as what News Corp. was offering that is. Way to go Mr. Murdoch!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

KINGFISHER AIRLINES...

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

KINGFISHER AIRLINES... is synonymous with luxurious style and in-flight entertainment. Live TV in the sky is its next big differentiator!

When frequent flyers were cribbing about their ‘oh-so boring’ domestic journeys and the equally insipid cuisine onboard, the flamboyant liqour baron Mallya came up with just the perfect answer. His Kingfisher Airlines came in with ingenious in-flight entertainment, avant-garde cuisine, and inventive designer interiors on aircrafts in 2005–value for money offerings at virtually the same cost as other contemporary airliners. Everything was spanking new– starting right from the loud red uniform of cabin crews and ground staffs to the sleeperette seats and personalized screens, 8 video channels and 12 music channels. Kingfisher Airlines stood out from the crowd.

And what’s more, Mallya did not stop at just that. Earlier this year, Mallya struck again. He tied up with Media tycoon Subhash Chandra’s Dish TV to offer DTH services on his aircrafts, a welcome news to all fliers hungry for entertaining ways to while away their time 6000 feet above sea level.

Says Akarsh Anand, Chief Manager, ICICI (a frequent traveler with Kingfisher), “You need just one journey with Kingfisher to see why they have captured a decent market share in such a short span.” And he’s not the only one rooting for Mallya’s inventive brand of ingenious innovation.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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JET AIRWAYS...

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JET AIRWAYS... is second to none in both aviation & innovation. The SMS check-in facility is another testimony to Naresh Goyal’s cutting edge thinking!

It’s no child’s play to wear the proud tag of ‘India’s only profitable domestic airline’. Jet Airways has earned this coveted status only after relentless efforts, not least among them tireless attempts towards innovations, to offer more bang for his buck to the Indian traveller. From introducing Indian aviation to the ‘Kiosk Check-in’ facility for the first time last year to the M-ticketing facility that has constantly been stealing the thunder for customer convenience, Jet has been constantly in the limelight for its innovative streak. Subhasish Dey, Industry Manager, Huntsman International and a Platinum card holder of Jet Airways, agrees. “Jet’s differentiating strategy can only be realized when someone travels Jet. They offer enormous new ways for time management, especially their recent SMS check-in facility,” he says.

SMS check-in allows Jet Privilege members to check-in via an SMS, which entitles the passenger to a seat number. And when the passengers reach the airport, they are simply handed in their boarding pass.

What’s more, in preparation for its international thrust, Jet is now offering a private ‘suite’ aboard its new Boeing 777-300ER. The suites are mix of opulence and privacy, complete with an 83 inches bed, a 23-inch flat screen monitor, a personal hanging wardrobe, among other luxuries in the sky. Now that’s innovation for differentiation in the skies!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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The Sunday Indian - India's Greatest News weekly
IIPM, ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI & GURGAON BRANCHES
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I’m on top!

IIPM, ADMISSIONS FOR NEW DELHI & GURGAON BRANCHES

Whither do we go? This is the common theme at the boardrooms of many print publications across the globe, which are stung by the meteoric rise of electronic media, in particular the internet, and the subsequent commoditization of news that has resulted. In fact, Bhaskar Das, Executive President, Times of India Group goes as far as to exclaim thus, “Any discussion of any magazine in general, cannot ignore its possible migration to the internet.”

This trend transcends borders and is proliferating across cultures, reminding one of the popular promotional message that was flashed across TV channels world wide, when the internet was just getting born. Indeed, ‘Geography is history’, and with it, so is print media, at least as we have known it. Analysts feel this is the era for niche magazines, and highly differentiated content, the most critical cog in the wheel for companies wishing to dominate the media space, be it on paper or otherwise.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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ARINDAM CHAUDHURI’S 4 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE IIPM...
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BRAND BUSTERS

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

The following points are the prime criterion for selecting, short-listing and ranking the winning ads in this section:
• Product positioning clarity
• Clinching benefit to the brand
• Presence of a power idea
• Visibility of brand personality
• Expectancy of communication
• Single-minded focus of message
• Reward to the prospect
• Visually arresting
• Painstaking craftsmanship
Here’s the 4Ps B&M verdict for the fortnight ended September 8, 2007. First come the print ads, then the TVCs. Ready for a piece of action?

BRAND: