Saturday, July 26, 2008

China attractive to companies the world over

Then there is that one thing which is making China attractive to companies the world over - that is the huge potential of the 700 million Chinese consuming class. Here automobile players like Mahindra & Mahindra, Bajaj Auto and Tata Motors are planning big. Their logic too resting on a simple line – manufacture in China and sell to the consumer there! M&M, which currently is India’s largest tractor manufacturer, has set up a JV – Mahindra (China) Tractor Co. Ltd. in the land to assemble, sell and export tractors. Motivated by the superior infrastructure and cheaper availability of land, capital and human capital resources in China, M&M is also eyeing the Chinese auto component market for future growth in the country, besides eyeing an acquisition of a Chinese auto component manufacturer in future. Asserts Anand Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and MD, M&M: “We are planning to increase our presence in China to get access to high quality customers and technology. We are looking at the market to enhance our managerial competitiveness also.”


Bajaj Auto is also planning a foray into Chinese lands to manufacture and sell its two-wheelers. Tata Motors, which recently made headlines with its one-lakh car Nano, is also eyeing the Chinese market to play a decent inning there. After its European foray, this is yet another attempt from Tata Motors to go global as Vaishali Jajoo, Senior Research Analyst, Angel Broking comments, “After Europe, the Tatas are now looking to make a mark in the Chinese market. After that China attack, it’s simply going to be spreading over all of Asia as well. Tata Motors simply wants to have a global presence and after doing well in the commercial vehicles segment, they are also looking to give in their best shot with their passenger vehicles offerings…”

The only word of caution for the Indian giants, according to Harish Bijoor, is to steer clear of the Made in China trap. “Indian manufacturing companies have to make sure that since the Made in China tag does not carry much respect. They could manufacture in China, but the branding and the tagging should be simply Made in India.”

Even in the field of finance, China seems not too bad a bet; a fact proven by State Bank of India which opened its first branch in China in August 2006 thus fulfilling its global dream and financially facilitating the entry of Indian giants.

And why just talk of the big giants. Today, even a mid-sized yet fast-growing company like garment manufacturer and seller Lilliput is weaving the Go-China dream as Sanjeev Narula, MD, Lilliput Kidswear Ltd. puts them in words as, “By August 2008, we will have 10 stores in China as we believe China is a good market for us. There’s a huge demand for branded Indian apparel in China, as there’s no concept of a Chinese brand in China…”

There are many companies in India who are swearing by the Chinese market - Aditya Birla Nuvo, Sundaram Fasteners, Essel Packaging, Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Videocon, Onida, Nitco, Apollo Tyres, JK Tyres, TVS Motors, Hero Cycles and Bajaj Electricals and many more. They are developing customised China entry strategies which will not just help them gain much from the Chinese market, but will also enhance their image as global behemoths.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Philosophy

Swami Ramdev has done a marvellous job of packaging and marketing the 5,000-year-old philosophy and practice of Yoga & Ayurveda. Just ask his millions of devotees

Swami Ramdev has clearly carved a niche for himself. The way of life he proposes is unique & well-researched, as he is well-versed in Sanskrit, Ayurveda & Vedic philosophy. A strong proponent of Indian cultural values; his practical approach to Yoga & research in the field of Ayurveda has won him thousands of followers throughout India. He has used his philosophy as an effective marketing tool. His ability to communicate his philosophy on mass media is directed at thousands of people afflicted with physical or mental problems, with the promise of curing them and giving them a better quality of life.

By Elsie Nanji, Managing Partner, Redlion (Division of Publicis India)


Pelvic Thrust

Many call it vulgar and obscene; yet the manner in which Bollywood heroes and heroines have gyrated their hips and thrust their waists is now a legend

It started with Helen mesmerising millions with her smile and gyrating hips. Now, with item numbers and raunchy ‘romantic’ dance sequences the norm, dozens of starlets and wannabe starlets have developed the pelvic thrust into an art that can only be described as erotic and suggestive in charitable terms. You just can’t take away the pelvic thrust from Bollywood stars and choreographers.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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


Friday, July 18, 2008

Packaging

Kingfisher Airlines created a storm in Indian skies at its launch. The reason? An innovative and different packaging for his airline

At Kingfisher we believe in doing things passionately and fashionably. We have done exactly what other players do, but we have packaged it in a different manner and that has helped us to create a total differentiating image for Kingfisher Airlines. All passengers are our guests and we do the packaging keeping them in mind. The total experience is so unique that we offer a great and memorable service while travelling. Such good packaging always has the challenge of pricing. But then if you see, in spite of such high value added services our prices are reasonable. Our packaging indeed plays an important role in a service industry like airlines.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Tasting Critical Success

2008 happens to be the pay-off year for TCS and Ramadorai

Though the year 2007 started with great pomp & show for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), as it topped the list of 10 best performing IT services providers worldwide (rated by Global Services), it didn’t turn out to be quite a year for them. With the rupee appreciating, the IT giant (otherwise constantly on a high), was somewhat sitting low. But, with S. Ramadorai, the company’s dynamic CEO, at the helm, TCS is all set to once again start taking the global IT bull by the horns.

Ramadorai, with his sharp business acumen, plans to start the year by launching an embedded systems facility in Tokyo in February and later on a Microsoft centre of excellence in Beijing (in the second quarter of 2008). This move will serve to propel the company’s growth chart in these high potential markets. Apart from this, a $140 million deal with Ecuador’s largest private bank Banco Pichincha and a $140 million deal with BSNL (already in TCS’s kitty) will turn out to be big revenue generators for the IT major in 2008. Says an IT analyst, on conditions of anonymity, “TCS is focusing more on global delivery model & as a part of this strategy they will be concentrating on Latin American markets this year.”

An offshoot of the multi-billion dollar Tata Group, TCS has even consolidated its operations in Uruguay & Argentina into a single unit and plans to double its workforce to 2,400 over the next 2-3 years. These units will provide near- shore services to clients in Latin America, the US & Europe. Moreover, the Indian IT giant has set itself a target of achieving a revenue mark of $10 billion by 2010 as a part of its 10X10 vision and has successfully managed to already achieve something close to $5-6 billion till date. However, in order to achieve the rest of it, the company plans to focus more on inorganic growth avenues in 2008. On being asked as to how TCS can realise their 10X10 vision, an IT analyst suggests, “Market trends reveals that they are increasing their success rate and are focusing on non-linearity in revenue. The two most important areas of focus are large deals and revenue generation.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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

Monday, July 14, 2008

Tech-watch 2008

The tech giants have geared up to deliver the next wave of products and technologies. It’s time to sit back and enjoy what’s in the offing

While the year 2007 saw Apple’s iPhone and Amazon’s e-book capturing the imaginations of tech geeks and consumers worldwide, the coming months will see the technology giants battling it out even harder, impressing tech enthusiasts with myriad cool gadgets and advanced features. Be it mobile phone companies like Motorola and Nokia, PC manufacturers like HP and Dell, search engines like Yahoo and Google, or software giants like Microsoft - the tech giants are leaving no stone unturned in bringing out cutting edge technologies, penning and completely transforming the way we will live, work and play in future.

So, with increased processing powers, enhanced mobile operating systems, faster wireless networks, the mobile phones are all set to get more smarter. One of the most significant smart phone manufacturers in the world, Research in Motion (RIM), is putting in all efforts to launch four to five feature packed Blackberry’s (pegged to be the iPhone killers) in the first half of 2008. Already, the company’s software division is working to bring in innovative features like 3D Graphics and Navigation to the Blackberry handsets. “When we look at 2008, I believe one of the major industry themes will be how the creation of mobile devices, that deliver the Internet in your pocket, cause a paradigm shift in mobility and drive major changes in the way even mainstream consumers view personal mobility,” says technology futurist Tim Bajarin.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)