Thursday, July 31, 2008

Investee: DLF Ltd.

Investor: Merrill Lynch & Co.

Investment Value: $377 mn


Naveen Jain, Real Estate Analyst, Emkay Research, says, “DLF, one of the largest real estate company in the country, and has huge land reserves which it plans to develop over the next 10 years or so. The company already has a large pipeline of projects, which are currently under development and require funds to meet the working capital requirements. By raising funds at the project level, as has been done in the Merrill Lynch deal, the company has not only got the necessary funds to develop these projects but it has also unlocked value in the properties for the shareholders.“

After pioneering Indian real estate domain, the richest realtor in the orb, K.P. Singh of DLF, is painting the town red by redrafting the technique to unlock value in the real estate prefecture. The company raised as much as Rs.1,481 crores by selling 49% of the promoter’s stake in eight of its residential projects to Merrill Lynch. The move comes in good time for both since, of late, DLF has increased its focus on the burgeoning housing segment and that too in the Rs.4-5 million bracket – which is the pulse of the Indian housing segment. DLF will enjoy a significant increase in its net asset value and Merrill Lynch will encash exciting returns. The housing projects in which stakes have been diluted are located in the cities of Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi and Indore. Besides, in order to re-enforce its strength in the domain, DLF recently announced a $15 billion deal with Dubai’s Limitless Group to build a township in Bangalore. Moreover, with its billion dollar projects across various segments (Hotels, Commercial, infrastructure, et al), it looks like DLF is racing against itself.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Barbed wire fence

The first - an Airtel ad - shows kids on either side of a barbed wire fence, jump the barrier to indulge in a game of football in no-man’s land. In an extraordinarily simple but powerful way, it works as a magnificent metaphor for communication as a solution to end all conflicts, wars and battles. Says Arvind Mohan ( Chief Strategist Officer, Rediff DY&R), “ We wanted to create branding that went way beyond the purchase intent and made people proud to be associated with the brand.” Adds Amatesh Rao (National business head, Rediff DY&R), “Admittedly commercials with social messages don’t immediately bring about change, but they reflect strongly the change that is happening in society… a change that may not be perceptible or articulated but definitely taking shape in collective fashion, in the sensibilities of new age youth in a resurgent India.” The Tata Tea ad comes next. The communication thought is truly clutter-busting, attempting to migrate tea from being a physical and emotional vitaliser to becoming a catalyst for social awakening. Percy Siganporia (MD, Tata Tea Ltd) quite categorically emphasises that the focus is to emotively connect the product with issues that drives the heart, mind and soul of India’s emerging social consciousness. Executive Creative Director Amer Jaleel of Lowe (the agency behind this ad) sensed the restlessness among today’s youth and extended the concept of “waking up with tea” in a stunning communication package that embraced social awakening, giving a whole new dimension to the term ‘Jago re’.


Lowe struck target again (group creative director Nikhil Rao, take a bow) with yet another brilliant, breakthrough concept that redefined the very meaning of Idea. Executive Chairman Balki was clear about the focus – how to position the brand as a better ‘Idea’ than anyone else and elevate it from transactional issues like price and value. Targeting politics as a platform and humorously – yet pointedly- dramatizing the social inadequacies that plague the nation, with a mobile number (not a name) as an identity tag, the Idea Cellular communication truly deserves the fulsome ‘What an Idea, Sirjee’, salute!

Amidst the accolade and approval that has greeted these ads, there have been dissenting voices too. Is this brand of advertising relevant to the basic job it’s meant to do? The popular consensus seems to be a resounding, yes. In today’s environment, marketing and branding are increasingly becoming real, rooted and relatable. Hence they have a legitimate and deserved space. Besides, these ads reflect that magical, seamless embrace with reality. Do today’s ‘I-Me-Myself’ generation really connect with the Jago Re or the Idea Cellular communication-without-barrier stuff, absorbed as they seem to be in living life, king-size?

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

SRK conceived Red Chillies Entertainment

When Asoka also bombed, SRK conceived Red Chillies Entertainment (this time with wife Gauri Khan), and launched friend and Choreographer, Farah Khan as Director in 2004, with Main Hoon Na. The film was successful at the box office and ever since Red Chillies Entertainment has become his main production company. The latest flick under the Red Chillies banner has been the hugely successful Om Shanti Om, which according to Box Office Mojo has grossed $36,410,328 globally (as on February 7th, 2008), becoming the industry’s biggest grosser ever. Expectedly, the marketer in SRK pulled all stops to promote the film globally and in India, tying up with leading global distributors Eros International, and even making a controversial appearance at the T-20 World Cup in S. Africa, dressed conveniently in an OSO T-shirt. In as much, the first generation producer has successfully taken on the established Sony and Columbia banners. When awarded the entertainment business leader award last year, SRK said: “They may have big budgets, big banners, but I have Shah Rukh Khan.”

SRK’s ambitions are rocketing sky high with the latent potential for Red Chillies Entertainment. The latest thing on the production house’s hand is a flurry of entertainment-oriented news programming to be produced for BAG Films’ entertainment news channel – E24 – to be launched in March 2008. The deal has its base in the 10% stake that King Khan bought in Anuradha Prasad’s BAG Glamour earlier this year, a subsidiary of BAG Films & Media, for about Rs.10 crore. Here too, SRK made a detailed study of the business prospects and the revenue model of the proposed channel, before betting his energies in this venture.


The other big slice on SRK’s plate is an offshoot of his entertainment company - Red Chillies VFX. Managed by the supervision trio of Arjun Mitra, Haresh Hingorani & Keitan Yadav, Red Chillies VFX is all about creating and nurturing visual effects for feature movies as well as advertisements. Given the pace at which Bollywood is expanding and when big budget movies are more the rule than the exception, the technology edge of VFX is definitely brimming with potential. Small wonder that Red Chillies VFX has been hived off as a separate business unit. The bid is to not just pick up work of home productions, but to also work with other banners. Started nearly a year and a half ago, Om Shanti Om was the last home production that the VFX team worked on, while Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Honeymoon Travels & Don have been key outside productions. “Our business proposition is exceedingly promising. We’re among the top three VFX studio’s in India and hope to become the topmost in few years. At Red Chillies, we are not going so much for numbers as for quality,” says Arjun Mitra of Red Chillies VFX, even as he takes a breather during a shoot for Nagesh Kuknoor’s movie, in Mumbai’s Kamalistan Studio.

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 :-
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

Monday, July 28, 2008

ICL hardly has any big names

However, the odds seem to be against ICL and the weatherman’s prediction says the dark clouds are here to stay for ICL. Let’s take the stature of players for both leagues. ICL hardly has any big names (players) playing for it, barring a few exceptions (a la Shane Bond, Brian Lara, Chris Cairns et al). On the contrary, IPL has all the current mainstream players batting for it (Dhoni, Sourav, Sehwag, Dravid, Sachin et al). Naresh Gupta, National Planning Head, Grey Worldwide India, points out, “Having the right kind of players will be one of the key factors determining the fate of ICL or IPL. If you have the right kind of players the audience will get hooked to your game and advertisers will follow them. So the success doesn’t depends on who is promoting the game (Subhash Chandra or Sharad Pawar); rather on who is playing for it.”

Not only that, because of ICC pressures, most current international cricket stars will also play for IPL. So far it’s great going for IPL. And it’s basis the sheer confidence of its monopoly that BCCI even denies to accept the existence of ICL, as Niranjan Shah, Secretary, BCCI, puts it, “ICL is an illusion. We are reality. BCCI is the official body. Money can’t change everything.”

Clearly, Darwin’s law of ‘survival of the fittest’ will also apply to this ICL-IPL war. At present the ‘Gods’ seem in favour of IPL, but you never know, even Gods are known to have mood swings.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Bhatia and his ideas

Post Hotmail and Arzoo.com, will Sabeer Bhatia succeed with Sabsebolo.com?

Hailed a demi-God who has seen tomorrow, Sabeer Bhatia’s story is inspiration to millions and especially the blue eyed college going ilk of which he once belonged. And for a man who made a quick buck of perhaps the world’s shrewdest businessman, Mr. Hotmail is definitely ‘hot’ in terms of whatever he touches with even the ‘old school brick and mortar money lender’ ready to dole out his stacked stash into his ventures.

Thus it was post the golden winters of ’97 that Bhatia evolved into a serial entrepreneur, his ‘hottest’ bet now being the newly launched conference calling solution that claims to be ‘specially developed for the Indian market’ and called SabseBolo.com. “SabseBolo.com is a great service for SMEs who can use audio conferencing without investing in expensive infrastructure. We are targeting small & medium enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs. But anyone can use this facility. It is absolutely free,” spoke Bhatia on SabseBolo.com. However, on the announcement, what lacked along with Sabeer’s proclamation were spirited gestures by common folks and analysts in whose eyes Bhatia’s earlier ‘hot’ achievements seem to have withered away or rather marred with all his ventures going kaput, save the free email service that now sits atop Redmond’s chart-topping menu, thanks to its image overhaul.

“Audio conferencing does have scope, however it very much depends on the kind of audience Sabeer Bhatia is targeting,” says a skeptical Diptarup Chakraborti, senior analyst with Gartner India research, on the driving idea behind SabseBolocom. “Since his prime audience are generally the SMEs and entrepreneurs, it remains to be seen as to how much are they willing to use something like an audio conferencing… therefore it is required of Bhatia to create a need for such facilities.”

But it is also for Mr. Bhatia’s insatiable thirst for enterprising ventures that keeps his boat afloat. “I think the soul of an entrepreneur is to keep trying until you find the successful idea,” he had once remarked. Perhaps his soul found resonance with Hotmail and is taking much time to come back. As was evident with the shutters coming down on his real-time technology consultancy service, Arzoo.com. Others like apnacircle.com & blogeverywhere.com also are names mostly unheard of. The only consolation being in the revamping of Arzoo.com as a one stop travel portal catering to Indian shores. But since a travel shop is an idea much dug up, it compares to selling rum when one, originally, thought of promoting exclusive single malts. “I think Arzoo.com was initially launched well ahead of its time. Too much money was spent developing the product and trying to enhance the concept and service,” said Bhatia earlier.

Indeed Bhatia is a man brimming with ideas. Put him in a corner office and see him getting fidgety and itching to go out. And further, he has been a consistent newsmaker with launching newer projects. In all probability, all he needs is just another spark to set his entrepreneurial tack back to where it belongs. After all it’s very difficult to predict ideas.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Patriotism

The desh ki dhadkan campaigns have actually sold patriotism to an entire generation of Indian bikers

Our successful products like the CD Deluxe, Splendor and Passion describe the mood of the nation. Their branding is all about India’s high economic growth and the ample opportunities available here. Today you do not have to leave the country for work. We have done brand building on all fronts and that includes not only corporate branding but product branding as well. Additionally we continue to refresh our products and offer the latest technology to Indian customers. India is virtually a Hero Honda country and Hrithik Roshan conveys that empathetically through our recent ‘Hero Honda country’ ad campaign. Hero Honda’s emotional values are conveyed through key words such as bharosa, josh and vishwas. Truly patriotic!

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

Tata Motors and Maruti wish to do

GM, the world’s largest carmaker, has two manufacturing units in India; Hyundai and Suzuki, undoubtedly the world’s most ingenious small-car manufacturers, intend to make India their global or regional hubs for compact cars. The two are reportedly working on products that will specifically appeal to the Indian market, and also sell in the global markets. When asked about his company’s commitment towards India, Gyaneshwar Sen, GM (Marketing), Honda SIEL, says, “Off course, I think our actions show our commitment towards India.”

Explaining further, Sen adds that there are three factors that prove it. First, Honda has launched the latest global models in India. Second, the car company has increased its capacity from 65,000 to 100,000 units a year. In addition, once its new plant in Rajasthan is set up, the annual capacity will more than double immediately to 160,000 units, and later to 200,000 units. Third, Honda plans to launch a globally-sold premium compact model in India soon. Now that will add to what Tata Motors and Maruti wish to do.

Stating his confidence in India, Emmanuel Bulle, Director, Fitch Ratings, says, “India can indeed become a major player in terms of sales and manufacturing. I think that in the medium to long term, the growth looks positive.” In fact, global players who figured out India’s potential a little late now wish to enter the market through indirect means. In order to avoid delays, Renault has entered the market with M&M, and Nissan opted for a contract-manufacturing tie-up with Maruti. Simultaneously, M&M, Nissan and Renault have come together to open a manufacturing base in Chennai. Adding to this buzz is the fact that all the existing plants are operating at full capacity, and each one of them is planning to increase capacity via greenfield or brownfield expansions. After Mercedes Benz, BMW entered the manufacturing fray, and now VW is mulling over its plan to set up a base in the country. The additional advantage about India is that it has a huge domestic market. According to several studies, most emerging nations, which have become manufacturing hubs, have ridden on the domestic sales wave.


There were exceptions like the East Asian tigers, but the recent trend is more towards grow locally, spread globally. Listen to some of the excited voices on what can happen in the Indian automobile market. Says Wilfried Aulbur, CEO & MD, Daimler Chrysler India, “I have been to India a number of times and had the opportunity to see things change. Now India has express highways and people want cars for travel, performance and style. We have undertaken initiatives to promote the Mercedes brand name in India on the international lines.” BMW’s Kronschnable is convinced about India’s prospects as a market for expensive cars. He simply points out to the fast-changing Gurgaon skyline that can be seen from his office window. Jigar of Parag Parikh observes, “Global auto companies are looking at India as a potential market per se. India certainly is like an oasis to those who are feeling deserted with low growth & rising costs.” And according to Audi, “India’s luxury car market has tripled over the last five years; the current growth rate is around 12% annually. Consumer demand in India mirrors our global philosophy.” Considering India’s phenomenal growth as a component manufacturer, with annual sales of over $10 billion, the country’s auto industry has no qualms in dreaming big. Despite government’s interest rate interventions, the total passenger vehicle industry grew by a staggering 14% (Apr-Nov 07). Moreover, a global leading research firm RNCOS predicts that during 2007-08 to 2011-12, car sales will increase by an average of 12% annually. Moreover, India has the locational advantage to build for export-oriented factories as one can serve markets in East Asia (and Japan) as well as Europe.

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

‘V’ for Videocon

Watch how the Dhoots are charting out the 2008 roadmap

“Play it big”- this desi multinational has begun chanting this slogan on a much more serious note over the last few years. The fact is manifest in the heightened noise that Videocon has been creating in 2007, and 2008 promises to be no different, going by the huge expansion plans in its kitty. Says an analyst at PINC research: “Innovation will be the key driver in the coming years for Videocon and the company will be leveraging its investment in innovation big time.”

That apart, the group, steered by CEO Venugopal Nandlal Dhoot, has strategically located manufacturing bases domestically, and its subsidiaries internationally. While speaking to 4Ps B&M, Anirudh Dhoot (son of V. N. Dhoot), Executive Director, Videocon Industries, says, “We are planning a manufacturing unit in Uttarakhand in Rudrapur district, which will get operational from February 1, this year. This will become a big centre in north India for us.” The plant is slated to generate a huge manufacturing capacity of around one million CTVs, 0.6 million refrigerators and 0.3 million air conditioners annually, adding extra oomph to Videocon’s ambitions. Videocon’s Energy to Electronics strategy (E2E) is also set to make a mark for the company. The company is also foraying into a whole spectrum of products including laptops, microwaves, ovens and PDAs, which will be unleashed by March this year.

Small surprise then that the group is foreseeing a turnover of Rs.3,000 crore this year. “Of course, their market share in coming years is bound to increase because of the company’s R&D and ambitious diversification plans,” asserts R.C. Chopra, Electronics Analyst, CII.

V. N. Dhoot is also bent on ramping up Videocon’s retail presence across the country. The bid is to scale up their number of outlets from the present 230 to 1,000 outlets across the country. Besides, the specialist CEO (known for his expertise in squeezing extra costs in the production chain through manufacturing synergies) is also mulling tie-ups with retail chains like E-Zone, Reliance Digital, Spencers and Chroma (to sell its various brands under one umbrella). “We are looking for a new platform as we have a strong retail channel, which provides us a big scope for future expansion,” elaborates Dhoot.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Unprecedented and huge

And the stakes in this retail game are unprecedented and huge. It’s not just about Ambani’s Rs.250 billion retail ambitions, it’s also about the $590 billion goldmine to be tapped, as that’s the estimated worth of the retail market by 2012, totalling to over 60% of all private consumption. As of 2007, retail consultancy KSA Technopak estimates organised retail to have 3.5% of the total retail share; and expects the figure to zoom up to 28% by 2017. No wonder from global retail behemoths like Wal-Mart and Carrefour to desi biggies like Mittal and Ambani, everyone is raring to bake his bread in Indian organised retail oven.

Given the stakes, it is clear that the shrewd Ambani will not back off from this business opportunity. So what gives? Refusing to speak on the solution to a “political problem,” Parimal Nathwani, Group President-Corporate Affairs, Reliance Industries Ltd. nevertheless believes that Reliance Retail is “providing higher quality in reasonable price and if somebody else is doing the same, consumers will go to such stores also. So where’s the question of small stores being shut down?” He adds forcefully: “No political party can stop Reliance Retail for long.”

But talking of short term, Mukesh Ambani has only a couple of years to establish his dominance on India’s food & grocery retail before (Bharti) Wal-Mart barges in and upsets their apple cart, quite literally. And given the time frame, Ambani senior must start acting now. A tempting option staring Ambani in the face is to pull away from states that are causing trouble and concentrate on the few that are not, with the hope that in time, seeing the benefits accruing to the rest (thanks to his proposal to revamp the supply chain with investments and latest technology), the dissenting states will fall in line. But clearly it will take some time, a luxury that he does not have, given the impending (Bharti) Wal-Mart foray. Plus, with the way the winds are blowing, giving up in one state, may spark off a cumulative precedent for other states too. The other way out of the present quandary is the legendary Reliance knack of being able to get around policy makers and use its power & pelf in the hallowed parliamentary and bureacracy precincts to make things move in its favour. But that will still not guarantee complete abstinence by protestors.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Reliance must think a'Fresh'

While the debate over entry of modern retail in India is quite stale, Reliance can still aim at ‘Fresh’ strategies.

The year was 1993 and Sameer Jain of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. decided to launch the mother of all newspaper wars in Delhi, to close the gap between his flagship The Times of India and the then market leader Hindustan Times. The price of The Times of India was slashed to Re.1 from Rs.2.50 per copy. Consumers were delighted; but distributors and vendors declared war on The Times of India. Their grouse: lower prices would reduce their revenue per copy, posing a threat to their livelihood. That was a classic war between a company trying to connect with consumers directly and middlemen who controlled the distribution chain. About 14 years down the road, it is clear that Sameer Jain has decisively won the war against aggrieved and angry middlemen.

Can Mukesh Ambani do the same with Reliance Fresh? To answer that question simply, one can only say that at least he is trying, and trying so hard that he has an entire batallion of middlemen, distributors, traders, vendors and political parties up in arms against his Rs.250 billion retail ambitions. So, if in Kerala and West Bengal, Ambani is facing the wrath of trade unions, Maoist groups and Left allies, the quagmire in Orissa is equally daunting – following violent protests from traders and vendors in Bhubaneswar, Mukesh Ambani’s dream of opening Reliance Fresh stores in the state has become a non-starter. News of protests and ransacking of Reliance Fresh stores have also poured in from cities like Ranchi, Indore and even Ahmedabad. In Uttar Pradesh, where Reliance Fresh has already invested about Rs.5 billlion, the Mayawati administration has come down hard, by ensuring forced closure of outlets in Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Noida.

The protests are against big corporates getting into retail and that their presence will virtually kill millions of small traders, vendors and mom & pop stores across the country. The argument is that thanks to an improved supply chain, modern retail will offer goods and services at a cheaper rate to consumers, so local vegetable hawkers and neighborhood grocery stores will perish. ‘Their margins will be slashed and their livelihood will be under threat,’ is the common refrain. Proponents of modern retail disagree. “You can’t deprive consumers from this benefit on the ground of closing of small shops. Organised retail also means mass-scale employment, so players like Reliance will go ahead,” so proclaimed Gibson Vedamani, CEO, Retailers Association of India.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

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

Friday, July 11, 2008

Insuring thy careers

Insurance is a matter of trust and it is trust that is infused in each relationship that Tata AIG establishes with its employees...

Whenever calamity strikes, insurance companies the world over, mourn. But not in India! Here insurance companies laugh all the way to the bank because of wretchedly low penetration & grossly underinsured population. The ‘Asian-Pacific Insurance Outlook’ report released by Standard & Poor’s on October 4, 2007 states that under-capitalisation could hinder growth prospects of domestic insurance market. Till late 1990s, insurance penetration in India was terribly low at below 2%, with LIC being the only company offering a security shield. 1999 was a watershed year for the insurance sector as the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority (IRDA) Bill was passed, allowing entry of private players. Opening up of insurance to FDI, albeit with a 26% cap, obviously helped matters, as in the first year itself, 16 new insurers entered the market. Some of the prominent players who entered the sector were ICICI Prudential, Tata AIG Life, Birla SunLife, HDFC Standard and Max New York Life.

Tata AIG Life Insurance Company started operations in India from April 1, 2001. The company is a 74:26 joint venture between the Tata Group – India’s leading conglomerate and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) – the world’s leading global insurance and financial services organisation. The alliance between the two stood for trust and experience in the minds of the Indian consumers.

The management of Tata AIG was quick to realise that the only way the company could make a mark for itself in the insurance sphere was by hiring the best people who could make a difference. Thus began the journey to recruit world-class insurance agents. And the job would have been next to impossible without the team of specialist HR people, who had to regularly deal with sticky situations that require diplomacy, patience, quick thinking and sometimes, a sense of humour.

In an exclusive tête-à-tête with 4Ps B&M, Ashok Ramachandran, Senior VP – Human Resources, Tata AIG Life Insurance Company Ltd., boldly stated that like any other service organisation, Tata AIG’s strength lies in its dynamic workforce and the company is relying heavily on its people’s strength to achieve the stiff target of capturing a 10% market share in the insurance sphere by 2010. But achieving such a target is no mean feat for any company. Tata AIG has already started to put its plans into action, by increasing its employee base three folds from 4,000 odd employees now to about 12,000 by 2008. That throws a challenging task for the HR department, as they not only have to fill up the vacancies in such a short period of time but also they cannot compromise on quality. This is more of a challenge today as almost every player in the sector is on a hiring spree and would not mind paying extra to get the best employees or better than others.
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 10, 2008

Tasty, yummy, comedy...

...are the three themes that Yum! Brands has showcased successfully in its ad campaigns
What do you get when an American company banking on Italian culinary decides to tantalise Indian taste buds and promotes its cuisine through Mexican ads? Utter chaos? Or a mouth-watering extravaganza? Or both? Well, looks like a mouth-watering extravaganza is what the ubiquitous brand – Pizza Hut from the stable of Yum! Brands has in mind while baking a recipe for its die-hard consumers.

The QSR brand from the country of Uncle Sam forayed into India way back in 1997, but unlike other players (read Domino’s), Pizza Hut never Indianised its product or pricing. No wonder, at the onset, the advertising campaigns were also very global in their approach. Mexican style or an overall global appeal was the core focus of the advertising strategy. This was where the company made a colossal blunder, as their strategy flopped big time. This was a welcome bonanza for other fast food chains like Domino’s and McDonald’s, who stole the show with their desi menu and easy on the pocket pricing.

Yum! Brands’ Indian safari suffered a major setback and they had to put a stymie to their KFC brand in India. For the fast food major, it was back to the drawing boards to once again revisit their strategies, which had let them down at the first place. Yum! Brands revamped its entire 4Ps. Niren Chaudhary, MD, Yum! Restaurants India Pvt. told 4Ps B&M, “We made certain mistakes and we had our lessons to learn. We stuck it out with Pizza Hut. Like we optimised our value proposition with Indian market, we made sure we were relevant to Indian consumer and our advertising also necessarily needed to portray that.” So in 2000, Pizza Hut came out with an ad campaign conveying the localisation message of their brand with humour.

The ad featuring Bollywood comedian Javed Jaffrey was an instant hit, and the rest, as they say, is history. Thereafter, tickling the funny bone became a common backdrop in all promotional campaigns of Pizza Hut. Recalls Chaudhary, “Such ads really helped us and other things also started taking up. We became the leader in pizza segment and we have seen a zoom in sales by as much as 50% in Pizza Hut.” Pizza Hut has now announced plans to roll out more customised ads featuring its different products. But to cash in on the sizzling hot gastronomic Indian economy, a smashing menu is not adequate. The pricing factor is an equally crucial issue and Pizza Hut started slashing its prices. “Whether it’s ‘Treat for Two’ or other campaigns, all ads convey the economical side of the product as well. “This was necessary to attract more consumers,” says a spokesperson from JWT.


After successfully establishing its Pizza Hut brand, Yum! Brands is now busy promoting KFC and here the message is to promote it as a trendy hang-out. This is pretty evident in the recent ads of KFC, featuring a dating couple enjoying eating at KFC. But unlike Pizza Hut who focused more on the economical and localisation aspect in the initial phase, KFC’s focus is more on the quality side of the brand.

And for all you food lovers out there, what you have got is a yummy pizza along with tantalising fried chicken – talk about a double whammy!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Ratan Tata

“In its 60th year, clearly India’s time has come. The country is now universally recognised as a nation on the move. The time has come to move from small increments to bold, large initiatives.”

Awards: CNBC-TV18’s “Taking India Abroad” Award, and Special Recognition by UK Trade & Investment.

Strategy: Putting India on a global map by big ticket acquisitions, be it in IT, steel or tea. Domestically, his Rs.1 lakh car may revolutionise the way we live and drive. Increasing Tata Sons’ holding in group firms has been of prime importance.

Acquisitions/Investments:
$12 billion Corus deal, and 11.5% stake in US listed Orient Express chain of luxury hotels for $247 million. Moreover, Tata Motors is in the race to buy Jaguar-Rover. Rs.500 billion capex in the steel domain.

Controversies:
Nandigram fiasco over Rs.1 lakh car project site.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

India Inc.’s Fantastic Five

Throughout this year, India Inc. scripted newer and better anecdotes. Undoubtedly, these five stood out – be it in terms of growth, strategy, M&As or the big ideas. These five good men (sorry, there are no women in this list) helped India, yet again, to be more recognised as an emerging economic superpower. These five simply shocked the world, and surprised Indians

Mukesh Ambani

“My wealth & your wealth are inevitably linked. If Reliance grows & India prospers, it matters little to me whether my personal fortunes are measured in billions or millions.”

Awards: ‘Global Vision’ 2007 Award for Leadership by US-India Business Council, & CNBC-TV18’s Outstanding Business Leader of the Year.

Strategy: Exports oil products to developed countries & this has been highly profitable for the company. Now, he is building the largest oil refinery in Asia. Plans to alter the retail landscape with Reliance Retail.

Acquisitions/Investments: Majority stake in Gulf African Petroleum & amalgamation of Indian Petrochemicals with Reliance Industries. Huge investments lined up for the development of various oil & gas blocks spread across the globe. A sum of $5-6 billion kept to expand the retail portfolio.

Controversies: Ongoing war with brother Anil. Reliance Retail faces opposition in states like UP, WB, and Orissa.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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


Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Vying for VAIO…

Vying for VAIO…
Inspired by the fashion trends of late, Sony India brings to you a palette of colours – the new CR series comprising an uber-hip range of colourful notebooks. The VGN-CR11GH (P/L/W/R) model is available in Aroma Black, Beauty Pink, Indigo Blue, Pure White & Blazing Red to help you express your unique and distinct personal style. Now beat the office blues with these unmatched hues! Price Rs.54,990.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Monday, July 07, 2008

Tailoring to perfection. That’s his style!

Group Exec. President Textiles, Aditya Birla Group
Tailoring to perfection. That’s his style!

Heading the textiles division at Aditya Birla Nuvo Group, Vikram Rao has ‘been there, done that’ when it comes to textiles. He started his journey in this company in 1999, post a stint at Arvind Mills. Besides being on the board of directors at Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited, he is also the Chairman of the CII’s task force on textiles for Karnataka? Due to his exceptional achievements & invaluable experience in the textile industry, he was awarded the ‘Super Achiever Award’ by the Indira Group of Insitutes, Pune, in 2003. Talking about Rao, Abhijit Ganguly, Brand Director, Grasim Industries told 4Ps B&M, “He is an inspirational leader for all of us around in the company. In fact, he is an ideal boss for any youngster to work under. What makes him so very special is that he knows how to trust his team completely and that has given all of us huge opportunities to take risks and achieve much more than what we are capable of...” Under him, the company has improved its overall position in the domestic market also fuelled by the current growth in retail industry. ‘Ah! Just plain luck’ you might say, but fortune only favours the brave...Right?!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Friday, July 04, 2008

Does she make the sensex dance to her tunes, or what?

RENUKA RAMNATH...MD & CEO, ICICI Ventures
Does she make the sensex dance to her tunes, or what?
Amidst ICICI Bank’s flush gang of girls, she’s arguably sitting on the hottest seat of ’emall. With private equity falling apart globally, and increasing interest of global investors in the greenfield Indian market, Renuka Ramnath, the backbone of ICICI Ventures is in the thick of action. Even as the Indian equity markets continue to soar, the lady knows that she’s treading a fine line. But it’s tough to even catch a trace of those worry lines on her benign, smiling face. An engineering graduate and a MBA in finance, during her two decade long career with the bank, she has spearheaded various business initiatives– Corporate Finance and Equities business at ICICI Securities, Investment Banking, ICICI Eco-net Limited – to name a few. As head of India’s largest private equity fund, to her credit Ramnath has brought tremendous innovation to India’s private equity landscape; apart from spotting the opportunity in several of the country’s most happening startups today, including Air Deccan, TV Today & Naukri.com. Unfazed by her success, Ramnath is relentlessly pursuing a futuristic approach, making planned moves, hedging her bets carefully and making myriad investors richer and happier...

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Creativity and freedom breathes

They had a billing of Rs.23 crores last fiscal. Just last month they bagged the key account of Addo Battery. Says Das, “Addo Battery has a footprint all over India. As part of our strategy to compete against Exide, we have roped in Kapil Dev as the brand ambassador as he has a lot of mass appeal and since the product is performance led.” Not one to follow tradition, the agency never thinks twice before taking on clients from off beat sectors too. One of its client is an organic store based in southern India called 24 Letter Mantra, “We undertook a 360 degree marketing technique in order to give shape to the store. Right from the name, logo, shop design and communication strategy – everything has been conceptualised by us.” Little wonder that clients don’t treat the agency as a vendor, but as a partner, where there is no room for dictating terms or domination by either side. With creativity as its core competence, the agency is aptly summed up as a ‘circle of imagination’ by Das and why not when Oxygen started as a creative shop and not just as an advertising agency. Explicating the reason behind christening the agency ‘Oxygen,’ Das says, “Advertising is like oxygen for any brand. You can sell a commodity, but to convert that commodity into a brand, one needs advertising.” The agency boasts of a young & dynamic employee force, with commitment to creativity.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008


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

Oxygen for survival!

Creativity and freedom breathes in the midst of yellow and green hues...
South Delhi’s posh South Extension. Now that’s an address to envy. Travelling through the deadly Delhi traffic in sweltering heat we finally reached the office of Oxygen Communications, only to find the soothing yellow-green office in utter chaos. Oxygen Communications was shifting its office to a bigger premise in a prime location. Still the agency’s head honcho had taken out time to meet us. Now that’s what we call professionalism. In 2002, the agency started operatin on April Fool’s Day. But the agency did not believe in fooling around, and within a year bagged the prestigious account of Havell’s, which even after four years is still the shining star in Oxygen’s horizon. Speaking to 4Ps B&M, Tarun Das, Director, Integrated Ideas, Oxygen Communications, says, “Working for Havell’s, has been like a case study for us. When we began working, it was an emerging company, poised for growth. We worked for their entire portfolio and mended the fragmented perceptions and helped form a solid & reliable perception of the brand.” Despite being a Delhi based agency, Oxygen has a client base across the length and breadth of the country. The agency boasts of big names like Revlon, CII, Lakhani Shoes, Auto Expo, Absolut et al in its portfolio.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

If nothing works...

...change your name! UTI shows the way
The father of all name changes just ‘happened’ and you didn’t even know about it! Or maybe you did! While all other banks were opting for financial restructuring to meet Basel-II norms, the erstwhile UTI Bank has opted for a brand restructuring. However, this entails just a change in name that was borrowed 13 years ago from UTI AMC; a ‘name-usage’ license which was due to expire in January 2008. Therefore, to avoid the public sector bank connotation that it carried and to levy off the royalty expenses that were to fall on the fifth largest bank in our country, UTI Bank recently rechristened itself as Axis Bank. Company officials told 4Ps B&M, “The decision to rename the bank emanated from the need to move out of a scenario of brand confusion that was being created by several shareholder-unrelated entities using the UTI brand.” The bank has communicated the name change through internet, ATMs, et al and TV commercials that show two cute twin sisters stating, “Everything is the same except the name.” Explains Sarika P. Lohra, Banking Analyst, Angel Broking, “This is a positive move and will give the bank a global appeal and international presence that they were looking for.” For information, in 2006, Indian banks have really tapped international markets. With a presence in 21 countries, Bank of Baroda’s international business grew at 70%; ICICI Bank’s NRI remittances hit a record high of $5 billion. Let’s hope the name change helps UTI achieve similar targets. What did you say? Axis?

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IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Yamaha? Who Yamaha?

50% dip in sales in Jan ’07; what next...
The sheer mention of the name ‘Yamaha’ induces a feeling of excitement and enthusiasm among the bike-lovers around the world. Yamaha ostentatiously stands at the number two position in the twowheeler segment and number one in the scooter market all across the world. Though Yamaha came into India long back in the mid 80s, it still hasn’t been able to mark a dent in the ever growing Indian markets. It doesn’t come as a matter of surprise that Yamaha’s market share in the country is pitiably low at 3%. The company, whose initial foray with its model RX100 was good, got hit badly in the four-stroke market. According to Ishikawa, MD, Yamaha, “There was a gap between what the Indian customer wanted from us and in turn what we gave them. The company got caught in the volumes game.” Yamaha, after suffering losses since 2001 in India, saw a tremendous dip in its sales figures by 50% in January 2007. Claiming a restructuring drive, Ishikawa asserts, “Our target segment (now) will be niche to begin with... We will position our product as a fun bike, a lifestyle product; not a utility product.” Yamaha’s got John Abraham now for the ‘youth’ punch. Will this see their fortunes reversing? Hmm, let’s not ask John yet!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

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