IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

Ogilvy’s very own dude Sumanto Chattopadhaya, plays it cool n’ easy and prefers to look at the big picture. The Executive Creative Director [South Asia] believes that today there is truly a wide representation of the portrayal of the Indian male in ads, “sometimes a confection of the Bollywood-Hollywood stereotype with a tiny sprinkling of reality, other times how these creatures actually wish to see themselves … overall interesting observations of human behaviour.” He cites the example of a car ad in which the boss perpetually humiliating his young subordinate receives a huge ego blow, when the young man drives off in a fancy car! Then there is the cool college dude – a stereotype that keeps popping up in a plethora of ads from snack food, cold drinks, deo to jeans. The adolescent fancy (sometimes boy gets the girl and sometime goofs it) punctured or reinforced, appears to hold big-time appeal. Then of course there is the family man responsible for the well being of his family, although women are stepping into his turf with great speed and efficiency. Lastly there is the man-child who – when it comes to his health – is dependent on his wife. Remember the Saffola ad?

Everything considered, most intelligent, educated and informed ad-watchers – without baggage or agenda – will agree that today’s male-driven ads definitely enjoy a stronger connect with truth, fact and reality than before. The carefully nurtured myth of the male, perpetually in control, in charge and driving everything that matters [with the women, cooking, knitting or child-rearing in the shadows] is clearly over. In fact, recent surveys have indicated that men detest being stereotyped as “shallow himbos wanting to go solo and jump from one girl to another.” The survey reveals some startling, seminal facts … 77% look for girls who are potential wives. 75% believe in soul-mates and admit crying when dumped by their girl. 69% promise they would never cheat. 57% enjoy cooking at home and [most importantly] 56% believed that being a good father or husband made them feel manly!

Wow! We say Amen to that…

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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As realty heads for a tailspin, 4Ps B&M’s pawan chabra & savreen gadhoke probe the impact on developers and how they are gearing up for it

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

A few years earlier, India’s real estate behemoths were in the news for making massive investments into the setor. In 2007, most of the players came out with an IPO as there was an enormous need of funds at a time when the boom in the realty sector was touching new skies everyday. But more recently, they are making the news because of their ‘non-realty’ movements. Whether it is DLF foraying into the business of financial services and retailing or Parsvnath in talks with global retail giants or, for that matter, Unitech buying spectrum in Karnataka, they actually seem to be making deliberate attempts to diversify. Considering the way reality is meeting realty nowadays, the coincidence seems quite stark indeed.

As Anuj Puri, Chairman and Country Head, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj recently opined at a CII conference, “Next 18-24 months are going to be crucial for the real estate sector”. The reasons are simple and straightforward - inflation has surpassed all expectations and reached a two digit figure of a shocking 11.42% (reaching a 13 year high); accompanying it are the dropping stock markets as the Sensex recently touched a 15-month low at 12,961 points (realty has been among the worst hit). With interest rates mounting new heights, problems of the realty sector don’t seem to be ending in the short-term at least.

Conditions of demand saturation leading to devastating consequences for companies are not new to the realty sector globally. A report by Macquarie Research said that in December 2007, an Australian real estate giant, Centro Properties Group was unable to refinance its short term debt obligations on a long-term basis. The worst part reported was that the group had an additional debt of $1.2 billion on the balance sheet apart from the existing refinancing requirements. Well, you can easily skip it by saying the Indian and Australian economies are very different in terms of accounting practices and ratio calculations but what has urged us to go back in the history is the fact that there are some strking similarities too among the two economies and the sector. Interestingly, Australian equity markets were going weak at the time of the Centro collapse and also interest rates were rising due to government policy. Could we have some Indian ‘Centros’ coming up too?

Industry experts are quite confident in their prediction of a price correction in the sector in the next 2-3 months and 4Ps B&M probed further into what are the various reasons that have led this sector to reach such a situation and what it means for both big and small players of the arena.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
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LG Scarlet 42” LCD

IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS

Technical Specification
Screen size - 42’’; Screen resolution – 1920x1080; Response time – 4ms;
PRICE: Rs.98,000 without taxes
WARRANTY: 1 year

The stylish design of the LG Scarlet LCD has won admiration from millions... What’s special about the Scarlet is its picture quality. “For the first time ever, LG has launched the Full HD technology in 42 inch LCD, which gives the stunning broadcasting experience,” asserts Amitabh Tiwari, Business Group Head, LG India. It also carries the dynamic contrast ratio of 50,000:1 with eye catching brightness, and has three HDMI ports. The scarlet features a clear voice technology which automatically adjusts human voice by reducing background noise thus providing supreme quality sound. Unlike other brands available in this category, it also has an invisible speaker system giving a surround sound experience. It has two USB ports for connection of the devices for quick connectvity.

Marketers’ delight: For consumers who want the slimmest LCD and the perfect picture quality can always go for elegant Scarlet. The LG Scarlet is stylish and desirable and that too at an affordable price.

Tester’s note: Pros – Excellent colour quality, contrast, HD video processing. Slick design. Cons – Jagged edges. Even lowest backlight level is too bright for dark rooms.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Based on a comprehensive survey conducted by Indian Council for Market Research (ICMR) in association with 4Ps B&M and The Indian PC Magazine

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

METHODOLOGY The survey was conducted in three phases. Their descriptions are:

First Phase: The first phase marked the listing of the gadgets launched successfully in the year 2007-08 and a few past launches that had a wonderful stint even during the previous year. A total of 135 gadgets were listed to be identified by the respective companies (to ensure availability of the products) and was then evaluated by dealers and customers. The final list of gadgets was prepared taking into account gadgets from about 17 segments such as: Camcorders, Mobile phones, Laptops, Home Theatres, Music systems, Projectors, Printers et al.

Second Phase: In the second phase of the study, the list of gadgets were scrutinised by the dealers based on the availability, demand and likeability factor of the gadgets. Most of the gadgets were excluded from the list due to non-availability or for reasons of discontinuity. The retailers contacted were both multi-brand outlets and exclusive company showrooms. However, the maximum focus during the survey was on multi-brand outlets, where our research team got better insights into the host of available gadgets within the category.

Third Phase: The final phase of the research was based on a feedback both from the retailers and customers. The retailers/dealers were asked to rate the gadgets on a scale of 1-5 (where 1 is low and 5 is high). In totality, 220 retailers/dealers were covered in the 5 major cities of India - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai & Kolkata. Based on averages of dealers’ perceptions, a Dealer Rating – DP* Rating, was given to each gadget. The break up of retailers covered is given in table 2. Similarly, the editorial team’s perception was listed too as 4Ps B&M* Rating. Finally we boiled down to 56 gadgets.

Apart from dealer’s perception, customer feedback on the gadgets were taken to list the final set of gadgets after analysing the responses. The customers for the gadgets survey belonged to SEC A1 and SEC A2.

A separate opinion poll was conducted amongst 1,000 customers across the 5 main cities and the average rating to choose the best gadget in a special category (like Apple MacBook Air was chosen as ‘The Most Desirable Gadget for 2008’).

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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The Financial Markets and The Rest of the US Economy

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

The Federal Reserve stepped in to prevent the bankruptcy of Bear Stearns and thereby protect both the financial markets and the rest of the US economy from what it thought could have been massive collateral damage. For the first time in its 85-year-old history, Bear Stearns reported losses in the last quarter of 2007; and amidst fears that the next to hit the wall would be Lehman Brothers, the Fed opted for the $30 billion bail out. The bailout, often termed as a ‘third line of defence,’ is a part of the package, which includes interest rates and tax cuts (now Fed rate is at 2.25%). Many argue that since Q4 results were bad for banking, then post the Q1 results, firms will be begging investors for fresh capital. If forecasts are to be relied upon, then there are another $50 billion of write-downs in the waiting. Marcel Theiliant (Analyst Global Economics, CREDIT SUISSE) avers, “If you think that the worst was over in Q4, then Q1 results will be a rude awakening.” In such a scenario, it will be a real challenge for the ilk’s of Lehman Brothers to raise capital. Nevertheless, the bailout package of $30 billion, followed by the rate cuts, infused in some degree of confidence in the markets.

Days later, when Lehman Brothers and Goldman announced their Q1 profit estimates, it turned out to be quite a relief. The profit estimates have been questioned; some claim that Lehman must have tinkered with the accounting method to suit its ends. The recent developments can be closely compared to the 2001 recession, wherein the S&P indices had gained close to 18% in March and April on the view that rate cuts announced by Fed would stave off a recession. Interestingly, the happiness was short lived and eventually the S&P plumetted, dropping by a whopping 42%.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
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ROHIT SHARMA - Another lil’ master?!

IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

ROHIT SHARMA
Another lil’ master?!

It was one of those nail-biting situations again. The finals of the T20 series, India vs Pakistan. Limited overs, young blood and arch rivals... it was India’s chance to wash away the World Cup 2007 debacle. And indeed, they did! Winning the Twenty20 World Cup 2007 answered many questions, one of them being the selection of young players in the team. And among those young stars was Rohit Sharma whose splendid performance in the series (remember that swashbuckling knock of 50 on a tricky Durban wicket) and especially the unbeaten 30-run knock against Pakistan played a pivotal role in India’s historical win.

“I grew up during a time when India saw Sachin Tendulkar as the biggest icon in cricket. Everyone idolised him and many players still look up to him. And being from the same place as him, it had a huge impact on me,” recalled Rohit when asked for his inspiration for choosing a profession which is almost considered a religion in India... and his inspiration was none other than the God of this very religion. “Every time I watched Sachin play, I got inspired to try harder to find a place in the Indian cricket team,” mused Rohit. If we trace some big names in the world who have created historical records, one would not come across many who’ve had a glorious beginning. And Rohit is another name in the league. With a sluggish start in the early years of domestic cricket, Rohit did not give reasons enough to predict his upcoming accomplishments. But his performance in the U-19 World Cup (where he was one of the top scorers) grabbed the attention of many, which then lead to his selection in the Twenty20 World Cup. And after the triumph in T20, there has been no looking back. Rohit also turned out to be a reliable pick in the CB series in Australia, where he made a significant contribution, especially with his match-winning score of 66 in partnership with Sachin Tendulkar in the first final. And with this, he has also proved to be amongst the most sought after players in the Indian Premier League.

With a cool and composed temperament and cavalier batting technique, this exciting young right-hand middle order batsman has just the desired combination to make him an able replacement for ‘the big three’. Indeed, for reasons obvious, Rohit Sharma, today, is being pegged as one of those whose footing on the pitch is going to be long and strong.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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Not so mellifluous is the flow...

IIPM - Admission Procedure

...of oil money for the common man in Gulf nations, who is struggling to make both ends meet

Are high oil prices ($102/barrel) good or bad for the mid-east population? On the face of it, a layman would say that an economy, which revolves around crude oil must reap in huge profits; observe a surge in the general well-being and see the state coffers overflow with petrol dollars. Beyond doubt, the political and business leadership in the oil exporting Gulf nations is experiencing the mellifluous flow of dollars into their chests, the common man and the middle classes are however, beginning to feel the pinch. “I have been a resident in the Gulf for past 12 years now. We had never known what inflation was for so many years, but now we are beginning to feel the brunt of high food prices and essential commodities.” Toufail Ahmed told B&E from Dubai.

Saudi Arabia, where the inflation rate for the past decade had been well-nigh nil, the current level of 6.5% is certainly alarming according to experts. In Jordan the government has been forced to withdraw fuel subsidies, pushing the fuel prices up by almost 76%. Such a steep hike has certainly led to a cascading effect on foodgrain prices. In Bharain, where according to the Oil and Gas Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulhussain Mirza, “the oil industry is on the threshold of a golden era.” The rising prices are however perplexing, “..consumer price index was 104.64 points at the end of January compared with 104.07 points in December. Food, beverage and tobacco costs climbed 2.1% in January from December while housing costs were steady,” says the Bahrain government’s Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) .

The soaring prices in the Gulf are certainly an outcome of the spurt in the global commodities prices; the dwindling agricultural production; the slump in the dollar and of course, the now infamous sub-prime crisis in the US. All these factors are contributing in exacerbating the common man’s plight in the mid-east region, which according to the reports emerging from the region indicate towards a simmering discontent among the masses, leading to protests marches.

For all these years, the ruling classes in the mid-east region have adopted the carrot and stick policy to manage the masses. Both religion and strong arm tactics have been relentlessly used to keep a tight lid over all forms of discontent. The questions which many analyst are now asking- is the credibility of Gulf ruling classes coming under strain? Are the political risk management strategies of the Gulf ruler failing? And will a global economic downturn eventually lead to democracy taking roots in the region? One only wishes that the benefits accruing from an oil economy are fairly passed on to the poor in the Gulf.

B&E edit bureau: Atul Bharadwaj

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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 : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
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Bottoms up approach...

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

...to building India and making it look beautiful

Nano has shown to the auto industry that “there exists a fortune at the bottom of the pyramid.” But why aren’t others taking a cue from management guru C. K. Prahalad’s wisdom & of course, the inspirational work of the British born Indian architect late Laurie Baker? “ I don’t think that the real estate sector is thinking of any low cost housing projects. This is mainly because the land & construction costs are too high for any builder to venture into this arena. The problem can be met by greater public-private participation only,” says Alok Agrrawal, Principal Sun Apollo, a private equity fund, with expertise in reality sector. More importantly, “The homeless or poor have to be involved in the process that leads to their having homes,” says Pratima Joshi, Director of Shelter Associates, an NGO into housing homeless. She adds, “Occupants of government’s housing scheme for the poor, Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana, weren’t satisfied with the dwellings given to them. If dwelling schemes served to them, doesn’t suit them, they will slide back to slums.” Perhaps, it is the jaded mindset in the industry, which prevents them from looking at the bottom of the pyramid. Otherwise, what stops the reality sector from building low cost houses for India’s 170 million slum dwellers? The companies should not totally leave the un-glamorous jobs to the government. Such efforts will only add sheen to their corporate face; and make them better corporate citizens.

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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The disruptive Ram Charan!

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Management magnate Ram Charan shares his insight on disruption exclusively with B&E

Ask this 67-year-old Harvard doctoral graduate over dinner about why he never married and this preeminent global strategy guru dismissively parries our query off like a celebrity would. Recently, Forbes magazine quoted a global survey ranking him amongst the world’s top 25 business thinkers. GE’s Jack Welch consulted him for over three decades. When Jeffrey Immelt took over GE, Ram Charan was the first person he called. Ram serves on the boards of innumerable Fortune 500 companies. With his books having sold millions of copies, Ram Charan makes a meteoric impact. B&E caught up with this magnate over two days to understand his views on disruption. Some excerpts:

B&E: Why has the phenomenon of disruption become prominent in recent times?

Ans: At a critical top level, disruption is a phenomenon with the capacity to not only make companies disappear, but even industries. The voice based telecom industry will disappear one day due to internet telephony. The key point for a CEO hit by such disruption is to understand that whatever he’s doing needs to be radically changed. At a second level, well entrenched companies are themselves creating disruption by introducing new business models. The reason why this has become more prominent is because industry/company/product life cycles are becoming much shorter.

B&E: How can (or should) well entrenched players prevent such disruption?

Ans: Some changes are continuous, some disruptive. The leaders who succeed are vigilant about changes, anticipate changes, and are themselves confident about creating changes. For a well entrenched CEO, complacency is never good. In any industry, many innovative technologies exist with the capacity to cause disruption. But well entrenched CEOs should realise none of these can really cause disruption till some entrepreneur converts a technology into one that’s customer oriented, something big enough. Steve Jobs is one CEO whose biggest plus is his capability to marry incisive consumer insight with his product offering.

B&E: What strategic points are required to change the rules of the game in a sector?

Ans: First of all, a leader needs to have the courage to make strategic bets. Beyond that, the leader should: a. Define precisely what the ‘specific’ opportunity is, not just the broad category. A telecom player entering the insurance sector cannot just generally think of ‘insurance’, but rather specific segments.
b. Understand what capabilities you need to capitalise on the opportunity – both internal and external.
c. Find out what leadership/leaders you need to implement the plan in action.
d. Finally, do you have enough financial resources – can you move with speed and become profitable? B&E: Which companies/leaders have been most successful in enabling disruption?

Ans: Apple (Steve Jobs) in various products. The iPod completely disrupted the music industry. In the same way, Rupert Murdoch buying The Wall Street Journal is another classic example.

B&E: Could you also cite examples of companies that missed the disruption bus?

Ans: Sony, Philips... and AOL too.

B&E: Any ground rules on implementation for players riding the disruption wave?

Ans: My book, The Discipline of Getting Things Done gives a clear idea. In short: a. Have laser sharp dominant priorities very clear. CEOs have many ‘general’ priorities. Have defined specific priorities!
b. Ensure that key performance indicators are aligned to the overall strategy.
c. Realign your financial resources to the new gain, new opportunity.
d. Align the rewards to the new gain.
e. Have right people for the right job.

B&E: But how important are ‘people’ in this whole framework?

Ans: Most! A leader cannot succeed without other leaders. Jack Welch once told me, “Ram, people before strategy!” Ratan Tata succeeds because he gets the right leaders to run his companies.

B&E: Any final words on disruption?

Ans: Disruption doesn’t happen everyday. Change happens everyday. CEOs should not go one-minded into creating or implementing disruption forcefully within their companies. Rather, understand and appreciate the constant change occurring in your company, industry, and align yourself to that.

B&E: Your all-time favourite management books?

Practice of Management, Peter F. Drucker. I still love going back to it and reading it again. So many of the principles still apply so perfectly. And My Years With GM, Alfred Sloan. Did you know GM actually attempted to stop the publishing of this book?

B&E: Your personal objectives in life?

None whatsoever (smiles!). If you try to find out what you love to do, and keep doing that, you don’t need any objective in life to get peace...

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).

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From communication to education for all

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

The man is hell-bent on educating India

If one Indian was to be nominated for introducing the PPP (public-private partnership) concept & judicious use of technology in India, Sam Pitroda’s name would certainly figure at the top of the list, because he is the most deserving candidate. The man is credited with making almost the entire nation communicate with ease and lay a strong foundation for the telecom revolution to take shape in the country. He had laid a strong foundation for technology enhancement. Now, as head of Knowledge Commission, the visionary is engaged in bridging the digital divide in the country and transforming the way knowledge is disseminated across the nation. Sam is all set to change the mindset in the country with regards to the way the primary and higher education is conducted in our education centres, because he understands it fully well that illiteracy in the country can only be eliminated through democratisation of knowledge. When controversy arose regarding the reservation for dalits in the educational institutions, Sam gave his candid views on the adverse impact of such thoughts on the educational environment. However, he continued with his pursuit with single minded devotion.

The man has to be backed because his ultimate aim as he himself told B&E is to “strive to provide every Indian with adequate food, clean drinking water & shelter.”

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).

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Aren’t they prized?

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

It’s time we redefined what makes one a national asset...

P rivatisation has been one of the most controversial and rabble rousing word, in the Indian lexicon, since the emergence of economic liberalisation. Every attempt to privatise Indian PSUs has not only been greeted with serious resistance by Opposition parties, it has also been termed as attempt to sell off ‘National Assets’ or ‘Family Silver.’ While national parties like BJP & Congress have taken turns to oppose it, depending on whether they are in government or in Opposition, the Left parties have always been opposed to it. In 2004, in an article in rediff.com, CPI General Secretary A. B. Bardhan stated, ‘It was National Democratic Alliance Government that set up the first ever Divestment Ministry. It virtually put India up for sale: it set up a shop to sell off prime national assets.’

The real is issue here is not privatisation but how India as a nation perceives as to what can be defined as a national asset. Inspite of having shed the shackles of the Jurassic Age License Raj, more than 16 years back, India at times reflect the demeanour of a society yet to come out of the mental blockades of the past.

Last 16 years witnessed the ascent of a resurgent India which was otherwise fed on a defeatist, inward looking, timid and a Third World attitude for long. It not only had a Phoenix like rise from the verge of bankruptcy to become a trillion dollar economy, but its companies, instead of getting decimated by the onslaught of foreign companies, emerged as true blue multi-nationals. The likes of Reliance, Infosys, Wipro, Bharti, Tata, M&M, Ranbaxy, Suzlon & Cipla have not only become household names abroad but also helped India have global footage through their relentless cross-border acquisition. Last heard, analysts have stopped counting the countless number of foreign companies being acquired by their Indian counterparts every month. Yet for the likes of A. B. Bardhan and majority of the indoctrinated populace, these companies and their creators are not yet national assets. For them, a company has to be necessarily owned (rather exploited) by the government if it has to have that coveted tag.


Well by that standard, even the Indian cricket team and the likes of Sachin, Sourav & Dravid are not national assets because BCCI is a privately managed entity. Even Shah Rukh Khan, Amartya Sen and the millions of new generation young men and women who are striving to shun the blanket of secured jobs and venture into unknown territories of creative indulgence to give shape to the next generation of Reliance and Tatas, are not national assets. The makers of Rang De Basanti or Chak De who can inspire a whole generation to defy status-quo and become change agents are not national assets either. But... loss making and totally uninspiring companies like National Textile Mills and hundreds like that, are national assets, simply because they are state owned. At will, their bad debts of thousands of crores get written off while young India struggles to get a few lakhs to start a new entity. All that has been done by stalling privatisation of HPCL & BPCL is to burden them with apocalyptic losses so that polity can continue with its game of oil populism. Indian Railways is truly a national asset giving it the national right of killing people in accidents and negligence without accountability. Well, let’s hope a day comes soon enough when, if not the entrepreneurs, at least the common man would be called a national asset. At least in that case he would be spared from paying with his life in terrorist attacks, hunger and political riots.

Edit bureau : The IIPM Think Tank

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).

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Maddening crowd!

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

There are a host of organised retailers on the streets, and they’re all craving for footfalls. Problem is – they all look almost the same! Can they create a unique position for themselves? savreen gadhoke finds out...

Let’s begin with a small mental game. Think of organised retail. Next, narrow the list down to just convenience stores. Next, think of a brand. So what did you think of? “Well... errr.... mmmmm...” That is perhaps your answer, and don’t worry, we don’t blame you. Yes, today when when we talk of the new format of retailing and brands associated with it, the consumer mostly imagines bachat or perhaps, morcha against kharcha! There are many brands too, creating a hyper-cluttered space. There’s Sabka Bazaar, Big Apple and Reliance Fresh trying to make a separate identity in the convenience retail format (the typical 7 to 11 store). But the truth is – most have everything in common. Take a walk down Mumbai’s Cuff Parade or just saunter along Delhi’s Malviya Nagar, and you’ll find a host of ‘Mom-n-Pop’ stores ranging from Aditya Birla Group’s ‘More’ to RPG’s ‘Spencers Retail’; from R.Subramaniam’s ‘Subhiksha’ to Mukesh Ambani’s ‘Reliance Fresh’; all lined in close vicinity to each other. And in such a situation, do these convenience stores have a strong positioning to induce the customer to visit their store and not walk into the one next door? Worse, this situation is not something temporary as most of the above-listed stores are on an expansion spree (and investing hundreds of crores of rupees).

And there is a clear question which this crowd gives birth to (perhaps about which you never thought of) – what is stopping these cash rich giants from advertising and creating a unique positioning for their retail ventures? Yes, this is true for all except one – Subhiksha. Talking about his strategic outlook, R. Subramaniam. MD, Subhiksha asserts, “In this kind of business, it becomes necessary for us to come up with a strong brand positioning and Subhiksha has always worked on that.” And indeed it’s a fact that apart from Subhiksha, no other retail giant has invested in building a strong brand image for their respective ventures. Subhiksha has always harped over the message strategy of “Lowest prices and largest network of stores,” which as per Subramaniam is the strongest message that one can have in this nascent sector. But then, talk to Rajat Gupta, GM Marketing, Big Apple and he says, “Big Apple has positioned itself to cater to all strata of consumers, considering the wide range of products available and convenient store timings of 7 A.M. to 11 P.M.” The point here is that even though Gupta talks confidently of Big Apple’s positioning with its target audience, has this positioning really sunk into the consumer mental make-up? To answer this question, Anand Halve, Co-founder, Chlorophyll Brand & Communication Consultancy asks yet another simple question – “Today, what is it that is compelling the consumer to go to a particular retail outlet for his day-to-day grocery shopping? Is it because that that ‘a particular’ retail store gives you the lowest prices (which perhaps all boast of) or is it because it is in close proximity to your residence?” If your answer is the former then really, spreading a message across will definitely help. And if your answer is the latter, the prescription remains exactly the same... Really, it’s not long before all the major international retail giants (following the entry of Wal-Mart) enter the Indian market. Policies can change overnight, and if FDI is permitted in multi-brand retailing, then the Indian players are in for a rough ride!

But why is it then that almost all the players are bragging about nothing but ‘low prices’? Are quality of product, ambience, USP dead and gone? Answers Halve, “When the Indian retail venture (in its true sense) kicked-off, almost everyone took Wal-Mart as their ‘golden destination’. This threatened others and forced them to reduce their prices.” With the help of logistics, these retailers may be able to swing prices of “some of their” products but the strategy inherently remains fraudulent because it is dependent upon sustaining a competitive advantage, which is where most these players need improvement. Quality still takes precedence in the minds of the consumers as rationale get the better of emotions. And today, the “I bought cheap...” syndrome is not anymore a virtue across the board. Therefore, it becomes imperative for retailers to have a strong positioning and an effective communication strategy.

However, Thomas Xaviers, NCD, Orchard Advertising (which handles Subhiksha’s account) counters on the point of quality and says, “Most of the stuff that is sold in Subhiksha is the same branded goods we find in other pricey malls. So, we needn’t harp on quality… But we do not shy from pointing out to people that they should not pay more for the same goods in the superfluous markets.” The crux of the matter remains that to make the consumer loyal, it is important to make ‘convenience’ the primary deliverable, and convenience today doesn’t mean price alone.

Another reason why it is extremely important for the retailers to have a strong communication is because almost all of them are expanding at a stupendous rate. “In FY08, we had 1,300 stores and we plan to reach to 2,200 stores by FY09,” reveals Subramaniam of Subhiksha. Reportedly, Spencers Retail too is investing close to Rs.1,000 crore in 2008-09 and plans to achieve a turnover of Rs.1,800 crore by FY2008-09. But then, why on earth are these retailers shy of advertising? As Halve of Chlorophyll says, “It is primarily the ‘Reliance Fresh’ effect.” The amount of protests Reliance Fresh invited for itself when it unleashed its big plans, has probably shaken others and this is why most of them refrain from advertising. However, they do indulge in promotional and BTL activities. Agrees Gupta of Big Apple, “Big Apple has not been too aggressive in terms of advertisements in media, but surely has been involved in activities in and around all its outlets and has been able to positively form a connect with the consumers.” But can such promotional activities replace the impact of advertising on a large scale? Answers Xaviers, “Advertising is still the most economical way to build a mass brand. There is enormous economic advantage to be derived from a relevant creative idea that has been applied to brand. Perception Management is too important to be left to chancy PR or word of mouth.”

Probably this is the reason why Subhiksha, while it has powerful systems to deal with PR and word of mouth, uses the power of advertising to steer the brand. And indeed, where big money is involved, it is imperative for the marketers to be ‘bang on!’ with their marketing strategies and realise the importance of advertising and a strong positioning. Probably the next time I ask you for a convenience retail brand, you’ll not fumble for words!

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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Welcome to creative-dom!

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

Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion DY&R: I’ve known Ambika from her O&M days. Her basic understanding of good work and bad work, as also her understanding of the categories – the good creative part of it and the craft part of it – make her a tremendous team player. She handles herself wonderfully in team meetings.

Ramanuj Shastry, Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion DY&R: She is a nuance writer and has a delicate understanding of fragile nature of relationships. She has a keen eye for human drama, which can be creatively magnified. Her McDonald’s ad campaign is a true reflection of her strong consumer insight.

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 :-
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 (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
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Expansion and Going Global

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

Expansion and going global, therefore, seems to be the ‘mother of all’ reasons behind this money-raising jamboree. But is there another viewpoint? Syed Sagheer, Aviation Expert, PINC Research provides a probable radical motive – that of consolidations and further acquisitions. “Smaller players like GoAir and SpiceJet can see imminent acquisition by big players. Private investment in these companies has also dried up making them vulnerable for acquisitions. Money raised can be used for buy-offs as well,” he professes, adding that, “Improvement in scale of operations is the only way airlines can break even…”

An interesting change in the sectoral landscape is the go-global wind that has started blowing of late; of course, fuelled by postponement of Kingfisher’s plans to fly abroad (as policy regulations only allow airlines which have completed five successful domestic years to fly overseas). However, for fear of sounding overenthusiastic, one should not overlook the fact that this indeed appears a logical solution for the ailing sector, to get its promises back on track (remember 2003 and the Air Deccan fairytale?).

“More than three-fourth of the total international traffic in India is handled by foreign airlines. So we have a huge opportunity there. We can use our network more efficiently – using our domestic network to feed international and vice-versa,” says a Kingfisher official. True that there would be the initial investments involved (for fleet expansion, crew, technical support, training, offices, et al) when these aviators start international operations, but for Indian airliners going abroad seems to be the only option left to break into the profitability zone. Says Hick Bailey, Expert, FitchRatings International, “Given the high cost of operations and overcapacity in the domestic market, airlines will bleed to death if they aren’t soon allowed to fly abroad…”

So how can we statistically prove the cost-saving and revenue-earning logic? In an exclusive 4Ps B&M research, we discovered that the most profitable airlines in the world are also the ones which have maximum international presence (refer Figure 1). British Airways (international presence of 97% and $4.2 billion in profits over the past five years), Lufthansa (95% and $3.6 billion), Air France (91% and $5.7 billion) and NorthWest Airlines (44% and $1.4 billion) made profits while the entire global aviation lost in excess of $10 billion during the past half-a-decade. To further quantify the advantages that can be gained from international presence, revenues earned per unit distance is also highest on international routes (refer Figure 5).

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 :-
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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

GMR Infrastructure

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

Investee: GMR Infrastructure

Investor: Eton Park Capital, SBI, UBS, et al

Investment Value: $1,000 mn

As per G. M. Rao, Group Chairman, GMR Group, “The positive response to the Issue reflects the confidence that global investors have in the Company and its integrated business model. As a result of this, they have decided to invest in the company through the QIP route in large volumes.” Madhu Terdal, CFO of GMR Infrastructure asserts that “the funds will be used for the construction of GMR Istanbul’s airport in Turkey as well as buyouts in the international power and airport markets.”

In a deal worth $1 billion, qualified institutional players like Citigroup, Capital International, SBI, Kotak Mahindra, Credit Agricole, UBS et al, bought a 9% stake in GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL), the flagship company of GMR Group. GIL plans to spend about Rs.800 crores in its various projects, which include the Istanbul Airport and a Special Economic Zone in Tamil Nadu. The fund raising exercise by the company was an effort in complimenting its future expansion plans, which will see the company moving into newer pastures like SEZs, Export Promotion Parks etc.. Already in GMR’s kitty are projects like Delhi Airport modernisation and the Hyderabad Airport construction, both in the final stages of completion. The company also has plans of setting up overseas offices and to tap the opportunities available in markets like Europe. The group is also planning to get into airport projects in Africa.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!