Can you pass the tea please?

Renowned Management Guru

Pakistan is the new potential market that India has in mind – to sell tea to, that is! Traditionally, Britain and Russia have been the biggest tea importers, but now the tea lobby has decided that it’s time to tap new markets. With this in mind, a 12-member team of tea officials, planters and traders had gone to Pakistan to market tea. There’s a huge need-gap that India can fulfil: In 2006, Pakistan imported about 100 million kg of tea from Kenya and only 16 million kg from India. India can easily supply more tea than that, right, given that the demand is so high? The Indian team visited the tea markets of Lahore, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, and the findings have been extremely encouraging. Other than Pakistan, countries like Egypt, Iran and Iraq are figuring prominently in the tea export list. The Indian Tea Association has set up marketing arms in Cairo and Tehran as part of a strategy to boost sales in the region. In November this year, the Ministry of Commerce will be organizing an International Tea Festival in Guwahati (because the state of Assam produces 55% of India’s total annual output). At the tea festival, the organizers are expecting delegates from Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

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Better the foot slip than the tongue?

IIPM BEST B-SCHOOL

Born on April 10, 1941, in Lahore, to Shri V. Shankar Aiyar and Smt. Bhagyalakshmi Sankar Aiyar, Mani has always always been an exceptional performer in academics. He completed his elementary education from the prestigious Doon School, the Eton of India, and went for his higher studies to St. Stephen’s College & Cambridge University. He returned to India, cracked the Civil Service examination and joined the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).

After working for 21 years in the IFS, he joined PMO on deputation, when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM. Later, he quit the job and joined politics. Nevertheless, this was not his first tryst with politics. During his stay in Cambridge, Aiyar created a fl utter in UK, when he tried to organise a left -leaning student club during the Sino-Indian war. Aiyar entered the Parliament as a Congress MP from the Mayiladuturai constituency in Tamil Nadu in 1991. Aiyar was accomodated in the cabinet when Congress returned to power in 2004.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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The culprit has the gold...

IIPM PUBLICATION

Close to 95% of the world’s cars run on fossil fuels and until oil is not completely depleted from the face of the earth, this situation is quite unlikely to change. The obsessive dependence on Black Gold has had devastating effects on the world economy. A commodity, which has the power to control the global economy, has had far-reaching effects on how business is conducted throughout the world spanning across all sectors. However, the forces of demand & supply in this space have created widespread price fluctuations & collateral effects. Oil prices moved from lows of $45 per barrel to a peak of $78 per barrel in 2006 – the highest price ever. The end-consumer is the worst affected by this volatility. Analysts believe that more practical solutions like ethanol supplementation will help reduce the oil-induced phobia. Moreover, since oil will continue to be a primary source for cars, fresh replenishments are expected to be done from the yet unexplored oil reserves in Alaska (USA) and Siberia (Russia). But still, it is quite evident that the world will need some saviour fuel very soon.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Answers from the Sea

IIPM BEST B-SCHOOL

In the lobby of PharmaMar, a biotechnology company on the outskirts of Madrid, neon fish dart through a coral-filled aquarium. On the walls hang dramatic photos of underwater creatures. These visuals highlight a relatively unexplored terrain in biomedical research: the sea. PharmaMar’s research offers a tantalizing glimpse at this new frontier in medicine.

“Most of the drugs that have been a success in cancer treatment have come from a natural source, but a terrestrial source,” says Carmen Cuevas, director of resea rch and development for PharmaMar. “Why not use the sea as a source, if life started in the sea?”

This idea is exactly what spurred the creation of PharmaMar, one of Spain’s oldest biotechnology companies, in 1986. Founder José María Fernández - Sousa, then a university professor involved in research and development at a local company focusing on microbiology and antibiotics, met a University of Illinois chemist who was examining mar ine products. Fernández –Sousa thought the sea could be a potentially perfect source of novel compounds, par t icularly t hose with ant itumor properties.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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GM in Toyota’s rear view!

IIPM PUBLICATION

In 1937, Sakichi Toyoda would have never thought that one day his local car company would be amidst the fiercest battle in the history of the industrial world. Toyota Motor company, as it is known today, has come a long way since it started the production of ‘model SA’ back in 1947. The company has raided Detroit with such an intense ferocity that there has been a scramble for cover among the big three. Seemingly, immortal Ford Motor company has gone in an un-recovered depression, as its sales and market share are on a continuous downslide, and a recovery looks bleak. There has been resistance but to no avail, it appears that Toyota is just cruising along and it has already overtaken Ford and DaimlerChrysler on the way.

However, the real tremors from this reckoning were felt by the mother goose, General Motor (GM). The erstwhile number one car-maker has just been overtaken by Toyota in terms of global sales, selling 2.38 million cars as compared to 2.26 million units sold by the former in the first three months of 2007. Toyota has finally annexed the throne of the world’s automotive industry as the Americans are reeling under mounting losses. Just to show Toyota’s lead over it’s American counterpart, in 2006, the Nippon star had profits over $11 billion while the ailing GM was busy figuring out reasons behind it’s massive $10.5 billion losses of 2005. One thing Toyota knows well is that there is no way the competition can induce some fear in it.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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People Movements

IIPM BEST B-SCHOOL

• Ajay Gahlaut, who was earlier a Creative Director at McCann Erickson, Mumbai, has joined Rediffusion DY&R as its Executive Creative Director and Creative Head of the Delhi branch. This is Ajay’s third inning with the agency.

• Rima Gupta has moved to Solutions Integrated Marketing Services as its Executive Vice President. Gupta, was earlier Country Head, Henley Center (WPP’s brand consulting arm).

• Sanjay Puthli has bid goodbye to MTV Network to join UTV and Astro Measat’s joint venture, Bindass, as its Senior VPRevenue and Business Head (New Media). He will be looking into the mobile, digital, merchandising and sales divisions of the channel.

• Suresh Balakrishnan has been appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Joint Venture between Living Media India Ltd. (India Today Group) and Associated Newspapers Ltd. The JV is expected to roll out morning newspaper in Delhi.

• Rajesh Tahil, CEO, Radio One, has put in his papers and wishes to explore his entrepreneurial proficiency. Tahil’s own venture, ‘Hill Road Media’, will cater to content related needs of its clients.

• Tata AIG General Insurance Company Limited has elevated Michael Carlin to the Managing Director’s post. He was earlier at the post of COO and fills in the post left vacant by Dalip Verma.

• Mudra’s Chennai Branch Head – Milind Jadhav – has decided to bid goodbye to the company; and Hari Krishnan, Branch Head, Grey Worldwide, Delhi, has moved on to JWT as its new Vice President. He comes after Hemant Mishra left JWT to join Publicis India.

• Also, at Nokia Siemens Networks, Ashish Choudhary will now also take care of Nepal region, apart from India.

Compiled by: Pallavi Srivastava

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Prashant Ruia, son of Shashi Ruia and the future of the Essar Group

IIPM PUBLICATION

For that matter, nobody at Essar talks even about the legend of Phoenix, the mythical Greek figure that rises from the ashes. But for almost all corporate analysts who have been tracking the fortunes of Essar and the Ruias since the 1980s, what has happened to the business house in the last few years is akin to a resurrection. Like most successful Entrepreneurs and inheritors who talk in politically correct overtones about the success of their strategy, Prashant Ruia, son of Shashi Ruia and the future of the Essar Group, talks about the importance of professional managers when he says, “As a Group, we lay great emphasis on building and maintaining a cadre of professional managers. Indeed managers are trained at Essar’s own management and training college and are then sent around the world to build skills and experience – just as I was.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Feasting For Tomorrow

IIPM BEST B-SCHOOL

A survey conducted by ENAM Securities in 2006 shows that Indian consumers spend 51% of private final consumption expenditure on eating. Players are chalking out massive expansion plans (see chart). Pankaj Chaturvedi, CEO, Baskin- Robbins, “The overall market has grown tremendously in India with retail having taken centre stage.”

However, the FMCG sector (Nestle kiosks for instance) and the Ready-to-Eat segment (like the MTR range) pose a major potential threat. Adds Choudhary of FHRAI, “Competition can come in from other sectors also, so it becomes very important to venture into newer areas, where the other players are not there.” An interesting case in point is ITC with its ‘Food Court’, which specifically targets the rural customer – an area where no one ever dared to enter.

So for those QSRs that are looking for the carnival-like ending for their Indian odyssey, a right blend of a localized menu, highly efficient supply chain and innovative market penetration should create the desired magic. For the millions of Asterixes & Obelixes of India, a whole new enchanting world of culinary pleasures beckons. And gastronomy clearly reigns supreme!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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The trend of PE firms going public is positive...

IIPM PUBLICATION

If you were to put it crudely, their core competency is indeed ‘Buy, strip & flip’. But today, some Private Equity (PE) firms are arguably one of the most powerful forces shaping futures of companies. Within the last month itself, two PE buyouts took the markets by storm. The acquisition of TXU Corp. by KKR & Texas Pacific Group for $45 billion ranks as the largest leveraged buyout ever. And before that, Blackstone acquired Equity Office Properties for a whopping $39 billion.

According to researcher Private Equity Intelligence, investors poured a jaw dropping $432 billion into PE funds in 2006. Critics, however, vehemently oppose their practices. Steven VanBever, senior examiner, Supervision & Regulation, The Federal Reserve, states, “Some of the approach (by PE firms) to valuation has not been as clear as it could be.” Standard & Poor states that PE funds have led to significant decline of credit quality in European companies. Share of companies with junk rating rose to 17.2% in 2006 from a level of 1.2% in 2005.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Former beauty queen

IIPM BEST B-SCHOOL

Former beauty queen, television host and compere, Manpreet Brar Wallia, in a B&E exclusive, offers a faithful’s insight into the unique philosophy and practice of Sikhism – the faith of valour!

The month of April in North India, especially Punjab, heralds the festival of Besakhi, which marks the Punjabi New Year and a beginning of the harvest season. Historically, this is a very relevant day for Sikhs. It was on this day in 1699 that the 10th Guru, Guru Gobindh Singh Ji had invited all his followers to the Baisakhi Fair near Anandpur. And it was here that Guru Gobindh anointed the ‘Panj-Pyara’, as soldiers who would dedicate their lives to the service of others and pursuit of justice for all. On this historic day, he also gave the Sikhs the five K’s (Kirpan, kesh, kachcha, kada, kanga) by which they would be recognised. He gave them a physical form that would distinguish them and make them stand apart. One of the most wonderful things about Sikhism is its sense of tolerance and liberalism. As the founder and the first guru, Guru Nanak formed this to unite people and taught them the unity of God.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

They know where to ‘land’!

IIPM PUBLICATION

If I could live all over again, I would buy every square inch of Manhattan”, famous words from one of the first real estate mogul John Jacob Astor, the man who envisaged in the 1830s that New York will soon be world’s greatest cities, hold right for every tycoon in the business today. Be it Astors, Roosevelts, Beekmans and Rockfellers of early 19th century who withdrew money from their core businesses to cash in on the boom in real estate or John Tishman & Joseph Durst (he is known to have started with just $3 at the turn of the 20th century and today ranks amongst the largest developers in New York) – all started with almost nowhere and amassed big fortunes, becoming the top real estate families in the world.

Donald J. Trump’s brush with bankruptcy in the early 1990s (when two thirds of his net worth got eroded and he was in debt for almost $2 billion) is anything but forgotten. But by the year 2000, he rebounded and today his worth is over three billion dollars. And arguably, he is one of the top most real estate investors in the world. Tom Barrack, Sam Zell & Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Hutchison Whampoa have also become the stuff for legends with their daring travails...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

G’localisation of software is in...

MANAGEMENT GURU

You don’t need to be a champion of English language... not at least when it comes to being computer savvy. Yes, no more; considering the desi trend that’s caught the attention of soft ware giants.

With the Indian rural market projected to touch a titanic $500-600 billion by 2020 (McKinsey’s rural India survey 2006), it’s but obvious that ignoring this market would only be suicidal. Also, taking note of the fact that internet usage in India stands at a paltry 3.5% today, regionalisation of languages will prove ‘the’ strategy to tap market potential better. When IndLinux.org launched a Hindi version of Gnome, the graphical user interface of GNU/Linux called IndLinux Milan v0.3 in 2003, it opened up a world of opportunities for those well-versed in Hindi explaining whose success exclusively to B&E, Prakash Advani, Head, Linux Practice India exclaimed, “IndLinux has been extremely successful & several more applications have been localised after it...”

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

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Lalu's way to nirvana: Take a train

MANAGEMENT GURU

After reviving loss making railways and teaching BSchool grads a thing or two about management, Lalu Prasad Yadav is on a new mission these days. From the land of Buddha himself, Lalu recently flagged off a luxury train which traverses through prominent Buddhist pilgrim centres across India and Nepal. Christened ‘Mahaparinirvana Special’, the train starts from Delhi tracing Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Rajgir, Varanasi, Shravasti and Lumbini in Nepal along with hitting Taj Mahal & Fathepur Sikri during the week long journey. The measure is believed to give a boost to tourism and to the cash registers of Railways. Fully AC with all comforts, the fair falls in the range of $80-$150 varying according to class & season.

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

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Queen of the Oscars too?

MANAGEMENT GURU

There is something about Helen Mirren that makes her portray the royalty so honestly and intricately that one can’t help but wonder if she’s as blue-blooded as the characters she plays! The Queen premiered shortly after her Emmy for playing the title role in Elizabeth I, a television mini-series, and apart from her striking resemblance to Her Majesty, she offers an insight into the thoughts and emotions running behind her stoic silence post the demise of Princess Diana in this movie. Aft r its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, Helen Mirren’s performance earned her a five-minute standing ovation and ever since, praise has poured in from all over the globe to applaud her potent performance. A three-time Academy Award nominated actress, we say Dame Helen Mirren should win the Best Actress in a Lead Role hands-down!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

May the best party win...

MANAGEMENT GURU

...and if that's the case, neither the Congress nor the SAD would qualify!
Election rhetoric in Punjab is getting shriller with every passing day. As the D-day (May 10) approaches, the state is witnessing unprecedented heat in the wintry months. Both Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress are fully geared up to woo the electorate. By raising the corruption issue against the Akalis, the Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh, is desperately trying to 'snatch victory from the jaws of defeat'. On the other hand, SAD leader Prakash Singh Badal and his son Sukhbeer Singh Badal, are up in arms against the Congress government for its dismal performance on all fronts. Riding on the chariot of populism, the SAD-BJP alliance promises to provide wheat at the rate of Rs.4 and pulses at Rs.20 a kilo.

The emotive issue of the Sutlej-Yamuna link is conspicuously absent from the election debate. Initially, SAD (Badal) had attacked Congress on the issue, but later on, in many of the election rallies in Muktsar and Bhatinda districts, no mention was made about the water dispute. Interestingly, even the Chief Minister had once mentioned that “we will die but not let even a single drop of water go outside Punjab." However, when the state Governer Motilal Vora said that he will abide by the Supreme Court ruling, the Punjab CM went mum.

The state is currently in deep economic doldrums. With a financial crisis knocking at the doors; state industries in red and farmers crying out for help, the mood is certainly sombre. Both Amarinder Singh and Prakash Singh Badal need to ponder over the mess they have created through mindless policies, and depriving people the benefits of good governance.

Edit bureau: Vikash Kumar

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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The Juggernaut Rolls

IIPM PUBLICATION

How about buying insurance along with vegetables? Well, soon you will be able to find insurance policies making their way to Reliance Fresh supermarket; originally meant for fresh fruits and vegetables. The idea is to extract maximum value out of the retail stores. With an elephantine investment of Rs.250 billion, Mukesh Ambani is all set to alter the Indian retail landscape. Till date, the company has opened over 40 stores across Hyderabad, Jaipur & Chennai and recently opened nine stores in the national capital region. Reliance Retail is expected to open the hypermarts in the first quarter of the new financial year. The move, if successful, will seal Ambani’s success in the retail domain. However, Reliance Retail is not going to have a smooth ride as almost all top business houses are lining up with their retail plans and also the old blood like Pantaloons, Subhiksha et al, are gearing up for the big retail war. If the company is able to duplicate what it did in other sectors, Reliance Retail is slated to be a behemoth in itself.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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It’s time to start human resource accounting & create robust information systems...

IIPM PUBLICATION

Here’s a lowdown of how diverse HR functions have grown and straight from the horse’s mouth – Aquil Busrai, Executive Director (HR), IBM who confesses, “With businesses focussing on competitiveness, the scope of HR too has widened to accommodate economic, environmental and social responsibilities among others.” Explaining the changing business scenario, he quotes an IMD Survey in November 2006, in which 1987 CEOs participated, which reported that “Focus on Return on Technology Investment, Talent Cost and Retention are top priorities for a company.” Confirming the very obligation is Vikas Baijal of NIIT, who also says, “It is a business imperative for an organization to have robust evaluation process for employees.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malay Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

Manmohan Shetty, Founder and Chief Managing Director, Adlabs

IIPM PUBLICATION

Truly, while radio might be Adlabs’ baby, its first offspring (film processing) continues to give an annual growth of 11% – the company controls an eye-plopping 80% of the film processing businesses in Western India. Adlabs diversified into processing of movies in 1989 and into film exhibition in 2001, bringing in the multiplex culture and in the process proving many questioning critics wrong. Ever since Anil Dhirubhai Ambani, through ADAG, took a stake in Adlabs last year, the perception of Adlabs has changed within the minds of Indians to be not just a typical sole proprietorship, but way beyond that, to be a global case study of one of the best startups India has to offer.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malay Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

The original sweet and salty biscuits

IIPM PUBLICATION

Brand : Parle Krackjack
Agency : O&M
Baseline :The original sweet and salty biscuits.

Description: A man watches TV, munching Krackjack biscuits. The phone keeps ringing and wife keeps thanking various callers. The husband gets irritated; the wife tells him that it’s her birthday. He is feeling guilty for not remembering, when suddenly the doorbell rings. It’s the pizza guy. The husband pretends that he’d asked the pizza boy to get candles, and finally shoos him away. The wife catches on, but smiles. Then, both feast on Krackjack biscuits.

4ps take: How do you promote the brand value of a biscuit? Simple – just make positively addictive! In this ad, Krackjack stands for such an ‘addictive’ brand persona that people forget important things – like wife’s birthday. The storyboard is sweet and naughty, and at the same time very slice of life; and the plot weaves in the brand’s core proposition – the sweet and salty taste of Krackjack.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malay Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

Brain dead OR JUST…BRANDED?

IIPM PUBLICATION
Also in the face of all this, arises the dangerous situation whereby companies are merrily raising their axe to cut down on their brand portfolio. Unilever is reducing its brand portfolio from the current 1600 to 400 so-called ‘superbrands’ and its competitor, P&G, is increasingly focussing on its fourteen top brands out of the approximately 300! And while there may arise confusion whether deletion of brands is a healthy exercise, Professor Nirmalya Kumar, Harvard Business School conceded that, “... deletion of brands is neither straightforward, nor well-understood!” Indeed, there is no denying that killing of unprofitable brands becomes imperative, yet, there has to be clarity of vision while doing so.

So the learning remains – kill your brands if you have to... but make sure your consumers don’t mourn... Or else, it’s your company for which they’ll mourn next!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malay Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative