IIPM EDITORIAL

No’pal, Nepal is really changing!

2008-10-21T00:47:00.000-07:00

Prachanda's election as the Prime Minister may alter the course of Nepal's politico-cultural ships...
It was not the first time that Nepal has sworn a 'promising' Prime Minister. Yet, people who saw the swearing-in ceremony of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who goes by the nom de guerre Prachanda, reckon that politics in Nepal will change forever. Few eyebrows were raised when Prachanda decided to do away with the tradition by wearing a double-breasted suit instead of Nepal’s national dress for the ceremony; that too, in a nation where only weeks ago the Vice President had to publicly apologise for taking an oath in Hindi and not Nepali. When Prachanda decided to take the oath in the name of “people” and not “in the name of truth or God” (as was the tradition) and started preparing for an official visit to China and not India (traditional again), bureaucrats from MEA were easily seen shifting uncomfortably in their South Block chambers. Surely, breaking age long traditions seem to be the new in-thing in Nepal.

The leader of the decade-long Maoist rebellion in Nepal was finally elected PM after four months of political wrestling. The contest saw him winning 464 of the 577 ballots cast in the 601-strong Constituent Assembly. Three parties — Nepal Mazdoor Kisan Party, Rashtriya Jana Shakti and Rastriya Janamorcha — abstained from the voting. He was also backed by two other parties — the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Madheshi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) — and other smaller parties. But then they say, winning is only the start, Prachanda can surely hope to laugh his way to the parliament. C. K. Lal, a noted political analyst from Nepal while talking to B&E notes, “The situation is still fluid. Whatever is happening is very uncertain as there is no political consensus, whatsoever, amongst the political parties.”

The Maoists have already achieved their main goal, the end of 239 years of Hindu monarchy and declared it a federal republic. But there are other issues in focus. The most contentious among them is the control over the defense ministry and the future of 19,000 former Maoist guerrillas. Also, the Maoists would like to bring-in some sweeping economic changes which will be opposed by centrist parties. “The integration of the People''s Liberation Army into the Nepal Army will see lots of arguments and counter-arguments. Expect some fireworks on the economic front too,” says Amit Dhakal, a noted Nepalese politics expert to B&E.

It is India which will feel the maximum heat. While India has nurtured some ties with the former rebels, there is a growing concern over Maoists'' links with China. Prachanda, has already started talking about a more “balanced” approach in Nepal''s dealings with neighbours, and he doesn''t seem to be lowering decibels anytime soon!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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“100cc market will always be there”

2008-10-17T00:38:00.000-07:00

B&E: What are the repercussions of the Nano, since Bajaj is also keen on this segment?
VS: I don’t think we can talk about Nano at this point in time. It is better to ask this question from the likes of Maruti Suzuki, Tata and other people that make small cars. If Bajaj is doing that, they have there own strategy and I wish them all the best, but as far as TVS is concerned our focus will remain to be on two-wheelers and three-wheelers.

B&E: What is the investment for the new three-wheeler project? Will there be a commercial variant as well?
VS: We have invested about Rs.1.2 billion for a capacity of around 100,000 vehicles. A commercial version will come out in July this year and will be in the less than 1 tonne category.

B&E: What about the scooter segment? What is the time line for new models?
VS: I think gearless scooters are picking up, we have Scooty then we also have Teenz Electric (a 100% electric scooter) in that category and we will continue to add to our scooter range. On an annual basis, you can expect at least 1 new product from us.

B&E: What are the expectations from the new Flame?
VS: We want to have a 12% market share in the executive segment that comes to about 30,000 units from this product in the financial year 2008-09.

B&E: What is the future of the 100cc market? How will the other segments fare?
VS: 100cc market will always be there. About 60% of the market will continue to come from the 100cc segment. The 125cc segment will be around 30-35% of the market while the above 125cc will be close to 12%.

B&E: Do you have any plans to enter with another 150cc bikes? Will there be any new products this year?
VS: We already have the Apache in this segment, now different variants will be coming out. There will be one new platform. There will be Lightning, Flame and Flame Thunder based on it.

B&E: The Flame has been developed with the help of AVL. Will it get royalty from the sales of this bike?
VS: The engine is licensed from AVL and they have got paid up front. AVL is actually one of the largest engine manufacturers in the world; it has worked with every major engine manufacturer in the business.

B&E: Will TVS adopt the Bajaj and Yamaha strategy of Pro-biking showrooms? Please elaborate on your future investments in India.
VS: No we will not. I think we will have a fresh strategy, this is their strategy. In India we have made substantial investments in capacity. Future investments would really be in new products, tools, dyes and R&D costs.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Paper tigers under siege, the real ones go scot free

2008-10-16T00:30:00.000-07:00

The voices in power in the West are being quite unfair in their condemnation of Iran
Nuclear threats & counter-threats are a subtext of our times, steadily, it seems, becoming more insistent. The July meeting in Geneva between Iran and six major world powers on Iran’s nuclear programme ended with no progress. The Bush administration was widely praised for having shifted to a more conciliatory stand – namely, by allowing a US diplomat to attend without participating – while Iran was castigated for failing to negotiate seriously. And the powers warned Iran that it would soon face more severe sanctions unless it terminated its uranium enrichment programmes.

Meanwhile, India was applauded for agreeing to a nuclear pact with the US that would effectively authorise its development of nuclear weapons outside the bounds of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), with US assistance in nuclear programmes with other rewards – in particular, to US firms eager to enter the Indian market for nuclear and weapons development, and ample payoffs to parliamentarians who signed on, a tribute to India’s flourishing democracy. Michael Krepon, co-founder of the Stimson Centre and a leading specialist on nuclear threats, observed reasonably that Washington’s decision to “place profits ahead of nonproliferation” could mean the end of NPT if others follow its lead, sharply increasing the dangers all around.

During the same period, Israel, another state that has defied the NPT with Western support, conducted large-scale military maneuvers in the eastern Mediterranean that were understood to be preparation for bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities. In a New York Times Op-Ed article, “Using Bombs to Stave Off War,” prominent Israeli historian Benny Morris wrote that Iran’s leaders should welcome Israeli bombing with conventional weapons, for “the alternative is an Iran turned into a nuclear wasteland.”

Purposely or not, Morris is reviving an old theme. During the 1950s, leading figures of Israel’s governing Labour Party advised in internal discussion that “we will go crazy (“nishtagea”) if crossed, threatening to bring down the Temple Walls in the manner of the first “suicide bomber,” the revered Samson, who killed more Philistines by his suicide than in his entire lifetime.

Israel’s nuclear weapons may well harm its own security, as Israeli strategic analyst Zeev Maoz persuasively argues. But security is often not a high priority for state planners, as history makes clear. And the “Samson complex,” as Israeli commentators have called it, can be flaunted to warn the master to carry out the desired task of smashing Iran, or else we’ll inflame the region and maybe the world.

Shortly after the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, which left some 15-20,000 killed in an unprovoked effort to secure Israel’s control of the occupied territories, Aryeh Eliav, one of Israel’s best-known doves, wrote that the attitude of “those who brought the ‘Samson complex’ here, according to which we shall kill and bury all the Gentiles around us while we ourselves shall die with them,” is a form of “insanity” that was then all too prevalent, and still is.

US military analysts have recognised that, as Army Lt. Col. Warner Farr wrote in 1999, one “purpose of Israeli nuclear weapons, not often stated, but obvious, is their ‘use’ on the US,” presumably to ensure consistent US support for Israeli policies – or else. Gen. Lee Butler, former commander in chief of the US Strategic Command, observed in 1999 that “it is dangerous in the extreme that in the cauldron of animosities that we call the Middle East, one nation has armed itself, ostensibly, with stockpiles of nuclear weapons, perhaps numbering in hundreds, and that inspires other nations to do so.” This is hardly irrelevant to concerns about Iran’s nuclear programmes, but is off the agenda. Also off is Article 2 of the UN Charter, which bars threat of force in international affairs. Both US political parties insistently proclaim their criminality, declaring that “all options are on the table” with regard to Iran’s nuclear programmes.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Truth is darker than fiction

2008-10-14T02:19:00.000-07:00

The Chinese Olympics may end up showcasing exactly the opposite of what China has intended
August 8, 2008. At 8:08 p.m. the Chinese, who love their lucky number 8, will have registered their place in history and the whole world is now watching Chinese Olympics with bated breath. But this landmark event has attracted some unwanted attention too.

The Chinese view the Olympics as the ultimate opportunity to showcase their progress and prosperity to the world. Human rights have been placed on the altar time and again en route to this prosperity; ironically, even in organising the event that showcases it; whether it is relocating factories or putting vehicles of the roads, or, even more recently, refusing permission to people for flying their pigeons near airport areas! Unfortunately, with all the precautions it is taking, China’s human rights record seems to be haunting it all the way to the opening ceremony of the event.

On August 3, just four days before the opening ceremony, sixteen policemen were killed and another 16 were injured in a terrorist attack. Not that the Chinese government was unprepared. Had they not anticipated protests and fracas of high magnitude, Chinese government would have never given a diktat to make the Olympic protests official. That was in itself a strategic move to contain any sort of unrest. As per the Chinese law, one needs to apply to the local public security bureau five days prior to the scheduled protest, must personally appear and provide the officials with a detailed account about their topic and slogans to be used in the protests and also divulge about the total strength of the demonstrators. And two, the protesting zones were so far from venues that the protestors have to arrange for their own coverage in order to get noticed. In addition, it was stated that any demonstration which the government thinks could be pernicious to the ‘national unity and social stability,’ would not be approved. But the terrorist attack has changed the whole scene.

The government’s inability to prevent a security breach is not a good sign. Besides, the Chinese government had never anticipated such a high intensity attack. A few days ago, when three suspects from the same banned group were arrested while attempting to carry dangerous liquid in a Southern Airlines flight, they had revealed of plans to cause unrest during the Olympics.

Security analysts feel that local grievances could have also prompted people to take such serious measures. Nevertheless, the attacks have cast a dark shadow on the games. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice critically commented, “China should showcase not just the Olympics but an attitude of openness and tolerance... security threats have to be dealt, but it should not become a cover to deal with dissent.” In this environment, the Beijing Olympics may end up showcasing what the Chinese hadn’t contemplated in their wildest dreams.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

D(c)emented?

2008-10-11T02:10:00.000-07:00

Symbiotic promises abound...
Of the cross-border deals that have happened in 2008 so far, Cement companies scored a close third in value terms (9%). And the $349 million deal between Lafarge India and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) – wherein the former acquired the Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) business of the latter – is only set to make the scale heavier for investments received by cement companies. There is however a bigger truth of symbiotic intentions. While L&T can avail of the huge funds to concentrate on its core businesses, the deal gives Lafarge a better shot at the emerging Indian market.

The enthusiasm in the Lafarge camp can clearly be heard with Bruno Lafont, Chairman & CEO, Lafarge declaring that, “With this acquisition, we are taking a pioneering step in the emerging Indian market and to develop a unique expertise in creating value in the Concrete business.” Payoffs are not hard to achieve with the Indian cement industry growing at 8-10% annually, and with its current annual capacity of about 165 MT (RMC forming 70% of cement consumed) .

The recent start-up of operations at Lafarge’s first Greenfield RMC plant in Raipur is followed by this acquisition of (L&T’s) 66 concrete plants, thereby giving the company a greater presence. With 25% domestic market share and a production capacity of 5.5 MT for 2008, the inorganic growth will surely complementing its strategic plan to double its pan-India presence over the five years. ”The deal is a well-thought out strategy for both L&T and Lafarge, where one is using the acquired entity’s market share and other, funds to focus on core competencies,” declares Pawan Burde, Analyst, Angel Trade. L&T, There are many challenges though; for Lafarge, progress may be marred by high capital costs requirements and long gestation periods, not to forget competitiors. Growth of the RMC penetration (which is hardly 4% in the construction sector vis-a-vis a higher 50% in other Asian markets) is another hurdle. In this age of diversification, L&T might just find itself moving against the tide. Companies across sectors are derisking their business through diversification; L&T might just be dangerously risking putting all its eggs in one basket.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Behold, the master key

2008-09-29T02:58:00.000-07:00

Unless the players show complete cooperation for the standard, OpenID will not succeed

The world has been generally uncomfortable with common, standardised procedures, be it the World Trade Organisation or the World Wide Web. And sufferers of this are the normal users. According to Netcraft’s January 2008 web server survey, a whopping 156 million websites (about 25 billion pages) are functioning on the internet. That provides a pointer towards intricacies involved in maintaining digital identities by the users and service providers as well. A step has been taken in this regard. OpenID Foundation recently announced that Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, IBM & VeriSign have joined as first corporate board members. As of now, over 10,000 websites support OpenID, but it didn’t gain wide acceptance from users due to absence of big names. With five of the biggest names on internet and business joining the foundation this may change soon. “With this support from the new company board members, the OpenID Foundation will be able to continue to promote and protect the technology and its community moving forward,” said Bill Washburn, Executive Director, OpenID Foundation, adding, “these companies will help bring OpenID into the mainstream markets.”

OpenID eliminates the need of multiple user accounts across different websites; that is, it will give access to different websites (if the website supports OpenID). But will OpenID really help in easing our digital lives? At present, there are various websites or service providers allotting free OpenIDs to the users, and that’s where the glitch lies. And as many would have anticipated, security is not the stumbling block, thanks to the back up by VeriSign, rather the purpose of ease of use stands unfulfilled. First, you need to create an OpenID with one of the service providers (one more identity added to the clutter!), which will enable the user to use it on another OpenID supported website. Since OpenID has arisen from open source community, nobody owns it or stands to gain from it, which deprives the technology of having a uniform structure. Moreover Yahoo, which has already started using OpenID, does not support third party OpenID, instead the user has to create a new OpenID with Yahoo, which can be used on other supporting sites.

If Google, Microsoft (which already has MSN Passport), IBM and others decide to do it the same way than it will only add to clutter and confusion among users.

A pointer to better solution could be spotted few years back when users could use software like Cheetah for using chat services offered by Yahoo, mIRC and MSN. The user had to log in using his Yahoo, mIRC or MSN ID and could experience a much better service without having to register with anyone. Hopefully, the players, rather than seeing it as a game of one upmanship, will see the larger good now, to enable OpenID to live up to its stated promise.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

2008-06-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

In the first two-and-a-half decades of his acting career of more than 100 films, he never endorsed any product. However, when he did do his first commercial in the 90s, it was for BPL washing machines. “BPL – Believe in the Best” was an interesting commercial and Amitabh charged a fee of Rs.8 crores – the highest anyone had ever been paid in Indian corporate branding scenario. The adwas so effective that it really worried BPL’s competitor IFB, who even went to the extent of finding out which washing machine he had. As luck would have it he had an IFB! So they came out with a cheeky ad that said, “Amitabh believes in the best. That is why he uses an IFB washing machine”. The ad created a storm and had to be pulled off – but the company had made its point. Reid and Taylor too had a dream launch in India. Their strategy was flawless. They launched just before the World Cup in 1999, and roped in none other than 007 Bond to endorse their product. The market for luxury suiting was not yet developed and this seemed to be the right way to give popular brands like Raymond a run for their money. However, this side of the world there is only one Bond – Amitabh, and only when Amitabh featured in their ads did consumers respond. Customers walked into stores and asked for “Amitabh wali suiting.” Suddenly the brand saw its popularity growing in India. It did pay to “Bond” with the best. He has a magic which cannot be denied. His unblemished personality makes him a real safe bet for advertisers. Nerolac improved its brand image by associating with him. “Yeh rang har kisi ko chhoota hai” helped Nerolac bridge the gap between itself and market leader Asian Paints. Dabur Chyawanprash, though a market leader, also needed the charisma and energy of Amitabh to continue keeping the brand relevant to consumers.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Get floored by Tai Ping!

2008-06-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

It’s not a magical carpet from Arabian Nights and neither is it a priceless heirloom but you need to see it to believe its irresistible appeal. Famous for its combinations of fine fibres and designed by senior designers like Meenu Bansal, this carpet from Tai Ping is a veritable swirl of earthen shades, which looks contemporary, vibrant and yet regal. Price on request.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Now, that’s a healthy sheet!

2008-06-11T01:59:00.000-07:00

However, here’s some good news for the weak-hearted: A majority of pundits are of the opinion that interest rates might have peaked, but mind you, so have the profitability of the Indian companies. The FY07 performance of companies listed in India appears good considering the fact that consumerism (domestic demand)in India is at its life-time high, coupled with company favourable global macro-economic indicators like higher crude oil and metal prices. Results from telecom, cement, banking, automobile and metals space is a testimony to the above statement. The big three of Telecom – Bharti- Airtel, Reliance Communications and Idea Cellular rang in stupendous results. Top-line of Bharti-Airtel grew by 58% and profits almost doubled; ditto with Reliance Communications (annual profit touched Rs.24.09 billionin a short span of time). Says Harit Shah, Telecom Analyst, Angel Broking, “Financial performance of telecom majors was mainly driven by strong subscriber additions. Strong subscriber additions and usage drove the top-line growth.” Cement companies also deserve a special mention as they refused to cower down before government arm twisting, and yet surprisingly came out with a good set of numbers. In fact, the lowering of prices actually worked in favour of companies, as demand at lower price levels was quite enough (considering the explosive construction activity undergoing) to offset the price decrease. Moving on further, profitability of banks too peaked, as the appetite of mid-size companies, retail lending and Indian consumerism was at new peak last financial year.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

CIGARETTES: Respondent Profile

2008-06-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

Amongst the number of respondents who were covered under the purview of the study, 85% of the respondents were males and 15% of the respondents were females. The age groups of the respondents who were surveyed are given alongside.

Alcoholic Beverages Respondent Profile:
Around 82% males and 18% females were covered under this segment. The highest number of respondents were in the category of 20-30 years of age with 52% of the respondents belonging to this category. In the regular segment Kingfisher (beer) of UB group was the topmost rated brand amongst the 3 short listed parameters of brand awareness, image and perception and brand loyalty. Chivas Regal was found to be at the top position among the brands in the premium segment.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

CLOSE-UP

2008-06-04T23:51:00.000-07:00

Close-Up has dominated the gel segment, but the presence of Colgate still haunts...
Close-Up is positioned in a way in which no other toothpaste is positioned. It has broken all the rules and norms of toothpaste advertising ever since its launch in 1975, and taken the brand a leap forward in Indian market. It was the first brand to introduce gel toothpaste to the consumers and has led the gel segment ever since. Such was the power of the Close-Up bright red colour, its intelligent advertising and belligerent promotions that even market leader Colgate was forced to launch a gel variant. Its marketing initiatives include myriad tie ups with high-profile programmes like Close-Up Antakshari, Harsha KiKhoj and even movies, such as Kyun Ho Gaya Na. The highlight was the speed dating contest last year in association with Zoom Television. “Close-Up is a youthful brand and expresses togetherness so it was a perfect partner for the dating contest,” a Zoom spokesperson told 4PsB&M. Not that the brand did not have its share of catfights. The year 2004 was especially tough, when there was a strong contest between Colgate and Pepsodent, with eventually Close-Up losing market share. The same year saw a consecutive bombing of Oxy fresh and Eucalyptus Blue variants, which led HLL to continue with the mother brand, tingly red and lemon mint flavour and drop all other variants. To prove a point and get back into action Close-Up was then re-launched with a three in one benefit of fresher breath, stronger and whiter teeth. The brand has dropped in our rankings, but will hopefully be able to sustain the attention of the youth, by providing complete oral health care.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

MOST INFLUENTIAL BRAND OF 2006-07:

2008-05-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

• Airtel
• Google
• TATA Group
• HLL
Airtel changed its branding strategy last year and is riding high on the terrific response – influential you might say. Google ripped through its competitors’ market and has grown from a mole hill to a search mountain earning loads through ads - influential again! The Tata Group which has championed cross-border deals and has further announced a Rs.1.2 trillion investments in India over the next few years – influential! And finally, HLL through its CS Racts and product launches – do we need to repeat? Well, ok – influential to the core!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

BRAND PERFORMANCE

2008-05-26T23:46:00.000-07:00

So what exactly is brand performance?
No rocket science really. It’s the consumer’s perception of how a brand has been able to stand out amidst the clutter, due to various brand building exercises it undertakes, including distribution, word of mouth publicity, ad campaigns, promotional activities and other marketing initiatives, as opposed to close competitors. No surprises then that Pepsi with its strong below the line activities, coupled with a healthy brand portfolio and shout-out loud advertising, has climbed up the ladder of the Brand Performance index. If rival Pepsi is there, Coke cannot be far behind. But Coke lands 7th position, and not surprisingly, with Thums Up being the flagship Indian cola for the Atlanta behemoth. Airtel, with its ever-expanding subscriber base has also joined the club. Godrej, Infosys, Maruti and Tata Group are also no surprises to be a part of this group, as they remain clear market leaders in their respective sectors.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

CATEGORY : Online

2008-05-19T00:29:00.000-07:00

BRAND : SX4
BASELINE : Men are back
4Ps TAKE : Guess what’s Maruti’s latest launch SX4 Sedan’s claim to fame? ‘Man amongst cars’. Maruti Suzuki is building upon that attitude in this online flash ad too. With such a strong style-statement, the power idea is to show the confidence of Maruti in its new ‘manly’ product, enforcing it through many features of the car. The ad flaunts different features describing each one of them as if it was describing a macho physique. The auto major is trying to lure the high and upper middle income groups through this C-segment machine. The black background impresses and the smart one-liners grip, however, the ad does remind of Bajaj Pulsar’s ‘Definitely Male’ campaign. Do we see competition feeling the tremors on Indian roads, already?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

BRAND : Reliance Mobile

2008-05-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

AGENCY : Leo Burnett
BASELINE : Rang Barse
DESCRIPTION: A girl is reading a book when her Reliance phone rings and suddenly drops of coloured water fall on the pages. Sooner than later, it starts raining coloured water. Colour is all over – falling from the tin sheds, on the windscreen of cars, even from the green cricket ball. The ad ends with everyone shaking a leg in the rain as the VO says, ‘Ab barsenge rang, Reliance colour phones ke sang.’
4Ps TAKE: Rarely one gets to see sequels of ads and this one is truly a true blue sequel, for it easily takes the viewer back to the prequel -‘Baton baton mein rang...’ Peddling the same features, Reliance gets colourful in a bigger way this time. The ad is well executed and grabs eyeballs automatically. The jingle which has been improvised, ups the fun quotient which automatically comes with rain, dance and colour. All set to lure youth, Reliance offers a fresh range of colourful handsets and a fresher feel.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

BRAND BUSTERS

2008-05-08T23:50:00.000-07:00

The following points are the prime criterion for selecting,
short-listing and ranking the winning ads in this section:
• Product positioning clarity
• Clinching benefit to the brand
• Presence of a power idea
• Visibility of brand personality
• Expectancy of communication
• Single-minded focus of message
• Reward to the prospect
• Visually arresting
• Painstaking craftsmanship Here’s the 4Ps B&M verdict for the fortnight ended May 22, 2007. First come the print ads, then the TVCs. Ready for a piece of action?

BRAND: Hutch
HEADLINE: “I’m standing at the 107th floor balcony, sipping chai”
BASELINE : Travelling abroad? Tell…………Hutch Home Calling Card.
AGENCY : O&M
4Ps TAKE : It’s summer time, and everyone loves the idea of going on a summer holiday! But, how all of us crave to share the small moments that become stale by the time we are back. Now, Hutch’s Home Calling Cards is cashing in on this very sweet sentiment. The power idea is to lure both business as well as leisure travellers this season into buying Hutch’s recently launched calling card. The USP? This card works with any local phone in 95 countries. The visual is attractive with the Home Calling Card’s picture in black and pink and the white background stands out. The communication is smart and crisp. While the 107th floor denotes a foreign country, the feeling of sipping chai at the balcony is one which needs expression and that’s where these Calling Cards come in handy. The ad tries to draw an emotional connect as its body copy says: Travelling abroad? Tell everyone how it’s going to be with the Hutch Home Calling Card. So, the next time you plan a foreign trip, you know what connects you to home, don’t you?

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Image of Dow Jones

2008-05-08T01:18:00.000-07:00

It’s the size, scale, infrastructure, brand name and the image of Dow Jones that has been built step by step for last 118 years, which stimulates Murdoch to shed $5 billion.” Meanwhile Microsoft is struggling to keep Google at bay, for which Yahoo! looks the perfect foil. And for Thomson, the Reuters acquisition creates the world’s largest news and financial data company. Media behemoths argue that they need more freedom to consolidate their businesses in an increasingly competitive market where consumer groups, independent content producers, journalists, et al argue that consolidation is killing creativity and diversity. Global coverage, technological dynamism and mass customization have become more of a necessity due to increase in the segmentation amongst media customers. Thus it is very evident that the need for convergence has necessitated consolidation. Supporters of the ongoing process of consolidation believe it to be a part of the societal and technological transition, which is bound to benefit everybody in the long run. There are opportunities for synergy and leverage, yet bringing together several activities under one umbrella does bring about some degree of risk. The ill effects stretch beyond compression of salaries and erosion of working conditions to threatening standards of professionalism in journalism and broadcasting. Indeed, in this maddening rush for subscriber base and advertising revenues, companies must ensure that the content aspect is not compromised on. Commoditisation of news can at best provide them with short term gains.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Along came HBO!
BRAND : Real Twist
BRAND: Nokia
Don makes a ‘fair’ deal…
RCOM rings in the fabricating tone!!
The Noodle House comes to India
Re-cycle...
Cricket isn’t just cricket
Puravankara gets stuck in bad weather
Harry Potter strikes a million!

From Pillars to Post

2008-05-04T23:58:00.000-07:00

Indian PC industry is at a crossroads and the key lies in maintaining a balance between style and affordability
Just over half a decade ago, Indian PC industry was in doldrums. Stagnating sales, signs of negative growth and a seemingly unending quest for growth drivers ruled the industry. Back then, home-grown PC brands like HCL were struggling to surviveas MNC behemoths like HP, Compaq and IBM dominated the industry. Even when a series of negative quarters rocked the industry, these giants exhibited tremendous growth rates (to the tune of 44% in 2000-01), along with boasting aw hopping combined market share (comprising nearly 50% of the total market). Then began the advent of IT into banking, financial services, insurance, etal, and so began the resurgence of IT and telecom sectors. Also government aided projects provided a major boost to the commercial segment of the computing industry. Meanwhile, there was another revolution taking place side by side – the rise and rise of the great Indian middle class. All these factors clubbed together to give rise to an age when the computer would become very very ‘personal’. And the rest, as they say is history.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

The Sunday Indian - Greatest News weekly
http://iipm-news.spaces.live.com/
http://pankajnegiz.spaces.live.com/
http://iipminternational.spaces.live.com/
http://iipm-iipmschool.spaces.live.com/
Along came HBO!
BRAND : Real Twist
BRAND: Nokia
Don makes a ‘fair’ deal…
RCOM rings in the fabricating tone!!
The Noodle House comes to India
Re-cycle...
Cricket isn’t just cricket
Puravankara gets stuck in bad weather
Harry Potter strikes a million!

The Taj is fast losing its luster

2008-04-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

A parliamentary committee report has revealed that the great monument of love, the Taj Mahal, is losing its sheen due to pollution. The committee, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Sitaram Yechury, has recommended that steps should immediately be taken to stop this decay and that the Taj should be restored to its former glory. “The committee expresses its concern that Taj Mahal, the world-famous monument at Agra is becoming yellowish due to the deposition of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM),” says the report that was tabled in Parliament. “The deposition of SPM on the shimmering white marble of the Taj Mahal imparts yellow tinge to the marble surface. To restore the pristine glory of the Taj Mahal, as a conservation measure, the clay pack treatment, which is non-corrosive and nonabrasive, is carried out for the removal of the deposits.”

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

Climate refugees’ on the rise

2008-04-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Some bad news in store – as the scourge of global warming continues to raise its ugly head. Leading aid agency Christian Aid, in a report titled, ‘Human tide: The real migration crisis’, says that by 2050, there will be least one billion refugees as people will be forced to leave their homes, beset by water shortages and crop failures. “We estimate that, unless strong preventative action is taken, between now and 2050, climate change will push the number of displaced people globally to at least one billion,” the report stated. Forced migration is now the most urgent threat facing poor people in the developing world as greenhouse gas emissions (mainly from burning fossil fuels) will be causing floods and famines and putting people’s lives at a grave risk. The report further said that the developed world had the dubious distinction of contributing the most to the damage of climate change and pollution. Many of these ‘climate refugees’ may be able to cross national borders; but a great many would not be able to leave their own countries – and would remain largely invisible and unnoticed. “These internally displaced persons, or IDPs, have no rights under international law and no official voice… Their living conditions are likely to be desperate and in many cases their lives will be in danger,” the report revealed. Average temperatures are going to rise by anything between 1.8 and 3 degree Celsius in this century itself.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

Picture perfect

2008-04-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

This Digital Sill Camera is Samsung’s i70 model and the 7.2 megapixel camera comes with a 3x optical zoom and 3-inch pixel wide LCD with a sliding cover. It’s a multi-functional digital camera that offers 6 functions – of a cam-corder, MP3 player, portable multimedia player, text viewer, voice recorder and portable disk – inside a slim body. It provides an expressive and dynamic user interface and is priced at Rs.23,990.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

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http://pankajnegiz.spaces.live.com/
http://iipminternational.spaces.live.com/
http://iipm-iipmschool.spaces.live.com/

BRAND : Masterstroke

2008-04-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

BASELINE : Create your own Masterstroke
4Ps TAKE : This is the first liquor endorsement – albeit surrogate – from the brand that is King Khan, and let’s say it right at the start: it’s a complete let-down. Masterstroke, the whiskey deluxe brand by Diageo-Radico (if you didn’t know about it already), has delivered anything but a masterstroke! For starters, in the domain of surrogate advertising, the branding takes precedence since the product is invisible. Concept has to be king. Now, just look at what this ad has to offer: a judge of a talent show contest who gives more weightage to the looks and appearance of a singer rather than his singing talent. The judge is put in his place by Shahrukh who tells the singer to sing in front of the public as the audience is the real judge – now, isn’t that pure propaganda and nothing else? Why pull down a singing talent show for no rhyme or reason – and lose sight of the core concept of the campaign? Masterstroke definitely needs to deliver a masterstroke to survive in the Indian liquor market – because this ad is clearly not going to get it anywhere.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

BRAND: Hindustantimes.com

2008-03-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

HEADLINE: Experience...
BASELINE : Experience news, like never before
AGENCY : Lowe
4Ps TAKE : The visual is a rocker with Saddam’s dummy being hung and the US-Iraq war (animated of course) popping up on a computer clearly communicating that with Hindustan Times’ online edition – hindustantimes.com – news unravels live in front of internet users. The power idea is to promote the Hindustan Times’ portal. The USPs of the product? Many actually: the world-class design, latest technology, clutter-free layout and easy navigation, all of which promise nothing but the best news presentation. The clinching benefit is, of course, the power of the mother brand: Hindustan Times, which stands for the best in the area of news reporting. So, are you ready to experience news like never before? Then just log on to http://www.hindustantime.com/!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Out of Africa

2008-03-26T23:48:00.000-07:00

Are global corporations failing to see the pot of gold lying deep within Africa?
Meryl Streep, the Oscar winning actress has delivered many performances that linger on for their sheer power and range of emotions. ‘Out of Africa’ was one of those Streep movies where the actress perhaps didn’t do justice to her talent. But all the stereotypes about the so called ‘dark continent’ that you have encountered in books, movies, magazines and the public arena are all there in full force. In brief, Africa is a lost continent, a market that simply doesn’t exist; or such a tiny market that it is not worth the while of corporations chasing consumers to even keep Africa as a part of their strategic plans. For people at large as well as multi-national consumer product and service companies, Africa is a land from where you hear tales of civil war, destitution, poverty, starvation and AIDS. You don’t hear of economic miracles, a growing middle class and emerging markets. Even ‘forever seeking new markets’ outfits like Goldman Sachs seem to have chosen to focus on the BRIC economies rather than ‘wasting’ time on Africa. All of them could turn out to be wrong. No doubt, most countries in Africa are going through an economic as well as existential crisis.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

Anti-xenophobic pill!

2008-03-25T00:16:00.000-07:00

Indian pharmas are now truly going global
Ask a medical practitioner what makes him a proud Indian. Ask patients around the world why they trust Indian medicines... Ask any question to test the fundamentals of Indian drug industry and you’d suddenly find yourself amongst pharma giants, gloriously inviting the world to welcome Indian drugs! And true it is. With exports alone earning a breath-taking Rs.246 billion during 2006-07 for the pharma industry (accounting for a scintillating 30% of total revenues), the importance of exports can’t be overlooked. Also, while the sector is upbeat about its double-digit 17.5% growth in retail sales during FY2006-07 (to touch Rs.279 billion), exports reported a brisker growth of 22.2% (Draft National Pharmaceutical Policy 2006)? Surely, much attention of late has been diverted to this growth engine and with a walloping 30% growth expected this fiscal, you can only imagine the rising weight of overseas markets, well-put by Anindya Acharya, Dty. Director of CII’s Pharma Division as, “The Indian domestic market is showing single digit growth. Hence, many Indian companies have been looking at foreign markets to generate revenues.” A marked rise in M&As & licensing deal-count have proved that the Indian pharma army can fire on foreign lands as well, and well! And with appreciation in exports, India Inc. has proved its drug-selling capacity on foreign lands as well. So give it to them, what say?!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read More:-

Kolkata airport to get facelift

2008-03-17T01:05:00.000-07:00

The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata is finally going to get its long-due makeover beginning January next year. Coming up will be large-scale modernising, expanding and renovating. The work should be over in about 30 months, it has been announced by Ministry of Civil Aviation. The expansion of the airport will be a Rs.1,500-crore plan, funded by Airports Authority of India. Among other things, travelers can look forward to an integrated terminal to handle nearly 16 million domestic and 4 million international passengers; the extension of the two existing runways (talk of a third runway is doing the rounds – but this is subject to land being sanctioned by the state government); and an additional hangar. It seems we are there!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More:-
The Sunday Indian - Greatest News weekly
IIPM, GURGAON
Maya jaal spreads far & wide!
Another hogwash!
COMMUNALISM
While the mayhem continues!
Billions spent on million light years...
The art of splitting hair?
POTA? Funny!
The army’s fallen behind China
The Man of Steel gets his hands in Oil
HLL ‘Lever’ ages the power of Hindustan

Not just brawn

2008-03-11T23:32:00.000-07:00

but also requires brain...!
Rugby – despite its failure to attain the status of a National Sport in any country, Rugby is generating oodles of money for some of the most potential economies of the world. For instance, in North America, the Setanta Sports is expecting a customer base of about 250,000, in the rights to live online broadcasting of 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup, which would be paying $149.99 per year in lieu of the service provided by the same. France - the country generating whopping sums by hosting the Rugby World Cup 2007 can yield as much as €8 billion over the next four years. An estimated development of Rugby tourism is by about a staggering €1 billion per year. About 260 million rugby aficionados are expected to watch the matches on TV consequently infusing about €2 billion. The Wooden Spoon Society is one of its kind which acts as blessing for the so-called Children of Lesser God. Popularity of Rugby, an off -shoot of Footbal, is picking up. With a bunch of benevolence to it, it has become revered.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More:-
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IIPM, GURGAON
Olay Olay for P&G in India!
Mahindra goes all out in used car segment
Committing for a lifetime…
The ‘democratic’ route to self-destruction?
Nine Jersey Nights...
Lung ‘crack’ers!
David or Goliath?
New dress up games
Just try & stay away!
“Europe is anti’ american”

Apollo embarks on a major expansion

2008-03-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

It seems as if Apollo Hospitals don’t want to leave any chance to cash on the healthcare boom in India. In order to further consolidate its position, the healthcare group has recently chalked out a massive Rs.7.1 billion expenditure plan to set up hospitals in Mumbai and Chennai. While, the Group would invest about Rs.6 billion for its Mumbai expansion, the sate-of-art orthopaedic hospital in Chennai with 200 beds would engulf the rest of the investment corpus. The Group has even tied up with Western Hospitals for setting up these ‘centres of excellence’ at various places in Mumbai. Quite a handful, isn’t it?

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More:-
The Sunday Indian - Greatest News weekly
IIPM, GURGAON
Maya jaal spreads far & wide!
Another hogwash!
COMMUNALISM
While the mayhem continues!
Billions spent on million light years...
The art of splitting hair?
POTA? Funny!
The army’s fallen behind China
The Man of Steel gets his hands in Oil
HLL ‘Lever’ ages the power of Hindustan

The Asian Juggernaut Rolls On

2008-03-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

More good news for the Third World. The latest Ernst and Young European Attractiveness Survey, 2007 says that emerging economies will almost certainly overtake the developed economies by 2050. The survey states that India & China will become increasingly popular destinations for global investments. In contrast, North America & Europe will become less and less popular. According to the Ernst and Young Survey, the emerging economies are the five BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa) plus Indonesia, Turkey & Mexico. A few years ago in 2003, Goldman Sachs had launched the new Asian mania by forecasting that China & India will become the largest and third largest economies of the world respectively by 2050.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

McDonald: perform or perish!

2008-03-05T22:06:00.000-08:00

A predicted increase in the debt level, a second quarter loss and a CFO retiring – that seems to be the menu at Mc- Donalds! This fall, the world’s largest restaurant company might witness an increase in its debt levels. In the balance sheets, the company has a total long-term debt amounting to $8.8 billion and $29.5 billion worth of total assets as on March 31 2007. As compared to last year’s net profits of $834.1 million, McD posted a net loss worth $711.7 million. As a result, while announcing its results, the company informed that Mathew Paull, the CFO is retiring. Paull might stay till the end of this year.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Cold War II

2008-03-02T22:36:00.000-08:00

The U.N. Charter outlaws “the threat or use of force.” The US, which has chosen to become an outlaw state, openly disregards international laws and norms. We’re allowed to threaten anybody we want – and to attack anybody we want. Cold War II also Cold War II also entails an arms race. The United States is proposing a $20 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, while increasing annual military aid to Israel by 30%, to $30 billion over 10 years. Egypt is down for a $14 billion, 10-year deal. The aim is to counter “what everyone in the region believes is a flexing of muscles by a more aggressive Iran,” says an unnamed senior U.S. government official. Iran’s “aggression” consists in its being welcomed within the region, and allegedly supporting resistance to US forces in neighboring Iraq. Unquestionably, Iran’s government is reprehensible. The prospect that Iran might develop nuclear weapons is deeply troubling. Though Iran has every right to develop nuclear energy, no one – including the majority of Iranians – wants it to have nuclear weapons.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

New colours in Old Blighty!

2008-02-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

It is tough to imagine religion – a commonly seditious bone of contention that has left a trail of blood in its wake more oft en in times current – as a unifying factor drawing folks together for moments of spiritual conviviality. In London, at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, there oft en congregate Hindus looking to prostrate before ‘Thakurji’ & Lord Vishnu, favourite deities back home in India. Festival times particularly become occasions, even excuses, to commingle with compatriots displaced far away from homeland. And imagine the scale of camaraderie that can be expected when it’s Holi time?! Depending on the whims of the weather god in London, the number of layers of garments prepared to take the colourful assault would vary, considering the average cool of 10°C around that time of the year in London!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Sweet nothings!

2008-02-24T22:53:00.000-08:00

This time around when you queue up outside a sweetmeat shop to buy that favourite mithai (sweetmeats) especially during Diwali, you’ll do well to check the credentials of the shop you go to! Come festival season and what is likely to begin all over again, is the affair of churning dough at the cost of the health of hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting consumers. With the demand of milk soaring during the festive season, unscrupulous elements replace fresh milk with life threatening ingredients like liquefied detergent (Ezee), refined oil, urea, rose essence and only minute quantities of what it actually should be– genuine milk. Makes you cringe, doesn’t it? Now raising the curtain and putting it in the simplest of terms, here’s a glimpse of what could happen if one was to consume these ‘poisonous sweetmeats’.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Let’s simply call SEBI our favourite

2008-02-21T22:16:00.000-08:00

Irregulator...
..rather than keeping on criticising it, eh!
One look at the bloopers that are being committed by my favourite current punching ‘hag’, SEBI, in the recent past is perhaps enough justification for my statement above; for I keep wondering how much can one regulator get wrong? It was a few months ago that SEBI had announced its ostensibly ‘meritorious’ IPO grading system, which it claimed would play a decisive role in helping retail investors take ‘informed’ decisions. So what if no other regulator in the world had ever started such a truant IPO grading system? Let’s see where has it led our dear old IPOs – two recent examples exemplify the issue. Based on SEBI’s IPO rating diktat, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd. went to one of the leading rating agencies, Crisil. Imagine its surprise when Crisil awarded it a below average grading of 2 out of 5. So what happened? The scrip listed at a premium of 18% and ended its first day with a rewarding premium of 42%. Currently, the stock is trading at a smashing Rs.378 against the issue price of Rs.160, defying SEBI’s rating logic hands down!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Post-merger issues

2008-02-14T23:07:00.000-08:00

In the same regard, leading players like Air Deccan and Jet Airways are bucking the trend, while Kingfisher is still contemplating to increase the prices in the near future. A spokesperson from Kingfisher stated when contacted by B&E, “We don’t have any plans as such for the upcoming festive season this year.” Officials from Jet Airways, were equally reluctant to comment, though JetLite is indeed warming up with a number of route expansions. Air India, which seems quite preoccupied with post-merger issues, also declined to reveal any plans for the festive season. Indeed, there is every indication that the LCC model will continue to be followed, though the customer might sorely miss the ultimate ‘no frill’ bliss in the coming season. Currently, in a bid to successfully ensure maximisation of their top lines and bottom lines, these airlines would be in no mood for customer ‘delight’ as of now, when it is becoming a question of their own survival. So, if you get the impression of a cold shoulder from the industry this season, give them the benefit of doubt for once. They are living in troubled times, after all!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Both handset makers and service operators are dressing up for the ‘festival’ mega-kill. It’s business as usual!

2008-02-06T23:25:00.000-08:00

Arpita Pal Agarwal, Associate Director, PwC, agrees, “The buying mood is in the air, so if companies launch new phones with added features at the same price points, it could add more to the current festive season.” Even history stands proof to the fact that this is the season to experiment. Don’t believe us? Well, what about the record sales that Nokia slammed across on October 19, 2006 after introduction of two new models – Nokia 1110 & Nokia 1600 – targeted at first time buyers? Right – during the very festival season when the Finnish mobile handset manufacturer sold a record 400,000 handsets – largest ever in the history of mobile telecommunications… all on one day! Th is year too, not surprisingly, Nokia officials disclosed to B&E their intentions to launch four new handset models - N95, N81, 5610 & 5310 – in the forthcoming season.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

People’s power!

2008-01-29T23:19:00.000-08:00

Military must relinquish power
Ever since the eviction of the British from Myanmar, democracy has continued to elude this tiny Asian nation. With inflation constantly on the rise, poverty increasing & freedom of speech fully curtailed, the people are yearning to let the Tatmadaw (the Myanmar military) know their plight and allow them to provide them with the necessary economic infrastructure to grow. However, the recent hike in the gas prices by the State Law & Order Restoration Council (SLORC) has acted as ‘last straw on the camel’s back’ – certain sections came out on streets, just a few furlongs from Yangon, the country’s political capital. Th e withdrawal of the subsidies on gas by the government & the subsequent price rise only go to prove that the so-called “Burmese Way to Socialism”, is definitely under threat. Under such circumstances, the absence of democracy will only lead the junta to act tough, merely to preserve their power.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Malgudi marred!

2008-01-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

The dark terror clouds are hovering over South India
The Hyderabad blast has reiterated the fact that terror outfits are targeting South India as their potential module. Names of terror outfits such as Harkat-ul-Jihal-al Islami (HUJI) & other fringe groups related to al-Qaeda are being taken in preliminary investigation. To understand the threat posed by radical Islam in South India, we must understand the war within Islam. Of the 5 schools of thought in Sunni Islam, Salafi School of thought that is also called Wahabbism is the most puritan of all. Funded by Saudi billionaires & pumped up through Petro-Dollars; the doctrine is being spread with tremendous zeal. In its spread lies the story of Muslim fundamentalism. Wahabbism draws most of its recruits & foot soldiers from the Asian immigrant community who work in West Asia. A substantial population among them is of immigrant professionals from Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra. Fed up with the jibes of “Al-Hindi” and “Al- Kharaji”; they find conversion to Wahabbism as the easiest way out to prove their belief in puritan Islam.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Counting on...and on

2008-01-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

Coming to software firms, a record in terms of amount slammed was created by the Federal authorities in February 2007, when it handed down a $1.5 billion fine on Microsoft Corp. for patent infringement (against Alcatel-Lucent). During the same month, it shelled-out another $1 billion when it lost a patent legal-war against at&t. Then there was Sun Microsystems which had to shell-out a deafening $1 billion in 2004 (against Eastman Kodak), eBay – $35 million (against Merc Exchange in 2007), Blackberry – $613 million (against RIM in 2006)… and the list including most revered names involved in the ‘litigation lottery’ goes on. Recently, Texas Republican Congressman Lamar Smith proposed the Patent Reform Act, 2007 in US Congress which suggested the ‘first to file’ system – a step to reform the system of patents just as Brad Smith, Sr. VP, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Microsoft Corp. asserts, “The proposed reform is most likely to create meaningful, lasting impressions by ensuring high patent quality and curbing excessive litigation and litigation abuse...” The bill is being backed by Microsoft , Intel, Apple Computers, Hewlett-Packard and other high-tech litigation-weary giants who spend millions annually in the name of patents.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Nothing official about it

2008-01-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

Cricket is the only game in India that enjoys a mass following. No wonder, when marketing honchos of consumer product and service companies draw up plans to reach target consumers, cricket matches become an irresistible vehicle for advertising. Inevitably, the lack of choice leads to frequent wars between sponsors & advertisers. For more than a decade, Coke and Pepsi have fought protracted and often vicious wars over Brand Cricket. Perhaps the most remembered is the 1996 World Cup that had Coke as official sponsor. In a masterful display of sneak attack, Pepsi took the fizz out of Coke by simply running the famous ‘Nothing official about it’ campaign! Nike & Adidas, too, have been similarly embroiled in many a battle, as have dozens of other rival brands. Perhaps the most telling example of how corporate warfare affects cricket dates back to 1990s, when it was rumoured that Rahul Dravid didn’t find a place in the one day team because he endorsed Cok instead of Pepsi. Expect more controversy as the ICL-BCCI battle heats up.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

HOWZZAT!

2008-01-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

A nation of over 1.1 billion plus people lives & breathes by the game of cricket. Does such an immaculately revered game deserve to be monopolised by BCCI? It’s been quite a wait... but times are a changing!

For seventy five years, the Board of Cricket Control of India has enjoyed a monopoly & milked billions of rupees from cricket. Like all monopolies in the world, it is resorting to every trick in the book to ensure that the new rival Indian Cricket league doesn’t grab market share & profits from it. And like most other monopolies, BCCI might already be fighting a losing battle

Monopolies are a peculiar breed. They are oft en seized with narcissistic tendencies that border on schizophrenia. They love the power that they wield and usually go to any length to preempt even the very hint of competition. They swagger like macho husbands flaunting trophy wives. And oft en like macho husbands who turn out to be cuckolds, they are the last to know about the indiscretions of their spouse. Some times, it is government regulators who do the job.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Videocon dreams big via DTH!

2008-01-09T00:46:00.000-08:00

They always make it big and it isn’t an exception this time. Durables heavyweight, Videocon is making ground for the direct-to-home (DTH) market through its media arm Bharat Business Channel. A couple of US funds led by Morgan Stanley have already picked up 20% (FDI cap for DTH) in the venture for $200 million. With right to use the ‘Thomson technology’, Videocon has built up a patented hardware and CAS system that will bring down set-top boxes’ prices by half. The letter of intent for Videocon’s DTH licence has already been signed and a formal announcement is soon expected.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

America’s love affair with its video games!

2008-01-06T23:28:00.000-08:00

Market research firm NPD’s data gave a clear indication that video games & hardware sales had a good time in July with a reported sales increase of 37%. The total sales rose from $675.6 million in July 2006 to $925.5 million in July 2007. A price cut in the range of $100-$500 did its magic for Sony Play Station 3 that sold 159,000 units. PS3 sales had declined more than 100,000 units in the preceding three months due to high prices. The top slot was retained by Nintendo’s Wii which retails at a very affordable price of $250, after having sold 425,000 units. Microsoft ’s Xbox 360 on the other hand suff ered 18% fall over last year. Th e 360 sold only 170,000 units, this is significantly less than last year. When neighbours are fresh & easy... Tesco is all set to woo the gourmet US consumers with its Food Deserts. It is opening up its 10,000 square feet stores which will house ready to eat meals and fresh produce. The Fresh & Easy Neighbourhood Markets would be situated in areas which large supermarkets or grocery store chains would not tap. The company had done a thorough extensive research before venturing with such stores to win the US. It has already been known to be famous for keeping products according to the taste of locales and this is what seems to be the lucrative factor. This is also good for the varied tastes of the US consumer.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

National Association of Home Builders

2007-12-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

The National Association of Home Builders index continues to fall and its weakness is broad based. The index highlights that periods of extreme weakness tend to correlate with severe weakness in new home sales. According to National Association of Realtors, national median home price is poised for its first annual decline since the Great Depression, and the supply of unsold homes is at a record 4.2 million (see chart on the previous page). Consequently, US foreclosure filings surged 90% in the month of May from a year earlier as more homeowners fell behind on their monthly mortgage payments, according to Realty Trac Inc. “There has been a drag on the economy,” Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said at a press briefing recently after he testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee. “I do believe that we are at or near the bottom.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Soft landing

2007-12-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

Despite Ben Bernanke himself being obsessed with convincing people about the ‘soft landing’ of the US economy, all leading indicators speak cvolumes about the fall in housing and imminent dangers to the US economy. “It’s a blood bath,” berated Mark Kiesel, Executive VP, Pacific Investment Management Co, while speaking to B&E, “We ‘harsh landing’ ’re talking about a two to three year downturn that will take a whole host of characters with it, from job creation to consumer confidence. Eventually it will take the stock market and corporate profit.” The annual growth rate has now slowed down to a dismal 2.8% after expanding 4.4%, a year earlier. A look at the key factors for the United States economy shows no relief – with 70% of American GDP coming from consumers, falling incomes add to the worries of a housing market that is about to tip to the downside, exposing homeowners to the new horror word of 2007: negative equity or ‘my house is less worth than my mortgage.’

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Strategy adopted by the younger brother

2007-12-11T22:18:00.000-08:00

Yet again, on the surface at least, the strategy adopted by the younger brother appears to be slightly helter-skelter. After the split, Anil was left with one large entity (Reliance Infocom), many smaller entities (Reliance Energy, Reliance Capital, Reliance Natural Resources Ltd. et al) and tonnes of cash. So he went on an acquisitions spree that seemed peculiar. He picked up a controlling stake in the former AMP-Sanmar Insurance Company. He bought into AdLabs that is into movie distribution and screening. He even picked up a stake in the courier company DTDC! And now he has picked up a stake in TV Today, the network promoted by media baron Aroon Purie. Along the way, he has aggressively bid for the infrastructure projects like the airport revamp program at Delhi and Mumbai, albeit unsuccessfully. And, he is betting heavily on power generation. In five years, he wants to overtake the public sector NTPC that reported revenues of Rs.327 billion for 2006-07.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Divine gains...

2007-11-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

... from a loss making company!
At the outset, some investment moves look quite illogical, even amusing! Consider the instance of a $50 million Fine Violins Fund (to invest in old violins) in the UK. Or, consider (in the UK again) the investment by BC Partners Ltd. Who bought 76% stake in Intelsat Ltd. for $4.6 billion on June 19. Raymond Svider, a managing partner of BC Partners stated, “Intelsat and the FSS sector are in the midst of a cycle of strong performance.” However, the first reactions of onlookers would be of utter shock.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

DEFENCE : INTELLIGENCE

2007-11-25T21:51:00.000-08:00

Coordi-nAtIoN
The state of internal intelligence
The first strike against your enemy in war is to know when the enemy would strike you. In more conventional words, those are the intelligence agencies that are the mainstay dark horses who decide who would be the victor. While the efficacy of gun totting foot soldiers in a battle can never be underestimated, without adequate backing from a technology driven intelligence division, they are as good as sitting ducks. While there’s a plethora of intelligence agencies starting from RAW, IB, Army Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence et al, the lack of coordination between them is legendary, be it in information on Kargil or even in controlling relentless terrorist activities.

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Economic Cooperation with China

2007-11-22T23:19:00.000-08:00

In the same league, the Chinese interference in the subcontinent is on a rise, be it arming Sri Lanka and Bangladesh or setting up strategic bases in Indian Ocean. China’s economic growth has coincided with a stupendous increase in its defence expenditure, reaching an official level of $45 billion ($70 billion claimed unofficially) with a massive manhunt for oil to fuel the growing economy, where time and again it is confronting ONGC. Yet, it’s not just India. Be it Taiwan, Japan or even United states and Russia, no one knows what the dragon would eventually be up to. In its quest to become the largest economy of the world – as has been predicted by the Goldman Sachs – China would increasingly have face-off s with India. And even though it still makes a lot of sense to maintain economic cooperation with China, under no circumstances can India lower its guard. We paid the price for that in 1962. It’s high time we learnt from history... or from the Chinese DonFeng missiles.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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ICICI hai na!

2007-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

In what can be called one of the largest IPOs to hit the Indian bourses, ICICI Bank recently indulged in share sale and raised Rs.175 billion (the offer and American Depositary Receipts contributed equally to that figure). Moreover, the bank is mulling exercising the green-shoe option and raising another Rs.26.25 billion. The issue was oversubscribed two times within two hours of its listing and 11.5 times in total. SBI has put in a $1.3 billion bid for its FPO. According to K.V. Kamath, CEO, ICICI Bank, the money raised from the issue will help ICICI to augment the bank’s lending portfolio especially in rural and international markets.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

GM’s diesel way to trucks!

2007-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

General Motors Corp. has announced that the company plans to spend $100 million in its engine plant in Tonawanda, New York, for making a new diesel engine for light duty trucks, to enhance fuel efficiency by 25% and reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 13%. The auto giant said it will make the 4.5L V8 engines for North American pickup trucks and the Hummer H2 built after 2009. This revelation came at a time when GM, well known for its dependence on gas-guzzling SUVs, tries to bring about an image makeover and improve badly hit sales.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

L3 outbids mighty Raytheon…

2007-11-19T02:51:00.000-08:00

L3 Communications Holdings has been granted a $2.04 billion contract by Pentagon. L3 would provide tactical transport aircraft to service the US Army as well as the air force. L3 along with Italian partner Finmeccanica SpA’s subsidiary Alenia North America Inc., Boeing Co. and Global Military Aircraft Systems had outbid Raytheon. Massachusetts based Raytheon had partnered CASA, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. NV, (EADS). L3 would build 78 C-27J Spartan cargo planes, which would replace C-23 Sherpa, C-36, a few C-12s and other established transport aircraft s like Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Popularity of Baywatch

2007-11-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

When and why did you join PETA?
I have been active with PETA since the early ’90s. Because of the popularity of Baywatch, I knew that I could use my fame to draw attention to – and help stop – cruelty to animals. So I bombarded them with letters until they took me on board!

What was the one incident that made you sit up and take notice of animal rights?
My crusade started when I was 10 years old and I walked into the shed behind our house on Vancouver Island, Canada, right after my dad had returned from a hunting trip. I opened the door, looked up, and there, hanging upside down, was a once-beautiful deer, her fur and body drenched in blood. I remember shrieking and running as fast as I could. I made a vow then to try to stop the needless suffering of animals. I knew that I had a mission, and I wanted to make a difference.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

VANDANA SHIVA

2007-11-01T00:41:00.000-07:00

Globalisation and climate change
In the era of climate change, India is at an energy crossroad
The latest report of U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), by 2,500 scientists from 130 countries, has confirmed that man-made climate change is threatening life on Earth. Temperatures are likely to rise by 1.10 C - 6.40 C by 2100. Sea levels will rise by 18-59 cm by 2100. Arctic ice could disappear in summers by 2100. Global warming would impact 5,018 glaciers in the Himalayas. Pundari Glacier is retreating at 13 metres a year, and the Gangetic glacier; the source of the Ganga is retreating at 30 metres annually. In two decades, Himalayan glaciers will shrink from 500,000 sq.km. to 100,000 sq.km.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Mercury Rising

2007-10-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

Nature’s fury upon man-made habitat is often unleashed in the most unforgiving and bewildering attacks that for generations is revered, finally amalgamating into bed-time fables with real disaster and anecdotes of the past. But for man, the most prodigal of all inhabitants, there remain a few assaults that, like creepy wines, spread their tentacles through the shadows and eventually replicate those giant ‘natural’ killers, colossal and resolute. If one were to categorise the affects of rising mercury levels in our rivers, oceans and other water bodies, perhaps it’s the latter category that holds most disaster in the near future than sporadic onslaughts. Hydrargyrum (Hg), known to common folks as mercury, can spell disaster especially as methyl mercury which accumulates in sea water fish.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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Melting glaciers
Mercury
Slow and steady...
High potential real estate sector
Business Park
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Warming up for doomsday?

2007-10-30T02:56:00.000-07:00

From an apt mix of heat and water paving the way for new life forms to this present state of global warming, human needs and technology have consistently given the earth an increasingly deadly makeover ever since we started rolling the first wheel. Are we drawing our doom closer?

Mumbai Monsoon Madness
Although many fingers were pointed at Bombay Municipal Corporation for bad maintenance of sewage lines, it is unlikely that any amount of preparation could’ve helped on July 26 ’05. 37.2 inches of rain, all in a matter of 24 hours, brought the entire city and other parts of Maharashtra to a standstill. Such was the magnitude of the downpour that parts of Bengalooru and Rajasthan too were affected. Pune based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology did a study and found out that although the average rainfall in India remained pretty similar, rainfall patterns have changed drastically over a period of around 50 years. It showed increase in heavy rain events and its frequency and a decrease in moderate events, especially in central India.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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Environmental risks!

2007-10-26T00:19:00.000-07:00

But now comes the most worrisome of all the findings of the Ceres survey. Analysts forecast that the impact on investors is going to be disastrous, especially for the long term ones, as most of the companies still do not provide any kind of climate risk disclosure to their investors, clearly ignoring the investors’ right to know the environmental risks attached with the company they are investing in. Astoundingly, nearly one third of the respondents of the Ceres survey did not even allow their responses to be made public. Unless global regulators make the inclusion of such details as mandatory, and unless such clear double-speak (of hiding details of environmental risks) invites legal action, Enron could well be the most ethical firm this side of the 21st century!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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Montreal Protocol

2007-10-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

It says that G8 nations must pay 80% of this cost, out of which the US should pay 44%. But if George Bush would start doing things that he ‘must’ do, wouldn’t half the world’s problems be over? Or perhaps all! The imbroglio seems quite familiar, as the multilateral debate on climate change moves in the same direction of the WTO, where the entire process has reached, we mentioned it before, a stalemate! So is all lost? But is it too late for real action? Not quite, and thankfully so. A precedent has been established by the Montreal Protocol of 1989, which enforced a universal ban on chloroflouro carbons (CFCs). Research has shown that this landmark legislation has reduced the rate of global warming by 50% More recently, the EU has taken a landmark initiative this year. A deal has been signed by 27 leaders, which mandates a 20% cut in carbon emissions by 2020. Of course, every country has the flexibility to adopt its own means to the end. In fact, the EU is ready to reduce those emissions to 30% if the US and other developed countries join in.

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High potential real estate sector

2007-10-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

With virtually every player wanting to enter the high potential real estate sector, surendra explicates the differentiating factor of his enterprise, “Definitely, it’s all about the passion that you put into your work. It’s all about the experience that you have and we are actually the first to have created a township in India. While everyone was merely talking about the concept of a township, we actually went ahead and created a large scale township in India. People have created small colonies or enclaves, but we have executed it on a large scale, fully integrated township in Powai, Mumbai and in Thane in 1996, we started our second township. So, we have successfully executed two townships where we have residential complex, commercial complex, school, hospital, clubhouse, entertainment facility et al.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

‘ ETH ’ ICAL ANOMALY

2007-10-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

Ethanol has been a highly touted new age alternative. Ethanol is a bi-product of molasses extracted from sugar cane and large sugar companies are already engaged in its production. When ethanol is added to the normal fuel as a set percentage, it improves the combustion of the fuel and lowers emissions. According to the Energy Information Administration report, US, the cost of producing this fuel could be reduced by as much as 60 cents per gallon by 2015 using cellulosic conversion technology. Brazil is the leader in ethanol production, producing 15-16 billion litres of ethanol. It is investing $9 billion in new processing plants. The world’s largest company, US-based Archer Daniels Midlands boasts net sales of $11.4 billion (growth of 25% yoy) and net earnings of $362.9 million (growth of 4% yoy) for the nine months ended March 2007. Chairman & CEO Patricia A. Woertz stated that the company’s outlook on future opportunities remains quite strong. Equally strong, though, is the dilemma that if cars run on corn, what will people eat? Does it then remain resourceful enough?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

The green Raja of our times

2007-10-18T00:31:00.000-07:00

Raja epitomises hard-work, loyalty, dedication to duty and a fine mind ever ready to innovate
One doesn’t have to be a diehard environmentalist to head Ministry of Environment. But Andimuthu Raja, who was Union Minister for Environment and Forest till recently, has keen interest in the subject. So much so that within two years of his appointment, he brought out a comprehensive National Environment Policy (NEP) besides taking several steps for conservation of wild and endangered species like tigers & elephants. Raja also triggered off a series of legislative changes for management of environment and natural resources. He devolved some of his powers to give environment clearance to certain non-dangerous industrial projects to state governments. Now clearance of chemical, cement and aluminium industries only are left with the Union Environment Ministry. During his stint in the ministry, Raja formulated National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and set up Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) too.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Protecting the environment

2007-10-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

“There seems to be a great deal of interest in protecting the environment from the central government in China. There’s innovation around issues like green building & solar power. But China is also building a lot of coal plants. And in the province, rapid economic development and job creation take precedence over environmental protection. So the picture is very mixed,” said Marc Gunther, a senior writer at Fortune & the author of Faith & Fortune: How Compassionate Capitalism is Transforming American Business. As the government is now starting to realise the importance of environmentally sustainable economic growth, so are the MNCs operating in the manufacturing capital of the world. “China has long represented the last frontier for MNCs to escape environmental regulations. Many took full advantage of the opportunity to pollute with reckless abandon. Result: Their reputations are now suffering! In the new world of transparency & accountability, there is no place for MNCs to hide,” adds Clark. Consequently, neither these MNCs nor Beijing can afford to brush the environmental malaise that is afflicting the nation under the carpet any more, because it is now beginning to show.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Rupee scales a record high...

2007-09-25T22:35:00.000-07:00

The rupee surged up sharply against the US dollar and managed to touch a new nine-year high of 40.55/56 on fresh dollar selling, provoked by China’s decision to revise the Yuan as well as strong equity markets. The rupee started weak at 40.74/76 to a dollar at the inter bank foreign exchange (forex) market, but managed to surge up to a fresh nine-year high of 40.55/56 to a dollar in late morning deals, however, it ended the day at 40.70/71 per dollar. Forex dealers opine that the rupee rallied sharply as anticipated in response to China’s decision to widen the trading band on the Yuan and to eventually raise domestic interest rate

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Uppal’s Orchid – An Ecotel Hotel

2007-09-12T23:14:00.000-07:00

Recipient of esteemed awards like Green Globe Environment Excellence Award at the World Travel Market 2003, London, and Commitment to Excellence Award for Environment at the 2006 Annual Convention of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), the 10.5 acre expanse of Uppal’s Orchid unleashes environment-friendly luxuries. Uppal’s Orchid is a part of the renowned group of hotels – the Ecotels – that thrive on the five cornerstones of environmental responsibility called the ‘Globes’. Says Pushpinder Kumar, VPGM of Uppal’s Orchid, “We believe that luxury and environmental responsibility are not exclusive and balance between the two is achieved by being conscious about the needs of business while not ignoring the role expected by a corporate group towards environment.” So be it planting camphor plants near swimming pools to keep away mosquitoes, to reducing, re-using, and re-cycling natural resources, Uppal’s Orchid redefines luxury!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

AIR INDIA

2007-09-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

Scaling heights beyond the blue sky and making it to the top 100
‘Your palace in the sky’ – Air India! Reaching high in the sky was not easy for an Indian planning to go abroad without India’s first international airline – Air India. It acted as a stepping stone for many other international airlines that came quite later in the nation. The ever-smiling Maharajah, the popular mascot of the airline, communicates impressively the endearing symbol of Indian hospitality and has been the most successful brand icon of all the times. According to Veera Khambatta, Dy. Commercial Manager, Advertising and Special Promotions: “This is our 75th year of operation as the flag carrier of our nation, most of it as an international airline, we are justifiably proud of the long and glorious history of brand Air India.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

L’OREAL

2007-09-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

L’Oreal launched a new shade to celebrate the Abhi-Ash wedding, but the pricey image stays
What’s common between Garnier, Maybelline, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Cacharel and Matrix is not only their standing as the one of the most distinguished brands of the world, but also that all of them are from one stable – L’Oréal. L’Oréal’s sojourn to success started in 1907, when a young French chemist, Eugène Schueller, crafted a safe hair colour recipe. Years later, bringing a hair colour, other than black, for the first time in India was perhaps the only hurdle it needed to cross to root itself deep into the market!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

JK TYRE

2007-08-30T23:30:00.000-07:00

After showing that its in ‘Total Control’, India’s tyre superbrand wants to take you for a ride...
JK Tyre – the pioneers of radial technology in India has not only stood up to ‘foreign’ challenges but is improving its position in the dynamic tyre industry. The brand power was also visible in the customer sentiments revealed through the JD Power Asia Pacific 2007 Survey which rated J K Tyre as the second best tyre manufacturer in the country. So what has the company done right in India? During 2006, it unleashed its radial revolution in the truck and bus segments in JK’s world class manufacturing plant. Then the brand proceeded to associate itself with ‘speed’ and signed up speedsters like Narayan Karthikeyan, and it worked wonders for the brand.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

MRF

2007-08-29T23:59:00.000-07:00

The tyre major must focus more on its image-building exercise to extend its already acquired lead over peers
MRF’s mascot ‘Muscle Man’ (born in 1964) is still scoring high for this brand, much like its celebrated ambassador Sachin Tendulkar. However, this brand’s image is not solely built on its exceptional marketing strategies, but also on its world-class product portfolio and high customer satisfaction. The tyre major acquired the number one rank for the fifth time in J D Power Asia Pacific Customer Satisfaction Index (Indian tyre industry) released on May 3, 2007. Says Mohit Arora, Sr. Director, J D Power Asia Pacific: “MRF’s industry-leading performance is driven by particularly high ratings from customers in all five factors, the brand posts year over-year improvements in all factors, and their customers note particularly high advocacy and loyalty intentions.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

NDTV

2007-08-22T22:29:00.000-07:00

The man and his faultless vision have helped this brand to continually break new ground
If there are few TV programmes which people still remember in today’s deluge of news channels, from the good ol’ days of Doordarshan, then The World This Week definitely stands a class apart! The legacy dates back to 1988; and the man who made it possible with his savvy and intelligent persona: Dr. Prannoy Roy, who virtually built up the media behemoth NDTV from scratch. Today, NDTV stands tall in the news channel genre and is gung-ho on entering the entertainment channel stakes too, with Sameer Nair (of Star Plus fame) and Karan Johar joining his fledging empire.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

HINDUSTAN TIMES

2007-08-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

A decade ago, Home TV had demonstrated that HT will leave no stone unturned to strengthen its brand portfolio!
Those were the days when K. K. Birla was at the helm of the Hindustan Times... the Group carried a different image and a different legacy. Times changed dramatically when Shobhana Bhartia took charge and brought Vir Sanghvi on the floor. The brand gradually acquired a more youthful image. Over the last year specifically, the brand took a slew of initiatives to sustain its position in the Indian market, the most talked about among them being the launch of its daily business tabloid – Mint – earlier this year.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

MAGGI

2007-08-20T22:42:00.000-07:00

We’ve grown up on the ubiquitous Maggi, but will the brand survive the ‘health’ onslaught?
“Just 2 minutes...” Of course, you’d never be able to forget something as tasty as this 2-minute treat! And it all started with Maggi Noodles! When someone asked your preference for noodles, pat came the answer – “I love it”, or “I don’t like it”! That’s the kind of power that this 2-minute punch, called Maggi, began to command. And Nestlé was shrewd enough to leverage the prowess of the brand name; it extended it to soups as well, which are selling well in the Indian market. But, where, as on one hand, Maggi may be a market leader, competition is coming in fast and furious from the likes of ‘Wai Wai’. No wonder Maggi has slumped 5 places to a lowly 33rd position.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

SAMSUNG

2007-08-19T22:49:00.000-07:00

As a distant number two, Samsung still has a lot of work cut out for itself in India...
Be it the 2006 FIFA World Cup or the Lakme Fashion Week, Samsung stung its compatriots by scoring a goal with its freebie offerings. During FY07, Samsung offered triple zero finance offers on its Bordeaux LCD range, discounts on its home theatre system and ran a promotion campaign called ‘Goals and Gifts’ to promote its flat TV range. And while every brand promoted its presence, Samsung went some steps ahead just as Ravinder Zutshi, Deputy MD, Samsung India, asserts, “To enhance brand awareness, we carried out around 100 Samsung Dream Home Road Shows in different parts of the country. The focus is largely on the semi urban markets. This initiative really helped boost our awareness levels.” Plus to make its presence felt amongst trendy Indians, it also sponsored the famed Lakme Fashion Week of 2006. And that’s not all. “Our Wow products coupled with our focus on the Indian market – by way of customizing products and our marketing and distribution strategies, have allowed us to consolidate our position in the market,” said Zutshi. Well, the brand strengthening shots did work and the brand has moved up four places to Rank 26. So, Samsung did sing well!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

COCA COLA

2007-08-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

From Rank 11 last year to 16 this year; the pesticide controversy has taken its toll...
Last year saw this global cola major have the most beautiful woman in the world introduce their new tagline Thande ka tadka to the Indian consumer, Accompanied with all the right latkas and jhatkas. It was also a year, when seething over the pesticide controversy, Coca Cola went in for a host of CSR activities with a vengeance. It celebrated its 120th anniversary with thalassemic children on World Red Cross Day and also won the Golden Peacock Commendation Award for implementation of world-class environment management system at its Varanasi unit. And for its efforts in water conservation and community development, Coca Cola bagged the Bhagidari Award. When the pesticide controversy thickened, Aamir Khan came in as Man-Friday to bail them out and saved the day for the brand. A number of promotional activities were undertaken to regain the lost image and to restore the brand’s popularity. Aamir hit TV screens again in March this year, promoting Coca- Cola’s fresh Sabkathanda ek tagline. “Our brand portfolio has been designed to satisfy the various mapped out needs of consumers – be it hydration, enjoyment, having fun or simply the need to have a juice drink,” says Venkatesh Kini, VP, Marketing, Coca- Cola India. So, thanda matlab?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

THE TIMES OF INDIA

2007-08-15T22:52:00.000-07:00

Good times are here for The Times of India; poised for even better times ahead...
There are two India: One India lives in our optimism-filled hearts, the other resides in our scepticism-entrenched minds. And then, there is the third India: The Times of India (TOI), which virtually dictates what millions across the country wake up to every morning. And that’s the reason which brings TOI to the 4Ps B&M list of the most valuable brands in India, second time in a row (11 ranks up than last year). “TOI does not believe in just being a watchdog of the society, rather we believe in empowering our readers and partner their ambitions. That is what makes us a powerful brand, not just another newspaper,” says Rahul Kansal, Brand Director, The Times Of India. And with competition in the newspaper biz coming from all directions, last year the old lady of Boribunder re-branded itself on a threefold value platform: optimistic, youthful and innovative. The India Poised camp a i g n , launched this January, has been another successful effort by Times Group. The campaign has created a buzz around the brand, increasing awareness and strengthening its image as a proactive agenda setter, rather than being just a reportage factory. After all, it’s all about ‘We the People’ of India!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

BRAND ASSOCIATION

2007-08-13T23:22:00.000-07:00

For the uninitiated, brand association is the power of a brand to associate well with the relevant values, attributes and people. If you go by the association with the best in mobile technology, Nokia strikes the mind first. No wonder it finds itself among the top brands in the Brand Association list. However, the leader in this category is Airtel, a brand that has captured the imaginations of one and all. While it has the Airtel Blackberry in the offering for the uber rich, it also connects well with the middle class of India with its advertisement of the entry level phones. It is this factor that helps Airtel connect best with its customers. Even ICICI Bank has been very successful in developing an association with its customers with its Hum Hain Na campaign. Others following Airtel and Nokia in this list are ubiquitous brands like Maruti, Infosys, ICICI Bank, Tata and Coke.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Dior Medium Frame Bag - 73,640 INR

2007-08-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

A bag by Dior can never be just a bag, and this one's no exception. Made in Italy, this soft blue bag has silver coloured buckles and buttons, a pleated look, side flap pockets and the Dior logo placed in front. Rather spacious, this bag is smart without overstating it. Framed at the top, it surely makes one bold statement.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

yv don’t buy reddy’s argument…

2007-08-07T23:30:00.000-07:00

If EMIs increase by 20-25%, isn’t rise in NPAs a natural fallout? If interest on advances doesn’t increase in the same proportion(or better) as cost of borrowings do, aren’t margins bound to remain under pressure. So do we say that banks are to be blamed for slowdown in retail credit & rising NPAs?

No, its actually the reactive decision making by the Reserve Bank of India that has taken its toll on Indian banks and ultimately consumers. It was from December onwards that RBI realised that the ‘Inflation’ has actually gone out of control and began its ‘surprising’ movements, whereas there was evidence of the same since the beginning of June 2006. Besides, isn’t the widening trade & current account deficit enough to give RBI signs of overheating? In fact, the demand- supply mismatch is more broadly captured in current and trade deficit, rather than inflation, which is up only in the last few months. While in the last three years, it was liquidity driven demand growth, the government failed to accelerate the country’s production capacity. And overheating is unlikely to be resolved by three months of aggressive tightening.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Nuclear tests

2007-08-06T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Indian public was empathically informed by administration that the nuclear tests were carried out by effectively evading the US satellites and hoodwinking the CIA. However, the euphoria was short-lived, Pakistan conducted almost similar test on 15 May, albeit with a tacit understanding with the United States. The important question, which the chain of events leading to the nuclear test in 1998 and the subsequent attempts by the US administration to “cap or roll back” the Indian nuclear ambition leads to, was the US administration really caught napping on 11 May 1998? Or was it a deliberate attempt by the US to turn a blind eye to the Indian nuclear escapades and offer it a loose rope to hang with.

Scores of SIGINT (signal intelligence) and HUMINT (human intelligence) sources feed the US administration, especially on the nuclear proliferation; this makes it hard to swallow that the US was unaware of the Indian nuclear blasts. Even if we agree that the US intelligence networks were prevented from reading the Indian designs, how does one explain the post- Pokhran US behaviour vis-à-vis the Indian dreams? Immediately, after the blasts, the US imposed sanctions on India, which were gradually eased in the beginning of the 21st century.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Farther East

2007-07-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

When the global automotive industry is concerned, China is GM’s most critical market, growing at a phenomenal 25% per annum. Close to 2.2- 2.5 million cars are sold in China every year, and by all industry standards, a controlling stake in this expanding market place is crucial in the new auto-wars. Ironically, despite a humiliating whipping by Toyota (in April), GM seems undeterred in China, which has also got a lot to do with its first-mover advantage in Dragon land. With a 12% market share, the Detroit major holds the top spot in China. GM sales hover close to 700,000 units, which are enough to propel it ahead of archrivals Volkswagen, Honda, Hyundai and fast catching up Toyota. Indeed, GM’s stellar performance in China is largely responsible for its strong position in Asia.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

BRAND : Nike

2007-07-09T01:59:00.000-07:00

AGENCY: Wieden & Kennedy
BASELINE : Just do it

DESCRIPTION: The superstars of the sporty world are practicing their respective games. There’s Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Kobe Bryant among many other soccer champs, weight lifters, karate champions, et al. They are shown practicing hard, trying to perfect their shots or strokes, sweating hard… Nothing can hold them back from being sportsmen. The ad closes with ‘Just do it.’

4Ps TAKE: In sports, as much in life, practice makes perfect – and Nike is actively cashing in on it. The single-minded focus is to reach the target audience (the youth) through the active and strong visuals. The clinching benefit to the brand is its age-old ‘sporty’ association. The USP is, no doubt, the Nike tagline - ‘Just do it’ - the one that pulls no punches, just delivers it straight on! Leading the sports-gear bandwagon globally and with the who’s who of the sports world in this ad, Nike seems to be just doing it comfortably!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

I’VE GOT A NEW BOD

2007-06-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

The 1991 motion picture, Terminator-2, wherein the protagonist with his bionic body lift ed enormously heavy weights, no longer remains the stuff sci-fi movies are made of ; astronauts, soldiers may all benefit from the advancements in bionics research. The “muscle reintegration” procedure takes the nerves from an amputee’s damaged muscle and connects them to a healthy muscle. Doing so allows the user to move the prosthetic arm as if it were a real limb – by simply thinking about what they want the arm to do. Don’t lock those – I want to live forever – dreams away just yet, the days of immortality may not be too distant!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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NEW RAY OF HOPE!

2007-06-12T22:36:00.000-07:00

Blu-Ray is the ‘newest kid’ on the data storage block, almost as anxiously awaited as the next American President, and why not? The world wants more and more storage space. This is precisely what our ‘Blu buddy’ delivers, a neat 27GB of storage space – nearly 40 times the information a standard CD can keep. More data on one disk and your wallets will certainly smile. The technology is almost identical to present day CDs & DVDs; the only difference is that blue laser (which accords it the name Blu-Ray) is used in place of the red lasers used on earlier discs. Blu-Ray is definitely the next iteration on the optical disc timeline.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More IIPM-News:-
Futuristic technologies
On "IIPM - Arindam Chaudhuri - Planman"
IIPM News > News in Media > The Political Criminal Circus
IIPM News > News in Media >
IIPM : EDITORIAL & RESEARCH
Pseudo-socialism is creeping back into the policy-making process ...
Indian Institute of Planning and Management, New Delhi
IIPM Publication :- Electronically Yours