Most Innovative brands

• Tata Nano
• Tata Sky
• IPL
• Hero Honda
• Microsoft

“A promise is a promise,” is what Ratan Tata had said when he launched the Tata Nano. And despite encountering problems (read Singur), he did manage to launch the Tata Nano last month. This Rs.1 lakh car is all set to fulfill the dream of millions of Indians of owning a four-wheeler. The Indian Premier League (IPL) is another name for innovation. From contests to computer and mobile games, from a break of 7½ minutes after ten overs of every innings to various other promotional activities, the second edition of the IPL has seen the introduction of several innovative initiatives to keep viewers engaged with the tournament.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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Motorised... though Indianised!

The web may change the way things work in the used car market in India. And Udit Bhandari, CEO, Indimoto already has a plan in place to ride on the back of this lucrative opportunity.

The online space has always provided new opportunities for start-ups and India, the nation of entrepreneurs, has thrived on this opportunity. The love for the dot-coms continues in its high spirits and the interest is not just limited to the social networks, mailboxes and the Indian Googles (search engines). The last five years have seen a slew of entrepreneurial ventures being rolled out in the country using internet as a platform for selling/buying used cars & bikes. Udit Bhandari, CEO, Indimoto, is one of the lucky members of the club who have been able to encash this opportunity and have carved a niche for themselves in the online space. Indimoto, started in 2006 is primarily an auto classifieds website but the reason behind its huge popularity is the carpool initiative. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Bhandari started Indimoto after his short stints at Genpact and GM (6 months each), following his passion for entrepreneurship and the automotive industry. In a candid interview with 4Ps B&M, he explains the journey of the company so far and the secret behind the carpool initiative.

4Ps B&M: How did the idea of the carpooling initiative come up?
UB: It came up when our office was in Qutub View Apartments in Delhi and as I stay in Gurgaon, I used to travel daily via M.G. road towards my office and used to see same people almost daily commuting through the same route, that’s when I thought why not kick off an initiative, which will give people a platform to carpool and reduce the number of cars on the road.

4Ps B&M: How do you take care of the security issues involved in the carpooling initiative?
UB: Our primary objective is to connect commuters. However, there is a process, which we recommend to the interested carpoolers to follow before they get going. But on the responsibility front, we don’t take any as we are a free service. In terms of use we clearly state that we are just a platform like a newspaper classifieds.

4Ps B&M: How has been the auto classifieds business doing so far?
UB: It’s a service, which we charge for and it has been doing pretty well. In fact, we work very closely with many local car dealers. Our research shows that almost 10,000 used vehicles have been sold using Indimoto since 2006. We have 35,000 users who have tried Indimoto to sell their used vehicles.

4Ps B&M: How many dealers in total are you connected to at the moment?
UB: We are working with dealers in Delhi and Gurgaon for the past nine months. We have a set of around 50 dealers and going forward, we would like to take this model to other cities. We will be entering Mumbai in another 3-6 months and then Bangalore and eventually the other metros.

4Ps B&M: Which one of the two makes more money, the two-wheelers or the four-wheelers?
UB: The four-wheelers, simply because of the reason that a four-wheeler is a more high involvement purchase as compared to a two-wheeler. However, with so many used bikes around, we are able to generate considerable traffic but in the long term four-wheelers is a segment, which is more lucrative.

4Ps B&M: You started Indimoto as a self-financed venture, is it the same till now or have you raised money from the market?
UB: I started Indimoto with an initial investment of around Rs. 1,50,000 but it’s now bootstrapped i.e. whatever the company earns goes back into the business. We also do some content writing for International auto publications like Auto Express (UK), Auto Middle east. But it’s for the short term, i.e. till the time the other verticals become self-dependent.

4Ps B&M: Are you looking at a new revenue stream for the company? Your vision for Indimoto?
UB: Not as of now, may be new cars in the future. But firstly, we would like to be known as the country’s largest auto classifieds company.

Pawan Chabra

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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We won’t be surprised if your answer is a big “NO!”, for you only know this company as HTC !

Surbhi Chawla debates on the strategic & branding issues of HTC...

After a long lull of six months, the smartphone category has once again become the talk of town, with a slew of high profile launches. First, it was Samsung Star and Star 3G. They were followed by the Nokia N97, and now, HTC plans to get back at competitors’ heels with its first Android-based handset in India – HTC Magic. So what prompted such enthusiastic acts on the part of the smartphone manufacturers? Well, despite the fact that consumer spending on mobile handsets dried up during the first quarter of 2009 (it fell by 19% as compared to the same period in 2008, according to Gartner), the smartphone category recorded a swashbuckling growth of 25% during the same period, all thanks to the terrific market performance of the Apple iPhone, BlackBerry Pearl, BlackBerry Storm and of course, the HTC’s Android phone – G1. That was global, how about local? The story is no different for the smartphone market in India too, where sales in this category is currently growing between 20-25% (a trend expected to continue till 2010). And of all the ‘smart’ brands, perhaps the least discussed of late has been HTC. But does that mean that all is silent and still behind the HTC wall. 4Ps B&M decided to pay a visit to HTC’s Indian headquarters, to uncover strategies that it has drawn-out, to run through competition in India.

We begin with the HTC Magic. Surely, there are some ripples that this so-considered ‘magic’ device from HTC’s stable is causing, but of course, minus the loud marketing efforts made by Apple during the launch of its iPhone in India, about a year back. Of course, the unavailability of the handset model currently makes it a tad difficult to make predictions about its future, but some issues are as apparent as they can get, and the trouble starts right where its strength lies -the Android mobile OS on which HTC works. The USP of an Android is that it is open-source which enables one to install a host of applications on their handsets as per one’s needs. The problem is that Android’s application store is not functional in India yet, therefore customers who buy the Magic would have to play around with the existing applications that come pre-loaded with this handset or develop something for themselves. Simply stated, a hurdle that stands between HTC and the success of its latest Android-based handset.

So aren’t officials at the company worried over the same? Not really, as Jack Tong, Vice-President, HTC APAC states, “I think the response that Android mobiles have received worldwide was at times even beyond expectations and we expect something similar in the Indian market.” Of course, a spokesperson in the company acknowledged the fact that, “availability of an application store would have sweetened the offering.” However, he goes ahead and optimistically opines that there would be plenty of early adopters willing to get their hands on HTC Magic, despite the roadblock.

Moving on, apart from the HTC Magic, the company is currently offering 11 handset devices (10 GSM and 1 CDMA) that fall in the price range of Rs.10,000 to Rs.42,000 and is now looking to move beyond just touchscreens. “HTC has already become synonymous with touch phones and large screens in the Indian market and from now on our focus would be to go beyond the same,” explains Ajay Sharma, Country Manager, HTC India. As far as the company’s belief runs, it is only through provision of some differentiating and interesting factor (like a feature which enables the user to switch off the phone’s ringer by just turning the phone upside down) that consumers in the country can actually be attracted; ‘differentiation’ is the word here!
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Why does India matter to HTC?

Jack Tong, VP, HTC APAC

4Ps B&M: How is the smartphone market in India shaping up and how are you placed in the same?
JT: Well, right now, India is the ideal market to be introducing smartphones in, as the market is growing quite rapidly and there is a strong demand for the phones that enable people to do more than just talking. HTC is a strong player in terms of data capable devices and we believe that the market would keep growing given the fact that 3G would be launched shortly in the country. As a matter of fact, we are quite bullish about the entire APAC region and India is a very important market for us in this region.

4Ps B&M: What are the other devices that would be offered by HTC in the immediate future? Any plans to get the second Android phone in soon?
JT: Well, we are looking at launching many devices that we have in the international market, in India too. You would see some of them shortly. But how many of them would be launched would depend on the market performance and the response our existing devices get. As for the other Android devices, that too would depend upon the response for HTC Magic and the market behaviour.

4Ps B&M: What sets apart HTC devices from all others in the market?
JT: Well, we may not have as many devices as some of our competitors, but we do have a robust portfolio in the segment we operate in and our strength lies in not the number of devices that we offer but the ease of use and innovations that we are able to offer to the end consumers. We don’t believe in packing features, but add things that would be relevant to the customers and make his mobile experience faster or simpler or both.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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NARESH GUPTA, MD, ADOBE INDIA

IIPM Best B-school

1. Feviquick’s ‘Chutki mein chipkaye’ campaign
2. Center Shock’s ‘Hila ke rakh de’ campaign
3. indya.com campaign, where India changed its name to ‘indya.com’
4. Happydent’s ‘White Palace’ campaign
5. Pulse Polio’s ‘Do boond zindagi ke’ campaign

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

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Brand: Kargil Donations

IIPM 4Ps Quiz

Agency: Lintas India
A salute to Kargil martyrs, with a message to support injured & war widows. Still want to measure effectiveness?

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“Telecom would be the last one to get affected”

IIPM : One of the leading and most respected business schools

While the slowdown has forced many to take a backseat, Sandip Das, CEO, Maxis has gone a step forward by announcing huge expansion plans. So, what’s in his mind?

4Ps B&M: What is India’s contribution to Maxis’s total revenues?

SD: India currently constitutes about 18% of the total revenues for the entire group. Moreover, there are currently 17 million subscribers in India out of the total 30 million subscribers that we have. But as we have a large stream of data services in Malaysia, therefore the ARPUs there are better. In fact, about 29% revenues of the Malaysian operations come from non-voice services.

4Ps B&M: 3G bidding might take place anytime soon. So, what plans have you drawn in this regard?

SD: As a company we are very serious with regards to the 3G bidding in India. Moreover, we have a very good track record in terms of 3G, as we are already providing these services in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Thus, we are very excited about the opportunities that lie in the 3G sphere in India. In fact, there are a host of services that we can provide with the help of 3G spectrum and these services are actually needed in the Indian hinterlands. I would like to give you an example which may sound very exciting. Our Sri Lankan operations Mobitel, has just launched a distant learning course, which awards an MBA degree, certified by the University of Colombo – all on the phone using the 3G network. This is something that brings alive everything that we have till now only dreamt of. Besides, there are many other opportunities, like in the sphere of medical health that we wish to provide to our Indian customers.

4Ps B&M: Till now, nothing much seems to have happened on the handset bundling front. Are there any plans to rekindle that area?

SD: I think handset bundling is related to 3G itself and yes there is definitely an opportunity lying untapped. Traditionally, the reason that it has not taken off in India is that the recoveries here are very poor and as such the operators find it very hard to subsidise the handset. But now, as we see a host of handsets coming into the market, there is certainly a need to put a data recipient device in the hands of the consumer. I think people can look at getting into strong one to two years contract. Even the operators would be willing to provide bundles. Moreover, I think that opening up of the 3G licence in India and China will also change the 3G model across the globe. The prices of handsets with 3G would collapse and bundling would become popular.

4Ps B&M: Has there been any impact of the slowdown on the telecom business?

SD: Well, a lot was being said that the enterprise segment will have to cut down on cost, particularly the variable costs like travelling expenses, advertising, et al. Although people have started travelling less, they have actually started talking more on the phone, which is good. But, at the same time it has also impacted revenues that used to come from roaming. However, one thing is sure, telecom industry would be the last to get affected by the ongoing economic slowdown.

4Ps B&M: Are you taking any steps to further safeguard yourself from the ongoing crisis?

SD: Yes absolutely. In fact, we are watching our costs. Costs are your only insurance at this time given the fact that revenues are going down. Further, more than anything else we see the client businesses also going down and if they watch their costs and look at cutting expenses, then in a way our business is bound to get affected. But, I also think that this is a great time for organisations to detox themselves because it asks you to go back to the basic every time. You have to make your money last longer, don’t make unnecessary hiring and more importantly, do things that are closer to the consumer than ever before. The more you will look inwardly and less towards the customer, the chances are more that you might get punished in this market.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Tata Nano: The turnaround vehicle?

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Lakhs of lower-middle income households in the country will now be able to fulfill one of their long-standing wishes, that of owning a car

Tata Motors earned international acclaim in 2003 with the announcement that it will introduce a ‘People’s Car’ to be priced at about Rs.1 lakh ($2,000). Though this idea was scoffed at initially stating the impracticability of the same, after years of efforts and dedication by the company, Nano was successfully unveiled in January 2008, silencing the critics. The company then went on to create more headlines in mid-2008 when it acquired the premium auto brand, Jaguar-Land Rover (JLR).

However, since then, fortunes have taken a virtual U-turn for Tata Motors as the global sub-prime crisis multiplied manifold, leading to the crumbling of global financial systems, sending global economies into a downward tailspin and pushing them into recession. This put considerable strain on the company’s financials, which now faced a double whammy owing to the near collapse of the global demand for JLR products and the considerable evaporation of domestic automobile demand owing to the economic slowdown.

Now lots of hope is being pinned on Nano and its role in resurrecting the dwindled fortunes of one of the largest domestic automobile players in India. So, can the small car achieve the big feat of reviving Tata Motors’ growth?

Probably, this possibility is being raised considering the history that Tata Indica had an important role to play in contributing to the fortunes of Tata Motors. However, it seems highly improbable that the Nano will be able to achieve this feat. Consider the following:

• JLR is expected to contribute over 50% of Tata Motor’s net revenues over the next couple of years, with the balance coming from domestic commercial vehicle and passenger vehicle sales.
• The expected sales volume of the Nano and its price tag suggests that at best, it would contribute 2-2.5% to the consolidated topline of Tata Motors by financial year 2012.
• The contribution in terms of net profit from Nano is expected to be negligible considering the expected ex-factory cost of the car and the margins earned on it.
• The problems Tata Motors is currently facing largely pertain to the debt on its books and the slackened demand for JLR products globally.

Thus, we believe that for the fortunes of the company to turnaround partially, the US and the European economies have to gain strength as the fate of JLR hinges on the consumer spending in these economies. Secondly, the domestic demand for CVs must also revive to support Tata Motors’ growth. Debt servicing and debt repayment over the next 2-3 years will also have an important role to play in improving the fundamentals of the company.

To conclude, while the Nano has managed to garner headlines for Tata Motors, we do not believe it will be able to repeat history any time soon for financial reasons. However, the company deserves huge credit for ensuring that the dream, and undeniably the most ambitious project of Mr. Ratan Tata, comes true. Also, with this achievement, Tata Motors has ensured that lakhs of lower-middle income households in the country will now be able to fulfill one of their long-standing wishes, that of owning a car.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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To nationalise or not to nationalise? That’s the multi-billion dollar dilemma for the US Fed

But to cure the terminal disease that ails Citibank and BoA, a few bitter pills need to be swallowed, says Deepak R. Patra

Does not matter whether it’s news, rumour, or just a rumour of a rumour. The moment someone even whispers the word ‘nationalisation’, millions of US investors get the jitters. They are the same guys who were laughing all the way to their banks when Citibank and Bank of America were still the gods of global financial sweepstakes. And just now, with speculation rife that the government might be forced to take a cowboy approach to seize and rope in the banking sector, they are more than nervous. It needs no rocket science to know why. Share prices of giant US banks have shrugged off about 90% of their market value over the past 12 months, and if the government opts to nationalise them at this point of time, the ‘N’ bomb will not only wipe out the residual value the shareholders are left with, but also obliterate the slightest chance they have to get their money back in case the banks somehow manage to recover in future. Sad, and as the famous American humorist Mark Twain said, “There are many scapegoats for our sins…” But it’s time to look out for the larger good.

Thinking about nationalisation of collosal US-based banks like Citigroup, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, et al a few months ago would have been a laughable idea. But not any more! If you are an advocate of nationalisation for these banks, you have a good chance to be treated as a rock star among economists. Don’t believe it? Well, ask Doctor Doom then. Ah sorry, Professor Nouriel Roubini (the real name), who specialises in predicting gloom and is in real high demand these days! He is getting support from unthinkable fronts; first Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator, and then Alan Greenspan, the erstwhile Fed boss. Greenspan was even quoted saying to a media house, “It may be necessary to temporarily nationalise some banks in order to facilitate a swift and orderly restructuring.” But unfortunately the man who matters, Fed boss in charge Ben Bernanke, does not seem to be very fond of the idea. He just squashed the option in the Senate Banking Committee meeting saying, “We don’t need majority ownership to work with the banks. We have very strong supervisory oversight. We can work with them now to get them to do whatever is necessary to restructure, to take whatever steps are needed to become profitable again, to get rid of bad assets. We don’t have to take them over to do that.” Interesting, isn’t it? If he thinks his ‘strong supervisory oversight’ can do the magic, what was it doing till now? Warming the benches, till Bernanke included this ‘oversight’ in the playing 11 perhaps?!

Moreover, while Bernanke is planning to ‘work with them’, he is forgetting that these are the people whom the government has given stimulus packages recently, only to be asked for more. And the funniest of all is that these mammoth banks now are not even worth the amount given to them under the bailout schemes. The case of Bank of America is a real eye opener in this case. The US government has already infused $158 billion ($40 billion in cash and $118 billion in support of the bank’s debts) into it. And guess what its value is today? Well, don’t try hard because it’s even lesser than your wildest of imaginations, a pitiable $25.5 billion (total market value calculated as per February 25th closing price), less than one sixth of the package awarded to it within the last six months!!!

What Bernanke urgently needs to do is to shed his arrogance and take a lesson from his British counterpart. The UK government nationalised Northern Rock Bank last year itself, passing a legislation that offered the shareholders next to nothing in compensation. And this despite the fact that the bank had substantial book value. Professor Tim Congdon, former economic adviser to the Conservatives, told 4Ps B&M, “The justification was that the bank had difficulty in financing its assets because of the breakdown of the international wholesale funding market, and so was dependent on loans from the state to continue in business.” And see the result of that ruthless action! People now are hopeful that Rock can play a major role in UK’s duel with the financial turmoil.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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The real(ty) dilemma...

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The Indian realty market has seen its worst in the year gone by, but people are still hopeful of further price fall and confused about when is the right time to invest

Preeti Chinoy, a young corporate working with a Gurgaon-based MNC is facing a tough time deciding on the ideal timing of making the biggest purchase of her life – her dream home. “I have been looking at purchasing a house for myself for around six months now, but the unstable real estate prices are standing as a roadblock,” she said. Well, Preeti is not the only one, there are many like her who are delaying their purchasing decisions for a long time now, anticipating a further fall in the realty prices. On the other hand, realtors are still holding on to their profit margin denying prospects of a sharp fall in prices. However, there’s a silver lining in this dark cloud as things have changed drastically in the past two months. While some real estate developers have announced massive price reductions at one end, banks on the other end have been aggressive on cutting the loan rates. Well, this isn’t all that the Indian realty arena has witnessed so far; a situation of distress selling too has surfaced. And this has made it all the more imperative to know when one can invest in the real estate market to finally prove it a wise investment. Louis Armstrong, CEO, RICS states, “I think the first half of 2009 will be difficult for the realtors as there will be further tightening, but the sector will finally stabilise by the second half of 2009.” That means waiting for a little while more may actually turn out to be the perfect decision.

Recent price cuts have given a hint that developers are now accepting the fact that the boom witnessed in the last five years was more artificial than real and hence are now reducing their prices. But industry insiders believe that all the big names in the realty arena are still playing on a healthy margin of 25-30%. So keeping in mind the fall in demand, one can expect more fall in the prices. On the contrary, few of the players are expecting a rise in demand soon. Pradeep Jain, Chairman, Parsvnath Developers Ltd. avers, “Interest rate cut should prompt those who were delaying decisions for sometime.”

However, expressing a different view about the buying decision Anuj Puri, Country Head, Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj says, “If one needs a home for actual self use and has found an affordable option, one must take the plunge now. While it is understandable that buyers wish to wait for prices to fall, there is a definite danger in waiting too long for the perfect opportunity.” Puri firmly believes that much as in the stock market, it is impossible to predict the point of lowest ebb in the real estate market. However, keeping in mind the scenario of the realty sector, consumers still prefer to wait for a little more time.

Taking cue from analysts it seems to be an ideal time for those who want to invest in real estate for personal use, but if someone is looking at it from an investment point of view, he must spend some more time playing the wait and watch game. But that too needs to be done very cautiously, as the future of projects under construction at the moment is uncertain. They may get delayed or even scrapped if some developers fail to arrange the desired funding in time. Thus, the safest option is to opt for either completed projects or projects that are near completion. There’s definitely a high risk investing in properties, which need more than three months of completion time.

Pawan Chabra

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

THE CHANGE WE GOT!

IIPM set to beat economic slowdown

Most probably by the time you are reading this feature, Barack Obama might have stepped into the White House as the new American President. But is he the much needed saviour of the sinking US economy as people in America, and for that matter, across the world are hoping? 4Ps B&M’s Pawan Chabra analyses…

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we’ll get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.” Barack Obama, America’s first black president spoke these optimistic words in his winning speech in Chicago.

As Obama takes charge of the White House on January 20 (where more than 2 million people are expected to attend the event), America, and the world, waits with bated breath to see whether an Obama term does actually bring all more smiles than his election did. “Obama will face more obstacles than expected to generate ‘change’, from inner rivalries within his team, vested interests within the military-industrial complex, et al,” asserts Simon Shen, Director of International Relations Research Programme, Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies. And honestly, Obama will have to take some very bold steps to ensure that America is a better place to live in before his term ends. At a time when the unemployment rate is looming over 7% (highest since the Second World War) and financial markets are seeing stars in broad daylight, Obama must get the money flowing in fast.

The US economy accounts for almost quarter of a trade that happens within all the global economies and “once the US economy is stable so will be the case with the other developed markets and the emerging markets,” avers James Michael Poterba, President, National Bureau of Economic Research, US. Obama’s plan could create up to 4 million new jobs in the US economy by 2010 but if no step is taken on an urgent basis and the Congress doesn’t agree on the package, the unemployment rate can reach 10%. If the proposed stimulus package is accepted by the Congress, the federal deficit for the fiscal 2009, ending September 30, is likely to triple to $1.2 trillion, or 8.3% of GDP, far above the 6% in 1983. And if we include Obama’s stimulus package, which would bring the deficit to a shocking $1.8 trillion or 12.5% of GDP. On one hand, Obama has promised a tax structure to cushion the middle class Americans to deal better with the recession, on the other, he is looking for sustained investment in infrastructure to create jobs for the long term.

Obama has already made the right noises with his support for an auto sector stimulus. But he is not going to be strict on top executives of bankrupt companies. There have also been some voices of discontent with respect to his proposal for ‘say on pay’, which will give shareholders a nonbinding proxy vote on executive pay. The new President elect has also suggested supporting small businesses by offering more lending and cutting taxes. He is also advocating removing tax cuts for oil companies. He has repeatedly lamented America’s reliance on Middle East oil; and the need to bring in a new energy economy; with alternative sources being explored in a big way. So investments in green technology could increase substantially. He could however set a dangerous precedent with his ‘protectionist’ approach (as indicated by his campaign speeches) towards Chinese manufacturing and Indian services in particular.

Time is short and choices are hard for Obama as he sets about delivering on the promise that brought him to power. And what makes it tougher is the fact that Obama’s Presidential term would have a historical significance that far outweighs that of his election. It’s a daunting challenge, but also an exceptional opportunity.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
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BRAINS THAT BUILT BRANDS IN 2008 – RAJESH SAWHNEY THE ‘BIG’ BRAIN BEHIND THE ‘BIG’ BRAND

1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers

MEET RAJESH SAWHNEY, WHO HAS NURTURED BIG ENTERTAINMENT FROM DAY ONE WITH THE BRIEF GIVEN BY ANIL AMBANI: ‘GO AND ENTERTAIN INDIA’!

Anil Ambani could have easily called this one ‘Reliance Entertainment’ but the ‘Big Entertainment’ moniker that he instead chose, almost lives up to the larger-than-life proportions that his media ambitions have gathered today. And the man behind it all - Rajesh Sawhney! Media shy and reticent, Sawhney has not just managed to carve out a distinct brand image for Big Entertainment over the last one year, but has followed it up by developing innovative business models for their presence in the Internet and new media space (Zapak & BigAdda).

The year’s biggest buzz came when Sawhney struck a series of multi-billion dollar deals with production houses of Hollywood stars, Nicolas Cage, Jim Carrey, and others, to co-produce Hollywood movies. “We are trying to build a company with global ambitions and Hollywood is the best starting point,” Sawhney told 4Ps B&M, when asked about BIG’s ambitions. A smart move, considering Hollywood accounts for the largest segment of the global entertainment pie, while Indian movies (including Bollywood & vernacular) contribute a meagre 2% to it. In the current global economic turmoil, however, success of these deals seems dicey and the biggest challenge for Sawhney in 2009 will be sticking to these deals. The year also saw Sawhney extend the brand ‘BIG’ to Adlabs that was rebranded as Big Cinemas to bring it under the umbrella of ‘BIG Entertainment.’ As Anil Arjun, CEO, Adlabs Films told 4Ps B&M, “The rebranding move is in line with ADAG’s philosophy for a single monolithic consumer entertainment brand BIG.” In 2009, Sawhney’s gameplan is to rollout over 200 cinemas in US & Malaysia. Another crucial venture for the group this year was Big Entertainment’s broadcasting business, which will launch around 20 TV channels by next year. But the biggest challenge will be for these to create their USP in the already cluttered TV channels space.

Even the brand’s radio business, BIG 92.7 FM has started raking in significant revenues. Now Sawhney’s big ambition is to take the brand’s radio venture global. “Big FM is a global opportunity. After our Singapore launch, we are looking at other markets like S. Africa, US and UK,” he says. And the challenges? Well, Sawhney says that the biggest challenges in the industry are that of stringent regulations and dearth of talent. But “these three years have been the best years of my life,” admits Sawhney, with a ‘BIG’ smile.

Pallavi Srivastava

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Of Cabbages and Fancy Kings....

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Well, it could have been a different headline too. Just goes on to show how uncertain the prospects are for 2009. But there is a set of characters for whom the contours of 2009 are fairly clear. 4Ps B&M takes a semi-astrological look at what this assortment of stars and star-crossed stars will do next year

Did You Say Change?

By the time 2009 is drawing to a close, American President is beginning to get confounded by one word – Change. No matter how hard he and his team try, Americans refuse to change. Stock options and bonuses at Wall Street, Ponzi schemes, bailouts, and gas guzzling SUVs remain the symbols of 21st century America.

From King to ‘Fishy’ King

In order to cut costs and save Kingfisher Airlines, Vijay Mallya has volunteered to become the photographer for the Kingfisher 2010 calendar. The models have been personally selected by Mallya from the flight crew. The location has been shifted from Cannes and Mauritius to Alibag. As a gesture to new found ally Naresh Goyal, Mallya also personally selects a Jet flight crew member as guest model for the calendar.

The New Berlin Wall

The Wall has been transformed into the Berlin Wall on a formal occasion. The selection committee Chairman announces in December 2009 that class will win over form and that the fourth consecutive year when Rahul Dravid registers a test average of less than 30. Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar announced that Dravid be made captain of the team so that he regains form. Communist Party officials in Beijing invited Dravid for a soulful tour of the Great Wall of China.

Nano At Last

The dream car Nano has taken the roads by storm. Ratan Tata has also patched up with Mamta Bannerjee who has retired from active politics and has agreed to become the Chief Marketing Manager for Nano. The entrepreneur spends most of 2009 hunting for dollars to pay back the loans taken to fund the takeovers of Corus and Jaguar-Land Rover.

The Indian Change Agent

The mercurial lady announces that her ‘original’ BJP will contest 550 out of 543 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. She will ask her candidates to contest 7 seats from Pak occupied Kashmir. Uma Bharti will personally contest 28 seats. Govind Acharya will be the Prime Ministerial candidate. In a spectacular show, the Saffron lady and her party manage to save their deposits in 10 seats.

Voyeurism Please

Shilpa Shetty has released a blockbuster video called ‘The Art of Aerobic Flirting’ just one week before the third season of Big Boss, after she has won the second season of Khatron ke Khiladi and judged the nth season of Sa Re Ga Ma… Raj Thackeray becomes the surprise winner of the third season of Big Boss and the other star contestant Rakhi Sawant fails to impress him with her Marathi.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

They still can't call it a day...

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It seems no end of woes for them. Already having trouble maintaining their jobs, employees of financial firms, realty companies & airlines are now finding it difficult to get credit cards from banks. Banks are rejecting their credit card applications owing to the possibility of further lay-offs and job losses in these troubled sectors. Although the law prohibits banks from denying credit to anybody on the grounds of his profession, but banks have long maintained negative lists and denied credit cards to reporters, lawyers, chartered accountants and junior ranks of the security forces. With inclusion of these sectors, the list is just being extended.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA

IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

CARTELS ARE BACK

More worrisome is the fact that the ‘alliance’ is sure to set a precedent for other sectors to follow suit, especially where a few choice players command a large chunk of market share. India’s growing telecom sector is sitting duck for a replay of such monopolistic tendencies. Leading GSM players like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have even come under the MRTP scanner for allegedly colluding to raise tariffs. All three had simultaneously raised tariffs for STD, local calls, SMS and value-added services on a specific plan in August 2007. MRTPC suspected cartelisation in the sector and took suo moto cognizance that the three big telecom firms maybe distorting competition in the market.

Pradeep Mehta, Secretary General, CUTS International, believes that most cartels work under the guise of trade associations and points out that in some cases abroad, even trade associations have been charged for aid and abetting collusion. “Airlines, telcos, even banks (setting of bank charges and interest rates on savings accounts) have come under the scanner for cartelisation in India,” he adds.

Given that the three GSM players have now even come together to set up an independent tower company (Indus Towers), to boost their existing backend infrastructure, what stops them from let’s say discussing a call tariffs raise, apart from the nitty-gritty’s of the infrastructure business, over a cup of coffee. “I’m not against having alliances and agreements between competitors. But they should be at an arm’s length, purely on commercial terms. Tomorrow Airtel and Vodafone may have an agreement (eventually upping prices), saying our infrastructure cost is high,” avers Narula.

In any case, detecting and predicting cartels is always difficult, primarily because cartels are formed in secret between consenting competitors. The presence of cartels has always been an alleged reality in input commodities (cement, steel, trucking, tyres etc). For example, just over the last one year, cement prices have increased by around 15%, fanning suspicions of the presence of cartels. MRTPC even issued notices to 14 cement firms, including Grasim, ACC and Ultratech. The phenomenon becomes crucial especially given the huge proposed investments in infrastructure and construction. So while demand for cement may go up in the near future, cartels will ensure that proposed expansion may be sabotaged by artificial shortage. Another case in point is that of 5-Star Hotels and their obscenely high but surprisingly similar tariffs for foreign visitors. Where is the supposed competition?

Cartels are being hauled up every few days by regulatory commissions around the world. It is perhaps even more difficult to counter dominant players abusing their preeminence through their monopoly. In fact, recently the European Commission has levied its first ever and biggest fine of $1.4 billion on Microsoft for non-compliance of its order, which required the IT behemoth to disclose “complete and accurate” technical information enabling competitors to develop products compatible with its patented Windows system. Microsoft dithered and was slapped with the fine.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

Hey... Even that is not yielding desired results

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In fact, since the worst sufferers of the recession have been financial service companies, the category as a whole has cut back their ad spends by more than 27%, and the back is led by credit card and insurance marketers specifically. American International Group (AIG) which spent $118.7 million in 2007 and $64 million in the first half of 2008 on advertising, has announced that it will pull its corporate advertising for the remainder of the year (interestingly the call off will save them 0.1% of the $85 billion bridge loan from Paulson, Bernanke & co.). What’s more, if the Citi-Wachovia deal does not work out, the former will apparently hold back $542 million of its ad spend. Simply glance at Table I on pg. 30 and you’ll realise that the advertising sentiment is on a downswing across sectors in the great American market. Procter & Gamble – America’s biggest ad spender by far has cut its ad expenses from $1,613 billion in 2007 to $1,490 in 2008; AT&T jogged down its ad ex from $1,113 to $940 in the same period. Clearly, the pants of every big American brand are on fire and they are rushing to Madison Avenue and slashing ad budgets to douse the flames.

Good news however is ‘round the corner. Takeover giants like Barclays Plc (which has picked up stake in Lehman Brothers), Bank of America (Merrill Lynch) and JP Morgan Chase (Bear Sterns and Washington Mutual) are expected to step up their advertising expenses to educate their new customer base, given that all the fallen giants have now opted to move into traditional commercial banking too. In fact, given their falling popularity and consumer confidence level, advertising and building back their brand equity is perhaps the only survival mantra left for them to explore.

Increasing ad spends during recession time can be a good thing says David Haigh, CEO, Brand Finance. He believes that well managed brands now recognise that cutting advertising and marketing spend in recession results in market share loss as the economy recovers. “Whether in traditional or new media the power of advertising remains strong. Companies maintaining and increasing their ad spend despite recession have grown both enterprise and brand value significantly and vice versa,” he points out. Clearly, for American behemoths who want to increase their share of the overall market pie, it is indeed the best of times and perhaps also the worst of times! Charles Dickens would surely be smiling benignly from up there!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...
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Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

“Technology can convert a window shoper into real shopper”

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What role does technology play in the retail industry?
Technology is important in every industry, but in the retail industry it has its own significance. Retail is all about consumers, where buyer needs the right information at the time of purchase and that’s possible only with the proper technology in place. Moreover, technology enhances the impulse buying behaviour of the consumer very radically. Interestingly, technology has the power to convert a window-shopper into a real-shopper.

What is your company doing for the retail industry on the technology front?
We started in the year 2000, by providing the digital signage technology to the industry and as the time passed by, we went more inside the industry. Today, we are very much into the industry & providing many new technologies to the industry. The future really lies in wireless technology for the retail industry.

Where does technology play a vital role in the retail industry, back-end or front-end?
Technology is equally important in both. While technology in the back-end sends information across from back-end to the front end, at the front-end it helps in retaining information and passing it on to the consumer.

India has already seen a wave of retail growth in the urban parts of the country and market experts are now expecting the same in rural India. Do you agree?
Certainly yes! And it’s because of the simple reason that if you notice the efficient broadband usage happening in the rural part of the country, there is definitely a tremendous scope for retail to grow in rural India. However, there’s a need to make the rural customer aware of the same message that has already been given to urban consumer and technology is very well capable in doing the same.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)

HE'S GOT THE 'ZEEL'

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You won’t find TV sets & newspapers flooded with his pics, for he believes in keeping a low media profile. Punit Goenka shares Zee’s future strategies with Pallavi Srivastava

Often theorists accuse second generation entrepreneurs in India to be wealth destroyers. But media shy Punit Goenka, son of Zee honcho Subhash Chandra, is an exception. Ever since he joined the group’s entertainment bandwagon (Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited - ZEEL) a few years ago, his mere presence has put the media conglomerate on a growth trajectory. What makes Goenka tick and what’s next on his agenda? To find out more, let’s dive straight into this interview with the ZEEL CEO. Up close and personal, he reveals all... or most of it anyway :-)

When you first joined the Essel Group way back in 1995, what was on your mind?
I came with just one thought in my mind that there is nothing to lose and there is only one way to go and that was upwards.

What has helped Zee TV get its feet back in the channel race?
The factor that enabled Zee TV to come back was that we connected strongly with the viewers. My mandate is to have a world-class organisation and a leader in the media and entertainment genre. Our subscription revenue continues to grow at approximately 25% year-on-year. Advertising revenue will also grow significantly and we will continue to grow more than the industry growth.

What will be the strategic thrust at ZEEL for the next few years?
The priority area for ZEEL in the coming times will be the movie business; children’s genre – be it content creation, licensing and merchandising or other similar initiatives; niche content and enhancing the current portfolio of Zee Group on television.

What are your plans for the movie production business of the group?
We will constantly evaluate all the proposals that come our way. Be it for the crossover films, niche films or experimental films, we will continue to evaluate everything. However, I know the film market in India the best and that is where our focus will be, to start with. We will be producing a complete package of films – be it big-budget films or otherwise. We will also try to de-risk the model as much as we can. There are already eight to nine films that are under production.

Are you looking at any PE investment for your film production and distribution business?
We have the approval of $200 million to be spent over the next three years on this. But the capital structure is not final yet. Going to AIM, London is also an option. But how much will we raise from there and what will be our contribution to it are some of the details that are currently under consideration.

What are your strategies for your existing portfolio on television?
We are putting continuous effort to improve and enhance our current portfolio on TV. We will be No.1 or strong No.2 in all the categories where we are present. There will be a lot of new programming initiatives on Zee TV. I confess, some of the earlier programming initiatives like Rock-N-Roll Family on Zee TV did not get the necessary ratings. But we are constantly striving to create content for the channel. The hugely popular show – SaReGaMaPa – is now back on Zee TV after a much-deserved break. We are very excited about it.

What are your plans for niche content production on the television?
We are currently evaluating the production of niche content for our television business. I have got the approval of the board to launch a Golf Channel. It will be named TEN Golf. We will launch it in next two months.

How will the current slowdown of the Indian economy affect the media industry?
In case of a slowdown or a recession, the media industry always witnesses an upturn at least in the short term and mid term. It is bound to happen. In fact, it has already started with key sectors like telecom, DTH, et al, spending heavily in media. The reason is simple, when the economy is slowing down people try to sell their products harder. There is a lag period currently, if within an year’s time things turn around nobody wants to wait till then. This always happens in the beginning of a slowdown.

What is the best professional advice that you have gotten so far?
The best advice that I have got in this media business so far is that it’s far better to be profitable than to be playing the channels share games. Therefore focus on the market and focus on the investment, which you can encash. Blindly spending money won’t help anybody. This valuable piece of advice, which has helped me a lot was given by my father.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Programme :- SUPERIOR COURSE CONTENTS
Now IIPM's World-Class Education... for everybody!!
IIPM INTERNATIONAL - NEW DELHI, GURGAON & NOIDA
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IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
4Ps Power Brand Awards 2007
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!
IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Rashmi Bansal Publisher of JAMMAG magazine caught red-handed, for details click on the following links.

• Hindustan Times Article - Publisher goes underground
• Rashmi Bansal (Editor of JAMMAG)
• Rashmi Bansal (Publisher of JAMMAG)