LIFE AFTER CANNES

Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You

Indian ad-land’s tryst with Cannes is relatively new. A few Indian agencies did feature during the 1990s, but couldn’t make it big. The turning point came in 2003, when India bagged six lions. Good news is that for the last couple of years, India has been bringing home more than 20 metals from Cannes annually. The bad news (well, sort of!), say Neha Saraiya & Surbhi Chawla, is that winning a Cannes metal is now no more a career defining moment. Doing great work for big brands is the only career clincher that matters, at least in the cat-eat-cat world of Indian advertising!

Before they started Good Morning Films in 2004, Vikram Kalra (38) & Shashanka Chaturvedi (35) had tried their hand at a host of things, among them working for various agencies and ad film production shops. It was while working on a film for Hutch once (then with Adfilm-Valas) that the duo decided to go in alone. They cobbled together Rs.25,000 and launched their own film production house, bringing in Hutch as their first account. Their client list grew gradually to include Vodafone (Irfan Khan series), Limca and RCOM’s Muft ki Advice commercial. But even then, Kalra reminisces, “Good Morning Films had still not become a name to reckon within the industry.”

The year 2009 however came with its unique bag of goodies for them or what Vikram and Shashanka refer to as their “career defining moment.” The goodie bag brought with it two Gold Lions for them from the prestigious Cannes advertising festival for their ‘A day in the life of Chennai – Nakka Mukka’ commercial for The Times of India. The campaign, which won accolades for media & publication category along with the best use of music category, is the first Indian ad film ever to bring home a Gold at Cannes. Vikram can’t stop grinning, as with the trophy has come, instant fame and recognition. “Lot of friends are still dropping in to congratulate us. Accolades at Cannes have added value to our work and people take us more seriously,” he explains. Work is also pouring in. Post-Cannes, their film production outfit has also bagged some prestigious accounts, including that of Sony and Samsung. In fact, they’ve even got an offer from JWT China and negotiations are in final stages. So if Vikram & Shashank’s expectations, after the win at Cannes, are touching the skies, guess they have ample reason for it. Still gushing, Vikram exuberates, “Our next stop is Bollywood. We want to produce and direct a movie and are already scouting for the right script.”

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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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Fighting fat, but at what cost?

Stomach stapling might show results on the surface but it might be more than what you’ve bargained for...

The urge to lose weight, at any cost but hard work, has led surgeons to find out newer ways to cut fat. One of the popular ways is stomach stapling (or gastric bypass), a restrictive technique where the stomach is divided into two parts using a band and staples. The smaller part, the stomach pouch, is an egg-sized pouch that has very little capacity to hold food and therefore, leads to meager eating. A one-centimeter hole runs from the bottom of the pouch through which the contents flow into the other part of the stomach and from there to the intestines.

It takes a lot of guts to play with one’s natural system, and only when one is grossly overweight (Diego Maradona, the football legend, opted for the surgery when he weighed 121 kgs) or if a person is suffering from a compulsive eating disorder, would a person normally get their stomach stapled. But recent research at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden says that women who get their stomachs stapled reduce the risk of cancer by around 40 per cent. Experts are only astounded and confused to find no such benefit for men… But men can be happy since a stomach staple does add at least 10 more years to one’s life span. But, what about the side-effects of getting your stomach stapled? Well, considering cancer is a deadly disease and obesity leads to several other deadly ailments, one would think that the perks of stomach stapling would outweigh the side effects of the procedure used… not all the time though! It has been seen that ‘more than one-third of obese patients who have gastric surgery develop gallstones. Nearly one in three develops nutritional deficiencies. Patients could also be at risk for anemia, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease.’ Though diet supplements can help, it’s best to avoid these side-effects.

Another method for losing weight that is being resorted to more commonly is cosmetic surgery (tummy tucks, body lifting etc.) since the treatment is only external. “We are dealing with the skin and mostly its structure, and at the most, you will have a scar which is hidden by the cosmetic surgeon in a way that it’s not obvious and heals really well too,” informs Dr. Ashish Davalbhakta, Cosmetologist at Aesthetics India. Though he talks of specific risks to be understood, he offers a different suggestion for the young who aspire to become a Jessica Alba or a Tara Reid the easy way. “I would tell them that their expectations are too high and they are more likely to be disappointed. One should aspire to be fit with exercise and a proper diet.”

The researches and conclusions in favour of gastric or cosmetic surgeries are not to highlight the possibility of losing weight this way but to, once again, draw attention to the power individuals have in altering their own risk factors. Resorting to these quick surgeries to get rid of the fat that can easily be tackled with is quite a bad idea. In fact, a recent Canadian research says that people who are a little above the normal weight actually live longer than those with normal weight. Not to mention that the underweight or the obese have much shorter life spans! Well, then, may be, it’s time to redefine the benchmark of normal weight...

Swati Hora

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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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Who made your trip this time?

Detail of all IIPM branches

MakeMyTrip had a first mover advantage. As competition intensified, so did their focus on service and delivery... Respondents give them maximum marks for ‘corporate packages.’
By Pawan Chabra

She makes it her business to make everyone’s leisure trip hassle-free; but her own life is surprisingly devoid of any leisurely moments. Jaya Talwar, Senior Executive-Escalation, MakeMyTrip, starts her day at 5:30 am and by the time she gets to her office in the sprawling NCR suburb of Gurgaon, she’s already organised her (seemingly endless) list of things-to-do for the day. But then, she has no complaints, having happily sacrificed her love for cooking to the hurly burly of professional life. Talwar is part of the escalation team that takes care of customer queries and complaints and understands the importance of service in the online travel industry. She starts off her day at office by scanning the previous day’s e-mails, followed by daily meetings. The rest of her day goes into fixing customer problems. A Miranda House graduate, she started her career with the company as an executive in the post-sales department. And now after three and a half years in the travel outfit, she takes immense pride in being a part of the popular online travel portal.

The industry may have been on the back foot after the Mumbai terror attacks and more importantly under the slowdown blues, but industry watchers expect it to be just a short blip just before online travel makes a strong comeback. MakeMyTrip, for one, plans to deal with these ‘short-term hurdles’ by sprucing up their service even more and offering them a great hassle-free experience. “You need to value the importance of a commitment in this industry otherwise there is no way you can reach at the top,” asserts Talwar from her experience. Ask the end users and most consider the ease with which the company’s website can be navigated as the backbone of its success. But Talwar believes that the particular art of following up with the customers to ensure a great service is also a vital pillar for MakeMyTrip’s success. No wonder, she believes, that her department is the most vital part of the organisation’s success!


But doesn’t she get bored handling similar kind of customer queries and problems everyday? Well, her answer is (yes, you guessed it right), a resounding “No!” Says Talwar, “As you have to deal with a new kind of consumer on a daily basis, there is no monotony in the job.” Instead, she says, that she enjoys these daily challenges, apart from the little moments of life and laughter they provide her. She narrates one such incident, while guffawing loudly, “A customer once sent a very long e–mail complaining about the bad service, but when we tried to sort it out we figured that it was actually for one of our competitors.” She claims the complaint ratio to be only 0.5% out of the total customers attended by the company. But if you think that this 0.5% is easy to deal with, you better give it a second thought. Talwar recalls an incident where it took four long hours to make a customer understand that he was at fault when he was trying to cancel a booking for a hotel on a very short notice and asking for a refund. The customer was notified earlier of the company’s ‘no refund on cancellation’ clause, she adds.

Talwar spends most of her day dealing with such customers, but her primary concern is to ensure a delightful experience to every customer she handles. After all, in her industry, the cost of getting a new consumer is 10 times higher than retaining an older one. No wonder then the priority is to retain every customer at all cost. “When Kingfisher and Air Deccan merged, the new airline changed its PNR no. No customer was able to get the refund from the airlines in case of cancellation. MakeMyTrip had to give the refund to consumers from its own pockets to ensure that they remain satisfied with our service,” recollects Talwar. But try as you might, there is always room for improvement in the service industry. Queries and complaints are a part of their life. Well, the next time you are dissatisfied with a service in their bouquet, at least you know who to contact :-)

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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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Get ready to......Play Footsie!

IIPM Alumni Officially on Facebook

The problem accentuates when you take into account the huge brand and portfolio stretch by the company in recent times. In its 13 year India stint, Reebok has increased its annual turnover by an impressive 500% by continually enriching its portfolio. “If you are opening your own retail stores, it’s necessary that you offer as many options as possible,” says Prem. Nike, Puma and Adidas are also bearing the brunt of expanded portfolios, which includes footwear, apparel & accessories for the female consumer too. Their over-optimism touched new heights when many of them announced their foray into the Rs.130 billion kids prêt-a-porter market too. Clearly, an enhanced portfolio portends an even greater sourcing problem, for the already beleaguered players.

However, some like Bata are optimistic about their supply chain. Bata India has strategic alliances with several suppliers and the company boasts of consistently exploring options that enhance the availability of these suppliers. Anything goes, including emotive cajoling and carrots of comparatively higher margins than rivals. Says Marcelo Villagran, MD & CEO of Bata India Ltd., “Our partnership with many suppliers has been standing for more than a decade and we have always paid them according to the changing market,” he says. This is not to say that Bata India has not invested in its own manufacturing hub. But Villagran is confident of being able to “bank on his suppliers” for any contingency that comes up.

Sourcing is one area where Nike India boasts an edge. Despite playing second fiddle to rival Reebok in India in the sportswear category, the shoe-maker from Uncle Sam’s country has understood the importance of establishing a sturdy sourcing hub. Nike has consolidated its sourcing base to 70-90 fixed vendors from seven countries, including Bangladesh (where the slowdown hasn’t affected the manufacturing industry much).

These vendors are further connected to Nike through five exclusive dedicated agents. The $18.6 billion company is also gung-ho on ground activation activities, deploying over 70% of its marketing expenditure toward BTL promotions for sports like athletics, football and tennis. Besides, having ignored cricket for years, Nike (albeit belatedly) has recognised India’s undying fetish for the gentleman’s game and is batting hard to lure the consumer with cricket accessories (in its stores) and advertising campaigns.

To its disadvantage, Nike is not the only sportswear brand banking on cricket. Reebok has been doing it for years. Avers Rajiv Mehta, MD of Puma India, “Focus on several sports might help globally, but in India the competitive edge in sports only comes from cricket.” Puma recently announced its association with defending champions Rajasthan Royals as the official sponsor of their uniforms during IPL 09’.

Ravdeep Singh, CEO, Planet Sports, imparts some words of wisdom: “Right now, the core focus should be on the rising real estate and raw material costs.” Singh too is feeling the slowdown heat. “We are compromising with 25% of our margins,” he says, adding that although raising prices would have been an option in normal course to decrease pressure on margins, it would be suicidal in a slowdown.

Clearly, trouble is brewing! Their over-optimism may be well-warranted, yet global players in the footwear fray are a decidedly worried lot today. Brands that manage the slowdown today, without mortgaging the future, will be the eventual winners. Whether or not it was meant for them, yet to ‘Keep Walking’ is their only solution in sight!

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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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DIVIDE AND RULE!

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“I think we have a good opportunity to bring refreshment to the category and delight the customers,” avers Gurdeep Singh, Chief Operating Officer, Aircel. After all the company believes in ‘divide and rule’! In fact, this refreshment plan from Aircel comprises of offerings identifying distinguishable group of customers and designing specialised services catering to a specific target group. “The rationale behind this move is that in the recent past we have seen a slew of service operators launching their services and almost all of them have been pegging it on the price factor, which is a very ‘me-too’ kind of strategy,” reasons Singh.

Certainly, the underlying idea is to touch all target groups, but in a manner that is unique and apt for that particular group. For instance, while recently it added Delhi in its operational chart, the company realised that of the total population making use of mobile phones in the city, most of them are students or immigrants from other parts of the country in search of employment opportunities. So, to address the needs of students and immigrants, they have come out with separate tariff plans that would be relevant to these groups. In fact, Aircel has been applying this approach in almost every circle that it operates in. But then, there are many who feel that this is just a start up communication, while delivery will be a different thing altogether.

No doubt, it’s surely a novel way to lure customers and has already started turning heads, yet it would not be easy for Aircel to convert these raised brows into customers. Raison d’être: Markets like Delhi and Mumbai already have seven to eight players (RCOM too is present in both CDMA and GSM) fighting for a share in the pie that already boasts of a whopping 90-95% penetration level (almost saturated, wouldn’t you say!). In such a scenario, it would become difficult even for Aircel, with its differentiated approach, to actually persuade customers to switch their existing number or carry two cell phones. But the good news is that when we look at the bigger picture and see India as a whole, we find that the telecom penetration in the country currently stands at a meager 30%, which means a huge untapped market still waiting to be ruled. Moreover, the mobile number portability, which is expected to be implemented by early 2010, would give Aircel and others of its ilk a plenty of opportunity to really churn out some big bucks.

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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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Top 8 for 2008! AWARDS

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Featuring those who won glory

A separate opinion poll was conducted using a structured questionnaire amongst 500 customers across 5 cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai & Kolkata. The opinion poll was conducted to list the gadgets under the following categories based on the maximum number of votes received.

Best Gadget 2008
Nokia N81 8GB
Many compared this to its predecessors; but, memory power sure counts! Add to that its looks, and you have a winner.



Hottest Selling Gadget 2008
Nokia N-Series
Call it an N-Series hype that create sales for this Nokia product. But it sold! And is there anything else that counts?!


Most Aspirational Gadget 2008
Vertu Monogram
Style it has, and promises it makes; yet its the price that kills!



Most Desirable Gadget 2008
Apple MacBook Air
This slim lady sure knows how to make others want it bad, at a high price, of course!



Best Buy Gadget 2008
Microsoft XBox
Microsoft was serious when it said that it wanted to play with you!



Most Value-for-Money Gadget 2008
Blackberry Curve 8300
Being omnipresent comes at a price... Thankfully, humans can pay for it too!



Must Have Gadget 2008
Apple iPod
Music is the food of love... Hear and see it play on the iPod now! If you don’t have one, you’re probably Elvis himself; if you do, you’re a pure music lover!

MostOver-Hyped Gadget 2008
Nokia Sorocco 8800
It appeared to fall from the sky, and it fell bang on the earth below! It earned a name, just a name!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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JVC KD-AVX2

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Technical Specification

DVD/ CD Receiver with built in amplifier (20W RMS/ 50W Peak); 3.5 TFT LCD built in monitor, with display of JPG images; 5.1 Surround sound decoding; 7 Band iEQ; XM & SIRIUS Satellite radio ready; Giga MP3 compatible ; Not iPod compatible; No USB port
PRICE: Rs.18,500
WARRANTY: 1 year

The JVC KD- AVX2 is a complete car entertainment system, which can play diverse formats such as DVD, CD/R and MP3 with ease. The motorised flipper of the header unit, features a unique 3.5 TFT LCD screen which can play JPG images as well as personalised pictures at the touch of a button. The product experience is therefore multi coloured and eye tempting, making the life at the wheel a revelation each day. Featuring XM & SIRIUS radio as well, the system has a capability to play JVC patented high storage disks.

Marketers’ delight: The product is designed for out and out ‘brag value’.

Tester’s note: Pros – Gives a futuristic touch to your auto interior. Excellent sound and visual quality. Con – Lacks sync with an iPod.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Dell XPS 420 (Quad Q6850)

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Technical Specification

Processor: Intel® Core™2 Extreme Quad Q6850; RAM: 3GB; DDR2 SDRAM; Graphics: nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS; HD/ Blue Ray Support: No/Yes

PRICE: Rs.53,000 without taxes

WARRANTY: 1 year (on-site)

The XPS 420 is powered by multi-core Intel processors and choice of graphics cards. It is designed to make work faster for complex digital media creating, editing and capturing activities. Girish Mehta, Director- Consumer Marketing, Dell India explains, “The XPS 420 is packed with sophisticated design and features which blend form and function with a focus on convenience.” Technically, XPS 420’s key strength is its capacity to create full copies of the Abode Photoshop Elements 6, Premiere Elements 4, and Soundbooth CS3 which are similar in spirit to the iLife Suite installed on new Macs.

Marketers’ delight: The CPU has a charger on the top for portable devices. Excellent for high-end gaming.

Tester’s Note: Pros – High-performance, terrific speed, and upgradeable option for gamers. Cons – Unsuitable for low-end price lovers, 1.5x slower than Apple iMac in media multi-tasking.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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A wounded batallion

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So what happened to the promises of the capitalistic Sumos? The Japanese companies were forced to adopt cost-cutting measures and increase efficiency. Auto-majors like Toyota & Honda were also forced to shift focus to developing lighter & economical vehicles. Another trend that was widely visible during this area was the shift away from heavy industries (which had boosted Japanese economy during the boom years) to lighter, higher-yield fields like semiconductors and computer-related technologies & service focused industries. The fall in exports also forced Japanese companies to focus more on domestic market.

Casualties however were not rare as Mitsuru Saito, Chief Economist, Sanwa Bank asserted, “There is no doubt Japan was in the grip of deflation, with household incomes falling, unemployment climbing, and wholesale price index and the consumer price index declining.” Right as he was, unemployment levels rose from the pre-1990s level of 2% to more than 5.5% post-1994. This fall in employment and salary standards also reduced consumer spending and for the first time post-Allies’ attack, Japan witnessed a ‘negative’ GDP growth of 1.5% in 1998! The effects of the depression had started showing on national output as well. Worse, back-calculation showed how this gruesome picture was being painted by the deplorable performance of corporate Japan, as with financial institutions going bankrupt (due to the huge burden of bad debts aggravated by further falling land prices), many companies found living hard.

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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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JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA - The scion takes charge

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JYOTIRADITYA SCINDIA
The scion takes charge

Born with a silver spoon in the one of the powerful political families of the country, Jyotiraditya Scindia’s entry into politics seemed to be destined. Many people questioned the entry of this Harvard graduate into the murky business of politics. His detractors stated that he exists in the political scenario only because of the deeds of his grandmother and the sympathy over the untimely death of his father – Madhavrao Scindia. However, after being in this profession he is all set to silence his critics. People close to him point out that he is a workaholic and shares his father’s passion for politics. Madhavrao Scindia was known to bring about corporate culture in all the ministries that he held positions in. Jyotiraditya too plans to carry the same torch but with renewed energy & vigor. Expectations from him have always been high and on April 5, 2008, he has been made the minister of state for IT & communications. Donning the mantle he pointed out, “The time has now come for India to look beyond being the back-office of the world.” Although the going ahead would not be a cakewalk as there would be many high-profile people to challenge him. Nevertheless, he would surely one of the Indian politicians to watch out for in the days to come.

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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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AJAY AND VIJAY BEDI - The oscar goes to...

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AJAY AND VIJAY BEDI
The oscar goes to...

A glamour quotient has invariably tagged along with photography. And when speaking of wildlife photography, the eyes surely widen with wonder. And among those who bask in the glory of the so-called glamorous profession are the second generation Bedi Brothers, Ajay and Vijay. Belonging to a family of ardent wildlife lovers, it didn’t take even a twinkle to ponder before they decided to follow their inherited passion.

Having plunged into this profession during a time when it was unfashionable, Vijay now takes pride in the fact that India has a vast pool of talented wildlife photographers. He says, “Just a little bit of encouragement by establishing good photography schools and courses, like those in America and New Zealand, would proliferate the number of talented and enthusiastic photographers in India.” Adds Ajay, “The technology has also changed a lot, and that has made photography appealing, especially to the younger generation.”

Where most are drawn to wildlife film-making to win admiration or perhaps pursue their passion, Ajay and Vijay chase a commitment, that of conservation. “We are conservationists first and then anything else. Through our films and documentaries, we want to show the beauty of wildlife to the world and bring across awareness about conserving and preserving such beings,” asserts Vijay.

The youngest Asians to win the Green Oscar, the brothers are now carrying the baton passed on by the first generation Bedi Brothers, Naresh and Rajesh. When asked to spill some words of wisdom that they have imbibed, “Hard work, patience and admiration for wildlife,” is what they would vouch for to attain success. And for those who intend to tread this track, Vijay drops in a word of caution – “Take it up only if you are really passionate about it. If you come in looking for glamour, there isn’t any!”

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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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Reunification on the cards

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A communist president for the first time

It was the desire for unification of Greek Cyprus & Turkish Cyprus, which resulted in victory of AKEL party’s Demetris Christofias in Cyprus’ presidential polls & the advent of communist rule for the first time in the tiny nation & of course the only Communist state in the 27 member EU . “The battle of ballots has someway punished the outgoing Papadopoulos, who was seen as instrumental in scuttling the May 2004 plebiscite, held according to Kofi Annan plan,” said A. K. Mahapatra, Professor at SIS, JNU. Moreover, recent independence of Kosovo also acted as a catalyst towards unification demand picking up momentum & hence, voting out Papadopoulos, who was seen as a hardliner against unification.

In 1974 the country was divided between the Greek-Cypriot south and Turkish-Cypriot north, leaving behind a great void in national psyche. “The main hurdle for the unification is the fear of Greek Cypriots, due to presence of about 30,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus,” adds Mahapatra. Apart from unifying the nation, the other main agenda of the new government is to bring back the displaced Greek Cypriots to Turkish Republic Northern Cyprus and helping them to reclaim their properties. The rise of the communists, however, has raised some fears about the nationalisation drive, which Christofias may initiate.

The experts on the other hand argue that there is very little that Christofias can do towards nationalisation of the national resources, mainly because the main economic assets - tourism, shipping and off-shore banking – are such, that they can’t be nationalised and have to be left free to float in the market.

B&E edit bureau: Rajeev K Singh

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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Reneged or ricocheting

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With the launch of the Tata Nano, will Maruti’s small car strategy change?

The Maruti 800 was truly an iconic product credited with revolutionising the industry. But, its stature seems under threat now. Apparently, Tata’s prospective Rs.1 lakh car (Nano) is the car in contention for the coveted spot. “It’s a brilliant car from the customers’ point of view. The on-the-road price for Nano is somewhere around Rs.1,30,000; this means that there is a price differential of Rs.60,000 when compared to the 800,” says Ramnath S, Director, idfcsski. Certainly a price that makes it irresistible and can potentially drive volumes.

Inspite of a skeptical S Nakanishi, MD, Maruti Suzuki, it was earlier reported that a threatened Maruti was toying with the idea of slashing the 800’s price in order to effectively compete with the Nano. Analysts too agree that (if Maruti wants) it is possible as the car has been mass produced for decades and components vendors are now in a comfortable position to facilitate. But, “the volumes of Maruti 800 will increase only when a good price is quoted against the Nano. Vendors then might support the 800’s need to be re priced,” adds Ramnath. However, Maruti Suzuki has been on a relentless struggle to potentially replace the 800 with the best-selling Alto for some time now. In December 2007, Alto sold almost two times the 7,000 units that the 800 sold. This implies that for Maruti strategists, the company should now move up the value chain and focus more on being a holistic car company rather than being perceived as a small car maker. Therefore, with its fast-growing portfolio, it seems that Maruti is less affected by Nano than previously expected and as such a rationale to re-price the 800 is uncalled for.

However still, if volumes are the growth drivers for a company, then Maruti may lose its dominance to the Tatas. The Nano will create a niche for itself and the novelty factor enjoyed by Nano can further over-ride the 800’s appeal. So, if Maruti wants to retain and strengthen its economies of scale, it must come out with an alternative to Nano. Now the ball is in Maruti Suzuki’s court, but is it too late to follow suit? As we said, revolutions happen once in a lifetime.

B&E edit bureau : Karan Mehrishi with inputs from Sachin Bharel

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 : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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‘Kingdom of God is within you’

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Peace, pride and prosperity can’t be imposed, bought or sold

The maxim, “the Rabbit that stays in a hole must be ready to face the hunter’s fire,” aptly defines the problems that most of poor African and Asian countries encounter. And if the World Bank floods these poor economies with aids, they will remain poor in the next century. The world has to realise that poverty, health, money are not problems of Africa. It is their failure to realise their own role to come out from the anarchy and shame. Aids, donations and sympathy from the developed world have never helped them; these have in fact, made them more dependent to godfathers, colonisers and aid giving countries.

The only continent blessed with natural resources, comprising of petroleum, diamond, metals; Africa failed to reap off these. If godfathers are only to be blamed; then South Korea, India faced much traumatic, horrifying, colonial history. Still, S. Korea is 30 times richer than Zimbabwe in terms of PPP. The crux of the problem is exclusively on poor quality of governance. Economic boom of Botswana and shrinking future of Zimbabwean economy proves how quality of governance makes vast difference in last few decades. The history is not different in most African countries. Moreover, illiterate local tribal leaders, corrupt politicians, officials, local police, mafias have left nothing good in their countries.

The World Bank urges developed nations to aid poor countries. They are doing so. External annual aids to Africa are going to touch $25 billion by 2010. Aid is really not helping them. Peace in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Angola, Ethiopia and Eritrea is in progress and even Congo is now better than what it was a year ago, as they all strived for it. Aids have put these countries on crutches. Over-dependence on aids has discouraged entrepreneurial spirits, proactive participation on revenue generation and fuelled bribery, corruption et al. The World Bank has to keep in mind that pride and prosperity can neither be imposed nor be bought or sold. Those who have fought and strived for development, have achieved it. But will the World Bank heed to this?

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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The ‘Sen’shine legacy...

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

A thespian grandmom, a sultry mom, and two star daughters…

Inborn, inbred and in consequence... inherent can be mama’s ways, particularly in daughters. And sometimes, these inclinations are so deeply entrenched that its unawareness to both the mum and her dolls doesn’t really surprise a distant spectator. Even I couldn’t help smiling at a similar oblivious situation when the yesteryear’s sensuous stunner, Moon Moon Sen recalled, “I had no idea that I will be like my mother and take up movies. Even more surprising was that both my girls, Raima and Riya wanted to be actors too.” Without pausing, she continued in the same breath, “Both of them had the potential but if I had inkling, I would’ve pushed them to learn dancing seriously and take some acting lessons too.”

While Moon Moon Sen, after trying her hands at a few other jobs, might just have incidentally picked up the career as her mother Suchitra Sen’s, her daughters made it a ‘family legacy’ as soon as they learnt that they belonged nowhere else. Like Raima, reasons from her personal experience, “From a very early age, Riya and I were struck with the glamour associated with it all. We always knew we would grow up to be actresses. We loved the lifestyle, the makeup and the studios. We loved to travel and mom would drag us along everywhere. Coming from a family of film actors, it easily influenced us at that impressionable age to join the same line. But when we got into it, we realised that acting was tough business and not always as easy and glamorous as it seems.” But she certainly has no regrets about her decision as she claims, “I am enjoying the perks of this career.”

Suchitra Sen was the pioneer in the family. Despite being cast opposite the Bengali cine legend, Uttam Kumar, in most of her movies, she inspired reverence and cult status in Bengal, entirely resting on her intense acting prowess unveiled in movies such as Saptapadi, Deep Jweley Jai and Aandhi. Daughter Moon Moon Sen followed in her footsteps but denies that it made things any easier for her. “With such family background all one gets is a readymade media platform,” she adds. Even a casual observation fetches stark differences in the image and movie choices of the duo.

Having been part of two different eras, Moon Moon sees no influence of her mom’s work in her own. “My mother stopped acting about 15 years before I stepped into films. If you look at the history of cinema, you will see that each decade is different in terms of writing, story, direction etc. I could never have done the kind of role my mother did because I was never offered such roles. What came my way was very different and I had to measure up to the kind of work I got.” The challenge, as she says, was never about comparison or expectation. “In fact, the biggest challenge faced by actors of any era is that of competition from fellow actors.”

On whether it is difficult for a star child to deal with people’s expectations, Moon Moon interestingly pointed out, “One has to understand that people don’t really have any expectations. It’s more about meeting your own expectations. Eventually how one performs matters.” In her film career of 60 movies and 40 tele-serials in Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and even Marathi, Moon Moon Sen dared roles that were tabooed in the Indian film industry then. “They just wait to see what you are going to be like,” says Moon Moon with a conviction that appears to be her source of motivation too.

During the conversation, her well paced discourse in a husky yet clear voice was constantly reminding me of an elitist secondary school language teacher. The similarity between them was an effortless wider-than-usual stretching of lips for clarity in pronunciation. What led to such a thought could probably be my knowledge of her being an English teacher at one time or her constant words of encouragement for all star kids who somewhere along the line are trying to overcome the shadows of their predecessors. “Like today, no one really expects Ranbir to be like his father or mother. For Abhishek Bachchan, the challenge is nothing to do with him being Amitabh Bachchan’s son. Nobody expects another Amitabh Bachchan; they wish to see what Abhishek Bacchan is all about,” she explains.

The discussion took a turn to the third generation of the Sen family, the nearly-look-alike sisters Raima and Riya Sen, who are quite contrasting, when it comes to their choice of work. While it seems that the former prefers serious roles such as the ones in Daman and Chokher Bali, the latter one seems to be happy modelling and acting in masala movies. Though Raima’s inference of the aspects related to family lineage coincides with that of Moon Moon’s to the extent of “getting our first break easily”, she opines differently about the challenges faced, “The expectations from a celeb-daughter or son especially with our kind of lineage is huge. We are more susceptible to criticism and are easier targets than people who have no film background. So, it was tough initially with the constant comparisons. But with time, as you prove yourself, it gets better.”

Still, the girls are fortunate, for as the mom says, “I don’t think there are any expectations from Raima or Riya. Now that Raima is doing nice and different roles, the expectation from her is that when she’s on screen, there’ll be something to look forward to and that she won’t be giving a sub-performance. There will be something enjoyable.” She adds (to the bliss of her girls), “I don’t think people expect fine performance from them because they are Moon Moon Sen’s daughters. They make their own names, carve their own niches and images.”

Somehow, the film industry’s glamour and stardom isn’t meant to be ephemeral in this family of mothers and daughters, each continuing the legacy, both inspired by and unto the faith and belief of the other. As Raima preens towards the end, “The honour of being associated with the family legacy is a matter of pride not many people can boast of.” Hoping their legacy doesn’t end with the last reel and continues for generations…

B&E edit bureau: Swati Hora with inputs from Gauri Pratap Singh

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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‘Bloodbath’ for oil is worth

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

A century was not enough to finish oil-politics...

The world could have been in the light of darkness, without oil. The world’s development and contributions of ‘Black Diamond’ has been itself been a history over a century. The last century has witnessed a battle between the US (Texas Railroad Commission, TRC) and OPEC to control oil and its price while output by non-OPEC countries & weather, have bereft individual countries’ power over it. Though, Middle East remains its major exporter with 44.5% share of global export, the US is capable enough to disturb oil price owing to its extentive reserves. Oil-politics has brought about more complications than other geo-political issues. Until 1970, oil price was less fluctuative as TRC was the only player to control oil price and OPEC was unaware of the game. In March 1971, TRC’s proration of 100% production scope to the US producers taught OPEC the game. This ultimately led power shift from the US to OPEC over price. The game began. The game of fight and shift of power went through with Yom Kippur War between Israel v/s Syria, Egypt in 1973, Iranian revolution in 1979 with Saddam’s sudden invasion to Iran and the US’s policy of subsidising, which favoured domestic oil production.

The price kept on fluctuating with various global events but individual country’s ability to influence oil politics got reduced and power shifted from OPEC, the US to non-OPEC countries, with increase in output from Russia, Europe and Asia’s economic boom, increasing consumption. Though, the real concern remains: reducing oil reserves, with increasing consumption, is forcing countries to find more sources. Was then the US’s entire ‘bloodbath’ or Middle East adventures to ‘own nothing but control everything’ worthless?

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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