Peaks & valleys

It was a reign full of peaks & valleys for Semel (only the last few years saw more of the latter!), who had earlier had a successful 24-year-old stint with Warner Brothers, where he served as Chairman & Co- CEO. Semel was mocked and laughed at when he joined Yahoo! for being a technological neophyte but he soon shut several mouths as he streamlined the management structure, made savoir-faire deals & acquisitions, improved the company’s image, earnings & stock price and made an alliance with SBC Communications (presently AT&T) to provide content and services, which proved rewarding.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

'The Indian paints'

'The Indian paints’ sector attracted total FDI of a whopping $2.1 billion (8.04% of total FDI inflow in the country) during FY 2006-07; an enormous 115 % growth over the previous year. Bharukha too sounds upbeat as he clarifies, “We want to strengthen our leadership in industrial & automotive coatings by offering world-class technology, superior coating systems built on innovation, and superior products... we are also investing in brand building to strengthen our positioning in architectural coatings.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

India too have ambitious

Yes, China and India too have ambitious people who dream of building their companies and are getting the chance. But neither China nor India comes close to the US in terms of this “killer app,” and it will take years of venture capital flowing in before the Chinese finally let go off their rote approach to work and embrace innovation. China has other challenges as well. Aside from its risky social experiment, it has an economy in which less than a quarter of its people truly participate. Its one-child policy is exacerbating the problem of its rapidly aging population. India, meanwhile, will only continue to struggle with its vast number of have-nots and its corruption problems.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Defence: India

A spiteful brief...
...of the current state of India’s defence...and offence!
“The great eventful Present hides the Past; but through the din of its loud life, hints and echoes from the life behind steal in,” as John Greenleaf Whittier said. We started a similar journey back in the history of India to witness how often it has been invaded, humiliated, subjugated and above all, divided. It’s been sixty years to a paradoxical Independence and division, the scars of which have not yet been healed by the fl owing tide of time. As destiny would have it, yesterday’s siblings are today the biggest adversaries, one almost desperate to destroy its elder brother whose existence is the very anti-thesis of its own identity; while the elder brother has been a little more considerate, but oft en has been left with no option than to teach the recalcitrant sibling a lesson or two.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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


Read More:-
A tough Endeavour
Alarm bells
ICICI hai na!
Taking Taj to places...
Delhi to sip Starbucks first
A Fair and Handsome deal
Blackstone buys out Intelenet
Calling off the ‘Spice’y Idea!
HLL ‘Lever’ ages the power of Hindustan

River Bagawali

We started browsing the nearby surroundings and river Bagawali was our first target. And when we saw the empty river bed, our astonishment was flared to newer heights! A whole river gone missing? (Phew!) As a local farmer said, “The last time the river had a flow was way back in 1990s!” Wells nearby have also dried-up and we could even hear the owls (at nightfall) and see pigeons (during the day). It has also tried to compensate the loss by sponsoring rainwater harvesting projects. Around 120 recharge shaft s and 200 hand pumps have been sponsored by the company. But stripping Kala Dera of a river and leaving it in a state of acute water shortage will overshadow the compensations, however big it may be!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

"Obsolete technology

He further added, “We have obsolete technology & the compliance level is very low, inevitably leading to environmental destruction.” More surprising was the fact that, asbestos mining (highly hazardous) is still being continued despite Supreme Court’s ban. According to data given by Mines and Geology Department, 1,570 tonnes were mined during 2005-06 alone. A senior official in the Mines department spoke to us on condition of anonymity, “Asbestos is a by-product of soapstone mining, thus we need to ban soapstone mining also. On the whole, the number of illegal mines across the different minor minerals has gone down but it still exists to a large extent.” Well, this is indeed the real story behind procuring the beautiful marble slabs which beautify our floors... but all at the precious cost of nature!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Sheryl’s global warning tour

For her Stop Global Warming College Tour, Sheryl Crow has packed up her guitar and hopped aboard a bio-diesel bus, and intends to spread the word by driving into 11 college campuses. Back home, she even ‘practices what she preaches’ and does everything by the book, right from having solar panels fitted in her house, to doing her laundry in cold water, driving a hybrid, turning off the lights when not in use, to even joking about using one square of toilet paper and having a bath only once a week! Now that’s what we call a Wildflower!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

PETA's Been on the scene

D: According to you, how have things changed since PETA’s been on the scene?

P: Twenty-five years ago, when you talked about animal rights, people didn’t know what you were talking about, but with the help of PETA, people have been exposed to more information over the years and have learned what the issues are about and just how cruel we as a species are to our fellow inhabitants of Earth. When I first heard of PETA, the idea that it would be called People for Ethical Treatment of Animals appealed to me because it was elegant and gentle and conveyed that we simply needed to treat them ethically. I think the idea has grown from that platform, and now it’s a huge voice for animal awareness.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Celebrities wearing fur

What do you feel about celebrities wearing fur?
It’s terrible when stars like J Lo and Beyoncé wear fur – I worry that their young fans will see them and not think about the cruelty that goes into every fur coat or piece of fur trim. Fortunately, thanks to groups like PETA, more and more people are thinking about these issues. Most of us now know that animals killed for fur suffer horribly – they are skinned alive, clubbed to death, crushed in steel-jaw traps, and genitally electrocuted, sometimes just for a little trim on a coat collar. In China, even cats and dogs are routinely bludgeoned, hanged, or strangled with wire nooses, so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets. These days, with so many choices available to us, there’s just no excuse for wearing real fur. If you don’t wear fur, please talk to others, so they’ll know why you made your compassionate decision. We all have to do our part to put this cruel industry out of business.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

No wrongs, Just Wright!

A fearless conservationist, Belinda talks to TSI about the threats and challenges that imperil India’s forests and its denizens

1. How easy was it for Belinda Wright to fit in with respect to Indian wildlife, both as her role as a wildlife filmmaker and photographer as well as a conservationist?
I was born in India in 1950s and our country’s wildlife has been my only profession and abiding interest, all my life. I spent much of my childhood in the jungles of Eastern India. When I started my career as a wildlife photographer, the only problem I had was actually getting to such remote areas. Everybody was always welcoming and very helpful, and it certainly helped that my mother, Anne Wright, was such a well-known wildlife conservationist. She was a member of the Government of India’s Indian Board for Wildlife for nineteen years and on the six-member committee that was set up by the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to identify the first nine Tiger Reserves and establish Project Tiger.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

It's water everywhere!

With temperatures surging, what seems to be most inconsequential now, portends the maximum threat in the coming decades – the melting of the Arctic ice! Especially the Himalayas, Alps, Rocky Mountains, Southern Andes and Mount Kilimanjaro have shown notable demise of the ice-caps, thus resulting in the increase in the sea level which anyway has risen over 400 feet since the last ice-age! Leading to submergence of the coastal areas, perhaps regions what we know as Kolkata, Netherlands, Beijing, and parts of USA, would assume similar identities in the near future – water bodies!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Unconditional rumination

Well, to make the job easy for those who are in a state of unconditional rumination against the fact that there’s money to be earned in the whole greening process, the world is already making billions out of it. First of all, a look at the most ancient tool of investment in global warming – carbon credits (see National Finance story ‘If you have it, flaunt it’ for description) – shows that the value of the carbon credit market reached a jaw-dropping $21.5 billion for the first three quarters of 2006 (till October), dwarfing $11.5 billion for the whole of the previous year. Funds fl owing into carbon funds have also shown a considerable appreciation. According to New Carbon Finance, the amount of money fl owing into carbon funds has reached a towering $11.8 billion (cumulative) by the end of the first quarter of 2007. Secondly, even the growth of investments over the past decade or so done in the name of ‘social responsibility’ is quite promising.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More Article:-
Melting glaciers
Mercury
Slow and steady...
High potential real estate sector
Business Park
An avant-garde Architect’s Alcazar
Successfully supplemented

Gore's award-winning documentary

Gore’s award-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, ensured that not only were the ill-effects of global warming documented intellectually for the common man to see across nations, but also that reams after reams of utterly confusing statistics got converted to simple, concise, and very much understandable presentations. When we questioned him on the way forward to tackle this global conundrum, Al Gore’s belief in democracy came out definitely resolute. Commenting exclusively to B&E, Gore mentions with a definite edge, “We are facing so many long-term challenges; from the climate crisis & the war in Iraq to healthcare & social welfare. To solve these problems and move forward, we need to reverse the damage done to our democracy. We have little time to waste.” Truly, there’s little time to waste! And that’s from the man whom Americans voted to be their Vice-President! Twice!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Read More Article:-
Melting glaciers
Mercury
Slow and steady...
High potential real estate sector
Business Park
An avant-garde Architect’s Alcazar
Successfully supplemented

California calling . . .

One would wonder what is a link between muscles & environment, well there is. Ask the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Without a doubt, California is leading the way in tackling the problems of energy conservation, environmental science & global warming. California has developed innovative & substantial programs for environmental preservation. For starters, California is the only state in the entire US with a flattening per capita electricity usage. They passed AB32 with a commitment to roll back greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2020 and a whopping 80% below by 2050. For this the state has initiated new carbon emissions standards, green building initiative, ocean action plan, hydrogen highway et al. They have more coming on board such as Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon & Washington. A few more schemes’ include “Green Building Initiative,” and the accompanying Green Building Action Plan, wherein the governor calls for public buildings to be 20% more energy efficient by 2015 and encourages the private sector to do the same. Welcome to the new age California!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Distress call!

Contain marine pollution
A recently published report of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) states that a stupendous 2/3rd of the sediments flow into the oceans is attributable to South & East Asia. A similar report by the Department of Global Ecology of Carnegie Institution at the Stanford University states that around 25% of the annual consumption of fertilizers (present consumption estimated over 30 million tonnes), pesticides (more than 90,000 metric tones annually) and synthetic detergents (more than 1 lakh tonnes) finds recourse to sea water, having serious ramification for the future. That report further states that the total volume of annual discharge, only from Bombay & Calcutta, are to the tune of 365 MT and 350 MT, respectively. Add to this the much ambitious Sethusamudram Project – linking Palk Bay with the Gulf of Mannar – is expected to create major disturbance in the region’s marine life (flora and fauna in the region is constituted of 3,500 species).

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Platinum & Gold

Still we are only collecting a 5% to 7% of total eWaste generation,” says Subash Warrier, Manager, Environment, Health & Safety of Chennai-based Trishyiraya Recycling India Private Limited, adding, “We have been off erring eWaste collection since 1999 even from houses, but till today we have not been able to collect even a single pack!” Many local scrap dealers use the waste to extract precious metals like aluminium, platinum & gold that are present in various electronic goods.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Apple's so called take back

Hold on before you believe the report. The fact is that Apple’s so called take back recycling programme is only available in the US. This automatically makes all the other countries (where Apple sells its products) a dumping ground for Apple’s other products (which will become tomorrow’s e-waste). Whatever might be Steve Jobs’s proclamation, the industry and the consumers are waiting for the first ‘green product’ from Apple. Only then can it score like an average student!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Cultivable lands

So protecting cultivable lands and educating farmers with latest technologies is strengthening ITC’s agri-base and by exporting such products, the company has earned Rs.7 billion in 2005-06. And to proliferate more such production, it’s even resorting to new fields. “Without disturbing the ecological harmony, this will increase economical condition of these villages and at the same time the villagers will know that ITC is doing good for them,” feels B.K. Sharma, Team Leader of Foundation for Ecological Security, one of the NGO that’s working with ITC in these districts.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Market share figures

Well, if you look at market share figures released by IDC India, ‘mayhem’ is not exactly the word. Lenovo, in fact only did retain its third position with a market share of 9% for the client PC segment (desktops & notebooks in terms of shipments) in calendar year 2007, as was the case in 2006. Market leader HP, on the other hand, managed the growth ‘faster than the market’ benchmark well, as its market share grew from 18% to 21% for calendar year 2007. And in the all important notebook PC market as well (which is doubling year on year in India), Lenovo (market share of 17% at number 2 position) remains a far cry from the leader HP, which gobbled up a massive 38% share in 2006. And this is besides HP’s unrivalled dominance over the printer segment. With such a powerful adversary to contend with, does Lenovo even stand a chance to topple the number one? What makes the company so confident of its chances?

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Own Boss

True, you will become your own boss. But for months and even years, that choice will mean less freedom and fl exibility for you, not more. You won’t control your own life; your new business will do that for you. After all, when you only have two customers, you don’t tell them you can’t meet Monday at 5 pm. You smile when they show up three hours later. In your heart, you may be flying free, but in the trenches, you’ll still be taking orders – just from a new set of bosses. Another bit of wishful thinking is something you don’t mention, but is common too – it purports that entrepreneurship bestows financial independence. If only! Unless you’ve built up a pile of savings, no one is more “owned” than the founder of a start up. We recently met an entrepreneur whose venture was stalled because she was loath to give more equity to private investors or venture capitalists.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Turbine company

Yet, the bulls and bears on the street talk as much about Tanti as his neighbours in Pune do. And why not? On May 24, 2007, when Suzlon announced the acquisition of REpower, the German wind turbine company in a $1.33 billion deal, the scrip was hovering around Rs.1150 on the floor. Within a week, the share price had zoomed to hover around Rs.1300. Clearly, Tanti is the latest darling of the bulls in Dalal Street. Tanti explains why the REpower acquisition has lit up so many fires in the market, “Integration with REpower will push Suzlon to the fourth-third spot globally by 2008. It will push our revenues from Europe to over 50%. We have been acquiring fast to expand and will continue to look for opportunities.” Europe is the largest market for wind energy and Suzlon now becomes the fourth ranked wind energy and turbine company in the world.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Belligerently positive!

Despite the expenditure of $2 billion that Exxon made after the most infamous 1989 oil spill, off the Alaskan coast (perhaps the biggest environmental disaster at sea, which is considered by the US government as the largest spill in US history), the company’s stock met only minor hiccups – and that too because of the unforeseen expenditure rather than because of the disaster caused – before recovering. Similarly, when the US oil giant Texaco pulled out of Ecuador in 1992, it had contaminated close to 18.5 billion gallons of groundwater and had poisoned rivers and streams on which the indigenous population depended. Stock price effects? Belligerently positive!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

‘Mart’ ing it up for you …

The Indian retail place is getting attractive with every passing day. Reliance Industries is planning to launch its home solutions retail venture by end 2007. The Rs30 billion venture will have a chain of 100 standalone specialised home solution outlets. To be rolled out by Reliance Retail (the retail arm of Reliance) these outlets will have a space of 40,000- 60,000 sq ft . Though the name is yet to be decided, the format of these outlets would be shops in shops within Reliance’s hypermarkets. The first hypermarket to be opened in August would be at Ahmedabad while the second would come up two months later in Jamnagar. The next big activity in the retail space is the predicted acquisition of Piramyd Retail by the Aditya Birla Group. The Group had already acquired Trinethra Retail, in beginning this year. Piramyd Retail has seven Piramyd lifestyle outlets and around fourteen Trumart grocery shops around the country.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

'Wardrobe brand'

Over the last year, the company undertook an initiative to move from being a ‘wardrobe brand’ to a ‘lifestyle brand’. In line with this strategy, they have forayed into footwear and men’s innerwear for brands like Van Heusen, Peter England, Louis Philippe and Allen Solly (which also offers women’s wear). They have extended two of their brands – Peter England and Allen Solly into jeans wear, besides launching a range of ‘Luxury Linen’ semi-formal wear under Louis Philippe. Moreover, the company has grown at a staggering 20% in recent years and has clocked a revenue figure of Rs.650 crores (FY07). Sufficient to put them in our list!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

CLOSE-UP

Close-Up has dominated the gel segment, but the presence of Colgate still haunts...
Close-Up is positioned in a way in which no other toothpaste is positioned. It has broken all the rules and norms of toothpaste advertising ever since its launch in 1975, and taken the brand a leap forward in Indian market. It was the first brand to introduce gel toothpaste to the consumers and has led the gel segment ever since. Such was the power of the Close-Up bright red colour, its intelligent advertising and belligerent promotions that even market leader Colgate was forced to launch a gel variant. Its marketing initiatives include myriad tie ups with high-profile programmes like Close-Up Antakshari, Harsha Ki Khoj and even movies, such as Kyun Ho Gaya Na. The highlight was the speed dating contest last year in association with Zoom Television.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

JOHNSON BABY CARE

This is no kidding... Johnson Baby Care still rules the world
Nobody understands your baby’s skin better than Johnson’s Baby Care, the world’s most trusted brand amongst parents. With over hundred years of expertise, Johnson’s Baby Care goes together with very special moments you spend with your little one. The company is entrusted to endow with innovative special products for its tiny tot consumers. Among its huge bouquet of products, Johnson’s baby powder is one of the most successful brands worldwide. Also, ‘no more tears formula’ of Johnson’s baby shampoo has been one of the most successful advertising campaigns by the brand. The key element to the success of the Johnson’s baby brand is the high-quality; elaborate range of products which it has under its umbrella for quite sometime.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

TAJ HOTELS

Four new luxury projects announced during the past year - that’s all in the name of promotion!
Luxury, opulence and extravaganza available through 77 hotels (including 7 authentic palaces) in over 52 destinations spread across 12 countries and 6 private islands – the Taj Hotels chain has indeed a lesson to share – grow like the mushrooms and choke your competitiors! With tourism sector steaming ahead at a fantastic 11% during 2006, the Taj Hotels brand has practically grown from strength to strength over time. Ajoy Misra, Sr. VP, Sales and Marketing says, “The mantra is that the organization has been built on a customer centric approach and bench-marked with hospitality brands on the highest standards of service whilst being obsessive about its people.” However, the brand during the past year has not excelled in visibility – what else sans promotions and improved advertisements? So here’s a lesson for you too Taj – advertise more and

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

DLF

Now that SEBI has given its nod, DLF’s elusive IPO may yet become a reality
Amidst a host of real estate brands that have mushroomed in the last few years, DLF stands tall by possessing a staggering 574 million sq.ft. in terms of designed projects and an astonishing 220 million sq.ft. in terms of offered development. Now, with the company getting ready to churn out a few more millionaires with its historical IPO, DLF has become a household name. With its flag firmly hoisted in the capital, KP Singh led DLF is getting ready to roll out its pan India presence, having already announced plans to invest Rs 8,000 crores in Madhya Pradesh (housing, industrial SEZs and IT parks) and has partnered with the Orissa government for the state’s first SEZ. To cash in on the sentiments of a cricket crazy country, DLF associated itself with cricket last year, but has now shifted gears to Bollywood. Says Shalini Vig Wadhwa, GM – Corporate Communications: “Our major campaign ‘Building India’ features SRK all over.” Not surprisingly, this brand has scaled up 40 places (from 94 last year!)

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

HONDA SIEL

With prices above the Koreans, but less than the American car-makers, Honda is going great guns!
The legendry Japanese car-maker, Honda, is known for high quality cars positioned in the A3, A4 and A5 segments. So much so that now the Indian consumer has come to expect luxury and flamboyance from the brand. Ironical too, because the Japanese carmaker is generally perceived as an entry-level/ mid-segment player in the West, while in India, the brand is comparatively up-market. The Japanese major finds itself in a situation where it is not comfortable in a backward integration exercise, where it will have to enter the B+ or other lower segments. However, the prospective entry of a small car like the Jazz, would be obligatory to the prevailing market trends, where the segment is witnessing high growth.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

BAJAJ

In the midst of a family feud or corporate restructuring?
Even as the demerger of the iconic Bajaj Group takes shape, the brand has found its rightful place in the 4Ps B&M list, with the able flank of its two great warriors, Bajaj Auto and Bajaj Capital. Bajaj Auto, the fifth largest Indian company in terms of market cap today, was a tad late in sensing the demand shift from scooters to motorcycles. But at a motor show organized earlier this year you couldn’t really sense the delay, seeing the Pulsar roaring with its mammoth 200cc engine. Even their iconic brand – Bajaj Chetak (which served as a symbol of middle class aspirations for over four decades) was discontinued in 2006. Though hit hard on both sides by Honda Scooters and Hero Honda, the Pulsar continues to chart its way past the sales graph. If Chetak spurned Bajaj to the top league between the 1970s-1990s, the job in this decade belongs to the Pulsar. “Bajaj as a brand presents a classic case of a dying scooter brand changing itself into a big bike brand today,” says K. V. Sridhar from Leo Burnett. Bajaj is betting next on CNG powered bikes, which will be launched soon. Definitely, the ‘Naye bharat ki nayi tasveer’. What say heir apparent, Rajiv Bajaj?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

MOST INNOVATIVE BRAND OF 2006-07

• Microsoft Xbox 360
• Kingfi sher Airlines
• Motorola
• Maggi
• Intel
Some say that ‘a company that knows not how to innovate, knows not how to survive...’ and they ain’t lying! Look at the Microsoft Xbox 360. At a price that’s mighty lower than its closest competitor’s, you get relatively the same experience. Kingfisher Airlines, which innovated itself and moved the other way while competition was getting attracted to the black boring hole of LCCs, has ever lived up to its fantastic fame through delivery of top-notch service quality. Motorola, which was biting the dust till two years back, is now high o innovation and during the past year, it drove past Nokia in terms of innovation. Maggi and Intel, with their latest ‘alternate’ offerings too have made the mark needed to be chosen as the most innovative brands for 2006.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

From class to mass...

Placed third in the top 15 and leading the bandwagon of foreign banks in India is Citibank. For years they continued targeting the niche segment in India, but when in the late 90s government regulations eased, they went mass with a vengeance by launching their Suvidha account for the less affluent. Today, the global bank boasts o f presence through 39 branches and 404 ATMs, spread across 27 cities. A focused domestic strategy, including development of local products, has always been a part of Citibank’s Indian operations.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

BRAND: Jaypee Siddharth

BASELINE:NA
AGENCY: Dentsumarcom

4Ps TAKE: The Jaypee Siddharth in New Delhi recently underwent a makeover and re-launched itself as a business hotel. And how does it advertise the fact? For starters, the print has an insipid shot of its lobby, which is totally deserted (whatever happened to the all businessmen and executives who throng the hotel?), and the visual does not give us even a single clue as to why we would even consider it to be a business hotel! The body copy is uninspiring — to say the least: no USP, no power idea, no reward to the prospect. What on earth does “charismatic décor” mean for instance? What about the pathetic invitation to “Do checkin”? At a time when business travel is becoming big ticket, this was a great chance for the hotel chain to come up with something new and innovative. Instead, all we get is tired prose, lazy visuals and no attempt to be special! Come on guys, if you want to take on the Oberois and the Mauryas of the world, then this is no way to treat your guests! Wake up — and smell the coffee...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

In nature’s studio!

A fountain of inspiration–The Forest of Fontainebleau
For long, the mention of an artist has conjured the image of a painter with his easel stationed by the edge of a bridge or by the rising and ebbing waters of a beach, mulling over the perfect choice of colours to best capture the scenic splendours before their eyes... But such was inconceivable before the middle of the 18th century, for until then, apart from portraits and still lifes (sic), even landscapes would come to life within the walls of the studio! It was only when the importance of natural light increased as artists inclined more towards realistic art that paints and easels became portable, allowing them to wander freely to find their inspiration.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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'Taking care of the people'

The concentration here is literally on ‘taking care of the people’ so that the system works towards promoting a culture where there is adequate respect for personal life and family, even to the extent that the company refrains from disturbing employees on weekends. Creating the right platform for its people to grow and develop is the credence of its culture. Shirodkar also emphasised on the company’s programme of sending out its ‘high performing people’ for various regional projects during the launch of their products in new markets like China, Korea, et al. J&J looks at many such opportunities to help its people to move up the career ladder within the organisation itself.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

Commentators

Given that the news and earnings will always be good, and that commentators will always be the most positive near market tops, it will be increasingly important for investors not just to listen to the news but to interpret the news correctly and to constantly move ahead of the crowd. Brokerage stocks for example, we all know that there is plenty of “excess liquidity” around and that brokerage firms are enjoying record profits. In 1982, Merrill Lynch’s shares sold for less than $ 2 and then rose to $ 80 in early 2001 before collapsing to less than $ 30 at its October 2002 low. Since then the stock has risen to over $ 98 in mid January 2007 before declining to $ 89 currently.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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Burnouts

Here’s what you may find intriguing… It’s a catch-22 situation out there with organizations when it comes to managing stress and burnouts. While on one hand people continuously keep talking of getting some relief from stress, on the other they love to be under pressure at work. For executives who spend almost one third to half a day at the offices, work pressure is something that they very much crave for. Call them workaholics or whatever, but the point is that being surrounded with work related matters and pressure is what turns them on, or take it this way, less or no work is what turns off their heat!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

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

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Complete the course

Even before he could complete the course, Promod landed himself a job at a California- based company, Emergent and was appointed as the Chief Operating Officer. The defining moment for Haque came when he ventured as a consultant in NVP in 1989 and later became the partner in the very next year.The globe’s numero uno dealmaker has a list of criteria for investing into an enterprise, “Firstly, we are interested in larger markets and we are not interested in smaller ones because it is hard to build larger businesses and we are interested in building larger businesses. Therefore, the size of the market, uniqueness of the product and the background of the entrepreneur are important. Also, it is important for an entrepreneur to have domain skills and management skills,” asserts Promod.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative