IIPM- News Articles

“We work with the team”

2011-12-23T16:51:00.000+05:30

Besides boosting existing FMCG brands in the upcoming season, Harsha Vardhan has the mandate to grow the group’s pharmacy retail venture.

For the Rs.30 billion Emami Group, the biggest marketing challenges have been the changing times in the Indian FMCG market and the conventional opinion on family run enterprises. Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, who is one of the key pillars behind the company’s meteoric rise in the recent past, has managed these challenges deftly. He’s the youngest Director at the Emami group & has led the creation of successful brands like Boroplus and Navratna, which together contribute 50% of the company’s FMCG turnover.

Harsha believes that to survive in the FMCG world, constant localisation is necessary and so are brand extensions. This year itself, Emami did 3 brand extensions. Harsha is now planning a major extension under the ‘Fair & Handsome’ brand by the end of 2011. For the upcoming season, Harsha is trying to connect all his FMCG brands with movies (like Zandu Balm with the movie Force). Emami’s gameplan involves at least 8 new launches, product repackaging and taking each brand two new states every year. Last year, the group entered the retail rodeo with pharmacy retailing under the name of Frank Ross Ltd. When we ask him whether the retail venture would go pan-India, Harsha comments, “Emami is India’s fastest growing FMCG company and that’s because we have always adopted multiple distribution channels depending upon the product. And I feel for our retail venture also, the same is applicable.” On the family front, Harsha is even ensuring that the next generation is well aware about the brands. He trailed his fathers footsteps at the age of 13 by entering the business. And today, his 4-year-old son is made to use brands like Emami’s ‘Thanda Thanda Cool Cool’ powder! Take that for unquestionable passion!

Emami’s second generation has taken up the cause of converting Emami into a conglomerate, but Harsha asserts that it will not shift their core focus from FMCG. The group targets a yoy growth of 30% in revenue by 2012. The plethora of files, telephones & hand-phones and the absence of personal or family photographs on his desk reveal a lot about Harsha professionally. Ask him how he manages diverse imperatives and he replies with a smile, “We, the directors, don’t work individually. We work with the team, which creates a force strong enough to manage the group.” Harsha, who ensures regular correspondence with all family members (including the Goenka brothers), feels that his generation has brought in lots of dynamism through professional management and this is fuelling the drive to make Emami big outside the domestic, and the FMCG boundary. Clearly, this marketing maverick is gearing up for interesting times ahead!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.

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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Planman Technologies

“It’s not about hard sales, but to educate people”

2011-12-16T16:49:00.001+05:30

Mudit Bhatnagar, Head - Marketing, Direct Channels & International Business at DHFL Ltd., talks about his new marketing initiative, which he feels can be a game-changer in the home loan sector, as it will ease customer connect.

With increasing number of players entering into the lucrative home loan segment, what it needs for a player to emerge as a winner is some clutter breaking innovation. And that’s what DHFL intended to do, when they launched their ‘loan on wheel’ drive recently in the Delhi and NCR region. To know more about the campaign and DHFL’s strategies to establish itself among the home loan providers, 4Ps B&M catches up with the man behind the campaign Mudit Bhatnagar, Head – Marketing, Direct Channels & International Business, DHFL.

You have recently launched a new initiative “loan on wheels”, which sounds more of a mobile office to disburse loan? Can you please share more details about this initiative?
This is a 60-day program for Delhi and NCR region. Under this, a moving vehicle acts like an office, where a consumer can come up, sit comfortably and enquire about our loan offerings. We will have 2 sales people inside, and 3-4 people outside who will distribute literature and prospect to potential consumers. This idea was conceptualised nearly four months ago. To have a broder reach we intend to go real estate construction sites on weekends, as consumer enquiry footfalls is maximum in such localities on these days. After NCR, we plan to move to various markets in Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand. So after we spend 60 days in NCR, we will cover the remaining markets in North India over the next 30 days.

Was this campaign backed by some market research? What was the basis for such an initiative, especially timed around the festive season?
The whole basis for this campaign has been, how do I make the whole process of home buying simple for my prospect? DHFL’s focus area is the low-middle income segment, which is consumers with average ticket size of Rs.16 lakh in Delhi-NCR, and sub-9 lakh in other markets. I want to cut short some of the processes. The biggest problem is prospecting: whom to go to? Or who are the players in the market? Today every bank, be it HDFC or SBI, is offering home loans, but it’s a matter of convenience. With this initiative we want to communicate and educate the customers that home loan is not a cumbersome process any more as it used to be 10 years ago. Our initiative is not to do hard sale, but to educate more people about home loan processes. I feel I am doing something good for the industry at large and customer as well. Simplifying the process is the main focus. Moreover, satisfying prospects queries is a big plus. Because if I have clarified your doubts, treated you well, I am sure you will come back to me. As you mentioned this is the festival season, our effort is to be part of customers’ celebrations. We want to tell people, let’s do some happy things around this festive season.

Brand DHFL is still not as high on consumer recall as some other banks and home loan players are. Do you think this initiative help you on this front?
As I said, every problem is an opportunity for us. Over the last 27 years, we have grown step-by-step. We are not in the acquisition game or topline game. We want to grow on fair terms. I want to get more customers on board and serve them well, because then only he will spread our name by word of mouth.

Who will Win The 3G War?

2011-11-04T17:29:00.001+05:30

3G Roll-Outs have Begun. 4PS B&M Talks to Aircel, Aircel, Vodafone, JWT, O&M And many more to Decipher The Winner's code in 3G

Voice and text are passé; now mobiles are ready for Live TV and 21 Mbps Internet speed! While the political and legal establishment in India remain stuck on who all pocketed the 2G spoils, service providers are firmly one step ahead in the hope for rewards of the 3G kind; as a new phase of competition gets underway in the telecom space.

Although 3G operations kick-started in India in early 2009, the ball has started rolling only now, after private players entered in late 2010. Tata Docomo was the first one, riding on the experience of its partner NTT DOCOMO. Circa 2011, the battle has now reached a feverish pitch with Airtel, Vodafone, Idea, RCom & Aircel starting their 3G roll-out.

The stakes are extremely high. After 34 days and 183 rounds of bidding, telecom operators shelled out approximately Rs.677 billion in the auction, with Rs.509 billion from private operators, and Rs.167 billion from BSNL & MTNL, for 71 licenses. Delhi and Mumbai, being the costliest circles, accounted for roughly 40% of the total money raised. To add to that, operators are expected to put in an additional $50 billion over the next five years to strengthen their 3G network across the country, says consultancy major PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

The market for initial adopters of 3G – the SEC A populace is small – roughly around 100 million, and that too scattered across circles and different service providers. Sandeep Ladda, Executive Director, Telecom and Entertainment & Media Tax Practice, PwC, projects that it will reach 80 million by 2015. So there are no easy pickings in the initial phase. 4Ps B&M delves deep into the plans of Airtel, Vodafone, Aircel and Idea to understand their competitive situation.

As expected, Airtel seems to have a head start initially, cornering an impressive 2 million 3G users, within months of its launch – in January 2011. The company’s large base of high net worth subscribers in metros works to its advantage. Otherwise, the product offering i.e. 3G services is more or less similar. All are promising high-speed 7Mbps to 21 Mbps Internet, Live TV, live video streaming, video calls, a more responsive GPRS, mobile Wi-Fi, et al. On the distribution front, we are witnessing a dramatic change from 2G times. Instead of whole circles, the telcos are focusing on city-to-city rollouts. When they roll out in entire circles, rural areas and tier 3 towns get into their ambit as well.

OUR PRODUCTS MET THE CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS PROVIDING “GOOD” VALUE!

2011-07-08T16:20:00.002+05:30

Shashank Srivastava, CGM - Marketing, Maruti Suzuki

Brand Maruti has grown amidst a clutter of brands in the Indian passenger car market. What according to you, has made Maruti such a valuable brand?
Maruti Suzuki has been able to retain and even grow its market share, despite intense competition. Our products met customer requirements providing “good” value, which was supported by a great brand image and an extensive distribution network. The competition in the industry really began in 1996 with Daewoo, and intensified with the entry of Tata Motors and Hyundai. The nature of the market and consumer requirements have changed dramatically and we have been able to identify these trends correctly. The company has always been there for its consumers. It has earned their trust and loyalty, thus making it one of the most valuable brands in India today.

The Indian consumers today is younger and more demanding. How are you handling this situation?
Right pointed out. As India has progressed economically, naturally the consumer preferences have evolved both demographically and psychographically. The Indian consumer today is younger and more demanding. He is expecting not only value for money and reliability, but also recognition and aspiration from the product. Maruti Suzuki has been carefully building its image with these changes in mind. This is even reflected in our product line-up, such as the Swift, the Dzire, the SX4, the Ritz, the A-star et al, and also the nature of our communication. But there is still a long way to go! Technology is changing rapidly and competition will grow. We cannot be complacent.

As compared to the past, has the company’s approach towards pushing sales changed?
There was little competition in the past. There was always some mismatch between demand and supply. However, with time we built our network and our brand became the most trustworthy in the industry. Today, we have our own marketing and sales staff and conduct research on customer trends. We also invest heavily in advertising.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

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Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

IIPM in the league of best management institutes of India.....
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

The Art of TV Advertising

2011-03-15T17:29:00.001+05:30

“TV is the quickest medium but cannot hold the brand on its own,” are the very first lines that Sangeeta Sharma, Manager Marketing, South Asia, Lufthansa says, when we enquire about the reasons Lufthansa has stayed away from standard TV advertisements. The truth is, while trying to play the contrarian, Lufthansa’s marketing strategies have been based upon precise and up-to-date customer intelligence – the primary reason that Lufthansa, instead of relying on the time & tested mode of TV commercials, has rather preferred only that exposure to the TV medium where they could quantify the investment-response ratio.

One critical example is their selective sponsorship of CNBC All For This One Moment (presented by Shereen Bhan, who interviews corporate leaders), where – rather than simply paying up money for being associated with the programme – Lufthansa developed the content within the programme and tracked viewer response with help from CNBC. Few companies in India have the wherewithal to get into viewer analytics like this. In another example, Lufthansa has also been the first airline to use TV tickers in stock screens. States Punit Kapoor, AVP, MRM Worldwide India (which handles the Lufthansa account globally), “Our specific TG, the business travelers were used to seeing only stock tickers, but to see a Lufthansa ticker added to our brand proposition.” While the airline has shied away from TV advertising, they have not been averse to using tactical campaigns on radio and also branding via print & outdoor campaigns. Saket Sinha, Partner-Client Leadership, Mindshare (the media planning agency for Lufthansa) shares, “Lufthansa has grown over the years and the reason for such phenomenal growth has been sharp targeting and understanding of the consumer insights. The kind of media that we’ve chosen for Lufthansa is solely based on the marketing needs. We did not choose TV because TV gets into interruption rather than engagement.”

Late 2009, the carrier – which had completed 50 years of operations in the country – was voted “Best International Airline in India” at the CNBC Awaaz Travel Awards. The focus this year is, however, towards strengthening the carrier’s position in India as the leading European airline. In reality, with 49 weekly flights to seven Indian destinations, Lufthansa is clearly today the top European carrier in India. In fact, India is second only to United States when it comes to the number of weekly frequencies that the airline operates. So the job is not that tough apparently. But with an emphasized focus on new media, Lufthansa is additionally attempting to be a radical trendsetter.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2011.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
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Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

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IIPM in the league of best management institutes of India.....

4Ps B&M brings the answers in this exclusive report

2011-01-11T14:28:00.000+05:30

Though Akshay Mehrotra, Head-Marketing, Bajaj Allianz feels that when it comes to an intangible product like life insurance it is the trust factor instead of a brand that plays an important role in convincing an investor, he really does not hesitate in accepting the fact that in an overcrowded market, like the one they are in, it’s the strong and powerful brands that always have an edge over the others when it comes to choose one. And in industries such as Banking & Financial Services (BFSI), the brand sometimes is considered to be the representative and proxy for the credibility and reliability of the company.

Though there are critics who feel that the brand strength does not protect an investor when market tastes change, when competitors develop more effective business models, or when disruptive new technology displaces a product, the truth of the matter is that the same holds true for any other factor too that affects shareholders’ wealth. So do brands really matter to shareholders? The concluding answer is that in the new-age stock trading scenario, where market information is discounted within a few milliseconds, a brand’s existence or non-existence might not matter in the extremely short term. But it surely does over the long term, both directly and indirectly, as the brand plays a more expansive role as time passes.

NIGEL PIERCY, PROFESSOR OF MARKETING & STRATEGY, AND ASSOCIATE DEAN, AT WARWICK BUSINESS SCHOOL, UK
It’s a means to an end, not an end in itself
Investors should always exercise some caution before accepting management assurances that the strongest brand always wins

There is a lot of evidence that successful major brands constitute an important asset providing competitive strength and enhancing performance in the marketplace. For many buyers brand identity provides security in a purchase, it encourages repeat-purchase, & product recommendations. This alone underlines why the owners of a business should be looking closely and carefully at investments in branding and the results in brand strength compared to competitors. However, there is more to it. The smart investor needs also to be wary of the dangers of mindless expenditure on brands that create little value, and the underlying vulnerability of brand-based strategies.

Branding is a productive investment only if it builds value for customers and hence for shareholders. The brand is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Investors need to ask probing questions about whether management is prone to “blind faith branding”, which assumes that all expenditure on brands is productive expenditure. It is not. Investors should also be fully aware of the weaknesses of building corporate strategies around brands and exercise some caution before accepting management assurances that the strongest brand always wins. Most obviously, the more successful a brand, the more vulnerable it is to imitation and counterfeiting – imitation is the quite legal development of close substitutes by competitors, while counterfeiting is illegal but difficult to avoid. Management claims about the robustness of strong brands may exaggerate just how sustainable they are.

It is also apparent that traditional strengths of brand-based competition may be increasingly questionable in 21st century markets. Having the most valuable brand in the world did not protect Coca-Cola from a change in drinking tastes across the world or an anti-US backlash in some areas. The strength & value of IBM’s branding did not protect it from Dell’s direct business model in the 1990s or competition from cloud computing right now. The now-classic case is the emergence of generic (unbranded) cigarette products in the US in the 1990s.

Faced with loss of business to generic tobacco products sold in gas stations, the big brand owners did the unforgivable – they cut prices to protect market share. The investment community reactions was quite clear – if faced with competition the only thing you can do is cut prices, then that means brands are not worth much, and the question becomes where has the money gone.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM makes business education truly global
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Technologies – IT Solutions at your finger tips
Planman Consulting
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM: Management Education India
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website

IIPM B-School
Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri
Planman Consulting

Exclusive Interviews from inside LG, Samsung and competitors

2011-01-03T16:13:00.001+05:30

Now the dilemma comes when one has to place a bet on which of the two has crafted a better future for itself. In 2010, LG and Samsung collectively take up a lion’s share of almost 40% in the consumer durables market in India and have outclassed not only their Japanese cousins but also the Indian incumbents like Videcon, BPL and Onida. Interestingly, the entry strategy for LG on one hand was to establish its footprints into the interiors of the country and to play on volumes. Samsung, on the other hand, has always positioned itself as a premium player among the consumers. But today, the battle for the durables sector is completely paradoxical. In spite of the slowdown in 2009, the consumer durable industry grew by 20% and is still expected to reach a mark of $40 billion by 2012 at a CAGR of 11%. Having mentioned that, the moot question that arises now is - Who will win the race?

Off late, LG has been repositioning itself in India and harping on the strategy of aspirational branding from a functional perspective. Shin explains the logic behind this move as he shares, “The reason behind this step by the company is stiff price competition, which is taking place very fast and China made products are coming up. So we need to make products accordingly. We shouldn’t play in the red ocean and we should gradually get out of there (low priced products) so that things improve. The other rationale behind this move is that the resale values of LG products is high, the customer is always ready to pay more because of good quality. We have already experienced this from the mass marketing.” Samsung, on the contrary, is spreading out to price sensitive markets because of its low penetration levels. For instance, around 30-35% of company’s flat TV sales occur in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Besides the geographical dimension, another factor playing a crucial role in the cat-eat-cat competition among the two is the mobile phone category. As per an IDC report, out of the 100 million handsets sold in 2009 Samsung garnered the second slot with 7.7% of the entire pie while LG stuck to its third position at 5.4%. Clearly, Samsung has bolstered its position over the last two years by launching new products across all price segments and roping in a celebrity ambassador (Aamir Khan).

Another major differentiation between the two is their communication strategy. Vijay Uppal, CEO, Upfront Advertising puts forward the brand attributes as he exclaims, “In terms of the Brand attributes, I would say LG is more of a sales volume lead brand whereas Samsung is commanding a ‘qualitative feel’ in the customer’s mind. But both of these brands have been using a two track communication strategy. LG harps more on promotions, whereas Samsung is more attuned towards brand aspect.”

COST CUT OR CARTELIZATION?

2010-12-21T17:01:00.000+05:30

But the verdict on whether the deal will pay out or boomerang will take this year at least. Prof. Timothy Calkins, Clinical Professor of Marketing at the Kellog’s School of Management, tells 4Ps B&M from Northwestern, “I suspect this deal will have little impact on media spending budgets, at least in the short run. By working together the companies will try to stretch the planned spending. I suspect the individual business units at the companies won’t adjust spending levels until it is clear precisely how much there is in terms of savings. Companies are aggressively looking for ways to stretch marketing dollars and this is one promising approach. I suspect we will see more companies teaming up to negotiate with the major media companies, particularly if this venture delivers real benefits”

The deal’s specifics include that a team of executives from each company will review plans and priorities, concentrate on common areas of spending in media apart from their other supplies and negotiate purchases on behalf of both companies. But the media planning of the two companies would continue to be handled separately. There are rumours galore that the advertising agencies of the two companies might also face the brunt of this deal despite repeated statements by the two companies that advertising budgets and decisions will be handled solely by the respective companies as earlier.

But early signs that the new terrain for the brothers-in-arms would be treacherous are already appearing. Recent rumours suggest that big media companies like Turner, NBC, Conde Nast and Time Inc. have all rejected the proposal by the duo to jointly buy time and space at sharply discounted rates ranging up to 50%. The networks might just be right on this one. Omnicom, the parent advertising giant whose sister firms like TBWA and DDB are the agencies for PepsiCo and AB-InBev respectively also handles PepsiCo’s media buying through its media arm OMD. OMD handles more than $13 billion worth of media budgets for a plethora of big and small advertisers in the US. If the deal has to work, not only will OMD lose its bargaining clout with networks, networks themselves will be risking the ire of their other advertisers demanding similar rates. “This program will have the biggest impact on traditional media outlets such as network television and print. Since everyone understands how to evaluate these vehicles, it is an easy place to go after savings. The deal could have a big impact on events like the Super Bowl, since both companies have been Super Bowl advertisers over the years,” says Prof Calkins.

But the biggest issue that might just end this tryst between the giants sooner than later is the culture collision. Both Pepsi and Inbev come with legacy baggage, and that would be a bigger worry than actually making money out of the alliance. Come to think about it, when did a puritan aficionado of white beer ever allow itself to be mixed with Pepsi and sold as a new combo?

Anchal Gupta

Technology has become the USP of many players in the banking sector

2010-11-30T17:39:00.001+05:30

Today, electronic banking refers to the use of technology that allows customers access to banking services electronically – whether it is to pay bills, transfer funds, view accounts or to obtain information and advices. It refers to the electronic services that are made available to the customers through phone, personal computer, television and the Internet. Customers can perform banking transactions such as balance enquiries, bill payments, transaction histories, and transfer of money between accounts, obtain quotes and submit equity option and mutual fund offers without having to step into the office on the branch. Payments can be made in India in the form of cash, cheque, demand drafts, credit cards, debit cards and also by means of giving electronic instructions to the banker who will make such a payment on behalf of his customers.

Given all that, technology is actually helping the banks to reduce transaction costs and improve efficiency. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the central bank of the country has creditably been playing this developmental role and has taken several initiatives for a safe, secure, sound and efficient payment system under electronic banking, as these systems are used by individuals, banks, companies, governments, etc. to make payments to one another. In other words, anybody who has to make a payment to any one else can use one or the other form of payment system to make such a payment for which IT enabled channels create a platform.

Clearly, technology has become the Unique Selling Proposition of many players in the industry as it facilitates innovations in all functional management activities – accounting and finance, production and designing, marketing and customer management, research and development activities, and so on. All these innovations have helped the banks to provide seamless, cost effective and world class services to Indian consumers at the same time from Kargil to Kanyakumari and Kutch to Kohima.

Prashant Singh, Vice President & Country Head – FOS & Agency, Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company

Haven’t we had enough of it?

2010-11-15T17:51:00.000+05:30

It can’t be that Lalit Modi did not know what he was getting himself into when he wrote those historical tweets on the micro-blogging site, Twitter, on April 12, 2010, revealing the ownership pattern of Rendezvous Sports Group, the owner of the Kochi team. He also perhaps knowingly revealed the stake owned by Shashi Tharoor’s ‘close friend’ Sunanda Pushkar. After all the brouhaha created, the dagger is now hanging over Modi’s head. While Tharoor has already lost his ministerial post, the IT Department is now digging out the hidden skeletons in Modi’s closet. The BCCI too is orchestrating the ouster of Modi as the Chief of IPL. So after all the mud-slinging, what remains of brand IPL? The current season of IPL is scheduled to get over on April 25, with semi-finals starting from April 21. So, it is unlikely that the splash of the dirty linen wash will have any impact on the ongoing season. With consumer hysteria on a high, putting stakes on the winning teams, the TV viewership will gain firm grounds in the last four days of the series. And then again, the sponsors of Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Chennai Superkings & Royal Challengers (the semi-finalist teams) will under no circumstances withdraw their support. Therefore, to say that the current hullabaloo has, in anyway, impacted brand IPL in the eyes of cricket-lovers in this season is a fallacy. But what happens after the IPL season is over? Who helps us get over the post-IPL tamasha depression? Ladies, don’t worry, Indian Idol is just around the corner!

JUVENILE SMOKE? NO MORE!

2010-11-01T16:58:00.001+05:30

A US law, brought into force after 15 years, has banned the display of tobacco advertising to non adults. But the tobacco companies are not going to give ground so easily.

The law is yet another attempt in the world’s biggest tobacco products market to curtail the easily avoidable deterioration in health of coming generations. In 1964, the Surgeon General of the United States released a famous report that linked tobacco use with cancer and other diseases. This report led to laws requiring warning labels on tobacco products and restrictions on tobacco advertisements. In April 1970, US Congress passed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banning advertising of cigarettes on television and radio. As such laws began to come into force, tobacco marketing became subtler, with sweets shaped like cigarettes put on the market, and a number of advertisements designed to appeal to children, resulting in increased exposure to and adoption of smoking among children. Then in 1998, the historic legal settlement between four major tobacco companies dubbed “Big Tobacco” and 46 US states, prohibited tobacco companies from selling tobacco products to children.

But, anti-smoking groups and public health organizations stand their ground and argue that tobacco companies, which spend $35 million on an average each day on marketing, have continued to direct advertising to teens and children in subtle ways. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about 20 percent of high school students smoke. Children are a critical target population for anti-smoking efforts, with studies showing that 90 percent of smokers hooked on to it before they reached 18.

In fact, the secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, recently stated in a press conference, “Every day, nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and 1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers”. The rules will “help our kids stay healthy by making it harder for tobacco companies to target them with harmful and addictive products”, says Sebelius. The retaliatory noises, however, have already begun.

In the first legal challenge to the new law, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco and Lorillard, the country’s second- and third-largest tobacco producers, argued that certain provisions violated their rights to free speech as per the First Amendment. The complaint was filed in Kentucky, the state with the highest number of adult smokers. The Kentucky court struck down a rule that would have limited advertising to black text sans graphics except in adult magazines or retail establishments open only to adults. The judge ruled that companies can use imagery and colors to communicate the purpose of the product and name of the producer. Such ruling allows, for example, Reynolds to continue use of a camel drawing in its advertising for Camel cigarettes.

WHAT’S BUZZING THE BUZZ?!

2010-10-25T17:38:00.001+05:30

The latest product and gadget launches that garnered the biggest brownie points with respect to the interest they generated in the market

SWATCH JAQUET DROZ

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
• Minutes counter
• Price: Rs. 4,30,000/-
IT’S A WATCH; IT’S A SWATCH: Onyx as a stone has always been admired by expert dial-makers for ages. The magical allure of Onyx is captured by Jaquet Droz in the Grand Heure Minute Onyx for the first time. The minutes counter, off-centered at 9 o’clock and a bright gleam of steel add to the panache. Yet, it still boasts of the essential aesthetics in the product, and shows time too!

BIG LEAGUE OR NO LEAGUE

2010-10-18T17:38:00.001+05:30

Moving up the value chain has been an aspiration for Indian IT brands for quite sometime now. Now it may well be deemed an unavoidable necessity!

In the 2006-08 phase, Wipro, TCS, HCL and Infosys brought their BPO units into the parent company in order to go after deals with IT and BPO components (the same reason why TCS and Wipro picked up Citi’s assets). But as Sahni of IDC Asia Pacific says, “Indian IT SPs are not as competitive as their global counterparts for business consulting services. Indian IT SPs can provide advisory services as it links to IT operations and vertical specific solutions. However, in the true sense of business consulting i.e. People and Change Management, Corporate Strategy, Branding and Marketing, it doesn’t make sense for Indian IT SPs to enter that realm.” The best Indian IT firms can therefore do is to hire business consultants and leverage on their IT expertise. Two opportunities are hot property for Indian firms over the next few years in this regard. The first is the IFRS implementation, which is going to give them big business across major markets, barring the US (still continuing on GAAP). However, Europe, China, Japan, Australia et al, are gold mines in this regard, as some 60-70% of IFRS implementation is IT. The other big gold mine is intelligent ERP, the reason why HCL went all out to take over Axon.

Then there is the aspect of going deep into specific verticals. Financial services was a mainstay of major Indian IT companies till the recent recession taught them valuable lessons on the same. Now it has become important to diversify and Indian companies are adapting their models to cope. As an Indian IT analyst says, “In terms of deal innovation, Indian players are catching up with global leaders such as IBM and they are learning how to effectively use price innovation and business outcomes based models for winning contracts (eg TCS with Indian Passports Office). Creating a business model around this is complicated and a closely guarded ‘trade-secret’ as each vendor has their own pricing philosophy which is at the core of their sales and client engagement strategy.” Talent related to domain specialization is also getting increasingly sought after. Ravi Shankar, Senior VP and HR Head, India Operations, HCL, explains, “Domain-related specialisation is needed, for instance, in retail and banking (since the IT sector divides itself based on industry verticals). IT industry has always struggled to find domain specialisation.”

It is also important to gain larger deal sizes, in order to break the linear relationship between manpower and revenues. Chakraborti cites an example, “Not more than 3-4 companies are in fact billing more than $300 million deals. When deals become large, you don’t have to put an apple to apple kind of manpower addition. If 50 people are needed for a $30 million deal, that doesn’t mean you need 500 people for a $300 million deal. You may just have to put 150. So realisations are much better.”

THE CREATIVITY ABNORMALITY

2010-10-16T15:36:00.002+05:30

Despite being populated with innumerous product categories, the Indian FMCG sector has invested dramatically in promoting creativity to ensure a distinct brand imagery that has broken the clutter

“How can FMCG product categories create a unique brand promise when they are promising the exact same thing to the consumers?” questions Neeta Walia, Director, Brand Talk. “But they can certainly communicate it differently so as to create a distinct brand image in the minds of the consumer,” she adds.

Most FMCG products are low-involvement products and are required by consumers on a day-to-day basis. The buying pattern is more habit-led as compared to high-involvement products whose purchase requires more research. And hence, within a 30-second spot on TV, the advertiser previously was more concerned about communicating the functional benefits of the product, which left a minimal scope for creativity and therefore led to a fatigue in advertising. However, since creating a unique brand promise was/is difficult (considering that most of the products in one category provide more or less similar functional benefits), advertisers since then have gone radically ahead and created unique brand imagery, in fact moving away from the actual qualities of the product.

Take the case of Tata Tea’s Jaago Re! campaign. The Indian tea market has been predominantly captured by HUL with its brands Brooke Bond, Red label, Taj Mahal and Taaza. In an endeavour to replace HUL from its leadership position in the tea category, Tata Tea launched a disruptive insight and generated the big idea in the form of ‘Jaago Re!’ deduced from a research of young Indians over their perception of ‘waking up’ – considering that tea is essentially a wake up drink. A breakthrough integrated communication strategy helped Tata Tea’s volume share grew by 2.5% over HUL’s entire tea portfolio with over 50% market share in each of its variants. A recent ad by Emami for Boroplus decided against using the cliched style of communicating soft and beautiful skin and instead cast men who fall short of words to describe the skin of women in their lives and metaphorically (by comparing the skin to flower petals) explain their emotions.

Re-positioning of products has also led to the creation of some creative masterpieces, the classic example being the re-positioning of Perfetti Van Melle India’s Happydent chewing gum. First launched as a teeth whitening chewing gum, the product positioning failed miserably as Indians could not accept the brand. The product was then re-launched and re-positioned with the breakthrough commercials such as the Photographer Flash and the Palace ads. The Happydent Palace ad went on to win EFFIES Gold in 2007. In fact, a cursory glance at the winners of EFFIES in the last 2-3 years reveals that FMCG product categories have invariably ruled the charts. In 2009, as many as 10 Consumer Products won EFFIES – the maximum in all other product categories.

IIPM [ Live ] - IIPM Bhubaneshwar - Panel Discussion on the topic, “Advertising: Is it all about creativity or strategy”

2010-08-28T09:44:00.002+05:30

On 10th July 2010, 4ps Club of IIPM Bhubaneshwar organized a Panel Discussion on the topic, “Advertising: Is it all about creativity or strategy”. The guests for the event were Mr. Prasanna Panda, Response Head- Indian Express, Mr. Debasish Sahu, Branch Manger- PPS Bhubaneshwar and Prof. Surya Das Mohapatra who played the role of moderator in the entire event.

Both the speakers had stressed on the core importance of the verticals of their respective industries. Mr. Prasanna Panda was very explicit and clear about his views on how an adjustable and practical balance has to be maintained when thinking of the success of an advertising campaign. Mr. Sahu of PPS was also very clear in explaining different attributes that influence the advertising industry. His clear distinction of strategy and creativity and how the combination of both the concepts has turned around the thinking in advertising industry was beautifully emphasized by him.

Students were delighted to be among the guests and thoroughly enjoyed the question and answer round. It was a real value addition for the young & dynamic future managers as they had got a 360 degree view of the Advertising Industry.

IIPM National News - Independence Day Celebrations at IIPM Lucknow

2010-08-27T09:55:00.002+05:30

“At the stroke of midnight India will see a new dawn….” said Jawaharlal Nehru on the night of 14th August, 1947. Today we Indians celebrate that golden moment with the same unmatched enthusiasm that they did 63 years ago.

IIPM Lucknow joined the caravan of celebrations by hosting a function on 14th August 2010. The Students’ Council celebrated the Patriotic eve by participating in competitions like collage making and singing. The topic of Collage Making was “Swadeshi Marketing" and it was won by Vivek Pant and Khushboo Chatlani of PGP/SS/10-12.

Besides this, to get the feel of the day, everyone had adorned the tricolors wherein the most creatively dressed students won awards for their dresses which matched the theme. The selected people had to perform as per their preferences i.e. sing, or speak on something in relevance to Independence Day. Himanshu Singh of PGP/SS/10-12 bagged the title of Best Dressed Student.

Management School - IIPM - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-27T00:11:00.003+05:30

Ashim Mathur

Director Marketing, Microsoft EDD India

He leads the hard part of Microsoft (literally!!!). Ashim Mathur is the man in charge of driving the business of Microsoft Xbox 360 and the input devices division. Besides that, he is also bringing out detailed strategies for Microsoft at the retail and the shopfront level. Under his leadership, the Xbox has attained significant traction via a slew of launches marketing campaigns and online initiatives. Even the hardware devices are attracting consumer preference despite being priced at some premium in a largely commoditised market. At the front end, Mathur is extremely positive with respect to the increase in usage of genuine Microsoft Office software, from nearly 0% to around 20%.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

“We will change your outlook” – The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read…

The Sunday Indian:-

B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine’s B School Ranking Scam Exposed

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor

Don’t trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education

IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. – For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

IIPM 4Ps Business & Marketing - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-26T10:25:00.000+05:30

Amit Syngle

VP, Sales & Marketing, Asian Paints

Amit Syngle has added even brighter colours to the Asian Paints stable ever since he took over the reigns as VP, Sales and Marketing in 2008. Asian Paints won the Web Marketing Association’s Web Award 2008 for outstanding achievement in web development in the Consumer Goods Standard of Excellence category. The high point has been the launch of the signature store ‘Colour with Asian Paints’ in Mumbai to give the consumers an experience into diverse colour themes and ranges. Similarly, he has spearheaded the recent Apex Ultima campaign targeted at high end users. Thus, Syngle continues to ensure that A-Paints (as it’s called in the circles) continues to shine brightly in its flock.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

IIPM 4Ps Business & Marketing - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-25T10:49:00.001+05:30

A. S. Mehta

Director – Marketing, JK Tyres

It was when an Army officer contacted the company asking for a replacement of a tyre that he claimed to be a defective piece. However, when we started doing the investigation, it was found that it wasn’t a defect; rather it was because of an external injury. But we decided to replace the tyre and it was decided that we will replace a tyre immediately if a complaint comes from an Army officer with no question being asked. It is a particular moment that I feel is very close to my heart as at JK Tyres, it is our small tribute to the Nation.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-24T16:50:00.000+05:30

Hitesh Oberoi

Director & COO, naukri.com

The most memorable marketing moment for us has to be definitely the launch of “Hari Sadu” campaign who with time became synonymous with rude, ill-tempered bosses. It was the turning point for Naukri.com, as it not only took us to a next level, but also gave a strong brand recall which is quite evident till today. The character and campaign got such a wonderful response that our job-search portal, which initially positioned itself as the complete and final solution to all with Sadu-like boss, has again relaunched the character for more fun, now when jobs are back!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-23T13:46:00.000+05:30

Rahul Agarwal

Executive Director – WW IMC and Marketing Services, Lenovo

The day we kicked off the global marketing hub in Bangalore for Lenovo worldwide, June 1, 2007 would perhaps be the highpoint of my career, symbolically. It was a pioneering model; no one before has had the vision to this level of marketing at a global level, which could cover not only strategy but also execution. We manage marketing communications for over 50 countries and meet their needs right from a product brochure to TVCs. We make global campaigns, but we also try to localize them. We also do market research, analytics; launch management and competition analysis at a global level. Our objective now is to further sharpen and perfect this model. The challenge always is how to strike the right balance between global consistency and local relevance.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

MOVEMENT FROM MASS MEDIA TO SOCIAL MEDIA

2010-08-21T16:54:00.001+05:30

Social Media has become the highlight for marketers using Digital Media. While TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users, it has taken the Internet only 4 years.

‘Ignition’ is the first Digital Media Internship Program to be launched, which focuses on rigorous on-the-job training and handling real projects, which will enable interns to fit into any digital agency or a marketing role from the time they graduate.

It is designed to evolve professionals for the digital world. It is the perfect platform for graduates and young professionals pursuing a career in the online industry that will also aim at honing their skills to prepare them for being part of the industry. ‘Ignition’ is a ten month program, where in the first three months the interns will work with various online divisions, which will include creative, web development, client servicing, business development, strategy, search marketing, social media optimisation & online media. The next six months, the interns choose their area of specialisation in client servicing, search and social marketing or online media and work on live projects. The last month is dedicated towards gearing up for placements, where the most interesting and promising aspect about the programme is the guaranteed job in leading online agencies and companies.

The entire program is also certified by the IAMAI – The Internet and Mobile Association of India, and interns will receive a joint certification from Ignition and IAMAI at the end of the program.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Will India really be Incredible this year?

2010-08-20T16:08:00.001+05:30

With three blockbuster events unfolding in 2010, the Indian hospitality & tourism sector is the catchphrase for the world for this year. Marketers have to ensure that they milk this opportunity to unleash fast paced, sustainable growth

NET BOOKING

INTERNET TO THE RESCUE

According to IRCTC data, Online Travel portals have grown by 20% irrespective of the fact that the travel and tourism industry didn’t see any growth last year. By cashing in on business travellers, the Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) prevented major setbacks in 2009. And with the economy bouncing back, players have huge expectations from 2010. The OTA fraternity believes that the volume of consumers switching over to online tools for their travel related buying is proliferating every year. So can we catch up with world’s largest online travel market – US? “Not really, but the ‘offline to online shift’ has been the fastest ever in the Indian market, with over 40% growth,” answers Deep Kalra, Founder & CEO of MakeMyTrip.com. The company is extrapolating a growth of 25% this year. New kids are also scrambling to beef up their presence. One such player is Travelocity, which is aiming for a growth of 20% during the Kumbh Mela and Commonwealth Games. In the same league, Cleartrip has seen the first profitable month in January 2010. And Ezeego1is enhancing its product offerings by offering more value added product to corporate travellers.

TRAVEL ACCESSORIES

TO KEEP YOU COMPANY

“We would be rolling out a new collection during the summers and it’s not because of Commonwealth Games, but we are expecting a major growth this year as the travel sector is going to boom,” announces Subrata Dutta, COO, Samsonite South Asia.

As the travel buzz gains momentum in the course of the year, travel accessory manufacturers are expectedly seeing a wonderful opportunity to crank up those sales targets. Samsonite is planning to roll out its collection and has set aside a portion of its advertising budget to promote these products. Samsonite is not an exception; with recession finally bidding adieu and travel & tourism showing a sunny signal, many travel accessory companies are readying themselves to cash in on this opportunity.

Starting from sports brands to glares, from global giants to desi brands; all are in a spree to bank in on the travel quotient of Indian consumer. “It’s not always the travel quotient, summer is also another reason and our merchandise is for summer travels,” says Rajiv Mehta, CEO of Puma Sports India Pvt Ltd. From cargos to ruck-shacks, Puma is bringing out a range of products and the German headquarters has even given instructions to promote these products specifically to the tourists traveling during Commonwealth Games. In the same league, VIP Industries, whose growth plans was affected during last year’s slowdown, is now gearing up with its new luggage collection and to sharpen its edge of plastic moulded suitcases, the company is enhancing the same product portfolio with vibrant colours. Ray Ban does not have specific plans for the summer time but for travellers they are coming out with a sales promotion offer during April. Even if they do not convert to immediate numbers, the games will provide invaluable visibility for firms who are targeting the Indian market.

Neha Saraiya and Angshuman Paul

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

WHAT’S BUZZING THE BUZZ?!

2010-08-19T14:19:00.004+05:30

Be it handycams, mobile phones, laptops or the latest hot wheels, all of them created enough waves in the Indian market in the last fortnight.

Samsung B5722

Next is Here: Samsung has added a new phone to its series of new launches. Samsung B5722 is a phone with the Dual SIM-Touch Screen technology. It provides the user with an advantage of using 2 SIM cards along with the touch screen technology. The phone offers a 2.8” touch screen display, 8 GB expandable memory, 13.4 hours of talk time and a brilliant 3D sound output.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Dual SIM- Touch Screen
3D Sound Output
3MP Camera
13.4 Hours Talk Time
Price: Rs. 11,680

TRANSCEND PF830

Cheerful Memories: Transcend has launched a digital photo frame which displays digital photos with the same sharpness and rich colours as the high quality prints provide. It has a 2GB of internal memory and supports almost all types of memory cards and storage devices. The PF830 has 8’’ digital LCD panel with 800x600 resolution and 4:3 aspect ratio which allows minimal distortion of your digital images.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

2GB Internal Memory
8’’ digital LCD panel
800x600 resolution
Price: Rs. 8,000

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

2010-08-18T14:24:00.001+05:30

As many as 16 players vying for the attention of consumers in a market, how can anyone get noticed? Ask Indian telecom service providers and they will tell you how…

“There is no hour of waking life in which we are not besought, incited, or commanded to buy something of somebody.” Sound familiar? Samuel Hopkins Adams, the famous advertising expert of his time, had made this remark in 1909, an era when advertising and marketing was still in its uncluttered infancy. More than 100 years have passed, but the statement seems as relevant as it was then. In fact, as clutter turns out to be the great media boogeyman of our time (as Marc E. Babei, Forbes.com’s marketing columnist puts it) and marketers its puppets, the significance of this statement has only increased manifolds with question remaining the same: How to get a hearing amidst the entire hubbub? And this holds true even for the Indian telecom industry whose growth story has said to have defied the fundamental rules of the game!

The reason as to why we can say that with élan is based on the fact that as of today there are as many as 16 players (including brands like Airtel, RCOM, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, Tata Indicom, Aircel, Uninor and Tata DOCOMO) in the Indian telecom arena vying to catch the attention of the subscribers, but with very little differentiation, both in terms of product offerings and services. This wouldn’t have been a big problem for these players if everything would have remained the same as it is now. But with mobile number portability (MNP) making its way to the Indian telecom arena anytime soon, it would become imperative for these players to have a strong brand aura so that they can not only lure new customers, but at the same time remain connected with their existing customers. “Surely MNP will be an advantage to all, operators and customers alike. However, only those brands that deliver superior mobility experience to customers and create a strong brand connect will be able to sustain the initial benefits derived from MNP,” says Allan Bonke, Executive Vice President, Delhi Hub, Uninor. Indeed true! But then, there lies the challenge: With as many as 16 players vying for the attention of consumers, how can anyone get noticed?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

WHAT’S BUZZING THE BUZZ?!

2010-08-17T16:53:00.001+05:30

Be it handycams, mobile phones, laptops or the latest hot wheels, all of them created enough waves in the Indian market in the last fortnight.

ThinkPad X100e

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
• AMD Athlon Processors
• 11.6 inch HD Display
• Price: Rs.29,950 onwards

THINKING ABOUT THE THINKPAD?: ThinkPad X100e is the first professional ultra portable laptop from Lenovo in India. This latest offering comes with a 11.6-inch HD (1366x768) LED backlight 200 nit, 4GB (2 SD-DIMM slots) memory, carries a turion dual core processors, and comes with a 3 cell battery for the Indian user.

SONY W380

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
• 14.1 Mega Pixel
• 5x Optical Zoom
• 6.9 cm LCD
• G Lens
• Price: Rs.14,990

TIME TO SAY CHEESE: Sony India has added a new digital camera to its highly acclaimed Cyber-shot series. The new W380 is a 14.1 mega pixel camera with 5x optical zoom, G lens, 2.0 Hi-Speed USB, 6.9 cm LCD, with 110 minutes (220 shots) of battery backup.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Can Shera add shine to Brand India?

2010-08-16T12:49:00.000+05:30

The first is undoubtedly what can be seen and felt – fractured infrastructure! As per a recent survey conducted by HVS Hospitality Services, only 69% of the 100 projects that were announced for the Games in 2007, have actually been launched. Similarly, only 53% of the proposed supply of 16,560 rooms that were to come up in the Delhi-NCR areas will be ready by October 2010. Thus for the CWG 2010, only 5,700 rooms will be made available – a shortfall of about 15,000 rooms! Of course, this presents great opportunities for the small and mid-sized hoteliers, as Peter J. Leitgeb, CEO & President, Claridges Hotels and Resorts, says, “Yes, we are also looking forward to CWG 2010 in a big way and why not when the Government has taken all necessary steps to ensure that private entities come forward. But again, I think marketers are getting too optimistic about the CWG 2010 event...”

The second issue is that of poor build-up of the brand ‘CWG 2010’. Although the CWG governing body has already raised $60 million by selling-out TV rights to the broadcasters in Australia & UK, the figure represents a minor poportion of even the $2.6 billion loan taken from the Government. Talking about this lackadasical approach to the branding of the whole event, Latika Khaneja, Director, College Sports Management, explains, “When a country promotes such a stately event, then the planning should be done in 5-6 years in advance, like it was done with the 2008 Beijing Olympics, when even the key store chains at streets were branded for the big event. Thus, you first build on the ‘event’ brand and only then can you expect corporates to be interested in it, as they would never desire any association with such a loss-making proposition. But in our country, the officials were/are just so engrossed in dealing with basic infrastructural issues that they have totally neglected the branding and marketing part of the event.”

All said and done, the grand event is finally just months away. But with just four official sponsors, shortage of hotel rooms (which of course is a case long lost), metro-rail construction still in progress and bureaucracy playing spoilsport, brand India Inc. will need to pull all its might into supporting the government efforts, if they really wish to take advantage of a fantastic opportunity. Yes, infrastructural and developmental delays can’t be simply wished away. But also cannot be ignored is the fact that if there is any state or city that can pull this mammoth event off, it is New Delhi. And truly, things just might work out in time. Our take: Godspeed Shera!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

“Funding is the major roadblock!”

2010-08-14T14:14:00.001+05:30

He sold his well set up business in 2007, that made him once the market leader and decided to venture into a sector that was only talked about and not explored. Today with Indosolar, he is the largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic cells in India, ahead of firms like Moserbaer and Tata BP Solar. Set to hit the market with his maiden public issue, Hulas Rahul Gupta, MD, Indosolar, discusses his future plans to B&E’s Deepak Ranjan Patra

B&E: You were the market leader in the compact fluorescent lamps and halogen lamps category when you decided to make an exit from the particular business. Why did you take such a decision?
HRG: By the end of 2006, there were a lot of activities going on in the PE arena, especially in the automotive segment in the Asia-Pacific region. Most of the offers were for growth capital and we were not in the growth capital space. So, it was all a matter of valuation. We analysed it very professionally and the valuation was really good. The share price was around Rs. 85 and the selling was Rs 200 a share. We also believed that the sharehoders were getting a good amount and it was a win-win situation. So we decided to move out from the sphere.

B&E: Just two years back, you entered the photovoltaic cell-making business and now you are the leader with controlling 40% of the country’s annual cell-making capacity. How has been the journey so far and what was the strategy that worked for you so well?
HRG: After Phoenix, one of the areas where we started looking business opportunities, was global warming and climate change. In thge mean time, we came across solar technology. The more we looked at it more we liked it. It was seriously a capital intensive business. But at the same time, we decided that we must bring in concurrent technology to India, so that it has a higher domestic demand in future. From that point of view, we entered into solar technology. From the beginning itself, we wanted to go for scale. So, at a time when 10 MW unit was considered big, we opted for a plant with 200 MW capacity.

B&E: You are planning to launch a public issue shortly. Does it aim at scaling up your capacity alone?
HRG: After looking at the governments’ incentive policy, which allows a capital subsidy of 25% on capex of Rs. 1,000 crore, we thought we must apply for the same. Thus, we decided to increase our footprint to 360 MW at a total cost of Rs. 1,545 crore. With this IPO, we are planning to accomplish the second phase of our expansion by adding 100 MW capacity.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Race to sign Priyanka!

2010-08-13T15:08:00.000+05:30

Director Abbas Mastan is trying to rope 27-year-old Priyanka Chopra in a sequel of the hit action flick Race that was released in 2008. While Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan have already been signed for the movie, it is Priyanka’s sex appeal that’s drawing Mastan to get her on-board as soon as possible. Intended to be slicker than the 2008 film, with Piggy Chops it will definitely be sexier!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

“Intel and Qualcomm are two different competitors!”

2010-08-12T15:18:00.002+05:30

B&E: AMD is investing heavily on server & graphic technology. What’s all the talk about your new ‘Vision’ approach that follows the ‘Fusion’?
Seyer: We are seeing strong demand in a variety of markets, including a rebounding server industry that is being driven by cloud computing and virtualisation, among other technologies. On the graphics side, there’s unprecedented demand for immersive graphic experiences, be it gaming, video or otherwise. In fact, in just the three months after the launch of the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series, the first DirectX 11-capable graphics products from AMD, we have shipped more than 2 million DX11 cards. In 2009, we introduced Vision Technology from AMD, a new way of communicating with consumers, retailers and PC manufacturers that breaks the traditional model of how PC benefits are communicated by emphasising real-world usage models that communicate the value of the whole system, not technical specifications. The positive response to the Vision approach prompted the launch of Vision Pro at The Consumer Electronics Show 2010, which expanded the program to AMD’s enterprise customers. At CES, Lenovo debuted its first AMD-powered ThinkPad notebooks, using Vision Pro.

B&E: Intel & Qualcomm are two of AMD’s biggest competitiors. What challenges do they pose to AMD?
Seyer: Intel and Qualcomm are two different competitors, but we welcome fair and open competition. The former is well established in the computing market, and the latter is not established in computing, but is well established in the communications market and is just beginning to enter the computing market through smartbooks. The key to success won’t be based on past achievements, but on forward-looking innovations and through our Fusion approach, we have plenty of capability and assets to lead in our target markets. The semiconductor market has always been, and always will be fiercely competitive, but AMD is keenly focused on what we need to do to succeed.

B&E: After 12 quarters, AMD returned to profits in Q4, 2009. What were the most recent strategiec changes that have helped AMD’s cause?
Seyer: We took steps to streamline the company, including revitalising the executive team & board with a series of strategic appointments, reducing company debt, refocusing on design & the spinning-off of AMD’s manufacturing capabilities in 2009. These, and many other advances, have put AMD in a strong market position to compete.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

“India is an excellent fit..."

2010-08-11T12:41:00.001+05:30

GE India CEO John Flannery affirms that the country is at an early stage of devel opment and GE has a number of solutions for its growth problems in an interaction with virat bahri of B&E

B&E: GE India's financing business faced a number of delinquencies in the past. How are you going to address that situation now?
JF: The whole industry - especially in the unsecured consumer sectors - has seen higher than normal delinquency in the past 24 months. We have dealt with it in the "old fashioned" way in terms of just adding a lot of resources and focus to the situation but also using our global best practices to apply technology based initiatives to reduce delinquency. The worst is behind us for sure at this point and we were solidly profitable in the first quarter of 2010. Going forward,we want to remain an active player in financial services in India. We will continue to build out our partnership with SBI and invest in sectors where GE has significant expertise like infrastructure, energy, health care and aviation. We are also interested in continuing our history of making private equity investments - we've done a significant number of deals over the last 10 years with very strong returns - we would definitely like to see more of those opportunities.

B&E: GE has traditionally been famous for aspiring to be among the top three in every market it enters. Where does your company stand with respect to that philosophy when it comes to the Indian market?
JF: Our overall agenda is to become a much bigger player in India than we have been historically. As much as India has grown in the past decade, it is still in the very early stages of its long-term development. To achieve our agenda, we will be focused on enhancing our local product development and marketing capability, expanding our technology and manufacturing base and seeking to partner with leading Indian companies where that makes sense. As with any successful organisation, making sure we attract, develop and retain the absolutely best human resources is of paramount importance. When we look at where we are today in India, we are not fully satisfied. There is no shortage of opportunities in India, and there is a good fit to become two or three times the size we are today. We have had solid success in many areas but given the opportunities in this country and their excellent fit with our areas of strategic focus, we should be doing more — significantly more.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Israel: Keep the faith

2010-08-10T12:43:00.000+05:30

Masada, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complex of palaces and fortifications built by King Herod, stands on a horst on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert. The place was scene to a two-year-long siege by Roman forces during the First Jewish-Roman War. At the end of the two years, the Roman garrison went for an all out offensive, leaving the 900-odd Sicarii rebels with the only option of surrender. The rebels opted for mass suicide and the Romans occupied the City of the Dead. Till date, the opulent baths, storage houses and the hanging palace of Herod stand firm, beautiful witnesses to a horrific and heroic act in defence of faith. This was a heavy experience too. Today, members of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) hold their swearing-in ceremony on the top of Masada. It ends with the pledge: “Masada will not fall again.”

The coastal city of Haifa is Israel’s largest port. Standing on the top of the Bahai centre, one can see the marina, the port, and the hills beyond which lies rocket-spewing Lebanon. Haifa is a typical middle class city, centre of the Bahai faith, famous for its art centre, roadside art exhibits, writers, filmmakers and intellectuals. Haifa is the liberal centre of Israel, and the Left including the communists are a force here to be reckoned with. It is a city where we started shedding the load gathered in Jerusalem and Masada. A 40-km drive away stands the Roman capital of Caesarea with its re-built crusader’s city, velodrome and the ancient harbour where ships of the Empire would once berth.

The Israelis say: “You pray in Jerusalem, stay in Haifa and play in Tel Aviv.” True to the hilt, Tel Aviv is everything that stands for degeneration to the orthodox Jews. Considered a hedonist’s pleasuremax paradise,with its numerous bars, nightclubs, lap dance bars and striptease joints, Israel’s second-largest and most modern city literally never sleeps. People are more cosmopolitan, fashionable and friendly. While the evenings are perfect for the spectacular Mayumana show in old Jaffa, the sea-front promenade, an endless sea of restaurants and cafes, is the right place to spend a lazy day.

Israel is a foodie’s paradise as Jews, when they came from different parts of the world, brought their respective food habits. It is a world food station with a Mediterranean undertone. For outsiders, it is important to know whether a place is Kosher. Kosher places don’t serve meat and dairy together. The wine produced in Israel is at par with the world’s finest. From taking one to the lowest point of the Earth to the highest reaches of the spirit, Israel is a nation like none other.

Tathagata Bhattacharya

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Rajat Bal, General Manager EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa), International Business, i.Tech Dynamic reveals his company’s India plans to B&E

2010-08-09T16:10:00.000+05:30

B&E: Any market share targets in India, say, by the end of this year?
RB: We plan to capture approximately 15% of the official market for Bluetooth headsets by the end of the 2010 financial year.

B&E: What is the current degree of penetration that you have achieved in the market?
RB: Our products are present at the moment in all the Metropolitan cities of the country.

B&E: Your distribution channel appears to be very confined at the moment considering the mobile phone market has penetrated deep into the country. So how do you plan to expand that?
RB: Our current distribution channel is confined to the mobile phone dealer channel. We plan to include Large Format Retail (LFR), online channel as well as Audio Video product re-sellers. The Audio Video channel (AV) is an import channel for us since most new products in the AV segment will have Bluetooth capability.

B&E: What are your future plans for distribution in India?
RB: With Ingram Micro as a National Partner we are looking forward to place our product at 10,000 POS by the end of Year 2010. Our National Partner will focus on both sales & service in the country. Both I-Tech and Ingram Micro will run the business under the company’s theme of “Innovations Unlimited”.

B&E: Straightup, your company’s turnover...
RB: i.Tech’s turnover in 2008 was US$64.5 million.

B&E: What are your views on the latent potential of the Indian market for your products?
RB: India is one of the largest markets of mobile phone users. Wireless freedom is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity. Regulations do not permit drivers to talk on the mobile phones while driving and this is where Bluetooth Headsets gain additional significance. India is a price sensitive market, but consumers in India are willing to pay a price for quality and innovation as long as this innovation has value addition. India is going to be one of the most important markets for i.Tech in 2010 and it will be one of the focus markets for i.Tech.

B&E: Who do you believe to be your closest competitor in terms of the Bluetooth devices?
RB: Our closest competitor in the market is Nokia.

(Ed Note: Responses have been edited contextually)

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Let’s wait for the results, shall we?

2010-08-07T14:37:00.001+05:30

Mahindra Satyam is now getting back on track. But the biggest issue facing them is the upcoming June declaration of true results. Can they handle that? by Amir Moin

By the time this magazine goes for print, Mahindra Satyam (formerly Satyam Computers) would be hosting an analyst meet with the theme – New World. New Possibilities: How a re-energized Mahindra Satyam looks at the New World, post the recession; and innovates to create value for its stakeholders. If you look at it in one way, a lot of the alarm bells have stopped ringing at Satyam since the company went through the scam, the confession (by B. Ramalinga Raju, that he had cooked up a fictitious Rs.50.43 billion in the account books), the rescue & recuperation and the acquisition by Mahindra for Rs.28.9 billion on April 15 last year. Customer churn, which was at its zenith in that period, has been all but frozen, and the company is now winning accounts like BASF and GlaxoSmithkline. Mahindra Satyam has secured four big deals & added 25 new clients in the past few months and the FIFA contract too.

A great success was achieved with an out-of-court settlement for the U-paid case last year. It was a long standing case, where U-paid had accused Satyam, its former software vendor, for forgery and fraud. The case ended in an out-of-court settlement of $70 million. But the restatement of results for the company, which would happen somewhere in June this year, could throw up a huge spanner in the shareholders’ expectations. Key shareholder L&T has sold off its stake, saying that the company’s performance is being concealed from shareholders. And the issue of SEC fine is yet to be sorted out.

Initially, there were many challenges starting right from reinstating confidence in the brand in front of customers and sorting out corporate governance issues. The uncertainty pertaining to the future of Satyam was so huge that almost every job portal had the CV of every Satyamite! The company still faces a high degree of employee churn in the realm of 20%. As per reports, around 75% of top management has already left the company. CP Gurnani, CEO, Mahindra Satyam has commented that the situation is now under control and a hiring plan of about 8,000 people is in the pipeline. And there are experts –like Mayur Sahni, Senior Market Analyst, IDC – who support his view (“When you have a workforce of around 53000, then an attrition of 15-20% does not really matter. In fact, the people who matter the most at Mahindra Satyam have still not left the company,” says IDC’s Sahni).

But attrition was not the only issue. Mahindra Satyam lost a lot of customers in the initial four to five months. Still, if one looks at recent events, then things seem to be on track as far as recovery is concerned; yet, numbers on the stock market speak a different language. That’s understandable, since the markets are still embroiled in countless speculations on the true state of affairs in the company till the restated results are announced.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Pimp ma’ ride

2010-08-06T11:47:00.001+05:30

Stronger nations station their forces to intimidate weaker ones

You thought imperialism was dead? Hardly, since none can beat Uncle Sam’s current record with more than 369,000 of its 1.3 million troops stationed in 150 countries outside its own. A distant second in terms of troops stationed outside is Britain – with 41,000 out of 217,000 active duty military personnel stationed in Cyprus and Germany, having training missions in South East Asia and Middle East and on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans. Close on the heels of the Brits are the French with 34,000 out of their total 360,000 defence personnel deployed abroad; the biggest contingent being positioned in Haiti, Lebanon, Cot d’Ivoire, and Afghanistan. Next on the ladder are Germany with 7551 contingents (Afghanistan & Kosovo) and Russia with 5000 (Tajikistan & Moldova).

No matter how they camouflage their occupation of foreign land, no country or citizen wants their nation to be under the control of outsiders. That’s what Hamid Karzai is realising. Despite his vouching for the support of the US-led coalition forces, common Afghans are greatly opposed to foreign military presence in their homeland. Iraqis are also getting impatient with the slow pace of American withdrawal. Even in their nascent democracy, the Iraqi government is forced to pay heed to the popular sentiment; forcing US to commit complete withdrawal by end of 2011. There was a massive rally in Tokyo on January 30 this year to protest against US military’s presence in Okinawa. In Germany as well, the government is echoing the popular sentiment against the presence of US troops.

This new version of imperialism is another way in which stronger countries try to retain positions of power and influence in weaker countries and arm-twist them as per their needs. Such tendencies have to be curbed; as they are self defeating. In the long term, this is a dangerous strategy and breeds hatred and extremism. It backfired for Russia in Afghanistan. It backfired for US in Vietnam. It backfired for India in Sri Lanka. It will backfire even today. The solution is evident – just move out and do something more... stay out!

Sayan Ghosh

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Living up to their name finally?

2010-08-05T14:19:00.002+05:30

From a regional player that faced the ire of debtors in 2003 to a company that is aiming to be one of the leading cement players in India in the coming times, India Cements is planning a paradigm transformation. Can it go the distance? by Virat Bahri

When Birla group company Grasim Industries acquired Ultratech and when Holcim took control of Gujarat Ambuja and ACC, they were not just acquiring enhanced cement capacities. Their aim was also to leverage the brand equities of the targets in their bid to broaden their target audience. Even in a perceptually commoditised market like cement, it is very difficult to enhance your reach without the requisite brand power.

India Cements isn’t a company in the league of either Grasim or Holcim, with its presence largely restricted to the south Indian market and a capacity of around 14 mtpa. By volume, it is the market leader in the South Indian market, and has established presence in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. Moreover, it hasn’t been long (2003) since the company was compelled to go through the Corporate Debt Restructuring Mechanism (CDRM) under RBI due to its failure to repay its interest and repayment obligations. Since that time, Vice Chairman and MD N. Srinivasan has been instrumental in taking the company back en route to recovery. In the process, he has bought out his brother’s stake in the company to emerge as the sole promoter.

Just like Holcim and Grasim, India Cements now aspires to challenge the boundaries that it had set for itself over the last six decades of existence. And its headline-grabbing route to national fame is not the acquisition of a national level brand, but widening of its own brand appeal and reach; buoyed by the acquisition of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise in the Indian Premier League for around $91 million in 2008. The company instinctively realised that it had a winner in the franchise from the very beginning. In an exclusive interview with B&E after the culmination of IPL Season 1, India Cements MD N. Srinivasan had exuberantly exclaimed, “In 45 days, we have created a brand. We are able to register our presence in public domain. Making this happen in such a very short span of time is what we have achieved.”

Coincidentally, 2010, the year in which India Cements planned a major QIP to raise around $65 million (in March 2010), is also the year in which CSK won the IPL tournament. The associated recognition seems to be far more important to India Cements as compared to profits or valuations (incidentally, CSK earned around Rs.800 million for the company in 2010). Company officials excitedly discuss on how the CSK branding has made it easier for them to gain dealerships in new markets. In fact, the company’s cement bags are being sold based on the punchline - from the house of CSK. But obviously, this recognition can only be the tip of the iceberg in what would be a long, arduous journey to become a national player. B&E takes a look at how the hard business metrics play out for India Cements beyond the action on the cricket field.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
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Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Another close friendship gone sour

2010-08-04T12:34:00.000+05:30

All is not well between the once thick friends Shahrukh Khan and Farah Khan, apparently because they let their professional commitments come in between their personal relationship. Apparently, Farah wanted to cast SRK in her forthcoming film Tees Maar Khan, which is based on Satte Pe Satta. But King Khan did not wish to do any more Amitabh Bachchan remakes, which upset Farah. This escalated to their spouses as well, as SRK refused to do Shirish Kunder’s film as well. Whoever said friends are forever!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

The Views

2010-08-03T12:31:00.001+05:30

Rehman Malik, Interior Minister, Pakistan

On Mumbai attack
We have always condemned such attacks and we condemn it once again. Within hours, our Prime Minster and the President called Delhi and assured full support to India. We ordered an investigation even before India gave its first dossier. Seven accused are under trial currently while more that 16 have been put on the absconding list. However, as an independent judiciary, it has its own ways. But we are positive that the trial will be finished in coming months.

On custody of Ajmal Kasab
The process is very simple. When the conspiracy is made somewhere, then the culprit should be tried there too. So, if the trial of Kasab is over, we will like him to be tried here too. We can discuss it later. The only thing is that we want India to talk to us on a common level. Not breathing down our neck. On intricacies of trial
We have not yet been provided with the Kasab’s statement. It is not good for us and it is not good for India. There is constant pressure on us to arrest Hafiz Saeed. But we have not yet received proof. We have just been offered allegations. We arrested him but he was released by the court because we were not provided with the info. There was some information on Lakhvi but we filled the gap. Our intelligence agency managed to track the server to Russia, Kuwait and elsewhere.

On David Headley
No information has been shared with us. Since it is claimed that he hatched the plan here, we need to receive information. We will also love to investigate him. He is subjected to US law and India is yet to receive access. If we have any information we will provide it.

On Hafiz Saeed’s hate speech
We cannot stop anybody from making speeches. If you start putting people behind bars for making hate speech, half of India and half of Pakistan will be behind bars. Under the anti-terror act of Pakistan if anybody instigates terror he can be put behind bars.

On his name being dragged into the Benazir assassination report
Since I am the interior minister, I am in the line of fire. I was not the security in charge. I was merely the security advisor. I was against the rally there but the local cadres said that it will help. It was said that I ran away when the blast happened. I only moved when the van carrying Benazir Bhutto moved. This has been substantiated in the affidavit filed by the driver of my vehicle. The upstarts of the politics want to gain fame on my cost. I just laugh it off.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Did he get it wrong all along?

2010-08-02T12:39:00.001+05:30

Prof. C. K. Prahalad might have been instrumental in challenging convention and initiating very relevant debates, but Prahalad’s theories weren’t exactly conclusive in themselves with respect to the logic they purported... B&E presents a review of why and where Prahalad got it wrong by Virat Bahri

B&E’s research team had also analysed m-cap growth for India’s top 15 core and top 15 diversified companies from 2003-2005. Diversified companies registered growth of 183.37% as compared to 143.35% for core companies. Prof. Tarun Khanna and Prof. Krishna Palepu from Harvard Business School also argued in their research paper titled The Right Way to Restructure Conglomerates in Emerging Markets, “Even with the best intentions...Rushing to dismantle business groups that now fill these institutional voids could do more harm than good.”

As far as the ‘Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid’ approach by C. K. Prahalad and S. L. Hart goes, the crux was that companies now need to aggressively target customers at the lower echelons of the socio-economic pyramid. The authors argued that companies could actually earn profitably from these blocks by creating new and innovative models; and even help eradicate poverty. He gave instances like the ITC e-Choupal, HUL’s shampoo satchets, Aravind Eye Hospital and Annapurna Salt. Yes, the jargon attained quite an exuberant amount of hype – but not surprisingly, not much else, as it was quite difficult for companies to perceive how destitute masses could garner the so promised purchasing power.

Even Prahalad’s colleague Prof. Aneel Karnani, Associate Professor of Strategy, University of Michigan, believed the concept was too utopian. Karnani attacked the very estimate that the global market of people living on $2 a day at PPP rates is 4 billion strong; stating that World Bank projects it at 2.7 billion. Also, the estimate of the market being worth $13 trillion is way off the mark, since at an average consumption of $1.25 per day, 2.7 billion people would only amount to a market of $1.2 trillion at PPP in 2002. Besides, the profits would be repatriated at exchange rates, which reduces the potential further to $0.3 trillion. He went on to nitpick and destroy even the examples given by Prahalad (see chart above). This is not to say Prahalad is not an iconic celebrity in the field of management. But this is to say that in the future, he might remain just that – an iconic celebrity, and not one with any chances of a Nobel Prize. Well, there’s none for management anyway...

Virat Bahri

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Just don’t miss the woods

2010-07-31T12:40:00.001+05:30

Stabilising population growth requires a more holistic approach

One-sixth of world’s population lives in India; and with its current growth rate, it is poised to overtake China by 2040. Its present population of 1.2 billion is a more than threefold increase from 361 million in 1951 – and with a density of 789 persons per square mile, which is one of the highest in the world – it is clear that India’s population control program is a failure from the roots.

While one thought process says that population is actually India’s strength (as more people buying products would mean more GDP), the fallacy of this philosophy is unresolved where the majority of our population (400 million plus) lives below the poverty line, unable to procure subsistence food, leave alone purchase any product. To that effect, India is one of the first nations to launch an official family planning program in 1951, but over 5 decades have passed without substantive success.

Out of 171 million married couples, only 87 million have some sort of awareness regarding contraceptive methods. An interesting Population Council research reveals the obvious that contraceptive usage is linked to age (8% of adolescent girls, and a massive 67% among women aged 35-39 years showed usage) and to education (43% illiterates use contraceptives vis-à-vis 57% of women with high school education). Even India’s National Population Policy (NPP) declared in March 2000, which offered supplies and quality services like information and counseling on choice of contraceptive methods, fails to address the physical and social milieu that surrounds a poor household and its women.

Unfortunately, population control has even exited popular political humdrum. When was the last time you heard a politician ranting away in his electoral agenda that he would control India’s population? Clearly, nobody’s fighting the population problem... Nobody wants to...

Sayan Ghosh

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
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Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Exclusive Darkness at noon

2010-07-30T11:17:00.000+05:30

Dependants of jawans killed by Maoists struggle to stay afloat. A report from Orissa by B&E’s Dhrutikam Mohanty

A few days after the surgery, not only did her department pester her to report back to duty, she also received a phone call claiming that she had taken a loan of Rs . 40,000 from the PWF and that the amount would be recovered from her. She was totally stunned. Pratima alleges that an additional Rs. 20,000 was withdrawn by the SP, Cuttack against her name. Says Pratima, “While the government has promised to bear the complete cost of my medical treatment, it is painful that people from the department are fraudulently withdrawing money in our name and then trying to recover it from us.”

When the doctor treating her learnt that the police department wasn’t going to bear her expenses anymore, he stopped taking proper care of her. He discharged her even though she had not recovered fully. She continued to receive notices from her department to join back.

At her tether’s end, Pratima met the then Director General of Orissa Police, Gopal Nanda, as a last resort. He not only waived off her loan but also ordered that she be assigned an office job. She could now see light at the end of the tunnel. But Pratima is still nursing the wound in her leg. It hasn’t healed because of the unseemly haste with which the doctor discharged her from hospital. We ask her how much she has got by way of compensation. She replies, “What compensation are you talking about? I haven’t received a single penny.”

Pratima points out that it has taken the government two years to set up a board to prepare a detailed report on those who were injured in that Maoist strike. She adds, “As for my own case, one of the two board members who examined me was the same doctor who discharged me untreated. I, therefore, don’t have must expectations from this board.”

Now meet Jayakrishna Bardhan, a superannuated government employee who resides in the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. Though he retired in 2004, he still does the rounds of government offices. Sometimes he is in the provident fund section of the police headquarters requesting the dealing assistant to push his file. At others, he is seen in the pension section inquiring about the release of his family pension. It isn’t his own retirement benefits he is chasing. Jayakrishna’s policeman-son was killed in a Maoist attack and all he is asking for is the legitimate compensation for an irreparable loss.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Trillion travails

2010-07-29T13:01:00.000+05:30

New FDI targets look daunting

The government has released the comprehensive FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) policy document recently. It garnered some attention in the media since this was the first time that such an initiative was completed successfully. This is of prime concern since the concept of globalization has bolstered the influx of FDI in rapidly growing economies like India. Yet, we know where we stand when China gets $90 billion in FDI in 2009 compared to $21 billion for India.

The PM has set a target of increasing the cumulative FDI to $1 trillion by the 12th Five Year plan as against cumulative FDI inflows of $129.5 billion till January 2010. Anand Sharma, Minister of Commerce & Industry assures that “the figure seems very high in context to our current GDP but our GDP will double or increase by two-and-a-half times in coming five to six years and it’s a reality.”

However, there are few points to be kept in mind. For starters, the sole purpose for an MNC to invest in any country is to earn profit. Thus the country has to provide adequate business opportunities and also ensure that the business is cost effective. It has to provide access to solutions to approval and regulatory procedure related queries and also make information related to FDI easily accessible. FDI readiness also hinges heavily on infrastructure constraints. Besides, the personal perception (of India as an FDI destination) in the minds of top management of MNCs is not very positive. Moreover, there is sheer lack of cooperation from state governments with respect to land acquisition or labour laws.

The government has doubled the basic tax-free investment to Rs.12 billion. It has also uniquely created an Invest-India company to help global SMEs by providing a government equity stake if needed. If the government is seriously considering making India – as they say – “the factory of the world for new technology,” for now, India doesn’t even have the National Manufacturing Policy in place. Anand Sharma seems to be very clear that “when wealth is created, it is to be redistributed.” For now, the foremost challenge is that of wealth creation.

Akram Hoque

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Tuning into tunis

2010-07-26T14:37:00.000+05:30

Situated on a large Mediterranean Sea Gulf, known also as the Gulf of Tunis, this city extends along the coastal plains surrounded by hills... The city of Tunis is also home to cosmopolitan cafés and has a myriad archeological vestiges. Tunis also has the world’s finest collection of Roman mosaics. Take a walking tour of the ancient buildings and mosques or visit the Théâtre municipal de Tunis to witness the opera, ballet or other productions. Explore and learn the history of the sub-urban city of Carthage, which is most accessible from Tunis or wander through Tunis' largest park – Belvedere Park – which houses the Museum of Modern Art and the municipal zoo overlooking Lake Tunis. For the shopaholics, street bazaars in Tunis have a wide range of products to choose from.

Once in Tunis, do visit the medina, which is one of the major attractions. This is one of the largest in the entire country and has also been recognized as World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tangled streets of the medina are crammed with hawkers selling trinkets and baubles. What's more, one could have a spectacular panoramic view of the minarets and mosques of old Tunis from the rooftop terraces here. Visit the Musee du Patrimoine Traditionnel which is also known as Dar Ben Abdallah, an 18th century palace, which is now a folk museum displaying stucco ornament, textiles, fabrics, costumes and furniture. The Acropolium cathedral on the Byrsa hill is another site which is frequented by visitors all the year round. The architecture of the cathedral is a mix of Orient and the Occident.

A short walk from the cathedral is the Carthage Room, which is a magnificent structure that highlights beautifully decorated ceilings in an Italian style. One can also enjoy the view from the hill of ancient Carthage and one of the most stunning bays in the Mediterranean.

Lest all the sightseeing should tire you, unwind yourself at Café Sidi Chebaane as you sip on some fine Turkish coffee and chicha pipe. Forget that diet as you indulge in the sumptuous cuisine offered by the traditional restaurants in the souks.

With fascinating archaeological sights, a buzzing nightlife and a rich history to be explored, this comfortably-sized city has much to offer to its visitors; no wonder then, Tunis is fast gaining a reputation of being an ideal year-round destination.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Deadly workplace...

2010-07-02T12:06:00.000+05:30

The plight of migrant laborers world over is no secret anymore

“The development of China as a world factory is a fundamental reason causing these suicidal cases”, remarked Pun Ngai, an Associate Professor of Sociology at Hong Kong’s Polytechnic University, in the aftermath of spate of suicides that has claimed nine lives so far this year at Foxconn electronic plant near the sprawling city of Shenzhen in southern China. This has surely exposed the dirty linen of China’s factory system, regarding which nine professors of social science wrote an open letter to Foxconn questioning the very sustainability of China’s pivotal position as the workshop of the world. This is not a case in isolation. Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings, the largest sports and casual shoe maker in the world, had a rash of four suicides between July and October 2008. ‘China Labor Watch’ has identified more than 80 cases of suicides in Pearl Harbor Delta of China in last 10 years.

Over the last 30 years, China’s internal mobility and consequently their plight has risen manifold with 200 million migrants leaving their home in search of better life. To a large extent, the country dependson these cheap labourers to counterfeit an export-oriented style world factory, which stimulated double digit growth rate for the economy. But in the bargain, basic human rights of these hapless labourers been ignored; they were paid a wage that was below the average of Third World countries; and made it impossible for them to live in cities as they could not encounter the problems of housing, their children’s education and healthcare, and other survival necessitates. The use of cheap labour has been a strategic choice for China in the first period of its reforms — was not without its own weaknesses — as low wage growth depressed the purchasing power and consequently consumer demand that restricted the sustainable growth of the country. This kind of development model, at least today, is bound to repeat Foxconn like tragedies; as unlike their parent’s generation today’s urban laborers cannot return home to be peasants again.

Not only in China, this kind of misfortune takes place even in developed country with strong labour laws like in France as well! In France Telecom, one of the largest companies in telecom sector, 34 employees committed suicide between January 2008 and January 2010, blaming it on stress and desolation at work. France Telecom’s suicide rate is 15.3 per 1,00,000 per year, more than national average of 14.7. The suicide rates of expatriate workers are always high in Gulf States like Bahrain, but the latest figures available for 2008 shows an alarming rise that has goaded a nationwide action to help the endured. Most suicides are by poor labourers — 131 of them have committed suicides in Bahrain alone in 2008 — often because of miserable working conditions and low pay. In Kuwait, the situation is no better, as official rate of suicides by migrant workers is one in every two days! In the month of April alone 12 cases of suicides has been reported there. Therefore, laborer’s dignity and means are at stake in many parts of the world, and like economic development social development and social fairness should strike the right chord at the right time.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Terror regroups

2010-06-30T10:56:00.000+05:30

The army might have uprooted many militant groups operating from Pakistani soil, but it has not deterred terror outfits from regrouping and striking back, writes Shahid Husain

The attack on Lahore's Jinnah Hospital on May 31 by the militants in an attempt to free their wounded fellow Moaz alias Amir Moavia, who was being treated there, amply demonstrates that malignant aggression has penetrated deep in Pakistan society. Moavia was injured during a recent attack on two worship places of the Ahmadis. The Ahmadis are considered religious outcasts of sorts by almost all the Muslim religious factions, though the Pakistan Constitution asserts they are equal citizens.

One of the Pakistan’s top defence analysts, Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi, explains the phenomenon and thinking behind the attacks in a conversation with TSI, “The attack on Ahmadis puts forth two things: First, it was a soft target that the militants used to assert their ability to challenge the Pakistan state and the provincial government; secondly, it also relates to the extremely negative sentiments the orthodox Muslims have about the Ahmadis,” He adds, “The militants must have thought that the people would sympathise with their action, which was actually the case.”

A large number of fundamentalist groups have cropped up in the impoverished Pakistan since 2001. Links between many of these new and existing groups have strengthened, say experts, giving rise to fresh concerns for stability. Successful army operations against the militants in Swat and South Waziristan under the leadership of General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani have forced militants to re-group themselves and co-ordinate with each other in more ways than one— be it in terms of logistics or collection of funds. Leadership elements of al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban, along with other terrorist groups, have made Pakistan's tribal areas their home and now work closely with a wide variety of Pakistani militant groups. They find many sympathisers amongst the educated middle and upper middle class.

Hassan Abbas, a fellow at the Asia Society, writes that Punjabi Taliban network is a loose conglomeration of members of banned militant groups of Punjabi origin that have developed strong connections with the Pakistani Taliban, Afghan Taliban, and other militant groups based in FATA and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP). The Punjabi Taliban provide logistical support for attacks on cities in Punjab province and include individuals or factions of groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and their various splinter groups, along with small cells unaffiliated with any large group. The Punjabi Taliban are distinct from the traditional Pashtun Taliban, experts say. They are usually more educated and more technologically savvy.

Since there is also greater coordination between all these groups, say experts, lines have blurred regarding which category a militant group fits in. For instance, the Pakistani Taliban, which were committed to fighting against the Pakistani state, are now increasingly joining insurgents fighting U.S. and international troops across the border in Afghanistan. U.S. Central Command Chief General David H. Petraeus, in a CFR interview, says the groups have long shared a symbiotic relationship. “They support each other, they coordinate with each other, sometimes they compete with each other, [and] sometimes they even fight each other.”

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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IIPM enters into media education

IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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Which colour do you 'need'

2010-06-22T11:22:00.000+05:30

Ever wondered why the colour of money is usually green and workplaces are often painted blue and yellow? And why black is not a colour for an auspicious occasion while red is the choice of colour for most brides? Aakriti Bhardwaj sets out to find if interpreting colours correctly will indeed lead us to the pot of gold that lies at the end of the rainbow.

While driving back from work one day, I heard an RJ on a radio channel dishing out advice to people for various problems through the usage of colours. A caller rang in and said, “I’m in love with this girl, who is my boss. She is going to London in 10 days and I need to tell her that I love her and I don’t want her to go.” The on-air colour therapist cum RJ Rochie Rana advised him to use red, pink and purple in his office. The week after, I tuned in again to find out about the fate of Mr Romeo. He apparently had walked up to his girl and proposed. “I think even I love you,” was the reply the lucky man received! But how could mere colours make someone fall for a person? Desperate to figure out how colours can fix our problems, I fixed an appointment with Rochie Rana, a colour therapist, pranic healer and an ex-radio jockey.

“There are two ways to look at colour therapy,” said Rochie, my shepherd for the day, lounging on a chair in a café sporting a black attire and sipping on a yellow drink. “One is colour therapy that originated along with ayurveda. In India, the principle was really simple, they understood colours affect people. Brides always wore red, that was colour therapy because they understood that red is the colour of sexual desire. It is the colour of bonding sexually, as in ancient India there were arranged marriages, so it helped women to feel more comfortable. They wore henna on their hands, as yellow is the colour which stopped them from feeling tired and helped cool their nerves as they worked in the kitchen and in the field. This is the Indian version, which started with ayurveda and it became really big while colour therapy was left behind. Then came Pythagoras (the man behind the Pythagoras theorem), who understood that every colour has a wavelength and every wavelength of every colour was constantly hitting your mind and giving you certain messages, and it had an effect on your mind, body and soul. Green was a natural master healer. Colour therapy is very old but Pythagoras actually is the man who gave colours their vibrational modalities, and therefore made it very scientific.”

Colour therapy is often criticised, for the placebo effect alone may help heal some patients. “You can verify it” Rochie said with a defensive look that stemmed from her love for her art... sorry science! “It’s empirical. Pythagoras said there are vibrational modalities. It is certified by doctors across the world. There are psychological institutes that dwell upon colour therapy. The University of Massachusetts always stands by the effect of colours on marketing and sales. For instance, no restaurant will have insufficient red or orange because those are the colours that make you want to eat. We don’t work on placebo effect.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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It Pays to Unbelong

2010-06-19T11:05:00.000+05:30

West’s shifting of the goalpost on Iran and its disregard for the Turkey-Brazil brokered Nuclear Swap deal has jeopardised the legitimacy of the UNSC, says Saurabh Kumar Shahi

Just a week before the Turkey-Brazil brokered Nuclear Swap deal, I, like many other Iran watchers, was pretty optimistic about its outcome. We had info that the deal will cover all the aspects of the previous deal that the West offered last October. However, a European diplomat friend of mine pricked my confidence just a night prior to the announcement. Casually, he put forward a question which I was not prepared for. “What if we shift the goalpost?” he said, with a smirk on his face. I did not take it just as another bout of cynicism which many diplomats suffer from. I, at least, was sure what fate awaits the deal. As the week unfolded, both I, and over and above, my diplomat friend, were right.

As it happened, the US had yet again shifted the goalpost on Iran in order to warrant that the face-off wasn't resolved even with Iran’s concession on the Uranium swap deal. And also, by doing so, the US has abandoned its own Uranium swap deal bid. Now, this should come as no revelation since experts have long maintained that Uncle Sam's present stance, like its earlier stands, was purely intended to drag out the confrontation rather than resolve it. The matter is now pretty clear: the US still persists on zero enrichment in Iran, a presumably unattainable touchstone proposed to avert a resolution.

Several of the pro-western analysts decrying Turkey-Brazil Swap deal--popularly called Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) deal--are harping on the fact that Iran never stopped producing enriched uranium since the Americans put forward the first version in October last year. This, according to them, means that albeit some of the low enriched uranium goes to Turkey, “the residual would be adequate to produce a theoretical nuclear weapon if Iran ever wished to exercise Article X of the NPT and broke out of the NPT regime. This analysis, nonetheless, completely discounts the fact that the initial offer by the US never reflected that Iran should stop enrichment. So, discontinuing the enrichment was by no means a part of the bargain.

“Actually, this aspect was the real disclosure of the initial proposal, for it was broadly understood as an implicit US acceptance of Iran’s right to enrich Uranium. It was, in effect, LEU generated at Natanz that was to be swapped over for new fuel cells,” says noted Iranian watcher and proliferation expert Cyrus Safdari, while talking to TSI. Moreover, the alarm of Tehran achieving “breakout capacity” is hogwash and relies merely on pretexts as, technically speaking, any nation with a nuclear programme could hypothetically produce bombs. Going by the IAEA’s own assessment, presently 42 nations can swiftly make nukes if they so desired, which essentially means that it is not an Iran specific issue. On the posturing front, the regime in Washington has suffered a credibility setback of biblical proportions. Therefore, understandably, the US is acting swiftly to reclaim the initiative and summon up the impetus. And to do that, Washington will need not merely to unravel the deal, but essentially discredit the whole idea of parley and negotiations with Tehran. However, above all, the regime will do whatever possible to badly humiliate Turkey and Brazil and show them their “right place”.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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Water woes intensify

2010-06-18T12:40:00.000+05:30

When it was predicted about a decade back that the next World War would be fought for control of water, sceptics dismissed it as a mere hyperbole. Now, with killings over water being reported from across the country, the spectre of the past is becoming a scary reality. The TSI team of Anil Sharma, Raju Kumar and Nishant Bhadreshwar takes stock

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in want of a wife must be a good provider. However, what the word ‘provider’ encompasses has acquired a new meaning in Rajasthan. Here, a man must be able to provide water to the family apart from other things. Sounds like a leaf out of Ripley’s ‘Believe It or Not’, but the acute water scarcity in the state has made a lot of people wary of marrying off their daughters in villages where women would inevitably have to trudge for miles everyday to fetch some water. “Often, women have to walk for miles to collect water. Many people are reluctant to marry off their daughters into such communities,” says Rameshwar Chaudhari, a resident of village Chopra Dhotra in Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. His village is facing severe water crisis.

Rajasthan, spread over 10.4 per cent of the country’s geographical area and sustaining more than 5.5 per cent of the human population and 18.70 per cent of the livestock, has only 1.16 per cent of the total surface water available in the country. This year, the ground water situation has turned alarming in the state with only 30 water blocks out of the total 237 left in the safe zone. With increase in the population and subsequently the demand for water for various purposes, the state is already in the middle of a terrible water crisis. The per capita annual water availability in the state is about 650 cubic meters against the minimum requirement of 1,000 cubic meters. “I am 60 years old and have never seen a situation like this. We get water only once or twice a month and even that comes with low pressure. It takes over half an hour to fill a bucket,” says Kamla, a resident of Naulakhi in Sri Ganganagar district. The crisis has also become so acute in Atru in Baran district that the water department—in spite of spending Rs 20,000 daily on the supply of water—is finding it difficult to meet the local demand through tankers.

The local administration in Akhlera in Jhalawar district, having a population of over 12,000, is now planning to engage 150 plus tankers to supply water. The only source of water in the town, Amalvada Deh dam, is drying up fast. Similar situation has emerged in Sojat Road in Pali district where the administration has demanded a special 65 wagon water train to overcome the crisis. Women in Bhilwara town of Rajasthan recently blocked the road in front of the municipality, demanding increased water supply. “We want more tube wells to be dug up so that we can get water,” says Kamla, a housewife. Water is being supplied once in every five days in the town famous for its textile industry.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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Just for laughs

2010-06-17T11:19:00.000+05:30

If laughter is the best medicine, then he is currently Bollywood’s resident pharmacist. In a conversation with Spriha Srivastava, the irrepressible Sajid Khan reveals the tricks of how he tickles everyone's funny bone…

You have a comical streak when it comes to facing the camera. Why haven’t you acted in your own films?

I don’t think I’m a good actor. Hats off to those who can do it all – write, direct, act. I don’t think I can do all this together. When I’m involved in a film, I totally lose myself in it. I’m involved with everything related to the film. In fact, my doses of cigarettes increase, I put on weight etc. I like to get involved with every detailing of the film because I want to make a film which I would want to watch as an audience and have fun. I don’t think doing more than direction in a film can work for me.

What is comedy according to you?

Comedy is action and reaction. When there’s an action, the reaction is what makes people laugh. For example, in "Housefull", all the actors are displaying some action and Arjun’s role is only to react. That reaction is what will make people laugh. So, comedy has to have a balance between action and reaction.

Was filmmaking your childhood dream?

Oh yes! Like most people in India, even I have grown up watching films only. I have made fun of films, criticised them, done spoofs of them on TV… and that’s because I love movies more than anyone else. In fact, I’d confess that I’m not a good director. I’m a very good audience. I know exactly what the audience wants to see.

How do you draw the cues of humour for your script?

I am little crazy! But it’s real life observation. For example, there was once a situation where my secretary was diagnosed with cancer. He got tests after tests done for that. It went on for six months and it was confirmed that he had pancreatic cancer. After six months he was told that he actually has diabetes and has to control consumption of sweets. Out of excitement and relief I said, "Ye to bahut khushi ki baat hai… ye le muh meetha kar le!" (This is great news. You must have some sweets). And this situation turned out to be so funny that I have used it in my film.

Tell us about “Housefull”.

This film is a romantic comedy entertainer. All the stars in the film – Akshay, Riteish, Deepika, Arjun, Jiah, Lara - have a unique role and I think this is going to be Akshay’s most defining role ever. Jiah will be seen as never before. Lara is doing what a Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi did in the eighties, from a comedy point of view. This is not a madcap cinema or leave-your brains-at-home kind of a movie. It took me two years along with two other writers to pen the script. In this movie all these stars come together in one house and each character go through different things in their life. I don’t expect any critical acclaim or any ‘Best Director’ award from this film. But I can guarantee that each and everyone will enjoy this film.

At the sets of “Housefull”, who made you laugh the most?

Oh everyone. But Randhir Kapoor was exceptional, offscreen! He is a very funny man. Also, Akshay and Riteish make me laugh a lot. And you have to meet Arjun after he’s two drinks down. He’s the funniest man on earth then.

Do you necessarily have to maintain a light atmosphere on the sets to get the best out of actors?

Yes, I guess so. I don’t think any film unit can be called a happy film unit if they don’t have a tear in their eye on the last day of shooting. According to me, this indicates that every person, right from the guy who does the lighting to the biggest of actors, have enjoyed and worked as a family. On my sets, we are always pulling each others’ leg.

Were there any pranks played on the sets of “Housefull”?

Sajid directs the question to Jiah, seated in the same room, to narrate the prank played on her in Italy. Jiah – “Akshay and Riteish had dumped all the cutlery of the hotel that we were in, in my bag. So while going out, all the knives, forks, butter, jam etc was discovered from my bag and I was highly embarrassed. Everyone was looking at me!”

What do you think is most important in a film?

I think the script is the most important part of a film. Only a good script can make a film work. Stars are only there to attract audience into the theatre to watch a film. But eventually, it’s the script that makes the stars work. Aamir Khan’s “3 Idiots” made billions at the box office. But I feel if Aamir Khan was replaced, the film would have done equally well because the script was very well laid out.

Which movie do you wish you had directed?

"Dostana". When I saw the film, the first thought that came to my mind was that wish I would have made this film. I could stop myself from laughing throughout the movie.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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Legacy on its last leg?

2010-06-16T11:18:00.000+05:30

Will the Shehnai have to reconcile to the fact that there may not be another Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan? The son who was his successor is dead; the others are struggling, and there’s little other than memorial concerts to keep the tradition going. Puja Awasthi reminisces of the time when there was hope…

Ustad Nayyar Hussain Khan “Bismillah” passed away following respiratory problems at a Varanasi hospital on December 17, 2009. To me, he had begun to fade away in July of that year itself, when, as I got up to leave that baithak plastered with photographs and awards (including the Bharat Ratna) of his father the late Bismillah Khan, he thrust a couple of brochures (titled Music Represents Soul) and visiting cards in my hand and said, “Kaam dilwao. Koi bhi kaam chalega. Shaadi aur party mein bhi bajayenge.” (Get me work. Any work will do. I will play at weddings and parties.) I did not fail to notice that the Ustad’s name was bolder than Nayyar’s on the card. And that here was a man aged 70, the second son of a legend who had put a simple wind instrument to his lips and coaxed such sweetness from it that it ceased to remain an accompaniment to flashier ones, begging for work. The Ustad would neither have understood nor approved.

But when like Nayyar Khan, you live with four brothers, one sister and 30 children and grandchildren, in a lane that’s named after your father in a narrow, white house with 10 rooms, you have responsibilities you cannot shrug. And Nayyar Khan, being the successor to his father had to bear them all.

Such is Varanasi’s association with the Ustad that when he had passed away in August 2006, there were many who lamented “Bharat Ratna chala gaya” (The Bharat Ratna has gone). To his own family it was as though life had been sucked out of all those who had been left behind.

“My Abba had a generous heart but a sharp tongue. Nobody who came to our home would leave without a meal. After a concert, the cooks would work overtime to cater to those who came to congratulate him. Some had even named our home Bismillah hotel. But after him, the staunchest of his well-wishers have disappeared. There is just the occasional phone call. Yes, there are problems,” Nayyar had said going on to detail how he even had to haggle about the number of musicians he could take in his group for a performance. No one would of course have dared to make such talk to the Ustad. Yet, Nayyar was looking forward to a tour of the USA this year. “Before every performance, I tell the audience that they should listen to me as Ustad Bismillah Khan’s son, not as the Ustad himself and grant me some grace,” he had said.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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Russia, France for MRCA

2010-06-15T11:06:00.000+05:30

With no-strings-attached access, complete transfer of technology and the IAF’s familiarity in operating Mirage and MiG 29 aircraft, the lethal and all-new combat platforms of MiG 35 and Rafale should be India’s choice, Tathagata Bhattacharya writes

It has been almost 10 years now that the Indian Air Force (IAF) projected a requirement for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA or MRCA). It was touted as the biggest defence aviation deal of the decade. We are virtually into another decade and the procrastinating Indian defence establishment still has not decided upon the procurement. As the six competitors near completion of the trials, it looks like the deal will finally materialise this decade. And it is likely the deal size will increase to about 200 aircraft, depending on requirements. The deal is valued between of $12 and $14 billion.

Any discussion on what aircraft suits India best has to factor in various parameters. And since the aircraft are going to be in service for at least 40 years and, thus, play a significant role in the transformation of IAF from a tactical air wing defending the country’s airspace into a strategic force capable of domination of far-away skies, the choice has to be in sync with IAF’s future procurement plans.

The IAF, in 2025-2030, should ideally have about 60 squadrons looking after the varied needs of air defence, air superiority, multi-role, deep penetration strike, reconnaissance and electronic warfare. While the Indo-Russian Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (PAKFA) would constitute the higher end of the spectrum and will be the frontline stealth fighter for establishing air superiority, the indigenous LCA Tejas air defence warplanes will make up the lowest end of the rung. As many as 200 FGFA and at least 200 LCA are likely to be in service by 2030. Adding the 280 Sukhoi 30 MKIs to the list, India will have 34 squadrons of fourth and fifth generation Beyond Visual Range (BVR)- capable aerial combat platforms. The 120-odd upgraded MiG 29s and Mirage 2000s will be in the last leg of their service then. The indigenous stealth Medium Combat Aircraft (MCA), which has already passed wind tunnel tests, should also be operational by then. Detractors will jump and point to the delays of the LCA project. LCA was India’s first attempt to build a world-class light combat aircraft from the scratch. Slowly but surely, India has been able to develop an R&D and building infrastructure which should be able to see MCA through. Ideally, this infrastructure should have followed the development of the HAL HF-24 Marut way back in the 1960s. And though IAF sources would hardly acknowledge it, the LCA goalposts were moved too often (thrice) to suit the changing requirements of the IAF, leading to its delay.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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THE GREAT KHALI

2010-06-14T10:45:00.000+05:30

Who needs a headline when you are The Great Khali?! Dalip Singh Rana, in a freewheeling chat with Neha Sarin, talks about his journey from being a cop in the Punjab police to becoming the most feared name in the WWE ring, to acting in Hollywood

How did you get into bodybuilding? Did you face any racism in the West?
In 1994, when I joined Punjab Police, I wanted to tone-up my physique as I was always interested in increasing my physical strength. I started bodybuilding and the results of progress were very good. Soon I became National Champion in 1997-98. Little bit of racism is always there, but due to my performances, I did not encounter much of it and the people here in the US showered a lot of affection on me.

What made people take note of Khali? Was it just the size, or his performances in wrestling?
I may have the liberty to say that spectators do feel attracted to my stature, but I would like to assert that it is my performance, and blessings of the Almighty on me.

How did the transition to WWE happen? What was your initial reaction to moving into the world of entertainment?
My desire to bring glory to myself and to my country took me to WWE, which enjoys universal popularity. Initially, I went to Japan and made relentless efforts to get proper training. It is a different matter that my performance was admired by the Japanese.

WWE is hugely popular in India, but the same can’t be said for traditional wrestling. We struggle in the sport even at an international level. Does India have the necessary talent in wrestling to make it big on the international stage?
I have mentioned that WWE is very popular all over the world, including India. I do agree that amateur wrestling is not that popular. The federations should take all requisite measures to make it popular. I assert that there is no dearth of wrestling talent in India.

Was it an easy and a natural progression from WWE to Hollywood? How was the experience working in “The Longest Yard” and “Get Smart”? Any more films in the pipeline?
While I was giving performances in the WWE ring, prominent producers and directors of Hollywood evinced interest in me and I got my first Hollywood break in “The Longest Yard” and after that “Get Smart”. By the grace of God both of them were quite successful. I enjoyed a lot working in them. My next movies “Tree of Life” and “A Team” are going to be released soon.

You’re a vegetarian, you don’t drink or smoke… Same holds true for most wrestlers in India. Is a vegetarian diet any less nutritious than what most of the West swears by?
I prefer vegetarian food, I don't enjoy drinking and smoking. Yes, I have learnt that many wrestlers in India are vegetarian. It’s not like vegetarian food carries any less nutrition than non-veg. Fruits, vegetables, beans, pulses, cheese are class one source of nutrition.

Your detractors say that your superhuman size is due to a disorder. There are also reports of wrestlers using steroids to gain mammoth proportions. Your comments.
I may assert that my so-called extraordinary physique is a god-given gift and there is no disorder whatsoever. I have learnt that several sports persons do take steroids to enhance their physical prowess but I don’t take any such thing. It is worth mentioning that there are routine dope tests in the WWE. However, all wrestlers do take food supplements.

What do you think about India’s bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics?
It is a matter of pride for us all that an Indian wrestler won bronze medal at the Olympics.

Do you think you missed out on Olympic glory for any reason whatsoever?
My sport is not in Olympics but I am very happy that I chose WWE. My countless fans all over the world would agree and I’m sure they are also happy with my decision of selecting WWE.

What do you think are India’s chances at the Commonwealth Games?
I am hopeful that talented athletes of India would perform well in forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

How can a child grow as huge as Khali?
I would again like to say that this hugeness of mine is a god given gift. I would also like to add that gifted children can make a mark in life through devoted and determined efforts.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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BRAZIL'S SUCCESSION PLAN...

2010-06-12T13:04:00.000+05:30

Who are the alternatives to carry forward the rich legacy of Lula

Is Brazil in search of a new leader? Fortunately or unfortunately, Lula’s formal political career is coming to an end as he is barred by law from contesting any Presidential election further after the consecutive two. But despite criticism, he remained one of the most popular leaders in the political fraternity of Brazil during his tenure. He undoubtedly has significant contributions in taking the country to the path of economic success. He is also perceived to be a pragmatic leader when it comes to foreign relations. During his rule, the foreign trade surplus has increased drastically to $47 billion in 2006. He has also been successful in maintaining good relation with Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez as well as George Bush. Moreover, Brazil played a crucial role in negotiating the conflict between Venezuela and Colombia under Lula's leadership. Most importantly, Brazil gained a prestigious status at the international level under his leadership. His term is coming to an end as Brazil is scheduled to hold elections on October 3, 2010. This raises an important question. Is there any hope for Brazil to produce popular leaders like Lula? There are certain key names in the 2010 presidential race. Though they all carry similar opinions and policies in context to the economic stability of the nation, they widely differ in policies especially with regards to foreign policy, and role of the state in context to its interventionism.

To talk about them briefly, first is Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s chief of staff and his chosen candidate to represent his Workers’ party. Though she is not very influential and popular but if she is backed by the gigantic election campaigns of Lula, she may emerge beyond anyone's imagination. However, her policies would not differ much from that of Lula. Foreign policy would be indifferent to that of Lula if she wins boosting ties with developing countries and pushing for reforms for multilateral bodies and seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council where Lula failed. Second to name is Jose Serra of the social Democracy Party. As the Sao Paulo state governor, he has his biggest lessons with him. Lula lost thrice before he finally won the election in 2002. He just lost once to Lula in the 2002 Presidential election. With his past experience and with 20 per cent point lead over Rousseff in opinion polls, he has high popularity in Brazil. However, his victory may strengthen America's say over South American affairs and also over the Brazilian foreign policy. And apart from them, Marina Silva, the former environment minister is the other Presidential candidate. Well, she might be popular in the international arena for her contributions to protect Amazon rainforest, but she needs to reshape her image in the country as the opinion polls show a mere 7 per cent support. Ciro Gomes, former governor of the northeastern state of Ceara is the other one who also ties Rousseff for second place in polls at 14 per cent.

Though Brazil inherited free and fair electoral democracy, Lula’s leadership remains unique in the Brazilian history. Political rivalry is inevitable and understandable. Beyond everything, the most important task before his successors will be to carry forward the legacy they have inherited successfully! But the question is who can do that best?

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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PEACE MAY GET ANOTHER CHANCE

2010-06-11T11:49:00.000+05:30

A group wants the govt and ULFA to make a new start

A group of prominent citizens of Assam organised a state-level convention on April 24 with an aim to revive the peace process between ULFA and the Central government. More than 130 ethnic and state-level organisations participated in this event. The move has been welcomed by the self-styled commander in-chief of ULFA, Paresh Barua. Issuing a statement to the media through an e-mail, Barua said ULFA would never give up its demand of sovereignty.

He further added that all the participants were committed to the Constitution of India that had already taken away the legitimate rights of the people of the state. Moreover, Barua claimed that some 12, 000 people lost their lives in the fight between security forces and ULFA. He said the outfit would never compromise with its demand for the sake of holding talks. But on the other hand, member of the organising committee of the convention, Dilip Patgiri, said: “We are hopeful and I think this convention will help solve the problem of our state. The convention had formed a steering committee whose work is to suggest both the ulfa and the government to take the right decision in resolving the burning issue that has rocked the state for long.”

Meanwhile, ulfa chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and vice-chairman Raju Baruah, who are in jail, declined comment on the issue. This clearly indicates that there are growing differences of opinion amongst ULFA leaders. Analysts said there is no consensus in the party on the issue.

However, leader of the 28th battalion Jiten Dutta said: “Paresh Barua only dreams of a sovereign Assam. It is easy to declare war from a foreign country. He doesn’t understand the problem local people are faced with. We hope that the convention will have a positive impact on the discussion process.” He said those who are fighting for the outfit now want peace. They support the new move. But Jiten added: “The organisation is not divided on this issue. Of late, Paresh Barua’s popularity has been waning. Only a handful of cadres back him. Only 10 to 15 members are with him. It is easy to send an e-mail from a foreign country. He keeps himself away from reality.”

The day-long state-level convention called upon both the government and the ULFA to come forward for talks without any further delay and precondition. Now the ball is in the ULFA’s court. It would be interesting to see how the outfit reacts to the offer. Insiders say chances are that they may not let this opportunity go. With its top leadership behind bars and its chief on the run, the outfit has little option left than to resume peace talks with the Central government. If it happens then peace may finally return to Assam.

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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BLUE FILM RACKET BUSTED

2010-06-10T11:40:00.000+05:30

Youth fooled girl, captured intimate moments on camera

Educated, unemployed youths in Orissa are making quick money by filming obscene videos. The arrest of Ranjit Parida on April 19 from Cuttack for allegedly running a blue film racket has once again proved that how organised groups have been operating in different parts of the state. According to cops, they shoot pornographic videos of local girls and sell them in the local markets or to Websites.

Further investigation is on to find out more about the racket. One more person has been arrested. Cops also stumbled on a large number of locally made pornographic CDs and DVDs at the hideout. Parida, who hails from Jagatsinghpur, has been in the business for long, said the police. Sources said Parida developed physical relation with a girl on the pretext of marriage. During this period, he used to buy costly gifts for her. Gradually he won her confidence. And then, he captured acts of physical intimacy on the camera. He made CDs and circulated them in the market. Shockingly, he has confessed to his crime. He said: “I have prepared the CDs and circulated them in the local market.”

Some locals said that the racket had been operating for long in the area. Moreover, they caught hold of Parida and later handed him to the police. The victim girl’s family members also played an important role in Parida’s arrest. After coming to know about the incident, they trapped the accused.

It was in August 2008 that for the first time such a kind of racket was busted in the state. A girl in the city committed suicide after a pornographic CD featuring her was circulated in the market. The victim was a Mass Communication student. The 2008 incident is still fresh. In that incident, the main accused, Astaranga Sahoo, had captured his intimate moments with his lover with a hidden camera. He was helped by some of his friends. Later on they sold the video clip to vendors.

Since then, many youths have been arrested for their involvement in such crimes. One month later, the police busted another blue film racket. Some 24 minors were rescued from Bhubaneswar in September. Two persons were also arrested for filming nude pictures of a girl in Jajpur in October last year. Later, the same year, another obscene CD racket was busted in Niali of Cuttack district. The police had unearthed a pornographic CD racket and arrested the photo studio owner Sheikh Kamran, who was allegedly involved in making and marketing of obscene CDs.

Investigators said in this case too, a youth befriended a local girl. Then he promised to marry her. After winning her confidence, he recorded their private moments. After that, he approached Kamran to burn the CDs. Once it was ready, the video clippings were circulated by a code name “NialiXXX”. However, the cops busted the racket by arresting the youth and his accomplices.

Experts who have been following such incidents said that despite the cops taking action against such people, the incidence of crime has not come down. The worrying point is that more and more educated, unemployed youths are lured to commit this crime.

For these wayward youths, this is the easiest way to make quick money. Talking to TSI, police commissioner, Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, Bijaya Sharma said: “Lack of stringent cyber law stops cops from taking adequate action against the culprits. Still we work overtime to bust such rackets in the state.”

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

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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