Unifying communication. Virtually!

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IBM has been talking highly of its virtualisation efforts off late. However, it’s only now that the concept is set to revolutionise the whole communication process

The signs are out there, as they say. And if IBM is to be believed, then we will soon witness substantial changes in the way people communicate in the business world. Mike Rhodin, GM, IBM Lotus Software observed in a recent keynote address, “The Virtual Workplace will become the norm.” Social networking and high end virtual world environments would fast replace the need for physical proximity in most cases. According to IDC estimates, unified communications will be a $17 billion market globally in 2011, accounting for a growth of 38% compounded annually from 2007 onwards.

However, the enthusiasm that IBM has expressed needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Says Gautam Ghosh, renowned Management and HR consultant at Tvarita, “At one level, virtual communications are a cost saving option for companies. However, it comes with its set of challenges. One of the pressing concerns is management in a virtual environment. It is also a huge psychological shift that we are talking about. And we can not deny that co-location definitely brings about engagement.”

The related developments would be the substitution of email by instant messenger (IM). As Gen Next gets onto work, there is a feeling that companies will go beyond the existing capabilities of IM and make it feature rich, through services like click to call and online presence. IM, due to its increasing popularity and usage with the young workforce is likely to be integrated with line of business applications and becoming an extension for multi-modal communications.

Justin Rabindra, VP - Training and Knowledge Management, Ogilvy One Worldwide says, “Virtual workplace is already happening in networked offices. But I don’t think IMs can replace emails as the latter captures a detailed conversation. The other issue is competition from other IM providers.” Ghosh expresses a similar concern, “The IM change has already happened. But IMs do bring about a break in concentration.”

Corporates across the spectrum are deploying unique solutions of unified communications to increase employee productivity and enhance business growth. Companies like IDEA Cellular and Cisco are working with IBM towards developing suites of unified communications which will enrich the experiences and functionality of users’ virtual world experiences.

The projects are based on a market understanding which aims to tap the rich potential offered by changes in the concept of corporate “meetings”. 3D virtual technologies will transform meetings into instantaneous experiences and make geographical locations almost redundant. They will benefit from a comprehensive and integrated online approach like calendared conference calls and hang up routines.

Communications will move towards a more interoperable and unified communication regime. Hopefully, then the existing communication inefficiencies will be taken care of by a richer and more integrated virtual environment. And undoubtedly, the concept of unified communication will definitely be at the forefront of this revolution.

Preeti Chaturvedi

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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This Yatra was truly worth it

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A Private Equity funding does not only benefit start-ups monetarily. It’s all about a partnership with experienced people who will hand-hold you through the myriad teething troubles of managing and eventually making your company succeed.

Set up in 2006 with the objective of providing able solutions to the needs of myriad travellers, this one can’t stop telling people that Yatra.com is a smarter way to travel. However, not many are aware that the portal became possible only through the funding of various venture capital firms. The VCs that have parked their funds in Yatra.com are Norwest Venture Partners (NVP), Reliance Capital and the Television 18 group who came in the initial part of the business and remain a part of the company till date. Dhruv Shringi, Co-founder and CEO, Yatra.com, elaborates on the journey of the online company.

What factors enabled you to convince the VCs to give you funding?

We approached the VC firms initially and, I think, there were a few things that we had got right, which are attributes that VC’s look for. We had a clear idea of what we wanted to do and the right team, with the capability to execute that idea. We were also aware about the competitive environment that the idea would develop in. For us the strongest point was team, we had people who had worked on this kind of business before and hence had the relevant experience to execute the entire plan well. These things worked in our favour.

How has the funding helped you grow?

I think these funds have helped us in multiple ways. As it was really the starting of the journey as far as Yatra is concerned so firstly, the funds helped us in getting together the right kind of team, as also in terms of formulating strategy and making an introduction with key people within the industry. Apart from the monetary aspects, this relationship also got many eminent people on the board of Yatra.com. Some of our investors are reputed people, involved in running companies. They brought with them a lot of experience. In case of start-ups, there are many problems that you encounter from time to time and it’s always good to have experience on your side. We had people like Haresh Chawla, CEO of TV18 who has taken TV18 from a small company to being a media conglomerate today. Likewise, Pramod Haque has invested in about 100 companies in various parts of the world. These guys, with their immense management experience, helped us to put forward our best foot.

How do see the relationship with the three key investors 2-3 years down the line?

The relationship that we share has evolved a lot. I see it more as a partnership. There is a lot of trust and respect involved. We help each other, we respect each other, we value each other and we also trust each others judgments.

Your advice to entrepreneurs who seek funding from Venture Capitalists?

My advice to anyone seeking funds is to not get blinded by valuations.Judge the quality of the investor. A little difference between valuations cannot determine success or failure. But having the backing of a right investors can.

Edit bureau: Surbhi Chawla

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Rashid Khan

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I’ll become a millionaire one day! Hi, my name is Rashid Khan and I am working as an event manager with Sahara India. I have almost seven years’ experience in the field of event management and want to do something great in my chosen vocation on my own. My annual pay package is Rs.6-7 lakhs per annum.

“But pay packages won’t help me achieve my dream of becoming a millionaire,” says the rugged Rashid Khan. At the age of 28, Rashid wants to make it big in his sector. “Starting a business of my own is not easy, and requires a lot of efforts and of course money,” says Rashid in a mellow, yet confident voice. “I plan to get a corpus of Rs.30-40 lakhs after five years. I think investments in mutual funds and other equity instruments will not suffice, that is why I am looking for an investment that will be an asset for me.” Rashid feels that investing in property (real estate) would be the right way to go. At present, he has invested Rs.1 lakh (premium) as tax saving in LIC and says that all his future investments should be such that they are asset-based. “That way, I could use the proceeds for realising my dream of having an establishment of my own, which will then mint moolah for me,” he explains.

Yes, it is difficult to become a millionaire just by working hard for others. In fact, until you work for yourself or put your money to work hard for you, it is next to impossible. All the self-made billionaires in history have either been entrepreneurs or else prudent investors. But, even to become an entrepreneur, you need initial capital. So the first step in getting rich is to create wealth by investing your savings from your regular pay-cheques judiciously.

Wealth creation is a game of discipline and patience. Instead of ad hoc investing, you should create a road map (a concrete plan) for wealth creation. This should be done by taking into account your time horizon and risk appetite and then by investing regularly in a disciplined way. Return on your capital is a function of proper asset allocation and the time period you stay invested. Diversified asset allocation provides stability to your portfolio returns and ‘time’ helps your investments grow with a compounded effect.

To accumulate a corpus of Rs.30-40 lakhs in five years, being a salaried person, you should save and invest about Rs.30,000-35,000 per month through systematic investment plans of Diversified Equity Mutual Funds. Real estate investment is for lump sum investors and may be relatively volatile in a medium term horizon of five years.

(Views expressed above are by: Ramesh Dalal, CFP, MBA, Associate Vice President-Financial Planning Group, Bajaj Capital Ltd.)

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Building India? Now building brands...

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Realty badshah’s are visiting hip branding studios for a corporate style makeover...

Gone are the days when advertising agencies wanted a long list of clientele and a presence in every vertical. Today, advertising agencies are going in for a clientele base that boasts of fewer but renowned names and believe in investing their intellectual capital on them. Leading this new herd of advertising agencies is Orchard Advertising which boasts of sharp creative acumen and a committed team that is charting an opulently crafted presence for itself.

Orchard began its journey in 1999 as a protégé of Leo Burnett and was a brainchild of Arvind Sharma, Chairman & CEO, Leo Burnett and based in Bangalore. Speaking of the agency’s journey, Thomas Xavier, National Creative Director, Orchard Advertising reminisces, “We deliberately moved to Bangalore as the boom was beginning to start at that moment (1999) here and we had good access to talent & infrastructure. It helped us evolve from a totally different perspective.” Evolve it surely did and how?

Thomas Xavier states, “We understand the Indian entrepreneur better than any other agency and we have been able to evolve because we were not under the shade of Leo Burnett.” Orchard has access to all the learnings and the wisdom of a network like Leo Burnett Worldwide. This becomes one of the highlight of Orchard as Thomas points out, “We don’t have what we call the aligned accounts that agencies are forced to take on. That’s one problem which all the multinational agencies face.” The strategy of Orchard has been to garner few accounts but big ones and put in the best of its talent base to work on them. “So, we give our intellectual expertise to smaller set of accounts and our clients get better quality of inputs as all the senior people are available for all the clients,” enthuses Thomas. When the topic shifts towards approaching a client, Thomas gets candid, “We need to understand what the client’s marketing ambitions are? So when we take a business, we expect the client to take us on his side of the table. Our idea is to give us the right to think from within the brand. So, we get inside the brand and we don’t sit outside.”

Biggies apart, mid-size companies have also joined the party, among them Taneja Developers and Infrastructure (TDI) whose account is now handled by veteran Rediffusion DY&R, Purvankara, Eros, Vipul, et al. “Brand building is an integral part of any corporation as market dynamics have changed. One needs to invest in a brand to keep afloat in a competitive market,” explains Brijesh Bhanote, VP-Sales & Marketing, Vipul Ltd. This emphasis on brand building is not an overnight development. Considering that quite a few of the biggies have fallen to the charms of an IPO, corporate brand-enhancing campaigns have been a norm over the last couple of years to attract the crème in investors. With more real estate majors going in for an IPO, the high visibility generated by corporate campaigns plays a crucial role in successfully marketing an IPO. Anmol Dar, MD, Superbrands added another angle to the issue. “The number of realty players in metros have proliferated. Each of them has to convey how extraordinary they are and this comes by indirectly showing that the competitor is inferior,” he says.

The government allowing 100% FDI in the sector in 2005 is another reason for the branding drive. Jones Lang LaSalle estimates that nearly $10 billion worth of foreign investment is all set to enter over the next two years, with global names like Ayala (Philippines) and Signature (Dubai) already doing the rounds. Big ticket deals like the recent Morgan Stanley rendezvous with Oberoi Constructions, worth a staggering $150 million are the norm.

Given the stakes, nothing is too big and no amount too steep to cultivate your brand in the eyes of these global investors, right? So DLF is sponsoring several flagship events like DLF Cup, Tri Series and the UAE Cup; biggie EmaarMGF’s recent association being the T20 World Cup. An increasing number of real estate players are in the process of evolving into national players. To cultivate hitherto unexplored markets from ground zero, brand visibility is the key mantra. For example, few in India’s northern and western markets would have heard of Sobha Developers or of its huge might in the southern markets. Currently, with over 50 residential complexes in Bangalore, Sobha Developers is all set to wade into cities like Hyderabad, Mangalore, Kochi, Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. They’ll need to cut across competition in the regions. Divya Pall, Senior Manager-Marketing Communications, DTZ says, “As the competition matures, every company needs to differentiate itself from others. Primary purpose of brand building is to build confidence in the brand promise, which amongst the end-users translates into improved market penetration, premium & sales.”

As the moolah flows in, the trend is only going to move northward. “We believe that a strong DLF brand will facilitate new business generation and enhance our ability to attract talented personnel,” says Shalini.

Others also voice similar sentiments. “The brand-spend for sure is going to show an upward trend. As we diversify our operations and reach, we plan to allocate more resources towards branding,” avers Kaushik Sengupta, VP Sales & Marketing, Eros Group. Bhanote of Vipul also chips in. “The canvas is getting wider. We expect a considerable rise in brand spend,” he says.

According to ASSOCHAM, the Indian real estate sector is expected to become a $60 billion commodity by 2010 from the current levels of $16 billion. PHDCCI predicts that this figure will zoom to $180 billion by 2020. And this despite the supposed present downturn in real estate fortunes due to rising interest rates. No wonder realty companies are cruising along the branding highway, singing in unison – “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands…”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Look out! The Don(ear) cometh!

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Will Donear succeed after a late comeback? Will others let it...?!

The Indian textile industry is loaded with instances of companies that succeeded in creating a splashes on the global platform... but sadly, missed out on domestic soil! Thankfully, the stage also includes those, whose performance has won a thousand cheers on the domestic circuit too – Mumbai-based Donear Industries Ltd being one such name. It’s a company which despite having been around for more than three decades now (with global revenues never having been a far cry for it), has understood well the need for a strong brand presence on the home soil too, with it latest signing-up of Yuvraj Singh as its brand ambassador being proof. And right it is, for with the domestic pert-a-porter market growing at a terrific 20% (as per CII), Donear is gearing up to hog a bigger share of the domestic pie as Ajay Agarwal, Executive Director, Donear reveals in an exclusive interview with 4Ps B&M.

How are you planning to promote Donear?

We have roped in Yuvraj Singh who will promote not the ‘winning ability’ of the brand. We want to establish the brand as an aspiration brand and this will be promoted through our ads which will carry a youthful & energetic appeal!

Don’t you think your timing of focus on the domestic market has been a tad-too-late?

Well, to be honest, just because we were more concerned with our global business doesn’t mean that we paid zero attention to the Indian market. We have a strong presence in the country through 12,000 multi-branded outlets. And yes, despite the fact that we didn’t take-up promotional activities too seriously for the Indian market, we have changed gears. And today, besides promotions, we also have 270 distributors to add to our exclusive outlets across the country.

Don’t you think your timing of focus on the domestic market has been a tad-too-late?

Well, to be honest, just because we were more concerned with our global business doesn’t mean that we paid zero attention to the Indian market. We have a strong presence in the country through 12,000 multi-branded outlets. And yes, despite the fact that we didn’t take-up promotional activities too seriously for the Indian market, we have changed gears. And today, besides promotions, we also have 270 distributors to add to our exclusive outlets across the country.

And what about competition on the Indian soil?

In the suiting and shirting segment, we have been the pioneer in introducing many innovative products in the country, which was later adopted by our competitors. Even today, we have the strongest distribution network that any other textile player. So competition gives us no headache!

But is ‘strong distribution network’ adequate in the business of fashion and textiles?

Agreed that a proper ‘brand positioning’ does help a great deal. That when it comes to the metros. What about tier I & II cities? Simply, there the trick lies in pricing & distribution! So there you are – proper distribution & pricing carries great weight too!

Do we expect your focus on domestic focus to be greater than your global acts hereon?

No! We will not compromise on our global business. A certain portion of our product portfolio will be for export. At the same time, we will grow in the domestic market. We have strategies in place for both markets.

What next for Donear?

We have big investment and expansion plans; like the Rs.275 crore set aside for a factory in Surat (which will be operational in November 2007) and we also plan to open exclusive ‘Donear’ outlets in all the metros. All-in-all, I think soon we’ll all see a totally new and ‘strong’ brand Donear!

Edit bureau: R Prasad

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
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AVIVA – a palindrome, and it sounds good too.

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“We constantly innovate to launch products that benefit our customers,” says Vivek Khanna, Director (Marketing), Aviva Life Insurance, India. ‘Innovative’ is something which you can truly call this pioneer of concepts which has radically changed the insurance landscape in the country. To add to it, differentiation has also been its hallmark; and at a time when most private life insurance companies launched humdrum products, Aviva walked the untrodden path and launched its unique ‘With Profit Fund’, funds which guarantee that its selling price will never fall! Now that’s something that India loves to hear! Its products have a compelling proposition which appeals to the ever demanding and value conscious Indian customer. With immense potential in the insurance sector, Aviva looks to be making hay while the sun shines. To reach out to the masses, it has also associated itself with BASIX and other NGOs, and today, has successfully insured the lives of close to nine lakh Indians through initiatives like Grameen Suraksha et al. Well, good tidings it is, for its stakeholders then. Insuring maximum lives, for maximum success!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
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Want a retail life in a ‘Metro’?!

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Metro AG tread where others failed to... and shrewdly so!

Wal-Mart, Carrefour, Tesco and other kings in the retail kingdom are giving what it takes to make a mark in the lucrative Indian retail industry. Unfortunately, all that can be said with respect to the levels of success attained is – it could have been better! Much better! “And why?” you ask? Well, just when everything around them seemed hell-bent to support their cause, the bigwigs got stuck in the midst of all possible calamities – be it the policy-makers’ or local traders’ uproar or an inability to get along with an Indian partner; they have experienced it all. Whatever tactics they tried has in fact worked against them and these retail Alexanders who have almost spread their operations quite spectacularly across the globe are finding it hard to conquer the Indian terrain.

After every futile attempt they remain unshaken and can be seen devising a newer gameplan. Well, standing ovations for their steadfast spirit but for what reasons are these global giants dying to enter the market? The reason is (and no surprises here, please!) – their love for money! The giants want to be a part of story which currently stands at $300 billion and is expected to grow to a more-than-spectacular $427 billion by 2010 and literally an El Dorado worth $637 billion by 2015 (KSA Technopak report). Confirming the happy tale, Jigar Valia, Analyst, Parag Parikh told 4Ps B&M, “The sector is undergoing a phenomenal change and once the international biggies enter the market, it will undergo a significant change...”

But while there is the story of ‘sour grapes’ on one end, there is also the ‘seen that, done that’ reality show. And leaing the pack of successful invaders is the street-smart Metro AG (Germany’s leading retailer). Unlike others, it decided to work around the given environment and adjusted itself in the best possible manner. Sensing the rigid policy structure, Metro intelligently entered the wholesale cash & carry business (where 100% FDI is allowed). The company started its operations in 2003 with a cash-and-carry store in Bangalore, and is now looking to spread its arms across other metros. At present, the company runs three stores in Bangalore and Hyderabad. More importantly, the move has helped the company in setting up its strong base and has strengthened its back-end operations, which is a strategic necessities for success in this domain. Today, Metro has attained a significant lead as compared to the crowd of retail wannabes on the Indian soil. Moreover, if norms are relaxed by policy-makers, Metro will have a considerable advantage as compared to other global peers. Jigar Valia explains this as, “One cannot miss the India story and Metro has been prudent enough in entering the market via the wholesale business. Preently, almost everyone is considering this as an option…”

So, after Wal-Mart, the latest to copy Metro will be Carrefour. There is also the happy fact that despite a lot of copy-cats, Metro will not face any crunch since there’s enough space to accommodate all. The next phase of the war will therefore be decided by who transform itself into a retailer from a wholesale player in a seamless fashion. At present, Metro AG has quite a lead, but can one underestimate competition?! Surely, Metro doesn’t!

Siddharth Nahata

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Maximize your wealth: Put on your m‘caps’!

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Where to invest to maximise your returns? Are large- cap companies the answer, or are mid and small cap companies the potential gold mine? Dinesh Thakkar tries to answer the perennial investor dilemma.


The stock market is synonymous with wealth creation and maximisation. So, for the purposes of this topic, I would like to confine myself to one criteria – market capitalization of the company. Selecting companies based on mcap is not easy: here one has to bear in mind that companies achieve size and scale only over a period of time. Thus, we can conclude that companies of a larger scale have been operating for several years and have weathered rising and falling markets and fluctuating economic cycles. In contrast to this, mid and small-cap companies would have relatively lesser experience.

Apart from this, most large-cap companies have an established track record of earnings because of their loyal base of consumers supporting their products, stronger balance sheets and cash flows and better credit ratings because of their market standing. In most cases, they also have a competitive advantage in the marketplace because of better cost controls, strong marketing capabilities, and so forth. In contrast to this, the non-large-cap companies not only have to compete on a much stronger level to sustain their market position, but they are also subject to higher risks generated by fluctuating industry cycles.

While large-cap companies have several advantages, their smaller or newer peers often have the advantage of greater potential growth prospects, as there is a greater possibility that these companies can double their revenues and profits over the next few years. Finding such companies may require a lot of research, and investing in them may also require insights into the way the company works, its long-term goals, and the mechanics of the stock market. Thus, the determination of one’s risk profile becomes an important element, and you should avoid such involvement if you are not a professional.

To conclude, investing is all about maximizing wealth (the relatively risk-free way) by investing in safe, potentially profitable corporates with a good reputation, a proven track record, and a future that seems assured. India is a land of constant new opportunities which are emerging as a result of the progressive growth of our economy, and the opening up of new avenues of business in the corporate sector. If we indeed have to put value on future opportunities, the sum would run into crores and crores of rupees, but to seize and realize these opportunities, corporates should be able to raise huge capital. They must also be capable of creating the right business model to generate profits from it. Who else than a big corporate house having large scale and size to be able to do this?

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Can they pull off a full circle?

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It’s time BPL & Onida wake up from their slumber, before they fade into oblivion...

Once upon a time there lived a king ruling over millions in his estate. But then suddenly foreigners invaded his secure land and he was overthrown from his high-seat. That’s the sad saga of our home-grown consumer durable giants – BPL, Onida, Kelvinator, Bluestar, which were reduced to rubble by the Korean chaebols, LG and Samsung. Little did Rajeev Chandrasekhar know that fighting with father-in-law TPG Nambiar may have handed him the reins of BPL, but not the acumen to run the company, which soon faded into oblivion. Speaking to 4Ps B&M, Brand Analyst, Harish Bijoor explains, “In the space of consumer durables, no leader is forever. This is a slippery totem pole. Marketers need to learn to be nifty enough to hang on with aggressive media spends. Those who don’t, slip by. BPL lost out on this count for sure, and that too after a mega decibel use of the Big B at one point!”

It’s a hard fall, from the pinnacle to the floor. Another cult brand which took the fall was Kelvinator. An indisputable leader in the refrigerator segment, the brand was killed after Electrolux bought it. Realising the folly, Videocon (which brought out Electrolux’s Indian subsidiary) – brought the ‘penguin’ alive. But will Kelvinator be able to regain its lost glory? “The Kelvinator penguin is a ubiquitous brand image. I do believe, backed by adequate media spend pressure; the brand can be re-invoked in the mind of the discern- ing Indian consumer. The Kelvinator compressor has brand equity that is rock-solid. Re-inventing the brand magic is a possibility,” says an optimistic Bijoor. With the onset of the festival season, competition is heating up in the durable’s sphere. Shantanu Das Gupta, VP Marketing, Whirpool says, “Our marketing and promotional activation this season will be unique in the industry and deliver unparalleled benefit to the homemaker.” The company has earmarked Rs.60 crore as advertising budget in FY08 – a 20% increase over the previous year.

But it’s a tough task for the old horses to fight the battle. Only a complete on-your-toes marketing stance, investment in mega decibel campaigns, investing ahead of the curve, utilising every event opportunity whether it be cricket or Bihu to advantage may do the trick! With marketing & advertising spends at an all time high, taking on the Korean giants might not prove to be an easy task for the erstwhile leaders. With their value pricing, LG & Samsung control most of the consumer durable mart. Nevertheless, the desi also-rans are stocking up arsenal and might yet prove to be worthy opponents to the Korean giants in the Indian mart.
Edit bureau: Sreoshi Ghose

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Singing a new sargam...

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A pioneer in music and home entertainment, SaReGaMa is now exploring new avenues like event management, movie and television content production to derive maximum benefits of the entertainment boom. Talking to 4Ps B&M, Mukul Kansal, GM-Business Unit, SaReGa- Ma talks about what completes the sargam for SaReGaMa:

Q. What shape is the entertainment industry taking?

The whole industry per se is getting corporatised. A lot of corporate money is flowing in, which is a very positive sign. Moreover, professional talent has been coming in, which was earlier lacking.

Q. What growth areas is SaReGaMa looking at?
There are a lot of spaces adjacent to music and we’re exploring these. We are into producing television content and movies. We produce TV content for a lot of players down South, one of them is Sun TV. Main Kuli ki Chain Khuli is our recent movie production. We’re also activating the space of events. We don’t want to limit ourselves as just a music seller. SaReGaMa is the largest player in the home video segment with global studio tie-ups like Disney, Warner Brothers, MGM.

Q What’s ahead?
Digital distribution of content is a big opportunity. Children content (especially movies) is another area where the country lacks...

As told to Pallavi Srivastava

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Motorola ROKR - Hello ROKR

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

BRAND : Motorola ROKR
AGENCY: O&M
BASELINE : Hello ROKR

DESCRIPTION: A man is tied up/tangled in wire and is trying to reach his Motorola ROKR phone. As soon as he touches the phone, the shackles break down. The guy runs toward the wall and, the wires gripping him for a second leave a pair of earphones in his ears. The wires slowly disappear and the guy still seems to be dazed – but then he realises that he has earphones plugged into his ears. He plays some rocking music on his Motorola ROKR phone and starts enjoying it. In the end, the V.O. says, “Hello Moto”. 4Ps TAKE: The wire concept is rocking, giving the much needed attention to the earphones that Motorola ROKR is offering. The USP is the new age ear phones; but the reward to the prospect is the Motorola brand – because in order to get to hear music from your earphones, you first need the ROKR, right??! The storyboard is unconventional and funky, with the wires doing all the talking (for the product) targeting music lovers. Are we all set to say a Hello to this rocker of an ad from ROKR?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

It’s difficult to precisely assess how are Indians making it to the top positions of multinational corporations

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

“Difficult!...” Ravi Thakran, President of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey (a-pac), himself a the recent addition to the global CEO list, was almost fatalistic in his forecasts about the universal competence of Indian CEOs while chatting up with 4Ps B&M, “It’s difficult to precisely assess how are Indians making it to the top positions of multinational corporations.” Clearly, we were taken aback by the statements from some of the top guys we interviewed, especially from a person like Ravi, who has had leadership stints in Europe with the Swatch Group and Nike, and understands quite well the cross-country applicability of what is now known as an ‘Indian CEO’. That led us to question the basic construct of what was the reality behind Indian CEOs taking up international mantles...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

The Story of an Indian CEO

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“It’s quite controversial to comment on how Indians are getting success in terms of moving up the corporate ladder, leading global corporations and even universities!” When 4Ps B&M talked exclusively to Dr. Srikant Datar, Professor of Accounting at Harvard Business School (HBS) on July31, 2007, his statements gave away the trepidation hidden within; as he is one of the top contenders to the most coveted post of Dean, HBS; and he is, of course, an Indian!

Still, ‘controversial’?!? One never thought that discussions about India Inc. growingly becoming a breeding ground for spawning global CEOs were ‘controversial’! But truthfully, are Indian CEOs competent enough to undertake the responsibility of heading multinational corporations? Obviously we’ve heard ad nauseam oft quoted examples of people like Indra Nooyi, Arun Sarin, Rajat Gupta and Lakshmi Mittal, but does the Indian top management fraternity comprise any more than just a handful exemplars of benchmark world-class leadership?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

Tequila sunrise in India

IIPM, GURGAON

Tequila is, reportedly, coming to India in hordes. The buzz in the market is that Brown-Forman (the makers of Jack Daniel’s whisky) is thinking about getting a few brands here. These include Herradura, El Jimador and Don Eduardo. The company is going to target popular nightclubs, discos and pubs in the metros where most of the tequila consumption takes place. In India, tequila consumption is not too hot: around 10,000 cases are consumed every year – but the good news is that the segment is witnessing a growth (in volume terms) of 50% year on year. For the time being, there are brands like Diageos Jose Cuervo and Jim Beams Sauza in the market. A single shot of tequila is often served with salt and a slice of lemon. This is called “tequila cruda” and is sometimes referred to as “training wheels”, or a “lick-sip-suck” (referring to the way in which the combination of ingredients is imbibed). The drinker moistens the back of his/her hand below the index finger (usually by licking) and pours on the salt. Then the salt is licked off the hand, tequila is drunk and the fruit slice is quickly bitten. When served neat (without any additional ingredients), tequila is most often served in a narrow shot glass called a caballito, but can often be found in anything from a snifter to a tumbler. Guess it’s time to get high on tequila!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

After low-cost carriers, no-frills airports

IIPM - Admission Procedure

India is soon going to see a slew of no-frills, low-cost airports. This is because regional airlines are being encouraged to link to small cities and towns – by air. Around 25 greenfield airport projects have been identified by various state governments and these no-frills airports are soon going to be made up for grabs for the private sector players. It has been estimated that the cost of setting up this new-age no-frills airport will be anything between Rs.40 crore to Rs.100 crore. Places identified for building no-frills airports include Shirdi, Jalgaon, Solapur, Akola (Maharashtra); Ajmer, Mount Abu, Kailashar (Rajasthan); Hassan, Shimoga, Gulbarga, Bidar, Mysore (Karnataka); Kannur (Kerala); Madurai, TiruchirapallI (Tamil Nadu); Rupsi (Assam), Behala, Cooch Behar, Malda (West Bengal); Jharsuguda (Orissa); Muzaffurpur (Bihar); Kamalpur (Tripura) & Passighat (Arunachal Pradesh).

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!