Friday, November 30, 2012

Mirror Mirror on the wall, why’re we the worst amongst them all?

Why discrete development of just a few sectors will prove futile. And why collective is the way to go...

After analysing every sector, we decide to write about one that is really pulling India down. And after hours of heated discussion and analysis of myriad reports, the editorial board came to a very interesting conclusion – we found that each sector had an impact on the other, something which is more grave than it sounds... ‘negative synergy’ for India is what we called it. In spite of such growth and development, the country is yet to initiate some basic transformations or changes.

A nation is generally considered successful when it achieves three significant milestones – free politics (which implies freedom of peoples’ choices), economic freedom (bringing prosperity and equality coupled-with social freedom) and finally, achieving peace and social cohesiveness. The world, during the last sixty years has fought to achieve these three ingredients of a healthy nation. Even when we speak about the Western countries, they have all achieved democracy and prosperity, but whether they’ve successfully been able to bring about ‘social cohesiveness and integration’ is really a question. Though India scored high in both political freedom and social integration, it is yet to witness that dream economic growth (that of 10%). Fortunately, with the initiation of economic liberalisation during the 1990s, India has brought revolution which Gurcharan Das in his book, The Elephant Paradigm, has explained vividly. The world can easily remember 1789 for French revolution and/or 1917 for the Russian revolution because of their pro-active nature. But the revolution in India has been like silent water flowing peacefully downhill... it’s happening but the rate of flow and change cannot be imagined or justified, or even quantified!

While expressing his view Parag Khanna, Director, Global Governance Initiative, New America Foundation comments, “I am impressed with the sustained growth in the economy and taken by surprise at how quickly and broadly manufacturing has boomed. This will be the secret to employment-generating-growth which can tackle one of the largest social deficiencies of the economy to date. There are still worrying signs at the top level like slow investment in infrastructure, and also deregulation. Many investors from America complain ceaselessly of the still opaque business environment in India...”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Can we educate the regulator?

B&E’s Managing Editor Sutanu Guru wrote on this literate dilemma two issues back; you missed it, he knew it, we’re re-running it... diligently!

Over the decades, he has emerged as one of the most respected entrepreneurs of post-Independence India and nurtures the powerful corporate legacy of the Godrej family. He is very optimistic about India’s future. And yet, when B&E asks Adi Godrej about one single issue that could derail India. he unhesitatingly says ‘education’. “The State has to encourage private sector participation in education. There is no other option. It is the private sector that made the third rate telecom and aviation sectors in India world class. It is the private sector that will do it in education.” And of critical importance is the FEI (Foreign Educational Institutions: regulation of entry and operations, maintenance of quality and prevention of commercialisation) Bill, 2007, that had to be shelved last year by Arjun Singh due to stiff opposition from the Left. Granted that the current UPA government has just about a few months left to go before it is election season.

But just as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has staked his future legacy through the nuclear deal, HRD Minister Arjun Singh too has a great opportunity to stake his own legacy by reforming higher education in the country, and in a major way by getting the FEI Bill passed. In fact, the passing of this Bill could well lead to benefits that will be far more significant and enduring than the nuclear deal. And now that the UPA government is not hobbled by an obstructionist and obscurantic Left when it comes to policy making and implementation, Arjun Singh even has the space now to quickly leave a lasting imprint; if he so wishes to. The question is, does he?

It just seems, Arjun Singh wishes to do so, and this time is moving double time. “The hurdles have been removed to an extent and now the Bill should be introduced... If time is available, I would like to see it happen,” Arjun Singh commented just 48 hours after the government won the trust vote. Arjun Singh even set up an urgent meeting with state education ministers to initiate a blueprint for considerable expansion and education reforms in the next five years. But as he confirmed with his actions, the meeting was primarily with a focus on getting the FEI Bill passed quick time.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 26, 2012

“The slowdown can be seasonal”

Vivek Nayar, VP (Marketing), Auto Division, Mahindra & Mahindra

B&E: What are the effects of the industry slowdown on M&M?
VN: If there is a slowdown, naturally we will also be affected by it. However I think that the slowdown is a seasonal factor and sales will pick up eventually. Then there is the monsoon and rains, a situation where the consumer is not very keen in making new purchases.

B&E: On M&M’s new found focus on the environment.
VN: The subject of global warming is something which we should be aware of. The beauty we see in the nature will not be here forever. What matters most is what you leave behind and that is what M&M wants to do. We are not only leading at the CNG initiative, there is a lot more. We have already demonstrated our electric vehicles at the auto expo as well. It all depends on the reach of infrastructure.

B&E: On the company’s environment friendly products.
VN: The launch is a part of our sustained mobility programme. We have already launched the Champion CNG and Alpha CNG in light load carrier segment. Now it is the two tonne segment, Bolero Pickup. We have a portfolio of small load capacity vehicles which are propelled by CNG. In the light commercial category these are solutions to a specific issue. Right now the launch is for the Delhi market, followed by Mumbai and Gujrat. As the infrastructure develops, and as the government plays a major role in increasing the CNG reach, we go to other places as well.

B&E: Will CNG be used in the company’s other models?
VN: Once you are strong in a technology you can use it in various segments; so I think we can provide this initiative into the passenger segment as well. We may launch a Scorpio hybrid in the near future.

B&E: On M&M’s market performance.
VN: M&M volumes have grown from 30,000-44,000, a CAGR growth of 20%. This is when the industry grew by only 7%. In pickups, we are the market leaders with 83% market share. Here, Mahindra grew at 77%, a full 33% more than the segment. 

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

African safari gone sour

Discontinuing talks with MTN will not prove to be a long term setback for RCOM

It has the makings of a typical ‘Hindi Masala’ film, where boy (Reliance Communication or RCOM) meets girl (MTN) and they fall in love. Before exchanging the marriage vows the two enter in an exclusive ‘courtship’ period to plan their life ahead but then there’s a twist in the tale. Enter the villain – Mukesh Ambani, who claims that he has the right to veto and hence starts the arbitrage process, which ultimately leads to the state where both lovers decided to part on a good note. If talks would have been successful, it would have created an emerging market powerhouse worth up to $70 billion with a subscriber base of 120 million (as on June 30, 2008) spread across the globe, far larger than most Western mobile phone businesses.

After talks with RCOM ended, the grapevine had it that there could be a possibility of a return to Bharti-Airtel. Dobek Pater, Partner at Africa Analysis did not deny this as a possibility in times to come and added, “MTN has established a reputation of being too demanding in the past few month and in case it is bullish about entering India, which is a highly lucrative emerging market, it should drop some items from its wish list.”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Animal index!

India would surely rank high on it

According to a recent report released jointly by Assocham and PwC, India is still way behind other BRIC countries when it comes to public spending on social sectors like health, education, providing access to healthy water, sanitation, schemes for elderly population et al. While India’s public spending on education and health was about 6% and 5% respectively according to the latest Indian Economic Survey, the same for its BRIC counterparts like Brazil, Russia and China is around 7.9% and 5.2% and 4.9% on health, and 12.8%, 12.9% and 10.2% on education respectively. The low public spending by India on health is visible by high mortality rate and growing health problems.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Rockers & shockers!

Imagine selling rock guitars when classical music comes into vogue! Surely, a difficult external environment can overwhelm the best of them. B&E profiles three key sectors that merit a mention for profitable or not-so-profitable reasons. psus, of course have been included for their prominence in the list

Sub-prime?: Who is he?

Despite global slowdown, interest rate uncertainties & mounting inflation, Indian banks have a great opportunity to move ahead. But consolidation is also looming on the horizon, says gyanendra kashyap

The paradigm shift in the dynamics of the banking industry is overwhelming; thanks to the continued strong economic cycle. A total of 23 banks made it to the B&E Power 100 list this year. This shows that we are either quite immune from the sub-prime crisis or the impact is yet to come.

Bankex, which trailed around the 3,000 mark a couple of years ago, crossed the 12,000 mark on January 14, 2008. Once dominated by public sector entities, the industry is witnessing unprecedented changes and shareholders are having the last laugh (even though 19 of the 23 are PSBs); and why not, for Indian banking has topped the charts in value creation in FY ’08 (Boston Consulting Group’s report entitled “Managing Shareholder Value in Turbulent Times”). What is more interesting is the sharp decline in NPAs (from 8% in 2000 to about 1% today). Private players as well as their foreign counterparts are making deep inroads into the highly untapped markets; on the backdrop of an efficient technological set up and customer service; and slowly and steadily increasing their market share. Estimates suggest that the duo have been adding 1% of market share on an annualised basis. Their growth in terms of market share (by total assets) has been phenomenal; in 2003, market share of private banks was 17.5% and of foreign banks was 6.9%; by the end of 2007, the private sector banks commanded 21.5% of the market share, while their foreign counterparts increased their share to 8% (Moody’s report). ICICI, HDFC and AXIS are challenging the PSBs both in terms of quality and profitability; nevertheless the banking major State Bank of India (SBI) still tops the charts as far as profitability is concerned.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Jiggling and joggling

Jiggling and joggling to wake up the souls...

Though a source of entertainment for many, this cruel sport is just one of the several ways of misusing animals since it gets the cash registers ringing. These mute beings used in movies and other T.V. programmes are treated as mere props and on many occasions, brutally tortured to get one shot right. “Animals are not natural performers. They don’t like performing. While it is practically impossible to completely refrain their use in media, it is important that they are not put through any sort of torture. So, capturing the natural behaviour of the animal is allowed but making them perform special acts that are not natural to their disposition is cruelty and is not allowed,” informs Jaya Simha, Campaign Manager, PETA India. This Mumbai-based organisation is all set to awaken the entertainment industry to animal rights. The most recent case pending in the court is for the rights of the pug used in the Hutch campaign. The little dog was unduly tortured when made to run during the ‘bus-chasing’ scene. “The chimps used in the Amul advertisement were pushed beyond their natural level of performance and that’s objectionable to us,” asserts Jaya.

It’s great to have such organisations work for the rights of animals, but it’s quite disappointing that only a handful of us worry about the life of those who cannot speak for themselves. The laws and campaigns might someday spare the animals used as props from torture, but I wonder if it can bring about mercy in those hearts that swell with life by watching those of others sink in pain and fear?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Did i forget to forget..?

Scientists scratch their heads over hyperthymesia

Have you ever thought how interesting it would be if you could replay in your mind the events of your life like a movie, and in the exact chronological order of its occurrence? Sounds interesting, but wishful right? Well, not really... Neurologists from the University of California (UC) Irvine had conducted studies on a few people who were diagnosed with this extraordinary ability to recall every moment of their life whenever desired!

Neuroscientists James Mc Gaugh and Larry Cahill of UC Irvine had been conducting studies on such cases and it was in 2006 that a case study on a person called AJ (name changed), who was detected with this syndrome, was published for the first time for everyone’s perusal. It was way back in 2000 that AJ had sent a mail requesting for help for her uncontrollably sharp memory that allowed her to recollect the exact events that had happened in her life since the days of early childhood, which intrigued scientists and triggered the study of such brains. Dr JD Mukherjee, a neurologist at Max Hospital explains, “The Super Memory Syndrome, scientifically termed as hyperthymesia allows one to recall even the trivial details of events that have occurred in their lives. Such cases are a rarity and till now only four people with this syndrome have been found. People with hyperthymesia also have the capability to remember the day which fell on a certain date. Basically, they have sharper non-stop detailed memory capacity.”

The mention of ‘sharper memory’ prompted just one question – could such people prove to be of greater utility if trained for advanced research for scientific inventions or the likes? – to which Dr Mukherjee clarified that “memory and intelligence are separate things.” The human brain has three types of memories. Immediate memory, which allows one to register and recall incidences occurred just minutes ago; short-term memory which enables one to recall the events of the previous few days and long-term memory which keeps the happening that had occurred long ago etched in the mind forever.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Scary little girls

The Japanese horror film industry is poised to scare the world!

A mother, in the midst of a messy and emotionally draining divorce and custody battle, moves into a rundown apartment with her daughter, in search of some solace and quiet. But the dilapidated building hides a dark and creepy secret. Soon after their arrival, weird and unexplained incidents start to take place. Visions of a small girl (about the same age as her own daughter) clutching a red bag, face devoid of any expression, start to appear in the hallway. Moreover, a mysterious seepage appears on the roof of the apartment the two share, seemingly caused by the apartment directly above. Upon further investigation, it’s revealed that another mother-daughter duo used to live in it and the mother moved away when the girl inexplicably disappeared. A little scared and apprehensive, the mother decides to investigate further, leading her to make the terrifying discovery that the missing girl had actually drowned in the water tank at the roof of the building while trying to fish her red bag out of it. But as the realisation sinks in, it’s already too late…

Got the chills? Were you waiting for the ending? We wouldn’t give it away, for it would spoil your mood and probably swear you off seedy apartment buildings for the rest of your life. Much better to go to the theatre and then promise yourself never to see such movies…ever, especially in the dark. When I talk of ‘these’ movies, I’m not referring to the mindless slasher movies churned out by Hollywood in the dozens every year, mainly involving screaming teenagers being chased around by assorted evils (ghosts, spirits, werewolves, etc). No, I’m talking about something that’s a little more cerebral, which chills more than it thrills, which stealthily sneaks-up and delivers a shock that leaves you gasping (with the popcorn forgotten). Now before you tear out my limbs, let me break the suspense, I’m talking about Japanese horror films (or J-Horror). The recent release of One Missed Call, a remake of the hit Japanese Chakushin Ar, brings the number of official remakes by Hollywood of Japanese films to seven, with the most famous ones being Ring, Ring 2 and Grudge, leaving aside all the unofficial ‘inspiration’ that Hollywood seems to have taken from the east from time to time.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Knives out for Abdullah

Ethnic Indian minorities show their might in the just concluded general elections by supporting Anwar

Malaysia’s ruling Barisan Nasional (bn) alliance led-by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is facing its biggest challenge in 50 years of uninterrupted rule. The spectacular showing by the opposing parties in last month’s general election has been giving it the jitters. The 13-party coalition is pretty much shaken. “The continued political instability makes for a very dangerous situation,” says political analyst Collin Abraham. According to him and many others the knives are out for Badawi, with his juniors in the United Malays National Organisation (umno) party demanding his head. The BN won 140 of Parliament’s 222 seats but lost five states to the opposition, including three of the most economically buoyant in the federation. The opposition parties protesting government corruption and neglect won 82 of 222 parliamentary seats. It was widely expected that the BN would do less well in the Indian and Chinese constituencies, both of which had been feeling marginalized – due largely to the New Economic Policy (nep) that benefits the majority Muslim Malays over the minority Chinese and Indians. (The Chinese particularly have a chokehold on Malaysian businesses.)

An estimated 69% Indian settlers voted for the opposition, which benefited from a sharp voter swing; it was as much as 42% in the case of the Chinese who constitute 33% of the 28 million population.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

MARUTI, HYUNDAI: COMPACT CAR STRATEGY

With new entry compacts, Hyundai & Maruti are out to prove they are ready to fight the Rs.1 lakh car

If A-segment sales are anything to go by, that assumption does not appear unfounded at all. According to SIAM, Maruti 800, the lone A-segment player, sold a dismal 5,470 units in January 2008, finding itself at a thought provoking seventh spot in terms of sales! Evidently there is an average fall of a whopping 25-28% in the monthly sales of the product and the segment is clearly not ready to sustain more new players. Hyundai’s strategy to bring in a sub-B segment product instead, could be a well though out strategy as sales in this segment are the present volume drivers. Hyundai, like Maruti, could also be concerned about eventual threats on product quality that might come associated with an ultra-cheap product playing on very low margins. “Hyundai does not believe in providing a lower price point only. Instead it seeks to offer value, reliability, latest technology and a great ownership experience., confirms Lheem.

Now that Hyundai has joined forces with Maruti Suzuki to combat the evident threat from Tata’s Nano, the field is left wide open. With it’s positioning as a valuable product, if Tata’s Nano manages to win Indian hearts, both Hyundai and Maruti could find themselves back to the drawing boards. The volumes are mind numbing and none of the three players can afford to err in market analysis. For now it is the battle of the ‘new’ entry compacts. May the best ‘strategy’ win!


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Friday, November 9, 2012

Who dares to be CEO?

Lampert must move himself out of a hands on role in Sears

When investor Edward Lampert acquired Sears via merger of K-Mart in 2005 and became the Chairman, he thought of ruling the retail world. However, recent developments at Sears Holding Corp. suggest how poorly he misread the whole scenario. At the moment, the retail giant is facing the brunt from both internal & external factors. Apart from economic slowdown, its army of 3,800 stores is dilapidating with every passing day due to rising complaints related to its stores and customer service. Edward announced massive re-organisation plan on January 22, 2008 (new organisational structure composing of five business units – operating businesses, support, brands, online and real estate).

Surprisingly, just a week after the re-structuring announcement, Edward ousted CEO Allwyn Lewis, who he had only institutionalised at the helm two years back from a restaurant company – Yum Brands. He has appointed W. Bruce Johnson as interim CEO. Howard Davidowitz, Chairman, Davidowitz & Associates, pointed out, “It doesn’t make sense to kick start re-organisation without a full time CEO.” Another analyst on condition of anonymity said, “There hasn’t been clear reasoning from the management on why Lewis is being ousted… ”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Mumbai mania

The politics of parochialism

This week Mumbai’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the rebel Shiv Sena group, swooped down on impoverished migrants from Bihar & Uttar Pradesh.They came under attack everywhere: on the streets, and in local trains and buses and their property set wantonly ablaze. The mob frenzy was triggered by MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s statement about the migrants not deserving the state’s hospitality.

Raj has launched a bitter tirade against north Indians, specifically targeting Amitabh Bachchan & his family, and north Indian festivals, celebrated in Mumbai. “If you have to live in Mumbai, then we will not let you celebrate Chhath Puja festival at Juhu beach,” he said. Nothing was voiced about their numerous contributions towards Mumbai.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
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IIPM Global Exposure
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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

PEACE TALKS: US EFFORTS

Bush performs another peace ritual in Palestine towards the fag end of his presidency even while the region continues to burn

Is it as easy as taking a decision to bomb a weak Saddam Hussein regime in Baghdad? Many experts would disagree. Speaking to B&E, the Director of Gulf Studies Programme at JNU, Prof. Gulshan Dietl said, “Bush’s political clout is weaning tremendously. This visit is a theatre set for his own personal history.

Not only that, the leaders who have to reach an agreement are domestically too weak to take any decision. So, this visit is not going to change anything in the ground.” Two months after Annapolis, it’s obvious that the US & Israel are unlikely to take any step beyond their conventional understanding of the national identity of Palestinians. All this is happening amid reports that Israel, with the tacit support of the PA, would attack and reoccupy the Gaza strip, which has been under the control of Hamas since last June. Hamas on the other side declared, “The only dialogue with the enemy will be with rifles & rockets.” If Israel is going to do that, the entire region would be plunged into a civil war. Even if the PA, by any chance, reaches a political agreement with Israel, as years go by, the number of “core issues” only goes up, not down.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012. 
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

From India’s first score to the last ball for victory; runs this family legacy

 The earliest and the most influential source of inspiration is often drawn from the family. Growing up under the umbrella held by the expert himself, Mohinder Amarnath’s case was no different. “My father was very inspiring,” he says when questioned about Lala Amarnath as a father figure. Children do emulate the ways and paths once trotted by their parents. But with Mohinder, his father’s unspoken desire to shoulder the legacy weighed on his thoughts. “My dad wanted his sons to carry on the legacy. I remember in childhood days, my dad ensured that we played cricket thoroughly. Dad started to make me practice cricket seriously when I was 10,” recalls Mohinder Amarnath. The scions of Lala Amarnath owe much credit for the paradigm shift from a legendary name to an acclaimed dynasty. Guided by the mighty shadow, both Mohinder Amarnath Bhardwaj and Surinder Amarnath Bhardwaj won the privilege of playing in packed stadia full of spectators cheering for the Indian team. Known to decimate the fieriest of bowling attacks, Surinder replicated his father’s record of a Test debut centurion, which also happened to be the 100th Test century of India. Though Surinder’s career in international cricket was short lived, Mohinder brightened the family lamp with his tenacity, taking India to the only World Cup victory till date.

Commenting on modern cricket, Mohinder feels that now things are tougher for a player to find a spot in the national team in spite of having a family history with the game; reason being that there is no dearth of talent and only the outstanding are selected. Amarnath also makes appearances in shows for expert opinions and states, “My favourites are Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting, who is a good captain and a fantastic player.”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Monday, November 5, 2012

Big Dada Bets on Big Adda

With access to content, infrastructure and mobile platform, RCom is in a position to ring in a new convergent future, believes DEVDEEP SINGH

Let’s start this story from March 2003, when, despite eight years since the launch of mobile services in the country, owning a mobile was still a dream for a majority of Indians. At that stage, Airtel ruled the market with 3 million subscribers, closely followed by the state-owned BSNL (2.2 million) and Hutch, now Vodafone, (2.1 million). But over 90% of these subscribers lived in metros. It was then, while GSM players were competing with each other that Reliance Infocomm (now Reliance Communications) decided to launch Indiamobile services on the CDMA platform. Within the first eight weeks of the launch, the company witnessed a record of 80 million minutes of usage by its subscribers. Today, as tele-density in the country has increased from 1% in 2003 to 23%, RCom, with its customer base of 38 million, just behind Airtel’s 51 million, has proved to be a success. It has changed the way service providers, customers, regulators and experts think and feel about telecom. It transformed the manner in which people think about the future of communications. B&E analyses how RCom provided the right ring tones for a connected India.

Tactic No 1: Become the price warrior

The success of RCom is significant considering the price revolution it initiated in the sector. While the likes of Airtel were offering STD calls for over Rs.3 per minute, Reliance empowered people to make domestic long-distance calls for a measly 40 paise. Although this was applicable for a Reliance-to-Reliance call, it gripped the price-sensitive nation and, by June 2003, the company amassed a subscriber base of 1.2 million. Says S. P. Shukla, President (Wireless Group), RCom, “According to Dhirubhai Ambani, a telecom business would achieve its goal if it could make mobile telephony services available to the masses at rates that were cheaper than the postcard.”

Not only did RCom implement this vision successfully, it strategically reduced the cost of owning a mobile at the entry level. With the Monsoon Hungama scheme that was launched in July 2003, RCom allowed individuals to own a mobile for just Rs.500. Such was the frenzy created that in next few months, the company penetrated deep into towns & villages & became one of the top mobile service providers. “Reliance has always offered the cheapest monthly plans. Also, their valued added services like Hello Tunes and others are cheaper than other operators. It’s a treat to be an RCom customer,” says a Reliance mobile user.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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