IIPM Beyond Imagination: January 2013

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Vote bank politics

Fighting terror can’t be held ransom to vote bank politics, believes Ranjit Bhushan

The conduct of the union home ministry during the five-year-UPA rule has been blasphemous. If Shivraj Patil became known more for his sartorial elegance and less for insights into the working for India’s internal security structure, his successor P. Chidambaram, who made a good start, has lost political face by throwing out the IPL saying that teams could be attacked like the Lankans in Pakistan. “By doing so, he has walked into the trap laid by terrorists,’’ avers BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad. “The Congress is committed to fight terror. We know how to deal with it,’’ Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi, retorts.

Judged by any neutral observer, it would be safe to say that the UPA government has seen less of terror attacks when compared to NDA. There have been no attacks like the ones on Parliament and the subsequent buildup during Operation Parakram. Even though, it has been business as usual in Kashmir.

Sadly, India remains one of the few countries in the world where the consensus on terror has nearly broken down and can easily pass off as a party dispute – apart from occasional joint statements issued on floor of the Parliament. While Republicans and Democrats in the US frequently disagree, there can be no differences on fighting terror and it cannot be held ransom to the vagaries of vote bank politics. The sooner parties in India realise it, the better and safer it is.

Read more.....

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Friday, January 25, 2013

Is the Tata Group prepared for this, or even the larger leadership crisis?

2009 will see Tata Steel, TCS and Tata Motors lose their top men to retirement. Is the Tata Group prepared for this, or even the larger leadership crisis?

Russi Mody was well past 70 and was unceremoniously ousted. Darbari Seth fought a subterranean battle that he lost when he turned 70. Even his son had to quit as MD, Tata Chemicals. And Ajit Kerkar could not even enjoy the fruits of being non-executive Chairman as he was turfed out of the Taj group when he turned 65. The exit of regional chieftains enabled Ratan Tata to transform the group from a loosely held federation to a tightly controlled corporate house where he and his trusted, hand-picked team held all the aces. In fact, Tata leveraged his unchallenged supremacy to ensure that the holding company Tata Sons substantially increased its stake in all group companies. This has been one of the key reasons for group companies like Tata Tea, TCS, Tata Steel & Tata Motors to execute expensive global acquisitions.

In 2002, when he turned 65, Ratan Tata stuck to the ‘group’ policy and retired as executive Chairman of the group. But then, no one in the group or anywhere else had any doubt whatsoever as to who called the shots in the group, no matter who the ‘executive head’. If you think Ratan Tata has actually relinquished control after 2002 when he retired as executive chairman, you will believe that it is Manmohan Singh, and not Sonia Gandhi who calls the shots in UPA. This arrangement worked well for while and then the clock started ticking again. It was Ratan Tata who had introduced a policy that defined 70 years as the final cut off age even for ‘non-executive’ positions; the same policy that was invoked to oust big wigs like Russi Mody and Darbari Seth. Most leaders tend to think that they are indispensable and Ratan Tata is no different. The dilemma was how to transform his ‘indispensability’ into official group policy. Out went the Sonia model and in came the Zia ul Haq cum Mussharraff model of governance. They changed the constitution to extend their rule and Ratan Tata changed the official group policy to extend his tenure. Back in 2005, Tata Sons announced that non-executive chairmen can now function up to age 75. Ratan Tata was 68 then and earned a fresh mandate to lead the group till 2012 at least.

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CONTINUES TO TUMBLE

FROM GOLDEN STATE TO GREEN STATE TO A STATE SANS ANY LUSTRE, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CONTINUES TO TUMBLE. ANCHAL GUPTA UNRAVELS THE DETAILS

The government of California is facing its worst ever debt crisis in half a century, largely due to the spiralling out state spending obligations and also owing to the negligible assistance from the Federal Government ever since the onslaught of global recession. The state faces the prospect of an over $20 billion budget deficit in financial year 2010-11 (July-June) that includes a $6.3 billion budget shortfall for FY 2009-10. And as the figures show, it could reach an eye popping $23 billion in 2012-13 and it will only partially reduce thereafter, that too, if economic recovery takes the pre 2008 trajectory. But for the time being, there are severe roadblocks to hamper the path to spending cuts that not even the ‘Terminator’ Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger can eliminate. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) budget faces a $1.4 billion higher spending than that estimated in the July 2009 budget package. This is largely due to the massive spending required in the prison medical aid receiver programme and the lack of policy adjustments to bring about necessary reductions in the prison and parole budget systems. Secondly, the state failure to sell off the State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF), a quasi–public workers’ compensation insurer for the budgeted amount of $1 billion in 2009–10, will be added to the spending side. Thirdly, a nearly $ 1 billion extra spending in a particular minimum school guarantee scheme and $900 million higher than budgeted spending on the Medi–Cal Program – mainly due to the political wrangling with the Federal Government to obtain additional federal funds or flexibility to reduce program costs have only made the state sink deeper in quicksand. And a court decision to restrict the use of “spillover” gasoline sales tax and Public Transportation Account funds has only made matters worse.

Critically, almost all rating agencies like Moodys and Fitch have abstained from downgrading California’s credit rating to junk status and it is still somehow dangling to the investment grade branch. However, stern warnings have been given that if some dramatic steps are not taken, to reduce spending, California would be forced to default on its debt which largely consists of municipal bonds, which are retail bonds held by individuals (as they are tax exempt), while some part is also held by national municipal funds. Till date, assets in California municipal bond funds have been in excess of $46 billion while the state’s overall outstanding obligations on all types of bonds has reached $59 billion.

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Monday, January 21, 2013

I had a dream...

Most of us are caught in an endless cycle – waking up late, driving like a maniac in a mad rush to reach the office before the clock strikes nine, slogging all day long, listening to the endless rebukes of the boss, heading home late only to be received by a dejected family upset by your neglect. In this race of life, it’s easy to forget ourselves, our dreams, our passions. When growing up, many of us loved to paint, to dance, act, write, sing... But as we grew up, the realities of life took over. Very few of us allow our creative side to dictate our careers and most of us opt for professional degrees that lead to beefy paychecks. But what if we could enjoy the best of both worlds?

There are people who work five days a week and on weekends they pursue their passions. For example, Dramatech, a 25-year old group, was founded by three alumni of IIT Delhi in 1984. “While at IIT, we had a very strong dramatics club wherein we used to call a director from the industry to direct our annual plays in Hindi and English, and because of that grounding we had a very strong interest in dramatics, which carried on even when we passed out of the institute. Later on, Dramatech grew to attract other students from Delhi University, IIM etc. It became a place for the transient population, the young population in Delhi, to go and do theatre. This is an amateur group and nobody is paid anything, neither the director nor the actors. Everybody is mostly working or studying in college or even school. People do it entirely as a hobby, but we do try to put up a good level of theatre, near professional standards you may say,” says Ravi Raj Sagar, who directs plays for the group and otherwise works as a Marketing Communications Manager with Hewlett-Packard. Most of the people in Dramatech are working with renowned companies like Pepsico, HP, KPMG etc. “The kinds of people we draw are people who are working professionally as executives and now many of them are senior managers, corporates and in the government, so the remuneration motive is not present in their case,” adds Ravi. The motivating factor for them is their passion and not money, which is why they don’t mind taking time out every Saturday and Sunday. Hello Dolly (in Hindi) is their latest production, which debuted on 14 November 2009, and its shows are also being held in December and January at the Sri Ram Centre in New Delhi.

Chetan Bhagat worked with Deutsche Bank for eleven years and gave it up for his dream to become a writer. Dr. R.K. Pachauri left his job of a railway engineer when his interest in the environment took precedence.

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

END OF THE WORLD: FROM MAYAN TO ‘OBAMA’YAN

Perhaps it’s already too late to save the world of its various ills; a primer

Economists who support the growth of nuclear arsenal (yes, they are there!) forward the hypothesis that in the modern era, weak countries are arming themselves not with an intention to attack, but with an objective to dissuade other stronger countries from attacking them. The theorem does hold credibility – when Pakistan attacked India’s borders, India was constrained in its response due to Pakistan’s visible atomic base.

However, those are not democratic and sane governments that rule all countries across the world. Studies have shown, but obviously, that even a limited nuclear war would devastate the world. And the day an autocratic or military ruler decides push has come to shove and the time to decimate the opponent is now, many more than the two of us would wish we were living near the Thames in London.

What the world today requires is a foolproof non-proliferation policy. Comprehending the vibes, Obama has already amended his policy to protect the world from nuclear terrorism. During his April 2009 speech in Prague, he delineated his arms control and non-proliferation agendas and promised a US-led international effort to secure “all vulnerable nuclear materials” within the next four years. That is the most far reaching agenda any US President – for that matter, any premier across the world – has announced in history. To start it up diplomatically, in the recent G8 Summit in Italy, he announced a Nuclear Security Summit in 2010 to combat nuclear smuggling and prevent nuclear terrorism.

Obama knows his priorities too well – the US considers climate emissions control its last priority on the ‘save the world’ list; the December Copenhagen summit will be proof enough. We aren’t complaining about that...

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Arsenic, Mercury, Lead and...

Governments should learn from the Charitable Recycling Programme

The mobile revolution has far outclassed land-lines, televisions, and even computers; and gained the unique nomenclature of being a Fast Moving Consumer Durable. The catch is that due to such mass penetration, cellphone waste is a big threat to the environment.

According to a research by global consulting firm Deloitte, discarded old handsets could poison the environment unimaginably as it is estimated that the world would have 8,000 tonnes of cell phone waste by the end of 2012; too many useless handsets are simply being thrown into wastebaskets. The worry becomes deeper once the figures hit you. In 2008, the number of handsets crossed the 4 billion mark. Six out of ten people carry a cell phone today across the world. Interestingly, the contribution of emerging economies is quite significant.

China has the highest number of cell phones with a whopping 634 million in 2008. India follows China with over 427.3 million in 2009. The third in line is the US with over 270 million handsets. Most amazingly, the number is exponentially increasing across regions, irrespective of the financial crisis. If not disposed off properly, these handsets are ticking time bombs as they contain toxic materials like copper, mercury, brominated flame retardants, lead, arsenic, and zinc. Even if they are dumped into landfill sites, the toxic substances would surely contaminate the ground water. It is imperative now to incorporate proper recycling programs involving different stakeholder groups, where the government machineries globally work hand in hand with manufacturers to ensure and fine irresponsible disposal of cell phones.

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Rogue power

India must fight fire with fire

The world talks about Chindia, except for people in the two countries! For Indians, the question of whether they can trust China endures. While the deep distrust between India and Pakistan is the hot topic of discussion in international media, a significant proportion of Indians have begun to consider China a greater threat. The wounds of the 1962 war have never been really forgotten; and economically, the two countries have been staunch rivals; even though China is now India’s largest trading partner. Moreover, developments in recent times are giving rise to an increasing suspicion that China’s motives w.r.t. India are far from noble.

The very first develpment was China’s military progress and deployment in the bordering areas of Indian state Arunachal Pradesh. China has intentionally kept the state as a flashpoint, even while it claims that they have passed 36 resolutions in order to resolve the border issue with India. Secondly, bilateral military training programs with Pakistan have given rise to deep distrust. China has promised to provide $500 million as economic aid to Pakistan. Many attribute Pakistan’s strong decree against the US to the strong backing of China along with some Middle Eastern countries. China refuses to recognise the deadly ULFA as a terrorist group and also rblocked Indian attempts to label JuD as a terrorist group in the UN thrice. An article published recently by the Chinese Think-tank, the China International Institute for Strategic Studies also vowed that China can divide India at any moment. It can give political support to its neighbors like Bangladesh. It can also fuel caste politics and regionalism inside the country by supporting separatist groups like ULFA, as per the report.

And the most recent issue has been China’s unwarranted initiative to offer separate visas for Kashmiris. India needs to stop playing down the dragon’s growing audacity. Instead, we need to give them a taste of their own medicine.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

PAKISTAN: INTERNAL CONFLICT

Swat militants’ request for help was declined by the Afghan Taliban, claiming non-interference policies

Both centres and six vehicles got destroyed. Thirty-three militants also got killed in the operation.”

The so-called Islamic militants have not only been a source of destabilisation in Pakistan but have also been providing fodder to India and executing terrorist attacks there much to the embarrassment of democratically-elected Pakistan government that is pursuing friendly relations with India.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani have been quite vocal against Talibanisation of Pakistan and have pursued a policy of eliminating the menace as quickly as possible because suicide bombings threatens the length and breadth of Pakistan and even military installations are not safe from these deadly attacks.

“The Swat operation has been successful to the extent that no territory is now under the control of Taliban,” Pakistan’s top defence analyst and scholar Dr Hasan Askari-Rizvi told B&E. “Normal administration has been restored. However, the Taliban are hiding in mountains and come down to engage in violence from time to time. This kind of threat is likely to persist for an indefinite period,” he said.

Unlike his predecessors, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has been serious in eradicating the so-called Islamic militants and life has returned to almost normal in the scenic Swat Valley after displaced people returned home. Even the US administration that looked towards military operation carried out by Gen. (retired) Pervez Musharraf with suspicion has shown satisfaction over the operation carried out by Kayani.

However, several scholars are still skeptic about the intensity of the military operation.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

DELHI METRO: ACCIDENTS

DMRC needs to ‘chin’ up its act

One reason forwarded for such deaths is the speed with which such projects are being completed, in line with the Commonwealth Games, which is scheduled to commence in October 2010. Another reason relates to outsourcing. The construction work is outsourced to third parties by DMRC on a contractual basis. Although they have an obligation to adhere to strict quality controls, third party firms might not have the same ethical inclination towards the welfare of workers.

There is obviously the Construction Workers Act of 1996, and E. Sreedharan is a great example of ethical behaviour and professional deportment. Notwithstanding that, the blame for accidents has to be shared by DMRC, which has lapsed on monitoring the project implementation. Construction deaths happen worldwide (UCATT, UK’s largest construction union, says construction is the most dangerous industry in UK – 70 odd deaths occurred last year); but with around 8 to 10 lakh workers working on the DMRC project, the company needs to take an active viewpoint of how to reduce deaths dramatically. It’s a case of 48 lives, 1 line...

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Monday, January 14, 2013

Increasingly enjoying sex into their 80s…

Senior citizens are increasingly enjoying sex into their 80s…

But just what happens with age that sex goes out of the window? The reasons are many ranging from lack of or lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, vaginal dryness, problems with early orgasm or never reaching climax, pain during sex, lack of pleasure, and not to mention performance anxiety. But urinary tract infection seems to be the biggest culprit in keeping men and women from enjoying a healthy sex life, with women being more prone to the ailment and other STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).

The key to most things in life is good health, irrespective of age. There are a lot of 80-somethings who are actually healthier that people in their 60s. Sex lives of people can vary greatly, depending on the physical and mental well being of an individual. Factors such as weight and habits like smoking and/or drinking, physical condition and medication can greatly hamper a person’s sex life. Kothari agrees, “Yes, elderly people do have their problems but sex is something which overrules all these problems”.

Gone are the days when having grown-up children would’ve meant that sex should go out of a couple’s life. Says Kothari, “Sex has no expiry date. I have had people between the age of 85-90 coming to me for help regarding sex. If they were active, they wanted to be more active and if they had some problem, they wanted to resolve it.” The modern day grandpas and grandmas sure seem to be, well, living it up and spicing up their last remaining years. The common belief that sex will eventually fizzle out of one’s life as they age is perhaps the root cause of people keeping off from enjoying sex in their later years. If, however, one is in a good physical condition and has the drive, the times we are usually conditioned to associate with disease and handicap can become a time to relive the ‘wonder’ful years and reap the fruit of love’s labour…

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
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
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
IIPM – FLP (Flexi Learning Program)

Friday, January 11, 2013

What got them here, might get them there!

That we irreverently make a slim play of Marshall Goldsmith’s quote is obvious (we use him inside too), but that we do so to describe a group of intemperately argumentative entities that refused to accept India as a losing proposition, is perhaps slimmer than they would agree with.

Ejerome McCarthy, professor, Michigan State University, in the 1960s, wrote a discreet discourse for his spring students where he proposed that marketing should be undertaken in a structured manner, perhaps using a four parameter model, 4Ps! Those were the 60s, and models were just waiting to be lapped up. McCarthy’s 4Ps was no exception to the rule. In fact, the model became the rule itself over a matter of years.

Over time, many more Ps were added to this marketing mix, with each proposer invigoratingly justifying his P’s inclusion – our own group magazine, 4Ps Business & Marketing, once ran a cover story, The 50Ps of Marketing! That said, if India were the test ground, any post-hoc analyst of contemporary times would have found it really astonishing that, forget 50Ps, many multinational corporations operating within India forgot to structure even McCarthy’s initial 4Ps, blindly assuming that if people have purchasing power, they’ll buy any product.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

India’s incredible future potential

In an exclusive interview to B&E’s pathikrit payne, Sir Richard Stagg, British High Commissioner to India speaks about India’s incredible future potential and the positive impact of its outsourcing business...

B&E: Many Indian companies are trying to takeover companies in Europe especially in UK. So what is the mood over there about that?

RS: We are very positive about it and we in fact, encourage companies to come and takeover companies in UK. Even in 2008, ONGC bought a very big UK based oil & gas company, HCL bought a very big UK software company and we are very keen to help them do that as we think these Indian corporate owners are good owners. They are going to help in developing the business. They are good investors in terms of bringing money into our economy and helping to create jobs. So, we have lot of dealings with these investors both before they decide to come to UK, and later when we offer them after carriage support package and try to ensure that they flourish in UK environment. And most of them do. As you must have read in the newspapers that the CORUS and JLR brands are going through difficult period because of the cycle and the sectors they are in. But there are many others in other sectors in UK who are doing very well and have a very happy experience of investment. So we think that it’s a good thing for UK economy and also a good thing for these Indian business houses.

B&E: Is UK lagging behind US and Russia when it comes to high profile defence deals with India?

RS: There is quite a lot going on in this field. The Hawk Advanced Jet Trainers have arrived and we are very much involved with the proposal to provide Indian Air Force with VIP helicopters. We are also interested in selling new artillery, which is something involving a JV with Mahindra & Mahindra. We are keen to sell the Eurofighter Typhoons to your Air Force. In terms of aircraft carriers, I think the experience that India has had with the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Ghorskhov, may make some of those involved, in the longer run look elsewhere for future supplies. So we think we are good partners because we sell equipments in general, which the Indian Army is familiar with and I think we have good understanding of what India requires.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A bumpy ride no more

Rajiv Bajaj’s nifty maneuvers were just the right recipe to nurse Bajaj Auto back to health... and wealth.

A few years ago, around this time, Rajiv Bajaj was living his worst nightmare. The young and strapping MD of Bajaj Auto was being assailed from all fronts. It was not just stock market analysts and newshounds that seemed to be baying for his blood, the company’s vendors, dealers and even his own board seemed to be nitpicking his every move. Constant criticisms were new for Rajiv who took over as the MD of India’s second largest two-wheeler maker in 2005. All was well for a couple of years. Pulsar was the new blockbuster in Bajaj’s arsenal and with sales clocking over 30,000 units a month it was making more money on each bike it sold than ever before. Other products like Discover 125cc and 110cc were slowly making a dent in Hero’s dominance in the entry-level segment. By 2006, Bajaj seemed within a whisker’s reach to regain market leadership, a position it had lost in the 1990s.

But then things started going downhill. Rajiv Bajaj famously declared that the company would exit the 100cc segment. He launched the XCD 125cc in an attempt to give 125cc to customers at the cost of 100cc. The strategy backfired. Not only did the XCD bomb but Bajaj’s exit from the segment left the field clear for arch rival Hero Honda (now divorced from Honda) to consolidate its position in the bread-and-butter segment.

The 2008 global meltdown added more grey to the picture. Caught in the midst of slowdown in the domestic market, the young Bajaj found it tough to give a new lease of life to the company which once ruled the industry under the leadership of his father, Rahul Bajaj with products like Chetak and Priya.

Rajiv Bajaj had had enough by 2009. He crafted a three-pronged strategy to deliver sales, profitability and brand image. First, the engineering graduate from Warwick re-entered the entry-level segment with the launch of Discover 100cc. In just four months, the company sold more than 200,000 bikes. Rajiv next announced the company’s exit from the scooter segment, bringing down the curtains on an iconic product line. The twin moves set tongues wagging. Some jeered at the young MD for having to eat his earlier words of exiting the 100cc segment; others openly lamented the decision to drop the scooters line calling it the end of an era. But Rajiv was like a man possessed. His next move was to drop the parent brand from its product portfolio in July 2010 since it was common to different product segments ranging from electricals to insurance to automobiles. The three decisions, in quick succession caught many off guard, including father Rahul Bajaj.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

“A very important criteria is the brief itself”

The success of an advertising campaign does not depend on one or two factors but on a combination of many factors. However, it is extremely important that the fundamentals are kept in mind first. Once that bit is done, the other factors come into play.

In an ideal scenario, it should start with the right team – team that you think would be perfect for a given brief. A team’s understanding and experience of a category can go a long way towards getting a breakthrough creative. However, that is not to say that someone with zero experience of the category won’t come up with a pathbreaking creative. But if a person has to make a choice and he decides that he wants to take a great opportunity, then there will be questions about his eligibility for the succession. It’s all about retention.

Of course, a very important criteria is the brief itself. A brief needs to open up creative thinking. It doesn’t need to be a written brief. Anything that can trigger off a whole lot of ideas is on target. You just know it when you are sitting on a great brief, as ideas will fight for mindspace, even while you are midway through the process.

Now the most important criteria of them all – the idea itself. The idea needs to be new. More often than not, the creative that stays with you is one that you’ve never seen before. When it comes to ideas, there are two boxes to be ticked – Telling and Selling. It’s extremely important how you tell your story, as you have to first sell your story.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Success begot...

Sharad Gupta investigates what led to the failure of BJP and what is stopping it from being a success

The BJP is undergoing the biggest-ever churning in its 25-years of existence. While the party is yet to officially start a serious analysis of its overwhelming rout in 2009 general elections, discontent has surfaced in many quarters within the party. Its much hyped up image of a party with a difference has failed and failed miserably to click with the voters and the discontent is evident in every quarter of the party. What is strange and more discouraging is that this time its not the small fries but stalwarts like Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Dr.Murli Manohar Joshi and Arun Shourie, who have questioned the party’s electoral strategy and handling of post-election results situation. Their contention is that those responsible for the party’s electoral debacle, instead of being punished, have been rewarded.

Indeed, success has many fathers while failure has none. Its also true that while CPI, CPM or even the BSP and SP have done some introspection of their defeat, the BJP leadership hasn’t undertaken any such exercise. BJP’s national executive committee meeting scheduled for June 20-21, too, is likely to be a hogwash. “Brushing issues under the carpet would lead to more disastrous situation. Until we address the issues, how would we resolve them,’’ says a senior leader from Madhya Pradesh.

So far, the BJP has received flak for misguided electoral strategy, lack of ideological focus and absence of a cohesive leadership. The party had been showered with lavish praises only five months ago for retaining power in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP has done extremely well again in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh but, no one in the party has bothered to pick up the positives and try to implement popular programmes in other states. And the result is in front for everyone to see - even for the party leadership which continues to believe that not much has been lost .

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.