Stepping on the gas

The new Tata Motors chief has to be a visionary, no less than Ratan Tata himself

Tata Motors is one of the pillars of the Indian automotive industry; a company with a legacy that is hard to beat. The launch of Tata Indica had made Tata Motors a major automotive brand and is now considered to be a force to reckon with in the automotive industry. The prospective launch of the Nano has stirred a lot of interest in the public and there are a lot of expectations doing the rounds. However, the recent fall in sales has been marked by serious discomfort in the Tata camp and an anecdote of success is the need of the hour. For Tata’s vast empire, even a battalion of leaders may not suffice but we need supermen here.

There are a number of very able and competent managers in the Tata stable that can steer the group into the future. If choice be the ultimate parameter, two stand out – P. M. Telang, a 32-year veteran and Rajiv Dube, the new face of Tata Motors. Telang is presently the Executive Director of Tata Commercial Vehicles and commands a high respect from his peers. Spending such a vast time frame in the Tata Group, Telang has vast experience in manufacturing, sales and development in the truest essence; coming out on top in almost all requirements. Rajiv Dube, the President of the Passenger Cars division is the glamorous of the two men. Dube has been at the centre of all Tata Motors initiatives recently and has been the front man in almost all important events of the company. Dube is young, dashing and has the knowledge and the works necessary for selling cars. Clearly, this man knows what he is selling.

Out of these two probable choices, it is very difficult to pick; however options are not limited. C. Ramakrishnan, the current CFO of the company could be the person worth considering as well. The person is good with his numbers and could well be the finance guy who can get the volumes back. Ostensibly so, from the choices: the young car guy, the veteran and the number cruncher, only Tata Motors can decide on the best man for the job.

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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.

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)

POSTULATE II : GLOBAL WARMING

Is the phenomenon of global warming really that serious? Does it even exist? Do we even care? We answer all those questions and more...

That is not to discard the factuality that certain environmental changes are becoming more severe with each day passing. Global temperatures are surely on the rise. Incidences like Arctic shrinkage, Arctic methane release, and release of terrestrial carbon from permafrost regions are being observed. The sea level is rising at 0.2 cm/year. From 1961 to 2003, the global ocean temperatures have risen by 0.1°C. The temperature of the Antarctic Southern Ocean rose by 0.17°C (0.31°F) between the 1950s and the 1980s.

More dangerous implications include transnational migration of epidemics like malaria, plague. In addition, economic costs can be easily gauged from the example of the 1926 Miami hurricane which cost a whopping $157 billion. What is more appalling is that around 25 million people are estimated to have been displaced in the 1990s due to environmental changes; shockingly, the number is estimated to reach 150 million by the end of 2050 (as per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). WHO reports that as of date, around 150,000 individuals are dying every year due to climate change.

If climate change is a realistic possibility, then the current response in the form of UN-FCCC seems too luxurious. While a country like China today accounts for 19% global emissions, India is not far behind. Yet, none of these countries seems open to a legally enforceable regulation that ensures that emitters fall in line – the argument being that while the developed countries have already exploited the world in the past so many years (and so have become developed), the developing countries still have their share of exploitation left to do. If that is the argument, we are all lost. For a start, so is the UN. They don’t even have a separate body looking after climate control...

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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.
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)

GOLDMAN SACHS: LESSONS OF SUCCESS

You could call Goldman Sachs the greatest market manipulator and cry foul at every announcement that it makes. Yet, in an unrivalled environment, the best option is to learn from the Alpha male of Wall Street – the brat of the whole lot! by gyanendra kashyap

Despite widespread criticisms, Goldman Sachs'' share price has marked a 240% rise in just a year (touching $176.51 as on November 10, 2009). As a matter of fact, during Q3, 2009 alone, the firm made profits of more than $100 million on trading revenues in 36 days and profits of more than $50 million in 53 of the 65 trading days – all these, when financial institutions were still scrambling for schlock bankruptcy covers (the latest victim being CIT). So what gives at Goldman that makes it so different from its peers?

Peter Nerby, New York-based analyst at Moody’s Investors Service communicates to us that the superior performance of Goldman Sachs over its peers is based on the "firm''s risk management expertise and controls, as well as the strength and diversification of its franchises." Although that is simply put, the statement does contain the very foundation of the spectacular success of how Chairman Lloyd has managed his firm. But his success has been supported by three strategic focuses he used over the past few years.

Yes, to some extent, Blankfein has benefited from the miasmal state of affairs of his competitors, who were forced to wrestle with large trading losses and internal restructuring. A less competitive market and higher fees have indeed contributed to the staggering profit figures (revenues and profits, in this industry, are a function of volumes and margins). David Viniar, CFO of Goldman Sachs, while angrily denouncing several allegations levelled against Sachs (he termed the accusations an egregious distortion of facts), has gone on record saying, "We are very aware of what''s going on in the world, but we have to trade that off with being fair to our people who, we believe, have performed admirably throughout the crisis."

And this is precisely the first learning for other banks – treat criticism as hyperbole and reward your top performers, blasphemously (if that means obtaining a scurrilous reputation, so be it), for "people" surely are the topmost tangible asset. Competitors like Morgan Stanley, who have lost talent regularly since the mid 90s and have had to pay out billions of dollars to settle lawsuits/issues in the past years, have never managed to match the sparkle of Sachs to an extent (for records, Mika Watanbe, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley, communicated to B&E his refusal to comment on the issue).

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)

The Future of India?

What is more painful than the disasters that destroy everything is the lack of proper management to handle the aftermath. What can bring hope is in itself hopeless and raises real alarm bells, say ratan lal bhagat & niharika patra

Is it the beginning of the end of the world? Cynics, astrologers and self-proclaimed experts claim that the year 2012 would be the catastrophic year for mankind as the world would cease to exist. Hard to believe, right? Even Nostradamus, the man who saw tomorrow, wasn’t totally correct, thus no one knows what future has in store for us. But the past and the present happenings can definitely give inklings to the ultimate bearing. And with the world being fiercely struck and wrecked by continuous and increasingly frequent bout of disasters, both natural and man made, the fatal omen is more likely to be true. Well, as humans and more precisely individuals, it is not in our hands what the Almighty has decided for us. But we can surely do one thing, to prepare ourselves for the unknown and try and minimise the loss that comes with each disaster.

But in the list of all the uncertainties, one thing is getting more and more certain with every calamity that strikes. That India is going to be the epicenter of the downfall, if and when it strikes. Yes, the natural reasons are there but what makes India more prone is the lack of an efficient Disaster Management System. Whenever any thing happens, whether natural or man made, Indian system falls like a pack of cards costing billions in most of the cases. It is estimated that since 2000, India has suffered an economic loss of $18 billion because of 10 disasters.

Modern India has been battered and bruised by the world’s most severe droughts, famine, cyclones, earthquakes, chemical disasters, mid-air head-on air collisions, rail and road accidents, not to forget that it has been cornered from all directions with cross border terrorism. And what makes India more susceptible to risks is it’s geography. As per many geographic surveys; nearly 60% of the entire Indian landscape is susceptible to seismic damage in varying degrees. The scenario looks all the more grim when one takes into account the average area affected by floods every year. On an average about 8 million hectares of landscape is destroyed by flood. And of the nearly 7,500 kilometers long coastline, approximately 5,700 kilometers is vulnerable to cyclones while 68% of India is at risk of drought.

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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.

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)

 

Tango is only about passion

If you thought tango is only about passion, oomph and attitude then think again!

Even though tango can look like it is more about steps, but more than anything it is about presence and communication. You have to be really present because socially it is all improvised, which means if you are leading, you have to be able to communicate your lead.

In order to communicate, you have to listen to your partner so that you know how to lead. Both as a leader and a follower you need to listen to the other person, you need to be present. It is the same as having a conversation on the dance floor. Even when you are leading, you have to be very respectful to the person you are leading. The first time some old people came for their tango class, they came in their baggy pants, T-shirts, etc.

Gradually they became little nicer, after a few times they were wearing nice shoes and women started to wear little jewellery, some make-up. To me, it says a lot about how you feel about yourself and to me that was a fantastic thing.”

Says Dr. Suman, Associate Professor, Neurology, “All these forms of dance therapies and other forms of music therapies relax the patients, help in improving the blood circulation and thereby, when one is happy, it also increases the neurotransmitters in the brain, which are essential for normal functioning of the body. Maybe in that manner there is an increase in the acetylcholine and dopamine, which are the two neurotransmitters responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. This may increase and thus help these patients”.

Tango requires a person to apply their mind, which might just enhance one’s memory, but even if the experts are wrong, it will at least add a dash of spice to one’s life!

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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.

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)

Of budgets and off budgets

For the middle class families, rising food prices have proved to be killing and the steps by government are a big joke, say Vikas Kumar and Niharika Patra

Sadhana Singh gets perplexed, mystified, exasperated and even infuriated when she watches news on TV or reads the front pages of her newspaper these days. She is sick and tired of Baluchistan, the fight between Anil and Mukesh Ambani, the antics of participants in Rakhi Ka Swayamvar and the statues that UP Chief Minister Mayawati is erecting. She is terribly disappointed with the media; she never had any hopes from august members of Parliament anyway. “Rising costs of groceries have completely damaged our monthly budget. It is really difficult to maintain the same standard. Our monthly saving is now nil,” says this agitated bank employee, even as she struggles to identify one ‘cheap’ vegetable in the market.

There are literally millions of consumers, homemakers and families across India who share the rising desperation of Sadhna Singh. For them, all the stuff that comes out in newspapers about the rate of inflation falling below zero is a bad joke inflicted upon them in poor taste. School teacher Rajarshi couldn’t care less about the subtle differences between the wholesale and the consumer price index; it is ‘price’ that is killing her, day in and day out. But as former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan says, we should focus on the consumer price index rather than the wholesale one while talking about consumer inflation. And that index is galloping ahead at double digit rates.

Most of them still think that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has the experience and the wisdom to stem the rot; but they can’t help wondering why Mr. Singh is not paying more attention to such ‘bread and butter’ issues. Reality for them is the relentless rise in prices of goods and services that account for the bulk of a middle-class family budget. And the price hikes in many cases are incredibly high. Fond of cauliflower and capsicum? Be prepared to shell out Rs.80 per kg. Think you can increase the ‘nutrition’ quotient in the diet of your child by adding more Arhar Dal? You need to be ready to shell out close to Rs.100 per kg. Have a sweet tooth? Well, sugar is touching Rs.30 per kg.

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)

But leadership in the passenger car segment

hyundai did humble the market leader in 1998. but leadership in the passenger car segment is still a far cry for this korean giant

Today the Korean giant also stands tall as the second largest car manufacturer in the country and the largest exporter of passenger cars; which means it has also leveraged India’s potential as a car exporting hub to the maximum. Products like Accent and Santro Xing have been quite successful. As H. S. Lheem, CEO & MD, Hyundai India avers, “When we entered India we never realised that the Indian consumer is very focussed on the family.” Models like Santro Xing and Accent clearly signify that the company learnt its lessons fast.

Even when the Indian auto industry saw a steep fall in the demand of cars in the last year, the company managed to report a 22.5% increase in the domestic sales. Moreover, Hyundai, which has made India an export hub for its small cars, nearly doubled the number of cars it shipped to Europe to almost a quarter of a million units. As per the company filings, sales revenue was up by 82.9% to 3,898 billion Korean won (Rs.155 billion). But Hyundai Motor Co.’s Indian subsidiary suffered its first ever annual loss in the year ending December (credited to currency fluctuations). The company lost a mind boggling Rs.56 billion in India in the last calendar year.

And it is not that the company was saved from knockout punches in the market. Getz became an eyesore, wherein, Hyundai could not take the lead in the premium small car segment despite being the pioneer (once Swift came in, the Getz was pushed behind). The Sonata, similarly, was a major failure in the market. The same was the case with the Elantra model, which shows that Hyundai’s experience with the high margin luxury segments has not been too exciting. Moreover, like the other players, it was late to understand the potential of diesel passenger cars, an area where Tata’s vision was proved to be very right; which gave the Indica a huge boost.

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)

Mobile handsets have travelled a great distance in india

from the ceo to the office boy, from the business tycoon to the paan waala, from urban to rural; mobile handsets have travelled a great distance in india, and so has nokia. but thanks to the latest twists in the tale, nokia may need to adapt quite a bit very soon

Also, it developed phones for all price points. They backed this up with an intensive distribution strategy and were greatly helped by the tie up with HCL Technologies. “We realised that one of the main challenges was the geographical spread of the consumer and hence we invested extensively towards overcoming this challenge,” reveals Vineet Taneja, Director, Marketing Nokia India. Little wonder that Nokia phones are available across almost 2 lakh outlets in India, and span from telecom outlets to watch stores, even local kirana outlets. This Finnish mobile giant realised that focusing only on urban Indian consumers would not help it realise the vision that it had set for itself. Hence it made a conscious effort to reach out to the rural consumer through micro financing options. Nokia vans visit tier 3 & 4 cities and villages to demystify the use of mobile technology and also gain business. As a result of these endeavours, Nokia today has a retail point within every 5 km, or for every 20 sq. km. And with over 400 million subscribers already in the market, Nokia commands a formidable 64% share.

However, it would not be wrong to say that Nokia’s best times are now behind it in India. Mobile phone penetration is reaching its zenith, and growth rates are expected to head downwards in a few years. Also, players like Samsung, ZTE and other branded and unbranded players have developed strong entry level portfolios and have already started to snatch some share from it. It is visible when you see that Nokia used to have a market share of over 75% till a few years back. Another concern could be the smartphone segment. With 3G making inroads in the country, a sudden surge is anticipated in smart phones. Globally too, Nokia is not very strong in this category with players like Apple iPhone, research in Motion’s BlackBerry and Palm ruling the roost, but the company believes that its latest offering N 97, could spring a surprise. Unfortunately, global markets haven’t agreed so far. It is the first device that comes in with Nokia’s application software Ovi (meaning door in Finnish) pre-loaded, so its progress will be interesting to watch. That brings us to the next big challenge. As mobile phone growth slows down, Nokia will have to now rely on the power of its software more and more in order to drive revenue growth in the future. So Ovi could play a major role. But here too, it will have to compete with Apple’s App Store (which has a much wider portfolio of offerings), as applications could increasingly become a major factor of consideration for people buying cell phones. ‘Connecting people’ sure isn’t like it used to be!

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)

ICICI Bank fire-fighting case study

It was October 2008 when ICICI Bank stood accused of having overleveraged its exposure to the devastating sub-prime crisis, consequently endangering its very existence. Today, when the worst of the crisis is over, has the brand regained the hallowed position it held before the crisis? 4Ps B&M gleans out four critical crisis management lessons from the ICICI Bank fire-fighting case study

Lesson #2: Lose the aggression in the branding message; show the human face
Says Namita Chhetri, President, Indian Council for Market Research (ICMR), “Actually, it wasn’t just about the quantity of money invested by ICICI Bank but the quality of the branding message. The bank worked on a new branding strategy altogether. Right after the hurdle, the bank was quick enough to tweak its communication strategies. It moved away from its arrogant communiqué of ‘Lead life on your terms’ to the ‘Power of belief’.” The inherent softness in the bank’s communication was evident in their positioning campaigns post the crisis. The bank moved the full mile in ensuring that the civil society appreciated the bank’s efforts in being transparent about their operations.

Lesson #3: Increase and internalise live customer touchpoints; at least during the crisis
The biggest turning point for the bank has been its change in focus on the operations front. The bank, which once discouraged its customers from coming to its branches and promoted the use of ATMs, since the crisis has continuously been persuading customers to visit its branches. The aim is clearly to create a direct contact between the bank and the customers, which will not only help create a better relationship between the two, but also strengthen customer faith. Giving this careful consideration, the bank has even reduced its huge army of direct selling agents by almost 70% with a target of zero reliance on any outsourcing for business acquisition and collections. All this has certainly helped the bank gain some ground in the eyes of the customers, most of who have in the past, experienced the irrational behaviour of external agents.

Lesson #4: Follow up the message with intent; and publicise it
Interestingly, it was around this time (on May 1, 2009) when Chanda Kochhar took up the responsibility as MD & CEO of ICICI Bank. Immediately after taking charge, she implemented a simple 4Cs strategy – namely, capital conservation, cost efficiency, CASA (current accounts and savings accounts) and credit quality. While the so-called strategy was publicised to gain brownie points from the analysts’ population, there was actual work too done in this regard. The result: While the profitability of bank improved from Rs.37.58 billion in FY2009 to Rs.51.51 billion in FY2011, net NPA ratio went done from around 2% in March 2009 to 0.83% in December 2011. Even CASA deposits as a percentage of total deposits increased significantly, from 28.7% on March 31, 2009 to 43.6% as on December 31, 2011.

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)

“Moving to digital will actually help in growth”

A. K. Ghosh of JK Paper expresses optimism on the demand for digital printing and anytime anywhere printing in the internet age

Despite all the efforts towards branding of paper, to what extent can we create differentiation in this industry?
Product differentiation in paper industry is a complex process. While customers would not mind paying a price premium for better quality and a well known brand, there is a limit to which this can be taken advantage of. Even while demanding a high quality product, they would want ‘value for money’. It is therefore not enough to sell a good quality brand. This has to now be supplemented with high level of service delivery. Product differentiation would also mean understanding the needs and aspirations of the customers and thus providing them with technical solutions to their requirements through constant engagement.

What is the international scenario regarding the attempts to give a brand identity to commodity like paper? How well do Indian manufacturers fare vis-à-vis their international counterparts?
Brand identity to paper globally has started much earlier than in India. This is because many top paper companies are multinationals and sell their paper in many countries. Indian manufacturers fare well in terms of branding efforts; but given the relatively small size of operations and the size of the market that we operate in, we are constrained by the amount we can spend on marketing and branding. This constraint should reduce as we go forward due to the growing market and our operations.

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)

Terrorists? Us?

Even sans ideology, FARC still lives

Modern day Robin Hoods? Well, one may think so if one considers the core ideology and vision of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia shortly known as FARC. The group, which was formed as a group defending the rights of peasants, aimed to establish a Marxist rule at the Centre via armed struggle.

It started when the assassination of a famous Liberal leader led to years of brutal violence between the Liberals and the Conservatives (termed as la Violencia where over 2,00,000 people were killed). The peasants faced severe oppression and began to form self defence groups. The FARC was a combination of such groups and was formed in 1964. That’s pretty much where the similarity with Robin Hood ends. The FARC has claimed that it doesn’t target civilians but that claim is null and void considering that they are notorious for the illegal use of land mines, which has killed over 1,106 people in 2006 and 895 in 2007. FARC has ‘merry men’ too, but that’s because they derive a lot of their funding from the illegal drug trade & extortions! They even have children in their activities.

Under former President Pastrana, several peace negotiations were initiated with FARC but they failed. Current President Uribe launched direct military attack to wipe out FARC rebels from the land under ‘Patriot Plan’ in 2004. The operation was partially successful, as it forced the rebels to leave the land they were controlling. This has reduced the intensity of attacks, but are still at large. To make matters worse, they have external support from communist nations like Cuba, Venezuela & Ecuador. Colombia, on several occasions, has blamed Cuba and Venezuela for tacitly supporting FARC. In fact, Chavez has asked Europe to take FARC out of the terrorist organisations list, while in the same vein, he says he wishes for peace. FARC also enjoys the support of peasants. The Government has parallely provided economic support to the tribals and weakened their support for the insurgents.

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

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

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