Monojit Lahiri attempts a peep into male-zone to investigate the accuracy behind the projections and portrayals of this creature in today’s ad space

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Hey c’mon guys, everybody – and that includes screaming, fire-eating libbers and their docile, quaint, demented toothless aunts – has opinions about how women are portrayed in today’s advertising, right? What about ‘MEN’ … what’s their scene? Is the poor sucker also taken to the cleaners by a militant mob or the portrayals, generally perceived as realistic, honest and true-to-life?

Ad person Moon Moon Dhar believes the latter and for good reasons. “There is a sea change when you compare today’s guys with those of the last generation. The perspectives, mindsets and attitudes of my father, husband [and hopefully] my son are worlds apart! I think this has been captured, with reasonable accuracy, by today’s ad people. There actually exists avatars of the man-boy, spoilt brat, goof-nerd-dumbo, caring type, Mr. Responsible, the sexy hunk, the stylish dude… the range and bandwidth is there reflecting the gradual evolution of the male. The Dharmendra-type has been replaced by the sensitive, caring sort … and it shows.” Journo Sapna Khanna agrees. She believes that stereotypes cannot – be it Bollywood or Advertising – disappear or be wished away overnight. After all it is tried – and – tested seduction in the public space designed to single-mindedly trigger the purchase intent and therefore needs all the artillery [read: masala!] it can get. “However, within that framework, most of the recent male-centric ads appear spot-on. The era of the MCP’s and overbearing louts are over. Today’s males are sensitive, caring and involved with family matters. They take pride in sharing space in the kitchen, PTA’s and children’s functions at school. The boundaries are blurring.” She cites her own example where her boyfriend of six years is “today my husband of 16 years!”

Gorgeous theatre activist Lushin Dubey, however, begs to differ. She believes that today’s advertising sexily, glamorously, stylishly – with all the techno gizmos available at their disposal – pirouettes, preens and postures but doesn’t even begin to portray the real thing. And what is this real thing, Maam? “The simple fact that today’s men are schizos! They are struggling to find their space, define themselves, discover where they are coming from and where they want to go … in short, figure out who they really are or want to be!” She believes that today’s guys are trapped between yesterday and tomorrow and don’t quite know how to react. The advertising, hence, is superficial because if one were to scratch the glam surface, all the smart poses and pretentious, confused emoting would disappear revealing the real laadla, spoilt, mama’s boy. “This genre of advertising appears to concentrate more on entertainment than truth! Agreed not all of it is hogwash but its like Bollywood – heavy sugarcoating of the message!”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Women on Top... Why not in Ad-Land?!

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monojit lahiri probes this mysterious imbalance and tries to figure out where the problem lies... and why

Once upon a time, Advertising was considered an arty-farty, boutique biz – a cosmetic adjunct of the FMCG universe mostly illuminated by English-speaking, theatah-loving, culture-vultures… Even back then, it attracted women, some of whom were extremely gifted creatures who distinguished themselves and made a name. Nargis Wadia, Tara Sinha, Nuru Swaminathan and Sayeeda Imaam come to mind. Today, as ‘woman-power’ zooms ahead (with an over-the-top media tracking and celebrating the movers n’ shakers like there’s no tomorrow) it appears strange, odd and inconsistent when one sees hardly a single woman gracing the top slot (CEO, President, Chairperson) of any of the big ad agencies around. Clearly it’s not about talent, drive, creativity, intelligence, focus or dedication. Then what is it? Vertigo (read: fear of heights!) lack of ambition? Reluctance to reach the top at any cost? Gender bias? Or the age old hassle of having to balance a career with home and family, with no prizes for guessing which way the cookie finally crumbles for her …?

The iconic Helayne Spivak (the celebrated worldwide Creative Director & Chief Creative Director, North America, JWT in the early nineties) when asked about the shortage of women in top positions in adbiz had (famously) stated that “no matter what you do, how many clients you impress, accounts you help swing, awards you pick up and respect you garner from peers – there are still those groceries you gotta pick up, remember?!” Ms. Spivak then goes on to add that women don’t really seem to be welcome to the top ranks. “Otherwise there would be more help for us – like childcare, flexible hours, things that help us with our extra responsibilities. Ultimately it’s a juggling act. Its trying to keep everything up in the air and sometimes it falls… and what usually ends up falling is the family.”

Sayeeda Imaam, who brilliantly fronted the creative department of JWT (HTA), Clarion & Contract across the seventies, eighties and nineties (and now operates in Consultant mode) has a different take. She believes that enough women enter the field of advertising, marketing and media. They enjoy their work and even excel in it, with the newness, creativity and absence of monotony providing them a continuing high. “However seniority and hitting the top slot messes it up because it comes in the way of things that excited them – the ferment of cracking a problem and honing an idea. Suddenly delegation comes into play and there are fewer situations to go hands-on. This leads to a boring sameness”. The other reason is that there is nothing to prove in terms of scoring over a man. “Being better in the area of professional excellence is not a big deal any more. It’s happening around us, all the time (Lynne D’Souza of Lintas being the latest example), everywhere. Women basically come into the business for the joy of it. They quit when the joy has lost its edge – or has to be relegated to others as she (yawn) moves up!”

Grey Worldwide’s NCD Priti Nair comes next. The tattoo-flashing hottie, without fuss or frippery, comes straight to the point. “It’s a very personal, difficult and complex call that women have to take; men (usually) have no role in it. Whether the total priority is with the job, a balancing act of fifty-fifty or a part-time assignment is completely a woman’s call. Once the children come, it gets even more difficult.” Nair believes that advertising today is a hugely high-pressure profession with travel, late night shoots, deadlines and constantly having to deliver the goods in a frenetically competitive space, coming with the territory. In this kind of an environment, playing a caring wife, devoted mother and sharp ad-woman together can be mission impossible! So, sadly, there are dropouts. What about madam Nair, herself? She has survived seventeen years, even after marriage. “Sure, but I don’t have kids, no? If I did, I am sure I would have pulled out (pauses) and, gawd knows, made life hell for people in the house! C’mon yaar, after almost two decades of working in such a fast-paced, creative and exciting environment, sitting at home and changing nappies or – whatever – would definitely drive me nuts!”

The still-gorgeous Nargis Wadia, (who headed Interpub through the seventies, eighties, even nineties) and who turned a zillion heads during her hey days with her chutzpah, glamour and intelligence – rounds off this debate on a personal note. “Speaking for myself, although we did quite well, I could never step on the gas like, say a Tara Sinha, because I definitely lacked the killer instinct! Also (you’ll laugh) I frequently felt awful for the agency who’s business we took away!” The other reason was that most men who were bright and talented, refused to work in an agency where a woman was the Boss! “There was a definite gender bias with the result that we could only hire fresh talent. Has it changed? I don’t know … maybe a little, but …”

So what’s the score? A recent survey indicated that women make better leaders than men in strategic drive, risk-taking, people skills and innovation; where – alas – they lose out are command and control of management operations and focusing on financial returns. Women are bold, ambitious, mischievous, colourful and imaginative. They can also be competitive, visionary and have a strong presence. Men were seen to be more task-focused and concentrated on getting the job done rather than dealing with relationships. They believe that revenues, budgets and profits are the only game in town. Financial hits is what it’s all about. Hence, they are more comfortable with hierarchies; title silos and processes … touché!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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B&O Beovision 9

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Technical Specification

Screen Size – 50 inch; Resolution – 1366x768; Dimensions (WxHxD) – 127x122.9x56.9
PRICE: Rs.15,00,000 without taxes
WARRANTY: 2 years

Run by the fastest engine in the world, B&O Beovision 9 is a total entertainment solution with high quality. The in-built Hard Disk recorder serves as a unique feature that allows to play, pause, record and replays the pictures. The automatic colour management has the feature of adjusting the set once every 120 hours of viewing. It possesses a contrast ratio of 3000:1. The Beovision 9 is available in six different colours. Talking about the sound system, it has surround sound system with centre loudspeaker with power amplifiers of 2x250 watts. It also has 4xHDMI and 2 USB ports, allows wide range of sources and devices, optional beomedia technology.

Marketers’ delight: B&O Beovision gives you the pleasure of enjoying the best quality and standards of picture along with complete home theatre benefits.

Tester’s note: Pros – Automatic colour management. Excellent sound quality and sleek design. Con – Comes in the extreme high-price range.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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You, me, and... a lotta debt!

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Religare’s takeover of Hichens leaves many questions unanswered...

Before we break the suspense, let’s give the usual spin. London’s oldest stock broking firm has accepted an open offer from Ranbaxy’s Religare Capital Markets Ltd. (RCML), which will pay Rs. 226.05 per share, valuing Hichens, Harrison & Co. Plc at Rs.4.4 billion. “Our businesses are complementary and this will help both leverage the expertise, acumen and capabilities of the other,” averred S. Godhwani, MD, Religare Enterprises (parent company of RCML), to B&E. Hichens surely has a strong hold in emerging markets and on the face of it, the deal seems appropriate for increasing Religare’s global presence. Well, on the face of it...

Of course, the deal will not only increase the portfolio of investment products that Religare will be able to offer domestically (apart from the global capital that can be sourced by it cheaply), but it would also give Religare the opportunity of “creating a global distribution platform,” as told by S. Nath, Director, RCML.

But experts are perhaps ignoring a few critical facets. Crisil has already put Religare’s short term debt program on ‘Rating Watch – Negative Implications’, due to the debt it’ll have to mobilise for the deal. Secondly, Religare Enterprises, the holding concern, as per late 2007 figures, only has a 3.89% of the Rs.4 billion Indian financial services sector, clearly pointing that it could well have invested in increasing domestic shares first. And lastly, though share prices post the April 5th deal, have remained more or less constant (Rs.370 avg, BSE), trading volumes have most strangely gone down from a high of 92,944 traded shares (March 25, 2008) to a classic low of 5,460 shares (April 11, 2008), displaying a clear negative trend. Without doubt, the most imperative measure for Religare is nothing but managing cash...and a lotta debt!

Pawan Chabra

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Recession seems to be imminent in the US. Its length & severity now need to be judged by policy makers so that they may attempt to minimise the damage

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Is it a ‘Recession or a Slowdown’ in the land of Uncle Sam? The debate rages on in earnest. Leave aside the fact that the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defines recession as “a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, visible in industrial production, employment, real income and wholesale-retail trade…” What matters the most is the fact that the US is suffering from one of the worst housing and financial crises in living memory. The ongoing crisis may not adhere to the definition as given by NBER; yet the outlook for US economic growth, employment figures et al has worsened in the last couple of months and the possibility of a recession cannot be ruled out. The financial market crisis, which erupted in August 2007, is worrying one and all.

The analogy drawn, however, has been debated by economists and analysts alike. Is the economy in a short-lived, cyclical recession or will there be a capitalist economic crash? As it is, the devastating 1929 stock market crash leading to the Great Depression of the 1930s silenced similar debates at that time.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), though not very vocal of the present developments in the US (as it was during the East Asian Crisis), has said in its recently published World Economic Outlook, “The financial market crisis that erupted in August 2007 has developed into the largest financial shock since the Great Depression, inflicting heavy damage on markets and institutions at the core of the financial system.” It further estimates that the total losses for banks, hedge funds, pension funds, insurance companies and sovereign wealth funds arising out of the crisis will swell to $945 billion. Even the estimates have been a point of debate; some argue that it is pretty much an accurate estimate of the loan losses while others argue that the estimates do not in any way reflect possible decline in the quality of the loans that they hold.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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BERNARD ARNOLD - Defining luxury

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BERNARD ARNOLD
Defining luxury
LVMH is one of the earliest brand that came to India and slowly, the brand has become a recognised brand among the Indian premium class. The credit should not be only given to the chairman and CEO Bernard Arnold because as far as my knowledge about LVMH goes, there is immense teamwork there. But yes, if the leader is not competent enough and fails to guide his team, then no team, especially in business, can grow. I think the Chairman knows how to identify the market and then make a proper team for that market. He identified India & China much before any other players did and then supported the markets with a good team.

Today LVMH has an edge over the other luxury brands. To speak about the future, we all know India is an emerging market for all luxury brand and the early movers will necessarily be the winners. In this parameter LVMH will be one of the few players which will able to make profits from India. This definitely means that Bernard Arnold has big plans for India and the way LVMH is expanding, at least one of its brands will be present in every city of India. I feel, Arnold and his team will have the maximum retail presence and maximum brands in Indian market. He has successfully integrated various famous classical brands into the LVMH umbrella and he knows the perfect time to introduce them in Asia Pacific. The success of LVMH will motivate other luxury companies to come to India and this in turn will help India shine in the century in context of luxury goods too.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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beginning of the end?

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There has been talk of an al Qaeda resurgence, but the truth is that most hard-core members of the first and second waves have been killed or captured. The survival of the social movement they inspired relies on continued inflow of new members. But this movement is vulnerable to whatever may diminish its appeal among the young. Its allure thrives only at the abstract fantasy level. The few times its aspirations have been translated into reality – Taliban in Afghanistan, parts of Algeria during civil war, and Iraq’s Anbar Province – were particularly repulsive to most Muslims.

What’s more, a leaderless social movement is permanently at the mercy of its participants. As each generation attempts to define itself in contrast to its predecessor, what appeals to the present generation may not appeal to the next. A major source of the present appeal is the moral outrage provoked by the invasion of Iraq. As the Western footprint there fades, so will the appeal of fighting it. And new hotheads will always cause ever escalating atrocities, which will, in turn, likely alienate potential recruits.

The US strategy to counter this terrorist threat continues to be frozen by the horrors of 9/11. It relies more on wishful thinking than on deep understanding of the enemy. The pursuit of “high-value targets” directly involved in the 9/11 operation over six years ago was an appropriate first step. And the US has been largely successful in degrading the capability of al Qaeda Central. But this strategy will backfire when used against the leaderless jihad. Radical Islamist terrorism will never disappear because the West defeats it. Instead, it will most likely disappear for internal reasons. The key is to accelerate this process of internal decay. This needn’t be a long war, unless US policy makes it so.

Terrorist acts must be stripped of glory and reduced to common criminality. Most aspiring terrorists want nothing more than to be elevated to the status of an FBI Most Wanted poster. Younis Tsouli boasted online a few months before his arrest, “I have the Feds and CIA, both would love to catch me. I have (an) MI6 on my back.” Any policy or recognition that puts such people on a pedestal only makes them heroes in each other’s eyes. They aspire to nothing more glorious than to fight uniformed soldiers of the sole superpower. That’s why the struggle against them must be given to collaborative law enforcement. The military should be limited to denying terrorists a sanctuary.

It is equally crucial not to place terrorists arrested or killed in the limelight. The temptation to hold press conferences to publicise another “major victory” against terror must be resisted. The US underestimates the value of prosecutions, which often can enormously demoralise radical groups. There’s no glory in being taken to prison in handcuffs. No jihadi Web site publishes such pictures. Arrested terrorists fade into oblivion; martyrs live on in popular memory.

This is very much a battle for young Muslims’ hearts and minds. The point is to regain the international moral high ground. There’s been a gradual shift to online networks, where young Muslims share their hopes, dreams, and grievances. That offers an opportunity to encourage voices that reject violence.

The entire debate must shift from imagined glory to very real horror. Young people must learn that terrorism is about death and destruction, not fame. The voices of the victims must be heard over the bragging and posturing in online jihadist forums. Only then will the leaderless jihad expire, poisoned by its own toxic message.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Farmer will continue to be at the mercy.

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Vibha Batra, Co-head (Financial sector Ratings), ICRA, agrees: “A large percentage of these overdues (of Rs.60,000 crore) could be on the books of cooperative banks and rural banks. Therefore, the impact on scheduled PSBs may only be a subset of this amount. Further, the incremental hit on the PSBs’ capital (assuming no reimbursement from the government) could be still lower to the extent of unprovided NPAs, as these overdues could comprise interest overdues on NPAs (which are not booked as income).”

At the same time, economists like Swaminathan Ankleswaria Aiyar feel that the waiver will reduce demand for farm loans in the next season, thereby allowing banks to lend more to other profitable entities. This will immediately improve their bottomlines in the coming year. In many ways, the state-owned banks will suddenly be in a much-better financial position, and will also be more prepared for Basel II norms as well as for the aggressive entry of foreign banks in 2009 due to changes in FDI norms.

However, there is a flip side to the issue. In fact, there’s another catch; it’s called Catch 60,000. And this shows that what Chidambaram has done is not going to make too much of a difference. It’s only a political hype; at the socio-economic level, the lives of the impoverished and suffering farmers will not change. In addition, the loan waiver scheme goes against the letter and spirit of the finance ministry’s report in July 2007 on agriculture indebtedness by a committee, headed by R. Radhakrishna.

For instance, the Committee found that most of the farmers were indebted to non-institutional (read: non-banking) sources. In 2003, over 42% of them had taken loans from such agencies; in fact, nearly 27% of the farmers were in debt to the local private moneylenders. In states like Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Punjab (surprise, surprise!), the farmers were more dependent on the moneylenders for finances. In Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, the exposure was over 65%, and the figure was over 50% in Punjab. Even in states like Tamil Nadu, it was slightly higher than 45%.

When one looked at the marginal and small farmers, the dependence on non-institutional sources went up dramatically. In the case of farmers, who owned less than 0.01 hectares, their exposure to moneylenders and traders was over 75%. Those who owned 0.01-0.40 hectares got nearly 57% of their loans from such agencies. Overall, the figure for those farmers who owned upto two hectares of land – it’s these farmers who have got the much-touted loan waiver from Chidambaram – was nearly 50%.

“It is indeed a matter of concern that in spite of all the efforts made for the spread of institutional finance (read: scheduled banks), it accounted for only two-fifths of farmers’ outstanding debt. Since the interest rates charged by non-institutional sources are high, this might have imposed heavy burden on farmers,” noted the report. Therefore, the Budget largesse means nothing, or little, for these farmers. Unfortunately, it is especially true of states, where the dependence on farming is higher than others.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Debunking the Regan myth to curry favour with conservatives

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Reagan might have got it all wrong. But is there any point for US presidential candidates to time and again re-hash the same old story?

Historical narratives matter. That’s why conservatives are still writing books denouncing FDR and the New Deal; they understand that the way Americans perceive bygone eras, even eras from the seemingly distant past, affects politics today. And it’s also why the furor over Barack Obama’s praise for Ronald Reagan is not, as some think, overblown. Fact is that how we talk about the Reagan era still matters immensely for American politics.

Bill Clinton knew that in 1991, when he began his presidential campaign. “The Reagan-Bush years,” he declared, “have exalted private gain over public obligation, special interests over the common good, wealth and fame over work and family. 80s ushered in a Gilded Age of greed & selfishness, of irresponsibility & excess, and of neglect.” Contrast that with Obama’s recent statement, that Reagan offered a “sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing.” Maybe Obama was, as his supporters insist, simply praising Reagan’s political skills. But where in his remarks was the clear declaration that Reaganomics failed? For it did fail. The Reagan economy was a one-hit wonder. Yes, there was a boom in the mid-1980s, as the economy recovered from a severe recession. But while the rich got much richer, there was little sustained economic improvement for most Americans. By the late 1980s, middle-class incomes were barely higher than they had been a decade before – and the poverty rate had actually risen. When the inevitable recession arrived, people felt betrayed – a sense of betrayal that Clinton was able to ride into the White House.

Given that reality, what was Obama talking about? Some good things did eventually happen to the US economy – but not on Reagan’s watch. I understand why conservatives want to rewrite history & pretend that good things happened while a Republican was in office. But why would a self-proclaimed progressive say anything that lends credibility to this rewriting of history – particularly right now, when Reaganomics has just failed all over again?

Like Ronald Reagan, President Bush began his term in office with big tax cuts for the rich and promises that the benefits would trickle down to the middle class. Like Reagan, he also began his term with an economic slump, then claimed that the recovery from that slump proved the success of his policies. And like Reaganomics, Bushonomics has ended in grief. Public mood today is as grim as it was in 1992. Wages are lagging behind inflation. Employment growth in the Bush years has been pathetic compared with job creation in the Clinton era. Even if we don’t have a formal recession, the optimism of 90s has evaporated. This is a time when Progressives ought to drive home the idea that right’s ideas don’t work and never have.

It’s not just a matter of what happens in the next election. Clinton won his elections, but – as Obama correctly pointed out – he didn’t change America’s trajectory the way Reagan did. Why?

The great failure of Clinton administration was the fact that it didn’t change the narrative, a fact demonstrated by the way Republicans are still claiming to be the next Ronald Reagan. Now Progressives have been granted a second chance to argue that Reaganism is fundamentally wrong: Once again, vast majority of Americans think that the country is on the wrong track. But they won’t be able to make that argument if their political leaders, whatever they meant to convey, seem to be saying that Reagan had it right.

Paul Krugman

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Entertainment Boy

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Moser Baer’s Ratul Puri has taken risks & entered uncharted territories, which will test his mettle to the fullest, feels MANISH K. PANDEY

Often, leaders tend to shun complicated projects, but Ratul Puri, Executive Director, Moser Baer, thrives on them. And that aggressive stance has earned rich rewards as well, as he has played a major role in making Moser Baer a global behemoth. “Ratul is a sharp-minded professional with a proactive approach towards work. He is a visionary...,” says one of his current employees. In retrospect, his is a journey from a 3-storeyed infotech firm in Delhi’s congested Lajpat Nagar, which was on the verge of closure thrice during its initial days, to the second largest optical storage media manufacturer in the world and, finally, to the new diversifications into photovoltaic & home entertainment.

After Ratul joined Moser Baer in 1994 at the age of 22, he was instrumental in setting up Moser Baer’s Noida & Greater Noida plants to manufacture recordable compact discs (CDRs), and the plants were the first of their kind in India. Moving further, he is now leveraging Moser Baer’s robust R&D strengths to develop a new generation of storage devices, which can archive critical & sensitive data for years. Already, Moser Baer has become the leader in marketing new storage formats like Blu-ray Discs and HD DVD.

But his impeccable strategic acumen came to the forefront when the company ventured into new and unrelated areas like photo-voltaic and home entertainment. Since 2006, Ratul has bet big bucks on non-conventional energy sources. By 2010, Moser Baer aims to derive 40% of its overall revenues from selling solar panels, which is now a hot bed of opportunity. Industry sources expect the global PV business to grow over six times to $40 billion by the same year. Moreover, the demand here is price-elastic. If Ratul can offer a cheaper option, as Moser Baer has done in storage devices, he can expand this market exponentially.

By acquiring stakes in three firms – Solaria, SolFocus and Stion – and establishing thin solar film plants across India, Ratul has made his intentions clear. Moser Baer has also made investments in Slovenia-based Solarvalue, which manufactures silicon ingots/wafers. This may turn out to be a smart strategy as it will help overcome the existing supply constraints in raw materials.


Moreover, how can one forget Moser Baer’s foray into home video segment last year? It was Ratul’s vision to swamp and invade the already-entrenched market with low-priced VCDs and DVDs. The move opened up a new opportunity, as the segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18% over the next five years (according to joint study conducted by FICCI and PricewaterhouseCoopers). And he doesn’t want to stop there. Ratul has chalked out huge plans to mark Moser Baer’s presence across the value chain – from film production to distribution at the customer’s doorstep. As he is responsible for corporate management and financial control, Ratul has always focused on maximising shareholders’ value and raising funds from global and domestic investors. Under his leadership, Moser Baer wooed various institutions like IFC, Electra Partners and Warburg Pincus Singapore LLC to invest in the company. In fact, Electra had picked up a sizeable 17% stake in Moser Baer and offloaded 4% at huge profits. Moreover, a year ago, when the storage media industry was facing a severe global pricing pressure, coupled with competition from low-cost producers and rising raw material prices, Ratul played a crucial role in bringing Moser Baer back on the growth and profitability path. In FY 2006-07, the company not only posted a 19.8% increase in gross revenues to Rs.20.74 billion, it improved margins that drove a 2,253% growth in net profits to Rs.1.09 billion. Says Yogesh Mathur, Group CFO, Moser Baer, “I agree that two years prior to the last one were not good. But now, both the industry and Moser Baer are back on the growth and normal profitability cycle.”

So, should one give credit to Ratul or was the recovery a part of the improving business cycle in the sector? Current employees contend it was a mix of both; Ratul also imposed cost efficiencies & forced productivity improvements during that critical period. Many feel that this crisis also gave Ratul the idea to transform Moser Baer into a multi-technology organisation & ventured into solar electricity & home entertainment.

However, Ratul faces many challenges in the near future. In the storage device business, technology becomes obsolete in no time, and all players have to keep pace. Although Moser Baer has successfully transformed itself several times with changing technology, it may not be so easy in the near future. In home entertainment, distribution is still a weak link. While Moser Baer has played the price warrior card nicely, it has to soon play the premium content & technology ace too.

But Moser Baer managers are excited and enthusiastic about Ratul’s capabilities. “We are bullish about all three businesses. We see the optical storage business growing at 25-30% CAGR over the next few years. Home Entertainment is a huge opportunity and we expect this to be over half-a-billion dollar business in the coming few years,” says Mathur.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Communicating information

IIPM : EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

It will take some time for people to understand RTI

He is a respected bureaucrat, something uncommon today. He has been trying throughout the year to make the government more transparent & accountable. He has appointed lawyers, judges & journalists as information officers to strengthen the RTI Act. The law is new & the people’s rights are yet to be fully utilised, but we are determined to implement it in both letter & spirit,” the Central Information Commissioner, Wajahat Habibullah told B&E.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Jobs aplenty...

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

but whom to employ?

India is gradually entering the league of richest countries in the world, but will its people be as wealthy as the average American and European? As per the Indian Labour Report 2007, 90% of Indian youth are unemployable. While only 8% of the youth are unemployed, 53% have some kind of skill deprivation. With nearly 90% of the jobs in the country being skill orientated and most Indians having some kind of skill deprivation, the whole issue unemployment and employability needs a fresh look.

It is estimated that India needs to allocate about Rs.490,000 crores in order to train its skill deprived workforce over the next two years. The current budget for the same is just 25% of the required amount. Along with monetary allocation, proper academic planning, including technical and vocational training, is essential. Majority of India’s youth are below the age of 35 and this should tip-off the polity that unemployability is a bigger concern than minority reservation. Mere rhetoric would not solve the problem of rural unemployment. Wish the Indian Labour Report had got even an iota of the attention that the Sachar Committee report has been garnering. Until better sense prevails, India’s dream of reaping demographic dividend will remain a dream or daydream at best.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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It’s really the ‘real’ty factor!

IIPM’s 36th Glorious Year of Academic Excellence

It’s really the ‘real’ty factor!
Anuj Punj, MD, Jones Lang Lasalle Meghraj draws a parallel...

For many even in the recent past, Maharashtra was all about another Mumbai. But, times have changed and despite the fact that another Mumbai is far from being, there’re alternatives... precious alternatives!!!

In India, as in other parts of the world, the vigour of the economy is mirrored in the demand for and price levels of real estate. Reserve bank of India has estimated that the real estate sector represents approximately 5% of GDP, being the second largest employer in the nation. Real estate can thus provide a glimpse into the marketability of a state.

To my reckoning, Maharashtra represents in this regard a unique market model – it is an amalgam of high business and, as a result, intense residential and commercial real estate activity. In fact, its operative trends are so firmly entrenched that we have not witnessed any significant slackening in the overall activity despite the economic pressures affecting many other Indian states. However, there is no denying that there has been an impact. The cities of Mumbai, Pune and Nasik would serve as suitable illustrators for the current scenario.

In Mumbai, affordable housing has become an elusive dream. Sky-rocketing real estate rate appreciation brought on by the continuing demand-supply mismatch have boosted residential home prices almost completely out of reach of the common man. However, Navi Mumbai – the new growth sector – offers options both for those seeking affordable homes and those who seek lucrative investment opportunities in the state. Pune benefitted for a considerable period from Mumbai’s unrealistic property price hikes. The recession in the US market has weakened the commercial and residential markets. The slump in the stock market has caused investors to start moving out. Second, home buyers are keeping away and end users are cautious in their buying activities, awaiting price corrections. Despite the generalised slowdown, developers continue to have holding capacity though.

Nasik, where the residential market has grown at a rather leisurely pace until 2006, suddenly began showing significant annual appreciation rates from the beginning of last year. Nasik had begun emerging as a realistic alternative destination for buyers who were discouraged by Mumbai and Pune’s high rates. It offered low entry costs and, at the same time, reasonably attractive appreciation rates. Another reason was the increasing presence of the IT/ITeS sector there. In recent times, Nasik has been witnessing rather healthy appreciation rates; because of its relatively late entry into the real estate stakes, it was insulated from the regressive dynamics currently prevalent in the rest of Maharashtra.

Despite the slowdown, Maharashtra remains one of the foremost contenders in the real estate sweepstakes. All sectors – residential, commercial, retail, industrial & hospitality – continue to show an upward curve in the long term.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

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Kunal Gill (31), Bates David Enterprise

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Kunal Gill (31), Bates David Enterprise. His best work till date is the Virgin Mobile ad released just recently. However, he loves the 8PM ad – Aath ke Thaath – done by his team mates in Delhi and envies them. And what turns him on? “Seeing my brands out there. Seeing my brands doing well. Seeing my clients come back and trust me more each time,” he haughtily says. Advertising pretty much happened to him. “You discover at some stage that you have no qualification and advertising is the only job you can take,” he laughingly adds. After two and a half years in Singapore, he moved back to India, where he has been Creative Director at Bates David Enterprise since May 2006, handling brands such as Tata AIG, AIG Investments, The Times Group, Killer Jeans, Marico (corporate campaign), as well as successfully winning the prestigious Virgin Mobile account; a business which he has led for six months, including building their brand design and identity. What’s more, in just eight years of his advertising career, he is sitting pretty as the Delhi branch head of Bates.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read these article :-
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Cricket first? Not always

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ICL is using Bollywood star power to pull audiences & advertisers. Will the strategy work?

It’s the amalgamation of cricket and Bollywood again, the only two religions that can claim to capture the heart of Indians. The extravaganza and the deadly combination of cricket and showbiz do seem to stump one and all.The stars of both the worlds are like demi-Gods and Goddesses for their ever growing fans, who can give away anything to have just a ‘dekko’ of them. Trying to cash in this chemistry is the so called rebel league, the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Strategically making the audience dance to the duel tunes by providing them the best of both the worlds as welll as to entice advertisers to play ball. To what extent can this ‘Bhelpuri’ of cricket and tinsel town masala succeed in stalling the march of big brother IPL, which is already threatening to destroy all prospects of ICL’s survival?

Incorporating performances of movie stars like Kareena Kapoor, Neha Duphia, Rakhi Sawant, et al during matches seems to be a valiant effort to redeem itself from failure of the earlier editions of its tournaments, which failed to get desired attention. Kapil Dev, former Indian cricket player, who heads the ICL’s Executive Board, states, “Entertaining the audience is the main motive. The concept of clubbing together two diverse entertaining sources seems to work wonders.” Adds Ashish Kaul, Executive Vice President, Zee Networks, “India as a country is not a sport crazy nation, cricket being an exception. Thus it becomes imperative to put forward a right mix of both entertainment and sports to pull the crowd to the grounds.” Well the idea as of now seems to move in line with the objective, but the real dilemma is for how long? And at the end of the day, wouldn’t the game and the players matter far more than some lame frills in between play time?

India’s only World Cup ODI winning captain clarifies further, “Well, ten to fifteen minutes of fun filled performance do not take away the entertainment; the game is there to provide over a period of three to four hours.” Well, that’s exactly the moot point! But with the Indian Premium League (IPL) getting all the big names in cricket, Bollywood as well as India Inc. it’s anybody’s guess as to which 3-4 hour time slot (ICL/IPL) the audience is more likely to be looking forward to!

The stars of the ICL galaxy failed to shine and twinkle to draw the audience to the stadiums the last time, which had cast serious doubts on the sustainibility of the league. “With performing star galleries, we also plan to adopt other marketing and advertising strategies like puppet shows, clown performances, et al to attract a larger number of eyeballs,” explains Ashish Kaul of Zee.

Of course, with IPL already having the backing of big names like DLF, Hero Honda & Pepsi, it remains doubtful if ICL can really attract media planners with such moves. Agrees Pravin Nair, Senior Executive, ACNielsen, “When you have Kareena dancing, there will be a number of eyeballs attracted, thus advertisers would benefit from showcasing their advertisements, but it won’t be able to outdo IPL.” For now, IPL reigns supreme in the Indian cricket sweepstakes. For ICL, it appears to be more a battle for survival. And as cricket is being watched more for its entertainment value, adding a few extra doses of star power surely wouldn’t harm.

Ratan Lal Bhagat

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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

Read these article :-
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