A METROSEXUAL’S LATEST MUSE...

IS THERE A MARKET FOR MEN’S LIFESTYLE TITLES?
Males are known to reach for the newspaper, first thing in the morning. Some can also be found browsing through a Cosmo (most of the times just to check what their female counterparts are feeding on). But imagine them getting hooked onto a men’s lifestyle magazine... Sounds unlikely? Looking at those mounting ‘Men’s’ titles as they hang by the news stands these days, eyeing for some male attention, the phenomenon seems to be picking up real fast. Considering that men nowadays comfortably walk into a beauty parlour, their catching up on the latest grooming tips isn’t all that unlikely! In fact, men’s lifestyle magazines’ segment is a burgeoning market today.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

SUVs

The consumer is more concerned about the overall suave feel than anything else here. Americanism, you might call it, but in SUVdom these trends are universal. The perception towards SUVs is gradually changing as more awareness is created. No doubt SUVs are expensive equipments and a true blue SUV can set you back by a whopping Rs.10 million, but then who really cares! Big toys like Porsche Cayene Turbo S, Volkswagen Toureg V10 TDi and Audi Q7 FSi are simply there to haunt the minds of the ‘make an impression’ variety. But the fact is, for the common man, practicality remains the last word!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

TOP OF THE WORLD!

The sky’s the limit for Air Deccan, India’s second largest airline, that has won the title of the ‘Best Domestic No-Frills Carrier’ by Galileo Express Travel World Awards 2006 (instituted by Express TravelWorld and Galileo India). These prestigious awards recognise significant innovation and outstanding contribution in the Indian travel, tourism and hospitality industry, and are decided by a distinguished jury drawn from within the industry and the Indian Express Editorial Advisory Board.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Management Guru Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative

GETTING REAL WITH BEAUTY BUSINESS!

Global cosmetic store chain, the Body Shop International – a global manufacturer and retailer of naturally inspired, ethically produced beauty and cosmetics products – is eyeing the Indian market like never before, with a view to get it all dressed up. Presently, there are five Body Shop stores in India (two in Delhi and one each in Gurgaon, Jaipur and Mumbai); by the end of 2008, the company plans to open 45 more stores in the country. Plans are afoot to tap the tier-II cities in India as well; and why not, given that they are waking to the endless possibilities of cosmetic make-over! Founded in the UK in 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick, the Body Shop has over 2,100 stores in 55 countries, with a range of over 1,200 products, all animal cruelty free, and many with fairly traded natural ingredients. In India, Quest Retail Private is the franchise partner of Body Shop.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Management Guru Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative

KOWTOWING IN ANTICIPATION…

Right after Liu Xiang won his first IAAF Grand Prix in Lausanne in 2002, he had raced after his idol Allen Johnson for an autograph. Little did Johnson then know that this young boy would race ahead of him within two years! Xiang went on to win the gold medal for the 110 meters hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics and in July this year he even set a new world record by clocking 12.88 seconds (+1.1 m/s tail wind) in the 110 metres hurdles event. Be prepared to see Xiang put in his bit at this year’s grand Chinese coup at the Doha Asian Games!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Management Guru Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative

THE ROAD AHEAD

Well, which company dominates the sector is a different issue, but the fact is that with a low penetration level of 14%, a lot more ground needs to be covered in the mobile handset market. Adds Shushmul, “A vast untapped market of over 65% in rural India needs to be tapped. Importantly, out of the current purchases of mobile phones, more than 55% is done by the middle class, which forms a formidable chunk of the Indian population.” Also, with monochrome handsets forming a whopping 60% of the total handsets sold, the future growth definitely lies in the entry level segment. “Though many players like Nokia, Samsung & LG have started manufacturing in India, but the race is to break that psychological barrier of Rs.1000 phone,” adds Pai. Despite this, most players will also continue to target the high-end segment which gives them higher margins. But the fact is that the winner of the race in the Rs.1000 handset might well become the next face of the Indian telecom handset market. And more interestingly, it just might not be the ever dominant Nokia this time around. What say, Mr. Kallasvuo?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Management Guru Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative

THE BRIGHTER EAST...

What’s hot? Mobi le handset sales by feature % contribution to total handset sales Source: Instant Interestingly, the top five players that dominate the Indian mobile handset market also control the global market. The only difference – Nokia leads other players by a long way in India, but the competition is very close in the global market. According to Gartner, Nokia has the No. 1 position globally with 35.1% share, with Motorola following closely with 21% share. However, in the all important US market, Motorola is a clear leader with 32% share, as Nokia trails behind with a relatively modest 16% share. With markets in the West exhibiting sluggish growths, gradually all global players are making India & other Asian countries their new growth centres. Asserts Ann Liang, principal analyst, mobile terminals research, Gartner, “In emerging markets, the growth of retailers and the expansion of distribution channels have enhanced sales, particularly in India, Indonesia & Philippines. Handset vendors work with carriers for expansion into new areas by providing discounted entry-level phones to low-income use

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Management Guru Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Initiative

Wal-Mart's Success

We all talk about Wal-Mart’s success but the time taken to achieve such success is nothing as compared to the success achieved in any other country outside Asia. Asia is Asia and where Wal-Mart has two major failures too,” comments D.K Nair, Secretary General, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry. Of course, lack of clear understanding of the mind set of the Indian consumer and the nation’s cultural traits (apart from the fact that FDI in retail is still prohibited by law!) is a big factor that would have prompted honchos at the Bentonville based headquarters of Wal-Mart to sign up Mittal as the local partner. But if Wal-Mart doesn’t dramatically change its basic operational model, even Mittal and his management team will find it difficult to persuade urban Indian consumers to come to Wal-Mart stores on a regular basis.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

WHY WAR-MART WILL FAIL IN INDIA

You could say he was the first ardent proponent of globalisation. More than 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great conquered vast swathes of territory across much of the then ‘known’ world and reached the outer perimeters of India. He even defeated an Indian king, Porus, in territory that is now known as Afghanistan. And fearful of what lay within India and beyond that, Alexander withdrew. The world still holds this global warrior in awe. In this 21st century, Alexander has been replaced by multinational corporations that invade and capture new markets with as much zest as Alexander swallowed up territory.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

NUCLEAR SCIENCE...

IS WHAT ECONOMICS IS, FOR POLITICIANS
The same old dark clouds of a virtual army rule continue to hover over the ‘Seven Sister’ states because the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) of 1958 vintage just refuses to pass into the oblivion. The only sliver lining is that the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has finally acknowledged to introduce more human provisions in the Act, “giving due regards to the protection of basic human and civil rights.” The proposal promises to curtail the powers enjoyed by the Armed forces, but the moot is, how many of these amendments will eventually be passed by the central government before repealing the Act?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2006

An IIPM and Malaya Chaudhuri – Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative