IIPM NEW-DELHI: February 2008

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Knipschildt’s Madeleine, 106,301 INR (a pound)

DesirÉE
If the festival of lights was a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi foran obscenely large amount of money, here are ways to burn it all away… (of course only if, ahem, the Goddess was kind to you :-)

Knipschildt’s Madeleine, 106,301 INR (a pound)
Not many would believe that this humble look

ing ganache, is perhaps the costliest chocolate that man has ever made or tasted. Created by Fritz Knipschildt, every piece is made out of the freshest natural ingredient right from French Valrhona Chocolate, Vanilla pods and pure Italian Truffle Oil. With a French Perigold Truffle rolled inside it and the whole dusted with cocoa powder, each ganache is whipped and folded by hand for as long as possible to make the silkiest blend and in a refrigerated room – so you know that the price tag is not only about its constituents.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, February 25, 2008

FEAT OF CLAY

A once glorious art form tethers on the path of oblivion
Sachin Pal coughs as he talks, “I was nine th

en. While playing in these narrow lanes of Kumartuli, my eyes fell upon an aged potter. With a whimsical style, he was shaping Maa Durga, as if a musician was playing his instrument. I was startled to see his eyes. They were looking more beautiful than those of Maa Durga. I went to him, touched his arms and said, ‘Kaka, amay thakur gada sekhabe? (Uncle, will you teach me how to make idols?)’ He smiled and perhaps his smile told me, for years to come, this will be my life!” Pal cannot really remember whether he is 60 or 65 now. His black, thin, naked body has only a gamcha wrapped around the waist, his face marked with week long stubble as he sits on the mud floor, two arms resting on the knees, fingers full of mud, and a half finished beedi sprouting from the left corner of the lips, talking to himself, “This profession enabled me to support a family of eight members. Now two of my three daughters are married, one still remains. Yet, these days, it’s so tough to handle! My son says, this is a ‘worthless’ job. He sells lottery tickets! This generation doesn’t understand it at all….”

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Friday, February 22, 2008

The next time US markets crash, chill!

Definitely, today’s Asia has outgrown the Asia of late nineties for the better
Today, we live in a world so intertwined that a financial contagion h[;as an ast

ounding probability of making it to the farthest and most alienated places of Earth. Did anybody say out has been a crisis of sorts; and how far have the Asian giants been exposed is a question worth pondering over, considering the increased role of Asia in the global financial system. Well, there’s no doubt that the aftershocks of US sub-prime have traversed far enough and hit the Asian shores, which is quite palpable from the widening bond spreads shown in the charts. But one has to consider the following. The external debt of Asian economies has reduced significantly – placing them strongly against hasty capital outflows and currency depreciation. External debt as a percentage of GDP for emerging East Asia and other Emerging Asia has fallen by almost 10% & 5% (approx), respectively. Again, if one takes into consideration the government balances, one would find that fiscal prudence has been noteworthy.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

And caution bit the dust...

Retailers could even go beyond their means to gain a large share of your wallet this season
At the turn of the century, few would have even imagined this tsunam

i hitting Indian shores. But with the likes of Reliance Industries and a plethora of others blazing the track with gargantuan expansion plans, the excitement building up in this sector is truly unparalleled, as the scope for growth is tremendous. Comments Raghu Pillai, Chief Executive & President, Reliance Retail, to B&E, “The retail sector is growing faster than India’s GDP growth rate at around 11%. Organised retail will be around $60 billion in the next five to ten years, which will still be only about 15-20% of the total retail space in the country.” The competition is highly intense on two fronts. In the first phase, the hunt is primarily for quality real estate. And while that battle rages on, the players are simultaneously also keen to ensure that they achieve those elusive sales per square foot figures and stay put on the winning side

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Friday, February 15, 2008

Sales & Marketing

Watch majors are in the race too. If

Seiko Watches is sounding the battle cry with a range of 100 new watches under three lines; Timex has ‘small town’ plans for the season. Salil Sadanandan, Senior VP – Sales & Marketing, Timex told B&E, “Festival marketing is flat in metros, so our focus will be on tier-I & tier- II cities. We will have new launches and 40% discount scheme for the upcoming festive season. Also we will be opening 5 new showrooms, of which two will be in Kolkata.” To garner a bigger share of the pie, greeting cards makers such as Archies Gallery, Expressions and Hallmark are in the process of chartering their individual plans. The big daddy of the segment, Archies promises to do it differently this season, even as the retailer is all set to launch a high-end range gift items targeted at the fiercely growing corporate gifting market. Called Gift Works, the company hopes to create a monopoly in the segment. But Archies may have a tough time, as the segment remains largely dominated by myriad unorganised players. Be it the hand picking bulk gift s for your prized clients; or handing out tangible symbols of love to your near and dear, the season for gifting is definitely here and cajoled by the vast potential, marketers are taking very trick out of their magic bag. You only have to visit your nearest mall to witness this fierce battle for consumer mind space raging amidst the festive decorations and gaiety surrounding the market place!

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Thursday, February 14, 2008

It’s time to hit a ‘home’ run...

Homecoming might not be more sweeter than in this festival season
Soaring interest rates and simultaneous increase in loan rates

might just have pushed your dream house out of your reach. But come festival season and the sector has enough reasons to celebrate. People who have deferred their decision till now, are looking forward to the auspicious days ahead to buy their dream home. So with festive season round the corner, oodles of activities are anticipated in the sector. Booming economy and increasing spending power of the middle class is further expected to fuel the real estate inferno. Abir Joshi, a young prospective house buyer told B&E, “Since my great grandfather’s time, our family has purchased properties around the festival season only because it is considered to be auspicious. This time also, I’m looking to buy a property.” Interacting with other prospective buyers belonging to different demographics and psychographics revealed that Abir is not the only one who thinks like that.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Monday, February 11, 2008

It’s time to hit a ‘home’ run...

Homecoming might not be more sweeter than in this festival season
Soaring interest rates and simultaneous increase in loan rates

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Friday, February 08, 2008

This ain’t no silver lining!...

Life has come full circle for Indian bankers and for the affluent Indian consumers. “Bank

s have to look for survival in this highly competitive scenario”...“We are five months in the fiscal and demand for advances is more or less flat”... The above statements from bankers say it all. Truly, the once profligate banks are now facing the toughest time of the recent times as they begin to question their very own survival. Increased borrowing cost has taken a toll on Indian banks and consequently on Indian consumers. Interest rate hikes, one after the other, have made the life of the common man miserable, as banks were quick to offload the burden. The banks’ prime lending rates (PLRs) increased by 250-300 basis points during the last one year. The weighted average PLRs of public sector banks increased from 10.7% in March 2006 to 12.4% in March 2007 and 13.1% in July 2007, while those of private sector banks increased from 12.4% to 14.1% and 14.9% over the same period. The weighted average PLR of foreign banks rose from 12.7% in March 2007 to 13.9% in July 2007.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Thumbs down

PVMI was able to give a thumbs down to

its competitors with the help of its strong distribution network. PVMI at present boasts of a strong network of about 4,500 distributors spread across 2,000 urban towns. Another aspect that sets PVMI apart from its competitors is its most valuable asset – people! However, people have their own mindsets, their own whims & fancies, and their own style of working. So, here HR has a very important role to play – to reorient the human asset in such a manner that from mere individuals, they become a part of the organisation, and in the bargain not lose their identities. Increasingly, HR is transforming from being merely a general storehouse of sensitive information to moving to the forefront in terms of championing positive change, providing the right talent at the right time and ensuring a happy yet focused workforce.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

“Europeans are good global citizens”

Think Again
It likes to pretend it is a kinder, gentler alternative to US. But sta

gnant economies, suffering immigrants & elitist rhetoric don’t make a global powerhouse. With nothing less than the future of the European project at stake, the countries of Europe must now either unite behind much-needed reforms, or watch their differences tear them apart.

“Europeans are good global citizens”
False. Undeniably, Europe’s governments put on a good show. They sign the Kyoto Protocol—a treaty that commits them to do little about global warming, and whose terms they then fl out—while righteously deploring the US’ refusal to join in. They call for a bold new round of trade negotiations to address the plight of the world’s poor, and then sink it with their refusal to dismantle their own agricultural subsidies. When it comes to foreign policy, they are entirely preoccupied—and most likely always will be—with their own internal, intra-European machinations. Making a hash of the “European Project” generally requires their full attention. But that is all right, because as far as external threats are concerned, the instinct of Europe’s leaders is to appease and deny, which requires little commitment of resources. Europe’s Iran policy is only the most recent instance: Never confront, just keep talking, and all will turn out well in the end. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, for one, certainly endorses that approach. On occasion, the maintenance of global order requires a willingness to use military power, which in turn requires a prior investment in military hardware. Europe’s good global citizens apparently have more pressing priorities (such as those farm subsidies). The entire European Union (EU) spends about half as much on defence as US.

For Complete I I P M Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2007

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative