“If you commit a murder in India…there is usually 1 inspector. If you open a business, probably 30.”
– Attributed to V.K. Seth, Professor at Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University
Archive for the 'Economics/Business' Category
This is a brilliant idea. Simple concept: While you shop in a mall, your car gets cleaned. These photographs have been taken in the Ambiance Mall, Gurgaon. They have also put an gender upliftment spin on this.
“Mobile phone maker Nokia says India has overtaken the US to become its second largest market in terms of sales.”
Wow! The Indian Elephant is making its presence felt across the world…slowly but surely. China is not the only new kid on the block!
Public spaces in India tend to be non-smoking. In Inorbit Mall, Mumbai there is a smoker’s lounge near the food court. Its an innovative idea. I’m sure it exists elsewhere but its the first time I’ve seen it.
You can buy your favorite cigarette brands inside the lounge. I’m not sure if there is an entry charge.
P.S. In case you’re interested: I dont smoke myself…
If you have visited supermarkets in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia or the Middle East you would have been impressed by the wide variety of local processed foods (all kinds of snacks, sauces, sea foods, exotic vegetables and ready to eat meals particular to that country). These are manufactured by both local companies and MNCs operating in the country. Unfortunately the situation has not been too bright in India. Most of the processed foods in India tend to be somewhat foreign in origin (potato chips, noodles, ketchups and so on). There are few processed foods of Indian origin. Companies like Haldiram and MTR have been around with their range of Indian foods but the variety and range is still depressing.
The good news is that the situation is fast improving here. MNCs like Nestle have started introducing products for the Indian palate. Nestle has been around forever with their range of Maggi Noodles. But only recently has it started selling products designed for the Indian consumer (In my mind masala flavoured noodles and chilli ketchup don’t count as real localization because flavouring is so easy to do). Nestle only started innovating when they introduced Maggi Atta Noodles.
Now Nestle has introduced Bhuna Jeera Raita (A particular kind of Indian yogurt). It tastes really good. Hats off to Nestle for really thinking about what the Indian consumer wants.
I think we are just at the start of the consumer revolution in India. In the coming years you will see more localized products, better shopping experiences, lower prices and highly innovative products that will just take your breath away. Three cheers to Jeera Raita!
Satyam Fiasco
There is a silver lining in the Satyam episode. Why? Because this is possibly the first time in modern India when someone so rich and powerful has confessed to doing something wrong. In the past, we all knew who had “done it” but the courts never came around to convicting the rich and powerful. And in this case, its not necessary because of Raju’s confession.