DLF Assets Ltd.

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

Investee: DLF Assets Ltd.

Investor: D. E. Shaw & I PCC

Investment Value: $600 mn (cumulative)

Says, Naveen Jain, Real Estate Analyst, Emkay Share, “DLF Assets holds property and earns its bread and butter from the capital appreciation and rents from various properties that it has acquired from DLF. The infusion of growth capital will help DLF Assets to acquire more and more assets. DE Shaw & I PCC are betting on the Singapore listing (and may exit at the time of listing to rake in handsome returns) for which DLF Assets still needs to provide a lot of clarifications. For now, DAL is aggressively adding more properties to its existing portfolio, with plans to spend $1 billion annually for acquiring properties.”

DLF Assets Ltd. (DAL), a sister concern of DLF, sprang a surprise last year, striking it rich with not one but two PE deals, one with Hedge Fund D.E. Shaw for $400 million and the other with New Opportunities I PCC (sponsored by Lehman Brothers) for $200 million. The deals give DAL requisite growth capital and investors will gain by selling their stake in DAL through the proposed listing as a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Singapore Stock Exchange. They plan to raise as much as $2 billion by the listing. “The process of listing is in advance stages and pretty soon other details will be revealed,” offers a source in DLF. Both investors will get a seat on the DAL board and will play a critical part in future decisions. In HY ’08, sales to DLF Assets accounted for a huge 47% of DLF’s total income. DLF Assets has acquired more than 5.5 million square feet from DLF. To further boost its portfolio, DAL also plans to acquire SEZ assets.

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 :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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A nano for you, a giant leap for Tata

IIPM, GURGAON

Now, can Tata Motors get its future strategy right?

Globally, car buyers are thrilled with this product. Most experts and critics, who scoffed at the idea, are enthralled. Existing and future competitors are excited, but are unwilling to concede any adverse impact on their sales, either in India or abroad. Consultants and research agencies think that it will lead to a mega boom in the Indian automotive market. But it is Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata group, who – after having unveiled the world’s cheapest car, Nano – is having the last laugh. At the moment, he’s having his cake and eating it too or, shall we say, having his car and well-positioned to sell it too.

At a Rs.1 lakh ($2,500) tag for his new car, Ratan Tata has created a paradigm shift in the auto industry. Now, every giant in the US, Japan, and East Asia is striving to produce a cheap model. Many of them have decided to set up R&D centres in India to develop global models. For once, Tata has proved that India can manufacture a global brand. The Nano, it seems, can become the first ‘Made in India’ global brand in modern times. Forget Basmati, Neem, Kohinoor, Taj, and Kamasutra, welcome to the giant world of Nano. Think of Tata’s empire as the first truly globalised Indian conglomerate.

But let’s start this adventure with Nano’s potential customers, who are obviously the kings, or queens. The day the Nano was unveiled at Delhi’s Auto Expo last week, there was absolute chaos everywhere. The mayhem started right from the parking lot itself. Even reaching the entrance of Pragati Maidan, the venue of the launch, was an arduous task as the overhead pass was jammed – not with vehicular traffic, but with people.

The scene outside Hall No. 11, where the Nano was to be unveiled, was electric. There were 300-400 people waiting to catch a glimpse of the Nano. Some like Ashok Bayana, a resident of Rohtak (Haryana), had come to buy the car that was being sold for Rs.1 lakh. Bayana had heard that it would be sold in Hall No. 11. He was even carrying the money for the initial payment. “Yahan ek lakh ki car milti hai, phir to bayaj or kisht bhi kaafi kam hogi (The Rs.1 lakh car is available here, then the interest and installment will also be less),” he whispered.

Now that’s what the Nano can do in the market place. It can attract customers, who had possibly only dreamt about owning a car. It can woo people, who will be walking around with their cheque books and cash, to simply buy it off the shelf. It will encourage the Bayanas to simply walk in, and walk out of Hall No. 11 with a Nano. It will fuel the dreams of millions of Indians. It will create a bigger chaos on Indian roads, the way it did when it was showcased in Hall No. 11 on January 10, 2008. But then, will it really do all these? 4Ps B&M analyses a few issues that will decide Tata’s and Nano’s fate.

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 :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
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what actually makes O&M work different?

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

And what actually makes O&M work different? Piyush zooms in immediately, “For one, we believe there is nothing like a boring account. Classic example is Fevicol. It’s probably the unsexiest category and product – with the sexiest ads making it a hugely popular and loved brand. We believe if you can do that kind of stuff for Fevicol, you can do great work for any client or product line. See the stuff we did for banks, which are always perceived as a dull exercise. It’s very simple. Clients have to understand and appreciate that people do not watch ads in categories. The challenge is to make the ad stand out & that is our sole mandate.”

Are people in awe of Piyush Pandey, intimidated by the large shadow he throws... or is there a nice warm bonding and connect with every member of the O&M fraternity? “Do you know I am known as the biggest and most notorious dabba chor in the office? I sneak up and regularly steal dabbas and wolf down the lovely food that their wives and mothers cook! I think I know exactly which one’s mom cooks what best – may be better than the guy himself!” No, there is zero awe in the relationship. His doors are always open and he is always there for them. No stupid, formal appointments, please. “This really is a part of the Ogilvy culture... has always been, will always be.” So at the end of the day, what makes O&M special, different and unique? “Passion... I don’t make pictures to make money. I make money to make pictures. We chase our passion and passion leads to paisa and that’s the way it is.”

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 :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

“We’ve taken thought leadership,” says Pradeep Shrivastava, CMO, Idea Cellular

IIPM - Admission Procedure

Ever since, Idea Cellular came solely under the Aditya Birla group, we have been amongst the fastest growing telecom companies in India and are among the first three operators in almost every circle that we are present in. On a national scale, we are currently growing at a very fast pace, with 18 million subscribers presently. Our growing subscriber base has urged us to grow substantially in our brand communication too.

The recent commercial of Idea Cellular (the one featuring Abhishek Bachchan) has won positive feedback from various stakeholders including consumers, dealers and the management, largely because of its clutter breaking attributes. Telecom as a sector has become highly commoditised in India, wherein most players have chosen to harp on their better network. The reality is that everyone has a near-similar network – so that’s a relatively comparable product attribute. The same is true for tariffs or even other value added services.

With this commercial, we have taken thought leadership in the segment and have steered clear of the me-too/ mine-is bigger kind of approach. As a brand, Idea is about celebrating such ideas; and mind you, this is not CSR.

To strike the right chord with the audience, the team from Idea Cellular sat for multiple briefing sessions with the creative team from Lowe, led by Balki to finally freeze on this communication. The plan is not to sit tight with the present idea of caste, but to extend it to even religion and gender in times to come. This is just the first step forward. We have used the rural setting to target the rural audience, in the midst of the changing socio-economic profile of the telecom consumer (the large number of women, youth and semi-urban and rural audience being added to our kitty over the last couple of years).

The inherent Indian-ness of the ad was unintentional, although over the last 5-6 years our advertising has largely been very aspirational and westernised. The intent this time was to establish an emotional connect with a much larger audience, across age, class and gender. We are following up this ad campaign with a host of below-the-line activities to connect with the consumer at the ground level, across multiplexes and villages. Same thematic taken to ground events and contests depending on the target audience.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
When IIPM comes to education, never compromise
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

THERE’S MORE TO UMBRELLAS

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

In the first ever survey of Indian consumers, 4Ps B&M and ICMR find out why we opt for insurance - do we prefer private or public insurance, and has our insurance exposure gone up? Also featuring exclusive interviews with Vikram Mehmi – Birla Sun Life, Ajay Bimbhet – Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance et al.

United India Insurance

Having more than three decades of experience in non-life insurance business, Chennai headquartered, United India Insurance is the market leader in southern India, and also the second largest general insurer in terms of reserves, gross profits and solvency margins. Prudent underwriting norms, improved claims management and administration, have helped the company post positive results. The positive results have served as catalysts, and the company is now looking to increase its focus on retail segment through bancassurance, micro insurance, efficient customer service and customisation of products. By leveraging technology in an optimal manner to augment efficiency, productivity and customer satisfaction, the company expects to achieve a premium income of Rs.40 billion in the current fiscal.

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!

‘H’orse ‘P’ower & technology?

When IIPM comes to education, never compromise

Straddling all the price segments in the Indian PC mart, HP has a lot going for it

“With so many options available, it is really difficult for the customers to select a notebook that fits their bill, need and their style,” says a multi-brand PC retailer based in the NCR region. “While some are attracted by the amazing looks of a Sony Vaio, a few are pulled towards Lenovo and Acer for their attractive price point, and there are others who get hooked on to the business utilities offered by Toshiba and Dell. However, if there is one brand that encompasses all the attributes of aesthetics, multi-utility, business capability and an attractive price point, it has to be HP.”

Well, this testimonial of sorts from this multi-brand PC retailer clearly defines the edge that HP enjoys in the highly competitive Indian PC market. Right from Lenovo, Sony, Dell, Toshiba to HCL, all are trying their level best to woo Indian consumers with their attractive offerings but it is HP that has continued to master the Indian PC arena with an impressive 22% market share (According to IDC’s second quarter results). Even in the desktop segment, HP maintained an overall lead in the market with a remarkable market share of 16.7%, followed by HCL and Lenovo.

Interestingly, HP has an admirable portfolio with myriad offerings at variable price points. With the Compaq brand at the entry level (the new CQ brand), HP Pavilion at the hi-end multimedia level and HP Compaq brand for the business line products, there is hardly any weak point in the strong PC line up offered by HP in India.

The major reason for the success of the HP brand is that the company puts strong emphasis on getting the brand distinction for its broad portfolio segmentation, a strategy that help consumer choose the best available products in a particular category. Back in 2006, HP launched its new marketing initiative targeted towards the youth with an underline message of ‘computer is personal again’. The campaign was a great hit in the Indian market, creating the much required connect with the customers, especially with the youngsters. Later in 2007, HP realised the growing desire of style amongst the customers and launched the ‘oomph’ concept under which they launched high-end fashion driven PCs and notebook. In the mean time, HP launched the Tablet PCs in India which received immense success within few months of their launch. Remarking on the success of HP’s Tablet PC, Rajiev Grover, Head-Consumer Products, Personal Systems Group, HP India, stated that, “we thought that it would be handy for students and the business people but there seems to be a demand coming from everywhere for the Tablets and we are selling about 2000 Tablet PCs per month, which generates 5% of our revenues.”

Further commenting on HP’s success in the Indian market, Rajiev told 4Ps B&M, “One of the reasons for the leadership of HP in the personal systems space is the strong retail arm of HP.” HP commands a mammoth 40% of the market share in the laptop segment, which couldn’t have been possible without the support of 2,500 odd retailers which are retailing directly, and another 1,000-1,500 retailing through service centres. To further strengthen its retail presence, HP has also ventured into exclusive showrooms called HP World, showcasing the products offered by HP. Till date, HP has come out with 150 such touch points in the form of HP World where the idea is to showcase a whole gamut of HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario notebooks and desktops. A visit to one such outlet in the Bhikaji Cama Place in Delhi, gave us a broader picture of the whole HP portfolio including a variety of printers and computer peripherals. Taking a cue from its PC strategy, HP India has also rolled out more segment specific printers catering to the needs of diversified customers like home users, corporate customers and medium size businesses.


However a key struggle for HP India has been the easy availability of cheap- er fills of printer cartridges, a factor that has had a major blow on the overall margins. However, the year gone by has been a testimonial for HP’s efforts for making the original cartridges popular. The store managers too mentioned that price reduction was one of the major changes apart from giving out free-bees and provision for placing order for the cartridges over phone and internet.

For the uninitiated, apart from dominating the PC market in India, Hewlett-Packard is also a strong player in the server market. It has retained its leadership position in the x86 server market and currently holds an impressive market share of above 30% share in unit shipments. Taking ahead its lead in the server category, HP also boats of an outstanding 71% market share in the blade server category. Not only this, HP also registers a dominating presence in the 1P and 2P server category. Well, such dominance in the server category speaks volumes about a company like HP which is recognised for its personal computers.

“We are delighted that the market has confirmed HP as the server vendor of choice. We will continue to deliver innovation across our entire server portfolio and provide customers with a superior IT infrastructure that helps them drive business and lower costs,” said Rajesh Dhar, Country Manager, Industry Standard Servers, Hewlett-Packard India Sales Pvt. Ltd..

Well, whether it’s the Notebook segment, the desktop domain or the Enterprise vertical, HP has maintained its ascendancy over its competitors. Now, with the competition strengthening in the PC market with the Dell’s overhauled new indirect strategy, Lenovo’s price intrusions and Toshiba’s business vigour, HP will have a lot to strategise in order to maintain its primacy. But with HP’s understanding of the blueprint ‘one size doesn’t fit all’ and its experience of dominating the global PC market under the leadership of its global CEO Mark Hurd, it will be a long-winded endeavour before any other player dares to chip-in near this dominator.


Edit bureau: Surbhi Chawla

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).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM is A World of Career
Why Study Abroad When IIPM Gives You 3 global Advantages!