Articles 1 to 10 of 20
Bright Idea: Bringing Eco-friendly Lighting to India's Hinterland
Nearly 40% of India's population lives in darkness after dusk. Until recently, expensive and polluting kerosene provided the majority of lighting in rural homes. Now, the adoption of eco-friendly solar lights among rural consumers has become a big business opportunity for a number of companies. But the learning curve to roll out these and related products has been steep, requiring a mix of price points, marketing, distribution channels and financing.
Mercedes-Benz India's Wilfried Aulbur: 'India Will Be a Growth Story for the Next 30 Years'
Ever since Mercedes-Benz entered India with its line of trucks in 1954, the German auto maker has been expanding operations around the country. India's luxury car market is tiny -- at 0.06% of the total market. China's, in contrast, is much larger. How does Mercedes-Benz plan to leverage its strong brand recognition in India to appeal to the younger generation? India Knowledge@Wharton discussed this question and others with Wilfried Aulbur, chairman and managing director of Mercedes-Benz India, a division of Daimler
Why Companies See Bright Prospects in Rural India
Economists were surprised when India's GDP growth in the first three months of 2009 was higher than expected, largely because of strong performance by the agriculture sector. While urban demand is depressed because of the global downturn, rural markets are growing -- and companies are taking notice. Strategies to provide services like banking and products such as cars, gold jewelry and shampoo are being reshaped by the rush to cater to rural demand. As one expert told India Knowledge@Wharton, rural India is forcing marketers to rethink the traditional four P's of marketing -- product, price, place and promotion -- and replace them with four A's: Affordability, awareness, availability and acceptability.
Director-producer Rohan Sippy on India's Appetite for Movies and Why Content Remains King
Over the course of his career, Indian film director-producer Rohan Sippy has witnessed an influx of domestic and foreign investors on the Bollywood scene, which has led to skyrocketing production costs and a new emphasis on marketing and "hard-selling your product" to achieve higher returns through multiple distribution channels. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Sippy discusses the impact of these changes on Bollywood, the prospects for a global film industry in India, and why independent filmmaking still makes sense for some projects.
In South Africa, the Indian Premier League Takes on a Test Match of Its Own
If you attend a friendly game of football in England, you're likely to see a jersey from one of the teams of the English Premiership. But would you expect to see the same on football fields in Los Angeles or on the streets of Bangkok? If you lived in Pennsylvania or Florida, would you throng to a local arena to watch teams from London and Glasgow in a basketball tournament? In other words, can city loyalties command viewership if the action is transported to other countries? Do fans go to a game to watch, or to cheer their teams? As the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets under way, similar questions are being asked by cricket fans, players and owners against a backdrop of political, business and marketing issues.
Made for India: Succeeding in a Market Where One Size Won't Fit All
While consumers across the world are seeing a growing number of "Made in India" labels on the goods they buy, Indian shoppers are witnessing a more subtle change. Increasingly, multinational companies are selling products that are not just made in -- but that are made for -- India. Entire generations of Indian consumers, who once felt grateful simply for being able to experience the same brands as the rest of the world, are now realizing they can ask for products that cater to their wants and needs. Several multinationals have responded with varying degrees of success, but experts agree that customizing products for the world's third-largest market is a necessary investment.
What Makes Titan Tick? Finding Opportunity in India's Unorganized Retail Sector
Over the past 20 years, Titan Industries has reinvented the watch and jewelry market in India. The Bangalore-headquartered company is now making fresh inroads into the country's huge "unorganized" retail sector -- including corner shops, kiosks, street vendors and other single-proprietor venues -- which traditionally has been dominated by cheap imports and low-quality domestic products. How does Titan -- India's leading watch manufacturer and the world's fifth largest -- plan to succeed in a market segment where bargain prices and cultural associations often outweigh brand cachet?
iPhone in India: Has Apple Dialed the Wrong Number?
At midnight on August 22, Apple rolled out its iPhone in India and some 20 new countries. It didn't roll too far: Missing were the lines and fanfare that accompanied the iPhone's launch in the U.S. and some other parts of the world. Despite the lack of buzz and other potential hang-ups, some Wharton experts see a clever strategy at work where Apple is "testing the waters" and getting prospective customers acquainted with its device before a full-scale marketing assault.
An Increasingly Affluent Middle India Is Harder to Ignore
Several recent studies show that the real Indian market may not lie in large metros such as Mumbai, Calcutta or Chennai but in smaller cities such as Nagpur, Jaipur, Surat and Coimbatore. Consumers from these markets have high aspirations and, increasingly, the purchasing power to realize them. India Knowledge@Wharton interviews marketing experts to explore why the emergence of this rising middle class has crucial implications for marketers.
Cricket in India: Moving Into a League of Its Own
The Indian Premier League -- a new cricket league -- has generated business worth $2 billion even before the first ball has been bowled. Large corporations such as Reliance Industries, the UB Group and India Cements, among others, have invested in city-based teams, as have movie stars such as Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta. Supporters argue that these investments, in conjunction with aggressive marketing and an innovative 20-over format, will elevate cricket to a new level. Other experts warn, however, that unless fans flock to accept the new format, the Indian Premier League could be caught and bowled.
