Articles 1 to 10 of 78
New Shores: Indian Investors Set Their Sights on Vietnam
India has always been friendly with Vietnam, even when the latter was at war with the U.S. Still, many feel that Indian industry has, by and large, failed to capitalize on the strong historic bond between the two countries. But that could change soon: A US$5 billion Tata Group project to set up a steel plant in the Vung Anh Economic Zone in Ha Tinh province, and other Indian investments on the horizon, signal a change in how Indian investors are seeing Vietnam.
Hero Group's Sunil Kant Munjal: 'India's Model Is to Build a Domestic Business, and Then Go Global'
Among the growing group of Indian companies that have made a global impact in recent years is the New Delhi-based Hero Group. Launched in 1984 to make motorcycles in collaboration with Japan's Honda, the US$3.2 billion company has emerged as India's largest two-wheeler maker. By some measures, such as production volume, it is the world's largest two-wheeler company. How can Indian manufacturers leverage their capabilities to grow into successful global players? How has India's economic history affected their strategy? India Knowledge@Wharton discussed these questions and more with Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman of Hero Corporate Services, the services business arm of the Hero Group.
Driving Ambition: India's Emergence as a Hub for Compact Cars
R.C. Bhargava, chairman of India's number-one passenger car manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, has just returned from Rohtak, in northern India, where his company is building an R&D showpiece that will soon roll out a small car created on a brand-new platform with a 1.2-liter engine. The new Maruti offering is a sign of the times amid predictions that India will soon become the world's small-car hub. Other major auto manufacturers are joining the charge, hoping to take advantage of low labor and raw material costs as well as recent signs of an economic rebound.
Turbulent Times: What's Next for the Indian Airline Industry?
Trouble has been brewing for Indian airline carriers for some time, and recently, the horizon looks even darker. Private-sector airline owners have threatened to go on strike, pilots have protested firings by calling in sick, and Air India, the national carrier, is seeking a government bailout of US$1 billion. According to industry experts, moving forward will require a combination of cost controls, lower tariffs on fuel and more rational pricing and flight routes.
Ambani vs. Ambani: A Dispute over Natural Gas Prices Flares Up
The Ambani brothers -- Mukesh and Anil -- are at loggerheads. While the sons of Reliance Group founder Dhirubhai Ambani have often competed hard after a family agreement was reached in 2005, their present dispute -- which concerns the price of natural gas -- threatens to have national and international repercussions. According to experts from Wharton, the presence of such disputes in business families indicates a weakness in governance structure. The solution is to set up a governance process that can minimize conflict.
Strong Signals: India's FM Radio Stations Brace for New Competition
Regulatory restrictions have been tough on India's nascent private FM radio businesses, but the current global economic downturn has also taken its toll. Radio in India -- like TV, print and other media -- has had to reinvent its growth strategies as corporate clients slash marketing budgets. But now as the government prepares to auction radio licenses, India's FM radio bosses need to be ready to face what could be their biggest challenge yet to turn competitive threats into opportunities.
From Chulhas to Defibrillators: Can Philips India Be All Things to All People?
Philips India was once unchallenged in India's lighting and electronics arena. But after more than 75 years in the country, competition has eroded its vaunted position, and today the company has redefined itself as a "health and well-being company." What remains after two years of strategic acquisitions and divestitures of non-core businesses are three areas of focus: health care, lighting and consumer lifestyle. For marketing experts, the move raises a debate about the value of offering diverse products under one umbrella: Can a smokeless chulha, or stove, be sold under the same brand as sophisticated medical equipment?
Growing MindTree: Can Added Services and a 'Gardener' Help the IT Firm Reach New Heights?
When Bangalore-based information technology (IT) firm MindTree began operations in August 1999, some investors believed it had the potential to be a US$1 billion company in 10 years. Today, the company is nowhere near that figure, projecting US$290 million to US$300 million in revenues for the current year. While some view MindTree as not having lived up to its potential, others say the company is poised to become a major player in India's IT industry through the addition of new businesses and its innovative approach to leadership, which includes an official "gardener" focused on developing its executives.
Frame by Frame, Indian Animators Move Up the Value Chain
In April 2010, the box-office fate of the first animated Hollywood film to be produced by an Indian company -- Crest Animation's Alpha and Omega -- could well define how the world looks at Indian animators. According to a report by Nasscom and Ernst & Young, the Indian animation industry generates annual revenues of US$400 million to US$500 million, and is poised to cross US$1 billion by 2012. Long viewed as service providers for established film companies, studios like Crest are now moving into pre- and post-production work that could help establish India as a global animation hub. Along the way, experts say, the industry will need to adapt its artistic sensibilities to a more global audience and invest heavily in educating the next generation of animators.
Indian IT Plugs into a Growing Market of Small and Midsize Enterprises
Despite the economic slowdown, the potential of India's vast sector of small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) has caught the attention of the country's information technology players. Increasing domestic and global competition, a rise in partnerships with larger firms and government initiatives to increase IT awareness among SMEs are motivating smaller companies to beef up their IT processes. But in order to tap into this potentially enormous market, IT firms will need to move away from "one size fits all" products and develop networks of sales partners who can tackle the segment's geographic spread and effectively communicate the benefits of adopting IT among smaller companies, many of which don't own a single PC.
