Showing posts with label India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label India. Show all posts

Friday, April 19, 2013

“Solar can trade up to 50 GW capacity by 2020”

Alternative energy isn't still the norm not just in India, but around the world. And even when we talk about non-fossil fuels, we end up discussing only nuclear power. But Ratul Puri, the scion of the Moser Baer kingdom, is extremely confident that solar will be a major game changer in the sector.

B&E: Moser Baer has now become the first Indian solar photovoltaic company to install 100 MW of solar power globally. How has the alternative energy business been performing for the company so far?
Ratul Puri (RP): Certainly, we have generated significant revenues from solar and we see these revenue streams increasing significantly over the next year or two. This alternative source of energy should be able to contribute 20-25% of our top line and an equivalent share of our bottom line by 2015.

B&E: For that kind of revenues to flow in, you must be having some big plans for alternative energy. What are these and how do you plan to achieve them?
RP: For now, it's solar. We are looking at setting up around 300MW of solar capacity by June this year. We have already commissioned around a 100MW of solar capacity on a global basis and are looking at increasing this capacity to 300MW shortly. Our investment plans in solar this year are a little over Rs.4,000 crore, out of which, around Rs.3,500 crore are in India and around Rs.1,500 crore are planned in Europe.

B&E: Are the finances tied up for meeting your massive targets for developing solar power?
RP: For ramping our global solar capacity to 300MW, we are looking to raise both debt and equity in the ratio of 75:25. We have raised close to a billion dollars in equity over the past 12 months. That makes us probably one of the most well-funded solar power developers in India. So, capital infusion is not a challenge.

B&E: Apart from India, which other markets are you looking at to exploit opportunities in an untapped non-fossil fuel market?
RP: Besides India, we are major solar power developers in Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. We recently commissioned UK's largest grid connected solar farm. I think our key focus market is the US after Europe. We are already one of the largest solar power developers in Europe.

B&E: Are you looking at other energy sources as well?
RP: Moser Baer is a well-diversified energy producer and as such we are looking at the entire spectrum of energy options. We are into coal thermal power plants and are developing and building almost 4000MW of coal thermal power plants. At the same time, we are also building hydel capacity. We are into coal mining, both in India and outside India, to meet our fuel requirements. India needs a mix of fuels to meet its energy requirement going forward. Coal thermal cannot do all of it, solar cannot do all of it, gas cannot do all of it. We will end up with a basket and I think that there is going to be an increasing focus on renewables because they provide an ideal solution for meeting the challenges in the power sector today - whether it is land acquisition, availability of coal, etc.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
 
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Friday, April 12, 2013

Ravages of substance abuse: economic costs and implications

Substance abuse as a Societal Issue not just has an Adverse Impact on Individuals and Stakeholders, but also Impacts Organisational Performance in ways Unimaginable. There has been no formal Approach to Addressing this ill, but recent initiatives might Succeed in Working out a model that appeals to The Business fraternity as well.

Do you have any idea how much economic and social damage is caused by substance abuse? And are you aware of how much could be done to address the problems if only the business opportunities inherent in finding solutions were better developed and more widely known?

The social and economic costs
Think about the distribution pertaining to the severity of substance abuse in India. It ranges from low to high, with a large proportion of the population in the category of those with little or no use, the lowest level of severity, and with no need for any sort of special treatment. In the US, this category includes roughly two thirds of the population. At the high end are alcoholics and addicts whose problems have been diagnosed and are under going treatment. This is a very small proportion of the population, less than 1% in the US. In between these two extremes, however, are two other groups – those who would be diagnosed clinically as being dependent but who are not receiving treatment and many more whose alcohol and other substance use – though not addictive — is significantly harming their ability to function soundly. You would be surprised at how much of the population falls into these two categories. In the US, for example, some 24 million people are dependent but are not receiving treatment, and another 60-70 million people are not clinically dependent but fall into the category of “harmful use”, i.e. their use of substances has harmful effects not only on themselves but also on those around them. While, we don’t have reliable information for India, we suspect that the proportions are not too dissimilar, with somewhere around one-third of the population needing or standing to benefit from treatment but not receiving it.

Now stop and think for a moment about how substance abuse affects people’s performance in the workplace. Not only are employees less productive than they might otherwise be, but the probability that they will have accidents in the workplace increases and their impact on their fellow employees reduces overall productivity. And these are the people whose level of substance abuse is moderate; despite their involvement with alcohol or opiates, they are able to hold down a job notwithstanding their absenteeism and diminished productivity. They fall into that category described above called “harmful use”. What if there were interventions that employers could use to help them reduce their involvement with substances? How big would the economic payoffs to the companies be? Were they to receive treatment, we can hypothesise that not only would they be more productive in the workplace, they might be more effective in other roles they play in their families and communities. And finally, what about those people who would be defined clinically as dependent and who need treatment but are not currently getting any? What are the costs, economic and otherwise, to Indian society? Estimates of the economic costs alone run into tens of billions of dollars or more.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
 
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
 
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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Sheran Mehra

Head – Marketing, Dhanlaxmi Bank in Conversation With B&E’s Mona Mehta
 
With an aim to become one of the top 5 private banks in the country, Dhanlaxmi Bank believes in investing continuously in micro marketing activities to educate consumers on the new brand, product and services. In an interaction with B&E, Sheran Mehra, Head-Marketing, Dhanlaxmi Bank talks about the rising importance of new design in organisational structure and discloses how the bank is planning to reach out to a wider target audience.

B&E: How has the regional private banking industry evolved over the past few years and what kind of growth do you foresee in the near future?
Sheran Mehra (SM): Overall the Indian banking sector has seen considerable development in the last decade. With improved regulations and reforms, Indian banks are in a transformation mode. Operating under the new economic environment, which is characterized by increased competition, Indian banks are investing in technology, people, infrastructure and marketing as an avenue for growth. The old private sector banks have started to reinvent in order to meet the emerging needs of customers. And they are set to grow at a much faster pace than the new generation private banks. With liberal licensing policy, new entities would foray into banking. In such a competitive scenario, banks would increasingly look at inorganic growth as a mechanism to scale up. As a result, there could be transformation in every sphere of activities of the banks in India. Banks would continually look at innovating to develop new business models to access untapped opportunities. Going forward, the enduring challenge of ensuring much greater financial inclusion would be the key for overall growth of the industry.

B&E: How is Dhanlaxmi Bank planning to gain over competitors?
SM: Dhanlaxmi Bank was the first amongst the old private sector banks in India to transform itself. It was the first to fundamentally reorganise its organisational capability to stay in tune with the changing market dynamics. Over the last two years, the bank has successfully invested in enabling capacity. It recruited a competent team of senior management, improved its institutional capabilities by leveraging technology to enhance service levels, created a brand new identity to connect with the young and the old alike, introduced suite of financial solutions and expanded its customer service outlets across India. Today, the bank is one of the fastest growing private sector banks in India with total business exceeding Rs.165.54 billion as on September 30, 2010. The bank’s balance sheet size has nearly doubled in the past 15 months from Rs.57.92 billion to Rs.114.13 billion. It has a pan-India network with 275 branches and 448 ATMs across the country. With an ambitious goal to be amongst the top five private sector banks, Dhanlaxmi Bank is well set to enter into its next orbit of growth.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
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Sunday, March 3, 2013

“I don’t see why we shouldn’t be back to where we were...”

Sunil Dutt VP, HP India PSG reveals HP’s perspective on the quarterly numbers to virat bahri of B&E

B&E: What are your views on the latest market share data and the reasons for HP losing its leadership position?
Sunil Dutt (SD): I believe ups and downs are a part of the business and the last few quarters was definitely challenging for the economy at large. We are jointly addressing the challenges, and making good progress. I don’t see why we shouldn’t be back to where we were. We welcome healthy competition and believe that competition is only getting closer, which will result in greater efficiencies in the industry. HP PSG appreciates such constructive competition and we are working hard for a continued sustained growth across diverse segments like consumers, business, education and retail. In addition we are one of the few vendors who’ve stayed committed and not hesitated to invest in a technology, a market or a product. That has provided a strategic opportunity for our partners and us to gear up for the next decade. We are putting our entire marketing machinery to work by intensifying our customer and channel engagement programs in smaller cities.

B&E: Which product segments & markets will drive growth for HP PSG?
SD: In India, technology is enveloping every sphere of our lives. Whether it is at home or at work or while on the move, technology is fast becoming a companion we cannot do without. Consumers desire tgood looking technology gadgets for both information and entertainment. In the enterprise space, the spirit with which businesses and entrepreneurs cities are unleashing new possibilities and setting an example for their counterparts across is extremely encouraging. This is the new age India. We at HP believe that technology can boost business and engage consumers to the next level in the long run. HP’s strategic framework is built on HP continuing to invent and develop technology solutions for the customers we serve, capitalizing on industry trends and becoming best-in-class. Made up of three major components, the operating framework represents the interconnected levers we must focus equally on – cost efficiency, targeted growth and capital strategy to perform to our full potential.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.


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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

SATYAM: THE REAL CULPRITS

Rather than blaming auditors, the entire regulatory system must be cleaned from top to bottom

‘Preface to Standards on Auditing’ available with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), says very clearly, “It (auditing) is undertaken to enhance the degree of confidence of intended users in the financial statements.” It also adds, “In conducting an audit, the overall objective of the auditor is to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement.”

Now considering the case of Satyam, some may say it was actually the responsibility of the management, but Ved Jain, President, ICAI counters that view, “It is impossible that a fraud of such magnitude would have escaped the auditor’s eyes.” This definitely raises a question mark on the prudence, competence and honesty of auditors operating in India.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Thursday, January 10, 2013

ABN AMRO Bank a familiar name among the über-rich in India

A clear focus on select and premium clients has made ABN AMRO Bank a familiar name among the über-rich in India

Moreover, the bank has used technology as the key differentiator to gain competitive advantage and create a unique customer value proposition. In fact, the implementation of a robust core banking solution back in 2001 enabled it to offer 24/7 integrated multi-channel banking and to be the first bank in India to realise the potential of the mobile channel. Further, the introduction of Van Gogh Preferred Banking (VGPB), a dedicated relationship approach to anticipate and provide for a HNI customer’s needs in 2002 gave it an edge with respect to its foreign competition and provided its banking business in India with a big boost. In this format, company representatives maintain one on one relationships with the demanding HNIs and help them with their portfolio needs.

But that does not mean that the bank has completely closed its eyes on the other segments of the society, which make over 90% of India’s total population. As a part of its microfinance program, the largest amongst foreign banks in India, ABN AMRO, with micro-finance institutions (MFIs) as intermediaries, is aiming at delivering credit to rural poor women. In fact, today, the bank services 26 MFIs across 16 states in India with over 3,90,000 customers, receiving small loans of $200 or less. “It’s our belief that business can succeed only in a society that is inclusive. Thus, in a developing economy like India, where agriculture is the source of occupation for over 70% of the population, priority sector lending plays a key role in the growth of the nation and the development of its people,” avers Meera Sanyal, Country Executive – India, ABN AMRO Bank.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Friday, December 7, 2012

SAMSUNG INDIA: JUNG SOO SHIN

Shin brings useful capabilities to the job, but he will have to drive a change in SEIL’s positioning strategy

Analysts argue that as SEIL does not have the semiconductors business division in India, the company’s operations in this region should not be affected much. But consumer confidence needs to be revived, especially for the upcoming summer season sales. SEIL believes that Shin’s prior experience as head of Marketing for Digital Appliances would come in handy. Moreover, according to insiders, “Shin has a reputation for being a tough task master with a clear focus; that would come in handy for him in this job profile.” And one can already see some aggressive strides being made. The company has introduced as many as 18 ACs in the Indian market and has targeted a 50% growth in their AC volumes in FY ‘09 and growth in market share to 25%.

Another important segment is mobile phones. In 2008, Samsung displaced Motorola to become the number two handset manufacturer of the world. However, the company has bagged only 8% market share in India till date, in sharp contrast to Nokia’s 70% market share. Still, SEIL is confident on its handset strategy in India, with its focus on low-end market.

Till now, SEIL had deployed a strategy of premium positioning, but now it would indeed make sense for the company to focus on the masses. Moreover, Samsung must revisit its communication strategy much like the way they have changed their communication for handsets; and efficiently target different sets of customers through differentiated marketing strategies. Clearly, Shin would have to open more battlefronts to improve the company’s standing in the country.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

State ‘deals’ with ‘secularism’

The nature of the beast is clearly hypocritical, given the way the State ‘deals’ with ‘secularism’

For sixty years and more, they have been treated by political parties like a monolithic vote bank.

A classic example of this mentality is the ridiculous debate going on about how Muslims will react to the civilian nuclear deal between India and the United States. Many self proclaimed saviours of Islam in India have started issuing statements that the Muslim community is against the nuclear deal because George Bush has virtually declared jehad on Islam. Try telling that to a Muslim parent worried about sending her children to the right school. The roots of the problem lie in the hypocritical manner in which political parties and the State deal with secularism.

In a deeply religious country like India, the State obviously cannot write off religion as the opium of the masses-no matter what the Marxists say. And yet, does the State have be involved in religious activities? Why should the State run religious shrines instead of them being managed by people practicing a faith? The best way for the State and for policy makers to practice secularism would be to provide opportunities to all citizens-irrespective of caste and religion. But so entrenched has been divisiveness in the Indian polity that it has become de facto State policy. When the State starts playing with religion, the only result is disaster. Look at what is happening in Pakistan.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.


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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

AGRICULTURE: LOAN WAIVER AND POLICY

Loan waiver clubbed with fertiliser subsidy proves the point

India badly needs a transparent and a corruption-free implementation of these schemes, especially in the rural areas. Moreover, here the need of the hour is that some of our foreign-educated Ministers need to pick up a lesson from the books of the European system where the credit mechanism works directly between the government & farmers and there is no menace of the middlemen.

The efficiency level is high, and the money is directly and immediately reimbursed once the credit is taken by the farmer. However, appropriate care has to be taken in this regard too as even protectionism has its perils...

In the end, though India is striving to incorporate such strategies and policy mechanisms (the last budget stands proof), powerful defaulters can send the wrong message, which can lead to anarchy and chaos amongst the vulnerable farmers. Frustratingly, Indian politicians need to show more ‘logical’ care than just distribute humanitarian alms. 


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Sunday, November 18, 2012

Never say die.................till you’re dead!

The biggest five loss making companies of India

Tell us! What’s the connection between ‘Love’, ‘Loss’ and ‘Alprax’? This one’s easy. It’s damn easy to get rogered in the former two, and you better have the latter close at hand to avoid a nervous breakdown. There; that was easy, wasn’t it! Accept it; finally, all it takes is that one call, one sms, one email from the woman you loved all this while – or from the portfolio manager you hated all this while – to inform you that all your investment has gone down the drain! India as a country is in the middle of a growth flood. It’s hard to imagine then that a company can end up getting losses in an economy where the corporate sector’s profits have actually grown by a smashing 25% in FY08 (see our last story).

It’s not just getting a loss in one quarter, but getting it again and again quarter after quarter, year after year, and so on, that gives the creepiest nightmares to the shareholders that have invested in these handful of companies of India Inc. And the wonder of it is, that it’s not just loss making Indian companies that have destroyed shareholder value, but even hugely profitable ones (see our third story). If India’s sneezing, surely America must have been knocked out cold! And truly, American companies, with their sub–prime blunders, seem thoroughly smashed up (see our fourth story).

But closer home, it’s an issue that seems quite worrisome. Think about it. While companies like Wire and Wireless and Moser Baer India have raked up losses close to Rs.80 crores, well known companies like Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Ltd. and Strides Arcolab have added to the glory by going beyond the Rs.100 crore loss figure. But the king of bad times clearly seems to be Deccan Aviation, with a mind numbing loss figure of Rs.834 crores, the largest loss by any listed company in India!

So how did they end up in losses? It’s interesting to note that almost all the above mentioned companies had their spokespersons travelling when we contacted them for the reasons. Air Deccan to B&E: “Captain Gopinath isn’t in town...”; Tata Teleservices (Mah): “As the spokesperson is travelling, TTML would not be able to participate”; Strides Arcolab: “Your questions are too general; the concerned spokesperson is not available, we cannot participate”; Moser Baer: “We have been very busy for the last few days; you can take comments from our press releases...” and so on so forth.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

210? Better to jump ship!

Proposed amendment to Indian law is not sensible

Rarely would we have imagined, even a decade ago, that an amendment to Indian M&A law would have such far reaching implications across the globe. But with so much dependence on the Indian economy now, this comes as no surprise today.

The Indian government has come under the scanner for introducing merger control amendments to its competition act of 2002. As per the provisions, any company which does business in India will have to seek permission from the government in an event of it being involved in M&A activity, even when it does not involve Indian operations at all! It is believed that the government has brought these changes to safeguard interests of domestic companies. The us and several other bar associations have voiced severe concerns. The matter has even reached the us Congress in order to pressure India. According to Rajesh Menon, Senior Director, CII, “This would lead to the possibility of some deals not fructifying and eventually slowing down the process of economic growth in India.”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Parents: Happy and Gay!

Same-sex couples are coming out for adoption…

One of the best gifts that one could give someone is ‘life’. You may not be God, but in the form of a parent, you could be his personification for a child. Like Sushmita Sen has shown, it’s not essential to be with someone to be a parent either. Being a parent may not be easy, but this call of eternal love and emotion comes from within. In the present day scenario, there has been a surge in the number of gay couples going through adoption agencies. Adoption sure is a tough decision, and so is the procedure. Even for a conventional couple, child adoption isn’t easy. After a formal application and an NOC from CARA (Central Adoption Resource Agency), the couple has to wait till the authorities find a child suitable to their expectations, and unlike the common belief, parents are not permitted to choose their baby. Adoption isn’t as difficult abroad as is it in India, but it’s nearly impossible to adopt here if you’re gay. Homosexuality has found legal acceptance and sex between gays is no longer a crime, but according to the Supreme Court ruling, there have been no comments as regards marriage rights between gay couples or their adoption rights.

It’ll be long before India opens up to the idea of gays getting married and thereafter adopting a child legally, but for those, for whom love knows no boundaries, such beautiful relationships already exist. “I just got my son married to a girl. I found him on the Bandra Station when he was 13-years old. I raised him and supported him to be able to earn his bread. No one taught me how to be a mother, but I knew it... it is a feeling which comes from within. My partner and I never feel that we are incompetent as parents,” says Mr. Girish Kumar a.k.a. ‘Nihsa’, who lives with his partner Mr. Praveen Sharma. Just like all parents, even gay couples assume roles within a family.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012. An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
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