Is the glass half full or...

IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau

Slowing economic activity in India has had a ripple effect on loan portfolios of banks, says a report by Credit Analysis and Research (CARE). The report states that the total number of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) with banks in India will triple from 1% of total advances in FY08 to 2.7-3% by FY11. Retail loans are expected to be most affected due to the job losses and salary cuts that are defining the mood of India Inc. The total rise in credit card and personal loan NPAs will be the highest touching 10-12% according to the report. The report pegs the growth in banks’ advances to 15-17% in 2009-10, and 19-21% in 2010-11, with infrastructure sector driving growth.

But there is a twist in this tale given the recent bullishness in the economy, thanks to a stable government, the manna of 6.8% quarterly growth and rapid stock market recovery. According to V. Krishnan of Ambit Capital, “a three-fold increase in the gross NPAs (as indicated in the CARE report) seems a little far-fetched. There is far more bullishness in the economy today (in terms of business confidence) which conversely generates confidence in lending. Frankly, we do not foresee deterioration in asset quality to that extent.” Are the pessimists listening?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
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PRITI NAIR, MANAGING PARTNER, BBH INDIA

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1. Surf Excel’s ‘Dirt is good’
2. Hutch to Vodafone’s transformational campaign
3. Entire Ghajini campaign created by brand Aamir Khan
4. Bingo!’s ‘No confusion, great combination’ was awesome
5. Tata Sky Plus campaign featuring Aamir Khan and Gul Panag

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Not just about saving 2 buckets of water, or was it?

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Brand: Surf
Agency: Lowe
This one not only blew the brand’s trumpet loud n’ clear, but also sent out a social message with Member of Parliament Shabana Azmi endorsing it enthusiastically. HUL claimed a powder that reduced water consumed in the washing of clothes and sold it as a social campaign to save water. Sales of Surf zoomed 15% after the campaign. Interestingly, before Shabana, HUL had test-launched this campaign with south Indian star Revathy Menon. Now that’s called testing waters... oops, in this case, saving water!

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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‘Effectively’ articulating home truths

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Yes! It’s tough to say which ‘Big Idea’ will knock the brand into the consumer head. But Santosh Desai discusses a few key patterns that emerge from past successes

4PsB&M: What according to you is the key to making effective campaigns?
SD: Campaigns that make consumers experience some hitherto unsaid truth about them work. The Times of India’s integrated campaign – A day in the life of India – picked up everyday instances in the common man’s life and wove a brand promise around it. For example, when a welcoming parapet is built across the road overnight and disappears the moment the expected VIP conclave passes, the connect forms immediately when consumers say, “Yeah. That’s exactly what happens!” The receiver fuses with the message and takes the brand higher in consumer conscious. SBI Life’s ‘old couple’ commercial works with the same creative thought. The moment you see the campaign, there’s an immediate recognition of the protagonists. Virgin Mobile has managed to do just that with its Think Hatke campaign, capturing and articulating the mood of India’s increasingly irreverent youth.

4PsB&M: How important is the storyboard? Are ‘creative’ less effective?
SD: A campaign is effective when the brand is an integral part of that effectiveness. The storyboard is important. Via the script, a campaign should be able to occupy a previously vacant perch in the consumer lifestyle. For that, the marketing brains need to painstakingly endeavour to find an unexploited area in consumer life and creatively fill in the blank. Saffola did exactly that when it identified the growing importance of health among their target audience (urban consumer). The Saffola Gold Kal Se (I’ll start from tomorrow) campaign was built on the human behaviour to procrastinate on their health needs. “In the meantime, have Saffola,” the campaign reiterated. The brand found a perch in consumer lifestyle that was previously empty, and plonked itself there by creating a new space for itself.

4PsB&M: Is humour effective?
SD: Campaigns that speak a category truth in a compelling and visceral way are the ones that race ahead in the ‘effectiveness’ meter. And what can be more instinctive than humour? Population Services International used an absurd character called Balbir Pasha to bring the issue of HIV/ AIDS out of the closet. The campaign got eyeballs and ensured that the proportion of people who felt the risk of HIV increased substantially. Humour or absurdity removes a product/ service or an idea from the realm of reality and scales up the brand in consumer mind space.

4PsB&M: The 4Ps B&M listing of India’s 100 most effective campaigns over the last decade boasts of only a few celeb-driven ads. Comment?
SD: Well, it’s not that campaigns revolving around celebrities don’t work. They do, but only when celebrities are used as message amplifiers rather than attention magnets in their own right.

The Airtel Value Add services campaign used Vidya Balan and Madhavan to communicate the sort of quiet romance required by the storyboard, which a Saif and Kareena could perhaps never deliver. Trick is, if one conceptualises a campaign with an idea rather than a celebrity – it tends to do rather well. Lux has a story which is the celebrity itself as the primary promise, so the strategy of being the beauty soap of film stars works. But in most cases, making the celebrity your primary promise is not a good idea; instead use celebrities to multiply the primary promise!

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).


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VIJAY MALLYA - BANGALORE ROYAL CHALLENGERS EST. LOSS: RS.64.8 CRORE

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Bangalore Chinnaswamy Stadium clubhouse was looking ahead for another profitable season. But, today we can see all hapless faces in and around the stadium. “Last year we had more than Rs.20 lakh business from seven matches. We were hoping we can make it bigger this time,” says Ravikumar, Food and beverage head of the clubhouse. IPL means nearly seven matches a month and the stadium stands to lose Rs.400 crore this year.

Had there been no IPL this season, it would have been a situation of no loss no gain for the franchisees. But, IPL in South Africa will surely add more losses to their already red-smeared balance sheets. Rakesh Singh, Chief Marketing Officer, Chennai Super Kings says, “BCCI has assured us that they will take care of the escalated costs due to the venue shift.” Additionally, BCCI and Modi have also promised that they would compensate the franchisees for any loss in revenues (in the form of gate receipts, in-stadia revenues, et al). But still there is no clarity on whether BCCI will compensate the franchisees completely or partially for the losses incurred. Or could this just be a gimmick that Modi is playing (so that the franchisee owners support the event) expecting that if the season is a hit, none of the franchisee owners will ask for compensation. However, a BCCI insider revealed that the board plans to spend Rs.120-150 crore to compensate the franchisees. Even after that compensation the collective losses of the franchisee could well be over Rs.120 crore. So, both BCCI and the franchisees will eventually be losers!

And it is not just the franchisee owners and BCCI that would bear the brunt of this shift in venue, even peripheral businesses like hotel, airlines, travel companies, clubs, et al, would be hit hard. As per industry sources, last year, the hotel and travel industry got a boost of Rs.50-55 crore during IPL, which will be lost this year. Roughly 4,000 rooms per city (where the matches were held) were booked during last season. This year again the hospitality industry was looking forward to an upswing of 20-25% in their occupancies and put an end to a lull period imposed on them due to the recent terror attacks. “The IPL matches attract a lot of visitors and the teams too are accompanied by delegations and executives who require accommodation facilities. With the shift in IPL venue from India this year, this advantage will be a lost opportunity for the hospitality industry,” informs, Ajay K. Bakaya, Executive Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. Even the local tourism industry, which hoped for a 15% boost in revenues due to IPL is crestfallen. Moreover, shifting IPL due to security reasons will negatively impact the country’s image as a tourism destination.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The Most Revolutionary Concept In Education PLANMAN CHE CENTRE FOR HIGHER EDUCATION, Supported by IIPM India’s Leading B-School
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Of late, Bajaj Auto has seen some of its worst days ever! But will new launches alone prove the gracious saviour?

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Bajaj has hit the jackpot in the Indian automotive market, during the past with its ultra-successful Pulsar. Also true is the fact that it has also been successful to a considerable extent in luring entry-level bikers, away from Hero Honda’s 100cc bikes towards its 125cc offers. But then good times didn’t last forever, and clearly the ‘change factor’ (away from the 100cc offers) didn’t do the desired wonders for Rajiv, and for which Bajaj paid the price. And the challenge still stands tall, as even of today, 65% of the two -wheeler market consist of the entry-level machines...

Clearly, the move away from the entry level bikes came too drastically, and too suddenly. Bajaj had to realise that the Indian two-wheeler market needs a gradual conditioning to graduate to the 125-135cc from the 100cc levels... Admitting the same, Rajiv Bajaj states, “The biggest mistake we made was the XCD125, which we created by looking at someone else (Hero Honda). We should’ve delivered what the consumer was looking for...” However, S. Sridhar, CEO – Two-wheelers, Bajaj Auto is still optimistic about his bet as he says, “The falling sales just don’t matter as we are the way we are. We just can’t stop innovating...” Well, innovation is good, but Sir, the Indian middle-class consumers will most definitely take some ‘more’ good time to accept disruptive innnovation!

So, how is it faced against numero uno Hero Honda? As per Murad Ali Baig, Auto Expert, “The only problem with Bajaj is strong competition against it! Hero Honda has a sense of continuity in their approach which makes them the market leader...” And this leader isn’t quiet either, as it plans to ride on seven new models in 2009. Indeed, ‘continuity’ is the word for success in a price-conscious & high-involvement market; to which however, Rajiv has his justifications as, “The Hero Honda consumers demand ‘continuity’ and Bajaj’s consumers demand ‘change’.”

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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Neither the terrorists nor the government cares

"The Srilankan army continues to shell and bomb every place where people have sought asylum, especially those places which have been announced as ‘safe-zones’. Even as terrified Tamils flooded one such ‘safe-zone’, a barbaric incident took place. The army started heavy shelling. Three hundred people died on the spot, and many were injured. I saw it myself.” Thus said an E-mail from a Catholic priest to DBS Jeyaraj, senior political analyst of Sri Lanka. Jeyaraj didn’t disclose the identity of the priest for security reasons.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), an estimated 300 local staff members of the UN's humanitarian organisation are trapped in the Vanni area because LTTE refuses to let them go. Altogether, some 250,000 civilians are now trapped. "The government can't just blame everything on the LTTE and wash its hands off,” says Brad Adams, Asia Director of HRW. The latest artillery attack on the paediatric ward of Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital in Vanni, the last functioning health centre in the war zone, killed many, and most of them were children and women. Though it is not clear who fired on them, Dr Thurairajah Varatharajah, the top government health official in the area, said the shells appear to have been fired by the Srilankan army itself.

Amazingly, Srilanka's defence minister Gotabaya Rajapaksa told Sky TV's Alex Crawford that the attack was justified because hospitals are not allowed to be there inside war zones and that is what the area was when the shelling was done. Tragically, most people were unaware of the 48-hour time for safe passage offered by the government, Dr Satyamoothy, Government Medical Officer of Killinochchi, told BBC Tamil radio channel.....Continue

Time to Wake up!

Coffee and tea can go for a toss as there are healthier ways of staying awake for students. Sleepy students can now try acupressure to help them stay awake in class. A tap on the top of the head or a massage on the back of the neck for several minutes releases a chemical called endorphin in the brain, say researchers, making the sleepy come ‘to life’! Researchers at University of Michigan taught the students to do acupuncture on themselves. ....Continue

To maintain world peace and harmony would be the biggest challenge for Obama

This global malnutrition is not only due to logistic problem, though that’s what the media claims, but also because of variegated political relationships that’s there with the US and southeast Asian countries. You have to be protectionist, like USA is, and all Asian countries should also be protectionist.

Even Obama won’t compromise on USA’s security issues, but at the same time, I am sure he would be far better in considering issues like maintaining a peaceful relationship with southeast Asian countries, and for that matter, overall with Asia. I don’t know exactly what his intention is or what’s there in his mind on the issues, but the way he managed his election campaign gives me a feeling that he knows how to maintain peace and harmony. But still, the future is uncertain and in the US, a president is expected not to do anything at the cost of the emotions of Americans.

We all know about terrorism disturbing world peace, and this is one of the core reasons Obama will maintain a symbiotic relationship with India, China, Pakistan and so on. For his own country, he can’t allow any illegal organisation that’s mushrooming within Asia, but this is something which all American presidents have focused on, and the policies would not be different. So how is Obama different from the others? The answer is, he’s the first Afro-American president and he understands better the emotions and sentiments of the developing nations across Asia.....Continue

Kat's being possessive!

Insecurity and stardom go hand-in-hand and Katrina Kaif is the latest one to be bitten by this bug. Apparently, Kat is insecure about Salman Khan for his intimacy with "London Dreams" co-star Asin, as he celebrated his birthday with her while Kat was away. Moreover, she's also struggling to get noticed by Akshay Kumar with whom she's given the maximum hits because now, the Khiladi Kumar is apparently recommending his CC2C co-star Deepika Padukone and not Katrina to producers. Possessiveness can't turn things positive Kat!....Continue

Passion in Krishi Bhavan

Raghuvansh Prasad singh, RJD MP, Bihar

Many of his mannerisms are like those of Lalu Prasad. Invite him to any wedding in his constituency and he is there, not counting caste or class of the family. And if he is invited to more than one ceremony the same day, he will partake of food at one but get it packed from the rest of the homes, wishing to hurt none.

But the similarities end there. Indeed, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is considered by many as a good old chap but ‘totally useless’… ask him for a favour and he will tell you details of the official procedure! Thirty years of politics has seen his career untainted, despite the fact that he presides over one of the most cash-rich ministries: rural development. If there is no specific work in Delhi on a weekend, you’ll find him taking the round of his constituency Vaishali. He is making a house in Patna, but with a bank loan of Rs 2.5 lakh… they say other ministers and chief ministers build palaces for themselves!

Yet, there are critics. Says muscleman-turned MLA Munna Shukla of Janata Dal (U), who gave him a tough run in the elections: “If he is so honest, why is he the general of the utterly corrupt Lalu Prasad army?” Nonetheless, if you find the lights on after 10 pm in the chamber of any minister whose office is in Krishi Bhavan, it is his. There indeed I get to meet him after 9 pm. “I do not attend birthday parties, social programmes or some stupid inauguration here and there, so might as well finish of some pending work,” he smiles. And this spells disaster for the staff members of mantriji.

"vested interests"

How does one account for this paradox then? One is too old to work in the bureaucracy, but not too old to hold a major political portfolio! Neurologists say it is possible at age 75 to have an IQ of 100 and yet be able to give the correct answers of only half as many questions as at age 21.

Of course, retirement ages have been mandated for a purpose. A man of 60 may be in full control of his faculties, and yet lack the energy and zest for work of somebody half his age. You simply cannot get around these physiological facts. The reaction time slows down and various "vested interests" come into play. As one psychiatrist said of Shivraj Patil's repeated changing of suits after the Delhi blasts this year: "He is a narcissist obsessed with sartorial matters, unmindful of the country's safety!"

Officially, almost no young politician takes the retirement issue up for discussion. BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, himself in his mid-40s, is one such. "Technically speaking there is no such provision in the Constitution. The age of an individual cannot define the limits of his contribution in politics. Each must decide for himself or herself how much work they have the energy to do," he says. D Raja, National Secretary of the Communist Party of India, agrees: "Politics is not like other professions. Politicians know when they should retire."

Says sociologist Vijay Lakshmi Nanda: "It is the job of the political parties to choose and raise the right kind of people. It is their job not to select and represent too old and inefficient representatives. If all the candidates are old, who are we going to vote for? The problem is the right kind of people are not reaching there." In most cultures, the young prefer to stay away from politics.....Continue

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan

How many new faces are expected in the new ministry?
Let’s keep that issue on the shelf for a while, please!

What are the major challenges you face in your second term?
Challenges are a constant reality. The BJP government has completed some major developmental projects in the last term. Some new projects have been worked out as well.

We started those projects with due dialogue and consultation with the people for whom those specific projects were meant. To do that, we organised massive mahapanchayats (public hearings). However, all the projects have not been completed, so we have to ensure that they come through. Our biggest challenge is to make Madhya Pradesh a fully developed state in the next five years.

What will be the priority sectors for the new government?
There are some formalities to set up the new government. These may be over soon. But work has not stopped. We have started work already. At the very outset, we have held a meeting on potable water. It is our top priority to give drinking water to all the areas of the state.

Besides, we shall work ceaselessly for the uplift of women. We shall make the projects that are running more effective. We shall take up the issue of large investments in the state and augment industrial growth with an eye to generating employment. Power generation is a top priority.

Even as Congress conceded defeat, yet they have promised to extend positive cooperation. How do you see that?
The BJP does not have reservations on taking help from anyone so long as it benefits the people of the state. We feel people must rise above sectarian politics and together participate in the development of the state.

We sought the support and mandate of the people precisely for this purpose, and we got their blessings for our work. We have always welcomed positive cooperation for the development of the state, which is our highest goal......Continue

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Carnatic's digital incarnation

Lovers of Carnatic music rejoice! Besides the month-long classical music fair in the form of live concerts that will be held in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December 15 to January 15), you will now be able to enjoy such musical treats from the comfort of your neighbourhood multiplex. On December 18, "Margazhi Raagam", a 110-minute film of nine songs performed by popular Carnatic singers Bombay Jayasree and TM Krishna, will hit the big screens.

Bringing this whole new musical experience to you is Jayendra, director and well-known ad filmmaker. “Live concerts have their own charm, but they also come with their own disadvantages, like low audio quality and noise disturbances. Visually too the result is not so satisfying, keeping in mind the distance between the stage and the audience, and the unflattering lighting. Besides, the microphone positioned right in front of the singer makes it virtually impossible for the audience to see emotions on the singer’s face. There are a lot of factors like that. But in "Margazhi Raagam", such shortcomings have been erased,” Jayendra told TSI. ...Continue

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The Sunday Indian

India is still fumbling for a response to Pakistan in the aftermath of its worst ever terror strike, writes Ranjit Bhushan

So what can India do more substantially? According to former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, India should immediately suspend the composite dialogue with Islamabad, along with a slew of other measures: suspend rail and road communications, suspend cross-border and LoC border trade and even reduce Pakistan High Commission's staff strength.

Islamabad has already refused firmly to hand over either Dawood or Azhar. Some experts say that while the LeT is being accused of being the mastermind, there is enough to suggest that the well-trained commando killers were from Pakistan Army, engineered to create opportunities for moving their beleaguered troops from the Afghanistan border to the Indian side, particularly because American drones have continued to hit Pakistani positions on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The US, aware of the potentially volatile situation in south Asia, and certain knowledge that if India engages Pakistan on its eastern border then its war on terror in Afghanistan would be compromised, rushed in Condoleezza Rice to assuage India’s feelings. And she commended India's restraint so far. But Rice told the media on her arrival: "I have said that Pakistan needs to act with resolve and urgency, and cooperate fully and transparently, and that message has been delivered."

In 2002, after the attack on the Indian Parliament, the then NDA government had backed the demarche with heavy troops mobilisation and a threat to fight a "once and for all" battle with Pakistan. That never happened. This time, however, the world waits with trepidition as to what the next move is going to be....Continue

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The Sunday Indian