Of farming lands and brand new plans

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has announced an investment of around Rs.40 billion in agri-retail and gas. RIL would start an agri-retail chain business across West Bengal, besides bringing natural gas from Andhra Pradesh to Haldia, the port of West Bengal. The proposed agri-retail chain business will help link the farmers to the consumers and will transform agri-business to agro-processing business. Out of the proposed Rs.40 billion, the Mukesh Ambani-promoted group plans to invest almost Rs.20 billion within the next three years itself. However, the land requirement for setting up the agri-retail business is yet to be finalized.

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Source:- IIPM Editorial, 2006,

Editor:- Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

“whatever was possible”

Just like the Great White Shark, whose ruthless attack is preceded by a calm circling, Honda strikes with such an intense ferocity that surrendering market share seems the only option. No doubt, the company rules world markets with some of the best selling cars to its credit. But the legacy ‘wait and watch’ strategy of Honda appears to have cost it dear; or has it?

The year was 1958, when Chairman Fujisawa Honda handpicked one of his effervescent subordinates Kihachiro Kawashima, and told him to go ahead and just do “whatever was possible” to sell Honda motorcycles in the US. With everything stacked up against Kihachiro and his team, and with almost zero possibility of success in a market where “macho” Harley Davidsons ruled the roost, Kihachiro failed, and horribly so! Like we said, that year was 1958. And then came the year after that, and after... till one reached the year 1965, a year which finally saw Kihachiro ensuring Honda massacred all US bike manufacturers with vindictiveness to grab a heart stopping 50% of the US market with its ‘non-macho’ bikes; and with a simple positioning line, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda!”

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Source:- IIPM Editorial, 2006,

Editor:- Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

“Nobody – white,black or brown – knew when the abominable jaws might seize him”

Nahin Sahib! Bullets can’t kill those sons of the devil!! Tomorrow, we all leave! Khudahafi z Sahib, I pray for you.” Looking beyond the turbaned heads of the Indian rail-road workers, Lt Col. John Henry Patterson stared into the horizon, set aflame by the sun as it set on the great East African plain, the concerned furrow on his brow off set by the steely resolve of his jaw.

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Source:- IIPM Editorial, 2006

Editor:- Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

ABOLISHING THE LICENSING REGIME

Alteration in the socialistic mindset, which developed in India during Jawahar Lal Nehru’s reign, led to major amendments and subsequently abolition of the so called License Raj in the country. Licensing meant that only a few players would be given permission to operate in a particular sector, thereby creating monopolies and the endemic shortages, which marked the economy during the so called license-permit raj. In 1991, when Finance Minister Manmohan Singh abolished this irrational and repressive regime, the entrepreneurial energies of India Inc. were unleashed. That India is rising and shining now is partly because of this momentous policy shift .

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Source:- IIPM Editorial, 2006