Formulating Strategy .... after the downturn
India’s economy is back on a growth trajectory. But in the last 12 to 18 months five factors have gained prominence and will profoundly influence the strategic choices of firms in India, says Raju Bhinge, Chief Executive, Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in The Financial Express February 23, 2010) Click here to download the full article
Competing Through an Optimal Route-to-Market Strategy
Newer channels, widening product portfolios, expanding consumption occasions and emergence of distinct consumer sub-segments have significantly increased the complexity for Indian consumer facing companies. Companies need to be aware of the triggers that help decide when to review their Route-to-Market (RtM). Having the right RtM strategy would help consumer facing businesses gain market share at an optimal cost say Pankaj Gupta, Practice Head- Consumer & Retail and Rajiv Subramanian, Project Leader of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in The Hindu Business Line - Brand Line February 4, 2010) Click here to download the full article
Cracking the Cost To Serve Conundrum in Rural Markets
Rural India offers attractive growth opportunities across a number of consumer product categories. However, rural market distribution continues to be plagued by problems of limited reach and high cost to serve. Companies need to develop out-of-the box approaches to profitably serve rural markets if they wish to solve the cost to serve conundrum say Pankaj Gupta (Practice Head – Consumer & Retail) and Raghavendra Rao of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Outlook Business February 6, 2010)
The Small Car Advantage
The passenger car industry continues to be one of the biggest contributors to GHG emission globally. Consensus on restricting their tail pipe emissions can have a major impact on the future of the internal combustion engine which has been the motive force for this industry for over a century. However, even if India were to adopt similar norms, its domestic passenger car industry is likely to witness less turmoil as compared to its global peers till 2020 say Arindam Chakrabarti and Vikas Agrawal of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Business World January 2010) Click here to download the full article
Processed Food Industry In India: A Mega Growth Opportunity
The Indian processed food industry’s growth drivers are robust and indicate that the sector holds strong potential to improve on its current growth in the future, provided affordability is further improved and a consistent export policy is adopted, say Pankaj Gupta, Practice Head – Consumer & Retail and Indervir Singh, Project Leader at Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article is published in F&B News magazine December 2009) Click here to download the full article
INDIACHEM Gujarat 2009 industry report
The ‘IndiaChem Gujarat 2009 industry report’ jointly prepared by FICCI and Tata Strategic Management Group was released on 12th December 2009 at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The report provides an overview of the Indian specialty chemicals industry and highlights market size and growth, demand-supply scenario, key industry trends (market, technological and regulatory) and future outlook. The key segments featured in the report include agrochemicals, colourants and other segments like active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), water treatment chemicals, personal care ingredients, construction chemicals and polymer additives.
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Rationalising Human Resources
Surplus deployment of white-collar jobs can be a result of problems in business processes and structure, say Arindam Chakrabarti, Practice Head (Auto and Engineering) and Sandeepan Banerjee of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Tata Review magazine October 2009)
Is Your Supply Chain y2k10-ready?
The next wave of supply chain efficiencies is around the corner with the expected phase out of the central sales tax and other infrastructural improvements. Companies can achieve a bottom-line improvement of 0.7% - 1.0% of sales by restructuring their distribution network. Pankaj Gupta (Practice head-Consumer & Retail), Angshuman Bhattacharya and Paras Mehta of Tata Strategic Management Group analyze the fast changing regulatory landscape and evaluate opportunities for companies for the next wave of competitiveness enhancement. (This article was published in Log India,November 2009) Click here to download the full article
Outlook for personal care ingredients industry: An Indian perspective
The Indian personal care ingredients (PCI) industry has taken rapid strides in the last few years, as more and more personal care products (PCP) incorporate specialty ingredients in their formulation. However, a comparison with per capita consumption of PCP in China reflects the largely untapped nature of the Indian market. Favorable demographic factors and increasing beauty consciousness indicate high future demand for personal care products and specifically for active ingredients. Key trends, including nanotechnology and green chemistry besides others, will influence the strategies of PCP and consequently PCI players. The eventual winners would be those who ensure better value offerings to meet the needs of the Indian consumer say Pratik Kadakia, Abhishek Nigam and Ashwin Rao of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Chemical Weekly, October 6, 2009)
Indian Specialty Chemicals: When will Growth Return
Triggered by the economic downturn- slowdowns in key end use industries and inventory adjustments across the supply chain have impacted the growth momentum of the Indian specialty chemicals industry. A revival of domestic demand and competitiveness as a global supply base should enable India to establish itself as an emerging specialty chemicals hub. The big question is when will the revival happen? Pratik Kadakia, Abhishek Nigam and Ashwin Rao of Tata Strategic offer a perspective on this and on what companies should do in the interim to their advantage. (This article was published in Chemical Weekly, October 13, 2009 issue)
Raising India’s ‘pulse’ rate
With a focused and integrated approach, India has the potential to produce more than double the current output of pulses, say Pratik Kadakia and Jeffry Jacob of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Business Standard, September 24, 2009)
Emerging opportunities in the Indian pharmaceutical industry
Higher R&D costs, relatively dry pipeline for new drugs, increasing pressure from Governments for reduced healthcare costs and a host of other factors are putting a lot of pressure on global pharmaceutical companies. The industry is bracing itself for some fundamental changes in the market place and is looking at newer ways to drive growth. These global trends will have serious implications for domestic pharma companies. However with the right strategy, Indian companies are very well poised to take advantage of these changes and successfully navigate the future, say Pratik Kadakia—Practice Head, Chemical & Energy; Jeffry Jacob—Engagement Manager and Ankur Singhai—Project Leader, Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Express Pharma Magazine, 16-31 August,2009)
Building a greener future
Going green will no longer be a matter of choice but will become a strategic imperative for Indian chemical companies, say Pratik Kadakia, Abhishek Nigam and Ashwin Rao. (This article was published in the magazine Chemistry & Industry, UK in July 2009) Click here to download the full article
Retail in India – Is the Growth Story Over?
Poor sales productivity, declining comparable store growth, low gross margin mix and unfettered store proliferation are endemic issues facing the retail sector in India today. Players need a fundamental change in their approach to the retail business if they wish to emerge winners in this attractive market opportunity say Pankaj Gupta Practice Head - Consumer & Retail and Rajiv Subramanian of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Outlook Business Magazine, August 2009) Click here to download the full article
Electronic Home Security
The increase in security concerns has led to an increased demand for sophisticated solutions. However most of the solutions are focused on securing large premises and critical installations. Home security solutions have grown to be a significant part of the market elsewhere in the world. Similar growth in India would need collaboration between players having complementary capabilities, say K.Raman Practice Head – Infocomm, Media & Education, Gunjan Gupta and Mayurpankhi Barooah of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Security Today, July 2009)
India: Opportunities & Challenges
India is booming – the country is currently enjoying growth rates of 6%. For Western companies, the subcontinent still offers vast opportunities.
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Tata Strategic Management Group have therefore embarked on the first formal collaborative venture between a leading international strategy consultancy and Indian management consultants. The alliance combines comprehensive knowledge of the Indian market with several decades of global consulting experience, and can thus help companies to successfully enter the market. Click here to download the full article
More Cash from Trash
Tyre Derived Fuel (TDF) finds wide application in developed countries as an alternative to coal to fire cement kilns. Adopting this practice can prove beneficial for both cement & tyre companies in India. While TDF promises to lower fuel cost of cement companies by replacing imported coal, it can create adjacent business opportunities. An organized player can seize this opportunity by putting in place a cost effective supply chain leveraging its current capabilities thereby gaining a crucial first mover’s advantage, say Arindam Chakrabarti, Deepak Nayak and Mainak Bhattacharya of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Machinist Magazine, April 2009) Click here to download the full article
SEZs - Is it Still a Growth Story?
Though Indian SEZs have started the journey with much fanfare, there is very little visible in terms of successful SEZs. Only those SEZs that have their planning & development closely aligned to the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) in a competitive environment will enjoy the first mover advantage, say Susnato Sen, Saurabh Kumar and Shreyan Maralur of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Infrastructure Today, May 2009) Click here to download the full article
Supply chain - A strategic lever in an economic downturn
A quarter into 2009 and businesses are seeing few signs of easing out of the economic slowdown, volatility and demand uncertainty. Using the supply chain as a strategic lever can enable companies to tide over the situation and can enhance their margins say Harsha Kapoor, Practice Head – Analytics Solutions, Milind Desai and Kumar Abhinav from Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Material Management Review Magazine, May 2009)
Balanced Growth: A Strategic Imperative for Indian Cement Industry
The domestic cement manufacturing industry is going through a tumultuous phase. While it is battling profitability woes on one hand, it also has to contend with increasing level of environmental activism that is keenly scrutinizing its various actions and their impact on environment and society. Cement industry needs to proactively engage itself in the three dimensions of profitability; environmental consciousness and social obligations that will earn the industry “the right to grow and the license to operate” opine Arindam Chakrabarti, Deepak Nayak & Mainak Bhattacharya of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Construction World Magazine May 2009) Click here to download the full article
Your business needs an m-strategy
The mobile phone is emerging as a powerful device, given its functional capabilities and reach. Businesses need to leverage this increasing power of the mobile and generate new strategic options. Enterprises which identify the above and adopt mobile wireless technologies as an integral part of their strategic thinking process are expected to develop competitive advantage and emerge stronger, say K. Raman, Gunjan Gupta and Gaurav Girotra of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Tata Review April 2009 edition)
Improving Returns on Talent
Talent is a high cost and critical variable impacting an organization’s productivity and profits. In boom times it is a CEO concern from the acquisition/retention angle to enable growth and in downturns it becomes a utilization and cost concern. Organizations can maximize returns on talent by aligning their talent strategy with its strategic challenges, in any economic/ industry scenario, and gain an edge over their competitors, say Sona Rajesh and Amit Bajpayee of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Strategist, Business Standard, April 28, 2009) Click here to download full article
Knowledge Partner - Conference on Green Chemistry organized by Society of Chemical Industry
The chemical industry has made significant contributions to improving the quality of human life over time. However, over the last few decades, the general perception of the chemical industry has turned unfavourable as compared to other industries. Green chemistry, a scientific philosophy with an established economic rationale, could influence changing this perception through greater environment friendliness and sustainability. Green chemistry is being increasingly driven by consumer pull for green products and voluntary action by chemical companies, besides technological advancements, regulatory developments and financial incentives. Global and Indian companies are aggressively pursuing the green agenda with a view to improve their ‘triple bottom-line’- economic, environmental and social. The Indian chemical industry is gathering ‘green’ momentum and an integrated approach involving industry, academia, regulatory bodies and consumers could help green chemistry deliver the desired results. (This white paper was released at the Green Chemistry conference held by Society of Chemical Industry at Mumbai, India on 15 April 2009) Click here to download the full article
Enhancing Profit During Downturn
An industry downturn is a cause of worry to all; however, using advanced analytics, companies can convert the current slowdown into an opportunity to enhance their competitive position says Harsha Kapoor, Practice Head – Analytics Solutions of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Sensex Magazine, April - June 2009) Click here to download full article
Winning beyond the current Slowdown
India's large pool of educated entry-level job seekers and the low levels of 'employability' have been principal factors in driving the growth of the Indian career training market. However, in the changed market conditions, career training players would need to resort to multi-prolonged innovative strategies to address the challenges and gear up for future growth opportunities, say K.Raman, Practice Head - Telecom, Media & Technology, Kaustav Ganguli and Keshav Sreedharan of the Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the People Management Magazine, March-April 2009) Click here to download full article
H2O-The Next Mega Opportunity
By 2020 the annual revenue potential of the market for water supply in India is estimated at Rs. 510 billion. This represents a mega business opportunity, say Susnato Sen, Saurabh Kumar and Saurabh Jain of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Infrastructure Today, February 2009) Click here to download full article
Is Business Planning relevant today?
As the next fiscal year approaches, the focus of business planning has to be on two main drivers: Changing market dynamics and financial leverage. The planning process has to be customized to cater to the imperatives of a firm. The resulting business plan can then be an indispensable enabler in tiding over the turbulent period ahead……says Raju Bhinge (Chief Executive) of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the MINT, December 16, 2008) Click here to download the article
E-waste : Opportunity or Burden?
India is expected to be one of the largest consumer electronic markets in the world. By 2012, India is expected to have 600 mn mobile subscribers, 60 mn PCs and 143 mn TVs. This will lead to significant amount of e-waste. With regulatory intervention likely, there is opportunity for the emergence and growth of organized players in e-waste management as well as major compliance commitments for various industry players says K.Raman of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Electrical & Electronics Magazine December 2008).
Infrastructure Sharing : Time for new business models
The Indian Mobile Subscriber base is expected to reach nearly600 Million by March 2012. This projected growth has led to the entry of more than 10 passive infrastructure sharing companies with tenancy based business models. However, emergence of new technologies and sharing of active infrastructure elements by telecom operatorscan impact the tenancies. Infrastructure players may need to redefine the tenancy based models to ensure revenue meets expectations, say K. Raman and Gaurav Girotra of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Voice & Data magazine December 2008 edition). Click here to download the full article
Indian Semiconductor Industry : Evolution & Opportunities
Detailed analysis of the semiconductor policy, market outlook and technology factors indicates that the Indian semiconductor industry could move into eco-system units in the short to medium term and into fabrication units in the longer run. The industry could have a unique evolutionary path attracting investments of approximately $ 30 Bn over a 10 year time horizon, say K. Raman, Practice Head – Telecom, Media & Technology, and Kaustav Ganguli of the Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in ELCINA Electronics Outlook Magazine October 2008 Edition)
Emerging Opportunities in Pharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing
Emerging trends in the global pharmaceutical industry present unique challenges and opportunities for Indian contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs). The age of one-size-fits-all strategy will no longer work in today’s changing business scenario. The time has come for managements of Indian CMOs to decide on their focus segments and build capabilities necessary to succeed in them says Pratik Kadakia, Jeffry Jacob and Ankur Singhai of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Chemical Weekly December 2008 and Pharmabioworld April 2009) Click here to download the full article
Make Hay While the Sun Shines…
Solar energy industry is at an inflection point with developments in technology driving down costs as fossil fuel prices head northwards. In this changing environment, those who will proactively seize opportunities through innovative business models across the solar energy value chain will emerge as winners, says Raju Bhinge, Pratik Kadakia & Roopa Tarkhad, of Tata Strategic Management Group (This article was published in Chemical Weekly December 2008 Edition) Click here to download the full article
Navigating Through Tumultuous Times
A global slowdown is looming. Growth outlooks are gloomy and India cannot hope to be an exception. Firms should look at proactively deploying five key levers to ride the impending storm, namely: revenue & margin enhancement, cost reduction & performance improvement, reassessing planned capital expenditure, seizing new opportunities and improving employee performance management. CEOs will need to redefine their company’s goals and objectives and effectively manage these shifts. This will enable firms to successfully navigate tumultuous times and position themselves for future growth, say R.R Bhinge (Chief Executive), Pankaj Gupta (Practice Head – Consumer & Retail) and Indervir Singh of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in The Economic Times, Mumbai on December 8, 2008). Click here to download the full article
Preparing For The Economic Slowdown
With the slowdown of the global economy, companies are facing pressure on their operating margins. As a countermeasure, they need to proactively adopt profitability enhancement programs and simultaneously explore entry into high margin categories. Doing so could provide appropriate safeguards for difficult times ahead, say Pankaj Gupta (Practice Head – Consumer & Retail) and Indervir Singh of Tata Strategic Management Group. [An abridged version of this article titled “Efficiency is the key to survive a downturn” was published in The Financial Express (India Inc.) on 27th Nov, 2008]. Click here to download the full article
Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Fertilizer Market
The growing demand for fertilisers makes the Indian market highly attractive for domestic and foreign manufacturers. Recent policy changes by the government area welcome step and will open up opportunities for local companies to strengthen their domestic presence and meet global aspirations, say Pratik Kadakia, Jeffry Jacob and Anshul Saxena of Tata Strategic. (This article was published in Chemical Weekly Magazine November 2008)
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Dealing with Volatility
Volatile and rising input costs have forced EBITDA margins down. However, using optimization techniques would not only enable CEOs to respond and adapt to the situation but also improve the firm’s competitiveness, say Harsha Kapoor, Practice Head – Analytics Solutions, Milind Desai & Sachin Somaiya of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Tata Review November 2008 edition) Click here to download the full article
Live one day without using chemicals
Inspite of the breakthrough changes the chemical industry has brought about in the past, right from the food we eat and clothes we wear to the cars we drive, it continues to be straddled with an unfavourable image. The chemical industry has made immense contributions to society backed by a rich heritage of innovation. It cannot afford to be indifferent and not set perceptions right as it gears up to meet the challenges of tomorrow. It should take a leaf from the books of consumer companies and re-brand itself to change its image. (This article appeared in The Economic Times, dated Nov 10, 2008 and has been authored by Mr. R. Gopalakrishnan, Executive Director, Tata Sons and co-authored by Jeffry Jacob, Engagement Manager, Tata Strategic Management Group) Click here to download full article
Automotive Prime Movers: The future is electric…
From Detroit to Delhi, consumers and regulators are vociferously demanding vehicles that burn less fuel and pollute less. As manufacturers continue to evaluate multiple options to meet this demand, there is no clear solution in sight. Arindam Chakrabarti, Madhura Sekhsaria and Anshul Ailawadi of Tata Strategic Management Group question the future of the IC engine as the electric motor emerges as the prime mover of choice. (This article was published in Auto Monitor Magazine October 2008 issue)
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INDIACHEM 2008 industry report
The INDIACHEM 2008 industry report jointly prepared by FICCI and Tata Strategic Management Group has been released on 20th October at the FICCI IndiaChem 2008 Conference by Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan, Hon’ble Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers & Steel, Govt. of India.
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The ad-spend RoI riddle
Companies can reap huge benefits by optimising their marketing and advertising spend through advanced analytics”, say Harsha Kapoor, Practice Head – Analytics Solutions and Rituparna Dasgupta of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in the Strategist (Business Standard) on 14th October 2008) Click here to download the full article
Indian specialty chemicals: An unfolding growth story
Continued high growth in domestic demand that is likely to be sustained, along with investment in R&D and manufacturing augurs well for India which is emerging as a global specialty chemicals hub. However, the Indian market is different and presents a unique set of challenges. Local companies and MNCs alike are gearing up to surmount these through innovative strategies to effectively participate and win as this growth story unfolds, say Pratik Kadakia, Abhishek Nigam and Ankur Singhai of Tata Strategic. (This article was published in Chemical Weekly July 2008 issue) Click here to download the full article
Will the MHCV Tyre Industry finally go radial
The Radial Revolution is finally catching on. As India radializes, wide ranging repercussions are expected. In the past, the Medium and Heavy Commercial Vehicle (MHCV) segment in India has been tardy in adopting radial tyres. However, Arindam Chakrabarti, Abhishek Rathi and Amita Khattri of Tata Strategic Management Group argue in favour of explosive radialization post 2010 and describe possible structural shifts in the domestic tyre industry. (This article was published in Auto Monitor June 2008 issue) Click here to download the full article
Corridor of Profit
India is riding high on investment flows, be it in industry or infrastructure. But clearly much of those investments would be concentrated around Delhi, Mumbai and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor says Susnato Sen, Practice Head - Infrastructure, Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Infrastructure magazine May 2008 issue) Click here to download the full article
Do you have a retail growth strategy
‘R – Biz’ or a retail business strategy should be considered as a growth lever by small and medium sized companies for their existing lines of business through creating winning retail models based on superior insights into consumption trends, buying habits, formats and a thorough value chain analysis of their businesses say Pankaj Gupta (Practice Head – Consumer and Retail) and Roopa Tarkhad of Tata Strategic Management Group. Click here to download the full article
India's Manufacturing Sector - Is the best still to come
Industrial Production in India has increased dramatically in recent years. With further changes expected in the next few years, India could transit from the current ‘Labour Lite’ stage of manufacturing to a ‘World scale’ orbit …. leading to the full flowering of the country’s potential ……..says R. Bhinge, Chief Executive of Tata Strategic Management Group Click here to download the full article
Competing on Supply Chain & Logistics
Upcoming regulatory changes and infrastructural developments can have significant impact on the distribution and sourcing strategies of manufacturers with a pan-India presence. Arindam Chakrabarti, Practice Head- Automotive and Engineeringin Tata Strategic Management Group feels that industry players need to rework their logistics plans today in light of these impending changes. (This article was published in Cargo Talk magazine January 2008 issue) Click here to download the full article
Deciphering India's Demographic Puzzle: A Consumer & Retail Perspective
The projected shift in age groups, emergence of large distinct income groups, increasing relevance of urban India and growing share of large cities within urban India are important triggers for companies in consumer facing industries to revisit their strategies, else risk being caught off guard, say Pankaj Gupta, Practice Head - Consumer & Retail and Rajiv Subramanian of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Progressive Grocer magazine October 2007 edition) Click here to download full article
Urban Markets: A Discontinuity Led Growth Opportunity
The emergence of urban India as the major consuming segment for products and services should merit a strategy review by consumer facing companies, say Pankaj Gupta, Practice Head - Consumer & Retail and Rajiv Subramanian of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was also published in November 21, 2007 Economic Times edition) Click here to download full article
Advanced Analytics : Powering Indian Business
Harsha Kapoor Indian companies are increasingly incorporating advanced analytics to develop insight, create value and outperform competition. (This article was also published in Oct - Nov 2007 edition of the SENSEX magazine) Click here to download full article
Meeting India's Power needs in the next decade
Coal is the preferred choice of fuel for India’s power sector. But impending changes could alter fuel preferences in thenext decade say Raju Bhinge, Amit Bajpayee and Rajesh Kamble of Tata Strategic Management Group. (This article was published in Business Standard June 24, 2007 edition and the updated version of article is published in Infrastructure Today magazine, October edition) Click here to download full article
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