Asian Air Attack Rise of the ‘Third World’ machines

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...

Emerging Chinese & Japanese manufacturers are proving to be an ‘indomitable’ threat to the First World aircraft makers, says steven philip warner

Airbus & Boeing have had it for long – a clear duopoly in the aircraft manufacturing industry with a combined 98% market share. Of course, there have been small challengers (like Brazil’s Embraer and Canada’s Bombardier Aerospace), but they didn’t achieve considerable scale with time.The Asian age began with high-capacity manufacturing being identified as the USP of the Japanese clan. Then joined the Chinese warriors with their low-cost vows. Combine the two forces today and we have what we refer to in aviation terminology as – an ‘indomitable’ threat to the hitherto unchallenged First World aircraft makers of the world.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is the latest potent force in this race to capture the skies. Confirming its motives, Mitsubhshi has launched a project to manufacture the country’s first commercial plane – the single-aisle 96-seater Mitsubishi Regional Jet, MRJ on March 28, 2008. This comes after thirty-four long years of its previous failed attempt with the ‘now-forgotten’ Mitsubishi YS-11 aircraft. But for those doubting its competence this time round, here’s an interesting piece of information – enough water has passed under the bridge since that failed event and after Mitsubishi commenced supplying critical parts to Airbus & Boeing themselves! The company, too, is upbeat about future prospects in the sector as Nobuo Toda, Sr. VP & Director, MRJ Project asserts, “Mitsubishi is confident that the technology and stylish passenger cabin incorporated into the MRJ will position it a notch above others.”

Surely, the fuel-efficient MRJ should prove more effective against challenges of the soaring ATF price, which at present is at $134.54/ barrel. With the range for the aircrafts reaching beyond 2,000 miles, the initiative from the Japanese appears quite logical as demand for aircrafts in Asia alone is forecasted to reach the highest levels, with Asia marking the highest CAGR in passenger and freight factors of 5.9% and 5.4% respectively. Though Honda Aviation, too, has ventured into the aircraft manufacturing space, but with Honda’s relatively narrow interests in just the Very-Light Jets (VLJ) machines, Mitsubishi still remains the killer whale from the Asian seas to contend with. As per the company, it plans to sell around 1,000 MRJs over the years.

Our analysis of the situation – even if it does that over the next 20 years, it will still capture 20% of the Asian jet market! At the moment, the project is receiving favour from all corners of Japan, with All Nippon Airways (ANA) having placed its $605 million order for 15 aircrafts that are to be delivered by 2013 and even Japan Airlines (JAL) showing interest in the same. On the other hand, other players like Toyota Motor & Mitsui are also toying with the idea of joining the fray. With things looking pretty within Japan, does the primary prerogative lie with the Japanese giants attempt to capture global skies? Well, not really, for the dragon, as would be expected, is more than prepared to unleash its fury to the hilt in this arena as well.


The two major Chinese aircraft makers – China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC I) and China Aviation Industry Corp II (AVIC II) are joining hands to build a domestic jet-making facility for manufacturing commercial planes with seating capacitites of 150-plus and a takeoff load of more than 100 tonne. As per an industry official, “The move is aimed at strengthening the country’s aviation manufactuing capabilities and pooling resources to carry out the large commercial airplane project.” Interestingl,y here too, both the companies have the experience of having supplied parts to Boeing & Airbus. The efforts are predicted to bear fruits by 2020 as the assembling tasks begin in earnest in the cities of Shanghai & Xi’an (China).

So what are the markets that these emerging Chinese giants will serve? “We will initially target the domestic market, but the ultimate aim is to compete with Boeing and Airbus in international skies,” asserts Jin Qiansheng, Dty. Director (Administrative Committee), Xi’an Yanliang State Aviation Industry. Fears of the Chinese resurgence are also evident from the words of Jim McNerney, CEO, Boeing who prophesises regarding the Chinese aircraft industry’s future, “The Chinese have well-trained people, a strong spirit of enterprise as well as an enormous domestic market. It would be wrong to think Boeing and Airbus always will have the large aircraft market to themselves.”

That’s a rather honest confession coming from the Airbus CEO. It shows how Asian giants are expected to do in the aircraft industry what Honda and Toyota achieved in the automotive industry – beating the First World incumbents in their own game. When the disruptors get to doing what they do best, monopolies or duopolies lose their relevance altogether.


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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


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We give two for the price of one

Now, multiple service providers can share same hardware

It was GSM, which took the market by a storm and then came the hype of CDMA mobiles which offered its customers low price services and again took over a large market. Where GSM is know for network coverage & mobility features, CDMA is know for technologically advanced & affordable services.

Recently Vanu Inc., a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based firm (founded by Vanu Bose, son of Bose Corp founder Amar Bose), has come out with an innovative bridging technology. The ‘software-defined radio’ solution can eliminate need for multiple radio infrastructure and provide GSM and CDMA service from same common wireless network via its Radio Access Network (RAN). Pradeep Malhotra of Vanu Inc. says, “This is basically a new option for service providers, it can execute multiple such technology on common hardware platform.” The technology is currently in testing mode in villages of Tamil Nadu and Vanu is also engaged in negotiating with BSNL, Reliance Communications Ltd. and Tata Teleservices Ltd. These firms may leverage the technology to provide GSM or CDMA to users from their existing network. “Network for multiple operators can be shared on same hardware i.e. total sharing. All complexity of 3G can be also remotely upgraded,” Pradeep explains. It can tune automatically to any frequency and run both technologies like any application on an operating system. However, new entrants in GSM will have to invest in separate radio hardware. The solution has been tested in villages of Alaska by General Communication Inc.



Edit bureau: Sray Agarwal


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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


Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY


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ICICI Bank stood accused this fortnight of having overleveraged their exposure to the devastating sub-prime market, consequently endangering their very existence... 4Ps B&M proves otherwise...

But let’s dig further to find out what actually are these so called sub-prime losses. The fact is, ICICI Bank’s ‘losses’ are not at all sub-prime losses but as mentioned before, Mark-To-Market (MTM) losses! While sub-prime loss is a loss on a loan given to a non-prime (risky) borrower, in Mark-To-Market losses, the investments have to be adjusted on current prices. So, when there’s a downturn in the financial markets that brings down the prices of instruments, it’s reflected in the books of the company as MTM losses (as current prices fall). As shared with 4Ps B&M by Rajesh Mokashi, Executive Director, CARE, “MTM losses for ICICI Bank could be notional only as many of these instruments might actually be held till maturity; and if so, the MTM losses will be reversed.” In other words, this means that these losses are only temporary and stay to the extent markets stay down. Moreover, if ICICI Bank holds these investments till maturity – which any sane banker should – the complete amount of the investment will be recovered.

And what if the debtor doesn’t pay up? For sweet mercies, the complete portfolio of the bank is secured against collaterals, as mirrored by Prabhudas Lilladher’s Ashok, “I think too much is read into this issue. These are loans to corporates which are structured as investments and are backed by collateral assets in India. These losses may be notional and stand good chances of recovery over time.” In many ways, these voices cement the fact that ICICI Bank’s losses do not stand any chance of denting the bank and it’s only a matter of time that ICICI Bank comes out of it absolutely clean.

The fact is that Indian banks still live inside the barbed wires drawn by our central bank – the Reserve Bank of India. So, in an instance where the legitimacy of activities are being questioned – the case in point being the ‘so called’ subprime exposure – the breathing space offered by the RBI anyway is very less in the first place itself. So, the question of ICICI Bank being “blatantly aggressive,” especially in the case of such lending, falls flat on its face. In such a scenario where guidelines are already palmed out by the regulator, the so called ‘exposure’ or lack of it is more a responsibility of RBI than of the particular bank in itself.

Bimal Jalan, former Governor of RBI explains the same along with a word of caution, “Integration with international markets is unavoidable; participation of our banks is commendable; but at the same time, assessment of risks has to be strict,” which is something that is RBI’s, and not other banks’ responsibility. Frankly, if ICICI Bank has to be accused of something, that should be of teaching Indian banks the way to beat global benchmarks, create world-class service standards, to show to India Inc. what is the true meaning of visionary growth. Surely, they stand convicted of all these accusations!


Bikram K Jena, with inputs from Pallavi Srivastava


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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


Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
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ZEE BIZ BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY


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Infosys turns informer

BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY RESULT

While ITC is said to have helped the Indian farmers, it is Infosys which is actually empowering them technologically


After representing the Indian IT industry in the global technology services corridors, Infosys Technologies Ltd., India’s second largest software exporter, is working to deliver the benefits of technology at the grass root level in India. Infosys is creating an information and communication technology application aimed at streamlining supply chain management with an intention to bring fruit and vegetable growers and buyers together via hand-held devices that use GPRS or CDMA or through internet-enabled personal computers.

The effort to improve framing technology at an overall level will cost $6.3 million and is funded by the US Agency for International Development and is currently being run on a pilot basis with approximately 1700 farmers at Nandani Fruit and Vegetable Growers Society in Maharashtra. However, an Infosys representative revealed that over the next five-eight years the usage of technology is expected to increase to a million farmers.”

Besides addressing information gaps that could constrain farmers, all participants can monitor and control the back-end and front-end supply chain functions. What this means is that all intermediaries, such as the ubiquitous wholesaler and retailer, can optimise costs by enabling large procurement, optimal logistics and intelligent crop production management that matches demand patterns.

Commenting on the application, Binod H.R., Sr. VP & Head - India Business Unit, Infosys Technologies Ltd. said, “Maintaining on-time, programmed delivery of fresh produce from a large and scattered production base is a complex and critical operation. This solution gives the organised retail sector access to a reliable small holder production base. It thereby decreases farm-to-market losses, currently estimated at 30% to 40% on certain products.”

Infosys’ solution will allow farmers invaluable access to agricultural experts and technical information such as database searches for data and images, crop planning, scheduling, tracking and forecasting, access to region-specific weather updates and market information on demand, i.e., daily sales volumes and average prices. By doing so, Infosys can bridge the urban-rural agricultural divide, but there is a grander plan in place. Traditionally, fruit and vegetables fall prey to several pests and diseases, and by providing their services, the Infosys application hopes to act as a catalyst in the alleviation of rural poverty.

The obvious observation is that there are easy comparisons to be drawn with ITC’s own initiative, e-Choupal, but officials have been quick to derail this train of thought by pointing out the differences between the focus of ITC’s program, where the company is helping the farmers grow field crops and assist them in all possible ways, as opposed to a well laid emphasis on technology to help fruit and vegetable farmers by Infosys.

Arguments on commonality aside, Infosys is playing a pivotal role in giving back to one of the poorest sections of Indian society by joining the scattered production base of small farmers with the organised retail sector. Infosys’ philanthropy might well have competitors green with envy, but for the most common denomination of rural India, they are nothing less than blue-eyed boys.


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008

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


Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY


For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
» IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
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Here come the show stopper’s!

IIPM Ranked No. 1 B-School In Global Exposre - Zee...
The B&W imagery has been instrumental in etching the leadership status and a niche player in the retail world that Shopper’s Stop enjoys

TV campaigns, print ads, billboards, direct mail, you name the media vehicle, and you’ll find that Shopper’s Stop had latched on to it to promote their recent change in brand identity. What’s more? The retail giant has spent an unbelievable Rs.200 million on just the logo change of Shopper’s Stop. So even the poly-bags that you carry with the goodies from Shopper’s Stop sport the new logo. The in-the face campaign has left many wondering what was the need to use such extravagant steps and that too for just a logo change. Well, what most of us don’t know is that the logo change is just a miniscule first step to the massive restructuring exercise that the retail group is planning. Surely in the months to come the Rs.10 billion Shopper’s Stop will ramp up its act and announce more promotional activities and ad campaigns.Shopper’s Stop started way back in 1991. However, lack of funds, which forced the company to adopt a black & white (B&W) logo, in fact did wonders to the retailers’ brand image. States Raj Nair, VP & ECD, Contract Advertising, “By using the B&W imagery we were in step with trends being employed in fashion advertising the world over. B&W imagery lends a high fashion quotient, sophisticated, cutting edge international imagery. The B&W execution has further helped the work stand out and embellished the cause.” The B&W logo was accepted well with the consumers and catapulted

Shopper’s Stop to the league of a niche player in the Indian retail sector. Plus the company’s presence in the metros added oodles of class to the brand. “In a business specially like ours, which deals with fashion & lifestyle, it becomes necessary that the ads convey how we (Shopper’s Stop) can make a customer look more elegant. At the same time its necessary to make people understand the stylish side of life,” explains Govind Shrikhande, CCA & CEO, Shopper’s Stop.Come 21st century and India Inc. was in the throes of a retail revolution. Players like Tatas (Westside), Biyanis (Pantaloon), et al, were ramping up their act and others like Lifestyle had also jumped on to the retail bandwagon, giving some serious competition to Shopper’s Stop.

So in 2006, Shopper’s Stop decided to chalk out some new re-structuring plans and changing its promotional activities. “We didn’t want to compromise with the brand image as we were for the premium fashionable ones. But we wanted to change our class of audience,” elaborates Shrikhande.

At this juncture, the focus of the company shifted to GenNext. The new campaign focused on a simple and gentle exhortation to make of the reader, which is, to ‘Start Something New’. “Given the lives we lead on a daily basis, which are so caught up in the daily humdrum routine, we very rarely take out time for ourselves. Films do a wonderful job of reminding people what life is really all about without any hard sell about merchandise available at Shopper’s Stop. In print we go a bit harder, where we actually use merchandise to make the statements such as ‘wear lingerie to conserve electricity’ but with an underlying wit that only a leader would display,” asserts Nair. Clearly, the retailer believes in following ritzy players like JC Penny, Marks & Spencer and its penchant for green & society matches the Bentonville Beast. And surely the B&W strategy will add oodles of colour to the shoppers experience.


For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).


Read these article :-
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
1500-plus IIPM students placed across the country with 44 bagging international offers
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
» IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
Deccan Herald - IIPM ranked as top B-School in India
India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...