Monday, October 20, 2008

On second thought...

With rising disposable incomes & soaring aspirations, the second hand car market is on a roll

spirations have led man to the moon! The quest of being the best among peers is what spears a man ahead of the race. But all these desires come with lots of constraints – lack of finances being one of them. One such aspiration that has remained long unfulfilled for many Indians is the desire to own a family car. But no more! The second hand car market has made all those dreams of driving an opulent vehicle come true. The growing used car market across the country in the form of both organised and unorganised players is a testimony to the vast potential of this segment.

According to the Society of Automobile Manufacturers in India, the used car market currently in India stands at over one million units, almost as big as the new-car market (1.3 million units). But the used car market in India is highly unorganised, with the organised players accounting for just 20-25%. The main organised players are Maruti (True Value), Hyundai (Advantage), Ford (Assured), Mahindra (Automart India) & Honda (Auto Terrace). The situation is however, completely different in developed markets like the US and Europe, where organised players have grabbed nearly 90% of the used-car market pie. “Consumers’ decisions are fast getting influenced by the quality of after sales service and the value addition. An organised channel definitely adds to the value proposition with quality assurance through warranty,” assures Nikhil Kumar, General Manager Marketing, First Choice, M&M. Buying decision of a consumer really begins with scouring the used-car market for the best bargains. And it’s a known fact that very few Indian buyers pay an expert to evaluate the vehicle and mostly rely on personal mechanics and friends. Thus, a decision of going to an unorganised player might result in a redundant purchase.

One thing that surely brings both the organised and unorganised players onto a common platform are the kind of bottlenecks and hurdles that the Indian used car industry is facing. Soaring oil prices, hardening interest rates, imminent entry of Nano et al, are making the ride bumpy and uncomfortable. Discounting the competition on this front, Ravi Bhatia, Chief GM, Sales & Support, Maruti Suzuki True Value asserts, “Nano will only make the market more lucrative. Also, the price of it is yet to be finalised, so the end picture can be totally different.” What’s more? The consumers in this segment have smartly shifted to CNG vehicles to balance the oil price rise crisis. “The recent hike in CRR by 25bp and Repo Rates by 50bp is expected to push the interest rates higher might impact demand of this auto segment,” explains Vaishali Jajoo, Automobile and Transportation Analyst, Angel Broking. However, on the flip side, since the second hand car has a higher interest rate than a first hand car, this might deter consumers.

Nonetheless, the industry is eying an unprecedented growth to support the shift from two-wheelers to four-wheelers or to a higher model. “Second hand car market is growing at 19% and the new car market is growing at 12%. With this outlook, used car market would overtake the new car market by 2012,” explains Bhatia of Maruti True Value. Be that as it may, the fast growing used car market has grabbed the eyeballs of at least three global players who are planning to park their moolah and set shop here. Japan’s Gulliver International, Britain-based Manheim & a Dubai-based operator are expected to set up local operations on the Indian shores. Rising interest rate and oil prices, notwithstanding, increasing income levels & soaring aspirations is sure to fuel the used car market to hitherto never before seen heights.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
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Saturday, October 18, 2008

‘future’

SAAB AERO X

This Ethanol driven 400 bhp monster is SAAB’s answer to the environmentally concerned speed junkies. The cutting edge design features a canopy style door opening and all wheel drive system.


KIA SIDEWINDER
The Sidewinder is a specialised car designed for drift racing. Central to the design is a high performance gas turbine powering each wheel independently.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
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IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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Friday, October 17, 2008

“This is the right time to invest”

High inflation is a temporary phenomenon. There can’t be zero inflation & 8-9% growth, says A. P. Kurian
While markets are going down, inflation continues to hit the Businessroof. And under such circumstances, one of the most affected is the Indian mutual fund industry. In fact, its miserable run over the last couple of months have left investors really disillusioned. Following the AMFI data, the joint average AUM of the 34 fund houses in the country plunged to Rs.5,296.29 billion in July, compared to Rs.5,647.52 billion in June. This 6% drop in AUMs marked the second successive month of losses. However, in the meanwhile, A. P. Kurian, Chairman, Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) shares with B&E’s Sunanda Roy, the initiatives taken by them & concerns that need to be addressed.

B&E: What are the industry’s biggest concerns/challenges at present? How do you plan to deal with them?
Kurian: The mutual fund (MF) is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Indian economy. It is poised to grow at a very robust rate. There are several estimates available. I think, the McKinsey report says 30-35%, there are other reports also. We would surely follow a robust growth rate for several years now. This is because currently the households that invest in Indian MFs are very low. Unfortunately there are more unique numbers but we know that the folio numbers are about 40-45 million. So if you take an indication as to how many folios does one individual holds, say two folios! Then roughly about 20-25 million people only have invested. That shows the large potential that is still available both in terms of increasing the proportion of savings invested in the MF market and the number of households that are there in the whole country. Even among households, from various instruments, the proportion of savings that is in Indian MF is comparatively less! Regulatory framework that has evolved in terms of standard and coverage is world-class. Further improvements can surely be done. Coming down to our own standard and practices, they are also reaching the world class level. In the service area, we are almost on the top of the list in terms of giving your account statement, redemptions credited to your account, buying and selling through Internet et al.

Let’s come to the product. We have the traditional ones, we have the sophisticated ones like the Quant funds which are managed through a mathematical model and implemented through a computer system. Though they are very small in numbers! We have ETFs, Gold ETFs, FMPs, Sector specific funds, SIPs (which are growing at a very high rate). So, there is product innovation always and differentiation. It is a happening industry day in and day out. This is inspite of the constraints or strict conditions in which we are functioning.

B&E: So, what constraints are you pointing at?
Kurian: One of the strict conditions is that you can’t invest in MFs without a permanent account number (PAN). Even if we accept only through bank, still we are ought to follow the know your customer (KYC) norm.

B&E: Are these constraints set to remain for a long time?
Kurian: Yes! It is set to remain. We tried our best to explain to the authorities that we should be spared of this because we are going through a bank and let the bank do all the formalities. But nothing happened! To relieve the investor from the burden of doing this again and again while investing in different funds, AMFI came into the picture. We catalysed a common platform and you have to do it only once and then you can invest in all the funds. Particularly these are not applicable to some of our competing products. You go to open a bank account; I don’t know whether a PAN is required. You just have to give the address proof and identity proof. In case of ULIP also, PAN is not required. We have to compete with the traditional products like bank deposits RBI bonds and now with ULIPs which are getting positioned as an investment product. All these are areas of concern to us. We need to have a dialogue on that; we need to get it sorted out. That’s what we are pursuing now.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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

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Thursday, October 16, 2008

Power waltz with the dragon

The JV makes sense, but it will increase ADAG’s debt significantly

Beware! The beasts are on a prowl – the Ghost and the Darkness have hit the Indian terrain! The epitome of strategic alliance of the two lions from the Hollywood blockbuster can be well compared to the business alliance between Anil Ambani promoted Reliance Infrastructure Limited (R-Infra) & Chinese power equipment maker Shanghai Electric Corporation. No doubt, with this unprecedented deal (Indian domestic power utility player tying up with a power equipment-manufacturer), Ambani is looking at a larger picture. The Chinese component of that picture is expected to increase in the coming time in view of the ongoing Indo-China business treaty. Even if its with or without the Chinese partners, to say the least! But then, will the alliance really support Ambani junior in getting his desired chunk of the power and energy market flesh?

“We are committed toward playing a major role in the energy sector. We will continuously seek opportunities and undertake projects to maintain our position as the largest private player in the sector,” declared Anil Ambani, Group Chairman, Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) on one such imperative business covenant. This $3 billion deal (apart from four other JVs with a committed investment of $400-600 million) between the two majors will give a much needed push to the power and energy initiatives of ADAG. “Ambani surely seems to be betting big with the project and wants to become the biggest player in the infrastructure and energy sector eyeing the huge opportunities that are up for grabs”, agrees Shailesh Kanani, Infrastructure & Real Estate Analyst, Angel Broking. Taking this into consideration, they already seems to be working on that line, where the Reliance Power and EPC orders have been given to R-Infra for optimum utilisation. The 4000 MW Sasan ultra mega project under R-Power is boosted through Rs.128 billion construction support by R-Infra. Moreover, it’s an open secret that the Chinese are known for their cost effectiveness. So, with ADAG’s domestic expertise in terms of customer outreach and human resource support and Shanghai Electric technical know-how and cost effectiveness, Ambani is looking to augment his dominance on energy & power supply domain.

Moreover, this venture will result in Ambani’s power ambition taking a head on with competitors like BHEL and L&T. However, Kanani discounts the competitions when he clarifies, “Well, with the kind expansion & infrastructural growth that India is eyeing, the pie is way too big to accommodate each of these players.” Nevertheless with the country still needing an additional 100,000 MW of power and energy to meet the growing demands for electricity over the next 8-10 years there is plenty for Anil to exploit. So its a great strategy to get into opportunistic win-win collaborations. But the downside to the move is that the initiative would also result in aggravating the concerns related to the quality and after-sales supported by Chinese manufacturers known for supplying comparatively cheaper equipments. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is already on the move with a watch dog eye by setting up a technical committee to test and verify the quality and suitability of the equipments supplied by the Chinese counterparts. Another chink in the armour is that with increasing economy turmoil backed by market volatility, increasing input cost with rising inflation et al, the aim of raising around Rs.95 billion as debt for the proposed plant and that too, when a major chunk is expected to be sourced from foreign banks is a little too much of a financial dependence, which ADAG should be wary of.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
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IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
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IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
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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

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

So do reforms!

Is it any surprise that now a Goldman Sachs report says that factors like little time left before the government’s term expires, the need to pacify and meet the demand of allies and the next general election, might force the government not to take up any controversial issue or bill in the Parliament? In similar lines, disinvestment and listing efforts of the government, too, have been in the news lately. More than a dozen IPOs and FPOs are expected to come into the equity market. But firstly, it doesn’t make sense to bring equity offers when the markets have lost more than 34% in dollar terms since mid-May; and secondly, across the board approvals are required, clearly going against the logic of time remaining before the next general election. But then, the government does need money to fill in the huge fiscal gap (see graph above) that its ridiculously populist measures have created. Evidently, it is looking for quick-fix solutions since it has failed to adhere to the requirements set by the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act.

In the whole episode, it fails to consider that there are other critical areas as well. There are infrastructural and social reforms, which need immediate consideration. The power sector is still as wanting as it was a few years back. In fact, the situation has worsened as the demand-supply gap keeps getting bigger. Ultra Mega Power projects, which were supposed to bridge the gap, have not been started yet. Reforms like the amendment in the SEZ segment, Pradhan Mantri Swasthay Suraksha Yojna for the poor families in the health sector and Bharta Nirman Yojna et al have been buried deep down in bureaucratic papers. The golden quadrilateral, though credible, is still not over. The promise of ‘hundred days of employment’, as provided in the NREGA Act, was given to just 0.54 percent of the people registered for employment.

The farmer loan waiver scheme, the mathematical masterstroke of the government, is going the same way. In Tamil Nadu, the small and medium farmers who should have been the beneficiaries are not getting the benefits because most of the agricultural loans have been taken up by big and influential farmers. In Orissa, banks are failing to give loans because they have not got the necessary help from the Centre. Besides, those who had repaid their loans on or before April, 2008 are angry and are agitating. More than 400 million still remain below the poverty line; a similar number remain illiterate.

Patton might have won many battles, but he is worshipped for his most famous statement, “I want you to remember that no b@$#ard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making other poor dumb bastards die...” Indian politicians and Patton have a lot in common. And ‘commitment’ surely wasn’t one! We said it before... Dumb just happens!

For Complete
IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
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
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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