From the Editor

Some of the most profound thoughts are also the simplest. But it takes a thinker to make the connect. C.K. Prahalad was one such thinker. Sample some of his fundamental insights: "A core competence is a bundle of skills that are not widely available in an industry;" "The best way to eradicate poverty is through profits;" "The forgetting curve is as important as the learning curve;" "Thinking about the future is not just the role of the CEO. It is the obligation and responsibility of everyone. This is a non-elitist view of strategy-making."

His body of work, that spans over three decades, is full of such epochal statements-mostly in the field of corporate strategy. That's why we thought the best way to pay tribute to this legend was to give you a glimpse of his shibboleth-shattering statements from the past, an expert view on what Prahalad would have done next if he hadn't passed away and an exclusive reprint of his last published article in the Harvard Business Review that he authored around his newest insight-being environment-friendly is not a burden for companies, but a mother lode of technological and strategic innovation.

Simplicity often has another partner-success. V.G. Siddhartha, promoter of CafeCoffee Day, seems to strike the perfect balance between extraordinary simplicity and what is now turning out to be an extraordinary success. After becoming the unquestionable coffee king of India, Siddhartha, a reclusive billionaire, is setting his eyes on a global expansion that will make him the owner of the world's third-largest coffee chain. Our cover story provides you for the first time an extensive and exclusive account of how Siddhartha built his business (which includes much more than coffee) with a perfect brew of grit and gumption.

Indian food has always been a melting pot of tastes and cuisines and there are endless tales of innovation in the menu. But innovation in the delivery of Indian food have been far and few between. The second part of our cover story captures a new trend of "quick service Indian food restarants" and highlights its business potential.

We all know that India lives in its villages. But very few of us know that after a generation or so the majority of Indians will live in its cities. Even fewer of us have a clue as to what it means in terms of urban planning and investment. Our BT Special delves into these issues, with some guidance from a recentlyreleased McKinsey report on the subject.

PS: Coffee Day's Siddhartha invested Rs 27 lakh in the Infosys IPO and sold the shares for Rs 2 crore in two years. How much would the value of his Infosys shares be today, if he had held on to them? Find out in our cover story.