Cover Story
- He used a combination of timing and talent to build a powerhouse. He’s got plenty going for him. Can he make the big leap to take on mightier competitors? Rachna M. Koppikar tells more.
- Here are the excerpts from a free-wheeling interview with Kotak Mahindra Group founder Uday Kotak.
Running a smart business
Know about Uday Kotak's journey from bill discounting in 1984 to creator of a financial conglomerate with a market value close to Rs 20,000. Q&A with Venu Srinivasan
The TVS Motor Company CMD tell us a few of his business secrets. Shivinder Mohan Singh is an unabashed torchbearer for corporate and super specialty hospitals. Can he help make healthcare the next big thing and Fortis the leader in the industry?Is 3G equal to Rs 35,000 crore?
The government hopes to net the single largest chunk of funds from 3G spectrum auctions for plugging its fiscal deficit. If it succeeds, telecom users will eventually end up footing the bill. Why are two shipbuilders, Bharati Shipyard and ABG Shipyard, slugging it out with offers and counter-offers to lay their hands on an offshore services provider? Virendra Verma finds out. There's growing evidence that imports from China may actually be helping the Indian industry-big and small-in manufacturing better quality products or products they earlier couldn't make. Kerala’s cooperative body launches a super bazaar to reach customers in the backwaters. The floating Superstore has a computerised inventory management system linked with corporate and regional offices via the Internet, and it stocks up at designated points close to the road network.67% market share but still insecure
GlaxoSmithKline rules the malted food drinks segment and has a comfortable presence in pain relievers and antacids. So, why is it acting like an insecure underdog? Success against the tide
In this sea of distress, there are SMEs that have not overstretched themselves and have thriving business models. The first ever Business Today-YES Bank SME Awards honoured the achievements of India’s small and medium scale enterprises - some of whom are doing things differently and some, well, are doing different things. Take SMEs out of the equation and India Inc. will suddenly appear to be on wobbly legs. For, while the big boys may make the big picture, the big picture itself is composed of thousands of minutiae. Small in size, but big in ambition, Anupam Industries is ramping up to be among the top shots of India Inc. in half a decade. Vinayak Chatterjee has blended varied management styles to transform Feedback Venturesto a top infra advisory firm. It’s not just important to be above board and transparent, but also appear to be so for this software company. No pun intended. Innovation and profitability do not have to be mutually exclusive, as Kavveri Telecom’s example demonstrates. Taking care of its stakeholders—the artisans—has ensured that if not its carpets, the company will surely keep flying high. From a seed capital of Rs 10 lakh — pooled in by four partners — to a turnover of Rs 91.4 crore in 11 years, Nandan Biomatrix has indeed come a long way. With the 26-year-old civil war coming to an end in Sri Lanka, India Inc. is on the threshold of a never-like-before opportunity to do business with the island nation. Finally, a navigator that works!
MapMyIndia’s new Personal Navigation Device (PND) is the first of its kind in India. Effective and substantial critiques given to employees can go a long way in changing the face of organisations.Walk on splinters to be employable
‘Employability’ is the next big market for the new-age education players. And there are no full stops here. Even with a volatile market, it makes sense to stick with a systematic investment plan. Don’t focus only on the finer points of saving taxes in your post-Budget investment plans. Instead, channel the savings to build wealth. Why fiscal deficit isn't the problem
If there is no growth then a smaller fiscal deficit or low inflation or long-term rates are of little use. AI assets must be worth several thousand crores—the Nariman Point building itself should be worth a couple of thousand crores. A few years back the Prime Minister had announced setting up of the Rainfed Authority of India. One may ask what has been achieved so far?Battle of the operating systems
New applications can be written using every developer’s favourite web technologies and will automatically run on any standards-based browser on the Windows Mac and Linux. I'm glad that the time has come for Nandan to make good on his dream of adding value to the country through his technology knowledge, writes N.R. Narayana Murthy. The FM's fix
Pranab Mukherjee’s Budget shows a lack of appreciation for the principles of both capitalism and socialism Praful Patel says the merger of two commercial firms has not gone too well with people
Praful Patel says the merger of two commercial firms, Indian Airlines and Air India, has not gone too well with people. Fixing the people supply chain
The first phase of the government’s employment exchange portal project is set to roll out in a year. Blogging is “essentially a public activity,” and confidentiality of identities is not legally protected Engineers at BEML are designing “low-cost coaches” for metro services in tier-II and tier-III cities. The Maytas lost the Rs 12,000 crore Hyderabad Metro Rail project that a consortium led by it bagged last year. ‘Bottom-of-the-pyramid’ Indians own more cellphones than radios since they find it better suited for both work and play, finds a study. NHPC and Oil India are preparing to list their shares on Indian stock exchanges. Business Today in association with TAM People Meter System has come up with a first-of-its-kind list of “India’s most watched ads on television”. Urban development expert Jeb Brugmann talks to Rajiv Rao on his new book “Welcome to the Urban Revolution”. Here are the excerpts.'Chinese view Pepsi as an aspirational brand'
Indra Nooyi, Chairman & CEO, PepsiCo, in BusinessWeek online, says the chinese youth view foreign brands as a mark of safety.'Âś99.9% talk about leadership pipeline. Only 1% do it'?
India is inherently strong in human capital, but succession planning is not high on India Inc.’s agenda, Cheryl Buxton, Global Managing Director, Client Services, Korn/Ferry International, tells Saumya Bhattacharya. Here are the excerpts: Did you know that buying an Amby was once considered “conspicuous consumption” and the excise on cars was as high as 60%? Here is a chronology of Excise duty rates on motor cars. Five years ago, the UPA's coming to power coincided with a bad monsoon.'We have doubled our staff strength recently'
Nasdaq-listed Corporate Executive Board MD Shaurav Sen tells Shalini S. Dagar about the issues facing India Inc. and CEB’s plans for India. Here are the excerpts: Indians and Chinese are an anxious lot, but it’s not the slowdown that’s got them worried, finds JWT’s recent “Anxiety Index” study on consumer concerns.
Comeback kid?
Jack of all foods, Nirula's, has been confounded - if not confused - by the onslaught of the kings of niche foods. But its perceived weakness could become its key appeal and strength, says Shalini S. Dagar. 
