Cover Story
- Cricket-largely thanks to the IPL-is where the action is. But the big money sloshing around could go a long way in the creation of a broader sports ecosystem.
- A tie-up with the NBA for a multi-city, community-based basketball league for players in the 14-18 age group is just what the sport needed in India.
- Who are these gentlemen who bid $333 million for an IPL franchise?
- Train, create winners and then manage them-that's what Reliance hopes to do in its JV with IMG.
From the Editor
"For sports, India has to be the last huge market and possibly the biggest opportunity on the planet today." The March 21 auction of the two IPL teams bears out this prophecy made by a UK-based sports consultancy firm in October 2008. People, Places and Products
Here is a take on people, places and products doing the round these days. Or, perhaps you wish your day had 48 hours. Do more in less time by managing your energy. Here are excerpts of a small Q&A with S.K. Roongta, Chairman, SAIL.
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Flash memory deserves a lot of credit for the digital device explosion of the past decade. "You can't be world-class in a bunch of things simultaneously"
In the auto industry participants typically keep production up, flood the market even during a slowdown and put a discount on the vehicles. India's travel and tourism industry was one of the first and worst affected by the global recession. It's finally bouncing back. India is projected to emerge as the top destination in the Indian Ocean region by 2020, but faces a huge shortage of hotel rooms. Can budget hotels fill the gap? Improved connectivity and proactive tourism boards have led to the birth of new holiday destinations—from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh to Agatti in Lakshadweep. But a lot more needs to be done. Air travel is growing at a record clip. Most airlines are losing less than they were last year. Airport projects are heading to completion. Will 2010 be the turnaround year for aviation?"Social networking can be incredibly useful in consumer retail"
Chris Hughes thinks social networking can be incredibly useful in the consumer retail sector. Chairmen, CEOs, entrepreneurs and leading thinkers from across the globe put forth ideas that provoked, challenged and entertained."With right policies, India's demographics will give it an edge over China"
There are two compelling examples of demographic change leading to economic growth."With the power of the Internet, impossible is within our grasp"
It is a new decade with great expectations. But I think these expectations may be pretty conservative, because these expectations are based on incremental improvements, small steps at a time."India is more robust than the United States"
I am in the business of detecting fragility. I am going to tell you the US business is weak."Any unconnected device is becoming less interesting"
About 15 years ago, you were lucky to get a 19.2 kbps connection to the Internet. Today, we are starting one gigabyte per second trials. Vehicle insurance gets easier
Changes in the insurance sector now mean that vehicle owners can not only negotiate basic premium but also use the money saved to buy additional covers to get a complete coverage. Temp jobs go niche
In the meltdown aftermath, recruiters look for specialist skills even in temporary employees. One giant leap for higher education
The entry of foreign universities will transform higher education in India and the country could emerge as a global education hub, argues Bakul Dholakia.Good products, not-so-good service
The insurance industry continues to give customer service the short shrift. Now a study reveals it's critical for influencing customer buying decisions."Top Harvard talent to teach in India"
Professor David Yoffie, Senior Associate Dean & Chair of Harvard Business School Executive Education Programmes, visited India to launch some new sessions. He spoke to BT's Rahul Sachitanand in between sessions with programme attendees. The Medical Council cracks the whip on the nexus between pharma companies and doctors. There are many in the world of business, at least in America, who take just a dollar home as salary. Indian investors will soon be able to trade in two of the most popular global indices from the comfort of a familiar bourse: NSE, or National Stock Exchange.India is the second-largest test location for GMAT
David A. Wilson, President and CEO, Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which conducts the GMAT tests that most US business schools use to decide admissions, was in India recently on a business trip. Apple's public spat with Google is not the first time that the company has sparred with competitors.Outdoor advertising takes to the skies
On a lazy Thursday afternoon in December last year, surprised Mumbaikars spotted a helicopter hovering overhead with a huge banner display of Volkswagen's VW Beetle. "Carrot top" Archie Andrews, the vivacious Riverdale teenager, is busy these days brushing up his Hindi.Third dimension of entertainment
James Cameron spent a decade refining the technology that brought Avatar to life and a host of movies since then are walking down the 3D aisle. Soon, you will be able to watch these movies on your TV at home. But have you ever wondered how it works? The year 2009 was an annus horribilis for the media and entertainment business in India."G20 Is One of the Gs That Delivered"
Baroness Shriti Vadera, former minister in the Gordon Brown government, is adviser to the current Chair of G20, the Republic of Korea. Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd (SRSL) will acquire the controlling stake in Equipav S.A. Acucar e Alcool, one of Brazil's largest sugar and ethanol companies. "Subhiksha is a retail equivalent of Satyam. It's an out and out fraud, there's no question about it" The apps opportunity
Operators, handset vendors, and developers are all rushing onto the 'applications' race. Is this the new gold mine? A bevy of new businesses is raising money from the primary markets. As an investor, you can choose to be adventurous but after lots of diligence. The US-based science giant DuPont will need to scale up its manufacturing efforts if it has to squeeze more growth out of an opportunity filled Indian market. Never before has Amul been buffeted by as much competition as it is today. But India's largest dairy foods player has an edge: Its unique "cow-to-customer" model. Let's not forget sports is an industry
From a purely commercial standpoint, it augurs well for other sports that cricket is expensive and does not fit many companies' sponsorship budgets.Create commercially viable infrastructure
There is a need to involve the private sector in creating facilities that are sustainable and can serve communities as well. India shows the path
Wharton professors Peter Cappelli, Harbir Singh, Jitendra V. Singh and Michael Useem (authors of the book) conclude that the India Way demonstrates the power of collective calling over private purpose, of transcendent value over shareholder value."Indian business leaders have much to be proud of"
After a meltdown in the US financial landscape led to the worst recession since the 1930s, global business has been searching for an alternative to the shareholder-led model of the Western world.
