Cover Story
- General Electric adds booster fuel to an aggressive India strategy with new ideas and a new structure.Listen to GE CEO Jeff Immelt interview
- Edited excerpts of a conversation BT'S Chaitanya Kalbag and Josey Puliyenthuruthel had with GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
From the Editor
Jeff Immelt stepped into Jack Welch's shoes four days before 9/11. Even more than the legendary Welch, he has GE blood in his veins - his father worked for the company and he met his wife at the company. Foreign buyers beware
The Vodafone decision, as expected, was appealed to the SC where the Attorney General reportedly wanted Vodafone to deposit 50 per cent of the tax demand of Rs 12,000 crore.
Hashcube: Gaming goes social
Deepan Chakravarthy and Ramprasad Rajendran had their first stab at developing a computer game when they were in Class 12, developing a "bouncing balls" game for a computer science project.ADF Foods: Stomach for Success
Bimal Thakkar looks more like the gym-frequenting sort than the foodie that he is. That is because the trim Thakkar, 45, does not indulge himself but instead thinks about new recipes and concoctions all the time for his company, ADF Foods.BuzzFactory.net: Social secretary to businesses
Traditional public relations or PR management is pass for those who know Punebased BuzzFactory.net: the fledgling company creates a buzz online for its clients using social media.Best Roses Biotech: Roses are forever
Navsari, 37 km off Surat, is home to scores of nonresident Indians, or NRIs, with their eye-catching bungalows and lavish lifestyles. But if you bump into Kumar Patel, you will not be able to guess that he has spent seven years in California as a student.Gridlogics Technologies: Great automatic idea hunter
With nearly half-a-million patent applications filed globally in 2009, how do you know that the product your company's research team is developing has not already been patented somewhere?Mission Vivacare: Packed with supplements
This global Indian eats, drinks and sleeps nutraceuticals, dietary supplements that are a fad nowadays. "I have turned a marathon runner," says Akkshay Mehta, Managing Director of health products company Mission Vivacare.Aura Herbal Textiles: Dyeing for life
Just a mile away from the Aura Herbal Textiles factory at Lambha near Ahmedabad, ask for Arun Baid and his wife Sonal or their business, and you get blank stares. Cars are being bought like there won't be any left and manufacturers are storming the market with launches to ensure that won't be the case. Ever since the liberalisation of 1991, and especially over the past decade, many big Indian groups have made big-ticket acquisitions abroad in diverse sectors.Ad 2Pro: Around the world in 30 minutes
Ad2Pro, which has revenues of close to $10 million, today has 500 employees serving 25 customers.DQ Entertainment: Living Life in 3D
Mowgli in three dimensions could well become the game changer for DQ Entertainment (International). At a time when everyone was outsourcing animation work to India, Tilak Shetty and Munjal Shroff decided to create some intellectual property.
Bastions of comfort
Francis Wacziarg and Aman Nath's love for Indian culture and heritage architecture has fused into an admirable and profitable business model. With a combined strength of 5.5 million, private security is already four times the size of the country's police force. Sony Entertainment Television needs a cracker of a programme to shake off stagnation. The 80-year-old Osamu Suzuki is back at the helm of Suzuki Motor Co, or SMC, which holds a majority stake in Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, or MSIL. Two syllables work best when branding a car - although regional nuances can play spoilsport. Component makers have a great future if they tackle their current challenges effectively. By 2012, annual car sales worldwide will increase by about 11 million units per year, with India accounting for 20 per cent. Coming soon to a showroom near you. Stay connected with the office to make working from home less of a challenge and more of an advantage.Realty stocks: Not going through the roof
The pick-up in demand for commercial space is good news for the estate market and realty stocks. Indian investors are developing a nose for vintage wine, which can fetch returns that outstrip gold, equities and property.
Get the most out of global moves
Indian companies have expanded aggressively across the world and have established many global businesses over the past decade. The Vodafone decision, as expected, was appealed to the Supreme Court where the Attorney General reportedly wanted Vodafone to deposit 50 per cent of the tax demand of Rs 12,000 crore. The disc has become redundant thanks to the Internet. Now you can stream movies directly on TV, says Kushan Mitra.
Seize the Moment
The visit of a galaxy of heads of states to India is an opportunity for the UPA government to set the agenda on issues of national and global importance, argues Arvind Panagariya. The Unique Identification (UID) project, or Aadhar, may perhaps be the UPA government's most ambitious project, but the global experience with such projects has not been encouraging. The rise and rise of the rupee because of a surge in FII infl ows might call for the RBI's intervention soon. Nikon's new shooter and the Aldiko eBook app for Android. Biggest deals in the past 30 days. Marketing and publicity begins at the script stage now to ensure box-office success."B-School curricula big on India, China"
Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean of the London Business School, was in India recently to promote the institute's new executive programme being offered in Dubai."Consolidation is imminent in life insurance"
Gerry Grimstone, Chairman of Standard Life plc, is confident that the British company's life insurance JV with HDFC will be profitable. In the latest Rajinikanth flick Robot, the Tamil superstar plays an Android robot called Chitti which looks, walks and talks like a human being. Hiring Holds Steady
Retail and FMCG join the hiring rush, as ITES slips, reveals a BT-TeamLease survey.
Reverse mortgage: Locked treasure
Senior citizens can use their homes to fund their retirement years through the reverse mortgage scheme. Second time lucky
Hamish McDonald's latest book on the Ambanis is engrossing fare but, at the core, it is an updated version of the banned 'The Polyester Prince', says Rishi Joshi. 
