P&G announced on Wednesday that it was reducing the prices of select stock keeping units of Whisper and Pampers by three and 15 per cent, respectively.
Move comes at a time when the $50-billion Unilever is looking to double its turnover in 10 years.
Its tie-ups so far have been with international brands, either through licensing agreements or joint ventures, to get them into India.
On its radar are Alberto-Culver and the personal care and laundry portfolios of Sara Lee, both recent acquisitions of Unilever.
Pantaloon Retail, the country's largest retailer, is looking at increasing the prices of its apparel products up to 18 per cent, to improve margins in the coming quarters, said a top group executive.
Kishore Biyani's Future Group will hive off its electronics business into a separate company, as continued promotions and increased competition are taking a toll on its margins.
Anti-government protests in Egypt are making Prashant Goenka, director, international business, Emami Ltd, nervous
Companies are predictably working overtime to cash in on the boom. LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Videocon have all lined up new models of both HDTV-ready and full-HDTV sets for the world cup this year.
The cola wars will no longer be restricted to Coke and Pepsi, with their Latin American competitor Ajegroup setting up shop in India.
Raheja-owned Hypercity plans its growth on the back of quality merchandise rather than cheaper price points.
"Instead of plastic faces, which appear artificial, why not use real people?" asks K V Sridhar, national creative director at ad agency Leo Burnett India. "They are compelling brand ambassadors, who can lend an air of authenticity to the communication exercise."
"Both domestic and international business grew well this quarter. Growth in net sales of the domestic business was close to 50 per cent, while the international business saw nearly a three-fold growth during the same period. Our international acquisitions have played a role in helping us register good numbers this quarter."
The Rs 1,500-crore (Rs 15 billion) ladies handbag market will see some major action this year, with luggage makers V.I.P and Samsonite contemplating entry soon.
Market research based on interviews or questionnaires to understand the consumer mind will soon become pass.
"Kraft's acquisition of Cadbury is a global acquisition, where some value is attributable to India. This is different from Vodafone, where the transfer of a single share of the offshore company by Hutch resulted in the Indian business getting transferred to Vodafone," said Pranay Bhatia, associate partner at legal firm Economic Laws Practice.
Mumbai has jumped five positions to become the third-most preferred property investment market in Asia Pacific in 2011, according to new survey.
Latest CBRE data show Mumbai and the National Capital Region together have just 13 per cent more office space than Bengaluru.
Consumer durable companies are stepping up investments in production and distribution to cash in on the demand the industry is witnessing. According to a recent report by research agency Crisil, the Rs 25,000-crore consumer durable industry is slated to grow at a rate of 17-18 per cent over the next five years, to touch Rs 60,000 crore.
The mega real estate loan scam could delay the initial public offers of over half a dozen real estate developers because of poor investor sentiment, said bankers and analysts tracking the sector.
Chennai-based electronics and consumer durables chain Viveks is the country's largest multi-product, multi-brand service centre. B A Kodandaraman, the 72-year-old chairman & managing director, knows it is after-sales service that will separate the men from the boys in the highly competitive retail sector, especially when big corporate houses are muscling their way into the segment.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances