Kamal Nandi is a relieved man. As vice-president (sales & marketing) of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing, Nandi has been seeing sales back on track for the last two months.
E-tailing, or online retailing, is catching up in India with major retailers setting shop online.
Telecom operators in India appear to be gung-ho over the prospects of value-added services which help them to differentiate, add substantially to their margins while simultaneously be a precusor to third generation or 3G regime. The recent creative campaigns of majors like Vodafone (ZooZoos), Airtel (R Madhavan and Vidya Balan), Virgin Mobile (music download) and Aircel's (Internet applications) are a case in point.
A Nielsen research states that it's the network quality which is on top of the consumer's mind. The research, carried out in the top 10 Indian cities, says that 42 per cent of Indian subscribers rate network performance as very important for selecting their mobile operator. In fact, with 34 per cent votes, network-driven choice is ahead of price-driven choice.
Amul, non-government organisations reach out to buyers through the virtual world, which is free.
The size of the accessories market ranges from Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 3,000 crore and has been growing at 15 to 18 per cent, according to Anand Ramanathan, manager, business performance services, KPMG. Within this, he said, the branded accessories segment is growing 25 per cent, against a growth rate of 35 to 36 per cent for apparel. Margins, however, are 10 to 15 per cent higher on accessories than apparel.
These claims by beverage companies have never been verified as the government is yet to put in place a system to test and validate them. S B Dongre, Director, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI, which issues the FPO licence), admitted: "No laboratory test report is required at the time of granting a licence. We don't conduct any test. If there's a complaint, it has to be taken with the company first through a consumer court."
Following stringent cost-cutting measures by business process outsourcing units and IT firms across the country, the business of call centre cab owners has dwindled by anywhere between 5 and 40 per cent.
The service is offered through SMS, call centres and the Internet. Industry experts said 8-10 million people use mobile search. Two million people use the Internet and the rest use SMSs and call centres. The operators' main source of revenue is premium SMS (what they charge for search query). Advertising from the local merchants getting listed in the search is a promising option.
Of the available media, it was the fastest growing segment in 2008. Its better return on investment and the comparative ease with which its efficacy can be measured will ensure that the trend continues, say analysts. Rising interest in social networking in 2008 has made brands think seriously about online advertising.
Insurance, telecom, infrastructure, FMCG and energy are unlikely to downsize; Elsewhere, only top performers are safe.
With the executive search business declining by 40-50 per cent, recruitment companies are on a serious cost-cutting drive
Firms like MphasiS believe in an inclusive workplace, providing equal opportunities to all.
Companies say it helps them save on consultant fees and reduces the recruitment life cycle. Companies pay consultants close to 20 per cent of the annual package of a person provided by them as their fee; incentives paid to the company's employees for bringing a candidate is comparatively paltry. Besides, companies believe the buddy system gets them the right person who is in sync with their culture, which becomes more significant in turbulent times.
The ongoing downturn has forced firms to cut back on advertising expenses. The banking, financial services and insurance segment (BFSI) has cut advertising budgets by nearly 40 per cent.
Recruitment-related HR executives are being moved to other HR functions like training and development and other day-to-day HR functions, or being taken on contract. If things worsen, there could also be layoffs. Companies like Wipro, Infosys, TCS and iGate, too, have a mix of contractual employees in their HR team.
Talks between production houses, cine workers union inconclusive, no fresh content for broadcasters.
Indian political parties could learn a few lessons from the digital media campaigning chapters of the US Presidential elections.
Most travel agents in India have refused to levy the transaction fees of Rs 350-10,000 on air passengers.
TRAI's recommendation to allow news and current affairs on private FM radio, which is awaiting the formal nod of the I&B Ministry by the year end, has not brought much cheer to radio players.
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