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ARTICLES

Articles are based on student projects done as a part of the coursework at IIMB and recommended by the faculty as the best.

Vista 2017

   

AI in career development space

Creating a real-time Artificial Intelligence engine that can predict the future opportunities to optimize one’s chances in his/her career. This will increase the current employment rate in the Indian market thus raising the market pitch. The machine learning ability of our engine will improve the test basis for development of every user. Our engine will improve the test basis for the development of every user on the current market with his/her personality and skills tested on a regular basis through Gamification. A very new concept of Social scoring is introduced here to analyze all the social media accounts of the user in order to arrive at a social score which shall intend reflect the personality. We are expecting to launch the lite version as soon as in 3 months after the initialization. Within six months our engine will be able to optimize almost all the unemployment issues and provide the right solution.

AI in customer service industry

Can artificial intelligence replace humans ? Experience shows that automation leaves contact centre advisors to deal with more complicated issues. AI is not good at dealing with complaints, sarcasm or emotions. It lacks human empathy and the emotional skills required to deal with complex issues like complaints. Even a simple statement such as “fantastic service” can have the opposite meaning depending on how it’s said. Robots find this hard to understand.

AI in heathcare sector

Artificial Intelligence is Healthcare’s new Nervous System. AI applications can potentially create $150 billion in annual savings for the United States healthcare economy by 20261. AI in health represents a collection of multiple technologies enabling machines to sense, comprehend, act and learn, so they can perform administrative and clinical healthcare functions. Unlike legacy technologies that are only algorithms/tools that complement a human, health AI today can truly augment human activity in taking over tasks that range from medical imaging to risk analysis to diagnosing health conditions.

AI revolutionizing the industries

Automation and Artificial Intelligence have recently become two of the most used words in business, social and political contexts. There is growing debate across business circles on whether automation and AI will change the way industries produce and deliver goods and services; and whether that will change their competitive environment. In political circles, this debate boils down to the future of human employment; whether this will create or destroy jobs. Policymakers as well as the working population is concerned about how to reskill people in the face of these growing developments so that they do not become redundant.

AI taking healthcare forward

Like every other major sector, healthcare is also going to be significantly affected by the new advances in technology. Along with the benefits of AI, companies will need to grapple with the numerous challenges it brings with it. These include keeping organizational and employee morale high, using technology in cost-effective ways, and maintaining differentiation among other health providers who are using the same technologies. The companies that can successfully overcome these challenges via successful integration and an unyieldingly tight focus on service will continue to thrive, while the rest will perish into oblivion and will only be remembered as outdated relics of a bygone era.

Internet of Things in retail

Consumer adoption of IoT devices is expected to rise quickly: The "State of the Internet of Things" study found that nearly two-thirds of consumers intend to purchase a connected home device by 2019, while ownership of wearable technology is expected to double year over year in 2021. The IoT movement offers retailers opportunities in three critical areas: customer experience, the supply chain, and new channels and revenue streams.

The next big wave in service industry

Automation due to the advancement of machines started off slow: with the usage of machines to do repetitive work that did not require heavy human guidance. Now with the advent of AI, automation has now got a whole new meaning with the machines these days being given the capability to think and handle tasks. Even though Artificial Intelligence currently does not seem to portray a major threat to any industry, it is nevertheless moving steadily in this direction and several major industries will soon see a huge overhaul in terms of human resources, employment, organizational structure because of this. Out of these industries, the one that would be seeing the biggest transformation is the Customer Service Industry.

Artificial Intelligence in Pharma industry

The ability of Artificial intelligence to speed-up the process and reduce the cost of drug development (drug - synthesis, testing, delivery) makes it an invaluable asset to Pharmaceutical industry. Assisting in the evaluation of complex simulation results, generating accurate models of target locations & molecules and decision on the type & quantity of dosage are few of the possible improvements. Utilizing AI along the development process makes few roles obsolete while providing opportunity for professionals with Computer Science experience.

Dec 2017

   

Is India ready for its aging economy?

Today, India is reaping the benefits from its young and able demographic, unlike the rest of major economies struggling under the clutches of an increasingly aging and dependent population. But things might not always remain the same for India. Is India ready to support its population that will age? This report questions India's preparedness for the same. The research involves analytically dissecting state-level data for the four prime pillars of support system - education, health, housing and pension; and hence, identify gaps on the policy front. The best practices from other countries have been incorporated to recommend corrective measures and the best way forward.

Future of wearable tech in India

This report focuses on the contributing and inhibiting factors for adoption of wearable devices in India. It also discusses potential wearable devices that may be seen in India in the future and how can they be designed to be best-suited to the Indian context.

Long term Impact of Demonetization

On November 8th 2017 GOI undertook Demonetization activity under the objective of curbing black money. Demonetization had short term impact on Indian economy but no one was sure about its long term impacts. Hence through this CCS report we analysed long term impacts of demonetization. Also we analysed pros and cons of demonetization. Using the insights that we got by conducting surveys, field visits we analysed the way demonetization was conducted and was it successful in achieving its stated objectives. Also we came with a recommendation if GOI should conduct such activity again in future and if it decides to conduct then how it should be implemented.

Economics of a currency in context of Eurozone

The project analyses the theory behind Optimum Currency Area in the context of European Monetary Union. The report highlights the shortcomings in the current structure which led to the Euro crisis in 2010. It also suggests the way forward to make this currency union beneficial for all member states.

Impact of Blockchain & Bitcoin

This paper presents a synthesis of Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. A clear understanding and appreciation of Blockchain technology from both a technical and business perspective is established, along with a better comprehension of Bitcoin, that is essentially a network on the Blockchain. Key allegations against bitcoin such as “Bitcoin is essentially deflationary currency” and “Bitcoin standard is the next Gold standard” are also addressed to understand whether or not Bitcoin can be a mainstream medium of exchange.

Analysis of SCM models and what's preventing industries from joining cloud

We have tried to understand the supply chain models followed in different industries and their pain points. We have also interviewed people from various companies to understand the reasons behind not migrating to cloud. Some reasons include network issues, huge investment in on-premise system infrastructure, security doubts, no control over data etc. Finally, we have come up with a list of recommendations to address each of these problems.

Identity of subsidiaries of multinational organizations

In this paper we have studied two FMCG giants with a long operating history in India: HUL and ITC. We have tried to analyse the kind of equation they have shared with their parent organizations Unilever and BAT, respectively, in terms of identity over a period of time. In our endeavour of understanding how the identities of these subsidiaries have changed with respect to their parent organizations, we have analysed the operations of these organizations over several years, and tried to relate their actions or policies with the corresponding influence their parent organizations were exerting on them. Thus, we have essentially tried to observe these two organizations through the lens of their changing identities over a prolonged period of time.

Does IMF really help the economies in crises?

In order to avail loans from the IMF, a crisis-hit borrowing member country is required to implement a set of policies called the Lending Conditionality. This study critically analyses the design of such policies from the economic and the socio-political perspective of the lending countries, and attempts to answer if the IMF imposed conditions improve or worsen the crisis.

Impact of policies of EU & US on trade and immigration

Protectionism, by definition, means the limiting of trade between countries, by implementing tariffs on imported goods, restrictions, quotas and other regulations imposed by the governments. Such policies are incorporated by a country to safeguard the interests of the local industries. But in recent years protectionism has turned out to be a tool for anti-globalization and political dominance. In this paper, a description of different types of tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that have historically been used by different countries has been provided. Protectionist measures implemented by the European Union pertaining to Agricultural & Agro-based products industry and the USA on Steel, Shrimps and Pharmaceutical industry, that affected India have been explored. The impact of these measures on Indian exports and how India has been handling such situations has been analysed.

WTO's impact of agriculture of India

Study of the impact of various agreements brought forward by the WTO on the Indian agricultural set up.

Consumer aspects to be focussed by modern kirana stores

The traditional grocery stores, also known as the ‘Kirana Stores’, contributed 98% of total grocery sales. They have the highest reach in terms of number and coverage of cities and villages. Though the sector seems to be strong, they are likely to face tough competition from organized retailers. Between 2014 and 2015, the organized retail has grown by 17% whereas traditional grocery sales have grown by 9.8%. In this report, we intend to find out what are the factors that influence Indian consumers in their selection of a retail format. We also intend to find the behaviors that influence the selection of a particular retail format.

Impact of RCEP on Indian economy

The motivation of this study was to understand India’s position in RCEP and design a strategy to negotiate the trading terms to gain maximum benefit out of the trading bloc. The premise behind the participation of India was that it can now actively look to increase participation and quality of its involvement in the trade regime close to Indian Ocean and allied seas, especially in the wake of the current domestic, political and world economic scenario. The report includes an analysis of shortcomings of current and past exchange trade agreements between the interested member countries and recommendations on strategy and policy on how to use RCEP as a platform to boost exchange trade would be looked at.

ICT usage in Smart cities mission

The Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with a mission to develop 100 cities all over the country making them citizen friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Development is responsible for implementing the mission in collaboration with the state governments of the respective cities. The study focuses on the usage of Information and Communication Technology in the Smart Cities Mission. It will be useful for those who wants a basic idea on the Smart Cities programme, and how to make them ‘smarter’. We take Chennai as an example in this report.

Evolution & Imbalances of US-China trade

The US and China are biggest trade partners in the world. The rise of the Chinese economy and its dominance over world economics and politics has made the US to re-think its strategy. Moreover, growing trade deficit proves US dependence on Chinese imports. The paper elucidates the reasons for this shift, that may be attributed to a multitude of factors ranging from unfair business practices by the Chinese to the market seeking behaviour of US firms. The paper attempts to decipher the global value chain and position these economies at appropriate levels.

March 2017

   

ABOF

Study of the strategies adopted by ABOF to gain market share from the current big players in the Indian fashion industry.

Corruption Perception Index

A mathematical analysis that reveals the underlying factors leading to corruption perception index which will help in unveiling the obscurity around the causes of corruption and hopefully provide a solution to this problem

Statistical analysis techniques to solve real world problems

This study aims at using statistics and data analytics tools to solve two problems:- what are the important drivers to promote business entrepreneurship in India and recommendation of a an optimal course structure to IIMB faculty based on student preferences.

Hasiru Dala: Empowering Rag Pickers (Part A)

Hasiru Dala or the Green Force is a member based Non-Profit Organization dedicated for waste pickers and the informal waste workers founded by Shekhar and Nalini. Hasiru Dala aspires to ensure that the neglected waste pickers of the society including the informal waste workers in the solid waste management structure by deploying the expertise achieved by them in this domain. The humble beginning has now become more formalized and structured. Some battles have been won, some lives have been touched and some impact has been created. But there is a long way to go. Hasiru Dala is at the juncture at which it has to be registered as a legal business entity. The question is what form it should take and how is it going to have an impact on their future ambitions?

Hasiru Dala: Empowering Rag Pickers (Part B)

Shekhar Prabhakar and Nalini Shekhar, the Co-founder and Managing Trustee of Hasiru Dala Innovations were discussing the success story of their brain child Hasiru Dala. Glancing at the mammoth journey they have both travelled together to establish this organization in the year 2011 and how swiftly they have moved on to became a well-known household name among the apartments and housing societies in and around Bengaluru. Now they are sceptical about their expansion strategy with various options coming into picture but they need to finalize on one of the scaling strategies. What should they do for scaling up?

Improving Penetration of Health Insurance in India

A study aimed at evaluating the health insurance industry in India and how can it's penetration be increased

Creating an Effective Configuration for an Airline in the Indian Market

An industry analysis to get a better understanding of analyzing, formulating, implementing and executing business strategies in the highly volatile Indian aviation market, along with understanding the current trends of the industry with all its dimensions.

Feasibility Study Of Adoption Of Methods And Technologies Used By International Online Apparel Players By Indian Online Players To Reduce Discounts

This study aims at identifying key issues and suggests some interesting recommendations regarding the fashion idustry in India. Although the online companies have drastically changed the behavior of the customers of buying clothes online but this industry is not less challenges. Heavy discounting allowed to acquire new customers but could build loyalty. Other problems like delivery blunders, inefficient supply chain and logistics need to be addressed at the earliest with the use of proper technology in order to make this business more sustainable.

Bottlenecks to Indian Manufacturing Industry: A Case Analysis

This study is aimed at analyzing Tata Motors Ltd. in detail to understand the firm’s operations and all possible interfaces with the external environment. Tata Motors is a homegrown firm with wide operation base in the country. TML is present across several segments such as Passenger Vehicles, Light/Medium/Heavy commercial vehicles. Though the operation for each segment varies widely, our aim is to work with a generic organizational and operational structure.

Market analysis and recommendation for the Indian toy industry

This study analyzes the Indian toy industry with an in-depth market study and comes up with interesting recommendations based on the insights obtained

Economic Feasibility of Interest Free Products in Indian Commercial Banks

The authors have explored the implementation of interest free housing loans (an asset product) in Indian commercial banks.They developed a financial model for such a home loan product based on rental income and explored the fit of this product in commercial banks in India.

Online Grocery Market in India

This report covers three major aspects of the online grocery industry including attractiveness of this industry, challenges and opportunities for the current online players and how offline retail giants like More, Reliance fresh can build their brand in online grocery space.

A Research report on Patanjali

Rise of Patanjali: To analyze the strategy followed by Patanjali, it’s feasibility if followed by other business houses and impact on global FMCG companies

Expanding the Scope of India Post Payment Bank

In August 2015, India Post has been given an in-principle approval to set-up a payment bank, named India Post Payment Bank (IPPB). While India Post can leverage its vast network and rural presence, running a payment bank will bring its own set of challenges. The project will investigate what different products and services that can be viably offered by IPPB, what challenges India Post will face during the roll out of the payment bank and what strategies it should adopt.

Strategies of the Futures Group Retail, Reliance Retail, Shoppers Stop Retail, Landmarks Group

With such rapid growth trends of organized retail in the FMCG and apparel markets, the strategies of growth and differentiating factor of the multi brand retail giants in India are going to be particularly interesting. How these multi brand retail stores position themselves with the consumers and how they cater to their evolving needs and expectations of their target segment is particularly intriguing. Through this study, an in depth understanding of their strategies and the growth avenues of these multi brand retail houses has been targeted

Does extended warranty influence consumer purchase decision

The aim of this project is to understand the uncover the underlying consumer purchase decision behaviour pertaining to extended warranty on laptops and mobiles.

The English East India Company: Analysis of the company's strategic choices through modern strategic theory

This study analyzes the business strategies of the East India Company and compares it to that of the Dutch VOC in India

November 2016

   

Job Creation & Skill India

This study aims to analyse the goals relevant to job creation and supply of skilled manpower in India.

The Relationship between Demographics and Growth

This study aims to understand how demographic transition occurs, and through which channels it manifests itself.

Impact of Government Schemes on Indian Economy

This study aims to understand the impact of government schemes like MGNREGA, NUHM, NRHM and JNNURM on the Indian Economy.

Trans-Pacific Partnerships and Impact on India

This study aims to understand the impact of TPP on Indian economy with a focus on textile sector, and gives recommendations addressing some major bottlenecks.

Global Value Chains: Indian Automobile Industry

This study aims to understand where India is positioned today in the automotive global value chain and identify gaps.

Indo-Australian Free Trade Agreement

The aim of this project is to examine the trend of trade flows between India and Australia and comment on the role of FTA in addressing the trade barriers.

August 2016- Vista 15 Special issue

   

Tejas is proud to present the award-winning articles of its flagship whitepaper competition Metamorphosis, conducted during IIMB’s 3-day business fest Vista (2015). Tejas congratulates the winning teams for their outstanding performance and thanks all participants for their dedicated efforts.

Bharat Forge Ltd.

This report proposes the diversification strategy for Bharat Forge Ltd. to enter into India’s solar power sector.

Make In India - Challenges & Opportunities

This report identifies issues related to manufacturing in MSME’S & textile sector and how the government policies and efforts can remove hurdles in their growth

Micromax_Informatics

This is a proposed Business Plan for Micromax Informatics in the context of 'Make in India'. It proposes a diversification strategy and lists the challenges it might face in the process.

Wellspun Renewables

This report shows how Government incentives for 'Make in India' can boost the renewable energy sector. It proposes an expansion strategy for WellSpun Renewables towards achieving economic competitiveness for renewables.

Patanjali

This is a proposed action plan for Patanjali to cash in on the untapped potential in the wellness sector in India

Vedanta

This is a proposed diversification strategy for Vedanta into the Solar Energy sector in the background of 'Make in India'

January 2016

   

App Marketing Strategies

This study aims to understand mobile moments, app ecosystem, app marketing and app analytics.

Banking Frauds

This study deals with detailed analysis of issues like ethical practises, financial distress and corporate governance and seeks to pitch recommendations for the same.

Effect of Elections on Economy

This report explains the impact of Lok Sabha elections on different economic factors like inflation, exchange rate, stocks and deficit.

Intraregional FDI In South Asia

This study analyses the constraints to attracting intraregional FDI inflows in South Asia in several sectors, such as energy, healthcare, and textile among others, which have potential for investments within the region.

Oil price shocks

This study analyses how oil importing and oil exporting countries are impacted by oil shocks. The case of Venezuela is taken for understanding the dynamics of a net exporting country and the case of India is taken to understand the impact on a net importing country.

Open Innovation in Bangalore traffic

This study analyses the impact and role of open innovation platforms in solving traffic issues in Bangalore.

Tele-education in rural schools

This study aims to understand the current management structure involved in delivering the SAME Project and design the organizational structure to ensure smooth implementation.

October 2015

   

EUROPEAN ECONOMY AND JAPANESE ECONOMY- AN ANALYSIS OF DRAGHINOMICS VS ABENOMICS

This study compares the economic measures taken by the Shinzo Abe and Mario Draghi in Japan and Europe.

LOCALISATION AND COST COMPETITIVENESS IN THE INDIAN AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

This study presents a research on Localisation and Cost Competitiveness in the Indian Automotive Industry.

STUDY OF IMPACT OF OIL PRICE VOLATILITY ON DIFFERENT ECONOMIES

This report contains inferences on the impact of crude oil price volatility on various world economies gained through literature review and insights developed from macro-economic data gathered from various sources.

FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR INDIAN E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY

This article identifies the future aspects of Indian e-commerce industry.

JAN DHAN YOJNA ANALYSIS OF THE ONE-YEAR JOURNEY

This report gives a detailed account of the Financial Inclusion process in India with an in-depth focus on analyzing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna, as it marks its first anniversary since inception.

July 2015

   

Public Distribution System in India

This study tries to understand the existing models of Targeted public distribution system in india and issues associated with the same.

Exploring trust factor in online Retail

This study tries to identify the factors that are responsible for building trust in mind of customers during online purchase.

A study on cloud migration strategies

This article identifies the common challenges that typical IT managers face while deciding to move to a cloud based model.

An assessment of Luxury Brands in Emerging Markets

This article throws light on the state of luxury goods market in emerging economies with a focus on Indian consumers.

March 2015

   

Bridging the Skill Gaps in India's Labour Markets

This article illuminates the existing skill development infrastructure in India and gives recommendations to maintain close collaboration between the stakeholders.

Measuring Perceived Risk for E-Retail

The article addresses to measure the perceived risk for people shopping in the e-retail arena.

A Study of Trade Surpluses

This article explores the various reserve management strategies available to nations which have trade surpluses.

August 2014

   

India’s Current Account Deficit and the Need to Reduce it

The study analyses the trend of India’s CAD over the recent years as compared with the deficit of other economies.

Corporate Bond Markets in India

The article addresses the urgent need to fast track development of Corporate Debt markets in India.

Vision 2020 Technology @ IIM Bangalore

This article explores the current gaps in the use of technology at IIMB in both academics and administration and assumes the technological advances in 2020.

December 2013

   

Basel Banking Norms: Their Efficacy, Analysis in the Global Context & Future Direction

A comprehensive primary analysis of the Basel Accords.

A Study of Changing Indian Food Market Structure

A situation oriented approach to classifying the Indian food market.

Role of Social Media in Political Campaigns and Elections

An analysis into the strategies that must be adopted by election campaigns to connect with an increasingly social media savvy electorate.

Retail Therapy: Understanding the Phenomenon to improve Customer Experience

A study of urban Indian customers who, of late, have shown the tendency to indulge in retail therapy.

September 2013

   

Governance of Sports in India

Key issues surrounding the present model of sports governance in India.

Indian Handicrafts Industry

Evaluating Inclusivity of Current Business Models.

Low Cost Urban Housing in India and Habitat for Humanity

Studying the urban housing problem in India and providing a viable solution.

Critical Evaluation of the Euro-based Currency Union

Going deeper into the theory, history and the real options facing the member nations today.

October 2012

   

Fighting Perceptions: Dilemma of a Face wash Brand

A look at how to promote a face wash brand in India amidst the competition from multiple categories.

Framework for Effective usage of ICT in Educational Ecosystems

Developing a scalable Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) education model through the study of the current ICT system in Karnataka.

Indian Energy Drinks - Time To Go Organic?

Conceptualization of an Organic Energy Drink for the Indian Market

Low-Involvement Consumer Goods: The Retail Challenge

Developing a Point-of-Purchase plan in both traditional and modern retail formats in the Indian market with reference to a newly launched brand in a low involvement product category like deodorants.

Stagnant Growth: Strategic Analysis of a Luxury Hotel Brand

Investigating the reasons behind stagnating growth of TAJ Luxury Hotels.

July 2012

   

India – Australia Trade: Prospects and Challenges

Exploring opportunities and challenges in India - Australia trade

India-Latin America Trade Relationship

Why is India lagging behind in its trade relationships with Latin America? Can it take certain cues from China?

Slow moving goods in FMCG segment: A study

Why are some FMCG products classified as “slow moving goods”?

Corporate Governance & Independent Directors in India

How robust are India's corporate governance laws? What scope do they offer for independent directors to make an impact?

February 2012

   

Personality Theories, Impulse Purchases and Chocolates

How important are personality traits in designing brand communication?

Consumers' and Retailers' Perspective on Private Labels in Indian Apparel Retail

Have Private Labels been successful in gauging customer preferences and tastes?

Achieving Universal Primary Education: A Collaborative Model

Is there a need for a Government-NGO collaboration in Education?

Trailers as Effective Means of Movie Advertisements

What makes a movie trailer effective? Does it really affect movie revenues?

December 2011

   

Revival of a Footwear Brand using Attitudinal Dimensions

Application of Change in Consumer Buying Behaviour to Revive a Brand in Footwear Industry

Mahindra Logan Brand Positioning: Turning over a New Leaf

Reinvention for Mahindra Logan, will it work out?

Workplace Monitoring: Boon or Bane?

Are information systems and technology aiding or jeopardising organisations?

October 2011

   

India Entry Strategy of Auto Majors

Can global auto majors make it big in India?

Reviving a Declining Brand using Classical Conditioning

This article investigates brand decline and revival in the context of Classical Conditioning.

Market Entry Strategy in Platinum Jewellery Category

With the increasing demand for Platinum jewellery, what should a large, well-established brand do to succeed in this new segment?

September 2011

   

Herding Behaviour of Mutual Fund Managers: Empirical Analysis on the Indian Market

This article aims to answer the question as to whether Indian mutual fund managers take investment decisions independently or follow each other, through a study on herding.

Are we ready to Do-It-Ourselves? Exploring DIY opportunities in India

Will Do-it-Yourself opportunities see widespread adoption in India?

The Leaky Bucket of Female Talent in the Indian IT Industry

Do indian women have to sacrifice their careers for their households?

August 2011

   

Insuring the Base of the Pyramid

Is Micro-insurance another fad, or a historic inflection point for the insurance industry?

E-Waste Supply Chain Management in India : Opportunities and Challenges

The internet and electronic age is boosting growth and development but is there a dark side to it too?

July 2011

   

Cost Optimization for Line Haul Transportation of 3PL Players

Cost reduction is always a priority for companies, especially for those in the upcoming logistics industry. What are the problems they are facing in cutting costs and how can they overcome them?

Restructuring the Truck Terminal Infrastructure in Karnataka

Constructing truck terminals seems to be a good way to solve the traffic related problems on Karnataka’s roads – but where should these be located?

June 2011

   

Factors Affecting Volatility of Silver Prices

A store of value and an industrial commodity, silver has lured investors for long with its lucrative returns despite high volatility. What makes the silver prices so frenzied?

Quality and Hygienic Fish Marketing in Karnataka

It has always been difficult to implement any kind of marketing model in commodity markets. This article presents a marketing model for the commodity market of fish.

Exploring Consumer Retail Shopping Experience

A detailed analysis of factors that contribute the most to the retail shopping experience.

Branded Apparel Penetration Beyond Metros

How should the large apparel brands play in markets beyond the metros?

May 2011

   

The Coffee Day Journey, Cup by Cup

A look at the rapid growth journey of Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company Limited

April 2011

   

Future of Retail in India with Emphasis on Consumer Durables

The global consumer surge has tipped in favour of developing markets like India. Can the domestic retail industry tackle the influx of foreign retailers? How would their retail operations change and how do they appeal the new class of Indian consumers?

January 2011

   

Rural Retail Banking in India: 2020

Will the rural citizens of India have adequate access to financial services in the intermediate future? This article does a Delphi-study to consolidate expert opinion on this issue.

Evaluating the future of Indian solar industry

Given the renewed interest in alternative energy sources, will the sun shine on the Indian solar industry?

Rural BPO Programme: Impact and Implications

Is the Rural BPO programme a good way to ensure inclusive growth in the country? This article analyses the pros and cons of the programme and identifies certain critical factors for success.

Theatre Industry – Are The Curtains Closing?

The theatre industry is at crossroads in India. This articles looks at how the business models of English and Tamil theatre industries differ.

December 2010

   

India – China Free Trade Agreement (FTA): Viability, Prospects and Challenges

Is a FTA between the two growing economic powerhouses possible? Who will have the comparative advantage in such a situation? What are the product categories that the two nations should focus on? What should the framework of such a FTA be to ensure it is mutually beneficial?

Protectionist Trends in Global Trade: A Case of Murky Protectionism

All countries resort to some form of protectionism. However, with globalization, as traditional and transparent forms of protection have been reduced, there has been a shift towards less transparent and complex forms of protection. This article examines protectionist trends in global trade before and after the recent global economic crisis.

Banking the Unbanked – An Indian Perspective

Financial Inclusion is one of the means to achieve economic development in the country. This article proposes a mobile phone based model for providing financial services to the unbanked in the country.

Scope for RFID Implementation in the Indian Auto Components Industry

Increasingly product recalls due to faulty components have plagued the automobile industry. This articles looks at the feasibility of RFID adoption as a possible solution for Indian auto-component suppliers.

November 2010

   

Derivatives arbitrage opportunities in India

Is it always better to go for the simple cash and carry arbitrage? Does a box spread strategy provide more arbitrage opportunities than conversion and reversal strategies? What does an analysis of the arbitrage opportunities in Indian cash and derivatives equity markets reveal?

Understanding Competitive Blind Spots

Firms carry out an analysis of their competitors on a regular basis to remain aware about their strategies and to be able to counter them in due time. However, many a times the firms’ competitive analysis is marred by Competitive Blind Spots. This article focuses on these and how to manage them.

Probiotic Ice-Cream and Attitudinal Dimensions

Probiotic ice-creams are a healthy alternative to standard ice-creams with a similar taste. This article uses the concepts of Consumer Behaviour to formulate a strategy for the marketing of Probiotic ice-creams.

Next Generation Marketing: An Indian Perspective

There are a slew of new generation marketing strategies that are used by marketers worldwide. This article looks at how these strategies are relevant to the new Indian customer.

October 2010

   

Ultra Mega Power Projects: A Risk Analysis

Ultra mega power projects can realize India’s dream of ‘Power for all’. However, what are the different kinds of risks that these projects face? Which among these risks are more significant and require attention? This article seeks to identify these factors.

Adapting to Organizational Change: Hindustan Unilever Research Centre

Organizational changes in a multi-national organization have interesting ramifications on the local subsidiary. This article looks at how the Hindustan Unilever Research Centre, Bangalore adapted to the “Power of One” policy of marketing giant Unilever.

Study of Real Market Forces Influencing Volatility Skew Curves

Does Indian stock options market conform to the Black-Scholes equation? If not, what are the other factors that affect the market price? An analysis of volatility skew graphs for Indian companies provides some insights.

September 2010

   

Operations Management in Indian Judiciary: Tapping the Potential

The increasing number of back log cases in the Indian judicial system has become a serious national concern now. With the voices of “justice delayed is justice denied” getting louder, can a solution be found by improving the operational efficiency of our judiciary?

Pankhudi Foundation: From an Online Community to an NGO

How is it that an Orkut community grew into a productive NGO spread over six major cities? Read on to see how Pankhudi has been able to capitalize on the huge volunteer base in these cities.

Telecom Industry Pricing: Who is eating into whose Share?

How have pricing plans evolved in Indian Telecom industry? What are the different product lines offered by existing players like Airtel? Are they different from the ones offered by Tata Docomo? How has the entry of new players, such as Tata Docomo, MTS, and Uninor affected the Telecom industry in India?

August 2010

   

India and China: Analysis of Trade Relations with Africa using Gravity Models

In their race for economic superpower-hood, both India and China must approach trade relations with the African nations with a far-sighted strategic outlook. How have these countries fared so far and what should be the way ahead? This article uses an extremely interesting economic model inspired by Newtonian mechanics to probe these questions.

Image Advertising: The Advertising Strategies of Pepsi and Coca Cola in India

Marketing now operates on a more subtle, emotional level, and advertisements are all about creating the right image of the brand. Read on to see how the two Cola giants been able to carve their own niches.

India's Anaemia Woes- A Study

Anaemia has been a major issue in India for decades, yet most Government initiatives have not been effective in curbing it. Should the Government relook some of its policies and measures taken to tackle Anaemia? A live study of several stakeholders in this issue reveals some pointers.

July 2010

   

A Framework for Retail Communication Strategies

To fully harness the potential of emerging markets, retail outlets need to focus, among other things, on their communication strategies. This article proposes a framework for retail communication.

Takeover of Privately Held Targets: An Indian Perspective

Are the bidder returns in the case of a takeover of a privately held always abnormally high? Read on for an in-depth analysis.

Measuring Confidence in Indian Public Institutions

Do people have confidence in Public Institutions? What parameters affect the confidence of the public in the government, and government bodies in general? How does this confidence vary across the various sections of society?

Restructuring Domestic Passenger Airline Operations: Catering to Emerging Traffic Patterns

As the domestic airlines industry in India faces mounting challenges due to the steadily rising surge of traffic, can current operating models hold going into the future? How long can a ‘metro-only’ aviation industry remain sustainable, as more tier II cities become business hubs calling for better air connectivity?

June 2010

   

Navneet Publications - Adapting to Changes in the Indian Book Publishing Industry

Given the highly fragmented nature of the Indian book publishing industry, how should industry veteran Navneet Publications adapt? How should it capitalize on the current growth trends in the industry? A strategic analysis recommends the possible growth path.

Samsung India Software Operations: On Verge of a Radical Shakeup?

As Samsung India Software Operations seeks to manage its 2600 employees, what is the ideal organisation structure? How does Samsung Korea influence the culture? How will Samsung India face the current challenges?

Risk Return Analysis of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Small Hydro Power (SHP) Projects in India

This article does a quantitative analysis of risk and returns of small hydro power (SHP) projects in India that are registered with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the clean development mechanism (CDM). The dependence of the performance parameters of the projects on different factors is examined through regression analysis and simulation and key factors that determine return and risk are identified. The article looks at the impact of registering SHPs and some recommendations follow from this analysis.

Enhancing Road Usage Through Shadow Tolls

The public private partnership model, having been successfully implemented in several road projects in India, is now showing chinks in its armour. As the PPP model fails to provide attractive RoIs, is there anything the government can do?

May 2010

   

Fuzzy Logic in Credit Rating

Indian banks have to assess the creditworthiness of their customers based on insufficient data. A Fuzzy Logic system for credit rating can come to rescue in such scenarios.

The Real Climate Debate: To Cap or To Tax?

In a world faced with rising temperatures what is the best way to lower greenhouse gas emissions – a system that taxes carbon or one that caps the emissions?

ThrillnChill.com: Marketing the Adventure Sports Concept

Is there a market for adventure sports in India? What exactly are the kinds of experiences that consumers are looking for? How can a company provide offerings that consumers want? Read on to find out the answers to these questions.

Banking of Land Resources: A Framework

At present in our country the Land Resource is managed very ineffciently, as a result not being put to its best possible use. This article provides a framework for a Land Bank that can be used for efficient mobilization of the Land Resource

April 2010

   

Marketing Research in Online Travel Agency Space

Are there any opportunities for product differentiation left in the online travel agency space? Can marketing research help answer this?

Sequel making: A strategic choice for a film-maker

Until recently, sequels were not commonplace in Bollywood. What would make a third Munnabhai film tick?

Issues in Cellular Services in India : A Consumer Perspective

With the boom in the telecom industry and the increase in mobile penetration the Indian story has been the focus of many studies. However, the customer perspective is often lost out. A look at the concerns of customers and subsequent suggestions follow.

Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in India:
An Index-based Critical Perspective

Touted as engines of economic growth, SEZs have created quite a stir in the country in the past 4 years, raising several issues including adequacy of the provisions of the Act. Is our SEZ policy robust? If not, where does the gap lie? Is it in the conceptualization, implementation or governance?

March 2010

   

Real Options Based Analysis For A Power Generation Company

In these times of global warming and increasing energy needs, how should power generation companies evaluate projects? Is DCF sufficient or are real options the way forward?

Corporate Financial Restructuring:
An Analysis of Select Cases

Choosing the right mode of financial restructuring can determine success or failure in generating shareholder value.

Neo-N: Solar Panels and Solar Arrays

Mere existence of demand is not a guarantee for success in the growing market for solar devices in India. An entirely new approach to meet customer requirements is the way to go.

Rural Financial Intermediation: A study in tribal Areas of Jharkhand

Are the current models of rural financial intermediation getting adequate results? What changes need to be incorporated to increase the accessibility and availability of credit to rural areas?

February 2010

   

Catapulting Indian Sports to Previous Glories

While cricket is the darling of the masses in India, hockey and football are often said to have received step-motherly treatment. What is the story behind the current state of affairs? Can something be done?

Brand management : The Kingfisher Airlines Saga

Despite the acquisition of the biggest low cost carrier in India, Kingfisher Airlines has recently lost ground to Indigo Airlines. Why did Kingfisher Red fail to take off?

Fair & Lovely : Redefining Beauty

Successful brands have sometimes been founded on controversial promotion. Can further growth be propelled by providing a different proposition?

January 2010

   

Globalization of Tata Motors: Strategic Plan for the Future

Over the last decade of the 20th century, Tata Motors has been a forerunner in the globalization arena. However, with the domestic commercial vehicle market growing at a CAGR of 20% in the last 5 years and with the highway network across the country undergoing a dramatic expansion, the focus on globalization has declined. Given the current economic downturn, what should be Tata Motors' globalization strategy?

Indian Cement Industry: Can UltraTech be the next Market Leader?

UltraTech is now the second largest producer of cement and ranks third on profitability. In a dynamic market scenario, the company possesses huge potential but also faces tough challenges. What are these challenges and what must it do to become the number one player in the industry over the long run? Read on to find out.

Thai Economy: Effect of US Slowdown

Does the growth performance of the developed world affect the developing world? And does this linkage hold true in the case of Thailand?

December 2009

   

Mutual Fund Competition: Search for Sustainable Strategy

Mutual Funds (MFs) have risen as an attractive investment opportunity and investors increasingly rely on ratings to decide. Do these ratings really convey superior performance of funds?

Disclosure Level of Indian Banks: International Comparison and Impact on Shareholder Wealth

As the disclosure norms for banks become tighter owing to RBI's intervention and the Basel accord, do they have any significant impact on shareholder wealth?

Retail Promotions and Effectiveness

Understanding discounts from a customer perspective is critical to the success of any such offer. Read on to get insights on how customers value such offers.

Revitalising Women's Horlicks in India

Why is Women's Horlicks not fulfilling its promise? Are there strategies that can enable it to realize its latent promise?

November 2009

   

The Indian Volatility Index - An effective hedging instrument?

Looking to understand the most effective hedging tools in the stock market? The Volatility Index has the potential to make a great one. Read on to understand its significance in the Indian context.

Liberalization of Indian Legal Services

Is it the right time to open up the Indian Legal Services industry to foreign players as well? Is the industry ready to take this massive change?

Job stress and performance

Job stress can create or destroy. How does one maintain equilibrium in today's competitive work environment?

Mobile Virtual Network Operator model in India

What is the potential for Value-added Services in the Indian Telecom Market? Will the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) model work in India? What factors should a possible new entrant in this space consider and what form should it take?

October 2009

   

M&As in the Indian Banking Sector - Strategic and Financial Implications

The Indian Banking sector has seen quite a few Mergers and Acquisitions in the recent past. What have been the motives behind these? What are their benefits and drawbacks? How is the future direction of the M&A scene in India likely to be?

Product Development Process in a Product Design Consulting Firm

With the growing competitiveness of Indian talent pool, is the product design industry all set to capitalize? What are the speed breakers?

The Tata Group: Challenges in Managing a Large Portfolio

As the Tata group marches ahead with close to 100 companies under one roof, does it make sense to hold on to each of them? If not, should some of them be spun off? A portfolio analysis of the group picks out the potential contenders.

Predicting Stock Market Crashes

When sentiments rule the roost, can technical indicators come to the investors rescue? An in-depth analysis of the crashes in Indian markets over an eight year period beginning 2000 indicates maybe they can.

Technology Wars: Competition Dynamics of the Wireless Spectrum in India

Regulatory changes in India have opened up the competition in the telecom industry. Will faster and cheaper win in the race for the next-gen wireless communication system?

Wendt India: Strategy Marries Organizational Structure

The framework of an organization is a vital component in its success. With globalization here to stay, how can a multinational firm best structure itself?

Price Endings and Consumer Perception

What effect does a price of 1999 have compared to 2000? Is the Indian consumer price ending sensitive?

Organisation Structure and Culture in an ITES Organization

The ITES sector is an interesting subject of study from an Organization Theory perspective, given the unique nature of the business. Read on to know more about the decision making processes, factors affecting the communication across organization, and ways of fostering organization culture of a leading ITES company.

Branchless Banking by Corporation Bank - A Branding Perspective

Can branchless banking uplift the brand image of a traditional Indian nationalized bank? Did Corp bank get it right when they went for branchless banking? What should they do next?

Demand Forecasting for Lean Supply Chain

Accurately forecasting sales is one of the key challenges for any company. A new quantitative technique has been employed to substantially improve the sales forecast of a top consumer goods company.

Organisation Structure and Culture in an ITES Organization

The ITES sector is an interesting subject of study from an Organization Theory perspective, given the unique nature of the business. Read on to know more about the decision making processes, factors affecting the communication across organization, and ways of fostering organization culture of a leading ITES company.

Branchless Banking by Corporation Bank - A Branding Perspective

Can branchless banking uplift the brand image of a traditional Indian nationalized bank? Did Corp bank get it right when they went for branchless banking? What should they do next?

Demand Forecasting for Lean Supply Chain

Accurately forecasting sales is one of the key challenges for any company. A new quantitative technique has been employed to substantially improve the sales forecast of a top consumer goods company.

Insights from Complexity Theory: Understanding Organizations Better

Can complexity theory be applied to better understand today’s organisation? A look at some insights on organisation structure and design drawing from this approach.

Introduction of Government Securities Futures: An Indian Perspective

RBI has announced the introduction of Interest Rate Futures with the banks being allowed to take trading positions. After an unsuccessful launch in 2003, will the IRF market take off this time round?

Jumbo King Vada Pav - A Recipe for Success

The Vada Pav has firmly cemented its place as Mumbai's favourite fast. How can a fast food joint leverage the Mumbaikar's passion for Vada Pavs?

Marrygold: Misplaced Perception Due to Cultural Differences

When Shakespeare wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", he definitely did not think of potential misperceptions due to cultural differences. But can a company afford to overlook that in this fast changing age?

Nokia - Restructuring a Giant

Restructuring is often pronounced as a virtual impossibility in very large organizations. How then does a behemoth like Nokia use it as a tool to gain competitive advantage in an exceptionally dynamic market?

Public Healthcare - Paving the way for a Cost Efficient Drug Procurement & Distribution System

The current decentralized healthcare procurement system suffers from gross inefficiencies leading to high cost for the government. Will a centralized system be more efficient?

Schlumberger: HR Challenges in the Petroleum and Energy Sector

HR is a very important function in an organization, not only for its internal activities but also for its growth and expansion. To propel an organization forward, it is necessary to ensure that the motivation levels stay high at work. In the process, HR function faces challenges that are very different depending on the industry. A case in point is the oil extraction and refining industry. In this article, we present the different HR policies of a petroleum producing firm and its implementation.

Securing Credit Cards Using Biometric Identification System

As the world grapples with increasing credit card frauds there seems to be a need to move towards more personalized ways of securing them. Is fingerprint verification the best way forward?

SNR District Hospital: Delivering Quality to the Poor

Government healthcare facilities for the poor leave a lot to be desired. Is the use of technology and imitation of the corporate hospitals the answer?

From Follower to Market Leader: Strategic Recommendations for Bajaj Auto Ltd.

With the launch of the Tata Nano, is it curtains for India’s premier two wheeler manufacturers? How can Bajaj Auto Ltd. develop its strategies to be a market leader?

FEATURED VIDEOS


Mr. Sanjay Kalra, Former CEO, Tech Mahindra

Sourav Mukherji, Associate Professor, on Knowledge Management in Indian Software Firms

Dr. Catherine Nickerson, Associate Editor, Journal of Business Communication (Sage)

Dr.Trilochan Sastry, Professor, IIM Bangalore

Dr. Padmini Srinivasan, Assistant Professor, IIM Bangalore

Dr.R. Srinivasan, Associate Professor, IIM Bangalore

Dr. Vijaya Marisetty, Associate Professor, IIM Bangalore

Dr. Rajeev Gowda, Professor, IIM Bangalore
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