Say Hello to Another
Scam
The raging corporate war over the introduction of limited mobility telephone services has turned political, with the Prime Minister's Office being charged with subverting the regulatory system and favouring a few business houses. An INDIA TODAY investigation looks at the conflict between the sanctimonious claims and the grim reality.

Ballot Boxwallahs
The approaching assembly elections have brought to life five states which are set to witness a stiff fight and whose results can have a big impact on all major parties. A profile of the prime contenders who could tilt the balance either way.

Fall From Grace
Despite a triple-digit growth in net profits of Infosys Technologies and Satyam Computers, the stock prices of the two companies have plunged. Is it the gloomy forecast for software companies that's hammering down the prices?

Unnatural Alliance
The CNG controversy has taken a new turn, with doubts being raised about the propriety of the Delhi Government's selection of Nugas as the sole supplier of the conversion kit.

The Doon Boom
The city that houses Doon School is now playing host to a whole array of new education barons--with big money and even bigger ambitions.

Business Sense

How Indians can win the market

By Rohit Saran

Can Bollywood function with only Aishwarya Rai? The answer, obviously, is no. It can't and it needn't. The Hindi film industry is much bigger than any one actor or actress however famous and beautiful he or she may be. Just as Rai is not a one-woman film industry, information technology (IT) isn't India's only industry of the future however profitable and promising it may be. It's simple and striking arguments like this that make S.L. Rao's book eminently readable. Rao uses his unique blend of experience as an economist, a management expert and a policymaker, to offer insights into the rapidly changing business and economic environment in the country and what it takes to survive and succeed in such an environment.

The title of the book itself is a lesson for Indian companies fearful of being swamped by big multinational corporations. Rao likens giant MNCS to elephants who are immensely powerful but also inherently inflexible and therefore unable to dance to the tune of Indian customers. Indian companies, being smaller in size, can be more agile in adapting to the changing preferences of Indian customers. Videocon is one such company: the entry of global brands in India hasn't affected its premier position in the consumer electronics market. That's because the company caters to the basic need of Indian consumers-value for money. A Chennai-based company's extremely successful formula of selling shampoos for Re 1 a sachet is another instance of how a better understanding of the Indian market gives Indian companies an edge over MNCS.

Rao's knack for weaving tales and drawing exciting parallels to complicated business situations has helped him achieve what most business writers fail to: making economic and business writing interesting for the common man. Instead of long discourses, the book is conveniently split into small chapters, each with an average of four pages. That's partly because the book is essentially a collection of the authors' writings in newspapers and magazines over the past few years. But there's more to the book. "Brand Building in India", for example, is an interesting account of the rise and fall of the edible oil brand Dalda, while "Indian companies in an Open Economy" details the transformation sweeping corporate India. Read it if you understand Indian business. Read it if you want to understand Indian business.

MetroScape

Wealth Of Art
April 8 saw an unabashed get together of Mumbai's Who's Who when the annual Harmony Show, well known as "Tina Ambani's baby", celebrated its sixth showing at the Nehru Centre.
more...

Looking Glass

Bangalore Hotel:
Park.hotel

Mumbai Store:
Regent Watch and Jewellery Boutique

A war of words is on at the Jammu border where India is trying to build a fence to stop infiltration, much to Pakistan's dislike, reports
INDIA TODAY's Special Correspondent Ramesh Vinayak in Despatches.