Business and Economy - 'Stratagem'

Intel inside, arm outside!

When Intel Chief Paul Otellini announced that his company had secured the commitment of Lenovo and Motorola Mobility to put ‘Intel Inside’, it was considered as a significant development in the com....Read More

“There are advantages not challenges”
Debjani Ghosh, MD of Sales & Marketing Operation, Intel South Asia, talks to B&E’s Amir Moin about the opportunities in the smartphone segment
B&E: Intel is one of the most innovative corporations of our time. It has been a pioneer when we consider the computing industry. As such, one would have expected Intel to launch their first smartp....Read More

“We’re heavily involved with the app developer community”
Mike Bell, VP, Intel Architecture Group, discusses the global launch of Intel’s first mobile processor
B&E: You already have the largest share of the market in the PC segment. What have been the reasons to move into the smartphones and tablets category?
Mike Bell (MB): Computing is n....Read More

Can JSPL keep its global expansion plans on track?

Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPl) has reasons to cheer as it has been able to deliver growth in profitability for the past fiscal when the entire sector has been facing severe margin pressures. But ....Read More

“A lot of our key people have come back from Bolivia”
Sushil Maroo, Group CFO, Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. discusses raw material prices as well as the situation with the Bolivia project
B&E: You have a planned capex of around Rs.80 billion for FY ‘13. How are you planning to spend this money?
SM: We are planning to divide this money almost equally for our steel and....Read More

“They must establish consensus before a law is made”
N. A. Ansari, Whole time Director and Executive Director, JSPL Raigarh. talks about JSPL’s R&D and environment initiatives as well as policy issues
B&E: What have the most important outcomes of JSPL’s R&D initiatives so far?
N. A. Ansari (NAA): We use our in-house R&D facility as well as licensed technologies. We ensure that th....Read More

How long will Hero rule the motorbike-land?
Homegrown business brainpower from the Munjals have ensured that Hero MotoCorp hangs on to the crown for more than eleven years. And during these years, the most unexpected of moves from Bajaj have failed to dismantle Hero’s machines
In the summer of 2001, Hero Honda’s (now Hero MotoCorp) 78 year-old boss Brij Mohan Lall Munjal got the opportunity of a lifetime. He had the chance to invite 3,000 Hero Honda motorcycle owners for a ....Read More

“We are not distracted by scooters and mopeds!”
K. Srinivas, President – Motorcycles, Bajaj Auto Ltd., speaks to B&E about how Bajaj Auto made inroads into the motorcycle industry and how it plans a bigger tomorrow with a strong back-end unit
B&E: How has the transformation from scooters to motorcycles been for Bajaj Auto? Do you believe that the company took the right call by completely moving away from the scooters segment?
<....Read More

Summer blues hit consumer durables

For the makers of air conditioners and refrigerators, summer months mark the high noon of business when sales are at their sizzling best. But the past summer, milder than usual, proved to be a damp....Read More

“Durables are going through a tough phase this year”
Kamal Nandi, VP-Marketing & Sales, Godrej Appliances, says hardening of prices because of rising input costs will force most consumers to stay away from making big-ticket purchases.
B&E: Durable goods players are going for premiumisation and more energy-efficient products. What are the initiatives that Godrej Appliances has taken on these fronts?
Kamal Nandi (KN):<....Read More

“We are aiming to be No.1 in the split AC segment this fiscal”
Manish Sharma, MD, Panasonic India, Consumer Durables Division, is confident about his company doubling its revenue to Rs.100 billion this fiscal despite the market odds.
B&E: Most industry players say that the going has been tough for consumer durable players. What’s your take on the market?
Manish Sharma (MS): Despite it being a tough year for cons....Read More

“We are hopeful of an upward trend in the remaining months”
Eric Braganza, President, Haier India, shares his outlook on the consumer durable industry, its chances of revival, and what his company is doing to prod demand for its products in a sluggish market
B&E: Its been over a year since the durables market has been witnessing a fall in sales and demand. What do you think have been the key factors for the downturn?
Eric Braganza (EB):....Read More