Tuesday, November 27, 2012

REFORMS: EDUCATING THE REGULATORY BODIES FOR A CHANGE

B&E’s Managing Editor Sutanu Guru wrote on this literate dilemma two issues back; you missed it, he knew it, we’re re-running it... diligently!

Report after report and study after study has revealed the tragic truth that while India churns out millions of graduates and hundreds of thousands of doctors, engineers and managers, most of them simply do not have the basic skills required for the demanding job opportunities that 21st century India is creating. In short, India is spawning leagues of unemployable literates. The key is for the higher education system in India to ‘produce employable’ youngsters. And what better a strategy than promoting the entry of foreign institutions, already at the cutting edge of globalisation and education benchmarks that are extremely pertinent to the new world.

At the heart of the problem are lack of resources and role of UGC and AICTE, the two bodies that are supposed to regulate higher education. Admits former NCERT Director J.S Rajput to B&E, “It is a fact that the government does not have requisite resources to maintain standards in higher education. So, the role and responsibilities of private educational institutions become critical.”

Experts comment that though UGC and AICTE could have moved mountains in improving India’s higher education framework, both of them currently face a crisis of quality, and to a certain extent, credibility. Says Dinanath Batra, Convener of the Shikhsha Bachao Andolan, “Now, the PM places more trust on reports of the Knowledge Commission.” According to the President of Centre for Civil Society, Partha Shah, the basic problem with UGC and AICTE is that they have not changed with the times. Clearly, instead of acting as change agents and effective regulators, they continue to adhere to rulebooks that have grown old beyond what today’s demanding higher education sector requires. It is not that the UGC and AICTE were set up with the objective of stopping the growth of education. In fact, these two institutions were once upon a time not so long back seen as perpetrators of processes and structures in the education sector that could have radically transformed the promised growth into higher figures. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, transformation got replaced by ‘regulation’, a factor that now seems to be stifling higher education to a point of death.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday, November 26, 2012

Investing a dime, well in time...

Major auto manufacturers are on a prowl for the ideal location just as India becomes the best place to bet on. There are mind-boggling investment figures involved here, B&E’s Pawan Chabra investigates...

Today, we stand at a cross roads, where we all stand witness to India being reckoned as the country which has become the repertoire of the best automotive technologies available. As economic development percolates wealth into the Indian economic hierarchy, people now have access to the best of motoring experiences. The somewhat fresher economic outlook has coaxed the government to replace the erstwhile underwhelming driving experience with faster and safer roads, and supporting infrastructure. What better way to do this than to allow private-public partnerships and to smoothen the process by removing red herrings. This is directly inline with the ambitious AMP (Automotive Mission Plan), an actuating vehicle which by 2016 will allow the automobile industry to contribute nearly 10% to India’s GDP and play on a mind numbing turnover of $165 billion. According to Dillip Chenoy, Director General, SIAM, “Earlier the government thought that the AMP was a bit conservative. However, as far as the target is concerned, it is well on track and I think the 10% (as part of the GDP) mark is achievable.” This not only means goodies for the Indian consumer but for the manufacturers as well, lined up with big ticket investments.

In the last two years, we have already seen many reports emphasising the fact that real estate and retail were the two primary sectors which attracted attention in the country, but recent announcements by various auto majors have put the sector into the lime light as well. With such a vast market and now a supportive Indian government, India is well on its way to become a hub for small car manufacturing. Auto guru, Murad Ali Baig explains the reasons for India being chosen as a preferred destination, “The huge potential of the small car market is the biggest factor in attracting these auto players into India and making it a hub for small cars.” Speaking along similar lines, Vaishali Jajoo, auto analyst, Angel Broking further states, “The growth in domestic sales is quite slow at this point of time but the growth of export is high. Therefore, making India an export hub for small cars makes sense for the auto players.” As domestic sales is forecasted, there is bound to be a win-win situation for the auto sector. Interestingly, even though cost of raw materials are on an upturn, it is still lower than compared to that in western countries, thereby guaranteeing better prospects for the future of Indian manufacturing.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Henry, put that cheque back on the table...

...and teach all Fed officials to do just that. Your ‘proactive’ revival might just work for sometime, but it isn’t enough to clean-off the mortgage mess! Right, Henry?!

“Big Daddy” has done everything possible... from rate cuts & bailouts to granting a $168 billion stimulus package to contain the conflagration which is currently devouring the US housing and financial markets; how successful it’s been, is however questionable. First, the $30 billion Bear Stearns bail-out occurred. And then, the Northern Rock & IndyMac Bancorp disasters happened. Now, two mortgage giants – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are facing a common problem showcased in a unique wrap – both suffer from liquidity crunch (like their troubled predecessors) but at the same time are entities too big to fail, and collaterally, too big to rescue for the US Fed! To deal with this fiasco, the Fed expressed its willingness to follow a three-pronged approach [increase credit volume to government-sponsored entities (GSEs), authorise Fed to buy stakes in troubled companies, and finally, give Fed more authority to keep track of GSEs] to ensure reduced number of disasters in the future.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Friday, November 23, 2012

When captive manufacturing counts; opportunities unbound!

J. Suresh, CEO, Arvind Brands & Retail shares his present stance and future plans. A B&E exclusive...

The $27 billion domestic prêt-a-porter market which is growing fiercely at 12% and is extrapolated to reach a sprawling $55 billion by 2015 (according to KSA Technopak Analysis) witnesses the entry of at least two new players every month. Does this tantamount to the end of duopoly of Arvind and Madhura? Such being the milieu, it’s no surprise that the leading apparel player Arvind Brands is trailing the two sure success mantras of the Indian haute couture industry – investing in front-end like retail and the second is to join the bandwagon of grabbing the exclusive marketing right for global brands. In a free willing conversation with B&E, J. Suresh, CEO, Arvind Brands & Retail shares his experience and reveals his future game plans.

B&E: The new millenium saw the entry of many global brands. Do you think franchisee ties with foreign brand still gives a competitive edge against Indian players who have started creating own brands?
JS: Indian consumers always have a liking for global brands and over the past three years, there has been a rise in disposable income and hence the aspiration for global apparel brand has also increased. Our forecast says such a trend will continue. We in Arvind Brands have always believed in offering as many as global brands possible and we will continue to do that...

B&E: But didn’t you create your own brand also, like Excalibur?
JS: We have created four brands like Excalibur, Flying Machine et al but they are for the masses. If you see the entire Indian consumer, it can be segregated into three board categories. Other than the ones in the bottom of the pyramid, which is 50% of the population and the middle income group, like 30-35%, the remaining is the higher income group. We wanted to make sure we are present in all segments, so we focussed on creating our own brands. 


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Wrapped in plastic, it’s fantastic

Presenting the new male every Barbie doll will love!

Trimmer waistlines, wrinkle-free skin, more hair… that’s what men want these days. More and more men today are opting for cosmetic surgery to help them look younger and fitter. Like their female counterparts, they are recognizing the benefits (both personal and professional) of cosmetic surgery. Men are also increasingly choosing face, neck, and eye lifts, forehead and brow lifts; having lasers and peels to make their skin look younger; re-sculpting their noses; and undergoing tummy tucks to trim away excess amount of fat from the abdomen.

Cosmetic surgery was once primarily a female indulgence, but with the changing times, the looks of men have become increasingly important, and that has led to an increase in cosmetic surgery among men. And just in case you thought that this was an American fad, there are men in India heading to the surgeons in droves in order to enhance their appearance and be more appealing to the women.

There is a lot of glamour entering the lives of people. More men are becoming metrosexual and this is making them line up at the doors of cosmetic surgeons. The most common complaints by men are bulging eyelids, receding hairlines, wrinkles, frown lines and drooping necks, to name a few. Hair transplants top the list of the most common procedures, followed by liposuction, nose surgery, eyelid surgery, protein injections, dead cell removal and chemical peels.

The surgeries may cost depending on the type and the hospital where one intends to get it done. People don’t mind spending on their beauty upliftment surgeries.

Men and women both want an image that goes along with a healthy lifestyle but cosmetic surgery has become increasingly more attractive to men. Due to lesser invasive methods, there are no surgical marks to be covered with make-up and men can quickly return to work due to the short recovery span.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)