Sumo to lend $1 billion to ICICI

India’s largest private bank ICICI is set to raise $1 billion loan in Yen. Permitted by the relaxed overseas borrowing norms, ICICI is preparing to take advantage of world’s lowest interest rate prevailing in Japan. After the bank’s lending surged 47%, it is raising the fund to further strengthen its lending base. The money will be raised in Yen to save on withholding tax and then the proceeds will be swapped into Indian Rupee. 14 banks have been hired by ICICI to arrange these loans that are expected to mature within a time period of one to three years.

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Source: IIPM, 4Ps, B&E

Traditional Economics

For slightly less than $8000, one can purchase from DFC Intelligence, a respected “strategic market research and consulting firm focused on interactive entertainment and the emerging video game”, several reports such as China Game Market and Game Industry Overview as well as updates for one year. The subscription fee alone says that video games or entertainment soft ware, as the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) calls it, is big business. DFC estimated that from 1996 to 2005, the US video game industry doubled to $7 billion. And contrary to perception, US is not the largest video game market. It's Asia, whose market is predicted to reach $23 billion by 2009 in a recent Computerworld Singapore article. Game economics viewed from a different perspective shows that in its first 24 hours of retail sales, Microsoft ’s “Halo 2” had sales of $125 million. And the numbers are not only monetary: Wikipedia recently listed 189 web pages of game publishers & developers. The game economy isn't just big, it's also profitable. In 2005, Electronic Arts had worldwide revenues of $3.1 billion, roughly $500,000 for each of its 6500 employees. Similarly, Sony Computer Entertainment has a 2005 market capitalization of ¥1.933 billion on revenues of more than ¥737.9 billion. Many schools and colleges offer programs in video game design, character animation and technical direction including some established and respected universities as well as upstarts which cater specifically to the game industry. The schools making these offerings appear to be about evenly divided between technical and art schools, but include some surprises. For example, the Georgia Institute of Technology has a PhD program in digital media and in 1998 Carnegie Mellon University established its Entertainment Technology Centre, which offers advanced degrees in entertainment technology through courses like 'Building Virtual Worlds' & 'Game Design'. By traditional measures, the game economy is big, growing bigger and definitely here to stay! For more information on IIPM Editorial Article, please click here...,

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Source: IIPM, B&E

Even relatively smaller budget films have been given a boost with innovative advertising and branding

But that’s not to say that cheap, and non-mass audience options like the net are ignored. While KANK’s song- Where’s the party tonight played back to back on MSN’s Desktop TV, Munna and Circuit, like so many other celebrities before them, went online to chat with their fans on MSN messenger. Even relatively smaller budget films have been given a boost with innovative advertising and branding. Siddharth reveals that UTV spent around Rs.170 million on the promotion of its small budget film Khosla Ka Ghosla. Mukta Arts generated hype around the number ‘36’ for the promotion of its murder mystery 36 China Town. And Nagesh Kukunoor, Director of Dor (produced by the Sahara group) ensured prime time press coverage using various seat-of-the-pants tactics, like a special well publicised personal screening for Sachin Tendulkar. For more information on IIPM Articles, please click here... , Also visit: Arindam Chaudhuri Initiative

Source: B&E and IIPM Publications

2007 Mercedes-Benz G 55 AMG: 6,733,314 INR (IIPM Publication)

It is the latest and smartest SUV to hit the floor. The extremely robust vehicle has a commanding Supercharged V8 engine roaring under its hood, an astonishing 500 bhp of horse power, bi-xenon headlamps, scratch resistant paint finish, and hold your breath, is based on nano-technology! If this dynamic SUV doesn’t sweep you off the floor, then the only reason could be that you are planning a novel - The Monk who sold his Mercedes SUV...

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Editor: Arindam Chaudhuri

Source: IIPM Publication

Maruti Udyog Limited (4Ps Publication, IIPM)

Maruti Suzuki has been one of the most successful collaborations in the Indian automobile history. The company came into existence about 25 years ago, when the chronic lack of choices in automobiles gave way to Sanjay Gandhi’s vision for changing things for good. The preceding chain of events brought about the establishment of Maruti Udyog under a technical collaboration with Suzuki Motors Japan in 1981. With per capita income of Indian families not high enough, Maruti Udyog introduced the most innovative car model till date in the history of Indian automobiles – the Maruti 800 – a car that succeeded on the simple premise that it did not have any innovation. The much affordable 800 gave to the low income Indian consumer all that she could have wanted through a high-class car – air conditioning, security from nature and other elemtnes, and most importantly, family travel. With liberalization came more competition from global leaders like Toyota, GM etc. But Maruti Udyog, with its focus on consolidating sustainable competitive advantages, disproved even hardened critics by providing to consumers the best in quality, after sales service network, style and technology, at the lowest of prices. With a massive market share that ranges between 40 to 55%, depending on the quarter one studies, Maruti has been excruciatingly unforgiving on competition, whether through new product launches (where Swift massacred a direct competition from Hyundai’s Getz), or through expanding dealer networks unbelievable (where companies like Toyota and GM have openly accepted that they cannot hope to get more than 10% of marketshare, and that too by 2010). Jagdish Khattar (left), Maruti's head, must be a proud man, for innovation was never so violent... on competition!

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Editor: Arindam Chaudhuri

Source: IIPM Publication

IIPM Editorial -> Gluttons, all aboard!

Come August 12, Guadeloupe transforms into every glutton’s heaven. After early morning orisons to St. Lauren that commence the Festival of the Women Cooks, the cuisinières clad in colourful Creole costumes burst on to the streets with baskets of tempting Creole delicacies dangling from their arms. Offering a bite or two to the bystanders lining the Point-à-Pitre, they parade on till the venue of the colossal feast is thrown open to the public for a fee that seems utterly insignificant when you rest your sight upon the lavish spread just waiting to be gorged! For those with little appetite for gastronomic pleasures, the Guadeloupe Islands offer enough eye candy with pristine beaches, bewitching tropical gardens, hot springs and waterfalls to marvel at and enshrine in memories moulded in this charming corner of the Caribbean... It doesn’t get more wholesome than this!


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Source: IIPM Publication, Editor: Arindam Chaudhuri

IIPM B&E July Magazine Article: Capt. Kirk-“Beam me up Scotty”

Even a triple whammy with Nissan and Renault would not be able to turnaround the falling GM

Much to the displeasure of GM Chief Rick Wagoner, Kirk Kerkorian (his company Tracinda Corp. holds a mammoth 9.9% stake in ailing General Motors) has been a boisterous man, mainly because he is the driving force behind the current talks for a possible alliance between GM, Nissan and Renault. Obviously, with such a huge sum of money at stake, Kerkorian is reportedly not happy with Wagoner’s painfully slow turnaround strategy. And why not, for GM lost an unbelievable $10.5 billion in the year 2005 alone. The alliance, if it goes through, would have Nissan and Renault picking up 10% stake each in GM. Also, it would bring in the turnaround expert Carlos Ghosn, the man who made the $20 billion indebted Nissan profitable. No doubts, Wagoner is having the worst nightmare of his life, as he’s afraid of losing his position in the company. But more importantly, should such an alliance take place at all?

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Source: (Business& Economy), IIPM; Editor: Arindam Chaudhuri