Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Media & Entertainment Industry projected to grow at 12.5% over next five years to Rs. 1052 billion: FICCI-KPMG report
MUMBAI, February 17, 2009: The Indian Media and Entertainment industry stood at Rs 584 billion in 2008, a growth of 12.4 per cent over the previous year. Over the next five years, the industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.5 per cent to reach the size of Rs 1052 billion by 2013, says a FICCI & KPMG report on the sector release today. The report however, highlights that the market environment has become increasingly challenging for the sector, on the back of economic slowdown and the consequent slowdown in advertising revenues, especially in the last quarter of 2008. Sectors like TV, Print, Radio and Outdoor which depend on advertising revenues were largely affected and this is estimated to continue into the current year too. Advertising spends grew at CAGR of 17.1 per cent in the past three years. Going forward, it is expected to exhibit a robust growth rate CAGR of 12.4 per cent over the next 5 years. Potential upsides could take this higher.
Growing acceptance of the digital TV distribution technology, entry of DTH players the success of many small budget movies, and the rising competition in the regional market were some of the key highlights of the previous year. However, it was IPL which proved that innovation in traditional formats resulted in runaway success.
Says Dr. Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI, “India is one of the few countries where economic growth will be led by domestic consumption. With a low advertising spend to GDP ratio of 0.47 per cent, a growing consumer class, and middle class, young population, low media penetration and increasing discretionary spending; India continues to be an attractive market for Media & Entertainment”.
Commenting on the highlights of the report, Mr. Rajesh Jain, Head Information, Communication & Entertainment, KPMG India, said, “Media companies are under pressure to change, innovate and re-examine their existing business models. Players need to draw upon new capabilities to survive in this environment. In the immediate future, media corporates are likely to focus more on operating margins, and assess opportunities for consolidation, while building on core strengths”.
Trends in M&E industry:
Sports marketing, is expected to grow rapidly now as broadcasters, encouraged by the IPL example, start aggressively selling cricket and other sports as entertainment packages.
Narrowcasting (niche entertainment) is expected to increase further- Likely to see more audience fragmentation across a myriad of content genres.
Both regional Print and TV sector is witnessing a potential upside of advertising rate difference between national print dailies and TV channels.
International consumption of Indian media is expected to be an important growth driver for the industry.
Organized funding is an indicator of how the Indian M&E industry has come of age. Although with the economic downturn and the liquidity crunch, the overall availability of funding might take a hit in the short term but the long term prospects continue to be positive.
Advent of 3G services in India, may further aid convergence, by making the mobile phone a convenient access point for video and audio media.
The projected 12.5 per cent growth for the sector will be driven on the back of factors like favorable demographics, strong long term fundamentals of the Indian economy, expected rise in advertising to GDP ratio compared to developed economies and increasing media penetration.
Given the industry’s changing landscape and emerging challenges, the focus of industry players too is changing; with a strong emphasis on profitable growth in the current scenario. Hence, media companies are increasingly concentrating on strengthening existing operations and assessing options for growth through consolidation, while continuing to innovate. Factors like Narrowcasting, Regionalization, Internationalization, Organized Funding, Digitization and Deregulation have become the ‘buzzwords’ in the industry.
Television:
The industry is estimated to have reached a size of Rs 241 billion, a growth of 14.2 per cent over 2007. The television industry is projected to grow at the rate of 14.5 per cent over 2009-13 and reach a size of Rs 473 billion.
Some of the growth drivers for the sector would include rapid growth in the number of digitized households, steady increase in ARPUs realized through digital distribution platforms, growth in the number of channels, especially in niche and regional categories and growth in the number of TV and C&S households. To have addressability and reduce leakages, the report recommends pushing for government regulations for mandatory digitization of all TV distribution, development of alternate audience/viewership measurement systems, and rationalization of content production costs through discussions with stakeholders at all levels actors/technical staff, production houses and broadcasters. There is also need to create content for audiences in the Tier 2 and 3 towns from where the next wave of growth is likely to come.
Filmed Entertainment:
The filmed entertainment sector is estimated to have grown at a CAGR of 17.7 per cent over the past 3 years. The industry is clocked revenues of around Rs 109.3 billion in size in 2008, a growth of 13.4 per cent over 2007. Over the next 5 years, the industry is projected to grow at the CAGR of 9.1 per cent and reach the size of Rs 168.6 billion by 2013.
Growth drivers for the sector would include expansion of multiplex screens resulting in better realizations, increase in number of digital screens facilitating in wider film prints releases, enhanced penetration of home video segment, primarily in the sell through segment, increase in number of TV channels fuelling demand for film content, and hence resulting in higher C&S acquisition costs, improving collections from the overseas markets. Going forward the sector should focus on improving consumer connect by investing in new formats and content, more wide spread distribution of Home Video, e.g. at grocery stores etc., to facilitate easy access, take coordinated and proactive action to tackle piracy, promote and experiment with new talent and improve organizational ability to attract and retain talent.
Print Media:
The Indian Print Media industry is estimated to have grown by 7.6 per cent in 2008 and reaching around Rs 172.6 billion in size. The industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9 per cent over the next five years and reach around Rs 266 billion in size by 2013.
Growth in the Print media industry is achievable through sustained growth in advertisement revenues due to increased advertising spends from emerging sectors such as Education, Organized Retail and Telecom, improving literacy levels in the country, optimization of cover prices leading to improved penetration and growth in sales volume, more launches in the niche segment, like newspaper supplements and specialty magazines, by players. The industry needs to invest in quality improvements, especially in regional media to attract advertisers; collective negotiations and bulk purchase of newsprint, constitute forums to encourage and promote regular reading habits among youth, adopting innovative practices like trading media space in publication platforms in return for equity and improve organizational ability to attract and retain talent.
Radio:
Radio ad spends account for about 4 per cent of the total advertising spends in India today, having grown from just 2 per cent in 2004. Consequently, the radio industry is estimated to have grown at an impressive CAGR of 19.7 per cent over 2006-08. It is estimated to have reached a size of Rs 8.4 billion by end of 2008, a growth rate of 13.5 per cent over the previous year. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2 per cent over 2009-13 and reach a size of Rs 16.3 billion by 2013.
Increase in the number of radio stations – around 700 new licenses expected to be issued to Private FM stations in Phase 3, expected regulatory reforms that are likely to improve profitability and stimulate foreign investments, emergence of robust audience measurement tools which could further catalyze growth in radio ad spends and growth in locally targeted advertising on radio are some of the growth drivers for the radio industry in the country.
Music:
The size of the Indian music industry was estimated at around Rs 7.3 billion in 2008, down from Rs 8.3 billion in 2005, implying a degrowth of 4.8 per cent during the period. One of the primary reasons for this degrowth has been the erosion of sales of physical formats, a trend which is expected to continue well into the future. Physical formats such as audio cassettes and compact discs, which accounted for approximately 87 per cent of industry revenues in 2005 currently account for just fewer than 60 per cent in 2008.
Going forward physical revenues are expected to decline at a CAGR of 9 per cent between 2008 and 2013. While the actual degrowth of formats such as audio cassettes is expected to be much higher, this is likely to be partially offset by initiatives taken by some leading music companies such as Sony BMG, T-Series and SaReGaMa to release MP3 music on compact discs at price points similar to that of the ubiquitous audio cassette. Overall the music industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% over 2009-13 to reach Rs 10.7 billion.
Out of Home (OOH):
OOH media has grown at a CAGR of 17.3 per cent over the past 3 years, and is estimated to have reached Rs 16 billion in size in 2008, a growth of 14 per cent over 2007. The sector’s performance was affected in the second half of the year owing to the overall economic slowdown. It is projected to grow at a compounded rate of 12.8 per cent over the next 5 years and reach a size of around Rs 29.3 billion by 2013. Currently, the growth is centred largely in Tier 1 towns, with metros accounting for more than half of the total OOH market. Sectors spending the most on this medium include Telecom, Media & Entertainment and Financial Services companies.
One of the biggest challenges that the sector faces today is the lack of a central regulator governing OOH media. Rules and regulations vary from state to state, which inhibits standardizations across locations and leads to unregulated growth. Further the ongoing liquidity crunch has forced many real estate developers to go slow on construction activities, thus affecting the supply of retail space. This is likely to affect the spread of ambient media.
Animation:
At an estimated size of Rs 17.4 billion in 2008, the Indian animation industry is miniscule as compared to the global animation industry with estimated revenues in excess of Rs 1530 billion by 2010. However, the Indian animation industry has been growing rapidly with an estimated CAGR of 20.1 per cent in 2006-08. It is estimated to reach a size of about Rs 39 billion by 2013. Among the different segments of the animation industry, the animation production services segment is estimated to grow the fastest with a CAGR of 17.8 per cent in 2009-13.
Gaming:
Console gaming is the largest money churner in the global market and is gaining prominence in India too. In 2008, the Indian console gaming segment registered total revenues of Rs 4.1 billion which is expected to go up to Rs 9.4 billion in 2013. Plagued by a number of issues such as content discovery and revenue leakages the Indian mobile gaming segment has not lived up to the potential and is estimated at Rs 1.4 billion in 2008 in terms of end user revenues. The PC gaming market has however, grown to Rs 978.6 million and expected to grow at a CAGR of over 36 per cent through 2013. The primary growth drivers for PC games in India are the growing broadband subscriber base, multifunctional nature of PCs, availability and price points of PC game titles.
Overall the gaming industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over 2009-13 to reach Rs 27.4 billion.
Growing acceptance of the digital TV distribution technology, entry of DTH players the success of many small budget movies, and the rising competition in the regional market were some of the key highlights of the previous year. However, it was IPL which proved that innovation in traditional formats resulted in runaway success.
Says Dr. Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI, “India is one of the few countries where economic growth will be led by domestic consumption. With a low advertising spend to GDP ratio of 0.47 per cent, a growing consumer class, and middle class, young population, low media penetration and increasing discretionary spending; India continues to be an attractive market for Media & Entertainment”.
Commenting on the highlights of the report, Mr. Rajesh Jain, Head Information, Communication & Entertainment, KPMG India, said, “Media companies are under pressure to change, innovate and re-examine their existing business models. Players need to draw upon new capabilities to survive in this environment. In the immediate future, media corporates are likely to focus more on operating margins, and assess opportunities for consolidation, while building on core strengths”.
Trends in M&E industry:
Sports marketing, is expected to grow rapidly now as broadcasters, encouraged by the IPL example, start aggressively selling cricket and other sports as entertainment packages.
Narrowcasting (niche entertainment) is expected to increase further- Likely to see more audience fragmentation across a myriad of content genres.
Both regional Print and TV sector is witnessing a potential upside of advertising rate difference between national print dailies and TV channels.
International consumption of Indian media is expected to be an important growth driver for the industry.
Organized funding is an indicator of how the Indian M&E industry has come of age. Although with the economic downturn and the liquidity crunch, the overall availability of funding might take a hit in the short term but the long term prospects continue to be positive.
Advent of 3G services in India, may further aid convergence, by making the mobile phone a convenient access point for video and audio media.
The projected 12.5 per cent growth for the sector will be driven on the back of factors like favorable demographics, strong long term fundamentals of the Indian economy, expected rise in advertising to GDP ratio compared to developed economies and increasing media penetration.
Given the industry’s changing landscape and emerging challenges, the focus of industry players too is changing; with a strong emphasis on profitable growth in the current scenario. Hence, media companies are increasingly concentrating on strengthening existing operations and assessing options for growth through consolidation, while continuing to innovate. Factors like Narrowcasting, Regionalization, Internationalization, Organized Funding, Digitization and Deregulation have become the ‘buzzwords’ in the industry.
Television:
The industry is estimated to have reached a size of Rs 241 billion, a growth of 14.2 per cent over 2007. The television industry is projected to grow at the rate of 14.5 per cent over 2009-13 and reach a size of Rs 473 billion.
Some of the growth drivers for the sector would include rapid growth in the number of digitized households, steady increase in ARPUs realized through digital distribution platforms, growth in the number of channels, especially in niche and regional categories and growth in the number of TV and C&S households. To have addressability and reduce leakages, the report recommends pushing for government regulations for mandatory digitization of all TV distribution, development of alternate audience/viewership measurement systems, and rationalization of content production costs through discussions with stakeholders at all levels actors/technical staff, production houses and broadcasters. There is also need to create content for audiences in the Tier 2 and 3 towns from where the next wave of growth is likely to come.
Filmed Entertainment:
The filmed entertainment sector is estimated to have grown at a CAGR of 17.7 per cent over the past 3 years. The industry is clocked revenues of around Rs 109.3 billion in size in 2008, a growth of 13.4 per cent over 2007. Over the next 5 years, the industry is projected to grow at the CAGR of 9.1 per cent and reach the size of Rs 168.6 billion by 2013.
Growth drivers for the sector would include expansion of multiplex screens resulting in better realizations, increase in number of digital screens facilitating in wider film prints releases, enhanced penetration of home video segment, primarily in the sell through segment, increase in number of TV channels fuelling demand for film content, and hence resulting in higher C&S acquisition costs, improving collections from the overseas markets. Going forward the sector should focus on improving consumer connect by investing in new formats and content, more wide spread distribution of Home Video, e.g. at grocery stores etc., to facilitate easy access, take coordinated and proactive action to tackle piracy, promote and experiment with new talent and improve organizational ability to attract and retain talent.
Print Media:
The Indian Print Media industry is estimated to have grown by 7.6 per cent in 2008 and reaching around Rs 172.6 billion in size. The industry is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9 per cent over the next five years and reach around Rs 266 billion in size by 2013.
Growth in the Print media industry is achievable through sustained growth in advertisement revenues due to increased advertising spends from emerging sectors such as Education, Organized Retail and Telecom, improving literacy levels in the country, optimization of cover prices leading to improved penetration and growth in sales volume, more launches in the niche segment, like newspaper supplements and specialty magazines, by players. The industry needs to invest in quality improvements, especially in regional media to attract advertisers; collective negotiations and bulk purchase of newsprint, constitute forums to encourage and promote regular reading habits among youth, adopting innovative practices like trading media space in publication platforms in return for equity and improve organizational ability to attract and retain talent.
Radio:
Radio ad spends account for about 4 per cent of the total advertising spends in India today, having grown from just 2 per cent in 2004. Consequently, the radio industry is estimated to have grown at an impressive CAGR of 19.7 per cent over 2006-08. It is estimated to have reached a size of Rs 8.4 billion by end of 2008, a growth rate of 13.5 per cent over the previous year. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2 per cent over 2009-13 and reach a size of Rs 16.3 billion by 2013.
Increase in the number of radio stations – around 700 new licenses expected to be issued to Private FM stations in Phase 3, expected regulatory reforms that are likely to improve profitability and stimulate foreign investments, emergence of robust audience measurement tools which could further catalyze growth in radio ad spends and growth in locally targeted advertising on radio are some of the growth drivers for the radio industry in the country.
Music:
The size of the Indian music industry was estimated at around Rs 7.3 billion in 2008, down from Rs 8.3 billion in 2005, implying a degrowth of 4.8 per cent during the period. One of the primary reasons for this degrowth has been the erosion of sales of physical formats, a trend which is expected to continue well into the future. Physical formats such as audio cassettes and compact discs, which accounted for approximately 87 per cent of industry revenues in 2005 currently account for just fewer than 60 per cent in 2008.
Going forward physical revenues are expected to decline at a CAGR of 9 per cent between 2008 and 2013. While the actual degrowth of formats such as audio cassettes is expected to be much higher, this is likely to be partially offset by initiatives taken by some leading music companies such as Sony BMG, T-Series and SaReGaMa to release MP3 music on compact discs at price points similar to that of the ubiquitous audio cassette. Overall the music industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8% over 2009-13 to reach Rs 10.7 billion.
Out of Home (OOH):
OOH media has grown at a CAGR of 17.3 per cent over the past 3 years, and is estimated to have reached Rs 16 billion in size in 2008, a growth of 14 per cent over 2007. The sector’s performance was affected in the second half of the year owing to the overall economic slowdown. It is projected to grow at a compounded rate of 12.8 per cent over the next 5 years and reach a size of around Rs 29.3 billion by 2013. Currently, the growth is centred largely in Tier 1 towns, with metros accounting for more than half of the total OOH market. Sectors spending the most on this medium include Telecom, Media & Entertainment and Financial Services companies.
One of the biggest challenges that the sector faces today is the lack of a central regulator governing OOH media. Rules and regulations vary from state to state, which inhibits standardizations across locations and leads to unregulated growth. Further the ongoing liquidity crunch has forced many real estate developers to go slow on construction activities, thus affecting the supply of retail space. This is likely to affect the spread of ambient media.
Animation:
At an estimated size of Rs 17.4 billion in 2008, the Indian animation industry is miniscule as compared to the global animation industry with estimated revenues in excess of Rs 1530 billion by 2010. However, the Indian animation industry has been growing rapidly with an estimated CAGR of 20.1 per cent in 2006-08. It is estimated to reach a size of about Rs 39 billion by 2013. Among the different segments of the animation industry, the animation production services segment is estimated to grow the fastest with a CAGR of 17.8 per cent in 2009-13.
Gaming:
Console gaming is the largest money churner in the global market and is gaining prominence in India too. In 2008, the Indian console gaming segment registered total revenues of Rs 4.1 billion which is expected to go up to Rs 9.4 billion in 2013. Plagued by a number of issues such as content discovery and revenue leakages the Indian mobile gaming segment has not lived up to the potential and is estimated at Rs 1.4 billion in 2008 in terms of end user revenues. The PC gaming market has however, grown to Rs 978.6 million and expected to grow at a CAGR of over 36 per cent through 2013. The primary growth drivers for PC games in India are the growing broadband subscriber base, multifunctional nature of PCs, availability and price points of PC game titles.
Overall the gaming industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 33% over 2009-13 to reach Rs 27.4 billion.
Internal Communications- It's not Rocket Science
Fellas,was going through this handbook. It's a must have for all internal comm guys. To download it you may log onto http://www.gov.ns.ca/cmns/rocketscience/Monday, February 16, 2009
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Unitech Wireless inks pact with Tata Tele, Quippo
Unitech Wireless Secures Tower Infrastructure for Rollout
Agreement signed with WTTIL-Quippo combine
New Delhi, 11 February 2009: Unitech Wireless has signed an infrastructure sharing deal with Wireless-TT Infoservices Limited (WTTIL), the tower arm of Tata Teleservices Limited, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited (QTIL), under which Unitech Wireless will lease tower infrastructure from WTTIL and QTIL across India. This agreement will enable Unitech Wireless to roll out GSM services as planned—by the second half of 2009.
Unitech Wireless will leverage on the existing and future tower and the backbone infrastructure of WTTIL. In addition, an agreement for the provision of transmission has been entered into with Tata Teleservices Limited. These agreements are a key component of completing the Unitech Wireless transaction with Telenor, is expected to happen in Q1 of 2009.
“The deal marks an important milestone in the rollout, as it will considerably shorten the time to market for Unitech Wireless. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with Quippo, WTTIL and TTSL,” Mr Sanjay Chandra, Chairman of Unitech Wireless, said.
TTSL recently merged its tower arm, WTTIL, with Quippo Telecom, a pure-play tower company, which will have an inventory of about 22,000 towers by April 2009. The agreement gives Unitech Wireless access to 40,000 sites as required, based on the rollout plan.
“The deal is of strategic importance and value-enhancing for all stakeholders—particularly so since WTTIL now stands for the proven expertise of infrastructure management and operational capabilities of Quippo, with the committed support of TTSL,” Mr Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Teleservices Limited, said.
“This partnership is a reaffirmation of the strategic alliance between Quippo and Tata Teleservices Limited, which we announced last month,” Mr Arun Kapur, Managing Director of Quippo Telecom, said. “The Quippo-TTSL entity has created a lot of interest amongst various operators due to its size and scale. It presents a unique opportunity for telecom operators to focus on their core competencies without worrying about the availability of the infrastructure, capital expenditure, time-to-market, etc. This, in turn, will help mitigate their risks and enhance their profitability,” he added.
About Unitech Wireless
Unitech Wireless has pan-India Unified Access Service licenses in all 22 telecom circles, and plans to launch its services in mid-2009. The company has established offices in five cities, recruited more than 250 employees and is close to placing orders for equipment. The Indian market presents a large attractive opportunity for telecom operators. With a population of approximately 1.2 billion and a mobile penetration of only 26% currently, there remains significant untapped potential of additional subscribers. India is already witnessing a significant increase in mobile penetration, with a net addition of approximately 8 million subscribers per month during 2008.
About Quippo
Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance, operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil and gas, telecom and energy. Quippo Telecom’s existing investor base includes reputed investors like GIC Singapore (owned by Singapore Government), IDFC Private Equity and Oman investment Fund (OIF). OIF, an investment arm of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has recently invested Rs 472 crore in the company for an approximate 16.6-per cent equity stake. Earlier this year, Quippo lapped up about 1,000 towers from Spice Telecommunications, primarily across the Punjab and Karnataka circles.
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India's leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom brand, and uses the latest technology platform(s) for its wireless network. With a customer base of nearly 33 million, Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, covers over 3,20,000 towns and villages across India’s 22 telecom circles. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, under which the Japanese company acquired a 26% stake in TTSL for USD 2.7 billion. The transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices Limited, as it moves towards a pan-India dual network presence. The company also recently announced a unique reverse equity swap strategic agreement between its fully-owned telecom tower subsidiary, Wireless TT Info-Services Limited, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited—with the combined entity kicking off operations with 18,000 towers, thereby becoming the largest independent entity in this space in the country. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and wireline services.
For details, please contact:
Ujjwal Arora
Group Head Communications-Quippo
+91 11 3061 5619
ujval.aurora@quippoworld.com
Agreement signed with WTTIL-Quippo combine
New Delhi, 11 February 2009: Unitech Wireless has signed an infrastructure sharing deal with Wireless-TT Infoservices Limited (WTTIL), the tower arm of Tata Teleservices Limited, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited (QTIL), under which Unitech Wireless will lease tower infrastructure from WTTIL and QTIL across India. This agreement will enable Unitech Wireless to roll out GSM services as planned—by the second half of 2009.
Unitech Wireless will leverage on the existing and future tower and the backbone infrastructure of WTTIL. In addition, an agreement for the provision of transmission has been entered into with Tata Teleservices Limited. These agreements are a key component of completing the Unitech Wireless transaction with Telenor, is expected to happen in Q1 of 2009.
“The deal marks an important milestone in the rollout, as it will considerably shorten the time to market for Unitech Wireless. We look forward to a long and mutually rewarding relationship with Quippo, WTTIL and TTSL,” Mr Sanjay Chandra, Chairman of Unitech Wireless, said.
TTSL recently merged its tower arm, WTTIL, with Quippo Telecom, a pure-play tower company, which will have an inventory of about 22,000 towers by April 2009. The agreement gives Unitech Wireless access to 40,000 sites as required, based on the rollout plan.
“The deal is of strategic importance and value-enhancing for all stakeholders—particularly so since WTTIL now stands for the proven expertise of infrastructure management and operational capabilities of Quippo, with the committed support of TTSL,” Mr Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Teleservices Limited, said.
“This partnership is a reaffirmation of the strategic alliance between Quippo and Tata Teleservices Limited, which we announced last month,” Mr Arun Kapur, Managing Director of Quippo Telecom, said. “The Quippo-TTSL entity has created a lot of interest amongst various operators due to its size and scale. It presents a unique opportunity for telecom operators to focus on their core competencies without worrying about the availability of the infrastructure, capital expenditure, time-to-market, etc. This, in turn, will help mitigate their risks and enhance their profitability,” he added.
About Unitech Wireless
Unitech Wireless has pan-India Unified Access Service licenses in all 22 telecom circles, and plans to launch its services in mid-2009. The company has established offices in five cities, recruited more than 250 employees and is close to placing orders for equipment. The Indian market presents a large attractive opportunity for telecom operators. With a population of approximately 1.2 billion and a mobile penetration of only 26% currently, there remains significant untapped potential of additional subscribers. India is already witnessing a significant increase in mobile penetration, with a net addition of approximately 8 million subscribers per month during 2008.
About Quippo
Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance, operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil and gas, telecom and energy. Quippo Telecom’s existing investor base includes reputed investors like GIC Singapore (owned by Singapore Government), IDFC Private Equity and Oman investment Fund (OIF). OIF, an investment arm of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has recently invested Rs 472 crore in the company for an approximate 16.6-per cent equity stake. Earlier this year, Quippo lapped up about 1,000 towers from Spice Telecommunications, primarily across the Punjab and Karnataka circles.
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India's leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom brand, and uses the latest technology platform(s) for its wireless network. With a customer base of nearly 33 million, Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, covers over 3,20,000 towns and villages across India’s 22 telecom circles. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, under which the Japanese company acquired a 26% stake in TTSL for USD 2.7 billion. The transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices Limited, as it moves towards a pan-India dual network presence. The company also recently announced a unique reverse equity swap strategic agreement between its fully-owned telecom tower subsidiary, Wireless TT Info-Services Limited, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited—with the combined entity kicking off operations with 18,000 towers, thereby becoming the largest independent entity in this space in the country. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and wireline services.
For details, please contact:
Ujjwal Arora
Group Head Communications-Quippo
+91 11 3061 5619
ujval.aurora@quippoworld.com
Friday, February 6, 2009
Top 3 Asian M&A deals Jan 2009
The volume of Asia targeted merger and acquisition deals more than halved to $16.7 billion in January 2009, while Indian firm Quippo Telecom's $1.3 billion acquisition of 49 per cent stake in Wireless Tata Telecom is among the top three deals in the region.
To read the complete story logon to the link below:
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/asian-ma-deals-volume-drop-54-to-167-bn-in-jan/20/42/54440/on
To read the complete story logon to the link below:
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/asian-ma-deals-volume-drop-54-to-167-bn-in-jan/20/42/54440/on
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thoughts of a SATYAM Employee... encouraging & inspiring
JUST ANOTHER DIMENSION TO LOOK AT LIFE... MAKES A HUGE IMPACT. TRUTHFULNESS APART, JUST READ ON...
I (Satyam Employee) am deputed at client location and came across a very interesting conversation in cafeteria yesterday. One of my co-worker, also
deputed with the same client through some lesser known two room company, mustered guts to ask me sarcastically in front of entire team, "So, Satyam
is gone! What are you guys planning to do now?" In normal circumstances, I have a habit to not to reply to lose talks, but in front of entire team....
I thought I need to fix this guy's thought process. I asked him, as my military training has imbibed in me the habit to fight till last breadth,
"Who says Satyam is gone when I am very much alive here and committed to create value on behalf of my company?". He shot back, "Hello Mr., your
chairman has resigned, you guys are facing financial turbulence and you still have a face to say that Satyam is not gone!"
At this juncture, I thought of replying to this guy in his own language. I asked him, "Tell me, what will you do and where will you go if our country
India was not there?" He was not prepared for this level of thought and asked back, "What a stupid question, How can India be gone, it is a
country?" I asked him back, "Country! What makes a country? Land? Economy? Our Prime Minister? Our President? Our Geography? Or the PEOPLE? If our PM
resigns, will you say India is gone? If our economy faces a slowdown, will you say India is gone? But yes, if the people of a country are lost for any
reason, we will say that country has no meaning. Who cares of vast land of Antarctica today which has just one permanent resident, Father Georgy?
Which country does it belongs to? Why does not it has any government? Why does not it has any economy? Or, how many countries were there when humans
used to hunt for food in pre-historic times? Countries, Wealth,Infrastructures and booming economies are nothing but creations of efforts
of PEOPLE, and they do not have any existence on their own.
And the final blow was, "When one man can create Satyam as an organization of 53,000people, why not 53,000 committed people can rebuild one SATYAM?"
TRULY INSPIRING...
I (Satyam Employee) am deputed at client location and came across a very interesting conversation in cafeteria yesterday. One of my co-worker, also
deputed with the same client through some lesser known two room company, mustered guts to ask me sarcastically in front of entire team, "So, Satyam
is gone! What are you guys planning to do now?" In normal circumstances, I have a habit to not to reply to lose talks, but in front of entire team....
I thought I need to fix this guy's thought process. I asked him, as my military training has imbibed in me the habit to fight till last breadth,
"Who says Satyam is gone when I am very much alive here and committed to create value on behalf of my company?". He shot back, "Hello Mr., your
chairman has resigned, you guys are facing financial turbulence and you still have a face to say that Satyam is not gone!"
At this juncture, I thought of replying to this guy in his own language. I asked him, "Tell me, what will you do and where will you go if our country
India was not there?" He was not prepared for this level of thought and asked back, "What a stupid question, How can India be gone, it is a
country?" I asked him back, "Country! What makes a country? Land? Economy? Our Prime Minister? Our President? Our Geography? Or the PEOPLE? If our PM
resigns, will you say India is gone? If our economy faces a slowdown, will you say India is gone? But yes, if the people of a country are lost for any
reason, we will say that country has no meaning. Who cares of vast land of Antarctica today which has just one permanent resident, Father Georgy?
Which country does it belongs to? Why does not it has any government? Why does not it has any economy? Or, how many countries were there when humans
used to hunt for food in pre-historic times? Countries, Wealth,Infrastructures and booming economies are nothing but creations of efforts
of PEOPLE, and they do not have any existence on their own.
And the final blow was, "When one man can create Satyam as an organization of 53,000people, why not 53,000 committed people can rebuild one SATYAM?"
TRULY INSPIRING...
Monday, January 5, 2009
Quippo buys 49 percent in Tata Teleservices subsidiary
New Delhi, 5 January 2009: Tata Teleservices Limited, the country’s youngest and fastest-growing pan-India telecom service provider, and Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited sponsored by Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited, today announced the merger of their passive infrastructure businesses to create India’s largest Independent Telecom Infrastructure Company.
Under the terms of this strategic partnership, Tata Teleservices Limited and Quippo Telecom will swap 51 per cent and 49 per cent stake, respectively, in the infrastructure business held by them. The management rights in Wireless-TT Info-Services Limited (WTTIL)—the tower arm of Tata Teleservices—shall now move over to an independent & professional management run by Quippo Telecom, to make it a truly independent tower operator without being managed by a Telco.
Quippo will make an upfront cash payment of approx 2400 Crores, as also transfer its passive telecom tower portfolio of approximately 5,000 towers to WTTIL. The combined entity will, therefore, have a portfolio of over 18,000 towers thereby making it the largest independently managed tower company in India, with an enterprise valuation of approximately Rs 13,000 crore (US $2.6 Billion).
“The deal is of strategic importance and value enhancing for all stakeholders—particularly so since it combines the proven expertise of management and operational capabilities of Quippo with the committed support of TTSL. Also, the Independent Board would ensure high standards of Corporate Governance and a business Code of Conduct same as what is followed at various Tata companies” Mr Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Teleservices Limited, said.
“This partnership makes for perfect fit—Quippo is one of the most professionally-managed companies in this space and WTTIL is at the epitome of corporate governance. Furthermore, this alliance will allow TTSL to concentrate on its core area of expertise. Together, we will enhance the value proposition and shareholder value. The combined enity will reap the benefits of significant synergies through the merger, both at the operational and financial levels. This will help further increase the scale and reach of the entity, while ensuring better asset utilization, an upside in tenancy and reduction in capital expenditure,” he added.
“When Quippo pioneered the concept of shared passive infrastructure in 2005, there were no takers. Now, through this merger, the dream is being realized—resulting in a win-win situation for customers and stakeholders of Quippo and WTTIL,” Mr Sunil Kanoria, Director, Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited & Vice-Chairman and MD, Quippo Infrastructure Equipment Limited, said. “This partnership presents a unique opportunity for telecom operators to focus on their core competencies without worrying about the availability of the infrastructure, capital expenditure, time-to-market, etc. This will, in turn, help reduce risks and improve profitability.”
Mr Arun Kapur, Managing Director of Quippo Telecom, said, “This deal is a testimony of the faith of our customers and stakeholders in our business strategy. This largest Independent Tower Company will organically grow into an entity with over 50,000 towers by Year 2012—we are confident it will hold the largest tenancy ratio in the Indian telecom space as well.”
Quippo Telecom pioneered the concept of shared passive infrastructure and is the first independent tower company in India, is one of the most aggressive players in the space.
The financial advisors of the partnership are Citibank and Nomura for Tata Teleservices Limited and JM Financial for Quippo Telecom.
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India's leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom brand, and uses the latest technology platform(s) for its wireless network. Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, operates in more than 7,500 towns across 22 circles—Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi NCR, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (E), Uttar Pradesh (W), Kolkata, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, RoWB, Assam, North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir. Tata Indicom has a customer base of nearly 32 million. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, as part of which the Japanese company acquired a 26% stake in TTSL for USD 2.7 billion. The transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices, as it moves towards a pan-India dual network presence. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and wireline services.
About Quippo
Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance. Quippo operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil & gas, telecom and energy. Quippo Telecom’s existing investor base includes reputed investors like GIC Singapore (owned by Singapore Government), IDFC Private Equity and Oman investment Fund (OIF). OIF, an investment arm of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has recently invested Rs 472 crore in the Company for an approximate 16.6-per cent equity stake. Earlier this year, Quippo lapped up about 1,000 towers from Spice Telecommunications primarily across Punjab and Karnataka circles.
For details, please contact:
Ujjwal Arora
Corporate Communications Head,Quippo Group
ujval.aurora@quippoworld.com
Under the terms of this strategic partnership, Tata Teleservices Limited and Quippo Telecom will swap 51 per cent and 49 per cent stake, respectively, in the infrastructure business held by them. The management rights in Wireless-TT Info-Services Limited (WTTIL)—the tower arm of Tata Teleservices—shall now move over to an independent & professional management run by Quippo Telecom, to make it a truly independent tower operator without being managed by a Telco.
Quippo will make an upfront cash payment of approx 2400 Crores, as also transfer its passive telecom tower portfolio of approximately 5,000 towers to WTTIL. The combined entity will, therefore, have a portfolio of over 18,000 towers thereby making it the largest independently managed tower company in India, with an enterprise valuation of approximately Rs 13,000 crore (US $2.6 Billion).
“The deal is of strategic importance and value enhancing for all stakeholders—particularly so since it combines the proven expertise of management and operational capabilities of Quippo with the committed support of TTSL. Also, the Independent Board would ensure high standards of Corporate Governance and a business Code of Conduct same as what is followed at various Tata companies” Mr Anil Sardana, Managing Director of Tata Teleservices Limited, said.
“This partnership makes for perfect fit—Quippo is one of the most professionally-managed companies in this space and WTTIL is at the epitome of corporate governance. Furthermore, this alliance will allow TTSL to concentrate on its core area of expertise. Together, we will enhance the value proposition and shareholder value. The combined enity will reap the benefits of significant synergies through the merger, both at the operational and financial levels. This will help further increase the scale and reach of the entity, while ensuring better asset utilization, an upside in tenancy and reduction in capital expenditure,” he added.
“When Quippo pioneered the concept of shared passive infrastructure in 2005, there were no takers. Now, through this merger, the dream is being realized—resulting in a win-win situation for customers and stakeholders of Quippo and WTTIL,” Mr Sunil Kanoria, Director, Quippo Telecom Infrastructure Limited & Vice-Chairman and MD, Quippo Infrastructure Equipment Limited, said. “This partnership presents a unique opportunity for telecom operators to focus on their core competencies without worrying about the availability of the infrastructure, capital expenditure, time-to-market, etc. This will, in turn, help reduce risks and improve profitability.”
Mr Arun Kapur, Managing Director of Quippo Telecom, said, “This deal is a testimony of the faith of our customers and stakeholders in our business strategy. This largest Independent Tower Company will organically grow into an entity with over 50,000 towers by Year 2012—we are confident it will hold the largest tenancy ratio in the Indian telecom space as well.”
Quippo Telecom pioneered the concept of shared passive infrastructure and is the first independent tower company in India, is one of the most aggressive players in the space.
The financial advisors of the partnership are Citibank and Nomura for Tata Teleservices Limited and JM Financial for Quippo Telecom.
About Tata Teleservices Limited
Tata Teleservices Limited is one of India's leading private telecom service providers, having a pan-India presence. The company offers integrated telecom solutions to its customers under the Tata Indicom brand, and uses the latest technology platform(s) for its wireless network. Tata Teleservices Limited, along with Tata Teleservices (Maharashtra) Limited, operates in more than 7,500 towns across 22 circles—Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Delhi NCR, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh (E), Uttar Pradesh (W), Kolkata, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, RoWB, Assam, North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir. Tata Indicom has a customer base of nearly 32 million. In November 2008, Tata Teleservices entered into an agreement with Japanese telecom major NTT DOCOMO, as part of which the Japanese company acquired a 26% stake in TTSL for USD 2.7 billion. The transaction marks a key step in the strategic evolution of Tata Teleservices, as it moves towards a pan-India dual network presence. Tata Teleservices’ bouquet of telephony services includes mobile services, wireless desktop phones, public booth telephony and wireline services.
About Quippo
Quippo, sponsored by the Kanoria’s of SREI Infrastructure Finance. Quippo operates an Infrastructure Equipment Rental Company, servicing the high-growth verticals of construction, oil & gas, telecom and energy. Quippo Telecom’s existing investor base includes reputed investors like GIC Singapore (owned by Singapore Government), IDFC Private Equity and Oman investment Fund (OIF). OIF, an investment arm of the Government of the Sultanate of Oman, has recently invested Rs 472 crore in the Company for an approximate 16.6-per cent equity stake. Earlier this year, Quippo lapped up about 1,000 towers from Spice Telecommunications primarily across Punjab and Karnataka circles.
For details, please contact:
Ujjwal Arora
Corporate Communications Head,Quippo Group
ujval.aurora@quippoworld.com
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Putting the customer back into CRM
A Talisma whitepaper by Allen Bonde.
You may write to me for procuring a copy. Good Read!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
What drives media slant?
An amazing working paper by Mathew Gentzkaw & Jesse M. Shapiro
(National Bureau of Economic Research).
To procure a copy you may ping me!
Friday, December 12, 2008
Leadership in Uncertainity
Research Paper on Strategy as discussed at the CEO Forum. You may write for a copy.
Very Interesting!!!
Very Interesting!!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Managing Credit Crunch by Grant Thornton
After enjoying an unprecedented boom, the global economy is on a downturn. The crisis in the housing and credit markets has expanded to other segments of the financial markets in United States and the consequent ripple effect is now being felt across the globe. Decelerating growth, shrinking consumption and declining volumes of lending by the banks have been further exacerbated by the high prices of commodities. The credit crunch, as one of its offshoots, is squeezing entrepreneurial businesses and medium-term prospects appear to be mediocre, fraught with considerable downside risks.No doubt your plans to manage your business in these times are very much in progress. The ensuing months should be about instilling the right discipline in your business. And by doing the right things quickly and decisively, you may well turn the existing situation to your advantage. Please find attached documents that contain a "10-point check" and our subsequent issue as a reminder on some of the areas that may need to be considered as you seek to improve your readiness and gear up to face the current situation.
Trust you will find the information in the documents useful.
You may write to me for a copy.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Media Scenario 2008-2009
Flow of Prezo:
§Indian Readership Survey
§India - Geographic
§Media Scene in India
§Television / Print / Radio /Cinema / Internet
§Future of Media & Media Research
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Few Tips on Managing the Blog
-Technical backup and choice of hosting platform (could be a Wordpress or other formats)………best to be outsourced
-Moderator (this is essential as you need to ensure that the discussion thread on the blog post is not incriminating or spam in any way. Even an open discussion forum like the Wikipedia has volunteer moderators and editors. This should ideally be an internal resource, unless you have an agency that understands your organization
-Seamless content flow on the site. Many organizations initiate blogs but find maintaining it to be an uphill task especially in the initial stages when the content is limited. I would recommend that you have a clear plan to generate content. This is also best done internally in the organization, getting employees to participate
-Promotion- a very important element, especially in the early stages of the blog life-cycle. This will determine the profile of people coming to your blogsite, the quality of comments and the interest it can generate
-Moderator (this is essential as you need to ensure that the discussion thread on the blog post is not incriminating or spam in any way. Even an open discussion forum like the Wikipedia has volunteer moderators and editors. This should ideally be an internal resource, unless you have an agency that understands your organization
-Seamless content flow on the site. Many organizations initiate blogs but find maintaining it to be an uphill task especially in the initial stages when the content is limited. I would recommend that you have a clear plan to generate content. This is also best done internally in the organization, getting employees to participate
-Promotion- a very important element, especially in the early stages of the blog life-cycle. This will determine the profile of people coming to your blogsite, the quality of comments and the interest it can generate
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
The State of the PR Industry (June 2007)
Amazing Report. Feel free to write to me for further information.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Corporate Communications Trends 2007
An Amazing Corp Comm Trend Study for 2007 fromDr. Michael B. Goodman,Director CCI.
It's really interesting & informative. You may write to me for a copy.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Innovative Management, Mckinsey Quarterly (2008)
Hi Friends,
Have you gone through the Mckinsey Quarterly (2008). There is an amazing article on Leadership & Innovation. It's a must read variety. It benchmarks the innovative management & is presented in form of a conversation between Gary Hamel & Lowell Bryan. They have stressed on the need of responding to the need for a new management model for the forward looking executives.
If you don't have a copy plz write to me.
Cheers! Happy Blogging!
Have you gone through the Mckinsey Quarterly (2008). There is an amazing article on Leadership & Innovation. It's a must read variety. It benchmarks the innovative management & is presented in form of a conversation between Gary Hamel & Lowell Bryan. They have stressed on the need of responding to the need for a new management model for the forward looking executives.
If you don't have a copy plz write to me.
Cheers! Happy Blogging!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Prioritizing Stakeholders for Public Relations
An amazing Whitepaper on "Prioritizing Stakeholders for Public Relations" by Brad L. Rawlins; Department of Communications, Brigham Young University Member.
For acquiring a copy you may write to me!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Solar powered mobile networks on the way...Rural areas can now have mobile chat too
Monday, July 7, 2008
Measuring the Value of Communications
It's an amazing report by Tuck School of Business,Dartmouth.
A must read. You may write to me for the PDF version.
Friday, June 6, 2008
J. K .Rowling's speech on Harvard University Commencement Day
Wanted to share this brilliant read with you - J. K .Rowling's speech on Harvard University Commencement Day. It is a MUST READ!!!
http://www.news. harvard.edu/ gazette/2008/ 06.05/99- rowlingspeech. html
http://www.news. harvard.edu/ gazette/2008/ 06.05/99- rowlingspeech. html
Wanna be a contented manager? Get dynamic
Usually, spirituality is considered synonymous with inactivity. Surprisingly most of the so-called learned ones, the scriptural pundits, have often quoted – Santosha (contentment)– as being satisfied with whatever you have. It has been seen that most of the people who are in a state of drudgery and sluggishness, miles away from taking initiative for any kind of action, have justified their inaction with this word. Furthermore, under the shield of this word, the sluggards have also tried to discourage others from making sincere efforts or taking any kind of initiative. In one of the preliminary texts (Tattwa Bodha) of the great World Teacher, Adi Shankara, this term – Santosha is defined as Chittasya Ekaagrataa, i.e. single pointedness of the mind. It is important to understand that nowhere has the spiritual path or any of the ancient scriptures of the human civilisation has ever discouraged spirited action and initiative to evolve in ones’ performance. For that matter, Krishna, Muhammad, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Adi Shankara and all other Seers have been absolute perfectionists in their actions. Incorrect interpretations to suite one’s lethargy have been justified in the name of austerities.
If analysed objectively, this single pointedness of mind results from either a passionate involvement in the task at hand or a tremendous degree of disciplining of the mind. Just as a child building a castle with sand on the sea shore is thoroughly one with its project, though it surely doesn’t last for long. Therefore the science of disciplining of the mind has a very important role in enhancing our performance as it leaves a lot of wastage of energy in the form of emotional outbursts that keep happening from extremely meaningless and petty events. But it is not an easy task and can be attained only if we make a sincere and continuing attempt in this direction for a long time without getting disillusioned with the lack of results. Imagine yourself sitting daily for an hour in the morning and evening, trying to keep the mind in your control, failing miserably moment after moment and still going strong. That’s called determination, which very few are naturally bestowed with.
Ignited Minds However, Maharshi Patanjali gives a very beautiful way of doing this. He says in the Yoga Sutras (Yoga Aphorisms) - When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamt yourself to be – (Interpretation taken from Ignited Minds by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam). This surely can become a driving force to keep us going in our performance. There would be moments in our performance when we might touch a low ebb, yet the dedication to the cause is surely the sole way to keep ourselves ignited in the spirit to perform. While it is true that at moments or in circumstances when we do what we want to do, we might get the vigour that lasts us through the entire project. But what do we do when things go out of our control? One thing we must accept, life is the most beautiful blend of all kind of situations, some of which are nice and inspiring while quite a lot of moments we encounter are the ones which either we dislike and are also beyond our control. Can we stop performing? Surely non performance can never be justified.
Whether we like it or not, but surely we have to be consistent in our effort towards our performance; and to this there is no better judge then our own conscience. This alone will bear the fruits, whether today or a few decades later, we don’t know, but we don’t have the right to quit performing to the best of our ability. This is very beautifully reflected in the life of our President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, (when one reads the famous book – Wings of Fire) where he says that after severe failures and continuing efforts for almost two decades that he first experiences the taste of sweet success. It surely proves that the profession we chose shouldn’t be based on market requirements, but on our interest, such that we are able to pursue the profession even in the most difficult situations due to our passion and sincerity. Markets requirements are fluctuating, but our performance enhancement is possible only when we are committed to the subject and enjoy being in that stream. This can sustain our inner conviction to give hundred percent when things go wrong and surely action based on wisdom and sincerity will bear fruits, because our inner desire become strong for the results to occur.
In Swami Sivananda’s words, as quoted from ‘Wings of Fire’ – an autobiography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “Desire, when it stems from the heart and spirit, when it is pure and intense, possesses awesome Energy. This Energy is released into the ether each night, as the mind falls into sleep state. Each morning it returns to the conscious state reinforced with the cosmic currents. That which has been imaged will surely and certainly be manifested. You can rely, young man, upon this ageless promise as surely as you can rely upon the eternally unbroken promise of sunrise...” This is the True essence of Santosha and also the essence of spiritual dynamism. May our lives get guided by this spirit.
If analysed objectively, this single pointedness of mind results from either a passionate involvement in the task at hand or a tremendous degree of disciplining of the mind. Just as a child building a castle with sand on the sea shore is thoroughly one with its project, though it surely doesn’t last for long. Therefore the science of disciplining of the mind has a very important role in enhancing our performance as it leaves a lot of wastage of energy in the form of emotional outbursts that keep happening from extremely meaningless and petty events. But it is not an easy task and can be attained only if we make a sincere and continuing attempt in this direction for a long time without getting disillusioned with the lack of results. Imagine yourself sitting daily for an hour in the morning and evening, trying to keep the mind in your control, failing miserably moment after moment and still going strong. That’s called determination, which very few are naturally bestowed with.
Ignited Minds However, Maharshi Patanjali gives a very beautiful way of doing this. He says in the Yoga Sutras (Yoga Aphorisms) - When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamt yourself to be – (Interpretation taken from Ignited Minds by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam). This surely can become a driving force to keep us going in our performance. There would be moments in our performance when we might touch a low ebb, yet the dedication to the cause is surely the sole way to keep ourselves ignited in the spirit to perform. While it is true that at moments or in circumstances when we do what we want to do, we might get the vigour that lasts us through the entire project. But what do we do when things go out of our control? One thing we must accept, life is the most beautiful blend of all kind of situations, some of which are nice and inspiring while quite a lot of moments we encounter are the ones which either we dislike and are also beyond our control. Can we stop performing? Surely non performance can never be justified.
Whether we like it or not, but surely we have to be consistent in our effort towards our performance; and to this there is no better judge then our own conscience. This alone will bear the fruits, whether today or a few decades later, we don’t know, but we don’t have the right to quit performing to the best of our ability. This is very beautifully reflected in the life of our President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, (when one reads the famous book – Wings of Fire) where he says that after severe failures and continuing efforts for almost two decades that he first experiences the taste of sweet success. It surely proves that the profession we chose shouldn’t be based on market requirements, but on our interest, such that we are able to pursue the profession even in the most difficult situations due to our passion and sincerity. Markets requirements are fluctuating, but our performance enhancement is possible only when we are committed to the subject and enjoy being in that stream. This can sustain our inner conviction to give hundred percent when things go wrong and surely action based on wisdom and sincerity will bear fruits, because our inner desire become strong for the results to occur.
In Swami Sivananda’s words, as quoted from ‘Wings of Fire’ – an autobiography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, “Desire, when it stems from the heart and spirit, when it is pure and intense, possesses awesome Energy. This Energy is released into the ether each night, as the mind falls into sleep state. Each morning it returns to the conscious state reinforced with the cosmic currents. That which has been imaged will surely and certainly be manifested. You can rely, young man, upon this ageless promise as surely as you can rely upon the eternally unbroken promise of sunrise...” This is the True essence of Santosha and also the essence of spiritual dynamism. May our lives get guided by this spirit.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
As India grows prosperous, inflation starts spiraling
Inflation in India remains much lower than in many other developing countries. But prices are rising more than twice as fast as in China, India's chief rival for foreign investment and economic leadership among emerging markets. Prices are also increasing considerably faster than in industrialized countries.
A very interesting read. So, thought of sharing with you guys!
Check it out: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/09/business/rupee.php
A very interesting read. So, thought of sharing with you guys!
Check it out: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/09/business/rupee.php
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Global Warming & India-Creating a new conciousness
A policy consequence of Green Accounting may be a gradual increase in budgetary allocations towards improvements in education, public health and environmental conservation. All of these are key elements & are needed to secure India’s long-term future.
You may write to me to get hold of an amazing prezo by GIST on "Global Warming & India-Creating a new conciousness".
You may write to me to get hold of an amazing prezo by GIST on "Global Warming & India-Creating a new conciousness".
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Article on Corporate Sociology
An interesting article captioned "Emotionally Correct" published in the Businessworld (14 April 2008 issue). I am sure, you will find this interesting & useful.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
US Economy: Deepening Recession
Information on US Economy: Deepening recession, thought of sharing it with the group.
http://cib.bnpparibas.com/d-arvisenet-editorial-us-economy-deepening-recession
http://cib.bnpparibas.com/d-arvisenet-editorial-us-economy-deepening-recession
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Some business reasons for blogs:
-Establish expertise. Many consultants effectively use blogs to raise their visibility with their
target market.
-Create alternative media. A number of publishers have built viable media outlets with loyal
followings, as have companies that produce sponsored blogs, such as Gawker Media.
-Extend corporate communications. Blogs enable companies to present a human face and voice
to the public. The most notably example is Microsoft's Robert Scoble.
-Build community. Use blogs to grow groups around a technology, cause, political issue, or hobby
related to your product.
target market.
-Create alternative media. A number of publishers have built viable media outlets with loyal
followings, as have companies that produce sponsored blogs, such as Gawker Media.
-Extend corporate communications. Blogs enable companies to present a human face and voice
to the public. The most notably example is Microsoft's Robert Scoble.
-Build community. Use blogs to grow groups around a technology, cause, political issue, or hobby
related to your product.
Monday, March 17, 2008
My Word vs.Your World
Hi Guys! This is what i wrote for the EPC Age for March 2008 issue. Plz do share your thoughts on it.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Corporate Communications turns Hot Job now !!!
A very good read for all corp comm professionals...
In case if the link doesn't open you may send in a request to me for a PDF Version.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Corporate-communications-turns-hot-job-now/277997/
In case if the link doesn't open you may send in a request to me for a PDF Version.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Corporate-communications-turns-hot-job-now/277997/
Monday, February 25, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Creating an Emotionally Intelligent Organization
A good Prezo on "Creating an Emotionally Intelligent Organization".For acquiring a copy of the prezo in PDF you may write to me.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
A study of the effect of pride in the organizations by Interbrand
A must have study document. You may write to me for a copy if you wish.Happy Reading!
Monday, January 28, 2008
International Business Report 2007 (India) by Grant Thornton.
To acquire the report pdf you may write to me.
CRM Process Flow for Telecom
A good Prezo on "CRM Process Flow for Telecom".For acquiring a copy of the prezo in PDF you may write to me. It's an informative one.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Some thoughts for the one's who have watched "Thank you for Smoking"
As i finished watching this movie...something shook me but before it began i knew it would settle down in a while...(as described in various reports/researches about using all senses on a particular topic fixes frames in the mind for a while). Anyways...i'm not looking for answers but questions...Is this what communicators are supposed to do??? Not that i'm provoked / going to lead a revolution...Should i acknowledge the fact that Human beings are thinking for a living?
Or should i make a start to do my work diligently & bring about a freshness in my work routine to forget it / change it/ or stay in a nascent stage?
Not that i have any answers / are expecting any from you...But you may put forward your thoughts for all of us to Rethink our thinking for a living...
For starters...
I am a strong beliver that one shapes one's destiny through choices & it's only fair on my part to believe that divine help does exist (though...a little confused on reading 'The God & the New Physics'by Paul Davis & 'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint Exupéry)...
Forget it... i never said that...tell me your thoughts...people!
A must watch for all CC/PR Professionals
"Thank You for Smoking" is a darn good satire - one of the best I've seen since "Election".Thank You for Smoking is a 2006, Golden Globe Award-nominated film satire directed by Jason Reitman and produced by David O. Sacks. It is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley. The title is based on the popular saying "Thank You for Not Smoking," and the cover of the DVD case is modeled on the Lucky Strike cigarette box.The film was released in a limited run on March 17, 2006, and had a wide release on April 14. As of 2007, the film has grossed a total of more than US$ 39 million worldwide.[1] On November 24, 2006, NBC announced that it is developing a television pilot based on the film.[2] The film was released on DVD in the US on October 3, 2006, and in the UK on January 8, 2007. http://www.foxsearchlight.com/thankyouforsmoking/
Passive Telecom Infrastructure Sharing
What is Passive Telecom Infrastructure Sharing?Passive telecom infrastructure mainly consists of sharing of towers and physical sites by various telecom companies. Infrastructure sharing helps in reducing the cost of providing service by reducing the capital and operational costs.
For a telecom company, infrastructure including the towers and backhaul connectivity account for about 60 percent of the cost of doing business. This indeed is a big investment to be made much before the services are rolled out. . Analysts predict tower sharing can reduce cost of ownership by 16-23%.
Infrastructure sharing may be new to India, but it’s a standard practice, globally. Though tower sharing has not been very successful in most European and Asian countries, it has been a success in USA which like India also has multiple operators.
While telecom companies are hiving off their tower infrastructure to cut capex and opex in the wake of declining average revenues per user, third-party companies like Quipo, are setting up independent tower companies to support the stupendous growth of telecom sector in the country.
What is its scope in the Indian scenario?
According to data released by TRAI the exponential growth in wireless telecom services calls for massive investment in infrastructure particularly passive, active and backhaul components. The country would require approximately 3,30,000 towers by 2010 against the present number of approximately 1,00,000 towers. Erecting each tower calls for an investment of approximately Rs. 20-30 crores. Apart from huge investments needed the time taken in roll out could be a major bottleneck in the achievement of 500 million subscribers by 2010. Even if the target is achieved it will only be about 50% of the tele-density with major gaps in the rural areas.
This clearly outlines the urgency and need for passive infrastructure sharing both in terms of investment and time.
Even the telecom companies are recognizing the importance and relevance of sharing the infrastructure. For large players who have a pan-India footprint, it means a new source of revenue, while for those expanding nationwide, it means lower capex and opex, as well as faster rollout of services.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Out-executing the competition (Creating a High Performance Ethic)
A good Prezo on "Out-executing the competition" through Creating a High Performance Ethic.For acquiring a copy of the prezo in PDF you may write to me. It's a good read.
Friday, January 18, 2008
What is the Matrix? (of Corp Comm)
On discussing with my "good friend" on this blog i was encouraged to ask everyone to share their experiences for working on various Corporate Communication projects. I agreed & felt it would enhance the quality of interaction & will give us a chance to discuss & learn from each others mistakes & success stories. Hence, i would invite all of you to feel free to post your thoughts & experiences. (The one's that i don't like would be deleted...just kidding!!! Remember we are the keepers of Freedom of Speech...So BE It!)...So go ahead… what are you waiting for people???
Here's mine...
One of the heartaches for all corp comm professionals are the fact of being a support function. Hence, sometimes one feels left out in terms of being a part of the Business Growth of the Company. The feeling arises that my scope is limited.
And the question pops up in your mind “What is the Matrix?”
Think Again!!!
I did make some changes & they worked.
I started improving my scope of work as a personal effort to understand the company’s business better. Not only this… I went a step further to understand the larger dynamics of the industry that my company was a part of.
Phew!!! It did take effort & perseverance as it was not a part of my subject / my job (i.e. the official version of my job as described on my appointment letter).
But, it did work wonders… as I started understanding the perspective of my colleagues, the management & my bosses not to miss the industry associates better. It did lead to improvisation of the Quality & Quantity of PR that I could extend towards my company…For the first time I got enlightened to a true in spirit “Integrated Communication Plan”…
Finally it helped me in my career both in terms of quality & pay hike.
I feel a step closer to understanding the Matrix…Are You???
The Matrix is looking for you…Beep! Beep! Beep! Blackout…
Investor Relations Practice
Investor Relations Defined :“Investor Relations is a strategic management responsibility that integrates finance, communication, marketing and securities law compliance to enable the most effective two-way communication between a company, the financial community, and other constituencies, which ultimately contributes to a company's securities achieving fair valuation."- NIRI, USA
IR Objectives:
• To keep co-owners informed
• A corporate marketing activity
• Creates information level playing field
• Good corporate citizenship
• Unlocks Value
IR Strategy:
• Defining and prioritizing the target audience
• Developing key messages
• Developing communication policies
• Modes and frequency of communication
IR Collaterals:
• Quarterly and Annual result releases and Investor updates
• Updates on important corporate and industry developments
• Concall transcripts
• Dissemination of reactions on major policy and industry issues affecting the company
• MDA in Annual Report
Active Dialogue:
• Financial media briefings
• Analyst meets
• Conference calls
• Facility visits
• One-to-one meetings / Road shows
• Regular feedback
Perception Research:
• To know the level of market interest and current perception amongst influencers,
investors and the entire financial community
• In-depth interviews through structured questionnaire
• Research portfolio – mix of select buy side/sell side analysts and fund managers
• Findings reveal market concerns, information gap and valuation drivers and help
evaluate the communication strategy
Key to Success in IR:
• Top management’s commitment and involvement
• Consistent and credible flow of information and communication
• Clearly articulated, credible business strategies
• Open discussion of financial results / expectations
• Regular contact with investment community
• Availability of spokespersons
Spectrum of IR Activities:
Identify Target Audience
• Sell-side Analysts
• Buy-side Analysts
• Fund Managers / Portfolio Managers
• Brokers & opinion makers
• Financial Media (Wires / Business Papers / Magazines / Electronic Media /
Financial Portals)
• Shareholder Groups
Establish IR Processes
• Prepare calendar of events
• Create communication collaterals
• Identify spokespersons for different constituencies i.e. media and financial community
• Establish standard IR operating procedures
• Enhance corporate website for better investor interface
• Constantly update sector analysts, heads of research, VPs, etc of brokerages and
funds with company information and developments
Direct efforts towards…
• Enhancing analyst coverage
• Bringing the company on the radar of analysts and fund managers tracking the sector
• Getting company’s participation in investor conferences and roadshows
• Getting the stock actively commented in the financial media
• Perception study at regular intervals
Carry on sustained IR activities
• Monitor shareholding and movement of institutional shareholders
• Target institutions that are more likely to own the company’s stock and hold it for
a longer duration
• Aim at having balanced investor base, by not ignoring retail investors
Spectrum of IR activities
• IR Counsel & Planning
• Feedback research
• IR Kit, brochures
• Fact sheet
• FAQs
• IR Updates
• Earnings Releases
• IR content for the Website
• Advise on Annual Report
• Perception Research
• Media Training
• Executive counseling
• Road shows
• Investor Presentations
• Earnings calls
• Media Relations
• Focused Targeting
• Crisis communication
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Advantages of Out of Home Advertising
Out of Home Advertising
1. Why Out of Home advertising?
· Clean eye popping exposure 24 x 7
· Clutter free messages in a uniquely customized environment
· Desirable coverage filling gaps left by other media
· Reaching consumers on-the-go with Transit Media Options.
2. Relevance of Airport Advertising
· Specific to the target audience
· Controlled Environment e.g. security hold area, private departure area.
· Adds credibility, prestige and status to the product
· Ensures higher image value in an exclusive market segment
3. Campaign Objective : Corporate image building
4. Target Audience : Top Executives
5. Town : Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkatta, Chennai, Bangalore / could be any as per requirement.
6. Why OOH?
· Airport Branding: Since, the target audience is Top Executives and these are the people who are always on move, Airport Branding provides an effective medium for Corporate Image Building.
· Conventional Advertising: Impactful sites enroute to the airport captures the attention of the target audience even before they step into the airport. When they see the same brand inside and outside the airport, it helps in building the brand connect and recall value
7. Strategy
· Identification of important areas inside the airport, which gives the maximum coverage. For e.g. Private Departure, Security Hold Area where the waiting time is more and the message has enough time to reach the target audience.
· Identification of high impact sites enroute to the airport
8. Approach
· Have identified the most impactful media options inside the airports like Translites, Revolving Display, and Hoardings.
· To cater to the traffic enroute to the airport, have looked at large formats which are strategically located and have also looked at new impactful innovations coming up in the city. Eg. Corridor signages
Top of the league corporates that have employed Airport Branding in the past :
Mercedes
General Motors
Hyundai
IOC
Airtel
ITC Hotels
Indian Airlines
Samsung
Crisis Management & Communications
A good read for all Corporate Communicators.You may send me a mail request for the PDF version of this Report.Happy Reading!Finally Rural India has a chance for connectivity
India, the largest democracy and the second most populous country in the world, is predominantly rural in nature. Of the 1.027 billion-strong Indian populace, 741 million live in 638,365 villages scattered across the diverse terrain of India.
The economic liberalization policies of the Government of India have resulted in developing the services industry by leaps and bounds. However, an urban populace, with increased purchasing power and an array of goods and services to choose from mostly enjoy the fruits of this growth. This has encouraged the migration of the rural populace, which largely got left behind in this economic revival.
The same is in the case of telecom boom, which swept through the Indian telecom industry & is predominantly urban in nature. There is a huge discrepancy in the subscriber density of rural areas as compared to urban India ranging from 44 subscribers per sq km in urban areas to less than 3 in remote rural areas.
Recent times have seen a change in the trend, with rural telephony becoming the focus of Indian Government and the efforts to bridge the wide “Digital Divide” gaining momentum. Saturation of the urban markets has also added fuel to the fire and the private operators, in their search of newer markets, have started looking up to rural India as a plum opportunity.
But the ride to rural telephony is not very smooth and the service providers are face-to-face with hurdles like high cost of telecom infrastructure, the diverse terrain, low affordability levels of the rural masses. So, what are the solutions…technologies that are cost-effective, easy to deploy, applications and services that are appropriate, business models that are scalable and a regulatory environment that is rural in nature.
Wireless technologies fast gaining prominence in the Indian telecom scenario. These technologies have reformatted the entire urban telecommunication network but also look promising for the rural areas. Various wireless broadband access technologies like WiMAX are proving to be cost-effective and can help bring down barriers for entering rural markets.
These technologies will not only help merge the urban and rural fabric together but will also bring about revolutionary changes in the fields of Education, health and livelihood for the rural populace. For education in rural areas, though the schools do exist in most parts, the quality of teachers & of the education imparted and infrastructure is questionable. ICT can become an important tool in plugging these gaps. Apart from this the other benefits would be Telemedicine through video-conferencing between urban doctors and rural patients.
However, above all, ICT can definitely provide chances to rural people to enhance their livelihood. The demand for ICT and services can be sustained in the long run only by generating rural wealth. The primary wealth creators in this context are agriculture and agri-processing, animal husbandry, small-scale handicrafts, food processing and often, even IT enabled services.
Rural India is at a critical stage. It is large in size; problems are aplenty, the challenges are daunting and thus can present a scary picture to an outsider. But if enabled, it has the potential to transform itself quickly. The future seems to be more fruitful as the advancements are actually moving ahead with IT implementations. In the near future we will see more examples coming to reality, and they will be achieved through IT advancements. PC and Internet penetration may remain in assisted mode for some more time. However, IT penetration at the back-end of the government and business processes is going to change the Indian scenario in a big way.
The economic liberalization policies of the Government of India have resulted in developing the services industry by leaps and bounds. However, an urban populace, with increased purchasing power and an array of goods and services to choose from mostly enjoy the fruits of this growth. This has encouraged the migration of the rural populace, which largely got left behind in this economic revival.
The same is in the case of telecom boom, which swept through the Indian telecom industry & is predominantly urban in nature. There is a huge discrepancy in the subscriber density of rural areas as compared to urban India ranging from 44 subscribers per sq km in urban areas to less than 3 in remote rural areas.
Recent times have seen a change in the trend, with rural telephony becoming the focus of Indian Government and the efforts to bridge the wide “Digital Divide” gaining momentum. Saturation of the urban markets has also added fuel to the fire and the private operators, in their search of newer markets, have started looking up to rural India as a plum opportunity.
But the ride to rural telephony is not very smooth and the service providers are face-to-face with hurdles like high cost of telecom infrastructure, the diverse terrain, low affordability levels of the rural masses. So, what are the solutions…technologies that are cost-effective, easy to deploy, applications and services that are appropriate, business models that are scalable and a regulatory environment that is rural in nature.
Wireless technologies fast gaining prominence in the Indian telecom scenario. These technologies have reformatted the entire urban telecommunication network but also look promising for the rural areas. Various wireless broadband access technologies like WiMAX are proving to be cost-effective and can help bring down barriers for entering rural markets.
These technologies will not only help merge the urban and rural fabric together but will also bring about revolutionary changes in the fields of Education, health and livelihood for the rural populace. For education in rural areas, though the schools do exist in most parts, the quality of teachers & of the education imparted and infrastructure is questionable. ICT can become an important tool in plugging these gaps. Apart from this the other benefits would be Telemedicine through video-conferencing between urban doctors and rural patients.
However, above all, ICT can definitely provide chances to rural people to enhance their livelihood. The demand for ICT and services can be sustained in the long run only by generating rural wealth. The primary wealth creators in this context are agriculture and agri-processing, animal husbandry, small-scale handicrafts, food processing and often, even IT enabled services.
Rural India is at a critical stage. It is large in size; problems are aplenty, the challenges are daunting and thus can present a scary picture to an outsider. But if enabled, it has the potential to transform itself quickly. The future seems to be more fruitful as the advancements are actually moving ahead with IT implementations. In the near future we will see more examples coming to reality, and they will be achieved through IT advancements. PC and Internet penetration may remain in assisted mode for some more time. However, IT penetration at the back-end of the government and business processes is going to change the Indian scenario in a big way.
Brands & Countries-A wonderful Prezo by Anderson Analytics.
A wonderful Prezo by Anderson Analytics. Quite explicit on the Brand Misidentification & Quality Product Perception.If you want a copy of complete prezo in PDF you may write to me.Hope you all find it useful...
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
making change happen … influencing tomorrow’s decisions today.
POLICOMM for Research, Communication Management, Key Contacts and PR Tools
http://policomm.info/
http://policomm.info/
Understanding and Capitalizing on PR Trends for 2007-2008
Video Leadership Seminar Will Provide Public Relations Executives with Essential Information about Understanding and Capitalizing on PR Trends
http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/01/15/businesswire20080115005650r1.html
http://www.forbes.com/businesswire/feeds/businesswire/2008/01/15/businesswire20080115005650r1.html
News For all Media Bloggers
About The Media Bloggers Association:
The Media Bloggers Association is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting, protecting and educating its members; supporting the development of "blogging" or "citizen journalism" as a distinct form of media; and helping to extend the power of the press, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails, to every citizen.MBA Members support the freewheeling expression of ideas and strong personal opinions inherent to blogging but are equally committed to commonly accepted journalistic standards of fairness, accuracy, transparency and accountability in expressing those ideas and opinions.Read more about the MBA here : http://www.mediabloggers.org/
The Media Bloggers Association is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to promoting, protecting and educating its members; supporting the development of "blogging" or "citizen journalism" as a distinct form of media; and helping to extend the power of the press, with all the rights and responsibilities that entails, to every citizen.MBA Members support the freewheeling expression of ideas and strong personal opinions inherent to blogging but are equally committed to commonly accepted journalistic standards of fairness, accuracy, transparency and accountability in expressing those ideas and opinions.Read more about the MBA here : http://www.mediabloggers.org/
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