Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Retail..
Telecom.. Finance.. Software.. FMCG/Food.. Business..
  Retail 
The Indian Apparel Industry: A Critical Review Of Supply Chains
ICMIS
Fragmented industry structure is the major problem of Indian textile industry with a dominance of small scale. Getting skilled workers is a major challenge. Due to constant growth of the industry in the last few years, the industry is facing severe shortage of labour. People who are migrating from rural areas do not have any prior experience in the industry. Since, there is need for labour, they are asked to take up the work with any prior training (unlike in other garment cluster- Bangalore). Frequent power cuts, increasing pressure on road traffic have put considerable strain on the growth of this cluster.

E-commerce- A Dream or a Logistics Nightmare (Premium) 
The e-commerce industry seems to be getting ready for a consolidation. It should play safe to avoid another fallout like the 2000 dot-com bust. For an invention that is rated among the top 10 discoveries in the history of mankind, the internet keeps taking us back in time regularly. It is 2012 but once again looks like 2000.So what does the closure of a few companies mean? Actually nothing. In a nascent but fastgrowing industry, this is expected. Many entrepreneurs will jump in, but just a few will scale and succeed. The others will shut down or get acquired, such consolidation is the order of any early stage industry.

Resurgence In Demand For Luxury Goods
KPMG
Spending on luxury goods has bounced back to pre-recession levels. The recovery was propelled largely by the rising consumer spend in emerging economies, which has encouraged luxury goods manufacturers to adopt various initiatives to expand their operations in such countries. However, a few challenges remain. For one, many luxury shoppers in both developed and emerging nations remain frugal. Also, the increased trade in counterfeit luxury goods is a growing concern.

Menswear Market In India Fastest Growing Apparel Segment
SCAI
According to Technopak Advisors, a retail consultancy, the entire textile and apparel industry (2010 estimates), including domestic and exports, is pegged at Rs 3,27,000 crore and is expected to grow by 11% to Rs 10,32,000 crore by 2020. Currently menswear is the major chunk of the market at 43% (Rs 72,000 crore) and is growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9%. The menswear market in India is the fastest growing apparel segment. The India Menswear Market Analysis 2010-2014 by Venn Research found that total revenue from menswear was $11.8 billion in 2009, representing a CAGR of 8.6% from 2005 to 2009. Industry estimates peg the formal suits, jackets and blazers segment at Rs 4,500 crore. Clearly the men want to look dapper.

Apparels: Domestic Demand & Export Diversification Will Be The Key To Success
CARE Research
The Indian apparel industry is estimated to be worth Rs 1,876 billion in FY11 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.7 percent till FY '16. The growth would primarily be driven by the surge in demand for readymade apparels in rural areas, rising income levels and youth population and increasing preference for branded apparels. The growth in exports can be attributed to shifting of the apparel manufacturing base from the developed countries like the US and the EU to the low cost countries like China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh and many others.

Smart Sourcing by Punit Agarwal of Promart (Premium) 
Buying the right raw materials and goods from the right sources is key to success, asserts Puneet Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer of Promart. A second generation entrepreneur hailing from a family with business interest in retailing of sarees, wedding trousseaus and embroidery (domestic and exports), Agarwal acquired Promart from Provogue in 2011. As the CEO of Promart he is responsible for overall business decisions, logistics and inventory management. His role also includes setting up targets and identifying key markets for growth. The business of sourcing takes him to all corners of the globe and he delves into his experience to come up with a few thumb rules while sourcing from China and other countries.

The Case for Consolidation of Indian Brands (Premium) 
From the launch of the first few men's shirts brands in the early and mid nineties, the Indian fashion industry has come a long way; and today it boasts of an excellent mix of regional, national and international brands vying for consumers' attention and share of their wallets. The memories of pioneer brands such as Stencil are still fresh in the minds of many. Arrow's educational campaigns teaching Indian consumers the merits of a button down shirts may seem amateurish today but they created the long-lasting relationship with consumers who have made Arrow so stupendously successful today. While I still believe that the Indian market doesn't have enough brands on offer but I am quite satisfied with the developments over the last 15 years. The most satisfying has been the boldness and courage with which numerous Indian companies have launched their brands across segments.

Tenant tenant in the mall- who is the fairest of them all (Premium) 
There was a giant mall...and it had several small and big tenants. One of the tenants wasn't happy and decided to talk to the mall. To his surprise several others joined in who were afraid to speak their mind... An honest feedback can make a significant difference to improve the way the shopping centre business happens in India. Shopping Centre News is taking the initiative to connect the most important shopping centre stakeholders on a common platform where tenants show the mirror to their malls. In the first of our series, we look at the performance of three of the operational Phoenix Market City properties - in Mumbai, Bangalore and Pune - launched in the year 2011. Is there a success formula to do a shopping centre 'in India'? Putting a multi-crore investment at stake could well be tough for new developers and first timers in the shopping centre development and operations business. But can we say that the seasoned players with iconic credentials in India's shopping centre space have got it right with their subsequent retail real estate ventures?.

The Frozen Desserts Category- Will Modern Trade take it more seriously (Premium) 
Frozen desserts are on an upswing, and manufacturers are hoping that modern trade will begin to take the category more seriously. In recent times, the frozen dessert category has been registering good growth. With new products like frozen fruit yogurts, sorbets and gelatos adding more variety and value to it, this category has gone beyond just ice creams. But how receptive are modern store chains to frozen desserts? Why, despite becoming popular, are these products still under-leveraged by modern store retailers? What concerns and issues are hampering their expansion at the stores?.

Analytics is a critical need for retailers to be future ready (Premium) 
customers today have access to a wealth of information even before they begin their shopping. To offer them the right product mix at the right price and through the right channel, retailers should know what they value the most. Analytics can help them achieve this by delivering a smarter shopping experience and helping them build smarter operations, merchandising mix, and supply chain. Indira P Rani, Vice President (Distribution Sector) with IBM India/South Asia, talks to "images retail" about the importance of analytics to retailers .

  Telecom 
14 Essential Tactics for Mobile: Email, Search and Social Media Marketing 
Mobify 
How does the mobile revolution affect your business and how can you take advantage of it in your marketing today? That's the question this paper tries to answer.

booz&co.
The extensive and ever-increasing penetration of mobile phones in developing and emerging markets presents a significant opportunity to women entrepreneurs who want to develop their micro businesses into flourishing small and growing enterprises. Existing research by organisations such as the Global Systems for Mobile Association (GSMA), Goldman Sachs, Vodafone, and Nokia suggests that mobile services are being utilised by women to empower their lives and improve their businesses. The objective of this study was to identify the most useful mobile value added services (VAS) solutions which would enable women entrepreneurs to advance their businesses in selected geographies. As a result of this identification exercise, this report serves as a valuable reminder that investment in mobile VAS presents promising and beneficial outcomes for commercial stakeholders, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), governments and women entrepreneurs alike.

GSMA
Mobile operators have clearly expanded their remit from direct-to-consumer health solutions, to solutions that support core clinical and operational processes within the hospital. From this traditional base mobile operators are moving to solutions that connect the various stakeholders in the healthcare system to the patients to provide fully integrated care. Effective and efficient integration of mobile technologies and infrastructure into the healthcare system creates significant value for both stakeholder groups.

Broadband connectivity to rural masses using TV bands in India 
Yantrr
In India there are very few terrestrial TV broadcasting stations which only include the state run Doordarshan (DD1), DD Metro, DD News and other regional channels, as opposed to Europe and US where all available TV bands have been used. Thus, large chunks of unused spectrum are available in this band which could be opened up for licensed or un-licensed use to drive broadband penetration to the whole country and thus bring a broadband revolution.

Health Innoventions
The dramatic rise of consumer technology adoption, particularly of mobile phones, has afforded us the tools to ground change interventions in the real day-to-day world. The ability to both collect individual data and deliver individualized content holds the promise of more effective behavior interventions as well as access to data for the development of an even better understanding of health-related behaviors.

The latest and the future in 3D technology (Premium) 
What drives the cogs of 3D? Read on find out the latest and the future in 3D technology. A standard TV set displays images and video in two dimensions (2D). It lacks the depth that forms the third dimension of viewing. In real life, when you view an object, either eyes sees a slightly different picture from the other due to a minute variation in the angle. The difference between the views of both eyes is greatest for objects closeup an tapers off for those farther away. Using that information your brain calculates the distance between you and the object, you helping perceive the depth an see in three dimensions or 3D.

TRAI Tariff Order aligns but at what cost (Premium) 
In the run-up to the first cable TV digitization deadline of June 30, 2012 for metros, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) latest order specifying tariffs and setting other norms for smooth implementation of the process has stirred up a hornet's nest. While the TRAI order is certainly a good move to streamline matters in the direction of digitization, most industry stakeholders have been busy trying to dissect each clause to see how it impacts their business. Even as the broadcast industry is shocked by the diktat of a uniform, legalized carriage fee structure, Multi System Operators (MSOs) find they have a lot of responsibility on their hands. The consumer, meanwhile, is empowered to pick and pay for channels of his choice.

Why Smartphones will make a difference in Advertising (Premium) 
A recent study conducted by Google and IPSOS indicates that India will soon be a 'mobile first' nation for communication. The challenge of advertising on mobile platforms is the most over-rated concern in the digital advertising domain in India. While presence of brands on digital media has only been increasing every year, along with spends, mobile advertising garners a rather negligible share in the total advertising pie. As per recent industry estimates, mobile advertising constitutes not more than 1% share of the total ad spends in the Rs 266 crores advertising industry. An obvious reason for this is slow adoption of smartphone and mobile internet in India. As per data released in the third quarter of 2011, the smartphone market in India was not growing over a 6% rate. However, a recent study conducted by Google in association with IPSOS continues to rely heavily on the potential of mobile media, which is arguably the only omnipotent multi-media device in India.

Embedded Systems- India takes baby steps towards end-to-end development (Premium) 
India is developing its own embedded design market, moving away from being a strictly outsourced industry. This means that Indian designers and engineers will have to drive actual product innovation and move towards product ownership, which to some extent is already happening. Embedded system development in India started during the early 2000s. According to a report released by National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) along with Zinnov Management Consulting, the total addressable embedded system R&D global opportunity is expected to reach $89 billion by 2015. India now has an established base for R&D and can leapfrog both for international and domestic consumption.

1G Solution for a 3G World (Premium) 
With the introduction of expensive 3G in 2011 and 4G in 2012 in India, here is an effective application which will help one to stay connected at reasonably less cost. 2011 started with a lot of anticipation around the onset of 3G and recent introduction of 4G--how they would change the mobile landscape. There was a heightened sense of anxiety, and common perception was that the game-changing technology would forever alter the way users used their phones. After all, 3G itself was arriving after a very long wait and tremendous investments into spectrum. Although talking of 4G is too early now, but as far as 3G is concerned, in hindsight, it turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax. What did not happen overnight is the explosive proliferation of the mobile internet. I was fortunate to witness this whole cycle play out in both Egypt and Indonesia, not so long ago, in exactly the same fashion. Of course, 3G means better data speed for existing data users but that literally touches only one in 10 mobile users in India today. The IAMAI report pegs mobile data users at 46 mn, while mobile users are over 600 mn.
  Finance 
Indian Passenger Vehicle Industry: A Study
ICRA
The Indian passenger vehicle (PV) industry has experienced a period of strong volume growth in the last five years riding on strong economic growth, rising disposable incomes, favourable demographics and relatively low penetration levels. Frequent introduction of new models by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), incumbents as well as new entrants, and adequate financing availability also contributed to the growth momentum. As demand and supply tangoed, the industry's volumes grew at 16.3% CAGR during 2007-11, with growth being particularly strong in the last two years. However, since the beginning of 2011-12, the industry has been witnessing a slowdown in volume growth marred by rising inflation, hardening interest rates and increasing fuel prices that have combined to dent consumer sentiment.

Corporate Finance India: A Study Reflecting Key Changes From An M&A Perspective
PSA Legal
Mergers and acquisitions in India are governed by a large number of individual laws. However, unlike China, India has no distinct set of rules and regulations for each type of transaction codified in a single law. Instead, Indian companies are governed not only by the Companies Act 1956, but also, for example, if the target is a publicly listed company and certain threshold limits are crossed, by the mechanism prescribed under the Securities and Exchange Board of India Act 1992 and contained in the Securities Exchange Board of India (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations 1997. This update examines the key changes proposed in the bill and their corresponding impact on M&A transactions involving Indian companies.

Credit Risk Management in Banks (Premium) 
Banks must adopt stringent regulatory practices while extending credit to customers. Lapses on their part could today have serious repercussions on the entire world's financial health. Banks are in the risk business and banking is all about managing risks and returns. In the course of their business, banks are confronted with various kinds of financial and nonfinancial risks. These are classified into credit risks, market risks and operational risks. Credit risk refers to the potential loss of valuable assets due to the probable deterioration in the perception of the borrowers' credit worthiness or in the worst case, their inability to meet contractual obligations. Market risk arises from adverse changes in market variables such as interest rates, exchange rates, equity prices and commodity prices. These get manifested in the form of liquidity risks, interest risks, forex risks, price risks, etc.

Indian Banking- Visualizing the Next Stage (Premium) 
A look at the dramatic changes in the Indian banking sector, as it gets more and more linked to global finance. Looking back over the past 20 years, there have been massive changes in the financial sector, which have completely changed the nature of intermediation, the range of products and services available, and the intensity of competition. However, the process is clearly far from complete. It is now impossible to imagine sustained growth without financial stability.Any disruption in the financial system anywhere in the real economy not only in that country but elsewhere in the world too. Hence domestic financial stability cannot become a realistic goal in the absence of a conducive global environment. Currently, financial stability has to be viewed not only in terms of lessons learnt from the global crisis but also in terms of the future risks and challenges. There is now a clear recognition of the importance of a financial stability policy .

Economic Indicators Of The Indian Capital Markets Relevant For Foreign Institutional Investors
Deloitte
Managing growth and price stability are the major challenges of macroeconomic policymaking. In 2011-12, India found itself in the heart of these conflicting demands. The Indian economy is estimated to grow by 6.9 per cent in 2011-12, after having grown at the rate of 8.4 per cent in each of the two preceding years. This indicates a slowdown compared not just to the previous two years but 2003 to 2011 (except 2008-9). At the same time, sight must not be lost of the fact that, by any cross country comparison, India remains among the front-runners. With agriculture and services continuing to perform well, India's slowdown can be attributed almost entirely to weakening industrial growth. The manufacturing sector grew by 2.7 per cent and 0.4 per cent in the second and third quarters of 2011-12.

Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement: An Overview
Indiabudget
Global economic situation during 2008-09 and 2009-10 impacted the performance of emerging market economies and India was no exception. The swift revival during 2010-11, wherein Indian economy grew at 8.4 percent on the base of similar growth in 2009-10, showed that resilience of Indian economy in steering through difficult international scenarios have further improved. However, continuance of the financial crisis in Euro Zone coupled with exogenous shocks like increase in the international crude prices brought out the vulnerability of Indian economy towards global events back to the forefront.

Tax Implications Of Cross-Border M&A In India: An Uncertain Landscape
Deloitte
In the highly competitive global economic environment, cross-border M&A deals have attained unprecedented importance as a means of achieving operational synergies. However, the benefits of these synergies can be reduced or even eliminated if certain challenges they entail are not addressed. One of the most important of these challenges is managing the underlying tax implications of M&A transactions.

Risk of Credit and Informational Asymmetry (Premium) 
In the case of financial distress, the banking decision is limited to the alternative between bankruptcy or financial support. Generally, when information is accessible, the bank chooses the decision which maximizes its profit. In addition, when information is private, the bank chooses the decision to bankruptcy sanction as the illiquid company. On the contrary, if the bank has an informational advantage compared to the other creditors, it is able to exploit it and in this case, the probability of the statement of affairs of an illiquid company is then reduced at least in the short term in the form of an abusive support. We propose to check empirically the impact of the informational problems on the bankruptcy of the companies starting from the Belgian accountable data. A Probit model is used. The endogenous variable is the fact of having or not to file for bankruptcy, the explanatory variables include the revealing variables of the financial, economic and legal situation of the companies, as well as of the proxy variables of informational asymmetries. The assumption of the abusive support is not always confirmed. The results on the contrary appear that the decision to bankruptcy is all the more severe than information is private and hardly accessible.

FDI- Why India lags behind (Premium) 
According to the World Investment Report 2011, inflows into India declined by about $10 billion to $25 billion in 2010 and in terms of rankings, the country dropped to the 14th position from the 8th place it held in 2009--way below its competing neighbour China, which received FDI inflows worth $106 billion. Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in a developing economy likeIndia. FDI inflows refer to investments that a country receives from international sources, which, in turn, help the host country get access to new technologies, capital and management skills. Since 1991, the Government of India has embarked on a liberalisation and economic reforms programme with a view to bring about rapid and substantial growth, and move towards globalisation of the economy. The new economic policies significantly relaxed restrictions on foreign investment, industrial licensing and foreign exchange. The capital market was opened to foreign investments and banking sector controls eased. This article examines the impact of the new economic reforms on FDI in India.

  Software 
Testing is Big Business (Premium) 
An insight into the present and future of testing tools and services market - a process which is believed to consume between one third and one half of all software development budgets! While testing as a practice dates back as far as software development itself, it is only recently that it is being recognized as a distinct expertise and an area which can provide true competitive advantage to a development team and the business as a whole. This change in perception, allied to a growing need for software testing in an increasingly applications-reliant world, has made testing, and the broader process of software quality, a growing concern.

Cloud computing tools: Improving security through visibility and automationCSO
Many enterprises are reluctant to move critical cloud applications out of their own data centers and into the public cloud due to security concerns. Yet the same automated, consistent provisioning that is essential to managing either public or private clouds (as well as to the process of thinking through a cloud deployment) can also offer the fringe benefit of improving security.

Best IT Implementations 2012- BPM and Automation (Premium) 
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Best IT Implementations 2012- Govt Projects (Premium) 
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Upgrading your ERP: Special considerations for every finance organization CSC
Upgrading an ERP system gives the finance organization a number of opportunities to improve service delivery effectiveness while simultaneously cutting costs, but the effort is not without risk. However, a well conceived and executed upgrade can bring substantial rewards

Cloud Essentials Start with StrategyAccenture
Just in the last six months or so, we've seen a major shift with the traditional IT players - the big power brokers of the past - now putting a lot of effort into cloud computing themselves, either converting their existing services over to cloud solutions, or going out and acquiring innovative start-ups so that they can use them to create cloud solutions for themselves. In the next twelve months, we'll see a continued acceleration in which clients will be fundamentally reassessing their IT strategies, looking at where cloud computing plays a role, looking across all the different layers of cloud, across their infrastructure, across the way they develop systems, across the software solutions they need to drive the business forward, and they'll be looking at where cloud can really add value for them.

Choosing the Right Cloud-based Office Apps (Premium) 
At times you may want multiple users to work on a single file, or when you are on the go and do not have your system around with you. Here we compare the popular online office suites that prove to be useful allies.

IT Implementation Trends by Industry- In-depth (Premium) 
Cloud Computing, security, and communications related projects form 25% of the implementations, which is double of what we received last year. A company in Ahmedabad removes all its tower servers and reduces them by using virtualization. Another company from Valsad in Gujarat automates its accounts payable process by integrating an ordinary scanner and a file server with their ERP system to automate workflow and reduce costs. A college in Nagpur automates its entire process using a cloud computing based solution, and yet another company in Bhopal implements IP surveillance in its manufacturing facility that spans across 22 kms. The list of interesting and innovative IT solutions is endless, even across smaller cities in India. It's really interesting to see how quickly organizations from across the country are embracing and implementing IT in such an innovative manner to cater to their business needs.

Shootout- Battle of Web Browsers (Premium) 
With all major major web browser vendors bringing out newer releases of their offerings just about every other day, how do you decide on the best bet for your requirements? Here, we did a browser shootout to find out their performance, features and more. Web browser is one of those entities that see frequent updation and iteration all the time. So, to declare a particular browser as sacrosanct does not make sense. Keeping the same notion in mind, we at PCQ Labs conducted a web browser shootout to help our readers decide their new web browser. Speed, security and resilience to virus and threats are some of the key elements for deciding a browser for any user. Six web browsers in their latest avatars, namely Opera 11.62, Firefox 11, Chrome 18, Internet Explorer 9, Sea Monkey 2.8 and Safari 5.1 were tested on Windows 7 with several benchmarks, along with due consideration being paid to factors like ease of use and new features they promise.


Fortune 500 CIO - Not a Target MarketFirebrick Propriety
Smart technology companies drive revenue growth by understanding that CIOs are a heterogeneous group-- and the role of the CIO is changing.
  FMCG/Food 
Food, Beverage, Tobacco Industry Report
Sustainalytics
The food, beverage and tobacco (FBT) sector includes companies that are involved in the production of  packaged foods, meat or agricultural products; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; and producers of tobacco products. This sector over view will concentrate on the food and beverage companies. Key trends in the FBT sector   include: the growth of consumer demand  and new market segments; an  increase in  global commodity prices and product innovation in order to provide healthier and more ethical food options.

Women And Tobacco: Essential Facts
Tobaccofreekids
Tobacco use among women is rising while use among men is falling. Increases in tobacco use are the result of changes in the role and economic status of women as economies grow, as well as changes in social and cultural factors as nations modernize. However, the direct, aggressive marketing of tobacco targeted to women is the driving factor behind increases in tobacco use by women seen around the world.

Drivers Of Brand Extensions Success: A Study
Zenith Research
The brand extension involves using an existing brand name to launch a product in a different category. It is otherwise known as category extension. Here brand name is constant whereas product category is a variable. The new product category needs to be different from the category presently served by brand. Extending the brand beyond the parent product category is  profitable because the products that are already known and recognized in the market needs little introductory expenses. But the success rates of such extensions are very less. Therefore the potential determinants of success like core value of parent brand, similarity fit, quality of extended products and brand reputation becomes very important focus of study.

Cosmeceuticals: Regulatory Scenario In US, Europe & India
IJPT
Cosmeceuticals represent the fastest growth segment in the skin-care market, and a number of topical cosmeceuticals treatments for conditions such as photo aging, hyper pigmentation and wrinkles have come into widespread use. In 2005, the U.S. cosmeceuticals market was estimated to be $12.5 billion and projected to grow to over $16 billion by 2010. Demand for cosmeceuticals products is expected to increase 8.5 percent per year to over $8 billion in 2010. After China, India is the most bio-diverse country. Despite the global economic downturn, India remains one of the fastest-growing beauty markets globally, growing at 13 percent per annum and valued at $6.3 billion. The global organic cosmetics industry is valued at $7 billion. The market offers extensive opportunities for domestic and international players.

Botanicals As Sunscreens: Their Role In The Prevention Of Photoaging And Skin Cancer
URP Journals
Botanicals are gaining importance in recent times as active ingredients for cosmetic formulations due to their dermal protective effect against the harmful substances from endogenous and exogenous sources. The probability of exposure of the skin to UV radiation and other environmental factors are more since it is present in the outer layer of body as the primary defense mechanism. The exposure of skin to UV radiation poses erythema, the production of inflammatory mediators, the alteration of vascular responses and immunosuppression. This review gives an overview of photoaging, its corresponding changes in the ultrastructure of skin after UV exposure and the various approaches for protecting the skin from sunlight.

Marketing your brand to the trade (Premium) 
The eco system of brand marketing has one crucial aspect -the Trade, which includes the retailer and others who are involved in supplying your product. The success or failure of a product or brand depends on how well the trade positions your brand. Here's where trade marketing enters. And there are agencies, which help brands woo their trade better. Point of purchase delves deeper into this. While Trade Marketing as a concept has become quite an integral part of the brand marketing DNA, the concept sure has morphed, changed and had an overhaul owing to the changing times and dynamism of Indian retail. We thus probe this topic with a fresh outlook and quizzed some leading agencies who have built a strong forte in providing trade marketing services. We started off from the very definition and went on to know what they as agencies have been doing in this space for their clients. Read on to get an interesting account of Trade marketing.

Findings of the Checkout India 2012 Study on Indian Shoppers (Premium) 
The Checkout India is a shopper study designed to understand motivations and attitudes, rituals, and other factors that influence shopping. The study was commissioned by The Integer Group India and conducted by Ipsos Marketing, India, in Q4 2011. With a population exceeding 1.2 billion, India is a large and diverse market. The Checkout India attempts to shed light on retail and shopping practices today. How do urban and rural shoppers shop similarly- and differently? What are the predominant Indian shopping style? What new retail practices are emerging in this fascinating market?.

Digital tools offer new clues into Shopper behaviour (Premium) 
Shoppers have long put effort into researching high-involvement and expensive purchases like cars and electronics before heading to the store. Suddenly, because of technology, it is now also worth the "effort" to research toothpaste, canned tomatoes and laundry detergent. According to the Wall Street Journal, more than one-fifth of shoppers research food and beverages online, nearly one-third research pet products and 39 percent research baby products. Almost two-thirds (62%) say they search for deals online before at least half of their shopping trips. Ryan Partnership's multi-year study of digital shopping confirms the widespread -- and still growing -- use of digital tools to gather information, select retailers and make brand decisions well before the shopper ever sees a product on the shelf. In fact, this past month, 58 percent of the 5,000 shoppers in our survey told us they are more likely than a year ago to "typically" decide what they want before visiting a store. To do this, their usage of all kinds of digital shopping tools is growing.

Tips to sharpen your Shopper Research (Premium) 
Moohlas are being spent behind decoding shoppers, Shopper research has sure risen to significance but as we pump in the monies, we also fight the many hazards that threaten to eat up the money. Right from wastage and spillover during research, to the risk of ending up with unyielding insights. Providing a solution to this plight we have some Shopper research experts hailing from leading research organizations. Read to know the tactics for effective shopper research.

IPL5- Fans take the digital route (Premium) 
The fifth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) started in April this year and is expected to end by the next week. While past editions of the tournament continued to bet on reaching large numbers using traditional media, this edition has been different. IPL-5 has been beamed out not only on "good old" television but also on the interactive digital media avenues such as the Internet. Large online publishers have struck partnerships to ensure that live streams of matches reach users intending to consume match content over the Internet. At the same time, advertisers have recognized the importance of such offerings and have been forthcoming in promoting their products on these live streams. Internet users in India have embraced these offerings signalling a strong promise towards adopting various formats of content such as streaming.

  Business 
Indian Passenger Vehicle Industry: A Study
ICRA
The Indian passenger vehicle (PV) industry has experienced a period of strong volume growth in the last five years riding on strong economic growth, rising disposable incomes, favourable demographics and relatively low penetration levels. Frequent introduction of new models by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), incumbents as well as new entrants, and adequate financing availability also contributed to the growth momentum. As demand and supply tangoed, the industry's volumes grew at 16.3% CAGR during 2007-11, with growth being particularly strong in the last two years. However, since the beginning of 2011-12, the industry has been witnessing a slowdown in volume growth marred by rising inflation, hardening interest rates and increasing fuel prices that have combined to dent consumer sentiment.

Marketing Trends for Auto Majors in India (Premium) 
A number of launches and robust growth in Q1 sales encourage car-makers to boost marketing and advertising budgets that were hit after the sector registered a very low growth rate last year. It's come-back time for the giants of the automobile industry. After the economic gloom of 2011, when the auto industry hit an all-time low, reportedly registering its lowest sales figures in the last five years, there's a resurgence on the cards. The first quarter of 2012 saw more than 65 launches at the Delhi AutoExpo. For the first time at the AutoExpo, 10 top global automobile manufacturers participated and showcased their products. What has added to this confidence is the estimate of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) that the industry will grow at a promising rate of 10-12%. The new launches are viewed as a tool for pushing sales in the otherwise dismal scenario of last year.

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