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Water in India PPT

Water in India 

The ‘Water in India’ PowerPoint presentation is packed with statistical data and highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of water resources in India. Some of the areas covered in the presentation are physiographic details, national water resources, statewide ground water analysis, annual water requirement and much more.

The Water in India PPT deals with Water Management in India, the status of Water Resources in India and the shortage of Water in India. The PPT also aims at providing some solutions to address the Problems of Water in India.

Socio Economic Survey of India

This presentation provides slide after slide of detailed graphs and other useful information pertaining to the socio economic conditions in India today. Written in concise, user-friendly language it steers clear of technical terminology and seeks to provide authentic and important statistics which will be useful to anyone wanting to learn more about the mixed economy – that is India. Some of the useful information you will find here includes:
Human development and the gender situation
Major initiatives in the Social Sector
Poverty and inclusive growth
Employment
Education
Health and much more

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Report on Home Furnishing in India - Trends, Key Players, Exports, Future Outlook

India Reports (www.india-reports.com) has launched a new report on Home Furnishing in India, which profiles one of the biggest segments of Indian Industry.

The textile industry in India is one of the largest contributors to industrial production in India and Home Furnishing form a major chunk of this industry. India is one of the leading producers and exporters of home furnishings from bed, bath, kitchen linen to window dressing to dhurries, carpets and rugs.

This overview on the Home Furnishing Industry in India (www.india-reports.com/summary/HomeFurnishing.aspx) provides comprehensive information on the history and growth of the Home Furnishing Industry in India. The report details out the market structure, size, potential and growth potential of the Home Furnishing and Home Textiles Industry and India's share in the global market, amply illustrated with many suitable graphs and tables.

The report also profiles the top 10 players in the industry and provides a list of government agencies and associations with links, related to the Home Furnishing and Home Textiles market in India.

To know more about the report please visit                                                                                           www.india-reports.com/summary/HomeFurnishing.aspx

Outsourcing Report - Buy from India-reports.com

Buy our Outsourcing Omnibus Package featuring 4 reports covering different aspects of outsourcing in India.
1. KPO Market in India
2. Legal & Accounting in India
3. Outsourcing for SME's
4. Managing Talent in India's Outsourcing Industry

Growth of Retail in India available from India-reports $11.99

Growth of Single Brand Stores in India

Updated Jan 2008 (earlier versions published in 2006, 2007) - Globalization of the economy has exposed the Indian consumer to a gamut of products and brands. “Quality of life” is a buzzword with the Indian consumer today. As a result, international brands of lifestyle products are increasingly making their presence felt in the Indian retail scene.

Food Report - From India Reports

Food and grocery is the second-largest segment of the retail industry and also it is least organized.    

According to a recent report by Ernst & Young, food and grocery account for almost 54% (USD 152 billion) of the total Indian annual retail business. However, food retail continues to be dominated by small local stores in the unorganized sector. The organized food retail sector is expected to grow by 30% to become worth US$ 2.4 billion in 2010.      

The potential for new entrants in this segment is enormous, particularly in untapped markets like rural and semi-rural areas.    

This paper maps the trends in the food retail sector, key players, their expansion plans and investments, consumer spending patterns and government policies.

Changing lifestyles in India

Indians spend on Gucci, Calvin Klein and Diesel. Healthy living makes an entrance with people opting for organic food instead of fast food. After designer watches and bags, it is about luxury homes, elite cafes and private aircrafts. Chefs are enjoying celebrity status as dining out becomes a lifestyle activity

Keep track of lifestyle trends in India.

The Key to Understand Outsourcing Trends in India

A Good About Way of Understanding The Future: Listen to Indicators

My dad always said to keep your ear to the ground.

The Dollar Rupee exchange is vital to American/India  outsourcing. So too is the  Euro/Rupee exchange rate important  to outsourcing economics.  Therefore understanding these relationships are critical to  making long term outsourcing  decisions. It is complex and too hard to know for sure what will happen but here is one key to understanding the future.

The key is to keep your ears open for some words to understand where the dollar is headed. Listen for indicators to understand the dollars and Euro But understanding other currencies is more difficult. Since the dollar has not declined as much against the Rupee in the same way it has against the Euro there must be different dynamics involved that must be uncovered.  For now let's us just look at the dollars value against the Euro.

The value of the dollar against the Euro and other currencies can be anticipated by just watching how the Fed and US politicians respond to economic problems. I am about to reveal the key to understanding Dollar/Euro exchange.

As soon as you hear words and phases  like stimulus, bail out, package you know how to plan. You can see that inflation is going up and the dollar down. Good news for countries using the Euro who are outsourcing to India.  And for American companies outsourcing to India well I don't know yet. My guess is that in the long run the Dollar will go down and the outsourcing numbers will not look so favorable.

When the above words and phrases are  heard on CNN  it mean that core problems are being solved with money.  Most reasonable people know that if money can solve a problem it is not a real issue. Real issues can't be solved with money. Money just hides the problem. It will show up later in the same way that giving candy to a crying baby stops the crying but postpones the problem.

American has a new  generation of voters who give their kids candy and  who therefore elected  people  who solve problems this way. 

Keep your ears open for those magic words and you will know how to plan. Hear give and plan one way hear discipline and plan another.   Alternatively  subscribe to  Shadow Government Statistics  by  John Williams.  Here you find  data like M3  and other exciting economic indicators. You can also learn if hyperinflation is in the cards saving you the trouble of watching CNN.

Real estate players riding the hospitality wave

Every real estate player is diversifying into the hospitality sector. The list includes majors like DLF and Rahejas. Marriot and World Hotels have expansion plans for India. The Indian Railways is leveraging its potential of land reserves to build budget hotels with private sector participation.

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Spotting Trends in India

Flooded with Info

I have noticed Indian websites emerging  with lots of  of similar information and promotion. How are we going  to separate  the marketing from reality - the fluff from the fact. We may see new websites soon that help in this process. Unfiltered customer comments will help.

Retailing organic food

There is a gradual revival of the organic food and home grown cooking trends. The slow food movement is 'slowly' catching on. A reflection of this is the subtle lifestyle changes as people become eco sensitive.

Organic products have found small places on retail shelves in Indian stores. Many retail chains are allocating nearly 2%- 5% of the retail space for organic products as consumers have become more health and ecology conscious.

Some players in organic retail in India include the Khadi Gramudyog, Navdanya, Greenway, Namdharis, Nature’s Basket, Organic India, Satvic, Sresta,IITC Organic and Fab India

But how many products are actually organic?
Is there any certification?

Prevention is better than cure- focus on the basics.

India has been battling Malaria for a long time now. Two million cases of malaria are reported in India every year.

The highly vulnerable areas are states of the north east, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

There is huge investment by the global pharma industry and philanthropists in developing a vaccine for the disease.

How about some effort on prevention?

The basic problem is improving the health and sanitation services. This could help bring down the numbers significantly. But who cares? Waste dumps on roads, poor drainage and sewage services are common problems in every city and village in India. The breeding grounds for the female Anopheles is right there in our backyards.

India needs to get the basics right

The farm loan waiver has been extensively been criticized on economic and social grounds. It seems that politicians like to reward wrong doers. The farmers who paid the loans must be feeling cheated and frustrated.

Ditto is the case of the Bangalore and Hyderabad airports. All this while, everyone was waiting and watching. Now all political parties want both (old and new) airports functional. Hectic lobbying by industry has helped in building the pressure. With elections round the corner, all politicians want to play safe.I wonder what Mr Brunner is thinking. After all, user fees, accessibility to a transport hub are issues discussed and thrashed out at the project planning stages.

The question is why this pressure was not exercised in building the links to the new airport. Why should the private player be pressurized now? There are approvals and processes in place for infrastructure projects. Why was political consensus missing all this while? All the political parties which have held office since the airport projects were sanctioned are to blame. But how can they be penalized?

There is no accountability.

These are only two examples of bad economics and poor management. All happening when we have the best economists sitting at the helm of affairs – P Chidambaram and Dr Man Mohan Singh.

Wonder when India will get the basics right?

Sail away!

Cars and Jets are passé.
It’s the season for sailing.
Joint ownership of expensive yachts, exclusive yatch clubs and weekends on sea is the new trend catching on with the rich.
Industry players estimate that it is a 200 crore market for boats in India.

The next trip could be leisure sailing from Mumbai to Goa.

Are expats suited for leadership roles in India?

The expat workforce in India has increased.

According to a study by Credence Research and Analytics (CRA), nearly 40,000 expats work in India with 15% in top leadership roles.

HR industry watchers feel that expats are best for highly specialized and technical assignments. For overall leadership roles, it is best to have Indians – as they have the expertise, better understanding of the mindset and working conditions and are available for longer periods. An expat leader may not find it easy to work with the government machinery.

The Meltdown of the US Economy

Business Trends in India
Right now  the big trend to watch will be the impact on India  because of the poor US economy.  The Federal Reserve is putting out fires by smothering them with wood. The wood may slow down the fire for a short time but it will flare up again but worse. History is full of examples of countries who tried to solve problems by adding copper to coins and thus diluting the value its money. Stimulating the economy and delaying the nature cycles will not work in the long run. Expect to see the Rupee higher over the long term. Expect to see the best companies  survive this and become better but other companies that have focused on volume with low margins will have  tough going in 2008 -2009.

In Spite of the Gods-The Strange Rise of Modern India

This book by Edward Luce is one of the best reads on India.

Anyone needing to understand India and its complexities of culture, caste, politics and development will enjoy this well researched and highly readable account.

More India readings for expats

Golf Tourism- another niche tourism sector

Golfing is catching up fast in India. The sport has witnessed 35-40% growth over the last four years. Real estate developers and tourism companies are keen to cash in on the tee factor as well.

India is way off the mark, compared to countries like Malaysia, as far as number of golf courses are concerned. Golf courses have been traditionally owned by city clubs or the defense service wings. The scene is changing now. The sport is becoming popular with the upwardly mobile professionals. The presence of the expat community has added to the glitz for the sport.

The tourism companies are adding ‘the heritage experience’ to the golf tours. Most luxury housing development projects have the golfing greens as a focal ‘selling’ point.

Comparative Stats on India and China

New Report Available India and China $25

India and China are competitors. Comparisons are common as both economies are booming and attracting global investments. This 53 slide comparative account of two Asian economies touches upon essentials of demographics, infrastructure, industry and economy – the statistical differences and commonalities, if any.

Internet Usage in India

Here is the latest statistics on internet users in India:

According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India( IAMAI), there were 32 million active internet users in India in 2007.

The major user groups and percentage share:
Women (11%)
Non working women (06%)
Young Men (33%)
Old Men ( 35-58yrs) (15%)
School Kids (14%)
College students:(21%)

Luxury Market in India

The true picture about India’s luxury market is that the luxury retailing space is missing. The high streets like Ginza and Bond Street are no where visible in India. The best luxury brands do not find the right ambience and locale to sell their brands. High end exclusive retail stores are now being planned by DLF and others.

As pointed out by Harish Bhat, COO, Titan Watches in a recent article ‘ How can luxury brands be big in our country when they touch only a small sub decimal point of our population’.

Another aspect is the mind set of the Indians- how many would actually like to spend on a super expensive product?

Bangalore tees off!

The perception of the game is changing – no doubt about it. Once only considered for retirees and the elite, youngsters and corporate ladder-climbers too are showing an interest in the sport.

Bangalore ’s KGA still boasts of a waiting list of anything from 10-20 years, but the city is doing its bit to democratize the game. Seen as a classy way to build networks, Bangalore’s three golf courses see a healthy mix of professionals – IT professionals, doctors, lawyers and expats.

Is school education in India really good?

Indians like to believe that India has the best education system. However, the reality is quite different, especially as far as primary education is concerned.

Government runs schools in the country are in bad shape- lacking in quality teachers and basic infrastructure. What does one do? CII chief mentor Tarun Das recently wrote about the role Indian corporates could play in improving the elementary education in India. He believes that ‘if the top 200 corporates partner to support and improve 1000 schools each, 200,000 primary schools can be benefited and millions of children whose future need to be assured. This is doable. In fact,this must be done’.

There is lot of emphasis on having training and certified teachers – but does that really help? How about having teachers who just like to teach but have no formal training? Maybe they would make better teachers and one would have a more committed set. Of course, compensation to teachers is meagre and that is a biggest deterrent. Most school teachers have flourishing private tuitions business which run is run from homes after school hours.

According to John Kurien of Centre for Learning Resources, Pune , a study of 142 best English medium schools across 5 metros ( Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi) reveals that Indian students fare poorly in applying knowledge to new situations. The best Indian schools have mediocre students.

School teaching in India needs improvement and change- now.

Pilgrims progress: Hospitality players planning hotels at religious hot spots

Religious and spiritual tourism has always been an important component of tourism in India. However, never before have the numbers been so large so as to prompt players like the Leela group to set up hotels at religious places.

It is happening now!

Is it because the profile of the religious traveler has changed?

We have always had domestic travelers visiting pilgrimage centers like Badrinath- Kedarnath, Mathura-Vrindavan, Tirupati, Rameswaram, Sabarimala, Puri, Varanasi.

What is interesting is that lot of NRIs and HNIs are now traveling to these places and it makes business sense for big players to start operations.

Our pilgrim centric cities have always needed infrastructure improvement and it is time things changed for the better.

Will the hospitality groups contribute to the overall improvement of these urban areas?

System inefficiencies at retail stores and hospitals

The retail and healthcare boom is happening but inefficiencies are high due to poorly trained manpower.

You shop at a store in 10 minutes flat because you have your list ready and time is short but when you reach the billing counter it takes 10 minutes in the queue- because the team working there is slow and on the learning curve.

A similar experience at my visit to Columbia Asia hospital- the appointment with the doctor is scheduled before hand and the consultation is quick. When you want to buy the prescribed medicine at their drug store, you are waiting for 20 odd minutes or more. Similar is the wait at the billing counter.

One of the critical factors for success of medical tourism and retailing will be the quality and efficiency of manpower deployed for support services.

Ready-to-eat exporters look homeward for new markets

Indian food has a huge market overseas. Suddenly, thanks to the rising rupee, lifestyle changes, rising disposable incomes and the growth of organized retail, there is a sizable ready-to-eat market in India too.

Several small to mid-sized exporters, hit hard by the appreciating rupee, have started supplying to the Indian retail chains as well – a task that is not as easy as it sounds. Poor storage and cold chain facilities make the going tough. The Government is apparently doing its bit to boost the movement – plans include 53 food parks, where these SMEs can share capital intensive facilities and a drop in customs duty on packaging machines.

US slowdown impacts sourcing from India

Globalization and improved trade amongst countries is a good – even great thing. But what would you say when India’s phenomenal growth and boom is dampened by the US recession?

Several retail majors like Gap and WalMart expect the festive season to be slow and plan to reduce apparel sourcing overall – with a dip in the Indian exposure to be to the tune of 15 – 20% in value terms.

To give you an idea of the quantum of loss expected - India’s biggest garment exporter, Gokaldas Exports expects to lose US$ 15 million just factoring limited sourcing by Gap.

India's Luxury Market

India’s luxury market is expected to grow at 20% for the next 5 years.

According to KSA Technopak, immediate spending priorities for the Indians will be housing, education, travel, high end automobiles, entertainment equipment, home lifestyle imp products.

The boom is expected to happen in men’s clothing, women’s jewelry & accessories, gourmet food & wines.

More and more Indians are talking about Louis Vuitton, Dunhil, Chanel, Fendi, Gucci, Mont Blanc, Van CLeef, Arpels, Zegna, Body Shop, Ferragano, DKNY, Hugo Boss, and the like.

The success of these brands will be determined by their strategy for the Indian markets.

The numbers are there but Indians have been traditionally conservative in spending- will that change?

It appears so.

Women in India need education and better health care

India ranks 114 in the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index report for 128 countries. India performs poorly on economic participation & opportunity, education attainment and health and survival indices.

Sweden (1), Norway (2), Finland (3) and Iceland (4) top the rankings.

Are More Working Days Ahead for India

Changes Coming in 2008

A consultant recently told me that a combination of things is causing the big software companies in Bangalore to require longer hours of work. The declining dollar plus high real estate costs plus rocketing salaries might mean less profits for Indian software companies.