Editorials

by Rajen Kumar

APEDA Rendering Lip Service

For over four years now, we have been making relentless efforts to fill information deficit that painfully exists in the country's Micro, Small and Medium Sector. Encouragingly enough,...

Special Reports

Jan 2012

Be Skeptical. Be very Skeptical. Mistake upon Mistake

In recent months, we've had a few slip-ups by the official statistical system in India: • Yesterday's IIP release was preceded by a mistake. Mint says: On Monday, the...

Features

Jan, 2012

India's Largest Agri Show “KISAN”

Indian agriculture sector has deep impact on rural earnings and livelihood. A significant part of our economy is dependent on our farm produce. KISAN has been around for the last 19 years and each year the convention is held to introduce the farmers to newer technology, financing options, machinery, scientific knowledge and a space to interact with fellow farmers about farming trends.

New Year Resolution of a SME Owner

O yes, this is the time of year when we are all supposed to start promising to go to the gym more, eat less, live more in the moment, etc. Well, those are all noble ideas but if you truly want to make it as an entrepreneur, I'd suggest you leave those to your competitors and look at this time of the year a bit differently. Here are my New Year Resolutions for the SME owners :

New Year Resolution of a SME Owner

Dec, 2011

Gujarat Leads in Gems & Jewellery Industry

Liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 had its fair share of impact on the gems and jewellery business which was earlier regulated and few specific agencies could import gold. India has slowly become a leading player in the global gems and jewellery market and the sector has become much sought after owing to its pace of growth and impact on the Indian economy. Today, India is one of the eight important world markets, in league with USA, UK, Middle East, Turkey, Japan, Italy and China.

Nov, 2011

Profits Must Lead to Social Consciousness: Vinesh K. Bhimani, MD, Kimoha Entrepreneurs Ltd, Dubai

Kimoha Entrepreneurs Limited is essentially a printer-converter of Self Adhesive labels and flexibles for packaging applications, paper products for retail, office & Engineering Industry, Baggage Tags, Boarding Passes etc. for the aviation industry and a Auto Id Solution Provider to all its stakeholder/customers.

Transferring or Selling Property through Slump Sale

Slump Sale has been one of the widely used ways of business acquisition in India. The Concept of Slump Sale is quite old but it gained popularity post 1990s. The concept of Slump Sale was incorporated in the Income tax Act, 1961 ('the IT Act') by the Finance Act, 1999 when Section 2(42C) was inserted defining the term slump sale and Sec 50B

Oct, 2011

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A Voyage (Part-II continued...)

Entrepreneurship today is not just a buzz word but it has become a revolution, a rage due to the fact that information sharing has become so easy with the evolution of technology reaching every hand. Entrepreneurship is catching up like a wild fire in a forest and taking everyone along with it in its journey.

Sep, 2011

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A Voyage

Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs are important drivers of economic growth, employment, innovation and productivity which has been recognized and understood by analyst, economist and industry veterans centuries ago and there is no doubt about it. But over the last couple of decades the recognition for entrepreneurship has accelerated multifold, with policy makers , government bodies, trade associations in many countries and international organizations explicitly recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship and showing their commitment to improving the entrepreneurial environment, whether by removing obstacles or via more direct targeted actions in supporting them through various skill development programs.

Benefits of Credit Scores for Consumers

Credit has played an important role in shaping the economic and social dynamics of the society. Remember the shrewd moneylender from old Hindi films, who charged enormous and never ending interest on capital, leading to deteriorating financial status for the borrower. In today's world, thanks to institutionalized credit, we now have structured and regulated credit opportunities available for building assets, educating our children and aspiring for economic as well as social growth. It is vital to understand the role of CIBIL and credit scoring in creating these credit opportunities, driving credit penetration and eventually percolation of benefits for the consumers.

Aug, 2011

Vacancy: Innovation Officer at SME

There are 9 more innovations, including product innovations adopted by the innovation officer, some of which failed. However, it is not just product innovation which an SME should look at but process innovation too is critical & can be the difference between you & your competitor. I shall narrate those in the next issue.

Enterprise Content Management for SMEs

Enterprises can also use social content management, as social media is an important part of online business promotion. As majority of businesses are web based, online channel optimization is done for content management including electronic forms, mobile device support and content analytics.

Storytelling for SME

SMEs don't often have the kind of budget to put out an advertisement on television or to indulge in brand building activities. And that's where portals like smestory.com can help. These portals bring out interesting stories about businesses, entrepreneurs, how they managed difficult times, how they scaled up businesses and a whole lot more.

Time to Boost Indian Sports Industry

In fact, today Indian sports goods have stood their ground for their unique identity not only in developing but in developed countries too. Sports equipment manufacturing sector which has emerged from the status of the cottage industry has today established itself as a principal and highly reliable supplier of high quality sports goods to a noticeable part of the international market, proves the mettle of Indian sports industry.

Jul, 2011

You Don't Know What You NEED To Know

printing press, printing machine from US, Printing technology, supplier, customs duty, clearing and forwarding agents, transporters, insurance, borrowed funds, Loan repayment, Surplus Cash, sales commitments, analyzing Profits

Cheap Chinese Goods Hit Ludhiana Bicycle Industry

High level of imports from the Dragon are hitting the domestic industry, particularly the manufacturers of bicycle parts. The imports include kid bikes and high end fancy cycles. The bicycle parts that are being imported in large quantities include hub cones, spokes, chains, baskets, chain wheels and cranks, steel balls, plastic handles, levers, saddle parts, pedals, pumps, pedal axle and caliper brake parts.

Sickness in Medium and Small Enterprises

Sickness in MSMEs has been growing from 13.98% in 2001-02 to 14.47% in 2006-07 and is expected to be around 17% at present. Independent India's economic planning gave a place of pride to the small scale sector, especially with the objective of fostering entrepreneurship and promoting employment.

Why Rajesh Left?

Most SME's faces the problem of people leaving the company for better pay or profile. If you're losing good people, look to their immediate boss. Immediate boss is the reason people stay and thrive in an organization. And he/she is the reason why people leave. When people leave they take knowledge, experience and contacts with them, straight to the competition.

Crowd Sourced Funding for SMEs: An Innovative way of raising funds

Now, the final step involves making it reach to the 'Crowd'. This is the interesting part of the whole process. The SMEs can use the various social networking media like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin etc. and also viral marketing mechanism to spread the word around and make the world know about the fund request.

Web 2.0 for Small & Medium Enterprises

Web 2.0 is the new interactive way of using the internet and is attracting internet users for personal and business reasons. The technology works by enabling users to work collaboratively and get actively involved in the creation of content and control personal data and information.

Jun, 2011

New Age Challenges, A Test for SMEs: Pharma Sector Poised to Grow

Indian pharma sector is growing at the rate of approximately 8-9% and is presently considered to be ranked 14th in terms of value. This ranking is predicted to go up in this decade and India is expected to become a lucrative market in the coming years due to many complementing factors. At present selected few companies like Cipla, Sun Pharma, Ranbaxy, Lupin, Dr. Reddy's Labs etc.

Opportunities & SMEs: “India Can Become Global Pharma Hub”

SME companies will have to find out niche segments for manufacturing and marketing. Global market compulsion will increase outsourcing to India over the next few years. SME companies can prepare themselves for this opportunity by applying CGMP in their production and GCP in their laboratory environment. Indian domestic market is very large but fragmented. Smaller companies can focus on rural and non-metro markets to grow over time.

Intellectual Property Rights and Bio-piracy

There is a wide gap between developed and developing nations such as India on patenting the products. For example, out of the 3,125,603 patents filed in 91 countries, only 301,177 or 9.6% are registered in developing countries. India is behind the rest of the world in filing patents related to the various uses of herbal and medicinal plants as a source of alternative medicine while their natural resource and intellectual property continues to be exploited by the developed countries.

May, 2011

Chief Financial Officer: the Facilitator & the Integrator between Functional Heads in SMEs

To deliver these requirements, SMEs need to have CFOs with adequate knowledge, experience and skills, who can act as a 'catalyst' to conceptualize and lay down broad framework and implement the required systems.

Taxi Driver & SME's : Business Strategist

Arriving precisely on time, he sat at the helm of a nondescript car with no air conditioning. On the ride home we hit every shortcut and arrived in half the normal time. Despite our obvious pleasure, Bharat charged us precisely the market rate. It wasn't luxurious, but the ride was just what we had been looking for.

Stag International: Celebrating India's Sports Journey

But his demand slips rapidly when the Team India doesn't perform so well, The big question is of consistency. Cricket is dominating in India and neighboring countries and in some other parts of the world but we are into the manufacturing of the sports which remain in vogue globally.

Apr, 2011

How Outsourcing Non-core Services Can Make A Difference?

In fact, outsourcing non-core processes and services can be more good than bad for a SME. The biggest benefit of outsourcing non-core services for a SME is the benefit of time. It has been seen that a large percentage of start-ups fail in the first five years of their inception.

Hone Your Communication Skills and Be the Winner

A survey of over 2,000 executives and senior managers, carried out by a US-based NFI Research, revealed that 94 percent of the participants considered “communicating well” as the key skill to succeed in business today. It

Dr. Manmohan Singh & Inaction Equals Corruption

Dear Prime Minister, I hold you great and as representing the Bharat of Gandhi and Buddha, you must lead humanity in a new direction of solar verses nuclear. Please call a universal conference in Delhi, world safety and security as the theme and the technology to build a new haven and not a horrendous havoc.

Roadmap Ahead ……to be the Best SME of the Year: Infect the Workplace with the Data Virus

Data is vital in meetings. Make it mandatory for participants to come prepared with data on points/issues they want to raise. This avoids the problem of 'ALWAYS'. When anyone says someone / something is ALWAYS a problem, asking them to have data to support their statement usually diffuses the ALWAYS and brings it to a more accurate 'SOMETIMES'. So what without data looked like a major issue now, with data, is concluded as a minor one.

Mar, 2011

Roadmap ahead ……to be the Best SME of the Year

If you were asked, as the CEO of a SME, to identify the one ground reality, the single issue by which your company may grow or fall, you will probably pick staff retention as that issue. Since a SME is not typically a big brand, employees tend to jump ship into a branded organization at the very first instance.

Make a Little SPACE to Make a Better PLACE

The government too should take a special care of these buds so that they survive the test of time and develop into blooming flowers. More exposure needs to be given to these SMEs for expansion and diversification across all sectors.

Feb, 2011

Indo-Russian Axis

Truth at all costs, non-violence whatever the provocation, are non-negotiable values under our fundamental social structure. Even death sentence will have to be abolished; and spiritual greatness will be above the craze for material wealth and pleasures.

Jan, 2011

Importance of Brand-building for Small and Medium Enterprises in the era of Globalization

Brand-building for SME's is an important exercise which should be started as early as possible in order to allow a firm to develop a competitive advantage over other existing firms in the market. Increased competition in the wake of globalization can be tackled by domestic firms through Brand-building.

The Evils That Men Do are Oft Interred with Their Bones

Did not the President of Pakistan Ayub Khan carrying the body of Lal Bahadur in brotherly humanism? Lal Bahadur was a small man in with a big heart. But all our leaders of today have small hearts but big politics.

Support System for Rural Enterprises & Entrepreneurs

Institutional mechanism that would be created can facilitate the formation of new start-ups and work to empower and assist informal sector enterprises, micro & small enterprises in their growth and expansion. This mechanism should have the capacity to address some of the issues that the enterprises face such as credit related issues, lack of information, marketing support, technological and technical assistance etc.

How to Increase Your Retail Sale?

Based on a survey from the National Retail Federation, a business trade group, nearly 11 percent of consumers have finished the vast majority of the holiday shopping, up from just over 9 percent a year ago.

Three Leaders, Two Nations, One God !

Across Wagah, a day earlier, Pakistan had celebrated its Independence Day. The following day was a Friday and Eid – dually pious in Islam. Urdu was to be its national language but Jinnah was not fluent in it. It was clear on June 3, when Mountbatten, Nehru and Jinnah, by turns, had announced acceptance of Partition on All India Radio.

Self Empowerment Must for SMEs

But with the global turmoil of the financial crisis which shook the foundations of many economies worldwide, some of them which are still struggling to get back on their foot, should SME's wait and watch or should they start proactively looking for building a strong foundation which can withstand the storm of times?

Dec, 2010

Impart Quality in Technical Education

Technology is an important engine of development due to the predominant role it plays to enhance productivity and quality, reduce costs and response times. In the context ol globalisa tion of the economy, the underdeveloped and the develop ing world have to compete with the technologically advanced world, that has the advantage in using technology to enhance productivity, thereby getting a competitive advantage.

Role of SMEs Sector in the Emerging Indian Economy

The capability of Indian MSME products to compete in international markets is reflected in its share of about 34% in national exports. In case of items like readymade garments, leather goods, processed foods, engineering items, the performance has been commendable both in terms of value and their share within the MSME sector while in some cases like sports goods they account for 100% share to the total exports of the sector.

Nov, 2010

Scalable, Sustainable and Profitable Business Growth in SMEs

The entrepreneur must look at scaling up the business, only when the existing business unit becomes sustainable. But he or she must avoid making huge investments in new outlets may be too much of a risk for a micro-level Entrepreneur.

Oct, 2010

Government Says ‘Reform or Perish’; Some Say ‘Reform and Perish’; Buddha Chose the Middle Path

The deregulation of the petrol prices, has taken a toll on the government. Whatever be its compulsions, the fact of the matter is that politically it has cost the government dear, including isolating the government from the working and middle classes.

Re-Surgence of Khadi

Khadi is ripe for re-incarnation as a livery of young, surging India. A rising number of young fashion designers are seeking out local fabrics, craft & technique to give expression to this trend.

From Theory to Practice: Business Incubators as Tomorrow's Educational Centers

Job creation is indeed a global challenge and creating employment opportunities in the local market, within our neighborhood economy is the need of the hour. Here comes the role & relevance of SMEs and tools and institutional mechanisms to aid their growth.

Sep, 2010

Greener Pastures for Kenz Garden Tools

Harshel wanted to build a strong competitive advantage for his business so that he could compete with suppliers from other parts of the world on an equal footing. This motivated him to register for Alibaba.com’s Gold Supplier membership in 2008.

FDI in retail: safeguard Indian MSE trade enterprises

Some 25.1 million people are employed in the retail trade enterprise sector, 42 per cent of total non-agricultural establishments’ falls under the category of retail trade. Contribution of trade sector in general to gross GDP is placed at 15 per cent, out of which 8 per cent comes from retail trade sector.

SME Sector – A Haven for Startups.

In order to succeed and grow, SME’s need to study and discover their customers' priorities and thus align their products and services to suit their needs. They review existing best practices and aggressively and appropriately adapt them for implementation within their organization.

Legal Prevention, a Better Cure for SMEs

If small and medium enterprises don’t take note of this, then they may land up in big trouble later. For example, if there is a dispute that goes to court, a large company might not be affected to the extent to which the SME might be. One reason for this is that Indian courts are suffering from a huge backlog of cases, so the dispute might be resolved after a long waiting period.

Aug, 2010

Video Conferencing for SMEs Most Viable

Today's enterprises are looking for leading edge technology, flexible conferences, flexible deployment, common management suites, highly scalable solutions, secure VoIP conferencing, embedded multipoint options and more video conferencing solutions. However, the adoption of these technologies isn't limited to large MNCs only; we have witnessed a considerable amount of adoption of visual communication solutions in the SME sector as well. Small and medium sized businesses prefer to deploy technological solutions that have a direct impact on their profitability margins by delivering better price-performance advantage and also help these organisations in boosting their productivity.

Jul, 2010

Women, Family and Work

Although women are not a minority, in the world of work they have faced many handicaps. In fact, majority of women who wish to pursue a career face the problem. Domestic and outside work often causes imbalances. Gender discrimination is a common phenomenon.

“C”SR For Happiness!

Taking cue from the previous issue on CSR, it just struck me why the “C” in CSR should always stand for Corporate? Why can’t it stand for Citizen? Don’t we as just citizens have any social responsibility?

The ‘MOH MAYA’ of Mayapuri….

The scrap market has its own fallout and has taken a toll on human health. Most of the people living there are suffering from various health problems such as asthma, skin diseases, tuberculosis and even lung cancer. Even Somprakash could not escape the onslaught of diseases. His life has been full of challenges as he went about managing food and shelter and education for his children.

May, 2010

Industry-Academia Interaction for Long Term Benefits

Of late, there has been a lot of talk about industry- academia interaction. Indeed, there is a great need for the two to talk to each other, build up synergies and address the complementary issues. However, there is an urgent need for both the industry and the academia to focus in their respective areas and need not step out of their respective domains. There is inherent danger that interaction without a broader understanding of the issues may not produce the desired results but on the contrary may rather give negative results.

Importance of Business Etiquettes in International Business

Some people love meetings while some people hate meetings. No matter how you feel, you must agree that they are necessary for problem solving, information sharing and decision-making as well as they give you the opportunity to interact with your clients, your colleagues and others with whom you do business.

Apr, 2010

KVIC Programme In North East Zone Regeneration of Village Industry

The North East is richly endowed with natural resources and the Zone is well known for its extensive forests with varieties of flora and fauna. The landscape is made up of hills and valleys filled with natural beauty. The people of North East Zone live their varied life with colorful customs.

Mar, 2010

Solar Power at everyone’s Doorstep

The residents of Rampura village in Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh (UP), are the envy of their neighbours. The reason: Rampura is perhaps the only village in UP that has round-the-clock power supply. Surprised?

Grooming SMEs in Brooming ASEAN

Geographical proximity and economic imperatives have been the primary pull factors in India's efforts to engage the ASEAN through different strategies. India is no stranger to Southeast Asian and regions beyond it, given it deep historical, cultural and maritime bonds with them.

Feb, 2010

Man of the Month: Sharad Pawar - Boil in The Sugar & Other Bowls

The moot question is he did, and if he did, where did Sharad Pawar go wrong ? In UPA-I, his 3-in-1 portfolio was exactly the same it is in UPA-II. So on this count, I do not agree with the Congress spokesman Manish Tewari's tongue-in-cheek remark that “I don't think the Agriculture Minister needs any “naseehat” (advice)”.

What will be the Focus of Economic Policy and Budget?

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will have the advantage of working out a Budget which will have minimum political pressures. The Congress Party does not have to undergo through any test of fire of popularity. It has made its mark in the hustings at the Centre and States.

Entrepreneur-Couple of Assam: Silkworm Helps Them Weave Profits

Assam has a rich tradition of 'Muga' silk-growing and accounts for 90 per cent of India's total 'Muga' production. There are six 'Muga' production seasons of which only two - 'Katiya' (September to November) and 'Jethua' (May to July) are the commercial seasons.

Dairy Farming Practices: Use of Veterinary Drugs Major Cause of Milk Contamination

Total estimated milk production per year is 1020 lakh ton and fifty per cent of the total milk production is being retained for domestic consumption by the producers and leaving about 50% as the marketable surplus and process by organized and unorganized sector for liquid milk consumption and manufacture of products.

Alcoholism, Marxism and Kerala Marxists Government

Kerala in monopolizing manufacture of beverages are in good company of Tamil Nadu State not only manufactures but vends liquor as a monopoly. So business profits from alcohol consumption belong to the State.

Dec, 2009

MSMEs Must Have Ethical Approach to Clean Environment

Awareness of the environment we live in is critical to our existence. Respect for and harmony with it has immense time tested advantages while abuse and disharmony have shown the heavy price which we have to pay. Any indulgence without discipline is inappropriate just as health without hygiene is impossible.

Oct, 2009

Human Resource Need Holistic Approach

Like capital and technology, human resources must also align with business realities. After all, resources are meant to serve the ends of economic activity and must, therefore, remain subservient to its needs.

Remote Hill Women join hands for Big Agro Incomes

The hard-working, determined hill women of Rawain have decided to enhance their lives by playing a key role in the socio-economic development of their families and communities. Packaged foods, processed foods, handicrafts are fueling the change.

Sep, 2009

IPRs- The Lifeline of the SME World Today

Focus shifting from an enterprise's tangible assets to its intangible ones, for SMEs, it is the possession of the latter such as knowledge, creative genius, innovation potential or brand name which have become more crucial in determining its competitive edge in the WTO & TRIPS regime.

Aug, 2009

Are you the Reason for Your Failure?

People lie to themselves because they want to conform to their self image they carry. They create positive illusions to cordon off negative information when threatened by adversity. Every lie we tell to ourselves is based on fear.

Indian Pharmaceautical Sector SMEs on the Growth Path

The existence and growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is a salient component of industrial structure in India. The contribution of SMEs to pharmaceutical units, output, investment, and employment is considerably higher than many other sectors.

Jul, 2009

'What the Union Budget means for India's SMEs'?

. The Union Budget presented by Pranab Mukherjee attempts to reduce the regulatory tax burden on smaller businesses and easing compliance. The 2009-10 budget was presented in a scenario of decelerating agricultural growth, rising food prices and growing uncertainty due to delayed monsoon.

Davidism: The Power of Being Small

The corporate world as well and the big corporates / MNCs are Goliaths and small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) are Davids. To become David one will have to follow effective marketing practices especially on advertising and branding.

Jun, 2009

Get Your Hiring Process Right - Human Resources

People in the organizations that make a difference in its earning and growth. A good team can spur an organization to success while an incoherent team can doom it to bankruptcy. Human assets are the most important assets an organization can have.

Initiating Entrepreneurship Efforts - Unexploited Resources of the North-east

After the first EDP awareness workshop with help of KVIC, about 26 ex-servicemen and 4 women were able to get their projects sanctioned by the banks. In the second EDP awareness workshop that we have conducted the number of people attending jumped from 80 to 180.

Six steps to choosing an effective Lawyer

Choosing the right lawyer can be an intimidating task if you don't have prior experience. But using your wisdom you can choose the best lawyer. We provide a step by step guidance.

India’s Climate & Energy Security

With Climate change being the most important and urgent issue which needs to be addressed, it is also an opportunity for countries like India to build a low carbon economy and become a leader in low-carbon technologies.

May, 2009

Is Barter Black

Exchanging goods for goods, goods for services or vice-versa may be the next best thing to salvage your business for accruing losses. In the face of tight liquidity conditions, the barter system is catching up as an alternative to the conventional business transactions.

SMEs Fare High on Electoral Significance

Political parties have afforded some space for SMEs in their manifestos only to shrug them off once the covert objective of appeasing the small industries and winning their votes stands accomplished.

When Earning Becomes Child's Play

ITMT is a government-supported registered society that runs training courses in toy manufacturing and toy business for the unemployed women from the Northeast. It also extends support for marketing toys. About 150 girls are trained every year at ITMT, which was set up in 2001.

Who will help Sanjay?

Industry source says that more than five million people will lose jobs in the next six months in various industries. The downturn in economy threatens to stay for the time being. Sanjay's father must be shedding silent tears as he gives hope to him everyday.

Apr, 2009

Calling Entrepreneurs for INDO-DUTCH PROJECTS

Governments of various countries in the European Union (EU) have designed programmes and schemes to provide full or partial financial support to projects in emerging markets like India. Project participation or procurement of materials/ technology from an EU based company is a precondition to obtaining this financial assistance.

A thin line between defense and offence - Comparative Advertising

What is the legal position in India with regard to these comparative advertisements? The essential principles of comparative advertising were set out in a judgment of the Calcutta High Court in Reckitt & Colman of India Ltd v. M. P. Ramachandran and Ors.

India Can be the Skills Pool of the World

Skills development initiatives also entail building a truly inclusive and qualitatively significant knowledge society. Knowledge should be strongly integrated into our development strategy and innovation should be made an integral part of our knowledge systems.

Development should not disturb the heritage structures of MYSORE

Development in any manner should never rob any place of its cultural heritage, says A. R. Ravindra Bhat, a leading builder and hotelier of Mysore, who has built more than 500 structures in commercial and residential sector in Mysore and Bangalore. Bhat is also Chairman of the Builders Association of India, Mysore Centre.

Healthcare spending in India booming, expected to rise by 12% per annum

Healthcare spending in India is expected to rise by 12% per annum. An estimate suggests that by 2012 healthcare spending could contribute 8% of GDP and employ around 9 million people. Rising incomes and growing literacy are likely to drive higher per capita expenditure on healthcare.

Mar, 2009

11 Mantras to Taste Success

Success is never final, the same is true of failure. We discuss 11 mantras that can help entrepreneurs taste success.

Mistakes can be Missed Opportunities

Entrepreneurship makes one strong, confident, independent and self sufficient. One can contribute to the country's economy, and become a productive person at the same time. However there are some common mistakes which can be avoided.

They were prepared to brave the recession

Askar was booming with business, but Raju didn’t invest in infrastructure and kept some funds in reserve to meet any eventuality. Today, they are comfortable in these times of economic slowdown.

Feb, 2009

Gandhian Economics to the Rescue

The government is contemplating measures focusing on Gandian economics to support labour intensive sectors even as the Indian economy is set to grow by seven percent this fiscal, according to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Joint ventures between Indian SMEs and Foreign companies can be rewarding

Collaborations and tie ups with foreign companies are no longer the preserve of the large Indian corporates. Indian SMEs are being actively pursued by foreign companies to enter into partnerships. In recent times, Indian mid-sized corporate have made aggressive bids to acquire and take over companies operating internationally.

Jan, 2009

Celebrating Entrepreneurship - Citi bank India Rewards the Micro Entrepreneur

Citi Bank India realized the paucity of credit to entrepreneurs and embarked upon 'microfinance' as a major part of its operations in India. It partnered with NGOs through capacity building grant support, employee volunteerism, cause related marketing and best practices sharing.

Difficult Fiscal ahead for exports

Aggressive pricing by Chinese exporters, coupled with lack of credit flow and cancellation of orders, is crippling India's exports, which may go down further in the first half of 2009, said an industry lobby survey, released recently.

Effective Communication – tips on communication skills for entrepreneurs

Going the extra mile with your external communications will prevent you from piling up your stock and getting your workforce rusty. Additionally, if you use recess wisely, you can plan a stronger comeback.

‘Helping India Catch the 'Golden Bird’

India has a rich legacy as the golden bird and has been amongst the front-runners in recognizing the role of fairs and exhibitions in promoting trade and commercial transactions. The India Trade and Promotion Organization (ITPO) has taken a leaf out from India's heritage.

Indian Exporters Bracing Up to Compete Globally

FIEO used to take over three days on an average to issue RCMC to the exporters. Now, after implementation of ISO standards, RCMC is issued in around one and half day's time to an exporter. This achievement has taken place in less than one year's time.

The Several Colours of Act Seven

Act Seven International is a voluntary charitable organization. It has been doing a great job in the field of art & culture in association with the Byrraju Foundation. It is all set to begin its global operations in the near future in the field of art and culture.

Making a difference to the world of fashion

The Orient Craft Fashion Institute of Technology (OCFIT) was set up to impart industry centric education in the field of Fashion, Home Textiles, Accessories, Merchandising, Production and retail Management. The institute proposes to combine fashion education for the higher ends of the spectrum, along with the simultaneous imparting of skills to shop floor level operatives.

Manufacturing India @ 75

The Indian Manufacturing sector achieve its full potential by 2022 when India celebrates 75 years of independence, we feel that there should be a unifying vision across all sectors of the economy.

Mentoring Enlightens Entrepreneurs

small industrialists, loaded with questions appeared in the 'mentoring sessions' held by experts on the occasion of the CEO SME Knowledge Series being organized by ICICI Bank and Cyber Media in Pune

Foreign SME plan to do Business with Indian SME

SME World looks at global slowdown and its impact on foreign SMEs planning to do business with India. WealthTree believes that foreign SMEs that are already doing business in India will continue to follow their growth path.

Dec, 2008

Spot Liars & Stop Getting Fooled Around

People don't always say what they mean or mean what they say. James Patterson, author of The Day America told The Truth, interviewed over 2000 Americans and found that 91% lied regularly at home and at work. It seems as we live in the world of lies. Everybody lies but nobody likes it when it is done to them. While it's true that you cannot stop people from lying but you sure can stop getting fooled around.

Don’t sell Terrorism!

While we may come out with various affective strategies to deal with terror, the first humble beginning may be to ensure that if ever terror strikes the country, the damage inflicted should be minimized. When we talk about damage, we do not only mean loss of lives which is certainly not the ultimate motive of the perpetrators.

Protect the Small Businesses

Providing security cover to small businesses against unfortunate situations like the prevailing recession and other mishappenings should be a part of the socio-economic security measures.

Tired of pesky callers?

Domestic call centres are somewhat in a nascent stage, loosely structured and need a lot of maturity vis-à-vis international call-centres. More considerate and conscientious ways of marketing need to be worked out and put into action.

Nov, 2008

Communication that gets you customers

. It needs to be fed constantly with a diet of customers to remain fit. Customers are to business what soul is to man. Every business tries to develop and expand its customer base. Each day thousands of messages compete with each other in their run to win customers. There is nothing more important in business than communicating with the customers.

Syntel records an increase of 18% in total revenue. Profits during worldwide financial crisis

Syntel Inc., the NASDAQ-listed information technology services and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) firm records increased profits despite the global financial crisis.

Oct, 2008

Foreign Tags Worry Small Enterprises Thriving on Festivals

The foreign tag, specifically the Chinese, lures Indian customers with its affordability and attractive designs. The underlying fear is that the spirit of festivals would be lost in the heap of these imported goods.

Orient craft company is India’s largest garment manufacturing companies

As a major diversification initiative, Orient Craft, one of the India's largest garment manufacturing companies, has decided to set up a textile-focused special economic zone (SEZ) at an investment of Rs 2,100 crore.

Sep, 2008

123 Agreement

The negotiation of the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of India Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

Attack of the dragon-Indian Market

India has emerged as China's favourite trade destination owing to the awesome size of the market and of course, proximity. Chinese entrepreneurs have infiltrated the Indian market in a meticulously planned manner.

Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSA) formed

The integrated food law has finally come into place with the health ministry forming the long-pending Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSA) to regulate and check manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food.

New schemes to generate employment

The MSME sector is the backbone of the Indian economy in terms of the number of units, employment generated and their contribution to the country's manufacturing output and exports.

The Machines have replaced the men and hearts alike

The scenario today is different. Machines have replaced men and hearts alike. The rat race for more and more is sadly seen in every walk of our business society. Family disputes have ripped apart some of the best industrial houses. The concept of family business in India has been shaken to the core.

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Zainul Abdin was the only person who would pour his heart out to me in a mix of Urdu-Hindi (Hindustani ) in hush-hush tones during the war-torn Dhaka (then Dacca) in the early 70s where I worked...

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