Tag Archives: business strategy

Six things to check before investing in a start-up

By Sourajit Aiyer

This article was originally published in InBusiness Dubai.

Start-ups interest me; I have been involved with one that my friend started. I helped him with his investor pitch documents and was part of a group of friends who provided him with bridge funding. When he had to raise working capital, I helped set up meetings for him with some venture funds and intermediaries.

Not just my friend, but I, too, have had invaluable learning. Discussions with my friend, his colleagues, investors and intermediaries helped me develop my own perspective on managing and, more importantly, measuring start-ups.

In case you are thinking of investing in a start-up, then you might want to check if the company you want to invest in is looking at these points:

Continue reading →

How to set up shop and reach consumers in rural South Asia

By Sourajit Aiyer

Following up on my article on the 10 faces of South Asia’s rural consumer, let’s take a look at the best strategies to reach these clients and unlock the potential they represent for your business.

Continue reading →

The 10 faces of South Asia’s rural consumer

By Sourajit Aiyer

The rural consumption opportunity (including the non-metro towns) has been a common topic of discussion in several investor conferences in India recently. However, one is largely dependent on literature written from the financial centres, with limited primary visits into the hinterland.

This limits the content’s practicality, given the heterogeneous rural landscape. Moreover, the standard demographic approach to segment rural consumers may be misleading, since their behaviour is impacted by several realities, not just demographics.

Why they buy as they do, and how they behave when it comes to buying, are questions that on-the-ground observations can help understand better. Using my own experiences from visits made into the interiors of Bangladesh and India (Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Kerala, etc), I have my own understanding of local people in these places, and I feel the 10 segments below may be useful to categorize the rural consumers across heterogeneous regions.

Continue reading →

Don’t rely on future profitability growth and wage rises

By Sourajit Aiyer

This article was originally published by Huffington Post India.

Gartner, the IT consulting major, said at a recent conference that a digital disruption to business occurs approximately every three years, while talk at the World Economic Forum on the 4th Industrial Revolution also focused on similar lines.

This is why it’s time to take a look at how these factors may change the way we look at, and measure, our businesses, whether as an owner or as an employee.

Continue reading →

Recommended reading: a book about business opportunities in India

Narendra Modi, now India’s Prime Minister, said in a speech during his election campaigning in 2014 that he believed the 21st century could be India’s century.

It started well, with India on track for relatively fast growth compared with other emerging markets, and with structural reforms on the way.

What better time for a book detailing some business themes that may emerge in this huge country, which could benefit international investors?

Continue reading →

Starbucks’ strategy for India – is it a winner?

By: Sourajit Aiyer

Starbucks’ strategy for India is not without risks. But the world’s largest coffee shop chain is building its position carefully, in a series of well-chosen steps.

Continue reading →

Pages: 1 2

Corporate India – a brief guide to the best practices

By Sourajit Aiyer

The current economic slowdown in India is not just an aftereffect of the financial crisis of 2007. A lot is written of how China and India received only minor bruises from that crisis due to certain structural patterns in which they had opened up their economies in the last two decades. Conversely, many advanced economies caught a cold when America sneezed.

Continue reading →