Innholdsfortegnelse for October 9, 2016 i Business Today

The financial sector in India boasts of some of the more high-profile women CEOs and other C-suite executives. It is also the sector where women first broke through the glass ceiling. But in 1965, when Tarjani Vakil joined IDBI as its first woman officer, she was asked helpfully by a senior male colleague to go sit next to another woman in the office – a stenographer. It took several years before her male colleagues came to accept her in the workplace. In 1993, she became the first woman to head a financial institution in India – as chairperson and managing director of EXIM Bank. Ranjana Kumar, who joined as a probationary officer in Bank of India in 1966, became the second woman to crack the C-suite in Indian finance, and…

THE MERGED ENTITY WILL HAVE TO DEPEND HEAVILY ON RELIANCE JIO TO SURVIVE IN A MARKET THAT’S CHANGING FAST The recent merger between the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications (RCom) and Aircel has kicked off the much-anticipated consolidation process in the telecom sector. For the past several years, both RCom and Aircel were struggling. RCom’s consolidated revenues and net profits have shrunk by 0.9 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively, between 2013/14 and 2015/16. Aircel, on the other hand, reported net losses in 2013/14 and 2014/15. The entity, with equal shareholding from Aircel and RCom, has to fight even harder to survive. The merged entity will also have to depend heavily on Reliance Jio to survive in a market that’s changing fast. Recent developments only make it evident. Reportedly, Reliance…

In India, what women wear to work is a big determinant of how they will be accepted in the workplace In the 1980s, I used to joke that slides must be projected on the ceiling, because that’s where most men in my client offices were comfortable looking rather than making eye contact with me as I presented; and that even if I took the illiterate office peon to the meeting, they would talk business with him and not me, a mere woman. Apparently, things have got better over time; but, 35 years later, such attitudes have not receded into folklore. Men today are very comfortable having women co-workers doing the same job as them. But young women tell me that at meetings, their male colleagues of the same age get…

The most important thing is to identify what you desire – and then to devote your life to getting there. In a lot of ways, the sum total of my professional life so far I have always been inherently passionate and ambitious about work and family, and perhaps it has a lot to do with my genes. Growing up, it was often hard to separate the family from the business of Lupin. Dinner conversations were interspersed with business updates and before I knew it, I was already a Lupinytt. I remember going to Switzerland as a 11-year-old – it was a business trip for my father and a vacation for us during the summer holidays. My father let me sit through a business meeting. It was one of my earliest…

Under Roshni's leadership, HCL Corporation is diversifying into healthcare and skills training, and expanding its philanthropic footprint Roshni Nadar 35 CEO HCL Corp WHY SHE MATTERS She is spearheading the diversification of HCL Corporation into non-technology sectors On August 11, the day we met Roshni Nadar Malhotra, HCL was celebrating its 40th birthday. White and blue balloons decked up the lobby. Posters at the new Noida campus gave a glimpse of the corporation’s history. “At the height of the Indian emergency, a group of fearless men got together in a garage,” a poster noted. “In 1978, alongside Apple, and three years before IBM, we launched one of the world’s first PCs. And as India moved on to be a global IT hub, we were there.” HCL’s current size was highlighted…

“The risk of the world stops at the doorstep of the reinsurer. You have to be the best to handle such a job” Alice G. Vaidyan 57 CMD, GIC Re WHY SHE MATTERS First woman to become chairperson of national reinsurer GIC Re. She is also the first woman chairperson of a public sector insurance company in India In 2001, when state-owned New India Assurance Co. was scouting for a divisional manager to service its top-notch client, Reliance Industries, it did not find many takers. The reason — the country’s largest private sector company was considered a demanding client. The offer landed at the table of Alice G. Vaidyan, a 1983-batch officer. “She accepted it without any fuss,” says an insider. The experience proved invaluable later in her career. “It…

“Where is the fun in doing anything without winning, even if it is competing against yourself?” Rekha Menon 57 CMD Accenture India WHY SHE MATTERS Under her leadership, Accenture India is rapidly scaling up its operations in the country On Sunday mornings at 5.30 am, a cyclist in full riding gear sets off for a couple of hours of solitary commune with nature in Bangalore. At 57, Rekha Menon, Chairman and Managing Director, Accenture India, admits that while the rides are not “easy on her knees”, it is a time that she cherishes. She is loath to break this routine even though she is on the move on weekdays, travelling across the country and abroad. It is the kind of discipline and passion that has helped her manage the 140,000…

Vanitha Narayanan 57 MD IBM India WHY SHE MATTERS She has brought IBM India back into reckoning, and ensured it continues to remain core to IBM’s global play In 2014, just a little over a year into her role as the Managing Director of IBM India, Vanitha Narayanan had faced a huge setback. The $1-billion landmark agreement signed a decade ago with Bharti Airtel was up for renewal, and the telco decided to split the, now, $2-billion deal among three vendors. While IBM retained a significant chunk of the contract, TCS and Tech Mahindra got a fair share of the work. In 2016, she was faced with a similar challenge with Vodafone India playing hard ball, but led from the front to pip rivals Tech Mahindra, TCS, Wipro and Infosys…

Anita Dongre 52 House of Anita Dongre SMART MOVE Anita Dongre has not only made designer clothes accessible to the middle class, but has helped traditional artisans regain respectability Twenty five years ago, Anita Dongre started out small, with two sewing machines. Today, she is one of India's foremost fashion designers who has been immensely successful in doing what she had set out to do — making designer clothes accessible to the middle class. The company's brands — AND line of chic, contemporary western wear for women, Global Desi for a young, vibrant look, and luxury line Anita Dongre for bridal wear, occasion wear, pret and menswear — are available at over 700 outlets. In 2014/15, it earned a revenue of `324 crore, 50 per cent more than in 2013/15.…

The tech universe was abuzz as Apple unveiled its latest marvels – the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus – setting off a war of words between Apple fanatics and Android aficionados. The moot point was whether the new models were worth upgrading to. Here’s an unbiased analysis on what’s new, what’s missing and what’s to look forward to in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Apple continues with its 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, respectively, offering a firm grip. It has brought in subtle cosmetic changes as well. For instance, the antenna bands from the back of the phone have been removed, awarding it a cleaner look, and the space-grey colour has been replaced with two new colours, black and jet black,…

Thank You BT for Pampering Readers This refers to your special edition The Luxury Issue 2016 (Sept. 25). It is simply awesome! The collection and showcasing of various luxury products from around the world was, indeed, mind-boggling. Well, luxury means different things to different people. Something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity, sumptuous or expensive, providing great ease and comfort – these are all definitions of luxury. No longer can something be considered a luxury just based on cost, marketing campaigns or desires. To quote Coco Chanel: “Some people think that luxury is the opposite of poverty. It is not. It is the opposite of vulgarity.” Luxury is anything that feels special. Yes, it can even be a moment, it can be a walk on the beach, it…

Why don’t you sit next to the lady… you will have company,” a male senior helpfully suggested to a young Tarjani Vakil. The lady Vakil was told to sit next to was a stenographer at the newly constituted IDBI, then a wholly owned subsidiary of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), where Vakil had joined as an ‘officer’ from the Maharashtra State Finance Commission. Since the order came from a senior – deputy manager – Vakil obliged. “Such was the level of hierarchy at RBI, and the mindset of men,” she says. “Not just that, I could sense a discomfort in the lady, too. All she said was, yes ma’am and no ma’am.” A postgraduate in History from Bombay University, Vakil, 22, had started picking up the nuances of finance after…

At 67, Kalpana Morparia is still a much sought-after professional at JP Morgan India, driving the bank’s expansion for the past eight years, and contributing to its global strategy, especially in the fields of corporate advisory and investment banking. Recently, she was given additional charge of South and South-East Asia. The past 12 months saw Preetha Reddy transitioning into her role as the Vice Chairperson at Apollo Hospitals, helping in “the transformation of the organisation”. Her focus was also on gaining greater insights into the latest trends in medicine, including precision oncology and genetic medicine. When Shobhana Bhartia, Chairperson and Editorial Director, HT Media, took over the editorial reins from her father, K.K. Birla, the intent clearly was to run it as a not-for-profit organisation. But her entrepreneurial genes have…

The times, they are truly changing, India is changing, the young in India are highly aspirational and dressing up well is a key aspect to their personality; the clothes they wear are an expression of their self-image and aspiration. Gone are the days when wearing a suit was only reserved for special occasions, today's youth never misses a chance to look their best and they use multiple occasions to showcase this. Young India's aspirations are limitless, they have ambitions of travelling and being the best, amongst the best of the world, consequently they want similar values from the brands they want to engage with too. Only Vimal, an iconic brand of Reliance Industries Ltd., at its core has always stood for 'fashion for the young trendsetter' with premium and innovative…

Vani Kola 52 Managing Director Kalaari Capital WHY SHE MATTERS Kola has funded more than 60 start-ups, including marquee names like Snapdeal and Myntra Vani Kola, one of the early practitioners of venture capital investment in India, is a blunt talker and a straight shooter. Before she became a VC (venture capitalist), Kola had a long, prolific career in the Silicon Valley, building and selling companies such as RightWorks, an e-procurement company, and Certus Software, a player in the financial compliance market. She spotted the start-up boom early on in India. On a visit to India in 2006, she found the country teeming with aspirations, optimism and opportunities. To tap into this, she set up IndoUS Advisors, a venture firm in partnership with New Enterprise Associates. Eventually, the firm has…

Alt Digital, her latest venture, will offer digital content for mobiles, computers and tablets Ekta Kapoor 42 Joint Managing Director Balaji Telefilms WHY SHE MATTERS She has created the largest number of hit television shows; is also foraying into digital content The queen of television soap operas, Ekta Kapoor, Joint Managing Director and Creative Head, Balaji Telefilms, says 24 hours in a day are not enough for her. This isn’t surprising, as she is forever hopping from one content meeting to another. She is, after all, the creator of the most hit shows on Indian television. It is television that keeps the cash registers of her `247-crore content company ringing as the Bollywood foray has been a mixed success so far. There are even talks of possible shutdown of the…

“My focus would be on the quality of growth in the portfolio and improving quality of earnings” Vishakha Mulye 47 Executive Director ICICI Bank WHY SHE MATTERS She heads the largest wholesale banking portfolio – `2.52 lakh crore – amongst private sector banks She is back in familiar territory after a hiatus of close to a decade. The 47-year-old Vishakha Mulye, who started as a corporate banker at the erstwhile financial institution ICICI Ltd, recently completed two productive stints at the group’s subsidiaries – ICICI Lombard General Insurance and ICICI Venture. “ICICI Lombard completed my experience on the retail side,” smiles Mulye. She was later dispatched to the group’s private equity arm, ICICI Venture, where there was a leadership crisis as Renuka Ramnath, the woman who built the venture business,…

Parle Agro had relaunched Frooti to differentiate it from rivals ... the effort has paid off Schauna Chauhan Saluja 40 CEO Parle Agro WHY SHE MATTERS She is leading the revival of Parle Agro amid stiff competition from MNCs In the January-March quarter, Parle Agro's flagship brand Frooti regained the second spot in the Indian mango drink market, outselling PepsiCo’s Slice, after a decade. While Coca-Cola’s Maaza was still perched at the top with a 48 per cent share, Frooti had a 25.6 per cent share of the `6,300-crore mango drink market, according to Nielsen. About a year and a half ago, Parle Agro had relaunched Frooti in an effort to differentiate it from rival brands. The company began intensive campaigns with its celebrity brand ambassador, actor Shah Rukh Khan,…

Ambi’s indigenous insights make this book a rich read He keeps the approach and language simple, thus making the book an ideal read for students and newbies Nawabs, Nudes, Noodles By Ambi Parameswaran PAGES: 320 PRICE: 599 Pan Macmillan India We humans and our ecosystem feed and breed on stories, our interactions, our choices, our lifestyle, our values, and often provide inspiration and find inspiration in stories. In my view, the modern and most palatable form of stories is ads! Sit through and binge-watch the last 50 years of advertising and what you will end up with is a societal graph of who we were and what we have grown to become; a mirror that reflects our yesterday, paints our today and moves towards our future; this mirror has now…

“Winning a tournament cannot be a goal” Pullela Gopichand, Chief National Badminton Coach, whose guidance led P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal to win Olympic medals, talks to E. Kumar Sharma on what it takes to nurture talent. What does it take to mould star talent? The player has to first believe in herself and want to play the next level or make the jump. As a coach or a mentor, you need to make them see the vision you have about them; pep them up when they lack confidence; ensure that their motivation is at the highest level; are charged up and ready to take the plunge. You need to protect them from unnecessary pressures (audience expectations) because a player has to eventually go out and play fearlessly, and give…

$505.1billion, or 7.69 per cent of GDP, is India’s welfare losses due to air pollution, next only to China’s $1,589.7 billion, in 2013. Globally, the losses stood at $5.11 trillion, according to a World Bank-University of Washington study. SURGE GAINS PAYS Surge pricing for 131 premium trains will fetch Indian Railways an additional `500 crore from the passenger segment in 2016/17. The segment has been heavily cross-subsidised by the freight segment, which accounts for 65 per cent of its gross traffic receipts. SPEED TEST The high-speed Talgo train completed the final trial run between New Delhi and Mumbai Central in 11 hours and 48 minutes, covering a distance of 1,384 km at a maximum speed of 150 kmph. In comparison, the Rajdhani Express takes around 16 hours. HAMMERING OUT The…

For anyone connected with this great nation, there is no doubt that we have entered a very interesting passage of time. Time and again, people have labelled India as a developing nation. Today, the fact remains that the collective confidence of individuals and corporates is surging to a new peak. The rise of women is visible. The unprecedented rebellion against tradition has meant oppressive family structures (at times) are now set for structural change. Women are now a force to reckon with. Like NSE, where one-third of the workforce comprises women – even at the entry level, we try and consciously hire people only on merit – many corporates are gender agnostic. I always believe that our women are unique in many ways as they come with stronger social values,…

Kapur has been part of some big events that have shaped the country’s policies over the past 30 years Anita Kapur 61 Member, COMPAT WHY SHE MATTERS COMPAT has a key role in ensuring that companies play by the rules and do not misuse their power to stifle competition For Anita Kapur, who took over as chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in November 2014, it was baptism by fire. The country’s image as a business destination was taking a beating due to regulatory uncertainty and tax authorities’ action against some big companies. Domestic taxpayers, too, were troubled by the excessive tax demands. The new government that took charge in May 2014 was keen to fulfil two of its big promises to voters –making tax administration non-adversarial…

Aarthi Subramanian 49 Executive Director (Global Head – Delivery Excellence, Governance & Compliance) TCS WHY SHE MATTERS She is the first woman employee on the board of directors of TCS Not only does 49-year-old Aarthi Subramanian, Executive Director (Global Head – Delivery Excellence, Governance & Compliance) of the $16.54-billion Tata Consultancy Services, consider CEO N. Chandrasekaran her mentor, she is also a fitness freak like him. While Chandrasekaran is an avid marathoner who seldom misses his morning run, Subramanian walks at least six km every day; her target is anywhere between 10 and 12 km. So, be it in the snow-capped Davos or Mumbai’s Marine Drive, this is one thing in her daily routine that never changes. “Walking helps me not only unwind but also do a lot of thinking,”…

Rita Teaotia 58 Commerce Secretary Government of India WHY SHE MATTERS Teaotia is responsible for steering the trade ministry in the midst of global trade volatility For a government keen to reach out to the world, trade engagements are crucial. And there lies the critical role of India’s Commerce Ministry. When Rita Teaotia, a Gujarat-cadre IAS officer of 1981 batch, took charge as Commerce Secretary on July 1, 2015, there were multiple challenges facing India’s external trade sector. Exports were on the decline, a series of bilateral and multilateral trade engagements were in various phases of negotiation, and an all-important ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was to take place by the year-end. The dexterity with which Teaotia helped Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman steer India successfully through this…

Kaku Nakhate 50 President & Country Head, Bank of America Merrill Lynch WHY SHE MATTERS She is running one of the most profitable foreign corporate bank businesses in India After being housed for over three decades in Express Towers at Mumbai’s Nariman Point, Bank of America Merill Lynch (BOAML) shifted its India headquarters to Bandra Kurla Complex in June. The swankier office for Kaku Nakhate and her team will cost the bank substantially more. “BOAML could have put any figure and the lease at Express Tower could have been renewed. But they opted for BKC where they are paying double the rent,” says a senior industry official on condition of anonymity. The global bosses of BOAML, the corporate and investment banking division of Bank of America, wouldn’t mind. After all,…

Suyash has established Crisil’s presence in countries such as Argentina, Poland and China Ashu Suyash 49 MD & CEO Crisil WHY SHE MATTERS Heads India’s largest rating agency Ashu Suyash took over as Managing Director and CEO of rating agency Crisil in June 2015, at a time of great uncertainty for the company. The previous CEO, Roopa Kudva, who had headed it since 2007, had abruptly announced her departure nine months ago. A number of other senior management exits had followed, with the company being compared by critics to a headless chicken. Suyash’s appointment evoked mixed reactions as well: not only was she an outsider – unlike all Crisil’s past CEOS who were promoted to the position – but she also had no experience of the rating business. Starting her…

IN THE COMPLEX AND COMPETITIVE WORLD OF TODAY, GOOD CMOs MUST BE ABLE TO SEPARATE SIGNALS FROM NOISE, BUILD CONSENSUS, DISRUPT COLLABORATIVELY, HAVE VORACIOUS CURIOSITY AND HIGH LEVELS OF EMPATHY (OR THE ABILITY TO STEP INTO SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES) The roles of a CFO, Director-HR, or Director-sales are well understood across companies. The same cannot be said for chief marketing officers (CMOs). CMOs are defined differently across industries and companies. For FMCG, consumer durables and most companies selling directly to retail consumers, CMOs have significant empowerment, attract great talent, and often are the path to CEO positions. In these companies, the role aligns brands to customer segments, supports sales, and manages advertising and digital marketing. The CMO role is much more ambiguous in businesses that sell directly to other businesses.…

Business The Emami Way By R.S. Agarwal PAGES: 240 PRICE: 499 Collins Business As a child one heard of an allegorical tale of a village barber. He used to carry out minor surgeries for the villagers. Then came along a crafty quack who said to the barber: “You are so naturally gifted; now if only you had a formal training you could become a top surgeon.” The simple barber swallowed the bait and asked the quack to teach him. And that was the end of his practice. Each time he picked up the implements he got scared at the thought of what could go wrong. He could no longer trust his intuition and native skills; the burden of medical theory paralysed his craft. Reading Business The Emami Way reminds me…