COVER STORY

Tata's Rs. 1 Lakh Car : A `People's Car' Named Nano

-- R Venkatesan Iyengar

Nano-at a length of 3.1 meters, width of 1.65 meters, and height of 1.6 meters, with adequate ground clearance, a roomy passenger compartment with generous leg space and head-room for four persons, four doors with high seating position that make ingress and egress easy, corner wheels, and a powertrain positioned at the rear-heralds a new era in car making. To cap it all, it is fuel-efficient, environment-friendly, and meets all the safety norms. Certainly, not a bad bargain for Rs. 1 lakh. Here is how Ratan Tata revolutionized and democratized the passenger car segment with his "People's Car" named Nano.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

COVER SORY

Tata Nano : Who Dares Wins

-- Amit Singh Sisodiya

It's indeed a defining moment for India's automotive industry. And if the Tatas have their way, Nano promises to revolutionize the global automotive industry as well.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

CORPORATE STRATEGY

Eicher-Volvo JV : On the Right Tr(u)ck

-- Y Bala Bharathi and Sanjoy De

Marriage with Volvo, the world's second-largest truckmaker, will certainly provide Eicher the much-needed traction.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

CORPORATE STRATEGY

Mortgage Mayhem : When Citi Slept

-- Amit Singh Sisodiya and Neha Naithani

Never in the history of corporate America, at least in recent memory, has any CEO been in the kind of limelight and subjected to the type of media coverage as Vikram Pandit, the newly installed CEO of Citigroup, the world's largest but now embattled financial conglomerate, has been. However, the new CEO faces huge challenges in resurrecting a giant which has been bailed out not once but twice in its decade-long existence.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

COMMODITY FUTURES

Commodity Futures Market in India : Rationale and Relevance for Farmers

-- Niti Nandini Chatnani

As India grows into a mature market economy, we have to build proportionate legal and institutional structures, as we have done effectively for our equity markets.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

INDUSTRY

Public Sector Banks : Behind Poor Valuations

-- Ashok Jainani

Expecting a takeover bid from foreign banks, the private banks' valuations have run up sizeably, making Public Sector Banks (PSBs) look very cheap. However, by their sheer size and pan-India presence, PSBs are in a better position to consolidate and compete with foreign banks.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

INDUSTRY

Indian Pharma Players : Ready for a New Strategy?

-- Anand Agrawal

If indications, such as listing on the New York Stock Exchange, earning a major part of the revenue through international operations, and increasing research on new molecules, are anything to go by, Indian pharmaceutical companies seem to be on a roll. The industry was valued at US$6 bn in 2006, compared to US$2.3 mn in 1901. However, the question is: Can the industry sustain this growth?

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

INDUSTRY

Indian Steel Industry : Forging a New Era

-- Y Bala Bharathi

The landmark acquisition of Corus by Tata Steel has heralded a new era for the Indian steel industry which has matured from being an attractive investment destination to a global investor.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

FINANCIAL MARKETS

Emerging Markets : In the Limelight

-- Arvind Sonmale

With the world poised at a number of critical crossroads-between recession and growth, war and peace, up and down markets, optimism and pessimism-this is the `write' time to take up the case of `Emerging Markets'.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

INTERNATIONAL FINANCE

Asian Currencies : On a Roll

-- N Janardhan Rao with inputs from V Ratna

The rise of domestic currencies has enhanced the level of optimism over the economic growth in Asia. However, the stronger currencies still pose a significant challenge to the policy makers.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Holding Company Structure : Boosting Banks

-- Tushar Pandey

There is a significant need for the evolution of a holding company structure to support and extract the best of the tremendous growth potential of the banking sector and to ensure its international competitiveness.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Infrastructure in India : Challenges Ahead

-- Dr. Norbert Walter

The strong population growth in India and its booming economy are generating enormous pressures to modernize and expand the country's infrastructure.

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BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Special Economic Zones : Different Strokes

-- Ramakrishna Nallathiga

The concept of SEZ goes much beyond merely facilitating exports generation; they are integrated townships with well-laid infrastructure and services and without any encumbrances for trade. However, SEZs cannot be viewed as the only model for promoting industrial development.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Global Warming : The Role of Information Technology

-- Prosanta Ghosh

Global warming is a cause for concern to all of us living in this planet. Individuals, organizations and governments are doing their best to control the warming and make this tiny planet a livable place. Information technology, telecom/data network can play an equally important role along side other direct means for solving this menace.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

India and China : Chinese Lessons

-- Suresh Chandra Babu

India can challenge, catch up and possibly overtake China if it chooses to learn from the Chinese example and follow China's approach to poverty reduction and agricultural reforms.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Luxury Goods : India's Growing Lust

-- N Janardhan Rao and PS Sarat Chandra

Amidst the growing number of wealthy people, global luxury goods manufacturers are entering India in a big way.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

Spectrum Scuffle : War for the (Air) Waves

-- Amit Singh Sisodiya and Siba Prasad Pothal

The telecom industry, which has been one of the clear winners of India's reforms process, suddenly finds itself in the limelight, albeit for the wrong reason: the spectrum controversy that threatens to do more harm than good to the industry. Where will the fight take the industry and, more importantly, the two warring groups-GSM and CDMA operators?

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

ROUNDTABLE

Blue Chips : Safe Bet Forever?

-- Interviewed by Sanjoy De Vikram Sarabhai

Blue chips are the crème de la crème of the stocks in the stock family. They are supposed to be solid and dependable stocks that deliver good returns year after year to investors. However, blue-chips are not eternal safe havens. A blue chip today could become a dud tomorrow, and similarly a mid-cap of today can become a blue-chip tomorrow. So to get the right perspectives on the definition and the performance of blue chips in India, The Analyst, invited experts A N Sridhar, Fund Manager (Equities), Sahara Mutual Fund; Vikram Achreja, Director, Aster Business Research; Dipen Shah, Vice-President, PCG-Research, Kotak Securities; K Venkitesh, National Head-Distribution, Geojit Financial Services Ltd.; I V Subramaniam, CIO, Quantum Advisors Private Ltd.; and Anita Gandhi, Head, Institutional Business, Arihant Capital Markets Ltd. to share their views.Blue chips are the crème de la crème of the stocks in the stock family. They are supposed to be solid and dependable stocks that deliver good returns year after year to investors. However, blue-chips are not eternal safe havens. A blue chip today could become a dud tomorrow, and similarly a mid-cap of today can become a blue-chip tomorrow. So to get the right perspectives on the definition and the performance of blue chips in India, The Analyst, invited experts A N Sridhar, Fund Manager (Equities), Sahara Mutual Fund; Vikram Achreja, Director, Aster Business Research; Dipen Shah, Vice-President, PCG-Research, Kotak Securities; K Venkitesh, National Head-Distribution, Geojit Financial Services Ltd.; I V Subramaniam, CIO, Quantum Advisors Private Ltd.; and Anita Gandhi, Head, Institutional Business, Arihant Capital Markets Ltd. to share their views.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

ARTS AND ARTISTS

Vikram Sarabhai : A Life

-- M Hanumantha Rao

"A loving tribute to (the man) who saw a revolution coming and helped to make it happen in independent India's critical, early years."

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ARTS AND ARTISTS

Primitive Japan : Asiatic Visions, Ancient Japanese Aesthetics

-- Dr. PG Nirmala

The repertory of classical Japanese poetry-autumn leaves, falling snow, the moon, the rustle of leaves, the songs of cicadas, crickets, frogs, cuckoos, court ceremonies, the quiet of the monk's hermitage, the death of rulers, et al.-offers us a glimpse into the soul of Japanese art, wherein we discern a special kind of sensibility. A penchant for the simple, the pure and the romantic, combined with an all-inclusive sense of wonder and delight in the numinous-that in essence permeates this island nation's social constitution/order.

© 2007 IUP . All Rights Reserved

APOLITICAL

Reliance `Power'ful IPO : Any Lessons to Pick?

-- grk

Wow, What a beginning! Indians cannot think of a better start for 2008 than what has been witnessed during the first fortnight of January: one, Ratan Tata showcased his engineering marvel, "People's car" in Delhi, which-though not on display-became the most discussed car among the US executives at the recent Detroit motor-show; and two, Anil Ambani's `Power'ful IPO that offered 22.8 crore shares, involving an amount of Rs. 11,700 cr, has made a sort of history in the financial markets by attracting cumulative bids worth a mind-boggling Rs. 7,52,000 cr, which is said to be the equivalent of the aggregate market capitalization of companies listed in Portugal and the Czech Republic put together, that too, in a market that badly tanked during the week. Of these two, we shall take a critical look at the success of Reliance IPO, for financial events are always more glamorous.

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