This is more than enough

From
Richy D Alexander
MUMBAI

To
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
New Delhi

Sub: This is more than enough

Dear Prime Minister,
Today is December 4, 2008, exactly one week after the Mumbai terror attack. I don’t want to waste your time. The main intention of this letter is to convey my agony to you. I know you have lot of things to do; you are not in a situation to sit and relax. But I’ll take only 10 minutes.
I was saved from the terror attack by a hair’s breadth and am still unable to recover from that shock. I am a young Journalist, hardly 23-years old, working with a business magazine in Mumbai. When I got into the train to Mumbai from Kerala, I had big dreams. Now I am scared of this place.
I can see a lot of cops at the railway station. But the saddest part is there is no proper checking at any of the major stations. Metal detectors are just for the namesake. I am not making a common statement generally made by people. I have proper grounds for that. Last night, RDX was found at the CST station, for which the cops had a funny explanation. Can you guarantee me and people that everything is fine after the single commando operation?

Now people of Mumbai are in good fortitude, but it will diminish within a week. We need a long-term solution, for which we need a good system, and the drivers of this system should be eligible, capable and vivacious. Right now, we don’t have any leaders with these qualities. Even if we have, they are scapegoats of Indian’s biggest terror group - the POLITICIANS. Should we not rip-off and throw these nuts? Aren’t people sick and tired of gory political drama? Are we just vote banks? We have the right to question these political terrorists. People should nab these futile creatures. Instead of lighting candles, everybody should go and visit the victims of the attack.

I am not grudging. We can do a lot. But we are not doing. If we do not do anything now, tomorrow, the assailants will come and take our country for a toss. We have good bureaucrats. Political drama is more than enough for now. Dear Sir, the whole country is with you. For a noble reason, for my country, I am ready to sacrifice my life and my family. Because I love my India.

Jai Hind.

Thank you for the consideration
Yours truly,
Richy D Alexander
Mumbai
richyjournalist@gmail.com

The spices market is highly competitive
…says Navas Meeran, vice chairman of Eastern Condiments Pvt Ltd (ECPL), which is one of the largest exporters of curry powders in India. When Meeran joined his father in running the family-owned business in 1994, the turnover of the company was in the range of Rs10 crore. It did not take long for Navas Meeran to rework the business model and prepare for long-term growth. And, at the heart of his business model, was the core competency they had built up-an efficient distribution system. Eastern Curry powder did not remain in the league of the small player for long.
By 1998, the company’s turnover had surged to Rs 40 core and it was producing and selling a full range of curry powders. By 1996-97, Eastern brand crossed the boundaries to touch Karnataka. And in 1999, the Meerans took a strategic decision by getting into direct distribution of their products everywhere. Eastern’s turnover stood at Rs 162 crore in 2005-06. By 2006-07, it surged to Rs 208 crore. In the West Asian market, the company pulled off a triumph by emerging as the largest selling curry powders brand in the UAE.
At present, the company is weighing several new opportunities like private labelling and capturing new export markets. In this exclusive e-conversation with Richy D Alexander, Meeran shares his views on the Indian condiments market vis-à-vis the future plans of the company.


On the Indian condiments market…
The condiments market in India, specifically with respect to spice trade, is growing at a fast pace. The sector constitutes two main categories – straight powders (raw spices like coriander, chilly, turmeric, pepper, etc, in whole and in powder form) and blended spice powders (masala). While straight powders account for 70 per cent of the market, the blended spice powders make up for the rest.
The presence of regional and local players is significant in the straight powder’s market, while in the blended spices market the presence of organised sector is more prevalent. The masala market is characterised by regional tastes, which is different from region-to-region, state-to-state, or even within states. This poses a challenge to any national brand. And, with the influx of modern retail outlets, the markets are bound to expand further.

About Eastern Condiments Pvt Ltd…
Eastern Condiments Pvt Ltd (ECPL) commenced as a trading enterprise in Adimali - a remote village in Kerala, en route Munnar. It was established by a visionary entrepreneur M E Meeran and incorporated as a private limited company in 1989. Since then, the company has established itself as a leading player in the processed spices segment.
For 10 consecutive years, the Spices Board of India rated ECPL as the largest exporter of spice powders in consumer packs. This has helped the company in establishing itself as one of the market leaders for straight powders and spice masala in India The company exports its products to the markets in Middle East, Europe and the US. It has sales & distribution arrangements in 10 countries.
The company has several quality certifications and accreditations to its credit, which includes HACCP and ISO 22000. It is, today, on an aggressive growth path and is in the process of transforming itself into a highly mechanised, quality-conscious and IT-enabled organisation. It recently bagged investments from the US-based New Vernon Pvt Equity Ltd.

The company’s performance in the past one year…
ECPL clocked a turnover of Rs 200 crore for the financial year 2007-08. It has been growing steadily for the past few years, and during the last year, the brand made its foray into some of the North Indian states, which improved its distribution network in more than 10 states. We have done well in the southern region, while we have also grown steadily in other regions. We are increasing our product portfolio to include products with regional flavour and have successfully launched a few new products.
The company has increased its production capacity to 300 tonne per day and has emerged as one of the largest integrated spices and condiments processors in the country. The capacity expansion is a part of the series of efforts to consolidate market leadership of the company and expand towards new areas.
EPCL, the flagship company of the group, started production from its new facilities after installation of technologically advanced imported machinery and successfully conducting product trials. The current capacity expansion was undertaken with an investment of Rs 50 crore.
The company also plans to set up a chilly processing plant at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh, coriander plant at Rajasthan and an export unit at Kothamangalam. These plants are in various stages of their planning and implementation.
The Spices Board of India selected the company for two awards for outstanding export performance of spices in consumer packs during 2003-04 to 2006-07 and also for outstanding export performance of spice mixes (including curry powder) during 2003-04, 2005-06 & 2006-07. The award is a testimony of their set global standards in quality and manufacturing process.
A unique business model employed by the Eastern Group, by making every distributor a partner and providing additional incentives to them, has proved to be of immense help in entering new markets. We are making a major foray into the Western Region, especially Maharashtra and Gujarat. The number of vehicles in Mumbai rose to 61 after launching the scheme one year ago.

Demand for Indian spices with respect to exports…
Indian spices are in great demand all over the world. They are mainly exported to the US, Europe, GCC countries, etc. According to the Spices Board of India, the country exports more than 0.40 million tonne of spices annually, and also accounts for around 48 per cent of the global export volume and 44 per cent of the export value. Overall, spices are grown in about 2.9 million hectares of the country. The spices production in India, as much of the agriculture in the country, is undertaken in millions of tiny holdings that determine the livelihood of a large number of the rural population.
According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), there are in all about 109 spices and India produces as many as 75 in its various agro-climatic regions. The term ‘spices and condiments’ applies to the natural plant or vegetable products or mixtures in whole or ground form, which are used for imparting flavour, aroma and piquancy to food items. Spices are also being used within the country for imparting flavour to the foods and in medicines, pharmaceuticals, perfumery, cosmetics as well as several other industries.

Eastern Condiments’ overseas operation…
ECPL operates through a set of dedicated distributors in most of the countries and has established its exports market in the Middle East, US, UK, Australia, Germany, etc. Majority of the exports is in the Middle East where the demand for exports is quite high. The company is also setting up a joint venture in the Middle East for processing and packing commodities. The joint venture with UAE-based Jaleel Traders for processing spices is about to commence the functioning. The facility is expected to improve the market share of the ‘Eastern’ Brand in the entire region of West-Asia. ECPL has been awarded the ‘Largest exporter of blended spice in consumer packs’ award by the Spices Board of India for 10 years in a row. Besides spices and condiments, Eastern Group has business interests in rubber re-treading, mattresses (Sunidra brand), readymade garments (King Richard brand) and packaged drinking water.

Quality initiatives taken by the company…
The company has installed a fully automated quality control laboratory to check quality in spices and ready-to-eat food products. The raw materials to finished products pass through stringent quality control measures. The lab has three sections - the chemical, instrumentation and the microbiological. The full bench of equipments from Biomerieux ensures that test results are received within hours compared to normal testing time of 2-3 days.

The competition within the spices market...
The spices market is highly competitive. It is high in case of straight powders segment, which includes different categories of suppliers and product value addition is limited. In the blended spices segment, taste and product quality are the differentiators. Capabilities in sourcing raw material, product development, supply chain management, and distribution network act as a key success factors in this highly competitive environment.

Trends in the condiments market…
It is a very dynamic market and we have been noticing the trend where the conversion from home ground powders to buying loose powders and now to the current inclination of buying branded spice powders is on the rise. The market for blended spices and ready-to-cook spice powders/paste is also growing albeit not at the same pace. A thriving economy with a growing middle-class segment and changing lifestyles offers ample growth opportunities.

Future growth strategies of the company...
We have a variety of strategies, which are the mantras for our growth. These include product portfolio addition; distribution channel expansion; setting up new manufacturing facilities; upgrading existing facilities; improving supply chain capabilities; acquiring and nurturing talent; imbibing state-of-the-art technology, etc. The group, with a turnover of Rs 260 crore, is aiming to achieve a target of Rs 1,000 crore by 2011. As part of our current expansion programme we will be entering the seeds and pulses market in the retail as well as bulk segments.

Outlook for the Eastern Condiments’ business...
Product portfolio addition, distribution channel expansion, setting up new manufacturing facilities, upgrading existing facilities, improving supply chain capabilities, acquiring and nurturing talent, imbibing state-of the art- technology wherever applicable etc. are what we believe are our mantras for growth. As part of our current expansion program we will be entering the seeds and pulses market in the retail as well as bulk segments. ECPL is on an aggressive growth path and in a few years from now we would emerge as a leading player in the Indian as well as the international markets

'Vinita Bali speaking', M D Britannia

“VAT on biscuits should be reduced from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent”

…says Vinita Bali, managing director of Britannia Industries Ltd - one of the most trusted food brands in India. Britannia has been evolving under the magnificent leadership of Bali, who has a rich and diverse experience in packaged foods & beverages gained from working in a variety of marketing, sales and general management positions
An alumnus of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai, Bali started her career with Voltas Ltd before moving to Cadbury and later to The Coca-Cola Company. After an eventful nine-year association with Coke in marketing, general management and strategy roles, Bali joined her mentor and globally acclaimed marketing guru, Sergio Zyman at the Zyman Group in July 2003 as managing principal and head of the Business Strategy practice in the company's Atlanta office. As a member of the company's board of managers, Bali shared responsibility for developing and managing Zyman Group's consulting business which doubled in that year.
It was in 2005 that Bali took over the reins at Britannia as its chief executive officer, and since then has been in the midst of leading a business model and culture transformation in Britannia. Besides transforming the company with her unique strategies, she also blends a high quality of Indian and international perspective having lived and worked in the UK, Nigeria, South Africa, USA and Chile.
On the jubilant occasion of Modern Food Processing’s 3rd Anniversary, Bali shares her views on Indian biscuits industry and Britannia’s future plans in this e-conversation with Richy D Alexander.

A brief history of Britannia…

The company we all know as Britannia today, was started in 1892 as a non-descript house in Kolkata manufacturing biscuits with an initial investment of Rs 295. By 1910, with the advent of electricity, Britannia mechanised its operations, and in 1921, it became the first company east of the Suez Canal to use imported gas ovens. It was in 1975, the Britannia Biscuit Company took over the distribution of biscuits from Parry's who till now distributed Britannia biscuits in India. In the subsequent public issue of 1978, Indian shareholding crossed 60 per cent, firmly establishing the Indianness of the firm.
In 1997, the company unveiled its new corporate identity – ‘Eat Healthy, Think Better’ - and made its first foray into the dairy products market. Britannia strode into the 21st century as one of India's biggest brands and the pre-eminent food brand of the country. In 2002, Britannia's New Business Division formed a joint venture with Fonterra, the world's second largest dairy company, and Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt Ltd was born. The company is also recognised for its innovative approach to products and marketing.

The current status of the Indian snack & biscuits industry…
Biscuits contribute Rs 80,000 million to the FMCG industry and provide a vast opportunity for growth, as the per capita consumption of biscuits is less than 2.1 kg in our country, compared to more than 10 kg in the US, UK and other European countries and above 4.25 kg in South East Asian countries. Higher disposable incomes and the willingness of consumers to try new brands have attracted a number of players to the biscuit industry, both at the national & local level and generated intense activity in the marketplace. The branded market grew around 15 per cent to 16 per cent last year. Commodity inflation continues to have a significant impact on input cost and this inflationary pressure has put the industry profits under pressure.

Emerging trends in the Indian biscuits industry…
Today, there is a greater consumer choice both at the local and national level, together with a diversity of tastes & benefits ranging from health & nutrition to pure indulgence.

On the increasing inflation affecting the snacks & biscuit industry…
We are operating in an extremely high and unprecedented cost scenario and some irrational competition too. The result is a huge pricing pressure with limitations on price hikes for the entire industry and a shrinking profit pool of the industry. Wheat and oil prices are already showing an increase of more than 20 per cent. In addition, steep increase in crude oil prices and hike in petrol & diesel prices announced by the government has resulted in a significant increase in price of packaging materials, freight and production cost.
As far as Britannia is concerned, part of the challenge is to enhance and improve our productivity to absorb inflation in input cost to the extent possible and make our brands available for consumers at affordable prices. We have focussed on improving productivity, eliminate cost disadvantages and cut non-value adding activities to secure profitable growth. Through the various cost reduction initiatives – the company has taken over the last three years – Rs 1,200 million of cost has been eliminated.

Britannia’s business strategy and its performance during 2007-08…
Our strategy is simple – to get more people to buy & enjoy more of our brands – anytime, anywhere – everyday.
Britannia’s performance in 2007-08 was strong with sales growing 17.5 per cent, on top of 27.5 per cent growth in the previous year, adding Rs 8000 million of incremental revenue during this period (Total revenue for 2007-08 was Rs 26,170 million). Britannia is amongst the fastest growing FMCG companies in the last two years. Net profit increased by 77.5 per cent and operating margin by 307 basis points to 7.5 per cent in 2007-08 despite inflation in key commodities by 20 per cent-25 per cent in the last two years. Britannia continues to be the most trusted food brand of India, in a survey conducted by AC Nielsen ORG-Marg, consumers voted brand ‘Britannia’ among the Top 10 most trusted brand across categories for the fifth successive year. It was also rated as second most trusted food brand in 2008 and first in 2007. Across all categories, it was rated as seventh most trusted brand in 2008.
Consistent with its credo of Swasth Khao, Tan Man Jagao, Britannia created a partnership with Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Naandi Foundation to supply iron fortified Tiger biscuits to supplement the mid-day meal program in schools. This has been recognised as a unique programme globally by GAIN. The World Bank Institute has written a case study and Britannia was invited to make a commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, a non-partisan catalyst for action that brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement solutions for some of the world’s pressing challenges like nutrition.

On the individual share of organised & unorganised bakery sector…
The biscuit category is one of the largest FMCG categories with a turnover of approximately Rs 80,000 million. The organised branded market is over 85 per cent with the top three brands holding close to 70 per cent share. In the breads category, the organised players account for 75 to 80 per cent share.

Challenges faced by the bakery industry…
The bakery industry consumes agricultural produce adding to the income of farmers. This is a direct contribution of the industry towards improvement of the agricultural sector and strengthening the rural economy. The industry also provides direct & indirect employment, locally as well as nationally. Despite this, the industry is faced with serious challenges. Rapid increase in cost of major inputs such as wheat flour, sugar, oil, packaging material, fuel, power, transportation etc. has made a serious dent in the viability of the industry. Added to this is the heavy burden of taxation, which is making it difficult for the organised biscuit industry to operate at an optimum level. Biscuits attract VAT at 12.5 per cent - like chocolates, confectionery and ice cream which cater to a much smaller and relatively more affluent consumer base. Other categories with lesser nutritional value like potato chips, jam, jellies, sweets, savories, namkeens, etc attract lesser or no VAT. Biscuits deserve parity with tea, coffee and other basic food products that are liable to VAT at 4 per cent instead of being subject to VAT at 12.5 per cent applicable to delicacies. This is restricting the growth of the industry, utilisation of agricultural produce and therefore larger revenues for the government. To create a level playing field for an industry that is serving a large base of the population both economically and from a nutrition and health angle, there is a need to reduce VAT on biscuits from 12.5 per cent to 4 per cent.

On Britannia’s food processing and packaging portfolio…
Products are sourced from several manufacturing locations spread across the country and reach to millions of consumers through an efficient and widespread distribution chain. We have been augmenting our manufacturing facilities to meet the growing demand. The Britannia system has invested over Rs 2,000 million in last two years in capacity expansion. We plan to make substantial investments in this area for the next couple of years too.

Response as far as the launch of new products are concerned…
We have received an overwhelming response and extended these products nationally. The segment of bread, cakes and rusks is growing rapidly and the business has doubled in two years. Brand building & Innovation is a key driver of strong growth and you will continue to see more products in these categories.

Britannia’s overseas operations…
Consistent with our growth strategy to expand international presence and to grow through relevant geographic expansion, in March 07, we acquired a 70 per cent beneficial stake in two Middle-East companies, which are significant regional players in biscuit and cookies in the GCC markets. In addition, these companies export their products to over 30 countries around the world. Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets with significant synergies in terms of consumer profile, tastes, habits, attitudes, etc and provides a huge opportunity for growth. In 2008, we extended our international operations to Sri Lanka and are in the process of introducing a range of select brands.

Future plans and new innovations…
Innovations fall into several categories and include business model innovation, application of new technology and new products & packs. In 2007-08, The company filed two technology patents for designs developed indigenously. Britannia also led the market in product & pack innovation, commercialising both in-home & out-of-home consumption opportunities, some of the new products and packs introduced included Treat Fruit Rollz, NutriChoice Digestive, NutriChoice SugarOut, Good Day Jumbo, Tiger – Banana (fortified with iron), Good Day – Classic Cookies, Greetings – gift packs and a variety of cheese variants.
Additionally, several power brands were renovated to enhance their taste & health appeal. Britannia is the only biscuit company to have removed trans-fat from all its recipes.
The company also augmented its recipe and design capability to fortify products with micronutrients, consistent with ‘Swasth Khao, Tan Man Jagao’ and this included adding micronutrients to Tiger, Tiger Banana, Milk Bikis as well as bread. Approximately 50 per cent of the company’s bakery portfolio is now sold fortified with micronutrients. You will see more of our plans unfold in this year.

My rock icons

Like my previous post this is not a certificate to anybody. But I am writing about some of my friends who helped me to change and they made their marks in my heart. I am not writing about the whole batch of IIJNM 2008, any way I am coming to the point.
Idol no: 1. Sameer Ranjan Bakshi
I know who this guy is; we dreamt together, not about chicks, about our career, making money through modern journalism in simple words how we can rule this world. Our kinship is an audacious to all. Pure business oriented brain, his brain cost million dollars. So he is a million dollar baby. I call him SAAM or SAAMY. Very feisty, shrewd chap. He loves ‘goa’. He inspired me a lot. Nobody has touched my heart like that. Actually no need to write a comment about him, coz I don’t have words to write about him. Mr. Sameer Ranjan Bakshi, I am saluting you dude.

Idol no: 2. Debasis Mohapatra.
Debu… what should I say. Everybody can incur many things from Debu. He saying that he is old, His head cost billion dollars. You ask anything under the sun, our Debu will say. I am sure nobody in our group to beat him. Saam and I can beat him ‘literally’, not by words. He is mind-blowing (Mahiya). My best boozing partner. Debu is equal to Debu itself. He is like a mentor to me. A charming personality.
Three of us have a plan to start news business ventures, and make marks in the world. I hope that it will come true. Let see….

Idol no: 3. Rohan Ramesh
Hmmm... ‘Rock you like a hurricane’, that’s all I can say about my buddy. Right now he is working as a reporter at The New Indian Express. The big brain of IIJNM 2008. Very passionate about International Defence. We used to booze smoke (Stuff) & dance. He is a dude. We four were in one room in the hostel. He speaks only sense.

Idol no: 4. Ayesha Aleem
When she joined at IIJNM Nikhil & I thought she was a mallu Christian girl, but she was not. She helped me a lot, she is planning to go Boston University. I know her parents and they know me also. Ayesha I am saluting you my dear friend. She has a very good personality; she is very charming and very caring. She is doing really well. English alphabets are not enough to write about Ayesha, I really mean it.

All these 4 stars encouraged me very much and they stood for me when I really needed a support. They motivated me like anything. I am very lucky, coz I have very awesome friends; and I am sure that they are with me. And also I would be very near to them when they need my shoulder.
That’s all for now…..
I am coming with the latest……

For my sweet friend IS

You know one thing, every person in the earth has some people to motivate and encourage. But it will take some time to realize who our motivator is? But fortunately I realized my motivators (other than my family). Journalism study at IIJNM has helped me a great extent to realize what real life is. It is not that what we see in movies, it is our life, where either we can win and shine (if we try) or we fail. When I joined journalism my life has changed drastically; interaction with different culture, change in the lifestyle etc... I got very few friends, friends in sense reliable friends. This posting is only about my good friend, IS. She is from Delhi (yah Delhi chick), she is good friend. She endured me a lot. I irritated her (big time). We had smoke together. She smokes only Classic Menthol. My brand is Classic Milds; but there was no conflict between us. Menthol is not good for men coz it leads to impotency. But I am metallica and also I am a scorpion so nothing can challenge my strength (yah I mean it). She helped me a lot. Finally we fought, that was in the final days of our college life. But we covered that hurdle also. I would like to say some points about IS. Here she is:
She is beautiful
She is very loving
She is very caring
She is very enthusiastic
She is a good motivator.
She is an all-rounder
She is very very SEXY (I can’t say lie, that’s why .
This is to certify that Ms. IS is my good friend.

Outsourcing benefits to small business.

Outsourcing is an extensive term. It is a part and parcel of today’s business, if it is a small scale or a MNC. Outsourcing has been in India for more than two decades. In other words we can say that outsourcing is a subcontract work. For each and every business we can see the vital role of outsourcing. Small businesses are getting benefits from outsourcing. In most of the small companies we can see everything is outsourcing, like HR, finance (payroll) manufacturing, the list is going on. It helps to curtail the expense and improve the benefits. Today not only MNCs but also small companies are depending on outsourcing works. Outsourcing has both positive and negative impacts. It creates lot of job opportunities.
Outsourcing helps small firms in many ways. It attracts foreign clients. By distributing the work the company can perform well. Most of the companies are not self-sufficient; and they can not spend heavily without any profits. Outsourcing is a last resort to these small companies. When small companies distribute their workload they can fully concentrate on other imperative works. Outsourcing reduce the headache, most of the small manufacturing companies can not start expensive manufacturing units, so outsourcing is a benefit to small companies. The major use of outsourcing is reducing the cost. It would also increase the efficiency of a small company. Many small business firms are benefiting from outsourcing, when we speak about Indian context major benefit of outsourcing is ‘free of union strikes’. Outsourcing helps small firms to build innumerable relationships.

Finally became a journalist !!!

At last that happened… what, what you think? Arre I became a journalist. I got into Infomedia India Limited. Those final days in the college (IIJNM) are everlasting. We all young journalists got one week relaxation time to recollect what we have done the entire academic year. It was so good. I didn’t expect that. That week our time table was like this; morning around 10’o clock, breakfast and fag, browsing, phoning, lunch, sleeping, snacks, tea, fag, get booze in the night and then declaration, hot discussion about India’s economic policy, automobiles and chicks sorry one more section, night drive to our favorite hang out Oasis. Any way I’m missing all those fun. I’m missing my sweet friends. All of them got nice placements. The one week complete boozing and outing. I would like to call that week as Oasis week. Shilpa my sweet friend gifted me a
‘nice magazine’… yaaaa FRONT. It was not a business magazine, and then… it was a junior play boy magazine. In that one week my magazine has circulated among all the guys’ room. People were already started crying, at that time I didn’t think about the knot between hearts. On convocation it was a day we can say in one my friend’s style ‘theeeeeee day’. We slept nicely in the convocation hall. That responsibility goes to Outlook editor Vinod Mehta. I made a scene there when I left the hostel. I cried like anything. After that my friends tolerated me by crying stronger than me. After a long break May 15 I joined my office infomedia, Mumbai. Its such a nice place to work, now I’m a journalist. I will tell u later about my office. Its rocking (in all sense).