Tata Steel – The Restructuring Story

CLSA bets on Tata Steel Restructuring

“We sense a change in Tata Steel’s thought process in recent months and there is now a much stronger focus on asset sales than in the past. The aim here is to deleverage the balance sheet and rid the portfolio of assets with questionable outlook (including Corus). We see this change as a positive and if successful, can achieve a big reduction in risk profile with large earnings and value accretion,” the report says.

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Tata Steel Adopting Fit for Future Strategy

The company is continuing its ‘fit for the future’ strategy that it started in 2009, which focuses primarly on disinvestment, asset restructuring and improving efficiencies.

The company is shutting loss-making businesses, merging subsidiary units and closing mothballed blast furnaces or re-opening those after upgradation.

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Source: Business-Standard 

Your Way to Top Business Schools

Economist Publishes a Four Part Series

The business-school application is your chance to demonstrate not just a level of familiarity with the MBA qualification, but also a real understanding of the personality, strengths and resources of the school you are applying to. Both in the essays and in an interview, you need to make a clear case about how the MBA can help you to build on existing skills and experience, and convince the school of the coherence and feasibility of your post-MBA career. The decision to pursue the MBA is not taken lightly, and all aspects of the application need to reflect this understanding.

And for that, research is essential. What sets Chicago apart from Wharton? How does Darden differ from Tuck? How can each school help me achieve my career goals? Schools might look similar on paper, but they each have their own identity and approach to management development. There is no substitute for doing your homework on the school you are applying to. Ideally you should visit it, as this will give you a much stronger feel for what makes it distinctive. But if that is not possible, then attend local information sessions or online webinars, contact students and alumni, visit an MBA fair, and read brochures, student blogs and media that focus on business education. Remember it is not just a question of whether you fit with a school’s character, but also whether a school fits with yours. Take time and effort to reflect on this.

Do not rely on the MBA rankings published in newspapers such as The Economist.  The personality of the institution, the alumni network, the career opportunities, the curriculum and faculty, and other school strengths are more important. And don’t forget the importance of course length, location and cost. When you do look at rankings, remember that each has its own methodology. Find out what is being measured–whether post-MBA salary, return-on-investment, the quality of the students or career opportunities–and decide whether they apply to you.

While there is only one MBA degree, no two MBA programmes are the same, and admissions officers have the experience to identify the motivated application from the speculative. The more familiar you are with the programmes of your choice, the better your chance of getting in.

Part 1,  Part 2, Part 3

Part 4 yet to come…

Source: The Economist

Success – Creating Better Than Even Chance

Consistent Advantage

Imagine a coach, observing a player entering a sports competition, saying, “That kid has the right to win out there.” Or a teacher, watching a student about to take a test, saying, “That student deserves to excel.” What they are really saying is, “That contestant is the right player, in the right type of contest, with the precise capabilities needed to meet this particular challenge.” Of course, the contestant will lose at times, but over the years, a consistent innate advantage will establish itself, giving this contestant the ability to pull off seeming miracles while making it all look easy. This essential advantage is particularly rare in business — a more free-form and unpredictable game than sports or academia. But it is increasingly important at a time of unprecedented competitiveness.

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Source: Strategy+Business

Unilever – Brands For Life

Unilever – Crafting a new marketing Strategy

Brands For Life is being rolled out across the world. The pilot happened in India before Christmas last year and its subsequently traveled to Brazil and South Africa.

The strategy stands on three pillars:

1. Put People First: Looking at people through the lens of their lives, needs and challenges and not just as Weed puts it “a sort of head for a bottle of shampoo.”

2. Building Brand Love: Making sure Unilever brands are not just about a product but an idea that people can buy into.

3. Unlock The Magic: Getting the balance right between magic and logic, the art and science of marketing.

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Source: The Economic Times