Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Learning Experience India 1 - 3

17 August 2008


Update

On project one, after a series of telephone conversation, I have come to one positive lead. A chain of restaurant chain that has a small catering business and a good branding in Delhi. Personally I always look for business with good branding, it is easier to develop the business further on acquisition. I am still lacking a good lead in Mumbai. I always thought that Mumbai will be easier to find restaurant chain interested in expansion and also there will be more family run business looking to corporatise their business. So if you have any lead of F & B business in Mumbai , do let me know.

On project 2, the prefab industry I will be visiting one infrastructure contractor in Delhi and a developer in Mumbai. Reason is for me to understand construction market in India. I normally do this ground research on top of my other desktop research prior to my visit. It helps when you are selling this project to my Japanese client. As a consultant you are dealing with information and hence you have to be well brief at all time. the question is what info are you fishing for. This varies with different clients. Generally all info are valuable is a matter of when you use them. There will be a follow-up to this project as I will need to bring the Japanese to visit these people later.

On Project 3, bookstore distributors are hard to find, as this is not my strength. This is a big market and yet it is also a close market. There are few major players in the market, generally they are small family run business. Even for book distributors there are many small business who tie up with printers and publisher. For your info, there are about 3000 printers or publishers just in Mumbai alone. The major players are doing so well that they are not keen to talk to foreigners. There are also finanancially able to modernize their setup and some of them are doing very nicely like those you see in Delhi CP and Mumbai Narimun Point. I will maybe have to focus on those business who want to move into the book business but does not have the expertise, maybe Pantaloon etc.

The schedule is by now 70% confirmed.

Delhi
On 3rd meeting with a hotel group
On 4th morning meeting with client who wants to develop business in China, I need to know how their product will fit into the China market.
On 4th afternoon meeting with infrastructure contractor on the prefab
On 5th afternoon meeting with restaurant chain
On 5th night leave for Goa
Goa
On 6th morning visit to a hotel project to discuss on funding requirements
On 6th evening leave for Mumbai
Mumbai
On 7th afternoon meeting with developer
On 8th morning visit to cafe business
On 9th return to Singapore

To be continued....

Regards

Seng Choon

No comments: