Learning Experience China 1 - 1

20th March 2008

Dear All

This is the China version of the Learning experience. This is the bringing of Indian company to China. The learning experience was written on the 20th March but today I was able to sent it out to all of you. You are all keen to know what I do for a living hence the learning experience write-up. This is different from the previous as it is to do with China.

Indian company is a hotelier planning to built 8 hotels across India. One is already build in Bangalore and another is in progress in Calcutta. My client have heard a lot about China and about Chinese speed and quality of building and hence keen to find a partner in China to work with for their hotel project.

My scope of work is to find the partner who is keen to look for project in India. Easier said than done.

The reputable architects and designers are found in the major cities. Through personal contact, internet etc, I managed to fixed a few major players in the industry, criteria must be able to do the complete turn key from design conception to building to interior and finally assist with the hotel management. The problem I faced here was these companies want to know about the Indian company and you will be surprised that some of the big developers in India do not even have a website or even brochures. The Chinese is better in this area of promoting themselves. You have to understand that most of the developer currently in India started with some other business and only come into the property development market in recent years following the property boom in India. It is not right or wrong..... look at it as opportunities :)

Trying also to tell my Indian client about the architects and designers we are meeting in China was also a problem. Most of them have very short history also due to the boom in their economy, hence their track record is mostly in China. The bigger ones have tie up with International firm but still for projects in their own motherland. You have to appreciated that the size of China will have enough work to keep them busy for a long time, need not look oversea. Likewise for India.

Eventually the itinerary is finalized and the dates are fixed. Appointments are fixed.

24/25/26 - Beijing & 27/28/29 - Shanghai

An Indian in China has a big problem

to be continued......