Search results

This case highlights the demand and supply factors that caused a sharp rise in onion prices during the period of December 2010 to January 2011. These factors ranged from natural demand and supply forces to manmade forces such as government price interventions in the form of a minimum export price and ceiling price, and a supply shortage that was artificially created by hoarders in anticipation of higher prices in the ensuing period. Government price interventions prevented price mechanisms from clearing the market. Hence, alternative clearing mechanisms such as maintenance of the surplus stock or rationing were used in the onion market. The cost of such alternative clearing mechanisms, however, falls on taxpayers. The case highlights the dilemma faced by policy makers and analysts: whether the government should intervene in the market in the short run by providing subsidies when prices are exorbitantly high, or incur heavy investment expenditures to bring about long-run stability in onion prices.

This case is based on India's leading information technology company, HCL Infosystems, which has not only introduced new technologies, but also created a market for them through education. It has also been successful in taking IT to the grassroots level by offering cheaper hardware than its competitors.

It came as a shock for the company to learn that not only had it scored poorly in the rankings of the Indian Guide to Greener Electronics, released by Greenpeace in 2007, but it was accused of "greenwashing" for supplying computer systems containing toxic components. The company took immediate action to repair the damage done to its reputation. However, intermediate and long-term steps towards going green necessitated huge investments in R&D in order to develop alternate technologies and substitutes for toxic chemicals and to manage safe waste disposal programs. The adoption of the EPR principle was also fraught with problems. The company faces the challenge of adopting measures to eliminate/reduce e-waste while pursuing its strategy of low pricing.

In 2012–15, India’s domestic tyre industry witnessed slower growth of its production capacity and capacity utilization along with a decline in market share due to increasing demand for cheap Chinese tyres. Indian tyre manufacturers attributed the growing demand for Chinese tyres to dumping of tyres by China. On behalf of major Indian tyre manufacturers, who were worried about the unfair trade practice of Chinese tyre suppliers, the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) urged the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to impose an anti-dumping duty on Chinese truck and bus radial (TBR) tyres. The Association argued that an anti-dumping duty would enable domestic manufacturers to compete with cheap Chinese tyres and more fully utilize their production capacity. But tyre dealers were dead set against an anti-dumping duty, arguing that it was against consumer welfare. The Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties (DGAD), which was investigating the case, had to both determine the extent of Chinese dumping and ensure that consumer interests were not undermined by efforts to protect those of the domestic tyre industry.

The Indian entertainment and media industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in India. The liberalization era paved the way for foreign direct investment (FDI) in the entertainment and media industry. The Indian television system is one of the most dynamic and extensive systems in the world, providing coverage to over 90% of India’s 100 million people. By 1982, television had emerged as the government’s pre-eminent media organization due to its national coverage. International satellite broadcasting, introduced in 1991, led to the rapid proliferation of small-scale cable systems. Television broadcasting companies are facing a shortage of content and programming costs are also rising beyond normal trends. This case discusses the growth strategies of major entertainment, niche and news channels. Star India’s biggest strength is its programming. India is one of the few countries in the world that can boast of the size of its news channels.