Experience at Sushi and more

(Sorry folks for not updating my blog since a long time as I was caught up with important business commitments.)

I was delighted when I found out that there was a small Japanese restaurant running for a little over a year now in Mumbai playing very quietly. This restaurant located at Breach Candy opposite Muchard Panwala (A very famous beetle leaf selling shop). Sushi and more is styled more as  a take away joint where they deliver the customer’s food orders within a certain radius. The frontage is not even on  the main road. It is a very small joint of not more than 200sq ft. (60m2). Despite all this it is doing pretty well serving authenticate Japanese food like sushi, tempura, etc. They even have a small counter selling RTE foods from Japan like Japanese soup, sauces, etc. They have  counter seating only for 2 people (I guess they don’t seem to be  aiming at too many walk-ins hence promoting take away option). However they have utilized their space very well having approx. 4 - 5 employees at any given point. Though they don’t have any Japanese employee as such but the chef (a female) is well versed with the names of Japanese dishes. She handled my order personally. I had the privilege to click photographs with the team present and tasted 3 types of sushi. The fish in the sushi was soft, however I don’t think the rice they were using was  of Japanese origin. However overall it was a nice experience.

Having said that I now am very optimistic of other Japanese restaurants or food joints opening branches in India. Till now only the big restaurants like Wasabi at TAJ or Spices at Marriott’s or Tetsuma etc. were well known and anyone who wanted to eat Japanese food would go to places like these. However now taking the lead from Sushi and More I expect many more smaller players serving Japanese food to come into the Indian market as the Indian Public has started to accept and appreciate the Japanese cuisine. In this aspect I believe food joints like Ramen Joints, Crepe Joints, Yakitori Joints, etc. should do well.

Mumbai: India's local city with an international lifestyle

Mumbai city is one city which never sleeps, it buzzes with activities all through the 24 hours, 7 days a week. Even at 3.00am or 4.00am you will find people on the road either taking a walk or driving around the streets. Whenever I come here for a short business visit or to meet my family I end up seeing a different city which is growing rapidly year by year.

I have observed that Mumbaites are foodies, they love different types of cuisines. One thing amazing about this city is that you end up finding a wide range of food items depending on your budget. In the  restaurnats of Mumbai we can observe  how in a small room maximum number of tables can be accommodated for the benefit of the customers. You end up getting all sorts of food cuisines such as Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Italian, etc. In Indian food itself there are different types of cuisines available such as North Indian (Muglai), Hyderabadi, South Indian, Rajasthani, Gujarati, Kashmiri etc.

There are food courts offering various cuisines in malls which gives you a chance to taste and experience food as per your taste without having to worry about the tastebuds of your family, friends and loved ones. Infact I felt that the way to a Mumbaiites Heart is through their stomach as eating out is a lively thing here.

In Mumbai shopping itself has its own experiences, There are innumerable number of markets around Railway stations which provide different shopping experiences altogether. Besides that there are various malls offering various international and local brands which give consumers a wide variety along with a different shopping experience. It helps people make the right choice within their budget. Shopping Malls have helped people get closer to their favorite brands.

I remember telling my aunt to get me few latest playstation games from America whenever she visited us but now we have many malls offering all new playstation games that were only made available in the abroad market. I remember a friend of mine telling me that on most of his weekends he would take his family to a nearby mall where they would get a chance to check the latest offerings by their favorite brands and then they would end up munching their favorite cuisine for dinner and come home at night after a lovely experience.
I forgot to mention that there are certain malls even offering various gaming experiences, so while you are busy shopping with your wife or husband your kids can entertain themselves with an amazing gaming experience.

Apart from malls and restaurants Mumbai also provides you an amazing night life, It has various lounges offering you the best of cuisines and wide variety of drinks both alcoholic and non- alcoholic along with music which goes on till wee hours of 1.00am or at times even 2.00am
Places like Royalty, Not just Jazz by the Bay, Hard Rock cafe, Vie Lounge, Aurus, Blue Frog etc are one of the best places in mumbai offering you great international music.

Hence Mumbai has now become a foreign destination for Indians where an Indian can live without the requirement of a visa. 

In short Mumbai today is India's local city with an international lifestyle.

Growth of Middle Class Consumers in India

India is growing at a tremendous pace and the 350 million-strong middle class has buying power unmatched by any other growing nation. A huge shift is underway from spending on necessities such as food and clothing to choice-based spending on categories such as household appliances and restaurants.

Now-a-days value-conscious Indians are willing to spend big bucks on newer devices and wheels. I remember few years back when we used to see a Mercedes Benz or BMW in Mumbai Street we used to say wow because it was not commonly visible unlike now where BMW, Mercedes and AUDI have become very common on road. The buying power of an individual has increased tremendously in the Indian market in last few years. All top luxury brands are looking for business opportunities in India due to the increase of purchasing power amongst the Middle Class people. Apart from BMW, Audi and Mercedes having their own showrooms; Jaguar, Harley-Davidson, Land Rover, Kawasaki, Rolls Royce and Porsche have also opened their showrooms in Mumbai in last 2 – 3 years.

India's mobile market is currently growing even faster than China's, and we expect overall communications spending to continue to grow at a very rapid pace over the next two decades. During my college days an average student used to spend about Rs 2000 – 3000 on a cell phone however this has changed to Rs 8000 – 10,000 as an average in recent times. Blackberry and Apple handsets were rarely available in India hence were not common amongst individuals however the trend has changed, Blackberry and Apple are very common amongst individuals in India. Indians are willing to spend 25,000 – 35,000 on a good branded handset.

People in India love to make their weekends special and don’t mind spending big bucks on food and liquor. According to Forbes, 40% of Indians spend about 2000 on a meal for 2. Indians did their daily shopping at fresh-food markets and regarded packaged foods as "stale." However, our new generation of busy urban Indians have started to appreciate the convenience and choice offered by packaged foods.

The nature of the spending shows that the biggest driver of the economy is the youth. Young people are earning money, spending on their daily chores and are still left with enough disposable incomes. All that money is going, or will go, into buying vehicles, TVs, mobiles, FMCG products, clothes and a decent education for the next generation.

Wonderful Experience at Muchhad Paanwala (Mumbai's Millionaire paanwala)

I have heard about Muchhad Paanwala from my friends who had recommended me strongly about the delicious paan being served at this place however I never got a chance to visit this place as I hardly visit India due to my business commitments in Japan however yesterday I landed up at Breach Candy yesterday evening and happened to visit Muchhad Paanwala.

It was a wonderful site to see 2 thick moustached men sitting cross legged comfortably in a little open shop, smiling and selling paan (Betel leaf) to a constantly flocking bunch of customers.

Since I don’t consume supari (Areca nut), I asked him to serve me Meetha Paan (Sweet Paan), I was asked if i would like it cold or normal, I asked him to give me cold, soon after I give my order the paan was served to me packed in a dry leaf. I must admit that the paan was quite delicious! Infact the owner was also quiet entertaining. I requested them for a couple of pictures and they both didn’t mind. They infact informed me that they have their own website and I was even more surprised to hear that the website was created in 1998, infact they are the first and probably the only paanwala in Mumbai city to have their own website.

Although it was a short visit at Muchhad Paanwala but it taught me quiet a few lessons which I thought of sharing with everyone through my blog.

  

Create your own brandIn a city filled with numerous paan shops, Muchhad Paanwala has created a distinct identity for himself, and subsequently his product. All his people working at the Paan shop had big moustaches which truly made them unique and kept the brand name continued. No one people are willing to travel a long distance just to grab a paan as they guarantee that the paan served at his shop is somehow superior to the rest served across Mumbai.

It pays to be the firstMuchhad Paanwala was the first paanwala to have his own website in the late '90s. I guess even today he is probably the only paanwala to have their own dedicated website (http://muchhadpaan.com/). The site has a section which is used for placing orders online although I wouldn’t really know how many orders does he get on a regular basis but it sure pays to be different as it gets people talking which leads to curiosity in people and curiosity generally translates into profit.

Believe in your productI believe no amount of marketing and self promotion in this world can translate into profits over a sustained period of time if the goods are not good. At the end of the day it is quality that matters and talks the loudest. Muchhad Paanwala has earned a big reputation only on the basis of quality paan they serve and to my surprise they are quiet reasonably priced.

Treat customers well
It is the customers at the end of the day who create awareness and spread the word of mouth about your product or company, the reason Muchhad Paanwala has stayed in business for decades and  still continues to be one of the best in his business is only due to his customers and their word of mouth. If you take your customers for granted you risk losing them. Customers at Muchhad Paanwala are made to feel like they matter, and quality service has a big role to play in that. Muchhad Paanwala is believed to be Mumbai's Millionaire paanwala however they are down to earth with their customers and always wear a smile and make their customers feel home. This makes them unique from others.

Japan And India: Making Up For Lost Time



Markets like India would have been less crucial for Japan Inc had its home market not become increasingly unreliable. Across many consumer product categories, from cars to cameras, Japan's domestic market is shrinking rapidly. Japan's macro-economic problems that started after the 1980s bubble burst are well known. But the shrinking domestic market has a dimension that can't be righted by policy correction.

Japan is ageing fast, the average age is 40, compare that to India's under 30. One in four Japanese today is over 65. A decade back, about one third of Canon's business came from Japan. Today the domestic market contributes just 10% of Canon's sales. But Asia minus Japan buys 30% of Canon's products, up from 5% 10 years back.

An even more dramatic illustration: car sales in Japan in 2011 dipped by 15%. Japan experts say preference for public transport (for environment and cost reasons) combined with an ageing population is impacting car sales in Japan.

Global M&As

Domestic market performance has brought home the message to Japan Inc that the future of their businesses lies outside. This realisation is already showing up in numbers. Last year, Japan saw a record number of outbound mergers and acquisitions transactions, the highest in its history, valued at $88 billion-plus. And this M&A figure is not just quantitatively impressive, the qualitative dimensions of outbound Japanese investment in 2011 tell an even more interesting story.

India Over China

As in almost everything to do with India and business, there's the India-China debate. India now appears to have some advantages vis-a-vis China, which of course remains the bigger market for Japanese products.

The first Indian advantage is the already huge presence of Japan Inc in China. There are 8,000 Japanese companies in Shanghai alone compared to 1,000 in India. Second, India has a political advantage over China. Sino-Japanese ties are marked with distrust and suspicion. Indo-Japanese ties aren't.

In 2008-09 and 2009-10, Indo-Japanese trade was stuck at around $10 billion. In 2010-11, the figure moved up to $14 billion. Bilateral trade is likely to cross $16 billion in 2011-12, and the target for 2014-15 is $25 billion, according to Ficci.

The third reason India looks more favourable than China is that Japan Inc can build things that India desperately needs. Japanese companies can contribute significantly in infrastructure like the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor.

Invest in India?

The big questions though are will Japanese companies set up local manufacturing bases and significantly scale up their managerial presence? Bar the auto majors who are in India, most Japanese companies still aren't talking about investment in plants here. Most of them are importing products from China, Thailand and Japan.
But Investing in India may be the next stage, say Japan Inc watchers.

Feasibility Report & Its Importance

What is feasibility report?

Feasibility report is the analysis carried out to decide on the viability of a proposed venture; basically it answers the essential question of ‘is it a viable option and should the project be implemented’. All stages of feasibility report analysis are carried out in order to answer this question.

Conducting feasibility report is quiet common for all large successful businesses to ensure they embark on a viable project, for example Microsoft have a large research department situated in many different cities throughout the globe, this department collaborates with many institutions producing many feasibility analyses a year. When examining successful businesses such as Microsoft, I discovered they will not commit to a new project without first thoroughly assessing all of the variables and reviewing the probability of success through a feasibility study.

Process of feasibility analysis...

Feasibility analysis is always time consuming and hence also tends out to be an expensive affair. Many companies pay consultants to perform analysis for their companies.

A preliminary study is always undertaken to determine if it would be worthwhile to proceed to the feasibility analysis, within this preliminary study the evaluation of alternatives is made along with brief cost and benefit analysis. A feasibility study is usually conducted after the project managers have discussed all project ideas and every possible scenario, only if the results are positive the feasibility study begins.

How does it work?

Operational factors; Operational feasibility is used to assess how well the information systems will work if implemented in the given environment.

• Define the urgency of the project
• If the project is implemented, will it be a success?
• Does management support the project?
• How do end users feel about the new system?
• People tend to resist change - can this problem be overcome?
• Can management and end users adapt to the change?

Has the proposed venture conflicted with organisational or government regulations?

Schedule factors:

• It often takes time to build and implement an information system solution; will the project still be necessary on completion?
• The technology may exist, but are there the skills available to not only complete the project but complete it on schedule?
• Is the project deadline reasonable?
• Is the deadline desirable or mandatory? What are the results of failing to meet the project deadline?

Technical; Technical feasibility is the measure of the practicality of specific technical information system solutions and the availability of technical resources. Often new technologies are solutions looking for a problem to solve:

Is the technology for the information system solution practical?

• Does the necessary technology exist?
• Is the technology proven?
• Is the technology practical and reliable?
• Are the necessary skills available to design and implement the system?
• Is there the infrastructure to cope with ongoing maintenance (problems, upgrades)

Economic; this is regularly the most important analysis made, it asks important questions;

• Is the project justified (i.e. will benefits outweigh costs)?
• Can the project be done, within given cost constraints?
• What is the minimal cost to attain a certain system?
• Which alternative offers the best return on investment?
• How much will it cost to maintain?

Import - Export Business

To start your own export import business, it is very important to know the commodity you want to trade. Once you have decided the commodity, define an international market for your product. Then while tying loose ends at the domestic front as hiring experts on shipping, documentation, claims, incentives, packaging and acquiring the commodity, it is extremely important to market your product in the country you want to export your product to. Advertising along with Market Research plays an important role too.

A whole lot of government consent and authorization is needed to start off with the shipping of the goods. Remember to have in place the license to export or import. There are taxes and duties that should be paid for.

Everything from food articles to cars, jets and even commodes and an incredible list of millions of products are bought, sold or distributed in some part of the world on a daily basis. This trading of goods is worth millions of dollars. A country tends to import products that they are not able to manufacture or produce efficiently and economically. They export goods that they can inexpensively manufacture.

Export and import of products has to be handled with complete knowledge of rules and legalities of the two countries. Certain trained individuals and experts handle the operational part as whole lot documentation and technicalities is required to ship the goods between two countries.

Japan's growing yen for Indian assets

The appetite for Indian assets is growing among investors from the land of the samurai. An appreciating yen, combined with slow economic growth, has persuaded many Japanese investors to explore opportunities beyond their national boundary, and India appears to be one of their preferences.
In the past couple of years, Japanese investors have come here to form partnerships, acquire stakes and develop alliances with domestic companies to enter sectors like financial services, automobiles, information technology, metals and others.   

The appreciation in the yen has made foreign assets very attractive for investors. Also, the growth in their economy is muted, compared to India and China. India has a demographic advantage over China. The growing trade between India and Japan is also driving some of these investments.

BELOW ARE FEW OF THE SAMURAI SWEEP IN INDIAN MARKET

FINANCIAL SERVICES
Rs 3,000 crore was paid by Nippon Life for a 26% stake in Reliance Life in May 2011
Rs 2,731 crore is what Mitsui Sumitomo paid for a 26% stake in Max New York Life in March 2012
Rs 1,450 crore was paid by Nippon Life for a 26% stake in Reliance Capital Asset Management in January 2012

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Rs 900 crore was paid by NTT Communications for acquiring majority stake in Netmagic in January 2012

AUTOMOBILES

Denso had set up a joint venture with Subros for designing air-conditioning for cars in June 2010

SHIPBUILDING

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries announced technological and licencing agreement with Larsen & Toubro’s shipbuilding arm

STEEL

Rs 4,800 crore was shelled out by JFE Steel for buying a 15% stake in JSW Steel in July 2010
Kobe Steel and Steel Authority of India Limited formed a strategic collaboration in November 2010
Rs 2,400 crore was what Nippon Steel agreed to invest in Tata Steel for producing steel for the auto industry in January 2011

INDUSTRIALS

Hitachi set up a joint venture with BGR Energy System in August 2010
$200 million is what Softbank invested in InMobi in September 2011

OTHERS

Kokuyo bought stake in Camlin in May 2011


Japan today is characterised by an ageing population, slow growth rates, and near-zero interest rates. In contrast, India’s demographics and long-term growth potential are a perfect hedge to its own macro situation. Initial successes in the auto industry have spurred subsequent interest in a range of sectors, including industrials, chemicals, telecom, financials, pharmaceuticals, logistics and metals. Japanese investors, with their long-term (and) non-intrusive approach make good partners for Indian business families.