Companies That Changed Companies That Changed IndiaIndia

The dozen companies that The dozen companies that transformed not only themselves, transformed not only themselves,

but also the larger universe around but also the larger universe around them.them.

GENPACTGENPACT

• In 1997, Jack Welch, General In 1997, Jack Welch, General Electric's CEO then, decided to Electric's CEO then, decided to send some mortgage and send some mortgage and insurance application work to a insurance application work to a small team in Gurgaon. By 2002, small team in Gurgaon. By 2002, that work had expanded to a that work had expanded to a 10,000-people company and was 10,000-people company and was the biggest part of GE Capital, the biggest part of GE Capital, remembers Tiger Tyagarajan, remembers Tiger Tyagarajan, President and CEO today of President and CEO today of Genpact, the GE business process Genpact, the GE business process outsourcing, or BPO, firm. Genpact outsourcing, or BPO, firm. Genpact is today a $1.5 billion business but is today a $1.5 billion business but GE's bigger contribution is India's GE's bigger contribution is India's $6 billion BPO industry. $6 billion BPO industry. 

ZEE TVZEE TV

• India's busy satellite TV industry India's busy satellite TV industry traces its origins to a visit nearly traces its origins to a visit nearly 22 years ago by a Punjabi rice 22 years ago by a Punjabi rice trader to the Mumbai office of trader to the Mumbai office of national broadcaster national broadcaster Doordarshan. Subhash Chandra, Doordarshan. Subhash Chandra, worked around rules that gave worked around rules that gave Doordarshan a monopoly, by Doordarshan a monopoly, by beaming 'Zee TV'-branded Indian beaming 'Zee TV'-branded Indian content from Hong Kong in content from Hong Kong in October 1992. The laws October 1992. The laws eventually changed and, today, eventually changed and, today, there are more than 600 there are more than 600 channels in India stoking channels in India stoking aspirations even in corners that aspirations even in corners that have no water or tarred roads. have no water or tarred roads. 

GUJARAT COOPERATIVE GUJARAT COOPERATIVE MILK MARKETING MILK MARKETING

FEDERATIONFEDERATION • India is the world's largest India is the world's largest

producer of milk, the producer of milk, the richest source of protein for richest source of protein for children, with a production children, with a production of some 118 million tonnes. of some 118 million tonnes. Much of the credit for this Much of the credit for this vests at Kaira, Gujarat, vests at Kaira, Gujarat, where a mechanical where a mechanical engineer, Verghese Kurien, engineer, Verghese Kurien, set up a dairy in 1948. And, set up a dairy in 1948. And, more importantly, helped more importantly, helped local headman local headman Tribhuvandas Patel Tribhuvandas Patel organise a cooperative of organise a cooperative of dairy farmers. That effort dairy farmers. That effort grew into the Gujarat grew into the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, or GCMMF, Federation, or GCMMF, the Amul brand and, later, the Amul brand and, later, a nationwide grid of district a nationwide grid of district milk cooperatives under milk cooperatives under Operation Flood.Operation Flood.

TETLEYTETLEY • You had to be a reader of tea You had to be a reader of tea

leaves in 2000 to predict a leaves in 2000 to predict a deluge of takeover deals in the deluge of takeover deals in the decade ahead. But the $450-decade ahead. But the $450-million acquisition of Tetley in million acquisition of Tetley in the UK in February 2000 by Tata the UK in February 2000 by Tata Tea indeed set the stage for Tea indeed set the stage for buyouts. Tata Tea's revenues, for buyouts. Tata Tea's revenues, for historical context, were one-third historical context, were one-third of Tetley's. "The deal was the of Tetley's. "The deal was the single biggest catalyst for cross-single biggest catalyst for cross-border acquisitions in India and border acquisitions in India and was certainly a harbinger of was certainly a harbinger of things to come," says Rana things to come," says Rana Kapoor, Managing Director and Kapoor, Managing Director and Chief Executive of YES Bank, Chief Executive of YES Bank, who advised Tata Tea as CEO of who advised Tata Tea as CEO of Rabo India Finance, and Rabo India Finance, and arranged the debt for the buyout arranged the debt for the buyout then. then.

CAFE COFFEE DAYCAFE COFFEE DAY

• Selling coffee in Delhi? The idea Selling coffee in Delhi? The idea of selling the beverage of selling the beverage associated with associated with MadrasisMadrasis in the  in the capital would have been capital would have been sniggered at a decade ago or sniggered at a decade ago or so. Not after the success of V.G. so. Not after the success of V.G. Siddhartha-founded Cafe Coffee Siddhartha-founded Cafe Coffee Day. The 1,240-store CCD, as Day. The 1,240-store CCD, as the chain is called in short, has the chain is called in short, has 170 stores in the National 170 stores in the National Capital Region - just five short Capital Region - just five short of the number in Bangalore. of the number in Bangalore. Besides introducing the taste of Besides introducing the taste of coffee to traditional tea belts, coffee to traditional tea belts, what the marquee chain quietly what the marquee chain quietly ushered in is a wave of cafe ushered in is a wave of cafe culture in India's small towns. culture in India's small towns.

ICICIICICI

• In the mid-1990s, India was In the mid-1990s, India was gaining momentum, walking away gaining momentum, walking away from a socialist past, but banking from a socialist past, but banking still meant corporate banking with still meant corporate banking with little focus on retail lending. It was little focus on retail lending. It was as if the retail customer did not as if the retail customer did not exist and little attention was paid exist and little attention was paid to investing in technology or to investing in technology or creating a branch infrastructure. creating a branch infrastructure. But, a lender with a hoary past, But, a lender with a hoary past, ICICI - short for Industrial Credit ICICI - short for Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of and Investment Corporation of India - changed this with India - changed this with aggression in marketing, aggression in marketing, competitive pricing and doses of competitive pricing and doses of innovations. innovations. 

NSENSE

• From a transparency point of From a transparency point of view, there are few parallels to view, there are few parallels to the National Stock Exchange, or the National Stock Exchange, or NSE, in India. An institution that NSE, in India. An institution that can rightfully claim it changed can rightfully claim it changed equity trading in India through equity trading in India through clear rules backed with clear rules backed with technology and risk-avoiding technology and risk-avoiding margins. NSE has spread into margins. NSE has spread into even tiny towns ushering in a even tiny towns ushering in a true equity culture and its daily true equity culture and its daily turnover today is in excess of Rs turnover today is in excess of Rs 10,000 crore.10,000 crore.

AIRTELAIRTEL

• Migration in India, sociologists posit, Migration in India, sociologists posit, has ratcheted up in the second has ratcheted up in the second decade of reforms. Is it just the decade of reforms. Is it just the roaring economy that is behind it? roaring economy that is behind it? The pop anthropologist thinks there The pop anthropologist thinks there is another reason too: an estimated is another reason too: an estimated half a billion mobile phone users in half a billion mobile phone users in India. In 2001, the total number of India. In 2001, the total number of phones was just 45 million. For the phones was just 45 million. For the migrant, distance is dead, truly; migrant, distance is dead, truly; everybody is just a phone call away. everybody is just a phone call away. It helps that even a five-minute call It helps that even a five-minute call will not cost more than the cheapest will not cost more than the cheapest filter cigarette of the land. Who got it filter cigarette of the land. Who got it there? A company called Bharti there? A company called Bharti Airtel, India's No.1 phone firm today Airtel, India's No.1 phone firm today and the world's sixth by customers.and the world's sixth by customers.

BIG BAZAARBIG BAZAAR

• When he started out, Kishore Biyani was When he started out, Kishore Biyani was so impressed by the likes of Wal-Mart and so impressed by the likes of Wal-Mart and Tesco that he began his early Big Bazaar Tesco that he began his early Big Bazaar stores with well-organised shelves, stores with well-organised shelves, properly labelled aisles, and staff trained properly labelled aisles, and staff trained to be professional and helpful. Sales were to be professional and helpful. Sales were tepid. Biyani spotted the missing tepid. Biyani spotted the missing ingredient quickly: the chaos, bustle and ingredient quickly: the chaos, bustle and noise of a local Indian market. Authors noise of a local Indian market. Authors John Mullins and Randy Komisar note that John Mullins and Randy Komisar note that he quickly shuffled around shelves, made he quickly shuffled around shelves, made the aisles narrower leaving things in the the aisles narrower leaving things in the way, and got staff to announce offers way, and got staff to announce offers over the PA system every couple of over the PA system every couple of minutes. It worked. Over the years, minutes. It worked. Over the years, Biyani made mistakes - overleveraging Biyani made mistakes - overleveraging his cash flows, for instance - but he his cash flows, for instance - but he unveiled the power of organised retail, unveiled the power of organised retail, and that too without any foreign partner. and that too without any foreign partner.

JET AIRWAYSJET AIRWAYS

• Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of Subroto Bagchi, co-founder of MindTree Consulting, ranks Jet MindTree Consulting, ranks Jet Airways on his list of dream Airways on his list of dream companies. Jet has lost some companies. Jet has lost some market value lately, but what market value lately, but what impresses Bagchi is how its impresses Bagchi is how its personnel look after personnel look after passengers, both in the sky and passengers, both in the sky and on the ground. Nothing on the ground. Nothing extraordinary today, but in the extraordinary today, but in the mid-1990s, customer service mid-1990s, customer service levels were set by monopoly levels were set by monopoly providers such as Indian providers such as Indian Airlines or public sector banks. Airlines or public sector banks. In such a market, Jet Airways In such a market, Jet Airways redefined it. redefined it.

MARUTIMARUTI

• In 1983, Maruti Udyog, as the In 1983, Maruti Udyog, as the carmaker was called then, rolled carmaker was called then, rolled out India's first all-Japanese out India's first all-Japanese hatchback, the Maruti 800. It was hatchback, the Maruti 800. It was small compared to the soap dish-small compared to the soap dish-like Ambassador and the Fiat-like Ambassador and the Fiat-designed Premier Padmini but designed Premier Padmini but partner Suzuki's technology partner Suzuki's technology made the it zippy, easy to drive made the it zippy, easy to drive and, relatively speaking, club-and, relatively speaking, club-class comfortable. And, cheaper: class comfortable. And, cheaper: some Rs 45,000, less than half some Rs 45,000, less than half the cost of an Ambassador then. the cost of an Ambassador then. The car grabbed the middle class The car grabbed the middle class Indian's imagination and before Indian's imagination and before the decade turned, it was the the decade turned, it was the preferred choice among cars preferred choice among cars made in India.made in India.

INFOSYSINFOSYS

• At its core, the Infosys At its core, the Infosys business model is nothing business model is nothing highbrow. It mostly ships fairly highbrow. It mostly ships fairly mundane information mundane information technology tasks like technology tasks like developing and maintaining an developing and maintaining an application to India, or application to India, or remotely manages a client's remotely manages a client's network from here. Where it network from here. Where it shone was in the way it ran its shone was in the way it ran its business: sharing wealth with business: sharing wealth with employees, refusing to grease employees, refusing to grease palms, focusing on systems palms, focusing on systems and processes to sustain and processes to sustain business, encouraging business, encouraging meritocracy, and obsessing meritocracy, and obsessing over quality of work and over quality of work and delivery.delivery.

THANX……THANX……