SUMMER TRAINING REPORT

ON

CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR

Submitted in partial fulfillment of MASTERS OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAME

Conducted by

G B TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY, LUCKNOW

Under the guidance of
Mr. Vivek Singh Assistance prof.

Under the guidance of

Mr. Vishvesh Trivedi Area Sales Manager

Submitted By
Shashi Jeet Verma MBA III Semester Roll No. 1005970101

LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES, LUCKNOW

Declaration

I here by declare that the project report entitled COSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR IN

ACC LIMITED submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Business Administration at LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT STUDIES,LUCKNOW is my original work and not submitted for the award of any other degree, diploma, fellowship or any other similar title or prizes.

Place : LUCKNOW Date :

SHASHI JEET VERMA

PREFACE
Practical Experience has no substitute

The training has compared to a window through which the trainee can into experience and observe the Activities of the real business world and helps to become crossing the door that leads the trainee to become successful in the world of business. These days institute have started giving more and more stress on the management training , as it is the first interface of a management student with the culture of the corporate world and it also gives the first hand experience to use the knowledge acquired by them through there faculty in the class in corporate world . Our institute has also been looking in the same direction and is determined to produce quality students who have a balanced knowledge of both theoretical aspects and the practical knowledge as well. In the same context I had to undergo a summer training 6 weeks in company.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my research study that gave me the opportunity to learn something that would help me at present as well as in future. This report which I am presenting to you is a contributed effort of all those who have helped me during the research study programme.

Last but not the least I would like to mention the name of my parents who encouraged me and motivated me at every point of time.

I would like to thank all of them and to God as well for giving me the energy and spirit to carry out the research successfully.

My research guide Mr. Vivek Singh Sir provided me with necessary guidance and support in preparing this report.

Shashi Jeet Verma

INDEX
S.NO CONTENT
PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT COMPANY PROFILE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HUMAN RESOURCES CEMENT PLANTS MILESTONES AWARDS & ACCOLADES ENQUIRIES OF ACC LIMITED SALES OFFICES CEMENT PRODUCTS : : CUSTOMER SERVICES TO STOCK EXCHANGES CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILLITY Development of ACC LIMITED INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY SCOPE OF STUDY ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH METHDOLOGY QUESTIONNAIRE ANALISIS FINDING LIMITATIONS SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS CONCLUSIONS BIBIOGRAPHY QUESTIONNAIRE

PAGE NO

COMPANY PROFILE
ABOUT US

CORPORATE PROFILE

ACC (ACC Limited) is India's foremost manufacturer of cement and concrete. ACC's operations are spread throughout the country with 16 modern cement factories, more than 40 Ready mix concrete plants, 21 sales offices, and several zonal offices. It has a workforce of about 10,000 persons and a countrywide distribution network of over 9,000 dealers.

Since inception in 1936, the company has been a trendsetter and important benchmark for the cement industry in many areas of cement and concrete technology. ACC has a unique track record of innovative research, product development and specialized consultancy services. The company's various manufacturing units are backed by a central technology support services centre - the only one of its kind in the Indian cement industry.

ACC has rich experience in mining, being the largest user of limestone. As the largest cement producer in India, it is one of the biggest customers of the domestic coal industry, of Indian Railways, and a considerable user of the countrys road transport network services for inward and outward movement of materials and products.

Among the first companies in India to include commitment to environmental protection as one of its corporate objectives, the company installed sophisticated pollution control equipment as far back as 1966, long before pollution control laws came into existence. Today each of its cement plants has state-of-the art pollution control equipment and devices.

ACC plants, mines and townships visibly demonstrate successful endeavors in quarry rehabilitation, water management techniques and greening activities. The company actively promotes the use of alternative fuels and raw materials and offers total solutions for waste management including testing, suggestions for reuse, recycling and co-processing. ACC has taken purposeful steps in knowledge building. We run two institutes that offer professional technical courses for engineering graduates and diploma holders which are

relevant to manufacturing sectors such as cement. The main beneficiaries are youth from remote and backward areas of the country.

ACC has made significant contributions to the nation building process by way of quality products, services and sharing expertise. Its commitment to sustainable development, its high ethical standards in business dealings and its on-going efforts in community welfare programmers have won it acclaim as a responsible corporate citizen. ACCs brand name is synonymous with cement and enjoys a high level of equity in the Indian market. It is the only cement company that figures in the list of Consumer Super Brands of India

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mr N. S. Sekhsaria Chairman

Mr Paul Hugentobler Deputy Chairman Mr Kuldip K Kaura Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Mr S M Palia Mr Naresh Chandra Mr Markus Akermann Mr M L Narula Mr R A Shah Mr Shailesh Haribhakti Mr Aidan Lynam Mr Sushil Kumar Roongta

10

HUMAN RESOURCES

ACC has a large workforce of about 10,000 people, comprising experts in various disciplines assisted by a dedicated workforce of skilled persons. ACC employees, referred to as the ACC Parivar, come from all parts of the country and belonging to a variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. ACC employees display a strong sense of loyalty to the Company and their special stellar qualities as value-adding human capital are well known in the industry. ACC has clearly stated guidelines concerning recruitment, termination, career advancement, performance appraisal, professional and employee ethics and code of conduct. The Companys personnel policies and processes enshrine equal opportunities to all and nondiscrimination with regard to gender, caste, creed, ideology or other opinion, whether social, political or religious. Also ensured is a due process for employee consultation and participation in organizational development and policy formulation.

The importance of Corporate Governance has always been recognized in ACC. Much before Corporate Governance guidelines became applicable and mandatory for listed companies, ACC had systems in place for effective strategic planning and processes, risk management, human resources development and succession planning. The Audit Committee in ACC was constituted as far back as in 1986. The Shareholders-Investors Grievance Committee was formed way back in 1962 and the Compensation Committee was convened since 1993. The Companys core values are based on integrity, respect for the law and strict compliance

11

thereof, emphasis on product quality and a caring spirit. Corporate Governance therefore in ACC is a way of life. ACC is a professionally managed Company with a majority of its Directors being Independent Directors. The Board of Directors has always consisted of persons who are professionals in their respective fields and with unquestionable integrity and reputation. The role, responsibility and accountability of the Board of Directors is clearly defined. Members of the Board have full freedom to express their views on matters placed before them for deliberation and consideration.

It is the continuous Endeavour of the Board of Directors to achieve the highest standards of Corporate Governance through the adoption of a strategic planning process, succession planning for attracting, motivating and energizing human resources, identification of major risks and the way and means to manage such risks, an effective communication policy and integrity of Companys internal control systems. The Board of Directors are also constantly looking at ways and means to ensure that the most effective use is made of the scarce resources at its disposal and that the management and employees have the freedom to take the Company forward within the framework of effective accountability.

The Annual Reports, press releases and other communication have always made full disclosures on various facets of importance to the stakeholders, particularly with regard to information relating to financial matters, companys operations/performance, stock movements etc.

12

OUR CEMENT PLANTS

a. Bargarh b. Chaibasa c. Chanda d. Damodhar e. Gagal f. Jamul g. Kymore h. Kudithini i. Lakheri j. Madukkarai k. Sindri l. Wadi m. New Wadi Plant n. Thondebhavi o. Tikaria 13

SUBSIDIARIES AND ASSOCIATES

ACC Concrete Limited

ACC Mineral Resources Limited

Bulk Cement Corporation (India) Limited

Lucky Minmat

National Limestone Company Private Limited

Encore Cement & Additives Private Limited

14

MILESTONES

1936
Incorporation of The Associated Cement Companies Limited on August 1, 1936.

1936
First Board Meeting of The Associated Cement Companies Limited held at Esplanade House, Mumbai on November 10, 1936.

1937
With the transfer of the 10th company to ACC, viz. Dewarkhand Cement Company, the formation of ACC is complete on October 23, 1937.

1944
ACCs first community development venture near Bombay

1947

15

Indias first entirely indigenous cement plant established at Chaibasa in Bihar

1952
Village Welfare Scheme launched

1955
Sindri cement works used the waste product calcium carbonate sludge from fertilizer factory at Sindri.

1956 Bulk Cement Depot established at Okhla, Delhi

1957 Technical training institute established at Kymore, Madhya Pradesh.

1957 Katni Refractories

1961

16

Blast furnace slag from TISCO used at the Chaibasa Unit to manufacture Portland Slag Cement for the first time in India.

1961 Manufacture of Accocid Cement, which resists the corrosive action of acids and chemicals.

1961 Oilwell Cement manufactured at ACC Shahabad Cement Works in Karnataka for cementation of oilwells upto a depth of 6,000 feet.

1961 Manufacture of Hydrophobic (waterproof) cement at ACC Khalari Cement Works in Bihar.

1962 Manufacture of Accoproof, a waterproofing additive.

1965

17

ACCs Central Research Station (CRS) established at Thane

1965 Manufacture of Portland Pozzolana Cement.

1965 Manufacture of Calundum, a High Alumina Binder; Firecrete, Low Density Alumina Castables and High Alumina Refractory Cement.

1968 Advent of computers in ACC for data processing and designing management information and control systems.

1968 ACC supplied and commissioned one-million-tonne iron ore pelletising plant ordered by TISCO

1971 Manufacture of Whytheat Castables A, K, C and Cal-Al-75

18

1973 Take-over of The Cement Marketing Company of India (CMI)

1977 ACC receives ASSOCHAM first national award for the year 1976 instituted for outstanding performance in promoting rural and agricultural development activities.

1978 Introduction of the energy efficient precalcinator technology for the first time in India. Full scale commercial production based on MFC technology at Wadi in 1979.

1979 ACC wins international contract for operation and management of a new one million tonne cement plant at Yanbu-Ras Biridi in Saudi Arabia.

1982 Commissioning of the first 1 MTPA plant in the country at Wadi, Karnataka.

19

1984 ACC achieves a breakthrough in import substitution by developing and supplying a special G type of oil well cement to ONGC.

1987 ACC develops a new binder for use at sub-zero temperatures, which is successfully used in the Indian expedition to Antarctica.

1992 Incorporation of Bulk Cement Corporation of India, a joint venture with the Government of India.

1993 ACC starts the commercial manufacture of Ready Mixed Concrete at Mumbai.

1995 ACC selected as Most Respected Company in India by Business India.

20

1998 Commissioning of the 0.6 MTPA cement grinding unit at Tikaria, Uttar Pradesh.

1999 Commissioning of captive power plants at the Jamul and Kymore plants in Madhya Pradesh.

1999 Tata group sells 7.2% of its stake in ACC to Ambuja Cement Holdings Ltd, a subsidiary of Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. (GACL)

2000 Tata Group sells their remaining stake in ACC to the GACL group, who with 14.45% now emerge as the single largest shareholder of ACC.

2001 Commissioning of the new plant of 2.6 MTPA capacity at Wadi, Karnataka plant, the largest in the country, and among the largest sized kilns in the world.

21

2002 ACC wins PHDCCI Good Corporate Citizen Award

2003 IDCOL Cement Ltd becomes a subsidiary of ACC

2004 IDCOL Cement Limited is renamed as Bargarh Cement Limited (BCL).

2004 ACC raises US $ 100 million abroad through Foreign Currency Convertible Bonds (FCCBs) for US$ 60 million and Global Depository Shares (GDSs) for US $ 40 million. Both offerings are listed on the London Stock Exchange.

2004 ACC named as a Consumer Superbrand by the Superbrands Council of India, becoming the only cement company to get this status.

22

2004 GreenTech Safety Gold and Silver Awards awarded to Madukkarai Cement Works and Katni Refractory Works by Greentech Foundation for outstanding performance in Safety Management System.

2005 ACC receives the CFBP Jamnalal Bajaj Uchit Vyavahar Puraskar Certificate of Merit 2004 from Council For Fair Business Practices.

2005 Holcim group of Switzerland enters strategic alliance with Ambuja Group by acquiring a majority stake in Ambuja Cements India Ltd. (ACIL) which at the time held 13.8 % of the total equity shares in ACC. Holcim simultaneously makes an open offer to ACC shareholders, through Holdcem Cement Pvt. Limited and ACIL, to acquire a majority shareholding in ACC. Pursuant to the open offer, ACILs shareholding in ACC increases to 34.69 % of the Equity share capital of ACC.

23

2005 Commissioning of Modernization and Expansion project at Chaibasa in Jharkhand, replacing old wet process technology with a new 1.2 MTPA clinkering unit, together with a captive power plant of 15 MW.

2005 Financial accounting year of the company changed to calendar year January-December

2006 Subsidiary companies Damodhar Cement & Slag Limited, Bargarh Cement Limited and Tarmac (India) Limited merged with ACC

2006 ACC announces new Workplace policy for HIV/AIDS

2006 Change of name to ACC Limited with effect from September 1, 2006 from The Associated Cement Companies Limited.

24

2006 ACC receives Good Corporate Citizen Award 2005-06 from Bombay Chamber of Commerce and Industry

2006 New corporate brand identity and logo adopted from October 15, 2006

2006 ACC establishes Anti Retroviral Treatment Centre for HIV/AIDS patients at Wadi in Karnataka the first ever such project by a private sector company in India.

2007 ACC partners with Christian Medical College for treatment of HIV/AIDS in Tamil Nadu

2007 Sumant Moolgaokar Technical Institute completes 50 years and reopens with new curriculum

2008 Ready mixed concrete business hived off to a new subsidiary called ACC Concrete Limited.

25

2008 ACC Cement Technology Institute formally inaugurated at Jamul on July 7.

2008 First Sustainable Development Report released on June 5.

2008 ACC wins CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Award in the category India Corporate Citizen of the year 2008

2008 Project Orchid launched to transform our Corporate Office, Cement House into a green building.

2009 ACC received the Jamanalal Bajaj "Uchit Vyavahar Puraskar" of Council for Fair Business Practices

26

2009 ACC is allotted coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

2009 ACC's new Grinding plant of capacity 1.60 million tonnes inaugurated at Thondebhavi in Karnataka.

2010 Kudithini Cement Grinding Plant inaugurated in Karnataka on January 4, 2010 with a capacity of 1.1 MTPA of Portland Slag Cement.

2010 ACC acquires 100 percent of the financial equity of Encore Cements & Additives Private Limited which is a slag grinding plant in Vishakhapatnam in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACC in January 2010.

2010 ACC enters its platinum jubilee year - the first company in the cement industry to achieve this status

27

2010 ACC receives FICCI Award for Outstanding Corporate Vision Triple Impact Business Performance Social & Environmental Action & Globalisation for 2009-10 - a unique award received for the first time

2011 World's largest kiln installed at ACC Cement Plant, Wadi, Karnataka with a capacity of 12,500 tones per day creating new landmarks for cement industry

2011 Central Control Room Building at ACC Chanda Plant, Maharashtra set up as a Green building, the first of its kind in an industrial environment

28

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

29

National Award for Excellence in Water Management by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

Outstanding Corporate Vision, Triple Impact - Business Performance Social & Environmental Action and Globalisation for 2009-10 from Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award in two categories, Green Leadership and Community Engagement by Enterprise Asia.

Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award --- by The Ministry of Environment and Forests for "extraordinary work" carried out in the area of afforestation.

Subh Karan Sarawagi Environment Award - by The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries for environment protection measures.

Drona Trophy - By Indian Bureau Of Mines for extra ordinary efforts in protection of Environment and mineral conservation in the large mechanized mines sector.

Indira Gandhi Memorial National Award - for excellent performance in prevention of pollution and ecological development

Excellence in Management of Health, Safety and Environment : Certificate of Merit by Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association

Good Corporate Citizen Award - by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry FIMI National Award - for valuable contribution in Mining activities from the Federation of Indian Mineral Industry under the Ministry of Coal.

Rajya Sthariya Paryavaran Puraskar - for outstanding work in Environmental Protection and Environment Performance by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution. Control Board.

30

National Award for Fly Ash Utilisation - by Ministry of Power, Ministry of Environment & Forests and Dept of Science & Technology, Govt of India - for manufacture of Portland Pozzolana Cement.

31

Enquiries Of ACC LIMITED

Send a query :

A. Feedback &
gulnaz.nensey@acclimited.com

Assistance B. Enquiries
For requirements in

Eastern India :kurian.chandapillai@acclimited.com

Northern India:

o Cement

Joydeep.mukherjee@acclimited.com

Western India:rajivkumar.bimalchand@acclimited.com

Southern India:panchanathan.iyer@acclimited.com For requirements in

o Ready Mixed Concrete

Delhi: anil.kulkarni@accconcrete.com

32

Kolkata : sanjay.roy@accconcrete.com Bangalore:badnur.ph@accconcrete.com Hyderabad: navneet.ghai@accconcrete.com Mumbai: vishal.tandon@accconcrete.com Chennai:sanjeeva.wickramasinghe@accconcrete.com

C. Vendor

Queries

mahendrakumar.swami@acclimited.com sujata.chitre@acclimited.com

D. Shareholder

queries
Krishnan.chidambaram@acclimited.com

E. Investor F. Waste G. Media

Grievances Management Queries

ACC-InvestorSupport@acclimited.com Ulhas.parlikar@acclimited.com nand.kumar@acclimited.com

33

Sales Offices

Asansol Bangalore Chennai Bhopal Bhubaneswar Chandigarh - P Chandigarh -JH Coimbatore Dehradun Hubli Mumbai Nagpur Pune Kanpur

34

Lucknow New Delhi Kolkata Patna Raipur Ranchi Secunderabad

35

CEMENT

ACC manufactures the following types of cement in addition to which it provides Bulk Cement and Ready Mix Concrete.

Ordinary Portland Cements

White Portland cement or white ordinary Portland cement (WOPC) is similar to ordinary, gray Portland cement in all respects except for its high degree of whiteness. Obtaining this color requires substantial modification to the method of manufacture, and because of this, it is somewhat more expensive than the gray product.

36

Fly-ash based Portland Pozzolana Cement

Portland Pozzolana Cement is new generation cement. It contains high reactive Silica (HRS) to enhance ultimate performance of concrete. Pozzolana is essentially a siliceous material in finely divided form with the presence of water, that react with Calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature liberated during the hydration of Portland Cement to produce stable, cementitious compounds. These compounds contribute to strength and water tightness of Cement and are specially suitable for Dams and mass construction like foundation. Portland Pozzolana Cement is new generation cement. It contains high reactive Silica (HRS) to enhance ultimate performance of concrete. Pozzolana is essentially a siliceous material in finely divided form with the presence of water, that react with Calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature liberated during the hydration of Portland Cement to produce stable, cementitious compounds. These compounds contribute to strength and water tightness of Cement and are specially suitable for Dams and mass construction like foundation.

37

BULK CEMENT
Bulk Cement

Yet another first in our seven- decade history of cement in India has been the introduction of Bulk Cement, an alternative to bagged cement, which is of particular a advantage to large consumers of cement. Internationally, the trend is to move cement more and more in loose form rather than bagged. In fact, over 90 percent cement in the USA, and other European countries is transported and sold in bulk, unlike in India, where only one percent is transported in bulk.

ACC READY MIX CONCRETE

ACC set up India's first commercial Ready Mix Concrete (RMX) plant in Mumbai in 1994. Today this business has been reorganized as a separate company called ACC Concrete Limited which is one of the largest manufacturers of RMX in India with over 55 modern plants in major cities such as Mumbai,

38

Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi. Hyderabad, Goa, Pune and Ahmedabad. Redefining the pace and quality of construction

INDIAN CONCRETE JOURNAL :

Indian Concrete Journal The "Indian Concrete Journal", the countrys oldest civil engineering journal, continues to be published by ACC. It reaches out to practicing and consulting engineers, architects, builders, contractors and government departments. It aims to disseminate the latest information and technological progress in civil and structural engineering, cement and concrete technologies, construction methods and practices.

39

PRODUCTS : : CUSTOMER SERVICES

ACC is essentially a peoples brand of cement with more than 80 per cent of sales made through an extensive dealer network that covers every state in India. Its customer base represents the masses of India individual homebuilders in small towns, rural and semiurban India. Going beyond the supply of cement, we offer ACC Help services to share knowledge about the process of home building and correct procedures of product usage. Our Regional Offices have Customer Services Cells manned by qualified Civil Engineers

40

who interact with customers to assess their needs and problems, offer advice before and after sales including educating users and customers on correct usage of cement and concrete and good construction practices. ACC reaches out to its customers, home builders and engineers in the following ways:

ACC Help Centres: For personal guidance on the right construction practices. ACC Help Literature: Easy-to-understand construction guides. ACC Help Vans : Mobile help services. Our engineers in vans assist you at your site www.acchelp.in : an interactive website for all your construction related questions. Indian Concrete Journal : the countrys oldest civil engineering journal

For more information on these services SMS ACCHELP to 575758 or send us an email addressed to acchelp@acclimited.com

41

PRODUCTS : : QUALITY
Product Development has always been an important activity at ACC, arising out of a focus on quality and process improvement. It has been a constant partner, driving research, innovation and evaluation. ACC has effectively pledged its reputation as the market leader in the quality of cement. Maintaining this lead calls for harnessing the resources and expertise of the company - from applied research and production to marketing. Accordingly, all ACC factories are equipped with state-of-the-art process control instrumentation and associated quality control and testing laboratories manned by qualified personnel. As a result of this focus on quality, ACC cement specifications exceed those set by BIS by a wide margin. Today, all ACC cement plants have the ISO 9001 Quality Systems certification. This demonstrates our tradition of providing reliable and consistent quality through the application of modern technology, and justifies the preferences of a nationwide customer base.

42

TO STOCK EXCHANGES

Year 2010

Disclosure under Regulation 7(3) of the SEBI (Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations 1997 Board of Directors Meeting to be held on 21st October 2010 Appointment of Mr Kuldip Kaura as Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director Interim Dividend Declared By ACC Resignation of Managing Director Mr. Sumit Banerjee Notice of Record date for Interim Dividend Board of Directors Meeting to be held on 22nd July 2010 Announcement to Members of ACC Limited Payment of Dividend for year ended 31-12-2009 Announcement to Members of ACC Limited Payment through National Electronic Clearing System Appointment of Mr Aidan Lynam as a Director on the Board of Directors of the company Board of Directors Meeting to be held on 22nd April 2010 Publishing of financial results Recommendation by the Board of Directors in respect of final Dividend for the

43

financial year ended 31st December 2009 National Stock Exchange Of India Limited - ACC acquires Encore Cement & Additives Private Limited. Board of Directors Meeting to be held on 4th February 20

44

ANNOUNCEMENTS : : TO STOCK EXCHANGES

Year 2009

Appointment of Mr Burjor Dorab Nariman as Company Secretary Changes in Directorate Unaudited Financial Results for the Quarter ended September 30, 2009 Issue of 3000 secured non-convertible debentures ACC Board Meeting to be held on 28th October 2009 Financial Results ACC Board Meeting - 23rd July 2009 Quarterly Compliance Report on Corporate Governance - Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement Changes in Directorate PAN requirement for transfer of shares in physical form Unaudited Financial Results for the First Quarter ended 31st March 2009 Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on Wednesday, 22nd April 2009 Quarterly Compliance Report on Corporate Governance - Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement Publishing of financial results NSE - Recommendation by the Board of Directors in respect of final Dividend for the financial year ended 31st December 2008.

45

BSE - Recommendation by the Board of Directors in respect of final Dividend for the financial year ended 31st December 2008. ACC Board Meeting Notice - 5th February 2009 Changes in Directorate Unaudited Financial Results for the last quarter December 31, 2008 - Clause 41 of the Listing Agreement

ANNOUNCEMENTS : : TO STOCK EXCHANGES

Year 2008

Quarterly Compliance Report on Corporate Governance Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement

Allotment of 600 shares against exercise of Employees Stock Options ACC Board Meeting to be held on October 23, 2008 Financial Results Change in Directorate Notice of Record date for Interim Dividend Interim Dividend ACC Board Meeting to be held on July 24, 2008 Disclosure under Regulation 7(3) of the SEBI(Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulations 1997

46

Disclosure of details of acquisition to stock exchanges by target company, in terms of regulation 7(3) of sebi (substantial acquisition of shares and takeovers) regulations, 1997

ACC Board Meeting to be held on April 24, 2008 Divestment of ACC Machinery Company Limited (AMCL) Recommendation by the Board of Directors in respect of Final Dividend for the financial year ended 31st December 2007.

ACC Board Meeting to be held on January 31, 2008

47

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Today we define Corporate Social Responsibility as the way a company balances its economic, social and environmental objectives while addressing stakeholder expectations and enhancing shareholder value. But ACC has undertaken social volunteering practices almost from its inception, long before the term corporate social responsibility was coined. The companys earliest initiatives in community development date back to the 1940's in a village on the outskirts of Mumbai while the first formal Village Welfare Scheme was launched in 1952. The community living around many of our factories comprises the weakest sections of rural and tribal India with no access to basic amenities.

Corporate Social Responsibility Policy

Community & Rural Welfare

Education

Healthcare

HIV/AIDS - Workplace Policy

48

HIV/AIDS treatment - Anti Retroviral Treatment Centres

Disaster Relief

Gujarat Masons Training

Conservation of heritage structures

Global Compact

Support to national Sport

Awards & Accolades

49

Development of ACC LIMITED : :

1936

Incorporation of The Associated Cement Companies Limited on August 1, 1936.

1944

ACCs first community development initiative near Bombay

1947

ACC helps relocate employees and associates during Partition of India evacuating them to the new country of their choice.

1947

Indias first entirely indigenous cement plant established at Chaibasa in Bihar

1952

Village Welfare Scheme launched

50

1955

Sindri cement works used the waste product calcium carbonate sludge from fertilizer factory at Sindri.

1956

Bulk Cement Depot established at Okhla, Delhi

1957

Technical training institute established at Kymore, Madhya Pradesh.

1961

Blast furnace slag from TISCO used at the Chaibasa Unit to manufacture Portland Slag Cement for the first time in India.

1965

ACCs Central Research Station (CRS) established at Thane

1965

Manufacture of Portland Pozzolana Cement.

1968

Advent of computers in ACC for data processing and designing management

51

information and control systems.

1968

ACC supplied and commissioned one-million-tonne iron ore pelletising plant ordered by TISCO

1977

ACC receives ASSOCHAM first national award for the year 1976 instituted for outstanding performance in promoting rural and agricultural development activities.

1978

Introduction of the energy efficient precalcinator technology for the first time in India. Full scale commercial production based on MFC technology at Wadi in 1979.

1982

Commissioning of the first 1 MTPA plant in the country at Wadi, Karnataka.

1984

ACC achieves a breakthrough in import substitution by developing and

52

supplying a special G type of oil well cement to ONGC.

1992

Incorporation of Bulk Cement Corporation of India, a joint venture with the Government of India.

1993

ACC starts the commercial manufacture of Ready Mixed Concrete at Mumbai.

1995

ACC selected as Most Respected Company in India by Business India.

2001

Commissioning of the new plant of 2.6 MTPA capacity at Wadi, Karnataka plant, the largest in the country, and among the largest sized kilns in the world.

2002

ACC wins PHDCCI Good Corporate Citizen Award

2003

ACC wins Enterprise Excellence Award from the Indian Insititute of Industrial

53

Engineers.

2004

GreenTech Safety Gold and Silver Awards awarded to Madukkarai Cement Works and Katni Refractory Works by Greentech Foundation for outstanding performance in Safety Management System.

2005

ACC receives the CFBP Jamnalal Bajaj Uchit Vyavahar Puraskar Certificate of Merit 2004 from Council For Fair Business Practices.

2005

Commissioning of Modernisation and Expansion project at Chaibasa in Jharkhand, replacing old wet process technology with a new 1.2 MTPA clinkering unit, together with a captive power plant of 15 MW.

2006

ACC announces new Workplace policy for HIV/AIDS

2006

ACC receives Good Corporate Citizen Award 2005-06 from Bombay Chamber

54

of Commerce and Industry

2006

ACC establishes Anti Retroviral Treatment Centre for HIV/AIDS patients at Wadi in Karnataka the first ever such project by a private sector company in India.

2006

Waste management services launched

2007

ACC partners with Christian Medical College for treatment of HIV/AIDS in Tamil Nadu

2007

Sumant Moolgaokar Technical Institute completes 50 years and reopens with new curriculum

2007

ACC commissions Wind energy farm in Tamilnadu.

55

2007

ACC ACADEMY opened in Thane, a new centre for training and development.

2007

ACC commissions Wind energy farm in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan

2008

ACC Cement Technology Institute formally inaugurated at Jamul on July 7.

2008

First Sustainable Development Report released on June 5.

2008

First Sustainable Development Council set up on August 18.

2008

ACC wins CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Award in the category India Corporate Citizen of the year 2008

2008

Project Orchid launched to transform our Corporate Office, Cement House into a green building

56

2008

Ladies Clubs of ACC establish their social volunteering and community welfare wing called ACC AHEAD (Association for Health, Education and Development).

2008

ACC enters into Public Private Partnership to upgrade seven Industrial Training Institutes (ITI)

2009

ACC received the Jamanalal Bajaj "Uchit Vyavahar Puraskar" of Council for Fair Business Practices.

2009

The NGO "Karmayog" rated ACC as the best company in the cement industry in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility.

2009

ACC is allotted coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.

57

2009

Second Sustainable Development Report released as a web update.

2009

Cement House and La Residency transformed into Green buildings with Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold and LEED Platinum certification respectively

2010

ACC acquires 100 percent of the financial equity of Encore Cements & Additives Private Limited which is a slag grinding plant in Vishakhapatnam in coastal Andhra Pradesh. This company became a wholly-owned subsidiary of ACC in January 2010.

2010

ACC commissions Wind energy farm in Maharashtra

2010

ACC Sustainable Development Report 2009 wins Association of Business Communicators of India award in the category Environment Communication.

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2010

External assurance for ACC Sustainable Development Report 2009 - ACCs sustainability reporting and process was put through external assurance in accordance with the conventional ISAE 3000 standard and, going beyond that to meet the requirements defined by AA1000AS and AA1000AS (2008). This is a maiden achievement for the cement industry.

2010

Wind energy generated by wind farm launched by ACC in 2007 in Tamil Nadu became eligible to receive Verified Emission Reductions (VERs) which were traded in the European market.

2010

ACC receives FICCI Award for Outstanding Corporate Vision Triple Impact Business Performance Social & Environmental Action & Globalization - a unique award received for the first time

2010

Cement House received 5-star rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

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2011

World's largest kiln installed at ACC Cement Plant, Wade, Karnataka with a capacity of 12,500 tones per day creating new landmarks for cement industry

2011

Central Control Room Building at ACC Chandra Plant, Maharashtra set up as a Green building, the first of its kind in an industrial environment

2011

ACC signs MoU with IIT Bombay for research on Sustainable Construction and Affordable Habitats

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INTRODUCTION TO THE TOPIC

Marketing Mix study of ACC Cement:

Marketing mix basically consist of four factors- Product, Price, Place, Promotion.

Product- The products are ACC Cement.

Price- Pricing is done on the basis of consumers pocket.

Place- It was concentrated in the urban area in the past but now both

of these are expanding their market to the rural areas for rural

consumers. Promotion- Promotion is done through advertisements.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The consumer survey or market research was done with a primary

objective to study about the efficiency of ACC Cement in providing their

products to the consumers & satisfying their needs.

Major objectives were:-

To know the consumers perception regarding the products of ACC Cement.

To know why they prefer ACC Cement products over any other companys product.

To know their satisfaction level regarding price & place where these

products are available.

To get the main findings based on questionnaire.

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SCOPE OF STUDY

To keep things in minds that as the ever changing competitive business environment, new thoughts and ACC Cements should pour into research and development to innovate its existing product, which should leave behind competitors.

This study enables the user with answers to formulate affective marketing mix strategy with a broader perspective to tap areas where it does not feel the need earlier, hence the discussion of whether to penetrate this section or not can be found out at the end of the data analysis.

It also gives a fair ACC Cement of the potential of a business in the future and the fluctuation in prices time to time and from product to product.

Special reference is made to the improvement of quality of the product in terms packaging and product innovation, advertisement, ways and means to cut down competition.

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ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

ACC LIMITED has 10 divisions. Every division has managers who are responsible to general manager. G.M. of every division is responsible to managing director. The divisional heads of each division shall be responsible for the performance of there respective division not only at the bead office but also in the units/unions and in the fields. These offices shall not merely insure the achievement of the targets fixed and implementation of systems for there functional but promptly attend to the problems of the units/unions.

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The divisional heads shall discharge their duties with in the policies frame laid down by the managing director & subject to his control & supervision. Only important performance and control reports, policy matters, question involving exception to approve policy, system development and other important matters need to put up before the managing director.

Matters before approval and implementation, be routed through the Managing service division(MSD), which will check the plan to see whether they are in conformity with cooperate objective, and will see that they are in conformity with other plans and systems and non contradiction occurs.

The divisional head should see the terms made by them and their officers and adequate and purposive and designate link officers for each officer in their vision. All letters to the NDDB shall before dispatch is send to the MSD, which will take speedy clearance at the appropriate level. A copy of all such letters shall be the CPM section of the

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

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67

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to understand: The terms consumer , customer, industrial buyer and motives Need of consumer behavioral study, differences between organizational buying behavior and consumer buying behavior The nature and model of consumer involvement Consumer and industrial decision making process and decision rules Marketing implications of consumer behavior Study of consumer behavior modeling

An Overview
Consumer behavior is comparatively a new field of study which evolved just after the Second World War. The sellers market has disappeared and buyers market has come up. This led to paradigm shift of the manufacturers attention from product to consumer and specially focused on the consumer behavior. The evaluation of marketing concept from mere selling concept to consumer oriented marketing has resulted in buyer behavior becoming an independent discipline. The growth of consumerism and consumer legislation emphasizes the importance that is given to the consumer. Consumer behavior is a study of how individuals make decision to spend their available resources. The heterogeneity among people makes understanding consumer behavior a challenging task to marketers. Hence marketers felt the need to obtain an in-depth knowledge of consumers buying behavior. Finally this knowledge acted as an imperative tool in the hands of

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marketers to forecast the future buying behavior of customers and devise four marketing strategies in order to create long term customer relationship.

Consumer Behaviour
It is broadly the study of individuals, or organizations and the processes consumers use to search, select, use and dispose of products, services, experience, or ACC Cements to satisfy needs and its impact on the consumer and society.

Customers versus Consumers

The term customer is specific in terms of Company, company, or shop. It refers to person who customarily or regularly purchases particular Company, purchases particular companys product, or purchases from particular shop. Thus a person who shops at Bata Stores or who uses Raymonds clothing is a customer of these firms. Whereas the consumer is a person who generally engages in the activities - search, select, use and dispose of products, services, experience, or ACC Cements.

Consumer Motives
Consumer has a motive for purchasing a particular product. Motive is a strong feeling, urge, instinct, desire or emotion that makes the buyer to make a decision to buy. Buying motives

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thus are defined as those influences or considerations which provide the impulse to buy, induce action or determine choice in the purchase of goods or service. These motives are generally controlled by economic, social, psychological influences etc.

Motives which Influence Purchase Decision

The buying motives may be classified into two: i. Product Motives ii. Patronage Motives

i. Product Motives
Product motives may be defined as those impulses, desires and considerations which make the buyer purchase a product. These may still be classified on the basis of nature of satisfaction: a) Emotional Product Motives b) Rational Product Motives

Emotional Product Motives are those impulses which persuade the consumer on the
basis of his emotion. The buyer does not try to reason out or logically analyse the need for purchase. He makes a buying to satisfy pride, sense of ego, urge to initiate others, and his desire to be unique.

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Rational Product Motives are defined as those impulses which arise on the basis of
logical analysis and proper evaluation. The buyer makes rational decision after chief evaluation of the purpose, alternatives available, cost benefit, and such valid reasons.

ii. Patronage Motives

Patronage motives may be defined as consideration or impulses which persuade the buyer to patronage specific shops. Just like product motives patronage can also be grouped as emotional and rational.

Emotional Patronage Motives those that persuade a customer to buy from specific
shops, without any logical reason behind this action. He may be subjective for shopping in his favorite place.

Rational Patronage Motives are those which arise when selecting a place depending
on the buyer satisfaction that it offers a wide selection, it has latest models, offers good aftersales service etc. Knowledge of buyer motives of consumers is useful for marketers to anticipate market trends and formulate effective marketing strategies.

Need for Study of Consumer Behavior

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The study of consumer behavior helps everybody as all are consumers. It is essential for marketers to understand consumers to survive and succeed in these competitive marketing environment. The following reasons highlight the importance of studying consumer behavior as a discipline.

Importance in day to day life

The purpose of studying a discipline is to help oneself to better appreciate its contributions. The reason to study consumer behavior is because of the role it plays in the lives of humans. Most of the free time is spent in the market place, shopping or engaging in other activities. The extra time is usually passed in knowing and thinking about products and services, discussing with friends about them, and watching advertisements related to them. The usage of them significantly reveals our life styles. All these reasons suggest the need for study. However, the purpose may be to attend immediate and tangible reasons.

Pertinence to Decision Making

Consumer behavior is said to be an applied discipline as some decisions are significantly affected by their behavior or expected actions. The two perspectives that seek application of its knowledge are micro and societal perspectives. The micro perspectives involve understanding consumer for the purpose of helping a firm or organization to achieve its objectives. The people involved in this field try to understand consumers in order to be more effective at their tasks.

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Whereas the societal or macro perspective applies knowledge of consumers to aggregatelevel faced by mass or society as a whole. The behavior of consumer has significant influence on the quality and level of the standard of living.

Organizational Buyer versus Individual Buyer

The obvious difference between industrial or institutional markets and consumer markets is that, instead of purchases being made for individual consumption industrial markets are made for business use. There are several factors that differentiate consumer markets and their buying behaviour from organizational market and their buying behavior. The key factors of differentiation are: i Market Structure and Demand ii. Buyer Characteristics iii. Decision Process and Buying Patterns

i Market Structure and Demand : The distinguishing factors of market structure and
demand are as follows: In organizations buyers are more geographically concentrated than consumer markets. Organizational buyers are fewer in number but they are bulk buyers compared to individual buyers. Organizational buyer markets are either vertical or horizontal. In vertical structures they cater only one or two industries, whereas in horizontal structure the buyer base is too broad.

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Organizational demand is derived from consumer demand. The nature of the demand is fluctuation and inelastic.

ii. Buyer Characteristics: The distinguishing factors of buyer characteristics are as

follows: Many individuals or group involvement is seen in decision making process. Organizational buyers are quite knowledgeable and professional. The buying motive is mostly rational than individual buyer.

iii. Decision Process and Buying Patterns The major differences are as follows:
In organizational buying lot of formalities like proposals, quotations, procedures are to be followed unlike consumer buying. Decision process is much complex with high financial risk, technical aspects, multiple influencing factors etc. Organizational buying requires more extensive negotiation over larger time period than consumer buying.

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CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT
Some consumers are characterized as being more involved in products and shopping than others. A consumer who is highly involved with a product would be interested in knowing a lot about it before purchasing. Hence he reads brochures thoroughly, compares Companies and models available at different outlets, asks questions, and looks for recommendations. Thus Consumer involvement can be defined as heightened state of awareness that motivates consumers to seek out, attend to, and think about product information prior to purchase.

CAUSES OF CONSUMER INVOLVEMENT

The factors that influences consumer involvement include personal, product and situational.

Personal Factors
Self-concept, needs, and values are the three personal factors that influence the extent of consumer involvement in a product or service. The more product image, the value symbolism inherent in it and the needs it serves are fitting together with the consumer self- image, values and needs, the more likely the consumer is to feel involved in it. Celebrities for example share a certain self-image, certain values, and certain needs. They tend to use products and services that reflect their life style. They get highly involved in purchasing prestigious products like designer wear, imported cars, health care products etc.

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Product Factors
The consumer involvement grows as the level of perceived risk in the purchase of a good or service increases. It is likely that consumers will feel more involved in the purchase of their house than in the purchase of tooth paste, it is a much riskier purchase. Product differentiation affects involvement. The involvement increases as the number of alternatives that they have to choose from increases. This may be due to the fact that consumers feel variety which means greater risk. The pleasure one gets by using a product or service can also influence involvement. Some products are a greater source of pleasure to the consumer than others. Tea and coffee have a high level of hedonic (pleasure) value compared to, say household cleaners. Hence the involvement is high. Involvement increases when a product gains public attention. Any product that is socially visible or that is consumed in public, demands high involvement. For example, involvement in the purchase of car is more than the purchase of household items.

Situational Factors
The situation in which the product is brought or used can generate emotional involvement. The reason for purchase or purchase occasion affects involvement. For example, buying a pair of socks for yourself is far less involved than buying a gift for a close friend. Social pressure can significantly increase involvement. One is likely to be more self conscious about the products and Companies one looks at when shopping with friends than when shopping alone.

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The need to make a fast decision also influences involvement. A consumer who needs a new refrigerator and sees a one- day- only sale at an appliances retailer does not have the time to shop around and compare different Companies and prices. The eminence of the decision heightens involvement. The involvement is high when the decision is irrevocable, for example when the retailer does not accept return or exchange on the sale items. Thus involvement may be from outside the individual, as with situational involvement or from with in the individual as with enduring involvement. It can be induced by a host of personal-product-and situation related factors, many of which can be controlled by the marketer. It affects the ways in which consumers see, process, and send information to others.

TYPES OF INVOLVEMENT
The two types of involvement are: A) Situation B) Enduring Involvement has various facets of consumer behavior such as search for information, information processing, and information transmission.

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Situational Involvement
Situational involvement is temporary and refers to emotional feelings of a consumer, experiences in a particular situation when one thinks of a specific product.

Enduring Involvement
Enduring involvement is persistent over time and refers to feelings experienced toward a product category across different situations. For example, holidaymakers renting a resort for their trip are highly involved in their choice, but their involvement is temporary. Whereas involvement of a person whose hobby is bike racing endures overtime and affects his responses in any situation related to pre-purchase, purchase and post- purchase of sport bikes. It is observed that involvement is triggered by special situation in the case of holiday makers, but in the second case, in comes from, and is a part of the consumer.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Objective of Research:
The main objective of the research in the project was to get the consumer behavior with respect to ACC Cement. On the other hand, the objective of the research was :

"To evaluate the competitive strength of ACC Cement with respect to the availability of the stock and analyze the Company strength with respect to the competition. To provide a feedback on the asset utilization in the market place and how it can be used more effectively to yield better results."

Type of study :

Descriptive Study
No method known to man entirely eliminates uncertainty. But scientific methods more than any other method minimize those elements of uncertainty, this results from lack of information. By doing so it reduces the danger of making a wrong choice between alternatives of action. This is the theme behind choosing the research ethnology for attainment of the objective. Thus major purpose of this section is to describe the research problem in different parts. Every company wants to improve its sales all time according to its production capacity.

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Research Design :
The design of our research is statistical as it concerns that how many items of ACC Cement are to be observed and how the information and data gathered are to be analyzed. Research design is a specification of the methods and of procedures needed for acquiring information to solve the problem. Research design gives a clear cut picture, how researcher must progress with research problem. Research design tends to minimize the accuracy of potential errors at any specified budget level.

Sample Design :
1. For the project we used non probabilistic sampling that can also be termed as purposive or judgmental sampling as we only targeted the store. 2. For the groceries the sample design was of two types. Firstly, the sample design was purposive because we targeted only the ACC Cement exclusive outlets. Secondly, we used the quota sampling method as we targeted factory outlet of ACC Cement.

Sample Size : 100

A random sample of 100 times was decided to get the require information from the customers. The sample comprised items of all profiles in a well-defined ratio. There are two types of research design namely :

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1. 2.

Exploratory Research Conclusive Research

Exploratory Research :
It is a type of preliminary research in which the emphasis is on the discovery of new ACC Cements. Clarification of concepts of formulation of hypothesis. It is done when one has very little knowledge about the problem which are going to examine. It can be done by survey of secondary data and survey of different people. it is an informal research.

Conclusive research :
It is used to prove something conclusively. It means the research is to draw some definite conclusions. It is the most serious type of research and is of two types : 1. 2. Descriptive Research Causal Research

Descriptive Research :
Descriptive research studies are those studies which are concerned with describing the characteristics of a particular individual or of a group. It include survey and fact finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of this research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. In social science and business research we quite often use the

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term Ex post factor research for descriptive research studies. The main characteristics of this method is that the researcher has no control over the variables. He can only report what has happened or what is happening. Most of the projects are used for descriptive studies in which the researcher seeks to measure such items as, for example, frequency of shopping, preference of people.

Causal Research :
It is used for the purpose to test a cause and effect relationship. It is very typical type of research.

Data Collection Method :

it is necessary to collect accurate data to achieve useful results for this reason. It is helpful to consider the methods of collecting data and the quality of information that may be expected to produce. There are two types of data sources (primary and secondary) and observation methods are two basic methods of collecting data in marketing research.

Primary Data :
Primary data is the data that a researcher themselves by use of survey or interview methods. It is gathered for specified purpose or for a specific research project. it can be collected by two research instruments : 1. 2. Mechanical Devices (observation methods) Questionnaire Method

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Observation Method

Observation method is used less frequently in marketing research. In this method, surveyor or researcher should observe the sampling unit and their behavior with the help of a video camera. It is a subjective type of method of primary data collection which is used for exploratory research. It is a time consuming method of data collection.

Questionnaire Method
A questionnaire consists of a set of questions presented to the respondents of their answers. The questionnaire is the most common instrument used to the collect the primary data. According to the topic it is necessary to prepare a relevant questionnaire. To find the cold stock of Pepsi and other Companies the respondents should be asked two type of questions :

1.

Close Ended questions

2.

Open Ended questions

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CLOSE ENDED QUESTIONS

These are those questions in which all the possible answers are given in the questions. In my questionnaire, following questions are close ended. 1. 2. What type of music do you prefer while shopping ? What type of promotional scheme attract you most ?

OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS :

Open ended questions are those questions in which respondents should answer in their own words. These questions are said to be subjective type of questions. In these types of questions respondents can consume more time or some time they do not like to answer those type of questions.

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QUESTIONNAIRE PART-A.

1 . Have you ever purchase a ACC Cement product ?

S.No. 1 2

Topic Yes No

Percentage (%) 95 5

5%

95%

Yes

No

Interpretation : Most of the person purchase a ACC Cement product in his life.

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2. Where do you get the best service from the sales staff?

S.No. 1 2 3 4

Topic ACC Cement Prism Birla Others

Percentage (%) 55 25 15 5

ACC Cement

Prism

Birla

Others

15%

5%

55% 25%

Interpretation : Best service from the sales staff which is given by the ACC Cement.

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3. How many times, a sales staff helps you to select right things ?

S.No. 1 2 3 4 Every time

Topic

Percentage (%) 35 42 19 4

Most of the time Sometime Never

4% 19% 35%

42%

Every time

Most of the time

Sometime

Never

Interpretation : Most of the time a sales staff helps to select right things.

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4. How does your favorite cement store communicate with you ?

S.No. 1 2 3 4 5 SMS

Topic

Percentage (%) 10 5 30 10 45

Tele calling Bill board via e-mail Newspaper/magazine

10% 45%

5%

30% 10%

SMS Bill board Newspaper/magazine

Tele calling via e-mail

Interpretation : Mostly the cement store communicate with his customer by the Newspaper and Magazines.

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5. How many of these mentioned facilities are provided by the store you visit ? S.No. 1 2 3 4 Topic Exchange facilities Drinking water facilities After sales service All of these Percentage (%) 10 20 10 60

10% 20%

60% 10%

Exchange facilities After sales service

Drinking water facilities All of these

Interpretation : All facilities are provided by the store to his customers

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6. What type of promotional schemes attract you most ?

S.No. 1 2 3 4 5

Topic Buy one get one free Gift vouchers Discount coupons Flat discount Seasonal offers

Percentage (%) 15 5 10 50 20

20%

15% 5%

10% 50%

Buy one get one free Discount coupons Seasonal offers

Gift vouchers Flat discount

Interpretation Consumer attract by the flat discount mostly.

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7. I usually watch the advertisement for announcement of sales ?

S.No. 1 2 3 4 5

Topic Mostly agree Agree Disagree Mostly disagree Neutral

Percentage (%) 15 77 2 1 5

1% 2%

5%

15%

77%

Mostly agree

Agree

Disagree

Mostly disagree

Neutral

Interpretation : Mostly people agree with watching the advertisement for announcement of sales.

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8. Display of merchandise in the store is -

S.No. 1 2 3 4

Topic Extremely important Very important Little important not important

Percentage (%) 25 60 10 5

10%

5%

25%

60%

Extremely important Little important

Very important not important

Interpretation Good display attract the customer in the store.

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9. How different is ACC Cement Company from other Companies S.No. 1 2 3 4 Very different Slightly different Somewhat different Not at all different Topic Percentage (%) 20 60 15 5

15%

5%

20%

60%

Very different Somewhat different

Slightly different Not at all different

Interpretation: Slightly different is ACC Cement Company from other Companys

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10. How satisfied were you ACC Cement Company ? S.No. 1 2 3 4 5 Very satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Somewhere in between Topic Percentage (%) 12 85 1 0 2

0% 1% 2% 12%

85%

Very satisfied Dissatisfied Somewhere in between

Satisfied Very dissatsfied

Interpretation Mostly people satisfy with the ACC Cement Company.

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11. How would you rate the quality of ACC Cement Company?

S.No. 1 2 3 4 Excellent Good Fair Poor

Topic

Percentage (%) 20 65 15 0

15%

0%

20%

65%

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Interpretation : Most of the people rate the quality of ACC Cement Company is good in the market

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FINDINGS

Due to new developing area in future number of outlets may be increase.

Indian are very emotional when it comes in buying of Cement appear all then they talk to the sales staff of all necessary things including terms and conditions.

Most of the consumer attract to the flat discount. Mostly people believe in ACC Cement in all area to buy the ACC Cement merchandise in his life.

Mostly the middle class (income family uses the ACC Cement products in comparison to others.

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LIMITATIONS

Some consumer's were found to be unsatisfied with ACC Cement hence they refused to keep its merchandise.

Most of the outlets have not all types of merchandise in the store.

Retailers were often busy with their customers, so it was difficult to talk to them and hence a lot of time was wasted in waiting.

Cement apparel is subject matter of solicitation. It is people's driven industry. In case of Cement and appraisal, the intangibility of the product is high. People see all immediate benefit out of it. It is very much like selling a product to someone who never hopes to use it.

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SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Company personnel must keep on visiting the outlets through the years whether it is season or off-season.

A survey would have to be done among the consumers to know their choice and views

Various commitments must be honored and the services should be further improved. Display stands should be constructed attractive. Company should be checked time to time by TDM himself for increasing market supply.

There should sufficient advertisement of the company and about product knowledge. Some attractive schemes should be provided to the consumers directly. Schemes must be printed upon the billboard, newspaper and magazines in order to make it useful for consumers.

The schemes must be communicated properly and should be continued for a longer period.

Product brochure should be easy to understand. All terms and conditions should be written in easy language.

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CONCLUSIONS

Though ACC Cement has a good Company image in Varanasi and is enjoying market share than other Companies, yet there were some problems which act as a hindrance in its upliftment.

It is very clear that ACC Cement is one of the best Cement as far as quality, transportation and services are concerned.

ACC Cement have good company which are more popular among consumers than others.

So, if ACC Cement wants to capture more market and to increase it sales then it would have to cover rural area shops also.

The present scenario the Cement is very important for any person. There are many companies which is related to Cement but all other companies are not available in rural area. Whenever 70% population lived in Rural area and majority know about ACC Cement only. This study shows that expectable trust and long terms relationship. So we have ACC Cement about company that they should be proper advertisement and easy availability to understand of products. All facilities should provide in rural areas

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Magazine : Research Reporter issue from May, June and July.

Books Consumer Behavior- Concepts , applications and Cases, M.S.Raju, Dominique Xardel Research Methodology - C.R. Kothari Marketing Management - Philip Kotler

Websites : www.acclimited.com http://www.understanding-cement.com/ http://www.engineeringcivil.com

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QUESTIONNARE
PART-A Please tick the response that you agree with :1. Do you always go for Cement products ? a. Cent percent b. Most of the time c. 50-50 d. Rarely e. never 2. Where do you get the best service from the sales staff ? a. ACC Cement b. Prism c. Birla d. Others 3. How many times, a sales staff helps you to select right things ? a. Every time b. Most of the time c. Sometime d. Never

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4.How does your favorite Cement store communicate with you ? a. SMS b. Tele calling c. Bill board d. via e-mail e. Newspaper/magazine

5.How many of these mentioned facilities are provided by the store you visit ? a. Exchange facilities b. Drinking water facilities c. After sales service d. All of these

6.What type of promotional schemes attract you most ? a. Buy one get one free b. Gift vouchers c. Discount coupons d. Flat discount e. Seasonal offers

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7.I usually watch the advertisement for announcement of sales ? a. Strongly agree b. Agree c. Neutral d. Disagree e. Strongly disagree

8.Display of merchandise in the store is a. Extremely important b. Very important c. Little important e. not important

9.How different is ACC Cement Company from other Companies ? a. Very different b. Slightly different c. Somewhat different d. Not at all different

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10.How satisfied were you ACC Cement Company ? a. Very satisfied

b. Satisfied c. Dissatisfied e. Very dissatisfied f. Somewhere in between

11. How would you rate the quality of ACC Cement Company? a. Excellent b. Good c. Fair d. Poor

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PART-B

Name : ...................................................................... Age : ......................................................................

Gender : ...................................................................... Tongue : ......................................................................

Occupation: ..................................................................... Religious : ......................................................................

Family Income (per month): .................................................................................... Thank you for your co-operations!!

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