ASSIGNMENT FOR INDEPENDENT STUDY – II

Program : Executive MBA

Title : We Are Like That Only
[ISBN: 978-0-67099-944-6/0-67099-944-X; Penguin Group]
Author : Rama Bijapurkar

Answer all questions

1. “India is not an easy market to understand and operate in.” Why is the Indian market
untenable for Multinational Companies, yet at the same time attractive to global businesses?
Discuss.
2. a. “…………the structure of consumer demand in emerging markets, specifically India, is
totally different from that in the developed markets.”Do you agree with the statement?
Justify your stance. Suggest some strategies that a firm can adopt to serve the Indian
demand structure.
b. Discuss the causes of the ‘schizophrenic’ demand pattern of Indian market? What can a
marketer do to minimize the effects of such an erratic demand pattern?
3. “Consumer India is a multi-tiered consumer base requiring a multi-pronged strategy.” Discuss
in the context of an industry of your choice.
4. a. As consumers in rural India have begun to mirror aspirations of their counterparts in
urban cities, tier III, IV and V towns have been on the radar of retail majors such as
Wal-Mart and Tesco. With respect to the retailing industry, analyze the opportunities that
are luring MNCs to rural India? Do you think this shift of focus towards rural market is
profitable? Justify your view point pertinently.
b. What possible threats would these companies face in the rural markets and how can they
tackle these issues?
5. MNCs entering the Indian market usually find it tough to understand Consumer India and
eventually fail to gain the expected market share. Rama Bijapurkar has given advices for such
MNCs. Discuss the utility of these advices for domestic firms.