SRCRC - Casebook

CASEBOOK
SHRI RAM
CONSULTING
&
RESEARCH
CENTRE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPICS PAGE NO. TOPICS PAGE NO.
1. About the casebook 3 10. Basic concepts 24

2. About SRCRC 4 Economics 25
Marketing 26
3. Our clients 5
Finance 27
4. Acknowledgement 6 Organizational Behaviour 28
5. Faculty advisor's note 7
11. Interview Transcripts 29
6. How to use this casebook 8
Profitability 30
7. Consulting process 9 Market entry 42
8. Approach to a case question 10 Pricing 52
Growth 59
9. Frameworks 11
Unconventional 68
Profitability Framework 12 Mergers and aquisitions 79
Market entry Framework 14 Others 88
New product Framework 15
Pricing Framework 16 12. Guesstimates 97
Growth Framework 17 Guesstimate 1 98
Mergers and Acquisitions Framework 18 Guesstimate 2 101
Common Framework 19 Guesstimate 3 103
Marketing Framework 20 Guesstimate 4 105
Miscellaneous Framework 21 Guesstimate 5 108
General Framework 22 Guesstimate 6 110

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TOPICS PAGE NO. TOPICS PAGE NO.
Guesstimate 7 113 Real estate Industry 138
Guesstimate 8 115 Automobile Industry 139
Guesstimate 9 117 FMCG Industry 140
Insurance Industry 141
13. Know your company 120
Banking Industry 142
Bain and company 121 E-commerce Industry 145
Boston Consulting Group(BCG) 122
Deloitte 123 15. Unsolved Guesstimates 146
Dalberg 124
ZS Associates 125
McKinsey and company 126
Kearney 127
Accenture 128
EY 129
KPMG 130
14. Industry Analysis 131

Oil and Gas Industry 132
Aviation Industry 133
Pharma Industry 134
Tourism Industry 135
Manufacturing Industry 136
Agriculture Industry 137
2 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

ABOUT THE CASEBOOK
Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre is committed to providing high-quality research
and consultancy services to businesses and organizations worldwide.

This Casebook is one of its flagship initiatives that exemplify its dedication to knowledge
sharing and dissemination.
The Shri Ram Consulting Casebook is a collection of real-life case studies produced and
compiled by Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre. It aims to provide practical
insights and learning opportunities for professionals and students in various fields like
management consulting, etc.
The Casebook offers readers an opportunity to learn from the experiences of others and
develop a deeper understanding of various industries and business environments. Each
case study in the Casebook is carefully selected and analyzed by a team of experts in the
relevant domain and is also accompanied by detailed analysis and recommendations that
provide valuable insights into effective decision-making and problem-solving.
It is an ideal resource for professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge and skills in
their respective domains. It is also a valuable teaching tool for educators and trainers who
want to incorporate practical case studies into their courses and workshops.
In conclusion, the Casebook is a must-read for anyone interested in learning from real-life
business scenarios and gaining practical insights into decision-making and problem-
solving.

ABOUT SHRI RAM CONSULTING
AND RESEARCH CENTRE
SRCRC is managed and promoted by a group of
passionate students of Shri Ram College of Commerce.
It is a visionary initiative under the Shri Ram Centre for
Personal Growth which was introduced and
inaugurated by the University Grants Commission
(UGC) The aim was to instil the corporate exposure of
consulting and research fields into the character
building of the students.
40+
LIVE
PROJECTS 10+ CONSULTING
EVENTS

OUR
CLIENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We are grateful to all the people who have helped by sharing their cases and
interview experiences, which has enabled us to put together a comprehensive
preparation resource for future batches. We owe an enormous debt of gratitude
to all the seniors who have helped us in putting together the resources for this
book. The stories behind their cases and preparation make our casebook a
valuable resource looking to crack their next consulting interview
We would like to thank Priyalaxmi Roy for leading the Case Book initiative and
putting together the first edition of the SRCRC Case Book. We would also like to
acknowledge the efforts of Anshi Agrawal, Ananya Chawla, Kriti Agarwal, and
Kanishk Goyal for helping the Centre put together this case book. They have
ensured breadth and depth in the cases to give the reader a comprehensive view
of the kind of cases they may be administered.
We would also like to extend a special acknowledgment to the contributors of the

numerous Consult Club alumni whose Case Book, over the years, has shaped this
document. We would also like to thank students of the 2021-24 and 2022-25
batches, many of whose submissions have added unmatched richness to the Prep
book.
We would also like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Harendra Nath Tiwari for
generously letting us work on the First Case Book of SRCRC.

FACULTY ADVISOR'S NOTE
Shri Ram College of Commerce has continuously strived to achieve
excellence in academics and co-curriculars activities.
Founded in 1926, Shri Ram College of Commerce encompasses a

storied past that binds it closely to the nation and to the city of Delhi. It
has produced many notable alumni in diverse industries and fields
across the world.
I extend my heartiest congratulations to Shri Ram Consulting &

Research Centre for their relentless efforts in publishing the first
Dr. Harendra Nath Tiwari casebook. SRCRC has demonstrated delegency in work showing utmost
dedication and zeal in all their endeavors and have streamlined their efforts to harbour a culture for
consulting enthusiasts along with inculcating holistic problem solving skills amongst the members.
It has been an enriching experience being the Teacher-in-Charge at Shri Ram Consulting & Research
Centre.
I am sure that the casebook will prove to be a comprehensive and insightful guide for the consulting
aspirants with different sections covering a wide literature relating to consulting, it is a one stop
solution for acing placement interviews.

HOW TO USE THIS CASEBOOK
A comprehensive guide to utilizing this casebook:-
Define the problem that you want to

solve
Read and analyze the case study
thoroughly
Identify key problems/ opportunities
in the case study
Develop hypothesis or potential
solutions
Test your hypothesis against the
information provided in the case
study Develop a recommendation based
on your analysis
Review your recommendation and
analysis for feasibility Present your recommendations &
analysis clearly and effectively.
Review your recommendation and
analysis for feasibility

CONSULTING PROCESS
After the problem is defined This step helps to prepare
properly, the next step is to
a final solution for the
determine those factors that
problem developed in the
are majorly responsible for
beginning. It brings
the problem. This is based on
together the results from
80-20 principle which means
DEFINE AND WORK PLAN different pieces of analysis
that 20℅ of the factors cause
STRUCTURE 80 ℅ of the problem. If we & and provides insights into DEVELOP
solution problem prepared
THE PROBLEM work on 20% of the ANALYSIS at different stages. It helps
RECOMMENDATIONS
problems, it would help to
solve the majority of the the consultant and the
issue. This helps to client to know about the
determine the factors that problem and the potential
01 are most critical to the

problem.
03 solutions.
05
,A plan is developed factors

The consultant tries to
identify the exact problem
that the client faces. The
02 on which the analysis is to
be conducted. This is 04 The synthesize from
the previous step is
determined on the basis of used to develop the
problem is stated in the
prioritization done in the recommendations for
form of a question and the
previous steps. Further, work the client. These
person tries to collect the
information on the basis of
PRIORITISE plan is prepared determining SYNTHESIZE recommendations
the distribution of work should be backed up
the questions asked. The ISSUES among the employees. It also
FINDINGS by a set of conclusions
problem can divided into
includes determining the which would be
different parts and sub-
deadlines for the work. Thus, derived from the
parts so that it provides a
it is ensured that the project analysis conducted in
complete overview of the
is delivered on time. Analysis the earlier steps.
problem thus making it
is carried out depending
easier to solve the problem
upon the questions
for the consultant.
mentioned in the work plan.


APPROACH TO A CASE QUESTION

Create a framework: Create a
Clarify the problem: If you
Define the problem:

framework or structure to
Read and understand the are unsure about any aspect
Define the problem

approach the problem. This will
case question: Read the of the case question, ask for
statement in your own

help you organize your thoughts
case question carefully to clarification. Make sure you
words. This will help you

and ensure that you cover all
make sure you understand have a complete
understand the problem

relevant aspects of the problem.
the problem statement understanding of the problem
more clearly and identify

Your framework should be
and what is being asked of before you begin. This also
the key issues. Recognise

flexible and adaptable, as you
you. Identify any key enables one to establish a
the case archetype. may need to modify it as you
issues or areas of concern. good rapport with the
gather more information.

interviewer.

Present your findings:

Develop Analyze the
Gather information: Ask if
Present your analysis and
recommendations: Based
information: Use your
relevant questions to gather
recommendations in a clear
on your analysis, develop a
analytical skills to
the necessary information. This
and concise manner. Use
set of recommendations to
analyze the
may include asking about the
visuals or diagrams to help
solve the problem. Make
information you have
company's history,
illustrate your points. Make
sure your
collected. Look for
competitors, customers,
sure you are able to explain
recommendations are
patterns and trends,
products, financials, or any
your thought process and
practical, actionable, and
and identify any key
other relevant factors. Take
reasoning behind your
based on the data you
insights that may help
notes as you gather
recommendations. have collected. you solve the problem. information to help you

remember key details.


PROFITABILITY FRAMEWORK
Profitability problems require analysis of the Revenues and Costs of a company to zero in on the cause of decreasing/
increasing profitability. A thorough understanding of revenue and cost heads for various industries can help bring out
key insights and reach valuable recommendations.
Approach/Frameworks
Initial questions
Get primitive understanding of
company: What Profits
product/services does it offer?
What geography does it cater
to?
Understand whether this is a Revenues Costs
company specific problem or an
industry-wide phenomenon.
Keep in the mind the quantum
of profit/losses and the time Value Chain
Price # Units Sold Product Mix
period.
Analysis
Profit vs Profitability (Next Page)
Profits are merely a difference
of Revenues and Cost, while Demand Side Supply Side
Profitability refers to profit as a
proportion of sales
Units Sold Revenue/ # of Procurement Production Distribution

It can also be broken down as Customers Issue Issue Issue
Customers
‘Internal’ and ‘External’ factors;
Internal issues being similar to
the Supply Side break-down and
External issues to be examined Promotion
Product Place
via PESTEL analysis
Demand can be seen as: Market Need Accessibility Awareness
Size * Market Share Affordability Availability After-sales Experience

PROFITABILITY FRAMEWORK
Value Chain Analysis (COST Side Analysis)
Research & Raw Material Storage &

Production
Development Procurement Transportation
Equipment / Tech. Cost of Raw Mat. Machinery Transport to
Human Capital Contracts / Deals Factory Rent Warehouse (routes,
Financing Supplier Party Electricity vehicles)
Patents Wastage / Use Labour Hours Storage Facility (rent,
Efficiency Technology electricity, labour)
Capacity Utilisation. Transport to
Packaging customer (routes,
Defects vehicles)
After-Sales
Marketing Distribution
Support
Channels
Repairs Spend on each Sales Force
Spare Parts channel (physical / Sales channels
Returns digital) Training
Conversion rates / Incentives
channel
Costs can be also be divided as (depending on the type of problem statement & the information available):
- Direct & Indirect Costs
- Fixed & Variable Costs

MARKET ENTRY FRAMEWORK
A market entry case (whether new product launch or entry into new geography or both) is hinged on two basic questions: Is it worthwhile entering
the market (economically and strategically) and if yes, what would be the best way to enter the market.
Initial questions
Always ask about Approach / Framework
company’s objective to
enter that particular market Customer Company Competition Product
Get primitive understanding
of company: What it does?
What product to launch?
● Product Mix
Previous history with ● Segments ● No. of ● Gap between
● Resources
launches & why this ● Needs Competitors & customer
● Key Assets
particular ● Size & growth market share expectations and
● Value Chain
geography/product launch? ● Target Group ● SWOT Analysis available
Analysis
What part of value chain ● Market Share ● Barriers to products
(feasibility of setting
does it want to set-up? entry/exit -
up: procurement -
regulations
production -
distribution
● Financial Analysis
Analysis (break-even point)
It can also be done using

Economic Analysis: Mkt. Size
* Mkt. Share * (Price -
Variable Cost) - Fixed Cost
How to Enter
and Operational Feasibility:
regulatory/other barriers in
setting up a value chain -
explore need to partner Brownfield
with others or enter into JVs Investment Set up Greenfield
Joint Venture Outsourcing
in each bucket Acquisitions operations

NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTION FRAMEWORK
In a new product entry case, a company is likely to aim for introducing a completely new product in a market or expand its
existing product’s reach in a new geography. An interviewee is expected to first align on the product’s viability to succeed in
the market followed by identifying the correct price point and target market and finally recommend levers that can drive
product success in the market
Initial questions Approach / Framework

Always ask about
company’s objective to
launch a new product
New Product
of company: what it does?
More about the new
product, target customers? Profits & break-
Previous history with Initial Financing Value Chain
even
launches & why this
geography/product launch? I
What part of value chain will
it operate in? Self Debt Equity Units Variable Fixed
Price
financed financed financed Sold Costs Costs
Analysis
The pros and cons
associated with each bucket
have to be brought out in
the analysis, with having
ready suggestions on how to
overcome the possible Procurement Production Distribution Marketing
challenges.

PRICING FRAMEWORK
In a pricing case the objective is to determine a methodology for pricing of any product. The product could be a new
invention, or it could have other competitor products in the market etc. The student should determine the objective of
the company, understand the product features and market environment and then apply a relevant methodology to
price the product.
Initial questions Approach / Framework

Always ask about
company’s objective for Nature of Product
pricing the product
of company: what it does?
More about the product,
target customers?
Depending on objectives of Modification Similar to Pricing vis-a-
New Invention
profitability or market share to existing existing vis another
or breaking even, products product product
recommend an appropriate
approach
Analysis
Some parameters like
Value Based Cost Plus Competitor Based
Willingness to pay,
opportunity cost of having
no products might not be
directly provided by the Willingness to Pay Fixed costs Existing products and
interviewer, so try to Opportunity cost of Variable Costs features
develop creative proxies having no product Break-even Analysis Reference Price
for the same which would Supply Demand trade- Willingness to Pay of
determine the accuracy of off current market
your recommendation

GROWTH FRAMEWORK
In a Growth scenario, a company is likely to aim for XX% YoY growth. An interviewee is expected to first align the growth
targets, followed by validating them, identify pillars that can support the growth targets, and finally recommend how the
company can leverage/show go about these pillars.
Approach / Framework
Initial questions
Get primitive
understanding of
New Product
company: what it
does? More about
the product, target
Organic Inorganic
customers? What
geographies?
Revenue/User # of Users Joint Ventures Acquisitions
Analysis
The framework is a Existing
Revenue / Number of New
comprehensive version
Transaction Transactions Markets Markets
of the Ansoff Matrix, so
the probing questions, /User
the analysis and
recommendations can
Increase Cross- Existing New Existing New
be given keeping that in prices selling Product Product Product Product
mind Loyalty
The creativity around the programs New
recommendations in New New Marketing
Discounts customer
exploring new channels marketing Channels
Bundling segments
Better New
channels/segments will Upselling New
marketing customer
earn brownie points marketing,
segments
channels

MERGERS AND AQUISITIONS FRAMEWORKS
Mergers & acquisition provide means of inorganic growth for a company. It is important to evaluate a prospective merger or acquisition
using a framework to understand the net benefits the acquirer can receive including financial as well as non-financial factors.
Initial Questions Approach/Framework

1. Understand client’s
Net Benefits
company
Questions can be asked to I
learn about client’s company,
its current state, industry in
Financial Non-Financial
which it operates, growth
strategy and aspirations. I I
2. Understand target company

Value Added Costs Acquirer Fit External Risks
Questions can be asked to
understand the target’s
I
market, market share,
profitability, and its Company Acquisition Integration
competitors. Synergies
Valuation Price Costs
Financial Non-Financial
Acquirer Fit
Value Added Synergies Costs 1. Cultural Fit:: Working norms, countries,
1. Valuation: Target company’s 1. Operational: • Revenue – Selling 1. Acquisition price: This price is entrepreneurial vs corporate, etc.
valuation indicate the present more quantity or higher pricing • quoted to the acquirer for this M&A. 2. Organizational Fit: Similarity in org
value of cash flows it can Costs – Economies of scale/scope, Typically, the price value will be structure, talent & skill set overlap,
generate in future based on its savings in R&D or selling (SG&A) costs given by the interviewer. etc.
current capital structure 2. Financial: Potential tax savings, 2. Integration costs: Costs incurred 3. Strategy Fit: Alignment in long term
2. Synergies: Synergies are (shield) improved leverage ratio, during M&A process for integration of growth strategies
additional benefits derived ability to take more debt IT systems, operation processes and External Risks: To be analyzed using
from combined ass organizational structure. PESTEL framework

COMMON FRAMEWORK
SWOT Matrix
Facilitative Prohibitive
Strength Weakness
Internal Factors providing a competitive advantage
to the company against its competitors
Factors resisting a company against
operating at its optimum level in the
Ex. loyal customer base, strong brand, market
skilled employees, proprietary technology Ex. lack of capital, high leverage, higher
than market attrition, weaker brand image
Opportunities Threats
External
External factors favorable for the company External factors which can potentially
to build a sustainable competitive advantage harm the company’s profitability or
Ex. shift in corporate taxation, falling raw operations in general
material prices, market trends, emerging Ex. increasing competition, natural
technology calamities, limited labor supply, upcoming
regulations
PESTEL Analysis
P E S T E L
Political Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal
Govt actions – Economy – Societal factors Level of Govt Laws - Intellectual
elections, fiscal inflation, – adoption, regulations, property,
policy, corporate interest rates, demographics, automation, tech carbon industry
taxation, etc exchange rates, cultures, infrastructure, footprint, risks regulations,
unemployment, beliefs, lifestyle R&D, latest for raw licenses &
etc. trends, etc. trends, etc. materials etc. permits, etc.

MARKETING FRAMEWORKS
5C’s of Marketing 4P’s of Marketing

Who are you? Understanding the company, Product is the item catering to a need.
Company products, channels, value chain, etc. Product Involves product design, features, quality,
range, branding, packaging, etc
Who are you selling to? Understanding the
Customers customers, segments, their needs, wants. Place is the channel of delivery of product
Place Involves distribution, franchising,
Who is in your way? Understanding other inventory,transportation, logistics, etc.
Competitors players in the market, their strategies, etc.
Price is amount being paid for a product

Who are you working with? Understanding Price Involves pricing strategy, payment
Collaborators your external vendors, suppliers, partners. methods, etc
Promotion covers the marketing
What are current conditions? Understanding
Context the business climate using SWOT & PESTEL
Promotion communications being used for product
Involves channel mix, messaging, etc.
4A’s of Marketing
Product Knowledge: Customers should • Customer Availability: Company should
have sufficient knowledge to trigger a have sufficient stock to cater to market
purchase demand
Awareness Brand Awareness: Customers’ ability to
Accessibility • Customer Convenience: Ease of access
recognize, recall and remember the brand for a potential customer to the product or
name service
Economic Affordability: Customers • Functional Acceptability: Objective in

should have sufficient economic nature, based on product specification,
resources at disposal to purchase. performance, durability, etc.
Affordability Psychological Affordability: Customers’
Acceptability • Psychological Acceptability: Subjective in
willingness to pay for a given product or nature, based on product aesthetics, brand
service offered by the company appeal, etc.


Miscellaneous Frameworks
VRIO STP of
Used to determine whether a resource or capability can provide a sustained Used to gain more insights into Big Data and
competitive advantage for a company. determine the value of collected data
Yes Yes Yes Yes Segmentation

V R I O Sustained
Dividing market into distinct groups of customers
Competitive
based on their characteristics or behavior
Valuable Rare Inimitable Organized Advantage
Targeting
No No No No Selection of a customer group to focus marketing
efforts based on segment attractiveness
Short-term Underutilized
Competitive Competitive
Competitive Competitive
Disadvantage Parity Targeting
Advantage Advantage
Selection of a customer group to focus marketing
efforts based on segment attractiveness
AMO
Used to assess employee productivity and effectiveness in a firm.
Typical applications involve to assess effectiveness of a salesforce
4Vs of Data
personnel. Used to gain more insights into Big Data and
determine the value of collected data
Ability Motivation Opportunity Volume Scale or size of the data is being

generated
I
Speed at which the data is being
Velocity
generated & processed
Instrumentality Number of different forms or
Hiring, Training, Expectancy Career planning, fair Variety
Learning, Skill Clarity of goals, Incentive structure, appraisal process, categories of collected data
Development, Control over Performance recognitions, Accuracy and truthfulness of the
metrics & evaluation Veracity
Talent Management performance empowerment collected data

GENERAL FRAMEWORKS
POTER'S 5 FORCES MCME
Threat of Bargaining Power Mutually

Idea 1 Idea 2 Idea 1
New Entrants of Suppliers Exclusive
Idea 2
Exclusive Non Exclusive
Bargaining Power
Threat of
of Customers Collectively
Substitutes Non Exhaustive
Exhaustively
Competitive
Rivalry Exhaustive
Promotion Process OHMAE'S 3C'S MODEL
Product People
Customers
7Ps Of Marketing
Place Price Physical
Evidence
Competitors Corporation

GENERAL FRAMEWORKS
BCG GROWTH MATRIX TAM, SAM & SOM
MARKET SHARE
HIGH LOW
TAM
HIGH
MARKET GROWTH
SAM
SOM
LOW
ANSOFF MATRIX
MCKINSEY'S 7S
Existing
Products
New
Structure
Existing Market Product
Strategy Systems Penetration Development
Markets
Strategy Strategy
Shared
Values
Skills Style
Market Diversification
Development Strategy
New Strategy
Staff

BASIC CONCEPTS

BASIC CONCEPTS OF ECONOMICS Scarcity

KEY CONCEPTS OF
Economics is the study of scarcity and it shows the implications of resources, production, Supply and
ECONOMICS:
Demand
ECONOMICS
demand and supply of goods and services adding to the welfare of the people in large.

Assymetric Costs and

Externalities
Benefits
BRANCHES
Microeconomics information
Market
Failure
Incentives etc.
Macroeconomics
Concentrated
Public
market Goods
power
PRICE ELASTICITY COSTS

CIRCULAR FLOW OF INCOME DEMAND-SUPPLY CURVE MARKET STRUCTURE OF DEMAND
REGRESSION ECONOMICS OF SALE: TRADE OFF AND FORMULAS

Regressions are used to quantify the relationship OPPORTUNITY COST: ATC (Average Total Cost) =
between one variable and the other variables that The cost advantages companies gains
A trade-off occurs when a Total Cost / quantity
are thought to explain it; regressions can also identify from increasing their output. On the
contrary to it comes up the concept of decision leads to choosing one AVC (Average Variable Cost) =
how close and well determined the relationship is.
DISECONOMICS OF SALE it generally thing over another. The loss Variable cost / Quantity

Regression is a return to earlier stages of happens when a company or business incurred by not selecting the AFC (Average Fixed Cost) =
development and abandoned forms of gratification grows so large that the cost of per unit other option is called Fixed cost / Quantity
belonging to them, prompted by dangers or conflicts increases. opportunity cost when one Total cost (TC) = Variable cost
arising at one of the later stages.
option is selected. (VC) + fixed costs (FC)


BASIC CONCEPTS OF MARKETING
Marketing is the process by which businesses identify and satisfy customers' needs and wants, creating value for them and building strong
relationships with them. This process is integrated, meaning that it involves a range of activities that work together to achieve the ultimate goal of
capturing value from customers in return. Through these activities, businesses create value for customers and build strong relationships with
them. By satisfying customer needs and wants, businesses can capture value from customers in return, such as revenue and profits.
PRODUCTION PRODUCT CONCEPT SELLING CONCEPT MARKETING SOCIETAL

CONCEPT his concept relies on strong CONCEPT CONCEPT
The focus is on producing In this concept, the This concept focuses on
persuasion or even This concept differs from
large amounts of a product emphasis is on updating and the needs and desires of
aggressive selling to others. the aim is not to
with this marketing improving the quality of the the customer by delivering
convince as many earn profits, but also
concept. product. a high-value product
customers as possible/ social responsibilities.
SOCIAL MEDIA Important Factors MAJOR KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

MARKETING Target Audience: Identifying the
target audience for your product or Conversion Rate: Return on Investment (ROI):
Practice of using social service and understanding their percentage of website The amount of profit or cost
media platforms to needs and preferences will help you visitors who take a desired savings generated from an
promote a product or develop the most effective action like making a investment.
service. marketing strategies purchase or signing up. Website Traffic: The number of
Reach a wide and engaged Customer Personas: Creating Customer Acquisition Cost visitors to a website over a
audience customer personas will help you (CAC): The average cost of given period of time.
Cost-effective understand your target audience acquiring a new customer. Churn out Rate: percentage of
Track and measure results and create content and campaigns It is equals to total cost of customers or subscribers who
in real-time tailored to their needs and acquiring customers discontinue using a product or
Build brand awareness interests. divided by the number of service over a given period of
Brand Values: It will help you build customers acquired. time.
trust and loyalty with your
customers and prospects.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF FINANCE
BUDGET INVESTMENT RISK RETURN INTEREST

A plan outlining income and Buying assets to generate The chance an investment The profit or loss The cost of borrowing
expenses over a certain income or appreciate in may lose value or fail to generated by an money or reward for
period. value over time. meet financial obligations. investment over time. lending money.
LIQUIDITY INFLATION CAPITAL ASSET MARKET INDEX

Ease of converting an asset Decrease in purchasing PRICING MODEL CAPITALIZATION Measurement of the
to cash without loss in power of a currency due to (CAPM) Total value of a company's performance of a group of
value. increase in prices of goods Pricing investments based outstanding shares of stocks representing a
and services. on expected return and stock. particular market or
risk. sector.

BASIC CONCEPTS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR
It is the study of how people interact within organizations, which examines
Communication
ORGANIZATIONAL individual behavior, group dynamics, and the influence of the larger social,
BEHAVIOR political, and economic context on behavior. The goal of Organisational Motivation
KEY CONCEPTS OF
Behavior is to understand how organizations function and to help individuals
Leadership
MARKETING
and groups work effectively within them.
Organizational
Replace intuition with systematic study which improves the predictive Culture
Why study
ability
Organisational Diversity &
Improves the effectiveness of the study
Behaviour Understanding of human behaviour will improve will improve your Inclusion

impersonal skills
COMMUNICATION MOTIVATION LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL DIVERSTIY &

Motivation is the driving CULTURE CULTURE
Effective communication is Leadership is the process Organizational culture
force that encourages Diversity and inclusion
critical to the success of of guiding and directing refers to the shared values, refer to the presence of a
individuals to take action. In
any organization. individuals and groups beliefs, and practices that
organizations, motivation is variety of perspectives,
Companies that towards a common goal. define an organization. A cultures, and backgrounds
critical for achieving goals
communicate well can Effective leaders are able strong culture can help to within an organization.
and objectives. Companies
avoid misunderstandings, to inspire, motivate, and create a sense of Companies that embrace
that understand how to
build trust, and increase guide their followers to community and belonging diversity and inclusion can
motivate their employees among employees, which benefit from increased
employee engagement. achieve success.
can increase productivity, job can increase job creativity, innovation, and a
satisfaction, and retention. satisfaction and retention. broader range of ideas.

PROFITABILITY
MOBILE PHONE SHOWROOM
The revenue from low-end mobile phones At Croma's Rajouri Garden Showroom has declined.
When you say low-end mobile phones, does it mean mobile phones
Demand.
< INR10000?
So demand can be defined as Footfall * %age purchasing mobile
Yes.
phones. Has the footfall decreased or has the %age of people
making a purchase decreased?
How long has it been since we’ve experienced a decline in revenue?
So demand can be defined as Footfall * %age purchasing mobile

Around 3 months phones. Has the footfall decreased or has the %age of people
making a purchase decreased?
Have other electronic stores been facing the same problem?
This could be due to factors such as:
None that we know of. Accessibility: Our store isn’t accessible anymore due to
construction, road-closures, etc.
What other products are sold at Croma, Rajouri Garden? Experience: Customers have had a bad experience at the store. This
could be due to the quality of personnel, change in ambience,
For the purpose of this case, you can assume only mobile phones. placement of various products, etc.
Online sales/ E-commerce: People prefer buying products online
because it is more convenient.
Okay. Revenue is a function of Price X Quantity. Which of these
segments has witnessed a decline?
Yes, you are correct. Since the mobile phones cost less than INR
10000, people feel it is more convenient to buy them online.
Price has remained constant. Good, we can close the case here.
Thank you.
So, the quantity has declined. Which part of the value chain would
you like me to focus on - Production, Distribution or Demand?

Profitability
Interview Notes
Decline in sales
Revenue of the low end mobile

phones has declined
Demand side of the value should
be analysed
Factors could be accessibility, Customer Competitor External
Company
Factors
experience etc.
Product Price Place Promotion
Meet Customer Brand Partnership to increase

Needs Awareness the distribution channel
Product should be Diversify Advertising

priced according to
competitor's price Marketing
Recommendation:
It's important to take a systematic approach to identify the root cause of the problem which is decrease in sales because customers
prefer to buy cheaper phones online. This involves analyzing factors such as financial statements, customer feedback, and industry
trends to gain a clear understanding of the current state of the business

INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Our client is one of the major private players in the insurance industry and is witnessing stagnation in
growth.
Before we start with analysing the possible reasons for the Sure
stagnation in growth, I have some clarifying questions for the client.
Do we know where does the client operate in and what is our clients Revenue from insurance premium can further be broken down into the
target population for life insurance policies? following mathematical formula. Revenue from insurance premium is
equal to number of customers multiplied by premium per customer.
The client operates pan-India and its target audience is 25+ years
You can focus on the number of customers.
earning population from Tier 2-3 cities.
Here, I would like to know that is there a decline seen in the number of
Interesting! Since LIC is the largest life insurance player in India with
existing customers or the number of new customers?
50% market share and about 25 other private players, so is it safe to
say that we are one of the biggest among these 25 players? Good question. There is a problem with the number of new customers.
Yes. Alright. We can focus on three major aspects to come down to the
Alright. Also, can I know more about the type of life insurance that we exact problem namely supply, distribution and demand of policies
offer?
You can focus on the distribution part of it.
We offer 1 type of insurance which is term insurance.
As far as I know, any insurance company follows a multi channel
Alright. Additionally, when we say that the growth has slowed down, distribution strategy for its insurance policies. There can be four major
do we mean that the profits are declining or the revenues? distribution channels for any insurance company namely, agents,
banks, call centres and online channels.
The revenues of our client are declining.
You can focus on the call centre bit. The mechanism that we follow is
Alright. I would like to take a 3-step approach to solve this problem.
Firstly, I would break down the revenue into its possible revenue that there call centres and we employ a sales work force, the
streams. Secondly, I would further analyse each of these streams and employees here are responsible for making calls and selling the life
lastly, I would recommend possible solutions to our client. insurance policies.
Breaking the revenues into- 1). Revenue from Insurance Premium 2).
The total calls made in call centre is equal to the number of agents
Revenue from Interest on Investments. According to my hypothesis,
Majority of the revenues for an insurance company comes from multiplied by the number of calls per agent. The number of calls made
insurance premium and a only a small percentage of it comes from per agent can further be written as the number of hours worked per
the interest on investment. Therefore, we can focus on the former agent per day multiplied by calls made per hour
and circle back to the later further on if required, can I proceed?

INSURANCE INDUSTRY
There is a problem in the number of hours worked per agent.
The number of hours can decline due to monetary reasons or non-
monetary reasons. Monetary reasons include salary or bonus issues and
nonmonetary reasons include reasons related to motivation or not
related to motivation
You are correct. We have recently changed our policy and the bonus
is based on qualitative terms.

Profitability
Interview Notes Decline in sales
The company is witnessing

stagnation in the growth
Company is operating pan India Revenue Costs
and its target audience is 25+
Growth has slowed down means
that profits are declining
The retention rate of new
customers is low From Interest on
We will focus on the distribution Insurance Investements
channel side Premium
Supply Distribution Demand of Policies
Call Online Work Hour X

Agents Banks
Centres Channels Call Made
Per Hour
Recommendation:
systematic approach must be followed to identify the root cause of the problem. A strategy of top to bottom approach can be developed to
address the decline in revenue, which may involve changes in Distribution strategy, development of new compensation policies.

AUTO INSURANCE
Your client is an auto insurance company in India and has been facing reducing profitability in the last 2
years. They have come to you for help to identify the reasons and explore possible solutions.
Please tell me a little bit more about the industry, and the position There will be fixed costs, and variable costs. Fixed costs in such a
of client? The kind of competition, the growth? company would generally include salaries, administrative
expenses, etc., and the main variable costs would be the claim
Sure. Client is one of the 3-4 major players who dominate the costs. Am I missing anything here?
industry and hold around 90% of the market. The market has been
growing steadily at around 12% p.a. No, go on.
Okay. And how is the company growing? Is it in line with the industry? Has there been any increase in a particular cost head?
The market is growing at around 12% p.a, and the company's Fixed costs have been growing as per normal trends.
market share is growing in almost the same proportion.
And what about claim costs?
Is the reduction in profitability only being faced by the company or by
competitors as well? Client has been seeing a rise in the claim costs over the past few
years, faster than revenue growth.
We do not have very accurate data of competitors; however, reliable
Right, so would it be fair to say that it may be a major reason for
estimates indicate that most of them have maintained profitability
the decline in profitability. Then I would like to understand the
levels, and some have even increased profitability. What do you think
possible causes of the rising costs, and why competitors are not
are the possible causes for this? incurring this cost. But before I go into a deeper analysis, I would
just like to ask, is it possible that competitors have implemented
It can either be due to higher revenues, or due to lower costs.
stringent policies for claim approvals, or somehow provide lesser
The industry is highly competitive, and none of the players can get cover using fine print in the policies due to which the costs are
away with charging higher prices without losing out on market share. lower for them?
And as for number of customers, there has not been any major No, this would result in unnecessary loss of goodwill for client.
change as such. So, you can move on from revenue and focus on Also, the industry is highly regulated, and all players have similar
costs. policy terms and claim processes. Hence, this is not practical.

AUTO INSURANCE
Alright, then I would like to look at the claim costs in greater detail. Also, it has a lot of clients in cities with extremely high and
Before I do that, is there anything other significant cost item I am aggressive traffic like Delhi, which have higher incidents of
missing? accidents Thus, the company should either focus on improving
the portfolio mix, or should adjust premiums more
No, focus on claim costs appropriately to factor in the risks.
So, with claim costs, it is possible that the difference may be arising That sounds good to me. Thank you.
out of the difference in the customer portfolios of the company as
compared to competition?
Okay, that may be a possible reason. But how will you analyze the
portfolio?
We can segment customers into buckets based on things like age

group, income bracket, geography, traffic etc. That would give us an
idea of the risk, based on the general profile of the customers. So
do we have any data regarding this?
Yes, so although there is a fair mix in all the buckets, the portfolio
is generally dominated by people of relatively younger age
groups (less than 25 years). In terms of income, Client has a large
base of lower and middle level income groups. It has its
operations in all major cities –Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, etc.
That explains a lot. You mentioned that the company has more
number of customers who are young. They can be considered more
risky, as they tend to be more rash while driving, increasing risk of
accidents, when compared with middle aged people having families.
Further, you mentioned that they do not have too many customers
in the higher income brackets. Higher income groups can be
considered less risky as they use expensive cars, usually have
professional chauffeurs who are generally more careful.

Profitability
Interview Notes Decline in sales
Company is experiencing a
reduction in the profitability
since last two years Revenue Costs
Client is dominant in the market
The market is highly competitive
so there is no need to consider
cost but to take the revenue side
approach Variable Cost
Fixed Cost
Variable cost which is claim cost
would create a huge impact in the
profitability
Administration Claim Cost
Salary Expenses
Expenses
Customer
Segment
Income
Geography Tariff Others
Bracket
Recommendation:
There is a need to focus more on the variable cost and for that proper research on the customer segment and demography classification is
necessary.

SEAPORT
A seaport in western India built some 7 years back is facing declining profits. Help them to solve the
problem.
Okay, so to understand the case better, a sea port in western india So, I would look at the two components of profits - Revenues and
that was built 7 years ago is facing declining profits and we have to costs. Declining profits can be due to declining revenues,
diagnose the problem and come up with recommendations. increasing costs or both. Do we have any information to support
any of the above?
Yes, that correct.
Alright. I know the major revenue source of ports to be cargo
Alright, I would like to ask some clarifying questions to understand shipment. Other can be leasing out the port property. Do we know
the case. if the major revenue source has been affected?
Yes Go ahead! Yes, the cargo revenue is declining.

What services does it majorly indulge in - like supply of what
Okay, the revenue of cargo can be impacted due to the vessels
products? Also since when is the sea port facing this issue?
(say if there are less no. of vessels) or the in-land logistics (the
import and export requirement). But since the problem is not
It supplies bulk commodity containers like iron ore containers. restricted to just our port and is also long term, I believe it's not
Since the inception, it hasn't been able to have consistent profits. the vessel issue. Please let me know if this hypothesis is correct or
not.
Is it the only port which is facing the decline or there are other
ports as well who are facing this issue? Yes, that's correct. The exports are declining.
There are 3 more ports and some ports in the Eastern coast. Some Alright. So, the issue is with the export requirement we cater to.
of them are growing while some are not. No exact data. Since you had mentioned some ports are growing and some are
not, it's somewhat like our demands are getting shifted to the
Alright, I would like to take a minute to structure down my
growing ones.
approach.
So, I would look at the two components of profits - Revenues and Yes, can you think of the possible reasons for this?
costs. Declining profits can be due to declining revenues,
increasing costs or both. Do we have any information to support It can be that the other exporting ports are more affordable or are
any of the above? better accessible to the industries.

SEAPORT
Yes, you have found the problem. There is a port developed very
near to the major industry, thus reducing the cost of the industry
to ship through them than ours. What would you recommend to
them?
(I summarized the issue found in short) In the short run, they can
focus on the nearby industries (if any) so to provide them the same
benefit that the other port is providing to their nearby industry or
come up with better shipment plans/options to attract the industries
(gave 1-2 eg like better bulk discounting option or round trip
discount) and in the long run, they might come up with better port
opening to nearby industries.
Great, let's end the case.
Thank you!

Profitability
Interview Notes
Declining profits at a seaport.
No exact data is given about

other ports. Revenue
Cost
The fall in revenue is due to
presence of other port which is
closer to the industry.
The port supplies bulk Fixed Costs
Variable Costs
commodity products .It hasn’t
been able to have consistent
profits since inception. Cargo Revenue Port Revenue
Revenue, more specifically cargo
revenue has been declining along
with increased variable .cost.
Other port closer to the major In-land Branches Vessels
industry already exists.
Exports Imports
Recommendation:
It is important to understand the timeline of the problem, whether the problem was there since the inception or only
recently arose.

MARKET ENTRY
TRANSGENDER FASHION BRAND
Dress Up Darling is a new age fashion brand which wishes to enter Indian market with transgender
clothing.
Okay, I would like to ask a few preliminary questions, What is the Sure. I think I am done with the questions now I would like to start
main objective of entering the market? Is there any similar the analysis part. To calculate the profit I will use the formula
company available in the market? Will this company operate in Profit = Market Share*Actual Market size – Fixed cost – Variable
the whole of India or be restricted to any specific location? And is cost
it a trading company or manufacturing company or both? And is it So, my approach would be to find the number of transgender in
operating in other countries also? India, since our target customer is only Transgender. And then
transgender who identify themselves as transgender in public.
The main objective to enter into the market is to earn profit in So, let’s take the population of India as 140 crores. And from the
the very second year of operations. Assume that there is no census data, we can assume that only 1% i.e., 1.4 crore people are
competitor in the market. And the company will operate in the transgender. Shall I go with it?
whole of India. DressUp darling will manufacture the product and
sell it on its own. Yes, DressUP Darling operates in South Asian Yes, you are right, you can go ahead.
countries.
Since a majority of people in India reside in rural areas where
people are not open-minded and the majority tends to hide their
Okay, Thankyou. How does the client want to enter the market? In identity as transgender. So, a majority of them will not identify
which price segment does it lie? And, is it only for transgender or themselves as transgender. So, shall I assume that only 10%
gender-neutral? identify themselves as transgender?
Client wants to enter the market online since it is budget- Yes, sure you can go with 10%.
friendly. Pricing would be medium to high range. And the
Okay, so only 10% i.e., 14lakh people identify themselves as
company will manufacture cloth only for transgender.
transgender.
Now let’s calculate the number of transgender who wants to wear
You mentioned that entering the market will be budget-friendly,
such specific clothes.
so is there any Budget constraint?
Shall I assume this number to be 70%?
No, just focus on the profit. Yes, you are free to go with it.

TRANSGENDER FASHION BRAND
70% of 14lakh i.e., 9.8lakh. Shall I round off it and take it to 10lakh? Assume it to be 100crore for the first year. And no subsequent
expense in upcoming year.
Yes you are free to do it.
Okay, And what about variable cost?
So, only 10lakh transgender are willing to purchase our cloths.
Since our Product is a mid to high-range product so shall I assume Let the direct cost be 40% and indirect cost be 10% of total
that only 50% can afford our product. revenue and additional Rs. 50 crore for advertisement in the first
year and second year.
Yes,
Okay, Total variable cost is 50% of revenue i.e., 88.75 crores, take it
Thankyou, So the actual market size is 50% of 10lakh i.e., 5lakh only. as 90 crore after rounding it off.
Now, let’s assume that 50% of actual market size will purchase 3 pair Profit in first year = 177.5crore – 100crore(fixed cost) -
of cloth in a year while the remaining 50% will purchase 5 pairs. 88.75crore(variable cost) – 50crore(advertisement exp)
So, 2.5lakh*3pairs= 7.5lakh = -61.25crore
And, 2.5lakh*5pairs = 12.5pairs There will be a loss of 61.25 crores in the first year.
So in total 20 lakh pairs in a year. As discussed previously the market share in the second year will be
Shall I assume that in the very first year company is able to capture 50%. And should I keep all other variables constant like market size,
30% of market share and 50% in second year and 60% in third year. percentage of people falling under medium range segment, etc.
You can go ahead. Okay, keep it constant.
In the first year company can sell 30% of 20 lakh pair i.e., 6lakh pair, So, revenue for 2nd year will be approximately 295crore(175/3*5)
and out of that I assume that price of medium ranged cloth is Rs. Fixed cost = 0
1500 and that of high range is Rs. 5000 and since our nation is Variable cost = 50% of 295 crore = 147.5crore
developing, middle income country so, approx. 60% of them would Advertisement exp. = 50crore
be buying medium ranged cloth and remaining 40% belong to high Profit = 295cr – 147.5cr – 50cr. = 97.5crore
range category. Loss for 1st year = 61.25
Number of medium ranged cloth sold = 6lakh*60% = 3.6lakh Overall Profit during two year = 97.5 – 61.25 = 36.25crore
Round of it to 3.5lakh. And in the third year company can expect to generate a revenue of
And number of high range cloth is 6lakh- 3.5lakh= 2.5lakh around 350 crore with 50% net profit i.e., 175 crore.
Revenue in the very first year = (3.5lakh*Rs. 1500) + (2.5lakh*
Rs.5000)=52.50crore + 125crore = 177.5crore. Thank you we can close the case here.
What is the fixed cost incurred?

Market Entry
Interview Notes
Total pairs of cloth per year: 20lakh(2.5*3+2.5*5)
Enquire about the objective of
the company.
Ask for the area of operations.
Mode of operation: online and Revenue: 177.5 Revenue: 296
offline. Crore Crore
The company operates in south
Asian countries.
Company manufactures and
sells cloth on its own. Total cost = 238.75crore Total cost = 197.5crore
Profit= -61.25crore Profit= 97.5crore

(Revenue-Total cost) (Revenue-Total cost)
Overall Profit During two Years= 97.5- 61.25= 36.25crore
Recommendation:
The company should establish its offline store in metropolitan cities and simultaneously it should increase its
online presence. And for promotion Social media influencers like Siddharth Batra will be most efficient and various
campaigns like pride parade can be done.

45+ AGE DATING PLATFORM
Your client is ABC ltd. They wish to enter the dating industry for the 45+ age group. How should they go
about it?
Interesting! First, I would like to know the objective of the company.

potential market share and costs. Finally I will check the
operational viability and any future risks/opportunities.
The objective is to provide a platform for old-age people who
wish to date or marry, there’s no restriction as to divorcees or Yes, sounds good. We can go ahead with this idea. We would like
widows. We want old-age people to not think ill of dating stuff. to estimate the market size of this sector.
Got it. Which geographies do they wish to enter? Do they have a

budget in mind? When are they planning to enter? Considering the prevailing mentality in Indian society, the society
may not be very open to the idea. We firstly need to normalize the
concept of dating among older age groups. We can enter the
They are looking to enter this sector in India in the next 1 year.
market by keeping a low price for the model and gradually
There is no budget.
increase it over time. Right now there is no competition in the
industry. Am I right?
Okay, is the company already operating in some other country or
is it starting for the first time in india?
Yes, you are right. You can move ahead.
The company is starting for the first time in India.
Okay, moving ahead to the approach. Market attractiveness depends
Alright. Is the company already in the dating business field or upon the revenue generation and the customer acquisition. First let's
adding it as a new segment to it? analyze the Target market. We have a population of 1.4 billion
people. Assuming that our target customers would be limited to the
The company is already there in the dating business but is urban areas (which is 35% of the total population of 400 million) due
coming up with another app particularly focusing on the 45+ age to societal constraints and poor network connection. Out of which
niche as currently there is no other player in the market catering 20% of the population is aged above 45+. Keeping Gender ratio
to their specific needs. 50:50. Only 40% of the population will be open to dating factor. And
out of which only 40% male and 30% female will be willing to date
Alright, I think I have enough to proceed. In my approach, I will first through the client's app as dating at the old-age is not so common in
understand the market attractiveness by identifying the market India. So the target Market is about 5.8 million people. Does this
size. Then I shall check for the economic viability by analyzing make sense?

45+ AGE DATING PLATFORM
2. Stable internet connection & Technological degradation .
Yes, sounds good. We can go ahead with this idea. We would like
3. Customer-friendly and personalized website services.
to estimate the revenue part now.
4. Educated and Tech-friendly staff
Sure, major income will come through subscriptions & advertisements. There are a few sources of costs that can be identified:
As the company is already operating in dating industry it would be 1. Commission paid to advertisers
easier for them to find advertisements to put on their platform. 2. Employee cost
Subscription needs to be less costly as old age people would be having 3. Server's cost
higher disposable income but would be willing to pay less. Also,in India, 4. Rental cost
dating among old age people is not common, hence keeping low cost for 5. Miscellaneous expenses and Abnormal loss
the first few years would be a sensible action. Coming to the point of risk factors, there are a few crucial points
1. It will be hard to normalize the dating system among old-age as
Yes, that makes sense. it is considered to be against ethics and morals in Indian
society
Let's say the subscription cost would be Rs. 100 per month that will 2. There will be a threat of new entrants for which we need to
make a total revenue of Rs. 580 million. As our client is already familiar create an entry barrier.
with this industry, may I know what the average revenue generation 3. Data privacy can also be an issue.
from advertisements is on a yearly basis? How ABC ltd. can differentiate itself from the new entrants in market?
The average revenue generation from advertisements is Rs. 1 million 1. ABC ltd. should create an entry barrier by associating the brand
in a year. name with the product.
That makes a total revenue of Rs. 581 million of ABC ltd. which is a 2. Needs to maintain a strong brand image.
handsome amount of revenue in the first year. And 10% of Rs. 581 3. Data privacy should be given especially to female candidates.
million in next year keeping in mind the new entrants and the prudence
factor. It will be hard to retain customers in India as it is a price What can be the long term goals of the business?
sensitive market.
Long term goals can be as follows:
Sounds great. Let's discuss the cost factor and operational viability. 1. To increase the market share to 25%-30% in the next four years.
2. ABC ltd should save funds to cover cash burn.
Generally, in online business, cost doesn't become a tension. 3. It should spread revenue over fixed costs.
For the successful operation of business:
1. Make the site attractive and easy to use Well done. We can close the case now.

Market Entry
Interview Notes Population of India
(1.4 Billion)
Determine market
attractiveness by analyzing
market size, revenue Urban
Rural
generation, and customer (400 Million)
(1000 Million)
acquisition. 20%
Target market: 5.8 million
people in urban areas, assuming
40% of the population is open 45+ years
<45 years
to dating, with a 50:50 gender (80 Million)
50%
ratio.
Revenue: Subscription cost of
Rs. 100 per month, with an
estimated revenue of Rs. 580
Male Female
million per year, and Rs. 1
(40 Million) (40 Million)
million per year from 25%
advertisements.
15%

open to dating factor
10 million 6 million open to dating factor
40% 4 million 1.8 million willing to use the app
Recommendation:
Identify the objective of the company and define the target market.
Normalize the concept of dating among the older age group and gradually increase the pricing over time.
Keep the subscription cost low, as old-age people would be having higher disposable income but would be willing to
pay less.

WATER PURIFIER MANUFACTURER
Your client is a German Water Purifier Manufacturer who wants to enter the Indian Market. Suggest
whether it is a good idea or not?
Sure before I proceed, I would like to ask some questions. 2) Operational Feasibility with respect to Barriers to entry,
different problems related to set up of operations, problems
Yes, Go ahead!
related to value chain, etc.
Could you brief me more about German water purifier and how is it 3) Future Risks Involved related to new regulations & competitors
different from other water purifiers available in the market?
Go ahead with Financial Attractiveness.
Yes, the product is comparatively low in price than other water
purifiers existing in the market. It’s easy to maintain and Alright. May I have a minute to outline my approach?.
consumes less power than others.
Yes
Do we wish to manufacture in India or are we planning to
manufacture in our existing plants outside India and thereafter So, Is there any information available related to the Price at which
import to India? Additionally, what is our business model? the product will be sold, variable cost of its production, fixed cost of
setting up of Plant in India and the percentage of Market share we are
The client wants to setup a plant in India and they operate on expecting to capture.
B2C model.
The Price is decided to be ₹15000, Cost/unit is ₹6000 and the
Sure sir, I want to understand the specific objective of our client in
cost of setting up the production plant is ₹2500 cr. Market Share
terms of profits and whether our client is a premium pricing
in the German water purifier market that our client is expecting is
company?
10%.
The client wants to maximize his profits and the products are Thank you. In terms of determining the target market, I believe the
moderately priced. rural part of India is not a suitable market for a new technology like
German Water Purifier and further they cannot afford it. Urban
We can analyse the situation in three parts: population must be a suitable market because of their higher
1) Financial Attractiveness - Based on market size, market share, standard of living and affordability. So is it a fair assumption to
consumer acceptance, etc. exclude rural area from this target market?

WATER PURIFIER MANUFACTURER
premium products as a symbol of prestige while our product is
Yes, proceed further.
moderately priced despite being more efficient= 2*0.90*0.30 =
0.54 crore
Now, The total Market size would be 2.88+0.54 = 3.42 crore
Let, India’s population = 140 crore EXPECTED PROFIT = (Market Size* % Market share* Profit/unit) –
Rural Population = 100 crore (70%) Fixed Cost
Urban Population = 40 crore (30%) = [3.42*0.10*(15000-6000)] – 2500 cr
As our target market is Urban Population so, = (3.42*0.10*9000) – 2500 cr
Number of households = approx. 10 crore (assuming urban = 3078 cr – 2500 cr
household size of 4) = 578 cr
These households can now be split according to their income level:
1) BPL = 20% = 2 crore(below poverty line)
Great, this number definitely seems attractive enough for our
2) Middle class = 60% = 6 crore
client. What is your final suggestion?
3) UC = 20% = 2 crore(Upper Class)
According to the price of the product, BPL will not be able to afford
it because of their lower income, MC and UC can afford it and due to According to me it will be a great deal for the client to enter the
healthy lifestyle more people will start shifting towards the German Indian Market with huge amounts of profit. It’s main customer base
Water Purifier. could be the huge potential of middle class segment in India in the
NOW urban sector, which it could target to generate huge profits as well
In the middle class segment, 80% own a water purifier since clean as for its proper establishment in the Indian market. Additionally,
drinking water has become a basic necessity, almost every since its related to water purifiers, it should adhere to the Indian
household has a water purifier and 60% of the owners would prefer a legislations and benchmarks for water purity for its long term
German Water Purifier( because it is cheaper than the existing water survival and sustenance.
purifiers and consumes less power which will save the electricity-
middle class people are more concerned about the expenditure on We can end the case now. Thanks!
electricity, appliances etc. ) = 6*0.80*0.60 = 2.88 crore
In the upper class segment, 90% would own a water purifier (because
with the increase in standard of living people tend to adopt a more
healthy lifestyle) and I am assuming that 30% of them would prefer a
German Water Purifier since upper class people prefer to buy

Market Entry
Interview Notes
MARKET ENTRY
Have a clear understanding of

the client's expectations in
terms of market share.
Financial attractiveness Operational Feasibility Risks
Consider the regulatory
environment in India.
Revenue/Profit Operational Feasibility Economic
Try to be more concise in your

Consumption Barriers To Entry Legal
responsesTry to be more
concise in your responses Customer Acceptance Setting Up Value Chain
Rural (100 crore) Urban (40 crores)

Households (40/4= 10 crore)
BPL 20% = 2 crore Middle class 60% = 6 UC 20% = 2 crore

EXPECTED PROFIT = (Market Size* % Market
crore
own 90% = 1.8 crore share* Profit/unit) – Fixed Cost = [3.42*0.10*
German water purifier 30% (15000-6000)] – 2500 cr = (3.42*0.10*9000)
own 80% = 4.8 crore = 0.54 crore – 2500 cr = 3078 cr – 2500 cr = 578 cr
German water purifier
60% = 2.88 crore 3.42 crore
Recommendation:
Target Marketing
Business Environmental Analysis
Comply with Indian rules and regulations

PRICING
HEATER MANUFACTURER
The head of marketing calls you into his office and asks you to price the new heater. How would you
respond to this?
Alright. So, before we figure out the appropriate price for this new have incurred we can also look at the price the consumers might
heater, I would like to ask a few questions about company X, this be willing to pay. Since you have mentioned there is no
product, the potential customers as well as the competition. competition, I shall rule that out and focus on what costs we
have incurred for this.
Ok go on.
Ok go on.
What is the objective of the company regarding this product?

So how much have we spent on R&D for this?
To gain as much profit as possible.
₹120 Cr. for this type of heater. For a conventional heater it
costs us 4 rupees to manufacture, we sell it to the distributor for
Ok. I would like to know more about the product now. Is this a
10 rupees, the distributor sells to the store owner for INR 14,
completely new product or has our company/ any other company
and he sells it to the customer for 18 rupees.This heater costs
introduced something similar in the past?
₹400 to manufacture.
No, this is a completely new product that we’ve developed. ( the
Ok so if the manufacturing cost is 100 times, then accordingly
product is new: follow that branch)
the customer will have to pay ₹1,800 for one heater. On the up-
side this is a heater whose filament never burns out; so. say the
In that case, has the patent been approved?
people will buy it once for the next fifty years and are essentially
paying for 100 different heaters that they would have used in
Can you tell me if the product has any disadvantages? Does it use
the next 50 years. (considering a heater change twice in a year)
more energy? Or is it harmful to the customers in any way?
No, it is a safe product ready for the market. It also doesn’t use So? Will the customers agree?
more energy.
I do not think so. However, we have spent ₹120 Cr. on the
project, and it is a very useful invention. Let us broaden the
I see. I was thinking we could either price the product at a price
scope for the product a little and think more about the
comparable with the competition or base it on the costs that we
customers. I think various

HEATER MANUFACTURER
city councils are our customers too as they need to provide heating
for public places. There may be around 3000 heaters and another
1000 heaters at various indoor facilities of hospitals and stations.
Ok, what are you proposing?
These customers incur an additional expense of maintenance and

changing of the heaters and maintaining staff for it etc. If we can
sell this product to them, they will save on these additional costs
and will not have to worry about maintenance at all. Estimating that
these heaters are available for ₹500 to the city, upon which they
need to pay labour charges of ₹200 each to two workers needed to
change the filament, it still costs them ₹900 per heater, twice a
year. We can have a mark-up over this and sell each heater at
₹4,000 each. They would recover the amount in two years, and we
can use this price- based costing to get a very good profit. It is
important that we make a good profit on this product because for
every sale of a new technology-based heater, we are losing the
sales for 100 conventional heater.
Good point , thank you.

Pricing
Interview Notes Pricing a Product
New product in the market with

a distinct longevity feature
Other utilities are similar to a Radical Modification Similar to Pricing w.r.t.
common bulb Invention to existing existing another
This is a modification to an product product product
existing
product yet comes with an
advantage that no bulb in the
market has. Pricing w.r.t. another product
The objective is to gain as much
Value Method
as possible. Cost Method
(Upper limit)
Variable Cost
R&D Cost (Lower limit)

Recommendation:
The new bulb costs 100 times more to make than a conventional bulb, so we'd need to charge ₹400 to break even. But
customers won't pay that much, and may not even appreciate the longevity benefits.
Long-life bulbs can reduce maintenance costs in public places like streets, stations, and hospitals. Targeting these
customers for the product is beneficia

REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
Your client is an upcoming real estate investor in Delhi. He has recently built a housing complex and
wants to figure out how to price the complex. How would you help him decide a price?
Alright before beginning I would like to ask a few clarifying questions. I Okay so what is the investment made by investor in the project?
wish to understand a few things about the housing complex. What What is the gestation period he is comfortable with?
kind of locality is it located in and how crowded is the market near
The builder has invested 350 crores and expects a 10–12-year
that complex?
gestation period.
The complex is on the outskirts of the city. It’s a growing region Okay, lastly what is the average size of a single apartment?
which has not yet been tapped by any of the other builders.
The size of a single apartment is around 2000 square feet.
What is the important reason for choosing this location?
clear I would like to look at three pricing options and then decide
Apart from the metro project announced by the government, a which pricing option way to go I look at cost-based, competition-
couple of offices are coming up in the area. based and value-based pricing. That sounds reasonable, in this
case let's look at the cost base. Okay, I have a few questions before
This can attract people working in these offices and people who want I start. I want to know the expected profit margins and apartment-
to travel look for cheaper apartments. How many apartments and specific maintenance costs, expected sales schedule and pricing
buildings are there in the complex? strategy to be followed for different flats.
Consider that the profit margin is 10% of the costs incurred

There are 15 buildings with 100 apartments each.
and the maintenance costs to be paid per year and therefore it
is not included in the price of the apartment. The client is
So, in total 1500 apartments. Okay, are these segmented into
expecting to sell 20% of the flats every year in the next 5 years.
different categories? And if yes, what are the kind of amenities
Assume floor 1-5 to be priced 10% higher than 6-10.
offered by each category?
Assume all the apartments fall into the economy category and Our price should be such that it should include the cost incurred
that the amenities are at par with the industry standard. by the client and the profit

REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
expected out of the project. Considering the profit to be 10% of the As regional and metro services are coming, they are not currently
investment made in the project. The total expected revenue would offered, so competition and value-based pricing will not help us
be 280 crores. Expected Revenue = number of flats*price/square much and we should go along with it cost-based pricing until the
feet*square feet. Since some flats are to be priced higher than region is sufficiently developed.
others, price/ square feet for floor 1-5 would be 1467 and
price/square feet for floor 6-10 would be 1333 INR. Since all the
apartments would not be occupied in the first year, we can increase
the price of the apartment in future years to account for growth,
improvement in surroundings and inflation.
Okay, and what would be the questions you would consider with
regard to the competitors?
To evaluate them, I found the prices and costs of competitors in

economy class edges I would also compare their offer with ours to
see if they offer more or less per unit price. I then evaluate a
residential-based competitor as a benchmark
Let’s go now. What would be value-based costing?
Proximity to the subway and office space is definitely a reason to

add an extra premium competitive pricing, which I talked about
earlier, assuming that competitors do not offer this advantage. We
can also look at warrants in other districts for analysis reward
strategy followed by builders. Therefore, I would rate the
apartments a price higher than competitors' prices and a general
limitation on maintaining prices greater than or equal to the
calculated cost-based interest.
That's fair, what would you recommend in that case?

Pricing
Interview Notes
Pricing of Apartments
No product differentiation as
such
First mover advantage
Competition based
Cost, competitor, value Cost based valuation Value based pricing
valuation
Regulatory concerns
Variable Expected
R&D cost profit margin Proximity to Upper Price
Costs
a Metro Limit
(lower limits)
Industry Industry
margins Offering
Recommendation:
Before solving the case, have a thorough understanding of client's business and ask all clarifying questions to be clear
with all the details.
Figure out a way to collate or coalesce the three prices found through the three methods.

GROWTH
LIGHT MANUFACTURER
Your client is world’s Second Largest Light Manufacturer. They have come across a technology that
increases the life of the light to 50 years. You have to help your client decide whether they should
purchase this technology or not.
Thank you for the problem statement. I have certain questions I would be analysing the decision to invest by getting answers to
before I can prepare my structure for the case. Where exactly is three questions. What would be the expected increase in revenues
our client based out of and what are its areas of operation? for the company? What would be the operational feasibility of this
technology and lastly, if there are any risks associated with this
The client is based out of US but they sell their product across the investment opportunity?
globe.
That sounds like a fair approach. Lets start with expected
revenues.
What is the objective of this investment and are there any
budgetary constraints? We can calculate the expected revenues with the following
formula:
The client wants to increase their revenues and there are no
Expected Revenues = Market Size x Market Share x Price of the
budgetary constraints.
Product
Do you want me to consider we would be focusing on only one
I would like to understand more about the technology. What do we
type of product, i.e. a bulb to calculate the expected revenue?
exactly mean by increasing the life to 50 years? Also, is there any
change in the current manufacturing facility which our client
would be required to make if this technology is used? Also, what is That sounds like a fair assumption. Let’s go ahead with
the incremental cost of manufacturing for this technology? calculating the price of the product.
The life of light increases to 50 years which means if I install this Sure. To calculate the light of the bulb, we can have three
light today at my home, it will last till 50 years. There is no approaches. First is cost based approach, then competition based
change in manufacturing process and the incremental cost is approach and lastly the value based approach. Since there is no
also minimal. competitor to this technology in the market, we are left with cost-
based approach and value-based approach. Since the incremental
Thank you for the clarification. I would take 30 seconds to cost is minimal and value derived from this product is huge, am I
structure my approach. fair to calculate the price with value-based approach?
Sure, go ahead.

LIGHT MANUFACTURER
Sure. I have taken X Axis as the Years and Y Axis as the Revenue. For
That makes sense. Go ahead.
the first few years, there will be an increase in revenue since we
Great. I will assume that price of a normal bulb is Rs. 100 and it would be able to capture the market share at a faster rate,
lasts for 2 years on an average. Thus, a consumer is spending Rs. considering the price we are charging. However, after some time,
50 for 1 year of usage, which means the consumer is deriving a there will be stagnation in the revenues and then the revenues will
value of Rs. 50 per year through a normal bulb. Now since, our start falling since the purchase frequency per consumer would be 1
bulb is providing 50 years of lifespan, thus, a customer would be time in 50 years in comparison to 25 times in 50 years.
willing to pay a maximum of Rs. 2500 for the bulb. I am ignoring That’s correct. So what is your suggestion for the client?
the cost of replacement that the customer would have to incur in
case of normal bulb. However, I feel that we can provide 10 years I feel the client must purchase the technology as if we do not
of free usage to the customer so that it acts as an incentive for purchase it, our competitors might purchase the same. We can
them. This gives us a price of Rs. 2,000 based on value-based probably purchase the technology to save this industry.
approach.
Haha! What would you suggest if the client purchases this
What do you think about this price? technology?
I personally feel that this price Is a lot for a normal consumer as After purchasing this technology, we can use it to manufacture
they are just paying Rs. 100 currently for a bulb. The behavioural products for our self-consumption, government agencies, street
change would be very difficult at this price point. lights, playing arenas, monuments and for those places where
replacement of light is a difficult process. For this, we can also
Yes, so what do you think should be an idle price for the product? charge a premium from our customers since they have huge paying
capacity. Moreover, we can also associate the social premium as
I feel, we can probably charge in the range of 2x-5x of the current lesser lights would be produced due to the lifespan, which
price. Thus, the maximum price we can charge is Rs. 500. positively impacts the environment.
That was a good attempt. We can wrap the case now.

That sounds like a good price. Now, I want you to prepare a
graph, representing the revenues for the client for the next 50 Thank you!
years if this technology is purchased.

GROWTH
Interview Notes
DECISION TO BUY
No budget constraint
and wants to increase
revenue Expected increase Operational feasibility
Ignore cost of Associated Risk
in revenue of technology
Replacement
PRICE OF THE PRODUCT
Cost Based Competition Based Value Based
Minimal No Competition High Value
Price = ₹100
Expected period= 2 years
Expected Value= ₹50/year
willingness to Pay = ₹2500 - 500 = ₹2000 (50
years life span, 10-year fees usage - incentive)
Recommendation:
All the clarifying questions must be asked to understand the correct approach to this case.
The price of the bulb may vary in different approaches thus a fair price must be set after proper competitor analysis.

FMCG COMPANY
Client is a food FMCG company established 10 years ago in the country's Northern and Eastern markets.
Its growth has stagnated. The CAGR of the company is 8% and the PAT is 4%. For the next 5 years, the
company wants to grow at a CAGR of 20% and a PAT of 12%. You need to provide recommendations for
increasing the growth of the company.
Sure! Before moving ahead, I would like to know a few things about existing and the new channels of distribution. For the existing
the client. The objective being growth, what do we actually mean by channels of distribution, I would like to consider the current
growth here? production capacity to fulfil the demand, the distribution
network and increasing the demand for the product. For new
The growth here means growth in terms of revenue and profit. channels of distribution, I would like to explore the prospects of
expansion in new geographies and new product segments.
What products does the client offer? Is it an industry-wide issue? Does that sound comprehensive?
The client primarily sells spices. (90% business from spices, 10%
Yes, you can go ahead with the average revenue/customer.
from others).
For how long have they been facing the issue? Who are the target Sure.
customers and how are the products being priced? Average Revenue per customer – Average revenue can be
increased by enhancing customer loyalty and running innovative
The client has been facing the problem for quite some time now promotional campaigns to increase the reach. The marketing
and the products are priced slightly below as compared to the campaigns can be further be divided into traditional and online
competitors. marketing.
Sure.
Thanks for the information. I would like to look at both the organic Average Revenue per customer – Average revenue can be
and the inorganic growth prospects for the company. Does that increased by enhancing customer loyalty and running innovative
sound good? promotional campaigns to increase the reach. The marketing
campaigns can be further be divided into traditional and online
You can focus on organic growth for this case.
marketing.
Organic growth can be further divided into two parts, i.e., # of
buyers x Average revenue/buyer. I would like to look into both Sounds good. Can you think of some other measures to
aspects one by one. specifically increase the PAT?
No. of buyers – To increase the user base we can look at both the

FMCG COMPANY
Yes, the cost aspect can be looked at, since that is an important
element that impacts the gross profit and ultimately the PAT.
Sure, go ahead.
I would like to chart out the value chain here. The process includes
the cost of procurement of raw materials, processing cost, packaging
cost, storage and transportation costs, customer service costs. The
two primary costs that can be the cause of an increase might be
packaging and storage costs since it is an issue specific to the client.
(The same was confirmed by the interviewer before moving ahead).
While the marketing campaigns will lead to an additional cost, the
corresponding increase in sales and customers should be able to
offset the increased costs. We can further do a cost-benefit analysis
of the same.
That won’t be required. I think we can wrap up the case now. Thank
you!
Thank you so much!

GROWTH
Interview Notes
GROWTH
Client is facing stagnant growth.
Growth is in terms of revenue
and profit.
Organic INORGANIC
To increase the organic growth, Growth GROWTH
there are 2 ways: no. of buyers &
average revenue basis For
increasing the no. of buyers, for
existing channels of distribution NO. OF BUYERS AVERAGE
the current production capacity REVENUE/BUYER
is considered. For new channels PROMOTIONAL
CHANNEL OF MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
of distribution, the prospects of
DISTRIBUTION
expansion in new geographies
and new product segments is
considered.
EXISTING NEW
Then the average revenue per TRADITIONAL ONLINE
customer I have followed online MARKETING eg, MARKETING eg,
and offline marketing of the OFFERS AND social media
INCREASING CURRENT EXPANSION IN NEW DISCOUNTS campaigns
product. PRODUCTION CAPACITY GEOGRAPIES
PRODUCT
DIVERSIFICATION
Recommendation:
To increase PAT, cost benefit analysis is suggested.

FOOD COMPANY
Our client is a food company that specializes in packaged snacks. They've been experiencing a decline in
sales in the past year and have asked us to help them figure out why. What would be your first steps in
approaching this problem?
Okay, my initial approach would be to gather more information
about the company and the market. I would want to understand Good thinking. Finally, how would you measure the success of
their current product line and sales figures, as well as their these recommendations?
marketing and distribution strategies. I would also look at trends in
the food industry and the competition to see if there are any To measure the success of our recommendations, we would track
changes that might be affecting their sales. sales figures and customer feedback over a period of time. We
would also want to monitor market trends and competition to
That sounds good. Let's say you've done all of that research and ensure our client is staying ahead of the curve. Ultimately, success
found that the decline in sales is due to increased competition. would be determined by whether our client is able to increase
What recommendations would you make to our client? sales and regain market share.
Great job. Do you have any questions for me?

Based on my research, I would recommend that our client diversify
their product line to differentiate themselves from the
competition. They could also invest in marketing and advertising to Yes, I was wondering if you could tell me more about the consulting
increase brand awareness and customer loyalty. Finally, they could process for food companies specifically?
look into partnerships with other companies or retailers to increase
Of course. Typically, the consulting process for food companies
distribution channels.
involves a mix of research and analysis, as well as working closely
Okay, let's say our client has implemented these with the client to develop and implement recommendations. We
recommendations but sales are still declining. What do you think might conduct market research, analyze sales data, and work with
might be the problem now? the client to develop a strategy for growth. We also often work
with clients to improve their supply chain and distribution
If sales are still declining despite the changes we recommended, I processes. Does that help?
would want to take a closer look at their product development
process. It's possible that their products are not meeting consumer Yes, it does. Thank you for your time.
needs or are not priced competitively. We could also explore other
markets or geographic regions to see if there are opportunities for
growth.

GROWTH
Interview Notes
Decline in sales
Enquire about the marketing
mix of the packaged snacks
in the market.
Comparison has to be done
between the client and the External
Customer Competitor Company
industry. Factors
Set the overall
structure,divide it into
multiple parts.
Growth decision should be Product Price Place Promotion
taken after understanding
the current state of business
in the market and then by Meet Customer Brand
Partnership to increase
the distribution channel
analysing the feasibility of Needs Awareness
the growth opportunities in
terms of potential impact, Diversify
Product should be Advertising
financial and practical priced according to
competitor's price Marketing
feasibility.
Recommendation:
Short-Term: Proceed with the updated pricing plan with limited time discounts, multiple subscription levels and a
mobile only plan.
Long-Term: Begin detailed due diligence of ABC and start negotiations. Also identify alternate targets to keep options
open.

UNCONVENTIONAL
MINIMIZING THE FOREST FIRES
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand has approached you regarding the Forest fires breaking out
periodically and you must devise a 4-month strategy plan for the same.
Sure, so we need to design a strategy to minimize or eradicate the villagers, NGOs and environmentalists
chances of forest fires breaking out, right? • Penalties and legal actions for the violators.
• Vigilant regulation of forest areas, proper disposal of farm waste,
Yes, why don’t you go ahead and chart the reasons and specify the and maintenance of sanitation and hygiene.
stakeholder management?
Stakeholders:
Right, so the diagnosis of the Forest fires could be due to natural
• Government
reasons 25% - (Weather temperature, rustling of leaves, lightning,
Checking the current scenario through organisation and
etc.) and 75% are due to the result of human activities (global
inspection of mock drills
warming, climate crisis, poor response mechanism, irresponsible
Ensuring the accountability of different stakeholders
disposal of cigarette butts, electric spark, flame, etc.)
•District Administration
Just focus on the role of the different stakeholders dealing with the Appropriate and comprehensive resource management in the
man made reasons for breakout. districts
Action plan and enhanced manageable span of control
Sure, there are two ways to go forward with the same- reducing • Forest Administration
the chances of occurrence of forest fires by curtailing the disposal Operation: Response team, equipped and trained teams
of inflammable substances and deploying a sustainable fast Planning: Resource situation report, documentation and
response mechanism for prevention. It includes: mobilisation
• Identification of fire-prone areas and its mapping Logistics: Source and support units
• Usage of forest fire forecasting technologies (natural) Finance and Administration: Cost and procurement
• Installation of preventative measures (fire alert system, sand- • Block Administration
water management system) • Gram Panchayat
• Provision of integrated communication networks and devices for • Villagers
the timely flow of information, manpower and materials to fire • NGOs and Environmentalists
sites.
Regular training of forest staff and fire protection committee Great! Let us end the case here.
members (including villagers that are acquainted with these
places) Thank You!
• Generating public awareness by collaborating with elderly

UNCONVENTIONAL
Interview Notes
Forest fire can be caused due to

two reasons - human activities Role of Stakeholders
and natural
Product
Two ways to reduce the forest

Delivery
fires are - by curtailing the
disposal of inflammable
substances and deploying a
NGOs & District Gram
sustainable fast response Government Supermarket
Villagers
Environment Administratio Panchayat
mechanism for prevention. s
alists n
The role of different
stakeholders - NGOs and
Environmentalists, Government, Ensuring Educating the Action Plan & Awareness Monitoring the
Enhanced Campaigns to Supermarket
Area &
Block Administration, Forest Accountabilit Public about
the Steps to Manageable Educate People s any
reporting
Administration etc. To reduce y of Different
Stakeholders Prevent Control Signs of Fire
forest fire.
Forest Fires
Recommendation:
Forest laws should be taken into consideration while framing the policy
Role of the local government should be acknowledged and vested with appropriate powers.

DAIRY MANUFACTURING
So your client is a manufacturer of dairy products namely milk, ghee and curd. Currently they are selling
their products through stores. However, they feel that they need to start selling their products online.
Suggest them whether they should sell products through third party apps or their own app. Also, what
parameters will you consider before making the decision.
Before we proceed, I would like to ask a few preliminary questions . 2. Expenditure involved in tying up with third party apps vs.
expenditure involved in designing our own app (technical support)
Sure 3. Expenditure on acquiring workforce and compensation to
Does the client currently sell its products through mom and pop deliverymen
stores or supermarkets ? Also any particular reason for the decision 4. Delivery time
to start online services ? 5. Time in which third party apps will deliver the products vs. our
delivery representatives
So the company currently sells its products through supermarkets. 6. Competitors -
According to the company, their customers have started relying on Considering what means is followed by competitors
online shopping post covid. Therefore they intend to start Competing brands available on third party app and its
delivering the products online. repercussions on our brand products
Comparing the price and quality of competing products with
Ok, one more question before I proceed with the case. By third that of our products.
party apps, do you mean quick service apps like Zepto, Blinkit or 7. Legal aspects
Swiggymart Legal provisions to be considered for designing our app
Ensuring confidentiality of users’ information
We can assume apps like Swiggymart
Great, these are good points. Could you sum up the case
Ok, so first of all we will conduct a market research to find out who
is our main target audience and their changing needs. (After having Sure, so by comparing both the alternatives on the basis of
a conversation with the interviewer, we figured out that our target parameters listed above, the client can decide whether to start
audience is working professionals who do not have time to visit selling the products online through their own app or through third
stores) In my opinion, the main parameters that we will take into party apps, keeping in view the needs of their target audiences
consideration while deciding whether to partner with third party
Fair enough, we can wrap up the case now
apps or start our own are :
1. Estimated expenditure Thank you very much !

UNCONVENTIONAL
Interview Notes
Product Delivery
Clients want to shift to online
mode due to its increased
Proposed Delivery Present Delivery
reliability post lockdown.
Recognizing existing third party
apps allows us to determine
parameters like expenditure, Own App Supermarkets
Third Party App
delivery time, competitors and
legal aspects..
Breaking down parameters will
Above 45
allow us to directly compare years
benefits of own app vs third Estimated Expenditure
party apps .
Delivery Time
Competitors
Legal Aspects
Recommendation:
Specify distinctive properties of competing brands to understand market scenario
Establish contingency plans in case of malfunction of third party apps

NATURALS ICE CREAM
Naturals Ice cream has approached us as they want to open 500 new stores pan-India. We want to
answer 2 questions now- 1). Is it a good tie-up? 2). If the financing happens, naturals will help us to what
extent in recovering the loans?
I have some clarifying questions. What do we mean by a good tie In 1. we have 2 questions at hand A. How will you decide that it
up? Are there any constraints in financing? What are the terms and is a good franchise? B. What data would you extract from
conditions for financing? Do we have any prior experience in naturals.
franchise financing? In 2. we will look into 3 major buckets- A. NPAs B. Recovery C.
Payments
By good we mean the loans have to be repaid in time without any
NPAs. There are no constraints and the terms are similar to Okay. What data would you require from Naturals?
industry standards. We don’t have any prior experience in franchise
We can ask for 1. Data about how other existing franchises are
financing.
performing. 2. Overall topline figures 3. More information about
the new franchises
Alright. I understand that the franchise owners and the bank would
benefit in such a scenario. But, how would naturals benefit in this Let’s focus on 1.
situation?
We would require 1. More information about the current owners of
Naturals will benefit in a way that only individuals approved by the current Naturals franchises. (A. Credit score B. KYC check C.
Naturals would get loans which would result in better franchises Did they repay their loans on time) 2. Forecasted revenues and
for Naturals. The process would be that naturals would profits and also about the operating [rofits and costs. 3. How is the
recommend the individuals who are approved after the relationship between naturals and the owners? To what extent
background check to approach our bank to get a loan for the have naturals helped them in the past?
franchisee. The further process would be what we usually follow.
Great. Can you tell me what factors are important when you
I think there are two major things to consider when giving out a consider opening a franchise of Naturals?
loan. 1. Undertaking 2. Collateral.
A. Location B. Distance from manufacturing unit C. Size of the
I think naturals can help us with some information required to store D. Estimated footfall per day E. Competitors in proximity
perform the undertaking. We can divide the process into 2 stages-
1. Before loan disbursal and 2. After disbursal and before recovery. Great. We can end the case here.

UNCONVENTIONAL
Interview Notes Data Requirement
from Naturals
Try to be more concise in your

responses Undertaking
Collateral
Be more specific when
discussing the information you
would require from Naturals. After Loan Disbursal & Before Recovery
Before Loan Disbursal
For example, when discussing
credit scores and KYC checks,
you could specify the
minimum acceptable scores or Judging if Good Requirement from
Franchise Naturals NPA Recovery Payment
standards.
Consider important factors for
Naturals franchise success,
such as location, distance,
Existing Overall Information about
store size, footfall, and Franchise new Franchise
Topline
competition. Performance Figure
Size of Competitors
Credit KYC Loan Location the Store in Proximity
Score Check Repayme
nt on Distance from Estimated Footfall Per
Time Manufacturing Unit Day
Recommendation:
Clarify franchise financing terms and conditions, including interest rate and repayment period.
Request financial projections, performance data of existing franchises, and relationship between Naturals and
franchise owners to assess loan risk.

REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE
The Government of Odisha is looking forward to reducing the maternal mortality rate by ensuring timely
maternal care to every woman in the state. Currently, most women prefer to deliver their children at
home. You’re supposed to reason why women are reluctant to avail maternal services from formal
healthcare institutions.
That’s an intriguing question. To generate a comprehensive issue Could you list down any three barriers?
tree, I’ll begin with the most fundamental hypothesis. When I think
of women not being willing to come to hospitals, there can be two Lack of transportation to hospitals, female illiteracy and traditional
major reasons at a higher level. One, women aren’t aware of taboos.
healthcare facilities that are a sharp reality when we think of tribal
women and downtrodden strata. In the second case, they’re aware Can you justify the third point?
but some other issues are bothering them.
Sure! Odisha is a predominantly tribal state. As per my knowledge,
Could you tell me what are those issues? in some communities, there are prevailing customs that the child
should be delivered at the mother’s residence. Elder Women of the
If they’re aware, it can be possible that some of the people don’t community may not like the involvement of unknown people in the
have the financial ability to avail of healthcare services. birth of a child.
I want to interrupt you here. As it's evident that the state govt. That’s an interesting point. Can you suggest two methods to
provides all of these services free of cost, so can affordability be fight that taboo?
an issue? To answer that question, I’ll first list down the last-mile delivery
There’s a possibility that many PHCs and SHCs may be referring agents working at the village level. The public officials present at
medicines and diagnoses that are only available at private centres. the village level are ASHA workers, PHC nurses, Aanganwadi
In these cases, there may be a preconceived notion in the weaker workers and primary school, teachers. I’ll recommend two methods
sections that medical processes may involve some cost. This acts to convince women to deliver their babies at hospitals and
as a hindrance. maternal clinics. Firstly, ASHA workers and other officials can visit
houses to systematically remove the taboos from the minds of
Okay, you can continue with the other branch. women and make them aware of the dangers of delivering at home
for the child and mother. Secondly, incentive schemes can be
Sure, talking about the case when people can afford treatment, it launched at the Aanganwadi level. Regular Benefits can be served
can be the case that there are barriers preventing beneficiary’s to mothers who have been at the hospital. This can take the form of
access to maternal services. supplementing them with nutritional foods.

UNCONVENTIONAL
Interview Notes Rise of Maternal
Mortality Rate
Mostly women prefer delivery at

their home due to various
reasons
Aware Not Aware
Aim is to reduce the maternal
mortality rate by giving proper
care
There is alack of awareness
amongst women when it comes
to implementation Afford Can't Afford
Officials for delivery available in
the villages are ASHA workers,
PHC nurses,etc.
Can't Access Can Access Can Access Can't Access
Lack of Transportation
Traditional Societal
Taboos
Female Illiteracy
Recommendation:
Focus upon the reason of the existence of taboo even after the benefits offered by the government. Spread
awareness about the advantages of modern method. on the health of the child. Ensure proper working of
government clinics by strickter rules and laws

MILK DELIVERY BRAND
Your client is a milk delivery brand that offers customers takeaway services. It wants to expand its
delivery services to be able to provide a home delivery facility. You are required to analyse if the client
should go ahead with a third-party application or its own application.
That seems interesting. Before moving ahead, I would like to know

about the client a bit better. What is the objective of the client
here? What all products do they have to offer? Who are our
competitors and how are they offering these services? Who are our
customers and do we have any time or budgetary constraints?
The preliminary questions were answered by the interviewer.
Thanks for the information. I would like to analyse the alternatives

on the basis of a few factors. I further analysed both the
alternatives based on various factors such as Technological
capabilities, Monetary resources required, Human Capital needed,
Logistical support, Delivery Personnel and Distribution Network,
Commissions and earnings, discounts and promised time for
delivery. I further highlighted a few benefits of using the in-house
application based on the factors mentioned above.
We can wrap up the case now. (A few HR questions were

discussed). Thank You!
Thank you so much!

UNCONVENTIONAL
Interview Notes
Delivery Facility
Aim of the company is to expand
delivery services to provide a
home delivery facility
Till now company is dealing with
the takeaway services
Home Delivery Takeaway Services
Third-Party
App Inhouse App
Monetary Human Logistical Technological

Resources Capital Support Support
Recommendation:
Competitiveness of the in-house app could have been analyzed.

MERGERS &
ACQUISITIONS
ZOMATO
There’s a company like ZOMATO that is looking forward to an M&A opportunity. They’ve two options
either go for Big Basket (Grocery services) or acquire Uber (Cab Services). Which one they should go for
and why?
All right. To reiterate what you said our client is a company like So, I want to know is there any target profit the company is planning
Zomato and they are looking for an M&A opportunity in the market. to achieve?
They’ve two options either they can for a company like Big Basket
The company is planning to increase profits by 20% in the next
specifically their grocery services or we can pick uber knowing their
two years.
excellent cab services.
Yes, correct. Okay. So, Can I take some time to structure my approach?
Yes sure.
Before I proceed, May I ask some preliminary questions?
Yes sure. I’ll structure my approach by dividing into four headers, that are
market situation or you could say the attractiveness of the market,
How have been the profits of the company lately? How is the financial attractiveness (standalone value of the company),
competition in the market? Are there any budgetary constraints? Operational feasibility (barriers to entry, saving cost, feasibility
check), intrinsic and market resultant synergies that can be achieved
The company so far has been stable. There are 2-3 big players in and its capabilities to execute this acquisition. Does that sound good?
the market out of which ours is one of those big players. No
there are no budgetary constraints, the company is looking Okay all of this good, now you tell me the solution first and then
forward to new opportunities in the market. state the reasons and assumptions of why you say so.
Assuming the major source of revenue of the company will be the Alright. Can take a minute?
platform commission for providing numerous orders from various
outlets and % of delivery charge that they charge from the sure!
customers. What is the primary objective behind such acquisition.
So, looking at the first factor which checks on the market
Are they looking to increase revenue, profits or anything else?
attractiveness both of the companies are doing good in terms of their
They want to increase their revenue and profits from such an market share in their own fields. But, considering the line of the
acquisition. business our business currently is in, I feel Zomato should go for
acquiring Big Basket’s Grocery Delivery services.

ZOMATO
First thing, whenever someone thinks of food, Zomato pops up in Interesting question! I think, Zomato should for expanding their
their mind which makes them go for a quick order. Big Basket will business in rural areas. Everyone knows about Zomato in India,
give us a large base of customers. Going into same line expansion having the best example most of the delivery boys who work at
will also help retain the existing customers. Along, with that we will Zomato live in such villages or have their hometowns in such
get a new customer acquisition. Considering, Uber their cab villages. It becomes easier for them to connect with Zomato. With
services and three wheeler services are at a greater segment which the increasing ordering food online, the demand is going to increase
are not feasible for delivery business. The two wheeler segment is and there is going to be a shift in the lifestyle of the people. People
majorly coming into the picture by other giants like Rapido. Hence, also have now good access to internet and mobile phones. Hence, I
the other sides of the coins looks more attractive. think it can be a phenomenal opportunity.
Okay Good! What about the financial feasibility? Why not they should go abroad and increase their profits? How are
people going to switch from their traditional methods. A lot of
Having said that both the companies are doing good in their own people in villages only love home cooked food.
business. But, having an acquisition with companies like Big Basket
gives us and advantage to save our delivery infrastructure cost, The company needs huge amount of investment overall and R&D to
including helps us in saving customer acquisition cost and build understand the international markets. Knowing that the food giant is
trust with the consumers. Also, I’ve some read some news articles still unable to make profits on account of huge expenses led by
where uber has been falsifying the salaries of their drivers for discounts and marketing. They will also have to face competition in
which they had to payback a good amount. For them, the business the international markets from big giants. That’s another concern.
is still very shaky in terms of the profits from post covid era. Yes, I agree a lot of people prefer home-cooked food in villages, for
that in case we need to bring the healthy home cooked outlets in
I agree even after Uber’s exceptional revenue growth in recent the picture first, small home bakers in our business with
years, the company is not profitable at this time. As per the extraordinary heart touching campaigns to attract the larger crowd
estimates, the losses are expected again next year with earning per at once.
share (EPS) projections of a loss of 21 cents, approximately. The
company does not pay dividend and has no plans in the near Thanks a lot Saumya! We can end the case here.
future too. So, adding up a questions on the same client. What do
you think Zomato should increase their business in the small
villages or towns or they should expand globally and why?

Merger & Acquisition
Interview Notes
Acquisition
Opportunity
Enquire about the marketing mix
of the packaged snacks in the
market.
Comparison has to be done
Customer External
between the client and the
Factors
industry.
Set the overall structure,divide
it into multiple parts.
Growth decision should be taken Market Financial Synergies Market Financial
after understanding the current Attractive attractive Synergies
Attractive attractive
state of business in the market ness ness ness ness
and then by analysing the
feasibility of the growth
opportunities in terms of
Having Co. like Big Uber is mostly not
potential impact, financial and Big Basket
basket, save Having Big basket into two wheelers Uber's business is
business is
Practical feasibility. delivery will reduce cost therefore, it does not still shaky in
beneficial for us
infrastructure for the Co. & look good for our terms of profits
because they
cost & also increase profits business since we from past Covid
have similar
customer of the Company want two wheelers for era
customer base.
acquisition cost. delivery
Recommendation:
It's important to take a systematic approach to identify the root cause of the problem and develop an effective solution. This involves
analyzing data such as financial statements, customer feedback, and industry trends to gain a clear understanding of the current state of the
business. A strategy can be developed to address the decline in revenue, which may involve changes to pricing strategies, development of
new products or services, or targeting new customer segments.

CONSULTANT'S ROLE IN M&A
Can you first introduce yourself and your role in the recent merger and acquisition?
Sure, my name is John and I was the lead consultant in charge of Thirdly, we developed and executed a detailed integration plan that
the merger and acquisition between Company A and Company B. involved integrating the two companies' systems, processes, and
staff.
Can you explain to us why the decision for a merger and acquisition
was made? Lastly, we monitored and evaluated the progress of the integration to
ensure that we were achieving our objectives.
The decision for the merger and acquisition was made based on
several factors. Firstly, Company A and Company B were in similar What were the biggest challenges that you faced during the merger
industries and had complementary products, services, and and acquisition?
markets. By merging, we could achieve economies of scale,
improve efficiency, and reduce operating costs. The biggest challenge that we faced was the cultural differences
between the two companies. Company A was a more conservative,
Secondly, the merger and acquisition allowed us to combine our traditional company while Company B was more entrepreneurial and
R&D capabilities and the resulting synergies would give us a innovative.
competitive advantage in the market.
We had to work very hard to find common ground and ensure that the
Thirdly, the merger and acquisition would provide an opportunity cultures of both companies were respected and preserved.
for us to expand our market share and customer base, and
ultimately increase revenue and profitability. What was the key learning from this merger and acquisition?
Can you walk us through the process you followed for the merger The key learning from this merger and acquisition is the importance of
and acquisition? proper due diligence, planning, and execution. We had to be
meticulous in our approach and ensure that every detail was taken
Sure, we followed a rigorous process that involved several steps.
care of.
Firstly, we conducted thorough due diligence on both companies
to identify any potential risks and opportunities.
Another important lesson is the importance of communication and
transparency. We had to keep all parties involved in the loop and
Secondly, we negotiated the terms of the deal such as the
ensure that everyone was on the same page throughout the process.
purchase price, payment structure, and any post-merger
arrangements.

CONSULTANT'S ROLE IN M&A
What recommendations would you give to companies considering a

merger and acquisition?
Firstly, companies need to ensure that a merger and acquisition is

the best option for them based on their objectives, needs, and
resources.
They also need to conduct thorough due diligence and develop a
detailed integration plan that takes into account all aspects of the
merger and acquisition.
Lastly, companies need to communicate openly and transparently
throughout the process and ensure that all stakeholders are
consulted and involved.

GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM
A global private equity firm is planning to expand its investment portfolio by diversifying into
infrastructure assets. They are currently considering a proposal for investing in a expressway project and
have enlisted our consulting services for assistance. The firm's main goals are to create a standardized
investment checklist and evaluate the potential risks associated with the investment proposal.
To begin with, I would like to gain a better understanding of the The investment proposal pertains to a 600-kilometer greenfield
client's investment strategy and current portfolio. highway project that has been proposed for construction between
Chennai and Coimbatore.
Our client is a major private equity firm based in the United States,
with around $70 billion in assets under management. Over the past I understand. In terms of the project's structure, it will be based
20 years, they have focused on investing in start-ups in various on a tender process where investors submit a closed-bid for the
regions around the world, with the goal of becoming a greenfield highway project from Chennai to Coimbatore, which
comprehensive alternative investor. Recently, they have launched will be granted on a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.
a new fund that focuses on infrastructure investments.
The client's investment objectives are: to achieve an IRR of 30%
Understood. So, what is our specific role in this project? over a 11-year investment horizon.
The client has enlisted our services for two main tasks: Fine, now please tell me about the revenue model.
1. To assist them in developing a standardized investment
checklist Revenue model involves earning primarily through tolls and rentals
2. To evaluate the risks involved in the investment proposal being from amenities. The funding structure will have a debt-equity ratio
evaluated. of 60:40, and construction is expected to be completed within 3
years, followed by a 20-year operating period. The client will need
Now, I have a few questions regarding the investment opportunity to partner with a construction expert and may also consider
currently under review. Could you clarify if this is a new construction partnering with the State government.
project or if it involves an existing highway? Additionally, where is the
proposed location for the project?

GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM
Based on the information provided, the investment checklist for this maintenance costs, staff salaries, and general expenses.
project should cover the following areas: Depreciation will be calculated based on the useful life of the asset,
1. Economic viability - This would include evaluating the revenue and interest will be based on the debt amortization schedule.
model, financial projections, break-even analysis, and
profitability of the project. Good, now let’s look at the risks assessment of the investment
proposal under consideration?
2. Funding structure - This would involve analysing the proposed
debt-equity mix, repayment terms, interest rates, and any
convertible instruments. Sure, I will summarize your points. The risk assessment of the
3. Technical expertise - This would include assessing the technical investment proposal will be done in a sequential manner, with a
partner's past credentials and construction expertise, as well as focus on pre-construction risks, construction risks, operational
their technological capabilities for toll collection, maintenance risks, financial risks, and exit risks.
of the highway, and accident prevention. Pre-construction risks include over-bidding, non-compliance
4. Valuation and returns - This would involve performing an NPV with tender conditions, and difficulties in finding technical and
analysis, computing the IRR, and determining the payback strategic partners.
period. Construction risks include delays, quality issues, and regulatory
5. Risk assessment - This would include identifying and evaluating hurdles.
any construction, operational, and exit risks, as well as any Operational risks include maintenance issues, competition from
regulatory considerations. other transport modes, and toll collection efficiency.
Overall, the investment checklist would help the client to make an Financial risks include cost overruns, inflation, and funding
informed decision about whether to invest in the proposed highway costs.
project. Finally, exit risks include difficulty finding buyers and achieving
desired valuations.
Can you elaborate a bit the financial model template and NPV/IRR
analysis?
Our discussion is complete. Thank you.
The financial model should have two distinct phases: construction

and operating.
During the construction phase, all costs incurred in developing the
asset will be capitalized, including interest on the debt.
During the operating phase, revenues from tolls and shop rentals will
be taken into account, along with operating costs such as

MERGERS & AQUISITIONS
Interview Notes Investment

Evaluation of investment
Criteria
proposal for highway project.
Becoming a full fledged
alternative investor. Economics Technical Valuation &
Funding Plans Risks
Drafting a standardized Attractiveness Capabilities Returns
investment checklist.
Assess the investment risk of
Revenue Debt-Equity Mix Post Credentials Analysis of NPV
the proposal. Model Terms of Expertise in Computation of
Investment criteria would Projections Repayment Rate construction IRA Payback
Break-Even of Interest Technological Period
include economic Convertibles
Profitability Capabilities Collection
attractiveness, funding plan, of Toll Maintenance
technical capabilities, Accident Prevention
valuation and returns and
some others.
Pre- Construction During Operational Financial Risks Exit Risks
Constructions Risks
Over-Bidding, Delays in More Frequent R&M, Cost Over Runs,

Inflation Failure to Find
T&C Breach, Site Construction, alternative Routes,
Overshoot, a Buyer, Get
Clearance, Quality Standards, Alternative modes of
increase in funding Desired Value
Technical Partner, Clearance of Transport, Toll Collection
Strategic Partner Regulations. Effectiveness Accidents Cost
Recommendation:
Before solving the case have a thorough understanding of client’s business and ask all clarifying questions to be clear
with all the details.
Figure out a way to analyse the risks and investment criterias thoroughly and also the financial model.

OTHERS
BRAIN TEASER
Puzzle
Case 2- If the ball does not break: We now move to the next
Alright, so let’s proceed to a brain teaser.
threshold floor i.e. floor 20 and repeat the same steps till we find
the floor. We will have to follow a hit-and-trial method but
Sure ma’am.
dividing into groups will help reduce the number of attempts
Okay, so there is a building with 100 floors and you have unlimited
supply of glass balls. So how will you determine the first floor Alright, sounds good. What will be the number least and
from where the ball will break. Just let me know the approach you maximum number of attempts?
would follow.
1. Least number of attempts will be two when the ball breaks
Are there any constraints that we need to look at? from the first threshold floor (floor 10 in our case) 2. Maximum
number of attempts will be 19 (if ball breaks from 92nd floor). We
Nothing in particular. Just that you have to do this in minimum will have to drop the balls from 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th ,
number of attempts. 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th, 100th floors and then from 99th to 91st
floor where the ball does not break.
Alright. I will structure my approach and will get back to you in a
few seconds. Sounds comprehensive. Let’s move to another question.
Sure. Okay.
So, we can start by dividing the floors in sets of 10. The first set Suppose you have two buckets measuring 5 litres and 3 litres
will include floors 1 to 10, next from 11 to 20 and so on till 100. We respectively. How will you use them to measure exactly 4 litres
can set up a threshold floor in each set. For eg- the last floor of of water? Again, just focus on the approach.
each set. We can go to the 10th floor, drop the ball and see if it
breaks.
Alright. I will structure my answer and get back to you in a minute.
Case 1- If the ball breaks: We can now drop the balls from a lower Would that work?
floor to see from where they start breaking. We will then try the
ninth floor, eighth floor and so on till we reach the floor from Yes, alright.
where it does not break.

BRAIN TEASER
In order to measure exactly 4 litres, we can follow the following
steps.
Step 1- Fill the 3 litre bucket.

Step 2- Transfer this to the 5 litre bucket.
Step 3- Fill the 3 litre bucket.
Step 4- Fill the remaining part of the 5 litre bucket with the 3 litre
bucket. Now the 5 litre bucket is full and 3 litre bucket has one litre
water in it.
Step 5- Empty the 5 litre bucket.
Step 6- Transfer the one litre from 3 litre bucket to 5 litre bucket.
Step 7- Fill the 3 litre bucket and transfer to the 5 Litre bucket. It
now has 1+3=4 Litres of water.
Sounds good. Great job!
Thank you!

OTHERS
Interview Notes
Least Number of Floors - When

the ball breaks from the first Divide the floor into sets of 10 Floors
threshold floor (Example : 1-10, 11-20, 21-30 etc.)
Maximum Number of Attempts
- When the ball breaks from
91st floor.
If the Ball Breaks If the Ball doesn't break
Move to the lower floor

Move to the next
of the same set threshold set of Floor
Recommendation:
Optimize the size of the set - Instead of dividing the floors into sets of 10, we can adjust the size of each set to
minimize the number of attempts needed.
If ball breaks from the last floor of the threshold instead of going to a floor lower to that of the last floor, we can drop
the ball from the first floor of that threshold.

MCD ELECTION CAMPAIGN
Elaborate on the channels that will be used to target the youth for MCD Election Campaign
Sure, sounds interesting. A few clarifying questions: How much

Right, is there any audience that will be left even after using the
time do we have for the elections? Do we have to create
above channels?
awareness for the elections or have to create impact for a specific
candidate? Is there any budget constraint? Youth who do not have smartphones or are unable to attend
colleges will be left. This primarily means that youth who belong to
We have 1 month for the elections. We have to focus on the
the lower income segment and are unable to attend colleges will
campaigning of a specific candidate. Assume there are no budget
be left untargeted.
constraints. Focus primarily on the channels and not on the
content that will be posted across these channels. Right, so what can be done to target them?
Sure, so in order to target the relevant youth who are primarily the We can organise educational campaigns in the under privileged
college students as well as part of the workforce, we can focus on area. This will help in value addition along with the awareness..
the online channels as well as on the offline channels.
Sure, anything else that will be more relevant? Provided these
Right, you can begin with the online channels. youth may lack the primary education and may not be interested
in our campaign
Sure, online channels provide a great channel for our target youth
as they are very active on these channels. We can focus on all the We can focus on campaigns related to vocational skills.
social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.
Additionally, we can use Twitter and LinkedIn. Can you think of any other suggestions. Can we leverage sports or
festivals.
Is there any other online platform that is very widely used by the
youth? Yes definitely, we can organise tournament such as cricket
tournament in which our candidate can also play alongside the
Oh yes, we can focus on YouTube as well. youth.
Now, you can focus on the offline channels. Sure, we can end the case now.
Since college students form a great part of our target, we can

collaborate with the student unions of various colleges to organize
awareness campaigns. We can also use channels like hoarding,
newspapers etc.

OTHERS
Interview Notes Channels to target youth
To target the relevant youth

who are primarily college Youth that goes to Youth that doesn't go to
students as well as part of the college college
workforce, we can focus on the
online channels as well as on
offline channels.
Online channels provide a Online Offline Organizing Campaign
Organizing
great channel as youth are educational related to
tournaments
very active on these channels. campaigns vocational
skills
We can focus on all the social
media platforms such as Collaboration
Instagram and Facebook. with student Hoarding Newspapers
union of colleges
Additionally, we can use
Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
youtube.
Linkedin
Collaborating with the student
unions of various colleges to
Instragaram
organize awareness
campaigns. Also using Twitter
channels like hoarding,
newspapers, etc. Youtube
Recommendation:
Follow a MECE approach to ensure all the relevant groups are covered and appropriate suggestions are provided.
When the interviewer suggests you to recall the case or think from another point of view, you can take a minute and think of the various
alternatives.
Since it is a political case, try to think from the view point of various stakeholders and the impact created for the specific candidate.

LAUNCH OF CREDIT CARD
What factors would you consider for the design and launch of the credit card? How would you position
and segment the product in the market?
This was not a typical consulting case and I did not have any
3. Good credit 2. Aspirational
questions to ask, hence we started discussing the solution directly.
ratings middle-class
However, it is always recommended that one asks preliminary
people
questions before jumping onto the solution.
3. Young
generation
Sir, given the fact that AmEx already has its business running in
entering the
India, we should play on our key strengths, which are:
workforce
·Premium products
4. High risk
·High customer value
(because credit
·High discount revenue (merchant fees)
worthiness is not
·Catering to the top of the pyramid customers
known yet) but it
could pay off
I then took a few minutes to formulate a structure for finding out
the different categories that could be used to launch the card. AmEx is already Low-income
This segment of
targeting this segment should
prospective
I have come up with three segments that could be potential target segment in India not be targeted
customers should
markets. We can then analyse and choose one of them. and is a popular because of the
be targeted
brand here. This following reasons:
because it is
Sure, go ahead! could be one 1. The people in
growing
potential market this income
exponentially in
for launching a segment spend
High Income Medium Income Low Income India. This
new card but only on
segment is also
since we already necessities and do
likely to embrace
1.Incomes 1. Incomes ranging 1. Incomes ranging have a sturdy not need credit
new technology
upwards of from 20,000 - up to 20,000 p.m. presence here, cards for daily
and has high and
40,000 p.m. 40,000 p.m. 2. Low credit exploring a new usage
frequent spending
2. High value ratings segment could be patterns.
spending more profitable.

LAUNCH OF CREDIT CARD
2. Due to their low

incomes, there is
a higher threat of
credit card
delinquency
Any of the three segments could be chosen but only with proper
justification. The conclusion was reached at after a discussion with
the interviewer about all the segments.
The structure should ideally be MECE (mutually exclusive,

collectively exhaustive). So, a better structure would be to divide the
Indian population, into rural and urban, then divide the respective
shares according to income levels. Then the age filter could be
applied further.
This sounds good. Can you discuss a little bit more about the
chosen segment? How can we use our current capabilities to target
them better?
Sure!
AmEx is famous for its customer service and great rewards and
offers that it provides to its customers. The booming middle-class
segment and the young generation will value this. We can play on
our strengths in this area. Moreover, many merchants in India don’t
accept AmEx cards probably because of the high merchant fees
that they are required to pay but if we are able to expand our
network in terms of customers, the merchant network will also
increase simultaneously.
Great! We can end the case here.

Product Launch
Interview Notes Population
New product launch - New
Credit Card
Country - India
Premium product
URBAN RURAL
KEY STRENGTHS
High customer value
High discount revenue
Medium Medium
Catering to top of pyramid High Income Low income High Income Low income
Income Income
customer (Above 40k (Below 20k (Above 40k (Below 20k
(20k-40k per (20k-40k per
per month) per month) per month) per month)
Structure is MECE (mutually month) month)
exclusive, collectively
exhaustive)
Middle class & Young generation
will be target Credit Rating Target
Merchants don't except Am Ex
because high merchant fee but
it can be tackled by expanding
network in terms of customer
Good Low Not known Already Can be
Recommendation:
Formation of an organised rombust mechanism to estimate the credibilty of bank and lendee.
Focussing initially on he urban sector as expenditure and income rate is higher in term of values.

GUESS ESTIMATE

TREES IN SRCC
Estimate the number of trees in SRCC?
Yes sir, so our objective is to determine the total number of trees Does this seem fine sir?
present inside the SRCC Campus.
Aayush, from where does this 100 m2 came?
Yes
Sir, I assumed a tree would require 5 metres on all the four
Sir, I have few preliminary questions to ask, can I go forward. directions to stand, therefore 5 m on front and 5 m on back, gave
me the length as 10 m and the same for breadth, which gives me
Yes, please the area equals to 100 m2.
1. We will be considering only full-sized trees? Got it.

2. Only trees around college building will be covered or hostel,
sports ground should also be taken? Now, I’ll be dividing the total area covered by trees to the total
Yes, full sized trees and consider all possible areas within the area covered by 1 tree = 8500 m2 / 100 m2 = 85.
campus.
There were 85 trees in total. Do you want me to look into anything
Okay sir. else sir?
% Area covered by trees = Total Area of SRCC (6,00,000 sq. feet)
* Percentage area vacant or not covered by buildings (75%) * Aayush, does the 85 number seems fine to you? Isn’t it very high?
Percentage of vacant area covered by trees (Lawns 40%, plants
15%, roads 20%, trees 20%, statues 5%) = 90,000 sq. feet Sir, according to me, it’s reasonable because SR campus has a lot
of lawns and a big play ground which has trees on its corners. Also,
Does my interpretations seem fine sir? girls and boys hostel also contribute a significant number of trees
in the total.
Yes, go ahead
Okay, any other reason to justify your answer?
We know that 90,000 sq. feet roughly equals 8500 m2.
Now, I’ll estimate the total area a tree would require on its left, Sir, the figures which I assumed is not exact and are subject to
right, front and back to stand. change, it can be possible that the final answer has fluctuated
Assuming it would require 5 metres on all the four directions because of it.
because we generally see that there were lots of empty space
Fair, do you have any questions for me, Aayush?
given around it to allow the people and other things to pass,
implies it would require 100 m2 to stand.

TREES IN SRCC
Sir, any comments on our interaction?
It was really nice interacting with you Aayush. You were vocal
throughout the conversation.
Thank you sir
Anything else Aayush?
No sir
Okay then, thank you
Thank you sir, Have a nice day

Tree of diameter 2.5 feet, with distance

Estimate the total number of trees
between 2 trees= 2.5 ft

Constructed
planted in the SRCC Campus.
Approx 100/5= 20 trees on each edge

Area-50%

Total number of trees= 20*20= 400

(25000 sq. feet) trees

Misc Activites (Pathway,

Pavement, etc.)

Non - Constructed (12500 sq. feet)

Area-50%
(25000 sq. feet) Actually

used

Tree planting (10000 sq. feet)

available

(12500 sq. feet)

Unused

(2500 sq.

feet)

TENNIS BALLS
Guess the number of tennis balls in use in the world.
Give me a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts. (given) per 5 people playing. So, I get 19 million balls used for cricket, let me
round up to 20 million.
I divide the possible uses of the tennis ball into 3; So that gives me 50 plus 20, total 70 million balls used for tennis
a)Playing tennis and cricket, and I am also assuming that 50% more balls exist for
other purposes such exercise, catch, and other sports. So that is
b)Playing Cricket
another 35 million balls, bringing the total to 105 million.
Other uses, such as playing catch, exercise, etc. Do you think my approach was fair?
Ok go on. Don’t you think your guess is too low? 100 million for 8 billion
people?
I’m aware that tennis is the 4th most popular sport in the world and
cricket the 2nd. I am guessing that 2 billion people follow cricket, I might have been a bit low with my assumptions.
because India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh make up a majority. Plus, I
don’t know how many people actively follow tennis, but compared to Also, what is the biggest use for tennis balls? It’s used for pets as
cricket, I can assume it have half the following as cricket, so 1 billion. a toy. Don’t you think there will be more pet owners than players
Does this seem fair? in the world?
Yes. Yes.
Focusing on tennis first, I can safely assume that 5% of the fans
So that could have been an aspect you could have thought about.
actually play it, either professionally or non-professionally, that is 50
million players. Assuming that each player has 1 ball, this is assuming
some may have many and many won’t have any and use common Do you want me to re-run the numbers quickly?
resources. I can assume 50 million tennis balls are used to play tennis
in the world. No, it’s fine. We’ll end the guestimate here.
Now cricket, again keeping up the assumption of 5% players, we get
100 million players, but here I further assume that 5% of the players
play it professionally and thus, not use tennis balls, that leaves us
with 95 million playing with tennis balls. Now cricket being a team
sport, I am assuming that not everyone owns a ball, so I am assuming
a safe number of 20% ball owners with 1 ball each, that makes it 1 ball

5% of 1 billion
Guess the number of tennis balls in use in the
Who actually play
(50Million)
PLAYING CRICKET

(2 billion)

Who just watch
5% play
professionally and
Who actually play not use tennis ball
95% playing with

world.
PLAYING TENNIS owner of balls

5% play professionally
tennis ballsand not use tennis balls

(1Billion)

(95Million)
=20%*95million
Who just watch =19 million rounding off
=20 million
OTHER USES SUCH AS

50+20=70 million Approximately
PLAYING CATCH,

50+20+35=105

50%*70 million=35 million balls

EXERCISE

MILLION BALLS

PASSENGERS AT RAILWAY STATION
Guesstimate The Number of Passengers in Bound or Out Bound at New Delhi Railway Station
Should I include stores and shops as well i.e., those people running Considering those passengers who sit and wait as (50/2 =25)
business at station? So, number of waiting passengers = 12*6*25=1800
Total number of passengers=8640+5760+1800=16200
No For the Case Just Consider the Passengers.
Try to include more factors to make it more relevant.
Okay so beginning with the case I will consider two types of trains:
Those trains which just pass by the station.
Keeping the basic approach same: -
Those which start from that station only.
Dividing the 24 hours as working hours (4 hours), non-working
hours (9 hours), non-active hours (11 hours)
Okay go ahead.
Considering office timings
If we calculate weekly: - weekdays would have more crowd,
Considering there are 12 platforms at new Delhi railway station,
weekends would have less crowd.
There are 12 coaches in a train and the space in each coach is of
Number of shopkeepers: - if the platforms have shops people
5o passengers.
would get down to purchase eatables down the train and can
So, number of passengers= 12*50*12=7200
be a part of platforms.
After this I divide the passengers on the basis of hours as:-
In this way answer can be obtained.
Working hours :- in these hours the trains are overcrowded
Should I Do a Sanity Check?
i.e.60 passengers (12*60*12=8640)
Non-working hours: -in these hours the trains are not fully
No, The Answer Is Satisfactory There Is No Need to Do a Sanity
occupied i.e., 40 passengers (12*40*12=5760)
Check.
So total number of passengers are 8640+5760=14400
Do I also have to include those passengers Who were waiting at
Good We Can Close the Case
the platform from night or siting at the seats waiting for the
trains?
Great Work, Thank You!!
Please Include These Passengers as Per Different Platforms.
Okay. Dividing the total 12 platforms as: -

With proper management for passengers to sit and wait (6)
Those which don’t have proper management system (6)

}
The Number of Passengers in Bound or Out Bound at
6Hour x
}
54,000 people
15trains/hour
x
Morning Hours
12 Coaches

(6AM-12PM)
x
New Delhi Railway Station
50 Passengers/ Coach
2,23,200 people/day

Approximately
}
1,18,800 people
6Hour x 15trains/hour
x
Peak Hours

12 Coaches

(12PM-11PM)

x
50 Passengers/
Coach
}
6Hour x 15trains/hour
50,400 people

x
Night Hours
12 Coaches

(11PM-12AM)

x
50 Passengers/
Coach


F1 MERCHANDISE
Since you mentioned you like watching Formula 1, estimate the total market size of F1 merchandise sold
in India in a year.
Sure, just a few clarifying questions: The price point of official clothing is usually around 5,000. This
1)In India, a lot, if not most, of the merchandise sold is not official, would make it unaffordable for LMC and BPL, we are left with 180Mn
should these be included in the market sizing? of urban population that can afford merchandise.
2)The popularity of F1 in India has skyrocketed since 2020, can I
assume the year to be 2022, with current popularity levels? Now, I would like to apply filters of interest in F1 and willingness to
3)F1 merchandise includes clothing, watches, bags, accessories and a actually buy merchandise
lot of other sub-segments. Should I focus on a particular sub-
segment? For Elite and UMC, the interest filter would be around the same at
Should the market size be calculated as units sold or as the value of 10%. However, Elites would have a higher willingness to actually
units sold in Rupees? purchase due to higher purchasing power at 20%, 15% for UMC.
Include only the official clothing sold through authorised partners Elite: 80 Mn * 0.1 * 0.2 = 1.6 Mn
in India. You can assume the year to be 2022. UMC: 100 Mn * 0.1 * 0.15 = 1.5 Mn
I’d like to take a demand side approach for this case as demand is the Average cost of a T-shirt = Rs 5000, Average life = 5 years
primary limiting factor. I will start with the population of India and
apply geographical, income, age and interest level filters as we go. Market Size = (1.6 + 1.5)*5000/5 = 3100 Million Rupees
Does that sound good? = 3.1 Bn Rupees
Sounds good, go ahead. Great, but does that not sound too big of a market?
Population of India = 1.4 Billion
I think it does, I think the interest and willingness filters could be
Urban population = 400 Million, as the price point of the merchandise
lower. Should I work out a new calculation?
makes the rural market virtually negligible
Segmenting by income levels: (400 Mn) No. Any other filters you think could have been included?
Elite (20%) : 80 Mn
Upper Middle Class (25%) : 100 Mn Yes. We could have segmented Elites and UMC by age as these
Lower Middle Class (35%) : 140 Mn categories have a larger proportion of older people with lower
Below Poverty Line (20%) : 80 Mn interest and willingness to purchase merchandise.

F1 MERCHANDISE
However, for the sake of simplicity I tried taking a filter that would
account for it.
Great, could gender be a filter?
Honestly, drawing from my own personal experience and friend

groups, F1 has been becoming equally popular among both genders,
so I thought that would be an unnecessary complication. However, I
see your point as on TV, the live races have a larger proportion of
males to females.
That would be it, thank you.
Thank you!

Elite 20% (80 Million)
Not Visiting canteen

merchandise sold in India in a year.

Estimate the total market size of F1
Urban (400 10% Interest

Upper Middle Class
Million) Filter (8 Million)

35% (140 Million
Population Lower Middle

10% Interes
of India (1.4
Class 35% (140 Million)

Filter (100

Billion)

Bellow poverty Line Million
Night Hours 20% (80 Million)

Rural(1000
(11PM- 20% Willingness
Million)

to purchase (1.6

12AM)

Million)
No. of
people Average 15% Willingness
purchasin Average Life to Purchase (1.5
x Cost of T-
g Shirt of T-Shirt
Million)
(1.6+1.5= (Rs. 5000) (5 years)
3.1
Million)
Market Size = 3.1 Million x (5000/5) =

Rs. 3100

CHILLI FLAKES
We would like you to estimate the market size of Chilli flakes in India.
Okay, So chilli flakes here means Chilli Flakes sachets that are sold 1 person is at the order counter while other are involved in order
with pizzas all over the country, right? fulfilling
60/4 = 15 customers served in a hr (assuming one pizza per customer)
Yes, we can focus on that. High Peak hrs sale – 15*3= 45
Medium peak hrs sale - 15*0.5* *3= 20
We can calculate market size with the help of no of pizzas sold and Low peak hrs sale - 15*.25* 6 = 20
assuming some no of sachets sold with the pizzas. Do you think it is a Total customer served in a day = 85
good approach or should I think of something else? 85*5 = 425 in weekdays
During weekends, 30% more sales can be expected because people
tend to go out more during weekends
You can go ahead with the pizzas sold approach.
110 *2= 220 in weekend
Pizza sold in a year by shop = (425+220)*52= 33,540, rounding off to
Market Size of Chilli Flakes = No of shops selling pizza * No of pizza
33,000
sold in a year by a shop* Chilli flakes sachets with the box a pizza* Now, I would like to calculate the number of pizza shops in India.
price per chilli flake sachet.
First, I will focus on calculating no of pizzas sold in a year by a shop. Sure, Go ahead
Then on number of shops selling pizza. We can assume 2 chilli flakes
sachets with one pizza box and price per chilli flake sachet to be Rs 1. Total area of India = 3 mn sq km
Built up area = 15% = 4,50,000 sq km
How would you calculate no of pizzas sold by shop in a year? Built up area includes buildings, highways, roads etc. So, around 10%
area would be for shops (all kind) i.e.- 45,000 sq km. Out of this built
No of pizza sold in a year = Pizza sold in a week * 52
up area, 60% area would be for urban and 40% for rural because
Pizza sold in a week = Pizza sold on weekdays + pizza sold on
urban area is more built up as compared to rural areas.
weekends
No of pizza shops in urban area = 2 per sq km
(Assumed a normal pizza shop to be like a domino’s shop)
No of pizza shop in rural area = 1 per sq km
Weekdays -
Total shops = 45,000*.6*2 + 45,000*.4*1= 72,000 shops
Operational timings – 11am – 11pm (12 hrs)
Now, we have number of shops as well as no of pizzas sold by a shop
High Peak hours (100%) - 1-2 pm and 6-8 pm = 3 hrs
in a year. We can calculate the market size by multiplying no of shops,
Medium peak hours (50%) - 4-6 pm and 8-9 pm = 3 hrs
pizzas sold, Sachets with the box and price per sachet. Do you want
Low peak hrs (25%) - 11-1, 2-4 pm ,9-11 pm = 6 hrs
me to calculate the final number& do a sanity check on that ?
(Here, 100%, 50%, 25% represents operational capacity used)
Maximum pizza that can be sold in a hr = 1 employee can complete Not needed, I believe you will get to the final number. The case is
whole order taking process in 4 minutes for a customer and generally over

Finding No. of Pizza Shops
Guesstimate: the market size of Chilly
Total Area Built Area = Area (shops) Pizza Shops in Urban Area = 54,000
4,50,000 sq. km 45,000 sq. km (45,000*6*2)
= 3 Million

sq. km
Therefore, Total no. of Pizza Shops Pizza Shops in Rural Area = 18,000
= 72,000 (45,000*4*1)
Flakes in India.
Operating Timings = 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
High Peak hrs. (100%) - 1-2 p.m. & 6-8 p.m. = 3 hrs. 15*3 = 45 Pizzas
Therefore, Market
Share of chilly
15*0.5*3 = 25 Flakes in India +
Medium Peak hrs. (50%) - 4-6 p.m. & 8-9 p.m. =3 hrs. Pizzas 72,000*33,000*2*
Re1 = Rs.
15*30.25*6 = 20 4,75,20,00,000
Non Peak hrs. (25%) - 11-1 p.m., 2-4 p.m., 9-11 p.m. = 6 Pizzas
hrs.

SANITARY PADS
I see you’ve worked for a client who sells organic pads, so why don’t you calculate the pads sold in India?
Okay, thank you! Before delving into the calculation, I would want
Hi, Good Morning Saumya! How are you? to state certain assumptions. I’m going to start with the demand
side. I’m considering all kinds of pads. I’m not going to apply the
Good Morning Sir, hope you’re doing well too.
urban-rural divide, considering every woman menstruating needs
Can we start with your guesstimate round? sanitary pads. Also, I would only 30% of the total female population
will not be able to use such pads. Stating two factors – 10% of them
Sure Sir. Let’s begin! have some medical reasons and 20% of them still use cotton
clothes and do not have access or cannot afford or are no aware
I see you’ve worked for a client who sells organic pads, so why about the usage of any kinds of pads.
don’t you calculate the pads sold in India?
Makes sense. You can calculate overall requirement as stated.
Thank you for your question, sir! Before proceeding with the
guesstimate I’ve some preliminary questions, may I ask? Before putting in number, I would want to tell my structure stating
how will I come up to number of pads sold in India. Can a take a
Yes, go ahead. minute to structure my thoughts?
When we say pads, here are we considering all types of pads like Sure.
reusable pads, organic pads, normal pads etc. Also, what should
be the tenure for which you want me to calculate the pads I will be starting with the population of India first. Then, I will apply
(monthly or yearly)? the age group filter. Considering that not all age girls or women
menstruate. I will take an age gap starting a girl starts her first
Yes, Saumya. Kindly consider all kinds of pads. Calculate annual menstrual cycle at 15 years of age on average and an average gets
sales. menopause at the age of 45 years. So, the bracket of the age group
for the same will be 15-45. The ratio of male to female is 50:50,
We have seen pads being sold at local offline stores, big
making females 50% of the age group population we got. As I stated
departmental stores as well as through online channels. Any
during the assumption, I’m going to eliminate 30% of them due to
particular segment you want me to focus on?
various reasons. Only 70% of them will buy such pads. Now, I will
Consider sales through all channels. consider the average number of pads used by a female.

SANITARY PADS
Okay, Good. How will you come up to that number?
Alright! So, as we know periods only last for 4-5 days. For the ease,
I’m considering average 5 days. Each day one would require 2 pads
at least on average. Making it around 10-12 pads required once a
month in the whole period cycle which is equal to a size of the
packet of a pad. 12 pads in a month which will make 144
pads/women in an year (12x12)
Okay sounds fair. What next?
I will multiply the number of females who will buying a pad X

number of pads bought by a female in an year to get total pads
sold in India in an year. Does that sound fair?
Yes okay, kindly proceed ahead and put in numbers.
Sure! As we know that population of India is 140 Cr. Only 40% of it

belongs to the age segment of 15-45 years of age which makes it
around 56 Cr. 50% of which are females which makes it around 28
Cr. Only 70% of them would be buying a pad makes it around 19.6
Cr. 144 pads/female bought in an year. Total pads sold in India in
an year = 144 X 19.6 Cr = 28.22 Bn approx.
Looks like a rational number. Let’s end the guesstimate here.

Thanks for joining in. Have a nice day and all the best.
Thank you so much sir.

Number of pads Organic Pads Sold in India
MALES - 50%
(0.7 Billion) Above 45
years 70% Willing to
purchase
(19.6 Crores)
Population
of India 15 - 45 years -
40%

(1.4 Billion) (28 Crores)
30% Not willing to

FEMALES - 50% purchase
Below 15
(0.7 Billion)
years
No. of Average No.

Appx.
= 28.22B
people of pads
purchasin
g
x used in
an year by a
(19.6 female (144)
illion
Crores)

SPECTACLES
Can you tell the estimated number of people using spectacles in New Delhi?
Okay, Sure. Do we consider the people using non-prescription
Is this your final answer?
glasses too?
No No, as we have only calculated the number of people wearing

spectacles and not the ones who are wearing due to some required
So we will be considering only those people who are wearing vision correctness. So, can I take the percentage of people using
spectacles to correct some kind of vision disorder? prescription glasses out of these as 90%?
Yes Yes, sure.
Ok. Let’s start with the population of New Delhi then. We can take So, the final number at which we arrive would be 9.72 mn.
it as 30mn. Out of this population, the above 60 age group would
have high percentage of people using spectacles. Ok, That seems a fair number.
Very well. So how would you proceed?
Can I assume the percentage distribution as 20%, 20%,40%, 10%

for 0-10, 10-35, 35-60, above 60 age groups.
Sure.
Okay. And assuming the respective percentage of the groups

wearing glasses as 5%, 10%, 60%, 90%. Does this seem a fair
assumption to you?
Sure.
So, we will need to calculate the figure for this first. Can I take few
moments to calculate.
Sure.
After calculating the above figures we get 10.8mn as the number.

Number of people wearing spectacles in Delhi
Total
Spectacle
10 10
andand under
under(20%) Wearing
(20%)

60,000,00 Population

60,000,00 108,00,000

10 and under(5%)
3,00,000
(By Prescription)
10-35
10-35(20%)

(20%)
Population 60,000,00
60,000,00 Percentage of 10-35 (10%) 90% are
population
of Delhi
6,00,000 prescription
30,000,000 wearing
spectacles

spectacles
35-60 (60%)
35-60
35-60 (40%)
(40%)
72,00,000
120,00,000
120,00,000

60+ (90%)
Total
27,00,000
Spectacle
60+ (10%) Wearing
60+ (10%)
30,00,000

30,00,000 Population

(Prescription)

97,20,000

ELECTRONIC VEHICLES
Guesstimate the market size of EVs (Electronic vehicles) in USA.
What entails EVs? Just cars or all types of EVs?
That’s good. What changes would you like to make to the
Just cars. percentages and the numbers you’ve assumed.
Okay sir, please give me a few minutes. (I proceed to have a discussion with the interviewer about some of
(Took about 1 min) the percentages in the approach and revising them)
Told the approach.
(Take the population of USA and divide it by 4 to get the number of Now, can you please tell me the revised figure?
households and make a geographical split (city and suburbs). Here
the suburban area would be eliminated. Then I’ll use an income Yes sir, it comes out to about 15 million.
filter to eliminate the low-income groups and then determine the
number of cars per household in that particular category. Then I still think that figure is inflated.
we’ll look at the acceptability and affordability of each category to Can you tell me by how much this number would go down if we
determine what the number of EVs in each household.) reduce the population by 10%, reduce the number of cars owned
by middle class to 2, and shift 5% of lower-class people to middle
class and 5% of high-income group people to middle class?
Okay, go ahead and do the calculations.
The number was 36 million EVs. (I wasn’t sure of the answer, but gave it anyway)
Don’t you think the number is too high? Okay, we can end the interview here. Is there anything you would like
to ask me?
(I try to reason my number by talking about the developed
infrastructure, affordability of EVs and acceptability in a Yes sir, it comes out to about 15 million.
developed county i.e., US.)
Answers, and proceeds to have a discussion how his answer relates
I feel the number is high, what would you do to make the number to the approach I made, and what are the broader methods of
closer to the actual answer? thinking about a problem.
It is possible that I might have assumed inflated number and Thank you, sir, that was really insightful
percentages. I also feel that we can introduce some more filters
like age categorisations to map out the preferences for people You can leave the meeting now.
belonging to different age categories.

Population
of USA
33 Crores 10 and
City under
Population
(20%)
6.6 Crores(80%)

60,000,00

Market Size of EVs in USA

Upper Middle Lower Middle
Rich Class Lower Class
Class Class
2Cr. (30%)
1.3 Cr.(20%) 2 Cr.(30%) 1.3 Cr.(20%)
No. of

Households
8.25 Crores 2 Cars 2 Cars 1 Car 0 Cars
1.3Cr.*2 = 2 Cr.*1 = 1.3 Cr.*1 =

NIL
2 Crores 1.3 Crores
2.6 Crores
60+ (10%)
Suburban Population
30,00,000
1.65 Crores(20%)

Total Cars =
6 Crores Approx.
Petrol/Diesel Hybrid Cars EVs
4.2 Crores(70%) 90 lakh(15%)

90 Lakh(15%)

BREAKFAST SERVED BY VISTARA
Guesstimate the number of breakfasts served by Vistara airline in Delhi on a normal weekday in Delhi.
Sure ma’am. The problem statement seems clear. I’ll take a few Let’s assume the market share of Vistara to be 10%. That means
minutes to make the approach. that 10% if 72 aircrafts belong to Vistara.
(Took 1.5 mins) Therefore, Vistara has 7 aircrafts flying out of Delhi every morning.
I’m ready with my approach. Let’s assume the aircrafts are of a standard size, and the seats in an
I would first estimate the total number of flights flying out of Delhi aircraft are 200.
during morning (because breakfasts are served in the morning),
Hold on, can you think of a logical way to get to the number of seats
then I’d multiply it by the market share of Vistara to get the number
in the aircraft?
of planes flown by Vistara.
Now I’ll multiply the number of Vistara’s airplanes by the number
Let’s assume the length of the aircraft to be 50m. Out of that 50m,
of seats in one aircraft. This will give us the available seating
10m would be the cockpit area, 10m would include the electronics
capacity. Since all the seats would not be occupied, especially on a
of the aircraft at the rear. The remaining 30m would have the seats.
weekday, I’d multiply it by the average occupancy rate for morning.
Now, I’ll assume that a seat row covers 1m of length, i.e., 30 rows.
That seems comprehensive, please proceed.
Assume that there are 6 seats in a row.
Okay.
For calculating the number of flights flying out of Delhi, I’ll be Okay, so using that, there are 30 x 6 = 180 seats in the aircraft.
assuming there is 1 airport. That airport has 3 runways (1 used for But for simplifying the calculations, I’d like to round this number
landing, 1 used for take-off, and 1 used for both). The total time to 200 seats.
period for morning is 5 AM – 11 AM i.e., 6 hours. Out of these 6
hours, 2 hours will be peak hours and remaining 4 will be non-peak Okay, go ahead.
hours.
During peak hours an aircraft would take off every 5 mins. This Now we have the number of aircrafts, and the seats per aircraft.
gives us 24 aircrafts for 2 hours. We can have a maximum of 200 x 7 = 1400 passengers in a flight.
During non-peak hours an aircraft would take off every 10 mins. But since all the seats would not be filled, we’d have to take a
This gives us 24 aircrafts for 4 hours. weighted average for calculating the occupancy rate.
The total aircrafts for 1 runway are 48. Since there is a common During peak hours, 90% of the airplane would be occupied
runway too, which is used for take-off too. I’d multiply the number During non-peak hours, 60% of the airplane would be occupied.
(48) by 1.5 (assuming 50% of the time is for take-offs for the Taking the weighted average, the occupancy comes out to 70%.
common runway). Therefore, there would be 70% of 1400 = 980 passengers.
Hence, we get a total of 72 aircrafts that take off every morning
from the Delhi airport. Are the breakfasts complimentary or chargeable?

BREAKFAST SERVED BY VISTARA
Assume that the lunch is free.

In that case, a high number of people would be opting for lunch.
However, there would be a few exceptions. People who already had
breakfast, and/or people who do not like the quality of food that
airlines offer might not take the breakfast.
Based on this, I’d like to assume that 90% of the passengers take
the breakfast and 10% do not.
That’s interesting. Can you tell me the final number?

Yes ma’am. It is 90% of 980 = 882 passengers.
That sounds right. We can end the interview here.

Thank you, ma’am, Have a nice day!

Flights Flying
Number of Breakfasts Served by Vistara
out of Delhi
During Peak Hours
Runway for Landings 24 Aircrafts in 2 Hours
48 Aircrafts
Runway for Take-off During Non-Peak Hours

24 Aircrafts in 4 Hours
Airline in Weekday
Runway for Both

50%
No. of Passengers 48*1.5 = 72

200*7 = 1400 Aircrafts
During Non-Peak Hours 60% Accuracy
70%*1400 = 980
Weighted Average 70% Accuracy
Passengers
During Peak Hours 90% Accuracy

90% Take 10% Take
90% of 980 = 820 Breakfast Breakfast

Introduction :
Bain & Company is an American management consulting company
headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a top global management
consulting firm that provides advice to public, private, and non-profit
organizations on strategy, marketing, organization, operations, IT, and
M&A, across all industries. The company's home staffing model creates
personal champions and expansive opportunities for its employees.
Business Model Career Paths :

Bain & Company operates on a Associate
Associate Associate
project-based business model Consultant Analyst Manager PARTNER
Consultant Partner
where they work with clients on a Intern
project-by-project basis to
address specific business
challenges using a team-based Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
approach. It involves a Announced a services
alliance with
OpenAI to help enterprise clients
Aviation
combination of data analysis, Financial Services

industry research, and client identify and realize the full potential and Healthcare
collaboration to develop and maximum value of AI. Consumer Products
implement solutions. Appointment of Rebecca Burack as the Energy and Natural
Cost Structure : The biggest cost new head of global Private Equity (PE) Products
driver is likely cost of services, a practice. Media and
variable expense. Other major Acquisition of consultancy enterprise Entertainment
drivers are in the areas of 'Blueprints', to help clients deliver Private equity
administration and customer business outcomes through enterprise Real Estate
support and operations. technology.
Revenue Streams : Bain has one
revenue stream, the fees charged
Awards
to its clients for access to its
15000 64 39
services. These fees vary by Employees Offices Countries
individual project and type of
client.
Introduction :
Boston Consulting Group is a global consulting firm that partners with
leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges
and capture their greatest opportunities. Our success depends on a spirit of
deep collaboration and a global community of diverse individuals
determined to make the world and each other better every day. The firm is
committed to driving innovation and positive change in society.

Project Managing Senior
Associate Consultant Principal
BCG's business model is Leader Director Managing
based on providing strategic Director
advice and solutions to help
organizations improve their Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
performance and achieve
their business objectives. BCG Launches Center
for Climate & Aviation
Financial Services
Sustainability Policy & Regulation
Healthcare
BCG Named Long-Term Benchmarking and
Consumer Products
Advisory Partner to the ESG Data
Energy and Natural
Consulting Services Convergence Initiative
Products
BCG and Blue Bear Ventures – Transitions
Industry Expertise First enter into a Strategic Partnership to
Media and
Global Presence Entertainment
Stimulate Collaboration between
Private equity
Thought Leadership Corporates and Deep Tech Startups
Real Estate
Talent Development .
Awards
25,000 128 45+
Employees Offices Countries

Introduction :
Deloitte is a multinational professional services network that offers a range of
services including audit, consulting, tax, and financial advisory services to clients
worldwide. The firm was founded in 1845 and is headquartered in London, United
Kingdom. With a presence in over 150 countries, Deloitte is one of the "Big Four"
accounting firms, alongside PwC, EY, and KPMG. Deloitte's culture is built on a set of
core values, including integrity, respect, commitment to each other, and strength
from cultural diversity

Key Partners- Analyst/ Senior Senior
Manager Senior Director Partner
IBM, BMC, AT&T, Cisco, Dell,EMC, Consultant manager
Associate Consultant Manager
Guidewire
Revenue Generation-
Consulting, Audit & Assurance,Tax Industries Served Major Clients
Recent Developments
& Legal,Risk Advisory, Financial
Advisory
Launched global sustainability and climate Consumer market

learning program which is dedicated to Energy Resources

Customer Segments-
guiding clients as they redefine their Financial Services
Delloite offers its services to the
climate strategies. Health Care
firms that need consultancy and
Launched DEI institute to advance equity. Life Sciences
advisory services.
Deloitte and Junk Kouture announce global Government and Public
Value Propositions-
collaboration to support the personal and Services
Accessibility, Brand/Status,
professional development of future leaders Financial Services
Innovation,
in the fashion and climate space Strategy, Analytics and
Cost Structure-
M&A
The cost structure is a variable
expense depending upon the
services provided to different Awards
clients. 415,000 130 150+

Introduction :
Dalberg is a global consulting firm that focuses on international development and
social impact. Established in 2001, the company provides research, strategic advice,
and program design services to clients including governments, foundations, and
corporations. With over 20 offices worldwide, Dalberg aims to tackle some of the
world's toughest challenges, such as poverty, climate change, and inequality. The
firm's approach is collaborative, multidisciplinary, and evidence-based, drawing on
expertise from a diverse range of sectors and regions. It is a privately held
partnership.

Consulting Services: Dalberg Associate
provides a range of services to Associate Consultant Manager Partner
Partner
clients, including research,
analysis, strategy development,
program design, and
implementation support. Dalberg's
Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
approach is based on bringing
Launched Sasakawa Peace Foundation – Agriculture
together experts from different Asia women’s impact fund strategy Energy
disciplines and sectors to Launched The African Circular Economy Environment
collaborate on projects and Alliance – (ACEA) Financial inclusion
programs. Working with UBS Optimus Foundation for Gender
Cost: Personnel Costs, overhead performance of “Quality Education India” Health and nutrition
costs, subscriptions to various Development Impact Bond. Education
research databases, software and Launched Climate Smart Forest Economy Infrastructure
tools for data analysis, and fees for Program to unlock full climate potential of Conflict and
primary research, marketing and forests. Humanitarian Aid
business development.
Revenue: Project-based and
Retainer-based consulting fees,
Awards
training and capacity building
650+ 26 90+
services, Research and Analysis. Employees Offices Countries

Introduction :
ZS Associates, with its headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, is a management
consulting and professional services company that offers services to
clients in the healthcare, private equity, and technology sectors. The
company was established in 1983 by two academics from Northwestern
University who created sales force alignment models.

. Associate Associate
Establishes roles and Manager Partner
Analyst Partner
responsibilities that produce Consultant
the most successful blend of
business activity and
customer focus Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
Works strategically to put staff

ZS to Acquire Intelligent Study Design Pharmaceuticals

and
into balanced territories for Company Trials.ai Biotech
maximum commercial Exploring Cloud-Native Acceleration of Medical Technology
effectiveness Data Governance Health Plans
ZS awards its PR mandate to Avian WE for Travel and Hospitality
Provides the information and India Industrials and Business
analysis that employees need ZS India partners with Shrimad Rajchandra Services
in order to target customers in Love and Care to focus on Anaemia Financial Services
real time eradication Private Equity
Uses metrics and dashboards

to track the effectiveness of Awards
sales staff against the goals 12,000 35 70

Introduction :
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in
1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers
professional services to corporations, governments, and other
organizations. The firm is designed to operate as one- a single global
strong set of values partnership united by a strong set of values the firm is
committed towards attracting and developing a talented and diverse group
of colleagues and helping the clients create meaningful and lasting change.
Business Model
Career Paths :
Business Engagement Associate
Mc Kinsey 7s framework Associate Partner Director
Analyst Manager Principal
basically aims to lay down
7 internal factors which if
aligned correctly can
propel the growth of an
McKinsey joins corporate affiliate program
organization:
at standford HAI to bring AI and frontier

Aerospace & defence

Building and
STARTEGY tech to clients Construction
STRUCTURE McKinsey announces six members of 2023 Education
SYSTEM external advisory Group Consumer Markets
SHARED VALUES McKinsey partners and colleagues attended Energy and Natural
STYLE Mobile World Congress 2023, hosting
Resources
STAFF session on metaverse, AI, tech
Media and Technology
SKILLS collaborations,and new business models
Life Sciences
McKinsey organistional health survey now
Sports
free for non profits
Awards
38000 130 65+

Introduction :
Kearney is a global management consulting firm that provides strategic and
operational advice to leading businesses, governments, and institutions.
Founded in 1926, the firm has grown to become one of the world’s leading
management consulting firms with offices in more than 40 countries.
Kearney’s expertise spans a wide range of industries and sectors, including
financial services, energy and utilities, etc.

Key activities:- Business Associate
Associate Manager Principal Partner
1. Business Strategy Analyst Partner
2. Operations
3. Technology
4. Organization Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
5. Leadership Aerospace & Defence

(AI solutions) ; future
Acquisition of OPTANO
Key resources:- Building and Construction

proof consulting
1)people Education
Kearney and SAP collaborate to help
2) Expertise Consumer Markets
businesses quickly adapt to disruptive
3) technology
headwinds. Energy and Natural
4) partnerships
5)Global reach New Kearney Supply Chain Report Finds Resources
Inefficient Supply Chains Will Cost CPGs Media and Technology
Value propositions :-
$800 Billion in Top-Line Growth. Life Sciences
1) They focus on areas such as
growth strategies, operations, Sports
mergers and acquisitions.
2) To build a better working world Awards
3) To strengthen your controls and 4200 60 40+
achieve potential Employees Offices Countries

Introduction :
Accenture is a professional services company based in Dublin, specializing
in IT services and consulting. • It was formerly known as Anderson
Consulting. • Its services and operations include Accenture Strategy &
Consulting, Accenture Digital & Interactive, Accenture Technology and
Accenture Operations. • It generated a revenue of 6,160 crores USD in
2022.

Working of Accenture-
Senior Associate
Technology, Media, & Associate Manager director Partner
Manager Partner
Communications, Financial
Services, Health & Public Services,
& Products.
Revenue Generation- Application
services,
Consulting Revenue, & Accenture recently
released its
Business Strategy,
Outsourcing Revenues. "Accenture Life Trends 2023: Control
Data & Analytics,
and Power".
Finance Consulting,
Customer Segments- Accenture has also published annual
Artificial Intelligence
Government Agencies, Large Technology Vision reports for the past
Digital Commerce
Enterprises, and Mid-Size 22 years
Organisations. Infrastructure,
They've also released their Technology
Operating Models,
Trends for 2022 report, which outlines
Value Propositions- Technology
the year's emerging technology trends.
Accessibility, Customizations, consulting
Innovation, & Brand.
Client Acquisition Channel- Awards

Advertising, Social Media, 738,000 200 120
Conference Participation, Employees Offices Countries
Sponsoring Athletes.

Introduction :
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational professional
services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest
professional services networks in the world. Along with Deloitte, KPMG and
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), it is considered one of the Big Four accounting
firms. In 2019, EY was the seventh-largest privately owned organization in the
United States.

Ernst & Young has a mass market
business model, with no Senior Associate
Associate Manager Director Partner
significant differentiation Manager Partner
between customers.
Ernst & Young’s business model
entails designing and providing
Advanced
problem-solving services for EY India has recently

acquired eBorn
clients. manufacturing
Consulting PVT LTD.
Cost Structure: Its biggest cost Financial Services
EY won the Microsoft India Area Award
Government and Public
driver is likely the cost of 2021 as the “Game Changer of the Year”.
sector
services, a variable expense. EY is said to allege Sequoia-backed
Consumer Products
Other major drivers are in the GoMechanic inflated revenue.
Energy and Resources
areas of customer support and EY announces alliance with Unqork to
Technology & Media
operations and administration, support clients to build software with more
Private equity
both fixed costs. flexibility
Health
Revenue Streams: Ernst & Young
has one revenue stream, the fees
charged to its clients for its range Awards
of services. These fees vary by 365,000+ 700+ 150+
type of client and individual Employees Offices Countries
project.

Introduction :
KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler) International Limited is a
multinational professional services network, headquartered in
Amstelveen, Netherlands and established in August 1993. The company
has three lines of services: financial audit, tax, and advisory. Over the
past decade various parts of the firm's global network of affiliates have
been involved in regulatory actions as well as lawsuits.

Senior
Partner
KPMG has a mass market Consultant Associate Manager Director
Manager
business model, with no
significant differentiation
between customers. Three
primary value propositions are Recent Developments Industries Served Major Clients
offered: accessibility,
Aerospace
& defence
performance, and KPMG Global Study confirms trusting Building and
brand/status. Its customer AI remains a major employee Construction
relationship is primarily of a confidence gap Education
dedicated personal assistance Howden names KPMG’s Cox as Head Consumer Markets
nature. KPMG’s business of Energy Transition Energy and Natural
model entails designing and KPMG in India and MindEscapes, Resources
providing problem-solving come together for a holistic Media and Technology
services for clients. It innovation excellence Life Sciences
maintains strategic alliances
Sports
with top service and
technology providers and
invests in other firms in order
Awards
to foster innovation.
265000
145

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
PRIMARY SECONDARY
Tertiary

MARKET TRENDS INFRASTRUCTURE KEY DRIVERS
Cost segment : exploration,
Renewable energy Drilling rigs, production
OIL AND GAS trend
Shift to EVs
platforms, pipelines,
refineries, storage tanks, and
production, transportation,
processing, environmental,
INDUSTRY
regulatory, and insurance
Strict regulations terminals, geophysical and
costs.
Digitalization geological surveys, drilling
Mergers and equipment, wellhead
Revenue Channels : selling
Acquisitions equipment, production
crude oil and natural gas,
Fluctuating oil facilities and underground
refining and marketing, NGLs,
prices storage facilities
royalties, and service contracts
Carbon capture
MARKET SEGMENT
Consumer-focused
policies Risks
Auto insurance Opportunities The oil and gas industry is vulnerable
Business insurance to risks such as geopolitical tensions,
Growing energy demand creates expansion opportunities for oil and oil price volatility, changes in
gas industry. Technology adoption improves efficiency, untapped environmental regulations, and supply
regions offer potential. Diversification and investment in renewable chain disruptions. The emergence of
energy for sustainability. renewable energy sources is also a
potential risk to the industry's future
growth.
4.2 billion tonnes 5.5% 80%

Global Scenario:
oil produced in projected CAGR from production fall
The global oil and gas industry is expected to grow at a 2021 2021-26 by 2030
CAGR of 3.7% from 2021 to 2026.
The primary drivers of the oil and gas industry will be
increasing energy demand, population growth, and
Industry stats
urbanisation.
North America is currently the largest market for oil $6,015.6 billion 8%
and gas, followed by the Middle East and Asia Pacific expected market size by
of India's GDP
regions. 2026

There has been a growth of Airports are the primary COST SEGMENTS - Depreciation and
AVIATION over 33% in the number of

passengers carried by
infrastructure component of the
aviation industry. Air traffic control,
ammortization, aircraft fuel and oil,
flight equipment, maintenance and
INDUSTRY Indian domestic carriers in

2021 as compared to
aircraft maintenance facilities,
navigation systems, aviation fueling
overhaul , general and administrative,
pax services, rentals of flight
2020. facilities, aircraft manufacturing equipment, ticketing sales and
The country now has facilities comprises of infrastructure promotion.
about 140 airports, up as well. REVENUE CHANNELS - Ticket sales,
from 74 in 2013-2014. By in-flight pay-per-view movies, the
2024-2025, the number is headphones used to listen to these
MARKET SEGMENT expected to reach 220. movies, and special meal packages
Commercial Aviation
Risks
General Aviation Opportunities The aviation industry in India faces
Military Aviation
By 2028, the MRO industry is likely to grow over US$ 2.4 billion several challenges that impact its growth
from US$ 800 million in 2018. and sustainability. These challenges
Land allotment for setting up MRO facilities in India has been include infrastructure limitations,
revised to a period of 30 years as the government aims to make regulatory compliance, skilled workforce
India a ‘Global MRO Hub.’ shortages, high-cost structure, security
concerns, and environmental impacts.
65.9% 9.1 billion 65.5 million

Global Scenario:
the global passenger passengers traveling No. of jobs the
Further India is expected to overtake China and the traffic fell domestically in US. industry supported
United States as the world's third-largest air passenger
market in the next ten years, by 2030, according to the Industry stats
International Air Transport Association (IATA).
The rising demand in the sector has pushed the
number of airplanes operating in the sector. The 1.5 % US$ 1.38 billion
number of airplanes is expected to reach 1,100 planes of indian GDP allocation in Union
by 2027 Budget 2022-23

Consumers are increasingly Cost Segments :
Research and Development
making choices that favour
PHARMA
R&D , Employee Salaries, Distribution
(R&D) Facilities
products with natural and
manufacturing Plants
organic ingredients. They Revenue Channels:
INDUSTRY

are also prioritising
healthier options.
distribution and supply chain
regulatory agencies like FDA
Drug sales, Licensing, Healthcare and
Diagnostics
quality control infrastructure.
Consumers are looking for
products that suit their
specific needs and
MARKET SEGMENT preferences and save time
and effort.
Retail pharmacy
Prescription drugs Risks
Disease- specific Opportunities Lack of awareness (general ,
Great opportunities for export due to lower costs in India reproductive health) due to poor
Production Linked Incentives (PLI) for drug intermediates and functional literacy.
active pharmaceutical ingredients to boost domestic Difficulty in covering/ delivering to all
manufacturing geographical terrains, absence of
Under PM-ABHIM, 13,879 crore loan signed to strengthen health human resource in crisis,
infrastructure affordability/cost of services.
$ 372 billion $1.27 trillion 4.9%

Global Scenario:
value of healthcare Global CAGR of global
Production costs in the pharmaceutical industry are
industry in 2022. pharmaceutical sales pharmaceutical market
33% lower in India than the US (US accounts for 45% of
the global pharmaceutical market.
Global healthcare market was valued at $8.4 trillion in Industry stats
2018 and was estimated to be $11.9 trillion in 2022.
70% of WHO’s vaccines are sourced in India $2.6 billion 28%
cost of developing a new of global pharmaceutical
drug sales are biological drugs

Cost segments:
More travelers are seeking Roads, highways, airports, ports, airfare, car rentals, and gas, hotel
TOURISM out eco-friendly and

sustainable tourism options,
railways, hotels, motels, resorts,
restaurants, cafes, bars, police
room charges, vacation rentals,
camping fees, restaurant meals,
INDUSTRY such as eco-lodges and

tours.
presence, emergency services, and
security personnel, national parks,
groceries, medical insurance, and
baggage insurance
Due to the COVID-19 museums, historical sites, and
pandemic, many people have entertainment venues Revenue Channels:
been unable or unwilling to Airlines, cruise lines, car rental
travel internationally, leading companies, Conferences, festivals,
to a surge in domestic and concerts, restaurants, cafes, bars,
MARKET SEGMENT regional tourism. Hotels, resorts, lodges
Individual travelers
Business travelers Risks
Group Opportunities Recessions, inflation, currency
With the rise of online booking platforms, there is a growing fluctuations, and changes in the
demand for unique and personalized accommodations. employment rate, Political instability,
As people travel more, there is a growing demand for affordable terrorism, civil unrest, and wars,
and convenient transportation options. hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and
tsunamis, The outbreak of diseases,
such as COVID-19
$1.5 trillion 330 million 5.9%

Global Scenario:
international tourism jobs worldwide in of the total
Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) in August 2022 were
receipts 2019. investment in India
498,243 with a positive growth rate of 437.3% as
compared to 92,728 in August 2021.
FTAs during the period January-August, 2022 were Industry stats
3,263,219 as compared to 638,524 in January-August
2021. 5.8% 54th place
India was globally the third largest in terms of investment
of India’s GDP comes from India ranked in a global travel
in travel and tourism.
India and tourism development index

India's ACE market is expected Cost Sources
In the Union Budget 2022-23, focus
to grow to US$ 21.18 billion by Direct costs- materials and parts,
was on the PM GatiShakti - National
MANUFACTURING 2025, and the electric vehicle
financing industry is projected
Master Plan for multimodal wages and benefits, and operational
expenses such as manufacturing
INDUSTRY
connectivity to economic zones.
to grow to ~US$ 50 billion by equipment costs.
Everything, from roads to trains,
2030. Indirect costs - factory overheads,
from aviation to agriculture, as well
The country received US$ administrative overheads, selling
as many ministries and departments,
58.77 billion FDI inflow in FY overheads and research and
will be integrated under the PM
2021-22, and the government development costs.
GatiShakti National Master.
has approved PLI schemes Revenue Streams
MARKET SEGMENT worth US$ 3.53 billion for the Asset Sale, Providing goods, Usage Fees,
Medical devices auto and drone industries. Subscription fees, Lending, Leasing.
Metal/glass products
Consumer products Risks
Machinery Opportunities Cargo in transit
Government of India’s initiatives like the National Manufacturing Supply chain interruption
Policy and PLI scheme aims to increase the share of Workplace safety
manufacturing in GDP to 25 percent by 2025. Product liabilities
Government aims to create 100 million new jobs in the sector by Employee injuries
2022. Environmental accidents
Global Scenario: 16% 14% $ 58.77 billion

Global Manufacturing Industry Growth rate reached 3.8% of global GDP global employment worth FDI inflow
in 2022.
Between April 2000-June 2022:
The automobile sector received FDI inflows of US$ 33.53 Industry stats
billion.
The chemical manufacturing sector (excluding fertilisers) 21.61% 55.1
received FDI inflows worth US$ 20.41 billion.
The drug and pharmaceutical manufacturing sector Current growth rate of Manufacturing Purchasing
received FDI inflows worth US$ 19.90 billion. manufacturing sector Managers’ Index (PMI) in India

MARKET TRENDS Union Budget 2023 KEY DRIVERS
Agricultural Credit target of INR Cost segment :
India's agricultural sector to
20L cr for animal husbandry, dairy Cash costs, capital costs, land costs,
reach US$24 billion by 2025,
AGRICULTURE with shipments increasing
& fisheries;
Clean Plant program of INR 2200Cr
marketing costs, transportation costs,
insurance, and loan and interest costs.
INDUSTRY
by 19.92% in 2021-22 to
for horticulture;
$50.21 billion. Food and
Agricultural Accelerator Fund for
grocery market ranks sixth Revenue streams :
rural start-ups;
globally, with 70% retail Crop and livestock sales, value-added
INR 60,000 Cr for PM-Kisan;
sales. Growth from goods, agritourism, property rent,
INR 450 Cr for Digital Agriculture
advanced techniques and agricultural services, and government
Mission;
MARKET SEGMENT organic food segment are programs and subsidies
INR 6,000 Cr sub-scheme for PM
Crop farming contributing factors.
Matsya Sampada Yojana.
Livestock farming
Agrochemicals Risks
Agricultural Opportunities The agriculture industry in India is
biotechnology increasing Organic food consumption vulnerable to a variety of risks,
Organic farming The Indian government is encouraging food processing and value including natural disasters that
Aquaculture addition. destroy crops, pests and diseases,
Agriculture exports from India have a high potential. changes in crop demand and supply,
The Indian government and financial organisations are expanding government policy changes, farmers'
credit availability. lack of access to financing, and labour
shortages.
$50.21 billion 54.6% 20.19%.

Global Scenario:
India's agricultural of total indian of GDP
Globally the agriculture market is expected to grow at
shipments workforce employed
the rate of 9.1% through 2027.
The expected market size of global agriculture industry
will be $19000 Billion by 2027. Industry stats
The main driving force of agriculture industry will be
increase in population. US$ 24 billion 6th biggest globally
Asia Pacific region is the largest agricultural region in the
market.
predicted growth of Indian Indian food and grocery
agricultural sector by 2025 market

Cost segment :
Housing supply shortage
Property listing platforms like Land,Construction, Financing(interest
REAL ESTATE Rising home prices
Shifts in demand for housing Zillow, Trulia and Redfin rates, loan origination fees, and other
associated costs), Marketing and sales,
INDUSTRY Increased demand for Property management
software like Appfolio and Maintenance and repairs, Property taxes
suburban and rural areas
Buildium. and insurance
Continued growth in the
rental market Real estate investment trusts Revenue streams :
Increased focus on Real estate financing. Sales commissions, Rental income,
sustainability Property management fees, Real estate
Increased adoption of development, Real estate investment,
MARKET SEGMENT technology Real estate service
Residential properties
Commercial properties
Opportunities Risks
Industrial properties Real estate investments often require
Affordable housing significant capital, and investors may
Luxury properties
Technology integration face financial risks such as high debt
Sustainable building practices levels, rising interest rates, and
Mixed-use developments difficulty obtaining financing. Individual
Short-term rentals properties may be subject to risks such
Senior living as damage from natural disasters,
property defects.
$4.3 trillion 13% $3.5 trillion

Global Scenario:
global real estate of total india GDP by real estate industry
COVID-19 pandemic, urbanization, aging population,
sustainability, technology, and economic conditions are
market size in 2025 2025 contribution to GDP
major factors impacting the global real estate market.
Changes in consumer behavior due to the pandemic and Industry stats
growing demand for sustainable real estate are expected
to continue shaping the industry in the coming years.
3.6% US$ 1 trillion
CAGR of real estate expected Indian real estate
industry market size by 2030

AUTOMOBILE
manufacturing plants Cost segment :
Rise in digital sales, SUV
Assembly lines Luxury, Mid-Range , Economy, Off-Road,
dominance, alternate
Logistics and transportation Electric/Hybrid
INDUSTRY mobility and ownership,
increased acceptance of networks
R&D facilities Revenue streams :
used vehicles, are some of
the trends that's going to Charging stations for electric Car Sales, Parts and Accessories.
dominate the sector in 2023 vehicles ,Financing, Insurance, Service and
Dealership networks Repair, Advertising, Technology and
Software, Rental and Leasing,
MARKET SEGMENT Corporate Partnerships
Luxury Vehicles
Economy Vehicles
Risks
Electric Vehicles Opportunities Automobile companies are exposed to
Sports Cars risks associated with the general
Electric and autonomous vehicles
Commercial vehicles economic climate, such as recessions,
Increasing demand for shared mobility and ride-hailing services
SUV's inflation, and currency fluctuations.
Integration of advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, and
blockchain Automobile companies face the risk of
Expansion of the global market, especially in emerging lawsuits from various sources, such as
economies employees, customers, and
shareholders
US$ 32.70 billion 9% 66.7 million

Global Scenario:
India passenger car CAGR between Global automobile
The global automotive industry is a competitive and market (2021) 2022-27 sales in 2021
rapidly growing sector with a value estimated to be $3
trillion in 2019, making it one of the largest industries Industry stats
worldwide.
Auto industry to grow steadily due to urbanization,
population growth, tech advancements, changing 6.4% 7.25 million
consumer preferences, and govt. support. of India's GDP jobs the US automotive
industry supported

FMCG companies require Cost segment-
Consumers prefer natural Cost of raw materials, labor and
FMCG and organic ingredients,
healthier options, and
manufacturing facilities to
produce products at scale. These production processes, marketing,
advertising, expenses , operational
facilities must be efficient and
INDUSTRY products tailored to their
needs.
reliable.
FMCG products need to be
costs
They also seek convenience Revenue channels-

transported from manufacturing
and time-saving products in revenue channels include traditional
facilities to distribution
today's fast-paced world. retail, e-commerce, and direct-to-
centres,retailers and consumers.
consumer channels.
MARKET SEGMENT
Food and beverages
Personal care products Risks
Household care Opportunities FMCG companies must quickly adapt
to changes in consumer preferences
products to prevent loss of market share.
Emerging markets offer a great opportunity for FMCG
companies to expand their reach and increase their sales. Supply chain disruptions impact
Companies that can optimize their logistics and delivery production, distribution, and sales,
systems can reduce costs and improve customer caused by transportation delays,
satisfaction. natural disasters, labour disputes or
supplier bankruptcies
$71 billion 4th 28.1%

Global Scenario:
Net sales of the largest largest sector in India is the revenue share of
The Asia- pacific region is the largest market for FMCG FMCG company
personal care products.
products, accounting for 43% of the global market share.
The demand for online delivery services has increased as Industry stats
consumers prefer contactless shopping.
The pandemic has also accelerated the shift towards
sustainable and eco-friendly products. 10% 15.6%
of total GDP in India CAGR at which E-commerce sales of

FMCG products will grow.

New digital-first insurers Infrastructure in the insurance Cost segment
INSURANCE and start-ups are
innovating and introducing
industry refers to the collection of
physical and human resources that
Depends on size of the company,
geography, product lines, sales
INDUSTRY new products faster than
traditional insurers,
support the provision of insurance
services. This includes insurance
channels used.
pushing incumbents to companies, brokers, agents, Revenue Channels

innovate to remain underwriters, actuaries, risk Underwriting activities, cash value
relevant and stay ahead in managers, and supporting services cancellations, coverage lapses.
the market. such as software, data analytics,
MARKET SEGMENT legal, and regulatory bodies.
Consumer-focused
policies Risks
Auto insurance Opportunities
Business insurance Underwriting risk
India's insurance industry is predicted to become the sixth
Operational risk
largest market by 2032, driven by rising incomes, purchasing
Credit risk
power, and savings.
Market risk
Trends such as product innovation, better claims management,
Regulatory risk
and regulatory changes are likely to emerge as the market grows
$29.54 billion 4.2% US$ 78

Global Scenario:
The global life insurance market is expected to grow from The gross premium of is the overall insurance India overall insurance
$2475.85 billion in 2020 to $2880.18 billion in 2021 at a Life insurers penetration density in 2021
compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.3%
The market is expected to reach $3519.44 billion in 2025 Industry stats

at a CAGR of 5.1%.
According to a report by the Swiss Re Institute, the 5.3% $131 Bn
world’s seven largest emerging markets will contribute
expected CAGR between India Insurance market as
42% of global growth with China contributing 27%.
2019 and 2023. in FY22

Digitisation The Indian banking system consists of Cost segments
BANKING Central Bank Digital
Currency (CBDC)
-12 public sector banks, 22 private
sector banks, 44 foreign banks, 43
advertisement and promotional
expenditure, employee salaries, interest
INDUSTRY Consolidation
AI powered inclusion-
regional rural banks, 1,484 urban
cooperative banks and 96,000 rural
on deposits, fixed costs
cooperative banks. Revenue channels

-the total number of ATMs are interest from loans, investment
217,308 out of which 49.81% are in activities, deposits with RBI, transaction
rural and semi urban areas (Sept fees
MARKET SEGMENT 2022)
Public Sector Banks

Privately Owned Banks
Foreign Banks Opportunities Risks
Rural Cooperative Banks Potential for financial loss or disruption
Economic Growth of the country caused by the bank's operations,
Increase in the money supply. investments, lending practices, market
Expansion of services and number of branches of changes, fraud, or other factors that
various banks. affect profitability and stability.
Global Scenario: 118.9 lakh crore 9.9% CAGR 5.9%

Gross Bank Credit Credit Growth rate NPA ratio: for all
Effect of covid and the geopolitical tensions has resulted (SCBs) (2015-2022) SCBs (Mar’22)
in soaring inflation, higher interest rates, and persistent
supply chain shocks
Signature Bank and the Silicon valley bank collapsed in
Industry stats
2023
The bank profitability remained subdued globally but will US$ 2.67 trillion 10.3 %
vary country to country Total Deposit Growth
Total banking assets in 2022
in 2022

AI personalizes user
Robust technology Cost segments
E-COMMERCE experience, hybrid commerce
offers connected journey,
Payment processing systems
Logistics and fulfillment
marketing, fulfillment, shipping,
payment processing, customer service,
INDUSTRY
social selling strategy,
services and technology infrastructure
subscription model, multiple
Digital marketing capabilities
payment options, voice/visual
Revenue channels
search, marketing automation
sales through online marketplaces,
boosts conversions, fast/free
direct website sales, subscription
delivery enhances
models, and affiliate marketing
satisfaction
MARKET SEGMENT programs
Online retail
Travel and
hospitality Opportunities Risks
Food delivery Cybersecurity threats, Payment fraud,
Global reach
Digital content and Logistics and fulfillment issues,
Increased convenience
subscriptions Regulatory compliance, Competition,
Lower costs
Personalization Supply chain disruptions
New business models.
Global Scenario: > $7 trillion 67.2% 69.99%

Market size- USD 4.2 trillion in 2020, and is projected to Projected online global online sales contributed
is the average cart

grow at a CAGR of 14.7% from 2021 to 2028. retail sales by 2025. by mobile commerce. abandonment rate.
Asia-Pacific -largest e-commerce market.
Mobile commerce - growing segment of the e-commerce Industry stats
market, with over 70% of online purchases made on
mobile devices in some countries.
54% 89%
Cross-border e-commerce - significant and growing
segment of the e-commerce market, with over 50% of consumers want more video of eCommerce companies are
consumers making cross-border purchases content from the businesses investing in personalisation.

UNSOLVED GUESSTIMATES
13. Estimate the number of televisions sold by a TV
1. Estimate the number of Snapchat streaks sent in a day
dealer in a week
2. Estimate the annual demand for gold flake cigarettes
14. Estimate the number of iPhone users in India
in Mumbai
3.Estimate the number of zoom users during covid 15. Estimate the number of hours for which a household
gets electricity in a village.
4. Estimate the number of people playing gold in a golf 16. Estimate the revenue generated by a petrol pump in a
club year
.17. Estimate the number of Ping-Pong balls that can fit

5. Estimate the demand for energy drink at co-op area
inside a Boeing 747.
6. Estimate the number of iced tea sold at Bistro . 18. Estimate the number of pens that can be sold in an
Indian Village by a stationary in a year.
19. Estimate the number of ACs that ABC ltd. can be sold
7. Estimate the size of the Gariahat Market in Kolkata.
in Delhi in a year.
20. How many cups of tea were consumed in Mumbai last

8. Estimate the annual revenue of a Shopping mall.
month?
9. Estimate the duration of ads streamed on

21. How many refrigerators are sold in India every year?
Television daily.
22. What is the average number of laptops sold in Mumbai

10. Estimate the amount of petrol consumed in delhi in a
every day?
day
11. Amount of water used in a nursery to water plants in a 23. How many e-commerce deliveries are made in India
day every day?
12. No or orders of swiggy in delhi in a day 24. What is the total size of the Indian wedding market?

25 How many cups of coffee are consumed in India each
day? 38. What is the market size of toothbrushes in India?
26. Estimate the number of people who have Netflix 39. What is the average number of laptops sold in Mumbai
subscriptions in India. every day?
27. How many online shopping orders are placed in the
India every month? 40. How many people live in your housing society?
28.Estimate the number of people using condoms in a

year in India. 41. How many iPhones are currently being used in India?
29.Estimate the annual demand for wine in UP and 42. How many cups of tea were consumed in Mumbai last
Haryana. month?
30.Find out the annual gross sale of air conditioners in 43. What is the Surf Excel detergent usage in a day in
India and America. India?
31. Find the number of dogs in India including street and 44. What is the Surf Excel detergent usage in a day in
pet dogs. India?
32. Estimate the illegal consumption of liquor in Bihar.
45. Estimate the market share of Linc.
33.Estimate the expense incurred by BJP and AAP in the 46. The total revenue earned by DTC buses in a day in
general election. Delhi.
34. How many mama earth face packs are sold daily in
India? 47. Estimate the revenue generated by one IPL season.
35. Estimate the number of amazon prime memberships 48. Estimate the number of people who migrate every
sold in a month. year to other others.
36. Estimate the number of Pizza sold by dominos in a day 49. Estimate the number of transactions done through
at 1 outlet in Delhi. paytm every year in India.
37. How many cups of tea were consumed in Delhi in a
month? 50. How many people in India use Ola on a daily basis?

63. Estimate the Number of discarded omelettes in delhi in
51. Estimate the no. of sarees sold in a year in India.
a single day.
52. Estimate the revenue generated by an insurance 64. Estimate the number of punjabi music listeners on
company in a year. spotify in a single day.
53. Estimate the average number of hours spent per week 65. Estimate the Number of apple watches sold in India in
watching OTT services in Delhi. a year.
54.Estimate the number of people in Chandni Chowk on a 66.Estimate the number of guitar strings that are broken
Saturday evening. in a year.
55. Estimate the number of cigarettes consumed monthly 67. Estimate the total cost to vaccinate Delhi's entire
in India population between 18 and 65 years of age.
56. Estimate the number of cigarettes consumed monthly 68. Estimate the monthly revenue of a Multiplex in a
in India Metropolitan city
57. How many newspapers are sold in your state/country 69. Estimate the revenue of xerox shop that's in college
every day? premises in a year.

58. Estimate the number of people who use Uber or Ola in a 70. Estimate the number of E-Rickshaw in north campus,
day in Delhi. Delhi.
59. Estimate the number of pizzas sold by Domino's in 71. Estimate the total number of choco lava cakes sold by
Mumbai in a week/ books sold by Amazon in one an outlet of Dominoz in Delhi in a week.
month/week.
60. Estimate the number of people who visit the Taj 72. Estimate the number of subscribers of Times of India
Mahal in Agra in a day. in India.
61. Estimate the total number of individual ice-creams 73. Estimate the number of tea cups sold by Chaios in a
sold in Delhi at mid-May. day.
62. Estimate the number of canva users. 74. Estimate the number of Tata cars in India..

MEET THE TEAM
Shri Ram Consulting and
Research Centre
PRIYALAXMI ROY
ANSHI AGRAWAL KRITI AGARWAL
ANANYA CHAWLA KANISHK GOYAL
Special Thanks
ABSHUL YADAV AKSHAY GUPTA

DEUSTECHE BANK BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP

ALL THE BEST!

HAPPY LEARNING!
For any queries, feedback or

suggestions, write to us at
srcrc.srcc@gmail.com

SRCRC - Casebook

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

SRCRC - Casebook

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CASEBOOK

1. About the casebook 3 10. Basic concepts 24

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 1

14. Industry Analysis 131

2 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 3

4 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 5

We would also like to extend a special acknowledgment to the contributors of the

6 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Founded in 1926, Shri Ram College of Commerce encompasses a

I extend my heartiest congratulations to Shri Ram Consulting &

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 7

Define the problem that you want to

8 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

01 are most critical to the

,A plan is developed factors

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 9

Create a framework: Create a

Clarify the problem: If you

Define the problem:

Read and understand the are unsure about any aspect

Define the problem

case question: Read the of the case question, ask for

statement in your own

case question carefully to clarification. Make sure you

words. This will help you

make sure you understand have a complete

understand the problem

the problem statement understanding of the problem

more clearly and identify

and what is being asked of before you begin. This also

the key issues. Recognise

you. Identify any key enables one to establish a

the case archetype. may need to modify it as you

issues or areas of concern. good rapport with the

gather more information.

Present your findings:

10 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Units Sold Revenue/ # of Procurement Production Distribution

12 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Research & Raw Material Storage &

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 13

It can also be done using

14 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Initial questions Approach / Framework

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 15

Initial questions Approach / Framework

16 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Revenue/User # of Users Joint Ventures Acquisitions

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 17

Initial Questions Approach/Framework

2. Understand target company

18 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 19

Price is amount being paid for a product

Economic Affordability: Customers • Functional Acceptability: Objective in

20 Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre

Yes Yes Yes Yes Segmentation

Ability Motivation Opportunity Volume Scale or size of the data is being

Shri Ram Consulting and Research Centre 21

Threat of Bargaining Power Mutually

Exclusive Non Exclusive