Posts from — January 2008

The Chinese are coming. This was the fear some years back. They are going to be a threat for anything and everything we produce; from batteries to TVs, from Bikes to footwear…everything is going to be Chinese. Goods are going to be sold at “Chinese Rates”. Did anything much happen?

Did the Hero Hondas and the Bajajs shut shop fearing an onslaught of cheap Chinese bikes?
We did not see the Videocons exiting the market when a TCL or a Konka landed. But for the Chinese idea of bundling too many things into one(TV,Radio,Emergency Lamp all in one), those goods were all a sham. It was when the Chinese landed when the average Indian learnt the meaning of quality! All the media hype,died a slow death. The joke that was going around was that China wanted to sell some prime property in Mumbai, at dirt cheap rates!

Then came the Ambani era. Guess, it all started with the launch of the Monsoon Hungama. Cell phones were no longer exclusive to the rich. Did CDMA actually give a run for the GSM operators’ money? No, most of the CDMA market was newly created which the GSM operators of those times would not have been able to get into. Though the fear of Reliance trying to shake up markets(from kiranas to the stock market) continues, the repercussions of a Reliance Fresh would not be much looking the rate at which demand is increasing. Various retail formats may threaten the existing system, again… No!!!, newer markets would be either created or the markets will adjust to any usher in such juggernauts.

And now the third fear is imminent. All the bikes are going to be dumped.Everyone will buy at least one Nano, may be one for each member of the family.Roads will be full of Nanos.
Hello!!! Would this happen overnight? Would someone who would shell out 40k for an entry level bike go for a 1lakh plus Nano? Not happening….

Hope I get to read this after a year or 2 and feel good.