The quick commerce (q-commerce) format, which promised speedy delivery of groceries and other essentials in a matter of minutes, witnessed rapid growth in India. Flipkart Private Limited (Flipkart), the market leader in the broader e-commerce market, announced its intent to enter the q-commerce fray. It had already ventured into the speedy delivery business twice but did not gain traction. What encouraged Flipkart to attempt q-commerce a third time? Incumbent players Blinkit Commerce Private Limited, Zepto, and Swiggy Pvt Ltd dominated the q-commerce marketplace. What strategic measures should Flipkart consider to carve out a unique brand position and succeed in the q-commerce marketplace?
Ninety One Cycles, a company owned by Alphavector (India) Private Limited, gained popularity in the Indian bicycle industry. Vishal Chopra, the company’s chief executive officer and cofounder, was reflecting on its growth over the last six years. Within a short period of time, it had become one of India’s most well-known bicycle manufacturers. Despite its success, the company was still considered a niche player, with its sales confined to major cities in India. Chopra wanted to turn Ninety One Cycles into a leading manufacturer in the bicycle market in India. However, he wondered whether the company could achieve such an ambitious goal, considering that most of its revenue came from online sales. It was up to him to look at various strategic options to achieve the company’s long-term objectives.
The microbiology team leader at pharmaceutical manufacturer VitalBlend Pharmaceuticals was facing an ethical dilemma. VitalBlend Pharmaceuticals was urgently trying to ship its latest product, baby vitamin drops, to its customer. In her role as team leader of the company’s microbiology testing laboratory, she had discovered that the entire batch of the new product might be contaminated by a harmful bacterium that could be particularly dangerous for babies and young children. Despite having expressed her suspicions, the team leader was pressured by her supervisor and other managers to sign off on releasing the product to the customer, since it had passed all of the standard quality control tests and management did not want to delay the shipment. She now had to decide what to do.
In 2023, DBS Bank Ltd. (Singapore), a leading financial institution, experienced significant service disruptions. These disruptions, which affected online banking, payment services, and automated teller machine operations, led to the failure of approximately 2.5 million transactions. The disruptions eroded customer confidence and impacted the company’s reputation, with repercussions for both individual users and businesses that relied on the bank’s digital infrastructure. The repeated nature of these incidents prompted a response from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), which introduced stringent requirements and penalties to safeguard the banking ecosystem against further instability. What actions should DBS take to prevent future disruptions?
Next Skills 360 EdTech Private Limited (Next Skills 360) was founded by Suraj Meiyur and Sowjanya Suraj in 2020 to teach computer skills to low-income schoolchildren, particularly those from remote and rural areas who did not have access to electricity, computers, or the internet. By May 2022, around 160,000 students and 3,500 teachers across India had used Next Skills 360’s products, ProGame and Life Skills 360. The company had also been recognized by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as part of the 2021 Solve team. Meiyur felt happy that he could impact the lives of so many poor schoolchildren across the country, particularly those who had never had access to computers or the internet. Next Skills 360 had ambitious plans to reach one million students by the year 2025. However, Meiyur wondered if this business was sustainable and scalable. Did a market of one million students exist for this innovative disruptive and product?
On July 20, 2023, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), one of India’s largest conglomerates, undertook a strategic demerger to separate its financial services arm, Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL). This action was intended to establish a specialized financial services entity to take advantage of the expanding opportunities in India’s financial sector, enabling RIL to prioritize its core businesses. The demerger of JFSL from the conglomerate’s intricate tapestry ushered in a new chapter marked by a blend of optimism and skepticism. Would JFSL leverage its status as a separate entity in the long run? Could the company win the confidence of shareholders? Would JFSL witness growth constraints post-demerger? Would the new entity, JFSL, pose a threat and disrupt the existing financial market?
This case explores the environmental, financial, and social implications associated with food waste in the United States prison system. By studying a specific US correctional facility, Dade Correctional Institution, students will analyze and discuss the implications of food waste in prisons, drawing connections between food waste and the broader systems that are influenced as a result. Students will discuss the financial and social implications of potential solutions—leveraging composting, biodigesters, and technology and data—to form a decision.
This case follows the situation arising from the difficulties faced by Rakesh Sharma while trying to expand the market reach of his entrepreneurial venture, Om Technologies. Sharma had established a team of competent and skilled professionals whose joint efforts were able to design, develop, manufacture, and offer a range of products in industrial robots and automation-related machinery, along with providing related maintenance services. However, he was experiencing challenges in marketing and branding the business. The case also reflects on the importance of balancing excellent products and services with effective marketing. This case explores critical concepts in entrepreneurship, strategic planning, and crafting a suitable marketing strategy.
This case study explores the decision-making process for a firm considering entry into the low-carbon fuel production industry. We use a decision tree model to evaluate the alternatives to select the best alternative. It encompasses both quantitative analyses, including present value, net present value, and expected monetary value, and qualitative factors, such as supply management and location criteria impacting the decision. Students will learn to construct and implement decision tree models using MS Excel, perform sensitivity analysis with the Goal Seek tool, and critically evaluate alternatives, based on numerical rigour with qualitative insights for comprehensive strategic decision-making.
Following E-India Ltd.'s acquisition of THEPSU, a significant shift in organizational culture and dynamics ensued as E-India’s chief human resources officer sought to harmonize the existing HR teams with new approaches while leveraging their diverse backgrounds. The case discusses the challenges of a promising HR professional from a bureaucratic public sector environment in trying to adapt to a dynamic private sector setting in the face of internal competition and questionable practices which threatened team cohesion and merit-based progression. It addresses the need for meticulous management of cultural integration and personnel dynamics amid organizational upheaval.
In 2023, the urban-centric food and beverage company Nestlé India (Nestlé) had accelerated its focus on the smaller towns and cities of India and upped the ante on on-the-ground activations in these markets. At the same time, it had not lost sight of its previous core market of urban customers. The company called its business plan—to remain deeply entrenched in the stronghold urban territories and concurrently increase traction in newer semi-urban and rural areas—a “rurban” strategy. Was this a viable strategy? Nestlé would have to cater to diverse consumer preferences across different geographical regions, cultures, and income groups in India and balance affordability and quality to woo price-sensitive Indian consumers. It would also have to determine which distribution approach would be most effective to tap rural customers.
<div style="font-size: 0.95em; line-height: 1.4;"><p align="justify">In late 2023, Sylvia Mackay, founder of New Beginnings Architecture, found herself facing a challenging dilemma. Isabelle Goodwin, a junior associate who had joined the firm in 2022, had shown significant talent and potential. However, she quickly earned a reputation for her combative demeanor, straining her relationships with her colleagues and mentor. The situation escalated when Mackay received a call from a trusted subcontractor, Miriam Collins, who was the interior designer on Goodwin's project. Goodwin had yelled at Collins during a meeting, leaving the designer angry and the firm's reputation for professionalism bruised. How was Mackay going to handle this talented yet problematic employee?
This case analyses CY Company’s rationale for strengthening its investments in marketing and research and development (R&D) in an increasingly competitive market environment. It comprehensively evaluates the company’s financial performance to help students understand the underlying reasons for the company’s changing financial performance and learn methods of systematically assessing corporate financial performance. Furthermore, the case emphasizes evaluating the reasonableness of executive compensation policies through financial performance assessment and discusses how to formulate appropriate financial strategies based on a company’s operational performance.
In March 2023, Campbell Wilson, managing director and CEO of Air India, announced that the owners of the airline, the Tata group, planned to consolidate their airline portfolio. On the one hand, the group’s two full-service carriers (FSCs), Air India and Vistara, would be merged to form a single brand; on the other hand, so would the group’s two low-cost carriers (LCCs), Air India Express and Air Asia India. Wilson had joined Air India in June 2022, only a few months after the Tata group had taken over the debt-ridden airline from the government of India. Although it was clear that the Tata group wanted to consolidate its airline portfolio into one FSC brand and one LCC brand, some industry experts had expressed doubts about the Air India–Vistara merger, given their very different brand associations and heritage. Deciding whether to consolidate the brands was not easy. Would doing so be the right decision strategically, or should other options be explored?
Assuming the roles of a first-time property owner and a university student, students will play out a simple two-person apartment rental negotiation. While the end goal of the negotiation—what rent will be paid—seems simple, each role has sufficient background to allow for creative tactics and solutions by savvy participants. <br><br>This negotiation takes place in a situation familiar to students and can be used as an introductory exercise in a negotiation course or as a one-off negotiation exercise in other courses such as organizational behaviour.