Sheela Foam Limited was established in 1971 and become a prominent competitor in India’s premium mattress market by 2023. Through its flagship brand, Sleepwell, the company transitioned from manufacturing polyurethane foam to high-quality finished mattresses, capitalizing on India’s economic liberalization of the 1980s that spurred significant market growth. By 2023, the Indian mattress market had grown to a value of US$525 million, from US$408 million in 2018, presenting both opportunities and challenges. Competition from low-cost locally made cotton mattresses intensified as new entrants exploited favourable taxation structures. After Sheela Foam Limited acquired competing brand Kurl-on in 2023, the company’s chairman faced the dual challenge of enhancing brand recognition while managing an extensive product range and streamlined distribution channels. The acquisition introduced complexities in organizational integration that required redefining and realigning the company’s combined workforce and sales distribution channels.
CaratLane, founded in 2008 by Mithun Sacheti, had disrupted India’s jewellery market by targeting younger consumers with lightweight, affordable, and innovative everyday jewellery. Sacheti, coming from a family of jewellers, had identified a gap in the traditional jewellery stores market, which catered to older generations. Partnering with Avnish Anand, Sacheti carved out a new niche by combining artisanship with cutting-edge innovation.<br><br>In 2023, Titan Company Limited (Titan), a Tata Group company, acquired Sacheti’s stake, marking CaratLane’s transition to a fully owned Titan subsidiary. With Sacheti’s departure, Anand assumed leadership of the company and was tasked with growing it within the larger, matrixed Titan organization. Anand faced pressing challenges, including a declining consumption of gold, rising costs, and intense competition. He had to decide between doubling down on creativity through design-led innovations or pivoting toward the mass market and risk diluting the CaratLane brand. Staff retention added complexity, as competitors sought to poach CaratLane’s experienced staff. Should Anand prioritize continuity or embrace fresh ideas through younger hires? Last, he had to determine whether to maintain CaratLane’s offline–online sales channel mix or expand into India’s smaller cities and rural markets for growth opportunities.
VIP Industries Ltd. (VIP) was India's leading luggage manufacturer. It had revolutionized the Indian luggage industry, offering consumers high-quality, domestically produced alternatives to imported products. VIP ventured beyond borders with its acquisition of the brand Carlton in 2004, and with an expanded geographical footprint and a diversified brand portfolio, VIP had emerged as a formidable force in the luggage industry. Fast-forward to 2023, and VIP was losing market share steadily to rivals Safari Industries (India) Ltd. and Samsonite International SA. To deal with this and other challenges, VIP’s new managing director had to quickly determine what actions to take to recover market share and liquidate inventory, and make decisions on positioning, advertising, product lines, and human capital.
This case examines the decline of Nirula’s, a once prosperous fast-food chain in India. Nirula’s, founded in the 1970s, introduced Western-style fast food in India. The firm tailored its menu to suit the regional tastes and preferences. The brand’s pioneering method of combining several culinary traditions led to a loyal consumer following, especially among the millennial demographic in Northern India. However, Nirula’s had enormous challenges due to the emergence of international fast-food chains like McDonald’s. It also faced issues related to availability and ambiance and struggled to stay relevant among younger customers. This case relates to rejuvenating and reviving a declining brand.
In March 2023, Havells India Ltd., founded by Haveli Ram Gandhi and later acquired by Qimat Rai Gupta, reported a significant increase in turnover to $2.06 billion from a low of $1.14 billion during the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Despite its success and growth investments, questions arose about Havells' strategic direction. While traditionally known for its electrical products as a B2B enterprise, Havells made inroads into the brown goods market, notably with the struggling Lloyd business post-acquisition in 2017. CEO Anil Rai Gupta faced challenges in adapting Havells' strategies to the competitive B2C market and evaluating the retention of the Lloyd brand's identity. Looking ahead, how will Havells navigate these strategic dilemmas to sustain its growth momentum and market relevance effectively?
TTK Prestige (Prestige), the leading brand in the Indian pressure cooker market, was facing several challenges that threatened its dominance. After witnessing unprecedented growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Prestige’s sales declined somewhat in 2023, although it showed a modest 5 per cent increase in 2024. Prestige’s long-standing reputation, safety credentials, and iconic advertising campaign had served it well, but it may not have been enough in this rapidly evolving market landscape. Managing director Chandru Kalro assessed the key issues facing Prestige: the Indian market was maturing fast and competitors both new and established were attacking both the low and high ends of the market; the organization had become complacent and had not responded swiftly to market conditions; and more importantly, it lacked a comprehensive growth strategy. Bold strategic moves were needed for Prestige to sustain its market leadership.
DeHaat was a technology-led platform offering end-to-end agriculture services to Indian farmers with an aim to improve inefficiencies in the agriculture value chain. By September 2022, after 10 years of operations, the company was well-established in India’s agricultural technology sector, and its network of centres across 12 states distributed seeds, pesticides, fertilizer, and farm machinery to farmers and offered them farm advisory services, financial services, and market linkages for selling farm produce. But despite DeHaat’s remarkable growth, profitability still eluded the company. In 2023, the company needed to determine what its founders could do to improve profitability and create stakeholder value. They had already received multiple rounds of funding. Should they now focus on existing markets, explore new domestic markets or exports, expand their offerings, or better control their costs to enhance credibility in the financial market? Or should they slow down growth to strengthen internal operations?
Coco Fresh was a natural tender coconut water bottled by Madhura Agro Process Pvt. Ltd. (MAPPL). The chief executive officer (CEO) sensed there was a market opportunity given the health benefits of Coco Fresh compared to other beverages. He developed the technology to extract the coconut water and package it without any preservatives. This market was crowded with many players, each claiming to offer genuine coconut water. The regulations in India did not distinguish tender coconut water from mature coconut water. The CEO was in a dilemma over how to overcome this regulation and drive home the value of Coco Fresh to consumers.
Satkar Automobiles was a dealer for Hero MotoCorp, located in Chhinwada, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, India. Starting from a humble beginning, the two-wheeler dealership had increased its sales revenue year-over-year—until COVID struck. During the pandemic recovery, Hero MotoCorp’s competitors gained more market share. Amidst a changing market, distribution restrictions, and inventory challenges, the company’s chief marketing officer, a second-generation entrepreneur, was faced with a huge problem: how to regain share in her market and become the number one dealer for Hero MotoCorp in India.