India’s Global Powerhouses: How They Are Taking on the World

Nirmalya Kumar, March 2009

Marketing professor Kumar (of the London Business School) asserts that India, along with other economic hotspots like China and Dubai, “will be unrecognizable in a decade,” having “helped remake the global and political economic landscape.” With coauthors Mohapatra (a player in India’s private sector) and Chandrasekhar (of D.C. think-tank Strategic Insights), he assembles in-depth case studies of India’s multinational operators, covering the country’s pre- and post-independence history, and how an overwhelming government bureaucracy became a business-friendly regime. A look at India’s Tata Group, founded 1868, reveals its extraordinary evolution into a powerful modern business through select acquisitions in hotels, steel, tea and automobiles (like its 2008 acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover). Another captivating account tracks Essel Propack’s small laminated tube company, which found global success as a supplier for Proctor & Gamble (illustrating the Hindu proverb, “Help thy brother’s boat across and, Lo! Thine own has reached the shore”). Challenges for Indian multinationals like Infosys and turbine manufacturer Suzlon include skyrocketing executive compensation and rental costs, a lack of globally-minded managers and a cultural difficulty with teamwork. As Kumar and company demonstrate, the future of business in India is worth understanding, and their detailed volume makes an excellent primer. — Publisher’s Weekly

In this invaluable contribution to the study of India’s rising economic might, Professor Kumar brings us up close to the people, organizations, and ideas reshaping global commerce. India’s Global Powerhouses is an essential read for all leaders in business, public policy, and education. –Muhtar Kent, President and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company Kumar has comprehensively captured the ascendance of global Indian corporations. Each case study highlights the unique vision and approach of one company on its path to the level of global competition. As a whole, this book is a must-read for all global managers who seek to understand and make the most of the emerging international powerhouse of India. –Nandan Nilekani, Cochairman, Infosys Technologies Limited. Nirmalya Kumar has captured the energy and the ambition driving those Indian companies that have become global powerhouses. When India opened to the world in 1991, few imagined that her companies would go global. This book documents their remarkable success. –P. Chidambaram, Minister for Home Affairs, India