Did we predict Reliance's Retail Strategy ?

Reliance Industries has stunned India's Retail Sector by announcing a gigantic investment of over Indian Rupees 25,000 Crores (roughly equivalent to USD $ 5.5 Billion) in their proposed Reliance Retail greenfield project in India.

This will also entail an investment of half a million people and have a physical presence in more than 1,500 geographic locations spread across India.

In Indian business newspapers, Mr. Mukesh Ambani , the Reliance Chairman has been quoted saying that "... Reliance Retail will partner with farmers, logistics operators, small shopkeepers and traders... "

In January 2006, in this weblog, I had written ....

How would the late Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani the original Reliance patriach founder have reacted to this golden opportunity to recreate a large retail industry from scratch ?

Perhaps, he would have approached the millions of India's unorganized retail traders, offered them equity shares in the new retail business, given them training in modern retail technologies and made them Reliance's working business partners on a commission basis in it's retail locations all over India.

Going by what Mr. Mukesh Ambani has said yesterday about their proposed partnership with small shopkeepers and traders, perhaps they are intending to do what we had suggested a few months ago.

Also, in India's business newspapers dated 7th July 2006, it has been reported that through ICICI Ventures which holds a stake in the South Indian Retail Chain Subhiksha, Reliance Retail is negotiating for a possible takeover.

Earlier, we had predicted the same in this article dated 21st April 2006.

Once again, did we predict the future ?

Of Reliance's Retail Strategy ?

As we have done in software earlier ?

Something to think about.

And perhaps pat our backs.

And go back to some serious work.

25th June 2006 - A Day of Emergency for the Steel Industry ?

31 years ago, on this very day 25th June 1975; a State of Emergency was declared in India.

Is the Arcelor-Mittal merger on 25th June 2006 sounding similar bells of emergency for the rest of the global steel industry ?

10% of the global steel output in the hands of Arcelor-Mittal will drive consolidation in the steel industry.

Further, China's consumption of steel is expected to slow down before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, further aggravating the situation.

A couple of weeks ago, I was advising a Steel Entrepreneur who wanted to implement an ERP solution to consider the impact of the forthcoming Mittal takeover of Arcelor in his business dynamics planning.

Also, an Indian owned multi-national taking over an established European giant may also trigger some alarms of emergency in other non-steel sectors.

Indeed, Indians are starting to set the world on FLAMES.

Willingly waiting for Walmart ?

15 months ago, I had written as to how Indian consumers were willingly waiting for Walmart with their wallets.

Fortune Magazine in their May 22nd issue, have a story titled Waiting for Walmart in India.

The title is tantalising similar to what we had written over a year ago.

Once again, you read it here first.

Like our Walmart like Indian Technology Giant Prediction.