Forbes India - Apr 16, 2010 Issue

ISSUE DATE Apr 16, 2010

Why They Won't Come to Teach You from Harvard

Now that the Cabinet has approved the entry of foreign universities into India, does it mean that significantly more Indians will graduate? No, because the number of students that India needs to graduate is so huge that foreign universities just can't deliver those numbers. Besides, so far, all of six universities have shown an inclination to enter India. And the big names - Harvard, Cambridge, Yale, Stanford - won't be coming. For one, it's very difficult to transplant a foreign campus and maintain quality.

Going Back to School

Schools are a difficult business to scale. In India, one of the reasons for that is, schools are a not-for-profit pursuit by law. And with reason - education needs to be inclusive. Yet, several entrepreneurs are interested in this business, despite the constraints. They are trying out different models to build a significantly large chain of schools.

The Soap Opera

The heightened brand skirmish between Unilever and P&G is a signal that the two companies' joust may have hit a tipping point. For some time now, media attention has been focussed on a sideshow: A legal battle between HUL and P&G playing out in Chennai and Kolkata. But the real story is about strategic intent - and more importantly, about capabilities to compete aggressively in emerging markets like India.

Twice Cursed

The microfinance industry is learning a bitter lesson in Kolar, Karnataka, where impoverished borrowers stopped repaying loans following a diktat from an influential local Muslim group. As the lenders try to untangle the mess, key insights into their past practices are emerging. It is clear now that reckless lending in the chase for growth is partially to blame.