Run To The Revenue - Part II
July 26, 2008
In our first segment, we discussed some of the key factors associated with the economic growth of Asia. We spoke in depth about the top 25 global company trends over the past 10 years, the top 50 competitive nations, and how Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has influenced the in/out flows of money. As companies from Asia continue to penetrate the U.S. markets, so too must North American enterprises penetrate Asia. The opportunities are vast, but the task of executing a successful strategy can be even more daunting. Strategies developed by most U.S. companies, either small or large, don’t work well in Asia for two main reasons. Read more… »
Tough Times Call For Smart Measures
June 23, 2008
The growth in China in the past 10 years has been unprecedented. China is still the most popular destination for foreign manufacturing investments on the globe. In 2007 it attracted more than $80 billion in Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). The China economy continues to “over heat.” Read more… »
Run To The Revenue - Part I
May 27, 2008
It is difficult to hide from the news these days regarding the threats posed by Asia’s growing economies, specifically China, India and Vietnam (the CIV factor). The reactions of many Americans lie in a range of emotions from fear to panic, and even down right loathing. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, it will not change the course of economic development. Let’s take a look at some facts and options. Read more… »
Strength Through Unity
May 20, 2008
China has long held a fascination for me. I have lived in China for 6 years, married into a Chinese family and built a network of local friends and associates. However, perhaps my greatest fascination is how it fares in the views of the outside world and how it embraces the challenges of progress. A Nation in development, often misunderstood and frequently criticized (rightly so in many cases), it has been a challenge and privilege to be part of China as it has faced up to external pressures. But, what about the internal pressures? How would it respond to a major issue with the spotlight of the world upon it? How would the country pull together when there is such a disparity between the “haves and have nots”? Read more… »
Audio: II-Asia Interview On NPR
March 13, 2008
Ravi Sastry, President of International Innovations, was recently interviewed on National Public Radio in his home state of South Carolina. Listen as he discusses the company, the business environment in Asia, the emergence of China and India, and the opportunity for US companies to improve their performance by taking greater advantage of Asia.
Is China Quality An Oxymoron?
February 19, 2008
The transformation of China from rice bowl to iron bowl has been done expediently. For example, in 2000, 30% of the world’s toys came from China. Five years later, this had increased to over 75%.
China increasingly dominates manufacturing in industry after industry. Over the last decade, China exported one out of every three pairs of shoes in the world. Between 2001 and 2004, China’s auto parts exports increased from $1.3 billion to $9 billion. In 1996, China exported $20 billion worth of computers, cell phones, CD players and other electronic devices. Eight years later China exported $180 billion worth.
As the West’s craving for products from China has grown, the cost of poor quality has increased at proportional rates. In recent years, there have been a number of massive recalls of Chinese-made products, from pet foods to toys to consumer electronic goods. Read more… »
China v. India: The Battle of the Titans
December 9, 2007
As China has been the dominant low cost solution for the manufacture of consumer products, so too has India for IT and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), especially since the burst of the technology bubble in 2001. The duality of these economies is based on the practice of many US based companies to invest in China as the manufacturing powerhouse and India as the software powerhouse.
Companies making their initial entry into Asia, or looking to expand beyond the borders of China, may find India a very compelling place for high technology investments and lower costs. On the surface, India does not necessarily look like a major economy or an attractive place for a US company to setup a manufacturing operation. India’s infrastructure is poor, its traffic is chaotic, its policies and bureaucratic processes stifle development, and it is home to rampant corruption. Read more… »