Interview FAQs

With our syllabus having been covered, I thought this is a right time to talk a bit about interviews.

Today I will just list some questions that are commonly asked during interviews.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

How would you describe yourself/tell me about yourself? 

/Tell us what do should know about you?

Why do you want to work for this company? Tell us what you know about our company?

Why do you think you qualify to work for us?

 /Why do you think you are important to the organization and Why should we hire you?

Where is your industry heading in the next five years?

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

What are your main strengths and weaknesses?

 /What abilities do you possess that would make you a contributing member of this organization?

What was your most interesting/ least interesting assignment?

Have you established any long-range goals and objectives?

When and why did you establish these goals? How are you preparing yourself to

achieve them?

What additional subjects, apart from your area of specialization, would you feel 

competent to perform and at what level?

What are your plans for future improvement of professional skills?

Why did you choose the Management Profession of IB/HR/ Marketing/ Finance?

What factors are most important to you in a job?

Do you have a geographical preference? Why?

Describe your most positive/rewarding experience?

Describe your most negative/trying experience?

Why did you select to study at your particular institute?

In what way can you add value to the role?

What are your greatest concerns about your first year with our organization?

Do you have any direct sales experience?

What are your organizational capabilities? Tell us something about your interpersonal 
skills and presentation  abilities?

What do you seek for in a job?

How long you would stay with us?

What is the role of the Manager in an organization?

What principles can one use to motivate people?

What is the most exciting thing happening in the area of business today?

Describe the relationship that should exist between a manager and subordinates?

Tell me about your views on Performance Management? 

How would you resolve a conflict between subordinates, superiors, and yourself?

Describe a situation in which you encountered a problem and tell us how you dealt with it.

Describe a project on which you worked which had a very short deadline.

How did you meet that deadline?

Describe a situation which you considered stressful. What role did you play?

Describe how you dealt with the situation. 

What will you prefer a better work environment or better salary package?

How do you spend your time outside of work? What activities do you enjoy most and why?

Describe a situation where you have been in a position of leading a group in those activities.

What is the last book you read? What did you think of it?

What is your favorite sport? What aspect of it appeals to you?

 What have you done that you are proud of?

Who are your heroes? Why?

What do you do with your leisure or vacation time? What special interests do you have?

If you go through the questions carefully, you can see that  they can be broadly categorized

 into few categories like " tell me something about yourself"," why we should hire you", "what 

are your career goals"," how would you handle a challenging experience"," how you can handle 

pressure" ," what are your key strengths" etc.

In the next post I would try to address how to handle such questions.

How to Identify Export Target Market

First step of export marketing is to identify target market and market needs where your products/services have good market potential and demand. There are many countries in world and you should pick right one(s) for your product and services. If you know your target market and market needs, you could easily get export orders from those countries.

You can identify target market by conducting International Market research activity that will give you detailed knowledge of opportunities in International market. It can confirm that an opportunity actually exists in a particular market and can help you to understand the market's characteristics. It can give you insight into how a new market can be developed. Most important, it helps you to identify needs of your potential customers and factors influences their buying decisions.

Types of Market Research

There are two main types of market research: secondary and primary.

Secondary research
This can be done by using data and information gathered from periodicals, studies, market reports, books, surveys and statistical analysis available through various sources like chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, industry and trade associations, websites, libraries and government sources.

Primary research
This can be done by using data and information gathered by Interviews, Focus groups, Mystery shopping etc. Primary research almost always demands personal involvement through interviews and consultations. Your foreign or domestic contacts will be able to help you better if you state your company's objectives at the outset and present your questions clearly.
Though Market Research is a complex process but following three simple steps will help you to identify target with secondary research approach.

Step 1: Collecting data

- Collect statistical information of related sector that show export data of your product or service to various countries. You can collect those data from various sources like periodicals, studies, market reports, books, surveys and statistical analyses published by chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, industry and trade associations, Export promotion councils.

- Many country's concern Govt. dept. publishes export-import statistic data on their websites also. For Example, in India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry's website- http://commerce.nic.in/ publishes export-import data categorized by HS code.

- Other online sources like Comtrade also publishes International trade statistic data.

Step 2: Screening

- From those collected data, select 5 to 10 countries where your product or service has maximum volume of export from your country. Check them over the past three or five years to know whether growth been consistent year-to-year? Did import growth occur even during periods of economic recession? If not, did growth resume with economic recovery?

- Also select some smaller emerging countries that may hold ground-floor opportunities for you. If the market is just beginning to open up, you may not have as many competitors as you would in an established market.

- Screen and target three to five of the most promising countries for further analysis.


Step 3: Analysis

- Analyse market trends and situation of those screened countries that could influence demand for your product or service. Calculate the overall consumption of your products or services category and identify the amount imported.
- Study the competition, both domestic and non-domestic. Look at each competitor's market share.
- Identify what affects the marketing and use of the product or service in each market, such as channels of distribution, economic situation, cultural differences and business practices.

- Identify any foreign barriers (tariff or non-tariff) for the product or service being imported into those country affecting exports to the country.

- Refer websites of WTO, Euro monitor, Country reports and screened country's specific business portals which will help you more to analyse current market trends and situation. There are many other sources on Internet, publishing useful information on current global market trends and situation.

After completing these three steps successfully, you will be able to identify your target market and restrict your marketing efforts to those countries only. New-to-exporting companies should concentrate on fewer than ten markets. One or two countries are usually enough to start with. You can then begin to develop your export marketing strategies and plan accordingly.

International market research activity needs expertise work so recommend you to get expert's advices on performing research activities because if you have identified your target market wrong, all your efforts for export marketing will go waste from the first step itself.

ref:

Azaz Motiwala is a marketing consultant and CMD of IKON Marketing Consultants India

Assignment

1. List out the top export and import houses in India
2. List out the major export items and their percentage share in export in India
3.List out the major import items and their percentage share in import in India
4.List out the top ten countries that India trades with.

India's Exports and Imports

Exports are the major focus of India's trade policy. The export sector is a core sector in the economic growth of the country and is important for addressing macro economic concerns. The incentives offered by the export promotion package is comparable to that of any other country. The focus remains on inducing the foreign investorscost. to set up export oriented units in India. India offers a production base for foreign markets around the world for sourcing components and products manufactured at a low

Opportunities

The Indian economy is one of the largest in the region and it has been projected to grow even further in the coming decade. It also has the potential to become a super-power within the region and stand as one of the most significant countries in the global IT industry.
India is also very rich in natural resources. Its varied geographical features give it a variety of natural products to profit from. Its fertile lands produce massive amounts of food grains and other food items. It is one of the largest exporters of items like rice and wheat, both being staples all over the world. It is also one of the largest exporters of minerals and metals like quartz and aluminum in the world.
Being a rapidly growing economy, India has a large appetite for imported goods. This is especially true in case of luxury food and non-food items. Imported electronics, both cheap and expensive ones are consumed in large quantities within the country. Apparel and accessories are also in high demand although India has a flourishing industry of its own in this regard.
Thus with the immense variety and opportunity that the Indian market presents to the world, it is understandable that the country is experiencing a lot of Foreign Direct Investments. Even though the global economic downturn has affected the situation, the Indian economy has hardly been hit by the crisis. That is mainly because the only direct connection that it shared with main recessive markets were the investments made by the companies that are part of those main markets. Hence, it has mostly escaped the massive losses suffered by other countries.
As an exporter, you have a lot of options when it comes to exporting items from India. India has items that range from natural to man made and a majority of it is in high demand overseas. The rest of the items are also in moderate demand outside, making export businesses of all levels quite lucrative in India. Things like Indian handcrafted items are especially high in demand because of their exclusivity and uniqueness.
India's voracious appetite for imported goods makes it a very profitable market for importers. Because of this, there is already a lot of competition in the market. If you want to start out as an importer, you might have to get in as a supporting member of an already established group. You have to be able to cut out a niche out of the market for yourself in order to survive in the long run.

 
India's strategic location, between Middle East and South East Asia, presents itself as a country with immense business opportunities. Its neighbors include Pakistan, China, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The countries labor advantage adds to this. India has vast reserves of technical and scientific manpower, backed by engineering and management institutes of excellence. India's skilled labor is in great demand in the world's premier organizations. Both skilled and unskilled labor is easy to find and wage rates are highly competitive compared to international levels. Language is not a barrier as the professional work force is conversant in English and the main transactions

and procedures are done in the same language. The government also provides a number of incentives and facilities for exporters. India's rich resource and production base provides significant opportunities for investors to establish export units. 

India's Foreign Trade Policy

The Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced New Foreign Trade Policy on 27th August 2009 for the period 2009-2014, earlier this policy known as  Export Import (Exim) Policy. After five years foreign trade policy needs amendments in general, aims at developing export potential, improving export performance, encouraging foreign trade and creating favorable balance of payments position. 

LINK : http://www.infodriveindia.com/content/exim/dgft/exim-policy/2009-2014/exim-policy-2009-2014.pdf

- the UPA government has assumed office at a challenging time when the entire world is facing an unprecedented economic slow down.
- the year 2009 is witnessing one of the most severe global recessions in the post-war period.
- countries across the world have been affected in varying degrees & all major economic indicators of industrial production, trade, capital flows, unemployment, per capita investment & consumption have taken a hit.
- the WTO estimates project a grim forecast that global trade is likely to decline of over by 9% in volume terms & the IMF estimates project a decline of over 11%.
- the recessionary trend has huge social implications .
- the world bank estimate suggests that 53 million more people would go chronically hungry.
- though India has not been affected to the same extent as other economies of the world , yet exports have suffered a decline in the last 10 months due to a contraction in demand in the traditional markets of exports.
- the protectionist measures being adopted by some of these countries have aggravated the problem.
- after 4 clear quarters of recessions there is some sign of a turn around & the emergence of 'green shoots'.

Trade Record:
- the foreign trade policy announced in 2004 had set 2 objectives namely:
* to double the % of share of global merchandise trade
* use trade expansion as an effective instrument of economic growth & employment generation.
- industry & agriculture has shown remarkable resilience & dynamics in contributing to a healthy growth in exports.
- in the last 5 years our exports witnessed robust growth to reach a level of US$ 168 billion in 2008-09 from US$ 63 billion in 2003-04.
- india's share of global merchandise trade was 0.83% in 2003; it rose to 1.45% in 2008 as per WTO estimates.
- share of global commercial services export was 1.4% in 2003; it rose to 2.5% in 2008.
- on the employment front, nearly 14 million jobs were created directly / indirectly as a result of exports in the last 5 years.

Future Plan :
-the short term objective policy is to arrest & reverse the declining trend of exports & to provide additional support especially to those sectors which have been hit badly by recession in the developing world.
- ministry set a policy objective of achieving an annual export growth of 15% with an annual export target of US$ 200 billion by march 2011.
- in the remaining 3 years of this foreign trade policy upto 2014, the country should be able to come back on the high exports growth path of around 25% p.a.
- by 2014, they expect to double India's exports of goods & services.
- the long term policy objective for the government is to double India's share in global trade by 2020.
- in order to meet these objectives , the government would follow a mix of policy measures including fiscal incentives, institutional changes, procedural rationalizations & enhanced market access across the world & diversification of exports markets.
- improvements in infrastructure related to exports.
- bringing down transaction costs .
- be the 3 pillars, which will support us to achieve this target.
- endeavor will be made to see that the goods & services tax rebates all indirect taxes & levis an exports.

Highlights :
- higher support for market & product diversification incentive schemes have been expanded by way of addition of new products & markets.
- 26 new markets have been added under focus market scheme (FMS).
- these include 16 new markets in Latin America & 10 in Asia-Oceania.
- the incentive available under focus market scheme has raised from 2.5% to 3%.
- the incentives available under focus product scheme (FPS) has been raised from 1.2%-2%
- market linked focus products scheme has been greatly expanded by inclusion of products.

Technological Upgradation :
- to aid technological up gradation of our export sector, EPCG scheme at zero duty has been introduced.
- Jaipur, Srinagar, anantnag have been recognized as 'towns of export excellence' for handicrafts.
- Kanpur, dewas, ambur have been recognized as 'towns of export excellence' for leather products.
- malihabad for horticultural products.

EPCG scheme relaxations:
- to increase the life of existing plant & machinery, export obligation on import of spares, mould etc., under EPCG scheme.
- it has been reduced to 50% of the normal specific export obligation.

Status holder :
- to accelerate exports & encourage technological up gradation , additional duty credit scrips shall be given to status holders 1% of the FOB value of past exports.
- the duty credit scrips can be used for procurement of capital goods with actual user condition.

Stability of he foreign trade policy :
- to impart stability to the policy regime , duty entitlement passbook scheme is extended beyond dec 12 2009 till dec 2010.
- interest subvention of 2% for preshipment credit for 7 specified sectors has been extended till 2010.
- income tax exemption to 100% EOUs & STPI units under section 10B & 10A of income tax act, has been extended for the financial year 2010-11.

Marine sector :
fisheries have been included in the sector which are exempted from maintenance of average EO under EPCG scheme.

Gems & Jewellary sector :
- to neutralize duty incidence on gold jewellery exports, it has now been decided to make India drawback on such exports.
- in an endeavor to make India a diamond international trading hub, it is planned to established "diamond bourse".
- to promote exports of gems & jewelery products, the value units limits of personal carriage have been increased from US$ 2 million to US$ 5 million inn case of participation in overseas exhibition.
- the limit in case of personal carriage, as samples , for export promotion tours, has also been increased from US$ 0.1 million to US$ 1 million.

Agriculture sector :
- to reduce transaction handling costs, a single window system to facilitate export of perishable agricultural produce has been introduced.
- the system will involve creation of multi-functional nodal agencies to be accredited by APEDA.

Tea :
minimum value addition under advance authorization scheme for export of tea has been reduced from the existing 100% to 50%.
- export of tea has been covered under VKVOUY scheme benefits.

EOUs :
- this have been allowed to sell products manufactured by them in DTA upto a limit of 90% instead of exisitng 75% without changing he criteria for DTA sale.
- EOUs wil now be allowed to procure finished goods for consolidation along with their manufactured goods, subjects to certain safeguards.
- EOU will now be allowed CENVAT credit facility for the component of SAD & education cess on DTA sale.

Flexibilty provided to exporters :
- payment of customs duty for export obligations shortfall under advance authorization.
- AA has been allowed by way of credit of duty credit scripts.
- earlier the payments was allowed in cash only.
- import of restricted items, as replenishment, shall now be allowed against transferred DFIAs, in line with the erstwhile DFRC scheme.
- time limit of 60 days for re-import of exported gems & jewelery items , for participation in exhibitions has been extended to 90 days in case of USA.
- transit loss claims received from private approved insurance companies in India will now be allowed for the purpose of EO fulfillment under export promotion schemes.

simplification of procedures:
- to facilitate duty free import os samples by exporters numbers of samples has been increased from the existing 15 to 50.
- to allow exemption for up to 2 staged from payment of excise duty in liew of refund, in case of supply to an advance authorization holder by the domestic intermediate manufactures.
- greater flexibility has been permitted to allow conversion of shipping bills from one export promotion scheme to other scheme.

reduction of transaction costs :
- no fee shall be charged for grant of incentives under the schemes of FTP.
- further, for all other authorization, maximum applicable fee is being reduced to rs.1,00,000 from the existing rs.1,50,000 (for manual applications) rs.50,000 from the existing rs.75,000 (for EDI applications).

India mobile phone war hots up

check out this link on BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8424858.stm
India is the world's second-biggest mobile phone market with more than 400m users.(2009)

The benefits and drawbacks of international expansion options(Jim Riley)

Selling into international markets is increasingly attractive for  businesses. Reasons may be as follows:

• Stronger economic growth in emerging economies such as China, India, Brazil and Russia
• Market saturation and maturity (slow or declining sales) in domestic markets
• Easier to reach international customers using e-commerce
• Greater government support for businesses wishing to expand overseas

The four main methods of investing in international markets are summarized briefly below:

Exporting direct to international customers:
- The domestic business takes orders from international customers and ships them to the customer destination
Selling via overseas agents or distributors:
- A distribution or agency contract is made with one or more intermediaries
- Distributors & agents may buy stock to service local demand
- The customer is owned by the distributor or agent
Opening an operation overseas:
- Involves physically setting up one or more business locations in the target markets
- Initially may just be a sales office – potentially leading onto production facilities (depends on product)
Joint venture or buying a business overseas:
- The business acquires or invests in an existing business that operates in the target market  
 
The four main methods of expanding a business into international markets each have their advantages and drawbacks.  Some of the key issues are summarised below:
Exporting direct to international customers
Advantages:
Uses existing systems – e.g. e-commerce
Online promotion makes this cost-effective
Can choose which orders to accept
Direct customer relationship established
Entire profit margin remains with the business
Can choose basis of payment – e.g. terms, currency, delivery options etc
Disadvantages:
Potentially bureaucratic
No direct physical contact with customer
Risk of non-payment
Customer service processes may need to be extended (e.g. after-sales care in foreign languages)
Selling via overseas agents or distributors
Advantages:
Agent of distributor should have specialist market knowledge and existing customers
Fewer transactions to handle
Can be cost effective – commission or distributor margin is a variable cost, not fixed
Disadvantages:
Loss of profit margin
Unlikely to be an exclusive arrangement – question mark over agent and distributor commitment & effort
Harder to manage quality of customer service
Agent / distributor keeps the customer relationship
Opening an operation overseas
Advantages:
Local contact with customers & suppliers
Quickly gain detailed insights into market needs
Direct control over quality and customer service
Avoids tariff barriers
Disadvantages:
Significant cost & investment of management time
Need to understand and comply with local legal and tax issues
Higher risk
Joint venture or buying a business overseas
Advantages:
Popular way of entering emerging markets
Reduced risk – shared with joint venture partner
Buying into existing expertise and market presence
Disadvantages:
Joint ventures often go wrong – difficult to exit too
Risk of buying the wrong business or paying too much for the business
Competitor response may be strong

Interesting Facts- Cross Cultural Business

• Of the world’s top 250 retailers, 104 have no international operations at all, according to Deloitte, a consultancy. 
• According to The Economist, when Wal-Mart went into Germany in 1997, it assumed that Germans would like to be treated with the same courtesy as Americans but Wal-Mart discovered that many Germans regard shop-assistants who try to help them with suspicion and flee the premises to avoid buying anything from them.  To be fair, they got off to a bad start in Germany by appointing a country manager who did not speak German.  
• In Brazil they failed to notice that people like to shop as a family group: the aisles of its shops were too narrow to accommodate the standard family party.
• B&Q, a British do-it-yourself retailer, discovered that Chinese people look down their noses at doing things themselves. It became a buy-it-yourself, and get somebody else to do it for you, retailer.

Reading

In Paris, the customer is not always right

The idea of service is taken very seriously in France where any feeling of subservience is strongly resisted, as Emma Jane Kirby discovered.

Paris is in a bad mood.
The sullen, steel-grey sky seems to be permanently snivelling sleet.
The Seine, swollen against its banks, pushes and squeezes its way through the city like an irascible woman in too-tight shoes.
And the January depression has even sucked some of the glitzy dazzle out of the Eiffel Tower, leaving it looking - at least from a distance - like a rather cheap, left-over Christmas decoration.
It may be the city of romance and a mecca for tourists, but right now Paris feels and looks like it just cannot be bothered any more to turn on the charm.
Not that this city is exactly known for its sense of service.
The customer is allegedly always right in London but, in Paris, he or she is little more than an irritant.
Cab 'service'
A couple of months back, I broke my leg in a skiing accident and became completely reliant on Paris's taxi service.

“ Under the circumstances, even though I was paying for this ride, I felt unable to ask this clearly sensitive man to turn down his deafening rap music ”

Wobbling precariously on my crutches after a family dinner in a local restaurant, I hailed the first cab in the rank.
He drove up, glanced at my plastered leg and drove straight off again shouting: "I don't take cripples. Your crutches might damage my paintwork!"
Somewhat stupefied, I hailed the next cab in line and politely asked the driver if I could sit up front as it was easier for my leg.
"I'm not arranging my whole damn cab to accommodate you," he snapped. "I've got all my personal things piled on the front seat!"
As he drove off at an angry speed, I got a glance of the front passenger seat and saw it was adorned with one folded newspaper.
The taxi driver who finally chauffeured me home was pleasant enough, although a stark notice on the back of the seat reminded me that it would not be wise to push my luck.
"Do not use your mobile phone in this cab," warned the hand-written sticker, "it annoys your driver."
Under the circumstances, even though I was paying for this ride, I felt unable to ask this clearly sensitive man to turn down his deafening rap music.
'I'm not your slave'
The fact is Parisians employed in any service industry simply do not buy into the Anglo Saxon maxim, "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

“ In France your waiter expects to be addressed formally as Monsieur, in exactly the same way he will address you ”

The revolution of 1789 has burned the notion of equality deep into the French psyche and a proud Parisian finds it abhorrently degrading to act subserviently.
This Sunday, a Parisian friend of mine waited in line at the fruit and vegetable stall of his local market.
When it was his turn to be served, he asked the seller for a kilo of leeks.
"They're at the other end of the stall," snapped the vendor waspishly. "Take a bit of exercise and get them yourself."
There is no mistaking the undertone, "I'm not your slave."
At my doctor's, the two dour receptionists are quite delightful when we meet on the street, sharing jokes and asking kindly after my broken leg.
Back behind their desk, however, they brood and scowl. There is not even a gesture of recognition, let alone a friendly smile.
On the street it is acknowledged that we are equals but, once back in the surgery - in that uncomfortable position of service provider and client - the receptionists become wary of a potential shift of power and are quick to squash any assumptions of superiority.
Blunt honesty
In America, your waiter comes to your restaurant table to tell you his name is Joe. Here, your waiter expects to be addressed formally as Monsieur, in exactly the same way he will address you.
It is made clear from the start that no-one has the upper hand. The strict code of manners in Paris is a deliberate class-leveller.

“ 'Don't even think about it,' said the shop assistant bluntly, 'not with that big fat leg' ”

Perhaps Parisians are just being honest.
Our American waiter Joe, after all, only promises to give us "good folks a great time" because he wants a terrific tip but, in Paris, providing quality is a matter of personal pride.
In the boulangerie next to our office, the baker spends a good 90 seconds skilfully wrapping up my plain brioche into an artistic cornet, even though she must know I will rip it open the second I leave her shop.
When I ask the local greengrocer for an avocado, he asks when I plan to eat it before dutifully feeling every avocado in the box to find the one which will be perfectly ripe on that day.
Last week, as I waited in the damp gloom for a taxi to take me home after yet another hospital appointment, I decided to shelter in the expensive dress shop next door.
I held up a woollen dress against me and admired myself in the mirror.
The shop assistant, nonchalantly blowing bubble-gum bubbles, looked narrowly at me and shook her head.
"Don't even think about it," she said bluntly, "not with that big fat leg."


Published: 2010/02/06 12:03:07 GMT

© BBC MMX

Reading :Article by Tom White

Alliances - benefits of scale without the risks?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

by Tom White

Is there the potential for some firms to enjoy economies of scale and the benefits of size, without risking a potentially disastrous merger?  The boss of Renault Nissan thinks so and is continuing to hype his alliance model as the way forward in the car industry.  We’ve heard about ‘co-opetition’ before: how would it work out this business?
As the Economist has recently explained, the Renault Nissan alliance “really is like a marriage”. Renault owns 44% of Nissan, which in turn holds 15% of Renault. They purchase most of their parts jointly, and have gradually learned to share engineering expertise, such as Renault’s strength in diesel engines and Nissan’s in petrol ones. The boss argues that it has also made Nissan more daring and Renault more cosmopolitan.
Then in 2002 Nissan launched what has proved to be a successful joint venture in China, now the world’s most important car market.  In late 2007 Nissan beat General Motors to become a strategic partner to a big Russian carmaker, taking a 25% stake. Next came Daimler.  The alliance will focus on sharing resources in four main areas: car ‘platforms’, small petrol and diesel engines; technology for fully electric and hybrid cars; and bigger diesel engines.
Why are economies of scale so important in car manufacturing?  The article highlights three main reasons:
-Under pressure to boost fuel efficiency and cut carbon emissions, carmakers are spending huge sums on R+D.
-There needs to be extra investment in substantial new manufacturing capacity and dealer networks in the emerging markets that are generating nearly all the industry’s growth.
-You can no longer survive as a niche player specialising in small cars or luxury vehicles. To cover overheads, big car manufacturers must cover every segment.
It’s not clear if a web of alliances can deliver all this. Even where full mergers have taken place (as with the disastrous union between Daimler and Chrysler) savings have proved difficult to find because engineers from one side are unwilling to share ideas and resources with the other. After 11 years and much effort, some argue, Renault and Nissan have yet to equal the efficiencies of the various arms of VW Group or Toyota, which are both tightly integrated and centrally managed.
Are other car firms following suit?  VW sees the 20% stake it took late last year in Suzuki, which is strong in India and in small cars, as a “critical” step towards surpassing Toyota as the world’s biggest car company. PSA Peugeot Citroën and Mitsubishi are keen to deepen their ties. And although Fiat has in effect taken control of Chrysler despite owning only 20% of the American firm, it is adopting a similar management structure to Renault and Nissan.

List of Assignment Topics

1. Highlights of India's foreign trade policy
2.Emerging Trends in India's Exports and Imports
3. WTO's impact on International Business
4.Benefits of cross border mergers and acquisitions
5.Analysis of political and legal problems while doing business abroad
6. Country Risk Analysis
7.Note on EPZ and SEZ
8.Advantages of doing business globally
9.Advantages and Disadvantages of Globalization
10.Advantages and Disadvantages of outsourcing

dear students,

Prof.Sameer Vaidya will be informing you about the assignments allotted.

This is also to inform you all that the IB  syllabus (2 papers) has been covered in the class lectures .

best wishes-
Prof Sukalpa Chakrabarti