Noodles industry in India with market share Essay

‘Growing Up’ The Instant noodles market in India is finally coming of age after over 25 years The instant noodles category in India was, in a sense, created by Nestlà © with the introduction of their Maggi brand in mid-1980s. The concept of ‘2-minute noodles’, positioned as a quick snack option for children, found acceptance with both the children and their mothers as well. Having built and nurtured the category’s evolution, the brand name â€Å"Maggi† almost became a synonym for the instant noodles category itself. During the 1990s and 2000s, Maggi faced little competition. Despite the entry of players like Top Ramen (Indo Nissin Foods) in 1991, Ching’s Secret (Capital Foods) in 1996, and Wai Wai (CG Foods) in 2005, Maggi continued to retain its dominant position. However, in the past few years, we have seen consumer goods giants ITC (Sunfeast Yippee!), Glaxo-Smithkline (Horlicks Foodles), and Hindustan Unilever Limited (Knorr Soupy Noodles) foray into this lucrative market with differentiated product offerings. These brands have brought a competitive intensity to the space. This market now also comprises private labels like Feasters (AV Birla Retail), Tasty Treat (Future Group), and Smart Choice (Spencers). Even though ‘Maggi’ continues to dominate the market with a share in excess of 75%, the entry of multiple brands and the increasing aggression of existing brands has taken away several percentage points from Maggi’s market share. The category’s strong growth, and ever widening consumer acceptance, makes it a lucrative option for various players. The instant noodles market is estimated at ~INR 2200 crore (USD 402.7 million) and is projected to grow at a healthy annual rate of ~15% over the next few years. There are several reasons behind the growth this category has realized, in India, some of which are mentioned below. ï‚ · Changing consumer lifestyles – Over the years, the change in consumers’ preferences and eating habits, and their wider global exposure, along with an increasingly younger population, the growth in the middle class, with more nuclear families, and the growing time-poverty (as a result of the rise in the number of working couples) has given a boost to the convenience food segment. As a result, the instant noodles market has charted a high growth trajectory thanks to its availability, affordability, anytime-anywhere consumption and convenience, being a quick meal requiring minimal cooking. Instant noodles have also emerged from being a snack food or an occasional, alternate eating option to a mainstream food item of choice featuring regularly in consumers’ grocery baskets. ï‚ · Growing customer base – The emergence of instant noodles has added a new dimension to consumers’ meals; noodles are being consumed not just by kids (who are the core target audience) as an evening snack or a ‘tiffin’ meal but by consumers across all age groups, as an eating option beyond the ‘mundane’ ones. While it continues to be a home snack, it is also increasingly being consumed at workplace, colleges, etc. Geographically too, the appetite for instant noodles is growing with players now eyeing the semi-urban and rural markets. The category’s penetration is low in India (~20-25%), thus presenting a lucrative opportunity for growth. ï‚ · More options and variants: Players present in the space are innovating and adding value to establish a unique brand proposition in the consumers’ mind. Some of the major developments in this direction include: o Introduction of new flavors: To kindle the consumer’s interest in the category and also cater to the diverse and changing tastes of the consumer, instant noodles brands constantly enhance their product offerings by adding new flavors. In addition to the classic Masala and Chicken flavors, a wide range of flavors including Indo-Chinese, Chinese, tomato, etc. have been launched. 1 o Growing focus on health: Despite their fondness for instant noodles, consumers in India hold the notion that noodles are unhealthy, being made from ‘maida’ which is seen as not being as healthy as ‘atta’. To address this concern, brands are proactively introducing ‘healthy’ offerings as part of their product portfolio. Maggi and Top Ramen have their ‘atta’ noodles, while Horlicks Foodles was launched entirely on the health platform, with the noodles made from wheat or multiple grains and including a vitamin-supplying â€Å"Health Maker†. Additionally, HUL has also positioned its Knorr Soupy Noodles as a healthy, fun-filled snack. o More packaging variants: Brands have introduced packs in different sizes, right from single noodle packs of 50-75 gm. to value eight noodle packs. Further, to increase the category’s penetration, brands like Maggi and Wai Wai have extended product offerings in an even smaller pack size, priced at INR 5. o Category extension from pouch to cup noodles: A vital development in the market was the extension from pouch noodles to cup noodles that are ready-to-eat, on adding hot water, unlike pouch noodles that require to be cooked. The driving factor here is that convenience (the need for an on-the-go meal) is gaining in prominence in consumers’ lives owing to the rise in a younger working population and a migrant population, the increasing population of double income households with more working women, etc. Top Ramen offers different flavors in cup noodles, mini cup noodles, and mug noodles. Maggi and Wai Wai have extended to cup noodles as well. Modern formats, which provide high product visibility and good product displays, are acting as a good marketing platform for brands to promote their product offerings via consumer schemes like price discounts, bundled offers, sampling for new launches, etc. However, about 80-90% of instant noodles sales takes place through traditional formats (mom and pop stores), which is not surprising since noodles are a regular grocery item. Thus players need to invest significantly in distribution and establish a widespread retail reach and tap into a larger consumer base. Therefore, distribution remains an important enabler for this category. Another key challenge for players is to maintain price points and margins given the fluctuations in input costs. Usually, they opt to reduce pack sizes, while keeping prices constant, to counter the challenge. In its journey of 28 years, the instant noodles market has undergone several changes, viz. the entry of several new players, innovations in products and value-addition in packaging, the emergence of modern formats, a shift in consumption towards convenience foods, etc. Going forward, this market will continue to register a doubledigit growth and will witness higher competitive intensity. The strength of the distribution networks and media campaigns of the new entrants has the potential to be a game-changer and may eventually cause Maggi to face some serious competition, and perhaps even make this pioneering brand fight to defend its dominance. This category is finally coming of age and promises to be an interesting space to watch in the next few years. Authored By: Pragya Singh – Associate Director, Retail Ashima Anand- Senior Consultant, Retail

Effects of Divorce Essay

Divorce can be defined as the termination of a marital union, the canceling of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and the dissolving of the bonds of matrimony between married couples (Wikipedia, 2013). Divorce affects the couple and children (if any). The divorce is the most serious social problem that affects almost the entire life of the children and the couple, it also makes troubles like: sadness, despair, and unforgettable moments (Williams, 2013). In this paper, I will be discussing the factors contributing to divorce in Canada and will also explain certain statistics used as well. The methodologies that I will be using are both the qualitative and quantitative approach. The reasons I am using both of them are because by using the quantitative research, I will develop mathematical hypotheses pertaining to the phenomena. Also to analyze this topic with the use of statistics to make it somewhat accurate, while for quantitative; because it will explain in word data about my information. I strongly believe that these two forms of methodology will properly explain the factors contributing to divorce. The history of the legalization of divorce in Canada predates that of its colonial overseer, England, where it was only in 1857 that divorce was legislated, mainly on grounds of adultery. Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island respectively enacted divorce laws in 1761, 1791, and 1837, generally on grounds of adultery (Wu & Schimmele, 2009). It was not until 1968 that Canada enacted its first unified Federal Divorce Act, which was followed by the more liberal or no fault act of 1985 and it was mentioned that the sole reason for divorce is marriage breakdown, which is defined as either living apart for at least one year, or committing adultery, or treating the other spouse with physical or mental cruelty. Though divorce rates have not increased recently in Canada, the number of divorced persons is however increasing with population growth. In 2007, there were 972,183 divorced women and 712,531 divorced men in the population (Statistics Canada, 2007). The difference betwee n the men and women is because divorced men re-partner faster and more than women and also because women live longer than men.

Research Paper on Employee Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Research Paper on Employee Relations - Essay Example Rights and privileges of workers are put in place taking into account such limitations only. Maintaining good employee relations depends on how the rights and privileges of workers are treated by the organization. Finding good people often proves to be difficult for the organization, it is therefore essential to find ways to retain them as well. Good industrial relations or employee relations form part of such efforts. This study is an effort to analyze the essential tools and techniques used by organizations to manage the human resources in an organization and how the HRM has adapted itself to the changing economic scenario. In particular the objectives of this study are to have an assessment of; To get the optimum from a satisfied and participative individual is considered to be the ultimate objective of HRM policies. The global economy has made it almost mandatory for international corporations that an effective strategy is adopted for managing the human resources and the diversity. It is through their behavior that employees give expression to their commitment to work, level of motivation and their attitudes. Behavior includes all actions overt or covert, and verbal or non-verbal. This affects the overall efficiency of the person and the performance of the organization. ... Behavior includes all actions overt or covert, and verbal or non-verbal. This affects the overall efficiency of the person and the performance of the organization. Some of the organizations encourage Unions and Associations to represent the employees' issues and such organizations have a mechanism which encourages cordial relations between such unions and management as it helps in smooth functioning of the organization. But there are some other organizations which prefer to engage with individual employees for grievance redressal. Such a mechanism generally functions well in smaller organizations having lesser number of employees. The ultimate aim is to have a functioning relation with employees so that the company's functioning is not adversely affected. As a student of human resources management it is very crucial for me that I am fully aware about such a mechanism, the legal positions and how the system has evolved over the years. 1.3 Learning Outcomes We have learnt the basic concepts of human resources management during our study and do have a fair idea about the rules and regulations as well. Through this paper, an effort will be made to look around us and observe the functioning of some of the organizations, search for relevant news items in the contemporary media and sift through other views and findings from similar researches carried out by other scholars. The HR field has many dimensions and it affects almost all aspects of the organization, therefore analyzing all such fields will remain out of the scope of this study. But with the limited resources and the lessons learnt so far, I'll try to make the study as comprehensive as possible, so that I come out enriching my knowledge about the

Art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 32

Art - Essay Example It also appears that the art is full of ideas and depictions, which are symbolic to the events that took place at the time. However, one can deduce that the art evokes spiritual emotions from the beauty and colors used in the art. The designer of the image adopted the use of the ‘arch’ and integration of the Doric and Ionic columns. Peebles and mosaics have been for decoration purposes. There is also the use of formal elements in order to evoke the above kind of impression. The main medium used is oil. This improves the beauty and quality of the work. Space has also been adequately used and appropriately organized in order to pass the intended message to the viewer. The other important thing is about the use of light and color. These two have been dynamically used to achieve contrast and drama. They have also been used to offer ‘transitions’ instead of using lines during painting. This is what makes the image very outstanding. The paintings is produced from oil color and light. It is through the use of the two that contrast is easily achieved. Another important thing is that the designer of the image appears to have created it in three dimensions in order to make it more outstanding. This is something achieved by painting using oil and light accordingly. Reflecting on the image, it should be observable that architecture is a form of art, and therefore, it is capable of borrowing a lot from the ancient, pre-modern and even from the post-modern periods in order to pioneer new but stylish images. In this case, the use of historical references on this image helps understand how most of the ancient architectural elements were used since they cannot be viewed today anyway (Fairbanks 103). This is because most of these ancient buildings have collapsed a long time ago. However, studying them offers insights to the architectural elements and how they can be applied in modern designs. Another

Brown and the Board of Education Research Paper

Brown and the Board of Education - Research Paper Example On May 1954, Landmark civil rights decision was issued by the Supreme Court. The decision declared segregated schools as unconstitutional, thus Doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ schools reached an end. In 1992, George W. Bush signed the Public Law to commemorate the Brown decision of 1954. Background: During much of the American history, federal government dealt with racial issues and disparities by drawing an invisible yet authoritative line between black and white populations. One such attempt was the racial segregation or hyper segregation of white and black children in public schools under the Doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ schools. In Brown v. Board of Education case, brown refers to the one of the most famous fathers of America, Oliver Brown. Oliver Brown decided to seek legal redress when his daughter Linda Brown Thompson was refused enrollment in a white elementary school in Topeka, Kansas. Oliver Brown filed the case against segregated schools in 1 951 in Topeka. The following paper traces the footsteps of plaintiffs as well as the origins of one of the most important Supreme Court decision in American history, which not only molded the future of Topeka, but ultimately changed the entire nation. Brown v. Board of Education: In accordance with various sources, Oliver Brown is considered as a Lead Plaintiff in Brown v. Board of Education case. However, Charles Scott Jr. claims that Oliver Brown was not a lead plaintiff but in fact his father along with Mr. Burnett and the NAACP drove the case. It is important to note that the legally mandated, segregation of public schools was not challenged for the first time by the Brown case. Previously, the segregation had also been challenged in the year 1849, by a Boston lawsuit. Furthermore, 11 lawsuits filed cases against legally mandated, segregation of public schools in Kansas, between 1881 and1949. On October 1, 1951, other law suits filed against segregation of school systems in Virg inia, Delaware, South Carolina and District of Columbia. These cases were combined with the Brown case in order to make the overall case strong enough to be presented in America’s highest court. The official name given to the combined cases was Oliver L. Brown et al. v. The Board of Education of Topeka, et al. The case for the Brown plaintiffs was meticulously and authoritatively argued in the Supreme Court by NCAAP legal counsel Thurgood Marshall, who became the first African American to argue a case in the American Supreme Court. On May 17, 1954, a unanimous landmark decision was issued by the United States Supreme Court regarding the Oliver L. Brown et al. v. The Board of Education of Topeka, et al case, which declared the hyper segregation of children in public schools unconstitutional. The Decision was read by Earl Warren, who at that time was the Supreme Court Chief Justice. Following is part of the statement he read: â€Å"We conclude that in the field of public educa tion the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.† (Patterson et al 2001). The Supreme Court declared that racial segregation has a detrimental effect not only on African American children

Examining Barriers to effective physical health care management of Literature review

Examining Barriers to effective physical health care management of people with schizophrenia - Literature review Example same to different factors such as the association between mental and physical illnesses and the complications resulting from the mental illness itself following persistent use of medication. Schizophrenia patients and other mentally ill patients often suffer many physical health-related problems. Various studies on the interaction between physical health and mental health indicate psychiatric patients often endure physical health complications. In their article, Heggelund et al (2011) posited that most of the patients with Schizophrenia and major depression often suffer from cardiovascular and respiratory disease. The authours attribute the occurrence of these diseases in these patients to higher rates of smoking. In addition, Harrison and Gill (2010) suggest that the people with Schizophrenia experience poor dietary habits, poor living conditions and cognitive impairment among others. Heggelund et al. (2011) observed that patients suffering from Schizophrenia tended to gain weight and become obese. A research conducted by Brown and Mitchel (2012) showed that the incidence of obesity was high in Schizophrenia patients, accounting for up to 42% compared with 27% of the general population. The high percentage of Schizophrenia patients developing obese has thus been a key physical concern largely because it leads to the development of diabetes among other diseases. The tendency by the Schizophrenia patients to become obese has been attributed to different factors. In their article, Connolly and Kelly (2005) suggested that one of such factors is because the patients, in many cases, consume poor diets that are rich in fat and low fibre content without any consideration of the health implication. The authors also argue that these patients tend to lead a sedentary life, and this often reflects symptoms such as apathy and somnolence. The accumulation of calories in their bodies coupled with poor diet and lack of regular exercise serve as the predisposing factors for

Different phases of the project life cycle require a flexible approach Essay

Different phases of the project life cycle require a flexible approach in leadership style and skills - Essay Example Whenever we talk about the methods implicated in the project management we in general refer those methods towards the management of people as well as resources. The management of people is the management of workers. Management of people guides us about the roles and duties that a worker can perform in a project for making a project successful. It also guides management what type of staff should reserve for a specific project (Kerzner, 2003). A project manager or leader plays an important role in the success and failure of a project. This paper explains different leadership tactics and qualities during the different life cycle stages of the project. This paper explains the contemporary leadership traits, skills, and behaviors principles, comprising interesting developing views in the changing project life cycle stages, It has placed the gap between extant theory and leadership in technology projects lacks practitioner reflection-in-action, in that existing literature does not prove wh at effective global project managers actually do within the dynamic situational context of multiple competing demands. First of all we will discuss the qualities of a leader, the important point to mention is that: this section will discuss the project’s manger or leader’s project handling qualities, tests and important abilities that he must have in the changing environment. Then next section explains the different qualities and project management styles those are necessary for the project in the each life cycle stages of the project. The last section contains the conclusion and references. Suggested different project management approaches are correct for different stages of project (Kenneth, 1998). This would suggest that different project management styles, and thus different competency profiles and leadership styles for the project manager would be appropriate for different phases of project. Why we emphasis the leadership or its qualities, the