India needs Zebras
Reading Time: 5 minutesI think India needs more bottom-up growth and less top-down growth thrust upon it. Zebra companies could be the answer. If, along the way, a Zebra company becomes a unicorn, who am I to stop them?
Zebra vs Unicorn businesses
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe Unicorn’s end goal is a billion-dollar valuation powered by VC funding.
The Zebra’s end goal is to build a sustainable business. That’s why they prefer to bootstrap or crowdfund over VC funding. I share the difference between both.
Navigate India with the ‘Category of One’ mindset
Reading Time: 5 minutesI believe that a business needs to operate with the ‘category of one’ mindset to win and scale. Even in a large growing market like India.
Five features of Rural India demand
Reading Time: 3 minutesRural India contributes on average, one-third, to revenues of consumer goods companies, but five features make it a tricky market
The power law of distribution
Reading Time: 3 minutesIncome inequality leads to a distribution power law. Businesses have to be intentional about which shops top focus on first.
Multilevel pricing
Reading Time: 2 minutesConsumer goods need to operate at multiple price points at the same time, to succeed in India
India used to run on tea, now it runs on data
Reading Time: 2 minutesThe low cost of mobile data has ensured that Indians now consume more data than tea.
The shrinking packs
Reading Time: 2 minutesShrinking packs is a common strategy adopted by consumer goods companies to protect profits in scenarios where consumers do not upgrade.
The sachet economy
Reading Time: 4 minutesLow disposable incomes make India an economy of magic price points and a sachet economy
The missing middle class
Reading Time: 3 minutesIndia’s middle class is not in the middle. Such is the income level, that the upper crust of society is its middle class.