Riding the tiger

How to Execute Business Strategy in India

India's dynamism, adrenalin, and economic opportunity cannot be overlooked. Strong GDP growth over the last thirty to forty years has seen the sub-continent's growth rates recently surpass even China. A growing consumer base, young population with low labor cost and high capabilities, pro-business policies, and other recent positive developments optimally position the country to write global economic and political history in the coming decades.

For the past 20 years I have been closely connected to the country, bearing witness to massive change. In my view there has never been a time as exciting and innovative as now in India. And yet, India's perception in global board rooms lags behind its actual potential. For many multinational companies, India only contributes a paltry one to two percent to global revenues and profits. Reasons for this can be traced back to a skewed judgment of India's opportunities and the perceived challenges of doing business in the country. This often translates into a sub-optimal provision of support to Indian operations, or a centralized management approach which impedes the speed and flexibility needed to leverage India's opportunities.

Riding the Tiger: How to Execute Business Strategy in India offers a different assessment of India's reality. While I am fully aware of the challenges that emerging countries pose for global corporations, successful business models for doing business in such volatile, complex and ambiguous environments exist. In this book, numerous case studies of both Indian champions and successful multinational corporations highlight the path towards profitable growth in one of the largest global markets.

A combination of operational excellence and constant focus on cost reduction, customer-value-focused innovation, clear choices and alignment across your company enables you to take advantage of the opportunities that the country has to offer, either to serve the local market or to leverage India for global operations.

With volatility across the globe rising, signified by watershed moments such as Brexit or the US election, now is the time to re-evaluate your engagement with India and take it to new heights.

Riding the Tiger by Wilfried Aulbur is published by Penguin Random House. The digital version of the book will be available from November 18th. The hardcover is available for pre-order at USD 30, ISBN 9788184007534.