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Just in:   • Biden administration forgives $4.7 billion loans to Ukraine  • Women entrepreneurs driving innovation, growth in gem & jewellery sector: Smriti Irani  • India’s export outlook brighter as manufactured goods gain share: RBI  • India’s consumer durable makers to log 11-12 pc growth in FY25  • SEBI’s proposal on SME IPOs: striking a delicate balance  Last updated: 21 Nov, 2024   2015: Brighter prospects ahead Bikky Khosla | 30 Dec, 2014 Another year is set to bid adieu. The Indian economy started the year 2014 with only moderate momentum when growth seemed to be picking up slowly, with current account deficit narrowing on strong exports, but high inflation and low industrial output, combined with the uncertainty of how the results of the general elections would play out, kept us jittery.     Read more.... Customer loyalty in B2B Bikky Khosla | 23 Dec, 2014 Does customer loyalty matter in B2B trade? It is commonly said that business-to-business buyers are clear-eyed. They base their buying decisions mostly on price.     Read more.... Industrial slowdown: It's time to act Bikky Khosla | 16 Dec, 2014 Last week's industrial production data for October is a real shocker to the economy. It shows a sharp contraction of 4.2 percent even though November retail inflation eased to a two-year low of 4.3 percent.     Read more.... Entrepreneurship and skill development: Where do we stand Bikky Khosla | 09 Dec, 2014 Can entrepreneurship be learnt? Many people believe that good entrepreneurs are born -- entrepreneurship qualities are wired into one's DNA. According to some others, it is a trainable skill -- the skill-sets required to become a good entrepreneur can be learnt over time.     Read more.... Planning Commission: Time for silent burial Bikky Khosla | 02 Dec, 2014 The Planning Commission is likely to be declared dead soon. Last week, the media reported that the Centre has zeroed in on the role and structure for a new body that would replace the 64-year old commission.    Read more.... Winter session: Will politics play spoilsport? Bikky Khosla | 25 Nov, 2014 The Winter session of the Parliament is going to be a testing one for the Modi-led NDA government. An extensive list of business has been lined up for the session, including some major issues, such as Goods and Services Tax, coal mine allocation    Read more.... Economy moving in the right direction Bikky Khosla | 18 Nov, 2014 We've had some good news lately: inflation eased sharply in October; industrial output for September saw a better-than-expected growth; the RBI has proposed to allow small banks to have a pan-India presence; and finally, India and the US have reached consensus on the the WTO food security row.     Read more.... FTP: The long delay must end Bikky Khosla | 11 Nov, 2014 Seven months of the current financial year are already over, but the government is yet to announce the Foreign Trade Policy. Usually, FTPs are announced soon after the Union Budget is presented, but this year, the matter is still up in the air.     Read more.... Black money - expectations vs reality Bikky Khosla | 04 Nov, 2014 The black money issue has been in media headlines for some time now. During the election campaign, the BJP had promised to bring back all the black money stashed away from the country within 100 days. It spurred high emotions in public mind, which was further fueled later when the BJP-led new government made announcement about formation of a special team for the purpose in its very first decision after taking charge.    Read more.... Unease of doing business in India Bikky Khosla | 28 Oct, 2014 Our business ecosystem has always remained prey to regulatory hurdles. In India, it requires an entrepreneur to comply with 12 procedures and wait on average 27 days only to start a business. In the eyes of foreign investors, the image is no less worse.     Read more.... Labour reform - a step taken forward Bikky Khosla | 21 Oct, 2014 Dealing with labour issues has always remained a Herculean task for Indian companies. Ask any factory owner from any part of the country and the majority will rank it as one of the biggest obstacles. Scores of central and state laws to comply with, dozens of forms to fill out, many strange-sounding norms to adhere to and the too powerful labour inspectors to keep satisfied    Read more.... Making Indian MSMEs globally competitive Bikky Khosla | 14 Oct, 2014 A new report by CII-KPMG released last week says that India will emerge as one of the leading global economies over the next decade and to make the country's MSME sector backbone of this economy, we need to make these firms globally competitive.     Read more.... Mistakes that can derail your business Bikky Khosla | 08 Oct, 2014 What does it take to be a successful small business? Studies conducted time and again reveal that vast number of small businesses fail in the first few years. Only a few succeed to complete their first five years.     Read more.... Omni-channel: the new buzzword Bikky Khosla | 30 Sep, 2014 Marketing has changed tremendously in the past few years. Earlier, you had a few means of reaching your customers, but with rapid digitization marketing has now become more technology driven, fast paced and complex.     Read more.... Domestic investment must also be a priority Bikky Khosla | 23 Sep, 2014 Efforts to attract foreign investment have seemed to get a fillip with the new government coming into power. It is also good to see a welcome shift in our foreign policy towards tackling the issue, with the PM focussing on the economic side of diplomacy more than ever before.     Read more.... India's foreign policy - the 'Modi approach' Bikky Khosla | 16 Sep, 2014 Refreshing and energetic! These are the words that best describe PM Modi's foreign policy.     Read more.... Planning a must for capitalising on social media Bikky Khosla | 09 Sep, 2014 We hear people talk a lot these days about social media. Business pundits have written scores of books, articles, and studies on why and how to leverage social media for profit. But when it comes to practice, few succeed in doing it, particularly the small businesses.     Read more.... Economy back on track Bikky Khosla | 02 Sep, 2014 The economy grew 5.7% in the April-June period, the highest in the last ten quarters. Nobody was expecting such level of growth. The GDP figures released by the Central Statistics Office last week also show expansion in industrial activities with fixed capital formation rising by 7.02% and a better investment scenario with private final consumer expenditure growing 5.6% during period.    Read more.... What SMEs can learn from big boys Bikky Khosla | 26 Aug, 2014 Big businesses can learn a lot of things from small businesses. Fund scarcity, lack of manpower, branding challenges, tough competition from big guys    Read more.... Manufacturing matters Bikky Khosla | 19 Aug, 2014 Can India become a manufacturing powerhouse? In his maiden Independence Day speech, PM Narendra Modi highlighted the urgency to revive Indian manufacturing. "Come and make in India," he exhorted the world, and stressed on channelizing the strength of the youth through manufacturing.    Read more.... Why customer retention is important Bikky Khosla | 12 Aug, 2014 We all know almost every big business started out small. What do these companies have in common that enables them to move to the next level? Success in business depends on a number of factors: product, quality, pricing, marketing, advertising, promotion and so on,    Read more.... WTO deal: North-South divide rears its head again Bikky Khosla | 05 Aug, 2014 The WTO talks have failed. Last year, all the 159 WTO members reached a historic Trade Facilitation Agreement, signaling an erosion of the traditional North-South divide and raising hopes that the deal would inject a whooping $1 trillion into international trade and create some 21 million jobs    Read more.... Never cease to learn Bikky Khosla | 29 Jul, 2014 Learning is a never ending process - this rule applies also to business. But many small business owners, after achieving a certain level of success, do not bother to give much thought to learning new things - about their customers, the markets they serve, the business strategy they follow, and so on. This is a wrong approach. These days, everything in the world of business is changing fast, bringing new opportunities as well as challenges, and to deal with them one must keep on learning.    Read more.... Start an export business: Guide for beginners Bikky Khosla | 22 Jul, 2014 It's an undeniable fact that entering into exports can be a great way to expand a business. But how to start with it? This is one of the common questions asked by aspiring exporters.    Read more.... Budget holds promise Bikky Khosla | 15 Jul, 2014 The Budget 2014-15 was presented last week and it is encouraging to see that several issues of great economic importance have been set as priorities by the government.    Read more.... SME branding misconceptions Bikky Khosla | 01 Jul, 2014 Brand is one of most important assets of any business, small or big -- we often hear marketing gurus extolling the virtues of branding, but it's difficult to convince small business owners. Only a handful of them believe in branding. Majority are of the opinion that it is only for big companies. A typical response I get even from some veteran entrepreneurs is that small businesses, with not enough money to spend, should concentrate on 'more important' aspects of the business than on branding. There are many other misconceptions small businesses have about branding.    Read more.... Corruption: A curse for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 24 Jun, 2014 You are conducting your business in a legal way -- not evading tax, not manipulating books, not indulging in any unlawful activity. Shouldn't this be enough reason not to pay any 'under the table' money? But we all know what the reality is.    Read more.... Protect yourself from phishing attacks Bikky Khosla | 18 Jun, 2014 The term 'phishing' derives from the idea of fishing — fishing for information. It refers to a type of internet fraud that attempts to collect sensitive financial information. Typically, a fraudulent email is used for this.     Read more.... Power woes for MSMEs Bikky Khosla | 10 Jun, 2014 The unprecedented electricity crisis in northern India may result in disruption of work and likely closure of 25 percent of micro, small and medium enterprises in the region and pull down their overall industrial production by a whopping 40 percent, a survey released last week has cautioned.     Read more.... Grow from small to big Bikky Khosla | 03 Jun, 2014 Some of the most successful high street brands we know today started small and moved into the big league later, and some of them did it very fast. But this is not true to every small business. In fact, majority of them have to stay as they were when the business started. So what makes this difference? I think there are certain factors that help small business owners in a great way to take their business to the next level.    Read more.... New government: Expectations and challenges Bikky Khosla | 27 May, 2014 The oath taking ceremony is over and now is the time for the new government to get down to the business. There are high expectations everywhere, but what is more important now is that the economy needs urgent attention and nourishment. It is in a mess for quite some time now and the newly sworn-in government has to set it right. The economic policies and the forthcoming budget to be unveiled in the next two-three months will have significant implications on the fate of the economy.    Read more.... Modi's victory fuels hopes Bikky Khosla | 20 May, 2014 The election results are declared and the verdict is clear. The people of India want change, they want stability and growth, they want a responsive government and a strong leader to lead the country, they are looking for an economic savior who can bring the economy back to growth path. These desires are so strong that they have demolished caste and community barriers and helped BJP thunder to an extraordinary victory.     Read more.... Benefits of multiple websites for small businesses Bikky Khosla | 13 May, 2014 Some time ago online presence was not considered as an important factor by small businesses. It was just an optional idea, something only large corporations should care about. Nowadays, however, more and more small business owners are getting aware of how useful it can be to promote their businesses.     Read more.... IPR: Where SMEs stand Bikky Khosla | 06 May, 2014 The Indo-US ties have been strained for some time now and the recent bone of contention between the two sides is the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issue. The Obama administration, under pressure from trade lobbies of the country in general and the pharmaceutical sector in particular, is not happy with India's IPR regime    Read more.... How to follow up with prospects Bikky Khosla | 29 Apr, 2014 Every small business pays great attention to reaching out to new customers, wherever possible, offline or online, at an event or on a social network platform. They place great importance on networking and building connections. They are quick at sending product information whenever a potential prospect requests for it. Everything is right till this point, but when it comes to follow-up, they usually fall behind. After the initial contact, most small businesses prefer to sit back and wait for a reply, which most of the time never comes.    Read more.... Global trade: brighter prospects ahead Bikky Khosla | 22 Apr, 2014 Global trade is expected to increase 4.7 percent this year against a 2.1 percent growth in 2013 and an average 2.2 percent in the past two years, according to an estimate released by the World Trade Organization last week.    Read more.... Industry's revival, export momentum must for growth Bikky Khosla | 15 Apr, 2014 The International Monetary Fund has pegged India's economic growth for 2014 at 5.4 percent. This projection is done by "assuming that government efforts to revive investment growth succeed and export growth strengthens after the recent rupee depreciation".    Read more.... The business of family business Bikky Khosla | 08 Apr, 2014 In India, a whopping 95 percent of all businesses are family-owned, according to a newly released guidebook for family businesses. In Latin America, 90 to 98 percent businesses fall into this category while in North America they account for 80 to 90 percent.     Read more.... MSME definition: Do we need a new one Bikky Khosla | 01 Apr, 2014 MSMEs in India are currently defined as per their capital investment: Micro (less than Rs. 25 lakh), Small (between Rs. 25 lakh -5 crore) and Medium (Rs. 5- 10 crore). The corresponding thresholds for service sector MSMEs are less than Rs. 10 lakh, Rs 10 lakh- 2 crore, and Rs 2- 5 crore, respectively.    Read more.... What SMEs expect from the new government Bikky Khosla | 25 Mar, 2014 The general election is ahead and a new government is to be formed at the center within a few weeks. What measures do you expect from the next government to promote the small and medium enterprise sector? I asked this question to some entrepreneurs I met recently and almost all of them viewed that high credit cost is the biggest concern for them.    Read more.... A quick look at key economic indicators Bikky Khosla | 18 Mar, 2014 A new round of economic data has been churned out last week, showing industrial production growth for January returning to the positive zone after three months of decline in a row, February retail inflation and wholesale inflation easing and exports falling for the first time in eight months in February.     Read more.... Bring benefits of FTAs to SMEs Bikky Khosla | 11 Mar, 2014 In the last few years, India has signed a number of free trade agreements with several countries and trading blocks, including Japan (2011), Malaysia (2011), ASEAN (2009), South Korea (2009) and Singapore (2005).     Read more.... Election to be fought on economy Bikky Khosla | 04 Mar, 2014 The nation is in election mode. Political leaders are spewing all sorts of rhetoric, addressing rallies, taking on each other; different calculations are being predicated -- the same old things we see before every general election. But there is a welcome shift this time -- the major parties are talking more about growth and less about subsidies and freebies.     Read more.... Tariff hurdles to Indian industry Bikky Khosla | 25 Feb, 2014 The last week saw passing of the Interim Budget for 2014-15 and to no one's surprise it has nothing much to offer. The Budget is just for about four months and to enable the present government to carry on with its activities until a new government is formed after the elections. Not much was expected out of it, neither there was much scope for the finance minister to offer     Read more.... A Trade-receivables Exchange to rescue you from late payments! Bikky Khosla | 18 Feb, 2014 Small businesses regularly suffer from late payments. With feeble financial muscles, they can hardly withstand cash flow problems, but unfortunately they are the worst sufferers in the hands of this evil and unethical business practice. Around two years ago I raised the issue on this same platform and demanded that the government should step in to help this sector get rid of the burden of chasing overdue invoices, but unfortunately nothing has changed since then. This time, however, there seems to be a ray of hope -- from the Reserve Bank of India.    Read more.... GDP: Growth lost to shortsightedness Bikky Khosla | 11 Feb, 2014 The Central Statistics Office has cut the nation's GDP growth forecast for the current financial year to 4.9 percent, despite last year's low base of 4.5 percent. In the first half of 2013-14, growth was 4.6 percent and this means growth for the second part the current fiscal year should improve a little to achieve the annual target of 4.9 percent.    Read more.... Now stand out by responding fast to buyer inquiries Bikky Khosla | 04 Feb, 2014 In the online B2B business, buyers expect a fast response to their inquiries. Unless you respond quickly, they might never bother with your business ever again. Studies conducted at different times, in different places show that slow seller response is the main complaint among B2B buyers.    Read more.... eBiz portal: An initiative worth supporting Bikky Khosla | 28 Jan, 2014 How many of you have registered with the eBiz portal? The government launched the first phase of this project in January 2013 with an aim to help investors and businesses assess licence and permit requirements for setting up and operating a business in the country.    Read more.... Why should you have a marketing plan Bikky Khosla | 21 Jan, 2014 Do you have a marketing plan for your small business? Many small and medium enterprises don't bother to create a marketing plan -- they think only big businesses need such a plan. Some others write down a plan but only because the bank wants them to do so. Similarly, there is no dearth of small businesses who simply try to copy marketing strategies of their competitors. This is a wrong approach. A marketing plan is vital for any business -- small or big. When you don't have a sound plan to follow, you become prone to failure.    Read more.... Good customer service the ultimate differentiating factor Bikky Khosla | 14 Jan, 2014 Small businesses often complain that today's market is so crowded with competition that it is nearly impossible to stand out. There are thousands of players in the same game at the same time.     Read more.... Jewellery sector woes: When will govt stop turning a deaf ear Bikky Khosla | 07 Jan, 2014 Our Current Account Deficit has improved significantly in the recent months and I think few would dispute the achievement of the policy makers in bringing the economy out of this crisis.     Read more.... 2014: What's the road ahead for exporters Bikky Khosla | 31 Dec, 2013 Another year is over and a fresh one is dawning -- what is the road ahead for our small and medium exporters? The future, of course, is difficult to predict, but we can perhaps find some important clues in the current performance indicators of the economy -- both on the domestic and global fronts -- which is performing far better than what it did at the beginning of 2013, and most importantly in the encouraging data points that are gradually coming from some of our major export markets including the US, Europe and Japan.    Read more.... Appoint distributors, expand your business Bikky Khosla | 24 Dec, 2013 Sales is the lifeblood of any business -- as an entrepreneur you know this more than anyone else. It is a continual necessity not only for success but also for survival and you want to leave no stone unturned to reach new customers, expand to new markets and bag new deals. But a tight budget often comes in the way -- it restraints your capability to hire new staff, open a new office or even to do market research. This is where appointing a distributor can make a big difference for small and medium enterprises -- you can increase your sales without taking on the financial challenges.    Read more.... Economy not yet bottomed out Bikky Khosla | 17 Dec, 2013 The GDP figures released last month sent out some soothing signals, showing our economic growth at 4.8 percent in the second quarter. Together with this better-than-expected growth, the sharp fall in current account deficit to $5.2 billion for the period on the back of healthy export growth sparked hope of a faster economic recovery and a possible rate cut in the RBI's forthcoming monetary policy. But two recent sets of economic data released last week put a sudden dampener on all this enthusiasm.    Read more.... WTO deal to benefit SME exporters Bikky Khosla | 10 Dec, 2013 Red tape is a big deterrent to exports, be it of domestic or international origin. While bureaucratic hurdles at domestic level have always remained a big challenge for our exporters, red tape of international origin is no less a worry.    Read more.... Innovation fund: Will it make any difference? Bikky Khosla | 03 Dec, 2013 "I have a great idea for a new product but have no funds. Is there any MSME scheme that can help me realise this idea and grow as a business?" -- An enthusiastic young fellow asked me this question a few months ago, and it will come as no surprise for you to learn what I said, "There isn't any".    Read more.... Late payment: RBI move not enough for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 26 Nov, 2013 Last week, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it would provide a Rs.5,000-crore liquidity support package to micro and small enterprises. The decision has been taken to help the sector get rid of liquidity tightness resulting particularly due to delayed settlement of receivables from -- in the words of the central bank -- "large corporate, Public Sector Undertakings and government departments".    Read more.... How does inflation rob your business? Bikky Khosla | 19 Nov, 2013 An encouraging trend in exports, an impressive 8 percent core sector growth in September, a strengthening rupee, a softening CAD and recovering stock markets    Read more.... Services sector woes deepening Bikky Khosla | 12 Nov, 2013 There is a still a big scope of improvement for services exports and unlocking the true potential of the sector, for which, what is important is to diversify the service export basket both in terms of services and markets.    Read more.... Doing business in India is quite difficult Bikky Khosla | 06 Nov, 2013 Indian small and medium enterprises have to comply with 12 procedures and it takes on average 27 days to start a business. Dealing with construction permits involves 35 procedures and a 168-day waiting period, getting electricity involves 7 procedures and a 67-day waiting period, registering property requires 5 procedures and a 44-day waiting period, and for resolving insolvency it requires a company to wait 4.3 years. These are statistics revealed in World Bank's 2014 'Doing Business' report.    Read more.... Deciding where to export Bikky Khosla | 29 Oct, 2013 Where should I export? It's one of the trickiest questions that puzzles new exporters. After deciding the risks and benefits involved in export business, this is another critical decision an exporter has to take.     Read more.... End to US shutdown a relief for all Bikky Khosla | 22 Oct, 2013 The US got back to life after President Obama and Congress had ended a 16-day shutdown on Thursday last week. According to an estimate, the shutdown that started on October 1 has cost the American economy more than $24billion while some others view that the real costs might be much higher than this initial estimate    Read more.... GCC: Opportunities abound for exporters Bikky Khosla | 15 Oct, 2013 India's trade with the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries - which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates - has increased by 75.91 percent from US$ 107360.14 million in 2009-10 to US$ 188867.66 million in 2011-12.     Read more.... Cloud computing - where SMEs stand Bikky Khosla | 08 Oct, 2013 Cloud computing is often touted as the future business model that is bringing paradigm change in the ICT adoption pattern of small and medium enterprises worldwide.    Read more.... Exports - an opportunity to fix the economy Bikky Khosla | 01 Oct, 2013 Small exporters always lose out when it comes to bank lending. First of all, credit availability for them is very poor, and even when available, the interest rates are very high -- around 9 percent to 11 percent now.    Read more.... Fed surprise vs RBI dampener Bikky Khosla | 24 Sep, 2013 Markets are hungry for good news these days, and last week they took no time in gobbling up the US Federal Reserve's decision against partial rollback of its $85 billion bond buying stimulus.     Read more.... Are you still missing out on social media? Bikky Khosla | 17 Sep, 2013 I interact with small business owners frequently, and when I raise the subject of social media before them their reactions generally run from mild interest to total dismissal. A majority of them view social media platforms as good for nothing for their business. Only a few think the other way round. I always find this surprising.     Read more.... Politics vs economics Bikky Khosla | 10 Sep, 2013 Last month, the Lok Sabha passed an ambitious National Food Security Bill, which is estimated to take away more than Rs. 1 lakh crore of our tax payers' money per year. Just a day after the decision, our Finance Minister suggested a 10-point action plan to bring the economy back on track, with the very first point emphasising on arresting fiscal deficit by cutting down expenditure.    Read more.... Reward Points program launched by Tradeindia Bikky Khosla | 03 Sep, 2013 Furthering our efforts to make Tradeindia.com a platform that you would like to use and visit daily, we have launched an attractive Reward Points program. Now any activity you do on tradeindia.com -- from registration to daily log in, posting buy/sell leads    Read more.... Recovery in US, Europe offers much needed optimism Bikky Khosla | 27 Aug, 2013 Some recent positive developments on the global economic front give a cause for optimism for our exporters.    Read more.... A wrong approach to solving the rupee crisis Bikky Khosla | 21 Aug, 2013 The rupee broke all previous records on Tuesday, hitting a fresh low of 64.13 against the US dollar, and this happened despite the RBI's strong intervention last week    Read more.... Tradeindia Tenders launched to give SMEs a leg up Bikky Khosla | 13 Aug, 2013 Ever considered bidding for an invitation to a tender? At first sight, if you are a small business you may fear that your chance of winning a contract is very slim. Where to find information about the advertised contracts – the question also strikes?     Read more.... Manufacturing crisis the root of all evil Bikky Khosla | 06 Aug, 2013 The government has got into a fire fighting mode to rein in current account deficit, but achieved little success. As they try to solve one problem, another one surfaces, raising question about their 'quick fix' approach, which has proved miserably inadequate to repair the fundamental flaws in the economy. I think the main culprit for rising CAD is our merchandise trade deficit and unless we increase our exports -- for which we must expand our manufacturing -- no real solution is possible.    Read more.... Liquidity squeezing: has RBI gone overboard? Bikky Khosla | 30 Jul, 2013 Last week, the Reserve Bank of India took more steps to squeeze liquidity in the banking system, and the monetary action, which is perhaps the sharpest taken by the central bank in last 17 years, has created a real hue and cry, inviting criticism from many quarters, including economic pundits, bankers, and industry leaders.    Read more.... Blind rush for FDI Bikky Khosla | 23 Jul, 2013 A number of businessmen with whom I have had conversation in the last few days are not finding much logic in the Centre's recent decision to hike the foreign direct investment limits in a host of sectors.     Read more.... Exports to US at stake Bikky Khosla | 16 Jul, 2013 Two of our top ministers -- Anand Sharma and P Chidambaram -- have just returned from their visit to the US, during which they met several US government officials, members of the US Congress and heads of some top American companies    Read more.... SAARC region: Land of untapped opportunities Bikky Khosla | 09 Jul, 2013 According to recent official figures released by the government, India's export to the SAARC countries for the April 2012 to January 2013 period stood at $ 11.53 billion.     Read more.... How SMEs can take on the Goliaths Bikky Khosla | 02 Jul, 2013 "When we started our business, our target market was dominated by large companies, and this is the case even now. It was nearly impossible for us to compete on price.     Read more.... Avoid profit pitfalls Bikky Khosla | 25 Jun, 2013 How can a small business increase its profit? By increasing sales -- this is the answer that immediately comes up to mind. Not an iota of doubt. Large or small, sales is the lifeblood of any business, and unless the sales funnel is kept constantly fed with new opportunities, profits cannot be sustained.    Read more.... Fall of the rupee Bikky Khosla | 18 Jun, 2013 The rupee has been facing crisis for quite some time now. Last week, the currency hit a new record-low of 58.95 against the US Dollar, and although later it recovered to some extent buoyed by RBI's intervention in the forex market    Read more.... TradeIndia launches GetDistributors.com Bikky Khosla | 11 Jun, 2013 How to get a product placed in the market? This is one of the toughest questions that govern the fate of any business. You can choose to invest in your own distribution system, but this involves a lot of costs.     Read more.... What it takes to grow your small business? Bikky Khosla | 04 Jun, 2013 Do you want to grow your small business? Whenever I ask this question to a small business owner, most of the time the answer is an emphatic "YES".    Read more.... India-China trade: A new chapter Bikky Khosla | 28 May, 2013 India and China have signed a series of agreements, including several MoUs on pharmaceuticals, meat and fisheries during the newly appointed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's maiden visit to our country recently.     Read more.... Why SMEs fail - keep your eyes open Bikky Khosla | 21 May, 2013 Surveys and studies conducted across the world over different time periods provide compelling evidence that a vast number of small businesses fail in the first few years. Majority of failures occur in the first two years while only a handful succeed to complete their first five years. Expert opinions on why this happens vary, but overall most of them point out some common pitfalls into which small business start-ups easily tumble into.    Read more.... Export outlook not so grim Bikky Khosla | 14 May, 2013 Our export target for the current financial year has been set at $325 billion, more than one-third lower than the $500 billion target fixed two years ago.    Read more.... RBI monetary policy: Inflation still in focus Bikky Khosla | 07 May, 2013 The Reserve Bank of India announced its 2013-14 annual monetary policy last week, and as expected it stuck to its cautious stance, cutting the repo rate by just 0.25 percentage points to 7.25 percent.    Read more.... MSME schemes - Do you know all of them? Bikky Khosla | 30 Apr, 2013 How many Government schemes are currently in place to support our micro, small and medium enterprise sector? You may find this a little difficult to answer!    Read more.... FTP: New but not novel Bikky Khosla | 24 Apr, 2013 It was widely expected that the Annual Supplement to Foreign Trade Policy, 2009-14 would at least address the key challenges faced by the export sector, considering the bleak demand outlook in international markets. But last week's FTP again put a dampener on our expectations.    Read more.... India EU free trade deal: Is it going to happen Bikky Khosla | 18 Apr, 2013 India and the 27-nation European Union, our largest merchandise trade partner as a single economy, are inching toward a Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement – we have heard this dime-a-dozen in recent years.     Read more.... Bring your financial planning up to scratch Bikky Khosla | 09 Apr, 2013 One financial year has just ended and another begun. This time of the year is always quite a busy one for business-people like us. In fact, a stressful time -- and more if we leave everything for the last hour.     Read more.... Internet revolution: Time to leap on the bandwagon Bikky Khosla | 02 Apr, 2013 How much promise the Internet holds for small businesses? Thousands, perhaps millions, of pages have been written about how the Internet is making its way to our lives. It is changing everything - the way we work, learn and play    Read more.... What do you expect from the upcoming Foreign Trade Policy? Bikky Khosla | 26 Mar, 2013 The Budget 2013 has failed to inspire hope among our exporters, and now with the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) likely to be announced in the first week of April, all eyes are on the Commerce Minister. What steps do you want him to take for the sector?    Read more.... Tradeindia introduces mobile-ready catalogs and websites Bikky Khosla | 19 Mar, 2013 Much has been talked about India's mobile phone and Internet revolutions. Today, we have more than 900 million mobile phone subscribers for our 1.22 billion people. A similar, though less stunning, trend is evident when it comes to the Internet    Read more.... Reinvestment critical for start-ups Bikky Khosla | 12 Mar, 2013 Now what . . . after a lot of struggles, your small business is picking up now. Money is pouring in and you're wondering what to do with the hard-earned money -- upgrade your car, splurge on an overseas trip, or buy a new home! Hang on    Read more.... Budget 2013: MSME sector to benefit Bikky Khosla | 05 Mar, 2013 Last week, the 82nd national budget was presented in the Lok Sabha, and to the surprise of none, the postmortem is still going on. I think overall this Budget, in its attempt to balance politics and compulsions of growth, turns out to make some economic sense.    Read more.... Keep a finger on the pulse of your infrastructure Bikky Khosla | 26 Feb, 2013 How will your air conditioning perform this summer? Does rain water leak through your office ceiling? What about the power generators? Do the machines and equipment at the manufacturing unit require maintenance?    Read more.... Office politics: Is it creeping into your business? Bikky Khosla | 19 Feb, 2013 Office politics exists in every work environment. When a group of people work together for 40-50 hours a week there is bound to be some friction and difference of opinions.    Read more.... Entrepreneurship: Fear is the foe Bikky Khosla | 12 Feb, 2013 "I would like to start a small business, but . . . ." On my Facebook page I often come across these words.    Read more.... Why credibility counts Bikky Khosla | 05 Feb, 2013 What is credibility? This may sound like a dull academic question, but it is one of the most practical problems small entrepreneurs face    Read more.... What it takes to be a successful entrepreneur Bikky Khosla | 29 Jan, 2013 How to become a successful entrepreneur? What are the traits that bring success? Is there a formula? Dozens of articles have been written on this, but there is no one-size fit all theory.     Read more.... Higher taxes for the 'super-rich' a poor idea Bikky Khosla | 22 Jan, 2013 What the Indian economy would have looked like today if the last Union Budget hadn't introduced the controversial GAAR provisions? Probably a little brighter.    Read more.... Customer service - stand out with excellence Bikky Khosla | 15 Jan, 2013 What do you think good customer service is? Almost every business says they provide good customer service, but do they really do that well?    Read more.... The customer is not always right Bikky Khosla | 08 Jan, 2013 For a small business, every customer is important. They are who keep you in business, they are who can spell doom for your business. But what about bad customers    Read more.... 2013: Look back, plan ahead Bikky Khosla | 02 Jan, 2013 "If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions"    Read more.... Are you dependent on a few big customers? Bikky Khosla | 26 Dec, 2012 Winning a big customer is an exhilarating experience for every small business. It's just like hitting a treasure trove . . . this could provide your small business with the much-needed revenues and this could push your firm's reputation up significantly to persuade many new customers to join your customer base.    Read more.... Export diversification: Where are we lacking Bikky Khosla | 18 Dec, 2012 Putting all one's eggs into one basket is not a good idea. If the basket is dropped, all is lost. This couldn't be less true when it comes to exports. Export diversification is not anything new to economies across the world,     Read more.... Learning as a barometer of success Bikky Khosla | 11 Dec, 2012 How do you measure success? A tricky question! As a small business owner, what probably immediately come to your mind is your balance sheet and your client base    Read more.... Is the economy getting better? Bikky Khosla | 05 Dec, 2012 Most of the major economic data for the month of October have been released; some of them are negative, a few others positive, or to be precise, less negative.     Read more.... Why attending conferences makes sense for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 29 Nov, 2012 Do you find yourself in a dilemma about attending a conference! A small business owner often does. There are always a lot of chores to do at office, and the idea of giving one's valuable time to a conference doesn't usually seem worthwhile to many.    Read more.... The red tape challenge for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 21 Nov, 2012 How much small businesses suffer from red tape and government bureaucracy? Fat bundles of paperwork, countless certificates, long hours of waiting, irritating haggling with unresponsive officials . . .     Read more.... The festive flavour of Deepavali Bikky Khosla | 16 Nov, 2012 Deepavali is over now, but the festive flavour still lingers in our minds. With hopes and blessings, gifts and sweets, lights and firecrackers, this auspicious ceremony lights up our souls and fills up our heart with bliss. Every year, in every corner of India    Read more.... Why ICT matters to SMEs Bikky Khosla | 06 Nov, 2012 What are the benefits of adopting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to a small business? Not much aware of it . . .    Read more.... ABCs of export market research Bikky Khosla | 30 Oct, 2012 How do I know whether a new foreign market is easy or difficult to break into? This is one of the common questions asked by exporters visiting my Facebook page.     Read more.... Getting into exports: Are you really ready Bikky Khosla | 23 Oct, 2012 It's an undeniable fact that entering into exports can be a great way to grow a small business, and these days, with technology and the Internet making the world a smaller place, this is hardly a big challenge for anyone.     Read more.... Trade fair - pricey but promising Bikky Khosla | 16 Oct, 2012 Where to get customers?? This is a big question for every small business and start-up. Whenever I face this question that entrepreneurs ask me, I usually give a quick answer: try a B2B portal, that's the cheapest way to hunt for buyers; but I never forget to add another suggestion: take part in trade fairs. Yes, this can be pricey, but if you can afford it, do it. For SMEs, taking part in one or two B2B trade fairs in a year can prove very useful to get exposure to potential buyers.    Read more.... Govt schemes - are they reaching SMEs Bikky Khosla | 09 Oct, 2012 We constantly hear politicians saying that SMEs are the backbone of the economy. Every now and then they speak about the sector's importance - its job creation prowess, export share, and manufacturing output.     Read more.... Differentiation - the purple cow Bikky Khosla | 03 Oct, 2012 Have you ever seen a purple cow! I bet you haven't. But what if you see one ... it will surely grab your attention - very quickly. It's so different ... it stands out from the hundreds of black, brown and white cows. Differentiation means exactly that - avoiding the trap of convention and creating a unique competitive advantage that helps a business stand out from its competitors and in the minds of its customers.    Read more.... Trade credit: To sell or not to sell Bikky Khosla | 25 Sep, 2012 For small businesses, selling on credit has become a way of doing business. While some see opportunity in it, some others consider it a ball and chain,     Read more.... Keep a close eye on financial performance Bikky Khosla | 18 Sep, 2012 Whoa! Do we really need to do that? Most of the small business owners will tell you that their smaller size doesn't need this. Lack of time and limited resources are cited by them as other prime reasons. There are so many things to look after, so many things to spend on, leaving not much time for doing “something extra”.    Read more.... How to get your B2B enquiries responded Bikky Khosla | 11 Sep, 2012 In the world of online business to business marketing, it's a frequent question raised both by buyers and sellers -- why their enquiries fail to elicit required responses. When a buyer posts his enquiries and buy leads, only a few sellers contact. Interestingly, the seller's side of the story is quite similar to this -- they complain that after getting initial enquiry from buyers, they see no satisfactory results – the buyer doesn't contact again. There is a gap -- a clear-cut one -- that prevents B2B players from reaching their full potential.    Read more.... Planning - where SMEs meet Waterloo Bikky Khosla | 04 Sep, 2012 As a small entrepreneur, your are a man of action. You always like to be where action is. You are as busy as a bee. You can handle each and every operation of your business yourself without putting much effort. You are a born leader. Whenever in a crisis, you almost always act instinctively. All this sounds great, but why then so many small businesses fail every year? Do they lack these qualities!    Read more.... SME exports: Information gap a big deterrent Bikky Khosla | 28 Aug, 2012 Want to export but don't know how -- this is one of the common challenges that many of our small businesses have to live with. They are willing to take the plunge into exports, but feel crippled when look to reach out to overseas markets first time. They have no experience, and there is a real dearth of information on how to move on. This barrier may easily be overcome by experience, but for newcomers or non-exporters, this is not less difficult than to move a mountain.    Read more.... Make the best of your small marketing budget Bikky Khosla | 21 Aug, 2012 Marketing is essential, but If you are like the majority of small entrepreneurs your marketing budget is limited. You need to take every step cautiously, and make sure that resources allocated to marketing are used efficiently. Every rupee matters, and a bad decision on where to spend your marketing money can be fatal for your business. That's why every small business is always in a dire need to optimize its limited budget.    Read more.... How failure leads to success Bikky Khosla | 14 Aug, 2012 Failure is the pillar of success, as the saying goes. There is no dearth of stories about how great people made mistakes to become successful later.    Read more.... The blessing of being a small business Bikky Khosla | 07 Aug, 2012 Starting a small business is not a small challenge. There are few funding sources for getting started, and even if you manage to get the finance    Read more.... Never forget marketing Bikky Khosla | 31 Jul, 2012 Marketing is the lifeblood of any business -- none knows this better than a small business owner like you. When you started your small enterprise, you did a lot of it. You spared no effort to check the industry, match competition, and find the right pricing. You advertised wherever possible, sent press releases, exhibited at trade shows . . . did everything to set your sales on fire. And finally, your firm got past a lucrative revenue target.    Read more.... Follow-up a must for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 24 Jul, 2012 As a small business, you are always eager to get new customers. You spend a lot of time in generating leads, and whenever a potential prospect requests information, you send it promptly. But then you sit back. You do nothing but simply wait for a reply. If things go right and eventually there is an actual purchase,    Read more.... Deadlines will never pass you by again Bikky Khosla | 17 Jul, 2012 If you're a small business owner, beyond doubt you have so many things to keep track of. When will your rent agreement expire? Is it time renew your shop and establishment agreements? When to renew that factory license?    Read more.... Are you scared of copycats? Bikky Khosla | 10 Jul, 2012 "What if a novel idea strikes your mind, you come with a fresh, new product or service, and then someone else copies your idea and start selling a similar version?" That's one of the questions a student asked me at a recent conference.    Read more.... Never forget growth, keep fuelling your entrepreneurial fire Bikky Khosla | 03 Jul, 2012 You started your small business with great enthusiasm. There was a big dream, a big idea, a big battle to fight against. And today you're the proud owner of a lucrative cynosure.     Read more.... Never ignore your cash flow Bikky Khosla | 26 Jun, 2012 Cash is the lifeblood of a business -- poor flow of it can spell doom to an otherwise healthy firm. And interestingly, it can hit both small and big firms.    Read more.... Price war: SMEs must act smart Bikky Khosla | 19 Jun, 2012 A price war can wreck havoc in any industry. For small enterprises the effects can even be more catastrophic, and therefore it should be avoided like the plague.    Read more.... FTP: Need to continue positive efforts Bikky Khosla | 12 Jun, 2012 The Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) supplement has been released, the postmortem is over, and I think even the toughest critics will agree that exports will get a major boost from the range of measures introduced.    Read more.... Upside of the falling rupee Bikky Khosla | 05 Jun, 2012 So far, the rupee has refused to recover much -- and we're talking enough of this these days. Over    Read more.... Just 'walk around': Give it a try Bikky Khosla | 29 May, 2012 If you run a small enterprise, it's not easy at all to blanket all the costs, particularly while establishing or expanding your business. You may have to dip into your pockets, run from pillar to post for loans, and still struggle to keep your head above water.     Read more.... Marketing for start-ups: Be realistic, stay focused Bikky Khosla | 22 May, 2012 Marketing is the lifeblood to any business, and it's absolutely vital when an enterprise is just getting started.    Read more.... Exporters need push, not pull Bikky Khosla | 15 May, 2012 Fear is worse than reality, and it often turns true in the world of economy as well. Over the past few years, the world economy has been making valiant attempts at recovery, time and again raising concern about future prospects of our exporters, but fortunately most of the times, the sector has come out a winner, undermining grim business sentiments.    Read more.... SME Conclave -- awareness on SME stock exchange Bikky Khosla | 08 May, 2012 The long wait is over. Now it seems only a matter of time before the equity market opens up a big new world of opportunity to the Indian small and medium enterprise sector. With the country's two leading stock exchanges launching their respective SME exchanges recently, now our small entrepreneurs can explore the world of equity financing; but before taking that first step, I think it would wise for the sector to get prepared, understand where it can take us, and how it will benefit.    Read more.... Go guerrilla, get your small business known Bikky Khosla | 01 May, 2012 Getting their business and products known is a big challenge for small and medium enterprises. Advertising can be a remedy, but limited funds is again an obstacle that prevents them from spending money like it's going out of style. With funds tight, every rupee matters, and everything has to be done while remaining within a small budget. Here, going guerrilla can be the perfect solution.    Read more.... SMEs need to unleash the power of e-commerce Bikky Khosla | 24 Apr, 2012 It has often been said that fortune of a small firm can have a direct effect of e-commerce, which opens up a world of unlimited business opportunities, creating a level playing field for all and eliminating most of the real-world barriers of market entry. However, despite these potential benefits, many small business owners often complain about making little success from this platform. As a result, the distrust feeling appears.    Read more.... IIP blunder: More than unfortunate Bikky Khosla | 17 Apr, 2012 Data is the best friend of analysts, but when wrong it fast becomes a foe. Our trade data is no exception. Last week, the Centre revised the industrial production data for January, lowering the growth rate to 1.1% from the previously reported 6.8% after detecting an error that was due to "incorrect reporting" of sugar production data — a development that has taken analysts and economists by surprise.    Read more.... Consistency key to successful branding Bikky Khosla | 10 Apr, 2012 What is your favourite brand of laptop, hair dye, tooth paste, or peanut butter? There are thousands of companies that are producing these categories of product, but when confronted with such a    Read more.... Exports outlook for FY 2013: A bird's eye view Bikky Khosla | 03 Apr, 2012 The Commerce Ministry has churned out another round of foreign trade data yesterday, revealing that our exports have continued to drift down. In February, overseas shipments grew 4.3 percent to $24.6 – at the slowest pace in the last three months. These statistics are, however, not shocking as it was widely anticipated that the third and fourth quarters of the last fiscal were to be challenging due to economic slowdown in European economies.    Read more.... Social media can take SME marketing to new heights Bikky Khosla | 27 Mar, 2012 Recently, industry body FICCI and social networking site Facebook have announced a partnership to provide Indian SMEs a platform to harness the power of the Internet and social media.     Read more.... Budget 2012-13 fails to inspire hope Bikky Khosla | 20 Mar, 2012 The Budget is over and, to the surprise of none, the criticism continues. There is a lot of analysis, arguments and noise, from which one thing is clearly evident that the Budget has nothing to cheer the industry up.     Read more.... Time to return to a growth agenda Bikky Khosla | 13 Mar, 2012 Industrial output registered 6.8 percent growth in January — at a much higher rate than the expected rate of 2.1 percent for the month    Read more.... Internet fraud: Avoid becoming a victim Bikky Khosla | 06 Mar, 2012 The advent of the Internet has transformed the world of business. But with this bliss, comes a curse: internet fraud. While today's businesses are increasingly relying on this revolutionary technology, scams have also found a comfy platform on the Internet, and as a result, the number of online-fraud complaints is rising every day -- across the globe.    Read more.... MSMEs' skilled worker shortage a big problem Bikky Khosla | 28 Feb, 2012 Much has been said about the significance of the MSME sector. The government often terms it as the "growth engine" of the Indian economy, and with a number of schemes in place to promote the sector    Read more.... Export consortia can transform exporting for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 21 Feb, 2012 Small is beautiful … but when it comes to exporting, that's hardly true. These days, although Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly becoming a regular part of the exporter community, still many small players dare not head into global trade. They find themselves lacking in required funds, knowledge and skills, and as a result, prefer to continue competing only in our corner of the world -- at the domestic level.     Read more.... SME innovation: Is it a hard nut to crack Bikky Khosla | 14 Feb, 2012 With the rate of economic globalization becoming faster and faster every day, our small and medium enterprises have seen an increasing market competition.     Read more.... SME marketing: Avoid a faulty approach Bikky Khosla | 07 Feb, 2012 Marketing is the toughest challenge in any business, and when it comes to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), this is the area where they usually lack most. Resource constraint is cited time and again as the underlying cause, but I think there is another major challenge to deal with – it is their myopic vision about marketing.    Read more.... Technology adoption -- an Achilles' heel for Indian SMEs Bikky Khosla | 31 Jan, 2012 Technology has become the pulse of modern day business, but when the Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are viewed from this angle, we see little development. For years, lack of technology adoption has remained a thorny issue among them, and as a result, they are lagging far behind their global peers, losing a lot of opportunities that should not have been lost.    Read more.... Public procurement: A policy worth waiting for Bikky Khosla | 24 Jan, 2012 It is widely expected that the Public Procurement Policy that has already been approved by the Union Cabinet would be introduced in the next session of Parliament. And beyond doubt, for the small business community, this first-of-its-kind policy is something worth eagerly waiting for.     Read more.... Late payment: An old parasitic business practice Bikky Khosla | 17 Jan, 2012 Late payment has always remained a ball and chain to the Indian SME sector's growth. Most SMEs' cash flow can hardly withstand the burden of late payment but still these firms usually extend credit in the form of delayed payment.    Read more.... Access to finance: A big problem for MSMEs Bikky Khosla | 10 Jan, 2012 Most current economic data are not comforting. There are downside risks aplenty, but one positive thing has gone for us recently    Read more.... Counterfeiting -- a worry for both India and China Bikky Khosla | 03 Jan, 2012 With this, the thorny problem of Chinese counterfeiting -- worrisome not only for India but also for China itself -- has come to the surface again: this time with a broader significance.    Read more.... 2012: A tough year ahead, but we will make it Bikky Khosla | 27 Dec, 2011 We started 2011 on a cautious note when a number of our economic indicators were showing promise, sidestepping the negative effects of what the IMF termed as the Great Recession the impact of which was far less in India than in other parts of the world. While ending the year, the world economy is again under a cloud of uncertainty but I think we will again be able to weather any possible storm.    Read more.... Economic worries abound, politics dooming revival efforts Bikky Khosla | 20 Dec, 2011 At last, the RBI has pressed the pause button on interest rate hikes. In its mid-quarter monetary policy review last week, it kept the key rates unchanged. The better piece of news is that the central bank has also said that from now onwards monetary policy actions are likely to reverse the cycle.    Read more.... Inclusive export growth: States need to play greater role Bikky Khosla | 13 Dec, 2011 The government has set a target to double India's merchandise exports in the next three years from 2011-12 to 2013-14 to USD 500 billion. This target, which requires around 28 percent export growth per year, does not seem unachievable when we look at our export trends in the recent years.    Read more.... Why MSMEs should not avoid online advertising Bikky Khosla | 06 Dec, 2011 A recent study reveals that less than 6 percent of Indian MSMEs with access to personal computers advertise online. It is shocking why the sector is so much unaware of the benefits of using online advertising, which is, needless to say, cheaper, faster and capable of reaching more target audience as compared to traditional media.     Read more.... FDI in retail: Benefits overweigh threats Bikky Khosla | 29 Nov, 2011 The government yesterday announced that the retail sector foreign investors who want to set up operations in India    Read more.... Fall of the rupee worrisome Bikky Khosla | 22 Nov, 2011 The rupee fell to 52.15 against the US dollar on Monday. On the surface, the news looks good for exporters and bad for importers.     Read more.... A hot winter session ahead Bikky Khosla | 15 Nov, 2011 The winter session of the Parliament beginning November 22 is likely to be tumultuous affair. There are many major issues up for discussion — Lokpal Bill, Telangana, petrol price hike, black money, 2G scam    Read more.... Inflation worry: a real solution far off Bikky Khosla | 08 Nov, 2011 Food inflation has continued to rise. In the week to October 22, it rose to a nine-month high of 12.21 percent y-o-y, raising fear of a higher WPI based inflation.    Read more.... National Manufacturing Policy – need for a cautious approach Bikky Khosla | 01 Nov, 2011 The government announced the nation's first-ever manufacturing policy recently -- the news looks good.    Read more.... Global woes may derail export growth soon Bikky Khosla | 25 Oct, 2011 In the last few months, Indian exports have sidestepped the global downs to a significant extent. $23.8 billion in April, $25.9 billion in May, $29.2 billion in June    Read more.... What SMEs must not forget – growth Bikky Khosla | 18 Oct, 2011 Most SMEs start from scratch. And when they start, the last thing they want to focus is failure. But unfortunately, a huge number of them fail within a few years.    Read more.... Export pricing: SMEs must be watchful Bikky Khosla | 11 Oct, 2011 For a small firm, getting an export order is always exciting, but the temptation to accept it may result in losses. Poor pricing decisions are the most common reason behind it. Pricing is a tough thing, and when it comes to exports, making pricing decisions gets even tougher.    Read more.... SMEs must think beyond quality certifications Bikky Khosla | 04 Oct, 2011 In the last few decades, the business environment has changed tremendously, thanks to emergence of cross-cultural environment, increasing influence of MNCs, and growing technology-oriented operations. With these changes, competition has become intense, and as a result, quality improvement has become one of the keys to business survival and excellence.    Read more.... Will India-China economic dialogue help exporters? Bikky Khosla | 27 Sep, 2011 Will China really open up its market further for Indian exporters? This question has again come to the fore with yesterday's first-ever Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) between the two nations. During the India-China Joint Group on Economic Relations last year, China had said that it would give India access to some sectors such as pharmaceuticals and IT, but the promise is hardly kept, at least till now. It is expected that that the new round of talks would spark fresh interest for businesses from both the sides.    Read more.... IT integration - a smart tool for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 20 Sep, 2011 In present day business world, it's hard to imagine life without information technology. The stunning speed of developments in the IT sector in the past few decades has changed the world of commerce so much that we can hardly think now how we managed our businesses just 20 years ago.    Read more.... Exports growth - real or Anna Hazare effect? Bikky Khosla | 13 Sep, 2011 Exports continue to surprise everyone. After jumping by a whopping 81.8 percent y-o-y to US $29.3 billion in July, overseas shipments grew again at a robust pace of 44.2 percent y-o-y in August, reaching US $24.3 billion. During the April-August period, exports have reached a level of US $134.5 billion, registering a growth rate of 54.2 percent y-o-y.    Read more.... SMEs need to upgrade logistics approaches Bikky Khosla | 06 Sep, 2011 Logistics is one among many areas where most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) lack a systematic approach.     Read more.... Financial planning - a must for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 30 Aug, 2011 Recently a RBI Deputy Governor has cautioned the banks that they should be careful while granting loans to small and medium enterprises.     Read more.... Self-screening crucial while selecting export markets Bikky Khosla | 23 Aug, 2011 Every time a firm wants to enter a new market, it faces market selection and segmentation issues. For an exporter, it becomes more difficult as he has to cover in-depth the cumbersome process of political, cultural and economic analysis – all of which are essential for answering the question of which market to enter.    Read more.... Marketing Information System - a potent tool to boost SME marketing Bikky Khosla | 16 Aug, 2011 The micro, small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the nation's economy. With an astonishing 26 million MSMEs in India, employing about 60 million people, this sector plays a crucial role in manufacturing and exports. But sadly, a number of these firms close their doors every year. Research reveals that one of the major reasons for this failure is poor marketing techniques of MSMEs.    Read more.... US downgrade - another blow to Indian economy Bikky Khosla | 09 Aug, 2011 When the US sneezes the rest of the world catches a cold — the recent shock-wave across the global financial markets triggered after the rating agency Standard & Poor's had downgraded the United States government's credit rating from AAA to AA+ reminds us again of the saying.    Read more.... Time to back to basics for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 02 Aug, 2011 There is a lot of talk about inflation and interest rates these days. Businesses have been reeling under rising costs for quite sometime now, and worse than that, economic indicators are signalling tougher times ahead, of which corporate profit will certainly be the punching bag again.    Read more.... Marketing strategy for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 26 Jul, 2011 SMEs today need to think beyond conventional marketing practices of large companies and search for alternative marketing approaches such as personal contact networks, social networks, e-commerce tools, B2B portals, business networks and industry and marketing networks.    Read more.... Are you social media-ready yet? Bikky Khosla | 19 Jul, 2011 Without doubt there is no escape for SMEs from social media to promote their products and to connect with new customers.     Read more.... Despite export growth, exporters face uncertain times Bikky Khosla | 12 Jul, 2011 Despite robust growth of a whopping 46.6 percent in the country's exports in the month of June, a recent survey has indicated that this strong growth performance is not likely to be sustained in the months to come.     Read more.... Getting through to the right buyer Bikky Khosla | 05 Jul, 2011 In the last few weeks, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have heard more bad news than good. Rocketing inflation, cash flow pressures, petrol price hike, and increasing shipping rates have all brought businesses into a very difficult situation.    Read more.... Fuel price hike, high interest rate add to SMEs' woes Bikky Khosla | 28 Jun, 2011 The recent hike in rates of diesel and kerosene will again add to the woes of the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as this will result in high input costs.    Read more.... MSMEs need to try innovative marketing strategies Bikky Khosla | 21 Jun, 2011 Traditional MSMEs usually rely on word of mouth to grow their customer base, but the market realities and rules of engaging a customer today have changed.    Read more.... MSME policy for 12th Five-Year Plan needs to look at broader issues Bikky Khosla | 14 Jun, 2011 There is no doubt that the MSME policy for the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) period needs to look at broader issues rather than staying myopic and concentrating on issues like cluster development, micro-finance, and venture capital.    Read more.... Beware of phishing, protect your identity! Bikky Khosla | 07 Jun, 2011 We keep hearing about email accounts being hacked, but we hardly pay heed to or try to find out how one can protect oneself from identity hacking, also known as ‘phishing’.    Read more.... Market research - takes one's business to the next level! Bikky Khosla | 31 May, 2011 With incentives for exporters slowly being withdrawn, it is perhaps time for businesses to work out new strategies to succeed in a highly competitive global scenario.    Read more.... DEPB withdrawal will impact exporters Bikky Khosla | 24 May, 2011 Even as the issue of ending the Duty Entitlement Pass Book (DEPB) scheme after June 30 gathers heat, the Finance Ministry seems adamant about its move to do away with it.     Read more.... SMEs need to adopt new technologies Bikky Khosla | 17 May, 2011 When I look at the current scenario, SMEs in India are still lurking in the technological backwaters compared to advances made in the field of science and technology. They suffer from problems of operational know-how and technological obsolescence.     Read more.... SMEs need to understand benefits of branding Bikky Khosla | 10 May, 2011 Despite the fact that branding is absolutely imperative for SMEs, they still seem to be unaware of the advantages that corporate branding has to offer.     Read more.... Drop Shipping can help SMEs tremendously Bikky Khosla | 03 May, 2011 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are faced with many challenges. First and foremost amongst them is stocking products for which one needs to rent a store or warehouse space.     Read more.... Business strategy must for first-time exporters Bikky Khosla | 26 Apr, 2011 There is no doubt that in today's increasingly globalised world, exporting is crucial for the growth of a business and its competitiveness.    Read more.... Cos need to turn one-time customers into regular buyers Bikky Khosla | 19 Apr, 2011 Whatever one's business maybe, getting new clients or buyers is the foremost goal for all. Without doubt the most important goal for every company should be to find customers that one can turn into regular buyers. Having said that, the question that comes to everybody's mind is: 'How am I supposed to begin getting new buyers?' The answer to this question, though not simple, has to be answered first before you start working on your new marketing campaign.    Read more.... Email marketing - get noticed instantly Bikky Khosla | 12 Apr, 2011 Without doubt email marketing is fast becoming a popular form of Internet advertising. Owing to the various unique advantages it has to offer over other types of marketing, companies are today betting their money on email marketing. The foremost advantage I see is the ability to reach a worldwide audience with minimal effort.    Read more.... Exports figures show higher demand abroad for Indian goods Bikky Khosla | 05 Apr, 2011 As the country's exports grew by nearly 50 percent in February it's no secret that the rising demand from new markets including Asia, Latin America and Africa has helped in achieving this impressive growth.    Read more.... Supply chain management - imperative for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 29 Mar, 2011 In today's world of global competition success of a business is not always measured by its products or by the size of the market share of the company. It is, instead, measured by the ability to harness its supply in delivering responsively to customers as and when they demand it. In short, the success of any business lies in its ability to manage its supply chain effectively. I strongly believe that firms that can streamline their supply chain and churn out finished products faster will undoubtedly benefit the most.    Read more.... Where should I export - the answer is here! Bikky Khosla | 22 Mar, 2011 It's a question I'm usually asked by exporters whenever I meet them: 'Where should I export?' Unable to get a suitable answer, most exporters are left to export to countries that all others do - the traditional markets of US and Europe which are still to recover fully.     Read more.... Exporters must concentrate on markets of Latin America Bikky Khosla | 15 Mar, 2011 It's not surprising that India's exports to the Latin America region have increased manifolds in the last couple of years.    Read more.... Trade fairs - are you still missing out? Bikky Khosla | 08 Mar, 2011 It's an undeniable fact that participating in a trade fair is one of the most effective ways of penetrating potential markets. Personally, I feel that trade fairs are the communication tool of choice as they allow an organisation to interact with customers face-to-face and collect live market feedback.    Read more.... Budget 2011-12 – nothing much for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 01 Mar, 2011 Much was expected by SMEs from this year from the Union Budget 2011-12, but it was a let down, to say the least.     Read more.... Budget should answer issues of SMEs Bikky Khosla | 22 Feb, 2011 With the Union Budget scheduled to be announced on February 28, the Finance Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee will have to take into account the suggestions given by the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).    Read more.... Credit rating can help SMEs in more ways than one Bikky Khosla | 15 Feb, 2011 While Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are always irked by the fact that banks and financial institutions are not forthcoming in giving loans to them, I feel SMEs too should    Read more.... Opportunity to upgrade key skills via online training programs Bikky Khosla | 08 Feb, 2011 Notwithstanding the fact that SMEs play an important role in the country's economic development, they are still unable to upgrade their entrepreneurial skills due to lack of relevant training programs to impart knowledge and skills.    Read more.... Trade insurance - earn your peace of mind Bikky Khosla | 01 Feb, 2011 We can't deny the fact that export-import business is laden with various unforeseen uncertainties. There have been many cases wherein exporters    Read more.... Corrupt babus make life miserable for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 25 Jan, 2011 Taking cue from the tremendous response we received from our members on whether rampant corruption has dented the country's global image, we tried to find out whether small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were affected by corruption or not. Startling facts have come to light with most SMEs admitting that at one point or another, they have encountered a corrupt babu asking for bribes to get things done.     Read more.... Rampant corruption - is it hurting India's brand image? Bikky Khosla | 18 Jan, 2011 Year 2010 will probably go into the annals of history as the Year of Corruption. Today, the world recognizes corruption in India as a billion dollar industry.     Read more.... Exporters need to look beyond traditional markets Bikky Khosla | 11 Jan, 2011 The recent export figures came as a relief for all concerned as exports from the country showed a remarkable annual growth of 36.4 percent.     Read more.... This year give an Indian touch to your business Bikky Khosla | 04 Jan, 2011 The new year brings with it new opportunities for all businesses; it brings with it ideas to turn a new leaf and start things anew.     Read more.... Year 2011 - preparing for the year ahead! Bikky Khosla | 28 Dec, 2010 The year-end now calls for retrospect and review of what we did and what we could have done better.    Read more.... Letter of Credit - a safe and secure payment mode? Bikky Khosla | 21 Dec, 2010 Any exporter will perhaps tell you that the most important aspect in the export-import business is finding a payment mode which    Read more.... ERP integration can help SMEs expand business reach Bikky Khosla | 14 Dec, 2010 While Indian SMEs usually overlook the benefits of ERP citing ERP software being beyond their budgets as the reason, it is beyond doubt that ERP implementation can improve a company's performance manifold.    Read more.... Government support - are SMEs a neglected lot? Bikky Khosla | 07 Dec, 2010 It's not surprising that more than half of Indian SMEs feel that they are overlooked by the government when it comes to supporting them. The recent survey by Regus revealed that 56 percent of SMEs ‘feel that the government is antagonistic towards their interest' despite the fact that the sector accounts for almost 45 percent of the country's industrial output.    Read more.... Panel to promote exports - move in the right direction Bikky Khosla | 30 Nov, 2010 Even as the government set up a working group of top bankers and industrialists to advise it on raising India's export competitiveness and doubling overseas shipments, transaction costs, which account for up to eight percent of the export bill, needs to be reduced to at least half.    Read more.... Make trade fairs a part of your marketing strategy Bikky Khosla | 23 Nov, 2010 As the ongoing IITF gains momentum going into its 10th day today, it reconfirms the fact that participating in a trade fair is one of the most effective ways of penetrating an export market.     Read more.... Is India's industrial growth losing steam? Bikky Khosla | 16 Nov, 2010 While exports during October registered a growth of 21.3 percent at $18 billion, my main concern is the country's import growth which has plummeted to 6.8 percent and industrial growth which appears to be losing steam falling to 4.4 percent compared to 8.2 percent a year ago.    Read more.... Obama's sojourn to India – strengthening ties! Bikky Khosla | 09 Nov, 2010 During his visit to the country, US President Barack Obama gave a clear indication that he was willing to further business relations between the two countries – good news for Indian Inc. after his outsourcing rhetoric back home.     Read more.... No relief for exporters as RBI hikes key rates Bikky Khosla | 02 Nov, 2010 The mid-year review of RBI's credit policy saw a hike of 25 basis points in the repo and reverse repo rates, respectively while the cash reserve ratio (CRR) was left untouched at 6 percent.    Read more.... Nothing seems right for exporters, MSMEs Bikky Khosla | 26 Oct, 2010 Wary of a volatile rupee and awaiting a rise in demand in key markets during the Christmas season, exporters, especially those from the MSME sector, are now urging the RBI to ensure that 50 percent of the total export credit is earmarked to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector.    Read more.... Slipping business confidence - all's not well with India Inc. Bikky Khosla | 19 Oct, 2010 It's sad to see the confidence of the Indian industry slipping recently with businessmen expressing concern over high interest rates, inflationary conditions, unavailability of labour, low consumer demand and rising cost of production.    Read more.... Re appreciation giving exporters nightmares Bikky Khosla | 12 Oct, 2010 With the continuing rupee appreciation eroding the competitiveness of exporters in the global market, the RBI has rightly cautioned that it will intervene if foreign inflows are 'lumpy and volatile'.     Read more.... Exports - Can we surpass the $200 billion target? Bikky Khosla | 05 Oct, 2010 It seems we will now be able to achieve the $200 billion export target this fiscal as exports grew by 22.5 percent in August to $16.64 billion year-on-year.    Read more.... Ailing export sector awaits right govt. prescription Bikky Khosla | 28 Sep, 2010 A new trend has emerged wherein the share of bank credit to export sector has shrunk considerably.    Read more.... Only progressive SMEs will survive - are you one of them? Bikky Khosla | 21 Sep, 2010 The current bull run in India's equity markets gives an early indication that the confidence of investors is back after a couple of years of lull.     Read more.... Marketing strategy - let's not repeat the same mistakes Bikky Khosla | 14 Sep, 2010 The biggest mistake I have seen being committed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is that despite trying hard and spending lots of money, they are unable to convey the message to the buyer. So, if the marketing strategy is complicated for buyers to understand your products, they don't feel compelled to act, or simply, to buy.    Read more.... Credit rating for SMEs - why not? Bikky Khosla | 31 Aug, 2010 With the government exploring ways to facilitate easier credit to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), I feel SMEs too should make some effort so that they are able to get loans easily without running from pillar to post. And one such initiative which they can take up is getting themselves rated.    Read more.... FTP review - positive step towards growth Bikky Khosla | 25 Aug, 2010 Monday saw the government rightly extending sops worth Rs 1,050 crore for exporters in the review of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2009-2014 to help them ward off the difficulties faced due to a fragile global economy.    Read more.... Goods and service tax (GST) - more positives Bikky Khosla | 17 Aug, 2010 The much debated issue of GST has seen political parties taking two different sides.    Read more.... Don't expect too much from the FTP Bikky Khosla | 10 Aug, 2010 Although exporters are not expecting much from the forthcoming annual review of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) (2009-14), in light of early signs of recovery in the sector, I feel the government could take some steps on the non-financial part.    Read more.... Exports figures - still no reason to celebrate Bikky Khosla | 03 Aug, 2010 The newly released export figures have shown a growth of 30.4 percent at $17.75 billion in June compared to $13.60 billion in the same month last financial year. And while some sectors showed signs of an early revival, a few labour-intensive sectors still continue to reel under severe crisis.    Read more.... RBI key rate hike more than expected Bikky Khosla | 27 Jul, 2010 It was no surprise that the RBI raised interest rates more aggressively owing to the fact that runaway inflation was above 10 percent for the past five months.    Read more.... No end to exporters' woes Bikky Khosla | 20 Jul, 2010 Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee too has now acknowledged that there was still an uncertainty in the global markets and the impact of Eurozone crisis on Indian economy may be seen if the situation in the continent persists and is not restricted to only a few countries such as Greece and Hungary.    Read more.... Industry still not out of the woods Bikky Khosla | 13 Jul, 2010 Even as bankers have said that there's a 20 percent credit growth in the current fiscal, industry stalwarts are saying that the manufacturing sector is likely to witness a further slump from June onwards. With all eyes on the Reserve Bank which would come out with the monetary review on July 27, there are all-round expectations that it would tighten policy rates to check double digit inflation.    Read more.... B2B portals can help SMEs prosper Bikky Khosla | 06 Jul, 2010 Without doubt, B2B portals today offer many opportunities for SMEs to grow and prosper.    Read more.... MSMEs - still languishing in the backwaters Bikky Khosla | 29 Jun, 2010 While we are all discussing the external factors that have added to the woes of the MSME sector, we     Read more.... Hapless exporters see darker days ahead Bikky Khosla | 22 Jun, 2010 A fluctuating exchange rate, the debt crisis in Eurozone, rising input costs, and a possible interest rate hike by the Reserve Bank of India in its forthcoming review has once again put the exports sector under severe strain.    Read more.... Declaring place of manufacturing will hit cos hard Bikky Khosla | 15 Jun, 2010 The recent government notification making it mandatory for companies to declare the place of manufacturing of their product with immediate effect has taken the industry by surprise.    Read more.... Asia's emerging markets - are you there? Bikky Khosla | 08 Jun, 2010 The recent World Bank report on India's economy indicated that while India may grow at a rate of 9 percent, the export sector may not be doing well though.    Read more.... Exercise restraint before signing the deal Bikky Khosla | 01 Jun, 2010 Did you get an offer from a buyer that is too good to believe? Well then, you must be a victim of one of the many scams in the world today and being a businessman this is the last thing you would ever want to happen.    Read more.... Give what your customers want Bikky Khosla | 25 May, 2010 With today's cut-throat scenario where competitors are fighting tooth and nail for space in the market, trying to compete just on price can be a quick road to ruining one's business. Contrary to the common perception, customers will not always decide on a product because    Read more.... Eurozone crisis - exports likely to see a slump Bikky Khosla | 18 May, 2010 With the euro trading near 4-year lows recently amid warnings from European leaders that their $1 trillion loan backstop for troubled governments would not be enough to defuse the continent's crisis, it may spell trouble for Indian exporters to Europe.    Read more.... Credit availability for SMEs still a far cry Bikky Khosla | 11 May, 2010 Nothing seems to have changed and once again it's the same old story. Business confidence of the country's industry though has improved further compared to the past six months, credit availability still remains a major concern.    Read more.... Go global, export and rake in more moolah Bikky Khosla | 04 May, 2010 In today's context, it's very important for every company to cover risks as one profits from export business.    Read more.... Let go of the old...try new strategies Bikky Khosla | 27 Apr, 2010 In business it's very important to let go of old strategies and try new things to beat competition in the market.    Read more.... Exporters should look east to maximise gains Bikky Khosla | 20 Apr, 2010 There seems no end to the woes of exporters to Europe. Months of slowdown, then when the situation started to look up, the rupee appreciated eating into the profits of the exporters. While the exporters were still in the midst of re-evaluating their strategies, exports to key European markets have now been affected by flight disruptions over the past few days as planes remain grounded following a volcanic eruption in Iceland.    Read more.... B2B portals can provide promising benefits to exporters Bikky Khosla | 13 Apr, 2010 Despite slowdown, India's growth rate has been sustainable and the overall impact on the economy has been positive. Having said that, if the same performance is reviewed on a global scale, the scenario may start looking different with the country's share in the global export market continuing to be minimal. Ironically whereas India dominates the proceeding in Information Technology (IT), its imbalance in growth owes to disproportionate usage of IT services by its important industrial sector — the SME sector, particularly those into exports.    Read more.... Did you know you can profit from ERP? Bikky Khosla | 06 Apr, 2010 While SMEs are slowly waking up to the fact that adoption of IT tools in their operations can make them more competitive, the penetration of IT in SMEs is much below its potential. In many cases it is seen that buyers are required to automate order entries and their status and companies that are unable to provide this information have a significant disadvantage.     Read more.... Govt. should intervene to save exporters from losses Bikky Khosla | 30 Mar, 2010 Once again a volatile rupee threatens to take a toll on exporters. On Monday, India's currency touched a near 19-month high against the dollar at Rs 45.04 per dollar, recording a 13.4 percent rise over Rs 52.06 to a dollar in March 2009. Against the euro the rupee has appreciated 13.4 percent since November 2009. This appreciation is not good for the health of domestic industry as our competitiveness in global terms also takes a hit.     Read more.... Beat competition, stay ahead Bikky Khosla | 23 Mar, 2010 I have observed that most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) waste their time thinking about what they did last week, month or year when they should instead be thinking about what they need to do tomorrow.     Read more.... Branding - success mantra for every business Bikky Khosla | 16 Mar, 2010 Branding today is the success mantra for every business, and particularly for SMEs. There is no doubt whatsoever that an effective brand name, combined with a well known corporate image, usually allows a company to charge more for its products and thus increase its profit margins. No one can deny the fact that a brand value reflects how a product's name, or company name, is perceived by the marketplace.     Read more.... Now get suppliers' information on the go! Bikky Khosla | 09 Mar, 2010 Have you ever wondered if you could dial a number and get the details of your suppliers via SMS or email? Telecom has made considerable inroads in India and has changed the face of how business is done. Today all it takes is to dial a number to find your suppliers/ sellers.    Read more.... Budget 2010 - taking the middle path! Bikky Khosla | 02 Mar, 2010 A lot has been said and discussed about Budget 2010-11, announced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday. Considering the current economic situation of the country, the finance minister had a tough job in hand which he has, of course, performed quite admirably.    Read more.... Pricing strategy - can't do without one! Bikky Khosla | 23 Feb, 2010 Without doubt pricing strategy for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) determines the fate of their businesses.    Read more.... Budget 2010 - need for measures to spur growth Bikky Khosla | 16 Feb, 2010 A couple of days from now, on February 26, the Budget is slated to be announced by our Finance Minister, wherein he will have to come up with announcements that can spur growth as the economy slowly shows signs of looking up after a couple of years of slump.     Read more.... Survival tactics that SMEs need to resort to Bikky Khosla | 09 Feb, 2010 While we are looking at brighter growth prospects of the economy, we need to understand the potential of SMEs.    Read more.... Indian economy showing signs of growth Bikky Khosla | 02 Feb, 2010 December recorded a positive growth for the second month in a row as exports grew 9.3 percent, an indication that the country's trade was coming out of the economic blues.    Read more.... Get social, use social media to attract more people Bikky Khosla | 27 Jan, 2010 Networking has become an essential aspect for MSMEs to thrive in today's competitive market. And to accomplish this, entrepreneurs should take advantage of the popularity of social media tools as they provide a great opportunity to link up with other people in the same industry and to reach new customers, regardless of geographical locations.     Read more.... B2B portals - worth the time and money put on them Bikky Khosla | 19 Jan, 2010 Today SMEs suffer from want of sales. Even by incurring huge marketing expenses they are unable to get the best results. Several SMEs I have met tell me that in want of sales they had in many occasions burnt their fingers by allowing lot of credit sales. It is indeed frustrating to see that while there is dearth of sales for SMEs, big companies are selling their products of same quality on cash-and-carry basis.    Read more.... Despite positive export growth situation still remains grim Bikky Khosla | 12 Jan, 2010 Exports for the second straight month showed considerable growth after a 13-month decline. In December exports grew 16 per cent year on year to $ 14.6 billion. However I feel the problems of our exporters are far from being over.    Read more.... The time's here to make year 2010 count! Bikky Khosla | 05 Jan, 2010 In the last couple of years, businesses, particularly SMEs, saw increased scrutiny in cost-cutting initiatives    Read more.... Year 2009 - revival of new hopes Bikky Khosla | 29 Dec, 2009 Without doubt year 2009 signaled hope of a pick up in 2010 for the Indian industry after a year of hopelessness owing to global economic recession. Whatever cynics may say, I feel 2009 was a good year when we compare the course of events of 2008, when things really slowed down.     Read more.... Skill deficit hampering production of India industry Bikky Khosla | 22 Dec, 2009 The issue which needs to be addressed on a war-footing is the skill deficit that the country is facing at the moment.    Read more.... Sad side of India's export story - losing out to neighbours Bikky Khosla | 15 Dec, 2009 We are losing our market share to our neighbouring nations; that is the first and foremost thing that struck me when I saw the dwindling apparel exports figures the other day.    Read more.... Export business - size of the company hardly matters Bikky Khosla | 08 Dec, 2009 Usually there is a general perception that only large companies can export. Owing to this perception, small companies usually ask themselves a question: Am I too small to export? In addition, we always associate huge capital outlay when it comes to exporting or trading internationally. I have seen several small businesses shying away from exporting their products because they thought they were too small to do so.    Read more.... 7.9 pc GDP growth - is slowdown history now? Bikky Khosla | 01 Dec, 2009 The recently announced second quarter's GDP figure of 7.9 percent goes to show the resilience of the country's economy which can absorb global shocks and also keep its growth rate going.     Read more.... Ban on cotton exports - justified? Bikky Khosla | 24 Nov, 2009 The ongoing tussle between the government and the textile industry over the later's demand on an immediate ban on cotton exports     Read more.... Making the web safer for business - the Tradeindia way Bikky Khosla | 17 Nov, 2009 No one can deny the fact that there are risks involved when dealing online with people    Read more.... SEBI gives reasons for SMEs to cheer Bikky Khosla | 10 Nov, 2009 Two developments will probably dominate the rest of the week - one, SEBI's    Read more.... Another stimulus package for exporters? Bikky Khosla | 03 Nov, 2009 Although several industry sectors are showing signs of revival, Commerce and Industry Minister, Anand Sharma's statement that the government may offer more incentives for exporters came as good news - no doubt about that.     Read more.... Time to prepare your own marketing strategy Bikky Khosla | 27 Oct, 2009 It is usually seen that we try to do what others are profiting from. Particularly small     Read more.... Volatile rupee, Chinese support not helping exporters Bikky Khosla | 20 Oct, 2009 The problems for exporters seem to be never-ending. As the global markets were showing some signs, whatsoever, of improvement, the current appreciation and volatility of the rupee against the US dollar, owing to robust capital inflows into the stock markets, has risen its ugly head and small exporters are likely to be hit most if this trend persists for long.    Read more.... Industrial growth - a harbinger of India's economic recovery Bikky Khosla | 13 Oct, 2009 A couple of days before Diwali, the festival of lights, the economy lit up brightly with industrial production growing by 10.4 percent, the highest in the past 22 months.    Read more.... Acting smart and raking in the moolah even during recession Bikky Khosla | 06 Oct, 2009 Market dynamics have changed considerably in the last few months. Although many SMEs went out of business owing to poor demand, several others have made huge profits. This disparity perhaps calls for a thorough look at the business module of one's business.    Read more.... G-20 Summit - India comes through a winner Bikky Khosla | 29 Sep, 2009 The recently concluded G-20 Summit had at least two positives, if not more. Firstly, the virtual burial of the G8 grouping of rich nations and secondly, now the developed countries will look at the developing nations in a new light. And India, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, perhaps emerged as an economy to reckon with.     Read more.... Current economic situation calls for intelligent planning Bikky Khosla | 22 Sep, 2009 Considering the current fiscal situation of the government, I think no more sops will be made available to the industry in general and the export sector in particular.    Read more.... SME task force - moving in the right direction Bikky Khosla | 15 Sep, 2009 After decades of neglect and struggle, it could now be the light at the end of the tunnel for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In what could be a major paradigm shift in considering issues pertaining to MSMEs, the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has constituted an 11-member high-level task force for the sector which will be headed by T. K. A. Nair, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.     Read more.... WTO trade talks — breaking the logjam Bikky Khosla | 08 Sep, 2009 Just as I was wondering how long these WTO talks, which seek to further open up global markets in goods & services, would continue, came a breakthrough of sorts in the negotiating nations' meet held recently in New Delhi. Much has been invested in these negotiations and any breakthrough is always welcome.    Read more.... Foreign Trade Policy - aiming at continuity, stability Bikky Khosla | 01 Sep, 2009 The recently announced foreign trade policy (FTP) in the current difficult times was indeed a tough task, but our Commerce Minister, Mr Anand Sharma, has done a fairly good job. Two facts in the blueprint of the 2009-14 Foreign Trade Policy that came as good news was the realistic target of $ 200 billion in the next two years and the focus on 26 new markets.    Read more.... SMEs need to make adjustments to stay healthy Bikky Khosla | 25 Aug, 2009 Today Small and Medium Enterprises represent one of the fastest growing industrial sectors in the country.    Read more.... Signs of recovery in exports, but are we comfortable yet? Bikky Khosla | 18 Aug, 2009 Even as the government would have us believe that the export sector is showing signs of recovery, a survey by an industry body has revealed that 'a complete recovery for India's crisis-stricken exports sector would happen only by the year-end.'    Read more.... FTA with Korea - a landmark achievement Bikky Khosla | 11 Aug, 2009 The recent signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Korea is indeed a landmark achievement which can improve bilateral agreements in areas including but not limited to automobile, components, heavy engineering, electronics and electrical appliances.    Read more.... With exports growth in negative all eyes now on FTP Bikky Khosla | 04 Aug, 2009 There was no letting up as the country's merchandise exports fell for the ninth straight month in June and were valued at $12.82 billion, down 27.7 percent. Exports for the first quarter of this fiscal were down 31.3 percent at $35.43 billion, against $51.55 billion in the corresponding quarter of last fiscal.    Read more.... Opportunities galore for MSMEs in ASEAN, African markets Bikky Khosla | 28 Jul, 2009 MSMEs need to look beyond the US, UK and European markets and focus on the Asian and African markets.    Read more.... Taking the economy to the path of growth Bikky Khosla | 21 Jul, 2009 Although the economy has shown signs of recovery, several factors that threaten to restrain the growth of Indian manufacturing sector still persist. Amongst the several detrimental factors two - high interest cost and fall in exports - have turned out to be hurdles in India's growth story.    Read more.... Cabinet Committee on infrastructure - one too many? Bikky Khosla | 14 Jul, 2009 The Budget has been announced and the postmortem is over. We gained some, we lost too. But now we need to carry on. The government too needs to do its bit. I think attaching topmost priority to the infrastructure sector and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's constituting a high-level Cabinet Committee on infrastructure is a good move.    Read more.... Union Budget 2009-10 - meeting expectations? Bikky Khosla | 07 Jul, 2009 This year the Finance Minister had to consider several factors and act accordingly in the Union Budget.    Read more.... Will Budget 2009 bring relief to MSMEs? Bikky Khosla | 30 Jun, 2009 After an eventful month, the newly elected UPA government will come out with the Union Budget on July 6.    Read more.... Adopting cost-effecting tools can help SMEs succeed Bikky Khosla | 23 Jun, 2009 When the economy is down and out, one is in a dilemma whether to increase one's marketing efforts, or to save money.    Read more.... Made in China, sold in India - time to protect our SMEs Bikky Khosla | 16 Jun, 2009 A new hurdle before Indian SMEs has now come to the fore - cheap imports from China.    Read more.... Time for companies to view things more positively Bikky Khosla | 09 Jun, 2009 The gloom is slowly lifting and there are signs of recovery in certain industry sectors.     Read more.... As exports dip relief must come from the budget Bikky Khosla | 02 Jun, 2009 Hectic parlays for this year's budget have begun and industry sectors have started giving their valuable recommendations. Considering the current economic situation, I really hope the budget will find some place for the SME sector in general and the SME exporters in particular.    Read more.... For Pranab Mukherjee the hot seat just got hotter! Bikky Khosla | 26 May, 2009 The hottest chair in North Block is taken and all are letting out a sigh of relief that it is now occupied by none other than Mr. Pranab Mukerejee, the man who had sowed the seeds of India's economic reforms decades back. And perhaps no other man could have fitted the portfolio of the Finance Minister better.    Read more.... Great expectations - but will the new govt. deliver? Bikky Khosla | 19 May, 2009 The mammoth Indian elections are over and the people have decided on a stable and progressive government.     Read more.... Upgrading technology must for SMEs' survival Bikky Khosla | 12 May, 2009 Despite the latest study by ASSOCHAM that SMEs' share in GDP will be 22 percent in 3 years, there's no doubt that they (SMEs) are still languishing in the backwaters of development - thanks to our nonchalant authorities.    Read more.... Right pricing can help companies tide over recession Bikky Khosla | 05 May, 2009 We need to find answers to why some of our competing nations are doing well in exports, while we are registering negative growth.    Read more.... Change in sentiments will bring SMEs back to path of growth Bikky Khosla | 28 Apr, 2009 Since last year we have seen demand for products dwindling rapidly as our key markets slipped into recession.    Read more.... Marketing during recession - are you smart enough? Bikky Khosla | 21 Apr, 2009 SMEs are finding difficulties in marketing during recession with demand for products at an all-time low.    Read more.... General elections 2009 - will our politicians keep their promises? Bikky Khosla | 14 Apr, 2009 Major political parties in their manifestos have come up with sops - some logical...     Read more.... Negotiating effectively is the key to success in business Bikky Khosla | 07 Apr, 2009 Despite the need for effective negotiations, SMEs in most cases falter in this department.     Read more.... Identifying the genuine buyer - don't be in haste! Bikky Khosla | 31 Mar, 2009 The first question that crosses one's mind when approached by a buyer is 'Is he a genuine buyer?    Read more.... With inflation at record low, slash in interest rates should follow Bikky Khosla | 24 Mar, 2009 It is my feeling that to inject the much-needed confidence in banks, RBI will now have to play an active role.    Read more.... Get a marketing strategy...make winning a habit! Bikky Khosla | 17 Mar, 2009 In today's business environment it has become imperative that we use our knowledge and experience of marketing strategy development and marketing planning and focus on working with our clients to get the thinking right.    Read more.... Time to prepare your business plan for next fiscal Bikky Khosla | 10 Mar, 2009 With just a couple of weeks left for the beginning of a new fiscal, this is perhaps the best time to prepare a business plan.    Read more.... Exports target of $175 billion still seems hard to achieve Bikky Khosla | 03 Mar, 2009 The recently announced Interim Trade policy has come out with measures that will boost export sector sentiments.    Read more.... Third stimulus package - final giveaways before the polls Bikky Khosla | 25 Feb, 2009 The government has undoubtedly injected the final dose for the economy.    Read more.... Interim Budget 2009 - with polls ahead, recession issues take backseat Bikky Khosla | 17 Feb, 2009 Well, the expectations from the Interim Budget, or more precisely, vote-on-account were low and the acting Finance Minister, not surprisingly, lived up to the expectations.    Read more.... Risk management and strategic planning crucial for SMEs Bikky Khosla | 10 Feb, 2009 The importance of strategic planning and risk management cannot be emphasised more than at present.    Read more.... Let's find our own ways to remain profitable Bikky Khosla | 03 Feb, 2009 Despite the country's export performance in December 2008, which saw a relative improvement compared to the performance of the previous two months, its growth still remained in the negative territory.    Read more.... Innovation alone can drive SMEs on the path to success Bikky Khosla | 27 Jan, 2009 In a global economy, using traditional methods of finding customers or buyers no longer works.    Read more.... Business strategies for SMEs - can't do without one Bikky Khosla | 20 Jan, 2009 During this situation of slowdown and slump in demand for products, renewed business strategies for SMEs become relevant like never before.    Read more.... Stimulus packages - a road half trod Bikky Khosla | 13 Jan, 2009 Now the two stimulus packages will have to pass the litmus test with their implementation.     Read more.... Second Stimulus Package - just a drop in the ocean Bikky Khosla | 06 Jan, 2009 The second stimulus package is too little to be recognized as a booster dose.    Read more.... Year 2009 – the way forward Bikky Khosla | 30 Dec, 2008 The business community is heaving a sigh of relief for having survived a horrifying year.    Read more.... Second stimulus package - create confidence, focus on growth Bikky Khosla | 23 Dec, 2008 The government has to do some serious thinking before they come up with the second stimulus package for the industry.    Read more.... Technology usage in SMEs must to survive in uncertain times Bikky Khosla | 16 Dec, 2008 Indian SMEs are still in technological backwaters compared to advances in science and technology.    Read more.... Economic stimulus package - MSMEs, exporters need more Bikky Khosla | 09 Dec, 2008 The govt. finally came out with the stimulus package which aroused more disappointment than appreciation.     Read more.... Exports down, time for govt. to stop dilly-dallying Bikky Khosla | 02 Dec, 2008 The government is yet to come up with a package to help exporters tide over the current crisis.    Read more.... Economic slowdown - best time to promote one's brand Bikky Khosla | 25 Nov, 2008 SMEs need to shake off the myth of cutting their advertising costs during a financial crunch, which is a negative approach.    Read more.... Finally govt. wakes up to the woes of exporters Bikky Khosla | 18 Nov, 2008 The ball has been set rolling with the government all set to announce a fresh package to revive the export sector.    Read more.... Govt. must come out with relief package for SME exporters Bikky Khosla | 11 Nov, 2008 The government is likely to grant a relief package to all small and medium export units.     Read more.... Exports plunge, exporters face severe financial crunch Bikky Khosla | 04 Nov, 2008 The recent steps taken by RBI has indicated that the focus is now on growth - this is good news.     Read more.... Future tense, exporters face new setbacks Bikky Khosla | 27 Oct, 2008 Despite the festive season, exporters are trying hard to find ways and means to bring some cheer amidst the prevailing gloom.    Read more.... Slash in RBI's repo rate to help SMEs Bikky Khosla | 21 Oct, 2008 It was a positive move from the RBI to slash repo rate by 100 basis points which will not only reinstate the confidence of the investors, but will also help deal with the current financial uncertainty.    Read more.... SMEs can still reap huge dividends Bikky Khosla | 14 Oct, 2008 The current global financial scenario calls for steps to raise the tempo of SMEs and the export community.    Read more.... An effective marketing strategy is what SMEs need to succeed Bikky Khosla | 07 Oct, 2008 SMEs cannot do conventional marketing because of the limitations of resources.    Read more.... No export sops, US recession - exporters need to decide their fate Bikky Khosla | 30 Sep, 2008 With export sops coming to an end exporters now need to find other alternatives.    Read more.... Rollback of export sops - is the govt. justified? Bikky Khosla | 23 Sep, 2008 Come October, exporters will find themselves without the armour of export sops given last year.    Read more.... Delhi blasts, US financial crisis - not the best of times for exporters Bikky Khosla | 16 Sep, 2008 The week turned out to be not the best of times for the Indian industry in general and exporters in particular.     Read more.... NSG waiver on Indo-US nuclear deal signals beginning of new era Bikky Khosla | 09 Sep, 2008 The word is out - India can now realise its dream to produce secure, reliable and clean energy to fuel its industrial sector and thus maintain its economic growth.    Read more.... SMEs need to use their promotional campaign intelligently Bikky Khosla | 02 Sep, 2008 For SMEs it is very important that they use their promotional campaign budget very intelligently.    Read more.... SMEs need to be prompt in replying to buyers Bikky Khosla | 26 Aug, 2008 With numerous players in the market, there is fierce competition between SMEs to get business.     Read more.... Are Indian SMEs getting their basics wrong? Bikky Khosla | 19 Aug, 2008 SMEs are finding it difficult to keep pace with the ever-changing equations in the global scenario.    Read more.... SMEs falter - no need to panic yet! Bikky Khosla | 12 Aug, 2008 As SMEs particularly the smaller enterprises are feeling the heat of slowdown, is it panic time again?    Read more.... India needs to play a major role in SAARC Bikky Khosla | 05 Aug, 2008 The recently concluded SAARC Summit had a greater importance than being just an annual academic affair.    Read more.... Saluting the resilient spirit of India Industry Bikky Khosla | 29 Jul, 2008 Even as terror attacks try to derail the country's economic growth, we need to show resilience and not cow down to these cowardly activities that need to condemned.    Read more.... WTO needs to consider sentiments of SMEs Bikky Khosla | 22 Jul, 2008 Despite developing nations asking the developed countries to do away with trade-distorting subsidies and make steep duty cuts on products with high tariffs, all appeals seem to have fallen on deaf ears.    Read more.... Politics of numbers - who cares about the nuclear deal! Bikky Khosla | 15 Jul, 2008 As the govt. now concentrates on the trust of vote, Indian industry on the other hand, has been left in the lurch.    Read more.... No financial aid for SMEs - blame our outdated bankruptcy system! Bikky Khosla | 08 Jul, 2008 Unwillingness of banks to finance SMEs is actually also due to the dysfunctional insolvency and bankruptcy system in India that makes banks think twice before lending to SMEs.     Read more.... Exporters need to focus on value-added products Bikky Khosla | 01 Jul, 2008 As a gloomy market situation prevails, exporters are battling for ever-shrinking profit margins.    Read more.... Primark fallout - a lesson to learn! Bikky Khosla | 24 Jun, 2008 Yet again the issue of alleged child labour in Indian textile factories has come to the forefront after British Primark severed contracts with three Indian suppliers in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.    Read more.... Let's stop blaming global recession, volatile rupee Bikky Khosla | 17 Jun, 2008 We are perhaps overlooking certain factors that are hurting exporters more than we give credit for.    Read more.... Rising inflation - a nightmare for Indian industry Bikky Khosla | 10 Jun, 2008 For a brief period, it seemed that the woes of the Indian industry in general and the exporters in particular were over as the rupee depreciated against the dollar providing some respite.    Read more.... Exports rise as exporters focus on new markets Bikky Khosla | 03 Jun, 2008 April proved to be a good month for the Indian economy in general and the export community in particular as the country recorded a commendable export growth with shipments jumping 31.5 percent to $14.4 billion from a year earlier.    Read more.... MSME census - active co-operation of MSMEs need of the hour Bikky Khosla | 27 May, 2008 What struck me most is the fact that even the best government initiatives end up in the spam if we don't participate in its execution.    Read more.... Rice export ban - nothing but a political gimmick! Bikky Khosla | 20 May, 2008 India, the world's second-biggest rice producer after China, has a selective ban on export of rice - strange but true!    Read more.... Depreciating rupee brings back smiles to exporters Bikky Khosla | 13 May, 2008 After nearly a year of torment and loss due to the appreciating rupee against the dollar, the balance seems to have turned in favour of the exporters.    Read more.... Is reviewing textile export target enough? Bikky Khosla | 06 May, 2008 Just a couple of days back Union Textiles Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela had hinted at the government's plan to review the target of $ 50 billion exports by 2010-11 for textiles, in the wake of rupee appreciation and global economic slowdown impacting the sector's growth.    Read more.... US calling - opportune time for Indian exporters Bikky Khosla | 29 Apr, 2008 With China saddled with increasing labour costs and weakening of the dollar leading to a negative growth in the sector this year, it is the right time for Indian textiles and clothing exporters to take advantage of the situation.    Read more.... SMEs - help yourself to succeed Bikky Khosla | 22 Apr, 2008 It seems nothing has changed for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Surveys, studies came and went, but SMEs are still languishing in the alleys of darkness.    Read more.... Foreign Trade Policy Supplement - going in the right direction Bikky Khosla | 15 Apr, 2008 The recently announced annual Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) update has come as a relief for the exim community - there is no doubt about that.    Read more.... Soothing effect to come from the Foreign Trade Policy? Bikky Khosla | 08 Apr, 2008 The current global market equation calls for better coordination between exporters and the Indian government. Raw material prices are going through the roof and dollar depreciation against the rupee is today a perpetual nightmare for the export community.    Read more.... Supply chain management - SMEs' helping hand Bikky Khosla | 25 Mar, 2008 The crux of any business lies in its ability to manage its supply chain effectively. In today's global business context, firms that can streamline their supply chain and churn out finished products faster will undoubtedly benefit the most.     Read more.... Foreign Trade Policy - What are your expectations? Bikky Khosla | 19 Mar, 2008 With nothing much for exporters in the Union Budget, all are pinning hopes on the Annual Supplement to the Foreign Trade Policy to be announced in a couple of weeks from now.    Read more.... Information dissemination: it pays to be informed Bikky Khosla The export-import community of India comprising mostly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is faced by several challenges. While access to easy finance is the foremost hurdle, lack of information seems to be the other major reason why we lag behind. Information in the form of news updates is one area which we (sadly enough!!) never attach much importance to.    Read more.... Budget 2008-09 - very little for SMEs, nothing for exporters! Bikky Khosla | 04 Mar, 2008 Despite the fact that P Chidambaram came out with a populist Budget, there is a general feeling amongst the SME sector and the export community that they have been given the cold shoulder.     Read more.... Quality goods - mantra for long-term business Staff Reporter | 27 Nov, 2007 The Planning Commission in the 11th five-year Plan, which is to be placed before the National Development Council in December, has sought a National Quality and Standardization Authority, which would prepare mandatory and voluntary standards for goods.    Read more.... Small companies best at boosting exports Staff Reporter | 13 Nov, 2007 With the global markets shrinking into a single market — thanks to the Internet, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are emerging as the best vehicles for carrying out exports. This phenomenon is not limited to Indian SMEs, but to SMEs all over the globe.    Read more.... Opportunities galore in untapped markets Staff Reporter Are we still content with the old markets we trade with? The volatile rupee being pitted against the dollar, do we look towards the Government to provide us relief? These are the questions that we, as the export community, need to ask ourselves.     Read more.... SMEs' path to success still cumbersome Staff Reporter | 30 Oct, 2007 It is indeed a fact that Indian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) lose out on competitiveness due to various factors including, higher import duties, higher incidence of indirect taxes, lower operational efficiencies, higher transaction costs, lower labour productivity, higher cost of capital, inadequate infrastructure, etc.     Read more.... Look EU policy to help exporters Bikky Khosla | 23 Oct, 2007 Exporters will accept the fact that now is the time to find newer markets to beat the appreciating rupee and the EU can be the best option.     Read more.... 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