Retail Leadership Summit 2013 in Mumbai

Photo Credit: DBennett89 / Flickr

The Retail Leadership Summit is all set to host its fifth edition at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai on February 7 and 8, 2013. The event will provide an international platform for approximately 700 delegates and 150 CEOs from all over India and abroad to discuss major hindrances and opportunities in the retail sector.

RLS works as a premier platform for knowledge dissemination and networking for the retail industry. The panelists include biggies like Manu Anand, CEO, PepsiCo India, S Raghunandan, CEO, Prestige Group, Kishore Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group, Govind Sirkhande, MD, Shoppers Stop, J Rajagopal, Executive Vice-President, Tata Consultancy Services and Vikram Bakshi, JV Partner and Managing Director, McDonald’s India.

Organised retail has completed almost two decades in India, and even though there is a tremendous capacity for consumption in the country, there are other challenges like retaining efficient manpower and operations cost that need to be addressed.  New policies like FDI in retail emphasize a need to look at new strategies. It is therefore apt that the theme of the summit this year is “Invitation to Innovation”. Some of the important sessions to look forward to at the summit are FDI in retail: Just a beginning, not the end, IT Led Innovation and Innovative Collaboration- A great business opportunity. The focus of all discussions will be how to make retail a better customer experience. A combined study by the Retail Association of India (RAI) and Booz & Company with several examples of indigenous and exogenous innovations will also be presented at the summit.

Along with listening to panelists discuss a number of issues, the summit is also an excellent opportunity to meet other retailers and folks from Retail Association of India, and network. A retail exhibition will also prove to be a one of its own kind platform showcasing a wide range of products and companies.

With several opportunities to make contacts and know about latest trends and policies in the retail sector, the Retail Leadership Summit 2013 is a must-visit for retailers. While you attend the event at the Grand Hyatt, Santa Cruz, do take out time to explore the beautiful city between sessions.  Better still, extend your tour till the weekend to explore everything from Mumbai’s iconic monuments and sights.

Mumbai is abuzz with several cultural festivals throughout the year like the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, the epitome of Indian culture and performing arts.

In case you are planning to attend the Retail Leadership Summit 2013, it is a good idea to make your flight and hotel bookings in Mumbai now.

NASSCOM’s India Leadership Forum in Mumbai

With the 21st edition of the NASSCOM India Leadership Forum (ILF) just round the corner from February 13 to 15, leaders from the IT industry will be heading to Mumbai to be a part of this international conference. With participation from over 30 countries, the ILF is a one of its kind event where well-known corporate heads, strategists and IT leaders get together to not just discuss the successes and failures of the year gone by, but also to think of effective and sustainable strategies for the future of international growth.

The agenda for the forum is packed with conferences, seminars, discussions, interviews and lots of networking opportunities. Photo Credit: MarkhillaryThe agenda for the forum is usually packed with conferences, seminars, discussions, interviews and lots of networking opportunities. This year, some of the biggest names in the corporate world will be sharing their thoughts with the audience. These include MakeMyTrip’s Founder & CEO - Deep Kalra, Britannia’s MD & CEO - Vinita Bali, and Indigo Airlines’ President - Aditya Ghosh. Former cricketer Rahul Dravid and legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan will also be present to share their thoughts,

Keeping its tradition of bringing relevant, contemporary issues to the fore, this year’s conference at Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt, is based on the theme ‘Imagineering the Future: Disruptive Innovation for Sensible Growth’. As the ILF puts it, ”The economic complications and the inter-twined business environment have made projecting the future a rare art. Unlike in the past, it needs much more than just the knowledge of the present to envision the future. It needs greater foresight, to not just project the future, but to imagine the ’unknown’ and prepare for it.” Keeping the challenges of the future in mind, the ILF has come up with the concept of ’Imagineering’”, i.e. leaders who don’t just have the ability to envision the future but also to transform it.

Spread over three days, the delegates will discuss a variety of related issues. The sessions are aptly titled Leader2Leader, Masterclass, Indian Grandmaster Series, Roundtable and Gurukul. Under these various sessions, there will be some closed door discussions which will be by invitation only; discussions on business, leadership, and technology which will require pre-registration; as well as discussions where India’s homegrown leaders will be given a platform to project their thoughts and ideas. The agenda is an intriguing one and includes a variety of topics ranging from a reality check on whether India is suffering from ‘tall ambitions and dwarf execution’ to Indo-US ties in the 21st century, cross border leadership and ‘emotional intelligence and bottom line – connecting excels and nerve cells in leadership’. The panel for particular discussions will include such pioneering entrepreneurs as Deep Kalra of MakeMyTrip and Flipkart’s Sachin Bansal. It will be interesting to know their thoughts and emotions on the successfully handling of online businesses.

The India Leadership Forum is an excellent opportunity for those related to or interested in this field to hear and imbibe the thoughts of industry giants and learn their success mantra. It also provides a keen platform for networking, building and developing contacts for the future. In case you are among those who think this forum is just the opportunity you were waiting for, it’ll be a good idea to sign up and book you ticket to Mumbai now!

Unspoken & Unwritten Rules of Mumbai

Nostalgia’s striking…this time I’m taking you through some of the ‘unspoken and unwritten rules’ of the place I fell in love with, the very moment I arrived there – I’m talking about the place they call “the city of dreams,” Mumbai.

Rule #1: Get Used to the Haggling
If you follow fashion and trends, you’ll certainly come across well-wishers who will tell you to hit some of the popular local markets of Mumbai. The tip you need to abide by is – practice your best poker face and work on your haggling skills. The unrealistic prices the vendors quote can give a tough fight to the rising prices of petrol, so start with a brazen 50% lower than the quoted price. Set a mental figure in your head and don’t go beyond it. In all probability, when you start walking away, the vendor will call you back and grudgingly agree to your number. Some bargains can be found at:

• Fashion Street – is a stomping ground for the college crowd (most of the colleges are in close proximity to this street) and it’s easy to find a bargain of designer wear here
• Lokhandwala Market – is a regular haunt for struggling actors of the television industry (most of them live in and around the area, hence the overtly priced tags!)
• Linking Road – is a shopper’s paradise in Bandra, especially known for footwear and bags
• Colaba Causeway – is a blend of culture where old Bombay meets new Mumbai

An Empty Mumbai Local TrainRule #2: Seat Reservation…It’s Free!
If you’re expecting to travel by a local train at least once during your visit to Mumbai, you  need to be prepared. While you make your way through the crammed compartments in an effort to hop snag a seat, I’d suggest you keep this tip in mind – staring at someone sitting comfortably and waiting for him/her to get down at the next station will not fetch you a seat. There’s an unsaid rule where whoever enters the compartment books a seat (it’s all unofficial and free!) by wagging a forefinger, starting from the person sitting on the window seat and fixing the deal with the one who gets down at the nearest station. No one else, but the one who books the seat well in advance has the rights to claim it (first come, first served applies here!). For a novice, I can just say, when in doubt, check this tip out.

Rule #3: Everything comes with a Pav
Everything sure comes with a price, but in Mumbai, everything comes with a pav. Irrespective of whether you order for vada, samosa, bread pakora or bhajiya, all of these come sandwiched between slices of pav. You might as well go with the accompaniment for one reason –with or without the accompaniment, the cost doesn’t change. Learning a few words and terms in Marathi would make you feel completely at home in the city full of life. Do visit and you’re likely to fall in love with Mumbai for the way it is!