Diverse holder

Newly-crowned FICCI President Saroj Poddar loves wearing many hats and it is his penchant to add variety to his business portfolio. This time he has left tongues wagging with his foray into the restaurant business; a chain of quick service restaurants – Pulse Food – serving affordable North Indian cuisine in the middle class neighborhoods. He has a well-defined target segment – the upwardly mobile 300 million strong Indian middle class and has positioned his eating joints as a place for the middle class families to frequent for a wholesome pocket friendly meal. Unlike other players who plunged into the market piggybacking on popular foreign brands, Poddar is adamant on venturing into the market on his own and establish his distinct brand name in the business. He already has two restaurants operational in Noida and Ludhiana and has plans to open two more in Delhi and one in Bangalore by the end of December. The tycoon plans to set up 30 outlets in three years. Given that restaurant business is currently doing exceptionally well with an annual growth rate of 15-20 per cent, Poddar’s move could very well turn out to be a timely one. Shaving blades to batteries to furniture and even a travel agency, you name it and Poddar has done it all. Being a juggler with so many businesses, market watchers have always been skeptical about his success but time and again he has silenced them.

Tribal strategy

Ashok Jiwrajka is quite gung ho about his new integrated garment-manufacturing complex in Sayli in Silvassa. The new complex, to be set up at an initial investment of Rs 1,200 crore, will be mainly a garment division but would also have made-ups and spinning as well. As it is the tycoon already has three woollen fabrics manufacturing units in Silvassa. The new plant will not only help Jiwrajka to integrate his operations but help add value to his products as well. The tycoon is installing all imported hi-tech machinery in the new unit. Jiwrajka will be exporting garments from the new unit mainly to the US and the European markets. Jiwarjka’s new unit would be employing 3,000, most of whom are going to be drawn from among the local tribals, in the new set up. That’s the way this textile tycoon will engage his unit in ushering social change in the area – rare as strategy for a business tycoon.

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