Let146;s talk

Mittal has led his company to ground-breaking revenues in the last financial year, and with ideas like this one, there is no doubt that Bharti Televentures will again show impressive revenues in the coming year after all Airtel has the largest prepaid customer base in India. This is one tycoon who is betting on this part of the business growing fast. May be Mittal knows something that most other telecom tycoons are missing.

Cottons by Century

India8217;s garment industry is still one of the more organised sectors, and it8217;s also economically priced because of the easy availability of highly-skilled and cheap labour in the country. The tremendous growth potential in this sector is recognised by tycoons like B.K. Birla, whose Century Textiles is now entering the readymade garment business.

Given the fact that this is a venerable 106 year old cotton textile pioneer who was so far focusing on developing, managing and marketing cotton, yarn, and is one of Asia8217;s largest mills, it8217;s not surprising. The company already sells 100 per cent cotton fabrics to leading brands in Europe.

Under the new plan, Birla8217;s Century will begin production of readymade garments under the brand name of Cottons by Century. It will produce cotton kurtas and shirts, which will be followed by trousers, accessories and womenswear. The company is simultaneously planning an image makeover for its showrooms, with the aim of alluring the youth along with its traditional customers, after all change is the spice of life. The tycoon expects a turnover of a mere Rs 15 crore with the launch of his new brand. But since this is the tycoon with the Midas touch that figure should just be treated as starters.

Hoisted on his own petard

Subroto Roy should be one annoyed man. His channel seems to have become the unwitting victim of the wrath of a rather aggressive woman of substance. The pugnacious Barbara Taylor Bradford has got one of his top billed serials stayed with her allegations of outright plagiarism. Roy has tried every trick in the book including looking for refuge from Courts that have a tendency of being kinder. But what must get Roy8217;s goat is that he is trapped by his own devise. Apparently the most telling bit of evidence that Bradfords lawyers have used is the fact that Roy8217;s own team have been busy extolling the global origins of their serial. Now you can expect other TV tycoons to be more sensitive on plagiarism to start with and even their own publicity statements in unguarded moments.

Dilip Cherian, runs a public affairs firm Perfect Relations. He is an economy watcher and tycoon tracker. None of the people he writes about are his clients. Your insider tales are welcome at dilipcheriannow-india.net.in