CASE STUDIES (I)

(1) KIRAN MAZUMDAR SHAW

Kiran was born in Bangalore where her father was a master brewer at United Breweries. Her early
education took place at Bishop Cotton Girls School and at Mount Carmel College, She received a
graduate honours degree in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973 and qualified as a Master
Brewer from Australia in 1975. She began her career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United
Beverages. After remaining in India for some time as a consultant, she decided to go abroad and
found a job in the UK. There she met with the owner of Biocon Biochemicals Limited a company
based in Ireland. He was thinking of starting operation in India. The aim was build simpler
bioproducts from local ingredients and raw materials.

She founded Biocon India with a capital of Rs. 10,000 in 1978. The beginning was made by
extraction of an enzyme from papaya. Biocon started with the manufacture and export of Papain, a
plant enzyme, significant for brewing industry. In two years time, exports to Ireland were built up.
Production was moved to a far bigger location at Bangalore in 1983. Being far from satisfied by the
present growth, she decided to further invest in research activities and invested in new areas of
enzyme research and technology. Early denials of funding did not discourage her. These were
declined primarily for reasons that biotechnology was something new, she did not possess assets
or a background of entrepreneurship and had no history of successful ventures behind her and
finally, she was a woman, generally not associated with successful entrepreneurship in India. She
believed that women can do well in business even if they dont belong to a business family or have
political influence or immense wealth. She considered herself a representative of the modern
women who could work shoulder-to-shoulder alongside men and build mega businesses.

Over the years the organization has grown and today it is one of the largest Indian
biopharmaceutical organizations in India. In 2004, Biocon went for Initial Public Offering (IPO) and
the issue was over-subscribed. As the chairman and M.D. of Biocon Ltd., her pres worth is Rs.
2,100 crore. She has drawn global attention to Indian biotechnology capabilities. She has
converted Biocon from an industrial enzymes making firm to an integrated biopharmaceutical
organization at the forefront of research and initiatives. The organization is now working on newer
ventures. These include development of insulin and drugs that can cure cancer. Its subsidiary
Clinigene, is working on a programme on Type II diabetes. In 2004, Biocon launched human insulin
under the brand name Insugen.

She has also been chairperson and mission leader of Confederation of Indian Industrys (CII)
National Task Force on Biotechnology. She is also the chairperson of Karnatakas Vision Group on
Biotechnology and has been on the Board of Science Foundation, Ireland. Presently, she is serving
on the Advisory Council of the Governments Development of Biotechnology. Additionally, she is
also a board member of BVGH (Bio-Ventures for Global Health). Kiran Majumdar Shaw is the
recipient of several awards including the Economic Times (ET) Businesswoman of the Year, Best
Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, and Ernst & Youngs Entrepreneur of the Year Award for
Life Sciences and Healthcare. She has been awarded the Padmashri in 1989 and Padma Bhushan
in 2005 for her contributions and achievements.

Questions :
1. Briefly discuss educational background of Ms. Shaw. According to you, how far her
education has contributed to her entrepreneurial success ?
2. What were the entrepreneurial traits possessed by Ms Shaw that made her what she is
today?
3. Which roadblocks did Kiran face when she was at the threshold of her entrepreneurial
career ? Which philosophy of Kiran helped her to overcome those hurdles ?
4. Enlist Ms. Shaws contributions to the society.

(2) N. R. NARAYANA MURTHY

N. R. Narayana Murthy was born in 1946 in Karnataka. He did his graduation in electrical
engineering from Mysore in 1967 and post graduation from Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur in
1969. Narayana Murthy started his career with Patni Computer Systems. His guiding principle
remained Selling. He himself admitted of being accused by his own team of a bias towards sales.
The reasons as he explains are Unless something is sold well by us, it is not possible to create
the job or wealth to satisfy all the stakeholders, be they employees or investors. He believes in
innovation as a driving force for entrepreneurial growth. During a pre-commencement lecture,
delivered at the New York University (Stern School of Business) , he dwelled at length about the
role and functions of entrepreneurship, which resulting in large-scale job creation, was the only
viable mechanism for eradicating poverty in societies. He strives to ensure that the organization
he built remains in first five organizations wherever it operates, be it USA, Europe or Japan. Today,
the personal wealth of Narayana Murthy is estimated at close to US$2 billion and the company he
formed reported a turnover of $3,090 million in March 2007, an increase of more than 43% on
2006 turnover. The net profit was $850 million in fiscal year 2007, an increase of 53.2% over 2006.

He founded Infosys in 1981 alongwith six other software professionals. He only had a vision but no
money to convert the vision into a venture. Lack of any kind of entrepreneurial back ground was
another cause of concern among family members. The safe heaven of being comfortably employed
was too much to sacrifice at initial stages. But it was the passion that made the difference. It was
the support of the family, especially of the wife, who agreed not only for conversion of the idea into
a venture but supported it with whatever meager finances she had, with time and with taking over
of complete responsibility of the household till the venture succeeds. He built a team to carry his
vision forward. There have been times in the beginning when some of the team members felt the
need of folding up the venture. But the self-belief kept him going. He agreed to take up the shares
of those team members, who wanted to quit as he had unshakable belief in the future of the
venture he created.

Today, Infosys is at the forefront of developing customized software solutions for Fortune 1000
organizations. It is not only development but the implementation at the most appropriate manner
that has built the reputation and the market. The clients include banks, retail operators, financial
and capital markets and technology oriented production and production processes. Infosys is also
in the field of providing business process management services through one of its arms Infosys
BPO. The company has global operations in North America, Europe and Asia.

Murthy is a member of National Information Technology Task Force. He is also on the Prime
Ministers Council on Trade and Industry. He is a member of the board of the Reserve Bank of
India. He has been awarded several honours in recognition of his achievements. These include EI
Businessperson of the Year Award (2000 2001), Businessman of the Year Award 1999, The Stars
of Asia Award (continuously for 3 years 1998, 1999 and 2000), and JRD Tata Corporate Leadership
Award (1996 97).

Questions :
1. Pick up various traits of Mr. Murthy witnessed by yon while exploring the above case.
2. Give a brief account of Mr. Murthys initial days of struggle when he was trying to enter
entrepreneurship. Who played an instrumental role in his success ? How ?
3. Which according to you, was the topmost strength of Mr. Murthy that kept him on the track,
despite of adversities ?

(3) SUNIL MITTAL

Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group, Indias largest GSM based mobile phone
service provider; Sunil Mittal can be called as originator of cellular phone revolution in India. He is
the founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group and runs Indias largest GSM
based mobile phone service.
Sunil Bharti Mittals father was an M.P. Sunil did not follow his fathers footsteps. After graduating
from Punjab University in 1970s, he set up a small bicycle business in Ludhiana in partnership with
his friend. By 1979, Sunil Mittal realized that his ambitions could not be fulfilled in Ludhiana, so he
moved out to Mumbai from Ludhiana.
He spent a few years in Mumbai and in 1982. Sunil Mittal started a full-fledged business selling
portable generators imported from Japan. This gave him a chance to acquaint himself with the
nitty-grittys of marketing and advertising. His business was running smoothly but later on the
government banned the import of generators as two Indian companies were awarded licenses to
manufacture generators locally.
In 1986, Sunil Bharti Mittal incorporated Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) and entered into a technical
tie up with Siemens AG of Germany for manufacture of electronic push button phones. Gradually
he expanded his business and by early 1990s, Sunil Mittal was making fax machines, cordless
phones and other telecom gear.
In 1992, when the Indian government was awarding licenses for mobile phone services for the first
time. Sunil Mittal clinched Delhi cellular license in collaboration with French telecom group Vivendi.
In 1995, Sunil Mittal founded Bharti Cellular Limited (BCL) to offer cellular services under the brand
name Airtel. Soon, Bharti became the first telecom company to cross the 2-million mobile
subscriber mark. Bharti Cellular Limited also rolled out Indias first private national as well as
international long-distance service under the brand name India One. In 2001, BCL entered into a
joint venture with Singapore Telecom International for a $650 million submarine cable project,
Indias first ever undersea cable link connecting Chennai in India and Singapore.
Today, Sunil Mittal runs a successful empire with a market capitalization of approximately $ 2
billion and employing over 5,000 people. He has been honored with several awards. Sunil Bharti
Mittal was chosen as one of the top entrepreneurs in the world for the year 2000 and amongst
Stars of Asia, by Business Week. He also received IT Man of the Year 2002 Award 2002 from
Dataquest and CEO of the Year 2002 Award from World HRD Congress.
Questions :
1. Briefly discuss ups and downs of Sunil Mittals business career.
2. What, according to you, were the remarkable qualities possessed by Sunil Mittal that have
made him one of the topmost entrepreneurs of India ?
3. In a nutshell enlist the milestones set up by Sunil Mittal.

(4) ADI GODREJ

Adi Godrej is one of the icons of Indian Industry. He is the chairman of Godrej Group. Adi Godrej
was born in a business family. His fathers name was Burjorji Godrej and his mothers name was
Jai Godrej. More than a century age, the Godrejs were into manufacturing locks and vegetable-
based soaps. The Godrej products were among the first indigenously manufactured products to
displace entrenched foreign brands.

Adi Godrej left India at the age of 17 to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though
he planned to study mechanical engineering but he later on switched to management. After his
return to India, Adi Godrej joined the family business. He modernized and systematized
management structures and implemented process improvements. Adi Godrej took the Godrej
Group to great height during controlled economy era.

After the liberalization process, Adi Godrej restructured companys policies to meet the challenges
of globalization. In the early 2000s, the Group completed a 10-year restructuring process through
which each business became a stand-alone company with a CEO/COO from outside the Godrej
family.

Under Adi Godrejs leadership, the group is also involved in philanthropic activities. Godrej is major
supporter of the World Wildlife Fund in India, it has developed a green business campus in the
Vikhroli township of Mumbai, which includes a 150-acre mangrove forest and a school for the
children of company employees.

Questions :
1. Identify the entrepreneurial traits and skills of Adi Godrej, which made him so successful.
2. Which major limitation / barrier did Adi have to face when he joined the family business ?
3. Give a brief account of Adi Godrejs philanthropic activities.

(5) SHAHNAZ HUSSAIN

India has seen very few women as enterprises due to various historical, social and educational
reasons. Shahnaz Husain, Indias pioneer in herbal cosmetics stands tall as worlds greatest
woman entrepreneur. Though she was married at a very young age, she always knew that she was
made for something more. After studying cosmetic chemistry in international beauty schools close
for eight years. Husain hit upon the idea of exploring the 4000 year old Indian Ayurvedic system, so
that she could research and develop herbal cures and treatments. She returned to India to set up
shop in one room, with a startup investment of Rs. 35,000 borrowed from her father. Shahnaz had
priced her product well above the existing market, she began with just one product shalife, a
massage cream priced at Rs.100, while you get one in the market for a paltry Rs. 6. However, that
did not stop the crowds from coming in, and soon, Shahnaz had more than clients than she could
handle. The lady invented a unique marketing style of her own; she decided to make the brand a
personality driven one, flying in to various cities to lecture on herbals and Ayurveda, inaugurating
Shahnaz franchises and salons, and returning the same day. She would go to a place for one day,
offer free prescriptions and advice, inaugurate the salon and comeback. Interestingly, she has
never advertised her product.

Today there are more than 600 salons in India and abroad. In retrospect, she attributes here
success to her sheer grit and determination. She says-in life, you get what you negotiate.

Questions :
1. Examine the entrepreneurship qualities and skills of Mrs. Shahnaz Husain to be a
successful entrepreneur.
2. What product differentiation and marketing strategies were adopted by Mrs. Husain?
3. Identify the driving force behind her success ?

(6) DR. VERGHESE KURIEN

Dr. Verghese Kurien better known as the father of the white revolution in India, is also called as
the Milkman of India and was the architect behind the success of the largest dairy development
program in the world, christened as Operation Food. Born on November, 26, 1921 in Kozhikode,
Kerala, Dr. Verghese Kurien graduated with Physics from Loyola College, Madras in 1940, B.E.
(Mechanical) from the Madras University and went to USA on a government scholarship to do his
Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. In between, he completed
special studies in engineering at the Tata Iron and Steel Company Institute at Jamshedpur, Bihar,
in February 1946 and underwent nine months of specialized training in dairy engineering at the
National Dairy Research Institute at Karnal.

Dr. Verghese Kurien returned from America in 1948 and was posted as Dairy Engineer at the
Government Research Creamery, a small milk-powder factory, in Anand, Gujarat. Around this time,
the newly formed cooperative dairy, Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited
(KDCMPUL), was engaged in battle of survival with the privately owned Polson Dairy, which was a
giant in its field. Enthused by the challenge, Dr. Verghese Kurien left his government job and
volunteered to help Shri Tribhuvandas Patel, the Chairman of KDCMPUL, to set up a processing
plant. This led to the birth of AMUL and the rest is history. In 1965, the then Prime Minister Lal
Bahadur Shastri, created the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) under the leadership of
Dr. Verghese Kurien to replicate the success story of Amul throughout the country. In 1973, Dr.
Kurien set up GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) to market the products
produced by the dairies. Under Dr. Kuriens stewardship India became the as the largest producer
of milk in the world.

Questions :
1. Analyse the entrepreneurial qualities and skills of Dr. Kurien that made him one of the most
successful entrepreneurs in the world.
2. Why is Dr. Kurien called the father of the white revolution in India ?
3. Was Dr. Kurien an entrepreneur or intrapreneur ? Support your answer with logical
reasons.