| Global Marketing After the opening of the Indian economy in 1991, several transnationals have been entering the Indian markets .This time the situation is different from the one that existed in the pre-1977 period and transnational enterprises .know it. Two of the major fast food chains in North America and perhaps in most other countries are McDonald and Kentucky Fried Chicken(KFC) .Both have been cleared by the government of India. These are the food divisions of Pepsico. However ,KFC has reported a delay in their initiating the chain in the country because they find Indian chicken not to be as healthy as they had been using elsewhere .They believe that using Indian chicken will affect their international image and hence have sought government permission to breed chicken, KFC’s concern has been rooted in its international image. Suzuki of Japan has decided to make their Indian plant,Mar4uti Udyog Ltd., a world supplier of their 800 CC.1000CC and even 1300CC, cars .So today ,Maruti Suzuki is sold in Europe and Asia. Along with it are the components made by Indian firms to Japanese specifications and thus starts the global journey of Maruti and its component suppliers. TVS Sundaram was the first Indian company to get ISO9000 certification for their fasteners .This made them competitive in the European market which today insists that imports be as per ISO standards .Many other firms and the Confederation of Indian Industry are today working to achieve these standards. Hindustan Levers took over Brooke Bond, Lipton and Ponds in India as a part of their global takeover by Unilevers, Warner Hindustan(globally known as Warner Lambert) took over the business of Parke Davis in India as a part of an international takeo9ver of Parke Davis by Warner .Proctor & Gamble in India forged a strategic alliance with a leading personal products firm, Godrej soaps, to form Godrej P&G and Hindustan Lever has responded to this alliance through a takeover of the Tata Oil Mills Co Ltd (TOMCO) in 1993. These customers in Pakistan ask Unilever Pakistan which is a genuine Le Sancy—the rectangular one available in Pakistan or the oval shaped promoted by Hindustan Levers on Star T.V and marketed in India. These are not fairy tales or a figment of the imagination .These are realities in today’s world. No more does a firm see its market restricted to domestic customers or just a few rich countries of the West. Rather .its the world that it sees as the market place to optimize its resources and maximize return on investment. Its true that Firms are now looking forward to a global market rather than a local one. A few observations - 1. The Internet and Communication Revolution has greatly fueled this over-seas vision 2. A company has to be strong 'Locally' first. Only after it has a good base and foundation in Home country should it go for international footprint. This is valid for most of the businesses barring a few. 3. Globalization is at times the 'only option' for BiG Firms which want to grow. There is a saturation level of the Home Country Marklet beyond which they cannopt grow. Going over the boundaries is at times the only option. 4. The rest of the Worl is looking at INDIA (Population - more than 1 Billion; Rising Living Standards and Disposable Income ) as a HUGE Market for their Expansion Plans. 5. Some of the Indian Companies, who have grown pretty large in size, and other smaller ones offering niche products and services, have gone Global to increase their customer base. All this opens up a whole New World of Global Marketing ... The most often strategy used by companies being 'Think Global - Act Local' ... shoOOonya ...
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