Agribusiness and Rural Markets

The client was a fortune 500 agri-commodity player with operations across the globe and wanted to enter Indian sugar and ethanol space. The client was seeking answers to key strategic questions which included, business model the company should follow and which part of India the operations should be set up.

Client Benefit: Clarity on business model, focus regions for entry, mode of entry and scale of investments required. 

Client wanted UC to develop a growth strategy across its business divisions in consideration of debt free models, minimum upfront investment, high focus on the bio inputs division and mitigation of monsoon risk.

Client Benefit: A detailed perspective on channel reclassification for the crop protection business and initiatives at a product level to drive the growth of crop protection, bio inputs and aquaculture business segments. Clear articulation of growth paths for the hybrid seeds business division and opportunities in the rural healthcare segment. 

Client was the domestic agro formulations division of a leading agrochemicals manufacturer in India. Top Management, however felt that the organization lacked a marketing outlook and that an opportunity to improve sales and profitability existed if initiatives could be taken on areas of distribution network, marketing and promotion, product portfolio management and therefore requested UC to identify improvement opportunities in the demand chain, define initiatives and implement the same.

Client Benefit: Significant increase in sales contribution from ‘A class’ channel partners from 53% of total sales to 65% and reduced dependency on ‘C class’ channel partners with sales contribution decreasing from 17% to 11%. 249 strategically important new channel partners were appointed and the division exceeded budgeted contribution levels at the end of the financial year. 

The client was an international leading provider of premium quality lined pumps, valves and associated spares and services to the chemical, fine chemical and pharmaceutical chemical industries. The client had defined a business plan for fluro-polymer-lined pumps and valves, with the target markets being India, China, and the USA and requested UC to ascertain the market size for its products in India in order to understand whether it would justify setting up a manufacturing facility.

Client Benefit: In depth understanding of industry dynamics such as dominance of Indian vs. International regions, competitive intensity and dominant distribution channels, shifts taking place in purchasing behavior as well as market size of the industry. 

The client was an NGO that makes irrigation affordable for small and marginal farmers by developing and marketing low cost drip irrigation systems and treadle pumps and used various static and dynamic promotional tools to create awareness of their products. To optimize marketing efforts and costs, client wanted to understand the tipping point - level of market penetration after which the market can sustain itself, allowing promotional efforts to be withdrawn and diverted from a particular area – and ways to achieve and sustain the tipping point.

Client Benefit: Clear articulation of market penetration milestones- the point at which marketing efforts could be gradually reduced and appreciation of effectiveness of current marketing tools, new marketing initiatives and critical constraints to adopting products and mechanisms. 

The client was one of India’s largest international banks having a combined customer base of 2.1 million in retail banking and over 1,000 top corporate relationships and in light of the exponential growth expected in rural financing and given the client’s strong commitment to Indian market, top management was evaluating entry in semi urban and rural markets.

Client Benefit: Shortlisted locations to conduct pilot, understanding of elements of rural financing business model – product portfolio, customer segments, alliance partners, distribution channel, technology platform and roll –out and implementation plan. 

The client was a leading advertising and rural marketing company and the main concerns were absence of clearly defined vision and values and absence of clearly defined and communicated business strategy leading to lack of strategic focus on any of its business areas and lack of clarity in development of manpower and other resources.

Client Benefit: Understanding of market segments, the key skill required to succeed in the respective segments, assessment of organisation skills and capabilities and definition of strategic initiatives to improve key skills and Identification, definition and communication of business strategy for the client organisation. 

The client was a charitable institution, manufacturing authentic classical ayurvedic medicines. Market for ayurveda was segmented into two main categories i.e. classical and proprietary and patented. The client was a household name in south and accounted for more than 50% of the classical ayurvedic market. The demand for proprietary and patented medicines was increasing due to ease and convenience of usage. In order to protect its leadership position and increase its nation wide presence the client was planning to set up a plant for manufacturing proprietary and patented medicines. The client requested UC to assist in the evaluation of the option of entering the over the counter market, evaluate feasibility of the set of 85 products proposed to be manufactured in the new plant, increase sales of the existing classical products and identify application industries for extracts in India, and overseas.

Client Benefit: Charting and implementation of a robust product and market strategy with respect to product features, price, positioning, distribution network, channel policies, marketing and promotion initiatives etc. 

The client was an multinational NBFC in India, with strong presence in low ticket unsecured loans and loan against property, and a network of c.150 branches in about 95 cities in India and wanted UC to assess market potential in SME segment in India, and define a plan to enter the segment, which had witnessed an aggressive entry of some other NBFCs and banks.

Client Benefit: Detailed assessment of the SME market in India by analyzing competition and understanding SMEs needs and preferences and understanding the entry strategy for attractive products- product features, channel, location, customer segments, value proposition, risks and critical success factors. 

The client is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies and was following a strategy of acquisition led growth which resulted in an uncommon and overpopulated distributor base and varying credit policies were being followed across divisions. This resulted in an increase in the company’s cost to serve its distributors, unhappy distributors due to loss of market share, limited market reach of the company across its 7 divisions and hence required assistance in improving return on sales effort and increasing market reach of each of it’s 7 divisions in existing locations.

Client Benefit: Increased channel productivity by rationalizing distributor base and drafting of stringent credit policies and increased market reach by evaluating potential of various states and appointing distributors in existing and new locations. 

The client was one of the largest manufacturers of bicycle and rickshaw tyres and tubes in India. The bicycle tyre market in India was highly competitive and the company faced intense competition from host of organized and unorganized players which resulted in declining sales and market share. The company's top management requested UC to conduct a study to address key strategic issues they face and to develop product, pricing and promotion strategy, branding strategy and distribution strategy.

Client Benefit: Strategy to regain leadership by revamping the marketing strategy, branding strategy, organization structure and information system related initiatives.