Sibm Pune Consulting Casebook 2024 2025 1745346842
Sibm Pune Consulting Casebook 2024 2025 1745346842
CONSULTING
CASE BOOK
2025
PREFACE
The objective of disseminating these experiences is to enlighten students about past case interview
scenarios and equip them with valuable insights to prepare effectively for their upcoming
placements.
This casebook continues from the first edition of the Consulting Casebook and drafts industry
oriented cases and guesstimates that were part of the placement processes. The makers of the
casebook take deep pride in having created this book facing all the challenges and roadblocks that
always come up while keeping quality as our central tenet.
The experiences listed below are not necessarily the best way to handle case interviews. They only
serve to give students an idea as to what to expect when they walk into a case interview. Every
individual could have his / her unique way of tackling consulting interviews, each of which could be
correct.
In today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, adaptability and structured thinking have become
essential for success in the consulting industry. At SIBM Pune, we remain committed to fostering an
environment of continuous learning and professional excellence to make our
students not just future-ready but future-proof.
To strengthen this vision, the Consulting and Strategy Club was established, embodying our
student-driven ethos and dedication to industry relevance. This casebook is a testament to that
commitment, offering a comprehensive repository of frameworks, estimations, case interview
methodologies, industry overview and case competition guide to prepare students for consulting roles
at leading firms. It serves as a bridge between academic rigor and practical industry expectations,
empowering our students to excel.
I extend my sincere appreciation to the Consulting and Strategy Club for their dedication in
curating this valuable resource and commend their continued efforts in shaping the consulting
ecosystem at SIBM Pune. A heartfelt thanks also goes to our esteemed alumni, whose unwavering
support and guidance have been instrumental in the institute’s growth.
With great optimism, we look forward to witnessing our students make remarkable strides in the Dr. Shrirang Altekar
consulting industry, reinforcing SIBM Pune’s legacy of excellence.
Consulting is a field that demands structured thinking, analytical rigor, and the ability to solve
complex business challenges. At SIBM Pune, we take pride in nurturing these capabilities,
ensuring our students are well-equipped for the dynamic consulting landscape.
This Consulting Case Book is a reflection of our institute’s commitment to academic excellence
and experiential learning. More than just a preparation tool, it represents the collaborative efforts
of our students, faculty, and alumni in building a resource that bridges theoretical concepts with
real-world application. It fosters structured problem-solving, critical thinking, and strategic
decision-making, essential skills for aspiring consultants.
The dedication of the Consulting and Strategy Club in compiling this book exemplifies the
strong student-driven culture at SIBM Pune. The club started 3-4 years ago with a vision of
honing the consulting and problem-solving mindset of students when top consulting firms visit
SIBM Pune for placements. Today, it has evolved into a consulting hub, further strengthening
our institute’s consulting ecosystem. Each case challenges students to think beyond conventional
solutions, enhancing their ability to communicate insights effectively and drive impactful
recommendations.
I encourage students to use this resource to refine their problem-solving approach and develop a
consultant’s mindset. Whether pursuing a career in consulting or any strategic role, this casebook
will be invaluable in honing essential skills.
My sincere appreciation to the Consulting and Strategy Club for their dedication to strengthening
the consulting ecosystem at SIBM Pune.
Rohit Morye
This Casebook is a culmination of our efforts to bridge the gap between theory and application. It
serves as a structured guide, offering insights into frameworks, industry trends, case
methodologies, and strategic problem-solving techniques. Whether preparing for case
competitions, interviews, or a career in consulting, this resource is designed to sharpen analytical
skills and foster a consultant’s mindset.
The journey of compiling this Casebook has been one of collaboration, dedication, and a relentless
pursuit of excellence. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to our Director, Deputy Director, and Student
President for their unwavering support and guidance in strengthening the consulting ecosystem at
SIBM Pune and to the club members, faculty, alumni, and peers who contributed their expertise
and time to make this edition a reality. Their encouragement has been instrumental in shaping this
initiative and enabling us to provide students with a valuable learning resource.
To all students—this Casebook is more than just a guide; it is a tool to challenge your thinking, refine
your approach, and build confidence in structured problem-solving. I encourage you to leverage it
fully and embrace the consulting mindset in all your endeavors.
Ayush Bhat
Best wishes on your consulting journey!
The Consulting & Strategy Club proudly presents the third edition of SIBM Pune’s Consulting Case
Book. This casebook has been curated diligently to guide future batches in their preparation
journey.
We would like to thank the batches of MBA(Core) 2023-25 and MBA (Core) 2024-26 for sharing
their valuable experiences that enabled us to put together this resource. We would also like to
express our gratitude to our esteemed director, Dr. Shrirang Altekar, for his guidance and support.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the administration and support staff for providing
their support in this endeavor. The club is highly indebted to everyone who has enhanced this
casebook with their valuable input.
Regards,
Consulting & Strategy Club,
SIBM Pune (2024-2025)
S.No Particulars
2 Consulting Primer/Hierarchy
4 Basic Concepts
5 Consulting Concepts
6 Consulting Frameworks
7 Interview Cases
For Guesstimates, Fact Sheet, Industry Overview and Case Competitions please refer to PART B:Table of Contents
To make the most of this Casebook, we recommend using the interview transcripts to simulate a case discussion
between two individuals or groups. Engaging in this interactive practice will help you experience the dynamics of a case
interview more realistically. Once the case is solved, it is beneficial to refer to the solution process sheet to gain a
deeper understanding of the approach taken and to identify areas for improvement. This reflective analysis will
enhance your problem-solving skills and provide insights into different ways of approaching complex scenarios.
The frameworks included in this Casebook are meant to provide new case-solvers with an initial direction. However,
they should not be viewed as rigid templates but rather as flexible tools that can be adapted to the specific
requirements of each case. Feel free to modify and customize these frameworks according to your own logical
structure, allowing you to develop a unique problem-solving approach.
It is also important to leverage the recommendations, tips, and suggestions throughout the Casebook to apply the
insights gained from one case to others. This approach will help you build a versatile problem-solving strategy,
enabling you to handle a wide variety of cases with confidence. Remember, the journey of preparation is just as
important as the final outcome, and learning through collaboration can be immensely rewarding.
We wish you the best of luck in your case preparation journey, and we hope this Casebook serves as a valuable
resource in helping you develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in case interviews.
Consulting refers to providing expert advice Consultants play a key role in helping Consulting is highly sought after because it offers a mix
to businesses on various topics such as businesses address challenges or seize of prestige, learning opportunities, career acceleration,
corporate strategy, product development, opportunities. Their work typically and financial rewards.
marketing, information technology, and involves: 1. Exposure to Diverse Industries & Problems -
operational improvement. Defining the problems or opportunities Consultants work across industries like FMCG, tech,
a business is facing. finance, healthcare, and more.
How to Ace Aonsulting?
Gathering and analyzing data to better 2. Steep Learning Curve - The fast-paced environment
To excel in consulting, focus on expertise, understand these issues and identifying forces consultants to develop problem-solving,
problem-solving, communication, client- a recommended course of action. analytical, and strategic thinking skills quickly.
centricity, teamwork, adaptability, time Planning and supporting the 3. High Compensation & Perks - Consulting firms offer
management, innovation, presentation implementation of the solution across competitive salaries, bonuses, and perks.
skills and networking. the organization. 4. Prestige & Career Acceleration -Many consultants
transition into high-impact roles in industry,
Top Players startups, or even entrepreneurship.
5. Strong Networking Opportunities - Consultants
interact with senior management and decision-
makers early in their careers.
6. Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking - It’s a great fit
for those who like variety and intellectual challenges.
7. Exit Opportunities - Consultants can transition into
leadership roles in corporates, private equity,
venture capital, or even start their own businesses.
Partner/Director
Senior Consultant
Analyst
BASIC CONCEPTS
S.No Particulars
1 Basics of Economics
2 Basics of Accounting
3 Basics of Finance
4 Basics of Operations
5 Basics of HR
6 Basics of Marketing
Basic Concepts
BASICS OF ECONOMICS Index
Fixed Costs
Break-Even Point
Costs that do not change with the
Perfect Monopolistic level of output
Oligopoly Monopoly The point where total costs equal
Competition Competition total revenue, resulting in zero profit
Variable Costs
Many sellers Many sellers Few sellers One seller Costs that vary with the level of
selling selling selling selling a output Fixed Costs
homogeneous differentiated differentiated unique Sales Price per unit - Variable
products. products. products. product. Marginal Costs Cost per unit
Eg. Agricultural Eg. Clothing Eg. Telecom Eg. Public The additional cost of producing
products brands Operators Utilities one more unit of output.
Gross Domestic Product Gross National Product Net National Product Cost-Plus Pricing Value-Based Pricing Dynamic Pricing
Adjusts prices based on
Total value of goods and Total value produced by a Based on customer
GNP minus depreciation Adding a markup to costs demand and market
services produced within a country's residents, perception of value
of a nation's assets conditions
country including abroad.
Economic Indicators
Inflation and Deflation
Statistics that provide information about the state of the economy
Measurement Consumer Price Index (CPI), Wholesale Price Index (WPI) Provides clues Eg. Stock market Confirm trends Eg. Unemployment
about future Indices, Cosnumer after they occur Rate, Cosnumer
economic activity Confidence Price Index
Monetary Policy Repo Rate, Reverse Repo Rate, CRR & SLR
Tools to control
Inflation Fiscal Policy Taxes, Subsidies ,Fiscal Deficits
The Impossible Trinity
Operating Activites
Financing Activites
Investing Activites
Money today is worth more than the same The minimum rate of return that a company
amount in the future due to its earning The possibility of losing some or all of an
must earn on its investments to satisfy its debt
Risk investment or deviation from expected
potential and equity holders
returns.
Cost of Equity : The return shareholders expect
Systematic Risk Unsystematic Risk
The balance between risk and return guides investment WACC = [Equity/ (Debt+Equity) ×Cost of
TVM helps compare the value of money across
decisions—optimal portfolios maximize return for a Equity)+Debt/ (Debt+Equity)×Cost of Debt
different time periods, ensuring informed
decisions about investments given level of risk (After-Tax))
The process of evaluating long-term investment opportunities to determine their The process of determining the current worth of a company, asset, or
profitability and alignment with business goals. investment using financial models and market benchmarks
Ratio of the present value of future cash inflows Quick and relative valuation based on similar companies
Profitability Index (PI):
to the initial investment.
Lean Six Sigma Focuses on identifying and eliminating the weakest link ("bottleneck") in a process
Focuses on eliminating waste Reduces process variations to to increase overall system efficiency.
("Muda") and improving process enhance quality and minimize
efficiency. defects. Exploit the Constraint
Identify the Constraint →
→
5 Steps of TOC →
Elevate the Constraint Subordinate Everything Else
Identify Value → Map the Value Define → Measure → Analyze →
Stream → Create Flow → Establish Pull Improve → Control.
→
→ Pursue Perfection. Repeat the Process
HR is no longer just an administrative function; it plays a key role in aligning workforce strategy with business objectives.
HR as a Strategic Partner Strategic HR is critical in areas such as mergers & acquisitions, restructuring, and digital transformation.
It contributes to business success through workforce planning, leadership development, and organizational design.
Describes the four key stages a customer goes through before making a purchase
Segmentation Targeting Positioning
Attention – Prospects become aware of your brand or product.
A strategy ensuring a seamless, consistent ROMI evaluates the profitability of marketing AI enhances marketing through automation,
customer experience across online platforms, expenditures by comparing revenue generated personalization, and predictive analytics,
offline interactions , and mobile touchpoints for against costs, helping businesses justify marketing including Chatbots, personalized product
The process
better of attracting and hiring the right
engagement. The process of attracting and hiring the right
spend The process of .attracting and hiring the
recommendations
candidates through structured recruitment candidates through structured recruitment right candidates through structured
strategies.
Example: strategies.
Example: recruitment strategies.
Example:
Starbucks' mobile app integrates rewards, in-store A digital ad campaign generating $50,000 in revenue Amazon’s AI-powered recommendation engine
purchases, and online orders for a smooth user from a $10,000 investment has a ROMI of 400%. drives significant sales by predicting customer
experience. preferences.
Digital marketing leverages online platforms to CLV measures the total revenue a business can Partnering with social media influencers to
reach consumers through SEO, content expect from a single customer throughout their enhance brand visibility and promote products or
marketing, social media, paid advertising, and relationship. services effectively.
The process of
performance attracting and hiring the right
marketing. The process of attracting and hiring the right The process of attracting and hiring the right
candidates through structured recruitment candidates through structured recruitment candidates through structured recruitment
strategies.
Example: strategies.
Example: strategies.
Example:
Nike uses digital storytelling and social media Subscription-based businesses like Netflix Fashion brands collaborating with Instagram
campaigns to drive engagement and brand optimize CLV by retaining customers through influencers to showcase and promote new
loyalty. personalized recommendations. collections to followers.
CONSULTING Index
CONCEPTS
S.No Particulars
1 BCG Matrix
2 PESTEL Analysis
4 Porter’s 5 Forces
5 7Ps of Marketing
6 Ansoff Matrix
7 Miscellaneous
Consulting Concepts
1. BCG MATRIX Index
Market Share
High Relative
Market Share
Low Relative
WHERE TO It is a strategic tool used to classify a company's product portfolio into four distinct segments, enabling
USE ? informed decision-making regarding resource allocation for each product
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Consulting Concepts
2. PESTEL ANALYSIS Index
POLITICAL LEGAL
The political stability of the country NOTE Business Laws
Political ideologies of the government Environment Laws and guides
Legal relates to laws;
Taxation policies Health and safety guidelines
political relates to
Regulatory practices and governing bodies International Trade Agreements and Treaties
government policies. Regional/Local Laws and Circulars
Influential political leaders and their ideas
E.g.- A MNC shuts down facilities in high-tax regions E.g.- Stricter data protection laws, like GDPR,
to relocate operations to areas with lower tax rates require companies to enhance user privacy measure
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENTAL
Economic growth Environmental Issues
The current phase of the Business Cycle Energy/Power Consumption
Inflation rates Insurance Policies
Current Interest Rates prevailing in the economy Safe Waste Disposal
Consumer Spending potential Dealing with hazardous material
E.g.- An equity research analyst may adjust the E.g.- A listed firm must upgrade record-keeping to
discount rate based on the economic cycle track emissions after mandatory ESG disclosures
SOCIAL TECHNOLOGICAL
Demographics of the market New production technology
Consumer Buying Patterns Manufacturing technology (increase in output,
Religious and Cultural factors lowering of production cost, etc.)
State and influence of the media New innovations
Lifestyle trends in place at the time Intellectual Property, Patents, etc.
E.g.- Post-pandemic, a tech firm revamped training E.g.- The rise of AI and automation is transforming
processes as employees preferred hybrid WFH industries
SCAN FOR MORE
WHERE TO It is a tool used to analysis the external and macroeconomic forces surrounding the organization to identify
USE ? opportunity and anticipate threat
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Consulting Concepts
3. PORTER’S VALUE CHAIN Index
PRIMARY SUPPORTING
SCAN FOR MORE
Firm Infrastructure
ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES
E.g.- Financing, Planning & Investor Relations
WHERE TO A powerful tool for disaggregating a company into its strategically relevant activities in order to focus on the
USE ? sources of competitive advantage, that is, the specific activities that result in higher prices or lower costs
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Consulting Concepts
4. PORTER’S FIVE FORCES Index
Assess the
Define the Identify the
strategic
industry key players
UNATTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
strengths
ATTRACTIVE INDUSTRY
LOW PROFITS HIGH PROFITS
Low barriers to enter High barriers to enter Identify the
Strong suppliers’ power Weak suppliers’ power Evaluating Analyze the
factors you
Strong buyers’ power INDUSTRY Weak buyers’ power competitive industry
Many substitutes available Few substitutes available have some
COMPETITION forces structure
Intense competition Mild competition control over
WHERE TO Used to analyze an industry’s competitive landscape by identifying key forces that impact competition and
USE ? assessing the potential profitability within the market
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Consulting Concepts
5. 7P’s of MARKETING Index
PHYSICAL
product or service
Employees Physical
NOTE
Management environment
Out of all the 7Ps
SCAN FOR MORE
Culture Service blueprint Packaging Price is the only
Customer Service Level of service Staff interface revenue generating
Customer Customer actions Digital Experience component of the
Packaging ‘Marketing Mix’
interaction
Recruitment Menu/Rate card
WHERE TO Strategic tool used to ensure all aspects of marketing plan are effectively aligned to meet customer needs
USE ? and achieve business objectives
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Consulting Concepts
6. ANSOFF MATRIX Index
MATRIX STRATEGY TO BE
EXISTING NEW DESCRIPTION
ELEMENT ADOPTED
PRODUCT PRODUCT
Collaboration and
+ Product products into existing Partnerships,
Existing Market Development markets and customer Inorganic Growth
bases
Product Axis
WHERE TO Framework used by management teams and the analyst community to help plan and evaluate growth
USE ? initiatives
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Consulting Concepts
7. MISCELLANEOUS Index
STRATEGY DIAMOND SCAN FOR MORE VRIO FRAMEWORK
Is the resource or capability- Is the firm-
The Strategy Diamond Framework is a strategic management tool designed to help
organizations clarify their strategy by using using five key elements.
Sustained
ECONOMIC LOGIC
Valuable Rare Imitable Organized Competitive
ARENAS VEHICLES DIFFERENTIATORS STAGING
Advantage
WHERE TO To analyze and align business strategies, focusing on arenas, vehicles, differentiation, WHERE TO To assess a firm's resources for competitive advantage by evaluating value, rarity,
USE ? staging, and economic logic USE ? imitability, and organizational support
IMPACT AXIS
potentially harm or project fruits. These should be
a competitive Wins
operating at its company to build immediate focus
advantage to the the company’s
optimum level in a sustainable
company against profitability or IMPACT
These tasks aren’t urgent
the market. competitive Fill-Ins or highly impactful, but
its competitors. operations in they’re easy to achieve FILL-INS
THANKLESS
e.g.- lack of advantage. general. e.g.- Potential business JOB
e.g.- strong brand, These are tasks that
capital, weaker e.g.- falling raw increasing impact
Thank-
skilled employees less require a lot of resources
brand image material prices competition Job but offer little in return EFFORT AXIS
WHERE TO Framework used to evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop WHERE TO To prioritize tasks by evaluating potential impact versus effort, ensuring efficient
USE ? strategic planning USE ? resource allocation and maximizing outcomes
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 31
Part A-Main
Index
CONSULTING
FRAMEWORKS
S.No Particulars
1 Profitability Framework
3 Growth Framework
4 Pricing Framework
Consulting Frameworks
PROFITABILITY FRAMEWORK Index
PROFIT
COST REVENUE
Cost per Unit Units Produced Price per Unit Units Sold
Operating Non-
Product Type of Cost Nature of Cost
Revenue Operating
WHERE TO
USE ?
Activities Activities
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Consulting Frameworks
MARKET ENTRY FRAMEWORK Index
Desirability
(Market MARKET INTERNAL ECONOMIC
Attractiveness)
ATTRACTIVENESS STRENGTH SENSE
(Should I Enter?) (Can I Enter?) (How Can I Enter?)
Feasibility Viability
(Internal (Economic
Strength) Sense) Company Market Timeline Execution Method
existing
WHERE TO product to new customers
USE ?
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Consulting Frameworks
GROWTH FRAMEWORK Index
GROWTH STRATEGY FRAMEWORKS PROFIT = REVENUE - COSTSTRATEGY OPTIONS
GROWTH
BCG Matrix TARGETS VALUE PROPOSITION GO-TO-MARKET
Ansoff Matrix
Markets Products Distribution
Launching targeted marketing GROWTH STRATEGY TREE MAP SCAN FOR MORE
campaigns, optimizing existing ones,
introducing new products, and GROWTH
enhancing customer retention STRATEGY
Expanding distribution
channels
Existing New
Entering New Business Business
Geographies
Entering New
Increase Increase New Product
Demographic Markets
Volume Prices New Market
Line
ORGANIC GROWTH
INORGANIC GROWTH
INCREMENTAL RADICAL
“PUSHING THE “PIONEERING NEW
BOUNDARIES” MODELS”
SCAN FOR MORE
INTERVIEW
CASES
S.No Particulars
3 Profitability Cases
5 Growth Cases
6 Pricing Cases
7 Unconventional Cases
Interview
WHAT IS A CASE INTERVIEW? Cases Index
A case interview is a structured problem-solving exercise that simulates a real consulting project. The interviewee takes the lead in analyzing
data and proposing solutions to a business challenge presented by the firm.
Case interviews are based on actual business challenges encountered by consultants, rather than abstract puzzles or theoretical scenarios.
They are designed to assess how candidates approach complex problems, think analytically, and communicate their insights.
Keep your rough sheet horizontally (landscape) and divide the sheet into the following sections. Split the page roughly in 30% - 50% - 20%
Lengthwise.
Split the resulting partitions in the first and the third column into further smaller divisions as shown.
Now the total number of sections would be 5
Number them from 1-5 from the top left to the bottom right sections
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The interview would start with the problem statement “Your client is ABC, they are facing a particular problem and your job is to…”. This is the
general structure of most of the cases.
Write the Problem Statement in the box number 1
Along with the problem statement, write the important keywords of the problem.
Example: ABC Company, Revenue x% loss, profitability hit.
PROBLEM SOLVING
All the structures, frameworks, diagrams and the analysis of the problem would be done in box number 3.
Safe Space:
The box number 4 is reserved as a safe space area where you can put in all your thoughts regarding the case, possible solutions, and
sudden bright insights/ideas.
This would come in handy as you need not remember all your thoughts throughout the interview and you can easily refer back to this
place.
Troubleshooting - This can help you when you are stuck at a particular point and want to explore some other solution or avenues.
Therefore any random things related to the case that cannot be added to the problem solving space, can be written in the safe space.
CALCULATION PHASE
Keep all your calculations in this space of box number 5. Have separate compartments in this box as well to organise your calculations.
Key points:
It is easier to keep all your numbers together which helps you in revisiting the numbers again when required.
Sometimes, you do your calculations and find that you are way off the numbers. This section will help you revisit your calculations and
correct them if required.
PROFITABILITY
CASES
S.No Particulars
1 Electronics Company
2 PR Company
5 Automotive Company
Profitability
ELECTRONICS COMPANY Cases Index
An electronics and home appliances retailer in the Indian market since 1990, has 375
Are we facing this issue in a particular geography? And do we have any details
stores located across India. They have a healthy profit margin and they are a major
regarding the competitors? Is it an Industry-wide issue or a company-specific one?
player in the market. However their concept stores are making losses. How would you
increase the profitability? Also, the client wants to expand their market share from
10% to 20% in the next 5 years. Evaluate how many additional stores would be The issue is with all the locations in general. Nothing much significant about the
required and whether they should go ahead with the idea. competitors. Market is going through a healthy growth rate.
Breaking down the whole case into 2 parts. Our client has been an electronics and Thanks for answering the questions. So, profits can be broken down into revenue and
home appliances retailer since 1990, with 375 stores located in India and with cost. I would like to understand if the losses are due to declining revenues or
healthy profit margins. However, their concept stores are making losses and we have increasing costs, or both?
to find out why and increase their profitability. Shall I go ahead with the first part?
Let’s focus on revenues.
Yes, proceed.
Ok, I would like to break up revenue into 2 components i.e. Number of units sold and
price per unit. Do we have any information about these two components?
Can I go ahead and ask some clarifying questions?
Basically, all electronic appliances. Yes, focus on the Customer Experience factor.
Okay. What exactly are concept stores? And who are our customers? Customer experience can further be divided into Pre-Transaction, During
Transaction, and Post- Transaction. Do we have a problem with any particular
segment here? Since, the issue is with customer experience, I assume they would not
These are like next-gen stores that appeal to a specific target audience. The
repurchase our products. Is my assumption correct? Do we have a problem with the
customers who would like to have a hands-on experience where they get curated and
conversion percentage of our customers?
handpicked products.
Good find. The issue is with the after sales service and the client not able to maintain Okay. Since we have a 10% market share, the present market size of the client comes
a healthy conversion percentage. down to $ 15B. And as we have 375 stores in total, the current average revenue of
each store would be $ 15B/ 375 = $ 40M.
Since the concept stores are meant for enhancing customer experience, the client
needs to focus on extending the current relationship with the customer with regular
Correct, go ahead.
follow ups and taking constant feedback about their entire journey. Focusing on after
sales customer experience should increase the conversion percentage and increase
In 5 years, the market size is expected to be $ 200B and since the client has to
profitability.
double its market share from 10% to 20%, the market share of the client will be 20%
of $ 200B = $ 40B. The average revenue from each store would also be doubled and
Fair enough. Please focus on the second part of the problem statement.
it would be $ 80M. If we now divide our market share by the revenue from each store,
we would be getting the total number of stores i.e., $ 40B/ $ 80M = 500 Therefore,
To reconfirm, the client wants to expand their market share from 10% to 20% within the client in total would need 500 stores. So, they would need an additional 125
the next 5 years. We need to find how many additional stores would be required and stores Since they had opened 375 stores in 30 years, opening an additional 125
whether to go ahead with the idea. stores in 5 years seems to be a tough task to achieve. Hence, I would go against the
idea.
Correct. Proceed.
Excellent. We can close the case now.
When we say market share we are only considering offline mode and all the physical
stores that the client has. Am I right?
Do we have the numbers of the total market size now and expected market size after
5 years?
Customer
Need Awareness Accessibility Affordability
Experience
Market is going through a healthy growth rate Focusing on after sales customer experience should increase the conversion percentage
Client not able to maintain a healthy conversion
percentage
Since they had opened 375 stores in 30 years, opening an additional 125 stores in 5 years seems to be a tough
2ⁿᵈ part of the problem statement is only for Physical
task to achieve
stores
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 45
Profitability
PR COMPANY Cases Index
Our client is a PR agency KYT Informatics Pvt. Ltd. that has experienced a drop in
Revenue is calculated as the Number of Service hours Sold multiplied by Cost Per
revenue over the last 2 Years. You have been tasked with identifying the reasons for
Unit. So to understand where the issue is, I would like to use the 4C method to dig
this decline and providing recommendations to address the issue. Please proceed.
deeper. Do we have issues with the cost, are we charging too much for marketing or is
it on par with other companies?
Thank you. To confirm, our client, a PR agency, has faced a revenue decline over the
past two years. Could you share details about the company, its location, services,
Our charges are on par with other companies.
and whether this issue is industry-wide or company-specific?
Okay sir, so we have no issues in the cost and convenience. In terms of communication
Our Mumbai-based company offers digital marketing services, including social media and customers, where are we lacking sir?
and websites. We operate with both in-office and remote employees. The revenue
decline is company-specific, not industry-wide. The apparel segment is losing customers, with existing clients cutting budgets and
difficulty attracting new ones.
Okay, thank you. To diagnose the issue, could you provide some details about the
segments the agency operates in and how each segment is performing? Okay sir, so our issue is with the customers and communication. We are not able to
retain the clients or acquire new customers. Did you receive any complaints from the
The agency operates in four segments: Apparel, Beauty, Food & Beverage, and clients?
Influencers, offering digital marketing services, either from scratch or as a revamp.
Yes, clients have expressed dissatisfaction with the digital marketing services for their
Thank you for the overview. To prioritize my analysis, is there any particular segment social media platforms
that I should focus on as in a segment which is facing the most amount of decline.
Have you compared marketing strategies across segments? Is there a drop in work
Our Apparel segment is facing the most amount of decline whereas our Food and quality?
Beverages segment is doing well.
Okay, that’s a good question. When the work is compared there is a difference. There
seems to be a technical skill gap which is causing an issue with automating the
Understood. The revenue issue lies in the apparel segment. Could you share its recent processes and implementation of new industry technologies.
performance and some client examples?
We cater to companies of different sizes, for example souled store and snitch but it is
not necessary that we are facing decline because of these companies.
Okar sir, so to bridge the gap we need to work on people process training and ensure
that employees are aware of the importance and benefits of new technologies.
Okay good work for this but how will you bring in new clients?
In order to bring in new clients we can work on segmenting our potential clients
globally who have currently received investments from venture capitalists. This will
ensure that revenue increases and our agency's brand value.
Cost
Convivence
This is a company-specific issue and not tied to any Product: Improve staff training and implement quality control processes to ensure high-quality deliverables.
particular geography or industry-wide trend.
Understood. To identify the root cause, I’d like to analyze the cost side first. Has the
To clarify my objective is to diagnose the reasons for the decline in profits and
company incurred any significant new fixed or variable costs recently?
recommend solutions to improve profitability. Are there any other objectives I should
keep in mind?
No, the company has not incurred any significant new fixed or variable costs. The costs
have remained relatively stable.
No, that’s the primary objective. You may proceed.
Great. To diagnose the issue, I’d like to start by understanding the extent of the Okay. Are the costs incurred by the company benchmarked to the industry standard?
problem. Could you clarify how much of a decline in profits MediStar has observed
over the past two years?
Yes. All the variable costs are benchmarked to the industry standard.
Certainly. MediStar has observed a 30% decline in profits over the past two years.
Thank you. Since the issue doesn’t seem to be on the cost side, I’ll focus on the revenue
side. Since revenue is the function of the price and demand of the units. Therefore, we
Understood. A 30% decline is significant. To identify the root cause, I’d like to analyze
will look at both these components.
both the cost and revenue sides of profitability. Is this approach fine by you?
Okay. Go ahead.
Sure.
Could you provide some details about the products MediStar deals in? Has there been any reduction in the price set by the company?
MediStar manufactures therapeutic equipment, life support equipment, surgical No, the pricing has remained consistent.
equipment, patient monitoring equipment, and laboratory & diagnostic equipment.
We will divide the customer journey in three phases- pre-buying, during-buying and
Yes, the pricing is in line with industry standards and competitors. post-buying. Could you clarify if the issue lies in the pre-buying, during buying, or post-
buying phase of the customer journey?
Understood. Since pricing is not the issue, the problem likely lies in the number of units
sold. Has the customer demand for MediStar’s products seen a dip recently? The issues are likely in the during-buying phase.
Yes, there has been a dip in customer demand. Thank you. Let’s drill down in the during-buying phase. Is the issue related to product
perception or payment for the product?
Is the dip in demand due to the entry of a new competitor in the market?
The issue is with the payment.
No, there hasn’t been any significant new competitor entering the market.
Understood. Is the issue with any particular mode of payment?
Understood. So, is the issue being observed in the awareness about the product?
Yes, the issue seems to be in the card payment which is the most preferred method of
payment by the customers.
No. Our promotion strategy is quite prompt and efficient.
Sure. I would suggest updating the system as soon as possible to comply with the new
policy mandate and transfer the benefits of the same to the customers.
PROFIT
MediStar, a medical equipment company, faced
a 30% profit decline due to reduced customer
demand caused by payment system non- REVENUE COST
compliance with new government regulations.
Post-Buying
Profit decline of 30% over two years, affecting all Update the payment system to comply with government mandates for seamless transactions.
product categories.
Costs and pricing remained stable; issue traced to Implement a proactive industry-monitoring procedure to adapt to regulatory changes promptly.
reduced customer demand.
Our client is a company with 500 retail outlets across the country. In some outlets, Alright, is the profitability problem being faced by the stores cost side or revenue side
sales are increasing, but the bottom line is decreasing. As a sales manager, you have issue?
been tasked with suggesting measures to the CEO on how to address this issue.
For the volume trade the sales volume is high but the products sold have low profit
margin. However, in the supermarket stores the revenue has reduced while the cost has
Thank you. First, I’ll summarize the problem statement to ensure I understand it
also increased. Moreover, due to high penetration of quick commerce and e-commerce
correctly. The company operates 500 retail outlets pan India, and while sales are
platforms there has been a reduction in footfall in the supermarket stores.
increasing in some outlets, the bottom line is decreasing overall. My objective is to
analyze the situation and recommend measures to improve profitability. Are there any
other objectives I should keep in mind? Understood. You said that for supermarkets the cost has increased. Is there any
specific reason for that?
Alright. Is there any other service that we provide our customers with?
Yes, go ahead.
As of now, no.
Is there any specific region where the bottom line is decreasing or is it pan India?
Sure. I suggest that we offer loyalty program to retain our existing customers.
Moreover, we could also offer home delivery service, and bundled pricing in order to
The decrease in bottom line is majorly being observed in the Delhi NCR region.
attract new customers to our supermarket stores. Along with this we should alter the
product placements by giving shelf space to high margin products.
Okay. Could you give me an idea about how many and what types of retail outlets the
company operated in Delhi NCR?
Okay that makes sense.
Out of 500 stores there are 200 stores in Delhi NCR. Out of these 200 stores 80 are
For the volume trade stores we could get them registered as dark stores for the popular
volume trade and 120 are supermarkets.
e-commerce and quick commerce platforms so as to exploit the true potential of the
store.
PROFIT
A company with 500 retail outlets is
experiencing a decline in profitability despite
REVENUE COST
increasing sales in some outlets, particularly in
the NCR region. Porter’s Value Chain
No. of Customers Avg Order Value Price per Unit
Services
Your client is an automotive company which has been recently set up. The company Is there any data available about our competitors? Are they also facing a similar issue?
has found their profits to be less than expected. Please find the problem areas and Also, what is our market share in this space?
recommend solutions.
We do have two to three competitors in this space but they are not facing this issue. We
have a market share of 8%.
To summarize the problem statement, our client is a newly set up automotive company
which is experiencing profits less than expected. I need to find problem areas and
recommend solutions. Is there any other objective I need to keep in mind? Okay, thank you for providing the above information. So profit is given by Revenue
Costs. Revenue can be analyzed through categorizing into operating and non-operating
revenues while cost can be analyzed through its value chain. Hence to analyze profits,
No, that’s the primary objective. You may proceed.
which component do you want me to discuss further?
Can I go ahead and ask a few questions to get some clarity? I would like you to analyze the cost component for now.
Yes, go ahead. Okay. So, for our client's industry, the cost components would be Raw material costs,
R&D Costs, Processing & Assembly, Storage costs, Distribution costs, and Sales costs.
Now in which part of the chain would you like me to analyze the costs?
By how much are we missing the profits forecast? Are we facing this issue right from
inception?
You can go ahead and analyze the Processing and Assembly component for now.
We have been facing low profits since inception. You can ignore the quantitative aspect
Great, so in this component, I would like to broadly consider 5 factors. They are: if the
and proceed with finding problems.
quality of material being used is subpar, if staff is rightly managed at all levels, , if the
machines established are working at the expected efficiency, if the correct procedures
Can you tell me more about the company’s business? Who are our customers, where are in place as well as if industry standards are followed in them. The final factor would
are we operating from and where does our company lie in its value chain? be if the right tools for quality checks are being incorporated or not. Do you want me to
focus on any particular factor?
Our client has a manufacturing plant at MIDC Pune where they manufacture steering
wheels and conduct businesses with OEMs and dealership owners. Please explore the staff aspect.
One of the cost drivers in this segment can be inadequate manpower. Inadequate
manpower would lead to delays and overprocessing, leading to increased costs. The
other cost driver would be an excess amount of labour. Unused labor would increase
overhead costs while also leading to underemployment and dissatisfaction. Since our
plant is located in an industrial area, I assume there is ample labor availability. Is my
assumption right? And if yes, can I have more information on the job allocation
process?
Yes, your assumption is correct. Also, all the workers are employed on a permanent roll
and put on active jobs purely based on their availability.
I believe first and foremost; the line managers need to perform competency mapping in
their department. Also, short and long term projects related to labor optimization and
training can be initiated. This can include implementing technological solutions for
better managing employee information and as well as guide the management in
identifying training requirements. With the future requirement of labor known through
competency mapping, the avoidable labor force can be checked and then be provided
with part-time contracts or laid off completely to decrease costs.
Great. These look like good recommendations. We can close the case now.
PROFIT
Your client is an automotive company which has
been recently set up. The company has found
REVENUE COST
their profits to be less than expected. Find the
problem areas and recommend solutions. Porter’s Value Chain
Raw Material
Material
Research & Development
Shortage of Labour
Men
Processing & Assembly
Unused Labour
Method
Storage
Measurement
Distribution
Machine
Sale
MARKET ENTRY
CASES
S.No Particulars
1 Netflix Company
2 Gaming Industry
3 Cosmetic Company
4 Pernod Ricard
5 Veda Skin
Market Entry
NETFLIX COMPANY Cases Index
Netflix Strategy Team wants to explore the gaming segment in India and wants your Thanks for the information. I would like to approach this problem by evaluating the
opinion on whether they should enter the market or not. market attractiveness, financial viability and operational feasibility. Market
attractiveness would include assessing the market size, existing competition, market
Okay. Just to be on the same page, Netflix Strategy wants to enter into the gaming barriers, consumer trends. Would you like me to continue with this approach?
segment in India and I have to evaluate if they should go ahead or not. Is there any
other objective I need to keep in mind? Yes, valid approach. Please continue.
No, you can proceed. What is our objective to enter this market? Why does Netflix want to enter the
gaming segment now?
Thanks for the info. As to estimate the number of users I would break it down into
Can you elaborate on what type of games are we planning to include and how will the
calculating two factors- potential market size and percentage conversion. The
user access these games?
internet penetration of India is around 50%, which gives us a population of
approximately 650 million. Now, I would like to break them further down the basis of
Netflix will be adding a separate gaming tab to its existing Netflix accounts. These
the income level.
games would be based on Netflix’s own shows. Also, you can assume this gaming
feature to be included in the existing subscription model without any change in the
Okay, that sounds fine.
pricing.
I will divide it further into three income levels: low, middle and high. Since we already Our client has got a strong financial position and currently has no constraints. You
considered population having internet access, the percentages in each of these can go ahead with your operational and financial analysis.
segments would be low: 20%, middle: 60% and high: 20%. This would give segmented
population as low income: 130 million, middle income: 390 million and high income: Okay. Coming to financial viability, there would certainly be cost involved in the
130 million. Assuming that a subscription to the OTT platform is a luxury service, game development that includes capital investment such as R&D setup and
there needs to be affordability assumptions across the different income levels. I infrastructure acquisition and maintenance costs while also including SG&A costs
would like to assume the same as 0% for low, 50% for middle and 100% for high- that include such as rent and utility costs, marketing expenditure and employee
income groups. Does these assumptions seem fair to you? salaries and benefits. The revenue generated from this service would only come from
the increase in the volume of subscriptions sold since the client is not looking at
increasing the price of the subscription. Talking about the operational feasibility,
Yes, go ahead!
major key drivers would be employee operations, managing customer expectations
regarding product development and service maintenance effort after launch.
This will give the total approximate population count as 330 million. I am going to
consider the average household size of 4 and assume one subscription per family. Okay. So what would be your final recommendation?
This gives us the potential market size of approximately 80 million families. Now to
calculate the percentage conversion, I would like to again look at two factors:
Sure, so our objective is basically to gain market share which would help in
awareness and adoption. Assume that, for the given middle and higher income level
strengthening Netflix’s brand in the OTT space. We have a huge potential market as
groups, 60% is the awareness level and approximately 40% of those would actually
well as a continued growth in consumer trends around gaming. One of the biggest
adopt. This would give us the total number of users as 16 million. Does this number
positives for Netflix is its large customer base who are ardent fans of its content.
seem reasonable to you?
Also, since we have no competition in this space, a strong marketing campaign would
definitely help in bringing awareness and thus increasing the volume of
Seems fine. subscriptions. Currently, the client has no internal as well as external barriers and
has deep pockets to cover the initial capital investment. Hence if the cost involved in
To analyze market barriers, I would like to know more about internal and external game development is as per the industry average, Netflix should go ahead with the
barriers to our entry. Internal barriers would include any financial or capability launch of this gaming platform.
constraint and external barriers would include challenges around government
Great. We can close the case now. For your information, this is an actual scenario and
regulations, licensing, technology, legal or anything which is not in direct control of
Netflix is going ahead with the launch.
the client.
Improved change management Thank you for your insights and recommendation. We can close the case now.
Weaknesses:
Lack of game development infrastructure.
Costly training.
Huge costs in hiring talents and training existing employees.
Lack of competence in the legal areas of licensing and digital [property rights.
Threats:
The gaming market is highly competitive, with established players like Electronic
Arts, Activision Blizzard, and Tencent dominating the industry.
These companies have extensive experience and resources in game development
and publishing, along with strong brand recognition and market presence.
In comparison, ABC Pvt. Ltd. is relatively new to the gaming space but believes its
expertise in digital transformation and customization could differentiate it from
competitors.
Does this look fair sir?
Yes! This seems very detailed. Now based on this what are your recommendations
and final decision?
ABC Pvt. Ltd should enter the gaming market as the consumer segment is vast as well
as growing. Market trends are aligned with this decision. The strengths as discussed
reduce huge capital investment or the effort to begin from scratch. This entry would
also create a huge opportunity for growth. The recommendation for further steps is
to mitigate risks and concerns of the entry:
• Establish strategic partnerships with legal firms to understand the legal and
regulatory bottlenecks of licensing.
• Experiential training of existing employees.
• Development of a human capital strategy to address talent needs.
• Increased sales and marketing efforts for faster market penetration.
Approach
ABC Pvt. Ltd., a Low Code No Code (LCNC) platform Establish strategic partnerships with legal firms to understand
ABC Pvt. Ltd., an LCNC platform company, the legal and regulatory bottlenecks of licensing
developer, considers entering the gaming market.
evaluates entering the gaming market via
gamified HR solutions. Strengths include
existing tech and talent, but challenges are The company has expertise in digital transformation Experiential training of existing employees
competition, costs, and legal hurdles. and a large workforce but lacks dedicated game
Recommended entry with risk-mitigation development experience and infrastructure.
Development of a human capital strategy to address talent needs
strategies.
The target market includes companies in
Increased sales and marketing efforts for faster market
recruitment and HR aiming to leverage gamification
penetration
for their hiring processes.
That sounds interesting. What is the pricing strategy for this foundation?
Okay, doing math, we will arrive at 52.5 million users as the SAM for the product.
Great. To estimate the market potential, I’ll begin with India’s population, which is Why such a low percentage for the upper class?
approximately 1.4 billion. I’ll first segment the population by age. I will take under under
16 years population to be 25% and rest to be above 16 years. This gives me under 16 Psychographic factors play a role here. The upper class might already be loyal to
years to be 350 million individuals and above 16 years to be 1.05 billion potential
high-end luxury brands, making them less likely to switch to a mid-range product.
Excellent. Any final recommendations?
However, there’s still a segment within the upper class that values quality and
sustainability, which our product offers.
Yes, BrewyBright should launch its face foundation in India, targeting 20.48 million
users. The company should drive mass awareness through digital platforms and ensure
Makes sense. Based on this market size, do you think entering the market is lucrative?
product availability across retail outlets by offering attractive margins and in-store
promotions to boost sales.
Yes, with a potential market size of around 20.48 million users, entering the market
seems lucrative. The growing demand for quality, sustainable cosmetics in India further
Thank you. This has been a thorough analysis. We’ll consider your recommendations.
supports this opportunity.
Yes, sure. So by analysis the details about the company and the product, the SWOT for
the company is as follows-
Strength: Nationwide reach, innovative product features, and diverse target audience.
Opportunities: Rising demand for sustainable cosmetics, growing e-commerce market,
and potential in the male grooming segment.
Threat: Intense competition, price sensitivity of middle-class consumers, and shifting
beauty trends.
Could you give me a direction to look into the weakness?
Yes, sure.
Determine whether launching BrewyBright's new cosmetic product in the Product: Face foundation for all skin types
Indian market is lucrative and conduct the company’s SWOT analysis for the
launch USPs: Extra coverage, waterproof, lightweight, SPF 30+, sustainable
packaging
Recommendations
Ensure mass awareness through digital platforms by running targeted ad campaigns, leveraging influencer partnerships, and utilizing social media to
highlight the foundation’s unique features
Ensure product availability across key retail outlets by offering attractive margins to retailers, encouraging better shelf placement, and implementing
in-store promotions to boost product push
Approach
Got it. To assess the market attractiveness, I’ll start by estimating the market size.
I would segment the SAM based on income levels: rich, middle, and poor classes,
India’s population is approximately 1.4 billion. I’ll divide this into urban and rural
assuming 30% rich, 40% middle, and 30% poor. Since Pernod Ricard’s product is a
segments. Assuming 30% live in urban areas and 70% in rural areas, we get:
premium item, we’ll focus on the middle and rich classes:
Urban: 420 million
Rich class: 22.47 million * 30% = 6.741 million
Rural: 980 million
Middle class: 22.47 million * 40% = 8.988 million
Since we are focusing on metropolitan cities, I’ll proceed with the urban population of
Considering affordability and willingness to purchase, I’ll assume:
420 million.
Rich class: 50% willing and able to purchase = 3.37 million Excellent.
Middle class: 70% willing and able to purchase = 6.29 million
Therefore, the Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) is approximately 9.66 million. Now operational feasibility involves assessing our ability to produce, distribute, and
market the product effectively. Given Pernod Ricard’s existing infrastructure and
Why such a difference in percentages for the middle and upper classes? distribution network in India, scaling up for Longitude 77 should be manageable. Key
considerations include:
Production: Ensuring consistent quality and supply.
Psychographic factors play a role here. The middle class might be more price-sensitive,
Distribution: Leveraging existing channels in metropolitan cities.
whereas the upper class is more likely to afford and prefer premium products.
Marketing: Implementing a strong digital and influencer marketing strategy to
create awareness.
Excellent work. Based on this, do you think entering the market is lucrative?
Any final recommendations?
Yes, with a potential market size of 9.66 million users and a growing demand for
premium liquor in urban India, entering the market seems highly lucrative. The growing Yes, Pernod Ricard should proceed with the launch, leveraging its strong brand
demand for premium and uniquely tailored products in India further supports this reputation and the growing demand for premium, uniquely tailored products.
opportunity. Continuous monitoring of sales performance and customer feedback will be crucial for
making necessary adjustments post-launch.
Great.
To gauge economic viability, I’ll estimate the revenue generated in the first year.
Assuming 20% of the SOM will purchase our product in the first year, we can calculate
the revenue as follows:
20% of SOM = 6.59 million
Assuming the price per unit is ₹3,200, Revenue = 6.59 million * ₹3,200 = ₹21,088
million (₹21.09 billion)
Thus, the revenue generated by the company from this product will be approximately
₹21.09 billion in a year.
Product: Longitude 77, an extra-aged liquor tailored for the Indian taste
Market entry of new product developed by the company Pernod Ricard
palate
which goes by the name of Longitude 77
Target Market: Metropolitan cities in India, focusing on the legal drinking age
population (18+)
USPs: Made in India, tailored for Indian tastes, extra-aged, and premium
quality
Recommendations
Focus on metropolitan cities and use strong branding to highlight Longitude 77’s unique Indian craftsmanship and premium quality.
Utilize existing distribution networks in metropolitan areas and expand to e-commerce platforms for wider reach
Implement digital and influencer marketing campaigns to create awareness and appeal to the premium segment
Competition
Market Urban 30% Rural 70%
Attractiveness 420 million 980 million
Consumer Trends
C
15.72 million SOM
Thank you for having me. To start, could you tell me a bit more about Véda Skin as a
brand and what makes your products unique? That’s helpful to know. Does Véda Skin have any existing operations or presence in
South Africa?
Certainly. Véda Skin is an established Indian skincare brand known for its natural and
Ayurvedic-inspired products. Our focus is on creating high-quality, dermatologically No, we currently have no operations in South Africa. This would be our first entry into
tested skincare solutions that cater to diverse skin types. Our products are well- the African market.
received in India, and we’re now exploring international markets.
Got it. Is the company planning to set up its own operations or acquire an existing
That’s interesting. Why did Véda Skin choose South Africa as the next market to enter? player in the South African market?
South Africa presents a promising opportunity with a growing skincare market. The We’re not looking at acquisitions at this stage. We’d like you to suggest the best way
country has a population of around 60 million, and there’s increasing awareness about forward for entering the market.
sun protection due to the high UV index. We believe there’s a potential market size of
Thank you. Which regions in India is Pernod Ricard targeting initially for this product?
around 6 million customers who would be interested in premium skincare products like Going ahead with the risk assessment for entering into the new macroeconomic
ours. condition first, I would like to the PESTEL analysis.
That makes sense. Is Véda Skin planning to take its existing sunscreen product to South Sure, go ahead.
Africa, or are you considering developing a new product tailored for the South African
market?
Starting with the political aspect, the company may need to comply with strict
regulations on cosmetic imports, labeling, and advertising. Specifically, the product
We’re not rigid about taking the existing product. We’re open to developing a new
must adhere to guidelines from any existing regulatory body to ensure compliance.
product if it makes more sense for the South African market. We want to ensure the
product meets the specific needs of African skin types and local preferences.
Starting with the political aspect, the company may need to comply with strict Finally, considering the legal aspect, it’s crucial to ensure product compliance with the
regulations on cosmetic imports, labeling, and advertising. Specifically, the product South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and SAHPRA regulations for sunscreen
must adhere to guidelines from any existing regulatory body to ensure compliance. formulations. Adhering to SPF labeling requirements and ingredient safety guidelines
will be essential for successful market entry.
Yes, there is a body named South African Health Products Regulatory Authority
(SAHPRA). Okay, go ahead. Very good. Now, could you assess the market attractiveness for me?
Moving to the economic aspect, there are two key considerations. First, INR-ZAR Alright. To assess market attractiveness, I’ll start by estimating the market size. Could
exchange rate fluctuations could impact profitability and create pricing instability. you confirm the population of South Africa?
Second, import duties and tariffs on skincare products may influence the pricing
strategy, requiring a balance between affordability and maintaining desired profit The population of South Africa is approximately 60 million.
margins. When considering the social aspect, there’s a growing awareness about sun
protection due to increased concerns about skin cancer and sun damage. This creates a
Great. For segmentation, I’ll divide the population based on income levels: low, middle,
favorable demand for effective sunscreen products. Additionally, the diverse South
and high income. Do you have any specific percentages in mind, or should I assume
African population presents an opportunity to offer formulations suitable for various
them?
skin types and tones.
Alright. Let’s assume 40% low income, 50% middle income, and 10% high income. Does
From a technological perspective, the rapid growth of e-commerce in South Africa
this assumption seem fair?
provides an excellent opportunity to sell directly to consumers through online
platforms. Leveraging digital marketing and influencer campaigns could also enhance
brand visibility and drive customer acquisition. And Regarding the environmental Yes, that seems reasonable.
aspect, South Africa experiences a high UV index and prolonged sunny climate, which
ensures consistent demand for sunscreen products. Additionally, incorporating
Next, I’ll focus on the middle and high-income groups for targeting, as they are more
sustainable packaging and promoting eco-friendly initiatives would align with growing
likely to afford premium skincare products. Assuming 60% of the middle-income group
consumer preferences for environmentally conscious brands.
and 90% of the high-income group are potential customers, we can calculate the target
market size.
Alright. Let’s do the math:
Middle income: 60 million * 50% = 30 million * 60% = 18 million platforms, including Véda Skin’s website and popular African cosmetic e-commerce
High income: 60 million * 10% = 6 million * 90% = 5.4 million platforms, to gauge customer response and build brand awareness.
Total Target Market = 18 million + 5.4 million = 23.4 million
Thank you. This has been a thorough analysis. We’ll consider your recommendations.
That makes sense. How would you position the product?
Given the need for sun protection in South Africa, I would position the product as a
premium, dermatologically tested sunscreen tailored for African skin types,
emphasizing its effectiveness and suitability for local conditions.
Good. Based on this market size, do you think entering the South African market is
attractive?
Yes, with a potential target market of around 23.4 million, entering the South African
market seems attractive. The growing awareness of skincare and sun protection further
supports this opportunity.
Given that Véda Skin has no existing operations in South Africa and is not looking at
acquisitions, I recommend partnering with the cosmetic e-commerce platforms and
using their dark stores and supply chain. This will help in understanding the market
better and building strong local relationships.
Target Market: South Africa, with a population of ~60 million and a focus on
middle and high-income groups.
Budget: 5 million for product development and 10 million for market launch
Recommendations
Invest in R&D to create a sunscreen specifically suited for African skin types and local conditions
Launch the product on Véda Skin’s website and popular African e-commerce platforms to build initial brand awareness
Set up a local team to manage operations, partnerships, and customer engagement for long-term market penetration
Operational TARGETING
Feasibility 90% 60% 23.4 Million
Value Chain RICH MIDDLE 23.4
Willingness 5.4 Million Income levels:
18 Million Million
Risk & Barriers Middle - 40%
Product Development High - 30%
Cost
Physiographical:
Middle - 90%
POLITICAL SOCIAL ECONOMICAL High - 60%
Strict regulations on cosmetic Awareness about sun INR-ZAR exchange rate
imports, labeling, and advertising. protection fluctuations POSITIONING
Product adherence to SAPHRA Diverse South African Import duties and tariffs on Premium, dermatologically
PESTEL guidelines. population skincare products tested sunscreen tailored
ANALYSIS TECHNOLOGICAL LEGAL for African skin types,
ENVIRONMENTAL
High UV index and prolonged Rapid growth of e-commerce in Product compliance with the emphasizing its
sunny climate South Africa South African Bureau of effectiveness and
Growing environmentally Standards (SABS) suitability for local
conscious consumers conditions.
PRICING CASES
S.No Particulars
1 PharmaCo
3 Ink Cartridge
4 Ropeway
Pricing Cases
PHARMACO Index
PharmaCo has developed a breakthrough drug that eliminates the risk of severe side
To price this treatment, I would like to suggest a multi-faceted approach. There can be
effects associated with the current treatment for a chronic heart disease. The company
three types of pricing strategies used: cost-based, value-based, and competition-
is now considering the best pricing strategy to enter the market and they have hired
based. Do we have information about the pricing of the current treatment and the
you, how will you proceed.
number of patients undergoing treatment?
Before I delve into the analysis, I would like to ask a few clarifying questions to better Yes, Generic treatment– ₹30,000 per year (75% market share) Specialized treatment
understand the client, the product, and the market. What are the objectives of the for High-Risk Patients – ₹2,00,000 per year (25% market share). Approximately 1 million
company ? May I know the geography where our client is operating? patients undergo such treatment.
Yes, the client is based out of India and we just want to enter the market with our I think to decide the price, I'll use a mix of cost-based and value-based pricing. I'll find
upgraded treatment the base cost and add the price of the value created (eliminating the risk of bypass
surgery). I’ll also consider the complete cost of a bypass surgery is approximately
₹12,00,000 per patient. The expected cost savings should be:
Can you tell me more about the treatment? (20% * ₹12,00,000) = ₹2,40,000 per patient. Thus, the pricing range should be
between ₹2,50,000 - ₹3,00,000 per year. As it can be seen sir that our pricing is on the
This is a one-year treatment designed to cure a chronic heart disease. In India, the higher end and not everyone can afford it so who should we target?
Ayushman Bharat scheme and private health insurance cover a significant portion of
treatment costs. However, out-of-pocket expenses remain high for many patients, This pricing aligns with the higher end client’s expectations such as insurance firms and
which is why we have come up with this drug. government subsidies. Can you estimate the total spending by the Indian government
on this treatment, assuming an adoption rate of 50%?
Okay sir, Does it have a substitute? I would also like to know the success rate of our Okay sir, So i’ll assume that:
treatment compared to the existing treatment. 80-20 split between generic and premium drug users
50% adoption rate → 5 lakh (500,000) patients use the new drug
Yes, there are existing treatments available in the Indian market. Both the existing Assuming a price of ₹2,75,000 per patient
treatment and the new treatment have similar success rates, leading to full recovery in Initial cost of the drug such as R&D = ₹5,000 Cr
one year. However, key differences exist. The primary difference between the new drug Total spending = ₹5,000 Cr + (5L * ₹2,75,000) = ₹18,750 Cr
and existing treatments lies in side effects and safety. Existing drugs have a 20%
probability of patients undergoing bypass surgery again. New treatment completely Good work
eliminates this, making this new treatment better for patients.
1. Research an Development
PharmaCo has developed a breakthrough treatment Radical Invention Setup Cost 2. Clinal Trials
Cost Based 3. Manufacturing
that eliminates the risk of severe side effects
Pricing
associated with the current treatment for a chronic
heart disease. The company is now considering the 1. Facility Maintenance
Modification to
best pricing strategy to enter the market. Value Base 2. Marketing and Distribution
existing product Fixed Cost 3. Regulatory Compliance
Pricing
Pricing
Similar to existing 1. Raw Materials and
Competition
product Ingredients
based pricing Variable Cost
2. Sales Commissions
Pricing w.r.t.
another product
Wants to break even in one year Calculation would bring the price to Rs 400 for a similar experience but we would also consider the value of the
service within the city and the value of the service when flying between cities
Also, we are competing with the taxi services charging 200rs to commute between the same points
A mono-cable detachable gondola system
Understood. Has the market size for Freshen’s aerated drink changed over the years?
Yes, the market size for this product has shrunk compared to the initial years as people
are preferring more healthy drinks but due to the uniqueness I believe we can still do
well with this drink because when it came out it did very good.
Okay sir, so because the market is undergoing contraction, the product is most likely in
its maturity stage of the product life cycle. Pricing at this stage should focus primarily
on profitability rather than aggressive expansion. I would therefore use the McKinsey
Pricing Framework to structure my approach.
Approach
Case Statement
PharmaCo has developed a breakthrough treatment that eliminates the risk Degree of Innovation
of severe side effects associated with the current treatment for a chronic
heart disease. The company is now considering the best pricing strategy to Margin Expanders Profit Disruptor
enter the market. Mature markets with
Emerging and
stiff competition
threatened markets
Periodic price
Profit sharing
increase, avoiding PROFIT
agreement, risk-
INCREMENTAL RADICAL
A mono-cable detachable gondola system “PUSHING THE “PIONEERING NEW
BOUNDARIES” MODELS”
Alright. So, before we figure out the appropriate price for this new ink cartridge, I
would like to ask a few questions about our company, this product, the potential
I see, I was thinking we could either price the product at a price comparable with the
customers and the competition.
competition or base it on the costs that we have incurred we can also look at the price
the consumers might be willing to pay. Since you have mentioned there is no
Go ahead. competition I shall rule that out and focus on what costs we have incurred for this.
To gain as much profits as possible. So how much have we spent on R&D for this and how much are we selling it for?
Ok. I would like to know more about the product now. Is this a completely new product
or has our company/ any other company introduced something similar in the past? ₹120 Cr for this ink cartridge for a conventional ink cartridge it costs us 540 rupees to
Also, the product is designed for domestic or non-domestic usage? manufacture, we sell it to the distributor for 700 rupees, the distributor sells to the
store owner for 850 rupees and he sells it to the customer for 1000 rupees. This new
No, we had a similar product in these lines but this is a new product in the same ink cartridge costs 1100 to manufacture.
segment. The product is designed for domestic usage only.
Ok. So, if the manufacturing cost is more than 2 times, then accordingly the customer
In that case, is the product patented? will have to pay 1800 for one ink cartridge on the up side this is an ink cartridge that
lasts 3 times, so let’s say the people buy ink cartridge for the printer every 2 months so
in 1 year they are actually buying them for 6 times and after this product is introduced
We have a patent pending, and no one else is trying anything similar. in the market, they are essentially paying for 3.6 ink cartridges that they would have
used in the next 1 year. (considering an ink cartridge changes 6 times in a year)
So? Will the customers agree? Ok, what are you proposing?
Yes definitely, however we have spent 120 Cr on the project and it is a very useful These customers incur an additional expense of maintenance and changing of the light
invention Let us broaden the scope for the product a little and think more about the ink cartridges and maintaining staff for it etc If we can sell this product to them, they
customers I think various educational institutions, corporate offices, printing shops, will save on these additional costs and will not have to worry about maintenance at all
and private usage. But we are only targeting the domestic market. Let’s start with the Estimating that these ink cartridges are available for Rs. 1800 to the city, we can have a
market sizing of printer first and then let’s move to the ink cartridges. Population of mark-up over this and sell each ink cartridge at Rs. 2500 each. They would recover the
India = 1200 million, Let’s divide it in terms of Urban (30%) = 360 and Rural (70%) = 840 amount in two years and we can use this price-based costing to get a very good profit It
population. Let’s segment the population in terms of income: Urban population – is important that we make a good profit on this product because for every sale of a new
Upper class (10%) = 36 million, Middle class (40%) = 144 million, Lower class (50%) = technology-based ink cartridge, we are losing the sales for 2 conventional ink
180 million. Rural Population - Upper class (5%) = 42 million, Middle class (40%) = 336 cartridges.
million, Lower class (55%) = 462 million. For Urban population number of people in one
household = 4 people and for rural population 1 household consists of 5 people. To
calculate number of printers, we are considering Upper and middle class for calculation Good point, thank you!
of printers, number of households of upper class = 36/4 = 9 million and number of
households for middle class = 144/4 = 36 million and for Rural population, considering
only Upper-class households = 42/5 = 8.4 million.
Let’s consider for among Urban Upper class, one household has 0.4 printer, Urban
middle class has 0.2 printer per household, and Rural upper class has 0.3 printer per
household. There number of printers = 9*0.4 + 36*0.2 + 8.4*0.3 = 13.32 million printers.
Assumption: 1 printer requires 1 ink cartridges and it last for 2 months. So, for 1 year we
require 6 replacements of the same that makes a consumption of 1*6 ink cartridges for
1 year = 6 ink cartridges per printer. Therefore, number of ink cartridges = 6*13.32
million = 79.92 million. Let’s say we have a 40% market share i.e. 79.92*0.40 = 31.968
million. Total revenue = Rs. 31.968*1000 million = Rs. 31.968 billion = Rs. 3196.8 crore
Pricing wrt
A printing cartridge manufacturer has developed a another produce
new long-lasting ink cartridge and is considering R&D Cost
entering the market. With no competition and a Cost Method
pending patent, the company aims to maximize Similar to existing Variable Cost
profits while targeting domestic consumers. They are Product Value Method (Lower Limit
evaluating market potential, pricing strategy, and
consumer demand to determine the best approach Pricing a New Invention
for launching the product.
product
Modification to
existing Product
New Product developed is Similar to existing product Since the manufacturing cost is 2 times that of conventional ink cartridge, customers would ideally have to pay 2500
for us to recoup costs. This is probable since customers would shell out this amount for an ink cartridge and the
longevity benefits are easy to be perceived by the average customer. Hence, such customers should be targeted for
this product
Major Player in the market
I would like to ask a few clarifying questions. What is the objective of the client?
Start with Cost Based. How would you go about it?
The client just wants to break even in one year. Apart from this, there are no other I would divide the costs into setup cost (capital investment) and monthly fixed and
objectives variable. The setup cost can include the cost of setting up a ropeway, buying cabins,
setting up of stations, towers, and miscellaneous. Fixed costs would include the
Salaries, Leasing, Stations Maintenance, Miscellaneous. The Variable costs would
Can we know about the details of the company and its business model? Do they have
include the Electricity cost and any other VAS costs for the customers.
any experience in the industry?
That sounds fair. The setup cost rounds up to around ₹207 crore. The Salaries are 1
The company does not have any experience in the industry. The company has bought Crore per year, Land lease would cost 1 crore per year and other miscellaneous charges
18 cabins for the same and the ropeway is 1.8km long. are 2 crore per year. The Variable costs are 20,000 per month
Do we currently have any such service running? How much time does a trip take? Okay. In order to go ahead, I would also want to know about the operations of the
company. How many hours does it work in a day?
No. This is a new route that we are launching. The time for one ride is 5 min. This
doesn’t include the time from check-in till check-out. The ropeway cabins are in operation for 10-12 hours a day and have capacity of
transporting 1000 passengers per hour
What type of ropeway cabins system are we using? How many cables do we have, as in,
how many cabins can travel simultaneously? Assuming that the ropeway works for 350 days in the year, leaving aside the holidays
and the cabins being grounded for maintenance. I would want to further look into the
number of seats that would be utilized in the whole year. I would like to divide into Peak
It consists of a mono-cable detachable gondola system. and non peak hours with 70% and 50% occupancy respectively. Does that sound fair?
Can you please confirm the size of the cabin?
Thank you for the information. That brings the total seats sold to approximately
16,80,307 [8(seats) x 18(cabins) x 6 (rounds per cabin per hour) x hrs per day(11) x {4x Yes. We can also use Competitor based pricing. Because we are the first to start a
0.5 + 2x 0.7} x 52]. Should I move ahead with the costs? service in this area, we can look for services with similar distance or similar kinds of
services at another location.
Yes, that seems correct. Please move ahead with the costs
We have a service in Solang Valley where they charge 500rs for a 15-minute journey.
The Total Fixed cost for the first year is 207 + (1+1+2) + 12(20,000) crores = 211 crores Calculation would bring the price to 400rs for a similar experience but we would also
consider the value of the service within the city and the value of the service when flying
between cities and also the different kinds of traffic faced in these cities and the types
That’s right of customers/tourists taking these services. Also, we are competing with the taxi
services charging 200rs to commute between the same points
So, the cost will be between 1200 and 1300 (211 crores/23,10,000). Should I calculate
Okay, good work!
the exact cost?
No, we are done with this approach. What are other methods that you talked about?
We can start with the value-based approach. There are two types of values that
ropeway service will add; Time and Experience. Time is valuable as the ride takes 5 min
which would otherwise have taken a long time for a 9 km long journey witnessing
frequent traffic jams thus making it hard for the commuters to travel. The time will be
saved using our service. The time saved will be considered using the time taken
between the originating point and the destination by car and the same points using the
ropeway. The ropeway cabins are in operation for 10-12 hours a day and have capacity
of transporting 1000 passengers per hour. ‹ 5
1.Ropeway
A company is starting ropeway service between 2.Buying cabins
Dharamshala and Mcleodganj. You need to advise Setup Cost 3.Stations
your client on the price it should charge its
Cost Based 4.Towers
customers Pricing
1. Salaries
2. Leasing Stations
Value Base Fixed Cost 3. Maintenance
Pricing Pricing 4. Miscellaneous
1. Electricity cost
Competition 2. other VAS costs
Variable Cost
based pricing for the customers.
Wants to break even in one year Calculation would bring the price to Rs 400 for a similar experience but we would also consider the value of the
service within the city and the value of the service when flying between citie
Also, we are competing with the taxi services charging 200rs to commute between the same points
A mono-cable detachable gondola system
GROWTH
CASES
S.No Particulars
4 Telecom Company
Growth Cases
UNIQUE TEXTILES PVT. LTD. Index
Our client is Unique Textiles and its primary business is to manufacture and sell silk Our decision for having a store in a city is based on the market attractiveness of our
sarees, and currently, we operate solely through our Instagram account/Online product. We can consider factors like footfall, high disposable income of women,
Channel. They’re now looking to expand into physical stores. Can you suggest a cosmopolitan nature of the city, commercial importance and accessibility from
strategy for an omni-channel presence? Banaras.
As far as I understand, our client’s agenda is to open new stores where footfall for our Good, can you shortlist 2 cities for us?
target audience is higher and also to create a brand trust by its physical presence. Is my
understanding correct?
I have 2 cities in mind. One is Delhi Delhi NCR and second is Jaipur. The reasons for
selecting these cities are -
Yes, your understanding is correct. Please proceed. Delhi NCR offers a high footfall in commercial zones, ensuring strong customer
traffic.
Before outlining the strategy I would like to clarify certain facts about who our target Jaipur benefits from a significant influx of tourists, creating a strong market for
audiences are? Does our product have any unique USP which we can leverage? Who premium textiles.
are our competitors? In both cities, women's income levels are high due to cosmopolitan influences,
accessibility to higher education, and tourism-driven economic activity.
Our USP is that we sell sarees primarily of Zari Silk from Banaras which are hand-woven Additionally, outbound logistics costs are relatively low, given the strong
and hence we are selling at prices starting from 14K. So it’s pretty clear that we are connectivity and infrastructure in these locations.
targeting the premium segment of women who fancy sarees. We are a niche boutique
and our immediate competitors are several other unorganized niche boutiques. Sounds good. Can you gauge the potential market size for our product in one of these
cities? If I ask you in which pincodes I should open my stores. How would you do that?
Thank you for the detailed information. I would like to structure the problem as a case
for growth of existing products in new markets. Our first attempt would be to identify Yes, sure. I would like to calculate the potential market size in Delhi NCR.
the cities in which we can open up stores and do a small due diligence for the market
attractiveness. How many stores are you planning to open in India?
Okay, proceed.
This looks like we are in the right direction. For now we are planning to open up 4 stores
in 2 cities in 2 years. How should we decide which 2 cities to target? To estimate the market size, I’ll start by assuming Delhi’s population is approximately
20 million. I’ll segment this population by gender—52% male and 48% female—and then
further break it down by income levels.
We’ll then segment these groups by income—lower, middle, and upper class—assuming
a 30%, 40%, and 30% distribution, respectively. We will ignore the lower class segment Both offline and online channels should have the synergy and maintain availability of
as our product is not made for that segment. Moreover, for middle and upper class we the products. We can create an application for ordering, delivering and collecting
will take the willingness to purchase our product to be 40% and 60%. Is this a fair sarees so that we don’t lose out on opportunities. Also run ad campaigns in Delhi and
assumption to make? Jaipur to increase the awareness of your offline presence.
Doing math we arrive at 10.4 million and 9.6 million men and women respectively in
Delhi. Within the women population, we have 2.88 million, 3.84 million and 2.88 million
lower, middle and upper class population. Within the men population, we have 3.12
million, 4.16 million and 3.12 million lower, middle and upper class population. Under
these subsets the population willing to purchase our product is - 1.152 million (upper
class women), 2.304 million (middle class women), 1.248 million (upper class men) and
2.496 million (middle class men). Adding these numbers we arrive at the potential
market size to be 7.2 million.
Okay. That seems to be an attractive market size. If I ask you in which pincodes I should
open my stores. How would you do that?
We can benchmark the pincodes in which good commercial banks have their branches
and open up stores there. This ensures good footfall and visibility. Moreover, we could
consider the commercial zones where our competitors exist like South Ex Zone of Delhi
NCR, Lajpat Nagar and Chandani Chowk.
Factors
Delhi NCR Jaipur
Market Growth Considered
Our client is a fruit-based beverage company. It has Delhi NCR
20 Million
brought you onboard to identify if they should Population
Footfall High High
upgrade their current distribution fleet or outsource
52% 48%
it to a third party. MEN WOMEN
High 10.4 million 9.6 million
Market
Diversification Disposable High High
Development
Income 30% 40%
RICH MIDDLE POOR 30%
2.8 million 3.84 million 2.8 million
Market Product
Penetration Development
Commercial
High HIgh
Importance
60% 60% 60% 60%
1.248 2.496 1.152 2.304
million million million million
Accessibilit
y rom High Moderate
Benaras Potential Market
7.2 million
Size
Expansion plan: four stores in two years Leverage digital marketing and targeted ad campaigns in Delhi NCR and Jaipur to drive brand awareness and store traffic.
Does the company has its own logistics system. Also, I would like to know if the
The firm currently has its own stores in major Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities of the country. The
company has any vertical in the IT department?
company also allows third party vendors to sell and make profit on their switches.
The company currently does not have any IT infrastructure and also no delivery supply
Can I know something about the present consumer persona that is present in the chain. As the company has decided to enter into the D2C marketplace because they
offline market? have already analyzed that the customer growth will surely be more than the extra
expenditure borne by the company. Currently, the aim is to reduce the cost of
We have good sales in both personal and business routes. We have customers from operations and human resources and still increase the revenue
many different contractors and property owners as well who use our switches for their
buildings. Moreover, the overall market for the switches is expanding and our company
The company can outsource its IT services as a client to any IT Service company. In this
wants to be the first one to cater to the majority of market available. Having a good
way they will not have to incur the costs of setting up an entire IT infrastructure
offline presence has motivated us to cater to the newer segment through D2C model
Good suggestion. Now that the IT infrastructure and human resources part is sorted,
we need to look into the delivery and logistics for the D2C channel
The company can use its existing stores as fulfillment centers and can partner up with
different logistics companies like Delhivery/E-Kart/XpressBees. In this way, for the
initial setup, the company will not have to spend on the logistics setup expenditure.
Once the company has stabilized its sales and generated enough revenue, the company
can start its own logistics setup.
The company will have to spend to promote their D2C channel and this will also include
the marketing costs. As we already have stores and third party vendors, we can use the
same for offline marketing of our D2C website/app. Online marketing expenditure will
have to be taken care of.
Okay, for this case we will assume that the marketing cost has been taken care of. We
can close the case
Electrical Switch manufacturer with a good presence Outsource IT services to ITES companies to save the setup cost of IT infrastructure and Human Resources
in the offline market.
Using the existing brand name in offline channel to market the D2C channel
No legal barriers
Thank you for the information. To start with analysing the case, I would take a two
Good question, for now focus on the retailer acquisition side
pronged approach for market growth. One way is to focus on existing business. Second
way is to venture into New business i.e. new markets, new products, new geographies,
M&A and diversification. Any particular way you want me to focus on? Sure. Some of the factors would be reaching out to retailers in market places, having
lower prices than other players so that there is better margin for retailers and other
benefits like transportation facilities etc..
What do you think would be more suitable for a company like Ninjacart given the
industry it is in?
How would you reach out to retailers?
Mergers and
Our primary business is to distribute vegetables from
Acquistions
farms to retailers. We are looking to grow in this Existing
segment. You are required to suggest ways in which Market
Diversification IT Infrastructure
we can grow?
Market Growth for Ninjacart Connect with local vegetable vendors across new geographies
Growth from existing market Increase sales people allocation in new geographies
Okay sir, so the given case is a market entry case and I would like to go ahead with the
Okay, what else?
PESTLE and Porter’s 5 forces framework to have a broader grasp of the current market
scenario.
Sir, on the social side of things, again, with the national digital communication policy
and the country’s aim to improve literacy and upskill their workers, a new player in the
Okay, go on.
market should be able to maintain a competitive market and also further the aim of the
country. Also, with more people adopting digital means, I expect a lot of technological
So, the PESTLE framework considers 6 major factors. Political, Economical, Social,
progress in other sectors too.
Technological, Legal, Environmental factors.I would like to start with the political
aspect first, so we have observed in recent years a lot of turbulence in the telecom
Okay, anything else on the technology part?
sector. FDI has played a vital role in shaping the telecom sector in telecom
infrastructure and financial expansion over the past years. However, the FDI has fallen
in recent years. The reasons behind the fall in FDI is because of the reduction of the Yes sir, so, again, while I expect a lot of technological progress and considering that the
number of telecom companies through mergers and overall lack of certainty over citizen have been very receptive for the 4G launch, we could expect the citizen to be
telecom regulations and the absence of a conducive environment to operate. Also, the receptive of further changes and improvements in technology as well. And considering
National digital communication policy which aims to empower the society by that the telecom industry is quite capital intensive, the readiness makes it worth the
facilitating connection to all citizen could help the overall growth of the telecom investment. It shows that the target market is ready for the newer technology and the
sector. So, on the political front I believe there is a lot of impetus for the telecom revenues would justify the same considering the 5G bandwidth sale scenario that
sector to grow. happened where major telecom operators showed a lot of interest.
Okay, how about the economic viability? Okay anything else you want to add? On the porters 5 forces like you said?
Other than that, the industry also shows high rivalry as may be seen from the massive
price wars to gain market share which was seen in the industry leading to a lot of
mergers by companies to even survive the industry. So, that again is a negative on the
industry’s part. However sir, considering that the companies have already dug a hole in
their pockets during the price wars, if a new foreign entity with deep pockets is to enter,
the industry might not be able to afford another price war so the likelihood of it
repeating may be low.
Yes sir, so on the face of it the industry doesn’t seem very lucrative so the the threat of
new entrants is low here.
Australia based telecom company wants to expand to Customers are usually sticky for telecom sector, product would need to be differentiated at least somewhat to attract
Indian markets customers.
Client company has no significant differentiated Market has already bled out the players and the market may be ready for price hikes and improved profitability.
product
We are expected to do a industry analysis. The opportunity would need to be evaluated in comparison with other projects available and any particular synergies
associated with this particular project.
UNCONVENTIONAL
S.No Particulars
4 Distribution Fleet
11 Change Management
Unconventional
UPSKILLING ON A LIMITED BUDGET Cases Index
Our client is facing a challenge—they need to upskill employees for new technologies With limited funds, what training methods would you recommend?
but have a constrained training budget. How would you approach this problem?
A 70-20-10 approach would be ideal for cost-effective upskilling. 70% of learning
Before deciding on the best approach, I’d like to ask some clarifying questions to should come from on-the-job experiences, like hands-on projects and mentorship. 20%
understand the situation better. should be social learning, leveraging peer discussions and manager coaching. The
remaining 10% can be formal training, including free online courses and microlearning.
Yes, Sure. This ensures employees learn by doing, get peer support, and have structured learning,
all while keeping costs low.
What specific technologies are employees struggling with? Are there particular roles
that require urgent upskilling? And has the company attempted any training programs But engagement was low in past programs. How would you ensure employees actually
before? participate?
The key is making training relevant and motivating. Gamification, such as leaderboards
The company is transitioning to AI-driven analytics and cloud-based tools. Employees
and rewards, would encourage participation. Manager involvement is also crucial—if
in data-heavy roles are the priority, but general tech awareness is also important. Some
leaders actively reinforce learning through projects, employees will see immediate
past training programs were conducted, but engagement was low.
applications. Finally, linking training to tangible career benefits, such as promotions or
internal mobility, would give employees a clear incentive to engage.
Thank You. Given the budget constraints, I think we need a targeted approach. I’d
suggest focusing on three areas: identifying critical skills that directly impact business
How would you measure the success of this upskilling initiative?
goals, leveraging cost-effective training methods, and bringing about a culture of peer
learning to maximize internal knowledge sharing.
We’d measure success by looking at how many employees actually complete the
training, checking their skill levels before and after to see real improvement, and
How would you customize training strategies based on their different skill levels?
tracking productivity in roles that rely on these new skills. Employee feedback would be
key—if they find the training useful and relevant, we know we’re on the right track.
I’d map employees on the Skill-Will Matrix and tailor cost-effective learning. High Skill -
High Will employees can mentor others, cutting training costs. High Skill - Low Will may
We can close the case now . Thank you!
need career incentives. Low Skill - High Will benefit from self-paced courses and peer
learning, while Low Skill - Low Will start with microlearning and on-the-job training to
build skills and motivation affordably.
The company faces a skill gap as technology Combine affordable learning methods like online courses, mentorship, and microlearning for cost-effective upskilling.
evolves, but budget constraints limit large-scale
training programs.
We’re looking to move away from door-to-door sales and explore new distribution Compensation structures should also reflect the new model. If we’re moving towards
models. From a people management perspective, how would you approach this digital channels, we should reward customer engagement, conversion rates, and
transition? advisory skills rather than just the number of doors knocked.
Before diving into the approach, I’d like to understand the current landscape a little Customer segmentation will be a major factor in determining our new sales approach.
better. What’s driving this change? Are we completely moving away from door-to-door How should workforce planning align with this?
sales, or is this a gradual transition? And how have employees responded so far—are
they aware of what’s coming? Different customer segments require different types of sales interactions. The goal
should be to map employee strengths to customer needs. Some teams will need
The main issue is scalability. Door-to-door sales are expensive and time-consuming, deeper digital and analytics training, while others will focus on relationship
and we’re struggling with high customer acquisition costs. We want to transition management and high-touch service.
towards digital and partnership-driven sales while minimizing disruption. Employees A phased approach for this is best—starting with pilot programs, gathering employee
know changes are coming, but there’s some uncertainty about what it means for their feedback, and fine-tuning before rolling it out at scale.
roles.
We’ve covered everything from reskilling, workforce segmentation to implementation.
Thankyou for the information. So, the challenge isn’t just shifting the model but also To wrap this up, how would you measure the success of this transition?
ensuring employees feel prepared and supported. If not handled well, resistance could
slow down adoption. The key will be transparency, reskilling, and aligning incentives Success will not be just about sales numbers, it will be about how well employees
with the new approach. adapt. So, I’d track:
Adoption rates—Are employees using new tools and processes effectively?
You mentioned employee concerns. How should we redefine the Employee Value Training completion—Are they engaging with reskilling programs?
Proposition to address them? Performance in new sales channels—Are digital and partnership-driven models
actually working?
And finally, customer feedback. If customers are responding positively to the new
The EVP needs to evolve from being transactional like sales targets, commissions to approach, it’s a strong indicator that our workforce transition is heading in the right
growth-driven such as career development and stability. Employees need to see this as direction.
an opportunity, not a threat. That means offering targeted training in digital sales,
relationship management, and consultative selling—so they feel equipped for this shift.
That’s a well-structured approach. Thank you. That will be all.
The company currently relies on a door-to- Clearly communicate the transition, addressing employee concerns early.
door sales model, which is expensive and
time-consuming.
Invest in reskilling—train employees in digital sales, relationship management, and consultative selling.
Roll out changes gradually—pilot first, gather feedback, and refine. Recognize and reward early adopters to drive
momentum.
A company ABC is facing issues in terms of the quality of products from the different That’s a common challenge. It sounds like there’s a gap in both performance
suppliers in its supply chain. Devise a strategy to figure about what could be the issue measurement and proactive quality management. Have you noticed any patterns in the
and how to resolve the same. defects? For example, are they related to manufacturing processes, material quality, or
design specifications?
To start, can you provide an overview of the specific quality challenges you’re facing
and how they’re impacting your business? From what we’ve seen, it’s a mix. Some defects are due to poor workmanship, while
others seem to stem from substandard materials. We’ve also had a few cases where the
Sure. We’ve been seeing inconsistent product quality from some of our suppliers, suppliers didn’t fully adhere to our design specs.
leading to higher defect rates, increased returns, and customer complaints. This is
affecting our brand reputation and bottom line. The issues seem to be scattered across That’s helpful. Let’s drill down into two key areas: supplier capability and material
multiple suppliers, but we haven’t been able to pinpoint the root cause. quality. First, on supplier capability—do you provide training or support to your
suppliers to help them meet your standards?
Understood. Let’s break this down. Are these quality issues consistent across all
product lines, or are they concentrated in specific categories or regions? Not really. We assume they have the expertise to meet our requirements, but we don’t
actively engage with them beyond the contractual terms.
Good question. It’s mostly in our electronics component suppliers, particularly from
Southeast Asia. We’ve also noticed some issues with raw materials from a few domestic That could be part of the issue. In my experience, companies like Toyota and Apple
suppliers, but those are less severe. work closely with their suppliers, providing training and resources to ensure alignment
on quality standards. Would you be open to a more collaborative approach with your
key suppliers?
Got it. Let’s focus on the electronics component suppliers for now. Can you share how
you currently evaluate and monitor supplier performance? Do you have any quality
metrics or audits in place? Absolutely. If it helps improve quality, we’re willing to invest in that.
We do have a basic supplier scorecard that tracks on-time delivery and defect rates, Great. Second, on material quality—do you have visibility into your suppliers’ sourcing
but it’s not very detailed. We conduct annual audits, but they’re more compliance- practices? For example, are they using certified materials, or is there a risk of
focused rather than process-oriented. Honestly, we don’t have a robust system for counterfeit or substandard inputs?
real-time monitoring.
We don’t have that level of visibility. We rely on their certifications, but we don’t verify You should start seeing improvements within 3-6 months, with full implementation and
their sourcing practices measurable impact within 12 months. We can also set up a phased rollout to minimize
disruption.
That’s another critical gap. Implementing a traceability system, like blockchain or IoT-
enabled tracking, could help ensure material quality and reduce risks. Would you be Let’s move forward with this plan. What’s the next step?
open to exploring such technologies?
Certainly. Unilever, for instance, uses blockchain to track sustainable sourcing of raw Perfect. Looking forward to it.
materials, ensuring quality and ethical standards. Similarly, companies in the
electronics industry, like Intel, use IoT for real-time monitoring of supplier processes.
These solutions have significantly reduced defects and improved compliance.
That sounds promising. What would be the first steps to implement these changes?
Include Real-Time
Quality Metrics
Inadequate Monitoring
Case Facts
Add Compliance and
Process Audits
ABC Company, a mid-sized manufacturer facing
quality issues in its supply chain.
Recommendations
Classify suppliers by risk and criticality, focusing on high-risk suppliers for immediate improvement.
Substandard materials and lack of traceability. Use blockchain, IoT, or real-time monitoring tools
Your client is a fruit-based beverage company. It has brought you onboard to identify Okay, so since it is a distribution system, on a broad level the parameters would be the
if they should upgrade their current distribution fleet or outsource it to a third party. Number of Deliveries & Cost per Delivery. The Cost per Delivery can be further
calculated based on labour Costs, Fuel costs, Insurance and Maintenance costs.
So, if our client opts for an in-house delivery system, we would be able to save
Due to new regulations which require the owner to provide electronic records of their
$500*400=$200,000/year. If we assume similar saving for the next years, our payback
itineraries, we need to upgrade our current fleet. The investments required would be $1
period will be Investment/Savings = $1 million / $200,000 = 5 years.
million dollars.
Fair enough. What risk do you think would the client encounter with such a move?
As we understand, we already have the competency, I would like to consider 2 factors
the financial implications of outsourcing vs insourcing and the risks involved.
I would like to look at risks as both Internal and External. When looking at Internal risks,
there would be some impact on the culture. Additionally, we could expect a labour
Okay Good. Where do you want to start? strike against the firing of our current fleet drivers.
I would like to start with economic factors. As our labourers are not unionized, we don’t expect a strike, and there would not be
any culture change. What else would you look at?
Can you list down the parameters you will look at for operating expenditures?
Well, looking at external risks, I think signing long term contracts would help us
immunize against the change in fuel prices or government regulations. Further, we
would also be able to have the flexibility of distribution in case our company expands.
Great, you managed to cover all the points. In case we wish to focus on in-house
deliveries itself, what would be your recommendations.
We can look at three factors for in-house deliveries: payback period, investments, and
savings. First, we could increase the expected payback period. Further, in the case of
investments, we could lower our total investments by leasing the fleet of trucks instead
of buying them. In case of savings, we can increase it by optimizing the delivery routes,
increasing the efficiency of the drivers, lowering labour costs and outsourcing
maintenance of the trucks
Excellent. Those are some great recommendations. Thank you. We can close the case
here.
Capital
Our client is a fruit-based beverage company. It has Expenditure
brought you onboard to identify if they should
Investment
upgrade their current distribution fleet or outsource Operating
Expenses
it to a third party.
Make Vs Buy
Internal
Risks
External
A client wants to utilize the land he already owns and is considering building a shopping What do you mean?
mall. Estimate the income he could gain
So there are options for the client in handling the project from both operations and
Interesting, our objective is to maximize the income for our client from the shopping financial stand points. For Operations:
mall, am I correct? 1. The client can either give a contract to a construction company, which will charge
money for every square foot build
Yes you are correct. 2. The client can partner with a construction company and give revenue share for a
certain no. of years in the future.
Okay, I have a few clarifying questions. What does our client do? Is it anything related 3. The client can oversee the construction operation on his/her own
to real estate and the construction of commercial buildings? Does the client want to
rent the space or use it for other purposes? And should we consider the disruption due Financing Options:
to COVID 19? 1. Total Capital invested by the client.
2. The construction company investing the entire capital.
3. A financing partner which takes a share in the revenue.
No, the client has no related businesses and the client wants to rent the entire space.
Do not consider the disruption due to COVID-19, for problem solving purposes.
Well consider the option where the client invests as little and gets the best returns.
Okay, I have a few clarifying questions about the land. Where is the land situated, in
which city and the locality? What is the demand for commercial space in the locality? Considering that our client has no experience in this sector, it would be better to make
the construction company the developing partner and giving a share of revenues for a
certain period in the future looks good as it does not involve capital investment by the
The client owns a 3 acre land in a metro city, where IT parks are coming up.
client and no financing partner is required.
Okay so there is going to be demand for commercial spaces as there is going to be Good, now calculate the income the client would generate out of it.
direct and indirect employment.
As the client is not investing any money the entire revenue generated by the shopping
Yes, that is the reason why the client is looking to build a shopping mall. mall would be his income.
Well, in that case how does the client want to manage operations and finance for the Yes, go ahead
project.
Before I make revenue projections I need to ask a question. In the locality for the given Yes, you may go ahead and you can take avg. rent as Rs. 50/- per month/sq.feet.
area of the land how many storeys can the mall have excluding parking? (as permitted
by the municipality and concerned authorities)
Cool Thanks. Assuming Rs.20/- is the maintenance charge per sq. foot. The net income
would be Rs.30/- per sq. foot. And assuming the net revenue is shared in 50-50 for a
The building can have a maximum of 5 floors excluding parking certain period with the construction partner, income for the client would be
2,38,360*0.5*30*12=42,908,857 in rupees per year before tax. Corporate tax in India is
around 25%(Assuming that there would be some tax benefits). The net income for the
Assuming that the built-up area will be 80% of total surface area, some area has to be
client with almost zero investment would be 42,908,857*0.75= Rs.32,178,643
left for entrance, vehicle passages etc. Before I proceed further I need to know how
much is 1 acre in square foot terms. Can you help me out with that information?
Thank you, that will be all
I am assuming that all the 5 floors will be built as the mall is situated in a prime centre.
The ground floor will have 3*0.8*43560 sq, foot of built-up area, whereas the upper
storeys will have lesser built-up area.(there will be no upper slab). So for the above four
floors, the built-up area would be 70% of the ground floor. And the built-up area is
equal to 3*4*0.8*0.7*43560 sq foot. The total built-up area will come to 3,97,267 sq.
feet. The shopping mall would give this space to retail outlets, sports/fun zones,
supermarkets, movies etc. depending on whoever takes up the space. Of the total built
up area the lessee does not pay for the common areas such as stairs, escalators, lifts,
corridors, toilets, sitting areas etc, so we can consider that 60% of the built-up area is
the area which gets charged. Although each type of store is charged different rates
depending on the type of how an area is built for them( for eg. a movie theatre
construction requirements will be different from a retail store). Considering all these
variations, can I take an average rent that will be charged by the owners for the entire
chargeable area which will come close to 2,38,360 sq. feet. And also what is the
prevailing rent that shopping malls in the vicinity are charging per month?
Finance
A client owning land in a metro city wants to build
Finance
and rent out a shopping mall. Estimate the potential
income with minimal investment. Outsource Operations
Construction
Own Land
Finance Finance
Construct on
Own Operations
Operations
Client owns the land Outsource both financing and construction operations to third party companies
Revenue sharing model with construction company and building maintenance company
Has no businesses related to the construction field
Can I please ask a few clarifying question to better address the objective No, please proceed with the next stages
Yes. Please go ahead. Since you have a wide range of products catering to different oral needs, I would
recommend an evaluation journey with a digital diagnosis questionnaire which would
What is the organization’s vision for undergoing a digital transformation? Have our identify the correct products to suit customized consumer needs. This may also involve
competitors also adopted the same? free online dental sessions to better recommend products. This will help the
consumers to decide better in choosing our products and enhance the organisation’s
The organization has seen the rapid internet penetration in the country and wants to vision of promoting proper oral care solutions. This also mitigates the risk of a brand
leverage this space as a new sales channel. The organisation also wants to build a switch. We can also have a multilingual AI-chatbot which caters to grievance resolution
digital environment for promoting oral care regarding our products across all geographies with lesser human interference. Are
there any other challenges you are facing in this phase?
Can you please tell me more about your products and which consumers you want to
cater to through this digital sales channel? These solutions sound good. You can move with the further phases
We have an array of more than 100+ toothbrushes and toothpastes. We also have
electronic toothbrushes, mouthwashes, speciality products and prescription products.
We cater to all consumer segments. However we want this sales channel to push our
premium products
Can I please ask a few clarifying question to better address the objective No, please proceed with the next stages
Yes. Please go ahead. Since you have a wide range of products catering to different oral needs, I would
recommend an evaluation journey with a digital diagnosis questionnaire which would
What is the organization’s vision for undergoing a digital transformation? Have our identify the correct products to suit customized consumer needs. This may also involve
competitors also adopted the same? free online dental sessions to better recommend products. This will help the
consumers to decide better in choosing our products and enhance the organisation’s
The organization has seen the rapid internet penetration in the country and wants to vision of promoting proper oral care solutions. This also mitigates the risk of a brand
leverage this space as a new sales channel. The organisation also wants to build a switch. We can also have a multilingual AI-chatbot which caters to grievance resolution
digital environment for promoting oral care regarding our products across all geographies with lesser human interference. Are
there any other challenges you are facing in this phase?
Can you please tell me more about your products and which consumers you want to
cater to through this digital sales channel? These solutions sound good. You can move with the further phases
We have an array of more than 100+ toothbrushes and toothpastes. We also have
electronic toothbrushes, mouthwashes, speciality products and prescription products.
We cater to all consumer segments. However we want this sales channel to push our
premium products
Colgate aims to establish a digital environment for Implement a multi-touchpoint online presence for product discovery (company website, e-commerce platforms,
promoting oral care and utilize the internet as a new social media ads).
sales channel.
Utilize digital analytics tools to optimize discovery across online touchpoints.
The company offers over 100 toothbrushes,
toothpastes, and other oral care products catering to Offer a digital evaluation journey with a personalized product recommendation system (e.g., questionnaires and
all consumer online consultations).
The focus of the digital sales channel is to push Implement a multilingual AI chatbot for customer support and grievance resolution.
premium products.
Given that you are the ASM of a particular area in the organization , how will you deal I would like to structure my measures into 4 parts namely Faster Identification
with the issue of counterfeit products which are responsible for a major drop in the Measures, Authentication Methods, Legal and Regulatory Measures and Awareness
sale of our products ? Measures. The Faster Identification measures ensure that the counterfeit products are
identified from its inception. Measures like weekly market inspections where
The problem statement is to deal with the issue of the circulation of counterfeit competitive products would be analyzed for any brand mimicking in terms of product
products which are causing a major drop in sales and being an ASM of a particular naming and packaging.AI technologies and image processing technologies can increase
region I should suggest ways to curtail them. Is there any other objective you want me effectiveness in identification. The Authentication Measures would include the printing
to address? of RFIDs, holograms and security links in the packaging of the product ensuring the
customer to authenticate their own products. Legal and Regulatory Measures:
No. Please Proceed. Designing of a legal action pipeline should be created to deal with trademark
infringement and intellectual property infringement for dealers/retailers who are
Can I please ask a few clarifying question to better address the objective? distributing and selling such products. Awareness Measures: Once a counterfeit
product is seen proliferating in the market some localized awareness campaigns should
Yes. Please go ahead. be conducted both in the online and offline markets where the customers, dealers and
retailers are made aware of the health hazards of such products
Can you please tell me more about the products which are counterfeited? Is it a legacy
product or is it a newly launched product? Since when are you observing these? Has
The measures look good. We can close the case now.
there been multiple incidents?
So the products which are counterfeited is our legacy coconut oil brand which have
been in the industry for over 50 years. We have been observing this since the past 3
months when we noticed a dip in the sales.
Thank you for the inputs. Counterfeit products can scale up and impact sales due some
notable factors like brand mimicing packaging, brand mimicing product names, lower
penetrating price points by counterfeiting brand, lack of awareness among consumers,
retailers and dealers. Are these the challenges faced by the organisation
1. Market inspection
Given that you are the ASM of a particular area in Faster 2. AI technology
the organization , how will you deal with the issue Identification 3. image processing
of counterfeit products which are responsible for 1. RFID
2. Hologram
a major drop in the sale of our products. Authentication
Measures to 3. Security links
identify
counterfeit 1. Trademark
Legal & Infringement
product 2. intellectual property
1. online campaign
regulatory
infringements
2. offline campaign
Awareness (customer, dealer,
retailer etc.)
Introduce authentication methods: Integrate security features like RFIDs, holograms, or security links into product
packaging for customer verification.
The counterfeits mimic the original product's
packaging and name, likely at a lower price point.
Pursue legal and regulatory actions: Develop a legal strategy to combat trademark and intellectual property
infringement against sellers of counterfeit products.
Consumers, retailers, and dealers may be unaware
Launch awareness campaigns: Educate consumers, retailers, and dealers about the dangers of counterfeit products
of the counterfeit products.
through online and offline campaigns
Coca-Cola has developed a new retail application for all retailers and distributors in Kiranas: Kirana owners have limited technological literacy for adopting and using a
India. However, the organization is facing huge challenges in the onboarding of retailers complicated application for simple selling of their products and finds no incentive in
and distributors to use this application. Identify the problems and recommend preordering stocks via the application. Hypermarkets/Supermarkets: These already have
effective solutions for onboarding the retailers/distributors. very advanced inventory management tools (Offered by PineLabs, PhonePe etc).
Onboarding them to a different application becomes complex and hinders their existing
Coca-Cola has developed a new retail application for all retailers and distributors. The operations. Wholesalers: Wholesalers distribute to major retailers, small restaurant chains,
organisation is facing challenges in the onboarding and usage of this application. I have hotels, caterers, quick commerce companies etc. All these demand sources remain
to identify the problems and recommend effective solutions for the same. Is there any untracked due to seasonal variances and it is difficult for wholesalers to manage such
other objective you want me to address? demand categories accurately. Are the issues correctly identified?
No. Please Proceed. We are actually facing all of these problems! Could you please recommend solutions
which would boost adoption?
Can I please ask a few clarifying question to better address the objective?
Sure sir! 1. Kiranas:Develop a user-friendly application specifically tailored to the needs
Yes. Please go ahead. and technological capabilities of kirana owners.Provide incentives for preordering stocks
via the application, such as discounts, loyalty points etc. Offer training and support to
What is the exact vision behind Coca-Cola’s decision of launching this application? kirana owners to help them become more comfortable with using the application. 2.
Have your competitors also done the same? Hypermarkets/Supermarkets: Customize the new application to seamlessly integrate with
existing inventory management tools used by hypermarkets and supermarkets. Ensure
The organization has observed there is always a gap in the current forecasts of the compatibility and interoperability to minimize disruption to their operations. Provide
sales and the actual demand in sales. The demands have been erratic leading to cases dedicated technical support and assistance during the onboarding process to address any
of surplus and deficit. The organization has observed certain local sales channels which compatibility issues or concerns. Offer training sessions and resources to help staff adapt
are out of our radar leading to incorrect forecasts. Hence this application would serve to the new system smoothly. 3. Wholesalers: Implement advanced demand forecasting
as a medium for tracking all retailers and their demands for better demand forecasting and tracking algorithms in the application to accurately predict demand from various
and inventory management. sources, including retailers, restaurants, hotels, caterers, and quick commerce companies.
Provide analytics and reporting tools to wholesalers to help them analyze and manage
Thank you for the information. I would like to identify the problems by identifying the demand effectively. Offer insights into demand trends, inventory levels, and ordering
kinds of retailers which create the demand. They can be categorised as small kiranas, patterns to optimize stocking decisions and minimize stockouts or overstocking issues.
hypermarkets, supermarkets, wholesalers, distributors and modern trade like quick Does these solutions look fair?
commerce companies. The major challenges can be listed as:
The solutions are very detailed. We can close the case now
The app aims to improve demand forecasting Kirana stores: Develop a user-friendly app with training and incentives (discounts, loyalty points) for pre-ordering.
and inventory management by tracking sales
data.
Hypermarkets/Supermarkets: Integrate seamlessly with existing inventory tools, provide technical support, and offer
Onboarding struggles exist across different training for staff.
retailer/distributor types.
Wholesalers: Implement advanced demand forecasting algorithms, offer analytics and reporting tools to optimize
stocking decisions.
Our client has two drugs: a successful general medication and a niche, newer entrant. 1. To Maintain market share of the general drug, allocate a core budget, substantial
With limited marketing resources and no price cap, how should they prioritize their part of overall budget(say 65%) to sustain brand awareness, and defend against
investments? competitors. Leverage economies of scale for marketing campaigns.
2. To accelerate growth of the niche drug, dedicate a strategic investment (about 35%
Before providing a recommendation, I'd like to gather more information. Allow me few of overall budget) to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and
minutes for gathering all relevant questions. target relevant influencers. Explore premium pricing and premium marketing
channels.
Could you provide information on the following: What is the market share and growth
potential for each drug? What are the Profit margins and pricing flexibility for each. It balances risk and reward. The general drug generates stable revenue, while the niche
What are Key competitor landscape for both? What is the Brand awareness and patient drug represents high-growth potential. By protecting the existing revenue stream while
perception of each drug? And what are the Marketing channels most effective for investing in future growth, we maximize overall return on investment.
reaching each target audience?
But wouldn't focusing solely on the niche drug's high growth be more lucrative?
Certainly. Here's what I can share: The general drug has a 30% market share and steady
5% annual growth. The niche drug has a 5% share in a rapidly growing 15% market. It is tempting, but it carries substantial risk. Abandoning the general drug could erode
Profit margins are similar for both, but the niche drug has higher potential for premium market share and long-term profitability. The two-pronged approach mitigates risk by
pricing. The general drug faces several established competitors, while the niche has maintaining a stable revenue base while exploring high-growth opportunities.
limited competition. The general drug is well-known, while the niche drug requires
brand building. Digital marketing and influencer partnerships are effective for both, but What if additional marketing resources become available?
traditional channels are better for the general drug.
I would recommend gradually increasing the investment in the niche drug, while
Thank you. Allow me few minutes to come up with the solution. maintaining efficient marketing for the general drug. We can then monitor performance
and adjust allocations based on results.
Okay.
Thank you. That is good analysis. Your approach seems balanced and data driven.
Now, considering these factors, I propose a two-pronged approach:
Drugs
Dedicate a strategic investment (about
35% of overall budget) to build brand
Niche Represents high
awareness, establish thought leadership,
Drugs growth potential
and target relevant influencers. Explore
premium pricing and premium
marketing channels.
Allocate a core budget (about 65% of overall budget) to general drug and strategic investment (about 35% of overall
General drug: 30% market share, steady 5% growth.
budget) to the niche drugs
Niche drug: 5% share, 15% market growth, higher Recommend gradually increasing the investment in the niche drug, while maintaining efficient marketing for the
premium pricing potential. general drug
Our client has two drugs: a successful general medication and a niche, newer entrant. 1. To Maintain market share of the general drug, allocate a core budget, substantial
With limited marketing resources and no price cap, how should they prioritize their part of overall budget(say 65%) to sustain brand awareness, and defend against
investments? competitors. Leverage economies of scale for marketing campaigns.
2. To accelerate growth of the niche drug, dedicate a strategic investment (about 35%
Before providing a recommendation, I'd like to gather more information. Allow me few of overall budget) to build brand awareness, establish thought leadership, and
minutes for gathering all relevant questions. target relevant influencers. Explore premium pricing and premium marketing
channels.
Could you provide information on the following: What is the market share and growth
potential for each drug? What are the Profit margins and pricing flexibility for each. It balances risk and reward. The general drug generates stable revenue, while the niche
What are Key competitor landscape for both? What is the Brand awareness and patient drug represents high-growth potential. By protecting the existing revenue stream while
perception of each drug? And what are the Marketing channels most effective for investing in future growth, we maximize overall return on investment.
reaching each target audience?
But wouldn't focusing solely on the niche drug's high growth be more lucrative?
Certainly. Here's what I can share: The general drug has a 30% market share and steady
5% annual growth. The niche drug has a 5% share in a rapidly growing 15% market. It is tempting, but it carries substantial risk. Abandoning the general drug could erode
Profit margins are similar for both, but the niche drug has higher potential for premium market share and long-term profitability. The two-pronged approach mitigates risk by
pricing. The general drug faces several established competitors, while the niche has maintaining a stable revenue base while exploring high-growth opportunities.
limited competition. The general drug is well-known, while the niche drug requires
brand building. Digital marketing and influencer partnerships are effective for both, but What if additional marketing resources become available?
traditional channels are better for the general drug.
I would recommend gradually increasing the investment in the niche drug, while
Thank you. Allow me few minutes to come up with the solution. maintaining efficient marketing for the general drug. We can then monitor performance
and adjust allocations based on results.
Okay.
Thank you. That is good analysis. Your approach seems balanced and data driven.
Now, considering these factors, I propose a two-pronged approach:
I have a new software that I would like you to implement in the team starting tomorrow.
Would that be possible? How would you go about it This analysis will guide us in understanding where adjustments are needed to optimize
efficiency and effectiveness. During and after the change, to ensure effective Change
Before I start, can I ask a few clarifying Questions to help me understand this situation Management, we have to practice Transparent communication and stakeholder
better. engagement. Comprehensive training and support will ensure user proficiency. To take
care of Measurement & Feedback, we'll monitor adoption rates and gather feedback to
refine implementation. Time Frame for Implementation within 2-4 weeks is feasible,
Yes. Sure.
considering software complexity and team size.
Could you tell me more about the software? What are its functionalities, and how will it
benefit the team? What are your desired outcomes from implementing this software? That sounds well thought-out. How would you handle resistance from team members
What specific issues do you hope to address? How does the team currently perform its who prefer the old way of doing things?
tasks? Are there any existing software solutions in place? Have other team members
been informed about this change? Have their concerns and needs been considered? Resistance is natural. I would address it by doing things like: We must communicate the
tangible benefits the software offers, addressing their specific concerns and
The software is a project management tool aimed at increasing collaboration and demonstrating value. We may provide options for customization and training, allowing
streamlining communication. We need to be up and running as soon as possible to them to tailor the software to their workflows. We can recognize and celebrate early
meet a tight deadline. Will it be even possible to implement it with this short deadline? adopters and champions, showcasing the positive impact of the new tool.
For initial Assessment & Planning of the integration of the software into our workflow,
we will conduct a thorough Gap Analysis to pinpoint disparities between our current
processes and the desired state facilitated by the software.
The team currently uses unspecified methods for We may provide options for customization and training, allowing them to tailor the software to their workflows
project management and communication.
No prior information or training has been provided to We can recognize and celebrate early adopters and champions, showcasing the positive impact of the new tool
the team about the new software.
S.No Particulars
1 Guesstimates
2 Fact Sheet
3 Industry Overview
4 Case Competition
GUESSTIMATES
S.No Particulars S.No Particulars
1 Introduction to Guesstimates
8 Market Size of Tinder in Tier 2 Cities
WHAT IS A GUESSTIMATE?
Guesstimate is an approximation based on the available information. Most of the time, only limited information is available. It has more to do with understanding
the approach toward the problem. Consider feasible parameters that influence the problem. Interviewers ask such questions to understand if the candidate can
come up with a solution to a problem within a set time frame.
Solving guesstimates is an important skill one should master in the journey of an MBA Student. Guesstimates are used in everyday life and could be helpful in the
future to conjure up numbers and estimate the number in any situation. For example, estimate the number of units of Coca Cola sold in India, the number of
people who use online food delivery services monthly.
CLARIFY THE QUESTION BREAK DOWN THE PROBLEM SOLVE EACH PIECE OF THE PROBLEM CALCULATE THE FINAL NUMBER
Whenever you are asked a guesstimate, ensure you completely understand the A guesstimate can be scary if you see the problem as a whole. But when you
question. break it down, it gets a lot easier. So, divide the problem into 2-3 parts based on
You can ask clarifying questions to the interviewer. the different factors that influence the answer. To continue our smartphone
For example, if asked, “How many phones are used in India?” you should know: example, you could break it down into:
Are we talking about active phones in use or every phone ever sold? Population of India
Are we talking about simple feature phones or just smartphones? Percentage of people who likely own a smartphone (age groups, rural/urban
Are we interested in a specific region or the whole country? divide)
Now, you can estimate each piece of your puzzle. Make reasonable assumptions based on your general knowledge. You might not know the exact population of India, but
you likely know it’s over a billion. You can round the numbers to make better estimates.
Make Reasonable Assumptions: You don’t need exact numbers; just make logical and sensible assumptions based on general knowledge. For instance, you might not
know the exact population of India, but estimating it as approximately 1.4 billion is reasonable.
Use Percentages and Ratios: Percentages and ratios are handy for estimating segments of a population or market. For example, if you estimate that 70% of urban
dwellers own a smartphone, you can calculate that segment’s size by applying this percentage to the urban population.
Round Numbers for Simplicity: While solving each piece, round numbers to make calculations simpler. For example, instead of working with 1.4 billion, use 1.5 billion
for ease of calculation, as long as the rounding doesn’t drastically affect the final estimate.
Document Your Thought Process: Clearly state each assumption and how you arrived at the number. This shows your logical thinking and structured approach, which
is often more important than the exact number itself.
Finally, analyse each and every pointer and put your pieces together.
You will have to perform some mental math by following the above rules to arrive at your final estimate.
Remember, the goal isn’t necessarily a perfect number – it’s about showing your thought process and how you arrive at a reasonable conclusion.
Two effective approaches for solving guesstimates are the Supply-Side and Demand-Side approaches. Each focuses on different aspects of the problem,
offering unique insights that can help you reach a more accurate estimate.
The demand-side approach, on the other hand, focuses on the potential market and
The supply-side approach focuses on the factors influencing the production and supply
consumer demand for a product or service. It involves estimating the number of
of goods or services. It involves estimating the maximum output possible based on the
potential buyers and their purchasing behavior, making it useful for understanding
available resources and production capacity. This method is particularly useful when the
market dynamics.
components involved in production are well-defined and measurable.
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
Estimating the demand for coffee in a neighborhood by analyzing the population,
Estimating the number of cars that can be refueled at a gas station. This involves
percentage of coffee drinkers, average consumption per person, and frequency of visits
calculating the station's capacity (number of pumps and average refueling time) and
to a coffee shop.
operational hours to determine the maximum number of cars that can be serviced..
ADVANTAGES:
ADVANTAGES:
Provides a realistic estimate by focusing on actual market demand.
Easier to calculate when production factors are measurable.
Helps validate supply-side estimates to ensure they are achievable.
Provides a clear estimate of potential output.
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 11
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 126
Guesstimates
INTRODUCTION TO GUESSTIMATES Index
Two effective approaches for solving guesstimates are the Supply-Side and Demand-Side approaches. Each focuses on different aspects of the problem,
offering unique insights that can help you reach a more accurate estimate.
The demand-side approach, on the other hand, focuses on the potential market and
The supply-side approach focuses on the factors influencing the production and supply
consumer demand for a product or service. It involves estimating the number of
of goods or services. It involves estimating the maximum output possible based on the
potential buyers and their purchasing behavior, making it useful for understanding
available resources and production capacity. This method is particularly useful when the
market dynamics.
components involved in production are well-defined and measurable.
EXAMPLE:
EXAMPLE:
Estimating the demand for coffee in a neighborhood by analyzing the population,
Estimating the number of cars that can be refueled at a gas station. This involves
percentage of coffee drinkers, average consumption per person, and frequency of visits
calculating the station's capacity (number of pumps and average refueling time) and
to a coffee shop.
operational hours to determine the maximum number of cars that can be serviced..
ADVANTAGES:
ADVANTAGES:
Provides a realistic estimate by focusing on actual market demand.
Easier to calculate when production factors are measurable.
Helps validate supply-side estimates to ensure they are achievable.
Provides a clear estimate of potential output.
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 11
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 127
Guesstimates
NUMBER OF STAIRS ASCENDED BY SIBM STUDENT IN ONE YEAR Index
How many steps of stairs a sibm student ascends( only ascends) in one year in the Journey 1 in morning includes journey from lotus hostel to academic block the
campus? following: Lotus → SSSS (8) → Mess (3)--> Fountain/Entrance (14) → Academic Block (3) →
AH2 (18). Total = 46 Journey 2 in afternoon for lunch includes journey : AH 2 →
Auditorium (5) → Fountain/Entrance (Slope) --> Mess (3). Total = 8 Is this ok? May I
Sir, while calculating this, should i consider steps ascended for a normal day for MBA 1
proceed in this way
student?
Yes, go ahead. Please explain what is your approach for the solution? Okay.
Ok, I will now need to plot the individual journeys to and from the Hostel of a regular
First miscellaneous activity could be going to Gym which involves: Going to Gym : Lotus
student. And calculate the steps that student takes while on each journey. I will do this
Hostel (0) → Gym entrance (15) and then coming back to Lotus Hostel : Gym (0) →
for one whole working day and then calculate the same for the year using no of working
SSSS(3) → Lotus (5). Total=22
days in a year
Secondly, most students frequently visit MNC on a regular basis, and I am assuming
this to be part of daily schedule: Journey includes: Going to MNC : Lotus Hostel (0) →
Okay, please proceed MNC entrance (3) and then Going back to Lotus : MNC (0) → Lotus entrance (5). Total =8.
I am assuming the student to live on base floor (2XX series) of Lotus Hostel, and then That sounds okay. Please proceed to final calculations and answer
commute his journey to & from Academic block/Mess/etc
Total steps ascended in one day = 127. Now, i am proceeding to calculate steps
ascended in one year. Now, considering normal academic calendar from Jun-Mar:
Days=365-60=305. I am assuming that exams and related activities take up 30 days
(including two mid-sems and two final exams). Therefore total no. of days = 305-30 =
275. Is this ok?
Thank you. Hence, total no of days = 275 - 15 -15 =245. These are the normal days
having a normal schedule. Hence steps ascended in one year can be calculated as =
Steps ascended in a day * No of days I.e. steps ascended in one year = 245*127=31115
ASSUMPTIONS: CALCULATIONS:
APPROACH:
Defined student path including: Total number of steps
Daily trips between the hostel, considering all journeys=
academic block, and mess
J1+J2+J3+J4+Misc=127
Regular cadence for council/SIG Journey 1 Journey 2 Journey 3 Journey 4 Journey 5
activities steps steps steps steps steps
Incorporated miscellaneous Academic On Campus
activities (Gym, MNC visits) 46 8 17 26 22 + 8 = 30 Tenure: June-March=365-
Established working days by 60=305 days
subtracting holidays, exams, and
personal leaves from academic
After considering all the
year
Total Number of steps holidays: 305-
(30+15+15)=245
METHODOLOGY: 11.305 Cr
Could you please tell us the number of transactions that happen through phonepe in a Yes. Looks fair for now.
day in India?
So now we can calculate the total number of POS devices as per our category of
Sure sir! PhonePe has two potential markets. One is the individual app usage market retailers: Kirana: 35/10=3.5 Cr* 1= 3.5 Cr POS Hypermarket/Supermarkets:
and second is the Tech Integrated Point of Sales machines. I would like to calculate the 35/100=0.35*4= 1.4 Cr POS Specialty: 35/100=0.35*1= 0.35 Cr POS Food/Restaurant:
number of transactions using the number of POS devices. Can I go ahead? 35/10=3.5*2*1= 7 Cr POS Drug Pharma: 35/10=3.5*1= 3.5 Cr POS. Electronics:
35/100=0.35*2*2=0.7 Cr POS Adding all of these: 3.5+1.4+0.35+7+3.5+0.7=16.45 Cr POS
Please, go ahead. devices. Does this number seem fair?
It would like to go forward with the demand side approach for this problem. The The number seems fair based on your considerations. How would you determine the
current population of India is 140Cr. The average household size is 4. There are number of transactions from this
approximately 35Cr households. Now the POS devices are majorly for retailers.
Retailers can be further classified into Kirana stores, supermarkets/hypermarkets, In order to calculate the number of transactions, I will make the following assumptions:
specialty stores, fashion retailers, pharma retailers, food and restaurants, electronics Kirana: 300 Transactions per POS per day Kirana Transactions: 300*3.5=1050 Cr
retailers and others. Sir, is there any other category of retailers you want me to focus Hypermarket/Supermarkets: 400 Transactions per POS per day
on? Hypermarket/Supermarket Transactions: 400*1.4=560 Cr Speciality: 100Transactions
per POS per day Speciality Transactions: 100*0.35=35Cr Food/Restaurant: 200
This seems elaborate. Please go ahead! Transactions per POS per day Food/Restaurant Transactions: 200*7=1400 Cr Drug
Pharma: 250 Transactions per POS per day Drug/Pharma Transactions: 250*3.5=875 Cr
In order to calculate the numbers of all these retailers, we need to take some estimate Transactions Electronics: 50Transactions per POS per day Electronics Transactions:
of the retail shop requirements: Every 10 house hold will require 1 kirana requiring 1 50*0.7=35 Cr Total Transactions in a day: 1050+560+35+1400+875+35=3955 Cr
POS device Every 100 households will require 1 Hypermarket/supermarket requiring 4 Transactions per day. Have I missed out on anything
POS devices Every 100 households will require 1 speciality store requiring 1 POS device
Every 10 households will require 2 food/restaurant retailers requiring 1 POS each Every Looks good, thank you.
10 households will require 1 Drug/Pharma retailer. Requiring 1 POS each Every 100
households would require 2 Electronic retailers. Requiring 2 POS each. Does this look
fair sir?
Pidilite has come up with a new product called Fevicol Realam. Fevicol Relam has made Let us assume the average household size to be 4. Therefore the total number of
renovation of laminated furniture quick and easy. Currently, there is no product that households would be = 19.6/4=4.9Cr
can be used to directly paste new laminate over old laminate. Hence, if one wants to
renovate the furniture, the only option is to first remove the old laminate, then clean Houses in India are majorly of the type of 1 BHK (10%), 2BHK (40%), 3 BHK (45%) and 4
the surface and only then paste a new laminate on the old plywood or the other option BHK+ (5%).
is to get a new furniture made.
The distribution seems reasonable.
Here is some additional information:
The estimation begins with household distribution: 10% with 1 bedroom, 40% with 2,
SKU Size – 450g cartridge
45% with 3, and 5% with 4+ bedrooms, totaling 4.9 crore households. This translates to
Coverage – 1.75 sheets in 2 cartridge or 28 sq ft in 1 cartridge
0.49 crore 1-bedroom, 1.96 crore 2-bedroom, etc.
Price point- 380 INR (each cartridge)
Consumption at a 2BHK apartment site –
Each household requires one kitchen cartridge, totaling 2.94 crore. Similarly, each
a. Kitchen cabinets– min 3 sheets for external lamination = 4 cartridge
bedroom needs one room cartridge, totaling 49.51 crore.
b. Bedroom Cupboard – min 4 sheet for external lamination = 5 cartridge per room X2
Total = 14 cartridge
Total cartridges (kitchen and room) per household type: 1-bedroom needs 1.49 crore,
2-bedroom needs 21.56 crore, etc.
Can you please calculate the market size of Fevicol Relam?
Adjustments subtract 0.98 crore from 3-bedroom and 4.9 crore from 4+ bedrooms
Sure sir! I want to approach this problem from the demand side. The current households. Total cartridges needed: 79.63 crore.
population of our country is 140Cr. The income categorization can be Rich (1%), Middle
Class (13%), Aspirers (30%) and Deprived (56%) Multiplying total cartridges by Rs 380 per cartridge gives an estimated market size of
Rs 30,257.5 crore. Actual sales depend on pricing, quality, marketing, and competition
Considering the price point as well as the household lifestyle, I will consider the Rich
and the Middle class only which comprises of a total of 14%= 0.14*140=19.6 Cr. Does this number look fair?
Total number of tyres required for 4-wheelers in the next year for Pune city? Assuming 5 taxis plying per 1000 people, which means (80 lakhs/1000)*5, we would be
getting 40,000 vehicles. Thus, adding the personal and commercial, we get an
I am required to calculate the total number of 4-wheeler tyres which will be in use in approximate number of 6 lakhs operating in Pune annually
the next year for Pune city. Is that right?
Okay. How will you calculate the number of tyres now?
Correct.
I would be calculating the number of tyres required for old and new cars separately.
I will be taking a demand-side approach to arrive at the problem since it would be New cars bought will be given by the total number of cars playing / average life of a car,
difficult to estimate the number of tyre companies currently manufacturing and while old cars would be the difference. Then while fresh pair of tyres will be used in new
supplying to Pune. First, I would be calculating the total number of 4-wheelers plying cars, tyres used in old cars would again depend on the average life of a tyre. Before
on Pune Roads while considering only 4-wheeler personal and taxis for simplicity. For moving forward, I would like to clarify a few assumptions
personal vehicles, I would like to divide the number of households based on income
level. Then for each income group, I would be assuming a penetration percentage along Sure. Go Ahead
with the average number of cars owned by that income group household. For
commercial vehicles, I would be estimating based on the Pune Population. Does this Should 10 years and 5 years be a fair assumption for average life of a car and a tyre
approach make sense? respectively? Also, I would like to assume that at a time, there are 4 operational tyres
while one tyre would be spare, taking total count of tyres used in a car to be 5. Can you
This seems to be a fine approach. Please proceed. verify if these assumptions are reasonable?
Rich Household = 10% of Pune Household = 2 Lakhs. The majority of these households Yes, these assumptions seem reasonable. Continue
would have 4-wheelers, assuming 90%, with 1-2 cars per household i.e. 1.5 on an
average. Upper Middle Household = 10% of Pune Household = 2 Lakhs. Assuming 4- Thank you. Based on the assumptions for new cars, The number of new cars will be = 6
wheeler penetration of around 75% with an average of 1 car per household. Lower lakhs / 10 = 60,000 vehicles. Number of tyres = 60,000 * 5 = 3 lakhs tyres. Now, the
Middle Household = 30% of Pune Household = 6 Lakhs. Assuming 4-wheeler number of old cars would be = 6 lakhs – 60,000 = 5.4 lakhs. Number of tyres = No. of
penetration of around 50% with an average of 0.5 cars per household. Ignoring Below old cars * (Total tyres used in a car/ Average life of a tyre) = 5.4 lakhs * (5/5) = 5.4 lakhs
Poverty Line Households having 4-wheeler since it would be a minuscule percentage. Adding these two numbers, the total number of tyres would be 8.4 lakhs. Does this
number look fair?
Okay, can you go ahead and calculate commercial 4-wheelers and tell me the final
number of 4-wheelers Yes, we can close the case now. Thanks!
So, I need to estimate the daily revenue of Zomato in India. Weekends will generally Okay. Now the total customers would be 15 Cr/4 = 3.75 crores. I would then like to
have more orders, hence more revenues, than weekdays. Can I take the average? divide these customers demographically. Zomato is present in more than 500 cities.
Metros: 1.5 Cr
Correct, proceed. Tier 1/ Tier 2 cities: 1.25 Cr
Rest of the cities: 1 Cr
Are these numbers looking right, can I continue?
Revenue for Zomato is Number of orders sold* Average price per order. And the
number of orders sold is Total customers* Average Frequency of each customer. So, to
calculate the customers, I would like to estimate the size of the market first. Sure. Go Ahead
Sure. Now I would like to divide the population across income strata as there would be a
difference between the number of orders and the average value of the order across the
strata. Here we will assume that the split is 20-40-40 for High/Middle/Low Income
Zomato is served across 500 cities in India which are Metros/Tier 1/2/3. Hence, I would
across the geographies to reduce the randomness.
like to only take the Urban population into the calculation.
Urban Population is approx. 35% of the Indian Population. 20% 40% 40%
Urban Population: 50 Cr
High Middle Low
Smartphone penetration: 85% (To have an app, we need a smartphone)
No. of smartphones: 42.5 Cr Metros 0.3 0.6 0.6
People between 15-65 age group: 70% (Assuming that children and elders, in general,
Tier 1/2 0.25 0.5 0.5
do not use smartphones and Zomato in particular )
Target Segment: 0.7*42.5 = 29.75 Cr = 30Cr (approx.) Rest 0.2 0.4 0.4
Assuming the market share of Zomato is roughly 50%.
Customer base: 30 Cr/2 = 15 Cr
Here, a person on Zomato can order for his/her family/friends who are not the Okay, what else will you consider?
customers of Zomato. Likewise, he/she can also order for people who are customers of
Zomato and the person can also order for himself/herself.
Taking all these into consideration, we can assume an average group size of 4, i.e., at an
average 4 people will be ordered for. Is it a fair assumption?
Now I would assume the ordering frequency per month for customers of each category.
Ordering frequency matrix (per month) High Middle Low Total Revenues
Are these numbers looking fair? Shall I proceed? Total Monthly revenue = 4590 Cr
Daily revenue = 4590/30 = 153 Cr
Now I’ll calculate the Revenue as Customers* Frequency of orders*Average order Size
Monthly Revenue (crores)
ASSUMPTIONS: CALCULATIONS:
APPROACH: Bottom to Top (Demand-Side)
20% 40% 40%
Weekend Orders are more than Population
weekday orders, so take an 35% 85%
High Middle Low
average Total Urban Smartphone
Population Population Penetration Metros 1.5x0.2 = 0.3 1.5x0.4 = 0.6 1.5x0.4 = 0.6
Rest 4 3 2
METHODOLOGY: 1.5 Crores 1.25 Crores 1 Crores
Rest 400 300 200
Determine the number of bottles sold of an Aerated Beverage company in Pune in a There are 5 Aerated Beverage companies, each having equal market share. Also take
day (Solve via demand from Point of Sale) the number of bottles sold at airport as 10,000 and Railway Station as 5000 per
station. You can assume the total bottles sold from each point of sale
May I know more about the company and their offerings
Market Share of our company = 1/5 = 20% of total bottles sold.
The organization is a Beverage Company that has 4 different products - Aerated Drinks, Airport = 20% of 10,000 = 2000
Sports Drink, Fruit Juices and Packaged Drinking Water. We just want to know the Railway Station = 5000*3 = 15000 * 20% = 3000
market size of the Aerated Beverage segment Shops = 700 * 50 bottles * 20% = 7000
Modern Trade = 140 * 500 * 20% = 14000
Through the point of sale side. It is safe to assume that the aerated beverages are sold Restaurants = 280 * 20 bottles * 20% = 1120
at Pune Airport, Pune Railway Station, Movie Theatres, local shops and restaurants.
Number of bottles sold in a day = 27120 Bottles sold per day
For Movie Theatre calculations, I would need more information
Yes, it's a fair assumption. For ease of calculation, you can divide Pune district into 14
talukas and then approach with the same. Since its through point of sale, make sure you
include all the possible sale methods
The theatres in Pune have on an average 4 movie screens and have an occupancy of
80% with the total seating capacity of 250
I would take this as:
Airport = 1
Railway Station = 3 Assuming that only 20% of the customers in movie theatre order aerated beverages
Movie Theatres = 52 (Pune has 14 Talukas, so 3 per Taluka)
Regular Trade Shops = 50 per Taluka = 14*50 = 700 52 Theatres * 4 screens * 250 customers * 80% occupancy * 20% aerated beverage
Modern Trade = 10 per Taluka = 14*10=140 consumers * 20% Market Share
Restaurants = 20 per Taluka = 14 * 20 = 280
= 1664 bottles
CALCULATIONS:
ASSUMPTIONS: APPROACH: Top Down (Supply-Side)
Point of Sale Per Taluka Total
Consider 14 Talukas in Pune
district Pune City Airport 1 (city) 1
With the emerging trend of dating apps in India. Can you help me estimate the market Go ahead with volume. Also, the total target audience might not be willing to try out
share of Tinder in Tier 2 cities dating apps so proceed accordingly.
So sir I am taking Tier 2 cities in the Urban category. I will start with taking the Urban Yes sir. I am making an assumption that only Upper and Middle class would be using
population as 40Cr with the target age group of 18 years to 35 years. I hope this is a fair dating apps on their phone. Also taking an assumption that only 25% of them are willing
assumption to try the app.
Looks good, can you elaborate on how you would divide the total population in the Everything else is correct but there are plenty of dating apps present around us. Not
desired age brackets everyone will be using Tinder. Can you think more around this?
I would divide the population as follows: Since its Tinder, I can assume that they have the majority of market share. I take in
Urban Population = 40 crore account the following dating apps -> Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and others. Tinder can have
Target Age Group (18 - 35) = 30% = 12 crore a market share of around 40% and Bumble, Hinge and others can take 20% each.
18 - 25 (50%) = 6 crore Target audience catered in Tier 1 cities (25%) = 2.025 crore
25 - 35 (50%) = 6 crore Target audience catered in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities (75%) = 6.075 crore
I am assuming that only unmarried people are on dating apps. Upper class (20%) = 1.215 crore
Middle class (30%) = 1.8225 crore
Yes of course, that is a fair assumption. How are you accounting the same in your Lower class (30%) = 1.8225 crore
calculations? BPL (20%) = 1.215 crore
Now let’s divide the population income wise split because these
many people can afford a smartphone which will run this app,
I am taking the following assumptions for calculating the target audience
Total number of potential users (Considering Upper & Middle-class
Unmarried people in Age group (25 - 35) = 40% = 2.4 crore
people) = 1.215 + 1.8225 crore
Married people in Age group (25 - 35) = 60% = 3.6 crore
= 3.0375 crore
Unmarried people in Age group (18 - 25) = 95% = 5.7 crore
Only 25% among these people would be willing to try online dating,
Married people in Age group (18 - 25) = 5% = 0.3 crore
Number of users willing to try online dating = 0.25*3.0375
Total Target audience = 2.4 + 5.7 crore = 8.1 crore
= 0.759375 crore
Assuming a 40% market share as we are well known app in the
Sir, a clarifying question. Should I calculate the market size by value or by volume?
marketplace,
Number of users for Tinder = 0.4*0.759375 crore = 0.30375 crore
ASSUMPTIONS:
APPROACH: Demand Side CALCULATIONS:
Age Bracket - 18 to 35 Years Urban
%
Population Particulars Total
Only unmarried people are on Share
the app 140 Cr
0.15*140 =
18-25 Age Grp 15%
15% 15% 70% 6 cr
Only Upper and Upper Middle
class use dating apps 18 - 25 25-35 Others Target Age Groups
0.15*140 =
25-35 Age Grp 15%
6 Cr 6 Cr 28 Cr 6 cr
Market Penetration of the app
is considered as 40% against 95% 40%
its competing firms such as 25%
75%
0.7*140 =
35+ 70%
Hinge, Bumble and others Unmarried Unmarried Tier 1 Tier 2+
28 cr
(18-25) (25+)
Total = 8.1 Cr
2.025 Cr 6.075 Cr %
5.7 Cr 2.4 Cr Unmarried Total
METHODOLOGY: Share
0.95* 6 =
Find the target age groups 20% 30% 30% 20% 18-25 Age Grp 95%
5.7 cr
BPL Lower Middle Upper Income groups
Determine the target market
1.215 Cr 1.8225 Cr 1.8225 Cr 1.215 Cr 0.40*6 = 2.4
in Tier 2+ cities 25-35 Age Grp 40%
cr
Determine the number of ambulances that would be present in Pune. Taking an average duration of hospitalization as 3 days, this gives an average of 80
patients per day. In India, a majority of patients do not get admitted in an ambulance.
Sure, so I need to determine the number of ambulances in the city of Pune. Should I Hence I would take 30% of patients who would use an ambulance to get admitted and
include both private operator ambulances and those of government hospitals? 5% requiring an ambulance to move out of the hospital.
This gives a daily number of 24 + 4 = 28 patients requiring an ambulance.
Considering one hour as the average time an ambulance is engaged per patient, there
You can include both the types of ambulances.
could be 2 simultaneous calls for an ambulance in a 24-hour day. One ambulance is
kept on standby for contingencies. And another one could be a speciality ambulance
There are normal ambulances and also certain speciality ambulances like ICU
like an ICU ambulance. This gives us 4 ambulances per hospital in an urban area.
ambulances etc. Do I have to account for all of these as well?
Similarly, for a rural hospital with 140 beds, 60% occupancy rate, and an average stay
duration of 3 days, there would be 28 daily patients. Using same numbers of incoming
You can calculate for the normal ambulances that are usually available in most of the (30%) and outgoing (5%) patient requirements for ambulances, we get approximately 8
hospitals. and 1 ambulance calls respectively for incoming and outgoing patients.
I would like to approach this from the population side, assuming a population of 0.7 This brings the total to 9 patients requiring an ambulance.We can expect one
crore for Pune. And then taking a split of 80% urban and 20% rural population in Pune. ambulance call at any time of the day, with another ambulance for contingencies, and a
Shall I proceed? third speciality or standby ambulance.
This gives us 3 ambulances per hospital in a rural area.
You may proceed.
As urban areas would have better healthcare facilities and Pune is a well-equipped city The numbers look okay, you may proceed.
in medical infrastructure, I will assume 3.5 beds per 1000 people in urban and 2 beds
per 1000 people in rural areas. This translates to 3.5x56L/1000 = 19600 beds in urban Number of urban hospitals = 19600/400 = 49 (40 private and 9 govt) and Number of
and 2x14L/1000 = 2800 beds in rural areas. rural hospitals = 2800/140 = 20 (15 govt and 5 private) The number of ambulances
Now hospitals can be of various types- large super-speciality, medium and small would then be 40 x 4 + 9 x 4 + 15 x 3 + 5 x 3 = 256.
hospitals. They can also be private and government hospitals. On average I would like
to assume a number of 400 hospital beds per hospital in urban and 140 hospital beds Thank you, that seems reasonable. We can close the case now.
per hospital in rural areas.
In an urban hospital of 400 beds, I am assuming 60% occupancy, which gives 240
patients.
Guesstimate the number of electric cars in your home city Number of cars for high income class
= Average number of cars per family*no of families
Are we talking about commercial or personal car = 3*50k = 150k
Number of cars for Upper middle class
= Average number of cars per family*no of families
Personal cars
= 2*3.75 Lakh = 7.5 Lakh
I would like to assume average age of car in India is around 7 Yrs and since electric cars
Sir I lived in Hyderabad. So I will assume the population of Hyderabad as 1 crore. Also I
were introduced in 2019 in India, only 3/7 percent of cars on the streets were bought
will assume the average family size of 4. Should I continue with these assumptions?
after 2019.
Sure.
Yes, you can take these assumptions.
Good. Now, how will you estimate the number of transactions for this segment?.
Got it. To estimate the number of transactions, I will first determine the total
population of India and then segment it based on urban and rural populations. Does For the Rich and Upper Middle Class, I will assume a transaction frequency of 15
that sound like a good approach? transactions per week (including both debit and credit cards).
Weekly transactions = 10.92 Cr × 15 = 163.8 Cr transactions/week.
Daily transactions = 163.8 Cr / 7 = 23.4 Cr transactions/day.
Yes, go ahead.
I will segment the urban population into three income groups; Rich and Upper Middle
How will you estimate the number of transactions for this segment?
Class: 20% of the urban population; Middle Class: 50% of the urban population;
Low Class: 30% of the urban population.
For this estimation, I will focus on the Rich and Upper Middle Class and the Middle
Class, as they are more likely to use debit/credit cards for PoS transactions.
To get the total daily transactions, I will sum the transactions from both segments:
Rich and Upper Middle Class: 23.4 Cr transactions/day.
Middle Class: 21 Cr transactions/day.
Total: 23.4 Cr + 21 Cr = 44.4 Cr transactions/day.
Good job! You followed a structured approach and logically arrived at an estimate.
Estimate how many pizzas are sold in Pune in a day. I would go for an age segmentation.
I would segment the age groups as, 0-25 Years: 50%, 25-35 Years: 15%, 35+ Years: 35%.
In these segments, 0-25 Age group: Eats pizza twice a week (0.3 times per day), 25-35
Okay, I will break this down step by step, considering Pune’s population, income levels,
Age group: Eats pizza twice a month (0.06 times per day), 35+ Age group (35%): Do not
pizza preference, and purchasing behavior. Does that sound like a good approach?
eat pizza.
Yes, go ahead. Okay. Now, how will you estimate the number of pizzas for these segments?
Calculating total pizza sales per day, for the high-income group
I would see pizzas are sold in different ways throughout the country, mainly: dine-in vs. 0-25 Age group: 3.5 lakh × 0.3 = 1.05 lakh pizzas/day.
delivery trends. A city like Pune has a high student and working-class population that 25-35 Age group: 1.05 lakh × 0.06 = 6,300 pizzas/day.
frequently orders online. And during the weekends, the percentage of the population For the middle-income group,
preferring to dine in would be high. 0-25 Age group: 17.5 lakh × 0.3 = 5.25 lakh pizzas/day.
Would you like me to consider both dine-in and delivery? 25-35 Age group: 5.25 lakh × 0.06 = 31,500 pizzas/day.
Total estimated pizzas sold per day:
You can go ahead with only the delivery of pizzas. High-income group: 1.05 lakh + 6,300 = 1.11 lakh pizzas/day.
Middle-income group: 5.25 lakh + 31,500 = 5.56 lakh pizzas/day.
Alright, thank you. Total: 1.11 lakh + 5.56 lakh = 6.67 lakh pizzas/day.
So, I would like to go from a top-down approach for this. Pune has a population of
around 70 lakh people. However, not everyone buys pizzas regularly. I will segment the Nice breakdown! Anything else you’d consider?
population based on income.
Let's divide Pune's population into three categories based on their likelihood of buying
I would also consider these factors:
pizza. High-income group (10%): 7 lakh; Middle-income group (50%): 35 lakh and Low-
Adjusting for multiple orders per household – A family may order one large pizza
income group (40%): 28 lakh. I am not considering the low income group.
instead of individual ones.
Does this segmentation make sense?
Seasonality – Pizza sales may be higher on weekends and festival seasons.
Would you like me to dive deeper into these factors as well?
Yes, this works. what else would you consider?
ASSUMPTIONS: APPROACH:
CALCULATIONS:
Total Population of Pune: 70 lakh Pune
High-income group (7 lakh people):
Income Segmentation Population
High-income group (10%): 7 lakh
Middle-income group (50%): 35 lakh 0-25 years (50%): 3.5 lakh × 0.3 = 1.05 lakh
Low-income group (40%): 28 lakh people are
70 Lakh
pizzas/day.
not considered for pizza purchases. 25-35 years (15%): 1.05 lakh × 0.06 =
Age Segmentation: 0-25 years: 50%, 25-35 10% 50% 40% 6,300 pizzas/day.
years: 15%, 35+ years: 35% are not considered Middle Low Income
High Income 35+ years (35%): 2.45 lakh × 0 = 0
for pizza purchases. Income pizzas/day.
Pizza Consumption Rates:
0-25 years: Eats pizza twice a week (~0.3 7 Lakh 35 Lakh 28 Lakh Total for high-income group: 1.05 lakh +
times per day). 6,300 = 1.11 lakh pizzas/day.
25-35 years: Eats pizza twice a month (~0.06
times per day). Middle-income group (35 lakh people):
35+ years: Does not eat pizza.
Scope: Only delivery pizzas are considered 50% Population Frequency Quantity/day 50% Population Frequency Quantity/day
0-25 years (50%): 17.5 lakh × 0.3 = 5.25
lakh pizzas/day.
0.3 times 1.05 0.3 times 5.25
METHODOLOGY: 0 - 25 Years 3.5 Lakh per day Lakh/day
0 - 25 Years 17.5 Lakh per day Lakh/day
25-35 years (15%): 5.25 lakh × 0.06 =
15% 15% 31,500 pizzas/day.
35+ years (35%): 12.25 lakh × 0 = 0
A top-down approach is used to estimate 0.06 times 0.06 times
25 - 35 Years 1.05 Lakh per day
6300 /day 25 - 35 Years 5.25 Lakh per day
31500 /day pizzas/day.
the number of pizzas sold per day in Pune. Total for middle-income group: 5.25 lakh +
The population is segmented by income and 35% 35% 31,500 = 5.56 lakh pizzas/day.
age groups to identify potential pizza 0 times per 0 times per
35 + Years 2.45 Lakh day
0 per day 35 + Years 12.25 Lakh day 0 per day
consumers. Total estimated pizzas sold per day:
Pizza consumption rates are assigned to
each age group: High-income group: 1.11 lakh pizzas/day.
0-25 years: 0.3 pizzas/day. Middle-income group: 5.56 lakh
25-35 years: 0.06 pizzas/day. pizzas/day.
35+ years: 0 pizzas/day.
Total pizza sales per day are calculated by Total Total Total: 1.11 lakh + 5.56 lakh = 6.67 lakh
multiplying the population of each income pizzas/day.
and age group by their respective 1.11 Lakh 5.56 Lakh
consumption rates.
The final estimate is obtained by summing
the pizzas sold across all income and age
groups.
Total number of pizzas sold in Pune : 6.67 Lakh/day
Let’s estimate the number of new LinkedIn posts created in India daily. How would you Before calculating posts, I need to account for active LinkedIn users. Not everyone in
approach this? these age groups has a LinkedIn account. Let’s assume only 50% of each age group are
active LinkedIn users.
Okay, I’ll start by considering the population of India, which is around 140 crore. So, the active LinkedIn users for each age group:
However, not everyone in the country is a LinkedIn user, so I’ll refine this number based 18-25: 50% of 14 crore = 7 crore.
on internet penetration, age groups, and active LinkedIn usage. 25-35: 50% of 10.5 crore = 5.25 crore.
35+: 50% of 24.5 crore = 12.25 crore.
First, I’ll consider internet penetration. India has around 50% internet penetration, so Good point. Not all active LinkedIn users post content. Let’s assume that 70% of active
that brings us to 70 crore internet users. LinkedIn is an online platform, so only people users don’t post anything and only use LinkedIn for networking. This means only 30%
with internet access can create posts. of active users actually post content.
That makes sense. What’s next? Alright, let’s adjust the numbers accordingly.
Next, I’ll segment the internet users into three age groups: 18-25, 25-35, and 35+. These Let’s start with the 18-25 age group:
groups are likely to have different LinkedIn usage patterns. Active LinkedIn users: 7 crore.
Let’s assume: I’m assuming that 30% of LinkedIn users post on LinkedIn, others use LinkedIn for
18-25: 20% of 70 crore = 14 crore. networking, seeking jobs.
25-35: 15% of 70 crore = 10.5 crore. Users who post content: 30% of 7 crore = 2.1 crore.
35+: 35% of 70 crore = 24.5 crore. I’ll assume that people in this group post about twice a week on LinkedIn.
Weekly posts = 2.1 crore × 2 = 4.2 crore.
Alright, how will you estimate the number of LinkedIn posts for each group? Daily posts = 4.2 crore / 7 = 60 lakh/day.
Alright, calculate the weekly and daily posts for each segment.
Job seekers: Weekly posts = 31.5 lakh × 2 = 63 lakh; Daily posts = 63 lakh / 7 = 9 lakh/day.
LinkedIn influencers: Weekly posts = 31.5 lakh × 7 = 220.5 lakh; Daily posts = 220.5 lakh /
7 = 31.5 lakh/day.
General information posters: Weekly posts = 63 lakh × 3 = 189 lakh; Daily posts = 189
lakh / 7 = 27 lakh/day.
Company advertisement posters: Weekly posts = 15.75 lakh × 1 = 15.75 lakh. Daily posts
= 15.75 lakh / 7 = 2.25 lakh/day.
Job opening posters: Weekly posts = 15.75 lakh × 4 = 63 lakh. Daily posts = 63 lakh / 7 = 9
lakh/day. Total for 25-35 age group = 78.75 lakh/day
OVERVIEW
S.No Particulars
1 Automotive Industry
2 Pharmaceutical Industry
3 E-Commerce Industry
4 FMCG Industry
5 Telecommunication Industry
7 Banking Industry
DEFINITION: The automobile industry in India is primarily divided into four business segments: two-wheelers, passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and
three-wheelers.
India is the fourth-largest automobile market, with a total production volume of approximately 28.43 million vehicles in fiscal year 2024.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
DEFINITION: The pharmaceutical industry encompasses the development, production, and commercialization of drugs for medical treatment and prevention.
India's pharma industry is considered to be the world's third largest by volume, often hailed as the 'pharmacy of the world’
The industry has a strong global presence with a diverse product range, including generics, bulk drugs, OTC medicines, vaccines, biosimilars, and biologics.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
Sun Pharma plans to acquire Checkpoint Therapeutics RESEARCH & MANUFACTURING & SUPPLY CHAIN END-USER & CUSTOMER
for $355M to expand its oncology and immunotherapy DEVELOPMENT SERVICE
API sourcing and drug
portfolio.
Drug discovery and formulation
Implementation of the Uniform Code of Pharmaceutical Retail pharmacy and
preclinical trials Quality control and distribution
Marketing Practices (UCPMP) 2024 to enforce ethical hospital sales
Clinical trials logistics
marketing practices. Patient education and
(Phases I-III) Cold chain logistics for
In march 2024, AstraZeneca announced the acquisition of post-market
Regulatory approval temperature-sensitive drugs
Fusion Pharmaceuticals for $2 billion in cash surveillance
and compliance Distribution logistics
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 157
Industry
3. E-COMMERCE INDUSTRY Overview Index
DEFINITION: This sector includes companies engaged in the buying and selling of goods and services through electronic platforms, primarily the internet.
The Indian e-commerce market was valued at US$ 75 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 350 billion by 2030, driven by digital adoption and growing
consumer demand.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
GDP Contribution: Part of India's $793 billion retail Click-Through Rate Bounce Rate
sector, contributing ~10% of GDP (2020 estimate)
Market Size: $147.3 billion (2024), with 18.7% CAGR till ElectricCart Abandonment
VeHybrid Rate (EVs)
Vehicleshicles
2028.
Fashion and accessories dominate online shopping, Customer Lifetime Value
comprising 60% of total transactions, followed by
beauty, electronics, and home & kitchen. Session Duration Conversion Rate
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
SpaceX's Starlink has partnered with Bharti Airtel to INFRASTRUCTURE & NETWORK SERVICE PROVISIONS & MARKETING & CONSUMER
introduce satellite internet services in India. DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS ENGAGEMENT
The Indian government has earmarked ₹53.2 billion for
Spectrum acquisition & Mobile & broadband Pricing strategies &
upgrading telecom networks and settling dues of
licensing service management bundled service offerings
employees from state-run telecom firms Bharat Sanchar
Tower installation & fiber Data centers & cloud Digital marketing & brand
Nigam Ltd and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.
optic network expansion computing integration positioning
The Telecommunications Act, 2023, was enacted to
Investment in 5G & Customer support & Customer retention &
replace the Indian Telegraph Act of 1885
emerging technologies network optimization loyalty programs
© Consulting & Strategy Club, SIBM Pune | 2025-26 160
Industry
6. MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Overview Index
DEFINITION: The Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry involves creating, producing, distributing, and monetizing content across television, film, digital
platforms, gaming, publishing, and live entertainment.
The Indian Media & Entertainment industry comprises film, television, digital & OTT, music, live entertainment, publishing, and gaming sectors.
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
with projections to reach $100 billion by 2030 Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)
In 2024, India's box office revenue distribution saw Hindi
cinema leading with 40%, followed by Telugu (20%), Customer
Electric Retention
VeHybrid Rate (EVs)
Vehicleshicles SUBSCRIPTION BASED STREAMING
Tamil (15%), Malayalam (10%), Hollywood (8%), Kannada
(3%), and other languages (5%) Box Office Revenue Ad Fill Rate
JioHotstar leads with a 31% market share, followed by
Amazon Prime Video at 23%, and Netflix at 13% Cost Per Engagement (CPE)
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
INDUSTRY OVERVIEW
CASE Index
COMPETITIONS
S.No Particulars
CASE TYPE KEY THEMES ORGANISATION NO. OF SLIDES RANK OF THE TEAM
Customer Retention & Churn Management, Growth Strategy,
Growth Strategy
Cross-Selling & Monetization, Sales & Distribution Optimization
Airtel 10 National Winners
B-Mobile, a leading telecom operator, aims to drive growth by increasing customer retention and maximizing the potential of its bundled
PROBLEM service offerings across mobile, broadband, TV, and digital banking. Despite initial success in cross-selling, the company believes there is
STATEMENT significant untapped potential to scale these synergies and achieve 3x the current results. The challenge lies in leveraging its extensive
consumer base while reducing churn and increasing customer stickiness.
B-Mobile operates across multiple countries, 1.Despite successful cross-selling, B-Mobile has not Strategies to better utilize B-Mobile's vast
offering a wide range of telecom and technology fully leveraged its channels to drive additional customer base of 40.64 Cr users for cross-
solutions. In India, one of its largest markets, the service bundling beyond discount-based incentives. selling opportunities.
telecom industry has consolidated into three 2.The company aims to triple the current success of Innovative approaches beyond discounts to
major players, with B-Mobile and Q-Mobile its bundling strategy while minimizing churn. drive customer retention and improve
dominating with over 40% market share each.
3. Ensuring that the extensive distribution network service bundling.
B-Mobile has diverse services, including mobile, (COCO stores, kirana stores, broadband sales teams,
Effective ways to incentivize distribution
broadband, TV, music, OTT, and digital banking. and TV distributors) effectively contributes to cross-
channels to maximize conversions.
selling.
A key insight from their operations revealed that
customers using multiple services from B-
4. Enhancing customer engagement and increasing Solutions to reduce churn and enhance
the perceived value of bundled offerings beyond customer lifetime value across all service
Mobile showed significantly higher retention
pricing discounts. offerings.
rates.
Identified key challenge of leveraging the customer base for cross-selling while reducing
B-Mobile should focus on smart home integration, a gamified loyalty
churn.
program, and premium customer support to drive retention and
Analyzed consumer behavior, price sensitivity, and sales channel efficiency.
cross-selling. A unified app and AI-driven segmentation will enhance
Explored AI-driven segmentation, loyalty programs, and gamification as alternatives to
engagement, reduce churn, and expand reach into Tier-2 & Tier-3
discounts.
markets.
Designed a pilot, assessed financial viability, and created a phased execution plan.
CASE TYPE KEY THEMES ORGANISATION NO. OF SLIDES RANK OF THE TEAM
Market Diversification, Growth Strategy, Digital Transformation,
Market Expansion
Operational Efficiency, Competitive Positioning
Infosys Consulting 11 National Finalists
CREMZ, a 70+ year-old global automotive giant, is facing a major shift in consumer behavior with the rise of online car sales and increasing
PROBLEM demand for customizable vehicles. The company must decide whether to continue relying on its traditional dealer network, shift toward an
STATEMENT online sales model, or adopt a hybrid approach. Additionally, CREMZ needs to remodel its supply chain to support greater customization while
ensuring seamless customer experience and operational efficiency.
Rising online car sales are disrupting the traditional dealership Develop a balanced omni-
CREMZ has built a strong global presence with
a legacy of high-quality manufacturing and a model. channel strategy integrating
robust dealer network. Growing demand for vehicle customization adds complexity dealerships with online sales.
to supply chain management.
The automotive industry is rapidly evolving, Propose a supply chain revamp
with tech-savvy and eco-conscious consumers Competitors are leveraging direct-to-consumer (D2C) models to enable efficient vehicle
driving demand for online car purchases and and digital platforms to capture market share. customization.
personalized vehicle configurations. Supply chain inefficiencies and dependencies on traditional
inventory management pose challenges in delivering Define a customer engagement
Traditional dealership models are being
customized vehicles at scale. strategy to enhance digital sales
challenged by digital-first competitors and
adoption
changing customer expectations, pushing Resistance from existing dealerships and uncertainty in
CREMZ to rethink its business model. consumer adoption of online buying create barriers to
transitioning to a digital sales model.
The transformation is complex, Hybrid Sales Strategy: CREMZ proposes an online platform for customizable
Projected total revenue of $2.9
requiring multiple simultaneous cars alongside a dealer network for standard models, test drives, and after-
billion over five years, driven by
changes. sales support.
online sales and customization.
Dealer resistance poses a challenge to Supply Chain Transformation:The plan includes dual inventory
Break-even expected between Year
adopting the hybrid sales model. management, modular manufacturing, supplier diversification, and RFID-
3 and Year 4, marking the shift to
enabled logistics for efficiency.
The company has limited experience profitability.
in digital platforms, affecting Value-Based Pricing : Prices will be based on customization, exclusivity, and
execution. Losses in early years turn into a
customer willingness to pay, with non-refundable deposits to reduce
$568M profit by Year 5, with an
By 2025, 25% of car sales will be cancellations.
estimated ROI of 24.36%.
online, making digital adoption crucial. Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with PANTONE, Sony, and Bose aim to
The omni-channel model and
enhance customization and customer experience.
Customers now begin their car-buying supply chain enhancements
journey online, emphasizing the need support long-term market
Execution Roadmap (2024-2029): Key milestones include manufacturing
for a strong digital presence and expansion.
expansion, website launch, omni-channel growth, and digital supply chain
advertising strategy.
transformation.
CASE TYPE KEY THEMES ORGANISATION NO. OF SLIDES RANK OF THE TEAM
Digital Digital Transformation, Omni-Channel Sales, Supply Chain
Optimization, Customer Experience
Avalon Consulting 17 National Finalists
Transformation
Nexus Tech, a key player in Saudi Arabia’s IT and BPO sector, faces stagnating revenue growth due to its heavy reliance on low-margin
PROBLEM traditional business lines. As government-driven projects slow down and foreign investment declines, the company struggles with weak market
STATEMENT diversification, outdated internal systems, and an undertrained sales force. Increasing competition from cost-efficient and innovative rivals
further threatens its market position, requiring a strategic shift to ensure long-term growth.
Founded in 2003, Nexus Tech is a government- Heavy reliance on low-margin business lines limits revenue
growth and profitability. Analyze how the IT and BPO
owned IT and BPO service provider that
market will evolve over the next
primarily serves enterprise clients, particularly Weak presence in high-growth sectors like BFSI and fintech
5-10 years.
government entities and industries like Oil & restricts market diversification.
Gas.
Competitors are gaining ground through innovation, cost Identify and prioritize key
The company has historically benefited from efficiency, and regulatory partnerships. actions to drive profitability and
strong government relationships and Saudi market expansion.
Outdated internal systems, inefficient processes, and an
Vision 2030’s push for digital transformation. undertrained sales force hinder operational effectiveness. Develop a framework to evaluate
As government infrastructure spending slows Investors demand improved ESG performance, adding further required investments and ensure
and foreign investment inflows decline, Nexus pressure to business transformation. successful execution.
Tech's traditional business model is becoming Service delivery and customer satisfaction levels lag behind
unsustainable. global benchmarks, impacting competitiveness.
Declining client acquisition, low Strategic Expansion & Digital Transformation: Strengthening salesforce,
Automation, ERP integration, and
margins, and reduced growth from upgrading MIS, and automating processes for efficiency.
optimized workflows will streamline
Saudi Vision 2030. operations and enhance
Market Growth & Partnerships: Expanding services under Saudi Vision 2030
Outdated systems, inefficient productivity.
and forming key partnerships.
processes, and weak salesforce
Service diversification and SME-
training lower competitiveness. Stepwise Implementation: Phased rollout of digital upgrades, workforce focused initiatives will drive
100K+ SMEs and 22K+ large training, and service expansion. profitability and expand market
enterprises present strong growth reach.
potential. Target Market Focus: Engaging 100K+ SMEs and 22K+ enterprises, leveraging
nearshoring trends, and building B2B ties. AI adoption, cloud solutions, and
Nearshoring and FDI trends shape strategic partnerships will
outsourcing and investment Risk Management: Ensuring compliance, strengthening partnerships, and strengthen competitive positioning.
opportunities. scaling gradually to mitigate financial risks.
Improved service delivery and digital
Rising demand for data warehousing,
Financial Viability: Driving revenue through diversification, cost engagement will enhance customer
visualization, and automation for
optimization, and FDI-driven growth. retention and reduce churn.
efficiency.
Ayush Bhat Atharva Zanzane Debraj Dutta Kunal Dugar Shilpa Sarkar Shrithi Kannan
POC
JUNIOR TEAM
Anush Jain Jyotirmayee S. Narasimhan Soumita Das Sriya Chatterjee Tahreem Fatma
WISHING YOU THE BEST
Contact us:
Consulting and Strategy Club, Symbiosis Institute
of Business Management Pune. Symbiosis
Knowledge Village, Lavale, Pune. Pin - 412115
consult-strategy@sibmpune.edu.in
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