Gambling in four perspectives

Gambling in four perspectives Gambling is the practice of betting money or any other material value on an event with an outcome that is not certain and with the primary intention of winning either money or material goods. In most cases the outcome of the gambler is within a short period. Although the exercise is not generally accepted by many authorities, it was been practiced on some set aside days by the Roman Catholics and the Jews. Although people practice gambling for recreation purposes, the practice affects the brain chemistry and could lead to psychological addiction. Reinforcing such a behavior becomes a challenge even after the gamblers incur huge losses in the practice. As the gamblers attempt to try to get rich quickly, they sink in deeper and deeper problems making it more complicated to come out of the problem (Black Shaw 18). Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Gambling in four perspectives specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This problem in some cases needs to be rectified when it reaches extreme levels that could affect the psychological well being of the gambler. The problem of gambling may affect the gambler either biologically, mentally or offer behavioral challenges which all combine to bring about an effect in the health of an individual. A gambler faces the challenge of imminent effect of addiction to the effects of gambling every time he continues with the exercise of gambling something that may take long to drop. Gambling affects the mind of the gambler and eventually reaches a point of requiring guidance and counseling in order to alleviate the problem. Psychologists suggest that neurological features that are shared may determine partially the pathological effect of gambling. Ian has been a gambling victim who has lost all his property through gambling yet remains lost in the miasma of the habit with little success in doing away with the habit. He has decided to eventually visit practicing psychol ogists in an effort to help him recover from the problem that has even made him to be in bad books with the family members. Behavioral psychologist, Mister Brown believes that Ian’s problem has been an accumulation weird behavior started when he was young and perpetuated in to adulthood. He therefore believes that rectifying this problem will involve retracting from the behavior by avoiding visiting the places where gambling is practiced. Mister Brown also suggests that Mister Ian reconciles with his family as the first step into forgiveness and subsequent reformation. Biological psychologist Mister Dennis advised Mister Ian to distance himself from the company of gamblers who provoked his interest of going into gambling. By keeping off from the company of gamblers, he would minimize the chances of the habit increasing. According to Black Shaw (10) gamblers secret norepinephrine which is normally associated with stress, thrill or arousal all which need to be cured using pro per medication. When this hormone is released, the patients may break up even when carrying out the gambling.Advertising Looking for assessment on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Cognitive psychologist Mister Hart suggested to Mister Ian to use medication to heal him from the adverse effects already caused by gambling in his mind. The medication was to cure the permanent effects created by gambling. Black D Shaw M Psychiatric Comorbidity Associated With Pathological Gambling. Psychiatric Times 25 (12) 2008

Free Essays on “Sports Drinks Refresh Rivalry For Coke, Pepsi”

This article takes a look at Coke’s Powerade vs. Pepsi’s Gatorade and how Coke plans on reviving their struggling product. Throughout this article it is apparent that Coke is using motivation and leadership while managing to change its underdog product. The company hopes that by using these methods they will gain more of the market share in the sport drink industry with the rival of Powerade. In the article Rohan Oza, a senior brand manager who is in charge of the Powerade campaign, claims the company is, â€Å"evolving the sports-drink category†. Coke is using a proactive process of change, since they are setting a new course of action for their sports drink rather than correcting the current one. Beginning last summer, Mr. Oza formed a quality circle to develop new strategies for the product. He stated that the group â€Å"started with a blank sheet†. The team was made of motivated individuals who had an organizational goal of working to achieve success above Pepsi’s Gatorade in the industry. The team began to â€Å"live and feel the brand,† says the Mr. Oza. They met with football players, energy experts, psychologists, and even talked to a MTV producer to make decisions about how the product should evolve. The equity theory will hopefully prove that the knowledge, education and experience of the team will allow their new strategy to be successful. The campaign that normally would take a team two years to develop took them less than one. This was in part due to many decisions that were made on instinct, such as the products new logo. While Coke is implementing many new ways to get their product to the consumer, Pepsi still remains to be the leader in the industry. Pepsi claims, â€Å"We’re going to watch Powerade closely and see how they do.† However they don’t feel that it will affect what they do. Pepsi believe they, â€Å"know and understand the athlete better than anyone on the planet.† This is what they... Free Essays on â€Å"Sports Drinks Refresh Rivalry For Coke, Pepsi† Free Essays on â€Å"Sports Drinks Refresh Rivalry For Coke, Pepsi† This article takes a look at Coke’s Powerade vs. Pepsi’s Gatorade and how Coke plans on reviving their struggling product. Throughout this article it is apparent that Coke is using motivation and leadership while managing to change its underdog product. The company hopes that by using these methods they will gain more of the market share in the sport drink industry with the rival of Powerade. In the article Rohan Oza, a senior brand manager who is in charge of the Powerade campaign, claims the company is, â€Å"evolving the sports-drink category†. Coke is using a proactive process of change, since they are setting a new course of action for their sports drink rather than correcting the current one. Beginning last summer, Mr. Oza formed a quality circle to develop new strategies for the product. He stated that the group â€Å"started with a blank sheet†. The team was made of motivated individuals who had an organizational goal of working to achieve success above Pepsi’s Gatorade in the industry. The team began to â€Å"live and feel the brand,† says the Mr. Oza. They met with football players, energy experts, psychologists, and even talked to a MTV producer to make decisions about how the product should evolve. The equity theory will hopefully prove that the knowledge, education and experience of the team will allow their new strategy to be successful. The campaign that normally would take a team two years to develop took them less than one. This was in part due to many decisions that were made on instinct, such as the products new logo. While Coke is implementing many new ways to get their product to the consumer, Pepsi still remains to be the leader in the industry. Pepsi claims, â€Å"We’re going to watch Powerade closely and see how they do.† However they don’t feel that it will affect what they do. Pepsi believe they, â€Å"know and understand the athlete better than anyone on the planet.† This is what they...

WORKING cAPITAL Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

WORKING cAPITAL - Case Study Example m, so it not only shows a poor condition of accounts receivable turnover but is also effecting the overall profitability of the firm, that’s why it is a matter of concern to the board of directors. Yes they are very much justified in their demand for tighter credit policy, because current loose credit policy is affecting overall profitability of the firm, so in order to meet overall strategic goals of the firm tighter credit policy is now necessary for the firm. Calculate the cost of foregoing the 2% cash discount offered under the 2/10 net 30 and 2/10 and net 60 terms respectively. Given that most retailers could take short term loans from banks at a rate of 16% or less, evaluate the attractiveness of each policy. It means that cost of foregoing cash discount is 37.24% which is much more than the cost of borrowing funds from bank i.e. 16% so it is much attractive for the customers to avail cash discount under 2/10 and net 30 policy. To speed up collections and reduce receivables, company can use collection specialists; accounts receivable management software and can adopt the policy of imposing penalties and charging interest for late payment. This slow buildup in accounts receivable have occurred due to extremely liberal credit policy that has been in place. As all of the customers were allowed a 60 days credit term without any proper credit evaluation and proper terms. Moreover, neither any penalty was imposed for late payment nor any discount was offered for timely payment. Develop the pro forma financial statements for the company under the two credit policy alternatives, i. e. 2/ 10, net 60; and 2/ 10 net 30 using the assumptions given. What would be the impact on the firms return on sales, return on investment, and return on

Current event tort Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Current event tort - Article Example Mr. Rypien, who is the lead plaintiff in the case, claims he is suffering from brain damage and disturbed mental functions as a direct result of this act by the League (Fenno 2012). The league, of course, denies any direct involvement, and contradicts the opinion that any vital information was intentionally kept from the players (Fenno 2012). This is an example of many such lawsuits against NFL for the same reasons (Fenno 2012). This is an example of a physical injury tort lawsuit, in which the defendant is blamed for intentional physical harm to the prosecutor. Lawsuit 2: In Perez v. Deitz, an Internet blogger and the user of the web platform, Yelp, is facing a lawsuit worth $750,000, due to her derogatory remarks about the company (Ferenstein 2012). Dietz Development is a home contractor company which is claiming to be losing customers after an Internet user, Jane Perez, published some defamatory remarks about the company on the website Yelp (Ferenstein 2012). ... The Yelp lawyers and critics themselves are of the view that such lawsuits would hamper free speech and the expression of true opinions (Ferenstein 2012). On the other hand, the court seems to hold the Internet users responsible for their words, as their words and comments seem to be having a far-reaching effect, especially on businesses (Ferenstein 2012). This is an example of defamatory tort lawsuits, in which the reputation of the prosecution is at stake, while there is no physical harm. This particular case is, furthermore, an example of SLAPP, or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation-related lawsuits (Ferenstein 2012). Lawsuit 3: Advocate South Suburban Hospital, and an obstetrician named in the lawsuit, have been sued for negligence and personal physical injury while delivering a baby who is now nine years old when the case is settled (Goldblatt and Smith 2012). Maria Cavanaugh was born to Kari Cavanaugh through a normal delivery in the mentioned hospital, while the m other was taking the pill called Pitocin (Goldblatt and Smith 2012). This drug is currently widely popular among expecting mothers, who are prescribed this to hasten labor and reduce the labor period (Goldblatt and Smith 2012). Although relatively safe before delivery, it is supposed to be cut off near term to minimize its side effects (Goldblatt and Smith 2012). Kari was also prescribed this drug, however, the nurses and the doctor actually increased the dose of the drug instead of discontinuing it, leading to toxic side effects incurred to the baby, who developed cerebral palsy and intense brain damage (Goldblatt and Smith 2012). According

Individuals and Their Discoveries Are Not Enough to Bring Medical Progress Essay Example for Free

Individuals and Their Discoveries Are Not Enough to Bring Medical Progress Essay Individuals and their discoveries are not enough on their own to bring medical progress. Explain how far this statement applies to Jenner and his work. Jenner’s discovery of the link between cowpox and smallpox was significant to the development of a vaccine for smallpox. However, it can be argued that Jenner and his discovery were not enough on their own to bring medical progress. The factors Scientific thinking, Government Communication and Changing attitudes played a major and important role to bring medical progress. One reason as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because the Government worked in Jenners favour to bring medical progress. In 1802 and 1807, Parliament gave Edward Jenner  £30,000 to develop his work on vaccination. This clearly indicates that without the help of Parliament, Jenner’s work would not have shown as much signs of advancement; hence he would not have had the money to progress. In addition to this, fifty years later vaccination was made compulsory in Britain which led a dramatic drop in smallpox cases. This evidently shows that without the help of the Government, Jenner’s work would not have been as widely spread and used by the people as much; therefore the government did play a significant role his Edward Jenner’s development of Vaccinations. A different explanation as to why the statement is relevant to Jenner and his work is because of the communication. This factor is seen to have an impact on the medical progress of Jenner, is because without the spread of Jenner’s discoveries, people would not be aware of vaccinations. In 1798, Jenner published his own accounts of his discover, spreading the details of his methods worldwide. Consequently, that people could see his work but scientists in particular were able to see his work and they could learn from his work. This is evidence that by spreading his work worldwide, it brought medical progress; it was not just Edward Jenner alone brought medical progress to the development of a vaccine for smallpox. A different factor as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because of the changing attitudes. Due to many people who had begun to think in a more scientific way, this meant that they were more open into accepting Jenner’s theory for Vaccinations. This implies that if people’s attitudes were similar to people who had supernatural beliefs, they would not have accepted the theory, therefore without the changing attitudes, Jenner’s work would not have caused a huge medical progression. Another reason which explains how the statement is relevant to Jenner and his work is because of the scientific thinking. Edward Jenner was able to use scientific method and experimentation in his research which is a clear indication his work can be considered trustworthy and it is likely to be accurate. Jenner also tested out his theory on a small boy which proved his theory to be correct but also on twenty-three other people. This shows that without the scientific methods and experiments, Jenner would not have reached the conclusion that his hypothesis was correct; therefore this is evidence for medical progress. Jenner’s scientific thinking is a key factor because without it, scientists would not have been able to see his work. Also his work would not have been as widely spread; people would not trust his work if it hadn’t been tested accurately, therefore people would not use his work. Another explanation as to why the statement applies to Jenner and his work is because of the individuals. Jenner himself had the insight to realise the link between cowpox and smallpox was important. If Jenner was not a determined individual and did not carry and publish his research, the theory of vaccination would most likely not exist today. Jenner had carried on, despite opposition and criticism which indicates with Jenner’s determination, he brought medical progress. In addition to this, Jenner also tested his theory of vaccination on twenty three people, including his six month old baby which shows he is a very dedicated individual. To conclude, there are many factors to support this statement: Government, Communication, Changing attitudes and Scientific thinking all bring medical progress, alongside the individuals and their discoveries. However, Scientific thinking caused the biggest impact on the medical progress because without whilst his methods and experiments, people would not trust his work, therefore people would not use his work.

ASP :: Essays Papers

ASP AUDIENCE: Beginning programmers or web developers. TITLE: ASP INTRODUCTION: ASP or Active Server Pages is a powerful server-based technology from Microsoft, designed to create dynamic and interactive HTML pages for World Wide Web sites. ASP is used to create dynamic or active web pages. Dynamic web pages may change depending on who visits the page, when they visit, or how they got there. Whereas a static web page will always be the same no matter what. The following report will explain what ASP is, discuss how ASP works, outline why ASP should be used ASP, and provide a brief overview of ASP syntax. This topic was chosen to educate myself about where ASP came from and why it is used and to pass what I have learned on to any one willing to read this report. DISCUSSION: What is ASP ASP was â€Å"born† in November 1996 when Microsoft announced its design of an Active Platform. It consists of two parts, the Active Desktop and the Active Server. The Active Desktop refers to the client side: where HTML files are displayed on a web browser. The Active Server refers to the server-side component. This consists of pages that can be interpreted by the server, hence the term Active Server Pages. An ASP file contains any combination of text, HTML tags, and script commands. A script command instructs a computer to do something, such as assign a value to a variable. The script commands in an ASP file are compiled on the server then the output is sent to the client computer for display. The actual ASP code or script commands in an ASP file are not sent to the client computer. The code is first executed on the server, creating HTML. This HTML then replaces the ASP code in the ASP file and then sent to the client to be displayed. ASP code can be any programming language that supports the ActiveX interface including JScript, VBScript, and PerlScript. As people know Microsoft has a tendency to make people use their products. But in the case of ASP people don’t have to. ASP has evolved into an â€Å"open technology framework† meaning it is no necessary to use Microsoft’s products to create code in it, although that’s the best way to go. You don’t have to use VBScript, which is from Microsoft, but PerkScript or JScript can be use, which aren’t from Microsoft.

Study of Maruti Suzuki Alto

SDM INSTITUTE FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT| STUDY OF MARUTI SUZUKI ALTO SDM IMD| REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN MANAGEMENT| | | Submitted to, Dr. H GAYATHRI Submitted by, Anuja Rani (12128) Harish K P (12140) Namratha Subramani (12152) Roshan V Shetty (12158) Sriharsha V (12170) Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENT3 INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY4 Historical Background4 Trends in Production6 Drivers of Indian Auto Industry8 Growth forecasts for Indian auto industry10Current industry scenario10 MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED12 VISION13 Manufacturing Excellence13 Maruti Suzuki and Motor Sport14 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED14 SALES AND SERVICE NETWORK16 ALTO – Let’s GO19 Alto Variants19 SALES GROWTH OF MARUTI ALTO20 STUDY OF ALTO IN THE CONTEXT OF MARKETING21 SWOT ANALYSIS21 STRENGTHS21 WEAKNESSES21 OPPORTUNITIES22 THREATS22 MARKETING MIX23 PRODUCT23 PRICE23 PROMOTION24 PLACE24 SEGMENTATION, TARGETI NG AND POSITIONING24 ?Segmentation24 ?Targeting25 ?Positioning25 COMPETING PRODUCTS26 Hyundai Motor India Limited26 Models26 Hyundai EON27 Tata Motors27Models27 Tata Nano27 General Motors India Private Limited28 Models28 Chevrolet Spark28 COMPARISON WITH COMPETITORS29 References30 Figures and Tables Figure 1: Category-wise automobile production4 Figure 2: Production Trend6 Figure 3: Percentage change in production7 Figure 4: Trends in production, sales and exports of automobiles8 Figure 5: Key drivers of Indian Auto Industry9 Figure 6: Sales growth of MSIL14 Figure 7: Profit after Tax and Sales Value15 Figure 8: Company Networth over Years15 Figure 9: Growth in Sales Network16 Figure 10: Market share of Passenger car segment. Source SIAM, 12/200917Table 1:Category-wise sales and production of automobile in India7 Table 2: Indian pockets growing deeper9 Table 3: Maruti's Competitors across various segments18 Table 4: Variants of Maruti Alto20 Table 5: Pricing of Maruti Alto Variants2 3 Table 6: Comparison of Alto with Competitors Products29 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The successful completion of this project would not have been possible without the help and constant support of many involved directly or indirectly. The team is grateful to Dr. H Gayathri, Dean – Administration and Professor, SDMIMD, Mysore for giving us an opportunity to conduct this study.The Management and administration of SDMIMD, Mysore has supported and guided us throughout and no amount of words can express our gratitude towards them. Last but not the least; the team is thankful to their parents and family members for their constant support. Group VIII, Section C PGDM 2012-14 INDIAN AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY Indian automobile industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. It is one of those manufacturing industries which have grown significantly since the liberalization of India’s economy in 1990s. The industry is also known for many innovations.In 2010, India has emerged as the second fa stest growing car market in the world next only to China. Sales of two wheelers crossed 10 million units during the year, a first, with all major two-wheeler manufactures registering high double digit growth. India in 2010 is the largest tractor manufacturer, second largest two wheeler manufacturer, fifth largest commercial vehicle manufacturer and the eleventh largest car manufacturer in the world. Figure 1: Category-wise automobile production Historical Background Since its establishment, the Indian automobile industry has undergone constant evolution.Some of the famous car that was manufactured in those times was Ambassador, Fiat 500 and Fiat 1100. In 1953, the government of India modified the regulatory framework and ensured that only those companies which have a manufacturing program in India would be allowed to operate. Seven companies including Hindustan Motors, Premier Automobiles Ltd. and Tata Engineering and Locomotives Company received approval to operate in Indian market . During the decade of 1960s, the three wheeler industry was established in India. In decade of 1980s, Maruti Udyog Ltd. as established and this catalysed the growth of automobile industry significantly. The introduction of Maruti 800 models led to the purchase of more and more vehicles by Indian Consumers. MUL (later named as Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. ) has a technological tie-up with Suzuki Motors of Japan which ensured substantial up-gradation of technology in the Indian car industry. Several multinational players like Mercedes-Benz, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Peugeot and Volvo and Global auto-component firms have also established their bases in India with the view to catering to the demand of not only the domestic market but also to the export markets.Later half of 1990s and early part of 21st century saw the Indian automobile industry making the extensive leap forward. Since then Indian companies have been emerging globally competitive. They have been making significant strides outside the boundaries through mergers and acquisitions. The evolution of Indian auto component industry is closely associated with the trends in the automobile industry due to strong inter-industry linkages. India started manufacturing components locally by establishing tie-ups with multi-national players for technological up-gradation.Hence India became major outsourcing destination for the auto majors of the world. The growth of automobile industry was aided by increased economic activity and infrastructure development, growing middle class population with disposable incomes and availability of consumer finance facilities. India’s turnover and exports have surged over the years. Industry has started establishing manufacturing and marketing base abroad. Since 1991, the number of manufacturing facilities in India has grown significantly.There are around 15 manufacturers of passenger cars and multi utility vehicles, around 10 manufacturers of commercial vehicles, around 15 of 2/3 whe elers. The Indian automobile industry accounts around 5% of the national GDP. The turnover of the automobile industry was around US $ 35 billion and that for components industry was at US $ 18 billion in 2007-08. The total investment in automobile and auto components sectors which was estimated to be at Rs 50,000 crores in 2002-03, has gone up to Rs 80,000 crores by the year 2007-08.The saturation of traditional automobile markets of Europe, USA and Japan has led to the increasing growth of automobile market in India. About two decades ago, Indian automobile market was supply driven with few vehicular models, which has changed now to a demand driven market catering to the cross section of the society with more than 150 models and variants. Trends in Production Over the last few years there has been an increase trend in the production of vehicles both in value and quantity terms.The only lean patch in production was during the year 2000-01 and recently in 2007-08 during which the gro wth in absolute number declined marginally. The momentum in the production may increase further with India being considered favourably as a outsourcing destination. Figure 2: Production Trend From the above graph, it can be seen that the production of automobiles is increasing gradually every year but it has reduced in 2007-08 due to recession. The figure 3 shows the percentage change in production of vehicles ever year. Figure 3: Percentage change in production Category| 2003-04| 2004-05| 2005-06| 2006-07| 2007-08| |Production| Sales| Production| Sales| Production| Sales| Production| Sales| Production| Sales| Passenger Vehicles| 989560| 902096| 1209876| 1061572| 1308913| 1143076| 1545223| 1379979| 1762131| 1547985| Commercial Vehicles| 275040| 260114| 353703| 318430| 391078| 351041| 519982| 467765| 545176| 486817| Two Wheelers| 5622741| 5364249| 6529829| 6209765| 7608697| 7052391| 8466666| 7872334| 8026049| 7248589| Three Wheelers| 356223| 284078| 374445| 307862| 434424| 359920| 55 6126| 403910| 500592| 364703| Grand Total| 7243564| 6810537| 8467853| 7897629| 9743112| 8906428| 11087997| 10123988| 10833948| 9648094| Table 1:Category-wise sales and production of automobile in India Figure 4: Trends in production, sales and exports of automobiles The production, sales and exports of automobiles have registered continuous growth from 2002 to 2007 except the year 2007-08. Exports as a percentage of production have also increased during the analysed period. The improvement in the export as a percentage of production from 4. 89% in 2001-02 to 11. 3% in 2007-08 shows the growing capability of the Indian automobile industry to meet the international norms and standards and increasing acceptance of automobiles manufactured from India in the global market. Drivers of Indian Auto Industry The growth of the Indian Auto industry is catalysed by various factors. * The passenger car penetration in India is at 8. 5 vehicles per thousand people absolute terms. It is among the l owest in the world. As per capita GDP of a society grows, mobility needs for its population rapidly increase. * The proportion of young people, who are economically active, is rising in the overall population. This has led to increasing urbanisation and the need for mobility which translates into a higher demand for two and four wheelers in India. Relatively good availability of money and a favourable interest rate regime has also been a strong contributor to sustained demand. * The Indian auto industry is expected to get a boost from the road development programmes that the country has undertaken (Golden Quadrilateral and NSEW corridors). Changing Lifestyle Changing Lifestyle Key Drivers Driversdr Key Drivers Driversdr Exchange of Cars Exchange of Cars Low Car Penetration Low Car Penetration Poor Public Transport System Poor Public Transport System Favourable Duty Structure Favourable Duty Structure Rising Family Income Rising Family Income Improved Infrastructure Improved Infrastr ucture Finance Availability Finance Availability Figure 5: Key drivers of Indian Auto Industry Annual Income in ? No of households in 2010(millions)| Expected household in 2015(millions)| More than 10 lakh| 1. 2| 3. 3| 5 -10 lakh| 2. 4| 5. 5| 2-5 lakh| 10. 9| 55. 1| 90 thousand-2 lakh| 91. 3| 106| Less than 90 thousand| 101. 1| 74. 1| Total| 206. 9| 244| Table 2: Indian pockets growing deeper From the table 2, it can be observed that Annual Income of the households is expected to grow at higher rate. By 2015, it is estimated that the number of households with Annual Income Rs 2-5 lakhs will be around 55 million. Growth forecasts for Indian auto industry * The Passenger Vehicle market of India will even cross Japan by selling about 5 million Vehicles by 2017-18. The Indian auto exports will be up to $5. 62 billion in the year ending march 2011 and the same will grow to $ 17. 64 billion in 2015-16. * India’s share in global auto exports may also triple by 2016. * India’s passenger vehicle production projections: * By 2015 – 5. 1 million vehicles * By 2020 – 9. 7 million Experts state that in the year 2050, India will top the car volumes of all the nations of the world with about 611 million cars running on its roads. Predictions made by Ernst and Young have estimated that the Indian passenger car market will have a growth rate of about 12 per cent per annum over the next five years to reach the production of 3. 5 million units by the year 2014. The analysts have further stated that the industry’s turnover will touch $155 billion by 2016. This achievement will succeed in consolidating India’s position as the seventh largest automobiles manufacturer on the globe, eventually surging forth to become the third largest by the year 2030 behind China and the US. Current industry scenario At present major Indian, European, Korean, Japanese automobile companies are holding significant market shares. In commercial vehicle, Tata Mot ors dominates over 60% of the Indian commercial vehicle market. Tata Motors is the largest medium and heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer.Among the two-wheeler segment, including scooters and mopeds- motorcycles have major share in the market. Hero Motocorp contributes 50% motorcycles to the market while Honda holds 46% share in scooter and TVS makes 82% of the mopeds in the country. In the three wheeler industry in India, Piaggio holds 40% of the market share. Bajaj is the leader by making 68% of the three-wheelers. Car manufacturers in India dominate the passenger vehicle market by 79%. Maruti Suzuki is the largest car producer in India and has 52% share in passenger cars and is a complete monopoly in multi-purpose vehicles. In utility vehicles Mahindra holds 42% share. Hyundai and Tata Motors are the second and third largest car manufacturers in India.MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED Maruti Suzuki India limited (MSIL, formerly Maruti Udyog Limited) is a subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Co rporation of Japan. Maruti Suzuki is a leading manufacturer of passenger vehicles in India. It is lovingly referred to as people’s car maker, over the past three decades. Maruti Suzuki has changed the way people in India commute and travel. The Company has two manufacturing facilities located at Gurgaon ; Manesar, south of New Delhi, India. Both the facilities have a combined capacity to produce over a 1. 5 million vehicles annually. The company plans to expand its manufacturing capacity to 1. 75 million by 2013.The Company offers 15 brands and over 150 variants ranging from people's car Maruti 800 to the latest Life Utility Vehicle – Ertiga. The portfolio includes Maruti 800, Alto, Alto K10, A-star, Estilo, WagonR, Ritz, Swift, Swift DZire, SX4, Omni, Eeco, Kizashi, Grand Vitara, Gypsy and Ertiga. In an environment friendly initiative, in August 2010 Maruti Suzuki introduced factory fitted CNG option on 5 models across vehicle segments. These include Eeco, Alto, Estil o, Wagon R and Sx4. With this Maruti Suzuki became the first company in India to introduce factory fitted CNG vehicles. In terms of number of cars produced and sold, the Company is the largest subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corporation.Cumulatively, the Company has produced over 10 million vehicles since the roll out of its first vehicle on 14th  December, 1983. Maruti Suzuki is the only Indian Company to have crossed the 10 million sales mark since its inception. In 2011-12, the company sold over 1. 13 million vehicles including 1,27,379 units of exports. The Company employs over 9000 people (as on 31st March, 2012). Maruti Suzuki's sales and service network is the largest among car manufacturers in India. The Company has been rated first in customer satisfaction in the JD Power survey for 12 consecutive years. Besides serving the Indian market, Maruti Suzuki also exports cars to several countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and Oceania VISIONThe Company believes that thei r core values drive them in every endeavour * Customer Obsession * Fast, Flexible and Fast mover * Innovation and creativity * Networking and Partnership * Openness and Learning Manufacturing Excellence Maruti began its operations in 1983, with the first the Maruti 800 rolling out from its Gurgaon plant. Over the next two decades Maruti Suzuki car models led by Maruti 800 brought about a revolution in the Indian car market. As the automobile market grew so did the company’s production capabilities, production process and infrastructure. Its scale and manufacturing today is completely different from when it began.Today Maruti Suzuki’s plants are comparable with the best in the world in terms of quality, productivity and operational efficiency. Exports In recent years, the company has expanded its presence in the overseas markets. It is not uncommon to find a Suzuki badge car in countries as different as Algeria, Netherlands, Chile, Sri Lanka, France and Italy. The Compa ny has exported over one million units cumulatively. Some leading overseas markets for the Company include advanced Western Markets such as Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy and U. K beside non-European markets like Australia, South Africa, Algeria, Chile, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.Today, Maruti Suzuki exports models such as A-star, Alto , Estilo, Ritz, M-800 across to over 125 countries. In 2011-12 the Maruti Suzuki exported over 127,300 units. For its sustained efforts in developing new international markets Maruti Suzuki won the Business world International Business Award 2012 (In Exports Auto and Engineering Category). Maruti Suzuki and Motor Sport Maruti Suzuki has been actively promoting motorsports in the country for over a decade now. To popularize action sport, the Maruti Suzuki motorsport calendar is packed with exciting motoring events. Be it for a motorsport enthusiast, an amateur or a professional, there are events that offer the thrill and joy of motorsport t o one and all.The events include Autocross, Treasure Hunt and professional rallies including Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya, Maruti Suzuki Desert Storm and Maruti Suzuki Dakshin Dare. These events provide rallying thrills as well as promote safe driving habits. For families, there are events like Women's Fun Drive and Treasure Hunt throughout the year, across cities. This year we will be organizing the fourth edition of Maruti Suzuki Autocar Young Driver contest, a nationwide search for India's best young driving talent. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED The performance of Maruti Suzuki India Limited has been showing continuous growth in terms of Sales value and sales volumes. The company has been able to maintain its momentum by adopting to the changing environment.The below graph shows the sales of Maruti Suzuki India Limited Figure 6: Sales growth of MSIL The below graph shows the Sales achieved and the Profit After tax of MSIL over the past 5 years. Figure 7: Profit after Tax and Sales Value The Company’s NETWORTH over the years has continuously increased. The growth in the company’s Networth is depicted in the chart below. Figure 8: Company Networth over Years SALES AND SERVICE NETWORK Maruti Suzuki boasts of the largest Sales and Service network in Indian Passenger Vehicles Market. The company has a Sales Network of 1100 in 801 cities across the country. The Company also has over 2,900 service points pread across 1408 cities across the country. The graph below depicts the growth in the sales network of Maruti Suzuki Figure 9: Growth in Sales Network MAJOR COMPETITORS Maruti Suzuki enjoys a market share of 45% in the Indian Passenger Car Market. However it has been facing stiff competion from other market players such as Hyundai with a market share of 16%, Tata Motors with a market share of 14%, Mahindra with a market share of 8%, Chevrolet with a market share of 4%, Toyota with a market share of 3 % among others. A breaku p of the market share of various players in the passenger car segment is shown below. Figure 10: Market share of Passenger car segment. Source SIAM, 12/2009It may be observed from the above chart and the sales growth of Maruti Suzuki, that the company has been facing stiff competition. The company being the Market Leader has been able to tide through the tough challenges effectively by employing various strategies. The company’s enormous service base and dealer network has enabled it to maintain its stronghold in the Passenger car market. Companies such as Hyundai, Tata Motors and Chevrolet have been launching products targeting the entry level car segment. However Maruti has been able to hold on to its customer base. Various challenging products launched by its competitors are given in the following table. Sl.No| Segment Description| MSIL Products| Competitors Products| 1| Passenger Cars: Mini| M800, A Star, Wagon-R, Alto| Chevrolet Spark and Beat, Tata Nano and Indica, Hyun dai Eon| 2| Passenger Cars: Compact| Swift, Estillo, Ritz| Hyundai i20, Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, Ford Figo, Fiat Punto, Nissan Micra, Renault Pulse, Honda Brio, Toyota Etios Liva| 3| Passenger Cars: Super Compact| DZire| Tata Indigo, Manza, Mahindra Verito, Hyundai Accent, Chevrolet Optra| 4| Passenger Cars: Mid-Size| SX4| Honda City and Civic, Hyundai Verna, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Fiesta, Fiat Linea, Nissan Sunny, Toyota Corolla, Renault Fluence| 5| Passenger Cars: Executive| Kizashi| Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Jetta, Skoda Laura, Toyota Camry| 6| Utility Vehicles| Gypsy, Ertiga, Grand Vitara| Toyota Innova, Tata Safari, Sumo, Mahindra Xylo, Scorpio, Renault Duster| 7| Vans| Omni, Eeco| | Table 3: Maruti's Competitors across various segments Even with the kind of competition, Maruti has been able to hold on to its position with its revolutionary products such as the Alto and Swift. Alto has been continuously the highest selling Passenger Car. Swift enjoys a high m arket share in the Compact Hatchback segment.With its presence in 801 cities across the country with over 1300 authorised service centers, Maruti has been able to hold on to its customers. Maruti also faced competition from the used car sales market, for which the company found a novel solution by launching True Value outlets for used cars. ALTO – Let’s GO Maruti Suzuki launched ALTO in the Indian market in 2000. Alto was launched in the entry level Hatchback segment alongside Maruti’s own M800 which was launched in 1983 and since then had revolutionised the Automobile market in India. Alto stood generations ahead of the M800 in terms of technology and interior space. Alto showed the industry what a mass car could offer. It was also the first car that showed that car sales in India could log high sales volumes.Alto achieved cumulative sales of 20 lakhs during March 2011, the highest for any Indian Car. It also recorded the highest ever number of sales for any In dian Car in March 2011 by selling 38,065 units. As of July, 2012, Maruti Suzuki Alto stands at the no 1 position with 17,422 units sold during the period with a share of 9% of overall passenger car sales. It is worth mentioning that the top three spots are all held by Maruti’s Products. Second position is held by Swift at sales of 11,421 units and DZire at sales of 11,413 units. Maruti Alto was also the world’s highest selling small car of the year in 2010. Major Achievements of Maruti Suzuki Alto: 1. World’s Largest Selling small car for two consecutive years. 2.Second Maruti Suzuki brand to sell over 2 million, with the first being Maruti 800. 3. Crossed the 20 lakh sales mark in just 11 years 9 months in June 2012 4. Only car brand in India to cross the 3,00,000 unit sales mark in a single financial year. 5. First Indian Car to successfully pass a 24hrs endurance test. 6. Has been the highest selling car brand in the domestic market consecutively for the past 7 years. Alto Variants Maruti Suzuki launched the Alto brand in various variants such as Standard, LX, LXi. VX and VXi. The table below gives a brief outline of the various variants and the features that it offered Sl. No| Variant| Features offered| 1| Standard| Introduced as the basic model.Had an advantage over M800 in that it had more space and introduced the 5th gear for cruising at high speeds| 2| LX| Model Introduced along with Air Conditioning| 3| LXi| Model Introduced along with Air Conditioning and Power Steering features| 4| VX| This model sported a 4 cylinder V engine along with Air-Conditioning| 5| VXi| This model sported a 4 cylinder V engine along with Air-Conditioning and Power Steering feature| 6| Alto K10| This model was recently launched in 2010 with a powerful 1000cc engine| Table 4: Variants of Maruti Alto Alto has been highly performing in the market and forms the major sales generating cars for Maruti Suzuki.The company’s effective positioning of the br and enabled it to gain the market leader position in a short period of time. With huge growth of the Brand, MSIL slowly and in a phased manner closed down several of its production lines of M800. Thus Alto allowed MSIL to cannibalise its own product. Alto’s Brand name made Suzuki market A-Star under the Alto brand in Europe. Recent Developments: Recently Alto has been facing stiff competition by players such as Chevrolet (GM), Tata Motors and Hyundai. Launch of Tata Nano was expected to eat into the sales of Alto. Chevrolet launched Spark and Eon’s launch by Hyundai have been expected to eat into Maruti Alto’s sales.However the company has adopted aggressive marketing strategies to combat the same. The company launched the Maruti Alto Xplore feature with a number of additional features. Alto K10 introduced in 2010 also helped the company combat some combination, which helped it to maintain combined sales of 20,000 units per month. The company is also expected to launch a new 800cc car to be named as Alto 800, with a price in the sub 2 lakh range making it around 40,000 cheaper than the regular Alto. This may be the company’s answer to Nano from Tata Motors. Maruti’s Alto 800 will replace the Iconic M800 and is likely to cash in on the 28-year legacy that the car has created.Also Maruti is expected to launch the model during the 2012 Indian Festival season to push up sales volumes. SALES GROWTH OF MARUTI ALTO Alto since its inception in 2000 has been posting increasing sales. The sale of Alto in FY 2009 was 212,000 units and grew to 235,000 units in FY 2010. FY 2011 saw sales of 347,000 units and during FY 2012 the brand recorded a sales of 308,000 units. STUDY OF ALTO IN THE CONTEXT OF MARKETING In the course of this work an attempt has been made to study Maruti Alto in the context of Marketing by applying various marketing techniques and models. An effort has been made to apply relevant models to study the success of the bra nd.We start with studying the brand in the context of 4 P’s, make a SWOT analysis on Maruti Alto and discuss the Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning. SWOT ANALYSIS The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for Maruti Alto as a brand is analysed below STRENGTHS Company Reputation: Maruti enjoys a very good reputation in the Indian Passenger Car Market. The company has built on the reputation from its M800 which revolutionised the market. As a brand Maruti Alto enjoys a similar reputation as the most selling small car. Market Share: Maruti being the market leader in the Passenger car segment enjoys a large market share of over 40%. Alto also enjoys a huge market share in terms of volume sales at around 9% of the overall passenger car sales.Customer Satisfaction: Maruti Suzuki is Ranked No. 1 in J D Power Customer Satisfaction Index consecutively for 12 years. Distribution Effectiveness: Maruti has a vast distribution and service channel. This has helped the compa ny penetrate into the whole geographical reach of India. The company has a total sales network of 1100 dealers and has covered 801 Indian cities. It has over 1305 Dealer workshops and around 1653 authorised service centres spanning 1408 cities. Geographical Coverage: The Company has covered the width and breadth of the Indian Subcontinent. With its huge sales and service network the company has been able to maintain a strong foothold in the market. WEAKNESSESTechnical Manufacturing Skills (Diesel Car Segment): Maruti Suzuki has by far been the best performing company in the passenger car segment in the petrol variants. Its major sales have been in the Petrol variants. However the company lacks experience in the diesel cars manufacturing and is relatively new to the segment. However with the introduction of the diesel versions of Swift and Swift DZire the company has alleviated the absence in this segment. However Alto completely misses out in this segment. The company has recently r eported that it is planning to launch a car with an 800 cc diesel engine. Workforce: Maruti Suzuki has a large workforce; however most of this workforce has been contract personnel.The company has been witnessing regular strikes by the workforce. A recent turmoil at the companies Manesar Plant is evident of the volatile workforce of the company. Export Market: Maruti Suzuki has been the leader in domestic sales; however the company lags behind in exports. Hyundai its closest competitor in the domestic front holds the leader position in exports. Though Alto has made a name in European roads, the company has not been able to capitalise on the same due to lack of experience. OPPORTUNITIES Purchasing Power: The growing purchasing power and Income of the Indian Middle Class family is an opportunity that the company can capitalise upon.Diesel Car Segment: Though Maruti Suzuki and Alto as a brand suffer from their relative absence in the diesel car market, the diesel car segment is a lusci ous opportunity for the company to cash upon. With subsidised diesel prices and better diesel engine technologies in the market, many customers are willing to try diesel cars. Therefore a growing diesel car market segment is an opportunity for Maruti. THREATS Competition from Foreign Players: Maruti Suzuki faces a major challenge from the new players entering the Indian Market from foreign countries. This was already witnessed after the launch of Chevrolet (General Motors) in India. Competition from Second hand / Used Cars Market: Many first timers tend to buy used cars. This eats into the sales of Maruti Suzuki’s products.However the company has been able to alleviate it with the launch of its very own True Value outlets selling used cars. MARKETING MIX An attempt is made to analyse the Brand with reference to the 4 P’s of marketing: Product, Price, Promotion and Place. PRODUCT Large Portfolio of products: Maruti Suzuki has a large variety of products as shown in tabl e 3. Apart from this the company also has a variety of products under its various brands. Maruti launched Alto in a number of variants such as Standard, LX, LXi, Vx and VXi (referred in table 4) Design: Maruti Alto was so designed to increase the interior space of the car in comparison with the M800. Also the car featured a fifth gear which was absent in the erstwhile leader M800.Features: Feature additions have been taking place as per the requirements of the customers. Features such as power windows are now a part of the new models K10 and Xplore. Warranty: MSIL offered a warranty of 2 years or 40,000 kms of running whichever is earlier from the date of delivery to its first owner for all of its cars. Also MSIL provides extended warranty services on payment of a premium. The warranty can be extended to 3 or 4 years (60,000 kms or 80,000 kms). PRICE Various variants of Maruti Alto is priced as per the table below: Sl. No| Model| Price (non Metallic) in Rs| Price (Metallic) in Rs| 1 | Alto Standard| 2,49,477. 98| 2,52,745. 62| | Alto LXI| 3,01,249. 97| 3,04,517. 61| 3| Alto LX| 2,82,489. 77| 2,85,757. 42| 4| Alto K10 LXI| 3,24,319. 31| 3,27,587. 10| 5| Alto K10 VXI| 3,37,736. 80| 3,41,004. 92| Table 5: Pricing of Maruti Alto Variants MSIL has been recently adopting Aggressive pricing to capture higher market share and to counter the attack by other manufacturers such as Hyundai with the launch of EON. Maruti During the initial days of launch of Alto had put Alto under the A2 segment. The A1 segment had only 1 Brand, the M800. The A2 segment contained 3 brands viz. , Alto, Zen and Esteem. Thereby Maruti scaled down the Alto LX model to Alto Standard priced at over 2. 4 Lakhs.This enabled Maruti to play 2 brands in the A1 segment which earlier had only one car. Also it may be noted that Alto initially priced the Alto in the A2 segment as most of the components were imported. Efforts of Import Substitution led to increase in the local content and Maruti was thus a ble to reduce the prices of the models. Maruti is seen adopting aggressive pricing recently. It is reported to be planning the Alto 800 in the sub 2 lakh Rupees segment, cheaper by almost Rs 40,000 than the regular Alto. PROMOTION Maruti Suzuki adopted various sales promotion and Advertising efforts. They target the market with taglines such as â€Å"Ghar Ghar me Maruti†, â€Å"Mera Sapna Mera Maruti†, â€Å"India comes home in a Maruti†.Ads telling Maruti Alto – Lets Go stressed on the fuel efficiency of the cars. Maruti’s Advertisements were targeted at the mileage savvy Indian consumer. Ads in which people would ask a guide â€Å"Kitna Deti Hai† were clearly targeted at the Indian Consumer. The ads noted in the end that â€Å"For a Country Obsessed with Mileage, Maruti makes the most fuel efficient cars†. Maruti also offered discounts during festival seasons to increase its sales volumes. Maruti choose many channels for its promoti on. It advertised on the print media, broadcasted its advertisements and also advertised over the Internet. Alto was promoted everywhere as a fuel efficient Brand. PLACESales Channels: Maruti expanded from a sales network of 375 in 227 cities in 2005-06 to 801 cities in 2011-12 with a total sales network of 1100. The company has a service network spread across 1408 cities. Coverage: Maruti has been able to launch its products across all states of the country. Its sales network presence in 801 cities indicates to the fact that Maruti has been able to launch its products across the Indian Subcontinent. SEGMENTATION, TARGETING AND POSITIONING * Segmentation: Maruti Suzuki segmented the market on the basis of income and age. In this way they employed demographic segmentation. * Income: For high income groups models like SX4, Kizashi, Swift Dzire and Ertiga were launched.For middle income groups models like Alto, A Star, Ritz, Wagon-R and Swift under premium hatchback segment were launch ed. * Age: Maruti Alto was targeted at the Indian Youth. The company launched AD campaigns which showcased it as a car for the youth. However the car appealed for all the age segments. * Targeting: Maruti Suzuki targeted the Indian youth and the middle income group. The company looked at the vast population who were looking to switchover from two wheelers to four wheelers. * Positioning: Maruti Suzuki positioned Alto as the car for the youth along with their existing position as a fuel efficient brand. Their advertisements depicted Alto as a fuel efficient small car for the youth.This can be also known from the Maruti Suzuki’s note on Alto as â€Å"Epitomising freedom and independence, the Alto offers high fuel efficiency and is easy on maintenance. The Alto is the perfect option for the ever-mobile youth of today†. COMPETING PRODUCTS Ever since its Launch Maruti’s Alto has been clocking large sales. The company capitalised on the growing Income of the Indian Ho usehold and targeted the Indian Youth. It may be noted that as mentioned earlier, 27% of Alto’s sales came from youth under the age of 29. This was noticed by other major players in the Indian Sector. Thus most of them launched products challenging the position of Maruti Alto. Hyundai, General Motors and Tata Motors came up with products supposed to challenge Maruti Alto.Below a brief discussion is made about these companies and their competing products. Hyundai Motor India Limited Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC), South Korea and is the largest car exporter and second largest car manufacture in India. HMIL presently markets models of passenger cars across different categories. HMIL’s manufacturing plant is located near Chennai with the total capacity of 600000 units per annum. It claims to have the most advanced production, quality and testing capabilities in the country. To support its growth and expansion plans, HMIL currently has a 336 strong dealer and 721 strong service points across India.Models The following are the models available currently from the HMIL. 1. Hyundai Accent Executive(Launched 2003) 2. Hyundai Santro Xing(Launched 2003) 3. Hyundai Uber Cool i20(Launched 2008) 4. Hyundai Next Gen i10(Launched 2010) 5. Hyundai Fluidic Verna(Launched 2011) 6. Hyundai EON(Launched 2011) 7. Hyundai Santa Fe(Launched 2010) 8. Hyundai Sonata(Launched 2012) Among these models, Hyundai EON is the nearest competitor for Maruti Alto. It is priced between Rs 2. 7 lakhs to Rs 3. 7 lakhs and gives the Maruti Alto a strong competition. Hyundai EON Maruti is facing stiff challenge from its direct competitor Hyundai Motors after the launch of EON.There was slight slowdown in Alto’s booking and sales ever since HMIL announced the launch of its new product EON. Hyundai EON was also targeted at the same segment of Indian Youth which was the major segment generating revenues for Maruti Alto. EON achieved bookings of 6315 units during October 2011 during which period the sales of Alto clocked 15,197 units. Tata Motors Tata Motors is the India’s largest Automobile manufacturing company, world’s 4th largest truck manufacturer and 2nd largest bus manufacturer. It is ranked 3rd in the passenger car segment. It has auto manufacturing and assembly and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Sanand, Dharwad and Pune.It has also operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain through subsidiaries. It has sold over 6. 5 million vehicles in India since 1954. Models Under passenger cars division of Tata Motors, the following are the models available currently. 1. Tata Sumo / Grande / Gold 2. Tata Safari 3. Tata Indica / Vista 4. Tata Indigo / Marina / Manza 5. Tata Nano 6. Tata Xenon XT 7. Tata Aria Among these models, Tata Nano is the significant competitor for Maruti Alto. It is priced very aggressively around Rs 1. 5 lakhs. Tata Nano The Nano was a household name even before its launch. The launch of Tata Nano expanded the Indian car market by 65% (according to CRISIL). At present, the Nano comes with a 4 years / 60000 km warranty.The launch of Nano lessened the price gap between the two wheelers and the four wheelers. The Nano was expected to be a major challenge for the Alto and was expected to eat into the sales of Alto. During October 2011 Nano recorded a sales of 3868 units against Alto’s sales of 15,197 units. General Motors India Private Limited General Motors India Private Limited is the fifth largest automobile manufacturing company in India after Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Tata Motors and M&M. In 1996, GM launched its first model Opel Astra. General Motors India manufacturing plant is located at Halol, Gujarat and they entered the Indian Auto market with total investment of US $ 252 million.In 2003, the company entered the MUV segment by launching the Chevrolet brand in India through Forester. In 2004, the comp any launched another MUV model, the Tavera. The Tavera was quite successful in capturing the attention of tours and travels operators after the exit of Toyota Qualis. Following this the company launched various models in different categories under Chevrolet brand. Models GM India motors discontinued all the models under the Opel brand in 2006 and replaced by Chevrolet. The following are the current models available under the Chevrolet brand. 1. Chevrolet Optra (Launched 2003) 2. Chevrolet Tavera(Launched 2004) 3. Chevrolet Aveo / U-VA (Launched 2006) 4. Chevrolet Spark (Launched 2007) 5.Chevrolet Captiva (Launched 2008) 6. Chevrolet Beat (Launched 2010) 7. Chevrolet Cruze (Launched in 2007 and upgraded in 2012) Chevrolet Spark GM launched Chevrolet Spark in 2007 targeting the entry level segment with a price tag between Rs 3. 14 – Rs 3. 68 lakhs. . Chevrolet Spark was also launched on the same platform as that of Alto targeting the youth. Chevrolet introduced additional featu res such as airbags to its variants in Spark. Chevrolet also offered a 3 year / 100000 km warranty for Spark while Maruti offered only a 2 years / 40000 km warranty for Alto. During October 2011 Chevrolet Spark Clocked a sales of 1782 units as against Alto’s sales of 15,197 units.COMPARISON WITH COMPETITORS In the previous section the close competitors of Maruti Suzuki Alto were discussed. Here an attempt is made to compare the brands on various aspects. The table below shows the comparison. Factor of Comparison| ALTO| HYUNDAI EON| TATA NANO| CHEVROLET SPARK| Company Reputation| High| High| High| Good| Brand name| High| High| Good| Good| Product Quality| Good| Good| Good| High| Product Features| Less| Good| Less| Good| Market Share| High| Low| Low| Low| Product Variants| Good| Less| Less| Less| Table 6: Comparison of Alto with Competitors Products It may be noted that Maruti Suzuki Alto stands ahead of its competition.However, during recent times it is seen that the market sh are of the company and the brand has reduced due to other promotional strategies employed by its competitors as well as the features and services offered. Various strategies that may be adopted by Maruti Suzuki to help retain its market share are given below: 1. Product Reformulation: Maruti may adopt various product reformulation strategies to increase its image. The interiors of Alto have been noted to be boring and less spacious. Maruti should work towards improving the interiors of Alto and also to increase the leg space. 2. Feature Additions: Maruti Alto suffered a setback to Hyundai Eon as Eon sported Airbags among other safety features. Maruti can also introduce features such as Airbags, Anti-Lock Braking system and Power Windows. 3.Product Quality Improvement: Maruti Alto was reported to have hard gears in comparison to Hyundai cars. Maruti may work on the same to improve the quality of the cars. References [1] | M. Goyal, â€Å"How Maruti keeps meeting India's demand ; wha t makes Swift and Dzire so popular,† The Economic Times, 19 August 2012. | [2] | â€Å"www. ibef. org/industry/automobiles. aspx,† [Online]. | [3] | â€Å"http://amitbiswal. blogspot. in/2011/08/market-share-analysis-of-indian-car. html,† [Online]. | [4] | S. R. Anjan Ghosh, â€Å"Indian Passenger Vehicle Industry: Growth Momentum To Continue†. | [5] | M. M. Mr. S. Prahalathan, â€Å"Indian Automotive Industry:At The Crossroads,† Quest Publications, 2008. [6] | Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, â€Å"Annual Report 2011-2012†. | [7] | â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Maruti_Suzuki,† [Online]. | [8] | M. Singh, â€Å"Maruti Adapts Aggressive Marketing Strategy For Alto To Combat EON Effect,† Caredekho. com, 20 October 2011. | [9] | â€Å"http://bestsellingcarsblog. com/category/india/,† [Online]. | [10] | â€Å"http://management-punditz. blogspot. in/2012/04/indian-automobile-statistics-fy-2012. html,† [Online]. | [11] | â€Å"http://www. marutisuzuki. com/,† [Online]. | [12] | N. S. Gupta, â€Å"Maruti may position Alto in the A segment,† The Economic Times, 23 April 2004. | [13] | â€Å"http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_India,† [Online]. |

Law Enforcement Today Essay

There are many issues facing that law enforcement today from things such as racial discrimination to probable cause and for the officers who go through this on a daily basis it is has been a long and hard fight. In today’s law enforcement agencies there are many local, state and federal agencies that are in contact with the Department of Homeland Security. Racial discrimination is an issue for law enforcement today because there are cases in which a white officer arrests or shoots someone who is a minority and the minority public sees this to be an act of racial discrimination versus it being that someone who happens to be a minority not abiding by the laws that govern them and all the citizens around them as well as attempting to cause harm to those around them. For instance I am sure everyone has heard about the Michael Brown case that occurred in August 2014 where a white police officer shot and killed a black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri which has caused a problem in other agencies while their officers are on the road. Another incident that has become an issue is the safety of officers. For instance back on September 12, 2014 when a man who was seeking change shot and killed a Pennsylvania State Trooper while injuring another. Another issue all local, state and federal agencies deal with would be the issue on immigration. The reason immigration is an issue for police agencies is because when you have a person or a group of people that have come to the U.S. illegally they can cause problems in society that are unwanted and that cause crime to rocket in a specific area or all over the country. Another issue that the police agencies go through would be cybercrime. Cybercrime is a big issue for police agencies because the job of the police department is to protect the citizens and when a child is being bullied to the point the child takes their life or child pornography is being exposed on the internet it is a crime because it is causing someone else to become unsafe as well as it being illegal. Cybercrime is also very difficult for law enforcement  agencies to deal with because they can be very difficult to catch unless someone points out in plain view the specifics of who, when, where, what, and how it is occurring. Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies interact with Homeland Security in many ways. Some ways that these agencies interact with Homeland Security is by helping to continue in keeping the citizens of the United States of America safe report and by eliminate terrorist attacks or anything that will hinder the lives of the American people in any way in the United States. For instance if a local police agency runs a traffic stop that positively identifies known terrorists than they can bring the terrorists for questioning and to alert the state and federal agencies and the government on information about the terrorists and their groups. The way the Department of Homeland Security gets the federal, local and state law enforcement agencies involved is by collecting data, information, tools and resources that each of these agencies are going to need in order help eliminate terrorism in the United States. While trying to get all the agencies involved there are also different things that DHS and the local, state and federal agencies can do in order to improve their relationship. Such things include on how they communicate and share information, enhance federal resources as well as supporting them through grants, training and other means. Lastly, they would be to strengthen its analytic capabilities to achieve better awareness of new and emerging threats. As one who would like to become a police officer one day I too would like to gain access in helping to resolve the issues that the local, state and federal governments are facing today as well as in the future as well as protecting the citizens of the United States. Taking it step by step will help eliminate the threat of terror as well as even the issues of the department and the Standard Operating Procedures they go through.

Free Essays on Self-medication The New Epidemic

Self Medication: The New Epidemic Untold damage and suffering is caused by alcohol and drug abuse. Each year substance abusers, as well as their families and friends are suffering needlessly. The suffering may continue, treated as addiction rather than as an underlying physical or psychological disorder. The substance abuser may have many reasons to abuse their substance of choice. To the substance-addicted individual, these reasons are valid. The purpose of reasoning usually is to rationalize repeated use of the drug of choice. Rationalizing allows a chemical abuser to exceed commonly consumed or prescribed quantities.â€Å"I self-medicated with alcohol for more than thirty years and became addicted to prescription painkillers for about ten years in a foolish attempt to gain enough control so that I could manage to keep working. The self-medication became the only way, over time, that I could manage to sleep or remain in control enough to function† from Will3481forum member (Bailey, Bi-Polar ForumsWebsite). Although all drugs seem to affect the abuser in similar ways, the purpose for repeated abuse may have an underlying but illusive cause. One cause for self-medicating may be psychiatric in origin. At the 1996 U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress, Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, reported that "substance abuse occurs in 30% to 60% of patients with bipolar disorder and is more likely to co-exist with bipolar illness than with any other Axis I psychiatric disorder" (1996). Dr. Brady goes on to add, "2% to 4% of alcoholics and up to 30% of cocaine abusers meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder†. Agnes B. Hatfield, Ph.D., approached the statistics from a different view stating that "as much as 50 percent of the mentally ill population also has a substance abuse problem" (Bailey, Bi-Polar Forums Website). Physical pain may place a pers... Free Essays on Self-medication The New Epidemic Free Essays on Self-medication The New Epidemic Self Medication: The New Epidemic Untold damage and suffering is caused by alcohol and drug abuse. Each year substance abusers, as well as their families and friends are suffering needlessly. The suffering may continue, treated as addiction rather than as an underlying physical or psychological disorder. The substance abuser may have many reasons to abuse their substance of choice. To the substance-addicted individual, these reasons are valid. The purpose of reasoning usually is to rationalize repeated use of the drug of choice. Rationalizing allows a chemical abuser to exceed commonly consumed or prescribed quantities.â€Å"I self-medicated with alcohol for more than thirty years and became addicted to prescription painkillers for about ten years in a foolish attempt to gain enough control so that I could manage to keep working. The self-medication became the only way, over time, that I could manage to sleep or remain in control enough to function† from Will3481forum member (Bailey, Bi-Polar ForumsWebsite). Although all drugs seem to affect the abuser in similar ways, the purpose for repeated abuse may have an underlying but illusive cause. One cause for self-medicating may be psychiatric in origin. At the 1996 U.S. Psychiatric & Mental Health Congress, Kathleen Brady, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, reported that "substance abuse occurs in 30% to 60% of patients with bipolar disorder and is more likely to co-exist with bipolar illness than with any other Axis I psychiatric disorder" (1996). Dr. Brady goes on to add, "2% to 4% of alcoholics and up to 30% of cocaine abusers meet the diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder†. Agnes B. Hatfield, Ph.D., approached the statistics from a different view stating that "as much as 50 percent of the mentally ill population also has a substance abuse problem" (Bailey, Bi-Polar Forums Website). Physical pain may place a pers...

Substitute Folder - Creating a Teacher Packet

Substitute Folder - Creating a Teacher Packet A substitute folder is an essential resource that all teachers should have prepared and clearly labeled on their desk in case they are absent. This folder should provide the substitute with important information to help them teach your students throughout the day. What to Include in Your Substitute Packet The following list includes  general items to include in your substitute teacher packet: Class List:  Provide a class list and place a star next to the students that can be trusted to help the substitute with any questions they may have. Teacher Schedule:  Provide a schedule of any duties that the teacher may have (bus duty, hall duty). Attach a map of the school and mark the spots where theyre assigned to go. Class Schedule/Routine:  Include a copy of the daily routine. Provide information such as how attendance is taken and where it should go, how student work is collected, when students are able to use the restroom, how students are dismissed, etc. Classroom Discipline Plan:  Provide your classroom behavior plan. Inform substitutes to follow your plan and leave you a detailed note if any student has misbehaved. School Policies:  Include a copy of the school behavior plan, what to do in case of an early dismissal, playground rules, lunchroom rules, tardy procedure, computer usage, and rules, etc. Seating Chart:  Provide a copy of the class seating chart clearly labeled with each students name and any important information about each child. Emergency Procedures/Fire Drills:  Include a copy of the schools emergency procedures. Highlight escape  routes and exit doors, so that the substitute will know exactly where to take the children in case of an emergency. Important Student Information:  Provide a list of students food allergies, medical information (such as medicine) and any other special needs. Time Fillers:  Select a few five-minute activities in case the substitute has a few extra minutes to spare. Emergency Lesson Plans:  Select at least a weeks amount of emergency lessons in case you are not able to complete a lesson for them. Include spare worksheets and review sheets with enough copied for the whole class. Colleagues Contact Information:  Include a list of names and numbers of the surrounding classroom teachers and faculty. A Note from the Sub:  Provide a worksheet for the substitute to fill out at the end of the day. Title it A Note From_______ and have the substitute fill in the blanks for the following items: Date:____My day was____The following students were helpful______Some problems I had throughout the day were_____Additional Comments______ Additional Tips Use a three-ring binder with dividers and clearly label each section. Some options for organizing your binder are:Use a divider for each day of the week and place detailed lesson plans and procedure for that day.Use a divider for each essential item and place contents in the appropriate section.Use a divider and color coordinate each component and place contents in each section. Place important items in the front pocket such as office passes, hall passes, lunch tickets, attendance cards, etc.Create a Sub Tub. Place all essential items in a color-coordinated filing tub and leave on your desk each night, just in case.If you know you will be absent then write the daily routine on the front board. This will give the students and the substitute something to refer to.Lock up personal belongings; you do not want the students or substitute having access to your personal information.Clearly, mark the folder and place it on your desk or in an obvious location.

Work Based Learning in the Creative and Cultural Industries Assignment - 2

Work Based Learning in the Creative and Cultural Industries - Assignment Example The information that is being given to the public continues to be announced, specifically with a relation to updates about the flu, how it is spreading and what an individual can do for prevention and treatment (Flu.Gov). The main concepts that are associated with the swine flu, even though it is based on prevention and treatment, has led to further questions about the attitudes toward this epidemic. It has been found that the swine flu outbreak is one that is not only based on health and prevention. Instead, the media has created a further epidemic through the amount of knowledge that they have received as well as through the hype that has been created around the flu. The limited evidence, knowledge and the idea of the risk where millions will die has created a different culture and attitude surrounding the swine flu. The influence of the media is one that has altered the understanding and legitimacy of the flu and has created a different culture related to the vaccinations and seriousness surrounding this virus (Goldacre, 2009). To find the true beliefs of culture and society about the swine flu, as well as the impact of the media, I have interviewed a variety of individuals. The questions asked relate to the legitimacy of the flu as well as the information and understanding of what is a part of this epidemic. The results show that, there is a cultural and societal understanding of the flu, not only based on the facts about the swine flu, but also from the influence of the media and the hype that is surrounding this specific flu. From the work place to homes, is an epidemic that is not only based on the flu, but also is related to the culture and expectations that are surrounding

The changeling by Thomas Middleton Research Paper

The changeling by Thomas Middleton - Research Paper Example It was interesting to note how their personalities changed during the course of the journey of the story, and how they went through various changes over the course of their respective lives, also intertwined with each others’ because of the various events that took place in their daily lives. Therefore, the focus of this paper has been aligned to the different characters’ existences and how they cope with things that come their way and come to be known in the end. This is mainly a play centred on the idea of sexual tensions between people and how physical beauty always at first outlives a person’s inner beauty and personality. The characters develop and understand their own selves over the course of the entire play and come to terms with themselves as to how they should have been. (Middleton Thomas, Rowley William 1) In The Changeling, Beatrice-Joanna comes across to the readers as someone who portrays a sense of rhetoric love. She is a woman who catches the attention of two men at once, and throughout the course of the play, she displays a reflection of the desires of both of them, which coincide and conflict with each other, at the same time. Beatrice-Joanna is Vermandero’s daughter. She is a shrewd young woman whose interests lie in a number of things. She makes men fall for her in order to get her dirty work done, for example, the way she behaves with DeFlores throughout the play. She entices men by making them believe that she will give them what they want most with her – some alone time in the bedroom. â€Å"Forsooth, if we are to hear of no wickedness, history must be done away with. So those comedies should be prized which condemn the vices which they bring to our ears, especially when the life of impure women ends in an unhappy death.† Scaliger, a literature critic, said this in reference to Beatrice and the actual impurity that lay within her. With a more thorough analysis given below, with regard to her