Tycoon flares

It seems like exciting times for outbursts. We previously had an MP babu protesting during an Oracle video conference and now it was the tur...

It seems like exciting times for outbursts. We previously had an MP babu protesting during an Oracle video conference and now it was the turn of Wipro chief Azim Premji, who used his announcement for his quarterly results as a platform to vent grievances against the Karnataka government. Premji was obviously perturbed for a long time as he rattled off a list of complaints ranging from bad infrastructure at Wipro headquarters, where land was quickly being converted for residential and commercial use, to the erratic power supply. When Premji’s complaints reached the ears of Karnataka Chief Minister S.M. Krishna, a task force was promptly set up under the chief secretary to immediately investigate and rectify the problems. The CM didn’t stop there, he even sent off a very polite epistle to the Premji assuring him that all needy action would be taken and that he could relax in his office devoid of any fears of power cuts. Premji himself least expected this last action and seems someone has a fan in high places!

Tea won’t do anymore

G. P. Goenka, chairman of Duncan Industries Ltd (DIL) is a troubled man. Burdened with a debt of Rs 600 crore, Goenka is exploring every avenue to try and get his business back on track. One of his biggest headaches is the number of fixed deposit holders who have collectively invested Rs 90 crore and don’t know how long they have to wait to recover their investments. An unfazed Goenka is all set to launch a bottled iced lemon tea, initially in the eastern region. Priced at Rs 12 for a 200 ml bottle Goenka is hell bent on popularising the drink in schools, colleges and clubs. This is not the first of Goenka’s wild card initiatives. A few years ago, Duncan’s teashops were set up in different parts of Kolkata. Now Duncan’s intends to place its branded loose teas in 20,000 odd kirana shops in the city and its suburbs. Plenty of initiatives from DIL but too many of them have neither saved the company from its downhill slide nor decreased its debt burden. Goenka it seems, will need a lot more than iced tea to cool down his shareholders.

Top to toe from a Pro

Well it’s hats off to Akhil Chaturvedi, the tycoon behind Provogue becoming a lifestyle brand today. He is now thoroughly enjoying the success of his latest crowd- puller the ‘Lounge Bar’ in Mumbai. The ‘Lounge Bar’ is the first of its kind boutique-cum-bar that displays Provogue clothes by day and converts into a sexy bar with music, candles and cocktails by night. The Lounge that generated Rs 15 lakh in the very first month of its launch uses Prahlad Kakkar for its F&B service. Shoppers in Mumbai can enjoy the conveniences of shopping for lifestyle goods at the bar during the day and a wide range of liquor and coffee in the evenings. Now Chaturvedi plans to gradually open similar shop-bars in all the metros and major cities across the country beginning with Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore. He will also launch Provogue Superstores, which will be large stores dedicated only to Provogue products and a Provogue Young Achievers Award which will recognise the achievements of the youth in various fields. But that’s not all in Chaturvedi’s brand building plan. The news is also in the air that Provogue will be entering the realm of leather goods, footwear, perfumes, toiletries, undergarments and condoms! Wow now that’s really brand extension.

(Dilip Cherian, runs a public relations firm Perfect Relations. Send your insider dope to dilipcherian@hotmail.com)