Tycoon Tattle

a compulsory licence from Malaysia, which has come about thanks to the Doha declaration on TRIPS and public health. Through this the tycoon will ship drugs to Malaysia, where he will not have to worry about the paying of royalty to the original patent holders of the drugs, as the Government of Malaysia will do the needful. Indeed an arrangement no tycoon would refuse and so he didn’t. Hints about the size of the deal are not being heard but sources say it is a rather large sized one for a period of two years. This deal, which will be worked out in about a month, might raise some commotion again, or can also get the tycoon’s luck running. As firstly other nations will be observing Cipla’s contribution in Malaysia and may want to make similar moves, if this one is successful. Secondly the Government of India is also pondering over whether it should go the same way as far as AVRs are concerned. This when it happens will make Cipla the first choice among suppliers. His success in the export market, which witnessed the selling of active pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as anti-AIDS, drugs among others, is the reason for his companies current leap in profits. So he’s now counting on the Malaysian deal to bring about more changes in his results this year.

Odd but Winning
After the introduction of his after market brand Amaron some time ago, Jay Galla’s batteries are fast becoming the preferred choice of many auto majors. A short list of the tycoon’s clients includes Honda, FIAT, Eicher and Telco while he is presently trying his luck on Maruti and Hyundai. The tycoon’s strengths lie in his network of 100 franchisers and 7000 dealers. And what adds to it is his ever increasing number of exclusive retail showrooms for Amaron for passenger cars, tractors and trucks, and inverter batteries, which are presently 39 in number. Galla whose batteries are currently being exported to countries like Australia, Nepal, Kuwait, and Greece with a very strong hold even in Singapore, is now eyeing even Japan. He has won a significant Japanese order for batteries along with sales servicing, warranty administration and additional services like packaging and labeling too as part of the package. With a roll out of one million automotive batteries per annum, the tycoon hopes to double capacity to 2 million by the end of the year. Well Galla really knows how to ‘‘last long’’ just like his batteries, in spite of all odds and his decidedly odd advertising style.

Beyond Haldia’s call
Having had a mixed bag of luck in the production of films through his company Crossover Films, Purnendu Chatterjee of The Chatterjee Group (TCG) is about to get into yet another joint venture with a US technology major. The tycoon is not new to this, already having JVs with his other companies like CATS, which is now on talks with select state governments to provide them with support for their e-governance programmes. The tycoon now wants his company TCG Software Services to have a 50 per cent stake in this JV. The new JV will be based in Kolkata, but the juicy details will be let out later. TCG is mainly, of course, a leading provider of IT consultancy and software services catering to the US, West Asia, India and the South-East Asian markets, but its clear that P.C. is quietly diversifying to other fields as well. The tycoon is trying his luck in very part of this varied field it seems and so far luck is favouring him. Let’s just wait and watch this tycoon and what he gets himself into next.

Dilip Cherian, runs the public relations firm Perfect Relations. He is an economy watcher and tycoon tracker. The people he writes about are not clients. Send your insider dope to dilipcherian@now-india.net.in