3G phone eliminates 2G iphones from Grey market

Grey market for the iconic Apple iPhone in India has shrunk dramatically with the official launch of the 3G model in the country.On August 22, the country’s two leading mobile operators, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone, introduced the Apple 3G iPhone exclusively for their customers at Rs 31,000 for the 8 GB and Rs 36,100 for the 16 GB phone.

Grey market operators in Delhi and Mumbai say that the 2G iPhone, which was launched last year in the US by Apple Inc and was available for around Rs 24,000 to 27,000 in the grey market, has virtually disappeared from the market because of the relatively higher price tag compared to the newly introduced 3G version.Says a leading grey market operator based in Delhi: “The 2G phone is not coming to us as you can get a 3G phone from the official market at Rs 31,000. So why should anyone pay Rs 25,000? Also, Apple, which was selling the 2G phone at $399 bundled with a connection, is now selling the 3G at $199 also bundled with a connection. So, obviously, why would anyone buy an older model?”Grey market operators in Delhi say that a few months earlier they were selling over nine to 10 phones a day. And while no official figures are available, over 5,000 Apple 2G phones have been sold in India according to industry sources in the grey market.

However, grey market operators also say that the difference between the official price of the 3G phone and that of the grey market is not steep enough for customers to make a beeline in the grey market.A dealer of phones in Delhi’s Palika Bazaar said: “At the moment, we are only catering to customers who are not ready to wait for the delivery of the phone from the operators. They are paying a premium of only Rs 1,000 to get it from us.” In this case, most of the grey market dealers have made bulk bookings of phones with Airtel and Vodafone, which they are re-selling at a slight premium.A dealer in Mumbai’s Heera Panna building points out: “Considering the fact that in the US the Apple 3G phone offer with AT&T is locked in a two-year agreement with an operator (which costs around US $2,000), in India the difference between the official and grey market price will not be more than Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

That will not be too attractive as the official phone with a one year warranty looks more attractive”.There are others who say that they will be able to unlock the 3G phone if customers can get it from their relatives abroad. “We can unlock the phone so that it can be used for any operator and not only for Airtel and Vodafone for Rs 1,500.”

Women Empowerment: A must for India

India is growing at rapid pace; she has come out of the shell of a Hindu growth rate by registering an average growth rate of over 8 percent for last few years. She has recently joined the trillion dollar club economy. A recent World Bank study (the Report) in 2006 India with a Gross National Income (GNI) of 3.4 trillion is placed fourth after the US, China and Japan in terms of purchasing power parity exchange. The Report further suggests that India would be lacking more qualified work force by 2010, she needs more and more human resources in knowledge based industries as India is emerging as a hub of innovation ad Research and Development (R&D). It is estimation by World Bank that India would fall short of capable skills in these fields. How is it related to women empowerment? Women empowerment simply means women’s participation in decision making and development of her life. Women are a wonderful human resource that has been under-utilized for centuries. In India women have outshined men in every departments in which they had been provided opportunities.
The resurgent India needs to exploit this resource to spiral up her socio-economic development and this would contribute in India’s tryst with human resource deficit and poverty alleviation. A gap between rural and urban women is conspicuous, though urban women have used the opportunities given to them with a proven track record. Now it is the time when government should pay more attention to refine this natural source, tapped in rural India, to use as fuel for socio-economic development engine.
A success of Gramin Bank in Bangladesh has demonstrated that rural women given an opportunity produce more results than men. Under Gramin Bank schemes loans were made available, among others, to women without any warrant of collateral or guarantees because they hadn’t had any, the repayment was dot on time and Gramin Bank had very few non-performing assets. Women empowerment can also solve a problem that I reckon the most serious and need immediate response by government and us, Population Explosion. First let’s see in urban India, we could witness a decline in over all fertility rate, per census 2001, because of urban women as when they become an additional hand to fetch money in the house hold equipped with education and awareness, they have their say in family matters or even when at home-house-makers- they understand the consequences of a bearing a family bigger than the means of family, i.e. a compromise in best education, nutrition’s of baby etc.
When working they are not reduced to do chores, this also has potential to reduce domestic violence as they are less dependent on their husband or anyone else. Women empowerment would also reduce the menace of dowry, the brainless logic behind dowry that a lay man extends, is that since she comes to her in laws house and is being looked after by them she should come with gifts and endowment to compensate it. Although, in my opinion, it was a legal lacuna as in none of the school’s of Hindu personal law women had power to inherit, this was compensated through gifts etc by her parents to her in marriage when she dissociate her relationship from them.

This way she gets her pond of flesh without challenging the law which was discriminatory, thankfully, Government has done away with this legal lacuna by entitling women to inherit the family property under the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005. In contrast women in rural sectors are still considered to be a property that needs to be protected within the four walls of house by men. In many cases they are not even aware of the society outside their veil or courtyard of their home.
They can not say anything to their husbands when it comes to procreation or other family matters. Unfortunately, if she delivers the baby girl, her ordeal aggravate until she bears a baby boy to satisfy the family of their paternity lineage to be carried forwarded to the next generation. Another kind of women in rural India is who work as tenants on agriculture farms and migrate to cities when there is period of crops change for work, they are severely uneducated. They bore kids as there is less they can perform to entertain, and also because more kids mean more hands to fetch money. They are earning hands but uneducated and unaware. So, empowerment means everything, education, ability to take up jobs, awareness, and exposure to world so that are not shy of a sexual assault on them rather can stand up against it. An awareness of contraceptives to avoid unwanted baby can bring down the fertility rate to even further and result would be substantial as India still lives in her villages, education to alleviate their socio-economic status, power to decide their fate in family matters or other places would constitute a true women empowerment. As Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said if you educate a man you educate an individual, however, if you educate a woman you educate a whole family. Women empowered means mother India empowered.

Despite mall boom, high streets to stay

Despite the mushrooming of malls and multiplexes across the country, 'high streets' or traditional shopping streets in India are here to stay. These streets cannot be replaced with malls or multiplexes in India but can complement each other in the growth, said Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj in its latest survey conducted across 21 major 'high streets' out of seven major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune.

The survey, which was unveiled at a function in Chennai recently, pointed out that 'high streets', bazaars and local markets have been a way of life in India. Given their unique combination of ease of accessibility, good locations, established retail base, critical mass, variety, legacy and charm, these streets and bazaars have been at the forefront of retail boom.

These streets have been demonstrating their resilient nature in continuously attracting its loyal customers as well as adding new customers into their fold. Senior officials of the company, including its Indian head Anuj Puri were present at the function.

In all its history since the ancient days, 'high streets' have embraced growth while demonstrating the uncanny ability to march with the changing retail trends of its time.
India's shopping streets have had a prominent position in the country's retail offerings over the decades. The survery said these shopping streets would maintain their unique position in the future.

Moreover, with the possibility of shopping street revitalisation becoming an increasing reality across all the markets in coming years, the retail pitch of high streets is expected to be enhanced in the future thereby allowing for the inclusive growth of retail along these prime corridors in Indian cities, the survey highlighted.

Later, explaining in detail, a senior official of the company, said that 'high streets' help double up the bill boards, phenomenal branding offerings and better visibility. Except in Delhi and Mumbai, these high streets offer rental space at most competitive rates to attract more retailers. "These streets offer best of both worlds", the official said.

What the retailers and shop owners require to do is to track crime and anti-social elements, making the streets as safe place for regular outing, help in reviving the local economy and improving the street environment, the official pointed out.

Top-Paid Tennis Stars

Roger Federer had been the top-ranked tennis player in the world for a record 237 consecutive weeks--until this week, when he finally relinquished the top spot to Spain's Rafael Nadal.

But when it comes to the biggest bank account, Federer is still top dog--by a long shot. His earnings over the past 12 months were $35 million, almost twice the take of Nadal, who earned an estimated $18 million.

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The Swiss maestro won $9 million in prize money over the past year and booked another $26 million through appearance fees and from sponsorship deals with the likes of Gillette, Mercedes-Benz and Wilson. His biggest payday comes from Nike, which re-signed the defending U.S. Open champion earlier this year to a 10-year contract that could potentially be the largest in tennis history, if certain playing incentives are met.

Interest in tennis has been on the wane in recent years, particularly in the U.S. An average of 2.3 million people tuned in to Wimbledon telecasts during the past three years, according to Nielson Media Research. That is down 45% from the early 1990s. So how is Federer able to rake in more than stars in more popular sports like Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and Dale Earnhardt?
Global appeal. Jeter, Manning and Earnhardt all have big endorsement profiles in the U.S., but their sports generate little interest outside the country, limiting their global sponsorship opportunities. Federer, on the other hand, has won 55 tournaments in his career across 17 countries and is a global brand. He is fluent in English, French and German. Federer played tennis legend Pete Sampras in exhibitions in three cities across Asia and a fourth match at Madison Square Garden last fall. Federer's haul came to $1 million per match.

Another reason for the hefty endorsement deals that tennis players command: the prime demographics. While casual fans have tuned out, causing the TV ratings erosion, the hardcore fan is still there and part of a high-income group ready to snap up the latest Wilson tennis racket or Nike outfit hawked by their favorite player. Scarborough Research found that tennis fans are 54% more likely than the U.S. average to make more than $150,000 annually and 68% more likely to have a post-graduate degree.

To compile our list of tennis' highest-paid stars we looked at earnings during the past 12 months. We included prize money, endorsement deals, exhibition and appearance fees and sponsor bonuses. The top 10 earned a collective $159 million; the lowest on our list was $7.5 million. Prize money for the group was $37 million, which made up only 23% of their total earnings.
When we last looked at tennis' biggest earners three years ago, the top 10 made $116 million and entry into the club required $5 million. Like three years ago, the current list is split down the middle when it comes to gender: five men and five women made the cut.

Sandwiched between Federer and third-ranked Nadal is Maria Sharapova, the world's highest-paid female athlete with earnings of $26 million. Sharapova burst onto the scene in 2004 when she won Wimbledon at 17 years old. Nike and racket maker Prince were already aligned with the leggy Russian.

Her Wimbledon win led to a flurry of deals, including ones with Canon, Colgate-Palmolive and Motorola (since expired). She won two more Grand Slam tournaments since her breakthrough win at the All-England Club. Her most recent sponsorship additions include Sony and Tiffany.
Tied for fourth on our list are a trio of Americans at $15 million: Andy Roddick and the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena. Roddick is the highest-ranked and most high-profile American player on the men's side since the retirements of Sampras and Andre Agassi, which helped him nab deals with Lacoste, Lexus and SAP.

Many of their contemporaries have hung up their rackets, but the Williams sisters continue to pile up Grand Slam wins during careers that launched in the mid-1990s. Their biggest paydays continue to come from their shoe and apparel deals. Serena pitches for Nike, while Venus has her own tennis and casual clothing line sold exclusively at Steve & Barry's. Venus is still collecting royalty checks despite the bankruptcy filing by the discount retailer.
The sisters added a second Olympic gold medal in doubles this year in Beijing after also taking the title in 2000 in Sydney. Venus has another gold from her singles triumph in Sydney in 2000.