Comments on: Export Quality

By: Subrata Mukherji

Subrata Mukherji — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 05:51:56 +0000

Kind Attn : Mr.Atanu

Haldiram is not the only manufacturer from India.Lady luck was well pleased with them earlier, but traditionally their four brothers are running it into a mess without caring for the brand.Pratik food products from Kolkata (Haldiram)is into manufacturing of the worst quality.The fact is, the brand clicked.Even today with a buy back set up (EOU),European markets can get better quality at a lesser price.All they need is a Chance to enter the market and a support from the NRI’s like you.

Regards,

Subrata Mukherji
India,Kolkata

By: Pranay Manocha

Pranay Manocha — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:33:16 +0000

Atanu, export quality is different from Indian quality because superior quality in India does not have a discernible market. I remember, when I was a kid, we used to go to Pragati Maidan in Delhi for some exhibitions. I saw some cycles made by Hero Cycles that looked absolutely out of this world. We could afford them (probably) but we were told these were not for sale in India but only for export.

Now, years later, I have realized that every Indian company exporting its products, makes them on two different lines, be it Hyundai, Maruti, Hero or Haldirams.

Not to digress, but one can see the dual impression in the Service Industry as well. I work for a British IT company – our work environment here is good, but it doesn’t quite match what employees expect in the UK or US. and believe me, regardless of what other IT guys will say – that Oracle’s/Intel’s campus in Bangalore is the best in the world is all misinformation and misbelief. Just two lines can counter all their ‘pro’ arguments – no software office in Bangalore is disabled friendly to the level that is required by the EU/US (even shops are disabled friendly there as you know). Our desks are not ergonomic and no attention has been given to standards well adopted in developed countries (how many offices have keyboard and mouse at the same level for instance? check Deepak Sharan on RSI

This multiple personality disorder of Indian companies is nothing new.

yes, it largely originated in the lack of markets – but now it is still pervasive because of management that lives in the middle ages. Which brings me to the topic of the education in our B-Schools. You’ll laugh at the quality and beliefs of most of the management graduates India produces…but thats another topic.

By the way, check out my new India photo blog. Think you might like it.

By: uma

uma — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 11:14:50 +0000

poor nehru. poor misunderstood nehru. he never meant to become an adjective.

at least his heart was in the right place, which is so much more than one can say about so many others.

By: Saheli

Saheli — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 20:16:51 +0000

Yeah, I mean, I think all your economic meditations are quite true and justified, etc. etc., and it’s a nice soure for a riff, but the fact is that the United States and most of Europe uses the same FDA RDA labelling standards, so simply conforming to all that might make it “export-quality.”

On the other hand, I know that this same process is very true in China, with the export quality goods being way better than the made-for-China goods, and if some export agent rejects a shipment or defaults on it, then it sells for a premium to the Chinese. But in terms of quality of goods available to less-than-wealthy consumers, China sounds a lot poorer than India.

By: Taran

Taran — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 05:13:11 +0000

Actually, it just means it conforms to international standards of export – or import into certain countries.

Labeling it like that is pretty goofy, though.

But if you start seeing ‘New and Improved’ (both?!), you’ll realize you’re not in the ‘developing’ nation status anymore.

By: POV » Blog Archive » Bharateeya BlogMela - a round up

POV » Blog Archive » Bharateeya BlogMela - a round up — Sat, 18 Jun 2005 06:34:25 +0000

[...] arraf’s (non) attempts to curb them. Atanu’s encounter with a packet of ‘export quality‘ haldiram has him contemplating about the nature of competition in [...]

By: Kaps

Kaps — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 15:38:13 +0000

In some cases there is slight package difference between the export quality and the local one. Sometimes the export quality pack comes with a reseal option so that the freshness can be maintained. Other than this I’m not sure why they would want to differentiate between the export quality product and the product meant for Indian market.

By: Desi Pundit :: Export Quality :: June :: 2005

Desi Pundit :: Export Quality :: June :: 2005 — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 15:12:36 +0000

[...] small label catches his eye. An interesting post on consumer power in India and the need to demand more from our business sector. Most of t [...]

By: TTG

TTG — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 06:08:31 +0000

Well for once, I agree with you on the effect of Nehru’s idiotic policies – there was also the infamous Import Substitution nonsense – do a one time import of knowledge/technology/capital, and then “improve it” domestically. This is one reason why so much of India was left in a time warp. But I disagree that most of the Indian consumers are forced into buying poor quality. Many western companies came here, wuith teh substandard stuff from abroad, and thought they could palm it off here – almost all those companies are broke. For the most part, the Indian consumer is very discerning. Now trade barriers are being dropped, and licensing is being dismantled (at the pace of rocks growing, but being dismantled all the same). Finally, the whole export quality thing is also because the West always puts “strict” controls on any goods entering their countries, especially when they are from places like India. Although there is some sense behind them, the fact is that many of these health and safety “standards” are simply trade barriers/protectionism which allow the Western world to say “Look we’d love to engage in free trade, but it’s your products that are sub-standard, that’s why we’re not buying them from you!” So if something has passed the “stringent” norms, it must be of “good” quality. Second, how do you know that the whole export quality nonsense isn’t just a sham, and whether the stuff is exported or sold locally, it’s all made the same way, and each packet has export quality stamped on it? Yes, it’s a cynical ploy on Haldiram’s part, but is actually quite meaningless.
One last issue – firms have to be exposed to competition BOTH local and global, at the SAME time. Competing locally is simply being the one-eyed king in the land of the blind, whereas competing only internationally is producing combs in the land of the bald. Conclusion, although you and me always stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, we both know the only way forward for India is to win economic freedom, coupled with the existing political freedom. The fight for economic freedom of course, is the hardest, because the policies that ACTUALLY help the poor seem anti-poor to everyone in our country, coupled with the vested interest that 50 years of socialism has bred…and it will take somebody with an authoritarian streak, and a parliamentary majority AND good economic knowledge to implement them. If you know anybody who can fill that vacancy, send them my way. I’ll vote for ‘em!