Wealth, in India, is spreading from the big cities into the smaller ones. And with it comes an expansion of demand for Western goods, stoked by advertisements. Now desis in smaller cities want KFC, blue jeans, Fords (huh?) and (of course) premium alcohol. I wonder how many of star’s advertisers are making big bank in India? Maybe we should spread a list of their names to the Indian press — that would get their attention fast! Nobody wants to stumble in an emerging market. [Anybody have that list yet?] Read the whole article on the NYT (no permalink avail, unfortunately), snippets provided below:

KFC’s parent, Yum Brands, now has 100 KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in India, 30 opened in 2004, and a goal of 1,000 by 2014. To realize such growth, the chains have begun a seemingly inexorable march into the country’s smaller boomtowns, cities like Coimbatore and Cochin in the south, and Jaipur and Meerut in the north, where middle-class Indians – who increasingly crave localized Western foods, regional flavors and ingredients infused into the pizza, pasta or poultry – have hailed their arrival. As India’s galloping economy has extended to its smaller cities, a younger population with expendable income is finding many Western and upmarket domestic products, brands and services increasingly accessible. Nearly 35 Indian cities have a population exceeding a million, and proliferating shopping malls cater to the rapidly growing consumer class.

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We recently reported about some idiot DJ who threatened and insulted a call center operator, to boost his ratings. [I’m waiting for Indian DJs to reciprocate] But the life of a call center operator is varied, and also includes moments like this one, from Conan’s show. It turns out that lonely, horny Americans are coming to the same conclusions that our parents want us to come to – that Brown Lovin’ is good Lovin’ [Either that or they’re to cheap to pay for phone sex]:

Nineteen-year-old Kajal aka Jessica Taylor could not help smiling when her admirer on the line questioned “Do you look like the Indian beauty Aishwarya ?. [sic]Come with me for a hot date tonight.” At 6 in the morning, Kunal aka Oliver Stone was just wrapping up for the day, when his last call earned him a kiss and a passionate dinner invitation.

Note – these are outbound rather than inbound call center operators, and since they are “breaking the bubble” of the person being called, the recipient may feel better about taking liberties.

Whole article posted below b/c it is only available as a cached copy and will probably soon disappear: Continue reading →

Forbes magazine released its inaugural list of India’s 40 wealthiest businessmen, with half of the entrants hailing from the nation’s burgeoning technology and pharmaceutical sectors.

Topping the list with $11.2 billion is London-based steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who holds 88% of Mittal Steel. The company will become the world’s largest manufacturer of steel following their acquisition of rival International Steel.

Other facts of note:

• Nineteen created their fortunes from scratch
• Eleven made their money in technology
• Nine made their fortunes in pharmaceuticals
• Forty percent live in Bombay
• Two Patels made the list, which means I will spend this weekend digging through the family tree.

Forbes: India’s 40 richest

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Per my Friday night custom, I visit a nearby drug store on Wilshire Blvd. to pick up a bottle of soda pop and some correspondence stationary. I hop over to the greeting card aisle whenever I need to restock my arsenal of overpriced pieces of color-printed cardstock. On one such occassion, I ran into the following birthday card from Ohio-based American Greetings:

 

I felt compelled to purchase and share the card with the Mutiny because it sprung forth many conflicting questions that I could not answer: Is this good-natured, equal-opportunity ribbing? Does such mainstream inclusion signify true acceptance and integration? Is the joke really just derived from a sinister dig at turbaned Sikhs? Did I really just shell out $2.30 for a card that I’ll probably never address? Why do my Friday nights resemble that of a kind, old granny?

Any answers are greatly appreciated.

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SM’s favorite Page Sixer, hotelier and actor Vikram Chatwal, is celebrating the opening of his newest destination with a “star-studded” bash tomorrow night.

Despite Chatwal’s busy social life, and a tussle with celebrity photographer Dave LaChappelle, “Dream NY” will open its doors as scheduled. No word yet on the status of invitations to the opening party for east coast Mutineers.

The hotel boasts “a hip, futuristic fantasy of mirrored vaulted ceilings, columns crowned by blown glass, a glass elevator and a whimsically striped lounge.” The rooms are equipped with iPods and plasma TV’s, which should make watching hotel porn a truly memorable experience. If you’re interested, rates for this weekend range from $309 to $789 a night.

For those of us on the other side of the country, we may soon have our own Dream to reckon with. Chatwal’s Hollywood flack, Eileen Koch, released a press release yesterday announcing her client’s interest in opening up “Dream LA” on the city’s Sunset Strip.

* * * A Special Message for Vikram Chatwal * * *

Mr. Chatwal, when such a hotel opens, I (and possibly fellow Angelino, Abhi) would love to join the west coast division of your party-hoppin’ crew. I haven’t hooked up with a supermodel since…well, since forever, so this could be just the opportunity I’ve needed. I eagerly await your response.

* * * End Special Message for Vikram Chatwal * * *

Included in the press release was news that Chatwal has landed a role in the independent film, “Hope and a Little Sugar,” which is scheduled to commence shooting in a couple of weeks. He was last seen in the short film, “One Dollar Curry.”

Business Wire: Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Scouts Location for New Hotel on the West Coast
Sepia Mutiny: On the Trail of Vikram Chatwal…

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This is fascinating: Indian outsourcing companies, caught short-staffed by surging sales, are subcontracting some of the work to China.

“We need a deep reservoir of talent as well as an alternative low-cost center like India as we continue to grow,” said Nandan Nilekani, chief executive of Infosys, who has talked of his company’s scaling up to become the Wal-Mart of outsourcing. “And only China can match up.”… China has some 200,000 information technology workers–compared with India’s 850,000–in 6,000 local companies… More than 50,000 Chinese software programmers are being added to this pool annually.

… even with wages rising in India, China’s information technology workers are more expensive “because a combination of English-language and technical skills is at a premium,” Nilekani of Infosys said.

So a country which couldn’t defeat its neighbor on the battlefield is employing it instead. And it’s all thanks to unwanted colonization by an empire which left behind its language. It’s not only the law of unintended consequences, it’s also slick jujitsu.