Welcome to the Knowledge Center

The latest India Economic Brief from ICA Institute can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/c4evfx4

Build and They Will Grow: Construction in India  (Figures available at the URL above)

The last decade has given rise to many experiments by companies to incubate socially responsible business models. Large financial institutions have become hosts to microfinance divisions (Citi, Morgan Stanley). Energy companies have experimented with base-of-the-pyramid business models for emerging markets, aligning social utility (access to energy) with business strategy (long term growth). And social enterprise like The Body Shop and Ben & Jerry’s have been acquired by major multinationals. L’Oréal bought the Body Shop in 2006 and Ben & Jerry’s became part of Unilever in 2000. Read the full article on the Fast Company website:

http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678880/the-4-ways-big-corporations-flirt-with-socially-responsible-business?partner=homepage_newsletter

The ICA Institute is a non-profit research institute dedicated to research on the rise of China and India and exploring their impact on the world market. Here are current headlines from their newsletter:

Emerging Giants Pressure European Union, China Dangles $100 Billion in Rescue Funds

(Agency French Presse | 3 November 2011) Emerging giants pressured EU countries at the G20 today to solve their debt crisis, with Beijing dangling $100 billion in rescue funds if the eurozone guarantees its bailout plan will work. Leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa sat down together hours ahead of the official opening of the summit where they “discussed the European debt crisis,” said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Study: India Will Be World’s 5th Largest Economy By 2020

(Hindustan Times | 3 November 2011) India will become the 5th-largest economy in the world by 2020 ahead of France, United Kingdom and Italy driven by high growth in consumption and investment, according to consulting major the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). India’s consumption is set to explode relative to the rest of the
world. India’s consumption basket, which is currently a third of Japan’s, will increase to almost twice the size of Japan by 2030, it said.

U.S. Delays China Currency Report; Lawmakers Push Bill

(Reuters | 14 October 2011) The Treasury Department said on Friday it would delay until later this year a ruling on whether China  is manipulating its currency as Democratic Party lawmakers tried to overcome Republican opposition to a bill that would punish Beijing for its currency policies.The decision to delay the sixth semiannual report to Congress under the Obama administration, which was due on Saturday, came days after the Senate approved legislation that aims to pressure Beijing to let its yuan rise in value faster. The delay “will give us a chance to assess progress following several international meetings,” the Treasury Department said in a statement.

Long Way to Go for India-U.S. Investment Treaty, Says U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk

(Business Standard (India) | 5 October 2011) India might have to wait longer to sign a Bilateral Investment Treaty or BIT with the US than what its officials believe. Commerce Minister Anand Sharma was quoted in the Indian and the US media last month, saying negotiations between the two countries on the treaty were nearly complete. However, a US trade official who asked, requesting anonymity, told Business Standard that Sharma’s description of the status of BIT negotiations was “not accurate”. The official said the US-India BIT negotiations were started in 2008 and the first round of talks were held in August 2009. “We look forward to resuming technical discussions of the BIT shortly.” In an exclusive interview, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk also sounded cautious on the prospects of a speedy conclusion. He said the two countries had agreed at the ministerial level to resume technical discussions on the “possibility” of a BIT and expected to begin talks in the “very near future.”

A study from Norway finds that “people who are environmentally responsible in their everyday lives seem to cast aside their green habits when traveling for leisure.” Read the full article in Miller-McCune on line.

How is this related to global sourcing? It makes one think about the increased air travel that good management of an off-shore sourcing engagement requires…

Published: March 16, 2011 in Knowledge@Wharton

Water is a paradoxical commodity: It seems free and plentiful, yet its supply is under tremendous strain. Use of fresh water has more than doubled in the past 50 years, and many fear that we are coming close to a frightening breaking point, a world where chronic water shortages for farmers, businesses and people are the norm. Some experts even see international conflict emerging over access to dwindling supplies. Recognizing these concerns, companies are undertaking major programs to realign their water use with core business and humanitarian interests. But while objectives like being “water neutral” and using “footprinting” — tracking the use of water throughout the supply chain — are ambitious, what is being done to achieve them? Are these goals realistic, and will they have enough impact? This special report addresses these questions.

Click HERE to access the full report now!!!

U.S. Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton delivered the first Richard C. Hobrooke Lecture at the State Department on January 14, 2011 and the topic was the future of US-China relations.

She focus on the role that Richard Holbrooke played in strengthening the relationship between the US and China and saw this as improving security in the Asia-Pacific region overall. Secretary Clinton discusses both the progress and lack thereof in China and the importance of building trust between the two nations.

Click HERE or on A Broad Vision of US-China Relations in the 21st Century to view the entire article now!!!

The latest issue of Knowledge @ Wharton includes this article about the up and coming countries in the global economy – the CIVETS: Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa.

Click HERE or on New BRICS on the Block to read the entire article now!!!

This article underlines the message the GSC has been sending for four years “If building a sustainable enterprise was a fashionable trend five years ago, today it is a business imperative.” The article goes on to discuss the true competitive advantage that environmental, social and governmental factors can deliver.

Click HERE or on Fashion or Strategy Sustainability to view the entire article now!!!!

This article reports on the Nielsen Global Consumer Confidence survey, describing a variety of factors that were measured.
By Susan Fenton
LONDON | Mon Jan 24, 2011 8:26am IST

LONDON (Reuters) – Consumers in most countries globally look set to keep a tight grip on spending in coming months as they worry about job security and rising inflation, a survey by the Nielsen Company showed on Sunday.

U.S. consumer confidence in the fourth quarter held steady from the third quarter but 45 percent of Americans see a weak economic environment this year, compared with 38 percent of Europeans and 19 percent of consumers in the Asia Pacific. (more…)