NTREPRENEURSHIP

PROJECT

The Parle Story

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Introduction

A long time ago, when the British ruled India, a small factory was set up in the suburbs of

Mumbai city, to manufacture sweets and toffees. The year was 1929 and the market was

dominated by famous international brands that were imported freely. Despite the odds

and unequal competition, this company called Parle Products, survived and succeeded, by

adhering to high quality and improvising from time to time.

A decade later, in 1939, Parle Products began manufacturing biscuits, in addition to

sweets and toffees. Having already established a reputation for quality, the Parle brand

name grew in strength with this diversification. Parle Glucose and Parle Monaco were the

first brands of biscuits to be introduced, which later went on to become leading names for

great taste and quality.

How Parle fought to make biscuits affordable to all.

Biscuits were very much a luxury food in India, when Parle began production in 1939.

Apart from Glucose and Monaco biscuits, Parle did offer a wide variety of brands.

However, during the Second World War, all domestic biscuit production was diverted to

assist the Indian soldiers in India and the Far East. Apart from this, the shortage of wheat

in those days, made Parle decide to concentrate on the more popular brands, so that

people could enjoy the price benefits.

Thankfully today, there's no dearth of ingredients and the demand for more premium

brands is on the rise. That's why; it now has a wide range of biscuits and mouthwatering

confectionaries to offer.

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The strength of the Parle Brand

Over the years, Parle has grown to become a multi-million US Dollar company. Many of

the Parle products - biscuits or confectionaries, are market leaders in their category and

have won acclaim at the Monde Selection, since 1971.

Today, Parle enjoys a 40% share of the total biscuit market and a 15% share of the total

confectionary market, in India. The Parle Biscuit brands, such as, Parle-G, Monaco and

Krackjack and confectionery brands, such as, Melody, Poppins, Mangobite and Kismi,

enjoy a strong imagery and appeal amongst consumers.

Be it a big city or a remote village of India, the Parle name symbolizes quality, health and

great taste! And yet, everyone knows that this reputation has been built, by constantly

innovating and catering to new tastes. This can be seen by the success of new brands,

such as, Hide & Seek, or the single twist wrapping of Mango bite.

In this way, by concentrating on consumer tastes and preferences and emphasizing

Research & Development, the Parle brand grows from strength to strength.

The Quality Commitment

Parle Products has one factory at Mumbai that manufactures biscuits & confectioneries

while another factory at Bahadurgarh, in Haryana manufactures biscuits. Apart from this,

Parle has manufacturing facilities at Neemrana, in Rajasthan and at Bangalore in

Karnataka. The factories at Bahadurgarh and Neemrana are the largest such

manufacturing facilites in India. Parle Products also has 14 manufacturing units for

biscuits & 5 manufacturing units for confectioneries, on contract.

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All these factories are located at strategic locations, so as to ensure a constant output &

easy distribution. Each factory has state-of-the-art machinery with automatic printing &

packaging facilities.

All Parle products are manufactured under the most hygienic conditions. Great care is

exercised in the selection & quality control of raw materials, packaging materials & rigid

quality standards are ensured at every stage of the manufacturing process. Every batch of

biscuits & confectioneries are thoroughly checked by expert staff, using the most modern

equipment.

The Marketing Strength

The extensive distribution network, built over the years, is a major strength for Parle

Products. Parle biscuits & sweets are available to consumers, even in the most remote

places and in the smallest of villages with a population of just 500.

Parle has nearly 1,500 wholesalers, catering to 4,25,000 retail outlets directly or

indirectly. A two hundred strong dedicated field force services these wholesalers &

retailers. Additionally, there are 31 depots and C&F agents supplying goods to the wide

distribution network.

The Parle marketing philosophy emphasizes catering to the masses. It constantly

endeavors at designing products that provide nutrition & fun to the common man. Most

Parle offerings are in the low & mid-range price segments. This is based on the cultivated

understanding of the Indian consumer psyche. The value-for-money positioning helps

generate large sales volumes for the products.

However, Parle Products also manufactures a variety of premium products for the up-

market, urban consumers. And in this way, caters a range of products to a variety of

consumers.

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The Customer Confidence

The Parle name conjures up fond memories across the length and breadth of the country.

After all, since 1929, the people of India have been growing up on Parle biscuits &

sweets.

Today, the Parle brands have found their way into the hearts and homes of people all over

India & abroad. Parle Biscuits and confectioneries, continue to spread happiness & joy

among people of all ages.

The consumer is the focus of all activities at Parle. Maximizing value to consumers and

forging enduring customer relationships are the core endeavors at Parle.

Parle’s efforts are driven towards maximizing customer satisfaction and this is in synergy

with their quality pledge.

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Parle-G

Parle-G has been a strong household name across India. The great taste, high nutrition,

and the international quality, makes Parle-G a winner. No wonder, it's the undisputed

leader in the biscuit category for decades. Parle-G is consumed by people of all ages,

from the rich to the poor, living in cities & in villages. While some have it for breakfast,

for others it is a complete wholesome meal. For some it's the best accompaniment for

chai, while for some it's a way of getting charged whenever they are low on energy.

Because of this, Parle-G is the world's largest selling brand of biscuits. Launched in the

year 1939, it was one of the first brands of Parle Products. It was called Parle Gluco

Biscuits mainly to cue that it was a glucose biscuit. It was manufactured at the Mumbai

factory, Vile Parle and sold in units of half and quarter pound packs.

The incredible demand led Parle to introduce the brand in special branded packs and in

larger festive tin packs. By the year 1949, Parle Gluco biscuits were available not just in

Mumbai but also across the state. It was also sold in parts of North India. By the early

50s, over 150 tonnes of biscuits were produced in the Mumbai factory. Looking at the

success of Parle-G, a lot of other me-too brands were introduced in the market. And these

brands had names that were similar to Parle Gluco Biscuits so that if not by anything else,

the consumer would err in picking the brand. This forced Parle to change the name from

Parle Gluco Biscuits to Parle-G. Parle-G continues to climb the stairs of success. Take a

look at the global market where it is being exported. First came the Middle East then

USA followed by Africa and then Australia. An Indian brand, that's exported to almost

all parts of the world. After all that's what you would expect from Parle-G World's

Largest Selling Biscuit.

Parle’s other products include

Biscuits – Krackjack, Hide-n-seek, Monaco, Marie choice,

Sweets – Melody, Poppins, Mango bite, Kismi toffee bar, etc

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Oprah Winfrey – The Entrepreneur

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"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins

with you, always." - Oprah Winfrey

In a recent website poll, visitors were asked, "Which entrepreneur do you admire most?" The

winner, hands down, was Oprah Winfrey, with nearly double the votes of Bill Gates and

four times Richard Branson. In a career filled with firsts and superlatives, Oprah has

managed to amass a sizable fortune, become one of the most powerful people in the

entertainment industry, and yet maintain a sense of humility and compassion we all

should strive to achieve.

Oprah Winfrey's broadcasting career began at age 17, when she was hired by WVOL

radio in Nashville, and two years later signed on with WTVF-TV in Nashville as a

reporter/anchor. She attended Tennessee State University, where she majored in Speech

Communications and Performing Arts.

In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to join WJZ-TV news as a co-anchor, and in 1978

discovered her talent for hosting talk shows when she became co-host of WJZ-TV's

"People Are Talking," while continuing to serve as anchor and news reporter.

In January 1984, she came to Chicago to host WLS-TV's "AM Chicago," a faltering local

talk show. In less than a year, she turned "AM Chicago" into the hottest show in town.

The format was soon expanded to one hour, and in September 1985 it was renamed "The

Oprah Winfrey Show."

Seen nationally since September 8, 1986, "The Oprah

Winfrey Show" became the number one talk show in

national syndication in less than a year. In June 1987, in

its first year of eligibility, "The Oprah Winfrey Show"

received three Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories

of Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program

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and Outstanding Direction. In June 1988, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" received its second

consecutive Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Talk/Service Program, and she

herself received the International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of the

Year" Award. She was the youngest person and only the fifth woman ever to receive the

honor in IRTS's 25-year history.

Her love of acting and her desire to bring quality entertainment projects into production

prompted her to form her own production company, HARPO Productions, Inc., in 1986.

Today, HARPO is a formidable force in film and television production. Based in

Chicago, HARPO Entertainment Group includes HARPO Productions, Inc., HARPO

Films and HARPO Video, Inc. In October, 1988, HARPO Productions, Inc. acquired

ownership and all production responsibilities for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" from

Capitol Cities/ABC, making Oprah Winfrey the first woman in history to own and

produce her own talk show. The following year, HARPO produced it first television

miniseries, the The Women of Brewster Place, with Oprah Winfrey as star and Executive

Producer. It has been followed by the TV movies There Are No Children Here (1993),

and Before Women Had Wings(1997), which she both produced and appeared in. In 1998,

she starred in the feature film Beloved, from the book by the Nobel Prize-winning

American author Toni Morrison.

In 1991, motivated in part by her own memories of childhood abuse, she initiated a

campaign to establish a national database of convicted child abusers, and testified before

a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a National Child Protection Act.

President Clinton signed the "Oprah Bill" into law in 1993, establishing the national

database she had sought, which is now available to law enforcement agencies and

concerned parties across the country.

Oprah Winfrey was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century by

Time magazine, and in 1998 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National

Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Her influence extended to the publishing

industry when she began an on-air book club. Oprah Book Club selections became instant

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bestsellers, and in 1999 she was presented with the National Book Foundation's 50th

anniversary gold medal for her service to books and authors.

She is one of the partners in Oxygen Media, Inc., a cable channel and interactive network

presenting programming designed primarily for women. In 2000, Oprah's Angel Network

began presenting a $100,000 "Use Your Life Award" to people who are using their lives

to improve the lives of others. When Forbes magazine published its list of America's

billionaires for the year 2003, it disclosed that Oprah Winfrey was the first African-

American woman to become a billionaire.

Oprah's tremendous appeal comes from the fact that, although certain aspects of her life

are very private, as Patricia Sellers put it, "Oprah's life is the essence of her brand, and

her willingness to open up about it on daytime TV helped win the enduring trust of her

audience." Oprah has maintained strict control of that brand, turning away countless

requests for her to lend her name to a wide variety of products. Everything with her name

on it is put out by her company under her direct supervision. Even the deals with ABC,

Oxygen Network, and Hearst Magazines are basically distribution deals -- she retains full

control. She owns 90% of Harpo's stock.

She does, however, have a top-notch behind-the-scenes partner managing the day-to-day

running of the business. Jeff Jacobs, an entertainment lawyer who she originally

approached to help with her AM Chicago contract, is the president and 10% shareholder

of Harpo, Inc. He also acts as her agent and manager for her movie deals.

Winfrey became a millionaire at age 32 when her talk show went national. Because of the

amount of revenue the show generated, Winfrey was in a position to negotiate ownership

of the show and start her own production company. By 1994 the show's ratings were still

thriving and Winfrey negotiated a contract that earned her nine figures a year. Considered

the richest woman in entertainment by the early 1990s, at age 41 Winfrey's wealth

crossed another milestone when with a net worth of $340 millionAlthough blacks are

12% of the U.S. population, Winfrey has remained the only black person wealthy enough

to rank among America's 400 richest people nearly every year since 1995.

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Books and magazines

Winfrey publishes two magazines: O, The Oprah Magazine and

O at Home. She has co-authored five books; at the

announcement of her future weight loss book (to be co-

authored with her personal trainer Bob Greene), it was said

that her undisclosed advance fee had broken the record for

the world's highest book advance fee, previously held by

former U.S. President Bill Clinton for his autobiography My

Life. In 2002 Fortune called O, the Oprah Magazine the most

successful start-up ever in the industry.

Online

Oprah.com is a website created by Winfrey's company to provide resources and

interactive content relating to her shows, magazines, book club, and public charity.

Through Oprah.com Winfrey raised over three million dollars for Katrina victims and

helped to capture four accused child predators. Oprah.com averages more than 100

million page views and more than three million users per month.

Radio

On February 9, 2006 it was announced that Winfrey signed a $55 million, three-year

contract with XM Satellite Radio to establish a new radio channel. The channel, Oprah &

Friends, features popular contributors to The Oprah Winfrey Show and O and The Oprah

Magazine. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on XM Radio Channel

156. Winfrey's contract requires her to be on the air 30 minutes a week, 39 weeks a year.

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Influential Oprah

As a woman, she has wielded an unprecedented amount of influence over the American

culture and psyche. There has been no other person in the 20th century whose convictions

and values have impacted the American public in such a significant way. She is seen as

probably the most powerful woman in American society. Oprah has influenced every

medium that she's touched.

Winfrey's influence reaches far beyond pop-culture and into unrelated industries where

many believe she has the power to cause enormous market swings and radical price

changes with a single comment.

Philanthropy

In 1998, Winfrey began Oprah's Angel Network, a charity aimed at encouraging people

around the world to make a difference in the lives of underprivileged others.

Accordingly, Oprah's Angel Network supports charitable projects and provides grants to

nonprofit organizations around the world that share this vision. To date, Oprah's Angel

Network has raised more than $51,000,000. Winfrey personally covers all administrative

costs associated with the charity, so 100% of all funds raised go to charity programs.

Although Winfrey's show is known for raising money through her public charity and the

cars and gifts she gives away on TV are often donated by corporations in exchange for

publicity, behind the scenes Winfrey personally donates more of her own money to

charity than any other show-business celebrity in America. In 2005 she became the first

black person listed by Business Week as one of America's top 50 most generous

philanthropists, having given an estimated $250 million. Despite being the 235th richest

American in 2005, Winfrey was the 32nd most philanthropic. Her philanthropy has

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included a $10 million donation to Hurricane Katrina relief. Winfrey also put 100 black

men through college with $7 million in scholarships.

Future projects

In late 2006 Winfrey’s Harpo production revealed plans to bring two new reality TV

shows to the air. One of the series is tentatively titled Oprah Winfrey's The Big Give, and

presents 10 people with large sums of money and resources and they must compete to

find the most powerful, sensational, emotional and dramatic ways to give to others. The

second show, tentatively titled Your Money or Your Life, will unleash an expert action

team every week to aid a family in overcoming a crisis through a total money and life

makeover.

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