The Guest lecture was conducted on 19 Jan 2012. The Guest Speaker Mr. Dipayan Baishya spoke on the topic “The Indian Consumer diversities and its impact on Retail sector in India”. Mr. Dipayan Baishya is a business writer, an interpreter of social and business trends and corporate advisor on strategy, thought leadership and communications. He is the co-author of the business best-seller, ‘It Happened in India’ and also has to his credit over 150 published articles in leading Indian and foreign business publications from his days as a journalist and commentator on Indian business.

He was awarded the Fulbright Fellowship for Leadership in Management by the US State Department to pursue courses and research at Carnegie Mellon University and the Don Sheehan International Journalist Fellowship by The Wharton School. Since 2006, he has been working with the Future Group in close association with its founder, on areas such as innovation, strategy formulation, brand development and communication as well as independent projects with various organizations.

Mr. Dipayan Baishya provided a wide and an insightful picture of Indian retail sector and the impact of Indian consumer diversities on strategy formulation. The lecture was marked by the deep insight on how Indian consumers differ in their choice of products and how a mix of standardization with diversification is essential for survival and growth for any brand in the industry. The great enthusiasm on the part of the students was advent from their interesting queries ranging from topics like Wallmart’s entry in the Indian market to the tough completion from local Kirana stores. The lively and insightful session was highly appreciated by the students.