HIMANSHU AGRAWAL

Table of Contents

BEHAVIOURAL QUESTIONS............................................................................................................. 4

Q1: WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU FEEL YOU DO WELL THAT SETS YOU APART FROM OTHERS? (600 WORDS)..........4
Q3: AT TIMES, MANY OF US ARE CAUGHT IN A SITUATION OF MORAL CONFLICT, WHERE WE HAVE TO CHOOSE
BETWEEN TWO SEEMINGLY RIGHT ALTERNATIVES. DESCRIBE A SITUATION WHEN YOU FACED THIS CONFLICT. HOW DID
YOU RESOLVE THEM? (600 WORDS)........................................................................................................5
Q4: WHAT ARE THE THREE MOST IMPORTANT VALUES THAT GUIDE YOUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS AND WHY? (600
WORDS)............................................................................................................................................5
ANS:................................................................................................................................................5
Q5: SOMETIMES, WE MAY FIND A GROUP OF PEOPLE DISAGREEING WITH OUR BELIEFS/POINTS OF VIEW. HOW DO
YOU PREFER TO HANDLE SUCH A SITUATION? GIVE US AN INSTANCE WHERE YOU HAD TO CONVINCE A GROUP OF
PEOPLE ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW. (600 WORDS).......................................................................................5
Q6: WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES, INTERESTS AND THE EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES YOU ENGAGE IN? HOW DO YOU
INTEND TO PURSUE THEM DURING YOUR MBA AND IN THE FUTURE? (600 WORDS)..........................................5
ANS:................................................................................................................................................5
Q7: TELL US ABOUT AT LEAST THREE OF YOUR WEAKNESSES THAT CONTINUE TO AFFECT YOUR PERSONALITY AND
PERFORMANCE. HOW DO YOU INTEND TO OVERCOME THEM? (600 WORDS)....................................................5

E-COMMERCE................................................................................................................................. 6

Q1: EXPLAIN THE BUSINESS MODELS OF THE FOLLOWING IN A SHORT NOTE: (200 WORDS EACH)..........................6
Q2: EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARKETPLACE AND INVENTORY MODEL OF E-COMMERCE FIRMS. ELABORATE
ON THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH MODEL. ELABORATE ON ONE MODEL APART FROM ONES MENTIONED ABOVE. (400
WORDS)............................................................................................................................................9
Q3: HIGHLIGHT THE MAJOR TRENDS POST COVID IN ECOMMERCE. TAKE AN EXAMPLE OF YOUR OWN AND
ELABORATE (200 WORDS)...................................................................................................................10
Q4: EXPLAIN THE BELOW E-COMMERCE TERMS AND THE PROS AND CONS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OF THEM: (50
WORDS EACH)..................................................................................................................................10
Q5: EXPLAIN THE BELOW MENTIONED BUSINESS/PRODUCTS/SERVICES AND ANSWER THE QUESTION: (300 WORDS
EACH).............................................................................................................................................12

OPERATIONS................................................................................................................................ 13

Q1: IDENTIFY 3 CURRENT TRENDS IN OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT IN THE POST COVID WORLD AND DESCRIBE THEM.
HOW DO YOU THINK THEY WILL CHANGE THE FUTURE OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT? (300 WORDS)..................14
Q2. EXPLAIN THE FOLLOWING INVENTORY CONTROL MODELS AND GIVE EXAMPLES WHERE THESE MODELS WILL BE THE
BEST FIT OR ARE BEING DEPLOYED CURRENTLY: (200 WORDS EACH)..............................................................15
Q3: WHAT ARE THE FIVE MAJOR SUPPLY CHAIN DRIVERS? EXPLAIN THE TRADE-OFF BETWEEN RESPONSIVENESS AND
EFFICIENCY IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT............................................................................................16

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT.............................................................................................................13
Q1: DESIGN A TRAVEL WEBSITE FOR THE CURRENT COVID-19 PANDEMIC ELABORATING OVER THE
FOLLOWING POINTS: (1000 WORDS)............................................................................................ 13

GENERAL AWARENESS.................................................................................................................. 21

Q1: ANALYZE THE FOLLOWING ISSUES AND WRITE YOUR OPINIONS ON THE SAME: (150 WORDS EACH)................21

CONSULTING................................................................................................................................ 27

MARKETING................................................................................................................................. 30

Q1: LIST YOUR 2 FAVOURITE PRODUCTS FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES. IDENTIFY THE TARGET
CONSUMER FOR THE SAME. WHAT IS ITS POSITIONING? (50 WORDS PER PRODUCT).........................................30
NESTLE:..........................................................................................................................................30
A. KIT KAT – THE TARGET CUSTOMER OF KIT KAT ARE MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL AGES, THOUGH THE PRODUCT
FOCUSSES ITSELF ON THE CHOCOLATE LOVING YOUTH WHO LIKES TO ENJOY A CHOCOLATY AND CRUNCHY SNACK. THE
BRAND ASSOCIATES ITSELF WITH THE BREAKS AND THAT YOU CAN ENJOY A KIT KAT TO RELIEVE STRESS.................30
B. MAGGI NOODLES - THE TARGET CUSTOMERS FOR MAGGI NOODLES CAN BE DIVIDED INTO KIDS – THOSE WHO
LIKE TO HAVE TASTY SNACKS AND ADULTS – PEOPLE WITH BUSY LIFESTYLE WHO DOESN’T HAVE TIME TO COOK
EXHAUSTIVE MEALS. THE BRAND IS POSITIONED WITH THE EASE OF COOKING – STATING THAT THE MAGGI CAN BE
PREPARED IN 2 MINS.........................................................................................................................30

FINANCE....................................................................................................................................... 31
Behavioural Questions

Q1: What is the one thing you feel you do well that sets you apart from others? (600 words)
Ans:
Q2: What are your professional goals? (200 words each; 200*3 = 600 words)
a. Short-term
Ans: No matter which industry or domain I join post my MBA, I would like my short term
goals spanning 2-3 years into the Job be mostly about personal learning and making
connections. Depending on the company I am placed in I would first of all like to familiarize
myself with the office culture and settle in the new environment. I also need to get acquainted
with the job role and accompanying expectations the company and my superiors have from
me. In the initial years my focus would be to know the in and out of the company as well as
the industry I am working in. I would like to know what makes the industry unique, who are
the different players in the industry and what are the working level differences in those
companies. Regarding the job role, I would like to get well-versed with my domain and know
the working level nuances as familiarity with those would be importance in later stage of
professional career. I would like to develop the essential skills required for the job. Though
my focus would be on particular job role, I would like to get an idea of other functions as
well through my peers.
Word count: 202

b. Medium-term
Ans: As explained in my short term goals, I would focus my initial years in majorly learning
and networking. And those two aims would continue to be a part of my goals further, I want
my medium term goals to be more focussed on achieving desired results through utilizing the
Skills, knowledge and talent gained so far. After spending 2-3 years in the system, the
expectations from me would surely increase manifold and I aim to fulfil them better than
expected. In the next 8-10 years, I want to try out my learning to achieve the organisational
goals and I want to do that working with different teams and on projects that have varied
scope and applicability. Even though I don’t to keep jumping from one function to another, in
these 8-10 years I wish to have experienced at least 3-4 different domains. Though we do get
a holistic idea of different business verticals in out MBA curriculum itself, I believe that
having actual working experience in different domains will provide me the exposure that’ll
prove to be highly importance at the later stage of my career.
Word count: 186

c. Long-term
Ans: After having had a flavor of different function within an organization, I would like to
take more prominent roles in the leadership ranks of the organizations. I believe my rich
experience of different domains would help me to understand the implication of my actions
across the company and my experience working hand-on in the domain would give me an
idea of the feasibility and real impact of my actions at the working level. Having the
experience of several years, I am quite sure there would be many ideas of improvement I
would be having and I would like to work on those within my powers. Other than improving
the intra-organizational efficiency, I would like to focus on the implication of the external
environment on the organization’s bottom line. Another and I think very important thing I
would like to focus on mentoring a subordinate so that the essence of the work that I have
done doesn’t get lost. I would like to instill in my mentee the qualities that I think would be
crucial in the coming years for the success of the individual as well as organization.
Q3: At times, many of us are caught in a situation of moral conflict, where we have to choose
between two seemingly right alternatives. Describe a situation when you faced this conflict.
How did you resolve them? (600 words)
Ans:

Q4: What are the three most important values that guide your thoughts and actions and why?
(600 words)
Ans:
1. Responsibility – I am usually
Q5: Sometimes, we may find a group of people disagreeing with our beliefs/points of view.
How do you prefer to handle such a situation? Give us an instance where you had to convince
a group of people on your point of view. (600 words)
Ans:
Q6: What are your hobbies, interests and the extra-curricular activities you engage in? How
do you intend to pursue them during your MBA and in the future? (600 words)
Ans:
Q7: Tell us about at least three of your weaknesses that continue to affect your personality
and performance. How do you intend to overcome them? (600 words)
Ans:
E-Commerce

Q1: Explain the business models of the following in a short note: (200 words each)
a. Amazon (one main service and any other service of your choice)
Ans: Amazon has involved itself in almost every business imaginable. However its online
stores business remains the major source of revenue while the Amazon Web Services drives
the most profits. In the E-commerce business Amazon works a hybrid model i.e. it sells the
products directly as well as acts as a marketplace for the third-party sellers and customers.
Amazon keeps a highly competitive pricing strategy and earn the mark-up on the direct sales
products as revenue additional for the third-party retailers though Amazon doesn’t charge the
retailers to list their products on the platform, it takes a part of the sale price of goods sold
through Amazon platform as commission. Furthermore, Amazon also earn thought the
premium subscription service “Amazon Prime” and through the advertisement from sellers
for preferential product list on their platform.
Amazon Web Services accounts for around half of the Amazon profits and follows the
Infrastructure-as-a-business (IaaS) model. It provides businesses, government agencies and
academic institutes the services to store information and deliver content. It keeps the price
competitive in this segment as well and as of 2018, enjoyed one-third of the market share.
Word Count: 186
References: https://www.investopedia.com/how-amazon-makes-money-4587523
https://fourweekmba.com/amazon-business-model/
b. JioMart
Ans: Jio Mart is a joint venture between Reliance Retails and Jio Platforms And it
will function as an online retail grocery store. In contrast to the inventory model of the
online grocery retail counterparts like Grofers and Amazon fresh, Jio Mart will follow
a marketplace model that is to say that it’ll not handle the inventory of the groceries
while just act as platform the sellers and buyers to meet each other’s needs. Jio Mart
will derive its strength from the Retail arm of Reliance industries and the recent deal
with WhatsApp. Jio Mart will be able to utilize the already existing network of brick
and mortar stores of Reliance Fresh and with the collaboration of Whatsapp will
provide the customers huge convenience over other apps and will also provide Jio
Mart with an already existing huge user base of Whatsapp. JioMart is planning to
correct the unorganised retail store network and provide them with the competencies
in GST compliance, inventory and supply chain management. RIL has also recently
acquired Grab a Grub which is a logistic start-up and C-Square which provides
software solutions for various operational functions. These will further add to the
value proposition of Jio Mart.
Word Count: 199
 Reference:
https://startuptalky.com/jiomart-case-study/#Jiomart_JioMartBusinessModel_JioMart
revenuemodel
https://www.bgr.in/news/reliance-jiomart-launched-in-india-likely-to-take-on-
amazon-flipkart-and-more-866948/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/jiomart-wants-you-to-
buy-small-and-buy-often/articleshow/75609746.cms?from=mdr
https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/article/reliance-rolls-out-jiomart-
here-s-all-the-information-you-need-about-this-e-commerce-venture/596607

c. Shopify
Ans: Merchants use the Shopify’s cloud based e-commerce platform to commercialize
their product. And the core business of Shopify is subscription base where in merchants
can subscribe to different plans as per their requirements. So Shopify has a hybrid
business model comprising of both Platform-as-a-service and Subscription-as-a-service.
The revenue from subscriptions follow an 80:20 rule wherein thought the majority of the
merchants sign for the entry level plan the majority of the revenue comes from the
comparatively few enterprise accounts. Another source of revenue for Shopify is the
merchant services such as Shopify payments, Shopify Capital, Shopify Shipping, Point of
sale, etc. and in 2018, 55% revenue came from the merchant services revenue stream.
Though it should be noted that better the merchant services, more attractive are the
subscriptions. So both of them are interrelated. Profit margin for the subscription services
is high for Shopify at around 75%. The key value proposition that Shopify provides
comes from its platform. Shopify summarizes the values of its platform as – Security,
Scalability, Reliability, Performance and Deployment. The platform being open source is
another feather to the crown as it enables a rich ecosystem of pp developers, theme
designers and other partners.
Word Count: 197
Reference: https://fourweekmba.com/shopify-business-model/

d. Udaan
Ans: Udaan is an online marketplace that helps businesses find customers, vendors, and
goods across categories and connect them to get the best deals. In essence it is a network-
centric Business to business trading platform where manufacturers and wholesalers can
sell products to retailers. Udaan doesn’t hold any inventory however it does provide the
support with logistics, secure transactions and technical support. The company also
offers, to the merchants on its platform, accounting, order management and payment
management solutions. The company also provide finances to SMEs through its non-
banking financial company (NBFC) license. Initially Rs. 10,000/- of funds are provided
and later they can be increased to Rs. 25,000/- depending on the needs of the buyer. The
 company earns revenue in form of commission (15% - 18%) charged rom the buyers for
funding their purchase. Udaan also charges for the logistic services provided in the form
of delivery fees it charges the buyers and it varies depending on the product and quantity.
It currently haven’t monetized the credit lending business but there is potential on that
front as well. Udaan has a huge market of 50 Million SMEs and 600 Billion transitions to
cater to in India. So the potential is high.
Word Count: 201
Reference: https://lapaas.com/udaan-business-model-detailed-case-study/#:~:text=Udaan
%20is%20a%20Business%20to,based%20on%20their%20Business%20Model.

e. Ride Hailing Services

Ans: There are number of ride hailing service with Uber and Lyft leading the way
globally while Ola giving a tough competition to Uber in India. These ride hailing
services primarily works as an aggregator app platform i.e. they connect a customer
wanting to go from A to B with a driver who is available to do so. The services are
successful due to the value proposition offered to riders and drivers. The value
proposition for riders are – Convenient on-Demand cab booking, Real-time tracking,
Accurate ETAs, Option for cashless ride, lower wait times, upfront pricing,
competitive price, different ride options as per need. For the drivers the value
proposition is – Better income, frequent rides, assistance in vehicle loans, driver
training, flexible working hours (option for part time working), and better trip
allocation. These services generates revenue through a variety of sources with the
most obvious being the trip commission charged to the drivers. The trip commission
are different for different ride options and significantly higher for premium rides.
Some apps like Uber also prices the ride based on the ability to pay thus generating
higher ride revenue or both riders and Uber. These services usually do not own the car
themselves although some do provide the vehicle leasing services for their riders.
Word Count: 211
Reference: https://mobisoftinfotech.com/resources/blog/uber-business-model-
explained/#:~:text=just%20trip%20commissions.-,Trip%20Commissions,the%20ride
%20through%20the%20app.
https://www.forbesindia.com/blog/digital-navigator/ride-hailing-to-ride-failing-how-
viable-is-the-uber-business-model-in-2020/#:~:text=Ride%20hailing%20is%20a
%20type,predict%2C%20capture%20and%20optimise%20rides.
https://habr.com/en/post/473016/
Redesign 1 model of your choice from the above models to improve customer retention/
satisfaction. (100 words)
Q2: Explain the difference between marketplace and inventory model of e-commerce firms.
Elaborate on the pros and cons of each model. Elaborate on one model apart from ones
mentioned above. (400 words)
Ans: Inventory model is an E-commerce model where the platform provider also controls the
inventory of the product that is to say that all the products listed on the platform are procured
stored and delivered by the platform provider. An example of such a model is Souledstore.
Pros:-

 Greater control over the product enable the E-commerce to provide better customer
service.
 You can manage speedier delivery as the scale permits you for hyperlocal
warehousing
 Due to the bulk quantity of material being handles the shipping cost can be reduced.

Cons:-

 All the risk regarding the inventory – shortage, lost sales and delivery and fulfillment
related risk is on the E-commerce.
 As the entire inventory management is on the E-commerce, this model is a capital
intensive model.
 Lower variety of goods could be store if a single part is handling all the warehousing
and fulfillment.
On the other hand, a pure marketplace model of E-commerce where only platform for the
buyer and the seller to connect and transact is provided. And earns revenue as a middleman.
The platform provider in no way handles the inventory, delivery or fulfillment of the product
that is to say all the products on the platform are by 3rd party sellers and the onus of supply
and delivery lies with the supplier itself. An example of such a model is Ebay.
Pros:-

 The investment from the E-commerce side is comparatively very less.

 As this is an asset-light model, it is highly and quickly scalable.
 Risk associated with delivery, inventory and fulfillment lies with the seller.
 The E-commerce can have significantly wider range of products.
Cons:-

 Limited control over the product makes it difficult to drive customer satisfaction.
 Shipping cost and delivery duration are not in the control of the E-com and can be
high.
 The quality of product cannot be controlled leading to possibility of counterfeit and
damaged products being sold which ultimately reflects poorly on the platform.
E-bay business model:-
E-bay is an online marketplace for sell and purchase of new as well as used produce between
B2C and C2C. E-bay earn revenue through charging commission for successful transaction,
charging sellers to list products on the website (first 50 listings are free) and through
advertisement.
Word Count: 368
Reference: SysSoc Slides
https://fourweekmba.com/ebay-business-model/
Q3: Highlight the major trends post COVID in ecommerce. Take an example of your own
and elaborate (200 words)
Ans: There are several changes that E-Commerce has witnesses as a result of COVID-19 –
shift in demand towards corona specific products, reduction in the demand of products related
to travel, increased preference of people to shop online due to closure of most brick and
mortar shops. The trends that’ll drive the industry post COVID-19 will be digital
transformation of local stores and contactless delivery. Due to the outbreak of COVID-19
many local stores had to close and as people were hesitant in going out, many local kirana
stores have started selling grains and groceries online. This trend is expected to continue
further and as more and more local stores join the e-commerce network, a lot of product
could be made available to deliver in the super-fast delivery time of 1-2 hours. Another trend
is one that I have witnessed first-hand, it is that of contactless delivery. Business needs to
come-up with more efficient ways to deliver product in a contactless manner and with
security of the product as well. The confirmation signature can be replaced by photo evidence
by the delivery man.
Word count: 181
Reference: https://www.theweek.in/news/biz-tech/2020/06/17/how-will-e-commerce-change-
in-india-post-covid-19.html

Q4: Explain the below e-commerce terms and the pros and cons associated with each of
them: (50 words each)
a. Dropshipping
Ans: In dropshipping the selling merchant doesn’t stock or own inventory of the product.
Rather when the customer places an order the seller purchase the product from a third
party and then the third party directly ships the product to the customer. So in
dropshipping model, the seller ends up not handling the product at all.
Word Count: 55
Reference:- https://www.shopify.in/blog/what-is-dropshipping#:~:text=Dropshipping
%20is%20a%20retail%20fulfillment,shipped%20directly%20to%20the%20customer.
 b. Hyperlocal
Ans: Hyperlocal is a concept in E-commerce where the market that is caters market is close
proximity of the sellers. The benefit of such a model is that while a national aggregator will
take a day or two to deliver, hyperlocal e-commerce can fulfill customer’s demand in 1-2
hours.

Word Count: 48
Reference: https://www.thebalancesmb.com/hyperlocal-ecommerce-businesses-are-coming-
of-age-1141754

c. FBA
Ans: FBA is short for Fulfilled by amazon, is a service provided by Amazon to its sellers
wherein amazon handles the storage, packaging and delivery of the products in an amazon
fulfillment center. This allows sellers more flexibility in their selling practices and allows
amazon to control the delivery and availability of the product.
Word Count: 53
Reference: https://feedvisor.com/university/fulfillment-by-amazon/#:~:text=Fulfillment
%20By%20Amazon%20(FBA)%20is,flexibility%20in%20their%20selling%20practices.

d. Seller Flex
Ans: Seller flex is a program launched by Amazon for its sellers where sellers can get their
products prime eligible while keeping not keeping the inventory with Amazon. This is an
invitation based programme and it is suspected that the seller selection criteria is based on
ratings, and sales of the supplier.
Word count: 51
Reference: https://amzindiaprofit.com/sellerflex-the-ultimate-guide/

e. 3rd Party Fulfilment

Ans: In third-party fulfillment, the seller outsources the fulfillment of the product to a third-
party service company. The products are already handed over to the service company before
they’re listed online. The service company handles the storage, packaging and delivery of the
products to the customer as seller receives order.
Word Limit: 49
Reference: https://redstagfulfillment.com/drop-shipping-third-party-fulfillment-difference/
#:~:text=Third%2Dparty%20fulfillment%20is%20an,to%20customers%20on%20your
%20behalf.&text=You%20buy%20products%20in%20bulk,products%20in%20your
%20online%20shop.

Q5: Explain the below mentioned business/products/services and answer the question: (300
words each)
a. Amazon Prime: Compare it with Flipkart Plus
Ans: Amazon prime is premium subscription service of Amazon that comes at a subscription
cost of Rs. 999/year or Rs. 129/month. Flipkart plus on the other hand is a loyalty programme
that comes at zero upfront charges although the pre-requisite stated implies that the user
should have earned 300 super coins in the last 12 months where one super coin is earned after
purchasing worth Rs. 250/- from the Flipkart.
Both the memberships offers buyers free express delivery options, differentiated prices on
select products and early access to different sales.
Amazon prime features a plethora of services in the entertainment domain like Prime Videos,
unlimited E-books and Prime Music which are lacking with Flipkart Plus. While the plus
point of Flipkart plus is that the earned coins can be used on partner platforms such as
Hotstar.
Flipkart also offers a priority customer support to the members of Flipkart plus. With Flipkart
plus the sole aim of Flipkart is to influence people to buy more from Flipkart. While Amazon
has a lot more services to offer.

Word Count: 174

Reference: https://www.livemint.com/Companies/udegAWvQ1DdsrE6p41ToHJ/Flipkart-
Plus-vs-Amazon-Prime-Which-is-better.html
b. Amazon Advertising: Compare it with Google Ads and Facebook Ads
Ans:
c. Amazon Pay: Compare it with GPay and PhonePe
d. Flipkart Supermart: Compare it with Amazon Prime Now & BigBasket
Product Management
Q1: Design a Travel Website for the current COVID-19 pandemic elaborating over the
following points: (1000 Words)
a. Define the Scope of the Product, its offerings and utility
b. Identify and define the user/ customer personas
c. Identify use cases for the user/ customer personas identified in previous step
d. Prioritize the use case based on attributes like revenue, customer benefit, complexity,
feasibility etc.
a. List Solutions for the prioritized use cases along with Information Architecture
b. Identify the KPIs to be measured along with trade-offs of the solution proposed
c. Summarize the recommended solution with benefits and reasons behind
d. preference
You are advised to use Graphics while answering this question.
Ans:
Operations
Q1: Identify 3 current trends in operations management in the post COVID world and
describe them. How do you think they will change the future of operations management?
(300 words)
Ans: As the technology is moving faster than ever, businesses are rushing to reap most out of
the opportunity. Operations management has thus become more crucial than ever in
providing a competitive advantage edge to the business. In a world that has been astounded
by a global pandemic there will be some significant trends as we embark towards the “new
normal” in the business world.

 “Streamlining Organizational Communication” is going to be of key importance as

there is increased shift of workforce from office based set-up to WFH. Mobile
communication solutions should be made available to entire workforce especially to
the ones that do not work behind a desk. This will save time that’s spend looking for
information, coordinating activities inefficiently and time spend in identifying and
resolving mistakes.
 “Automating internal processes” to increase efficiency will pick new pace.
McKinsey research shows that 50% of all the work performed can be automated using
existing technology. Though certain technological functions in the industries have
been automated there are still highly fragmented field workforces that can be helped
with automation.
 As organizations work through and recoup from the effect of COVID-19, “keeping
up with the health and security” of public and workforce will be an important
concern for operations managers. It would be critical to find evidences and keep
updated health and safety records. And then the operations managers needs to work
towards reducing the number of health and security cases.
Operations defines a broad job role and such initiative will enable the businesses to run
smoothly in the aftermath of COVID-19. Operations will be viewed as not only a process
driven system but will also focus on the facets of employee relations and communications
and customer satisfaction.
Word Count: 286
References: - https://www.beekeeper.io/blog/trends-operations-management/
https://www.automationworld.com/factory/supply-chainmanagement/article/21138724/
operations-supply-chains-after-covid19
Q2. Explain the following Inventory control models and give examples where these models
will be the best fit or are being deployed currently: (200 words each)
e. Economic Order Quantity
Ans: Economic Order Quantity is an inventory control model that seeks to find a constant
order quantity that needs to be ordered at the time of restocking so as to minimize the
total inventory cost. This model assumes a constant and steady demand and does not
account for the lead time required for replenishment is not taken into account. Inventory
cost are made up of holding cost that varies linearly with the number of items stored and
the duration of storage and the order or set-up cost that is a onetime cost incurred during
placing order or restocking warehouse. All the associated costs – purchasing cost, holding
cost and set-up cost - are also assumed constant. Assuming constant annual demand D,
Annual per unit holding cost H, and set-up cost per order S. The EOQ comes out,

EOQ=
√ 2 SD
H
The model due to its limitation would be applicable where the demand of the product is
steady and the associated costs are constant. For example if you consider the inventory
that a newspaper press keep for paper or ink, the EOQ model can be followed. As the
daily subscribers of paper won’t fluctuate much also the cost of paper isn’t driven
seasonally.
Word Count: 198
Reference: - https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/052715/how-economic-order-
quantity-model-used-inventory-management.asp

f. Inventory Production Quantity

Ans: Inventory production Quantity or Economic Production Quantity (EOQ) model
is applicable to the companies or industries that met the customer demand by making
its own products. In such cases, EPQ model aims to find the economic production
quantity that needs to be made in a production run so as to minimize the total
inventory and production cost. This model like the EOQ assumes steady demand and
constant prices for per unit production, holding, and production set-up. It is applicable
when the production rate is higher than the demand, because otherwise the company
is incentivized to keep the production perpetually running to minimize lost sales.
Assuming an annual demand rate of D, annual production rate of P, yearly holding
cost per item as H, and production set-up cost as S, we get the EPQ as

EOQ=
√ 2 SDP
H (P−D)
This particular model can be applied to a production based industry with constant
demand where there is no factor to fluctuate the demand vigorously. The model can
be applicable for consumer electrical manufacturing such as iron, purifier, lighting
solutions. The demand for such product is constant throughout.
 Word Count: 182
References: - https://www.kbmanage.com/concept/economic-production-quantity

g. Newsvendor Inventory Model

Ans: - The “Newsvendor Inventory Model” takes the uncertainty of demand into
accounts and assumes the goods to be perishable meaning that the after a certain
duration the unused inventory will become unsellable and will be worth the salvage
value only. There is cost associated with understocking that is in the form of lost sales
and cost associated with overstocking of goods that ends up unsold. This is a single
period problem i.e. the order quantity is decided on every ordering. The costs are
assumed constant and the order quantity is decided based on the economic benefit of
increasing the order quantity by a single item. The order size is increased as long there
is economic benefit in doing so. If C, P and S are the unit purchase price, selling price
and salvage price respectively, the cost associated with lost sale is (P-C) and that for
unsold items is (C-S). If the cumulative probability distribution of demand is F (Q),
(P−C)
then the order quantity Q is choose such that F ( Q ) = .
( P−C ) +(C−S )
The model is applicable when the product is perishable for example newspaper, dairy,
etc. or the price of item has a downward trajectory with time for example fashion
products.
Word Count: 198
Reference: - https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-772j-d-lab-
supply-chains-fall-2014/calendar/MIT15_772JF14_Newsboy.pdf
Q3: What are the five major supply chain drivers? Explain the trade-off between
responsiveness and efficiency in supply chain management.
Ans: Following are the five major supply chain drivers:-

 Production: Here the decision is too made on the aspects of “What to make?”, “Where
to make?”, “How much to make?” etc. To improve responsiveness it would be
advisable to have plants at different locations with high excess capacity and flexible
manufacturing to cater variety in demand. And to cater to efficiency one would look
for centralized large scale production with high capacity utilization and limited
product range to achieve economies of scale.
 Inventory: With Inventory the decision variables and trade-off remain the same as that
with production. We need to decide “what to stock?”, “where to stock?”, “How much
to stock?” etc. For responsiveness, it would be desirable to have huge inventories of
varies product portfolio in a distributed network so as to reduce the delivery time. To
achieve efficiency one would want to focus on stocking preferably high selling
products and keeping minimal inventories of slow moving products and have the
storage at a centralized location to reduce the overhead.
 Location: Here the decision is on the level of distributed network one needs to keep.
Again for responsiveness one would want large number of Stores or SKUs spread
 across the area to be served while efficiency would dictate a few central locations
only.
 Transportation: To achieve high level of responsive one would want to use faster and
more flexible mode of transport such a truck and planes of services such as UPS or
FedEx and would want to ship item as soon as required. To achieve efficiency one
might look to use the railroads and ships and would want to ship large quantities less
frequently.
 Information: Information is the integrating for the supply chain. The efficiency of the
information increases with time as the cost reduces and to achieve responsiveness one
need to collect and share timely accurate data.
So which one to choose Efficiency or responsiveness? Efficiency requires the input variable
to be fairly predictable and stable over the long run so that the operations can be optimized.
Though efficiency is good, responsiveness is better and what drives the continuous
innovation in the product and technology in the 21st century. Customer are now looking more
and more for customization and prefer paying a premium price for a differentiated product.
Word Count: 380
Reference: https://www.scmglobe.com/five-supply-chain-drivers/
Q4: Explain the concept of Bullwhip effect. Discuss the pros and cons of this effect. How can
a supply chain minimize the same? Can it ever be reduced to zero? Substantiate your answer.
(500 words)
Ans: Customer demand is hardly ever completely steady and businesses as a result use
demand forecast to plan for the appropriate amount of inventory and resources. As forecasts
are rarely ever perfectly accurate, businesses usually plan for demand fluctuation by keeping
a buffer stock. Customer demands directly impact the inventory levels. Due to interlinkages
in the supply chain, fluctuations in the customer demand creates ripple effect and the
fluctuations gets amplified as we move from customer’s end to the manufacturer’s and Raw
Material Supplier’s end.
Consequences of Bullwhip Effect?
• Stock outs: A customer that is lower than expected can lead to reduced inventories
and ordering on different levels of supply chain. As a result when the demand customer
demand rises, there may not be enough stock in the system to fulfill the demands leading to
stock outs.
• Waster: On the flip side, when the customer demand is more than what was expected
as per the forecasts, there will be increased stocking and ordering throughout the supply chain
network. So when the customer demand falls, it may lead to a substantial waste of resources
and the cost involved.
• Changes in buying pattern: If a particular company faces the bullwhip effect
frequently and in the extreme, it may decide to change its buying pattern. Batch ordering is a
cause of bullwhip effect as that makes the companies round off the orders by a significant
number, as a result companies may decide to switch to a frequent ordering system of flexible
quantities. This though would protect against the cost of waste and lost sales, however it will
cost more in shipping and would put the company in the position where supplier are arriving
constantly.
• Tense Supplier Relations: When the customer demand is more than the forecast that
may prompt the buyers to force supplier to supply excessively high quantities of material in a
short time and on the other hand lower customer demand may mean that the buyer will
pressure the supplier into buyback of the already supply material or cancellation of existing
order. If such situations arises frequently this may lead to bad relationships between supplier
and buyer.
How to Minimize Bullwhip effect?
• Improved communications and better forecast: Instead of just focusing on the end-
user demand, better communication needs to happen through the entire supply chain that’ll
expose the daily fluctuation and aid in better forecast
• Eliminate delays: Eliminating delays is another way to minimize the bullwhip effect.
If the lead time is minimized the safety stock will be minimized.
• Reduce the size of order and good customer service: Constant supply of material
through the channel would reduce the surge due to shortage and better product and customer
service would reduce the surge due to promotional discounts and order cancellations.
No the bullwhip effect cannot be reduced to zero. The prediction of the customer demand
cannot be accurate as it is a very complex and no matter how efficient and responsive the
supply chain in there will always be minute miscommunications and delays. So though the
bullwhip effect can be minimized it cannot be eliminated.
Word Count: 512
Reference: https://www.supplychain-academy.net/understanding-the-bullwhip-effect-in-
supply-chains/

Q5: What is Six Sigma? Explain the DMAIC and DMADV methodologies of Six Sigma.
What are the cons of Six Sigma process? (500 words)
Ans: When the process is well under control and the variation of the process is controlled to
the extent that the specification limits required for the product falls beyond the +/- 6 standard
deviations from the mean then the process is said to have a six-sigma control. In a six-sigma
controlled process the number of defects produced per million opportunities is 3.4. Though
this just a statistical representation of Six Sigma Quality, Sig Sigma is also a set of tools that
can be used to achieve continuous improvement.
Six-sigma methodologies of continuous improvement:
DMAIC: DMAIC approach is used to improving an existing process. Steps are as follows:-
 Define: Perhaps the most important step is to define the problem, customer
requirements, project goals, improvement areas and activities. It is important to map
the entire process starting and finishing at customer.
 Measure: Now you need to measure the current aspects of the process and gather the
required data. This data will help us with the current or “as-is” process capability
 Analyze: The current data and process needs to analyze to identify the relationships
between different aspects. Root cause analysis needs to done to reach the root cause
of the problem at hand.
 Improve: Now that the root cause has been identifies and relationships are established.
Improve the process by e1iminatin the root cause.
 Control: After an improved system is in place, it is important to ensure that there are
no deviations from it in the future. Control systems such as poke-yoke, SPC, 5S needs
to be implemented.
DMADV: DMADV approach is used during the design of a new process or product.

 Define: The first step is again to define the project and measurable goals keeping into
mind the customer and enterprise requirements.
 Measure: Now it’s time to identify the parameters that are critical to quality (CTQs).
Measure production process capability and risks.
 Analyze: At this stage one needs to come-up with different design alternatives and
analyze the same against the parameters decided the previous stage. Then the design
option that meets the goals in the best way is to be selected.
 Design: Now that the alternative has been finalized, it needs to be thoroughly thought
and a detailed design needs to be made for the same. Then an even more detailed
version needs to prototyped and tested in the next stage.
 Verify: Now the final design needs to be verified if it fulfills the requirements.
Cons of Six Sigma:

 The standard of 3.4 million defect is not appropriate as it might not be profitable to
achieve that quality for some processes and some might require even higher level of
quality,
 The six-sigma process has more focus on the rigidity and performing the course of
activities as decided leaving less room for innovation and creativity.
 Implementation of six-sigma required highly skilled and trained manpower which can
be costly for businesses.

Word Count: 476

Reference: https://asq.org/quality-resources/six-sigma
https://asq.org/quality-resources/dmaic
http://www.sixsigma.in/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-six-sigma.html
Q6: Describe in detail ‘Pull vs Push Supply Chain’. Explain giving examples for each of
them. (500 words)
Ans: Let’s first define what supply chain is? I would define it as process of transforming raw
materials into the desired product and then getting that product to within the reach of the
customer. Now though that seems quite a simple process it is in reality quite a complicated
one that involves numerous decisions to be made and appropriate steps to be taken. One thing
though can be understood is that ideally in a supply chain the flow of goods is one way that is
from raw material supplier to manufacturer to retailers. Now based on the flow of
information that follows there are two basic types of supply chain models – Push and pull.
When the flow of information is in the same direction as the flow of goods it is considered as
the push supply chain and when the flow of information is the direction opposite to the flow
of goods, it is considered as pull supply chain system.
In push supply chain the decision about what, when and how much needs to be manufactured
is decided based on the customer demand forecast. So based on the expected demand the
appropriate quantity will be push through the system. The main problem with this system is
that the forecast are never accurate, no matter how much data is collected and how
sophisticated the analysis is there is always gap between the actual value and one forecasted
one. As a result there will be either lost sales or there will be unsold inventory. Another
drawback is that the demand forecast is usually done by the “Peanut Butter approach” where
in all varieties within a product class are considered the same despite them having a different
demand profile. The benefit on the other hand is that since the quantity planning is done pro-
actively using the forecast, all the parties involved in the supply chain gets ample time to
make arrangements regarding the supplementary resources required to fulfill the projected
demand.
Any product where you can’t wait for the customer to place order and then plan the
manufacturing will follow push supply chain. Examples are FMCG products, winter clothes,
electronics, etc.
In pull supply chain the decisions are driven by actual customer demands. Leveraging
modern cloud-based technologies we are able to plan replenishment and production by actual
stock consumption at the SKUs. This also allows for the strategy to be more granular and
variant specific. Obvious benefit of pull strategy is that it’ll carry very little inventory.
Pure pull supply chain strategy are rare to find and is usually limited to customized products.
Other examples would be products that have a very high waiting time for example
automobiles usually have a high waiting time.
Word Count: 450
Reference: https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/business/trends-and-insights/
articles/push-vs-pull-supply-chain-management-strategy/#:~:text=Push%20supply%20chain
%20strategy%20means,strategy%20is%20for%20seasonal%20items
https://supplychainbeyond.com/push-vs-pull-supply-chain-whats-difference/

General Awareness
Q1: Analyze the following issues and write your opinions on the same: (150 words each)
a. Softbank’s Vision Fund
Ans: After the Softbank’s investment in Alibaba soared in 2014, the company in an
optimistic move partnered with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) to create
the world’s largest private equity fund - the Softbank Vision Fund. The Vision Fund enjoyed
its successes in the initial years of inception, however some of the investments proved to be a
huge burden as they have declined considerable in value post investment. Apart from the
hiccups in the pre-COVID times, the global pandemic has also had a bad impact on many of
Vision Fund’s investment companies such as Uber, Ola, and Oyo Rooms. Vision Fund used
to be the driver of profits at SoftBank and now it is one of the biggest contributor to losses.
With the COVID-19 impacting the sale of oil in a negative sense, PIF is also looking to
monetize its position on the Vision Fund.
Word Count: 147
Reference:

 https://www.techquila.co.in/softbank-vision-fund/
 https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/softbank-saudis-would-get-a-liquidity-
boost-from-vision-fund-ipo

b. Indian Health System

Ans: The state of healthcare in India is abysmal. Government spending on the public health
care system, as per the National Health Profile 2018, was less than 1 percent of the national
GDP and this figures are less than some of our neighbour countries. Indian stood at rank 170
out of 188 countries for Health care spending and is second to last among the 10
neighbouring countries. There are only 0.5 bed available per 1000 population in the public
hospitals and the situation is worsened by that fact that in 12 states accounting for around
70% of population have this figure at below national average. The number of ventilators and
critical care beds is far lower. The situation is not very positive with the private hospitals as
well as the figure for them is still lower than 1. A study indicated that around 4300 Indians
die every day due to poor healthcare and around 7% of population is pushed below poverty
line due to healthcare expenses.
Word Count: 165
Reference:

 https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/blame-collapse-india-health-care-system-
200701093556860.html
 https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/coronavirus-epidemic-healthcare-
system-public-hospitals-6449264/
c. COVID-19: Black Swan of Global Economy
Ans: COVID-19 is all over the globe more than 180 geographies including USA, Japan,
Europe and India has confirmed cases of the virus and almost everyone is adversely
impacted. Event of such a big magnitude and scale is bound to have significant impact on the
social and economic factors around the globe. Let’s delve in the “Black Swan” before
commenting further. Black Swan event is characterised by the rarity of occurrence,
unpredictability and the devastating impact it has on different facets. As per experts, the bulk
shut down economic activities as seen in COVID is completely unprecedented and wasn’t
experienced even during the Great Depression and World War II. The markets all over has
experience their worst downfall in decades with Sensex losing close to 30% of its value in
first Quarter of 2020 and similar trends have been seen on indices around the world.
Word count: 144
Reference: https://www.investindia.gov.in/team-india-blogs/covid-19-foreseeing-
unforeseeable-black-swan-2020
d. Universal Basic Income
Ans: Universal Basic Income by definition is guaranteed, no-strings attached, recurring
payment to each and every member of the society sized to the amount required to cover the
based needs of human life. There are several arguments for and against UBI. People
advocating in the favour of the scheme argues that the move will help eliminate poverty as
every member will be receiving a payment equivalent to the poverty line. Another argument
in favour is that it will empower people to choose, and in turn remove the stigma around
government assistance that comes with a lot of dos and don’ts. As the policy is universal, this
will reduce overheads for the government. Another argument in favour is that it’ll
compensate for the massive job loss that is to accompany the development in technology such
as AI/ML. Critics of the scheme states the concerns regarding the huge cost the scheme will
have on government and the fact that basic needs being satisfied would discourage people to
work.
Word count: 165
Reference: https://www.givedirectly.org/basic-income/#:~:text=A%20universal%20basic
%20income%20(UBI,to%20the%20cost%20of%20living.
e. Gig Economy
Ans: Gig Economy is a new and upcoming trend in workforce management. A gig economy
comprises of temporary and flexible jobs and the companies have a preference of hiring
independent contractors to fulfil the manpower requirement rather than the traditional model
of employment. Flexible job opportunities help both employee and employer to cater to the
dynamic demands and requirements. Gig economies are powered by technological
developments and don’t carry people who don’t identify themselves with the technological
advancements. The result of Gig economy is cheaper and more efficient services such as
Uber or Airbnb. Cities witness a higher development of services and are usually the most
ingrained in the gig economy. Despite the benefits, there is some criticism of the gig
economy as well. It is accused to have eroded the traditional economic relationship between
workers, businesses, and clients. Word count: 136
Reference; https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/gig-economy.asp

f. Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019

Ans: Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed in both houses of the parliament on 11
December 2019 has led to several protest both peaceful and violent around the country. The
Act is being criticized on the grounds of constitutionality, exclusion of some marginalized
refuge groups and criminal design of the CAA-NRC framework. In my opinion the criteria of
religion in the citizenship of a secular country like India is needless to say at least. The Act
promoted as attempt to protect the country against the refuges doesn’t define or mention
refuges specifically rather hits around legal and illegal immigrants. The sections that will be
granted citizen on the grounds of religion persecution are not being asked to provide any
proof of the same meaning that any illegal immigrant belonging to those religions will be
granted citizenship irrespective of the reason of migration.
Word Count: 141
Reference:

 https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/expert-view-does-india-need-caa-npr-nrc-
1635665-2020-01-10
 https://www.news18.com/news/opinion/citizenship-amendment-act-and-national-
register-of-citizens-the-evils-that-arent-2431601.html#:~:text=It%20will%20include
%20all%20illegal,India%20before%20December%2031%2C%202014.
g. Minimum Support Price
Ans: Minimum Support Price (MSP) is the price set by the government for the sale of crops
and is decided taking into account the cash expenditure as well the labour cost. Though this is
good initiative by the government only 6% of the farmers are able to benefit from the scheme
and the rest have to sell their crops at a huge loss. Another drawback of the policy is that the
prices are set by the central government and are same around the country with state
government having the option to append the price as per requirement. So the price remains
the same but the cost of production and yield varies greatly from one state to another. And if
the state government announces bonuses on the crop price it would make the crops from that
state economically unattractive. In my opinion it is time to have an income based scheme for
farmers rather than one based on guaranteed revenue.
Word Count: 158
Reference: https://en.gaonconnection.com/is-the-minimum-support-price-scheme-helping-
the-farmers-or-is-at-failing-them-at-several-levels-a-simple-math/
h. Bharat Stage VI
Ans: The journey of Indian Automobile sector spanning 20 years from Bharat Stage –I norms
in 2000 to Bharat Stage –VI norms in 2020 is one of the quickest upgradation curves
anywhere in the world. As per the earlier framework proposed by the government the BS-VI
norms were to be introduced by 2024 however as per the revised roadmap they’re being
mandated just 3 years after implementation of BS-IV in 2017 and have completely skipped
the BS-V norms. Such a drastic change in the regulatory landscape has put tremendous
pressure on the Automobile industry. Similar transformation in emission norms took 9 years
in Europe and the duration of the phase-out was considerably longer as well. Automobile
industry has invested several thousand crores in the transformation and it would serve them
right if government could lay down a concrete roadmap of regulatory framework for the next
10 years.
Word count: 146
Reference: https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/the-quest-for-cleaner-and-better-
vehicles-needs-a-clear-road-map-11580920601750.html

Q2: Research about the following topics in a structured manner and submit your answers in
the format given below. You have been provided with three aspects per topic and you are
required to come up with three more aspects (100 words per aspect).
a. Industry 4.0
Components of digital technology

 Big Data Analytics on data collected from different sources to make real time
decisions.
 Autonomous Robotics – Communicating amongst themselves robots will be
performing greater range of activities.
 Simulation – Digital twinning would be used to mirror real world processes for better
optimization with lower risks.
 Horizontal and Vertical system integration – data integration across functions and
companies will make value chain automated and cohesive.
 Industrial Internet of Things – communication between devices leading to
decentralized analytics and real time response
 Cybersecurity – Increased data and communication will warrant vigilant
cybersecurity.
 Cloud – Cloud computing for data driven service
 Additive Manufacturing for rapid prototyping
 Augmented reality solutions can help to provide workers with real time information.

Word count: 110

Reference: https://www.bcg.com/capabilities/operations/embracing-industry-4.0-
rediscovering-growth#collapsible--0
Implementational challenges
Cybersecurity is a huge potential challenge with the implementation of Industry 4.0. Industry
4.0 is characterized by highly connected devices and data sharing. This poses a threat for data
protection and intellectual property rights.
Another challenge is to manage change effectively. Appropriate strategy needs to be devised
to equip the workforce with necessary skills and tools requited for the transition. Workforce
upskilling will also prove fruitful as i4.0 will eliminated need for many repetitive task
performing workers. So employee education needs to be undertaken as well.
And lastly there will be huge capital investment involved as well.
Word count: 97
Reference: https://txm.com/the-advantages-challenges-implementing-industry-4-0-
technologies/
Applications
In manufacturing, it could help to optimize the operations quickly and efficiently as the data
sharing between machines will help identify where attention is required. Interconnected
supply chain and real-time data sharing can help optimize the logistics and supply chain
operations and all the adjusted can be done by the RPA systems. Autonomous vehicle and
equipment can be leveraged to manage efficient load, unloading and storage. Amazon
warehouse is a prime example of implementation of interconnected robots in the warehousing
processes. Additive manufacturing had now moved from just prototyping to full production.
Word count: 93
Reference: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/09/02/what-is-industry-4-0-
heres-a-super-easy-explanation-for-anyone/#464a89109788
Design Principle
Interoperability: Objects, machines and people need to be able to communicate seamlessly
though IoT and IoP.
Virtualization: There should be a digital copy of the process using CPSs and it should be able
to account for all environmental factors.
Decentralization: Real time decision should be enable at the site of problem itself.
Real-time capability: Real-time data collection, analysis and decision making should be
enabled.
Service –orientation: Customer obsession should be paramount concerns. People and objects
must have a seamless connect to create product fitting customer requirements.
Modularity: Smart factories must be flexible enough to adopt to the changing market
conditions quickly.
Word count: 101
Referecne: https://www.cleverism.com/industry-4-0/
Benefits
Improved productivity: Seamless integration of tech and real-time decision making helps
productivity to a great extent.
Improved efficiency: Industry 4.0 would also help better consumption of the resources and
make the production and other activities more efficient.
Increased Knowledge Sharing and Collaborative Working: The traditional style of working in
silos which is especially prominent in the manufacturing would be changed for the better and
there will be significant exchange of information between plants.
Flexibility and Agility: Another benefit is that the system is quick to adopt and makes it
easier to introduce new product or change volume quickly and efficiently.
Word count: 100
Reference: https://slcontrols.com/benefits-of-industry-4-0/
Trends
Smart Factory – Smart factory will work with modular design and make a virtual copy of the
physical system.
Predictive maintenance – Use of sensors and seamless data sharing would enable for the
company to predict maintenance breakdowns and work toward them,
3D printing – 3D printing will be extensively and the advent of metal 3D printing will be
further explored.
Smart sensors – Sensors and instruments form a core part of the industry 4.0 technology.
Smart sensors are those that generate the data and do the necessary analysis and do the self-
configuration for further functionality.
Word count: 92
Reference: https://www.intechopen.com/books/industry-4-0-current-status-and-future-
trends/industry-4-0-current-status-and-future-trends
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Fourth_Industrial_Revolution#Biggest_trends_of_the_Fourth_Industrial_Revolution

Consulting

Q1: Guesstimate the following (1 handwritten page per guesstimate)

a. Market size of iWatch in India
b. Number of trips by a commercial airline in a day in India
Q6: Explain the business model of the following: (200 words each)
b. JioMart
Ans: Jio Mart is a joint venture between Reliance Retails and Jio Platforms And it
will function as an online retail grocery store. In contrast to the inventory model of the
online grocery retail counterparts like Grofers and Amazon fresh, Jio Mart will follow
a marketplace model that is to say that it’ll not handle the inventory of the groceries
while just act as platform the sellers and buyers to meet each other’s needs. Jio Mart
will derive its strength from the Retail arm of Reliance industries and the recent deal
with WhatsApp. Jio Mart will be able to utilize the already existing network of brick
and mortar stores of Reliance Fresh and with the collaboration of Whatsapp will
provide the customers huge convenience over other apps and will also provide Jio
Mart with an already existing huge user base of Whatsapp. JioMart is planning to
correct the unorganised retail store network and provide them with the competencies
in GST compliance, inventory and supply chain management. RIL has also recently
acquired Grab a Grub which is a logistic start-up and C-Square which provides
software solutions for various operational functions. These will further add to the
value proposition of Jio Mart.
Word Count: 199
Reference:
https://startuptalky.com/jiomart-case-study/#Jiomart_JioMartBusinessModel_JioMart
revenuemodel
https://www.bgr.in/news/reliance-jiomart-launched-in-india-likely-to-take-on-
amazon-flipkart-and-more-866948/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/retail/jiomart-wants-you-to-
buy-small-and-buy-often/articleshow/75609746.cms?from=mdr
https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/article/reliance-rolls-out-jiomart-
here-s-all-the-information-you-need-about-this-e-commerce-venture/596607
Marketing
Q1: List your 2 favourite products from each of the following companies. Identify the target
consumer for the same. What is its positioning? (50 words per product)
Nestle:
a. Kit Kat – The target customer of kit Kat are men and women of all ages, though the
product focusses itself on the chocolate loving youth who likes to enjoy a chocolaty
and crunchy snack. The brand associates itself with the breaks and that you can enjoy
a Kit Kat to relieve stress.
Word count: 50
b. Maggi Noodles - The target customers for Maggi Noodles can be divided into kids –
those who like to have tasty snacks and adults – people with busy lifestyle who
doesn’t have time to cook exhaustive meals. The brand is positioned with the ease of
cooking – stating that the Maggi can be prepared in 2 mins.
Word count: 51
ITC
a. Aashirwad aata with multigrain: Aashirwad aata with multigrain is targeted to the
urban population of the country. It is aimed at the housemakers and focusses on the
income group of middle class and above. The product is positioned as premium wheat
aata that provides better nourishment for the entire family.
Word count: 46
b. Classmate notebook: Classmate notebooks are targeted to the students belonging to
the middleclass and above income group. The brands targets the students who prefer
unique products and also likes to indulge in factoids. The products are positioned as
the premium stationary items with interest facts at the back.
Finance
Q2. Which of the following items will affect the financial statements of a concern and how?
(Explain the impact on Cash Flow Statement, Balance Sheet and Income Statement each,
individually)
a. Increase in taxes by 10% on before tax profits of Rs.1,000
 In income statement, increase in tax will increase the tax expense (by Rs.100 in this
case) and reduce the net income (by Rs. 100 in this case)
 Increase tax by Rs. 100/- will change the cash flow statement as the cash outflow will
increase.
 Increase in tax rate will reduce the net income (by rs.100/- in this case) and this will
reduce the cash account by Rs.100/- and the Retained earning under Owner’s equity
by Rs. 100/-
Word count: 77
b. Increase in Gross Profit Margin by 20% on a before tax profits of Rs.1,000 (All profits
realised in cash)
 If the profit margin has increase and the profit remains the same that means that the
sales must have reduced. This means in Income statement, it will reduce the revenues
and COGS.
 In Cash flow statement, the cash inflow through revenue would reduce.
 In Balance sheet, there will be no change.

Word count: 51
c. Depreciation Charges decrease by Rs.5,000
 Reduction in depreciation charges with same EBITDA will increase the PBT and Net
Income by same amount i.e. Rs 5,000
 No change in direct format of cash flow statement. In indirect formant, the net income
will increase by Rs. 5000 and adjustment for deprecation will also increase by Rs.
5000. Net cash flow remains same.
 In Balance sheet, the value of asset will increase by Rs. 5000 and the retained
earnings in the owner’s equity section will increase by Rs 5000
Word count: 81
Q3: Explain the following account titles (100 words each) and classify according to whether
they would appear on the income statement or the balance sheet:
Goodwill – Goodwill is an intangible asset the can be realised on the sale of one asset from
one company to another. It is the value charged as a premium over the net asset value of the
company. The reasons for the goodwill of a company include, the solid customer base,
reputation in the market, good business and customer relations, good employee relations and
loyalty. It is calculated by subtracting the fair market value of assets minus liabilities from the
purchase price of the company or asset. Goodwill is a balance sheet account on the asset side
and does not appear on income statement.
Word count: 102
Q4: Analyse the impact of the following transactions on the accounting equation:
a. Commenced business with cash ₹500000
Asset (Cash account) increases by ₹500000
=
Liabilities (unchanged) + Owner’s equity (Paid-up capital account) increases by ₹500000
b. Purchased goods ₹25000
Asset (inventory account) increases by ₹25000
=
Liabilities (Accounts payable account) increases by ₹25000 + O.E. (Unchanged)
c. Paid salary ₹10000
Asset (Cash account) decreases by ₹10000
=
Liabilities (unchanged) + O.E. (retained earnings) reduced by ₹10000
d. Sold goods costing ₹20000 at a profit of 25% on the cost
Asset (Accounts Receivable/cash increases by ₹20000 & inventory reduce by ₹16000) net
increase of ₹4000
=
Liabilities (unchanged) + O.E. (Retained earnings) increases by ₹4000
e. Paid salary in advance ₹2000
Assets (pre-paid expense increses by ₹2000 and cash reduced by ₹2000) no net change
=
Liabilities (unchanged) + O.E (unchanged)
f. Introduced additional capital ₹10000
Assets (cash) increases by ₹10000
=
Liabilities (unchanged) + O.E. (additional capital) increases by ₹10000
Q5: Answer the following questions:
d. Create a balance sheet as per the following line items:
i. Building Rs.154,000
ii. Retained Earnings Rs.20,000
iii. Equipment Rs.28,500
iv. Share Capital Rs.50,000
v. Furniture Rs.34,000
vi. Bills Payables Rs.11,000
vii. Inventory Rs.16,000
viii. Cash Rs.12,500
ix. Mortgage Rs.70,000
x. Creditors Rs.59,000
xi. Accrued Income Rs. 5,000
xii. Bank loan Rs.40,000

Ans:

Asset Liabilities

Cash 12,500 Accounts payable 11,000

Inventory 16,000 Crediotrs 59,000

accured
incom 5,000 Mortgage 70,000

bank load 40,000

Building 1,54,000

Equipment 28,500 Owner's Equity

Furniture 34,000 Share Caiptal 50,000

Retained earning 20,000

Total Liabilities +
Total Assets 2,50,000 O.E. 2,50,000