Comments on: Dinosaurs were big too

by: Ramnath

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

“Anti-globalisers and socialists demand special curbs on multinational corporations, saying these are far bigger than entire countries and so have too much power.”

Another point. When we say MNCs are bigger than entire countries, we compare a company’s topline with country’s GDP. Not right.

You calculate GDP by adding total “value” of output. So, the comparable figure for a company is actually its bottomline, because profit is a better measure of the value an organisation adds.

by: Anup

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I am not for bashing MNCs, but the example of Tata Motors and GM is not at all helpful. In FY04 Tata Motors total sales were Rs. 13000 crores or about 3 billion USD. AY 2004 sales for GM were about 193 billion dollars. GM tuned a profit of about 2.8 billion dollars last year alone.

by: libra

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

When the government introduced FDI in print, the Times of India group opposed it tooth and nail. Swaminthan Aiyar, long a Times employee, argued in support of Times. FDI in every other sector is good but not where it might possibly end his (erstwhile) employer’s near-monopoly-like domination? That is sheer hypocrisy and it is people like Aiyar who are giving capitalism a bad name.

by: harini calamur

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

And dodo’s were small:)
Not all big companies fail, not all small companies succeed.
I guess that Indian manufacturers have it lucky that we have such a large internal market place. international competition as such has only really hit the upper and middle income segments.
check out Blade Runner - there were around 10 top brands of that time featured in the film. All these brands were international giants. Of them only coca cola survives:)

by: Anton Sherwood

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

The phrase “what’s good for General Motors is good for America” is famous because it was uttered by a Cabinet member who had previously worked for GM; I wouldn’t describe it as a “popular slogan”.

by: MadMan

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

If Aiyar argued against FDI in print, then my respect for him just dropped a few points.

Of them only coca cola survives

To extend Harini’s point, most of the brands mentioned in Tom Peters’ famous book, In Search Of Excellence, have also suffered serious reversals in their fortunes.

by: Mahesh Vee

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Mr. Aiyer,
How about a GM/FORD Vs Small company in the US comparison?
A lot more in that argument has to do with globalization, Asia uprising, innovation, etc. Also, anybody here in the States would agree that the likes of GM,Microsoft,FORD,Goldman Sachs have a lot of clout in the White House!! A very THIN argument by Mr. Aiyer.