Asian Journal of Management Cases, Volume 21, Issue 1, Page 99-122, March 2024.
In 1992, Naresh Goyal started on a journey to build the best airline in India, Jet Airways. With rising market share and revenues, Jet Airways began climbing up the ladder of success. It gradually became one of the household names in the Indian aviation sector. In 2005, it came up with an initial public offering (IPO) to reach greater heights with large investments from the funding raised. A ‘paradigm shift’ in the Indian airline business came in 2006 with the increased competition and entry of low-cost carriers. The rise in the competition impacted Jet’s turnover, which was ultimately reflected in the diminishing profitability margins. With a series of industry challenges and questionable managerial decisions, Jet became a debt-ridden and loss-making enterprise from being one of the leaders in the aviation sector. Eventually, in April 2019, Jet Airways temporarily ceased its operations because of a lack of funding available to sustain it. The consortium of lenders, led by State Bank of India (SBI), faced a serious dilemma; whether to revive the airline by looking for potential investors or declare Jet bankrupt and begin the bankruptcy proceedings.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
Marketing entails challenges. It is even more challenging in developing markets such as India. This case revolves around the challenges faced by a relatively new entrant in the Indian home furnishings market—Zyne. Launched in 2010 and managed by Raman, a third-generation entrepreneur, the case revolves around the opportunities and challenges faced by Zyne and the options it has for effectively positioning itself in the competitive home furnishing market.The company faces a host of challenges in its quest for expanding its market presence. The market for home furnishings is growing but is highly fragmented, with many small and fringe players in the fray. Zyne must ensure good product quality, competitive pricing, higher promotional expenditures and an effective channel strategy to succeed in such a market. It must also extend its channel reach to more prospective markets. As the market matures, new entrants will enter as the investments needed to enter this market are relatively low, and many companies depend on cheaper imports. The company is at a crossroads and plans to establish itself alongside more established rivals such as Bombay Dyeing. Given the backdrop, Raman, armed with an MBA degree, does not want to let go of the opportunity and wishes to assess three options: (i) enter into alliances with international brands and gain entry into more established retail channels, (ii) review and revamp its distribution network and (iii) enhance investments at point of viewing in retail outlets and train the sales personnel in stores to push the Zyne brand.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
Laxman and Joel, managing directors of Lakshya Foods India Ltd., faced a positioning issue for their milk brand. The young entrepreneurs had acquired a stake from Mr Redu, the founder and owner of Lakshya, a regional dairy company based out of Haryana, India, in 2012. While designing their annual marketing plan for 2019, they were not able to figure out what made Lakshya different from its competitors.The dairy market dynamics were changing with varying consumption patterns, people becoming more health-conscious, a rise in disposable income and consumer demand for variety in the product range. Due to these changes, the competition was growing intense in the dairy business. From renowned national brands such as Amul, Mother dairy, Madhusudan etc., establishing foothold to various app-based online milk vendors such as Daily Ninja, Milk Basket and Country Delight entering dairy space, everyone was fighting for more market share. There was a substantial unorganized market that had a loyal customer base. Different brands were using different value propositions to compete in the market, such as quality, purity or attractiveness of the packaging to pull consumers. The two young entrepreneurs were unsure about what would work better with the Indian buyers; purity, freshness, taste or health. These milkpreneurs wanted to convey a proposition that was deeper and moved Lakshya from mundane milk to a preferred choice of every household.Until now, there was no clear communication strategy, and various channels were used at any time of the year to reach customers, which led to target bullets in the air and wasting marketing effort. They wanted to make Lakshya a national dairy brand, but they were uncertain how to differentiate their dairy brand. They had to decide a value proposition that would help Lakshya position itself firmly in the dairy market.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Volume 21, Issue 1, Page 83-98, March 2024.
This case examines the establishment of a small-scale business, Sindh Fruit Traders, owned by Mr Imtiaz and Mr Tehseen. The saturated local market condition is compelling them to look at export markets as means of expansion. The core challenges they face are identifying and selecting an appropriate export country and making the necessary preparations for the expansion. All these decisions have to be made before the next harvest season in July 2017.This case describes in detail the dates business in Khairpur, Pakistan. It provides information about how an individual commences business at a small scale and then expands with time by learning the techniques of the business.This case also explains the local trading of crops and traditional ways of conducting business in the date market of Khairpur and looks into ways in which research should be conducted to expand the business for exports. After discussion, the students will be able to understand the production and sales business of dates in general. More specifically, the students will understand how entrepreneurs are attracted to a business, what role research can play in making informed decisions, and the potential means to expand a local business into an international venture.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
Marketing mix strategy plays an important role and serves as a road map for achieving organizational and marketing objectives. An effective marketing mix in the food brand segment strengthens the product’s image, recognition, perception and market share by offering superior value to its customers. The purpose of this case study was to review the marketing mix strategy of a local spice brand with a focus on the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) customers. The case revolved around many questions, encompassing several aspects related to brand marketing, marketing mix strategies, communication and brand distribution, and the company’s core values and vision and its alignment with the mission. The data for this case study were acquired from secondary sources. The information set highlighted the marketing mix and raised questions regarding the underlined challenges faced by the brand for penetrating and maintaining its presence in the market.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
On March 18, 2019, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) made an open offer to buy up to a 31% stake in Mindtree (MT), which was among the top 10 information technology (IT) companies in India. L&T had already purchased the 20.41% stake that V. G. Siddhartha (VGS), the largest individual investor in Mindtree, was looking to sell. Mindtree’s promoters felt that the acquisition by L&T would add no value for the shareholders of the company. They had considered the option of buying VGS’s stake and had discussions with suitors who had shown interest in the same. The latter included PE firms such as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Baring PE Asia. However, in the end, L&T ended up buying the stake given the price it was willing to offer and the good relationship that its CEO, S. N. Subrahmanyan had with VGS. This led to the first hostile takeover in the Indian IT Industry.The struggle between L&T and Mindtree’s founders left investors in a lurch. While Mindtree’s promoters released a statement stating that L&T’s offer was value-destructive for shareholders, they could not provide any better alternatives. As the founders and L&T continued to lock horns, the investor needed to decide whether L&T had offered a fair deal.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
Majpadu Bricks Sdn. Bhd. was a Malaysian company incorporated in 1996. Majpadu’s business was in manufacturing and supplying compressed clay bricks, known as dry pressed earth brick (DPEB), a type of bricks manufactured using high-density compression technology. Unlike other bricks that were widely available in the market (also known as ordinary baked bricks), Majpadu’s bricks were not ‘fired’ in kilns; as such, DPEB was claimed to be more eco-friendly, cooler in temperature and yet very durable. Majpadu’s expertise was within the engineering process as well as the technical knowledge of DPEB. Apart from its main business, it also offered consultancy services to the industry. Over the years, Majpadu saw the company face several internal and external circumstances that affected its bottom line. By early 2017, the situation had become more serious, forcing Mr Zaki Hayat, the Managing Director of Majpadu, to implement a strategy to tackle the problems faced by the company.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Volume 21, Issue 1, Page 69-82, March 2024.
In April 2018, Enerzi Microwave Systems Pvt. Ltd. (EMSPL), a company established by Dr Prakash, was selected as one of the best companies in the medium, small and micro enterprise category. Dr Prakash was very proud of his company’s achievements, but at the same time, he was anxious about its growth in the future. EMSPL, which started in a 200-sq ft space in Bengaluru, is now one of the leading industrial microwave heating systems suppliers. However, Dr Prakash is now facing a challenging situation—to find a path that can provide rapid growth to the company. There are multiple questions in front of Dr Prakash. Should EMSPL expand into different market segments or remain focussed on the current segment? Should EMSPL invest in new product development? His team has suggested four options that can help Dr Prakash make a decision. Dr Prakash needs to find the best possible option, which can provide rapid growth to the company.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Volume 21, Issue 1, Page 39-47, March 2024.
This case outlines the dilemma faced by an entrepreneur about promoting and positioning his product in the market. The entrepreneur was aware of the huge scope available in the Indian sealant market. Though he wanted to launch the product in the market, he was in a fix to target an appropriate market. The instructor can use the case to discuss the promotion and positioning strategy analysis to mitigate the risk. Readers must think strategically about the business performance challenges if proper strategies are not put in place.This case can be taught to address issues of marketing management, strategic marketing, product management, etc., in management courses.

Asian Journal of Management Cases, Ahead of Print.
The case documents some of the challenges faced by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) between the year 2000 and 2003 and recounts how one leader assumed the role of a change agent in a new organization environment. The case examines the tenure of Khalid Mirza at SECP, and his approach to the emergent challenges, which ultimately left him wondering if his sources of power would continue to stay relevant should he serve another term. In December 1997, the Parliament legislated the SECP Act, 1997 (the Act). It pertained to the constitution and the structure of the Commission and the basis on which the capital market was to be regulated. However, a Parliament Act could not do much on its own. Khalid Mirza, a trained professional but with little background of Pakistan’s public sector, was brought in to implement the reforms. It may be noted that the approaches discussed are not a prescription, and the data presented are not suitable for a discussion on whether SECP became a successful organization. The case focus is primarily on navigating new organizational environments effectively to acquire and maintain power and on offering insights on power tactics as well as overcoming resistance to change.