India Wine Industry Report Essay

CONTENTS Introduction Market Size Market Development Local Industry Duties and Taxes Australian Wine players in India Market Segment and Market Share for imported wines Duties and Price Structure Wine Duty calculation impact on retail price Pricing factors The Developing market Market Entry Strategy Further Information Annexure I – Map of India Annexure II – Useful Information Annexure III – Major Wine Importers in India Annexure IV – list of other wine Importers and Distributors in Mumbai Delhi Bangalore and Goa Annexure V – Press Clipping PAGE NO 3 3 3 -4 4 5 5 5-6 6 7 8 8 8-9 9 11 12 13-16 17-19 20 -21. Disclaimer: Whilst every care has been taken in compiling the information in this report, the Department of State Development and its contractors neither warrant nor represent that the material published herein is accurate or free from errors or omissions. To the extent permissible by law the Department of State Development and its contractors shall not be responsible or liable for any errors, omissions and misrepresentations made herein. 2 Introduction: The Indian wine market is in a nascent stage. Estimates suggest an enormous growth potential of this sector both from the indigenous wine making industry and imports. The wine market in India is mainly fuelled by the strong growth in the domestic wine production, but imported wine plays a role in creating awareness and increased demand. Like most products in India, wine is extremely price sensitive. Market Size: As an emerging market India has great potential for wines, with an annual growth rate of 30% albeit from a low base. However, per capita consumption of wine in India is still low compared with other Asian markets. It was estimated that during the financial year 2008/9 the overall size of the Indian wine market was around 1. 2 million cases, of which 210,000 cases comprised imported product. This is small when compared with other beverage products. For example, there are an estimated 210 million cases of spirits consumed each year, of which 100 million are cases of beer. The fortunes of the industry are linked to the changing drinking habits of Indians with higher disposable incomes, foreign tourists and visiting business people, and Government (Central and State) regulations and policies that govern the industry. Market Development: Use of the mass media to promote alcoholic beverages in the form of advertising in magazines, TV, radio, newspapers, or on street hoardings is not allowed in India. However in-store advertising or on-premise promotions are allowed in all states except Delhi. In should be pointed out that wine shops differ widely from those in Australia. Marketing strategies have to include other forms of promotion such as promoting awareness on the relative health benefits of drinking wine, and sponsoring appropriate events which are cost effective and targeted towards those socioeconomic groups that can afford wine. The market demands a lot in terms of creating awareness, education and demystifying wine as a product. This can help expand the consumer base and increase demand. Companies wanting to successfully access the Indian wine market need to develop a long-term strategy that includes developing appropriate marketing promotions and educating agents, distributors and consumers about the product and the brand. Ongoing support of agents and distributors is required both on a financial basis (e. g. supporting promotions and marketing activities) and on a personal level. Increasing awareness of wine as a separate drink other than spirits has made it more socially acceptable. Increasing health consciousness and higher spending on corporate and personal entertainment has also given a boost to the sector. The increasing awareness of Government authorities to encourage wine drinking as compared with spirits has certainly brought cheer to the companies in the sector. The perception of wine being â€Å"upmarket† and â€Å"sophisticated† is helping in bringing about this change. One sign of this happening is the emergence of wine clubs in a number of cities. The biggest consumption of wine (up to 80%) is confined to the major cities, of which the largest are Mumbai (39%), Delhi (23%), Bangalore (9%) and the foreign tourist. 3 dominated market of Goa (9%). With the easing of quantitative restrictions on wines after April 1, 2001, there has been an increasing interest in the Indian market by international players. However the import duties and state taxes (which will be discussed later in more detail) remain high. They continue to be a major impediment to the foreign entrants into the Indian market. Local Industry: Maharashtra, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh (a recent entrant) are the three major wine producing regions in India. Maharashtra, on the western coast of India, is the major wine-producing region, accounting for 94% of the total wine produced in the country. According to the Department of Wine Production of the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), the wine producing region is spread over 30,000 hectares, covering 64 wineries. During the year 2007/08 Maharashtra registered a massive growth in wine production to 21. 1 million litres against 13. 2 million litres in 2006/07. This was a growth of 60% over the previous year and illustrates the ongoing appreciation of the virtues of wine by Indian consumers. Six new wineries became operational in Maharashtra, taking the total investment in the state to A$89 Million producing 720,000 litres of wine. The major grape producing regions in Maharashtra are Nasik, Satara, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Pune and Osmanabad, which are located approx 180-300 kms northeast and south of Mumbai. Thirty wineries have established production and bottling plants in the Vinchur industrial estate near Nasik. Karnataka produced 1. 2 million litres of wine during the same period. Two of India’s leading brands, Grover Vineyards and Indage, have plans to set up wine production facilities in Himachal Pradesh. There are three major local producers who control more than 90% of the market. Their market shares are as follows: Domestic Players Grovers Vineyard Chateau Indage Sula Vineyards 2004-05 37% 49 % 14 % 2005-06 26% 38% 36% 2006-07 24% 36% 34% 2007-08 22% 35% 35% Some of the statistics of domestic and imported wine sales in India are as follows: 2003-04 2004 -05 2005 -06 Domestic 430,000 490,000 535,000 Imported 40,000 70,000 100,000 Total Cases 470,000 580,000 635,000 (Figures sourced from Wine Report by MIDC) 2006-07 940,000 140,000 1,080,000 2007-08 1,000,000 210,000 1,210,000. During the last year United Sprits Ltd (USL), part of UB Group, bought BouvetLadubay, a French winery, and has launched this brand on the Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Goa markets . USL intends to produce wine in India. Their plans are to produce up to 600,000 cases per year. India has also exported a small volume of wine to Canada, Singapore, UK, and USA. 4 Duties and Taxes: The import duty on bulk wine was zero from 2001 till 2003/04. In the year 2004/05 the duty for wine imported in bulk was raised to the same level as that of imported bottled wine. Simultaneously, the state excise duty on bulk wine which was Rs7 per litre was raised to Rs200 per litre, and later to 200% of CIF value. Hence the concept of bulk wine being imported then bottled in India is no longer feasible. The major wine imports have been from France, Italy, Australia and Spain. There is a growing interest in wines from Austria, Italy, South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand and Chile. According to International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR), 39% of the total wines imported into India have come from France, 24% from Italy, and the rest from the other countries listed. Australian Wine players in India: Some Australian wine companies that have entered the Indian market during the last 7 years include: Howling Wolves of Western Australia, who have been marketing wine in Mumbai since 2004. The former Premier of Western Australia, Dr Geoffrey Gallop, launched their wine in Bangalore in October 2005. Smith Brooke of Margaret River, Grant Durge, St. Hallett and Thomas Mitchell of South Australia, and Pikes, Victor Precie and Stonier of Victoria have tied up with Echidna Wine Traders to market their wines in India. Xanadu and Cape Mentelle from Western Australia are also being marketed in India by Fine Wines & More and Moet Hennessey. BRL Hardy has a distribution arrangement with Sula Vineyards of Nasik. Additionally well known Australia brands such as Oxford Landing, Yellow Tail, Jacobs Creek, and Tyrell are readily available in India. Market Segment and Market Share for Imported Wines: In India, there are two major market segments through which imported wines are sold. These are: the hospitality sector the retail sector The hospitality sector consists of 4 and 5 star hotels and upmarket restaurants and currently accounts for up to 63% of sales for imported wines. The hotels normally buy wine from importers and distributors as opposed to importing the wines directly from producers due to the logistics and economies of scale. The retail sector accounts for 30% of sales of imported wines. Currently there are ten Indian states that allow the sale of imported wines through retail stores. These are Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh. The union territories of Pondicherry and New Delhi also allow the sale of imported wines through retail stores. The sellers are granted a permit and license according to the policy of the respective state. In the 5 states other than those mentioned above, the sale of imported liquor (including wine) through retail outlets is not permitted. However 4 and 5 star hotels in these states are allowed to buy bottled wine against a duty free license. The states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh do not allow the sale of imported wines, while the state of Gujarat prohibits sale of any wine or liquor through retail outlets. Import duty, local taxes and Price Structure: The Central Government levies import duty, in addition to which each State Government further impose their own taxes on imported wine. The taxes levied vary from state to state. They are complex and keep changing on a fairly regular basis. Because of the complex tax structure and permit regulations it is very hard for a distributor in one state to sell the product to buyers in another state. Hotels and restaurants, under the duty free scheme (a certain percentage of their foreign exchange earnings can be used to offset import duty on imported goods, including wine) are at an advantage. However, the volume imported under this arrangement is still small. It is to be noted that 75% of the imported wines are sold in 4 and 5 star hotels. Each state has different levels of taxation as well as varying labelling requirements, types of labels, fees for registering labels, etc which need to be adhered to. Wine exporting countries, including Australia, have, through their High Commissions and Embassies in India, been making representations to the Indian Government with the support of local producers to streamline the taxation structure and labelling requirements. This has been a slow process and scant progress has been made. Duties and taxes are the major impediment to the growth of the wine market in India. The following examples illustrate the complexity of the problem. In Delhi the tax/duty on wine is at a uniform rate of Rs200 (A$5. 50) per litre from January 2008. In Karnataka state (Bangalore) the current tax is Rs630 (A$19) per case of 9 litres. In Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) the tax on wine is based on the alcohol content as well as on volume. The effective rate of duty amounts to Rs90 (A$2. 80) per litre. Under the WTO agreement and pressure from the US and EU countries, the Government of India announced the reduction in basic duty from 150% to 100% effective 3 July 2007. However the states increased the excise duty, which not only impacted the pricing level in retail sales but also made it extremely tough for imported wine to enter the market. Industry associations have taken up this matter with the Government and changes are expected in the near future. The following table is an example of the calculation of wine duties and tariffs as charged by the Federal Government and that by the State of Maharashtra and Mumbai. It also shows the impact of such duties on retail pricing, which is marginal in spite of the reduction in the basic import duty tariff. Maharashtra, the largest producer and consumer of wine, has been increasing taxes on imported wine in order to protect the local industry. 6 There is also significant change in duties on liquor and wine in the state of Goa and Karnataka. Please see Annexure VI for further details. 7 Current wine duty calculation that impact on retail prices Duty Paid Scheme Brand Brand Brand 1 2 3 24 35 45 Duty Free Scheme Brand Brand 2 1 24 35 CIF in US$/case * Eqvt in INR 1! $=40 Add Landing Fee 1% (AV) Basic Duty 150% Sub Total CVD 4% Total Landed Maharashtra Excise 200% of AV Sub Total Octroi 7. 2% Total Gross Margin Ex warehouse Sale Price Wholesale Margin 12% Wh Selling Rate Retail Margin 12% Consumer Price Consumer Price /Bottle VAT Total Total Taxes Taxes as % of CIF CIF in US $ Brand 3 45 960 969. 6 1400 1414 1800 1818 Eqvt INR Add In Bond Transfer Fee 2% Add Landing Fee 1% AV 960 979. 2 1400 1428 1800 1836 1454. 4 2121 2727 988. 992 1442. 28 1977. 98 2884. 56 320. 41 467. 27 2000 2000 5258. 4 6751. 83 1854. 36 3708. 72 600. 77 2000 8109. 49 2414. 4 3521 4527 Excise Duty 96. 58 140. 84 181. 08 Octroi 2510. 98 3661. 84 4708. 08 Gross Margin 1939. 2 2828 3636 Ex Warehouse 4450. 18 320. 41 4770. 59 2000 6489. 84 467. 27 6957. 11 2000 8344. 08 600. 77 8944. 85 2000 Wholesale Margin Ex Wholesale Price /Bottle Total Taxes 631. 008 5889. 4 490. 784 2298. 4 239% 810. 2194 7562. 05 630. 1707 3351. 83 239% 973. 139 9082. 63 756. 886 4309. 49 239% 6770. 59 8957. 11 10944. 9 Taxes as % of CIF 812. 47 1074. 85 1313. 38 12258. 2 7583. 06 10032 909. 97 1203. 84 1470. 99 8493. 03 11235. 8 13729. 2 707. 75 141. 55 849. 3 3810. 59 397% 936. 32 187. 26 1123. 58 5557. 11 397% 1144. 1 228. 82 1372. 92 7144. 85 397% Please note the above is a guide only. Taxes and duties are subject to change without notice. Exporters must check the duties and tariffs before concluding any sale/contract. 8 Pricing Factors: Going by the calculation shown in the table above, the retail price for wines goes as high as 500% of the CIF value for bottled wine. It is still higher in most 4 and 5 star hotels and upmarket restaurants due to the higher margins they are able to obtain. In Indian hotels and restaurants imported wine is sold upwards of Rs2200 (A$60) per bottle, with premium wines sold at higher prices. Up to 70% of imported wines are sold through retail outlets at Rs1200 (A$35) upwards per bottle. There is also a one off label registration fee that has to be paid in each State the wine is to be sold. The fee is calculated on the maximum retail price and varies from State to State. For example in Goa the label registration fee for a bottle of wine that retails for between Rs. 2000-5000 is currently Rs45,000. The Developing Market: According to the Exim Bank Survey it is conservatively estimated that 10 million Indians (around 1% of the population) could be termed as potential consumers of imported wines. They would come from the upper/middle class socio-economic groups. The profile of wine drinkers has changed in the past five years. This is due to the fact that many Indians have travelled overseas and have been exposed to a variety of wines. They have started regarding wine as a beverage with health benefits rather than as an alcoholic beverage. Women, too, are increasingly choosing wine as a beverage of choice as it has a certain sophistication attached to it. Wine is also being used more special promotions, product launches etc. Despite challenges such as high duties, complex state taxes and laws, and poor infrastructure and logistics, the market is growing at a healthy 30% per annum. As a result most of the leading Indian alcoholic and beverage companies have started firming up their portfolios to include wine (local and imported). Market Entry Strategy: Exporters need to take a long-term approach in developing their strategies to access the Indian market. Although India is a steadily growing market, it is extremely price sensitive. Exporters should establish their own importing company, fund the import costs, and provide long term marketing budgets with dedicated sales and marketing staff. In order to succeed it is vital for the exporter to choose an agent or distributor who has a good knowledge of the local market and can effectively communicate with concerned parties, and in particular someone who understands the complex regulations that apply to imported wines. Because of the constraints on advertising wine in India an effective strategy for marketing has to entail a close working relationship with the agent and distributor. The exporter is expected to provide the advertising and promotional material as well as bear the expenses incurred for promotions, tastings etc unless otherwise agreed. Therefore, all expectations of the agent and distributor need to be agreed upon before any formal arrangement is concluded. The brands may target either retail outlets or hotels in order to develop brand identity. High end wines are usually positioned only in the premium segment of 5 star hotels and comprise limited volumes. 9 A focussed approach, with an emphasis on marketing as opposed to sales, is the need of the hour. This approach would help in brand development and brand recall. The company would need to earmark a capital budget in the first 2-3 years for marketing towards brand establishment and development. Till date no major importer has been able to focus on brand development as they have to sell a number of varieties in order to expand their clientele It is an established fact that in times of recession, the sale of alcoholic beverages and chocolates (in Europe) increases. However, the focus shifts from consumption â€Å"on premise† to â€Å"off premise† and volumes of entry level products increase. Hence the current global and India market scenario lend credibility to the suggestion of establishing a marketing company in India. This company could respond to changing market dynamics more swiftly by shifting focus from high end wines to entry level wines and focussing on retail/individual buyers. For further information on the opportunities for wine in the Indian market, please contact the Western Australia Trade Office – India. 10 ANNEXURES 11 ANNEXURE I MAP OF INDIA 12 ANNEXURE II Major Trade Events: INDSPIRIT 30-31 October 2009, The Renaissance Hotel, Powai, Mumbai www. ambrosiaindia.com Indian International Wine Fare December 2009 www. iiw. com International Food Expo December 2009 www. ife-india. com India International Food and Wine Show, January 2010 New Delhi www. ifows. com International Hospitality Fair- February 2010 www. internationalhospitalityfair. in Useful Links: www. indianwine. com www. indianwineacademy. com www. sommelierindia. com www. thewinesocietyofindia. com www. thewinesociety. org www. fwmclub. com Useful Industry Contacts: Mr Subhash Arora, President Indian Wine Academy A-458 Defence Colony New Delhi 110024 Mbl: 09818368428 Email: arora@indianwineacademy.com www. indianwineacademy. com. The Academy produces a weekly newsletter which can be obtained through their website. Dr Jaideep K. Kale Technical Co-ordinator Grape Wine Park, MIDC, Jog Center, 2nd Floor, Wakdewadi, Pune-411 003. MAHARASHTRA (INDIA) Mobile : 09823381014 Tel. No. 020-25819444/445, Fax No. 020-25819446 E-mail: ronashik@midcindia. org Mr H R Ahuja Director Win Wine & Beverages Pvt. Ltd. B-204, Rajrudram, Gokuldam Film City Road, Goregaon (East) Mumbai 400063 Tel: 91 22 2840 9194 Email: ahujahra@hotmail. com onlywines@hotmail. com. Ms Rogita Tiwari Associate Editor Ambrosia 13/D, Laxmi Industrial Estate New Link Road Andheri (W) Mumbai 400053 Tel. 91 2229358083 Email: sappl@bom8. vsnl. net. in www. ambrosiaindia. com 13 ANNEXURE III MAJOR WINE IMPORTERS Although there are probably more than 100 importers in India, the following are the major companies: Brindco International: Based in Delhi, is reported to have imported around 25,000 cases of wine. They currently have arrangements with approximately 60 wineries from eleven countries including: Baron Philippe de Rothschild, E. Guigal, Albert Bichot and Louis Jadot (France) Allegrini, Marchessi di Barolo and Gaja (Italy) Joseph Phelps, Francis Coppola (California) Leeuwin Estate, Wolf Blass and Peter Lehman (Australia) Brindco is a key vendor to some of the top hotel chains in India including Taj Hotels and the Welcome Group. Mr. Aman Dhall Managing Director Brindco Sales Limited S35 Okhla Industrial Area Phase 2 New Delhi. 11 00 20 Tel: 91 11 4161 6424 Fax: 91 11 26 38 8818 Mobile: +9198100 72050 E-mail – amandhall@brindcolimitd.com Sonarys Co-Brands: The company imports approximately 20,000 cases of wine per year and assembled a good portfolio of 350 labels from over 45 wineries in 11 countries. Some of the brands Sonarys handle include: Arrowwood, Clos du Val and Robert Mondavi (California ) Montes (Chile) Falvey, Hugel et Fila, Domaine Laroche and Pascal Jolivet (France) Antiori, Umberto Cesari, Micael Chirlo and Prunetto (Italy) The company has established good connections with most of the upscale tourist hotels in the major cities. Mr Sanjay Menon CEO Sonarys Co-Brands Pvt. Lt.d, 12 Creative Industrial Estate NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai. 400 022. Tel 91 22 5666 9111 Fax 91 22 5666 9100 E-mail – sanjay@sansula. com Web: www. sansula. com 14 Global Tax Free is a family business based in Delhi and import approximately 15,000 cases per year. Their portfolio includes: Taylor’s (Australia) Trivento (Argentina) Concha y Toro of Chile (Chile) Casa Givelli Cassetta and Fontella (Italy) Laurent Premier Jean Claude Boisset , Joseph Droubhin, Rene Barber and Calvet (France) KVW (South Africa) Mr Mukul Mehra President Global Tax Free Traders Inc 87 Sainik Farms, Central Avenue New Delhi. 110 062 Tel: 91 11 6597 9222 Fax: 91 11 2955 2574 E-mail: info@globaltaxfreetraders,com Web : www. globaltaxfreetraders. com Moet Hennessy: Based in Mumbai, Moet Hennessy are importing in the region of 10,000 cases per annum. Their portfolio largely consists of wines from wineries owned by their parent company, LVMH. They also represent: Terrazas (Argentina) Casa Lapostolle (Chile) Green Point and Cape Mentelle (Australia) Cloudy Bay wines (New Zealand) Mr Ashiwini Deo Moet Hennessy (Cape Mentelle) 501 E, Dr A B Road Worli Mumbai 400025 Mbl: 98213 12556 Email: ashwin. deo@ap. moet-hennessy.com Sovereign Impex; The Delhi based importer’s current portfolio includes: Vakdivieso and Santa Ema (Chile ) Lungaroti, Pio Cesare, Fotonari and Mastroberardina(Italy ) Wildekrans Wine Estate (South Africa) Mr Naresh Uttamchandani Sovereign Impex Pvt. Ltd. , C. 15 Safdarjang Dev Area (2 Floor), New Delhi 11 00 16 Email nvu@hotmail. com Mobile 91 98110 42416 Web: www. sovereignindia. com 15 Sula: Although one of the top Indian wine producers, the company also imports approximately 10,000 cases per year. To date they have focused on importing brands produced by the Constellation Group. The following are currently sold in India: Two Oceans ( South Africa) Hardy’s (Australia) Trimbach, Forrtant and JC Le Roux (France) House of Ruffino (Italy) Sho Chuku Bai (Japan) Mr Rajeev Samant, CEO – Sula Vineyard Samant Soma Wines Pvt. Ltd 1 & B2 Matulya Centre C Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai. 400 013 Tel 91 22 6660 6685 Fax 91 22 2492 6064 Mohan Bros: Mohan Bros supplies wine to the diplomatic corp as well as duty free shops and ships chandlers. Mr Rohit Mehra Partner Mohan Bros. Pvt. Ltd. , Plaza Cinema Bldg (2 Floor) Connaught Place, New Delhi. 11 00 01 Tel 91 11 4151 3434 Fax 91 11 4151 636 RR International: is another supplier of wine to embassies, airport duty free shops, airlines and ships chandlers. They also supply hotels and have boned wharehouses in Delhi and Mumbai. Mr S Garg Director RR International B. 90A Greater Kailash I, New Delhi. 11 00 48 Tel 91 11 2643 1058 Fax 91 11 2623 8354 Munjal Bros. is the Indian agent for Castel and Pernod Ricard of France. Mr Harminder Singh Munjal Director Munjal Bros Pvt. Ltd. , 356 Pappargaj Industrial Estate New Delhi 11 00 92 Tel 91 11 2216 9289 Fax 91 11 2216 9288 16 Aspri Spirits also import wine as well as spirits. They are the Indian agents for Absolut Vodka. Their wine portfolio includes De Bortoli ,Sacred Hill and Windy Peak (Australia) Campari and Cinzano (Italy) Contact details Mr Arun Kumar, Aspri Spirits Pvt. Ltd. , N230 Ground Floor Greater Kailash I New Delhi. 11 00 48 Tel 91 11 4163 3981 Fax 91 11 4163 1713 Mob 91 98104 43440 E-mail delhi@aspri. org Web – www. aspri. org 17 ANNEXURE IV LIST OF OTHER WINE IMPORTERS AND DISTRIBUTORS A) MUMBAI Mr Ranjit S. Chougule Chief Operating Officer Champagne Indage Ltd 82, Indage House Dr A B Road Worli Mumbai 400 025 Tel: 91 22 24938718 Fax: 91 22 24913435 Email: wines@indagegroup.com Ms Dharti Desai Founder Fine Wines N More 406, Raheja Plaza, Plot 15/B Parksons Press Compound Off new Link Road Andheri West Mumbai 400053 Tel: 91 22 4033 0000 Fax: 91 22 4033 0100 Web: www. finewinesnmore. com. Mr Bruno Yvon National Brand Manager India Clicquot Asia 88 Maker Tower, 8th Floor Cuffe Parade Mumbai 400 005 Tel: 91 22 2218 1039 Fax: 91 22 2218 0801 Mr Darren Centofanti Managing Director Pick of the Bunch 402 B Wing, Haripreet Building Tagore Road Santacruz (W) Mumbai 400054 Tel. No. 91 22 26494114 Email:pickofthebunch@gmail. com www. pickofthebunchwines. com Mr Vishal Kadakia 47A, Nandjyot Industrial Estate Andheri Kurla road Mumbai 400 072 Tel: 91 22 28516621 Fax: 91 22 28516626 Mbl:9820858618 Email:info@thewinepark. com Web: www. thewinepark. com Mr Vishnu G Dev Director South Seas Distilleries & Breweries Pvt Ltd Old Chinoy Bldg, 275 E, Tardeo Road Mumbai 400 007 Tel: 91 22 23876068 18 (B) NEW DELHI Mr Narottam Sharma Materials Manager – Corporate Hyatt Regency Hotel Bhikaiji Cama Place, Ring Road, New Delhi 110 066 Tel:9111 26791234, 26791150 Ext. 1422; Fax. : 91 11 26791122, Mobile : 91 9811011160 Email : narotams@ndf. vsnl. in. Mr Bill Marchetti Executive Chef ITC Maurya Sheraton & Towers Diplomatic Enclave, New Delhi 110021 Tel. : 91 11 26112233; Fax. : 91 11 26113333 Email : bill_marchetti@yahoo. com. au Mr N. K. Piplani General Manager I. T. D. C. Duty Free Shops International Trade Division, 504 5th Fl. Jeevan Vihar 3 Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110 001 Tel: 91 11 32740895; Fax: 91 11 23341459 / 32740895 Email: piplani@theashokgroup. com Web. : www. theashokgroup. com Mr Sanjiv K. Singh TT & G Trading Private Limited Managing Director Thapar House 124 Janpath New Delhi 110001 Tel. : 91 11 23361369, 23349030; Fax. : 91 11 23349029 Email. : great_vintages@rediffmail.com Mr Raja Mukherji, Head – International Brands Radico Khaitan Limited Plot No. J 1, Block B 1, Mohan Co-op. Industrial Area Mathura Road New Delhi 110 044 Tel: 91 11 26975403-09; Fax: 91 11 26975339-40 Email : Rdccrmp@nde. vsnl. net. in Web. : www. radicokhaitan. com Ms Firdaus Khan-Chowdhury Mr. Mathieu Villard Directors Francis Wacziarg Group A 50 Nizamuddin East, New Delhi 110013 Tel. : 91 11 24355910, 24355901, 24355920; Fax. : 91 11 24351112 Email. : brands@fwacziarg. com Web. : www. fwacziarg. com Mr B. K. Pardal CEO Global Brand Management India 65A Pocket 14 Himgiri Apartments, Kalkaji Extension, New Delhi 110 019 Tel.: 91 11 26091993; Fax. : 91 11 26093272 Email : bkpardal@vsnl. net Mr Peter Schatzmann Corporate Director -Food & Beverage The Oberoi Hotels New Delhi Tel: 91 11 2389 0594 Fax:91 11 2389 0590 Email: pschatzman@eih-india. com 19 (C). BANGALORE Mr Abhay Kewadkar Chief Wine Maker United Spirit Limited, 51, Richmond Road, Bangalore – 560025 India Tel: 91 80 30510600 Email: Abhaykewadkar@ubmail. com Mr Ashwat Rashwat Reddy M/S Saptagiri Enterprises 683, 50ft Road, 3RD Block, 3RD Stage BSK Bangalore 560085 Tel (MOB) +91 9844001145, Off: 91 80 6791 988, Fax: 91 80 6793 504. Mr Prabhu Yalagi Managing Director Castello Farm Products P Ltd. 257, Hosur Road Wilson Gardens Bangalore 560 027 Tel. No 91 80 56690251 Mr Raja MukherjiHead International Brands Radico Khaitan Pvt Ltd 1203, Regent Chambers Nariman Point Mumbai 400021 Tel: 91 22 56359845 (D) GOA I Mr Fransico Montecruz Director Impala Distilleries & Brewery Ltd 33, Amonte New Market, Margaon, Goa Tel: 919822388144,9822101149 Tel: 91832 2705339 Mr Alto Mundo Alto Mundo Vinhos Impex Pvt Ltd G-3, R-12,, Techno Park, Chogum Road, Porvorim, Goa – 403521 Tel: 91-9324938638, Email: galtomundo@rediffmail. com. Mr Mario de Sequeria Partner Tonia Agencies Raicho Ambo Raia Salcete Goa 403720 Tel: 91 832 2740187 Mb:09822102182 Mr Antonio De Silva Partner Royal Spirit Satt Adhar Arcade, Peddem, Mapusa (Mapuca), Goa 403507 Tel: 91 832-6516185 20 ANNEXURE V Posted: Friday, October 31 2008. 9:50 India Loses Case in WTO Appeal U. S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab announced in Washington yesterday that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body has found in favour of the United States in its challenge against India’s additional and extra-additional duties on wine, spirits and other agricultural and manufactured products. Indian Wine Academy has insisted all along that the additional duties charged were illegal, according to the WTO agreement. It now appears that India camouflaged the proceedings by not providing full details to the earlier panel and that helped its win the case filed by the US. EU had withdrawn its case after the government had waived Additional Customs Duties on July 4. 2007. However, US had stuck on with the case knowing the intricacies involved with the excised duty structure of states. India had imposed these duties on U.S. imports in addition to and on top of its basic customs duty, resulting in combined duties on imports of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine and spirits) of up to 550 percent. India argued that the duties were permitted because they simply offset certain internal taxes (such as value-added taxes). The Appellate Body reversed the panel, which had found that any import charge offsetting an internal tax need only â€Å"serve the same function† as the internal tax and need not be equivalent in amount to that internal tax. In reversing the panel, the Appellate Body agreed with the United States that any import charges aimed at offsetting internal taxes cannot result in a higher amount being charged to imports than to like domestic products. â€Å"This is an important decision for all WTO Members, particularly at a time when they are negotiating tariff commitments,† said Ambassador Schwab. â€Å"The Appellate Body reversed a deeply flawed panel report and reaffirmed a fundamental WTO rule that Members cannot impose duties on imports that exceed their tariff commitments. † After the United States initiated the dispute, and in response to U. S. concerns, India announced the withdrawal of the additional duty on alcoholic beverages and modifications to the extra-additional duty, which it represented to the panel eliminated any discrimination against U. S. imports. We continue to have concerns about whether these measures have eliminated India’s abusive use of additional tariffs, particularly given India’s refusal to produce information to support its claims that the duties merely offset internal state-level taxes. We continue to closely monitor the effect of both actions. The Appellate Body considered that the additional duty on imports of alcoholic beverages and the extra-additional duty on imports of alcoholic beverages and other products would not be justified as offsetting excise duties and other internal taxes on like domestic products insofar as the duties result in charges on imports that exceed those on like domestic products, and consequently, that this would render both the additional duty and extra-additional duty inconsistent with India’s tariff commitments. The Panel’s interpretation would have opened a Pandora’s Box by inviting the widespread imposition of â€Å"additional† tariffs in violation of WTO commitments. Unfortunately, because of India’s refusal to provide information to the panel on its internal taxes – including in response to direct quest.

Cutural Awareness cultural differences

In today’s society, it is important that a person knows how to respect other people’s culture and what they need and what they like to eat since their culture may be a little different than what a certain person lived up to. If a company becomes sensitive and complies with the needs of its client, the amount of customers will double and it gain more profits in the end. Other cultures do not eat meat, like the Muslims. They only eat meat that undergoes the process of Halal. Halal is a process that Muslims do before killing an animal fit to be eaten.They pray to Allah and ask him to bless their meat before they can partake of it, â€Å"The name of Allah has to be mentioned before or during slaughtering, since the Creator is the granter and taker of life; the name must be said by a member of the Moslem faith† (Meat Science at Texas A&M University). Investors also have to think of ways to present their products to the public, if they want to advertise their products beside celebrities and famous people, or if they want to advertise their products with facts and people who can prove that the products they are selling are healthy.They also have to take note of how their customers react to female management. In some countries, they still do not view women as men’s equal, and if they would advertise using a female figure, the business might not attract as many customers as the company assume they would. In every business, an investor wants to invest in foreign land; he/she has to think of a strategy thoroughly and weigh the consequences of his/her actions.In a decision, investors must include the culture of their target area and incorporate their bestsellers into it while presenting them in ways where people would want to buy their products at an instant. Incorporating the company’s products to customer’s culture Before companies could incorporate their products to customers' culture, they should research on what the clientâ₠¬â„¢s culture is. If the clients are Jews or a Muslims, they are most likely not to eat pork, and if they eat meat, a certain process is made before they could view the meat edible.A company would gain more Muslim and Jew customers if it hires a consultant who will give it further knowledge on how they want their sandwiches to be, it could also learn more about their culture and analyze what is good or what they can incorporate with their bestsellers. That consultant should be able to tell them how they can make the meat edible for Muslims and Jews; the company should know how to make meat a Halal and Kosher. In some parts of the US, the impact of having Muslims in their area increases the consumption of sheep and goat.It is because the Muslims prefer eating them rather than pork and beef, â€Å"Many sheep and goats are slaughtered in Muslim backyards during various celebrations† (Meat Science at Texas A&M University). If companies like Subway incorporates Halal and Kosher me at in their menu, it would definitely benefit them in the future, since their menu would no longer exclude people who have different culture. The Muslims and Jews who are not used to buying their products will want to buy and eat their product without second guessing or feeling guilty because of their culture's restrictions.Incorporating the company’s view to target area’s culture In other countries, some people do not like the concept of selling products that incorporate their advertisements with intercourse, like how Carlse Jr. has presented its products. Christians in particular think that the advertisement of Carlse Jr. is a disgrace and instead of gaining customers, it has lost some due to its advertisement. Although Carlse Jr. did not gain the Christian community and those who do not want â€Å"dirty† advertising, it has gained those who appreciate and like seeing their favorite celebrity devour hamburgers.Some people even think that the way Carlse Jr. adv ertised their product was ingenious, â€Å"Despite protests from parent watchdog groups, like The Parents Television Council, this is just plain smart marketing in today’s world† (Kiley 2005). Other countries do not even recognize female authority. The company would have a hard time giving women higher positions because there are still societies that view men superior to women and giving a managerial position to a female would mean that the company is disobeying the country’s culture.Some people in society do not even recognize discrimination against women because that is the way they were brought up, that is why the workplace often deal with discrimination, â€Å"Gender stereotypes lie at the heart of many of our perceptions of the workplace and the people that operate within it† (Heilman & Welle 3). Discrimination in hiring due to gender must be demolished. If companies comply with society’s culture of pushing women down, it will never change. Co mpanies must fight the norm and even if they lose a few customers, at least the moral of the company would remain. Today, equality is sought out by many.The company might lose people who discriminate women, but they would surely gain people who are for equality. Conclusion If a company like Subway patterned their management to a society whose culture is discriminative of women, they would definitely gain that society but lose customers who view men and women equally. But if a company like Subway chooses to adopt the culture of people and use Halal and Kosher meat, Subway would expand their usual customers. In the end, the company should only choose to adapt to cultures that would not hurt any one or discriminate because it could lose more than it can gain.Works cited â€Å"Kosher and Halal†. Meat Science at Texas A&M University. May 20, 2010. Web. Kiley, David. â€Å"Carl's Jr Paris Hilton Ad Spicey and Smart. † May 25, 2005. Bloomberg Businessweek. May 20, 2010. Web. Heilman, Madeline E. and Welle, Brian. ‘Formal and Informal Discrimination Against Women at Work: The Role of Gender Stereotypes' in Research in social issues in management: Managing social and ethical issues in organizations. Vol. 5. Westport,

Skip navigation links BFS 3460-08B-2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS Essay - 5

Skip navigation links BFS 3460-08B-2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS (BFS3460-08B-2) - Essay Example The supply fans of the upper and lower ventilation zones would then be actuated, while the exhaust fans are turned off. These actions would consequently produce a multi-floor sandwich effect in the edifice, and the net effect would be the generation of a pressure variance sandwiched between the hub and boundaries within the Heating Ventilation & Air-Conditioning (HVAC) zone of the fire origin (Brannigan & Corbett , 2008). Fire alarm plays a very significant role in sandwich pressurization. In exhausting the air from the origin of the fire, the fire floor is likely to drag the fire with it and consequently cause a further spread of the fire before it can be quenched. This is where the fire alarm becomes relevant; it is the fire alarm that assists in actuating the smoke control mode in the event of an inferno. The system then activates the pressurization fans and the fans continue running until the smoke detector supply channel is activated by the fire alarm. It is the fire alarm that aid the initiation of the pressurization system as the process begins when the system receives an actuating signal from the fire alarm in the stairs of the building affected by the fire. Hence fire alarm helps accomplish pressure

Effective Time Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Effective Time Management - Research Paper Example Productivity, delivery, and success of a project are aspects that are determined by earlier plans and management in the project resources, scope, and other factors. When the initiation, planning, and execution are successfully achieved and controlled, then the completion phase which gives the end product, quality delivery, and success in the general project is attained without crisis. There are many factors that influence all these activities, but with effective time management every crisis is managed and the positive factors are used to perfect the project accomplishment. Badiru identifies the eight functional areas that embody project management practice; scope, time, quality, cost, communication, human resources, contract, and the risk that have to be managed for their influence in project implementation, productivity, and successful delivery. Other factors affecting success are leadership and organization. With effective time management, the management allocates not only the acti vities the required time to be performed, but finds quality time to assess the project progress; this is because time management allows one to become flexible enough, being where or doing what one is required to do at the right time. Divakar and Subramanian classify the critical success factors as strategic and tactical (personnel selection and training, and client consultation). Basically, the effort, plans, and motivations set in the process of planning projects determine the final actions complete it.

The aviation sector plays a key role in the tourism industry. In the Essay

The aviation sector plays a key role in the tourism industry. In the light of low cost carriers they have opened up many new to - Essay Example Conclusion 7 References 7 Appendix 9 1. Introduction Airline carriers have a key role in the development of tourism worldwide; their contribution to the development of destinations is related primarily to the increase of profits of local businesses; however, the development of a place as a cultural destination could be also achieved through the airline carriers – without which the visiting of the above place would be extremely difficult. Indeed, airline carriers have offered the chance to travellers to be informed on the existence of places, which are distinctive in terms of their commercial or cultural tradition. In practice, it has been proved that airline carriers are also benefited by destinations; these benefits can be either direct, i.e. increase of profits, or indirect, i.e. increase of popularity/ awareness of brand name. In other words, a two-way relationship seems to exist between the airline carriers and the tourism industry (as a key part of the economy of destinat ions); however, in certain cases, the terms of their cooperation are not clear or equal. The power of airline carriers to choose their destination has led to the development of an unfair competition among destinations; this problem has been effectively faced through the low cost airlines, even if these carriers also can harm destinations – mostly through their practice to ask for low airport fares, in the context described below. 2. Airline carriers and new destinations 2.1 Airline carriers – role in the success or failure of tourist destinations Airline carriers offer the chance to their customers to visit destinations that may not be quite known to the public, i.e. destinations which are not developed as tourism destinations. From this point of view, airline carriers can contribute to the growth of a place as a tourism destination, a fact that would also lead to the gradual increase of the number of passengers of local airports. Particular emphasis should be given on low cost carriers which can significantly affect the development of tourism destinations, a fact highlighted in the study of Fageda et al. (2009); after analysing a series of Spanish routes, the above researchers came to the conclusion that ‘low-cost carriers have a moderate but still significant effect on prices and increase alternatives even in low-density routes’ (Fageda et al. 2009, p. 36). Moreover, in accordance with an article published in the Wall Street Journal (2010), the development of low cost carriers can increase the number of passengers, a fact that would lead to the increase of profits in destinations; in the above article, reference is made to the case of India and the significant increase in the number of passengers since the entrance in the market of the low cost airline carriers – it is noted that due to these carriers ‘the number of annual fliers was doubled, reaching the 44.5 million in 2009 from 22.3 million in 2005’ (The Wall Street Journal 2010). It should be also noted that low cost carriers help to resolve the following problem: there are routes and destinations which are abandoned by large carriers, as being considered non-profitable, as the level of profit is set in large carriers; through the low cost carriers, passengers are given the chance to have access to these destinations, in a low fare (Business Traveller 2009). If such chance would not be given by low cost carriers,

Convention of architecture Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Convention of architecture - Term Paper Example Objects that are not visible at the plan level are represented using dotted lines on the diagram. The site plan on the other hand contains a structure or group of structures from above without any sections cut. It consists of the property boundaries, road and other ways of accessing the site and nearby relevant structures. A diagram entails the use of symbols or freehand drawing to generate a design logic.it can be modified into a more presentable form with the aim of representing the principles of a design and enhancing communication. Communication at an early stage of designing a complex structure such as a building is vital in ensuring the success of the design since the process involves the input of specialists from different disciplines.1 Diagrams give architects a rough idea of the end product which give insight on the adequate solutions to design problems. Since the finished work would be expensive and time consuming, the use of diagrams saves on costs due to repair and late c hanges in the design of the structure. A cross section is a vertical representation of a vertical plane cut through the object and is viewed from the front. Every detail that is cut by the section line is represented by a line that is bolder than the other representations. Sections provide a correlation between the different levels or floors of a building and other representations within the structure which would otherwise be difficult to comprehend from the plan views. A section can also be represented as a sectional elevation in which part of the building beyond the section plane is seen in the representation. In architectural design, a diagram is a graphic short hand representation of something different from itself. The diagram is understood both as a generative device and as an analytical or explanatory device. 2 The analytical role entails representation of the diagram diverse from the representation of a plan or sketch of a building. Even though a diagram is not considered a conventional structure, it seeks to uncover potentially existing structures of organization that are not evident at the moment. The generative role entails the use of a diagram as a form of representation in a design process and this differs from traditional ways of representing structures in that the diagram offers cognition of the object, real structure and the perceived interiority of the architect. The diagram is regarded as an intermediary in the generation process rather than an explanation or subsequent result. Classical architectural concept of a diagram depicts the diagram as something different from structure and it portrays a belief that structure is static, hierarchical and has an origin point. Breuer in his essay â€Å"where do we stand† 3describes the ‘New architecture’ of Modernism using an ironic phrase ‘maximum simplicity.’ This is in contrast to the diversity of issues and conflicts that influence architecture such as economic and a esthetic trends, conventions and inventions, relationships with customers among others. Modernism is the state of mind which describes the change in man’s attitude towards the abstract world and the cultural, aesthetics, economic, social as well as scientific artifacts. According to Eisenmann, superimposition refers to a vertical layering that differentiates between the figure and the ground while superposition is the coterminous horizontal layering that has no fixed point of origin or ground and where the figure and ground fluctuate between one another. Thus this

The Psychological considerations and social effect of In-vitro Research Paper

The Psychological considerations and social effect of In-vitro fertilization - Research Paper Example Infertility for both men and women maintains a wide variety of psychological implications that differ in relation to gender. For men, infertility creates psychological problems associated with social stigmas and norms related to acceptable masculinity traits. For instance, male infertility creates inherent insecurity and self-esteem erosion that leads to stress, secrecy and self-protectionism in an effort to insulate the male from potential, negative social judgments that the infertile man is unable to perform sexually (Peronace, Boivin & Schmidt, 2007). For women, infertility creates psychological repercussions which include stress, anger, depression and even denial (McQuillian, Greil, White & Jacob, 2003; Matthews & Matthews, 1986). This essay attempts to detail the psychological considerations of in-vitro fertilization on men and women; the potential emotional and psychosomatic implications of undergoing this emotionally-charged medical process. The project further examines a variety of potential social effects that are created by the IVF procedures. Patterns of psychological maladjustment created by being infertile appear to be compounded by the anxiety related to hopefulness for success in the procedure and the anxieties of probable IVF failures. Infertile women who pursue and engage in assisted reproductive technology, IVF, experience significant psychological distress as a result of waiting for results and the high level of anticipation that the procedure will be successful. Once the egg has been fertilized outside of the body, the resulting zygote is cultured for a period ranging between two to six days before being transplanted into the uterus. Once inserted, patient must wait, while also being monitored periodically, for a period of approximately three weeks (Boston IVF, 2014). Hence, IVF is an extensive and arduous process of waiting and attempting to draw on optimism as a psychological form of self-protectionism. As a result of this

CDA analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CDA analysis - Essay Example Thus, the selected element is a discourse, and its analysis has three dimension: as a text, sentence-by-sentence, and the words and phrases evaluation. Firstly, the text as a whole is close to the genre of political speech, since its content is mostly based on the speech made by Michelle Obama. In this context, it has her direct quotations both in the text and in the video. However, the content and the comments on the speech make this discourse resemble the slice of life genre with casual style of writing, which means that the Guardian presented the speech itself with its subjective reflection on it. On the frames, the exact concepts that unite text are two main identities – on the one hand, it discusses â€Å"ethnicity,† â€Å"black race,† and â€Å"African Americans† (it refers to both the speaker and to Tuskegee University students); on another hand, the family values appear in the text as â€Å"my husband’s chances,† â€Å"my girls,† and â€Å"kids and families.† Moreover, these two identities are in different position in terms of foregrounding and backgrounding, because i n the end of the text there appears the conclusion that â€Å"folks like you and me† (meaning the race) must believe in their potential (meaning realization in family life). On the cases of omission within the text, it does not mention any justification of first lady’s words with the facts from her biography; in other words, readers have nothing but to fall under emotional impression in what is given in the text. In addition, the voice of white public is neglected by this discourse, as the African American first lady speaks to the â€Å"mainly black graduates.† Although, the text includes horizontal intertextuality, as it has two direct quotations from other famous people on the same topic. Even though they have opposite opinions, the article does not reveal any support to them and provides only brief information on their

Functional Shortterm Objectives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Functional Shortterm Objectives - Essay Example Upon, Amber's arrival to her day care center, she would be not provided with her favourite toy Jack-in-the-boxes. Instead she would be guided to the toys rack to choose and point out the toy she wants to play with. She would later on be shown the way to her play area. She would be instructed by her caregiver to move freely back and forth between her play area and toys rack as to alter her toy if she wants. Brandy's parents should set an example for Brandy to follow while requesting different objects. They should use words of requests in front of her. They should also instruct Brandy to use similar words to request her needs and wants. Brandy should be instructed on the different locations of her clothes inside her closet. She would also be taught the different types of clothes and possible usage for each type. She would be taught of the type of clothing that fits different destinations and activities.

Homosexuals in the United States Military Essay Example for Free

Homosexuals in the United States Military Essay Homosexuals and U. S military service new laws and regulations which came into effect in 1993 reflected a compromise in policy. This settlement, referred to as â€Å"don’t ask, don’t tell,† states that the existence in the armed forces of persons who reveals a tendency or plan to take on homosexual acts would produce an intolerable hazard to the high standards of morale, high-quality order and discipline, and unit solidity which are the core of military capacity. Service members are not to be asked about nor allowed to talk about their homosexuality. This negotiation in spite of the matter has remained politically controversial. Previous to the 1993 compromise, the figure of individual’s releases for homosexuality was by and large declining. From the time, the number of discharges for homosexual conduct has generally amplified until recent times. In the wake of the new 1993 laws and regulations, constitutional challenges to the former and current military policies regarding homosexuals followed. In the case of Bowers vs. Hardwick, the U. S Supreme Court Ruling said that there is no right to engage in consensual homosexual sodomy. In this case, the courts generally said that military men may be lawfully discharge for explicit homosexual conduct. Nevertheless, the legal picture was convoluted by the Court’s 2003 decision in Lawrence v. Texas which ruled against Bowers by declaring unconstitutional a Texas law that prohibited sexual acts between same sex couples. Moreover, disturbed legal questions lingered as to whether a release based exclusively on a statement that a service member is homosexual disobeys constitutional limits. For the time being, efforts to allow individuals of the same sex to marry legally materialize implausible to affect the Department of Defense (DOD) policy close to term, because such individuals are barred from serving in the military, even though court challenges are possible. For the duration of the 1992 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton promised to remove the ban on homosexuals in the U.  S armed services. Once in office, he met with massive resistance from the U. S military and its congressional allies, and by summer of 1993, the original policy proposal was dead. Instead, Congress enacted the â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue† policy: gays and lesbians can now serve in the military, but they are obliged to keep their sexual preference private. Challengers of the open integration of gays and lesbians have discarded many of standard justifications for excluding homosexuals from military service. For example, the Pentagon and its cronies no longer disagree that gays and lesbians are security risks because of the threat of blackmail. As a case in point, even though both the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell and the famous military sociologist Charles Moskos contest the open integration of homosexuals in the military, they recognize that gays and lesbians are valuable soldiers. Discharge measures against homosexuals are packed with statements of many of these individuals’ excellent records, reliability, and commitment to their jobs. The matter is not whether gays and lesbians are good quality soldiers as individuals, but instead, the consequence of these individuals on the group. Opponents of removing all restrictions on homosexuals’ service argue that open incorporation of gays and lesbians would obstruct the development of primary group cohesion, which they say is significant to military efficiency. During the 1993 congressional trials on homosexuality in the military, both Senate and House testimony paid attention on the issue of unit cohesion. For instance, then Senator Sam Nuun, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee in July 1993 asked each of the 6 Joint Chiefs of Staff to discuss unit cohesion and its importance in developing combat capability. Army Chief of Staff General Gordon Sullivan answered him by saying that cohesion is developed by uniformity, by devotion to a common sense of values and behavior. The introduction into many small units of person whose open orientation and self-definition is completely opposed to the rest of the group will cause tension and disruption (Herek 1987). Senior US military officers concerned that the open integration of homosexuals would get in the way of the development of cohesion within small groups are not trusted or respected as expressed by Powell and Admiral David Jeremiah, and they added that in atmosphere of doubts, orders may not be carried out and everyday friendly gestures that encourage companionship- everyday childlike horseplay and rough-housing, a pat on the back or arm around the shoulder- become suspect, provoke fear or loathing, and annihilate group cohesion (Nowak, 1993)). Powell added that in order to win wars and battles the army needs to make cohesive groups of warriors who will bond so strongly that they are ready to go into battle and give their lives if indispensable and it is intolerable to allow anything to upset that feeling of cohesion inside the force. The disagreement about unit cohesion is based on two propositions: the first one is that primary group cohesion increases military effectiveness and second, open gay and lesbian personnel would disturb cohesion and thus military performance. According to Kier (1998) these propositions are wrong and she said that such statements do not reflect what social science research and experience have demonstrated about the relationship between cohesion and performance and the consequence of putting together previously excluded groups on primary group cohesion. Investigations of Homosexual Conduct Even if broad investigations of homosexual behavior are the exemption rather than the rule, there are noteworthy numbers of cases in which such investigations have been conducted. Based on the cases reviewed by Gosling (1993), he concluded that the immense majority of investigations that have happened have been correctly instigated, that is, an investigation has been made only after the commander had determined that there was convincing information that the member had engaged in homosexual conduct. Also, based on his findings, he was able to find out that a lot of the criticisms made about inappropriate initiation of investigations mirror a misinterpretation of the Department’s policy. In practice, plausible information has sometimes been provided to commanders in ways that service members might not have been anticipated to occur, or has been based on communications or performance that the partners, roommates, or unconnected third parties have sometimes come forward on their own to account information or proof of homosexual conduct to commanders next to the wishes of the service member in question (Nowak 1993). Photographs or in black and white communications that verifies homosexual conduct has sometimes been showed to civilians who then brought this proof to the attention of a commander, with no question having been conducted by the commander. Plausible information has also been incidentally discovered in the course of proper, entirely unrelated criminal or disciplinary investigations for a commander to initiate an investigation when information has been reported in any of these circumstances, granted that the information received is credible (Suraci, 1992). Indeed, because federal law requires that those who take on in homosexual conduct must be discharged from the military; commanders are compelled to investigate whenever they receive credible evidence of homosexual conduct. In addition, many academic institutions have ratified rules that defended homosexuals from prejudice on campus. Accordingly, colleges, universities, and even high schools have required barring military recruiters from their campuses or otherwise eliminating Reserve Officer Training Corps Programs on campus because of the DOD rule on homosexuals in the military. Simultaneously, legislation has been ratified that bars giving federal funds to campuses that obstruct entrance for military recruiters (Suraci 1992). On March 6, 2006, the Supreme Court upturned a federal appeals court verdict in Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights (FAIR), and endorsed the constitutionality of the Solomon Amendment, which forbids certain federal funding to higher educational institutions that refute admittance by military recruiters to their students equal to that provided to other employers. Deviance Present among sociological conceptions of deviance is an approach that concerns itself not as much of with the characteristics of the person or persons said to have despoiled a social rule than with the character of the responses of other persons to these characteristics and events. This approach, occasionally called the labeling approach to deviance, observes the deviant as a social creation, the result of contact sequences between labelers and labeled (Becker, 1964). The questions that are lifted by this approach thus concern the behaviors that are tagged as deviant, what the methods are by which the labels are effectively applied or avoided, and what the results of such procedures are for both labelers and labeled. Nevertheless, regardless of the highlight laid on deviance as a creation of interaction, in practice most consideration has been paid to the labeler’s role in this process (Simon 1987). The method of developing deviance appears all collective response and no deviant stimulus. This is possibly an overreaction to an overreaction. For example, one theory is spelled out as to why some people break rules and some do not in terms of what is called as commitment and for other labeling theorists, characteristics of the deviant himself are not completely unrelated (Simon 1987). The point is well taken, but for example, in some of Goffmans writings (1961) on mental patients his employment of the concept career contingencies materializes to treat the mental patient as a pawn, subject to the vagaries of all sorts of contextual demands. As a result of the above, labeling theory also has been seen as taking the side of the underdog- that the deviant is seen as a victim of the fairly subjective measures of control agencies. He is more sinned against than sinning, as it is a matter of chance, or racial or socioeconomic factors, rather than any behavior on his part, that chooses whether he is cast as deviant. Homosexuals in the Army in Other Countries Homosexuals in the military is not just an issue faced by the United States, there are many more countries out there that have the same situation as the US. The number of countries that permit gay and lesbian soldiers to serve in the armed forces is growing and it is increasingly becoming more important to know whether official decisions with regards to the inclusion of homosexual service members in the military lead t changes in organizational performance (West 1965). Even though most members of NATO plus some nations has already permitted gay and lesbian soldiers to serve, there has still a very few empirical analysis of whether the decision to remove gay ban influences the ability of armed forces to pursue their missions. This topic has been addressed by some theoretical studies but there has been no in-depth empirical analysis on the consequences of removing gay bans (Sudnow 1965). In Canada for example, there were a handful of careful studies immediately after Canada’s 1992 decision of abolishing restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers (Belkin, 2001). Although that was the case, long term impact of the new policy could not be known in those early studies and even the best qualitative research is only based on a few sources (West 1965). American officer, Lt Gen Calvin Waller, affirmed in 1993 that since Canada had not been caught up in armed conflict since the ban was lifted, he explained that Canada’s justification for considering the proof that has mounted up for up to eight years since the ban was removed is that senior Canadian officials foresee that altering the policy might compromise military effectiveness (Millet 1999). For this reason, the Canadian incident gives an opportunity to assess the effect of the policy change in opposition to early forecasts by senior military leaders. After discussing the historical development of homosexual personnel policy in Canada, the authors examined whether Canadas decision to eliminate restrictions on gay and lesbian soldiers influences military efficiency (Brumett, 1981). The paper’s findings, based on a review of primary and secondary sources, as well as interviews with 29 military personnel and experts from the academic, non-governmental, and policy communities, is that Canadas decision to lift its gay ban had no effect on military performance, eagerness, unity, or morale (Millet 1999).

Demography Essay: Study of Human Population Dynamics

Demography Essay: Study of Human Population Dynamics Demography is the study of human population dynamics. Population is shaped by a number of factors including fertility, mortality, migration and urbanization. Significant demographic changes have been shown in many parts of the world. The world population growth has been decelerating since 1970s. Fertility rates in more developed countries (MDCs) have been showing a declining trend, whereas an increasing one in the less developed countries (LDCs). Mortality rates have gone down in both MDCs and LDCs due to medical advancement. Consequently, the population of the countries with low fertility rates aged more quickly, and the world population growth will be concentrated in those developing countries where fertility rates remain high. Uneven population growth among nations accelerated the migration of people across nation borders and the growth of cities. The changes of these interrelated factors with their causes and problems of each of the factors will be discussed, followed by some pos sible plans and opportunities that may benefit from these changes. 1 Fertility Fertility is the incidence of childbearing in a countrys population. Fertility rates have been falling in the MDCs. Findings from PRB (2009a) showed that the growth of future population would be almost entirely in the LDCs, with the most rapid growth in the poorest countries and regions where fertility rates still remain high. In the past 2 decades, countries with Total Fertility Rate (TFR) lower than the replacement rate of 2.1 were all MDCs including Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong etc. (see table 1.1). HK has been experiencing a decreasing fertility rate since 1970s and it reached the historical low of 0.9 in 2003. CSD (2010) projected that TFR of HK continue to decline over the next 30 years. Japan and HK have the lowest projected TFR in 2039 which is 1.25 and 0.94 respectively (see table 1.2). The declining fertility trend can be attributed to a number of factors. Women nowadays have more educational and career opportunities as a result of socio-economic development in many countries, which encourages them to grab these opportunities before they start a family. Marriage postponement in HK is revealed by the increasing median age at first marriage for women, which rose from 26.1 in 1989 to 28.5 in 2009 (CSD 2010). Late marriage for women shortens their childbearing exposure period. Also, women have more access to reliable family planning methods. Worldwide, the use of contraception rose from less than 10% for married women of childbearing age in the 1960s to 62% in 2009 (PRB 2009b). Low fertility rate has led to the decline of young population, and hence, a slow growth of the working population would slow down the economic growth. CSD (2010) projected that the proportion of the HK population aged 65 and over would rise markedly from 13% in 2009 to 28% in 2039. The median age would also increase from 40.7 in 2009 to 47.6 in 2039. An ageing population will put a huge pressure on public finances. Tax base will become narrower because of the shrinking working population. On the other hand, expenditures related to the elderly such as medical and social security payments will increase substantially. The government could stimulate fertility by subsidizing childbirth costs. For example, the Japanese government introduced a new plan in Apr 2009, to pay for all childbirth costs with the public funds (Shimbun 2008). Moreover, regulations and laws should protect and be more favorable to the pregnant women. For example, to extend the maternity leave period. Increasing number of working parents has created a great need for quality childcare. That need is creating a great entrepreneurial opportunity for people who love children and want to start a business in childcare. Childcare services range from small home-based operations to large commercial centers. 2 Mortality Mortality refers to the incidence of death in a countrys population. The phenomenal increase in world population in the 20th century was a consequence of the worldwide trend towards increasing life expectancy and declining mortality, as a result of health and medical advancements. However, the levels in mortality vary from country to country. Although deaths of children in poorer countries like those in the sub-Saharan Africa make up a large fraction of all deaths, the decreasing mortality rate has declined enough to fuel rapid population growth. Nearly 11 million children died under the age of five in 2003 (UNDESA 2005). 98% of these children lived in developing countries. Sub-Saharan Africa got the highest regional average of under-five mortality in 2003 (see table 2.1), and it also experienced the least reductions over the 1990s. The lack of progress in sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to the increase in child deaths from AIDS in some countries. For most countries, efforts to reduce malnutrition and provide appropriate interventions to address diseases like pneumonia, vaccine-preventable diseases and malaria were inadequate. Poor health systems and socio-economic stagnation due to instability have been the obstacles to the progress in the region (UNDESA 2005). Over 2,000 children die from malaria each day in sub-Saharan Africa. Episodes of fever and anaemia damage the mental and physical development of those children who survive. As the children is the source of the future workforce, it is important to keep them grow up healthily. If situation never improves, the society will never increase its competitiveness. The 4th Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) called for reducing child mortality. Its target is to reduce the under-five mortality rate by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015. There is a great need of nutritious food and medical and vaccine treatment for children in countries where child mortality rate remain high. In fact most of the diseases could be avoided if the children are provided with nutritious food and proper vaccination which are not high at cost. Food manufacturers and pharmaceutical company could find the markets there. 3 Migration Migration refers to the movement of people into and out of a particular territory. The annual number of legal immigrants has been increasing since the 1950s, and the regions sending migrants have shifted from Europe to Latin America and Asia (see figure 3.1). In 2005, the U.S. was home to more foreign-born residents than any other country, accounting 38 million of people. Russia was the second, which accounted for 12 million immigrants, and Germany was the third with 10 million. Globalization, economic differences across nations, and uneven population growth and have increased the flow of people across national borders. In 2005, 62 millions of immigrants from moved from LDCs to MDCs, while 61 million moved from one LDC to another for work opportunities. Others have moved to escape from economic problems, civil unrest or natural disasters. (PRB 2009b) The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) impugned in large-scale immigration leading to excessive population growth and environmental degradation, displacing low-skilled American workers and depressing their wages, and threatening the cultural bonds that hold Americans together (Martin Midgley 2006). Martin Midgley (2006) has also discussed some recommendation suggested by the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform (CIR). In 1997 CIR recommended that the federal government do more to Americanize immigrants. They advocated that Americanization, accommodating and integrating immigrants, is a two-way street. The CIR also recommended federal grants to communities with large numbers of immigrants to create resource centers that promote immigrant-native interactions. It also urged U.S. businesses to do more to help integrate immigrants they hire. Self-employment is often used as a proxy measure for entrepreneurship. Self-employment rates were especially high among some groups: 28% of those born in Korea, as were 20% or more of those born in Russia and Iran. Self-employment normally declines with economic development, as farmers leave the land for urban jobs in factories and offices. However, in the new service economy, it has become easier to be self-employed, and immigrants may be in a unique position to spot opportunities (Martin Midgley 2006). 4 Ageing Population World population ageing is unprecedented and enduring. By 2050, the number of older persons in the world would exceed the number of young for the first time in history (UNDESA 2009). There would be more young people in LDCs than in MDCs (see figure 4.1). About one-forth of the population in Japan, Italy and Germany aged over 60 in 2002 and the percentage was expected to exceed 30% by 2025 (see figure 4.2). The proportion of the HK population aged 65 and over was projected to rise markedly from 13% in 2009 to 28% in 2039 (CSD 2010). The median age of the above mentioned countries/region are well above 40 in 2010 according to CIA (see table 4.3). Ageing population is a consequence of declining fertility and increased life expectancy resulting from declining mortality as mentioned in the previous sections. The problem concentrates in the Northern Hemisphere where fertility rate and mortality rate are low. Problems associated with ageing population are closely related to those associated with declining fertility as discussed in previous section. Japan expected its workforce to shrink by 16% (about 10 million people) from 2006 to 2031 (The Economist 2006a). Corporations could consider keeping and hiring old employees. The following are examples discussed on The Economist (2006b): Toyota has adopted its workstations to older workers, and IBM used its network to recruit retired people for particular projects. The HK government have attracted 200,000 talented people from Mainland China and overseas to HK since 1997, aiming to improve the population structure (The 2008-09 Budget 2008). The market will consist of growing number of elderly customers in the next few decades. A great market lies in the increasing the awareness of financial planning, health and fitness. Banks nowadays could spend more effort in their financial planning programs. As good health should be developed from young, fitness centres, health food manufacturers could grab this opportunity to sell this concept to their potential customers. 5 Urbanization, the Growth of Cities Urbanization is defined as the concentration of humanity into cities. Cities have existed for thousands of years but grew faster after the industrial revolution. Since the 1950s, rapid urban growth has become a global phenomenon. The world population was expected to increase from 6.7 billion in 2007 to 9.2 billion in 2050 (UNDESA 2008). Population living in urban areas was projected to gain from 3.3 billion in 2007 to 6.4 billion in 2050 (see figure 5.1), and most of the urban population growth would be concentrated in the cities of the less developed regions (see table 5.2). Asia, in particular, was projected to increase by 1.8 billion, and Africa by 0.9 billion (see table 5.3). Population growth is therefore becoming largely an urban phenomenon concentrated in the developing world. Population growth has been the main factor in the growth of cities in LDCs, whereas rural-urban migration has been the main reason for cities growth in industrialized countries. Furthermore, global economic growth, urban-urban migration and international migration have also affected urban growth (UN 2010). Problem of urbanization is manifestation of lopsided urbanization, poor urban planning, poor economic base and without having functional categories. India for example, urbanization was followed by some basic problems in housing, slums, transport water supply and sanitation, water pollution and air pollution, inadequate provision for social infrastructure and poverty (Datta 2006). Redirection of migration flows is required to relieve the problem of overcrowding and unemployment in cities. A strong economic sector in the urban economy is needed (Kundu and Basu 1998), more efforts and investments should be allocated to small cities which have been neglected. Policies should relate to proper urban planning emphasizing improvement of urban infrastructure and restoring original status of old building monuments which have historic value (Datta, 2006). Urbanization critically depends on the necessary infrastructure otherwise it could turn out to be a curse. Investments are required in urban infrastructure, urban transport and urban renewal. Sectors which can find the most opportunities include construction, materials (e.g. steel, copper, aluminums, cement), capital goods, and transportation. Conclusion Are the above mentioned interrelated demographic changes an opportunity or a threat? There is a great potential of economic growth in the LDCs with an increasing population growth, but only if the governments could create a better functioning market, and set appropriate policies to cope with the problems brought by rapid population growth. Ageing population is a common problem among the MDCs. Governments should invest more in education for the society, so as to develop a knowledge-based economy, and enhance the skills and competitiveness of people of all ages in order to cope with the shrinking workforce.