Abstract

In 2004, BPLL, a company which was once a major player in the Indian consumer durables industry, and SECL, a Japanese consumer electronics company, came together to form a joint venture in India. The case traces the ups and downs in the fortunes of the alliance partners before the merger, and looks at the reasons behind BPLL's gradual decline in the Indian consumer durables market. It also analyzes the challenges faced by the joint venture in view of the highly competitive nature of the industry in which it was to operate. The case ends with a brief discussion on the future prospects of the joint venture company.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the structure of the Indian consumer electronics industry in the 2000s, and the nature of changes in the industry
• Understand the reasons behind the decline of a market leader
• Understand the challenges faced by the joint venture between BPLL and SECL
• Analyze the future prospects of the joint venture in view of the partners' checkered histories, and the competitive nature of the market.

Keywords

Sanyo BPL joint venture, Indian consumer electronics, Successful joint ventures, Financial mismanagement, Corporate restructuring, Marketing consumer electronics, BPL Group of companies, Technical collaboration, Co-branding, BPL debt restructuring