New Opportunity for TCS Mail Management Solutions (MMS)

TCS Mail Management Solution stands upon the single largest investment made by TCS on state of the art printing and sorting technology.

 With this huge infrastructure, TCS MMS can easily start a new service similar to FedEx Office Print & Ship Services, Inc in United States, which is a chain of stores that provide a retail outlet for FedEx Express and FedEx Ground (including Home Delivery) shipping, as well as printing, copying, and binding services. 

FedEx Office (http://www.fedex.com/us/office/online-printing-services.html) offers a variety of simple, convenient online printing services where corporations, small businesses and individuals can print documents, presentations, flyers, manuals, posters, banners, panaflexes, business cards, letter heads etc - all online. 

Similar to Vista Print services, FedEx Office has the advantage of a country wide presence of stores where each store is equipped with color and monochrome photocopiers, fax machines, digital photo printer kiosks, and several desktop computer rentals, of which one always has an image scanner and some design software (mainly Adobe Systems applications) installed.

 The computers available for rental are connected to at least one color and one monochrome laser printer (some newer stores have only a color printer but charge less for monochrome prints). The stores also offer a selection of office supplies and business books for retail purchase.

 If TCS believes that innovation is norm for them then they should introduce this service in Pakistan as they are in a better position to launch this service and nobody else can beat it.

Online Ticketing by TCS Connect

Are you planning to organize a concert or an event in Karachi? the most toughest of all things is to sell tickets. TCS Connect, an online shopping portal has recently unveiled online ticketing where anyone across Pakistan can buy tickets and have them delivered at their premise by the most trusted TCS network.

Customers can pay for their tickets from a wide range of payment options available from Internet banking, Easy Paisa and UBL Omni to Cash on delivery, Credit/Debit Card, PayPal and also through Card swipe at customer location. They can also pay offline at any TCS courier centre or their bank.

TCS Connect will sure help the hesitance go away from those minds that were earlier reluctant to buy goods from online stores. Their country wide delivery network will flare up the ease by simplifying the online shopping process and experience.

South Korean Lotte Group Planning Further Investment in its Purified Terephthalic Acid Plant at Port Qasim

South Korea's Lotte Group is planning to make further investment in its Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plant at Port Qasim in Karachi.

"We want to invest for a new PTA plant at the same site at Port Qasim,” said Lotte Pakistan PTA Limited Executive Director Jung Neon Kim.

“We expect positive and favourable response from Pakistan government in order to make further investment as well as expansion. We are focussing on Sindh and Punjab provinces in hydro engineering and hydro power projects construction for supply to Pakistani industry," he added.

We are looking for consistent government policy and expect more incentives for foreign investment in Pakistan.

Fight for Citibank's Consumer Division

After the shocking news by Citibank that it is closing its consumer division from Pakistan, the most profitable and growing at over 300% - fight for takeover by country's leading commercial banks has begun.

 Citi has entered its sixth decade of continuous presence in Pakistan and serving corporate and retail customers in the country, though it has closed its research office in Karachi few years ago but its consumers division is possessing handsome number of customers who mostly belong to elite and upper middle class, having good inclination to avail banking services come under consumer financing portfolio such as credit cards, car financing etc.

Country's biggest banks have showed their intent of buying Citibank Consumer division including Habib Bank, Bank Alfalah and Faysal Bank with rumors that Turkish Isbank might also join. NIB Bank (subsidiary of Temasek Singapore) is now the fourth official predator interested in CitiBank Pakistan.

 NIB Bank, which itself was a target of an acquisition by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, intended to launch its consumer financing division long ago. The signs were evident when NIB Bank hired Adil Rashid from Bank Alfalah to run its Consumer finance department.

Karachi Economist will keep you updated with latest happenings in the financial capital. So stay tuned.

JS Bank announces acquisition of HSBC Pakistan

JS Bank has announced acquisition of HSBC Pakistan operations. The bank is rated as A+ (Single A Plus) by Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) and is listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Jahangir Siddiqui & Co. Ltd. and currently operates 153 branches in 82 cities with a total asset base of Rs64.53 billion as of June 30.

 JSBL’s interest in HSBC’s Pakistan operation has to do with HSBC’s strong footprint in the consumer banking, something which JSBL lacks, as well as a potential enhancement of the bank’s tier 1 capital.

Turkey's Isbank was looking into buying HSBC's Pakistan branches
Turkish lender Isbank bid to buy Europe's biggest bank HSBC's branches in Pakistan has failed. Now there are rumors that they will fight for Citibank Consumer Division from country's biggest banks including Pakistan's largest HBL, Faysal Bank, NIB (Subsidiary of Temasek Singapore) and Bank Alfalah (of Abu Dhabi group).

First China and Now Turkey 
After Chinese banks long trying to get into Pakistan’s banking industry and facing stiff competition from UAE’s Abu Dhabi Group (UBL Omni) and British funded Norwegian banking service EasyPaisa. Its the Turkish Isbank eyeing Pakistan's most successful Citibank Consumer Division. This will be a major development in Pakistan’s banking and financial sector and it will add another Pakistan-friendly nation into Pakistan’s financial sector.

Bank of China Planning Entry in Pakistan

After Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), its the Bank of China (BOC) which is planning its entry into Pakistan according to the sources at Dawn Media Group. Exit of western banks such as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), HSBC and Citibank which is closing its commercial operations in the country and the entrance of Asian giants from China and India suggest changing dynamics of banking industry in Pakistan more focusing towards trade, industrialization and investment rather consumerism.

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) currently has one branch in Karachi and Islamabad each and is the world’s biggest bank by capitalization while BOC, in which the Chinese Sovereign Wealth Fund holds a substantial stake is headquartered in Beijing, providing corporate and personal banking services in addition to investment banking.

 The expanding bilateral trade between Pakistan and China has attracted Chinese financial market giants, which are already present in many countries including Africa, to mark their presence in Pakistan. Currently Pakistan's local giants such as HBL, UBL, ABL and MCB depends upon government papers for profitability and the entrance of Chinese banks suggest changing of this trend.

Analysts suggest that this move by Asian banks will also help China to tap the potential of Arabian markets as they have large investments in Pakistan though they are not expanding their operations and large middle eastern groups such as Emaar and Enshaa have failed to deliver on their promises.

Opening up of Indian banks will also help India increase its trade with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian republics.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan has recently signed Currency swap agreement with China and Iran.

Pakistan is a $500 Million Market for Google

Pakistan is one of the biggest markets for Google in Asia with a revenue base of $500 million, according to executives of Google who said this in Karachi's Pearl Continental Hotel at a gathering of IT experts, bloggers, businessmen and selected journalists.

The gathering comes after a visit to Islamabad by Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt in June to meet with the country’s politicians and businessmen. “It was just a regular visit. He wanted to find out how important the use of technology for the country’s leadership and businessmen is,” said Badar Khushnood, Google’s consultant in Pakistan.

Google has recently partnered with Punjab government in a project called “Innovation Punjab” and has also launched a social innovation fund – in collaboration with Pakistan Software Houses association to support young entrepreneurs struggling to get their ideas public.

Though Google has no office in Pakistan but the launch isn't ruled out. Pakistan currently has 22 million internet users, which is more than Australia's whole population. Also 4 of the top 10 websites in Pakistan are Google's sites, said Jana Levene from Google. Google may have reservations regarding internet censorship, imposed for the first time in Pakistan and absence of some intellectual property rights and cyber laws before planning to open office in the country.

Fast Facts

• Pakistan has 22 million internet users including 2 million broadband users
• Seven million Pakistani users are on Facebook
• One million on Twitter and 1.2 million on LinkedIn
• 6% of mobile phones sold in Pakistan are smart-phones
• Google Pakistan receive over eight million queries daily
• 386,000 are telecom queries, which translates to 15,000 queries every hour
• Government of Pakistan reached 800,000 people using Google Earth/ Maps tools to track areas affected by 2010 floods. 

Why Ain't We Promoting Entertainment & Tourism Together

Tourism in Pakistan is stated as the "next big thing" by Lonely Planet but the industry is lacking marketing and innovation. On the other hand our Entertainment Industry is not finding any integration with Tourism Industry for bringing in new things.

Lately we have seen the rise in Entertainment Culture again in Pakistan which has become possible by only innovation. Masala TV is the lead here which has introduced Pakistan's first 24 hours food channel and several other gimmicks such as live chat, recipes on mobile, meeting of their chefs at different exhibitions and trade shows, making them the celebrities and of course they also put a positive mark on the City of Karachi not just across Pakistan but also overseas.

These celebrities endorsements has lead to successful businesses by Cafe Ginger, Meat One, Omore, Braun and several others. Creating demand for these brands in other parts of Pakistan and also at places where South Asian population resides in North America and Europe.

Music shows such as Coke Studio and Nescafe Basement are also very popular among the masses not only in Pakistan but also across South Asian population overseas. But as my title of the story suggests that we need to use this for creating a successful brand resonance ie. positioning and segmenting your brand with people, places, things and other brands for a powerful communication message.

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation should undertake partnership with these Entertainment giants and City Planners to realize our innovative tourism industry's potential.

Tags 

• Madame Tussauds, the world's famous Wax Museum to open at Port Grand
• Giant Aquarium and Underwater world to open at Clifton Dolmen City
• Coke Studio studios has moved from Korangi to Port Grand
• Ski Karachi Coming Soon

Japanese Auto Giants Unhappy with People's Party Lawmakers

An official from embassy of Japan told media in Pakistan that its government is no longer considering investment in major hydroelectric projects such as Diamer-Bhasha dam and revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) because of financial constraints.

Pointing out inconsistencies in policies of Pakistan People's Party government, he said: “This takes Pakistan out of the scope of Japanese companies.”

He added that Japanese firms working in Pakistan are facing a “lot of problems” and the Board of Investment (BOI), which should act as a facilitator for foreign investors, “has no action plan”.

 The embassy, he said, was receiving complaints from Japanese companies working in Pakistan regarding “absence of any appropriate auto policy, macroeconomic instability, power shortages and recent ban on CNG kits. This has deeper impact on the economic health of companies”.

 Despite difficulties, he believed, there was a huge potential to attract foreign investment. “High-skill labour force and growing market is a favourable factor. Similarly, Pakistan has geographical advantage, as it is located on crossroads to India, Afghanistan, Central Asia and the Gulf.”

 He said that the government of Japan will soon send business mission to visit Pakistan from October 6-11, to coincide with Expo Pakistan in Karachi. “This Business Mission will include (representatives of) Japanese companies interested in investing in Pakistan. The objective is to address concerns of companies regarding security, infrastructure, economic policy consistency and lack of marketing.”

After Brink's, Security giant GS4 decided to leave Pakistan

The world's top security firm, UK-based G4S, has decided to leave Pakistan, where it operates under the name Wackenhut Pakistan Ltd, following a government crackdown in Islamabad on foreign security companies suspected of supporting terrorism in Pakistan. It is the second foreign firm to pull out of Pakistan after US-based Brink's Company which left the country in 2001 and re-named to Phoenix Armour Pvt Ltd. The G4S came into global attention when it failed to supply an agreed number of security personnel for the London Olympics, forcing the UK to deploy its army troops in London for security.

G4S was founded as a result of the merger of the United Kingdom-based Securicor plc with the Denmark-based Group 4 Falck in 2004, is a multinational security services company. It received its license to operate in Pakistan about 20 years ago and employs more than 10,000 personnel, including 150 women guards with clients ranging from United Nations to multinational companies, banks in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore.

The private security business is booming in Karachi, the country's financial capital, where a worsening security situation continues to fuel investors' concerns. Federal Government of Pakistan has so far been least concerned about the problems of the businessmen and industrialists in Karachi, where industries contribute 67% to national coffers and 35% to gross domestic product. 

Foreign direct investment (FDI) fell 50% to $812 million in the financial year that ended on June 30, as against $1.63 billion in the previous 12 months. The decline in foreign investment is attributed to political uncertainty, a deep and worsening energy crisis and the prevailing law and order situation.