A PROJECT REPORT

ON

“RETAILERS PERCEPTION ON RECRON CERTIFIED BRAND ABOUT THE MARKET

SEGMENT FOR WHICH THE BRAND STANDS FOR AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS ON IMPROVING THE BUSINESS AND EXPANSION OF PRODUCT

BASKET”

FOR

RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED

Ubaidulla.K.P

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Mrs. Smita M. sovani

SUBMITTED TO

“University of Pune”

In partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award for the degree of Master of Business Administration (.M.B.A)

THROUGH

VISHWAKARMA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

PUNE-48

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PREFACE

Summer training is an opportunity to implement all our theoretical management concepts into real practice. The practical training to be undergone in M.B.A. was an event, which we were eagerly awaiting for since the starting of the M.B.A. I undertook training at Reliance industries Ltd., Mumbai. This report is a reflection of what I saw and came to know during my training at Reliance Industries Ltd. The most important thing, which was distinctly visible, was a gap between the theoretical principle and practical methods adopted by the management of the organization.

Ubaidulla.K.P

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I was helped by many before, during and after my training. Without whose guidance I would not have been able to complete my training.

I am very much thankful to Reliance Industries Ltd. to have given consent for my training. My special thanks to Mr. Pranjal barua and Mr. Dinesh soni to give me opportunity for the training. I would also like to thank all the departmental persons for offering their attention in spite of their busy schedule.

During my training I met many experts and people of Reliance Industries who helped me to make this training meaningful. It was an informative on my part.

I would also like to thank to my collage director Mr. Sharad.L.Joshi to encourage me for my training. I would also like to thank Mrs.smita Sovni for giving guidance for the training.

Ubaidulla.K.P

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INDEX

Sr.No.____Title________________________ Page Number

1. Executive summary

2. Company Profile

3. SWOT analysis

4. Objectives of the study

5. Research Methodology

6. Data Analysis

7. Observations

8. Suggestions

9. Conclusions

10. Limitations of the project

11. Bibliography

12. Annexure

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EXECUTIVE SUMMERY

“Retailers perception on Recron Certified brand about the market segment for which the brand stands for and their suggestions on improving the business and expansion of

product basket”

Aims of this project are:- Which market segment the brand stands for? Find out the retailers perceptions of RCP’s about improvements /innovations must

be done to the product/business to improve the satisfaction level. Find out the chances for expand the product basket. Find out Retailers likes and dislikes about business and products/business.

This project is done to view the business and product through the eyes of retailers. Finding their likes and dislikes will help to improve the whole business and also help to make proper business plan for the future. Nowadays retailers are the key factor in any kind of business their convincing capacity drives most of the customers. They will love to sell the products of the particular brands over others if that brand pleases them more. Today this survey carries high importance because of above said reasons. I have conducted interviews with 128 retailers in Mumbai. From those interviews I have landed up on below mentioning findings.

Hush is the most selling brand followed by Recron and Kurlon. RCP’s stands for both brands conscious as well as value for money conscious

customers. 16”x24” is the most selling product in Recron family. Recron is considered as value for money product by most of the retailers. Cash discount schemes are most loved scheme by customers. According to survey there is a chance to launch a high priced pillow in

16”x24”pillows. (It should be launched in places like Vashi, Grant road, Colaba , Mumbai central , etc. where purchasing power of the people are high), because most of the brands having the higher priced pillow in the particular size and the product is hot cake in the market.

According to retailers Recron should launch products like Bed sheets, Bed covers and Quilts. Products will be hot cake in market because of the brand name, competitive price and superior quality.

Lack of advertisements reflects in total selling of RCP’s. From the light of these findings I have put across the table below said suggestions. Company should increase its margin to improve the business.

Company should launch advertisements Should launch higher priced pillows in 16”x24” size Launch cash discount schemes for retailers Launch attractive schemes for customers Rewards for achieving the set targets.

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Maintain company’s “value for money” image. Take the advantage of big brand name. Launch products in grand functions to get media attention. Make the package a little more attractive. Company should step in to the untouched market segments by brands.

COMPANY PROFILE

HISTORY

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The Reliance Group, founded by Dhirubhai H. Ambani (1932-2002), is India's largest private sector enterprise, with businesses in the energy and materials value chain. Group's annual revenues are in excess of USD 22 billion. The flagship company, Reliance Industries Limited, is a Fortune Global 500 company and is the largest private sector company in India.

Backward vertical integration has been the cornerstone of the evolution and growth of Reliance. Starting with textiles in the late seventies, Reliance pursued a strategy of backward vertical integration - in polyester, fiber intermediates, plastics, petrochemicals, petroleum refining and oil and gas exploration and production - to be fully integrated along the materials and energy value chain.

The Group's activities span exploration and production of oil and gas, petroleum refining and marketing, petrochemicals (polyester, fiber intermediates, plastics and chemicals), textiles and retail.

Reliance enjoys global leadership in its businesses, being the largest polyester yarn and fiber producer in the world and among the top five to ten producers in the world in major petrochemical products.

The Group exports products in excess of USD 7 billion to more than 100 countries in the world. There are more than 25,000 employees on the rolls of Group Companies. Major Group Companies are Reliance Industries Limited (including main subsidiaries Reliance Petroleum Limited and Reliance Retail limited), Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Limited.

NATURE

Reliance is in the forefront of implementation of Corporate Governance best practices

Governance at Reliance is based on the following main principles:

Constitution of a Board of Directors of appropriate composition, size and commitment to discharge its responsibilities and duties.

Ensuring timely flow of information to the Board and its Committees to enable them discharge their functions effectively.

Independent verification and safeguarding integrity of the Company's financial reporting.

A sound system of risk management and internal control. Timely and balanced disclosure of all material information concerning the

Company to all its stakeholders. Transparency and accountability.

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Compliance with all the applicable laws and regulations. Fair and equitable treatment of all its stakeholders including employees,

customers, shareholders and investors.

COMMITMENTS

“Growth through Commitments”

Reliance care about :-Quality, Research & Development, Health, Safety & Environment, Human Resource Development, Energy Conservation, Corporate Citizenship

Reliance believes that any business conduct can be ethical only when it rests on the nine core values of Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Fairness, Purposefulness, Trust, Responsibility, Citizenship and Caring.

The essence of these commitments is that each employee conducts the company's business with integrity, in compliance with applicable laws, and in a manner that excludes considerations of personal advantage.

We do not lose sight of these values under any circumstances, regardless of the goals we have to achieve. To us, the means are as important as the ends.

For Reliance…

Growth is care for good health

Reliance's occupational health centers carry out pre-employment and periodic medical checkups as well as other routine preventive services. Specialized tests like biological monitoring, health risk assessment studies and audits for exposure to various materials are also performed. Health education and awareness form an integral part of the health care programme at Reliance

Growth is care for safety

We believe that the safety of each employee is the responsibility of the individual as well as of the whole community of employees

Growth is care for the environment

Reliance believes that a clean environment in and around the workplace fosters health and prosperity for the individual, the group and the larger community to which they belong. Environmental protection is an integral part of the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of all our projects.

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Growth is conservation

At Reliance, energy conservation efforts seek to reduce the unit cost of fuels and to improve efficiencies in energy intensive processes.

MANAGEMENT PROFILE

Mukesh .D.Ambani Chairman & Managing Director

Nikhil R. Meswani Executive Director

Hital R. Meswani Executive Director

H.S.Kohli Executive Director

Ramniklal H. Ambani Director

Mansingh L. Bhakta Director

Yogendra P. Trivedi Director

Dr. D. V. Kapur Director

M. P. Modi Director

S. Venkitaramanan Director

THE ORGANIZATION

Manufacturing Facilities

Reliance Industries Limited operates world-class manufacturing facilities at Naroda, Patalganga, Hazira and Jamnagar, all in western India.

JAMNAGAR

Reliance's Jamnagar complex represents the largest industrial project ever implemented by anyone from the Indian corporate sector.

Created in a record time of less than three years, the Jamnagar complex would always remain a special experience for Reliance. The project is of titanic

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proportion and has taken, for its completion, millions of engineering man-hours spread over many international engineering offices; thousands of tonnes in equipment and material, procured from leading suppliers across the globe; highly advanced construction equipment of unbelievable sizes; construction workforce of over 75,000 working round the clock for months; a great number of innovative techniques in project execution; and project management expertise of Reliance acquired over the past several years.

Special features of the refinery complex:

Reliance refinery configuration is characterized by its superior product slate as compared to that of the other refineries. Two important features in this regard are:

High proportion of high-value products such as propylene and LPG (adding to over 10% on crude processed as compared to 2-3% for most other refineries)

Nil production of low-value "black oils" - fuel oil (compared to 12-20% on crude processed for most other refineries) under normal circumstances.

HAZIRA

The Hazira complex of Reliance Industries is located on the banks of river Tapi, near Surat in Gujarat. The complex manufactures a wide range of Polymers, Polyesters, Fiber Intermediates and Petrochemicals.

The first phase of the complex was commissioned in 1991-92 to generate power/utility and to manufacture Ethylene Oxide (EO), Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG), Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM), Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). A jetty was built for loading and unloading operation of raw material and final products.

The second phase of the project, started in 1995, involved commissioning of the Polyester Complex (POY & PSF) and continued in full backward integration with commissioning of the new Polypropylene (PP), Naphtha Cracker, Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) plants and also involved expansion of existing phase 1 plants.

PATALGANGA

The Patalganga plant (PG) is spread over 200 acres on the banks of the river Patalganga, 70kms from Mumbai. The plant is located on what once was barren land, punctuated with stones and brambles. In a short span of a few months, Shri Dhirubhai H Ambani converted the area intoone housing a modern marvel.

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Products Manufactured:

1. Para - Xylene (Px) -> from Naphtha 2. Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) -> from Para - Xylene 3. Polyester Filament Yarn (PFY) -> from PTA & MEG 4. Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF) -> from PTA & MEG 5. Linear Alkyl Benzene Retailers perception on Recron Certified brand about the

market segment for which the brand stands for and their suggestions on improving the business and expansion of product basket new (LAB) -> from Kerosene - n paraffin

NARODA

Reliance Naroda complex, located at Ahmedabad, is spread over 120 acres. The complex has been in operation since 1963 and employs nearly 6000 people. The complex has assets worth over Rs 300 crore.

Naroda complex represents the largest investment in the textile industry at a single location.Naroda complex is India's most modern textile complex - a recognition bestowed by the WorldBank.

New Initiatives

Colour Computer for Processing CAD system for designing Computerised Loom Monitoring System

KURKUNBH

The Kurkumbh plant situated in the state of Maharashtra in India has facilities to produce MEG. RIL took over the Kurkumbh plant from S. M Dychem (SMDL) in 2005. Prior to that the plan was closed from 1993 up to the end of 2004. Reliance’s technical team with their excellence restarted this plant in a short period.

PRODUCTS AND BRANDS

-PRODUCTS BRANDS & END USE – REFINING

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Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

End Use: Domestic and industrial fuel

Propylene

End Use: Feedstock for polypropylene

Naphtha

End Use: Feedstock for petrochemicals such as ethylene, propylene & fertilizers etc. and as fuel in power plants.

Gasoline

End Use: Transport fuel.

Jet / Aviation Turbine Fuel

End Use: Aviation fuel.

Superior Kerosene Oil

End Use: Domestic fuel

High Speed Diesel

End Use: Transport fuel

Sulfur

End Use: Feedstock for fertilizers, pharmaceuticals

Petroleum Coke

End Use: Fuel for power plants and cement plants

Vimal

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Suiting Shirting’s, Dress Material, Sarees

End Use: Fabrics

Harmony

Furnishing fabrics, Day curtains, Automotive upholstery

End Use: Furnishings, home textiles

The Company expanded into textiles in 1975. Since its initial public offering in 1977, the Company has expanded rapidly and integrated backwards into other industry sectors, most notably the production of petrochemicals and the refining of crude oil.

The Company now has operations that span from the exploration and production of oil and gas to the manufacture of petroleum products, polyester products, polyester intermediates, plastics, polymer intermediates, chemicals and synthetic textiles and fabrics.

The Company from time to time seeks to further diversify into other industries. In January 2006, the Company approved a plan to establish a retail business through a subsidiary Reliance Retail Limited that will operate, among other things, supermarkets, convenience stores and specialty stores across India. The Company approved initial expenditure of US$ 750 million to fund the initial stages of this plan.

The Company's subsidiary Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. is currently establishing infrastructure facilities such as roads and buildings for the proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The Company's major products and brands, from oil and gas to textiles are tightly integrated and benefit from synergies across the Company. Central to the Company's operations is its vertical backward integration strategy; raw materials such as PTA, MEG, ethylene, propylene and normal paraffin that were previously imported at a higher cost and subject to import duties are now sourced from within the Company. This has had a positive effect on the Company's operating margins and interest costs and decreased the Company's exposure to the cyclicality of markets and raw material prices. The Company believes that this strategy is also important in maintaining a domestic market leadership position in its major product lines and in providing a competitive advantage.

The Company's operations can be classified into three segments namely:

Petroleum Refining and Marketing business Petrochemicals business

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Others (including Crude Oil and Natural Gas Exploration & Production business.

The Company's refinery at Jamnagar is the third largest refinery at a single location in the world. The Company is:

The world's largest producer of Polyester Fibre and Yarn 4th largest producer of Paraxylene (PX) 5th largest producer of Purified Terepthalic Acid (PTA) 7th largest producer of Polypropylene (PP)

The Naroda facility, near Ahmedabad was commissioned in 1966. The synthetic textiles and fabrics manufacturing facility at Naroda manufactures and markets woven and knitted fabrics for home textiles, synthetic and worsted suiting and shirting, dress material, saris and ready to wear garments. The textile plant is spread over 150 acre site.

The Patalganga complex, near Mumbai, has polyester, fibre intermediates and linear alkyl benzene manufacturing plants. The manufacturing facility at Patalganga which was established in 1988 and is spread over 200 acres of land.

The Hazira complex, near Surat, has a naphtha cracker feeding downstream fibre intermediates, plastics and polyester plants. The manufacturing facility at Hazira which was established in 1991 and is spread over 700 acres of land.

The Jamnagar complex has a petroleum refinery and associated petrochemical plants making plastics and fibre intermediates. The manufacturing facility at Jamnagar was commissioned in 1999. It is spread over 7,400 acres of land.

The fiber intermediates manufacturing facility at Kurkumbh was the Glycol division of SM Dyechem Limited and was acquired by the Company in 2005.

Each of these complexes has world class manufacturing facilities

QUALITY

Six SigmaIn the Six Sigma Excellence Awards 2005 contest held by Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development, Pune the Black Belt project of Patalganga on Instrument Spares Inventory Level won “Runner up” trophy under the manufacturing category. E-Rose, a Six Sigma quarterly e-Journal released from Patalganga has helped to enhance the culture of six-sigma spread at the site. A project from Hazira on reduction in naphtha loss in tank farm, won the Qualtech National award.

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To promote the spirit of competition and to accelerate the six sigma culture in the group, an annual inter-site competition of six sigma projects was held for the first time in March 2006.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

RIL continues to take quality improvement measures and strengthen quality management systems at all manufacturing locations.

Shell Global Services has conferred 42 Golden Certificates on cumulative basis to RIL's Jamnagar facility for excellence in reliability of product certification.

RIL's Glycol Division QA/QC laboratory at Kurkumbh was commissioned with state-of-the-art Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

RIL Jamnagar polymer laboratory was accredited by NABL for conforming to Quality Management System (QMS) as per ISO/IEC 17025.

Total Quality Management (TQM) was introduced at all sites. "Five S" programme was implemented complex-wide at all locations. Quality Loss Index (QLI), a statistical tool to enhance performance and

productivity was implemented in all the laboratories at all RIL locations.

RESEARCH &DEVELOPMENT

RIL continues to invest in R&D activities towards development of new products and application, improvement in operating efficiencies and reduction in manufacturing costs.

Research efforts in the Polymers and Chemicals resulted in the developments of catalysts and process for high value chemicals and improved polymer grades in addition to granting of two US and one Korean Patents and six publications in scientific journals.

The major highlights of RIL’s R&D efforts in Polymers and Chemicals during the year are:

Novel series of external donor system developed from concept to production for enhancement in the performance of polypropylene catalysts and improved product characteristics of woven sacks grades suitable for high speed processing lines.

A quantum jump in the development of fourth generation morphological PP catalyst from lab to pilot scale resulted in resin characteristic improvement.

Several New and improved PP grades developed with high performance catalyst utilizing unique PP pilot plant capability such as BOPP grade for high speed lines, High Impact copolymers and heat sealable film grade for BOPP/ Cast film.

Polymers applications development towards metal body replacement for washing machine and automotives, luggage and safety equipments and applications for self reinforcement polypropylene composites.

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High performance wood filled PVC composites development and its applications in furniture sectors in addition to the transparent PVC grades development.

Eco friendly process developed for para-diethyl benzene – a high value specialty chemicals used in adsorptive recovery of paraxylene.

The R&D activities conducted at Reliance Technology Centre in Patalganga are focused on product and process innovation with polyesters. The developments are carried out for the Staple Fibers, Filament Yarn and PET resin businesses at RIL. In FY 2005-06 a number of new filament products were developed and commercialized using the Bicomponent Melt Spinning technology. These products include Recron ‘Stretch’ filaments for comfort stretch in dress materials, shirting and suiting etc. These yarns offer elastic stretch in the fabrics similar to spandex. The ultra micro denier (DPF < 0.2) filament yarns, marketed under the Recron ‘Micrelle’ brand, were developed using the novel concept of splittable yarns. The major development in Staple Fibres concerned the introduction of Recron 3s Short Cut Fibers for using wet laid no woven in end uses such as filter paper in food processing, wall papers, etc. The Finish Development group in RTC has developed a number of proprietary additives for improving the textile process ability of Staple Fibres in downstream operations. For the packaging applications, a variety of novel grades of PET resins were developed. These include hot-fill resin for food packaging, special reheat grades for carbonated soft drinks and mineral water packaging. RTC has also been involved in developing process solutions for improving the process yield and product quality of the Relpet + grades produced on the new generation PET process technology platform licensed by Invista and commercialized by RIL for the first time in the world. During the year RIL participated in various research programs with Institutes / Industry in India and overseas. The major efforts in basic research and technology development were jointly pursued at IIT (Mumbai, Chennai), NCL- Pune, V-Life Science, Pune and Nova Chemicals, Canada. The Joint development efforts were focused on Nano clay and PP nano composites, High value chemicals, Biodegradable / degradable polymers, Computational analysis, Polymer additives, co monomers for Poly-olefins etc.RIL’s partnership with CSIR under New Millennium India technology initiatives (NMITLI) continued and progress achieved on the program focus on valuable chemicals from alkane and development of detergent grade alcohols from long chain paraffin’s. Government of India recognized the R&D efforts of the RIL group by awarding it the DSIR award in development of p-di-ethyl benzene process and NG-3 technology absorption. The Golden Peacock award for innovative technology development was also received by RIL.

Health, Safety & Environment

RIL provides state of the art medical care to all its employees through occupational health centers located at various sites. These occupational health centers also focus on preventive medicine by conducting pre-employment and periodic medical checkups of all employees besides carrying out specialized studies and audits including biological monitoring and health risk assessments.

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The project Change Agent Health Safety & Environment (CASH) initiative has empowered the line managers in the area of occupational health and safety, thereby making it a way of life. The objective, to bring about a positive change and improvement in occupational health practices, has been achieved in all our major sites. This project has led to a remarkable awareness about occupational health at all levels of employees and has been responsible for reducing work related diseases and injuries. All manufacturing sites also take part in community development through the community medical initiatives. These initiatives provide facilities for free preventive and curative health care to the nearby communities. They also participate in the national health programs such as Pulse Polio, Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP), National Immunization Program and Maternal and Child Health. These community medical centers have been well received and utilized by the target population. The RIL group supports the scientific research activities of Sir Hurkisondas Nurrotumdas Medical Research Society (HNMRS). Topics of national health priorities constitute a major share of the research projects undertaken here.

Safety In order to give a high importance to the Health, Safety and Environmental issues in the company, the Director’s Committee on HSE regularly monitors the status of Safety performance, practices and systems at the various sites in comparison with the International Standards and Best Practices and provides necessary directions to the group.RIL undertook several initiatives last year based on its core belief that all safety incidents are preventable. In its journey to becoming a global leader in safety, the company had several achievements during the year. The Safety ManagementEvaluation undertaken in the previous year through international agencies was followed by an improvement program during the year. Job Safety analysis and Job Risk assessments were further established during the year. The Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems at Patalganga and Jamnagar sites were certified to the OHSAS 18001 standard during the year. With this, all the three major sites of Patalganga, Hazira and Jamnagar are now certified with the OHSAS 18001 standard. All the three sites have earlier received the British Safety Council’s Five Star rating three years ago. The Jamnagar complex completed a major shutdown with more than 35,000 workers without any serious incident. Special working systems were established to handle such a mega shutdown. The workers were trained to conduct the shutdown activities safely. A strong safety audit programme was established to continuously close the gaps in the implementation of safe practices. In order to take RIL to world standards in HSE, a corporate cell named the Centre for HSE Excellence has been established. This cell has been entrusted with the job of structuring the HSE Management practices at the RIL group level and of supporting the sites to become amongst the best managed sites in the world in terms of Safety.

Environment

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The focus and objectives for sustainable development and business growth at RIL is the Group’s dedication towards a clean environment, at the workplace and the surroundings, in line with the organizational development. At RIL, the various stages of a project viz. planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance are integrated with the environmental requirements at each step. As the leading corporate group in the country, the structured environmental monitoring, management systems and audits ensure compliance to all the environmental protection laws of the land. A dedicated Environment Health and Safety (EH&S) Group, reporting directly to the Chief Executive, at each manufacturing complex monitors and audits the environmental performance of their respective Complex to ensure sustainable development along with the business objective. As part of its measures to conserve the natural resources, the refinery division has commissioned a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant to treat the Low Dissolved Solids wastewater from the cooling tower and a portion of the high dissolved solids stream from Effluent Treatment Plant. The treated water from the RO plant is being used for Horticulture purposes, which has resulted in savings in desalinated water. RIL’s Jamnagar Marine Terminal has successfully migrated to the stricter requirements of ISO 14001:2004 from the earlier 1996 standard and has been re-certified accordingly. Jamnagar Refinery has also migrated to ISO 14001:2004 requirements and is expected to be certified as compliant with the new standard in the forthcoming Surveillance Audit. The wastewater management system has encompassed the installation of a filter bed in the effluent treatment plant for the backwash water to remove the suspended solids from circulating within the ETP. Further a cooling tower is also under installation to optimize the temperature of the effluent being treated in the biological treatment section of the ETP. In preparedness for marine pollution and oil spill response, one more inflatable boom of 250 meter length suitable for high sea operation has been procured and is placed on board a pull-back tug in the SPM operational area. Jamnagar Refinery Complex has won the “National Award for Excellence in Water Management” for the year 2005 from CII. The refinery also won the “Most Useful Presentation” award from the CII. RIL is involved in exploration and development of hydrocarbons reserves in various blocks off the East and West coast of India. To support basic environmental research, RIL has awarded a multidisciplinary study on the behavioural pattern of marine sensitive species to Berhampur University, Orissa. A project for restoration of mangroves has also been awarded to the MS Swaminathan Foundation, a noted voluntary agency involved in conservation of mangroves. The Hazira Petrochemical Complex has upgraded their Environment Management System to the stringent ISO 14001:2004 standards requirements. A target of 10 per cent reduction was set for the refrigerant usage and till date the reduction in refrigerant usage achieved is approx 42 per cent. For productive utilization of solid-waste, efforts are being made to utilize the bio-sludge, coke etc. in the cement industry. Conservation of water resources has been maximized by reuse and recycle of wastewater. The Hazira Complex has always been in the forefront of knowledge sharing by counselling and guidance to employees, contractors, vendors and other group companies

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in various activities and projects implemented in environment and safety. Being committed to development of the greenery, approximately 12,000 trees have been planted in the last year and an additional area of 20,000 sq meter is being covered for landscaping. The Patalganga Complex has also been recertified to the stringent standards of ISO 14001: 2004 Environmental Management System. The ‘waste to resource’ philosophy is being continuously practiced with indigenous technological efforts on the Anaerobic Effluent Treatment Process. This application has created a benchmark in PTA waste water treatment process. The microbes in the anaerobic treatment process metabolize the industrial COD to produce methane rich biogas. This biogas, a product of wastewater treatment is utilized by the plant heaters as fuel. The heat from the flue gas from the captive power plant is being utilized in the Spin Flash Dryer for drying the biosludge. The new ozonation system is implemented for improving the treated effluent to be recycled as cooling water make-up. The Patalganga Complex has achieved a 36 per cent reduction in the hazardous waste sent for secured land filling a 22 per cent reduction in the hazardous waste sent for reprocessing. 100 per cent of the contaminated PTA lumps are disposed on land and the area is being landscaped as a garden. Further a new Incinerator is being implemented at the PTA plant for improved reliability. The Indian Chemical Manufacturers Association (ICMA), conferred upon the PG Complex the ‘DM Trivedi Award for Introducing Advancement in Technology having a widespread impact on the Chemical Industry’ for the year 2004-05. At RIL, the Environmental and Safety aspects have been integrated and have become the culture of the organization. Its activities cover the entire gamut of contractors, customers, suppliers and association with the regulatory bodies and community for sustainable development.

Key Financial Highlights

Revenues Rs 110,886 croe (US$ 25,510 million) Cash profit Rs 15,768 crore (US$ 3,630 million) Net profit Rs 10,908 crore (US$ 2,510 million) Net worth Rs 57,147 crore (US$ 13,146 million) Exports Rs 65,300 crore (US$ 15,020 million)

AWARDS

Reliance's commitment to excellence has won several national and international awards and accolades.

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2005-2006

Corporate Ranking

Our Chairman & Managing Director Shri Mukesh D. Ambani had the distinction and honour of being the co-chair at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

RIL is the only private sector company from India to feature in the Fortune Global 500 list of World's largest Corporation, for the second year in a row.

In terms of growth, RIL found place in the elite world's top 25 climbers in the Fortune Global 500 companies.

'Best Overall Company' at the Stevie Awards.

Health Safety and Environment (HSE)

CII 'National Award for Excellence in Water Management'.

National Award for Research and Development Efforts in Industry.

'International Safety Award' presented by the British Safety Council, UK.

Energy Management

First Prize' from Petroleum Conservation Research Association.

CII "National Award for Excellence in Energy Management - 2005". PCRA Energy Conservation Award for 2005, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural

Gas. CII Award for Excellence in Energy Management. ICMA Award for Excellence in Energy Conservation and Management. Certificate of Merit' in the Refinery Sector for the 'National Energy Conservation

Awards-2005' from Ministry of Power. Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight Award, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural

Gas.

Quality

Silver' at the 20th International Team Excellence Competition organised by the American Society for Quality (ASQ).

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Quality Circle Pragati PSF unit of Hazira won silver medal at International convention of Quality Circles in Singapore.

IMC Ramakrishna Bajaj National Quality Commendation Certificate.

Golden Appreciation from Shell for Quality Pacesetting Under SMPCS, Shell Global Solutions, Netherlands.

Exports

Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) awards for exports.

Management Awards

Golden Peacock Innovation Award.

2005 ASTD BEST Award. IMC 'Super Brand Award'. Golden Jubilee Memorial Trust Excellence Award. Mahatma Gandhi Shram Sahyog Puraskar.

DSIR national award for R&D efforts in industry for Absorption / up gradation of imported technology

Retail and Franchising Awards

Franchise Award 2005. o Innovative Retail Concept of the year - Special Award o Best Franchiser of the year Award - 2005 Star Award, Hall of Fame across

all categories Innovation and Technology in Franchising - (The Reid & Taylor Awards for

Retail excellence) at The India Retail Summit 2005 for its various innovations in Petroleum Retailing.

Retail Concept of the year for Reliance Truck Stops - Images Retail Awards at India Retail Forum 2005.

RETAIL

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“Growth through Value Creation”

Reliance is gearing up to revolutionize the retailing industry in India. Towards this end, we are aggressively working on introducing a pan-India network of retail outlets in multiple formats. A world class shopping environment, state of art technology, a seamless supply chain infrastructure, a host of unique value-added services and above all, unmatched customer experience, is what this initiative is all about. The retail initiative of Reliance will be without a parallel in size and spread and make India proud. Ensuring better returns to Indian farmers and manufacturers and greater value for the Indian consumer, both in quality and quantity, will be an integral feature of this project. By creating value at all levels, we will actively endeavor to contribute to India's growth.

The project will boast of a seamless supply chain infrastructure, unprecedented even by world standards. Through multiple formats and a wide range of categories, Reliance is aiming to touch almost every Indian customer and supplier.

RECRON

Recron is home furnishing brand from reliance family. It has wide range of products from pillows to quilts. Recron fibers are the best fillers in the market. Company produces fibers and makes it available for other home furnishing brands also. Now Recron is the market leader in the fiber business. There are lots of brands in the market they uses Recron fiber as filler. Currently Recron brand has a little existence in the company's overall operations, which accounts a turnover of Rs 25 crore. Now company is planning to jump in to particular segments in which no other major completion is present. Recron Fiberfill is India's only hollow Fiber specially designed for filling and insulation purpose. Made with technology from DuPont, USA, Recron Fiberfill adheres to world-class quality standards to provide maximum comfort, durability, and ease-of-use in a wide variety of applications like sleep products, garments and furniture. Reliance is the world's largest fiber and yarn manufacturer. Over the years, Reliance has consolidated its position in the polyester business on the strength of its integrated operations, economies of scale and diversified product range. Reliance is today the country's largest manufacturer for Filament Yarn, Staple Fiber and PET with a market share of more than 50% in all these product categories. With its strong market presence and wide product portfolio, Reliance has always maintained a growth rate more than that of the industry.What are the end uses of Recron of Recron fiberfill?

Recron Fiberfill is used as filling for pillows, decorative pillows, cushions, bolsters, quilts & comforters, mattresses, mattress toppers, mattress pads, sleeping bags, furniture cushions, furniture backs, insulated garments and soft toys.

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How do you choose which denier fiber is appropriate for your end use?

The following chart can be used to determine the Recron Fiberfill appropriate for your desired end-use

Type of Recron Fiberfil and end uses

6 Denier Hollow Non-Siliconised: - Garment and sleeping bag insulations

6 Denier Hollow Siliconised:- Pillows, cushions, Quilts, toys, baby mattresses, furniture cushioning, furniture backs

6 Denier Hollow Slick:- Pillows, Quilts, toys, baby mattresses, furniture cushioning, furniture backs (for applications which demand a softer feel and lesser flammability)

15 Denier Hollow Non-Siliconised :-Mattresses, bolsters, Furniture, garment insulation

15 Denier Hollow Siliconised- Pillows, cushions, furniture cushioning, soft mattresses.

Comparison with cotton:-

Due to its outstanding loft, Recron Fiberfill can give the same support level of cotton with 30-35% less filling quantity. So products made out of Recron Fiberfill are far lighter and softer than products filled with cotton.

Unlike cotton, Recron Fiberfill is highly resilient and durable and does not form lumps in a short time. Recron Fiberfill is fully washable. Products filled with Recron Fiberfill are far more hygienic than cotton as moisture, dust and germs do not affect them

Comparison with recycled fiber:

Recycled fibers are solid (non-hollow) fibers, generally produced by crude methods. Recron Fiberfill, being hollow in nature, can give the same support level of recycled fibers with 15-20% less filling quantity.

Unlike recycled fibers, Recron Fiberfill is highly resilient, durable, bulky, lofty and soft. It also gives long and consistent performance and is more hygienic than recycled fibers since moisture, dust and germs do not affect it.

How Recron Fiberfill is priced as compared to cotton and recycled fibers?

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Recron Fiberfill is a special fiber of international standards, designed specifically for filling applications and gives the ultimate comfort and durability to the users. The functional properties of Recron Fiberfill are far superior to cheap fibers. Products made out of Recron Fiberfill are lighter and softer when compared to cotton filled products. Unlike cotton & other recycle fibers, Recron Fiberfill is highly resilient and durable and does not form lumps in a short time. Recron Fiberfill is fully washable and hence products filled with Recron Fiberfill are more hygienic than cotton as they do not get affected by moisture, dust, germs etc. Part of the higher cost is compensated due to the lesser filling quantity required when Recron Fiberfill is used. However, when one makes the cost-benefit analysis, only Recron Fiberfill gives the real value for money. As Recron Fiberfill is hollow in nature, the products filled with it have better air circulation. This ensures that no heat is generated, resulting in better comfort. Recron Fiberfill is very high on hygiene. It is fully washable and non-allergic, thus, being safe even for infants. Recron Fiberfill is inherently moisture and dust mite resistant and avoids infestation. Recron Fiberfill filled pillows is also orthopedically recommended. Due to the high resilience property, they can readily adjust to the shape of the body and recover immediately after use and retain this property for repeated use. It meets the requirements of Oeko-Tex standard 100 (product class 1). .

Products made of Recron Fiberfill can be easily washed using normal detergents and left to dry. However, these products should not be wrung during washing and drying as the physical shape of the products may get deformed. It is also recommended to use gentle washing method (preferably hand washing). Recron Fiberfill comes in 300 kg compact bales from our plant and needs to be opened before use, which can be done using conventional equipment like carding machine and mini-cards. Recron Fiberfill comes in cut-length ranging from 32mm to 128mm to suit the specific purpose and machinery applied to open the fiber. The possible cut lengths are 32mm, 40mm, 44mm, 51mm, 64mm, 76mm, 88mm, 108mm and 128mm. However, the normal cut lengths used for filling are 32mm (for blow filling), 51mm and 64mm.

Following Recron Fiberfill types are certified by Interdev Testing Services, Hong Kong, and SGS, UK, to have passed the flammability test BS 5852, Part 2, meant for assessing the ignitability of upholstered non-foam filling components when subjected to a flaming source:

6 Denier Hollow Non-Siliconised (Regular & Conjugate Type) .

6 Denier Hollow slick

15 Denier Hollow Non-Siliconised (Regular & Conjugate Type)

How does crimson Recron Fiberfill affect the ultimate end product?

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Lesser number of crimps in the fiber gives a softer and bulkier product, where as higher crimps give a firmer product with better support. The crimp in Recron Fiberfill is specially engineered to strike an ideal balance between loft and support.

Can Recron Fiberfill products be vacuum packed?

Recron Fiberfill products can be easily vacuum packed to about 20% of the original thickness, thereby saving on freight while shipping. On releasing the vacuum at the consumer's end, the products regain their original shape & size. But they may loose about 15-20 % of original size because of reduction in the air gaps between the layers of fiber, which is of course considered to be normal. After removing the vacuum packing, hand beating and fluffing is recommended on these products, to regain the original shape & size.

What is so special about Recron Fiberfill Thermobond ?

Thermobond Recron Fiberfill is a pre-blended fibre of regular Recron Fiberfill with low melt polyester fiber for making thermal-bonded wadding. The uniform and homogeneous blending done at Reliance plant ensures even thermal bonding in the wadding, which results in superior and consistent quality.

What are the different end uses of Thermobond Recron Fiberfill?

Thermobond fibre is presently made available in both 6 and 15 deniers. 6 den Thermobond is used to produce wadding of 60-150gsm, whereas 15 den Thermobond is preferred for heavier grammages. If wadding with silky feel is required, we recommend our 6 or 15 den Siliconised Thermobond fiber. Thermobond fiber is also finding more applications in the form of dandified wadding for various new applications like furniture toppings, thermal and sound insulations. .

RECRON CERTIFIED PRODUCTS

Pillows, cushions and bolsters

Recron Certified products are exclusively manufactured as per the stringent quality norms laid by Reliance Industries Ltd., by selected franchisees appointed by Reliance. Recron Certified pillows are filled with 100% special quality hollow Recron , produced specially for this product by Reliance. Other than the special quality high performance fiberfill, Reliance also ensures that all the inputs that go into the making of these pillows like fabric, the label and the packing are as per specified norms and are of the best quality. Even the smallest of the details like the sewing thread, the

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stitch density etc are specified to ensure that the consumers get a delightful experience by using Recron Certified pillow. What’s more, Reliance also makes sure that these certified products are made available to the consumer at an unbelievably attractive price. The idea, obviously, is to give the customer a pillow, which offers them the best possible quality at the most affordable price. Why this initiative by Reliance: Although there are many branded as well as unbranded home furnishing products available in the market, but very few of them only have a good filling inside, the others either have an adulterated fill or have inferior quality of filling fibers or waste, thereby denying the customer the real comfort. The task of buying a comfortable pillow at an affordable price is probably the toughest and actually impossible for the consumer. The consumer is neither sure about the quality of the pillow he is buying nor the price he is paying. Most often then not he buys a wrong pillow at a much higher price than he should be paying. Despite a very high price, the customers may be shocked to know that even some branded pillows are filled with spurious recycled fiber or fiber blends or even waste fiber, which means a heavy compromise with hygiene and comfort. Moreover these high prices for the branded pillows make sure that they are definitely out of the reach of the average consumer. This is the reason why majority of Indian consumer is still sleeping on unhygienic and uncomfortable pillows made by filling cotton waste. Recron Certified pillows are an effort from Reliance Industries Ltd. to ensure that a genuinely good product with Reliance assurance is made available to the consumer’s at the most reasonable price. This will help in upgrading the consumer from the poor quality pillows filled with spurious products, recycled fibers and waste fibers to a world class product at an honest price!

Unique Value Proposition:

Consumers can now get assured of the following Unique Advantages from Recron Certified pillows: • Made with specially and exclusively designed 100% hollow Recron to provide optimum loft and support and air circulation, and hence maximum coolness & comfort. • Soft• Light • Hygienic • Washable • Durable • Consistency in quality • Affordable price • Easy availability across all the localities in all the places all over the country, ensured through the vast distribution network of the company. As of now, Reliance has appointed

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franchisees and the certified pillows have been launched in the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Delhi & Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat. We have plans to appoint total 15 franchisees by the second quarter of 2003-04, to ensure pan-India coverage.

Products and price:-

Pillow (17”x27”) - MRP 249

Pillow (16”X24”) - MRP 229

Pillow (16”X24”) - MRP 149(ECO)

Pillow (14”X21”) - MRP165

Bolster (9”x24”) - MRP 244

Cushion (16”x16”) - MRP 115

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Brand Name High Quality Comparatively Low Price Good Packaging High market coverage Products stand for most suitable segment. Timely delivery and proper excellent distribution network.

Weaknesses No Advertisement Not Proper Branding Not Proper Sachems for Retailers

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No Sachems for Customers 2nd preference by the retailers Very Low margins as compared to the competitors Less Filler All kind of retailers keeping RCP’s. This may spoil company’s image among

the exclusive dealers.

Opportunities

Increase in market of Branded Pillows nowadays Lots of Potential market Can be more demand because of hygienic Higher priced products can be launched in urban areas Related products like bed-shits, quilts etc. can be launched. There is great chance to enter in to untouched areas like cartoon pillows and

bed covers. This area is not touched by any Indian brands. Threats

Advertising and branding by the rivals like kurlon and hush. Local brands, which gives high margins. Giving selling rights to too many retailers in near by area. Entry of the internationally recognized brands like portico will set tough completion

in market. They are already launched their bed sheets in country and very soon they are going to launch their other products too.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY Retailers are the most important link between end customers and producers. Their satisfaction plays a great role in the business. And also retailers have the interactions with customers, so they get the direct feed back from them. They are the most reliable source for the information regarding customers. A retailer senses the market changes quicker than any one else. For all these reasons the study about retailer’s perceptions and ideas about improvement of business/product carry great importance.

I have chosen the RIL for my project for various reasons. The first one is the brand name. When we hear about this big brand name, the big success and market occupation in the global business environment will came to mind. But in this particular business (home furnishing) Reliance has not yet achieved the market leader tag. Even most of the people are not aware of the RCP (Recron certified products), They even don’t know that Recron is from reliance family. Here it’s clearly visualizes absence of proper branding. These key facts drive me to the particular brand and particular topic.

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My primary objective was found out what retailers thinking about the product and company i.e., the current status of the product. It includes the segments for which the product stands for, retailers attitude towards the product, customer preference .Secondary objective was get information regarding future of the product like new product launch chances, what kind of schemes company should launch, what are the possibilities to occupy the number one position in the market. The main thing is I have found out what is the differentiating factor between Recron and the leading brand (market leader).Terminating this difference will lead Recron to the market leader slot. I have made product launch plans for the company.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

“Research Methodology” is a way to systematically solve the research objectives. In this we include the various steps that are adopted by a rescuer in studying the research objective along with the logic behind it. In this we include particular techniques so that the research results are capable of being valuated either by the researcher himself or by others. In carrying out this project, I have collected responses from various big & small retail outlets in Mumbai. For this exploratory research was conducted where a sample survey of various dealers in Mumbai was carried out. The sample size of the survey was 128 Retailers, for the survey a questionnaire was given by the company. I have adapted descriptive research surveys and fact-finding enquiries of different kinds. The major purpose of descriptive research is description of the state of affairs as it exists at present. In social science and business research we quite often use the term Ex post facto research for descriptive studies. The main characteristic of the method is that researcher has no control over the variables; he can only report for what has happened or what is happening. Ex posto facto studies also include attempts by researchers to discover cause even when they cannot control the variables. The methods of research utilized in descriptive and correlation methods.Research design Research design is decision regarding what, where, when, how much, by what means concerning an inquiry or a research study constitute a research design. “A research design is the arrangement of conditions for collection and analysis of data in a manner that aims to combine relevance to the research purpose with economy in procedure” in fact research design is the conceptual structure within which research is conducted; it constitutes the blue print for the collection, measurement and analysis of data. As such the design includes an outline of what the researcher will do from writing hypothesis and its operational implications to final analysis of data. More explicitly, the design decisions happen to be in respect of:

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What is the study? Why is the study being made? Where will the study be carried out? What type of data is required? Where can the required data be found? What periods of time will the study include? What will be the sample design? What techniques of data collection will be used? How will the data be analyzed? In what style will the report be prepared?

If my project is under consideration, Retailers perception about the product /business is the subject for the research. Improve the business through the ideas obtained form the retailers this is what the main motive behind my project. Mumbai is the area in which my project is carried out. Information regarding the business and customer preference are the data’s I have aimed at. Retailers were my source for the data.2 months was the duration of my project.128 retailers were covered in my survey. Questionnaire was the data collection method I have adapted through out my survey. I have drawn for each objective and analyzed that graph, and get in to findings, and finally in to conclusion and suggestions. These are step by step description of my project. This is what we call it as research design.

METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION For the collection of Data, I have prepared a questionnaire, which accompanied with personal visits & face-to-face talks with the various retailers. So that collection of data involved two-way communication & this gave better accessibility to the research objective. Primary Data was collected through questionnaire & secondary data were gathered fro

MARKET RESEARCH Market research can be defined as systematic gathering, Recording and analyzing of data about a problem relating marketing of goods and services.

STEPS IN RESEARCH:Step No 1.

To decide the objective of the study to be carried out project title:

Step No 2.

To decide the Research Design and Research Approach:Research DesignResearch Design is a plan, structure and strategy of Investigation conceived so as to control variance there are three types of Research Design,Exploratory ResearchDescriptive ResearchCasual Research

Step No 3.

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To determine the source of data:There are two sources of dataPrimary DataSecondary DataPrimary DataPrimary Data is that data is collected a fresh and thus happen to be of original character following are the characteristics of the primary data,It is expensive mode of collection dataIt required lot of timeIt gives accurate resultsReason for selected primary data:In terms of primary data a questionnaire has been used to interview desire sample units that gives accurate and up to data information as well as better insight to research problems.

Secondary DataAny other data, which has been collected earlier for some other purpose is called as secondary data. Following are the characteristics of secondary data.Economical - Cost collecting original data can be savedTime savingSave much of the time of researcherBasis of comparison it provides basis of the comparison with primary dataBetter understanding

In the light of secondary data Researcher can improveThe researcher problem and may even change some of his earlier ideas.Sources of secondary DataI have consulted secondary sources like books, annual Report, Published andUnpublished materials.

Step No 4.

To design data collected forms:Two common modes of data collectionObservational methodSurvey methodSurvey methodSurvey method can be carried out through interviews that can be,Personal interviewFor this project PERSONAL INTERVIEW is carried out, becauseInformation from different distributors, retailers & consumers are required.Questionnaire:A retailer questionnaire was designed to collect the information. For this poject consumer questionnaire was given by the company to collect relevant information from the retailers and consumers. Questionnaire used in the projects has 2 types of the Questions,Open ended QuestionsMultiple Choice Questions

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Step No 5.

Once the Researcher has formulated and developed a researcher design including Questionnaire, second thing he has to decide whether he has to collect the information from all the people comprising population. There can be two type of survey are possible,Sample SurveyCensus SurveyFor this project sample survey is chosen.Characteristics of the sample survey: - It is cheaper then census surveyIt requires less time also it is economical & more detail information can be collected.Following decisions is to be madeSample Unit who is to be surveyed?

What is Sample?Sample is the true representation of the population; by studying the behavior of the sample we can predict the behavior of the population.Sample SizeHow many people to be surveyed Sample Size has to be determined in light of two factors: -Monetary ConstraintsTime ConstraintsI have taken 128 RETAILERS as samples.Sample FrameSample frame could be retailers, list of blocks and localities of cities a map or any other list consisting of sample units.

Method of samplingIt indicates how sample units are selected. Two commonly used techniques are probability sampling and non-probability sampling.Probability SamplingRandom samplingSystematic samplingStratifies sampling Multistage SamplingArea samplingNon probability SamplingJudgment / Purposive samplingQuota SamplingMultiphase sampling

Step No 6.

To organize and Conduct Field work: After analyzing the information collected through Desk Research, the focus was shifted to collect information from key personal of various retail outlets. The target area was Mumbai and number of Retailers covered was 128, Dealers responses were conducted

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with the help of a prepared schedule sample are taken at different locations that come under the given distributors. I have done Consumers survey at these retailers’ outlets only.

Step No 7.

To process and analyze collected dataAfter the data was collected it was tabulate, analyzed and interpreted to reach the conclusion. Techniques Applied:-Pie ChartBar Chart

Step No 8.

To prepare the Research Report

This project is the observation of business through the eyes of retailers as I have above mentioned. As the retailers are the most important link between manufacturer and end customer, each and every parties linked in the business will be benefited by the project directly or indirectly.

Organization will get the information about the retailers and customers mind set.

They also get the information about the rapidly changing market trend. They will get the information about the current position of the product in the

market. Retailers will be benefited by transferring their ideas and perceptions about

the business and product. Their problems will be quickly communicated to the organization. End customer will be benefited by new schemes, products, price range.(these

will be the end result of the project) Like this lots of benefit can be listed down. Distributors may get the feed back of their service form retailers through this survey.

I have collected primary data for this project from www.ril.com and research methodology by c.r.kothari. And as far as secondary data concerned those are out put of my survey in Mumbai markets. The secondary data is till 05/07/07.Company expanded its product basket after my project. I am so glad that those products are suggested by me in my project.

SAMPLING

I have adopted convenient sampling method for this survey.128 retailers covered by this survey out of which 95 are RCP retailers and remaining retailers are not keeping RCP’s (33).

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DATA ALAYISIS

OBSERVATIONS:-

MOST SELLING BRAND

(Values are in %)OTHERS: - Sleepwell, Goodnight, Sparsh, fluffy.

Observations

37.95% of retailers said that Recron is the most selling brand. 49.05 retailers said that Hush is the most selling brand

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12% of retailers said kurlon is the most selling product 11% of retailers said brands like sleepwell, Good night; Fluffy etc. are mostly selling

in market.

Reasons Low margin is the most important reason for this (From pillows of hush,

kurlon and brands like sleep well, good night retailers enjoying a woofing 45% and above margin but they only getting only 16-20% margin.)

Absence of advertisement is another reason for this low sale, other brands recognized the need of advertisements and they are already started too.

THE SEGMENT FOR WHICH RECRON CERTIFIED PRODUCTS STANDS FOR

(Values are in %)V.M.C.C- Value for money conscious customersB.C.C - Brand conscious customers

Findings

According to most of the retailers Recron certified products stands for both brand conscious and value for money conscious customers.

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63.16% of retailers saying that RCP’s for both brand conscious and value for money conscious customers.

21.05% of retailers saying that RCP’s stands only for value for money conscious customers.

15.79% of retailers saying that RCP’s are stand only for brand conscious customers.

Reason

Brand name is the mane factor over here. People’s belief in the brand reliance is attracting the both type of the customers.

Competitive price level is another factor for this. Nowadays costumers prefer quality products.

MOST PREFRD VALUE FOR MONEY PRODUCT

(Values are in %)OTHERS- Royal, Sparsh, Cool, Sugam

Findings

76.84% of retailers prefer RCP’s as the value for money products.

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12.63% of retailers prefer some of the Kurlon products (kurlon 16*24 pillows (priced Rs.99/-, Rs.141/-)

10.52% of retailers considers products of the brands like royal, sparsh,cool,sugam as the Value for money products.

Reason

Competitive price. Great quality. Brand name.

MOST SELLING PRODUCT IN RECRON FAMILY

All the RCP retailers keeping pillows, few of them keeping bolsters, few of them keeping cushions and few of them keeping all the three details are given below.

(Values are in %)

Finding

All retailers are selling pillows 29% of retailers selling cushions along with pillows. 8% of retailers selling bolster cushions along with pillows.

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6% of retailers selling all the three products

According to retailers, the demand for RCP’s is in this particular order.1. Pillows- Size 16”x24”-MRP-2292. Pillows-Size 16”x24”-MRP-149 (ECO)3. Pillows-Size17”x27” -MRP-2494. Cushions-Size 16”x16”-MRP-115

Reason

Most of the retailers not keeping cushions and bolsters because of the very low margin (for bolsters it is 18.85%; for cushions it is17.31%)

Demands for pillows are much higher than cushions and bolsters. (especialy16”x24” is the highly demanded pillow in market.)

PRIZE AND QUALITY

Most of the retailer satisfied with the price and quality of the RCP’s. But some retailers not satisfied with the products because they found some quality difference in product (They are saying that there is some variation in quantity of fillers and also some of the pillow covers were toned).

(Values are in %)

Findings

97% of the RCP retailer’s said that quality of the product is good and Prize is competitive.

3% of the retailers said some times they feel some quality difference in products.

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MOST ATTRACTIVE SCHEME FOR RETAILERS

Most of the retailers like Cash discount scheme more than quantity free scheme

(Values are in %)

Findings

87.30% of retailers like cash discount scheme over quantity free scheme. 12.70% of retailers like quantity free scheme.

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EXPANSION OF PRODUCT BASKET Most of the retailers believe that Recron is not done with its product basket they company should expand it.

Findings

96% retailers believe that if Recron launch product like BED SHEETS, BED COVERS, QUILTS it will be success in market. But it should be in competitive price and it should give reasonable margin to retailers.

4% of retailers believe that Recron is already done with its product verity; it should concentrate on its current product.

Reason

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Brand name and competitive price of the existing product is the main reason for the positive reply

Low sale of products like cushions, bolsters are the main reason for the negative reply.

COSTUMER FEED BACK

Findings

According to retailers 100% of the customers are happy with the product. But some of the retailers suggest increase the quantity of filler.

SUGGESTIONS

1. Increase margin by increasing the M.R.P (Recron having standing with low priced quality branded pillows, other brands pricing some where near 300 and above for 16”x24”Sized pillows but The same size pillow is available from Recron only in MRP of 229and 149(ECO). High price of other brands not making much difference in buying behavior of customers; this proves that there is no harm in increasing the price.

2. Launch the advertisements, which should convey the message that “Recron is from Reliance and it carries all that qualities company having” If company succeeded to transfer this message to end costumers they will start asking for Recron product.

3. Increase the margin of cushions. Cushions are the least selling product in the market as far as RCP’s concerned. The main reason for this is the very low margin. Due to this lower margin retailers are not interested to sell the product. The convert customers to other brands which offer them better margin. Increase in the margin is only solution here.

4. Launch designed cushions to provide customers product verity.5. Launch special schemes for retailers as well as customers. This will attract

customer towards the product.6. Sort out the reason for this quality difference; as soon as possible solve this

problem. There are few cases observed in which retailers are complaining about the quality difference in the products.

7. Company should form a quick action wing to solve this kind of problem as it arises. This will raise impression on company among retailers. Retailers must get direct access to the company information wing, so that they can get their problems solved as soon as possible.

8. Most of the retailers like cash discount schemes, so company should launch different cash discount schemes.

9. NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

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Recron stands for both brand conscious and value fro money conscious customers as above discussed. So whatever product company launch, it should capable to carry company’s market image. As far as survey concerned company should launch products like BED COVERS,BED SHEETS,QUILTS(it is launched recently).There is some areas which are still staying untouched by brands(Cartoon pillows, designed pillows, Cartoon bed sheets, Designed bed sheets) ,company should concentrate on that un touched areas. There is a chance to launch higher prized pillow in most selling pillow size (16”x24”). Details are given billow.

Higher prized pillow (16”x24”)

Recron having two types of pillows in this particular size one is in MRP ofRs.229 and the other is in MRP of 149(ECO).But the prize of other brands are much higher than Recron pillows for example Hush also having the same sized pillow. The pillow selling like hot bun in market with MRP of 330 and 418.here we have to notice one thing if customer buying these higher priced pillows then why we are waiting to launch a higher priced pillow in this particular size.Retailers always complaint about the low margin of RCP’s and also they are suggesting to launch advertisement to boost up the sales. If company launch a pillow with MRP of 290, all these problems will be solved, i.e. now retailers only getting a 16-19% margin from 16”x24” sized pillows, Higher priced pillow will give retailers a woofing 32% margin along with that company will get 10 rupees from each pillow .this extra money will recover the advertisement cost for the product. Initially the product should launch in areas like Vashi, Navi Mumbai, grant road, Colaba, Mumbai central, etc. like rich areas .Slowly Company can spread the product in other areas too, but the product should be given to exclusive retailers only. The new product should be with increased fillers, and attractive covers. And some additional features must be added to new product. The product launching function should be grand so that catch media attention as well as customers; this will help to get initial footage to product.

Bed cover, bed sheets

According to retailers these two products will be a success in market if it keeps company’s image in market. These two products should be with MRP ranged 600-800(according to retailers and also they are expecting 30% margin from the product). Other brands provide products with MRP range from 199-1000.so Company should launch designed products with above said MRP range (600-800).If it is launched with proper advertisement, there is no doubt for retailers on success of the product.

Cartoon type pillows and cushions

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Any of the famous Indian brands not touched this particular area till date. The products available in market is imported from other counties or made by some local brands. Here company can be the first popular Indian brand to step in to this area of product market. As management pundits say the initiator will get the largest advantages in most of the cases, company can create a monopoly over here. As product caries the huge brand name company can launch it in MRP of 170-200.But one thing Company have to concentrate on, the finishing. The foreign products all ways comes with excellent finishing. If company launch the product with above said feature and MRP range it will be a success in market.

CONCLUSIONS

Lack of advertisements is reflecting in overall sale. 16”x24” is the most selling product in Recron family. Price range of this

particular type of pillow is very low as compared to other brands(Other brands offering huge margin because of their higher price)

Some quality difference in products is observed. Most of the retailers like cash discount schemes. Need of a quick action wing is observed. Some of the retailers want to be awarded when they achieve some target. RCP’s are considered as value for money products. Company is not taking advantage of the big brand name.i.e. Branding is not

up to the mark. .. In the segments like cartoon typed pillows and cushions no brands are stepped

in so far. Bed sheets and bed covers also have a huge market. Company can easily get

great footage over there because of brand name, competitive price and superior quality.

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LIMITATIONS OF THE PROJECT

1. Area chosen for the project is Mumbai, because of this it is hectic to cover the all the retailers in the vast market.

2. The information given by the retailers are can’t be taken as perfect reflection of their mind because most of them were busy with their customers. There is no time in markets like Mumbai in which retailers get idle time for interview. Due to this reason I have compelled to take interview in their busy trading hours.

3. Margins of only leading brands are taken in to consideration for suggesting a suitable margin range for RCP’s. There are lots of brands in Mumbai markets whom are giving complete freedom to retailers to decide MRP of the product, due to this it is impossible to judge the margin of those brands.

.

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BIBILOGRAPHY

www.ril.com www.google.com www.Hush.com www.sleepwell.com http://www.ril.com/html/business/fibre_fill.html Research methodology- methods and techniques by C.R.Kothari.

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ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

Name :Shop Name :Address :

Tel No.: Mob No.:E-mail:

1) Which Brand is preferred by most of the customers?(A) RCP (B) othersIf Others, which one..

2) What kind of customers used to purchase RCP’s?(A) Brand conscious customers (B) Customers who are concerned about value for money

3) What is the most selling product in RCP family?(A) Pillows (B) Cushions (c) Bolsters

4) If some one ask for Value for Money product (home furnishings), then what will you suggest?

(A) RCP’s (B) Others If others, name it.

5) What do you think about the price level of the RCP’s?

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(A) High (B) Competitive

6) What do you feel about the quality of the RCP’s? (A) Good (B) Average (C) poor

Any suggestions:7) Do you think that company should provide any schemes to improve the business?(A) Yes (B) NoIf yes, what kind of schemes

8) In the absence of RCP’s which brand is mostly preferred by customers?Name it:-

9) Do they provide any schemes..?(A) Yes (B) NoIf yes, what kind of schemes

10) Do you think that company should expand its product verity?(A) Yes (B) No If yes, Reason.

If No, Reason.

11) If company is planning to add more products to the series, then what should be that product?..

12) Who should be the target customer for the product?(A) Higher income customers (B) Middle income customers (C) lower income customers

13) What is the general customer feed back about RCP’s (After purchase)?(A)Yes (B) No If yes, what are they?

-: Thank you for giving your valuable time:-

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