Competitive Analysis of SF sonic battery

in terms of direct retail outlet, Garage

and Multi Brand Outlet

SIP REPORT

BY

SUBRATA HAZRA

Enrollment Number: 010111147

GLOBSYN BUSINESS SCHOOL

Specialization: Marketing

Exide Industries Limited

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deepest appreciation toall those persons who provided me the possibilityto complete this report. However, it would not havebeen possible without the kind of support theygiven and help of many individuals andorganizations. I would like to extend my sincerethanks to all of them

I would like to accord my humble thanks to Mr SuvenBanerjee( Regional Sales Manager East SF division)who gave me the idea to select this topic and alsogiven me crystal guidance. He also gave me hisvaluable time & guidance in every step of thisproject during the 60 days internship program.

Furthermore I would also like to acknowledge withmuch appreciation the crucial role of the staff ofExide Industries who gave the permission to use allrequired equipment and the necessary materials tocomplete the task.I accord my deep sense of gratitude to Prof.DrDebraj Dutta , faculty of marketing as well as myinternal guide,Globsyn B School of ManagementAutonomous , Kolkata. for having faith on me andextending constant support towards the developmentof this project. He helps me lot to prepare thisproject report and also gave me his valuable timefrom his busy schedule.

My acknowledgement would be incomplete withoutmentioning the support of CRP team GLOBSYN B Schoolwho help me to get an opportunity in ExideIndustries Ltd

Rest all those people who helped me are not onlymatter of acknowledgement but also authorized forsharing my success.

Subrata Hazra PGPM-11(2012-2014)Department of MarketingGlobsyn B School

DECLARATION

It is declared by us that the project entitled"Competitive Analysis of SF Sonic Battery in termsof Direct Retail Outlet , Competitive Outlet /Multi Brand Outlet and Garages in Exide IndustriesPvt ltd" Submitted in partial fulfillment for theaward of POST GRADUATE PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT fromGLOBSYN BUSINESS SCHOOL, SALT LAKE SECTOR 5,Kolkata-91 , is recorded of our independentresearch work carried out by us under thesupervision of Prof. Debraj Dutta, lecturer ofMarketing Department, Globsyn Business School,sector 5 , Kolkata -91, and Mr. Suven Banerjee(Regional Sales Manager of SF Division) of ExideIndustries ltd.

Subrata HazraPGPM 11

Session: - 2012-2014 GLOBSYN BUSINESS SCHOOL, SALTLAKE SECTOR V,

KOLKATA-700091

No. Particular Pageno.

Title Page I.Acknowledgement

II.Approval of the Guide

IIIDeclaration

IV.Content V.

1 Introduction 1-221.1

Industrial Overview 4

1.2

Objective 5

1.3

Industry Outlook 6-7

1.4

Competition in the Global & Indian Battery Industry

8

1.6

Company profile 9-19

1.7

Competitor profile 20-22

2 Review 23-292.1

Competitive analysis 23-24

2.2

Porters Five forces Model 25-26

2.3

SWOT Analysis 27-29

3 Design 30-383.1

Need for the study 30

3.2

Theoretical background of the study 31

3.3

Role of brand, Brand & Branding 32

3.4

Brand Equity ,Identity and awareness 33

Introduction of research, Research design, Sampling Plan

34-37

Scope of the study & Limitation 38

4 Presentation and Analysis of data 39-524. Suggestions 53-54

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

The Indian Starting, Lighting & Ignition (SLI) LeadAcid Battery Industry has seen tremendous changesin the past couple of years in the field ofautomobile, industrial sector, power station,railways, submarines sector. The lead acid batterycan be divided into two broad market segmentsIndustrial and Automotive Batteries. Industrialbatteries are used in operating inverters, powerplants, telecommunications, and in differentrailway application. Automotive batteries are usedfor the vehicles for horn lights, listening tomusic and watching videos etc.

The following diagram shows the basic structure of

the Indian lead storage battery industry:

Automotive Battery Segment

The automotive storage battery industry can broadlysubdivide into two sub-segments: the OEM and retail or

replacement markets. The OEM market largely dominated byleading manufacturers such as the following:

Commercial Vehicles

Passenger Cars Two-wheelers Tractors

Ashok Leyland

Ltd

Hindustan Motors

Ltd

Kinetic Motor

Company Ltd,

Punjab

TractorEicher Motors

Ltd

Hyundai Motor

India Ltd

Mahindra

Force Motors

Ltd

Mahindra Renault

Pvt Ltd

Royal Enfield John Deere

Hindustan Motors Ltd

Maruti Suzuki

India Ltd

Suzuki Motorcycle

India Pvt Ltd

Piago

Vehicles LtdEscorts Mercedes-Benz

India Pvt Ltd

TVS Motor Company

Ltd

New Holand

Kamaz Vectra Motors Ltd

Skoda Auto India

Pvt Ltd

Sonalika International

Mahindra Tata Motors LtdMercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd

Mitsubishi Motors

Tata Motor Ltd FiatSwaraj Mazda Ltd

General Motors

Volvo India

Pvt Ltd

Growth in the automotive battery driven primarilyby new vehicle manufacture rates, which are in turndrive by consumer demand for vehicles. Growth inthe OEM segment has been strong in recent yearsprimarily due to increasing demand from theautomotive segment driven by an overall increase inthe number of new car sales in India. Some industryleaders operate on annual fixed price contracts forlead, though majorities have periodic lead pricevariation clauses based on the market price forlead built into their contracts.

Industrial Battery Segment

Industrial batteries have a wide range of usage,unlike batteries produced for the automotiveindustry. The industrial batteries market can bebroken down into the infrastructure market(railways, telecom, and power), fast-movingindustrial batteries (uninterrupted power supply

("UPS") and inverters, and electric forkliftbatteries. Valve regulated lead acid batteries areone of the most widely used battery in theindustrial segment. These batteries completelysealed, maintenance free and are use in remotepower and unmanned applications such as telecominstallations and UPS systems. Storage batteriesalso used in submarines. These batteries are hightechnology batteries and are export from India.While operating margins on these batteries arerelatively high, demand can be irregular due to thecyclical nature of the industry.

INDUSTRIAL OVERVIEW

The total Indian storage battery market isapproximately estimated at US$ 500 Million with theautomotive battery segment contributing 60 to 65percent of the overall market value. In terms ofvolumes, the overall consumption of automotivebatteries could be around 6.3 million units withthe OE segment comprising around 1.2 to 1.3 millionunits per annum, according to an interview with theExecutive Vice President of ARBL that was publishedon the website chennaibest.com. This being the case, the aftermarket is definitelyattractive with its sheer size and is lucrative dueto better price and credit realization. The late1990s also saw a surge in the sales of thepassenger car segment for around 2 years due tocertain factors like the software boom, lowering ofinterest rates, etc.- which increased the overallsales of batteries. The automotive sector did notsee any significant growth during the early part ofthe new millennium and is slowly showing signs ofgrowth during this financial year. This factor alsoadds to the demand in the aftermarket as morenumber of cars were sold around 2 to 3 years back

which is generally the life of a lead acid battery.The replacement automotive battery market isexpected to grow at a healthy rate in the comingyears.The SLI market in the Indian subcontinent is ahighly fragmented industry with a few manufacturersin the organized segment and a lot many belongingto the tier 2 / tier 3 categories which have aregional presence and thrive especially among thesemi urban and rural areas. These companies mainlycater to the replacement market of tractors / farmequipment and heavy commercial vehicle segmentswhich are a price sensitive market. The marketshare occupied by the companies belonging to tier 2and tier 3 categories could be as high as 50 to 55percent of the replacement market which is asignificant share in volume terms. Also, this is ahigh growth market as the batteries and thevehicles generally will be abused and the rate ofreplacement in this category is generally highcompared to passenger car segments.

OBJECTIVE

This survey main objective was to study theparameters influencing the brand perception &product satisfaction among the Direct RetailOutlets and Garages. On the other hand to collectthe detail data about the Competitive outlets, Sothat SF Sonic company will aware for the otherbrand activity and accordingly take the necessityaction against their rival company to increase thecompany product sales in the market.

Apart from that there are many objectives we canfind out from this survey for the companysubstantial sales improvement which are thementioning below

1. Determine the major competitor of the SF sonicbattery

2. Find out the company deficiency towards thebattery business in the market with respectto direct retailer

3. Find out the competitor price and servicewhich are the very important aspect toincrease the company sales

4. Find out the average monthly sales of theother battery brand in the market, So thatcompany can rectify why the customer diversifyto the other brand

5. Find out the company brand image and how toincrease the brand awareness

6. Find out what are the promotional activityrequired for mass market to increase the sale

7. Find out the customer battery buying preference

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

The industry outlook is positive with demand for

lead storage batteries expected to accelerate in

response to:

An increase in domestic sales and export sales

of four-wheelers and two-wheelers;

continued strength in the automotive

replacement segment and a revival in OEM

sales;

Increasing demand for reliable branded

products in the commercial vehicles segment as

a result of increasing truck volume due to

improving road conditions;

increase in infrastructure spending, fuelling

demand for industrial batteries;

increasing power shortages, fuelling demand

for UPS systems and invertors; and

Emergence of organized retail chains, fuelling

demand for traction batteries

With disposable incomes on the rise in India, as well as an increasing technology gap between branded and unbranded products, there should

continue to be a steady consumer shift away from less expensive unbranded batteries.

However, the following areas are of key

concern:Competitiveness: Competition in the battery industryappears to be intensifying over the medium term.New manufacturers are entering the market with newtechnologies and in collaboration with major globalbattery companies. This increasing competition hasled existing domestic companies to scale up theirresearch and development efforts in an attempt tokeep pace in a rapidly changing industry.

The competition between branded and unbrandedplayers is intense. Reduced supply of exhaustedbatteries for unbranded players, extendeddistribution reach into rural areas and competitivepricing is helping branded players to compete moreeffectively.

Cost pressures: Increasing lead prices, as discussedabove, in the international markets continue to bea cause of concern for the Indian battery industry.Volatile crude oil prices in the internationalmarket also affect the price of PPCP, which is usedfor manufacturing battery containers. Increases in

crude oil prices also increase transportation costsfor raw materials and finished goods.

Imports: The other major concern facing the Indianbattery industry has been that of relativelyinexpensive imports from China and some ASEANcountries. Thailand, in particular, is seeking toexpand the scope of its free trade agreement withIndia to include batteries. While Chinese batterieshave been flooding certain Indian markets for quitesome time, the price differential has come downsignificantly as compared to their Indiancompetitors. In September 2006, China cancelled theVAT export refund for all lead batterymanufacturers in a bid to control high energyconsuming and high polluting products.Consequently, the price differential has recentlyshrunk to 5-10% and given the concern on quality ofChinese products, they are not likely to be a majorthreat over the long term.

The combination of increasing competitivenessdriven by innovation and global collaboration,increasing raw material and other costs and threats

from cheaper imports has made the lead acid storagebattery industry in India a challenging environment

Competition in the Global Battery Industry

The following are the major companies in the global

battery manufacturing industry:

Company

Johnson Controls, USA (Power Solution

Division)

GS Yuasa Corporation, Korea and Japan

Exide Technologies, USA

Enersys, USA

C & D Technologies, USA

Oerlikon Batteries, Switzerland

Major Players in the Indian Battery IndustryThe major players in the Indian battery industry

are:

Exide Industries Limited, India

Amara Raja Batteries Limited

HBL Power Systems Limited

COMPANY PROFILE

The Company was incorporated as Associated BatteryMakers (Eastern) Ltd., on 31st January, 1947 underthe Companies Act, 1913 to purchase all or any ofthe assets of the business of manufacturers, buyersand sellers of and dealers in and repairers ofelectrical and chemical appliances and goodscarried on by the Chloride Electric Storage Company(India) Ltd, in India , since 1916 with a viewthereto to enter into and carry into effect (eitherwith or without modification) an agreement whichhad already been prepared and was expressed to bemade between the Chloride Electric Storage Co(India) Ltd on the one part and the Company of theother part. The name of the Company was changed toChloride India Ltd on 2nd August, 1972. The name of

the Company was again changed to ChlorideIndustries Ltd. vide fresh Certificate ofIncorporation dated 12th October, 1988. The name ofthe Company was further changed to Exide IndustriesLtd. on 25th August, 1995. The Company manufacturesthe widest range of storage batteries in the worldfrom 2.5 Ah to 20,400 Ah capacities, covering thebroadest spectrum of applications. The Company hasalso recently forayed into manufacture and sale ofHome UPS/Inverters. The Company has seven batterymanufacturing facilities strategically locatedacross the country – three in Maharashtra, two inWest Bengal, one in Tamil Nadu and one in Haryana.In addition, the Company also has two HomeUPS/Inverter manufacturing facilities inUttarakhand. The Company’s predecessor carried ontheir operations as import house from 1916 underthe name Chloride Electrical Storage Company.Thereafter, the Company started manufacturingstorage batteries in the country and have grown tobecome one of the largest manufacturer and exporterof batteries in the sub-continent today. Exideseparated from its UK-based parent, Chloride GroupPlc., in 1989, after the latter divested itsownership in favor of a group of Indianshareholders. The Company has grown steadily,

modernized its manufacturing processes and takeninitiatives on the service front. Constantinnovations have helped the Company to produce theworld’s largest range of industrial batteriesextending from 2.5 Ah to 15000 Ah and coveringvarious technology configurations.

Brief story of the company

The Company’s predecessor began its operations in1916 as an import house called Chloride electricalStorage Company. Since then, over the years, theCompany has been steadily progressing by takingnecessary initiatives to modernize itsmanufacturing processes and by constantly improvingits customer services. In the year 1994, theCompany had entered into a technical collaborationwith Shin Kobe Electric Machinery Co. Ltd. ofJapan, a subsidiary of the Hitachi Group. The mainobjective of entering into this collaboration wasaccessing technology for the new automotivevehicles entering the Indian market. Further in theyear 1998, with an objective of increasing capacitywithout the time lag in setting-up Greenfieldproject the company acquired the IndustrialUndertakings of Standard Batteries Limited as agoing concern. This acquisition strengthened its

production base as well as giving the Companyaccess to technology from The Furukawa BatteryCompany of Japan.

On the marketing front, with an objective to get aglobal platform to expand its business the Companyacquired a 100% stake in Cal dyne Automatics Ltd inJuly 2007 and 100% stake in Chloride Batteries S EAsia Pte Ltd., Singapore and 49% stake inAssociated Battery Manufacturers (Ceylon) Limited,Sri Lanka in the year 2001. The stake in AssociatedBattery Manufacturers (Ceylon) Limited, Sri Lankawas increased to 61.5% by acquiring additional12.5%stakein2004. The company has also acquired a 51% stake in ESPEXBatteries Limited, U.K.and a 26% shareholding inCeil Motive Power Pty Limited, Australia. TheCompany has also acquired a 100% stake in ChlorideMetals Ltd in October 2007. In June 2008 thecompany acquired a 51 per cents take in LeadageAlloys India Ltd. Through these continuousinnovations and collaborations the Company hasgradually risen to become one of the largestmanufacturers and exporters of batteries in thesub-continent today. The Company manufactures thewidest range of storage batteries in the world from2.5 Ah to 20400 Ah capacities, covering the

broadest spectrum of applications. As on today, theCompany has a domestic market share of 45% inIndustrial, 72% in Auto OE and 73% in replacementauto. The Company being the domestic storage majoris also one of the largest power storage solutioncompanies in South-East Asia.On the domestic front, the Company has sixfactories located across India – 2 in the states ofMaharashtra, 2 in the state of West Bengal, 1 instate of Tamil Nadu and 1 in the state of Haryana.The Company power most of the industrial andautomotive segments in the country and the productsare used in critical applications in infrastructureand defense sectors. Segment wise Exide industriesproduct are showing below

Production Segment: Automotive Batteries,Industrial Batteries and Submarine Batteries

Automotive Batteries

In the domestic market, the Company sells itsproducts under EXIDE, SF, SONIC and StandardFurukawa Brands. ‘EXIDE’ and ‘SF” are its flagshipbrands. In the international market the products

are sold mainly under DYNEX, INDEX & SONIC brands.The Company supplies batteries to almost all thecar and two-wheeler manufacturers in the country.The Company has a distribution network comprisingover 4000 dealer outlets. These outlets aresupported by 4 regional offices and 28 branchoffices. The Company also exports batteries to theMiddle East, Japan and CIS countries. The Companyhas a market share of 72% in case of Automotive OEMand 70% in case of Organized Retail. The Companyalso manufactures submarine batteries.

Industrial Batteries

The Company designs and manufacture its industrialbatteries in a wide range from 2.5 Ah to 20,600 Ahin conventional flooded and Valve Regulated LeadAcid (VRLA) design. In domestic market, the Companysell its products mainly under EXIDE, INDEX, SF,CEIL & POWER SAFE brands and in the internationalmarkets mainly under CEIL, CHLORIDE and INDEXbrands.Industrial batteries are of three types,Conventional lead acid batteries, VRLA batteries. Both organized and unorganized players compete inthe OEM and retail industrial battery markets.Industrial batteries cater mostly to the

infrastructure sector such as railways, telecom,power plants, solar cells and other industrialsegments such as uninterrupted power supply,inverters and traction batteries. Exide’s Invatubular batteries for Inverter applications wereintroduced in 2000 and Tele tubular for TelecomSector introduced in the year 2007 has createdvolume growth.. The Company also manufactureindustrial batteries for niche segments such asminers’ cap lamp batteries and submarine batteries.

Submarine Batteries

The Company also manufactures high-end submarinebatteries (Type 1, 2 & 3). The Company manufacturestwo to three submarine batteries a year to meet thecountry’s defense requirements. The Company is oneof the five companies in the World which has thecapability to make submarine batteries for bothRussian and German types. With the government’spermission, in recent years, the Company

MILESTONE

1916Chloride Electric Storage Co. (CESCO) UK sets uptrading operations in India as an import house.

1946First factory set up in Shamnagar, West Bengal.

1947Incorporated as Associated Battery Makers(Eastern) Limited on 31 January 1947 under theCompanies Act

1947Incorporated Chloride International Limited(previously Exide Products Limited)

1969Second factory at Chinchwad, Pune1972The name of the Company was changed to Chloride

India Limited1976R&D Centre established at Kolkata1981Third factory at Haldia, West Bengal1988The name of the Company was changed to Chloride

Industries Limited1994Technical collaboration with Shin Kobe Electric

Machinery Co. Ltd. of Japan, a subsidiary of theHitachi Group.

1995Chloride Industries Limited renamed ExideIndustries Limited

1997Fourth factory at Hosur, Tamil Nadu

1998Acquisition of industrial/ manufacturing unitsof Standard Batteries Ltd located at Taloja &Kanjurmarg (Maharashtra), Guindy (Tamilnadu) andplant at Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) from CosepaFiscal Industries Limited as a going concern.

1999Acquired 51% Shareholding in Caldyne AutomaticsLtd

2000Acquisition of 100% stake in Chloride BatteriesS E Asia Pte Ltd., Singapore and 49% stake in

Associated Battery Manufacturers (Ceylon)Limited, Sri Lanka.

2003Commissioned plant at Bawal, Haryana2003New joint venture in UK, ESPEX, with 51%

holding.

2004Associated Battery Manufacturers (Ceylon)Limited, Sri Lanka became a subsidiaryconsequent to acquiring further 12.50% Equityholding.

2005Investment in 50% shareholding of ING Vysya LifeInsurance Company Limited

2007Caldyne Automatics Ltd becomes 100% subsidiaryconsequent to acquiring the balance 49%shareholding.

2007Investment with 26% shareholding.in CEIL MotivePower Pty Ltd. A Joint Venture in Australia.

2007Acquired 100% stake in Tandon Metals Ltd.2008Acquired 51% stake in Lead Age Alloys India

Ltd .2009Divestment of shareholding in CEIL Motive Power

Pty Limited.2012Acquisition of Inverter manufacturing facility

at Roorkee, Uttarakhand.2012Technical Collaboration with East Penn

Manufacturing Co., USA.2012Acquisition of second Inverter manufacturing

facility at Haridwar, Uttarakhand.2012Acquisition of balance 49% shares in ESPEX

Batteries Limited, UK.

SF SONIC BATTERY

SF SONIC battery or Standard Furuwaka is one of thewell renowned newly adopted brand of Exideindustries Ltd. In the year 1998, Exide industriesacquire the operation of standard batteries andsince then SF battery is a part of Exide Industries

Ltd. Two major players in the market i.e. Exide andSF SONIC both are belongs from Exide IndustriesLtd.

In the post globalization and liberalization inIndia economic policies in India have providedample opportunities to public and privateenterprise to enhance their competitiveness. Withthe opening up of economic Indian corporate sectorhas started facing stiff competition not only fromtheir domestic counterpart but also frommultinational companies. In such a change anddynamic competitive landscape it has become a toughtask for new company to capture the market share.Company has to adopt innovative strategies whichwould enhance their market share andcompetitiveness on both cost and the qualityservice front. An unmatched Japanese pedigree andyears of R&D keep SF SONIC simply leagues ahead ofits competition. Grid technology to withstand hightemperature, customized separators and speciallydesigned containers for different models are someof the power features.

The SF Industrial Range of Industrial Lead AcidBatteries stand for abundant power, undaunted bythe challenge of Indian conditions. All batteries

provide power but it takes only an SF Industrial toperform at peak power, always. This matchless rangeof batteries for Online UPS, Off Line UPS & HomeUPS applications redefines durability, defies theyears and breathes new life to power. The powerpacked SF Industrial battery does not merely lastlong. It Lives Long. Stays Strong. Throughout itslong lifespan, the power never drops, come whatmay. That´s what makes SF Industrial batteries sounbeatable.

Over the years, SF Sonic batteries have becomesynonymous with abundant power and raw courage.Undaunted by the challenge of the Indian roads,they have redefined durability and longevity. SFSONIC batteries stay strong throughout their longlifespan. The power never wanes, come what may. Asthe brand’s equity grew, so did the ambitions. Anda new, bold and powerful SF SONIC was born. It isvibrant, dynamic and represented what we wanted tobe.

The dynamic sweep of the mnemonic represents acontinuous cycle of power while the arrowheadcaptures our desire to move ahead. The outer sweepsencapsulates the radiating, pulsating kineticenergy that lies at the core of our batteries,

throbbing with power. While the well-rounded yetbold typography captures the power that SF SONICepitomizes, the arrowhead mnemonic adds dynamism toit , creating an illusion of a powerful force.Standard Furukawa (SF) Sonic brand of automotivebatteries are manufacture with the technicalcollaboration of Furukawa Batteries (FB), Japan.

Range of SF Sonic batteries

SF Sonic range of batteries employ flooded

technology and made in different versions for

varying needs. SF Supersonic – Gives more

power and performance. Incorporates FB C21

alloy technology with superior starting power

and totally maintenance free characteristics

(fit and forget concept), It has pocket

separators and glass mat for superior

protection against shorts.

SF Sonic Jet –- with hybrid, alloy. It is design for the modern car offering longer lifeand greater reliability. SF Sonic Turbo – Formore power and performance with hybrid technology and double separation for longer life

SF Sonic Power box – Made for inverter

applications. It employs hybrid technology and

has extra thick plates for long life. These

batteries have deep cycling characteristics

and special additives to promote quick

recharge cycle. The grids also have a special

geometry for high performance operation.

Technology

SF Industrial range of Lead Acid Storage batteries forUPS (Online & offline) & Home UPS (Inverter)applications are manufactured with cutting edgetechnology using modern and contemporary imported Plant& Machinery. SF Industrial’s factories have all themodern equipments necessary to manufacture world-classproducts. It also sources its components from the bestBattery Component manufacturers in the world.

Brief Manufacturing Processes

Grid Alloy Technology

To better withstand the high temperatures in India,every SF SONIC battery is based on the grid alloytechnology according to FB specifications. The gridconstruction is of central lug type with semiradial construction, a good balance betweenexcellent high rate performance and long life.

Oxide Manufacturing

Ball Mill, Li – Shan, Taiwan & M-40 Mill, India areused for manufacture of Red Oxide and Grey Oxide.Percentage Oxidation, Apparent Density, WaterAbsorption characteristics etc. are continuouslymonitored to control the outgoing Oxide quality.

Other Processes

Plates thus produced, Flat or Tubular are thenAmmonia Dipped, Acid Pickled, Formed in FormingCircuits & Dried before they are sent to Assemblyline for final assembly and finishing operations.

Separators

The separators employed are PVC for the low costversions and polyethylene with glass matreinforcement for the medium and high end.

Containers

Made with PP copolymer, the containers haveexcellent impact resistance and other physicalproperties. The cover design is uncomplicated witheasy to maintain top venting systems. In the caseof maintenance free batteries, they have a coinflush filter vent system to give a clean flatmaintainable surface with resistance to sparkpropagation inside battery to avoid the possibilityof bursting during charging operations.

Raising the BarSF Sonics quality and process control laboratory

checks all incoming metals, components and bought

out parts. Incoming and blended metals analyzed for

quality with optical emission spectrograph. What’s

more, the SF Sonic R&D setup, approved by the

Ministry of Science Technology Government of India,

is a high-tech hub of innovation.

The plant at Taloja, is equipped with state-of-art

machinery and instrumentation. Much such equipment

have designed and produced with in-house

capabilities, saving crores in foreign exchange.

Operations are also conduct on machines developed

with the expertise of Furukawa Batter.

The plant takes credit for inning several laurels:

The Bajaj Gold Award for Quality

ISO 9000 certification, for the first time in

Asia

TS 16949 certification by TUV NORD in 2004

ISO 14000 certification by TUV NORD in 2003

The Quality Gold Award from MCV

Therefore, riding with Sonic simply signifies

riding with innovation, and leaving everyone miles

behind.

Plant Usage

The plant at Taloja, is equipped with state-of-art

machinery and instrumentation. Many such equipment

have been designed and produced with in-house

capibilities, saving crores in foreign exchange.

Operations are also conducted on machines developed

with the know-how of latest technology from Japan.

The plant takes credit for inning several laurels:

The Bajaj Gold Award for Quality ISO 9000 certification, for the first time in

Asia

TS 16949 certification by TUV NORD in 2004

ISO 14000 certification by TUV NORD in 2003

The Quality Gold Award from MCV 

Therefore, riding with Sonic simply signifiesriding with innovation

Several Product of SF SONIC

1. SF SUPER SONIC2. SF SONIC JET

3. SF JUMBO

4. SF SONIC RODEO

5. SF SONIC POWER HOUSE

6. SF SONIC POWER BOX

7. SF SONIC TORQUE

8. SF SONIC SUPER RODEO

9. SF SONIC HOME UPS

10. SF SONIC INSTAGENCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

In line with our vision of being recognized bysociety as a responsible corporate citizen thefollowing shall be our policy

Exide shall successfully combine shareholdervalue with environmental and socialresponsibility.

CSR is considered as one of the key businessprocesses, which has been identified by themanagement and considered critical to be asuccessful organization. Exide shall alsoestablish the sub-processes to internalizethis key process with a mechanism to measureand control the effectiveness.

The Policy is to help people through asustainable model, in such a way that theyare able to stand on their own feet and canparticipate in the economy through theirenhanced capacities.

Exide firmly commits itself to do itsbusiness in a responsible and ethical way,so that a positive impact is created on

society and all its stake holders.

SF Sonic also involved with UNICEF, one ofthe best child & women organization

Mission and vision

COMPETITORS PROFILE

AMARA RAJA BATTERIES LIMITED

To transform our spheres of influence and toimprove the quality of life by buildinginstitutions that provide better access to betteropportunities, goods and services to more people…all the time" – has always been the mantra at AmaraRaja

A USD565 million Group, Amara Raja is synonymouswith innovative engineering, and path breakingresearch and design. From design to manufacturingto sales and service, every step is orientedtowards creating customer-focused products of top-notch quality. Partnerships and information-sharingtie-ups with global technology leaders also help usbring you the best from around the world

Amara Raja Batteries Limited (ARBL), incollaboration with Johnson Controls Inc., USA, isthe largest manufacturer of Standby Valve RegulatedLead Acid (VRLA) batteries in the Indian Ocean Rimregion. We offer the discerning Indian customer an

extensive range of India's most powerful zero-maintenance batteries. Our fully integrated world-class manufacturing facility is situated in theholy city of Tirupati, in Andhra Pradesh, India.Amaron batteries incorporate the latesttechnological advances in the field of captivepower and are on par with batteries manufacturedand marketed anywhere in the world.

Thanks to an unrelenting focus on innovativeengineering, a deep-rooted commitment to research &design and the promise to deliver customer-focusedproducts, Amaron has risen to a position ofleadership in a span of just 7 years

Amaron’s Different Thinking

After spending decades ignored as an obscure partunder the hood, the automotive battery has finallyfound a place in the minds of demanding consumersthanks to AMARON.

It was a transformation whose time had come. Thestriking black looks were just an indication of thechanges that had taken place. Because the realchanges were inside the battery. It was thetechnology that marked Amaron as the next

generation battery that would last longer thananything the Indian consumer had seen

AMCO BATTERIES LTD

AMCO Batteries Limited of the Amalgamations Groupis the leading battery manufacturer with a widespectrum of world-class high performancepolypropylene batteries for the automobileindustry. AMCO is No. 1 battery for Two Wheelersand the preferred choice for the new generationBikes, Scooters, Cars and all other passengervehicles. AMCO batteries ensure instant start, longlife, and trouble free performance. It occupiespride of place in both the Original Equipment andReplacement markets enjoying an enviable preferredchoice as OE fitment. Because of its record ofaccomplishment in the two-wheeler battery segment,the company has the privilege of being an exclusivesupplier to Hero Honda, TVS, HMSI, Yamaha, Bajaj,Royal Enfield etc. The company has a record ofaccomplishment of supplying 4-wheeler batteries toTAFE Tractors, Eicher Tractors, Cummins India Ltd,Sonalika Tractors etc. Pioneering Quality Standardsin batteries with contemporary technology andceaseless attention to quality, AMCO BatteriesLimited is the first battery in manufacturerawarded ISO-9001 Certification by BVQI.AMCOBatteries Limited with its state of the art

technology (R&D) recognized the Department ofScience and Technology, Government of India thatcontributes towards import substitution andindigenization. AMCO Batteries has proven itscommitment to its customers by establishing wellsupported nation-wide network of marketing officesand service centers that ensure ready availabilityand reliable after sales service and maintenance.Ms. Jayshree Venkatraman, Director, AMCO BatteriesLimited & TAFE Power Source won the distinguishedalumnus award from the International ManagementInstitute (IMI), which is give in recognition ofdedicated and meritorious service to business andsociety beyond expectations of expertise in theworkspace. AMCO Batteries Limited backed by thestrength and focused approach of the group toachieve formidable presence in core industrysectors by pioneering new ventures in collaborationwith world leaders. AMCO has been award with QS9000:1998, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and TS16949certification, which is proof of its highestquality standards and Eco friendliness.

TATAGREEN

TATA Green batteries are brought to you by "TATAAutoComp GY Batteries Pvt Ltd." (TGY) - a jointventure between TATA AutoComp Systems Ltd, India'sleading auto component group and GS YuasaInternational (GYIN), Japan, one of the world's

largest automotive battery manufacturers. GS YuasaInternational (GYIN) is the world leader in TwoWheeler batteries and Asia's number one in FourWheeler batteries. TATA Green Batteries, by theirsheer design and use of state-of-the-art technologybuilt to deliver highest performance for all kindsof vehicles (Bikes, Three-wheelers, Cars, UV's,Trucks, and Tractors) and inverters, while being90% recyclable.In order to bring you the best Batteries in theworld, we have set up a state-of-the-art, ecofriendly manufacturing unit at MIDC Ranjangaon,near Pune, Maharashtra. The unit comprises world-class manufacturing facilities and our productfeatures are bench marked with the best-in class tomeet stringent international safety regulations:

World-class manufacturing facility comprising

of all critical processes

Product features are benchmark with the best

in class to meet stringent international

safety regulations.

Hi-tech facility for design, development,

prototyping, testing, and a highly capable

team of engineers

Extensive use of anti-pollution equipments, as

per international norms

The unit manufactures the entire range of

automotive batteries (passenger cars, utility

vehicles, commercial vehicles and farm

vehicles) and inverter batteries.

TUDOR INDIA LIMITED

Tudor India Limited launched Prestolite theinternationally renowned brand of storage batteriesin India in 1997. Tudor India Limited is a whollyowned subsidiary of CMP Batteries Ltd., U.K., whichis turn, is the British Arm of the world's largestbattery manufacturing group based on Pennsylvania,USA, Which is one of the leading companies in theworld in the field of industrial batteries. CMPwholly owned by the world's largest batterymanufacturing group based in the USA, which foundedby Thomas Edison in 1888 as The Electric StorageBattery Company. This group has a leading presencein 22 countries with 72 manufacturing facilitiesand 50 brands and a sales turnover of over Rs.10000crores. Tudor India has been in operation for overtwo years offering an exhaustive range ofPrestolite batteries for automobiles as well asTubular batteries for stand-by applications such sUPS, Inverters, etc. The company plans to introduceIndustrial and SEaled Maintenance-free batteries inthe Indian market shortly. In keeping with the

group philosophy of commitment to technologicalleadership in design and performance, Tudor Indianow offers power packed two-wheeler batteries.

REVIEW

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

A competitive analysis is a critical part of thecompany marketing plan. With this evaluation,people can establish the product or service unique,whereby people can attract the target market. Theproduct can be deeply analyzed in compare withcompetitor; company will not make proper strategywithout competitor analysis.

Evaluate your competitors by placing them instrategic groups according to how directly theycompete for a share of the customer's dollar. Foreach competitor or strategic group, list theirproduct or service, its profitability, growthpattern, marketing objectives and assumptions,current and past strategies, organizational and

cost structure, strengths and weaknesses, and size(in sales) of the competitor's business etc.

When we analyze the SF Sonic product, then we needto analyze the 5P’S and STP.

5P’S

Product-

SF Sonic product segmentation strategy is differentthan the other company and they belong to the autoancillary product family. They have differentcategory of the product segment and rather can saythey are on the right product expansion strategytrack, so now they must have to create faith on thecustomer mind for the long lasting relationshipthrough the product performance.

Price-

Price is one of the important areas which are comeunder the product design process. If the productprice is not fixed then product sale would bedecline at any point of time, and there are maximumchances to diversify the customer to the otherbrand of battery. Company should take to initiatefor the price setting policy to the direct dealer,I mean the dealer selling price should have beendecide by the manufacturer.

Place-

Place is also an important part, automatically thequestion come like these-Where to start? Whichareas we will target?

So the area is different in the same time people,culture is also different, and their buyingbehavior is also different. So it’s very tough toidentify the target place within the existing arealike north Calcutta, because there are so many biggarages and other competitive outlet as well, butstill I given 16 contact to the company those whointerested to start the SF Sonic business in thesame area.

People-

Without people all the things has been wastage, soit’s a crucial P within the 5P’s. Automaticallyquestion come who will be the target customer?As per the present market scenario we are not thatmuch of worried about the customer becausestatistic says every 60 person are having vehicleout of 100 person in any moderate place, So figurewould have been bigger in case of north Calcutta.

Promotion-

Without promotional activity product sell can’t beincrease anymore. Basically campaign activityincreases the brand awareness to the people who arenot aware for the brand, which will help toincrease the sell. SF Sonic didn’t arrange the

strong campaign activity as of now in northCalcutta area, they didn’t even go for the BillBoard as well. Moreover company given theircommitment to the DRO for the bill board and afterso many months gone then also they didn’t getCompany Bill Board (Hoarding), which is suppose toprovided by the SF Sonic company.

STP Concept

Segmentation-

Segmentation are equally important in all aspect ofthe business strategy, people themselves involve inthe buying process, so definitely culture isdifferent and buying behavior is also different. SFneeds to be proper switch on in this case how theywill go about the market segmentation.

Targeting-

Again another important part is targeting, that thing also decide by the company as well.

Positioning-

Positioning one of the tough job in the marketingarena, If SF Sonic really want to successfulproduct positioning in the market then they need to

think over it. The tagline like “ Power Ka Chakkar“ , this is absolutely gets old.

PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODEL

New Entrants-

There are many new players in the market, namelyAmaron, Tata Green, Amco, Tudor India and OtherLocal brand. Exide is the market leader in theIndian battery industry and Exide believe that theyare selling service in the market to the end user

that is the only reason of holding the marketleader position, and SF Sonic belongs to the Exideindustry, So they must have to provide betterservice as compared to other brand otherwise theywill no more exist in this market. One more thingSF sonic need to build strong distribution channelto increase the business because Amaron has alreadytaken the amount of market wherefrom they cancompete with SF Sonic Brand.

Threat of Substitute-

SF Sonic can be substituted in that market by endconsumer and dealer as well if price slashing andother benefit are not maintained by the competitor.So definitely it will create impact onprofitability and future selling as well asbranding.

Bargaining Power of Buyer-

Bargaining power is almost equal of the entireconsumer, many new players penetrated in the marketwith large number of facility. So if SF Sonic willnot do anything better towards the product thendefinitely they will lose the customer andautomatically decline their market share.

Bargaining Power of Supplier-

Bargaining power of supplier is very less in thisindustry, because they are only purchase distillwater from the market which is considered as raw

material. Other raw material like hard rubber, tooldesign, and battery design everything has done bythem.

Rivalry against the Player-

It is conclusively proven that the SF Sonic marketleader is Exide, but Amaron is the main competitorof the SF Sonic. According to my survey report inevery stage of my experiments both the company isstanding more or less in the same stage, veryslight difference between these two brands. At anypoint of time Amaron can increase their marketshare than the SF Sonic, So SF Sonic should awarefor that and better to put some light on this fortheir betterment.

Some of the factor I am just mentioning below,which factor will effect in the SF Sonic business

1. Price is different between these two brand

2. Offer is also different

3. Amaron giving replacement warranty within aday , but SF Sonic taking 7 days

4. No credit facility available for the directdealer in case of SF Sonic, But In case ofAmaron credit facility is available.

SWOT analysis is a method for analyzing abusiness , its resources and its environment, SWOTis commonly used as part of strategic planning andlooks at bellow mentioned point

Internal Strength

Internal Weakness

Opportunities in the external environment

Threat in the external environment

Strength-

Product belongs to exide industry limited as abrand

Lower price than the exide

Using latest Japanese technology

Weakness-

Majority of the people doesn’t know about the

product and many people believe that this is a

duplicate brand of Exide, So the brand

awareness of the people as a whole is very low

This brand belong to exide industries but

company doesn’t use the exide logo inside the

battery, Which is very tough to sell the

battery to the customer from the dealer side

Promotional activity is very less

After sell Service is very poor as compared to

other brand and battery warranty settlement is

very much time consuming

Less pro activeness of the company official to

the dealer and retailer

Sometimes company not able to delivered the

product as per order

Opportunities-

One of the major opportunity is that company

belongs to the Exide Industries , Whereby

company will not be face any kind of problem

to create brand value

Company belongs to exide industries , so

company should have use the exide logo inside

the battery, So that sell will automatically

increase

Threats-

Amaron battery is one of the biggest threats

for the company due to the attractive price

and intangible service, which gets attracted

to the customer.

Credit facility is not available

Some of the battery segment product quality is

very poor (Black Panthar)

Company should decide the dealer selling price

DESIGN

NEED FOR STUDY

Today costumers are facing a growing range ofchoice in the different brands of products andservices. They are making their choice based ontheir perceptions of brand, quality service, andvalue.There are many players in the market, so companyneed to understand the rapid growth in the Indianmarket and the global market as well. This study isnot concerned only with competitive analysis butalso deals with brand awareness, satisfaction of

the end user and other facts. It includes a widepreview of

From where did they come to know about the

product?

Did they feel that the brand is important to

purchase?

If given, would they like to purchase same

brand product again?

Did they feel that the branded product matches

their expectations?

How the brands influence the market?

How relevant the brand towards trend?

Do brand suggestive to the products?

Are they satisfied with the brand, price,

quality etc…?

These questions will help in understanding better,what factor influence the people about brandawareness? What are the areas companies needs toimprove?The marketers have realized that they have to taketechnical decisions concerning the brand to caterto the needs of the consumers to develop brandidentify and brand position.

The company must understand how their consumersperceive brand, quality and how much they expect.

THEORITCAL BACKGROUND OF THE SUDY

“A brand is a name,

term, sign, symbol or

design or combination of

them. Intended to identify

the goods or services of

one seller or group of

sellers and to

differentiate them from

those of competitors”

Philip Kotler

Brief of the Brand

The word "brand" is derived from the OldNorse brandr meaning "to burn." It refers to thepractice of producers burning their mark (or brand)onto their productsThe oldest generic brand, which is in continuoususe in India since the Vedic period (ca. 1100 B.C.Eto 500 B.C.E), is known as 'Chyawanprash', anherbal paste consumed for its purported healthbenefits and attributed to a revered rishi (orseer) named Chyawan This brand was developedat Dhosi Hill, an extinct volcano in northernIndia.The Italians were among the first to use brands, inthe form of watermarks on paper in the 1200s. BlindStamps, hallmarks and silver maker's marks are alltypes of brand.Although connected with the history of trademarksand including earlier examples which could bedeemed "protobrands", brands in the field of mass-marketing originated in the 19th century with theadvent of packaged goods. Industrialization movedthe production of many household items, suchas soap, from local communities tocentralized factories. When shipping their items,the factories wouldliterally brand their logo or insignia on thebarrels used, extending the meaning of "brand" tothat of trademark.

Factories established during the IndustrialRevolution introduced mass-produced goods andneeded to sell their products to a wider market, tocustomers previously familiar only with locally-produced goods. It quickly became apparent that ageneric package of soap had difficulty competingwith familiar, local products. The packaged goodsmanufacturers needed to convince the market thatthe public could place just as much trust in thenon-local product. Pears Soap, Campbell soup, Coca-Cola, Juicy Fruit gum, Aunt Jemima, and QuakerOats were among the first products to be 'branded',in an effort to increase the consumer's familiaritywith their products. Many brands of that era, suchas Uncle Ben's rice and Kellogg's breakfast cerealfurnish illustrations of the problem.

Role of Branding

In today’s world brand names come to create

identify to distinguish one product from another.

The following points to pin down its precise role.

Brand is a massive asset: Brand is an

intangible asset, because it is impossible to

duplicate brand name.

Brand is promotional tool: The product

differentiation done by a brand through sales

promotion.

Brand is a weapon to protect Market: A

consumer has tried and liked a product; the

brand enables him to identify the product and

repeat the purchase.

Brand is antidote for middlemen’s survival:

The class of middle man always tends to go for

a successful brand.

Brand is a means of identifications of

customers: Brand is the easiest way of

identifying product or service by customers.

Brands and Branding

Branding has become one of the most importantaspects of business strategy. Yet it is also oneof the most misunderstood. Branding is sometimesconsidered to be merely an advertising function.And many managers and business writers hold theview that branding is about the management ofproduct image, a supplementary task that can beisolated from the main business of productmanagement. This note provides an alternativeperspective, arguing that:

Branding is a strategic point of view, not a

select set of activities. Branding is central to creating customer

value, not just images. Branding is a key tool for creating and

maintaining competitive advantage. Brands are cultures that circulate in society

as conventional stories. Effective brand strategies must address the

four distinct components of brand value. Brand strategies must be “engineered” into the

marketing mix.

This note develops a set of concepts andframeworks to guide the design of brandstrategies.

Brand equity

Brands differ in the power and value they have inthe market due to different factors. A powerfulbrand known to have brand equity, There are brands,which buyers have a high degree of brand awareness,brand acceptability, brand preference and brandloyalty respectively. Brand equity is based on thescope to that, it has brand loyalty, name,awareness, perceived quality, strong brandrelations, and other assets like patents,trademarks. In addition, brands that have strongbrand equity seen as a valuable asset to the firmand can bought or sold for a price.

Brand equity is a set of brand assets andliabilities joined to a brand via its name andsymbol, which adds or subtracts from the valueoffered by goods or service to a firm’s customers

Brand awareness

Brand awareness is an important and undervaluedpart of brand equity.Awareness can influence perceptions and attitudesand it drives brand choice and loyalty. It reflectsthe salience of the brand in the customer’s mind.It is a part for the communications process. It hasa key role in the consumer decision-making processand in determining the consideration. Consumers areaware of a large number of brands when makingbuying decisions, and brands with higher awarenesslevels are more likely to be part of the finalbuying decision. Brand awareness also said toinfluence the brand’s perceived quality, as foundin a consumer choice.

Brand identityThe outward expression of a brand – including itsname, trademark, communications, and visualappearance – is brand identity. Because theidentity is assembled by the brand owner, itreflects how the owner wants the consumer toperceive the brand – and by extension the brandedcompany, organization, product or service. This is

in contrast to the brand image, which is acustomer's mental picture of a brand. The brandowner will seek to bridge the gap between the brandimage and the brand identity.

INTRODUCTION OF RESEARCH

“ALL PROGRESS IS BORN OF INQUIRY”

Research inculcates scientific and inductivethinking and it promotes the development of logicalhabits of thinking and organization. The researchmethodology has gone through which path to solvethe research problem and which tools have beenadopted to achieve the desired objective and moreimportantly it tells why only that path or toolshave been chosen and not other?Many marketing writers confuse the term 'marketresearch' with the term 'marketing research', andsometimes these two terms used interchangeably.Thus, it is important to differentiate between thetwo terms. Marketing research defined as "the

function that brings the consumer, customer, andpublic to the market through information -information used to identify and define marketingobjectives and problems; generate, refine andevaluate marketing actions, monitor marketingperformance; and improve understanding of themarketing process". This clearly shows thatmarketing research is wide ranging in its concerns.The term 'market research' according to Adcock etal, is "used to define the specialist activitiesinvolved in collecting information directly throughthe use of questionnaires and other associatedtechniques". They then emphasize, "It is useful toconsider market research as a specialist activitywhich is within the scope of the marketing researchfunction" and that it is "concerned with collectingprimary information".

Research Methodology

The study is exploratory in nature. Based on somebasic primary data collected from some of thedirect retail outlets, garages, and competitiveoutlet as well as with the help of secondary data astandard questionnaire has been prepared. A studywill be done based on the data which will becollected in the form of survey.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Designing a research is a comprehensive plan of thesequence of operation to achieve the objectives ofthe research study. It provides the blue print forthe conduct of the research study. It is consideredto be the planned sequence of the entire processinvolved in conducting a research. The followingare the main elements of research design.1. Types of data: a) Primary Data (b)

Secondary Data

a) Primary Data: Primary data is required to be

collected based on:

* Personal Investigation and /or questionnaire.

* Unstructured interview.

* From the employees of the organization

* Through observation method.

b) Secondary Data: Secondary data is collected from

* The official website of Exide Industries, SF

Sonic, Amaron and some other web sites.

* Projects and Research Reports

* Publications

2. Source of data / Research Tool

For collecting the primary data for the researchthe questionnaire has been chosen as the source /tool. The main aim is to collect the data from theDirect Retail Outlets, Garages, and the competitiveoutlet. The main area of the study is to find thesatisfaction level analysis of the sellers &competitive company of the SF Sonic Battery in themarket.

3. Form of data

Questionnaire having qualitative as wellquantitative data and the questions in the form ofmultiple options, open ended questions, dichotomousquestions has been used as a tool to collect theprimary data.

Questionnaire Designing

A questionnaire has been developed to find out theCompetitive and Satisfaction Analysis of SF SonicBattery. The questionnaire is prepared based on theinterview with the different battery dealers aswell as after gaining knowledge about the productand the market which was made possible afterdiscussion with the employees of the organization.The questions are structured and direct so as tomake the respondents understand it easily. Total 20 questions are framed which took about 7 –10 minutes to answer. The questionnaire elicitedthe following informations:

Most preferred brand of battery in the market

Brand of battery the consumers prefer more

Factors to be considered while purchasing

battery

Share of sale of battery from the outlet on

an average monthly basis

Do the customers ask for brand / they buy the

battery as per suggestion

Frequency of ordering battery

Credit period given by the manufacturers / the

distributor

Promotion / campaign suggestion

Satisfaction with the manufacturer /

distributor with respect to availability /

delivery

Delivery time period of the batteries which

are sent to the manufacturer for checking

Delivery time period of the batteries from the

date of order.

Data Collection Procedure

The questions are asked in a structured order. Anydoubts that the dealers are facing are clarified soas to collect the right answers from the dealers.

SAMPLING PLAN

Sample unit

The sampling units are various areas of NorthKolkata, which have approached to collect data fromdifferent direct dealer, direct distributor andGarage

Sampling methodSampling method used in this research is simplerandom sampling and convenience which also known asnon-probability sampling. Under this samplingdesign, every item of universe has an equal chanceof inclusion in sample. It is say to a lotterymethod.

Sample size It is believed that large sample gives morereliability than small samples. So in my case Ihave selected a sample size of 60 (20 each i.e.

direct Retail Outlet, Garages and CompetitiveOutlet).

Research instrument

Research Instrument used in this research wasQuestionnaire.A questionnaire is a formalized set of questionsfor eliciting information. It is one of the mostcommon instruments used for primary datacollection. Questions are close-ended and open-ended.

Future Scope

The study was conducted at scattered places ofNorth Calcutta with 60 sample size. The study isbasically confined to market covered by the SFSonic and its competitors. This study is actuallyfinding out the opportunities of the SF sonic,rather can say percentage of market covered by itscompetitor and major player as well. Thisinformation will help to the company in the comingdays to more attractive the product and other

things as well; moreover with the help of thisinformation company can develop their business infuture and increase their market share in future.These studies also help to the company R & Ddepartment for further research to develop theirbusiness. Also this will help to understand thehuman action towards the brand preference,different type of battery user and brand awarenessof the end user.

Limitation

It is very much unexpected to carry out a projectwithout any sort of limitation. I have faced someproblem during the time of survey, which Iconsidered as limitation and this all I ammentioning below one by one.Sample size is low (60), which can’t give theaccurate result. Rather it is not considered aswhole population in the country.Respondent may be bias or influenced by the outsidefactorIt is very difficult to carry out the survey withinvery small period of time, so this is a one of themajor constraints.

1. This survey has been done in very specificarea, whereas it couldn’t be possible to findout the actual data of the other player in themarket.

2. Competitor not willing to provide the actualdata

3. It is very much expected that garage owner arealways busy with their work , so it is verytough to collect data from them

PRESENTATION & ANALYSIS OF DATA

1. Do you deal with SF Sonic products?

(i) Yes (ii) No

Particular Actual Figure PercentageYes 26 43.33No 34 56.67

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in a piechart, I have come to know that out of 100% of thepeople,43.33% of the people are doing business withSF Brand. Which is not a positive indication fromthe company business point of view, So in this casecompany needs to increase the brand awareness ofthe product.

2. In case you recommended a brand – Which is themost preferred brand?

EXIDE AMARONSF

SONIC AMCO TATA OTHER27.50% 24% 23% 13% 9% 3.50%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in thecylindrical chart, I have come to know that out of100% of the people, 27.50% of the people preferredexide brand in maximum cases. It is conclusivelyprove that the exide brand value is much higherthan the other brand due the vintage quality of theproduct and service as well. In case of SF sonicbrand image is unexpected to good w.r.t exide andother brand due to better service and quality.

3. Please rate your preference for the followingbattery brands:

ExideAmaron

SFSonic Amco Tata

Others

23.74%

19.64%

20.46%

12.86% 8.42%

14.88%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the bargraph. People rate their maximum preference in all(DRO, MBO and Garage) the cases to the Exide brandonly due to the brand value. Apparently SF Sonic

and Amaron service & product quality is better thanthe exide, but their brand image is not that muchgets published.

4. Which brand of battery do consumers prefermore?

Exide AmaronSF

Sonic Amco TataOthers

36% 23% 29% 5% 4% 3%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the pyramidchart, where we can clearly see that the consumerprefer more Exide , Amaron and SF Sonic. On thecontrary the area wise product publicity gapbetween market leader and SF Sonic is very less, sothis is +ve indication for the company business andin the same time SF Sonic should aware for themajor competitor Brand Amaron.

5. How important are the following whilepurchasing battery:

BrandImage

Product

Quality

Durability Price

AfterSalesService

GoodValuefor

Money

Credit

Facility

15%17.30% 14.92%

17.94%

18.92% 4%

11.92%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the pyramidchart. According to the above chart 18.92% ofpeople think that the after sale service is verymuch important, because battery is kind of a thinkwhere only company selling service to the end user

and most importantly service makes organizationreputation in case of battery industry.

6. From where do you generally buy the battery?

(i) Manufacturer (ii)Distributor

Multi Brand Outlet

Multi Brand OutletBuyer's Preference

No. ofRespondents

Percentage(%)

Manufacturer 14 50Distributor 6 21Combination ofBoth 8 29Total 28 100

Table shows the preference by the Multi BrandOutlets towards purchase of Batteries, 50% of therespondents purchase the product from themanufacturer, 21% of the respondents purchase fromthe distributors and the remaining 29% of therespondents purchase from both of them.

PIE DIAGRAM SHOWING PREFERENCETOWARDS PURCHASE OF BATTERIES BY THE MULTI BRAND

OUTLET

Garages

GaragesBuyer's

PreferenceNo. of

RespondentsPercentage

(%)Manufacturer 12 46Distributor 8 31

Combination ofBoth 6 23Total 26 100

Table shows the preference by the Garages towardspurchase of Batteries, 46% of the respondentspurchase the product from the manufacturer, 31% ofthe respondents purchase from the distributors andthe remaining 23% of the respondents purchase fromboth of them.

PIE DIAGRAM SHOWING PREFERENCETOWARDS PURCHASE OF BATTERIES BY THE GARAGES

DRO

DROBuyer's

PreferenceNo. of

RespondentsPercentage

(%)Manufacturer 18 90Distributor 2 10Combination ofBoth 0 0Total 20 100

Table shows the preference by the DRO towardspurchase of Batteries, 90% of the respondentspurchase the product from the manufacturer, 10 % ofthe respondents purchase from the distributors andnone of the respondents purchase from both of them.

PIE DIAGRAM SHOWING PREFERENCETOWARDS PURCHASE OF BATTERIES BY THE DRO

8. Whether customers ask for brands or yousuggest to them?

(i) Ask for specific brand (ii)Doesn’t ask for any brand

 

Ask for specific Brand

Doesn't ask forany brand

Combination of both

DRO 20% 40% 40%MBO 15% 20% 60%Garage 50% 20% 30%

d

Interpretation: After studying thequestionnaire and representing the analyzedanswer in the pie chart. Here new customeralways asks for the brand, but loyal customerdoesn’t ask for the brand. As per the surveyreport SF Sonic (Direct Retail Outlet) loyalcustomer strength is maximum than the MBO(Multiband Outlet) and Garage.

9. What is the frequency of ordering the battery to the company / distributor?

(i) Weekly (ii) Monthly (iii) As per Demand

Weekly MonthlyAs perDemand

30% 18% 52%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the linegraph. I have come to know that out of 100 %business proprietor, 52% of business proprietorordering battery as per demand, 18 % of businessproprietor monthly and 30% of business proprietorweekly, so the company overall product sale is veryless. According to this analysis company need tofocus on weekly ordering, so that the companyproduct sale would have been increase in terms ofDRO,MBO & Garage.

10. What is the credit period given by the manufacturer / distributor?

(i) < one month (ii) > one month (iii) Cash on Delivery (iv) RTGS

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the pie

Less than 1 month

Greater than onemonth

Cash on Delivery

Real timegross settlement

8.50% 38% 8.50% 45%

chart. It is clearly shown above pie chart thatthe credit facility is not available in case ofSF Sonic and Exide for the direct dealer. Butcredit facility available in case of othercompany like amaron , tata , amco and other brandfor the direct dealer. So the credit facility isvery much important part in this business whichwill help to increase the business. Moreoveraccording to the survey report every businessproprietor wants credit facility to increase theSF sonic battery business, so there are maximumchances to diversify the business to the othercompany as well11. What type of campaign or promotion do you suggest?

(i) Event (ii) Discount (iii) Gift

Voucher (iv) CSR Activity

(v) Others

(specify)_____________________________

 Event

Discount

Gift Voucher

CSR Activity Other

Not required

DRO 25%   10% 5% 60%  MBO 15%   5%   5% 75%Garage 15%       30% 55%

Interpretation: After studying the questionnaireand representing the analyzed answer in the bargraph. I have come to know that out of 100 % DRO(Direct Retail Outlet of SF Sonic), 100 % of DROthink that company campaign activity is required,and campaign activity should be different accordingto the area wise. Moreover they think that the SFSonic brand image still lagging behind the othermajor player in the market and people still unaware

about this brand product. But some of the MBO andGarages are doing business with Exide, Amaron; theydon’t think that company campaign activity isrequired due to their brand value and service.

12. Are you satisfied with the manufacturer/distributor with respect to availability?Find out the satisfaction with the chi-squaretest(i) Yes (ii) No (iii) If “No” Why?

Observed Frequencies  Respondents CalculationLevel ofSatisfaction MBO Garage DRO Total fo-fe

Satisfied 18 12 14 44 3.3333

-2.6667

-0.6666

7Unsatisfied 2 8 6 16 -3.333

2.66667

0.666667

Total 20 20 20 60

Expected Frequencies  Respondents

Level ofsatisfaction MBO Garage DRO Total (fo-fe)^2/feSatisfie 14.666 14.666 14.666 44 0.7575 0.4848 0.0303

d 67 67 67 76 48 03Unsatisfied

5.333333

5.333333

5.333333 16

2.083333

1.333333

0.083333

Total 20 20 20 60

Data Result

L.O.S 0.01

Critical

Value9.2103

4Expectedfrequency

assumption ismet

No of Rows 2

Chi-Square

4.772727

No of Columns 3

p-Value

0.091963

Deg of Freedom 2 Do not reject

13. Are you satisfied with the manufacturer /distributor with respect delivery? Find out the satisfaction with the chi-square test.

(i) Yes(ii) No (iii) If “No” Why?

Observed Frequencies  Respondents   CalculationsLevel ofSatisafction

M.B.O

Garages DRO Total fo-fe

Satisfied 20 10 15 45 5 -5 0Unsatisfied 0 10 5 15 -5 5 0Total 20 20 20 60

Expected Frequencies  Respondents  Level of Satisfaction M.B.O Garages DRO Total (fo-fe)^2/feSatisfied 15 15 15 45

1.666667

1.666667 0

Unsatisfied 5 5 5 15 5 5 0Total 20 20 20 60

Data Results

L.O.S 0.01Critical Value

9.21034

Expectedfrequency

assumption ismet

No of Rows 2

Chi-Square Test Statistic

13.33333

No of Columns 3 p-Value

0.001273

Deg of 2 Reject the

Fredomnull

hypothesisSUGGESTIONS

Company official communication should be

increase with the dealer , so that they can

get the update data about the competitor and

SF sonic

Promotional activity should have been arrange

from the company end , at least should go for

the activity like hoarding, free battery

health check up camp(low expenditure)

Credit facility scheme should start for the

direct dealer , whereby company can take up

the large area market as compared to the other

brand

SF Sonic belong to the Exide Industries Ltd,

so the brand name “Exide” should be mention

inside the SF Sonic battery which is generally

not mention. For that reason many people

believe that the SF sonic is the duplicate

brand of Exide and it is very difficult to

convince to the end user that SF Sonic is

belongs to the Exide Industries.

Warranty scheme should be change immediately ,

otherwise customer will diversify to the other

brand (Talks about Pro rata warranty scheme)

Company should focus on the service which is

provide to the end user , end user and direct

dealer also not very happy towards company

service

Company should decide the direct dealer

selling price to the retailer (Explaining why?

“A” direct dealer belong to Belgharia and “B”

direct dealer from Dumdum, C retailer also

belongs to dumdum and wants to purchase the

battery. Moreover C has visited with both the

A & B Shop, but A given him battery with

unexpected low price and simultaneously this

will happen continuously, ultimately B product

stock will increase and company might loss the

dealer. Finally company sell automatically

decline)

BAT mobile activity also affected to the

business, company higher official hardly visit

in the market, so company should aware for

that. (Explaining why? “A” direct dealer from

Belgharia and “B” direct dealer from Dumdum.

In case of emergency battery require at the

Belgharia , but in that case BAT mobile

generally take battery from the Dumdum area

and also take some amount of money from that

area dealer for that purpose. That information

I got from company direct dealer)

Company should aware for the battery price as

compared to the other company like Amaron

complain battery settlement is too time

consuming , which should focus from the

company official

As per dealer order battery not deliver to the

dealer house but on the contrary money has

been deducted from the dealer account and

finally product has been delivered after two

or three days from the day of money deduction,

and finally the customer who ordered the

battery is purchasing the other brand of

battery due the unavailability the product at

the right time

Toll Free number should be activated for the

customer complain

SUMMARY

I have done two month training in the ExideIndustries Ltd (SF Division). The exide has ownvintage quality of brand value in the market, SFSonic also belongs to the exide industry, I haveappointed with SF Sonic Company (Sales andMarketing). My profile was to find out thecompetitive analysis in terms of Direct RetailsOutlet, Multi brand outlet and Garages. I have donemy training under guidance of Mr Suven Banerjee(Company Guide) and Prof Debraj Dutta (Mentor andInternal guide), both the person helps me lotduring the time of my two month journey. Apart fromthat I have learnt many things over there how to

increase business, how to handle the dealer and howto convince the new dealer who are actuallyinterested to do the business with the company.Moreover I have given them new dealer contactinformation almost 16 person. In one wordtremendous experience I have gathered from there,which will help me in my coming days. Basically thesurvey was conducted with the structured andcombination of +ve and –ve question, Sample sizewas very small (60) that was the main problem tocollect the detail information about competitiveoutlet data, because most of cases the multibrandoutlet are not willing to give any detail dataabout their company price, sale and service.Fortunately I have collected the details from themin my own way, and successfully completed myproject over there with the best co-opreation fromthe company staff and company other externalperson.

CONCLUSION

As the world set foot on the door steps of the newmillennium countries have already started feelingthe winds of change in the global scenario, Indiais not exceptional from other. Competition levelhas been increased in the present market isconcerned with the huge amount of opportunities. Itis conclude that the finding of the survey is notsought after for the SF sonic battery product andin the same time there is also higher possibilityto return back in the market for the SF SonicCompany, but they need to fallow some certain stepwhich has been mentioned in the suggestion portion.One of the biggest advantage for the SF sonic isthat , the company itself belongs to the highcategory company brand , which is the market leader

in the Indian battery market is concerned, So Idon’t think SF sonic will take enough time to comeback in market if they fallow some step. Thissurvey also pointed out about the price, after saleservice, device, about the SF Sonic companyofficial behavior towards the dealer, majorcompetitor, and competitor service etc. Now SFsonic will have to rectify all those point has beenmentioned and I am very much hopeful that the SFCompany will get huge success within couple ofyears.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. http://business.wikinut.com/Indian-Lead-Battery-

Industry/1ee3cvoq/

2.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/compet

itor.html

2. http://www.amaron.in/aboutus.php#

3. http://www.exideindustries.com/

4.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/competitiv

e-analysis

5.

http://www.cardekho.com/Maruti/Kolkata/cardealers

6. http://www.scribd.com/doc/62092350/A-Project-

Report-on-Exide

7. http://www.exideindustries.com

8. http://www.sfsonicpower.com

9. Debraj Sir Notes

ANNEXURE

Questionnaire on ~ Competitive Analysis of SF SonicBattery in terms of Direct Retail Outlet, Garages and

Multi Brand Outlet

Tick which one is applicable:

(i) Direct Retail Outlet (ii) Garage(iii) Competitor Outlet

Name of the Direct Retail Outlet

/Garage/Multi Brand outlet: __________________

______________________________________________

________________________________

Name of the proprietor: _____________________________________________________

Age: ____________

When did this business started: ________________

Address:______________________________________

________________________________

7. Which of the battery (manufacturers) are you dealing with?

(i) Exide (ii) Amaron (iii) SF Sonic

(iv) Amco (v) Tata

(vi) Others__________________

8. Do you deal with SF Sonic products? (i) Yes (ii) No

9. In case you recommended a brand – Which is themost preferred brand?

Name Rank

Exide

Amaron

SF Sonic

Amco

Tata

Others

10. Please rate your preference for the following battery brands:

Brands /Preference

s Not

atall

Somewh

at not

Neutra

l

Somewh

at

Very

much

Exide 1 2 3 4 5Amaron 1 2 3 4 5Amco 1 2 3 4 5

Tata 1 2 3 4 5Others 1 2 3 4 5

____________

11. Which brand of battery do consumers prefer more?

(i) Exide (ii) Amaron (iii) SF Sonic

(iv) Amco (v) Tata

(vi)Others ______________________

12. How important are the following while purchasing battery:

Attributes /

Rating Not

atall

Somewhat

unimport

Neutral

Somewhat

Importan

High

lyImportan

BrandImage 1 2 3 4 5

ProductQuality 1 2 3 4 5

Durability 1 2 3 4 5

Price 1 2 3 4 5After 1 2 3 4 5

SalesService

GoodValue forMoney

1 2 3 4 5

Creditfacility 1 2 3 4 5

13. Does the company provide training before launching a new product?

(i) Yes (ii) No

14. From where do you generally buy the battery?

(ii) Manufacturer (ii)Distributor

15. What is the share of sales from your outlet on the following types of batteries on an average monthly basis

Types of Vehicle / Figures (in %)

10 – 30 % 30 – 60% Above

60%

Two Wheeler  Three Wheeler  Four Wheeler  Six Wheeler /Others  

10. Whether customers ask for brands or you suggest to them?

(i) Ask for specific brand (ii)Doesn’t ask for any brand

11. What is the frequency of ordering the batteryto the company / distributor?

(i) Weekly (ii) Monthly (iii) As per Demand

12. What is the credit period given by the manufacturer / distributor?

(i) < one month (ii) > one month (iii) Cash on Delivery (iv) RTGS

13. What type of campaign or promotion do you suggest?

(ii) Event (ii) Discount (iii) Gift

Voucher (iv) CSR Activity

(v) Others

(specify)____________________________

14. Are you satisfied with the manufacturer /distributor with respect to availability?

(ii) Yes (ii) No (iii) If “No”

(Why?)______________________________________

________________________

15. Are you satisfied with the manufacturer /distributor with respect to delivery?

(i) Yes (ii) No (iii) If “No”

(Why?)______________________________________

_______________________

16. What's the delivery time period of the batteries

from the date of order?

Brands / TimePeriod

Within 2days

2 -4

days

4 – 8days

Morethan 8days

ExideAmaronAmcoTataOthers:__________________

Brands / TimePeriod

Within 2days

2 -4

days

4 – 8days

Morethan 8days

ExideAmaron  

Amco  Tata  Others:__________________  

18. Any suggestion / recommendation for the SF Sonic battery, so that company will try to give the satisfactory service in future?

Ans:__________________________________________

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

_________________

~Thank You~