Bajaj Electrical’s Rural Immersion Program Bajaj Electricals Ltd (BEL) is an Indian consumer electrical equipment manufacturing company based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a part of the 380 billion (US$5.9 billion) Bajaj Group. It has diversified with interests in lighting, luminaries, appliances, fans, LPG based Generators, engineering and projects. Its main domains are lighting, consumer durables, engineering and projects. The Need: The Luminaires Business Unit wanted to undertake an immersion program with a special focus on Lighting, LEDs and new market opportunities. Needs identification and Program Planning 

Meet with Vice President Lighting, to identify need.

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Interfaced with knowledge experts from top MBA institute to design program

Program Design & Structure 

Duration: 2 day

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On field orientation of employees, this is done through a knowledge docket, enabling the participants of Bajaj Electricals to get data points of the village

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Interaction with villager families: Bajaj Electrical participants spent time with families in the village, to get to understand village life and their lighting needs.

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Interacting with village influencers & institutions like SHGs & youth groups.

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Guided village market surveys: To understand trade, and the challenges & opportunities in rural markets and feeder towns

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Knowledge Experts: interaction with IIM-C professor on marketing at “Bottom of the Pyramid”

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Maintenance of a learning diary, where the employees note their observations, learnings and insights.

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Important take-a-ways (from staff at Bajaj Electricals)  In rural areas also people are ready to pay in exchange for a quality product.  Rural markets are not price sensitive. It is only a perception that outsiders have  What our perceptions are about rural India is complete different from reality. Testimonies “We’ve launched a new lighting product, based on our learnings during the immersion and are exploring more programs with Grassroutes” Krishnan Raman VP Lighting, Bajaj Electricals .

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