Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Friday, Apr 30, 2004
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Friday, Apr 30, 2004 |
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Logistics
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Supply Chain Management Marketing - Strategy God proposes, Posts disposes ... and makes a neat pack
Raja Simhan T.E.
Chennai , April 29 WITH couriers taking away more than 40 per cent of the `letter' or retail business from the Department of Posts, the department with its wide reach and infrastructure has decided to put just that into use to regain its market share. It has zeroed in on a market segment that is uniquely Indian and spread across the country. The department decided to focus on religious festivals held in various places and courier `prasadams' to devotees all over the country. This was for the first time tried out at Sabarimala in Kerala for the Mandalam Makara Vilaku last year. This year, its Tamil Nadu circle earned revenues of about Rs 11.80 lakh by couriering temple prasadams and holy water of the Kumbakonam Mahamaham festival. The festival, held in March, is celebrated once in 12 years. The department paid Rs 5.54 lakh to Aadhi Kumbeshwarar Temple in Kumbakonam for providing prasadams and holy water. The express parcel post charges were Rs 2.66 lakh, and the net revenue to the department was Rs 2.88 lakh, said a source. The prasadams include 60-ml of holy water, 12 packets of vibudhi, 17 packets of kumkum and five packets of sugar candy (kalkandu). The prasadams, costing Rs 100, were delivered at the residences of customers. There were orders for the prasadam from far away places, including Assam and Kashmir, he said. Similarly, the department's Tamil Nadu circle earned revenues of Rs 6 lakh by couriering the prasadams of Makara Jothi, which is the most awaited annual event at Sabarimala. For Vishu (Malayalam New Year's Day), the Tamil Nadu circle couriered 770 packets of prasadams all over the country. The department's tie-up with the Travancore Devaswom Board for couriering the Sabarimala and Vavaruswamy prasadam (Rs 150) by express parcel post all over the country during the Vishu festival season will continue this year also. Interestingly, Web portals such as ePrarthana.com and Saranam.com courier prasadams of various temples across the country.
More Stories on : Supply Chain Management | Strategy | Tamil Nadu
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