Shiotsu Autotrade - President’s Blog

In my earlier post about Nissan’s Diversity Drive for its female workforce, I had mentioned about the limited role women in Japanese Car Industry and how Nissan is planning to change its corporate culture to include more women.

I recently came across the book Why Women Mean Business which gave a similar message looking at the global corporate culture. This book suggests that gender equality in the labour force could increase GDP by as much as 9 per cent in the US, 13 per cent in Europe and 16 per cent in Japan.

I agree with this view. Women have become probably the greatest neglected resource in business, both in their productive potential as employees and their market potential as buyers.

Carlos Ghosn, chief executive of  Nissan,  recently mentioned that women directly made or influenced two-thirds of car purchases in Japan. So women definitely play a big role as buyer in Japan. As per Nissan’s surveys, 80 per cent of women buyers and half of men would prefer to see women sales executives in car showrooms. Yet only one out of ten salespeople in the Japanese car industry are women.

Companies are learning that they need to change how they market to women. And to start with, I have included my wife and one more female staff member to give more attention to our women buyers.

Technorati Tags: women, Japanese, Car, Nissan, Japan

Last weekend it snowed in Osaka for the first time in 11 years! And it actually snowed a lot for Osaka. Sure it is nothing compared to the snow we get in Hokkaido or Japan Alps area, but for the local residents, it was a beautiful and refreshing experience.

But by the next morning, all the snow had melted away, and the roads were icy and slippery. Of course, it is dangerous to drive or even walk in such slippery roads. I saw many people walking with special shoes or even ski boots. Neverthless, I enjoyed walking in the snow with my family.

When I went to India the week before, it was also surprisingly cold there. These days we hear a lot about global warming. What scientists have to say about this cold wave seen virtually all over the world ? 

Technorati Tags: Osaka, Hokkaido, Japan, snow, ski, India, global warming

Last week I visited Mumbai in India on a business cum pleasure trip just for 3 days. I was happy that my friend Raj showed me few landmarks of Mumbai city during my busy schedule there.

I was impressed by the hectic life in Mumbai city with heavy traffic of cars. Though I could see many modern types of  cars from Suzuki, Toyota, Tata, and Hyundai in Mumbai, I was particularly happy to see the famous Ambassador car there.

There are not many Ambassador cars in Mumbai these days - the only few Ambassadors are used for taxi or by top political leaders. However, it still remains one of the most popular cars of India.

Ambassador was the first car to be manufactured in India, and it has been ruling the Indian roads for over five decades, ever since its inception in 1948. The car has been undergoing a series of changes, adapting to customer expectations. but it has retained its classic shape. It is the grand old car of the Indian automotive industry.

Its tough body is suited to Indian roads, and it is spacious enough for big Indian families. With a sturdy body, easy technology and low maintenance costs, the car has made it to the most preferred car for generations of Indians.

In India, taxis are found in two colors. The blue ones are airconditioned and are little expernsive. The normal taxis are yellow and black.

Most of the standard taxis in Mumbai, the Premier Padmini model is a favorite. Premier Padmini was based on 1963 Fiat 1100 design and has been manufactured in India since 1968 to 2000. This car too has ruled the Indian roads for over four decades.

Technorati Tags: Mumbai, India, Suzuki, Toyota, Ambassador, car