Simon Milward
"The company I worked for is selling small solar powered lanterns in rural areas. This study looked at what would be the best distribution strategy, particularly regarding which channels the company should try to access and how it should try to access them. The work involved eight weeks in the headquarters in Delhi, including two field trips, one in Karnataka and one in Rajasthan, and several interviews with people from the solar energy industry.
"The study produced a methodology for working out the best distribution strategy and particularly a framework of questions that enable rapid analysis of possible distribution channels as the environment and overall business strategy develops. It is intended that further work will turn the results into a case study that can be shared publicly.
"On a personal note, the work has taught me much about commerce in rural areas of developing countries and also about how to work in the Indian culture and environment. I intend to continue working to build businesses in developing countries and this work has certainly increased my understanding of how to do this.
"There is a video showing key elements of my stay in India available on YouTube »."