C.K. Prahalad's new book "Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid" has just been published.
The Economist writes in its article "Profits and Poverty" that C.K. Prahalad is of the opinion that there can be a win-win relationship between business and the poor
The Economist writes in its article "Profits and Poverty" that C.K. Prahalad is of the opinion that there can be a win-win relationship between business and the poor
“IF WE stop thinking of the poor as victims or as a burden and start recognising them as resilient and creative entrepreneurs and value-conscious consumers, a whole new world of opportunity will open up.”
Mr Prahalad reckons that there are huge potential profits to be made from serving the 4 billion-5 billion people on under $2 a day—an economic opportunity he values globally at $13 trillion a year. The win for the poor of being served by big business includes, he says, being empowered by choice and being freed from having to pay the currently widespread “poverty penalty”. In shanty towns near Mumbai, for example, the poor pay a premium on everything from rice to credit—often five to 25 times what the rich pay for the same services. Driving down these premiums can make serving the BOP more profitable than serving the top, he argues, and points to a growing number of leading firms—from Unilever in India to Cemex in Mexico and Casas Bahia in Brazil—that are profiting by doing precisely that.
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