I am a master in India

Chapter 381 Industrial Linkage
"Mr. Su, do you think now is a good time to enter the mobile phone market?" Oda asked with interest.

"India has joined the WTO, and Mumbai is at the forefront. Listen outside, you can hear the sound of money flowing. Everyone doing business here needs a mobile phone."

How do you think we should cooperate?

“Of course, it’s the same as before: technology import and localized production.” Ron shrugged.

"Is it possible to go this far? To settle the final payment every time?"

To be honest, Xiaotian still has some lingering trauma. The collaboration on the TV production line a couple of years ago dragged on and on, driving him to the brink of despair.

Starting this year, Suer Electric Appliances seemed to have suddenly changed its ways, and its accounting became clean and efficient.

Oda guessed that this was because they wanted NEC's refrigerator technology, and the two sides had already begun cooperating in this field.

If NEC were to start a mobile phone business now, it would be even more closely tied to Suer Electric, or it could be said that it would be betting even more heavily on it.

In this situation, if the other party becomes slow to settle accounts again, it will have a much greater impact on NEC.

"Don't worry, Suer Electric is thriving right now, and its cash flow is under no pressure at all," Ron immediately assured.

"We hope to send auditors to specifically handle settlement-related work."

"No problem." He nodded readily as before.

There are practically no sales of mobile phones right now; there are probably fewer than 500,000 users in all of India.

NEC phones wouldn't sell very well here; the profit margin is too small, not worth Ron's time and effort.

The reason he's now targeting the mobile phone market is to plan ahead and acquire the necessary technology.

"I will apply to headquarters. Given Suer Electric's performance over the past six months, we should get a response soon." Xiaotian nodded in satisfaction.

"This matter should be done sooner rather than later."

"Yes, but we'll need to discuss it a few times."

"I heard that Japan has a huge demand for coal right now?"

"Huh?" The sudden change of topic caught Oda off guard.

“Well, I actually also have a coal business, very high-quality coal.” Ron gave him a look.

"Coal?" It was only then that Oda asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, in North India. That's my hometown, where there's a steady supply of coal."

So you mean...

"If Mr. Oda can help introduce clients who need his services, the consultation fee will definitely be substantial," Ron said frankly.

"Excuse me, but how much coal can you provide each month?" Xiao Tian's eyes gleamed.

He's not really interested in small amounts. This kind of energy business is only profitable in large-scale transactions.

As soon as Ron opened his mouth, he stunned Oda.

"No less than 20 tons per month, and production can double in six months."

20 million tons?

"Yes, it's an open-pit coalfield, very easy to mine."

The coalfields of Danbad surprised even Ron himself. The mining was extremely easy; it could be done by hand.

Three or four months have passed since his last inspection. Now, various mining equipment is gradually being installed, and large-scale coal production is expected to begin in another two months.

There's no need for a complicated mining plan; you can just go up and dig.

The efficiency of mechanized operations is unimaginable to the locals; a single large mining truck is enough to replace the manual labor of hundreds of people.

Once the equipment is in place, 20 tons is a conservative estimate. If you want to increase coal production, you just need to get some more machinery.

Xiao Tian quickly calculated in his mind that if what Ron said was true, then it could provide at least several million tons of coal every year.

For private enterprises, this number is quite significant.

After all, the University of Tokyo only exports about ten million tons of coal to Japan each year.

Yes, that's right. At that time, Tokyo University was actually an energy exporter.

It wasn't until after the millennium that it transformed into an importer of energy from around the world.

Ron can supply half of the coal exported by the University of Tokyo each year, which is truly astonishing.

As for whether Japan needs it or not? Is there any doubt about that?

Japan imports 97% of its coal, consuming over 100 million tons of various coal resources annually.

The demand is so large that they accept all comers.

Previously, the more than 100 million tons of coal were mainly supplied by Australia.

Although international coal prices are relatively stable, there are two factors that must be considered when trading.

Regarding freight costs and coal types, Australian coal is mostly thermal coal, while Danbad's coal is high-quality coking coal.

The current international price for thermal coal is $34 per ton, and for coking coal it is $52 per ton.

This is the FOB price, meaning the buyer bears the freight costs from the port of shipment to the port of destination.

If it's the landed price, then thermal coal will rise to $47 per ton, and coking coal will become $65 per ton.

Freight costs have a huge impact, accounting for almost one-third of the price of coal itself.

Although the distance from India to Japan is not short, shipping prices from India are generally lower than those from Australia.

If there are cheaper options that can provide sufficiently high-quality coal, why wouldn't Japanese companies choose them?

There is no doubt that Indian coal is cheaper.

The coal mined could be transported by train to Kolkata, and then shipped eastward from Haldia Port directly to Japan.

Oda believes this deal is worthwhile, and many companies in Japan would be interested.

Although he works for an electronics company, his family connections are intricate and extend to almost every industry.

As the person who facilitated the connection, even without mentioning any kickbacks, his network of contacts alone was a valuable asset.

"I'm flying back to Japan tomorrow, but I need to conduct an on-site inspection to determine the coalfield's grade."

“No problem, but don’t forget the important thing: the phone.” Ron gestured.

"A decision will definitely be made within a month."

“Okay.” Ron nodded in satisfaction.

He wants both kinds of business.

Suer Electric Appliances can't really make mobile phones for now.

The University of Tokyo doesn't have the resources for open source, so what can be done? In the end, it all comes down to the daily grind.

Regardless of price or conditions, let's get the technology first. By the time they achieve a breakthrough internally, it might be two or three years into the new millennium, by which time the communication network will be largely complete.

Everything is ready except for the final push.

This is Ron's strategy for the communications market; the most crucial step hasn't been taken yet.

As for the coal business, that was just something I did incidentally.

Ron's cement plant and power plant simply cannot handle that much production; it's most cost-effective to sell the excess directly.

He is also considering setting up a shipping company, since he can transport the coal from Danbad himself.

Yes, Ennor Port will be operational in the second half of the year, and then we'll set up the shipping company.

His ship sailed north to Calcutta, hauled coal, and headed directly to Japan.

One-stop service, wonderful!

If industries can achieve synergy, they can not only save a lot of costs, but also increase profits.

After seeing Oda off, Ron began arranging the itinerary in Goa.

He's only been married twice, and it's not unreasonable for him to have a honeymoon along the way.

While Ron was busy enjoying himself, Suer Electric's pagers and VCDs were officially launched on the market.

Ashish himself got a pager first. He was entitled to use a cell phone, but for the sake of publicity, he naturally had to set a good example.

Don't be fooled by the cheap price of pagers; they used to cost less than two thousand rupees.

But this thing is still a rare commodity on the streets of Mumbai, and not many people have it.

Ashish tucked his small pager into his waistband and then tucked his shirt into his belt, making him the coolest guy on the street.

In just half a day, it attracted the attention of countless young people, especially girls, who not only stared at it frequently but also occasionally winked at it.

Ashish was overjoyed; he had never received so much attention before.

Well, this also suggests that young people in India actually have some knowledge of pagers.

He pulled out his notebook and quickly jotted it down, so that the subsequent publicity could be adjusted accordingly.

This is not surprising; popular things in Western Hollywood can quickly be replicated in Bollywood.

A Suhr pager costs only 1600 rupees, which is enough for most young people's monthly salary; it's not an unattainable luxury.

As long as the marketing is effective, it shouldn't be a problem for it to become a hit.

There's also VCD player, which is a bit pricey at six thousand rupees.

Since it's not a necessity, household users might have some concerns.

But it doesn't matter, Ashish has come up with a good idea.

Today he personally carried two VCD players home, intending to start his marketing strategy in Milara Road.

As soon as he got off at Mila Road Station, he ran into his elderly father, who was strolling around the neighborhood with some people.

He praised the new apartment highly, saying it more than once:

"I can finally have some peace and quiet here, unlike in Chogashvari, where there are always people making noise outside, either arguing or fighting."

Most of them were slum dwellers who used the act of burning down government offices to force local officials to solve their water shortage problem.

Here now, the moment a visitor leaves, the family closes the door behind them.

This is a sight that never appears in Chogashvari during the day.

Back when they lived in the slums, the door was always open.

Now it's time to adapt to local customs; once you move into an apartment, you have to follow the new rules.

It can also be understood that moving into an apartment building brings one closer to the middle-class lifestyle, and people then have a need to protect their privacy.

In slums, privacy is a luxury, not a necessity.

Ashish's father used to spend his days wandering around the neighborhood, familiarizing himself with the area around their new home, checking where the shops were, and where he could buy the freshest vegetables.

He probably never imagined that he would live in such a place in his lifetime.

Because of Ashish, the family now has a blender, a washing machine, and a television.

That's too middle-class; even his mother wouldn't dare make such a wish when praying to the gods.

What's still missing? A car.

But Ashish doesn't need a car for the time being because his house is right next to the railway tracks.

Whenever a diesel-powered train passed by, the clattering of its wheels on the rails and the roar of its whistle blended together, creating a deafening noise.

He could easily board the train with just one step, and he always felt that buying a car now was a waste.

Seeing him and his cousin holding a strange black box, Ashish's father couldn't help but feel curious.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Something for watching movies," Ashish chuckled.

"You've moved the movie theater into your home?" his father exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s different, this is for the TV.” Ashish waved his hand.

As he moved, a CD fell out.

His father glanced over instinctively and was stunned by the figure on the cover.

He had never seen such a naked scene before, with people posing provocatively without any clothes on.

"This...this..." He was dumbfounded and could not even speak properly.

"Ahem, these are my cousin's things, I'm just keeping them for him." Ashish picked them up without changing his expression.

Upon hearing this, Damendra, who was standing nearby, immediately widened his eyes.

Kid, you're trying to pin this on me, aren't you?

"Oh dear, we have to go now." Ashish pulled his cousin away sheepishly.

Instead of going home, they headed towards the market near their neighborhood.

A powerful tool like a VCD player should be placed in a location where it can truly be put to good use.

Ashish's father cursed in frustration, but the image of that disc lingered in his mind.

No, I have to go home and talk to that kid. This thing has to be handed over!

P.S.: I've been in the "little black room" for three consecutive days. Sometimes I can get it over with. I'm resting these two days, but if I oversleep, I can't get it released.

The higher you go, the harder it is to write. I'll try to avoid political commentary in the future; it's risky.

(End of this chapter)