5. Instant noodles in Nigeria — a market creating innovation. Talking with Tolaram Africa CEO Deepak Singhal

03/10/16 • 20 min

Senior researcher Efosa Ojomo has written in these pages about the impact that Tolaram has had on Nigeria’s economy by introducing the country to an unlikely product: Indomie instant noodles (~$0.17 USD per package). Efosa’s story, How one company defied the odds and is grossing almost $1 billion in revenue... in Nigeria spawned so much interest that he then wrote a second series on the role of culture (in four parts: 1, 2, 3, 4), using the framework of esteemed MIT Professor Emeritus Edgar Schein.

In this podcast, Tolaram Africa CEO Deepak Singhal joins Efosa and myself to talk about his company’s incredible rise and their plans for what’s next.

In this podcast, Tolaram Africa CEO Deepak Singhal joins Efosa and myself to talk about his company’s incredible rise and their plans for what’s next.

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4. Higher education in Nigeria today — for the lucky few, often only with marginal upside

In the 1980’s, Nigeria’s universities were known for their leading research in agriculture and tropical health, but as demand for greater access forced the system to expand faster than it was capable, the quality of education offered took a sharp decline.

Senior researcher Efosa Ojomo joins this episode of the Disruptive Voice to discuss the opportunity for innovation in Nigeria’s higher education system; looks to Taiwan (Formosa Plastics/Ming Chi University), Korea (POSCO/POSTECH), and Vietnam for inspiration; and highlights the work of entrepreneur Gossy Ukanwoke with Beni American University.

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6. BSSE Research Paper | Asian Paints — Aishwarya Ramakrishnan and Neha Rambhia (MBA 2016)

In post-independence India in the 1950’s, the paint industry was close to non-existent; at the low end, localized regional players provided whitewash for walls while the elite imported paint from Britain such as Goodlass Walls and British Paints. Asian Paints entered the market as an economy brand, creating a market for paints in semi-urban India and built a formidable distribution network. Today, Asian Paints owns nearly twice the market share of their next biggest competitor.

In this episode, two students of the BSSE course, Aishwarya Ramakrishnan and Neha Rambhia, join me to talk about how Asian Paints was able to grow and sustain their success, and what theory would predict about the company’s ambitious plans to move into the whole home décor industry — watch out, Home Depot!