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Companies have to attune themselves, if they are seeking to tap the opportunity that is emerging in the as yet untapped marketplace. Such change has to start taking place at the management level before it percolates down to the rest of an organization.

This was the common thought theme that emerged during the fourth session � Tuning the company: From myths to reality" at the Ninth CII Marketing Summit held here today.

According to Mr. Rohtash Mal, Executive Director & CEO, Escorts Ltd, it was a question of finding the right business mode to fit the 'bottom of the pyramid' that would drive an organisation's growth. "Companies today have to learn to unlearn their existing business strategies and inculcate new models if they want to cash in on the opportunity that the new market presents.

Citing the examples of the Maruti 800 and the Baleno car models from the Suzuki stable, he said "these present two diverse segments of the marketplace, both of which can be good revenue earners. But the question a company faces here is choosing between high volumes and low margins, and low volumes and high margins."

This view was also echoed by Mr. Abdul Khan, Head, Brand & Marketing Communications, Tata Teleservices Ltd, when he said that "the need of the hour is to adapt to the needs of the segment that one is seeking to target." He said that very often it was the top management that failed to recognize the emerging opportunities or chose to follow traditional marketing plans while tapping new markets. Here, he pointed out how Tata Teleservices had successfully incorporated consumer feedback and come out with mobile telephony plans that later became industry standards.

On his part, Mr. Aditya Nath Jha, Vice-President & Head- Global Branding, Infosys Technologies, pointed how finding the right talent was crucial for his company's operations. Conceding that there was a shortage of skilled personnel, he said that it was because of this that Infosys had introduced certain schemes that reach out to those at the bottom of the pyramid. "It was because of such schemes that nearly 20 per cent of all new hires in Infosys have parents who are not graduates."

Moderating the session, Mr. Pranjal Sharma, Executive Editor, UTVi, underscored the need for companies to adapt both within the organization and outside in the marketplace.