Financial data analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Financial data analysis - Essay Example Time series analysis also assist stakeholders and other interested parties in understanding how the various sets of data behave within a given period. Besides, the time series analysis assists in developing a forecasting model, which can be very significant in making projections, planning, and budgeting (Ott & Longnecker, 2010). The process involved restricting the data into the two prices of wheat as stated within the instructions. After which, the correlation function under the data analysis was used in order to identify the correlation coefficient. A descriptive data analysis was also conducted. Besides, the process involved conducting a time series analysis, which eventually contributed to the graph drawn below (Ott & Longnecker, 2010). Ott and Longnecker (2010 also add that even though the process was tedious and very challenging, the following are the findings. The other difficult obtained is that the data used was not graduated in order to ensure that a good fit of data is obtained for the purposes of further analyses. The correlation coefficients and the descriptive statistic components obtained from the data are represented in the following table. The following discussions provide the understanding of the correlation coefficients, covariance, some of the descriptive statistics components, and the time series graph. From the above figure, the correlation coefficient is 0.950684215, which is positive. According to Ott and Longnecker (2010), correlation coefficient range from +1 to -1 depending on the strength and direction of the relationship existing between the variables in question. In this case, the correlation coefficient is 0.95 indicating a strong positive correlation between the prices of the two types of wheat. The following are the time series graphs for each of the type of wheat that is in the question. The two time series are important in establishing a forecasting model for the prices of the two kinds of

Social Change In Pakistan

Social Change In Pakistan Pakistan enters the second decade of the 21st Century as a majority middle class society, indicating an increasing social and economic mobility  [1]  and therefore demand for new services and for global relationships. This process of social change from Feudal to Civil society is fraught with complications creating institutional vacuum that distorts the social change process and makes the change slow and reducing societys competitive advantage vis-à  -vis other societies. One of the major impact is that about 60% of the middle class comprises of low income households who earn between Rs.5000 (US$60) and Rs.25000 (US$300). The low income households are highly vulnerable to slipping below the poverty line, have little or no citizenship rights and political voice and depend on informal sector for housing, employment, finance, transportation and social services. The second impact is the massive environmental degradation and pollution due to unregulated production and exploitation of natural resources. Now with more than 70% of the population below 30 years of ages, and the ever increasing demand for services and low level of energy production and infrastructure development, Pakistani society faces a crisis of competitiveness to benefit from the social change process. Also Pakistan has been carved out of the Indian sub continent where the Central Asian Tribal society and the Indian Caste based society meet. On right bank of the Indus River, especially in the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) and the upper reaches of Balochistan, bordering with Afghanistan, the society has a strong tribal nature. Of the 9% of Pakistans 168.8 million persons living on the right bank, 23% are middle class and the urban proportion is 20%. On the left bank of the Indus River where the caste societal structure is crumbling, 64% of the population is middle class and the urban proportion is near to 40%. The violence accompanying the societal change evident in 16th century Britain, and in 18th and 19th century Europe and America that ushered in a constitutional government and abolished slavery and fiefdoms, is now taking place on the right bank of Indus River. One reason for the delayed change is the existence of the tribal institutions that is strongly conservative i n nature, values survival, and has the capacity to maintain subsistence economy based on natural resources and wars to capture neighboring resources. The closing in of the borders is forcing the tribal society to change, but there is a strong resistance given the foreign aid it receives. The Caste based society; mainly feudal in nature has undergone considerable change since British colonization of the Indian subcontinent triggered the change from Feudal to Civil society in the Mid-Nineteenth century. The British were able to trigger the change because the Civil society structure they brought was more advanced  [2]  than the Feudal, and it was in an advanced stage of development in Britain  [3]  . The Colonization process started a process of capture of resources (restraining the locals from its use), its massive conversion into capital, and its transfer to Britain for its Industrial development. This process was facilitated by technological innovation and marginalized the local communities directly dependent on them. To help the British in this process they created a cadre of people i.e. educated them, gave them political and administrative powers and enabled them to become economic agents. The English Speaking elite that emerged through a century of British rule continue to play key role in the transfer of resources from Pakistan to global market at the cost of local population. These elite hold key position in Government, academia, businesses and military. They create nexus to marginalize other sections of the society from developing and partner with external forces to exploit the countrys human, financial and natural resources. They influence government policies and prevent low income groups from legitimizing their social, economic and political assets. And therefore, restricts the society from developing new services and institutions and keeps the low income dependent on mafia for services. This process like virus corrupts all new reforms and innovations and kills them before they can institutionalize. To maintain the status quo, they capture benefits from development projects and malign citizen organizations from bringing about social change. After the Aryans invaded the subcontinent and pushed the Dravidian society to retreat, they established the Caste structure that gave the highest position to the priest class, secondary positions to warriors and traders, and relegated the non-Aryan to a position of slavery and outcasts. This society grew and developed and consolidated the feudal mindset. Muslim invasion of the subcontinent created a historical schism in the existing society and divided it into two nations. Being invaders and rulers, the Muslims could not be relegated to the slave status and at the same time the Muslims coming from a tribal society could not enforce a new structure on the existing more advanced social structure. During the Moghul rule, attempts were made to bring the nations together but to no avail. As the British opened doors to social and economic mobility, the secondary castes were quick in entering the elite circle, while the Muslims because of their elite nature alienated themselves from the dev elopment process and even opposed the process. Within the Muslims developed orthodoxy and conservative forced entrenched themselves as leaders. During the British rule, the caste system began to weaken but the Hindu-Muslim schism widened. On the eve of partition, Bengal and Punjab were divided and mass migration took place. The violence that took place during Partition and the forceful capture of Muslim states and part of Kashmir further heightened the Hindu-Muslim divide. Governance in Pakistans therefore developed as a reaction to Indian hostility and gave legitimacy and support to Conservative rule in Pakistan. In Pakistan, conservative forces created a nexus between Pakistans Muslim identity and security issue to oppose liberalizing civil society. With the setting in of the Afghan War, Pakistani conservatives received massive support that went into strengthening conservative elements and strengthening sectarian differences. The conservative elements weakened the governance structure through creation of sectarian politics, support to militancy and suppressing all other forms of political and cultural forums. They marked development as threat to Muslim identity and supported violent means to distort development, especially education, population planning and political participation. The conservatives saw the educated and emancipated young women aggressively seeking social and economic freedom and creating new aspirations, connections and symbols of expressions as a major threat, and have launched a movement to contain and regulate the emerging new woman. The backlash has been in the name of r eligion and to maintain family honor and social values. The conservatives have put up all sort of hurdles to block womens mobility, education, employment, freedom of expression (especially public appearance) and decision making. The reactions range from domestic tensions to honor killings and to preventing new women from voting and participating in political activities. Conservative forces at all levels have tried to keep the women domesticated and out of public realm to the extent of engaging in terrorism and creating human insecurity. The new women, not to be contained are sacrificing her life, honor and property to realize the new found dreams and freedom. Her greatest assistance comes from Civil societies in more advanced stage of development, and presently with more than 70% of the population below 30 years of age in Pakistan, she is poised to overcome the conservative forces with the help of foreign institutions to establish Civil society in Pakistan. In Punjab, after Independence, the immigrant Muslims settled in cities and small towns and today forms the backbone of the middle class. Even though large number of migrants was from rural areas or carried a Feudal mindset, but the migration changed them and they were forced to accept a middle class lifestyle. The Punjabis therefore participated in the market based process and took an edge given the historical discrimination facing other communities. The lower castes because of the historical discriminations began entry as the agricultural revolution mechanization, financing of agricultural inputs, land reforms, road and communication development, etc forced the feudal to release stranglehold. Coupled with Industrial production and development of urban services, agricultural revolution also set into motion rural to urban migration and the centralization of political power in cities. The middle class started developing in cities, but with Feudal order sustaining the values and mindset, the new middle class remained Feudal. The change process manifested itself in the political agenda of the seventies and in the Pakistani constitution of 1973 that recognized the people as citizens with rights and stimulated the growth of working class. It tried to decimate the edge enjoyed by the elite through nationalization and encouraging the peasants to participate in the emerging construction, transportation and communication industries. Subsequently, the low income group or working class earning a monthly household income below Rs.25,000 (US$300) and above the national poverty line of Rs.5000 (US$60) emerged as force. In addition to new migration to urban areas, the low income group also comprises of a middle class in rural areas. This group even today however has little or no access to formal sector services and citizenship rights. Consequently, they acquire these services housing, finance, transport, employment, etc. through informal sector and collaborate with mafia and interest groups to access citizenship rights and seek protection from law enforcing agencies. The low income households over time has improved its income and status with the help of informal sector and in the process strengthened the mafia and created new interest groups transporters association, informal money lenders, land mafia and land grabbers, etc. The low income households are estimated to be more than 60% in Karachi, Pakistans biggest city and in higher proportions in other urban and rural settlements. These households are most vulnerable to edging below the poverty line because of dependence on a single earner who is susceptible to health risks, human rights violations and accidents. Conclusions Summarily, the social change in Pakistan from a tribal and caste based society to Civil society is reflected in the rise of the low income groups. And this most obvious in the left bank of River Indus where rural and urban middle class are in majority. The new women are leading the social change process at a very high cost. The process however is not complete and fraught with violence. In the process of change, though middle class are in majority and increasing in number but their aspirations and demands are not finding a political expression. Three complications in the social change process have created an institutional vacuum  [4]  : As a result of the complications in the social change process, development remains small and scattered. Big development projects marginalize the target groups, lead to elite capture of development benefits and destruction of public goods and formation of duplicate institutions. Small pilots develop into models but fail to scale up. Institutional vacuum maintains the demand for social mobilization, awareness raising and training, making development inefficient and unsustainable.

The Berlin Book Burning and the Beginning of the Nazi Regime Essay

Leaders are always looking to demonstrate their power. They want to show the world that they are the ones in authority, that no one should cross their path or challenge their ideas. To do this leaders burn books that they want to efface from the minds of their followers. Book burnings are always a part of a massive turning point in history, either for good or bad. In most cases book burnings appear towards the beginning of the battle, to strengthen everyone’s opinion to be with or against whatever the leaders may be burning. Burnings of books appear all over history, and all over the world, so they were not a rare sight to see or hear of. The Nazi regime burned books on May 10, 1933 in Berlin; it was one of the first book burnings that they preformed around Germany before and during WWII. The German poet Heinrich Heine in 1822 perfectly predicted what the Nazi regime was going to do during WWII in one sentence: â€Å"Where they burn books, they will, in the end, burn human be ings too† (Heine), which leads to the fact that the Berlin Book Burning was just the start of a new gruesome period in time. Though just because book burnings took place on several occasions in history does not mean it did not affect anyone, matter of fact it was of massive importance. The Berlin Book Burning had a colossal impact on the Nazis; it allowed their ideas to spread, it increased the awareness and fear of the Nazis, and it helped ensure the ignorance of the Germans. The Berlin Book Burning burned writings that the German student associations viewed as â€Å"un-German†, which then made the Nazi’s ideas spread to places it had not reached before and allowed it to take control. Dr. Goebbels was the mastermind behind the Berlin Book Burning. Dr. Goebbels was ma... ...els: Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment." Joseph Goebbels. Historical . . Boys' Clothing, 9 July 2010. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. "Joseph Goebbels: On the "Big Lie"" Joseph Goebbels On the "Big Lie" Jewish Virtual Library. . . Web. 03 Nov. 2013. Milton, John. "Quotations about Liberty and Power." Areopagitica . Ed. Sir Richard C. Jebb. . Areopagitica, with a Commentary by Sir Richard C. Jebb and with Supplementary Material . . ed.: Cambridge at the UP, 1918. N. pag. Areopagitica a Speech of Mr John Milton. 15 May . 2006. Web. 03 Nov. 2013. Stern, Guy. "The Burning of the Books in Nazi Germany, 1933: The American Response." 2 . Annual 2 Chapter 05-Simon Wiesenthal Center Multimedia Learning Center. The Simon , . Wiesenthal Center, 1997. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.

Two-Wheeler Automobile Industry in India

TWO-WHEELER AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY IN INDIA By group IX, MBA ‘Sec A’ Submitted to : Submitted by : Mrs. Smitha Nayak Anooj Balachandra Chandrakanti Shatrudra Saurabh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTThe satisfaction and joy that accompanies the successful completion of a task is incomplete without mentioning the name of the person who extended her help and support in making it a success. We are greatly indebted to Mrs. Smitha Nayak , our Project Guide and Mentor for devoting her valuable time and efforts towards our project. We thank her for being a constant source of knowledge, inspiration and help during this period of making project.GROUP IX Anooj Balachandra Chandrakanti Shatrudra Saurabh TABLE OF CONTENT * Objective of the project * Introduction to Indian automobile industry * BCG matrix representation of automobile sector among various sectors * Overview of two-wheeler sector Fleet composition of all vehicles * Two-wheeler fleet composition in India * Structure of two-wheeler indus try * Usage pattern of two-wheeler in India * Key players in two wheeler industry * Introduction & Product mix Hero Honda & Bajaj (competitor) * 4 P’s of marketing of Hero Honda * Market segmentation, Targeting and Positioning of Hero Honda. * Porters five force model for Hero Honda * SWOT analysis of Hero Honda (Karizma) * SWOT analysis of Bajaj (Pulsar) * Comparison of advertising strategy of Hero Honda and Bajaj * Future challenges ,Plans and SuggestionsOBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT:- The main objectives of the Project study are: * Detailed analysis of Automobile industry which is gearing towards international standards. * To conduct market research with regard to two-wheeler automobile industry and understand its marketing strategies. * Analyze the impact of qualitative factors on industry’s and company’s prospects * Comparative analysis of major tough competitor. * To understand the current trends in two-wheeler automobile industry. INTRODUCTION TO INDIAN AUTOMO BILE INDUSTRY Automobile is one of the largest industries in global market.Being the leader in product and process technologies in the manufacturing sector, it has been recognized as one of the drivers of economic growth. During the last decade, well directed efforts have been made to provide a new look to the automobile policy for realizing the sector's full potential for the economy. Aggressive marketing by the auto finance companies have also played a significant role in boosting automobile demand, especially from the population in the middle income group. A Nations economy is well known from its transport system.For instant and rapid growth in economy, a well-developed and well-networked transportation system is essential. As India's transport network is developing at a fast pace, Indian Automobile Industry is growing too. Also, the Automobile industry has strong backward and forward linkages and hence provides employment to a large section of the population. Thus the role of Au tomobile Industry is very essential in Indian economy. Various types of vehicles are manufactured by the Automobile Industry. Indian Automobile Industry includes the manufacturing of trucks, buses, passenger cars, defence vehicles, two-wheelers.The two-wheeler manufacturing is dominated by companies like TVS, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (Pvt. ) Ltd. , Hero Honda, Yamaha, Bajaj, etc. The automobile industry in the country is one of the key sectors of the economy in terms of the employment opportunities that it offers. The industry directly employs close to around 0. 2 million people and indirectly employs around 10 million people. The prospects of the industry also has a bearing on the auto-component industry which is also a major sector in the Indian economy directly employing 0. 25 million people.BCG Matrix Representation of Automobile Sector among various Sectors:- In an economy, different industries are present and different industries have different growth rate as compared to the growth of the economy. In an economy, there are a number of major industries and they all occupy different positions in the BCG matrix according to their growth and contribution towards the economy. In the Indian economy, some of the major sectors are FMCG, automobiles, banking and insurance, steel, telecom, software, pharmacology and retail sectors and these can be placed in the different positions in the matrix as shown below:INDUSTRY BCG MATRIX AUTOMOBILES Market Growth Rate High Banking & Insurance Software STARS | QUESTION MARKS Retail Telecom | CASH COWS Low FMCG | DOGS | High Low Relative market share BCG matrix is used to determine the relative position of the companies of an industry or different SBU’s of any institution, in terms of the market growth rate and the market share of the company in the industry. In the Indian automobile sector, the major players are Maruti Suzuki Limited, General motors, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, Hero Honda and Bajaj aut o.In the BCG matrix, the companies are placed in one of the following four categories: Star, Cash Cows, Dogs and Question marks. In the Stars we place the companies with high market growth and high market share, cash cows are the companies who have low market growth rate and high relative market share, the category of the question marks include the companies with low relative market share and high market growth rate and dogs include the companies who have low relative market share and low market growth rate. OVERVIEW OF TWO WHEELER SECTOR Two Wheeler IndustryIndian two -wheeler contributes the largest volumes amongst all the segments in automobile industry. This segment can be broadly categorized into 3 sub-segments viz. ; scooters, motorcycles and mopeds. In the last four to five years, the two-wheeler market has witnessed a marked shift towards motorcycles at the expense of scooters. In the rural areas, consumers have come to prefer sturdier bikes to withstand the bad road conditi ons. In the process the share of motorcycle segment has grown from 48% to 58%, the share of scooters declined drastically from 33% to 25%, while that of mopeds declined by 2% from 19% to 17% during the year 2008-09.The Euro emission norms effective from April 2000 led to the existing players in the two- stroke segment to install catalytic converters. All the new models are now being replaced by 4-stroke motorcycles. Excise duty on motorcycles has been reduced from 32% to 24%, resulting in price reduction, which has aided in propelling the demand for motorcycles. Within the two-wheeler industry, motorcycle segment grew at a phenomenally high rate of 35% as against a deceleration of 3% for scooters and 27% for mopeds. In fact, motorcycle has been taking away the share of scooters and mopeds in a 4. million two-wheeler market and surging ahead with its market share of 68%. The increasing demand from semi-urban and rural segments may have caused this positive shift towards motorcycles. Also, easy credit coupled with low interest rate regime, constrained personal transport, increasing income levels in middle class and higher aspirations of young people all seem to be the factors responsible for such high growth in two-wheelers. The growth in two-wheelers has been robust enough to counter the slowdown and other factors constraining the overall business activity in the country.Also, rationalization of excise duty in the Union Budget 2002-03 had a positive impact on the demand for motorcycles. We also expect the motorcycles to continue to lead the two-wheeler segment like in all other Asian countries. Available forecasts suggest that this trend would continue for another couple of years and the industry would record nearly double-digit average annual growth up to 2006. During the year, there have been important developments in two-wheeler industry. The competition has strengthened though there are hardly any new entrants into the industry.There is an increasing emphas is on price and this has led to cost cutting efforts all across the industry, thereby, making the customer an ultimate beneficiary. The trend also saw introduction of new motorcycles with capacity ranging from 100 to 180cc bikes. We anticipate that many more new models will be launched during the year and provide customers plenty of choice at competitive prices. Businesses cannot consistently grow at 25-30 per cent. Each business has a tendency to taper and plateau after attaining a particular size. An annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent over a period of time is extremely healthy.The TCS study rankings are conducted at the motorcycle segment-level to provide comparisons among similar groups of motorcycles. Motorcycles ranking highest in their respective segments for TCS are: Hero Honda CD100 SS (best standard motorcycle segment); Hero Honda Splendor (best executive motorcycle segment); Bajaj Pulsar (best premium motorcycle segment); and Royal Enfield Bullet Electra (best cruiser mo torcycle segment). The feeling of freedom and being one with the Nature comes only from riding a two wheeler. Indians prefer the two wheelers because of their small manageable size, low maintenance, and pricing and easy loan repayments.Indian streets are full of people of all age groups riding a two wheeler. Motorized two wheelers are seen as a symbol of status by the populace. Two wheelers in India are the second largest producer and manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world. It stands next only to Japan and China in terms of the number of two-wheelers produced and domestic sales respectively. Indian two-wheeler industry has got spectacular growth in the last few years. Indian two-wheeler industry had a small beginning in the early 50's. The Automobile Products of India (API) started manufacturing scooters in the country.Bikes are a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry, the other two being scooters and mopeds. Indian companies are among the largest two-wheeler manufacturers in the world. In the initial stages, the scooter segment was dominated by API; it was later overtaken by Bajaj Auto. Although various government and private enterprises entered the fray for scooters, the only new player that has lasted till today is LML. The motorcycle segment was initially dominated by Enfield 350cc bikes and Escorts 175cc bike. The two-wheeler market was opened to foreign competition in the mid-80s.And the then market leaders – Escorts and Enfield – were caught unaware by the onslaught of the 100cc bikes of the four Indo-Japanese joint ventures. With the availability of fuel efficient low power bikes, demand swelled, resulting in Hero Honda – then the only producer of four stroke bikes (100cc category), gaining a top slot. The first Japanese motorcycles were introduced in the early eighties. TVS Suzuki and Hero Honda brought in the first two-stroke and four-stroke engine motorcycles respectively. These two players initially started with assem bly of CKD kits, and later on progressed to indigenous manufacturing.In the 90s the major growth for motorcycle segment was brought in by Japanese motorcycles, which grew at a rate of nearly 25% CAGR in the last five years. The industry had a smooth ride in the 50s, 60s and 70s when the Government prohibited new entries and strictly controlled capacity expansion. The industry saw a sudden growth in the 80s. The industry witnessed a steady growth of 14% leading to a peak volume of 1. 9mn vehicles in 1990. In 1990, the entire automobile industry saw a drastic fall in demand. This resulted in a decline of 15% in 1991 and 8% in 1992, resulting in a production loss of 0. mn vehicles. Barring Hero Honda, all the major producers suffered from recession in FY93 and FY94. Hero Honda showed a marginal decline in 1992. The reasons for recession in the sector were the incessant rise in fuel prices, high input costs and reduced purchasing power due to significant rise in general price level and credit crunch in consumer financing. Factors like increased production in 1992, due to new entrants coupled with the recession in the industry resulted in company either reporting losses or a fall in profits. Two wheeler fleet composition in India:- STRUCTURE OF TWO WHEELER INDUSTRY Mopeds:- Over the last 15 years, moped’s contribution in overall 2-wheelers has declined significantly and now it remains a marginal category with just one manufacturer for the product. Its contribution in the 2-wheelers industry now stands at 5% and we expect that this segment will continue to be marginalised. The only player in this segment is TVS Motor. * Scooters:- Advent of fuel efficient motorcycles in the Indian 2-wheelers industry led to decline of Scooters. However, over the last five years, it has made a recovery and is emerging as a niche segment targeted towards women commuters.One of the reasons for this is the increasing need of mobility for the women commuters especially in the urba n areas is due to higher number of college going girls and greater participation of women in urban work force. The product itself has gone for a complete revamp and now this category mainly consists of gearless products. This segment is now dominated by Japanese manufacturers with HMSI having the leadership. HH, which is a late entrant in this segment, has also cornered a sizeable market share in the scooter segment. Another development in this segment is the launch of battery operated scooters.However, given the high replacement cost for the batteries, this has remained a marginal segment. * Motor cycles and bikes:- * Executive Segment Executive segment is the largest motorcycle segment and this is the stronghold of market leader HH. Competitors have tried to challenge HH in this segment, however all such challenges have fizzled out over time. With higher growth in economy segment, the contribution of this segment had come below 50% in FY06. However over the last three years, it ha s made a strong come back and now accounts for almost 60% of the motorcycle share. * Premium SegmentThis segment was creation of HH with ‘CBZ' And ‘KARIZMA’; however major boost to the segment was given by BAJAJ through ‘Pulsar' which has dominated the segment. HH has remained a marginal player in this segment and one of the reasons for this is presence of HMSI in this segment. This segment remains a small segment in the Indian market with contribution of around 23% to the motorcycle industry. This is the performance segment and customers pay a premium for the novelty. Hence constant upgradation in the product is a requisite for success in this segment. Usage Pattern of two-wheelers in IndiaIs quite different from other countries * Initial cost and fuel economy are highest priority. * Low maintenance costs are desired. * Small entrepreneurs and farmers conduct their business carrying loads. * Very limited usage for sports bike. * Indians prefer the two wheel ers because of their small manageable size, low maintenance, and pricing and easy loan repayments. Key players in the Two-wheeler industry: * Hero Honda motors ltd. * Bajaj auto ltd. * TVS motors company ltd. * Yamaha motors India * Honda motorcycle and scooters India Motorcycles in India: Bikes comprise a major segment of Indian two wheeler industry.Companies : Hero Honda Motors Ltd (HHML ) Hero Honda Motors Limited was established in 1984, as a joint venture between India's Hero Group (world's largest bicycle manufacturers) and Japan's Honda Motor Company. And created the world's single largest two wheeler company and also one of the most successful joint ventures worldwide. During the 80s, Hero Honda became the first company in India. Over 19 million Hero Honda two wheelers running on Indian roads today. * Hero Honda CD Dawn * Hero Honda CD Deluxe * Hero Honda Glamour * Hero Honda Glamour-Fi * Hero Honda Karizma * Hero Honda Passion Plus Hero Honda Pleasure * Hero Honda Super Spl endor * Hero Honda Splendor NXG * Hero Honda CBZ X-Treme Bajaj Auto Ltd Company : Bajaj is the first Indian two wheeler automobile company in the market since 1945 with the name M/s Bacharj trading corporation private limited. In 1959 M/s Bacharj trading corporation private limited change its name as Bajaj Auto Ltd. Bajaj Auto obtains license from the Government of India to manufacture two- and three-wheelers vehicles in 1959. * Bajaj Avenger * Bajaj CT 100 * Bajaj Platina * Bajaj Discover DTSi * Bajaj Pulsar DTSi * Bajaj Wave * Bajaj Wind 125 * Sonic DTSiTVS Motor Company : TVS Motors is the third largest company in the two-wheeler industry with a market share of 16%. Infect, it is the only Indian company without a foreign collaboration in the two-wheeler industry. When the company opted out of the collaboration with Suzuki in 2002, many believed that TVS was headed towards extinction. But the company proved the doomsayers wrong and came out with a very successful `TVS Victor'. TVS Motors Ltd. originally incorporated in 1982 to manufacture two-wheelers in collaboration with Suzuki Motors of Japan, TVS was one of the leaders in two-wheeler industry. TVS Apache * TVS Centra * TVS Fiero * TVS Star * TVS Victor Yamaha Motor India: Yamaha Motor Corporation is the auto mobile company of Japan (1953) which works in India since 1955 and providing latest technology in India from last two decades. Yamaha Motor India was incorporated in august 2001 as a 100% subsidiary of Yamaha motor corporation, Japan * Yamaha CruxS * Yamaha G5 * Yamaha Gladiator * Yamaha FZ 16 * Yamaha R15 * Yamaha Fazer Honda motor: Honda motors of Japan is not a new name in the two wheeler scenario in the country, they were in a tie up with the Firodias owned Kinetic group.However in the late 90s they parted ways after problems arose over issues like introduction of new models, advertising expenditure, marketing strategies and other related issues. In the mid 80 Honda motors of Japan joined hands w ith the largest bicycle maker of India the Hero cycles to create Hero Honda which in a couple of decades or so have gone on to become the single largest motorcycle company in the world. Though Honda has come on its own on the Indian market yet it will be providing technological support to Hero Honda for the next ten years.Thus presenting a unique situation in which the company will be in direct competition with the company which it has been associated for nearly two decades. Honda Motorcycles and Scooters India limited, a 100% subsidiary of Honda motor company Japan eventually entered the Indian market with Honda Unicorn in 2004. * Honda Unicorn * Honda activa Now further the marketing strategies of HERO HONDA and its competitor BAJAJ will be analyzed. HERO HONDA * The Company was Incorporated on 19th January,1984 at New Delhi as a joint venture. Today Hero Honda is the largest two-wheeler manufacturer in the world producing more than 3 million units of two-wheeler per year. * The c ompany's most popular model is the Hero Honda Splendour, which is the world's largest-selling motorcycle. * Over 19 million Hero Honda two wheelers are on Indian roads today. * Hero Honda CD-100 is the first four stroke motorcycle to be introduced in India in 100cc range. * During the fiscal year 2008-09, the company has sold 3. 28 million bikes. PRODUCT MIX SCOOTER| BIKE 100CC| 125CC| 150CC| 220CC| PLEASURE| CD 100SPLENDORSPLENDOR+PASSIONPASSION+| AMBITIONGLAMOR| CBZCBZ XTREME| KARIZMA|BAJAJ (COMPETITOR) * Established in 1945. * Started production of scooters in 1961 and became first two wheeler manufacturing company of India. * Bajaj Auto, is ranked as the world's fourth largest two and three- wheeler manufacturer. * Bajaj Auto is India’s largest exporter of two wheelers. * During 2008-09, the company exported 772,519 two and three-wheelers recording a growth of 25 percent over 2007-08. * Exports now constitute 37 per cent in volume terms and 35 per cent IN value of net sal es. PRODUCT MIX 100CC| 125CC| 135CC| 150CC| 180CC| 200CC| 220CC| BAJAJ CT 100, BAJAJ PLTINIA, BAJAJ WAVE DISCOVER,BAJAJ WIND,BAJAJ XCD| PULSAR-135| PULSAR-150| PULSAR-180,AVENGER| PULSAR-200| PULSAR-220| 4 P’s OF MARKETING OF HERO HONDA :- PRODUCT Hero Honda, which has a technology tie-up with Japan's Honda Motors, was currently discussing the feasibility of manufacturing scooters for the Indian market, Mr. Munjal said. However, the company has a binding clause with Honda's scooter manufacturing Indian subsidiary, preventing it from making scooters till 2004. Hero Honda Motors, India's largest motorcycle company, has launched the premium segment 223cc motorcycle Karizma priced at Rs 79,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi).Many of the products which the company has started with have been phased off. Now the existing products are Karizma, Ambition, CBZ, Splendor, Splendor+, Passion, Passion Plus, CD 100 SS, CD 100 and CD Dawn. The TCS study examines customer evaluations at three distinct o wnership periods: 1 to 6 months, 7 to 18 months, and 25 to 36 months. This helps in understanding the differences in satisfaction during initial ownership, in-warranty and post-warranty ownership periods. Satisfaction ratings decline as the length of vehicle ownership increases.However, Hero Honda Splendor is among the few models to maintain consistency across the three ownership periods. PRICING Pricing is a important component of marketing mix of the firm. Determining the prices of different products of a firm is very difficult task of the marketing manager. Price denotes money value of a product. If represent the amount of money for which a product can be exchange. In other words, prices represents the money which the buyer pays to the seller for a product price represent the exchange value of goods and services in terms of money. Price is all around.Price factor has very well been touched by the manufacturers. The pricing strategy of the company is very set. They price their pro duct according to the cost of production and also by keeping an eye on the price of the competitors of that segment and demand of the product in the market. A pricing strategy that ensured an average manufacturer margin that game dealer an adequate return and created a reputation with consumers like â€Å"a company selling a good quality product at a reasonable price. Industry focus themselves the low cost producer with good quality and aimed to maintain the price advantage in every market of two wheelers.Hero Honda group ensures an easily affordable pricing through excellent transportation to common man. It fixes customer centric pricing that provide customer total satisfaction. Hero Honda’s pricing objectives are: List price, Discount, Financing schemes, Credit terms, and Maximize profits Hero Honda group ensures an easily affordable pricing through excellent transportation to common man. It fixes customer centric pricing that provides the customer with total satisfaction. PLACE CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION: As a company, dealers play a major role in serving customers, while growing and sustaining markets.Hero Honda has a network of more than 3500 strong and dedicated Authorized dealers. A network that has helped Hero Honda’s name and its promise of reliable quality to every part of the country. The power of this highly efficient and motivated network goes a long way to create goodwill for Hero Honda brand among countless consumers besides creating availability and after sales services. The channel of distribution is a direct dealer network. A direct dealer is a dealer who is authorized to purchase the product directly from the company and sell. PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION: Hero Honda has more than 3500 showrooms in India.Some of the Authorized dealers of Hero Honda Karizma, in and around Bombay, are: †¢ Max Motors (Bombay) †¢ F. P. Motors (Bombay) †¢ Axis Motors (Thane) †¢ Ranjeet Motors (Thane) †¢ Ahir Motors (Kalyan) †¢ Spectra Motors (New Bombay) †¢ H. M. Motors (Panvel) PROMOTION Promotional tools 1. ADVERTISING: It is defined as a paid non-personal communication with a target (usually mass) market. It is cost effective and can reach a large number of people. It can also be used for long term or short term objectives. There are various forms or mediums through which can advertise. A. Broadcast Media: * Television * Radio * Cinema B. Print media: Newspapers * Magazines * Leaflets C. Outdoor media: * Posters and billboards. 2. PUBLIC RELATIONS AN PUBLICITY: Public relations are an umbrella term and refer to the totality of the organization’s behavior with respect to the society in which it operates. The maybe regarded as good or bad and is reflected in the company’s reputation and image. 3. SPONSORSHIP: Sponsorship can be seen as a part of public relations and it is certainly the case that some sponsorship goes on to generate positive publicity for the organization. The company h as not left any stone untamed in sponsoring the major events both globally and domestically.The biggest of all is the sponsorship of the â€Å"WORLD CUP† for which Hero Honda has the credit of being the only two-wheeler company in the world to do so. Recently they are sponsoring the Hockey World cup. Besides this, the company has also sponsored events like â€Å"Master Golf†, television academy awards, etc, Thus the company has gained a lot of reputation by doing so. 4. DISCOUNTS/OFFERS: The company has started giving discounts and other offers to the customers on the purchase of a new bike, for instance, with the World Cup offer, in which the consumer was to get a 1 gm gold coin with every purchase.But after all these schemes and benefits may be because of cut-throat competition in the segment with heavyweight competition such as Bajaj, kinetic, Yamaha, and TVS the company (HERO HONDA) officially says: â€Å"Our aim is to proactively and consistently deliver value to the customer. We are giving back to the customer after becoming successful. Most companies give discounts only when their products are not doing well in the market. There is lost of competition in the segment, especially from Bajaj.But the reason for Hero Honda’s success it that we are consumer-focused while other companies such as Bajaj tends to be more competitor-focused. 5. Test ride and Road show PROMOTION POLICY: * Company gives advertisement in different media vehicles time to time. Like in TV. Magazines, newspaper, etc. * Hero Honda also organizes free service camps every year. * Hero Honda also takes art in trade fair. * Hero Honda with the help of ICICI Bank provides loan to the customers & also provide easy monthly installment scheme to customers. * Hero Honda gives huge commission to their dealers.Advertisement, local events sponsorship and promotions and inviting a prominent personality for the inaugural or first like delivery function would contribute effectivel y in generating a wider local interest and attention. Hero Honda’s latest DKD –2 commercial its two brand starring its Ambassador and India’s heart throbs, Hritik Roshan and Sourav Ganguly, truly reflects the multi fact roles that today’s new generation plays. The commercial reflecting the charisma and vibrancy of these two stars, takes Desh Ki Dhadkan to dazzling new heights. It is young, colorful and vibrant and represents the icons of contemporary times.And it will go a long way in strengthening the leadership status of the product by the mile. The new commercial is powerful film repeat with an impressive storyline. The effort to pack the story, drama and impact in just 60 seconds was phenomenal challenge itself. The idea was born itself. The idea was born out of the very essence of â€Å"Hero and Stars†. Keeping in mind would cause on the drama and impact it would cause on the audience. It is a commercial packed with action where today’s heart throbs, Hritik and saurav, are seen tackling new roles.The story being in a field adjoining a hill with two cool men, Hritik and Sourav on Hero Honda bikes and Passion respectively. Both Sameer and Aditya win lifetime opportunity act with Hritik and Sourav, the two star heartthrobs of millions in India and all four will be seen in action in the new commercial DKD-2. These are some of the Slogan for every product (Bike) and these are following:- CD-100:Fill it, shut it, Forget it. CD100SS:Tough and Rugged. Splendor :Designed to Excel. Street Smart:License to enjoy. Passion:When style matters, Bike born in studio not in factory.CBZ:Motorcycling Unplugged. MARKET SEGMENTATION OF HERO HONDA * Demographic Segmentation * Income: HERO HONDA products are offered to the public taking into consideration all the income groups in the society. * Age: The main segmented group for the motorcycle are 18 years and above. * Occupation: All kinds of people are taken into account. Students, prof essionals, Govt. Servants, etc. * Geographic Segmentation: The potential customers are basically from every regions of India. * Psychographic segmentation:People purchasing bikes are very economical, quality, brand conscious and loyality. Behavioral segmentation:This segmentation is done considering user status, benefit wise. TARGETING AND POSITIONING OF HERO HONDA TARGETING The proposed targeting people in the age group of 18 years and above with a average monthly income of approximately Rs. 10,000 and above, who are brand loyal and who are either students or retired individuals or may be employed as professionals, government servants or having their own business, but mostly male i. e on the different stratas of the population. POSITIONING The image that Hero Honda creates in the mind of the customers is the faith. The add shown by it says â€Å"Desh ki Dhadkan†.That means it’s a member of the Indian family. It represents the Indian culture and society. The objectives can be achieved through the implementation of suitable marketing strategy by the organisation. It is the marketing logic that is formulated keeping in mind the needs of the consumers and also strategies of the competitors. Porters five force model for Hero Honda:- Bargaining Power of suppliers: Suppliers of auto components are fragmented and are extremely critical for this industry since most of the component work is outsourced. Proper supply chain management is a costly yet critical need. Bargaining Power of Buyer:Buyers in automobile market have more choice to choose from and the increasing competition is driving the bargaining power of customers uphill. With more models to choose from in almost all categories, the market forces have empowered the buyers to a large extent. Competitive rivalry: The industry rivalry is extremely high with any product being matched in a few months by competitor. This instinct of the industry is primarily driven by the technical capabilities acquired over years of gestation under the technical collaboration with international players. Threat of substitute Products: There is no perfect substitute to this industry.Also, if there is any substitute to a two-wheeler, Bajaj has presence in it. Cars, which again are a mode of transport, do never directly compete or come in consideration while selecting a two-wheeler, cycles do never even compete with the low entry level moped for even this choice comes at a comparatively higher economic potential. Threat of new entrantsHere the threat of new depends on the economies of scale of the cost of production, and customer switching costs, access to industry distribution channels. | | S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS OF HERO HONDA (KARIZMA):- STRENGTH: †¢ It has a good speed and sporty look Karizma is the First bike in India launched under Sports Bike Segment. †¢ Loyal Customer Base: In the past four years, Karizma has been successful in building up a good and loyal base among its customers. â⠂¬ ¢ After Sales Service: Till today, customers are satisfied with the after sales service provided by Hero Honda for this particular product. †¢ Refinement, comfort, great handling and that much-sought-after big bike feel are all available on the Karizma. †¢ Brand Recall: the name Karizma itself is a metaphor to its success. The brand Karizma has given a good platform to this product in the Sports Bike Segment. WEAKNESS: High Maintenance: The maintenance of Karizma is high as compared to its biggest competitor Bajaj Pulsar 200cc and 220cc. †¢ Fuel Efficiency: The pulsar 200cc offers an impressive mileage of 38. 3kpl in city and 42. 4kpl in highway against the Karizma offers only 30kpl in city and a decent figure of 45kpl in highway. †¢ Less Promotion: the promotions and ads of Karizma are very less as compared to its competitors. OPPORTUNITIES: †¢ If Hero Honda comes up with the idea of changing some features of Karizma, like self cancelling indicators, sof t touch handle bar and digital speedometer, it will help them to boost up the sales of Karizma. If they are able to improvise the fuel efficiency of Karizma, it will be a golden opportunity to take over the market. THREATS: †¢ The major threat faced by Hero Honda Karizma is from Bajaj Pulsar, who has always been the market leader in the 150 plus segment with 60% market share. †¢ Karizma’s strong competitors Bajaj and TVS, in 150 cc plus segment, already posses certain features like self-controlling indicators, soft touch handle bar which Karizma lacks. †¢ The competitor Pulsar 200cc has already come up with oil cooled engine which delivers maximum power.This is again a major threat to Karizma. S. W. O. T. ANALYSIS OF BAJAJ (PULSAR 220cc) STRENGTHS: †¢ Pulsar 220cc features India’s First Oil Cooled Engine which delivers maximum power making it most powerful engine offered by Bajaj. †¢ New Pulsar also provides Digital Speedometer, Self Canceling Indicators which is for the First time in this segment in India. †¢ Fuel efficiency: Pulsar 220cc delivers an impressive mileage of 38. 2 kmpl in city as compared to Karizma which delivers 30 kmpl in city. †¢ Customer Base: In past decade Bajaj has established a strong base amongst its customers.WEAKNESS: †¢ Style and Design: PULSAR 200cc and 220cc derives their styling from there previous version Pulsar 150 Dts-i and 180 Dts-i. †¢ Pricing; Bajaj 220cc (Rs 82449 basic price) is costlier than karizma(Rs 78000 basic price) OPPORTUNITIES: †¢ If they derive new styling, shape, design for pulsar 200cc and 220cc then they can attract more customers. †¢ Taking into consideration the reviews of the customers regarding the â€Å"fairing† of 220cc and making the needful changes will be an opportunity to capture an even larger share of the 200cc+ segment THREATS: The biggest threat is faced from the goodwill of Karizma in this segment who is the â€Å"Four -Stroke Two Wheeler Ruler† of the Indian bike market. †¢ Certain technical faults in the bike design which are potentially dangerous to the rider’s safety can be disastrous to the image of the bike. COMPARISION OF ADVERTISING STRATEY OF HERO HONDA AND BAJAJ ADVERTISING STRATEGY OF HERO HONDA:- Currently the number one company in terms of sales and has been dominant in the two-wheeler segment since the past decade. Since the inception of hero Honda, the company has been using television as a major role for its publicity.Though hero Honda was dominant in sales it lacked the skills of creating a spectacular ad till now. Though it had a vast range of mobiles, its advertising strategy was not up to the mark. For its publicity hero Honda has been using many famous celebrities like Saurav Ganguly, the captain of Indian cricket team, Hritik Roshan and other famous personalities as their brand ambassadors. Thus, hero Honda has been spending huge amounts on its publicity. Th e biggest of all is the sponsorship of the â€Å"WORLD CUP† for which Hero Honda has the credit of being the only two-wheeler company in the world to do so.Presently they have tried to gain publicity by sponsoring the hockey world cup event which is the national game of India. There by creating a sense oneness and Nationalism through providing publicity and encouragement to the game by various ad’s. | By sponsoring the hockey wprld cup event ,which is a national game of india| | | ADVERTISING STRATEGY OF BAJAJ:- Bajaj is always known for its outstanding ads over the period of time. Since its inception, Bajaj has come out with variety of ads and were always successful in their advertisements. Scooters were well known by the brand name of Bajaj.Be it any scooter, one used to recognize it by the brand name Bajaj. This was the identity a decade ago which the Bajaj has still maintained. Bajaj is always known for its ads without well-known brand ambassadors which is again a plus point to its cart as it saves a huge cost in terms of brand ambassadors unlike Hero Honda and TVS. Prior, Bajaj used to convey the feeling of ‘Indianness’ in its ads. With a punch line ‘Hamara Bajaj’ Bajaj drove into everybody’s hearts and the title song of ‘Naye Bharat Ki Naye Tasveer’ added a great value to its mobikes and scooters.A couple of years back, Bajaj had introduced an advertisement which promoted all the different ranges it had, wherein they had shown each product they had with a feeling of Indianness. Example: Eliminator passes-by a rangoli and drives slowly sideways without disturbing it. People on boxer pass-by a temple and bend their head to give a little offering. Such ads had revealing Indian culture had a great effect on Indians and Bajaj was successful in most of its ads. But recently, Bajaj had changed its brand logo along with its punch line i. e. ‘Hamara Bajaj’ got converted to ‘Inspiring C onfidence’.The reason for this change as told by the company officials was to keep pace with the new technologies in the fast moving world. Even though it had changed its punch line, it didn’t have much effect on its brand image. A year back, Bajaj introduced DTSi technology upgrading its always successful PULSAR 150cc and 180cc. Though Bajaj had changed its identity it still dominates for its creativity in ads. Future Challenges and Plans:- * Sustaining the growth rate. * Need for innovation – low cost/ hybrid vehicles. * Upgrading Indian two-wheeler products. * Taking the products to the global market. * Capturing Indian as well as global market.Suggestions:- * Encourage exports. * Provide various two-wheeler financing schemes among manufacturers. * Open R&D centers. * Pressurize government to reduce taxes and duties. * Collaborate with global players. Conclusion :- The outlook for India’s automotive sector is highly promising. In view of current growth trends and prospect of continuous economic growth of over 6 per cent, all segments of the auto industry are likely to see continued growth. Large infrastructure development projects underway in India combined with favourable government policies will also drive automotive growth in the next few years.

The Lost Symbol Chapter 4-6

CHAPTER 4 The U.S. Capitol Building stands regally at the eastern end of the National Mall, on a raised plateau that city designer Pierre L'Enfant described as â€Å"a pedestal waiting for a monument.† The Capitol's massive footprint measures more than 750 feet in length and 350 feet deep. Housing more than sixteen acres of floor space, it contains an astonishing 541 rooms. The neoclassical architecture is meticulously designed to echo the grandeur of ancient Rome, whose ideals were the inspiration for America's founders in establishing the laws and culture of the new republic. The new security checkpoint for tourists entering the Capitol Building is located deep within the recently completed subterranean visitor center, beneath a magnificent glass skylight that frames the Capitol Dome. Newly hired security guard Alfonso Nunez carefully studied the male visitor now approaching his checkpoint. The man had a shaved head and had been lingering in the lobby, completing a phone call before entering the building. His right arm was in a sling, and he moved with a slight limp. He was wearing a tattered army-navy surplus coat, which, combined with his shaved head, made Nunez guess military. Those who had served in the U.S. armed forces were among the most common visitors to Washington. â€Å"Good evening, sir,† Nunez said, following the security protocol of verbally engaging any male visitor who entered alone. â€Å"Hello,† the visitor said, glancing around at the nearly deserted entry. â€Å"Quiet night.† â€Å"NFC play-offs,† Nunez replied. â€Å"Everyone's watching the Redskins tonight.† Nunez wished he were, too, but this was his first month on the job, and he'd drawn the short straw. â€Å"Metal objects in the dish, please.† As the visitor fumbled to empty the pockets of his long coat with his one working hand, Nunez watched him carefully. Human instinct made special allowances for the injured and handicapped, but it was an instinct Nunez had been trained to override. Nunez waited while the visitor removed from his pockets the usual assortment of loose change, keys, and a couple of cell phones. â€Å"Sprain?† Nunez asked, eyeing the man's injured hand, which appeared to be wrapped in a series of thick Ace bandages. The bald man nodded. â€Å"Slipped on the ice. A week ago. Still hurts like hell.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that. Walk through, please.† The visitor limped through the detector, and the machine buzzed in protest. The visitor frowned. â€Å"I was afraid of that. I'm wearing a ring under these bandages. My finger was too swollen to get it off, so the doctors wrapped right over it.† â€Å"No problem,† Nunez said. â€Å"I'll use the wand.† Nunez ran the metal-detection wand over the visitor's wrapped hand. As expected, the only metal he detected was a large lump on the man's injured ring finger. Nunez took his time rubbing the metal detector over every inch of the man's sling and finger. He knew his supervisor was probably monitoring him on the closed circuit in the building's security center, and Nunez needed this job. Always better to be cautious. He carefully slid the wand up inside the man's sling. The visitor winced in pain. â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay,† the man said. â€Å"You can't be too careful these days.† â€Å"Ain't that the truth.† Nunez liked this guy. Strangely, that counted for a lot around here. Human instinct was America's first line of defense against terrorism. It was a proven fact that human intuition was a more accurate detector of danger than all the electronic gear in the world–the gift of fear, as one of their security reference books termed it. In this case, Nunez's instincts sensed nothing that caused him any fear. The only oddity that he noticed, now that they were standing so close, was that this tough-looking guy appeared to have used some kind of self-tanner or concealer makeup on his face. Whatever. Everyone hates to be pale in the winter. â€Å"You're fine,† Nunez said, completing his sweep and stowing the wand. â€Å"Thanks.† The man started collecting his belongings from the tray. As he did, Nunez noticed that the two fingers protruding from his bandage each bore a tattoo; the tip of his index finger bore the image of a crown, and the tip of his thumb bore that of a star. Seems everyone has tattoos these days, Nunez thought, although the pads of his fingertips seemed like painful spots to get them. â€Å"Those tats hurt?† The man glanced down at his fingertips and chuckled. â€Å"Less than you might think.† â€Å"Lucky,† Nunez said. â€Å"Mine hurt a lot. I got a mermaid on my back when I was in boot camp.† â€Å"A mermaid?† The bald man chuckled. â€Å"Yeah,† he said, feeling sheepish. â€Å"The mistakes we make in our youth.† â€Å"I hear you,† the bald man said. â€Å"I made a big mistake in my youth, too. Now I wake up with her every morning.† They both laughed as the man headed off. Child's play, Mal'akh thought as he moved past Nunez and up the escalator toward the Capitol Building. The entry had been easier than anticipated. Mal'akh's slouching posture and padded belly had hidden his true physique, while the makeup on his face and hands had hidden the tattoos that covered his body. The true genius, however, was the sling, which disguised the potent object Mal'akh was transporting into the building. A gift for the one man on earth who can help me obtain what I seek. CHAPTER 5 The world's largest and most technologically advanced museum is also one of the world's best- kept secrets. It houses more pieces than the Hermitage, the Vatican Museum, and the New York Metropolitan . . . combined. Yet despite its magnificent collection, few members of the public are ever invited inside its heavily guarded walls. Located at 4210 Silver Hill Road just outside of Washington, D.C., the museum is a massive zigzag-shaped edifice constructed of five interconnected pods–each pod larger than a football field. The building's bluish metal exterior barely hints at the strangeness within–a six-hundred- thousand-square-foot alien world that contains a â€Å"dead zone,† a â€Å"wet pod,† and more than twelve miles of storage cabinets. Tonight, scientist Katherine Solomon was feeling unsettled as she drove her white Volvo up to the building's main security gate. The guard smiled. â€Å"Not a football fan, Ms. Solomon?† He lowered the volume on the Redskins play-off pregame show. Katherine forced a tense smile. â€Å"It's Sunday night.† â€Å"Oh, that's right. Your meeting.† â€Å"Is he here yet?† she asked anxiously. He glanced down at his paperwork. â€Å"I don't see him on the log.† â€Å"I'm early.† Katherine gave a friendly wave and continued up the winding access road to her usual parking spot at the bottom of the small, two-tiered lot. She began collecting her things and gave herself a quick check in the rearview mirror–more out of force of habit than actual vanity. Katherine Solomon had been blessed with the resilient Mediterranean skin of her ancestry, and even at fifty years old she had a smooth olive complexion. She used almost no makeup and wore her thick black hair unstyled and down. Like her older brother, Peter, she had gray eyes and a slender, patrician elegance. You two might as well be twins, people often told them. Their father had succumbed to cancer when Katherine was only seven, and she had little memory of him. Her brother, eight years Katherine's senior and only fifteen when their father died, had begun his journey toward becoming the Solomon patriarch much sooner than anyone had ever dreamed. As expected, though, Peter had grown into the role with the dignity and strength befitting their family name. To this day, he still watched over Katherine as though they were just kids. Despite her brother's occasional prodding, and no shortage of suitors, Katherine had never married. Science had become her life partner, and her work had proven more fulfilling and exciting than any man could ever hope to be. Katherine had no regrets. Her field of choice–Noetic Science–had been virtually unknown when she first heard of it, but in recent years it had started opening new doors of understanding into the power of the human mind. Our untapped potential is truly shocking. Katherine's two books on Noetics had established her as a leader in this obscure field, but her most recent discoveries, when published, promised to make Noetic Science a topic of mainstream conversation around the world. Tonight, however, science was the last thing on her mind. Earlier in the day, she had received some truly upsetting information relating to her brother. I still can't believe it's true. She'd thought of nothing else all afternoon. A pattering of light rain drummed on her windshield, and Katherine quickly gathered her things to get inside. She was about to step out of her car when her cell phone rang. She checked the caller ID and inhaled deeply. Then she tucked her hair behind her ears and settled in to take the call. Six miles away, Mal'akh was moving through the corridors of the U.S. Capitol Building with a cell phone pressed to his ear. He waited patiently as the line rang. Finally, a woman's voice answered. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"We need to meet again,† Mal'akh said. There was a long pause. â€Å"Is everything all right?† â€Å"I have new information,† Mal'akh said. â€Å"Tell me.† Mal'akh took a deep breath. â€Å"That which your brother believes is hidden in D.C. . . . ?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"It can be found.† Katherine Solomon sounded stunned. â€Å"You're telling me–it is real?† Mal'akh smiled to himself. â€Å"Sometimes a legend that endures for centuries . . . endures for a reason.† CHAPTER 6 Is this as close as you can get?† Robert Langdon felt a sudden wave of anxiety as his driver parked on First Street, a good quarter mile from the Capitol Building. â€Å"Afraid so,† the driver said. â€Å"Homeland Security. No vehicles near landmark buildings anymore. I'm sorry, sir.† Langdon checked his watch, startled to see it was already 6:50. A construction zone around the National Mall had slowed them down, and his lecture was to begin in ten minutes. â€Å"Weather's turning,† the driver said, hopping out and opening Langdon's door for him. â€Å"You'll want to hurry.† Langdon reached for his wallet to tip the driver, but the man waved him off. â€Å"Your host already added a very generous tip to the charge.† Typical Peter, Langdon thought, gathering his things. â€Å"Okay, thanks for the ride.† The first few raindrops began to fall as Langdon reached the top of the gracefully arched concourse that descended to the new â€Å"underground† visitors' entrance. The Capitol Visitor Center had been a costly and controversial project. Described as an underground city to rival parts of Disney World, this subterranean space reportedly provided over a half-million square feet of space for exhibits, restaurants, and meeting halls. Langdon had been looking forward to seeing it, although he hadn't anticipated quite this long a walk. The skies were threatening to open at any moment, and he broke into a jog, his loafers offering almost no traction on the wet cement. I dressed for a lecture, not a four-hundred-yard downhill dash through the rain! When he arrived at the bottom, he was breathless and panting. Langdon pushed through the revolving door, taking a moment in the foyer to catch his breath and brush off the rain. As he did, he raised his eyes to the newly completed space before him. Okay, I'm impressed. The Capitol Visitor Center was not at all what he had expected. Because the space was underground, Langdon had been apprehensive about passing through it. A childhood accident had left him stranded at the bottom of a deep well overnight, and Langdon now lived with an almost crippling aversion to enclosed spaces. But this underground space was . . . airy somehow. Light. Spacious. The ceiling was a vast expanse of glass with a series of dramatic light fixtures that threw a muted glow across the pearl-colored interior finishes. Normally, Langdon would have taken a full hour in here to admire the architecture, but with five minutes until showtime, he put his head down and dashed through the main hall toward the security checkpoint and escalators. Relax, he told himself. Peter knows you're on your way. The event won't start without you. At the security point, a young Hispanic guard chatted with him while Langdon emptied his pockets and removed his vintage watch. â€Å"Mickey Mouse?† the guard said, sounding mildly amused. Langdon nodded, accustomed to the comments. The collector's edition Mickey Mouse watch had been a gift from his parents on his ninth birthday. â€Å"I wear it to remind me to slow down and take life less seriously.† â€Å"I don't think it's working,† the guard said with a smile. â€Å"You look like you're in a serious hurry.† Langdon smiled and put his daybag through the X-ray machine. â€Å"Which way to the Statuary Hall?† The guard motioned toward the escalators. â€Å"You'll see the signs.† â€Å"Thanks.† Langdon grabbed his bag off the conveyor and hurried on. As the escalator ascended, Langdon took a deep breath and tried to gather his thoughts. He gazed up through the rain-speckled glass ceiling at the mountainous form of the illuminated Capitol Dome overhead. It was an astonishing building. High atop her roof, almost three hundred feet in the air, the Statue of Freedom peered out into the misty darkness like a ghostly sentinel. Langdon always found it ironic that the workers who hoisted each piece of the nineteen-and-a-half-foot bronze statue to her perch were slaves–a Capitol secret that seldom made the syllabi of high school history classes. This entire building, in fact, was a treasure trove of bizarre arcana that included a â€Å"killer bathtub† responsible for the pneumonic murder of Vice President Henry Wilson, a staircase with a permanent bloodstain over which an inordinate number of guests seemed to trip, and a sealed basement chamber in which workers in 1930 discovered General John Alexander Logan's long- deceased stuffed horse. No legends were as enduring, however, as the claims of thirteen different ghosts that haunted this building. The spirit of city designer Pierre L'Enfant frequently was reported wandering the halls, seeking payment of his bill, now two hundred years overdue. The ghost of a worker who fell from the Capitol Dome during construction was seen wandering the corridors with a tray of tools. And, of course, the most famous apparition of all, reported numerous times in the Capitol basement–an ephemeral black cat that prowled the substructure's eerie maze of narrow passageways and cubicles. Langdon stepped off the escalator and again checked his watch. Three minutes. He hurried down the wide corridor, following the signs toward the Statuary Hall and rehearsing his opening remarks in his head. Langdon had to admit that Peter's assistant had been correct; this lecture topic would be a perfect match for an event hosted in Washington, D.C., by a prominent Mason. It was no secret that D.C. had a rich Masonic history. The cornerstone of this very building had been laid in a full Masonic ritual by George Washington himself. This city had been conceived and designed by Master Masons–George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Pierre L'Enfant– powerful minds who adorned their new capital with Masonic symbolism, architecture, and art. Of course, people see in those symbols all kinds of crazy ideas. Many conspiracy theorists claimed the Masonic forefathers had concealed powerful secrets throughout Washington along with symbolic messages hidden in the city's layout of streets. Langdon never paid any attention. Misinformation about the Masons was so commonplace that even educated Harvard students seemed to have surprisingly warped conceptions about the brotherhood. Last year, a freshman had rushed wild-eyed into Langdon's classroom with a printout from the Web. It was a street map of D.C. on which certain streets had been highlighted to form various shapes–satanic pentacles, a Masonic compass and square, the head of Baphomet–proof apparently that the Masons who designed Washington, D.C., were involved in some kind of dark, mystical conspiracy. â€Å"Fun,† Langdon said, â€Å"but hardly convincing. If you draw enough intersecting lines on a map, you're bound to find all kinds of shapes.† â€Å"But this can't be coincidence!† the kid exclaimed. Langdon patiently showed the student that the same exact shapes could be formed on a street map of Detroit. The kid seemed sorely disappointed. â€Å"Don't be disheartened,† Langdon said. â€Å"Washington does have some incredible secrets . . . just none on this street map.† The young man perked up. â€Å"Secrets? Like what?† â€Å"Every spring I teach a course called Occult Symbols. I talk a lot about D.C. You should take the course.† â€Å"Occult symbols!† The freshman looked excited again. â€Å"So there are devil symbols in D.C.!† Langdon smiled. â€Å"Sorry, but the word occult, despite conjuring images of devil worship, actually means `hidden' or `obscured.' In times of religious oppression, knowledge that was counterdoctrinal had to be kept hidden or `occult,' and because the church felt threatened by this, they redefined anything `occult' as evil, and the prejudice survived.† â€Å"Oh.† The kid slumped. Nonetheless, that spring, Langdon spotted the freshman seated in the front row as five hundred students bustled into Harvard's Sanders Theatre, a hollow old lecture hall with creaking wooden benches. â€Å"Good morning, everybody,† Langdon shouted from the expansive stage. He turned on a slide projector, and an image materialized behind him. â€Å"As you're getting settled, how many of you recognize the building in this picture?† â€Å"U.S. Capitol!† dozens of voices called out in unison. â€Å"Washington, D.C.!† â€Å"Yes. There are nine million pounds of ironwork in that dome. An unparalleled feat of architectural ingenuity for the 1850s.† â€Å"Awesome!† somebody shouted. Langdon rolled his eyes, wishing somebody would ban that word. â€Å"Okay, and how many of you have ever been to Washington?† A scattering of hands went up. â€Å"So few?† Langdon feigned surprise. â€Å"And how many of you have been to Rome, Paris, Madrid, or London?† Almost all the hands in the room went up. As usual. One of the rites of passage for American college kids was a summer with a Eurorail ticket before the harsh reality of real life set in. â€Å"It appears many more of you have visited Europe than have visited your own capital. Why do you think that is?† â€Å"No drinking age in Europe!† someone in back shouted. Langdon smiled. â€Å"As if the drinking age here stops any of you?† Everyone laughed. It was the first day of school, and the students were taking longer than usual to get settled, shifting and creaking in their wooden pews. Langdon loved teaching in this hall because he always knew how engaged the students were simply by listening to how much they fidgeted in their pews. â€Å"Seriously,† Langdon said, â€Å"Washington, D.C., has some of the world's finest architecture, art, and symbolism. Why would you go overseas before visiting your own capital?† â€Å"Ancient stuff is cooler,† someone said. â€Å"And by ancient stuff,† Langdon clarified, â€Å"I assume you mean castles, crypts, temples, that sort of thing?† Their heads nodded in unison. â€Å"Okay. Now, what if I told you that Washington, D.C., has every one of those things? Castles, crypts, pyramids, temples . . . it's all there.† The creaking diminished. â€Å"My friends,† Langdon said, lowering his voice and moving to the front of the stage, â€Å"in the next hour, you will discover that our nation is overflowing with secrets and hidden history. And exactly as in Europe, all of the best secrets are hidden in plain view.† The wooden pews fell dead silent. Gotcha. Langdon dimmed the lights and called up his second slide. â€Å"Who can tell me what George Washington is doing here?† The slide was a famous mural depicting George Washington dressed in full Masonic regalia standing before an odd-looking contraption–a giant wooden tripod that supported a rope-and- pulley system from which was suspended a massive block of stone. A group of well-dressed onlookers stood around him. â€Å"Lifting that big block of stone?† someone ventured. Langdon said nothing, preferring that a student make the correction if possible. â€Å"Actually,† another student offered, â€Å"I think Washington is lowering the rock. He's wearing a Masonic costume. I've seen pictures of Masons laying cornerstones before. The ceremony always uses that tripod thing to lower the first stone.† â€Å"Excellent,† Langdon said. â€Å"The mural portrays the Father of Our Country using a tripod and pulley to lay the cornerstone of our Capitol Building on September 18, 1793, between the hours of eleven fifteen and twelve thirty.† Langdon paused, scanning the class. â€Å"Can anyone tell me the significance of that date and time?† Silence. â€Å"What if I told you that precise moment was chosen by three famous Masons–George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Pierre L'Enfant, the primary architect for D.C.?† More silence. â€Å"Quite simply, the cornerstone was set at that date and time because, among other things, the auspicious Caput Draconis was in Virgo.† Everyone exchanged odd looks. â€Å"Hold on,† someone said. â€Å"You mean . . . like astrology?† â€Å"Exactly. Although a different astrology than we know today.† A hand went up. â€Å"You mean our Founding Fathers believed in astrology?† Langdon grinned. â€Å"Big-time. What would you say if I told you the city of Washington, D.C., has more astrological signs in its architecture than any other city in the world–zodiacs, star charts, cornerstones laid at precise astrological dates and times? More than half of the framers of our Constitution were Masons, men who strongly believed that the stars and fate were intertwined, men who paid close attention to the layout of the heavens as they structured their new world.† â€Å"But that whole thing about the Capitol cornerstone being laid while Caput Draconis was in Virgo–who cares? Can't that just be coincidence?† â€Å"An impressive coincidence considering that the cornerstones of the three structures that make up Federal Triangle–the Capitol, the White House, the Washington Monument–were all laid in different years but were carefully timed to occur under this exact same astrological condition.† Langdon's gaze was met by a room full of wide eyes. A number of heads dipped down as students began taking notes. A hand in back went up. â€Å"Why did they do that?† Langdon chuckled. â€Å"The answer to that is an entire semester's worth of material. If you're curious, you should take my mysticism course. Frankly, I don't think you guys are emotionally prepared to hear the answer.† â€Å"What?† the person shouted. â€Å"Try us!† Langdon made a show of considering it and then shook his head, toying with them. â€Å"Sorry, I can't do that. Some of you are only freshmen. I'm afraid it might blow your minds.† â€Å"Tell us!† everyone shouted. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"Perhaps you should join the Masons or Eastern Star and learn about it from the source.† â€Å"We can't get in,† a young man argued. â€Å"The Masons are like a supersecret society!† â€Å"Supersecret? Really?† Langdon remembered the large Masonic ring that his friend Peter Solomon wore proudly on his right hand. â€Å"Then why do Masons wear obvious Masonic rings, tie clips, or pins? Why are Masonic buildings clearly marked? Why are their meeting times in the newspaper?† Langdon smiled at all the puzzled faces. â€Å"My friends, the Masons are not a secret society . . . they are a society with secrets.† â€Å"Same thing,† someone muttered. â€Å"Is it?† Langdon challenged. â€Å"Would you consider Coca-Cola a secret society?† â€Å"Of course not,† the student said. â€Å"Well, what if you knocked on the door of corporate headquarters and asked for the recipe for Classic Coke?† â€Å"They'd never tell you.† â€Å"Exactly. In order to learn Coca-Cola's deepest secret, you would need to join the company, work for many years, prove you were trustworthy, and eventually rise to the upper echelons of the company, where that information might be shared with you. Then you would be sworn to secrecy.† â€Å"So you're saying Freemasonry is like a corporation?† â€Å"Only insofar as they have a strict hierarchy and they take secrecy very seriously.† â€Å"My uncle is a Mason,† a young woman piped up. â€Å"And my aunt hates it because he won't talk about it with her. She says Masonry is some kind of strange religion.† â€Å"A common misperception.† â€Å"It's not a religion?† â€Å"Give it the litmus test,† Langdon said. â€Å"Who here has taken Professor Witherspoon's comparative religion course?† Several hands went up. â€Å"Good. So tell me, what are the three prerequisites for an ideology to be considered a religion?† â€Å"ABC,† one woman offered. â€Å"Assure, Believe, Convert.† â€Å"Correct,† Langdon said. â€Å"Religions assure salvation; religions believe in a precise theology; and religions convert nonbelievers.† He paused. â€Å"Masonry, however, is batting zero for three. Masons make no promises of salvation; they have no specific theology; and they do not seek to convert you. In fact, within Masonic lodges, discussions of religion are prohibited.† â€Å"So . . . Masonry is anti religious?† â€Å"On the contrary. One of the prerequisites for becoming a Mason is that you must believe in a higher power. The difference between Masonic spirituality and organized religion is that the Masons do not impose a specific definition or name on a higher power. Rather than definitive theological identities like God, Allah, Buddha, or Jesus, the Masons use more general terms like Supreme Being or Great Architect of the Universe. This enables Masons of different faiths to gather together.† â€Å"Sounds a little far-out,† someone said. â€Å"Or, perhaps, refreshingly open-minded?† Langdon offered. â€Å"In this age when different cultures are killing each other over whose definition of God is better, one could say the Masonic tradition of tolerance and open-mindedness is commendable.† Langdon paced the stage. â€Å"Moreover, Masonry is open to men of all races, colors, and creeds, and provides a spiritual fraternity that does not discriminate in any way.† â€Å"Doesn't discriminate?† A member of the university's Women's Center stood up. â€Å"How many women are permitted to be Masons, Professor Langdon?† Langdon showed his palms in surrender. â€Å"A fair point. Freemasonry had its roots, traditionally, in the stone masons' guilds of Europe and was therefore a man's organization. Several hundred years ago, some say as early as 1703, a women's branch called Eastern Star was founded. They have more than a million members.† â€Å"Nonetheless,† the woman said, â€Å"Masonry is a powerful organization from which women are excluded.† Langdon was not sure how powerful the Masons really were anymore, and he was not going to go down that road; perceptions of the modern Masons ranged from their being a group of harmless old men who liked to play dress-up . . . all the way to an underground cabal of power brokers who ran the world. The truth, no doubt, was somewhere in the middle. â€Å"Professor Langdon,† called a young man with curly hair in the back row, â€Å"if Masonry is not a secret society, not a corporation, and not a religion, then what is it?† â€Å"Well, if you were to ask a Mason, he would offer the following definition: Masonry is a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.† â€Å"Sounds to me like a euphemism for `freaky cult.' â€Å" â€Å"Freaky, you say?† â€Å"Hell yes!† the kid said, standing up. â€Å"I heard what they do inside those secret buildings! Weird candlelight rituals with coffins, and nooses, and drinking wine out of skulls. Now that's freaky!† Langdon scanned the class. â€Å"Does that sound freaky to anyone else?† â€Å"Yes!† they all chimed in. Langdon feigned a sad sigh. â€Å"Too bad. If that's too freaky for you, then I know you'll never want to join my cult.† Silence settled over the room. The student from the Women's Center looked uneasy. â€Å"You're in a cult?† Langdon nodded and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. â€Å"Don't tell anyone, but on the pagan day of the sun god Ra, I kneel at the foot of an ancient instrument of torture and consume ritualistic symbols of blood and flesh.† The class looked horrified. Langdon shrugged. â€Å"And if any of you care to join me, come to the Harvard chapel on Sunday, kneel beneath the crucifix, and take Holy Communion.† The classroom remained silent. Langdon winked. â€Å"Open your minds, my friends. We all fear what we do not understand.† The tolling of a clock began echoing through the Capitol corridors. Seven o'clock. Robert Langdon was now running. Talk about a dramatic entrance. Passing through the House Connecting Corridor, he spotted the entrance to the National Statuary Hall and headed straight for it. As he neared the door, he slowed to a nonchalant stroll and took several deep breaths. Buttoning his jacket, he lifted his chin ever so slightly and turned the corner just as the final chime sounded. Showtime. As Professor Robert Langdon strode into the National Statuary Hall, he raised his eyes and smiled warmly. An instant later, his smile evaporated. He stopped dead in his tracks. Something was very, very wrong.