NEC India - The Opportunity in India's Growth Story (Abridged Version)

Headquartered in Japan, NEC Corporation is a leader in IT and network technologies with more than 125 years of history. This three-part case study focuses on one of its country affiliates, NEC-India, which had been operating for over 70 years and had a unique role in NEC's business. NEC-India started out as an OEM of products, mostly from NEC-Japan and NEC-Singapore, supplied to master system integrators (MSI) in India. In Case A (2017 - 2020), NEC-India responds to HQ's mandate to focus more on creating value for Indian customers by aligning its technology and assets with local needs by becoming an MSI. Students are asked to assess its performance relative to the level of growth in India's GDP and national IT spending. In Case B (2020 - 2023), the new CEO Aalok Kumar takes the reins, diagnoses the situation at NEC-India, and undertakes actions to renew and transform the organization. It illustrates the "Phoenix Encounter", a strategic framework designed to help leaders and organizations navigate disruptive environments and thrive. Case C describes the vision of the NEC-India leadership team for 2024-27.