| Plus, Indian private equity comes of age |
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December 21, 2018 |
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| Our best ideas, quick and curated |
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| This week we look at fast-paced changes in the world of mobility and how Indian private equity is faring in an era of opportunity. Subscribe to get the Shortlist in your inbox on Fridays. We will be back on January 4. Wishing our readers wonderful holidays and a Happy New Year! |
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| Taking off for your well-deserved year-end break? It’s a good bet that you’ll spend some of it crawling along a highway. But let’s look to a rosier future: developments in mobility that could make your travels easier someday. |
| In 2018, theoretical discussions about the future of mobility turned into concrete actions across businesses, cities, and some regions. Electric-vehicle (EV) launches took off as charging infrastructure became more viable in certain areas. Cars enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) began to replace “dumb” ones. Advanced driver-assistance systems gave way in many cases to autonomous vehicles (AVs). And micromobility started to scale up. |
| In other words, there’s a lot going on. Indeed, all four ACES trends—autonomous driving, connected cars, electrification, and smart mobility—made appreciable advances this year. |
| Let’s take a quick look at two categories. Possibly the furthest into the future measured by large-scale commercialization, AVs still appear on track with their technology. While manufacturers are still working on meeting safety requirements, they seem to have overcome major technology hurdles. High cost is an ongoing concern, however—one reason major automotive, high-tech, and mobility players are teaming up. |
| The next big thing in shared mobility could be (ahem) small: micromobility. That’s the use of shared electric scooters, bicycles, and other simple conveyances, facilitated via smartphone apps. The industry has already attracted more than $1 billion in investments. However, as bike-sharing services show, successful micromobility plays require strong community and local government support. |
| Who is driving all this change from the consumer side? The young, urban, and tech smart, per our latest ACES survey. The survey also revealed a growing perception among consumers that these new technologies are either on the horizon or already on their doorstep. Stay tuned. |
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| OFF THE CHARTS |
| Competitors are eating grocers’ lunch |
| Resourceful grocers have shown it is possible to fend off competitors and hold on to market share while attracting new customers. But it won’t be easy: more than 50 percent of the grocery sector’s economic profit vanished between 2012 and 2017. We offer six imperatives to reverse the trend of falling sales and margins.
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| MORE ON MCKINSEY.COM |
| How Indian private equity is coming of age | Since 2003, private equity has invested more than $97 billion in India. As the country strives for greater globalization and economic development, the industry is poised to capitalize on outsize opportunities. |
| A crucial but overlooked talent pool | Despite product managers’ central roles in software organizations, talent-management systems often neglect them. Four levers can address this industry-wide challenge. |
| The new CFO mandate: Prioritize, transform, repeat | In a recent survey, many finance leaders said they are being asked to resolve issues in relatively new areas. But there are advantages to embracing new technologies, methodologies, and management approaches. |
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| SPOTLIGHT ON |
| Chinese tourists broaden their horizons |
| Ask some tour operators about Chinese visitors, and you may hear stereotypical stories. For example: they are just interested in shopping, they only want to see the main sights, and they are reluctant to try other cuisines. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Our survey of more than 2,000 Chinese tourists explodes these myths, and others. |
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| BACKTALK |
| Have feedback or ideas? We want to hear from you. |
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