About Us

About Us

VINAY CHAND ASSOCIATES

specialist leading marketing consultancy with extensive experience in consultancy on:

Rural Development

Trade Development

Corporate Strategy

Marketing and Distribution

Market Research

Soft Commodities

Renewable Energy

Water Purification

Vinay Chand Associates activities:

working with the global private sector on markets and marketing
in developing countries on production, processing and export of soft commodities as a means of poverty alleviation and rural development.

Our experience stretches from contacts with IBM and Intel to promote the use of 'Membrane Distillation' for treating waste water and processing Ultra Pure Water to persuading a leading supermarket chain in Kuala Lumpur to promote sales of fruit and vegetables from Cambodia.

We are at the cutting edge of Consultancy on Market Research, Marketing and Distribution. Our speciality is in tackling situations where there is a lack of published data.

MISSION

Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru,advised that India and all developing countries had always been weak on Commodity Marketing and that Vinay should train and gain experience in that area, become as good as the best in the world and then anything he did for any developing country, he would do in the name of India.

That is our Mission - to fight poverty through bringing cutting edge information and technology to maximise earnings, particularly for poor farmers. In this struggle we are not neutral, we are on the side of the poor farmers. What we are fighting are the attitudes instilled by centuries of subservience and dependency, described so well by Frantz Fanon in "Wretched of The Earth".

Company history

Vinay Chand is the son of Dr. Jagdish Chand and grandson of Wazir Chand of Patiala. His ancestors were brought over from Delhi on elephants around 1826 to run the princely state of Patiala.

Vinay was brought up in Embassy Homes of father, a Commercial Secretary of the Indian Foreign Service, (following a stint at the Punjab Chamber of Commerce in pre-partition times and before that in the Patiala Foreign Service), in Bagdad, Stockholm, London and Budapest. A suitable beginning to a cosmopolitan career. Vinay is also only too aware that he does within the private sector what his father did for the Indian Government and his grandfather and great grandfather did for the State of Patiala as a Wazir. Instead of serving one prince, Vinay now serves all princes equally loyally. Only the geography has changed.

Primary school education was in New Delhi (Delhi Public School), Bagdad and Stockholm (International Embassy School). Secondary Education was in London (Kynaston School, St. Johns Wood) after which over the period 1963-68 Vinay Chand read for two degrees at the London School of Economics and Political Science, London University, the Batchelors degree was in Economics with International Relations, the Masters was in International Relations specialising in International Institutions and in particular, on the emergence and development of the international economic system. This gave an in depth understanding of the emergence of the global trade and development system.

Following one year as a graduate trainee Inspector of Taxes in Islington (1968/69) where he was introduced to bookkeeping, accounts and tax law, London, Vinay became a Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer for 9 years in the Department of Business Studies, specialising in Corporate Strategy, Business Policy and Economics of International Business, a course that he developed at the South Bank, in what is now the University of the South Bank in London (1969-78). Vinay helped develop courses and taught on under graduate, graduate and post experience courses. Since having left, Vinay Chand has returned on occassions to hold workshops on International Commodity Marketing for the final year under graduate marketing students. He has also undertaken training workshops.

In his last three years as a Senior Lecturer and from 1978 on a full time basis Vinay has been a Consultant Marketing Economist. It started with two articles in 'Retail Business' on the UK Market for Biscuits and the Market for Cakes which led to Market Research in the UK and Europe on cigars for Cubatobacco (a new cigar brand actually resulted) and globally on soya and soya procurement strategy, which in turn broadened to Marketing and Distribution related to development projects and from that into Export led Rural Development. Vinay Chand Associates is the trading name for Vinay Chand.

A fortuitous introduction to Aapo Saask of Scarab in Sweden by IMPOD while on a Jute Market Study led to a long term involvement with advocacy on promoting 'Integrated Coconut Processing'. With Scarab increasing focussed on water purification, Vinay Chand Associates took over the coconut interests. Alfa Laval and Tetra Pak were early clients for a study to identify a potential investor in an Aqueous Processing plant in the Philippines. Our first visit to the country was at the instigation of Mr Juan Ponce Enrile, Chairman of PCA and Minister of Defence. Later, we worked closely with the Swedish Embassy and former Vice President Emmanuel Pelaez to promote higher value use of coconuts. Sadly, there were too many political obstacles at the time as best illustrated by the assasination attempt on Manny Pelaez following his strong opposition to the copra levy and how it was being implemented and the fatal one on former Senator Aquino, whom we had got to know and liked and who had expressed sympathy for what we were trying to do for coconuts.The election of his son as President at least sends a signal to those who hired his assasins and who still hold eminent positions in the country. It is quite astounding that the latter got away with it although Marcos paid a political price.

Market Research, Development and Promotion have been key areas of activity with a large number of market studies implemented in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries in the region. These studies have sometimes been on development projects and, at other times, for industrial private sector clients. This mix of clients has led to understanding of markets and marketing for commodity and industrial exports and a hands on approach to market research. The two merge to give a very business like rather than academic approach to studies and application of the highest standards operating in leading sections of the private sector. An important part of Vinay Chand Associates remains a very experienced specialist market research company.

Market Research

Markets we have researched often:

Australia, New Zealand,

USA, Canada,

Japan, Korea,

Singapore, Indonesia,

Philippines, Thailand,

Malaysia, India,

Europe, Middle East

Carribean Pacific

Our experience has given us an extensive exposure to particular sectors including automotive components, furniture and vehicle upholstery, erosion control products, rubber products, food industry machinery, water filtration, and food produce and products. Specialisation in qualitative research techniques has been of tremendous help in our development.

We can research an area such as food distribution in the UK which has exclellent public data or in an area where there is no published data and feel completely comfortable doing so.

Vinay Chand Associates contracts directly as a Consultancy such as for the Kiribati coconuts feasibility study, Kyrgyz Republic World Bank Project Export Marketing Infrastructure and Dominican Republic pre-feasibility study on integrated processing of coconuts, Vinay Chand also works as a Consultant to major Consultancies and as a sole Consultant recruited directly by clients such as in the private sector and UN Agencies.

Development work has been mainly value chain based pro poor export oriented agricultural diversification and rural business development. We have always used value chain analysis because we believed it to be the best approach in understanding the entire situation and its ramifications and to be able to compare it to the situation with other crops or countries. It is crucial to understand every part of the chain and early in his Consultancy career, Vinay Chand has carried a sack of citric acid through a Reckitt and Coleman condiments plant to identify handling problems which he then helped solve and coconuts between two islands in Kiribati on a small boat, constantly brushed by sharks, in the middle of a storm at sea with rather uncomfortable results. A helpful pilot of a large passenger jet flew around Rakahanga in the Cook Islands three times at low level so Vinay could look at the coconuts, much to the amazement of the passengers and the Islanders.

Private sector work has sometimes been commodity related as was the study on diversification for BAT in Indonesia on spices, essential oils and oleoresins (BAT actually implemented the diversification as the report was being conducted), at other times product based, as was the case for the study on the South East Market for Erosion Control Products for Bekaert Steel. Or it can be entirely industrial or consumer oriented as in the case of work for the Scarab Group in Sweden mainly on water purification.

Over 32 years Consultancy on mainly short assignments in numerous countries dealing in a variety of commodities has given Vinay Chand Associates a breadth and depth of experience and the background to embark on a web based Consultancy Service on Soft Commodities. The brevity of the assignments meant more commodities and more countries were covered.

We have worked on most soft commodities, including: wheat, maize, rice, cotton, jute, coir, abacca, sisal, edible oils (coconut, palm kernel, palm, sesame, sunflower, groundnut), essential oils and oleoresins, fresh and processed fruit and vegetables, tea, coffee, cocoa, rubber, cashew, edible nuts, spices, cut flowers and ornamentals and food products. Although we have become leading experts on some particular commodities, we are essentially concerned with commodities as such.

Vinay Chand has also worked with the Scarab Group of Companies in Sweden for 20 years, developing a cutting edge water purification technology known as 'Membrane Distillation'. The most recent role is as CEO of Xzero AB developing rinse water stations for the Semiconductor Industry. Vinay helped determine Marketing Strategy and develop client relations.(www.scarab.se) as well as presentations to potential investors.

module for rinse water for the semiconductor industry

(www.xzero.se)

Scarab has also been developing products for residential uses through HVR and Purity. The former developing membrane distillation for a residential countertop, while that latter is developing a whole range of small kitchen electricals. Industrialisation has been largely completed and production being organised in China.

Aapo Saask, founder Scarab Group

In recent years, Vinay has been asked to help prepare and present tenders and draft TOR for clients. In doing so, it was clear that very little had been done to collect, organise, interpret and analyse soft commodity data.

While acting as Team Leader on the EU-ACP Action Plan, Vinay had to help recommend allocation of funds between 5 International Organisations and this included fairly large sums to help with information technology. Given the very large amount of development aid over the years, Vinay was astounded that what was available was most unsattisfactory.

We are pleased at the initial reaction to the web site.Around 1,500 people visit the site every month.

Major Failures

Given that we have listed on the other side of this page our major accomplishments, we will in the interests of honesty and transparency also list the projects we have worked on that we regard as major failures.

Rappateur on Dissemination Workshop for The Pacific Region on the AAACP Project.

Vinay Chand was recruited as a short term consultant to undertake a synthesis report on the project as implemented in the Pacific and act as rappateur for the actual workshop held in Fiji in Novermber 2011.

We will not say anything more at the present but having formulated the project as Team Leader Vinay Chand was shocked by what he learnt when undertaking this assignment and found that no one wanted him to speak too much.

Coconut Sector Strategy in Binh Dinh Province of Vietnam for NZAid.

Binh Dinh Province produces around 80 million coconuts per annum. The first part of a Rural Support Programme which includes livestock, safe vegetables, capacity development and coconuts.

The Province mainly supplies fresh de-husked cocconuts to China by a land route and supplies most of the coir produced in baled form to the same destination.

The current prices lead to famers averaging over US 18 cents per nut and another cent for husks. This is a better income than they would get if they were processing for oil and meal or even desiccated.

There is scope for increasing earnings by increasing yield rates, high value kernel products like milk and VCO and higher value coir products.

The project is deemed a failure because the provincila government was not serious about actually helping farmers and URS not serious in pursuing such assistance.

Clients

The best testimonial is illustrated in the long term development of Consultancy with gradually more senior roles on contracts for:

International Trade Centre (WTO/UNCTAD),

European Commission (EC),

Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO),

Asian Development Bank (ADB),

World Bank Group (WB, IFC),

Commonwealth Secretariat (CFTC),

Common Fund for Commodities(CFC),

German Chamber of Commerce,

AFD,

NZAid,

AusAid,

NORAD,

SIDA,

SEDF/IFC,

USAID,

National Agencies of:

Oman,

Mexico,

Kyrgyz Republic,

Private Clients including:

Alfa Laval,

Avon Tyres,

Berca PT,

British American Tobacco,

Bekaert Steel,

Desarallo Investments in Dominican Republic,

ETCO Commodities,

Kulia Investments (Kenya),

Metal Box,

Pfizer Chemicals,

Phoenix Corp (Philippines),

Scarab Group (Xzero, HVR and Purity),

Tetra Pak,

Wilkinson Sword.

Over time, contracts have often been as Team or Mission Leader (5 times for EC, many times for ITC, once for ADB, SEDF and NORAD).

Because of the 30 years that has elapsed, many of our direct clients are no longer in their old posts but refrences can be given on request to most of the above list of former clients.

We have also been priveleged by being associated with some of the leading experts in a number of areas who can also provide testimonials. They are also our friends, colleagues and Associates.

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Accomplishments:

As an indication of physical outcomes of which I am particularly proud, we quote a selection below:

Regional Coconut Development in the Pacific Region for ACP/EU as Team Leader.

The Ambassadors representing the Pacific Region in Brussels requested intra-regional funding of pilot coconut developments. This was agreed and an action fiche commissioned which Vinay Chand is preparing as team leader.

Mid Term Evaluation of FACT (Facilitating agricultural Commodity Trade) EC project in the Pacific Region.

Visited Fiji, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to look at progress at field level of assistance being given by FACT to SMEs and to develop national capacities. Looked at balsa, canaria nuts, teek, VCO, high value fruit exports, accreditation, and essential oils amongst other projects.

Two years into implementation, FACT is highly praised within the region and is being followed by IACT, a larger project.

Markets and Marketing of Cloves, Pepper, Vanilla and Cocoa from Madagascar

Part of the rural livelihoods programme funded by the European Commission. Madagascar does well producing these commodities and exporting them but there is considerable scope for improvement.

Visited India, Indonesia, USA and Switzerland to talk to the main buyers and processors including Nestle, Virginia Dare, Shanks and leading spice traders in Cochin.

Coconut Husk Products

Advisor to GTL on uses of coconut husks including mulch, peat, coir products as part of their major private sector investment in Asia.

Sector strategy design and follow-up activities for the Pacific under the EC-funded All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme. Senior consultant on the Coconut sector (Pacific). Fact finding phase with stakeholder cosultations was completed. It is being followed up by participatory strategy development for coconuts in the Solomon Islands. A second round of workshops took place in October 2009 at which the general process was endorsed and recommendations are being prepared for participants to consider. The process appears to be caught in a rut of institutionalisation.

EU-ACP Action Plan and Africa-EU Cotton Partnership (Mission Leader for preparing 45 million euros project now being implemented). The Plan was accepted by EDF without significant changes and is being implemented as the 'All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme'. Based on vigorous value chain analysis, the plan uses farming system studies as well to develop pro poor commodity strategies that reduce dependence on single commoditities through a participatory process and to mainstream them into sector policy.

The Team, composed of seasoned experts (Jean- Pierre Llabres, Patrick Welby, Tonnis Sviervogel and Vinay Chand), had the advantage of some excellent preparatory work by EC officials, and from the ACP Secretariat.

There are strong indications that the degree of collaboration between the 5 International Organisations given grants (World Bank, FAO, ITC, CFC and UNCTAD) is increasing in commodity assistance as a direct result of the project. That in itself is a major advance.

The danger is that the money will disappear into normal activities of the organisations and the focus on rigorous value chain analysis may be lost together with the pro poor focus on farming systems. There is also the other danger that too much of the money may end up being used to finance staff and overheads.

Looking back, the participatory strategy formulation depends almost entirely on stakeholders being briefed as to options. Without that ill informed decisions can be made that reflect the backwardness of the value chains.

The project is being implemented and we would estimate that it is 10% effective. Some money has gone astray as usual. Too much talk, not enough action. No central control, possibly a design weakness.

Export Led Pro Poor Agricultural Diversification (Team Leader for ITC implemented programme on behalf of IF in Cambodia).

Working with local Consultants to the Ministry of Commerce, a scoping study identified availability of produce. The Team then considered returns per hectare of various crops and identified potential SMEs which could acting alone or in public/private partnerships develop opportunities in targeted areas.

A market check was undertaken by Vinay Chand in Tokyo, Singapore, Kuala lumpur and Bangkok to see what volumes were required, prevailing prices at supermarkets, interested buyers, and the relative comparative advantage of Cambodia to supply. We were lucky in being able to use data collected in previous market assessments.

Findings were presented to Donors and to the SME sector at workshops held at IFC in Phnom Penh.

The study is still available on the MoC web site in Cambodia. Some diversification has taken place but not based on study and planning.

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SWEDLANKA Rubberised Coir Plant in Sri Lanka for which we did the feasibility study in 1982, and helped get off the ground as a Swedish-Sri Lanka Joint Venture and which has produced for many years and exported products to Europe.The Project was also assisted by SWEDFUND and the promoter was Premadassa Jewellers.

The plant was the first located in coconut producing countries that was export oriented, increasing value added to coir by tenfold. It demonstrated that exports of rubberised coir were profitable despite high freight costs due to the low stowage factor. Sadly, few have followed its bold example.

In undertaking the research, we started a long term dialogue and understanding of the use of rubberised coir in vehicle upholstery and mattresses. Rubberised coir is the single most valuable product range that can be produced from coconuts.

Abolition of the copra and cocoa stabilisation funds in Samoa which had been impoverishing the farmers by resulting in a lower price each year than the world market price in 1985 during an ADB Agriculture Sector Review. The operation of the schemes was deplorable and we are proud to have helped end them even if understandably the initial reaction by the Government and the ADB project officer was defensive.

Very few commodity stabilisation schemes succeed, especially when they are export oriented. Those for domestic markets such as the minimum price intervention in India have a very good record.

The Report did cause an uproar in paradise and major political changes ensued. Despite initial obstacles, the inevitable conclusions were implemented.

The messenger of bad news is never welcomed with garlands but a Consultant must never be afraid to convey the truth.

Pre-completition Evaluation of Agrarian Reform Support Programme (ARSP) for EC in Philippines which was a great success as a project, gives you faith and confidence in the development process. Farmers in the resettlement programme generally had their incomes more than doubled. One of the most effective and ably managed aid projects we have ever heard off.

Five provinces in the South were covered: Camarines del Sur; Negros Oriental; and Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur in Northern Mindanao. It was such a pleasure to talk to so many farmer groups and work with such excellent colleagues.

Unfortunately, we have not come across examples of replication of the project either in the Philippines or elsewhere which comes across to us as a pity.

Mid Term Evaluation of Kerafed in India for EC, a 45 million euro grant assisted project including copra production and three oil mills of 20 million coconuts per annum capacity each, which was a great disaster, and a good example of how not to do things which is a useful lesson to learn.

The mid term evaluation came out with uncomfortable truths regarding governance issues and technical decisions. The first oil mill simply did not work.

Never a particularly lucrative idea, the way it was implemented reduced viability. Moreover, the disaster of the project helped lose South India of another grant aided that would have helped coconut farmers a great deal.

Speaking to 3,000 coconut farmers in Zamboanga del Norte in Mindanao, Philippines at a series of meetings advocating higher value use for coconuts,.arranged by local representatives including Congressman Amatong. It was a privelege to work with such public minded individuals.

VCA has played an advocacy role on coconuts for 30 years arguing for higher value uses that increase the processed value of coconuts from 9 cents per nut to two dollars per nut.

No substantial initiative has been undertaken in the Philippines to make the coconut industry more valuable and, as a result, we keep hearing reports of palms being cut.

Evaluation of 20 years of Generic Market Development and Promotion of Jute by ITC which had been a solid achievment. The programme represents an extremely effective use of funds. A lot was accomplished for relatively very little money.

A great deal of work that lessens adverse developments or charts strategy goes under rated and needs to be accliamed when the work has been well done and achieves positive outcomes.

ITC has continued assistance to the jute sector by helping develop a Road Map for the industry.