They say that IDP is co-owned by Australian Universities… If yes, why will they attempt at sabotaging the promotion of Australian Education where 26 Universities participated… Something is amiss.

Global Reach organized a major exhibition of Australian Universities in Kolkata… However IDP was found giving out information leaflets just outside the venue… This is also fine!

What is shocking that full stretches of roads around the venue where the Global Reach Australian Education Fairs were advertised through wall posters were found to have been deliberately covered in a manner that the turnout at the Global Reach run Australian Education Fair was low. That did not happen due to sheer goodwill that GR has in Kolkata but the very act on part of IDP demonstrates the new low that it has engaged with.

Certainly it cannot be owned by Australian Universities! If it is, then why did it try to sabotage the very event where 26 Universities were participating to promote Australian Education…

21 responses

Gulshan Kumar

3 Feb 2012

It is shocking and bad for our industry. We should not try to follow this path. I urge IDP to look into this incident and ensure that such attempts are not repeated in future.

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  4 Feb 2012
  
  Gulshan, I want to remind you that there was a time when in Chandigarh, another agency took up a hall adjacent to the venue where IDP was hosting its fair. IDP was furious and complained. The other agency was censured by AAERI to a level that even today they consider us to have sided with IDP and as their foes… How sad…
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  1. Henry A S Ledlie
    
    9 Feb 2012
    
    Remember that MANY of those old players are not in this space today and the few that remain [ the then bad eggs ] have , I think , learnt their lessons and hopefully understand your vision and more importantly what the customer wants .
    
    LikeLike
    
    Reply
    1. Ravi Lochan Singh
      
      10 Feb 2012
      
      Karma…
      
      LikeLike
      
      Reply
Santanu Bag

3 Feb 2012

This is poor competition at its very best….!!!

If you search for the meaning of “Competition” in any online dictionary….it comes like….

1. The act of competing, as for profit or a prize; rivalry.

2. A test of skill or ability; a contest: a skating competition.

3. Rivalry between two or more businesses striving for the same customer or market.

In Global Reach…we only accept the 2nd point as granted….

To us its a test of Skill or Ability..to own the larger part of the market share.

A competitor can be defined as any person or entity which is a rival against another. In business, a company in the same industry or a similar industry which offers a similar product or service. The presence of one or more competitors can reduce the prices of goods and services as the companies attempt to gain a larger market share. Competition also requires companies to become more efficient in order to reduce costs.
But the main motto of every company should be “Not Cheating its customer”….then the whole market have to take a Toll for that.

Its makes the market negative….rather than improving it.

I wish our competitors will stop this type of rivalry & become much more responsible towards the market.

After all they can only copy is our promotions or product….not the our CULTURE….!!!

I suggest them to Shift from being busy in copying to achieving results.

The Japanese sometimes give away their trade secrets to their competition. That way while the peers are studying them, they are working on their next WOE (Wave of Excellence).

Smart isn’t it……!!!!

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  4 Feb 2012
  
  Santanu, You have got the GR ethos perfectly. I am delighted indeed to have you in our team. We are not here for a short term. In our 21st year, our word of mouth has no rivals. Lets continue to do our best.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Anirban Sircar

4 Feb 2012

One of the many ugly faces of our industry and may I add that many Universities and Colleges are quite oblivious of such acts!

LikeLike

Reply
Bob

4 Feb 2012

It is time for Universities Australia to come out and speak the truth about IDP. Wake up Vice-Chancellors come out and let the industry know who owns IDP.

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  4 Feb 2012
  
  You are dead right. I have not come across a more opportunistic entity than IDP. When the times were tough, it talked only USA… When USA did not work, it took on UK and Canada. Now that UK is down and Australia is likely to be up, there is no other destination on its mind than Australia.
  
  When Australians questioned IDP as to why does an agency owned by Australian Universities promote other destinations, the answers were that it brought it the students who will then be likely converted to Australia. How unethical indeed…
  
  I do not like penning such direct comments and would not have. Now that I find that it has lowered itself to such cheap marketing, I have no option but to spell the facts for the Australian Universities to understand… What they are told in Australia is not the fact…
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Venu Babu Chintapatla

4 Feb 2012

On one hand DIAC is streamlining the uni’s and on the other hand the same uni’s are using IDP to sabotage the system and get students using cheap tricks.One should understand that, in the current scenario ( with the Knight’s review) Australian education is not about making money and bringing in student numbers, but it is about rebuilding the EDUCATION AUSTRALIA brand and not repeating the mistakes done in the past.
Guys, have some respect.

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  4 Feb 2012
  
  I am not sure if the Universities approve IDP’s crass marketing. The only bother to me is that the same very posters mention that IDP IS CO-OWNED BY THE UNIVERSITIES…
  
  Clearly the Universities are stuck with IDP and IDP is nothing but a large agent with unfair privileges given to it…
  
  It is not the IDP that existed in India for years. For years Indian students took IDP to be an equivalence of British Council but all that has changed in the recent years…
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  1. venu babu chintapatla
    
    4 Feb 2012
    
    Then it is time for the universities to decouple themselves with this large agent. Any action taken by IDP will be considered as the action taken by the owners of that company.
    
    LikeLike
    
    Reply
  2. Henry A S Ledlie
    
    9 Feb 2012
    
    NO Ravi. Universities are NOT stuck with IDP keeping in mind that you had 26 Institutions at your event while IDP had 13 . This speaks well for those who have the testicles.
    
    LikeLike
    
    Reply
    1. Ravi Lochan Singh
      
      10 Feb 2012
      
      I agree. Many of the institutions are quite disappointed with opportunism.
      
      LikeLike
      
      Reply
Venu Babu Chintapatla

4 Feb 2012

Ravi,
I cant imagine in my wildest dreams that you will give such instructions to your staff to stick ur posters on top of others or put someone in the toilet or the parking lot to collect phone numbers. I think you are too good to be doing this business in India. You are the Anna Hazare of this industry. Rest assured, not now , not in future, you will not make any money from this business, but you will set an example and can win few awards, while others cherish your hard work.
Cheers man, enjoy your weekend.

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  4 Feb 2012
  
  @venu please do not compare me to Anna Hazare. I differ to his ideology and also his denouncement of democratic processes. And… I also believe that money can be made through right means.
  
  Honestly speaking, the IDP under Henry Ledlie too would not have gone down so low.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
  1. Henry A S Ledlie
    
    9 Feb 2012
    
    We were competitors in this business Dear Ravi but we had respect and a healthy understanding of what was wrong and what was not. We had our ears to the ground and had healthy discussions on areas where you [ AAERI ] thought we were overstepping our zones of comfort and remember we always took corrective action.
    I continue to stress the point that Australian Institutions and the Indian Post must intervene and stop this ROT.
    
    LikeLike
    
    Reply
Henry A S Ledlie

9 Feb 2012

I am saddened to see an organization my old team n I nurtured to such successful heights with integrity and fair play, turn this honorable profession into such street tactics that will only see business slide and the Indian public wonder what this desperation is all about .
What an absolute waste of Australian Institution money going down the drain…a fact that has been been highlighted by low footfalls at events that have witnessed success and brand building in the past .
It is in the hands of Australian Institutions , the Australian Post in India and the serious players to put an immediate stop to such tactics.
I can only appeal to the management and staff of IDP to refrain from such acts and spend more of their time and energies in servicing the dreams and aspirations of serious students . I also urge Mr.Pental to look into this and book those responsible for such KACHRA promotions .
Very sad indeed is all that I can say .
Henry A S Ledlie
EX CEO of IDP Education Australia [ India ]

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  10 Feb 2012
  
  Henry, as colleagues in the same industry I do believe that IDP was at its peak with you at the helm. IDP almost got equated with British Council due to the focus on maintaining the flag-bearer role for Australia.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Anirban Sircar

9 Feb 2012

This rot stems from the over-commercialisation of the student recruitment industry. I say this after spending 15 years as an OEC. It’s like a mad-cow rush to lay bums on seats!

LikeLike

Reply
1. Ravi Lochan Singh
  
  10 Feb 2012
  
  well…
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply