An interview with Mr. Roshan Shankar,
principal consultant at Group IBI's Singapore office
1. Can you describe briefly about the history of Group IBI’s SG office and your experience in market research?
The
idea of setting up a Group IBI office in SG first came up in late 2012 when I and Group IBI started having a conversation
about the possibility of working together. I came on board mid-2013 and we
formally launched our SG operations this year. Personally, I have been involved
in market research since the beginning of my career, first with the
pharmaceutical sector and later with insurance, both in India and in a Pan
Asian role
2. We know you have led SG office since its inception. What are you
trying to achieve in SG market for short-term and long-term?
In the
short term, the aim is to spread the word about IBI research and get acquainted
with the business research scene in Singapore better. In the longer term, I aim
to establish IBI Research Singapore as the leading business research provider
in the South East Asian region
3. For whom do you usually provide the research service? Are they
usually global or local ones?
We
typically work with MNCs, who have operations in multiple countries in the
region, with their regional HQs in Singapore.
4. Which sectors do you think are the most active in performing the
researches in SG?
In the
B2B space, Technology and Healthcare companies conduct a significant amount of
research in the region. Given that most technology & healthcare clients
have their regional HQs here in Singapore, these sectors form the core group of
clients for IBI.
5. Any difficulties or obstacles in working with regional HQs in SG?
The
lack of awareness among prospective clients is a major barrier for the time
being and I am trying to change that. The other challenge is the dynamics
between the HQ and regional offices of a client. Getting both to agree on the
research type, methodology, budgets etc. is a sometimes a daunting task.
However, having multiple IBI Research offices across the region works to our
distinct advantage here.
6. What do you think are the strengths or advantages your office has over
other competitors in Asian region?
I
think we have two disntinct advantages. One is size
- IBI Research is large enough that
we cover all the significant markets in the region, yet we are small enough
that senior management is involved in every
single project. We are able to provide the necessary coverage while maintaining
a very high standard of quality in every single project. The other is our
diverse team. Having team members who are market specialists (covering Korea,
Indonesia, Thailand, Greater China, Japan, India etc.), makes it easy for us to
access insights that would not be available to an 'outsider' working from an
office in Singapore or Hong Kong.
7. Do you see any trend in clients’ research
needs or focus?
Competitive
Intelligence is an area that is seeing a lot of interest across industries.
South East Asia is very diverse when it comes to the availability and quality
of competitive intelligence. Clients are looking for periodic, high quality
insights on competition in different markets in the region and this is an area
where there is a distinct gap between what clients want & what is currently
available in the market.
8. What was the most memorable research project recently? Can you also
tell us why?
Our
client, a global life sciences company that had recently commercialized an
innovative treatment technology for cancer, engaged us to help them with
nagivating the regulatory environment and develop their distribution strategy
in three different markets. The project was memorable because it gave us an
opportunity to witness the insights we generated being put to use and also
validated the quality of our output as the client extended the engagement from
one market to three. We continue to explore the possibility of working with
this client in other markets as well.
9. What advice can you tell the global players who intend to enter or
expand their business in Asia, in terms of both general business and the market
research?
Asia
is full of opportunities as everyone knows. My only advice to organizations is that
companies must be prepared to invest in Asia for the long haul. There are no
short cuts to riches here.
With
respect to market research, my advice is to be prepared for diversity-Asia is
not a big, homogenous block, so while in some markets information is easily
available, getting relevant, actionable information in others is a huge
challenge.
10. How is your life in SG? What do you like and dislike about SG?
Singapore
is a vibrant international city and it affords me a very comfortable lifestyle.
I especially love the outdoors-there are so many parks, gardens and water
bodies here that it makes it fun to get out & be fit. Also the city is very
compact so meeting clients doesn't require long hours of travel.
What I
dislike is the weather-it is hot & humid throught the year and I can tell
you that wearing a business suit in this weather is distinctly unpleasant!
