Chapter 283 Incompetent Judiciary
Ron received Chandani in his villa. He was in his forties, looked gentle and elegant, and had the style of a colonial elite.
He was surprised by the other party's visit, as Onida and Sur Electric are currently competing against each other.
But Ron didn't care. It was just a small matter and not worth worrying about.
"Please sit down." He gestured with his hand and asked the servant to bring tea.
"Thank you." Chandani clasped his hands together and looked around the villa.
It was a huge place, and the chandelier above alone was comparable to his living room.
The floor is paved with marble and carved with intricate patterns, which is very artistic.
Although the gorgeous and high-quality furniture is not covered with gold foil like other wealthy people's homes, it is obvious that it is custom-made.
They are consistent with the decorative style of the entire living room and blend in perfectly.
What impressed Chandani even more was that the servants did not need to light any fire to make tea. There was a machine placed in the side hall that could directly release hot water.
Looking at the bottled water label, it seems that the place of origin is still abroad.
Could it be that all the water this guy needs for food, clothing and daily necessities is airlifted in like this?
Chandani just thought it was too ridiculous and shouldn't be possible.
But when he thought about the water from his own faucet, which still had to be filtered manually, he felt a pang of sourness.
"Mr. Soul, with all due respect, your actions are completely stifling the local home appliance manufacturing industry."
"Wow, that's a pretty serious accusation." Ron raised his eyebrows.
“With India’s current technological capabilities, it is impossible to independently produce televisions, let alone price them so low.
If Sur Electric were to act as a price butcher, it would only wipe out its domestic competitors, but it would not hurt imported brands at all."
Currently, most of India's electrical appliance manufacturers are positioned at the low end, and their pricing range overlaps with that of Sur Electric.
Foreign imported brands target the high-end market, and their consumer groups will never shift to the low-end market.
Ultimately, price wars will ultimately hurt local companies.
Chandani took this as a righteous cause and instigated public opinion to target Sur Electric.
"First of all, the pricing of Sur Electric is not blind. We can make a profit, otherwise we would not ship in large quantities.
Secondly, the allegation of dumping is totally unfounded, and we can certainly prove this in court.
Finally, the claim of stifling local businesses is pure slander. Be careful or I'll sue you." Ron sipped his tea leisurely.
Well, the mineral water imported from Finland is really good for making tea.
He didn't know if it was his illusion, but the water source in Mumbai always had a smell.
After his wallet became fatter, Ron never compromised himself in life.
Seeing him in such a leisurely state, Chandani felt even more unhappy.
"As colleagues in the same industry, you and I both know that the cost of imported parts alone does not allow us to set prices too low."
"Who says we need to import? All the parts of Suer Electric are produced locally."
"All? Every single part?"
"Isn't this strange? Isn't Onida also planning to build a complete production line?"
Chandani was speechless. He didn't expect Sur Electric to act so quickly. There was no news before.
In addition, although Onida is also undergoing localization transformation, they signed a large number of unequal agreements with JVC and were basically being exploited in the past two years.
In a short period of time, it is impossible to lower the price to the same level as Sur Electric Appliances.
This is a chronic strangulation, and domestic small and medium-sized peers will eventually be kicked out.
"Mr. Sur, as businessmen we pursue more than just profits. We also shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing Make in India."
"Made in India?" Ron almost laughed out loud.
Third brother didn't figure this out for decades, so how can we expect him to figure it out now?
Wouldn't it be better to just be a comprador like me? All you do is dream of becoming a great power.
Of course, he wouldn't say that, he would also stand on the high ground of justice.
"If Make in India really wants to achieve results, now is the last chance."
"Why do you say that?" Chandani was stunned.
"India has joined the WTO, right?"
"This is a good thing. We can do business with more countries."
"Mr. Chandani, you are too confident. Without the protection of tariff barriers, how can we compete with others?
You say I am dumping at low prices. When the transition period ends, foreign capital will directly build factories in India. Will the imported goods still be as high priced as they are now?
It's impossible. They will only pursue profits madly, without any moral principles. Only then will there be truly brutal competition."
Foreign brands have the technology and can take advantage of India's low costs. In order to compete for market share, price wars are inevitable.
Didn't Chandani understand? Not necessarily, he just didn't want to think that far ahead.
"Since we have to compete with imports on behalf of India, shouldn't we unite and act in unison?"
"What do you want to say?" Ron looked at him.
"We can sign a price alliance agreement to guarantee everyone's profits, so that we can have more money to compete with imported goods in the future."
"You mean to raise the price of Sur TV sets?"
"You'll earn more this way, right?"
"That depends on whether the consumers agree or not." Ron smiled oddly.
"Mr. Soul."
"Sol Electric does not accept the antitrust allegations. If the Mumbai court wants to investigate, that's fine, if they can handle it." Ron served tea and saw the guest off.
What a joke! Ron can belittle anyone, but he won't belittle the Indian judiciary. In business competition, the most incompetent means is to resort to legal procedures.
After the charges are filed, you first have to wait for the local court to accept the case. Usually, they cannot handle this type of case and it has to be transferred to the High Court.
Based on the same logic, most antitrust cases will eventually be appealed to the Supreme Court.
This process will take at least a few years, and Ron is confident in India's efficiency.
The above is the normal process of litigation handling and is also the ideal situation.
But this is India.
Nowhere is the judicial system as ailing as in contemporary India, plagued by case backlogs and delays.
It is said that the total backlog of cases in Indian courts is at least 25 million, which means that there is one case waiting to be heard for every 40 people, regardless of gender or age.
In the United States, there are 107 judges per million people, while in India, there are only 13 judges per million people.
Forty percent of the Bombay High Court bench is vacant, and each judge has more than 3,000 pending cases.
Qualified lawyers are reluctant to become judges because the salaries paid by the courts are too low compared to private practice.
In India, there is no fee to file a lawsuit, and the vast majority of cases are completely unprofitable. The courts are uninterested and often adjourn.
The first trial case mentioned recently in the newspapers took place in the 1980s. It was over a decade ago, and it's even questionable whether the person involved is still alive.
People file lawsuits diligently, but the speed at which verdicts are issued is only half the speed at which the lawsuits are filed. This means that the number of old cases resolved and the number of new cases accumulated by the Bombay High Court each year are basically the same.
At the current rate, it will take another 350 years to clear the entire backlog of cases.
The evidence collection process for civil litigation alone takes an average of five years.
Most cases take at least twenty years to reach final trial.
Many of the cases that the courts are slow to accept today were appealed in the early 1950s.
Therefore, even if the court handles the antitrust case threatened by Chandani immediately, the final trial will not take place until 25 years later.
Ron was not afraid of anything. At that time, it was hard to say how many brands of these so-called association peers were still alive.
Some gangs in Mumbai have launched a parallel justice system service. Their slogan is as follows:
“If someone occupies your house and refuses to leave, a lawsuit that would take 20 years to settle in court can be resolved in 10 days with us.
What the police, government or courts cannot do, we can do.
When people are exhausted by the judicial system, when they are on the verge of bankruptcy and have no other options, they come to us and ask for our help.
You almost forgot that this thing belongs to you, so we will come forward to get it back for you."
"What the court cannot do, we will do." A leader of the Rajan Gang said this publicly to reporters.
Their fees are expensive, but their law enforcement is efficient, and many ordinary people have no choice but to seek help from the gangs.
It's outrageous. The fact that Mumbai's judicial system has not completely collapsed today is due to the gangs' contribution.
With this kind of character, Ron can completely ignore the so-called antitrust lawsuit.
On the contrary, the public opinion attack launched by Chandani is more deterrent than litigation.
Populism is prevalent in India. When it comes to national justice, everyone shouts for war and killing as if they have been injected with chicken blood.
If a plane falls from the sky, they say it's a rumor, or at worst, they cover their mouths.
In a word, win!
However, Ron was not too worried about the so-called Made in India banner. He could defuse the opponent's offensive with just one word, and maybe even take the opportunity to boost sales again.
After sending Chandani away, he planned to look for Kavya. To conduct propaganda, he still had to turn to the Times of India, which had a large circulation and a loud voice.
But before he could leave, Anil walked in quickly and whispered something in his ear.
Ron nodded and prepared to go out.
Nia, who was serving him with a cup of tea, looked a little depressed.
Baba is getting busier and busier, and spends less and less time at home.
Anil glared at her and said that men should do the work and women should obey 100%.
"I'll enjoy your Bharatanatyam dance again in two days." Ron smiled and pinched her cheek.
Nia blushed. She had recently adapted many traditional dances, making the movements more graceful and highlighting the body curves.
To put it bluntly, they are all designed to please the owner.
Ron loved it, little Nia had grown up and it took his breath away.
But good things have to be appreciated slowly, especially when no one is around.
Anil is a rough guy and has no idea that his sister is his greatest helper.
Coming out of the villa, Ron saw the figure waiting outside.
His face was haggard, with a noticeable scar on his forehead above his left eye, and his legs seemed to be not very flexible.
The most important thing is that his strong body became thin, and his eyes were dull and lifeless.
"Ron." Johnny moved his throat and his voice was hoarse.
(End of this chapter)
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