Company Details

Indian Publishing house

Assignment Details

Our client Ray Solute is looking for a Due Diligence Analyst to conduct a comprehensive analysis of an Indian Publishing House focused on computer books. The successful candidate will have a deep understanding of the regulatory environment, market sizing and segmentation, value chain, customer feedback and competition in the Indian publishing sector.

Key Responsibilities
1. Regulatory Environment Analysis:
o Identify and analyze the key features of the regulatory controls related to computer science textbooks publishers in India and evaluate their adherence by colleges and publishers.
o Investigate past trends and anticipate future changes in regulations that could impact the textbook market.
2. Market Sizing and Segmentation:
o Estimate the market scope based on enrolment in relevant colleges and the number of
professionals looking to upgrade their skills.
o Evaluate the publishing demand, market segmentation, pricing, and growth factors.
o Predict the future market trends and the impact of syllabus changes on growth.
3. Value Chain Analysis:
o Assess the relative importance of publisher versus distributor in the buying process in different segments.
o Identify major distributors for technology subject books and analyze their retail reach, margin structure, and discount structure.
o Evaluate the competition's view on the target company’s market position and its reputation at the retail level.
4. Customer Feedback Assessment:
o Understand the process of selection of textbooks and/or publishers followed by the target audience.
o Evaluate how schools and other customers view the target company’s products in terms of quality, range, consistency, pricing, aftersales support, etc.
o Assess the influence of factors on the purchase of guidebooks and supplementary material.
5. Competition Analysis:
o Identify and analyze key competitors in each segment.
o Compare their product range with the target company's and evaluate their market position, size, and commercial terms offered.
o Understand the recent changes in competitive intensity and the key drivers of the target company’s growth.
6. Data Analysis:
o Use appropriate databases to arrive at the enrolment numbers for students and professionals.
o Conduct an interview program with various stakeholders (IT companies, professionals, colleges, distributors, retailers, publishers, and educational board officials).
o Analyze financial data on competitors available from online sources.
o Review and analyze inputs received from the interview program and other sources to identify key issues.
7. Report Preparation:
o Develop an independent view of the market opportunity for the target company.
o Assess the target company’s readiness and positioning to exploit market opportunity.
o Prepare a diligence report and a recast business plan that aligns with our view of the market opportunity and target company’s readiness.

Skills Required

• Bachelor's/Master’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Proven experience in conducting due diligence, ideally within the publishing sector.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong communication and report writing skills.
• Proficiency in utilizing databases and other relevant software.
• Strong understanding of the Indian publishing sector and its regulatory environment.
• Fluency in English, knowledge of local Indian languages would be advantageous.