Slum Dog Oscar-wala.

In late 1990s suddenly Indian sleeping beauty awoke by four miss world title and two miss universe tile (if I am not wrong).

Miss_world

1994 Aishwarya Rai

1997 Diana Hayden

1999 Yukta Mookhey

2000 Priyanka Chopra

Miss Universe

1994 Sushmita Sen

2000 Lara Dutta

Six beauty pageant titles made a wide open path for many international companies to en-cash this opportunity. Garnier, L'oreal, Unilever, Nina Ricci, Chambor, Shiseido, Issey Miyake, Tommy Hilfiger, Elizabeth Arden, Pupa, Max Factor and Max Mara to name few.

According to ACNielsen, the personal care and cosmetics market in India was worth Rs 167,636m in 2005, which marks an increase of 6%. The general personal care category, including soaps and shower products, oral care, APDs and fragrances grew at 4%. Women’s personal care grew at 6% and hair care, the biggest individual sector, increased 13%.

The professional hairdressing industry in India is a fairly recent success story. L'Oréal's Professional products division was one of the first of its kind to enter the Indian salon market. Today the professional hair care industry is said to be worth Rs 200 Crore, with double-digit growth rates.

Six titles in six years and none in last ten years. Was this a lollipop to boost sales in India?

After a decade, now its turn of motion picture group.

Warner Brothers Pictures India is set to invest Rs 200 crore in film production this year. Warner Brothers is not the only Hollywood studio to invest in India. Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, and Paramount Pictures are also collaborating in film production in India.

Sony Pictures Worldwide has inked an agreement with Pritish Nandy Communications (PNC) to coproduce three movies targeted at the Indian movie-buffs as well as the global audience. Though there are no official figures yet, both the companies are likely to make investments to the tune of Rs 250 crore. Eros International, Sony Pictures also have plans to co-invest in Hindi films.

Disney's investment further establishes its entry into the Indian market through UTV and complements its fast-growing Disney-branded businesses.

This time also a lollipop is (or rather few lollipops are) needed to get fast ROI (return of investment) from the millions and billions of investment that motion pictures groups are doing in India.

Slum Dog Millionaire got 8 Oscars. Is this also a kind of lollipop? If so then Anu Malik better get ready. Higher the investment motion picture group does in India, higher are the chance that you get one.

I hope Nobel prizes are awarded for noble and genuine reasons.