 Dressed in a pristine white knit top, Robyn Qiu cut an incongruous figure in her parents' dusty, hangar-like metal hardware factory in eastern China as she gestured excitedly while an assistant filmed her on a smartphone. The 29-year-old is one of many second-generation factory owners fighting to elevate the country's manufacturing sector, pitting digital native skillsets against the rising costs and geopolitical tensions pushing clients abroad. Qiu said she grew up with "the noise of machines running day and night", but working in manufacturing was not always her first choice. When Qiu was a child, her parents encouraged her to aim for a white-collar office job far from the dust and din of the factory floor. "Even when they were starting the factory, their goal for me, their expectation for me is to really get a good education and break out of the cycle of farmers," Qiu said of her parents, who come from agricultural communities. But after years spent working in consulting, the Yale-educated Qiu now feels she has "this very strong responsibility to give back to manufacturing".  AFP | Hector RETAMAL Qiu has set up a marketing business that directly connects factories with foreign audiences, through videos posted on Instagram and TikTok, which in China can only be accessed using a VPN. It's a stark contrast from the way earlier generations conducted business, often with many middlemen and at the mercy of major buyers. In her videos, a cheerful Qiu speaks in fluent English, narrating as she buys street snacks in Shanghai or listing China's key manufacturing zones while walking along a factory assembly line. - Manufacturing woes - Qiu's parents, who founded the factory in the 1990s, were part of a massive wave of entrepreneurship that marked the first decades of China's reform and opening up, when the country transformed into the world's factory -- and eventually, its second largest economy. However, rising wages in China and geopolitical tensions with trade partners including the United States have made alternative locations such as Cambodia and Bangladesh increasingly attractive to clients.  AFP | Hector RETAMAL The Qius lost major customers in the 2010s after refusing an offer to move their production to Cambodia. Flagging domestic demand in recent years has further weighed on the sector, with the official factory activity index in China contracting for five months in a row since May. The Qius have adapted -- they recently purchased more advanced equipment to automate more of the manufacturing process. They are also experimenting with making their own products, laser levels for construction use, rather than only making parts for clients. Qiu said she sees the supply chain as a pyramid, with international brands at the top and raw material suppliers at the bottom. "China is in the middle," she said. And now, "either we go up or we will go down". - Being seen - Rose Law, the daughter of a cosmetics factory owner in southern Guangdong province, echoed many of Qiu's thoughts, telling AFP her personal goals include "being able to have a more positive impact on the industry". She is overseeing the development of product brands for the family business —- a step up the supply chain from originally making other brands' goods.  AFP | Hector RETAMAL Law runs her own shampoo brand, with packaging and formulas inspired by traditional Chinese herbal remedies. "In my parents' generation, all industries were new, and everyone in various sectors was competing from a similar starting line," Law told AFP. Now, she sees creating brand loyalty rather than remaining an anonymous supplier as a way to keep orders stable and profitable. "In a market with oversupply, being seen and trusted is extremely important," she said -- and social media is an important way to gain that crucial visibility. - Online success - Qiu said the reaction to her videos has been "amazing", with more than 500 buyers contacting her since May this year, and more than 150,000 users following her Instagram page. Her online success is mirrored by other "Changerdai", the Chinese name for second-generation factory owners -- a play on "Fuerdai", a phrase used to describe often idle scions of generational wealth. Changerdai content has gone viral both at home and abroad, albeit sometimes as inadvertent memes. On Instagram, Guangzhou-based LC Sign has drawn half a million followers through videos in which a man, "Tony", shows off LED signs and does impressions of former US president Donald Trump. On domestic platforms, a six-episode short video drama called "The Empire of Towel" -- made by a towel factory Changerdai -- has billions of views. Nowadays, "if you want to do marketing, you want to get people's attention, you have to invest in short videos", said Qiu.By Jing Xuan Teng China's second-generation factory owners go digital to combat challenges |
Reliance Jio-Facebook deal will be 'catalyst' to make India world's leading digital society: Mukesh Ambani (2020-07-22T11:31:00+05:30)
APR 22, 2020 MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), which signed a mega Rs 43,574 crore deal with Facebook giving the US-based social media giant a 9.99 per cent equity stake in homegrown mobile network Jio, said the partnership will prove to be a catalyst to make India into one of the world's leading digital societies. "All of us at Reliance and Jio are delighted to welcome Facebook Inc. as our long-term and esteemed partner. At the core of our partnership is the commitment that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and I share for the all-round digital transformation of India and for serving all Indians," Ambani said in a video statement. Ambani said the two companies will together accelerate India's digital economy to empower, enable and enrich people. Providing more details on the partnership, the Reliance Chairman said that Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram have become household names in India over the past few years. "The combined power of Jio's world-class digital connectivity platform and Facebook's intimate relationship with the Indian people will offer innovative new solutions to each one of you," he said. He said that in the very near future, JioMart, Jio's new commerce platform and WhatsApp will empower nearly 3 crore small Indian kirana shops to digitally transact with every customer in their neighbourhood. "This means all of you can order and get faster delivery of day-to-day items from nearby local shops. At the same time, small Kiranas can grow their businesses and create new employment opportunities using digital technologies," Ambani said. In days to come, he said this winning recipe will be extended to serve other key stakeholders of Indian society. "Our farmers, small and medium enterprises, students and teachers healthcare providers and above all women and youth, who form the foundation of a new India," he said. The Reliance Chairman said that the synergy between Jio and Facebook will help realise the two goals - 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of Doing Business'- set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ambani also wished good health to people amid coronavirus outbreak and said that India will surely emerge stronger, healthier and better. "I wish good health, safety in the current extraordinary situation in India and around the world. We are in this together, we will overcome this pandemic. Corona Harega, India Jitega. With our collective efforts India will surely emerge stronger, healthier and better," he said. Facebook has announced investing Rs 43,574 crore into Jio Platforms, the investment will translate into a 9.99 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms, the largest FDI in the Indian tech sector. Facebook's investment will translate into a 9.99 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis, a statement issued by the Reliance Industries Limited read. This investment by Facebook values Jio Platforms at Rs 4.62 lakh crore pre-money enterprise value ($65.95 billion, assuming a conversion rate of Rs 70 to a US Dollar). Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source: Jammu Links News
|