HLnovel Chapter 270 Anthony the "Man-Eating"
Chapter 270 Anthony the "Man-Eating"
Looking at this devastating contract, Lei Jun didn't dare to agree.
He was thinking about Anil Ambani.
He is the younger brother of Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, and the head of Reliance Telecom.
Reliance Industries is India’s largest business empire, encompassing sectors such as oil, telecommunications, retail, and finance, with annual revenue exceeding $100 billion.
Although Anil is not as wealthy as his brother, he is still on the Forbes list with a net worth of over 10 billion US dollars.
Why would someone like this want to partner with rice producers?
Lei Jun knew perfectly well that what Anil was after wasn't the money from the rice, but rather the technology, the brand, and the marketing strategy.
Furthermore, rice in the Indian market will bring user growth to local operators.
The question is what price Anil is willing to pay.
The terms of this contract alone are not enough.
"Mr. Lei, this contract is really good. We actually contribute 60% of the capital, and the rice company contributes 40%. Production, R&D, and sales are all done in India."
Anil's expression was very serious.
"This plan is very beneficial for rice."
Lei Jun's heart sank.
Sure enough, they revealed their true colors as soon as they presented the plan.
Production, research and development, and sales rights are in India, which means that rice producers have to hand over their core technologies.
How to tune chips, how to optimize systems, how to manage the supply chain—if all these things are in India, then rice won't be the deciding factor.
So Lei Jun changed the subject.
"Mr. Anil, if that's the case, what about the brand?"
Lei Jun put down his knife and fork, looking at him with a smile: "Is that still a rice brand?"
Anil smiled.
"Mr. Lei, please believe in my sincerity."
My only goal is to increase our market share; I will never interfere with control over the rice.
The brand you mentioned is, of course, a joint venture between two companies.
It can be called Reliable Rice, or Rice India; it's negotiable.
Lei Jun smiled wryly. He had only intended to list his company in the Indian market, but he hadn't expected them to come to him on their own initiative.
The problem is, we can't even change the subject now, this is...
What about the technology?
How is the technology for rice calculated?
"When the project starts, authorization can be received."
The rice company licensed its technology to the joint venture, and the joint venture paid a licensing fee.
If Mr. Lei feels he's at a disadvantage, I can pay for it myself.
However, regardless of the circumstances, the joint venture must have its own R&D team; it can't rely on rice subsidies forever.
Anthony waved his hand, indicating that everything was negotiable.
But Leibusi understood the meaning behind his words.
Technology licensing is short-term, while joint ventures conducting their own R&D is long-term. Once the joint venture's R&D team is established, the technology used in rice will become worthless.
In that case, rice will become increasingly marginalized in the joint venture.
After all, the other side is a local faction, and they have all sorts of ways to get rid of the rice company.
"Mr. Anil, I appreciate your sincerity."
However, establishing an Indian branch is a very important issue. I need to go back and discuss it with my team, and I also need to go back to China to discuss it with my shareholders.
Lei Jun stood up.
“Of course.” Anil also stood up. “Mr. Lei, I’m not in a hurry. But I want to show you something.”
He walked to the wall and pressed a button.
The curtain on the wall slowly opened, revealing an entire wall behind it—a huge map of India, densely covered with red dots.
"Reliance Telecom's channel coverage." Anthony pointed to the red dots, "Two hundred million telecom users, the largest retail network in all of India."
From luxury shops in Mumbai and New Delhi to small rural stores in Uttar Pradesh, reliable channels are available.
He turned around and saw Lei Jun.
"Mr. Lei, it would take at least three years for rice to be distributed in India on its own."
"Partnering with Reliance will only take three months."
Lei Jun looked at the map, his eyes filled with longing.
He did some mental calculations.
The company still has less than 500 million yuan in its accounts. Redmi is being crushed by Enjoy 2 in the domestic market, with return rates soaring and distributors complaining.
Expanding into India is a new growth point for the rice business.
If we can leverage reliable channels, the development speed will definitely be faster. Although there are certain risks, the benefits are greater.
After all, Huawei's success in the country is largely due to its reliance on telecom operators, which is how it became the top-selling domestic brand.
If it's rice... Lei Jun also knew that the person in front of him was extremely greedy.
"Mr. Anil, I will seriously consider it."
Anil smiled and extended his hand: "Mr. Lei, I'll be waiting for your good news."
By the way, I've already had someone handle all the paperwork for the Redmi India version's approval. You can hold this launch event anytime; remember to invite me.
Lei Jun's smile froze.
While this is well-intentioned, it is also a reminder.
I can help you pass the review, or I can block your review!
"Thank you very much, Mr. Anil. I will consider it as soon as possible; it won't take long."
Back in the car, Rebus pondered every word Anil had said.
The other party is investing so much money just to take advantage of the situation and steal the mobile phone manufacturing technology.
After all, although the Indian market is large, it simply lacks the technology for large-scale mobile phone production.
Although assembly plants don't require technical expertise, producing smartphones requires technical skills in chip and screen calibration, which are unavailable in the Indian market and represent the price that rice has to pay.
If rice is to cooperate with Reliance Industries, it will have to give up its brand and technology, and it is also very likely to be kicked out.
This is a huge trap.
But the problem is he had no choice.
Back at the hotel, Lin Bin was already waiting for him.
He was the co-founder of the rice company at the time and Lei Jun's most trusted partner.
During his visit to New Delhi, Rebus did not allow him to attend the dinner party, precisely to keep him sober.
"Old Lei, how did the talks go?"
Lin Bin poured Lei Jun a glass of water to help him sober up.
But Rebus wasn't drunk; he was just faking it. He then explained Anil's plan.
After Lin Bin finished speaking, he shook his head slightly.
"Old Ray, wake up. Do you know what Anthony is up to?"
Lei Jun nodded.
"Of course I know he wants the rice technology, the rice brand, and ultimately he wants to kick the rice out of the market."
Lin Bin looked at him: "Then why did you agree?"
Lei Jun leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and remained silent for a long time before finally speaking:
"Old Lin, tell me, do we have a choice?"