????跨國醫藥公司都同意這一點：印度是大醫藥公司競爭形勢最艱難的市場之一，除了價格管制和強制性藥品許可制度，這里還存在著知識產權保護薄弱、眾多仿制藥競爭對手實力強勁等難題。

????最近印度最高法院駁回了諾華（Novartis）提起的新配方抗癌藥的知識產權保護要求，消息一出更是陡增業界不滿。醫藥公司和美國商會憤怒地警告稱，將縮減在這個全球人口最多的民主國家中的投資，最終可能導致救死扶傷藥品的供應受限。眼下，印度迫切需要更多的投資來重啟放緩的國內經濟，而上述判決只是印度與歐美之間越來越多的貿易爭議中最新的例子。

????諾華是很多固守發達市場商業模式的跨國公司的典型代表，不論當前所處的新興市場在經濟和社會現實方面與發達市場存在怎樣根本性的不同。它們在拓展新興市場的過程中選擇復制發達市場的定價和分銷模式，同時聘請政治掮客來清除監管障礙。

????因此，大多數跨國公司發現自己成為了“1%俱樂部”的一員：印度占公司全球業務的比重只有區區1%，而且它們在印度的市場份額也徘徊在3%左右，甚至更低。一不小心它們就成了新的帝國主義者，市場領導地位也讓給了更靈活的競爭對手。

????當然，醫藥行業也有幾家公司在印度做得不錯，它們選擇主動適應市場而不是讓市場來適應它們。自從2005年印度政府首次承認專利至今，外國醫藥公司的市場份額已經從15%翻番至30%。

????食品行業的雀巢（Nestle）則洞察印度人口結構變化，迎合印度口味打造了龐大的方便面業務，而不是像家樂氏（Kellogg）剛剛進入印度市場時那樣試圖改造當地人的飲食習慣。德國零售商麥德龍（Metro）打造的批發業務增長迅速，而沃爾瑪（Wal-Mart）仍然在努力撬開印度的零售監管障礙。

????蘋果（Apple）不愿在這個分銷落后的國家投資。這里的運營商不能為高價手機提供補貼，結果給三星（Samsung）和諾基亞（Nokia）主導印度手機市場創造了機會。在這個將牛奉為神靈、素食者眾多的國度中，麥當勞（McDonald's）通過將菜單和定價實行本地化成為了快餐業的領導者，現在甚至開起了全素食餐廳。

????印度盜版率高達75%、政府信賴開源軟件、互聯網基礎設施糟糕、電腦使用率低，因此，微軟（Microsoft）發現很難在印度經營軟件業務。認識到大多數印度人認為“版權”就是“進行復制的權力”，這家公司選擇調整商業模式去適應印度，而不是反之。它推出了新的低價版Windows和Office軟件，還打造了本地語言版本，大幅增加了分銷，結果盜版率下降了10%。

????啟示顯而易見。混亂是像印度這樣的新興市場的標志性特征，跨國公司要想在這些國家做好，就必須接受這種混亂，戰勝混亂，躲避不是辦法。所謂混亂，我的意思是低效腐敗的政府、官僚的繁文縟節、變化不定的政策、糟糕的基礎設施、知識產權保護的缺乏和對跨國企業的不信任等種種因素的大雜燴。

????Multinational pharmaceutical companies agree on one thing -- that India is one of the hardest places in the world for Big Pharma to compete thanks to price controls, compulsory licensing of drugs, poor intellectual property protection, and a host of capable generic competitors.

????The recent decision by India's Supreme Court to deny patent protection to Novartis (NVS) for a reformulated version of an anticancer drug has just added more fuel to the fire, provoking drug companies and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to unleash angry warnings that it would cut off investment to the world's most populous democracy and ultimately limit access to lifesaving medications. The judgment adds to a growing list of trade tensions between India, the U.S., and Europe at a time when India desperately needs more foreign investment to restart its slowing economy.

????Novartis is emblematic of many multinationals that rigidly stick to their developed market business models even as they try to conquer emerging markets with fundamentally different economic and social realities. They seek to extend their reach into these developing countries by replicating their developed-country pricing and distribution as well as employing lobbyists to pave their way over regulatory barriers where they exist.

????Most multinationals, therefore, find themselves part of a "1% Club" where India accounts for an irrelevant 1% of their global business and their market share is also in the low single digits. They inadvertently allow themselves to be seen as the new imperialists and cede market leadership to more flexible competitors.

????Within the pharmaceutical industry itself, there are several companies that are doing well in India by adapting to the market instead of the other way around. Since 2005 when the Indian government first allowed patents, foreign pharmas have doubled their market share from 15% to 30%.

????In the foods sector, Nestle has built a massive instant noodle business by understanding India's changing demographics and appealing to the Indian palate instead of attempting to change the nation's dietary habits as Kellogg (K) did when it entered the market. German retailer Metro has built a fast-growing wholesale business even as Wal-Mart (WMT) struggles to crack India's retail regulatory barriers.

????Apple's (AAPL) reluctance to invest in a country with poor distribution where carriers cannot subsidize the price of an expensive handset created opportunity for Samsung and Nokia (NOK) to dominate the cellphone market. In a land of vegetarians where the cow is considered sacred, McDonald's (MCD) has become a fast-food leader by localizing its menu and pricing and now even opening completely vegetarian restaurants.

????Microsoft (MSFT) discovered India to be a tough place to run a software business with a piracy rate of 75%, governmental obsession with open source software, poor Internet infrastructure, and low usage of computers. Realizing most Indians think of "copyright" as the "right-to-copy," the company chose to adapt its business model for India instead of vice versa. Launching new lower-priced versions of Windows and Office, creating local language versions, and massively increasing distribution resulted in a 10% decline in piracy.

????The lesson is clear. Chaos is a defining feature of emerging markets like India, and to do well in these countries, multinationals need to embrace and conquer chaos, not shun it. By chaos I mean a cocktail of ineffective and corrupt government, bureaucratic red tape, uncertain policies, bad infrastructure, lack of IP protection, and distrust of multinational corporations.