M. P. Gupta
International business & engineering turnkey projects
Indian national, aged 72 — a Mechanical Engineer from Delhi College of Engineering (1975), with a post-graduation in Foreign Trade from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi (1980).
- Over 45 years of hard-core practical experience in international business, focused largely on engineering turnkey projects.
- Rich knowledge of overseas markets across Africa, South Asia, ASEAN, Middle East, Europe, America and Caribbean.
- Travelled to over 100+ countries since 1982 on business.
- Forte is Africa — vertically penetrated 44 of its 54 countries, including business with the United Nations.
- Long experience of doing business with the UN procurement agencies.
M. P. Gupta
About myself
Four decades in international business
A career built on engineering turnkey projects and international marketing — from a sales engineer to spearheading global EPC business across continents.
Education
B.E. (Mechanical)
Post Graduate, Foreign Trade
Work experience
Sales Engineer
- Domestic marketing of mining & water-drilling equipment and pumps.
- Domestic representation of reputed foreign companies of drilling in India.
Senior Export Executive — Engineering Products
- Direct exports and exports via buying houses.
- Agency representation in India for European principals.
General Manager, International Business — EPC Projects / Engineering Products
- Tenders under international financing.
- Direct negotiated business.
- Turnkey projects in agro processing.
Joint President & Director — International Business Development
Spearheaded international marketing operations almost from the company's inception.
- EPC projects — power, water, irrigation & agriculture, and industrial — across Africa, South & South-East Asia and Latin America.
- Projects financed by multilateral institutions: World Bank, IDA, AFD, AfDB, ADB, IDB, OPEC and others.
- Projects under Government of India bilateral financing via Exim Bank Lines of Credit (LOC) and Buyer's Credit.
- Domestic & international sourcing; joint ventures.
President & Consultant — International Business
- Turnkey projects as EPC in food and agro processing sectors.
- Business under UN Procurement with agencies — FAO, WFP, UNDP, UNIDO and UNHCR.
Projects financed by
Turnkey projects delivered under financing from multilateral institutions, and under Government of India bilateral lines of credit.
International marketing experience
More than four decades of practical experience with a holistic view of handling international business situations, alongside the fundamentals people should be aware of.
Necessity & Perspectives of International Trade
Diversity among countries and the necessity of international trade — its perspectives in the eyes of the world, of countries, and of people.
Fundamentals of International Marketing
How it differs from domestic marketing, the models of international business, types of buyers, and how to spot opportunities abroad.
International Procurement Practices
Shopping, tendering and direct negotiation and their procedures; sources of tender information; a critical analysis of the tendering process.
Modes & Instruments of Payment
Payment modes in international trade, the risks tied to each, and how a company safeguards its receivables.
Shipping Practices
Prevailing shipping practices and an in-depth look at Incoterms — the costs, risks and responsibilities of shipper and purchaser.
Export Financing
How purchasers meet financing needs and how exporters help; the role of financial institutions, Lines of Credit and Buyer's Credit.
Project Costing
The full break-up of export costs behind a bid price, mitigating and taking risks for a competitive bid, and contract-price obligations.
Bid Preparation
An in-depth SWOT analysis of each opportunity and guidelines for turning a bid into a winning bid.
Case Studies
Real situations across these areas — how companies reacted, and an evaluation of their decisions.
Global reach
Four decades of developing markets and delivering turnkey projects around the world, on business travel since 1982 — with a particular depth across Africa.
Books
A holistic approach to international trade
The author presents a holistic view of international trade, drawn from his vast exposure and experience.
International Trade — A Holistic Approach
The Indian Perspective
Also $69.95 · £59.95 · ISBN 978-81-7026-796-6
As the title reads, I have provided a holistic approach to international trade. This is my first effort to write for the Indian exporting community, and it took a good amount of time to arrive at the content and the format. The purpose of writing it was three-fold:
- 1.to remove the mental block of entrepreneurs who wish to enter international trade but are afraid to tread an untraversed path;
- 2.to give a bird's-eye view to the students studying the subject — as International Trade, International Business or Foreign Trade — at various institutes;
- 3.to offer a holistic view to those without formal education in foreign trade who are already pursuing export and import business.
A holistic view — written to lift the fear of an untraversed path for anyone entering international trade.
The book starts with the very fundamentals of the world we live in and the basic global facts, not forgetting our own country. It shows how international trade is viewed by the world, by countries and by their people, and discusses the peculiarities at length — Incoterms, instruments of payment, shipping, banking, foreign exchange and financing. Cost estimation and pricing are dealt with in detail for both products and turnkey projects, as are the stages of tendering, right through to contract execution, with case studies on mitigating risks and the challenges executives face. It concludes with foreign travel — an essential tool.
A peep into the book
Nine sections, each focused on a group of subject areas relevant to international trade.
- Section 01
Introduction
Our Earth — continents, oceans and each continent's character, the diversity and uneven resources among countries, an overview of India, and the basic global facts behind trade: geography, time zones, climate, language, currency, government and more.
- Section 02
Perspectives of International Trade
Trade seen by the world, by countries and by people — the need for it, UN initiatives (WTO, UNCTAD, GATT), free trade versus protectionism, and the measures (balance of trade, BoP, GDP) that classify economies.
- Section 03
International Trade
The formats of trade — export and import, third-country trading, projects, agency philosophy and overseas investment — direct and indirect channels, and how international marketing differs from domestic, up to foreign direct investment.
- Section 04
Essentials of International Trade
Incoterms and the rights and obligations of buyer and seller; instruments of payment and their risks, the letter of credit included; freight forwarding, shipping and insurance; and the role of banking, foreign exchange and project financing.
- Section 05
India's Economy & Trade Policy
Where India stands in global trade — the figures, export-promotion activity and government and trade-body initiatives, and the role of the DGFT and India's Foreign Trade Policy.
- Section 06
Exports
Navigating the export of goods stage by stage, the fundamental difference between cost estimation and pricing, and a case study reflecting the author's own experience.
- Section 07
Projects
How projects differ from goods — the bidding stages from pre-bid to execution, project costing and its new cost elements, and a full case study from opportunity to delivery.
- Section 08
Trade & Travel
The risks at each stage and how to mitigate them, dispute resolution as a last resort, and a practical guide to the foreign travel the trade demands, with a case study.
- Section 09
Appendices
Ready-to-use formats and references — tender synopsis, cost estimations, cash-flow statement, LC checklist, export-promotion agencies, regional economic groupings, abbreviations and an index.
Next book
International Trade — A Holistic Approach
The next book will focus on the benefit of the international exporting community worldwide — covering more subject areas and addressing the issues in greater depth.
Register your interestTraining
Sharing a lifetime in international business
With a wealth of expertise and experience, I wish to share it with those who dream of excelling in international trade and business, or who wish to enter international business. This can be undertaken in two ways:
External Guest Faculty
Guest lecturing for an educational institution — bringing real project and market experience into the classroom.
Programs for Corporate Houses
A structured education on international business for corporate teams, tailored to how the company trades.
Areas covered
- 01Necessity & Perspectives of International Trade
- 02Fundamentals of International Marketing
- 03International Procurement Practices
- 04Modes & Instruments of Payment
- 05Shipping Practices & Incoterms
- 06Export Financing
- 07Project Costing
- 08Bid Preparation & SWOT
- 09Case Studies
Interested in a program or a guest lecture?
If you wish to avail my services, please get in touch — I'll be glad to discuss how we can work together.
Contact meConsultancy
Advisory & consultation
Offering advisory and consultation services to export organizations, business start-ups, and similar ventures — drawing on four decades of hands-on international business.
Export organizations
Guidance on entering and growing in overseas markets, structuring deals, and managing the risks of international trade.
Business start-ups
Advisory for new and growing ventures taking their first steps into exports, projects, and global business.
Looking for advisory support?
For export organizations, start-ups, and similar ventures — get in touch to discuss how I can help.
Contact meContact
Get in touch
For the book, a training program or guest lecture, or a direct word with the author.
The book
International Trade — A Holistic Approach · The Indian Perspective · ₹1,295 / $69.95 / £59.95. Order a copy or ask your bookseller for the title.