Group Assignment: Strategic Portfolio Analysis using
BCG Matrix
Course: Marketing Practice in the Digital Age
Submission Deadline: Sec A - 12.08.2026 (in class)
Submission Deadline: Sec E - 13.08.2026 (in class)
Assignment Type: Group Project (Strategic Report & Executive Slide Deck)
Weightage: 20 Grade points
Course & Learning Objectives
The primary goal of this assignment is to bridge classroom concepts of corporate strategy with
real-world industry application. By evaluating an Indian organization’s Strategic Business Unit
(SBU) portfolio, students will develop practical skills in secondary (desk) research, quantitative
estimation, strategic positioning, and corporate portfolio management.
Key Objectives:
1. Apply Strategic Frameworks: Translate theoretical knowledge of the Boston Consulting
Group (BCG) Growth-Share Matrix into an actionable corporate strategy tool.
2. Conduct Desk Research: Retrieve, analyze, and synthesize relevant secondary market
data (market growth rates, relative market shares, revenue, industry reports).
3. Strategic Decision-Making: Formulate customized, resource-allocation strategies
(Build, Hold, Harvest, Divest) tailored to individual SBUs and overall corporate portfolio
health.
4. Professional Communication: Craft a clear, executive-level written strategic report and
present structured findings through a concise presentation deck.
Detailed Assignment Scope & Instructions
A. Target Company Selection
● Choose one major Indian conglomerate or enterprise operating in multiple lines of
business, product categories, or brand portfolios (e.g., Tata Group, ITC Limited, Mahindra
& Mahindra, Reliance Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Marico, Dabur, or Bajaj
Group).
● Define the boundaries of the SBU portfolio clearly:
1. Option A (Business-Level): Distinct strategic business units across industries (e.g.,
ITC’s FMCG, Hotels, Paperboards & Packaging, and Agri-Business).
2. Option B (Product/Category-Level): Distinct product categories within a single
consumer goods or industrial business (e.g., Britannia’s Biscuits, Dairy, Cakes, and Rusk
segments).
3. Option C (Brand-Level): Key strategic brands under a single corporate brand house
(e.g., Marico’s Parachute, Saffola, Livon, and Set Wet).
B. Analytical Framework (BCG Matrix Requirements)
1. Desk Research & Data Collection:
Gather secondary data from published corporate sources (Annual Reports, Investor
Presentations, SEBI filings) and market research reports (Gartner, Statista, Euromonitor,
CRISIL, ICRA, Industry Associations).
Estimate or extract:
■ Relative Market Share (RMS): The target SBU’s market share divided by the market
share of the largest competitor in that specific industry/category.
■ Market Growth Rate (MGR): The annual growth rate of the target industry/category
over recent years.
2. Matrix Plotting:
Clearly position each SBU on a 2x2 BCG Matrix (Cash Cows, Stars, Question Marks,
Dogs).
Use bubble/circle size on the matrix to represent the relative revenue or profit
contribution of each SBU to the overall parent portfolio.
3. Strategic Recommendations:
Assign appropriate corporate strategies to each quadrant/SBU:
1. Stars: Build / Invest for growth.
2. Cash Cows: Hold / Harvest for strong cash flows.
3. Question Marks: Invest (Build) selectively or Divest/Liquidate.
4. Dogs: Harvest / Divest / Re-position.
Evaluate portfolio balance: Is the portfolio generating enough cash from mature
businesses to fund future growth opportunities? What are the cross-subsidization
dynamics?
Deliverables Required
Deliverable 1: Written Strategy Report
Format: PDF or Word Document.
Length: 8 to 12 pages (inclusive of diagrams, charts, and financial tables).
Target Audience: Board of Directors / Chief Strategy Officer.
Suggested Structure:
1. Executive Summary: Concise overview of key portfolio insights and strategic
recommendations.
2. Company Background & SBU Selection: Profile of the company and rationale behind
chosen SBU definitions.
3. Industry & Competitor Landscape (Desk Research): Data sources, competitor
dynamics, estimated market growth rates, and relative market share calculations.
4. BCG Matrix Plotting & Analysis: Visual matrix diagram, detailed positioning justification
for each SBU, and overall portfolio balance assessment.
5. Strategic Recommendations & Implementation Framework: SBU-level action plans
(Build/Hold/Harvest/Divest), resource allocation priorities, potential risks, and mitigation
strategies.
6. References & Appendices: Full list of secondary data sources, financial calculations,
and assumptions.
Deliverable 2: Executive Presentation Slide Deck
Format: PowerPoint (.pptx) or PDF.
Length: Strictly 5 slides maximum (excluding title slide and references slide).
Usage: Used by the group when called upon for in-class presentations and
executive Q&A.
● Recommended Slide Breakdown:
Slide 1: Executive Summary & Corporate Profile
Slide 2: SBU Portfolio Identification & Market Data Summary
Slide 3: BCG Matrix Visual Plotting & Quadrant Classification
Slide 4: SBU Strategic Recommendations (Build, Hold, Harvest, Divest)
Slide 5: Overall Portfolio Balance & Long-Term Strategic Roadmap
Evaluation Rubric
Submissions will be assessed on a 20-point total score distributed across 4 core parameters:
Evaluation Parameter Weightage Description / Criteria
Secondary Desk 25% Depth, accuracy, and reliability of secondary
Research & Data Rigor data collected; clarity in defining Market
Growth Rates (MGR) and Relative Market
Share (RMS); sound estimation methods and
documentation of references/sources.
BCG Matrix 30% Accuracy of SBU positioning across matrix
Application & Portfolio quadrants; proper visualization (including
Analysis proportional bubble representation); critical
analysis of overall portfolio balance and
cross-subsidization dynamics.
Strategic 25% Feasibility, depth, and logical alignment of
Recommendations & recommendations (Build, Hold, Harvest, Divest)
Strategic Thinking for each SBU; quality of strategic vision for
long-term sustainable growth and resource
optimization.
Professional Delivery 20% Structural flow and executive tone of the
(Report Quality & Slide written strategy report; clarity, design quality,
Deck) conciseness, and effectiveness of the 5-slide
presentation deck.
5. Submission Guidelines & Integrity
● Group Composition: Groups as created by the Dean’s office
● File Naming Convention: GroupNo_CompanyName_BCGStrategyReport.pdf and
GroupNo_CompanyName_Presentation.pptx
● Academic Integrity: All data points, market growth estimations, & corporate figures
must be cited properly using standard referencing formats (APA/Harvard). Plagiarism or
unverified data hallucination will result in penalty markdowns.