Fostering CEOs @ IIMA
A study by EMA Partners International, a global executive search firm claims that among the top 200 companies they surveyed in India, more than half the CEOs traced back their roots to an IIT or an IIM or both.
IIMA was a major contributor to the Indian corporate scene producing 67% of the CEOs coming from an IIM.
For more details, see report on NewsX: http://bit.ly/19KOaz
Among CEOs who are IIM alumni, 67% hail from IIM A
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Rohan aka bychung
Media Cell
‘Badi Buaji… Baap re Baap’ …. An amateur’s review
The best way to spend an evening....
The wan lights compliment the acting talents on display
The cast takes a bow at the end of another brilliant show
The grim clouds hovering over the ambitions of a few wannabe youngsters; the shadow of an ‘autocrat ‘ seeding the ‘clouds’. The legendary theater-person Badal Sarkar infused not only his wisdom, wit, life but even his name into the plot of this classic master piece: ‘Badi Buaji… Baap re Baap’
And when IIMACTS set out to stage its own rendition of the act…. excitement and anticipation simultaneously gripped the minds of prospective audiences, yours truly included. Ensconced in the comfortable ambience of the Natarani’s amphitheater, the stage as well as the men and women who essayed the saga on it looked and lived their parts to the hilt. In a sense, one could see that IIMACTS had truly come of age and announced the same to the world in no uncertain terms. Professionalism so characteristic of a WIMWIAN was seen embedded in each and every aspect of the performance: acting, direction, stage management, music and of course marketing and event management.
They managed to do it all: holding the audience onto the seats for a whole 2 hrs 15 minutes (in the time and age of ‘whats your rashee’…. believe me… there was no question of dozing off in a theater for a change); and they entertained all along from getting audience engrossed in the plot to making them laugh along at the comedy of errors and amusing twists that continued to mar the plight of neatly etched characters.
Needless to say, the ‘Badi Buaji’ did make the stage come alive with her amazing presence and influence on characters and audiences alike. However, it is still needful to state that the play saw several other powerful individual performances. As the plot and the characters continued to revolve around the ‘Badi Buaji’ one could not help but marvel at the perfection with which it was being staged: each character was getting its bearings right; each one was clear about being ‘unclear’ as to how to deal with the menace; and each one had his/her own ebbs and highs in dealing with it. The beauty of the act lay in the fashion in which each character was laid bare in its strength, weakness, vulnerabilities and idiosyncrasies; and then the whole package was neatly integrated into pure entertainment.
To put it simply, it was fun to see people one knows etching out those characters; one could not help a few chuckles seeing two of our batch-mates playing tiny toddlers; one could just marvel in astonishment when another one essayed his senility and vulnerability to the hilt in a fashion that could give the veterans a run for their money.
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Kartik Julka, PGP2
‘Professor’ APJ Abdul Kalam is back at IIMA!
File pic of Dr.Kalam at IIMA
It’s not often that you have an ex-President of India teaching you some fundamentals of management, but one thing is true for sure- if you do get such an opportunity, you dare not let it go by! This is exactly the sentiment echoed by the 94-odd students from IIMA did who attended the Globalising Resurgent India through Innovative Transformation (GRIIT) course taken by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Prof. Anil Gupta.
I was one of the few lucky PGP-1s to be selected to attend this course and I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I managed to wake myself up on a lazy Wednesday afternoon and rushed to class 15 minutes early in anticipation and excitement. And when Prof Anil Gupta walked in with Dr.Kalam, the energy levels in the class were palpable. The students got an opportunity to present their ideas about transforming India to the ex-Prez himself. He welcomed all the participants and invited the groups to present their ideas about transforming India. The first presentation was about ideas on how street food can be made safer considering that 40% of the food we outside consists of street food. And if you thought that Dr. Kalam would just passively listen to the presentations, then you were completely wrong ! Not only did he actively discuss and comment on the ideas being presented, he also shared his experiences and ideas about how the project can be practically implemented.
Time just flowed through the 90 minute lecture. As the groups went ahead with their presentations, I realised how the ideas put forth by these budding managers can indeed result in a resurgent India, thoughts which seem to be echoed by Dr.Kalam himself. Dr. Kalam also advised the students to look into rural initiatives, something which he deeply believed in. One of the presentations towards the end focussed on the education system and the need to provide education to all. Dr.Kalam expressed his concerns about the high drop-out ratio in schools and sought out ideas to improve the same. He felt there was a crying need for ‘mobile schools’ especially in tribal areas.
As the lecture came to an end, Dr. Kalam showered praises on the groups which presented and said he would be happy to see those ideas implemented. As he left for the day, I did manage to seek an autograph and a photo, something which I shall always treasure.
Looking forward for some more lectures by Kalam Sir !
Glen aka MaLi
Media Cell, IIMA
6 IIMA students win Aditya Birla Scholarships
Aditya Birla Scholarships 2009-10 announced
The eleventh Aditya Birla Group Scholarships were announced at a glittering event on 26 September 2009 at the ITC Grand Central in Parel, Mumbai. And this time, it were the students from India’s premier business school, the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), who walked away with most of the glory, with 6 out of the 10 scholars from the institute. These six scholars are first year students of the flagship 2-year PGP course at IIMA.
We are proud of our students who cleared gruelling rounds to achieve this fete. It reflects the calibre of the batch and the quality of students coming to IIMA. We are sure they will go a long way.
From Left to Right: Chaithanya, Mohit, Ashok, Khushboo, Shraddha and Anindya
The Aditya Birla Group Scholarship scheme
The Aditya Birla Group Scholarship scheme, instituted in 1999, is a way of fostering outstanding academic excellence and humane leadership values, in partnership with select institutions such as the IITs, BITS (Pilani), and the IIMs. The 10 best engineering and the 10 best management students are then selected as the ‘Aditya Birla Scholars’. The colleges which are invited to send applications include:
o IIMs: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Lucknow
o IITs (B. Tech): Chennai, Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Mumbai
o BITS: Pilani
The Process
The initial shortlist for this scholarship featured the top 20 students in terms of the entrance exam ranking at the time of admission from the above institutes. The students’ overall achievements, spanning academic and co-curricular excellence, are weighted and assessed. Those selected for the next round are asked to write an essay. Essays written by these students are evaluated by a panel of judges and, based on their performance, candidates were shortlisted for the final round. Those shortlisted were then invited for an interview.
The final interview round, which took place on 26th evening at Mumbai, consisted of a 20 minute interview conducted by elite panelists, to assess a fit between the profiles of these candidates and the essay they had written. The 10 management students selected included 6 from IIMA, 2 from IIMB and 1 each from IIMC and IIML.
These students are assessed regularly on qualitative and quantitative parameters to judge their performance on the academic and leadership front. This assessment forms the basis for determining the continuation of the scholarship for the next academic session.
Esteemed Jury Members
The distinguished panel of judges comprised of Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI; Mr Dileep Padgaonkar, Consulting Editor, The Times of India; Prof Hemachandra C Pradhan, Director, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education; Dr Jairaj M Phatak, Municipal Commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai; Mr Pothen Paul, India Country Manager, Aker Solutions Pvt Ltd; Prod Ramakrishna V Hosur, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research; Mr Ranjit Pandit, Managing Director, General Atlantic Pvt. Ltd – to arrive at the final list of 22 proud winners of this coveted scholarship for this year.
Quotes from the Aditya Birla Scholars 2009-10:
The Aditya Birla Scholarship posed a real challenge to compete in the toughest environment and I took it by being myself. Self- knowledge was the key. It feels great to share the platform with exceptional minds of the country.
- Ashok Kumar Bhardwaj
It was an awesome experience. The judging panel composed of luminaries in their respective fields. It is exciting to be adjudged as one of ‘Tomorrow’s leaders’ by this elite group.
-Shraddha Vartak
Mohit Garg, an IIT Bombay graduate, too feels very impressed by the process for judging Aditya Birla Group scholars, “It was something very different. The opportunity to interact with the 40 best students from across the country was in itself quite a matter of pride. The judges in the panel are all leaders in their individual fields and the conversations I had with each of them were nothing short of extraordinary.”
Says Anindya Dutta, an IIT Kharagpur Gold medalist with a two year stint at Lehman and Nomura, “Ever since my admission to IIMA, I had wished to be a part of the exalted ranks of Aditya Birla Group Scholars. It is nothing less than a dream come true. Knowing that I was able to clear the stringent set of guidelines this scholarship is known for shall be a constant source of confidence and serve as an inspiration to set loftier goals for myself.”
For Chaithanya Rao Prabhakar, a fresher from IIT Bombay, the scholarship process was in itself an experience, “The preparation leading up to the interviews for the scholarship were quite a process of self-discovery. I would like to thank the Aditya Birla Group for considering me worthy of this scholarship and would like to reiterate the deep sense of honor I feel on being awarded the same.”
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Glen aka Mali and Rohan aka Bychung
Media Cell
Campus walk at Joy of Giving Week
Dates: October 1,2,3 2009
Venue: Gather at IIMA Old Campus Main Gate
Programme: A walk through the campus accompanied by IIMA students, see the architectural beauty, know the history behind the institute, learn interesting trivia, spend a joyful evening!
Cost: Rs. 25 per head. All proceeds to be donated to IIMA’s initiative for underprivileged children Prayaas
Time: Walk-in between 5 pm to 7.30 pm on any of the three days. If you are a groupo of 10 or more, call Rohan (97257 69378) or Rahul (97243 44159) and a separate tour can be arranged for you.
IIMA Campus Walk for Joy of Giving
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Rohan aka bychung
Media Cell
(Inputs: Rohan Choudhary, Prof. Rakesh Basant and the Joy of Giving Team)
The Joy of Giving Week kicks off at IIMA
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” – Winston Churchill
The joy of giving is something that can never be described. It can only be experienced. We come into this world with nothing and there is nothing that we can take back. All that we can do with our materialistic possessions is to make some difference to the lives of people who may not have been as fortunate. Acts of kindness are rarely forgotten. And the joy spreads faster than wildfire.
Throughout the world, the Joy of Giving week is being celebrated from Sep 27th to Oct 3rd. Coordinated by the Mumbai based NGO GiveIndia, this is one of the largest drives urging people to contribute towards spreading joy. Many role models like Azim Premji and Sachin Tendulkar are among the active participants.
Students at IIMA have organized events to spread the joy and contribute to the community. The proceeds of the events will go to Prayaas, a school for underprivileged children run by IIMA students. The events to be conducted are:
Blood donation camp: There is no bigger gift than the gift of life. Although IIMA has been a regular blood donor, coinciding with the Joy of Giving week has meant that the participation will be more enthusiastic than ever. IIMA along with the Red Cross Society has organized the blood donation camp on Oct 4th.
Campus tours: Guided tours will be conducted in the campus designed by the world renowned architect Louis Kahn. It will also give a glimpse into the life of the students and the famed academic rigor of the institute. A nominal fee of Rs 25 will be charged and the proceeds will go to Prayaas.
Clothes drive: Clothes, books, CDs or anything that might be useful for others will be collected from the residents on campus. The clothes will be contributed to the Vastra Samman Initiative and the educational resources will be donated to the Society for Promotion of Rational Thinking (SPRAT).
Dance and Cultural Night: Organized jointly by the Cultural Committee and the Dance Club, the kids from Prayaas will not only get to watch the performances but will also perform on that night.
The students, along with others participating in the joy of giving week, hope that this small effort acts as a catalyst to arouse the spirit of contribution in everyone. After all, little drops of water make a mighty ocean.
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M Arun aka cheelo and Rohan aka bychung
Media Cell
(Inputs: Rohan Choudhary, Prof. Rakesh Basant and the Joy of Giving Team)
Garba – WIMWIan Style!!
WIMWIans are known to have the conquistador blood in them, yearning to brave uncharted territories. This was exactly what a motley group of them were doing on 18th September 2009. I joined this intrepid group of men and women with determined faces and slightly tense looks. The air was heavy with suspense and tension.
Rahul SK, a placecommer in his usual avatar, looked around and said “Let’s do it” and thus it began, …the garba practice.
To the uninitiated, garba is a gujarati folk dance performed during the festival of Navratri. Men and women dance in a circle around a lamp or statue of goddess Amba. It was precisely this art form which our fellow WIMWIans were trying to master.
I excused myself from the proceedings, saying I had to cover the event, silently thanking my stars. The group then began. At first, the group was unsynchronized and there was much hilarity. The degree of improvisation shown, while attempting to master the steps, had to be seen to be believed. But soon, under WIMWI Dance club’s able guidance, the dancing became more graceful. The ease with which the participants picked up difficult steps was astonishing. At the end of the day, the kind of coordination and mastery which was on display, made me wish I had also taken part.
So, what is it that drives this group ? Ankita, a PGP1, feels this is an excellent opportunity for a punjabi like her to savour the tradition of Gujarat. Charlotte from Sweden describes her experience as a “bit sweaty but a truly awesome Indian experience”. A PGP2, who prefers to remain anonymous, describes it as his own way of saying thanks to MJ.
Whatever their reasons, it is important to note that this group is a part of IIMA Cultcomm’s efforts to take the celebration of Navratri to a different plane altogether. Sandeep Jamatia, the Secretary of Cultural and Social Activities, wants this Navratri to be an occasion which every WIMWIan would cherish for the rest of his life. Thus, this time, the garba promises to be a grand affair with invites being sent to colleges all over Ahmedabad. WIMWIans are also eagerly awaiting the chance to showcase their dancing skills. The enthu of IIMA student exchange community has also been unbelievable.
I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to the spectacle and hope to see you all on 26th September at Vastrapur, Ahmedabad.
Vijay aka Maafi
Media Cell
A night of Rock, Rafi and Rahman @ IIMA
A soulful rendition by the Music Club of IIMA
WIMWIans had a rocking time!!
The name read “Crescendo – A night of Rock, Rafi and Rahman”. The self proclaimed music critic was amused. IIMA grads were known for a lot of things, but music…yeah right!! I sauntered in between two songs and settled down, a smug grin on the face. The first song I heard “Wake me up when September ends” awoke me to reality, albeit in the second week of September. The level of synchronization, harmony and melody had to be experienced to be believed. This was followed by “Yesterday”, the melancholy ballad of the Beatles and “Yellow” from Coldplay.The soulful renditions of these songs brought back memories and the experience was surreal.
But just as the persistent critic in me was wondering “The rock part is fine …where is Rahman? “, the peppy number from Bombay, “Kuchi kuchi raakamma”, silenced me. This was followed by “Aey udi udi” from Saathiya. The effervescent nature of these songs was a rich contrast to the previously pensive atmosphere and greatly enhanced the overall experience. A mention has to be made of The Music Club’s own rendition “Searching in the end”. The fusion of Indian violin with guitar and drums created a rich kaleidoscope. The harmony which was achieved between the two different schools of music was ethereal and evoked a thunderous applause from the audience. The fact that it was an impromptu performance speaks volumes of the ability of our own music club. And if you think it was all ‘The Music club’ with audience being silent listeners, think again. Crescendo offered a unique opportunity to interested WIMWIans to showcase their talent to the RJM audience. An adventurous trio made use of this opportunity with their own thought-provoking music. The train enacting, cart-wheeling and dancing of an enthused section of the audience added more colour to the night. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable night and my only regret was that I had missed out on songs like “Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” and “Saathiya”.
Shrek (known to the outside world as Srikrishnan), the Music Club coordinator, says, “For us, the show was about enjoying the music we were playing. If that came across and helped the audience enjoy the show, we’re more than happy”. I can definitely assure you that we had an “ossum” time and eagerly await the next offering from The Music Club.
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Vijay aka Maafi
Media Cell
Insight ‘09 to be a two-day event
Insight 2009 will be held on 10th and 11th of October
It’s that time of the year again when all roads in Ahmedabad lead to the lush green campus of the Indian Institute of Management in Vastrapur for the Insight fair or as it is popularly known, the Amdavadi IIM mela. This year, Insight, the annual market research festival of IIM Ahmedabad, will be held over a span of two days – October 10 and 11. Insight has an illustrious history stretching back 22 years. So much so, that over the years it has become a tradition and a part of Ahmedabad’s citizens’ psyche to come attend the fair and have a blast.
The first day of the fair will be dedicated to events and workshops which would be attended by students from various colleges across the country. The second day would be the much-anticipated Insight fair, which would get the local Amdavadi crowd to come down to the IIM campus and participate in fun filled activities and games. Every year, this fair turns IIM Ahmedabad’s placid green lawns into a buzzing ground full of activity. In fact, each year, the frenzy becomes so infectious that even the calm and studious atmosphere of IIM Ahmedabad transforms into one of vibrant energy.
Hidden Market Research
This year Insight would involve participation from more than 25 colleges from all over India. The students participating in this two-day event have a plethora of activities to test and hone their marketing skills. Inter-college competitions on the first day like ‘Innovations in Marketing’, Ad making contests, brand quiz, case contests etc. would see students competing with each other based on the three pillars of marketing – branding, distribution and sales. The ‘Innovations in Marketing’ event will test participants’ ability to come up with unique and creative ideas in marketing and advertisement. The participants are supposed to use new creative and emerging channels for promotion of a particular product and come up with a complete strategy to launch a brand new product. On the cards is also a case study contest, where the participants are expected to give concrete recommendations on decision problems in a marketing case. For all the marketing enthusiasts, there will also be a guest lecture on branding. In addition to this, the marketing research that students conduct in co-ordination with the project sponsors will help them apply their learning from marketing in a practical scenario thus taking their understanding to new levels. Also, they would gain a lot in terms of corporate understanding through their interactions with the companies.The way the market research functions is that the IIMA students initially pitch to companies regarding various project proposals for market research. The companies select the projects which would help them analyze the consumer markets in the best possible manner. The selected team would then put up a stall on the day of the fair for people to participate. Based on the responses, the team will collate the information and submit a research result report to the company. It’s a win-win situation for both – the students get a live experience of working on marketing research projects and the companies get valuable insight into consumer behaviour. It also provides the companies with branding and visibility across a vast stratum which includes IIMA and other B-School students as well as the local Amdavadi crowd.
Socially Meaningful Projects
But it’s not just companies and profits that these budding managers from IIMA are targeting. This time the team from Insight will also be taking up some socially relevant projects like microfinance for the housing sector. The highly ambitious rapid transport system, the Ahmedabad BRTS plan would also come under study, where the students would be gauging reactions of locals to the services provided by BRTS and integration of BRTS with AMTS.
Fun @ Insight
Insight’s carnival like atmosphere with its plethora of games, prizes, informal events like magic shows etc. has always been a huge crowd puller for the people of Ahmedabad. This year too, multiple events are planned to enhance the entertainment value of the fair. Apart from the games and prizes at every stall, special events planned this year are a Street play, Treasure hunt, Antakshari competition, Rock Climbing and several informal games.
Adds Gourav Bhattacharya, event secretary of Insight 2009, “With the new 2 day format this year, Insight is going to be much bigger than ever before. We are expecting footfalls of 6000-8000 over the 2 day period. We have confirmed participation from major B-schools across India. It’s an event worth attending since it has something to offer for everyone, right from kids and their parents to students and companies. The energy within the campus is already palpable and the students are waiting with enthusiasm for the carnival atmosphere to begin.”
Meanwhile, for the students involved in the market research work, it’s time to burn the midnight oil once again.
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Gurveen (fibbbi) and Glen (maali)
Media Cell
(Inputs: Team Insight)
Beta Career series talk: Carbon Finance
Mr. Guruprasad Mohapatra (IAS, 1986), the Managing Director of Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals(GACL) and Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilizer(GNFC) Co. spoke to the students of IIM Ahmedabad on the 14th of August. An M.A., M.Phil. in international relations from JNU and MBA from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia he has a substantial experience in development and administration. He has had several appointments as collector in various districts of Gujarat and has been the Municipal Commissioner in Surat Municipal Corporation. His active association with power sector reforms during his stint with the State Electricity Utility is especially noteworthy. Under his able leadership GACL has gone from strength to strength and is currently the only PSU in the country, which has earned CERs and offers consultancy to other PSUs on CDR mechanism.
Outlining the Carbon Trading Market
Mr. Mohapatra started by outlining the origin of the carbon trading market. It has its roots in the Kyoto Protocol which came into force in 2005 and envisages a reduction in the emission of 6 polluting gases by industrialised nations in the period 2008-2012 by at least 5.2% as compared to the 1990 levels and is monitored by the UNFCCC. However, given the high level of industrial activity in such nations, it is difficult to achieve these standards and hence they have been given an option to purchase CERs (Certified Emission Reduction) from developing nations, giving rise to the Carbon trading market. The buying and selling of these CERs enables the industrialized nations to continue running their industries at similar levels of output while providing the developing nations the necessary capital and technology to use more eco-friendly sources of power.
Procedure to earn CERs
Mr. Mohapatra also enumerated the procedure to be followed by an organisation to apply to the UNFCCC for registering the carbon credits and the conditions that a project must satisfy in order to be eligible for getting CERs. He also talked about the various kinds of projects that fall under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of emission reduction, the major industries that could benefit under this scheme and the major buyers of such credits. In this context, Mr. Mohapatra described the kind of projects that have been initiated by GACL, of which 2 have already been registered by the UNFCCC, and the kind of cash flows that were associated with the projects.
Growth Prospects in India
He also said that while the recession had adversely affected the CDM market both in terms of volumes and value, it was on a recovery path. Comparing India and China, the two biggest players in this market, Mr. Mohapatra mentioned that while China had a larger share in the number of registered CDM projects as compared to India, the quality of Indian projects was considered as superior to the ones from China and this is something Indians could aim to capitalise upon.
After doing a SWOT Analysis of the CDM projects, he concluded that their future hinges on whether the Kyoto Protocol is extended beyond 2012. He concluded that if it did the opportunity for Indian organisations to benefit from would be immense.
This session on Carbon Trading Mechanism was extremely interactive and provided an enthusiastic assemblage of students with keen insights into the CER industry along with instilling in them a desire to continue learning about this nascent but important field.
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Anuj aka popat
Media Cell
(Inputs: Beta, the Finance Club @ IIMA)
