HR Conclave At JAIPURIA Noida Focuses On ‘Managing People In Downturn - Its Opportunities & Challenges

The HR Conclave held on the 25th of August 2012 at one of the top management institutes- Jaipuria Institute of Management , Noida - saw participation from eminent leaders from across the Indian HR landscape. Ten HR stalwarts represented their respective industries, ranging from Banking and Finance, to FMCG, to Automobiles and IT, in unraveling the ‘HR Practices and Challenges During the Downturn’.

After lighting the traditional lamp, the Chief Guest for the HR Conclave at Jaipuria Noida, Mr. P. Dwarakanath, Head of Group Human Capital, Max India Ltd., encouraged all the HR Heads of the industries to share their rich experience for the sake of the youngsters from Jaipuria Noida , as well as to gain from each other’s wisdom. Mr. Dwarakanath was all praise for the aesthetically built and eco-friendly campus of Jaipuria Noida. He appreciated the topic saying that it was timely and correct. He believed that industries have had enough time to learn their lessons and draw up strategies to counter the ups-and-downs of the economic uncertainties that have become a regular feature after the 2008 global meltdown.

After a brief tea break, the deck was cleared for the first session of the HR Conclave at Jaipuria Noida, which had a panel discussion between HR big wigs from the FMCG, Retail and Services sectors. Dr. Some prominent speakers like Mr. V.P.Singh (Executive Director, RJ Corp); Mr. Abhay Saxena – VP (HR, Hero Corp) and Mr. N. N. Akhouri (Former Senior Vice President, Hero Honda) discussed the current situation and whether there really is as much cause for concern as there is often made out to be. The panelists discussed India’s position in context to the European countries, as well as its stature as one of the fastest growing economies.

“There are various sectors that are recession-neutral and for them the impact is not too much; they include banking, insurance, consulting, retail and FMCG,” pointed out Dr. V.P. Singh, ED, RJ Corp. “Currently, the market share of Coke & Pepsi has gone up and is at a point like never before. Yes, some companies that are facing the downturn are just not growing at a very fast pace but making a slow growth instead. Interestingly, the middle-class’s disposable income has shot up, and people are more ready to spend than ever before. People in India like to go to Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok, etc. More and more Pizza Hut and KFC outlets have come up in the market.”

The panel established the point before a rapt audience of future managers from Jaipuria Noida that the industries that they belonged to are coping well, and have adapted well to global economic realities.

In the post-lunch session, it was the turn of the Banking and Financial Services sector to discuss its global downturn scenario. The elite panel included Mr. Anil Rathore - Partner HR with ING Vysya Bank, Mr. Samar Vijay - Founder, InvestCare, and Mr. Abhishek Bhasin – Duetsche Bank. The panelists brought out the practical challenges faced by HR during the recession, and how HR was increasingly being viewed as a partner in business in attracting the right kind of talent. “If HR is to attract and retain the right kind of talent, HR personnel will have to become friends with and in fact, listen deeply to, their employees,” observed Ms. Ratna Singh, Global Head HR, EvalueServe. “Keeping employees motivated to perform rather than worry about the situation is increasingly being looked upon as an HR primary function. HR has to pick up on the noise before it comes.”

The final session of the one-day conclave at Jaipuria Noida focused on the Consulting, Technology & Knowledge sectors. The power-packed session had panelists of the stature of Ms. Archana Gulati - HR Head at Grail Research, Mr. Anshumal Dixit - HR Head of I-Gate and Mr. Subhodeep Dutta - Head, Corporate Strategy at Mancer Consulting. The panelists observed that many organisations turned the global crisis of 2008 into an opportunity to build a succession pipeline. Organisations, which were able to manage their people effectively, were able to sustain themselves and earn huge benefits as well.

“Managing IT or Knowledge sector employees is very different from managing employees from the retail sector or FMGC sector employees,” observed Mr. Anshumal dixit, HR Head, I-Gate. “The IT sector requires individuals who are highly educated. Challenges like employee retention, annual promotions and increments, and linkages with business performance have always existed; but 2008 saw a definite impact on the employees’ morale, especially with delayed hiring. This helped organisations focus on improving processes and increasing employee productivity, as well as reducing their dependency on hiring and training firms.”

The brainstorming in the HR-conclave on 25th of August seems to have given out a clear message to the audience present at Jaipuria Noida that while the downturn was very challenging for global economics, a lot of positives emerged for the HR fraternity across industries. Organisations were able to attract and retain skilled workforce, and develop managerial capability by increasing layers in the designations.

The leaders of the HR domain were unanimous in their appreciation for Jaipuria Institute of Management , Noida and the manner in which it took the lead in discussing threadbare a topic as crucial as ‘HR Practices and Challenges During the Downturn’.

Additional Resources

Jaipuria Institute   Jaipuria College

About JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT:
Established in 2004, the Noida campus is the second of the Jaipuria campuses. This state of the art campus in the heart of the corporate hub of the NCR region provides you with a wide exposure to a number of industries. Noida has emerged as a major hub of IT services & BPOs; automobile ancillaries, consumer durables, entertainment electronics, premier engineering and medical & health care institutions. As a student at Jaipuria Noida you will have access to the best companies across sectors. In addition, you will benefit from the opportunity to participate in a number of national and international events held in New Delhi. You will also interact with a large number of stalwarts and academicians as a part of the series of guest lectures and industry interactions hosted by Noida campus throughout the year.
Led by Dr. Anup K Singh (formerly Director, Nirma Institute of Management) the institute aims at creating world-class management professionals. True to the Jaipuria education philosophy, the institute focuses on learning through in-class sessions as well as practical exposure.

Company Contact Information
JAIPURIA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
Amit Attry
A-32A, Sector 62, NOIDA
201309
Phone : 91-120-4638300

It’s Admission Time for IMT Centre for Distance Learning

Admissions are now open at India’s no.1 institute in distance learning, the IMT-Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad*.

Started in 1986, IMT-CDL had over 15,000 students enrolled last year. It has 27 full-time faculty and 52 visiting faculty. The institute has tie-ups with international corporations such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Nucleus Software and Steria, among others.

Specializations are offered in Finance, Marketing, Systems, Operations, Human Resource Management and International Business. The courses are being offered in both Offline and Online Mode. There is a course specially designed for the working executive. The only qualification for which –apart from the mandatory graduation—is five years of work experience. Apart from these, IMT-CDL has some other interesting courses like the PG in Cyber Security in collaboration with world-renowned cyber security expert Ankit Fadia.

What sets the IMT-CDL apart is the extensive use of technology in teaching the 15 different streams and faculties of management on offer. Explaining, the institute director, Dr A.M. Sherry, said: “Through the use of technology, we can provide quality distance education to our students across the globe. The faculty can telecast or broadcast their lectures anywhere in the world.”
He added that digital libraries can easily be accessed by students of distance education.

“Examinations can be conducted online; assignments can also be submitted online. These facilities do not only ensure quality in distance education, they also add to the convenience of the students.” So is IMT- CDL practicing and promoting the same.

For application forms and prospectus, one can send a demand draft of Rs.1,100/- to IMT-CDL, A-16, Site-3, UPSIDC, Industrial Area, Meerut Road, Ghaziabad in favour of IMT-CDL, payable at Delhi. For online admissions, visit www.imtcdl.ac.in

IMT CDL brings home laurels with its distance-education

THE IMT Center for Distance Learning has been ranked as the top distance learning institute in the country. According to the survey conducted by Zee Business, IMT-CDL aced, beating seasoned distance learning institutes like IGNOU and the Annamalai University.
Commenting on the ranking, IMT-CDL Director Dr. Arun Mohan Sherry said: “I am really happy that IMT-CDL has been ranked No.1.  We believe that if adequate efforts and processes are established, the quality of education offered by distance institutions can be as good as, or even better than regular full time education.”

Started in 1986, IMT-CDL had over 15,000 students enrolled last year. It has 27 full-time faculty and 52 visiting faculty. The institute has tie-ups with international corporations such as the Royal Bank of Scotland, Nucleus Software and Steria, among others.

It makes extensive use of technology in teaching the 15 different streams and faculties of management on offer. Explaining, Dr Sherry said: “Through the use of technology, we can provide quality distance education to our students across the globe. The faculty can telecast or broadcast their lectures anywhere in the world."

He added that digital libraries can easily be accessed by students of distance education. "Examinations can be conducted online; assignments can also be submitted online. These facilities do not only ensure quality in distance education, they also add to the convenience of the students.” And IMT-CDL is practicing all of it.

Distance-learning is the solution for those who cannot afford full-time programmes due to constraints of finance, time and energy. Such students can pursue a distance education programme to upgrade their knowledge and skill base for better growth in their careers, advised Dr Sherry.
"After completing a distance learning MBA, an employee’s career growth gets progressive as he has a more holistic picture of the business world and that can catapult him into the big league, "said Vidushi Soneja, an HR executive with Ericsson India pursuing her PG in management from IMT-CDL.

Accepting that there’s a paucity of quality faculty in this sector, Dr Sherry said: “A learned faculty means quality education. But to get to that level, measures such as use of latest technology as well as a functional flexible credit system are required.”

According to a recent report by research firm KPMG, the highly fragmented industry is still projected to require an investment of about US$ 100 billion by 2014 to meet the demand. The Knowledge Commission has also pointed to the need for setting up 1,500 more universities in the country.
All of this adds to the need of technology-driven distance learning centres. Institutes like IMT-CDL provide a platform for distance learning to working professionals.  Their curriculum is detailed and comprehensive and provides flexible study opportunities, catering to the need of the ever evolving industry. 

IMT Ghaziabad - NIVESH MANTRA’12 by Finnacle

Being the fourth largest economy in the world and having the second largest GDP among developing nations, in terms of  purchasing power, India is poised for growth with macro–economic stability and by 2025 Indian economy is projected to be about 60% in size of the US economy.

Investment is the key element which has taken India on high growth trajectory.

India is getting economically empowered with greater participation of the people across the spectrum in the capital markets, but the last couple of years have seen a lot of changes in the economic world where many ‘so called' economically dependable areas have proved to be unsafe.

With the financial markets at crossroads, inflation cooling down, elections later in the month and budget not far ahead, the time was right for the existing investors to take a fresh stock of things to come and for the prospective ones to perhaps hear from the professionals one last time before venturing into the
world of financial markets.

Finnacle Investments organized Nivesh Mantra ’12 at IMT Ghaziabad from 3rd to 5th February 2012 which focused equally on both equity and commodity markets, in an attempt to clear the air surrounding the Commodity Market.

Day I
The conclave was aptly inaugurated with Mr. Sandeep Dandapat, the Chief Manager at National Stock Exchange of India Limited, addressing the students of IMT – Ghaziabad with an Investor Awareness Workshop. During the workshop, he covered topics ranging from operations at the NSEIL, to informing the students about their rights as investors.

Day II
With the uncertainty and the high volatility displayed by the equities, and silver and gold reaching their highs in the past year, a session introducing the students to the commodities market was called for. Nivesh Mantra 2012 began Day II with a session on the “Basics of Commodities”, conducted by Miss Vandana Bharti, a Senior Research Analyst with SMC Comtrade. In the session Mrs. Bharti highlighted on the products traded in commodities market and how they are regulated. The focus of the session was on the relationship between simple commodity money and the more complex instruments offered in the commodity markets.

‘Fundamental Analysis tells us what to buy, Technical Analysis tells us when’, said Mr. Kunal Sarogi. After a very informational morning session, Mr. Kunal Saraogi, Founding Partner, Equity Rush addressed the students with a detailed session on ‘Technical Analysis’. The session witnessed a very enthusiastic
response from the students. Mr. Saraogi started briefing the differences between Fundamental and Technical Analysis and the session carried on detailing how Technical analysis would be useful in making the decision. Behavioral economics and quantitative analysis incorporate technical analysis, which, being an aspect of active management, stands in contradiction to much of modern portfolio theory. The efficacy of both technical and fundamental analysis is disputed by efficient-market hypothesis which states that stock market prices are essentially unpredictable.

Day III
After two grueling days of knowledge sessions, ‘Stock Meter – A financial quiz’ was organized to ease the air. The event saw some keen rivalry among the students. Also, the result of ‘Sector Selector – A Portfolio Game’ was declared which started on 20th January and continued till 3rd February 2012. At the end it was a bag full of experience for the students who thrive to be future managers and researchers. The journey of Nivesh Mantra 2012 thus came to an end with much fanfare and even bigger promises for the coming years.

- Chetan Sabadra

IMT Ghaziabad students spend a day with kids from Asha Vidyalaya

A few kids from the Asha Vidyalaya visited IMT Ghaziabad campus to spend a day with the IMT students. The visit was a part of the event; Ehsaas organized by IMT Ghaziabad’s Make a Difference Foundation. Here is how the day was spent.

IMT Ghaziabad students along with Shalini tiwari, the chairperson of Students Affairs and Welfare Council gave a warm welcome to the kids from Asha Vidyalaya who came to the campus to spend a day with them. There were a total of 48 differently-abled kids who visited the campus to be a part of the event, Ehsaas, organized by IMT Ghaziabad’s Make a Difference Foundation.

A special screening of the Tom & Jerry cartoon was especially arranged for the kids, which they thoroughly enjoyed. They also loved and enjoyed the performances by Kanishka, Pulkit and Nitisha. It was great to see these little kids shaking their legs on the Bollywood numbers. Vishal’s performance was highly appreciated.

To encourage the kids and keep their enthusiasm on they were presented with prizes for their dance performances. Prof. Kaushik Datta was called upon the stage to give away the prizes. The kids were then taken to the field where they indulged in various outdoor activities. They laughed and ran across the fields racing with each other. They played football, throw ball and Frisbee. The students from IMT Ghaziabad also enjoyed these games with them.

Himani who won the lemon spoon race said, “It feels great to be here at the campus, we are all enjoying to the fullest”. Similarly, Prakash who played cricket with his fellow classmates and IMT Ghaziabad students was equally thrilled and shared that he would love to visit the campus again, adding- “The didis and bhaiyyas are extremely helpful and kind.” It was a treat to watch Prakash hit six on each ball.

Kanishka from Asha Vidyalaya who participated in the dance competition shared, “I love dancing and do not quite enjoy outdoor sports such as handball, football, etc but I just don’t want to leave the playground today, I never knew all these sports could be so much fun”. A student from IMT Ghaziabad too shared a similar view, “I haven’t played and enjoyed like this since a very long time”, he said.

After several rounds of these games, it was time for lunch. The students at IMT Ghaziabad bid goodbye to the kids post lunch. It was great to be host to such wonderful kids and equally difficult to part with them post the event.

“The students taught us how to find joy and happiness in every little thing”, said another IMT Ghaziabad student. This day would be cherished by everyone at IMT Ghaziabad.

IMT Ghaziabad’s PGDM Executive Batch Organizes ConneXions 2012

A one day event, ConneXions is being held at the Kapil Mohan Auditorium, IMT Ghaziabad. This year, ConneXions will focus on India growing and becoming a global investment destination. The country, as we know and see, has metamorphosed from being a simplistic society dominated by the traditional methods of production employing land, labour and capital into an economy that is knowledge based. It has grown to use science and scientific management techniques.

Therefore the IMT Ghaziabad PGDM Executive class arrived on the very timely theme for ConneXions. They decided to help empower India to reach higher, faster, better with ‘M-powering India: Man, Money and MBA’. All three elements play key roles in the way an economy develops and grows.

India needs to harness and channelize the power it has in this area and become the change the country wants to see. The PDGM Executive batch at IMT Ghaziabad has organized this event to take the whole concept of Man, Money and MBA into a new realm of growth.

ConneXions opens with lighting of the traditional lamp and a welcome address by Placecom Member Davinder Singh. Addresses by prominent people like Dr. Sita Mishra, PGDM Executive Chairperson, Prakash Pathak, Placement Chair, IMT Ghaziabad and Dr. Bibek Banerjee, Director, IMT Ghaziabad will be followed by the screening of a five minute film on the PGDM Executive class of 2012.

A quick tea break will be followed by the first Panel Discussion, moderated by Dr. Lubna Nafees. The panel includes prominent names like Ravinder Kaul, Executive VP, Bharati Group, Shantanu Kodesia, HR, Tradus, Manu Singh, Director, Financial Markets, Standard Chartered bank and Dr. Narinder Bhasin, VP, Axis Bank.

Lunch is followed by two more Panel Discussions. Discussion 2 has Ajay Davessar, Global Head-Ext Comm., HCL, Koushik Chatterjee, SVP, Aspiring Minds, Naveen Coomar, VP-HR, Impetus Infotech and Jayant Tuli, VP Zonal Head, IndusInd Bank.

Each of these discussions will be for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. In the third Panel Discussion, ConneXions has Bikas Jha, Sr Director, India Sales, Real Networks, Jayanthi Jagannath, Head Regional HR, Deloitte, Abraham Cherian, Head Talent Acquisition, Tesco and Vivek Gera, Corporate HR Head, Videocon.

Preceding the tea at the end of ConneXions 2012, the Vote of Thanks will be given by Placecom Members Gopa Kumar and Sarika Ahuja.

IMT Nagpur Invites Participants for its 3-Day Workshop on Statistical Data Analysis

Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur is organizing a 3-Day workshop on Statistical Data Analysis. This would be conducted from 23rd to 25th Jan 2012 at the IMT Nagpur campus.The workshop being conducted in collaboration with IBM SPS, aims at providing a better understanding about the correct use of statistical techniques and the usage of SPSS software. The organizers and facilitators of the workshop are confident that “the participants would be able to conduct data analysis via SPSS on their own after attending this workshop.”

Workshop on Statistical Data Analysis would especially be helpful for the research scholars who require analyzing their data and faculty members who are aiming to get their works published in a good quality journal. The workshop would discuss the use of statistical analysis and techniques for augmenting the scope of publication. It would also be beneficial for corporate executives who are working in the field of marketing and consumer research.

Various theoretical aspects of Statistical concepts including Parametric Tests, Variables and Measurements, Introduction to statistical inference, Correlations and Regression Analysis, Sampling and Sampling Distributions and Non Parametric Tests would be covered in this workshop.

It would offer a hands-on experience of using the SPSS software. The participants would learn to perform various tasks on SPSS including Data entry and variable transformations, Factor analysis, Generating tables and graphs, Non parametric tests, Simple and multiple linear regression, Correlations (Bivariate and partial), T- tests and ANOVA (one-way and two-way) and Frequency distributions and test of statistical assumptions.

The total fee for attending the 3-Day workshop conducted by IMT Nagpur is Rs.4, 000/- and the last date for registration is 15th Jan 2012. The fees can be sent across either through Crossed Demand Draft in favor of Institute of Management Technology, Nagpur or via NEFT.

It is being anticipated that scholars from various disciplines would come together under one roof through this workshop and would spark an environment of knowledge dissemination.
Log on to http://imtnalumni.org/spss/registration.php and register to participate.

CNBC ranks IMT-G’s “global” campus second in India for international links

CNBC’s latest survey gives proof Institute of Management Technology Ghaziabad has truly gone global, being ranked second among B-Schools when it comes to international linkages.
The ranking should come as no surprise though - IMT-G has link-ups with more than 70 institutes around the globe and believes true business success is achieved when management graduates do well in any part of the world.

IMT-G believes exposure to different work ethics and conditions makes its MBA education more wholesome and globally integrated as students get an in-depth understanding of international business, cultures, economies and the policies of regions they will do business with, arming them with useful knowledge.
In addition, many of IMT’s faculty come from some of the leading corporate houses or B-Schools across the world.
The CNBC survey took into account the number of student exchange and faculty exchange programmes, the number of student and faculty members who actually went abroad and the number of student and faculty members who actually came to Indian institutes from abroad.

Among its various student and faculty exchange programmes, IMT became, in 2009, the only Indian management school to be a part of the Erasmus Mundus agreement. Erasmus Mundus is an educational initiative by the European Union, Erasmus being an acronym for EuRopean Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students and Mundus meaning world in Latin.
It encourages academic collaborations between prominent academic institutions across the globe, enables student and faculty exchanges and provides scholarships for both students and faculty.
Under it, six PGDM students from IMT have been awarded scholarships to pursue an academic term at overseas partner institutions and 10 students from top European universities have been selected to pursue one or two academic terms at IMT.

In addition, more than 80 institutes participated in the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Summit hosted by IMT in collaboration with VUB, Belgium and held on the Ghaziabad campus. Academicians from leading universities in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Latin America participated in this summit.

IMT is also tied-up with the Centre for Research and Technology Innovation (CRTI) at the Kellogg School of Management, North Western University, U.S.A. and is offering a unique internship opportunity to students of both colleges.
Under this collaboration recently, six students each from IMT and Kellogg jointly worked on independent projects with social enterprises helping them improve their penetration in rural India.

The world truly is the campus of IMT Ghaziabad. It has linkages with institutes ranging from Australia to Austria, Belgium to Brazil, Iceland to Kazakhstan, the United States to the United Kingdom, and everywhere in between, including Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Ecuador and Greece.
As IMT-G President Kamal Nath, Minister of Urban Development, India has said “The world is shrinking. The corporate world even more so. Economies across the globe are rapidly integrating into a mega world economy. In this era of strategic alliances, joint ventures and unpredictable market conditions cross-cultural capabilities and visionary leadership are requisites of the corporate world.

“At IMT our objective is to prepare leaders who go beyond conventional management skills. With a world-class infrastructure supported by state-of-the-art technology, IMT continues to look far beyond the routine, in its endeavour to produce leaders capable of a new hallmark in the world of business.”

YIF:Connecting the Dots with the YIF Founding Batch

Data and information can be unidimensional and precise but knowledge and learning cannot.  They’re about ‘connecting the dots’ — making sense and seeing things that others don’t quite see as easily. We cannot emphasise this enough because this is what sets everyone and everything apart.

Steve Jobs said it quite simply while speaking at Stanford in 2005. Among other things he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

A large part of life itself is about connecting the dots effectively in an attempt to complete a picture. This is also true of the Young India Fellowship, right from its vision, its curriculum, its faculty and its mentors, the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and all the Fellows of the batch of 2011. Every single one of these dots epitomises the Young India Fellowship picture. We looked backwards to connect these dots to a very plausible and promising future — your future and consequently that of India.

It’s said that an educational system isn’t worth too much if it teaches you how to make a living but doesn’t teach you how to make a life. And that’s why the YIF is limited to those who have insisted on learning more about making a life. With your education, every one of you can make a very comfortable living but you’re here to make a life and our multidisciplinary programme, guided by eminent leaders and scholars, will do exactly that. These are just two of the dots we connected — the best and brightest students and teachers from diverse fields. The subjects you will be exposed to in this year, such as anthropology, ethics, life sciences, philosophy, climate change, art appreciation, entrepreneurship, etc., are not just mere dots on your lifescape but are connected to who you were, are and will become.

Every one of you has come from diverse personal backgrounds and from every part of India — small towns and big cities. More dots have connected. For besides your distinct educational backgrounds, every one of you brings with you a unique story. And that’s the reason you’re here. And that’s what you have to build on.

There is little doubt that you’ll are achievers and once you complete this year at the Young India Fellowship the road ahead will be open, and you already know that it’s a challenging steeplechase, but that’s life. What you do and how you do it, will tell the world just how much you allowed yourself to be inspired in your year at the Young India Fellowship.

Every one of you wants to make a difference to the world you live in, especially to India and its people. Connect the dots on your individual canvas successfully and well, believe in and love what you do, because it’ll show up clearly in the shape, character and form your picture takes.

We welcome you the founding batch of the Young India Fellowship and wish you the best.

IMT Ghaziabad to Host Global B-School Network’s Annual International Conference

IMT Ghaziabad will play Academic Host to the Global B-School Network’s 7th Annual Conference to be held in Delhi on June 11 – 13, 2012. The theme this year is- Making the Connection: Management Education Powering Development.
To be held at the Taj Palace the Global B-School Network (GBSN) conference invites thinkers and leaders from B-Schools and other relevant organizations in countries across the globe to its annual conference. This year’s venue is Delhi, India and the theme, Making the Connection: Management Education Powering Development. This theme has been arrived at after a lot of thought and brainstorming. It has been chosen because an education in Management studies at highly focused B-Schools empowers students into becoming growth-encouraging leaders. With the power of knowledge, they can then help underdeveloped countries recognize their true potential and mature into it.
Starting out in 2006, GBSN’s first meeting was conducted on April 28. It had representatives from more than 20 of the world’s leading B-Schools in attendance. The focus then was on pursuing opportunities in developing countries.
Six years later, at the 2011 Annual Conference in Mexico City, it had over 140 members from 30 countries in attendance. The theme was Generating Leadership: Developing Human Capacity in Emerging Markets.

A member of GBSN, IMT Ghaziabad, the Academic Host of the 2012 conference is getting the stage set for some very valuable interactions and knowledge sharing. The institute, ranked among the top ten B-Schools in India, is known for its path breaking programmes and curriculum. IMT’s courses are of international quality yet within the context of local relevance.
The 2012 conference is an opportunity for thinkers and leading academicians to meet and share ideas on a common platform. It will throw light on several relevant subjects in today’s B-School education. Participants will also exchange ideas on innovative programmes that have worked for them, share leading edge research and examine proven approaches to deliver management education. It is an opportunity for them to compare trends in management education and cultivate partnerships for possible student and faculty exchange programmes.
GBSN works on several areas related to B-School development. Its member institutes have seen value and experienced commendable growth. The areas GBSN works on include:
- Strengthening and expanding existing B-School curricula
- Facilitating faculty training, mentoring and development
- Creating entrepreneurship modules
- Researching, writing and disseminating local case studies and other instructional material
- Creating networks for the dissemination of knowledge, best practices and lessons learnt
Being Indian, we see the world sitting up and taking notice of India – as a market and as an opportunity for investment. It is the new emerging economy, and is growing despite the odds.
Tremendous change is seen today. The future leaders in the world of management are a lot more focused and ready to explore the unexplored and rather under tapped rural markets. They seek to make a difference and boost development. For that is where the future is.
Excitement builds at IMT Ghaziabad as the dated draws closer. Faculty, academicians, members of foundations, Development Organizations and Corporates from across the world prepare to come to this greatly fascinating maze that is India. Its colours, sights, sounds and the world famous Indian Culture will weave a fascinating fabric of unforgettable memories.
To read more, click: http://gbsnonline.org/members/annual-conference/2012-annual-conference.html

KIAMS secures higher Business India’s B-School ranking

Business India, one of the country’s foremost business publications, recently released their 12th annual list of the top Indian B-Schools. In this survey Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS) has scaled two notches getting it closer to the top. From an A ranking in 2010, KIAMS has achieved an A++. This leap forward is because of the institute’s unswerving attention to the details that define excellence. Constant vigilance, innovation and application of new teaching techniques and industry interface integrated into a very contemporary curriculum clearly make a difference in the way the institute is perceived.

“At one level there is elation, but deeper down there is no surprise. We do believe in giving the best in what we do – one of our values is ‘to undertake only those things in which we have the potential to excel’. Knowing that we can excel in education, we have gone ahead with our efforts,” says Dr. Gopal Iyengar, Director, KIAMS.  “All the feedback we got from the Business India ranking would be debated in the faculty council and used as a stepping stone to the next level.”

Dr. Gopal Iyengar’s sense of humour surfaces when he says, with a twinkle in his eyes, “I am reminded of an ad (though the product is far removed from our education field) which had the punch-line ‘Andar se fit tho bahar se hit’!  We are focused on being ‘andar se fit’. The current BI ranking is the ‘Bahar se hit’ part.”

The most important ten heads

BusinessIndia’s rankings were led by brand equity, followed by faculty and pedagogy, industry interface, technology use, infrastructure, income and expenditure, student facilitation, growth, overseas networking and alumni. Business India tried to capture every aspect that goes to make a B-School feature in its 2011 ranking. Other areas included important elements like campus specialisations, student admissions, Website details, journal publishing, curriculum design, faculty profiles, publication and support, library data, industry outreach, international linkages, corporate training, consulting, brand building and the growth a business school has seen. All these elements went into making the ranking unbiased and very fair.

“The A++ ranking by prestigious B-School survey not only shows that KIAMS is one of the  best institute in India, however this is not the destination but a journey which is to be walked successfully in the future,” Shruti, a KIAMS executive candidly observes. Her pride in her institute reflects in her words.

KIAMS, with its century old industry and management experience has a huge library of indigenous case studies to draw from and is keeping the faculty factor in strong focus. However, there is always room for change, for change is the only constant. Shruti puts the tangible changes she sees in these succinct words. “I see enhanced efforts to streamline activities with 100% transparency which are more students driven. KIAMS has strong industry interface and matches industry expectations. The institute conducts national and international research. Its live project based curriculum is backed by world class infrastructure.”

The way forward

While Dr. Iyengar is pleased with the rankings, he is very clear that irrespective of the competition, KIAMs will continue charting its own path. “As we have always being doing, we will continue to define who we are and what we want to impact, and work diligently towards that. Sure we are aware of competition but not obsessed by it. We may put together a benchmarked group from our band and an aspirational group from the higher band to understand how they deliver. But the bar will be raised mostly through aspiring higher in what we want to impact,” he is emphatic.

 Dr. Iyengar urges his students into being the best that they can be with a few well chosen, wise words.”Continue performing based on your self-worth and self-esteem. When you go out into industry they should not experience a dissonance between shadow and substance.”

Strathclyde SKIL Business School’s curriculum puts it a cut above the rest in education

With its designed forIndiacourses, coupled with global orientation and balance of theory and practical experience,Strathclyde SKIL BusinessSchool’s (SSBS) curriculum puts it a cut above other institutes. Strathclyde Skil Business. School’s cutting-edge curriculum gives students the globally-oriented education they need to be leaders in today’s global economy.With more than 50 Per cent of the courses being taught by faculty from Strathclyde Business School (SBS),Glasgow,Scotland, students will study at campuses both in India and in Scotland.This gives them exposure to cross-cultural experiences and invaluable international networking opportunities, as during their semester of study in Glasgow, SSBS students will mix with international students from diverse cultures and backgrounds along with UK-based students.

The courses offered at SSBS are specifically designed to meet the needs of Indian students while building on the long-standing experience of Strathclyde Business School in the field of management education.The SSBS Greater Noida campus features a state of the art design and students will be able to access all the e-library resources and business information services from the University of Strathclyde.With the focus on relating theory with practice, academic staff maximise opportunities for discussion and debate on how practice might be adapted and developed for particular contexts, often using case-studies to let students see and explore current practice.

As part of the curriculum, students engage in role playing exercises to put their new knowledge and skills into action. Teamwork is also an essential skill for managers and throughout the programme students will work collectively with others in analysing problems, debating issues and presenting your ideas to others.In addition to theory, practice is emphasized through the experience of the Glasgow and India-based academic staff, who have both researched and provided consultancy for leading businesses and their managers.

Visiting speakers from industry are also part of the educational experience at SSBS.In all, the curriculum is aimed at fully preparing the student for their first involvement in management; allowing a smooth progression from an undergraduate degree to an understanding of the processes of general management; helping students acquire knowledge and understanding of all the major management disciplines, along with a wide range of specialist electives; providing conceptual and analytical tools necessary to tackle business problems with greater confidence and gain an appreciation of the wider organisational context and how different business functions interact and inter-relate.

The crowning achievement of course is that students will receive a degree awarded by the University of Strathclyde- a top-rated institution with triple international accreditation – AMBA (Association of MBAs), AACSB(Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System). Strathclyde is one of only 12 business schools in the UK, and one of only 48 in the world, to hold all three of these accreditation standards.