IIM S Infinite

You might be in an IIM if…

2012-01-18T17:46:00.007+05:30

It’s funny. The amount of preparation one does to get into an IIM. All those mock tests, hours of analysis, hundreds of quants problems. Your single-minded focus finally paid off. You find yourself in an IIM. A dream come true. But it seems surreal at times. Am I really at an IIM?? In one of those revered and worshipped top management institutes in India?

After two terms at IIM Shillong, the fact that I am at an IIM has not really sunk in. You don’t really think about it, I mean, you don’t really get time to think about it. Nevertheless, I’ve devised a quick and easy method to check whether I’m at an IIM, based on my experiences here so far.

You might be in an IIM if:

1) Your first week was comparable to a stay at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

2) You use terms such as ‘social loafer’ and ‘perceptual error’ in your daily vocabulary.

3) You’ve spent an unreasonable amount of time defending the greatness of the city you come from, on the basis of its economic growth and HDI, vis-à-vis other unworthy cities.

4) You’ve awakened from deep sleep with a jolt at 8:45 am to rush to a 9 am class. This is after your head hit the pillow at around 3:30 am.

5) You do not know the concept of a quiet, calm and peaceful birthday celebration.

6) You’ve studied all night for a ‘surprise’ quiz only to find out the next day that the ‘surprise’ is that the quiz is not today.

7) You’ve entered a class all revved up, only to find an incomprehensible surprise quiz staring you in the face.

8) You’ve perfected the art of talking for 5 minutes on any topic, using terms such as ‘synchronised modular time-frame’ and ‘parallel organizational flexibility’.

9) You’ve found yourself deep in conversation discussing the deficiencies of the supply chain of the hostel mess.

10) You’ve shouted random numbers in finance and/or accounts class, just to get noticed for class (desperate) participation.

11) You’ve sat at a study group meet to discuss an important term project. Two hours later the only conclusion that the group agrees upon is that ‘the work must be divided equally’.

12) You’ve opened Facebook at 11 pm just for a ‘5 min break’ to get your mind off the next day’s Marketing end term. Next thing you know, it’s 2:30 am and you are still on Facebook, marveling at the number of ways in which a lungi can be tied.

13) You’ve been reminded by professors that you are not in engineering college anymore and to ‘simply get out of the engineering mindset’, while asking for an extension on the 30 page case analysis due tomorrow morning. You fail to see the connection.

14) There are days when you think that 2 minute Maggi is the greatest food ever invented.

15) You’ve never dared to think ‘beyond the IIMs’ and hence, consider yourself ‘not deserving enough’ to participate in ****’s business fest.

16) You’ve attempted the concept of ‘business lunch’ with your committee members, only to find out that the term is an oxymoron. Still, you continue these ‘business lunches’, hoping that someday you will be successful

17) You’re deep in concentration in the middle of a thorough analysis of the HBR article “IT Doesn’t Matter”, only to have the net connection give up on you. You find yourself unable to work, conclude that the analysis is pointless, wonder why you are even studying MBA and decide to vent your frustration on the helpless basketball.

18) You’ve recounted your ‘Tell me about yourself’, ‘Why MBA’, ‘Why Finance, etc.’ answers so many times in your various committee/club/placement interviews, that you are starting to believe what you say.

19) You use terms such as ‘matching concept’, ‘going concern’ and ‘entity concept’ in philosophical discussions and debates.

20) You think that everything in economics can be explained with the ‘law of supply and demand’.

21) In spite of everything, amongst the headaches, heartbreaks, torture and sleepless nights, there is excitement, fun, friends and adventure. Every day is an unforgettable experience. At an IIM.

Dhivya Ravikumar

PGP 2011

Some Typical B-School Moments

2011-12-08T11:58:00.000+05:30

I have been restless since morning, lying on my bed or surfing the net for random things, maybe because I have just came back from my cousins wedding, two days of full masti and delicious food. Food I always miss but there is something else that is itching me from inside. I started questioning myself about what am I doing in college, I should have stayed back only; everything seems useless, my contribution to group assignments seems irrelevant as they were done even when I was not present; everybody is busy with their own things, where are the friends I made in last six months?

After talking to a few people who came back from home after short visits I realized this is a common feeling, felt by all B-School students at some point of time. Drilling more into the matter, I noted down a few typical B-school moments which happen to most of us.

On a weekday morning, 10 minutes before the class you wake up to your wing mates gaali, get ready in 5 mins and rush for the class. On the way to class you cross the mess, its just that the mess comes in your route, there is no intention to waste any time there. The smell of Dosa makes you stop for a second and then comes the moment of internal conflict, whether to go for the class or have one Dosa. Profs are mostly strict about timing and after initial calculations you figure out it’s a mutually exclusive case, either have Dosa or go for the class. Typically a B-school student eats a Dosa and sends SMS to his friends in class about his feats.

Now this thing happens more often than others; you have a decent week going on with not much workload and decent time to sleep, certain things need to be done but the deadlines are not nearby so you decide to relax and go for dinners and spend time on cleaning your room and decorating your linkedin page. Then your study group allots you an assignment and you accept it, thinking that you have not done much in recent past. On the day of this deadline, comes another assignment which is in the subject that you are expert at and you don’t have any choice but to do it. Your club has an important task lined up and your committee calls for an urgent meeting. You also have to go out for a friend’s birthday party or to buy some essential stuff from market. Add the irresistible daily dose of socialization (social loafing) on campus. What do you do, how do you manage all this? This is when the maximum learning happens, we learn efficient utilization of resources, we use all the networking that we have done, we delegate, we slog nights, we divide work but we somehow make the ends meet.

At a B school the measure of your efficiency is done on the basis of number of hours you sleep. To catch up with the trends you try to match the number of hours you sleep to the batch average, which is somewhere around 4-5 hours a day. One evening you come back to your room from dinner, you have some work to do but that can be postponed, you feel you have worked hard over the past 3-4 days and you sleep, you sleep for 8-10 hours, snoozing your alarm infinitely. When you wake up there is this feeling of guilt which would not leave you until you attend boring classes the whole day and realize you had slept for good only.

B school life is full of such moments, the happy one when your friends get internship, the sad one where you are not getting your dream internship; the one where you laugh like crazy on faculty mimicry and the one when you feel low for no reason and want to be in your room whole day. The best part is these moments are like simulation games, they make you realize how corporate life will be and prepare you to be a better manager.

Mudit Agarwal

PGP2011

Arteries of Asphalt

2011-11-29T09:20:00.000+05:30

Being the early-to-bed types, I hit the bed early and decide to run a marathon, in my sleep, for 12 hours. The bed forces me out at 5 a.m and no amount of twist or counting sheep could help prolong my sleep. Just when the campus life begins to rest, I decide, this would be the perfect time to talk a walk outside.

I would follow the wind

And walk its path

Unless there is a dead end, deadened in asphalt

I take an unorganised, non-patterned route, through narrow lanes packed with lovely, petite houses. The daily chores have begun in few of them and I see kids and pups playing outside. The cold weather would not deter these guys from enjoying the outdoors... or maybe it isn’t all that cold, am from South India and 26 deg is deep frost to me!!It’s actually a nice sight, a kind of colony with geographical closure, untainted much by the advances of technology.

There are few issues with these by-lanes. They take you to places you can’t even spell; I almost had a tongue fracture trying to read one such. Next, the inclination; Roads decide to start trekking and what seemed flat would shoot up to pouncing steepness. Finally, entrances to houses would have broader paths than the actual road; I ended up twice going to the porch and then being guided out….sometimes by the family dog. Just a note on the dogs out here…they are generously built much like the foliage here! Fortunately, the locals here are quite welcoming and half as intimidating as those canines. A whiff of all the local condiments rattles my brain of sleep. The dogs get excited and I get worried.

Its winter and the trees are showing their true colours. It’s breath-taking! The cold (South Indian here!) winds slide across my tonsured head and that tickles. This really is a fantastic place to be when you wipe the cloud of education clogging your eyes (blasphemy!!!!!). As I encounter a V shaped road split, The Robert Frost in me says:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.…

Indeed, the marketing case that lays waiting is sure to suck what’s left of the day!

Keshav S

PGP11

Of Football & Dirt

2011-11-13T12:40:00.000+05:30

Sundays are the most cherished days for any student in an IIM. The promising 5+ hours of sleep is a dream, while we dream. To skip this bounty and get to play football in the scenic landscape of Shillong is better; it’s pure bliss. The alarm goes off at 6 AM and I know that getting out of the bed is the hardest part, probably next to Greece getting out of its financial mess….probably. As 18 of us assemble to reach the field, which is nearly 15 mins from campus, groggy eyes lighten up on a synergetic burst of enthusiasm.

The fresh air, the sun behind the clouds encourages us to get into the athletic mode although most of us haven’t been much active and I don’t mean mentally. Passing sloping houses and petite creeks of water, we reach the vast openness centred with the precious football field. The happiness translates to all communications being in vernacular viz. Hindi, Bengali and Tamil (?????, three of us)..oh yeah! a solitary Mallu (talking to himself though).

There are no Messis amongst us, we were just..messy. With no strategy or formations, we stormed each other’s’ sides and had only one objective, to kick the football; to whom, where or how did not matter. Slowly, the better sense of the game prevailed and it was more organised or so we thought until an ‘own goal’ reminded us of our status quo. As the game picked heat, the scores became quite skewed (for the sake of my life and self-esteem, the score isn’t revealed). This triggered a need to play as a team and that’s when the game really did catch up to us (talk about optimism) in the eyes of the locals who were seeing the plight of football under our hands …legs, of a mini representation of India.

After giving it all we got, getting up from the slips that hurt and being smothered by dirt, we decided to call it a day. Our legs begged us for some respite but the post-mortem of the game drew our attention. Thanks to the reallllly steep roads out here, playing football was half the effort: We had never missed college this much for on our way back, the thought of good food and a cosy bed awaited us. If you are out there picturing the situation, we were NOT covered with sweat. You can survive here without much of water in such an intense game, the weather is that cool. No wonder the North East has some of the best football players and places.

All in all, it was an awesome experience and would like to do it again. As the winter slowly sets in the heat of the game is picking up. The word is spreading and the ball is our court now.

Keshav S

PGP 2011

IIM Shillong Wins Inaugural Edition of X-Biz at IIMA

2011-11-07T15:52:00.003+05:30

Team InnoPreneurs from IIM Shillong have won the inaugural edition of X-Biz in a grand finale hosted at the IIM-Ahmedabad campus. The team was shortlisted after tough competition from over 60 participating teams from across the country. IIM Shillong was shortlisted amongst the top three teams along with IIM Bangalore and IIT Chennai and was invited to present their plan to an eminent panel of judges which included Mr. Sandeep Nair, President and Managing Director of Emerson Network Power (India) Pvt Limited. The sponsors of X-Biz 2011 were Prof Arvind Sahay, Professor of Marketing at IIM-Ahmedabad, and Mr. Pranay Gupta, Joint CEO, CIIE-IIM, Ahmedabad.

The team which consisted of Mr Jayant Kejriwal and Mr Salil Choudhary, second year students at IIM Shillong, detailed their innovative plan which considered the opportunity of massive agricultural mechanization in India. Their plan is to set up a manufacturing plant for tractor mounted hydraulic equipments for agricultural, industrial and construction purposes. They plan to distribute these products across the country initially through tie-ups with tractor distributors and later on through our own outlets.

INNOPRENEURS (IIM SHILLONG)
Salil Choudhary	Jayant Kejriwal

The participants were judged on multiple factors including uniqueness of the plan, “thoroughness” of analysis in capital planning and working capital management, marketing and operating plans, risk identification and mitigation plans, impacts on environment and society and robustness of strategy and growth potential.

The winners received a cash prize of Rs 75,000 and an opportunity to incubate their businesses with CIIE at IIM-Ahmedabad.

India on the Global Racing Map

2011-10-30T12:32:00.008+05:30

The smell of burning rubber, fast cars zipping past in a fraction of a second, wild cheers from the stands, pit stops and cheer girls; welcome to the world of Formula One, a sport that never ceases to thrill. Since its inception in 1950 when Giuseppe Farina won the Championship to the present day champions like Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, Formula One has come a long way in establishing itself as one of the most anticipated sporting events of men and women alike. With increasing popularity, all the global superpowers have started vying for a place in the calendar to host their own Grand Prix.

2011 marks a landmark year for the Indian sporting fraternity. With Bernie Ecclestone, the chief of Formula One giving the green signal, India is all set to host its first ever Indian Grand Prix. This definitely provides the right impetus to the Indian sporting scenario, which is on a high after successfully hosting the Commonwealth Games and the ICC Cricket World Cup.

With the introduction of Force India, a team owned by Liquor Baron, Vijay Mallya, Indian interest in the sport has been increasing. People can relate better to the sport and have their own stars to look forward to during the race. The Indian Grand Prix is hence perfectly timed, as it can further strengthen the ties it’s starting to build with the spectators.

The state of the art facility, Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida is located 24 km from New Delhi, the capital city of India. The circuit is 5.14 kilometers (3.19 mi) long and is designed by F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke. The track is spread across an area of 875 acres in Jaypee Sports City. The initial seating capacity is around 150,000, with the grandstand having a capacity of 20,000. This is one of the largest facilities in terms of capacity. The track in all has 16 largely medium speed corners where F1 cars will lap at an average speed of 210 km/h. The back straight will let F1 cars reach 320 km/h making it one of the fastest tracks in the world.

Hosting an event of such magnitude clearly has its benefits on a booming economy like India. Not only would the hotel and tourism industry get an immediate boost, the country's profile, too, would get a lift. Experts are also of the view that once the Indian Grand Prix kicks off, it has the potential to generate around $170 million in revenue and employ as many as 10,000 people. The Grand Prix has also attracted sponsorships from a large number of corporate houses; with Airtel bagging the title sponsor for a whopping sum of INR 150 cr. Tickets sales has seen tremendous response with the base price tickets of INR 2500, being sold out. The premium Grandstand tickets, priced between INR 35 lakh to 1 crore, have also been picked up by celebrities and corporates.

The buzz is definitely in the air and the excitement is rapidly picking up pace. With the race coinciding with the Diwali holiday season, when consumer spending is typically at its highest, there is a growing positive outlook towards the event.

Diwali Wishes from IIM Shillong

2011-10-26T11:31:00.000+05:30

IIM Shillong Student Awarded The Aditya Birla Scholarship

2011-10-21T23:05:00.000+05:30

Nilkesh Patra, a first year student at IIM Shillong, has been awarded the prestigious Aditya Birla Scholarship. The awards were announced at the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, on September 24^th at a ceremony attended by top dignitaries from industry and science.

The Aditya Birla Scholarships are awarded to the top 24 students across the premier educational institutes like the IITs, IIMs and BITS Pilani. Among the IIMs, only the top 20 students from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow and IIM Shillong are eligible to apply. Candidates were shortlisted for the final round which featured an exhaustive personal interview for each candidate. The 12 management students selected included four from IIM Ahmedabad; four from IIM Bangalore; two from IIM Lucknow and one each from the IIMs in Calcutta and Shillong. The distinguished panel of judges consisted of Dr Sanjaya Baru, Editor, Business Standard Limited and former Media Advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Senthil Chengalvarayan, Group Editor, CNBC – TV18 (Network 18) and Mr Rajat Gupta, Director, McKinsey & Co.

Nilkesh Patra also holds the Institute’s Gold Medal for being the University topper at NIT Rourkela. He has 4 years of work experience in multimedia development. He is interested in finance and has completed his CFA Level 1. He wants to contribute to his home state, Orissa, in infrastructure development and would like to reform the education system in India. Upon receiving the award, he said “It was a lifetime opportunity to meet such eminent personalities and be interviewed by them. I am really proud to be the first candidate from IIM Shillong to receive this coveted award.”

Business, Through the Green

2011-10-08T19:41:00.000+05:30

Business today has transcended borders, cultures, languages and differences. Yet it is often viewed myopically as an exchange that occurs within the four walls of an organization. A set of top executives in the board room, discussing the strategies that would alter the face of the organization is a common sight in most organizations. Those who are aware of Game Theory would agree that Business is synonymous with a game, just like say poker where what cards you have and more importantly how you play them would determine your success in the game. But if business is a game can it be played on the field? Why not?!

Think about it, teamwork, strategies, payoffs, competition, rewards and recognition are common jargons in both sports as well as Business. Wayne Winston of the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, in his book, “Mathletics” looks at applying techniques taught to MBA candidates—such as analyzing probability and statistics—to the sports business. These, he says, can deal with a range of sports-related issues, such as ticket pricing, marketing the team, and even how many hot dogs to order for fixtures. Professor Winston is also a consultant for the Dallas Mavericks, another NBA team. There, he uses his techniques to assess the team's performance data to discover the best players, the best combinations and their appropriate salary levels.

Speaking of the link between sports and business, one sport that crosses my mind is Golf.Contrast the closed board room, with the sprawling lush green golf course. Golf, unlike cricket is not a game for the masses; rather it requires a skill-set common to few. A hawk-like keen observation, a strategic mind and measured actions characterize this game. This leads us to draw parallels between business and golf. After all both involve the decision maker to be aware of his surroundings, strategize his next move, and play accordingly. Herein lies the genesis of the theory that Golf can be a medium of interaction and exchange of ideas among corporates. One can now better understand the reason behind Accenture’s promotional strategy that uses Tiger Woods as their ambassador. Golf is a game that speaks of a high level of concentration and resilience, and in its seemingly serene nature lies its strength. Compared to Cricket or football, golf seems much more docile and involves a great amount of mental work, in order to make the putt. Is it not similar to the businessman with his energy channelized towards achieving a single objective? In fact the green golf course is the best metaphor one can get for Sustainable and green business, a much needed aspect in the corporate world.

Today, corporates are exploring different avenues to interact, such as malls and coffee houses whose informal surroundings enable them to interact freely and think out-of-the- box. These informal settings stimulate their lateral thinking and this practice is fast catching up. Imagine a corporate interaction on the field, a sales-pitch on the pitch, and driving home a point just like making the putt. After all there is sufficient time to interact, negotiate and build relations during the game. This is precisely the idea that IIM Shillong has been trying to transform into a reality. The highlight of our annual Golf cup is Corporate-B-school interactions and corporate talks over a game of golf, and on 8^th and 9^th of October we will be kick starting our 4^th season of the Golf cup. Will this novel idea spread and lead to more such off-the field collaborations? Only time will tell. Remember, the ball is in your court, rather in your course and it is up to you to make every stroke count.

Sowmya R

PGP11

IIM Shillong Golf Cup 2011

2011-10-07T00:56:00.000+05:30

The Golf Cup is back......The 1st IIM Shillong Golf Cup was conducted in April 2009 at the Shillong Golf club. This was the first golf tournament organized by any B school in India. The unique concept of IIM Shillong Golf Cup aims at connecting corporate and academia. An entirely student driven initiative, the tournament aims to create a platform wherein the budding managers will draw the battle lines with the corporate leaders in the beautiful and serene Shillong Golf club. Esteemed dignitaries and high profile decision makers from leading international and national corporate houses will be taking part in the tournament along with faculties, alumni and students of leading B Schools

Be there on 8th & 9th October, 2011 @ The Shillong Golf Club !!

Through Those Hallowed Corridors …

2011-10-01T00:14:00.001+05:30

What comes in goes out! To collect the reminiscence of the past we look back and muse on what were the gains, what productive use did I make of the time I invested there, the package that I got and of course, the most significant qualifying term of the time “ROI” but on the very second thought, the memories associated with the college, the belongingness and attachment to that college sets in a silent, soft smile which is far more satiating than the highest of returns we might have calculated on the previous one.

To reckon of my alma mater, IIM Shillong, it would bring in the chill of the swooshing wind rushing though the pines, the fragrance of the motley greens around, the white of the skies, the unexpected drizzles, the divine warmth of the long awaited sun in the teeth clattering winters and the winding lanes tracing which we all went through the terrestrial highs and lows living each moment with the glees, shrieks, fun and fights.

They say, “With time it is important to let things lose” but few, I believe. What holds us to a place and brings back those memories again and again to our minds is not the tangible returns but the exquisite delight and ecstasy that seeps in with the remembrance of those stations and “addas”. Within a month at IIMS, I am already addicted to the post-midnight coffee at the night canteen followed by a chit-chat and healthy banter, the imitations of the class pranks, the fooling and pestering of the very same selected targets almost every night! The so called collective study became more of a get together with “getting something to eat”, “let’s go for coffee” sounding every half an hour or even more but still the lessons learnt in those little frames of attention became life-saving antidote to all in the terminals.

Amidst all this, the mess was where the interaction brought people close, not just the batch-mates but the seniors and juniors where they taught them the lessons to be followed for the two years, words like DP and tag lines for each are coined, the heated up arguments on Manchester United and Chelsea or Cricket matches, and then the sight of one’s crush, the “Hi” that would make a difference for the day or a sigh of disappointment at the neglect of it, all of it. So nostalgic would that be to regain in memory, I can just imagine that now. To live these moments of excitement and stress, all at the same time, make me muse and I can just promise this:

To feel those moments of fun and joy, I would certainly come

To remember those moments of stress and pressure, I would certainly come

To bring back the sound of “Wait for me” echoing in my ears, I would certainly come

To relive the chaos at the mess at dinner, I would certainly come

To hold on to those pranks, once played with my friends, I would certainly come

To perceive those smiles, taunts and tantrums of mates, I would certainly come

To hold those hands once again, I would certainly come

To feel the aura and the eternal bliss, I would certainly come

To pass through those hallowed corridors once again, I would certainly come

I would certainly come…

Umang Kulshrestha

PGP11

Something More..........

2011-09-25T01:19:00.003+05:30

It felt nothing like I’d ever felt before. I could feel it brush past my face with a gentle aggression, reminiscent of a youth long lost. Suddenly, it started making sense as I was cruising down the road on my Dad’s old bullet. I felt like a fool to have not seen it before. A solution so primeval and gratifying, that its sheer simplicity made me laugh at my urban ignorance. FREEDOM, a solution that all of us are aware of, only some of us thinks about. But a few actually choose to skip a beat and experience it. And mind you, the beat here is belted out by a killer drummer playing for this famous band called THE SYSTEM aka the big bad world.

There I was on a long curvy highway on a gloomy overcast day with dark clouds huddling together as though in conspiracy. The addition of each new cloud into the already darkening concoction mob was marked with lightning, which strangely reminded me of “Baptism by fire”. I felt strangely liberated as I rode onto an unknown path not caring about what lay ahead. Hell, why would I care? Quit my Job, Broke up with my girlfriend and I don’t really care about my bank balance. I felt weightless. A new experience that. A feeling so novel and pristine that grew inside me like a forest fire. I felt like Shahrukh khan in Swades. But before you jump to conclusions, No, I haven’t done anything that is as Noble and selfless. This is me living it out for myself. And god knows I deserve it.

So there I was tearing down the road equipped with my shades, Music player and a water proof back pack. I rued preferring shorts over pants for the journey as the weather turned chilly. AC/DC belting out “highway to hell” in my ear phones. The funny thing about them is that all their songs sound the same, with similar riffs and drum sequences. And I know I’ll be crucified by many a metal heads, but I think they’re just mid Yorker. However, give it an empty highway and an awesome bike. It falls in like a well orchestrated symphony.

I was a 23 year old middle class guy. I was young and fit but felt so old inside. I had a good desk job which paid better than most of the others in the market. But there was no joy. The kick was missing. The entire routine of it sickened me. I yearned for something, something more gratifying and exciting. And so i set out in pursuit of something, “Something more”....

This is a recollection of two of the best months of my life. It’s about love, sex, drugs, music, boredom, friendship and above all, Freedom. Simple, pure and uncompromising freedom.

G.S.N. Aditya

PGP11

Even I Have a Soul …….The Dustbin

2011-09-18T00:59:00.005+05:30

I had existence even when the human civilisation started. My presence was widespread, even beyond the man could ever reach. Wherever and whenever the nature and humans have thrown the waste I had gulped that all in no time. The human settlement pervaded and my size was getting shrunken. I was now to pits, river and quarries. I was shrunk against the man’s greed to the limit of small buckets of varying shapes. Although my pervasion had been reduced but I got the identity and now people recognise me by my body. I got a home, a place, an identity with varied body forms & colours.

I am a better contributor to the cleanliness of the earth more than any other object in the world. I do possess feelings like any other being on this earth. I too have ups and downs in my life as some times I am fed up with sweetest of taste and sometimes I am subjected to harsh and bitter taste of life. I enjoy the moment when even greatest of person looks at me with down eyes and sometimes bow down to fill my tummy. I hate the moment when people insult me by throwing my food from far, out of their laziness. I retaliate to them by bouncing back their items or tumbling down as if I was punched by their throw just to add to their worry to set me upright and feedback the undigested food. The fact that cherishes me the most is that even the most beautiful woman in the world feels envy of me as I was the one who received the first love letter from her lover and not her.

Although I got the identity but I did not get the respect which the other objects get. I am treated as a filthy object even after contributing to the society. I was elated when I got the beautiful transformation in the form of bamboo made waste bins in the campus of IIM Shillong giving the green message to promote sustainability in life. I wish that the world sustains to give me the better image as one of the contributor towards the society.

Mayur Jain

PGP11

Innovation – The Key to Success

2011-09-09T00:39:00.011+05:30

Darwinian’s words that only the fittest shall survive truly describes the business scenario today. Today Business is like a War and Innovation the fiercest and the best weapon to combat it and emerge a winner. Innovation today is essential if the firms are to survive in the increasingly competitive global economy. Innovation has now opened up new frontiers and new opportunities for all of us in all sectors of the business world . This innovation has transformed our world and has lead to an explosion of choices in today’s era of globalisation.

Innovation depends on a confluence of factors which include the availability of information, the need for advanced research and development, a reliable infrastructure, availability of sufficient capital to fund the entire process etc. Innovation is neither simple nor risk – free yet Innovation is a tool, the effect of which lies completely in the hands of the users. This has been seen and felt throughout our history from time to time.

Man has survived and thrived on innovation from the time of our ancestors. Innovation resulted in creating fire by rubbing two stones together, introduction of wheels, movement from barter system to metallic money to paper money and many more such events. Even the business world is not bereft of the need and importance of innovation for survival.

From the time in India when Ambassadors and Maruti cars were the only cars affordable by the majority of the population in the pre- liberalisation period, today consumers because of innovation have a wide range of options to choose from be it small cars like nano , alto, wagon r , santro etc or luxury cars . The almost monopoly of Hindustan motors has been destroyed through innovation.

Even technology hasn’t been bereft of the war like business and innovation. This innovation had made Bill Gates the richest man for a very long time. This innovation led to the move from telephone to mobile phones, and within mobile phones itself from black and white phone to camera phone and ultimately the 3g phones, from black and white television to lcd televisions and now high definition colour television , thereby increasing competition among the various firms and companies.

Another classic example where innovation has been used as a very effective weapon to maintain and enhance ones position in the business is that of Cadbury India limited with dairy milk. It innovated ideas to promote the sale of dairy milk using media effectively.

Another example of innovation is the emergence of several social networking sites. Today we have facebook, twitter, scribd, linkedin and so many more. Each of these sites are constantly upgrading and innovating to survive the tough competition prevailing. Today almost every sector or industry is characterised by stiff competition and innovation and continuous improvement are the key to survive and win here.

The need and importance of innovation cannot be denied however one cannot also deny the importance of other factors for its victory in the business. With innovation there is the need of implementation, diffusion of information about the innovation and its reliability, to convince consumers to use the new product rather than the old one and the advantages of doing so. All of which is a time consuming and expensive process. Thus innovation is extremely important for success in the business world but it needs to be complemented with the other factors.

Ankita Shah

PGP11

Organizational Culture & Value System

2011-09-01T00:35:00.001+05:30

What is culture? Is it something that is deeply ingrained within us and permeates our system? Or is it something that has been imposed upon us by someone? Why is it that twins raised by different parents in different cities turn out to be different individuals even though they have the same genes in them? Is it external surroundings which shapes them into different individuals or is it something else?

We often talk about the cultural diversity of India but does this diversity only encompass the demographic and the occupational diversity? We have even come across something known as organizational cultural diversity. Each organization has a culture of its own and no two organizations have the same culture. Is culture only a product of the various individuals who are part of the organization? Can an organization that has its branches in different cities or countries have the same culture across the board? It indeed can and Mc. Donald’s is a very good example. But have we ever heard of any organization which has managed to replicate the culture of another successful organization? I haven’t come across any such organization.

Whenever someone joins an organization or an institute, one is usually expected to undergo some kind of an Orientation program. It is said that such orientation programs introduce the individual to the culture of the organization or the institute and help him adapt quickly to the existing culture. In the case of an institute of higher learning, it might be aimed at sensitizing the student to all the rigour that would be expected of him over the next few years while in an organization it might be aimed at helping the employee settle down quickly in the new alien environment.

But if we were to go back to our childhood days, we would realize that no one really forced our culture on us. We grew up and in the process imbibed our culture, shaping ourselves in a way so as to conform to what was expected of us. So why do the organizations and the institutes need to conduct such orientation programs which are in some way an effort to force their culture on the individual? An organization or an institute does it so that all the individuals who are part of the system are on a common plane and conform to the boundaries of the system. This conformance is gained by imposing control. And this control is required so that everyone works towards achieving the common goals of an institute or organization. The vision and mission of the organization or institute could be construed as those common goals towards which each individual who is part of that system is required to work. An organization derives success in large part from its work culture and value systems. A successful organization has a very strong value system in place with strict conformance of the individuals to that value system. This is why we often see that even though a competitor may be partly successful in replicating the business model of a successful organization but it is never able to replicate the culture of that successful organization.

I will leave you with some food for thought – So is it not the unique culture and strong value systems of certain organizations and institutes which renders all competition irrelevant to them?

Abhijit Tibrewal
PGP11

Racing Towards the End

2011-08-25T00:31:00.002+05:30

We are indeed blessed to be born in a generation where there is no dearth of natural resources. God has showered us with all the resources we need to lead a satisfying life. Nevertheless, we have realized the fact that, consuming resources at the pace at which we are doing now, our future generations will be left wanting. As concerned citizens of a responsible society, we have now decided to embrace alternate methods which minimize the utilization of these natural resources. No doubt, this is the right way forward, but the real question that still bothers me is, are we doing enough? Is this approach being practiced in all sectors?

One such case in point is the oil industry. With oil reserves estimated to go dry by 2050, we are left with only two options. The first is to gradually shift to alternate sources of energy like solar energy, electric energy and wind energy to substitute the need for oil. The other option is to ensure that we reduce our present day consumption of oil, to stretch its life span further, which will give scientists that extra bit of time to come up with viable alternate solutions.

Demand for commercial energy has increased progressively, from 55 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 1960 to 227 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2008. By 2030, world oil demand will be 40% higher than it is today. Again, the same question comes back to haunt me, are we doing enough?

Take for example, the Formula One industry. A sport followed by millions of people worldwide, heavily reliant on fast cars, excellent roads and an enormous supply of oil. For every 100 kilometers, a 900 bhp F1 car uses 70 liters of petrol. A team uses about 1,200 liters of petrol during a Grand Prix weekend. Given the number of teams and the large crew associated with every team, the shipping costs involved in transporting cars across the world, the fuel consumption is pretty huge. Agreed that the revenue generated is huge (1,587 million dollars in 2010, and this is expected to double in 2016) and that the organizers are trying to build engines that run on alternate energy sources, but is such an event required in the first place?

The fuel spent may not be very high on a macroeconomic level but when we consider the number of races that have taken place, we feel the pinch. The profits made by Formula One are not reaching common men like us, but the consequence of the business they are doing is being paid by us in the form of rising fuel prices. Do we really deserve this? Is two hours of entertainment really worth so much? The facts and figures are out in the open. It’s high time we started doing our bit to reduce the consumption of fuel.

Kailash V Madan
PGP11

The Voice of India

2011-08-17T18:07:00.003+05:30

India has traditionally been a country blessed with resources and effective human capital. Still, we have never managed to figure in the list of developed countries owing to several reasons. First, it was the British, who robbed us of enormous wealth, which forced us on to the path of rebuilding rather than development. Now, while the rest of the world is struggling to cope with sovereign debts and credit defaults, the time is ripe for us to make that final move. But this time we are faced with another problem; the problem of corruption. India has a score of 3.3 on a scale of 10 on the World Corruption Perception Index, which is dismally low compared to other major economies like the US (7.1) and Japan (7.8).

With lakhs of crores of rupees stashed away in foreign banks, India is losing out on huge resources, which could enable it to make further progress. It is estimated that the value of black money stashed abroad accounts for about 40% of India’s GDP. India accounts for more black money than the rest of the world combined. A large chunk of these account holders are politicians and bureaucrats, who claim to work for the development of the economy.

India, being the world’s largest democracy, gives her citizens the right to express. Through the unrelenting efforts of Gandhian Anna Hazare, the nation has found a voice against this growing menace. Anna Hazare, along with his strong team of volunteers, drafted the Jan Lokpal Bill, which calls for greater transparency in all public sector undertakings. It also demanded greater accountability from the politicians and bureaucrats. Even though the Government has drafted its own version of the Lokpal bill, which excludes the Prime Minister from the purview of the ombudsman, it is a step in the right direction. The country is now taking steps to root out corruption from the society, albeit a long and slow process.

This movement has been a victory of democracy and will empower us further to raise our voice against injustice. There are thieves amongst us. They steal our hard earned money; they do not address our concerns, even though we pay them to do precisely that; they try hard to keep us divided on the basis of caste; they try to defame our dignity. But, unfortunately, there is no authority to prosecute these thieves for their crimes. It is we, the citizens of India, who need to step up and do it. We should exercise our rights effectively in order to root out this menace and help India reach the summit.

Kailash V Madan
PGP 2011

Musings @ 3 AM

2011-08-17T17:29:00.003+05:30

“The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.” These words by Henry Longfellow reverberate in my mind almost every night I’ve spent this past month at IIM-Shillong.

As a first year PGP student, I have seen more 3 AMs awake this one month than I have my entire life. During my engineering days, I have seen only a few 3 AMs and that was before my most difficult semester exams. However, now the 3 am culture has become a way of life. It’s not self-imposed though. It’s an integral part of what makes an IIM an ‘IIM’. We are supposed to be the crème-de-la-crème of India. This is part of our management ‘education’.

We adjust, adapt, acclimatize and do whatever is necessary and what is expected of us. Learning to balance life, fun, relationships, studies and sleep is a fine art. That’s what management is all about: making decisions and taking accountability for them. I think when most of us think of IIM, we think of the huge pay packages. We don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes and leads to the belief that IIM students are worth lakhs.

It’s not easy. Every day is a preparation for the next. We are expected to be prepared for every class. This would include around 20 pages pre-reading per subject and a few case studies thrown in. This preparation is judged by our class participation and surprise quizzes. Under preparation or no preparation usually results in the professors putting you through a guilt trip. Of course, we are also expected to be awake in class in spite of the 3 AM culture.

Having said all this, this past month has been the most exciting months of my entire life. I have met new people, seen new places and done things I never imagined myself doing. I have pushed myself to my limits, and then realized I could push myself even more. I have climbed mountains and explored hidden forests. I have made friends who are willing to accept you for who you are but at the same time, want you to change your old biases.

At IIM, my ‘companions’ are not asleep. We are awake at 3 AM. We are at IIM-Shillong.

Dhivya Ravikumar

PGP 2011

The Arch of Wisdom

2011-08-17T16:26:00.002+05:30

Chandran C. Devenesan- principal of MCC Tambaram was in 1974 appointed Vice- Chancellor of the newly established central university in Shillong. The first thing that he did as the VC was to pick Mr. Keshavan to be the chief of the library that was centrally established in a highly romantic palace once built by the maharaja of Mayurbhanj, and now leased over to NEH University. The library increased its stock on daily basis in every subject. But the most attractive part of the palace- turned- library was the room that was once the king’s yagyashaala . It now became the reference section with the yagya kund in its pristine totemic essence of evocation that stood by centuries of growth in

India

. And then there was a magnificent arch that only invited anyone who cared to enter. Prof Devenesan, in his entrée to the reference section made a small remark on the visitors’ book: Enter to Grow in Wisdom. Next day, Mr. Keshvan got the words painted on the arch and to the day I left the university in 1979, the beacon had remained intact.

Meaning of wisdom to the swarthy lad then was confined to knowing something new. The question remained, ‘what was wisdom all about?” Is it a competency to cope with the world or to run the world with deeper thoughts? Or is it to know how to give? But it was also the time when I had grown fairly wise to understand hatred, love and such abstractions that immediately follow the settlement of hard realities of food and clothes and shelter in one’s life. Fathers and uncles, whether literate or not, were all of the opinion that the ancestors were wise and that they set the conduct rules after they had tested them in the heat of their worldly experience. Wisdom, according to them was internalization and respecting those rules. What they also meant was that the particular examples could be generalized and applied under different circumstances. Such a residential application of primary socialization at home could be the basis of lasting wisdom, they prescribed.

“Man’s struggle with himself determines the quantum and nature of wisdom he acquires in his life” said the whispering sprite in a heuristic manner of its own origin and sustenance in my heart. It said so in a rather mean way; in condescension to the supposedly lofty questions that one asked even in a picayune of a life situation. Good enough. But the sprite said, no. It was precisely for this prosaic reason that I sometimes called it the inner voice. It wanted more.

Then, one day in history when I cleaned my almirah, a 2000 years old book tumbled out. I had earlier read this one sitting beside the yagya kunda when the clouds burst outside in full glory with Brihadaranayaka thunders. The all-wise chorus of Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex said in unison at the end of all the fights that men and women had with providence for writing their own scripts of life:-

Of happiness, the crown and chiefest part is wisdom

And to hold gods in awe.

This is the law.

Seeing the stricken heart of pride brought down

We learn when we are old.

And yet the sprite said, No. It took me again to another book wherein the yogi poet said about Savitri: No victory she admits of Death or Fate. That was too high against the fate I suppose. On the common man mode where we are connected with the mortals, arches of wisdom stand on the heads and shoulders of those who teach, experiment, enter like Savitri at times in our lives, and make us old.

The whispering sprite comes back and says: Biggest irony of life is that it is too short to make anyone old enough to attain wisdom. The dialectic of one’s destiny and his struggle with himself eludes wisdom.

But for sure, if you have earned happiness and have given that to others too in the process of this struggle- you are sure to catch a snatch of wisdom, for they both switch places as fast and sure as death and life. Enter the world of letters to grow in wisdom, and yet, wisdom celebrates with happiness for those who can write their own script with no apology to fate; and then we turn old to be called wise.

Mr. K.L.Khanna

Student of MA (English) in 1974-76 and MA (Sociology and Anthropology) in 1976-78 at NEHU

(Currently, IIM Shillong is run in Summer Palace of Mayurbhanj Kings, which was previously campus of NEHU (North-Eastern Hill University)

One Month Down the Memory Lane

2011-08-04T01:16:00.006+05:30

It’s been nearly a month in IIM Shillong and I am just in love with the green campus we have and the natural beauty of Meghalaya, especially that of Cherrapunji and the areas nearby. I visited Cherrapunji along with my batch mates on the very next day of jaunt to MawPhlang forest. Undoubtedly, Cherrapunji is among one of the best places I have been to. The highlands are as lush green as they can get and their power to transcend you to another level is truly exceptional. Then there are smoky clouds which seem to converge on you and make you feel majestic. The journey itself epitomizes a tourist destination. And the most amazing thing about the trip is that I can still see those exceptional views when I close my eyes. I can see the lush green hills, extremely deep valleys, a beautiful garden, several waterfalls, forests, beautiful wavy roads and those clouds. It is as if somebody has painted the canvas of life with different shades to bring out the best nature can offer. I can just visualise myself looking out of the window of our bus and the breeze rustling through and making me feel free. The very view of a clear sky, untainted by any amount of pollution can be liberating. Those were the emotions that I don’t have the words to describe. I can just feel them. And that was a high of its own kind not experienced by this writer before.

Anyways, I will come back to my campus and will shed some light on the special events of the last month. As expected, none of us missed an opportunity to have fun at any point of time. We had the birthdays of many of eminent personalities of our batch and we celebrated them like anything. But what transpired at Kush’s birthday cannot be discussed on this blog. Nevertheless, more than any single event, it is more of a combination of small-small moments that make life special here. It can be as simple as fighting to get hold of a badminton or table tennis racket or taking a walk in the campus when everyone has gone to sleep or the long discussions. The discussions tend to range from heavy to extremely stupid and silly things. But the essence is in the belongingness rather than the subject of discussion. It has a beauty of its own.

By now, the reader must be wondering that IIMS is all about fun and all is cool here. But let me just tell you that they make you feel rigour instead of just putting it in a brochure. We have days where sleeping looks like an activity of past. Even the shortest possible amount of sleep looks unachievable. You have got assignments, clubs and committees work and other commitments to honour. Loss of sleep and changes in behavioural patterns is directly proportional to the speed at which a course goes. And the expectations of the instructors should not be talked about. Amidst all this chaos, many of us did not even realize that at least one fifth of many course books have been covered and we are expected to know everything because a surprise quiz or random questions might be round the corner. And it does not end here. A lot many of us wait for the weekends to finish the backlog, only to find that it is already booked with corporate visits, guest lectures or knowledge sharing sessions. In a short span of time, we have had the honour of interacting with chairman of ISRO, Minister of DONER and Chairman NEC, President of HCL, CEO of Hammer communications, Chairman UPSC etc. to name a few. These interactions have a charm of their own. And being a part of an academic legacy, you would not want to miss out on those interactions. So the result is more sleepless nights.

In a nutshell, you need not go to an amusement park to find what a roller coaster means, come here to experience it first-hand. It will be exciting, humbling, encouraging, thought provoking and worth every bit of effort you put in. That is what life is made up of at my alma mater. This is life @ IIM Shillong.

Tarun Gupta

PGP11

International Conference on Sustainability - 'SUSCON': A Leap Ahead

2010-12-09T13:22:00.008+05:30

IIM Shillong inaugurated the first Annual International Conference on ‘Sustainability: 'Management & Beyond’ on 08 Dec 2010. The inauguration ceremony saw the participation of eminent personalities which included the Chief Guest Padma Vibhushan Shri. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a noted environmentalist and Chipko Movement leader, and Dr. Paul Srivastava, Director, David O' Brien Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, Concordia University. The conference is witnessing participation of intellectuals, social activists and thought leaders from various parts of the world.

In his welcome address, Prof. Ashoke K Dutta, Director IIM Shillong spoke about his vision with respect to this conference becoming an annual event. SusCon Chair, Prof. Majumdar took the vision a step further by wanting to mark the start of a movement in sustainability in India.

Shri Sunderlal Bahuguna in his inspiring address reminded the audience of the age old maxim: “Earth has enough to satisfy everyone’s need but not enough to satisfy everyone’s greed”. Disparity still exists among the rich and the poor and between those in power and the common man. According to him each human must strive to leave the world better than what had been inherited. He suggested simple solutions like afforestation, planting trees on social occasions and renewable energy. It is our prerogative to preserve resources like Iron - prevent their pollution and over consumption for sustainable growth. A simple formula for achieving this is following the channel of transmitting thoughts from “Head to heart to hands” thereby putting ones vision into practice.

Paul Srivastava, an IIM Calcutta alumnus, talked about the current environmental issues and how businesses can contribute to protect Mother Nature. He has been a follower of Sunderlal Bahuguna’s work since his college days and as founder of sustainability in IIM Shillong was happy that such an initiative has seen the light of the day.

A sincere effort towards the theme of sustainability was initiated by providing Jute bags to all the participants of the conference. Sus-Con in the coming two days will provide a multi-disciplinary platform for thinkers, academics, business leaders, government officials, civil society groups and grass root activists to initiate an on-going dialogue on sustainability. It marks the beginning of a revolutionary approach from IIM Shillong to create space for exploration of alternative sources of learning beyond structured curriculum. Leveraging the unique assets and expertise of IIM Shillong as a hub of sustainability in business, the Conference will ensure a balanced distribution of emphasis on global perspectives, national priorities and regional issues for harmonious development of the individual, the organization and the planet at large. In the idyllic setting of Shillong, the mood and spirit of this starting chapter of Sus-Con is that of a retreat for self-renewal and collective revitalization.

Winds of Change

2010-12-08T18:26:00.005+05:30

Often we hear people say, "We Want a Change!!!"

Now going strictly as per verbal interpretation of the word “Change”; it means to convert or to transform. But this rather seemingly simple word can be just a kneejerk reaction or a resolved decision leading to an action. We as mere mortals have a tendency to set up a so called comfort zone around us. Most of us like to stay in it all our lives; sadly some even don’t realize it till eternal peace beckons them. As a result we end up limiting our thoughts; consequently our actions which are governed by our inclinations, are chained within a self-created boundary. Human mind which is a boundless gift from the eternal superpower does not deserve this treatment!!!

The emotional response called change can arise in an individual because of the urge to break the shackles; some imposed by situations and the rest created by people themselves. In both cases we must trust the feeling to be good; believing that with our desire and passion we can actually make a lasting impression on us and the world around us. For thoughts to transcend into actions, we have to know that we decide the kind of lives we live and so the only way to change it is - make another “Decision” to undo the current one. The decision not to dwell inside a comfort zone can be an inflicted or self-imposed one but it comprises one of the most important ingredients of change.

Most of the civilized countries with which India is compared to, have governments which are run by the educated taxpayers. Whereas in our country it pinches to see that people who govern us sometimes lack the basic sense of humanity. The intention here is not to inspire people to jump into politics because there no point in doing something unless somebody strongly believes in doing it. We see so many things around us and yet turn a blind eye towards it. Our reluctance is just an lame excuse which is holding us back. Let’s first accept the things around us and then accepting change will turn out to be an involuntary action.

There are 100 reasons we can find to make our lives disgusting if we think so; similarly there are 100 reasons to make our lives happy if we try just to open our arms and welcome happiness. So what matters most is the human will and the decision to make life better... after all it is just a matter of choice.

Speak of human will; believe me it is illimitable. Never a power to reckon with at any relevant singles championship in world tennis Leander Paes, fought his way to a bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He played with his heart, fearless in his mind and focussed towards his ultimate goal. He played above himself because he wanted the metal piece, stand on the winner podium and have Jana Gana Mana played before millions of spectators. So go ahead strive for a change towards betterment. Who knows the next Paes might be one among you.

Partha Mitra

Emerging Markets and Emerging Opportunities

2010-08-19T20:40:00.003+05:30

There are numerous Indians who went abroad and have earned great success as well as built a reputation for themselves and for India as a nation of entrepreneurial and committed individuals. Sanjeev Gupta, CEO Sanlam Investments emerging markets-South Africa’s leading financial services group, is one such individual. He visited the IIM Shillong campus and interacted with the students on a wide range of issues ranging from financial inclusion in developing world to the changing economic global scenario and also discussed with the students about their interests and opinions on various subjects.

He made a presentation on the topic “ Emerging Markets and Emerging Opportunities” before a mixed group of students from junior and senior batch. The lecture was just as interesting and thought provoking as the topic. He took the students through a journey of how the world has shaped from having high erected walls some fifty years ago where opportunities were a luxury of only a few nations; to the present day , where the world is flat and opportunities can emerge everywhere, for everyone. At the same time he reminded us of the challenges that emerging nations like India face and must overcome to attain the target of inclusive development.

He talked about the world scenario in the mid 20th century when after the second world war the United States and Western European countries became the dominant forces in the world. This was reflected in the World bank and the IMF where voting shares remained primarily concentrated in the hands of a handful of nations. The period was marked by growth in the western world while an utter lack of development momentum in the poor world comprising Africa and large parts of Asia. However, gradually post the 80’s things began to change. First China began opening its economy and then in 1991 India adopted a policy of liberalization. In the past decades these two most populous nations have grown at fastest global rates; today they have a strong position both economically as well as politically.

Talking about Africa he said that the continent is thought to be associated with high political risk, currency risk, skills shortage and poor governance. The reality however is changing as he suggested by presenting data on the number of countries which now are democracies, the increasing infrastructural development and relative stability in large parts of Africa barring a few nations. He said that Africa is moving towards becoming a safe as well as lucrative investment destination and businesses across the globe should show faith in Africa’s potential.

Having his origins in India, he expressed his special attachment with the country. He praised Indian democracy and said that though it sometimes delays processes in the long term democracy is the key to stability. He also cautioned about the balancing act which needs to be done to target development and simultaneously support a billion strong population.

Finally, he mentioned about a region which is usually not given much attention when discussing emerging economies but is nevertheless important- the middle east. This part of the world has highly developed infrastructure and capital availability. Given its good business potential, the middle east is of great relevance for emerging economies which are looking for business opportunities globally.

The presentation gave a deep insight into how things have changed in the past decades and how things stand now. “Emerging Markets is all about dreams” – Mr. Gupta said thus expressing his faith that the determination of people in the emerging nations like India will be the driving force behind the success of these nations.

Sidharth

A Musical Odyssey

2010-07-25T18:06:00.001+05:30

‘The sound of music cannot be expressed in words; it soothes the mind and gives it rest; it is what feelings sound like’.

A hectic day full of classes, presentations and case studies is forgotten in the mesmerising musical evening lit up by maestros Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya and Pt. Subhankar Banerjee; rendering music that finds its way into the secret places of the soul.It was indeed a glorious evening of the santoor and tabla-Indian musical instruments. The glittering traditional dresses of the exponents added gaiety to the show. It was a discourse of music by the maestros for the students and faculty members of IIM Shillong. The event started with a welcome note followed by lighting of the ceremonial lamp. The Chief Guest for the event was Brigadier Puri who also was thoroughly enjoying the beautiful music.

Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya is one of the world’s preeminent virtuosos of Santoor and hails from a family of musicians. He has received training from Pt. Shivkumar Sharma and the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar. He differs from many other Santoor players in his varying tones and timbers. Hisalbum titled ‘Nomad Christmas’ was nominated for the Grammy.

Pt. Subhankar Banerjee was trained in tabla by Shri Swapan Shiva - a celebrated artist and teacher. He received many awards in his early age from celebrities like Satyajit Ray, Pt. Ravi Shankar and the President of India. He was invited by Prince Charles to perform in London along with John McCain and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.

The evening started with ‘Alap’ and was based on North Indian music. It started off with the Santoor; it immersed the audience in a stream of notes which would recede as another wave would come softly and land softly on our minds. The crowd kept on cheering the musical magicians with occasional hand claps, even through several false endings. The tabla started sounding soon afterwards and music filled the air. The crowd began to stir from its deep concentration. The maestros exchanged frequent glances between themselves, as if to show their mutual appreciation for the pure musical experience.

Thereafter the ‘Jugalbandi’ kicked off with the two maestros matching tune for tune. The entire audience watched with utmost concentration shifting heads from side to side to watch the tussle between the tabla and santoor, with music winning at the end. The crowd took also liked the ‘Happy Birthday’ tune which seemed very difficult to be played on the tabla. Finally, the performance was acknowledged with resounding hand claps; the maestros responded to it with humble folded hands.

It was indeed an enthralling experience for all of us as we sat there captivated by the harmonious tunes. The eminent artists were felicitated by our chief guest and his colleagues. The audiences left the auditorium having been transported into an alternate world where even silence is filled with music.

Partha Mitra

Unique Identity to Every Indian : A Mega Project

2010-05-08T17:41:00.005+05:30

In India, currently there is no unique identity authentication mechanism. Until now multiple IDs are common including ration card, driving license, passport, Pan card etc. When the ruling party came to power in 2008 it took up the ambitious project of providing every Indian with a Unique Identity similar to the Social Security Number (SSN) in USA. The Unique Identification Authority of India(UIDAI) with Nandan Nilekani as its Chairman was constituted to undertake this unprecedented project.

The project involves collecting, storing and disseminating the bare minimum but essential information regarding an individual to authenticate his or her identity. This includes the UID number (a unique number provided to every Indian), and the important demographic and biometric data.

A Project of such a wide implementation has never been undertaken in India and rarely in the world at large. This mega project will have an array of advantages for the common man as well as the Indian Corporate and Governance Initiatives.

Potential Benefits

Boon to the Poor : 70% of the Indian population living in the rural parts of our country as well as the urban poor shall benefit immensely from the UID. This section of the population is unable to avail financial and health services, public welfare schemes and many other benefits because of the lack of identity verification as they are unable to afford multiple identities required for different services. The UID being an all pervasive source of authentication can be of great help in such cases. It can “ authenticate that you are who you claim to be”, as Nandan Nileknai says. The poor can get the UID number very cheaply, which can help them get access to a range of services and welfare schemes which remain elusive to them now.

Aid to KYC : the UID project will open up its Application Programming Interface(API) allowing third parties to authenticate identity of citizens. This will be of great help to industries like banking, telecomm, insurance and health where it is mandated by law that companies know and verify the records of identity of their customers. This requirement of knowing the identity of the customer is called the Know Your Customer (KYC) initiative. Thus, the KYC initiative will get a huge boost by UID implementation which provides a reliable identity authentication source.

Enhancing Security : with terrorism becoming a major cause of concern, an all-inclusive database of citizens will be significant for security purposes. It has been a much needed step in this regard.

E-governance : a lot of official governance processes like issuing driving licenses, passports etc. as well as rendering aid to the poor as per schemes like the NREGA and PDS will become easier and corruption emerging from issue of fake identities can be better controlled.

Platform for innovation : many companies can use the online authentication infrastructure to create a platform for innovation using which they can improve their operations and services. Mobile banking, education, mobile commerce, a host of industries can leverage immense benefits.

My Idea

I along with a class mate, Prajna Dash recently participated in a competition called Stratstruck (Manfest 2010) organized by IIM Lucknow and judged by UIDAI chief architect Dr. Pramod K. Verma in which we won the first prize. The competition involved taking up an Industry and chalk out a strategy from a company’s perspective to integrate the UID platform to maximum benefit. The experience was of great help in better understanding this unique and large scale project which will be a great leap forward in taking India closer to the dream of being a developed nation.

“Fighting Poverty With Profitability”

2010-05-04T20:50:00.001+05:30

The famous quote above is from the book, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, by one of the most well known and revered business gurus of our times, C.K. Prahlad.

His theory about the fortune at the bottom of the pyramid has been a widely discussed topic across the corporate circles as well as the academia. He proposed that in developing countries like India there is a large population which belongs to the low income category. This section has been traditionally ignored by most businesses as a potential target market. Prahlad argued that contrary to this traditional approach, this segment of the population actually has a potent consumption need and can also be a substantial revenue source. If products appropriate to their needs and consumption patterns are developed, the bottom of the (financial) pyramid given its large population base will become a profitable target segment. The margins can be small but since the size of the market is large, large volume sales will eventually yield profits. FMCG companies like Hindustan Unilever, ITC and also Godrej have come up with ultra small sachets of everything ranging from shampoos to gutka, sparking off a retail revolution. Essentially, his contention was that businesses should stop thinking of the poor as victims and instead start seeing them as value-demanding consumers.

Prof. Prahlad believed that mobilizing of investment capacity of large corporations towards the poor could improve their living standards and help in alleviating poverty. He passionately proposed that the poor must become active, informed and involved consumers. This would enable them to channelize the fruits of development more towards themselves as companies would want to better satisfy their needs and demands seeing them as a desirable customer base. “ Prahlad's ideas offer an intriguing blueprint for how to fight poverty with profitability", was what Bill Gates had to say about it.

The theory though widely celebrated, was also challenged by some. His colleague, Aneel Karnani at the Ross School of Business, argued that the way of alleviating poverty is not by taking the poor as a market of consumers but by focusing on poor as producers. Karnani suggested that the market at the bottom of the pyramid is actually very small.

Whether the model of poverty reduction via profit generation is actually viable can only be known once corporate start to experiment with this unprecedented idea. If the success of companies like Godrej shows the right trend, the future is very likely to see a really unique thought change the socioeconomic and business environment of India and the world in a very unique way.

Contributed by

Sidharth

The Power of Communication

2010-04-25T19:12:00.002+05:30

When the American Defense agencies developed the internet with the purpose of safeguarding critical information if they faced a nuclear attack, they had probably not realized that what had been created was more than just a network- it was a source of power which could propel the human life into an entirely new realm.

Today the internet has become a cloud which connects 1.8 billion internet users across the globe. The internet essentially is a Grand Platform for communication- of information, opinions, statistics, data and what not , from everyone to everyone. Besides the internet, advancements in telecommunications in the last two decades has provided people with another mega tool for communication. Now we see a convergence of these two platforms with technologies like wi-fi, devices like internet enabled cell phones and the like. This revolution has enabled communication of the kind that a few decades ago would have seemed only mythical.

So what is next?

Until now what we have been referring to as communication has essentially been “Communication between People”. The internet connects People via their computers & cell phones, the telecommunication network helps People communicate. So, the transfer of information has essentially been from People to People (of course enabled by the interfacing devices).

Imagine that you step into your car but you don’t have to drive it because your car has the ability to communicate wirelessly with all other cars in the vicinity via a network similar to the internet or very possibly the internet itself. Imagine a Smart Energy meter which monitors the energy consumption of all electronic appliances at home and communicates the data to the individual appliances which then switch on and off as required to consume minimum energy. What we are talking about here is the “Communication between Things”. This can very possibly be the next revolution in Communication where in virtually all devices with a processor will be able to communicate with other devices. Though it has not been fully realized yet, but research work has been underway. In California, the utility firm PG&E has launched a program to install Smart Energy Meters similar to the example mentioned though not as advanced. To quote Ching-Yao Chan, program leader of transportation safety research at University of California, “ it is possible for cars to talk to each other even without full automation (of roads and vehicles)”. So Communication between cars can also be a reality soon.

At IIM Shillong though we have a highly technology enabled campus, with wireless net connectivity, ERP and a smart IT enabled library management system, I wish technology to be exalted to the next level. Imagine : You don’t have to go to the class to attend lectures, you can attend them from wherever you are via sensor and microprocessor based vision and hearing devices which will be connected to each other by a wireless network. Not a reality now, hope it becomes so in the future.

Time Moves On But Memories Remain

2010-03-22T11:50:00.002+05:30

IIM Shillong witnessed an overwhelming month of March- overwhelming emotions, overwhelming joy, the overwhelming pain of bidding adieu and an overwhelming desire to march ahead into the future. The first batch completed its two year course, rather a two year journey of dreaming and achieving in February this year and the fateful month of March saw most of the students of the first batch of IIM S, the first flag bearers of this proud institute leave the campus.

It was a month of touching emotions. The class of 2010 was overjoyed to have completed the rigorous course with flying colors and glad that they managed to lay a strong foundation on which the future of the institute can be based. Their excellent academic performance as well as the accolades they won outside the institute in major B-School Competitions like Ashwamedha ‘09 of IIM Indore won by Ashutosh Dixit, the Master Plan ‘09 of IIM Ahmedabad won by Neeraj Sharma and Hari Krishnan as well as recognition and awards from the Corporate world like “the Wagon R Think Big Challenge” won by Neeraj Sharma, not only brought laurels for the students but also made the institute proud of its first batch. Within a short span of two years they also started the monthly magazines- Markathon which covers the latest marketing trends and Niveshak which brings out the latest in the Financial Markets, both of which have attained tremendous popularity and repute among readers in all major B-Schools and Corporate. The end of this successful journey brought tears filled with a myriad of emotions in the eyes of the ones who had lived that successful journey and made it possible.

It was a month of joy and a month of sorrow. The happiness and the pain both emanated from the same source- IIM Shillong. The students were happy to have attained excellent job offers for themselves which would propel their careers forward. They owe this first step of theirs into the corporate world to their alma mater and hence their happiness also emanates from their institute. But the joy was accompanied with the bitter pain of bidding adieu to the beautiful place where they spent two of the most eventful and productive years of their lives.

Amidst the sea of tears and smiles, was an all pervasive passion for the future, an immutable spirit to step out in the world and make a mark, do something that helps the society and make a contribution which does their nation proud.

The first batch shall return back to the campus for the convocation on the 3^rd of April, the official end of their two year PGP course. Then they shall begin yet another journey of their career with the knowledge and wisdom they gained in the institute and the vivid memories of the place indelibly imprinted in their hearts.

contributed by

Sidharth

Where are the women?

2010-03-13T11:11:00.006+05:30

The IIM Shillong batch of 2009-11 is very different from any other class that I have been a part of so far in my life. Besides the diversity of talent and immense skill there is one unique factor which distinguishes it from most other universities in this country and the world over. 44% of the class of 66 students comprises of female participants. Though this is rare at an Indian University, the situation has become just the contrary in many countries as I learned from a recent Bain and Company Survey on gender parity titled “The great disappearing act : gender parity up the corporate ladder”.

Being interesting as well as thought provoking, the report pointed out that though women have managed to step out into the work place and join the workforce in large numbers, constituting nearly 50% of the work force in USA and in the EU, women filled 75 percent of the 8 million new jobs created since 2000, they are unable to climb the peak of the corporate ladder. In Europe, women constitute just 12 percent of the boards of directors and in USA only 5% of the CEO’s are women. Does that mean that women are not capable enough? Obviously not! They have proved their mettle by performing just as good as their men counterparts and even better in all fields and so in business. To quote an example, the report pointed out that every day in the US, 1,600 new businesses are started by women entrepreneurs.

So what is it that keeps women from becoming the top brass of Organizations. This mainly because of lack of management focus and commitment. (quoting the Bain Survey)”Senior management in 75% of companies has not made gender parity a stated and visible priority, while 80% of firms have not committed adequate funding or resources to the initiatives.” There is also the pressure of being the care giver of the family and making career sacrifices for their spouses.

This is a sorry state of affairs. Firstly, because women are denied responsibilities which they can shoulder well- both by societal pressure and lack of initiative on part of companies. Secondly and more importantly, because by not utilizing a major portion of their work force’s true capability and letting them stay at the lower levels of organizations’ hierarchy, the companies are doing harm to themselves. There is a large talent pool which is being wasted. If women are used better as human resource assets and encouraged to be top level executives in companies they can add great value to the company. So, it is high time that we as a society wake up and make sure that women do not have to face the glass ceiling and do not have to make compromises with their careers because of family pressures. Also, the companies must realize the true potential of women employees and give them equal opportunity to rise up the corporate ladder.

The 29 women of my batch are so talented and hardworking that it has been a great learning experience to interact with them and gaining inspiration from them. In fact on many occasions they have made me realize that in handling many critical situations, women fare better than men. I am sure that all these women of my class are capable enough to reach the top executive level in companies across the globe. I just hope that companies and society pays heed to the findings of the Bain Survey and creates a more conducive workplace for women to develop their careers. Then, we shall see the Boards of many companies having equal proportion of women as men and we shall also see companies perform much better than what they do now.

Sidharth Shankar Prasad

End of an era...Beginning of another!

2010-03-12T23:50:00.002+05:30

How often does it happen to someone that one feels motley of emotions all at the same time? It’s often said that happiness and sadness are the two sides of the same coin; one cannot exist without the other. But these days, as our seniors pass out, I believe these two sides have merged. Amidst the parties and the music, the emotional goodbyes and scrapbook entries, there is subtle sadness which hides behind the euphoria.

The pioneer batch of IIM Shillong has laid down a solid foundation for the later batches to work upon. As the seniors prepare to leave, the mentorship program is launched to help aspirants make their way into the hallowed portals of IIM Shillong. The first batch of students ran a highly successful mentorship program last year, which helped aspirants throughout the admission process. This year too, during the mentorship program - Synapse, the queries of aspirants related to GD-PI preparation would be addressed by the students of the institute. This would help the aspirants give their best shot to convert the coveted call.

After having such wonderful seniors, who’ve helped us all through the GD-PI preparation to the first year at IIM S, we are looking forward to welcoming our juniors. One of the biggest take-away for all of us here is the bonds which we have formed. The connection which the juniors and seniors share at the institute cannot be described in words. As we kick start Synapse and await our juniors, we hope to share a similar relationship with them as we share with our seniors.

Hall Of Fame : 2009-2010

2010-03-09T20:18:00.004+05:30

As we come to close of the academic year, we look back at our achievements and congratulate all those who brought laurels to the Institute:

- Public Relations Cell

Hari and Neeraj
Winners - MasterPlan’09: The Flagship Business plan competition of Confluence at IIM Ahmedabad
Winners - Kalpavriksha’09: The Flagship Business plan competition of āhvān at IIM Indore

Ashutosh Dikshit
Winner - Ashwamedha : A Flagship Event of āhvān with 14 rounds to identify the best Future Leader; at IIM Indore

Team Creaons
(Sarvesh Chowdhury, Sujal Kumar, Tripurari Prasad and Upasna Agarwal)
Quarterfinalist - Cerebration 2010: World’s largest business plan competition organized by National University Singapore (NUS) Business School

Team Verve
(Abra Mahender Reddy, Debanjana Sinha, Gaurav Arora, Nitin Saxena and Sai Kameswara Rao V)
First Runner-up - Prana, CEPT: B-plan Competition conducted in collaboration with IIM A E-Cell - CIIE

Dr. Naliniprava Tripathy, Aditya Prakash Gore and Mayank Arora
Paper presented: The Annual American Business Research Conference, New York, USA
Paper presented: The 11th International Business Research Conference, Sydney, Australia

Team GreenGenes
(Saurabh Kumar Sinha, Sidharth Shankar Prasad and Sumit Kumar Rana)
Best B-Plan - Namovesh: For startup Grassroots at Navonmesh Entrepreneurship Challenge SJMSOM, IIT Bombay

M Wenkatesh Sawanth Patri
Second runner-up - Creativity Challenge '09: Brightest Young Climate Leader (BYCL)

Team Creaons
(Sarvesh Chowdhury and Tripurari Prasad)
Finalists - Adapt: The Advertising challenge organized under āhvān 2009 by IIM Indore

Mohit Khemka and Tanmay Chaturvedi
Finalists - Cerebrate: The Operations case study event organized under āhvān 2009 by IIM Indore

Dr. S. Shahjahan and Kantha Bhushan Das
Paper selected: The International Conference of Management on Petroleum Sector, ICOMPS 2010

Shyam Krishna R
Hall of fame - Klueless 5: The online series of puzzles organized by IIM Indore

Team Opsession
(Swati Goel and Rashi Agarwala)
Winner - Ozone: The Operations Arena at Manfest 2010 organised by IIM Lucknow

My IIM ONE Experience

2010-03-02T13:04:00.004+05:30

(On behalf of Ashutosh Dikshit)

The journey to and through IIM Shillong has been one hell of a roller coaster for me. Having attempted the CAT five times with the hope of getting into an IIM, Shillong was truly the place that I was destined to be in.

Well, I knew that the going would be tough mainly because we were academic orphans and had no senior batch to guide us. The infrastructure, the location, and having no precedence would have been possibly great turn offs for anyone selecting an institute. But I was looking at 2 years at IIM S more as an investment from a point of view of leveraging the brand name, which I was sure, would gain its equity 10 years thence. We all know that in the world of business, you are either from an IIM or from a non-IIM.. period

What’s in a name said Shakespeare (especially when you have additional letters as prefix) -The catch however was that all we had was a name. We were the assets who had to garner value over our time of stay. I still remember the discussions on pagalguy meant users like acdindian(myself), diablorulz(trips), sarvshwet(sarvesh) and mirchikris(cannon) trying to make sure brand IIM S got maximum publicity in the online space. The google docs had inputs pouring in – what we wanted to have @ IIM S, how should we differentiate ourselves and more.

Some of those who had confirmed admits did choose other B schools over IIM S, and I would not be judgmental here – what we’ve achieved is there for everyone to see.

According to me, IIM S has made a solid start as far its reputation goes, over the two years, and the highlight has to be Hari and Neeraj winning at Confluence, IIM Ahmedabad. Nothing gets bigger than beating the mother of all B schools at their own home turf!

From a personal standpoint, Cult Icon at IIM Indore was a nice “boni” to the winning ways of IIM S but more than that I am glad I could contribute by winning Ashwamedha – the best leader among the top 30 B schools of India at IIM Indore, and I look at it more as proving a point to the entire IIM system that kept me waiting at the gates for 5 long years. I never felt this close ever before, in taking pride of being part of the “top brand” – Brand IIM Shillong. Looking at the larger picture, it was more a fitting reply to the critics who were trying to label us as a mockery in the name of an IIM!

Quite ironical, that the “supposed to be mocked at IIM” produced the likes of Gore and Mayank who went to Sydney and New York for presenting papers in conferences of international repute; and in parallel the rest of the institute created differentiators by organizing the country’s first ever inter B-school and corporate golf tournament under the aegis of Ram and team, not to forget the PINE initiative by Ankit and team too.

Even as Niveshak and Markathon (I just loved the healthy competition between Parida and Asit as to whose magazine would come up with a better edition the subsequent month) made it to the list of the most talked about B school magazines, IIM Shillong made its presence felt at various summits (NASSCOM, AIMA and more) and got talked about for its unique attributes, from Kiran Karnik to Salman Khursheed and from Rahul Bajaj to Manishankar Aiyar.

One thing that I would mention is that, the wins and collective efforts of the batch of 2010 (and 11) have made it loud and clear to the rest of the fraternity – “We have arrived!, and so, in style”

I would be lying if I were to say that there were no lows in the journey over the two years. We followed all the stages of group dynamics as perfectly as the OB text would have it – form, storm, norm and perform.

Right from the time of the IIM B alum giving us gyan on the IIM way of life to the first difference of opinion we had in week#2 – bitter memories I agree, but we’ve come a long way since then and looking back, I’ve always believed that small skirmishes are essential in reinforcing the bonds of friendship.

Also, realizing that we were not being supported by administration in many initiatives is something that could have been worked upon.

However, there will always be projects that could have been done better and decisions that could have been better made – the point is that, given the constraints, I think we have pulled off nothing less than a miracle – none of the other IIMs had probably achieved as much in their first 2 years of existence.

My takeaway from IIM Shillong has been in terms of some of the most wonderful people with whom I’ve forged bonds for life. The 3 a.m. case studies, the chronicles of “gurubhai and guddu”, the adrenalin rush during the Kopda Cup, the sustainability trek, the idyllic campus, the snow white night, , dedicating my victory to both batches of IIM S on the podium of IIM I, the earthquake escapades, the celebration with beer in the Ashwamedha crystal trophy, the diwali nights, the GPL ceremonies, the Death by PPTs, the Agnimedha experience (trial by fire J), the beautiful nights and the starry skies in whose company I dreamt on till dawn broke, the wonderful people of Meghalaya and their love for life and music… the memories are endless…and the biggest takeaway is that “these have undoubtedly been the best days of my life”; I may or may not have become a better manager, but I’ve definitely become a better “myself” @ IIM Shillong

A famous quote reads thus: “History is always and only written by the winners!”

We have created history in our existence as the Pioneer batch of 2010 that “built” IIM S and build we did in the truest sense of the word. We prayed, we fought, we cried together, but never let the world get the better of us. We have won many a battle, silenced many a critic, showed to the world that we cannot just match, but go on and better the standards of brand IIM – and all this was possible because adversity got us together and we were destiny’s children, today as we pass on the legacy to our future generations there’s just one line I’d like to say to them... “Whenever someone undermines your ability, it’s time to show them what you’ve got without stooping to the level of your opponent”. It is then that success will truly be the sweetest of tastes you’d have ever experienced…

“Go kiss the world”… The Batch of 2010 shall always be there for you…It’s been great to have lived the IIM ONE (IIM Of North East) experience and we shall soon be IIM ONE in every way that it is meant to be!

Jai Mata Di.

Khublei!

-Asmyaham : Ashutosh Dikshit (PGP2008010)

- IIM Shillong, Class of 2010

Stochastic Ruminations

2010-02-28T14:21:00.006+05:30

My Life (or of anyone I guess) and this journey, I believe, could be well summarized in these three words “Pursuit of happiness”. This 2 years journey here in IIM Shillong has been the same .. A pursuit, a constant endeavour of finding happiness...

This part of my life is called “ Delicious ambiguity”

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next...Delicious ambiguity ...”

Two attempts at CAT... finally a call... IIM Shillong. Apart from various other B-school calls this one was more special. It was the result of more than 10 years of dreaming to get into an institute that starts with “Indian Institute”. Yes, not getting into IIT because of sheer luck or destiny has always been a sore side of this engineer’s life. It took a lot of courage while working and at the same time preparing for CAT. Finally getting a bucket full of calls and converting them was defining moment.

On converting of IIM Shillong, all the joiners were apprehensive of this place. There were three main figures in this part who helped me to make my decision “ Sarvesh Chowdhury” (whom I knew through pagalguy), Sujal Kumar( My engineering days batchmate) and Amit Aggarwal ( IIM Calcutta PGP class of 2010). I decided to take lead and infact went to visit IIM Shillong. One of the first persons to enter campus and had interaction with director and other faculties who all were pretty busy with institute’s infrastructure work.

Though I thought IIM S was at disadvantage with no proper infrastructure in place, no surety of faculty and no alumni, this seemed to be a logical decision at that time. To put in Brand management terms -“future generator of cash flows”. So based on this, I finally decided to join IIM Shillong. I also conveyed all the information to rest of the batch and many decided to come by.

This part of my life is called “Alice in wonderland”

MANAC, QT, BS et. -so many of them. Subjects I never had a hint about started coming to my life. The ghosts of finance did trouble me a lot. Anyways, apart from that we were also growing as a group. With first time getting to know about the concept of study groups. Also formation of clubs and committees being pioneer batch was something of an eye opener. It was not easy, every decision we made.. Every point we debated.. overall it was a learning experience. I often wondered whether I belong to MBA or not.

This part of my life is called “Vortex”

Things moved on with next term, we made friends and started partying like anything... Stress was so high that on weekends it was much needed relief. Results came and then we had a reality check. We came to know it is not so easy out here. We learned, we improved and that’s how we moved on. Also this term was involved with internship placements. We learnt to how to stand up on our own feet. There was no one to tell us that we have to do it this way.

“It's not about how hard we get hit .It is about How much we can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!

Niveshak and Markathon, which would become iconic magazines, came into force. We started experimenting with different avenues. We started showing world, Yes ,We can! And We will make a difference. Ashutosh’s victory in Cult icon and his homecoming ceremony was something unforgettable. Every IIM S grad held his head high with pride.

This part of my life is called “Flux”

January is the time when all IIMs give calls and new admission process starts. This is the warming up stage for all our future juniors. IIM Shillong was a newbie and there was a gap in what students know about us and what all we have achieved. This was time I felt we need to reach out as we are a young institute, hence fostered the idea of a unique “Mentorship program”. I still remember the day when we floated this idea and Sarvesh shot an email to Prof. Dwivedi about it. And the reply from Sir “Yes! go ahead!”.

This was going to be difficult I knew however as they say “passion runs high, when you have dreams in your eyes”. Every participant of IIM Shillong was away in different city. That time my partner in crime Sarvesh was also interning in Nigeria and it was difficult to execute it. Those were the two months I never got to sleep more than 3-4 hours. It was very much required that with every call getter we do full justice and we strategically used our disadvantage to advantage that is our location. Instead of mentoring students through emails we thought of meeting them. Every IIM Shillong participant was located in different city, hence our reach was wide. We met them in person, guided them and in the process made lifetime friends too.

It was an experience to reckon with when we got emails from various students stating “ IIM Shillong mentorship program was one of the best among all IIMs”. This was only possible as whole batch came by and support this. We learned “United we stand”.

This part of my life is called “Creative destruction”

Student orientation program “Footsteps”, the brain child of Sarvesh and mine. We have grown as seniors now and our juniors were going to be part of IIM S family. We wanted to give them a different experience- an experience we missed. Besides it was important that this experience be nothing short of any other IIM. IIMs fraternity is very closely guarded. It’s very hard to get any information from any other IIM about their culture and how they function generally. This being one of them. We spent sleepless nights finding out what is there that happens and what’s the scene behind the veil. Somehow with our persistent effort , we found out everything and then we devised our structure. The whole idea of this was to bring a cohesive group. What all difficulties we faced initially should not be passed on to our juniors. It was a very tough path. We did decide to take up certain activities, which I am sure would have made some of our juniors hate us. But we thought about larger picture and two years life hence of our juniors. We decided to do it, we knew we can’t explain them everything why we did. But every moment was defined with days of brain storming and outcome. Every reaction was mapped which would make us appear as Hitlers but overall for them as batch it would help develop a stronger bond and friendship.

The day this orientation was over, whole of our junior batch applauded the effort. Though it was difficult, I had tears in my eyes seeing the standing ovation. For me as a senior it was an experience of life time. For me as an IIM S stakeholder, this was transformation of passion into reality.

This part of my life is called “Ripples”

This phase was full of news and daily announcements. This was a period when juniors and seniors made a mark on every other B-school. This was the time IIM Shillong students participated with full heart. Every day we were getting news of our friends getting selected. And then started shower of prizes. “Ashwamedha”, “Masterplan” ,”Kalpavriksha” and others. Aditya and Mayank paper got published abroad and Kantha’s paper won international award. We also pulled of one of the most talked about event “IIM Shillong Golf cup successfully!”. It was the time also when we got criticized. To sum up, A quote from movie 300

“Ours arrows will block the sun”

“Then...then we will fight in shade” and yes we did that!

We also wanted to have something of our own. A whole gang of us thought about it and tried, though it didn’t happen. “Lattice 2009” our management fest. Some decisions do not come easy and I wish Lattice could happen sometime in future for sure.

This part of my life is called “A late goodbye”

Now it’s time for us to leave. An eventful journey it has been. Morning hours rush, pink flowers , amazing clouds, starry night, earthquakes, Borne fire nights, Diwali, Colorful Holi,GPL!!, Late night submissions, Nocturnal nights, walks to remember, rock performances, Our dance preparation, PDP, autumn fest, Kopda cup ..and on and on..and on. There is not just a single memory its whole world of it which I would be taking with me. As a person, I believe I got the most to take away from here.

I learned a different meaning of courage here as put by Mary Anne Radmacher,

“Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.”

I learned it’s like “Tour de france”. You may not win every stage, you may not always wear the yellow jersey, but in the end the one who endures and comes out on top collectively is the Winner. It’s all about FAITH. It’s good to say we were the foundation stone of IIM Shillong. And I wish all the best for our future juniors to keep the torch burning. What we have achieved in these two years is phenomenal, and this was all possible because we had the faith and “Never say die” attitude.

Never ever stop dreaming! Class of 2010 will always be with this institute, our alma mater!

~ Ciao

-Tripurari Prasad aka ”Saahil”

IIM Shillong Class of 2010

Financial Services In India : an Expert’s Opinion

2010-02-27T22:12:00.001+05:30

Mr. Kailash Kulkarni ,the Senior VP,Sales and marketing, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management, visited IIM Shillong Campus on 26th February, 2010 for a guest lecture. The lecture was based on the financial services industry and its opportunities in India.

“It is extremely difficult to predict what will happen next. That is what makes this field so exciting.”, he said expressing his interest in the financial services market. He explained vividly about the major domains of the industry including Investment banking, Private equity, Commercial banking and Actuarial services. Sharing his ideas about the key to success in this market he said that it is of paramount importance that one is update with the most recent occurrences and have accurate market and product knowledge. Innovation, building relationships, Speed to market and respecting regulations are also aspects he emphasized upon. A query was raised by a student on the presence and viability of Financial services in Rural India. Mr. Kulkarni agreed that the current penetration in India is low and there is opportunity if the products are framed as per the needs of rural market. Answering another question on the complexity of products, he said that the best way of serving customers is to keep the provisions simple and easy to gauge, and that “wrong selling” using complex financial products can only lead to weaning away of market share.

Talking about the Indian market he said that Rising Domestic consumption, Infrastructure requirements, Outsourcing and a need for social security would be the drivers of Financial services market. He said there is a lot of opportunity in many segments including mutual funds, insurance, Consumer funds, equity broking and Retail Loan.

He also stressed upon the Human aspect of Business as the any organizations’ success is dependent on its employees. “Love your Job. Work with people.” is the mantra he advised the students to follow.

Sidharth

RANBHOOMI

2010-02-20T01:07:00.003+05:30

16th January 2010 was the day of ‘CLASH OF THE TITANS ‘ in IIM Shillong, perhaps more so in the real sense of the term. It was the day that marked the beginning of Ranbhoomi, an intra college Table Tennis Tournament, involving participation from both the PGP08 and PGP09 batches. The event was held over a span of 9 days which were filled with utter joy, excitement,and yes who can forget moments of intensive competition. Looking at the massive participation from both the batches, the love for the game was quite evident.

The events were held in the evening from 6pm to 10pm. The event was played under four different categories of men singles, women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Inspite of the hectic schedule and never ending assignments and lectures, there was large participation. There were 44 participants for men’s singles,6 for women’s singles,16 double teams and 12 mixed double teams.The entire table tennis room was abuzz with activity. Each person from the audience ardently supported their favourites.

Both the doubles semi final matches gathered a lot of interest. Out of the four teams, one team was from PGP08 batch and two from PGP09 batch. One team comprised of participants of both PGP08 and PGP09.The entire audience was polarised into two opposing groups. The spirits were high and so were the stakes. However disappointment stuck as both PGP09 participant teams were knocked out in the semis itself. One would have really wanted to see a clash between the PGP09 and PGP08 participants. The Final match was thus set between a team having both players from ’08 batch and the other team having a player from each of ’08 and ‘09 batch. Each team had ardent support. Almost everyone from PGP08 wanted the first team to win while PGP09 wanted the other team win. However perhaps the PGP08 batch was destined to enjoy - the first team won. Bhasmang Mankodi, Ankit Bhargava were the winners while Arnab Saha,Sashi Sekhar Behera were the runner-up. The winners were so perfect in their play that they lost not a single set in all the games that they played. Even the first runner-up were no less talented as they lost only 3 sets in all the games that they played.

The Men’s singles event was completely dominated by the PGP08 participants. All the four semi-finalist were from PGP08 batch. So PGP08 was a clear winner here. Saurav Bagchi was the winner and Bhasmang Mankodi was the runner-up. The women’s singles title was won by Geetha Madhuri while Esha Arora was the first runner-up.

Special mention should be given to Saurav Bagchi who was the winner of both Men’s singles and Mixed doubles. Among other good performers was Ankit Bhargava who was the winner of doubles and second runner-up of Men’s and Mixed doubles.

Gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded to winners, first runner-up and second runner-up. There were gifted table tennis bats by the organising hostel committee and given certificates of appreciation. Whoever might be the winner of the competition, the fact was that each and every participant enjoyed the event to the fullest and so did the audience who were thrilled by the entertainment they got. The spirit of healthy competition and IIM Shillong were the ultimate winners.

Kaustubh V. Rawool

An Insight Into One of India’s Most Well-Known Brands

2010-02-19T22:24:00.002+05:30

Mr. Sameep Barua, regional head east zone, of ITC visited the IIM Shillong campus on Wednesday,17th February. He was invited to deliver a guest lecture on the Marketing and Distribution Channels of ITC. His vivid explanation of various concepts related to marketing and distribution presented with a great sense of humor engrossed the students. Supply chain management was an important topic he took up. There was a lively discussion in class on the same. ITC’s unique and flexible supply chain has been a great asset to the company which plays a major role in the FMCG sector. “We have to make sure that our customers get what they want and when they want it. There should never be a stock out situation” said Mr. Barua.

The entire distribution network of ITC was taken up for discussion. ITC uses a unique combination of traditionally used distribution channels as well as the modern means to reach out to its vast customer base spread across the country right up to the far flung rural areas. It gave the students an insight into how to exploit the existing systems and improvise on them by adopting advanced techniques. The other aspects of FMCG sector like Marketing of products, advertising and intense competition in the sector were taken up.

A lot of interesting questions were raised and Mr. Barua addressed each one with great enthusiasm. “ Since 2001 ITC has been diversifying into product categories other than Cigarettes. Is it an attempt by the company to reduce its dependence on Cigarette Market?” asked Pranab Thakur, a final year student. Mr. Barua explained that ITC is trying to diversify its portfolio and also in the long term future intends to increase share of non-cigarette sales vis-à-vis cigarettes. Other interesting questions related to the Company’s product positioning and advertising were raised and were answered with equal interest.

The interaction gave the students a great opportunity to learn more about marketing in the FMCG sector and also about one of India’s most known brands. He was thanked by the students for taking time out and visiting the campus to hold the insightful lecture session with the students.

Sidharth

IIM Shillong – Golf Cup Season 2

2009-12-19T01:14:00.002+05:30

B-Schools & Corporate Houses test their mettle on the golf course

IIM Shillong Golf tournament, Season 2 started off today at the Shillong Golf Course. The game began with the first tee at 6 in the morning, the excitement among the participants and the organizers remaining undeterred by the cold.

The Golf Cup which was first organized in April, 2009 is the first such tournament to be organized by a B-School. This unparalleled concept aims at providing a meeting ground for the corporate and academia where they can share their ideas while playing this beautiful game. The tournament this year has drawn participation from students of 9 major B-schools including IIM A, IIM L, IIM C, ISB, FMS & XIMB and 50 corporate from leading business houses across the nation like ONGC, Goodricke Group Ltd, Apeejay Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers & Vodafone. Over 150 golfers will test their skills during the two day tournament on the 5th & 6th of December. Besides the golf tournament, IIM Shillong is organizing a golf workshop titled ‘Green Jacket’ for B-School Students where the participants will get comprehensive training from professional golf trainers. The entire event is being sponsored by Times of India who are the title sponsors & ONGC, Apeejay Group & Goodricke Tea who are the co-sponsors.

As the fourball began, the excitement built up. Players from the corporate, students from Various B-Schools & Officers from the army, all were completely focused on the game, vying for the coveted IIM Shillong Golf Cup. At 7.30 for the Ceremonial Tee –off , four distinguished guests graced the occasion. Major General A.T. Parnaik, VSM, GOC 101 Area, Mr. R.N. Dutta, Chairman Board of Governors, IIM Shillong, Sanjeev Rangross, member Board of Governors, IIM Shillong & Prof. A. K. Dutta, Director IIM Shillong teed off amidst eager spectators who wished to see the golfing skills of these dignitaries. They were not let down as all four proved that they can be as good in golf as in their respective fields by playing some excellent tee shots.

Tee shots were completed by 8 and then the game progressed. With the Sun coming out and the morning becoming bright and warm, the weather became perfect for the players to enjoy their golf. The game concluded by 12 noon. It was followed by the submission of scorecards by players, the final results were to be announced the next day.

The next day of the golf tournament too began with the rising Sun making the grass of the course shine bright as the golfers began play with an enthusiasm which glowed on their bright faces. Competition has always been an inherent part of Golf, but as the day progressed one could see the students and the industrialists talk, exchange their opinion on a wide variety of issues and thus as the day drew to an end, many friendships marked a beginning.

Finally, when the tournament ended it was time for the prize distribution ceremony. Colonel Ujwal Singh, an alumnus of IIM won the prestigious IIM Shillong Golf Cup. The Corporate trophy was bagged by AK Behra, general manager of the Containers Corporation of India Ltd. D Passah was awarded the Best Lady Golfer while Lt. Col D S Teotia, Col. UC Hazarika and Lt. Gen KS Yadava, director General of Assam Rifles, were awarded special prizes for the longest drive, closest to pin and Straightest Drive respectively.

About Golf it is said that it is a game which can help build business relationships. The IIM Shillong golf cup is one such platform where the budding managers and corporate can come together, share some good moments & their experiences and build long lasting relationships.

Sidharth

GOLFING AWAY TO GLORY: The 2009 Green Jacket

2009-12-10T18:00:00.003+05:30

Sports happens to be the greatest leveller known to mankind. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of a multi-national company or just a student, when you’re on the field, or at the stands, everyone is equal. It can turn friends into foes, but it also can unite our fractious world into a single spherical whole. Sports teach us to win, but they also make us aware of the fact that sportsmanship ranks higher than silverware. Really, if you see it my way, sports is one of the reasons World War III hasn’t yet begun.

IIM-Shillong might be one of the youngest among all IIM’s in the country, but it has managed to do something that is not just unique, but also audacious in its ideation and execution – starting and organising India’s first and only B-school corporate golf tournament. The event that acts as a prelude to the tournament has been christened as Green Jacket. It is a unique attempt to draw budding managers to golf.

Cynics call golf an expensive way of playing marbles, but sports enthusiasts would agree that it happens to be one of the toughest sports to master. It necessitates immense levels of concentration, tremendous focus, bounties of patience, and years of practice among others. And it is far more physically demanding than it appears to be on television. But, since it’s an expensive sport to pursue, not many get the opportunity or are afforded the luxury to get their hands dirty. Green Jacket thus offered that rare chance to amateur golfers among management students to brush up their golfing abilities for those already initiated to the game, and to those always interested in the game, to learn how to swing a club and putt.

Shillong boasts of the kind of scenic beauty and tranquillity that is rare to find, and the pristine feel that it bestows on residents and travellers becomes multiple-fold during the winter season. The second season of IIM Shillong Golf Cup took place during this serene period in the first week of December, 2009 (5th and 6th to be precise). Organised with Times of India as the major sponsor, the event witnessed terrific turnout in terms of enthusiasm, media coverage and participation.

Green Jacket received numerous applications from institutes around the country. An interesting shortlisting process, in the form of a B-Plan competition wherein the students had to submit proposals as regards to making use of golf to encourage and promote tourism in the North-East, was used to select 30 B-school students for the event. These 30 covered some of the most premier and coveted B-Schools in India, viz. IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, ISB, MDI, NITIE and XIMB. Travel and accommodation of the students were borne by the institute and the event’s sponsors. They received their quota of first hand training at Shillong Golf Course (called Gleneagles of the East), not just one of the largest and among the oldest 18-hole golf courses in India (third oldest in India to be precise), but also one of the few natural golf courses in the whole of Asia.

The participants thus received comprehensive golf training during this workshop and also received certificates from the institute for the same. That was just one of the numerous facets to this 2-day trip of theirs. Since it ran parallel to Golf Cup, Green Jacket allowed the students the rare opportunity of being able to directly interact with corporate honchos and bigwigs, rub shoulders with them at a level playing field, interact with them at a personal level, and thus improve upon their networking and connectivity. Their participation in the event also allowed these young people from all over the country the chance to indulge in the intoxicating beauty of Shillong.

This is a region waiting to be explored and yet to have its enormous potential tapped. Business opportunities aside, the state of Meghalaya in general, and the city of Shillong in particular, are also a photographer’s delight and heaven rock music aficionados. Thus the participants of Green Jacket, who might not have otherwise visited this part of India, were lured to it courtesy Green Jacket. And the trigger-happy shutterbugs among them took time out to capture for posterity the staggering beauty of the landscapes, the undulating fields, the lush greeneries, the foggy mornings and the majestic peaks in and around the city.

The conceptualisation and execution of the event was praised by all the corporate and students who participated. Being a student of the institute, I am proud of the success of this truly unique endeavour that IIM Shillong has undertaken. With the 3rd edition of Green Jacket and the accompanying Golf Cup fast approaching, all I can think of right now is getting hold of a caddie and start hitting birdies.

Shubhajit Lahiri

Entrepreneur on campus

2009-11-20T10:13:00.002+05:30

“Only if you live through it do you understand a business” – words one can expect from an entrepreneur who has built from scratch one of the most talked about and successful dot coms of India- Naukri.

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, CEO of Infoedge (parent company of Naukri.com) was on a visit to IIM Shillong campus on 18th November and these words of wisdom were part of a presentation he made to the students about his journey thus far in life which he called “Wisdom in Hindsight”. His informal style, filled with humor, instantly engrossed the students listening to him. As he talked about his life, career and how he built his small start up into the highly successful business that it is now, one could gauge the visionary behind the humble personality. He mentioned about the small businesses he did prior to 1997 when he launched Naukri.

As Sanjeev said, “Best businesses are built on deep consumer insights” – Naukri was also positioned on a keen insight of consumer needs. He narrated the course of his business and asserted to the eagerly listening students the importance of persistence, hard work and innovation in building an enterprise. To conclude he advised the prospective entrepreneurs that they should focus on solving a hitherto unsolved problem and address a scalable opportunity.

He entertained several questions from the audience comprising, besides students from the junior as well as the senior batches, faculty members and the PGP chairman, Prof. S. Majumdar. After the program, he was joined by all members of IIM Shillong for a high tea. The students were specially eager for a chance to speak with the iconic entrepreneur and discuss their ideas with him. That was followed by an informal discussion between Sanjeev and the faculty and the Director, Prof. A.K. Dutta. With that, his visit came to a conclusion. He departed but left behind an inspiration for all to follow.

Sidharth

The Last Surviving Warrior

2009-11-18T14:11:00.002+05:30

I was all alone and it was pitch dark
Today was over, but I was yet to make my mark
In the wars of the world, I was the last survivor
It was now up to me to save my pride and prove my valor

Like a falcon high in the sky
I was waiting for my time to fly
As I walked the gore and mud of the battle field
I saw many of my fellow men crying in pain and die

It was my Excalibur on my back shining in the moonlight
Though I killed many, I have still not shown my real might
I was unable to realize the keenness in my soul
To win the war and to end this fight

Now I stood alone and all the men besides me were lying around
It was me against the army of the worlds tomorrow in these grounds
I was tired and drained, yet I stood tall
No matter how hard they try I promised myself that I will not fall

I remembered the oracle’s prediction; you will die a terrible death
I refuted the claims and said they would be never met
But inside of my heart I knew I was to die
And I stood alone with no one else to cry

In the nights of the full moon wolves howled their hearts out
Vultures crept on corpses, tearing apart flesh into their mouth
A strange chill went up my spine
As the underworld’s cried and said it’s my time

Trust no one my boy and you will succeed
The songs of sirens and demons’ friendships will entice you but pay no heed
Never leave your back unshielded my master once told
Never sell your soul no matter how many worlds of Gold

Remembering what my heart spelt out that night
I prepared my soul for the fight
A dying demon cried “you can never win this war”
I said victory may be distant but will never be far

I may never win the war of destiny and die in pain
But my efforts and blows will never go in vain
I fight alone and will not die without a good fight
They may over power me with their mystical might

But as long as the last drops of blood flow in my veins
I will shear the darkness of the world and bring in divine light
I will continue to stand as long as I can
And never give up without a good fight

By Abhishek Chandra
Entry Address-http://abhishekchandrabakshi.blogspot.com/2009/11/last-surviving-warrior.html

Living the CSR experience

2009-11-10T11:29:00.006+05:30

The Professor walks into class with 17 years of "Living the CSR experience" behind him. His unassuming self portrays this fact..The passion that he exudes is there to see.

While CSR classes in most other places begin with ITC and the Infosys of the world, We begin the same with Lessons from the "Mahabhaarat"; "One of the most exhaustive treatises on human civilization" as the Professor opines.

"Unless you are selfish; you cannot contribute to CSR" says the Prof. to stun us all... and then he smiles; "Unless you consider those with you and below you as part of your self (which then mandates you to be selfish for collective development), Corporate Social Responsibility will remain a fad!"

Then comes in the concept of discussion on whether it is a matter of hypocrisy to "talk of" CSR. A case in point is that while the Indians have had CSR ingrained in our DNA, we've somewhere lost our way in walking the talk as against the west.

We then discuss how CSR has drawn from the thought leadership of Einstein, Beethoven, Swami Vivekananda and their lives. The point: CSR is multidisciplinary and is definitely not "Philanthropy".

Personal experiences follow; get linked to the legendary contexts of the "Gita" and are brought back to the pragmatism of reality!

For, we are not insulated by what happens around us...

We end the class (which has had us so captivated that not one of us is looking at our watches) with the Prof. quoting T.S. Elliot:

"Where is the Life we have lost in living? Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"....

A day in the life at IIM Shillong...

Movie in the class-room: Assignment innovation at its best :)

2009-11-09T19:02:00.004+05:30

18:15 hours, someday in IIM Shillong: I hear someone banging at my door - trying to disturb me from my sleep. "It's already 6:15, you will be late for the class!!" yells a voice from outside. I suddenly realize that I have a class at 6:30PM - so, hurriedly I wake up and rush for the class....Not expecting a surprise waiting for us in the class-room.

The faculty enters, 2 minutes before 6:30PM, and announces "Guys, we have a small assignment to do today". This sends a wave of frowns among all the 40 students in the class. Immediately, the faculty declares "Lets watch 'Barbarians at the Gate'; at the end of the session, answer the questions that I will post. Relate the movie to the M&A and LBO theory that we learnt in the last class."

Everyone heaves a sigh of relief! Now, we at IIMs must be well-verse with the HBR case methodology or a very remote chance of a video-based case study. But, watching a movie in the class and analysing it as a case-study was something every one of us hadn't heard of!

20:20 hours: The movie ends. The class is over and everybody rushes to the mess to have dinner.

23:00 hours: I sit back in my room and start thinking possible inferences that I can derive from the movie. Never in my life was I so excited to do an assignment!

Finance Club Celebrates Niveshak First Anniversary!!

2009-08-24T19:50:00.010+05:30

Hai mausam ke tarane mein shab-e-intezaar gum is tarah..

Ham yu hi tammanao se na-munaasib wada kar chale...

Hai ab sehra ke awaargi ka ilm kuch kaha..

Ham sar-e-aam kayamat ka elaan kar chale..

August 15, 2008 when the journey started we never thought it would be like this that an year after the Anniversary edition would be unraveled by distinguished guests, Mr. Geert Linnebank , ex- Editor in Chief of the Reuters group and Mr. Prabhat Sawain, President of the Shillong Lajong football club.

Mr. Linnebank , a noted figure in the world of media was the Chief Editor of the Reuters newsgroup from 2001 to 2006 and also was the chief architect in the founding of the Times Now channel in association with the Times of India group. Mr. Sawain is the president of the Shillong Lajong FC that has recently become the first football team from the North East to qualify for the I league.

The release of the finance magazine of IIM Shillong, “Niveshak” (the intelligent investor) another small step of IIM Shillong a giant step for the finance club. Also keeping the innovative nature of “Niveshak” intact with turn of wheel. Niveshak gets an new facelift. The magazine, currently circulated in the top 50 B- schools of the country, is a symbol of the tremendous progress that IIM Shillong has made within the first year of its establishment. A completely online magazine, the Niveshak team led by our beloved editor Biswadeep Parida, has managed to garner a huge following in this short span of time. The magazine is a completely student driven activity with everything from the designing and editing to the distribution being done in house.

As cleverly put by one of designers, Sarvesh Chowdhury, it's right to be said on behalf of Team Niveshak “Yet another first :) ”… and I guess many more to go

Click here to check out Anniversary Edition

Order in Chaos !!!

2009-08-20T15:13:00.001+05:30

Why do butterflies flap their wings?
Why do birds moving out south sing?
Chaos answers a lot about all
But finding order in chaos is the toughest of all

Why do smoke patterns form?
Why are ant colonies so and what are swarms?
Chaos is the name given by wise men to these
But order in chaos is what poses them with a tease

I am no magician, no mathematician, not a physicist at all
Still I observe a subtle order in the leaves flying every fall
An interesting observation I noticed one day
Human beings are the most chaotic if seen that way

We speak a lot that doesn’t makes sense
We feel emotions and talk about feelings that make us tense
We laugh and cry at the same time and call for celebrations
We give into our dark desires and unknown temptations

I wonder if god really plays dice with us
I wonder why a small nudge by a stranger made us miss our bus
Its too tough to talk here and understand the fact
Chaos is alive and bonded to our lives by a secret pact

By-Abhishek Chandra
Entry Address-http://abhishekchandrabakshi.blogspot.com/2009/08/order-in-chaos.html

IIM Shillong Goes Live With Oracle

2009-08-06T12:52:00.004+05:30

IIM Shillong becomes the first among India’s Centrally Funded Technical Institutions and Universities, which include IITs, IIMs etc., to complete implementation of a comprehensive ERP solution in academic collaboration with Oracle.

Oracle software has a great track record, successfully being used in more than 800 campuses across more than 20 countries,” said Mr. David Redden, General Manager - Asia Pacific Education Sector, Oracle Corporation. “We are proud to partner with IIM Shillong in their mission to usher in a technology adoption revolution to help drive the enhancement of education standards in India.”

“IIM Shillong has taken a big step to implement a comprehensive IT solution with the help of Oracle and Citagus. They have sought to reduce manual processes as much as possible, and provide access to real-time information for students and the college management and faculty. In today’s fast changing and highly competitive environment, we are determined to provide quality education to our students,” said Prof Ashoke Dutta, Director IIM Shillong.

This will enable them to focus completely on education programmes for their students and excel in quality and accessibility.

As informed by Prof Dutta, “It will put us at the forefront of the technology adoption initiative envisaged by the Govt. of India for higher educational institutions in the country,” he added. IIM Shillong, also known as the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management, has successfully completed the implementation of the world’s leading student system and alumni development solution for higher education. The institute has implemented various modules from Oracle’s PeopleSoft Campus Solutions and Oracle Applications with the help of Citagus India Private Ltd., a leading IT solutions and services company with specialized experience in implementing PeopleSoft solutions.

A Cultural Evening

2009-07-25T14:39:00.011+05:30

The CultCom has yet another success to their name. In association with SPICMACAY they invited Roje Khan Mangina and his troop from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan to IIM, Shillong. We all gathered in the auditorium to enjoy the evening.

We got introduced to a variety of different musical instruments. Four sticks of Seasam wood form a musical instrument. Some of us from other parts of India had never seen or even heard about such instruments and dances. The program kicked off with a welcome song “Kesaria Balam Padharo Mahre Desh” followed by a Krishna Bhajan. We had Tera Tali Nithya. What captured our attention was the artist dancing with brass vessels on her head. Picking up currency notes with her mouth, dancing on swords, dancing on the rim of a plate with the vessels on her head all the time.

Following all this, they presented before us the famous song “Nimboda”. We had Jugalbandi of two artists followed by the famous Rajasthani song and dance “Aara rara rara rara ra”. Their flexibility was amazing. How many of us can bend backward and pick up two finger rings with our eyes. The last song was probably the most enjoyed – “Duma Dum Mast Kalandar”. With the audience clapping, hooting and some even singing along with the artists; it was an evening that shall remain in our minds forever and talks for some weeks to come. After this we had performances by PGP09, their first in IIM, Shillong.

The second half started with a poem written by Janvi Malhotra, a cancer patient. Following it a skit for anti-smoking. Some serious things can be shown while showing comedy and this was one example of it. Ashutosh, our senior was great with his impromptu Mimicry. So were the singers and dancers of my batch. Kudos to the performers. One performer who was enchanting was our very own “Piano Lady”. She was at one point of time rated better than A.R.Rahman as World’s #1 piano player by Trinity College of Music (TCM) London. Along with fingers which can’t go wrong she has melodious voice, as discovered by us on this very special evening. Here I would also like to extend a special thanks to Upasna and Varshik for the conducting the show so well.

A Sport-Full Week

2009-07-22T01:53:00.010+05:30

‘A round table conference with some of the top level bureaucrats from the North East region’ is how this course at IIM S kicked off. A world renowned faculty was eagerly awaited by each of us who had taken up this elective. Friday night when the rest of the world welcomed the languid weekend to put their feet up and relax, we were at the guest house to meet our long awaited professor before the classes commenced on Saturday.

This is one of the most off-beat courses in any MBA institute and IIM S is one of the early birds to have begun the same. I guess I have kept you waiting long enough without disclosing the name of the course. This course which had our enthusiasm level go over the roof top was none other than “Sports Sponsorship Management”. This awesome professor whom all of us adore so dearly, is Prof. Douglas Turco.

On a Saturday morning when rest of the hostel was fast asleep, we went to the class with the zeal and zest of a kid going to Disney land for the first time. A warm good morning from our professor brightened the day further. An interesting aspect was each of us was required to submit an assignment that spoke about us and our expectation from the course. Believe it or not, not only were each of our expectations fulfilled but they were exceeded.

With sports buffs in the class the quality of discussion was so high, each of us never realized we were attending classes for close to 5 hours a day and doing the assignments for the rest of the day. Dwelling on topics like how sports property was identified and how they were utilized to bring in sponsors, to making an event a success from the perspective of all stake holders, the classes were a pleasure to attend.

Classes conducted in unorthodox locations helped stimulate the brain cells further. The four walls of the classroom were never a boundary. Optimal use of the beautiful surroundings and the weather was made, by having the classes near the fire place and sometimes in the courtyard. Unconventional methods were the norm of the day. With a member from the Shillong FC and a person with experience from sports 18, the sessions provided a further value add.

What is sports management without indulging in any? In a week’s time we also arranged and participated in sport activities which helped us learn how to manage an event from inception to the end. The campus witnessed the huffing and puffing of each of us for over 3 hours. The spirit of the games was so high that we had our fellow participants as spectators cheering for us.

Hardly any sleep throughout the week but fun unlimited will linger in our memories for ever.

Welcome Juniors!

2009-07-04T20:08:00.006+05:30

The clock has struck one! It's the first anniversary of the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, today, and we the pioneering seniors take immense pleasure in welcoming the 2nd batch into the IIM Shillong family.

As I entered the Audi a couple of days ago, a lot of things looked familiar - the SBI Scholar loan counter, the Admin staff on stage - screening documents, anxious parents and excited participants; everything the same, but for the actors in the roles.

Today's the day to celebrate - Our journey is half complete and an eventful year it has been. From framing processes to revamping the campus, we've virtually "built" the IIM here.

As the Chief Minister of Meghalaya mentioned at the inaugural function of the juniors yesterday, "A single man with courage is always a majority"; and I guess 64 students of the first batch proved many a point to the world at large.

And as we transition in our roles, we entrust a part of this legacy to the incoming batch of 2009-11 @ IIM Shillong.

Welcome to the 7th Heaven guys! The next 2 years are going to be the best days of your life!!

Cheers!

Blogging is our Birthright - So says IIM S pedagogy

2009-06-17T09:26:00.008+05:30

As you are all aware, IIM Shillong has continually lived up to the tag of being the "most tech savvy IIM" by way of innovating at frequent intervals.

The latest in a series of innovative methodologies is reflected in the course pedagogy as well - Part Evaluation of students allotted to their contribution to blogs and discussion fora over topics of related interest.

With the recent launch and "go live" of the ERP system (which many of the long standing IIMs have not implemented as yet), blogging has been included as a part and parcel of the overall modes of assessment.

Just goes to show that keeping up with the times is an integral part of any vibrant system that aims at continuously changing for the better.

Effective use of the Vennfer system will definitely contribute to this cause by way of video conferencing and case discussions with international B schools bringing in varied perspectives.

As they say, " We did not come out of the stone age because we fell short of stones", so also, IT enabled educational innovation, flavored with evaluation through tools of social media is going to be just the first of many to follow in the future....

Year 2 at IIM kicks off!

2009-06-16T08:38:00.006+05:30

After a brief pit stop which definitely was not good enough to qualify as a vacation, we are back in business from today.

The gigantic pine trees on campus swayed their branches to the gentle breeze almost as if they missed our presence and were now welcoming us with glee.

Classes at IIM begin in two hours from now and there's lecture pre-reading material that we've received 10 minutes ago. All in the name of Just in Time technology. The system such as this makes you to try and put a method to the madness and helps you deal with uncertainties in the big bad corporate world.

The 2nd year inauguration had Mr. Ranjan Chatterjee, the Chief Secretary of Meghalaya, and a Board Member of IIM Shillong addressing the batch yesterday morning, where he presented his vision of a vibrant and developed Meghalaya.

This was followed by some delicious lunch at the Mess, and most of the evening went in setting the hostel room in order and catching up with fellow beings in the IIM dormitory.

This will be quite an eventful semester with some pretty interesting electives on offer. More on the events as they unfold.

Till then, it's time to get back to the pre reading of Strategic Human Resource Management.....On second thought, it's time to grab some breakfast... :)

IIM Shillong Golf Cup 2009

2009-04-21T08:59:00.007+05:30

The focus of B-schools traditionally has been management practices and the business world. But sports, with its tremendous capacity to foster team work and ability to promote individual brilliance has never been in the lime light. Indian Institute of Management Shillong, the youngest IIM, is however changing this practice. While, on one hand, it is creating its own USP of emphasizing on Sustainability in business, on the other, it is creating bonding through sport. It has successfully organized the first golf tournament for business schools in India.

The IIM Shillong Golf Cup that took place on 18th and 19th of April at the Shillong Golf Course is just the first step towards realizing this grand vision. The tournament saw participation from 120 golfers, including 20 corporate participants.

The entire tournament was played in the “Stableford" format. Mr. Ashok Thakur (IAS), Additional Secretary, Ministry of HRD teed off the tournament. Mr. Ranjan Chatterjee (IAS), Chief Secretary, Government of Meghalaya was also present at the event .The first day witnessed a competition amongst the leading business schools of the country. The high tea hosted by His Excellency, the Governor of Meghalaya was the highlight of the first day.

On the second day the competition intensified as participants from the corporate entered the fray. Once the grueling 18 holes were completed, the event concluded with a grand prize distribution ceremony with Major General K.S. Sethi (SM), GOC HQ 101 Area as the Guest of Honor. Dr. Pankaj Chandra, Director, IIM Bangalore graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.

Among the business schools, the team from IIM Shillong comprised of Lt. Col. LM Sharma and Lt. Col. Ujjal Singh took top honors but because of their advantage owing to local knowledge of the course, sportingly allowed the runners up from IISWBM, Kolkata represented by Mr. Asim Chatterjee and Mr. Hiranmay Chatterjee to claim the rolling trophy. Among the corporate the winners were Col. R. S. Kang and Lt. Col A H Ahlawat from the Indian Army while Mr. Rai Khan and Mr. Nagarajan were the runners-up. Individual honors went to Mr. Pradip Das representing IISWBM among the b- schools and Captain P .Mishra among the corporate. Ms. D Passah was declared the best lady golfer.

The dignitaries who graced the occasion praised and encouraged the efforts of the organizers and the spirit of the participants. Dr. Pankaj Chandra, Director IIM Bangalore said “The unique initiative taken by the pioneering batch of IIM Shillong is applaudable ".Mr. Ashok Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of HRD said “IIM Shillong has been able to differentiate itself amongst the top b-schools of the country by changing the cut throat competition to more of cooperative kind". The Director of IIM Shillong Professor Ashoke Dutta congratulated the batch for making this unique initiative a success.

This tournament is an attempt to facilitate interface between the cream of corporate and academic world. The way forward is to make this tournament the most talked about amateur golf tournament of the country within the next few years.

Rock Nite 2008

2008-10-21T09:33:00.007+05:30

The Institute organized its 1st cultural night which consisted of the performance by the famous Rock band “SNOW-WHITE". The events took off with the classical performances such as BharatNatyam and Drums Ensemble by the students of the Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong. This was followed by singing, dancing and mimicry performances by the IIMS students.

A small show by the IIMS band increased the liveliness of the crowd. The night was concluded with a Rock show by SNOW-WHITE who rocked the college for 3 hours. All the students including the faculty members were exuberated, showing their enthusiasm by thumping their feet to the beats of the rock music.

That night was the first cultural landmark in the history of IIM Shillong portraying not only a thrust on academics but also in extra-curricular activities.

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Never ever stop dreaming! Class of 2010 will always be with this institute, our alma mater!

~ Ciao

-Tripurari Prasad aka ”Saahil”

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Rock Nite 2008