Sunday, November 30, 2008

XLRI's Prof HK Pradhan prepares Theme Paper for UN's Doha Summit



Nov 27 (Hindustan Times): The XLRI, Jamshedpur, will have its presence felt during the United Nation's Conference on Financing for Development to review the implementation of the Monetory Consensus at Doha (Qatar). The conference is scheduled between November 29and December l. Professor of finance and economics at the institute, Dr H K Pradhan, has been preparing the main paper for the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), which will be presented at the international conference that assumes significance in view of the global recession.

Dr Pradhan, who was associated with the Commonwealth Secretariat for two years, is the only Indian involved in the theme paper of ESCAP.He has visited 20 countries across the globe on important assignments.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Dr Pradhan said that the theme paper lays enumerates that the world economy must adjust to a lower level of equilibrium and the asset price inflation should correct itself, but not at the cost of losing the financial institution. "Government and central banks must work towards ensuring the development of soundly managed and adequately capitalised banking system that can safely and efficiently intermediate between savers and investors.At the country level, there is a need for stronger institutional arrangements, discouraging all forms of speculations in the financial markets, excessive risk taking, requiring stable macro-economic policy and encouraging productive investments in the real economy," said Pradhan.

He also said that the paper has put forward a proposal for establishing Asian Monetary Fund (AMF) in Asia, a regional currency fund to provide emergency support during a currency for liquidity crisis in Asia, especially in the light of the financial turmoil.

--
Posted By Madhukar to XLRI Jamshedpur - News and Latest Updates at 11/30/2008

Friday, November 28, 2008

XL Singapore - We can demonstrate the Spirit of Giving!

Dear Friends:

this is an appeal

to xlers and xl alumni

as xlers and xl alumni,

.... we have always had a special purpose in our lives.

... a purpose that goes beyond professional success – beyond money, beyond titles and designations.

we believed...

we believed from the word go! that we, as xlers are special...

... and different from the iims and other institutes

we believed in giving back....
we believed in giving back, through the many projects and assignments that with did with the local people while we were in jamshedpur.
we believed...

we believed that we are there to make a difference!
we believed in helping the underserved realize their dream.
today....... as we have gained fame, name, reputation and money

can we...

can we give back!

can we help in our own small little way,
can we help the people through our institute

... that has made us all what we are today.

it is small request!

Can we donate to the cause we believe in..

little droplets from each of us, will fill thousands of people with tears of joy

.. those little contributions

will evoke smiles in a thousand faces,

twinkles in the eyes of children,

satisfaction to old parents, who see their children achieve their dreams...

can we tell in our own small way

that we care

that we care for them

we care for their dreams!

donate generously! donate today!


Here’s an appeal

1. We are having an XL Nature Walk on December 13, 2008 in Botanical Gardens (7pm).

a. The idea is (1) To come together for a cause – The XL Social Entrepreneurship Trust http://www.xldreamrun.com

b. And (2) get together with friends and families

c. Would like to know the participation, please help reply to XL Singapore

d. More details on http://www.xldreamrun.com

2. We have revived our presence in a few more areas – to be more relevant with changing times.

a. On Facebook: “XLRI Singapore” on Facebook. It would be a good idea if you can join in there J

b. On Blogspot: http://xlsingapore.blogspot.com.

3. Videos: We have a few places some videos are posted on YouTube and MSN Video

a. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkIIQOCskqU;

b. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv_lsAU387I ;

c. http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-US&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:ca2b9f08-223a-4b79-9bc7-88a18ae9f826&showPlaylist=true

d.

[Rajesh Soundararajan]

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Praying for safety of Xlers in Mumbai

Terrible news on the terror attacks in Mumbai. Most of it was centered around the Colaba area where a lot of XLers have their offices.

A lot of our alumni were working late in office, some live in the area and some were catching up with friends in the nearby joints, eateries and restaurants. We pray for the safety of those who were in the area.

Words are useless in situations like this. All we can do is hope and pray for now.

Ruchi Gupta Varshneya (98BMD) completes Philadelphia Marathon

Ruchi Gupta Varshneya had written in 2 months ago about preparing for the full marathon and requesting encouragement, prayers and support.


Ruchi was motivated to run the marathon to contribute to the cause of Asha for Education

For someone who had never trained as a runner and a mother of twins, the training was long and hard, but Ruchi says that it was her commitment to the cause that helped her see it through. Running the half marathon in New Jersey on 5th October and the Full marathon in Philadelphia on 23rd November.

Ruchi did not forget those who had supported her endeavor and I received this lovely note from her, a day after the marathon:

Hi Kim,
Hope the note finds you well. I wanted to let you know that I completed the Philadelphia marathon this Sunday. It took me all of 5:30 hours, however I finished strong with a smile. Thanks much for your support to the cause.I also surpassed my fund raising goal. All the encouragement from friends like you was much needed and constantly replayed in my mind between mile 20 -25!.
All the effort will be worth it if it contributes to some under-privileged girls getting education and brighter future.
Thanks for trusting me
Ruchi


Way to go Ruchi! We are proud of your achievement!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

More Details on the MBA Summer Placements at XLRI

Here is a breakdown of the summer placement statistics.

1.0 The overall statistics for the SIP 2009 process is as below:

STATISTICS - SIP 2009





Particular

2007

2008

2009





Number of Companies

48

58

74

Number of Offers

192

202

214

Number of International Offers

2

5

22

Average Stipend*

27000/-

48000/-

85000/-

One Lac + Stipends*

5

14

45

Number of New Recruiters

7

12

32





*(For internship period of 8 weeks)



2.0
Some of the major companies which participated in the process are:

a) J P Morgan Chase, Lazard, Carlyle Group, Edelweiss Capital, Allegro Advisors and SBI Capital (Investment Bankimg/Equity)

b) Citibank, HSBC, Standard Chartered, ICICI and Axis Bank , Larsen & Toubro, MCX,and Clearing Corporation of India Ltd (CCIL), WNS and Wipro (Finance, Banking, Treasury etc)

c) Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Coca Cola, ITC, Nestle, Colgate Palmolive, Cadbury, Johnson & Johnson, Reebok, Marico and GSK (Marketing/Sales/Operations and SupplyChain)

d) Alia Group and Vertebrand (Brand Consulting a new sector for XLRI)

e) TAS and The Aditya Birla Group , Mahindra & Mahindra, Punj Lloyd, Apollo Group and Atul (HR, General Management, Operations, Strategy roles etc)

f) Novartis, Al Ghanim , Ernst & Young, Hewitt & Associates, KPMG, Mercer, Reach Potential, Cummins, Microsoft and Deloitte (mainly HR but some made other roles for BM)

3.0 The breakup of the offers is as below:

Sector

Percentage

Number

Consult

15.7

18

Finance

35.7

41

GM

21.7

25

Marketing

27.0

31

TOTAL

100.0

115

4.0 A new initiative this year

An initaitive for social and Enterpreneurship (ISEL) was launched this year (CRESENT and SIGMA student bodies contributed). Organizations in this sector offered Internships. 5 students took these offers

=======================================

ciao

madhukar

Sunday, November 23, 2008

XLRI shines in season of campus gloom

From The Times of India

KOLKATA: XLRI, Jamshedpur, seems to have bucked the global meltdown that has not spared the likes of the IIMs and IITs. The highest international
stipend (for two months) is the same as last years record of Rs 5 lakh and the average stipend has risen by over 55% from Rs 48,000 to Rs 85,000 for 2009.

Better still, the number of students bagging a stipend of Rs 1 lakh-plus has jumped from 14 to 45. The icing on the cake: international offers have shot up from 5 in 2008 to 22 for 2009.

The only casualty of the meltdown is the highest domestic stipend, which has slipped from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. No more than a bruising blow, when many others have taken a knockout hit. The number of recruiters who turned up for summer placements increased by 32 from last year.

Top financial banks like Lehmann Brothers (which offered the highest stipend last year), Robo Bank and Calyon Bank stayed away but no surprise there.

Over 200 internship offers were made for a batch of 180 students with 15% of the profiles being offered internationally in North America, Europe, South-East Asia, and West Asia by over 70 recruiters.

The highest international stipend was offered by a Wall Street investment bank for its trading desk in Hong Kong while the highest domestic stipend was offered by an investment bank, again, for a position in Mumbai, said Jeevan Kumar, secretary of XLRI's placement committee. And, The Carlyle Group, now the largest private equity player in the world, once again chose XLRI as its exclusive domestic recruitment destination.

So, what's the secret? "We had invited carbon trading companies like Cantor C2E and commodity exchange companies like MCX for summer placements. And, for the first time, brand consulting companies participated too,'' said Rajiv Mishra, XLRI's placement committee chairperson. "XLRI offers a unique dual management, both in marketing and finance. So, the meltdown did not affect us as much.''

Friday, November 21, 2008

XLRI Dream Run - Phase II

Inspired by the Dream Run on Campus, the alumni in Singapore are planning a mirror event on the 13th of December. Here are the details from Ramesh Ramakrishnan.

Ok done ...we are all set!!

looks like 13/12 after all is a lucky day.

So here are the details in a simple format:

What is the idea?
Run / Walk 5k in the Singapore Botanic Gardens on Dec 13 , 2008. Have some fun , Meet friends and pay $100 to assist the XL Social Entrepreneur Trust. Please bring the cash on the day.

When is it again?
Dec 13, 2008 - Saturday.

What time?
7 pm start. We will assemble at 6.30 pm. Please note and please plan ahead to be on time.

Where exactly?
Dec 13, Singapore Botanic Gardens. We will meet in the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden
For those who are new the gardens are big - and this is in the quieter side (the bukit timah side). For those who are driving just drive along Bukit Timah ( going north/west) and park in the NUS SBG Law Faculty Campus street carparks. You can't miss it. The gardens are just there - http://www.sbg.org.sg/visitorinfo/mapofground.asp

And the walk/run?
It is just across the garden from the Balls Childrens Garden up to the orchid garden, around the gazebo and back to the Jacob Ballas Garden. It is easy, scenic and a pleasant walk/run. If you are really keen 2 rounds will make a 5k.

After the run?
Yes, Yes Yes... there is beer and dinner. There are many choices and depending on the number of people we can decide that later.

Changing and freshening up?
Yes there are clean shower rooms in the facilities at the sports ground which is adjacent to the SBG. Don't worry.

Permission/Authorities?
To be on the safe side I am applying / getting the permission from the SBG assuming we will push our e- group and get to the number 30. Written Permissions are required only for 30+

... Please pass the word around and get more people to enroll...there are still many people who are here in Singapore and not getting the messages or are not in the e group.

Want to get non xlers and friends to come along - please do so.

Best Wishes,
Ramesh
ReVive Consulting Group

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Finance sector top draw at XLRI summer placement

From the Financial Express
Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 2356 hrs IST

Despite the gloom, the financial sector was the one to pick up the largest number of students from XLRI for summer 2009 internships here on Wednesday.

Seventy-four companies came to recruit for 2009, compared with 58 for 2008. This goes to show that the corporate sector still has a lot to offer.

Again, the highest stipend for international internship was offered by a

Wall Street investment bank for its trading desk in Hong Kong—a package in excess of Rs 5 lakh for the 8-10 weeks’ internship period.

The highest domestic stipend stood at Rs 3 lakh, which also came from an investment bank at the Mumbai desk.

The 74 companies offered 214 internships (202 for 2008) at an average stipend of Rs 85,000 (Rs 48,000 for 2008) to the batch of 180 students.

While the number of companies willing to pay stipends over Rs 1 lakh was at 45, compared with 14 for 2008, the number of first-time recruiters was also higher at 32, compared with 12.

“The spectacular growth on all counts, i.e. internships, locations, stipends, etc in a year marked with various crises signifies the strength enjoyed by XLRI as the most preferred recruitment destination for all recruiters,” said Prof Rajiv Misra, chairperson, placement committee.

From XLRI’s 115 business management students available for summer 2009 internships, the financial sector picked up 41 (35.7%) candidates, marketing sector 31 (27%), general management 25 (21.7%) and consulting firms 18 (15.7%).

The B-school’s 63-odd personnel management & industrial relations (PM&IR) students too have been placed well, with Novartis offering unique HR roles in their leadership programme based out of Basel (Switzerland).

The Al Ghanim group offered HR roles in Kuwait with HUL, Procter & Gamble offering similar roles in there global offices in Singapore and other global locations and the Aditya Birla group offering internship positions at Atlanta (US).

The private equity and investment banking space saw the participation of JP Morgan Chase, which recruited for international desks as well.

Lazard, a first-time participant, recruited exclusively from XLRI for its Mumbai operations, with the Carlyle group, now the largest private equity player in the world, once again choosing the B-school as its exclusive domestic recruitment destination.

Edelweiss Capital, Allegro Advisors and SBI Capital represented the Indian investment banking industry.

Monday, November 17, 2008

XLRI Ranked #5 on CNBC TV 18 Rankings

From mbauniverse.com

Consolidated CNBC TV 18 A of B Rankings released; IIM A, IIM B, IIM C are top 3 B-schools
MBAUniverse.com Bureau
Nov 16, 2008

India's leading business news channel CNBC TV18, along with India's leading management portal MBAUniverse.com and global research agency TNS, have announced the final consolidated CNBC TV18 'A of B Ranking'.

The consolidated rankings presents a holistic, multi-stakeholder picture on India's Top B-schools by combining inputs from quantitative data submitted by top 70 B-schools, and perception poll amongst MBA aspirants, students, alumni and employers. On these consolidated tables, IIM A, IIM B and IIM C have captured the top three positions.

In a first of its kind research and analysis, the 'A of B Ranking' survey looks at three different viewpoints to present the complete 360 degree picture on which are India's leading B-schools. While rigorous data-driven analysis uses information and data provided directly by IIMs and other 70+ B-schools, perception poll on MBAUniverse.com brings perspectives from the MBA students, aspirants and alumni; and, recruiter's poll on Jobstreet.com bares the mind of HR community.

While Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM A) is the # 1 B-school, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM B) and Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM C) has been ranked as the # 2 & # 3 B-schools in India. Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIM L) is ranked at #4. Jamshedpur based Xavier's Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) is pegged at #5 position.

Mumbai based S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Faculty Of Management Studies, University Of Delhi, Delhi, Management Development Institute, Gurgaon, Indian Institute Of Foreign Trade, New Delhi and Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies, University Of Mumbai, Mumbai complete the prestigious Top 10 B-school rankings table. (See consolidated Ranking Table below)

Which are some other non-IIM B-schools that have managed to show their strengths on this league table. Narsee Monjee Institute Of Management Studies University, Mumbai, Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management, Pune, Department Of Management Studies - Indian Institute Of Technology, New Delhi and Xavier Institute Of Management, Bhubaneswar are four B-schools that are part of Top 10 Non-IIMs B-schools league table.

CNBC TV 18 Consolidated B-school Rankings from Data Survey, Student Perception and Employer Perception

India's Top B-schools

1 Indian Institute Of Management, Ahmedabad

2 Indian Institute Of Management, Bangalore

3 Indian Institute Of Management, Kolkata

4 Indian Institute Of Management, Lucknow

5 Xavier Labour Relation Institute School Of Management, (XLRI), Jamshedpur

6 Bhavan's S. P. Jain Institute Of Management & Research, Mumbai

7 Faculty Of Management Studies, University Of Delhi, Delhi

8 Management Development Institute, Gurgaon

9 Indian Institute Of Foreign Trade, New Delhi

10 Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies, University Of Mumbai, Mumbai

India's Top B-schools – Excluding IIMs

1 Xavier Labour Relation Institute School Of Management, (XLRI), Jamshedpur

2 Bhavan's S. P. Jain Institute Of Management & Research, Mumbai

3 Faculty Of Management Studies, University Of Delhi, Delhi

4 Management Development Institute, Gurgaon

5 Indian Institute Of Foreign Trade, New Delhi

6 Jamnalal Bajaj Institute Of Management Studies, University Of Mumbai, Mumbai

7 SVKM'S Narsee Monjee Institute Of Management Studies University, Mumbai

8 Symbiosis Institute Of Business Management, Pune

9 Department Of Management Studies - Indian Institute Of Technology, New Delhi

10 Xavier Institute Of Management, Bhubaneswar

Note: For Quantitative Survey, more than 70 leading B-schools including IIM A, IIM B, IIM C, IIM L, IIM I, FMS Delhi, XLRI, MDI, JBIMS, IIT B SJMSOM participated in the survey. Key B-schools that did not participate in the Quantitative Survey are: Department of Management Studies, Pune; Fore School of Management, Delhi; ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad; IIM Kozhikode; Indian School of Business, Hyderabad; Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad; SCMHRD, Pune and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

In the run up these consolidated rankings, which were released on November 15 on CNBC TV 18's special television show, rankings by individual stakeholder were released. These consolidated rankings combine the three viewpoints into final rankings.

CNBC TV18 is India's No.1 business medium and the undisputed leader in business news. It delivers quality and involved audiences that comprise a comprehensive viewership base greater than similar offerings in the business space across all media. The channel's benchmark coverage extends from corporate news, financial markets coverage, expert perspective on investing and management to industry verticals and beyond.

MBAUniverse.com is India's leading management portal, reaching out to over 300,000 management students, young executives, HR managers and academicians. In a short span of 18 months, it has gained thought-leadership by partnering with knowledge organizations like CII, FICCI, IIMs, IITs and others.

TNS is the world's largest Custom Market Research Company. It provides marketing information delivered by Global Industry Sector expert consultants, innovative research expertise, in 80 countries worldwide.

The Day XL Jamshedpur Ran

I've posted a lot of entries on the XLRI Jamshedpur Dream Run.

The event happened on the 16th and was hugely successful with 300+ runners.

Prof Shukla has taken some awesome pictures to capture the spirit of the run which can be viewed as a slide show on http://lifeatxl.blogspot.com/

More pictures are visible on The Official - XLRI Dream Run Website

Note & Clarification from Prof:
Thanks for the support...
...and hope that funds keep coming in for the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust

Let me also clarify about the nomenclatures (Donning my hat as the Secy of the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust ;0) ...

1. XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust does not support "charity"... we know that those will be non-sustainable in the long-run

2. We support and nurture "Entrepreneurs with a Social Cause" - ventures which are potentially sustainable, and can make a difference to the society - and these, at present, are ventures promoted by the current-batch (09) students/entrepreneurs, who have formed/registered partnership companies to take-off (Paricha, Swavalamban, & Dream4Others

3.- What we do try to do from the Trust is (before starting to support them) to vet their plans, give them some ideas, connect them to people who may help... and give them some funds (VCs would call it "incubation fund") to start with their ideas...

4. So far, I guess, our judgement has been right - At least not "wrong"

======================
Sunday, November 09, 2008
XLRI's Social Projects sweep "Kalpavriksha"
Two Projects supported by XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust (*), Parichay and Swavalamban were judged 1st and 2nd respectively in the IIM Indore's Social Business Plan contest "Kalpavriksha" - a forum for self sustainable business plans with the potential to make a difference to society.

The two projects were selected from among 103 entries from across the B-Schools, and were judged by executives from
Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund, IndianNGO.com and India Development Gateway

Besides the prize money, along with other finalists they will also receive mentorship by executives from IndianNGO.com and India Development Gateway, a capital market place for social ventures in India. They will also be able to put up their ideas on India Development Gateway.

As the winner of the event, Parichay will get a direct semi-final entry into the
Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) to be held at Foster School of Business in Seattle, USA (Feb 23-27, 2009)
====================
5. XL Students' 3rd Social Venture got online yesterday... please do check and register (if you have 5minutes):

ciao
madhukar

Saturday, November 15, 2008

XL Students' 3rd Social Venture


A Fund-Raising Event
for
The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust
SBI XLRI Branch Code: SBIN0004660
A/c No: 30274085172
* Pl visit the website to donate through Paypal
* Pl send a mail to xldreamrun@xlri.ac.in, if making bank transfer
* Cheques to "XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust" can be sent to:
Madhukar Shukla
Secretary - XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust
XLRI, CH Area (East)
Jameshedpur 831035 (India)

Most likely, this will get launched tomorrow (Nov 16th) along with the XL Dream Run

Friday, November 14, 2008

"XL Dream Run" curtain-raiser on Youtube

Hello,

"
XL Dream Run" curtain-raiser is up on Youtube
... thanks to the amazingly creative work by Mayur Bhutani & Varun Gulati (09BMD batch)

XL Dream Run (Nov 16th, 2008)

http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=zq1cIKS2poI
Do have a look

ciao
madhukar
==============


A Fund-Raising Event
for
The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust
SBI XLRI Branch Code: SBIN0004660
A/c No: 30274085172
[Pl visit the website to donate through Paypal]

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

XLRI bags top prizes at IIM Indore contest

More news on something I blogged about before now reported in the Telegraph

XLRI excels at turning rural dreams into reality
- B-school projects Parichay & Swavalamban bag top prizes at IIM Indore contest

Jamshedpur, Nov. 11: Ideas born at XLRI School of Business and Human Resources have clicked again. And this time nationally.

Two projects engineered by the students of the premier B-school beat 101 entries from across the country to bag the top prizes at Kalpavriksha — IIM Indore’s much acclaimed social business plan contest — on November 8.

The annual event is described as a forum for self-sustainable business plans with the potential to make a difference to society and XLRI indeed made a difference.

Parichay, the project that bagged the first prize, began six months ago. It is a gateway to the market for rural and tribal artisans. It was launched with the objective to revive traditional art by giving them a contemporary makeover and to ensure direct access to the market for artisans.

By winning the Indore contest, Parichay has secured its place in the semi-finals of the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) slated for February 2009 at Foster School of Business in Seattle, US.

The XLRI project that won the second prize at the meet is Swavalamban. Under the project, students used an ox-driven generator to light up homes in remote villages.

Swavalamban has already bagged orders from the Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency and the Tata Motors corporate social responsibility department. The National Thermal Power Corporation has also ordered 200 units at a research level.

Both the projects have been supported by the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust, which was established to promote and support students and alumni of the institute. Talking to The Telegraph, Madhukar Shukla, the chairperson of the trust, said: “We are glad that the work of our students has been recognised. This will prompt us to motivate those keen on becoming entrepreneurs.”

Ankur Saboo, one of the members associated with Swavalamban, said he felt very proud. “I had a gut feeling we would win because people had liked our project and we had already bagged a few orders,” he said.

The panel of judges at the contest included representatives from organisations such as Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund, IndianNGOs.com and India Development Gateway. The winner and the first runner-up received cash prizes of Rs 120,000 and Rs 80,000, respectively. The members associated with the projects would also get mentorship (guidance) from IndianNGOs.com, a social enterprise, and India Development Gateway (IDG), an organisation of equity investment.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Latest Update on XL Dream Run

I am happy to update you on the XL Dream Run (Nov 16, '08) - http://www.xldreamrun.com - being organised to raise funds for the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust from the alumni.

As you know, on Nov 16th morning, 300 of our students and some faculty and staff have registered to run for the cause (you will find the list on the xldreamrun website.)

So far, alumni have contributed $5,670 + Rs 129,500 from across the globe (USA, UK, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Bahrain, Egypt... and of course, India) - and from across the batches (58 to 2008).... and more are coming.

This event has also helped us "market" the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust among alumni, as now they are aware of the Trust and its activities.

Tata Sports Academy, Reebok, Pepsi and Amway-XL have been kind enough to commit their support to the event in "kind".

Contributions to the Cause can be made through:

1. Paypal account (Please visit http://www.xldreamrun.com) to link to Paypal account.

2. Bank-transfer or checks to:
XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust
SBI XLRI Branch Code: SBIN0004660
A/c No: 30274085172
[Pl send the transaction details to Madhukar, if making a bank transfer]

ciao
madhukar

Sunday, November 9, 2008

XLRI's Social Projects sweep "Kalpavriksha"

Two Projects supported by XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust (*), Parichay and Swavalamban were judged 1st and 2nd respectively in the IIM Indore's Social Business Plan contest "Kalpavriksha" - a forum for self sustainable business plans with the potential to make a difference to society.

The two projects were selected from among 103 entries from across the B-Schools, and were judged by executives from Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund, IndianNGO.com and India Development Gateway

Besides the prize money, along with other finalists they will also receive mentorship by executives from IndianNGO.com and India Development Gateway, a capital market place for social ventures in India. They will also be able to put up their ideas on India Development Gateway.

As the winner of the event, Parichay will get a direct semi-final entry into the Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) to be held at Foster School of Business in Seattle, USA (Feb 23-27, 2009)

-------
(*) On Nov 16th, more than 300 students and faculty will participate in XL Dream Run, to generate funds for the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust, which supports such projects.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

The "other" runners

besides the 300 students...

List of Runners

Faculty/Staff

Prof. Ashis Kumar Pani
Fredrick D'Souza (Freddie)
Fr James Santhanam
Prof. Madhukar Shukla
Prof. Madhvi Sethi
Prof. Raghu Ram Tata
Prof. Sanjay Patro
Prof. Sanjeev Varshney
Prof. Santanu Gupta
Prof. Sharad Sarin
Dr. R Parameswaran
A Fund-Raising Event
for
The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust
SBI XLRI Branch Code: SBIN0004660
A/c No: 30274085172
[Pl visit the website to donate through Paypal]

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Update on XL Dream Run

Contributions to the XL Dream Run have reached $2050 and 13,500Rs. There's still a way to go before hitting the targeted 10,000$ mark.

To inspire you to donate, here are some appeals from XLers who have already donated to the cause.

Now that the clouds have parted and beam of sunlight shines on the US of A, I would like to remind you guys to reach into your pocket and give some money for this good cause. According to Madhukar, they have reached 50% of their target. This was what I had contemplated doing graduating from XL, but did not have the guts to do so. These new kids have the conviction to do it. So for the sacrifice of a week of Starbucks lattes or a dinner at a decent restaurant, you can help these guys succeed in their endeavors. Yeah, I know times are tough, but see it as a opportunity to kick that caffeine habit.
Regards
Subash


From someone from the 81 batch :
madhukar... can i do a parallel effort ..since none of us can be in jameshedpur for the run. So '81 batch, here is the option: i am attempting to cycle 75km on 16th november as part of the bangalore ultra marathon (ok, its a run, but as an ex runner, i am being allowed to cycle it, and 75km is a huge strecth for me, i may end up doing far less)- so will any of you pledge moneys for every 5km I cycle ? and pay directly to the Xl dream run site , once i confirm back on how much i was really able to achieve on 16th It will also be a huge motivator for me to push on !

Update from Madhukar :


XL Dream Run is a unique – and perhaps first of its kind in any B-School – event, when 300 students of XLRI Jamshedpur would run to raise funds for a cause – The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust.

The event will be held on November 16th, '08 in Jamshedpur.

The 300 students registered for the event also include the exchange students from 5 b-schools in France, Germany, Manila, and Sweden who are spending one term at XLRI. Some faculty have also registered for the event.

The funds are donated by XLRI alumni through the website of the event (http://www.xldreamrun.com) or through bank-transfer/ cheques.

The donations have started coming in – and are increasing everyday – from alumni across batches & located across the globe - USA, UK, UAE, Egypt, Singapore, Switzerland, and of course, India.

SBI XLRI Branch Code: SBIN0004660
A/c No: 30274085172
[Pl send the transaction details to xldreamrun[at]xlri[dot]ac[dot]in, if making a bank transfer]
Pl visit the website to donate through Paypal

The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust was established to promote and support “entrepreneurship with a social cause” among the students, alumni and community. At present it supports 3 social ventures which are launched by some of the present batch (07-09) students, who have decided to take this “road less traveled” as a career option (and skip the campus placements in '09):

1. Parichay


A large part of India’s traditional rural and tribal art is dying because (1) the artisans, being disconnected from the market, have not been able to contemporize their designs, and (2) since they have no direct access to the market, do not find their work remunerative enough to continue.

Parichay is a venture to connect the rural/tribal artisans & craftsmen to the market. Started 6months back, the venture:

  • has co-opted some well-known designers, who are developing product-prototypes for them, and

  • is negotiating with NIFT, Pearle Academy, etc. who have shown interest to send their students for internship

  • has built The Learning & Design Center, where the rural/tribal artisans will be trained to develop the product-prototypes, and the first workshop is likely to be held within a month or so.

  • is being considered by Jharkraft for recognition and support

  • is in the initial stage of negotiation with NABARD, which has shown interest in the venture

    2. Swavalamban


    A large number of Indian villages are geographically scattered, a for most the national power grid passes by kilometers away. Providing electricity can only be done through a more decentralized and self-sustaining model.

    Swavalamban aims to use patented "ox-driven generator" technology to provide electricity to the villages in Jharkhand. So far the venture has made following progress:

  • Got their first order from JREDA (Jharkhand Renewable Agency Development Agency)

  • Got sanction from the Jharkhand Tribal Minster to electrify one village as a working “proof of concept”

  • After seeing the working model, Tata Motor's CSR dept and SEEDS (an NGO) have accepted to order 5 units each for testing in the villages they serve.

  • NTPC has agreed to acquire 200 units at a research level

  • L&T has seen the prototype, and in principle agreed to acquire some for their CSR activities... etc.

    3.Dream4Others


    This is the youngest venture of all – got registered as a firm less than a month back. It is a venture which aims to use online market-surveys to generate funds for registered NGOs.

    It is being mentored by an XLRI alumnus, with more than 20years of experience in market research.

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    will sponsor the T-Shirts for the event.
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