XLRI: News Views & Reviews

This blog has moved

2010-03-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
Especially the followers of this blog via email, rss, facebook, networked blogs etc.

I have moved this blog to a location with an easier to remember name
http://xlri-news.blogspot.com/

I apologise for the trouble, but if you have subscribed to this blog, could you please visit the new location and resubscribe. I have only been able to transfer followers who had subscribed via blogger. All the others are external links, so I'm not even sure, who is subscribed to this blog :)

The old posts are all there on both blogs. This one and the new one.

Hopefully, you should not have any trouble migrating.

Thanks so much and stay in touch

Kim

E Sreedharan @ XLRI Convocation 2010

2010-03-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Do not compare DMRC with Kolkata Metro as a role model: E Sreedharan

From My News

Jamshedpur: India's metroman E Sreedharan, widely written for his examplary work as chief of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation(DMRC) and Konkan railway, today said the country's first metro rail in Kolkata could not be described a role model as the 17-km line took 22 years to complete.

''It took 22 years to start the 17 kilometres long metro rail in Kolkata. So, definitely it was not a pleasant experience,'' he said adding its budget also increased 14 times and hence it could not be termed a role model.

Mr Sreedharan said Delhi metro, on the other hand, stood out for its efficient completion within the project time and budget and could compete with any metro anywhere in the world. If DMRC were able to complete the 125-km long second phase before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 then it would be a world record, he added. The second phase of Delhi metro would also include a high-speed line that would connect the city centre to Indira Gandhi International Airport.

He said DMRC had already submitted to government a detailed project report on third phase of the metro project and if cleared work on it could begin in November 2010. Once the fourth phase finished in 2020 the national capital region would have metro network of 400 kms, he added.

Speaking after receiving the Sir Jehangir Gandhi medal at the 54th convocation of Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) of Business and Human Resources here, the 2008 Padma Bhushan awardee said Delhi Metro was regarded as one of the best available commuting facilities in the world.

Mr Sreedharan was chosen Man of the Year 2002 by Time magazine for completing Konkan railway and Delhi Metro project within stipulated time and budgetary cost.

Live Webcast of XLRI's Convocation (March 27th, 2pm-5pm IST)

2010-03-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Hello Folks!

I am happy to share that the 54th Annual Convocation of XLRI Jamshedpur will be live webcasted on

March 27th, 2010, Saturday

2pm - 5pm IST

The URL on which you can watch the live ceremony is:

http://www.xlri.ac.in/convo

...and in case, this being the new URL, it does not work, please try the altternative:

http://220.225.87.70/convo/

This Convocation will also mark the end of XLRI's Diamond jubilee Year - and so, XL has invited all the previous Directors (Fr McGrath, Fr Ruomold D'Souza, Fr PD Thomas) Deans and the Chairmen of the Board for the convocation... some of them are already on the campus.

The highlight of this years convocation (which are in the pre-event press release) are:

- Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group will be the Chief Guest

- Mr E Sreedharan, CEO of Delhi Metro, will be the recepient of the Sir Jahangir Gandhi Medal for Industrial and Social Justice this year

- the previous Chairmen, Directors and Deans of XLRI will be present during the convocation.

please spread the word :0)

cheers

madhukar

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

Dr Madhukar Shukla

Professor (OB & Strategic Management)

& Chairperson - External Linkages

XLRI School of Business & Human Resources

CH Area (East)

Jamshedpur 831001

India

XLRI set to see grand diamond jubilee reunion

2010-03-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

From The Financial Express

Jamshedpur: XLRI School of Business and Human Resources is geared up for a grand reunion on the occasion of its diamond jubilee convocation on Saturday which will also see conferment of the B-School’s prestigious Sir Jehangir Ghandy medal for industrial and social peace on Dr E Sreedharan, managing director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.

To mark the occasion, the B-School has invited all its former chairmen, directors and deans to be part of the convocation, with the list including its former chairmen Russi Mody and Sarosh Ghandy, former directors Father (Fr) E H McGrath (today an octogenarian), Fr Romuald D’Souza and Fr P D Thomas, as also some if its former deans.

While the convocation will be declared open with a presidentialaddress by Tata Steel vice-chairman B Muthuraman, Kumar Mangalam Birla who heads the $29.2 billion Aditya Birla Group, the global conglomerate with operations spanning 25 countries, will inspire the graduating batch of 2010 with his convocation address.

Dr Sreedharan, who would receive the Sir Jehangir Ghandy medal this year, retired from the Indian Railways in 1990 after a distinguished career spanning 36 years and has been behind the success of the Delhi Metro project.

A recipient of “Padma Shri” in 2001 and "Padma Vibhushan" in 2008, he has since been spearheading efforts to provide Metro systems in other state capitals including for Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi and Kolkata (where it is planned to be extended), with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation involved in these projects as interim/prime consultant.

Gautam Ghosh (IR 99) - One of the top 100 Influencers in HR

2010-03-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

John Sumser has profile Gautam (better known as GG) as One of the top 100 Influencers in HR in the world.

John has profiled GG on the top 100 influencers blog

He ends by saying Gautam Ghosh is a role model in his home country and around the world. A decade of demonstrating that alternate career paths work while focusing on big ideas and implementation gives him a platform for influence all over the world.

Congratulations GG :)

Ankit Kumar (2011 batch) starts Green Leaf Energy Private Limited

2010-03-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have started my company, "Green Leaf Energy Private Limited", working in the renewable energy space. The company objectives are to provide employment opportunities, arrest migration, alleviation of poverty, improve the living standard in rural Bihar and produce renewable energy.

The company has been provided support and guidance by the XLRI Entrepreneurship Development Centre. I am presently working on Bio-diesel and have set up a nursery of Pongamia (Bio-diesel yielding plants), growing 1.2 lakh plants in Kothwara village of Gaya, Bihar.

The company has conducted awareness programs in rural areas of Bihar for utilization of wastelands by doing Pongamia plantation.The company has also formed a contract with 200 farmers over 500 acres of area in Gaya, Bihar. We are looking to scale up the plantation area to 1 lakh acres of wasteland in Bihar.

The company will set up its Bio-diesel extraction unit to produce Bio-diesel, as per the National Biofuel Policy. The company will also set up Bio-gasifier power plant unit generating power from the shells of Pongamia plants for rural electrification.

The project has already been appraised by NABARD, Indian Oil and PNB for technical and financial support.

Connect with Ankit on Facebook

XLRI Placements see 20% increase

2010-03-12T08:35:00.000-08:00

From Economic Times

AMSHEDPUR: Pharma major Novartis offered the highest placement offer of Rs 50 lakh (USD 1,10,000) at the XLRI School of Business and Human
Resources here for its prestigious HR leadership role at Basel, Switzerland.

The highest domestic package was Rs 26 lakh made by a consulting firm for its Mumbai desk whereas the average domestic package was at Rs 14.2 lakh, a 20 per cent increase over last year's figure.

The placement process attracted 75 companies giving a total of 205 offers to a batch of 120 Business Management and 60 Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (HR) students, XLRI Placement Committee Secretary Venkatesh K told reporters here last evening.

The campus recruitment programme 2010 saw 90 per cent of the batch accepting offers made by some of the most coveted organizations for their Indian and international locations followed by a strategically planned rolling process which enabled 100 per cent placements, Venkatesh K said.

XLRI, Venkatesh K said, maintained its position as a destination for premier finance roles as 28 per cent of the total offers came from the financial sector such as Goldman Sachs, Nomura Holdings, Edelweiss, Deutsche Bank, Citibank, HSBC, Standard Chartered, ICICI, Axis Bank and YES Bank.

He said marketing has drawn renewed interest from the students and was the most sought after profile with 30 per cent accepting offers.

A total of 25 per cent of the students received top notch consulting offers.

"XLRI has once again reinforced its long standing supremacy as the best B-school in Asia-Pacific for Human Resources Recruitments continues to be robust and growing with the participation of major firms in this sector."

Honouring Fr McGrath - Contributing to his Dream - Human Life Centre

2010-03-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Forwarding this message from Prof Shukla.

Folks!
Fr McGrath has been an icon for so many XLers and to XL as such - an institution by himself...
Human Life Centre has been his dream to continue contributing to the society.. one way to honour him would be to support the cause he has been nurturing
I am forwarding Mario Lobo (77batch)'s mail below, please circlate it
maybe our time to pay-back...

thanks
madhukar

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mario Lobo

Dear Madhukar,

To honour Fr Mc Grath for the contribution he has made to the lives of most of us, who have had the honour of knowing him and especially to continue the good work he has initiated for the weaker sections of society I am sending in my contribution of Rs 1 lakh. I would actively encourage each one of you to send in whatever contribution you wish to make directly as indicated below. Following is the note I received from the HLC office with the instructions.

The information below will be very helpful for XLRI alumni wanting to give donations to Fr. McGrath - both in India and abroad. It will take care of "wire transfer" in India as well as alumni based abroad who will need the Swift Code and other code details. To be on the safe side, you can mail them the FULL DETAILS below. This way they
will have the complete information.

Name of Account : Human Life Centre

Bank Account No : 0160301000003770

Bank Name & Address : The Lakshmi Vilas Bank Ltd,
Plot No. 622 - B, Janpath,
Saheed Nagar, Bhubaneswar 751007

Bank Code No. (SWIFT CODE) : LAVBINBB

IFSC Code (for RTGS/NEFT) : LAVB0000160

Bank's MICR Code No. : 751056002

Madhukar, it would be good if you can forward Fr Mc Grath's address and Bank details to other XLers whose email addresses are available with you. This will enable many more to make their contributions.

With Best Wishes,
Mario

An evening with Abhijit Bhaduri in Bangalore

2010-03-12T01:10:00.000-08:00

XLRI Alumni Bangalore Chapter is happy to host XL Alumnus and author Abhijit Bhaduri( currently with Wiro,Bangalore) at the KGA on Friday evening March 19th from 7.30PM onwards

Programme: Fellowship, book reading and Q & A with Abhijit-featuring excerpts from his latest book, Married but Available. .Abhijit is trying to get books through his publisher at a discount for this event which he will sign for all those buying a copy, but this is subject to confirmation.

Those who attended the last HH, a few years ago, featuring him after his first book, will recall it as a very enjoyable evening.This will be followed by cocktails and dinner.

http://abhijitbhaduri.com/category/best-seller-lists/

Venue: First Floor Party Hall at the main clubhouse, plenty of parking is available.

Dress Code: Casual-shoes and collared T shirts are fine, open neck T-shirts are not allowed

Cover charge,Rs 250 per head including dinner and soft drinks, liquor available at extra charge

Please email me confirmations since we need to make arrangements for the dinner. If anyone has any questions please ask.

Thanks
George

P.S. Important: This is likely to be the last HH before the Summer Alumni Dinner in May, and we welcome any volunteers who can help direct the effort to make this summer's dinner a big success..

Anurag Malik (IR 98) interviewed in HT - Mr Fix-It

2010-03-11T02:09:00.000-08:00

When I opened the paper, I realised it was a familiar face staring back at me, albeit after 8-9 years.

From the Hindustan Times

Meet Mr Fix-it

Anurag Malik finished his MBA in 1998 from XLRI Jamshedpur and joined a consulting firm after working for a few years in the corporate world. “When I was doing my MBA, a consultant’s career was always an aspiration. But I wanted to get a good grounding in the corporate world, and spent a few years working in it. Those years have given me a good perspective of the mindset and concerns of people on the other side. I believe it has helped me connect better with clients, speak their language, understand their concerns better and recommend solutions that can be implemented,” says Malik, partner – people and organisation, performance improvement, Ernst & Young.

Today, many MBAs and   graduates from other fields, including engineering, prefer management consulting jobs. Mohit Kant, an engineering graduate from a private college in Gurgaon, works in one of India’s top consulting firms, but – for gaining experience – joined a smaller company first. “An MBA degree from a premier college is supposedly a definite passport to a consulting job. However, engineers, if competent enough, can also make the cut,” says Kant, who also runs an online knowledge and networking portal, consultingnetwork.co.in.

“The recent years have seen a shift in mindset and consultancies are keen on picking up graduates from good colleges. At Ernst & Young, we lay a lot of emphasis on grooming graduates to take on additional responsibilities. Some graduates who perform well can (even) outdo people with higher qualifications,” says Malik.

“Consulting is probably the only job where you can implement the entire learning you accumulate in a B-school. Every project demands a different approach. No wonder then that all top rankers in management colleges give the thumbs up to jobs in consulting,” says Gyanesh Sinha, a final-year student at Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University, who interned with Arthur D Little, a consulting firm, last summer. He recently got placed at Accenture Business Consulting.

One of the major reasons why MBAs are so keen to take up management consulting is the exposure it offers. “Learning and professional growth aspects are quite extraordinary. Arguably, one year of management consulting is expected to be equal to multiple years in a traditional business environment,” adds Malik.
The wide scope of a consultant’s work profile makes the job enriching as well as intellectually stimulating. The major thrust is on ensuring maximum returns on investments for one’s clients. Many a time, the fee a consulting firm charges depends entirely on the profitability it commits to the client. For example, when a consulting firm commits that the client’s sales will grow by 20 per cent after their suggestions are implemented, the firm would charge an “X” amount.

This would increase if the sales jump is of 30 per cent.
This makes consulting as demanding as a sales job. “You have to deliver results, without which consulting has no meaning. Sometimes, we also have to execute the plan to prove that the said plan will actually work,” says Sumit Sagar, an associate at a big consulting firm in Delhi.

Consulting jobs also help people when they choose to become entrepreneurs. “In a few years’ time, one can learn everything there is to know about running a business and can even start one’s own enterprise. Coming back to a corporate job is also not difficult,” says Prof Ajay Singh, who teaches HR management at IIM Lucknow’s Noida campus. “In a consulting firm, you end up learning a lot about how businesses are run. After that, entrepreneurship is a very logical shift for any successful consultant, especially when one discovers that one’s strategies are bearing fruit in companies across different sectors,” says Kant.

What's it about?Management consultants help organisations improve their performance, primarily through the analysis of existing business problems and development of plans.
Organisations hire management consultants to seek external, objective advice and access to the consultants’ specialised expertise. Consultancies also provide organisational change management assistance, development of coaching skills, technology implementations, strategy development, or operations improvement services.

Clock Work
9 am:      Meeting with team to decide plan of action for the day/ week/ project
10 am:    Conduct thorough research on the industry vertical
2 pm:      Study company reports and analyse them
3 pm:      Share the results with mentor to assess the plan of action
4 pm:      Resume study, analysis, try and figure out solutions to solve ‘X’ company’s problem
6 pm:      Leave for home
7 pm:      Read books and journals to know more about the changes in the industry vertical

The PayoffInitially one can earn as much as Rs 5 to Rs 8 lakh per annum and take home Rs 10 lakh to 15 lakh per annum in a few years time. The salary increases rapidly with experience. “If you are a high performer in this business and have the zeal to succeed, the sky is the limit. A high performer, within 10 years, can clearly aspire to take on a leadership position,” says Anurag Malik, Partner - people & organisation, performance improvement, Ernst & Young

Skills
.    You need to have an analytical mind as you will be required to study and analyse industry trends and identify company-specific problems
.    Stay calm and give hundred per cent to your work as it can be quite strenuous
.    Have various fields of interest as you will be made to work on projects belonging to completely different domains. One project could test your knowledge in
     marketing, while the other might test your skills in operations
.    You’ll require excellent communication skills as you have to be clear in conveying your ideas and thoughts to clients, listen to them and provide guidance
.     Industry experts need to have excellent learning skills as they have to update your knowledge on a regular basis

How do i get there?
A management degree from a premier institute is a sure shot way of bagging a consulting job. You can otherwise take up engineering and join as an analyst. After an MBA, you generally get placed at a senior position, like an associate or a consultant

Institutes urls
.    Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahemdabad, Bangalore Calcutta, Lucknow and Indore
     (www.iimahd.ernet.in) and others
.    Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi
     (www.fms.edu)
.    Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
     (www.mdi.ac.in)
.    IMI, Delhi
     (www.imi.edu)
.    XLRI, Jamshedpur
     (www.xlri.ac.in)
.    IMT, Ghaziabad
     (www.imt.edu)

Pros & Cons
.   Good money makes it one of the most attractive career options for MBAs
.   Allows exposure to different domains of business, which makes consulting an enriching job
.   Very demanding. It’s highly result-oriented and you have to perform well consistently. You can’t afford to make mistakes

What other qualification (besides an MBA) can help aspiring management consultants?
Most client problems require holistic business understanding and appreciation. Given this nature of consulting, mostly people with diverse backgrounds are valued. It’s common to find MBAs, CAs, psychology graduates, PhDs etc in consulting firms. More than a particular educational background, what is required is a problem-solving attitude, a passion for working in a certain area, working with different sets of issues and other such skill sets.

There are several management graduates who take up consulting because it looks like an attractive career from the outside, but later they find they are not suited for the profession.

Is life as a management consultant quite hectic? The life of a consultant can indeed get hectic at times. Working with multiple clients, tackling different sets of issues each day, dealing with different teams and people on a regular basis, busy travel schedules, stringent deadlines etc, can get to you at times. But then, these are the same things that make up the charm of being a consultant.

What are the growth avenues like in this sector? Where can one reach in 10 years?
Growth in consulting is quite rapid. Much of this is because of the steep learning curve in consulting. In 12 to 15 years, bright candidates go on to become partners in consulting firms.

What about the future of consulting in India?
India is amongst fastest growing economies in the world. There is tremendous amount of work to be done at every stage in ‘India Inc’ to create expertise and skill sets for the next levels. Consultants have a huge role to play in the years to come. India will continue to be amongst the fastest growing economies and that bodes well for them.

Rohit Jain, business leader, north and east India, consulting, Hewitt Associates Interviewed by Vimal Joshi

US Visit by Dr. Jittu Singh and Fr. Abraham

2010-02-17T02:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends :

Dr Jittu Singh and I will be travelling to the US to visit some universities for discussion on collaboration and exchange.. They are Cornell, Case Western, University of Minnesota, Stanford and University of Southern California. We would like to meet as many of you as possible during our visit from April 10 to April 20, 2010.

We have tentatively planned to organize Alumni get-togethers on :

April 10 : New York

April 16 : Minneapolis

April 17 or 18 : San Francisco

April 19 or 20 : Los Angeles

Looking forward to meeting you all,

Fr Abraham
--
E. Abraham S J., Ph.D.
Director
XLRI School of Business & Human Resources
C H Area (East)
PB no. 222
Jamshedpur 831001,INDIA

XL Bangalore Alumni Golf Introduction Workshop

2010-02-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

XLRI Bangalore Chapter is conducting a workshop to Introduce you to Golf( Yes, the same game that Tiger Woods plays!). This session is aimed at beginners and wannabe golfers, and will cover all aspects of the game-how to start, where to learn, who will teach you, what it will cost,etc.

Date: Saturday Feb 27th 12.30-200PM
Venue: Karnataka Golf Assn Clubhouse, First Floor Party Hall, Old Airport Road(opposite Royal Orchid Park Plaza)
Panel : Tarun Sardesai, Senior Teaching Pro,KGA, and XL Alumni George Ollapally & Ajay Das (MD Timken India)

Format: 30 min Presentation by Tarun Sardesai, covering all basic aspects of the game, followed by Q & A session with all 3 panelists.
Cover charge: Rs 300 per head, covering lunch + soft drinks.

Permission from the KGA is being sought to allow participants to visit the KGA Driving Range and observe golfers practising. Should this not be possible, then participants will have the option of paying the normal guest charge to use the range.

P.S. If you have any friends whom you may want to bring along with you, the same cover charge is applicable.

Please email confirmations to George Ollapally.

National Social Entrepreneurship Conference - Bihar model to study growth

2010-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

From The Telegraph

Bihar principal secretary of rural development department Vijoy Prakash inaugurates the conference. (Bhola Prasad)

Jamshedpur, Jan. 29: The event was the second national conference on social entrepreneurship. And the model for study was Bihar.

The three-day conference organised by XLRI was inaugurated today and chief guest was principal secretary of rural development department, Bihar, Vijoy Prakash.

The theme for this year is “solutions for inclusive development” which will see experts from social sector coming up with solutions for an improved social growth model in the country.

Prakash said the reason for 11 per cent growth rate achieved by Bihar was implementation of inclusive growth with innovative ideas.

He, however, stressed on a path-breaking idea of “broadstreaming” rather than “mainstreaming” for rural development.

“Inclusive growth means equalisation of opportunity. We often try to get underprivileged people into mainstream society but instead, if we broaden our arena and give opportunity to them according to their skills and interest, it would be better. If we aim at growth, we have to take into account their skill and utilise them,” said Prakash.

The principal secretary also explained how his department identified the differences among communities and tried to make them literate by adopting a different pedagogy.

Teaching clay modelling also helped in bringing about rural development.

He also pointed out initiatives like Mahadalit Dev Mission, state society for rehabilitation of poor (rehabilitation of beggars by using their talent) and identification of BPL families had positive results.

“Since we are talking of inclusive growth and development, we have to accommodate each and every person be it tribal, elite or Dalit,” said Prakash.

XLRI gears up for National Working Conference on Social Entrepreneurship

2010-01-28T08:12:00.000-08:00

From The Daily Pioneer

City-based premier B-school XLRI is gearing up to play host to the second National “Working Conference on Social Entrepreneurship” from January 29. Vijoy Prakash, Prinicipal Secretary, Rural Development, Government of Bihar would deliver the inaugural address of the three-day event.

The theme of the conference is “Solutions for Inclusive Development” and it aims to provide a common space to the practitioners like social entrepreneurs, CBOs/NGOs, Government agencies, academics, funding agencies, support organisations and corporate for interaction and learning from each other.

“We are happy to share that more than 160 development sector professionals from across India, have registered to participate in the conference. This year’s event is designed as a “working conference” which would allow the participants to not just listen and learn, but also to share, discuss and co-create solutions, alternatives as a take-away, by actively and collectively engaging in solving real, live problems, which are of their interest and concern,” said Prof Madhukar Shukla, coordinator of the conference.

He further added that about 25 social entrepreneurs and development sector professionals have been invited to participate in the conference as resource persons for the “Working Groups”.

The professor went on to inform that several resource persons have confirmed their participation,which includes Abhijit Ray, director, Unitus Capital, Anshu Gupta, founder-director, Goonj Ashoka Fellow, Arbind Singh, executive director, Nidan Ashoka Fellow, Arun Diaz, trustee and member of investment board, Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund, Ashish Rajpal, co-founder and managing director, Discovery Ashok Kamath, CEO, Akshara Foundation, Ashwin Naik, co-founder and CEO Vaatsalya Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd.

“Based on our interactions with practitioners in the field, we have also tentatively identified a few broad themes/groups for the working groups in the conference. In each group, we also plan to have Resource Persons, who have made significant contribution to the space, and would help bring greater value to the group, and lead the discussions,” he noted.

Padma Shri for Fr Romuald D'Souza - Director XLRI 82-89

2010-01-26T00:45:00.000-08:00

Fr D'Souza used to be director of XLRI during '82-'89.
He was also the founder of XIM, Bhubneshwar and Goa Institute of Management.

Today he was announced as a recepient of Padma Shri for his contribution to Education and Literature.

View the List of Awardees here

The GoI has named Fr. Rumualdo D'Souza for the Padma Shri this year. He was the Director of XLRI in the late 1980s and taught Stress Management among other subjects at the institute. Fr. Rumualdo, a mild mannered Jesuit, was the founding Director of XIM, Bhubaneshwar and Goa Institute of Management. Below is an impressive list of institutes he founded and positions he has occupied in his career of 50+ years as a Jesuit educationist:

Founded:

Xavier Centre of Historical Research Porvorim (Goa)
Thomas Stephens Konkanni, Povorim (Goa)
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneshwar
Goa Institute of Management, Ribandar (Goa)
National Institute of Construction Management, Ponda
Marian Institute of Health Care Management, for the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman

Served as

President of the Association of Indian Management Schools
Member of Executive Council of Association of Management Development Institutes of South Asia
Member of National Board of Accreditation and All India Board of Management Studies, Government of India
Professional Member of Academy of Management (USA)
Member of International Council of Psychologists
Member of the American Psychological Association
Member of the Board of Directors, IIT, Mumbai
Director of Goa Education development Corporation
Director of State Technical Education Council, Goa
Member of Goa Education Development Corporation Board
Member of Knowledge Commission of Goa

News Story from the internet:

Scrap exam system: Padma Shri awardee for education

Panaji, Jan 26: Padma Shri awardee Rumualdo D'Souza has advocated scrapping of the examination system to improve the level of education in India.
Rumualdo, a Jesuit priest and brother of former Goa chief minister Wilfred D'Souza, was speaking to reporters Tuesday.
Rumualdo, who was among the 130 Padma Shri awardees announced Monday, said the education system needed an urgent overhaul.
"The examination system should be scrapped. Teachers should be allowed to assess the performance of students instead. The system of examinations promotes other bad practices like tuitions, coaching classes etc," Rumualdo said.
The priest, who has been awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of education, has also founded the Goa Institute of Management (GIM), which is one of the top management institutes in western India.

Nirupama Subramanian (94 BMD) publishes "Keep the Change"

2010-01-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Freelance corporate trainer and consultant by day and struggling-to-stay-awake writer by night, Nirupama Subramanian has a postgraduate degree in management from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and used to be a banker. Her writing has appeared in various magazines and she has received several awards for her short stories, articles and essays. She currently lives in Gurgaon, Haryana, with a precocious eight-year-old daughter and a peripatetic husband.

From The Harper Collins website
Keep the Change

ISBN:	9788172239428
Cover Price:	Rs. 199.00
Format:	Paperback
Extent:	224 pages
On Sale:	January 2010

BOOK SUMMARY
The uncoolness of her name plagues B. Damayanthi, along with the bunch of unsuitable prospective husbands her Amma throws at her, a dead-end job as an accountant in a decrepit firm, the oppressiveness of Chennai. When she finally jettisons her job and some of her inhibitions to join a bank in Mumbai, Amma's parting words are: "Be good. Don't do anything silly." Translation: "Stay away from sex and alcohol!" Soon Damayanthi is negotiating competitive corporate corridors and big-city life. Aided by dubious words of wisdom from the cherub-faced Jimmy, she must impress the intellectual C.G., who has a low opinion of her; battle Sonya Sood, flatmate and size-zero sophisticate, for the TV remote; choose between resisting or giving in to temptation in the form of the seductive Rahul; deal with the moral dilemma of "stealing" a million-dollar idea for her project. Can a good girl have a really good time? Can the conservative, curd-rice-eating Damayanthi become a cool, corporate babe? Keep the Change is a rollicking, wickedly witty story of every girl's journey to fulfil her dreams and find her own place in the world.

XLRI, Jamshedpur to Host 31st Annual Marketing Fair

2010-01-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

From Cool Avenues

XLRI, Jamshedpur to Host 31st Annual Marketing Fair
The Marketing Association of XLRI, popularly known as MAXI, is set to organize its Annual MAXI Fair on the 17th of January, 2010. Started in 1979, the MAXI Fair is a unique and innovative approach to conduct Market Research in a fun format.

The idea was conceptualized 31 years ago, much ahead of its time, by Sharad Sarin, Professor of Marketing at XLRI and a visionary. Year after year since then, major Indian corporate houses bring their market research problems to the students of XLRI, who design elaborate games around them. These games are hosted in the XLRI grounds, and are open to public who visit the fair and have a good time apart from winning prizes. The students, on the other hand, get useful data about public preferences, which they then analyze to solve the problems faced by the companies. This makes the task of conducting the otherwise boring and mundane research easier and interesting.

This year, Hindustan Unilever(HUL) and Tata Main Hospital (TMH) are taking part in the MAXI Fair. While HUL wants to understand consumer behavior and preferences in its Face Care category, TMH wants to determine the factors which drive or inhibit the people from visiting their hospital.

HUL and other companies from the Tata Group, among many others, have been taking part in the Fair in previous years also, which provides a testimony to the quality of the research conducted at the Fair. In fact, the idea has been so popular and effective that it has been replicated and implemented by business schools all over India.

The magnitude of the Fair can be estimated by the fact that the number of people gathering in the XLRI grounds runs into thousands, in a span of just one day. The footfalls last year were over 2000, which are expected to increase by 50 percent this year, to over 3000 people.

The popular game stalls last year were ‘Bhutiya Haveli’, helping Tata Steelium determine consumer preferences in furniture, and the ‘Wonderland’ which took the visitors on a joy ride to the land of Alice and Genies, facilitating Spencer’s to judge its brand image relative to other retail stores. This year as well, the preparations for the Fair are up in full swing in the XLRI campus, with everything being done and managed by the students. Let us see what experiences Maxi Fair has in store for the public this year.

97 batch XLer's - Rajiv Rajendra - play in Sydney

2010-01-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

Folks

belated Happy New Year

a play directed by Rajiv "Jeeves" Rajendra (97BMD) - citi-banker turned entrepreneur and also in theatre:) is scheduled in Sydney during Feb 3 and Feb 7... details below

ciao

madhukar

The Fruits of War @ Sydney

Written by Earl T Roske
Directed by Rajiv Rajendra

Start Time: Wednesday, February 3 at 8:15pm
End Time: Sunday, February 7 at 8:15pm
Where: Newtown Theatre, NSW, Australia
THE FRUITS OF WAR

For tickets please visit www.shortandsweet.org or call +61 2 8507 3034.

2nd National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship @ XLRI - Registration Details

2010-01-06T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hello Folks!

I am happy to invite your participation in the 2nd National "Working" Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, which we are organising at XLRI Jamshedpur (Jan 29-31).

The registration details of the conference are enclosed and also pasted below - and I am also enclosing the Nomination Form.

If you know of someone who may be interested in attending this conference, please forward these too - thanks!

Wishing you all a wonderful and meaningful 2010

ciao
madhukar
ps: er.... a bit of "ambush marketing" ;0) - if you have not much to do, pl also have a look at my article in WSJ which got published yeterday :)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126258063197814415.html

<http://2nd-se-conference-at-xlri.blogspot.com/>

Why a "Working Conference"? - Purpose & Theme

Welcome to a conference with a difference!

Breaking away from the format of outlined agenda, specified topics, and fixed speakers, the <http://2nd-se-conference-at-xlri.blogspot.com/> 2nd National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship is designed to collaboratively explore, discuss, learn from each other, and co-create.

Designed as interest-based 'facilitated' Working Groups, the conference aims to:
facilitate learning by actively involving the participants in collaboratively solving real, live problems, which are of their interest and concern.

. leverage the rich experience and competence available in the participants' community to address real challenges, issues and opportunities facing the sector, and help learning from each other.

. result in relevant "take-home" learning (solutions and alternatives) for the participants, which can be implemented.

The Themes & Design

The Conference is designed around seven broad themes for the Working Groups; each group would be anchored by Social Entrepreneurs/ Resource Persons, who have contributed significantly to that particulars space, and will add value to the discussions and outcomes:

. Market Linkages: Mainstreaming the Marginalised Producers
. Employment & Livelihood: Organising the Unorganised
. Universal Primary Education: Investing in the Future
. Financial Inclusion: Creating an Equitable India
. Healthcare & Hygiene for All: Making a Healthier Society
. Access to Technology & Societal Resources: Empowering the Masses
. Grass Root Innovations: Supporting Social Entrepreneurship

Dates: January 29 - 31, 2010

Venue: XLRI, Jamshedpur

For Whom:
Development sector professionals, i.e.,
. Social entrepreneurs,
. NGOs,
. Government officials operating in development space,
. CSR executives,
. Academicians, and
. Interested students

3. Participation Fee

** due to "interactive working groups" methodology, the conference will accept limited number of participants on a first-come basis

The Cheque/DD should be drawn in favour of XLRI Jamshedpur

Download Nomination Form

Nominations should be sent to:
Prof Madhukar Shukla
Conference Coordinator
The 2nd National Entrepreneurship on Social Entrepreneurship
XLRI
CH Area (East), Jamshedpur 831 001
Ph: 0657 - 398 3333 Fax: 0657 - 398 3200
Email: seconference@xlri.ac.in> seconference@xlri.ac.in
Conference Blog : http://2nd-SE-Conference-at-XLRI.blogspot.com/

Confirmed Resource Persons:

Mr Arbind Singh
Executive Director
<http://www.nidan.in/> Nidan & Ashoka Fellow

Mr Arun Diaz
Trustee & Member of Investment Board
<http://www.aavishkaar.in/> Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund

Mr Ashish Rajpal
Co-Founder & Managing Director
http://www.idiscoverii.org/> iDiscoveri

Mr Ashok Kamath
CEO
<http://www.aksharafoundation.org/> Akshara Foundation

Dr Ashwin Naik
Co-Founder & CEO
<http://www.vaatsalya.com/> Vaatsalya Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd

Dr Balaji Utla
CEO
<http://www.hmri.in/> Health Management & Research Institute

Mr Devendra Shukla
Director
<http://www.jaipurrugs.org/> Jaipur Rugs Foundation

Mr GN Murthy
General Manager - New Initiatives
<http://www.echoupal.com/> ITC - Agri Business Div

Dr Joe Madiath
Founder & Executive Director,
<http://www.gramvikas.org/> Gram Vikas & Skoll Social Entrepreneur

Mr Kirti Prasanna Mishra
Partner
<http://www.martrural.com/> MART

Mr Niraj Subrat
Vice President -Marketing
<http://www.ide-india.org/> International Development Enterprises - India

Mr Paul Basil
Founder & CEO
<http://www.villgro.org/> Villgro & Ashoka Fellow

Mr Pravin Mahajan
Founder & Executive Director
<http://www.janarth.org/> Janarth

Mr Rohit Magotra
Chief Operating Officer
<http://www.ekgaon.com/> Ekgaon Technologies

Mr Samit Ghosh
CEO
<http://www.ujjivan.com/> Ujjivan

Mr Sandeep Farias
Founder & Managing Director
<http://www.elevarwquity.com/> Elevar Equity

Ms Saloni Malhotra
Founder & CEO
<http://www.desicrew.in/> DesiCrew Solutions Pvt Ltd

Ms Sohini Bhattacharya
Director, South Asia Partnerships
<http://india.ashoka.org/> Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

Mr Soumen Biswas
Executive Director
<http://www.pradan.net/> PRADAN

Prof Shukla in the Wall Street Journal

2010-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

An Invisible Revolution in Rural India

An Invisible Revolution in Rural India - Wall Street Journal

online.wsj.com

Self help groups are quietly changing the dynamics of rural India says Madhukar Shukla, professor at the XLRI School of Business & Human Resources.

Read the entire article on The Wall Street Journal

XAT 2010 attains glory as the toughest MBA entrance exam; Offers total of 101 questions in three sections

2010-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

From MBA Universe

The first MBA entrance exam of the year, XAT 2010, held on Sunday, 3 January 2010, was by far the toughest MBA entrance exam.

“XAT2010 was easily the toughest paper of the management exam season so far this year. This was a very difficult paper with all the ingredients of a Bollywood potboiler; lengthy questions, difficult questions, tricky questions and yes, easy questions too. Students would have come out of the exam hall not knowing how well they fared,” said an official from leading prep institute T.I.M.E.

XAT 2010 maintained the difficulty level of XAT 2009. The number of questions was 101 and each question had 1 mark. The negative marking scheme is progressive. There was 0.20 negative marking for the first five incorrect answers in each section and 0.25 marks for each incorrect answer thereafter.

Like last year, the number of sections was three. They were Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability, Analytical Reasoning & Decision Making and Verbal & Logical Ability. Each questions had five choices. The essay topic to be written within 20 minutes was ‘Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need but not every man’s greed’.

“The key to approaching this paper was to keep cool and follow the tested ‘TIME-allocation’ strategy. Those who left the difficult questions and did not target a ‘pre-fixed’ number of questions would have been able to find the easy questions and have a good, balanced performance in all three sections – which is the key to get the coveted call from XLRI,” mentioned T.I.M.E. in its analysis.

Now let us focus on the sections of XAT 2010.

Data Interpretation & Quantitative Ability
This section had 40 questions. According to T.I.M.E., this was the most difficult section in the entire paper. “The DI sets were almost ‘undoable’ and should not have been attempted,” mentioned T.I.M.E. The Quantitative Ability questions were from a variety of areas. Though most of them were difficult and tricky, some of them were simple. “Locating such easy questions and solving them would be the key to scoring well in this section,” said T.I.M.E.

Verbal & Logical Ability
This section had 31 questions. According to IMS Learning, this section was much tougher than what it was in XAT 2009. “While the focus was once again on inferential logic and critical reasoning, a lot of questions contained long paragraphs, which were difficult to interpret in themselves, apart from the fact that the options were very close,” mentioned IMS Learning. This section consisted of four Reading Comprehension passages which were pretty tough to interpret. “Additionally, there were two Jumbled Paragraph questions, and an FIJ one, both of which were taxing to attempt,” added IMS Learning.

Analytical Reasoning & Decision Making
This section had 30 questions. In the Analytical Reasoning section, there were questions on Data Arrangement and Business Judgement. According to PT Education, the Data Arrangement area had 19 questions with five sets. They were of Moderate to Tough difficulty level. The area of Business Judgement had 11 questions and four sets. This topic was of Moderate difficulty level. “The Decision Making sets though ‘easy’ to read always had two close options which made the process of selecting the right answer a very tedious and time consuming one,” T.I.M.E. stated.

XAT 2010 exam held today

2010-01-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

From Samay Live

Click Image to Enlarge

XAT 2010 exam to select management students for top 60 associated institution was held today in 33 cities across the country.

The XLRI aspirant students will have to crack the XAT 2010 exams.

XAT 2010 Analysis:

XLRI, Jamshedpur is one of the leading management institutes in the country. XLRI, Jamshedpur is believed to be centre of excellence in management studies.

XLRI Jamshedpur is considered as one of the best schools of business and Human Resource.

XLRI is one of the best and admired management institutes in Asia. The students receive good offer from national and overseas companies after completion of course from XLRI.

XLRI can be a good option for the students, who want to make career in management field with quality of education and facilities.

First Conference of Indian Academy of Management

2010-01-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

From http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091229/jsp/jharkhand/story_11919152.jsp">The Telegraph

CEOs harp on religion

SBI chairman O.P. Bhatt lights the ceremonial lamp at the conference on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, Dec. 28: The inaugural session of the first conference of Indian Academy of Management at Tata Auditorium today saw corporate honchos sharing their knowledge of religion, mythology and Bhagvad Gita which they have used for better management.

XLRI hosted the first conference of Indian Academy of Management — an autonomous body founded along the lines of the US-based Academy of Management with the idea of promoting research work and studies in management and also to serve as a platform for all B-schools to share ideas.

The theme of the three-day conference that began was Indian Management: Past, Present and Future.

The conference saw the likes of vice-chairman of Tata Steel B. Muthuraman, O.P. Bhatt, the chairman of State Bank of India and Venugopal Dhoot, the chairman of Videocon, as speakers. All of them explained the theme by citing examples from Bhagvad Gita, Kautilya Arthashashtra and Rig Veda.

“Good management can be learnt not just in B-school but in everyday life, ancient traditions, religion, art, culture and sports. What we teach in business schools today have been found in the country’s culture that dates back to 5,000 years,” said Muthuraman.

He pointed out that one could find examples of leadership, motivation and performance in Gita and examples of decision making in Rig Veda.

“These religious books also speaks about vasudeva kutumbakam, which means universe is one family and that is globalisation that we talk about now,” said a speaker.

Dhoot quoted Bhagvad Gita and explained how management saw a heavy presence of Indian culture.

At this conference, about 150 research papers and 34 concurrent sessions on various management topics will be presented.

“The motto is to provide researchers and doctoral students a platform to present their papers. This platform is for sharing and encouraging ideas,” said E.S. Srinivas, the conference chairperson.

2nd National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship @ XLRI (Jan 29-31, '10)

2010-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

Hello folks!

Season’s Greetings from XLRI!

I am happy to inform you that we are the 2nd National "Working Conference" on Social Entrepreneurship @ XLRI during Jan 29th-31st, '10. This mail is both to inform (in case, some of you would like to attend), and with a request to pass it on to those who you think may be interested.

The theme of the Conference is "Solutions for Inclusive Development" and it aims to provide a common space to the practitioners (social entrepreneurs, CBOs/NGOs, Government Agencies, Academics, Funding Agencies, Support Organisations and Corporate) for interaction and learning from each other. We were greatly encouraged by the participation in the last Conference, (http://social-entrepreneurship-at-xlri.blogspot.com) which was attended by about 160 practitioners from the development sector as participants.

This year's event is designed as a "working conference" which would allow the participants to not just listen and learn, but also to share, discuss and co-create solutions/alternatives as a take-away, by actively and collectively engaging in solving real, live problems, which are of their interest and concern.

Based on our interactions with practitioners in the field, we have tentatively identified a few broad themes/groups for the working groups in the Conference. In each group, we also plan to have Resource Persons, who have made significant contribution to the space, and would help bring greater value to the group, and lead the discussions.

· Market Linkages: Mainstreaming the Marginalised Producers

· Employment & Livelihood: Organising the Unorganised

· Universal Primary Education: Investing in the Future

· Financial Inclusion: Creating an Equitable India

· Healthcare & Hygiene for All: Making a Healthier Society

· Access to Technology & Societal Resources: Empowering the Masses

· Grass Root Innovations: Supporting Rural Entrepreneurship

In addition, the conference will be interspersed with panel discussions on relevant themes (I am pasting below the tentative schedule of the Conference for your reference).

We are working on the registration details for the conference (that being the function of sponsorship – if we can get those :0), and will share the same soon.

We expect about 25 Social Entrepreneurs and Development Sector Professionals to participate in the Conference as Resource Persons. I am also happy to share, that as of now, the following have confirmed their participation as Resource Persons

- Mr Arbind Singh (Executive Director, Nidan)

Ashoka Fellow & Social Entrepreneur of the Year '08

http://www.nidan.in/

- Mr Arun Diaz (Trustee & Member of Investment Board, Aavishkaar India Micro Venture Capital Fund)

http://www.aavishkaar.in/

- Mr Ashish Rajpal (Co-Founder & Managing Director, iDiscoveri)

http://www.idiscoveri.org/

- Dr Ashwin Naik (Co-Founder & CEO, Vaatsalya Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd)

http://www.vaatsalya.com/

- Dr Balaji Utla, (CEO, Health Management & Research Institute)

http://www.hmri.in/

- Mr Chandra Shekhar Ghosh (Chairman & Managing Director, Bandhan Microfinance)

Senior Ashoka Fellow & winner of Microfinance Award '09,

http://www.bandhanmf.com/

- Mr Devendra Shukla (Director, Jaipur Rugs Foundation)

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/

- Mr GN Murthy (General Manager – New Initiatives, ITC- Business Div)

http://www.echoupal.com/

- Dr Joe Madiath (Founder & Executive Director, Gram Vikas)

Senior Ashoka Fellow & Skoll Social Entrepreneur

http://www.gramvikas.org/

- Mr Niraj Subrat (Vice President, Marketing, International Development Enterprises-India)

http://www.ide-india.org/

- Mr Paul Basil (Founder & CEO, Villgro)

Ashoka Fellow

http://www.villgro.org/

- Mr Pravin Mahajan (Executive Director, Janarth)

Ashoka Fellow

http://www.janarth.org/

- Mr Samit Ghosh (Founder & CEO, Ujjivan Financial Services Pvt Ltd)

http://www.ujjivan.com/

- Mr Sandeep Farias (Founder & Managing Director, Elevar Equity)

http://www.elevarequity.com/

- Ms Saloni Malhotra (Founder and CEO, DesiCrew Solutions Pvt Ltd)

http://www.desicrew.in/

- Ms Sohini Bhattacharya (Director, South Asia Partnerships, Ashoka Innovators for the Public)

http://india.ashoka.org/

- Mr Soumen Biswas (Executive Director, PRADAN)

http://www.pradan.net

- Mr Upmanyu Patil (Managing Director, Sakhi Retail Pvt Ltd)

http://www.sspindia.org/resources/SRPL_profile_09.pdf

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

Tentative Agenda of the Conference

January 29^th

2:00-3:30 Inauguration, Design of the Conference, Inaugural Address

4:00-5:30 Panel: Social Entrepreneurship & Inclusive Socio-Economic Development

January 30^th

9:00-10:30 Panel: Inclusive Growth: Challenges, Opportunities and Impediments

11:00-6:00 Working Group Discussions - Themes:

· Market Linkages: Mainstreaming the Marginalised Producers

· Employment & Livelihood: Organising the Unorganised

· Universal Primary Education: Investing in the Future

· Financial Inclusion: Creating an Equitable India

· Healthcare & Hygiene for All: Making a Healthier Society

· Access to Technology & Societal Resources: Empowering the Masses

· Grass Root Innovations: Supporting Rural Entrepreneurship

January 31^st

9:00-12:30 Sharing/ Presentations by Groups

2:00-3:30 Panel: Scaling the Impact

3:30-4:00 Conclusion

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

Dr Madhukar Shukla

Coordinator - 2nd National Conference on Social Entrepreneurship (Jan 29 -31, '10) &

Professor (OB & Strategic Mgt)

XLRI Jamshedpur

CH Area (East)

Jamshedpur 831001 (India)

ph: 91-657-398 3333

mailid: madhukar@xlri.ac.in / seconference@xlri.ac.in/

Corporate Honchos to attend Conference at XLRI

2009-12-28T14:37:00.000-08:00

From http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Corporate-honchos-to-attend-meet-at-XLRI/articleshow/5382569.cms">The Times of India

JAMSHEDPUR (The Times of India, Dec 27): Perhaps for the first time, the XLRI, a premier business school of the country, has got the opportunity to host the conference of the

Indian Academy of Management (IAoM), the apex body of the management institutes pursuing the agenda of narrowing the gap between academia and practitioners in India, in the Steel city from Monday.

The three-day conference will witness the congregation of big and famous corporate honchos with several alumni of the IIMs, ISB, MDI and host XLRI chairing the boards of different divisions.

The IAoM is committed to promoting India-centric collaborative research efforts among scholars across the globe, and to try and bridge the gap between the academia and practitioners in India.

"This conference will bring together academics and practitioners from around the globe. We are happy to announce that Professor Angelo DeNisi (Immediate past president, Academy of Management, USA) and Professor Pradip Khandwalla (former director and professor, IIM Ahmedabad) have agreed to be the main speakers at the inaugural conference," informed Prof. Madhukar Shukla, a member of the organizing committee.

O P Bhatt, chairman, SBI, Venugopal Dhoot, chairman, Videocon and B Muthuraman, vice-chairman, Tata Steel, are among others who have confirmed their participation in the inaugural conference the theme of which is "Indian Management: Past, Present and Future". "Mr Bhatt, Mr Dhoot and Mr Muthuraman will be on the CEO panel that will deliberate on wide-ranging issues fundamentally related to the theme Wisdom perspectives, principles and practices in Indian businesses," informed Prof. Shukla.

The session will be moderated by Dr Prasad Kaipa, executive director, Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change (CLIC), Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad.

Dr Pradip Khandwalla, former director and professor, IIMA, and Dr S Ramnarayan, former professor IIMA and currently professor at ISB Hyderabad, are making presentations on December 29. And, on the same day, Dr Angelo DeNisi, the immediate past president of AoM and dean, School of Business, Tulane University, will deliver the keynote address "Management of Corporate Greatness".

"India is now again emerging as an economic power, and business schools are focusing on the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) nations instead of the Triadian market of the US, Europe, and Japan. Thus, it is important to further focus our research energy on Indian management and reveal about what is unique about Indian management good or bad, effective or inefficient, beautiful or ugly. This conference will be useful for researchers and practitioners who are interested in India in general and management practices related to India in particular," Prof. Shukla said.

In the light of the overwhelming response to the Academy of Management meeting held in Chicago in August last, it is expected that delegates (faculty, doctoral students and practitioners) representing several institutes from India and abroad are expected to participate in good numbers in the proposed conference.

Fidelity appoints Ramanathan (BMD 2000) as fixed income fund manager

2009-12-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

From Myiris.com

Fidelity Mutual Fund today announced that it has appointed Shriram Ramanathan as the new fund manager for its fixed income funds.

He will be the fund manager for five fixed income / hybrid funds - Fidelity Cash Fund, Fidelity Ultra Short Term Debt Fund, Fidelity Flexi Bond Fund, Fidelity Flexi Gilt Fund and Fidelity Wealth Builder Fund.

Commenting on the appointment, Andrew Wells, Global chief investment officer (CIO) - fixed income, Fidelity International, said, ``I am pleased to welcome Shriram to the India fixed income team. With his decade long experience in fixed income investing locally and domestically, he brings expertise that will strengthen the team as we look to grow our fixed income business in India.``

Prior to joining Fidelity, Shriram was senior investment manager - global emerging market debt (Asia) at ING Investment Management Asia Pacific in Hong Kong. He started with ING Investment Management as a fixed income fund manager in India. His earlier assignments were with Zurich Asset Management Company in fixed income research and with the treasury department of ICICI Bank. Shriram started his career with Larsen and Toubro.

He is a chartered financial analyst and holds a post graduate diploma in business management from XLRI Jamshedpur and an engineering degree from the university of Mumbai.

Christmas Party - Bangalore

2009-12-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

Hi Xlers,

We are planning a christmas party on the 11th of Dec at the KGA party hall. Unlike the regular Happy Hours, this will be a 'with family' event where the kids can come and have fun too!

Any suggestions / idea on what we can do are most welcome. Any volunteers to be Santa? :)

Regards
Pratik Bhartia
Secretary, XL Bang Alumni

Felicitating Fr. McGrath

2009-11-25T11:41:00.000-08:00

Fr McGrath - one of the founding fathers of XLRI (and the only one who still walks the planet) was honoured for his contribution to the instititute and to the field of education during XLRI's Diamond Jubilee Annual Alumni Homecoming (Nov 21st, '09)... and he still continues with his work in his Human Life Center @ Bhubneswar... Salute to the man!

Radhika Sood Nayak (94PMIR)

2009-11-24T02:00:00.000-08:00

Veteran vocalist Sushila Rani Patel believes Radhika Sood Nayak is the only singer who can carry on her legacy. “She’s hardworking, and picks up difficult things easily,” said the 90-year-old Jaipur-Atrauli gharana exponent about her student. “Recently, I taught her a tarana in raga Sohini that she grasped within no time. She has that inner drive.” Like Patel, 38-year-old Sood Nayak has been blessed with a powerful voice and she’s not afraid to use it. “My teacher insists that the voice should be projected without any inhibition,” said Sood Nayak. At her recital this fortnight, which has been organised by the Bhavan’s Cultural Centre, she will sing khayals in Bageshri and Bhoop and a thumri in Des.

From Time Out Mumbai

Aggressive Growth Plan on XLRI Radar

2009-11-24T01:53:00.000-08:00

From The Telegraph

Jamshedpur, Nov. 21: XLRI is planning to go big in the next few years.

Along with developing academic strength and infrastructure, alumni members of the 1983 batch have decided to set up an endowment fund for the growth of the institute.

These and other plans were shared at one of the sessions of XLRI Homecoming 2009, the annual alumni meet on campus that began today, organised by XLRI Alumni Association.

On the spare eight acres behind the existing campus, the B-school has decided to set up a learning centre, a hostel for 300 students, a 100-seater International Centre, about 15 guest houses and 100 faculty offices — all within five years at a budget of Rs 50 crore.

“We are giving it some time, at least five years. We are first giving preference to classrooms as we feel that is the priority. Things will be bigger and better. We aim to become an institute of global standards as we already have tie-ups with a score of international B-schools from all over the world and many more are in the pipeline. So, development is necessary,” said XLRI director Father E. Abraham, while addressing alumni members at the annual homecoming.

The alumni members have set up an endowment fund of Rs 6 crore. A sum of Rs 10 lakh has already been deposited with the fund to enhance the brand value of XLRI. Alumni members are looking at more research work, management development programmes, support for student activities, faculty strengthening and improved infrastructure with the funds.

The XLRI Endowment Fund (XEF) will be used with the consent of the XLRI board of governors but it will have a secretariat, a fund utilisation committee and a sub-fund utilisation committee to decide on the ventures. A presentation was also given on the workings of XEF, though things are yet to be finalised.

Plans are already afoot to set up new campuses in Calcutta, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar as these places are more feasible than Jamshedpur.

Accessibility, along with visibility, is one of the guiding reasons now.

“Land acquisition is the major problem, so things need to be chalked out. Nothing is finalised because of accessibility problems. Also there is a lot of work we do here but that is not noticed outside,” said Father Abraham.

Low visibility is a problem for many. While most B-school rankings put XLRI in the top five positions, the board of governors is still not happy with the current rankings and is working out a strategy to compete with other B-schools, especially Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta.

“The competition is mainly with the three IIMs. Otherwise, we are the best private B-school. Also we are managing well as compared to the funding that IIMs receive from the central government. We would try to chalk out ways and strategise to see how we can develop,” added Father Abraham.

XLRI alumni to raise endowment fund for B-school's infrastructure

2009-11-20T13:28:00.000-08:00

From The Financial Express

Jamshedpur: Alumni of the XLRI School of Business & Human Resources will be here soon to attend the Homecoming 2009, a re-union the B-School has been hosting for the last five years. They are raising an endowment fund to improve the B-School’s infrastructure.

The fund was initiated in 2008 by the 1983 batch. They will be contributing Rs 1 crore, which would subsequently go up to Rs 5 crore.

“The whole idea is to make the fund bigger, as XLRI really didn’t have much of an endowment as we always have lived from hand to mouth,” said XLRI director Father E Abraham, adding that it was only now that the institute has some money to build the infrastructure.

Members of all the alumni batches who have been visiting the B-School over the last few years to attend the Homecoming reunion have been expressing their own ideas in improving things at the institute.

The B-School has chalked out a two-day (November 21-22) programme that would make the alumni members aware of the different initiatives undertaken by XLRI including its expansion and diversification plans in the academic field.

“This forum is going to channelise all the different ideas as we have now set up an endowment fund; and through the fund we are going to channelise whatever ideas come from the alumni towards the growth of the institution”, said Rana Sinha, managing director of Telcon and president of the local XLRI Alumni Association.

XLRI’s alumni members have been behind the setting up of a unique “entrepreneurship trust” which has helped some of the B-School’s two-year management students in starting social entrepreneurship ventures like “Parichay”, “Swavalamban”, “Dream4Others”, “Brandtadka.com”, etc by way of giving seed money.

“The entrepreneurship trust is set to grow because every batch would be reinforcing it with fund and we would have more and more examples of success stories”, said Sinha.

Homecoming 2009 also proposes to confer lifetime achievement awards as well as “distinguished alumnus awards” to those of its alumni who have not only excelled in industry but also in academia. The B-School will also be honouring Father E H McGrath.

“Considering this is the 60th year of XLRI, Homecoming this year is of special importance”, said Bushen Raina, the national president of the XLRI Alumni Association, adding the response from over 150 alumni members so far has been “very positive”.

XLRI student appeals to conscience of the nation

2009-11-15T02:22:00.000-08:00

Current Student from XLRI appeals for help to find his brother, who most possibly has been kidnapped because he was planning to reveal a corruption scandal in his PWD department at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

For providing any assistance, please contact
Vidyasagar - 09718908837
email - avpm123@gmail.com

XLRI to host the Management Festival -"Ensemble 2009" (Nov 13-15)

2009-11-11T01:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.xlri-ensemble.com/

New Delhi, 2009: XLRI School of Business and Human Resources is hosting its management festival Ensemble 2009, from November 13th to November 15th 2009. This 3 day long festival entails exciting events and activities.

Ensemble 2009, now ISO 9001 certified, is poised to become even bigger. "In keeping with the sweeping change in the world of management, where the need for accountable & ethical managers is being felt more than the need for over-ambitious & aggressive managers, the theme for Ensemble 2009 is 'Integrity & Initiative'. The theme also resonates with the principles and ideals of XLRI as it celebrate its 60th anniversary this year", said Meesam, the General Secretary of the Students Council.

In keeping with XLRI's image as a b-school run by students, the events of Ensemble 2009 have all been organized by the numerous committees on campus. The games vary across all business verticals, and enthusiasts of Finance, Marketing, Operations, Information Systems and Human Resources will find something of interest at Ensemble 2009. Apart from the management events, there will be events for adventure-lovers, budding entrepreneurs quizzing enthusiasts & even aspiring actors. The latest updates about Ensemble 2009 can be obtained at http://www.xlri-ensemble.com

A major event of Ensemble 2009 is the Idea Summit - which is expected to draw experts from different walks of life to share their experiences with the students. Prominent personalities from the world of academia, business, media, sports and politics will be coming for the series of sessions based on the theme "Integrity & Initiative". Idea Summit will include speaker session by eminent personalities spread across three days of Ensemble. The speakers are Mr. N Sivaraman, Executive Vice President (Financial Services), L&T, Mr. Tapan Mitra,Chief HR - Apollo Tyres, Mr. Micheal Ferreira, four time winner of world billiards Championship, Mr. U.P.Agarwal, President, ICAI.

The previous edition of Ensemble had the theme of "Magis: Delivering Excellence". The Aditya Birla Group was the principal partner. Other notable Corporates associated with Ensemble'08 were Cognizant, Nokia, L&T, Nestle, and Human Capital. Ensemble '08 had prize money aggregating over INR 1 million. The principle sponsor event, ABG Board-Room gave the single largest prize money ever in any B school festival of INR 250,000 and created a buzz in the B-School circle. In all, close to 200 students from 21 top Indian B-Schools institutes including the IIMs and ISB Hyderabad participated in the annual event. The online events saw as many as 1000students participating from almost all B Schools in India.

Beginning in 2000, Ensemble has grown to become one of the most awaited showpiece events in the B-School circuit. Over the years, students from across the elite B-Schools of India have participated in a wide spectrum of business plan contests, case studies, online simulation games, across all business functions like Consulting, Marketing, Finance, HR, Systems and Operations. In terms of corporate partnerships and finances, the event has grown over 14 times since its inception.

Posted By The Theme to XLRI Jamshedpur - News and Latest Updates at 11/10/2009 02:35:00 PM

XLRI conducts Simulated Bond Auction

2009-11-11T01:36:00.000-08:00

JAMSHEDPUR (Nov 6,'09, Times of India): XLRI School of Business and Human Resources simulated a simultaneous auction along with the Rs 90-billion government securities auction by the RBI on Friday.

The bond auction game was conceptualised and designed by professor of finance H K Pradhan as a part of the fixed income securities course conducted by him. The idea was to give the students a practical feel of the bond market to help them better imbibe the concepts in the course.

"In trying to do this, we created an exact market situation that they would have to handle in their professional careers tomorrow. It is important to have some sort of experience along with theory classes," said H K Pradhan, the instructor of fixed income securities course.

The game comprised two teams with 20 teams acting as primary dealers in the market that bid for the Rs 90-billion government debt auction held the same day by the RBI, though in a simulated environment.

Pradhan was assisted by students Amit Kumar and Kartik Bakshi and senior executive members of the Finance Association at XLRI (FINAX), who were mock representatives of the Reserve Bank of India and conducted the whole process.

In real situations, the RBI carries out this process to check liquidity adjustment, known as inflation in layman's term.

The whole game was conducted within a three-hour span and the winning bids were to be determined at the closing time of market, i.e. 5 pm. The auction consisted of 2 types of bids uniform pricing and discriminatory pricing in the 3 government securities that were up for auction on Friday 7.32 percent bonds maturing in 2014 for 30 billion rupees, 6.35 percent 2020 bonds for 40 billion rupees and 7.5 percent 2034 bonds for 20 billion rupees. There were simultaneous trades at the "when-issued" market and the auction market of these bonds.

"Such events are important to us so that we get the real picture' of the present market trends. It helps understand the market functioning and we learn to effectively and expeditiously handle the problems," Vivek Seshadri, one of the participating students at the auction, said.

The results of the market are yet to be decided as there were 60 bids with 240 transactions involving some serious calculations. Though it was a hypothetical market, quotes were real ones made by the RBI in the real market auction.

--
Posted By The Theme to XLRI Jamshedpur - News and Latest Updates at 11/07/2009 03:01:00 PM

XLRI gets SAQS Accreditation

2009-11-11T01:33:00.000-08:00

XLRI became the 5th Instt in India, and 6th in South Asia, to receive the SAQS Accreditation.... the whole process took around 4 years!! SAQS is among the 4 global accreditations (EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA). Last year, XLRI was given membership to AACSB, which is but a first step in its goal of AACSB Accreditation....

Sad News: Madhur Tiwary (71BMD) R.I.P.

2009-10-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

Just received word that Madhur Tiwary of Tiwary Bechar, Jamshedpur XL '71 Passed away in his sleep in his hotel room in Calcutta yesterday morning.In all probability the corpse will be brought to Jamshedpur tomorrow for the cremation.

May his soul rest in peace
Ronald D'Costa
BM '70
22 Oct 2009

Timken appoints Ajay Das (92BMD) as the new India MD

2009-09-30T00:30:00.000-07:00

From The Financial Express

The Timken Company announced the appointment of Mr. Ajay Das as its new managing director for its business in India, headquartered in Bangalore.

In this new role, Mr. Das will oversee the continued growth of the company’s business in India, including the Timken Engineering Research Institute, the global R&D and engineering facility at Bangalore, operations at Jamshedpur and Chennai, as well as sales, marketing and all supporting functions.

“I am optimistic about returning to India and the significant growth opportunities we have in this region. Timken has created the ‘best in the industry’ engineering, manufacturing, sales and services capabilities to serve a growing customer base in India. We will continue to focus on leveraging those capabilities to improve the performance of our customers’ operations, and to deliver additional value to them,” said Mr. Das.

In 17 years with Timken, Ajay Das has provided leadership across business segments. He was national sales manager of the automotive business in India, and later was the director of manufacturing of the Jamshedpur plant between 2001 and 2005. In 2005, he relocated to Shanghai as director of new business development, and in 2007 he became the general manager of Timken’s wind energy business unit based in Canton, Ohio, United States of America.

Mr. Das received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

XLRI UAE Get together 2nd October

2009-09-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We will be having a get-together on 2nd Oct at 7:00pm.

We are glad to have Fr.Jesusurajan, from XLRI-Jamshedpur, who is in town, and he will be joining us.

We aren’t sure of the schedule of Fr.Abraham; understand he is in Jamshedpur at present.

Fr.C.L George, Dean of Finance at XLRI –Jamshedpur, I understand is also in Dubai.

So he may also join us at the get-together.

Those of us who are attending, could you please e-mail your confirmation by noon on Thursday 1^st October 2009.

Land phone – 04 4075326

The confirmations will enable us to know the number of attendees.

Please bring along your spouse/partner if you wish so.

The per head expense could be around Dhs.100/- if not more with food and drinks.

Please try and come at 7pm; especially being Friday, the venue can get to be busy later on and restaurants (of our choice) / tables / seats can also get to be difficult.

See you on 2^nd October 2009…

Regards.Johnson.

Joy of Giving Week at XL

2009-09-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

XLRI Campus is buzzing with the "Joy of Giving Week" celebrations... this video-clip summarises the activities of the first couple of days (Sept 27-28):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qntvTbEtZM

Madhukar's photo album: Joy of Giving Week Unveiling Ceremony

Ramaa Ramesh's moving account on facebook

California Alumni Meet 30 Sep

2009-09-29T23:44:00.000-07:00

A few of us local Cisco & KLA-Tencor XLers are doing lunch next Wednesday, 9/30, at noon at the Anjappar Chettinad restaurant at the Milpitas end of Tasman drive, at the Ranch Market complex.

http://www.anjapparca.com/index.htm

If you are in the neighbourhood, do join us. Send me an email so we can make the appropriate reservation.

The occasion is to celebrate end of Q1, start of Fall, the 'very likely over'-ness of the recession or whatever else will make you have lunch with fellow XLers :-)

Regards,
Tipu
IR96

We have a nice crowd for tomorrow, with 7 'locals'.

Confirmed:
Charu Madan (IR00)
Aparna Singh (IR00)
Reema Vijay (IR07)
Samba Yarlagadda (BM96)
Tipu Purkayastha (IR96)
Sandra Mahadwar (IR86)
Sandeep Harpalani (BM92)

Will try to make it:
Shailley (IR08)
Ranu Gupta (IR96)
Dinesh Bahal (BM83)
Anurag Chhabra (BM00)

We meet at 12 noon at Anjappara. The address is 458 Barber Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035; Tel: 408 435 5500. This is on Barber Ln just as you enter the Ranch Market complex, & a little away from Ranch 99, Mayflower etc. Please be there on time.

They don't take lunch reservations, so last minute additions can always be accomodated.

See you all soon.

Regards,

Tipu

K Muralidhara (88BMD) joins the Board of Altamount

2009-09-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

From Samay Live

Mumbai: Altamount Capital Management today announced the joining of Murlalidhara Kadaba on the board of Altamount Capital Management.

Kadaba, have twenty years of corporate experience in senior management positions with organizations such as Reliance Retail Ltd, American Express and Citibank. He will oversee Strategy and Business Development at Altamount Capital Management and will support Altamount's Delhi operations.

Till recent Kadaba served as the President and Chief Executive of the Financial Services vertical at Reliance Retail Ltd. Earlier, he worked for American Express as Country Manager for India and Area Countries, where he launched Amex's consumer banking franchise in India and introduced several successful card products including The Platinum Card. Prior to Amex, he was Vice President and Head of Investment Products at Citibank-India.

Kadaba is an alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur and a Graduate in Mechanical Engineering from SJCE, Mysore.

About Altamount Capital Management: Altamount Capital Management is the first of its kind Multi Family Office in India. Altamount offers Multi-Family Office services, comparable to international standards, combined with Private Investment Opportunities, offered to a network of ultra wealthy families. While the focus of these families is to build and grow their businesses, a dedicated effort and approach is needed to preserve and grow their wealth locally. Altamount Capital Management was conceived to fill this gap.

The range of services include legacy planning, philanthropy consulting, family corporate governance, private Investment opportunities for direct private investments, direct real estate, cross border opportunities and financing.

Homecoming 2009 (21-22 November, 2009)

2009-09-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

frommgjomon1

Dear Friends,

Here is a suggested schedule for the Homecoming -2009. We appreciate your comments and suggestions to make the event in 2009 a grant success. You may kindly place your suggestions in the remarks column and send to Roshan Dastur for firming up the final schedule.

HOMECOMING 2009 (21-22 NOVEMBER, 2009)
SUGGESTED SCHEDULE
November 21, 2009

TIME ACTIVITY REMARKS
10:00-10:30 a.m. Registration (Venue: Learning Centre Foyer)
10:30-11:30 a.m. Presentation by students on Student Initiatives - Parichay, Swalamban, Dream4Others, Goonj Clothes Collection and Other endeavours
11:30 – 12:30 p.m. Campus walk
01:00 - 2:30 p.m. Community Lunch with Board members, Faculty and Students
03:00-4:00 p.m. Presentation on XLRI by the Director
04:00- 4:30 p.m. Tea at MDP Residence
06:00 -7:45 p.m. Cultural program by Alumni and students
08:00 p.m. Diamond Jubilee Inauguration followed by Dinner
10:00 p.m. Alumni meets students over music and dances at JLT

November 22, 2009

Time Activity Remarks
6:00-8:00 p.m. Golf Tournament part I at Beldih Club
8.00 – 9.00am Breakfast hosted by Mr. Rana Sinha
9.00 – 12.00 am Golf Tournament part II at Beldih Club
12.00 - 12.30 pm Price distribution
01:00 p.m. Lunch hosted by Mr. Bushen Raina
Free time for individual catching up.....

XL celeb watch - Diptesh Ghosh, BM '99

2009-09-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Diptesh Ghosh, BM '99, Category head at HP India for Notebook PCs gets interviewed on CNBC's Storyboard program

You can catch him talking about Notebook sales here http://storyboard.in.com/

:-)

Warm regards
Gautam
Blog: http://gauteg.blogspot.com

Campus Update - August 09

2009-09-14T02:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,
Here is a quick re-cap of the month of August, 2009.

`JOY OF GIVING' LAUNCH AT XLRI
XLRI launched the `Joy of Giving Week', a nation-wide initiative to create a festival of philanthropy, on August 21, 09. XLRI is spearheading this movement in Jamshedpur from September 27 to October 3, 2009. The idea behind such a launch is to create public awareness and seek partnerships in humanitarian endeavours. To support the nationwide initiative, XLRI has planned various activities across the city to promote the acts of giving for a cause that include mobilizing donations and distribution of 400,000 pieces of clothes. The moving spirit behind this venture is Prof. Madhukar Shukla and SIGMA the student Association.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
XLRI will be launching an Entrepreneurship Development Programme beginning October 12, 2009. This is an initiative of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre set up at XLRI.

SIX-MONTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAMME IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Responding to a specific and emerging need XLRI Jamshedpur in collaboration with Ikisan Hyderabad (a comprehensive Agri Portal promoted by Nagarjuna Group, Hyderabad) initiated a Six-month Certificate Programme in Agri Business Management. This course aims at preparing agricultural graduates for undertaking marketing and sales jobs in the agri-business industry. This unique programme was launched in Hyderabad on July 29, 09 by the Director, Fr. Abraham.

STUDENT NEWS AND ACTIVITIES
Kshitij: CII YI invited 300 under-privileged school students from over 30 schools across Jamshedpur. The idea was to give these students a platform to showcase their talent. The response to the programme was overwhelming with wonderful performances in singing, dancing, painting and Quiz competitions.

New York University's Social Entrepreneurship Conference: An abstract (for a case on NEEV Herbal Soaps) submitted by two of our PMIR 10 batch students, Rashmi Kamath and Mahima, has been selected in the NYU Stern's "6th Annual Satter Conference on Social Entrepreneurship, Nov 4-6, '09.

SPORTSCOM & MAXI organized the first ever Colloseum, a unique concept in which team owners bid for players. The teams and the players would keep on accumulating points throughout the year in various sports events. The four teams Olympians, Spartans, Titans and Vulcans have already declared the war against each other with the first battle being tug-of-war.

FIR@X organized Bullseye, an Industrial Relations quiz on 6th August, which attracted huge participation from both PM&IR junior and senior batches. There were attractive cash prizes to be won. FIR@X also organized a Live Project and speaker session for the students by Mr. Shekhar Arora, ED (HR) of Ashok Leyland.

DRACULA came up with various events during the month which included a Parliamentary Debate club which kicked off its first Debate Contest `Babel'. Apart from that, the Lits League organized Popourri, a combination of games like 20 questions, Dumb Charades etc. and the Quiz League was active with its own event.

CRESCENT presented XPLORE, a treasure hunt which invited enthusiastic performance from students across courses and batches.

SAPPHIRE presented Chaos, an innovative event which was a quiz as well as involved bidding of top quizzers of each team at the end of every round. As the event progressed, it turned out to be more and more chaotic with team sizes and even the composition of teams varying after each round. The event was very well received and appreciated by the students.

ALUMNI NEWS
Asitava Sen (93 BMD): In Mumbai, Nielsen has launched a specialist Business Consulting Services group, which will combine qualitative consulting with fact-based analytic-driven recommendations. The group will be led by Asitava Sen, who joined Nielsen as Director, Retail Consulting last year.

Monisha Tambay (96 pm & IR) has joined Subex Ltd, a leading global provider of Operations and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) as Vice President - Human Resources.
Jayanthi Rajagopalan (95PMIR) featured in Femina, August 12, 2009 for her entrepreneurship initiatives in the area of Tourism.

SAD NEWS

PK Roy: One of our former faculty at XL - Prof PK Roy passed away on July 15th in Kolkata succumbing to a heart-attack.

Preeti Vinayak (01PMIR) passed away on July 31 succumbing to Crohn's disease. Both Prof. Roy and Preeti will be warmly remembered by the XLfamily. May their souls rest in peace!

HOMECOMING REMINDER
We hope you are in the process of finalizing your plans for the annual Homecoming at XLRI scheduled for November 21 and 22, 2009. We eagerly look forward to your participation at this annual event.
Once your travel plans are finalized, please do send a mail to Roshan Dastur

Conversations with Female Contract Workers

2009-09-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

These conversations with women contract labours in Jamshedpur were recorded by two XL students (Madhu Bala and Mahima) of the "Intro to Social Entrepreneurship" course @ XLRI during their field visit. These women get 10-15 days of work in a month, mostly at Rs 90-110/day for manual work on construction sites, which may last between 10-15hrs - with no creches, toilets, or drinking water facilities..

The family income varies between Rs 2000-4000 depending upon how many members work. Some had bank accounts, but hardly any savings. The daily struggle to survive would leave them ever-suspended in a present, with hardly any thoughts about their future. But what could be a "hope" is that they shared their assets/ resources with each other in the "basti", were less bothered/bound by "caste", and sent their children to school, as much as they could...

XLRI Students Intern with Social Ventures

2009-09-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

From The Telegraph

XLRI pupils to learn on the job

ANTARA BOSE

On course

Jamshedpur, Sept. 7: A social entrepreneurship course at XLRI will now come with an internship at a national-level NGO.

The B-school has planned to introduce internship in the curriculum of social entrepreneurship, an elective course, from this year after the success of Parichay, a social entrepreneurship programme, last time.

“From this year onwards, the curriculum of the course will include an internship programme. The idea is to enable students to know how an organisation functions. Every student will have to complete a project to learn the hiccups in the area,” said Madhukar Shukla, a faculty of social entrepreneurship.

About 14 students have already begun their internship in NGOs such as Pravah, Prayas, iDiscoveri in New Delhi; Aarambh in Bhopal; Helen Keller Institute of Deaf, Blind and Dumb, Mumbai; SEWA video in Ahmedabad and a few based in Jamshedpur such as Ujjivan and Kalamandir.

The course has also undergone a change from this year. Instead of the one-term course, social entrepreneurship will now become a two-term (six month) one.

“The purpose of the internship is to help students gain a first-hand experience of working in a social venture, in a sector of their choice. This learning will also help them to develop their business plans and acumen for latter part of the course,” said Shukla.

From this year, students were also made to do a field work that comprised meeting 10-15 hawkers, rickshaw pullers and door-to-door visit to see their lives close quarter.

“The visit has been made compulsory because most of our students come from urban middle class and if they want to bring a change, they will have to understand the lives of the downtrodden, their situation and economic condition,” he said.

“We may not earn like other management students but will be able to bring about a social change. In order to start a social venture, we need to have a vision and the internship will also make us learn about the hiccups,” said Nidhi Rawal, one of the students of XLRI who is interning at Ujjivan in the city.

Joy of Giving, Jamshedpur - Website launched

2009-09-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Take a look :
http://jamshedpurjoyfest.blogspot.com/

Get inspired.

Donate.

Motivate others to get involved too.

Subex appoints Monisha Tambay (96PMIR) as VP (HR)

2009-08-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

From Equity Bulls

Subex appoints Monisha Tambay as Vice President - Human Resources

Bangalore, India - Subex Ltd, a leading global provider of Operations and Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) announced the appointment of Monisha Tambay as Vice President - Human Resources. She will be responsible for the global Human Resource function of the company.

Monisha Tambay brings more than 13 years of Human Resource (HR) experience in consulting and operations. She has previously worked with Arthur Andersen Hewitt Associates, StorageTek and Genpact (erstwhile GE company).

Commenting on Monisha's appointment, Sudeesh Yezhuvath, COO, Subex Ltd said, "We are pleased to have Monisha on board. Her experience will prove valuable as we continue to enhance our human resource function to support business growth."

Monisha holds a post graduate degree in management from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt from the American Society for Quality.

The stock was trading at Rs.66.80, down by Rs.0.30 or 0.45%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.70.40 and low of Rs.66.75.

The total traded quantity was 40050 compared to 2 week average of 56866.

US conclave beckons students - XLRI study on rural women

2009-08-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

From The Telegraph

Jamshedpur, Aug. 27: Students of XLRI are all set to take issues related to rural women and environment to a global platform.

Two students of personnel management and industrial relations — Rashmi Kamath and Mahima — have got a chance to present a case study on the topic “Challenges of scaling and measuring social impact” at the 6th Annual Satter Conference of Social Entrepreneurs organised by Stern School of Business of New York University.

This year’s conference is dedicated to ongoing research on social entrepreneurship.

The abstract of the case study is based on scalability issues of social entrepreneurship. In mid-August, XLRI sent the abstract to the organisers and within a week they received a response. The subject of the study is New Education and Environment Visions (NEEV), a city-based unit that specialises in herbal soap making. NEEV, which started its operation in 2007 as a herbal soap making unit under Khadi and Village Industries Commission, trains rural women of Hurlung village and helps them to be self-sufficient.

“The presentation of the study in the US will bring in more business for us as well as directly help 200 women associated with us,” said Shikha Jain, the director of NEEV.

“We have social entrepreneurship as a paper in our course, so when we came to know about the conclave, we decided to participate. We will focus on the problems faced of a new social venture,” said Mahima.

The conference is scheduled to be held in the first week of November in New York and over 80 entries have poured in from across the globe. The students are looking for sponsors to fund their trip to the US.

Launch of the "Joy of Giving Week"

2009-08-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Unveiling Ceremony of the "Joy of Giving Week" (Sept 27-Oct 3, '09) was a unique event at XLRI last week. It which brought together the entire Jamshedpur community - the corporates, schools and colleges, NGOs and voluntary organisations, local press, XLRI's students, faculty and staff... - all for a common cause, which everyone felt excited about.

This commitment and excitement is pulpable from the following video-clips..

Fr E Abraham, S.J., Director XLRI - Welcome Speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFZJx5CNINI

Mr AD Baijal, Group Director (Global Minerals), Tata Steel - Inaugural Address

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJBwHLdWtpw

Mr Imtiaz Ali, Film Director and Brand Ambassador of "Joy of Giving Week" - Remarks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNqhjEgCsGQ

Mr Anshu Gupta, Founder Director, GOONJ on "Vastra Samman" initiative

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bOZyE9nvJ8

Mr Rana Sinha, Managing Director, Telcon
& President, XLRI Alumni Association, Jamshedpur Chapter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6y4eumcEhCg

Sr Flavian AC, Principal, Carmel Junior College, Jamshedpur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av4UQ0A3Pgg

Mr Amitava Ghosh, Secretary, Kala Mandir, Jamshedpur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwP5y3ySNM4

Prehaps, the most overwhelming part of the event was when one-by-one, people from the audience stood up and owned "their space" in the Joy of Giving Week...

Expressions of support from the Jamshedpur Community

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9C-xW64LKg

--
Posted By The Theme to XLRI Jamshedpur - News and Latest Updates at 8/28/2009 01:45:00 PM

XLRI - Joy of Giving Week - in the news

2009-08-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

XLRI's Initiative for Joy of Giving Week is in the news.

Check out the coverage on India Infoline and The Financial Express

Sandhya Krishna (IR07) Theatrical Play premiering in the Us

2009-08-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow XLers,

About 4 months ago I started my own theatre group in Pittsburgh called Blue Mango. When recession hit my 5 month old job, I decided to take my hobby and realise one of my crazy dreams. Blue Mango is Pittsburgh's first theatre group that is committed to non-traditional and color-blind casting. Our first production, to be staged next week, is an Indian play that has actors from 3 different ethnicities. I am directing this play which is set in 1940s Kerala and is quite a delightful comedy ( if I may say so!).

Obviously, you are all cordially invited for the play. If you have any friends or family who live around the area please do forward this email to them. All details about the group and the play can be found below and at our website www.bluemango.us.

Thanks for supporting us!

Sandhya

PMIR 05-07

Please click on 'Display Images below' if you are unable to view the poster below.

Blue Mango welcomes you to their first production 'Moonshine and SkyToffee' at the New Hazlett Theater this August. The play is a delightful comedy from India and features a multi-ethnic cast.

Showtimes: Aug 28th -Friday-7pm | Aug 29th-Saturday-7pm | Aug 30th-Sunday-2pm

Tickets can be purchased online at www.bluemango.us or call 1-888-71-TICKETS

Invitation: XLRI's Intiative for "Joy of Giving Week"...21st Aug - Unveiling Ceremony

2009-08-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

From Prof. Shukla:

Hello folks!

I am writing this mail to invite you for the Unveiling/Launch Ceremony of the Joy of Giving Week ( http://www.joyforgivingweek.org) @ Jamshedpur, which XLRI is planning to celebrate, participate in and anchor across Jamshedpur during Sept 27th- Oct 3rd, 2009.

As some of you may be aware, the Joy of Giving Week is a unique event - or movement, one can say - which will be celebrated across the country - and has received wide support from

- celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar, Nandita Bose, Farah Khan, AR Rahman, etc.

- corporates like Google, Apollo Hospitals, Taj Group, etc.,

- business leaders like Azim Premji, Narayana Murthy, Adi Godrej etc.,

- organisations ranging from Mumbai Dabbawalla to Chennai Auto Union etc.

- govt bodies such as Delhi Govt, AP Tourism, etc...

The purpose of this nation-wide initiative is to create a "Festival of Philanthropy", and to encourage the spirit of volunteerism, that can, over the years, become a part of the Indian ethos, with the event being celebrated every year covering Gandhi Jayanti.

According to one news item in Indian Express (http://tinyurl.com/JGW-2croreIndians) 2 crore Indians are going to be part of this event... and naturally, XL has to take a lead to facilitate this for Jampot.

To share our plans and to seek your support - and your endorsement/inputs - we are organising the Unveiling Ceremony for the event on August 21st (Friday), 6:00pm at XLRI (Fr Prabhu Hall, Learning Center).

Besides the CEOs of local companies, Principals of schools and colleges, NGO bodies, our own students and faculty, etc., two people who will be participating in this ceremony are:

1. Film director, Mr Imtiaz Ali (of Jab We Met and Love Aaj Kal fame), and who is also one of the Brand Ambassadors for the Joy of Giving Week)

2. Ashoka Fellow Mr Anshu Gupta (Founder Director of Goonj - http://www.goonj.info/). Anshu was also one of the winners of CNN--IBN Real Heros Award earlier this year - and as you may perhaps know, XLRI has a partnership with Goonj to run a Cothes Bank at XLRI.

It would be great to have you with us, when we launch/unveil this initiative - as our minor contribution to this event/movement from XLRI. Needless to say, we will need all the help from XL alumni to "make it happen"!!

ciao

madhukar

XLRI to launch agri biz mgmt course with Ikisan

2009-08-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

From The Financial Express

XLRI School of Business & Human Resources and Hyderabad-based Ikisan Ltd is launching a six-month certificate programme in agri business management in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

It's in the form of an ‘agri portal’, promoted by the Hyderabad-based Nagarjuna Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd, thus extending management education online to the agricultural sector.

The online certificate programme in agri business management, whose first session commences from the last week of August 2009, aims at equipping agricultural graduates and agri-business field assistants in undertaking marketing and sales jobs in the agri-business sector.

Speaking to FE from Hyderabad on Tuesday, XLRI dean Prof P Venugopal said the B-School was looking forward to enrolling around 100 students from all over the country for the first batch, through an academic merit-cum-interview process. The course fee has been kept at Rs 45,000.

Some of the B-School’s existing faculty along with some agri industry experts have been involved in designing the course, which would have a compulsory industry visit, the XLRI dean said.

Although IIM, Ahmedabad runs a two-year full time management course for the agriculture sector, none of the leading B-Schools today have a short duration management course for the sector.

XLRI grads getting pre-placement offers despite economic downturn

2009-08-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

From The Economic Times

XLRI Jamshedpur’s 2008-10 batch is already witnessing good pre-placement offers (PPOs) and pre-placement interviews (PPIs) despite the

overall downturn in the economy. About 10% of the Class of 2010 has already received such offers, primarily from the FMCG and general management sectors.

The leading organisations that have made these offers include Hindustan Unilever, TAS, Aditya Birla group, L&T and The Times Group.

XLRI School of Business and Human Resources director Fr E Abraham, S J, said: "We are expecting more offers to come in from the financial and consulting sectors apart from the other ones during August and September 2009 as hiring decisions are finalised by most of the companies during the second quarter. With improved signs of recovery in the economy, after good Q1 results, students are hopeful of better placements and internships in the year ahead."

This year, XLRI’s Personnel Management and Industrial Relations (PMIR) has seen the size of the batch doubling as against 60 last year. The batch size of XLRI has gone up to 240 this year including 120 students from the Business Management (BM) programme.

Deep Condolences : Preeti Vinayak (2001)

2009-08-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

It seems that Preeti Vinayak of the 2001 batch just passed away a couple of days ago from a prolonged illness.

We pray for her soul and for strength to her family to help them through this time.

God bless you, Preeti.

Xl News - July 2009

2009-08-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

From Prof. M G Jomon - Alumni Co-ordinator.

Dear Friends,
It is a privilege to reach out to you once again through the Newsletter of July 2009.
INDUCTING THE YOUNG XLers:
With the objective of welcoming new members to the XL family, a number of induction activities like sports festival, informal get together, formal sessions etc. were organized. Two events that deserve special mentioning are: The village exposure programme of life in rural India and the Adventure Programme. The objective of the village exposure programme was to sensitise students to conditions prevailing in villages and highlight their future role as managers of corporate India towards corporate social responsibility. The freshers were also part of the Adventure Programme which is aimed at enhancing team building and leadership skills.

GRADUATION CEREMONY OF DEFENCE OFFICERS :
Warriors donned the XLRI graduating gown instead of the service uniform for the fifth graduation ceremony of the executive management programme for defence officers on July 18, 2009. This year, 49 officers from armed forces graduated, 43 from the army, four from Air Force and two from the Navy. Saroj Vinayak, the Director-general of ordnance factories and chairman of Ordnance Factory Board, Calcutta, was the chief guest at the function. XLRI launched the Certificate Programme in Business Management for Defence Personnel on January 14, 2007. The programme for defence officers was launched at the request of the Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India, who perceived the need for "resettlement" of the officers.

XLRI LEADERSHIP MEET FOR MEDICAL OFFICERS:
XLRI conducted a ten-day Leadership Development Programme on Reproductive Health starting from June 22. Participants in this programme were Doctors and officers from Jharkhand and Bihar working in the health sector. The objective of the programme was to build the capacity to lead and meet the millennium goal of development in the reproductive and health sector. This programme was conducted by XLRI in collaboration with The David and Lucille Packard Foundation.

XLRI VENTURES IN NEWS:
Parichay - a social venture supported by The XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust, put up its first Product Exhibition just 9 months after the inauguration of the Parichay Learning & Design Center in October 2008. Parichay was started by students from the 2007-09 batch and is an initiative aimed at bringing a sustainable change in the lives of the rural and tribal artisans by contemporizing their design, training them and connecting them to the market.

XLRI IKISAN PROGRAM: XLRI along with Ikisan Hyderabad (a comprehensive Agri Portal promoted by Nagarjuna Group, Hyderabad) is strengthening its commitment to its vision by extending management education to the agricultural sector through a unique "Six-month Certificate Programme in Agri Business Management" to prepare agricultural graduates and agri-business field assistants for undertaking marketing and sales jobs in the agri-business industry.

STUDENT'S ACTIVITIES
Ratanjee 2009-10: Ratanjee 2009-10 brought out the sporting best in the current student batches. A keenly contested contest thus ensued on campus for a period of three days and the whole campus was immersed in the sporting spirit.

Consulting Club-C3: Crescent Consulting Club or C3 was launched with an aim to develop and increase the understanding of consulting works. The inauguration of the club was held on July 9th with a session by Mr. Joe Simon, CIO Viacom International (New York) on "Life as a Consultant". Mr. Simon provided the students with valuable insights by sharing his experiences as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. Mr. Joe Simon, a 1983 batch alumnus of XLRI, is the Chief Information Officer for Viacom International.

SAPPHIRE Blog: Sapphire launched its blog at xlrisapphire.wordpress.com and has started off on a great note with posts by Gautam Ghosh , Abhijit Bhaduri , Dr. Mathai Fenn and Prof Madhukar Shukla along with students on campus. There are lots more planned for the blog with new pages and online contests!

ALUMNI IN NEWS:
Cyclone Aila: Alumni of XLRI and ISB joined hands to support those ravaged by Cyclone Aila recently in the world's largest mangrove forests of the Sundarbans. Tushar Dutta (BMD 07) took the initiative along with several other alumni of both B-schools to help out to villages devastated in one of the worst affected areas of Gosaba block of the Rangabelia panchayat in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal. Tushar, XLRI is proud of you!
Social entrepreneurship: XLRI Alumni along with Samekti Jan Vikas Kendra (SJVK) to provide sustainable source of income to the tribal women artisans of Kolhan region. The alumni, through their social entrepreneurship venture, Parichay, would be using services of designers to train the rural women in terra-cotta, bamboo and handloom items using natural products. They will also assist the artisans in marketing the products.
They make us proud: Preeti Reddy (82BMD) was appointed the head of the Kantar-owned Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB). Surojit Shome (86 BMD) joins Rabo India Finance Limited as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer. Suman Bose was appointed as Vice-President and Managing Director by Siemens PLM Software for its Indian operations. Asitava Sen (93 BMD) will join Nielsen Consulting's specialist Business Consulting Services group.

REUNION REMINDERS
Homecoming: We eagerly await your participation in the Homecoming 2009 scheduled for November 21st and 22nd. Institute has started the preparations in earnest.
Silver Jubilee Celebrations (December 21-23): The 1984 batch meets regularly on line and are charting out the plans to makes the event a memorable one.

XLRI logs in for farm crash course - Six-month online certificate programme being launched in association with Hyderabad-based Ikisan

2009-07-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

From The Telegraph

Jamshedpur, July 28: After business management courses, XLRI is ready to enter the field of online agriculture.

The premier B-school is collaborating with Hyderabad-based Ikisan, a web agriculture portal promoted by Nagarjuna Group, to run a six-month online certificate programme in agri-business management.

The objective of the course, which will be launched in Hyderabad tomorrow, is to prepare graduates and postgraduates for marketing and sales roles in the agriculture sector.

“Not core agriculture studies but agriculture management is what we are offering to students. XLRI has successfully formulated the programme, which will be yet another way of online learning for those interested in the marketing, management and agriculture. This venture was in the XLRI’s agenda for quite sometime,” said P. Venugopal, dean (academics) of XLRI, who is in Hyderabad to launch the course.

The agri-business management will be on an online self-learning course. Registered students can download study material from the Ikisan website. However, students will be free to interact with the XLRI faculty through e-mails or other means. Students will have to avail online tests on the Ikisan website.

XLRI will also organise industrial visits for more exposure.

Students who are pursuing their final-year bachelors or masters degree in agriculture or are in allied sectors will be eligible for the programme. Freshers would need to have at least two years experience in agri-business for being eligible to apply.

Registrations will be open twice during an academic year — in August and January. The course fee will be Rs 45,000 per student.

“We are trying to run the programme for about 100 students. The special feature of the programme is stress on self-learning but students can also call up the faculty for clarifications,” said Venugopal.

Among other institutes that offer such programmes are the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and Institute of Rural Management, Anand. IIMA conducts a postgraduate agro-business management programme that prepares students for a career in enterprises related to agriculture and allied sectors. IRMA also offers a two-year postgraduate programme in rural management, divided into classroom studies, fieldwork, organisational and management traineeship.

At XLRI - We Also Teach Management

2009-07-29T16:06:00.000-07:00

Mad Shuks posted this today on his facebook page and I'm reposting it here to a broader audience (just in case you haven't signed up to facebook yet)

[NOTE: I had written this about 3-4 years back, and discovered it today while doing some housekeeping on my laptop... have made some changes {in Italics}to "contemporise" it - but the gist remain the same... Considering that of the 767 in my FB contacts/friends, there would be at least about 700 XLers from different batches, I thought this may be worth sharing:)
... besides, of course, the FB interface allows one to link people one is talking about:0) ]

We Also Teach Management

1998-99 was the year, when I got – I realized in retrospect – “alumnized”… a term I coined to describe an experiential state of being which is perhaps as impossible to define, as giving a “definition” of “what is sweet” (or, perhaps more appropriately, a definition of “what is heady” :0)

It started as an innocuous co-administrative assignment to be the Alumni Coordinator. And unknowingly, I walked into the unchartered territories of a unique denizen, that will get me involved with a kaleidoscope of people and personalities… Over the years, both through official and unofficial interactions (realizing in the meanwhile, that there is nothing “official” about this species), I came to know many of this breed, and gathered a number of “anthropological” insights about XLRI as an institution, and about the community of alumni it nurtures.

The first learning was that, like most MBAs, this is a nomadic crowd. In the first few months, I hit upon an unsettling insight: with 5000+ alumn (at that time)i, if on an average, one XLer relocates once every three years, it worked out to about 4-5 xlers shifting every day!!!

This revelation sort of threw the spanner in the works, as far as the pursuit of the holy grail of a centralized alumni database was concerned. Over time, it led to creation of an online network of XLers worldwide… but, OK, that is a different story… some other time….

The second thing I observed was that, in living reality, there was nothing like year-wise batches of alumni. Rather, one was dealing with a pretty close-knit community, in which relationships cut across batches, hierarchies, geographies – and decades. It seemed mysterious, but perhaps the XLers can smell each other out. It must be due to some very strong “genetic code” – whether attitude, jargon, affiliations, body odor, mannerisms, some code-word or whatever – but they connected well – would reach out to each other - even if they had never met earlier. More so, if there was a “cause” to connect around. The cause could be anything: finding a PG accommodation for the daughter of an XLer one had never met, arranging for Fr McGrath’s residence permit, or pitching in to organize relief work for Tsunami victims.

But perhaps most important insight for me was about the diversity of fauna which XL produces. Like any B-school of stature and standing, XL has its own share of CEOs and senior level professionals in the corporate India and abroad who excel as managers & CEOs. There are also a reasonable number of XLers who are successful entrepreneurs, are in the civil services as secretaries, toppers, and political advisors, or hold senior level assignments in UN, World Bank, NYSE, etc.

But where else, except from XL, would one find this mixed assortment of B-School graduates, such as:

a mega TV/film star of tamil screen, who from the beginning, “positioned” himself in the “niche” role of the “father”, since that has a “longest product life”.

a management consultant, who mobilized the local communities to conserve the medicinal plants in Himalayas, and was awarded the prestigious Whitley Conservation Award by the Royal Geographical Society for her work.

An auto-journalist, who makes his living by test-riding two-wheelers, rode through Sahara on a scooter, and finally authored “The Penguin Guide to Two-Wheelers”...

the founder of the Glass and Ceramic Society of India, who is invited to conduct workshops on glass artwork in Europe and USA, restored the stain glass windows of St Michael’s Cathedral in Simla, and was invited by French government to restore the stained glass windows on the 12th century church in Troyes.

the activist who organized the 24,000 strong New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance (and the ’98 taxi strike in NYC), who besides teaching in a US university, fights for the rights of the immigrant community representing 80 ethnicities.

the finance graduate, who, after 12 years of corporate life, decided to move into composing jingles for ads, and then to composing and directing film music – and won the National Award for best music for his first film, Nammavar… sad that he had to leave so early…

the founder-CEO of an HR consulting company, who also got the Eisenhower Award for his continuing work with children of Sivakasi

the group of four, who chucked their jobs in blue-chip companies after a year, to do what they loved doing – out-door trekking… and created a profession around it… they diversified and followed their own paths... but did culminated in one XLer among 50 Leaders Re-Shaping Indian Education

the custom officer in the film “Saransh” who also wrote Filmfare Award winning screenplays, besides heading a Rs300cr television content company

an Ashoka Fellow, who left her lucrative job in financial services to create the “Pravah” of 200 like-minded volunteers, who sensitize youngsters to the societal issues through citizenship education

… the list and tradition goes on… a current senior batch student explores her options to join an NGO, and a junior batch guy opts to do his summer internship with a not-for-profit organization…
(more recently - since I wrote this, I find that even in the recent batches, there are XLers leaving their blue-chip jobs to venture into their dreams - education, healthcare and music!!.)

Surely, I have (happily) realised - XL does not merely produce corporate clones… I am not sure, but my hunch is that in the founding document of the institute, there must have been a statement:

We Also Teach Management.

***

Asitava Sen (93 batch) to lead Neilsen's Biz Consulting practice

2009-07-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

From Economic Times

MUMBAI: Global information and media company, Nielsen, on Wednesday announced the launch of a specialist Business Consulting Services group in

India.

The Nielsen Business Consulting Services will combine qualitative, high-value business consulting with fact-based analytic-driven recommendations to help clients identify and optimise existing and new growth opportunities that drive revenue and profit, a press release issued here said.

This dedicated group will integrate Nielsen's current services and develop new solutions to address strategic business issues in sales, marketing and innovation.

"Business Consulting Service experts will leverage Nielsen's existing capabilities to deliver thought leadership to our clients, and partner with them on critical strategic issues," the Nielsen Company South Asia's Managing Director, Partha Rakshit, said.

In India, the group will be led by Asitava Sen, who has over 18 years of experience in management consulting in consumer and retail industries, the release said.

31 Jul - Bangalore - The Economic Meltdown - Is the Worst Over for India?

2009-07-27T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hi,

For those of you who missed the excellent Happy Hours with Prof P C Narayan of IIMB (BM-75) on Oct '08, we have another one with him this Friday.

PC Narayan gives us a talk on "The Economic Meltdown - Is the Worst Over for India?"
Details:
- 7:00 PM, Friday, July 31, 2009
- KGA, Old Airport Road
- Car parking: Adequate parking available at the club
- Cover charges: Rs 150 per head
- This includes dinner & soft drinks. Drinks are Rs 50 each.
- Adult guests are allowed

About P C Narayan:
P C Narayan is a faculty member in the Finance & Control Area, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB).

Narayan holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirapalli and an MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He has also completed the Advanced Management Program at IFAP Rome, Italy.

Prior to joining IIMB, he was with (a) a private sector bank in India with management responsibility for retail banking, operations and information technology, (b) a multinational bank for several years based overseas and (c) a global banking technology company also based overseas.

Apart from teaching courses in corporate finance, international banking and financial markets at IIMB, Narayan has been conducting seminars/workshops and undertaken consulting engagements with several organisations in India and abroad. His list of present and past clients include Union Bank of India, UCO Bank, Syndicate Bank, Vijaya Bank, Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL), BBK (Bahrain), DBS Bank (Singapore), as well as leading information technology companies in the banking and finance domain.

Having travelled to over 40 countries, and worked or implemented projects in 20 different countries, he brings a unique cross-cultural perspective and a breadth of global experience.

Preeti Reddy new Head at LMRB

2009-07-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

From MRWeb.com

Change at the Top for Sri Lanka’s LMRB

July 20 2009

Preeti Reddy will replace Tissa de Alwis at the head of the Kantar-owned Lanka Market Research Bureau (LMRB) at the end of July.

Reddy, a native of Bangalore, worked in India as a VP at management consultants Technopak for the last three years, and prior to this was a Senior Vice President at TNS from April 1995 to April 2005. She holds an MBA from XLRI in Jamshedpur and a BA Honours in Economics from Lady Shri Ram College.

De Alwis steps down from his Managing Director role after 25 years at the company and 20 in a leadership role, according to www.sundaytimes.lk . He joined as a Project Director after a short spell at JWT Sri Lanka, and in October 1989 became the first Sri Lankan to be appointed as the head of LMRB, which was then part of UK-based MRB Group, later acquired by WPP.

A graduate of the UK’s CIM (Chartered Institute of Marketing), de Alwis holds an MBA from PIM, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, and was elected as the President of the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) for 95/96.

Established in 1981, LMRB is online at www.lmrbint.com .

Soldiers turn grads at XLRI

2009-07-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

From The Telegraph

Jamshedpur, July 18: Warriors donned the gown and cap instead of their military uniform for the fifth graduation ceremony of the executive management programme for defence officers at XLRI’s Father Prabhu Hall today.

This year, 49 officers from armed forces graduated from here — 43 from the army, four from the Indian Air Force and two from the Indian Navy. XLRI launched the certificate programme in business management for defence personnel in 2007 at the request of the Union ministry of human resource development who perceived the need to resettle servicemen. The programme was designed in association with the directorate-general of resettlement, ministry of defence, for officers seeking a career in the corporate world. The event was designed keeping in mind the needs of the business world with the aspirations of the service officers.

Saroj Vinayak, the director-general of ordnance factories and chairman of Ordnance Factory Board, Calcutta, was the chief guest at the function. She presented certificates to those who successfully completed the course.

Vinayak encouraged the students to take on the challenges of the corporate world. “The present corporate atmosphere offers a number of complex challenges for students. Dedication, hard work, sincere efforts and courage are essential sills for overcoming the challenges,” she added.

Vinayak urged students to pay heed to their inner voice while taking important decisions in life. “The inner voice of a person helps him take crucial decisions,” said Vinayak.

Institute officials pointed out that they got officers from distinctive educational backgrounds — engineering, medicine, management, commerce, architecture, basic sciences and arts — with experience ranging from six to 34 years.

The six-month programme equips participants with basic concepts and skills of all functional areas of management along with an area of specialisation, thus enabling them to find a career in the corporate world. During the course, for which enrolment began on February 2, students took part in quiz contests and undertook various assignments.

“The corporate sector has expressed keen interest in batches comprising a good blend of officers who are set to face challenges. Our course allows a smooth transition and re-orientation for officers towards a life and career as business managers and entrepreneurs,” said E. Abraham, the director of XLRI.

Invite from Vikas Sharma (09BMD) - Parichay's 1st product exhibition

2009-07-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I am very happy to communicate this invitation from our very own social entreprenur, Vikas Sharma (XL Alumnus of 09BMD), Co-Founder & Partner, Parichay, for their 1st product exhibition on July 19th (Sunday) @ United Club, Jamshedpur.

Parichay, as you may be aware, is a social venture, which got its angel funding from the XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust.

This is the first public display of their work, and your presence/visit will not only be an encouragement to Vikas, but to his entire team of artisans and designers. It would be really great if you can find time to find time and visit the exhibition on Sunday.

ciao

madhukar

Respected Guest

I cordially invite you to the1^st product exhibition of Parichay, “Roopantar – The Change”.

Event Details:

· Exhibition: “Roopantar – The Change”

· Venue: United Club, Diwan–e–Khaas hall

· Date: 19^th July 2009, Sunday

· Inauguration at 11.00 am

· Chief guest: Mrs. Nerurkar

· Exhibition timing: 11.30 am to 2.00 pm & 3.30 pm to 10 pm

· Launch of Parichay’s New Logo: 5:30pm

We will be displaying three categories of our product range:

· Home décor

· Corporate

· Table top accessories

These are products completed made by our local rural/tribal artisans. This is our first attempt to showcase the change we can and we will bring in the eco-system of artisans and craftsmanship in India.

Our designers Richa Nigam and Micheal Lakra from NIFT, Delhi have designed some innovative products in just one month of their project with us. They have worked with natural raw material like bamboo, stone, sawai grass, colors and leather.

We have achieved this significant milestone in about 9 months since we started in Oct 2008. We have grand plans for the future and we wish to seek your critical inputs to make sure we proceed in the right direction with the right objectives.

We look forward to your kind presence to grace the occasion and support our artisans in the change we wish to create.

Your support and presence will encourage us to take our initiative further.

Warm Regards

Vikas Sharma

Co-founder & Partner

Parichay

XLRI Launches Consulting Club – C3

2009-07-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

From MBAUniverse.com

It has launched C3 - Crescent Consulting Club with an aim to develop and increase the understanding of consulting profession. The inauguration of the club will be held on July 9 with a session by Mr. Joe Simon, CIO Viacom International (New York) on "Life as a Consultant". XLRI alumnus Simon will share his experiences as a consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton.

As part of this initiative, the club will be holding weekly meetings on important issues related to consulting industry and will also organize quizzes, case competitions, 2 x 2 matrix championships, and other events for its members. Major activities will include the Speaker Series and Company Breakouts which will mainly focus on increased collaboration with consulting firms and experience sharing by consultants from various firms. The club will also maintain a central repository of the latest research in Strategy area and will carry out regular case interview practice sessions to help students prepare for their placements. Every fortnightly, industry breakouts will be held to track the latest developments across different industries and build industry competence among the members. The club is also planning to launch its own Journal comprising of latest research articles written by academia and industry and provide opportunities to the students to work on live consulting assignments.

Mr. Joe Simon, a 1983 batch alumnus of XLRI, is the Chief Information Officer for Viacom International. Prior to joining Viacom, he spent nine years as a Principal at Booz, Allen and Hamilton, focusing on the media sector. He also worked at Reader’s Digest, a savings bank in New Zealand, and for various business conglomerates in India.

In the past, CRESCENT, under the guidance of Prof. Munish Thakur, has been involved in conducting various B-plan competitions and Strategy games, organizing Live Consulting projects and guest lecture series, and publishing a monthly magazine CREST containing the latest happenings in Consulting, Research, Strategy and Entrepreneurship. In association with Social Initiative Group for Managerial Assistance (SIGMA), CRESCENT also launched the Initiative for Social and Entrepreneurial Leadership (ISEL) last year. ISEL aims at promoting and nurturing student interest in entrepreneurship and the social sector.

Jesuit B-schools preach social entrepreneurship

2009-07-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

From DNA

Mumbai: "We want to build managers who are able to start ventures that can alleviate poverty and deal with environment issues," said Father Abraham, director, Xavier's Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur. He was speaking at the 15th World Forum of the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools (IAJBS). XLRI Jamshedpur hosted the forum which saw deans, directors and senior professors from B-schools in USA, Europe, Asia Pacific stressing on developing a network to support social entrepreneurship.

Post the forum the IAJBS has become a signatory of the UN principles for Responsible Management and will ask all member institutes to adhere to them. A sustainability development committee will be formed to ensure that Jesuit B-schools globally adhere to the principles.

"The committee will ensure that schools include sustainable development in the curriculum, and offer it as an academic programme," said Abraham. In keeping with UN's principles, schools will review programme syllabi and course structure. The focus on enhancing and managing financial wealth will be balanced with equal number of courses on enhancing social and environmental capital. "There are very few academic social science inputs in the course-work which is why students fail to understand that socio-environmental issues impact businesses," said Abraham.

In India, around 17 top ranking Jesuit B-schools will alter their admissions process along with curriculums. "Socio-environmental concerns and ethical fibre of a student, beyond just landing a lucrative job from an MBA will form a non-negotiable part of admissions," informed Abraham. Even the way these B-schools function will undergo a change. The use of solar power, rainwater harvesting, recycling paper will teach sustainability.

Schools will also look atintroducing compulsory internships with social/development sector organisations. By October, a task force formed for sustainability development will take into account all members' comments and present a final draft before the IAJBS board which will include the best sustainability projects from across the globe. "We have also proposed that every member school should set up a Chair Professorship in Sustainable Development, so that this movement can be carried forward by every B school," said Abraham.

In fact, XLRI has been the first Indian B-school committed to these principles since the last two years. "We have already started offering electives and core courses in the MBA programme for students in environmental strategy, social laws, business ethics," informed Abraham. The institute recently held the first National Social Entrepreneurship Conference which covered critical issues in education, energy, credit, healthcare, livelihood opportunities, and natural resources which could be resolved by enterprising management graduates.

Encouraged by these, students at the institute started social ventures. In the last year, three ventures took off. The first Parichay links tribal artisans and rural craftsmen with the mainstream market and increases their profit margins. The second is Swalamban which provides electricity to villages through ox-driven generators. While, the third is called Dream4Others.com, which donates money to registered charitable organisations; for every market research survey filled by visitors.

Surya Nair (IR 06) is now a columnist for Mobile Industry Review

2009-07-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Surya Nair (IR 06) is now a regular columnist for Mobile Industry Review.

She is introduced to the 300,000+ readership of the site as:
the first of the new MIR 3.0 columnists, Surya Nair.

Surya is in her mid-twenties and always has a particularly interesting take on the mobile industry.

If you’re not following her on Twitter, I recommend you do (username: @suryasnair).

Surya was born in South India’s Kerala region and got her first handset (a Nokia 6110) when she completed her degree in Engineering. Yup, no ‘politics’ or ‘media studies’ here. *Engineering*.

Surya is a veritable java, mainframe, SQL and mobile handset genius. In her time she’s enjoyed the Nokia 9300i (me too), the E90 (nice), the N82 (lovely camera) and currently, she’s sporting the Nokia N97. So whilst you might paint her as a mobile geek-head, hold there a moment.

For some reason, she stopped everything and took an MBA in Human Resources — before joining a large European mobile player. That means she not only avoids the ‘marriage question’ (foremost on the minds of most mothers, even worse, I gather, with Indian mothers) but she is also assured of a ready supply of new gizmos to play with.

In terms of applications she’s a regular user of the N97 integrated Facebook app, the Sports Tracker app, SP Brain Evaluation, and, “Of course, Gravity for Twitter”.

This all makes for a rather interesting columnist. Time then for part 1 of Surya’s contributions here at Mobile Industry Review.

Her first article is “No mom, you can’t have a free phone.” The perils of working for a mobile manufacturer.

Suman Bose (BMD95) to head Siemens PLM's India ops

2009-07-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

From Business Standard

Siemens PLM Software, provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today said it has appointed Suman Bose as vice-president and managing director for its Indian operations.

As VP and MD, Bose will be responsible for increasing the company's market share and extending its leading position in India's PLM field, a company statement said.

"India is a strategically important market for Siemens PLM Software in terms of our extensive market presence and growth opportunities," Siemens PLM Software Senior Vice-President (Asia Pacific) Hans Kurt Lubberstedt said.

Bose has earlier served as the Country Director (India) at Dassault Systems and has been associated with MatrixOne (acquired by Dassault Systemes in 2006) and HP.

Rabo India Finance Ltd announces appointment of Mr. Surojit Shome (BMD86) as MD & CEO

2009-07-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

From India PR Wire

Effective today, Surojit Shome joins Rabo India Finance Limited, the wholly owned Indian subsidiary of Rabobank International, as Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.

A seasoned banker, Surojit comes with over two decades of experience in Banking encompassing Corporate Banking, Capital Markets and Investment Banking. Surojit has worked with Citibank, Lehman Brothers and Nomura prior to joining Rabo India.

In his 19 year stint with Citigroup, he held various business management, origination and risk management roles with assignments in India and overseas. Before he moved to Lehman Brothers, in late 2006, he was Managing Director and Head of Corporate Banking for the Indian sub-continent, overseeing corporate and financial institution coverage teams for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal.

In his role as Managing Director & Head of the Investment Banking Division at Lehman Brothers in India, he was responsible for building the investment banking platform for Lehman Brothers with capabilities across capital markets, M&A advisory and private equity origination. Post the acquisition of Lehman Brothers’ Asian & European businesses by Nomura Holdings in October 2008, he spent the last few months helping in the integration of the legacy Lehman Brothers’ Investment Banking business into the existing Nomura India businesses.

Surojit will report to Rob van Zadelhoff, Head of Asia for Rabobank International. “I am very pleased to have Surojit join our team in India. I am confident that he will be successful in building and growing Rabobank’s business in India given his leadership and management skills,” said Rob van Zadelhoff.

XLers helping with Relief efforts in the Sunderbans

2009-06-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

I received this email from Tushar Dalmia of the 2008 batch through another of his batchmates.

Please read through this. If the issue strikes a chord and you would like to help, please contact

Aakash Shah +91 98318 04001

From: <tushardalmia at gmail dot com>

Hi!

It was just another cyclone. The Aila.

Except that it happened in our own backyard – in the world’s largest mangrove forest called the Sunderbans.

In one stroke, it’s almost endangered the very survival of the huge area that falls within the administration of 24 Parganas (S) and (N), of West Bengal, India

The Cyclone did not kill as much as it maimed. People are dying a slower death because they live on little islands accessible only by boats which are the lifeline to the area.

With everything swept away and the rest rotting away, we – just a motley group of friends- had decided on the spur of the moment to visit the affected areas and offer help and support to 800 families living in two villages of Bagbagan and Rajapur, under the Gosaba Block of the Rangabelia panchayat in South 24 Parganas.

The soil in these villages has become unsuitable for any kind of farming for a minimum of next two years and it is important that we support them in the interim period before they can figure out ways to help themselves in the long run. We are also working with the village seniors to see how we can help them in the medium to long run horizon.

We have already made 4 trips and supplied almost Rs. 150,000 worth of relief material. This was done entirely through the help of our friends and relatives who pitched in with their timely support.

Now we intend carrying basic food supplies to the villages for the next 16 odd weeks within which they would have limped back to some normalcy. And that is where we need your help. On a very rough average, we need almost 2500 kgs rice, 500 kgs of dal, medicines, oil in small pouches, haldi and salt, 100 kgs of biscuits, and 100 kgs of cattle feed every week. The weekly expense inclusive of transportation by road and river is close to Rs 75,000.

We would be very happy to continue distributing this under our personal supervision, as we have done in our past 4 visits. We would be happier still if you join us on one of our visits.

We are not an organisation; we are simply humans, united by the cause of providing whatever relief that we can to the soil of the land that made us into what we are today. We prefer your contribution in kind and in case you have to pay by cheque, we can try and make arrangements for that too.

It is in adversity that humanity faces its most severe test.

For any contributions, please get in touch with

Aakash Shah +91 98318 04001

Singapore Alumni Chapter raises 5000SGD$ for XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust

2009-06-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Received this mail from Madhukar Sir yesterday.

Thanks a ton, all the "Dream-Runners"!

Today, I received the contributions you all made (SGD$ 5,000/- ~ Rs 167,000/-) for the "XLRI Social Entrepreneurship Trust".

In fact the last fortnight has been quite good for the Trust. I got a contribution of Rs 12,500/- from one of the 91 batch alumnus (with a promise that this will be repeated every 2 months:)...

and one of the old XL strategy faculty who was visiting Jampot, and went with me to the Parichay's Learning & Design Center, and was so thrilled with their work, that cut a USD$1,000/- for the Trust on the spot)

So thanks folks, for making my day...

Special thanks to Rajesh "Ciggy" Soundarajan and Ramesh for mobilising the energy of junta

Paraphrasing GWB for the monies to the Trust, I would say - "Bring 'em on!" :0)

Sutapa Banerjee (89PMIR) to Head Ambit's Wealth Management

2009-06-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

From vccircle.com

Banerjee was the Head-Private Banking in India for ABN Amro and also lead the consumer banking business in India.

Financial services firm Ambit Holdings Pvt. Ltd has announced its foray into wealth management business with appointment of Sutapa Banerjee as the unit head. As Head of the Wealth Management arm at Ambit Capital, Banerjee will be responsible for establishing the business and providing impetus to the private client business. Before this, she was the Head - Private Banking in India for ABN Amro and also lead the consumer banking business in India.

“Apart from her expertise in the private banking business, Sutapa has displayed exceptional leadership skills and managerial capabilities throughout her career. We look forward to her leadership skills and business acumen to drive Ambit’s growth and give a new dimension to our wealth management business,” said Ashok Wadhwa, Group CEO, Ambit.

Banerjee worked at ABN Amro for twelve years, where she played a key role in integrating the new and existing staff of the Consumer Banking division when ABN AMRO acquired Bank of America’s Retail Banking business. After that, Banerjee launched the new Private Banking division of ABN AMRO, whose assets under management has now grown to $1.25 billion.

Before ABN Amro, Banerjee worked with ANZ Grindlays Bank. She holds a post graduate diploma in Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur and is a Gold Medalist in Economics.

Picture and full story on XLRI Alumni making news

Madhukar in CII's National Committee on Skills & Human Resources

2009-06-14T14:43:00.000-07:00

From: "Madhukar Shukla"

I am very happy to share with you that one of XLRI Profs has been inducted in the CII's National Committee on Skills and Human Resources.... However, being modest, I am afraid I will not be able to tell you his name.

:0))

XL Canada Picnic - July 1 (With Family)

2009-06-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Date : July 1, 2009 (Wednesday)-Canada Day - RAIN/SHINE

Time : 12:00 pm onwards (normally lasts till 4:00 pm at least)

Location : Sunnybrook Park (Picnic Area No. 2), Toronto - see map attached

Directions : Most convenient to use the Entrance marked in Black on the Map off Leslie St.

Pot Luck Lunch - Each family brings a dish/snack to share in a pot luck format

Please bring our own soft drinks, styrofoam plates / cups/ napkins/spoons/ forks etc.
Please bring lawn chairs, Duree/sheets.
If you have a Stove, pls bring that along to to heat up the food if required.
(if your friends want to come along, welcome too)

We could also have games for the kids and play some cricket - and Fred has a cricket set so we can play some tennis ball cricket. Those who have Frisbees/Balls, or any other sport items, please bring them along too.Fred will be bringing a small stove and will make 'Chai' for all of us.

PS: if you are aware of any new Xlers that have moved to Toronto, please circulate to them.

Once again looking forward to see you all there,

Regards,
Siddharth

Easy2commute - Secure Corporate Carpool for Delhi NCR

2009-06-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is a new and innovative initiative being spearheaded in Delhi by an Alumnus of the 2006 batch - Ambrish Bajaj and a friend of his from IIMA - Abhishek Rajan.

About Easy2commute (E2C)

E2C is a Corporate Carpool solution designed to help office-goers find fellow commuters travelling on similar routes. The site utilizes an in-house Vicinity Search technology to suggest potential poolers who reside in nearby areas and travel to office destinations which are in close vicinity of each other. The site’s database covers more than 3000 colonies, sectors, pockets, apartments, office areas and landmarks in the Delhi NCR region to enable users to accurately locate their home and office areas, with an option to use a visual area map. In its endeavour to provide a secure environment, the solution relies on a unique User Verification process wherein HR/Admin representative from companies verify the credentials of their respective employees that register on this site. Registered users can search for potential carpoolers both intra-company as well as inter-company. Concerted efforts have gone into making this site more usable and secure for the users.

How it all began...

The origin of this site is more logical than interesting...

Abhishek Rajan and Ambrish Bajaj, having offices in DLF Cyber City (Gurgaon), often wondered over their many cups of coffee about what could be done to reduce the ever increasing traffic on the roads of Delhi NCR? One option could be to dis-incentivise purchase of new vehicles by levying more taxes, toll charges and parking fees. Another option could be to encourage commuters to use public transport. In the absence of these two, they decided to look for the third option - Carpool. The reason why they thought this could work was the emergence of several thickly populated corporate hubs (like DLF Cyber City or Udyog Vihar in Gurgaon, Electronic City in Noida) across NCR, with thousands of cars entering and exiting these corporate hubs everyday.

But the ground reality is that people do not really carpool, as is evident from the large proportion of single occupancy cars on the road. While part of the reason is to do with the mindset (some people have safety concerns, others consider it detrimental to their privacy), the other part could be that these office commuters do not really have any comprehensive means to search for fellow commuters residing in nearby areas and travelling daily to the same office/building/complex at nearly similar times of the day. The need to bridge this gap between commuters who could be potential car poolers, led to the development of the E2C Corporate Carpool concept. Addressing the safety concerns of people was also the top priority. A secure environment was to be provided, where one could choose to connect with only genuine and verified users.

Many months and numerous coffee cup discussions laters, the two managed to develop this safe and easy Corporate Carpool solution, their contribution towards a green and de-congested NCR. Abhishek and Ambrish are graduates from Delhi College of Engineering and post-graduates in Business Administration from IIM Ahmedabad and XLRI Jamshedpur respectively.

Check out the website http://easy2commute.com

Energize the HR department of your company to make use of such a green initiative which will also benefit the company employees in the long run.

Contact details of the 2 innovators is on their website.

ITC Chairman, YC Deveshwar inaugurates IAJBS 15th World Forum @XLRI

2009-06-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Jamshedpur, June 8 (The Telegraph): Proper business education is a necessity for better sustainability, said ITC chairman Y.C. Deveshwar today.

Stressing on sustainable development, he cited examples from the company’s rural initiatives under corporate social responsibility while delivering the keynote address at the 15th World Forum of the International Jesuits Business Schools. About 80 delegates from the Jesuits Business Schools across the globe - USA, Europe, Asian countries - are participating in the forum held at the XLRI campus.

“Sustainable development is about the triple bottomline across three dimensions — economic, social and ecological, which means creating social and ecological wealth. However, there are some challenges of development that arise from growing income inequities and secondly there’s a threat from global and climate change,” said Deveshwar.

Stressing on the role of management institutions, he said that the institutions needed to spread awareness and education. He suggested areas in which institutes could carry out meaningful research in collaboration with the industry to find solutions.

Citing e-Choupal — a model designed by the ITC to tackle the challenges posed by the unique features of Indian agriculture — as an example, Deveshwar said that the common man has to be involved in order to achieve the sustainability. “People are not society’s burden. If they are utilised in a proper way, they can be created as resources. Education helps in innovation. With creative business models we can convert threats into opportunities. This begins with a realisation of compelling challenges.”

Delhi Alumni Meet Pictures are up

2009-06-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Richa Malik has uploaded her pictures of the meet.

Her message and link to her pictures, follows:

The pics are finally here...Sorry for the delay...

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/richamalik85/XLRIAlumniMeet2009Delhi#

The pictures are uploaded in their original size so feel free to download them without worrying about the resolution. Do let me know if you want me to email you some pictures, just in case.

Thank you for coming for the alumni meet.

Hope everyone had a great time.

Regards,

Richa Malik

Tata Capital Limited appoints Mr. Jamshed Daboo (86BMD) as Head - National Sales and Service Organization

2009-06-07T18:27:00.000-07:00

From Domain News

Mumbai: Tata Capital, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited, today announced the appointment of Jamshed Daboo, as head, national sales and service organisation.

Tata Capital has a unique customer-centric business model with the capability to offer a comprehensive suite of products and services to retail, corporate and institutional customers. As part of its customer-centric strategy, the company aims to establish one of the highest standards of service quality and operational excellence.

Towards this end, it has established a unique sales and service structure called the national sales and service organisation, which Daboo will spearhead.

Daboo is a management graduate from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Walchand College. He started his career with Tata Administrative Service (TAS) in 1986, after which he joined Titan in 1987 as part of the sales and marketing team.

In 1999, he took charge as chief executive officer of Tata Quality Management Services (TQMS), the business excellence initiative for the Tata companies, before moving on to the Taj Group of Hotels in 2000.

Immediately prior to joining Tata Capital, he held the position of the chief operating officer, premium hotels.

Tata Capital Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Limited. Tata Capital is registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a Systemically Important Non Banking Financial Company and aims to fulfill the diverse needs of retail and institutional customers through divisions, subsidiaries or joint ventures as per regulatory requirements.

The Company's diversified portfolio includes - Retail Finance, Corporate Finance, Investment Services, Wealth Management Services, Investment Banking, Private Equity, and Rural Finance.

SAP Research Award for XL Prof

2009-06-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

From Times of India

BANGALORE: SAP Labs India has established the SAP Research and Innovation Award to recognize the scientific and research potential of Indian

academics and their role in nurturing industry-ready talent.

“In an effort to set up formidable alliances with some of the best institutions in India, SAP is attempting to harness the Indian talent pool to establish collaboration between Indian Academics and SAP’s research and development departments,” Kush Desai, managing director, SAP Labs India told TOI.

“These awards will be instrumental in building an essential framework of knowledge-sharing between the industry and the academia of the country. This will go a long way in ensuring conversion of indigenous scientific ideas into business propositions,” he said.

SAP Research and SAP Labs India had invited entries on contemporary and relevant research topics like advanced web technologies, real-world awareness, real-time enterprise transparency and so on.

The selection process involved an initial round of online submission of a project brief, while in the second round, the contenders with the most promising proposals were required to submit a full-fledged project proposal.

Eight candidates were short-listed to present their projects to a committee of SAP Research experts and five winners were selected in the final round, including Prof Jalote, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIT), Delhi, Prof. Balasubramaniam, BITS, Pilani, Prof. Sanjay Kumar, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur and others.

The winning projects will be awarded a research grant of Rs 11,00,000 each for a project duration of one year, and receive an opportunity to collaborate with SAP Research and its partners.
SAP also supports education around the world.

The SAP University Alliances Program is currently established in Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and Thailand.

One of the winners, Prof. Sanjay Kumar, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, says, “We are grateful to SAP Research for providing us with a platform to incubate our ideas into business projects. We are excited to work with researchers at SAP Labs India, as this will foster sharing of best practices among the industry and the academia, a quintessential element that ensures success in innovation.

XLRI Campus Store - Inaugurated!

2009-06-07T18:21:00.000-07:00

Heard that there may be an online ordering and delivery option soon, in case you were wondering:)
Kim

The XLRI Campus Store was inaugurated today by the Director, Fr E Abraham, S.J., @ XLRI, Jamshedpur.

Here are some photos of the Store:

--
Posted By The Theme to XLRI Jamshedpur - News and Latest Updates at 6/07/2009 04:18:00 PM

Indranil Roy (98PMIR) Joins Korn/Ferry as Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Leadership and Talent Consulting Group

2009-05-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

From http://news1.secutimes.com/20090529/18/21110217.shtml

Indranil Roy Joins Korn/Ferry as Managing Director, Asia Pacific of Leadership and Talent Consulting Group

- Firm's Leadership and Talent Consulting Business in Asia Pacific Set for Further Growth -

SINGAPORE, May 29 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Korn/Ferry International (NYSE: KFY), a premier global provider of talent management solutions, recently announced that it has appointed Indranil Roy as Managing Director, Asia Pacific of its Leadership and Talent Consulting (L&TC) group.

Based in Singapore, Mr. Roy is responsible for further driving the growth of the L&TC business throughout the region and building a team of leadership consultants with a diverse range of capabilities. He will also lead Korn/Ferry's efforts in generating a unique platform of thought leadership for Asian talent.

Mr. Roy joins Korn/Ferry from Hewitt Associates, where he was the global head of the Leadership Consulting business. Renowned as an executive coach in the areas of cross-cultural leadership, Mr. Roy brings with him extensive experience in consulting across a wide range of sectors including financial services, IT, government, consumer and healthcare. His work with global clients has focused on leadership alignment and effectiveness, with a specific focus on board effectiveness, top team alignment and senior executive coaching.

Mr. Roy succeeds David Everhart, currently based in Shanghai, who will be returning to the United States to continue working within the practice.

"I am delighted that Indranil has decided to join Korn/Ferry and am convinced that he will be able to develop the L&TC business in Asia Pacific to its full potential," said Charles Tseng, President, Asia Pacific for Korn/Ferry. "Indranil will continue to build on the momentum that David has started in growing the practice in Asia over the last three years from two consultants to a team of 15 strong."

Korn/Ferry Leadership and Talent Consulting helps companies implement their business strategy and achieve high performance by improving the effectiveness of their organizations, executive leadership and talent management programs. Korn/Ferry's solutions are delivered by a global team of consultants, supported by research-based and market-leading intellectual property, methodologies and tools.

About Korn/Ferry International Asia Pacific

Korn/Ferry International, with a presence throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Korn/Ferry was the first major global executive search firm to operate in Asia Pacific when it opened its doors in Tokyo in 1973 and today has 18 offices in key business centers throughout the region, including: Auckland, Bangalore, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Melbourne, Mumbai, New Delhi, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Wellington. Based in Los Angeles, the Firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to attract, develop, retain and sustain their talent. Visit http://www.kornferryasia.com for more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies and

http://www.kornferryinstitute.com for thought leadership, intellectual property and research.

SOURCE Korn/Ferry International

Singapore : 29/5- yogaRUN

2009-05-27T04:20:00.000-07:00

hello everyone

re; 29/5 meeting; 8 pm

the wine company, evans road

Since there is not much of an interest on playing sport, before the dinner I am suggesting a YOGArun in the botanic gardens. 630 pm start; end by 730 pm and still have time for a fresh up and ready for dinner. Any takers?

Best Wishes

Ramesh
ReVive Consulting Group

Europe : Alumni Meet Invite for 30th May 2009 - Basel

2009-05-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

I invite you to the Alumni Meet in Basel on Saturday,May 30th, 2009.

The programme is as follows:

1) 5.15 p.m-7.30 p.m. : We meet at Cafe Bar Fumare Non Fumare, Gerbergasse 30, Near Barfusserplatz for drinks.

2) 7.30 p.m-9.30 p.m. : We proceed towards Centro am Barfi, The Italian Restaurant for dinner. Its a short walk from Cafe Bar Fumare Non Fumare.

Looking forward to meeting you and spending a good evening together.

Warm Regards,
Pallavi Bhargava
PMIR-10

xl spring time 09 meeting - Singapore - confirmed 29/5 - 730pm

2009-05-24T14:09:00.000-07:00

XLRI ALUMNI MAY SINGAPORE meeting

here are the details again-

date: 29/5
time: 730 pm
location: the wine COMPANY at 26, evans roadt - NOTE EVANS ROAD not dempsey road. ph: 67321229 ( write this down)
cost per person - 29++ ( the reservation is under xlri)
south african wines + chilean wines + german wines + beer+ pizza + pasta + salad + yummy chocolate dessert on offer.
vegetarians - and rastafarians - NO PROBLEMO!!
parking: lots available in the NUS campus
bus / taxi - come along BUKIT timah road and turn into Evans road

SPORTS: PJ - has nicely suggested bowling - I did not hear anything from anyone after that - I am wondering ?? Any interest...

In the meanwhile, thinking aboout activities - any interest in tennis or badminton. I can book the court in the CCA building opposite where we plan to meet.If there is an interest pelase send me a text - . the facility has changing rooms. those who want to play should be ready by 530 pm; I can book the courts for 2 hours; We can after the game, just walk over to the the wine company.

guys and gals - who are seeing this mail - could you please send a friendly phone call or email to some of the friends who are not in the yahoo group or those who are not seeing them to see if they would like to come for the 29/5 Friday get together. let me know by 28/5.

Best Wishes

Ramesh
ReVive Consulting Group.
Singapore

Latest Campus Update from Prof M G Jomon

2009-05-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

May like to catch-up with the happenings at XLRI since the XL News April-2009.

Alumni Meet 2009: Many of you may have seen the communication on Alumni meet 2009 providing specific details of the meet and also the XLRI invitation for the event along with the family. Incase you may have missed out here is a brief indicating the city, date, venue time and contact persons with their mobile numbers:
Delhi: 23rd May, Tivoli Gardens, 7.30 pm, Richa Malik,Nakul Jain;
Mumbai: 23rd May, Mayfair Banquets Worli, 7.30 pm, Gaurava Sahi:, Gayathri Krishnan: ;
Hyderabad: 23rd May, Taj Deccan , 7.30 pm, Siddharth Chatterjee: ;
Chennai: 23rd May, Hotel Abu Palace-P.H. Road, 7.30 pm, Krishnan S: ;
Bangalore: 30th May, Jayamahal Palace Hotel (on Miller's Road), 7.30 pm, Sumit Singla:
Calcutta: 13th June, Vishal Agarwal: ).

Home Coming 2009 Announcement: The home coming 2009 will be organized during the third week end of November (November 21-22, Saturday and Sunday) as per our convention. Let us plan ahead and make it this years Home coming. Kindly pass on your suggestions to making this event successful.

Graduations of XLers: April 4, 2009 witnessed the graduation ceremony for the Satellite Program students of XLRI. Mr B K Jhawar, Chairman Usha Martin Group, was the Chief Guest. 409 students received certificates in this ceremony in the streams of Business Management and Human Resource Management, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Sales and Marketing Management, and Retail Management.

The Graduation Ceremony of the One-Year General Management Programme was held at XLRI on May 9, 2009. Mr. Shubhendu Amitabh, Senior President (Corporate Affairs and Business Development), Aditya Birla Group was the Chief Guest. May 9, 2009 also witnessed the Graduation Ceremony of the Executive Diploma in HRM Program. This was the first batch of the Dubai Program and the second batch of the program in India.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations: Two significant events, among others, are being planned as part of the XLRI Diamond Jubilee Celebration. The first is the 15th World Forum of International Association of Jesuit Business Schools being hosted at XLRI from June 7 to 10, 2009. Theme for the event is "Taking the Lead Towards Sustainable Development". About 75 delegates from various parts of the world (Latin America, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and South Asia) will be participating in this Forum. Dr. J. Singh (70 BMD) is the Coordinator (jittusingh@xlri.ac.in) of the event.

The second event is a Conference of Indian Academy of Management (IAoM) to be held at XLRI in December 2009. Prof. E.S. Srinivas is the Coordinator (srinivas@xlri.ac.in).

XL at Top: The Special Issue of Business World dated 25 May 2009 on India's Best B-Schools 2009 has ranked XLRI Jamshedpur as No. 3.

Alumni on News: Sandeep Bakshi (83 BMD) is the new Dy. Managing Director of ICICI Bank. Shatrunjay Krishna (PMIR 05) has been appointed as Senior Advisor, Ministry of Education, UAE Government. Shankar Sundaram (78 BMD) has enrolled himself for the Executive FPM Programme of our institute.

Faculty on News: Dr Ashis K Pani and Dr Supriya K De received the "Best Paper Award" on "Digital Strategies in Managing Knowledge and Collaboration in Health Care" at the International Academy of e-Business [IAEB] 9th Annual Conference held in Hawaii, USA during April 9-12, 2009.