Back after a long break! And back to reality after all the fun and learning and travelling. Yes, term 3 ended in the mean time and we went to Hongkong for a 2 weeks' international immersion program. Had a great party with old friends in Bangalore before heading to Hongkong.
Hongkong turned out to be better than expectation. Learnt more about India from Professor Leslie Young than probably from my high school history teacher. It was really an eye opening exercise learning about Chinese marketing, management style, labour laws, government policies and the "inside" view as compared to the western view. Even after having spent more than a year in my professional assignments in China earlier on, I realized how much more there is to know.
Met a very old friend in Hongkong and spent some "memorable" moments in Macau. The school itself had organized a few business meets with some high profile individuals and groups in Hongkong that was really useful. Some of us who were adventurous "food-wise" went on to try interesting cuisines. The Sha-tin mall close to the hotel we stayed in provided ample avenues for food and shopping.
The two weeks passed sooner than we anticipated and then we had that much awaited 2 weeks of real holiday. And now, after the end of four grueling terms, we are at the fag end of the MBA program. The last term remains to be conquered and that is the one which comes with the additional excitement of placements. Time to dust that old suit, I guess.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, October 25, 2010
Grey Matters
What do Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India, Mr. J J Irani, Director, Tata Sons, Prof. Harrick Vin, Vice President and Chief Scientist, TCS, Mr. Murali Sivaraman, CEO Philips India, Karumuttu Kannan, MD, Thiagarajar Mills and Member – TamilNadu State Planning Commission, Mr. Chirag Doshi, Managing Director, Walchandnagar Industries Ltd, Mr. Chender Baljee, CMD, Royal Orchid Hotels, Mr. Shambhu Das, CEO, Torrence Capital, Mr. Sandip Tarkas, President, Customer Strategy, Future Group, Mr. Ravi Krishnan, Managing Director and Sr Vice President, IMG South Asia, Mr. Rajgopal Nogja, President, Lavasa Corporation Limited and HCC Real Estate have in common? They were all present at the IIMA PGPX event called CONNEXION last weekend sharing their insightful ideas and experiences with a group of students, professors and alumni. The event that was started only last year by PGPX students has already grown to be probably the most intellectual gathering at IIMA in the most condensed form.
The event was aptly kick started by the first ever 5 km run on campus - again organised by PGPX community. The run saw a host of students, professors and exchange students participating with unprecedented enthusiasm. The run was probably a preparation of the body to take on the rigors that the mind was to be exposed to in the next three days.
The next day started with the formal inauguration by Dr. Kalam in a hall packed with an eager audience. This was followed by an informal interaction with the former president and Mr. Murali. Various interesting subjects such as the role of government in industry, integrity for sustainable growth etc. were discussed at great length. This followed by an invigorating session on marketing by the CEO of Philips, India, Mr. Murali. For many, Mr. Murali's contagious enthusiasm was the take of the day probably. This followed by dinner where a sizable number of PGPX alumni interacted with the current batch sharing valuable insights from their experiences after PGPX.
The second day started with a seminar on renewable energy where a diverse panel shared their view of the role of corporates in the sustenance of environment. The very relevant diversity of the panel composed of the head of Royal Orchids hotel, representation of Wipro's eco-energy department, president of Lavasa, CEO of torrence capital and an ex-Mckinsey consultant. The intense discussion was followed by presentation by PGPX students. The afternoon session started with a formal inauguration of the alumni interaction session by Dr. Ferzaan Engineer, CEO of Quintiles India, a leading pharmaceutical company. After a fruitful interaction with alumni, a cultural event followed - probably preparing us for another intense day.
The next day's topic was marketing innovation where marketing wizards like the MD of IMG sports, head of idea cellular, strategy head of future capital and head of innovation lab of TCS shared the dias. They shared their diverse takes on marketing and ways to tap customer potential. This followed by the director's speech where he highlighted the vision of IIMA to project PGPX as the flagship program of IIMA in the near future.
Overall, the last three days were probably the greatest learning for most of PGPX students both in terms of organizing a large event as well as listening to top notch professionals in the business world. Once the benchmark has been set, the next big vision for CONNEXION can only be to grow into one of India's most influential business event in the field of business education.
The event was aptly kick started by the first ever 5 km run on campus - again organised by PGPX community. The run saw a host of students, professors and exchange students participating with unprecedented enthusiasm. The run was probably a preparation of the body to take on the rigors that the mind was to be exposed to in the next three days.
The next day started with the formal inauguration by Dr. Kalam in a hall packed with an eager audience. This was followed by an informal interaction with the former president and Mr. Murali. Various interesting subjects such as the role of government in industry, integrity for sustainable growth etc. were discussed at great length. This followed by an invigorating session on marketing by the CEO of Philips, India, Mr. Murali. For many, Mr. Murali's contagious enthusiasm was the take of the day probably. This followed by dinner where a sizable number of PGPX alumni interacted with the current batch sharing valuable insights from their experiences after PGPX.
The second day started with a seminar on renewable energy where a diverse panel shared their view of the role of corporates in the sustenance of environment. The very relevant diversity of the panel composed of the head of Royal Orchids hotel, representation of Wipro's eco-energy department, president of Lavasa, CEO of torrence capital and an ex-Mckinsey consultant. The intense discussion was followed by presentation by PGPX students. The afternoon session started with a formal inauguration of the alumni interaction session by Dr. Ferzaan Engineer, CEO of Quintiles India, a leading pharmaceutical company. After a fruitful interaction with alumni, a cultural event followed - probably preparing us for another intense day.
The next day's topic was marketing innovation where marketing wizards like the MD of IMG sports, head of idea cellular, strategy head of future capital and head of innovation lab of TCS shared the dias. They shared their diverse takes on marketing and ways to tap customer potential. This followed by the director's speech where he highlighted the vision of IIMA to project PGPX as the flagship program of IIMA in the near future.
Overall, the last three days were probably the greatest learning for most of PGPX students both in terms of organizing a large event as well as listening to top notch professionals in the business world. Once the benchmark has been set, the next big vision for CONNEXION can only be to grow into one of India's most influential business event in the field of business education.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Job Half Done
The last three weeks or so, I have been sighing. Really! And my arms and legs are almost paralyzed with the long sigh of relief. I was itching to say a lot on my blog since the last week of last month but a relaxed state of mind and body forbade me from doing so. MBA is half done! And guess what, apparently the tougher part is over. After the nightmarish first term and the relatively equally torturous second one, most of us have garnered enough confidence that the rest will sail through.
We did have our bit of fun in second term though. T-nite is a particularly memorable part. Most of us participated in some way or the other in this energizing cultural festival. Starting from the pub run, the practice sessions, section video preparation, dances, songs and of course a skit mimicking MBA students in Akbar's "durbar" were very well enjoyed by everyone. T-nite will probably also be a key contributor in making life difficult when we leave this place for good in another six months or so.
Third term started in a slightly relaxed tempo. The high point so far has been an entire course being taught by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former president of India. Having classroom sessions by one of India's most respected public personality was some experience in itself. Add to it the simplicity of the way in which he delivers his lectures and the live exchange of ideas with the student community in the theme of nation building and you have your money's worth.
Next high point on the agenda is the international immersion program. Most are planning to visit Asian business schools with a few going to Europe. After that trip, it will be all downhill - preparation for reality after the one year of roller coaster ride called PGPX.
We did have our bit of fun in second term though. T-nite is a particularly memorable part. Most of us participated in some way or the other in this energizing cultural festival. Starting from the pub run, the practice sessions, section video preparation, dances, songs and of course a skit mimicking MBA students in Akbar's "durbar" were very well enjoyed by everyone. T-nite will probably also be a key contributor in making life difficult when we leave this place for good in another six months or so.
Third term started in a slightly relaxed tempo. The high point so far has been an entire course being taught by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former president of India. Having classroom sessions by one of India's most respected public personality was some experience in itself. Add to it the simplicity of the way in which he delivers his lectures and the live exchange of ideas with the student community in the theme of nation building and you have your money's worth.
Next high point on the agenda is the international immersion program. Most are planning to visit Asian business schools with a few going to Europe. After that trip, it will be all downhill - preparation for reality after the one year of roller coaster ride called PGPX.
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