Imprints July 2016 Edition by Imprints-KJSIMSR Alcom

IMPRINTS

SIMSR Alumni Newsletter July 2016 Edition Team ALCOM Speaks

SIMSR Ranking by Business Standard

The Alumni Committee is proud to present

K J Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and

Imprints - July edition.

Research (SIMSR) has been ranked amongst the

As we begin a new academic year, Team ALCOM

colleges under Super League 2 according to the latest

welcomes the students of PGDM batch 2016 -18!

rankings published by Business Standard.

In this edition, we are happy to present a new

Our instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ranking has improved immensely as a

feature - exclusive interviews with our illustrious

result of ratings obtained from the industry, alumni and

Alumni. We are thankful to our Alumni for

HR professionals. SIMSR is now ranked alongside

having spent their valuable time at SIMSR and

institutes like SIBM Pune, NMIMS Mumbai, XIM

for inspiring our students during their induction.

Bhubaneshwar and IMT Ghaziabad. We express our

We strive to engage all Alumni through our

sincere gratitude to all SIMSR Alumni whose constant

events and initiatives. It is our endeavour to

involvement has helped SIMSR achieve this milestone.

connect all SIMSR Alumni with their Alma Mater.

Read more here

He is a co-founder at Hats Off

Jamnadas

Majethia,

acclaimed

Productions and is producing

Induction of PGDM batch 2016 -18 The induction process of the newly joined batch was a huge success due

a unique mini-series called Khidki.

to the participation of our Alumni. Induction Day 1 was conducted by -

Mr. Vikas Arora (batch 1993-95) Business Head at Deutsche Bank Mr. Deepak Saluja (batch 1996-98) Executive VP at UTI Mutual Fund Mr. Manmath Katare (batch 1996-98) Partner at Control Shift Solutions Induction Day 2 was conducted by Mr. Siddhartha Kant (batch 1996-98) Senior VP at TCS Mr. Vijay Savant (batch 1996-98) Business Development Manager at British Petroleum Ms. Avani Shah (batch 1998-2000) Ex-Associate Director at KPMG Induction Day 1

Induction Day 2

The program premiered on 28th June 2016 and will air every Monday to Friday at 9:30

p.m. on SAB TV.

Interview with Mr. Madhusudan Kela Chief Investment Strategist at Reliance Capital and SIMSR Alum of batch 1989-91 Mr. Madhusudan Kela is one of the founding members of Reliance Capital, and was instrumental in setting up the

Mutual Funds business. Presently, he oversees assets worth over Rs. 2 Lakh Crores at Reliance Capital. Following is an exclusive interview with Mr. Kela conducted by the Alumni Committee. He was also interviewed by CNBC-TV18’s Anuj Singhal at the Somaiya Vidyavihar Campus on 16th June 2016. Q: What was the most significant learning that you gained during your two years at SIMSR? A: We had a professor called Dr. R L Bhatia who taught us HR. He said whenever you face a grave problem, remember that your biggest asset are your people. And it is your ability to deal with people that determines

how far you go in life. When I reflect back on my career of 25 years, I realize that he was absolutely right. At the end of the day, my people are my biggest strength. Q: For management students who wish to study stock markets, what advice will you give? A: Understanding the stock market needs a great deal of study. It is a combination of applying a relevant formula, practicing the right mantra and following your instincts. If you are really passionate about following the stock market then you must begin with reading balance sheets. That’s how you peek into business strategies. Interpret the company’s operations and then apply theoretical concepts.

Q: In your career spanning over two decades what are you most proud of? A: Success and failure are a part of every business. One must take both, the highs and the lows in stride. Don’t let the highs take you to the clouds and don’t let the lows bring you down. Yes I’m happy about my success and it all began at SIMSR. I’m very proud and extremely thankful to our large hearted institute for inviting me back as a distinguished alum. I congratulate SIMSR for promoting students like me who come from an underprivileged background. I came from a small village of 2000 people in Chhattisgarh (then Madhya Pradesh) called Kurud and this is where I got my passport to enter the corporate world. Q: Your take on the present state of the economy. Where is India headed? A: This is an unprecedented time for India. Our economy is growing when the whole world is collapsing. Most of the countries are in a negative interest territory, they are in a state of deflation and are hugely indebted. India on the other hand is growing at a promising rate of 8%. We have a phenomenal Government after many years of political incompetence. Our leadership is stronger than ever. We took 5000 years to become an economy of $3 trillion and in the next 10 years we will reach $6 trillion. India is undoubtedly the land of opportunities. Q: Your message to our young alumni who are new to the corporate world. A: You must discover what you love. Once you put your heart and mind into what you love, your passion will express itself to the world. You are born in a time where whatever your mind conceives can become reality. Have the conviction to follow your passion. Be patient, you may find several compelling reasons to take the shortcuts. But ultimately, it’s the long and arduous path that pays. Perseverance is the key.

Interview with Mr. Vikram Malhotra Founder and CEO at Abundantia Entertainment and SIMSR Alum of batch 1997-99 Abundantia Entertainment has produced blockbuster movies like Baby and Airlift. Mr. Vikram Malhotra has been the COO at Viacom 18 Motion Pictures where he produced films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Queen. Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Mr. Malhotra spent over a decade building brands across companies such as The UB Group, Tata Communications Ltd. and FCB Ulka. Q: What was student life like during your two years at SIMSR? A: While I was pursuing my MBA at SIMSR, we had a professor of statistics called Mr. A Iyer. He was a strict disciplinarian. He was also one of the most eccentric professors on campus. What my peers and I learnt from him was his obsession with preparedness. He would make us leave the class if we didn’t have a scale or even an eraser. He’d simply tell us to move out; no questions asked. In hindsight, I realise that what he meant was preparation for a lecture is as important as the lecture itself. Incidentally, this same professor was also notorious for negative marking. If anyone scored a zero in his paper it was considered an achievement. Q: When it comes to your professional life, what gives you a natural high? A: I have enjoyed several successful moments, God has been kind. But the joy that I experienced when I walked into the small office of Abundantia, was way higher than any big corporate I’ve worked at. Starting your own venture, stepping into your own office and realising that this is the first day of the rest of your life, is an unparalleled high. Q: Your journey from marketing into the entertainment industry, was it premeditated? A: My journey has more been from marketing to general management. I have had the privilege to work in advertising, FMCG, telecom, services oriented businesses and even sports marketing. I didn’t exactly have a plan, but I believe that the future has a way of arriving unannounced. You can sit and chart out the most suitable career option for yourself. But an amazing opportunity may knock on your door when you least expect it. Q: Your take on the future of the entertainment industry? A: Entertainment is probably the only recession-proof business. People will continue to seek entertainment no matter what. Today the manner in which content is consumed, especially because of smartphones and the internet, has made media and entertainment a booming sector in India. It’s amongst the top five industries in our country to watch out for. International players have already arrived. Netflix is here, Vice Media is here. We are global now, before we know it. Q: Your advice to management students for their placement interviews? A: There’s no need for you to apply in ‘n’ number of companies. Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t look at your career as one campus placement, or the best paying job that can come to you. I won’t argue the fact that campus placements are important. But that one job, which you land when you’re 25, is not going to define your career. You are going to work for the next 30 years of your life. So the coming two years will only be your formative years, not

your definitive years. Make smart decisions, know where your interest lies and follow your passion.

Orientation to Entrepreneurship The induction period of the newly joined students of PGDM batch 2016-18 included a two day session on orientation to entrepreneurship which was conducted by our alumni entrepreneurs. Orientation to Entrepreneurship Day 1

Orientation to Entrepreneurship Day 2 On the first day of orientation to entrepreneurship the students interacted with – Mr. Ashutosh (batch 1996) Founder and CEO at Kailasa Analytics

Mr. Gaurang Chandrana (batch 1996) Co-Founder at 14 Square Ms. Nikita Shah (batch 2003) and Ms. Labdhi Mehta (batch 2010) Partners at Beyond Academics On the second day of orientation to entrepreneurship the students gained insights from – Mr. Vikram Malhotra (batch 1999) Founder and CEO at Abundantia Entertainment Mr. Arindam Das (batch 2000) Co-Founder and Supply Chain Head at OnTask Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

Job Opportunities Top Recruiting Companies (in June)

Total No of Recruiting Companies

Total No of Vacancies

Google, Indusind Bank, Prestige and GE Healthcare

The Alumni Committee has created a SIMSR Jobs Google Group which serves as a platform for Alumni to share lateral job opportunities with each other directly. To share a job opportunity at your organisation write to us at simsrjobs@googlegroups.com

Team Imprints

Alumni Relations



Chief Editor— Ankita Rajadhyaksha



Vidhya Sharma (Head, Somaiya Vidyavihar Alumni Relations)



Designers and Content Managers—



Dr. Rupali Gadkari (Chairperson, Alumni Relations, SIMSR)



Arvind Pandi Dorai (Manager, Alumni Relations, SIMSR)



Shriya Pawar (Officer, Alumni Relations, SIMSR)

Parul Pathak and Abhijith Varma 

Contributors— Priyanka Mirajkar, Akshay Kamath, Vikram Gupte, Amogh Deshpande and Tanvi Vassa

Connect With Us

Write to Us/Contact Us

alcom.simsr@somaiya.edu 022-6728 3120/3185