Sept issue 2014 final

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

From the Director Aug 16 2014 is, if not actually red, at least a lighter hue of the same day. For it saw a some firsts for Samanvay –KIAMS Alumni Association • The first AGM was held, followed by a brainstorming session of alumni present to give direction for the year ahead • The logo was adopted • Membership drive was initiated • And the annual fun-and-frolic baton was handed over to the Association

Lectures/ Seminars - 2, SIP Guidance as Mentors - 26, SIP Offers 15, Assessment Panel - 3, Live Assignments – 4, and Placement help - 10. It is on this Foundation that the further integration can be built. Placements and SIP seem to attract more involvement, but other action points also need strengthening. The ‘lighter hue’ of 16 August will move towards ‘deeper red’ as progress is made on this integration initiative One of the challenges facing the Association is that the alumni are scattered all over the country and abroad. While all alumni are connected on an alumni portal, the pleasures of face-to-face interaction are diluted. I suppose regular city-meets may be the answer. This scatter also adds its challenges to implementing the integration initiative – we will work on it

KIAMS has passed out 15 batches and has an alumni strength of over 1000. The alumni body is an eclectic mix of regions, sectors and positions which adds to its vibrancy. Such is the bonding that the call for the Association was responded to with enthusiasm.

One landmark event was the adopting of a formalised structure for Institute-Association Integration. KIAMS, on an average, enjoys tremendous good will amongst the alumni. They have not only responded to our call for involving themselves in some activities of the Institute, but they have also initiated some activities themselves.

However, till date the goodwill was at the individual level, slightly scattered and non-synergistic.

The Institute is aware that the flow is one-way, with the alumni involving themselves in the Institute processes. It is also important to identify points of reverse flow where the alumni get the benefits of this integration. One suggestion from some of the alumni was whether certificate programs could be offered to the alumni on the latest academic movements. A couple of topics suggested were Customer Insighting and Business Analytics. This has to be worked through.

With the Association now able channelize the goodwill, a guiding framework has been formed to facilitate the same. Of the three domains of Admissions, Academic Delivery and Placements, the initial focus is on Academic Delivery and Placements. A Relationship domain has also been added. Later on, a Research Domain can be added as the rich experience of the alumni can help in research on industry practices. At present, there are 15action points for interaction in the three domains. In the membership form, the alumni have been asked to identify their skills, interest and availability. This will help in matching Institute needs and alumni offering.

Of course, the emotive ‘reverse value’ is the annual meet held on alternate campuses each year, which is like a large family reunion.

Some find it a relief to let their hair down once again like students, escaping even momentarily the stifling environs of being ‘executives’. Others are a revelation in contrast from their wild student days to their current sober demeanor, accompanied as they are by spouse and kids. The faculty and staff greet them warmly, the current students adulate them, and a good time is had by all.

A lot of hard work lies ahead of us, but it is a journey that the Institute and the Association embark on joyously.

Already some engagements (any one alumni involved in any action point) are underway: Course Teaching–4 engagements, Guest

Editorial India, once the golden bird has witnessed many changes and has a rich history of producing great leaders. Political scenario in India has changed with every new era and due to that there has been a lot of political up-down happening and it has become quite tough to take decisions Opposition parties always override the decisions taken even if it is for the betterment of the country. Like recently there has been a lot of heated arguments over FDI in retail sector.

This issue of Chanakya brings you insights into the political scenario of India and what are the expectations and anticipations of people from different walks of life. It will provide one with a rich and deep understanding of how the political scenario affects every aspect of our lives.

Happy reading !!!

The new scenario is that the BJP have won the General Elections of 2014 and are in the drivers seat with a clear majority and the Congress is in the Opposition. With the Government having a majority, it can be expected that the Centre will be able to bring about changes in the required areas as that is the foremost demand of the public.

Team Chanakya

1

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Political Scenario of India - 2014 Mr. Abhijit Ray

Introduction

Political power – State level

India with a population of over 1200 million people boasts of being the largest sovereign democratic republic in the world. Effective power under the secular constitution lies with the Prime Minister and his cabinet. In principle, the parliament chooses the Prime Minister of the country. The parliament has a lower house – the Lok Sabha (the house of the people) and an upper house - the Rajya Sabha (the Council of States). The former is made up of directly elected representatives from the 543 parliamentary constituencies and the latter - a mixture of members elected by an electoral college and of nominated members.

The new Prime Minister Narendra Modi having successfully led the BJP electoral campaign has assessed that the current national mood is strongly in favour of change and see in the leadership an opportunity to usher in development and economic betterment which has been conspicuously lacking in the later years of UPA regime. It is the much hyped success story of Gujarat and its economic development under the stewardship of its Chief Minister Narendra Modi that has caught the psyche of the average Indian and has permeated a strangely secure feeling in his words “ acche din aane waale hain”. He has realized that this is prime time to try and consolidate the party’s position in the different states especially where BJP is not in power and state elections are scheduled to be held soon viz., Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. Fresh elections could also be held in Delhi if President’s rule is not extended.

The Indian National Congress (the Congress party) has historically dominated Indian national politics having won overall majorities in most of the general elections held so far. The only alternatives to the Congress have been formed by coalitions of regional and ideologically based parties of majorly the left Communists and Socialists and some parties of the right of the political spectrum viz., the Swatantra party, Jan Sangh, Janata party etc. with concentration mostly in the northern and to some extent western parts of India. In 1977 elections, the Jan Sangh which was seen as a party of right wing Hindu nationalism merged with the Janata Party and reformed itself as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the South of India, in TamilNadu, the power has alternated over the years between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and a faction that split from it – the All India Anna DMK named after C.N. Annadurai, a leader of Dravidian political movement. In Andhra Pradish, the Telugu Desam offered a similar regional alternative, while in Kerala, the power alternated between the Congress and the Communists (Marxists). However, from the 1990s, by dint of sustained political activity and professional leadership, the most organized political force and single most powerful challenger to have emerged against the Congress has been the Bhartiya Janata Party .

BJP would be eyeing to form the next governments in Delhi and Jharkhand given its recent fine poll performance in these two states.

In Haryana too, BJP has won 7 out of the 10 constituencies and has a good chance of forming the government provided it selects a suitable Chief Minister candidate. In Maharashtra, the BJP may have to continue its alliance with Shiva Sena but would have to mutually sort out the issue of Chief Ministerial candidate. In Jammu & Kashmir, the party may have to gradually increase its relevance in State level politics.

In the States where elections are not due, BJP can only hope to wrest power by showcasing achievements of the new government at the Centre. It is by leveraging its recent success and good governance can BJP reinforce its claim as a new alternative and make in-roads into new territories and emerge as a pan India party. Uttar Pradesh is one state where the ruling Samajwadi Party is facing a lot of flak due to deteriorating law and order, communal disturbances etc. where BJP would like to capture power given the size and electoral strength of the state notwithstanding the presence of Bahujan Samaj party led by Mayawati and a force to reckon with. Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh has a strong leadership and organizational spread for the BJP and can be reinforced further.

West Bengal, Odisha and Tamil Nadu are states led by dominant regional parties viz., AITC, BJD and ADMK where BJP can hope to become a dominant alternative.

General Elections – Victory for BJP The country recently underwent the largest democratic process in the world of holding the General Elections across length and breadth of its geographical spread. The 2014 Lok Sabha Election was a landmark event as it marked a stupendous victory for BJP with a clear majority. The party alone bagged 282 seats out of the 543 seats and a total of 336 seats along with the member parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Its principal rival, the Indian National Congress put up a dismal show with its worst defeat ever getting only 44 seats and a total of 59 seats with other members of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The other independent parties who refrained from aligning with either the UPA or the NDA and preferred to remain on the sidelines gathered 148 seats with three regional behemoths – ADMK (37 seats) AITC ( 34 seats ) and BJD ( 20 seats ) sweeping the 16th Lok Sabha polls in their States viz., Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha respectively.

Indian National Congress – Need for political strategy and leadership The Indian National Congress helped by its UPA allies had come into power in 2009 with a total mandate of 262 seats against the NDA obtaining 158 seats. At that time, India was riding high with GDP attaining over 8 % and looking promisingly to a sustained growth phase. The promise was greatly belied with growth plummeting to below 5 %. The country became a witness to a number of scams which literally debilitated the government.

Increasing corruption, rising gender crime and economic downslide

2

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA possessing the maturity of a seasoned politician to provide the required leadership and amalgamate the various factions at different levels, the party finds itself in a bind and requires to resolve its leadership issue. It would appear that the Congress party is at its cross roads and its future will depend on the political wisdom of its senior leadership and their intervention to prevail over the crisis the organization finds itself in.

coupled with a lackadaisical running of the government led to a total disillusionment on the part of the electorate of the Congress led UPA government which ultimately led to its downfall. The UPA tally was only 59 seats, a loss of a whopping 203 seats from the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Congress could muster only 44 seats and marked the worst defeat for the Congress, the largest national level party. In the process, the Indian Parliament presently does not have a Leader of opposition, since as per Parliament rules, the biggest opposition party in the House has to have at least 10% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha.

Conclusion The spectacular success of the BJP winning a clear majority at the hustings augurs well for the country as it can be assured of a stable government at the Centre. India is poised for an economic revival under the stewardship of Narendra Modi after undergoing the spectre of policy paralysis of the UPA government. This year’s election has seen the emergence of a neo middle class who demographically speaking are more than 40 % of India’s current population with 30 % of the voting age population below 30 years of age. This number of voters are expected to swell and will stay with the ruling party if it is able to deliver on the promises and steer the country on a path of growth and economic prosperity.

This deplorable performance has not only affected the rank and file of the organisation but also the party at the State level. In Maharashtra, with state elections round the corner, there are reports of party member resigning from the government citing organizational deficiencies. Pre-poll alliances that the Congress had initiated are falling apart eg., in J&K, the ruling National Conference- Congress alliance has broken up. Leadership problems are brewing in Haryana and Assam. The party at one point of time could draw satisfaction that minorities and backward classes viz., Muslims, adivasis and dalits vote for the Congress in large numbers which has now changed as people are now looking for opportunities and economic stability.

Mr. Abhijit Ray is a retired Vice President (Marketing) of a Public Sector Company.

These are new challenges to the party’s top authority which now would have to streamline the party’s organization structure and rework their program and policies. With Rahul Gandhi not

Political language ... is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind - George Orwell

3

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Indian Politics 2014 -A Change, A Growth Rachana Sharma and Deepak Chaturvedi

emerge. Many good ideas are simply awaiting political impetus for implementation.

Politics in India takes place within the framework of a constitution.

India is afederal parliamentary democratic republic in which the President of India is head of state and the Prime Minister of India is the head of government. India follows the dual polity, i.e. double government which consists of the union at the centre and states at the periphery. The constitution defines the organisation, powers and limitations of both central and state governments, it is written, rigid and supreme, i.e. laws of the nation must conform to it. As compared to other democratic countries India has a large number of political parties, it has been estimated that over 200 parties were formed after India became independent in 1947. There are two types of political parties in India - National Party and Regional/State party. Every political party must bear a symbol and must be registered with the Election Commission of India.. As with any other democracy, political parties represent different sections among the Indian society and regions, and their core values play a major role in the politics of India. Both the executive branch and the legislative branch of the government are run by the representatives of the political parties who have been elected through the elections.The narrow focus and votebank politics of most parties, even in the central government and central legislature, sidelines national issues such as economic welfare and national security. Moreover, internal security is also threatened as incidences of political parties instigating and leading violence between two opposing groups of people is a frequent occurrence.As the Indian political system evolves, institutions and power structures are taking new shapes and attributes. There can be no doubt that in India’s semi-federal structure, the states are assuming greater power, with the centre having to yield more often than not.

First, this nexus, if it existed, failed to prevent many actions that hurt the“connected”, such as the mess around general anti-avoidance tax rules. Second, India’s most powerful corporate entities invested heavily in infrastructure in the last decade, but failed to resolve the lack of decision-making on stalled projects. Other reforms which would have helped the connected, such as labour market liberalization, never materialized.

The record performance of BJP in the Lok Sabha elections changed the political contours of the northern and western regions of the country with parties such as Congress and regional players SP, BSP, NC, JD (U) and NCP virtually mauled in these states.Bloomberg highlighted India's slowing economy amidst a record high current account deficit and a falling rupee in summer 2013. It pointed out to a lack of infrastructure investment and a government increasingly likely to give subsidies that the national finances cannot afford just before the election. Other points it mentioned were stagnant policymaking and an inefficient bureaucracy. The economy was the main issue in the campaign.During the UPA 2, a number of scams came to public domain deteriorating the image of the government among the common man.

When exit polls predicted Narendra Modi led government, experts anticipated a spurt in the job market on the expectation that the BJP leader would revive the economy, particularly the manufacturing sector. According to the HR consultancy firm unison international estimated job market would grow atleast 30 percent under Modi’s rule. Meanwhile, experts also feel hiring in the manufacturing would surge as Mr. Modi is believed to give more focus to this sector.

Besides, the job market in IT, infrastructure, banking, tourism and healthcare are also likely to get a push. "Manufacturing sector will revive as Mr. Modi believes in giving impetus to the manufacturing sector. Things like single point clearance, good infrastructure and easy availability of land are expected on his agenda. The Naukri Job Speak Index for the month of April 2014 was at 1589 which represents a 7% increase in hiring activity when compared to March 2014. An annual comparison shows a 14 % increase in hiring activity when compared to April’13. Industry wise hiring sentiment was buoyant across all the major sectors. Telecom saw the index moving up by 19% M-O-M. Among the top metros, Mumbai also saw growth with the index moving up by 10% in April’14 over March’14.According to a survey conducted by placement firm ABC Consultants in early May, 85% employers indicated that the total headcount in their firms will rise in 2014-15. “Manufacturing, infrastructure, information and technology are expected to do very well in Modi’s tenure,”. Recruiters predicted a steady growth in the market in the next six months with a surge likely after September.

“There are a lot of pent-up investments, which will now be reviewed and implemented, which will lead to significant demand for hiring professionals in four to six months,”. Search firms such as Egon Zehnder, Korn/Ferry International, Executive Access Ltd, RGF Executive Search and EMA Managing Partners are looking to increase their own staff strength by at least 15%. That may not seem like a lot, but it is in the executive search business, where a small

The “first generation” reforms of the 1990s marked the first significant shift towards more private sector and trade-oriented policies, with a more limited role for government. India has pocketed most of the productivity pay-offs from these landmark reforms.

Today “second generation” reforms—supplying better public goods and correcting market failures—are required to spur higher growth.

In some sectors, such as agriculture, even first generation reforms are pending. The failure of United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA’s) “Dream Team” to enact these reforms was puzzling, especially given its stronger electoral mandate in 2009. So why did it fail? In a 2012 speech, Raghuram Rajan blamed the nexus between the “connected” and the “political elites”, arguing that reforms would have dried up the well of patronage that many drank from. While this hypothesis has obvious merit, it is too simplistic.

The UPA, divided at the top between Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh,advanced the priorities of the former over the latter. Thus, the welfare agenda promoted by the National Advisory Council was feverishly implemented, while the reform agenda, where ministers or government commissions had led the thinking languished. When UPA was re-elected in 2009 on the back of sustained high growth and welfare expansion, it read its mandate as being fundamentally about the latter.

On controversial reforms, the NDA needs to muster the risk-taking appetiteand political skills it demonstrated on the campaign to generate a pro-reform movement. Statecraft is about shaping political constituencies rather than waiting for a favourable consensus to

4

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

number of well-networked recruiters leverage long-standing relationships to find and place top executives. The hiring is in sharp contrast to what happened last year when the business shrunk by around a third for many firms as the economy slowed, business confidence dipped, and more large projects got stuck for reasons ranging from issues related to land acquisition, funding, fuel, or environmental clearances.

bureaucrats has been established.Government has made its intention clear. It has announced steps to contain food inflation. The government is clearly on the move to face challenges of a weak monsoon, inflation and Iraq crisis. Industry is upbeat with Mr Modi's move to reduce red tapism. In all - high hopes and apprehensions mark days of Modi government.With the sixth BRICS summit hosted

by Brazil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his multilateral debut.

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s pet project Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) has the potential to generate over one million jobs by 2022. GIFT city, which is being developed by the Gujarat government, aspires to cater to India’s large financial services potential by offering global firms a world-class infrastructure and facilities.Terming the Rail Budget as growthoriented, the emphasis on forging public-private-partnerships and attracting FDI will give a boost to infrastructure development and generate jobs.

Modi and the BJP's "decisive victory" expressed hope that just as Modi had brought development and prosperity to Gujarat, India would continue to "flourish and prosper" under his leadership. We look forward to the new government to further strengthen and deepen India's extensive relations with other countries.

The Modi government has its shares of ups and downs. a fair view of Mr Modi's diplomatic moves with his focus on a distinct "Look East" policy. At this juncture, Japan and China has emerged as Mr Modi's main target regions to take forward his "Look East" accent.The Modi influence, however, was glaring in the change in government's work culture.A direct line of communication between the PM and top

For a successful revolution it is not enough that there is discontent.

What is required is a profound and thorough conviction of the justice, necessity and importance of political and social rights.

- B. R. Ambedkar

5

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Revolt in Iraq Mr. Shahzeb Alam Mansoori

Iraq, which was once the habitat for the oldest civilization in the world, is witnessing its worst phase of struggle in the form of ongoing civil war. It is also known as the centre of Islamic golden age. The country today faces the clashes between direct communities namely, Shias and Sunni. Iraq was formed in 1921.

Sunnis are majorly concentrated in the north and the west. The Shias absorb the majority land of south making the capital city of Baghdad a mix of Shias and Sunni. Iraq shares its borders with six countries namely Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

Now coming back to the Iraq’s history, United States invaded Iraq in March 2003, Saddam Hussein’s Sunni regime was toppled by the fall of December and Shiites took power. Millions of people were killed in this war. Can it be the major reason of current situation of Iraq? Could we save the future of Iraq if no war would have been taken place? The answer may be depending on the individual but it is sure that world cannot remain silent because it must not be divided into fragments. U.S has deployed 300 American troops to Baghdad including a detachment of helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicle but it is too late. It is like, “first you injure then healing injuries”. If we want to live a better and happy life, we must ensure and promise that world will be free from discrimination and oppression, because it is not only for Iraq but also for the world. I would like to include Rabindranath Tagore’s poem from Gitanjali.

Clashes between the Shias and Sunnis killed thousands of people.

Anarchy took place over Iraq. The question is, who is responsible for current situation of Iraq ie, Shias, Sunni, ISIS (Islamic state of Iraq and Syria), or the 2003 war. The answers may be different from people’s perspective but the civil war can have critical consequences and impact at the world. If we look on ISIS, it is a fundamentalist group, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, operating under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ISIS has been successful in capturing 4 Iraqi towns. Over the past year, ISIS has secured massive funds from the oilfields of eastern Syria, which it had seized in 2012, and some of which it had sold back to the Syrian regime. It had also generated revenue from smuggling, price antiquities from archaeological digs. In mid-2014, Iraqi intelligence revealed that the organization had assets worth $2 billion.

“Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. Where, the knowledge is free. Where, the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls. Where, words come out from the depth of truth. Where, tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection. Where, the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit. Where, the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action, into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake”.

Mr. Shahzeb Alam Mansoori, PGDM-II, KIAMS

After coming into the power since 2006, the Shia Iraqi government under Maliki was criticised for oppressing Sunnis rather than seeking peace between two groups. He oppressed the Sunnis both inside government and by squashing protest on the streets. As expected, this angered the Sunni population. This period starting from the fall of 2012 and early month of 2013 witnessed mass atrocities by Maliki government to curb the Sunni protest movement. It was around the same time when ISIS started playing an expanded role. The group saw a significant growth of its influence in Iraq. The economic and political discrimination towards Iraqi Sunnis also helped ISIS to gain support.

I do not deny that I planned sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation and oppression of my people by the whites.

- Nelson Mandela

6

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

It’s time for a new change Ms Ruchi Lakhote

Namo!! Namo!!

The split will have an impact in the parliamentary politics in India.

Actually the union government is a minority government. The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have given support to the UPA government verbally. The present UPA government has suffered image loss because of its lacklustre governance throughout its two regimes. At the same time the NDA has been losing its strength. Only Akali Dal and Shiv Sena are with the BJP in NDA.

With Narendra Modi’s ascension to India’s apex political office, India is set to enter a new era in its politics. Modi is a remarkable phenomenon in Indian politics for several reasons. While his ascent would not have been possible without a decade of Congress misrule, leading to a wave of anti-incumbency sentiment, he represents a new sort of leader in India’s politics. Modi is India’s first prime minister to have been born following the country’s independence. His campaign appealed to India’s meritocratic middle-class because he was the son of a tea seller who rose to prominence through a determined work ethic. Narendra Modi won’t change everything in India, but he has already demonstrated that the country is capable of a new kind of politics.

This continuing instability has a far reaching consequence on several areas. One can remember Mexico in 1994/95. How suddenly political uncertainty brought economic recession in Mexico is a burning example in recent history. It is well known that political certainty has a positive role in the economic growth of a country. India is very dependent on foreign investment.

After winning the largest single non-Congress legislative mandate in India’s electoral history, Modi and the BJP have ushered India out of an era dominated by the Congress Party and the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. Jawaharlal Nehru’s grand old party currently hold 44 seats in the Lok Sabha, or 8 percent of the total. The BJP, even without counting its coalition partners, commands 52 percent of the lower house of India’s bicameral legislature. With its coalition partner, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) counts 336 seats, or 62 percent of the Lok Sabha. Fed up with corruption and economic stagnation, India voted overwhelmingly for the BJP.

Presently a section of foreign investors are losing interest in immediate and long term prospects of the Indian economy. On the other hand, the US and Japanese economies have started moving forward. Institutional investors are getting interested in investing in the US or elsewhere and are withdrawing their investment from debt and equity markets in India. India is facing unprecedented current account deficit problems in its balance of payments accounts. It is being aggravated by the present withdrawal of FII investments. Exchange rates are rising against many major currencies, particularly against USD. As a result India is importing price level inflation through its high level of imports.

What’s most interesting about Modi’s ascent to the Prime Minister’s Office is his focus on his economic credentials as well as his image as a humble Hindu man who started out as a tea seller.

Critics of India’s newest prime minister have never given up trying to emphasize his alleged complicity in 2002's deadly Godhra riots, but Modi managed to sell his image as the architect of the “Gujarat miracle” to India. It would seem that Indian voters see in Modi a man who can deliver the economic outcomes India deserves without abandoning its unique heritage.

One of the important areas in the Indian economy is its taxation reform. There are so many important reform agendas that have to be decided soon. Presently the implementation of GST (goods and services tax) may be hampered as the Chairman of the Empowered Committee, Sushil Modi, may no longer remain in the chair.

Ultimately, with the ascent of the BJP and Modi, India is at a turning point in her political history. Modi and his party are poised to set the country back on the path to growth and prosperity that seemed to be elusive in the UPA government’s final year in office. Regardless of where India will stand five years from now, it will see this year’s election as the end of a political era.

The latest split in the NDA has raised several economic and political questions. JD (U), one of NDA's allies for about 17 years, deserted the Alliance when the Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar, declared JD(U)’s independence from it on June 16. The split was expected after the declaration of Narendra Modi’s elevation to the leader of election campaign for BJP in the coming parliamentary election.

But the recent NDA split is not due to rivalry between the development models. Primarily it is politically and ideologically motivated. And this split has some economic and political implications.

Ms Ruchi Lakhote PGDM – II

Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbour is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions.

- Paulo Coelho 7

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Impact Interview "As told by Mr. Atul A. Pillai"

MAKE A DIFFERENCE (MAD) 2005: DECEMBER: FIRST VISIT TO YMCA The founders decided to visit a boys' Home in Cochin to spend some time there. But, came away feeling that more needed to be done.

Soon, they started going back regularly, just to spend time with the children there. The MAD story starts here!

2006: MAD'S FIRST GIRL'S HOME And soon after that, MAD took on it's first every Girls' center in Cochin: St. Teresa's!

2006: OFFICIAL REGISTRATION After realizing that it was no summer project, and definitely no weekend project, it was decided that the organization should get registered as a society under the Travancore Societies Registration Act.

2008: GOING INTERNATIONAL After a mammoth campaign online (yes, Orkut again!) and onground, MAD won the Ashoka Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur Award, an international competition with entries from 63 cities across the world! We were so happy, that we threw a barbecue party!

2006: FIRST MEDIA COVERAGE The first newspaper article required us to have pictures of our organization. And we didn't have any! Time for a photo-shoot!

1) What is your main motto?

“Don't Stop BELIEVING!” rather than a motto is our slogan but I believe it serves the purpose of your question. MAD was formed not out of need but out of belief that we can make a change. Noticing that an entire generation was stripped of dreams just because they met with some unfortunate even that orphaned them when they were young was questionable. These children had suffered long, and we believe is our responsibility to help them dream again.

2006: SECOND CENTER IN COCHIN After the success at YMCA Boys' Home, MAD expanded to it's second center, Palluruthy Snehabhavan, later that year.

8

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

2) What are the initiatives taken up by your organization for the welfare of children?

Make a difference aims at proving free and quality education to children living in shelter homes and orphanages. So when it comes to initiatives we do whatever is necessary to satisfy the children need for knowledge.

into to the youth, but being an NGO we don’t have the money to go for high scale advertisements we stick to the social media like Facebook and when ever given the opportunity local FM channels.

But more than that we believe in publicity by example, every being has feeling of responsibility towards the society the difference is the way in which it is channeled. We are a diverse clan with members from School children to experience professionals all of whom came forward though example or word of mouth and nothing else.

MAD is a completely volunteer driven organization and based on the capabilities of the volunteers we divide them into two MFC (MAD for children), these are the ones among us who go to the orphanages and shelter homes to take classes for the children, and FOM (Friends of MAD) we are the guys who collect the funds to finance all the programs. So our initiates also diversify, as ones for the education purpose and ones for fund raising.

6) What are your future plans?

Future plans ? Keep on believing, till the day there is an orphan who is deprived of quality education there will be MAD. 7) What do you like the most in your job?

The smiles, each time we go to meet the children at the Homes and each time they smile it rejuvenates, empowers us, tells us that “Yes! I can make a Difference”

Among the many events that we do conduct DREAM Camp is one which needs special mentioning, here we take the children out for a 2 day camp where they get to meet and interact with eminent personalities from various sectors like arts, science, military etc.

They get to have lots of fun and learn at the same time.

8) What have been the main achievements of the organization so far?

Apart from winning the Ashoka: Innovators for the Public Staples Inc. Youth Social Entrepreneur competition, 2008 ,Noble Laureate of the Karmaveer Puraskaar awarded by Icongo. YouthActionNet Global Fellow, 2010, Cordes Fellowship, 2010 Opportunity Collaboration, 'Leader in Volunteer Engagement' Award at the iVolunteer Awards 2012. I would personally say our greatest achievement so far would be the joy in the children.

3) What are the problems faced by MAD? Like all NGO’s the main problem we face is when it comes to funds, as I mentioned earlier ours is a volunteer driven organization and we refrain from associating with any trust as we want to keep MAD as it is a youth moral driven organization as we believe that this is a bird born to fly high and not to be encaged.

9) How is your organization different from the rest?

Ours is a Volunteer driven organization and we embrace creativity and to have creativity we have to dissolve boundaries and limitations, In our organization all are equal, designations just make us a certified point of contact. The recruitment process too is quiet different, its not like all can become MADsters, to become one you have to prove it. So this makes sure that those who stay out of purpose and not just for fun.

The next biggest problem we face is cooperation from administration at orphanages and shelter homes even though we are a government certified NGO and carrying 100% transparency policy, there are many who show no interest in proving quality education to the children.

4) How do you reach out to people?

We reach out through our activities, FOM, the fund raising division conducts several programs like Cookery classes for Mom’s in association with Hotels ( Special mention to TAJ, they have helped us a lot in this). Fund raisers at colleges, Selling MAD T-shirts , we call them Dream-Tee’s, Publicity events at Malls and franchises etc. along with this the members take up individual tactics like taking up paper distribution routs in townships , colonies and flats recycling programs and community programs which can help us raise money .

Most important of all individual contribution from the likeminded citizens, they are the real stars of MAD.

10) What motivated you to join MAD? “Example !” , I work for an NGO ,IEEE, specifically aimed at helping humanity through engineering and though it gave me a lot of pleasure working for them the activities took a lot of time to execute due to all processing time, which was of course necessary and unavoidable. But mad was different it was you have a good idea that would help then it was implemented if not already in action no hurdles, no boundaries. I came across a MAD at a mall event, I consulted them and come to know about their purpose which was truly inspiring how they included each and every section of the society in their activity, rather than embracing a single ability or skill MAD utilized al the talents available in its member at different

5) What do you think is the role of the media towards sensitizing people, especially the youth, towards social and event cause?

Media has been considered the best method of installing these ideas

9

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

places where ever apt, if you like to be creative you had something in MAD, you like to dancer you had something in MAD, if you like music you had something to do in MAD. You name it MAD had it. It not helped nourish a younger generation but also its member to grow and spread its wing along with the MAD. 11) Do you have any operational tie-ups?

MAD likes to stay independent and that is what makes us special, It was started by a group of inspired and is fueled by the inspiration and dedication of its volunteers and yes we are proud of it.

But this doesn’t men that we like to stay handicapped by our pride , no, whatever resources we have we sure, if any person or franchise comes forward offering support we take it, MAD is not famous because of its name but because of its MADsters and the work they do. But ,yes some companies do recognize us and are frequent contributors in terms of resources and finance. We acknowledge for their kindheartedness.

12) Do you think that the NGO’s have grown at a large in recent times and the main of a NGO is being replaced by “personal interests”?

Yes, I personally believe so, but you can’t blame them once initiated more than 90% of the NGO’s rupture down at dormancy due to lack of funds and volunteers. And for those who want to sustain their goal end up subsidiary to some major icon which further handicaps them of freedom decision making. When the sole owner of the idea leaves we end up with a NGO running on personal interest and no purpose. Every day we see hundreds of ads on media by Icons in various fields regarding helping contributing, developing but, to what extend has the change been done? For 30 seconds of camera time and 200 words in a newspaper people do crazy things and yes we enjoy them a lot, but there are many who do it out of purpose , many who whose story may not even be known to the general public. I believe it is time we shifted the lime light from the most beautiful face to the most beautiful heart because they are enriching lives, they are MAKING A DIFFERENCE !

While I hold my own political views, it's important not to get too wrapped up in individual candidates and personalities, but instead to focus on the real issues.

- Marcus Samuelsson

10

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

SAMANVAY – 2014 SAMANVAY 2014- the annual alumni meet at KIAMS turns out to be a resounding success

The Pune campus on the 16th of August, 2014 saw the celebration of Samanvay- the annual alumni meet of KIAMS. Alumni from all across the country gathered to reminiscence their old college days and revive the fun and frolic they had during their 2 year stint at the institution. Their homecoming was celebrated grandly with the college sparing no expenses to make the reunion a big success.

more about everything; from planning their careers to placement strategies and insights into the real corporate world. The affable alumni not only answered all their queries but made them feel comfortable with a distinctly friendly vibe that spread warmth all around.

Post lunch was the time that the alumni could relax with the day’s business being done. Cultural activities were organised by B16 and B17.The students took great pains to make the event a success and practiced well into the night.

This year’s theme being “ ………..”, performances were organised in keeping with the theme. Their efforts bore fruit with the alumni being engrossed via a mix of dances, songs, skits, poems about college days, stand-up comedy and lastly a flash mob. The present batches knew their seniors well as they asked them to participate in the programme from time to time. This was taken really well by the alumni and they simply loved to see their colleagues and friends in a tight spot. At the end of the cultural programme, the senior alumni representatives gave a memento to showcase their appreciation and love to each alumnus.

“Samanvay” meaning “coordination” is held to continue the association between the alumni and the institution with the understanding that each will be there for the other in times of need. In perfect synchrony with the meaning, the meet was readily attended by over 60 alumni who took out valuable time from their hectic schedules. The institution bore all the expenses for transporting the alumni to the campus and also lodged them in house. The college was grandly decorated and looked picture perfect.

After the cultural bit of the programme, the party broke for tea and reassembled for games! The alumni was sent on a treasure hunt and interspersed with that were 1 minute games which they had to complete in order to be eligible for clues and find the treasure. It was great fun to see the alumni shed their serious demeanour and run around all over the campus like little children. I bet that they were also glad to be able to behave like kids! Who after all likes to be grave and serious all the time!After games, the alumni were allowed to have some private time and catch up with their friends and colleagues.

However, the party was still not over as there was a DJ party organised at night. Alumni completely let down their hair and partied like there was no tomorrow.

Student alumni representatives at the institute had worked hard to ensure that KIAMS’ glittering ambassadors from different parts of the world could make it for the event. And of course they did, as the campus was buzzing with excitement since morning. Alumni from different batches were seen mingling as they took a walk down the memory lane and relived their happy moments on the campus. The campus itself wore a festive look, being decorated with flowers and balloons to add to the ambience.

Samanvay 2014 officially began with the traditional lighting of the lamp. The venue was packed with alumni who greeted Dr. Janaki Nayak, Dr. Gopal Iyengar and the faculty members warmly.The whole day was filled with mixed activities for the alumni- some meant for business and serious work and the rest for the light hearted fun that they, one might assume, rarely get time for. The morning was reserved for serious work- a board meeting of the Alumni Association was held and also a meeting with the Director of the Institute was held for all alumni wherein the alumni and the Association discussed what the alumni expected from them and how to act upon it. They also had valuable experiences to share with today’s students, who found them enriching Over delectable dishes, students were seen having delicate discussions with the alumni on various subjects. They wanted to know

Samanvay was greatly appreciated by the alumni and whole credit was given to the juniors for organising such a wonderful programme.

The alumni at no point regretted coming down to attend the meet and thus, the re union was a grand success. The alumni left the day after with hearts and minds wholly refreshed and with a bundleful of old memoriesrevived. Samanavay 2014 would surely be remembered for days to come!

Durgesh Varde Walaulikar Ujjawal Choudhary Ishani Ray PGDM II KIAMS

11

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

A New Life – Welcome to Kiams!

Mr Rahul Chakraborty

I, Rahul Chakraborty, was born and brought up in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. I am a graduate in Mechanical Engineering. Initially, in my college days, I participated in various events through which I discovered the glint of management in me. During my preparation for competitive exams, I was determined that I could get through the exams.

A home away from home but in company of new friends, the upcoming days will teach me things about management and corporate world but along with that, they will be developing memories for me to cherish in future. To harness my potential and capabilities, I will make sure that I employ the available resources prolifically. Concludingly, I would want to add a few lines from my poem-

After the results were out, first I was perplexed about what college I had to select considering all the options I had but ultimately I could figure out the quality education in Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS, Pune). Since Kirloskar is known for quality, it became easy for me to choose amongst the alternatives I had. My experience in KIAMS is valuable. The purpose of KIAMS is ‘knowledge giving’; hence, we students are blessed with astute faculties and all kinds of facilities.KIAMS also conducts guest lectures and seminars by which we get an opportunity to interact with the doyens of Management.Gradually, I realized that I had productively invested here. KIAMS ‘Enriching Lives’-I am extremely happy to say that yes, it actually does.

“There may be times of criticism, There may be times of diatribe, a winner faces them with courage, a loser feels hard to survive.”

Rahul Chakraborty B-17 PGDM – I KIAMS,Pune

I also participated in representatives’ position and fortunately I made it to the Placement Representative(PR) which boosted my Self Confidence and which will also help me facing challenges that come ahead. Talking to the faculties and seniors, I realized that the process of learning is perpetual.

My journey to KIAMS Mr Mudit Bimal Madnani

Before joining KIAMS , I was doing b.com while lending a helping hand to my maternal relatives in their cloth business . I always aspired to do mba . I chose to do mba because I realized that I possess a sharp business acumen . Moreover an mba will always help me to be equipped with knowledge which is required in my relevant field as I have done my graduation in b.com . The world of business is ever changing and complex. It is composed of many fields and principles that all interact with each other at the same time. An MBA program is a well-rounded degree that covers a variety of business areas for an in-depth picture of the business world. MBA also at times serves as an entry ticket to many organizations, whose doors are open exclusively for MBA graduates. A Master of Business Administration prepares you for a managerial role in your current field, whether or not you're already in the business world. Medical professionals, publishing professionals, real estate agents and tech support specialists are among the many that benefit from an MBA degree and attain a more rewarding position in their existing career.

I was concerned about the food before joining the college , but sooner I realized that it was of good quality. I also went into the kitchen and to my surprise, it was well equipped and the food was being prepared hygienically .

Though the college is situated on the outskirts of pune , the students get a chance to visit the city every week . The college arranges for a bus for that purpose . The medical facilities are also available . A doctor visits the campus everyday .

The campus has all the basic facilities and further its location makes life even better .

I began my studies with eagerness. Before me I saw a new world opening in beauty and light, and I felt within me the capacity to know all things.

“Where you come from is gone, where you thought you were going to was never there, and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it. Where is there a place for you to be? No place... Nothing outside you can give you any place... In yourself right now is all the place you've got.”

I aspired for the top 10 business schools , but I could not make it there .I chose this college because it was one of the best college I had to choose from .After joining this college , I realised that it was all for the better . It is for the first time that I am staying away from home or the first time in hostel . The faculties are good and moreover I have a keen interest in learning the subjects which are taught at kiams .

Mudit Bimal Madnani PGDM – I

12

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Diaspora from South to North Ms Gayathry Sunilkumar

From God’s own country to the Land of saints!! , yes, this journey of mine was quite sagaciously planned and the reason is not exactly obvious. Like any other person of my age, who would very much go with the cliché of exploring and extrapolating the ‘bigger world’ around, I too had the quest for exploring. But together with that, I was firm on my decision to make it much more purposeful and then righty landed in KIAMS, Pune.

market with everyone shedding inhibitions and laughing and exchanging commonalities. There were some who sat mum thinking about the family and past buddies, lamenting over the fact of ‘missing syndrome’ who ironically are now the most dangerous beings packed with 500W energy. This was how a day in KIAMS passed. And I knew it was just the beginning.

Days here just fly like Mr. Potter on the brewy broom. There were days that just proclaimed the dominance of ‘Accounts’(for some it was an asset and for some liability…jokes apart the classes where a class apart, all hail to Mr. A). Then there came staccato of ‘statistics’( giving us an added practical advantage of sampling who is awake, mode of the pupils daydreaming and much more that is beyond the erudition of Statisticians!!!). And there came the much hailed of all the faculties, his classes had the aura of a regiment, he is magic! And his classes where beyond any level of comparison. Is that what you call art of teaching? ‘Avant- garde’. Schedules became more hectic...i started travelling through the shimmerings of HR, MATH, WAC n rest.

‘In the sea of hardships, sail in the ship named hardwork and thy shall reach the port of success.’ These are not biblical terms, these are my father’s words whom I adore and worship, who is the reason behind a BA student dreaming big, and making her way to an entirely new arena, he is the force behind my endurance, persistence and perseverance and it is he who suggested ‘KIAMS’ among umpteen options and I know he was not wrong and will never be.

Pune has been in my dreams and KIAMS was seen as a reason to be there. But more than that a name that I got acquainted from pump adverts, a name that had by now become an impeccable part of India’s business history , the very word KIRLOSKAR dragged me much towards making a step to join KIAMS.

There came the most acclaimed part of knowledge acquisition, the nightmare for many, challenge for some and a matter of complaisance for the rest ‘ASSIGNMENTS’. No comments in here. But whenever there is a will, there is an awesome way and our way out of KIAMS was NID. These sublte, beautiful word is self explanatory and is way more pronouncing and happening than it seems. We explored every nuances of the blessed NID’s (all hail our pgdm co-coordinator...ENCORE!). Every NID made us re-iterate the fact that Pune is indeed the queen of Deccan. After NIDs it’s the birthdays that we celebrate, bashing of cake, water guns all pointed to the poor scapegoat-by his /her virtue of being born on that day.

These are the small countable nouns of happiness (WAC influence!). Much more to cherish together.

Like any other fresher I was apprehensive about ‘how’s it gonna be?

‘Did I make a right decision?’ ‘will I be able to fulfill my purpose of becoming an HR?’ With questions like these and many the day one at KIAMS dawned, the induction day of 24 June. Part of the crowd I witnessed was whom with I could relate myself with, with a lot of question marks of ‘what’s next?’. We exchanged tremulous smiles and gestures..First sign of acquaintance! Some went waist and some were warmly reciprocated… ‘Reverie’ that was!! Then my eyes fell upon the much looked upon segment of any college ...’SENIORS’.

To make out who were seniors and who were not are as easy as blinking eyes, though were many clets among them. Scientifically saying they can be classifies as extremist (who have the commanding air of ‘Yes we are the seniors’), moderates (they give us neither smile or smug) and passifiers (who always bless us with their blissful smile no matter what!) and then there was the STALWARTS of KIAMS. I must confess, my heart just skipped a beat when saw one among them, no he was actually not one ‘among’ them, others were amongst ‘him’. I felt blessed to see the dean, whom I have much read and heard about and to have him as the director would add no less of an honour to the ceremony. The session was debriefing, we all were enlightened upon the ‘KIAMS’ culture, what to be and what not to be. And the rest is yet to see. The session ended with the note of formal invitation of B17 students to the world of KIAMS and the ceremony rapped up with students and faculty taking oath hoping for the best possible effort and dedication from each other. The day attained a finishing class when the pathway to food hall was opened, grandeur ….salubrious….again Reverie. The day was to settle down and I was planning to wrap up myself under my blue checked quilt where I have always attained heaven. But I was wrong! Underestimating the power of fresher’s…phew.. I had a crowd barging in with all ebullience. All pleasant, all cheerful. I could get the vibe of anxiousness, excitement, and the cravery to get acquainted, the exchange of pleasantries followed and later it turned to a youngish

Amongst all these I very well comprehend that there can be hurdles, surprises, challenges and many more, that dictionary terms might not easily or rather aptly convey, but as it was said ‘this is a battle field and you are with ample wherewithal. You have your arrows to aim at WHEN HOW AND WHERE is all that matters. With abundance of assertiveness, enormousenergy, priceless priorities and urge to MAKE EVERY STEP COUNTING …here begins a journey through the pavement of managerial labyrinth.

Ms Gayathry Sunilkumar PGDM – I

13

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Voyage Ms Dhanlaxmi Varu

It all started with a thought that I want to pursue my higher studies.

There were many mixed thoughts visiting my mind which kept me restless meanwhile. It is so true that we always end up with a decision which actually is more inclined towards our interest and somewhere it was always there in our mind constantly making us to take a decision for it. Pursuing my higher studies as MBA was actually my passion and interest too which I eventually realized once I decided that I want to go for MBA. The first step towards it was joining one of the best learning centers which could provide my career a perfect shape. I choose PT education for it. It is one of the best learning centers in Raipur for MBA aspirants. It not only provides us with the aptitude learning but also with a great acumen towards the economy with its booster sessions specially delivered by the director. I was a working person so it was really getting tedious for me to work and to study as well; meanwhile I decided to quit my job. Then I completely involved myself in the studies for my various entrance exams like CAT, MAT,and SNAP etc. It was a great experience to face all these exams. It provided me with an exposure of the actual competitive level going around these days. As the results were out there was another process lined up for further admission process and that was to prepare our self for the group discussion and personal interview to finally crack into a good management college. It was really good to face these two rounds as it provided a platform to show your talent as an MBA aspirant and what all qualities you possess that differentiates you among the crowd as the potential candidate. Various people have different experiences while facing an interview and it is really a fun to do so because you are being judged by many people and how to tackle them with a good impression

is like winning a battle. I got calls from many management colleges and eventually I also got a call from KIAMS which according to me was a decent college with a good center of learning management education. I decided to attend the procedure for KIAMS. It had two rounds, the first round was group discussion and the second round was personal interview. The results were to be out within a week but somehow after attending the process it gave me a feeling that I will be through to the college. Through an email I got a call to join KIAMS and I was like in the world of my own dreams because it actually gave me a feeling of living my dream which I was waiting for such a long time. I completed the further formality and I was through to the admission process. I was asked to join the college on 23rd June 2014.

I started collecting all the things which were necessary for me to bring to KIAMS. All mixed feelings were coming that I will have to leave my home and come to Pune to stay leaving my parents behind who were always there for me in my thick and thins standing right beside me and supporting me in all aspects and to imagine a life without them, being away was really difficult and a strong decision for me to end up with.

But it’s said that career comes first and there are many points in life where you need to take decisions beyond the emotional cliff which becomes the obstacle for the meanwhile. This is how it all ended me being the part of KIAMS .

Ms Dhanlaxmi Varu PGDM – I

We need to understand that we are not each others' enemies in this country. And it is only the political class that derives its power by creating friction. It is only the media that derives its importance by creating friction... that uses every little thing to create this chasm between people. This is not who we are.

- Benjamin Carson

14

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Case Study on Mataji Automobiles Mr. D.B. Nimbalkar Head Administrator Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies

Case Study

firm and did not heed to the demand. They were once again explained in detail about the terms and conditions of appointment with proper justification.

Mataji Automobiles a large scale industry in manufacture of Automobile vehicles started a new foundry unit to cater to additional requirements of castings for increased demands. Foundry requirement of manpower compared to any other type of industry being different, the management approached the defence ministry for hiring of retired ex-servicemen. The work in foundry is more laborious and thus the management thought that strong and tough exservicemen would be more suitable and moreover it would be service to nation as it will rehabilitate ex-servicemen in the country.

As the ex-servicemen were not satisfied and realizing that internal union was puppet in the hands of the management, they approached a militant external union who made them promisesthat the they wouldresolve their problem if they accept their membership and follow their instructions. All the exservicemen except the ITI operators became the members of the union. The management refused to negotiate with the external union and derecognized them under pretext that there was already a recognized union and thus they are prevented by law to recognize any other union. This stand of management agitated the workmen and the union which ultimately ended by union serving 14 days’ notice on management to go on strike.

With this good intention the management with help of exservicemen re-settlement board recruited 300 jawans as workmen on different terms and conditions which were different compared to the existing workmen.The existing workmen were ITI qualified and were skilled operators with minimum 10 yrs of experience.

Management made efforts to prevent the strike by involvement of internal unionbut all efforts went into vein as the ex-servicemen had no trust on the internal union. After 14 days all the ex-servicemen went on strike by sitting outside the gate stopping the foundry division. Loyal ITI operators were assaulted, few supervisor and internal union leaders also fell victim to the violence. The management started initiating disciplinary actions against the delinquent employees which further worsen the industrial relation scenario.

Terms and Conditions of Ex-servicemen compared to ITI operators: • The ex-servicemen were put on 18 months’ probation period and the ITI operators were kept on three month probation period.

• The ITI operators were given single designation like turners,fitters,millers drillers etc. while the ex-servicemen were given double designation e.g. Furnace operators cum pouring operator, core maker cum electrician etc.

Few questions for thoughts: • Analyse the positive and negative actions of the management and the Ex-servicemen and conclude with a probable solution acceptable to both the parties generating win- win situation.

• The ex-servicemen were absorbed on permanent employment after successful completion of 18 months’ probation period which the operators were confirmed after 3 month of probation.

Solution : Case summary : Mataji Automobiles engaged in manufacture of automobile vehicles started a new foundry to cater to increased demand of casting. The company hired Ex-servicemen with an intention to acquire disciplined work force with required physic to perform laborious work and also as service to nation in rehabilitation of pre- matured retired ex-service-men.

• The ex-servicemen were paid a stipend of Rs 5000/- per month on probation period while ITI operators were paid regular salary of Rs 10000/- .PM. Initially the work started peacefully in foundry division with exservicemen getting acquainted with working culture in Industrial set up. Their discipline was of highest order and their productivity was also high compared to ITI operators.

The terms of employment of the ex-servicemen were different than the existing operators. The repeated representation from the exservicemen and the union were not addressed promptly by the management and the internal union in regard to various discrepancies. Thus the ex-servicemenapproached the external union for guidance.The management refused to open dialogue with the external union which resulted into labour unrest and strike.

While the ex-servicemen came to know about the discrepancy in the designation pattern and difference in wage structure, started showing dissatisfaction towards management policies affecting the productivity, quality of work and the indiscipline amongst the operators also started rising up. They made various representations through the internal union and on their own but the management were

15

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Management Approach: In any industrial relation scenario, a single solution may not work. It is essential to analyse the issue from a multi-dimensional view.

Different approaches to industrial relation shall be applicable. In this case the following actions were taken:

2. The management introduced a new gradation scheme for the workmen categorising the entire workforce into three categories of skilled, semi-skilled & unskilled. Accordingly a new wage scale was introduced and worker in different categories were placed as per their skill levels. This new wage scale was on par with the ITI operators.

3. The management wanted to establish the double designation pattern in foundry to encourage flexibility and deployment and thus was very firm to continue the pattern. However to resolve the matter the management designed another scheme of versatility benefit wherein whenever the operator was required to work on another designation, the operator would get cash versatility benefit for the period of work.

4. In reference to the disciplinary actions, the management took a firm stand that the cases of disciplinary action shall not be withdrawn. However an assurance was given that a fair domestic enquiry will be conducted as per the principles of natural justice and depending on the enquiry findings appropriate actions will be taken against employees in consultation with the representatives.

5. The union agreed to withdraw the strike and start normal working accepting the management conditions to give a written undertaking of good behaviour and conduct.

6. The management appointed a special industrial relation officer to look after the foundry division which gradually developed harmonious and congenial industrial relation with industrial peace.

• The management initiated disciplinary action against five striking workmen who were involved in violence and placed them under suspension pending inquiry.

• Some of the sincere, hard-working and positive striking workmen were encouraged and supported by the management and internal union to resume work.

• The management also displayed a notice conveying to the striking workmen about participation in illegal strike and its consequences about wage deduction and liability for disciplinary action.

• An adequate police arrangements were made on the entry gate to avoid any untold incident.

• Simultaneously the management started recruitment of contract labour as a replacement to the striking ex-servicemen.

• These actions on part of management generated a feeling of insecurity amongst the striking workmen.

• The management also hired services of a retired army commissioned officer to liaison between the management and the ex-servicemen.

• One of the internal union leaders who had a good rapport with the ex-servicemen was placed by the management as an intermeditator.

• The said union leader and the army officer had a constant dialogue with the striking workmen as per managements guidance and could successfully develop a platform for addressing the concerns/issues of the striking workmen, with the condition that no external union will be encouraged.

• After series of meetings & persuasion, the ex-servicemen agreed to open the dialogue with the management and the first joint meeting was held.

• The issues raised by the ex-servicemen: 1. To make all ex-servicemen on permanent rolls of the company.

2. Pay the same remuneration applicable to ITI operators.

3. Issue them single designation status.

4. To withdraw all the disciplinary actions initiated against the workmen and not to proceed with any further disciplinary action.

Management Learnings: • The management should have a proactive approach in analysing the deprecations of introducing a new concept.

• The management must encourage diversity in the workforce and avoid recruiting workers from similar background.

• The management should have a robust induction program for developing transparency.

• The terms and conditions of employment must be clearly communicated to avoid ambiguity.

• The redressal of grievances should be promptly and effectively resolved to avoid complex situations.

• The internal union should be given all support and credit to stand on their own without using crutches of management.

The management and the internal union’s sincere efforts made it possible for an amicable resolution of industrial dispute resulting into industrial peace and harmony.

• After series of meetings, the management could reach an amicable settlement with the striking workmen on the following terms and conditions: 1. The performance of all the ex-servicemen would be evaluated by the immediate supervisor and depending on the recommendation a decision by the management would be taken for permanency of the job. The performance of the workmen if found satisfactory, shall be made permanent and unsatisfactory performers will have to undergo 18 months of probationary period and only on completion of the probationary period the final decision regarding permanency of workmen will be taken.

16

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Case Study competition- “The Chanakya”, KIAMS Management:

department (as per set procedure defined including secret ballot.) as to which of the union has majority among various workmen and once assessed, informing the workmen and management on who can represent the overall interests of the workmen with the management – and thereby signing a long term settlement.

• Not taking any pro-active measures or adopting any strategy to avoid an unrest after 14 days (which was imminent). A Strike involving the rival groups thereby leading to violence was expected due to clash of interests which is very common in union issues.

• They cannot expect one group (1st union) to co-operate while another group (backed by ex-servicemen) is protesting, when there is no clarity on who would have the muscle in the future.

• Initiating disciplinary action against the protesting workers, who on one hand were clearly being discriminated on all other aspects of employment such as pay, job status, etc. and were also being denied a fair chance to voice their opinion, which must be provided to any employee.

Positives: • Recruiting 300 Ex-Servicemen thereby providing them with an opportunity to become self-sufficientand come out of rehabilitationwas a noble gesture, while serving the community in a good way.

Negatives: • A Company of the size of Mataji Automobiles, with vast experience and background in manufacturing, overlooked the basic rule of hiring, wherein ex-servicemen without any prior training and manufacturing background were recruited for specialized jobs at the foundry. This mismatch, however laborious/monotonous the job would be, is a strong case of hiring wrong set of people for the wrong job.

• Management’s decision to have two types of categories amongst workmen in the same plant for same/similar job operating concurrently is a major issue where disparity is very clearly evident. It violates the fundamental principle of any industry– same wages for the same job, on the basis of whichvarious central as well as state government labor laws such asPayment of wages act, Industrial disputes act have been defined.

• Discrepancy in the Role/job responsibilities of the serviceman like Furnace operators cum pouring operator meant that they perform multi-skill jobsencompassing higher responsibilities or larger scope of jobs, despite being paid substantially lesser than the regular ITI turners, fitters, etc., where clear cut job role with demarcationis specified as per skills with work encompassing limited area.

• Discrimination on the basis of wages /wage structure difference wherea stipend of `5,000/- per month on probation period while ITI operators were paid regular salary of ` 10,000/-. Other benefits such as medical reimbursement,Provident funds, Gratuity are not applicable to the ex-serviceman during probationary period, which are enjoyed by other regular ITI operators. The company cannot exploit the ex-servicemen on the pretext that they already receive a compensation in the form of pension from the government.

• The ex-servicemen were put on an 18 months’ probation period while the ITI operators were kept on three month probation period, despite showing high signs of discipline and productivity during the initial months. This also leads to loss of interest for an exserviceman, who is constantly reminded of the fact that he has to work for 6 times more number of months to prove his mettle and capability for the same job vis-à-vis a regular ITI worker.

• Insisting that only the internal union was ‘recognized’ and the others cannot be recognized without discussing over it(thereby under-estimating the power of workmen to unite and fight for their rights). o Recognition of union is a subjective term – which depends of the guidelines given by state government and assessed by state labor

Ex- Servicemen: Positives: • Using proper channels and hierarchy of communication to put forth their views in front of the management.

• In this case, the external group, gave a notice of 14 days before going on strike, to press for their demands – This is as per laws of the land (and cannot be termed illegal.)

Negatives: • Registration of a union as per trade union act (issued by registrar of trade unions of the state) is essential for any group to have an identity in the eyes of law. The ex-servicemen should not have directly gone ahead to form a 2nd union with the support of the militant external union.

• No external union, especially militant in nature, works without a hidden agenda. Although the ex-servicemen were new to the IR scenario in the country, aligning with a rebel group always has gross consequences, if the participants are being misled in the name of justice.

• The Army is known to imbibe very high people-skills in their soldiers, due to the rigorous and disciplined life that they lead.

Despite of having such a background, the servicemen should not have fought with and instigated violence against the existing union, while blindly listening to the militant union.

Probable Solution: • Understanding and reconciling that only one type /system of worker engagement would have to be followed on thelong run – either multi-skilled or specialists (although over-lap could be allowed but only for a short duration) as there can be IR issues if 2 systems co-exist.

• Pay same wages for same job to be followed – as per labor laws – to

17

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

be on the right side of law. If not, reduce the difference and do not make it evident.

• Continuously understand the developments at the plant, with ears firmly to the ground thereby pro-actively sensing the issues cropping up and try to ‘nip them at the bud’.

• Union formation with external union (by ex-serviceman) could have been avoided by having formal or informal discussions with that group of workmen (ex-servicemen) to understand and try to resolve the issues. Remember, our workmen go outside only when they realize that management cannot address their legitimate demands or issues • Even after the union is formed or affiliation is taken, using the arm of governmentlabor department, the issue could have been addressed throughreconciliation methods as per industrial disputes act -with informal meeting with the labor department.

• Union notice of strike (received 14 days in advance) should have been taken seriously and strategy worked out to address the same.

Management seems to have adopted no strategy to address the issue and perhaps caught un-aware with strike. Management should have started involving labor department to mediate with this new group (ex-servicemen) and work out solutions at least during the 14 days’ notice or declare the strike as illegal – which would weaken union’s stand as government machinery cannot support them.

• Ex-servicemen could appoint a team of members, who would put forth all the issues currently being faced by them to the management, and negotiate some changes in the terms and conditions which can be acceptable to both the parties. Unless and until both the sides can sit together and decide in peace, there cannot be a middle path in such cases.

To summarize, this issue clearly shows that management was not sensitive to the happenings in the industrial relations scenario and neither took any pro-active steps to identify and address the grievances of the serviceman, nor gain the trust and confidence of the workmen. No grievance handling and reconciliatory mechanism was adopted internally or provided by law (industrial disputes act /standing orders) using good offices of governmentlabor department, due to which, the inevitable strike took place.

This could have been addressed or avoided by taking pro-active steps in advance to gain trust and confidence of the servicemen, identifying the root cause (discrepancy in wage structure/nature of job) and addressing the same by working out solutions to have ‘win-win’ situation. And certainly avoid such a situation of ‘strike’ which had its own share of violence, which impacts the IR climate on medium and long term basis.

Industrial relations is all about ‘handling people and winning the hearts and confidence of people working for the organization to meet organization objective ‘ The humane touch here was clearly seen to be missing!

Ashwin U Shenoy Goa Institute of Management, Sanquelim-Goa PGDM (Full-Time), 2015

If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.

- Noam Chomsky

18

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Indian Economy : One of the most Attractive Economies of the World Mr. Arpit Jain

Has Numerous Sectors That Can Provide Lucrative Business Opportunities To The Foreign Investors.

Indian economy is one of the most attractive destinations for the business investments which look for large manpower base and diversified availability of resources and macroeconomic factors.

With the Indian economy growing at a good pace and holding a strong position it has acted as one of the most attractive economies in the world. India’s economy is among one of the largest economy in the world with respect to purchasing power parity (PPP). If we look in the past India has attracted foreign direct investment worth 30.82 billion US $ while the FDI equity inflows during January 2013 stood at US $ 2.16 BILLION according to the data released by the department of Industrial Policy and Promotion(DIPP).

India Is Continuously Talking On Policies To Attract Foreign Investors, Initiated By High Profile Visits In Order To Initiate And Build A Long And Lucrative Means Of Economic Cooperation With The Developed Countries.

The List Of Sectors That Can Be Seen As Good Opportunities By The Foreign Investors: 1. Software India’s Software And Service Sector Is Continuously Seeing A Positive Growth With A Large No. Of Engineer Minds Continuously Entering Into This Sector. India Software And Service Exports Are Likely To Increase With Projected Export Revenue At 13-15%. With One Of The Largest Pool Of Engineers Available In India Investors Have High Targets In Hardware And Software Development.

2. Tourism One Of The Booming Industries In India Is Tourism. India Is Noticing A Rising Number Of Domestic And International Tourists Every Year. Tourism Can Be One Of The Sectors That Can Attract The Foreign Investors And Is Really Hot Nowadays. India With Its Diverse Culture, Rich Heritage Has Been A Tourist Attracted Destination Since A Long Time.

3. Automobile A Growing Hotspot For Automobile Industry Is What India Is Looked As. India Can Also Acts As A Cost Effective Hub For Auto Components Sourcing For Global Market. With A Pool Of Cheap And Easily Available Labor And Growing Technology The Automotive Sector Is Potential Business In India For Foreign Investors.

4. Textiles India Having Known For Textile Since Centuries Because Of Its Unique Style Of Apparels In Each State Has Huge Potential For Business Investments. India Can Act As A Preferred Location Looking Upon The Growing Demand Of Garments. Many States Of India Such As Tripura And Ludhiana Are Now Export Hubs For Textile. Although Some Sort Of Better Understanding Of The Market And Customers Is Still Needed And Can Boost Growth In This Sector And Attract Direct Investment.

5. Education And Training A Good Demand In This Sector Can Be A Reason For The Interest Of The Foreign Players. With A Large Percentage Of Population Lacking Good Education Is Being Counted Under Unskilled Workers. A Need For Education And Training Can Be Clearly Identified. Providing Education And Training Would Convert This Unskilled Labor Into Skilled And Can Be Used In A Better Manner.

Besides This With Good Facilities At Competitive Rates, Unique Method Of Teaching And Betterment In Some Aspects Of The Education System In India Can Attract A Large Student Population From Abroad.

If we compare India with other countries, India has stood as the third most attractive destination for FDI in the world. India has a significant potential and a favorable business environment for foreign investors according to the reports of World Investment Prospects Survey 2012-2014 by UNCTAD. Recent Government Initiatives According to Mr. Ben Bernanke, Chairman, US Federal Reserve it is very necessary to exchange ideas and build the basis for future collaboration. India is a growing economy and is becoming an important player on the world stage in terms of its role in global economy.

According to Grant Thornton Global Dynamism Index India is the fifth best country in the world for dynamic growing businesses. The index shows a reflection of a suitable environment India offers for dynamic businesses.

According to the ‘Ipsos Economic Pulse of the World’ survey India’s economic confidence registered a growth of 8 points, and reached 68 per cent making it fourth most economically confident country in the world.

As per Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd (Deloitte) India is also expected to be the second largest manufacturing country in the world in the coming next three years, followed by Brazil as the third ranked country.

India’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy has been gradually relaxed to attract more foreign investors. The results showed up a positive change. Today, the country is consistently ranked among the top three global investment destinations by almost all international bodies, including the World Bank, according to a United Nations (UN) report.

India and UAE has recently signed an agreement to promote collaboration in renewable energy, focusing in the areas of wind power and solar energy. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy of India and Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State of UAE in Abu Dhabi on January 18, 2014.

Besides These Sectors Other Sectors Such As Real Estate, Retail, Power And Biotechnology Can Also Be The Sectors Of Foreign Investors’ Interest.

Key Sectors In India Where Foreign Investors Can Invest India A Trillion Dollar Economy With A Self Sufficient Agricultural Sector, A Varied Industrial Base And A Strong And Well Established Financial Sector With A Continuously Developing Services Sector

Mr. Arpit Jain, PGDM II, KIAMS

19

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

…..Never follow Success path is ever changing, It always has a pristine beginning !

Path rolls up as you stride, Its no more a way to guide !

New chapter brings in a new decree, That’s the time when you need to set it freev !

What people think or do, How the hell that matters to you?

It’s been ages that we have taught to follow, “Models” and “idols” is all what we swallow!

What makes people victorious and great, Itsonly the choices that they take!

We can only be taughtto deal with situations, But to be a leader is still our own “decision”!

There are person, personality and cult of personality, Its nothing but our cognition and a charismatic authority !

Life takes a different meaning, From what we may have first believed !

We all get so caught up in what life expects, And forget what we all could achieve !

- Anuja Mathur PGDM II

20

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

The College Life, A Brief Period in our life, So bizarre and Multi-facetious, Sometimes Exciting, Sometimes Demanding, Sometimes Blissful, Sometimes Stressful, The Roller-Coaster College Life, Where sometimes we feel so free, Sometimes we feel bounded, Sometimes we feel Blue, Sometimes we feel elated, Many a time, We feel the heat of Pending Assignments, High Expectations of College professors, Lower Marks in Subject, Some Difficult and Spooky Subjects, And the Concern about passing in them, Sometimes we feel at Cloud Nine, With Unexpectedly High marks, Cancelled classes, Appreciation from the professors over presentations, Sometimes it seems to be such a bliss , To Bunk Classes, To Wake Up Late, Hanging around with friends, And Endless talks on dining table.

Or Spending some romantic moments with your loved one, All these Blissful and Memorable moments will be deeply etched in our memories, And make us feel nostalgic in our later life, So here is the College Life, Value it, Enjoy it Till it is there with you, By – Ujjawal Chaoudhary PGDM – II

21

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

BIZ QUEST

1. TRAI proposes to charge OTT services like Whatsapp, Viber etc as it is causing revenue loss. What is the full form of OTT?

14. Name this lady who has taken over as the first ever woman DG of Doordarshan recently.

2. IIM Bangalore is the first Indian B School to launch free MOOC. in which platform will they be available ?

15. Name this unique institution set up by a special act of parliament in 1956 with HQ in Mumbai, which was inspired by Gandhi’s vision of gram Swaraj. This commission has been dissolved by the Modi Govt recently in order to reconstitute it.

3. Name this Mumbai based software and communications cos a high flier in 2011 with Mundu app, but now has a winding up order bcoz of defaults

16. Which business group will be acquiring the Hydel power businesses of Jaypee group for Rs 12,300 crore from the Gaurs?

4. Which company has been rated as India’s most admired company in a Hay Group survey for Fortune India?

17. Name the holding co that owns the fast food chains Domino’s Pizza, Papa John’s, Jack in the Box etc.

5. In which product category is Gurkha Black Dragon the most expensive brand selling for $ 1,150 a piece?

18. Who has acquired controlling stake in the Forbes Media, the publishers of Forbes magazine?

6. FM Arun Jaitley announced the formation of a new company 3PIndia in the budget. What does 3P stand for?

19. Which Bollywood celebrity will be the brand ambassador for Banarasi sarees ?

7. In which country has the public sector co ICVL acquired coal mines from Rio Tinto?

20. Name this oldest paint co in South East asia which supplied paints for Rashtrapathi Bhavan and Howrah Bridge. Its Howrah plant is closing.

8. Vistara Airlines is going to be flying in the Indian skies soon. Who are the people behind it?

9. Which group now owns the Barista coffee chain?

21. In which country is multinational companies like Coca Cola giving an ‘environmental hardship allowance’ to attract expatriates who want to leave the country because of smog?

10. Yale is in the news in connection with the Union HRD Minister. Yale is also a popular brand name.

In which products category would you find this logo?

22. Connect Adidas, Budweiser, and Hyundai.

23. Which corporate house is behind the setting up of the Ahmedabad University?

11. Identify the logo and tell why this company is in the news lately.

24. Which is the favorite business book of both Warren Buffett and Bill Gates?

12. A British designer has built a luxury alarm clock, shown here. What is special about it?

25. Jehangir Pocha, editor of NewsX TV, passed away this morning.

Prior to this, he was associated as Editor of a business magazine.

Name it.

13. Identify this management thinker/ author who is considered to be the pioneer in the study of Leadership. He taught at many universities including IIM C. He passed away recently. RIP.

22

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Brand Updates Mr. Kesav Satish

Flipkart launches e-learning category; offers a range of e-learning material, certification.

models and fabrics of sofas in their living room to best suit the colour scheme and details of their home".

Home-grown online marketplace Flipkart has announced the launch of its E-learning category.

With over 1900 products and titles, this category will offer a range of e-learning material, certification courses and online tests catering to students with a variety of requirements.

With this announcement, Flipkart will be extending its virtual academic books category to feature a selection of offerings for students in schools, colleges as well as those students appearing for competitive exams.

Flipkart said study material from reputed brands like Career Launcher, Edurite, EduKart, Merit Nation, TCY Online and Practice Guru, will be a part of this selection.

Also, Flipkart will continue to expand its E-learning portfolio with exclusive offerings for students with varied needs, it stated.

"The availability of eBooks, certificate courses and online tests - all on one platform, will make the entire process of buying/accessing elearning material very easy for students who form a significant part of our customer base today," Flipkart Senior Director (Retail) Nipun Mehra said.

Bentley Flying Spur V8 launched in India at Rs 3.1 crore Bentley has announced the launch of the 2015 Flying Spur V8 in India with prices starting at Rs 3.1 crore.

The final price, of course, changes as per the options you tick. The highlight however, is the new V8 motor, which joins the existing Flying Spur W12 as the less-pricier alternative.

The V8 engine displaces 3993cc and is mated to a twin-turbo induction system. The 4.0-litre engine then, dispenses 507PS of power and 660Nm of torque. Naught to 100 is claimed to come up in 5.2 seconds and top speed is restricted to 295kmph.

He engine also features cylinder deactivation tech, which can shut off up to four cylinders at light load to bump up fuel economy. The engine is mated to ZF's dual-clutch 8-speed transmission.

Compared to the W12, the V8 loses out on the chrome garnish on the lower grille and gets a black finish instead. The Bentley logo gets a red background. On the inside, the rear seats don't get lumbar support, electric adjustments or the heater, unless specified.

Intel unveils Broadwell 'Core M' chips for cooler, lighter laptops

Urban Ladder launches app that lets users configure wardrobes

Intel on Monday unveiled a new line of microprocessors aimed at powering thinner and cooler personal computers and other devices. The new chips will ship to partners in late 2014, and the first machines using them will hit shelves by the end of 2014.

The Core M chip codenamed Broadwell "will be used to manufacture a wide range of high-performance to low-power products including servers, personal computing devices and Internet of Things."

One of the advantages of the chip is its small form factor, allowing for PCs that may not need cooling fans which take up space and create noise.

It uses a 14-nanometer fabrication process that allows more circuits to be placed on the chip than its predecessors.

Intel had first unveiled the Core M chips as well as a fanless mobile PC reference design at Computex, calling the new 14nm chips the most energy-efficient Intel Core processor in the company's history Intel remains the world's biggest producer of chips for personal computers but has been lagging in the surging mobile marketplace of tablets and smartphones.

It has been working to get a bigger slice of the mobile market, and its new chip offers a promise of lighter PCs that can better compete with tablets.

Urban Ladder, a company that deals in furniture, has announced the launch of UL Labs - an initiative to improve the user experience when buying furniture online. As part of this initiative, the company has launched an app called Urban Storage on Android and iOS, along with a Web version for Mac and Windows users.

Urban Storage lets users configure modular wardrobes and send the configuration to the company along with contact details. The company will then contact the user to complete the ordering process.

Users can choose various models of wardrobes, change the finish on these and even 'open up' the wardrobe and change how shelves and drawers are laid out. Users can pick the width of their wardrobe; add more wardrobes, lofts and mirrors.

Once downloaded, users can configure their wardrobes offline, but Urban Ladder says an Internet connection is required for price and catalogue updates. The company says this app is aimed at reducing the 'touch and feel gap' in online furniture buying. The app has been developed in collaboration with Bangalore-based tech startup Whodat.

The company said it is working on an augmented reality app dubbed Living Spaces, which will allow customers to "visualise different

23

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

Ms Himanshi Jain

Dyeing has marked its footprint in 50 more stores, of which 10 are in multi-brand retail stores. While the focus remains on metros and large towns, but increased penetration would be made in smaller towns. “Bombay Dyeing products are perceived as high value brands. They are now keen to connect with the youth by launching signature lines in collaboration with two leading designers,” the company had already expanded its range to include home-décor items such as rugs, blankets and mattresses.Bombay Dyeing has a 50 per cent share in the Rs.1,000-crore market for home furnishing, of which a mere five per cent is with the organised sector.

“Our aim is to grow the organised market itself,” Mr Kaul said.

Although the company closed the first quarter with a loss, the retail business clocked a 23 per cent revenue growth.

4) Apple Inc, Google Inc and Amazon.com Inc rose up by riding consumer demand for their products. Now the companies are trying to keep their growth streaks going by tapping another type of customer: Businesses. While the technology giants have long had offerings for businesses, they are now broadening their product line-ups and more aggressively marketing them to companies.

Google is pushing to get its computerised eyewear, Glass, into corporations while Apple is adding management tools to its upcoming iPhone operating system. In total, businesses are set to contribute more than 15 per cent of Apple's sales by 2016, up from less than 10 per cent now, while Amazon's enterprise revenue is projected to reach about 10 per cent in 2019, double from 2013, according to Evercore Partners and International Strategy & Investment LLC. The moves to get deeper into the traditional customer strongholds of Microsoft Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and Dell Inc have been building all year. Last month, Apple unveiled a pact with International Business Machines Corp to help sell its gear to corporations. Google, which today celebrates its 10-year anniversary of trading as a public company, in June added unlimited storage for businesses and debuted new mobile tools for enterprises. Google and Amazon also slashed the prices of their cloud-computing services for businesses earlier this year.

New footholds The companies are seeking to sell more into businesses as corporate spending on technology hardware, software and services is projected to reach $1.6 trillion worldwide this year, up 7.7 per cent from a year ago, according to IHS Inc. That's slightly bigger than the $1.5 trillion global e-commerce market and the $140-billion online advertising market, according to EMarketer Inc. It's also a way to make up for slowing growth in each company's larger business.

Apple's sales are estimated to be up 5 per cent this fiscal year, compared with growth of 45 per cent two years earlier, while Amazon's revenue is anticipated to rise 22 per cent this year, a deceleration from 27 per cent in 2012, according to data compiled

by Bloomberg.

"Some of these companies have to broaden their revenue base," "If there's too many fish in your pond - or your pond is reaching saturation - you need another place to play."

1) A technology start-up from Kerala, with presence in five countries, is looking to expand its operations in India and is targeting to become $10 million company by 2017. Corporate360, founded in 2012 and incubated at the Startup Village here this year, offers low cost Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) applications to help companies gather valuable business intelligence, analyse trends and social sentiments to fine-tune and implement marketing campaigns. In just two years the company and has become the first in Asia to offer innovative marketing data software for global markets.

With corporate headquarters in Singapore and offices in California, London and Manila, besides Kochi, Corporate360 serves more than 90 international clients including IT giants HP, Dell, Oracle, SAP and IBM. The company has launched a major recruitment drive to nearly double its staff strength to 50 by the end of this year.

Corporate360 founder and CEO Varun Chandran says the company is buoyed by extremely responsive North American and European markets and is making quick inroads in Asia as well. “As such, we are planning to tap into the talent pool in India as we expand our operations here “We were the first start—up to bring IT jobs to rural areas of Kerala when we opened our office in Pathanapuram in Kollam where we have 20 engineers working now. We expect our ongoing recruitment drive to similarly attract the best of best”, he said.

Corporate360 has patents pending on four innovative software products that have the potential to revolutionise data analytics, says Varun. A boot—strapped, profitable firm, Corporate360 has seen its revenues rise from $250,000 to multi-millions in only three years and it is targeting to become a $10 million company by 2017. The company is also in advanced stages of discussions with venture capitalists to explore raising capital, and is in the final stages of acquiring a BigData software company in India.

2) Former Tata Mutual Fund head Ved Prakash Chaturvedi is setting up a financial services company in partnership with a US based private equity fund, industry sources said. Chaturvedi, who headed L&T Finance's capital market business as his last job profile, quit the company last weak.Chaturvedi's new venture would see an initial investment of close to $25 million in wealth management and advisory business and stock broking would form the part of next phase.

Chaturvedi had left Tata Mutual Fund in 2012 to join L&T. Tata Mutual Fund's assets under management grew to Rs 27,000 crore from merely Rs 750 crore under Chaturvedi's nearly 8-year tenure.

The earnings per share of Tata MF grew from Rs 2 to Rs 20 during the same time. Prior to Tata, Chaturvedi worked with SBI Mutual Fund and played a key role in the funds turnaround. He was among the core team that formed top credit rating agency Crisil .

3) Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing has begun revamping its retail operations so as to increasingly target the youth,The company sells its home textiles under its retail operations.Increased marketing through modern-trade formats, launching exciting products in its hometextiles range and increased visibility through quantum leaps in its ad spends, were the three tenets of the strategy that the company had formulated to increase its sales . The company is also toning up its e-commerce site to improve the delivery. It also sells through other e-commerce sites.

From its presence in 350 stores (mostly franchisees), Bombay

Ms. Himanshi Jain PGDM-II KIAMS

24

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

1. Over the Top 2. EdX 3. Geodesic 4. ITC Limited 5. Cigar 6. Public Private Partnership 7. Mozambique 8. Tata and Singapore Airlines 9. Lavazza has sold it to Carnation Group 10. Locks and security equipment 11. Bhushan Steel, in a bribing case the Vice Chairman has been arrested 12. An alarm clock that delivers coffee 13. Warren Bennis 14. Vijaylaxmi Chhabra 15. KVIC or Khadi Gramodyog 16. Reliance ADAG 17. Chipotle Mexican Grill 18. Integrated Whale Investments, a Hong kong based Group 19. Priyanka Chopra 20. Shalimar Paints 21. China 22. Sponsors of FIFA 2014 individual awards 23. Arvind Lalbhai group 24. Business Adventures by John Brooks 25. Business World

25

The Chanakya, September 2014

W

KIA S

THE CURRENT POLITICAL SCENARIO OF INDIA

CAMPUS NEWS r Independence Day was celebrated on the 15th of August, 2014. r Samanvay- the annual alumni meet of KIAMS washeld on the 16th of August, 2014 at the Pune Campus. It was a grand

success. r Janmashthami was celebrated by organising a “DahiHandi” and was attended by all staff and faculty.

Team Chanakya gives special thanks to Mr. Rahul Raju of PGDM-II; for July’14 issue for his valuable contribution in designing the cover page of September, 2014 issue of The Chanakya.

Faculty Advisor Prof : Sunaina Kuknor Student Editorial Team Mr. Kesav Satish Ms. Nivedita Snehi Ms. Ishani Ray Ms. Himanshi Jain

We invite you to send in your feedback to help us Bring out the best in ‘The Chanakya’. chanakya@kiams.ac.in thechanakya.kiams@gmail.com

26

The Chanakya, September 2014