Symphony 2012 by Symphony

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2012-13

The Annual Magazine of IIM Shillong "Shaping a better tomorrow"

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From the

Director’s Desk With immense delight and pride, I introduce to you the fourth edition of Symphony, the annual magazine of IIM Shillong. Symphony aims to strike a harmonious chord with its readers as it does with the state of Meghalaya, where we are located. IIM Shillong has in its last four years achieved a lot of laurels in academics as well as various extracurricular events and scaled new heights. We, at IIM Shillong, aim to become a global Center of Excellence for the 21st Century Management Education and Research and aim to become the leading B-school of the country. The fourth edition of Symphony is based on the theme ‘Shaping a better tomorrow’ with focus on looking beyond oneself and making the world a better place for all. The magazine comprises an interesting mix of articles, ranging from management lessons from the human perspective to the campus life at IIM Shillong and includes a variety of creative sections. I hope this edition provides you with a more enriching experience than our previous editions. Given the present global economic scenario, corporates are looking for managers equipped with skills who can provide economic growth which percolates to the bottom of the pyramid. With such a foresight, we have identified Sustainability as the basic foundation and formulated the same as a part of curriculum in our flagship Post Graduate Programme. We aim to create responsible managers who can contribute to both the society and business equally. At IIM Shillong, we equip our participants with an understanding of sustainability and accelerated development of the society from a holistic point of view rather than just in terms of economic parameters. Our goal at IIM Shillong is to constantly nurture and develop the personality of the young and dynamic leaders who would shape the future business landscape. To achieve success under tough and critical situations is a quality which we embed in our participants. I congratulate the Editorial Team of Symphony for doing a great job of publishing the fourth edition of the annual magazine.Taking forward the achievements of the previous three batches, it is my sincere hope that the students of IIM Shillong shall continue to bring pride to the Institute and the Country. Prof. Keya Sengupta, Director, IIM Shillong

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MESSAGE FROM

FACULTY ADVISOR It gives me immense pleasure and pride to write for the fourth edition of ‘Symphony’ the annual magazine brought out by the student community of IIM Shillong. Symphony has indeed embodied the colorful canvas of harmony, depicting the glimpses of yearlong activities and exhibiting the exuberant talents of young minds. It unfurls the vistas of young and active intellects constantly engaged in creative thinking and innovative ideas for a better business, economy, society, and human life. Symphony has already occupied a vital and integral part of IIM Shillong in the process of its Journey. Thus the current year’s theme for Symphony- “Shaping a better Tomorrow” motivates us to relook our journey so far and compels us to re-think a new charter of courses for future growth and development trajectory. The present volume is the culmination of a series of articles, poems, policy reviews, monologue and reflections covering a wide range of national and international issues on management education, leadership, sociopolitical and economic developments, culture and the society. I take this opportunity to congratulate the editorial team of Symphony who could bring out such a brilliant and colourful volume with their sincere and dedicated team efforts and hard work within the stipulated time. I also congratulate all those authors who have contributed by their thought process to make it a success. I am sure the readers would enjoy the melody of Symphony. Happy reading Prof. Tapas Kumar Giri IIM, Shillong

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From the

Edit orial Team Dear Readers, We take immense pride in bringing to you the 4th edition of Symphony, the annual magazine of IIM Shillong. The word ‘Symphony’ means ‘agreement or concord of sound’, and we hope that this magazine will strike a harmonious chord with the reader. This magazine is a platform for budding managers to pen down their thoughts on contemporary issues and management trends, and reflects the passion and zeal with which they seek to address these issues through their learning and experiences. The uniqueness of Symphony is that it mirrors the soul of the student community in IIM Shillong by giving a glimpse into their life, interests, beliefs and convictions and highlights their contribution to the country and social community. The theme of this year’s edition is “Shaping a better tomorrow”. The question that faces all corporates today is “Is the Business of Business, just Business?” The cover story addresses the debate of shareholder responsibility vs. social responsibility, through unconventional stories of accomplished and unsung heroes. We believe that it is essential for every budding manager and human being to learn to look beyond oneself and thereby help shape a better tomorrow. From a management perspective, we have explored this theme through the cover story and through articles like, “Beyond the trodden path”, “Life 2.0” and “The Pursuit of Hobbyness”. This edition presents new and interesting insights into diverse topics ranging from Lessons of leadership from the Animal Kingdom, tracing the thoughts of an amateur photographer, getting a B-school flavor of Coffee to getting a glimpse into the thoughts of an inanimate object! We are privileged to present in this edition interviews with visionaries who have proven to the world that it is possible to go beyond and yet create a niche for oneself in his/her respective domain. In an exclusive interview with Symphony, a successful entrepreneur and co-founder of the leading IT giant, Infosys- Mr. Nandan Nilekani talks of how AADHAR would be instrumental in making every Indian a vital part of the Indian Growth story.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 06 We also have with us the CEO, Teach for India and Founder of Akanksha Foundation, Ms. Shaheen Mistri, who shares her dream of “One day all children will attain an excellent education” with us and the measures she is taking to make this dream a reality. This edition would be incomplete without mentioning the contribution of “The Father of the White Revolution” in India. We pay a special tribute to Dr. Verghese Kurien, the man who fathered a Rural brand Amul, which is truly the taste of 1.2 billion Indians. We are grateful to our esteemed Director Dr. Keya Sengupta and our Faculty mentor Prof. Tapas Kumar Giri for their continuous guidance and motivation. We would also like to thank the Junior Symphony team for the tremendous support they’ve extended for the release of the magazine. We take this opportunity to thank the entire IIM Shillong fraternity, the designer and the publisher without whom this magazine would not have been a reality. The purpose of Symphony will be realized only if its rhythm resonates with the audience. Team Symphony

Aritra Nayak

Noopur Borwankar

Arpit Tripathi

Shipra Gupta

Team Symphony 2012-13 IIM, Shillong

Sowmya R

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Contents The White Knight of India

Shipra Gupta

Is Kautilya’s Arthasastra relevant today?

Karttik Mishra

The growing need to redefine leadership in today’s challenging times

Sushree Tripathy

In Conversation with Shaheen Mistry

Gandhi Ashram: A Model Institution

Arpit Tripathi

‘FDIlemma’…..’ FDIed’…..’ FDIvide’…..????

Anchal Khaneja

Is India still the underdeveloped “BRIC?”

Nimesh Nair

Connecting the Dots

P. Padmini

The Pursuit of Hobbyness

Keshav S

Beyond the Trodden Path

Aritra Nayak

From the Shutterbugs of IIM Shillong

Cover Story: Boundaries and Beyond

Noopur Borwankar | Shipra Gupta | Sowmya R

An Interview with Nandan Nilekani

How to be a “Nature”al Leader?

Vaibhav Annam

FRAMEworking at WORK

Swati Nidiganti

My sweet tryst with Coffee and what SWOT has to say about it! Coffee, the 29 silent Crusader! Apoorvaa P

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Digital World : an outsider’s view

Rishi Gupta

The Iran Dilemma

Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Eurozone Debt-Crisis: Can the apocalypse be prevented?

Soumya Iyer

Medley of Thoughts

Abhijit Tibrewal

Course On Sustainability

Nishanth Shouri

Life 2.0

Noopur Borwankar

Happiness or Sadistic Pleasure

Umang Kulshrestha

Born Free

Sowmya R

Shutterbugged Digital Photography–A Perspective

Tarun Gupta

When the batch comes together

Even I have a soul …….The Dustbin

Mayur Jain

Imagine

Joanne Fernandes

With dreams abound

Ankita Shah

Say Something

Varuna Khattri

Campus Pictures

The Podium

Student Activities

Student clubs, committees, achievements, corporate visits and the like…

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The White Knight of India Shipra Gupta

We are all essentially dreamers; however pursuing the dream makes men first among equals. Faith in what could be achieved, along with the desire to do so, in the process touching lives with happiness never imagined. This story has transformed the destiny of millions and possibly the destiny of an entire nation. Thought and action literally ‘flowing’ from the work of a single great man- think no more- it is Dr. Verghese Kurien. He belonged to a privileged family in Calicut. He applied for a government scholarship; this changed the course of his life. He was offered a scholarship to pursue dairy farming and milk production at the Michigan state university. His job after returning to India was to ensure the milk supply to Mumbai from Anand, Gujarat. He set up, the Kaira District Co-operative Union famous for its Amul butter. The prophesy of a shadow reader could never have been truer; his career saw a phenomenal rise at Amul. Kaira Districts Co-operative union, in collaboration with Tribhuvan Patel and Miraben Patel; the literally priceless Amul butter is its most well-known product. He quit the government job and the rest as they is history. A specially designed train wagon delivered milk to Mumbai. They defied all odds, specialists opined that buffalo milk was not suitable for milk powder and condensed milk formation, the Amul team did it effortlessly. The model of Amul- renowned for its unique supply chain- was immensely popular. With ‘Operation Flood’ it was replicated across the four metros, India successfully became self- reliant for its milk supply.

Amul today markets not just milk but a plethora of products. A certain jingle stands out for Amul, from the movie ‘Manthan’, produced by the co-operative farmers. How often do we come across someone providing the Indian farmers with position of pre-eminence? The rural saga of empowerment and sustenance scripted by him, it invoked self-confidence in Indians when it was most needed. A super-successful brand from rural India goes a long way teaching the multi-nationals the effective and efficient Indian way of business. Cooperatives still suffer from the scarcity of ideas. In both the parts of Operation Flood, Kurien used the success principals of the earlier models. The demand was stable, and could be captured with ease; surplus milk flew in to the cooperatives- with farmers being paid extra for their produce. Professional managers were accountable to the elected board of suppliers. This checklist made the cooperative movement follow the inclusive growth model in the village heartland of Gujarat. Ruling the hearts of Indians for over 65 years is a chubby polka dot dressed girl. Topical issues have been catching the eye of Indians-sprinkled with ample wit. The milk capital of India- Anand was his home for life. A museum in his name was built when he turned 80, the Bharat Ratna eluded him though. He did not drink milk as he disliked its taste. Having given us a ‘precious’ priceless product, his work touched millions of lives in areas still quite remote. The toast of India misses him- in the butter we eat and the milk we sip. May his soul rest in peace.

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Is Kautilya’s Arthasastra relevant today? Karttik Mishra “In the interest of the prosperity of the country, a King shall be diligent in foreseeing the possibility of calamities, try to avert them before they arise, overcome those which happen, remove all obstructions to economic activity and prevent loss of revenue to the state.” Anyone who takes an interest in the annual budget speech delivered by various Finance Ministers year after year can appreciate the fact that Kautilya’s principles are quoted in most of them. The above was quoted by Shri Pranab Mukherjee, the then Finance minister during the Parliament session in July, 2009. Going back to his Budget speech for 1984-85, Mr. Mukherjee had quoted a Sanskrit couplet of Kautilya, while talking about his “endeavour to keep the budgetary deficit to a relatively low figure”. In his budget speech for 2010-11, Mr Mukherjee acknowledged the fact that he has been guided by the principles of sound tax administration written in detail in the Arthasastra, while making the annual budget and formulating tax proposals. One of the greatest books written on administration, economic policy and military strategy is attributed to Kautilya’s Arthasastra. Kautilya was a scholar at Taxila and the mentor and guardian of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of Mauryan Empire. He was an expert in commerce, warfare and economics. His immortal work on public policy signifies one of the glorious chapters of Indian History. Arthasastra does a detailed study about how to manage an efficient and

sound administration. It explains in detail the principle of righteousness in management and politics. It talks about the important role of a king in the welfare of the state. The scope of Arthasastra however goes beyond administration as it incorporates entire framework for kingdom welfare touching aspects as diverse as agriculture, mining, medicine and forestry. Kautilya was of the opinion that artha (Sound economies) is the most important. Therefore, management of the economy is of paramount importance to king. Wealth comes from economic activity and lack of it invites material distress. Kautilya has done an in-depth analysis of corruption. He has listed forty ways of embezzling government funds in Arthasastra. However, he is pragmatic with the issue of corruption and observed that just as it is not possible not to taste honey or poison put on the surface of the tongue, so it is not possible for the governments servants dealing with money not to taste it in however small a quantity. Even two and a half thousand years ago, Kautilya stressed at keeping a cap at the salaries of the King and the officials which should not exceed a quarter of the revenue . All officials including the King were to work for the people and were to be regarded as the servants of the people. Comparing this to present day, the expenses on salary of the government officials exceeds 50 % of the revenue. Kautilya realized the link between the salaries paid to government functionaries and their effectiveness.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 03 In Arthasastra, Kautilya has divided the day of the King into parts where the second one and half hour is dedicated to public audiences where he gives out instant orders. Contrasting this to modern day India, a hearing in the court takes years to begin and a judgement in a case makes one feel lucky. According to Kautilya, the King should be accessible to the public so as to know the grievances better. Arthasastra emphasized on rural development, agriculture and the textile industry. In contrast, the development in these spheres in today’s juncture has been disregarded. India needs to follow Kautilya’s recommendations in the Arthasastra about imposing severe penalties on the officials of public enterprises which incurred losses and rewarding those showing profits

the people. Therefore he has given a lot of importance to the qualities of the king and held him as an ideal for everyone. He observed a condition that “a King is one who has the highest qualities of leadership, intellect, energy and personal attributes”. According to Kautilya, the King had to make sure the integrity of those he appointed was impeccable and for this he has proposed many tests. Thus, the State leaders had to conduct themselves in the most efficient and incorruptible manner. In today’s times, there have been many examples which have shown that it is not the positions of power which help a person to remain at top but the individual can only cling to power if he makes constructive use of his power and shows results for the society.

The importance of international trade has been emphasized by Kautilya such that he has advised the sovereign that the basis of foreign relations should be trade considerations. He reiterates that relations with southern Indian kingdoms are more important that with those of northern India because of the rich mineral wealth in the southern region. Kautilya also advocates price and profit controls. The taxation system formulated by Kautilya was very extensive and conformed to the modern principles of good tax systems. Kautilya recognized that a well administered tax system was a must for a prosperous and stable kingdom. While the modern governments are still grappling with the complexities of setting services guidelines, Kautilya even laid down guidelines for professional service providers including shipping agents, washermen, weavers, doctors and even prostitutes. Kautilya was quick to realize the fluctuations in the price of goods in the market and that it is difficult to gauge the extent of it by the state officials. He introduced many provisions to keep a check on the demand and supply to fight the fluctuations.

Kautilya’s Arthasastra provides an important basis for economic science, the importance of which has not been given much consideration for long. It contains useful insights about economics. These insights were only independently discovered by Western thinkers after many years. The social and political systems might be relevant to his time only but nevertheless they hold important lessons for the contemporary world. Therefore, Arthasastra should be assessed in its historical context. It contains many points which are relevant to present day economic conditions especially when the economic market is at its lowest ebb.

The Arthasastra observed that it was important for Kings to appoint spies to create system of vigilance so as to monitor the activities of various departments. These spies were chosen by the King himself and they were of impeccable integrity. This facet has been widely researched in today’s times. However, the core vision of corporate governance is to ensure accountability and transparency through certain managerial and legal provisions, and this is also one of main objectives of Kautilya’s Arthashastra. Kautilya emphasized a lot on the adage “Yatha Raja Tatha Praja” which means that as the king is, so will be

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The growing need to redefine leadership in today’s challenging times Sushree Tripathy

Taking a historical perspective to throw light on today’s leadership deficit and calling out to a new generation of transformational leaders

India is at the crossroads of economic transition and the leadership is asleep at the wheel. A country being globally projected as a potential world power is in a state of terrible political and financial affairs internally. Problems crop up every day, and yet we do not see realistic measures being materialized to address the issues that concern the very core functioning of the country. While the country struggles to survive in such turmoil, the leaders in the houses engage in petty trash talk and open brawls. People have lost their faith in the leaders at the top, as they are not accountable anymore. The global scenario isn’t bright either. Amidst economic crisis and political turbulence, meetings are arranged and summits are held, plans are chalked out but the problems persist. A specter of leaderless-ness stares India in the face and brings with it a challenge that needs to be addressed well, and soon. The current state of the Indian economy is often attributed to the lack of proper decision making and political conviction of our leaders, among other factors. However, the issues are not restricted to the financial sector. With a myriad of scams coming to the surface, ever rising inflation, increasing mayhem created by terrorists, unfazed insurgent groups gaining foothold, civic amenities crumbling, agriculture being pushed to the brink, social crimes soaring high, ordinary citizens may unconsciously be moving towards an organized anarchy. People have no one to look up to, be influenced or inspired by. Effective leadership is assured to leave

an impact on the mind of the common man and instill in him a belief of a better tomorrow. On the contrary, a scarcity of good leaders and ideas is bound to bring their morale down and only make situations worse. Interestingly, certain studies in psychology show how dangerous being led by weak leaders could be. They say, as social animals, we are ‘programmed’ to try to lead and be led. We fall in line and go along with those recognized as the leaders relatively easily. This is probably the reason behind the rise of ‘toxic’ leaders, as they say, such as Hitler or Stalin. Where are our good leaders now? For the past decade, business growth too has largely been policy and demand driven, focused on scaling up processes, people and technologies. However, countries, governments and businesses are driven by minds more than methods. It is imperative for leaders to evolve and keep up with the pace of growth and changing needs of the time. So, the question arises: Are our leaders evolving as rapidly?According to a survey conducted by Harvard Business Publishing across 24 Indian organizations, 88% of the participating companies said that a void in their leadership pipeline is their biggest human resource challenge. Barring a few exceptions, there has been a lack of strategic vision, a dearth of ideas backed by conviction. Today’s organizations are thought to be under-led and over-managed. The subtle difference between management and leadership is what needs to be understood and imbibed by the decision makers of

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 05 any growth-oriented organization. “I was not the lion,” Churchill famously declared after World War II, “but it fell to me to give the lion’s roar.” He was one of those exemplary leaders in world history who saw opportunity in every difficulty and not the other way round. When he assumed office in 1940, Hitler seemed unstoppable and Japan was expanding unchecked. With his clear vision, determination and motivating spirit, he led the British to successfully fight back the advancing Germans when almost the whole of Greater Europe was taken by the Axis powers. He turned the tides of the battle often using his power of communication to instill faith in his followers during the darkest times. Through his words, he instilled ‘courage’ in those behind him, which he believed to be the first of all human qualities. For those of you who have seen him speak in public on YouTube, can you believe he suffered from a speech impediment in his youth? Walt Disney once said “If you can dream it, you can do it”. He never stopped dreaming or innovating about new possibilities. Success didn’t come to him overnight but he had the tenacity to keep going, undeterred by any number of challenges that came his way. When Martin Luther King Jr. said ‘I have a dream’, he made sure all his followers shared his dream. He articulated a vivid picture of a better tomorrow, which made it easier for his followers to see what he saw. When faced with managing difficult people and situations, a leader rises to the challenge and defines and communicates his clear sense of purpose to his team. Having been elected as the President of United States in 1860 with only 40% of the popular vote, Abraham Lincoln watched helplessly as more and more states seceded from the Union forming rival organizations, during his initial days at office. He managed the situation enunciating

his vision of saving the Union and making it clear to all who would listen. He communicated it continuously, until there was no doubt of his purpose. Adept at dealing with difficult people, Lincoln also managed the internal strife within his cabinet. “A rising tide lifts all boats”. Today’s business scenario is driven by the need to differentiate and maximize value for the customers through innovation and disruptive thinking. In order to succeed in today’s economy, organizations need to be equipped with a set of evolved leadership skills. A contemporary school of thought is that of Transformational Leadership, a leadership style that leads to positive changes in the followers; here leaders and followers help each other advance to a higher level of morale and motivation. Through an enthusiastic personality and strong vision, transformational leaders have the ability to inspire followers to change their perceptions and motivations towards achieving organizational goals. The leaders of the new generation also need to be sensitized towards the surroundings and carry a sense of social optimism i.e. shed their cynicism and visualize the problem as getting solved in the future. Their approach to every problem must be humanistic, maintaining a connection with the group on an emotional level. Also, leadership has to be practiced at every level of the organization by actions large and small, and not just by the top management. Individuals need to recognize their leadership qualities and organizations need to nurture it. A few lessons from history go a long way in assuring us that all hope is not lost and future leaders will emerge, perhaps from the classrooms of today. Again, a few won’t do. Leadership needs to develop as a culture rooted within the very basics of our character and only then will this leadership drought come to an end.

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In Conversation with

Shaheen Mistri “Be the change that you want to see” said Mahatma Gandhi. In the summer of 1989, Shaheen Mistri, all of 18 years of age decided to do something about the education inequity in the country. She started Akanksha Foundation, which started with just 15 children in one centre, and over a period of 20 years, now teaches 3,500 children in 58 centres and six schools. She founded Teach for India in 2007, with the vision of “One day all Children will attain an excellent education”. From its humble beginnings, the organization has given rise to a number of TFI Fellows who have been spearheading this project. In this heart-to-heart talk with Symphony, the, CEO of Teach for India and Founder of Akanksha Foundation unfolds her story and her plans for a better tomorrow. Read on and be inspired. IIM Shillong : What is the one word that would best describe you? Ms. Mistri : I guess BELIEF. IIM Shillong : Being a fellow from the beginning, what makes your day? Ms. Mistri : Bright, engaged, interactive kids

IIM Shillong : Who would you say is your role model and how has he/she inspired you? Ms. Mistri : I definitely don’t have one role model. I think and feel I am lucky to draw inspiration from so many people and things. I have been very profoundly influenced by Gandhiji. But even day-to-day things, little things that fellows do inspire me. I draw a lot of inspiration from my family too. There are just too many role models out there! IIM Shillong : It is true that “you gain a lot more when you give, than what you actually contribute by giving”. But in today’s society that is driven by the “What’s in it for me?” attitude, where the word gain is only viewed from a monetary sense, how does this statement fit in? Ms. Mistri : I think when you believe that the ultimate end is money in general, eventually you will realize that that is not the ultimate aim. A lot of people will go down that path, thinking that the acquisition of wealth is equal to happiness, but then we know there have been countless examples over decades and decades to show that life and in fact success and happiness is not equivalent to just the acquisition of wealth. So I think it is sad that knowing that a lot of people are going down the wrong track when it is an end in itself. I think we all have a different vision of what we envision to be a

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 07 comfortable life and we need to support ourselves to be able to match that idea of a comfortable life. But I would just push people to think a little bit beyond that because I think what is sad is to look back when you are 40 or 50 or 60 and say “You know, I have got everything that I was supposed to get but I still haven’t found that happiness of peace that I wanted”. So thinking about what is going to give you that, is really important. IIM Shillong : The TFI initiative has created ripples, not just in the society but in the corporate world too. What kind of support does this initiative find from the corporate world? Ms. Mistri : It happens at multiple, different levels. One is the credibility, with corporate leaders and board of directors supporting the initiative and talking about it. But then in a more tangible way, hiring from our Alumni pool at the end of the fellowship and recognizing it barring work experience or the graduation school they are from. That apart, they also provide monetary support as most of our funding comes from corporate India. Corporates are increasingly becoming interested beyond just financial giving and are actually coming in and doing different things. So we have a lot of corporate volunteering programs, corporate CSR days or ongoing CSR programs. More and more people want to give their time as well which is really nice. IIM Shillong : The impact of TFI has been a lot more in Urban than rural India. How can TFI increase its rural penetration? Do you see recruiting fellows from these areas as a step in this regard? Ms. Mistri : We do recruit across the country. But we have a lot of work to do, still to reach every part of the country and ensure that we are getting enough diversity in our cohort. That said, we are a new organization still and there is a lot of diversity already. We do have fellows from rural areas, semi-urban areas, small towns, as well as big cities. In terms of the reach, I think it is definitely a next step and I think we want to move from urban to rural India, but if you look at our impact, our impact today is already on rural India because we don’t measure our impact just by the fellowship but by what the alumni are doing. So even if you do the fellowship in an urban city, it doesn’t mean your long term impact on kids will be limited to urban India. We already have alumni working on issues in the rural areas working on things like technology and curriculum that are impacting kids in the rural areas. The bulk of our impact is surely going to come from our alumni network and the fellowship is just the platform to really push people to leadership development in the 2 years.

IIM Shillong : With initiatives such as the RTE and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, what kind of government support do you expect to see in the days to come? What differences in attitude do you perceive at the time of recruitment in the youth, owing to these initiatives? Ms. Mistri : Government has been very helpful so far by giving us the opportunity and resources such as places to teach. What we are hoping to look forward to is a more formal arrangement with the government as well as a funding arrangement with them. In terms of people’s attitude to join, I think there are two biggest barriers to people joining, assuming their interest is in this kind of work because I don’t think it is for everybody for sure. The 2 barriers are “What is going to happen after the 2 years?” and “Is it going to be as valued or more valued than 2 years of corporate experience?” And I think over time, seeing what our alumni are doing, people who get that confidence to know that in fact it is probably even more valued than if you were just one of 1000 people in a big company working for 2 years. That experience not only shapes you into a better human being but also adds up to something as well on your resume in terms of going out there and working. But I think it is still new and it is going to take people a while to be very confident and I think right now, if people have that ability to take risk and are strong enough to take that risk to be part of a program that is different. IIM Shillong : Sometimes all it takes is just a thought, an idea or an inspiring story to get someone to get started on something like this. If you had to share that one thought, idea or story with us today, then what would that be? Ms. Mistri : I think I would just draw inspiration from how many people out there are already doing incredible things and I have 506 fellows out there right now, who’ve made that choice, who’ve taken that first step and their lives have seen changes, sort of irrevocably. I always feel a concept like Teach for India is such a winwin because, going through such a rigorous leadership development process, at the same time you have the ability to change 40 lives along the way, whereas generally speaking you can do either- or, like you can work or go do an MBA , but here is like a marriage of the two. I would say that is what would make at least someone interested in education take the first step into Teach for India.

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Gandhi Ashram: A Model Institution Arpit Tripathi Light drizzles came down from the sky like a mild spray, as it would when it is not usually pouring during the monsoon season in Meghalaya. The breath-taking scenery at both sides of the road from Shillong to Cherrapunji blooms at its greenest best. Travelling about 22 kms, a distinct faint yellow building appears standing, amidst the green landscape, at some distance from the main gate on the road, pretty much at the centre of the perimeter created by fencing. With an umbrella in one hand one has to carefully tread the path, turned mushy due to rain and slush, to the building. The yellow facade houses 3 big rooms. Today, the main workshop room lies empty with the four sets of handloom machines resting silently along the length of the room. And the pre-school at the corner room of the building is quiet. The day has been called an off; unusual on a normal weekday and there being no declared holiday. But the

campus isn’t completely silent; it is abuzz at another spot, around the residence block which stretches perpendicular to the main building. A few women are involved into preparing the day’s lunch in the kitchen area of the residence building. And a cluster of men, using scoops and ploughs, are working their way with a pile of cement, sand and stone to prepare a concrete mixture. Today, these men and women, from the nearby village, have come together for Shramdaan, meaning donation of labour, to build a new room for visitors coming to the campus. This campus, one of 22 such campuses in the North-East, shares its space with the local community for development and opens its gate for visitors. This campus is a Gandhi Ashram. Gandhi Ashrams are by the community and for the community institutions set up at various parts of the nation being run on the Gadhian principles. They uphold and spread the ideas of simple living, skill development, self-sustenance and common welfare in the community among other activities. Last month a visitor from Germany came by to the Ashram near Shillong. He spent a week with the community but there were lodging problems. The community took a collective decision to build a new room in the campus. Thereby standing for the Indian tradition of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’, meaning Guest is a form of God. Shramdaan, on the other hand, is an equally old concept in Indian community tradition. Over the years it has come to stand for voluntary, in-kind contribution, usually in labour, of the whole village to a development project. Many other

SYMPHONY 2012-13 09 on these skills to the community where an Ashram has been set up. But in this seemingly simple practice there is a difference; the eldest lady in the Ashram near Shillong who is about 65-68 came to the Ashram at the age of 18 and has been here since. For her the Ashram is her home and the people of the community her family. We can talk about human resource strategies but this here is a prodigy of motivation. Shramdaan, as seen earlier, is being used for an otherwise very complex and specialized activity of civil construction. We can talk about institutional agility but this here is an example of superior resource utilization to achieve varied objectives. such ideas and concepts are at action across Gandhi Ashrams in India. The whole idea of sourcing from the community and giving back to the community is so well harmonized that the existence and foundation of Gandhi Ashrams can only be wondered at. Let us explore the state of affairs going on in the Gandhi Ashram near Shillong in Meghalaya. The new room has been designed and its construction is being looked over by a civil engineer who lived in the nearby village. On talking to him he candidly tells how he used to play in the compound in the campus of the Ashram. The whole activity is being co-ordinated by two persons, one who is a teacher in a nearby secondary school and the other works in Shillong. Both were born and brought up in the village adjacent to the Ashram.The village men also came together to fund this project with voluntary donation. Majority of the funds have come from the people who have moved to Shillong from the village. Many have come by to assist as well. One cannot help but compare Gandhi Ashram as an institution to the institutions of the new age. A very striking idea about this whole set up is that it has proved to be more sustainable among all other institutions/setups in the era where sustainability is touted as a perfect state. This comparison can be turned into a debate. More so it can be turned into a debate of ideals- Indian v/s Western or debate of objectives-profit making v/s community welfare. But what would do more good, at least at this juncture where the knowledge about the idea is still poor, is to try to explore the idea rather than to put it to test. Gandhi Ashrams, as described, are small campuses set up across the length and breadth of India functioning on the ideals of Gandhiji. They are managed by Gandhi Ashram Trust (GAT). To look after the Ashram and carry out daily activities, a group of people is assigned. These people are trained at different centres across India on different skills like weaving, pottery etc and given lessons on Hindi. They are supposed to pass

As we know the only constant in this world is change; even Gandhi Ashram, as an institution, has undergone a lot of change over the time. It has broadened its outlook in terms of how it contributes to the community it is established in. The community development has evolved such that now there is computer training being provided at many Ashrams, under the name â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gandhi Ashram Computer Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Gandhi Ashram is increasingly playing the role of community meeting point in this fast paced world where there is not much time left for socialization. It is this change that has added to the sustainable character of the institution. But there are a few things that are longing for change. Currently there is no prominent scheme for the staff that retires with age from the institutions. Perhaps this consideration is not well integrated into the model of the institution. Another important issue is that of the scalability of these institutions. As of today, we only have a handful of these institutions when there can be a plenty of them. All said and done what we should see is that here stands in front of us an example of a great institution, an institution which is truly sustainable, an institution which touches life of everyone in the community, an institution which shows path to a better tomorrow.

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‘FDIlemma’…..’ FDIed’…..’ FDIvide’…..???? Anchal Khaneja “In a growing economy, there is enough space for big and small to grow. The fear that small retailers will be wiped out is completely baseless” .These lines come from the man who has been the driving force behind the strong push for FDI in retail in recent times. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the retail sector has been the most debated issue in the country. Retail Industry is one of the most crucial sectors of the Indian economy. It contributes around 14% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of India and absorbs about 7% of our total workforce. It has made India the cause of a good deal of excitement and cynosure of many foreign eyes. Amidst the high political drama at the Centre, the Indian Government recently decided to allow up to 49 percent FDI in multi- brand retail and 100 percent in single brand retail. It has been a welcome step as it will strengthen India’s FDI regime making it in tune with the country’s needs. The FDI policy is instrumental in moving away from the license raj mentality of protection against the so-called foreign dictators towards a more open, healthy and competitive market. It has provided a

window for the world class retailer chains like Carrefour, Wal-Mart, etc. to set their foot in the booming Indian retail sector. Is it then justified on the government’s part to allow the foreign players to reap the benefits of this boom instead of the local players? Definitely not! But are we not ignoring the benefits accruing to India due to the policy? What are the costs associated with it? The proposal for FDI in the retail sector has evoked mixed reactions among farmers in the different parts of country. The process of auctioning in the mandi (central market) is facilitated by the middleman, who charges a commission from the farmers and there is a cost involved in bringing the agricultural produce to the local market. Society is losing out due to these costs arising out of inefficiency. There might be changes in the process of buying and selling when large firms go to the mandi. The players in multi-brand retail can reduce the costs by investing in supply chain logistics and bring down inflation. They will procure the produce

SYMPHONY 2012-13 11 directly from the farmers, store, and transport it directly to their retail outlets. The government will need a huge investment for getting this supply chain logistics in place and this can be facilitated once the foreign players enter the market. The supply chain issues once solved will increase Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s export of farm produce which is getting severely affected due to the lack of storage, refrigeration, transportation and processing. To the extent that the large retailers will establish a direct linkage with the farmers by cutting out several layers of middlemen, develop the processing facilities and export the products to meet their global requirements, farmers would get better prices and bigger markets for their produce while the consumers would benefit in terms of lower prices, better quality and larger variety. The resultant rural prosperity may open up markets for other industrial goods and help a more balanced regional development as also job creation in other sectors. The ITC and Pepsi examples have shown that, in their best interests, corporates directly get in touch with the farmers, and give them the necessary information on how to increase crop output and productivity. However there is also an apprehension among the farmers that these retailers might give them better prices in the starting years to gain a foothold in market but once set, they will exploit them due to their monopolistic buying power which will further weaken the farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; welfare. These retailers might also adopt predatory pricing in the consumer markets to establish a monopoly. So at the outset, it is beneficial for both farmers and consumers but this can worsen in the long run. And therefore, the best safeguard would be in permitting all global chains to set up shops. The competition among them (as has happened in the automobile industry) would ensure better prices for consumers and suppliers alike in the long term. How about the potential job loss in the local kiranas? Small retail stores are an important source of employment, providing around 7 per cent of the total employment in India. Nevertheless, India is not an integrated homogeneous market; it is a hierarchy of markets catering to people of different income levels and tastes. For instance, both Sony and Santosh can coexist, catering to marginally different market segments. Entry of the highly sophisticated branded products will affect the unbranded mass market only marginally in a vast poor country such as India. Further, the streetcorner shops will definitely have advantages over the big retail stores located many miles away in shopping

plazas. In India, transportation and parking are big problems for people who want to visit shopping malls. For such people, it is more convenient as well as costeffective to purchase items of their daily requirements from the neighborhood stores, especially as they stock goods that are particularly in high demand in the specific locality. While, the small stores cannot have a strong bargaining power on procurement of the supplies, there is still an alternative way to survive: that of a cooperative. Groups of these small shops can combine to form cooperative that negotiate centrally and buy locally so that they get the same pricing advantage as that availed by the big players buying in bulk. Hence, the pop-and-mom street corner shops can very well survive. Thus, the benefits from higher exports are expected to offset any direct loss of employment in the local kiranas resulting out of the competition from the big global retailers. In any case, if the domestic big players are allowed to operate, the job loss problem for the small shops would still remain minus the benefits from larger exports. So, clearly, if big players are to be permitted in retail, this must extend to FDI. Or else, the full range of benefits will not be realized. Of course, some lead time can be provided to the local players to consolidate their position before they face full-fledged competition from established global players. But, then, temporary protection should be really temporary. The Government must make a clear commitment to the time-frame over which protection from foreign competition would be removed gradually.

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Is India still the underdeveloped “BRIC?” Nimesh Nair Modern Economists & Thinkers have this habit of coining catchy acronyms to any and every phenomena they observe. Back in 2001, Jim O’Neill, the then M.D. & Head of Global Economic Research at Goldman Sachs coined one such acronym BRIC which has evolved from an observation back then to an association of worldwide prominence today. “Building Better Global Economic BRICs” - the economics paper published by Goldman Sachs, discussed the impact of growth of 4 emerging countries on world economy in addition to the G7. These countries were identified for their high GDP growth rates that would make them bigger than some of the G7 countries in the future and hence called for bringing them in the loop. Today, the BRICS is indeed a strong and arguably collective voice in the G20 group. As of 2012, the five BRICS countries represent almost 3 billion people, with a combined nominal GDP of US$13.7 trillion - IMF April Data.

India, today, is considered a country that is at the right place in its growth story at the right time with the right kind of resources (human capital being the most significant one). With the GDP growing at around 9% till recently, India has been a country to reckon with after China when it comes to global businesses. As always, too much attention on the global level tends to result in a not so good looking national level report card, and when it comes to comparison among BRIC the difference is even starker. Notwithstanding the fact that the growth story of India Inc. has indeed been an incredible one, the state of the human capital it is banking on, is a far cry from what it would expect. A detailed look at India’s standing in comparison with BRIC nations in some of the related metrics will help put things in better perspective. The comparative data in the below table purposefully picked metric related to human capital, India’s most

SYMPHONY 2012-13 13 potent weapon. The question that we will have to think over is- Is our future human capital we have been boasting about, competent enough to take the world? It is the same health system which is renowned world over for providing affordable and quality medical treatment that 63% of our children do not make it over the age of 5 – and we talk about sustaining the human capital. It is we who have one of world’s largest reserves of coal and yet are not able to provide power to 35% of our people – not to worry; it looks like subsidized kerosene is doing a commendable job for these people. We are world’s one of the largest producers of food grains and vegetables with over 52.1% of our population employed in agriculture and yet the system provides not more than $2 dollars/day to 68.7% of its people – not to worry; NRGEA and food subsidy are the weapons that we have selected to fight this anomaly. Subsidy has always been used for helping our human capital survive in the garb of providing them footing for equal opportunities. It would be interesting to see how long this can continue with the current fiscal deficit hitting 6%. One can argue that it is not fair to compare India with Brazil, Russia and China considering the population of both Brazil and Russia is almost one-tenth of what India currently supports. In case of China, the growth story began around two decades earlier than 1991 when India started its journey so again the comparison falls out. But considering the fact that each country especially in BRIC is vying for the same spot of having a bigger role in the world order, it is important to grow on your strengths and improve upon your weaknesses and perform better both absolutely and comparatively. India has had its share of recognitions and has especially worked really well in the direction of improving literacy which has helped it develop one of the most talented working populations of the world. The judgment doesn’t happen one way -just like compliments one should be ready to accept shortcomings too. The GDP growth story and the world wide recognition tends to make us lose track of how are we doing as a nation responsible for the future of over 1.2 billion people. The policy makers undoubtedly did a good job during good times making India one of the best FDI/FII nations comparable to China leaving Brazil and Russia far behind. This is in stark comparison to a recent credit rating agency threat to downgrade India to “Junk” category, the first one among BRICs. This is how fast the tables can turn during recession specially when the country doesn’t have long term policies in place focusing on inclusive growth, not utilizing its agrarian economy to full potential. Isn’t it ironical for a country with one of the best human capital to have poor “Human Development Index” as its most significant problem? Initiatives like

Aadhar and NREGA are indeed important steps taken in this direction but the long term focus should be on how to make our people self-reliant and support their own livelihood. India already having proved its dominance in Services sector, long term growth is bound to come from Agriculture and manufacturing sectors. It would be interesting to see how India uses its BRIC association to work along with Brazil/China- One of the top agrarian economies of the world and China - The manufacturing hub of the world. There are a lot of areas where India has performed exceptionally well compared to many of its counterparts but a lot remains in other areas. The eagerness that BRIC showed to lend a helping hand to their much developed recession ridden European counter parts is commendable. As an association BRIC has tremendous potential to become much more than just another acronym, provided it utilizes its members and exchange information on a much wider scale, weed out differences among themselves and cooperate towards building great nations for their people. It would be interesting to see how India implement Reforms 2.0 to ensure that the growth till now doesn’t end up being a flash in the pan and grows from strengths to strengths in times to come.

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P. Padmini

Are written exams the best way to evaluate onesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to lead a Company? How can one be sure that the person who got the highest marks by reproducing text book contents is the right person to sit at the leaderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desk? Research about the CEOs of the world shows that the toppers always remained managers but never became leaders. The courage to do something different and new comes from a free and creative mind. The examination formats and curriculum of the B-Schools are removing all the creativity in students and are producing mere managers. How can creativity, problem solving ability and original thinking develop in a person? Just like Edward de Bono said that Creativity can be learnt and taught, leaders can be made. One solution is by changing the instruction pattern in the B-Schools. Each student is taught around 40 subjects in a span of 2 years, how will anyone remember what was learnt if they were never applied but only reproduced to get some fancy marks? How can one apply what he/she learnt in order to remember the concept for life? One idea is that all professors teaching in a term can pool in and create business projects for the students. Also, since there should not be isolation in the subjects learnt, all the concepts should be applied together. Confusing right? Here are the details: All the students

can be divided into study groups and can be given different companies to build/maintain. The achievables of this project should be according to the courses taught in that particular term. Every week, the professors can sit together, find out what knowledge was delivered in that week by each one of them and accordingly prepare questions for the students so that they can apply the concepts they have learnt before they are vaporized. For example: In one of the weeks of the first term, there were classes of Accounting, Marketing, Operations Management and Human Resources. Say, the topics taught were Balance Sheet/Income Statement, 4Ps, Employee Recruitment & Selection and Production Scheduling. The questions at the end of the week for the project can be like: Your Company wants to introduce a new product, please mention the marketing mix, Items added to Income Statement/Balance Sheet keeping in view predicted plant purchases, costs and revenues, the production planning and scheduling based on sales forecasts and the recruitment and selection details of the project depending on the required number of team members. Did something strike you?? If you see here, all the details are connected. That is the essence of MBA education. All the courses are connected. If this is so, why are we asked to do projects in isolation? When there are so many inherent and implicit things involved in understanding business, why not do a single project per term and CONNECT THE DOTS?

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Keshav S You are what you repeatedly do. This portion of the adage now needs focus. It is becoming a commonality of sorts that people enter a B-School, specifically an IIM and lose touch with their extracurricular passion. Fun and study, a simple twain, is being held real only at childhood. Funnily, this is the time in your life where the balance strikes more important. It’s hard to maintain efficiency and consistency when people drench themselves merely with academics. I wasn’t chosen by the institute for my ability to solve complex algorithms or babble literature. Those were merely qualifiers. What made the cut was the identity I carried alongside, majorly dictated by my passions… and no, academics do not feature! I am quite sure this applies to each of us who have made it here. Furthermore, companies you’d encounter subsequently might probe into these areas in particular to understand your overall personality. This revelation dawned unto me when Subhijit Lahiri of PGP 10 narrated his experience of reviewing off-beat movies. He has to his credited, reviews of around 500 movies, most of them tailored during his PGDM course. What was fascinating was, his hobby not only helped him release some steam but gave him perspective in his approach towards management theories and decision making. I realised the void that’s been filling me …until then. At one level, it is probably a notion that, habit, should entail doing something whose benefits are measured and whose progress is vivid; that, better the measure, better the control. While it slowly lays roots in our management principle, our routines are being tainted by this concept. Also, a certain degree of guilt rides with the element of fun. It is to be understood that the IIM experience is much more. The tag commands respect to the world but a feeling of dearness to the alumni only because of all that they could do , with like-minded

people and in the scheme of it all, losing themselves in several moments. The fact that this is maximum liberty you could have before entering the corporate world would certainly open up several opportunities which were oblivious to you. Just think about it. Also, at a cultural level, a healthy bonding happens only when you know people at a subtler level. Now, group studies will only reflect the grey matter of your peers, but what of the other vibrant facets that rests in each of them? When a group activity happens, when you trek together or engage in sports, that’s when closure comes. This is extremely important, in parts, to give an identity to the entire batch. This ‘sermon’ does not hold me responsible for your grades! All it aims at is pointing to this great world of support activities that rests alongside academics. Your time here is limited; make the most of it. Develop a hobby or kindle an old one. ‘You are what you repeatedly do. Excellence is then, not an act, but a habit’, A habit of work and fun that is! As Nike’s tagline puts it succinctly, ‘Just do it’.

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Beyond the Trodden Path Aritra Nayak When we look at the way B-schools churn out world class business leaders who shape the tomorrow of corporate India, we find the general sentiments of people to be that of awe and aspiration. People dream of their children to have the coveted MBA degree when they finish their academic careers – for it is definitely the key to a prosperous future. But, as the world of business evolved – from the classical days of Adam Smith to the post-recession dynamic economies, the role of an MBA has grown much beyond being an asset to the business and just adding to the bottom lines. Over the years, the spirit of entrepreneurship has grown especially post the 1992 economic reforms, as India has become a more open and receptive economy. But the growing economic prosperity has also got its downside – the ecological balance of the country has been badly tampered, the lifestyles of people have become, to say the least ‘robotic’ and the social threads and cultures seem to be disturbed. As the country heads to higher and higher goals of economic success, it is imperative that, as future business leaders, the duty of a B-School graduate would not be just to look for economic goals but look for opportunities that act for greater good. Just learning about the theory of economic inclusion, the bottom of the pyramid or the People, Planet or

Prosperity concepts would not make sense, unless they are applied. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs rot there, undigested all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, charactermaking, assimilation of ideas.” The application of these ideas to change lives of people, to create jobs and to do business sustainably would really mean that education imparted at these highly reputed institutes has been fruitful. Looking at life from within the campus of B-Schools, students view only the glitz of being an Investment banker or a marketing guru. While the stress seems to be more on getting the best salary packages, students seem to forget the crux of the education that is being imparted – to bring inclusive growth through economic development. The need of the hour however, is to bring about a revolutionary change in the mindsets of the youth, and more specifically to the young bright minds in the elite institutes of the country. The political, social and economic conditions dictate before the people in the society to come up and take charge of the affairs not just in business but also in social and political reforms. The country needs strong visionaries, policy makers and

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 17 corruption free leaders. Maybe this void of leadership can only be filled by the ‘genius’ brains from these elite institutes. Looking around there are many such examples, which can inspire the budding MBAs to come out of the well tested paths and venture into newer ones. Yes there are challenges and hurdles, the unseen forces which might make the journey on these, not so frequently trodden roads difficult, it is important for the next generation to possess the “Wings of Fire” to face and overcome these challenges while ushering the nation towards glory and all round development. The MBAs or in that case the engineers that graduate out of the country’s premier educational institutes are humungous, but still the number of PhDs or patents that the country generates every year is very less. One must wonder where all talent goes? Well, most of these brilliant minds just stop thinking and work towards the sole goal of getting a BMW or a hefty salary. The idea of this article is not just to highlight the fact the country’s talents need to explore avenues which are not so traditional, but also the need for them to explore the “traditional” arts and sciences. The amount of intellectual content generated by a country is the first step to securing economic prosperity in this era of “knowledge economics”. The amount of wealth that can be generated just by ideas as well as the associated all round prosperity is too good a proposition to be neglected. Well to stop this mindless rat race for jobs which are just glamorous, the Government needs to step in and promote the sciences. Setting up of more labs and research centers can be a starting point. The idea of having SEZs for industries can be used to create

similar Special Research Zones, where MNCs or in that case anyone can help build centers of scientific or arts researches, which would be beneficial to both the sponsor and the society. Coming back to the more pressing issue of leadership void, it is almost the best time for the MBAs to step into the world of entrepreneurship in greater numbers. The present political and economic situation, where almost everything seems to stagnate, the lease of new life can be brought back only if there is ‘inclusive growth’. The opportunities that are there before people with ‘ideas’ are many, the only need is that urge to be a little adventurous and explore them. The curriculum at these elite institutes, also in a way needs to change, from just being a heavy workload academic calendar that kind of restricts the test and development of a student’s character to being just more efficient, to one that gives them a little more freedom to test the what they learn in the real world before they venture out. The role of the institutes can be envisioned as more like a bird that teaches its children to soar higher. The idea to venture out on the roads less travelled is obviously not just about being adventurous, but being the change. A country can rise only if there is all round growth and prosperity, and that is possible if ‘knowledge’ is not just restricted to office rooms but applied and spread. The zeal to contribute to the society needs to be cultivated within the young leaders of tomorrow. The country is calling for change, and change can be brought only by thinkers who break conventions, so it’s the best time for all of us “To Stay Hungry, To Stay Foolish”!

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From the

Shutterbugs

of IIM Shillong

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Boundaries and Beyond Noopur Borwankar | Shipra Gupta | Sowmya R

He is a superhero yet vulnerable; he wears a mask, yet is a simple being. No special powers to boast of, and above all a mere mortal, who recovered from numerous bodily issues including a back snapped into two. A vigilante we all wish was watching us. Talk of impersonating the change you wish to see. Batman loses fights, Bruce is a playboy. Batman wishes to protect his loved ones, Bruce doesn’t care. Batman does his best to eliminate crime, organized or otherwise. It never really goes away though. Bruce represents the elite which supposedly are the root cause of crime. Gotham is lost without him, yet he is chased by the police. The city usually is in darkness, Batman comes as a ray of hope. The Joker hits the core ideas of one’s being, imagine not having Batman around. A symbolic representation of the city is the mind of humans, dark deep desire to rule, and chaos around- Batman is the conscience trying to put things in order, with a high efficiency. There is always a rescue path even from seemingly impossible situations.

Using the means of a criminal to fight one? In the darkness which usually engulfs the city, he emerges. Darkness brings terror but having Batman around makes it less dark. He is just a shadow, the reflection of an individual who could be me or you dear reader. This is just the beginning of getting beyond. Boundaries have never and can never limit our aspirations, our will, to act in the way we want to. Thinking beyond is the order of the day. For all the budding managers, for the all the entrepreneurs, for all the business men and for all the corporate houses, the concept of going beyond applies. Business or non-business, each of our contribution in our own small way, goes a long way in making a change in one way or the other.There is no dearth of examples from which to draw inspiration in this regard. All it takes is to act in the right direction. Give this a thought - “Is the Business of Business,

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 21 just Business?” The word Business is defined as: “An organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial or professional activities”. The earliest form of business was the Barter System of “exchanging goods”. Essentially this implies that a business, just like a person engaging in barter is required to give back something to the society that allowed him to do business in the first place. This is the simplest rationale to support the argument that “The business of business is not just business, but beyond”. That said, there is the eternal debate of “shareholder responsibility” vs “social responsibility”- whose money is it anyway?! Essentially a business is comprised of individuals, and at a micro level these contributions can go a long way in the development of our economy. Read on to know what you as an individual can do beyond the realms of your professional obligations.

Beyond disparities We have all seen the divide, we live it each day- the divide between rich and poor, abled and disabled, the haves and the have-nots. As individuals most of us do our bit, be it through donations, committees like NSS, NGOs etc. Today with the advent of technology addressing disparities has become easier. The initiative of distributing Akash tablets as a means of making the digital world accessible to the poor, or the acclaimed e-Choupal initiative of ITC are examples of how corporations have leveraged the power of technology to bridge these gaps. Muhammad Yunus transformed the face of banking in Bangladesh through his microfinance initiatives which Indian government along with the private banking sector adopted in India as well to bridge the economic divide between the rich and poor. It provided an opportunity to the poor and the small businesses to avail the financial services easily. ‘Goonj’, is another excellent initiative taken by Anshu Gupta. To work for the society all it needs is to channelize the possible resources and make the idea work. Anshu Gupta did the same. His effort for the rural India is making sure that all the resources i.e. the clothes and household goods lying unused in the richer communities of India are transferred to the poorer communities. It is like going an extra mile to spread happiness in the life of those who cannot afford and are in need. Recently, a Bangalore-based start-up came up with its solution to bridge the gap between India’s small number of ophthalmologists and its vast population. Through an all-in-one portable device that can help screen people in rural areas at a fraction of the cost of bigger machines.Would we call these acts noble or merely a way of reaching out to more customers? Some would say that the sachet revolution was a cleverly crafted strategy. No doubt it is, but in the process, it has

transcended disparities of income and geography, to the bottom of the pyramid, and by that virtue it goes beyond business.

Beyond conventions While achieving uniformity is one side of the coin, creating a niche for oneself is the other. If you cannot be a Sachin, why not be a Kumble? Anna Hazare might be in the flak for a number of reasons, but we should give him credit for doing what the three pillars of our constitution did not. At a time when the concept of a working woman had not gained acceptance, bold women like Kiran Bedi, Indira Nooyi and even Jayalalitha, dared to take the road less travelled. In the present age we are seeing a renaissance of many avenues such as literature, art and craft that seemed to be going into oblivion. Ask Neha Gandhi about the birth of “Matsya”, an organization comprising a team of marketers, design enthusiasts, art lovers and well-wishers working together to serve as a bridge between grassroots artisans and urban customers and you realize, that the handicraft industry is the second largest occupation in India and most people are dependent on it for livelihoods. It is a business beyond convention, for the cause of promoting handicrafts and yet not detached from the objective of being a profitable organization.

Beyond Barriers “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goal”. Yet for those who are determined to reach the destination, barriers can be easily overcome. “Super 30” is a free coaching centre in Bihar to help economically backward students crack the IIT-JEE exam and has seen 100 % success for 3 consecutive years. The institute’s director-cum-founder, Anand said the institute is supported by the income generated from his Ramanujam School of Mathematics, which has students who can afford to pay fees. What nobler way to help the community than through education! And yet for the institute to sustain funds are necessary and the cross-financing approach adopted by the institute ensures that! This model is similar to Aravind Eye care Hospital, another example of how one can do well in terms of bottom line and at the same time do good to the public. CEDNER (Centre For Development of NE Region) is a noteworthy initiative of IIM Shillong and is an attempt to help the society that enabled the institute to function in spite of all odds. A name that comes in the first generation of women entrepreneurs who broke the barriers of the age-old tradition of woman’s place at home is that of Shahnaz Hussain. Her Company Shahnaz Hussain Herbals is one of the largest manufacturers of herbal products in the world.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 22 While studying cosmetology, Shahnaz learnt about the harmful effects of chemicals on the human skin. Consequently, she made an effort to popularize the concept of Ayurveda method of treatment. Today, the Shahnaz Hussain Group is worth a $100 million. Her main aim was to get India on the beauty map as she felt that India was not getting enough representation in the world beauty congress. She did not care about the world, but worked for a cause which she felt mattered.

Beyond the Balance Sheet CSR and go-green are two words that are used at the drop of a hat at many organizations today. Organizations are facing a lot of criticism for building their brand in the pretext of Corporate Social Responsibility. But it isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t all bad! HULâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Project Shakti is a rural marketing effort but at the end of the day hundreds of women got to use the soap that Aishwarya Rai endorses and enjoy a hair treatment recommended by experts! The Tatas are known for their social activities, be it for the cause of education, health or community development. Many organizations today look at rural stints as a compulsory part of training for employees in order to sensitize them to the struggle of the less fortunate. Even in other fields, Artists, Musicians, Writers and Filmmakers have contributed their bit to the society and some academies even give out scholarships to those who are talented but cannot afford expensive training.

Beyond oneself Bhushan Punani, an IIM Alumnus joined The Blind Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association (BPA) leaving aside a lucrative career that awaited him after he completed his studies. The association promotes rehabilitation of persons with special abilities, via education, employment opportunities, integrated education and community development. Providing artificial limbs of international quality, means of transport are steps towards empowering those less privileged. Primary schools where the setting is inclusive for all children irrespective of their physical or social status Mr. Punani is a recipient of the Hellen Keller award. Then there are people like Mansukhbhai Prajapati who worked as rural entrepreneurs for the cause of rural India. There have been many such great minds which started working when they saw the actual plight of the people. Rather than the usual problem-discussion, they took a step forward; they went beyond to settle the problem. Social causes are not only meant to ponder upon, they are meant to be undertaken so that the problem is eradicated all together.

Making a difference, in your own little way can help. You can be a vigilante, no super powers needed; we have overwhelming proof of the same. Keep that tiny voice in your mind alive, the Batman in you is rearing to go. Having said this, it is necessary to highlight that one does not have to be in a position of great power in order to be able to contribute significantly. A reader who reports an open manhole is doing his bit to that part of his society, the newspaper that features it again does whatever is in its power to bring it to the notice of the authorities; the authorities do their bit by sending someone over and finally the civic worker closes it much to the relief of the public. As is clear from the example, in our own way, each of us can do our bit to those around us. Some may choose to become a lawyer and fight for justice, some others may take up a medical profession and fight diseases, some others may take the road less travelled and become entrepreneurs, while some others may follow their passions and become singers, dancers, artists or writers. Whatever be the path we choose, there are ways and means of reaching out a little beyond and make a difference in our own little ways to those around us.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 23 An Interview with

Nandan Nilekani Born in 1955 in Sisri town of Karnataka, Nandan Nilekani is a name which every entrepreneur looks up to. An electrical engineer from IIT Bombay, he left Patni Computer System to join hands with Mr. N. R. Narayan Murthy to become one of the co-founders of the IT giant, Infosys. Currently he is serving as the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India where he is involved with the implementation of one of the biggest social inclusion program in India, AADHAAR, for making provision for a national I-Card for all the Indians. Apart from this, Mr. Nandan Nilekani has co-founded India’s National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) as well as the Bengaluru chapter of The IndUS Entrepreneurs and has authored one of the bestsellers of recent times, “Imagining India”. With this and so many other achievements to his credit, Mr. Nandan Nilekani continues to make the country proud. In this exclusive interview with Symphony, Mr. Nilekani shares his views on UID and AADHAR. IIM Shillong : How would you describe your journey in life till now? Going back 30-40 years, had you imagined that you would be one of the most successful “governtrepreneur” our country has ever seen? Nandan Nilekani : Coming into government has been an exciting journey so far. The challenges of implementing a project of the scale, complexity and magnitude such as the Aadhaar project are truly challenging. There are multiple stakeholders and one has to evolve consensus and proceed. It has been a learning experience so far. One must strive to build systems, processes and institutions to see change happen.

IIM Shillong : Do you think that India has the capability to sustain UIDAI like SSN in America with all the red tape and bureaucracy that is associated with India? Nandan Nilekani : The UID project is a flagship project of the government of India. A dedicated group of officers and persons from outside government are working on this project. The ecosystem has been very supportive of the project. State Governments across the country are wholeheartedly implementing the project. We have enrolled more than 20 crore residents into the system in a short span of 2 years since we launched the first number. We expect to cover 60 crore residents by 2014. I think the resolve of the government and the benefits that Aadhaar will provide to the resident, including the power of identity, will make the project sustainable. IIM Shillong : Aadhar’s Critics have raised the issue of Data security and privacy concerns-about how it can avoid leaks, duplication (eg ATM cards) and fraud? How well are you prepared for all that? Nandan Nilekani : The UIDAI is taking all steps to maintain security of the data collected. We have put in place systems that are capable of doing that. We have detailed guidelines for security both for the UIDAI as well as for our partners. This project is a technologically sophisticated project and we will face numerous technological challenges on the way. But we, in India, have the capability to handle such situations. Also, the data that we collect is very minimal - name, age, sex, parents/guardian’s name and biometrics. IIM Shillong : Approximately 190 million unique identification cards have been issued till date. How far do you think will Aadhar Cards go in empowering people belonging to the lesser-privileged sections of the Indian society? Nandan Nilekani : More than 25 crore people have enrolled for the number and we have generated about 21 crore Aadhaar numbers. The Aadhaar number is the foundation for better access to services. Other than providing a national, portable identity to the resident, it has the ability to provide access to various services provided either by government or private agencies. We are the first “online” identity system in the world. With online authentication, various agencies can use Aadhaar to provide better and transparent services to the residents. The applications and benefits of Aadhaar are many. We are already seeing results on the ground. IIM Shillong : Finally, what would be your advice for the young B-school students about pursuing entrepreneurship? Nandan Nilekani : I would advise that believe in what you do, think innovatively and put your best foot forward.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 24

How to be a “Nature”al Leader? Vaibhav Annam Tips and tricks of leadership which could be learnt from the Animal Kingdom from our very own Nature Clichéd it may sound when I write that leadership is the most important attribute that is missing in today’s world. We have problems aplenty while solutions hardly any; we have crises galore, but revivals scarce and managers in abundance but visionaries a few. Times like these require people who can lead by conviction and inspire by example. But how do we harness skills of leadership? Where do we begin searching for a guide? Who will teach us to be more rational? One needn’t go too far searching answers for these questions because the best teacher, they say, is Nature indeed. Animals serve as excellent examples of portrayal of leadership qualities as they lead their groups by influencing, showing examples, guiding and constantly communicating with their followers. Migratory and movement decisions of animals travelling in groups often depend on social interactions among their own members. This is done by gesturing to one another or making noises which can only be understood by their own species. Information that is transferred is very crucial as in many cases, only few of them have enough information, such as knowledge about the location of a food source, or of a migration route, and therefore in a group there is always a leader that knows all the information and thus guides its followers in the right direction. This leader is the one that takes responsibility of the safety of its followers and in turn, the followers are dependent on their leader. The leader should make full use of the analytical social and interpersonal skills he/she has.

The Eagle “When there is no vision, the people perish.” A vital leadership lesson drawn from the eagle is that of vision. Eagles soar high while they are hunting. From the way of the eagle, the leader must realize the need to have a high vantage point, gaining constructive vision for the people. The leader should have a vision and see the bigger picture. With a superior mind, the leader can come up with an idea or a dream, and this thought should be communicated to the people in the

most effective manner. And there might be times that creating a vision for the people,leader’s dreams can help create a better world for the people. And vision, having it is a necessity, serves as a guide or even as a beacon and a guiding light for the people. From the eagles, one can also learn about resilient or tough leadership. Leaders need to be tough and must resort to positive thinking, changing the “I can’t” to “I can!” and the “I’ll try to do” to “I’ll do it!” In Chinese culture, the eagle symbolizes an individual’s strength, ambition and emulation as it flies as high as it desires. In many Chinese brush paintings, the eagle can be depicted as catching a fish against the backdrop of a rising sun and mighty waves. The turbulence of the vast ocean is never an obstacle for the strong and determined eagle. The depiction of an eagle can normally be taken

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 25 as being optimistic. The rising sun, which foresees every possibility in life, is a symbol of opportunities and bright future, greatness and magnificence an individual can achieve with all sustained efforts and aspirations. Hence, the eagle teaches one to be a visionary.

The Horse According to the Western tradition, there is always a wild horse in us which we need to tame and control. That wild horse can be either our emotions or feelings which sway us away from our path. A leader should be emotionally stable, and in fact, possess high emotional quotient. A leader should have an uncontaminated heart and a clear mind. A painting consisting of eight horses running together is often given as a gift in the business world. It is believed that business would flourish similar to a team of strong horses, running purposefully in unison. Another fact worthy of notice is that horses have a great sense of balance, in part due to their ability to feel their footing and in part due to the highly developed proprioceptive abilities. In this aspect, leaders need to be proficient in self-monitoring, with a good sense of balance and flexibility in mingling with all kinds of people. Having a good sense of balance and a wide area of interests helps in avoiding being lop-sided and stressed. People who are flexible and skilled in networking and mixing with different groups of people usually score high on having a firm stand on any given issue.

The Tortoise The tortoise is universally considered as a symbol of longevity. Similarly, a leader should be there for his followers for the eternity and must never give up even in midst of the direst of situations. The tortoise has a hard shell protecting its inner body and making it resilient. Under hostile conditions, the tortoise strategically protects itself inside the shell and patiently waits for the next opportunity to venture out and explore the surroundings. Likewise, a leader should be steadfast and patient; the leader is often a determined and resilient person, weathering crises or effecting turnarounds of situations.

“Patience is good and in fact great, it can be taken it that patience is soft and gentle, and it can be powerful”. Rome was not built in a single day; success needs time to happen. Similarly, a good corporate culture needs to be built and nurtured with a set of core values. Lasting companies with timeless core values can be said to last longer. The Tatas and the Birlas are a living testament to the fact.If a company has to sustain, it must be strong on virtues and cultures.

The Snake In many religions and beliefs, the serpent has been seen as Satan’s representative. It is seen as sly being with no good intentions. But even from a being as hated as a snake, a person can learn one of the most important lessons. Snakes shed off or change their skins often. Leaders lead by being fluid in accepting and managing change. Creating a sense of urgency, they motivate their people to accept and implement the change. And as they say, “change is the only constant”. A python is a sluggard. It waits patiently for its prey and once the target is close enough, it wastes no time in taking the target by surprise and hunts it down. Likewise, a leader must be patient enough and wait attentively for an opportunity and must grab it as soon as he/she gets a chance. Beastly traits are often considered in negative sense. However, to stress on these bad behaviours would be indulging in negative thinking. We need to identify those aspects of leadership which these animals seem to exhibit. Any person can commit mistakes but more important is the fact that we learn from them. We need to retain the positive qualities portrayed by the animals. Vision, strength, patience, perseverance and resilience while being compassionate and caring are a must for today’s torchbearers of change. They also lead change. Using these positive attributes, the leaders can grow themselves and perform effectively; and the organization they lead also benefit and grow.

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FRAMEworking at WORK Swati Nidiganti An interesting learning at B-schools is how to represent your analysis effectively and an important tool for that is the use of FRAMEWORKS! Imagine sitting through Power Point loaded with text, no visuals nothing to take a dig at!! What a sad world. So be it Strategy (All thanks to Mr. Porter) for foreign expansion or an integrated marketing communication campaign; none will look realistic and practical if presented without a proper framework which supposedly makes a peppy read. Let us put some commonly used frameworks (or fake works) to work and analyze life at MBA. When we walk in to an elite institute, every student has few needs and expectations. And when we leave this place, we have important learning which are beyond the materialistic achievements. These are the ones which will help in gauging the true meaning of management which in turn changes the attitude towards life. Let us look at what are the anticipations of a student when he or she joins a premium institute of management (read on to find out what actually happens). Every studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs can be represented by three levels as per the basic Kanoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s model which is used to classify customer needs. Now do understand that the customer here is the student but unlike customer, student is never the king! Basic needs: These include the needs of academic enrichment, exposure to various concepts of management, networking, making good friends and getting a decent job when you walk out of the campus. Performance needs: This includes performance needs which comprises getting to interact with diversely talented individuals, learning from their experiences,

getting industry exposure through internships, live projects, publishing cases/papers (depending on the geeky quotient), and last but not the least getting a dream job, though defining one is a highly complicated task. Delight needs: These are the highest level of needs which if fulfilled, helps enhance the total perceived value. These needs are difficult to explain unless experienced. For us at IIM Shillong, these include releasing stress levels by coming close to nature like never before, subsiding internal competition and enhancing collaborative learning, all for one and one for all mentality, to name a few. To top the list is finding your true calling. Having seen the needs, it is difficult to say how many get fulfilled for how many students. But irrespective of that, the learning which you get during this journey for the fulfillment of your needs, is what forms the crux of your two years and helps you grow. Here are my most important learning at management school.

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 27 Lesson No. 1: Always be a learner Based on the knowledge and the grades a student gets, students can be categorically divided into four groups (brickbats are welcome). Let us look at it through (my) perception map: Subject matter experts: The favorites of teachers and the (exam eve) teachers of other students who have answers to all the questions, their knowledge is unquestionable and is rightly represented in their grades. 007: These are (bond) students to whom learning (you know what I mean) comes naturally. They have a deep interest in a few subjects and go exploring even on unknown turfs, to further enhance learning. They are like Irfan Khan who are potential stars of a Woody Allen film.

Presenters: Those who manage to keep up with the course curriculum and manage good grades by effectively presenting their knowledge in the exam paper fall under this. Nothing wrong in that, after all an important lesson of marketing is “Jo dikhta hai who bikta hai”! Laggards: Well, for premium B-Schools where knowledge is forced and learning is induced, this category is nonexistent. But generally, these form those students who leave no stone unturned to get into a premium institute but once that is achieved they think they are the king and have no more motivation to work thereafter. Most companies look at the grade sheet during recruitment and that makes grades important for a student. But what we are taught at IIM Shillong is to rise above the grades and that makes knowledge especially important for our sustainable development. We as students collaborate to foster learning and the irony is that with relative grading in place, we all reach out to the same grade level. So the only thing which

we can aim to achieve in these two years is a pool of knowledge and expertise which will help us in the long run. So the bottom line is, be a learner, for life. Pop Quiz 1:Shed all your inhibitions (if you have any) and plot your current position on the perceptual map and think of where you want to be. Design strategies to reach your desired position. (Unlike companies which do not implement the strategies provided by us in competitions, do implement it) Lesson No. 2: Learn to manage your time effectively A commonly used statement by almost all students at some stage of their MBA course is “I don’t have time”. If you probe a little to empathize, there will be committee work, club work, the most dodged and ignored group work, the most lucrative (monetary and even otherwise) B-school competitions, if none of these, then self-reading and hello what about the time when you want to be all by yourself (Inclusive development you see) ? Well you cannot blame anyone for this, there

SYMPHONY 2012-13 28 28

are so many roles to play and so many responsibilities to juggle, and not everyone is adept at doing justice to all. And this is only a demo of the real world which is waiting outside for all. While at work, you will have to handle the task assigned to you, help team mates for meeting deadlines, give a hand to manager for some brownie points, handle the fun committee since you represent the so called ‘youth’ and the list is endless. The key is to prioritize and bring discipline into your life. Oh yes, and the next time someone says they don’t have time, don’t believe them. One always has time for what one really wants to do. Pop Quiz 2: Kaun Banega PGP? Plan out a week by prioritizing the tasks at hand and assigning estimated timeslots for each. Try it out and in case you are not able to meet your deadlines, which most probably will be the case, don’t be disheartened.You will at least realize where the 24 hours of your day go! Lesson No. 3: Live your own dream Larry Smith in his TED talk “Why you will fail to have a great career” (which is motivating in a very demotivating way) aptly summarizes the various excuses we make for not following our passions and making them our career. Because in spite of all the difference that we want to create in the world around, in spite of the name and fame that we crave for, we want to lead a normal life. We want a family, we want to spend time with friends and we want our bank account to be credited at the end of every month. But the actual reason we don’t follow our passion is because we fear. The fear of

failure fills even the bravest hearts. And no matter how many times we have justified in interviews that failures are stepping stones to success but we never have had the courage to actually fail in life (opportunity costs are heavy burdens). And to avoid that, we choose a safe career path. A consultant in a top firm, marketing manager in an FMCG company, investment banker in a multinational bank, account manager in a top IT firm, operations head in a manufacturing organization, are no doubt few of the most desired jobs. They pay you handsomely, offer incentives, help build your career and purchase the material luxuries of life and a lot more. But wait, what happened about creating a difference! With the number of consultant and managers being groomed every year, you would sure be lost in the crowd. Look at the Porter’s five force analysis for the most premium industry (if you consider your dreams to be priceless). Well if you look at it, the market attractiveness is low considering the many hurdles in terms of high competition, high buyer power and supplier power. However, the thing at stake here is not your business but your life and here you do not have an option to exit. You just have to stay there, play there and win there. Management education gives us a window to broaden our perspective and look at things with a wider glass. The choice though as always, is in our hands. Do we want to look out of this window as what lies beyond can never be known otherwise. Pop Quiz 3: Oh and you still want me to create a task for you. Go find your own calling!

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 29

My sweet tryst with Coffee and what SWOT has to say about it! Coffee, the silent Crusader!

Apoorvaa P

“Is the night canteen open? “ “Oh No…!!! please don’t tell me it isn’t..!!!! “ The words just keep reverberating in my mind. Is it my hallucination or is it normal to hear the monotonous thoughts echoing through the corridors every single night? It is like the shrill cry of the wolf that spooks up your spine amidst the silence of the serene night. Well, not exactly… Silence doesn’t prevail within the confines of an IIM at this time of the night… Let me see…!! What is the time now? Okay! It is not very late…It is just 1:30A.M.. Oh! Clashes of thought and confusion in how to name this part of the day! To be (a night) or not to be? I think we can come to a consensus that it is ‘Night’, even though Mr. Galileo would have not been very pleased about it and I can almost imagine him running with his Telescope-coming up to my dorm. This guy had spent half his lifetime distinguishing day from night and here I am defying science and giving a new dimension to the times of the day. You see, I am in one of the best B-Schools in the country and I guess I can stand up to the ghost of Galileo and tell him boldly that this day/night demarcation just doesn’t exist in an IIM. It is something like the magic of the vicinity relating to the pyramids of Giza. When observed in close proximity, time actually seems to slide a bit slower than when you observe standing far away from the pyramids. Action is aplenty near the pyramid. Aren’t I proud of the creation of such new definitions for day and night? Of course I am proud of it. Even my eyelid is agreeing with me by nodding a tad too fast. Sorry, I think the fluttering of the

eyelid is due to something called the ‘normal biological clock’, which needs to be attuned to life here. A bit more servicing to be done in the tick tock! Enter the Saviour: The scene as I witness it. People are buzzing around like bees here and there and the singular thing that is moving more swiftly than the people in our college, at this point of time, is our very own brains. They try to make sense of the commotion outside and wonder whether their owners have fiddled with the rugged terrain of their hemispheres. I could have slid down into the same well and could have risked compromising my sanity. My brain was thankfully rescued, as was the others’, by the aroma of a drug…A drug that captivated the ‘forced somnambulists’ for generations and generations..and gave them a whiff of life. The fragrance wafting through the air, that just enamors your heart, kindles your

SYMPHONY 2012-13 30 30 mind and churns our food processor (a.k.a. stomach). Locomotive skills lead us to the source of the whirlwind that is creating the revolution.

• A sip is all it takes to go into a trance….to immerse yourself into the most nostalgic memory that the mind can recollect

Isn’t “Coffee” a swinging sensation? The drug caffeine, the virtual demi-god that I was previously alluding to, has enslaved people. But, in the true sense, it has actually freed them from the reigns of compulsive sleep. So, all this said, we all are (at least the majority of us) crazy for a cup of strong coffee. Some start the day with coffee, some live with coffee throughout the day and some just can’t say ‘No’ to coffee. (Yeah…Yeah... it is an ‘adaptation’ from “Some are born great...”…Couldn’t resist the temptation of comparison..!!)

• A wind blows past your mind sending ripples as pebbles do in water, but settling them down sooner than we can conceive

A new dimension: Coffee has been helping me carry forward every day (the ‘night’ day I mean!) with the vigor that I desperately require, so I am planning on implementing something as a mark of respect and devotion to the savior of my soul and self. It is a completely new concept that may be derisive to some and may make some eyebrows disappear into the dense forest of hair, but a perspective is always individualistic and justified. So, here it goes. Ingrained as we all are with the phenomenon of learning new things, my brain stumbled upon this idea of exercising the utility of SWOT analysis to the king of reverie inducer- “Coffee”. Wait! Lower your eyebrows a little! The analysis is aimed at invigorating the drink in general and attempting to push it forward in case it requires a gentle shove to persist among the competitors. Read on, but you are allowed to, only if you possess a steaming coffee mug in hand! Into the domain of imagination, my Reader, let my Coffee brew! (Full credit to Tagore!) Getting down to the technicalities, SWOT analysis basically signifies a method that involves the evaluation of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. It is strategic planning all the way! Listing them down systematically: Strengths- The attributes that grant coffee an advantage over others: • It is energizing and makes the mind feel refreshed even though the mental faculty is totally drained out and, may be at the end of its tether • It can drive even the most disorganized mind into streamlined flow of thought and can be renamed as the organizer of emotions

• Calmness reaches the zenith, creating a clean slate in the mind wherein new and fresh thoughts can be registered

Weaknesses- Factors that position our energy drink at a disadvantage compared to others:

• A couple of hours after drinking coffee to your satisfaction, the effects start to wear off slowly and steadily. Reminds me of the Felix Felicis in Harry Potter, which was nicknamed “Liquid Luck” (non-HP people- do forgive me..!) • Sometimes, though rarely, a frustration sinks in after coming to terms with reality and getting out of Utopia that was immensely enjoyable • Whoa! It’s addictive you know! You are left wanting more and more of it until you are tired of it. And believe me, ‘You never are’! So, it is a liability that accumulates to create dissatisfaction • Bad for health? Now that’s a question to ponder about!

Opportunities- Chances from outside that can nudge the growth of the ‘Brown wonder’:

• There can possibly be no drink that appeals to the senses like our coffee, though, of course,tea is a jealous brother who is equally good • The competition from external sources is minimal because of an aspect that boils down to monopoly like situation- Mind you! Coffee is one of its kind • Constant and continuous innovation by introducing a slew of variants due to the necessity of being in level with the opportunities outside • Growth option is wonderful because coffee is never ever going to lose its value proposition. It is here to stay and flourish!

Threats- Outside elements that can make cool Coffee see red:

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 31 • Aggressive attack by competitors by using the weapon that threatens its existence- the health aspect- Achilles’ heel of coffee, if at all there is one! • When others can infuse exhilaration into the system just as coffee does, it intimidates coffee a bit, thus separating the milk from it (Don’t bother! Just on a witty note..!!) • The bitterness of coffee makes it ‘sweet’, but there are so many drinks that are looking to capitalize on their enhanced flavors- may push coffee to the back seat! Now that the ‘sweet’ analysis… sorry the SWOT analysis has been completed, there is a springing of hope about how some weaknesses and threats can be bulldozed and converted to strengths and opportunities. Having established the point that I am a student of management with this analysis, I would like to share that I was also thinking on the lines of proving my point with a null and alternate hypothesis- establishing and contradicting things, or with regression- the theory of dependent and independent variables. Okay! Okay! I am flaunting a ‘bit’, oh! Alright a ‘lot’! So, this analysis has enlightened coffee till the realm of possibility and brought in confidence to the creamy combo. Reading all this, you must surely be thinking that I must have had Coffee just before starting this article…And Bingo…!!! You are absolutely right… But, wait…. The mug is almost empty now… Just hold on a second.… My sharpened senses just picked up something! Is it what you and I think it is? The aroma of the perfect stir of coffee greets me in the room. I am going to run to the canteen and ‘earn’ some well-deserved coffee. The night brings with it the desire to crave for coffee every day. And craving isn’t bad! If it is, after all, for the golden liquid luck...!

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Digital World : An Outsiderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s View Rishi Gupta In the last few decades, evolution in the digital electronics has made a deep and profound impact on our daily lives. Digital devices have moved from being just objects of desire, to the center of our daily lives. They have not only changed the way we communicate, surf the net, do commerce, etc. but the plethora of applications, popularly known as APPS, have simplified daily functionalities. It is no surprise the devices which were alien to human race a few years ago, have become daily life necessities. The evolution of the digital age was put in fast track in 1947 when worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first transistor was designed. Then, came the era of the micro-chips and ICâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s which miniaturized the computing technology. Clearly in the first few decades the focus was on hardware. With the launch of Macintosh, the Graphical User Interface (GUI), concept of APPS came into existence. More importantly, as giant strides were made in the hardware, it started an era where software gained prominence. It was evident that if the hardware was the heart, the software was the soul which makes the silicon wafers work. For the modern digital devices technology merely is not enough, it is the integration of software, hardware and applications need in a seamless manner to bring in the incredible and addictive user experience.

Last two decades saw diversification in the personal computer (PC) dominated digital age. Tremendous popularity of smart phones and tablets has marked the beginning of what is known as post PC era. But, the development of newer devices only mirrors the basic pattern of PC usage all around the world. To explain the development of post PC era, the use of digital devices needs to be divided into 2 major heads, namely: Content Generation & Content Browsing. For users around the world, majority of their time is spent on digital devices to surf the net, play games, watch movies & videos, share photographs, read e-books and other activities where no digital information is being created. Rather users only go through the content which is already available. Application of the digital devices for the purpose of browsing the digital content already available can be regarded as content browsing. Some surveys in the past have suggested that more than three-fourth of the user time is spent on content browsing. On the other hand, Personal Computers (PC) and a handful of digital devices are used for writing software applications, replying to mails, production of movies and music, making reports & presentation and a whole host of similar activities. User interaction with digital devices for the purpose of generation of digital content can be regarded as content creation. As evident from usage pattern a small portion of user time is spent on content creation.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 33 The genius of the post PC devices lies in the understanding of this usage pattern. Post PC devices rule when it comes to content browsing experience along with the benefit of mobility. Apart from replying to mails, making post on the social networking websitesand taking & editing photographs, post PC devices are of very little help in the content generation. These devices are designed for specific applications and add-ons which can enhance their utility in very limited ways.

play a major role in content generation in these post PC devices. Although PCs’ have remained resilient for quite a long time, but similar developments can cast serious doubts on their future dominance.

It comes as no surprises that post PC devices can steal a large portion of PC usage. Recently, Michael Dell (CEO of Dell Inc.) publically challenged the notion of long term impact on PC, due to the exponential rise in tablets sales. Taking a closer look at the history of PC industry, there are strong grounds on which Michael Dell has made his statement. PCs have led the digital age for last 4 decades and have been resilient to the technological developments by incorporating those developments. The first PC was invented in the 70’s and for the next two decades PC sales were driven by the productivity improvement it brought to banking, automobile, retail, logistics, analytics and other industries. When the PC sales started to go down late in the late 1990’s, emergence of internet shifted the focus of the manufactures from the corporate to the retail sales. Whenever in the past, PC sales have started to go down; developments in the digital ecosystem have driven the sales up.

Another major development in the digital world is the emergence of cloud technology. The companies have largely been able to en-cash the technology by providing services from geographically distantly located computing power. Companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and others have built their business model by catering to small and medium size businesses. But, if all the computing and data storage is done on geographically distant computer, it has the potential to make the hardware superiority of the accessing device meaningless. The accessing device just needs to have data connectivity with the server, coupled with display and command unit. When Apple came out with i-cloud in 2011, its eyes were well set to build business around this unique capability of the cloud. It will allow i-OS users to experience most of the latest features, without upgrading their devices. This will result in creation of a community of loyal users who will continue to use their devices, without any fear of losing them when they seek hardware upgradation. Consistent money can still be made by providing specific paid cloud based services. It will be naïve to say that the cloud computing can be commercialized only in few mentioned ways. In years to come, we are bound to see newer business models built around the technology.

But, for the first time in the history of the digital age, the substitutes of PC hold a very strong ground. In-spite the high popularity of post PC devices, they contribute very little to the content generation. Content Generation draws the line of differentiation between PC and the post PC devices.In the days to come, it will be interesting to see rise of voice activated technologies which can

There is not even an iota of doubt in the pace of evolution picked up in the last decade. But like all the evolving technologies, the more they evolve; bigger opportunities they open up. The golden age of the digital era has just started and maybe the best offerings is still to come which will have even deeper impact on our lives.

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The Iran Dilemma Hrishikesh Mukherjee

Tensions are running high about the impact of sanctions on the second largest OPEC oil exporter – Iran and the changing geo-political relations. Nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reaffirmed the credibility of its November 8, 2011 report of Iran engaging in activities relevant towards developing nuclear war heads. Western communities and Israel have been suspecting Iran of developing

nuclear explosive weapons; however Iran has declined terming that their activities are dedicated for civil and peaceful aims. The geo-political equation hangs on a many fold question – What option does the US have in terms of economic as well as military punitive actions on Iran, how does it deal with its strategic rivals, Russia and China in dealing with this crisis, and finally, how does our country with a significant amount of imports coming from Iran deal with US stepping up its sanctions. US, owing to the criticism for its Iraq operation is playing safe relying on IAEA’s reports. These concerns are not just political but can pose hurdles for the growth of world economy. The question thus is: how will the global political dynamics behave in light of the Iran dilemma? Economic Options: US has beefed up its stance by passing a law banning transactions with Iran’s Central Bank, a move that would make it impossible for any country to buy crude oil from Iran, given that the Central Bank of Iran processes all payments. There has also been constant follow up with buyers of Iranian oil to reduce imports in a phased manner. There are ongoing pressures on heavy importers of Iranian oil including

India, China and Russia. Iran will feel the pinch sooner or later with over 80% of its GDP coming from crude oil and along with it, prices are likely to shoot up to more than 200 USD per barrel cascading the shock to the buyers. So, with US unrelenting on its dialogue with head of the states of major customers, the economic sanctions are on its way to tighten the noose. In the wake of all this, efforts are being made by New Delhi made to diversify the oil import sources and reduce dependence on Iranian. Military Options: Washington’s two strategic rivals,

SYMPHONY 2012-13 35 China and Russia have expressed their stand against a possible military aggression against Iran in the summit for SCO in Beijing at the same time stressing on the fact that the issue on nuclear armament should be resolved at the earliest. The only activity from Tehran which can provoke a joint military operation of US-Israel alliance is seen to be an effort to block the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow pathway of about 22 nautical miles lying in Iranian waters which forms the entrance to Arabian Sea from the Persian Gulf. However, Iran’s threat and possible activity in this regard can backfire its own interests considering the fact that its economic export activities other than crude oil would come to a halt, alienating other customers and neighboring nations and inviting a full-fledged US military operation which might not only be restricted to opening the strait but may target and destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. It will certainly be a scenario of unpredictable consequences inviting reactions from other global players. Given the equations between US and its rivals, military options would be the last one to choose and might be suicidal for Iran as well. The China Factor: The Obama administration included India in a list of six other nations that were granted a sanction waiver but the glaring exception in the list was that of China (although a last moment waiver was

granted). China imports a little less than one-fourth of its oil from Iran. The Chinese state owned enterprises still have deals with Iran and the friendly relationship extended by China is all the more clear. A tough attitude against Beijing can harm the interest of Washington as well, a fact well known to the Obama administration. China has made their position clear about not willing to accept unilateral sanctions made by domestic law. With China’s trade surplus with the US widening to 24.2 percent, a trade war with China can have serious repercussions. Surpassing Japan to become the largest holder of US debt, China has widened the trade surplus and any tough stance of the Obama administration

can create ripples in the American markets as well. The dollar reserves of China, which have built up steeply since the Asian crisis has a potential to de-stabilize the US economy. With China and Russia making clear their intentions of not supporting any US coalition with any military tactics and China having a good position in an unlikely trade war, it makes it all the more difficult for Washington to rethink strategies. India: New Delhi remains a mere spectator trying to maneuver its way in the unfolding of the high profile drama. With its heavy dependence on oil imports and enormous subsidies leading to rapidly increasing trade deficit, it could have to pay a much dearer price. India, which gets about 12% of its oil from Iran, has scorned at the new set of US sanctions. In the light of sanctions, a congressional report has also alleged India of seeking concessions on crude oil import from Tehran. India is being asked to undermine its own economic and strategic interests by cutting back on oil imports and other commercial transactions with Iran in order to comply with extra-territorial sanctions that have no basis in international law. There are other strategic interests for New Delhi also. Iran has a very important geographical location linking West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia with one another and providing a

pathway to access the mineral resources of Central Asia and Afghanistan. Irans attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz can destabilize the Persian Gulf region and the maritime activities taking place through it, affecting India’s exports to the Gulf states. Unilateral sanctions will not be welcomed in India but we have a responsibility to maintain a world order without nuclear armed rogue states. We will have to look for opportunities and dialogue which can make our co-operation with United States less painful.

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Eurozone Debt-Crisis:

Can the apocalypse be prevented? Soumya Iyer The Eurozone crisis which has engulfed most of Europe in a chasm of recession has sparked new debates about the credibility of the solutions which have been used to bring the countries out of the debt-trap and put them back on the path towards growth. The sovereign debt crisis which resulted due to unsustainable levels of debt by governments and private sectors of different countries of the union was compounded by the fact that the Eurozone ensured monetary union but not fiscal union. Monetary union refers to the acceptance and implementation of a single currency whereas fiscal union refers to convergence of taxation and public policies. Factors further perpetuating the crisis were easy availability of credit at very low interest rates,real estate bubbles and international trade imbalances during the period between 2000 and 2009.

Since then a slew of financial crisis management measures have been implemented to combat the same. First and foremost, the EFSF (European Financial Stability Facility) was established consisting of €750 billion to maintain financial stability among the countries of the union along with banks taking a 50% haircut on sovereign loans to Greece. The EFSF which mainly provides tranches of bail out packages to the debt-stricken economies has been increased to €1.4 trillion which will be replaced by ESM (European Stability Mechanism) effective from 2013 and would be capped at €500 billion. Another popular measure was the LTRO (Long Term Refinancing Option) which involves the European Central Bank lending money to European banks at very low levels of interest who in turn would lend to businesses and consumers passing on the benefit of liquidity. The ECB has carried out two LTRO’s since December last year, lending a total of more than €1 trillion. Yet another measure was the SMP (Securities Market Programme) which entailed the ECB buying bonds of the troubled economies to keep their borrowing costs at low levels. Some of the recent measures under consideration include the FTT(Financial Transactions Tax), Fiscal Compact and the Greek Memorandum. The FTT seeks to raise €55 billion a year by taxing the financial services sector exclusively. Fiscal Compact requires member states to hit tough budget targets, which would involve adherence to austerity measures but on the other hand

SYMPHONY 2012-13 37 would provide guaranteed access to the European Stability Mechanism. The Greek Memorandum is the treaty that obliges Greece to make swinging cuts to public spending in return for its second eurozone bail out worth €130bn in addition to a €100bn write-down of debt by the bankrupt country’s private creditors. All these measures are intended to bring down the levels of debt by capping expenditures resorting to austerity measures. Many argue that the Eurozone crisis is a result of the violation of “ the stability and growth pact” which capped the annual borrowing at 3% of the output produced and prescribed debt to GDP ratio to be under or equal to 60% both of which were blatantly disregarded by countries like Germany, France, Greece and Italy whereas Spain never violated the rules even once. But still its 10 year bond yields have hit a record high of 7.5%. This explains that debt is not the only major reason for the crisis(Greece is an exception as the debt to GDP ratio rose to 113%).The reason being that while the money borrowed was used by France and Italy for imports, Germany became an export-power house selling far more to the rest of the world and earning a lot of surplus cash on its exports. Also, Germany kept its wages steady whereas the wage-rates burgeoned in other European countries during the boom years hindering their export-competitiveness. The idea of spending cuts to repay the debts would further deepen the recession as this would increase the unemployment even more driving down the wages lower which in turn would lead to decrease in spending and default on loans aggravating the situation even more. The rationale that lower wages would increase export competitiveness has not held true in the short-run but has led to more strikes and protests spurring nervousness and loss of confidence in the European financial markets. The solutions do not seem to be working. The situation seems to be going worse with political backlash in countries like Greece leading to questioning the usefulness of the European integration. It has been observed that the political mechanisms in many countries of the European Union are unable to deal with the fiscal crises with some European leaders floating the misconceptions about the tax payers making direct payments by way of bail outs to the debt-laden countries which is but a misnomer. The bail outs provide the IMF and EU lending facilities at lower rates than the market but higher than the countries that underwrite the same which works out to be a loan at a profitable rate provided the loan is paid without any default. The bail outs being used for servicing the existing debts

results in socializing the risks and privatizing the profits. In essence, the more debt that is bought up by the ECB – or maybe by the lending facilities themselves – the more the taxpayers are liable. The money is not being used for any productive activity that would help the European countries to come out of the recessionary spiral and get back on the growth trajectory. Restructuring the balance sheets of banks even with heavy haircuts without any further delay is an option that is not being considered due to the huge immediate financial impact. Breaking up the Eurozone is an option which is being debated all around the world. But this would be a very costly proposition considering the practical problems along with immediate run on the Greek banks by savers wanting to take out their savings and invest in safe havens abroad. Also the debt to GDP ratio would increase because even after the currency conversion, the debt would still be in euro increasing the chances of default. The inefficacy of the aforesaid financial measures has led economists to deliberate upon and suggest new measures to combat the downward spiral and to come up with a consistent and precise strategy for revival of growth in these countries. They propose inducing private investment in the economy by creating conducive conditions which can be in the form of guarantees that these crisis countries will pay back their debts by creating a robust ESM (European Stability Mechanism) and by adhering to a common debt –reduction pact suggested by various economists. The competitiveness of the crisis countries can be increased by investing in the industrial infrastructure and by promoting research and development. The funding for the same needs to be arranged from the proceeds of the FTT (Financial Transaction Tax) hoping to bring in about €55 a year. The European Investment Bank can play a key role in creating a comprehensive implementation programme for these investments. Thus, a three-pronged investment strategy of taxing the financial sector, mobilizing investments and promoting research and innovation is the new mantra which the European nations are looking forward to. The focus is now being shifted to value-creation from mere value-absorption giving more impetus to devising and executing a strategic and economically sound industrial policy. Considering the changing dynamics of world business environment, it is absolutely necessary for Europe to come up with a sustainable economic model based on real value addressing the challenges of the future which would really help itself to sustain, withstand and survive the turbulent times.

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Medley of

Thoughts

Abhijit Tibrewal

Through this piece of writing I intend to take you on a ride – a ride through human emotions and the way we perceive things and the people around us. These are just some things which often cross my mind, so what you might experience next will just be a medley of thoughts. Sometimes I think aloud and ask myself – Who am I? Am I someone who has his own individuality or am I just any other person who is shaped by the circumstances

and the people around me? Do I act differently when I am alone than when I am in a group? Do I do things that I want to do or do I just do things to please the people around me? Do I even exist for the others or am I a mere perception of myself? Such questions galore come rushing to my mind whenever I sit down for a couple of minutes and introspect. Another thing that I observe among people around me – so very often we become judgmental about people

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 39 without even trying to understand the reason why a person behaves the way he does? We are so good when it comes to passing judgements about people. But if we were to think over it again, we will realize that we pass judgements mostly about people who we are very close to and we don’t know really. So now, that we don’t even know someone well enough, do we really have the right to be judgemental about that someone? This is your moment of truth. So if you are really so concerned about him so as to pass judgement, why don’t you put in a little more effort and try to know that person better? This way may be we will realize that each one of us is unique in our own subtle ways and we need to respect the other person for his own way of doing things. Now let us talk about something else. So many times I have had people walk up to me and ask me, “Do you really believe in this superstition?” or sometimes, “Do you follow this Guru?” Let me confess. There have

been times I have been made a laughing stock when I admitted that I indeed believe in such and such superstition or I do things this way because my parents ask me to. What are superstitions really? They are just some beliefs that we carry along with us – some of which we get in legacy from our family members and others which we pick up when we come across different people. Okay, now if you have a scientific bent of mind, you might come back and ask me, why I should adhere

to such superstitions when I know for sure that such superstitions don’t have any scientific rationale? I can’t offer you a rationale either. Don’t believe in something only because of the authority of your parents, don’t believe in something only because it has been handed over to you, but, after careful analysis if you realize that doing something or acting in some way won’t do you any harm and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then maybe you should consider doing it that way. So next time your mom tells you not to buy a new mobile phone today because it is a Saturday, you might just consider postponing your purchase to Monday! And now let us come to the last part of our discussion Human Expressions. Each one of us has so many varied emotions of love and care with us. But how often do we really take that extra step to show someone that “I CARE”? How often do we speak our heart out to someone without any apprehensions? When was the

last time you told your mom and dad that you care for them? So very often we get caught in our day-to-day life and forget the people around us who make our existence special. It is to those special ones I ask you to reach out to and tell them that you care for them. Don’t delay it by telling yourself that you will do it when you are free. Do it now - for you don’t know what the world has to offer you tomorrow.

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Course On Sustainability Nishanth Shouri

You come to a management school to learn about domains like Marketing, Finance, HR, Consulting and Operations. So, when you walk into the inauguration function, complete all the formalities and look over the course structure for the first term and find out that a whole week of schedule is dedicated to something that is called as “Sustainability”. You will obviously be wondering why we would need such course in B-school. And that is exactly where the initiation of a series of conflicting thoughts entered my mind which I would try to present before you. The professor taking this course told us on the very first day- “If at the end of this course, you have more questions than answers, we will consider that we have served our purpose.”

And I can say with affirmation that that was really the case with many of us. The course probed us to go against our thoughts about the conventional and traditional norms of business and economy. The course dealt with environmental issues that are plaguing mankind and tried to maneuver our thought process along the lines of sustainable business management. During the sessions, the participants were given an open chance to debate on various issues concerning environmental degradation and trying to find out solutions to them. In our batch, we have people from all the corners of our country. When such a diverse combination come together and debate on a topic, the perspectives and perceptions that come onto the table gives an encompassing view of the situation.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 41 And when such a group tries to find out solutions to such problems, the answers are just waiting round the corner. But, of course, if a group of 110 people can sit and solve all the problems of this world, what is the use of several international agencies and governments which are fighting with all their might to save this planet. The solutions may not be final but they have definitely improved our range of knowledge on such topics and provoked us to think about environment too whenever we think of business. If you are thinking that the sessions were completely theoretical, you cannot be more wrong. We had lectures only for half of the day and in the other half, we were shown various documentaries. These documentaries had the capacity of brain washing our stream of thoughts. They gave out a completely different picture of the world we are living in. They portrayed various problems that will be faced by mankind if we do not care about the society and environment around us. We were shown what water scarcity can do to us in the future. Seeing all such things really makes anyone’s mind racing…Can this really happen? Are we really destroying our environment? Are we taking up the responsibility and trying to correct some of the mistakes so that our future generations can live peacefully? After seeing those videos, I felt that the statement – “The third world war will be for water” is very apt. Another aspect of this course was “Can businesses survive and be stable over a long period of time?” In any business scenario, we can clearly say that no business can sustain for a longer duration without any interruptions in terms of its growth rate or productivity. Every business goes through a period of ups and downs. So, the only concern is to reduce the amplitude of those oscillations so that there will not be any drastic consequences in the normal running of the business. So, after hearing all of this…We may get a doubt…. How is management related to this? How can people working in big corporates help in improving the

environment? The answer to that was provided to us by incorporating sessions by professors of individual domains. By reducing wastage in the supply chain and treating the waste for re-use can help reduce pollution. This is just an example from a multitude ways shown to us how we can help to sustain the environment. What was shocking was the ease with which they were explained to us. The emphasis of the whole series of lectures was on the implementation of such practices so that we can become responsible managers and good human beings. One of our professors mentioned in the class – “The business of business is business. But the Sustainability of business is Sustainability.” To conclude, I just hope that all the participants who have listened to the course will understand the gravity of the situation the present generation is in. I hope that the bright minds of the world come out with innovative ways of rescuing the plant and animal life around us which in turn rescues us. The future of the world rests on Green Energy. The existence of the future generations will be decided by the actions that we do now. Let us make the environment and livelihood sustainable not only for humans but also to all the living beings on this beautiful planet.

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Life 2.0 Give it a thought. It’s all about living in the moment. Live life without shackles.

Noopur Borwankar As I pen down my thoughts in this article, I wish that the readers not only read but also feel it because its true essence lies in relating to it. Many philosophers and poets in the past had acknowledged the concept of renunciation of the materialistic possessions, detachment from the worldly pleasures. However, it seems rather impractical today. What still makes sense is the idea of giving up on the thoughts of the fruits of our karma. We are always at work. Our every action is part of karma. Bhagavad-Gita also advocates the idea of detachment from the desires and concentrating on karma. You can’t really escape from karma. Forget what you stand to gain, the results; forget about the fruits the deed may produce. Only then will the actual absorption and joy of karma be achieved. During the process of our activity, we spend most of the time wondering whether what we are doing will produce the desired results. Our mind is constantly swayed away in the direction of the end result. We live in the constant fear of a failed karma. In the business world today, there is intense competition which leads to less of value based practices and more of result oriented activities. The means to reach the end can take any format. Why do you think we hear the news of humongous business scandals regularly? The reason lies in

the obsession for acquisition of unprecedented wealth that too in a very short period of time. Greed culture has replaced the culture of altruism and philanthropy. Quite obviously, such desires lead to adoption of all fair and also unfair means. We can’t expect a healthy fruit when the very root of business functioning has experienced serious rotting. One thing that is missing though is the peace of mind and heart. Karma in business can be applied to manage self. Those business houses which can encourage the selfmanagement theory for their employees would see a better outcome in the long run. For this to happen, the top management needs to communicate the broader vision to the employees. Business sector needs to learn this principle more than any other because this is the sector which is intensely powered by cut-throat competition, greed and egoism. Here lies the challenge to convert the employees into karmayogies and change can only start from top. While talking about focusing on karma in present, the idea of living under the burden of the past is criminal. Past cannot be undone. Mindfulness is one of the seven factors of enlightenment according to the teachings of Buddha. One needs to be aware of the present. It helps people in living every moment of their life, the happy ones, the painful ones, as

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 43 fully as possible. It also helps avoid stress because most of the stress occurs due to the imagined threats. Being mindful helps us in concentrating on actual threats so that we can drive them away rather than being diverted by imaginary threats. Our mind tends to escape either into the past, or into the future. If one talks and thinks about the past more often than required, it’s implicit that the person is not living the present, the phase which matters the most. Avoid it and live in today, the moment that is NOW. “Hardship may dishearten at first, but every hardship passes away. All despair is followed by hope; all darkness is followed by sunshine.” – Rumi I have seen many cases wherein success does not hug the desirer at the time when he wishes but it comes at a later stage and it comes with a bang. Patience is important. Everything is destined for the right time and in the right amount. However, one cannot get away from the bondage of karma. Considering the modern perspective, people have become too goal oriented which is a good thing in one way. But, what they lose out in the quest is the pleasure of the transition phase. Results matter but the greatest learning occurs on the path to glory, not at the point of glory. There is a

phase of incubation by the time the effect is seen and this phase is the time to experience. The results will ultimately follow. “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi The above quote by the Persian poet Rumi explains life in a simple way. You might have often heard people saying that times have changed, life has become too fast, there is so much to do and time is falling short. People have engaged themselves in a lot many activities and in every activity they expect the best of the results. What is the need to stretch yourself to the extent that you have to ignore things that you really love to do? Each person has a latent need or a passion that he seeks. However, while running behind other artificial goals, one tends to ignore it as he feels that his passion is secondary. No, it is not. First seek what you love and then you will also find pleasure and meaning in other goals that you seek to achieve. It is good to keep yourself busy but there is a need to take some time out of your busy schedule every day to think, to reflect, to introspect, to learn and to be happy again. There is a lot more to life than the constant effort of being better than others.

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HAPPINESS or SADISTIC PLEASURE Umang Kulshrestha Are you “Happy”? Take a moment and consider the criteria of judgment for your happiness. “I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet!” This proverb leaves me perplexed, as in why at all should I think that way for anyone? ‘He’ could be far more intellectual, successful and spiritually inclined than I. He could be an extremely extraordinary person, one, who I could just dream to be! Do I ascertain my degree of happiness by comparison with others? To recollect from our childhood days, remember once when you cried for another fancy pencil-box, you were told “Learn to appreciate what you have, look at those who have none” and so each time you wanted something and were refused, you took the role of an imaginary deprived person to ultimately satiate your soul and admire what YOU own but the other does not. This is a vicious cycle which we all succumb to right from early days. Why can’t we be taught to just be satisfied with what lies with us? Why do we always need this ‘sadistic’ approach of fitting ourselves into the shoes of a helpless and then realize the happiness of ‘OUR’ share? It is such a somatic exhilaration that we all aim at, that our own worth, the joy and in fact the reason behind that joy is all driven at the cost of someone else’s inadequacy. If we only realize the importance of victory comparing it to someone’s loss, is it really a victory to be exulting over? The last time we went for a school friends get together or a high school reunion, how many of us went there with just a feeling of belongingness that calls us back

in those hallowed corridors or with another, more prevalent set of thoughts at the back of our mind to go and match the present condition of our fellow mates with that what remains of past in our memory. How successful is the topper now? What a wave of glee and sense of achievement runs down within us to see ourselves at a better position and with a better package than that topper or the person we hated back then! While you mull over standing at one corner, the others come to you with their paraphernalia ready to hit spears of information they have collected about you (the way you collected for others) and in that, to be let down by the one who was the failure of your class and was presumed to get married soon by her parents leaves you flabbergasted. To realize that she is the CEO of an MNC, your about to drop jaws are held back, again with a reminiscence of past that she was anyway far below you, “you know luck plays its role!”, because by now we all are habituated to satiate ourselves with conditioned instances. Another sense of joy that seeps in is when we realize ourselves escaping the trials and tribulations of life existent in mammoth size in someone else’s life. Since we do not face that pain or suffering we are gratified with the ecstasy present in our life. The concept of happiness should not need to pass the test of comparison with someone else’s experiences, good or bad. The ultimate objective should be attainment of satisfaction, peace and bliss which comes from within us and not from comparison with others. Our world would be a better place if we stop deriving this malignant pleasure from the debilitated multitude around us. So, to live life to the fullest, we can’t be the “Happy Sadist”!

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Born

Sowmya R

It felt warm and tender. I wondered how it would be to leave this nest and go out to face the world. It was exciting and at the same time it terrified me. The world as I see it is bad and ugly, rude and heartless . I doubted if there was place in it for me- a child born of RAPE ! I had heard the word so many times and it echoed as it passed through the womb I lay curled in. The woman who is to give birth to me was already being called by a number of names- witch, slut, bitch, wretched creature. I don’t know why, I don’t understand either. All I know is that to me she would be the world, I will call her “mother”. She talks to me every night and I listen to her silent sobs, feeling helpless that I cannot wipe them. She tells me of that stormy night when a rogue exploited her and left her with nothing- no honor, no happiness and no respect. The only thing he left behind was me. I am a mistake he made, a trace he left behind, a puzzle to the mystery the investigators are trying to solve, a clue to finding the serial rapist who left no woman in his path untouched! I hear voices whispering and sympathizing with her dismal future. It makes me angry, I shout “ What was her fault in whatever happened? Why should she lead the life of a victim? Is she not entitled to a normal life

too?” My voices are drowned by the tears she sheds and I am once again consumed by the darkness within. I hate that man who did this to her, the man that society would call my “father”. Father??!! I feel like a prisoner of my own birth. My very existence is from the man who has made my mother into a creature that exists but does not feel and who breathes but does not live. What kind of civilized society is this, where man kills man, man cheats man and man exploits man, and yet we say we are the superior creation of God! Tomorrow, I would be born and would have to leave this haven that I have been living in. I would be looked at with piteous eyes at being the child of a single parent and having to grow without a father figure. Some even wanted me to be aborted rather than lead such a life. But I want to live. I would be the one thing my mother still has and can call her own, a support, a reason to hold on and a source of joy to the wounded heart. I want to face that man and so many others like him and show them that it takes more to breaking a spirit than breaking a hymen ! I want to lead a normal life, just like the children who I hear playing in the gardens my mother walks in and the temples from which my mother is shooed away. Dear mother, I wish to be born free- free of the society that has done this to you, free of the father that I will never call my own, free of the branding and the names they’ll call us by. I will give you a new birth, and we will live in our own world, where the stars twinkle and the birds sing, and you can tell me stories of another time, a time when you were happy , a time when the world was a better place.

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Shutterbugged Digital Photography–A Perspective Tarun Gupta

I still remember the good old days when I had to request my dad for using our old film camera. Every shot had to have a human being in it (mostly our family when on a vacation). I had to make sure that I roll the camera reel after every click. We were never sure of how many pictures will the reel be able to give. Will it be thirty three or thirty four? Will the last two pictures come in negatives or not? And when the vacations were over, the wait for getting the pictures ensued. Some would be good and some would have been good but for one thing or another. Naturally, photography was a not hobby that you would see many people pursuing in your friend circle. Let us fast forward to the present time and observe the ‘Change’. Now, digital cameras are everywhere; all form of them. First point and shoot cameras started showing up and when they are becoming ubiquitous, entry level

DSLR cameras are starting to gain ground. Going digital has changed the landscape of amateur photography for good. I can definitely vouch for it as I have been a beneficiary of this revolution. I have come to a better understanding of what more photography has in store for each one of us. Conventionally, I have always related photography with capturing wonderful memories. The experience of reliving the memories has been the driving force behind bringing a camera on every vacation. But my experiments with digital photography have added a few layers to that. I have come to understand that every photograph is an expression just like every painting, every book, and every other art form. It is an expression of one’s individuality and is very personal. That is why no two people will come up with same photograph even if they are handed the same equipment at the same place. It happens because there is always an element of discretion when we perceive the world around us. Not all things appeal to us in the same way. And going by the valid assumption that we capture what we see as beautiful or interesting, our photographs will usually be different to some extent. For instance, let us take an example of two photographers looking a sunset scene on a beach. One might be really interested in the sky painted in multiple shades of orange and some of the waves that are striking against a rock. Another one might prefer looking at the pebbles and the impact that waves and dimming light have on them. Hence, we got two very different shots of the same place. Usually, the difference is not that stark but it is there nonetheless. This also implies that once one understands the basic technique, there are literally no boundaries to where one can go. Of course, there are some best practices on composition, on exposure settings and many other things but they are more of guideposts rather than strict rules. When one wants an expression, there is always a new guideline that is created or there might be an older one that is broken. Let me now turn my attention to a few beliefs associated with photography and see to what extent they hold true. The first and the most common thing that I get to hear

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 47 is that better equipment connotes a better photograph. I, for one, do not believe that it is this simple. Better equipment does mean better opportunities but does not necessarily mean better shots. Let us understand this with an example. Let us assume that it is dusk and I want to capture a bird sitting far away from me. In order to capture the shot I might need a zoom lens with ability to shoot in low light. That will be an opportunity missed if I do not possess the right equipment. But if I do have the lens, one cannot guarantee that I will be able to compose a beautiful picture because in the end it is the eye that captures the scene beautifully that matters the most. Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perception and ability to see interesting things or normal things interestingly makes engaging pictures. It is, fundamentally, the most important thing about photography. In the end, the camera is just a tool and it is as good as one can make it. This is the reason why professional photographers carry the best equipment. First, they can make the most of it and second, they want to expand their opportunities. Earlier, the equipment and the ability to use it were two of the biggest barriers that stood against making photography a widely practiced form of art. But with the advent of digital age and the prices of good cameras plummeting considerably, it is not elite any more. This means anybody who wants to pursue this form of expression can do really well without huge investments in the equipment.

Another interesting comment that I usually get to hear a lot is about post processing the image. Usually there is a lot of scepticism about the use of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Adobe Photoshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and other post processing software. Some of my friends feel that it destroys the sanctity of the image and is not fair. Well, just like the previous belief even this comment does not hold great merit. And there are valid reasons to it. First, the capability of our eye to render true colours is much more than the normal camera lens. Understanding this, even the great masters of film photography used to spend hours in the darkroom enhancing the colours of different areas in order to make it as real and as appealing as possible. A postprocessing software is nothing but a digital darkroom that allows the user to make the picture as lively as possible. Secondly, even the digital cameras we use have some algorithms built in them to enhance the image before it can be compressed and shown to the user. Only the DSLR cameras give the option to the user to retrieve a minimally processed image that has a lot of detail that can be processed manually by the user to his/ her liking. In this way, a DSLR camera provides the user greater freedom to use digital darkroom effectively. Lastly, I would like to discuss just one more thought that crosses the mind of budding amateurs at one point of time or another while they observe the work of great photographers. Sometimes the question that nags one is whether one will be as good as any one of them? What is the point in capturing shots that cannot look as beautiful as theirs? This question, however strong it may seem at times, is the biggest barrier that every artist has to cross in order to enjoy the art. There is no point in having a passion if it robs us of our happiness. Same holds true with photography. One gets better at it by competing with oneself and enjoying every moment to capture something memorable, something beautiful. So the next time you go on a photo trail, just enjoy the moment, observe and express yourself freely.

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When the batch

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comes together

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Even I have a soul â&#x20AC;Ś THE DUSTBIN Mayur Jain I had existence even before the human civilisation started. My presence was widespread, even beyond a man could ever reach. My physical description was a setup, created by the mystic wand of God which contained huge terrain of lush green fauna, deep and serene valleys, and calm and gigantic water bodies which together incarnates the splendour of the mother earth. Such was my wonderful existence that nothing in the world was unique than me, but still, in order to perform my functional duties wherever and whenever the nature and the humans have thrown any kind of waste over me, without any ego I had gulped them all, in no time.

Gradually and innocuously the human settlement pervaded and my size was getting shrunken. I was now limited to pits, rivers and quarries. Further, I was restricted and reduced out of menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greed to small buckets of varying shapes. Although my pervasion has been reduced, no but I got the identity and now people recognise me by my body. I got a home, a place, an identity with varied body forms & colours. Now people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get me for free but they have to shell out money so that they have someone to chew the chewed. I am a better contributor to the cleanliness of the earth than any other object in this world. I do possess feelings like any other being on this earth. I too have ups and downs in my life, as some times I am being fed with sweetest of taste and sometimes I am treated with harsh and bitter taste of life. I enjoy the moment when even greatest of person looks at me with down eyes and sometimes bow down to fill my tummy. I hate the moment when people insult me, by throwing my food from far, out of their laziness. I retaliate to them by bouncing back their items or tumbling down, as if I was punched by their throw, just to add to their worry to set me upright and feed the undigested food back. The fact that cherishes me the most is that even the most beautiful woman in the world feels envious of me as I am the one who received the first love letter from her lover and not her. Although I got the identity but I did not get the respect which other objects get. I am treated as a filthy object even after contributing to the society. I was elated when I got the beautiful transformation in the form of bamboo made waste bins in the campus of IIM Shillong giving the green message to promote sustainability in life. I wish that the world sustains to give me the better image as one of the best contributors towards the society.

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IMAGINE Joanne Fernandes

Where the trees sway in the breeze As the rivers run to the seas Where the air is as pure as the driven snow Imagine what a world it would be Where every man is no more starved And every child is as healthy To satisfy one’s hunger with some left to share Imagine what a world it would be Where the cries of the infant bring tears of joy No matter whether it’s a girl or a boy Where every man and woman stand side by side Imagine what a world it would be Where people lend a helping hand Spend priceless minutes for someone in need To bring a smile on each one’s face Imagine what a world it would be

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With dreams abound Ankita Shah With dreams abound, With hopes afresh, With some pain in her heart She made the new start The paths were new Her companions, only dreams, hope and faith were few The road ahead would be tough The paths she would have to traverse would be rough In the blur of new faces she saw She found new friends, lost a few Some left her trust broken, with pain she was raw Some filled her eyes with tears like the leaf â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s yew In the crowd Full of people who were ambitious and proud She found a friend, a companion Her heart he eventually won Together they walked a mile Together they shared a smile Together they fought, they cried Each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tears they dried A new life she had lived A new world she had weaved Different people she met To some she was in debt Now she stands on a new gateway A new journey once again stands her way To see what this shall unfold Pain or happiness this year shall hold

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My frown you know, that change you see, Unaware in my case, you cannot be. Inapt to soothe, you leave me with me,

Say Something Varuna Khattri

Best healer, you decide, time would be. Ask for a lot do I really do? Tell me now, so that it helps me too. I know you are good at words; you put life into them, I lack that expertise, I say seldom. Silence is what I speak, for many arcane, You miss it often or ignorance you feign. I yearn for you, possessive for you I am, Call me insecure or from a fantasy clan, I know you need your space for sure, I’d borrow a little time to mature. My heart is choked with emotions of late, I weep at nights, I know you hate, I’d try to change, loathsome its true, For the times to come I’d want to be like you…

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CAMPUS

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THE PODIUM

Possibilities Unlimited | Potential Unlocked | Power Unleashed

IIM Shillong inaugurated ‘The Podium’, the first of its kind guest lecture series being organized at the institute, on 23rd July 2012. The initiative is an attempt to invite corporates and change leaders to interact with the students and in the process get a glimpse of the North East India. The series format gives the speaker a feeling of architecting an integral part of a whole, while the students get intrigued and motivated by the array of radical ideas. Some of the eminent speakers, who have interacted with the students of IIM Shillong, are –

Prof. Anil K. Gupta I IM Ahmedabad

Ms. Judy Manners, Executive Director, Asset Management, JP Morgan

Mr.Chandre Baljee, CMD, Royal Orchid Hotels

OTHER SPEAKERS Mr. Jyotindra Vaccharajani, General Manager, Corporate Relations, Essar Energy Mr. K. S. Ramdas, CEO, Janalakshmi Financial Services Private Limited Dr Gautam Naresh, Public Financial Management Advisor with PwC Ms. Shaheen Mistri, CEO of Teach For India Dr. Sunil Kumar, Dean and George Pratt Shultz, Professor of Operations Management, The University of Chicago, Booth School ofBusiness Mr Rajnish Kumar , Chief General Manager ,SBI Mr Kiran Khalap, Co-founder of Chlorophyll Mr Sanjeev Nandwani, Development Commissioner, Falta SEZ Mr. Arvind Bodhankar, Associate Vice President,EHS & Business Continuity Planning, Cadbury-Kraft Mr. David Manners, Retired Indian Foreign Service Official Mr. Ashok Agarwal, Chairman, Engineers Without Borders Ms. Tulsi Mirchandaney, MD, Blue Dart Aviation Ltd Mr. Vivek Mehra, CEO & MD, Sage Publications, India Pvt Ltd Mr. Amit Misra, Director, Edelman India Mr. Kanak Ghose, Vice President, HR Development, IFB Agro

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Student Activities

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EmergE 2012: The phenomenal shift in focus of the educated class from seeking jobs to creating jobs has paved way for a whole new phenomenon in the country. In the recent past, IIT and IIM graduates have proven their worth by starting MSMEs and giving way to a new culture of Entrepreneurship in India. The steadily growing entrepreneurship scene is expected to seed 1000 more start-ups in the next three years. Most of the minds that nurture the dream of being “The Captain of their Own Ship” are young graduates. Capturing the essence of this industry; i-Cube, the Entrepreneurship cell of Indian Institute of Management Shillong conducted its first-ever Entrepreneurship Summit “EmergE”, on September 14th and 15th, 2012. EmergE was initiated with an objective of capturing the attention of young minds towards entrepreneurship, enthuse a spark within them in the form of an idea and

guide them to become successful leaders in the days to come. It strived to bridge the gap between the budding entrepreneurs and the strategic path leading to a firmly established company through the guidance of angel investors and venture capitalists. The summit included enriching and enlightening panel discussions on issues ranging from difficulties faced while setting up a company to the criterion followed by VCs while funding a business plan. Workshops with eminent corporates and entrepreneurs were also conducted. It acted as a platform to discuss the business potential of North-East and thereby promoted the spirit of entrepreneurship among the local population and B-School participants. The summit was inaugurated by Prof. Keya Sengupta, Director, IIM Shillong. Her words guided the team EmergE to work on inclusive growth and encourage entrepreneurship in North-East region to utilize its potential to the maximum. The Chief Guest on the inaugural function was Ms. Agatha Sangma, the then Minister of State for Rural Development. For the knowledge and experience sharing sessions by industry experts, three conclaves were organized. The Inclusive Growth Conclave, Women Entrepreneurship Conclave “iDiva” and Investor’s Conclave. These were highly interactive in nature trying to bring into light

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Entrepreneurship Summit at IIM Shillong the opportunities, strategies and impediments while starting and operating a company in India. A B-Plan competition “Revolution” was organized that gave the participants an opportunity to showcase, nurture and expedite the ideas with deep rooted benefits. The Case Study competition “Reveal” tested the strategic decision making skills of the to-be entrepreneurs. Mark Kahn, Venture Partner at Omnivore Capital, Executive Vice President at Godrej Agrovet and mentor of EmergE challenged the conventional thinking of Indian management students by asking them to travel the path of entrepreneurship. He provided insights to students on the practical aspects of entrepreneurship and was optimistic about the potential of B-School students to turn into entrepreneurs. Few of the other dignitaries who graced the event were Mr. Anil Joshi, President at Mumbai Angels; Ms. Bhavna Toor, Director at National Social Entrepreneurship Forum; Ms. Emily Harrison, founder at Innovaid;

Mr. Kevin Saldanha, Director at Freemont Partners; Ms. Patricia Mukhim, Editor, Shillong Times andMr. Prajakt Raut, Co-founder at the Hatch. The winning team of the EmergE Reveal Case Study competition (in association with ZEE Learn) was Team SoAp from IIM Shillong. The runner-up team was Team Revealed from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar. The winning team of the EmergE Business Plan competition was Team WeInnovators from Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research and the runner-up team was Team HC from IIM Ahmedabad. In the concluding ceremony, the participants of EmergE were enthralled by a scintillating performance organised by the Cultural Committee of IIM Shillong. The huge success of first entrepreneurship summit of IIM Shillong sets the tone for budding entrepreneurship ventures of tomorrow.

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IIM Shillong

Golf Cup Season-5 The fifth season of the Shillong Golf Cup, a trademark event of IIM Shillong, kicked off in the presence of eminent dignitaries from diverse sections of the society. The flagship event was sponsored by Meghalaya Tourism in association with Times of India. The other sponsors included State Bank of India, Oil India Limited, Aircel, Royal Challenge and Budweiser. The occasion aimed at providing impetus for the industrial development of the North East through eminent corporate interaction. It also aimed to provide for an exclusive platform for collaboration among the corporates, B-school students and the academia at large. The 2 day tournament was formally inaugurated by Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, ShriBindo M. Lanong. The Deputy Chief Minister along with Wing Commander S. K. Nathwere the first ones to tee off the tournament.The event showcased the talents of elite corporates representing Axis Bank, BOC India, Tata Steel, Coal India, ITC, Reliance, TCS, Mcleod Russell India, etc. The event also portrayed the prowess of elite officials of government, defence and the local players from Meghalaya.

Shillong-Lajong Football Club, Mr Sanjiv Bokil DGMSBI, Shillong Module and the Director of IIM Shillong, Professor Keya Sengupta.

The tournament started off early in the morning with the big shots of the corporate world coming up to test their golfing skills. The students interacted freely with the players, gaining valuable insights about the business world over the highly regarded game of golf. The day was packed with a flurry of activities with organizers working with utmost efficiency to keep the things running smoothly. Social interaction amongst one and all present took a new dimension and magnitude over breakfast and lunch on the course itself. Along with the Golf tournament another event was conducted. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;KhlurThmaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; literally meaning War of Stars, was a case study competition for formulating social media campaign for Shillong Lajong Football Club in which students from all top B-Schools participated.

The event ended with a promise to be back next year with IIM Shillong Golf Cup 6 of a greater magnitude and higher levels of participation from the corporate world as well as the management students.

The 5th season of the IIM Shillong Golf Cup ended on a high note amongst the presence of dignitaries of the stature of the Honourable Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr. Mukul Sangma, the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya Shri Bindo. M. Lanong, Minister of IT and water resource Shri A.L. Hek, DG Assam Riffles Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, Mr.Larsing Ming, owner of the

Dr. Mukul Sangma, spoke of how the event managed to bring the budding entrepreneurs and managers on a same platform as the corporates. He appreciated the efforts of IIM Shillong in the field to initiate strong corporate interactions among the government and the private players. He stressed on the need for the industrial and tourism development of the Northeast and expected to see his wishes come true through future alliances with the institute and the corporates. The event closed with the participants being awarded for their skills in golf in categories like 0-12 handicap, 13-18 handicap, 19-24 handicap, Longest Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest-to-the-Pin and the Ladies Category. The winners of KhlurThma, the B-school case study competition were also felicitated in the event. Teams from IIM Shillong and ISB Hyderabad were declared joint winners in the same.

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STUDENT COMMITTEES Student Council The Student Council is the apex student body in charge of student affairs at IIM Shillong. Office bearers of this non-hierarchical team act as an interface between the student community and the administration, and also between the institute and external parties when required. Being the only elected body on campus, they are responsible for addressing and resolving student grievances as well as managing conflicts, if any, within other student bodies of the institute. The Student Council is also responsible for framing processes and activities that will have a long term impact on reputation of the institute. The Student Council monitors the activities on campus and ensures that they are in line with the Instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goal of becoming a world renowned centre for management education. Every year, the Student Council heads the organizing team of the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship event, IIM Shillong Golf Cup. It is an unparalleled event that brings corporates and B-schools on a common platform to battle it out on the green. In its fifth year now, the Student Council has been instrumental in transforming the event into a Magnum Opus eagerly awaited by Corporates and Students alike.

Alumni Committee The Alumni Committee of IIM Shillong is responsible for strengthening the alumni-institute relationship and generating synergy from the association. The committee maintains its own portal through which the alumni can stay connected and be informed about the latest happenings in the campus. The committee actively organizes interaction sessions between the alumni and the participants on campus so that they can be guided about the latest trends

and expectations in the industry. The committee warmly welcomes and facilitates the visits of alumni, every time an alumnus visits the campus. The committee also plans to start a mentorship program where the participants on campus would be assigned mentors among the alumni to guide them in their domain of interest. From time to time, the Alumni Committee also designs merchandise and sends them across as souvenirs to the Alumni.

Cultural Committee The Cultural Committee at IIM Shillong is dedicated to provide the much needed break that a participant looks for, after endless hours of hard work. The Cultural committee brings to life the celebration of festivals like Deepawali and Holi in addition to conducting competitions and events. While music and dance prevail during festivals to keep up with the values and cultures of Indian tradition; dance parties, games and bonfires round the year ensure there is no compromise on fun and frolic during the course. Salsa and Jazz dance workshops help in unwinding oneself and this is an opportunity for dance-lovers to learn different forms of dance. The self-development programs lend another dimension to oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personality by developing talents and renewing identity. The Cultural Committee thus provides an atmosphere of fun and excitement to bring about an all-round development amidst the stressful routine.

Hostel Committee Hostel Committee of IIM Shillong is a student driven body with an aim to provide an amicable residential facility to all the participants of IIM Shillong so that their all-round development can be ensured. It

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acts as an interface between the administration and the students to address any sort of grievances, suggestions, etc. The major functional areas which come under the purview of this committee are mess, hostels, recreation facilities like gym, TT tables, TV rooms, etc., laundry services and night canteen. The committee also organizes ‘Rannbhoomi’, an intracollege sports tournament covering games like table tennis, badminton and chess.

and final placements, and provides a platform for students and companies to benefit mutually. Also, as a part of improving corporate interactions to aid in the learning of students, this body played an integral part in hosting The Podium – IIM Shillong’s First Guest Lecture series this year.

IT Committee

The Public Relations Committee of IIM Shillong is the interface of the institute with the outside world and makes sustained efforts towards creating, developing and managing professional relations with all external entities. It is the point of contact for interaction with corporates, other business schools and the media.

In line with positioning IIM Shillong as one of the tech savvy B-schools of India, IT Committee has been very instrumental in supporting the daily operations in the areas of network maintenance, video conferencing, classroom and auditorium infrastructure, library and other technology needs. From the onset, IT Committee has achieved noteworthy milestones. The last year has also been very significant. IT Committee has successfully developed and launched Ticket Management System (TMS) for students through which their issues can be reported to the concerned people. The firewall configuration of the institute has been re-configured and upgraded to improve the performance. Also, proposal to purchase data cards as a backup in case of Network downtime has been approved and the purchase of the same is in the process. Also, special mention has to be made about the successful IT support given during the Podium session and Emerge – the first e-summit held in IIM Shillong.

Placement Committee The Placement Committee is a dedicated body which strives to enhance industry interaction and works closely with all stakeholders to provide a perfect launch-pad for participants of IIM Shillong. It builds long lasting corporate-institute relationships, acts as an interface between IIM Shillong and other organisations for various corporate activities including summer internships

Public Relations Committee

The PR Committee has undertaken various activities in the past year. It conducted the fourth edition of Synapse, a mentorship program for the incoming batch of the institute. Along with the Alumni Committee, it organized Nexus, the Annual Senior Junior meet in various cities across India. Along with Student Council, it carried out activities related to welcoming the incoming batch. It played a pivotal role in organizing The Podium, the first Guest Lecture Series at IIM Shillong, in association with the Placement Committee. Other programs organized by the committee include the annual candle light march in the memory of Shanmugam Manjunath, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, in collaboration with Manjunath Shanmugam Trust.

Symphony Team Symphony is responsible for publishing the annual magazine of IIM Shillong. The magazine is the collective effort of the student community of IIM Shillong towards addressing the most pressing issues in the world of business, and reflects the passion and zeal with which budding managers wish to use their learning and experiences towards making a difference. In addition, the magazine provides a glimpse into the lives and interests of the diverse and vibrant student community of IIM Shillong.

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Student Clubs

bITeSys, the Systems Club

‘ConQuest’, the Consulting Club

bITeSys, the Systems Club of IIM Shillong was started with the vision to provide a platform for seamless dissemination of knowledge between Corporate and students through projects, and to keep updated with industry developments in the field of Technology & Systems Management. Its mission involves providing live projects to the participants of IIM Shillong, who have a strong passion for technology and seek professional opportunities beyond the traditional avenues in order to apply their academic knowledge in the corporate world.

‘ConQuest’, the Consulting Club of IIM Shillong, is a student driven body continuously striving to equip students with the knowledge, skills and tools helpful in their pursuit of careers in consulting and strategic management. ConQuest aims to “To be centre of excellence in delivering innovative and sustainable solutions to businesses and society”. ConQuest handles a span of activities from Live Projects to Online Newsletters with active student participation from 65 elite B-schools. The primary activity of ConQuest includes providing consulting projects to its member and B-school students to help them assimilate their learning to solve real life problems confidentially and competitively. Team ConQuest has successfully completed projects with WIPRO, BRANDS of DESIRE, SAFFRON ELLOW, BANSARA EYE CLINIC, SEVENTHSENSE, INNOVATRIX and ZENESYS CONSULTING. Other activities include E-zine which is a popular platform for B-School students to enrich their knowledge and understand trends across diverse sectors. E-talk section features interviews of eminent industry experts sharing their views on issues related to industry and strategy. Also a new initiative in the form of Battle-Ground has been started which is a monthly event programme of ConQuest. It provides a platform to participants from

During the past year, the club was involved in charting out an implementation plan and coming up with a cost analysis with NIC for the installation of an integrated CCTV system for surveillance and traffic monitoring in Shillong. The club, on behalf of IIM Shillong, is also partnering with SAP India, in a major e-governance initiative in the state of Meghalaya, wherein it is providing advisory support for the implementation of the SAP solution in one of Shillong’s semi-urban localities. For effectively materializing IIM Shillong’s philosophy of contributing to the development of the north-east, bITeSys also received special attention in the media, lauding its continued efforts in this direction.

SYMPHONY 2012-13 64 various B-schools to take on the different challenges in the form of crossword quizzes; strategy based case studies etc. each month.

The Finance Club Finance Club of IIM Shillong is a student driven initiative that focuses on creating learning opportunity for students outside the classroom and maintaining industry connectivity. The prime activity of the club is coming out with, one of its kind Finance Magazine, Niveshak. The first edition of Niveshak was launched in August 2008. It covers the most contemporary issues in the world of Finance and features articles from top B-School students as well as interviews from eminent personalities in both corporate and academia. It is circulated widely in top B-schools across India. Niveshak has an online readership base of over 6000. In addition to Niveshak, the club organizes various activities to enhance career awareness among students and extend their practical finance education with job-specific knowledge. Also a weekly newsletter is circulated within IIM Shillong community which updates students with all the important financial news of the week. Moreover, various video conferences have been conducted by the Finance Club in the campus. The club also facilitates the process of getting a DEMAT account opened with Share Khan for interested students of the institute. It conducts FLIP examination which gives Banking and Finance Certification to candidates. Recently, the Club organized an inter-college quiz and an intra-college trading game and received immense participation from the student community.

The Entrepreneurship Cell The Entrepreneurship Cell of IIM Shillong, also known as i-Cube, is known for its passion in promoting Entrepreneurship amongst the student fraternity of IIM Shillong. It is a group of passion driven individuals who dare to dream, think big and create their own pathway to success. It aims to create a common platform for all aspiring entrepreneurs in general and of the North-Eastern India region in particular. i-Cube is an initiative to inspire, nurture and engage people to become entrepreneurs and participate in the process of upliftment of the local economy. One of their biggest achievements has been the successful launch of IIM Shillong’s first Entrepreneurship Summit “EmergE”. EmergE

brought together budding entrepreneurs, both from the academia as well as from the corporate world. The Summit saw a number of events, including the B-Plan competition “REVOLUTION”, the Case Study competition “REVEAL”, Inclusive Growth Conclave and Women Entrepreneurship Conclave “i Diva”. i-Cube has partnered with many Incubators, NGOs, Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs. Another activity taken up is the partnership with National Innovation Foundation (NIF) which has been working on grassroot technologies and closely working with CIIE(IIM-A).

The Marketing Club The Marketing Club of IIM Shillong boasts of marketing enthusiasts and a one-of-its kind monthly marketing magazine- MARKATHON, which caters to a subscriber base of close to 4000, with readers from premier B-schools and corporates. The club has undertaken several projects, the most recent being a live project for content and promotional strategy design for the launch of Reliance Broadcst Network Ltd’sTV channel. Other projects include surveying Commonwealth Games for Drexel University, a Trans Graph Consulting Project to assess scope of Trans Risk software and project for Yuvraj Singh Foundation. Industry interactions with Mr. Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults and Ms. Anuradha Sengupta, editor-anchor of CNBC-TV 18’s flagship feature show, “Storyboard” were held. In January 2012, the club arranged for a workshop by the renowned firm, Lowe Lintas on Communication for Change, which saw enthusiastic response. “The Godsellers” was an intra-college competition that tested the selling skills and creativity of the participants and went on to become a huge success. In July 2012, Markathon launched its 3rd Anniversary edition with the theme “The road less travelled” which featured stories of successful entrepreneurs. The magazine was officially released by Mr. Kiran Khalap, brand consultant, author and founder of Chlorophyll brand.

The Operation Club Opening the doors to a new era. A totally student driven initiative, Op-era, the operations club of IIM Shillong is a forum for the operations domain enthusiasts, from all over the country, to come together and enhance their domain knowledge. This essentially is the platform on which

SYMPHONY 2012-13 65 this club has set its goals as “develop passion & skill”, “create visibility” and “seek ‘hands on’ opportunities”. As a means to achieve these goals, op-era has undertaken a number of initiatives. The club stirs interest for operations management through Games and Videos which are organized on a regular basis for all the interested students. They also include simulation games which are conducted to improve the practical applications of concepts in a real life scenario. Recently, the club has also launched its official website which not only serves as a media to facilitate interaction among the enthusiasts but also acts as a platform for launching these events. The enthusiasts are kept updated about the latest happenings in the operations domain through the weekly newsletter “Op-tique”. This is supplemented by a series of releases, better known as “Know Your Company”, which basically gives a snapshot of various companies pioneering their respective sectors. The club has also been involved in publishing student and faculty articles in the PAN-IIM Operations Magazine, “Opsworld” which is a collective effort of operations enthusiasts across IIMs. Apart from these internal activities, the club actively undertakes live projects which help in understanding the nitty-gritties of the project and in the process, develops a symbiotic relationship between the corporate and the academia.

usHR, the HR club usHR, the HR club of IIM Shillong stands for Union of Students for Human Resources. The objective of the club is to establish IIM Shillong as a premier institution for Human Resource Management and to bridge the gap between corporate and academia through recent researches being carried out in this field. usHR publishes a bimonthly magazine ‘TogetHR’ which completed its anniversary this September. The magazine concentrates on the latest trends in the field of human resource management, features interviews with stalwarts of the field and gives a platform to HR enthusiasts from premier B-schools to present their thoughts on various issues. usHR also organizes various events within the campus and at the inter-B School level. Recently it organised HuRricane, an inter B-School quiz and EnshHRine, a case study competition in association with Teach For India. Apart from these activities, usHR has also undertaken few live projects with organizations like IOCL Guwahati and International Hospital, Guwahati which dealt with topics like performance management and change management. A project with Teach For India is currently underway. We are also active on the social networking forums and have a blog (www.iims-ushr.in).

Koutuhal- Quiz and Debating Club The essence of Koutuhal is to provide a fillip to the power of human expression. The accomplishment of full-fledged managerial skills requires cerebrating, coordinating and effective commutation. The club endeavours to envisage all these virtues, simultaneously taking education beyond the confines of the classroom. Besides coming out with an acclaimed annual business journal, the club is a forum to organize debates and quizzes. The idea is to improve student learning, imbibe a competitive setting and hone the facilities of IIM Shillong participants. Each year, Koutuhal organizes quizzes and debates on various burning topics, which have succeeded in evoking enthusiastic response from the participants.

ECoBiZ Club With a vision to bring about ecological and social development through the effective use of management education, the ECoBiZ Club of IIMShillong aims to make businesses truly sustainable and strengthen the link between social prosperity and economic profit. The club collaborates with local organizations and society at large and has organized various events and activities to inculcate the social awareness aspect of management. ECoBiZ club in association with SBI organizes the ‘Chetna Awareness Campaign’ about a number of social issues e.g. rational use of water and electricity, reducing plastic consumption, ill effects of smoking, AIDS awareness amongst others. The club organizes an annual ‘Blood Donation Camp’ in association with local organizations. A tree plantation drive ‘Prakriti’ was also organized in collaboration with SBI in the IIM-Shillong campus. The club has also made financial donations to charitable societies e.g. Mercy Home that cares for the elderly, while also trying to understand and streamline the operations of ‘Witchell Dairy’ – a local entrepreneurial venture of Shillong. Recently the club organized a student interaction with ‘Project 35’ mission that aims to create tree plantation awareness across all Indian states. The club also collaborates with Government, NGOs and Corporates in offering projects that aim to leverage management acumen to generate both social and economic return. ECoBiZ club’s future activities will continue to be inspired from its mission to be a pioneer in the development of a society where business is done on the principles of sustainability and inclusive growth.

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Student Achievements Aditya Birla Scholarship Vaibhav Annam, a first year student at IIM Shillong, has been awarded the prestigious Aditya Birla Scholarship. The awards were announced at the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, on September 22nd in a ceremony attended by top dignitaries from industry and academia.The Aditya Birla Group, headed by Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, has traditionally been awarding the scholarships to the best of the brightest minds in the country in the field of engineering, management and law. For this year, the Aditya Birla Scholarships were awarded to the top few elite students studying in premier educational institutes like the IITs, IIMs, XLRI and BITS Pilani. Among the IIMs, only the top 20 students from IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, IIM Shillong, IIM Indore and IIM Kozhikode are eligible to apply. The selection process of Aditya Birla Scholars is very structured and rigorous. The participants had to submit a write up of their academic and co-curricular achievements in the first round. The shortlisted participants from the first round were invited for the interviews scheduled in ITC Grand Central in Mumbai. The distinguished panel of judges included Mr.Janmejaya Sinha (Chairman – Asia Pacific, Boston Consulting Group), Mr Uday Khanna (Chairman, Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd.), Ms. Zia Mody (AZB and Partners)

and Dr. Pranya Ram (Group Executive President – Corporate Communications, Aditya Birla Group). The entire selection process laid a significant emphasis on the clarity of thought and the diverse domain expertise of the participants.IIM Shillong in its short span of existence has evolved to etch its mark in the field of management education by winning the esteemed Aditya Birla Scholarship for second time in a row.

Last Man Standing Akhil Tandon, a first year student of IIM Shillong brought accolades to the institute by being declared the ‘Last Man Standing’, at the flagship event of SIBM Pune .The event puts every contestant through a series of rigor, judging their potential in every single aspect, to ensure that the winner is indeed the perfect student manager. Akhil was one among the 510 candidates who cleared the initial screening rounds of quiz, video making and the likes to make it to the campus round. The Day 1 of the campus round began at a rooster-crowing 5:30 am. There were several events lined up such as group based activities, elevator pitch, technical interviews, treasure hunt etc. which lasted till 3:30 am of Day 2. With hardly 2 hours of sleep, the contestants were to face the challenges of Day 2 which saw a social case study, a b-plan preparation, stress interviews, company

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GIRC IIM Shillong came up with an exemplary performance and won the national round of the CFA Institute Research Challenge which was held on the 13th of Dec 2011 at the Bloomberg office at Mumbai. The team consisted of Mr. Anshumali Jha, Mr. Deep Mehta, Mr. Rajat Sethia, Ms. Ramya Ramaswamy and Mr. Sandeep Agrawal who used their analytical acumen in synergy to come up with the perfect equity report. This is the second consecutive year that IIM Shillong has proved its mettle in conquering the national GIRC.

valuation and product sales in the streets of Pune etc. At the end of Day 2, on consolidated point’s basis, Akhil topped the list.

The event had teams from IIM Shillong, IIFT Delhi, IIT Mumbai and IFMR Chennai, the respective zonal winners, to prepare a sell-side equity report on a company assigned to them. The distinguished panel had Mr. Sunil Singhania, CFA- Head of Equity Investments, Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd. & President of IAIP, MrRatnesh Kumar- Managing Director and Head, Standard Chartered Securities India, Mr. Alan Meder, CFA - SVP and Chief Risk Officer, Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co. and Vice Chair, CFA Institute Board of Governors and Mr. Ramesh Damani seasoned investor with over two decades of investment experience.

Deloitte Mavericks IIM Shillong, one of the premier management institutes of the country, qualified for the national finals of ‘The Maverick’, a business acumen challenge organized by Deloitte. The challenge was thrown open, for the first time, to the top 30 B-schools of the country and saw huge participation with around two thousand entries. Three teams from IIM Shillong made it to the East Zone regional finals with one among them going ahead to compete in the nationals. The challenge saw teams battling it out in a case-study competition, which required formulation of comprehensive marketing strategies. The contest culminated in a two-minute presentation before a panel comprising of the top echelon of Deloitte’s management. The teams were subjected to rigorous questioning to gauge their spontaneity and understanding of the case study. Among the top 10 teams that qualified for the East zone Regional finals, “The Three Musketeers” team from IIM Shillong comprising of Ankit Kumar Hetamsaria, Aritra Nayak and Ajay Ravikumar, surged ahead into the Nationals, beating other teams from XLRI and XIMB. IIM Shillong already in its 5th year of existence has managed to prove itself time and again and has also represented India twice in GIRC at the Asia-Pacific level.

IIM Shillong student presents paper at Oxford Manan Jain, a second year PGP participant, presented a paper on “Gifting: A new approach to Economy “ in the 7th Annual Green Economics Conference organized by the Green Economics Institute (GEI), UK on the 19th ,20th and 21st July 2012, at Oxford University. Invited as a speaker, one amongst the two selected from India, he delivered the presentation over Skype on the 1st day of conference. He deliberated about the present economic system, its effects on the environment and society and how the concept of Gift Economy can be applied to address these socio-economic problems. His views were well received by the audience which included academicians and policy makers from around the world.

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B-SCHOOL VOYAGE ‘It’s never too late to learn.’ Indeed, this fact has been reinforced into me, on first-hand evidence derived out of my stint at IIM Shillong. And the best part is that the major chunk of this learning comes not from lectures, case studies, assignments or quizzes, but from interacting, collaborating and competing with like-minded peers, day-in and day-out. Add to that, the scenic beauty of the North-East and the warm and friendly nature of its people, and you’re talking about the best possible post-graduation after four years in the industry. Oh, how I would miss being here! Viva la Shillong!!

and serenity of nature around us. The opportunity to visit so many beautiful places and to go for numerous treks is something I would not have got at any other place. That peer learning is the best form of learning has also manifested itself in its truest sense for me. Be it assignments in the study group or random discussions with friends, I have gained multiple perspectives towards a number of things, which makes learning even more holistic. In short, the two years at IIM Shillong have really been an experience of a lifetime for me.

Manavendra Roy Choudhury

4th July, 2012….This day will always be special to me.. not just because it is my birthday but it also marked the beginning of my education in management from IIM Shillong. With the term starting, soon we were entangled by quizzes and assignments…but these didn’t stop us from making new friends, celebrating birthdays and exploring the beauty of North-East. The visit to the sacred Mawphlong forest, a trip to the

IM Shillong has given me a lot of ‘news’ - place, experiences, friends, challenges, successes and a lot of memories. This is a place so full of life and at the same time extremely close to the nature. You can never have a dull moment here! We’ve all seen cooperation and competition, yet sparingly together, but at IIM Shillong the core philosophy is to grow together and grow right! From the birthday celebrations, parties, treks, sports activities to group studies and hostel fun, each and every moment will live in my heart forever. Thank you, IIM Shillong! Mallika Bahety An institute like an IIM in a place like Shillong seems like an unlikely combination. But it is precisely this, more than anything else that has made the journey of a B-school more eventful for me. The pressure of academics and assignments, and the frenzy of a B school life are excellently balanced by the calmness

KNK Srividya

SYMPHONY SYMPHONY 2012-13 2012-13 69 silent Laitlum and the famous “Cherra” trip in our batch hoodies were enough to rejuvenate and gear us up for the coming future. Anish Agarwal Destined to be back at my birth place after 23 long years, this July, I landed into the lap of the North East. The land of pristine beauty, full of latent opportunities welcomed me with open hands as an MBA student of IIM Shillong. With four seasons in a day and tasks at hand for which even 24 hours seem to be insufficient, the entire experience of being a part of IIM Shillong made me discover myself all the more. The moments I spent juggling with assignments, surprise tests, last minute project work and desperate Class Participation attempts along with mind wobbling end terms will always remain close to my heart. Divya Mishra

From the very first week at IIM Shillong, I could realize a lot of opportunities, fun and learning at this place. Because of the small batch size, there is great bonding among the students of both the batches. I got some wonderful opportunities here, which I would not have got, had I not been in IIM Shillong. Some of them are winning the Aditya Birla Scholarship and getting elected to Student Council. One of my weaknesses is that I find it difficult to say no to others’ requests. But I think, it is this weakness of mine that has helped me make amazing friends and made my journey in IIM Shillong truly incredible. Nilkesh Patra

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Faculty Speaks Prof. Natalie West Kharkonghor While I was travelling to the remote areas of the beautiful Khasi Hills collecting data for my project, a small still voice whispered into my ears and deep down into my heart saying: “What is the role of IIM Shillong in making these beautiful places productive and sustainable?” Surprisingly, during the interaction with the villagers on the 4th of October 2012, a woman stood up and asked me the same question: “What is the role of your students in making our land productive and sustainable?” I went back home and pondered over the Question. Interestingly, during the wee hours of 11th October, I had a beautiful dream, I woke up and called one of the PGP11 students and I shared part of the dream with her. The Dream gave the answer to my Question. In nutshell, the dream says that it is important for the upcoming managers to maximize their individual returns, but it is the need of the hour for the managers to maximize both individual as well as social returns. Let me urge you to ponder upon the same question and take it as a challenge.

Prof. Sanjeeb Kakoty The other day in class we were talking about the classic example about the journey versus destination debate and we came up with interesting anecdotes. One of them was the human tendency to be extremely focused on the destination so as to often miss the beauty of the journey. To make matters worse, most educational systems including management schools like ours, try and teach people about the need to be focused to achieve set targets. Today we have reached a stage where achieving set targets within inhumane time limits has become the rule rather than the exception. But is this sustainable in the long run? Eternally running to meet targets often in competition with the next person give rise to the concept of the rat race. But it also gave rise to the saying that “the problem with the rat race is that even if you win you are still a rat!” How does this play with your life, your health, your relationships, your happiness? There is no point trying to retort with the all too familiar argument that you are doing this for your career, for your family etc. Have you considered the cost? To cut a long story short, the destination of life is nothing but our mortality. And the journey of life is life itself. So, is it not stupid to forget about the journey, that is life and get busy with the goal, and ride the vehicle called the rat race. Take a moment to read two lines from poet William Ernest Henley and put your life in perspective. “I am the master of my fate I am the captain of my soul.”

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The journey that was IIM Shillong - A place which taught me that every person you meet can be your friend. I can never forget the numerous hours spent in the mess, socializing (read ‘whiling away time discussing random topics’) with others; And the various groups that I worked with, preparing me for team work in the corporate world. One short and sweet journey that was! And by far, undoubtedly, the only one in which, not even for a second, I wished that it would end. Kranti Ragineni Consultant at Deloitte My short stay at IIM Shillong taught me that learning is an unending journey where success and failures are short stops. One has to learn from both. It taught me about the importance of resilience and perseverance in anything one does. More than anything, it taught me that great leaders manage people rather than numbers. Ragini C Iyer Programme Manager, Manipal Technologies Limited The things IIM Shillong taught me go way beyond words. The 2 year journey was mix of extreme highs and lows, with 93 people always around each other to make every step that much easier. Classroom learning seems a miniscule proportion in comparison to what I learnt outside the classroom interacting with the best of students from across the country’s length and breadth. I am sure this bond we all share will continue for a lot many years to come. Jitesh Patel Associate Marketing & Corporate Communication YES BANK Limited Everything comes second to the journey which left an indelible impression on my mind and life. The invaluable contribution by all the members of the IIM S family made it a productive ground not just for nurturing one’s intellect but also for developing new skills and forging everlasting bonds of camaraderie. We all came here with dreams to make it big in life, toiled to make a mark for ourselves and our institute, participated in each other’s joys and sorrows and finally departed the institute so much richer by experience. Lucky to have lived the journey to the fullest! Niketa Kosada Analyst at Nomura

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Life at IIM Shillong

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Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai, Shillong â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 793 014 Phone: 0364 - 2308000 www.iimshillong.in