Prof. Paresh Shah (Faculty IIPM, Ahmedabad) assesses the role of organisational structure as an instrument of change

When Suparshwa joined, the production manager (Ravi Barot), finance manager (Vaidya), and HR and administration manager (Nancy) used to report to Mrugesh, the chairman and managing director of the company. The production manager is supported by production supervisors, maintenance in-charge, and hardware and software engineers.Finance manager is supported by accounts manager and banking officer. For the taxation matter, the consultants’ services are used from time to time. Nancy was looking after the security arrangement, in addition to time-keeping and time-booking activities. Suparshwa had been given the independent status as marketing manager, and was being supported by sales manager and sales staff. Suparshwa used to directly report to the chairman.

The total strength of employees, including officers, was around 200. The head office was situated in Ahmedabad, where the chairman would spend nearly half his day. In the remaining time, he used to visit the plants. Nancy and Suparshwa were stationed at the head office. Ravi used to visit each plant alternate day in a week, and that way he would monitor the performance of all the three plants.

The crack in the structure of business began in 2004, on account of increase in the competition from domestic and overseas players in the Indian market. The competition era forced the MTC to widen the customer segment base, and to take over additionally a few dealership and agency position. As part of the strategy of long-term survival, MTC also tied up to undertake outsourcing work. Coordination between various functions and locations became very difficult leading to delays at every stage. Hence, Nancy proposed to introduce the concept and implementation of Management by Objectives (MBO) for officer and above cadre during 2007.

In 2008 end, Suparshwa got married to Nancy. Read more....

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Prof. Arvind Rajashekar (Faculty, IIPM Ahmedabad) brings out The Utility of Competency-Based Interviewing for Effective Selection and Retention of Employees

Continued...How can you make an accurate assessment of a candidate’s suitability? According to Anik Banerjea, Head Marketing, Ripple India, a leading manufacturer of fragrances, “It is difficult to assess commitment and attitude; they are often the differentiators between success and failure of an employee in an assignment. I have no foolproof way to identify this.”

The trouble is that no two individuals are exactly alike and they do not come with instruction manuals! This makes every selection decision one-of-a-kind. It needs to proceed based on the specific needs of the position to be filled, which requires a match of individual competencies with the need of the position.

For success in any job, individuals must have the right competencies for the role. These go beyond the basic skills and knowledge required. Competencies could include areas of attitude and culture fit and recruiters would need to identify these attributes in their candidates.

But how does one assess a candidate’s job-related competencies?

There are behavioural indicators that demonstrate these competencies. To identify competency-based behavioural indicators, you would need to plan your interview strategy. It would help to develop structured questions which can help you identify these qualities. Asking a candidate, for example: ‘Can you tell me how you have been able to address the problem of low sales in one of your territories?’ will give you insights into your candidate’s problem solving approach. Asking them to explain: ‘How did you complete your production target after the unexpected plant breakdown?’ can update you on their planning skills. Click here to read more...

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Tata Steel man

Ratan Tata himself is in favour of the successor being an insider rather than an outsider

Company officials are of the opinion that there are two strong contestants running the race for succeeding Muthuraman. These are the two Executive Directors (ED) – Dr. T. Mukherjee and H. M. Nerurkar. Dr. Mukherjee has been the force behind the operations of the Jamshedpur plant. Tata Steel sources reveal that Dr. Mukherjee is essentially ‘a person from the shop floor’. Nerurkar, the other person in the race for the top job at Tata Steel, joined the company in 1971 and has held various positions including Chief Metallurgist and Chief Operating Officer (Steel), till he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of Tata Steel in November 2007.

The ultimate decision will be taken at the Bombay House board room in due course, sources said. Even as the succession plan is being carried out in hushed tones, an effective CEO succession strategy needs to take into account the different succession scenarios that a company could face in these difficult times and to ensure a smooth transition.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
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A winner on every pitch

'Diggi Raja' has attained an enviable political stature, and has kept his feet firmly on the ground

Once an opener and wicket-keeper in his college team, 'Diggi Raja' or Digvijay Singh can’t help but compare politics with cricket. In fact, he feels that both have uncanny resemblance in their characteristics. Diggi Raja was once heard saying that politics was like batting, where a batsman must learn to tackle beamers in order to score. Also, like batsman, politicians need immense patience to wait for the right occasion to strike and when the moment comes, make some quick decisions. We can’t agree more.

Digvijay Singh joined politics when he had barely crossed his teens. He ruled India’s then largest state, Madhya Pradesh for close to a decade – 1993 to 2003 – and when he lost the elections in 2003, he put on a very brave face, something so uncommon in Indian political class, and decided not to contest elections for the next 10 years. He was inducted in the core group of the party and assigned the post of General Secretary. His profile changed forever. Now, like his peer Ahmad Patel, he has become the eyes and ears of not only Rahul Gandhi, but of the party high-command itself. For example, in a recent meeting, he opined that the party should promote youngsters for seats that it considers “tough ones”. The idea struck a chord where it mattered the most: Rahul Gandhi.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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Let us now tighten our ties...

...for tightening belts alone won’t work! Some of the world’s leading companies face testing times in 2009

Leaders are meant to set the pace and make others follow. But the way leaders (beyond usual suspects like the Detroit trio) in diverse global industries are faring in this economic ‘winter’, we are hoping that there aren’t too many followers in that sense! While 2008 was seemingly difficult for them; 2009 too hasn’t brought much relief. As the misery of these leaders continues, we take a look of what is (or rather should be) their resolution for 2009.

Sony Corp. is one of the leading sufferers, which is expected to report its first massive loss of a whopping $1.1 billion in the last 14 years! Richard Ptak, Managing Partner, Ptak, Noel & Associates, avers, “Strong Yen versus weak Euro and dollar made their products expensive and the meltdown in US and European markets further augmented the condition.” From the same land, Toyota Motor Corp. too slashed its net profit forecast for the year ending March 2009 to ¥550 billion (half its earlier projection of ¥1.25 trillion). It has also decided to halve its domestic production to 9,000 units per day, after it suspended 12 factories for 11 days in February & March to balance inventories.

Arcelor Mittal – world’s largest producer of steel, was forced to cuts its steel production by almost 30% due to falling steel prices, dampening steel demand in US, Europe and other emerging markets. What was once the world’s largest bank, Citigroup posted Q4 losses to the tune of $8.29 billion, twice as much as analysts’ expectations. Such is the predicament of Citi, which following the enormous loss, Vikram Pandit, CEO, Citigroup is contemplating to split the multinational bank into two separate units. Blue-chip company Intel has also warned that its Q4 results will be $8.2 billion, below its guidance of $9 billion issued in November. The forecast was made on the basis of fall in end-consumer demand. Time Warner Inc. – New York-based media conglomerate, owing to credit crisis and fall in advertising revenues, will have to undergo impairment charges of $25 billion by writing down the value of its publishing, cable and Internet businesses.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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Arjun’s back with a vengeance

For most of his term, he had his hands tied left, right and centre; Arjun’s back with a vengeance

Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, transformation got replaced by ‘regulation’, a factor that now seems to be stifling higher education to a point of death. Analysts comment that it is only when this quasi license permit raj in education is dismantled by the UGC and AICTE, will the education sector take off and become world class. And both the UGC and AICTE have a credible supporter for reforms; Arjun Singh himself. “The new law will help us regulate foreign education providers while keeping out fly-by-night operators. We hope to introduce the bill in the coming session of Parliament,” Arjun confidently shared this viewpoint with the media once his meeting with the state education ministers got over. One doesn’t need ESP to understand that this time, Arjun is hitting Left, Right and Centre to ensure the Bill gets passed! And he just might succeed!

Just as the entry of foreign players in various sectors has vastly improved the quality of Indian companies, the entry of foreign players in education will lead to a dramatic improvements in the quality of education in the country. Way back in the 1980s, a man whom Arjun Singh admires a lot, Rajiv Gandhi, had strategically used a man called Sam Pitroda to kick-start the telecom revolution in India. The same man now heads the Knowledge Commission, a body mandated to transform the education sector in India. All Arjun Singh needs to do is emulate Rajiv Gandhi and back Sam Pitroda to the hilt.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
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Another Lethal Blow for The ‘Celtic Tiger’

The Irish Policymakers Argue that the Country’s Economic Fundamentals are still better than That of Greece, Manish K. Pandey Analyses how Poor are they in Finalising the Rationale Behind Their Arguments

Ireland was the fastest growing OECD economy (averaging GDP per capita growth of 5%) since the mid-1990s until the recession hit its shores in 2007. While other OECD nations have at least managed to leave the strong recession winds behind, Ireland (thanks to its fragile banking system) is still at the midst of a deadly storm. What’s more? Ireland’s real GDP has contracted by more than 15% since the end of 2007 and is expected to shrink further. Even the yield on Irish 10-year government bonds has hit a record high of 8% so far this month, well above the 6.4% average reported in October 2010 and also above the 4% rate clocked just before recession in 2007.

Interestingly, Greek 10-year bonds had also traded around that rate before the recession, and then jumped by 780 basis points in the six months before the bailout in May 2010, after yields surpassed 12%. Though, yields on Irish bonds have risen by 370 basis points so far from their low in April, their continued strong upward movement is a clear sign of concern. It’s quite clear that the Emerald Isle economy was headed the Greece way (the first economy to tumble in Euro zone in May 2010) since quite sometime; and it’s quite unfortunate that the Irish policymakers waited till November 21, 2010 to wake up and apply post haste to EU’s European Financial Stability Facility and IMF for assistance. In two days, the international bodies approved a 90 billion pound package for Ireland, but under grilling austerity measures.

On the other hand, as Irish policymakers argue, the fundamentals of the Irish economy are much stronger than Greece’s at present as unlike Greece, the Irish government has enough cash in hand to fund operations through mid-2011. Moreover, the debt-to-GDP ratio of the Irish economy, which currently is 80%, perhaps seems more sustainable than the 130% ratio in Greece and in some sense, for the untrained eye, does not make a strong case for a bailout. As happened globally, even in Ireland’s case, the butler was to blame. The Irish banking system has almost but collapsed. The Economics Group of the US-based Wells Fargo Securities tells B&E through a communiqué, “The Irish banking system, which is being backstopped by the government, is essentially insolvent.” Ireland’s debt-crippled banks (which have already received a minimum of $61 billion from various government agencies) confirm that they are already in a dire situation. While AIB (Allied Irish Banks) admits that $16.39 billion – about 20% of its entire deposit base – has been withdrawn from the bank since June, 2010, BoI (Bank of Ireland) confesses that it had lost $13.66 billion in corporate deposits during August and September this year. In fact, one can understand the seriousness of the situation by the fact that Irish banks have lost a colossal $24.59 billion in deposits in September 2010 alone. Thus, unlike Greece, Ireland’s woes do not stem from government debt but from the government’s open-ended guarantee to cover the losses of the banking system out of taxpayers’ money, which sadly but inevitably will sink the economy whose fiscal deficit has already reached more than 30% of GDP.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

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The Zhe-Sa and Phal-Skad Issue!

Restriction on Tibetan Languages in Classrooms is Causing Protests

It’s rightly said that history repeats itself, but in this case, history repeated itself even before it comfortably established itself as history. Two weeks back, Tibetan students in Rebkong and Chabcha in Amdo (Qinghai province) and Tawu in Kham (Sichuan province) started protesting over restrictions on the use of Tibetan languages in classrooms. This protest has now spread and has also influenced Chinese students. In Beijing, over 500 Tibetan students from the Tibetan Studies department of Minzu University of China reportedly raised their voice over this issue. This is quite similar to the anti-government violent uprising that took place two years ago over Tibetan freedom.

The three notable Tibetan languages are Zhe-sa, Phal-skad and Chos-skad. There is a looming fear that the current bilingual system in Tibet will be scrapped by China in favour of using Mandarin Chinese alone. This move is seen by Tibetans to be a step to curb and contain the Tibetan culture. This also is clearly a deliberate move by the Chinese regime to motivate China’s ethnic Han majority to migrate to Tibet (as currently the language barrier is one of the prime issues against such migration and against non-Tibetans taking up jobs within Tibet), and thus, over time, ensure that the numerical percentage of ethnic Tibetans in Tibet starts reducing.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
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Activism or Funda-Mentalism?

Blind and fanatical belief in ‘ISMS’, Apart from sheer greed has become the hallmark of activism and ngos in India. hating India is a Democratic right; but not at a cost to India

Allow me to put things in perspective right away. Most of you are painfully aware of the following facts: about 1.5 million Indians die of malaria every year; more than 1.5 million Indians succumb to TB every year and more than 2 million young children are killed every year by diarrhoea and related stomach disorders. I have absolutely no doubt that all right-thinking Indians often feel ashamed by these appalling numbers and the heartbreaking human misery that is hidden behind the statistics. And yet, India is awash with activists and NGOs who keep trumpeting from every available rooftop that AIDS is a kind of Biblical scourge that is devouring India. So persistent, so loud and so powerful are the voices of these activists and NGOs that many Indians think AIDS is one of the biggest killer diseases to stalk India. But how many unfortunate Indians are actually killed by AIDS? Not even one for every Indian that dies of malaria, TB or diarrhoea. Common sense demands: then why ignore TB and malaria and create such a hoopla about AIDS?

You guessed it. It just so happens that a certain corporate baron and philanthropist called Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates have been donating hundreds of millions of dollars for tackling AIDS in Third World countries. Yes, they do donate equally well to address some other health issues too, but the very word of AIDS conjures up magic that opens doors to vast donations, funds and incredible opportunities to travel around the world and schmooze with assorted do-gooders. So it is AIDS that everyone talks about – including page 3 people. Try talking and arguing with these activists about why we should be paying more attention to malaria and TB. The best response you will get is a derisive snort while the more ideologically evolved activists will accuse you of being a reactionary, a Neanderthal, a feudal and worse. Forget the jargon, AIDS is sexy. Who cares about TB and malaria?

Don’t you think that just about sums up the state of activism in India?

Let me make a few points here. First: no one with common sense will deny that AIDS is a serious problem. Second, the unfortunate fact is that TB and malaria are bigger problems. Third, anyone who denies this has a serious problem of misplaced priorities. If you are a CEO running a company or even senior manager running a division, you will know that priorities are critical. That’s what students of basic economics are taught: priorities determine the balance between unlimited needs and limited resources. That is what a good politician learns very quickly: how to prioritise the numerous – and often conflicting – demands. That is how societies, nation states and civilisations have evolved: by learning to prioritise and then trying to balance the conflicting priorities.

There will always be a conflict between security and human rights. Both are very important for a young democracy like India. There will always be a conflict between industrialisation and environment. Both are very important for sustainable growth of the Indian economy. There will always be a conflict between infrastructure projects and the people whose lives the projects will disrupt. Both matter. There will always be a conflict between new technologies like GM in agriculture and the preservation of existing pool of seeds and know-how. Both matter. There will always be a conflict between globalisation and the threat it poses to local communities and livelihoods. The real challenge is to nurture both.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
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IIPM makes business education truly global
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So do Aliens really exist?

August 5, 2010: UK Government officially accepts the hushing up of a confirmed UFO incident by releasing 5000 plus pages of UFO reports! So do Aliens really exist? The Scrutiny team does a quick recap of available research in this area!

February and March, 2009: Many holidaymakers in Somerset, UK, witness and record a UFO flying over the coastline in February 2009. The Telegraph reports this, and a month later, also publishes the mobile phone photo shot by Derek Burden of the London Skyline in March 2009, which has four UFOs clearly visible.

December 1, 2009: The British Ministry of Defence on December 1, 2009 silently shuts down its UFO investigations unit, and mentions in an official statement, “In over fifty years, no UFO report has revealed any evidence of a potential threat to the UK... There is no defence benefit in such investigations and it would be an inappropriate use of defence resources.” As per estimates, the closure would save around £50,000 a year of taxpayers’ money.

August 5, 2010: At the end of World War II, a British RAF plane flying over the English coast confirmed that a UFO flew alongside the plane for sometime and then disappeared at high speeds. The plane crew photographed the UFO. But Winston Churchill immediately put a 50 year ban on any reports of the incident, commenting that “it would create mass panic and destroy one’s belief in the Church.”

On August 5, 2010, just eight months after the closure of UFO investigations, and after Churchill’s 50 year ban terminated, the UK government publicly and momentously accepts the WW II incident by officially releasing more than 5,000 pages of UFO reports. The global media more or less misses reporting this.

In summary, government investigations over the years have been quite interesting. The official opinion on UFOs is neutral or negative, despite the unanswered question. As per the recent findings of the French space agency CNES, about 14% of some 6,000 UFO cases studied have remained unexplained. After two expensive American government investigations – Project Sign and Project Grudge – failed to make definite inferences, Project Blue Book concluded that UFOs do not possess a significant threat to mankind and no evidence indicated that the sightings categorised as “unidentified” are extraterrestrial. At the same time, investigations by highly respected media agencies like National Geographic and Discovery put paid to such official rejection of UFO claims.

The biggest hit to the US government came just sometime ago, when US Navy pilot and former NASA employee Edgar Mitchell – who holds qualifications from Carnegie, Harvard and a PhD from MIT – revealed to the Discovery Channel that as per his interactions at Pentagon, the Roswell incident was true, and that there was an alien UFO spacecraft that crashlanded that day; he also revealed that certain specific recent UFO incidents were confirmed alien spacecraft sightings. Edgar was incidentally the Apollo 14 astronaut who became the sixth man to walk on the moon.

Evidently, whether UFOs and aliens exist, is clearly a test of human intelligence and philosophical strength. Imagine the panic that could be generated if Obama were to one day address the world and announce that aliens had finally made contact. The primary reason for this panic would be the current refusal of global governments to educate the masses in a structured manner about the definite possibility of alien existence. When even NASA can now officially confirm that they “don’t deny the existence of aliens,” it’s time global governments accept reality and start taking early steps towards reducing future possibilities of mass hysteria, when and if such an alien contact report is finally made public.

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
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IIPM makes business education truly global
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L. N. Mittal and his siblings have been dramatically different

Post the split of the business, the destinies of L. N. Mittal and his siblings have been dramatically different. But one can also find them converging on some fronts now

The tendency to live dangerously does have repercussions, for the one problem both companies have to naturally face with is debt. Arcelor Mittal itself had a debt of $18.8 billion by the end of 2009, an improvement from the high of $32.5 billion by September 2008. You wouldn’t consider that a problem in the case of Arcelor Mittal, but for the fact that the company is equally susceptible to swings in the steel sector. Last year, the company posted net income of only around $75 million compared to $10.49 billion the previous year. The reason was the decline in demand and average steel prices as reflected by the global recession. That is precisely why not having production capacity in a growing market like India pinches L. N. Mittal now like never before.

As far as Ispat is concerned, profitability has been hard to come by, despite the fact that it is present in the booming Indian market. The company recorded Rs.83.63 billion in gross income in FY 2009-10 (a drop by 8.4% yoy). Losses for the year were at Rs.2.53 billion compared to Rs.6.9 billion the previous year. Moreover, its D/E ratio is rather high at 4.1 at the end of the year. By June 2010, its debt was at Rs.71.86 billion. Recently, rumours were rife that the company’s lenders are planning to sell out stake to other companies, which Ispat has denied in a letter to B&E. Ispat’s problems have actually been compounded by the lack of captive iron ore and coking coal. A steel analyst on condition of anonymity told B&E, “Due to the high cost of raw material and debt pressure, the company continues to suffer. They need a sustained steel cycle for some time to be able to get out of that situation.” Moreover, they realize the need to convert debt to equity, which is where the 10% stake sale to Stemcor for Rs.65 billion has come in quite handy. On the raw material front, an Ispat spokesperson tells B&E, “Ispat constantly seeks to ensure security of raw materials, achieve reduction in costs of inputs, improve process efficiencies, rationalize production capabilities and enhance plant performance. Initiatives include commissioning of 110 MW power plant at Dolvi, coke oven plant with annual capacity of 1.0 MTPA and Iron ore pellet plant (capacity of 2.0 MTPA) at Dolvi and Damkodwadvi in Maharashtra.” In addition, the top line has been stagnating for the past few years and must be addressed urgently as well.

While Arcelor Mittal needs to consolidate its operations and make headway into the Indian market, the imperative for Ispat is to ensure backward integration and improved efficiency. Both have to look at their leverage carefully before taking up more aggressive expansions. Interestingly, it seems that their destinies seem to be converging in this sense, an event that has been rather unprecedented since 1994.

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

Marvel at the Mahals where they lived and bite into kebabs

Wander in the streets where Nawabs once walked, Marvel at the Mahals where they lived and bite into kebabs that were created especially for the royals; you just might find the city of your dreams waiting for you, here in Lucknow

With its imposing Deewan-e-Khas, a large number of chambers and many basements with access to strategic tunnels, it prompted some European writers to compare it to the garden of Arabian Nights. There’s Shatkhanda, a five-storied replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Hussainabad Clock Tower, proudly declared by Lucknowites as the Big Ben of India, is a 221-foot high, 20-square feet tower with a 14-feet-long pendulum. The wheel of the clock is 18 inches in diameter. On its four faces, the tower exhibits four clocks of 13 feel diameter.

The Husaianabad Imambara, built by Badsahah Mohammed Ali Shah, Awadh’s third ruler, stands in an architectural complex known as the Babylon of India. A visiting Russian Prince in fact once referred to it as the “Kremlin of India”. It bears the tombs of its builder and his mother enclosed in silver grills.

The Asfi Imambara, a blend of Mughal, Rajput and Gothic styles, is an architectural miracle built without the traditional support of pillars or beams.

Cooking was raised to the highest standards by the nawabs. The food was an eclectic mix of Persian and Mughal dishes, often with a European twist. The city’s elite encouraged experimentation by their well-paid cooks who among other things invented the Dum Pukht style of cooking. While the nan jalebis and the sheer mal were breads which first came out of the kitchens of the nawabs, the humble parantha was refined into the baqar khani. Some of Lucknow’s must-eats include Tunde ke kebab, Wahid’s biryani, Rahim’s Kulche-Nahari, Pandit Ram Narayan’s Chaat, Radhey’s malai gilori and Bajpai’s Puri Kachori.

Spoiled yet cultured, modern yet traditional, like the reflections on the many mirrors of Sheesh Mahal, every person sees a different image of Lucknow. What perhaps binds their vision, is the city’s glorious past and the common dream of a future just as bright.

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

Catch me if you can!

Is India ready to become a hot spot for the spotted one?

When the geographical location prefixing the name of certain animal sub-specie changes with each decade, it raises an alarm. So now that the ‘Indian’ cheetah has come to be known as ‘Iranian’ cheetah after a two-decade stint as ‘Asiatic’ cheetah, the Indian Environment and Forests ministry (MoEF) has taken notice. After a failed attempt in 2000 by Indian scientists, measures are being taken once again by India to translocate the cheetah.

The spotted cat, which takes its name from the Sanskrit word ‘citrakayah’ has been extinct from the sub-continent for well over 50 years. In 1947, disgraced Maharaja of Surguja shot down three cheetahs, which were incidentally the last few seen in India. It is the only species to become extinct in India due to unnatural reasons and “the only animal in the last 100 years”, as observed by Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh. “Reintroduction is a matter of national importance”, he added.

With a population of less than 90 cheetahs around the Kavir desert, Iran is very adamant to not part with the big cat. India on the other hand is increasingly persistent on relocating the cheetah. It is contemplating the import of the African sub-specie if Iran doesn’t cohere. The African Cheetah fortunately is relatively predominant in number with Namibia homing 3,500 of them. In all, it is speculated that close to 12,000 African Cheetahs survive.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

Lookout for animes’ invasion of Indian homes !

The anime industry is surely set to grow in India, but many mothers are anxiously monitoring excessive anime viewing, stating the programmes are not good enough or even too aggressive in nature. The Shin Chan series was banned in India in 2008 on grounds of the undesirability of its content. The Hindi version of Manga and Japanese anime that entered India in 2006, although became popular with kids here, its ill effects felt due to the character’s mischievous acts, soon went out of hand.

Despite these minor setbacks, the outlook remains positive as Kojira Uchiyama, Director, Japan Information Centre, who we met during the festival, is optimistic, as he shared, “Japan is known for its animation due to its good quality. Since the popularity of animation has increased over the years all over the world, we wanted to let more Indians know about Japanese animation.” When he came to India two years ago, he was pleasantly surprised to find the prevalence of anime on Indian television. Having grown up watching Astro Boy, like all children in Japan, Uchiyama smiles and confesses his fondness for animation.

Anime is not just for children but it’s a tool, which is widely used by people of all age-groups – from story-telling for toddlers to fulfilling bizarre adult fantasies or fetishes about women. In fact, the Japanese have even gone on to cook-up a story idea for even mundane activities like baking bread and desserts! Keep your eyes wide open for new creative expressions in the baking right here in India too!

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

Can maruti repeat the magic?

While everyone was scampering about, frightened by the slowdown ghost, Maruti peacefully posted a 105% increase in bottomlines during FY 2009-10. Result: it Climbed 21 places to #27 on this year’s list. But can maruti repeat the magic? By Pawan Chabra

If you look at the Q1, FY2010-11 result, the answer is an obvious no. The past quarter has been a party spoiler for the company. Not only did its domestic market share fall below 50% for the first time since it crossed that mark 25 years ago, the company registered a 20% y-o-y dip in net profits too (which fell to `4.65 for Q1, FY2010-11). So what caused the fall? Says Shinzo Nakanishi, MD, Maruti Suzuki, to B&E, “The dip in profits is because of the rising commodity prices and the royalty payments made by Maruti to Suzuki Motor Corporation.” There are other issues too.

Despite the fact that the company managed to post a 25% y-o-y growth in unit sales (of 283,324 units) during Q1, FY2010-11, currently, almost all its car models are facing a situation of undersupply. “All that we are making is being sold. We are producing as much as we can, but it is not enough. Currently, we have close to 15-20% backlog on our books,” says Mayank Pareek, Managing Executive Officer – Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki, to B&E. Thus, Maruti is missing out on the opportunities presented by the increased demand in the Indian car market. Who gains? Its competitors. The Indian car market has grown by over 30% this fiscal, and what is happening is that players like Ford, GM, Volkswagen, Nissan & Hyundai, which had/have spare capacities, are filling the demand-supply gap.

Royalty payments to Suzuki is another itch. But it can do little about it. The company still depends greatly on the parent company, and it has no solution to lighten the burden, at least over the forthcoming few quarters. “Maruti depends on Suzuki for its brands and technology. So, it is very difficult to get the royalty payments down. However, I don’t think it will go above the current 5.1% mark in the times to come,” says Nakanishi.

But there is some good news for investors. The company is trying to prepone its capacity expansion plan to 2012, to solve the problem of undersupply. This will help add an additional capacity of 250,000 units per year to the current production levels. In fact, it has already started its ground work on its 6th plant at Manesar (Haryana). This, coupled with the planned R&D Centre at Rohtak (which have collectively attracted an investment of Rs.1 billion) will determine the success of the company in the years to come. But till then, the company will have to continue bearing the pain of dealing with backlogs.

The outcome for this financial year is clear. Maruti might outshine last year’s numbers in terms of unit sales, but in terms of financials, it will fall a little short, even if it scales back its market share to 50%+. As per estimates by Thomson Reuters, its bottomlines for FY2010-11 will fall by 2% to `24.48 billion. Thankfully, the fall is only marginal. For now though, the company is running hard. But so are competitors, and it knows that.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

Priyanka to the rescue!

While on one hand Priyanka Chopra is celebrating the launch of her new website, on the other hand she is mourning over the cloudburst in Leh that has destroyed the Buddha Stupa and a market that she vividly remembers from her childhood days. Having spent a memorable one year in the region, the former Miss World is now doing all that she can to bring back the life and charm of the place.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links

“The government is trying its level best to control the inflation rate”

Oscar Fernandes, former minister and General Secretary AICC, on functioning of UPA-II and how the government plans to resolve the suffering of the common man. by Pramod Kumar

B&E: There is a constant hue and cry over the failure of proper functioning of UPA II? Your comments?
OSCAR Fernandes (OF): The UPA-II is completely devoted towards the social sector. Our first step was job guarantee through NERGA. Then the government started the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. There are several flagship programmes run by the central government. The impact is an increase in the purchasing power of Aam Aadmi. For example, a person who gets employment for hundred days can now purchase 50 kg of rice and wheat if he belongs to the BPL category.

B&E: Whatever the government had promised has not translated into reality? There seems to be a lack of attempts to reach the aam aadmi, who is suffering due to soaring prices...
OF: I don’t agree with this argument. The beneficiaries are increasing day-by-day. I can give you an example. Five years back, the number of vehicles in cities was much less. Now, the same cities are overcrowded in terms of number of vehicles. This shows that the purchasing power of people is increasing. Same is the situation in other cities too. People are by-and-large happy and contented. They are leading a comfortable life.

B&E: How can you justify rising inflation rate, Naxal problem and conflicts in Jammu and Kashmir?
OF: The government is trying its level best to control the inflation rate. However, at the same time hoarding and unnatural scarcity of food grains are also to be blamed. It’s the responsibility of state governments to check hording and black-marketing. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already justified this in the Parliament – even the increase of oil prices. The government is also concentrating on social sector and the welfare of people.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year
IIPM's Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman
IIPM B-School Facebook Page
IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links