IILM Undergraduate Business School

New Delhi & Gurgaon

Company Visit to NDTV

IILM Undergraduate Business School

A company visit for a group of undergraduate students was organised to the studios of NDTV. The students were very excited because it was the first time any of them had ever visited a live studio. NDTV’s offices are located in Archana Shopping Complex which houses almost all of NDTV’s verticals – NDTV 24×7, NDTV India, NDTV Prime and NDTV Convergence.

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The visit started with an orientation of the Production Control Room. This is the room where all the elements of a bulletin are collated on screen and the final product is broadcast all over the world via satellites. The students watched the director, producers and the audio and vision mixers working together to put together the entire show. This was followed by a visit to the main studio where the students watched how the cameras captured the anchor live and how the small space was utilised to give the impression of a huge studio with multiple set ups.

They were then guided to another studio where they saw how the set for another show was put together. The lights, seats and podiums were all being customised to the needs of the particular show that was to be recorded later during the day. They also caught a glimpse of the Video Tape Library, a room full of tapes of old shows that had once been aired on NDTV.

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Lastly, the students were shown around the newsroom, where editors worked together to line up bulletins, and the edit bay where all the visuals were put together to air as required. They got answers to their queries regarding TRPs and how they influenced advertisements put forward by companies. Before leaving NDTV they also saw Outdoor Broadcast vans that are often used for shoots in and around NCR.IMG-20151016-WA0013

Overall the students had quite an exciting time. The only disappointment was the fact that they did not meet any celebrities on the premises to click photographs with.

Company Visit to Viney Corp – Manufacturer of Auto Parts for BMW , Rolls Royce

IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School

Our company visit to “Viney Corporation Limited” was an enriching learning experience for all of us. It was a well planned visit by Mr. Anant Aggarwal, Director of Viney Corp, Student of SBS Stage 1. Viney Corp was established in 1989. This company is a leading manufacturer of various auto-parts which includes wiring harness, terminals, connectors and wires. It has 11 manufacturing plants in India and 2 in Europe employing around 3000 skilled and semi-skilled laborers. The company has shown immense grown in the last few years through both organic and inorganic ways. In 2011, the growth rate of the company has drastically gone up by acquiring 70% stake in shareholding of an Italian based company named “Vimercati SPA”.

 

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The objective of the visit was to understand the manufacturing process of auto-parts. This company visit gave us insights into the manufacturing process of wiring harness, connectors and wires. The live manufacturing process of the wiring harness was shown which starts with cutting wire through automatically operated machines, which further goes into dye’s which are used in machine. Furthermore, the live manufacturing process of the various car switches and connectors were shown. In addition to this a lot of detailing was given to us on the machines and its manufacturing process. All the products manufactured in this plant are assembled and given a finished shape in its Italy plant. The company has gone into backward integration to reduce its cost over a period of time. Other learning experience of the visit included discussion on the cost of machinery, handling of labor, CSR activity, inventory system, clientele, growth process and cost reduction. This company visit was truly a mind-boggling and thought provoking experience for all the mentors and mentees.

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  • Dr. Geetika Arora & Ms. Nidhi Piplani

Book Review:An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions

Alumni, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

Authors: Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen
Published by Penguin Books ( 2014)
ISBN No. 978-0-141-97582-5

An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions is published by Penguin Books in 2014 , wherein the two economists Jean Dreze and Amartya Sen pose a question that who are the actual beneficiaries of this growth. The book is an eye opener on two fronts one that the growth is not participatory and two public sources generated by economic growth have not been able to improve the living conditions of people at large.
There has been a lot of discussion on the caste, religion, gender discrimination, regional disparity and languages. But, ever increasing income inequality has often been obscured in all these discussions. In modern India this seems to be a major concern area wherein there has been a widening gap between the deprived community and ever growing opulent rich class. This book by Dreze and Sen narrates this divide between the privileged and ignored society as one of the biggest challenge which has seldom been highlighted in all the literature which has been creating a hype of ever growing and prosperous India.
An Uncertain Glory thus, is equally of interest for readers coming from economic, social and political background as it reveals the story of India’s development. There has been an implied notion amongst political and economic logics which believes that the benefit of economic development will eventually trickle down from the higher levels to the grass roots leading to development with a broader base. But, the fact here is that neither the colonial past nor the policies post independence addressed the issues of poverty, illiteracy and inequality effectively.
The country has overseen the rapid rate of growth which has successfully employed the skilled people and wealth accumulation for a few corporate. There has been a surge in the living standard of middle class. Despite this fact, India has experienced a lack of political will which could utilize growing resources for improving ‘education, healthcare, nutrition, social facilities, and other essentials of fuller and freer human life for all.
The authors demonstrate that “India is not doing well at all in many respects even in comparison with some of the poorest countries in the world” outside of sub- Saharan Africa and even in South Asia though ahead of neighbors in terms of per capita income, India’s developmental indicators stand ahead of only Pakistan, a country with a perpetually disturbed political situation.
Dreze and Sen have strongly raised an argument that markets cannot allocate the resources effectively in the area of education, healthcare and infrastructure services due to inherent externality effects and the state intervention thus becomes inevitable. But, along with that the public services in India have been suffering with the malaise of corruption and lack of accountability .These problems somehow are a major cause of ever increasing inequality in the country. Dreze and Sen have thus spoken about education especially at a higher level as an escape route for the unheard millions. This might curb the established practices viz. corruption and bribery.
The book becomes more relevant in the context of understanding the economic development process as there are solutions been given for global and local issues. The authors have emphasized upon the fact that high level of human development in Europe, Latin America or East Asia – plus others even among India’s South Asian neighbors such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are a result of prudent and rationalist intervention of the government. Although some of the state government like Kerala Tamil Nadu or Himachal Pradesh have successfully been able to provide public services like education, administration and addressing economic inequalities as compared to states with poor governance like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odhisa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. In these states living standards are no better than some of the poorer states in Africa.
The ability of the government to hasten poverty alleviation, secure gender justice and produce a corruption-free society can only be ensured by informed political selection. While much has been made, and rightfully so, of India’s democracy, evident in the size of the country, the variety of political parties, a largely free press as well as in the ability to sustain the democratic process amidst vast poverty, Dreze and Sen stress India’s need “to make much greater use of the democratic system.” It is in this optimism, which recognizes that India indeed possesses the means of achieving broad development for all, that An Uncertain Glory maintains a tone of hope amid grounds for despair.
The book by Dreze and Sen is a powerful, thought provoking and strong narration of pertinent issues which have been ailing the country since long. The book highlights the range of both the contradictions and possibilities inherent in the country.

“HR As a Strategic Business Partner”, HR Conclave 2015

Alumni, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

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IGSM, Greater Noida organised a day-long HR CONCLAVE on the theme “HR As a Strategic Business Partner” on Saturday, 26th September 2015 at its Greater Noida Campus.

The event began with an opening address by Dr Taruna Gautam – Director, IGSM followed by an introduction to the theme by Dr. Itiliekha Dash, Area chair OB & HR at IILM Graduate School of Management.

Mr Sanjoy Mukerji, Managing Director of iClinic Healthcare and Diagno Labs was the chief guest on the occasion. He started with those values that a company must incorporate in its vision statement i.e. increasing both the shareholder’s value and customer value and making an alignment to at least one character of an employee to organization. Also he mentioned 5 key points that one must look forward to:

    • Every organization is becoming service organization. Therefore, it is important              to think of the policy to add values.
    • The frontline people are the most important people of the organization because they serve the customers.
    • Growth is the mantra that everyone should face and experience.
    • Organization should adopt the right culture to match with the product, customers etc.
    • It is important to integrate the communication process between frontline’s and executives.

Chandan Chattaraj ,President – HR (India & Global),Uflex Ltd was the key note speaker of the inaugural session. Mr. Chattaraj set the direction and elaborated on the broad idea about the whole discussion. With supporting data he spoke about “transformation”, how important it was to experience and understand it, than just learning new things. He emphasized on the idea that key investment for strategic role is knowledge and it was increasingly becoming investment centric than cost centric. He also mentioned that the strategy of UFLEX as an organization was to “Understand your people and your organization”. He elaborated on his journey from a Welfare Officer to a Strategic HR.

Both speakers concluded that in order to be in the centre, HR personnel must understand their responsibility towards the business, objectives and mission of the organization. 

SESSION 1: The changing role of HR leaders from background contributor to strategic value creator.

After the inaugural session, the conclave proceeded to its first panel discussion on the sub-theme “The changing role of hr leaders from background contributor to strategic value creator.” The first panel member of this session was Mr. Mainak Maheshwari. Mr. Maheshwari started the discussion with two questions.

  • Why is it changing?
  • What is actually changing?

While answering the first question, he reminded of how the importance people as an asset have changed the mindset with respect to generational shift. For answering his second question he talked about lot of job opportunities and startup culture and how the traditional perception about HR is changing. At the end of the discussion, he shared the lesson he learned from his experience; “an HR manager needs to be friend, philosopher and guide. For this, empathy and sensitivity is must. Always be futuristic”. He concluded that KRA/KPI should be aligned with that of business and there must be an understanding of complete business to grow with competition.

 

Mr. Vivek Tripathi was the next panel member to talk. He spoke about the importance of HR: “HR is too important to be left with HR. It has to be embraced by every part of the organization.”He threw light on “What is changing and what is driving this change?” Also he spoke of the major challenge faced in HR i.e. TRUST. He also emphasized on Values, their adaptability, integrity and passion for excellence.

Mr. Muralidhar Shyam was our last panel member of the first session. He started his session mentioning some major challenges that a HR department as a whole has to go through. Some of them he mentioned were: Talent Strategies, Core competencies, building capable teams as per KRA/KPI’s. He talked about the foremost role of strategic HR and also emphasized on the fact that effective strategies rest on three foundations ie. Value Creation, Value Delivery and value Capture.

Session 2 – Practices that differentiate the best organization from the good ones.

The second session commenced with video demonstrations on connecting customers and focusing on competencies. Mr Deepak Jalan, Group Head, Resource Management Group, Tech Mahindra opined that the core value of an organistion should be based on freedom to explore. “An organization must focus on seeking for best employees, should be customer centric and should respect individual effort”. He also spoke about sustainable business practices by exploring new ideas which necessarily entailed risk.

Ms Anju Sabharwal, the second speaker of the session shared her experience with Vodafone. She highlighted how the company’s initiatives like focusing on reward and recognition, knowledge empowerment, grievances redressal, girls education, organizing co curricular activities etc for its employees were making a difference in their well being. She concluded her session by emphasizing how happy employees contributed to organizational success and helps a company to build a brand.

Mr Abhishek Tiwary, Managing Director, KPMG was the last speaker on this panel. He spoke about the role of leadership and mentioned that great leaders by themselves were not good enough for building world class companies; it required the concerted effort of talented employees who were aligned to a company’s mission and vision to transform a dream into a reality.

SESSION 3 –Harnessing the power of Gen Y to drive business ahead.

Mr. Anupam Dubey, Key Accounts Manager-Utilities, at Paytm discussed the different features of Gen Y: techno savvy, entrepreneurial, environmentally minded, comfortably self-reliant, socio-mobi generation. He also mentioned that 50% of India’s GDP came from people with average age of 25 years. He suggested prospective managers to focus more on career opportunities and multi-dimensional growth, rather than evaluate growth in monetary terms alone. He concluded his discussion by saying “There has been a shift from work-life balance to work-life integrity.” Ideas for Gen Y already have arrived and in progress such as work from home, leadership development programs & innovation challenges and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Kunwar J Singh, Head HR, Rolls Royce deliberated on how we should equip ourselves in harnessing Gen Y. He also mentioned how Gen Y is different in terms of connectivity, technology orientation, productivity and job skills. He said that Gen Y were more inclined towards technology, and instance feedback and results, and that they were more opportunistic in their attempt to be successful.

The last speaker of this session Mr. Sujoy Basu emphasized that Gen Y were the People who wanted to achieve their goal by walking an extra mile if necessary. They had the extreme personality traits and believed in leadership and self motivation. They were self driven individuals who could avail every opportunity for growth. Mr Basu, emphasized the various initiatives taken by organizations today to harness the power of Gen Y, like recognizing innovation and their risk taking attitude.

Dr Arvind, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, Ministry of Defense, Government of India delivered the valedictory address at the Conclave. In his address Dr. Arvind emphasized the growing importance of ‘knowledge as an asset’ in determining the prosperity of nations and the role of knowledge capital in fostering economic growth and prosperity.

Valuing the ‘Value based Education’

Alumni, IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

Value Education, a process by which values are inculcated among people. It is transmitting a set of values which often come from religious customs or societal or cultural ethics. “Life is precious”, everyone knows that.  However, If life is so precious, the values governing the life are equally important. Morals and Values are nothing, but a code we adhere to for living in a society which is civil and just.

 

Values in education are the virtues that make up a human being. Values mould our behaviour, relationships, choices, and the sense of who we are. The greater the positivity in our values, the greater will be the positivity in our actions. This is one of the reasons for value based education being included in all types of learning, because it plays a great role for student’s becoming successful in their self chosen careers.  Education is the vehicle of knowledge, success and self preservation. Education not only provides a platform for success, but also the knowledge of social conduct, character, strength and self-respect. The greatest gift that education bestowed upon us is the set of values (Indrani, Beena, 2012)

 

In today’s “Market Oriented” society, Children are groomed to be professionals to grab the top paying jobs in the market. Therefore, while it is necessary to teach the child to fish instead of giving him a fish it is values that make a man. These values include the simple difference between right and wrong, a belief in God, the importance of hard work and self-respect.

 

Liberalization, globalization and industrialization, have led to rapid changes in almost all social sciences, thereby leading to vast changes in the value systems, attitudes of people and the overall education system. The greed for money, power, fame, success and other materialistic attributes have led to a scenario of moral degeneration worldwide. The following characteristics prove the downfall of values and moral in today’s world.

 

  • Lack of respect for the sanctity of human life.
  • Breakdown of parental control of children in families
  • Lack of respect for authority, seen through the brazen breaking of the law and
  • Total disregard for rules and regulations
  • Crime and corruption
  • Abuse of alcohol and drugs
  • Abuse of women and children, and other vulnerable members of society.
  • Lack of respect for other people and property.

 

“Seven sins: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics without principle,” Mahatma Gandhi. Surprisingly, these have become a part of every person’s life in today’s world.

 

The solution for these problems stems from their root causes itself. We know that children today are tomorrow’s citizens. Good education to the present day children, the future of the next generations will be well. Education seems to be the solution for all types of the problems. Living in the modern century, use of science and technology in the proper way will curb all difficulties to solve all the problems of the non-moral and value things. The main objective of the study is to inculcate moral and value based education in schools and colleges and to know the attitude of intermediate students towards moral values.

 

The objective of education in a country like India, which has an incredible heritage and  diversity in geography, values, culture and beliefs, rarely seen in this wide world, should be to educate a student of the value system which is indispensable to live successful life (Das, Sayan, 2008).

 

Considering the above mentioned fact, apart from schools, value education is now being propagated at the college level also. To quote an example, Commissionerate of Collegiate Education, Andhra Pradesh State, has launched value education for the promotion of ethical values among degree college students.

Under this programme, all degree colleges across the State will conduct value education classes for the students of degree first and second year compulsorily from this academic year onwards (The Hindu, 2013).

 

Education is an effective weapon. Education is a weapon, whose effect depends on who holds it and at whom it is aimed (Joseph Stalin).

 

Through education we can change the world. Following few steps can help us mould today’s students into civilized citizens of tomorrow.

 

  • Including moral values in the curriculum.

 

  • Stories, illustrations, poetry, and novels can inculcate moral values in the students. Role play of a good story can facilitate a better understanding for the students.

 

  • Students can also be educated through posters, advertisements and dramatizations.

 

  • Giving course training to students to develop moral values in the society.

 

  • Educating all women in the society. Mother is the first teacher. Motivate every woman to know about moral values, may be through a special course like “Gandhian Studies” (Indrani, Beena, 2012)

 

Values do not only talk about our attitude and behaviour towards other people but also other species on the earth such as plants and animals.

 

To cite an example, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has developed a module on values education for its multimedia teachers’ education program on “Teaching & Learning for a Sustainable Future.” This module provides an opportunity to understand the importance of human values and attitudes in shaping the future. It also provides ideas and examples for two categories of strategies for exploring values in the classroom – values clarification and values analysis (UNESCO, 2010).

 

This module is delivered using four activities namely, “The Elephant Dilemma” which reflects the values about the animal conservation through a case study ‘The Elephant Dilemma in Africa’; “Towards and Ethic of Sustainability” depicting the basic relationships that people have with the Earth and with each other and lastly, “Values Education Strategies” to develop principles for dealing with values-laden issues in a professional and ethical way (IUCN, WWF and UNEP, 1991).

 

According to Father of Indian Nation, M. K. Gandhi:

 

“If wealth is lost nothing is lost

If health is lost something is lost

If character is lost everything is lost”

Best of all things is character.

 

Values and ethics help to build a great character. Thus value education completes this need very easily with an impact on the young minds making the world a better place to live in.

REFERENCES:

 

 

Das, Sayan (2008). Value based education. http://theviewspaper.net/value-based-education/ accessed on 18th May, 2015.

Indrani, Beena (2012). Importance of Value Education in Modern Time. Education India Journal: A Quarterly Refereed Journal of Dialogues on Education, ISSN 2278-

2435, Vol. 1, Issue- 3.

 

IUCN, WWF and UNEP (1991) Caring for the Earth, WWF, IUCN, WWF and UNEP, Gland. https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/documents/CFE-003.pdf, accessed on 21st May, 2015

 

The Hindu (2015). Value Education for Degree Students. http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-andhrapradesh/value-education-for-degree-students/article4822142.ece accessed on 12th May, 2015.

 

UNESCO (2010). Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_d/mod22.html?panel=1#top

accessed on 29th April, 2015.

 

Broom for Booming Economy

IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

“Cleanliness and Order are not matters of instinct, they are matters of education, and like most great things, you must cultivate a taste for them.” Benjamin Disraeli

The above words said by former British Prime Minister are more relevant in today’s context. The quote rightly explains the importance and inter-linkages of education, cleanliness and proper societal order. If growth and development is the goal the above statement is the path. This path is well understood by our current Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and he took it as a mission initiated as ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan’.

The Swachh Bharat Mission is one of the most promising public health initiatives launched by the Modi Government.  The flagship programme has adopted the ‘round spectacle frame’ of the Father of the Nation as the logo for the mission and targets towards creating a “Clean India” by the year 2019. If efficaciously implemented via huge public- private partnership, the Swachh Bharat Mission holds prodigious potential for providing robust economic growth. It is indeed commendable to note that Mr. Modi has dared to dream big and had the prophecy to accomplish extraordinary economic growth and prosperity for a huge country like India by usage of something as simple and unpretentious as a ‘broom’. This five year mission is anticipated to usher in a sea change in behavior of people in India and also change the world’s perception of India.  It is indeed commendable to comprehend how the broom can essentially be instrumental in bringing about transformational change in our nation’s economy along with social change. In my opinion the mission is poised to have far- fetched implications in more ways than one.

  • Tourism:

India can be considered a heritage country.  I believe that neatness and safety play a crucial role in drawing tourists in any country. Challenged with the concerns of hygiene and sanitation in the country, particularly at momentous tourist destinations, this mission is of weighty importance for Indian Tourism Industry. According to the report of Water and Sanitation Programme (WPS), ‘Economic Impacts of Inadequate Sanitation in India’, tourism-related economic losses from inadequate sanitation are estimated to be Rs. 12 billion ($266 million). Of these losses, 45 percent (Rs. 5.5 billion, $121 million) are from loss of tourism earnings. Cognizance about a destination is the distinct reason for tourists to cherry-pick a destination. The mission purposes to rebrand ‘Incredible India’ by introducing the concept of ‘Swachh  Bharat , Swachh Samarak.’. Tourists all-inclusive perceive India as a very murky and filthy country where children and adults openly defecate. Swachh Bharat mission will have extended impact on tourism in India. The deleterious perception of the tourists about India will gradually dissuade. We can increase the foot- prints of tourists coming to India in times to come and tourists will definitely carry with them an image of clean India, safe India. This programme is indeed sustenance for the tourism sector in our India and a way to showcase India’s vast, rich and cultural heritage.

  • Innovation and Eco-Entrepreneurship:

Our country is home to a population of over 1.27 billion people and it is expected to be the most populated country in the world by 2025, beating China in the fray. The rapid growth in population and fast track development all over the country is inevitable. However, most of our cities and towns are unable to bear the burden of this huge population and to provide basic amenities such as hygienic surroundings and clean drinking water.  It is essential to effectively manage green waste and recycling of water for drinking purposes has become an absolute necessity for managing the requirements of a large population.  Thus, in the backdrop of insufficiency of natural resources, escalating costs of power, climatic change, and deterioration of our environment we need to find out innovative ways to manage our waste better. This ‘abhiyaan’ of Modi government can play a booster to eco-entrepreneurship. This will prove to be a win-win business opportunity for Eco entrepreneurs and enable us to even outsource our technology to various developing and poor nations of the world which are plagued by epidemics due to water and land pollution. The frugal innovations in the field of cleanliness can contribute immensely in reducing environmental pressure and India will be the pioneer for the same.

  • Waste management

We usually notice garbage and domestic waste that pile up on our streets are often left untreated, and these decay on site and eventually pollute the land and water underneath. The glitches triggered by solid and liquid wastes can be significantly lessened through eco-friendly technologies that will allow appropriate treatment and dispensation of wastes .The benefits of effective treatment of garbage are enormous. Conversion of waste to energy produces clean, reliable energy, thereby shrinking the usage of scare and fast depleting natural resources such as coal and petrol. These energy resources are not only economically beneficial but also help us in reducing and recycling garbage for daily use. This will also reduce the extent of our dependency on oil producing countries, thereby hugely contributing towards cost reduction. I strongly vouch for the development of precise cost effective green technology to recycle and manage every type of waste and it would lead to profitable and sustainable business in the field of waste management.

  • Gainful and meaningful employment for rag pickers:

 

Rag pickers are a fundamental part of waste management systems across our country. Their work involves serious health hazards and they work in very inhuman conditions. It is very taxing and fetches them a measly income and no recognition at all. A significant proportion of rag pickers in our country are women and children, who are exceedingly poor, unskilled, uneducated and are not employable elsewhere.  This manpower can be efficiently and effectively utilized for waste management projects and cleanliness drives in the country. This will not only protect their self -interests but also give them recognition in the formal system. Employment for the poorest of the poor through effective training Programmes can help them to lead a decent living.

  • Powering the Beti Bachao Campaign:

Mission Swachh Bharat aims to construct separate toilets for boys and girls in schools and villages. This is indeed a right step in the right direction. Most girls drop out of school in villages because of lack of toilets for them in schools. This noble initiative will reduce the number of female dropouts in schools and increase female literacy to a great extent. Further, this initiative will protect and safeguard women against sexual crimes as steps towards cleanliness and toilet building will restrict the women to defecate in open. Thus, the ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ campaign can be directly associated with Swachh Bharat mission. Safe, healthy and educated women can contribute immensely to a nation’s social and economic well-being.

  • Disease Control:

The swachhata mission will aid in reducing land and water pollution to a substantial level. The presence of cleaner areas will reduce the outbreak of diseases like diarrhea, cholera, malaria and dengue, which claim valuable lives each year in our country. For children in particular, the access to toilets and clean environment will lessen the number of diarrheal deaths and anemia due to intestinal parasitism. Thus I see a ray of hope that Indian children will be far healthier and stronger if this program is a success. Healthy children make a nation strong and prosperous. The success of the mission also reduces the burden on fiscal budget as we need to allocate lesser amount to social health care sector and disease control expenditures.

 

  • G.D.P. :

The Swachh Bharat mission can have a visible impact on India’s G.D.P. If the target of Swachh Bharat can be achieved then the government expenditure on health care can decline sharply which in turn can help government to maintain high G.D.P.  Currently as estimated by World Bank illness from lack of hygiene cuts India’s G.D.P. by 6.4 percent (%) and 6.6 percent (%) of G.D.P. contribution is attributed to tourism. Cleanliness causing a hindrance to the tourism industry de facto if a tourist spot is in a filthy condition then the basic hygiene of the place will be affected attracting lesser and lesser tourists day by day. If the defect is removed, it will boost up the G.D.P. rate. Therefore, Swachh Bharat Mission, a vision of Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi directly targets India’s growth.

  • Urban Governance:

The honorable Prime Minister Mr. Modi also pitched the idea of urban governance by linking it to ‘Digital India mission’ and ‘Swachh Bharat mission’. The cleanliness drive should emphasize on solid waste management and water waste management through public-private partnership. This can spur the growth of organic farming and can initiate the demand of organic fertilizers. Waste management and demand for organic fertilizer can become a cyclic process thus reducing the environmental pressure. The linkage of ‘Swachh Bharat’ mission and urban governance can trigger the demand from the grassroots for total sanitation of the cities.

Thus, it could be concluded from the above points that “Ek Kadam Swachata Ki Aur” mission can lead to the   fulfillment of the ultimate mission of the nation that is fast track growth with inclusive development. Being the responsible citizens of this nation each one has to do his own bit to achieve this national mission.

 

 

“I do not yet know of a man who became a leader as a result of having undergone a leadership course”… …..Lee Yuan Kew

IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

Leaders are iconoclasts; leaders are charismatic;
leaders are willing to the pay the price of conviction – Gandhiji did; leaders are
courageous people; leaders have big heart; leaders have strategic vision – they
can see what is beyond today.
Leadership is not a inherent quality or ingrained, it’s more of a skill which one
develops over a period of time by experience, observing others and learning by
oneself.

Nonetheless, experience has shown that leaders of successful organizations are disinclined to
change things if they are remotely successful. Few individuals or corporations
have managed to change successfully; even fewer have done so repeatedly.

Does this mean leadership courses are ineffective?

It is doubtful if a course can create these qualities. Courses can make, of course,
better managers, but doubt whether they create true leaders.

At the same time, it is the classic “born vs made” issue. At some level perhaps
this comment applies to a very select few of inspirational leaders. Some of these
leaders are a product of their environment, and succeed in them. For the vast
majority it is a skill, self learned by mindful attention to on the job experiences,
job challenges, and all of the external environment. Other than that, we know
that some help from friends, bosses, mentors, and Coaches can go a long way in making a leader to go from good to great.

Brick and Mortar Store is Dead; Long Live Brick and Mortar Store

IILM Graduate School of Management, IILM Institute for Higher Education, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University

A few weeks ago I was looking for a CD of nursery rhymes for my three year old granddaughter. Since I live in south Delhi, I thought of a leading consumer electronic store in South Extension – I have known its owner for the past 40 odd years. However, I was taken aback by its barren look as soon as I made an entry. This visit was after a lapse of over a year. Once famous for its merchandise of leading consumer electronic brands, excellent demonstration and display, choicest of music albums and accessories, now the store wore a stark, deserted look… with hardly any footfall and activity that one got to see during weekends in a popular shop. What had changed suddenly? Upon enquiry, I was told that it was due to the advent of e-commerce that this age old business model had transformed completely. The convenience of on-line purchase rendered the fate of this brick and mortar store of consumer electronics goods vulnerable.
Today customers go to Croma or other similar stores, choose the model and their price and later order online at Flipkart and other e-commerce sites. The product gets delivered at the doorsteps, and on top of it, it comes with at a hefty discount. Music albums are downloaded online, said the owner. The e-commerce giants are targeting the comfort and convenience of the buyers in the marketplace and digging a deep hole in the pockets of the brick and mortar retailers.

The only choice now for the brick and mortar stores is to take their products to customers via online portals and remain relevant to the market place in order to survive. But it results in thin operating margins. A small back office is enough to maintain the level of such operations. Therefore, the stores like this brick and mortar consumer electronics items which have existed since long, have to meet high overhead expenses and bear the burden of maintaining loyal employees who have served them for 40 years or more. Several of these stores are looking for other ways to get out of their core businesses and investing in other areas of business where online retail is unable to make any impact. These could be the niche areas such as designer clothing, expensive jewellery and watches outlets or even food joints. In the event of all such brick and mortar stores divert their attention, how would a customer ever get to physically see, touch, have a feel and view performances of items before buying, especially when the product is not a commodity? Will it be like having a shower with a shower cap on? Or what happens when a customer who wishes to replace an old refrigerator? Does he first sell the old one on OLX and then order a new one on Fliipkart? Perhaps that is the way today.

The concept of e-commerce or retail commerce is a new business model. It creates customers for the future, keeping in mind the sale and profit of distant future- and their reason to exist is the valuation enhancement model for the business. They are driving the retail commerce to an unimaginable level and serving a wide array of manufacturers as well as offline distributors across a host of categories. Foreign investors are looking more for the profit of exposure in the market place than immediate financial gain as they see a huge potential in the e-commerce industry. Surely a time will come when the e-commerce industry will transcend from the introduction to growth stage when a major equity stake will be backed by venture capital firms. Its measure of performance is GMV (Gross Merchandise Volume) – a term used in online retailing to indicate total sales dollar value for merchandise sold in a particular market place over a certain time frame. Over the past one year Wall Street hedge funds and big internet investors have pumped in billions of dollars into India’s consumer internet story. Flipkart and Snapdeal raised about $3 bn. Indian consumers are being subsidized by investors.

They could end up spending close to a billion dollar (Rs.6,000 crore) on offering discounted pricing. The success of e-commerce will continue uninhibited as long as investors chip in money. Consider this: a one page advertisement of popular online portals in the mainstream newspaper that one gets to see today almost at regular intervals costs between Rs.60 lakh to Rs.1 crore. Add to that a sum of $1mn (Rs.6.2 crore) salary with stock options of $3- $6 millon paid to the top software engineers of these portals which are amongst the highest paid to any non board executives. Few Indian companies pay their division heads so much. Only the pay packets of CEOs of other IT industries are comparable to this salary. Even the most famous Amazon.com that maximised the internet’s ability to provide a superior selection of products as compared to those of traditional retail stores had lost hundreds of million dollars in the beginning. Their first profit was registered 10 years after start of operation in 1995 with operating margins averaging 3% to 4%. So the question remains, will the e-commerce story be a sustainable model?

The best strategy for the brick and mortar retailers to sustain their market share is to break away from their established business models, fight back through strategic alliances and try to survive for a longer period of time. When you do not know your competitor, it is difficult to perform and win the race. In this transition phase it is better to reinvent the value proposition for customers by offering a charter of exceptional customer service. They will need to innovate. Take the example of the Kirana stores. One can order groceries from the comforts of one’s home online. Yet these stores continue to thrive. It is because of their ability to provide customized and personalized services with unmatched flexibility.

If the brick and mortar retailers are early adopters then they cannot be ignored by the e-commerce players in the market place. Conventional stores are not easily replaceable. They can re-emerge in some other form. In the US, top 20 retailers who also sell on-line have developed omni-channel capabilities. Walmart survives despite Amazon. 24 hours news channels have not moved out the newspaper. T20 and Test cricket have co-existed, so will perhaps the brick n mortar and e-commerce. Only time will tell.

Holi Celebrations at IILM Gurgaon

Alumni, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University, Uncategorized, , , , ,

Holi Celebrations at IILM Gurgaon

The festival of color always rings with the spirit of joy at IILM. Utsav – The Cultural Club at IILM Gurgaon brought students, faculties and staff members to dance and enjoy the Festival of Holi. The festival was celebrated in full fervor right before the students went off for their break.

The lawns were sprayed with the vibrant colors that the students and staff members greeted each other with. Gujiya, Cutlets and Thandai added flavor to the celebration as it proved to be the perfect end to the day.

It was interesting to see the International students and faculty enjoying the festival in full spirit as they blended with the Indian culture.

The celebration ensured that students from across the Post Graduate Program got a chance to network and enjoy with the students from the Under Graduate Programs.

The day was truly special for all at IILM Gurgaon, which left memories to be treasured for a lifetime!

Foreign students celebrating Holi at IILM Gurgaon

Students from the Semester exchange program celebrating Holi at IILM Gurgaon

Sports Fun at IILM Gurgaon

Alumni, IILM Undergraduate Business School, IILM University, Uncategorized,

Sports Fun at IILM Gurgaon

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear” Buddha

Student Engagement has always added a different flavor to campus life at IILM Gurgaon. There are innumerable opportunities to develop current interests or to try out novel ones, during the stay at IILM Gurgaon. But a game of Volleyball or Cricket has always been  considered as the most preferred activity by the students in IILM Gurgaon, which eases the stress of the entire day. Keeping this in mind, Wednesday, 11th March 2015 was dedicated towards conducting Sports activities at the campus.

Amidst the buzz of classes and assignments, students across the Undergraduate and Post-graduate programs, were excited to participate in the recently held Volleyball, Basketball and Cricket matches.

While the students from the Undergraduate program won the Cricket Match, the game of Volleyball and Basketball got the scores equal between the two teams.

Students and faculty members watched with excitement and cheered the teams they supported.

The games continued till the evening and left the campus buzzing with a contagious zeal.