The CII HR Summit on Developing Future Leaders in India was conducted on Tuesday, 28 July 2015 at Hotel Le Meridian, New Delhi. The 14th edition of the CII HRM Summit focused on ‘Developing future leaders in India.’ The Summit covered various aspects of building leadership skills in today’s young corporate professionals and entrepreneurs – both at a personal level and at an institutional level.

ILM Faculty and Students with Mr Gurcharan Das

IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon participated in the conference as Quiz Partners with CII . The attendees were Dr Sujata Shahi, Ms Aparna Kaushik, and Dr Kiran Sakkar Sudha with students from PGDM 15-17 batch. The quiz had three rounds where the entire content was formulated by the IILM Institute for Business and Management, Gurgaon. The quiz winners were declared at the conference. The first position was taken by DCM Shriram Ltd, Ist Runner-up was Fortis Healthcare Ltd and the IInd Runner-up was Secure Meters Ltd. HR managers below 35 years of age were eligible to participate in the quiz.. The CII awarding fraternity announced IILM Institute for Business and Management as their Quiz Partners with special thanks to Dr Sujata Shahi and Ms Aparna Kaushik to lead the process for them effectively.

Opening Key Note Speaker for the conference was the eminent speaker, author Mr Gurcharan Das. The theme of his speech was Leading in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) World. He stressed on issues like traits of future leaders: Determination, Humility and Attitude. He outlined that people should be hired for their attitude not for the skills. Skills can be taught if the employee recruited has the right attitude. He opined that Never Say No and can do attitude plays an important role in identifying the potential leader. Mr Das suggested that the best way to hire the right attitude candidate is to catch them young. The corporates should ensure structured integrated internships program which should not run in isolation and as an isolated activity. He suggested that organizations should promote campus hiring and do summer hiring. He advised corporates to ensure that recruitment and selection process should focus on locating right attitude.

Mr Das’ session was followed up by a panel discussion on Leadership – Nature or Nurture?. Eminent panelist include Mr P D Rai (MP, Sikkim), Mr Banmali Agrawala (President, CEO: GE South Asia), Mr Pramod Bhasin (Chairman, The Skills Academy and Founder and Vice Chairman: Genpact), Mr BalajiKrishnaswami (Head Communication and Sustainability, Hindustan Power Projects Pvt Ltd).

The main highlights of the panel discussion were focus on leadership development, role of disruptive change and risk taking attitude of the organisations. Mr Bhasin quoted “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast”, hence organisation needs to ensure right culture to nurture leadership.

The next session was on “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t you Happy? The panelists for the session were Mr Harpal Singh (Mentor & Chairman Emeritus, Fortis Healthcare Limited) and Prof Raj Raghunathan (University of Texas, Austin). The session evoked answers to many questions such as what are the determinants of a happy and fulfilling life, why people are not happy even if they are very successful. Three basic needs were identified that were regarded as MBA (Mastery, Belongingness, Autonomy) by Prof Raj Raghunathan.

This session was followed by the session on Personal Journey of Leadership. The session focused on leadership as more a journey than a destination. The speakers were Dr Subash K Bijlani (President, Magnus Engineers Pvt. Ltd), Mr K Ramkumar (Executive Director–ICICI Bank), and Mr S Sandilya (Chairman Eicher Goodearth Limited).

The last session of the day focused on the  different aspects of Entrepreneurship. Mr Indrajit Gupta (Co-Founder and Director, Founding Fuel Publishing Pvt Ltd), Mr Hindol, Sengupta (Editor-at-Large, Fortune India), and Mr AnkurWarikoo (CEO, Groupon India) presented various thought provoking insights into the main stream ideas and challenges related to the aspect of Entrepreneurship in India.

The conference was a great learning experience and students have expressed their desire to attend more such events to understand the industry perspectives and their requirements from the future managers.

IILM Faculty and Students with Mrs Rumjhum Chatterjee, Group MD, Feedback Infra Pvt Ltd

NHRD Network has conducted a session on “Best Employer practice sharing driving performance excellence where around 56 members joined in. The students and faculty members attended the session and were benefited by the learning from the corporate leaders.

The eminent speakers for the session

• Mr. Marc Effron (President of Talent Strategy Group)

• Ms. Asten Martiwers (VP Delhi and NCR NHRDN)

Speaker- Mr. Marc Effron addressing audience

The Delhi Chapter of NHRD Network was the organizing committee for the session. The session began with lot of enthusiasm where students and faculty members also joined in to listen to the speakers.

Fraternity at the Event involved in the session activity

Mr Marc addressed the audience where he discussed how to predict and understand potential. He mentioned that potential is the ability to move farther and faster in the organization. He asked the audience to get into groups of 3-4 and discuss three things that best predict potential in their opinion. After the exercise audience came up with their predictions about potential which included ambition, eagerness, attitude, adaptation to new things etc and discussed about the fact that 93% of higher potential people are also higher performers. High performers produce up-to 3-12 times the result of average performer. The market hence knows them therefore it is important for the organization to know people with high potential so that they don’t loose them. He also mentioned that such people are an asset to the organization and hence should be taken care of. So he concluded that as HR leaders it is vital to make sure that high performers are identified and retained in the organization.

HIGH POTENTIAL IS BY BIRTH OR MADE??

Talking about science high potential is contribution of both intelligence and personality. Intelligence contribute 30% personality contribute 55% and contribution of both make 45% of higher potential people. The majority 55% is about fit. Science says when people ”fit” with the environment they are more engaged and have higher performance therefore best fit predicts potential. The discussion took a turn putting the CEOs in the the lime light highlighting the fact that marked differentiation between efficiency and innovation. The key factors that were highlighted were facts like:

1. The potential changes with the change in company
2. Change in companies often takes place at a faster pace than the change in people therefore flexibility is crucial
3. Limitless expectation that is boundless beyond strengths can be uncertain therefore focus should mainly be uncertain strengths in accordance to situations.

The success model states that the focus should not be limited to just their competencies since capabilities can shine in a whole new light.

He briefed the audience about how a very high performing scientist might not be a high performing sales person and vice versa.

The three thriving questions according to Mark to assess the high potential employees were:

1. Would you stake your personal success on their results?
2. What one thing is most likely that derails them in the next three years?
3. Where do they rank among the other high potentials?

Dos and Dont’s by Mr Marc Effron

1. Avoid excessive use of formal assessments
2. Be abreast of your team and team members
3. Do not focus on a primary voice
4. Leniency in ratings should not be permitted.

Hereby with the dos and dont’s Marc concluded the entire session on the note that high potential works hand in hand with efficiency, whereas any employers work primarily be attracted to employ youth with both tact and grit that would give the employer the certainty that the employee is capable to take the organization to a level higher than it originally is.

The session was presented a huge learning opportunity to the students and the academia and corporate fraternity.

Study Abroad Program to Fanshawe College Canada (PGDM Batch of 2015-17)

IILM Gurgaon campus has been buzzing with excitement with the arrival and departure of students from and to the exchange programs. We at IILM aim to provide a platform for students to develop themselves and we leave no stone unturned to provide the best to the student fraternity. The International Office at IILM works actively with its partner universities across the globe to develop opportunities that could benefit students from both the countries.

As part of the PGDM program at IILM, 1 in 4 students were selected to study a Semester abroad. The selected students from the Batch of 2014-16 arrived with great enthusiasm at EM Normandie France and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands in January 2015. The students shared their exciting experiences that enriched their learning in their Post Graduate Program.

Students at the Semester Program in EM Normandie, France (PGDM Batch of 2014-16)

As unnerving as the prospect of studying in a different country was, the moment the students set foot at the airport of a different country, they realized it was the beginning of a new journey for them. Having spent over a year at IILM Gurgaon India, the students from the batch of PGDM 2014-16 could relate well to the courses taught to them and got to implement some key concepts through the assignments, assessments and group activities assigned to them. This not only encouraged students to think out of the box but also taught them the importance of working in groups with students from diverse cultures. What ensued in Hanze was a flurry of activity, with every group clamoring to attain sponsors, plan the design, promotion, pricing etc. of the products assigned to them. All the efforts paid off as on the day of the presentation each group emerged successful in making profits out of their sales and their coaches were pleased with the students’ performance making them the proud recipients of the credits assigned to this project.

Similarly, students from the Semester Exchange Program at EM Normandie, France appreciated the courses methodology and the healthy discussions that emerged as a result of each topic taught. They also were intrigued to learn about the culture of the country and its overall impact on doing business there.

“We learn(t) something new every day, not just from our teachers, but also from our classmates, hailing from all over the world, with diverse nationalities and varying cultures. This has truly been an illuminating experience for us, and we are grateful to IILM Institute for Business and Management for giving us this opportunity of a lifetime”

SamikshaGarg (PGDM Batch of 2014-16 – HanzeUniversity of Applied Sciences Groningen) 

 Fanshawe College, London Ontario (Canada)

The batch of 2015-17 had the opportunity to go for a 4 week Study Abroad Program. Students attended Digital Marketing Programme at Fanshawe College, London Ontario (Canada) from 25 July 2015 to 23 Aug 2015. They studied Google Digital Marketing Certification. Here, the students worked with real clients and their reports were presented to them. They were also given a chance to write Google certified exams for Google Adwords and Google Analytics. The Digital Marketing Camp at Fanshawe College was composed of website and online advertising best practices to prepare the eager students from IILM to begin a career in online media management. The students from IILM embraced their Canadian experience and were able to benefit from the practical nature of the Fanshawe College experience.  Apart from the classes, there were excursions arranged for the students through which they got to visit the CN Tower (3rd tallest building in the world) in Toronto, Niagara Falls, The Great Lakes, Canada’s Wonderland and local mall visits.

HEC Belgium

Keeping in mind the global connect an international exposure through a 4 week study abroad programme was experienced by 36 students across 3 campuses to HEC Management School –University of Liege, Belgium, which is one of the oldest universities of Europe in the field of Commerce,finance, business administration, management science and Business Engineering. Identifying the changing dynamics of Global Business, during the stint the following modules were covered;

• Inter-cultural studies (Hofstede Model): Diversified culture since independence through documentaries and movies of European Union.
• Financial Markets: An overview of behavioral finance apart from the basics of financial markets
• Creativity & Innovation: Projected a Business Plan and a prototype from scratch focusing on how to persuade people to follow their passion using their skills and talent
• Human Resource Management: Comprehending the role of HR in customer centric organizations to create utmost value though a case study on a European organization called Car Glass
• Digital Marketing & Strategic Intelligence: Discussed about the change that companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon have made to the world using online strategies and media in changing the Business.

Students engaged in class activity at HEC Belgium

Apart from the above modules the courses embedded the judicious blend of City Excursions to Brugges and the capital city of Brussels and Industrial Visit to the Space Centre, Diamond factory and Chocolate Factory

It’s worth mentioning that the immersion was enriching and the students gained hands on familiarity on Culture, consumer behavior, retail structure and the country landscape.

Faculty conducting class at HEC Belgium

International Students at Campus

Apart from the outgoing students, IILM Gurgaon hosted students from its partner universities in France, Sweden and Netherlands. Baudin Jean, Bea Martin and Gay Oceane arrived in India in the month of September 2015 from ESC Troyes. They will be studying the Stage 3 course of the University of Bradford program at IILM. Also, Maarten Velthuijs (from Hanze Groningen), Anna Gottfridsson (from Linneaus), Rafal Wisniewski (HZ University) and YahyaYahyayev (HZ University) have begun with their studies in Stage 3 of the Undergraduate Program. Further to this AugustinBachoud, RemiLegrand, Raphael Martin – Guiheneuc and Gauthier Heron from EM Normandie have joined in Stage 2 of the Undergraduate program at IILM Gurgaon. Each student has been assigned a mentor at IILM Gurgaon, who would guide them through their academics and extra-curricular activities during their exchange program here at IILM.

Ad Mad@ IILM, Gurgaon

Marketing and advertising are age old tools which are quite vital for any business to prosper. Since when the first civilizations started walking the planet, business has been an integral part of the human society starting from the barter system to modern digital stock marketing. For one’s business to prosper, an effective marketing strategy is an obvious necessity. On the 8th of September, 2015, IILM Institute of Business and Management engineered an event which gave its students a firsthand understanding of marketing and advertising. The Marketing Club introduced an event called “Ad Mads”.

Students were required to form groups of 5 for participating in the competition. The numbers were really very encouraging when it came to participants. There were a total of 7 teams who had registered for the event ready to go head to head with each other. The rules of the competition were quite simple and yet elaborate. Groups were to choose any FMCG product and market their product in three phases as mentioned in the rules.

PHASE I- Phata Poster Nikla Hero

Phase 1 of the competition required the groups to introduce their products to the judges. Now, the first impression of any commercial product is vital, thus the criticality of this phase could not be ignored. The winning group chose a clothing line named “BC-Bright and Clean” line of clothing. Here they have to highlight factor in design, quality, technology used in manufacturing, customer feasibility and prevailing market conditions.

PHASE II- Poster presentation

The second phase of the competition required the groups to prepare posters containing information and graphics about their respective products and to display them before the judges. As easy it may sound, poster making is a tricky business. Not only do you have make the poster attractive but you also have to include all the necessary details about your product so as to give the customers a clear understanding of the product

PHASE III- Advertising

The third phase was probably the most dynamic of the three stages involved in the competition. Teams were required to either present pre-shot advertisements of their product or perform live skits, again showcasing their product. The response was phenomenal. Teams came up with skits organised quite meticulously and with a huge factor of humor involved engrossing the audience into what they were doing. This round highlighted that students of IILM, Gurgaon were richly equipped with creativity and innovation.

THE WINNERS

The  winners were, Rashika Goel, Ashish Anand, Rakshita Chowdhary, Taleen Bhateja and  Sagnik Das (PGDM 15-17) as team members.

Talent Hunt

The first event of Utsav – The Cultural Club started off with a bang for the new batch of 2015-17 with the Talent Hunt competition. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the classes, the students managed to pull off a great show, helping their colleagues and themselves to showcase their hidden talents.

The activity was a wonderful welcome and a much needed breather to the student’s academic schedule. It was the first time in two weeks of the orientation programme that the students were able to interact with the faculty and staff members. This talent hunt marked the beginning of an eventful year ahead. The spirited students participated in singing and dancing events organized by their peers to present their forte in a specific area. The songs and dance presented, were a great blend of traditional and contemporary styles. The hosts of the day did a fabulous job by getting the crowd to put on their thinking caps as they bombarded the audience with a series of rapid fire rounds. They also organized Extempore which allowed people from the audience to speak on a topic for a few minutes. The faculty members came up for the extempore on the request of the students and brought a smile to every students face. All the students were applauded and rewarded for their participation and noteworthy performances.

The event was a great platform for students to flaunt their talent and was the first of many such events to come by Utsav – The Cultural Club at IILM Gurgaon!

-Shreya Mukherjee (PGDM Student, Batch of 2015-17, IILM Gurgaon)

INDEPENDENCE DAY Celebration 2015

Displaying the vibrant “Colors of India”, Utsav– The Cultural Club presented its next event after the start of the new session in August 2015. The event marked the coming together of PG1 & PG2 students to display their love and devotion for the country. Celebrating the 69th Independence Day, the event showcased both modern and traditional India.

Starting off with a Street play, “Bharat Mahan” the students projected Indian historical events right from the struggle of independence, to post independence and wrapped up beautifully to the present scenario of the Indian subcontinent. The dramatization of the insurmountable pains and struggles of our lost heroes struck a chord with the audience. The audience was enthralled with the dance performances, which showcased the vibrancy and colors of India – Des Rangeela, accompanied with various other performances depicted the states and culture prevalent in India and commercial India. To sway the audience, a college band performed a lyrical display of patriotism. The faculties and audience were kept engaged through a fashion show,which was conducted to identify the best-dressed students with respect to the theme. 2 boys and 2 girls were awarded with the title and were applauded for their patriotic attire.

The event proved to be a huge success and got everyone engrossed with the celebrations. It truly felt like a Mil-e-Sur day for us at the IILM Gurgaon Campus as it inspired us all to keep the unity and patriotism for our country in tact and further to celebrate the pride of being Indians. Jai Hind!

– RADHIKA BANSAL (PGDM Batch of 2015-17, IILM Gurgaon)

Teachers day and Janmashtami celebration

Amidst the management rigor, the students of IILM can not imagine anything existing without their faculty members, who put in a lot of hard work into the students and to dedicate only one day to them would not do justice to appreciate all the things the faculties do each day.

The event was conducted in two parts. The students of IILM Gurgaon planned a two-day event to celebrate Janamashtami and Teachers Day with the Faculties and Staff on the 4th& 5th of September 2015

On 4th September 2015, the event started with a Janamashtami Puja where the birth of Lord Krishna was celebrated by a small ceremonial “Bhogh” to the Lord followed by a “Handi Todd” where the students huddled up and made a human pyramid in order to burst the “Matka” or Earthen pot filled with milk which was hung by a rope on the ceiling.

The Teachers Day Celebrations began thereafter where song dedications were made by the students to felicitate the faculty members followed by a couple of games and fun to engage the faculty members and staff. As students of IILM it was a treat to our eyes to see our teachers turning into students and displaying their fun sides. The day ended on a fabulous note and the awaiting surprise for Part 2 of the celebration.

On 5th September, the teachers were busy in conducting their lecture and the students were engaged in arranging a party in the college cafeteria for the faculty and staff members. All the faculty members were invited and a cake cutting ceremony was conducted. On request of our teachers, the roles were reversed- the teachers acted as students and vice-versa. In the end, the students expressed their gratitude for their loving teachers through the card collage, which were much appreciated by the faculty and staff members.

This marked the end of the 2-day event for Teachers Day and gave the students a chance to express their gratitude to the faculty members. Their guidance and warmth do not let us miss our loved ones even for a minute in the day!

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” – Albert Einstien

– RADHIKA BANSAL (Student at IILM Gurgaon, Batch of 2015-17)

NGO Club Event

NGO Club Pukar of IILM Institute for Business and Management organized an event where students members invited kids of support staff and kids from nearby slum areas to the campus. There were a number of activities organized for these kids by our students. There were role play activities, dance performances, games ,drawing and a host of other activities for the development of these kids. Student members took full charge of the event from organizing to managing .At the end kids were served fruit juices and snacks plus gifts which made their day.

Participation in Digital India

student participation in Digital India Week

IILM Gurgaon has celebrated Digital India Week on 10th July 2015. The event was organized by Dr. Vidhisha Vyas, Prof. Shweta Sharma and Dr. Kiran Sakkar Sudha.

Various competitions were held on the day which includes Oratory Competition, Slogan Writing competition and Photography competitions on the themes revolving around digital India. A video on National E- Governance Plan was also played which was highly appreciated by the audience.

The competition was opened by Dr. Vidhisha Vyas in presence of faculty members. Students participated actively and enthusiastically in all the events. The popular theme of the oratory were ‘Learning vs class room learning’ and’ Is net neutrality a key to Digital India campaign?’ Popular theme for slogan writing and photography was digital India.

The event was judged by Prof. Deepika Hooda, Dr. Nikhil Varghese and Prof. Inderjeet Kaur. The results were announced by Dr. Nikhil Varghese. Mr. Rohit won the first prize and Mr. Himanshu won the second prize for the oratory competition.

Dr. Kiran Sakkar Sudha closed the event with her thought provoking and encouraging words. Prof. Shweta Sharma has professionally managed the social media part of the event.

1. Faculty Development Program on the topic: “Being a Teacher in 2015” was conducted by Dr. Nikhil Varghese on 22^nd May, 2015 at IILM Gurgaon. In the FDP Dr. Varghese stressed on how times have changed and how has teaching and learning changed in the 21^st There was a consensus among all faculty members present that technology has become an important enabler in education and teachers today have to quickly adapt to the latest technology in classrooms. Two short videos on innovative teaching and a talk by Bill Gates were also played during the FDP.
2. Faculty Development program in the area of PRME was conducted on 15th May at IILM, Gurgaon by Ms. Ritu Sharma on “Responsible Kids Marketing”. Television seems to become a growing source of parental anxiety. Parents worry most of all about the amount and kinds of program / ADs their children watch, and definitely these fears are legitimate. According to a recent survey report on Television and Society it is found that, by the time the average  child (one who watches two to four hours of television daily), leaves elementary school, he or she will have witnessed at least 8,000 murders and more than 100,000 other assorted acts of violence on television. Another big question related to this issue is what’s for marketer on cartoon channels for kids? FDP was aimed at analyzing not only the impact of TV on kids but also children as a new and lucrative target for marketers. Unlike books, television programs are easily accessible to children.
3. Faculty Development program in the area of Operations was conducted on 24th April at IILM, Gurgaon by Ms. Maheshwari Sathyananda on “Re-thinking Supply Chain”. The program started with a discussion on how globalization has forced companies to sustain competitive advantage by reducing lead time & operating cost, ethical practices in supply chain and product returns / recall due to quality issue, etc. Faculties were taken through the process of Reverse Logistics, Green Supply Chain and Waste Management besides a video which was played on Green Supply Chain. Faculty were divided into groups and each group identified an industry and came up with the kind of reverse logistics design and how it increases customer satisfaction and reduces cost in supply chain.
4. Faculty Development program on “Web Life Balance” was conducted by Dr. Kiran Sakkar Sudha on 10^th April, 2015. The rush hour life was discussed through videos and narratives. Prototype life and work cycle in the digital era was carefully scrutinized. The participants learnt that how balance is a subjective notion. Benefits and harms of technology at work and home were shared. To chalk down the role of working mother and father in the Indian context were given as assessments where the participants brainstormed on numerous conflicts and whether or not it could be resolved. Real life examples and setting priorities for healthy mind at work were conclusively acknowledged. The session was interactive and lot of personal life and work deliberations were shared for the larger connect.
5. Faculty Development program on “innovative social campaigns” was conducted by Ms. Shweta Sharma on Friday, 27^th March, 2015 under the PRME theme. The FDP focused on the sixth principle of PRME, Which encourages dialog among educators on socially relevant topics. The FDP introduced participants to the evolution and basic concepts of social marketing. The participants analyzed successful social campaigns and discussed the underlying commonalities. The session concluded with an activity wherein the faculty had to apply the session learning at IILM.
6. Faculty Development program on “Service Quality – The Gap Model” was conducted by Ms. Ruchi Shah & Ms. Radhika Madaan on 27^th February, 2015. The speakers shared the importance of service quality in different contextual setting and the possible quality components that needs to be taken care of. The participants learnt how to measure the various types of gaps in service quality. The speakers broaden the perspective in multiple spheres. The concept was very relevant and can be applied in every organization. During the session, it has been discussed that how an organization can improve the quality of their services by applying Service Quality – The GAP model. Various real life examples have been discussed during the session. Overall the session was very interactive. The participants appreciated the speakers’ depth of knowledge in the field of Marketing.
7. Faculty Development program on “Skills for Blog Writing” was conducted by Mr. Vikram Sharma on 6th February, 2015. The speaker introduced the blogging platform of IILM to the faculty. He shared the various features of blogging and how to create and share content. Vikram guided the participants regarding issues and doubts with blog writing. The participants appreciated the speaker’s depth of knowledge in this field. The FDP session was very interactive.
8. Faculty Development program on “Financial Contagion in Asian Markets” was conducted by Ms. Shegorika Lalchandani on 22^nd January, 2015. The speaker shared the concept of financial interdependence and contagion. The concept of interdependence of stock markets of Asian countries with the developed nations of the world was discussed. Some recent cases about crisis in various countries were discussed. The participants appreciated the speaker’s depth of knowledge in the field of Finance. The FDP session was very interactive.

Faculty Development program conducted by International Faculty:

1. Faculty Development program on interweaving “Cross-Cultural Encounters and Yoga”  by visiting professor Reimara Valk from Netherlands was conducted on Friday 20^th February, 2015. The theme of the session was uniting home and host country cultures in cross-cultural encounters and how it can improve mental and cross-cultural awareness and flexibility. The session also resembled the philosophy of Yoga: Improving mental and physical awareness and flexibility. The FDP concluded on experience sharing on cross-cultural encounters and practicing yoga.

2. Faculty Development program on “Responsible Business / Sustainability and Role in Education” was conducted by Guest Speaker Ms. Stefanie Chen on 13^th February, 2015. She is a lecturer of International Marketing Management and Corporate Strategy in University of Applied Sciences, Voralberg. The concepts of strategic thinking on sustainable issues were elaborated. Various inputs were given on how sustainability should be inculcated in education. The participants appreciated the speaker’s depth of knowledge in the field of responsible business practice and liked the vividness with which speaker has presented her arguments. The passion of the instructor was inspiring. Overall, a good perspective on sustainability as a concern across international boundaries was shared. The session was also a gentle reminder to the participants as educators about their responsibility to inculcate responsibilities in students.

Placement week at IILM

Placement week was conducted between 9 February 2015 and 13 February 2015 at Gurgaon campus aiming to prepare the students of 1st year – PGDM both for summer internship and campus placements. The week started off with an inspiring talk by Mr. Preet Kamal Sodhi from banking industry, shared his experience on how to be confident and focused in achieving the goal. Through the “Sneak Peak” series, our Alumni from various industry segments shared their experiences on summer internship, which helped students understand the journey from internship to final placement and gave them an insight on choosing the right summer internship.

TEDx videos on “interview skills” and “how to conduct oneself in a confident manner” were shown to students followed by role play on personal interviews. Students had profiling session to make them realise their passion in life and the area in which they want to pursue the internship. A resume-writing session was also done wherein the students prepared their resume in the standard format which was later reviewed and signed off by respective mentors. Since teamwork is crucial skill at work, the students also participated in team building activities which were fun learning experience.

Visit to Fortis Memorial Research Institute

On 13^th February 2015, the first year undergraduate students visited Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurgaon, accompanied by Ms Shegorika Lalchandani. The objective of the visit was to introduce the students to the management environment in the medical industry. In addition to learning the various functions of a hospital, the students were given an in-depth walk through the complexities of hospital management systems, especially the operations.

Holi Celebrations at IILM Gurgaon

The festival of colour 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 lawns were sprayed with the vibrant colours that the students and staff members greeted each other with. Gujiya, cutlets and thandai added flavour 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.

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 flavour 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.

Art Camp

Between 9^th and 13^th March 2015, IILM School of Design organised its 5^th Art Camp at Gurgaon. IILM played host to eminent and upcoming artists from India and across the world such as Mr. Tristram Miravalles, Mr. Gopal Samantray, Ms. Gunjan Tyagi, Ms. Nupur Kundu, Mr. Somu Desai, Mr. Sundhanshu Sutar and Mr. Tejinder Kanda. Students, faculty, alumni and parents were all invited to participate in the camp. Over the week, visitors had the opportunity to experience art while the artists worked live to create masterpieces. Mr. Somu Desai also gave a presentation on nature art to students and faculty, where in the audience was introduced to the creation of art using biodegradable material.

Spatula Art by Mr Tejinder Kanda

Report on Venture Capitalist Roundtable Series 2015

Most of the aspiring entrepreneurs have an idea that is commercially viable; unfortunately they do not have the necessary funding to take it forward. With the changing market dynamics now budding entrepreneurs have various avenues in the form of venture capitalists, banks and other funding agencies. On 13^th March 2015, keeping pace with the changing environment Ignite incubation centre at IILM, in collaboration with SME JOINUP, hosted the Venture Capitalist Roundtable Series 2015, supported by Nasscom 10k Start-ups.

The VC Round Table offered an opportunity for potential entrepreneurs to present their ideas and interact with interested investors. The event had 35 entrepreneurs and 5 investor for VC Round Table. The event saw engaging sessions where speakers shared their personal experiences and offered insights into being an entrepreneur. Mr. Nitin Agarwal, an IIT alumnus and an entrepreneur, advised the participants on “How to pitch to investors?”

Venture Capital Round Up

World Cup Fever

End of March found everyone, students and faculty alike, in the grip of world cup fever. With India unbeaten until the semis, a screening for India Vs. Australia was organised for students in the cafeteria. On the day of the match, students cheered and encouraged Team India. Despite India losing out on the berth to the Finals, students took India’s defeat in stride and made sure that sportsmanship spirit was victorious.

World Cup Fever at IILM IBM

Guest Lecture on Digital Marketing

As part of the Digital Marketing course, Mr. Rishabh Garg, Product and Solutions Specialist with Google took a session with the undergraduate and post-graduate students on “Understanding the Digital Eco-System”. Mr. Garg discussed and explained the fundamentals of search engine optimization, search engine marketing and web analytics. Students showed an interest in pursuing a career in digital marketing, all the queries related to that were addressed by Mr. Garg. He shared his practical knowledge and experience with the students which made the session very interactive.

Visit to Mother Dairy Plant by IILM Gurgaon students

The post graduate and undergraduate students of IILM Gurgaon visited the Mother Dairy plant on 6th April, 2015 accompanied by two faculty members. The objective of the visit to Mother Dairy manufacturing plant was to make them aware about the supply chain of the company. The trainers helped them in understanding the details of the milk industry, operation flood, processes that they follow, distribution channels and how they maintain quality of the milk. Students were taken around the whole plant and the company representatives gave them a presentation on their processes followed by a Q&A round.

Industrial Visit to Mother Dairy Ghaziabad

Guest Speakers at IILM Undergraduate Business School

Between February and April, the undergraduate students had the opportunity to learn management concepts from experts across the Industry.

As part of the entrepreneurship course, UBS students understood the challenges and must-know aspects of building your own business from Mr. Swapnil, an entrepreneur himself. Mr. Prottoy Basu from Double Tree Hilton gave an industry perspective on Customer Relationship Management to the third year students. Ms. Reimara, international faculty, advised second year students on Stress Management. She also discussed the various aspects of National Minimum Wage with stage 3 students. Ms. Stefanie Chen (Lecturer of International Marketing Management and Corporate Strategy in University of Applied Sciences, Voralberg) conducted a session on “Strategic Challenges and Leadership” for stage 3 students. Mr. Ashish Agarwal from McKinsey enlightened the students on the impact of the budget on Indian economy. Mr. Naurine Kakkar, CEO, Law Institute introduced the nuances of business law to the first year undergraduates.

Throughout the semester, multiple guest faculties were invited to give an industry view to the undergraduate students, which also complemented the in-class learning.

Family Business Conference

The Family Business Management Conference was organised at Lodhi Road Campus on 15th of April 2015 on the topic ‘The Future of Family Business in the 21st Century. The conference aimed to bring together family business entrepreneurs to share ideas and insights, foster learning and inspire young minds. During the conference, Mr. Vishesh Chandiok addressed the audience on the challenges before family in India. Industry leaders, such as Ms. Divya Suri Singh, Mr. Shashank Raizada and Mr. Rajiv Jain, discussed succession planning and significance of family generations learning from each other. The students and faculty also benefitted from the experiences shared by IILM alumni, Mr. Riju Jhunjhunwala, Ms Paliwal and Ms Kirti Chawla, who talked about their learnings from their family businesses and building new ventures. Throughout the day, speakers fielded questions from the audience, providing clarity on the different facets of family business in India.

Charity Drive by Pukar

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”. Keeping this in mind, Pukar, the NGO club at IILM Institute for Business & Management, organised a donation drive where in faculty and students were encouraged to donate for the poor and needy people. The drive saw everybody coming together for the cause and donating items such as came forward with items such as clothes, books and food items.

Convocation Ceremony for Class of 2015

On 20^th May 2015, IILM Institute for Business & Management proudly bid adieu to the class of 2015. The graduation ceremony was presided by Mr. Chandra Shekhar Verma, Chairman – Steel Authority of India Limited. 134 students of the P.G. class of 2015 were conferred with Post Graduate Diploma in Management at IILM, Lodhi road campus in presence of chairperson – Mrs. Malvika Rai and members of board of governors (IILM), distinguished guests, proud parents and graduating students. The chief guest congratulated the winners and acknowledged the graduates with humble wishes and inspiring quotes. Honourable Mr. Chandrashekhar Verma enlightened the students by sharing the future of Indian economy and the need of bright young professionals. He concluded the address by sharing few success mantras with students, encouraging them to stay true to their goal, have a strong will and patience to learn combined with respect and integrity for all. The convocation ended on a high note with the faculty congratulating the new graduates and their parents on their achievement.