GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
-
Upload
madhukarshukla -
Category
Documents
-
view
217 -
download
0
Transcript of GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
1/25
Here is the first issue of GliMPse for the year 2011-2012. GliMPse was conceptualized as a
newsletter by the batch of 2010-11 to capture the essence of life at XLRI GMP variety,
experience and some spice!! We are trying to sustain and uphold that enthusiasm, make it a
tradition and also create new ones during our time here.
This newsletter is an attempt to tell stories that are relevant, present a compelling and honest
description of this important phase of our life here establish a connect with the faculty and
alumni and in the process strengthen the GMP brand. We have tried to package distinct andperiodic types of information - such as GMP News/Events, faculty and alumni interviews,
smaller stories about areas of special interest, such as sports, batch accomplishments and
other developments.
We also have some viewpoints/special-interest articles on entrepreneurship in the fields of agri-
culture, cloud computing and breathing as a potent tool that any living being possesses.
Whats new this time: We have a section with special focus on GMP Alumni containing infor-
mation on alumni profiles and activities. This edition has an interview of Girish Hukkeri (Class
of 2006), an entrepreneur and founder of embryoFund, the enabling ecosystem for early-stage
entrepreneurs. We encourage our alumni to contribute to this section, to renew and reinforce
their association to their alma mater, the GMP brand and the current batch of students.
Overall we have made every effort to represent and capture the great diversity of interest,
opinion and background inherent in the current batch and among GMP Alumni. There is no big
theory, it does not say anything profound, just a simple and concise look at what we felt really
matters in our lives and times here - but we do hope that it leaves an imprint and you find it as
a refreshing change from the usual business school case studies and the course reference ma-
terials.
We hope you enjoy this edition of GliMPse! And do drop in a line or two at [email protected]
to let us know what you think!
From the Committees desk...I N S I D E T H I SI S S U E :XLRI Leadership
Series
2
Diary of a GMPian 3
Diversity and
Medicos
5
Beyond the
Classroom
7
XLens Photog-
raphy Contest
9
Village Trip 10
Agripreneurs 12
Alumni Interview 14
Adventure Trips
and Team Building
16
Cloud Computing 18
Breathe 20
Rendezvous with
Reality
21
Whats up at GMP? 23
1 5 S E P T E M B E R , 2 0 1 1V O L U M E 2 I S S U E 1
S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T :
The XLRI GMP Newsletter
Diary of GMPian XLens Photography Cloud Computing Event SnippetsThe Magazine Committee
Aditya Jha, Ankana Mehra, Deepak Khandelwal, Hrishikesh C, Ipshita Ghosh, Kaustuv Dasgupta, Rajeev Shahi,
Shreya Kohojkar, Vinay Mudgil, Vipul Patki
G l iMPse
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected] -
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
2/25
What is the mantra of success for any manager?
More than anything else its their can do
approach and readiness to learn which pave the
way for higher accomplishments. This was the
message echoed by Mr. Saumen Chakraborty,
President & Global Head of Quality, HR & IT,
Dr. Reddy's, during his visit to the campus on 7 th
August.
Mr. Chakraborty was the
Inaugural speaker of the "XLRI
Leadership Series", an initiative
of the GMP batch of 2012
where eminent industry experts
share their professional life
journeys and insights into the
industry with the students. As
can be imagined, the session
was highly rewarding as the
students were able to relate the
management concepts learnt in
class with real-life implementa-
tions of those concepts.
An IIM-A alumnus, Mr. Chakraborty has over 23
years of experience in both strategic and
operational aspects of management: as a
management consultant, line manager and as anHR facilitator. In his illustrious career, he has also
donned diverse roles in portfolios such as
Finance, Operations including manufacturing,
sourcing and customer service, TQM, IT,
Corporate Communications, Strategic planning
and executed projects in various assignments
spanning across CMC, C-DOT, Eicher, Tecumseh
and now Dr. Reddys.
Mr. Chakraborty talked at length about
Dr. Reddys and its transformation into a global
organization. He spoke about Dr. Reddys
inspiring yet unassuming leadership style and,
taking a leaf out of his own experiences,
enlightened the students on some important
aspects of leadership:
Being humble and honest. Listening and taking
cues and willingness to learn even from your
subordinates
Awareness of yourself and your strengths and the
ability to leverage them
Being open to experiments and the capability to
smell opportunities
Everyone has tremendous inherent potential and
performance is not directly influenced
only by potential. Potential is inhibit-
ed by external factors in cases and a
leader has to identify those and
alleviate the influence of those factors
Understand what creates value forthe organization, one of the key
contributors to performance and
growth
Leadership or the lack of it can be a
constraint to opportunity growth
He discussed at length about the
impact robust and clear processes can have on
organizational growth and how adherence to safety,
quality and efficiency leads to flawless delivery and
brand building. He also emphasized on the increas-
ing cross functional nature of a managers job and
asked students to develop leadership qualities to be
prepared for challenging roles.
Appreciating the diversity of GMP students hailing
from diverse sectors such as Media, Healthcare,
Energy, Manufacturing, IT, FMCG, HR, Mining,
Finance, Textiles et al, Mr Chakraborty urged all to
make the most of the curriculum and the peer-
learning.
The captivated audience listened in rapt attention
and expressed their gratitude to Mr. Chakraborty for
being a source of inspiration. It is but human nature
to warm to somebody with whom we can relate, and
there was as much food for thought for all of us af-
ter the address as there was admiration for the
man.
XLRI Leadership Series - Saumen
Chakraborty
Page 2
Aditya Jha
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
3/25
June 9: At last reached XLRI! Dr. Prashant
Karajgi, a fellow GMPian and I had chatted almost
non-stop from Kolkata airport to our destination.CorrectionI chatted, while he listened; very
much like that unfortunate blighter trapped by the
gaze of the Ancient Mariner. I must admit, the
medical profession trains its sons well. He was
courteous enough to give me company even in
the campus. A less gallant person would have
avoided me at the earliest opportunity.
I see a lot of familiar
faces who already happen
to be friends on facebook.
The usual hey-there-nice-to-see-you- in-person,
Sor ry-what-was-your -
name-again and WHAT-
you-too-from-TCS stuff. I
get a mild shock to see
Amit Raj Singh, however.
I mean, if you are friends
with Royal Enfield for two months and suddenly
see a perfectly normal person introducing himself
as Royal Enfield, you are entitled to stare at him
incredulously for a few seconds. But a pleasant
cove he turns out to be. Prasanna, the spammerextraordinaireof our facebook group, too seems a
lot different from his facebook profile and a lot
older. I get a feedback from the junta that my
profile picture and my actual face are also vastly
different, so I guess that makes us even.
June 10: Breakfast at Fr Enright mess. Another
round of hey-there-nice-to-see-you-in-person,
Sorry-what-was-your-name-again and What-you-
too-from-TCS? stuff. First visit to Bistupur. We get
our sim cards a plain vanilla prepaid card for
me. But whats with the rickshaw wallahs? Crazy
charges!
I am beginning to suspect that Nitin Rai has been
making secret visits to XLRI for the past ten
years. He seems to know everything about XLRI. I
would peg the odds at 100:7 that he can walk
blindfolded from the Admin building to our hostel. I
wont be surprised if he is elected as the CR of our
batch.
Tomorrow is an important day. In fact, a very im-
portant day. I have been worrying myself half to
death over the contents of this orientation course.
Did I make a mistake in not learning basic statistics
or accounting while I was throwing parties the en-
tire month of May? Oh yes, Ive made acquaintance
with a few pretty faces which always grace any
batch of any B-school.
June 11: The College looks
almost deserted until I
learn that BM and PMIRstudents are enjoying their
break. Probably the hardest
thing over the next few
days would be remember-
ing the names of 119
students. During the lunch,
I sheepishly ask the names
of my fellow GMPians for the third time. Lectures
from 9 AM to 9 PM, but the two lectures by Prof.
Sengupta literally took my breath away; partly out
of laughter and partly due to the gasps I let out of
sheer wonder at his brilliant way of teaching. I take
a look at the next days schedule and after sev-
eral re-looks, headshakes and an arm sore from
pinches, the reality sinks in: The day will begin at 7
AM with Yoga classes, and of course, end at 9 PM.
June 14: Batches have been formed. I am in batch
B. Its a throwback to my school days where roll
numbers were based on first names. Its been a
hectic day. The new academic year would be
inaugurated tomorrow and I must sleep now. By
the way, five doctors this year in our batch. Can I
afford to fall ill and get treated free of cost?
June 15: Prof. Pranabesh Ray inaugurated the new
academic year. Verses from The Gita, The Quran,
and the Bible were quoted during the ceremony.
Fr McGrath, at 90, still retains his charm and
Diary of a GMPianVipul Patki
Page 3
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
4/25
humor. We (GMPians) realize we are the only
ones in formals.
June 16: Fr Jesurajan seems to know everything
about everything. He even knows Russian. With
each Managerial Communications (MCN) lecture, I
am wondering more and more how my woeful
communication was tolerated by my company.
Then I think about my boss and his I-hope-we-are
-in-sink communication and I dont feel so bad.
His boss in turn was even more abysmal. Its a
lucky day for me that I am finding time for my
diary entries, and I feel such days may be num-
bered. We are going to a place called Patamda
near Jamshedpur for a three-day visit to an NGO
working there.
June 19: Excellent, if a bit sobering, visit to
Patamda. Food served was superb. I got to knowat least 14 batch-mates better in these three
days. No internet. I never knew staying away
from the digital world would be such fun!
June 21: On an average, five corporate myths of
mine are being busted every MCN lecture by Fr
Jesurajan. Some of my friends have reported an
even greater number. At this rate, we might as
well apply to companies as fresh graduates, albeit
smarter graduates. Making summer while the hay
shines. I am enjoying a rare luxury today: free
time.June 23: Back from the adventure trip. Wow!!!
Rappelling, rock-climbing, river-rafting and much
more, all in three days. I started back as I saw
myself in the mirror for the first time in three
days. I am tanned by several degrees. Thank God,
my parents arent here. But whos complaining??
It was a revelation of sorts that great sleep with-
out a fan on a humid night is possible.
June 30: A few unfortunate ones among us had to
give a speech in the MCN lecture. Gussie Fink-
Nottle would have been proud of some of them.Worse, Father let them know in the class itself
what exactly he thought about the speeches
and what he thought certainly wasnt nice. I guess
it was only his shock and disbelief at our
performance that stopped him from berating us
further. I have an appointment with God tomorrow
to thank him for keeping me out of this exercise.
He deserves a treat. Rs. 51 seems to be a goodamount. The lark is on the wing, the snail is on the
thorn, the God is in his heaven and all is well with
this world
July 14: I see the cruel joke Cosmos has played.
Two weeks of break from the diary-entry-ing rou-
tine and what am I writing? Essentially the oppo-
site of the June 30 entry. Is there anything going
right in this world?? M/S Pain Begins Ltd and M/S
Pain Escalates Ltd. Aargh!! Yes, these were the
names of firms in our MANAC test today.
July 17: Life is currently one interminable series ofquizzes and assignments.
July 20: Dear Diary, it pains me to write this but I
feared for this day ever since I got the offer letter
from XLRI. I am tired of this hide-and-seek game
between the two of us. Every night, I come home,
get an alert on the laptop about the diary entry and
almost daily, I cancel it even as I cast an almost
furtive glance at you. It doesnt help that you are a
dull gray in color. It only adds to the poignancy of
the situation. May be youll feel better if you know
that what spiritual agony I am myself going
through. Its not just the lack of sleep that burnsme I am too strong for that. Whats killing me is
the fact that I am too busy to appreciate the crowd
as I trudge back from Daddus to my lecture hall,
wondering instead whether we would have a sur-
prise quiz in MHB. If there exists a more painful
opportunity loss, I am not aware of it. Just last
night, I dreamt that I have been suddenly asked by
Fr Jesurajan in the class to introduce myself and I
am unable to let out anything more than a few
gurgles and gulps, more like a frog clearing his
sore throat. I suspect this is going to be my last
diary entry in XLRI. I hope that someday a tear or
two would probably bedew this page as readers are
moved by the pathos contained in it.
Page 4
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
5/25
Dynamic markets demand that its frontrun-ners possess a sound knowledge of various
subjects ranging from operations research,
strategic management, management
accounting, and to sustainable development.
But is this theoretical knowledge enough?
The same management concepts could be
applied differently to the workings of each
industry sector, and actually provide a
platform for lateral thinking and innovation.
Doesnt this give us enough reasons to reject
the dogmatic views on who and why one
needs management education?
An enlightening glimpse of the multifarious
General Management Program (GMP) 2011-
12 batch at XLRI revealed the importance
attributed to business management
education across different industries. XLRIs
admissions philosophy is also based on
attaining a right mix of students belonging to
diverse industries, which in turn provides first
-hand learning through peer-to-peerinformation exchange.
The current GMP batch comprises students
from close to 13 different industries and
provides the perfect combination of
management education through pedagogy
and experiential learning. The
eclectic mix consists of students whobring along core domain knowledge from
different industries such as Media,
Medical & Healthcare, Energy, Manufac-
turing, Information Technology, FMCG,
Human Resources, Business Consulting,
Telecommunication, Steel, Mining, Appar-
els, Banking, Textiles & Fashion. Yes,
thats what the current GMP batch is
made up of!
A closer look at the relevance of
management education to the healthcare
industry uncovers some of the incentives
that attract doctors to management
schools.
India has seen a tremendous growth in
the healthcare industry, mainly through
privatization fuelled by the deficiencies in
the public health delivery system of India.
The advent of corporate hospitals was a
result of the change in the orientation of
the industry from welfare to business,
supported by the various policy level
initiatives made by the government.
Consequently, and rightly so, the need for
business management burgeoned
amongst the practitioners of medical
profession.
As the healthcare industry corporatizes,
we will continue to observe doctors
transitioning from specialized medicos into
senior executives sensitive to thespecificities of the corporate world. Be it
managing people, building strategies,
analyzing financials or marketing a
service, doctors would be able to take
critical corporate decisions without
depending on external agents.
Diversity and Medicos...Ankana Mehra
Page 5
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
6/25
Though, as compared to the west, we are
witnessing a slow emergence of this
requirement in India, the interest is quite
evident with doctors comprising approxi-
mately 4% of total GMP batch strength.
One of the interesting profiles is that of Dr.
Vinod, enrolled for the GMP at XLRI.
Backed with 10 years of substantial
work experience, Dr.Vinod joined
GMP to gain insights into the
business workings of corporates,
with a focus on rural health-care,
medical marketing, and medical
products. After completion of the
program, he plans to pick up criticalhealthcare projects, and eventually
start-up his own healthcare business firm.
In his own words, he deemed the importance
of a management degree as fulfilling the
requirement of doctors with expertise in
marketing, clinical research, administration &
management of time bound health care
projects. He said medical profession has
slowly metamorphosed itself to be called as
health care industry. There is a huge require-
ment of creating a talent pool for this rapid
growth in the health care sector. On a
lighter note, he said its been a gruelling
journey fighting the not-so-common medical
subjects, starting from GMAT to hard core
statistics and management accounting.
Dr.Vinod secured his MBBS from MKCG
Medical College after which he went on to
pursue post graduate diploma in Human
Rights under Indian Institute of Human
Rights, for which he received Global Human
rights protection award in 2008. He also
holds a Fellowship (FCGP) with General
Practitioners under Indian Medical Associa-
tion and Professional Diploma in Clinical trials
from Catalyst Clinical Services. He worked
for Marketing & Sustainable rural health/
medical projects for Philips Electronics
India Limited for 3 years, and led a
project for innovative spectacles for the
base of the pyramid children, with the
objective to cut down the huge refractive
error problems in developing nations such
as India, Latin America and Africa
(www.u-specs.org).
While its challenging to resonate
with the intricacies of business
education and relate those to the
mechanics of a human body,
doctors view business education as
a platform to broaden their
perspective and to leverage their
soft-skills. Doctors at GMP have not only
managed but have shown their mettle in
areas left undiscovered earlier. Kudos
docs!
Your backbone has deteriorated.
how long have you been a manager?
To self:Gosh, what am I getting into!
Dr Vinod
GMP 2011-12
Page 6
http://www.u-specs.org/http://www.u-specs.org/http://www.u-specs.org/ -
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
7/25
Much has been written and said about how
MBA programmes are steeped in diversity when
it comes to selecting the right blend of students
from different walks of life manufacturing,
healthcare, IT, marketing services, commerce,
nuclear engineers and so on and so
forth. It is not often that a Business
School can boast of diversity within
its staff of faculty members.
Dr (Prof.) Tata L. Raghu Ram
teaches Environmental and NaturalResources management at XLRI
and also facilitates a core course on
Introduction to Sustainable Devel-
opment and Corporate Sustainability for the
executive GMP programme. His passion for the
cause is admirable and stands out in his clas-
ses, which in themselves are innovative in their
pedagogy. Besides what we see of him on
campus, Prof. Raghu Ram has quite an impres-
sive resume and accomplishments to boot.
Masters degree in Limnology and PhD in
biodiversity impact assessment
16 years of academics with The Wildlife
Institute of India, Dehra Dun, Indira
Gandhi Institute of Development and
Research Mumbai and IIM Calcutta
National Project Coordinator of Protected
Area Network Cell at the Wildlife Institute
of India (1994-1995)
Fulbright Environment Leadership Fellow at
Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University
Co-editor of Reconciling Environment and
Economics (IGIDR, Mumbai 2003) and edi-
tor of Uttar Pradesh Environment
Monitor-2003 (World Bank, New Delhi
2004)
Currently, also a consultant to the Min-
istry of Environment and For-
ests, Government of India
The GliMPse team caught up
with Prof. Raghu Ram and got
in touch with his personal
side. We present excerptsfrom the interview:
On what caused him to go
off the beaten track
Limnology is taught at only one university in
India i.e. Bhopal University. After completing
my BSC, I came to know about this from my
uncle. I found this subject interesting and
hence took it up.
On life in the water
Since childhood I have a fondness for water
and associated life. I like water-
sports.mainly enjoy watching them!
If not a teacher at XLRI
I would have been a sportsperson. Since
childhood I have been very fond of cricket.
My favorite cricketers are VVS Laxman,
Rahul Dravid, G Vishwanath and Mohammad
Azharuddin.
On hobbies and other interests
Nowadays I play Badminton. Other hobbies
are bird-watching and photography.
Beyond the Classroom..
A teteA teteA tete---aaa---tete with Prof Tatatete with Prof Tatatete with Prof Tata
L. Raghu RamL. Raghu RamL. Raghu Ram
Page 7
Ipshita Ghosh
Shreya Kohojkar
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
8/25
Given a choice to watch Wimbledon final
& Cricket world cup final?
If India is playing then I would definitely watch
Cricket world cupotherwise I will go for Wim-
bledon.
Are you a mountain person or a beach
person?
I am a mountain person anytime.
Best vacation spot till date
Himalayas.
On being environmentally conscious in
day to day life
I try to reduce my carbon footprint as much as
possible.
On the usage of air-conditioner when the
temperature is soaring
I will first explore the other options such as
taking bath. I try to use fan as much as possi-
ble instead of continuously using a/c. I use A/C
sparingly - may be for an hour or two - thenwhen room is cool I switch it off
Are you a day person
or a night person?
I am a day person.
Given a choice would
you like to set up clas-
ses at 8 in the morn-
ing?
Yes definitely. Thats
when the mind is fresh-
est.
On music and movies
I like Carnatic music. I tried to (learn). After
two months my teacher asked me to leave!
Once in a while I do watch movies. I enjoy
intelligent as well as light-hearted movies.
Words of advice for the GMPians
Follow your passion.
Prof. Raghu Ram is also the faculty judge for our XLens Photography Contest and
helped the GliMPse team evaluate the photographs on the basis of visual impact
and portrayal of the ethos of XLRI.
The camera can photograph thought and mind- Prof. Raghu Ram is an avid photographer and we are featur-
ing a few of his pictures that capture his passions -nature, birds and plants.
Page 8
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
9/25
XLens Photography Contest
Bodhi Tree | Live andExclusive
Since years, its bringingpeople together, soothingtheir agony of abysmalgrades, sharing their angstof fallen romances and atthe same time, celebratingtheir exceptional talents!It has given us hymns torelate to every occasion,to look back and relive
every moment! XLRI givesyou Bodhi Tree!
The MelancholyBench
Once you were that newborn child, in distant far
Now you are a GMPian ,eyes ajar ;
Soon, you spread yourmighty wings and off u
take,
I remain ever rooted herefriend and wish : plowahead ,yet lets meet at
soonest break
Rays of Wisdom & Hope
The photo captures the true spirit
of the XL er, who doesnt hesitate
to burn the midnight oil in pursuit
of the gleam of dawn which is
filled with a bright future. The girl
is engrossed in the wealth of
knowledge. The boy is being
insightful and basking in the rays
of knowledge. Both of them are
awaiting a well deserved and a
promising future.
We invited students, faculty and alumni to dig into their memories ofthe times spent @ XL and share with us pictures that captured theethos of XLRI . Here we present you the winning entries for the XLensPhotography contest.
Page 9
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
10/25
Some of us from the General Management
Program actually presumed that the Rural
Exposure Program at XLRI, would be a re-
laxed affair with plenty of time to catch up
on our overdue rest and sleep. Little did we
know that our minds and hearts, hardened
by the hustle and bustle of a life in the city
and in the corporate world, would undergo
such a profound transformation.
A mind blowing metamorphosis!
Every year, XLRI together with NGOs func-tioning in the
villages of Jhar-
khand arranges
for batches of
students to be
sent to different
villages, accom-
panied and guid-
ed by rural de-
velopment socie-
ties. The objec-tive of this pro-
gram is to expose us
to a lifestyle that very
few of us have wit-
nessed firsthand. We get to see the coopera-
tive functioning of a village, the hardships
and struggles faced by the residents, the
aspirations of the next generation within the
village and the ideas supplied by an enter-
prising few.
On a damp Friday morning, 15 of us left for
the Tagore Society of Rural Development
located at Patamda, East Singhbhum district.
The village was originally a part of West Ben-
gal and the local language was Bangla. Luck-
ily, we had a couple of Bengali colleagues
with us, which proved to be vastly useful.Though Patamda is only 50 kilometers
away from the XLRI campus, rains and
bad roads played spoilsport and it took us
a good 2 hours to arrive at TSRDs gates.
Mr. Akash from the NGO passed on a
copy of our itinerary for the next 3 days
to us, and the realization that the visit
was not about fun and sleep, sunk in
slowly.
Mr Akash had an infectious enthusiasm
which instantly
rubbed off on
us. We started
by visiting the
Dhadkidih village
which had a
population of
close to 800
people. The
school was our
first point of vis-
it, and we spent
time talking to
children and their
interests. It was also
obvious that the
schools found it quite difficult to attract
children. The midday meal scheme was
very much in existence and played its part
in ensuring that the children stayed in the
school at least till lunch.
There were two things that struck us al-most immediately when walking through
the village. One was the lack of electricity,
and the other was the prevalence of mo-
bile phones (despite the unavailability of
electricity) and the occasional Airtel Dish
Life, seen through a different lens
Visit to Patamda Village
(Collage by Venkatesh Iyer)
Page 10
Sripathi Chakkravarthi
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
11/25
TV connection. We later understood that the
village did fall under the electricity grid, but
the availability of electricity was dismally spo-
radic. To our disappointment, there was just
one single determined girl from the whole
village who was pursuing her Masters at
Jamshedpur.
The day progressed
with meeting the
Village Panchayat
and also under-
standing the econo-
my of the village.
The highlight of the
day was the inau-
guration of the Kis-an Club. The Kisan
Club is a perfect
example of the co-
operative system in
the village. Mem-
bers of the club
pooled in money
and resources to pro-
cure equipment of bet-
ter technology which could be used on a
need basis by all members. The day endedwith all of us analyzing the supply chain fol-
lowed by the villagers for their vegetable and
poultry produce trying to see if there were
options that resulted in better margins for
the villagers.
The next two days were spent in visiting the
Public Health Centre and the village of
Sundarpur. During the time spent there,
Jharkhand experienced torrential rainfall and
the Suvarna River swelled threateningly. In-terestingly, none of us felt like staying back
because of the rain. Contradictory to our
original plans, our inclination to rest and
watch the raindrops was cut down by our
curiosity to visit every nook and corner
that the surrounding villages had to offer.
Other eye openers were visiting the farm-
ers market (where one could get anythingfrom vegetables to
local liquor and
open cooked chick-
en), meeting the
school teacher and
the Anganwadi
r ep re sen ta t i ve ,
walking one kilo-
meter into corn
fields that were
destroyed by therains, understand-
ing the NREGA
system and its
problems, and fi-
nally the talk with
Mr Bakshi who
spearheaded the
activities of the NGO.
The change that had come over us at the
end of the visit is hard to put into words.We left TSRD with reluctance, with a feel-
ing of leaving a task incomplete. Days
after, the feeling still lingers on.
The end result is that each one of us has
turned more socially conscious in one way
or the other. We had always been blinded
by our wants, even as the needs of many
deserving people went unfulfilled. The
urge to bring about a change in the sys-
tem finally awoke in us.
Thanks to XLRI and selfless organizations
like TSRD, our eyes have opened to a
completely new India!
TATA Steel Rural Development Society
(Collage by Samarjit Mazumdar)
Page 11
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
12/25
Entrepreneurs are simply those who under-
stand that there is little difference betweenobstacle and opportunity and are able to
turn both to their advantage. Niccolo
Machiavelli
In a country like India where more than 9 million
people are unemployed, entrepreneurship is not
only an option but a necessity in order to meet
the socio-economic needs. Government of India
recognised this need and therefore started invest-
ing in entrepreneurship development programs.
For instance, Entrepreneurship Development Cen-
tre at XLRI is one such noble initiative from the
government of Jharkhand.
Agriculturethe next big thing!
Agriculture provides the principal means of liveli-
hood for over 58.4% of India's population. It con-
tributes approximately one-fifth of total gross do-
mestic product (GDP) and accounts for about 10
per cent of the total export earnings and provides
raw material to a large number of industries. A
study says that 1% increase in agricultural
productivity reduces poverty by 0.65%. However,
low and volatile growth rates and the recent esca-
lation of agrarian crisis in several parts of the In-
dian countryside are threats not only to national
food security, but also to the economic well-being
of the nation as a whole. And the entrepreneurs in
the field of agriculture (known as Agripreneurs
are the need of the hour.
Nonetheless, with the launch of the National Food
Security Mission, myriad avenues in this sector
have opened up for Agripreneurs; from supply
chain to logistics to food processing to cold chains
to warehouses and many more. Government has
come up with plethora of financial subsidies to
augment the growth of the agriculture sector. All
big business power houses like TATA, Reliance,
Mahindra and the likes are shifting their attention
to the agriculture sector which is a healthy cue for
budding entrepreneurs.
What is AXOM AGRI?
Owing to high perishability, shelf-life of vege-
tables/fruits is very low. On top of that, the
supply chains in the present scenario have no
contemporary mechanism to address this is-
sue, which is the prime reason that India in-
curs a colossal loss of 40% of total fruits and
vegetable grown every year. It has been ob-
served that an innovative arrangement to re-
duce such losses can result into a viable busi-
ness proposition.
On the same tune, AXOM AGRI - a company
based on socio-capitalistic business model,
aims at establishing retail network of food
(raw, processed, and frozen) for Class I/II/III
towns (population of 20,000 and above). It
conceptualizes existing traditional markets by
setting up micro retail and other contemporary
retail concepts and introducing an efficient
supply chain.
Operation of Axom Agri
AXOM AGRI intends to establish an efficient
supply chain by bridging the gap between
farmers and markets in an organized way.
AXOM AGRI: A Value-added Vegetable
Supply chain Biswajit Bordoloi
Page 12
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
13/25
It will procure farm-fresh vegetables from farmer groups at a fair price by forming self-help groups
and will sell it to hotels, hostels, restaurants, local vegetable markets (sabzi mandis). It will also sell
vegetables with the help of its makeshift retail outlets and multi-utility push-carts. Once the supply
line is established it will go forth with the export of high quality farm produce.
AXOM AGRI in return will channelize the government schemes and subsidies and provide essential
farm inputs to the illiterate and poor farm-ers. This will not only alleviate the income
level but also increase the productivity of
farmers in the region. The same will be im-
plemented to vendors, who will get vegeta-
bles a tad cheaper from AXOM AGRI.
Thus the two hands ofAXOM AGRI will
function simultaneously - one to supply veg-
etables (The Farmers club) from the farms
directly and the other (the Vendors club)
to sell it to the consumers.
The value proposition by AXOM AGRI:
It has been observed that a substantial farm
produce is wasted due to improper post-
harvest management and lack of proper
transportation and supply mechanism. Vegetables, in particular, need special attention while trans-
portation owing to their high perishability. Maintaining appropriate temperature and humidity in the
storage of vegetables is a key area of focus.
AXOM AGRIs USP is to increase value by maintaining the freshness of vegetables throughout the
supply chain by incorporating cost-effective refrigeration mechanism in all levels. And also reduce loss
by using proper transportation and storage methods.
Ego: I want to be in the Placement committee
AlterAlter EgoEgo: Why?
Ego: I want a job
AlterAlter Ego:Ego: Everyone wants a job. So shouldeveryone join Placement committee
Ego: No. Not everyone. Only RIGHT people
AlterAlter Ego:Ego: well who decides on RIGHT people
Ego Alter Ego
Ego: May be a bunch of RIGHT people
AlterAlter Ego:Ego: Then why don't these
right people form a Placement committee
on their own?
Ego: This is like asking why Sonia Gandhi is
not our PM
AlterAlter Ego:Ego: [No Answer]
Biswajit Bordoloi is a student of the Post Graduate Programme for Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Management (PGP-CEM)
Balchandra Kemkar
Page 13
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
14/25
What prompted Mr. Girish Hukkeri (GMP Class of
2006) to quit the cushy job of a senior sales man-
ager post MBA and venture into an entrepreneuri-
al journey? And that too form an organization that
enables early-stage entrepreneurs to realize their
dreams. GliMPse teams Rajeev Shahi caught up
with Mr. Girish Hukkeri, founder of embryoFund
(http://www.embryofund.com) to talk about en-
trepreneurshipexperiences, challenges and the
road ahead, and also his times at XLRI GMP .
Here are some edited excerpts:
Hi Girish. Firstly we thank you on behalf of
the entire batch. Could you please shareyour personal and professional experiences
prior to joining GMP?
In 1989, after finishing my engineer-
ing, I joined the IT sector which at
the time was still in its infancy. I
started as a software engineer and
eventually moved on to delivery as
well as sales and marketing man-
agement roles in IT: Senior Sales
Manager at Aveva and Area Manag-
er at EDS Technologies. Before join-ing GMP, I had the opportunity to work in various
leadership roles and I realized the importance
management education has in shaping ones
perspective.
What motivated you to leave your job and
venture into the risky proposition of Entre-
preneurship?
After spending some time in the industry, I
realized that I was restricting my skills in a regular
routine job and that my potential lay elsewhere.
The internet and mobile boom encouraged me tostart something on my own. Despite not having
management education, I set up a software
company with a friend. However, the venture did-
nt work out well.
Then, I got admission to the General Management
Program (GMP) at XLRI. The program helped me
to develop myself as a thinker and a manager
with multiple viewpoints. After completing
GMP, I took up a job to prepare myself finan-
cially. And at the right time, I founded Em-
bryofund. Embryofund is a way to vent out
myself and also to help out entrepreneurs like
me.
How did you conceptualize the idea of
Embryofund? Who are your target cus-
tomers?
I had been thinking of trying to start my own
venture, however, there were problems at
various stages while trying out the available
options. I also tried to seek help from friends
and acquaintances of mine.
However, I realized there was no
professional body to consult and
guide an entrepreneur. I saw this
problem of as an opportunity.
Through a professional consultant
body, I felt that I could share my
personal experiences and also use
my management acumen to guide
a budding businessman. And thatshow Embryofund happened.
What makes your company special?
What are the most important advantages
your customers get when working with
your company?
Embryofund is a company to consult and
encourage individuals looking to start their
own ventures. Now, entrepreneurship in itself
is a big risk and a company to promote that
risk is an even bigger risk. Thats the best and
the most special thing about this company.
My customers are those individuals who are
willing to break the bonds and fly, to take a
dip in deep waters rather than those waiting at
the shore for the water to subside. I provide
facilitation to my customers with life-sustaining
equipment when taking this dive into unknown
Embryofund Sowing Seeds of
Entrepreneurship GMP Alumni Interview - Girish Hukkeri(Class of 2006)
By Rajeev Shahi
Page 14
http://www.embryofund.com/http://www.embryofund.com/http://www.embryofund.com/ -
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
15/25
waters. I provide them with the necessary
framework employing various strategic consulting
methodologies as well as some from my personal
experience.
Did you start alone or you have some part-
ners? Was this idea with you even before you
joined GMP?
During the digital boom in India, I had tried out my
own start-up. However, it was not successful due to
a variety of reasons including a lack of holistic view.
GMP helped me mature as a person with a 360
degree viewpoint on a number of business and
management areas.
I interacted with world class faculty at XLRI and the
best of students in India. My confidence was
immensely boosted with this exposure. There was a
small entrepreneurship drive named Grab-On
started by BM and PMIR students in the campusand I could really relate myself to the same. This
idea was there with me in a very nascent stage
while at GMP. Once I got the opportunity to free
myself from financial worries, I did what my heart
always wanted to do.
What were the most difficult things to over-
come when starting a company? Finding an
idea? Making the first steps to transform the
idea in a real business? Getting your first cus-
tomer?
I think Confidence and Optimism are the two veryimportant qualities which are needed for stepping
into any kind of unknown area. Difficulties like
funds, support and guidance, recognition, custom-
ers are all conquered with these weapons. I believe
in Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
So, I am ready to face challenges and failures while
constantly striving to succeed and make a mark. My
first customer came my way much before I had
thought and things are on track by Gods grace.
However, I as mentioned earlier, I am ready for the
worst. So, my motivation levels are always very
high.
What do you like the most about being an
entrepreneur?
Not having to work from 9-6 and the freedom to be
my own boss. Also I get an opportunity to explore
various unconventional avenues which I might not
get enough time to
look at in a conven-
tional job.
What about the
legal part? Is it
difficult to comply
with the businessrules?
Starting a venture involves multiple interfaces with
the government. Many a times, some of us dont
proceed because of red-tape and various other
bureaucratic hindrances. However, I didnt have
to face much of a problem and I was satisfied if
not delighted with the speed of the turnaround
from them.
What would be your advice to GMPians who
are looking for entrepreneurship ventures?
Believe in yourself. In joining XLRI, you have
positioned yourself among the chosen few within
the country. XLRI and GMP in particular open up
many paths of wisdom for you to explore. So, take
a small step further and experience the freedom
of being your own master.
What role did GMP, XLRI play in shaping
your ideas, career and risk appetite?
I always had thought about undergoing formal
management education. Exposure to various
academic methods of doing a task helped me to
strengthen my basics which I could apply with my
instincts to reach a decision. I met the best
management gurus in the country and best of the
minds willing to go that extra mile all the time.
This encouraged and inspired me to shed all my
inhibitions and listen to my heart.
Is there anything you think, you did not get
a chance to do during your GMP days but
would advise the current and forthcoming
batches of GMPians to focus on?
Even though the GMP schedule is one of the most
hectic ones in India, try to participate in national
level management events where you are pitted
against the most competitive minds.
Message for current GMPians?
Believe in yourself and stretch yourself beyond
your own imagination!
Page 15
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
16/25
Belief-defying obstacle courses, man-made
and natural, belief inducing team building
exercises, imagination stimulating games, life
in the rural wilderness, a fierce unexpected
storm and tough decisions. These pretty
much form the outline of a part of the ad-
venture trip embarked upon by the students
ofXLRIs GMPbatch 2011-2012.
This compulsory trip, organized this year by
the Raymond Memorial Welfare Trust, is a
part of the General Management Pro-
gramme and is aimed at fostering team spir-
it, increasing familiarity and bonding be-
tween the relatively new faces in college,
bringing out the leaders the group, overcom-ing fears and instilling belief in oneself and to
get out there and take in whatever life in the
greenery and the earth has to offer.
Having arrived in the rustic outskirts of the
village Tumung, the group of around sixty
students set up camp with the aid of the
RMWT instructors and launched into a
host of adventure sports. The proverbial
lap of nature threw up a challenge or two
as teams of students tackled group tasks
that tested leadership skills and trust lev-
els within a team, imagination, spontanei-
ty through group tasks, the ability to
overcome apprehensions and fears as the
group egged each other on through in-
credible natural and artificial obstacle
courses. It didnt matter that age was not
quite on the side of many of the partici-
pants; the enthusiasm in the group was
infectious, energy rubbed off among themembers.
The nature-made challenges, however,
werent restricted to the obstacle course.
On the first night at camp incessant rains
Of team building, adventure trips and
unexpected challenges Kaustuv Dasgupta
Page 16
http://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.phphttp://www.xlri.ac.in/scripts/GMP-Home.php -
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
17/25
P A G E 1 0I S S U E 1
and cyclonic winds swept the camp relent-
lessly. Security and health concerns began
to crop up as some of the tents were ren-
dered unusable by natures fury.
The inhospitable
conditions tested
the batchs ability
to deal with unex-
pected crises.
Some enquiries
and a quick survey
revealed that
there was a gov-
ernment schoolbuilding in the
vicinity that could be used as temporary
shelter until an alternative could be figured
out. As there was some uncertainty about
availability of shelter for 60 adults, some of
the members volunteered to stay back in
the tents and thus help ease logistical is-
sues.
Conditions unfortunately did not improve
into the next day and the activities had to
be called off prematurely. However, the
truncated trip was not without its lessons
in management for the students.
The trip was
a first-hand
ex pe r i e n ce
in:
Realizing
what rural
India goes
t h r o u g h
when the
weather runswild
Working with what you have
Prioritization moving people with
health concerns to the temporary
shelter first
Work as a team, coordinate with each
other
When the going gets tough, it be-
comes all the more important for a
team to keep the bigger picture in
mind at all times and work towards a
best possible solution under the cir-
cumstances.
The importance of clear thinking
The adventure trip may not have fulfilled
its immediate purpose, but the students
did take away equally significant lessons
in management. The students learned
what it took to deal with a real situation
the hard way; something that cannot be
fully learnt in a classroom or from books!
Page 17
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
18/25
Technology predictions have not always been correct
and the above statements testify that! Salesforce.com
(NYSE: CRM) an enterprise cloud computing company,
best known for its ability to provide on-demand Custom-
er Relationship Management (CRM) software generated
revenues of US $1.657 billion in FY 2011, and has 6000
employees as of 2011. Within a year or two (following
Ellisons colourful extravagant declaims about the cloud),
Oracle today offers a range of on-demand cloud-enabled
products. Microsoft has taken its Office online, SAP has
put its heart and soul into SaaS (Software-as-a-
Service), and HP has moved on beyond infrastructure.
In more than one ways, cloud computing is the new
reality in the IT marketplace. While it may not be the
answer to everything, for instance the solution to the
troubled mans problems, it certainly does provide nu-
merous solutions and new perspectives for looking at on
-demand computing.
So, what exactly is this cloud-computing all about? This
question somehow never seems to fade-off. There are
umpteen numbers of definitions none of which have
been accepted universally. So, why add one more defini-
tion? Instead, lets start by asking a few basic questions
to reach to an understanding of cloud computing. Com-
panies across the globe have big ideas to streamline
their businesses and drive the sales revenues, operating
incomes, and profits through the roof. But to implement
these ideas, companies need to have the right technolo-
gy in place. So what do they do? They buy consumer
and business applications (like Oracle, SAP, Microsoft
and many more). These apps beyond doubt are expen-
sive. Besides, the licensing, annual support and mainte-
nance costs, they bring along with them a world of com-
plexity. Buying and installing these apps (at an en-
terprise level) is not an easy job. Therefore compa-
nies buy huge racks of application servers and stor-
age servers. To host these servers, companies need
office space, bandwidth and network. They also
need a lot of power and cooling to keep them run-
ning. Did you know that on an average, data centers
consume 40 times more power than the offices they
support? Add to this, a growing concern about envi-
ronment and sustainability, where rampant power
consumption certainly raises quite a few eye-brows.
Lets say, the data center is in place. Is the job over?
Certainly not! The companies need a huge software
stack which would run on these data centers. A
team of experts, to install, configure and maintain
them. They need development, testing, production
and failover environments, and personnel to monitor
them. And what if something goes wrong? Compa-
nies need to contact tech-support and they take all
the time in the world to respond. Suddenly, new
versions of the software come out and vendors stop
tech-support for older versions. Willingly, or un-
willingly companies must upgrade to newer versions.
Oh wait! What about the risks associated with the
upgrade?
This is the story about most of the big players, who
can afford to allocate millions to technology budgets.
What about SMEs (Small and medium enterprises)?
They stand nowhere. Its easy to visualize why CIOs
spend restless nights when they are asked to cut
down on tech-costs. With cloud-computing, organi-
zations do not have to worry about the above prob-
lems. All their apps would be hosted and operated
In the light of CloudVenkatesh S Iyer
THE PAST
There is no way that company exists in a year [Tom
Siebel (Founder, Siebel CRM Systems) in 2001, referring
to Salesforce.com]
The computer industry is the only industry that is
more fashion-driven than women's fashion. Maybe I'm
an idiot, but I have no idea what anyone is talking
about. What is it? It's complete gibberish. It's insane.
When is this idiocy going to stop?[Larry Ellison (CEO
and Founder, Oracle Corp.) in 2008 referring to the term
cloud computing in Oracle OpenWorld 2008 speech]
THE PRESENT
A troubled man to his friend (an IT consultant):
My daughter smokes, my son is in jail and my wife
ran away with my girlfriend. Do you have any
advice for me?
IT consultant to the troubled man:Cloud.
Moral of the story: A good IT consultant is
always on duty.
Page 18
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
19/25
by a company which provides cloud-services. The employ-
ees, in the organization simply have to remote log-in to
the shared cloud-app, customize the app and start using
it. Their IT departments do not need to worry about soft-
ware upgrades, hardware failures, data center costs etc.
All of these headaches would belong to the cloud services
vendor. The data and the application itself are hosted
remotely. There is no need to install any software locallyexcepting an internet browser. Lets give a fancy name to
this new way of computingZero footprint IT.
To deepen our understanding of this concept lets take a
very simple example Gmail vs. Microsoft. With G-mail
would a company need primary mail servers, storage,
backup servers, failover servers, upgrades and technical
teams? - No. But with Microsoft exchange services the
company would need most of these overheads if not all.
Now, take this idea and extend it to business applications
such as CRM, HR management, etc., and the obvious
advantages of cloud-computing over conventional in-
house computing would be visible. When the idea of cloud
computing is taken from a consumer app. level (emails) to
a business app level (CRM, HR, Accounting etc.). it is
called enterprise cloud-computing.
With this basic understanding of what cloud-computing is,
lets attempt to answer the why cloud-computing ques-
tion. Imagine running a new business, and being up and
running with all the right apps, and support teams within a
few days or weeks. This can be unheard of in the tradi-
tional software world. But with the cloud-power this is
perfectly possible! The cloud apps cost less as the compa-
nies do not have to pay for the people, products and the
infrastructure facilities. Cloud-apps are also more scalable
and reliable. Why? They follow something called a multi -
tenancy architecture (this fancy term again deserves an
example). Imagine, a scenario where your company, a
nearby bank, and retail store next door, all use cloud ser-
vices from a single vendor. Multi-tenancy architecture in
this context would mean that they share a single highly
customizable app, and the vendor would not furnish these
users with their own separate copies of the same app.
What does this mean? Simple! Increased scalability.
Now lets talk money! How do you pay for all this cloud
power? Think of these payments as relatively predictable
monthly payments. When enterprises need more power,
they pay more and, they are free to cut down when they
need less. This is a huge advantage over traditional meth-od where application and storage servers once bought
cannot be returned back for the money paid earlier. What
does this mean? For readers, who are inclined towards
costing and financial jargons, here is the conclusion In a
public cloud delivery model the capital expenditure is con-
verted into operational expenditure. For all others
(including me) the conclusion is simple! Increased flexibil-
ity given the pay-as-you-goprovision.
No wonder why, three quarters of the firms with the
largest and most specialized operations are using cloud
computing either partially or fully. 70% of them plan to
expand to usage to cover more apps. This means that
they have figured out the best use to which they can
put the existing cloud services. So, how does an enter-
prise go about moving to cloud based IT operations. A
hasty step towards cloud adoption would mean several
IT failures and severe operational bottlenecks. The
enterprises must first look into themselves and identifywho they are. So it is important to recognize and un-
derstand the risks involved.
Cloud computing follows a relatively predictable adop-
tion cycle in the IT marketplace. It penetrates into the
market slowly, gets evaluated and is either accepted or
rejected by organizations. Whatever be the firm type,
some standard steps followed for adoption of cloud
computing are awareness (understand), interest (seek
opinion), evaluate (accept, or reject), try (test), adopt
(move) and finally the most important step for any
upgrade Adapt!
Enterprises must remember that the above mentioned
guidelines are directive in nature, and the adoption
decisions must be judgment-based rather than rule-
based. In many scenarios adoption might not be worth
the effort involved. In such cases, the enterprise can sit
back and relax!
As with any new technology there are certain key is-
sues that inhibit adoption of cloud computing. The most
obvious one is that of privacy. The regulatory compli-
ance policies also have a long way to go, in order to
allow for such data movement outside the organization
in a shared environment.
There are a multitude of topics which deserve a de-
tailed explanation; however, the whole purpose of this
article was to leave us with a fair understanding about
the dynamics of cloud-computing. So, the next time
someone talks about cloud computing, do not wonder
whether the data would be lost if it rains!
i. The quotations in the beginning of the article have been taken from www.techno-
pulse.com ii. References Gartner research on cloud computing. iii. References Facts,
figures and adoption stages have been taken from publication made by Marquis Research
LLC. (IT Leadership brief, 4-May 2010)
Page 19
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
20/25
Before you venture to read this article,
do as I say. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
How do you feel? Did that feel like living? One of the
meanings of Breathe as per standard dictionary.com
is to live.
It struck me the other day when Hrithik Roshan
responds to Farhan Akthar (about how to live life and
be fearless) in recent Bollywood flick Zindagi Na Milegi
Dobara by saying BasSaas lethe raho. It just cant
get any simpler.
Breath is a potent tool that any living being possesses,
but it becomes that much more powerful in the case of
a human for his ability to observe. And when a human
keeps observing his breath every moment of his life, he
attains salvation. If you are surprised, then refer to the
books/teachings on how Buddha attained Nirvana.
Such is the power of being aware with your breath
each moment.
On a day to day basis we undergo a lot of stress;
professionally as well as personally. For example, too
much work on a Monday morning, big presentation
before a major client, traffic that is making you late for
a crucial meeting, emotional turmoil in relationships
et.al. But if you observe closely, it is our inability to
stay in the moment that makes things that much
stressful. The concept of life is very simple- stay in
present and experience the life to the fullest, rest falls
in the place. But how to stay in the present? It is pretty
simple, as Buddha first recognized observe your
breath each moment. It is the easiest way to be in
the present moment and hence relieve your mind
from being in the state of past or future. The mind
can exist in either, but cannot really accomplish
anything. If Buddhas teachings on breathing are
more on spiritual level; today the best of the
weight trainers and coaches across all sports
around the globe emphasize on focusing on breath
while playing or working out. I would like to quote
the saying by Perry Como (American Singer and
Television Personality) to emphasize the role breath
plays in ones success- Acting coaches in
Hollywood were always telling me to use my hands
and body more. But that was never me. I just
breathe and sometimes it doesn't look as if I'm
doing that.
Breath is the only thing that remains with you until
your last breath. So dont alienate it, keep
breathing and your every moment will be filled with
its own life.
PS: If you are interested in practicing meditation
which focuses on breathing, visit-http://
www.dhamma.org/. Also I will continue with my
endeavor to organize yoga sessions with Professor
Sarin; and make you breathe through pranayama.
Happy breathing!
How can you feel if youcant BREATHE!
HEALTHY MIND
Theres only one way to breathe right!
Naga Abhishek Godavarthy
Page 20
http://www.dhamma.org/http://www.dhamma.org/http://www.dhamma.org/http://www.dhamma.org/http://www.dhamma.org/ -
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
21/25
Oh! Another assignment! That was the unani-
mous sigh we let out when we heard that one
more group assignment was on its way and with
a heavy heart we started reading through the
instructions. But voila! To our surprise and rather
a pleasant one, it was not like those usual
assignments where we have to do loads of
number crunching or have to go through big fat
management books.
So what was it? Assignment simply read Socially
useful live project. Not a penny more, not a
penny less. And thus ten brains brimming with
creative ideas and hopes to make an impact on
society started brainstorming. After hours of
discussion which could at times fall under the
category called arguments, we decided upon
some ideas and after doing feasibility check,
zeroed on one. Finally consensus was reached!
Before I start talking about our project I would
like to mention a famous quote by Abraham
Lincoln. The quote reads, Give me six hours
to chop down a tree and I will spend the
first four sharpening the axe. In todays
world of Information Technology, computer is
that indispensible axe. And for the young
generation, computer literacy is an absolute
must. But where many of the villages are still
struggling for basic amenities such as sanitation
facilities, electricity and roads, computer
knowledge and internet access are still a distant
dream.
And thats where we decided to make our impact.
With the help of the NGO, SEEDS (Socio Econom-
ic and Education Development Society), we
reached out to XITE (Xavier Institute of Tribal
Education), Gamharia, around 20 km from
Jamshedpur city. At XITE, we started classes,
educating people on computer basics. There
were around 20 students, majority coming from
villages where there was no electricity, no
connectivity to mainstream city, no schools or
colleges nearby. Many had basic knowledge of
English and for many their highest level of
education was matriculation. Some had heard of
computers but had not got any opportunity to
learn or operate one. Apart from providing computer
education, we decided to setup computer centres in nearby
villages so that students can apply the knowledge and
make full use of what they have learnt.
Classes were scheduled every Sunday. Initially there were
some reservations from the students side but as we
showed them what computer is all about and what one can
do merely sitting in one place, everyone was excited and
by the end of that first session they were actually looking
forward to the next class.
The interest and happiness that was reflecting on their face
was so palpable that every Sunday we used to get up early
and with loads of enthusiasm used to go there to teach
them. As days passed, the number of assignments,
studies, quizzes tended to infinity and sleep tended to zero,
but our zeal to impart computer education remained intact.
So what was driving us and making us push our limits? To
travel for an hour on a dusty, bumpy road in scorching
heat just to reach there on time? It wasnt just the thought
of making an impact on society, but what was driving us
was the kind of joy these students displayed at the
prospect of learning. Now that I reflect on it I realise how
many things we take for granted. A good education, a
comfortable lifestyle, loving parents, helpful friends there
is so much in our life that we think is our basic right that
we tend to miss out on small pleasures of life.
Another experience I would specifically like to mention isthat of the only girl, who also happened to be the brightest
student of the batch. After completion of course, when we
asked them questions to brush up on their knowledge, she
was far ahead of the boys, answering most of questions
fluently. As we clapped for her, her eyes lit up and she said
that she would like to learn more and would ask other girls
Rendezvous with RealityShreya Kohojkar
Page 21
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
22/25
Anti-Alcoholism Drive - By Samarjit Mazumdar
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step - Lao Tzu
Picture this: A mining labourer whose family can barely make ends meet, more often than not shows up at home
drunk. Most of the days hard earned money gone in a trail of drunken stupor and up in smoke.
Alcoholism is one of the prime and deep-rooted issues in the mining belt of Jharkhand. Not only does it impact their
health directly, but it also has a long standing social impact by jeopardizing the moral values of the affected society.
So, as a part of the socially useful live project, our group collaborated with the NGO, SEEDS (Socio Economic and
Education Development Society) to help the alcohol addicts in the villages in Jadugoda Block of Jamshedpur district.
The group took the bull by its horns, and headed out to Jadugoda over a weekend with everyone in the group
buzzing with ideas to convince the villagers to give up alcohol. The bull won the first round though as the miners
didnt want to give up alcohol and didnt realize the evils of it - no amount of counseling could compel them to give
up alcohol. Their logic was simple and attitude aggressiveits our money, our health who are you to intervene?
Disappointed and a bit disheartened with the attitude of the villagers, the group played its last card and visited the
local police station to meet the inspector and convince the authorities to put a check on the rampant illegal bhattis
places where alcohol was sold illegitimately. With heavy hearts and no tangible signs of accomplishment, the group
decided to call it a day and started its journey back to XL. Things took an unexpected turn when we got a call from
one of the members of the local Mahilasamity of the village with a message of caution. Do not come to the village
till you hear from us again. This seemed to us like a matter of concern, but we came to know that the police raid in
the village had created a stir among the villagers and the situation was no longer conducive for us to make any
future visits. But wasnt this a sign of changes in the right direction? Werent we creating a positive impact?
Encouraged by this unanticipated success, we decided to re-visit the village after a week. This time, the group first
visited the police station, to convince the officers that it was imperative that they continued the raids on a regular
basis. Next, we met the Mukhia and the local administration, to take the initiative forward. The villagers genuinely
thanked the group for their efforts to drag the men out of the stupor that had completely engrossed their lives. As
we headed back to campus that evening, we took back with us a strong feeling of achievement, solace and the
satisfaction of having tried to do something worthwhile that would touch the lives of the people in the village and
make a positive difference to them in the long run.
The valiant group consisted of Abhijeet Baban Gavi, Amit Raj Singh, Gaurav Moolchandra Agarwal, Jalaj Chhalotre,
Ravi Kumar, Sandip Bhattacharya, Samarjit Mazumdar, Shashi Prakash, Sudhanshu Vardhan and Vineet Vishal.
spunk and desire to take along other girls with
her, especially in a culture where girls are still
restricted to household
chores.
As we were teaching them
computers they were in turn
teaching us how to valuethose small surprises of life.
And hence in the process
boundaries of assignment
faded and what remained
was a melting pot of experi-
ences generated out of inter-
actions with people from
different social, cultural and economic
backgrounds.
Weeks passed by. Students had picked up really
fast and could now handle computers on their
own. They were now well-versed with basic uses of com-
puter such as making documents, handling files and most
importantly browsing the
internet, their key to explore
outside world and tap into
vast knowledge pool. And
finally the day came when
we realised our mission of
setting up computer centres
at Sonaltand and Dhu-
naburu villages. The event
marked a new beginning for
those students as new doors
of knowledge opened up for
them. This event also contributed in increasing overall
awareness about computer education as students from
other villages also participated in the event. And as I
write the last sentence I hope the spark that we have
generated through this mission, will turn into a blaze
which will enlighten many more minds.
Page 22
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
23/25
On 2nd July, 2011, the habitually silent lawns in front of the GMP residence took on a different
look. The inviting artistic paraphernalia at
the entrance, the cheerful lighting, the
white drapery - all indicated that this was
not just another ordinary day. The GMP
banner proudly proclaimed the beginning
of a new year of experiential learning, of
interactions and friendships, of living-up
to the name of brand XLRI. The stage
was set for Prarambh the first official
get-together and the annual welcome
bash of the GMP batch.
The occasion brought together the GMP batch with the teaching faculty as well as some of the
non-teaching staff and a good number of GMP alumni, all of whom got the opportunity to infor-
mally interact and know each other better.
The ambience for the evening was set by a
heart-touching rendering of a Rabindranath
Tagore song. This was followed by an
address to the students by the Director and
the Dean. The event slowly picked up pace
and there were a number of individual
performances including skits, impromptu
musical renditions and quizzes. Theperformances brought to light the hitherto
unknown talents of the GMP batch and
made the overall experience an extremely
enjoyable and memorable one.
As the evening progressed, drinks flowed as fast and strongly as the conversation did. After
dinner, it was time to rock the dance floor and the stage was opened for one and all. The GMP
spirit took over and the night came alive as most of the students danced to the beats of lively
music and set their hearts free to revel in a feeling of pure ecstasy.
True to its name, Prarambh or commencement signified the beginning of an eventful
academic year and promised many more such evenings where the entire GMP batch couldforget the burgeoning pressures of assignments and exams and give in to the enticing call of
carefree enjoyment.
- Ipshita Ghosh
Whats up at GMP?
Prarambh 2011
Page 23
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
24/25
The Independence Day celebrations were
conducted in front of the Learning Centre, with
flag hoisting by the Director, Fr Abraham,
followed by an address by the General Secretary
and Prof. Santanu Gupta. XLRIs own band, Bo-
dhi tree performed a few patriotic songs to markthe occasion. After the celebrations, all the
GMPians headed back to the park in front of the
hostels, to carry out their own event to mark the
Independence day, a tree planting activity (an
idea by Prasanna Chandran - one of the CRs of
our batch), to recognize the day and to
remember it for generations to come, as a
symbol of our GMP Batch of 2011-12.
Hopefully the trees add more beauty and grace to the GMP community setting and make life more peaceful,
relaxing, and offer a rich inheritance for future generations. Wouldnt it be great to have the future GMP
batches, ten-twenty years down the line, doing their assignments or conducting their meetings sitting under
those very trees? Wishful thinking!!
These trees are lives representing our life at XLRIleaving an enduring legacy behind. We enjoyed planting
them and a few of us look out of our windows every couple of days - merely checking on how much they
have grown. There is an old Chinese proverb - The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second
best time is now." So true!! - Hrishikesh C
Independence DayTree Planting
Its a beautiful campus, with lush green football and
cricket grounds, inviting basket-ball and volley ball
courts, enticing tennis court, an irresistible table tennis
room and badminton court and much more. But, wait
a minute, all this a war-zone?! Yes, thats exactly whatthe scenic views turned into during the inter-collegiate
sports meet held from 4th to 7th August.
We invited one and all but, ahem, defeated one and
defeated all! We welcomed our guests, from XIMB,
IIM Lucknow, IIM Calcutta, with inviting verbiage but
bid farewell with celebratory XLRI mottoes. We made
our mark, yet again, in football, volleyball, tennis,
table-tennis, swimming, carom, badminton..you name it, and weve won it! And of course, we kept the
trophy back home. Our guests came with a competitive spirit but left only with the hope of performing
better the next time.
6 of our own GMPians not only participated but made us proud by winning gold's in the categories they
played for. GMP is a compact program which makes it even more difficult to eke out time from a 10 hour,
7-day schedule; but that didnt pull down the sports enthusiasts such as Achin Kishore and Jacob Zacharia,
who won gold medals for volley ball or Sunil Mohta and Rajat Ranjan, the carrom champions, or Somdeep
Deb and Ankana Mehra, who won gold in table tennis.
Thats the real sports spirit, no matter how hectic the terms are, the spirit to defeat and conquer will never
die! - Ankana Mehra
Sports MeetXaviers, IIMs
Page 24
-
8/4/2019 GliMPse 2011-12 - Issue 1
25/25
XLRI has been a pioneer in many fields and
recently added one more feather to its cap - It
is the first b-school outside the US where a
student body has been formed for CSCMP -
Council of Supply Chain for Management Pro-
fessionals. A body which is synonymous withSupply Chain and can be called as the
Facebook of networking in the world of supply
chain for Management professionals.
The first roundtable was held in the month of July under the able guidance of Prof T.A.S.
Vijayraghavan and now the XLers are all set and ready to be a force to reckon with in the world of
supply chain. On 3rd August, Mr Neil Basu who heads CSCMP, India visited XLRI, Jamshedpur and
commended the efforts of XLers and appreciated the efforts of the GMPians in participating in this
drive which will help the world of Supply Chain world become smaller and more accessible.
Kumar Shreshtha
A Tryst with CSCMP
XLRI GMP is a One year
full time MBA Program for
executives with a minimum
of 5 years of experience.
The batch strength is 120.
Candidates have varied
backgrounds and excelled
in their respective fields.
Admission is through
GMAT/XAT scores, Essays
& Interviews.
Send us your suggestions to: [email protected]
Page 25
Statements and opinions expressed in articles, reviews and other materials in GliMPse are
those of the specific author and do not reflect the opinions of XLRI or any employee
thereof. We have made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information
throughout this newsletter and XLRI is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the
information supplied by the students.
The GliMPSe Team
mailto:[email protected]?subject=Suggestions%20for%20GliMPse%20Issue%201mailto:[email protected]?subject=Suggestions%20for%20GliMPse%20Issue%201http://www.facebook.com/groups/80748519714/http://twitter.com/XLRIonlinehttp://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=1343387mailto:[email protected]?subject=Suggestions%20for%20GliMPse%20Issue%201