A ray of Hope

It had been a tough life out there. The only whiff of hope was the care she was receiving from everyone around. She felt indebted to the women of the village for the love they were showering on her team. But still nothing could keep them going in that scorching heat and raising temperature. It was getting intolerable with every passing day with hell breaking loose during noon, when the fan refused to move an inch.

Today, like every other day, the team woke up early to visit one of the colonies for the awareness programme. They took hold of their sun glasses, a thin white scarf to cover themselves, a few bottles of cold water, their promotional kit and set out on foot since there was no other mode of transport to reach there. On the way, she even made a call to one of the schools which they had to visit and scheduled an appointment with a doctor to educate the kids about menstrual hygiene..

As soon as they reached the colony, they waited for a few minutes for the women to settle down. She started with her sermon about women health, moved on to menstrual hygiene, usage of sanitary napkins, etc. As always, the women refused to discuss and ask questions despite repeated requests from her. When she stopped, her friend took over to demonstrate the simplicity of usage and promote the brand. While her friend spoke, she made a quick scan of the audience present there. A young girl caught her attention. The girl’s eyes were fixed on her and refused to stray despite her stare. She gazed at the teenager’s eyes, dull brown with darker orbital rings, yellow streaks radiating from the lens, like the sun rays she would draw when she was a kid. There was something intriguing about her gaze. There was hope of a better tomorrow and all those hopes were pinned against her. She got deeper into those eyes and it seemed like she was looking at her younger self. The image was begging to free her from the discomfort she had to go through during her teen years.

She recollected her days as a teenager where she had to go through a lot of embarrassment and discomfort due to the usage of not just clothes during those days but also the myths and taboos associated with the topic. At that moment she found it so fulfilling to be working towards a cause which can bring smiles to millions of rural women who still follow traditional practices during those days.

“Do you have anything to add partner?”, her friend turned to her. “Y..Y..Yes”, she said recovering. “Let’s vow today to help make every woman’s journey more comfortable. After all it’s a woman who can feel for another woman”. There was silence for a few seconds. Maybe it was too profound to be understood. But then, the women started smiling, nodding and clapping, as though they have got a new lease of life. The young girl had a smile too.

The experiences narrated here is that of my team which worked on providing low cost menstrual hygiene to rural women. It’s a shame that despite all the talks given on women empowerment only 7% of women in India use sanitary napkins and close to 93% of Indian women use unhygienic means for menstrual protection. 14% of Indian women suffer from urinary tract infections and 2% even use ash and sand during menstruation. We can reduce these numbers by just spreading the word. All we have to do is to encourage women to discuss the issue openly. On a lighter note, women should ask for a sanitary napkin as confidently as a guy asks for a shaving razor

-Nagashree Natarajan
PGDM 2008-10

What does Social Responsibility mean for an MBA?

Corporate Social Responsibility has become a buzzword these days. What relevance does ‘social responsibility’ have in the life of a B-School student? Especially in these turbulent times of recession, plummeting Sensex and collapsing i-Banks. Does CSR really matter now? Yes, it does matter! There is one component in MBA education which sadly is missed in most of the Management schools today. That component is developing a social perspective among the students.
Is CSR limited to taking a few English classes or for that matter a few computer classes in an NGO and then preparing a report and submitting to the institute? Does it end there? Or, is there something more to it?
When we heard of this programme called DOCC (Development of Corporate Citizenship) of S.P.Jain Institute of Management and Research we took it like any other assignment in a B-school. When we came to know that it was a 6 weeks program where we have to work with an NGO, we thought what an unnecessary hassle it is, working in a village in this summer!!
But four weeks into DOCC, we believe it has been one of the most fruitful, rewarding and satisfying experience in our lives.
As responsible members of the society, MBAs do have a responsibility to proactively participate in activities of relevance to the society.
The social sector which is still unorganised and unstructured gives the students a unique opportunity to work in such an environment. Compounded by the tough conditions faced here, the challenges become all the more difficult and demanding. Thus it is not only an excellent opportunity to apply and test what the students have learnt but also to make a meaningful impact for the betterment of the society. They say that the taste of fire makes pure steel. What can be a better taste than the taste of ‘Social India’ at the beginning of one’s career?
Working with the social sector for quite a considerable period of time will imbibe a sense of social responsibility in these future managers.
The key for the students is to keep in mind that when they are working with the social sector, they are not merely students complying with the requirements of the curriculum rather a capable consultant investing time and energy in contributing to a social need.
On the other hand, the social sector benefits by getting managerial inputs. NGOs have financial limitations. Hiring external consultants can be a significant strain on their financials. Through programs like DOCC, NGOs are able to overcome this problem.
The inputs provided by the student after intensive study of a particular NGO, benefits not only that particular NGO, but also similar NGOs working in the same field. Such studies can bring forth best practices which can be adopted by other NGOs.
At the end of the 6 weeks the students are sensitized about their role as a contributor towards the society. When these students will join the corporate sector, they will not only be sensitive to the issues of Corporate India but also the issues of under-privileged India. They will have a comprehensive understanding how things can be implemented and they will not be confined to the comforts of their air conditioned rooms.
It’s only two of us working here. All our batchmates are working in various parts of the country with different NGOs. Some helping the shawl weavers at Kullu to develop a marketing plan, some at Ladakh, and some at Andaman and other places. This is 176 of us. Now if 20 more MBA schools with on an average 140 participants work for 6 weeks with 6 hrs per day in the social sector. That is (20*140*6weeks*5days*6hrs/day) which comes out to be 504000 hrs of management expertise going into the social sector! If all the B schools in India can do the same just imagine what a great change we can achieve which will transform the lives of millions of Indians for better.
- Siddhartha / Ritesh

Understanding what life means at 45 Deg C

Well, just to give you a background. The author was an investment banker, and had worked in some of the plushest places on the face of the city, with the best facilities around, and without ever stepping out anywhere which was not under a climate control. Having work for 3 years in such conditions, the author had little know how of what life would FEEL like in a place with no electricity, no air conditioner. A general perception was that of difficulties galore!DOCC - Development of corporate citizenship, goes the formal name. But this one initiative at SPJIMR goes further than just creating corporate citizenship. It goes to the extent of making one realize that things in life are difficult to come by, and that the intensity of your struggle is only a relative measure against the benchmark. You set a benchmark that you see convenient.DOCC changes this benchmark. It takes you to unexplored shades of life itself. And in these shades, when you see how even water and hygiene are a luxury, you first feel disgusted.This is normal, because whatever you may want to feel, you do not like what you see.But then you see, how people still live with something like this. You imagine, have they evolved to become zombies, numb of all pain, and sense of reality? You imagine, who can survive such a thing.As you spend time with them, you begin to understand, that how these simple folk, never complain. Their resilience continues to grow with each passing day. Do not mistake them to be passive about not improving their lot. They do have aspirations, but their aspirations are not at the mercy of their present situation. They don’t give importance to what gets them to think lowly about who they are. There is enough fire in that belly, to beat the heat of the sun.AS they take another stride to silently achieve what they desire, you begin to see, the heat (read difficulties) can only take away their (your) soul, it cannot take away their (your)spirit. Lesson's like these don’t come from the text book or cracking case studies, they only come only when you experience the world at 45 deg C.
- Gunjan Bothra
PGDM 2008-10

Weird, Wicked, Wild, Wizard Like, WoW = the First year of an SPJIMR MBA

yeah, why the W word you may think? my Whims...
things get to your head here...Numbness and a rush of energy.. something you may experience in a matter of minutes.. (like when you get the Quant quiz in Hand, numbness... like you strike a solution in the dying minutes, A rush of energy)
You feel sleepless and sleepy at the same time... Like when you have not slept for day's together, and there is an exam coming up, and like when your colleague is about to start studying, and is expected to do better than you..
You feel elevated and devestated in a matter of minutes... like when you come out of an exam hall, thinking you have 9 / 10 ... and when you hear that everyone is pegging a 10/10.. which under the draconian rules of relative grading means, you are failing ;)
Like you shamelessly adapt, and get a astonishingly original idea... when you doing a Gas filled assignment, and shamelessly copy it, or when you think, well, the source took i t from wikipedia, and since he has not mentioned the original source, i will put it as a link under the write up.. so that the assessor thinks i was the one who got it from there first.
Like you dont know how to cook, and you yet know how to cook... especially when you are hungry and don';t know what to eat, and especially when you are answering a HRM exam.. :)
Like you miss the bus, and you miss the bus... previous one, when you miss the complete quiz, as it leaves you blank... like you miss the feeling of being blank ...
Like you go to the mess, and recycle the mess.... Going to the mess to eat lunch / dinner / crap, or go through your group mates assignments, and re do the whole mess, improving its quality substantially, making it edible (oops readable)
Like when you talk of giving a damn, and really dont give a damn... especially when asked about a bad exam, and especially while checking the marks for tha bad exam.
Like you hate the DCP, and you want the DCP... especially when you hear inconsequential gas, and especially when you hear earth shattering Thoughts ( bureaucracy and pythagoras theorem)
Like you Want to leave, and so want to be a part of ... especially when you looking to go home, and especially when you want to be a part of the group snap...
This can go on... Hmnnn I can now say a pride, i have enough contradictions to award myself Half an MBA

Gunjan Bothra

PGDM Batch of 2010 (Finance)

ET Citi Grandmasters - SPJIMR makes it again!!!

Aditya Gupta and Harish Sridharan are the National ET CITI Grandmasters.They have made SPJIMR proud by winning it at Hyatt today. Other than the loads of goodies, they have also bagged PPI from Citibank and a trip to Egypt. Great going guys!!! SPJIMR family wishes you its heartfelt congratulations!!!

GASP – A way of life at SPJIMR!

15th January 2009 was an iconic day for the PGDM 08-10 batch of SPJIMR. 36 of them had put their heart and soul to ensure that GASP was ready for its 6th play in the same number of years. As the clock struck 6PM, the college just saw, “Red, Red & more Red”. In a message of strong solidarity for the effort put in by the GASP team members, each one of their batch mates came dressed in red, a colour that has now become synonymous with GASP.
What started off 6 years back as a voluntary non-classroom initiative has today almost become a way of life at SPJIMR. GASP (Guild of Actors @ SP) was jointly initiated by the PGDM participants of SPJIMR and Prof. Uma Narain under the aegis of the ADMAP (Assessment and Development of Managerial and Administrative Potential) Program in the year 2003. The baby was born out of a confluence of theatre and management, wherein participants use theatre to put to use the various management and administrative principles they learn during the course.
As the years have progressed, GASP has become an expression of SPJIMR’s creative and theatrical identity. Planned, driven and executed entirely by students, it is an annual event where the new PGDM batch displays its mettle at conducting and acting in a full play staged at the SPJIMR auditorium for all its family members. Each batch chisels its performance into the collective consciousness of the institute, and each year’s performance spins off folklore on the effort, execution and final display during the GASP staging. Through all these years, GASP hasn’t lost out on its primary objective and continues to serve as an ideal recipe to bring to light multifarious aspects of team behaviour and group dynamics.
GASP in the year of its initiation, put up “Tughlaq” by Girish Karnad. Since then each year GASP has grown and blossomed with some phenomenal performances like Mahesh Dattani‟s “The Final Solutions‟ in 2004, Vijay Tendulkar‟s “Silence, The court is in session‟ in 2005 and “Kamala” in 2006. Last year, GASP portrayed an adaptation of Jean Paul Sartre‟s “Men without Shadows”. 2009 though was a time for one of India’s lesser known playwrights, Manjula Padmanabhan to step into the limelight as GASP decided to portray her award winning play, “Harvest” on the 15th of January.
Over five months of effort starting 03rd August 2008 and the D-day was finally here. The day that hundreds of B-school students at one of the premier institutes in the country had been waiting for with bated breath, the day when their very own fellow ‘hotshot managers in the making’ took to stage and dazzled them with performances that would stay “harvest”ed within them for the rest of their lives. The auditorium door opened on the 1st bell, abuzz to a lot of activity. Torch lights flashed all round, with bouncers helping people settle into their respective seats. The sounds of “The Grim Reaper”, GASP-09’s OST reverberated in the background as people rushed in desperately trying to grab seats for themselves and their comrades. A good twenty minutes of hustle-bustle ensued, during which the bouncers worked overtime to ensure that the audience settled into their seats thereby also making sure that the strong buzz receded into a calm whisper.
As the sun set outside and the torch lights faded inside, it was time to bring to light, a product that took the team 165 days to produce. Mr. Javed Siddiqi, noted script writer & Chief Guest for the evening, kicked off proceedings with his encouraging words on GASP and the concept of theatre being an integral part of a b-school participant’s life. Without then wasting much time, he handed over the stage to the people to whom it truly belonged that evening. GASP-09 was raring to go, and pumped with energy to showcase to the audience of more than 300 people, the premiere of its play, “Harvest”.
HARVEST won the 1997 Onassis Prize as the best new international play. It’s a play where good fortune comes at a terrible cost in a futuristic world which is centred on organ trade in India. The play starts with the young, unemployed Om after he lands a coveted job at the mammoth Inter-Planta Services Corporation, his slum life (and that of his Indian family) is transformed overnight. Om has signed away his body parts, in a Faustian exchange for luxuries. The new world order is comprised of Receivers and Donors. In the colonialism of the future, the dominant group will pay handsomely for the right to harvest the healthy organs of the ‘willing’ donors.
What followed was a gripping two plus hours of strong performances from the entire cast with each and every member who took stage even for a second making his/her presence felt. Jaya (Apeksha Patel) with the pure strength of her character, Om (Abhinay N) with a perennial anxiety on his face, Jeetu (Mohit R) with his flamboyance, Ma (Harini VK) with her insouciance, Ginni (Sreelakshmi Hariharan) with her surreptitious and seductive ways, and the guards (Dilip, Deepti & Varun) with their clinical efficiency and no nonsense attitude formed the crux of the cast that left the crowd asking for more.

Supported by strong performances from Bidyut Bhai (Lisa John) and the Videocouch Enterprise Agents (Ankur Dey & Manik Singh), the entire cast held the audience’s nerve for over 2 hours in what proved to be an amazing display of energy, character and mettle. Backed by a great production team, the play gave all those present multiple reasons to remember the performance.
What started out over five months ago with a group of theatre enthusiasts wanting to put up a good play ended up as a passion that each GASPian would carry for the rest of his/her life. Led by Ajay Simha and Deepak Ramakrishnan (Directors) and Ahmed Shariq Mamsa (Production Head) the group took a bow to the thunderous applause that resounded the auditorium for several minutes after the play ended. Whilst the entire team took stage to a standing ovation, it was clear that every person standing there on stage that day and every member in the audience would remember that moment for a long time to come. It was the day that had transformed several people for the rest of their lives and given them something to cherish and be proud of for years to come.
So, after more than a thousand hours of sheer hard work, after all the pain, all the commitment, GASP managed to live up to all the expectations and also live up to all the standards that had been set over time. It had in its very own way, set new standards for the years to come and memories to be cherished for a lifetime.
Its true as they say in SPJIMR - Once a GASPian …. U r a GASPian for life ….

- Ajay Simha & Abhinay N

Gaspians