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

The Law of Ever Lasting Group Work.

We at B-Schools, learn the art / Science / myth of time management. Concepts like JIT, Optimisation etc are words that we throw around left right and centre. Yet as MBA students we always find, that we never have enough time to get things completed.

In an MBA School, however you do not work alone, you work in groups. And so, the logic goes, that you have more number of man hours to do something, and therefore lesser number of real hours to get that job completed. (Simple 8th standard Mathematics, If you cant recall, it was CH:8 in Maharashtra Board Text Books.)

But this is an MBA school, and we set "New Paradigms", and create a "Proccess Shift", meaning the ways in which things are done. And these "Proccess SHIFTS" fly in the face of any logic you learn all your life from that CH8 of your maths text book.

So here we coin a new law; the "Law Of Everlasting Group Works"

Law of Everlasting Group work: Consider a job which requires 'X' hours to complete by a single person. The LOEGW says that the number of hours taken to complete it in a group will be X * Y Hours, where 'Y' is the number of people working on the issue.
Even Einstein will turn in his grave.

-- Gunjan Bothra

SPJIMR Batch 2008 -2010 (Finance)

The spirit of Mumbai

The “Spirit of Mumbai” is a phrase which will be much abused over the coming days by politicians, and administrators alike. But quite seriously, this time it has become nothing more than a standing joke.

When you do not have a right to live safely, work safely, and return home alive, you can only relate to spirits.

Yes, Mumbai is a spirit, hail the Spirit of Mumbai.

-Gunjan Bothra
PGDM Batch of 2010 (Finance)

The Sorting Hat Speaks Again

It's been a while since I've spoken now,
My verse may be a little rusty.
I think I need to clear cobwebs,
My mind feels old and musty.

I wanted a change from Hogwarts,
I wanted something fresh and new.
Hence, I came to SP Jain,
Where the trees sparkle with dew.

My job profile remained the same,
I had to sort and sift.
And when I saw the students here,
I must say it gave me a lift

For I saw lots of talent,
Come from far and wide.
The group interview selection process,
Was really a fun-filled joyride.

So let's get down to the job at hand,
Let's begin the sorting process.
You're in safe hands (though I have none),
Don't worry, I won't make a mess.

Let me first take up Operations,
Which is used to conditions smooth and rough.
The diligent, earnest people here,
I give to lovable Hufflepuff.

For they are used to sweat and toil,
Most (if not all) have work-ex.
The intensity with which they can work,
Might leave others as nervous wrecks.

Next come the brainy ones,
Information Management is their choice.
Above the hubbub of lesser informed ones,
Rises their intelligent voice.

For they can see reason where others can't,
They can weigh the pros and cons.
To Ravenclaw, I give these geniuses,
Over whom many, in the future, will fawn.

Now I call upon the dauntless ones,
Who will have to brave many a fierce storm.
For they have chosen the world of Finance,
Where things have no fixed form.

They have to deal with market highs and lows,
And bulls transforming into bears.
To Gryffindor I give these souls,
Who have the strength to conquer their fears.

And then we have the clever ones,
Who have the gift of gab.
They can send you on a trip to hell,
And make it sound real fab.

Impressive they certainly are,
They know what they want for sure.
The Marketing people belong to Slytherin,
They have a certain mystic allure.

That's it, that's all, I think I'm done,
I shall now go get some sleep.
I happily leave you to your thoughts,Your musings, wondrous and deep.

-Aditya Gupta
PGDM batch of 2010 ( Marketing )

Celebration means....

A Rainy day,
Four Friends,
One Table,
Four glasses of chai.

Or

An Exam eve,
A ton of assignments,
A 8.30 lecture,
Cricket till 5.30 A.M

Or

Maggi Noodles,
Ghar ki Mithai,
A Hostel Room,
2.30 A.M

Or

3 friends,
3 different floors,
3 different cities,
3 coffee mugs,
1 IP Messenger.

Or

A rain soaked cold evening,
Hot Pakoras,
Flatmates dropping by,
A Party.

Or

You and your mom,
A Sunday evening,
A bottle of coconut oil,
A head message,
Gossip about your MBA days and life.

You can spend millions,
You can spend zilch,
But to celebrate and be happy, all you need is to spend your time.


-Gunjan Bothra

PGDM Batch of 2010(Finance)

Theatre Workshop @ SP

All of the arts, poetry, music, ritual, the visible arts, the theatre, must singly and together create the most comprehensive art of all, a humanized society, and its masterpiece, free man” - Bernard Berenson

In an effort channelized towards inculcating theatre as a form of education, SPJIMR conducted the first of its many theatre workshops lined up for the current year. A Thursday that was meant to catch up on a lot of lost sleep, since it’s the weekend here, was anything like a normal Thursday. Students dropped their respective management hats to don roles totally outside their character.
So how and why did this happen? SPJIMR truly believes in the holistic concept of management with the extra stress always being on non-classroom learning. Students over the years have realized that this is truly one form of learning that makes you experience what you are supposed to learn, thereby ensuring that the learning stays within you for far longer than it would if it was just done through books.
The workshop was primarily designed to give everyone involved in the theatre group a feel of what theatre is all about. What goes into the making of a play behind what finally comes live on stage one fine evening was something that intrigued a lot of the participants, and the workshop was meant to clarify just that. What the workshop also succeeded in doing was to successfully squeeze out the acting juices of the participants in the limited time available.
With a facilitator as enthusiastic and power packed as Ms. Yuki Ellias, who came down to conduct the workshop, there was no letting go of the energy infused in each one of the participants. With these perfect ingredients in place, the workshop truly had the makings of a blockbuster and it certainly did not disappoint. It kicked off with some basic exercises to warm up the crowd (almost literally), before people actually got down to seeing and experiencing the various nuances of theatre in its larger sphere.
One of the most prominent exercises which left an indelible mark on the participants was the one in which we were asked to use our hips, shoulders, nose, knees and any other part of our body apart from our legs to walk. Interesting ain’t it? Things got more crazy when a simple expression of a smile or a frown was magnified as it passed on from one person to the other, thereby exposing to people, how much of a story can be conveyed through often under-estimated expressions.
There was more to come though. The most enjoyable part of the workshop truly followed in the 2nd half by which time, most of these first time actors were starting to find their rhythm and character. We were transformed into clowns, were given jazzy attire to play with, and were asked to entertain the crowd for a good ten minutes each as a group. . What seemed a rather straight forward fun exercise actually involved the most learning. The instructor intervened in each performance and started asking them random questions and through this intervention taught everyone present about the different types of clowns and how the best in every clown comes about when the clown is cornered and it’s this desperation that moulds the clown into the performer.
The icing on the cake though was the finale exercise where a visual space was created right there in front of our eyes. We designed an illusionary stage depicting a club with a fancy reception, a swimming pool, changing rooms, showers and et al. Artists were picked up and were asked to play a game as simple as “Chor-police” in the space that was created, thereby increasing stage awareness and self-consciousness while on stage. What was exhilarating to say the least was to see, how this exercise was repeated in 1/10th the space keeping everything else the same. The exercise truly emerged as being one that exposed artists to creativity and innovation with the limited resources and constraints available, something that most often is the case with stage performances.
Some of the biggest takeaways from the workshop included the amount of freedom that artists possessed as individuals, the teamwork that goes into the making of a production, confirming the fact that no individual was greater than the process for which we had gathered.Participants left the place feeling more rejuvenated having touch sides of themselves that they had never known existed within them. The workshop served its overall objective and with the kind of feedback it received, will ensure to be just a start of many more to come in the months ahead.

-Ajay Simha

-Abhinay N

GASPians

PGDM 2008-10

JOY!

After being here for nearly 4 months.. therez one thing that describes it all… JOY! The ‘attitude’ went down the drain, the helpfulness bloomed, some started to come out in their true colours, others who were slow, followed suit. Tragedies formed the bond, Faith strengthened it, selflessness nurtured it, and friendship grew. There were a few hits and misses, but there came a stage when every one was there for everyone who came asking. People listened to those who asked, people respected those who deserved, and people got those with an attitude, down to the ground (for their own good). Today it feels a different place, today it feels a place where joy abounds. Its a place, where the future is not worried about, the past is not pestered about, and the present moment is lived with complete passion. Talent finds itself on the pedestal, knowledge is shared, hobbies are perfected… (assignments, submissions, presentations come out reflecting this).. to an extent that the talent just oozes out. People wish they were back with their folks, but in their hearts they know they will miss this place, that they will remember the madness some day and laugh in their hearts. That on a sad day, they will have these happy memories to cherish themselves. That they met 173 of the most talented people, and had the pleasure of calling them by nick names that they dare not call anyone. And that they stood by them, in the most self less and the most heart warming way, when distress came calling. Perhaps this is what an MBA is, perhaps this is when you feel Joyful, when others around you are joyful, and you feel happy when others around you are happy. Whatever be the time, however high the pressure, it’s moments like these that tell you, that all is not lost. That these moments of Joy you lived will be yours forever. Hope this happiness stays all the way… touchwood!. I am only trying to paint a picture with words.. when you see the photos you will see the personification of what I said

Gunjan Bothra

PGDM Batch of 2010 (Finance)

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai

Eco-Ganesha 2008

There were a few lessons we learnt as kids; those few which were fondly taught by parents, teachers and the people around us; those which have imbued subtle traits and given us a sense of responsibility towards the environment we live in. Today, we wish to share this concern with those little souls around us, who make the future of the world. L.I.F.E ( Lasting initiative for environment ), a student body at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research has been taking small steps in this direction. Following the tradition of holding ‘Ganesha Idol making’ competition, this year too, L.I.F.E brought to the floor around 400 people to witness the wonderful creations of kids. The idols were made out of waste/recyclable/biodegradable materials like vegetables, fruits, paper, wood, cardboard etc. Year after year, students of SPJIMR have been conducting "Eco Ganesha" to spread the word "We cannot command Nature except by obeying her ".
On 14th September, despite being the Ganesh Visarjan day, Bhavan’s Cultural Centre was brimming with kids and parents who were all enthusiastically waiting to participate in the institute’s eco drive. L.I.F.E, honored by the overwhelming response, started off with an introductory note on how each of us can contribute towards building the synergy between nature and humans. The talk was directed towards building awareness of the hazards caused due to usage of non-biodegradable materials and educating the audience on all the possible uses of biodegradable materials. Children were advised to avoid adopting an exploitative approach towards nature, habitat and environment for creating conditions conducive to sustainable development
This was followed by a humorous play by GASP, the theatre group of SPJIMR to entertain the kids assembled there. Mr. Tiwari of the NGO, Nava Nirmath took over the reins from there and through his innovative methods of teaching, not only kept the kids engrossed in his games, but also conveyed eco awareness through petite messages. People kept pouring in even after 6 p.m to watch the idols displayed. There were idols made from vegetables, cotton, hay, shells, mud, clay., etc. Even the glue used was made from crushed rice or sabudaana. The innovation and creativity of the kids was laudable.
When the kids left and the room was surrounded with idols on all four sides, it was a feast to watch them, all resting in sync with the environment around. L.I.F.E was only happy that it was playing its little role in infusing life back to the environment which we so fondly love.

-Nagashree Natarajan
PRComm

What doesn’t kill you, only makes you better

You wake up one fine morning, not knowing what date it is, not knowing when you slept, not knowing what day it is, and have a general feeling of being confused. And then you ask yourself, what is it that woke you up, and what is it that you need to do. And then you curse….yourself, others around you, and people and surroundings in general.

You have a few submissions to make, and you have a few quizzes to crack, and then there are a few pending things (actually many a pending) that have been begging your attention for quite a while. Your near and dear ones haven’t heard from you since ages, your feelings in general towards all your friends is that off indifference, and that you are at your wits end to make it on time to the class room. And Oh! You have not had your break-fast yet.

All the while you believe that an external force has been unhappy with you. That why at all times you are in the eye of the storm. Why can’t you just close your eyes, and have a nap.. without ever giving a thought to what the world will end up like.

You believe in the fact that your destiny is playing around with you, that your very existence is being mauled with what things are in store for you. Oh look at you, once a great singer, a great dancer, a great painter.. oh look at you, reduced to nothing but a book worm. “When was the last time you did something for the first time, and that made you happy…” you think. Generally there are no answers… you thought you had a talent and you were good at something, but you just don’t remember what it was. Not anymore.

You find people, some janus faced, some innocent, some cunning, and some that you can’t categorise. You find yourself behave in a manner you couldn't have imagined. You fail in a quiz or two, get a zero for the first time (this first time thing, does not make you happy.) You blame it on your inability, you blame it all on to yourself, without thinking a dime about what is it that saw you come to place with some of the smartest people around.

And that’s where the inspiration begins…

You find engineers score more in accounts than CA’s

You find commerce students score more in IT than software pros

You find absolutely tongue tied and shy people, chart out excellent poetry

You find actors, where none were expected

You find singers who you never had thought had a voice

They all did it… and so could you…. And then you think about yourself. You look in the image, and search within your soul, and try to find what is it that you are good at. There's no answer. You ask yourself again, thinking that there has to be something special about me, this time its real hard (almost approaching a tear in the eye for some).., and then it clicks…. You learn a lesson.. Life is not about fretting your weakness, its about building upon your strengths..

This in short what an MBA has been.. precisely saying nothing more than a laboratory of mixed emotions, that prong one to self discovery.. that led one to a better understanding of ones own self.. thank these challenging 80 days of your MBA life, you are a tougher, stronger and a more mature person... moral of the story.. what doesn’t kill you, only makes you better.

Gunjan Bothra

PGDM Batch of 2010 (Finance)

S.P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai

Placements at SPJIMR in full swing

Internship placements for corporate projects at Mumbai based SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) were hugely successful as the institute effortlessly placed its largest batch yet in the face of a not-so-favourable economic situation. The entire batch of 164 was placed on the first day of placements. Signing off with exciting, never-offered-before profiles, the PGDM class of 2009 accentuated the trend that has been seen at SPJIMR. The placement process, that was spread over 27th and 28th August, ended with participants being offered their dream projects in reputed companies across sectors like Consultancy, Banking, IT, Investment Banking, FMCG, Private Equity, Manufacturing, Healthcare& Pharmaceuticals, Telecom and Media. Companies participating in the process included Tata Administrative Services (TAS), ING IB, Miebach Consulting, Microsoft, GSK, Tata Capital, E&Y (Business Advisory Services), Deloitte, P&G, HUL, Marico, Cadburys, Nestle, Intel, J&J Consumer, Motorola, HT Media, Capgemini, CTS, Cummins, Aricent, Wipro, IBM, SAP, Edelweiss, Development Bank of Singapore, etc.SPJIMR also attracted participation for the first time from renowned international firms coming exclusively to SPJIMR. These firms included brand and creative design consultant Landor Associates and leading online auction and shopping website eBay, international networking giant Cisco ,which offered coveted roles for the first time across B-schools.PGDM participants at SPJIMR carry out social projects when the rest of the business schools have summer corporate projects scheduled. It is for this reason that corporate India has to come out with specially designed projects under the "Autumns internship" in the months of September and October. SPJIMR has been known for its innovations in management education. Projects based on its flagship programmes, Development of Corporate Citizenship (DOCC) and Assessment and Development of Managerial Potential (ADMAP), are now being tried at other Indian business schools. It is these reasons that set SPJIMR uniquely apart from other business schools, as clearly endorsed by corporate India lapping up SPJIMR students for their internships.
http://www.livemint.com/2008/09/01125655/Placements-at-SPJIMR-in-full-s.html

Amazon Web Services on Campus

Cloud and Utility Computing for MBA's, are you kidding, eh... no, not at all.

Last week Mr. Jinesh Varia, Technology Evangelist at Amazon visited SPJain, participants were quite curious to know about Amazon and its new Web Services business which has already made such a huge impact on how enterprises work (one of my friend's startup uses the same platform). Few coming from a technology background like me were excited knowing more about the new technological changes happening, and the ones who were not-so-tech-savvy kinds were curious as the Amazon Web Services Case Discussion in one of our courses had been pretty exciting.

As Prof. Nilanjan rightly introduced Mr. Varia, a Google Search on his name weaves a CLOUD of information on Cloud Computing. Mr. Varia has moved on from Amazon's research division to a role of an evangelist and he surely didn't dissapoint anyone as he took us on a journey of development of Amazon Web Services and how its offerings have enabled businesses to come up with new business models. The talk as the name suggested covered Cloud and Utility Computing in the perspective of Amazon which has extended offerings from a Website selling Books to Web Infrastructure provider on the basis of research efforts put in by their scientists.

Amazon Web Services is a collection of Web Services offering a range of infrastructure services (both storage and processing). In a layman terms it’s like what Jinesh mentioned, it’s analogous to the difference between renting a house and owning a house. Renting gives you flexibility, you get a raise and you can move around easily, owning a house you get stuck to a particular place and there are people who prefer both. Now talking about from a business perspective someone starts a business and instead of owning up all the storage and processing platform we rent an infrastructure from a service provider like Amazon and utilize their technology platform.

Cloud Computing is at the heart of that strong technology platform. Cloud Computing is an extension of Grid Computing where XML based Web Services are accessible to users (Services in the Cloud) to provide control over the technology infrastructure supporting them. Amazon is a pioneer in Cloud Computing Technology and it’s a perfect example of how research efforts can help you to extend beyond your traditional business.

Mr. Varia used the Animoto story to put across this point. This cool website which enables user to upload pics, mix music and create videos out of it was doing well. One fine day they come up with a Facebook App and all of a sudden the number of user hitting them takes a Quantam jump. As it was based on Amazon Web Services they were able to cope up with the increase in numbers easily. AWS enables businesses to scale-up and down based on seasonal variations and removes overheads of managing the changes in infrastructure.

Amazon Web Services runs with the motto We innovate for you, so that you can innovate for your customers. People running the business(web based) don't waste time on day to day operational activities of maintaining servers etc. and they can concentrate on innovation so that they create more value for their customers. Mr. Varia shared stories about many entrepreneurs who have leveraged new innovations in technology to kick start their business and become successful. He asked everyone to utilize the opportunities available especially in India which according to him is on the verge of becoming a huge economic power and the environment is just apt for such things.

There were lots of questions asked, lots of nice discussions, from both a technology and business perspective and I am sure Mr. Varia would have enjoyed those discussions. The students surely enjoyed it and left the session much enlightened with knowledge of Web Based Businesses and motivated to try out things on their own.

For me it was about understanding how quickly technology has evolved, from my Lab in college two years back, when I tweaked numerous settings of a Globus Toolkit to setup Two Linux Box Grid (that was some achievement :)) to Clouds of Amazon. The challenges and opportunities rapid changes in technology throw up surely provide a great platform for both managers and entrepreneurs to learn, innovate and create successful enterprises.

---
Abhishek Deshpande PGDM(08-10)
PRCom

Technorati Tags: Jinesh Varia, Amazon Web Services, SPJIMR, SPJain

ASSIGNMENTS of 2009

(Inspired By Summer of 69, By Bryan Adams…..)
I got my first real assignment,
Got it with a real close deadline,
Worked at it till my group got mad,
Was the assignment of 2009.

Me and people from the class,
Had grouped and worked real hard,
Some quit, some got frustrated,
Always knew we never made a start,
Oh, when I look back now,
The assignment seems to last forever…
Boy, if I had the choice, I would have never had it completed,
Those were the dread days of my life….
Those assignments of 2009…..

Ain’t no use in complaining,
When you’ve got a submission to do,
Spend my time fighting the deadlines,.. oh COCO that’s when I met you!!..
Standing in the GW room, You told me that it will be postponed for ever..
And when I saw your cynical smile, I knew that it was now or never…

Those were the dread days of my life…
Those assignments of 2009..

Man we were killing time,
We were chatting and playing, and having a great time..
I guess that assignment will be forgotten forever.. forever.. forever… yeah!!

And now the times are changing,
look at everything that’s come and gone,
But when I remember those assignments,
think about it wonder what went wrong.

Standing near the GW room,
I Felt that they would last forever,
Boy as if I had a choice, I knew the submissions was now or never..
Those were the BEST days of life…

Those assignments of 2009….

-GUNJAN

PGDM- 2008-10 ( Finance )

The Celebration That Was…

It was August 15, the Year 08,
The anniversary of India’s Birth Date.
The SPJIMR family came,
Together to salute India, the lovely dame.
The occasion began as tradition told,
The national flag on the staff unfurled.
Respect writ in the masses’ face,
As the national anthem took its pace.
Proud Indians renewed their pledge to serve,
Their motherland in all its verve.
Post this there was a cultural fest,
Where SP’s students proved to be the best.
Adi and Supriya led the show,
While talent came forward in a beautiful flow.
The freedom struggle came to life,
When dancers depicted peace and strife.
United India in harmony sang,
“Mile Sur”! Oh with what joy our voices rang.
A thespian treat thrilled every sense,
India viewed through a 61 year old lens.
Enthralling was the story told,
By actors from the SPJIMR fold.
‘Vande Mataram’ was the culmination of it all,
And on this lovely note, the curtains did fall.
And in store was a lovely treat,To bistro, we all went to eat

-Reshmi Mathew

Anandwan- the abode of joy

When you hurt your knee, did you remember that old man by the lane with one foot? When you threw an old rotten fruit into the bin, did you realize there was someone out there whose limbs were being cut and thrown coz they were rotten too. When you sang for your picture perfect partner, did you realize that there are thousands who have been painted in haste? Yes, there is a world other than the perfect one etched out for you. There is a world that believes in carving out the best from what has been given to them. This little world, set out to make the impossible possible, taking the deaf and dumb, the blind and less fortunate along in the march, is a small abode of happiness we happened to take a peek into. It is Anandwan – the abode of joy.

Year after year, Anandwan has been inviting the students of SPJain, silently though, through the special bonding both the organizations fondly share. When PGDM batch of 2008 set out on a 20 hour journey, little did they know that they would bathe in bliss on reaching this little town. Anandvan is a noble initiative, started by Baba Amte, to treat and rehabilitate leprosy victims from the disadvantaged sections of society. Today it is not just a shelter for these patients, but serves the livelihood of 3500 people, serving the blind, deaf and dumb. It is a self-sufficient village with people engaged in more than 100 different occupations. All they need from outside is oil, petrol, salt and sugar. It’s only after this visit we realized how handicapped we were.

When our bus entered the Ashram, the first thing that struck us was the peace and serenity of the place. We could hear the chirping of birds, watch people busy at work, catch students of a nearby school hopping around, cattle grazing – there was rhythm in every action. We grabbed a quick yummy lunch and were ready to travel another 3 hours to talk to Dr. Vikas Amte, a man who calls himself the jailor of the prison called Anandwan. As we passed through the open fields, we could witness the sun setting behind us and a new spark dawning in our hearts. Dr. Vikas Amte, a man of grit and vigour, might not be too refined in his talk, but it’s his heart you connect to when he speaks with such passion about his work. Here is a man who lives in a remote village in Yawatmal with a “Land Army “ of 100 people to save their own people. They have set out to stop the suicide of farmers, provide irrigation by building dams and through rain harvesting. Now we know there are people who crib and here are people who act. We received a cordial welcome with delicious poha and steaming tea while Dr. Vikas spoke about his father and family, their journey till date, the innumerable obstacles they faced, the initiatives they have undertaken and how successful they have been in their endeavours. He displayed various products made by the people of Anandwan. There was truth in his talk, confidence in his walk and passion in the future he wished to chalk out for India and her people. When he left us or rather when we left him, we knew that our society needs many such people and we could be one among them. We had dinner and went back to our dormitories. Anandwan had taken care of every minute detail of our stay. We felt grateful to them.

We woke up the next day to walk around Anandwan and witness the miracle they have built over years. A group of us took a stroll by the nearby lake, a walk which we can never forget. The scenic beauty was breathtaking. We walked across a school where students were melodiously singing ‘itni shakti hame dena data, manka vishwaas kamzor na ho’. It meant a lot and we could relate to the context very well. Groups of villagers passing by greeted us with a warm smile, talking to each other with sign languages, carrying those who could not walk and leading those who could not watch the road ahead. It was extremely heartening. Then we were guided through the different occupations that are done there. We witnessed footwear being made of tyres, x-ray sheet flowers, beautiful greeting cards out of twigs and husk, jute bags, huge machines weaving clothes, artistic wall hangings made of mint covers and many more. The artisans were so skilled that it took us a few seconds to realize that people who were sewing were blind, cards were being made with the help of toes, nails were being hammered with precision despite not being able to see anything. How many of us are deaf, dumb and blind towards the job at hand? Here was a lesson to learn.

The real big thing was yet to come. We were told that there was an orchestra of performers awaiting us to make our stay memorable. This one was mind blowing. You can even list it as one of the wonders of the world. This troupe of handicapped people has been keeping anandwan running for the past 6 years earning crores for it. A couple of songs and the audience contributed a staggering 16k rupees to Anandwan’s kitty. That is good enough to say how captivated they were with the performance. Voices as sweet as nectar, steps as perfect as on screen and a narration that strung them as that of the beads of a necklace, made it look elegant and beautiful.

When we wound up for our journey back, our backpacks seemed heavier. We now knew the responsibilities we carry as we sketch the future of an emerging india and the worlds we have to take along with us to have a complete inclusive growth. We also realized that all of them whom we term as disabled are just ‘differently-abled’. They do not seek pity, but an opportunity to live, just like you and me or as Dr. Amte subtly frames it - All they need is a chance, not charity.

-Nagashree Natarajan

PRCom

LST - Unlocked

Lock, Stock and Trade in news
http://www.mbauniverse.com/innerPage.php?id=ne&pageId=1363
http://www.coolavenues.com/bschools/080804/spjimr-trade-1.php