Era Business School: Applications now open at Era to build a career in construction

Those considering a career in construction have until the end of January to start building their future at Era Business School.

Applications are open until January 31, 2012 for the Construction Project Management (CPM) course, with the first round of group discussions and personal interviews (GD-PI) to be held on February 4, 2012.

The two-year programme features traditional management courses, along with courses in construction and project management, specialized courses in real estate development and management, infrastructure development and management focusing on transport, energy and power infrastructure and is open to both beginners and mid-career professionals.

Its aim is to develop professionals who can deliver quality projects on schedule within budget and to prepare graduates to take on responsibility at all levels of construction, real estate and infrastructure projects.

With building booming in India, now is the time to start constructing a solid base for a career in the industry. With 65 per cent of the total investment in infrastructure going toward construction, the sector is forecast to undergo high and sustained growth.

Based on the latest growth-rate statistics, it is estimated there will be 83 million people employed in construction industry by 2022 compared to 36 million in 2008.

The market value of projects under construction in India broke the $100-billion barrier in 2010 and, due largely to huge investments in housing, roads, major highways, ports, water supply and airport development, the annual growth rate has been soaring at 11.1 per cent in recent years.

As a result there is, and will continue to be, a huge demand for professionals with specialised knowledge and managerial expertise in construction project management.

Finances should not be a problem. In addition to the EBS ‘learn and earn’ programme, students in the CPM course will be offered summer internships with an attractive stipend; there are entrance-exam-based scholarships worth Rs 50,000/ for those who have scored a minimum 80 percentile in CAT or 90 percentile in other AICTE-approved exams; engineering grads with a minimum aggregate score of 60 per cent in a bachelors degree programme from IITs/NITs or engineering grads from other institutes with a minimum score of 70 per cent in a bachelors degree programme also earn scholarships of Rs 50,000/.

Plus, there is the Era Business School Aptitude Test (EBAT) based scholarships enabling students to win prizes worth 1 lakh and 10 consolation prizes of Rs 5,000 each and the rolling scholarships of 50,000 each to the top five per cent of the class each trimester.

With EBS being anchored by the Era Group, which covers all aspects of the construction industry, the school is confident all CPM will be placed after successfully completing the course.

The Era Business School has been serving India for more than 20 years with its goal to establish a globally recognized, socially conscious, and environmentally friendly trusted institution dedicated to excellence. The school’s mission is to develop technology savvy, and socially, economically, and environmentally aware managers – the world’s future leaders their field.

KIAMS – Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies climbing B-School ranks two steps at a time

Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS) rose two notches in the B-School rankings under the latest survey conducted by Business India.


Previously rated A, KIAMS is now ranked A++.


The 12-section Business India survey questionnaire covered a wide range of topics from campus specializations, pedagogy and curriculum, faculty profiles and library data to student support facilities, industry outreach and international linkages.


A total of 1,000 marks were assigned across the questionnaire then final marks were determined by a 10-category score sheet, with brand equity accounting for 25 per cent of the final mark; faculty and pedagogy 15 per cent; industry interface, technology use infrastructure, income and expenditure each assigned 10 per cent and student facilitation, growth, overseas networking and alumni each accounting for five per cent of the final total.


KIAMS rise in ranks was credited by some to such things as strong industry interface, matching industry’s expectations, national and international research, infrastructure and live-project-based curriculum.


The rise in stature is pleasing, but comes as no surprise to KIAMS Director Dr. Gopal Iyengar.


“At one level there is elation, but deeper down there is no surprise,” he said. “We do believe in giving the best in what we do – one of our values is ‘to undertake only those things in which we have the potential to excel.’ Knowing that we can excel in education, we have gone ahead with our efforts. In this phase we were more conspicuous by our absence than presence in ratings. But our target group knew what we were good at”.


He further added “We always felt the need to have a mirror held up about our efforts by others, which we used to do through participating in CII-EXIM Business Excellence competition, RKQP Business excellence competition (internal to the Kirloskar Group) and so on. To get a business magazine perspective, we had chosen Business India. All the feedback would be debated in the faculty council and used as a stepping stone to the next level.”


While staff and students are rightly proud of this achievement Dr. Iyengar indicated they couldn’t afford to rest on their laurels.


Putting the A++ rating in perspective for the students, he told them “The outside world has acknowledged what we always knew. Sure, get as much spin as you want from it, but remember to keep nurturing your internal strength to sustain external recognition. In line with one of our values, continue performing based on your self-worth and self-esteem. When you go out to industry they should not experience a dissonance between shadow and substance.”


KIAMS executive Shruti no doubt reflects the feelings of the student body when she said “There is a great feeling of achievement. Business India ranking is prestigious and acknowledged by most of the corporate world. In fact it is a gateway to make entry to those companies which assess B-Schools on a ranking basis.”


And she echoed Dr. Iyengar’s thoughts, noting while A++ ranking by a prestigious B-School survey shows that KIAMS is one of the best institutes in India, she said “however this is not the destination, but a journey which is to be walked successfully in future.”


Both students and professors plan to not just maintain KIAMS rank, but to do better in the future.


Shruti said the goal is “to keep ahead of our competitors in every aspect.”


“As we have always been doing, we will continue to define who we are and what we want to impact, and work diligently towards that,” said Dr. Iyengar.


“Sure we are aware of competition but not obsessed by it. We may put together a benchmarked group from our band of institutes, and an aspirant group from the higher band, to understand how they deliver. But the bar will be raised mostly through aspiring higher in what we want to impact.”

Jaipuria Insititute of Management, Noida, announces the chanmpions of Udaan.

Being one of the most happening management festivals held in Delhi NCR,Jaipuria Institute of Management’s annual festival draws a large number of students from various colleges across the country. The dates chosen for the event, this year were 25th and 26th of November. Here are the details about the various sub-events of Udaan 2011.

The magic of Udaan starts building weeks before the date of the event as the management and students at the institute begin preparing for the various sub-events. The institute comes up with a number of interesting and exciting events as a part of Udaan each year and this year was no exception to it.

Udaan 2011, spread over two days, 25th and 26th Nov 2011 had immense opportunity for the participants to show their talent. Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, came up with a host of exhilarating events, including Jigsawmania, Dotcom Kriti, Crossswords, Camouflage, Genesis, Poor Piccaso Ogilvy Tribe and various others.

Jigsawmania, an hour long puzzle game designed to test the participant’s aptitude saw a number of students pouring in with the theme of “Go Green”- they had a tem of  IIFT and JB Institute , where IIFT team won this event. Their concept revolved around recycling of waste, innovatively.

A debate competition by the name, Crossswords was also held to test the students’ ability to express their views. Winning team was Rohit Goyal and Pallavi from Fore School of Management and runner up Aasha kakoti and harshita shukla Jaipuria Noida who debated on the topic of whether Google stifles creativity. Both these participants expressed their views very beautifully; while Rohit spoke about how Google was restricting the creativity. Pallavi debated that it depends on an individual as to how he makes use of this platform.

Camouflage was a fun event that involved face painting. Winners and  runners up were the Jaipuria Noida, students again, presenting their concept around the theme which was “Go Green”.

Genesis a unique idea generation event was quite interesting to watch; the participants of this event came up with amazing new ideas. The winning team of Fore School of Management Rohit Goyal and Pallavi fromFORE Schoolof Management who want to set up a chain of restaurant based only on egg recipes. Runners up were the team of Jaipuria students want to set up a sanitary napkin company called “Udaan” which would target the lower income group.

The short film making competition, called Pan Galactic challenged the creativity of students, who presented their work in photos and a short film- a team of two from Jaipuria won as they showcased their film on the theme of women empowerment.

Kolam, a rangoli competition, group dance competition, fashion show and a few other events also added to the fun. The Jaipuria Indore students won the Radiomania and Symphony competition, enthusiastically competing with their B-schools fellows at Noida.

The participants seemed thrilled and the winners couldn’t have been more excited. The face painting competition runners up shared the way they came up with unique ideas on the deep within the ocean theme which was given to them. The other participants and winners also shared as to how Udaan 2011 had given them a platform to show their talent and learn a lot of new things.

The event was a big hit. Students in and around Delhi NCR await this event all year round. In fact, not just the students, the sponsors also look forward to it with equal enthusiasm as it is a good place to publicize their brands. And the organizers never let them down.

Placement Blueprint: An event by IMT Ghaziabad

Placement Blueprint, an interesting event based on the current market scenario, saw students participating in large numbers. It dealt with the difficulties of a retail chain store in a market like India and was designed to test the participants’ knowledge about the retail sector and their ability to gauge the customer's mindset.

The event was designed around the entry of an international retail store in the Indian market- Blue Bazaar- which has been successful in various countries worldwide, is all set to open its branch in India. So it has floated a blueprint of the available store space. At the event, the participants were given this blueprint along with other relevant data like the socio- economic classification of the population, the level of education and the floor plan. As retail management students and future managers in the retail sector, the participants were expected to have an in-depth knowledge of the various available brands, customer profile and the best shelf-space utilisation. They were asked to device the best way of displaying the products on the store shelves, making them easy to locate and attractive.

The participants were asked to come up with 10 product categories with 3 brands in each. These categories and brands had to be decided keeping in mind the target customers. The final round consisted of laying the store’s planogram.

It was interesting to see the way budding managers from various institutes came up with innovative ideas. The efforts and ideas of all the participants were well worth appreciating. The event was judged by Mr. P.Gopalakrishnan from IndusInd Bank and Mr. Ranjan Jha, Principal Consultant at Foresight Group International AG. Team Madmen from IIFT-Delhi were declared the winners.

After the event, the participants too couldn’t stop thanking the organizers for this wonderful opportunity to showcase their talent and learn a lot of things in the process. They found Placement Blueprint to be different from the usual B-school events. As one of the winners put it: “This is a good event, novel idea, probably very different from any other event we have been part of.” At the same time, like another student pointed out: “I knew all the theory but when it came to applying it in this particular case study it was very difficult.” Most of the participants agreed that events like these are better than the routine classroom sessions as they compel the students to think and act in a real time market situation.

The participants also praised the IMT G campus and the arrangements made by the management. All in all, the event was a roaring success.

Strathclyde SKIL Business School launches BBS Admissions

Strathclyde SKIL Business School, the joint B-School initiative by Indian infrastructure pioneer SKIL Infrastructure Limited and Strathclyde Business School, one of the most innovative and largest business schools of its kind in the UK and in Europe is announcing the launch of Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS).

With a sharp focus on leadership effectiveness, entrepreneurial initiatives, multicultural understanding, social responsibility and sustainable development, Strathclyde SKIL Business School (SSBS) is now open for admissions for its academic session 2012- 2015.

Located in Greater Noida/NCR the SSBS undergraduate programme Bachelor of Business Studies (BBS) is specifically designed to meet the needs of Indian students seeking a global qualification. The world class BBS course is planned with a curriculum that will be delivered by a carefully chosen and highly qualified faculty. 50% of the faculty is from Strathclyde Business School (SBS), Glasgow while the other 50% are Indian teachers and academicians of impeccable repute.

The three-year Bachelor of Business Studies programme forms an excellent foundation for those seeking a degree in both business and management. Cutting edge research and knowledge in their chosen fields is an integral aspect of this three year BBS course.

Professor Bhimaraya Metri, Dean, Strathclyde SKIL Business School, says, “Upon graduation, students of SSBS will join a Strathclyde’s worldwide alumni network that are performing influential roles in the world of business and management and have attained the pinnacles of success.”

During the first year, students will be taken through a diverse spectrum of subjects, introducing them to various concepts that will build a strong foundation for specialization.

In the second year, BBS students progress to advanced subjects and specialised electives, taking courses at SBS, Glasgow, Scotland.

The third and final year sees students through two additional major specialisation courses and one minor specialisation course.

Students joining SSBS will possess several distinct advantages:

- A degree awarded by the University of Strathclyde

- Over 50% of the courses will be taught by faculty from Strathclyde B School in Scotland

- Study at campuses located in India and Scotland thereby gaining cross cultural experiences and developing into management leaders possessing global perspectives

- Industry interactions will give students the added advantage of practical experience coupled by thorough theory in the classroom

- All academic and intellectual resources of SBS, UK will be available to them

Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS) hosting human resources seminar

Human resources will take centre stage at a day-long seminar Saturday, December 17, 2011 at the Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS) in Pune.

A joint venture between KIAMS and Rangrut.com the seminar will focus on current recruitment practices, looking at the best such practices for various sectors.

With industry executives, KIAMS faculty and students participating, the free seminar will be of interest to human resources directors, talent acquisition managers, head hunters and HR practitioners in general.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. with sessions running from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., featuring discussions on: fuelling the talent economy; new age talent acquisition-energized and engineered by digital media; how talent acquisition is evolving; the role of social media in talent acquisition; whether employer brand takes on new meaning in the context of digital media and how brand can be communicated and marketed in the digital age.

The line-up of speakers at KIAMS includes: Shreyamun Mehta, Head of Human Resources, A P M Terminals Pvt. Ltd.; Mayur Satyavrat, Director of Human Resources, Viacom18; Sophia Almeida, Head of Talent Acquisition Group, Siemens; Sreejith Moolayil, Location Head of Human Resources and Talent Manager, Cognizant; Abhijeet Bose, Assistant Vice-President of Human Resources, UTI Mutual Fund; Sarbjeet Sawhney-Dy, Vice-President of Human Resources, HDFC Bank and Vishal Kukreja, Senior Vice-President of Human Resources, Dhanalakshmi Bank.

Buses will be available for pick-up and drop-off from Dadar, Sion, Chembur, Vashi, Khargar and several points at Pune the day of conference to take you to KIAMS campus.

While the seminar is free of charge, seating is limited and prior confirmation of attendance is necessary. For more information and confirmation of attendance please contact either Ms. Shruti Das at sd@kiams.ac.in  or by calling 9921167611 or 9673576111 or Ila Khan at ila.khan@rangrut.com  or +91 731 4221605.

Further details are also available at http://kiams.ac.in/

Kiams: Industry experts share trade secrets with KIAMS students

Alleviating classrooms as an interface with the industry, The Kirlosker Institute of Advanced Management Studies, invites people with real life experience to share their understanding of issues that exist at the ground level. This interaction helps management students have a feel of the challenges that lie ahead and prepare them to face the ruthless world once they are out of the institute.

Among other industry leaders KIAMS management invited Mr Jeevan Rao Sahib, chief executive officer, of Bangalore headquartered INDeLOX Services Pvt Ltd, a third party logistics services, to share his experience of the logistics industry. INDeLOX Services, started operations about 7 years ago, has with branches in Chennai, Hyderabad & is now expanding operations in North India.

Mr Rao, while sharing his experience with KIAMS students in the logistics services domain explained few processes that would help build a sustainable business model. Simplifying the processes (for students’ understanding) that were being followed in the logistics service industry, Mr Rao said, “Best Practice in logistics business will have to consider different aspects of the functions involved and its inter-dependence on the final outcome.”

He also explained as to why certain practices being followed in companies such as CISCO, and Maruti Suzuki are considered the best in the industry. CISCO’s practices in reverse logistics and spares management is the best, while Maruti Suzuki has an unparalleled market service programme. Rao, however, said that companies now need to constantly upgrade their services to remain ahead of competition as the best practices are imitated by others in no time.

Speed of delivery is the first and the foremost criteria in logistics services industry. “In IT infrastructure, spare part is provided in 4 hours to keep the network running. Imagine the loss of Bombay Stock Exchange or Reserve Bank of India network handing for over 30 minutes. Hence, speed becomes one of the critical components to appreciate best practice,” Rao said.

Consistency of services delivered is the key to success. Firms that have developed a strong brand name for themselves, have shown consistency over a period of time. The delivery of services should be irrespective of the individual of who is carrying out the process.

Underscoring the need to be cautious about the image of the company, Rao cited Nokia’s case where the company exchanged the battery of its phone which was found to be defective to convey its intention. “Nokia went through extensive media coverage and replaced the battery at its own cost -- an action undertaken to save the image of the company,” he said.

A process, if made flexible to adapt and accommodate the changes needed, will differentiate the practice from the lot. Certain processes in ERP environment are so rigid that it does not make the system a learning experience for users to fully utilize the potential. Concluding his thoughts, Rao said one has to find the right mix of configuration to form the 'Best in Class'.

Engineering experience gives KIAMS’ professor a solid foundation for academic career

“Engineering gave me the analytical bent,” said Prof. Manickavasagam Sivagnanasundaram, professor of Marketing at the Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies. “The practical exposure that I gained during my practice as an engineer helped me to grasp the concepts of management in a better way,” he said.

It’s this blending of practical experience with academic learning that has boosted KIAMS ranking among top MBA schools to a level it truly deserves.

Prof. Manickavasagam began his academic career by earning his BE in civil engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University, and, after several years in engineering, went on to earn an MBA in marketing from that same university, followed by a PhD in marketing from the National Institute of Technology at Trichy.

With a firm understanding of both industry and academia, he wanted to share his knowledge with future generations and joined the teaching staff at KIAMS.

The move has been interesting and challenging, said Prof. Manickavasagam.

At KIAMS, he said enthusiastically: “We have students from all over India having different cultural backgrounds. Identifying a common platform for discussions and examples is interesting and challenging. The students at KIAMS demand more practical inputs than theoretical knowledge. The students create an environment which is conducive to intellectual stimulation and results in two-way learning.”

Faced with publishing papers in journalistic reviews and international publications, addressing conferences and teaching, it seems an academic must wear many different hats. But Prof. Manickavasagam said: “Though it appears to be different fields, they are actually intertwined.

“The teacher needs to get to know the ground reality by carrying out research,” he said, and that research has to be forwarded to fellow teachers and industry.

“The conferences offer the platform for deliberating the research ideas with fellow teachers,” said Prof. Manickavasagam, noting publishing in journals puts the research out to an even wider audience.

Aiming to boost the KIAMS marketing department’s standing over other B-Schools, he said: “Industry exposure gives much visibility to any department of a B-School” and so more consultancy assignments are planned.

“Above all, the student participation in various management forums and events will enhance the visibility manifold,” said Prof. Manickavasagam, “but for that, the students need to be trained and encouraged to participate in such events. We are in the process of doing so.”

When asked about how he feels India compares with the rest of the world in regard to E-services, he said India is a pioneer in adopting electronic voting machines and noted: “E-CHOUPAL is another success story,” and “E-governance is getting momentum now.”

While Internet banking and mobile banking have so far had a lukewarm reception, Prof. Manickavasagam predicted: “Innovative approaches limiting the risk exposure of the consumer will increase the usage.”

As final words of wisdom to students at KIAMS, he advised: “In today’s competitive environment one has to run faster to stay in the same place. Knowledge and exposure will give you the energy to run faster. Keep your eyes and ears open for acquiring knowledge and be always prepared to carry out experiments that give you the exposure.”

Kiams rankings:KIAMS Team in Best 5 at “eMBArkers”

Case studies are a very integral aspect of an MBA education. They help students realise the crucial fact that there is more than one right answer to any challenge. This right answer depends on several aspects which in turn depend on assumptions and the definition of the challenge.

eMBArkers started out as a case study in itself. But that is quite another story. Each month, eMBArkers holds a case competition.

During the August 2011 case competition, KIAMS secured a position in the best 5 teams in the event, “eMBArkers”. The Jury consisted of Dr. T M Manjunath, Former Director Monsanto Research Centre, Prof. Krishanu Rakshit, Faculty at IIM Calcutta and Prof. Srinivasa Rao Chalasani, Faculty at ASoME. The top 5 teams (in random order and NOT the winning order) are as below –

- Genesis: Kirloskar Institute   of Advanced Management Studies
- Team Thinkers:  K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies & Research
- Freedom: Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management
- SOMITES: SJM SOM IIT Bombay
- Mavericks: IIT Kanpur SOM

A case of two tales: Genetic contamination and Green revolution

The case team Genesis from KIAMS presented was about an MNC which after the success of its genetically modified seeds in UK started making genetically modified seeds (BT sunflower) in India too. But a few scientists, farmers and social activists were agitated by this.  The case was mainly about the strategy used by the company to continue operating in India. The company had been a centre of controversies since it started the trials for its BT sunflower in India.

“Analysing this case really helped us to understand the basic concepts of strategy as well as licensing model,” said Shikha Gupta, a student at KIAMS, a top B-School with campuses in Harihar, Karnatak and Pune, Maharashtra. KIAMS believes in using the case study method to tutor its budding managers, and team Genesis proved it by being in the top five selected teams.

"It was an unique exposure and we at KIAMS are trying our best to approach management through such innovative platforms," Rajesh, another team member who fought long and hard for the recognition of his case study says.

The best part is that teams may come and teams may go, but the experience, the thrill of the fight will remain etched in the memories of these KIAMS students for the rest of their lives.

Life At KIAMS Is About Learning Business And Maneuvering It Skillfully

Looking for the right campus can be a matter of measureless repute and good stress in a student’s life. And then there is one. One last semester left, that’s it. It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the home stretch of this intensive two-year PGDM program and that in just five short months we will remerge wearing our working hats into the corporate world. Since I started the KIAMS Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), time has just whizzed by. While lately I’ve started feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and relief, it seems like only yesterday that I landed at the Bangalore Airport, anticipating the crucial second round of Personal Interview battle! Yes that’s true… a necessary evil to kill before gaining access to the hallowed campus of KIAMS.

Now business learning is not the same as academic learning. I can’t say that I would be able to answer questions about all the intricacies of what I learnt but the advantage is that business learning, especially conducted under the appendage of a corporate sponsored (Kirloskar Group) is by nature designed to be directly applicable – it focuses on what managers actually do and how they do it. And this is where our institution aspires to quickly rise to being one of the best B-schools in the region, thanks to its well rounded and carefully thought-out management curriculum.
On the hostel front: well everyone has a different living situation – no two freshmen are 100% compatible, and problems with the roommate are inevitable. Mine, for example, was a member of a god knows which ‘rock band’, a guy who composed his own music and had a fetish of jogging his guts out. I used to clean up handfuls of cheesy Cheetos balls that he left around the room – which I hate to admit, I terribly despised, but then needed to tolerate. Despite our differences, we managed to get through the year with much less than a few minor arguments. We even had some good times. The point is – we ultimately learned to live with ‘us’, and even celebrate, our differences – and I’m grateful that, for one year each, I could have had a small part in lives that are going to take this world by storm.
Some Useful Information for Students seeking Admission in KIAMS –
Considering the much-publicised placement reports of every top B-school – and the queries I kind of received from prospective students, I’ve put together below a few brief points in favour of students from an insider’s perspective. The truth is that KIAMS holds an excellent placement record. In fact for the past two years it has given 100 % placements at an average which now comes around 4lkh per annum approximately. Whereas it absorbs only 50 -60 students every year, it is known for its infrastructure where many b-schools actually lag. In fact –

·KIAMS sprawls over six acres of landscaped and natural surroundings on the banks of the Tungabadhara, 240 kms from Bangalore.
·KIAMS is recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
·Conducts Industry related internships for all the studnets.
·Events and lectures from renowned visiting faculties from all across the world.
·Follows CGPA system for evaluation which evaluates students on overall performance along with academics.
·It has compulsory jogging and sports session (I think that’s why my roommate was here!)
·Peaceful environs, yet demanding schedules preparing us for the corporate environment.

History of Successful Placement continues for another successful year at KIAMS

With a history of successful placements for majority of its students,
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies is firmly on the
employer radar. Large corporate houses from across the globe are
employing students from the KIAMS graduate batch of 2009-2011.
Several major corporate houses and prominent recruiters offered
healthy pay packets to the KIAMS MBA graduates. Some names are ICICI
Bank, GT Nexus, Symphony Marketing, Price Waterhouse, SBI Life
Insurance, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, HCL, Ashok Leyland, etc. These
placements saw an impressive distribution of profiles and industry
segments amongst the students who have been recruited by these
organizations.

“I got a couple of options but I decided to join Info Edge India
(Naukri.com)! The two years at KIAMS made me strong enough to take on
any role in Marketing. Besides the great learning environment of
KIAMS, wonderful faculty, prayers of my parents and my passion for
Marketing is helping me to do well in my field,” says Basharat, a
graduate in Biotechnology, almost saying his vote of thanks. His big
smile shows his happiness at securing the job of his choice.

Today, Basharat swears by one lesson he learnt at KIAMS. “It was from
Prof. S. Anantram. He said to me, “Basharat go for the Win and Win
just for the sake of Winning, don’t Win for any reward or return, Win
for the taste of winning.” And I just remembered this while giving my
job interview. It made a big difference. These few words motivated me
to give the interview my best!”

Rama Prabhu is quite happy with his job profile at Hindustan Unilever
in its supply chain. “In spite of being a non-engineer I eyed for a
career in supply chain. I feel I was fully prepared to take up this
career, in terms of knowledge and skills because I was focused with my
choice of Industries and the profile I wanted,” he says. A very
studious person, Rama Prabhu is a career-focused youngster. He
believes in going beyond the expected. Besides the regular curriculum,
Rama put in a lot of extra efforts on his own. “The syllabus of this
course is the gist of learning and research which people in the
corporate world get after years of experience. The KIAMS course is
worth to be studied to get an edge over others,” he elaborates.

Amongst the students of the 2009-2011 batch of PGDM who made their way
into the corporate world, many of them managed to bag quite impressive
annual salary packages. The highest salary offered was Rs. 8.12 lakhs
per annum. Salaries averaged out at Rs. 4.55 lakhs per annum.
In terms of job location, the highest polarity of these jobs was at
India’s unofficial financial capital, Mumbai. It was seconded by
Bangalore and followed by several other industrial hubs of India.

The largest recruiting sector remained Banking and Finance, followed
by sectors such as IT, Engineering & Automobile, Consultancy Services,
Retail, Real Estate and Market Research. Other sectors that offered a
fair share of opportunities to the PGDM students at KIAMS were,
Consumer durables, FMCG, Insurance, Telecom, Travel etc.

While successful placement records of KIAMS give its placement
department a reason to be proud, it has also become a driving factor
for the newer MBA aspirants to choose KIAMS. A prosperous career after
a good education is one of the primary motivations for students and
KIAMS continues to remain a favourite choice for deserving MBA
aspirants.

The Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies has been long
known for its relentless focus on unique industry-oriented methods of
educating young professionals. Quite clearly, the outcome of all the
hard work of its faculty, the extensively researched curriculum and
excellence of its delivery is reflected in the successful placements
of a majority of its students. For an establishment that has earned
its reputation as one of the premier B-schools of our country, great
placement records testify the KIAMS tradition of excellence. A
hallmark that has set this institute apart since its inception nearly
two decades ago.

KIAMS’ Professor- Priya Venkatesh’s voyage to Antarctica

KIAMS has always believed in bringing out the best in its students as well as faculty members. This article is about KIAMS’ Prof. Priya Venkatesh’s voyage to Antarctica. She shares her experiences and the knowledge she gained on this 15 day long tour with Sir Robert Swan’s team 2041.

KIAMS’ faculty, Priya Venkatesh is glad to be associated with one of India’s best B-schools, more so because this is one of the reasons she got the opportunity to visit and explore her dream destination, Antarctica.

Getting the chance of being a part of Sir Robert Swan’s 2041 project and traveling to the southern tip has been a life changing experience for this KIAMS’ faculty. She shares her experience on coming back from her expedition.

This KIAMS’ faculty begins by telling as to how she became a part of the 2041 team. She shares how Sir Robert Swan approached her for the project and she agreed to be a part of it even before she had enough funds to chase her dream.

Prof. Priya Venkatesh accepted the proposal primarily because she loved the sheer beauty of the place. She says that she also wanted to understand the ways in which we impact the continent and vice-versa. Her aim was to understand these facts and then go ahead and make people aware about the moratorium. She feels that it is essential for us to understand the ways in which we can ascertain Antarctica’s continued existence and as a result, our own survival.

She recalls the Antarctica tour; these were certainly the most memorable days of her life. The memories are still fresh right from the first penguin she saw at the Petermann Island to Camping on Cuverville Island to the Polar Plunge. The trip was exciting and with the support of her fellow team mates she was able to make the most of it.

She relates this experience to a KIAMS student’s professional journey. She says, there are a number of similarities between her Antarctica trip and a KIAMS student’s professional life or for that matter any best B-school student’s professional life. The way she met new people, new challenges and explored and learnt several new things on her trip. Similar is the course of any best B-school student’s professional journey.
They learn new things each day as they get into new ventures.

She appreciates KIAMS for being supportive. She says, the institute welcomes change and is ready to go beyond the usual and explore new horizons to bring out the best in its students. KIAMS also understands that learning is a continuous process and thus even encourages its faculty members to try new ventures. One of the latest and best examples of this is Prof. Priya Venkatesh’s trip to Antarctia. The KIAMS management was glad enough to send her on this venture as it believed this would help her grow both personally and professionally.

On her trip to Antartica, she has learnt the necessity to adopt green practices. The KIAMS’ faculty has already started propagating the use of renewable energy and the need to stop the wastage of resources. She explains how each one of us needs to contribute and do our bit for the environment in order to see a better tomorrow.

Students at KIAMS Pune from Successful Interns to Competent Professionals

The time of internship is the time of “cruel realization” for students when they look around their dorm rooms and realize that the comfort of the college will not last forever. Whether they like it or not, they will be finally forced out of the student’s shell to take plunge. However, when you are a student of a college that offers its assistance to help you gently nudge into the future, the journey from the student to intern and then to the real job world becomes extremely easy. Students of Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies (KIAMS) are lucky to belong to such an institute.

Archana Prakash, currently an intern with the HDFC Bank’s Private Banking division in the area of Customer Satisfaction, shares her experience of journey from a student in KIAMS to an intern in HDFC. When asked about the reason for choosing KIAMS as her B-School, she said “The two-year, Post-Graduate Diploma in Management at KIAMS is designed to prepare you for careers in the industry, across various functional areas. The programme equips you with strong conceptual skills to manage businesses in an integrated manner. The emphasis is on developing a holistic manager with a vision to take on the challenges of the future. It also hones your analytical and problem-solving skills to enhance your decision-making capabilities and prepares you to meet the future challenges of the corporate world.”

She is thankful for the varied curriculum at KIAMS that helped her prepare to face the various challenges during internship. “The curriculum at KIAMS is designed in such a way that it engaged me in several activities at the same time and this allowed me to face the pressures and other challenges with ease during my internship at HDFC Bank. The curriculum is spread over six trimesters of which the first three are devoted to foundation courses across the core areas of management. Subjects like Business Communication, Research Methodology, Statistics, Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Financial Accounting, Cost Accounting, Business Ethics and Corporate Governance are aimed at providing the conceptual understanding of the functional areas and were a big help when the concepts had to be practically applied during my internship”, she quoted.

Another student at KIAMS, Preeti Agarwal is an intern with BMA Wealth Creators where she’s studying what impact the financial performance of companies listed on the NSE has on their stocks. Explaining about her internship experience she said, “In my internship I am required to analyse the financial performance of all the companies listed on the National Stock Exchange and see how it affects the stock price of the companies. At the same time I try to take technical and fundamental calls on the stocks of the companies so that investors can make profitable investments.”

Giving the credit to KIAMS in helping her prepare for the internship she said, “The trimester system followed in the programme has facilitated the flexibility required to engage in several activities and has enabled me to confidently face the pressures and challenges during my stint at BMA Wealth Creators. Subjects like Business Ethics, Corporate Governance, Research Methodology, Organisational Behaviour, Operations, MIS, Accounting and many more incorporated into the curriculum have exposed me to the inner workings of the corporate world, and have sharpened my thinking skills to innovate with ideas and solutions in the light of various limitations.”

The management and faculty at KIAMS assist students at all levels to prepare them for achieving best in their career. Through internships, placements, real-life projects, and a number of other services KIAMS works with hundreds of students every year to ensure that each student is enriched with all the skills that they needed to establish a successful career after graduating from their B-School.

Life at KIAMS (Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies )

Looking for the right campus can be a matter of measureless repute and good stress in a student’s life. And then there is one. One last semester left, that’s it. It’s hard to believe that we are approaching the home stretch of this intensive two-year PGDM program and that in just five short months we will remerge wearing our working hats into the corporate world. Since I started the KIAMS Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), time has just whizzed by. While lately I’ve started feeling a strange mixture of anxiety and relief, it seems like only yesterday that I landed at the Bangalore Airport, anticipating the crucial second round of Personal Interview battle! yes that’s true... a necessary evil to kill before gaining access to the hallowed campus of KIAM.

Now business learning is not the same as academic learning. I can’t say that I would be able to answer questions about all the intricacies of what I learned. But the advantage is that business learning, especially conducted under the appendage of a corporate sponsored (Kirloskar Group) is by nature designed to be directly applicable – it focuses on what managers actually do and how they do it. And this is where our institution aspires to quickly rise to being one of the best B-schools in the region, thanks to its well rounded and carefully thought out management curriculum.

On the hostel front, well everyone has a different living situation - no two freshmen are 100% compatible, and problems with the roomie are inevitable. Mine, for example, was a member of a god knows which ‘rock band’, a guy who composed his own music and had a fetish of jogging his guts out. I used to have to clean up handfuls of cheesy Cheetos balls that he left around the room – which I hate to admit, I terribly despised, but then needed to tolerate. Despite our differences, we managed to get through the year with much less than a few minor arguments. Heck ! We even had some good times. The point is – we ultimately learned to live with ‘us’, and even celebrate, our differences – and I’m grateful that, for one year each, I could have had a small part in lives that are going to take this world by storm.

Some Useful Information for Students seeking Admission in KIAMS –

Considering the much-publicised placement reports of every top B-school – and the queries I kindda receive from prospective students, I’ve put together below a few brief points in favour of students from an insider’s perspective. The truth is that KIAMS holds an excellent placement record. In fact for the past two years it has given 100 % placements at an average which now comes around 4lkh per annum approximately. Whereas it absorbs only 50 -60 students every year, it is known for its infrastructure where many b-schools actually lag. In fact –

- KIAMS sprawls over six acres of landscaped and natural surroundings on the banks of the Tungabadhara, 240 kms from Bangalore (think of the long-serene walks you can have by the river)
- Is recognized by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) (no spamming here!)
- Conducts Industry related internships from the first year onwards (work your butt off dude, there’s no escaping)
- Events and lectures from prominent visiting faculties all year round. (they will just not leave
you alone!)

- Follows CGPA system for evaluation which evaluates students on overall performance along with academics. (I knew I could be a writer and manager both!)
- It has compulsory jogging and sports session (I think that’s why my roomie was here!)
- Peaceful environs, yet hectic schedules which prepares us for the corporate environment( Strategy of life)

KIAMS MAKES INROADS INTO INDIA’S EDUCATION CAPITAL

KIAMS: Dr. Janaki Naik answers questions

KIAMS (Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies) is the newest campus in Pune for aspiring MBA students. It comes from the well known conglomerate – Kirloskar group of companies. A name backed by over a hundred years in the industry. The new is actually an extension of KIAMS Harihar, and is equipped with the best infrastructure and has the same experienced faculty in both locations.

Dr. Janaki Niak, Director, KIAMS, discussed the institute with Ameeta Agnihotri and talked about plans, unique features and offerings that will make a huge difference to the students and the industry alike. The Pune institute is now ready and waiting for students who begin classes in July 2011.

Q. What stage of completion is the KIAMS Pune campus before start of the batch in Jul’2011?

It is ready and operational for classes to commence in June 2011. Hostels are also ready for occupation from June 10th 2011.

Q. What is the objective behind setting up KIAMS Pune?

Pune has been on the anvil for quite some time. It is the head quarters of many corporate houses and at the same time an educational hub. Given our vision ‘To provide Society a center of learning that excels in Management Education, Research, Training and Consultancy’, Pune is logically the right choice for us. We can pursue all the activities to fulfill the vision and have greater Industry Interface through guest speakers, live projects, study visits, training and consultancy. In short it will help us to get the business environment into the classroom.

Q. What will be the strengths on which the institute will build itself?

KIAMS Pune has the complete support of the Harihar campus as well as the Kirloskar Group Companies. Being a part of the illustrious house of Kirloskar is in itself a strength. Our institute is built on strong academic pillars: a good faculty pool, a multidisciplinary and integrative curriculum, live industry projects and a pedagogy which blends theory and experiential learning.

Q. What kind of Mentorship will KIAMS Harihar give to KIAMS Pune?

KIAMS Harihar and KIAMS Pune work as a single unit in two locations. Faculty from both the campuses teach in both the locations, curriculum is common and admissions, evaluations as well as placements are common. So you see it is more teamwork than mentoring that takes place in this case, unlike the case of the new IIMs where the new IIMs are on their own when it comes to evaluation and/or placements.

Q Will there be a common teacher pool? Alum pool?  Placements for students, etc.?

Yes as mentioned above both campuses work together. In fact Pune campus has already hosted an alumni get together, faculty have been teaching at both campuses in the academic year 2010-11 and summer placements were common for the class of 2012.

Q. Any advice to students looking to consider KIAMS Pune?

Yes, if you would like to use the two years of post graduation fruitfully KIAMS Pune is the place for you. Be prepared to work hard and play hard. Remember the time for action is now. It’s never too late to do something.

KIAMS Faculty: making a difference

Faculty can make an education institution rise to great heights. While anybody can acquire educational qualifications, fortune’s favourites are the ones who get to guide and educate students into their future. When any youngster steps into a management institute it is with faith and the knowledge that this is going to decide how their careers are shaped. Rarely do students forget great teachers. The ones chosen to guide KIAMS students are:

Dr Janaki Naik, Director, KIAMS, Pune has seen the institute start from scratch. After her post graduation in commerce, she went on to earn an M.Phil and Ph.D. Her career as a teacher spans well over two decades. Coming on board KIAMS in April, 2010, she has worked for over a year at shaping the curriculum.

Guiding man projects, she has seen many students through their MBA and MPM.
A professional membership in two organizations, Dr. Janaki is a soft skills trainer. She works with HR departments in competency mapping and assessment. Many awards have come her way, a few of them being:
- UGC Research Fellowship – JRF / SRF
- Business excellence award CII-EXIM
- Business excellence award TKQP.

Her professional activities include designing and conducting assessments for the Kirloskar Group of Companies. She performs employee satisfaction surveys in organizations, and does human capital restructuring for companies that require it.

Prof Sandeep Kayastha heads Executive Education at KIAMS, Pune. He comes from a background in education with years of experience behind him. Work at ICFAI Business School, Hyderabad, Everonn Education Ltd, Chennai, KIAMS, Harihar, IIM A, IIT Delhi and a few other management institutes across the country give him a varied spectrum of exposure and insight into management education.

An M. Tech from IIT Khragpur, Kayastha has a deep interest in service management and simulation.

With his finger firmly on the pulse of management studies, Prof Kayastha’s expertise is in teaching Operations Management to MBA students. Besides teaching, he conducts management development programmes for executives and government officials.

His book, Workload Reduction in Government has been well received.

Prof Priya Venkatesh comes to KIAMS with 13 years in the industry and 12 years teaching. After having worked in both sides of the coin, when lecturing a class, she is able to draw from real life experiences and bring them to the classroom, making her classes interesting and informative.

Prof Shruti Das did her post graduation in MMS from Bombay University, after which she took up a job. 12 years later, she went into teaching as that was her real calling and has been instrumental in guiding young minds for over two years. Das is a lecturer at KIAMS, Pune.

KIAMS: new campus in Student Town – Pune

Doing an MBA has become the need of the hour, but choosing the best institute from the innumerable management institutes in India can be a daunting task for management aspirants. As the demand for the B-schools has increased over the years, many new institutes have come up to match the supply.

The Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies or KIAMS, run by one of the best known Industrial Conglomerates of India – Kirloskar Group of Companies – has emerged as one of the most promising and fast growing management schools in India. This AICTE approved premier management institute offers a full time Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) program to the students.

Conceived as a quality training hub in 1991, KIAMS began its full fledged operation as a premier B-School in 1995. The first campus was founded in Harihar. The second is coming up beautifully in Pune in a scenic campus by the serene Tungabhadra riverside. Offering its students excellent, state of the art infrastructure, KIAMS has put together a carefully chosen faculty to guide students into focusing on their management strengths.

KIAMS offers more than just a management course to the students. Right from the beginning of the two year PGDM course the students get first hand exposure to the industry. Intensive summer internships make every one of our students industry ready even before they pass out of KIAMS. Students benefit from direct interaction with the Kirloskar group of companies during the course, thereby being able to practically implement the theory they learn in class.

The PGDM course of KIAMS has been designed to impart quality management education where the students are trained intensively to sharpen their cognitive skills and professional aptitude giving them that extra edge needed to differentiate the good from the best in a fiercely competitive industry scenario. Apart from quality education, KIAMS offers trendsetting management development programs and top notch consultancy and training from industry experts.

The institute boasts of enviable placement records in the management sector with a huge number of students placed successfully in national and global corporate giants. The current KIAMS placement body in Harihar comprises of the Deputy Director, Director, Placement Officer, Senior Managers as well as four student community members, KIAMS Pune will replicate this same tried and tested placement method.

The KIAMS management believes in incorporating the virtues of community building in the students which has led to the development of the Management Forum. This entity gives the students the scope of interaction with established industry veterans and exposes them to the prevalent trends in the sector.  Apart from the academic curriculum the new campus also offers various extracurricular activities that include Pragati which is the annual marketing festival – looked forward to all of KIAMS – students and faculty alike.

For students with a creative bent of mind, there is Kalasanchay, the cultural arm of KIAMS. Talented students are offered a platform by this group to showcase their merits in various forms of performing arts. The sports committee of KIAMS, Ashwamedha involves the students in games to help them unwind after a rigorous day with learning and helps them interact with friends at a different level. In brief, the cultural bodies of KIAMS help the students to bring out the best in them and help in overall personality development.

KIAMS – A NEW BEGINNING

Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies or KIAMS is now open in Pune – a couple of hours away from India’s commercial capital - Mumbai. KIAMS has smartly put together a beautiful, efficiently equipped and vibrant new campus for post graduate management studies. Pune, the city, of course needs no introduction. It is the land of learning and has a lively young population from all over the country and abroad. This seventh largest metro in India possesses a unique vibrancy which is an open invitation to education because this is the land where many young minds develop into formidable professionals who can think on their feet while blossoming into socially responsible individuals.

A new option for those aspiring to soar straight away into brilliant careers, KIAMS offers their MBA students hands on experiences right form their first year, thanks to a spectrum of industries the Kirloskar group has under their banner. The institution aspires to quickly rise to the position of being one of the best B-schools in the western region, thanks to its well rounded and carefully thought out curriculum that includes all aspects of Management.

Location

Students from the western region can avail of this fabulous new opportunity happening virtually next door, as Pune is a well connected hub with its entire infrastructure in place. It is a city almost on par with Mumbai minus the crowds, overpowering heat and pollution.
The rather quiet and serene surroundings of KIAMS, with its scenic location on the banks of river Thungabhadra make it an ideal place for concentration, thinking and learning.

Faculty

Adding to the infrastructure and the location, what makes KIAMS complete is the hand-picked faculty. Each one of them is an expert in their subjects. They come with deep understanding, commitment and an inbuilt adaptability to rapid change. Their most important attribute is their ability to understand, guide and instruct the youthful minds of their students, helping them blossom into global managers any company would be proud of.

Brand KIAMS

KIAMS opened its first management institute in Harihar in 1995 is promoted by the Kirloskar Group of Companies. It is seen as a force to reckon with in the B-school arena as KIAMS, Harihar has built a formidable reputation for itself.  Seeing the huge demand and the need for quality managers, KIAMS developed the Pune institute on par with international standards to develop and train managers with a global perspective.

KIAMS strengths:

-KIAMS is a corporate sponsored business school. It has the century old Kirloskar brand behind it
-Recognition from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE)
-Pune is the seventh largest metro city in India
-Campus placement from world renowned companies
-Industry related internships from the first year onwards
-Facility see classroom learning in practice almost immediately, giving students a wholesome exposure from the initial stages
-Indian sensibilities with a global perspective
-Six acres of landscaped and natural surroundings on the banks of the Tungabadhara
-Various co-curricular activities to enable students discover talents and nurture existing ones.