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'.