Integrated Placements begin at ISB
This year the School further strengthened its “one school two campuses” philosophy by conducting integrated placements for around 770 students, the largest class in the School’s history. Unlike other management institutes that offer placements in their respective locations, the placements at ISB are campus neutral and integrated. Tackling the logistical challenge of transporting over 550 students to their job interviews in Mohali and later transporting around 200 students from Mohali to Hyderabad for placement-related interviews, presented several challenges and required meticulous planning and co-ordination among several departments both at Mohali and Hyderabad. But this gargantuan effort ensured that students at both campuses have similar opportunities. Abhishek Hemrajani, a student from the Hyderabad campus who participated in the placements was very appreciative of the School’s effort in this regard. “Attention to details is crucial in an event of such enormous magnitude and the fact that I knew everything from where my interviews were going to be held, to who would be coordinating them was a huge support during a very stressful time – A welcome card that provided logistic details for the Mohali campus was sent to every hotel room – This might be a simple example but it highlights the attention paid to every possible concern that a student could potentially have during the placement process.”
This year the Career Advancement Services team at ISB has been strengthened to reach out to more companies. Leaving no stone unturned, the School is also tapping into its extensive alumni base to ensure that all students are employed in companies of their choice.
Winners of the iDiya challenge announced
The winners of the fourth iDiya Challenge, the national social venture competition for working professionals, were announced recently. ISB iDiya, a completely student-led initiative, has created a platform for social entrepreneurs focusing on businesses around social issues such as healthcare, education, environment sustainability, women empowerment, disability among many others. Following are the winners of this year’s competition:
- Bio Energy Ventures (First Prize: INR 200,000): This venture leverages biomass residue and converts it into cleaner fuel alternatives.
- Sankalp Taru (Second Prize: INR 150,000): This online platform enables buying of trees that will be planted in the rural communities of Barmer (Rajasthan).
- Sudiksha Knowledge Solutions Pvt Ltd. (Third Prize: INR 75,000): This venture addresses the quality of education at the bottom of the pyramid preschools for children in Andhra Pradesh and uses local women entrepreneurs to run the schools such as to increase community involvement.
Conference on the role of legal experts in Indian businesses
The Harvard Law School Programme on the legal profession and The Indian School of Business (ISB) organised a conference on “The Future of Corporate Business in India and the Role of the Legal Profession.”
Amid several panel discussions, legal experts and company executives discussed what globalisation meant to Indian companies and the legal process in India. Speaking about the inherent delays in the legal system in the country, panellist Dr V Raghunathan, CEO, GMR Varalakshmi Foundation insisted that while India had a robust democracy and a well-established legal system businesses must not take anything for granted and allow for a “greater yardstick of patience” while conducting business in this country. Many panellists lamented the lack of an organised legal profession in India.
Seminar on competitiveness in Indian Aerospace and Defence Sector
The Innovation 2012 series of seminars that aims to advance innovation in products and in manufacturing processes in India recently held its inaugural session in Delhi. The seminar “Competitiveness in Indian Aerospace and Defence Sector,” was held in collaboration with the Centre for Air Power Studies. This seminar continues the theme of the two earlier sessions, Swavalamban I and II, which were held in partnership with the College of Defence Management and centred on issues pertaining to the policy on defence offsets and to the defence production in the country.
Experts offered their varying perspectives and an interesting dialogue ensued between the panellists and the audience. Issues that were brought to the fore included: incentives for spurring innovation, policy drawbacks in the aviation sector, opportunities in ESO and MRO sector and potential to develop A&D sector through defence offsets. Vivek Lall, Chairman of Reliance New Venture gave the keynote address while SB Agnihotri, Director General Defence Acquisition made the valedictory address.
