Showing posts with label IIPM Gurgaon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIPM Gurgaon. Show all posts

Friday, October 05, 2012

Sustainable Capitalism is the food

CSR is Passe , Sustainability is in. And B-Schools alike are Waking Up To This Fact. B&E’s Amir Moin writes on why for The Moment, Sustainable Capitalism is the food for thought For Sustaining Capitalism

B-schools today stand at a juncture where they have the historic opportunity of giving the gift of ‘sustainable capitalism’ to the world. It will be a system that will not just ensure profit maximisation but will also make people (the society as a whole) better-off. And there are steps being taken in this direction. Starting the new MBA batch of 2011-13, students at the IIMs will be solving case studies discussing Maoists rebellion and the displacement caused by large industrial projects. Students would also visit villages in remote areas, for the purpose of making this an experiential exercise and help solve issues of the villagers. In fact, The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) has been in this race, teaching concepts of sustainable development, ever since its inception in 1973. Even today, all students enrolling for any of the institute’s post-graduate and under-graduate programmes are taught concepts such as ‘Survival of the weakest’, ‘Trickle-up effect’ and ‘Happy Capitalism’. In an exclusive conversation with B&E, Dr. Ranajoy Bhattacharyya, Professor of Environmental Economics & Intl. Trade, The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), expresses his concern on the lack of such an initiative. “Sustainable capitalism is a rare concept where human welfare and profitability are very closely related. This is separate from CSR. In our B-schools, the issue of CSR has been largely taken care of. But, it is in the field of environment management where there is a scope for a lot more to be done. Embedding sustainable issues and policies in corporate strategies is not necessarily a CSR issue; it makes a lot of business sense as well.”

This very year, CEOs of 29 global corporations, including the likes of Accenture, Infosys and Boeing collectively produced a report titled Vision 2050 on behalf of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. The report lays out a pathway leading to a global population of some 9 billion people living well within the resource limits of the planet by 2050. The deep-rooted significance of the vision fostered by these CEOs may appear promises on paper, but it is a start. According to a survey of global CEOs commissioned by Accenture in 2010 for the 10th anniversary of the UN Global Compact held in New York at the end of June, while 93% CEOs voted for the fact that “Sustainability issues are critical for the future success of their business”, an overwhelming 96% promised that “Sustainability issues will be fully integrated into the operations and corporate policies of their respective companies”. But the warning here is that the performance gap (what is needed and how much is being implemented) in dealing with sustainability issues has only increased over time – from 27% in 2007 (survey by McKinsey in 2007) to 32% in 2010 (survey by Accenture in 2010). This therefore calls for b-schools to make the much needed change in curriculum to include the topic of Creative Capitalism, as Dr. Mukesh Kumar, COO, Vedanta Aluminium says, “A business cannot prosper unless it realises the presence and contribution of the society. It is now an imperative for B-schools to imbibe sustainability aspects in the course content. In times to come the demand for inclusive growth will become even more pressing” says Kumar.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Lehman is history...and future too

On the 2nd anniversary of the Lehman Brothers debacle, what is evident is the fact that economies have learnt very little from history. B&E does a quick recap of the occurrence, the domino effect and the current global economic situation By Asif Ahmed

September 15, 2008. Henry Paulson, the then Secretary of Treasury, United States, had just been informed of the impending Lehman collapse, when he excused himself from his colleagues to make a most important call. That call went not to the President, but to his wife, Wendy Judge, to whom Paulson said in a completely mellowed down voice, in contrast to his imposing 6 ft 4 inches physique, “I am afraid.” Paulson later termed the day as the most ‘horrific’ and ‘saddest’ day of his life.

In the absence of an acquirer and US federal guarantee, Paulson announced that US Treasury couldn’t locate a suitable borrower for Lehman Brothers, thereby purging billions in dollars and putting thousands of employees at risk. What he didn’t know then was how many billions were going to be affected by this collapse.

A month later in October 2008, in response to the subprime mortgage crisis, The Emergency Economic Stabilisation Act of 2008 was passed which authorised United States Secretary of the Treasury to spend up to $700 billion to purchase distressed assets, especially mortgage-backed securities, and make capital injections into banks. A year-and-a-half later, the Euro zone too had to adopt a similar bailout, called the European Stabilisation Mechanism, triggered by sovereign crises.

So, a few went under Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganisation, a few more under Chapter 7 liquidation, and the topography of US financial system changed forever. On the second death anniversary of Lehman Brothers – and hundreds of other banks, which died in the hope of receiving a few million dollars of that $700 billion – the question that needs to be asked: Is the financial world a better place to live in, now? How much ground have we covered in terms of financial regulation so as to avoid future shocks?

2008 BC and 2008 AD
If one were to define the timeline of the financial world, the best way to line it up would be 2008 Before Crisis and 2008 After Destruction. The advanced economies were the first one to react and plug the loopholes that left big holes in the pockets and balance sheet of banks and central banks. Paul Volcker, former Chairman, Federal Reserve, who was hired to figure out a solution for the 21st century problem, had a simple military plan – he asked banks to curtail proprietary trading, private equity and other ‘risky’ investments that banks make with their own capital. On a more global platform, multi-lateral financial institution like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Financial Stability Board (FSB) and Bank for International Settlements (BIS) worked in tandem to foster a more healthy financial system, the most recent of which is recommendations of Basel Committee of Banking Supervision (BSBS) and FSB to hold more capital. The BCBS has asked lenders to have common equity equal to at least 7% of assets, weighted according to their risk, including a 2.5% buffer to withstand future stress. Banks will have less than five years to comply with the minimum ratios – 4.5% common equity and 6% Tier 1 until 2019, to meet the buffer requirements. Banks are currently required to have common equity equal to 2% of total assets and 4% Tier 1 capital.


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Monday, September 03, 2012

Family democracy, Lanka style

Rajapakse is turning the Lankan constitution into a useless shred of paper

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse brought in a landmark change in the country’s constitution on September 08, 2010 by scrapping the two term limit rule for serving presidents in the midst of both protests and cheering across the country. Consequently, Rajapakse, who is serving his second term as president, can stand for another term in the next voting to be held in 2016!

Apart from this, sweeping powers were handed over to him as a result of this amendment, by which previously autonomous institutes have been brought under his control. He will now directly appoint the main officials in judiciary, election commission, human rights commission and the central bank. Ending all controversies spurred up by the opposition, who stressed for the need of referendum to change the constitution, the Supreme Court ruled that such requirement is unnecessary. This has paved the way to end all possible legal roadblocks to Rajapakse.


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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Arvind Saxena, Director – Sales & Marketing, Hyundai Motors India

Arvind Saxena, Director – Sales & Marketing, Hyundai Motors India, explains to B&E why competition is no threat to Hyundai in India, and why Hyundai does not need to worry about capacity expansions

B&E: Can we say that the second slot is not that important to Hyundai as compared to creating a profitable business environment?
AS: No, I am not saying it is not important. I am saying that the second rank is not the only thing that one works for. We are here to create a bigger brand. We are here to create a large pool of satisfied customers and the second slot is incidental. No one works for it. We will be more than happy to have a large satisfied customer base.

B&E: It has been widely reported that the company is expanding its capacity by 70,000 units. Have you already done that or is it an option that can be explored?
AS: It is an option that we have not exercised so far. But if there is more demand for our products, we will possibly look into it. But I don’t think there will be a need for capacity expansion this year, perhaps not even in 2011.

B&E: The company has focused equally on both the exports and domestic market so far. How do you see the ratio of domestic sales and exports changing, say, five years down the line?
AS: The domestic market has always been a priority for Hyundai in India. But when we realised that the demand here was insufficient, we exercised the option of making the most out of exports. This year, the domestic market will account for about 56% of out total unit sales. In five years time, this percentage could grow to 65-70%. Going forward, we will naturally maintain a higher ratio of production for domestic consumption.



 
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A jog down memory lane

A nostalgic Jennifer Aniston recently recalled the fun she had shooting for the famous American sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S. She recollected moments of the ‘Chick and Duck’ episode, the one in which she’s bursting with anger, and the time when she was pregnant in the show. Incredulous at how people still watch the show almost everyday, she innocently asks how they do it, and where do they find it, for she’s unable to find it herself! Well, it’s all on the net dear... including the blooper shows!


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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

At peace with that ponch? You could be slowly ‘inching’ towards dementia!

The waste-hip ratio differs in Asians and Europeans. If this ratio is abnormal, it would signify that the visceral fat (unhealthy abdominal fat) is more, which damages the arteries and increases the chances of a stroke by five to six times if coupled with diabetes and hypertension. Although a patient might not have a history of stroke, he could still suffer from dementia at a certain stage. Like in the case of treatable (preventive) causes such as hypothyroid, epilepsy, alcoholics or any accidents in which there might have been a brain haemorrhage, one might suffer from dementia. There isn’t a specific medication for dementia as such because in dementia the cause is treated to the extent possible,” says Dr. Mrinal Bhargava, General Physician (Resident Neurology). Dementia not only affects those who are too lazy to lose weight, but those who are fit as a fiddle may also suffer from a deadly neurodegenerative disease like dementia; like in the case of boxers. Due to repeated concussions they develop ‘Chronic traumatic encephalopathy’. It is also said that famous boxers and athletes such as Bobby Chacon and Jerry Quarry had suffered from this disease.

Being reduced to the state of a vegetable and being dependant on others for everything is not living but merely existing. The least one can do for oneself is to take control of those love handles, otherwise they could leave you with no control over your life.




 
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Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Indian cui‘sin’e

Prosecution is a must for control

India has a very strong law on food safety that sets down food standards and dispenses heavy penalties on infringers. The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 includes specifications for ingredients, contaminants, pesticide residue, biological hazards, labels and others. In short, it takes all possible measures that are required to ensure safety of food in the market. Yet, it is common knowledge that people die consistently in India due to drinking adulterated milk, go blind or get paralyzed due to drinking adulterated alcohol and children are regularly taken ill with food poisoning after consuming mid-day meals at school, supplied by the government! Even temples are not safe (they are, after all, managed by humans), as devotees are taken ill or poisoned due to some adulterant.

Despite the fact that we have stringent laws to deal with it – hardly anybody is ever punished or prosecuted! The biggest culprits of these malpractices are food contractors and suppliers, to whom government agencies place their orders.


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Monday, August 20, 2012

A simple issue of timing

Godrej Industries has suddenly become more enthusiastic about its retail plans, especially in new concepts of retailing (like gourmet food). Is there any radical plan we’re missing or is this it? by Angshuman Paul

It was in January 2006 when Adi Godrej, Chairman of the Godrej Group announced an investment of Rs.700 crore for the expansion of ‘Aadhar’ (chain of supermarkets in rural India) – part of Godrej Agrovet Ltd, and an additional investment of Rs.200 crore for the expansion Nature’s Basket – a gourmet food retail chain. The five-year plan was to take the number of Aadhar stores from 18 (in 2006) to 1,000 across the country and scale the footprints of Nature’s Basket from only three in Mumbai alone to 100 in metros by 2011. Today, after 40 months, while 70% stake in Aadhar has been taken over by Kishore Biyani-owned Future Group (in 2008), the progress at Nature’s Basket cannot be called anything better than sluggish with the current count of outlets standing at just 10 (7 in Mumbai & 3 in Delhi).

The detail – that the Indian retail industry is now a mammoth Rs.9.3 trillion with organised retail at only 4% - has apparently not been lost on the Godrej group. Company officials tell B&E how now, after identifying gaps in the retailing of home and office furnishings and equipments, Godrej plans to take the count of Lifespace stores from the current 51 to 90 by the year-end. The group has allocated Rs.16 crores towards advertising and promotion expenses. Would the fact that not many retailers are paying heed to the retailing of home furnishing and office equipment (except for Biyani’s Hometown, which is lagging behind on a similar model and is leveraging its finances from the other retail businesses of Future Group) make a difference to their highly niche offerings? Would Godrej, in the coming periods, expand the products portfolio to reduce the risk quotient? Godrej spokespersons reject the proposition. “We are not into the trading business and we won’t retail any other brands. And if we can offer everything to the people who are setting up their homes, why do we need other brands,” argues Shyam Motwani, VP & Business Head, Retailing Division of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. The company plans to reach a turnover of Rs.300 crores by the year-end from Lifespace sales alone.

At the other side of the Godrej strategy map is Nature’s Basket – their gourmet retailing arm. Nature’s Basket has tied up with many foreign brands and provides a wide array of food & beverages products. That is apart from selling the various food products of Godrej itself. But the issues of being extremely slow on the expansion plan hit here too. Mohit Khattar, MD, Godrej Nature’s Basket, defends the approach to B&E, “The type of format that we are offering is very exotic and we did not want to roll out stores unless we had completed our ground work.” It’s true that Nature’s Basket didn’t have to shut stores like its rival Le Marsche had to in Mumbai – after aggressive retail plans forced it to backtrack. But then, it’s also true that for every Le Marsche, there’re three other competitors who succeeded much better than Godrej.


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Monday, August 13, 2012

Fashion files: A-listers show the way!

Actors and style icons, film stars are influencing fashion on the ramp and the city streets

“An off-shoulder, dark blue flowing satin gown, layered with black net to give it a rich feel, with pleating from the empire line and a plunging back line’ is how Natasha wanted her dress to be for her 22nd birthday bash, the theme of which she had set as Red Carpet. She went and sought the help of her neighbourhood tailor with this concept in her mind and the required fabrics in her bag, and in less than a week her own red-carpet creation was ready, for just Rs.5500! “I wanted to wear something like what Aishwarya Rai had worn at an international film festival and that is why I chose this theme for my birthday! The same dress would have costed Rs.55,000 or even more had I bought it from a designer and maybe I wouldn’t have worn it a second time, because I don’t like to repeat my dresses, and so it could have been a huge waste of money!”

Well, Natasha is not the only one bitten by the latest fashion trends. In fact, these days, fashion trends and fashion weeks are being inspired by movies and even film stars walking the red carpet. Jean Paul Gaultier was so inspired by the recent blockbuster Avatar that he decided to incorporate the untouched beauty of Pandora and its blue-skinned tribes in his couture collection. Leading fashion magazine Vogue too recently decided to dedicate nothing less than 10 pages to the Na’vis!

Back in India, actress Mumtaz had set a trend in draping saris in the late ’60s with her film Brahamchari. This figure-hugging style came to be known as Mumtaz Saris and is still a favourite with many. More recently, saris made a huge comeback post the film Main Hoon Na when Sushmita Sen looked glamorous in her chiffon saris with sexy low-cut blouses and noodle straps.


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Friday, August 10, 2012

AN APPEAL TO LATA MANGESHKAR AND . . .

...Asha Bhosle and Nana Patekar and Madhuri Dixit and Ritesh Deshmukh and Amol Palekar and Madhur Bhandarkar and Ashutosh Gowariker and Mohan Agashe and Sai Paranjpe and Rohini Hattangadi and dozens of other illustrious and not so illustrious people who have won hearts, minds, fans and big bucks in Bollywood. Just in case you failed to notice, all these personalities are Marathi Manoos. Some are legends who have already become immortal and most have enriched Bollywood with their incredible talent and performances. I am deliberately appealing to Ritesh Deshmukh instead of his father Vilasrao Deshmukh because neither you or I really expect politicians to stand up and be counted when it comes to defending the idea of India.

But I earnestly appeal to these theatre, film and music personalities to defend colleague Shah Rukh Khan. As things stand now, the movie My Name is Khan will probably not be screened in any theatre or multiplex in Maharashtra unless Shah Rukh Khan apologizes for a crime he has not committed. Just as Amitabh Bachchan was forced to apologize in the recent past when the screening of The Last Lear was disrupted in Mumbai. This madness is going too far and now threatens to destroy the very foundations of India where all citizens have equal rights to talk, work and pray. Shah Rukh Khan the individual or the superstar or the icon is not really the issue here. The issue is far bigger and demands artistes to finally decide that enough is enough.

I doubt if there ever was – or will be – a better singer than Lata Mangeshkar. But just imagine Lata tai: if this kind of parochialism had prevailed even in the past, would you have sung haunting melodies written by Sahir Ludhiyanvi and composed by Madan Mohan. Would you have captivated us with the delightful duets that you sang with Mukesh, Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar? And Madhuri Dixit, would you have delivered hits like Dil Toh Pagal Hai and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun without co-stars Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan? I can cite such instances ad nauseam and it won’t make a damn difference unless Marathi artistes come out and support not Shah Rukh Khan, but his freedom to work and speak. Many of the personalities in the ‘appeal’ list are quite well read and will know that this demon will sooner or later devour even their freedom to work and speak.

I think they need to be inspired by the words and deeds of another icon, arguably one of the greatest Maharashtrians of modern times. Yes, I am talking about Sachin Tendulkar. More than his centuries and records, he really made India proud the day he rebuffed narrow-minded parochialism by publicly defending the idea of India. That one gesture made a world of difference. Imagine the difference it will make if legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Nana Patekar also step up and publicly defend the idea of India.

I think the Shiv Sena and the MNS have every right to espouse the cause of Marathi Manoos. They have every right to publicly protest and criticize anything and anyone they think is infringing on the rights of Marathi Manoos.


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