XLRI GMP Magazine.

2. From The Committee‖s Desk
Inside this Issue
Back to school
XLRI Leadership Series
We are indeed very happy to present before you the second edition of GliMPse. At
the outset, we thank the readers for their warm reception and generous appreciation of the previous edition of GliMPse. The recurring theme of the feedback comments from our seniors at XLRI was that it reminded of them of their XL days.
Studs, Pseudo Studs
and Others
A lot has happened since we last brought out GliMPse. Dev Anand, Jagjit Singh,
MAK Pataudi, Socrates, and Steve Jobs among others left for the heavenly abode.
Alumnus Interview
Kolaveri Di has made a mockery of paid advertising campaigns. And what was
Racing @ XLRI
then a whisper of a financial slowdown has become an audible murmur and the
Rupee is struggling. However, very little of it you‖ll find in this edition. As in the
previous edition, we have tried to capture the essence of life at XLRI GMP and
have made all efforts to retain the simplicity of the previous edition. What does
find a mention however is our experience of the three-week long International Immersion Program to various universities across four continents.
Life in 1970s B.G
Beyond the classroom
Collage
Better half of GMP
Recession proof
Rant about Social Media
Do you know your
batch mates?
Half the battle won
Bribes and incentives
Alumnus Interview
Abhay‖s Poem
What‖s up at GMP
Answers to Quiz
As in the previous edition, we carry interviews with two XLRI GMP alumni: Sunil
Kumar Nandamudi (batch of 2007) and Dr Kailash Jialdasani (batch of 2010). Besides the interviews, you'll also find: an interesting account of what was it like to
do research for your reports before Google came along; why at least one person
feels there is too much social networking; the story of a husband-wife couple studying at XLRI; an attempt to explain why bribes may not be so bad after all (yes,
you read it right); and a look at the past six months at XLRI. Before we forget, this
edition also carries an interview with Prof. Sabyasachi Sengupta!
We hope you enjoy this edition of GliMPse! And do drop in a line or two at
glimpse@xlri.ac.in to let us know what you think!
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST
International Immersion
Better half of GMP
Prof. Sengupta
Event Snippets
The GliMPse Committee—Aditya Jha, Ankana M, Deepak Khandelwal, Hrishikesh C,
Ipshita Ghosh, Rajeev Shahi, Shreya Kohojkar, Venkatesh Iyer, Vinay Mudgil, Vipul Patki

3. Back To School!
I sat at the coffee table sipping my favorite “beaten”
coffee while the last rays of the setting sun glistened
on the snow-covered porch visible from the window
in the room. I was paying a visit to my friend Arunima at her small but cozy apartment in downtown
Minneapolis. My husband, Samarjit and I had been
living in Minneapolis for almost three years where
we worked for the same client for IBM. By now the
city was synonymous to “home” for both of us.
Ipshita Ghosh
“I have some good news to share with you” I started. But before I could go on to explain, she let out a
shriek of delight! “Well, I had guessed from your
voice that you have something special to tell me!!
Wow! I am really happy for you! Congratulations!” While I sat flustered, wondering how on
earth she had guessed what I was about to tell her,
I looked up at my friend as she settled on the chair
in front of me, glad that we were able to finally find
some time from our busy schedules to catch up on
what was going on in our
personal lives. Our friendship dates back to our childhood – we had been close
friends at school and would
she went on promptly to her next question “So
which month is it now?” “Hold on”, I said. “I really
don‖t think you have made the right guess. I have
got through GMAT with a decent score and would be going
back to India soon to pursue
my MBA”. There was, if you
will permit the expression, a
always find time to chat
about the latest gossip, discuss about our crushes and
share all the excitement in
school which was such a natural part of growing up
together. We went our own different ways after college and the regular conversations made way for
infrequent catch-ups and messages over Facebook.
pregnant pause. I guess she
was trying to digest what I had
just told her. “Are you sure
you want to leave a settled life
and a decent job of eight long years to go back to
being a student?” she said, after finally finding
words to express her emotions. “What if there is a
recession? And moreover, I strongly feel that you
We were extremely excited when we both landed in
Minneapolis by virtue of our work and hoped to see
more of each other. However, our individual careers
gradually took a toll on our personal time. Besides,
Arunima had a one year old daughter who kept her
busy even when the work load from office did not.
As such, it was not often that we got to meet each
should never leave husbands alone. You never
know what they are up to“. She winked, but I could
sense the genuine concern in her voice as she read
her thoughts aloud. “Well, I have told you only half
the story”, I said. “Actually, both of us would be
leaving our jobs to pursue an MBA next year”.
other although we stayed within half an hour‖s driving distance from each other.
My friend was not the only one to be completely
3
startled by our decision. My discussion with my

4. parents over the phone a few days prior to this meeting had been along similar lines. “At your age, your
friends and colleagues came to know about my decision. Some of them stared back with stunned ex-
friends have kids going to school!” my mom had
exclaimed. “Make sure you properly assess the
―return on investment‖ and don‖t forget to consider
the ―opportunity costs‖ ” advised my dad, the Chartered Accountant in him taking over. Come to think
of it, these words make much more sense to me
now, given that I am already halfway through the
pressions of disbelief, as if I had declared something
quite rebellious. Some others could only manage a
dry “good luck for your future”. There was, however, yet another group of people who applauded me
for taking a step towards what they had always
wanted to do but had not been able to. They were so
inextricably tied to the regular pattern of routine life
MBA course.
that they found it extremely difficult to break away
from the grind.
But what remained to be done was breaking the
news to my manager, who I guessed, would have no
For me, it was unquestionably a difficult decision.
clue that I would soon be leaving my job to pursue
On one side of the balance was a stable job which
my personal aspirations. Af- “So here I was, ready to promised a reasonable level of
ter a lot of deliberation on make the transition from security for the future. I could
how exactly I would aphave easily resigned myself to
proach the topic with him and
the ―knowledgeable‖ consultant to an eager student”
the unpresumptuous call of a
convey my future plans, I
went up to his room on a Friday, when I thought I could catch him in his best
mood, while a well-rehearsed speech was fresh in
my mind. But I had only just begun when he surprised me by saying “Yes of course I know that both
of you had appeared for GMAT and intend to go
back to India soon. I was just waiting to hear it from
secure family-life. However, on
the other side was my desire to
reach beyond the horizons, to not get lost in the
crowd of people who were just one among many
and to carve a niche for myself in the elitist world of
corporate executives. Needless to say, I gave in to
the promise of an exciting future, which, I believed,
held the key to a number of possibilities that would
you.” I bet you can always trust the grapevine to get
all your carefully guarded “secrets” to the exact
quarters where you want the information to reach
last. Initially, I was furious about whoever it was
who had leaked the information to my manager. In
reality though, it made my job easier. My manager
was extremely supportive of my decision, but even
otherwise remain completely unexplored.
he did not forget to add before I left the room - “It is
not easy to go back to being a student after eight
years of seeing your bank balance grow every
month. Moreover in your case, both your husband
and you would be leaving your jobs for furthering
your education. It is a courageous decision, I must
say.”
In the days that followed, I witnessed a plethora of
emotions being played out before me as more of my
4
So here I was, ready to make the transition from the
“knowledgeable” consultant to an eager student,
keen to know more about the concepts that had
seemed so elusive and obscure during all my years
in the industry – about strategies, balance sheets,
sustainability, competitive advantage and the like.
When I first walked through the hallowed portals of
the institute which I had always looked up to, I felt
as excited as I had been as a school-girl. And even
today, the excitement lives on - as I expectantly
look to the future with the hope that it would unveil
an enthralling world of new opportunities and challenges that would ultimately pave the way for a new
beginning.

5. Faculty Interview
Prof. Sabyasachi Sengupta
The words “finance” and “accounting” instill fear in
the hearts of many students who have always been
intimidated by the concepts of debit and credit, balance sheets, profit and loss accounts etc. There are
many who believe that studying management accounting can never be fun. But not if you have attended the classes of Prof. Sabyasachi Sengupta!
His unique style of teaching, witty jokes delivered
with an unassuming air, the structured approach
which makes the toughest concepts of finance seem
simple - have won
the hearts of one and
all. And how can we
ever forget the
names of the companies in his test papers for which we
invariably failed to
By Ipshita Ghosh and Shreya Kohojkar
th
Yes definitely. But it was after 12 standard that my
liking crystallized and I decided to go for Chartered
Accountancy.
What made you take up teaching after working for
over a decade in the corporate world?
I had around 11-12 years of
corporate experience before
joining XLRI. When I was in a
corporate house, XLRI invited
me for a course as a visiting
faculty. There, a senior faculty
member in XLRI actually
prepare fund flow/
cash flow statements
or correct the incomplete records - “M/s Pain Begins”, “M/s Pain Escalates”, “M/s Still Paining Pvt Ltd” and ”M/s Extreme Pain”!!!
Prof. Sengupta joined XLRI in the year 1998 with
around a decade of industry experience and is currently the Area Chairperson – Finance and Student
affairs and Grievance (Academics). The GliMPse
team had a candid chat with him to catch up on his
personal side and to know more about his interests
beyond numbers and finance.
Was Finance always your first love?
asked me if I would be interested in joining XLRI. And
that‖s how I joined XLRI in the year 1998.
In the 13 years that you have been teaching in
XLRI, can you cite any instances which are very
close to your heart?
I feel really happy when I find that the students are
applying the knowledge that they have learnt from
me in different spheres of their work as well as in
everyday life. It gives me special pleasure when
students are able to apply the concepts taught in
class during job interviews and are able to impress
the recruiters with their understanding. Students
keep writing mails to me sharing how they continue
to apply the concepts taught by me in their individu-
5

6. al domains of work. For me, satisfaction comes
from all such instances and it would be difficult to
pin-point only a single instance which stands out.
What do you like most about XLRI?
What I appreciate most is freedom and the culture
of very open interaction – specially in terms of a
very informal student-faculty relationship.
But once you know, you find it very easy and don‖t
understand why others are finding it difficult.
While evaluating answer sheets, I acknowledge
that very fact. And so based on the approach, I give
marks.
My consideration is whether the student‖s thought
What would you like to change about XLRI?
XLRI should concentrate more on brand building
and PR issues. Students, administration and faculty
- everyone should be involved. The push should
come from all levels.
Do you see any difference in student-faculty interaction now as compared to 10
is huge. It is like swimming or cycling, when you
are learning, you find it difficult.
process is in the correct direction. But the situation
changes when I evaluate elective courses or other
core courses in finance where the basic foundation
has been laid already.
What is most innovative answer that you ever
came across while evaluating Accounting papers?
A journal entry which said Profit
years
back?
and Loss account debit, Balance
sheet account credit.
XLRI is growing bigger by the day. Previously there were
Normally Bengalis are famous for
their sweet tooth and love for fish.
What do you prefer?
around
30
faculty
The same - sweet & fish, there is no
doubt about it.
members and maximum of 150 students.
Now student size has
increased. Faculty
Which team do you support in the
football world-cup?
count is around 75-80. Hence interactions between
students and faculties have reduced. But this can‖t
be avoided. Previously I used to remember the
names of all the students even if I was not taking up
a course for them. Now I remember names of only
around 60% of the students.
How do you cope with the trauma of evaluating our
accounting papers?
Well, it is actually very difficult to cope up with.
Sometimes I get very novel answers (Smiles).
Frankly, accounting is a very difficult subject to
pick up in 2-3 months. And for GMP, the coverage
6
Argentina. I am die-hard Maradona fan. I don‖t believe in God but I do believe in Maradona.
What interests you other than Finance & Football?
Any form of fine art - theatre, music, drama and
movies. As for contemporary movies, I feel that of
late the quality of Hollywood movies is declining
very fast. Some of my favourites are Ben-Hur, 10
Commandments, Titanic, Lawrence of Arabia and
Gandhi. The last two good Hollywood movies that
I really liked were Titanic and Gandhi.
I am not much into vocal classical. But I like to listen to western & eastern classical/instrumental mu-

7. sic. I also like Bengali folk songs. I like listening to
“bangla band” Bhoomi because of its connection to
How would you tally the balance sheet of work &
life?
Bengali folk music.
That is perhaps one balance sheet that never
matches.
Choose any one from the following
How does the reality of finance cope with the vanity of marketing?
As a finance professional, whom do you find more
challenging to deal with - HR or Marketing?
Convincing a marketing professional would be
more challenging. By contrast, convincing an HR
person would be relatively easy.
Placement coordinator or Chairperson of Students
Affairs & grievance
It is certainly more challenging to be a placement
coordinator. But I wouldn‖t take up either of these
roles by choice (Smiles).
Playing with Toofan(Prof. Sengupta‖s dog) or
watching a football match
Playing with Toofan is a pleasure anytime, but then
it depends on the football match. If it‖s Argentina
vs. Brazil or Manchester vs. Barcelona, then I will
prefer watching the football match.
Blue waters of Mauritius or the Alps of Switzerland
I prefer sea over mountains – so it would be Mauritius. What annoys you the most – class at 7 AM or
class at 9 PM?
Definitely class at 7 AM. I am a ―night person‖.
Tell us the first word that comes to your mind when
we mention the following
First Words
Venugopal Sir – Very sweet person.
Munish Sir - Stylish
Kakani Sir – Hard task master
Jomon Sir – Passionate
Father Jesurajan – Communication
7
Well, as you said, finance is reality, marketing is
vanity and reality always scores higher than vanity!(smiles) Finance is all about numbers and symbols, about bottom line and cash line of organizations. Ability of a finance person to convince a
marketing person stems from this strength of numbers. Sometimes aggressive stands that a marketing
person may take might have adverse effect on the
bottom line or cash flows. In such cases, marketing
professionals need to be convinced with numbers
as ultimately even they aim for the bottom line.
What do you feel about having ―Fan club‖ on Facebook?
I have never checked it but I have heard about it.
To be honest, I believe I don‖t deserve to have a fan
club.
Special message for GMP students?
Hard work and focus will invariably pay. If you are
good, few years down the line you will invariably
be doing well. Hence always stay optimistic.

8. Studs, Pseudo-studs & Others
Vipul Patki
The easy pigeonholing of college students into a very
few types has always been a source of constant wonder for me. Show me a batch of more than hundred, I
often say, and I‖ll show you the easiest categorization
there is after the male-female type. This article is a
summary of my observations over the years, though,
needless to add, I have taken advantages here and
there of the elastic nature of truth. And as you read
through the article, if you for any moment feel that I
don‖t seem to reflect modern attitudes toward gender
equity, I would plead not guilty for my alleged nongender-inclusive language. The pronoun triad of hehis-him here is meant to be gender-neutral. The ladies fit equally well in most instances and in some cases
are better embodiments of some of our characters here.
The Stud -
He gets the highest grades in all subjects, though hardly anybody can claim to have seen him
study. The pre-eminent beer guzzler of your batch, he's still the one to lead others safely to their rooms after the late night binges. He chairs all the glamorous committees and apparently, those committees would
limp without him. He plays the Guitar and has reportedly performed at the Razzberry Rhinoceros. You believe it as you've yourself heard the Sweet Child of Mine being played at three in the morning in his room.
He does all of this and more, maintaining a perfectly flat tummy even as the waistlines of his batch-mates
are rapidly swelling like the sails of a racing yacht. You are at this point thinking of taking refuge in theology and mythology, trying to dwell on the impermanent nature of the world, when he rounds off your misery by winning the Mythology and Cultural Quiz at the local cultural club organized on the occasion of
Krishna Janmashtami.
The pseudo-stud -
The presence of a Stud almost invariably spawns off a pseudo-stud or two. He too
comes in with an impressive background. For example, he is here shedding luster to your humble premises
having sacrificed his seat in IIT or LBS. He chairs the first meeting of your group project only to ask the
progress report of the other team members a day before the final submission. The minor blip in recent
grades, he explains, was a result of studying not for exams but for knowledge and concepts. You have no
choice but to nod your head, as he says that with such panache that Dale Carnegie would have nodded his
head in appreciation.
8

9. The Insouciant -
I confess I am intensely jealous of this type. Nothing ever seems to perturb him. While
others are doing a popular imitation of mustard seeds on the fry as the deadline for Prof. Kakani‖s assignment
approaches, he is seen smoking a calm cigarette. He makes the submissions in the nick of time and is surprisingly cool about it, almost blasé. For the timid like me, he is as inspiring as a Marco Polo, Magellan, Columbus or Sindbad, for he dares to venture into unchartered waters: flirting with submission dates, and returning
unscathed.
The Timepiece-
He is the Subodh – no, no, not the affable CA Subodh Suman of your batch – if you like,
though a stern variant is known to have traits of Ram Gopal Bajaj (of Andaz Apna Apna). But while that ordinarily may be a good thing, sending a deadline alert to his group a good six days ahead of the submission date
is definitely not a good idea, three days being the norm when the deadline is first spotted on the horizon. Almost inevitably, a showdown between himself and The Insouciant occurs. I may add that the confrontation
may present several points of interest for those wishing to make a career in HR; those not wishing to are
simply advised to order a coke and popcorn in advance so that they enjoy the live soap even better.
The Scholar -
Bless His Soul! The perfect student. The one whose sight reassures his professors that God
does produce Arjuns and Eklavyas these days after all. He usually reaches the lecture hall fifteen minutes before time and duly notes down each word of the professor. His notes are in big demand during the exam
times, especially for those lectures where the other students have little better to do than to have a look at their
watches every minute on the minute. The dinner you had with him when he linked the string theory, the quantum physics and the Upanishads was the last time you enjoyed noodles without looking at them as actors in
the Cosmic Interplay. But you also felt sorry for him when he almost broke down for not being able to complete the assignment by himself and copying it.
Damon and Pythias -
Heisenberg if present would have admitted that his uncertainty principle doesn't
apply to such people; one can always point the location of the Damon with precision if Pythias is spotted. If
you have gathered that these two people are fast friends, I am satisfied, for that's the idea I wanted to put
across. You see them together at the T.T table, the library and at the Lawn Tennis court. In the same lecture
hall as well, as they take the same electives.
Err...I forgot to add that they are happy with their respective fiancés. Some people have a technical name for
it: clique, but you can only chafe at such a base name given to a beautiful and timeless friendship.
Unfortunately, my haggling with the magazine editor for a few more words wasn't successful and I‖ll have to
stop here. Such is life. I know there are a few pigeonholes left and I invite you to send us your thoughts on
plugging those.
9

10. Alumnus Interview
Mr Sunil Kumar Nandamudi ( XLRI GMP, 2006-2007)
CEO, RBS Foundation India
Hello Sunil! Firstly I thank you on behalf of the
entire batch. Could you please share your personal and professional experiences prior to joining
GMP?
Aditya Jha
How did GMP happen to you?
Thank you Aditya! I take this opportunity as a
privilege and as a platform to connect with all of
you. Before joining XLRI, I had 20 years of working experience with NABARD in various capacities and at the time of joining
GMP in June 2006 I worked
as Assistant General Manager.
With 20 years in NABARD where I did have an
opportunity to work, deal and negotiate with professionals from a variety of sectors, I often felt
that the rather closed and protected confines of a
mandated organization restricted
my ability to reach out to emerging
areas even within the domain – the
CDM markets that the Kyoto Protocol offered is one example. I
looked at a return to classroom
comprising peers from diverse
business/management backgrounds
With such a long career before joining the course can it
be said that you had completed nearly half of your
as an answer to my quest for
professional life before making this switch?
knowledge and awareness of the wider business/
management world. Hence, my choice of GMP.
I would ask you to look that in a different way.
With economic liberalization and the phenomenal
growth of information technology in the last few
decades, opportunities for economic and productive engagements have opened up in India. Besides, as one of the outcomes of economic prosperity, higher life expectancy has pushed the active professional life longer for many of us. Indian
economy presents a lot more opportunities to engage in activities of nation/society building and
therefore a longer experience comes as an advantage.
10
As per the media reports, your joining as a CEO
of ABN Amro Foundation in 2007 was held as the
first placement of any student of any B-school in
India as a CEO,. What you have to say about that?
I would say that it just made a good media story.
In my opinion employability is more as a byproduct of any B-school education. What matters
most is that the school functions as a Center of
Excellence and nurtures talent to shape future
business leaders.

11. Amidst this hype about high GDP growth for past
deny the influence money has in initial decision
few years, we are observing a skewed income and
wealth distribution and a widening gap between
making of a fresh graduate. Yet, it is not correct
to say that engagements that offer relatively less
rich and poor in the country. Where we might be
going wrong?
financial rewards do not attract talent. I have
seen good talent in Community Services which
A free market has clearly demonstrated its ability
to support enterprise and thereby economic pros-
offers rewarding experience for professionals
from a wide domain.
perity easily widen
Is there anything you regret
the gap between
of not during in your GMP
rich and poor very
days but would advise the
current and forthcoming
batches of GMPians to focus on?
vast and therein lie
the seeds of discontent and social
strife.
Inclusive
growth is a winwin case for the
Only thing I regret is that
the most memorable days of
my life are gone. After
entire society for, a
working in a PSU for so
section of the community that is left
out of the mainstream economy is
long, GMP was like a fresh
air to me. Rising to the occasion, working in crisis situa-
a market segment that is left out and it is a community that has potential for social strife. For a
rapid and inclusive growth for the country I think
we need to set our focus on two aspects. One is to
leverage technological capabilities in businesses
and society as a whole, to bring more transparency in the system and to improve governance and
regulation. Second would be a higher participation from industries and government in investments on infrastructure.
Though with a changing trend, still for a fresh
MBA graduate, the development sectors or Community Services have not proved to be that lucrative. What changes you would suggest to be
brought in the system to bring more young and
educated people in this sector?
tions, and matching up to
classmates much younger to me, working alone
and working in different teams; every bit of it
was very special. This experience infused a new
energy in me.
To the new batches, I would say that the GMP
crowd is truly representative of India‖s industry
and the XL campus really reverberates with energy and learning. Enjoy your life at XL and give
it your 100%. The experience gained here is going to hold you in good stead for a very long
time.
Wishing you all a great year 2012 ahead…
“What matters most is that
the school functions as a Cen-
Money is one of the dominant rewards that determine allocation of talent in a society and we can‖t
11
ter of Excellence and nur-

12. Life in the1970s B.G.
Krishna, a fiercely inquisitive boy, lay on his
bed, his eyes half open, wondering where
George Akerlof was from. The question had occurred to him a few times in past weeks, but he
did not bother to find out the answer. Ofcourse!
Proof-reading his dissertation work was more
important. But now since his dissertation was
complete, the question stood in front of him –
naked, staring at him, eyebrows raised, waiting
for an answer. It would be foolish to not know
where Akerlof was from because most of his
dissertation consisted of
Venkatesh S. Iyer
Dr Krishna still remembers that day fondly –
not because he finally knew where Akerlof was
from, but because that was the day when he first
met his wife!
Wondering whether why he didn‖t ―Google‖ for
the answer? He didn‖t. He couldn‖t because it
was 14th July, 1970
Akerlof‖s work. He
woke up with a sudden
and
Google simply didn‖t exist at
that time. Had it existed, he
probably would have been
yearning to know and
bridge the insufficiency
married to someone else. My
casual chat with him in one of
the question had created
in his very being. He
our recent alumni meets,
went around asking his
forced me to ask myself –
“floor-mates” but no one
“How has life changed as we
stepped into the information
would know where
Akerlof was from. He
asked everyone he met
on his way to library and all he heard was – “I
don‖t know man!”, ”Oh yeah Akerlof…
ummm.. aah… no man ... not sure!”, “dude! Relax its ok if you don‖t know.. I don‖t know either”, “Sorry George … who?” He began to feel
increasingly foolish until that one faithful moment arrived. Inside the library a young lady in
a beautiful white salwar answered – London. A
wave of intense pleasure and purpose and
age”?
Most of us entered college with the entire information super highway in our pockets. We never
had to ask “actual people” for information that
could be easily found on the internet. I sometimes imagine myself in Dr. Krishna‖s time,
waking up with a yearning to know something
really badly. But then my story finishes in less
than 1 minute. I pick up my smart phone (eyes
meaning and brilliance in elephantine propor-
half closed), and search for George Akerlof and
Google shouts back like a drunk-know-it-all –
tions washed over him. He finally KNEW IT!
London! No joyous feeling of knowing, no
12

13. pleasure, no sudden heightened sense of fulfillment. But wait! I still get up and go to the li-
ence and a good grasp on concepts of critical
shortest paths in operations research. Add to
brary in the hope of finding a girl in white-
this the risk of ―note interception‖ – a.k.a
“being caught”. Just imagine that one over-
salwar only to realize that at 07:00 AM the probability of spotting a living thing in library is as
low as finding a non-praying mantis.
Ask my fellow GMP‖ians and they will tell you
I am a total tech-geek (some say freak). I can
joyous moment when you receive a piece of
paper with the much awaited answer. Google
has stolen that one triumphant ecstatic moment
from millions of students.
think of a gazillion typical examples on how the
The Sunday mornings aren‖t half as refreshing
information explosion has benefited the human
and beautiful as they used to be in the Nagpur
kind. But when I sit back to think what our gen-
of my boyhood. I distinctively remember the
eration has lost in its transition to the infor-
tranquil “Sunday smile” on my father‖s face as
mation age, I think of a few subtle joys of life
he sat on his cane-chair in the backyard, sipped
that deserve an article.
hot tea and Sheru (my dog) ran towards him
With Google in our pockets the joy of knowing
seems to be non-existent. One moment you
don‖t know something and two seconds later
you seem to know it all. There is hardly any
time for mysteries and curiosity. The time difference between knowing and not-knowing is
so brief that knowing feels exactly like notknowing. Despite, knowing so many things we
aren‖t a tiny bit smarter than students during Dr
Krishna‖s era.
Students in today‖s age are deprived of the thrill
and sheer exhilaration of getting a little ―help‖
during the examinations. They quietly take out
their mobile phones and ―google‖. Finding help
in those good ol‖ days was so much more exciting. The students passed notes. Passing notes
needed an incredible combination of a writing
tool (read pen), a piece of paper and an intricate
knowledge of Japanese paper folding. Writing
and folding were the easy parts, but the difficult
and the most exciting part was delivering the
note to the destination through a complex network of students. It required practical experi-
13
with the newspaper in his mouth. I remember
accompanying him to a nearby garden on Sundays where he sat beneath a tree with his
friends and discussed the latest news, while I
played cricket with my friends. I compare
those happy Sundays with the ones in recent
past, when I woke up at 10:00 AM in the morning only because watched random videos on
YouTube till 3:00 AM the previous night.
Sometimes on one of those lazy Sundays I
wake up and the first thing I do is to stare at
Google not really knowing what I want to
know.
While all of us would agree that internet and
information accessibility has changed our lives
completely for better, very few of us realize
that what it has taken away. While there is no
point in arguing whether the advent of information era is good or bad, each one of you can
certainly close your eyes and think of those
golden moments in your lives and try to relive
them. For those of you who are still wondering
what the hell does B.G mean – it means
“Before Google”.

14. Racing @ XLRI
What happens when seasoned professionals and
managers from leading automotive and aero-
Rajeev K Shahi
nautics companies gather at a small Dhaba in
Jamshedpur on a Sunday night? They are heard
USA are some of the names who have set-up their
having animated discussions on engines - which
ones are the best for Indian roads, which one
would take the market away from the Indian play-
bases in India through Joint Venture or otherwise.
ers and recent F1 events.
If you are wondering if the location is the famous
Tenth Milestone Dhaba on NH33 near Jamshedpur, well, then you are wrong. This Dhabha is located inside XLRI
and the argumen-
General Motors, Skoda and Mercedes-Benz are
other companies in beeline for an entry into India.
The major reasons for this influx can be attributed
to the growth and relative stability of the BRIC
economies. Indian economy has, more or less,
been able to withstand the tremors of the global
financial meltdown of 2008-09. Even though its
rate of growth has
slowed down con-
tative folks are the
siderably, the hopes
students of the
General Management program.
of an economic revival are better in
India and the BRIC
XLRI Jamshedpur
countries than any-
has
where else. The
work force of the
auto industry in India is relatively
been
the
breeding ground
for
managers
from various industries. In this
edition of GliMPse, we would be taking a closer
look at the Automobile and Aeronautics studs of
the institute and what prompted them to leave
their established identities in the corporate world
and take an academic drive into business and general management.
well trained. All
these factors show bright future prospects for the
Indian auto industry and have enticed global players to cross the Indian Ocean and the Himalayas.
Returning to the gang of students at XLRI, they
are former employees of leading auto manufac-
There has been a strong and continued influx of
global automobile companies into India. Toyota
and Nissan Motors from Japan, Hyundai from
tures like Daimler, Ford, Hyundai, Mahindra and
Tata Motors, while the aerospace industry is represented by ex-professionals from the prestigious
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Their energy,
South Korea, Renault from France, Ford from
zeal and mission for excellence at XLRI matches
14

15. with the world class engines and machines they
had designed while working on shop-floors (they
are fond of this term, apparently!)
Manohar Sethpalani, the senior-most of them all,
opines that the Auto sector boom in India is nature‖s way of balancing the economic gloom.
Manohar has rich experience of 13 years, out of
which 9 years were spent with Mahindra &
Mahindra. Consistently a top-performer in his or-
are good starting steps towards establishing India
ganization and having shaped the careers of many
Auto Inc. globally. Ravi was responsible for Pro-
rookies, Manohar felt a management education
gram Management of the Tata Nano SupplyChain including critical processes like Procureto Pay, Plan-to-Produce and Order-to-Cash cy-
would not only let him put his automotive sector
experiences into perspective but also equip with
him with the necessary horsepower to drive up the
cles.
Ramesh Babu Vanagundi from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited had been associated with the one
of most prestigious projects of Indian Aviation,
Tejas – India‖s first indigenous supersonic combat aircraft also called as the LCA fighter jet.
Recognized as the most productive officer of that
division, Ramesh felt a b-school education
would enable him to contribute his analytical and
management acumen to other related sectors in
the national as well as international arena.
corporate ladder.
Bishwajeet Pratap Singh, on the other hand opines
that the auto-sector growth is an opportunity to
bring out more innovations from India. Bishwajeet, a mechanical engineer from NIT, Su-
Asim Kumar from Tata Motors, Laxman Prasad
Dubey from Quality Control, HAL, Purushotham
Kamath from Ford India and Neeraj Mohan from
rathkal, after his stint at Tata Motors for more
Scooters India are other names in this band, who
felt XLRI Jamshedpur would be their perfect
launch-pad for a high-performance career and
than 4 years joined Daimler India. He was a part
allow them to contribute to the nation‖s growth.
of the core group involved in design and development of new generation World Truck for Tata
Motors and Bharat-Benz for Daimler India.
“Economic
Ravi Kumar Singh, a production engineer from
BIT, Mesra, believes that it is high time now for
Indian Auto Companies to take the global market
more seriously. Tata‖s JLR acquisition and Nano
15
and
operational
risk to the global auto companies is indeed, an opportunity for India in times of
economic danger.”

16. XLRI Leadership Series
Leadership Series is an initiative of the GMP batch of 2012 where industry experts share their insights into
the industry, leadership and challenges. Since inviting Mr Saumen Chakraborty as the inaugural speaker,
XLRI has proudly played host to three eminent personalities and have them talk about various aspects of
leadership. Their profiles couldn‖t have been more different: One is an incumbent MP, the other is a Lieutenant General of Indian Army, and the third, the Country Head of New and ReCon Parts India.
Leadership lessons, in uniform - Lt General
Ahluwalia
Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia is the General Officer Commanding-inChief, Central Command, Indian Army. He is a recipient
of the Ati Vishisht Sewa Medal, Yudh Seva Medal and the
Vishisht Seva medal.
Sripathi Chakkravarthi
The Lt. General in his address highlighted the current
“Age of Turbulence” (referring to rising unemployment,
poor economic conditions and the like) and the emphasis
on “fighting the fog of war”, a metaphor to the shakiness
of the turbulent times, through six leadership mantras.
Citing numerous examples and anecdotes, the Lt. General
sent a strong signal on the importance of having a long term vision that looked beyond just profits and revenues. The Lt. General concluded his speech by expanding on the six leadership mantras namely Compelling Vision, Character, Competency, Communication Skills, Innovation and being Technology Savvy. His
humility was evident in his final quote “A leader is all because of teams”.
Role of MBA in Politics - Dr Ajoy Kumar
Dr Ajoy Kumar has donned many hats in his illustrious career. He has been a doctor and an
IPS officer, is the current MP from Jam- Shantanu Roy
shedpur, and is also the CEO at Max Neeman International. Jamshedpur residents though love him most
for singlehandedly changing the law and order situation in Jamshedpur.
Dr. Ajoy Kumar highlighted the importance of being
socially active, even if not contesting an election, and
encouraged the students to be a part of an active civil
society, which is the key to a successful democracy.

17. He talked about how young b-school graduates can get involved in governance, the various means to do
the same and how we can help plug loopholes in policy and decision making. He urged everyone to stay
connected with the social environment and support its gradual transformation for the better, and in cases
be the change itself. He suggested that it might also someday champion your cause of cracking the political animal of election, as it was in his case.
Listening to his experiences of election campaign and how he won against all odds (literally) was indeed
fascinating. Giving real-life examples of success stories around him, he reiterated the importance of holding on to your vision. “Rather be a hedgehog, than a fox” was his concluding advice.
Corporate Strategy & Role of Microeconomics
– Mr Sandeep Sinha
Cummins Inc., a US based company started on 1919, is a major manufacturer
Bishwajeet Pratap Singh
and distributor of diesel engines. It has presence in more than 190 countries and has grown to be the largest
engine manufacturer in both China and India. Mr Sandeep Sinha, an MBA from the Kelly School of Business, is currently the Country Head of New and ReCon Parts India.
Mr Sinha talked about the old days when a company‖s corporate strategy was formulated by CEOs behind closed
doors where strategic decisions were ―cast in stone‖, and
highlighted the risks of making strategic decisions in isolation. He emphasized the need to make decisions such as
investments, innovation, capacity enhancements etc. taking
into view the larger micro and macroeconomic environments rather than limiting the decision parameters to the
company resources alone. He cited the example of the Tata
Motor‖s “World Truck Project”, a strategic decision influenced by the growth of Indian economy - the development and reforms in road infrastructure, capabilities
of the associated supplier/vendors to grow and the overall stimulus provided by this project to the business
of Cummins India (a partner to deliver engines to Tata Motors).
Mr Sinha spoke about the relevance of different strategic frame works in organizations, but underlined the
importance of not allowing tools to replace sound reasoning (or even tacit knowledge). In an engaging discussion, Mr Sandeep Sinha provided potent lessons for anyone seeking to excel at strategy management. It
was a compelling talk - whether you're an eager MBA grad raring to apply what you learned or an academician eager to listen to what MBAs get wrong when they land in the real world!!
17

18. Memoirs— International Immersion 2011
18

19. Memoirs— International Immersion 2011
19

20. glimpse@xlri.ac.in
XLRI GMP is a one year full time MBA program for professionals with a minimum of 5 years of full time experience. The batch strength is 120. Students come
from varied backgrounds and have excelled in their respective fields. Admission is
through GMAT/XAT scores, essays and interviews.
Send us your suggestions to: glimpse@xlri.ac.in
Disclaimer-Statements and opinions expressed in articles, reviews and other materials in GliMPse are those of the specific author and do not
reflect the opinions of XLRI or any employee thereof. We have made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of the information throughout
this newsletter and XLRI is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the students.