MBA Placements 2011: Encouraging results from IIMs, XLRI, FMS, MDI, JBIMS

From MBAUniverse.com

MBAUniverse.com has kept track of all placement proceedings as they have taken place in premier B- Schools this year, including IIMs and the likes of XLRI, FMS, SJMSOM, MDI, and many more. In order to analyze the whole placement process till now, we have zeroed in on all significant details available and herewith present a comprehensive report. Read further to know more about the facts and figures of Placements 2011:
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XLRI: The Campus Recruitment 2011 at XLRI School of Business and Human Resources, Jamshedpur, witnessed for the first time ever, a batch of 240 students getting placed in less than 4 days. A total of 109 firms participated in the lateral and final recruitment process. They rolled out 317 offers.

The average domestic package was Rs. 15.8 lakh per annum, which is a 15% rise over last year’s figure. The highest domestic package stood at Rs. 23 lakh per annum. The highest international offer of US $120,000 per annum was made by Novartis, Switzerland.
Read the rest of the article at MBAUniverse.com

Samik Basu (89 PMIR) to be PepsiCo's Chief People Officer, India Region

From The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Food and beverage maker PepsiCo today said it has appointed Samik Basu as Chief People Officer for India Region.

Basu takes over from Pavan Bhatia (91PMIR), who after a stint of four years, has moved into the role of Chief People Officer of PepsiCo Greater China Region.

"I am pleased to have Samik on board and believe his rich experience will be of immense value to PepsiCo as it enters the next phase of its growth story in the India Region," PepsiCo India Region Chairman Manu Anand said in a statement.

Basu joined PepsiCo in 2001 as head of HR for Frito-Lay India . Over the years, he has served in a variety of leadership roles in PepsiCo across Asia and Asia Pacific Regions.

He was the HR Director, North and South Asia for PepsiCo's Asia Pacific Region in his last assignment.

Prior to joining PepsiCo, Samik worked with Unilever India for eight years and with VIP Industries for four years.

He is a graduate in Economics from Presidency College of Calcutta University and an MBA in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

XLRI, Santa Clara in pact to promote Social Entrepreneurship

From The Financial Express

Jamshedpur: The XLRI School of Business & Human Resources has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with California-based Santa Clara University (SCU) to promote and foster social entrepreneurship in the country. 

 

The two institutes have decided to collaborate whereby XLRI is to be the Indian partner to manage and support Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI), the signature programme of the Center for Science, Technology & Society (CSTS) of Santa Clara University.

GSBI (Global Social Benefit Incubator) is a globally-known incubation programme, which was started by the Santa Clara University in 2003.

Each year GSBI screens and selects around 15-20 social ventures from across the globe and incubates them by providing technical inputs, mentoring support and some grant to make them investor-ready.

Speaking to FE here on Sunday, XLRI Madhukar Shukla, who will be coordinating the partnership said though talks regarding collaboration with Santa Clara University had commenced around August 2009, formalities like signing of the MoU between the two institutions got completed on March 11.

Since its inception in 2003 there have been about 30 GSBI alumni social ventures in India, which include some of the globally well-known organisations such as Gram Vikas, Jaipur Rugs, Drishtee, Mother Earth, Husk Power Systems, Video Volunteers, Naandi Foundation, etc.

As GSBI’s Indian partner, XLRI Jamshedpur would identify and recommend Indian social entrepreneurs to GSBI for incubation and access to seasoned Silicon Valley mentors. In addition, XLRI would also partner with SCU to conduct due-diligence on the Indian applicant to ensure appropriate potential and quality.

As the Indian partner, faculty from XLRI would also provide such post-incubation mentoring support to the Indian social ventures.

“GSBI is a one-year incubation programme which comes with a grant of $25,000; on getting selected each incubatee goes through a month-long rigourous mentoring done at Santa Clara which takes their social entrepreneurship project to the point of being readily acceptable to the investor who is looking forward to investing in such projects,” said Shukla, adding that Santa Clara’s mentoring makes good the gaps in the project plan being presented by the incubatee, while also correcting assumptions in the business plan if they were not matching with reality, besides offering him/her tips for pitching the right things before investors.

Anurag Behar (BMD 92) appointed V-C of Azim Premji University

From The Business Standard

Azim Premji University, India’s first private university set up by Wipro’s billionaire chairman to cater exclusively to the education and development sectors, has appointed Anurag Behar as its vice-chancellor.

The university, set up under the aegis of the Azim Premji Foundation which has an outreach of over 22,000 schools and over 2.5 million children in the country, has already announced three courses which will begin from July.

Behar is currently co-CEO of the Foundation. He also leads the sustainability initiatives of Wipro, including its social initiatives and ecological sustainability initiative. He would continue to hold these positions.

Behar has an MBA in marketing and finance from XLRI, Jamshedpur, and has a degree in electrical engineering from REC, Trichy, now NIT Trichy. He was also recognised by the World Economic Forum as a ‘Young Global Leader’.

The university will start functioning from a rented premises near Electronic City on the outskirts of Bangalore. Its own campus, being built near Sarjapur Road, is expected to be ready in the next 18 months.

From daijiworld.com:
Bangalore, Mar 22: Wipro Chief Azim Premji, who is also the Chancellor of the private sector deemed university, Azim Premji University, has announced the appointment of Anurag Behar, the Chief Sustainability Officer of Wipro Ltd, as its Vice Chancellor.

Anurag Behar is deeply engaged in Wipro’s Social initiatives. He led Wipro’s ecological sustainability initiative - EcoEye, and Wipro’s efforts at improving the quality of school education in India.

Currently, this program involves over 1000 schools across 17 states. He is engaged with Azim Premji Foundation’s large-scale initiatives to improve quality of school education, which currently impacts over 2 million children across 20,000 schools.

EcoEye is an initiative to drive ecological sustainability within Wipro, across all dimensions, and to help its partners, customers, and other stake-holders in their ecological sustainability initiatives.

He also leads Wipro Cares, a not-for-profit trust, which runs a range of long term programs for local communities and rehabilitation efforts in communities affected by natural disasters.

Anurag Behar is also a Director on the Board of Wipro GE Healthcare Ltd. - the leading player in Healthcare Technology Solutions in South Asia. He is also a member of the Board of the TERI University.

In his earlier roles in Wipro, Anurag Behar had led brand, quality and innovation for Wipro Ltd. Quality has long been an area of deep interest for him, going back to the days when he was the leader for Six Sigma for GE Medical in South Asia.

Earlier in his career, he was an integral part of the team that built the leadership position of Wipro GE Healthcare in South Asia. A significant part of his early career was spent in financing healthcare infrastructure in India. Anurag Behar has an MBA in Marketing and Finance from XLRI, Jamshedpur and has a Degree in Electrical Engineering from REC, Trichy. He has been honored by the World Economic Forum, by being recognized as a ‘Young Global Leader’.

Azim Premji University is committed to developing outstanding professionals in Education & Development for deeply fulfilling careers as social change leaders.

The Bangalore-based University has three key objectives: Create education and development professionals of high calibre with a deep commitment to social cause; Build capacity of existing functionaries in the education sector - both Government and private - through continuing education programs; and Create deep knowledge in education and development through high quality research that is relevant to India. The University has announced the launch of MA (Education) MA (Development) and Masters in Teacher Education programs from July 2011 and has invited applications from students.

The last date for receipt of completed application forms from interested students is May 15, 2011. The admissions test will be conducted in 38 centres across the country on 29 May 2011.

The test will examine proficiency in English, analytical ability, general and social awareness and knowledge of relevant subjects.  Candidates short-listed on the basis of their applications and performance in the written test will be interviewed in the third week of June. The University will announce the list of selected students by end June 2011.

The University has stated that every selected candidate will have the opportunity to study at the University irrespective of financial constraints. Financial assistance, including scholarships and loans will be provided in all deserving cases.

Special financial support programs are available for working professionals, who gain admission to the University. The University will provide placement support for enriching careers in government, private sector, NGOs and multi-lateral agencies.

The current estimated demand of education and development professionals is over 3 lakhs per annum. Azim Premji Foundation itself will be recruiting over 4000 professionals during the next 4 years. The University is multidisciplinary in its approach, and the faculty group brings together diverse disciplines, as well as deep experience in the field in India.

The University has been sponsored and established by the Azim Premji Foundation, under the "Azim Premji Private University Act" of the Karnataka Government.

XL Bang - XL Accenture Cricket Match - 13 March

Hi All,

Let the Games begin!  Dig out that competitive spirit and hit the treadmill! We have been waiting for it for long and now it is upon us. Join us, as we engage in a competitive and exciting game of cricket with XL  Accenture. The match will be followed by an evening of fun, socializing and great bonding. The entire day is being hosted by our fellow alumni at the Accenture and they are going the extra mile to ensure that all of us have a great time.

Agenda : Transit will be arranged from Accenture Dairy Circle office at 10 am to the location. The event is planned from day to evening including of breakfast/ lunch and high tea. So join in! The more the merrier!

Date : 13^th March, Sunday
Location: Confident Cascade Bannargetta road

Registrations for this event are now open. Do confirm your attendance at the earliest. It would help our hosts in Accenture organize a great day and plan things accordingly.

Cheers!

Sebastian Chandy

PMIR '07, Secretary Events

XL Bang

ROPE-SNAKE-POT-SPACE - Suraksha Giri(BMD 72)

ROPE-SNAKE-POT-SPACE

From The Hindu

Every page or section of Suraksha Giri's book gives rich dividends in terms of self-awareness ...

Any piece of creative writing is a personalised retelling of an inner revelation of an eternal truth. Its worth is latent until it is able to interact with a reader, facilitating a meeting of minds. Then it becomes meaningful, is appreciated as relevant and holds an appeal. If somehow, somewhere, a book is able to arouse an inward looking effort, although momentary, this reader interaction takes off. For in that moment the entire being gropes to catch a glimpse of something more than the usual mundane and the worldly.

This slender volume of the tastefully designed Writers' Workshop publication, Rope-Snake, Pot-Space, is a record of the author's insights gained from a dedicated search for the meaning of life, death, happiness, etc. The parables, anecdotes, short stories or poems in it stand testimony to the author's familiarity with the richness of the Upanishads that generations have tried to understand and continue to grapple with.

Lofty subjects

It is believed that the Seers in the Upanishads caught glimpses of the eternal truth as revelations that they expressed in the form of cryptic statements. Their focus was on the Absolute Truth known as the Supreme Brahman, the Universe and the Self manifest in embodied form and the relationship between these entities. This engagement with such a lofty subject is itself a commendable achievement for a debutante writer who has also mastered the narrative strategy of negating the distance between herself and the reader, so much so that even the uninitiated reader begins to internalise and validate the eternally relevant truths along with the author. Following the non-dogmatic stance of the scriptures, the book allows each one to pursue the quest in a very personal manner while inculcating the spirit of a humbleseeker. It is left to each individual to ruminate and comprehend accordingto one's own terms and predilections.

“Matter and the Self are the twin attendants of life.” From the state of awareness of this fusion in each one of us and of the constant struggle between the material and spiritual pulls, an individual has to make the choice towards seeking the Self that is the essence of happiness. “Ignorance hides who I am and projects what I have, while Knowledge removes these notions and projections and reveals the Self.”

The central discussion in the Upanishads is the resolution of illusion and reality with regard to the universe and the metaphor used to illustrate this paradox is that of the serpent and the rope. A rope is misconstrued to be a snake and with the dawn of realisation the truth is perceived and there is no snake but only a rope. The pot-space analogy is used to emphasise the Oneness of creation. The perception that “Our Being is eternal and a part of Total Reality,” is the ultimate realisation.

Another theme is the way one perceives the idea of happiness. Some honest internal reflection will show that when happiness is sought from the outside world, “as connected to the fulfilment of different sensations or desires in relation to security, wealth, fame, good relationships, love, physical comfort, etc.”, the individual misunderstands the experience of sensations as happiness since sensations are more tangible and immediately experienced.

Illusions?

One has to unlearn this and dissociate sensations from one's idea of happiness and locate happiness in one's Self. All life's emotional excitement and trauma could then be handled with equanimity. Yet we are driven to look for happiness in the outside world and this notion of happiness born of ignorance is captured in the analogy of a man who still awaits the falling honey drop amidst life-threatening risks.A lifetime is a valuable opportunity to explore the purpose of existence. Every day there are plenty of incidents and there are participants who experience them and there are witnesses who react or remain passive or merely imbibe a humble lesson from the world around.

For whom is this intended? For one who knows, no illustration is required. For whom is this intended, this discussion, this insight... wonders the author.

It is not often that every aspect of a book or every page of it carries a meaningful idea or is meaningful to a reader. But any page or any section of this book can be read and it still is ready to give rich dividends in terms of self awareness if only the reader is willing to give his time and thought to it. It would be a great loss indeed if one were to just appreciate the book and its striking title echoing the Upanishad statements and not benefit from the rich insights it projects.

Rope Snake, Pot Space; Suraksha Giri, Writer's Workshop, Rs. 200


About the Author : SURAKSHA GIRI


Suraksha’s growing years were an interesting combination of personalized boarding school education at Nazareth Convent Ootacamund and a spirited correspondence with her maternal grandfather Dr Vepa Varha Narasimham. He would write her several letters each week filling up the pages in his small close writing and imparting lessons from the Bhagavatam or Bhagavad Gita. The strong influences on her thinking were her mother Latha Vepa who instilled a love for words and father Chaganti Sankara Rao who challenged her ideas to prepare her to reason and think without preconditioning or bias. She imbibed the subtle messages of nationalism and non violence of Mahatma Gandhi. Her college education was in Stella Maris Madras for a Math degree followed by an MBA from Xavier Institute Jamshedpur in 1972. Suraksha had a career in Marketing and was with ITC Welcomgroup when she “retired” in 1994 to start her own entrepreneurial venture ´GOOD COUNSEL´ in Hotel Services.

While still a schoolgirl Suraksha had the blessing of listening to Swami Chinmayananda. An emotional and moving reconnect with Swamiji in 1993 at Delhi reminded Suraksha of her desire for Self Knowledge, helped her to move out of a career matrix and return to Madras to study with Swami Suddhananda.

Suraksha is married to Damerla Venkata Giri a fellow XL’er. They live in Chennai with their two daughters who work with her in Good Counsel. Suraksha is involved in community service in Health and Peace Education.

Watch her interview : NDTV : Oxford Bookstore welcomes a new book onto its rack