Ravi Mehta Secretary, Media & Public Relations Committee IIM Indore

IIM Indore – 10th Foundation Day Celebrations

2nd Oct. 2009 : HINDI PLAY – “Lala Hardaul” by Hum Theatre Group, Director:  Mr. Balendra Singh
3rd Oct. 2009 : SEMINAR ON INSTITUTION BUILDING

On the 10th Foundation Day of Indian Institute of Management Indore, a seminar on Institution Building was organised where an array of influential speakers spoke about the topic. L N Jhunjhunwala, the chairman of the institute launched the 1st issue of the “Indore Management Journal”. N Ravichandran, the Director of IIM Indore marked the beginning of the seminar with an inspiring speech.
The first speaker, Former Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. J.M. Lyngdoh provided insights on how democracy in the electoral process is essential for the people of India. He started his lecture by explaining the foundation, history and journey of the election commission, the technological advancements in the electoral process like the introduction of the Electronic Voting Machine. He also highlighted the role of various former election commissioners like S.L. Shakdhar and Peri Sastry and the conflicts between the Chief Election Commissioners and the political executives. In response to a query on the effectiveness of a two party system, Lyngdoh said that such a system cannot be forced upon a democracy like India and would be very ineffective with two parties which have near identical policies.
Ms. Mirai Chatterjee, Coordinator, SEWA Social Security talked about building membership based organizations and institutions. SEWA, the Self Employed Women’s Association was founded by Ilaben Bhatt in 1972 for the welfare of the women working in the unorganized sector. The organization today caters to 11 lakh women in 9 states. In the lecture, Ms. Mirai talked about the journey of SEWA as an institution, its growth and its role in helping the poor, down-trodden and vulnerable women in becoming self-reliant. They opened the SEWA bank by pooling the savings of these women and the bank has grown from RS 40,000 to a 100 crore institution. SEWA is also working in the field of social security, healthcare, childcare, insurance etc.
Ms Prema Padmanabhan, Medical Director-Sankara Nethralaya, shared the story of creation of Sankara Nethralaya from its incubation period to growth phase along with the reasons and circumstances that led to its creation. The institute has been conforming to its vision of providing world class eye care to those who need but could not afford by maintaining strict quality protocol, constantly researching on cutting edge technology and serving the bottom of the pyramid almost free of cost.  She stressed on the role of education provided by the institute in carrying forward the dream. “Colleges produce students, institutes produce ambassadors”. Ms Padmanabhan also discussed about cost implications of their mission, ways to maintain their financial sustainability and strategic planning of their future growth.
The fourth speaker for the 10th Foundation Day of IIM Indore was Dr. V S Rao, director of the BITS- Pilani Hyderabad campus. BITS Pilani has always been known as one of the top engineering colleges in India and a leader in using innovative practices to impart education. Dr. Rao spoke about two aspects of the BITS Pilani story- The growth of the institute and the path breaking Practice school method. Having started in 1901 as a ‘Pathshala’, BITS was among the leading universities in India to have started using the university system; collaborations with the best universities of the world like MIT, Boston etc; an integrated degree program allowing immense flexibilities; an online examination for admission and offshore campuses. Among the most innovative initiatives to have been adopted by BITS Pilani from the west is the practice school- a seven month internship program for students. The idea has become very popular among both students and organizations- so much so that close to 200 stations visited the campus for projects this year.
The 5th speaker of the day was Dr. M N G Mani who spoke about Institution Building in Social sector. Dr. M N G Mani was the Dean, Vivekananda University. He spoke about how management graduates can make a difference to the social sector and what skill set one requires to be successful in this sector. He explained the contribution of management graduates by citing examples as to how two IIM graduates went on to actually renew the Blind People Association, Ahmadabad. Having explained the opportunities that lie at the footsteps of the present management graduates citing requirements in UN, UNESCO and other world bodies, Dr. Mani  said that compassion for human beings is the most important quality followed by visionary leadership skills, good communication, developing positive attitude, mastery in technology and dignity of labour.
Dr Mani was followed by Mr. Birjoo Mehta, a man who has achieved wonderful balance between his professional and spiritual life. Birjoo Mehta drew fantastic parallels between engineering and spirituality and established the importance of Yoga to prevent strain arising out of stress. The final speaker of the day was Justice S B Sinha, former judge, Supreme Court of India. It was followed by a classical musical recital by the great Ms. Kalapini Komkali, daughter and disciple of Pandit Kumar Gandharva.

Indore Marathon 2009: Run for a Greener Indore

IIM-Indore today celebrated Gandhi Jayanti in style as the Indore Marathon 2009, an IIM Indore initiative, was successfully organized with participation from all walks of life and the number of runners running into thousands. IIM Indore, like last year, organized the Indore Marathon to promote the idea of a greener Indore and to motivate the youth to step forward and be counted for the environment. Not only did the youth of Indore turn up in large numbers, but so did people as old as 65 and as young as 4. 
The marathon was organized by IIM Indore, in collaboration with Punjab National Bank and State Bank of Indore. The event started at 7 from SGSITS grounds in the presence of Mr. Anil Bhan from Punjab National Bank, Prof. N. Ravichandran - the IIM Indore director, various other dignitaries and members of the national media.
A major feature of the race was the fact that it had people of all ages and varied backgrounds running shoulder-to-shoulder to promote the cause of a Greener Indore. In today’s era of global warming and increased industrialization leading to pollution, it becomes imperative to create awareness amongst the people about the need for conserving the environment. The wonderful turnout at the event proves that the citizens of Indore are fully committed to creating a greener future.
The need to create a greener Indore was reinforced by messages from various dignitaries, as well as many other participants, who felt that creating a greener Indore is the key to ensuring a brighter future for all generations.
The 12 km run was flagged off first with thousands of runners competing to win prizes worth over Rs. 2 lakhs. Half an hour later, the 3 km long dream run was flagged off by the director of IIM-Indore, Prof. N. Ravichandran; and this segment also witnessed some serious competition.
 In the 12km Green Run, the winner of the first prize, a gleaming Bajaj XCD bike was Mr. Dharmendra Singh. The second prize, a Laptop was won by Mr Manoj Kushwaha. Mr Sunil Goud was the winner of the third prize, which was an LCD TV.
In the women’s segment of the Green Run, Ms. Rashmi Kalanki won the first prize, which was an imported travel bag set. Ms. Savita Patel bagged the second prize, while the third was won by Ms.Latika Sharma.
A special prize was given by Punjab National Bank to Rudraksh, the youngest participant to compete in the event.
More than 100 prizes, which include travel bags, mobile phones and watches, were given away to the participants. Certificates were given away to all the participants.

IIM Indore – 10th Foundation Day Celebrations
30th September 2009: IIM Indore

On 3rd October 2009, Indian Institute of Management Indore celebrates its 10th Foundation Day. As the institute looks back at its successful past and works towards an even greater future, what could be more inspiring than a series of talks on “Institution Building” by guests from various walks of life?
With global competitiveness, India Centricity and Social Relevance being the 3 pillars on which IIM Indore strives to build itself; it looks to deliver this message to every member associated with the institute through a day-long seminar which shall be inaugurated by Mr. J M Lyngdoh, Former Chief Election Commissioner. Other eminent guest speakers include Justice S B Sinha, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India; Ms. Mirai Chatterjee, Director, SEWA Social Security; Ms Prema Padmanabhan, Medical Director, Director of Cornea & Refractive Surgery, Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya; Dr. V.S. Rao, Director, BITS, Hyderabad Campus; Dr. M.N.G. Mani, Former Dean, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University and Secretary General, International Council for the Education of People with Visual Impairment; Mr. Birjoo Mehta, Managing Trustee, Light on Yoga Research Trust and Vice President, TATA Communication.
On the eve of this momentous occasion, the IIM Indore family and guests shall also witness a Hindi play ‘Lala Hardaul’ by Hum Theater Group, directed by Balendra Singh. The celebrations shall come to a close with a Classic Music Recital, on 3rd evening, by the great Kalapini Komkali, daughter of Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Vidushi Smt. Vasundhara Komkali.
Brief on Speakers:
Mr. J M Lyngdoh was the Chief Election Commissioner of India from June 14th, 2001 to February 7th, 2004. Selected for the IAS at the age of 22, Lyngdoh was known for his courage and uprightness in raising the hackles of the high and mighty during his many postings all over the country. Lyngdoh has two major achievements during his stint as CEC - Holding free and fair elections in strife ridden J&K in 2002 and delaying the polls in Gujarat right after Godhra in spite of the pressure from the Government. Lyngdoh was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in recognition of his contributions to strengthening the foundations of secular democracy in India. 
Mirai Chatterjee is the Director of Social Security at SEWA.  She is responsible for SEWA’s Health Care, Child Care and Insurance programs. She was advisor to the National Commission for the Unorganized Sector and is in the Advisory Group of the National Rural Health Mission. Ms. Chatterjee has a B.A. from Harvard University in History and Science and a Masters from John Hopkins University’s School of Public Health.
Ms. Prema Padmanabhan is currently a Medical Director at Medical Research Foundation, a unit of Sankara Nethralaya. She has published over 75 papers in various journals and delivered over 90 lectures at national and international conferences as an invited guest. In 1998, Padmanabhan was appointed as “Honorary surgeon to the President of India”.  
Prof. V S Rao, a M.Sc. & PhD from BITS Pilani, is currently the Director of BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus. A scientist by profession, Rao has a lot of publications to his credit, especially in the areas of Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Natural Product Research, Green Chemistry etc. His interest lies in all realms of education and research and guiding the young generation on educational issues
Dr. M N G Mani is currently working as the Secretary General of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) and Executive Director of the Global Campaign on Education for All Children with Visual Impairment (EFA-VI).  He is also the Founder-President of the UDIS (You and the Disabled) Forum, which is a network of parents, persons with disabilities, professionals and voluntary organizations facilitating employment and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
Mr. Birjoo Mehta is one of those people who have successfully conquered the challenge of a fascinating dual career. A 1981 alumnus of IIT Bombay, Birjoo works at Tata-VSNL as VP, Networks. He is also the trustee of the Light on Yoga Research Trust, Mumbai and a long standing disciple of Yogacharya Sri K.B.S Iyenger. Birjoo has been teaching Iyenger Yoga in Mumbai for 18 years and has been one of the principle teachers at the Iyenger Yoga Conventions in UK, France, Holland, Spain and Israel.
Justice S B Sinha was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on October 3, 2002. Prior to this he has served as The Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, AP High Court and Calcutta High Court. Sinha has recently retired on August 8, 2009.

INDORE MARATHON 2009

One of the premier institutions of the country, IIM Indore is known for the world-class managers it produces year after year; managers who apart from being the best in their own disciplines are also socially vigilant. One of the shining examples of this societal thought leadership has been the conception of the ‘Indore Marathon’ in 2008.
A completely students' driven initiative, Indore Marathon 2008 was based on the theme of ‘Peace and Harmony’. October 2nd is a landmark date in Indian history and celebrated across the country as Gandhi Jayanti. With the aim of igniting the minds of the common man and activating the social consciousness that exists within, this landmark date was chosen to unite the people of Indore on a common cause. Indore responded with unanimous support - nearly 5000 people turned up at 7 am for the inaugural edition of the Indore Marathon. It was a crowd cutting across demographics and genders; running passionately with tremendous zeal and enthusiasm and stunning the organizers with their support. The sight of children and adults running together with happy faces ensured that the motive behind the run was achieved; the word 'success' seeming too small to describe what was on view. It was a day which instilled a unique feeling of pride of living in a city united in thoughts and concerns.
After its stupendous success in 2008, Indore Marathon is back again this year in its second edition! And Indore Marathon 2009 attempts to expand this year, growing out to encompass a wider cause - environmental balance. 
With the slogan “Run. For a Greener Indore”, Indore Marathon 2009 hopes to focus on the most fundamental, yet, neglected issue facing us. The importance of nature in all our lives needs no introduction. We have been taught, but at most times not learnt the essence of the respect that is due to this blessing from the divine.  Environmental degradation - be it through the use of plastic bags, or improper waste disposal, air and noise pollution is a problem that is real like never before.  With this run, we take a small step in making all of us realize the importance of ‘green’ in our lives and how the solution to this global problem lies in our very hands.
The 'green run' would be of 12 km starting from the ground of Shri GS Institute of Technology and Science. Also, there is a smaller run called the “Dream Run” of 3 km from the same venue so that everybody can join to support the cause. The run would start from at 7 a.m. on 2nd October 2009. And to reward the efforts of the runners, there will be prizes worth Rs. 2,00,000 lakh!! 100 people would awarded the prizes with the winner taking home a brand new bike. As a token of appreciation, certificates would be given to everyone who participates in the event. Registration is FREE for everyone. Options for online or spot registration are available.

Guest Talk - “U.S. and India foreign Policy in the 21st Century”

Guest Speaker: Mr. Michael Newbill
14th Sep 2009: IIM Indore

Mr. Michael Newbill, Chief of Political and Economic Section of the American Consulate, Mumbai delivered a guest lecture on “US and India Foreign Policy in the 21st Century”. The lecture was attended by students as well as members of the staff.
Drawing an analogy between strategizing a business venture and developing a nation’s foreign policy, Mr. Newbill discussed the changes that have been seen in India’s foreign policy as the nation has grown. He mentioned that a country’s foreign policy includes realistic aspects based on the current scenario as well as aspiration-based aspects looking into the future. According to him, any foreign policy can be sub-divided into 4 components – National Interests, Tactical Objectives/Goals, Motivational elements and Domestic compulsions. In the context of India, Mr. Newbill discussed certain elements under each of these heads.
Elements of India’s Foreign Policy:
National Interest – Regional Security, Economics & Development, Global Integration, Public Affairs (Building the brand “India” globally), Strategic Autonomy and Sovereignty
Objectives – Energy security, Anti terrorism/crime, food security, more free and fair trade, UNSC (United Nations Security Council) and NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group) membership, Foreign Direct Investment in addition to specific country-related issues (Pakistan, China, US and other nearby countries)
Drivers (Motivation) for India’s foreign policy – History/Precedence, Aspirations, Sovereignty etc
Domestic Compulsions – Ideology, Diaspora, politics etc
The Example of China:
Mr. Newbill discussed India’s foreign policy with respect to China at length, drawing comparisons from the US in between. While speaking about the reasons for China being a threat to India, the forum came up with points such as competition for the same limited resources and markets, garnering regional influence etc. The major complication with China being the fact that it was a close second, after the US, in terms of trade partners of India.
Expressing his views on the situation, Mr. Newbill said that China, to him, did not seem to be a real threat and that the fact was – China doesn’t really care too much about India, as compared to Japan or USA. As of now, India does not have much leverage over China and they lag the nation on most fronts – economy, military etc. The best stance that India could take at this moment would be that of “cooperation” and “resource sharing” when it comes to achieving common goals. According to him, the key to India being recognized as a super power by the world and the UN would be magnanimity, sincerity and to be a visionary.
With respect to the Kashmir issue, Mr. Newbill felt that a change in mindset would be required on both ends to arrive at a solution. He was not very sure whether, re-acquisition of Pak occupied Kashmir would be in the best interests of the nation.
Brief on Mr. Michael Newbill:
Michael Newbill is the Chief of the Economic and Political Section at the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai, India. Previously, Mr. Newbill served as the Desk Officer for India in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department, with the responsibility of all economic and consular issues with India.  He has served as an Economic Officer in the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, with responsibility for multilateral and bilateral trade, intellectual property rights, biotechnology, and other economic issues and as a Vice Consul in the U.S. Embassy in Manila.  Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Newbill ran a project on Regional Security and Confidence-Building in South Asia for the Henry L. Stimson Center, a Washington-based research institution. 
Mr. Newbill received his B.A. in History and English Literature from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1994, and a M.A. in South Asian History from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1997.  In 1994-95, Mr. Newbill was a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

IIM Indore Alumnus to Help Commerce Students

August 10, 2009: Teaching is a passion which can motivate some people to leave a high paying job offer and start an entrepreneurial venture. Such is the story of Prashant Somani, an IIM Indore alumnus, who opted out from the campus placements to get back to his home town Jaipur and pursue his interest in teaching. Recognizing the need for proper guidance and counseling, Prashant started his dream project “Balanced Sheets” this month.

Prashant Somani – A brief background:
Prashant is a Chartered Accountant and has worked with askforsolutions.com, an online consultancy firm catering to foreign clients. During his days at IIM Indore, Prashant was actively involved in co-curricular activities. He was the coordinator of the Mutual Funds Club, a member of the co-committee of Marathon-2008 which is a popular event in Indore organized by the students of IIM Indore in which more than 5000 people participated. Also, he has worked for Live Wire 2007, the live show at IRIS, IIM Indore’s B-fest.

About the new venture – “Balanced Sheets”
Opening “Balanced Sheets” was an outcome of his desire to break the myth that only Engineers and MBAs can make it big in life. “Balanced Sheets” aims at helping students in deciding their career path based on their interests and aptitude by showing them the myriad possibilities that are available once they pass out of school.
Initially, the institute would be involved in preparing students of Class XI, XII and CA CPT for careers in Accountancy and other careers in commerce. This would include, apart from training, career counseling sessions, where possibilities would be suggested. The faculty of the institute would consist of Chartered Accountants, Engineers, and Post graduates in Mathematics & Statistics. The aim is to bring in specialists to teach the students in a particular field.
Apart from this, students would also receive education in the form of guest lectures from IIM Alumni and Chartered Accountants. This would help the students gain exposure to specific fields of work like Brand Management, Project Finance, Business Development, and Treasury Management and various non-conventional fields in a way by which it would be easy for the students to understand.
The pedagogy has been kept such that the learning is more of an interactive form and not merely textbook based. Students can interact with CPT toppers, top CAs, business houses, and would include One-on-One mentoring, personalized attention, Diagnostic tests, in class exercises and case based teaching. These techniques have been very popular in the IIMs.
This form of education would be supported by personality development programs including programs on current affairs, and programs on spoken English.
The main aim of this institute is to focus on an integrated, global approach, which would encompass domestic as well as international affairs to provide perspective and understanding of what influences us in the world of today. At its inception, the institute promises to be different in the form of education imparted and the method of imparting that education.

ETHICS AND BUSINESS - a rendezvous with Mr Achal Raghavan ( A 2 day seminar on "Business Ethics" by Mr. Achal Raghavan . Mr. Achal Raghavan is a strategy and business excellence consultant based in Bangalore and is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad. He currently teaches at IIM B and IIM A as a guest faculty and brings with him 34 years of corporate experience, which includes over 10 years at the level of Board of Directors. He is also a regular contributor to The Hindu Business Line and Vikalpa, the management journal published by IIM A.)

August 9, 2009: Recent events in the corporate world have demonstrated the destructive effects that occur when the leadership of a company does not behave ethically. One might wonder why highly educated, successful, and business savvy corporate professionals at Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, and Satyam got themselves into such a big mess. The answer lies in a profound lack of ethics.
Recognizing this, Indian Institute of Management Indore organized a 2 day seminar on ethics to imbibe its importance in the budding managers. The seminar was conducted by Mr. Achal Raghavan, a strategy and business excellence consultant based in Bangalore and an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad. He brings with him 34 years of corporate experience, which includes over 10 years at the level of Board of Directors. He is also a regular contributor to The Hindu Business Line.  
The seminar consisted of a series of lectures on “Ethical principles in business”, “Ethics and the Environment” and “Ethics and the Entrepreneur”. The methodology adopted by Mr Raghavan was based on case studies and interaction with the participants. He discussed the source of ethical standards i.e. the approaches that one might follow in order to identify whether an act is ethical or not.  
He quoted the “Defining Moments Theory” by Joseph Badaracco Jr. which identifies that the basic dilemmas arise when we have to choose between right and right and not while choosing between right and wrong. To illustrate the problems that arise while striking a balance between ethics and business, he put forth the case “Gas or Grouse” which is about a famous problem in America where the government has to weigh the importance of economic growth vs. saving wildlife and birds. The students participated with great enthusiasm and put forth various perspectives. A similar discussion was carried on in regard to the Satyam Case and Mr. Raghavan’s work on the same.  
The first day of the seminar concluded with the message that real life decisions are rarely black and white, they are generally shades of grey. 
The second day of the Seminar on Business Ethics was a continuation of the first day with interesting and thought provoking case studies on Ford-Firestone and Microsoft’s monopoly being discussed. The seminar was an immense learning experience as it emphasized on giving “practical applications” to an otherwise “abstract” topic like ethics.

“A Call for a Change”  ( A Guest Lecture on "Direct Action For Societal Transformation" by Professor Sharad Sarin
Prof Sharad Sarin is one of the most respected Marketing professors of India with over 35 years of experience. He is the brain behind "The Marketing Fair" of XLRI which has survived the test of time over the last 30 years. He continues to mentor the event even today. )

August 9, 2009: Prof Sharad Sarin, XLRI’s top marketing faculty gave a wonderful lecture on “Direct Action for Societal Transformation” at IIM Indore today. A visiting faculty at various institutes such as University of Colorado, University of Rhode Island and IIMA, Prof. Sarin captivated the audience with his pearls of wisdom. His basic agenda was to sensitize the youth about the current state of the people who are living below the poverty line. He emphasized on the fact that the government isn’t doing enough for the underprivileged. Calling India a young country with a lot of potential, he urged the students to rise up to the challenges that the current scenario offers. To offer a solution, he suggested that the IIMs and similar institutions should have a course related to social service, so that the students are motivated towards the cause. Prof Ganesh, PGP chair, IIM Indore elucidated the fact that students of IIM Indore have been working towards empowering underprivileged local kids through their initiatives, including Pragat-I which actively supports social issues. All in all, it was a moving talk by Prof. Sarin, which led to a buzz among the students.

Czech Republic’s Ambassador delivers guest lecture at IIM Indore

March 2009: It was a special occasion for the participants at IIM Indore as they sat in a class being taken by His Excellency Dr. Hynek Kmonicek, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. H.E. Dr. Hynek, who is presently stationed in India, has worn many hats and taken up varied assignments in the UN (including the UN Budget head a few years ago) and across the world. At IIM Indore, His Excellency was glad to be back in his academician shoes. His lecture was spread across diverse topics including economics, politics, environment, education etc.

The Czech Republic is presently heading the activities of the European Union (EU) and hence Dr. Hynek also represented the EU. He expressed his concern over the fact that though the EU was India’s biggest economic partner, it was hardly ever in the news. India being one of the only 6 strategic partners of the EU, they wish to stay in close ties with our economy. As he spoke about his own country, The Czech Republic, His Excellency reminded the gathering that brands such as BATA and SKODA were the brainchild of the Czech and were later passed on into the hands of other nations. As of now Czech Republic has not taken up the Euro as their currency due to their greater economic growth (as compared to the EU); however they may accept it by 2012.

Former Czechoslovakia has experimented and transitioned from socialism to capitalism on more than one occasion. Their first attempt at capitalism was in the form of “voucher privatization” where in the State sold packets of all state-owned companies to the people. However, these companies soon passed hands by means of sale and reached the government once again. The nation might have failed the first time, but the second attempt was far more successful. The Czech sold some of their countries biggest companies such as Skoda (to Germany’s Volkswagen) and Jawa (to Italy, which was Yesdi in India), Bohemian Beer etc.

Speaking about education in The Czech Republic, H.E. Dr. Hynek stated that their country had 80 universities for 10 million people, including one of the world’s oldest universities (since 1348) in their capital, Prague. Education in the Czech language was free at all levels, though the new capitalist economy may change that soon.

H.E. Dr. Hynek Kmonicek defined parallels between India’s liberalization process which began in 1991 and the same which started in Czech Republic in 1990. He urged the participants of IIM Indore to realize the need for a bit more courage when going in for systematic privatization of the Banking sector, which he felt was most essential. He felt that though India’s literacy rates may vary immensely from those of Czech Republic, the capitalist approach could be implemented in a similar fashion.

Dr. Hynek explained how his nation addressed the issues of political unrest with their neighbours by becoming a part of a larger international arrangement and creating a strong economy. Commenting on the situation in Pakistan, His Excellency felt that we must help them create a stable government, because only when we know who’s in true power, can we begin dialogue. Responding to a query by a participant, Dr. Hynek said that India truly deserved its seat on the United Nations Security Council, and sooner or later it would happen. As the talk shifted to other topics, he also addressed his country’s approach to global warming and their attempts at a Green Planet. He said that his government always supported green technologies and would continue to do so.

IIM INDORE ACHIEVES 100% PLACEMENTS

Mr. Mehta , Secretary, Media & Public Relations Committee of IIM Indore informed following to UrPercentile.com :

The Indian Institute of Management Indore today achieved 100 percent placements for the Batch of 2009. The placement process for the 10th graduating batch of the institute with 175 students saw offers across traditional sectors like financial services, consulting, FMCG etc. as well as sunshine sectors like power and energy, media, pharmaceuticals, education, telecom etc.

Prof Prashant Salwan, Chairman of Placements said, “Despite the global downturn, placements at IIM Indore have showcased the wide acceptability of its students by the corporate world. Foreign offers have seen a substantial jump with several organizations recruiting exclusively from IIM Indore. We have tried to ensure that every student secures an offer in the sector of his choice with no compromise on the role being offered."

Regular recruiters such as Deutsche Bank, HSBC Global Research, Standard Chartered Bank, Axis Bank, Yes Bank, FuturesFirst, Johnson & Johnson, ITC, Deloitte Innovation, Knightfrank, Larsen & Toubro, Jindal Steel & Power Corporation, Infosys, CTS etc. continued their relationship with the institute.

This year saw IIM Indore expanding its corporate relationships in a big way, which resulted in many new companies participating in Final Placements. New recruiters on campus included UTI Mutual Fund, Mahindra and Mahindra, Virgin Mobile, Unicon Securities, Eli Lilly, Infrasoft Technologies etc.

Public Sector Undertakings like Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, SAIL, SEBI, IOCL and BPCL also participated and recruited students for senior management roles across functions.

Financial Services continued to dominate in terms of the number of offers. This was due to the participation by leading MNC and Indian Banks, Public Sector Banks, Credit Rating Agencies, Insurance, Trading, Broking and Financial Services firms. Like previous years nearly 50% of the offers came from financial services firms.