FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION Quarterly Publication of IRMA July ... · Industries way back in 1979, he ascended great heights in the industry working in mega organizations like Mafatlal

FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION

Institute of Rural Management

Institute of Rural Management Anand

Quarterly Publication of IRMA July - December - 17 Vol. 21:3

1NETWORK July - December 17 Vol. 21:3

Editorial

Disclaimer:The views and opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NETWORK, IRMA.

Network is a quarterly publication of IRMA aiming to generate communication among alumni, well wishers and present participants of IRMA. Send the materials for consideration of publication in

Network to : [email protected]

Editorial CommitteeEditor: Indrani Talukdar

Editorial Assistants: Pooja (Malashri) Mannari,Milan Shukla

Design & Layout: Susamma T

ContentsWith greatness thrust upon him ................2Network team

Mistakes investors make ............................4Jyoti Prakash

The face that launches a thousand smiles ............................................6Indrani Talukdar

„èÐ ÜU¢ }¢¢ï¼èPearls from the sea ......................................9Paresh J. Bhatt

The many faces of pretense ......................10Network team

The other Dilip Kumar .............................12Meher Gadekar

Schooling with a difference .....................17Indrani Talukdar

From the other side of the fence ..............20Vaibhav Potbhare

ISEED national workshop .......................22Mriganka Mondal

Unfaithful ....................................................24Palabra Critica

Vengeance: A love story ............................27Nazar Dehalvi

As I sit down to write this, IRMA is still in the throes of Milaap 2018 and its crowning event- the famed Anand Run marathon. For those who may not know this, the Anand Run was started by an IRMAn, Gautam Khandelwal, who now runs a learning centre in the remote backwaters of Rajasthan. A dedicated educationist he gave up a plush corporate job, in true IRMAn spirit, to bring about a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. Do read his story, “Schooling with a difference” in these pages.IRMA’s alumni continue to instill a sense of pride and belongingness owed to their fearlessness in treading untrodden paths and pushing on with an undeniable sense of self-belief. An interview with an alumnus – Dilip Kumar BV – by another alumnus, Meher Gadekar, is worth a read for this reason. 'Dilip’s work in securities’ services has made him a towering figure in the field. Achievements are not possible without good facilitators at the helm. Last December, the institute witnessed the appointment of a new Director – Prof. Hitesh Bhatt – who really needs no introduction. That is because his credentials in the textile industry and teaching domain speak for themselves. Prof. Bhatt was kind enough to grant Network an interview reflecting his natural jollity, modesty, and integrity. That one needs to remain grounded even while performing selfless service goes without saying. Yet another alumnus, Jyoti Prakash, Head of Equity at Aegon Life Insurance, reminds us of this salient fact writing about making investments wisely in the column entitled “Standpoint”. Plus, there is the usual fare including Pelicula, Book Review, and The Last Word to regale yourselves with.Happy reading!

Indrani Talukdar(Editor)


With greatness thrust upon himIRMA appointed a new Director late last year, one who is known for his

dynamism, love for people and, above all, dedication

Whoever coined the expression “he does not let grass grow under his feet” must have been surely looking at Prof. Hitesh V. Bhatt, IRMA’s newly minted Director. Taking over office in December 2017 Prof. Bhatt has been all over the place, delivering ideas and implementing solutions. Here is one high order executive who is almost never found ensconced inside his plush Director’s office located on the first floor of the faculty block, replete with a la mode artwork, state-of-the-art gadgets, even a CCTV camera!

“I was not prepared for this honour,” he smiles behind his spectacles. “The position had been announced on the web. I had not even thought of applying,” he admits candidly.

A self-professed industry man Prof. Bhatt is an engineering graduate from Delhi’s IIT. He went on to do an MS in Industrial Management from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, USA. Starting his career at Reliance Textile Industries way back in 1979, he ascended great heights in the industry working in mega organizations like Mafatlal and Sunflag in Tanzania as well as an Indo-Bhutanese-South Korean joint venture.

Prof. Bhatt is credited with having set up two major textile mills and turning around one that was faced with near closure. A quintessential teacher, the yen to train and teach seized him even as he scaled new heights in corporate life. The yen was never to leave him.

Cover Story


An application was dispatched to IRMA “but I did not dare get my hopes up,” he says. “After all, I was from the industry. I had never been an academic.” Before he knew it, he had landed a job as professor in the country’s most prestigious rural management institute. This was in 1995. There has been no looking back since.

Working in his typical dynamic and integrative style he believes in reaching out and keeping communication transparent. In his own words, “I want to set up such

systems that everybody is on the same page with the pride of being associated with IRMA.”

And what about his first love: teaching?

“I will continue to teach,” says this teacher who is known for teaching with passion.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. So is the case with the institute’s present Director.

By: The Network team

An application was dispatched to IRMA “but I did not dare get my

hopes up,” he says. “After all, I was from the industry. I had never been

an academic.” Before he knew it, he had landed a job as professor in the

country’s most prestigious rural management institute. This was in 1995.

There has been no looking back since.


Mistakes investors makeAn investment expert’s point of view with regard to money matters

So, you are thinking of making your money work for you? The idea is so appealing, isn’t it? Yet, do be warned- there is no such thing as a free lunch. I have listed below the six most common mistakes that an investor can make.

Read on:

Extrapolate

It is common for investors to extrapolate from past performance. They believe that a company that has delivered in the past is likely to do so in future.

Shorter time horizon

In spite of being fully aware about the long-term benefits of investing, most investors look at short-term returns.

This results in higher trading than what would have been justifiable for a longer term portfolio.

Inadequate risk management

Investors do not give adequate focus to asset allocation and diversification. As a result, distress during market draw-downs is significant. Adequate attention to asset allocation and diversification helps survive the bad times, monetarily speaking. I also recommend “outcome based investing” as an aid to decision making. If your investment was expected to fetch a certain amount for your child’s education within a specified time frame but you achieved it before time, it makes sense to lock in the gains. It is good to

Standpoint


ask yourself the following question: if the market corrects by 20 percent, will it threaten your survival?

Excessive optimism or pessimism

Investors often get it wrong while finding the right balance between optimism and pessimism. Sometimes there is a feeling of the “world coming to an end” while at others there is a feeling of “the tree is going to touch the sky”! Finding the right balance is important. However, it is the optimists who stand to make money!

There is always a first time

Most investors draw lessons from the past because “history repeats itself” or because “history does not repeat itself but it often rhymes”. Yet there will be surprises from time to time. Something that has never happened before may very well occur. Think

of Quantitative Easing and negative interest rates. Most people expected the former to result in runaway inflation and the latter was always expected to be zero bound! Both these had wide ramifications for the market. Those glued to the lessons of History lost out on one of the major bull markets.

Leveraging, learning, and unlearning

Those who are into investing would know what “leveraging” means. It means borrowing money to invest in stocks. Needless to add, some investors do engage in leveraging which is rather inadvisable. This is because when lenders are likely to start asking for repayments you would have to sell your stocks irrespective of market conditions.

Second, investors should remain students throughout their lives. Thirdly, remember that an investment strategy will not deliver every time - so unlearn and do things differently.

By: Jyoti Prakash (Head of Equity, Aegon Life

Insurance, Mumbai)PRM 5

Investors do not give adequate focus to asset allocation and diversification. As a result, distress during market draw-downs is significant. Adequate attention to asset allocation and diversification helps survive the bad times, monetarily speaking. I also recommend “outcome based investing” as an aid to decision making. If your investment was expected to fetch a certain amount for your child’s education within a specified time frame but you achieved it before time, it makes sense to lock in the gains.


The face that launches a thousand smiles

If you are a walking enthusiast, be it morning or evening, you are not likely to have missed Usha Harikrishnan and her warm smile. Voted the “most beautiful face” and the “most elegant presence” on the IRMA campus, Usha is the wife of Prof. Hari Nagarajan, professor and RBI Chair.

An MBA from Bangalore University, she has held positions of responsibility in companies like Eureka Forbes and CII, both after marriage. Today, she works as coordinator at an international school in Nadiad. Taking time off her busy schedule she spoke to Network.

Read on:

Can you go back to the beginning? About your roots, that is.

I was born in Tamil Nadu but grew up in a small town known as Arisikere in the Hassan district of Karnataka.

I did my tenth standard from there and then moved to Bangalore with my family.

So you know Kannada as well as Tamil, right?

Yes, that’s right. I am equally fluent in both. And since I studied at an English medium Convent I am equally conversant with English. My Hindi isn’t the best, even though I can make myself understood in the language (laughs), albeit in a broken way.

Where did you do your college from?

I did my college in Bangalore itself. I went to the Carmel Convent from where I did my B.Com and later enrolled at Bangalore University for an MBA.

Do you remember any special moments from your college days?

There are quite a few, for college was great. Besides doing well at academics I also excelled at sports, especially swimming and high jump. One of the things I remember with relish is the time ace cricketer Ravi Shastri came to college. All of us girls went berserk with ecstasy, he was so handsome those days!

Any reason for doing an MBA over a regular Masters?

Checkmate

Usha (third from left) with colleagues


Well, I thought acquiring a professional degree would give me a head start in the job market. That is the reason I rooted for an MBA.

You were a state level athlete and also a great singer, right?

Yes, I suppose you can say that (laughs embarrassedly). I was a keen a sportswoman throughout school and college. I also learnt Carnatic music in my childhood. I could have made a career in any of these fields but I chose to complete my studies and get into a professional career. My family’s ethos, too, encouraged my decision.

You have spent much of your life in the south. After marriage you were

in the US and later in Delhi. What was your experience with the North and North Indians?

I was in Bangalore too because my husband joined IIM Bangalore as Assistant Professor after completing his PhD from the University of Oklahoma. It was one of the most beautiful campuses I have seen. I have some beautiful memories of walking under jacaranda trees in full bloom. The grounds would be carpeted with their violet leaves.

As far as Delhi is concerned, yes I do find it aggressive yet I remember the city with fondness. That is because of the friends I made there, the kind of stimulating conversations I would

It is celebration time! Usha Harikrishnan with friends and colleagues


have with them and the warmth and love they gave me. We have a house in NOIDA and I do like going there every once in a while.

What about IRMA? How did you happen to come here, and how do you feel about it?

Hari was working with NCAER (National Council of Applied Economic Research) and he received an offer from IRMA. He was selected after being interviewed but he also said that he would only join if I liked it here. I remember that just before I got into IRMA I found myself feeling a little out of sorts. The semi paved road, the rundown huts and vendors by the roadside did not form an impression really. But then… when the car turned inside the gates, I was struck dumb! The campus was so beautiful and green that my spirits lifted at once. Having lived here for

the last four years I have come to love this place.

One final question: You have worked at places like Eureka Forbes and CII where you attained very high positions. What made you give up such a lucrative career?

The way I see it, one has to make

choices in life. I was doing very well at

CII where I had risen to the position of Deputy Director. But it also meant staying back late in office, having to miss out on healthy socializing and, what concerned me more, was having to compromise on health. Most of the time I wouldn’t be able to get back from work before 9.30 pm. It was then that I had to ask myself what it was that I wanted out of life. The answer wasn’t difficult to find. It was peace and happiness that I wanted more than anything else.

Are you happy with your job at the school?

Oh yes, very! It is very satisfying to work with kids. Their innocence and unconditional love cannot be replaced by the greatest achievements in the corporate world. Mega bucks and material comfort pale in comparison.

I.T.

‘It was peace and quiet I wanted more than anything in the world’


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Pearls from the sea

Evenings do not passWhile nights simply lastMornings remain elusive

And eyes do not sleep

How very harshHave become life’s realities

That eyes no longer Dare to hold reveries

When close onesBecame distant delusions

The mind no longerEntertained great emotions

The mind is a desertNo longer does it happen

That the heartSows dreams of affection

Dreams get shattered When dear ones depart

Tears do not flowBecause of a broken heart

The feeling of affectionHas become an illusion

It is like the seaIn which gems do not seep

(Translated by Indrani Talukdar)

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Pearls from the sea

Poetry


The many faces of pretenseA hard hitting street play by PRM 38 students left its audience

with a humbling sense of introspection

Showcase

IRMA participants continue to surprise us with their phenomenal talents. On Independence Day the institute’s staff and faculty were treated to an eye-opening street play appropriately named Kitney Chehrey.

The play staged by the IRMA Natya Manch forced viewers to look inwards as it touched upon pertinent social issues.

Sitting in a semi circle in crouching postures the actors exposed the double speak and hypocrisy embedded in society. The audience, spread across the iconic Carillon Chimes, watched on enthused by the message – actually various messages

– purveyed by the play which commenced with the chorus “kitney chehrey”, literally translating into “how many faces?”

The first message had feminist overtones as one of the participants shot a poser at a contemporary asking if she intended to sit around doing nothing with her education and get married. Pat comes the rejoinder, “Of course not!” Inspired by her mother she said she wanted to work for society. Enter the socialite mother working with an NGO dealing with untouchability related issues in rural areas but was loath to share the household cutlery with her maid.


“Why, why?!” rises a crescendo in surround sound mode. “Why these double standards?”

Why indeed? And what about the complacency attached to the indifference when we utter the words, “Yes, but…” There are some

soul-searching questions we need to ask ourselves when confronted with discomfiting situations as when a top police officer in a north Indian state proclaimed after four rapes came to light within a span of 72 hours. His comment, “It is no big deal, such things happen all the time”, should make us hang our heads in shame. But does it?

Kitney chehrey deals with issues like gender and apartheid in a hard hitting way. Perfectly choreographed and enacted by PRM 38 students it used the space around the Carillon Chimes with professional competence.

The writers Vedant Mehta, Mudita Vats, and Ankit Saxena deserve the highest commendation.

By: The Network team

The first message had feminist overtones as one of the participants shot a poser at a contemporary asking if she intended to sit around doing nothing with her education and get married. Pat comes the rejoinder, “Of course not!” Inspired by her mother she said she wanted to work for society. Enter the socialite mother working with an NGO dealing with untouchability related issues in rural areas but was loath to share the household cutlery with her maid.


The other Dilip Kumar

The mild-mannered bespectacled Dilip Kumar BV is a force to reckon with in the domain of securities’ services. His track record in product management and development has been impressive, to say the least. A shining star of IRMA’s impressive galaxy of luminaries he recently spoke to another alumnus of the institute, Meher Gadekar.

Read the rather entertaining, free-wheeling interview.

MG: Hi Dilip! Nice to meet you after a long time, buddy. What happened to your hair, man? You had such a wonderful head full of curly hair.

DK: Once I had them, now I don’t. (Moves his hand over his near- bald pate). But surely, we’re not meeting to discuss my hair loss, Gadekar.

MG: That’s right, Dilip. I hear that you’ve become a big man now.

DK: (Smiles, his usual warm smile). Oh no, I’m still the guy you knew from our IRMA days. Besides we were also floor-mates apart from being floor or F toppers.

MG: OK, so let’s begin at the beginning. Where were you born and where did you do your schooling from?

DK: I was born in Chennai and moved to Bangalore at the age of two. So, Bangalore became my home. I went to the National High School in Basavangudi and did my PUC at National College, again in Basavangudi. Subsequently, I joined NITK (National Institute of Technology Karnataka) in Surathkal from where I completed my B.Tech. (Electrical Power).

MG: After completing your B. Tech what made you opt for IRMA and rural management?

DK: Like most people of my generation, we were poor. I could not afford to pay my way through college. I had been accepted by a few universities in the US that were willing to give me teaching assistance-ships. At the same time, I was also accepted by IRMA. I chose IRMA because it was the only

Alumnispeak


management institute offering 100 percent scholarship. Besides, the US Government rejected my visa application on grounds of my being a single child. So, IRMA became my default choice.

MG: Where did you work after having graduating from IRMA?

DK: I spent five years at NDDB; initially at Bidaj in Barejadi implementing IT solutions for the farm. Subsequently, I moved to Calcutta as the IT Head, Eastern Region and later I was promoted (by about two-and-a-half years I think) to the position of Executive and moved to Bangalore as Head, IT, Southern Region.

After leaving NDDB, I joined S.B Billimoria & Co. (SBB, now part of Deloitte Touche) as a Senior Consultant at Bangalore and worked there for three years.

MG: How did you decide to set up a company? When was it set up? What was it called? What was its growth like in the first 7-8 years?

DK: I left SBB to start my own software company (along with another NITK classmate). We invested Rs. 5,000 each as equity. We were a small product company focused

on building non-banking financial software products (lease, hire purchase, bills discounting and an integrated accounting solution). The name of the company was “Advance Infotech Private Ltd”. We established a market leadership in Karnataka for our NBFC solutions and built a team size of 35 software professionals during this period. Our turnover was small- in the range of Rs. 5–8 lakh per annum those days. The Indian market was yet to mature at that point in terms of recognizing value and paying adequately for software products.

MG: When and why did you decide to sell your software company?

DK: In late 1997, because of our reputation, we received a random call from ICICI Bank in Mumbai asking us to bid for their software project. (By the way, ICICI was big in NBFC products those days). Even

though our product was good our company was very small for ICICI to do business with us.

I then took it upon myself to request the then MD of ICICI, Shri KV Kamath, for a meeting in order to pitch our strengths to him, among other things. He was kind enough to grant me 30 minutes of his time. After hearing

I chose IRMA because it was the only management institute offering 100 percent scholarship. Besides, the US Government rejected my visa application on grounds of my being a single child.


my story he pointed out that “the only problem is that you are a very small company”. We needed to find a larger IT company to buy us out or our product out. If that were to happen then, maybe, we stood a better chance.

This was a very big order for us in 1997: in the range of Rs. 1 crore. Scouting around we came across a friendly company with a similar profile but one that was much larger. A few months down the line we were able to successfully merge ourselves with this company. Advance Infotech Private Ltd was sold lock, stock, and barrel to Datacons Private Limited.

MG: How did you decide to set up another company? When was it launched? What was its name and what was its growth in the first 7-8 years?

DK: My partner at Advance Infotech and I were ushered into Datacons Private Limited as founding members with equity participation. This amalgamation, subsequently, fetched us a much larger software order from ICICI. I, along with my team, lived out of suitcases in Mumbai for a year and a half as we implemented this solution successfully.

I was probably amongst the youngest in that decade to have successfully

sold a Re. 1 core solution to an Indian client! Mind you, selling at that proportion to foreign clients was not such a big deal but selling to an Indian client… that was a very big deal!

MG: When and why did you decide to sell it?

DK: After having delivered the solution to Mumbai, I returned to Bangalore for a short break to think things through. I was pondering- what next? One always has some mixed feelings after having

concluded such a large project. After all, what could be bigger than this? I was besieged with that type of feeling when the time for our Board meeting rolled around. The company (Datacons) was seeking to expand into the US and Asia. In strategic terms, the US expansion

involved services (people) whereas the Asia expansion was about financial software products.

The then CEO of Datacons was asked to head over to Malaysia and start Asia’s business. Due to personal reasons he could not say yes. Then, the Board turned to me asked “Can you do it?” Since I had been seeking bigger pastures without blinking I replied, “Yes, when do I start?” That is how, in mid-1999, I landed in Kuala Lumpur to set up Datacons Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd and started

Since I had been seeking bigger pastures without blinking I replied, “Yes, when do I start?” That is how, in mid-1999, I landed in Kuala Lumpur to set up Datacons Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd and started focusing on building the business across Asia.


focusing on building the business across Asia.

Over the next six to seven years I devoted myself exclusively to building our business across Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. It became a runaway success as in Malaysia alone we had captured a market share of 68 percent of the banking and financial services’s egment by 2006.

This growth also brought our company to the attention of 3i Infotech Limited (an ICICI Bank venture those days). This was a listed company which was very ambitious about fast tracking its growth. There was the usual dance between the sought and the suitor and as the valuation was good, we agreed to sell.

3i Infotech wanted deep Asian penetration and I had built Datacons Asia which delivered precisely that footprint to them. So, it turned out to be a good deal for both companies.

MG: How & when did you land up in Singapore?

DK: Post sale, while I was still in Malaysia working as Senior Vice President of 3i Infotech, I got a call from somebody in Deutsche Bank (DB) in Singapore saying they wanted to speak with me. It so happens that the COO of Prudential in Singapore had recommended my name to Deutsche (that is because Prudential had worked with me in Malaysia).

DB asked me to head over to Singapore to build and launch their Investor Services Product (Transfer Agency) across Asia. Thus, I moved to Singapore and have, since, settled in there. I had a whale of a time replicating what I had done as an entrepreneur for myself. Doing it for a global bank at a much bigger scale was something else. For all practical purposes, I lived and worked like an entrepreneur at DB. I felt lucky!

MG: Great! Who are your idols??

DK: Shri K.V Kamath, Rahul Dravid, and Rafael Nadal.

I spent five years at NDDB; initially at Bidaj in Barejadi implementing IT solutions for the farm. Subsequently, I moved to Calcutta as the IT Head, Eastern Region and later I was promoted (by about two-and-a-half years I think) to the position of Executive and moved to Bangalore as Head, IT, Southern Region.


MG: And your ideals?

DK: Perseverance, compassion, and integrity.

MG: What drives or motivates you in life? What are your future plans?

DK: Over the years I have recognized the fact that I am creative by nature- you cannot box me into one role or shape. So, I am always searching to do something that makes a difference somewhere, to somebody. This gives me a lot of satisfaction.

I am now working on a product that will, hopefully, help solve some of the problems faced by the Indian industry. A lot of my time outside of office goes into conceptualizing and working on an idea. I can share more after the idea becomes a reality.

At 50, I decided to convert my childhood passion into a reality and am now in the process of becoming a musician and acquiring formal training in Carnatic vocal music.

MG: Any message that you may wish to give to young managers and rural managers?

DK: “Do what you like and do it well”. There is a meaning in the word ‘expert’. That is the only message I wish to give. Don’t chase money. Let money chase you. This is something that I believe in ardently. You could say that I have followed this dictum.

MG: What do you currently do? What is your designation/role?

DK: My current role is very different compared to my previous ones. It is very challenging all the same.

I am working with Standard Chartered as a Programme Lead and am responsible for implementing enterprise-wise stress testing program, data quality framework under Basel guidelines, and transitioning the bank’s Retail MI to an Enterprise Data Architecture

MG: Some numbers would be welcome, Dilip. For how much did you sell your first company?

DK: It was an equity vs company’s assets and liabilities swap. My partner and I walked away with a percentage of equity each in Datacons with all our employees absorbed and all assets and liabilities discharged satisfactorily.

MG: For how much did you sell your second company?

DK: Gadekar, we got a valuatuon that was almost eight times our annual turnover. As ours was a private limited company I cannot speak numbers without my partner’s permission.

I am now working on a product that will, hopefully, help solve some of the problems faced by the Indian industry. A lot of my time outside of office goes into conceptualizing and working on an idea. I can share more after the idea becomes a reality. At 50, I decided to convert my childhood passion into a reality and am now in the process of becoming a musician and acquiring formal training in Carnatic vocal music


Tucked away innocuously in a village called Agar, some 30 kilometres away from Sariska, is the ‘Masti ki Paathshaala’ from where emanates gleeful childish laughter. Learning is instilled with a difference here. The children are given the tools for learning with minimal adult intervention. Founded under the Centre for Health and Education Reform, its founder Gautam Khandelwal looks at home in these bucolic surroundings. Looking at him it is hard to believe that this IRMA alumnus was a different person some 20 years ago when he was working in the now defunct consulting giant Arthur Andersen. Chafing away in his air conditioned office he felt like a “fish out of water”.

In his own words: “I did not see my work as something that would impact society in revolutionary or transformative ways.” The massive

cyclone of Orissa in 1999 proved to be a major turning point. “That hastened my decision to leave the corporate world. I was not happy that while there were people dying out there, I was punching keys on my computer, sitting in an air-conditioned office on the 11th Floor,” he clarifies. He then turned his attention to formative education believing that “education is transformative”.

Taking up the first teaching job he worked for seven years as a teacher. The realization that India’s school curricula actually kill your creativity and initiative hit him hard and he went on to launch his own school in the fragrant backwaters of Rajasthan. “Only,” he insists, “Masti ki Paathshaala is not a school but a learning centre.”

The learning centre buzzes with activity as the kids run around

Schooling with a differenceNetwork caught up with IRMA alumnus Gautam Khandelwal who is

running a unique learning centre in the fragrant backwaters of Rajasthan


learning computers, photography, and art among other things. The centre even houses a mini science lab!

A lot of learning takes place through workshops including those on film making, communications, design thinking and problem solving, and farming, even puppetry.

The dreams of this unassuming looking IRMAn are vast, rather than big. He wants to take the centre to newer pastures such as health and livelihood. “In the health space,” he explains, “I wish to set up nature cure hospitals. All that nature cure needs is mitti (Earth), hawa (air), and paani (water); all this is available in plenty in rural areas. Besides, nature cure is extremely cheap, it needs no external inputs in the form of expensive medicines and doctors and can be easily adopted.”

On the livelihoods front, a pilot workshop on stitching (involving only women) has already been conducted. The objective of livelihood

promotion is ultimate ownership. As Gautam rues, “Carpet weaving is a major activity of the village. But unfortunately, the villagers sell their unprocessed carpets to factories in Jaipur. The factory owners then add value and export them outside. It goes without saying that unprocessed commodities are sold for a pittance. The whole idea is that the entire value chain should be owned by us.”

By concentrating the business at the producers’ doorstep, Khandelwal is convinced, will put a stop to rural migration. “This will solve the twin problems of family distress in rural areas caused by migration and those pertaining to infrastructural bottlenecks in the cities.” What is more, he affirms, rural livelihood will allow the villagers to “take pride in their local culture and traditions.”

Working with such an unconventional model comes with its own set of challenges starting with man eater leopards loitering in the vicinity. “They have already claimed two lives and a colleague

Masti ki Paathshaala is not a school but learning centre

Girls and boys getting hands-on learning in the makeshift science lab


of mine almost became their third victim,” he says. Besides, he misses his two children who “long for my touch and hugs.” Rather ruefully he admits, “My heart cries when they beg me to return home.”

Having put his future at stake, in a manner of speaking, as well as

that of his children, this IRMAn is traversing the road less travelled. IRMA’s founder, Dr. Kurien, would have been so proud.

By: Indrani Talukdar

By concentrating the business at the producers’ doorstep, Khandelwal is convinced, will put a stop to rural migration. “This will solve the twin problems of family distress in rural areas caused by migration and those pertaining to infrastructural bottlenecks in the cities.” What is more, he affirms, rural livelihood will allow the villagers to “take pride in their local culture and traditions.”

Round table on policy support for farmer producer organizations

The Ministry of Agriculture created a policy framework and issued process guidelines for FPOs in 2013. Besides, FPOs have increased thanks to donor and CSR-supported projects across the country.

This new generation of producer organizations have higher inclusivity in terms of regions (FPOs are currently active in all states of India) with focus on poverty and gender.

A round table on Farmer Producer Organizations was hosted by FICCI on October 31, 2017. This was an attempt to take the discussion forward and generate ideas for FPO empowerment. The idea was to create an opportunity for policymakers, FPO leaders, corporations, academics, civil society, and financial institutions to ponder mechanisms leading to improving credit and market access for enhanced farm incomes through the institutional framework of FPOs. The Round Table was meant for sharing recent developments including enhanced policy support for FPOs and the formation of federations for Farmer Producer Companies in some. The rationale also included exploring the need to treat FPOs as start-ups with greater access to CSR and donor funds.


In these times of prejudices and biases leading to bloody riots and killings what we need is an isthmus of hope. I found it, unexpectedly, when an old school friend I hadn’t seen in a long time dropped by a few weekends ago.

I repeat his story verbatim below.

‘An agonizing cry woke me up in the middle of a cold night. I turned around to look at my three-year-old daughter who was burning up with high fever. Her cries were getting louder with each passing moment and I was unable to do anything to ease her discomfort. I looked at the time: it was three in the morning. Hailing a cab at that early hour, that too in downtown New York, was next to impossible. I put an urgent call through to a cab service who agreed to send one. The moment it arrived I rushed to open the door. Presently, I asked how much it would cost getting to the nearest hospital. “Two hundred dollars, Sir!” he replied. I held my daughter tight and commanded him to hurry up.

He had probably sensed my anxiety. To ease the tension he started talking

From the other side of the fenceThe heart touching account of an Indian who found himself in sore

straits in a foreign country

in an accent that sounded Pushto-Punjabi to my ears. That is when I discovered that he was a Muslim student, working night shifts to support his education and family living in Pakistan. Already worked up I found myself becoming terrified, to put it mildly. Had I handed over mine and my daughter’s life to a terrorist who was going to put a gun to my head at some point during the ride?

While we were half way he spoke again, “Excuse me sir, this ride will cost you a little over $300 as this is a weekend because of which the charges are a bit higher”. Cursing him inwardly I said nothing throughout the ride.

Seething with anger and feeling cheated I arrived at the hospital. Thrusting $350 into his palms I spoke contritely, “Please keep the change.”

The doctor in ER, after examining my daughter, suggested that I take her to a pediatrician up state. I came out of the ER discouraged, her frail state escalating my worries. I was contemplating my next step when someone asked me to sit down.

While we were half way he spoke again, “Excuse me sir, this ride will cost you a little over $300 as this is a weekend because of which the charges are a bit higher”. Cursing him inwardly I said nothing throughout the ride.

The last word


Soon, I noticed some movement with nurses scurrying about, quick phone calls and, finally the doctor emerging out of the ER with the Pak cabbie in tow.

The sight of him enraged me but before I had the chance to say anything he spoke, “Sir, there is nothing to worry about, a pediatrician is on the way”. He went on to tell me that the hospital and the surrounding area was a familiar stamping ground for him and that he knew a doctor who had moved nearby recently. The ER doctor chipped in saying, “This good lad has been bringing patients to us for a long time. Since you are his close friend how can I say ‘no’ to you?” He then left us both.

A nurse came to take my daughter away and handed some papers to me. The Pak cabbie, holding me by the hand reassured me saying, “Your daughter is in safe hands, you do not need to worry.” With

that he placed something in my hand and said, “Sir this is your $150”. Seeing the bewilderment in my eyes he continued, “Sir, it was I who had asked for $200 in the first place, which is why, when the meter reached $200 I turned it off so that you don’t have to pay more the mistake I had made by not apprising you of the night time situation before hand.” He explained further, “You are an Indian, which means that we are neighbours. How can I cheat my neighbour?”

Seeing his kindness I dissolved into tears. Hugging him I asked for his forgiveness.

The lesson I learnt that day was not to judge people on the basis of the predetermined conventional images and jump to conclusions.

By: Vaibhav Potbhare (Executive, PRM, IRMA)

With that he placed something in my hand and said, “Sir this is your $150”. Seeing the bewilderment in my eyes he continued, “Sir, it was I who had asked for $200 in the first place, which is why, when the meter reached $200 I turned it off so that you don’t have to pay more the mistake I had made by not apprising you of the night time situation before hand.”

you do not need to worry.” With (Executive, PRM, IRMA)

by the hand reassured me saying,

you do not need to worry.” With Potbhare

you do not need to worry.” With


ISEED national workshop

IRMA launched its Incubator for Social Enterprises and Entrepreneurs for Development (ISEED) under the aegis of its Centre of Entrepreneurship and Enterprises (CSEE) in August 2016. The intention was to focus on creating a peer support structure for social entrepreneurs, collective and sustainable enterprises for students, start-ups (by IRMAns mostly), and mature social enterprises that have

been operational for at least four to five years. Notably, the British Council, Nottingham Trent University, UnLtd of UK and the Union Ministry of Science and Technology have collaborated for this effort.

ISEED, which is a part of the Ravi J. Mathai Library, has been active ever since its genesis in August 2016.

Running a social enterprise incubator can turn out to be a lonely exercise as opportunities for interaction, information sharing, and speaking on common issues are few and far between. While many learning and sharing opportunities are available for social entrepreneurships the same cannot be said to be true for social incubators.

That is the reason ISEED organized a one-day national workshop in Delhi on November 4, 2017. The workshop entitled “Incubation of Social enterprises- Challenges and Opportunities” targeted incubators wishing to work with social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders engaged in the ecosystem. The intention was to create a platform for sharing and developing an understanding of social enterprise in India, connecting with those involved in social enterprise incubation, while exchanging experiences regarding running or being part of a social enterprise incubator. Through this workshop participants were expected to learn about planning and managing social enterprise incubators.

Sam Baumber and Jay Lamb from the Social Enterprise Academy (SEA)Scotland were the facilitators of the workshop.


The Managing Director of SEA International CIC, Sam Baumber is a well-known social entrepreneur credited with co-founding four social enterprises. He introduced SEA Scotland to the participants delivering a brief about the organization and its work.

About SEA: it was established in 2004 to further the emerging concept of social enterprise through training and personal development. The SEA operates a network of hubs and local tutors in multiple countries including Australia, South Africa, and Malaysia.

The year 2017 witnessed the birth of SEA India.

Later in the day, Jay Lamb took over with a session on “Social Enterprises- India and international concepts and context as well as Entrepreneurs perspectives: What do social entrepreneurs expect from incubators?”

An erstwhile outdoor activity instructor, Jay has 28 years of experience behind him, particularly in educational settings.

Jay discussed the concept of social enterprise and different stages of incubation with the participants with a fully activity-based participation approach. He went on speak on “Social Enterprise Incubation-Ideal outcomes and Incubation experiences- Opportunities and challenges in the changing landscape”. During this session he touched upon expected offerings and services for incubation. He also spoke about how, based on actual status, one can design good incubation services. The workshop closed with a session on “Putting learning into action and Reflection and Evaluation”.

Rather notably, this was a first in terms of a national-level workshop providing a platform to the incubators and social enterprises for sharing experiences and interacting. This fact was acknowledged by all the participants as well.

Equally important, both SEA Scotland and SEA India expressed an interest to explore more opportunities regarding identifying such collaborative efforts to benefit the ecosystem.

By: Mriganka Mondal

He went on speak on “Social Enterprise Incubation-Ideal outcomes and Incubation experiences- Opportunities and challenges in the changing landscape”. During this session he touched upon expected offerings and services for incubation. He also spoke about how, based on actual status, one can design good incubation services. The workshop closed with a session on “Putting learning into action and Reflection and Evaluation”.


A dark work of fiction penned by newbie author Kaberi Dutta Chatterjee Neil Must Die is designed to shock the bourgeoisie from its socially strait jacketed complacence. And yet, it would be unfair to dismiss it as a social romance shocker. For there are layers, some quite gentle, that bespeak social indictment rather plainly. The main female protagonist, called Tuli, for instance, is stopped from going to college and married off to Mr. Suitable Boy Soumen Roy from a bhadralok family based in Kolkata. Never mind that she had excelled at school. On her wedding day her “friends came and informed her that they had got their admission in colleges. She

looked out of the window and wanted to fly away.” The quiet anger at this injustice is just about obvious.

And, to top it all, never mind the fact that she and her groom are utterly incompatible.

The typical Bengali wedding rituals have been described with some amount of subtle ribbing. Witness this:

“She was pulled out of bed at wee hours of the winter dawn and made to undergo several weird rituals. She had to cut the water of their pond with a piece of metal, before sunrise, which she felt very silly about and eat puffed rice with curd…”

The author dwells on the details of a typical Bengali household with the eye of an observer. Take for instance, her description of the terrace adjoining Neil’s room: “The terrace was in tiers… It looked wonderful in daylight. Strings run across bamboo poles where the clothes were hung, and thick and ornate cements railings adorned the boundary… ” Very reminiscent of a Ray film set.

She also describes Soumen’s bestiality without being lurid and with a touch of indignation. But it is enough to prod the reader’s disgust while inspiring awe for the young girl, still a child, who takes it in her stride. What option does she have anyway, one may well ask?

UnfaithfulA novel about real people and real life situations that

challenges middle class mores

Book Review


Reading Neil Must Die one cannot help wondering about the vast population of women – a huge silent minority – subjected to humiliation of the carnal kind. In Tuli’s case she does not question it. When she does object once, it is involuntary- a smack in public.

The female protagonist is portrayed as a free spirited teenager who likes to climb trees and slide down banisters without bothering about protocols. Her greatest sympathizer is Neil, her brother-in-law. It is no wonder that the two feel drawn to each other and get into a relationship. Being the weaker of the two, he flees to Mumbai on being discovered. Tossing between conventionalism and non-conformism, Neil’s story ends in tragedy as is evident from the title.

By: Palabra Critica

Reading Neil Must Die one cannot help wondering about the vast population of women – a huge silent minority – subjected to humiliation of the carnal kind. In Tuli’s case she does not question it. When she does object once, it is involuntary- a smack in public.

He slept on the eve of Mahalaya the way he would do on any other night — when he heard the knock.

A soft knock. He woke up startled thinking he was dreaming. And then he heard the knock again.

He stood up slightly wobbly from deep sleep and pulled down the latch. It was dark still. He opened the door. Tuli stood in a nightdress, smiling.

“Good morning!” she smiled.

Neil felt an initial emotion of ecstasy on seeing her. Then he felt irked at his own unshielded emotion.

“What d’you want?” he said groggily, impolitely.

“Won’t you listen to Mahalaya?” her smile had vanished. But she was still cheerful.

Neil waddled back to the bed. “Oh, God!” he said and threw himself onto the bed. He couldn’t deny the happiness inside him, soaring above all anger, on seeing her after a month. He closed his eyes and felt Tuli’s fingers run through his hair.

“I know you are angry… and jealous,” he heard her say. “And you must be wondering why I have become so serious, so sane. I’ll let you know one day… not now…” She stopped. He wondered what she was speaking about. She

Book Extract


spoke like a matured adult. He lost his trail of thoughts in an instant dream. Then he heard her again. “Now wake up. See I’ve even got a transistor.” And she switched on the machine. The devotional surge filled the air.

He opened his eyes and tried to wake up. The hymns were dreamlike, permeating inside him to awaken him. For the first time in the 22 years of his life, he found he was listening to the lyrics of the Sanskrit chants and trying to comprehend their meaning. He turned over on his back and cocked his head to look at Tuli. The room was dark baring the dim bulb lit outside his room. At the reflected hue he could see she was somber and preoccupied with something. She looked out of the window into the darkness, that was now slowly blending into dawn.

He wanted to freeze the picture into a frame of eternity and told himself, “This is the happiest moment of my life”. As if she heard him saying that, and turned to smile at him. His lips were parched, but he smiled back.

“You’ve become quite a bouma, huh? Responsible and all that?”

She smiled and looked away. Neil said, “Everyone’s raving about you.”

She cast her eyes down. “You only asked me to stay away from you. And when I did that, you went mad? Jealous?” She looked at him.

He looked at her for a moment and said, “I wanted it, and you did it?”

“Of course.”

He turned to his side and wound his hands around her waist.

“Isn’t Dada awake?”

She shook her head.

“Won’t he listen to Mahalaya?”

She looked at him and ran her fingers through his hair, “What do you think? Will he?”

Neil buried his face in her lap and said groggily. “And I was happily sleeping thinking that at last you were gone and I was a free man — and you had to wake me up.”

The songs and hymns were reaching the climax. The intensity of the emotion wrenched out from the electronic device into their souls and they found themselves silent. As if a voyage was underway; they held their hands and moved towards a haloed resplendence, an existence with no dimension, guided by the devotional inundation as the only witness.

He wanted to freeze the picture into a frame of eternity and told himself, “This is the happiest moment of my life”. As if she heard him saying that, and turned to smile at him. His lips were parched, but he smiled back.


“Most of the time I move around in the steel braces of subconscious inhibitions…” Indo-Anglian writer, the late Sasthi Brata, had written in his much a c c l a i m e d autobiography My God Died Young. He was referring to the frustration of surviving the imperceptible obstacles a high context society such as ours sets up. S o m e t i m e s ,

there is no way around the obstacles except for breaking away. As Arati Shukla, played by Kriti Kharbanda in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, realizes

before she cuts loose on her wedding day.

The film opens with the main female lead p r o t e s t i n g against the m a r r i a g e arranged by her family to a clerk at an excise office. Predic tably ,

Vengeance: A love storyWhat happens when a girl chooses to dump her groom on the day of the

wedding? A revenge story Bollywood style

“Most of the time I move around in the steel braces of subconscious inhibitions…” Indo-Anglian writer, the late Sasthi Brata, had written in his much acclaimed autobiography My God Died Young. He was referring to the frustration of surviving the imperceptible obstacles a high context society such as ours sets up. Sometimes, there is no way around the obstacles except for breaking away. As Arati Shukla, played by Kriti Kharbanda in Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, realizes before she cuts loose on her wedding day.

Pelicula


the protests fall on deaf ears as the tyrant father (played by Govind Namdeo) cannot visualize career prospects for his daughter who happens to be far more capable than his son. What he does not realize is that Arati has taken her PCS exams on the sly and qualified the prelims.

The same tyrant of a father does not blink twice, however, when it comes to acceding to dowry demands from the prospective in-laws’ side. Double speak and double standards rule the roost in a conservative society, something the film brings out clearly.

The love story that had taken the tried and tested “arranged” route turns into a revenge saga when the girl decides to become a runaway bride on her wedding day. It is the day the PCS final results are announced. It is also the day the (prospective) mother-in-law unequivocally expresses her opposition to allowing her prospective daughter-in-law a career. It is at the exhortation of her elder sister Abha (Nayani Dixit) that Arati decides to choose her head over her heart even as it breaks into splinters. The lady’s determination to become an officer versus a housewife dominates the softer emotions.

Cut to five years hence. The heroine’s “misdemeanor” is forgiven by her immediate family as she rides high on her PCS career. But soon there is

a spoke in the wheel in the shape of a land grab scam. It does not take a child to guess the identity of her investigation officer. The audience is treated to a real surprise, though, as Rajkumar Rao does a complete turnaround as the suave District Magistrate as opposed to his clerk avatar in which he was believably “awkward”. Bristling with feelings

of revenge he takes on Kriti in every sense of the word scoring several brownie points in the bargain.

The other actors like KK Raina, Alka Amin, and Navni Parihar, too, sync with their roles with believable ease.

Director Ratnaa Sinha’s directed story gels well with the audience. With a nudging gaffe, though. The film appears to be complicit with the dowry system. As the hero goes on a retribution spree, not once does Arati remind him of the financial harassment her own family had been subjected to thanks to the avaricious demands of his mother and uncle. One wonders how a woman director with a string of family soaps to her credit (or even without them, for that matter) could have missed such a vital point.

It is this fly in the gel that sours a believably good film.

By: Nazar Dehalvi

Cut to five years hence. The heroine’s “misdemeanor” is forgiven by her immediate family as she rides high on her PCS career. But soon there is a spoke in the wheel in the shape of a land grab scam.


Publications

PublicationsIndranil De and Jyoti Sharma (2017), “Rural Sanitation in India: Implications of Social Norms and Customs”, Working Paper 284, Institute of Rural Management Anand

Pratik Modi and Gurjeet Kaur (2017) “The Meaning and Relevance of Internal Market Orientation in Nonprofit Organisations”, The Service Industries Journal. [ABDC – B rated journal, ABS – 2*, Impact factor 1.17] https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2017.1376660

Urmi Nanda Biswas, Saswata Narayan Biswas and Sujit Raghunathrao Jagadale (2018), “The Dilemma of Generating a Market for Contraceptives Among Groups at High Risk for Contracting and Spreading HIV”, SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals (2018) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526435125

Saswata Narayan Biswas and Sujit Raghunathrao Jagadale (2017), “Dilemmas in Marketing Approaches for Sanitation at the Bottom of the Pyramid”, SAGE Publications: SAGE Business Cases Originals DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526426529 Digital Object Identifier Online ISBN: 9781526426529.

WA Stoop, C. Shambu Prasad, Sabarmatee, Pushpalatha Sivasubramanian, A. Ravindra, Debashish Sen, and AK Thakur (2017), “Opportunities for ecological intensification: lessons and insights from the System of Rice/crop Intensification - their implications for agricultural research and development approaches.CAB Reviews12: 036, pp 1-19.

Debashish Sen, Harro Maat, Dominic Glover, and C. Shambu Prasad (2017), “The Introduction of SRI in Uttarakhand, India” in ‘Technopolitical Mythologies and Sociotechnical Flexibility’; Anthropologie & développement ; pp. 46-47

Yogesh Kumar, Shyam Singh, and Shrdha Kumar (2017), “Financing Small and Medium Towns: An Action Research Study from Bemetara Town in India”, Research Report No. 10, Swedish International Centre for Local Democracy. Available at: https://www.icld.se/static/files/kc-2017-kumar-y-singh-s-kumar-s-financing-small-and-medium-towns.pdf


Book chaptersMukul Kumar (2017), “Invoking Everydayness in Poverty Studies in India” in Ananta Kumar Giri (ed.) ‘Cultivating Pathways of Creative Research: New Horizons of Transformative Practice and Collaborative Imagination’; Primus Books; Delhi

Rakesh Saxena (2017), “Socio-Economic and Environmental Performance Across

North-Eastern States of India”; Inequality, Poverty and Development in India, eds. Utpal Kumar De, Manoranjan Pal, Premananda Bharati, Springer).

Conference reports/papersHarekrishna Misra (2017) “Performance Measurement of Development Organization: Systems Perspectives”. The 3rd International Conference on Organization and Management (ICOM) 2017, At Abu Dhabi University; November.

Neha Christie and Shambu Prasad C. 2017.“Framing Futures: National conference on FarmerProducer Organizations” IRMA Workshop Report no. 31.https://www.irma.ac.in/pdf/randp/2046_98300.pdf

Papers presentedIndranil De

Presented paper on “Urban Sanitation, Co-Financing and the Myth Of Co-Production: The Case of Indian Slums. INSEE-KILA International Conference, Sustainability, Institutions, Incentives: Voices, Policies and Commitments” at the Ninth INSEE Biennial Conference, Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Thrissur; November 8-10, 2017.

Presented paper on “Determinants of Slum Improvement in India. XII International Conference on Public Policy and Management, Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore; August 7-9, 2017.

Presented paper on, “Health-seeking behaviour in Rural India: A social marketing approach” at a national seminar on ‘Wellbeing across lifespan’, University of Hyderabad; October 25-27, 2017.

Invited as panelist for panel discussion on “Community and Rural Health” at a national seminar on ‘Wellbeing across lifespan’, University of Hyderabad; October 25-27, 2017.

Presented paper with Sathish Kumar “Social Innovations in Organic Foods in Rainfed India: The case of Dharani FaM Coop Ltd” at the 12th


International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Research Conference at Seoul on the theme of “Cooperatives: The key solution for social innovation”; November 11-12, 2017.

Presented paper with Sankar Datta on “Sustaining Market Intervention through Collective Action: A case study of the Satpura Self Reliant Farmer Producer Company in Chhindwara MP” at the 5th National Conference of the Network of Rural and Agrarian Studies (NRAS) on ‘Agrarian Transition’ and Rural-Urban Linkages in India in the 21stCentury”, NCDS, Bhubaneswar; October 27-29, 2017.

Presented paper on “Vulnerability in Agriculture and Rethinking innovation: The case of SRI in India” at international seminar on ‘Burning Fields, Bio Fuels and Bettering Farm Life’ by University of Maastricht and IIT Delhi, New Delhi; September 11-13, 2017.

Ram Manohar Vikas

Presented paper on “Social Innovation of Daily Life Empowerment through Self Help Groups of Watershed Programmes in India: Is it Enough?” at 12th ICA - AP Regional Cooperative Research Conference, Sungkonghoe University, Seoul, South Korea; November 11-12, 2017.

Presented paper on “Magical Realism as a Marketing Strategy to Sell Management Education in the Developing Countries” at MARCON, IMI, Kolkata; December 18-20, 2017.

Shyam Singh

“Who will guarantee the guarantors? Experiences of implementation of right to public services guarantee act in Madhya Pradesh state of India”; paper presented at State of Accountability Conference, organized by International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, and National Law School University, Bangalore, India, at The Hague; 17-18 Oct, 2017.

“Participatory research of praxis – What do local people have to offer in knowledge building”; paper presented at the 15th Development Dialogue, organized by International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, 11-13 Oct, 2017.

Events and participationsIndranil De

Participated at Global Colloquium on “Participant-Centered Learning (GloColl)” at the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA; July 23 – July 29, 2017.


HS Shylendra

Invited for making contributions to microfinance for India Keywords Project; October 2017.

Invited as expert by Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission for reviewing report on “A Decade of Development and Transformation in Rural Chhattisgarh: Insights from Bastar”; September 2017.

Participated as member of Expert Committee to design and draft course contents of Postgraduate Program of Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University, Gadag; July 7, 2017.

Chaired FPRM Review Committee of IRMA which submitted its report October 6, 2017.

Chaired Standing Working Group which submitted its report on “The Role of Local Institutions in the Context of Emerging Governance and Development” to the Task Force on Agriculture of the Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission, Raipur; July 2017.

Participated as panel member of Indian Society of Agricultural Economics for evaluating books for award of SR Sen Prize; July 2017.

Pratik Modi

Participant at the Global Colloquium on Participant-Centered Learning (GloColl), at the Harvard Business School, Boston, MA, USA; 23 – 29 July, 2017.

Shambu Prasad

Attended the first Research Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting of the National Academy for Agricultural Research and Management (NAARM) as an expert member; August 24, 2017.

Invited as panellist at the plenary session on “Enabling Ecosystem for Farmer Producer Organizations” at the Livelihoods Asia Summit 2017; December 13, 2017.

Nominated to the steering committee of the National Association of Farmer Producer Organisations following their meeting at NCDEX, New Delhi on September 7, 2017.

Participated at the South Asia Network of Impact Masters (SANIM) meeting on “Youth Entrepreneurship in Conflict Areas” at NIT Srinagar; August 5-6, 2017.

Attended Board Meeting of APMAS; July 14, 2017.


Conferences organized

IRMA’s Verghese Kurien Centre of Excellence (VKCOE) and FICCI’s agriculture division partnered to have a Round Table Discussion on “Policy Support for Farmer Producer Organizations” on October 31, 2017. The event had senior officials from SFAC, Min of Agriculture apart from promoting organizations, NABARD, NABKISAN, Samunnati, representatives of the National Association for Farmer Producer Organisations (NAFPO), among others. In preparation to this a nationwide survey on policy options was carried out by VKCOE and the results presented as part of the discussions.

Neha Christie participated in the ICA AP consultation on “Autonomy and Independence of cooperatives”, Hyderabad; September 14-16, 2017.

Madhavi Mehta & Neha Christie wrote an abstract on “Producer and managerial leaders in cooperatives. Shall the twain meet?” at the International Conference on Rural Management, at Xavier School of Rural Management, Xavier University Bhubaneswar. (Paper on this abstract is in the process); November 23-24, 2017.

Neha Christie wrote paper on “Collaborative leadership for gender mainstreaming in dairy cooperatives: Social Innovation of Vasudhara Dairy in Gujarat”, which was presented at the 12th International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) Research Conference at Seoul on the theme of “Cooperatives: The key solution for social innovation”; November 11-12, 2017.

IRMA’s incubator ISEED partnered with Social Enterprise Academy UK to have a unique one-day national workshop on Incubation of Social enterprises- Challenges and Opportunitiesfor incubation managers and promoters of social enterprises. The event in Delhi on Nov 4th with participants from Mumbai, Assam, Jaipur and the NCR region. The event helped ISEED and IRMA connect with several partners and coincided with the launch of SEA India led by IRMAn Rahul Nainwal

ISEED partnered with ICCO as a knowledge partner for the Green Business Challenge 2017 with roadshows in Jabalpur and Raipur in December 2017.


On-Campus (Open) MDPs 2017-18Sr. No.

MDP Title Coordinators From Date To Date

1 Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods

Prof. Shyam Singh 8-May-17 10-May-17

2 Supply Chain Management Mr. Mohan Satsangi 10-May-17 12-May-173 Maintenance Management Mr. Mohan Satsangi 25-May-17 26-May-174 Transformational Leadership and

Managing ChangeMr. Vijay Menon 30-May-17 31-May-17

5 Quality Management and Housekeeping

Mr. Mohan Satsangi 12-Jun-17 14-Jun-17

6 Operations Management in Services Mr. Mohan Satsangi 21-Jun-17 23-Jun-177 Total Productive Maintenance Mr. Mohan Satsangi 6-Jul-17 7-Jul-178 Converting People from Resources to

Assets by Developing Human PotentialMr. Vijay Menon 10-Jul-17 11-Jul-17

9 Team Dynamics Mr. Mustafa Lokhandwala 12-Jul-17 14-Jul-1710 Applying Project Management Skills

to Enhance Impact of ProjectsProf. Hitesh Bhatt 18-Jul-17 21-Jul-17

11 Financial Decisions (Strengthening Tools)

Prof. Asmita H. Vyas 18-Jul-17 21-Jul-17

12 Purchase Management Mr. Mohan Satsangi 19-Jul-17 21-Jul-1713 Training of Trainers to Enhance their

Effectivity in Training OthersProf. Hitesh Bhatt 1-Aug-17 4-Aug-17

14 Data Analysis of Surveys Prof. Preeti Priya 8-Aug-17 10-Aug-1715 Inventory Management Prof. Pratik Modi 10-Aug-17 11-Aug-1716 Preparing Yourself for Sales Leadership

RoleProf. Pratik Modi 29-Aug-17 31-Aug-17

17 Personal Empowerment and Interpersonal Effectiveness

Mr. Vijay Menon 11-Sep-17 12-Sep-17

18 Building and Managing Social Enterprises

Prof. C Shambu Prasad 11-Sep-17 12-Sep-17

19 Responsible Leadership for Performance

Prof. SN Biswas 19-Sep-17 21-Sep-17

20 Inventory and Stores Management Mr. Mohan Satsangi 20-Sep-17 22-Sep-1721 Maximizing Profit for an Organization

through Energy and Waste Management in Manufacturing and Service Sector

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 25-Sep-17 27-Sep-17

22 Total Quality Management Mr. Sham Chaudhry 5-Oct-17 6-Oct-1723 Leadership Development Prof. SN Biswas 10-Oct-17 13-Oct-1724 Innovative Thinking and Design

through Managerial CreativityMr. Vijay Menon 27-Oct-17 28-Oct-17

25 Effective Selling Skills Prof. Pratik Modi 8-Nov-17 9-Nov-17

MDP Management Development Programmes (May to December 2017)


26 Applying Logical Framework Approach for Developmental Projects to Get Desired Impact

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 16-Nov-17 17-Nov-17

27 Strategic Management of CSR Prof. C Shambu Prasad 16-Nov-17 18-Nov-1728 Materials Management Mr. Mohan Satsangi 22-Nov-17 24-Nov-1729 What Every Teacher Should Know

for Bringing out the Best from their Students


30 Data Analysis of Surveys Prof. Preeti Priya 12-Dec-17 14-Dec-17

31 Developing High Performing Teams Prof. SN Biswas 19-Dec-17 22-Dec-17

On-Campus (Sponsored) MDPs 2017-18Sr. No.


1 Effective CSR Implementation for Aditya Birla Group CSR Executives

Prof. Girish Kumar Agrawal 15-May-17 19-May-17

2 Finance for Non-Finance Executives for Amul Dairy

Prof. Rakesh Arrawatia 19-Jun-17 23-Jun-17

3 Transformational Leadership for GACL Prof. Hitesh V Bhatt 29-Jun-17 1-Jul-17

4 Livelihood Enhancement Strategies in Forest Fringe Villages for IFS Officers

Prof. C Shambu Prasad 10-Jul-17 14-Jul-17

5 Team Dynamics for VFPCK Prof. SN Biswas 24-Jul-17 26-Jul-176 Capacity Building Programme for

Strategizing CSR for GCSRAProf. Hitesh Bhatt 17-Aug-17 19-Aug-17

7 Finance for Non-Finance Executives for Amul Dairy

Prof. Asmita H. Vyas 28-Aug-17 1-Sep-17

8 Capacity Building Programme for Strategizing CSR for GCSRA


9 General Management Programme for NBCFDC

Prof. Rakesh Arrawatia 25-Sep-17 27-Sep-17

10 Leadership for Organizational Excellence for National Fertilizers Limited

Prof. Madhavi Mehta 20-Nov-17 24-Nov-17

11 Training on CSR for the Project Officers of Vodafone Foundation

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 18-Dec-17 20-Dec-17

Off-Campus MDPs 2017-18Sr. No.


1 Management and Leadership Development Programme for the Officers of Agriculture Department

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 19-Apr-17 22-Apr-17

2 Management and Leadership Development Programme for the Officers of Agriculture Department

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 24-Apr-17 27-Apr-17

3 Leadership Development Programme for Board of Directors of Milk Unions

Prof. SN Biswas 1-May-17 2-May-17


4 Basics in Management Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 1-May-17 6-May-175 One-Day Workshop for Developing

Vision, Mission and Values for Agriculture Department

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 3-May-17 3-May-17

6 Hand Holding Workshop Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 4-May-17 5-May-177 Management and Leadership

Development Programme for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officers


8 Management and Leadership Development Programme for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Officers


9 Management and Leadership Development Programme for the Block Development Officers of Garo Hills Districts


10 Management and Leadership Development Programme for the Block Development Officers of Khasi/Jaintla & Ri Bhoi Districts


11 What Every Teacher Should Know for Bringing out the Best from their Students

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 1-Jun-17 3-Jun-17

12 Leadership Development for Senior Officers


13 Leadership Development for Junior Officers


14 Project Management & Team Building Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 5-Jul-17 8-Jul-17

15 Management and Leadership Development Programme

Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 11-Jul-17 15-Jul-17

16 Project Management Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 26-Jul-17 27-Jul-1717 Management and Leadership

Development ProgrammeProf. Hitesh Bhatt 8-Aug-17 12-Aug-17

18 Leadership Development Prof. SN Biswas 4-Sep-17 5-Sep-17

19 Management and Leadership Development Programme


20 Basics in Management Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 18-Sep-17 23-Sep-1721 Overall Equipment Effectiveness Prof. Hitesh Bhatt 19-Sep-17 19-Sep-17









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FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION Quarterly Publication of IRMA July ... · Industries way back in 1979, he ascended great heights in the industry working in mega organizations like Mafatlal