Innholdsfortegnelse for 9 July 2023 i Business Today

Change, as the saying goes, is the only constant. And so it is with India’s management education landscape, where sweeping changes are being witnessed in keeping with the rapidly evolving business ecosystem. Reflecting this transformation is the much-awaited Business Today-MDRA annual ranking of India’s Best B-schools—the definitive compendium of the best business schools in the country. Over the past few years, particularly during and after the Covid-19 pandemic, the management education space has seen the emergence of a variety of options. B-schools now offer flexibility in course delivery, and the emergence of edtech companies offering management courses (where they have tie-ups with business schools) has also come as a welcome alternative. While online management courses cannot match the immersive experience of an on-campus programme, edtech firms offer a convenient option…

⏩ Sebi has issued an interim order barring Zee promoters Subhash Chandra and Punit Goenka from holding directorships in any listed entity ⏩ The order alleges that the duo abused their position in the company and siphoned off funds for their own benefit ⏩ Sebi alleged that Chandra (then the chairman of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd and Essel Group) offered a ‘Letter of Comfort’ (LoC) towards credit facilities availed by group companies from YES Bank ⏩ Based on this LoC, YES Bank adjusted ZEEL’s ₹200-crore fixed deposit against payment obligations of seven group entities ⏩ Chandra and Goenka have challenged the Sebi order in the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT); the tribunal has refused interim relief, setting a date of June 26 for further hearing in the matter…

SAM ALTMAN, THE CEO of OpenAI—that developed large language model GPT on top of which ChatGPT is built—is now advocating for AI regulations. Recently seen travelling across Asia, Altman met with regulators and policymakers in Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, South Korea and India, among other countries, to discuss ways to rein in AI, and drum up support for developing global guardrails around it. When asked by Business Today about his views on regulating open source AI projects—on the sidelines of a conference held at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT Delhi) recently—Altman said, “Open source is important. As it gets more powerful, we will need some guardrails on it.” While in India, he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, “discussed the need to develop global AI regulations…

THE STOCK PRICES of US-headquartered, NASDAQ-listed Ebix Inc., a global player in software solutions for insurance, healthcare and financial services, have doubled to $24 a share in the past two months. One probable reason is that its step-down subsidiary, EbixCash Limited, is readying to debut in the Indian stock market next month. Robin Raina, who achieved fame in the US by reviving struggling Ebix Inc. two decades ago, had actually borrowed money from the US parent company to enter the Indian market. Raina, the Chairman, President and CEO of Ebix Inc., used the money to acquire over two dozen companies in payments, travel, forex and remittances to create an ‘airport’ of financial transactions in India. The 47-year-old Ebix Inc.’s investors, though, were uneasy. First, the credit line to the fledgeling…

FOR NIHARIKA SAXENA, a one-year executive MBA student at IIM Ahmedabad, the course’s rigorous curriculum and transformative approach to learning is proving instrumental in shaping her critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. For women students like her, even a one-year management course from one of the premier institutes in India creates massive opportunities. “Individuals from various backgrounds such as law, army and medicine have come together here to create a rich tapestry of perspective, and the curriculum is designed to challenge and stretch the students’ intellectual boundaries. It pushes us to think critically and analyse complex management problems from various angles, and turns us into active problem solvers, ready to tackle any challenge,” she says. But there’s a hitch. The number of top women leaders in corporate India is appallingly low.…

Management education comes in many variations—MBA, PGDM, online courses and anything that can be marketed MANAGEMENT EDUCATION IS being commoditised at an unprecedented pace. A majority of those who seek admission to management programmes belong to Generation Z and they define career success differently. They look for more flexible, shorter courses that offer tangible skills and personal growth. Modern management education comes in many variations—MBA, PGDM, Executive MBA, Online MBA, Specialised MBA and anything that one can imagine and can be marketed. Until the past decade, universities and B-schools were the sole providers of management courses. Now with classroom infrastructure no longer essential, several edtech platforms have collaborated with Indian and global B-schools or universities to offer executive programmes or something distantly related to the traditional full-time programmes. Out of…

THE LIST (1-50 / 100) THE LIST (51-99 / 100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…

THE LIST (1-50 / 100) THE LIST (51-100 / 100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out; ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…

MANISH GUPTA CHAIRMAN AND CEO INDEGENE LTD Indegene is a digital-first life sciences commercialisation company ‘Get your priorities right to achieve your target’ What was the problem you were grappling with? We intended to build a global, differentiated Indian company to help life sciences organisations enhance their business processes with a technology-first approach. Our early growth strategy relied on acquisitions. We made our very first acquisition in the US in 2005-06. We believed this move would boost our global growth and set the business up for years to come. However, we neither anticipated nor adequately prepared for the post-acquisition challenges. There were many process inefficiencies that came along, which constrained our growth and profitability. Who did you approach for advice? I reached out to our Board Member T.V.G. Krishnamurthy, a…

₹971 CRORE The cost of the new Parliament complex, which has a total of 1,272 seats in two chambers, nearly 500 more than the old building 2.3 MILLION+ MAN DAYS The employment generated by the construction of the new building that took two and a half years to build 30 PER CENT Expected energy savings in the new Parliament—built using green techniques—compared to the old one SOURCE WWW.CENTRALVISTA.GOV.IN…

⏩ LEVEL 1 Design-stage check by the contractor ⏩ LEVEL 2 Provision for independent checking by a competent person ⏩ LEVEL 3 Integration check of systems like signalling, telecom, track, power, etc., by all personnel/contractors ⏩ LEVEL 4 Client (Indian Railways) check by a senior engineer ⏩ LEVEL 5 Installation check must be done by a different firm or set of people to ensure work has been done as per the approved design ⏩ LEVEL 6 Final testing to be done by an independent agency The above must be carried out by staff who are checked for their competency at least once yearly and issued requisite licence Source: Industry, BT Research…

IN EARLY 2021, when the government was planning to extend the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme that it introduced in 2020, India’s air-conditioner (AC) manufacturers met Guruprasad Mohapatra (since deceased), then secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The delegation, led by Kanwaljeet Jawa, MD & CEO of Daikin Airconditioning India and President of the Refrigerator and Air Conditioner Manufacturers Association, sought a slice of the flagship scheme to make India self-sufficient in AC manufacturing. Soon after, stakeholders like NITI Aayog, Invest India and the commerce ministry were roped in. By early-November 2021, 26 companies—including Blue Star, Havells, Voltas, Johnson Controls-Hitachi, and Daikin—secured approvals on their investment proposals, and things started to move. This example showcases the government’s desire to engage with industry in finding ways…

THERE IS A little change in his attire: from ripped jeans and a designer jacket to a more sombre corporate dress. But the flamboyant Robin Raina, the Chairman of EbixCash Limited, hasn’t changed a bit in terms of his grand ambition, confidence, and go-getter personality. Shuttling between investor meetings in Mumbai from morning to evening, and also navigating its traffic snarls, Raina took time out to explain the company’s strategy to BT’s Anand Adhikari. Edited excerpts: On the company’s valuation We are in the midst of our road shows. We are meeting financial institutions, PSUs, fund managers and other institutions. We are approaching investors in other cities and also overseas from Hong Kong, Singapore, London, San Francisco and New York. This is a big issue. Look, I think beauty lies…

Women can also benefit from specialised leadership development programmes AS WE TRY to harness India’s rapid economic growth potential, it is also pertinent to take note of the widespread gender disparity that has led to the country being ranked 140 among the 156 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, 2021. It is estimated that less than 9 per cent of Indian businesses have women as top leaders and the percentage of female board members in listed companies is a meagre 15.9 per cent. Considering that women make up nearly half of the country’s population, this imbalance is glaring and needs urgent attention from all stakeholders. When I joined IIM Calcutta, the representation of women was relatively low compared to men. Out of the 150-odd students in…

THE LIST (1-50 / 100) THE LIST (51-99 / 100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…

THE LIST (1-51 / 100) THE LIST (52-100 / 100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out; ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…

The Key to Collaboration When the course teaches you to collaborate, it is a given that you would be doing so with your peers. But what if your state-of-the-art laptop, with its limited ports, throws a spanner in the works? To navigate such tricky matters, you should get this accessory. With multiple ports to connect USB flash drives, external hard drives, smartphones, and other peripherals, simultaneously, this device is sure to get rid of any of your connection concerns. With a plethora of connectivity options, built-in card reader and Ethernet port, this adaptor will help you collaborate anywhere, with anyone. Available on: amazon.in CALCULATE IT While most students now work on laptops during their financial/accounting classes, a financial calculator can often be a life-saver. Specifically designed to perform complex financial calculations…

After a decade of operations in India, Seattle-headquartered Amazon is setting its sights on the next 200 million users. With substantial capital investments and a commitment to digitising MSMEs and expanding the company’s omni-channel focus, Amazon’s profitability playbook for India is well on its way to success, says Manish Tiwary, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon’s India Consumer Business. The 54-year-old reflects on the company’s journey over the past decade and shares its vision for the future in an exclusive interview with Business Today’s Binu Paul. Edited excerpts: Q: How did Amazon manage to innovate for India and adapt strategies to meet the unique needs of the marketplace? A: We were fortunate that the stakeholders in Seattle gave us not only the permission, but also encouraged us to innovate for…

THE ROADS WERE empty. The offices were padlocked. The parks were desolate and the sky was blue. As a restless race cooled its heels indoors, several screens flashed to life, providing a window to the world that was. As humankind hunkered down to deal with the pandemic, using technology as their tool to keep the world running, the screen became the lifeline to the rest of the world. From meetings online to shopping, from attending schools online to remotely accessing office networks for important projects and, of course, for matters of entertainment, the screen became your constant companion. An added benefit was the abundance of time many office-goers had—thanks to the absence of commutes. As productivity increased, so did the need for skills in new-fangled fields such as digital marketing…

Classes on Eastern philosophy, meditation and yoga must be made a mandatory part of the MBA course I WAS A dreamy-eyed 23-year-old when I stepped into my first class at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Why did I choose an international business school? Quite honestly, I came from a conservative Gujarati family, wanted to explore the world, live on my own, and have ‘foreign-returned’ on my résumé! Also, I was always very driven, tags and brands mattered to me, and so I wanted to have one more degree after chartered accountancy. Twenty-two years later, as I write this, it’s truly incredible to grasp how those two years changed my life in so many ways. Let us discuss why I chose Fuqua over three other schools that I got accepted…

THE LIST (1-15 / 272) THE LIST (16-53 / 272) THE LIST (54-92 / 272) THE LIST (93-130 / 272) THE LIST (131-168 / 272) THE LIST (169-202 / 272) THE LIST (203-237 / 272) THE LIST (238-272 / 272) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result…

THE LIST (1-48 / 100) THE LIST (49-100 / 100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out; ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…

THE LIST (1-100) Ranking is based on objective data only. Only those B-schools that submitted their objective data have been ranked. Institutes like IIM Kozhikode, XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, etc., which did not submit their objective data on time or declined to participate, have not been ranked. Only those colleges that fulfilled the following criteria were considered eligible for participation in the ranking: i. Minimum three batches passed out; ii. Offering full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management. All scores have been rounded off to one decimal place; this may result in rounding off errors while adding the parameter-wise score…