Certificate ceremony of EBMP Mumbai batch 2022-23

EBMP 13th Mumbai Batch 2022-2023: Every achievement is worth celebrating and every milestone is an opportunity for growth.

The joyous occasion of IGTC’s Certificate Ceremony of Executive Business Management Programme (EBMP) Mumbai batch 2022-2023 was conducted on 16th September 2023 at The InterContinental Hotel, Marine Drive. We witnessed an event that encompassed inspiration, celebration, and mixed emotions. It was not just a moment of great achievement for all the participants who successfully completed IGTC’s (EBMP), but also pride and joy for their friends, families, and colleagues.

EBMP Mumbai batch had embarked on this promising journey with managers across various functions from organizations such as ABB India, AEQUS, BASF, Covestro, Circor Industrial Pumps, Decimal Point Analytics, GEP, Lubrizol India, NRB Bearings, Oetiker India, Siemens Healthcare, Siemens Technology and Services, TATA Projects, among others. For the first time, we were honoured to have a participant from the Indian Navy. The average work experience of this class was 12 years.

The ceremony commenced with the uplifting IGTC Anthem that filled the air with enthusiasm and motivation. The presence of our esteemed Chief Guest Mr. Divakar Gokhale, Head of Mobility and Head of Business Development, Indian Sub-continent from Covestro India Private Limited added to the significance of this event as he shared words of wisdom and encouragement.

The distribution of certificates and trophies marked a symbolic milestone in the academic journey of the Managers representing their perseverance, hard work, and commitment towards pursuing excellence in IGTC’s management training programme. The faculty members took this opportunity to address our bright awardees, firstly by acknowledging the sacrifices made by their families and expressing their expectations for them to take higher leaps in their careers with these additional management skills as a feather in their caps.

In the initial stage of capstone selection process, students were asked to choose team members to form groups and submit their topic for projects they would like to work on. The participants worked in teams throughout their training and collectively put up a good show for their final Vivas.

Some of the topics selected by the participants for their projects were:

  • Launching of cost-effective MRI Machine with AI and Dry Cooled Technology
  • Aftermarket Tropical Coolant
  • Feasibility Study for business growth
  • Credit Risk Analysis
  • Green Consulting
  • Potential of in-house Tool Manufacturing

Over the span of 12 incredible months, they truly captured our hearts and formed an inseparable bond, transforming their learning journey into a joyful and unforgettable experience.

The ceremony concluded with a heartfelt message urging all our freshly minted alumni to stay engaged with IGTC and continue to be an integral part of our community by getting involved in various events and activities, they can further enhance their knowledge, network with industry professionals, and contribute towards shaping a promising future for themselves as well as our aspiring students. Overall, this event served as an inspiration for all attendees.

The next EBMP Mumbai batch commenced in September this year. The upcoming batches start as follows:

  • 10th Pune Batch | Classes held in Pune on Alternate Weekends | Commencing on 10th February 2024
  • 4th All India Batch | Classes held in Mumbai for 6 blocks of 9 days each, once in every quarter | Commencing on 13th April 2024

For more details click here: EBMP Application Form Link

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Some events are an inspiration, some are a celebration, some are a strategic start to a new future!

The IGTC Convocation Ceremony and the IGTC Alumni Association sign off on Saturday 4th March 2023 was all of this and much more.  A day full of achievements, pride and nostalgia on one hand, and humility, passion and purpose on the other.  The presence of Padma Bhushan Sudha Murty made the event truly phenomenal, and this day will go down as a milestone in the IGTC history.

The Convocation Ceremony was an emotional occasion and a double celebration as the Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration (PGPBA) 30th Batch and the Executive Business Management Programme (EBMP) 8th Batch graduated to take the next big step into their career journey. A sense of pride and accomplishment was palpable as the graduating class received their certificates and celebrated their achievements with their families and peers.

The event commenced with the IGTC anthem, which set the tone for the day. Stefan Halusa, IGCC Director General, delivered the opening remarks, and Anupam Chaturvedi, IGCC President delivered the welcome address. Vasanth Kamath, President, Brose India Automotive Systems, gave the Keynote Address. The event was hosted by Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC, where she gave the audiences a glimpse into the heart and soul of IGTC, providing a deeper understanding of what IGTC stands for.


EBMP managers Anup Bhosale, Minal Kulkarni and Nesar Kalasur shared their experiences, while PGPBA students Rahul Nair, Medhawi Gupta and Emmanuel Selvaraj presented a video with an extremely candid version of their journey. Both sets of graduates left no stone unturned to express their deepest gratitude and respect to the highly experienced IGTC faculty, from whom they take away a wealth of management and life lessons.


The Certificate Distribution Ceremony involved many of the representatives from the various sponsoring, training and recruiting organizations, who shared equal pride in the developing this human capital. The Siemens Award for Excellence was presented to the PGPBA students, Medhawi Gupta and Yash Dsouza and the Dr. Guenter Krueger Award for Excellence was presented to the PGPBA student, Varda Maydeo.

The traditional hat-toss marked the graduation finale along with a lot of emotions in the audience filled with loved ones! A common sentiment prevailed over everything; being a part of IGTC is a lifelong partnership. And hence, it was logical and sequential to take the evening into an even grander IGTC Alumni Meet.

The theme of the evening “Power of Phenomenals” emphasised the coming together of the alumni, to unleash the power of togetherness. Individually IGTCians have strived to be phenomenal in their respective professions. Now, by combining the alumni strength, IGTC hopes to unleash the Power of Phenomenals to its full potential and aims to be the best version of management training in India.


Over 300 proud IGTCians, faculty members and corporate partners attended the enthralling Alumni Association Formation. Words fall short to describe the energy of this moment. When revered individuals come together, phenomenal things happen. For the alumni, the formation of the Alumni Association marked a new aspiration and a new future for many IGTCians, as they would now create a fraternity of like-minded individuals with a united goal of achieving excellence and making a positive impact on society.

As representatives of the Alumni, Abhishek Gupta, Gary Chandy and Urvil Matalia signed the Memoradum of Understanding with the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce to embark on this mission. It was another level of euphoria, when Padma Bhushan Sudha Murty witnessed and blessed the MOU and wished the alumni the very best in promoting the institution’s values, supporting its mission, and enhancing its reputation.


The evening agenda was full of many highlights:

  1. A candid conversation with Padma Bhushan Sudha Murty on what it takes to “Being Phenomenal” was nothing short of a masterclass in leadership, compassion and resilience. She deeply moved the audience with her simplicity, authenticity, and subtle humour.


  2. The felicitation of all the legendary IGTC faculty for their incredible contribution, for inspiring generations and for being instrumental in sculpting the future leaders and CEOs.

  3. The free-flowing alumni panel discussion on “Building Phenomenal Career Journeys” among Manav Adlakha, Chief Financial Officer, C&S Electric Ltd., PGPBA Alumnus 1998; Pallavi Shastri, Vice President – HR, Bosch Limited, PGPBA Alumnus 1997 and Alok Badamikar, Mercedes-Benz India Ltd., PGPBA Alumnus 2015, and anchored by Urvil Matalia, Global Supply Manager, Apple, PGPBA Alumnus 1996. Their stories reflected that success is not just about achieving goals, but also about embracing failures and setbacks as lessons to help one grow and evolve. It is about finding passion and constantly upgrading oneself to stay relevant over the years.

  4. A presentation on “Your network is your net-worth” by the core Alumni Catalysts, Abhishek Gupta, General Manager, SMS India Pvt. Ltd., EBMP Alumnus 2022 and Gary Chandy, Head – Product Planning and Management, UNO MINDA group, EBMP Alumnus 2022. They inspired IGTCians to come onboard to establish the formal and well-structured IGTC Alumni Association that would aim to engage in activities such as knowledge sharing and mentoring, professional development and upskilling, innovation and incubation, fostering of new business ideas among the alumni.

  5. The fun-filled finale in the “Court Martial” of the Maverick, Boman Moradian, IGTC faculty by Anuj Sharma, Assistant Procurement Manager, Unilever, PGPBA Alumnus 2018 that left the audience in splits.

The day ended a Vote of Thanks to all the programme sponsors that made this momentous day possible. IGTC stands proud of the partnership, as being truly invaluable, connected, and deep. In conclusion, the Convocation Ceremony and Alumni Association formation were emotional events that marked a significant milestone in the lives of all those involved. The sense of accomplishment, pride, and camaraderie that pervaded the event will undoubtedly stay with everyone for years to come.

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Willkommen in Indien! Embracing Diversity: German Students from Karlsruhe Embark on a Study Trip to Mumbai

After a hiatus of 4 years due to the pandemic, IGTC was thrilled to restart and welcome a group of 25 German students, accompanied by 2 senior professors Dr. Philip Pohl and Mr. Volker Ihle, from the prestigious Duale-Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW), Karlsruhe for a 12-day “Business Environment India” intercultural study trip to Mumbai. The group of students came from different disciplines such as business administration, engineering, and social sciences. IGTC put together an exciting agenda that included interesting lectures, visits to renowned companies and cultural landmarks, and an immersion into Indian cuisine, culture and philosophy which are deeply intertwined with our way of life. Undoubtedly, a deep dive!

Company Visits – Experiencing the pulse of innovation and inspiration!

Germany and India are two countries with vastly different cultures and economies, yet they share a common interest in fostering innovation and technological advancement. This is why we arranged for company visits for our German students so that they could learn about the country’s unique business practices and could gain valuable insights into the emerging market. One of the most exciting aspects of these visits was the opportunity to witness first-hand how businesses are adapting to the changing market conditions.

During the visit, the students had the opportunity to visit the DHL service station in Byculla and the Rhenus Logistics plant in Bhiwandi across Mumbai to gain insights into this complex and rapidly evolving logistics industry in India. They learned about the complexities of the Indian logistics network, including the challenges of road transport, congestion, and outdated infrastructure. During the informative tour of the service station, the students were deeply impressed by the level of professionalism and efficiency displayed by the DHL team, despite the challenges of operating in a crowded and bustling city like Mumbai. On the other hand, the students were impressed by the scale of the operations at the Rhenus Logistics plant, and the level of technology and automation employed by the company. They noted that the facility was equipped with advanced machinery and software to manage inventory and track shipments. The students also appreciated the focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices in both organizations.


To gain an understanding of the automotive industry in India, the German students visited the Bosch and the SEW – Eurodrive plant at Chakan, Pune. At the Bosch plant, the students learned about the production of automotive parts and were impressed by the precision and efficiency of the advanced machines used in the manufacturing process. At the SEW Eurodrive plant, the students learned about the production of industrial gearboxes and motors. They were able to see the various stages of the manufacturing process, from the casting of metal parts to the assembly of the finished products. The students also met the employees and asked questions about the company’s operations.


BASF and Siemens Limited gave the students exposure to the cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices being employed. At the BASF Innovation Centre, they met the BASF scientists and engineers. They were able to interact with the production team and ask questions about the manufacturing processes and quality control procedures. At Siemens Limited, the students got an overview of the company’s various business divisions, their operations and their research and development activities in India. The students were particularly interested in Siemens’ work in the renewable energy sector and in developing innovative solutions for India’s energy needs and sustainable development.


Last but not least, the students visited Tech Mahindra Business Services Ltd, where the students learnt about the company’s expertise in providing digital CX and back-office services across the industry. They gained insights into the company’s operations, technological solutions, and their approach to delivering efficient and effective services to their clients. Overall, the various company visits were an invaluable learning experience for the German students. The firsthand insights into the operations and management of multinational companies in India will undoubtedly be of great value to them as they pursue their future careers.


Breaking Barriers and Bridging Cultures: Inspiring Guest Lectures for German Students in India!

The lectures were designed to provide the students with insights into various aspects of Indian culture, business, and society, and to help them gain a deeper understanding of the country.


A lecture by Priyanka Kumar focused on the importance of cultural orientation, ayurveda, yoga and meditation. She explained the history and philosophy of yoga and meditation, and how it can be used to promote physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The students were also given a practical demonstration of various yoga postures and breathing exercises. The lecture was well-received by the German students, who found them to be informative and enriching. Then, a lecture on communications and storytelling, conducted by Masooma Pathre and Bhavik Doshi, aimed at providing the students with insights into the art of effective communication and how to tell stories that captivate and engage audiences. The students were introduced to various communication tools and techniques and were given tips on how to develop strong messaging and create impactful presentations.


Industry stalwart Dr. Suhas Rane delivered a lecture on the logistics industry in India. He provided an overview of the industry’s growth and development in India, as well as its challenges and opportunities. The students learned about the various modes of transportation used in the country, including road, rail, air, and water, and the challenges associated with each mode. The lecture was followed by a live demonstration of the Mumbai Dabbawalla system at Churchgate Station. The Dabbawallas are a group of highly organized and efficient lunchbox deliverymen who transport over 200,000 lunchboxes across Mumbai every day. The students observed how the Dabbawallas use a complex system of codes and symbols to ensure the timely delivery of the lunchboxes to their intended recipients. The students found the lectures to be informative and engaging and were grateful for the opportunity to learn from experts in their fields.


As part of the cultural agenda, the students had the opportunity to explore Dharavi, known as Asia’s largest slum. This visit proved to be eye-opening for the students as they discovered the bustling workshops where various activities took place, such as leather tanning, plastic container recycling, and garment production. The students also visited the Borivali National Park. Nestled within the bustling city of Mumbai, the park offered them a tranquil and natural setting to explore. It allowed them to appreciate India’s natural heritage and gain insights into the country’s approach to environmental conservation within an urban context.


In addition to accompanying the German students to the various program activities, the IGTC students went the extra mile to ensure that their guests had a fantastic time exploring the city and experiencing its vibrant nightlife. They took it upon themselves to introduce the German students to the lively world of Bollywood dance. They taught them some energetic and fun Bollywood dance steps, adding an element of entertainment and cultural immersion to their visit. The German students were thrilled and grateful for this unique opportunity to learn and experience a traditional form of Indian dance. The IGTC students’ efforts to entertain and engage their German counterparts added an extra layer of warmth and camaraderie to their cultural exchange. The German students were overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality they received throughout their stay, making their experience in Mumbai truly unforgettable.

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From Campus to Career: Reflections from IGTCians

The IGTC PGPBA is one of the most transformative management courses, based on the German Dual Education System. For most IGTCians, it’s a time of self-discovery, growth and transition from the safe classroom to the real professional, corporate world. As the editorial team, we spoke to some of the graduating IGTCians to get a sense of their experiences. Pleased to share some snippets of our interview with them.

Introduction to the diverse group

  • Aqib Nakhwa, trained by Knorr-Bremse Technology Center India, recruited by NRB Bearings (Strategic
    Planning).
  • Awdoot Kamble, trained by Bosch Limited, recruited by Phoneix Mecano India (Sales).
  • Bhagyesh Ghosalkar, trained by Bosch Auto Electronics, recruited by DHL Express (Operations).
  • Saniya Mansuri, trained by Bosch Limited, recruited by BASF India (GROW trainee).
  • Varda Maydeo, trained by Schott Poonawalla, recruited by Maier + Viderno (HR).
  • Yash Dsouza, trained and recruited by Deutsche Bank India (Finance).

 

Share a management concept that you loved to learn

  • Blue Ocean strategy in which you innovate something completely different from the competition and
    open up new market space and create new demand.
  • Design Thinking with the AEIOU framework, which is a collaborative process.
  • Mass customization concept, which focuses on ‘Front end customization, back-end standardization’ to
    produce custom products with low unit costs at mass production efficiency.
  • Quality Function Deployment and its application throughout every function and industry to gain a
    competitive edge.
  • Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats tool that enabled me to evaluate a situation through different styles
    of thinking.
  • Undisputedly GOYA; management takes place by visiting sites, by talking to your custome, very often our
    perception of reality differs from the actual reality.
  • 5S concept because it provided a structured and systematic approach to create a more efficient and
    effective work environment that was easier to navigate and work in.

 

Share a value that you have inculcated at IGTC

  • Pushing me out of my comfort zone toward realizing and persuasively following my dreams.
  • Embracing the hurdle of language barrier while working on a primary research project at Bosch and to ultimately discover some true friends for life.
  • Understanding perspectives and varied thought processes to work in a group and accomplish the task
    with perfection.
  • Practical orientation that should be applied in every aspect of personal and professional life
  • Being optimistic when deadlines seemed impossible to meet and collaborating to create synergies with
    our classmates in every project.
  • Never saying no to new experiences and accepting the new challenges that helped me to improve and
    grow.

 

Share a best memory that comes to mind from your Life@IGTC

  • Sales and Distribution lectures, wherein we got a reality check on decision making and how to deal with biases.
  • Training stints in diverse industries and companies that led to discussions and knowledge sharing.
  • Group projects and discussions with peers that helped me to identify my strengths and weaknesses.
  • Coffee breaks, which were utilized for extempore speaking on a topic that we were passionate about.
  • Anchoring Failure Knights, an Alumni event where we chose to collectively confess and celebrate failures
    to normalize the fear of failure.
  • Our camping trip near Pawna Dam.

 

Share a short message to future IGTCians.

  • Excellence. Simply delivered. German organizations be it DHL or Bosch strive to achieve excellence and if excellence is what you wish to achieve in life, then IGTC is the perfect place for you.
  • The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams, and if you dream to see yourself contributing to German organizations, IGTC is for you and your dreams.
  • Welcome to a world of strong connections and a network will help you much more than you know now.
  • Although it may sound cliched, it is true; IGTC will truly go faster than you expect it too. There will always be positive and negative moments, and in the end all of them will be great memories.
  • Be yourself and let IGTC happen to you!

 

What does IGTC mean to me?

  • IGTC is the stepping-stone to start a journey in the corporate world and the comfort zone where one can fall back to share the joys and sorrows in their professional as well as personal life.
  • A timeless bond which had nurtured me to stand as a proud management professional in the world.
  • Just as potatoes from farms are made into tasty, flavoured, perfectly shaped and packaged Pringles
    chips, IGTC is a place that moulded me from an engineer into a polished management professional.
  • The place where I found the hidden magician inside me.

 
Being phenomenal is about being true to yourself and living your life with purpose and passion. This is what
IGTC has thrived to instil in its graduates and there is no doubt that they have stood true to this mantra in
time to come.

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Engagement with a difference, to make a difference!

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forward”. With the prime focus being on what caused heartburns and what were the pressing issues for the HR fraternity in 2022, the Indo-German HR Fraternity converged on Monday 5th December 2022 to review and close the year gone by but with a promising outlook on 2023.

The meeting was attended by senior HR professionals; Anita Bandyopadhyay (Baerlocher India Additives), Rhea Doshi (BASF Group), KS Harish (Bayer Group), Smaranika Mohanty (Brose India Automotive Systems), Aditya Tiwari (Covestro India), Madhavi Lall (Deutsche Bank India), Aruna Subramanyan (Evonik India), Surjit Singh (Häfele India), Neeraj Gupta (Knorr-Bremse Technology Centre India), Sunil Antony and Vijayalakshmi (Lanxess India), Shilpa Kabra (Siemens Limited), Anjali Joshi (TUV India), Rosettee Silveira (Wacker Chemie India) to name a few. The meeting was hosted by Stefan Halusa, IGCC Director General and Radhieka R Mehta, IGTC Director IGTC.

Over five hours, the partners deliberated on a variety of burning issues such as

  • acquisition of new talent
  • compensations and negotiations
  • moonlighting and gig workforces
  • training to reskill existing talent and to remodel new mindsets
  • focus on customer centricity, flexibility and digital skills
  • importance of loyalty and longevity in the workplace
  • empowering and facilitating business leaders to take HR decisions
  • employee assistance programmes, holistic wellness and emotional wellbeing
  • diversity and inclusion initiatives such as hiring of transgenders and dyslexics in the workplace

That was quite a bucket list to find solutions in 2023!
The partners agreed to create WOW – Ways of Working through subsequent meetings in every quarter of 2023. On that note, the collaborative meeting concluded with a lot of warmth and heartfelt wishes for a happy festive season and a new year full of inspiration, growth, transformation and celebration!

If you are an IGCC member company and wish to connect with the Indo-German HR Partner Forum, please email igtcdirector@indo-german.com.

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Transcend

Transcend: Rise to the next level!

“A mentor is a torch bearer. One who shows you the way and how to navigate. Someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.”  With this belief, the Indo-German Training Centre along with its Alumni Catalyst team, is proud to launch “Transcend”, a mentoring initiative by the IGTCians for the IGTCians!

 

The idea is to facilitate a detailed 5 months programme starting from September 2022 – January 2023 between the full-time PGPBA students and the seasoned IGTC Alumni, who are industry professionals.  The IGTC Alumni bring in years of experience, expertise, and learnings to groom the rookies, while the rookies bring in a lot of energy, enthusiasm and new ideas to the table to stimulate conversations and challenge status quo.

 

To ensure that there is a solid basis for the mentorship programme, one of the key responsibilities of the mentor is to adopt a group of PGPBA students and help them with the planning and execution of their final Integrated Business Project. The learning outcomes of this project are centred around the ability of the students to apply the theoretical concepts learnt and the critical insights gained at IGTC in all domains – Marketing, Operations, HR and Finance – to a live business project.

 

As soon as the project was announced, it was a delight to see that IGTCians across the past 3 decades came forth to volunteer their time and keen interest to participate in the programme.  One month into the programme, here is some candid feedback from the mentors:

“My team is on track on their project.  We have a weekly meeting and share updates of the status regularly. All the students are sharp, hardworking and keen learners.  I think we need to take the mentoring program beyond the project too.” Rayomand Karkaria, Finance Head, Siemens Ltd., PGPBA Alumnus 1994

 

“A month ago, we started this program and it is truly going in line with your dreams. These young turks are really commendable in terms of their commitments, interest, eagerness to learn new things. Working with such young people has really made me learn more new things.” Vishwanath Kittur, Senior Manager, JSW Infrastructure, PGPBA Alumnus 2010

 

“It’s been a great experience mentoring the batch.  They are matured and well prepared with what is expected from them. This enterprising attitude will sure help them grow leaps and bounds in their journey ahead.”

Ashwini Mishra, Manager, Armstrong Dematic, PGPBA Alumnus 2016

 

“Some great collective and interactive sessions are going on.  I liked the responsiveness from the team for the project preparations.  It is very visible that the students are getting well developed academically as well as on the professional front.  Indeed, the esteemed faculties are honing them well, and outcome can be very well seen.  It is a great learning for me also for recollecting the knowledge.  Thanks for all the IGTC team is doing!!! Rahul Deshak, Director Operations, Collins Aerospace, EBMP Alumnus 2018

 

Here is what some of the mentees from PGPBA Batch 2021 – 2023 had to say:

“We had our 1st meeting with Aakanksha Varude. It was great getting introduced to inspiring personality like her. Thank you so much for the mentor-mentee program! Awdoot Kamble

 

“The conversation with Mahesh sir gave us good food-for-thought on our project. His experience really gives us a path. Despite the USA – India distance, there was no awkwardness in the meeting, no barriers in the exchange of knowledge and thought.  We will surely get the most out of this mentor mentee initiative.” Saniya Mansuri

 

“Manish sir really liked our idea and shared his experience and knowledge on approaching the Capstone Project in a methodical way.  He encouraged us to explore various data sources and interpret them in relevance to the project.  The programme has definitely helped us to find a direction.” Sanika Phatak

 

“Our mentor Prasad Nawathe gave us the much-needed reality check and direction to the project. We spent time in planning the work and preparing a task list for the same. We feel that as a team, the mentor and us, are a perfect match and we can make good use of his valuable time and experience. Excited to see this collaboration unfold!” Nikhil Anandsekhar

 

“It is great to see some of you take time out of your busy schedules to mentor the IGTC students on their Business Plans.  When I did my interim review, I found that the groups were more logical in their understanding of the market compared to the past. They had a clearer understanding of what is their offering to the customer and market.  The PESTLE Analysis & Five Forces Analysis in most cases was well done, but in some cases the SWOT Analysis had conceptual errors of whether a particular fact could be a strength or an opportunity or there was an interchange between weakness and threat.  Kudos to the Alumni Mentors and the Alumni Catalysts for launching this initiative.” Sagar Narsian, Marketing Faculty, IGTC

 

The entire credit for this initiative goes to the four extremely focused Alumni Catalysts –

Abhishek Gupta, Ashutosh Tewari, Gary Chandy and Urvil Matalia, who have shouldered the responsibility of conceptualizing, connecting to the mentors and executing this initiative along with Radhieka R Mehta.

 

IGTC plans to take this mentoring initiative to the next level by engaging mentors for different levels of alumni – e.g. if somebody is moving from individual contributor to a team management role, if somebody is entering into a mid-management role and if someone is moving from mid management to senior management roles.  Because, after all, “today the lines between mentoring and networking are blurring.  Welcome to the world of mentworking” Julie Winkle Giulioni

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Failure Knights

Break the stereotype around failures!

Be a Failure Knight!

If you genuinely want to be a high achiever, you’re bound to do some things imperfectly. Success is overrated when  spoken in isolation without the failures connected to it. Collectively confessing and celebrating failure makes failure socially acceptable, sparks innovation and keeps us from becoming too risk averse. Talking about failure began on a platform started in Mexico in 2012 when a group of friends candidly spoke about important professional failure. It initiated a magical conversation worldwide. Inspired by this idea, the IGTC Alumni also initiated an event to normalise the fear of failure called ‘Failure Knights’. The event was hosted at Indo German Training Centre at Churchgate, Mumbai on Friday, 15th July 2022. A combination of alumni across past 30 years joined the evening; some came in person to network while many joined virtually from across the globe!

By popular choice the two speakers aka ‘Knights’ were

  • Hariharan – Design Thinker, Director Savoirfaire and a visiting faculty at IGTC
  • Devarajan Iyengar – Head Rapid Deployment APAC at Bayer CropScience and PGPBA Alumnus 2001

 

Professor Hariharan spoke about his entrepreneurial challenges whilst IGTCian Devarajan spoke about trials faced during his professional journey. The evening was thought-proving for the audience. The sheer ability to talk openly about your failures demonstrated grit while being vulnerable. Both the knights encouraged the fact that failure is a reality that people should not elude.

 

Some candid learnings of the session were:

  • Starting is easy, stopping is gutsy
  • Some failures are meant to the learnings, not all failures can be converted into successes
  • The fear of failure is not the failure itself but the fear of being judged
  • Your competition doesn’t increase when you share / teach your skill to someone else

 

The evening concluded on this note:

When you try you may fail; when you fail you may realize; only when you realize you will grow; and when you grow you will survive!

 

To know more about the IGTC Alumni initiatives and engagement activities, please write to igtcalumnicatalysts@indo-german.com

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Blue Ocean Strategy

Back in the early 1960s, Bruce Henderson, the founder of Boston Consulting Group, asserted that there was only one way to successfully compete – gain a relative market share advantage over all competitors so as to have lower costs than all of them. On top of it, the firm will further reduce costs due to the learning curve advantage.

 

In 1980, Michael Porter pointed out that there is another way to compete: differentiation. His view of two generic strategies – cost leadership and differentiation – became very popular. He was categorical, that each company, ultimately, will have to choose either cost leadership or differentiation. Any company opting for both will “get stuck in the middle “.

 

In 2005, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne of INSEAD, in their book, “Blue Ocean Strategy’’ came up with a completely different approach. Their main contention was that companies, while remaining in the existing business (red ocean), should also identify new uncontested markets (blue ocean). In doing so, companies will simultaneously pursue cost leadership and differentiation.


 

Red Ocean Strategy VS Blue Ocean Strategy
Competing in existing market space Create uncontested market space
Beat the competition Make the competition irrelevant
Make the value – cost trade-off Break the value – cost trade-off
Align the whole system of a company’s activities with its strategic choice of differentiation or low cost Align the whole system of a company’s activities with its strategic choice of differentiation and low cost

 

Unlike many other strategy approaches, Blue Ocean Strategy comes with what and how to “do list ‘’. It not only clearly articulates the steps required, but also provides tools for each step.

 

Following, in brief, are steps involved in executing Blue Ocean Strategy:

  1. Identifying problem / customer pain points – which are restricting company’s growth
  2. Prepare ‘As is’ Strategy Canvas / Value Curve – to understand current status</li style=”list-style:number;”>
  3. Ideas to innovate – Six Path Framework (To identify blue ocean market)
  4. Carry out Eliminate, Reduce, Raise and Create (ERRC) analysis – this helps company to simultaneously pursue cost leadership and differentiation
  5. Prepare new ‘To be’ Strategy Canvas / Value Curve – which will be the starting point of implementation.

 

There have been many examples of success of Blue Ocean Strategy like Cirque du Soleil (Canadian circus company), Marvel, Nintendo, Stich Fix in fashion retail industry, Health Media in healthcare industry etc.  A notable failure was Tata Nano.

Mr. S.M. Fakih
Mr. S.M. Fakih retired from a large multinational company as the head of strategy development. He teaches Strategic Management at IGTC. IGTC plans to conduct a one-day open program or can customize a program for your organization on “Business Unit Strategies – with special reference to Blue Ocean Strategy”. For details, please contact
igtcdirector@indo-german.com.

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Failure Knights

Fail-fast, fail fearlessly!

Be a Failure Knight!

 

If you genuinely want to be a high achiever, you’re bound to do some things imperfectly.  Success is overrated when spoken in isolation without the failures connected to it. Collectively confessing and celebrating failure makes failure socially acceptable, sparks innovation and keeps us from becoming too risk averse.  Talking about failure began on a platform started in Mexico in 2012 when a group of friends candidly spoke about important professional failure. It initiated a magical conversation worldwide. Inspired by this idea, the IGTC Alumni also initiated an event to normalise the fear of failure called ‘Failure Knights’.

 

The event was hosted at Indo German Training Centre at Churchgate, Mumbai on Friday, 15th July 2022. A combination of alumni across past 30 years joined the evening; some came in person to network while many joined virtually from across the globe!

 

By popular choice the two speakers aka ‘Knights’ were:

  • Hariharan – Design Thinker, Director Savoirfaire and a visiting faculty at IGTC
  • Devarajan Iyengar – Head Rapid Deployment APAC at Bayer CropScience and PGPBA Alumnus 2001

Professor Hariharan spoke about his entrepreneurial challenges whilst IGTCian Devarajan spoke about trials faced during his professional journey. The evening was thought-proving for the audience. The sheer ability to talk openly about your failures demonstrated grit while being vulnerable. Both the knights encouraged the fact that failure is a reality that people should not elude.

 

Some candid learnings of the session were:

  • Starting is easy, stopping is gutsy
  • Some failures are meant to the learnings, not all failures can be converted into successes
  • The fear of failure is not the failure itself but the fear of being judged
  • Your competition doesn’t increase when you share / teach your skill to someone else

 

The evening concluded on this note:

When you try you may fail; when you fail you may realize; only when you realize you will grow; and when you grow you will survive!

 

To know more about the IGTC Alumni initiatives and engagement activities, please write to igtcalumnicatalysts@indo-german.com

 

 

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