Testimonials

On 19th July 2014, the Indo-German Training Centre, Mumbai inaugurated the 5^th Batch of the One-Year Executive Business Management Programme. 22 middle managers from various German and IGCC Member companies such as Alkem Laboratories, Aroma Ogranics, Baerlocher India Additives, BASF India, Batliboi International, Batliboi Limited, Bosch Limited, Enzal Chemical India, Evolute Solutions, Germanischer Lloyd SE, Jungheinrich Lift Truck India, N J Insurance Brokers, Siemens Limited, Sungard Global Services, Symphony Teleca India, Volkswagen Group Sales India and Volkswagen India have embarked on this journey of knowledge.  The high performing managers come from diverse functional areas such as Textile Machinery, Corporate Communications, Product Management, Engineering Services, Exports, Fossil Power Generation, General Administration, Machine Tools Trading, Marketing, Sales and Marketing, Security Finance and Warranty, and possess diverse work experience ranging from 3 years to 30 years.

Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director IGTC along with Dr. Suhas Rane, Mr. S. M. Fakih, and Mr. Sagar Narsian, faculty at IGTC welcomed the participants and commended them on their decision to pursue the learning path, despite their hectic work schedules and setting aside personal and family time, for the next one year. Past EBMP participants spoke about how this programme has helped them evolve into better professionals.  The 22 participants introduced themselves and highlighted their expectations from the programme.

Following the brief inaugural ceremony, the course commenced with a 2-day immersion and induction on the Principles of Management conducted by Mr. Sydney Prabhu, one of the most experienced faculty at IGTC.

On 15^th July, 2014, the Indo-German HR Partner Forum celebratedthree years of insightful interaction, mutual collaboration and growing friendship amongst the group. Bayer Group of Companies hosted this anniversary meet at their landmark new office – The Bayer House.

Senior HR Partners from A.T.E. Group, BASF Group, Bosch Group, Brose India Automotive Systems, Clariant Chemicals India Ltd., Evonik India, Häfele India, HDFC Ergo General Insurance, KSB Pumps, Lanxess India, Mercedes-Benz India, Schaeffler Group, Siemens Ltd., TÜV India, Volkswagen India, Wacker Metroark Chemicals and Wacker Chemie India were a part of this milestone meet.

The day started with a planned tour of the Bayer House, through three floors of the nine storied, open-office.  HR Partners walked through the MD’s Open Office and Open Workstations of Senior Colleagues to witness a completely different work culture with a tremendous amount of silence and positive energy flowing on every floor.  On another floor, they saw the most state-of-the-art Conference facilities and Refuge area, followed by the Cafeteria and Life Café, based on Bayer’s LIFE Values.

Following a short Corporate Film on the Elements of Fascination, Mr. Richard Van-der-Merwe, Senior Bayer Representative welcomed the HR Partners.  He probed the Senior HR Partners for solutions to three challenges faced by German companies – Talent Management, Diversity and Change Management.  When asked some interesting questions, he shared his views on his perception of the Indian economy, on how they retain talent through Global Diversity Workshops, and on how to make the Indian youth employable.  Here, he complimented the role of the Indo-German Training Centre and the German System of Dual Education as the solution to training young talent. Lastly, he also shared that his personal objective was to work on the cause of safety and cleanliness in India.

Mr. K. S. Harish, Vice-President HR, Bayer Group presented the ‘Change Management’ with the live example of movement from the Iconic Bayer House in Powai to the New Bayer House in Thane, and its effect on Bayer colleagues.  He explained the ADKAR Model by ProSci and how Bayer had implemented it.  He shared the various challenges faced during the transition and the steps taken to get the support and buy-in from the employees during this process.  He used the Bayer’s recruitment song, ‘It’s Gotta be a Good Day’ to continuously reinforce his passion and belief in the change process.

Post lunch, the forum moved on to its chosen topic of discussion, ‘Policy for Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace’. The Siemens Internal Complaint Committee set up for this cause – including Ms. Shirley Burla (Presiding Officer), Dr. G. K. Kulkarni and Ms. Smita Narwane – made a detailed presentation on the current law and the implementation of the policy at Siemens Ltd.  They shared examples of cases encountered, how they have dealt with it and what are the measures to take to create more awareness and reduce such occurrences.

At the end of the interesting discussions, it was time to have a small farewell for Mr. A. Krishna, Senior Vice-President, Bosch Group who presided over the Indo-German HR Partner Forum for the past three years.  On behalf of the HR Partner Forum, Ms. Radhieka R Mehta presented a silver plaque and flowers to Mr. A. Krishna and extended her deepest gratitude to him for his direction and support to the forum.  Mr. Ramesh Shankar, Vice President – Human Resources, Siemens Ltd. was announced as his successor.

The day ended with a Vote of Thanks and a group photograph to cherish this 3^rd anniversary of the Indo-German HR Partner Forum.

IGTC saw a significant increase in the number of applicants with an aspiration to be a part of the flagship, unique Post Graduation Programme in Business Administration (PGPBA) based on the German Dual System of Education, and with a desire to make a sustainable career with German organizations.

As a part of Stage I, the IGTC Written Test and Group Discussion was conducted for all the applicants on 3^rd and 4^th May, 2014.  Based on their Written Test, Group Discussion, Past Academic Performance and Work Experience, applicants were then shortlisted to Stage II to meet and interview with Collaborating Training Companies.

An Information Session was held on 4^th June, 2014 at IGTC for the shortlisted applicants and their parents to give them a clear understanding of the 18 month PGPBA, to give them guidance of how to prepare for the Personal Interviews and to solve their doubts and answer their questions.  Five collaborating companies – Bayer Group, Evonik India, Groz-Beckert Asia, Häfele India and Hirschvogel Components India – made presentations to the applicants on the proposed career path as well as highlighted their expectations and requirements of a trainee/intern.

The Trainee Selection Process (Personal Interviews) with Collaborating Training Companies was conducted over two days – 10^th and 11^th June 2014. Twenty-nine renowned Indo-German member organizations participated in the process including  B.Braun Medical India, Bajaj Allianz, BASF Group, Bayer Group, Bharat Forge, Bosch Automotive Electronics India, Bosch Limited, Claas India, Clariant Chemicals, DBOI, Dr. Oetker, Epcos India, Evonik India, Extentia Technologies, Groz-Beckert Asia, Häfele India, HDFC Ergo, Hirschvogel Components India, Knorr-Bremse Technology Center, KSB Pumps Ltd, Laxmi Precision Screws, Lanxess India, Mercedes-Benz, Rittal India, Schaefer Systems, Schaeffler Group, Schott Glass India, Siemens Financial Services, Siemens Limited, Steinbach & Partner, TUV India and Wacker Chemie India.

After intense interviews, the companies made their selections and gave their nominations to IGTC.  Within a few days, the most deserving 57 students were offered admission to IGTC with full knowledge and information about their respective training companies before they paid their fees.  The programme for this meritoriously selected Batch 2014 – 2016 will begin on 5^th August 2014 at IGTC Mumbai.

Some of the students share their experience of this unique Trainee Selection Process:

• “I was thrilled with the hospitality received with not only the management staff but also with the current students as well. They held us together in our thoughts and conviction to go and produce our best results. IGTC made everybody feel a potential leader and it is important to put your best step forward in order to succeed. During the interview process, I was amazed to see the welcome and complete professionalism throughout the process. Mrs. Radhieka Mehta, Director – IGTC made sure that every student was given opportunities to prove their mettle. I feel honoured and more importantly positive to be a part of such a family which holds the emotional connect stronger than the academic details of a student.”
  – Harsh Sanghavi, Selected as a trainee with Mercedes-Benz
• “My interaction with the IGTC management from the primary stage was extremely warm and friendly.  All information I sought regarding the structure of the IGTC selection process and related issues was promptly provided to me. I do believe that the IGTC PGPBA is one of the best as it enhances theoretical knowledge, through practical application of the same, through the duration of the program itself.
  I sincerely thank IGTC for the wonderful experience through the entire selection process and look forward to my experience with the Post Graduation Programme in Business Administration.”
  – Tasanya D’lima, selected as a trainee with Bosch Limited
• “IGTC is known to stand out from other institutes in terms of pedagogy, curriculum, corporate experience and its admission process. I had the opportunity to participate in this challenging process. It surely isn’t a piece of cake to get so many leading German Companies under one roof. IGTC has created the perfect platform for students to get recognized and I am glad I could be a part of it. Kudos to the IGTC team!”
  – Surbhi Parekh, selected as a trainee with DBOI Global Services
• “Admission Process at IGTC is a very unique process as it gets the best out of you and also provides a very good platform for the Collaborating Companies to pick the best. The whole process of Written Test, Group Discussion and Personal Interviews with companies is monitored and managed extremely well by the institute. I am extremely thankful for this opportunity.”
  – Ashwini Mishra, selected as a trainee with Bharat Forge 

The level of excitement and fun at Indo-German Training Centre, Mumbai just doesn’t end until the last moment. After the completion of the Phase II exams, probably the most power packed and rigorous phase, IGTC Management decided to reward the students for their hard work by organizing an Industrial Visit. The students were brimming with excitement when they learnt that they would be visiting the two giants of the automotive industry – Mercedes-Benz India and Volkswagen India – which deliver and portray exceptional German quality standards.  Here is a review of the visit from the perspective of the IGTC students:

“The very first sight of the Volkswagen plant, which is spread over an area which is almost equivalent to 7 football fields, gave us an idea of how exciting and interesting the next few hours are going to be. Mr. Chaitanya Halbe from the Corporate Communications department of Volkswagen India welcomed us and gave us a briefing on the agenda of the Industrial tour. To start with, we were shown videos of the Volkswagen manufacturing facility and their manufacturing technologies. We were told some interesting facts during the briefing session that the plant is constructed in a record period of 17 months and also that currently the plant works for two shifts and the third shift is used for maintenance. This reminded us of our lecture in Operations Management by Moradian Sir in which he had mentioned about the Japanese production system and the concept of Cost of Quality. Also, we couldn’t help relating to the lecture in Financial Management by Fakih Sir when we tried to understand how Volkswagen would have done the exercise of capital budgeting for this manufacturing facility having state-of-the-art technology.

After the briefing, we were taken into the manufacturing plant. We were shown the working of a robot which was designed and manufactured by Kuka Robots for Volkswagen. This robot was used for making the sub-assembly of car doors.  Along the assembly lines were bins in which the material was being fed by the line feeding team. Also, we were informed that the materials are classified into different categories based on their value and properties and most of them are procured on the basis of a Just-In-Time philosophy.  Dr. Suhas Rane had recently taught us Materials Management in which we had learnt in detail about the techniques of categorisation and storing of materials.  Also the fact that Logistics functionality is outsourced by Volkswagen to Mahindra Logistics related to what we had learnt in Strategic Management by Dr. Macario Fernandes. We learnt that companies should focus on the core competency and should not invest much on the non-core competency activities. It also very well connected with the concept of 3^rd party logistics which we learnt in Supply Chain Management.  After the factory visit, Mr. Chaitanya Halbe patiently answered all our diverse questions regarding the marketing initiatives by the company, quality policy of the company, manpower management and future plans of the company, etc.

After visiting Volkswagen, we were even more excited to visit the world’s most admired luxury car brand, Mercedes-Benz. We were asked to be seated in the Excellence Centre of Mercedes-Benz, India.  It is a luxurious auditorium, where the company conducts corporate, media and promotional events, and where 5 Mercedes-Benz cars such as S 350, SLK, ML Class, etc. are kept for the purpose of display on podiums.  We were welcomed by Ms. Colleen D’Souza and Mr. Thomson Xavier from the Human Resource team at Mercedes-Benz. The interaction started with the history of the company and its existing business across the globe.

We were split in groups and were sent on the shop floor, wherein we saw similar processes being followed in terms of line feeding and inventory management. In addition to that we saw a few charts, and particularly one of them caught our attention.  The heading was Flexibility Matrix. This chart contained information on the operator that is assigned to a particular type of job on a particular line. This immediately reminded us of the Assignment Problem, which we had recently learnt to solve in Operations Research, taught to us by Ms. Chitra Chandrashekhar.  In addition to the regular processes, we also saw the different quality audit processes and quality control systems being followed at Mercedes-Benz. This plant is a completely knocked down (CKD) and semi knocked down type of manufacturing plant. There are also suppliers around the company who also procure parts in the form of CKD from Daimler AG and assemble it and supply the sub-assemblies to Mercedes-Benz India. We got an opportunity to see the real time usage of SAP – the ERP package implemented in Mercedes-Benz. Finally, to add to our excitement we were shown the working of a convertible SLK Car and the floor was left open to all of us to experience and click our dream photographs with the cars.

Overall, the Industrial visit gave us an opportunity to actually see and experience for ourselves the application of the theory which we study in the classroom. This is what makes IGTC – a training centre with a remarkable difference!”

The “Trained in Germany” job fair will remain a memorable one for not only all the participants who attended it but also the organizers, i.e.  Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, who managed to put such an event together at the elite Trident Hotel in Mumbai.

Only a privileged few had access to the high-profile event, which saw the participation of 20+ German Companies, ranging from Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes-Benz, BASF, Bosch, Deutsche Bank to name just a few.  GIZ, Alumniportal Deutschland, Make-it-in-Germany, DAAD and the Goethe Institut represented the cultural, educational and social aspects of Germany and facilitated the exhibitors with information regarding life in Germany. These organizations highlighted Germany’s world class and affordable vocational education and training system, which created a buzz of interest amongst the participants.

The job fair received an amazing response from enthusiasts who had arrived at the venue from across India to explore their career opportunities with the German giants participating in this grand “matchmaking” affair, as quoted by the IGCC Director-General, Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke.

An experienced panel consisting of Mr. Prasad Chandran, Former Chairman BASF Companies in India and Head South Asia; Mr. Frank Koenig, Managing Director, Illies Engineering (India) Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. N. Bhogilal, Chairman & Managing Director, Batliboi Ltd.; and Mr. Frank Hoffmann, Senior Manager-Inbound Services, IGCC outlined the very essence of the German organizations.  Efficiency, diligence, respect for time, open mindedness and process orientation – Germans are globally known for portraying these values and the job fair truly reflected this spirit of Germany.

The company presentations also managed to capture the essence of Deutschland and its disciplined professional culture. The participating companies encouraged exhibitors to be more practical oriented and to think of life beyond a degree education. What they are looking for are not just engineers or researchers or mathematicians or managers. They need the youth that can think logically, have a rational approach towards life and communicate effectively.

Truly the matchmaking affair was a highly successful one, and such a platform was welcomed by the exhibitors as well as the participants as it helps to select the best possible employee at the right place and the right time. Kudos to the Indo German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) for organizing and managing the job fair so efficiently!

Contributed by Abbas, Venugopal and Surbhi, PGPBA Batch 2014 – 2016

Just imagine the enthralling pace of Miroslav Klose scoring a goal, we experienced a similar adrenaline rush. It was a close call with every match and every player giving their 100% in the game to win. The seniors were the pillars to handle the game and played a pivotal role in involving every member to play the game, strategize and motivate the juniors and peers. Every junior came with a determination to play and they proved themselves by their enthusiasm. Everyone played like true champions.  Boys and girls together made a mark by showing how much they enjoyed being a part of the team. Students who didn’t participate cheered for all and kept the momentum high. We play to win and win to play again. IGTCians learnt their first lesson, team spirit.

Missed opportunity is a lost opportunity. That is definitely not what football is all about. When you play, you stand up to the spirit of the game, lend a hand when a player falls, congratulate your opponent when you leave the ground and pat your players when you know they put their best foot forward. These could be all small things but it becomes a memorable experience when you share positivity both on and off the field. There is always room for criticisms but, remember; there is greater room for alacrity. And this captures the true spirit of IGTC.

We scored and enjoyed every minute of the game but when we now look back, we know what we truly learned.  When your Director encourages and sits in the crowd to cheer her students, you learn the true meaning of leadership and the qualities of a good leader. A team can only perform with the leader in its place.

Contributed by Harsh Sanghavi, PGPBA Batch 2014 – 2016

Mr. Sarjak Parekh, IGTC Mumbai and Mr. Shashank Chandrasekharan, IGTC Kolkata were overwhelmed to know that they were selected for the Post Graduate Traineeship Programme.

The project is called ‘Make it in Germany’ which is an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Employment Agency (BA) implemented in India by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.

The programme is an employment oriented training programme which addresses qualified and motivated young post graduate students from the disciplines of engineering sciences from Indian Universities, who are about to begin a professional career and wish to enhance their skills and prepare themselves for a career in Germany. The aim of the traineeship programme is to provide trainees with an understanding of German work culture along with an opportunity to enhance their German language skills, acquire practical knowledge and professional experience.

They, along with 8 other students from India, will undertake a four-month language and intercultural preparation course, of which three months will be spent in New Delhi, India and one month in Germany. After completing the language course, they will be ready for placement as trainees with companies in Germany. At the completion of four months of successful traineeship with a German Enterprise, they will be eligible for permanent employment in Germany according to the provisions of the EU Blue Card.

We wish them all the very best!

At the onset of the placement process in December 2013, with the Indian economy still under the shadow of an economic slowdown, a ‘hiring freeze’ was the signal given by many organizations.  It was rather natural that anxiety and apprehensions could have filled the IGTC classroom.  However, it was an extremely determined effort within the IGTC – to keep all negativity away and to allow for the magic of positive vibrations, coupled with a sincere, dedicated effort to strengthen each candidature – that ultimately paved the way for an extremely successful final recruitment process.

Reflecting on the process, Rohit Ochaney, a trainee with Forbes Marshall says, “For any journey to be successful, the base needs to be strong. IGTC helped me to get my base right with support in every way. Lectures by exceptional faculty have helped expand my knowledge base. IGTC made me take my first step in Forbes Marshall and that has ended with a pre-placement offer. I am extremely thrilled to start my career and will always be indebted to the grooming provided to me.”

Sanya Bhuta, trainee with Häfele India Pvt. Ltd. was also delighted to be recruited by her training company; she says, “I had the pleasure of training with Häfele India Pvt. Ltd. through IGTC’s Dual Education based programme.  And this strong backing and support is all that I give credit to while being retained by the same organization in the Marketing Communication Team. Staying true to its identity and name, IGTC helps its students gain a fruitful corporate experience in leading German companies which eventually helps them bag great offers in the final placement process. It is also one of the few management institutes which can boast of its placement record which is unheard of in today’s time, keeping in mind the strains that the Indian economy is currently facing.”

Amol Lokegaonkar, now Manager-Sourcing at Bayer adds, “The experience I gained during my training phase really helped me to crack the rigorous selection process at Bayer. I am extremely grateful to my training partner BASF Group and my mentor for giving me excellent opportunities to work on live projects during my internship stints.  This has not only instilled confidence in me but also given me the unique opportunity to experience the work culture of world class companies. Honestly speaking, IGTC has helped young aspirants like me to realize my dream and I now look forward to a great career with Bayer.”

Swapneel Deshpande, trainee from Bosch was overwhelmed to receive his offer letter from his dream company.  He says “I feel a sense of satisfaction and pride to join the Thermo technology business division of the company, which had become a part of my life, for the past 3 stints of internship.  I am and will always be a Boschler for life”.

Rachita, our Delhi girl, fluent in German is happy to be back to her hometown to start her career in the Marketing Communications team at her training company, Dr. Oetkers.  Jigisha, trainee with Bayer, also received her pre-placement offer in the last stint and she says that it was a feeling she cannot express in words.

Ivan D’Souza was overwhelmed to get an offer from his dream company, Lanxess; he says, “The placement process has once again highlighted the fact that IGTC, due to its supportive teaching and non-teaching personnel, is one place you can depend on to get you a job that rightly matches your skills. Getting placed with Lanxess has only strengthened my belief that if one focuses their energy towards their goals, they are eventually bound to achieve it.”

A very happy Ramanathan Parasuraman quotes, “Aspire, be determined, be thorough and you will achieve your dreams at IGTC. IGTC paved a path that helped me to start my career with a strong organization such as Siemens. The value addition and experience that a youngster like me could gather during this 18 month journey was immense. The dual system of learning and training simultaneously is the perfect aid to fulfill one’s aspirations. My 6 months of training at Siemens helped me to live and breathe through the organization which eventually helped me to get absorbed and start my career with Siemens.”

Beyond the training companies, IGTC also attracted other IGCC member organizations to take part in the placement process and to ensure that challenging roles were offered to the graduating students.  To name a few Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, Bharat Forge, GEP Consulting, GRP Limited, Indiva Marketing, Knorr-Bremse Technology Center, KUKA Robotics India, Laxmi Precision Screws, Neilsoft Ltd and NRB Industrial Bearings have benefitted from the Open Placement Process conducted between January – March 2014.

Jatan Shah recruited by GEP Consulting says, “The placement process at IGTC was very enriching. With companies coming from various industries and varied profiles, everyone got their dream job in respective organizations, where one could use the knowledge and skills gained in the past eighteen months. My six months of practical training at Bosch Ltd. helped me significantly during the grilling external interviews.  Also, the constant support from the IGTC Director and managers motivated us to approach the process with greater ease and positivity.”

Knorr-Bremse Technology Center created the biggest bang at IGTC this year, recruiting six students in their various departments.  The icing on the cake was that they have also offered to send three of them to Germany for one year of training with their technical project department. Sanjay Salian says “I was both excited and overwhelmed to receive an offer from Knorr-Bremse and to join them as a finance analyst. I believe in destiny and the unique program at IGTC helped me shape my career and give me the perfect launch into the corporate world. I could not have asked for a better start. My internship at Siemens Financial Services (SFS) not only added to my knowledge, but also molded me as a person and made me sure about the field that I should pursue. The way in which this course is designed helps both commercial and technical students as German companies recruit students from various backgrounds. The German connect helps students get into dream companies and an opportunity to start a promising career.”

Despite the nerve breaking questions posted by the employers, the students engaged in the placement process with a lot of excitement and managed to pull it off well by demonstrating their professionalism and focused approach.  A win-win story for all – IGTC, students and organizations!!

Amol: Good evening, distinguished dignitaries on the dais – who have come to grace us on our special day; honorable guests – we thank you very much for lending us your valuable time today; esteemed professors – who guided us passionately throughout this course; respected parents – thank you for your love, care and support; IGCC and  IGTC management – without whose support this institute would not have been a reality and who worked tirelessly towards grooming us into true professionals and last but not the least our dear batch mates – amongst whom we cherish fond memories; my name is Amol Lokegaonkar

Tasneem: and I am Tasneem Muchhala, we welcome you on behalf of the graduating batch 2012 – 2014. Today is a memorable day, as we now graduate to a college called life. This day brings with it great joy, but the joy is also peppered with apprehension as we will now walk on a tight rope, with no safety net in the form of our professors, college management and our director to fall back on.

Amol: These gowns are not only a symbol of our achievement but are also a reminder of how fortunate we have been. Everyone does not have access to this unique German dual education system. We are immensely privileged.

Tasneem: It does not matter that some of us were fresher’s and others experienced, some of us came from the commercial background while others from the technical background, this intensive 18 month course has put us on the same level playing field in terms of being management professionals and transformed us into a close knit family. Yes, IGTC is our family, a home away from home, where together we’ve shaped our future and we are certainly going to miss it.

Amol: We learnt finance, industry, economy and management taught to us by our esteemed faculty. They are not academicians but they are experts, best in the business with rich industry experience. They have shared their knowledge and experiences with us. We will always owe our success to them.

Tasneem: Each one of us burned the mid night oil solving marketing case studies by Prof. Rajeev and Prof. Sagar, transportation models by our dearest Chitra Mam, extremely simple for him but difficult for us to solve mergers and acquisition issues by Fakih Sir, de-bottle necking operations by Moradian Sir, and many more assignments which have equipped us with management tools.

Amol: The internship phases with our training companies gave us a firsthand experience of a real life business situation. Just like how a new born baby falls the first few times as he tries to walk, we too learned some vital lessons of corporate work culture through falls and bruises. Today those bruises have healed and the lessons from every fall are ever fresh in our minds. We are grateful to our training companies and our corporate mentors for giving us excellent opportunities to work on live projects which has not only instilled confidence in us but also gave us a chance to experience work culture of world class companies. Honestly speaking more than training, these companies have helped young aspirants like us to realize our dreams.

Tasneem: Sometimes we achieved, so did we falter. At times we were sensible, so were we crazy. But she was there as our central support system who guided and encouraged us at all times. We thank you for everything, Radhieka Mam. We know we have tried your patience at every moment but we wouldn’t have been able to scale these heights if it wasn’t for you. Also, it would be amiss of me not to mention the valued guidance of Rashmi Mam, Mira Mam, Veena Mam and Sajita Mam all of them soft at heart and caring; always there when we needed them.

Amol: I hope that as we graduate and move on with our lives, we don’t forget how we were stretched and who stretched us. We will remember how we changed and who changed us. We will remember how high we flew and who flew with us, and how hard we fell and who offered their hand and picked us up.

Tasneem: Because this is what MBA is all about! The cases, the assignments, the late nights, the tears, the drama, the stress, the laptop crashes, the library gossips, the laughs, the joys – it’s about the journey and the people we took this journey with.

Amol: Graduation is not the end; it is the beginning of our new journey to pursue our dreams. As we walk into the wider world today, let us not forget the responsibilities that we carry both as members of the IGTC family and the society at large. We truly believe that each one of us will make our alma mater IGTC extremely proud.

Tasneem: We would like to sign off with our dearest Moradian Sir’s quote “Dream and act because dreams without actions is time pass.”

Amol: Thank you. Vielen Dank!

Tasneem and Amol: We present to you the graduating batch 2012 – 2014!

The sunset on 18^th March, 2014 saw the beginning of a new life for the students of the Indo German Training Centre (IGTC) Mumbai and Kolkata, Batch 2012-2014 at Blue Sea Banquets, Worli, decorated in synergy with the new logo and colours of IGTC – light blue and yellow.

It was a cause for huge celebration as the journey of 18-months during the Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration (PGPBA) had transformed 61 happy-go-lucky students into management professionals and into a close-knit family ready to take the corporate world in their stride.  The event was graced by the presence of not just parents and faculty of the graduating students but also by many corporates from the diverse training companies.

The event began with a welcome address by Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC), who warmly greeted the dignitaries on the dias, proud parents, faculty and company representatives in the audience.  He spoke to them of how this year marks the 100years of German language education in India, the partnership with 1000 KV schools and the vision of having one million German learners in India by 2017.  He then handed the floor over to the dignitaries.

Mr. Tapan Singhel, Vice-President, IGCC and Managing Director and CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company took a flashback in time as he remembered his management days.  He highlighted how the current generation should have a desire to make a difference with their learnings and have a continuous desire to achieve something more in their lives.  He mentioned that by inclination he wanted to become a scientist but by default, he became an insurer, two extreme ends, but ended his speech by saying ‘Good things happen if you believe in them’.

The welcome address was followed by the sharing of experiences by the IGTC students, Mr. Amol Lokegaonkar and Ms. Tasneem Muchhala.  They started off by saying that the Convocation gowns are not only a symbol of their achievement but are also a reminder of how fortunate they have been. Everyone does not have access to this unique German dual education system and that they felt immensely privileged. While their experience of 18 months was all about case studies, assignments, laughter, stress, library gossips, and much more, they stressed the fact that the Graduation is not the end; but the beginning of a new journey to pursue their dreams. As they walk into the wider world today, they carried the responsibilities of both, being members of the IGTC family and the society at large. They signed off with a promise on behalf of the class that each one of them will make their alma mater IGTC extremely proud. Their enriching journey at IGTC was then further exemplified by a beautiful video.

Mr. S. M. Fakih, Academic Faculty for Finance and Strategy at IGTC gave a final piece of advice to the students on how to manage stress.  He also mentioned that this batch was so special for him since only this year, he had the opportunity to teach them Finance and Strategy, which spanned the duration of all the 4 theoretical phases. Known for his subtle sense of humour, hecharmed the crowd with his wit, personality and profound advice.  Ms. Padma Gupta, Director – Human Resources, Häfele India Pvt. Ltd. spoke on behalf of all the training partners. She emphasised that the German System of Dual Education is a brilliantly conceptualized platform which benefits the students as well as their training companies. She was of the opinion that the students are better equipped as they have been with the company during their internship stints. Hence, it is a win-win situation for both.

Mr. Michael Ott, Deputy Consul General, German Consulate General in Mumbai who plays an important role in maintaining the collaboration between the two countries, expressed his happiness to be present at the Convocation Ceremony again.  He spoke of the Indo-German Urban Mela and the lasting Indo-German relations and ties.  He advised the students to go and grab the plethora of opportunities available in the world outside.

The Guest of Honour, Prof. Dr. Dorothea Wagner, Vice-President, German Research Foundation (DFG), was warmly welcomed by Mr. Steinruecke.  She reflected on her mesmerizing research on calculating traffic with the help of algorithms, through which she plans to build the best navigation system in the world for public transport and make travel cheaper, quicker and comfortable.  She is also the recipient of the one-million dollar Google Focused Research Award for Next Generation Route Planning.  It was a proud moment for IGTC when she said that she could feel the positive vibrations amongst the students and when she goes back to Germany, she hopes to see the same streak of positivity in her students.  She concluded by Grüsse Aus Karlsruhe i.e. greetings from Karlsruhe and wished them Herzlichen Glückwunsch i.e. Congratulations!

Last but not the least; Chief Guest Mr. Baba Kalyani, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Forge Limited gave his keynote address.  He spoke about positive energy in his business. He mentioned about the change in workforce from blue collar to white collar for more number of skilled workers and less strikes. He mentioned about how German ties have helped India after independence in terms of innovation and technology.  He joked with the graduating students that he felt like a fossil today in front of them because at the time when he graduated the world was predictable whereas today the world has become unpredictable. He gave them two guiding principles to be able to succeed in life; first is to always keep faith in what one is doing, which would keep one focussed and second is to never keep angst i.e. fear. So, go out and conquer!

The distribution of certificates began amidst a lot of cheering and joy.  Each student was also presented a customized crystal plaque as a souvenir from the IGTC along with their certificate.  The Dr. Günter Krüger Award was presented to Shashank Chandrasekharanfrom IGTC Kolkata and to Amol Lokegaonkar from IGTC Mumbai.  The award for the BASF Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Seminar Series was presented to Ramanathan Parasuramanfollowed by the Bayer Scholarships of Rs. 50,000/- each to three students – Tasneem Muchhala, Rohan Vaidya and Shamit Jana.

Finally, Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke proposed the Vote of Thanks and gave gifts of appreciation to all the dignitaries and special guests.  Post a formal group photograph, now it was time for emotions to unfurl, and the fresh graduates partook in the quintessential hat-toss ceremony, cheering each other and soaring their hats as high as their aspirations.  They evening ended on the quote of IGTC’s favourite faculty, Mr. Boman Moradian, “Dream and act because dreams without actions is equal to timepass”

S. Kumar, Commercial Head, Bosch Automotive Electronics India Pvt Ltd., is an alumnus of the Indo-German Training Centre. He has been associated with Bosch since last 12 years and holds his present position since the last 3 years. The IGCC spoke to Mr. Kumar about the IGTC, its students and his own experience of studying as per the German Dual System.

Mr. Kumar, what is your take on the IGTC and the Dual System of training?
IGTC as an institution does an excellent job in nurturing young talents for the future requirements of the organization. We have witnessed how a newly joined candidate acquires organizational etiquettes progressively and develops in each phase of the training and builds his/her behavioural, communication and presen­tation skills suiting to a multinational environment. At the end of their training, sometimes it is quite amazing to see how an institute could transform a graduate to a well-groomed talented person suited for a multinational organization. This positive approach topped by strong collaboration with German affiliates ensures that the students to get good opportunities to in their career.

What do you think of the qualities and abilities of the IGTC students?
IGTC supports in providing a very highly motivated and competent talents to our organization. The candidates demonstrate high dedication and commitment thereby enabling us to assign them interesting and challenging tasks even during their learning phase. Their high motivation levels aid in achieving good performance since they take up their tasks in a sincere manner.

During their learning phase of dual training, the students are able to understand the organizational needs much better. They gain a good awareness of various functions in the organization for selecting their right career path for the future. We see that the students subsequently joining us as our associates perform their tasks with a lot of passion and enthusiasm, which stems from the satisfaction of having selected the right career.

You are an alumnus of the IGTC yourself. Can you take us through your days at the IGTC and subsequent career path?
Yes, I joined IGTC with Siemens as the sponsoring company in year 1996. I hail from a small town and for me IGTC was already a big cultural shift. It was quite an interesting experience to join a very vibrant batch. We had batch-mates from almost all cities of the country. The curriculum was interesting and also sometimes challenging as it was a multi-disciplinary. Though I was a Cost Ac­countant while joining, it was still a nice experience to undergo a practical and interactive learning at IGTC. It added to the level of confidence and morale to handle complexities on the job.

I was with Siemens for about two years. I had to then relocate from Siemens to Bosch due to some personal reasons. I joined Bosch in the year 2000 as Officer and countered steady progress over the years. I took the responsibility of After­market Finance in 2002 for the southern region, after which I moved to western region. In year 2003, I relocated to Bangalore and was briefly handling the entire north regional Aftermarket Finance operations. In 2005, I had an opportunity to assist the Joint Managing Director – Commercial of Bosch Ltd. I was in this as­signment for 3 years. It was that time when Bosch decided on start up of a new company for Automotive Electronics Division. I took up the opportunity and did a short stint at Salzgitter, Germany for 10 months as part of the Project Relocation.
I returned to India in Jan 2009 and took over the opportunity to head Commercial function at Bosch Automotive Electronics India Pvt Ltd. We built this new com­pany and started the entire Commercial function with a small team as we were still feeling the impact of recession in 2009. We started our operations fully in 2010 with further ramp up in 2011 to touch a turnover of Rs.1500 mil. This year is quite challenging as we relocate several production lines from other countries and we are expected to grow 3 times compared to 2011.

Overall it was an interesting journey so far and my present assignment is a very interesting since I handle all commercial functions to manage the company.

Could you give us a brief profile of your company? Do you plan to continue recruiting IGTC students?
Bosch Automotive Electronics is one of the youngest Bosch group companies in India. We are a separate legal entity, 100% Bosch Subsidiary of Automotive Electronics Division. We manufacture Engine Control Units for Diesel/ Gasoline Systems and Body Electronics for cars like Immobilisers, Body computer Mod­ules etc. We cater mainly to the Indian OEMs but also support the worldwide Bosch customers.

We are associated with IGTC since the year 2010. As a mid-sized and fast growing organization, it gives us a lot of opportunities to award good projects/assignments to attract young talents. We are very happy with the performance of IGTC talents and we certainly encourage more in the upcoming years.

The year 2014 began with the Indo-German Training Centre welcoming the second group of students from the Duale Hochschule Baden- Württemberg (DHBW), Karlsruhe for their well-established Intenstive Study Programme “Business Environment India” from 6^th – 15^th January 2014.  The essence of this student exchange programme was to bring the countries closer, to know people from both sides, to gain from diverse experiences, to build friendships that transcend the boundaries of distance and time and to create fond memories to savour.

The delegation was hosted by Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director IGTC and led by Prof. Volker Ihle, Head of Department, Business Administration and Engineering, and International Coordinator, DHBW and Prof. Dr. Ruediger Schaefer, Head of Department, Management in Commerce, DHBW.  They were also accompanied by Ms. Ramona Lange, Representative IHK Karlsruhe.  Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC formally inaugurated the programme and gave them insights on economic ties between India and Germany. Their 10-day itinerary was meticulously planned with a host of interesting lectures at IGTC, industry visits to Indian and German organizations and cultural immersion with the Indian students.

Their classroom lectures at IGTC included an Overview of the Economic, Political and Cultural Environment in India; an Overview of the Logistics Industry in India with a live demonstration of the famous Dabbawalla system in Mumbai; an interactive lecture on the Retail Industry in India with a guided tour to the traditional, wholesale Crawford Market and the hi-end, retail Hi-Street Phoenix and Palladium Mall; and a lecture on the IT/ITES Industry in India combined with a engaging visit to the Tech Mahindra Business Services Limited.

The industry visits started off by observing how German organizations such as Siemens and BASF function in India.  It was interesting for the students to know that several processes in India are done manually as they tend to be cost effective.  They were impressed by the fact that German companies invest in the education of young people as well as work towards renewable energy to ensure a good life for future generations.

Among the Indian companies, the German students visited large conglomerates such as Godrej Industries, Godrej and Boyce, Mahindra and Mahindra, Tech Mahindra, Lodha Group, and ACC Limited.  At Godrej, students learnt about the HR policies such as staff welfare and organizational structure. They visited the Innovation Centre as well as the Company Showroom with the entire product display.  At Mahindra and Mahindra plant, they gained an overview of an Indian automotive plant with emphasis on the manufacturing process, implementation of quality circles and the design strategy.  Tech Mahindra was a complete contrast to the previous two plants.  It was a completely unique experience to see people who work in the advanced 3G technology space and provide end-to-end CRM solutions for the people in the UK, Ireland and Australia. It was an interesting fact that they have a pool of 12000 professionals who attend to almost 30,000 calls per day witha commitment to putting the customer first. The students were impressed to get the actual feel of the shop floor where calls were made to offer solutions and simplify the life of the customer.

At the upcoming, luxurious, residential project “The Park” of the Lodha Group, the students gained a first-hand experience of seeing Indian labourers working on a construction site. This was followed by a visit to the legendary ACC Cement House, which is an energy-efficient, environment-friendly building. Its attractive refurbished façade now houses an ultramodern office equipped with space-saving modular workstations, access control and intelligent lighting with motion and light sensors, waste management systems and water saving devices set amid greenery. Beyond Indian corporate giants, the students also visited Infinium Precious Resources Ltd., which manufactures gold and silver coins ranging from 1 gm to 100 gm.

Work and studies were adequately combined with culture, fun and entertainment.  It is beyond doubt that Mumbai and Bollywood have always been synonymous.  Hence, a visit to the city would been incomplete without seeingthe state-of-the-art, fully integrated Yash Raj Films Studio. The students were thrilled to see the locations that bring stories to life; to take a close look at the most advancedsound studio and actuallylisten to a song recording; and post-production facilities.  It was wonderful to see two Hindi film trailers with English subtitles, and walk out to personally meet the stars, Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor.  That’s why they say that dreams come true in Bollywood!!

Dharavi and Elephanta were two must-dos in the city.  At Dharavi, the students were amazed to see the heart of the small-scale industry in India. It came as a big surprise how the workshops in slums were equipped with machinery for mass-production.  The slum tour – including the tanning of leather, the recycling of plastic containers, the making of garments and the papad making process – was indeed inspiring and dispelled all notions of Dharavi being a place of misery.  The students had a delightful time on their short excursion to the Elephanta Caves, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.  They enjoyed the boat journey, the mad rush for the toy train, the infinite stairs with little handicraft shops all along and the beautifully carved Shiva temple.

All these impressions over ten days culminated into final presentations at IGTC.  Along with a sunset over the Arabian Sea, the students bid farewell to IGTC – their home in India – with a promise to return someday, sometime! Auf Wiedersehen!!