53rd Week@XIMB

53rd Week@XIMB - 10th June to 16th June, 2012

Arbeit macht frei is a German phrase, literally "labour makes (you) free" . The slogan “Arbeit macht frei” was placed at the entrances to a number of Nazi concentration camps. These last 52 weeks were not tedious labour yet occupied me with several assignments.

This was full vacation week away at home from anything related to academics. I visited to Varanasi for a retrospective tour. I celebrated one year of satisfied student life.

13th June 2011 was the last working day and I was out of the front gate of CSC. Within two minutes of final settlement, the mental pain of incompetency in the software arena sublimed. Bye bye team meetings, bye bye security pass, bye bye management. I posted an awesome resignation email to all my team mates.

The sun has never shone so bright, the air has never tasted so sweet, I have never felt lighter, than that moment. I was free. I was free. I was so ecstatically free I could smell the trip to new adventure!

Yes, I was neck deep involved in packaging for XIMB. Work Experience taught me other than discipline and career planning familiarity with the words such as competency, change management, paradigm, bell curve, KRA etc. I strongly suggest a newbie wanna be joining MBA program to mandatory serve a stint in operations to get hang of the business.

Any positive or negative employment experience help in our learning curve. With all sort of the questions, comments, concerns, appraise, complaints, feedback, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, allegations, accusations and inputs has mad me tough and more open to new challenges.

I was not knowing whether my decision to XIMB was right or wrong. We can only analyze the forces shaping the future, but not the way it will turn out. I read a great line that gave me solace : ‎"I don't believe in taking right decisions. I take decisions and then make them right" - Ratan Tata.>

52nd Week@XIMB

52nd Week@XIMB - 3rd June to 9nd June, 2012

03rd June - I reached to Bhopal early in the morning. In the whole journey, I was thinking about Bhind district from socio-cultural perspective. Growing up in the cities like Varanasi, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kanpur is a completely different than Bhind. The people here are more simple yet rigid in their world view. The religious and caste bias runs deep down than one city boy can imagine. Politics at grass-root level is caste dominated, bullet-ridden and blood soaked. The more unjust and arbitrary a system is, the greater the impression that one has to fight for one's own survival. Hence, one can think of bullying of upper caste with violence. A society without a caste system does not and cannot exist – especially when it is free, heterogeneous, and complex. When a highly respected institution like caste and religion that’s a powerful player in cultural life rewards a representative for intolerance, there’s reason for concern.

04th June - A day of the rest after a long travel. I traveled in non AC compartments in the last few weeks. I met and talked with people. We talked about importance of Entrepreneurship spirit even of pan shop vendor to Education qualification of the children of the political leader. There was growing concern that income inequality had grew rapidly in the last decade, but consumption of public goods inequality did not. Whatever economic philosophy, the public deserves an accurate presentation of the reasons for the change in income distribution. And people are asking for it.

05 June - My stint with the MP government is nearly finished. Only few administrative and financial formalities have to be finalized. The disconnect between official rhetoric and lived realities is vast.

Working with the government was altogether different. Hope for this nation lies in the fact that tomorrow it may be run by individuals who know what they will do and they have a clear idea of what they want to say and whom they are addressing it.

06th June - Allama Muhmmad Iqbal - Words, without power, is mere philosophy. The threat of consultant to extend our internship without backing of MP govt backfired with our dissents. I was applauded for searching by consultant for District level Health Facility GIS Maps and Indices. I also came to knwoe through Nafees about Madhya Pradesh Education portal In end, everything was sorted with the cool head.

07th June - I submitted a copy of the Disaster management plan to the Technical consultants. I started journey back to Lucknow that night. With the end of these two months it was reconfirmed that to err is human, to blame it on somebody else shows management potential.

08th June - I mailed one more edited version of the final report. That was the end of my attachment to the district Bhind who is named after the mythological Hindu saint Vibhandak Rishi. There was a long talk with my father about development and government. We agreed at few but mostly disagreed. I kept silent to control the outburst of emotions.

09th June - I downloaded episodes of Business Sutra. Here is first episode for preview.

Business Sutra EP#1 Seg 1(Is there an Indian way of doing)



Business Sutra EP#1 Seg 2(Purpose of a Corporation)



Business Sutra EP#1 Seg 3(Short Term Vs Long Term)

51st Week@XIMB

51st Week@XIMB - 27th May to 2nd June, 2012

27th May - I find one more good articles on MPWPCL in Business Standard :- MP women`s poultry co-op to up production.

One more website was explored : BELL Teaching Case Studies - BELL teaching cases explore sustainability related business challenges and capture business decisions that identify environmental challenges as business development opportunities. They are now freely available via the catalog below.

Navjyoti is a community based-paced-managed-owned enterprise system in Padmapur Block, Rayagada district. XIMB is one of the patron of this enterprise. Navajyoti as a Community Enterprise System is a Producer’s Company that is being assisted by NABARD-XIMB-Sustainability Trust.

Fasal is an easy to use yet sophisticated SMS based platform which gives actionable information on price, potential buyer info, weather to the farmers make more money.

28th May - NGOBOX and SAMS Jobsonline are good website for recruiter of the Development sector. That I discovered in one more sleepy day at Bhopal.

29th May - The mid term review came quite late. I was applauded for having good understanding about the subject(disaster management), still the report needs focus on the missing data. I like the part of conceptual clarity mentioned in the mail.

30th May - And as they say ‘politics knows no logic'. There was good news for XIMB regarding media front. The survey puts the B-Schools in 14 hierarchical categories and XIMB was placed in Business Standard's top B-school bracket of SUPER LEAGUE 1. Many elite colleges have not participated in this ranking and it is based on analysis of data collected through a questionnaire.

31st May - I started for Bhind district for the last time. While heat waves were making the jorney tougher and Bharat Bhand was providing relief with less crowded buses and trains.

1st June - There was a imaginary pressure on me for planning a review meet on plan with District Magistrate. There was even visit of Prabhari Mantri on the same day. If one don't panic, one can think better. This is where experience helped me. With some talking tactics and a little bit of discourse, everything was done perfectly. I even reviewed the plan with the nodal officer. The day was hot and I even lost temper on a rude peon.

2nd June - I meet with Area commander Homegaurd who was mine nodal officer for first few days. Yet the gossip level of the place was a bit too much for mine temper. I started for Bhopal in the afternoon.Working days in the land of Bhindak Rishi was over. I only reached to the conclusion : Deference to elders and authority is so deeply ingrained in the administrative hierarchy that an outsider has a little chance of modifying the behaviour.

50th Week@XIMB

50th Week@XIMB - 20th May to 26th May, 2012

20th May - I came to know the concept of Producer Company. A Producer Company is a means to bring together the small and marginal farmers and other small producers in the village level to build their own business enterprise that will be managed by professionals. In addition, to regular and sustainable source of income, a PC can give the rural producer (a) Identity, (b) Capacity or competence, (c) Brand, (d) Empowerment, (e) Equity, and (f) Dignity.

I heard two good quotes from Ashish that inspired him. Sharing those quote with an anecdote to all....

Service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show or for fear, it stunts the man and crushes his spirit. - Mahatma Gandhi

IRMAns will go where they are most needed not where they are most rewarded. - Dr. Verghese Kurien

When a journalist asked him what made Dr. Kurien settle down in a small village like Anand, when he had a Masters degree from a US university. With a gentle smile he replied, “True development is the development of men and women, and this idea made me stay in this little town for more than 50 years as an employee of farmers, and I was never able to give this up for what many call a better life. I hope to enthuse young women and men to adopt my passion as theirs”.

As a member on the board of management of IIM, Ahmedabad, Dr Verghese Kurien suggested IIM–A students should serve the nation for at least three years before going in search of greener pastures. Upon hearing this, one of the members on the board, who was a top industrialist from Ahmedabad, took his cigar out of his mouth and said, “So, Dr Kurien, you want our graduates to go and milk cows?” Dr Kurien stood up and replied: “No, you continue to teach them how to suck on cigars”, and then resigned from the board. This event led to the birth of a unique institution — Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA).

21st May - I visited retail shop of Sukhtawa chicken and assessed business of retail outlet. There is a famous idiom that If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys hold true for every company. Any company that pays less than market standard will eventually get crooks and thieves as their employees.

22nd May - Working as an intern for government project, I closely observed that you need privileges to prosper in India. Otherwise, you're simply lost in burecratic and political hurdles. While in power one need only will power and independent mind to get things done. While not in power you need guts to challenge system with awareness, strong social network and information in India today. Even then they can survive but not prospser except in few metro cities...

I had collected almost all data available, hence there is no usage of going back to Bhind. Many people see this as unethical but I had a different view. If stretching 1 day work to 7 days and playing solitaire at office comes under the definition of work, then I am much ready to spare time at Bhind.

23rd May - I read an old article Flying in the Face of Flu that focused on Tribal and Dalit women make a success story out of a poultry co-operative and fight the bird flu scare. The story was based on the work of MPWPCL.

24th May - A waste day ! Yet, there is lot of cribbing on the facebook due to petrol price rise. There is a nice article that comments on the differential price policy pursued by the government vis a vis petrol and diesel.

It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur : In the first large-scale, quantitative study of nascent social entrepreneurs, researchers from Harvard Business School and Echoing Green examine the rise of hybrid organizations that combine aspects of nonprofits and for-profits and the challenges hybrids face as they attempt to integrate traditionally separate organizational models.

25th May - It could have been another waste day. I used this day to learn a little about break even analysis.

There was mail from consultants inquiring for an urgent information from all about the final DDMP review date fixed in the distt, with DC Office and nodal authorities. I am planning to finish the report and finalize it with DC office.

26th May - On this auspicious day, I observed as neutral third party final presentation of interns of MPWPCL. They have done a fair job and had a good knowledge of chicken market.

49th Week@XIMB

49th Week@XIMB - 13th May to 19th May, 2012

13th May - DB city mall was inspected in this short tour of Bhopal. I read a good article 'Doing Development Better' that brought together both macro development and micro development practitioners together. I was also busy in making arrangements of the room for stay of 10 fellow interns for few days.

14th May - The new apartment was not upto the standard due to sanitation and cleaning facilities. We decided to leave the apartment next day.

Since, almost all of the data was collected at district level. I decided against going back even after review. Rather than spending unfruitful time at Bhind, I hope to learn few new tricks with my friends. On my request, Aditya arranged me one week unofficial stay and learning with their organization MPWPCL. Management at MPWPCL had happily accpeted their

MPWPCL- Impact on Life



15th May - The PGDM (RM) Programme consists of 72.0 core course credits and a minimum of 33.0 elective course credits, totaling 105 credits. We have already finished 65 credit core courses in 1st Year. All of us were checking AIS for the options of the electives. Electives of all 4th, 5th and 6th term were floated on AIS. A student is required to take electives equivalent to a minimum of 33.0 credits to complete the Programme requirement. Students are allowed to take extra electives on extra payment. I have decided for working in development sector for two years before ging for further studies. Hence, I am selecting subjects with careful discussion with batch-mates for choices.

16th May - An internship is an opportunity to show one's stuff. The bright, motivated and curious will get automatically noticed in the work. Even with this quality, each company looks for a candidate with humility and strong work ethic. Generally, Summer internship project investigates some significant aspects of a managerial problem for MBA students. How much one had read in books, there is no substitute for witnessing firsthand how a business works in the field. A paid or unpaid internship in any field can greatly expand one’s knowledge, experience, contact base and chances of future career success. There are no shortcuts to the top, people having valuable insights of business usually "start at the bottom".

In this time of economic crisis, few companies use interns as a full time employee for their projects. And the number of unpaid or interns on mere wages have increased in this economic crisis scenario. Interns are not substitute for full time employee and no one should be exploited as free labor. But thing happen for sure : The unpaid/low paid internships weed out the ones who aren't willing to pay the price of admission.

Regarding my project, I had finished most of the secondary data required for the analysis. I assume that this practical experience of Summer Internship will help in planning mine career.

17th May - There was mid term review meeting of the progress achieved in Summer Internship. And the special bone of discontent were consultants. I understand perfectly why detest consultant. The jargon and complex language was making a simple task unbelievably incomprehensible. Consultant were helpful yet they want every minute data on platter. Yet, no intern can get every minute data for risk analysis. There were genuine problems faced by interns in each district. I am listing some of them---

1) While doing our work, the district management unofficially declare their district as disaster free place. Our inspection for hazards and vulnerable areas was like searching for negative perspective of the district in their eyes. Detail maps of each block were not available at block level in most district.

2) Most of the data collected by us in one month was quantitative in the nature. That was obtained with much resistance and slow pace. Qualitative data will require many rounds of both productive as well as formal meetings with various nodal officers of all departments. That goes beyond the time period of 6 weeks allotted to intern.

3) Consultants were suggesting for a meeting of the government officers at district level. That was tough but not impossible part. The impossible part was to involve them on brainstorming for disaster management. Without urgency and pressure, bureaucracy don't even blink eye lids. Also, we were external to the system and either 'children' or 'tourist' in the eyes of elder officers. It may sound unprofessional from our side but truth is often unpalatable.

4) Some officers were so reluctant to share data that they informed one intern : Data related to the history of past disaster had been burnt due to lack of proper storage facilities. Another department even ask one intern to file RTI for the information.

5) Even industries and various departments were not informed about various safety and disaster acts.

18th May - SGGPA gave us opportunity to have first hand experience to deal within Indian administrative services. And all of the interns were exposed to to the complexity of the governance and administration. A senior officer applauded all of us for our work and not to loose steam in middle. Two days of seminar was over. I preferred to stay in Bhopal for few days.

19th May - I traveled with Aditya and Ashish to Itarsi for getting firsthand knowledge of supply chain of the poultry business. I learnt about Sukhtawa Chicken in short and more about poultry market in detail through discussions with people involved in business.

1) Information network, bargaining power and demand-supply chain concepts were good in the analysis of the the whole poultry business.

2)Its never about MBA knowledge but only man management that can run the business.

3) Mentality of the dealer involved, Intuition of the Rate variation and estimation of everyday price are important attributes required for marketing and sales.

4) There are credit issues, criminal activities and loyalty factor dominating in this business. Loyalty increases more in religious and family dealings.

5) Monopoly is maintained in this business through giving retailers a lot of end product on credit. Yet, it requires muscle power to extract money from them. Through this dealers can make retailers their bonded employee.