MANISH CHOUDHARY VP & MD, PITNEY BOWES SOFTWARE INDIA

Taking head-on the challenge of setting up Pitney Bowes base in India, Mr. Manish Choudhary, in 2007, moved to his native place as an expat, armed with over 10 years of cross-global experience at the PBBI headquarters at Troy, New York. Mr. Choudhary’s efforts to try to walk before he could run made him a leader who understands business at the grass-roots level. The India centre has grown to become a top employer within 5 years.

Q. Architecture and business management; you make an amazing combination. What led to it?
A. After a degree in architecture, I went to the U.S. for my postgraduation from the University of Akron, Ohio. Later, I did executive MBA from Anderson School of Management followed by a management course at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

However, I think I am more like an architect who is into sketching and painting. I believe if you make your passion your profession, it becomes difficult to maintain the passion you have. I like photography, but if I make it my career I will eventually lose interest in it.

Q. What career idea would interest you the most when you were growing up?
A. As a child I thought I would be an engineer. I always believe that things change rapidly; and I have the ability to adapt and change quickly with time. As a child, I would try different things and wait till something strikes. If things would not happen, they were never meant to happen.

Q. Share your experience of setting up Pitney Bowes in India?
A. The experience has been rewarding and I have grown on both professional and personal fronts. The experience has made me wiser and faster. I remember when I hired the first person in India, I spoke for three hours and the interviewee spoke for three minutes. The only thing he asked was ‘do you have an office’. To my no, he said he would come back once we have an office. We chose a creative way to hire, even picked up visiting cards from a restaurant bowl! click here to read full inverview...

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Paras Ajmera (Director – Operations & HR, Financial Technologies Group)

Q. What is your signature leadership style?
A. I believe in employee empowerment. I am quick in decision making and execution, and expect the same from others.

Q. Any mentors you admire?
A. My mentor is none other than Mr. Jignesh Shah, our Chairman and Group CEO. I truly admire his vision, passion, and the ability to shape ideas into world-class institutions.

Q. How do you balance your work-life and your family-life?
A. I will be honest here; balancing work and family life is indeed difficult. I believe that utmost commitment is required when you are at work. In fact, when I am at work, I work to the exclusion of all else. However, I do try to ensure that all my Sundays and holidays are spent exclusively with my family. I take an annual holiday with my entire family, which includes my parents, brothers, and their respective families. I also try to take as many short trips as I can manage. As a family, we enjoy trekking and all our family trips are a mix of adventure and scenic locales across the world. Doing things with the family works extremely well for me to maintain a connect. Click here to continue...

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Ashok Mittal, (Chancellor, lovely PRofessional University) Spotlights the need to change Academic Curricula to fit The Industry Requirements, in Conversation with Schweta Chaturved

Continued...On producing talent in India, he says one problem area calling attention is the mindset that children should study seriouslyonly till plus 2 and it is all fun in college. “It is just the opposite elsewhere. This ideology of the society needs to be changed. Institutes can do up to an extent but it is the internal motivation that needs to be brought in,” underlines Mr. Mittal. Also, it is essential for a student to understand that the examination system is to benchmark something to which industry can take a decision. However, during campus placements every student should know what he or she is capable of and what the job demands. If a student has done this exercise, he stands out, says Mr. Mittal. Besides, there are hosts of things required to groom a student. At LPU, skill development is an ongoing process that starts from day one. Elaborates Mr. Mittal, “LPU has set up a student centre which is more like a mall. It is one lakh sq ft area of shopping and is run by students. This gives student a testing ground to test his business ideas.”

LPU has faculty from various parts of India and abroad. Those from outside India need extra support so they are given a contact point for all their needs, he says and adds that faculty from outside is made to attend lectures of star faculty members on how to handle a class. LPU also has an HR and training department which is unique in itself, says he. If there is a requirement of a particular skill set, the department gets it arranged. There is also a quality assurance department which ensures students are satisfied. On how to promote faculty research, he says initially research needs a lot of money and resources, so industries should come forward to support it. Read More...

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She Writes Story Contest winner: Chitralekha

Chitralekha is one of twelve winners of the MSN-Random House She Writes a Story Contest', as chosen by our judges. Her story 'Conundrum' features in the 'She Writes: A collection of Short Stories' published by Random House India and available at all leading bookstores.

Chitralekha was born and raised in South Mumbai. She has lived in Jamshedpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, Los Angeles, 

Chicago, and New York and wandered the rest of the globe observing cultures. She is presently parked in New Delhi, trying to crystallize the lessons of a nomadic life.

read an extract from chitralekha's story 'conundrum'

Shanta Kamble and Pramila Dhoifude had been friends for years. They were both widows, nearly the same age, and neighbours in Harish Chandra Chawl, near Dadar, in Mumbai.

The chawl had been built in the 1950s in an area adjoining the National Textile Mill. Most of the tenants had worked in the mill before it shut down in the early '80s, following an unsuccessful strike by a prominent trade union leader. Some residents had purchased their rooms against 'pagdi' from the original allottees, and had nothing to do with the mill. The two women belonged to the second category, which gave them something in common.

Shanta Kamble was fifty-five-years-old. Her late husband had worked in the Port Trust and left her with a small pension after his demise. She lived with her unmarried son, daughter, and nephew. The nephew, Vishwas, had lived with them since he was twelve. Shanta's son worked as an assistant in a computer firm which provided technical support for home computer owners.

She had just arranged his marriage to a girl who worked as a telephone operator in an export company.

Shantabai's daughter Madhuri taught in a coaching class. She was dark skinned, with acne scars all over her face; a fact reflected in her mother's oft-stated inability in arranging her marriage.

The nephew was economically the weakest, and worked as a peon in the nearby municipal school. He had not studied beyond the 8th standard. He was a handsome fellow, with a jaunty air; the only son of Shanta's sister who was married to an unemployed drunkard. The aunt was frequently praised for her selflessness in taking him in since the sister could not fend for her son. It was acknowledged within the family that all efforts must be made to prevent the nephew from taking after his father. On occasion, when the family visited Vishwas' mother in their village, they left a spare key with Pramila Dhoifude. She would clean the house for them while they were away and bring a plastic pouch of milk on the day of their arrival.

in her own words: chitralekha

Have you always been a writer? What made you start writing?

This is my first attempt at fiction.

What inspired you to enter She Writes?

The categories were so intriguing. I was spurred to put in my two bits' worth.

Why did you choose the category you did?

I have been a Woman in the City all my life. There are many experiences women can have in a city, some common to all cities, some unique to a particular city, all worth telling. I'm glad MSN/Random House added the condition of including a quote, it added a bit of discipline to the project. Otherwise I would have gone into orbit!

Do you have a writing routine - e.g. do you have favourite places to write/favourite times of day/do you write longhand or on a computer?

This is the first time I have written fiction for publication. I wrote it on my laptop in my favourite chair...I hope this process works in future!

Who is your favourite author?

I have a long list of them. The world is full of exceptional writers, living and dead. It is a pleasure to think a new "favourite" could be around the next page.

Which book has inspired you the most?

"Ramakrishna - A Phenomenon" by Christopher Isherwood. Bengalis are steeped in the traditions of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda. It was fascinating to explore a western viewpoint, especially by someone like Isherwood, who is not associated with religiosity. It was like a mirror held up to the self you think you know but don't. Which key piece of advice would you give to any other budding writer? Writing is like giving birth, it is in the hands of a higher power. Let the process take you over.

Matthew Cooper (GM – Courtyard by Marriott, Gurgaon) found The Answer for better Engagement

Continued... This committee is chaired by me and the conversations are frank and private. We have several focus groups within the team who are responsible for the review of existing programmes and the strategic development of new ones.

This forum has given our Supervisors a chance to be heard, create a relationship with me, and understand what challenges senior leadership face daily. It has ensured that the rolling out of programmes is done seamlessly since overall execution has been thought out by the people who have to do it. I, of course, moderate the discussion with a broad picture opinion to ensure we are keeping in mind all elements of our balanced scorecard. I am also given a frank insight into the pulse or temperature of the line level associates who perhaps feel more comfortable talking to someone they work with very closely in their own operation.

The associates look to the senior leadership for their careers. These supervisors are now working every second day with their GM on ways to engage the team, drive customer service, and enhance the business. This elevates their status and has allowed me to highlight our future leaders first hand. The sense of pride and enthusiasm is overwhelming.

This strategy has paid dividends, as the Associate Engagement Index for our 2010 Associate Opinion Survey conducted by AON Hewitt for Marriott International was the highest in Asia Pacific with a score of 99 per cent

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Events that will shake up 2009

 Dark humour has often been derided as the last refuge of the cynical hack. But look at the other side: it can also trigger a ghost of a bemused smile in these troubled and uncertain times. I plead guilty and provide you with my forecast of the major events that will define 2009.

l Ramalingam Raju will be given an award for corporate governance. After all, his company's name is 'Satyam'
l Mamta Banerjee will become the brand ambassador for the Nano. She will not charge anything and continue to wear crumpled sarees.
l Ratan Tata will launch a campaign called 'The Audacity of Hope' and Tata Motors will successfully take over Ford Motor Co. After a few months, they will approach Barack Obama for a bailout package.
l Kingfisher and Jet will merge to form a new entity and the chairman will be former Union Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel. Vijay Mallya will be in charge of air hostess' uniforms and cuisine.
l Mukesh and Anil Ambani will kiss and make up. They will put up a joint bid for the Union Finance Minister's portfolio in the new coalition government.
l Thanks to gifts from grateful subjects and devotees, Mayawati's assets will cross $3 billion by September 2009. Forbes will put her on the cover in a special issue on new Asian billionaires and tycoons.


l Bajaj Auto will change its ad campaign theme from ''Hamaara Bajaj'' to ''Bechara Bajaj'' with a special appeal to consumers to stop plummeting sales.
l George Bush will open a brand new petrol pump in Texas. Veterans of the Iraq war will get a free cowboy hat when they tank up.
l In the spring of 2009, terrorists will invade Brigade Road in Bangalore and massacre more than 300 Indians and foreigners. A. R. Antulay will call it a conspiracy by Hindutva forces. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will fly down to Delhi and Islamabad and insist that Pakistan ''does something''.
l Real estate companies will sponsor the marriage and honeymoon of young couples who book their flats.
l Walmart will open in India and very soon, Sunil Bharti Mittal will be offering free Airtel connections to Indian shoppers who prefer to stay away from this abiding marvel of American capitalism.
l As the bulls go on a rampage again, the Sensex will accelerate past 25,000 points by October, 2009 and then Indian investors will suddenly wake up and realise that it was a pre-Diwali dream.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

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The Storm is over

The Small Wonder has been Struggling to Match The Demands of its Target Group after The Settlement of the Initial Hype. The Storm is over. B&E gives a Detailed Analysis of The Past Issues and The Future that Lies Ahead for The Nano

And then came a clinching shocker when I picked up the newspapers in the early hours of December 2, 2010. Each month, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) publishes the latest sales figures of all auto brands in India. In November 2010, the SIAM report said that 509 units of the Nano were sold. This, when auto sales actually grew by more than 40%. And believe it or not, Nano sales were lower than that of Mercedes Benz which managed 518 units in November. Look at it this way: the cheapest car in the world sold 509 units in a month when close to 200,000 cars were lapped up by the Indian consumer.

Quite clearly, Ratan Tata seems to be pre-occupied with other unsavoury things even as his Nano dreams seems to be on the verge of unraveling. At the moment, he is angry (let me add justifiably) with the Radia tape leaks and has even taken the matter to the Supreme Court. But sooner or later (if he is not already doing so already), Ratan Tata must summon his top lieutenants and strategists to revive the flagging fortunes of the Nano. At Business & Economy, we refused to be swayed by the early hype about the Nano becoming the best selling car of history. And now, we don’t think it is time to pronounce that the Nano is a colossal bomb. But surely the time has come to ask that simple and straightforward question: Can Ratan Tata Salvage His Nano Dream?

Our colleagues and reporters in Business & Economy and The Sunday Indian spoke to dozens of dealers and people associated with the auto industry in Guawahati, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Delhi, Chandigarh and many other places. The first impressions that we gathered was that Tata dealers were stubbornly optimistic about the future prospects of the Nano – now based more on hope rather than hype. Most of the Tata dealers blamed the many incidents of new Nanos catching fire and the negative publicity surrounding it as a dampener on sales and new bookings. Says Dinesh Shukla of Ahmedabad based Swati Autolink, “Few instances of firing in the engine are also a matter of concern. Though you can’t state it as a manufacturing defect, but it has created some impact on potential consumers.”

Talk to auto industry analysts and you get a similar sense of hope being the overriding factor when it comes to the future prospects of the Nano. Says Vaishali Jajoo of Angel Broking, “It will not be right for now to say that the Nano has failed in the Indian market. The unit sales fell in the month of November. It was mainly because of the operational shift at the back-end wherein the company is trying to shift the entire production from its Uttarakhand plant to the Sanand plant apart from many other reasons”

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
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The Faculty Dearth Goes On

Indian B-Schools are Facing an Acute Crisis of a Faculty Crunch and if Steps On War Footing are not Undertaken, Indian B-Schools might fall short of their Own Quality Benchmarks Themselves

When it started in India a few decades back, it was ‘just another professional course’. Soon Indian management education took the entire world of management by a storm. But as things stand, it stands at a juncture where it might get lost into oblivion in the coming years. The reason can be explained by simple demand and supply economics. The coming up of a number of management institutes in India has in a way afflicted the entire B-school with a unique problem – a problem that has given rise to an acute dearth of quality faculty. As per statistics, there were 600 colleges offering 70,000 MBA seats in 2000. However, by the end of 2009, the number increased to 1,400 colleges offering 120,000 seats. Even considering that one institute needs about 35-50 full-time faculties, 1,400 institutes would need roughly 70,000 professors. In a country of 1.2 billion, that would seem like a small number. But only 40% of this demand is being met currently and the rest is met through part-time visiting faculty.

While one reason for quality personnel avoiding the academic field is clearly the low salaries in India (see chart for the salaries international professors get), another is plainly lack of Ph.Ds. As per the emerging trend in the last decade, B-schools have gradually turned towards taking the services of industry professionals who can bring hands on experience from their respective fields to share real-life experiences within the framework of the theoretical models existing in text books. But the biggest drawback of the presence of a huge number of guest faculties in Indian B-schools is the lack of extensive and quality research work that could prove to be the knowledge base of the future. This is because guest faculty work on per lecture or per class basis and do not have the time or the interest to leave their high paying jobs in the corporate world to indulge in quality research within the university or institute.

Even Dr. Vijay Govindarajan, Professor of International Business at Tuck School of Business and founding director of Tuck’s Center for Global Leadership sounds his concern (read his interview in this cover story package). According to him, the quality of Indian management faculty is abysmal. “The student quality is world-class and as good as Harvard or Wharton. But the quality of faculty is abysmal because there is no research culture in India. If you don’t research, you keep teaching the same things over and over again. Research is the process of discovering knowledge, without which, you are retelling someone else’s ideas.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 

Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
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