We once heard a six year old kid asking his father, “How come the small boat didn’t drown and the big ship drowned in seconds?” This was in context to the movie Life Of Pi.

Did this question strike your mind?

We were inspired by the conversation and decided to analyze the movie with an entrepreneurial perspective to see what we can come up with.

The younger generation these days is far more creative and curious. They want to learn new things each day & if they are not able to, it frustrates them.  All they want to do is learn, make mistakes & be perfect in the end. May it be building a Lego house.

Aren’t these traits similar to that of an aspiring entrepreneur?

We can learn some entrepreneurial lessons from Life Of Pi. The main character Pi, pretty much depicts a young entrepreneur struggling hard for success. Let’s see what the film has taught us:

1. If you believe in everything, you will end up not believing in anything at all –

Pi’s father told him this once on the dining table. For an entrepreneur, pursuing a lot of things at one time often leads to quick burnouts. Focus on what you are best at and work on it. No one can keep you from succeeding.

 2. Brand yourself well–

Remember how Pi goes around with individuals and then groups of students to make them understand the real meaning of Pi after he was teased by them? It’s important to get your image right in the market to avoid difficulties in the long run. Make sure you reach the right people at the right time and convey to them your real identity & work.

 3. Planning is not optional–

When Pi was in the lifeboat with limited resources and a Bengal Tiger to handle, he got his hands on a handbook with instructions. Similarly, for an entrepreneur, referring to the handbook and planning accordingly is very important. List out the essentials, make a to-do list and follow it to make your work well organized and less confusing.

 4. Putting all your eggs in one basket might not be a wise decision–

Pi learned a lesson when he took along all the life supplies to the makeshift raft and a whale upturned it throwing all the supplies in the water. That is when he realized that staying with the Tiger might just be a wise thing to do. While starting up, resources are typically scarce and it’s important to guard them and stop losses. It’s good to have one secure base. Entering unknown territories without adequate research could be a deadly mistake, few startups can afford.

 5. Learn to co-exist–

Pi went through a lot until he finally accepted that he had to go through this journey with the tiger. It is always good to learn to co-exist from the beginning for an entrepreneur. Co-exist with your co-founder as well as with the competition in the market. Co-existence will teach you patience & make you realize where you are going wrong.

 6. Giving up is not on the list–

Never ever think of giving up no matter what the situation may be. Pi did not give up, did he? Ocean, boat, limited life supplies and a tiger to survive with. He strived hard to get it right and he did. Hardwork will always show results. The journey of entrepreneurship brings along with it a lot of difficulties. But you are not here to quit. You are here to survive and succeed.

Would you like to add to the points? Your inputs are welcomed.

EDI’s PGDM-BE offers an exceptional learning model to make it easier for students to understand the crux of entrepreneurship.

The programme is designed to develop a strong base for entrepreneurial and management skills. These critical tools will help the participants face any challenge in their career.

EDI places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship as a means to creating value for organizations and the development of leadership competencies. The methodology adopted at EDI varies according to various subject’s objectives and the skills, attitudes and behavioural patterns to be fostered. Though classroom theory is important for acquiring management knowledge but there is no substitute for practice in order to ingrain the entrepreneurial decision making skills. To this end, the pedagogy includes case study discussions, simulation games, teamwork, tutorials and role-play exercises, among other activities. The students are given opportunities to interact, challenge points of view and discuss business situations on an academic platform. One of our key strengths is the degree of personalized mentor provided to each participant.

The course is offered through six trimesters over the two years period. The course offers induction module, core courses, electives, audited courses, seminar courses, independent study and projects apart from summer internship at the end of Ist year.

Structure of Program

1. Orientation

Before the commencement of the course, a 2 week orientation program is designed for the students who focus at—

• Entrepreneur Interactions and Learning
• Entrepreneurial Career and Aspirations (Statement of Purpose)
• Optional Preparatory Courses: Mathematics/ Computer Applications / English/ Business Basics

2. Core Courses

The curriculum provides a strong grounding in managerial fundamentals while highlighting the strategic role that entrepreneurial mindset plays in enhancing business performance and creating sustainable competitive advantage. Throughout the trimester, these courses are offered in core areas which are having relationship with real business issues through case studies and projects that cover different company stages, sizes, industry and international contexts. These courses mostly cover-

• Entrepreneurship
• Accounting and Financial Management
• Operations and Systems
• Marketing management
• General and Strategic management
• Individual and Organisation behaviour
• Business Economics and International Trade
• Written analysis and Communication

3. Course Architecture

First Year Courses:

4. Seminar Courses:

The seminar courses are designed to provide in-depth understanding of various sectors where the student want to associate in future. These first-year seminars are taught by EDI faculty in association with various industry experts and consultants. Seminar faculty often serves as informal mentors for their students long after the class has ended.

1. Agri-business
2.  Automobiles and Ancillaries
3. Communication and Media
4. Design and Fashion
5. Education and Training
6. Electricals and Electronics
7. Mechanical Engineering
8. Entertainment
9. Environment and Green Business
10. Financial Services
11. Food Processing
12. Healthcare and Lifesciences
13. Information Technology Enabled Services
14. Infrastructure
15. Logistics and Supply Chain
16. Plastics and Chemicals
17. Real Estate and Construction
18. SME Consultancy
19. Textiles and Garments
20. Tourism and Hospitality

Second Year Courses:

Get details about other areas of this course here  : http://bit.ly/19vWJjT

Despite being intellectually more sound, well-informed and career-conscious, today’s youth often lack the qualities that make a person, enterprising. The need, therefore, is to create awareness to inculcate in them, the values of creativity, excellence, innovation, leadership and independence. It is assumed that these values will inspire them to select an independent innovative career option and excel in chosen career.

With this objective, EDI has been regularly organizing well thought of, residential camps for youth and children.

Camp on Entrepreneurial Adventures for Youth (Age group 16-22 years).

The Institute has been successfully organising ‘YOUTH CAMPS’ during summer vacation to facilitate the development of the entrepreneurial personality of youth. ‘Summer Camp on Entrepreneurial Adventures for the Youth’ has successfully inspired and motivated a number of youth from the country. The camps are open for those studying in Higher Secondary or Colleges in any discipline.

The specific objectives of the camp are to : (i) enable them to realize their latent potential and develop their capabilities to meet the challenges ahead; (ii) counsel and motivate them to seek independent, innovative and challenging career options; (iii) foster entrepreneurial traits including creativity, concern for excellence, leadership, problem solving, etc.; (iv) establish a forum of the participants for networking and to fruitfully utilize such interactions in future entrepreneurial ventures; and (v) provide them with an opportunity to interact extensively in formal and informal settings, with well-known entrepreneurs and achievers.

Consistent with the objectives, the camp focuses on : (i) entrepreneurial motivation development exercises; (ii) evaluation and development of entrepreneurial traits and competencies; (iii) visits to institutions of repute to analyze the process of creation; (iv) exposure to potential opportunities existing in industry and other occupation; (v) self-assessment through specifically designed psychometric tests and instruments; (vi) career and psychological counselling; and (vii) formal and informal interaction with successful entrepreneurs and achievers.

Objective of this camp is to make the youth realize their hidden potential and develop their capabilities to meet the challenges ahead by acquiring entrepreneurial traits of risk taking, creative thinking, conflict management, effective communication, teamwork and managing one’s emotions.

Dates : 12-21 May and 02-11 June, 2014

Find out more about the Youth Camp here : http://www.ediindia.org/doc/Youth_Camp.pdf

Camp on Entrepreneurial stimulation for Children (Age group of 12 – 16 years)

Children are the building blocks of any country. In a country like India, the need to sharpen the intellect of the children of today and orient them towards higher order achievements is strongly felt. In order to inculcate the spirit of enterprise and achievement among children at a tender age, EDI has designed a week long training camp which focuses on activities like motivation and creativity exercises, puzzles/ riddles, value education through specifically culled out anecdotes and stories, presentations, industrial visits, and interaction with successful entrepreneurs and achievers. The camp has been extremely successful in developing confidence and instilling positive thinking among participants.

The salient features of the camp, which started in 1994, include a ‘Parents’ Meet’, friendly interactions with well-known achievers from different fields, focus on Yoga etc. Though children from different states participate, language is not a problem for them as it focuses mainly on activities.

Objective of this camp is to inculcate the ‘Spirit of Enterprise and Achievement’ in children so that they target higher-order achievements.

Dates : 04-09 May and 25-30 May, 2014

Find out more about the Children’s camp here : http://www.ediindia.org/doc/Children_Camp.pdf

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) announces ‘Fellow Programme in

Management’ (FPM), duly approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi from the academic year 2014-15. Considered as a doctoral programme, FPM would commence at EDI in July 2014 as a full-time programme.

The Programme:

The country needs entrepreneurs to lead the economic development and opportunities for job creation; it is prudent that there are structured academic programs of stature to create scholars and thought leaders in entrepreneurship education and research. EDI, therefore, proposes distinguished ‘Fellow Programme in Management’ with emphasis on Entrepreneurship. The programme intends at contributing to the field of knowledge in management & entrepreneurship and extending the same to a chosen field. Accordingly, FPM proposes of two phases over four years. The first phase of the programe would comprise course-work involving Fellow programme level courses followed by a comprehensive qualifying examination while the second phase would consist of Thesis work involving preparation of a Thesis proposal, conducting research stated in the proposal, Thesis development and its examination. However, The Institute would adhere to the norms set by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi for FPM.

The course will be a premier source of rigorous and inter-disciplinary research in major areas of Entrepreneurship & Management like, Entrepreneurship Education and Research; Innovation, Incubation, Clusters and Technology Entrepreneurship; Social Entrepreneurship; Corporate Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial Finance and Control; Entrepreneurial Marketing; Organisation Behaviour and Human Resources; Minority, Tribal and Dalit Entrepreneurship; Enterprise Creation and Growth; Family Business Management; Law, Policy and Governance; International Entrepreneurship and Women Entrepreneurship, etc.

The FPM at EDI aims at preparing exceptional scholars who will address the policy and practices, challenges associated with management and entrepreneurship. The programme will be offered with following broader objectives:

– To groom researchers and make them competent and innovative inter-disciplinary high calibre scholars and educators in various facets of management and entrepreneurship;

-To investigate synergy between theory and practice of entrepreneurship as relevant to the context; and accordingly strengthen entrepreneurship education and research ecosystem in the country.

-To motivate researchers in conducting theoretical and empirical studies leading to policy papers and publications in scholarly journals/ books.

Eligibility, Qualification and Selection Criteria:

FPM seeks candidates with outstanding academic background, intellectual curiosity and discipline needed to make scholarly contribution. The Institute looks for candidates with brilliance and strong desire to be the part of the academia/ industry/ research/consultancy, etc.

The Applicant must have two years’ Master’s/Post graduate degree in any discipline with minimum 55% or CA/CS/CMA with minimum 55% marks (50% for SC/ST candidates) and a three-year Bachelor’s degree with at least 50% marks (from a university recognized by UGC/AIU/AICTE/ appropriate authority in India) in the aggregate obtained after completing higher secondary education (10+2) or equivalent.

The Selection of candidate in the FPM is based on scores in CAT/GMAT/UGC-NET & JRF (in faculty of science and technology, humanities, social sciences, commerce, liberal studies, management, etc. as decided by appropriate authority), as applicable, and/or Entrepreneurship Research Aptitude Test (ERAT) of EDI. The candidates with relevant work experience will get preference in admission. The applicants will be interviewed at EDI in person.

Fee and Fellowship Support:

The fee and related details would be available on request. The Institute also has a provision of providing financial and infrastructural support to selected and deserving candidates which covers stipend and contingency, tuition fee, library, teaching material, examination fee, etc.

For more details on the course, visit : http://www.ediindia.ac.in/Doc/FPM-announcement.pdf

For further information on FPM, interested candidates should contact:

Sunil Shukla, Ph.D.

Professor and In-Charge (FPM)

Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India

Bhat, Gandhinagar 382 428

Gujarat

Phone: 079-23969163

sunilshukla@ediindia.org

15th Convocation of EDI’s Post Graduate Diploma Programmes took place on 19th April, 2014. Honorable Chief Guest for the evening, Mr. GM Rao gave an inspiring speech to the students and motivated them to keep their desire for becoming an Entrepreneur alive to achieve success.

Tania Rauth received a Gold Medal in Services Management. This is what she has to say about her wonderful EDI journey & achievement :

“Two years of sweat work, patience & lots of experiential learning made my Gold Medal in Services Management and highest CGPA in the batch possible. I sincerely thank my Gurudev (Jai baba swami), faculty members, batch-mates who showered their confidence and love by selecting me as their Class Representative for 2 years continuously,my juniors. Thank you EDI and all those who believed that ‘i cannot’ as they challenged and motivated me to achieve my best. So this is just the beginning.”

-Tania Rauth, Gold Medalist in Services Management

Harsh Dave achieved a Gold Medal in Family Business in Management. This is what he has to say about his achievement & experience at EDI :

“Finally,Gold Medal for Scholastic performance in Family Business Management Belongs to Me!

Finally the rush for the ultimate achievement in academics comes to an end! The journey from a student who was every year “passed and promoted” to a student of good repute and Medal holder, was fantastic. Achieved a lot in these 2 years apart from the the gold medal and the degree. It were the super cool seniors, best of the best batch-mates and wonderful and fun loving juniors. The campus life and Ediots will always be missed forever.

Thank you EDI. Thanks a lot juniors and thanks a lot batch-mates.”

-Harsh Dave, Gold Medalist in Family Business Management

Harsh Dave’s father, who was overwhelemed with his son’s achievement & success as a student of EDI, sent EDI a review.

He says,

“Dear Prof. Sunil Shukla

Hello!

Well, if I talk about Harsh, my son, he was an introvert during his school days. As a student of Best High School, Maninagar, he avoided attending majority of the classes and was annually promoted to the next higher class.

Subsequently, when we moved from Maninagar to S.G. Highway Harsh was admitted to Hiramani Higher Secondary School, where he not only continued clearing annual examinations but also got interested in varied sports as well as martial arts. Gradually, he transformed into an active Short Put and Volleyball player. He also represented, Ahmedabad District Judo team, consecutively for two years.

The X class brought a significant change in Harsh’s academic performance. When the board results were declared we received a pleasant surprise; Harsh had secured 74 % marks in the examination. This was absolutely unexpected!

Earlier, Harsh was least interested in academic studies. However, the love and respect gained from friends, family and acquaintances on securing achieving 74 % in X class made him realize the significance of good academic performance for leading a decent, successful life and hence he started taking studies seriously. He was quite clear about his desire and often used to say: “I want to do something which is practical, apart from this history and social science work.” In the XII class Harsh opted for Commerce stream and began learning as well as exploring his academic life on his own. He was working so hard that even the School Management expected him to emerge as one of the leading board rankers. But Harsh could not find his place among the board rankers. Even at the school level he stood II (with a difference of mere 1 mark); the School Principal commented: “Harsh, no one remembers who stood II in exam; you are going to remember this difference of mere 1 mark for your life time.” This somehow motivated Harsh and he turned-up to me and said “Dad, now things will be in my favour, just watch how I perform!” And Harsh started pursuing his studies with zeal and worked really hard during his initial years of B.B.A. His dedicated and focused efforts ensured that irrespective of the nature of examination he would be placed among the top rankers. He also stood fifth at University level.

Unfortunately, at his final year of B.B.A. Harsh could not secure the first rank and stood second. But this made him even more passionate as he realized the importance of maintaining consistency in performance rather than being complacent with mere one time achievement.

As a student of EDI’s Post Graduate Diploma in Management – Business Entrepreneurship (PGDM-BE), Harsh’s performance had been quite good; thanks to the conducive environment of EDI campus, ever helpful Faculty and Staff members as well as the commendable leadership of the PGP Chairperson as well as the Institute Director. The PGDM-BE programme groomed Harsh to enable him in fulfilling his dreams. Harsh remarked beamingly: “EDI, is one of the best place for people looking for a practical approach, especially in entrepreneurship education”. The individual attention towards students from well experienced faculty members along with a properly designed course structure of the programme completely transformed Harsh into an extrovert, encouraging him to fulfill his desires and dreams.

Just as Harsh, I also will be unable to forget these two years that he underwent at EDI. When Harsh bagged a Gold Medal in Family Business Management at EDI, he made me feel happy and proud about his achievements!

I heartily thank Director-EDI, Chairperson (PGPs) and all Faculty as well as Staff members for grooming and supporting my son in accomplishing his career goal.

With regards,

Ulhas Dave”

EDI is a platform that not only creates entrepreneurs, but also transforms an individual to face the challenges in their coming journey. We are proud to have students like them who work hard to keep their dreams alive.

EDI wishes All The Best to the passed out students of PGDM-BE for a great future ahead.

The PGDM-BE programme is available for online application. Apply here : http://bit.ly/1aqUE75 | More info on the course : http://bit.ly/19vWJjT

The EDI Convocation of PGDM 2012-14 batches took place on 19^th April, 2014 at the EDI campus. Shri G. M. Rao, Group Chairman of GMR Group was the honorable Chief Guest who addressed the students on the special evening.

He shared some personal learnings & knowledge about the Entrepreneurship field and motivated students to keep their burning passion alive to achieve success.

An excerpt from his speech:

“I compliment EDI and its Governing Board for conducting these crucial programs. EDI has been spearheading entrepreneurship development movement throughout the nation with a belief that entrepreneurs need not necessarily be born but can be developed. Being an entrepreneur myself, I highly appreciate this noble task amidst a time when globalization and technology are transforming our economy. I feel so proud to be here today and wish I would have got such unique opportunity of learning entrepreneurship in my college time, maybe I was born much earlier.

Dear students, today is your day and a very special one indeed for you and your dear ones. I am truly happy to be with you to share your joy and excitement. As you cross this important milestone in your life and embark on the journey of entrepreneurship, I am sure all of you will contribute significantly in bringing economic prosperity to our beloved country.

The evolutionary process of Indian style of leadership is being studied as a success story in the leading business schools of the west. Entrepreneurship is the only way to alleviate poverty. And, I am so glad that EDI is creating beautiful entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

Well, people see me as a very successful entrepreneur; however they do not know that my last four decades of journey which started from zero base has been full of adversities which threw up challenges all the time. I strived hard to do my best overcoming the situations and turning them into opportunities. Learning’s from those adversities have been phenomenal and has shaped me what I am today. In fact, this helped me build GMR Group what it is today.

I started without any political support, any financial support in a very limited environment. I had a burning desire to do something. If you have Passion, Patience and Perseverance you can create success in your lives.

I always had the burning desire to do something irrespective of the insignificant background; I had no financial support and no political support. It was that fire in me which kept me moving from one success to another. Hence, nothing is impossible, you can achieve whatever you want if you have the burning desire in you.

During the process of seeking opportunities, I got brewery license…. sugar factory license. I started another Jute Mill after acquiring it, started Ferro Alloys, Rolling Mills and what not. You name it I was there in that business including trading of timber, IT company, ear buds manufacturing. That was a time when I started different businesses simultaneously.

I was able to operate so many businesses simultaneously because I used to go deep into details of the businesses, understand the nuts and bolts, formulate the operational strategy and quickly delegate to the management so that I can work on the bigger picture. I call this as ‘Helicopter View’ because of deep dive into details and quickly moving upwards on the surface for the big picture.

I tried almost 28 businesses and knowingly or unknowingly became the ‘serial entrepreneur’. I call this as an opportunistic phase, where I was just grabbing whatever came my way.

We came across a huge opportunity of Chennai Power Plant requiring investment of Rs. 800 Cr. My team was initially very apprehensive of this, however I was very confident and fearlessly went ahead. Then we signed an agreement for 200 MW of Power Plant to set up in Chennai. I brought the world best technology in the Power Plant and with great difficulty successfully implemented it.

We had several businesses, 28 businesses, spanning jute manufacturing, Ferro-chrome manufacturing, sugar and so many more.

Moving into strategic mode, I divested all the unrelated businesses. Even my most profitable ventures at that time I divested. We were following our vision “we should build entrepreneurial organizations making a difference to the society through creation of value” and whatever was not fitting into it we divested.

Entrepreneurs need to follow their vision and strategy without any emotional attachment.

Also, whatever I do my thinking is that it should not only add economic value but should also contribute towards social value. I think that mindset has tremendously helped me in building the national assets which are contributing significantly for the social and economic growth of the country. For example, according to the economic research wing of government NCAER, Delhi Airport in 2009-10 has contributed more than 13.5% to Delhi State GDP and 0.45% to National GDP. Not only this, Delhi airport contributes 1.6 million direct and indirect jobs which is about 26% of the total Delhi’s employment.

After the foray into Delhi Airport, we entered into creating power plants with gas assets, thermal, solar and recently hydro power plants.

GMR Group, true to its vision of ‘Creating Value to the Society’, ventured into businesses of nation building, it was the first mover – first for the Group, first for the industry, and first for the country.

But sustainable growth cannot be achieved without institution building; hence we are now focusing on four pillars of Institution Building – People, Process, Technology and Governance. Family governance is also part of our Institution Building process. Actually, Corporate Governance and Family Governance are inter-linked blocks completing the cycle of Institution Building.

I strongly believe in the philosophy “Run the business like a family and the family like a business”.

Only running the business has never been my thought process, I always believe that it is my duty to give back to the society in whatever way I could. ‘Inclusive Growth’ has always been my philosophy.

If I look back at my journey and think about what made me successful. I found out few important traits from beginning helped me:

Our seven values and beliefs which are Humility; Teamwork & Relationships; Respect for Individuals; Learning; Deliver the Promise; Entrepreneurship; and Social Responsibility.

Attitude gives altitude. Positive attitude coupled with the seven values helped me, in accomplishing whatever little I could till now, which I thought of sharing with you. Though, my journey is full of adversities but I sailed through it successfully learning from my failures. Always, remember that- ‘Success is a great Motivator and Failure is a great Teacher’

My dear friends, in conclusion I would like to say that India is a perfect place for your entrepreneurial journey. Two decades back, westerners visiting India thought what they could do for this country. Now the attitude has changed. People visiting India are asking, what India can do for them. With great pride, I can say that no multinational company can afford to be absent from India because of its enormous intellectual manpower.

India has become the testing ground for budding entrepreneurs and we are experiencing increasing trend of innovation and creativity thus producing numerous successful entrepreneurs which is growing every passing day. Traditional entrepreneurial practices and systems are fast getting blurred by new knowledge and understanding, and in that sense you are fortunate to have been educated to pursue entrepreneurship from a guided perspective. I am extremely confident that you people will create enterprises bigger than Facebook and Google.

However, my dear friends remember that in this volatile, uncertain and complex environment, anxiety levels are going up rapidly. If you have to lead a sustainable growth, you have to manage yourself first. And to manage yourself physically and emotionally you need spirituality and yoga, which is irrespective of any religion.

My dear friends what truly matters, is how you evolve as successful human being. No matter what business you are engaged in, be it small time trading or a multi-national company, I strongly suggest that it should be purpose-driven and value-led journey. If your means are value-based, the end is always heartening. Always remember, all of you are the authors of your own destinies.

There is a beautiful saying that –

“Managers Preserve Wealth, Leaders Nurtures Wealth and Entrepreneur Multiplies Wealth”

With this, I wish each one of you all the very best in your journey of entrepreneurship.

I am immensely Grateful to you all for giving me this opportunity to share my learnings and experiences with you.

Thank you !

The seminar courses are an important part of the PGDM-BE programme at EDI. They are specially designed to provide in-depth understanding of various sectors where the student wants to associate in future. These first-year seminars are taught by EDI faculty in association with various industry experts and consultants. Seminar faculty often serves as informal mentors for their students long after the class has ended.

(Find a list of topics in continuation to our previous blog posts :

1. http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme/

2. http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme-part-2/

3. http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme-part-3/)

(16) Real Estate & Construction (RE&C)

Students will get detailed information on housing, commercial segments and retail segments. They will get to know everything from current market, space to rentals.

(17) SME Consultancy (SMC)

Reflecting the recent economic slowdown in India, it is found that the Indian consulting market grew by 4% in 2012 to just over Rs.9000 Crores. The report says that despite this modest growth, the economic slowdown has in some ways become an important driver of demand in India’s consulting market as clients seek help to both increase revenue and improve efficiency.

Interestingly, it is found that small and family owned businesses are becoming increasingly important buyers of consulting services in India as a new breed of young, highly-educated business people rise in the ranks and are eager to take their businesses to the global stage.

Students will know how the conservative, provincial local businesses of India are being transformed by a new generation of sophisticated, highly educated young professionals who are confidently taking the helm, steering their ships into international waters.

(18) Textiles & Garments (T&G)

The Indian textile industry is likely to grow by 16 percent this year and could reach US$ 115 billion by 2012-end, according to a recent report released by ASSOCHAM. The domestic market is likely to increase from ` 34.6 billion to 60 billion by 2012. India’s share of global textile exports is poised to increase from current 4% to around 7% over the next three years.

Students will learn about the positive and negative factors, like -depreciating rupee and decreasing cost competitiveness of China, -economic uncertainty in US and Europe, -volatile global markets affecting demand,- volatile foreign exchange rates ,-increase in minimum support price for cotton, etc.

(19) Tourism & Hospitality (T&H)– The tourism and hospitality industry of India is thriving and growing at a fast pace. The country’s travel and tourism industry is one of the most profitable industries in the country, and is credited with contributing a substantial amount of foreign exchange. India’s rich cultural heritage, traditions, festivals, food, architectural monuments, hospitality and services are positive strengths for its tourism sector.

The interesting part is that the Indian tourism sector needs an urgent image makeover and higher investment in infrastructure, including through public-private partnership (PPP) mode to capitalise on opportunities provided by overall growth in world tourist arrivals, according to the Economic Survey 2012-2013.

The seminar courses are an important part of the PGDM-BE programme at EDI. They are specially designed to provide in-depth understanding of various sectors where the student wants to associate in future. These first-year seminars are taught by EDI faculty in association with various industry experts and consultants. Seminar faculty often serves as informal mentors for their students long after the class has ended.

(Find a list of topics in continuation to our previous blog posts :

1. http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme/

2. http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme-part-2/)

(11) Healthcare & Lifesciences (H & LS)

Healthcare resources in India though not adequate, are ample. There has been a definite growth in the overall healthcare resources and health related manpower in the last decade. However, unequal distribution of resources becomes apparent and access to quality healthcare services has been limited by income inequality.

The government of India is considering a proposal to increase public expenditure on drugs from 0.1% of GDP to 0. 5. of GDP and provide free essential medicines to all. Apart from this, more facts & real picture about the field will be imparted to the students.

(12) Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES)

The global technology and related services sector recorded a steady growth of 4.8% in 2012 to USD 1.9 trillion .As per latest report of NASSCOM, IT-BPM services and software products continued to lead, accounting for over 58% of total IT spend .Total revenues of IT industry is expected to grow by about 13-15 per cent.

Students will learn more on how Cloud computing and virtualization technology provides flexibility, convenience as well as reliability along with cost optimization. Convergence of mobility and web is opening several opportunities for new applications for mobile access to the system particularly in the area of business intelligence and reporting. Existing applications also need enhancements to incorporate these technologies.

(13) Infrastructure (INFRA)

India’s infrastructure sector spearheads the growth of the Indian economy. Recent policy initiatives and the emphasis on infrastructure showed by the government in the budget are also expected to provide an impetus to the sector.

Students get to know about the Business Environment changes, selection criteria of bidders, change in law, credit availability, delay in government clearances/approvals, etc.

(14) Logistics & Supply Chain (L & SC)

The annual logistics cost in India is estimated to be 14% of the GDP, which translates into USD 140 billion assuming the GDP of India to be slightly over USD 1 trillion. Out of this USD 140 billion logistics cost, almost 99% is accounted for by the unorganized sector and slightly more than 1%, i.e. approximately USD 1.5 billion, is contributed by the organized sector.

There are many Opportunities coming on the way like Manufacturing boom, expected rise in International trade from India, MNC’s setting up manufacturing in India, Government’s thrust on Infrastructure and implementation of VAT will lead to growth in warehousing business.

(15) Chemicals & Allied Products(C&A)

Chemicals are a part of every aspect of human Life, right from the food we eat to the clothes we wear to the cars we drive. Chemical industry contributes significantly to improving the quality of life through breakthrough innovations enabling pure drinking water, faster medical treatment, stronger homes and greener fuels. The chemical industry is critical for the economic development of any country, providing products and enabling technical solutions in virtually all sectors of the economy.

The seminar courses are an important part of the PGDM-BE programme at EDI. They are specially designed to provide in-depth understanding of various sectors where the student wants to associate in future. These first-year seminars are taught by EDI faculty in association with various industry experts and consultants. Seminar faculty often serves as informal mentors for their students long after the class has ended.

Let’s see a brief of the various topics that fall under the Seminar Courses: (In continuation to the previous blog post – http://blog.ediindia.ac.in/seminar-courses-under-pgdm-be-programme/)

(6) Mechanical Engineering (ME)

The Indian engineering industry accounts for 27 per cent of the total factories in industrial sector and represents 63 per cent of the overall foreign collaborations. The engineering sector is one of the major contributors to the country’s total merchandise shipments. India is one of the leading offshore destinations in delivering engineering research and development (ER&D) services with a market share of 22%.

Students will be briefed about the transport equipment, capital goods, other machinery/equipment and light engineering products like castings, forgings and fasteners.

(7) Media & Entertainment (M & E)

The Indian M&E industry is projected to grow 11.8 per cent to clock revenues worth Rs 91, 700 crore (US$ 16 billion) in 2013, according to an industry report.

Students will get a complete information about television, print, radio, animation, visual effects, films, music and internet. Moreover, the Government’s drive towards digitalization and addressability for cable television by 2014 is expected to provide a boost to direct-to-home (DTH) and digital cable growth

(8) Environment & Green Business (E&GB)

Climate change caused by increased GHG emissions from energy and resource inefficient manufacturing equipment gives rise to wide range of long term economic security threats. Increasing levels of toxicity released into the ecosystem from pesticides and by-products from manufacturing process threaten the well being and productivity of human beings and have led to the extinction of several animal species.

Students will get to know about the energy efficiency concern further accelerated by concerted Government of India policy to enable faster integration. Green Chemistry is a practice of scientific research that focuses on increasing the safe and accelerated biodegradation of chemical by products and discovering natural substitutes for synthetic and harmful chemicals. It will also include Water Security & Access, Waste Management & Sanitation and Energy Security.

(9) Financial services (FS)

The Indian financial services sector is one of the most complex, yet one of the most robust service segments of the Indian economy. Spanning from insurance to capital markets, banking to foreign direct investments (FDI) and from mutual funds to private equity (PE) investments, the financial services sector covers all related segments under its umbrella.

This topic will help students to know about the major effects in its abstract as well as physical form post liberalization, international financial frameworks and promises to surpass them in terms of performance in the years to come. Sectors under finance include Insurance Sector, Banking Services, Mutual Funds Industry in India, Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions in India and Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) in India.

(10) Food Processing (FP)

Food processing is one of the largest industries in India, ranking 5th in terms of production, growth, consumption, and export. Many big international players are entering the Indian market by partnering with domestic players. This trend will emerge more strongly by 2015, providing opportunities to local players.

The seminar courses are an important part of the PGDM-BE programme at EDI. They are specially designed to provide in-depth understanding of various sectors where the student wants to associate in future. These first-year seminars are taught by EDI faculty in association with various industry experts and consultants. Seminar faculty often serves as informal mentors for their students long after the class has ended.

Let’s see a brief of the various topics that fall under the Seminar Courses:

(1)  Agricultural business (AB)

The scope and opportunities in the agri-business have substantially expended due to globalization of trade and agriculture and the policy reforms at national level, leading to an unprecedented level of corporate interest in this sector.

Under this course students will be imparted with knowledge related to livestock wealth, organic farming, seeds, genetically modified crops and more on related topic.

(2) Automobiles & Ancillaries (AUT)

The Indian automotive industry comprises of a number of Indian-origin and multinational players with varying degree of presence in different segments. Today, nine of the top ten global automotive manufacturers have a presence in India which clearly points to its importance as a strategic market. Similarly, the domestic tractor market also has a mix of Indian-origin and international manufacturers.

The current low vehicle penetration of 15 vehicles per 1,000 population (compared to an average of 120 vehicles per 1,000 population for the world) also suggests that there are significant growth opportunities for the industry. Along with this, students will also be given an idea about the opportunities & threats in the field.

(3) Design & Fashion (D&F)

Indian Fashion Industry is at its infancy at the moment and has great potential to make the mark on the world stage. Fashion Industry is growing at a rapid pace with international developments, such as the India Fashion Week gaining popularity and annual shows by fashion designers held in major cities of India.

Students will be given a complete analysis along with facts and figures of not only the Indian market but the international market as well.

(4) Education & Training(E&T)

The Indian education system is one of the largest in the world. The education sector is divided into two main segments; the core segment comprises of schools and higher education, while the non-core comprises of coaching classes, pre-schools and vocational trainings. Realising the fast growth of education sector in India, many private companies are looking for relevant acquisitions and alliances in this space. As the education segment is expected to undergo intense changes and activities in terms of foreign partnerships and foreign players entering the market in the coming years, swill be briefed about the Indian players rejuvenating and improvising their methodology, technology and course content to match the competition.

(5) Electricals & Electronics (E & E)

Electronic industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the country and is driven by growth in key sectors such as IT, Consumer Electronics and Telecom. Indian electronics industry today stands at US $ 25 billion and is ranked 26th in the world in terms of sales and 29th in the world in terms of production. It is growing at over 25% CAGR and is expected to be worth US $ 158 billion by 2015.

Students will be given in depth details about the exciting and worrying events for the Electronics Industry in India, slowdown in the country’s economic growth, far-reaching consequences for the Indian Electronics industry and more.

Watch this space for more topics under the Seminar Courses.