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1084
Mr RC Sharma, President, FORE, in his address said, "I am confident that you will show commitment in achieving excellence in whatever field you pursue. The management skills, the values and the discipline that you have imbibed in FORE should help you in taking the right decisions. Success in your career will make us proud."

Speaking on CSR, Dr Seema Sanghi, Director, FORE said, "Initiatives have been taken to induce deeper sense of social responsibility in each and every student of FORE. Students have developed strategies on CSR in the area of Traffic Management, Sanitation, Women Empowerment, Primary Education etc".

Also, Dr Seema Sanghi, Director, FORE School of Management (FORE) said, "We are proud to have yet another very successful placement season with all the students placed on the zero-day itself. The highest package offered by the international recruiter Jumbo Group, Dubai was 26 lakhs per annum and highest domestic offer was 11 lakhs, a jump of approximately 35 percent higher than last year. We have produced successful managers and entrepreneur who are responsible citizens and good human beings."
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The convention also facilitates various participants from Commerce & Industry to share their views on the current economic scenario & the role of a Business Analyst. The event would have speakers airing their views on Indian Economy: Current Trend in a Global perspective; Resolution to price puzzle; Rethinking Marketing Strategies; Business Analytics: A Practioneras view; Redefining Risk Management Strategies etc. The session would include participants from institutions like Ministry of Finance, IMF, SEBI sharing the dais with speakers from Private Players like IBM, Tata Capital Fund, ICICI, Virgin Mobile, ITC, Future Logistics

The two day event would kick off with a discussion on the main theme, with a macro analysis of the turbulence in Indian Economy, speakers would then move to the sub themes doing a micro analysis of Indian economy. There would be an attempt to understand its Financial & Marketing Implication with a discussion on the Price Puzzle in an inflationary economy & a basic need to rethink the basic validity of marketing strategies. On Day two there would be a focus on understanding & working on the competency of MBEas the Business Analysts Workshopsa with a seminar on Redefinition of Risk Management Strategies. The event would also witness the release of the annual issue of aThe Business Economista.

Last year the theme of Annual convention was aIndiaas growth trajectory: Momentum from servicesa and the session was inaugurated by Mr M Damodaran, former Chairman of SEBI.
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1087
According to Dr Arun Sahai of MDI a feature of this yearas conference is an emphasis on interaction between participants from developed and developing countries for the challenge of global unsustainable development. Sustainability researchers can learn from each otheras experience and jointly create solutions for making progress in sustainable development.

Dr Arun Sahai shared his views, that India provided an important platform and context for sustainable development research. The topics and research themes addressed during the conference will cover various aspects and approaches in sustainable development research.
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1088
In 2006, the brand Nihar (coconut air oil & perfumed cocnut hair oil) was acquired from HUL by Marico Limited a a Mumbai based FMCG Company which also owns a similar brand, Parachute. The deal was worth about Rs 240 crores and was one of the largest brand deals made by an Indian company. Mr Shailendra Katyal was one of the key individuals involved in the processes of acquisition of Nihar from HUL and integration of Nihar into Marico.

Mr Katyal started by emphasizing on how strategic decisions are taken by firms in acquiring a brand, valuing it and the challenges in integrating it into the firmas business. Organizations go for acquisitions so as to derive strategic benefits of growth (geographic reach & market share), to extend the breadth and depth of product lines, to overcome competition or for operational efficiency. Various types of valuation methods and the other dynamics involved in brand acquisition beyond the price factor were discussed.

Narrating the story of Nihar, Mr Shailendra spoke about how Marico (with Parachute) and HUL (with Nihar) were amidst intense rivalry since 1997 in the coconut hair oil market. Finally in 2006, HUL as part of its aPower Brandsa strategy decided to divest Nihar, because as a brand, Nihar only had a strong regional focus in eastern India. Subsequently, Marico acquired Nihar, but it faced challenges in integration as both Parachute and Nihar compete for the same market and are very similar products.

Marico, with planning of short term and long term objectives was successful in integrating Nihar and attaining growth in the segment. Mr Katyal explained why managing the time to market and managing the turmoil in the distribution channels during the change of ownership of Nihar to Marico was identified as key areas that required quick and focused planning.

The session concluded with a question and answer session in which Mr. Shailendra answered questions raised by students on various decisions. In response to queries, he elaborated on how Parachute and Nihar were offered as differentiated products to consumers so as to manage portfolio conflicts.

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1089
The marathon, with Peace and Harmony as its theme, will consist of - The Peace Run and The Celebratory Run. The Peace Run will be 12 km in length, whereas the Celebratory Run will be 2 km long. The Peace Run will take a 12 km route, long enough for serious runners to compete and amateur participants to challenge themselves. The Celebratory Run, a short 2 km run, on the other hand will allow everyone in Indore to express his or her support for the cause.

The proposed route of the marathon is as follows: aNehru stadium-RNT Marg upto Royal Square-SGSITS-Race Course Road upto PT & Apollo Square-Chappan Dukan-Palasia Square (through AB road)-GeetaBhavan-St Pauls-Daily College-Residency Roada.

More details can be found out at www.indoremarathon.com
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The education loan provides the following benefits:
a A fixed rate of interest which will not change with market conditions
a Faster processing and simple documentation will govern the entire loan process
a For loan interactions, doorstep service can be facilitated

This initiative will help open doors to both the corporate and consumer segments, as more people can now upgrade their skills without taking a career break. The programmes offered by U21Global comprise of Business Management programmes, including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Science in Tourism & Travel Management; Information Technology Management programmes; Postgraduate Diplomas and Certificates programmes, and customised programmes for selected corporate clients.

aWe are delighted to partner with HDFC, as the flexible terms of their loans will further encourage prospective U21Global students in their quest to bridge competency gaps. Jobseekers today are facing an extremely competitive global work place. Our programmes are aimed at improving skills base of working professionals to meet the ever changing needs of the knowledge economy,a said Shrikant Sinha, Director South & West India, U21Global.

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Mr Hajara spoke to the students about what is actually involved in being a CEO. He related the tale of how he came to work for a PSU like SCI, after passing out from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. He also described the various qualities that are a must-have in a CEO, and spoke about the changing expectations of the industry from a typical CEO. Citing examples of real-life situations from his own organisation, Mr Hajara stressed that a CEO is essentially like any other leader and hence, it is imperative that he/she possesses the attributes one expects a good leader to have in abundance.

Many questions such as, aWhat are the merits and demerits of being a national maritime carrier?a were posed to Mr Hajara. At the end of the talk, Mr Hajara insisted that whatever the case, it is important for every aspiring CEO to be a good human being.
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1094
The concert started off with 'Hourglass'. A band formed by youngsters a Nikhil, the vocalist, Amit on leads, Sagnik on rhythm guitar, bassist Shirish, and beats of drums by Himanshu, played covers, including 'Californication' by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' by Guns n' Roses, and 'Paranoid' by Ozzy Osbourne. They ended their show with 'Vande Mataram'.

Then came the heavy metal band 'Vyzasa'. The band comprises of 5 members- Aman on vocals, Rajeev on bass guitar, Nitin on Drums, Manish on Rhythm guitar and Harshad on Leads. This band performed a mix of their original compositions as well as covers. They covered bands like 'The Gates','Arch Enemy' and 'Death'.

Next performance was given by the band 'Silver', winners of I-Rock '08. They were the National winners of Yamaha Roxx 2008, represented India in Taiwan at the Asian Beat 2008 and participated at JRO 2008 (Chennai). Silver comprises of 4 members a Mahesh on vocals, Rishi on bass, Savio on leads, and Amit on drums. They rocked the show starting with 'Wine and Women', followed by 'Silver Kiss', 'Feel the heat', and 'Desire'. They ended their list with a crowd friendly track 'Funkie Junkie'. Supported by Idea and Spykar, the evening left the audience of Symbiosis, Lavale campus asking for more.
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1095
The first batch at the School with a capacity of 150 students will commence on the October 13, 2008. The next group will be taken in February 2009. The school is being run by a separate company, which is a fully-owned subsidiary of TASMAC in India. The faculty comprising of full-time staff and those visiting has been appointed and the school will be headed by Prof Marshall Hall. Transfer options are available between TASMAC London and TASMAC campuses in India. At TASMAC London, students get an opportunity to experience internationalisation and diversity.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Giri Dua, Chairman & MD, TASMAC, said, aTASMAC London has been a significant achievement for us. Most of our education systems have British origins and setting up of an Indian institute campus in London is a landmark moment for the country.a He further added, aWe are extremely proud of the fact that TASMAC London School of Business is the first foreign direct investment (FDI) in the education sector by an Indian company/ institution/ university in the UK with a 100% ownership a making TASMAC the first wholly owned subsidiary between India and UK in the education sector.a
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The panelists addressed the students on the various problems faced by the country today and how those problems could be overcome to achieve their vision of a developed India. Various solutions were proposed to the problems currently faced by the nation, and the students were urged to join campaigns like aTeach for Indiaa, so that they are a part of the solution and not the problem. The panelists also spoke about developing the tourism industry, and training the students who tend to drop out of high schools, so that we have a large number of skilled workers who could be employed in various industries.

The issues of malnutrition, preferring meritocracy over heredity and bridging the gap between the rich and the poor were also discussed with all the panelists offering their views on the same. The vision discussed was that of an India where the economy is more resilient, the drop-out rates and female foeticide rates are low, there is the worldas largest pool of skilled workers, and the GDP growth is highest in the world, while the pollution is the lowest. This session was followed by a question answer round, in which the panelists answered the questions asked by the students and also discussed projects like aTeach for Indiaa.
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1097
Mr Nandoo Bhende started with the importance of voice in professional as well as personal life. He reminded the students that even though talking comes naturally to us, we often tend to forget its importance and impact on others. Communication according to Aristotle is "Who says what to whom & with what effect." He highlighted this with a very practical example of a survey conducted by some insurance companies in USA to determine the reasons for growing number of lawsuits against doctors.

He conducted live demonstrations to illustrate the effects of variations in pitch, tone, style of speaking and voice on the meaning of an underlying sentence. He believes that perceptions are formed within the first few seconds of an interaction and the impact you can create on the listener within this miniscule time is what matters.

He also highlighted the importance of professional training in voice modulation benefitting people from various backgrounds like Television, Radio, Politics, Sales and Marketing. He finally advised the students to listen to some good orators and voice trainers like Zig Ziggler and Anthony Robbins to enhance their soft skills.
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1098
1. The applicant must be a GMAT student of Csquare Learnings Pvt. Ltd.
2. He/She should have successfully completed his/her GMAT Prep course.
2. He/she should have received an admission offer from ISB.

Ms Rashmi, Director - Academic Services, Csquare Learnings said, aWe want to encourage our qualified students apply to PGP program of ISB through this scholarshipa. She added, aISB is not just another MBA institution in India but an ideal place for personal and professional transformation, which enables an individual to face challenges in any area, anywhere in the worlda.
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Fortune Institute of International Business conducts programmes in Business Management duly recognized by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).
a Two years full-time PGDM program with specialization in Marketing, Finance and International Business. The programme has been accredited by National Board of Accreditation.
a Three years PGDM Part Time programme, a general management programme with specialization in Marketing, Finance, Human Resources and International Business.

Fortune Institute of International Business has a wi-fi enabled, multi-storied, fully air-conditioned campus. It has modern infrastructure facilities inclusive of classrooms, conference halls, library, and computer lab. Classrooms have facilities for training, inclusive of public addressing system, computers, OHP and LCD projectors. Fortune Institute of International Business has collaboration with Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, U.S.A for students exchange, faculty exchange, research & consultancy. Also, it has student exchange arrangement with School of Business Administration, Philadelphia University.
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The students attended a lecture on Asian Marketing Strategies by Prof Hooi Den Huan of Nanyang Technological University (Nanyang Business School), Singapore. This presented an opportunity for Great Lakes to strengthen ties with NTU. Later on, the delegation was addressed by the Dean of NTU, Dr Jitendra Singh. He spoke about the need for business schools to become more relevant and to redefine their roles as contributors to society and in the process foster innovation, new thinking which has been woefully lacking even with the top B Schools of the world. He also talked about how India was regaining its rightful place in the world with its rapid growth, something which it had lost since the 1700s. The session ended with a proposal to have student exchange programs in the coming years between the two institutes and to work more closely in offering new and more relevant Business programs.

The students also visited companies belonging to different domains. At ASCO Numatics (Manufacturers of pneumatic valves) a an Emerson Group Company, Singapore, the students learnt about the inventory management techniques followed and the processes followed right from procuring raw materials to distribution in the supply chain. At Temasek Holdings, Singapore, an investment banking firm, Great Lakers learnt about the investment diversification portfolio of Temasek, the geographies it operates from and the entry and exit strategies followed in the short term as well as the long term. The students got a feel of the marketing strategies at the Singapore office of P&G.; This was followed by a visit to Redpill Solutions, a market research company. Later on, Great Lakers visited the Singapore Economic Development Board and attended a lecture on the Singapore Economy by Mr Engkeat Lee (Regional Director, South Asia). They also visited the PSA Port in Singapore and learnt about the techniques of efficient port management.

At the ministry of higher education in Malaysia, Mr Mohammed Nasser Mohammed Noor, director of higher education addressed the students about the higher education scene in Malaysia. He talked about the problems facing higher education in Malaysia and the plan of action to improve higher education in the next 20 years.

After this, the students visited Graduate School of Management, Malaysia. This presented an opportunity to explore areas of common interest such as student exchange programs etc. Great Lakes students interacted with the GSM students and learnt more about the MBA program offered by GSM and life in general as an MBA student in Malaysia. This was followed by a visit to UNITAR (University of Tun Abdul Razak), Malaysia. A lecture on the Malaysian economy by Prof Cheah Kooi Guan was organized for the visiting students. This was a learning experience for the students and they gained insights on how the Malaysian economy is different from the Indian economy and how it has evolved over the years and how it is handling the current worldwide economic crisis. The students also visited Bank Rakyat, Malaysiaas largest bank and learnt about Islamic Banking fundamentals and the differences between conventional banking and Islamic banking.
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The students were addressed by participants including Mr Santosh
Mohanty (Head, Global Technology Excellence, TCS), Mr Arun Pingaley
(Head, Product Management, Reveleus, Oracle Financial Services,
formerly i-flex Solutions Limited), Mr Srinivasan Komanduri (Office
Managing Director ,Consulting, Deloitte US Entities in India), Mr
Sonjoy Mohanty (CEO - A Little World ), Mr Abhijit Sen (AVP, Divisional
Manager & Bhubaneswar Center Head at Infosys Technologies Ltd), Mr
Sudipta Ghosh (Senior Manager, Innovation Group, WIPRO).

The event started with the lighting of the lamp by the director of the institute Fr PT Joseph, Dr Gopal Krishna Nayak and the various panelists. Also, the winners for the paper writing competition were announced. The first prize was bagged by Mr S Bala Vishwakumar and Mr Mainak Das from XIMB, followed by Mr Gaurav Gupta & Mr Lakshaw Jawa from Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad and the third prize was awarded to Mr Nishith Gupta & Mr Sumit Agarwal from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

The panelists stressed on the importance of IT in order to cater to the changing global scenario and how India should evolve from being a technical service provider to a business problem solver. They also spoke of how IT should try and manage the changes that happen within a company, such as acquisitions and mergers. The importance of disaster recovery, data mining, data storage & sorting was also discussed. They spoke of the advantages of having a unique customer experience and then moved on to discuss the importance of agility and speed which help in converting a business strategy to a business process. They also discussed issues like outsourcing of jobs to India and how we should work on improving our IT services so as to maintain the competitive edge that we have in the IT domain compared to the other countries.

The students were also given a practical demonstration of the evolving role of IT when Mr Sonjoy Mohanty showed them how a special mobile phone and an electronic device can be used to create Bank accounts for the villagers and issue debit cards. This was followed by a question & answer session in which the students asked a variety of questions related to the strengths and weakness of the IT industry.

In the end, Dr Gopal Krishna Nayak summarized the talk and discussed how IT was influencing all the sectors and would play a key role in managing change in the global scenario. The panelists and Dr Nayak also launched the magazine called X-ite for Envision a08 on behalf of the systems committee of XIMB. The event was concluded with a vote of thanks presented by Dr Sanjay Mohapatra , faculty coordinator of XSYS, the systems committee of XIMB.

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It is aimed at executives with professional experience who seek to improve their current managerial skills, and to develop new skills. Participants will be able to embrace new concepts and take advantage of the opportunity for knowledge transfer, by applying them directly to their workplaces. Additionally, the participants will draw benefit from the mix of backgrounds and will be able to share and learn from one another given their considerable managerial experiences.

Structured over 20 months, the Cambridge Executive MBA programme will be divided into five terms with classes scheduled one weekend per month at Judge Business School in Cambridge. The classes will begin on Fridays at 1300hrs and conclude at 1730hrs on Saturday, enabling candidates to continue to virtually work full-time, as well as making the programme accessible not only to those throughout the UK, but also to individuals from nearby European counties.

The curriculum will include 17 courses covering all essential business theories and applications and will be taught by the faculty of Judge Business School. It also provides specialization through two electives and an Individual Project. Additionally, the programme includes an international business study trip and a week-long Group Consulting Project.

Commenting on the launch, Professor Arnoud De Meyer, Director, Judge Business School, said: aThe Cambridge Executive MBA builds on the success of the Schoolas full-time MBA, ranked 10th globally by The FT in 2008, and is an exciting addition to the Schoolas expanding degree portfolio and an important strategic initiative. It is also a fitting contribution to the University as it celebrates its past and looks forward to many more years of educating leaders.a
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One of the key objectives of the conference is the understanding of factors to accelerate the growth of green marketing which began in Europe in the early 1980s. The development of ecologically safer products, recyclable and biodegradable packaging, energy-efficient operations, and better pollution control are all aspects of green marketing. Green marketing has catalyzed development of packaging using recycled paper, phosphate-free detergents, refill containers for cleaning products, and bottles using less plastic.

Another objective of the International Conference is to identify the emerging issues in green marketing and formulate recommendations for corporates for implementing effective green practices. Leading businesses and corporations can provide a powerful example by promoting agreena practices in day-to-day operations.

Mr Samuel Chandar, VP (HR and Corporate Communication) Henkel India said, "The Henkel a IMT aCenter for Excellence for Environment Management' was set up with a Henkel Chair on Environmental Management. This Center has helped drive awareness and understanding of environmental concerns & sustainability across B Schools, engineering colleges and other decision making platforms. This conference will provide an innovative forum to take sustainability to a new level".
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Dean (Academics), Dr V Gopal said, aThe Alumni meet provides an
opportunity to the Institute to acknowledge the contributions and
achievements of its alumni.a He further added, aIt provides a stronger
bonding and enhances the IMT leadership.a Professor Rajiv Kamble
(Chairperson for Placements, Corporate Communications, and Corporate
Interactions) threw light on the reforms that have taken place in the
functioning of the institute.
Professor Ranjit Nambudiri announced the plans to launch a community website for its alumni which would be a medium to share the experiences and gain knowledge. The alumni also shared their experiences in the aAchieveras Arcadea segment of the ceremony.

The current batch held various events like biz-quiz and krazzy floor - dance extravaganza. The ceremony was concluded with all the students and alumni dancing to the tunes of the DJ.
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1106
The first leg of Confluencia '08, consisting of Finance and IT/Consulting with Prof Alok Pandey, Professor from IMT Ghaziabad delivering a key note address on the Changing Trends in Indian Financial Markets, which was followed by a talk by Mr Sanjeev Krishan, Executive Director, Transactions, PWC India Pvt. Ltd. on Due Diligence in Mergers & Acquisitions. Post lunch sessions were taken by Mr Tushar Pandey, Country Head Strategic Initiatives & Advisory Government YES Bank Ltd. & Mr Rajan Sehgal, Managing Director Pro Fin Capital Services Ltd. Gurgaon, who spoke on the Paradigm Shift in Indian Financial Markets and Indian Capital Markets respectively. Day one of Confluencia provided insight on the nitty-gritty of Indian Financial Markets.

Day two of Confluencia-Phase one consisted of six speakers who delivered talks on various aspects of the Indian IT & Consulting Sector. The day began with a lively talk by Mr Deepak Bhatnagar, Advisor, TIFAC, Department of Science & Technology, GoI. It was followed by a session from Ms Nalini Narayan, Head, Industry Solutions Lab, IBM India Pvt. Ltd. She talked about Integrating IT with various sectors such as retail, banking, healthcare, etc. Towards the end of her talk, she also presented a demo of IBM solutions for retail shopping. The next lecture, given by Mr Abhimanyu Roy, Associate Vice President, Avalon Consulting, was about consulting sector in India which consisted of Role of Consulting Companies, opportunities and career prospects for students in Consulting sector. Post lunch sessions consisted of speakers like Dr. Atul Nischal, ex-CEO, S Chand & Co, Dr Atul Nischal spoke on the role of IT in Education. This session was followed up by a lecture from Commander Jaitly, Former Consultant, CISCO Systems, where he spoke on Leadership in IT Projects and the final lecture for first leg of Confluencia a08 was taken up by Mr R Sumanthra, Principal Consultant, eGestalt Tech Pvt. Ltd, who took a session on MCA21 Project.

The second leg of Confluencia' 08, which consisted of Marketing and Operations began with Dr Sanjeev Prashar, marketing professor at IMT Ghaziabad, he delivered a key note address on aIndian Consumer: Discriminating Onea, which was followed by a talk by Mr. Rajnish Kumar, Category Manager (Chaupal Sagar), ITC, on Organized Retail in Rural India. Post lunch, Conlfuencia a08 witnessed sessions from Mr Koteshwar, Brand Manager, Thums Up & Mr. Raghunath, a Media Consultant. The two spoke on the Branding Strategies of Thums Up and Changing Face of Indian Consumerism respectively. Overall, the day 3 of Confluencia provided a great insight on the nitty-gritty of Marketing in Indian Scenario.

Day two of Confluencia-Phase two consisted of four speakers who delivered talks on various aspects of Operations Management. The day began with a talk from Prof. Upendra Kachru, ex-CEO Maruti Udyog Ltd. and currently a Professor with IILM Gurgaon. Prof Kachru shared his knowledge and expertise in Strategic Cost Management. It was followed by a session by Mr. Surinder Sharma, Consultant, Quality Management, where he talked about various aspects of Quality Management. The next lecture, given by Mr NP Chandok, Quality Head, Hero Honda Motors Ltd., was about Quality Processes at Hero Honda Motors Ltd. The final session of Confluencia a08 was conducted by Mr B Kumar, Sr Dy General Manager, BHEL, Haridwar, who talked about Six Sigma Processes.
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