Indian Institute Of Management Rohtak

2 0 1 3

Cover Story

R-LETTER

GENDER DIVERSITY

December 2013

From The Editorial Desk

Dear Reader,

We are proud to present before you the third edition of R-Letter,

the magazine of Indian Institute of Management Rohtak (IIM-R).

After a brief hiatus, we are back with the latest news and

happenings in campus and outside.

The past few months have been an exciting time for IIM-R. The

first edition of our management festival Infusion'13 was held in

the beginning of the year, which turned out to be an unqualified

success. In another few weeks, we bid adieu to our second PGPM

batch with the convocation ceremony held in March. The intervening

summer months, set apart for the internship period, saw some of us

interning at reputed corporates like 3M, Dabur, Tata Motors etc.

The academic year 2013-14 started with the launching of the

maiden batch of the Fellow Programme in Management, a doctoral

level programme with a focus on management research, a th

momentous occasion for us. The 4 batch of PGPM joined in June,

with a strength of 150 students and succeeded in bridging the

gender gap with a whopping 48% female students. Apart from the

gender diversity, the new batch brought an eclectic mix of talent in

terms of extracurricular and entrepreneurial achievements.

Thereon, it has been a whirlwind spell of academic rigor

interspersed with guest lectures and events like the two HR

Summits focusing on Manufacturing and Service sectors, held in rd

August & September respectively. The 3 Management Conclave, on

the theme of finding avenues of growth during times of business

uncertainty, was held in October, as was the second NCR Business

Summit. Scaling new heights, fresh academic and research

collaborations were initiated with Singapore Management

University & California State University at Fullerton during the

year.

On the extracurricular front, IIM-R students did the institute

proud by participating in events like Deloitte War of Bands &

Maverick, Varchasva at IIM-L, FLIP National Challenge, CAG

Manthan etc and winning some of them. Life at IIM-R has been lively

with celebrations of Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Id, Durga Puja etc,

Treasure Hunts, Parties, an intra-batch cricket T20 series etc. It

was a proud occasion for all members of the IIM-R community when

legend Milkha Singh turned up to support us in our endeavor to raise

awareness against gender discrimination at 3rd Run for the Girl

Child Marathon.

We sincerely hope that this edition of R-Letter will give you a

glimpse of the life at IIM-R and the myriad events and activities

that make our journey here a fun filled learning experience! We

expect that the remainder of this academic year will be as eventful

as the preceding part, if not more, as we gear up for Infusion'14 in

the coming months. As always, we would be happy to receive your

valuable feedback, which will help us improve future editions.

Warm regards,

Editorial TeamDecember 2013 R-Letter

Editorial Team

Aastha Pandey

Ankita Singh

Ankita Sinha

Gaurav Kalelkar

Mohith S

Sriti Yadav

Tarun Sharma

Graphics Team

Abhishek Kesarwani

Anuj Singh

Harsha Shinde

Sneha Arolkar

1/ 3/

4/ 6/

2/

5/

8/ 7/ 9/

11/

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

9

10

/ Rohtak Premier league

/ Janmashtami

/ Scavenger hunt

/ Nukkad natak

/ Teachers Day

/ Onam Celebrations

/ Ganesh Chaturthi

/ Management Conclave13

/ Galore of talents in

PGP04

/ New international

academic and research

collaborations at IIM-R

8

14/

/ FPM 1st Batch

/ HR Summit13

/ Internship Experience

/ Students Achievements

/ Swabhav - a social

initiative

/ Creative Section

11

12

13

14

15

16

12/

The first ever cricket premier

league tournament kick started in rd

the institute on 23 July, 2013. The

enthusiasm of both the PGDM

batches at the auction, proved

how well-received the idea was,

especially by the cricket-lovers and

the budding entrepreneurs, some

of whom dream of owning the real

thing someday! Six teams were

part of the process namely- Delhi

patakas, Hyderabadi phuljhadis,

Mumbai jhintaks, Kolkata KLJ,

Chennai mind it!, & Patna

Rangbaaz.

Initiatives And Events at IIMR

Rohtak Premier League

R-Letter

Page 01

'Janmashtami' was celebrated at

IIM-R on August 28th with a lot of

joy and enthusiasm including the

tradition of 'DahiHandi'. As the first

year students reached the spot

and started strategizing. Seniors

came to their balconies to watch

the young ones try their hand at

the matki-phod event like they had

last year. And they made sure the

task didn't come easy to the

freshmen. They brought out their

buckets and hosepipes, drenching

the boys as they struggled to gain

some balance on each other's

shoulders. The girls stood nearby,

cheering and spurring their batch-

mates on.

Janmashtami

Nukkad Natak

R-Letter

Page 02

Scavenger Hunt

The first entertaining event of the academic session 2013-14, was euphoria personified. The

"Scavenger Hunt" came back with a bang and struck just the right chord, stirring the

boredom out of our minds.

The group of zealots that the CultCom is, the success of the event was inevitable. Never was

the campus as buzz, with excited faces running

around, on bikes, cycles and some even on foot.

Almost everybody around was jumping with glee

and having a time of their lives. The

unpredictability of the tasks made up for any void

that would have been left. The 'hunt' consisted of two levels, the first one was a search for

clues and the second one was a spicy 'chatpata' mix of collecting uncanny articles and

weirdest possible tasks. Right from getting a superman picture clicked to leaving lipstick

marks on the cheeks of a team-mate, collecting

multi-colored socks to 'yellow ties', along with a

race against the constantly tightening ropes of

time.

Top 3 winning teams to complete all the tasks

in the least time were "Holmes&Watsons",

"SwashBucklers" and "Robin_Hoods", but it

was one of those rare competitions where

winning or losing hardly matters as the fun lies

just in participation.

Bliss has a few synonyms, but the Cultural

Committee created a blissful experience for all of us and gave us an earthly synonym, 'The

Scavenger Hunt'. Kudos to the team! Keep it up guys!!

As a part of the run up to Run for the Girl

Child mini-marathon, 'NukkadNaataks'

(street plays) were enacted by students to

convey important messages related to

women empowerment. The audience

witnessed some splendid performances by

the two groups-'Aayam' and 'Psychokeeda'.

While Aayam addressed the issue of eve-

teasing, Psychokeedas depicted the trials and

tribulations faced by a woman in different phases of her life.

.

Teachers Day

An exuberant crowd welcomed the

professors as they walked in the seminar hall

with beaming smiles. It was teachers day

and the students of IIM R had organised

something special for the faculty members.

The function started off with a beautiful

Doha by Kabir spoken by the anchor-

Guru Kumhar Sikh Kumbh Hai,

Gadh Gadh Kadhe Khot,

Antar Hath Sahar De,

Bahar Bahe Chot

This means that the guru is like a potter who

cures the flaws and pounds on the outside to

give shape to the student who is like a pot, while caring for it from the inside.

The students had organised games for the faculty members, the first involved tongue

twisters. Roles of the professors and students got reversed as the professors started slow

but gradually speeded up with encouragement and applause from the students. Another

game in the garb of a surprise quiz involved answering a series of rapid fire questions where

the professors proved their mettle by rapidly firing back equally witty answers to the witty

questions posed by the anchor. Lastly, a game of musical chairs was organised where the

faculty members walked their way around the chairs to the sound of Christmas carols on the

loudspeakers and cheers from the audience members. The highlight of the evening was the

song played by the students and one of the faculty members. Both the learners and the

learned came together to sing and play Ajeeb Dastaan hai yeh!

The professors were asked to share some words of wisdom with the students and as the

professors spoke, the audience listened with rapt attention. The professors expressed how

important it was that students consider them as friends and mentors. They mentioned that

there was a need to facilitate collective learning to enable good thoughts and creative

insights from both ends. One of the professors recited this verse to great applause-

Baarisho mein bheego, dhoop mein nahake dekho

Zindagi kya hai ,yeh zara kitabo ko hatake dekho

For a perfect end to the evenings festivities a large cake was brought out for the professors

who requested the students to join in. The students of course, did not need to be told twice.

R-Letter

Page 03

Upcoming Events

OnamOnam at IIM-R

w a s a n

unforgettable day.

The Onasadya

was a foodies

dream, prepared

by a Keralite chef

specially called for

t he o c ca s i on ,

comprising brown

rice, parippu (dal)

curry, inji (adrek) curry, kichdi, sambar, avial, semiya (vermicelli)

and ada payasams (kheer), chips and upperi served on a green

paper leaf resembling the traditional plaintain leaf. The food was

served by students to their peers and the faculty with a lot of love

and care which made the experience all the more memorable.

Ganesh Chaturthi

On 13th September, the

Indian Inst i tute of

Management Rohtak,

c e l e b r a t e d t h e

auspicious occasion of

Vinayak Chaturthi with

v i go r and sm i l e s .

Keeping up with the

culture of students

celebrating festivals

from across the nation, the occasion brought forth the feeling of

oneness to charge up the daily routine. As the evening started

darkening, the ambience changed in IIM-R. Feet, which were

dreary from the daily routine, were suddenly jumping in gleeful

anticipation. The event began with an Aarti ceremony, which

was followed by authentic Marathi-style dinner.

Marathon

Flashmob

Infusion

R-Letter

Page 04

Management Conclave13

Indias GDP growth rate in 2007 was 9.9%, our forex

reserves were to the tune of 300 billion dollars, an

amount which could cover our current account

deficit 37.5 times over. However, now Inflation and

devaluation of the rupee have become common

dinner time discussion topics across households in

the country. GDP growth rate in the April-June

quarter of the current fiscal year 2013-2014 was

4.4%. The theme for the Management Conclave

was -Finding the Silver Lining: Growth During

Business Uncertainty is especially relevant in this

economic environment, as businesses need to find

ways to rev up their growth despite the bleak

scenario. To paraphrase a certain actress-

Uncertainty is the only certainty in business.

Prof P. Rameshan in his inaugural speech said that

the Indian economy faced persistent inflation

arising due to demand-supply mismatch and the

onus is on the public and private sectors to revive

the Indian growth story.

The 1st session was titled, Marketing for Value

Generation during times of constrained growth. Mr.

Prasoon Bannerjee, the Panel Moderator said

Marketing requires skills of ambidexterity -

managing the current situation along with exploring

newer opportunities. The panel was of the opinion

that economic scenarios like the current one

demand businesses to think out of the box. It

preceded the discussions on Leadership

competencies during market uncertainties and

Leveraging the PPP mode of f inancing

infrastructure development.

The 1st day featured prominent panelists Mr.

Kumar Abhimanyu, Head Campus Recruitment,

Reliance Industries Limited and Mr. Sanju

Kanery, Vice President & Regional Head - Debt

Capital Markets, Cushman & Wakefield among

others. The 2nd day of the management

conclave also witnessed thought provoking

discussions and participation from the movers

and shakers in the industry.

The theme for the 1st panel discussion was

Profiting through Project Management during

constrained growth. Mr. Sujit Guha, Director-

Supply Chain, Goodyear said Risks for projects

are always there. You can only preplan so much.

One needs to think from a long term

perspective. We need to keep our eyes open.

The 2nd session was on HR Practices in leading

business organizations during constrained

growth. It was agreed upon that Consistency in

practices is very important and sporadic

excellence does not serve purpose in the long

run. Respect and trust for employees is very

important along with risk mitigation and

investing in new competencies ahead of time.

Contextual leadership was the topic of

discussion for the 3rd panel. Mr Ambarish

Gupta, CEO of Knowlarity Communications said

contextual leadership is about constantly

evolving to new circumstances to reach a

particular goal. The final panel discussion was

on- IT for sustained performance during

constrained growth, where the advent of SMAC,

social network, mobility, analytics or big data,

cloud was discussed as well as the different

opportunities for leveraging the use of

technology.

R-Letter

Page 05

A GALORE OF TALENTS

In the Fourth Batch

R-Letter

Page 06

The Indian Institute of Management Rohtak (IIM-R)

th

inducted the 4 year Post Graduate Programme in

Management on 1 July, 2013. The course was formally

launched by Dr. B.N. Ramesh, IPS and Prof. P.

Rameshan, Director of IIM-R. The new batch consists

of 153 students, of which 73 are females. This rich

gender-diversity at IIM-R has already hit the headlines

and broken the stereotype about premier B-Schools in

India. In addition to the diversity in gender, the new

batch also boasts of students drawn from diverse

academic backgrounds such as: Dentistry, Pharmacy,

Apparel Production, Bio-Technology & Mathematics.

The batch has a judicious mix of freshers and those

with work-experience, in an approximate proportion of

40:60.IIMs are the Business Schools where students

come with a lot of aspirations.

Raghuram K Belur, a student from the 3rd batch of

IIM-Rohtak has founded a startup named Root42

Labs Private Limited at Gurgaon, after joining the

institute. Notably, this start-up has featured among

the 5 startups picked for Techcircle Runway held in

th

Delhi on June 27, 2013. The 4 batch of IIM-Rohtak

also features a lot of promising talents.Pruthvi Aala, a

th

student from the 4 batch of IIM-R, was working as a

Senior programmer at Accenture, Hyderabad. Pruthvi

says Studying at an IIM has been a dream for me

since my college-days. I had let go of the admission

offer from MDI in 2011 just because of my dream and

friends started a Frankie stall named Red-

meanwhile I planned on starting a business. I and

my Hot Foods Private Limited, at Hyderabad. Now

after joining IIM-R of opportunities to improve

myself, this will help me to become a better

businessman in the future.

Rahul, another student from the new batch of IIM-

R, is a Mechanical Engineer from NIT-Jamshedpur.

When asked about his expectations about IIM-R,

Rahul says: For the last 2 years, I had been

working with Tata-Motors. According to me, this

was an ideal time for me to do a PG course in

Management. I have already written a book

named: Amidst the Showers. When I got an

admission offer from IIM-

R, I accepted it without

any hesitation. Before

coming here, the point

that the institute does not

have its own campus was

haunting me. However,

when I came here, I was

overwhelmed with the

facilities available to us.

The way we we re

e x p o s e d t o t h e

Personality Development

Programme (PDP) during the induction, helped me

develop a positive attitude. Going ahead, I would

like to interact with people from diverse

backgrounds studying here. The mindsets,

communication skills and other talents they

possess will definitely help me hone my talent as a

writer.

With the galore talents from various backgrounds,

IIM-Rohtak is set to explore new horizons. It is

imperative for any B-School to have diversity

among students and this will not only trigger

healthy discussions in classrooms but also improve

the learning of students outside the classrooms.

This is very important to produce Future-Ready

managers, who can bring practicality & innovation

together to the table. The institute is heading

towards a future, which is promising for its

stakeholders, the society and the nation as a whole.

Fellow Program in Management | First Batch

New international academic and research

collaborations at IIM-R

It was a proud moment for us to have

entered into an academic and research

collaboration with the prestigious

Singapore Management University (SMU)

to foster co-operation in areas such as

exchange of faculty members, invitations

for visiting faculty and scholars, joint

conferences, faculty research workshops

and symposiums, as well as exchange of

students.

A MoU in this regard was signed to

formalize the agreement, by Prof. P.

Rameshan, Director, IIM-R and SMU's

Deputy President and Provost, Prof. R. K.

Srivastava, in the presence of SMU's

President, Prof. Arnoud De Meyer, during the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) Directors and Alumni

Roundtable on Exploring New Areas of Excellence in Higher Education organized by SMU at Singapore.

Another agreement on similar lines was signed with the California State University at Fullerton, USA, in

March 2013, with plans to set up sister Centres of Excellence at both IIM-R and at Fullerton. IIM-R already

has an academic and research collaboration agreement with Kelley School of Business, Indiana University,

USA in place.

IIM-R family proudly welcomed participants

of the Fellow Programme in Management

(FPM), a 4-yr doctoral level management

research programme, which was launched

today. The participants of the maiden batch

come from academic backgrounds as

diverse as Biotechnology & Fashion

Technology, with a majority of 8 female

students.

The course was inaugurated by Prof. P.

Rameshan, Director, IIM Rohtak and the

subsequent induction programme had

orientation sessions by eminent faculty and

researchers from premier institutions like IIM

Bangalore, IISc Bangalore and IIM Indore.

IIM-R offers FPM in the broad areas of Business Environment; Financial Management; General

Management; Human Resources Management; Information Technology Systems; Marketing;

Operations and Strategic Management.

R-Letter

Page 07

HR Summit13

R-Letter

Page 08

th th

IIM-R organized the third and fourth HR Summit on 4 August and 14 September 2013,

respectively, focusing on the

The key speakers of the summit were Mr. Amit Malik, Director Human Resource, Aviva, Mr. R

Nanda, VP-HR Tata Chemicals, Mr. Sanjeeva Dubey, Asia Pacific Delivery Lead, IBM, Mr. Anshul

Bhargava, Head HR at PNB Housing Finance Ltd, Ms. Preemita Singh, HR Leader - Head

Organization & Staffing at Max Life Insurance Company Limited, Mr Sunil Goyal, Chief

Operating Officer of Sopra India Pvt Ltd, Mr Deepak Jain, Assistant Vice President HR of TCIL

and Mr Raja Radhakrishnan, HR Country Manager of ABB and many other notable people from

the corporate world who graced the occasion with their presence.

How to re-engineer the organizational structure to adapt to the needs of a modern, techno-

savvy employee was the key issue addressed in the Summit. A very important trait that is

being observed in the new generation employees is of non-recognition of authority. The

modern employee is dedicated in his work but expects a friendly and conducive atmosphere,

rather than a strict code of conduct at the workplace. A fresh perspective, brought forward

was that the Generation Y employees looked for a Corporate Lattice rather than a Corporate

Ladder.

The event was an eye opener for all participants in the sense that change is inevitable and it

would do everyone a world of good to pay heed to it. The innumerable capabilities of Gen Y and

the techniques which can be used to utilize those capabilities were discussed upon at length

.To Quote Victor Frank - You have no idea what the human mind is capable of.

HR Challenges for Managing New Generation Employees in

the Service and Manufacturing Industry.

Learning: Tail-gating

It was nice to see a chewing gum dispenser kept on

the floor. As a management student, we wanted to

analyze it with Porter's five forces before we enter

into a new venture. We looked at the 'Determinants

of Supplier Power' but over-estimated that it will be

refilled when emptied. We could see 'Threat of New

Entrants' playing in the minds of folks around.

Everyone wants to gain the lion's share in the

market which leads to a 'Rivalry among Existing

Players' and they over-utilized the machine. FYI

The dispenser is yet to be refilled.

Learning: Use of management lessons in real

life could be disastrous.

I got the opportunity to travel across India for the

field work as a part of my project. I was excited to

travel to a few cities (Kolkata, Baroda, Surat and

Jaipur) where I had never been before. Being

a south Indian, I never realized the importance

of learning Hindi before this stint. The funniest

part was when I learnt numerals in Hindi and

bargained with autowalas.

Learning: Broken Hindi

Thanks to the induction programme, we

were taken out for lunch to a restaurant in

UB City on the first day. Indeed, it was a

dream come true'. The day of final

presentation also ended with a grand

lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed the outing.

Learning: All that starts well ends well

but not sure what happens in the

middle.

Fun apart, on a serious note it was a

great experience to be at 3M and

i n te rac t w i t h f o l ks whose

experience in 3M is equal to my

. age. The best part is the freedom

that is given to think through

which helped me come to up

with innovative solutions in

my project. No wonder, 3M is

ranked as the third most

innovative company in the

wor ld. Memorable

days !!

but

F u n

great

interact

experie

a g e

t h a t i s

problems

w i t h w i t h

my project.

ranked as the

i n n o v a t i v e

world. world.

days days days

Around 3M in 60 days

Once upon a time in Chennai (my

hometown), I was gearing up for

my internship by taking as much

rest as I could. The thought

process is if I recharge myself with

excessive sleep, law of averages

will keep me awake during the next

few afternoons at work place. But,

did this preparation really work out?

No points for guessing.

Learning: Excessive preparation can

help you get into the groove but might

be a wrong one.

The show begins now. The first day, I

come in and I am taken to a place where

a few gentlemen and a lady were busy

discussing something. I was asked to

introduce and as this is the first time I'm

meeting the corporate professionals in a

long time, I gave a so called introduction

in order to impress them. When I was

expecting them to start their part with their

name and experience in 3M, I hear 'IIM' and it

took me a few minutes to sync that they were

my peers from other IIMs.

Learning: Understand the importance of 'A'-

'Audience' in 'PAIBOC' analysis of 'Managerial

Communication' course in B-School. (Sounds

like too many jargons?? Looks like this is how

management graduates can survive)

Here in this place, everyone moves around by

swiping a card hanging from their neck. As

contractors we were also provided a badge with a

card. It was a shock to me when the door didn't

respond to the swipe of my card. The bigger shock

was when I figured out that what I have with me is a

laminated piece of paper with my name on it. The

biggest shock was when I real ized as a

contractor(Intern) I might have to manage with this. As

getting 'A2A' - 'Access to Access card' was a concern,

whenever I see the door open, I feel like running out like a

kid to make best use of the opportunity.

R-Letter

Page 09

...Summer internship

experience by Sriram TE

PGP03

In the last few weeks, IIM-R saw its students bringing glory home in various academic and extra-curricular

events- , -the annual Cultural and Sports Festival organized by IIM-L,

and .

Team NOUS from the institute displayed a wonderful performance in Deloitte Maverick 2013. The three-

member team, Naresh Sharma, Abhishekh Sinha and Thiyagarajan all from PGP03 - cleared the first round

of Maverick, and went on to attempt a simulation of real time consultancy assignment, in which they had to

present a solution within 3 days. Unfortunately, they could not make it beyond the second round, but the nd

team was enlightened by Deloitte partners and key consultants in the 2 round held at IIT-Delhi. Another

event - the War of Bands at the same venue saw participation of the rock band from IIM-R comprising

Saurabh Vicky (Band Captain), Araib Hasan (Drums), Mridul Dhiman (Rhythm and Lead Guitar), Atulya Tej

(Bass Guitar), Prashansa Khandelwal and Tushar Rhode (both Vocals). The band performed four songs in

front of a jam-packed audience.

The FLIP National Challenge is

an all-India certification exam

conducted by Finit iat ives

Learning India Private Limited

(FLIP) for B-School students. In

FLIP, Rakesh Gandhari, PGP03

student of IIM-R was ranked first

- All India Rank (AIR) 1 - in

Treasury & Capital Markets

category. He also secured AIR 9

in Corporate Banking, making

IIM R proud. This achievement

made him eligible for a number

of placement opportunities in

both the categories i.e. Treasury

& C a p i t a l Ma r ke t s a n d

Corporate Banking. About his

achievement, and about the

hard work involved in it, Rakesh

says, I had one month in hand when I enrolled... Then I went about prioritizing my commitments and

tweaked my schedule a bit to accommodate time for preparation. His suggestion to all FLIP aspirants is to

have at least two rounds of preparation of the syllabus.

Team Sanjeevani comprising PGP04 students Sonal Chaudhary, Rohit Gupta, Shagun Choudhary, Nishant

Goel and Jaya Tibrewal were declared the runners up for a national level competition organized by Manthan,

organized by CAG, a NGO based in New Delhi, for their presentation titled Universalizing access to primary

healthcare in India.

The crowning glory of the season came when IIM-R cricket team secured the Gold Medal, defeating the IMT

Ghaziabad team, in the cricket tournament finals of Varchasva - the annual fest of IIM Lucknow. IIM-R was

represented by 36 students for various events. The cricket team emerged champions under the captaincy of

Manish Prakash, PGP03 and the wonderful performance by Omkar Pol, Navdeep Singh and Atif ul Islam.

According to the Captain, After the lengthy journey, it was an amazing performance by our team.

From sports to music to academics, IIM-R students are proving their mettle in every event and their efforts

are bearing fruits. As they say, Rome was not built in a day, and definitely this is not the limit of heights that

the institute is going to reach. IIMR is looking forward to narrate its next success story.

FLIP Varchasva Deloitte War of

Bands Maverick

Students Achievements

R-Letter

Page 10

SWABHAV - A Social Initiative

Planting the Seeds

One of the dignitaries who visited our institute for a

guest lecture said, When you graduate from an

institute like an IIM, we expect you to have learnt

some entrepreneurial skills. What we want from

you is innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship

Giving meaning to these words, a spirited team of

seniors conceived of a novel initiative and named it

SWABHAV. The idea had its roots in a resolve to

help the girl child and the desire to give back to the

society and make some difference in the lives of the

people around them. They had already seen the

grossly skewed sex ratio of Haryana and the

lackadaisical attitude towards the education of

girls.

The idea takes shape

Before embarking on the journey, they set out to

do a feasibility study, to find out how they could

contribute towards promoting education of girls

and to select a medium of advertisement. The

results of their research affirmed their beliefs.

There was a huge dropout rate of

girls, with 34% girls dropping out

before class 5 itself. The reason

cited behind this was the huge

workload they had at home.

As for the medium of advertising,

the students found out that auto-

rickshaws were the ubiquitous

mode of transport in Rohtak and

the adjoining villages. They also

discovered that the auto drivers

were just able to break-even every

month and had nil savings. They

also noticed the advertising space

available on the exterior of the auto body. Autos

had a lot of visibility as they plied throughout the

city and the nearby villages all day. The idea was

born - it only required shaping up and being

presented in the right manner to the right people.

Execution....The toil begins

Next, they figured out who would like to advertise

on these autos. Realizing that high-end shops or

premium brands would not deem an auto as an

appropriate medium of advertisement as their

target customers were people from the higher

strata of the society, they zoned in on mid-level

businesses like restaurants, new coaching

institutes, schools and medical centres. Then

began the task of deciding on the cost break up.

For this, they took into confidence the auto drivers

and tried to find out which schools they were

sending their wards to. They found out the fees at

those schools. Then they found out the cost it

would take to print and put up boards at the back

of the autos. The cheapest amount they could get

this done for came to be around Rs 340.

R-Letter

Page 11

R-Letter

But what was most vital and arduous was the task

of convincing people to support the initiative. They

prepared a sales pitch, the highlights of which were

helping the girl child, the money being used for a

noble cause, messages promoting girls education

written on the boards along with the organizations

name, and the customers of the organization

giving a positive response on seeing the

organization attached with a worthwhile cause,

hence translating into a positive brand recall.

Planning things to the minutest details, they were

able to get into the fold a school, a fast food joint

and a medical centre to kickstart the initiative. On

th

26 January 2012, the occasion of Republic Day, Swabhav took its first baby steps. The cost that the

associated organizations paid was Rs 1000/auto/month out of which Rs 600 went for the school fees

of the auto drivers daughters and the rest was utilized for tuition fees, if any and repair of the auto, if

required.

A major issue here was accountability. To solve this problem, all details of the autos were taken and

fed into a database. Photocopies of the autos

registration papers , drivers ration cards for

identification were also filed .The amount for the

school fees was provided only on furnishing the

original school fees receipt .

Spreading wings

The initiative currently counts among its

supporting sponsors, the esteemed State Bank

of India. In association with a computer training

institute, free computer training is also being

provided to some girls. Talks are on for a

proposed career counseling session and

expanding operations to take up the complete

education of a few girl children till the high

school level. The venture presents a perfect

example of how an amalgamation of creativity,

out-ofbox thinking and business acumen can lead to making a difference in the society.

Page 12

R-Letter

Life at IIM-R ...By Shagun

Chaudhary

PGP04

As I sit alone at Narmada girls' hostel, I try to make sense of my thoughts which

are wandering in all directions. Primarily I am thinking of the entire PGP04

batch being in the comfort of their homes, fed by their maas and paas as if

haven't eaten since a decade and being praised by masis and chachis

hamara bacha to IIM wala hogya. Another line of thought goes along the PR

cell. As a responsible PR cell member I promised another responsible PR cell

member that I'll be doing my bit in this time R Journal. I just needed a topic and

then my thoughts would race along that direction and I will pen down an

exquisite piece which my roomie is going to love (sometimes I wonder if she's

just being nice to me), giving tough competition to TOI and HT and maybe do

an internship there and.Phew! Loneliness makes you crazy and stupid and

basically lonely! So I ask myself what am I missing?And then I ask myself aloud

what am I missing! And there is deafening silence except a few MDU girls

looking up my balcony and giving an expression what's wrong with her!

So the past week was action packed for the batch. We gobbled food in record

time, changing the unit for duration of sleep from hours to minutes and

managed to keep ourselves awake in post lunch exams too! So one night when

my eyes were heavy from the feeling that you haven't slept in 2 days and my

pillow was fascinating, alluring, attracting me with a force greater than the

four forces of nature I looked around and thought of going to sleep. But then I

saw my diligent roomie immersed in the microeconomics book like a

factologic-psychologic iceberg and I decided to wash my face and at least pass

the exam! As I walked along the corridor I heard voices from the adjacent

room. It was Achla Choudhary teaching LAB to some girls. My thoughts

immediately drifted towards but the fact that in the system of relative grading

people are collaborating this way. Then there is Rishav Jhunjhunwala taking

classes in the boys hostel the night before the exam, Rohit Singh teaching

DBMS to 3 different groups 3 different times and leaving other topics himself

just for them, Guptaji taking tutorials in every possible subject: You name it

and he'll teach it, and of course Ajay of SnC club who took the OR tutorial for

us. So before the first HR summit when the anchors weren't decided and there

was a tough competition for the job, Tejaswani my co-anchor told me we'll

take help from Sriti for the script and I was like isn't she our contender! We

ended up hosting the summit together, writing the script together and every

time I write something it goes to her for proof reading.

Isn't it ironical that the most grueling phase of life we are all going to be a part

of is preceded by the best of the time here. Whether it's the placement

committee toiling for hours over phone for our placements, to the guys

dropping the girls at the hostel each night, to the girls who took the onus of

draping sarees to everyone on Onam, everything is like a symphony of

struggle and association. I wish I had clicked some pictures of that night before

the exam where there was so much group study in the hostel which taught me

the essence of staying together. As a person who had never shared her room

with anyone, I am sharing my life with many individuals here I didn't know

until 3 months back. As time progresses there is going to be competition but

then there is hope that there will always be someone for me because we are

family!

R-Letter

Page 13

Light at both ends

of the tunnel

By Senthilkumar Subbiah

PGP03

Two decades of globalization, liberalization and

privatization has changed the Indian market scenario very

drastically. At the same time in this information era, it is

hard to brush aside the past glory of our Nation which

commanded around 25% of the world's GDP during the

16th century. But now the issue is no more about growth

rather it is about inclusive and sustainable growth as said

by our finance minister P.Chidambaram in the budget

speech on 28thFebruary,2013 in LokSabha.

At this crucial juncture Business Ethics is a topic for a

vitriolic debate amongst today's Generation Y in academic

as well as social circles. But the issue of ethics in business

and social life is not something unique to this time, people

have been contemplating about the topic since ancient

times. Adam Smith is very much known in the business

circles for his dictum, It is not from the benevolence of the

butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our

dinner, but from their regard to their own interest. We

address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-

love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of

their advantages.

But few know about his book Theory of moral sentiments

and his career as a professor of moral philosophy. Today

Corporates, Business Leaders, students and common man

coexist in a murky tunnel where ethics is still in the

process of being clearly defined and legitimized.

But the spirit and hope of young India is still alive,

there is light at both the ends of the tunnel. A good

number of work force entering the job market every

year still believe in the values and ethics inculcated in

us by our country's rich heritage and the experiential

learning from our family as a social unit. On the other

end, most corporates now emphasize the need for

professional ethics and integrity in the industry. To

quote some, The Hindu's consistent emphasis on

professional integrity in journalism, establishment of

reader's editor as an institution and TATA as a brand, is

known throughout the world for ethics in business.

As India is in dire need for energy in the coming years

to sustain its industrial growth, this murky tunnel also

needs energy and direction to clear the air so that we

as a country can keep moving steadfast towards the

goal of a Happier India.

Thus we need innovative ways to match this supply

and demand of ethics. We need to increase the

supply of ethical workforce by shifting the emphasis

on value based education and at the same time we

need enough organizations to absorb this ethical work

force too, thus striking the right balance. By ensuring

this, we can fortify our conviction that there is indeed

light at both ends of the tunnel and reinforce the idea

that we as a nation are resurrecting.

It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the

baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their

own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but

to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities

but of their advantages. -Adam Smith

R-Letter

Page 14

It is that time of the year again and the interviews are

again round the corner. With one trimester down, when

you have just completed the process of digesting the

nuances of the system, it's time for summers and again

stands up the evergreen perennial question, WHY

MBA. Not many of us, including me, have convinced

even ourselves with the successful answer for this one,

leave alone the aunts of the neighborhood back home,

arguably more worried about my career than myself or

anyone else in the world. There are seldom any honest

answers for the same, but then, there are some, like,

Sir, I don't exactly know what do I want to do with my life

but probably, I am quite good at making a sense of

something out of everything or may be Because Sir,

that seems to be the trend now and the second best

thing to do, after doing engineering or Because Sir, the

value of money may be drastically depreciating, but I still

highly appreciate its power of changing my world.

We may disagree but then, let's agree to disagree.

Probably that's what they want to teach us. And yes, we

have now arrived and there is no

turning back. I shall not discuss here,

how well we have done for ourselves

by coming here and how transforming

this experience is going to be. Or how

these are only two years in life, we

have, to prove ourselves and

probably reach the top of the

pyramid. Or that the race of life has

just begun and there will be a 3-Idiots

Part 2 for the B-Schools' overhyped

hectic life and the so called sadistic

faculties.

I will share here, how I believed, the things were, earlier

and how they seem to me, now. Whether it is just sheer

perception or the context, the type of change is still in

contest. It might amuse you, appeal you or shock you as

well.

So let's begin

I believed that I am lazy, laid back and can't do anything

on time, but now I know it for sure..!

I believed that it was highly relieving to say that Thank

God, it's Friday, but now I know that the Thank God

part is mostly not there.

I believed that there is a right as well as a wrong in every

decision you make and every step you take, but now I

k n o w t h a t i t a l m o s t a l w a y s d e p e n d s .

I believed that the postgraduates are grown up people,

but now I know that no one ever really grows up. We just

learn to behave in public.

I believed that I will have a secured future, but now I

know that it's a given under some perspectives and

impossible under some others.

a funny read, but now I know that our resumes are the

funniest..!

I believed that liberalism and proximity to the opposite

gender are exciting, but now I know that mystery and

distances are sometimes a lot more fun. I believed that

Honesty is not always the best policy and now I know that

the concept is truly universal. I believed that you ought to

have some relevant skills to get into a B-School and get

out as well, but now I know that everybody has their own

unique talents, management not always one of them.

I believed that women and sports are among the most

discussed topics amongst young men, but now I know that

placements and packages are way on the top.

I believed that the first impressions are NOT always the

last impressions and now I know how right I was.

I believed that chivalry is a respected quality of men, but

now I know that it is an antic often confused with flirting.

I believed that stupidity knows no

bounds but now I know it for a fact. I

believed that there are just two sides of

a coin, but now I know that the standing

coin in Sholay was not a complete

myth.

I believed that we can always choose

between the options, but now I know

that sometimes, there are just no

options available, all you have is mere

chance.

I believed that life is hard and needs to be taken seriously,

but now I know that I can take it easy, as nobody comes out

alive anyway. I believed that the place and the people are

the ones that matter, but now I know that it is always just

about the people.

I believed that, walking alone, you can go miles if

determined, but now I know that there is a reason that

solitary confinement is a fatal punishment.

I believed that the B-School friendship don't last long, but

now I know that these bonds formed through common

tragedies, distaste for the same people and criticizing of

the system, are there to last forever

I believed that I needed money, fame and power, but now I

know that there is much more that I need.I believed that we

are here in another stage of life to move on stronger, but

now I know that I would wish to come back here every time

I find a chance.

With Great Regards to Life,

Shashank Agrawal.

Why MBA?

By Shashank Agrawal

PGP04

R-Letter

Page 15

Indian Women: The Dream, The War

Every war began with a dream

this one isnt going to end soon seems

its been ages Ive been trying

sometimes pleading, some defying

for my rights

to come to life

to walk at nights

to live life at full

not in smaller bites

to have may say

to live my way

to stand for my wants

to own my day

not to be teased

or be raped

or be treated

as secondary state

nor to be sold in marketplace

or be killed for dowry stakes

I m no goddess

a human instead

& want to be treated

in the same tread

I know there will be hurdles

but I have to fight

with all my might

to stand for myself

and what is right

for, this is my war

this is my dream

By Prashant Kumar

"

--

R-Letter

Page 16

The ONE

A life lived by many..

Many led that one life..

Words are not enough to write..

Feelings are not suffice to express..

One place you belong to..

You been to many places..

An empty glass to be filled..

Overflown masking the empty..

Rose under the moonlight..

On the gravel walking the headlight..

A life lived by many..

One lived that life..

By Kanika Agrawal

PGP04

Dark sunlight

Wearing the blanket of darkness..

First time there was no suffocation..

Blind light provides the comfort..

Though throat choked for words..

No fear flowing across the face..

So why provided with the ray of light..

Light of no hope, light of no soul..

Light to feel the sense of breathing..

So much silence around..

No sign of jitters..

World seems to be black..

And here comes the rain..

From this blackness makes a way..

A sweet fragrance of daisy..

Opened my eyes to make way through light..

To walk, to feel the air again..

Standing on the ground..

Moving towards my way..

Turned around with a smile..

For the last time looked around..

People chattering with each other..

With flowers enjoying the occasion..

Again a smile spread across my face..

With a sense of relief I turned to move..

Started ascending for my way..

Behind the words shone brightly..

And read the epitaph..

By Kanika Agrawal

PGP04

The Journey

Memories..

You sit in the shadows and look in the light,

Your heart sings elegy to the minds plight,

The thoughts are clouding there will be pour,

The sun shines high but dark is the night!!

Think of thoughts and moments come to haunt,

Memories are a treasure, only your eyes can flaunt!

Shut your eyes tight, they threaten to burst,

They cry themselves dry but more is the thirst,

Broken dreams lie silent as your anguish cries,

Every memory you play to lose, last or first!!

Times when you are down, your heart cried,

War on your mind and the face again lied!

Smile curls on the lips as memories get the clown,

Sudden tinglish bursts crackle, the partys in town,

The festivities are swift and gone with a bang,

Time for the goodbyes, till you meet with a frown!!

Times your heart danced, and the world was good,

You wanted to stop time only if you could!

They prick, they tease, they are wild you cant tame,

You justify, they blame, you have to bow in shame,

Past wont change, you have to repent in future,

Convicted guilty as charged , your remorse is lame!

Times you felt if, change or a little more,

Gone are they, you have to live with the score!

When your mind is high they will fly with you,

Silent is your heart they will sing with you,

Fight them you cant and submit you wont,

They live in your heart and they will die with you!

Read through them, they are just pages of your past,

Breath life in every moment because they will never last!!

By Gaurav Kalelkar

PGP03

R-Letter

Page 17

IIM Rohtak R-letter is issued quarterly by student driven Public Relations Cell, IIM Rohtak. The views and opinion

expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Indian Institute Of

Management Rohtak

Page 18

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