IBSAF World - March 2010

Vol. IV No. 3 March 2010

IBSAF® WORLDIBS Alumni Federation Magazine

• © All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced or copied inany form by any means without priorwritten permission.• The views expressed in this publication are

purely personal opinions of the authors anddo not reflect the views of IBS AlumniFederation.• The views expressed by outside

contributors represent their personal viewsand not necessarily the views of theorganizations they represent.• All efforts are made to ensure that the

published information is correct. IBS AlumniFederation is not responsible for any errorscaused due to oversight or otherwise.

Printed, Published and Edited by S K Sharma onbehalf of IBSAF Head Office, 6-3-354/1/2,Shriya Towers, Hindi Nagar, Panjagutta,Hyderabad-500034, Andhra Pradesh. Printedat M/s. ICIT Software Center Pvt. Ltd., Plot.No. 165 & 166 P, Phase-V, IDA, Jeedimetla,Hyderabad 500055, Andhra Pradesh.

IBS, IBSAF and IBSAT are registered trademarks.

®

EditorS K SharmaManaging EditorGRK MurtyConsulting EditorProf. Harsh BhargavaAssociate EditorsS V Srirama RaoJAR MoortyEditorial TeamSurabhi Vyas, Mohan B,Priya Sen, Adilakshmi GChief VisualizerBangaru Babu AGraphic DesignerShiva Kumar MDirector (Production)H Sitaram

F O C U SHello Friends,Hope you are doing well in your careers. Well, this is the thirdissue of the year already; hard to believe, but time flies by. All ofyou now must be gearing up for the financial year end pressuresand deadlines at your workplace; in no time will you startplanning for your family’s annual vacation. Keeping this inmind, we would be featuring a few holiday destinations in aseries starting with this issue. You are also welcome to shareyour previous holiday experiences here in IBSAF World. Justsend in a 500 word write-up with appropriate photographs ofgood quality to [email protected] to get featured. Suchtravelogues could either be to a frequently visited destination or,more interestingly, to ‘waiting-to-be-discovered’ places likeOrcha (MP), Virudnagar (TN), Lepakshi (AP), Baggad(Rajasthan), etc… In case you are planning for a particularlocation and want some information, you can send in a specialrequest to us and we would try our best to feature the location inone of the forthcoming issues.Another section that we would like to introduce in the nearfuture is ‘Alumni Daak’, featuring all the feedback/suggestion wereceive from you. So write in to us at [email protected] withyour valuable inputs. Early responders stand to gain gifts/prizes.The alumni meets at Kochi, Kolkata and Ahmedabad sawmembers from all batches participating most enthusiastically. Wehad some very interesting games and contests in the events andmembers enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Ravi Rathi (’99), anentrepreneur and a member of the IBSAF Hyderabad CEC,organized a get-together of all his batch-mates in Hyderabad.The members relived their past memories and enjoyed a quietevening with their families. All left with a smile on their faces anda promise to meet again soon. You can catch snapshots of all theaction from these events inside and you can also download thephotographs from www.ibsaf.org. Any of you, who would want toorganize a class get-together, please write in to us for anyassistance or you can get in touch with any of the local IBSAFchapters.The festival of colors is round the corner, and here’s wishing allof you a very joy-filled and colorful Holi and a life ahead. A veryHappy Birthday to all of you celebrating your birthdays inMarch! Looking forward to your inputs and suggestions for theforthcoming issues. Till then,Warm regardsHarsh [email protected]

4 � March 2010 � IBSAF World

“IBS is a Magician”

IBSAF World � March 2010 � 5

A bhijeet was selectedfor MISE (MaerskInternational Shipping

Education) in Maersk Linethrough campus placement andwas lucky to get internationalexposure in his first job itself. Aftera stint of more than a year inMaersk Line, Abhijeet shifted tothe Banking Industry and joinedICICI Bank as an Area SalesManager in Cash ManagementServices in Mumbai, beforemoving to Blend Financials.Looking backI would say IBS is a “Magician”which has the capacity to change theattitude and confidence level of anyperson. It’s always upto the personhow to make use of the opportunitiesone gets at IBS. I made the bestpossible use of the opportunities andtoday my efforts have fructified intosuccess, transforming me from beinga shy person to an extrovert.

My life underwent a majorchange at IBS. I made a lot of friendswith whom I am in touch with eventoday. It was a fully action-packedtwo years. Presentation / role plays /tests / assignments / competitionswere enough to keep one occupiedfor the whole of 2 years. I should notforget to mention our Annualfunction, “Konflux”, which was fullof fun and frolic.Pressure brings out thebestHigh pressure situations at workonly bring out the best in me. I likehandling high pressure situation asthey test our mettle and ability to facesuch situations. If there is no pressureand challenges at work then it’s like“Eating food without Salt”.Give everything your bestMany people think that if someonepasses out from a premier

education institute, then the roadto the top of corporate ladderbecomes simple. It’s not the caseactually; it just provides you witha platform to prove your worth.There are no shortcuts to success.Keep doing your best and you willdefinitely get rewarded.Nature loverI like to go out on adventure tripswith my friends in woody areastrying to explore nature and love towatch thriller movies / cricket,listen to songs.Have patienceI would advise the young aspirantsto plan their careers with utmostcare and to select the industrialsector / organization / job functioncarefully, before deciding to join.It’s better to be patient whileselecting your first organization,rather than going in for whateveris available.

Banking is an excellent sectorto accelerate your career. There is alot of growth and opportunities inthe banking sector. Banks areactually looking for specialists forvarious job functions. There are alot of opportunities and growth infunctions like credit analysis / risk/ corporate banking / trade finance.Try to get into anyone of thesefunctions.FutureI am planning to be in the bankingsector for the rest of my life, toexcel in the crucial areas ofbanking and reaching the pinnacleat the earliest. I want to set up myown consultancy, once I getadequate exposure in this sector. Iwould like to use my skills for mypersonal and professionalsatisfaction / growth and also toachieve the career goals I have setin my life.

Abhijeet PawarIBS Mumbai (’06) works withBlend Financial Services asBusiness Associate in Mumbai.

Born in Mumbai, Abhijeet’s is ajoint family with his wife,parents, brother, andgrandmother staying together.His wife, Aditi, is a housewife.He was a very activesportperson when in school andhas won numerous awards andrecognitions for hisachievements in sports.

You can reach Abhijeet [email protected]

Abhijeet got married to Aditirecently


A b h i s h e k ’ sf a t h e r ,B h a r a t h

Kumar, is an ex-Cricketerand his mother SrekalaBharath, is a verypopular dancer.Wonderful twoyears at IBSIt was a wonderful twoyears at IBS. Learnt alot, made a lot of friendsfrom across the countryand travelled a lot todifferent places alongwith classmates.Overall AWESOME.Take time out foryourselfMy way of thinking is: ifyou want to handlepressure, you can easilydo it. It is just the way youhandle work life andpersonal life. I am a verydeep believer in the sayingall work and no playmakes Jack a dull boy....We must have sometimefor ourselves, apart fromwork. I work out 4 timesa week and I cycle a lot.Lessons life hastaughtToo many to say. Plus, Iam too young to besaying all this.FutureTo be successful inwhatever I do. I want toestablish a name formyself in the corporateworld.Message forjuniorsBe good and haveLOADS of fun, theschool and college daysare the ones you’ll bemissing the most.

Abhishek B KumarIBS Chennai (‘04) works with HCL Technologies, Chennai as Asst.Manager for BFSI Solutions Group.

Abhishek loves to network and is crazy about sports. He startedhis career with ABN Amro Bank and moved to Hutch. He thencontinued with his studies in Scotland and worked there for O2telecom. He quit in 2008 and came back to India to join HCL.

You can reach him at [email protected]

Abhishek with his parents

“Be Good”



CareerI started my career with AXIS BankLtd., where I got a lot of exposureto different domains of banking andI also learnt the real meaning ofprofessionalism from my boss. Heis one person from whom I havelearnt a lot which are not a part ofany book. Then I moved on to PwCin 2007.PressureBest way to handle high pressuresituations is to maintain your calmand composure. Discussing withcolleagues always takes offpressure and gives you a fresh way

of looking at the situation orproblem. Sometimes, people try alot of things to tackle the situationand make the problems morecomplicated. Try and analyze thesituation in the simplest of wayswith a calm mind.ProfileWe work as consultants for thecentral government, several stategovernments in India and forgovernments abroad to support andimplement different eGovernanceprojects. We provide consultancyservices in the area of BPR, GPR,project and program management,

strategy development, projectstructuring, etc. It’s really excitingto work in these areas. Role variesfrom project to project. At PwC, onecan get the opportunity to work indifferent domains and learn differentskill sets. PwC is a great place towork as it provides quite a flexiblecareer path.De-stressingThe best SPA effect for me after tiringout is to spend time with my family.Sometimes, I watch movies andcricket on TV and spend time withLucky; our 10-year-old pet. I also likegardening and am fond of roses.LessonsThe biggest lesson that life hastaught is “Change is the onlypermanent thing in this worldapart from self-interest.”Piece of adviceHard work conquers all. 3 D’s ofyour life–determination, dedicationand discipline–will lead you to yourdestiny. Another thing that I like tostress upon is communication. Itplays an important role in our life.IBSYears spent at IBS are theunforgettable days of my life. At IBS,corporate culture starts from thevery 1st day. IBS is a platform wherestudents are groomed in a robustmanner to overcome theirweaknesses and become industryready before joining the corporateworld. Experience at IBS helped meto learn about the entire gamut ofbusiness, starting from financialanalysis to business communication.My specialization was in finance asmajor and IT as minor. Most strikingfeature of the course that I found isthe case study. One can learn a lotfrom a business case study. Here, Ilearned to work in a well-organizedand systematic manner.

Manas GoswamiIBS Kolkata (’06) works as aConsultant withPricewaterhouseCoopers in Kolkata.

“My parents are my inspiration andwhatever I have achieved today isbecause of them.” says Manas.

You can reach him [email protected]

“Pressure: aFresh way oflooking atsituations”


Amit AdilabadkarIBS Hyderabad (’01) works with IndianSchool of Business, Hyderabad as aSr. Manager.

Amit was born and brought up inHyderabad. Both his parents are doctorsand he tried his hands at medicine. “I thankmy stars that I could not get into medicine”,says Amit.

He met his wife Suhani at IBS and theyhave a 4-year-old daughter, Ishani, who,like her father, loves to watchadvertisements.

Amit can be reached [email protected]

IBSOne of the things that I did while atIBS was to make sure I didn’t missmy core subjects. We had a greatMarketing Professor, his Indiancase studies were the pick of the lot.Another Professor’s class that Ithoroughly enjoyed was that of Mr.Prasad Rao. He taught usAdvertising Management.

The other important stuff that Itook seriously was my summerinternship (JWT Mindset – AdAgency) which ultimatelyconverted into a campus offer.IBSAFI have attended a couple of alumnireunions in the last couple of years. Iguess one of the things that we canpossibly do is to have a monthlyupdate on movements (if we don’thave it already). Otherwise, youguys are doing a fantastic job.Friends at IBSLots of them. I found my wifehere☺. We were a group of about

15 who used to hang-out together– Hitesh, Argho, Rajiban,Hemanth, Moumita, Shashwat,Vidhi, Deepak, Gajju, Shivanshuand Sahu, among others.

Thanks to social networkingsites, I have reconnected with a lotof them now.BalanceI am reminded of a definition ofwork-life balance given by my ex-boss. He said, if you do not work,

your life will be in the balance!And I think it’s true. Work needsto have precedence overeverything else on weekdays. Ihave slogged for over 12 hours fora period of one year while I waswith Satyam. And I do not regretany moment of it. But, at the sametime, I am not obsessed with mywork. All I am interested in, isgiving my work, my best. I am notunduly obsessed with the results.They usually turn out good.


favorite joints like McDonald’swith my daughter. I also manageto catch up with a few of myclosest pals from my undergraddays. And yes, I do catch up withsleep!B-School degreeIt helps you open up a lot moreoptions. But MBA is not a magicbox where you get in and come outas a transformed man. It helps youknow more about yourself thananything else. It’s actually ajourney within.

So, to that extent, a B-schoolhelps you shape up to the rigors ofthe future corporate life. What youdo at work is more often puttingthe soft skills to use. This isassuming, you know the functionalskills to get in the first place.Message1. Don’t chase designations.

Chase roles.2. Don’t do it for anybody. Do it for

yourself.3. Don’t try to stand out from

the crowd. Avoid crowdsaltogether.

FutureLife is what happens to you whenyou are busy making plans! So, Ido not really plan, or let us say,have specific focus. I think, focusmakes you narrow-minded. Staydefocused and have interest in awide array of things. One ofthings that are on my mind is togive something back to theadvertising industry that hasgiven me so much. Perhaps, Iwould want to join a B-school asa professor one day. And as a firststep, I have started a blog to keepthe dialogue open. You can accessit at www.wisdominhindsight.blogspot.com

Source of InspirationI am a self motivated guy. I don’tneed a kick-start. I find inspirationfrom just about everything. But thebiggest motivator is the realizationof the fact that fame andrecognition are transitional. Toborrow from what the superstarSRK says about himself, I work fora brand called Amit and I work forhim 24X7. This takes the stressaway and I actually don’t feel the

pressure even when the wholeworld around me appears to becrumbling down.HobbiesI am a big movie buff. I catch amovie almost every night on TVafter I get back, however late itmight be. It’s my way of relaxing.WeekendsI guard my weekends ferociously!I am usually at home or at a few

Amit with his wifeSuhani anddaughter Ishani

“I work for a brandcalled Amit”


Pankaj SarinIBS Gurgaon (’07) works with Mahindra

Satyam, Chennai as BPM Consultant. “I

have been associated for over 2.5

years with erstwhile Satyam. I have

spanned across knowledge-rich

functions within the organization”

says Pankaj.

Pankaj has a keen interest in playing

the guitar and writing on IT trends. He

is writing a book on leadership and

has lectured in a few B-schools on CRM

and BPM trends.

He can be reached at

[email protected]

Source of inspirationPankaj hails from a closely knitfamily in Delhi. He got married toVandana earlier this year. Hisparents and elder brother aresettled in Delhi. He always drawsinspiration from his family intimes of adversity and challenge.

Realizing weaknessesThe journey at IBS, Gurgaon isstill fresh within me. The first yearwas bit more challenging for me interms of coping up with the studiesand leisure. I always had a limitedcircle of friends – Tarun, Namit,Vishal, Siddharth, Manish and

“Dream BIG”


Vipin. The MBA program hashelped me in realizing myweaknesses and how to overcomethem through my potentialstrengths. I take privilege throughthis public media to thank Prof. VNSrivastava in helping me realize myattitude and strengths.

the future andgossipped withfriends.Be realisticThrough mylimited expertiseand experience Ihave learnt to berealistic. Oneshould dream bigand back his orher ideaswith someq u a n t i f i a b l eeffort. Don’t loseout on friendsis anotheri m p e r a t i v elearning. Theycan help you outin testing times.The world is aplayground forthose who wantto explore neweravenues in life. Iam more of acommunicationdriven person.My ideal isRajdeep Sardesai.Patience andperseveranceare the keyThe knownfact is that,g e n e r a t i o n sdown the line aremore intelligentthan yours. So Ibelieve that theyoung guns carry

I can think back about IBSjourney anytime and it makesme excited every time I makesuch an attempt. One of theplaces that I still miss the mostis my P4 classroom and oldcampus canteen where I havehad zillions of discussions on

more intellect with them. Whatthey should not miss out onincludes patience andperseverance. Hard work pays offeventually. And last but notthe least, you can win millionhearts with the power ofcommunication.

Pankaj with hiswife Vandana


Sumit JhaIBS Bangalore (’04) works with

IBM Bangalore as Sr.

Consultant.

He started his career with

Infiniti Research as an

Analyst. He was the first

employee of the company. “To

tell you the truth, it was the

most thrilling roller-coaster

ride that I ever had and I

guess, I will never have the

same experience again. From

operations to strategy to

delivery; I was involved in

everything. We grew to a 48-

employee strong company

with revenue in excess of a

million dollars, when I left in

two years time. It is an

experience I still cherish.”

Sumit joined IBM in 2007 and has been theresince. “I initially joined as segment analystin the market intelligence division but soon moved

as senior business strategy consultant in the ‘strategy &change’ department. I am leading the Financial MarketsIndustry practice on a stop-gap basis.”Brand value mattersIn the corporate world, brand name matters and isnot limited to the companies. It’s for individuals tomake a brand for themselves as well. It’s alwaysuseful to ask – what do I stand for? I guess, buildinga brand for you is challenging especially in aconsulting world where brand matters so much. Andto be frank, brand is always about value system andknowledge can be acquired by hard work.Like father like sonMy family comprises of my parents who havebeen a great influence on my life, my elder sisterwho is married and my two brothers, Amit andManjit, who are doing well in their respectivecareers. It’s a coincidence that my consultingexperience has been focused on financial services

“Never Compromiseon Efforts”



Never say neverI have never compromised when itcame to giving 100% to everythingthat I did. I still remember one ofthe most mundane works that Iwas doing in my last organizationand my senior from an IIT and IIMbackground commented, “how canyou do that work soenthusiastically?” I had neverthought about it before myself.However, it’s just the satisfactionof finishing something in the bestpossible way that drives me. I mustadmit here that I have failed manya times, but nobody could fault mefor not trying.Learning from friendsI was fortunate to have greatmentors like Sandeep RevankarSir, Ramkrishna Panigrahi Sir,Ramchandran Sir and SukeshKumar Sir. However, I will misssomething if I do not mention theamazing bunch of classmates Ihad; many of whom are still myfriends. Some of the mostprominent ones are Brijesh (learnta lot about being organized andabout having clarity of thought),Sandeep (analytical brain withwhom you could bounce any idea),Nisarg (an optimist with a greatapproach towards life), Satish(mathematician), Moni (a greathuman being and of course, the

topper of my class) and Sourabh(laid-back but thought-through).IBSI found the course material to bevery useful, although it wasvoluminous. I really likedPanigrahi Sir’s approach towardsmaking a clear conclusion. Hecould put everything in a nut shell,so to say. I guess, as a consultant,you have to elaborate oneverything and have frameworksbut if you put everything in a nutshell, it can actually get you anadvantage against others. Youknow, people have less time thesedays...!Sports freakBooks, sports, sand and sea...Well,I am getting wistful...I am a sportsfreak and we do have good facilitiesin Bangalore to play a few of them.I guess, that’s the only leisureactivity that I can pursue thesedays.Give your bestI want to be the best that I can beand leave the world a better placethan the one I was born into.ValuesDefine your value systems andadhere to them, come what may.Read, read and enjoy your life. Takeup a hobby.

sector, while my father has been abanker and recently retired aftera distinguished service with StateBank of India. Its almost like-father-like-son, albeit a bitdifferently.



CloudComputingOn Cloud nine?A classmate of mine, duringmy ‘IBS’ days, always had thehabit of storing his resume,his project work, andanything important in aseparate folder of his email.He thought it made a lot ofsense, as he had the flexibilityto use it whenever andwherever he wanted. Also, itwas free. Replace my friendwith a company, and his stuffwith software, applications,and data, stored in theInternet accessible through aweb browser. It’s called cloudcomputing. In this case,however, the company pays arent to the vendor whoprovides this service.

Going ‘gaga’ over the cloudCloud, a metaphor for the Internet,with its terminology borrowed fromthe telephony, is an inspiration fromthe symbol that represents Internetin flow charts, and a depiction forwork done behind the scene. Someexperts call this as ‘virtual servers’over the Internet, while others opinethat anything that we use outsidethe firewall should be considered ascloud computing. No matter whatthe definition is, it seems to be aquintessential CFO’s delight.

Especially, during a downturn, afterall not all companies shut theirbusiness. With zero upfront costs,little working capital and even lessermanagement overheads, firms getaccess to the needed infrastructureand software within minutes. The‘pay-as-you-go’ (Microsoft’s Azurecharges $0.15 per GB stored permonth) feature, no long-termcommitment, the service levels (forinstance, Amazon’s EC2 offers99.95% uptime), coupled withfinancial penalties, makes it evenmore attractive. With a slew ofproviders including Amazon,Google, Cisco, HP, IBM, andMicrosoft, vying for the marketshare with their versions, andhoards of users includingWashington Post, Virgin Atlantic,Harvard Medical School, 3M,VeriSign and Siemens, Cloudcomputing is here with a vengeance.

What it means to financialservices providersCloud computing is finally makingits presence felt in the Wall Street,50 years after John McCorthy wrote‘computation may someday beorganized as public utility’. NasdaqStock Exchange, for instance, usesAmazon’s S3 (Simple StorageService) to store time-series marketdata (historical stock prices, tradevolumes, etc). Several financialservices providers are also testingthe water with smaller pilots, evenas the IT majors scramble toincorporate it as part of theirofferings. Does that mean we willsoon be seeing a mass scale adoptionof cloud computing in the capitalmarkets? Perhaps not; severaldeterrents stand in between:n A firm may save capital expenditure

by opting for this model. However,it will not make fiscal sense, if the


savings get offset by higher operating expenses,especially if the firm is growing rapidly.

n For a large organization with enough capital budgets,this model may not make economic sense; Ditto for acompany with relatively small capex requirements.This, however, may change over time, if cloudcomputing evolves and gets even cheaper over time.

n There don’t seem to be clear guidelines orregulations on the data ownership, data security,privacy, the responsibilities of cloud providers etc.And a FS provider may not be interested in sharinga cloud with another, considering the sensitivityaround the client and trading data involved.

n Enough concerns have already been raised by securityexperts on the vulnerability of clouds. Last month, aleading cloud provider’s data center had a poweroutage, resulting in clients losing connectivity for morethan half hour. Instances, such as this may result in a‘cautiously optimistic’ approach towards public cloudsor shift the direction towards ‘private clouds’ – cloudcomputing services provided by the firm itself to itsinternal customers through Internet technologies.Gartner, a leading IT research and advisory firm,

appears to be cognizant of these. It expects largeorganizations to continue to have their own IT outfits,till 2012, to manage and deploy IT resourcesinternally, some of which will be Private clouds.However, it opines that they may also leverage ITsources from external providers for specific services.My two centsMost of the cloud providers only provide plain-vanillastandard operating systems (Linux, Windows, etc) andsoftware (Databases, web hosting, applicationdevelopment environments, application servers, etc.).The financial services providers, however, would requiremore than just that. For instance, a typical assetmanager may want an investment accounting system ora trading platform (without incurring capital costs)hosted in the cloud to lower its cost per transaction. Inaddition, the success of cloud computing in Wall Street,will hinge on the emergence of potential regulations,and well-addressed data security issues. Till then, thismodel will befit smaller players, be it bouquetinvestment banks or ‘Dark pools’ – new trading venuesthat are invisible even to regulators.

Madhan Gopalan, IBS Chennai (’02) basedout of Hackensack, New Jersey, is anAssociate Vice President, Financial ServicesStrategy with Ness Technologies. The viewsexpressed here are his own and notnecessarily that of his employer. He can bereached at [email protected]

Form IV1. Place of publication : Hyderabad2. Periodicity of its publication : Monthly3. Printer’s Name : S K Sharma

Nationality : Indian(a) Whether a citizen of India? : YesAddress : M/s. ICIT Software Center Pvt. Ltd.,

Plot No. 165 & 166 P, Phase-V, IDA,Jeedimetla, Hyderabad 500055.

4. Publisher’s Name : S K SharmaNationality : Indian(a) Whether a citizen of India? : YesAddress : # 6-3-354/1/2, Shriya Towers,

Hindi Nagar, Panjagutta,Hyderabad-500034.

5. Editor’s Name : S K SharmaNationality : Indian(a) Whether a citizen of India? : YesAddress : # 6-3-354/1/2, Shriya Towers,

Hindi Nagar, Panjagutta,Hyderabad-500034.

6. Name and addresses of individuals who own the newspaper and holding morethan one percent of the total capital – IBSAF Head Office, # 6-3-354/1/2,Shriya Towers, Hindi Nagar, Panjagutta, Hyderabad-500034.

I, S K Sharma, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the bestof my knowledge and belief.

Date Sd/-March 2010 Signature of Publisher

Santosh Rao, IBSHyderabad (’04)tied the knot withPreethi on August9, 2009.You can congratulatethe couple [email protected]

Rahul Jain, IBSHyderabad(’08) andPraghyaSharma, IBSHyderabad(’09) tied theknot onDecember 12,2009.The Newly wed couple can bereached at [email protected];[email protected]


and a peak market capitalization ofUS$80; and a darling of theinvestors, all to only quickly gobankrupt within span of a fewweeks. A bewildering end for whatthe Fortune magazine designatedas ‘America’s Most InnovativeCompany’ for six consecutiveyears!

It all started in late 2001, whenthe authors were assigned to write asupposedly simple article on theunexpected resignation of Enron’sthen CEO, Jeff Skilling. During theresearch, they uncovered a buriedreference to an off-balance-sheetpartnership. But, apart from usingstretched accounting gimmicks toprovide a better depiction of itsperformance and situation, Enron’sfinancial statements provided veryminimal information on these

partnerships, whichEnron referred to

as SPVs (specialp u r p o s ev e h i c l e s . )Hence, thea u t h o r ss t a r t e ddigging fori n f o r m a t i o n

and one thing ledto another. In a

short span of time, throughtheir investigative skills theauthors uncovered the manymore unorthodox (nayundisclosed) partnerships andself-dealings amongst Enronmanagement, which were at theheart of the accounting scandal.True to their journalist grit, thetwo reporters did not succumbto peer pressure when mostother journalist were morethan glad to pay their homage,cutting through theobfuscation created by Enronduring the course of theirinvestigations.

This book is specificallyfocussed on the 24-day period

in end-2001 when Enronannounced huge losses caused bytwo partnerships to when Enronfiled for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Inthis period, Enron’s share pricedropped like a house of cards from$33 plus to under $1. After this ithad already tumbled from over $90earlier in the year. In the process,it wiped out the capital, life savingsand hopes of its investors,including many of its ownemployees! All this while, most ofthe senior management personnelwere making their personalmillions.

The book highlights the greed,hubris, mismanagement,corruption, and the indifference, ifnot disdain, of the seniormanagement to the interest of thereal owners – the shareholders. Itdevotes special attention to Enron’sgross abuse of the mark-to-marketaccounting concept (duly backed byits auditors, Arthur Andersen, andultimately approved by theSecurities & Exchange Commissionafter initially rejecting it), therebyconverting its real losses intoimaginary paper profits, knowingrather well that they may never berealized. It highlights how the greedfor additional consulting feesnumbed Arthur Andersen’s (thenow infamous, and dissolved,accounting firm) sensibilitiestowards its accountingresponsibilities and fiduciary duties.

Giving the feel of a crime book,this book reads at a crisp pace,highlighting the investigativejournalism of the authors in agripping style. Definitely, a mustread for those interested in bookson white-collar crimes, in general,and for those who wish to knowabout the Enron debacle, inparticular.

Book review by: Pratik Singhi,IBS Mumbai (’99). He is reachableat [email protected].

BookWormzT he book is authored by

Rebecca Smith, a nationalenergy reporter with

the Wall Street Journal, who wascovering Enron, and JohnEmshwiller, a senior nationalcorrespondent for the Wall StreetJournal. What started as justanother Wall Street investigationinto the (mis-)affairs of a companyended in a book.

The book is yet another story ofhow executives employed by thecompany completely forget thatthey are the servants, and not themasters, of the company. Theyignore the good of the shareholdersfor the sake of their own. Thisultimately led to the once regardedas world’s ‘most valuable energycompany’ with an ambition tobecome the world’s ‘most valuablecompany’ actually ending up as theworld’s most notorious financiallydisastrous corporation, apartfrom also being the world’sthen largest bankruptcy.Enron was the seventhlargest company in Americawith over US$100 revenues

Title: 24 Days24 Days24 Days24 Days24 DaysAuthors: RebeccaSmith & John EmshwillerPublisher: Harper CollinsPages: 432 pages


This is an advertisement


BrandCalled


Pankaj Sarin, IBS

Gurgaon(’07) isworking as Consultant- CRM with MahindraSatyam, Chennai.

He can be reached [email protected]

The secret lies in youPersonal branding is becoming animportant aspect of your persona.So whether you are socializingwith friends or professionally,selling yourself in an appropriatemanner is a must. Usually first fiveto seven words describe your brandand should essentially convey itspurpose. Now let’s get back andanswer the motherhood questioninterestingly, “Hi, I marketconfidence.”, “I am a motivationalspeaker”, or “I create businessleaders”. Dominos seems to be aperfect example to this. They haveadopted similar branding throughtheir slogan – “We deliverhappiness”.Building a personal brand –tipsBefore I provide few tips on thiswhy not conduct a reality check.Google out your name and youwould be amazed to note that thereare numerous people who share thesame name. Let’s make it morecomplex, how do you marketyourself if your name is “RakhiSawant” and you are not the onewho we all know as, drama queen?Chances are if you Google it out,you are least likely to find yourlink on the web.

If you are trying to build abrand with such a name trytweaking it by including a middlename, how about “Rakhi KSawant”. The idea is to provide atweaked and unique identity. Thenext steps are to create yourpresence online – Facebook,LinkedIn and other social mediachannels are search enginefriendly. You can sport your profile

on the social networks and includeall essentials about yourself.Inform your readers about youraccomplishments, service offerings,interests and other sellableinformation.

For entrepreneurs, onlinepersonal branding is about USP(Ultimate Advantage, SensationalOffer and Powerful Promise).Statuary Warning! Never pick upscam lines – “Join us and earn10,000 bucks”. There has to be avalue proposition for customers ortarget audience. Have you everthought as to why Google andOrkut have become so popular?There are many reasons but theprime ones – simple services,excellent presentation and woweffect for the target audience.Your own companyChallenges are immense insideyour head as you are your ownCEO, administrative assistant,project manager and what notbecause the number ofemployees=1. You should strike aconversation with people in a wayas if they are your potentialpartners. Generally, you will alignyourself with entities you arepassionate about.

As a means of promotion, sport ablog or contribute to onlinecommunities and socialize more inorder to spread the word about yourpersonal brand, even if it is “RakhiK Sawant”. By the way, it is still apowerful brand as it is associatedwith someone legendary. Similarly,just imagine the advantage a boynamed “Sachin Tendulkar” or“Amitabh Bachchan” might haveimmense indeed!

Let me ask youone simplequestion, before Ibegin the maintext, can youdescribe yourselfin 10 words?Alright now therecan be millions ofanswers to thisquestion but let’slook at some of themost common ones– “Hi my name isPankaj and I amworking with..” or“I did myschooling from.” ormay be “I am 26years old and …”.Sounds boringindeed after all weall have beenanswering thesemotherhoodquestions ininterviews andgeneralintroductions.


IRSIRSOn the field…Seeing is believing! We learn concepts better by seeing andexperiencing. Such learning is effective and joyful. Fieldtrip in schools gives this opportunity to students; it helpsstudents to assimilate the concepts learned in classrooms.And, the fun makes it twice as enjoyable. On January 6,2010, 58 students from IRS Santoshpur went on a fieldtrip to the Science City in Kolkata.

The Headmistress of the school, Mrs. Ratna Deyshared the enthusiasm she saw in the students during thetrip, “the students were excited to use various apparatus

presented there. I washappy to see the studentslocating different countrieson the computer. Ourstudents could easilyconnect their subject-related topics with thevarious interesting displaysthere.”

If in Kolkata thestudents went on a field trip,in Hyderabad, they createdmagic on the field! The IRSboys participated and wonprizes in the DC Sports,

which was organized for school students from January 4-9, 2010 in Hyderabad. Thesenior boys’ cricket team won against St. Patrick’s by 39 runs and against theHyderabad Public School, Ramanthapur by 28 runs.

In Basketball, IRSboys beat the Cal PublicSchool by 2 baskets. Thesuccess boosted theirconfidence and increasedtheir enthusiasm toperform even better.

Now, our students aremaking use of the time forbetter academic results.As they prepare for thepre-finals and annualexaminations, we wishthem all the best.



P ooja and Apporva talkabout their campus mandiand much talked about E-

cell initiative at IBS Noida campus.These enthusiastic students state“Mandi was just the trailer, film tobaaki hai, mere dost.”

November 12, 2009, the rooftopof IBS Noida was all packed withparticipants having mixed feelingsof aggressive selling, alluringfuture managers with uniqueproducts, multicolored decorations,and spirit to earn more and moremoney projecting their ideas andproducts as unique. The event wasthe “MANDI” organized byentrepreneur’s cell, IBS Noida.This was the day to use allmanagement fundas used in class,mixed with enthusiasm and risk-taking abilities. The variety ofofferings ranged from customizedhandmade gel candles to readinglines of your palm and predictingyour future…perhaps that reminds

you of an application, Anita, theonline psyche, at Facebook, but itwas the reality at IBS Noidacampus “MANDI”, yet anotheradd-on to the success of E-cell. Allsellers tried to commercialize theirlive to the maximum possibleextent and generate maximumrevenue. Some were fighting for abreak even, whereas somemanaged to generate as much as200% revenue! And even the groupthat generated 200% revenue facedstiff competition from anothergroup which made zeroinvestment and made good use oftheir inherent skills like palmistry.

“It started with curiosity toknow, how it feels to enter into aventure and make it a success. Sothere we were trying our hand onthis inner inquisitiveness of beingan entrepreneur, our idea was tocapitalize on our talent and devoteour strength and energy forparticipating in this event.

Cam

pu

s K

hab

ar(Whatever was left aftertormenting classroom session).The faculty and studentsassisting as volunteers wereencouraging and highlyspirited about the wholeprocess and it was anexperience worth cherishing allour life,” says cosmic cornergroup members, NiharikaSingh, Sucheta and Shweta,who made zero investment insetting up their stall. However,they spent only Rs. 75 fordecorating their stall.

When asked, how theconcept of Mandi is helpul infuture business initiatives,guess what Namita (Manasviand Rishipreet are the othertwo group members) has to say,“after participating in Mandi,we found that managing even asmall business was not so easy.Lot many things go side byside, proper attention is

Gift shop and Lemonade corner atMandi.

Melting Moments – Dedicate a songand check your compatibility.

Dedicate a rose to win a heart…

Memorable Handicrafts to steal your heart…also the top revenue earnersof Mandi.

Nail-painting in progress!Courtesy Beau- modele…

Mandi – A mela of entrepreneurial ideas @ IBS Noida


Trishna – IBS HyderabadDecember 3–6, 2009

Trishna, the Annual B-school fest of IBSHyderabad, was held with a bigger bangfor the 6th time. IBS Hyderabad, the 7thBest Business School in India, (BusinessToday, October 2009), hosted the eventon its sprawling 100 acre campus overthree action-packed days from December4-6, 2009. The fest witnessed a hugeturnout in participation from leadingbusiness schools in India, such as IMTNagpur, KJ Somaiya, SCMHRD,TAPMI, Christ College Bangalore, etc.The event was sponsored by Airtel,Spykar among others.

With the theme “PandemoniumOrdo ab chao” as its background, thefest conducted a host of events strikinga balance between business and fun.

The formal events covered the variousstreams of MBA, such as Finance,Marketing, HR, IT and Operations. Itwas a platform, where the best brains inIndia came together to contribute inthought and action via a business plan,quiz, and other mind boggling events.The events were judged by eminentpeople from the business world, such asMr. Raghu Batta, Ms Vaishnavi Reddyand Mr. Rajesh Kapoor, who aresuccessful venture capitalists.

A series of informal events were alsoheld, a perfect blend with the War of DJ’s,War of Designers, War of Dances, streetplays and many more. Famouspersonalities, like Kaushal Prasad(model and actor), Ms. Preeti Kaur (storemanager and make upartist – MAC), Mr ManojDevanand (MD- Mebaz),Mr Agastya (MusicDirector), judged theevents.

The fest was a hugesuccess and much creditgoes to the organizingcommittee, comprising bothfaculty members andstudents, for their relentless contributionand hard work.

required for each aspect. Knowledge of oneparticular function is not enough; it requiresknowledge of every function, like marketing,finance, selling, operations, etc.”

In toto, Mandi aroused thoseentepreneurial spirits which would eitherhave got lost in search of opportunities orwould have never seen the light of the daybecause of secured job preference among theyouth. An entrepreneur works for himselfand the amount of labor – be it physical ormental is tremendous. Therefore, few peopletry to put their feet in entrepreneurial shoesand after that only a few survive. But theirsurvival depends, not only on the productthey are selling, but the strategies they arecrafting and executing. Therefore, itbecomes the survival of the fittest. Everydayis a real Mandi, where one has to survive.Mandi, not just tested the wits and guts ofthe budding entrepreneurs, right from theinception of a business idea to its execution,but also aimed at grooming their businessinstincts and ability to convince people tobuy their products.

Study time…go tech savvy! Collection ofmanagement videos and reviews on DVD’s.

Take a chill-pill.Beau’ modele is here to blow your stress away!


A uniquevillage intheHimalayas


I had heard about this villagefrom Himalayan trekkers. Nostory on the Chanderkani Pass

trekking route situated at theHimachal side of Himalayas, iscomplete without a mention ofMalana. I had an opportunity to seeMalana village during my NationalHimalayan Trekking Expeditionorganized by the Youth HostelAssociation of India. The trekkingroute was via Malana village.

Situated among the most scenicsurroundings enroute, Malana is avisual treat and a lifetimeexperience. Situated in KulluDistrict of Himachal Pradesh,Malana is famous for its uniquehistory. Tribal people here find theirroots with Alexandria. It is widelybelieved that people of Malana aredirect descendents of Greeks, whovisited India during one of theircampaigns under Alexander theGreat. The very features, language,religion and socioeconomicstructure resembles that of theancient Greek civilization.

We were informed by a localguide that the residents heremanage their own judicial, socialand religious lives, which isdistinctive in its own way. Malanais a unique village where a touristis told through clear andproclaimed boards about theirlimits and the penalties forbreeches. One cannot touch certainstones and neither touching theresidents is accepted (not even

shaking hands). If freak incidentsof violation of rules happen, evenunintentionally, they draw a veryheavy penalty. We were also toldthat the Indian Government knewvery well about the activities anddrug culture going on, butstrangely, no steps have been takentill date. Hence, Malana is stillconsidered one of the great mines of“high quality” of Charas. Manylocals have become millionaireswithin a couple of years.

Interestingly, we were alsoinformed that Malanis do not haveany sociocultural, religious,linguistic or anthropological affinityto the neighboring Aryans of Kulu,Bhots of Lahaul and Spiti and theKinners of Kinnaur. They are anendogamous society. All marriagestake place within the tribe’s foursub-groups which claim to beRajputs of Dhamayani, Nagbani,Durani and Panchani origin. NoMalani can marry a person who doesnot belong to Malana. And nooutside person can get married inMalana. Polygamy is allowed, butnot polyandry. A man may getmarried ten to fifteen times and awoman may leave her husband anynumber of times she wishes.

The features of Malanis are alsodifferent. They look more likeEuropeans and less like Indians.Malanis unlike their neighbors, do nothave flat noses and rounded features,but have prominent noses. Some ofthem are blue-eyed too.

ReachingMalanaPhase 1: One canreach Bhuntar byair: Otherwise, it iswell-connected byroad. Bhuntar issituated on Kullu-Manali highway.From Bhuntar onehas to turn forManikaran whichis a religious place

for Sikhs. Kasol is just on the way toManikaran, a 45-minutes drive fromBhuntar. One feels alienated in his /her home country at Kasol as thereare more foreigners than locals seenon the streets. One can smell thevery air filled with western musicand small eating joints servingdifferent dishes. Majority of theseforeign tourists are from Israel andspend a good time here, rooms areavailable between Rs. 300–800 atKasol. With a local guide, one canstart trekking and it will takealmost a day to climb till Rasol.Phase 2: Treking is very easy infirst leg and well-defined. Oneencounters many people fromdifferent countries. Rasol is bithigher and the last leg of thejourney may leave you bit tired.There are now well-equipped eatingjoints which are also offering nightstays at very nominal prices.Phase 3: Start early and withinthree hours Malana shows itsbeautiful fields.

There is an Instruction Boardat the entrance – study it verycarefully. No police is going to come toyour help in any case. They make andrule their own laws. Inquire beforephotography. There are certain stones/ rocks / temples which are not allowedto be photographed.

Do not touch people, somerocks and stones in this village.They are sacred and violationsinvite a heavy fine which hasto be paid instantly. We havebeen informed by local guidesthat this region is not safe forsolo trekkers. Hence, please donot go alone.

Youth Hostel Association ofIndia used to organize treks to theChanderkani Pass from April toMay end every year which covereda well guided visit to Malana villageas a part of the program. Theydon’t include Malana village in theprogram nowadays.

–Karthik


Case Chronicle

Redbox: Disruptive Innovation in DVD Rentalshttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Strategy/BSTR359.htmThis deals with the disruptive impact of Redbox Automated Retail, LLC – a company that offered DVDs for rent ata low rate of US$ 1/day through kiosks – on the US DVD rental industry.Dyson Appliances Ltd., and its Approach to Innovationhttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Operations/OPER087.htmThis discusses the innovation principles and processes adopted by Dyson Appliances Ltd., a market leader in thevacuum cleaner market. Product design was a core competency at Dyson and the innovative designs of its producthad enabled it to command a premium price in a market that was previously known for price discounting.Transforming Sanofi-Aventishttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Strategy/BSTR358.htmThis case study is about Sanofi-Aventis, the world’s third-largest pharmaceutical company by global sales. Itdiscusses the initiatives taken by the CEO, Christopher A Viehbacher, to transform the company into a globaldiversified healthcare company into a profitable venture.UBS and the Subprime Mortgage Crisishttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Finance/FINC061.htmThe case examines the impact of the subprime mortgage crisis in the US on the Switzerland-based banking major,UBS AG.Edwards Lifesciences’ Talent Management Practices: Creating a Competitive Advantagehttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/HROB126.htmThis case discusses the talent management processes of Edwards Lifesciences Corp., the world’s leading heartvalves and hemodynamic monitoring company. It also discusses how having talent in key areas help fosterinnovation in the company and results in it obtaining a competitive advantage.Zipcar: Revolutionizing Car Rentals?http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Strategy/BSTR360.htmThe case study describes the growth of the US-based Zipcar Inc. (Zipcar), the world’s largest car sharing service.It also discusses some of the company’s business processes and the key role of technology in its operations.Fostering Innovation in the Public Sector: Vivek Kundra@US Governmenthttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Leadership%20and%20Entrepreneurship/LDEN064.htmThis case is about Vivek Kundra, the first ever Federal CIO of USA. The case discusses how Kundra in a less thantwo-year reign as the CTO at District of Columbia had ushered in a new era of experimentation by democratizingdata and providing an open, participatory government. It also discusses the challenges before him in his new role.Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives at ExxonMobil – The Good, The Bad and The Uglyhttp://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/BECG102.htmThe case examines the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives of ExxonMobil Corporation. In spite ofundertaking various CSR initiatives, the leading oil major continued to attract criticism from environmentalists, whocontented that the company was not doing enough to control carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its operations.


Sone sebhi sonalage

Kya SwadHai Jindgi

Kharram Khurram,Khurram Kharram

Mazedar LazedarSwaad SwaaadMein

……………… …………… Papad

KhusbudarAntisepticCream Maccharon ko jisse

lagta hai darWoh hai ……………!

Male voice: Wohchemical jismein dugnaasar! Woh hai ……………!Male voice: Shaam selekar subah tak jale!Woh hai ……………!Male voice: Jismein eknahin,DO conductor!

Woh hai ……………!

U and I, in thisbeautifulworld,green grass,blue sky, in thisbeautiful world.

1

Jab ghar kirounak BadhaniHo

Diwaron KoJab Sajana Ho

Jab main chotaladka tha,

badi sharaaratkarta tha

Mmeri choripakdi jaati....

Tvacha ki rakshakarey, antisepticcreamRoop ko sanvarey,nikharey har dam!Haldiaur chandan kaanokha sangam!

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best manner of testing the beauty ofthe backwaters in Kerala is tospeed along in a boat, a canoe or inhouseboats. Kettuvalloms are thegiant boats, measuring around 80ft in length. They are built byattaching boards of wood, as wellas cords made in thimble coir(coconut), without the use of asingle nail. Kettuvallams havebeen made more luxurious with oneor two rooms with a bath joint, anopen living room, a platform and acrew of three, comprising a cook,an oars man and a guide.Dormitary facilities are alsoavailable for tourists.

In the monsoon months, thebackwaters reverberate with thesound of the traditional snakeboat races, featuring the 130-ft-long chandan boats. Upto 16 ofthem, with over a hundred rowerseach, compete for the honorsduring the races. The mostimportant of these races is theNehru Trophy Boat Race held onthe second Saturday of August. TheAranmula Boat Festival of theParthasarathy temple of Aranmulaon the banks of the holy river

her present and promise a future byvirtue of offering incomparablebeauty and a unique experience forvisitors.

The most interesting area in thebackwaters is the Kuttanad region,called the rice bowl of Kerala. Thearea is probably the only place inthe continent where farming isdone below sea level, using asystem of dykes and bunds.

The lake Vembanad is thelargest backwater stretch inKerala, measuring 83 km length,and crosses three zones beforereaching the sea at the port ofKochi. The lake Ashtamudi, havingeight arms, is the larger secondstretch and is the passage to thebackwaters.

Kerala is one of the 50 bestplaces to visit in the world. The

K erala is an intricatenetwork of innumerablelagoons, lakes, canals,

estuaries and the deltas of forty-four rivers that drain into theArabian Sea. Over 900 km of thislabyrinthine water world isnavigable.

Cruising along the backwatersof Kerala is an ideal way to discoverthe real Kerala. The placidbackwaters that stretch for over1500 km are covered with swingingpalm trees.

Backwaters are the mostpopular tourist attraction ofKerala. The palm-fringed, tranquilbackwaters were once just thestate’s trade highways. Kerala isher backwaters and lakes. Theyhave dictated her history, shaped

Pamba is the more traditional race.The boat carnival starts on the dayof Thiruonam, the most auspiciousday of the Kerala festival, Onam.

Whether by Kettuvalloms or bya simple vallom, the experience ofgliding through the backwaters isan experience that is undeniablyunforgettable.


AlappuzhaOne of the best-known ports alongthe coast of Malabar, it is oftenreferred to as the ‘Venice of the East’.Alappuzha has the peculiargeographical feature of having thewater in level with the land. Thisgives the advantage of getting acloser look at the village life on shorewhile on a backwater ride. Sailingalong in a ‘kettuvallam’ (houseboat)through the enchanting backwatersof Alappuzha is sure to rob yourheart. Palm fringed narrow canalswinding through the vast expanse ofpaddy fields and the neat tinyhamlets lined up along either sides ofthe canals are sights one can neverforget. One can glimpse Chinesefishing nets, flocks of ducksswimming around the banks andtiny birds flying across the sky. It isas close as one can get to feel thevibrant life in the countryside ofGod’s own country.Getting ThereAir: The nearest airport is KochiRail: The nearest railhead isAlleppey.

Water: Connected withKochi (5 1/2 hrs),Quilon (8 hrs) andKottayam (2 1/2 hrs).AccommodationResorts: PristineIsland Resort,Alleppey, Granary Riverside Inn,Pozhiyoram Beach Resort, CoirVillage Lake Resort, KeraleeyamAyurvedic Resort, Lake PalaceBackwater ResortHouseboats: IndigenousHouseboats, Muthoot RiverEscapes, Rainbow Cruises.Weather and best time to visitThe climate is temperate and humidin general and relatively morepleasant during the winters. Thetemperature ranges from 22 to 35°Cin summer and 20 to 32°C in winter.The best time to visit Alleppey isduring the winters. The months fromAugust to September and Februaryto March are ideal for a visit.Kuttanad30 km from Ernakulam, on thehigh ranges of the southern bank

of the Periyar River lies Kuttanadin the Alappuzha district ofKerala—a vast stretch of land thatextends for 85 km and lies betweenthe mystic sea on one side and theexotic hills on the other. Kuttanadis well known for its glisteningwaterways that are made up oflakes, canals, rivers and rivuletsbordered by verdant landscapes.All this richly preserves the rurallife style of Kerala and makes thetour to Kuttanad a memorableone. The ideal time to visitKuttanad is December to March.Kuttanad is also called the ricebowl of Kerala, because of herwealth of paddy crops. This is theone of the places in the worldwhere farming is done below thesea level (1.5 - 2 meters below sealevel).

BackwaterDestinationsin Kerala


To reach Kuttanad, one canavail travel by road or take a boator a train from Kochi. The nearestairport to Kuttanad is Kochi.Kuttanad is 10 kms from Kottayamand 8 km from Kochi. To reachKuttanad, one can also travel halfthe way by road and then take theferry from Thanneermukkam forKumarakom.KollamThe Kollam Backwaters is anexceedingly beautiful tourism spotin the lap of the renownedAshtamudi Lake, making it thegateway to the magnificentbackwaters of Kerala. Thebeautiful lake stretches across 30%of the entire Kollam, rendering amust-not-miss houseboat ride fromKollam to Alappuzha extremelydelightful, while gliding across thelake teeming with lotuses andwater lilies and aquatic birdsmaking sweet noises on the banks.The boat ride is the longestbackwater tour offered by Keralaacross all cruises.

Kollam district, the oldest porton the Malabar Coast, is alsofamous for its marine and cashewindustries. Besides being a majorinternational trading center, theplace is also has a wide collection oftemples, churches and mosques.Ananda Valleeswaram Temple,

Pullichira Church established in1700 AD, Mahatma Gandhi Beach,Park at Kochupilamoodu, VarkalaBeach and Ashramam picnic villageare some places you would want tovisit.Best Time to Visit: August toMarchHow to ReachBy Air: Trivandrum airport,located 70 km away, is the nearestairport from where Kollam can bereached.By Rail: Kollam is an importantrailway station and is connected tothe rest of Kerala and Indiathrough a wide railway network.By Road: Kollam is also connectedthrough a well laid out network ofroads, making it accessible fromanywhere in Kerala.Kochi (Cochin)Kochi is group of islands on LakeVembanad, which opens out intothe Arabian Sea. Some of theislands are: Bolgatty, Vyppin,Gundu and Vallarpadam. Half thefun of visiting Kochi is movingaround on the local ferries. Aconducted cruise through thewinding waterways will take youto several quaint spots. The lakeopens out into the Arabian Seahere to form one of the finestnatural harbors in the world.

Popularly known as the Queen ofArabian Sea, Kochi is located inKerala, on the southwest coast ofIndia. It is regarded as the industrialcapital of Kerala, and the commercialhub of this thriving state. Travelingto Kochi is a great experience andthere are many tourist attractionsthat can be visited.

There are several interestingtourist attractions in Kochi. Some ofthe popular attractions are: the St.Francis Church (India’s oldestEuropean Church), CheeyapparaWaterfalls, Bolghatty Palace,Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace),Paradesi Synagogue (Oldestsynagogue in the commonwealth), thehuge Chinese Fishing Nets, and theCochin Carnival held in the last weekof every year. Modern Kochicomprises of the old port city, calledOld Cochin, including Mattancherry,Ernakulam mainland, Fort Kochi,Edapally, Kalamassery, Thrikkakara,Kakkanad and Tripunithura.

Location: Ernakulam District ofKerala, IndiaClimate: Average temperaturevaries between 20°C-35°CMust See: Fort Kochi, ChineseFishing nets, Jewish Synagogue,Bolghatty Palace, Dutch PalaceHow to Reach: Kochi is wellconnected to major cities ofKerala and India by rail, air androad linksBest Time to Visit: All round theYearHow to ReachBy Air: Kochi has its own airport,named the Cochin International


Airport, situated 20 km away atNedumbassery.By Rail: The main railway stationis Kochi railway junction, while theother station is at Kochi HarborTerminus. By rail, Kochi is linkedwith important cities like Delhi,Mumbai, and Chennai.By Road: An excellent network ofroads connects Kochi to all majortowns and cities in South India aswell as across the country.KumarakomKumarakom, situated 15 km fromKottayam on the Vembanad lake, isbest described as a picturesque cleanvillage like most places in Kerala.The enchanting backwaterdestination of Kumarakom is asmall village in Kottayam.Kumarakom is a cluster of littleislands on the Vembanad Lake inKerala. The bird sanctuary herespread across 14 acres is anyornithologist’s delight. This

enchanting backwater destinationoffers visitors many leisure options.From wandering into the depths ofits wildlife sanctuary to cruisingdown the backwaters and fishing,Kumarakom is perfect for a lazy andlaidback holiday. The best way towatch the birds of the Kumarakomsanctuary is a boat trip round theislands, as hundreds of swayingverdant coconut palms lining therivers lean to brush the tops of yourheads. Kumarakom is an example ofnature at her best in the fragrantflowers, the riot of multicolouredbirds, the surrounding greenery andthe clear waters.

The Vembanad Lake is one of thelargest fresh water lakes in Asia. Itflows through the verdant lands ofKerala and offers one of the bestbackwater cruises. A water-birdsanctuary lies at the edge of thegrounds of an old estate where aprofusion of all kinds of birds can beobserved. Domestic birds, such ascuckoo, wild duck, egrets, darters,herons, teal, and water fowl, can beseen in abundance here, as much asthe Siberian storks which migrate to

this area each year. Thekkady, amajor wildlife center, lies 114 kmfrom here, and Sabarimala, aHindu pilgrim center is 134 kmfrom Kottayam.How to ReachBy Air: The nearest Airport toKumarakom is the CochinInternational Airport, about 70 kmaway from the Muhamma boat

jetty. The second nearest airport is atThiruvananthapuram, 171 km away.By Rail: The railway station is atKottayam, 16 km away. KottayamRailway station is well connectedwith all major cities in Kerala andIndia, with several trains plyingregularly from here.By Road: Kottayam is about 16km from Kumarakom, and is wellconnected with the rest of thecountry by both State highwaysand National Highways.By Water: From TrivandrumInternational Airport, you can cometo Quilon by road or rail, and,thereafter, take the regular ferryservice through the enchantingbackwaters, to reach Alleppey.Kumarakom can be reached by ashort ride from Alleppey.KozhikodeKozhikode, previously known asCalicut, is an important and scenictown in North Kerala. Kozhikodeis known for its historic buildings,beautiful green countryside,beautiful beach, hospitality andcosmopolitan culture.

Some of the sights worth seeingin and around Kozhikode are:


Kozhikode Beach: Famous forthe spectacular sunset views seenfrom the seashore here.Pazhassiraja Museum: Located 5km from Kozhikode, the museumhouses a collection of ancient coins,bronze sculptures, paintings andmurals and temple models.Art Gallery: The Art Gallerylocated next to the PazhassirajahMuseum has a collection ofpaintings by the renowned painterfrom Kerala, Raja Ravi Varma, andhis brother, Raja Raja Varma.Beypore: Located 10 km to thesouth of Kozhikode on the mouth ofthe Chaliyar River, Beypore is afamous fishing harbor, port andboat building center.Kappad Beach: Located 16 kmfrom Kozhikode is historic KappadBeach where Vasco da Gamastepped onto Indian soil.Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary:Located 25 km from Kozhikode,this Bird Sanctuary is on anestuary where many thousands of

water birds can be seen. Birds seenhere include: herons, gulls, ternsand sandpipers. The winter andspring months from November toApril are the best time to see birdsin Kadalundi Bird Sanctuary.TrivandrumThe extensive backwaters ofTrivandrum provide thepicturesque view of a paradise. Theintricate lagoons, lakes, canals andrivers are lined up along the densetropical vegetation of Trivandrum.It is a breathtaking bout toexperience, a solitary and calmglide through this network ofwaterways. The biggest backwateris the Vembabad lake, some 200 sqkm in area, which opens out intothe Arabian Sea at Kochi port. Theserene backwater stretch, en-routeto Kovalam, is famous for its canoerides. It is the meeting point of tworivers-Killi and Karamana. Atemple dedicated to Parashurama,the legendary founder of Kerala, islocated in Thiruvallam.

Few attractions of Trivandrumbackwaters are:Padmanabhaswamy Temple:The most impressive landmark inthe town, the temple’s presidingdeity is Vishnu reclining on theserpent Anantha.Shanghumugham beach: Afavorite haunt of sunset watchers.A gigantic 35 m sculpture of amermaid, called Matsya Kanyaka,is a major attraction here.Veli tourist village: An ideal picnicspot where the lake joins the sea.Neyyar dam: It is a popular picnicspot and has a watchtower, crocodilefarm, lion safari park and a deerpark, Aruvikkara dam, apicturesque picnic spot on the banksof Karamana river.


Objective / Rules

- You have to divide

the grid into groups.

- Every square must

contain a number

and the number

indicates how many

squares are in that

group.

- For example, a

group of five

squares will all

contain the

number 5.

- Squares in groups are only linked horizontally and vertically.

- Groups that contain the same number of squares as the

numbers in the squares are automatically shaded.

- Groups of size 1 are already completed and are therefore

shaded.

- You may initially be given two or more numbers in the

same group.

Read each line aloud without making any mistakes. If you

make a mistake you MUST start again without going any

further.

This is this puzzle

This is is puzzle

This is how puzzle

This is to puzzle

This is keep puzzle

This is an puzzle

This is idiot puzzle

This is busy puzzle

This is for puzzle

This is forty puzzle

This is seconds! puzzle

Three people check into a hotel. They pay £30 to the manager

and go to their room. The manager suddenly remembers that the

room rate is £25 and gives £5 to the bellboy to return to the

people. On the way to the room, the bellboy reasons that £5

would be difficult to share among three people, so he pockets £2

and gives £1 to each person. Now each person paid £10 and got

back £1. So they paid £9 each, totalling £27. The bellboy has £2,

totalling £29. Where is the missing £1?

What is represented by this BrainBat?

C O F F E E

What letter comes next in this sequence:

J F M A M J J = = ? = =

Using the BrainTracker grid below, how manywords can you find? Each word must containthe central W and no letter can be used twice,however, the letters do not have to beconnected. Proper nouns are not allowed,however, plurals are. There is at least onenine letter word.

Excellent: 24 words. Good: 18 words.Average: 14 words.

T E R

F W L

A L A

Hidden in the grid beloware eight, 7 letter words.Each word begins with thecentral P and you can moveone letter in any direction tothe next letter. All of theletters are used exactlyonce each. What are thewords?

D I S I S A K

M R C N C Y E

A C Y A H N A

H Y S P I B L

I E R O L L S

C M P U R A T

M U I L A E R

He and she both have one each, but every person has two. Acitizen has three and a human being has four. A personality hasfive and an inhabitant of earth has six. What?

What is represented by this BrainBat?

VEPSTRIIGAVTOATER

A horse is pulling a wagon up a hill at an increasing speed.

Ignoring all masses except those of the horse and the

wagon, which is the case:

a) the horse pulls on the wagon harder than the wagon pullson the horse.

b) the horse pulls on the wagon less than the wagon pulls onthe horse.

c) the horse pulls on the wagon just as hard as the wagonpulls on the horse?

Answers on next page


2. Now go back and read the THIRD word in each line

from the top.

3. We have to be careful what we are adding together.Originally, they paid £30, they each received back £1,they now have only paid £27. Of this £27, £25 went tothe manager for the room and £2 went to the bellboy.

4. Coffee Break

5. A: August, from initial letters of the months of the year.

6. C

7. Common words: aware, awe, awl, few, flaw, flew, law,

raw, trawl, wafer, waft, wall, wallet, war, ware, wart,

water, WATERFALL, we, wear, weft, well, welt, wet.

All words: aw, awa, aware, awe, awl, fatwa, few,

flatware, flaw, flew, law, raw, taw, tawer, tew, trawl, twa,

twae, wae, wafer, waft, wafter, wale, waler, wall, walla,

wallet, war, ware, wart, wat, water, WATERFALL, we,

weal, wear, weft, well, welt, wert, wet.

8. Pancake, physics, pinball, plaster, popular, premium,

psychic, pyramid.

9. Syllables.

10. Private Investigator: [private IN vestigator].

Puzzles Solutions

1.


Career Moves

Sandeep Agarwal,IBS Hyderabad (’09)has shifted from PwCto SREI Infrastructureas Sr. Executive -Project Development.He can be reached [email protected]

Vivek Asati, IBSIndore (’06) hasshifted from HDFC toHCL CDC as CenterManager.You can reach him [email protected]

Pratik Banerjee, IBSAhmedabad (’08)has started his ownbusiness, called MintFoods P. Ltd. He can be reached [email protected]

Sohil Ramnani, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has started his ownbusiness called NirHeer FinancialConsultant. He can be reached [email protected]

Bhagat Singh, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has started his ownCoaching Class,called NucleusClasses. He can be reached [email protected]

Hariom Yadav, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has joined his familybusiness, M/sSuryanath Co. He can be reached [email protected]

Jignesh Joshi, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has joined MatangiAdvertising asMarketing Manager. He can be reached [email protected]

Rohit Kaushik, IBSAhmedabad (’09) hasjoined UmashankarSharma Associates asAssociateConsultant. He can be reached [email protected]

Gaurav Malik, IBSAhmedabad (’08) hasjoined Claris LifeSciences Ltd. asProduct Executive. He can be reached [email protected]

Rashi Roy, IBSAhmedabad (’08) hasjoined Essar Aegis Ltdas Executive HR. She can be reached [email protected]

Ashish SinghTomar, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has joined TorrelCosmetics P. Ltd. asProduct Executive. He can be reached [email protected]

Mitesh Shah, IBSAhmedabad (’09)has joined SNLFinancial asFinancial Analyst. He can be reached [email protected]

Vikas Asawa, IBSAhmedabad (’04)has started his firm,called Shree KrishnaSteels. He can be reached [email protected]

Somesh Upadhyay,IBS Ahmedabad (’04)shifted to HDFCSales as SalesManager. He can be reached [email protected]

Dheeru Chabra, IBSAhmedabad (’09)joined Kotak LifeInsurance asDy. Manager.She can be [email protected]


B o a r d o f G o v e r n o r s


M e e t i n g January 9, 2010

40 � March 2010 � IBSAF World40 � March 2010 � IBSAF World

IBSAF World � March 2010 � 41IBSAF World � March 2010 � 41


IBSAF

Chap

ter Of

fices

IBSAF Head Office: 6-3-354/1/2, Shriya Towers, Panjagutta, Hyderabad-500034 | Email: [email protected] Tel: 040 – 23385000 Fax: 040 – 23385200

NEW DELHIMilly Banerjee, IBSAF LoungeK3, 1st & 2nd Floor,Lajpat Nagar–II, New Delhi–110 024. Tel: 011 – 3086 6666Mob: +91 – 98680 71938 Email: [email protected]

BANGALORER Giridhar, IBS Alumni Federation,# 19/3, Srinivasa Industrial Estate,Near Metro, Kanakapura Road, Bengaluru – 560 062.Tel: 080 – 2686 0100 Mob: +91 – 98866 81519Fax: 080-2686 0059 Email: [email protected]

HYDERABADLatha Reddy / Y Suresh, IBS Alumni Federation,6-3-354/1/2, Shriya Towers,Punjagutta, Hyderabad – 500 034. Tel: 040 – 2338 5428Mob: +91 – 80084 03219 & 92901 09136 Fax: 040 – 2338 5200Email: [email protected]

AHMEDABADSavilaash S, IBS Alumni Federation,Icfai House, Near GNFC Tower, Sarkhej Gandhinagar HighwayBodakdev, Ahmedabad – 380 054.Tel: 079-2685 8632, 2685 0148, 2685 1245Mob: +91 – 98256 59914 Fax: 079-2685 0107Email: [email protected]

CHENNAIAnand J, IBS Alumni Federation,#32, Conran Smith Road,Gopalapuram Chennai – 600 086. Tel: 044 – 2835 3598Fax: 044 – 2835 3597 Mob:+91 – 98400 46593Email: [email protected]

KOLKATAAmit Deb, IBS Alumni Federation,RDB Boulevard, 8th Floor, Plot-K1, Block–EP & GP,Sector–V, Kolkata–700 091. Tel: 033–6616 3678Fax: 033–2357 7129. Mob:+91–98328 10164Email: [email protected]

MUMBAIMaximiano Almeida, IBS Alumni Federation,Hiranandani Knowledge Park, Off. Technology Street,Opposite Hiranandani Hospital,Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai – 400 076.Tel: 022 – 4043 4390 Fax: 022 – 4043 4301Mob: +91 – 98929 85257 Email: [email protected]

NOIDASonika Goyal, IBS Alumni Federation,A-94/9, Sector-58, Noida, UP,Tel: 0120 – 2588318/319Mob: +91 – 99714 89727 Email: [email protected]

PUNEPrachi Patwardhan, IBS Alumni Federation,Plot No. 5, Equity Tower, Sanghvi Nagar,DP Road, Aundh Pune–411 007.Tel: 020 – 2588 9638, 51,52,53 Fax: 020 – 2588 9654Mob: +91 – 98902 37566 Email: [email protected]

DUBAI

Ranjeet Thomas, IBS Alumni Federation,

Block 19, Off. 202-203, P.O Box 502913 Dubai Knowledge Village,

U.A.E. Tel: 009714-369 46 26 Fax: 009714-36 78 420

Email: [email protected]

LONDON

Pragyan Paramita, IBS Alumni Federation,

Lapro, Suite 203, 73, Walting Street, London EC4M 9BJ.

Main Line No. 0207 153 9869, Extn. 4185, Fax: 0207 152 1122

Mob:+44 77668 25805 Email: [email protected]

SINGAPORE

Sukhavasi Venkata Vamsi, IBS Alumni Federation,

Blk-16, # 01-11, Melivlle Park, SIMEI St I,

Singapore -529942.

Mob.: +65 98526637 E-mail: [email protected]

BHUBANESWAR

Rajkishore Nayak, IBS Alumni Federation,

A-123, Mancheswar Industrial Estate, Mancheswar,

Bhubaneswar – 751 010. Tel: 0674 – 2585 593, 94

Fax: 0674 – 2585 674 Mob: +91 – 94371 93939 Email: [email protected]

CHANDIGARH

Kiran Choudhary, IBS Alumni Federation,

B-101, Phase – 8, Industrial Area, SAS Nagar,

Mohali – 160 059. Tel: 0172 – 5063 035 Fax: 0172 – 5063 544

Mob: +91 – 98882 24792 Email: [email protected]

DEHRADUN

Sanjeev Malaviya, IBS Alumni Federation

Icfai University Campus, Rajawala, Central Hope Town,

Near Selaqui, Dehradun – 248 197. Tel: 0135 – 329 4894

Fax: 0135 – 300 3015 Mob: +91 – 97600 25256 Email: [email protected]

INDORE

Shivani Dubey, IBS Alumni Federation,

Jai Singh Palace Complex, 7 Jai Singh Nagar, Pipliya Pala Chauraha

Square, Rajiv Gandhi Circle, AB Road, Indore – 452 017.

Tel: 0731 – 645 8548 Fax: 0731 – 2363 039

Mob: +9 1 – 96300 00865 Email: [email protected]

JAIPUR

Anil Mathur, IBS Alumni Federation,

29, Chordia Enclave, Janpath, Shyam Nagar, Jaipur - 302 019.

Tel : 0141-5129388/284 | +91 99298 87251

Email : [email protected]

NAGPUR

Srikrishna Dhale, IBS Alumni Federation,

Plot No. 38C, Hingana Industrial Estate, Hingana Road,

Nagpur-440016. Tel: 0710 – 432 7878

Mob: +91 – 90960 39757 Email: [email protected]

KOCHI

Rajasree Nandi, IBS Alumni Federation,

TI Complex, II/577, Civil Lines, Vashakkala, Trikkakara (PO),

Kochi – 682 021. Ernakulam (Dist.).

Tel: 0484 – 2421 804/805/805 Mob: +91 – 94460 62339

Email: [email protected]

IBSAF World - March 2010

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