Volume VI Issue VI

Volume VI Issue VI

Volume VI Issue VI

In This Issue

Editors Note 3 FCB ULKA Comstrat 09 4 Preview of Placements 2010.6 Mentorship Flags Off at SIMSR!! 6 KYA: Nishant Patel 7 SIMSR Becomes a Lions Club Chapter! .8 Faculty Speak: Professor Trivedi ......9 SIMSR Accolades .....11

Editor In Desk: Commander (Retd.) N.D. Sharma

Editorial Team: Ami Thakker (981903497) Anand (9594938098) Ira Malik (9022605430) Priyanka Agarwal (9769417663) Rhea George (9594842805) Samia Ansari (9769200325)

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Editors Note

Another year is coming to an end and so is another volume of Imprints. Yes, dear readers, this is the last issue of the sixth volume of Imprints. 1st January will bring with it the dawn of a new year for the whole world. Although there is nothing that distinguishes one year from the other-the last year was a collection of twelve months and so is the new one; the last year signified one complete revolution of the earth around the sun and so will the new one-yet this New Year like the ones preceding it will be a harbinger of hope for many. We hope that the world emerges from the recession plaguing it. We hope that the general populace is rescued from the huge impact of the current inflation. We hope that the world unites to fight global warming. In a nutshell, we hope to make the world a better place to live in-a clich- but never the less very true. Coming back to the Imprints issue, we have contrived, as always, to bring to your ears or rather eyes all that has been happening at your Alma Mater since the last two months and more. Draft FCB ULKA Comstrat was organized at SIMSR, as is the protocol, on 12th December. Our cover story covers this annual event completely! The placement season 2010 has started at SIMSR. Read on to find the placement scenario at SIMSR. The Alumni Committee has, after much effort, started off with the Alumni Student Mentorship Program intended to help the current final year students at SIMSR prepare for their placements with valuable advice from our alumni. Read about our first mentorship program. In the Know Your Alumni section we bring to you our alumnus of the 2003 batch, Mr. Nishant Patel. Professor Trivedi who is the Head of the Finance Faculty at SIMSR features in this issues Faculty Speak. Also find out in the accolades section, how SIMSRites have been making SIMSR proud!

Finally, we also hope to improve Imprints and are relentless in our quest to make the perusal of this newsletter as interesting to you as possible!!

For any suggestions or queries feel free to contact us at: alumni@simsr.somaiya.edu

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FCB ULKA Comstrat

On December 12th 2009, K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research played host to SIMSR Draft FCB ULKA COMSTRAT a unique B-school competition, now in its 15th year. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that unlike other case study competitions, this is the only one to be organized in the area of advertising and communications. Draft FCB ULKAs Indian connection started way back in 1961 when they started out as a creative hotshop. Today they are among the top 5 agencies in India and 53 of its brands are category leaders. Not surprisingly, this agency is seen as a turnaround specialist. Over the years SIMSR Draft FCB ULKA Comstrat has given B school students across India the opportunity to work on live case studies of some of Indias leading brands like Colgate, ITC Gold Flake, TVS, Asian Paints, Hero Honda and most recently Tata Sky. This year the students had to develop a real life communications strategy for Titan. It was not surprising that Comstrat received an overwhelming response from management institutes across the nation. From over 30 entries, 6 teams made it to the final round. Among the esteemed panel of judges was Ms Kamana Jobanputra, Brand manager- Mens watches, Titan; Mr Dorab Sopariwala who currently consults with several companies relating to consumer behavior and is also an advisor to NDTV and Mr Kinjal Medh who is the Chief Operating Officer at Cognito Consulting, the specialized brand consulting division of FCB Ulka. The event began with the college prayer and lighting of the lamp followed by the welcome address by our Director, Professor Suresh C. Ghai. The floor was then set open for the competition to begin. First on stage was Team A which believed in promoting a category not a product. Their message was Think speed, think chronograph, think Octane.

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FCB ULKA Comstrat

Team B, on the other hand wanted to make Octane go international while sponsoring local racing events and reality shows to appeal to the sporty youth and create a brand image. Team C used Google insights to identify the geographic distribution of the consumers and wanted to launch a website called www.livethespeed.com using which consumers could build their own watch. Using Billboards with a lucky consumers picture on it was their idea for advertising the product along with promoting a corporate collection for Octane such as wallets and laptop bags. Team D proposed the 4step IPAC Model and thought that focus group interviews followed by psychographic surveys would help to identify traits of likely consumers. John Abraham or Akshay Kumar were their choice for brand ambassadors who would promote the message Feel the thrill. Team E came up with a 5 R approach; Research, Reposition, Revive, Resonate and Review. They proposed a portal called www.Run OnOctane.com and wanted Chetan Bhagat to be the message endorser. Their tagline for the product was Ignited- I run on Octane. Team F focused on Push strategy and believed in no brand ambassador for product Octane. Their strategy was to go viral with the tagline my style, my time, Power is yoursOctane. Each team was given 20min to present their solutions and convince the judges about their communication strategy. Each team had come up with innovative strategies and selecting a winner from among the 6 teams proved to be a quite a challenge for the judges. The judges took 10min before they announced the winners. The decision of the judges was unanimous. The team representing SIMSR came 3rd, students of NL Dalmia Institute of Management Studies and Research took 2nd position and the team from ISB, Hyderabad was proclaimed the winner of the event. All the winners received gift hampers from the sponsors along with prize money. According to the judges, the ability of to see things at the core and distinguish between core and subservient points is what distinguished the winners from the other teams. Finally Professor Monica Khanna was invited on stage to give the vote of thanks and to share her views on the importance of an effective communications strategy in todays scenario.

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PREVIEW OF PLACEMENTS 2010

Overall scenario appears to be slightly better than last year, but there is still a long way to go. While most of the sectors have shown signs of recovery, IT and ITeS sectors are still to show positive signs. Around 60 companies have confirmed participation in Placements 2010 process so far and many are yet to decide. Placement Committee (PCOM) is putting in their best efforts to bring on board as many companies as possible. Still there is need for more companies to be added. Therefore we solicit the helping hand from all our Alumni in this regard.

MENTORSHIP FLAGS OFF AT SIMSR!!

With the placement season just two months away, SIMSR is all but brimming over with anxiety and anticipation. The final year students are grappling with last-minute doubts about what would be best for them. With the aim of helping all such students the Alumni Committee decided to arrange a Mentorship Program which would involve inviting over some distinguished alumni to guide the final year students and prepare them for the vagaries of openings and put final touches to their preparation. This Pre-placement talk was held on 11th November, 2009. Three speakers came down to the institute taking time off their busy schedules. We had Gaurav Batla, the AVP of HSBC, Mr. Nirav Bhatt working with JP Morgan as a credit analyst and Mr. Rajan Jain working with RBS. What a talk it was! Everyone came with expectations of a very prim and proper presentation; it was everything but that! All the mentors were very enthusiastic and they very humorously cleared everyones doubts and patiently explained as how to get rid of the chinks in the armor of their preparations. The wide posse of questions included questions like: which companies should I go for?; how to crack some biggies!? The talks revolved from marketing to finance and back to finance. The guests seemed keen to guide their successors towards attaining their goals and answered all queries very patiently. The discussion ended officially at 7:00 pm, though it continued in the famous canteen till way after that. The guests became nostalgic about the college and after that it became more of a cozy get-together and both the guests and students had a great time. mentorship program is the brain-child of the Alumni Committee to connect the old and the new students of the college and it certainly succeeded in fulfilling this commitment. We are looking forward to more such sessions where our esteemed alumni can guide the current students of SIMSR to make a name in the industry not only for themselves but also for the coming generations of SIMSRites.

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KNOW YOUR ALUMNI:NISHANT PATEL (BATCH OF 2003)

Tough times dont last, but tough people do.. Career path: After completing his bachelors degree, unlike most MBA aspirants, he did not have any work experience to back the need to pursue a Masters. However, he was lucky to get the opportunity do his Masters from SIMSR and specialized in Finance in 2003. The management course did provide a lot of confidence, but finance as a stream was reeling under the pressure of economic slowdown, resulting in not many companies coming on campus. He had to wait for at least a six months before he got his first taste of corporate life at a leading stock brokerage company. He held on to his wits and did not let the situation get to him. His mantra has always been to be patient and not allow tough situations to get to him. After five years of passing out from SIMSR, he now works with one of the leading consulting firms of the country and advises corporate and funds on the investment banking business. After graduating from SIMSR in 2003, Mr. Nishant Patel worked for K R Choksey Shares & Securities Pvt. Ltd., as a management trainee in the equity research division from April 2003 to May 2004. As a part of the Equity Research team, he was able to implement the fundamentals of Finance learnt at SIMSR, especially Corporate Valuations. The guidance at K. R Choksey was the stepping stone in the financial services industry and understanding of equity research, economics and allied streams in finance. At Deloitte, his main responsibilities include advising corporate on strategic affairs including entry in to new markets, acquisitions or divestures in business largely for U.S. clients. By being in the industry for over 5 years now and putting in the much needed time and effort to understand the industry in detail, he is involved in Business Development for his company.

Hobbies He is an ardent Manchester United Fan and follows the English Premier League Football like no other sport. In his free time, he spends time watching movies and travelling. He loves bikes and travels around on a Yamaha R15, the latest addition to his collection. He has a passion for music and listens to the latest film songs and English albums. Of course at the end of the day he makes sure he spends quality time with his family.

KNOW YOUR ALUMNI:NISHANT PATEL (BATCH OF 2003)

Message for Managers 2008/09 has been a tough time for the economy, corporate and for B-Schools including the IIMs. Times are likely to remain tough for the next 12 months till there is no recovery in the overall economy worldwide. But the mantra that he followed was tough times dont last, but tough people do. His advice for the readers; Irrespective of the situation, remember to stay focused and maintain resilience in whatever you do, you will get there.

SIMSR BECOMES A LIONS CLUB CHAPTER!!

With its motto we serve, the Lions club is one of the largest service club organizations in the world, spread over more than 200 countries and It is a matter of pride for SIMSR to have a chapter of the lions club inaugurated here. Lion Manish Thakkar gave the welcome address and the introduction of prospective members was conducted by the Director General Prof. P V Narasimhan. Lion Gubesh Tariya spoke next and also gave some insights to prospective members on various branches of lions club. Lion Ashok Kumb started on a light note as he explained the formal structure and hierarchy of the club. Lion Rajendar Taurani elaborated on the work done by lions club so far in helping underprivileged children in municipal schools. Students of the simsr chapter include, Gaurav Mehra in the capacity of Chartered Secretary, Harshit Soni as the Treasurer,and Chartered President Jasmeet Singh. Mrs Radha Iyer explained what was expected of the new Lions of SIMSR and wished them all the success in being an asset to society.

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FACULTY SPEAK: PROFESSOR TRIVEDI

You can be a good student, a good professional but what is most important is that you should be a good human being.

These are the words of Prof. Pankaj Trivedi, our guest for the Faculty Speak feature of this issue. Prof. Trivedi is the head of the finance Department at SIMSR. Here are the excerpts of our interview with Prof. Trivedi:

Q. Can you please share with our readers your background and experiences. Prof. Trivedi: I am a post graduate in Commerce & Economics. I did my PhD in Finance from University of Mumbai. I have published many research papers internationally. I worked for 20 years in banking sector before turning to academics. The reason I shifted from banks to academics was my love for teaching, research and affection for young students. Q. Please tell us about your family. Prof. Trivedi: I have been born and brought up in Mumbai. I live with my wife and my daughter. Q. How has been your experience at SIMSR so far? Prof. Trivedi: Exceptionally good. Here the management faculty is very frank and the relationship between the faculty and the students is very comfortable. The students are very down-to-earth in spite of being selected through the tough CAT. This is unlike students I have come across from many other colleges . The International Business course in this college is really good as are the other courses being offered. It feels nice to be here. Q : What is the advice you would like to offer to students and young professionals? Prof. Trivedi: I would like to tell the students to keep themselves updated on all fronts.

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FACULTY SPEAK: PROFESSOR TRIVEDI

Q : What is the advice you would like to give to our seniors standing on the thresholds of new careers? Their placements are soon starting. Prof. Trivedi: Well I would like to say that accept the change that comes with a new career. For that matter accept any change that life has to offer. Remember you cannot change the world but you can surely change yourself for the better. Be nimble and mould yourself to the demands of your career. But yes, any change or adjustment should not be at the cost of your self-respect. That is something you should protect at all costs. If you are a jewel you will shine anywhere and everywhere.

Q. According to you, what role can the alumni play for the current students? Prof. Trivedi: A lot of role , a huge role! Well mostly it is thought that its only about placements but that is not all. The alumni can share with current students their experiences which can help the students a lot. They can tell the challenges involved, the changing environment in the corporate world...a lot of help...sometimes even more than the faculty because we left industry a long back. The new knowledge and changes can only be transferred by those currently in to it...and of course there are the placements. Q. Please tell us something about your college life. Prof. Trivedi: It was a very nice experience. I had really good relations with all my teachers some of whom are my role models. Q. What would you like to say to the students and the alumni of SIMSR. Prof. Trivedi: To the students I would like to say that reserve some time to enrich your mind with some good reading, some classic literature, essays, poetry. Be a good human being, give respect to everyone...be it your peers, superiors or those subordinate to you. There is a philosophy I believe in, there are two kinds of people- the horizontal and the vertical. We give respect to the horizontal-those who are gone but we forget to respect those who are verticalthose alive and thriving. That is the irony of our lives. To the alumni I would say that dont forget your alma mater. This is the place which gave you the things you stand upon. Be in touch with your institute and help it in as many ways as you can.

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SIMSR ACCOLADES

We are proud to present the names of students who keep the flag of SIMSR flying high at all the events that they compete in. The year has seen SIMSRITES win many an accolade, and these results arise out of a strong desire to compete, combined with a lot of hard work, creativity and focus. These are many a feather in the cap of SIMSR as its students continue to participate in these events and we can wish them all the very best as they endeavour to be the best.

Akshata Philar , Nandini Jaggi , Sonam Goel won the 1st prize at Insight09, IIM Ahemdabad. Vikash Singh, Shashi Shekhar won 1st prize at DISHA - The HR conclave, TAPMI. Lakshman Maaheshwary and Ramjee Kushwaha won the 2nd price at B-Plan contest :Macom at Trishna 09, ICFAI Business School. Ritica Bharadwaj, Utkarsh Gupta, Rajdeep Singh won 2nd prize at Ecoprachar, NMIMS, Mumbai. Shashi Shekhar , Manish Sharma won 2nd prize at the B-Plan Contest: Catalyst , School of Petroleum & Management, Gandhinagar and again a 2nd prize at B-Plan Contest: Blue Print, IIPM, and the 3rd prize at B-Plan contest :International Economics Summit, Sri Venkateswara College of Economics, DU. Bhavik Chauhan won 1st prize at Alacrity '09- Summer Project Inter College Competition, Rizvi Management Institute.