Manoharan

I was busy in office preparing a spreadsheet about a pilot I was running to gain customer insights. My mobile buzzed and I saw an email on IRMA's alumni page. It was about an alumnus named Manoharan who passed away due to cancer. He had passed out from IRMA in the late 80s and was working in tribal areas of Tamil Nadu.It was indeed a sad moment as one always find some attachment towards fellow IRMANs no matter which batch they belong to.
After a few days, I stumbled onto Manoharan's blog. He also had a photo stream on Flickr. Reading his blog and looking at his photos left an impact. His blog postings and photos reveal a man with extraordinary strength. He took the illness in his stride and appeared to be absolutely unaffected by it. He seemed like a gentleman with extraordinary willpower.
As mails from alumni poured in, one came to know so much more about Manoharan. Son of a top Agriculture Government Employee he rejected IIMB and came to IRMA. He topped his batch and went on to work at the grassroots. When he was working in AP, he was abducted by Naxals. But as an alumnus who recounted the episode put it "Naxalites kidnapped him suspecting him to be working for the government against them,interrogated him,got charmed by him and left him"

It is disappointing and sad when such beautiful people suddenly leave us. In the late 90s it was Sanjoy Ghosh who left us abruptly and now Manoharan. Beautiful people in the true sense of the word.

Takeaway from IRMA

I have completed all my academic requirements last week. Unless any faculty member is a sadist, I shall receive my PRM degree from the Vice President of India in the last week of April.
So what are the key takeaways for a PRM graduate? I list down some of them. Of course each person will have his/her own takeaways. But this is my blog and hence my takeaways
1.Excellence in everything that you do- The institute expects you to deliver excellence everytime and in everything. This quality can be seen in all the institutions that Dr. Kurien built. Also, given the stupendous achievements of our alumni, excellence is a hygiene factor in any IRMAns work!
2.Ambiguity is fine- What is rural? what is the difference between rural management and development studies? Globalisation or localisation? Are most issues "either or" or "and" issues? These questions always confronts a student when he is doing his coursework. Further, he faces so many paradoxes in the field. This prepares him for the ambiguity that every manager will face in his worklife. Thus, an IRMAN develops a high tolerance to ambiguity.
3.Integrity- I am saddened by the fact many of my batchmates resorted to unethical practices in exams. But IRMA is known to produce managers of integrity. And Integrity does pay in the long run.While one might say that people with integrity will lose the race, the truth is that they are running a different and a more fulfilling race.
4.The "Sector"- I am not joining an organisation which is a "sector" organisation. But as one of the best professors in IRMA, Prof KVR told us, it really doesnt matter where we go as long as we do our work with integrity, excellence and discipline. I am not a great supporter of this sector romance.Work as long as you get the kick out of it.
5.Get on the field- I know of some idiots who believe that only the fieldwork segment should have the village stay. They prefer to do their internships in cities. My takeaway is that more time you send in rural and semi-urban areas, the more you will be able to differentiate yourself from the normal MBAs.
6. Beauty lies in the simplicity- We had this rubbish band coming to IRMA and perform for a large sum of money. Their tantrums were absolutely stupid. And then there were Magsaysay awardees, padma winners who came across as people who followed the doctrine of "simple living, high thinking". A lesson in humility is definitely a key takeaway!
Finally, after a serious illness and consequent hospitalisation, taking care of ones health is a key takeaway. I have lost precious time due to sickness issues. Hence, health is truly wealth.And in a place like IRMA, there is certainly no time to recuperate and expect to not lose out on the academics.
Of course, these are many more takeaways. But suffice to say, that these two years has been a tremendous learning experience! And I shall forever remain indebted to IRMA for this!

Why IRMA?

Andre Beteille,the wisest man in India, as Ramchandra Guha calls him, was at IRMA to deliver a talk on "The Middle Class." Suffice to say that it was one of the finest speeches I have ever heard in my life.
One quote of the renowned sociologist aptly captures the differentiating factor that IRMAns have compared to other B, R or D schools.

The Indian intelligentsia has somewhat mixed attitudes towards the Indian village. While educated Indians are inclined to think or at least speak well of the village, they do not show much inclination for the company of villagers

IRMA ensures that company of villagers in a village setting is provided to understand the issues with a sensitive and empathetic mind.

Does any B school go this far?

IRMA has always been different. One of the differentiating factors is the convocation ceremony. The attire is white kurta pyjama and an angavastram.
What matters is the meticulous care taken to pull off the event in a perfect manner. I was reminded of this when I read the below mail sent by a staff member to the entire batch.

Dear all,

As discussed with Mr. Ahmed Fawas, Class Representative of PRM-30, we have arranged the shoe-maker to come and take the measurement of chappal for Convocation 2011. He would be coming at 3.30 pm on Monday, the 21st February, 2011 at the IRMA Students' Mess.

We, therefore, request you all to be present in the campus during that period to facilitate them to have the measurement of your chappals.

Your cooperation is highly appreciated.

IRMA placment interviews

A PRM 30 batch initiative, the link below is to the blog which has postings related to interview experiences of my batchmates.

http://irmaplacements.blogspot.com/

Leaving IRMA

26th March 2011: I shall be giving the last exam at IRMA.Most of my batchmates would be leaving the same night. Some are headed home while some are going on a holiday.Most of us will come back to attend our convocation during the last week of April.
Though IRMA has been a tough place for me, I know that I will shed a tear or two when the time comes to say good bye.I always feel sad when I leave a place where I have stayed for some amount of time. I had moments of sadness whenever I left the districts where I had carried out my internships. This time too it will not be different.
Hence I decided that that I will stay back in IRMA for a week after my exams get over.I want to enjoy the campus without the rush.I want to get up late every day and go on a walk in the evening. I want put out a chair in the balcony and enjoy the sunset with a hot cup of coffee.
And I will do this all the seven days that I would be here!

The road less travelled...

Usually, an MBA degree suppresses ones risk taking ability. This can be attributed to two reasons. First, most of us who enroll for a MBA degree have to take an education loan. Hence, one is eager to take up a good paying job to pay off that liability.
Second, the course structure itself largely focuses on risk mitigation. These two reasons prevent MBA passouts to start their own ventures and "create" jobs rather than ask for one.
I was always fascinated whenever I read about MBA students from top B schools who opted out of the placement process to start their own venture. Hence, I was delighted to read in DNA about two of my own batchmates who have taken a bold and brave decision to start their own ventures.
I hope and pray that they are successful in their ventures and that they are able to create wealth, not only for themselves but also for many others in society.

Finally, I managed to get ahead of the curve

Perhaps the consultancies that did not shortlist me should read my blog.
Some months back I had written about direct cash transfers for rural development on my blog.It was part of my Rural Development Interventions course.I was glad to read that the government is serious about implementing it in the near future.
As I bid farewell to the "development" sector as we know it, I am proud that at least I was ahead of the curve on a particular issue.

Impact!!!!

As those who have tracked my blog posting might be aware, I had been to the Vidharbha region of Maharashtra for undertaking a study on tur dal for farmer communities.
Some days back, a senior of mine who works at Basix, had this posting on his FB profile.(Yes, I had to activate my profile again to get this)

IRMA Admissions-Some Views

Its that time of the year when some 400 odd individuals come to IRMA campus to give their admission interviews. Some are here out of choice, some because the coveted IIM call evaded them and some who would treat it as a mock "live" interview for the bigger IIM interviews.
I have been giving/sharing gyan on cracking IRMA for the past two years. My contribution this year will be limited to the earlier post which has a link to a research paper on IRMA admissions. Two years of management + development fundas make u allergic to sites like pagalguy.
This post is more philosophical and less practical.This will certainly not help you in answering any question that the panel asks you during the D day.
1. Many get disappointed that most of their batchmates are not like the IRMANs shown in the "barefoot manager" video. In fact, most of your batchmates will start reading about Dr.Kurien a week before placements because ITC and Amul largely base their questions on his memoir "I too had a dream". But then Kurien himself gave a number to the students who would get into development and become Kuriens. That figure was around 5%. So in all likelihood ( as I vouch for my batch), you will 5 to 6 guys/gals who will venture onto development by choice.
2.Do not be disappointed if you do not get into IRMA. In fact any B school for that matter. As Gopalkrishnan, ED of Tata Sons states in his book, only 3% of learning happens in classroom. Its not important where you graduate from, but its very important of what you make of what you have got.
3.If you get into IRMA, you will convocate with many paradoxes. All fuzzy concepts and definitions will engulf your thought process.In fact, you will learn to appreciate these contradictions and maybe help you in better decision making.
4.Finally, the journey is a very lonely one. This is a personal reflection and any elucidation will not be helpful at all. Something that each one has to go through to appreciate it.
So, any IRMA aspirant who stumbles on to this site and has enough idle time to go through this post, my best wishes!

Cracking the IRMA Interview...

While I (or anyone for that matter)may not be able to provide the perfect answer on how to crack the IRMA interview, the following link will be of more than academic interest for aspirants who will be coming to IRMA in the first of February to face a panel of faculty members to gain admission to this wonderful institute.
The link (given by my batchmate Uphar) is to a paper titled "A study of IRMA admissions" by Prof. M J Arul, ex-faculty of IRMA in the area of OB. Here is the link!

The Rajan Memorial Lecture by Prof.Sriram

The Rajan Memorial Lecture is an annual event at IRMA instituted in the memory of T S Rajan, an alumnus of the institute who died in an accident.
This year we had Prof. Sriram as the speaker. An alumnus of IRMA Prof.Sriram is ex-faculty member of IRMA and IIMA. For those who track the microfinance sector, Prof. Sriram is regarded as one of the top researchers in this field. But he himself would agree that his interests are much wider than just microfinance.
The topic was an interesting one and was provocatively titled "Profit or Purpose:The dilemma of Social Enterprises ." The lecture was scheduled a day before Milaap which is the annual alumni meet of IRMA. One of the events during Milaap was a panel discussion on Social Entrepreneurship. Hence this lecture was perfect in its timing.
Prof. Sriram began by dividing social enterprises into three schools of thought. The first were pure not for profit enterprises (read NGOs) where purpose was the overriding concern. The promoters of such enterprises primarily played on the motivational aspects of employees who were largely payed below market determined wages. The problem, as Sriram saw it was that these institutions had issues of scalability.The other issue was that the since employees were payed below market determined wages, they would seek higher goals and achievements ( to make up for the low wages) and may force the organisation into a mission drift. The related concern was that the employees, when not allowed to grow, might end up in some sense "commercialising"the operations (though Sriram did not use the same language). Hence profits might trump the purpose.
The second form of social enterprise is community managed institutions-cooperatives. One cannot but appreciate co operatives when one studies at IRMA. Sriram argued that these are beautifully designed organisations which aligns profit and purpose to meet member interests. However, we do not look at such organisations as "social" because they are embedded deeply in the market system. Amul is a case in point. I wonder if a large section of the consumer base of Amul are aware that it is a producer owned organisation.In co operatives, the focus is on patronage and not on capital. However, Sriram did point out the "horizon problem" that arises because members force the co operative to increase current cash flows at the expense of future earning. Also there is denial of patronage when co operatives put aside a part of earnings as reserves.
The third form of social organisation is what Sriram calls the BOP school of thought. These are market based firms which seek to integrate the poor into the mainstream economy. They adhere to the double bottomline principle-doing well and doing good. But as instances in the microfinance sector (Sriram did not touch on this sector) reveal that one attracts great scrutiny when one seeks to achieve this double bottomline. So no one will question Arvind Mills selling organic cotton jeans in its stores but Fabindia will invite scrutiny if its sells garments or products not in tune with its "purpose". So as Sriram cogently put it, where you come from and where you are headed is very important for such organisations. Governance, then is the most important issue facing "social enterprises". But, as he conceded, it was easier said than done.
His talk was peppered with several examples for each type of enterprise. Some of the examples included Christian Medical College, Sankara Eyecare, Jaipur Foot, GCMMF, etc.
It was evident and as Sriram put it-he was hard selling co operatives. Not surprising for someone who was called the "co operative purist" of IRMA by Tushaar Shah in his book " Making Farmer Co operatives Successful"
Overall, it was a pleasure to hear Sriram for the first time. Not to mention the proud feeling of seeing one's senior hold forth so beautifully on a very fuzzy topic!

Why IRMA was a paradigm change in Management Education in India.

The late Sumantra Ghoshal was onto something radically different when he wrote his last paper "Bad Management Theories are destroying good management practices". That paper made academicians in B-Schools squirm as Ghoshal put a lot of blame of Enron, Worldcom and other scandals at the doorsteps of B-Schools. In fact, it was implicit that managers have a larger role to play in society given that the organisations they work are sometimes bigger than many nation-states.But managers are not comfortable with that role.
In this context, Indian B schools seem to have had a head start. The Week magazine profiles some "top" B schools engaging with social issues.This is commendable if it is done with the same rigour that they apply to their other internships and classroom segments of MBA.The incidence and extent of sensitisation of the students is not easy to measure.
IRMA has been doing such things for the last three decades. In fact, when I read Ghoshal's article, I feel that he should have come to IRMA to realise that there is a Management Institute which seeks to imbibe qualities of a "true" manager and does not narrow a managers interests only to an organisation.
Only if IRMA is able to stem the loss in academic rigour, it can emerge as India's top mangement Institute displacing its richer cousin from Ahmedabad from its No1 position.

I am still a management graduate

Those reading my blog might be convinced I am a development wallah , I am essentially a management graduate!
Proof of that is the results of an IIMA marketing quiz held on the 20th of September 2010. (Please click on the picture to enlarge)

Another lesson learnt at IRMA

When a person is making a huge blunder, dont correct him......if he is so foolish to make that blunder, there is no point in correcting him!

An evening with prominent IRMA alumni

IRMA is in the midst of a "revisioning" exercise. So prominent personalities were called in for their views and opinion regarding the same. Mr.Vivekanandan of SIFFS and Mr.Sivakumar, CEO of ITC-ABD were the alumni who were part of this exercise.
Prof.Abhijeet Sen, member of the Planning Commission was also invited to this excerise.Some of the guys here were also talking about Vijay Mahajan being there.
The biggest name was Rahul Gandhi who quietly came and left without much fanfare.
Since two of the most famous alumni were present on campus, it was a wonderful opportunity to interact with them.
The more famous of the two is of course Mr.Sivakumar. He is the man behind ITC's e-choupal, a much celebrated business model of procuring agricultural produce (mainly soyabean) directly from farmers through choupals set up in villages.
This business model found itself as a case study in C.K.Prahalad's famous book "Fortune at the bottom of the pyramid". Mr.Sivakumar himself felt that "Fortune for the bottom of the pyramid" is more important than "fortune at the bottom of the pyramid".
Both of them spoke about life after IRMA, strengths and weaknesses of IRMAns and choices we would have to make when we step out of this institution. Mr.Sivakumar spoke about having a "larger purpose" in life which is essential in achieving success in life. This large purpose must go beyond salary, perks, and the like.
Mr.Vivekanadan too spoke about the changed environment in the last 30 years since he passed out of IRMA. He also spoke at length about his involvement with fishermen community in Kutch and their movement against the Adani group which was building the Mundhra port that had affected the fishermens' livelihoods.
Overall it was a nice interaction with some of the earliest IRMAns. I think such interaction with alumni should be made a regular feature as it only enriches one's understanding on the challenges faced by rural managers in the field

Back at IRMA

I came back to a drenched IRMA campus this week. The presentations were spread over three days. Thankfully my presentations got over on the first day itself. Not much grilling by the evaluators. Not much by the fellow participants too.
The OTS was an interesting experience. It allowed me to visit five districts in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Thanks to a co operative Reporting Officer, I was given enough freedom to undertake the exercise at my own pace. This allowed me to understand the fine details of the tur dal business.
Now that the first year is over, second year is all about pursuing your area of interest. Unfortunately, I have not been able to boil down my area of interest. And this shows in the selection of electives. From brand management to international trade, from agri business to derivatives, I have my hands full this semester.
Specifically I am looking forward to the Economic Policy and Environment and International Trade electives.
Hopefully I will be much more disciplined than I was last year.

Mani Shankar Aiyar ko gusaa kyon aata hain?

IRMA's annual inter college fest "Udaan" had Shri. Mani Shankar Aiyar, Former Minister of Panchayati Raj, Sports and Youth Affairs, and Petroleum as the chief guest.
He is known for creating controversies (remember the Bhagat Singh controversy?) and also a sycophant of the Gandhi-Nehru Family.
He also ran into trouble as the Petroleum Minister when he was brave enough ( and I compliment him for that) to take an anti-Ambani stand and had got himself removed from that post.
He was also defeated in the last general elections.
So Mr. Aiyar, as a politician would, ranted about everything that is wrong with India for over an hour, how the India farmer should go on tilling his farm irrespective of whether that creates enough income or not, how liberalisation is bad, and also had time to take potshots at Mr Ambani ( very personal and very demeaning) and also at his Congress members especially PC.
His entire speech seemed as an attempt to vent his bitterness. He took potshots at IIMA students calling them "inferior creatures". Mr Aiyar left no one in his attack.
His speech is of a person who, post- 1991 has seen the shift of power from the corridors of Delhi to the markets, of how a uncouth Gujarati businessman unlike the suave and powerful orator, St Stephens and Cambridge educated Aiyar earned thousands of crores with help from the INC, had sons who could remove him from his ministry and he could not do a thing.
He spoke about creation of millions of women leaders at the village level post the empowerment of the PRIs. This would delight someone at IIMA, but not at IRMA where any PRM student would tell you that the women are just rubber stamps and the real leader is her husband or father-in-law. Maybe he should reserve such comments at the five-star hotels where he prefers to dine and tell his Americal and European friends on the romance of poverty. We at IRMA dont need that Sir. Thank you very much.
Such an undiplomatic speech coming from an ex-IFS officer makes me wonder how good he was in his job. Maybe sychophancy ruled then and hence he could rise in the ranks.
Surprisingly Mr.Aiyar is scheduled to address the "inferior creatures" at IIMB at their function. More surprising is the fact that he is addressing at a insitute who has this man in its Board of Governors.
Would love to hear his speech there!!! Good luck Mr.Aiyar.

The trip of a lifetime....

IRMA's fieldwork segment is one of the most challenging for its participants. And while I left Anand with several apprenhensions I not only survived but enjoyed the entire two month stay.
The district we went to is one of the most feared places in IRMA as the previous batch had its participants being beaten out of the villages and some were hospitalised for various illnesses.
My village was an enchanting place. Though it was the second highest hill station in the state it was not as popular as some other hill stations.
On reaching the village, we were shown our house. A modest accommodation by any stretch of imagination. One cot, a small chulha, and a couple of chairs were provided by our host family. For the first couple of days, we had a small diya for illumination purpose. Later we were given a solar powered CFL light which was a boon for my partner and me.
The first week was a testing period for me. It was cold, the house had its share of visitors in the form of snakes, rats and the like. There was no toilet and I had to climb a small hill to answer nature's call. At one point in time I was frustated and wanted to pack my bags and leave. The unseasonal rains added to the misery.
But as time passed, I realised the inherent capacity of humans to adapt themselves to any situation. Suddenly I started feeling comfortable. So much so that when my fellow colleague ran away home, I preferred to stay back and enjoy the tough village life.
I realised that this would be the first and the last time I would get an opportunity to live such a kind of life which was devoid of electricity, sanitation, mobile coverage and the usual stress levels associated with IRMA and life.
Since I was living in a tribal village, I had the opportunity to interact with some of the most honest and simple people in this world. People who had not gone out of their small village, people who were content with what they had and people who lovingly shared their space, time and food with strangers like me.
I was also fortunate to participate in some of their rituals which were held deep in the forest at night. It was an unique experience as I had never been exposed to the tribal culture.
The village stay made me realize how lucky I was to have all the comforts which was not available to the villagers. These two months have made me humble and more tolerant towards non-availability of luxuries like electricity, internet if and when there is a problem.
I have also started questioning the efficacy of high GDP growth in alleviating poverty. None of the villages I visited in Nandurbar had been touched by this high growth rate. Also most problems afflicting the villages like addiction to tobacco, polygamy, child marriages, etc were social evils which required solutions outside the narrow domain of GDP growth.
While this visit has left deep impressions on me and my life, more importantly it has raised several questions like the one stated above. I will, in the course of my stay in IRMA and beyond pursue them to satisfy the curiosity.

Out of my comfort zone

IRMA's strength lies in its demanding curriculum. The fieldwork segment is one of the most demanding of the components of PRM course. This component requires participants to spend two months in a village which is usually devoid of electricity, proper sanitation facilities, physical infrastructure and is situated in remote locations and accessibility to the near towns is difficult.
I will be heading to Toranmal village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra this year. Toranmal is the second highest hill station in the state. We will be living in a hut which does not have any electricity. We have been asked to be careful of mosquitoes and tigers. Since it is a forest area tigers are sighted in that village.
Tiger repellant anyone?