IIFT wins CFA Global Investment Research Challenge-India FINALS
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
The competition is supported by three premier organizations including NSE (National Stock Exchange), Bloomberg and Bloomberg UTV as sponsors and long term corporate partners.
- Sunil Singhania, CFA, Head - Equity Investments, Reliance Capital Asset Management Ltd; and President of IAIP
- Ratnesh Kumar, Managing Director and Head, Standard Chartered Securities India
- Alan Meder CFA, SVP and Chief Risk Officer, Duff & Phelps Investment Management Co.; and Vice Chair, CFA Institute Board of Governors
- Ramesh Damani, seasoned investor with over two decades of experience
QS Global 200 Survey ranks IIFT 21st best b-school in ASIA PACIFIC region
Friday, December 09, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
NDTV Politically Incorrect at IIFT Campus
Wednesday, December 07, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
The show will be telecast at 9:30 PM on Friday, 9th December on NDTV 24x7. There will also be a repeat telecast at 9:30 AM on the following morning. Don't miss the episode.
Photos coming soon!
Ad Mad Results!!
Saturday, November 19, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
1st: Hindu-I (Hindu College)
2nd (tied): Junoon-I: Dyal Singh (evening) and A Few Bad Men (IIFT)
Brand Vistaar Results Declared
Friday, November 18, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Runners'-up: Team Sammies from MICA
Congratulations to the winners
Results of Bollywood Ka Shahenshah(Informals)
Friday, November 18, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Shashank Malhotra
Arun Panigrahi
Arunesh Sharma
Dhruba Jyoti Chatterjee
Each get Rs 1000.
Religare SHODH Results Declared!!
Friday, November 18, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
International Paper Writing Contest RESULTS
Friday, November 18, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Event Title
RESULTS:
Winner: Riddhi Biswas-IIM K
1st Runners-up:Joymalya Bandopadhyay-XLRI Jamshedpur
2nd Runners-up: Aniket R Khare-IIFT Delhi
Quo Vadis Coverage in HT!!
Friday, November 18, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Even before the inaugration, Quo Vadis 2011 is hitting the headlines. Check out this full page coverage of IIFT's annual management and cultural festival.
The EXCITEMENT is HERE!!!!
Thursday, November 17, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Farhan Saeed at Quo Vadis 2011...
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Farhan Saeed (does "Jal" sound familiar ??) is coming to IIFT on 19th November 2011. He will be performing on Celebrity Night-1 at IIFT Quo Vadis 2011. "Aadat", "Lamhey", "Panchi" and a lot more awaits. Don't miss it. Passes are now available. Keep tuned to Quo Vadis 2011 Facebook page for all the latest updates.
A voice that touches the soul...Shafqat Amanat Ali
Saturday, November 12, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Born into the famed Patiala gharana, Shafqat Amanat Ali was immersed into classical music almost as quickly he could frame his first sentences.Little did he know that he would one day become the lead singer of one of Pakistan's leading fusion and Sufi-rock bands: "Fuzon".
Less than a week to go for Quo Vadis 2011...
Saturday, November 12, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Media Coverage for IIFT's Africa Business Conclave
Thursday, November 10, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
IIFT Grand Alumni Reunion, 2011
Monday, November 07, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Quo Vadis 2011...15 days to go...
Wednesday, November 02, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Quo Vadis 2011...website launched!!
Monday, October 17, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Quo Vadis 2011 website has now been officially launched....do check it out!!
IIFT Grand Alumni Reunion, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Quo Vadis 2011-RanNiti
Thursday, October 13, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Tribute to Steve Jobs
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 Posted by Unknown
Quo Vadis 2011...the countdown begins..
Thursday, October 06, 2011 Posted by Bibaswan Banerjee
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade proudly announces the launch of Quo Vadis, 2011. Building on the grand success of last year's event, Quo Vadis, 2011 is all set to scale even greater heights: transcending boundaries and going international for the very first time. With a diverse and exciting line up of events that will challenge budding managers from top b-schools across the country and fantastic prize money and tons of goodies on offer from the top corporates of the country, things are going to heat up amidst the November chill in Delhi . However, it is not going to be only case studies, debates and quizzes. Unleash the rockstar inside you and let creativity flow at Quo Vadis, 2011. With exciting cultural competitions and a special musical night which will see performances from some of the top artists from the Indian music industry, Quo Vadis, 2011 is going to be an unforgettable experience. The place to be at, from November 18-20 is IIFT, Delhi. The countdown has begun...Singapore Conclave: Amazing List of Speakers
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 Posted by Bhushan Bapat
- Mr. Jignesh Shah - Group Chief Executive Officer, Financial Technologies Group (Owner of MCX and SMX)
- Mr. Kasi Viswanathan – Regional Director, Noble Resources
- Mr. Matthew Sullivan - Director, Energy Solutions, HSBC
- Mr. Nicholas Trevethan - Sr. Commodities Strategist, ANZ Bank
- Mr. Kiew Won lee – Structured Trade Finance, Bunge
- Mr. Ho Meng Kit - Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Business Federation (SBF)
- Mr. Vijay Iyengar - Founder & Former CEO, Agro Corp Intl (one of the fastest growing agri trading companies in the world)
- Mr. K. V. Rao – Resident Director, Tata Power
- Mr. T. K. Sengupta – Managing Director, MMTC Transnational Pte Ltd (MTPL)
- Mr. Brad Ridge, CEO/Principal Partner, Grid Investment Capital
- Mr. Manvinder Singh – Vice President, AFG Capital Management
- Mr. Adrian Sim, Diamond Mine Capital
Over 130 corporate delegates comprising the Who’s Who of Commodities Inc. & the finest Trade Financiers of the world have confirmed their participation at the conclave!!!Prominent names amongst them –- Managing Director – Cocoa Platform, Archer Daniels Midland
- Global Co-head – Hedge Funds & Derivatives Sales, Royal Bank of Scotland
- Managing Director – Global Oil & Gas Group, Standard Chartered
- Senior Vice President – Enterprise Banking, Development Bank of Singapore
- Senior Vice President – Commercial Banking, HSBC
- Head of South East Asia, Eurex Frankfurt (Eurex is considered one of the "big three" derivative exchanges, along with NYSE Euronext Liffe and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange )
- Executive Director, KPMG Corporate Finance Pte Ltd
- Vice President, BNP Paribas Wealth Management
- Chief Executive Officer, Tata Capital Advisors
- Director of Policy, International Swaps & Derivatives Association
No explanation required.
The event is REALLY BIG !!!
Go IIFT Go !!!
IIFT's Truly International Event: Commodity Trading Conclave In Singapore
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 Posted by Bhushan Bapat
Proud to be an IIFTian!
Friday, August 19, 2011 Posted by Mahima
FDI in the Indian Retail Sector
Monday, August 08, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
As per Press Note 4 issued by DIPP and consolidated FDI policy issued in Oct 2010, 100% FDI is allowed in the cash and carry wholesale trading and export trading category, under the automatic route. FDI up to 51% is allowed in the single brand retail category after approval by the Foreign Investment promotion Board (FIPB).
The third key point is what has the Walmarts and the Tescos sulking at India’s doorstep.
FDI is not permitted in the multi brand retailing category.
In July 2010 , the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) under the Ministry of Commerce circulated a discussion paper on allowing FDI in multi brand retail. It does not provide any limitation on the FDI investment that can be done in multi brand retail. If implemented it will open doors to global giants who are waiting to take advantage of the growing Indian market. The share prices of Indian multi brand retail chains have seen an increase ever since news of this proposal hit markets. This clearly shows that notall fear the FDI that may come in.
In the current scenario unorganized sector accounts for nearly 93-95% of the total market share. The local haats and kirana shops dominate the markets and are a major source of employment for many. In fact after agriculture Indian Retail sector is the biggest employer and accounts for nearly 10% of India’s GDP.
The key points in favour of the opening up of the retail sector are greater accessibility to foreign markets and greater return for farmers. India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables but due to lack of proper infrastructure (like cold storage units) billions of dollars of food is wasted every year. Although 100% FDI is allowed in cold storage, the lack of FDI in multi brand retail has discouraged any major investment in this direction.
The risk we run by opening up the sector is that millions of jobs could be in jeopardy. Also after entering the market the greater buying power of these retail houses could limit the price received by suppliers thus killing many MSMEs. It might also have social impacts as the divide between cities and villages will become greater.
Initially these retailers will be allowed to operate only in six major cities and the challenges faced by them are huge. Will single brand foreign retailers buy out their Indian partners? Will the franchisee model cease to exist? Also will multi brand retailers be able to penetrate into the rural market where the personal touch of kirana shops and the rapport they share with customers pose a challenge?
Eventually the sector needs to be opened up to put India on the map as a destination for global food sourcing and to better prospects for farmers. The key question is when?
In my opinion with the increase in microfinance institutions and multi brand Indian retailers we might see an increase in the market share of the organized sector. Perhaps we need to give more time to the Indian retailers to develop and improve upon their own processes. Definitely a deadline should be drawn by the government to not only assure foreign investors of the government’s inclination to allow growth but also to ensure that Indian retailers clean up their act and concentrate on greater transparency and cost competitiveness.
In another 3-4 years the Retail market should be opened up to trigger the next phase of growth in the India Shining story. This will give time to Indian retailers to gear up for the foreign investors and also to the foreign MNCs to understand the market sentiment better.
First Month at IIFT
Saturday, August 06, 2011 Posted by Arnab Chatterjee
Author: Dhruba Jyoti Chatterjee
MBA-IB 2011-13,New Delhi Campus
As I was walking past the Academic Block today, a bland piece of paper caught my attention. It said – Applications for MBA (IB) – 2012-14 (Full Time) available. I smiled. Not a long time back, I was one of the many aspirants seeking the right to call himself an IIFTian. Today, as I complete a month at IIFT, I can safely claim that I have completed (1/24) th of the journey towards that goal (Pardon me for the exaggeration, but the hangover of the business statistics quiz will take some time to subside!).
So, how has it been so far? The immediate responses from the heart are: Hectic, Demanding and Sleep-depriving. On most mornings, it becomes impossible to believe that water is chemically neutral, for it makes my eyes burn as I try to wash away the dreariness from them. The subjects haven’t made my life any easier. I now know how hard it is to ‘balance’ a balance sheet; the bell-shaped curve has made frequent appearances in my nightmares; I fail to see the difference between segmentation, targeting and positioning, beyond their spellings and pronunciations. In between shuffling the pages of the textbooks (cumulatively heavier than yours truly) and understanding acronyms/jargons/ fundae/formulae, I am also unlearning and relearning a few things; the alphabetical system, for example. In a world, where the evening begins at 23:59:59 and GAS is not just a state of matter, but part of your daily conversations and content for the answer sheets, alphabets have assumed a whole new meaning. The letter A doesn’t remind me of the fruit/product Apple anymore; nor does the ball represent the alphabet B. In my new world, A stands for Assignments, B for ‘Babloo ke Paranthe’, C for CV, D for Deadlines and so on and so forth. It’s easier to count the days when I faced a quiz than the ones when I didn’t. I almost feel the chairs greeting me as I enter the auditorium or the NCH, for I have spent more time with them than anyone else in the college so far. Yet, every night (technically morning) when I eventually hit the bed, I go down with the satisfaction of having spent the day productively, having learnt something new.
As I slowly find my feet in this new phase of my life, walking away from my comfort zone, I can see many others like me, frantically waving their hands – my new friends and mentors, welcoming me in this world of exciting challenges and wonderful opportunities. Well, the journey has just begun. And I am in no real hurry to finish it! Hopefully, we, the batch of 2011-13, shall make it a memorable one.
JAN LOKPAL BILL
Saturday, July 09, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
Author: Avinash Shandilya
The above statement defines the entire concept of the Lokpal Bill. The details about the Who and the What and the Where and the How have been all over the news. We have made a mockery of ourselves. Somebody who was a nobody has been raised to the status of being a Mahatma and the crusade titled Satyagrah. Excuse me, even Mahatma Gandhi would not have adhered to such banal commercialisation of something as pure as fasting for a noble cause.
The point which I would like to make through this article is the sheer irrelevance of holding the country’s sanctity to ransom and disrupting the functioning of the parliamentary body, when our parliament is the highest authority which frames laws. Civil society bonded together by their collective frustration against corruption (cases for which are popping up every week like the spread of mosquitoes during the rainy season at NCR) has taken the mantle upon themselves to have a complete overhaul of the system. It is true that a malaise exists in the system and we have all the right to be disappointed. It is our responsibility to take collective remedial actions as well. In the past when we did not do anything to counter corruption, we the general people blamed each other for the lack of pride in cleaning our own houses. Now that we are doing it, we are doing it under a shaky leadership and the connotations have been there for all of us to see.
The issue of the Lokpal Bill have been driven by political undertones. Lets try and reanalyse the issue from the perspective of a common man. Why do people like me and you need the Lokpal? Why do we need the Prime Minister to be under its ambit? In a few days time we will also fight for the Supreme court to be under the ambit of the Lokpal? People like me and you will not get a penny in our hands even if the black money, on the pretext of which the entire campaign has been staged, returns back. Since the issue has been raised, the government is trying its level best to bring all the tax havens onto the negotiation table. Agreements are being signed. India aspires to have a permanat seat in the UN. We aspire to be the new power bloc in the world. India has a cultural heritage of tolerance and that is what has helped us sustain as a collective unit. We are not hardwired to deal with issues in the some of our Middle east cousins or for that matter our arch rivals in the north treat us. We are a democracy and should be proud to be one.
Let good sense prevail. Let us try and give up the campaign to get what we want by putting a knife to the government. We have lots of people dying everyday in road accidents, out of diseases, out of sheer poverty and that is what needs to be brought to the fore. The rest will take care of themselves. We already have the Vigilance Commission We have the RTI. Both of these have been the brainchild of this very government and they are working so well. Let us raise our daily issues of concern which we see around ourselves to these organisations. Let them do what they have been appointed to do. They need our support. Let us not always try and undermine all the institutions which exist and claim to institute yet another committee with even more overbearing powers.
The government cannot and should not adhere to the demands for the Lokpal so soon. The issue needs further debate amongst the masses. Put up the draft for everybody to see. Let the enlightened community feel wanted. Let them be involved. Let the Parliament do its due. We do not need another committee, we need awareness amongst the masses to use the existing institutions well.
Importance of cross cultural sensitization in International Business
Friday, July 08, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
Author: Nupur Gupta(2011-2013 batch)
Cross cultural sensitivity is the quality of being aware and accepting of other cultures. This is important because what seems acceptable in some countries can be rude or derogatory in others. A person who is culturally sensitive is aware that there could be differences between their culture and another person’s, and that these differences could affect their relationship and the way they communicate with each other. A culturally sensitive person would understand other countries’ traditions and ways of life, or attempt to learn and apply new understandings.
Cross cultural sensitivity is seen as an essential skill in today's world. Cross cultural awareness is important when dealing in international relations or trade. It can mean the difference between a brand succeeding or failing in international market. Some cross cultural barriers are body language, etiquette, establishing trust, religious beliefs and social habits.
The success or failure of a company, venture, merger or acquisition essentially depends upon people. If these people are not cross-culturally aware then misunderstandings, offence and a breakdown in communication can occur. The need for greater cross-cultural awareness is heightened in our global economies. Cross-cultural differences can lead to cross cultural blunders. Having a poor understanding of the influence of cross cultural differences in areas such as management, PR, advertising and negotiations can eventually lead to blunders that can have damaging consequences.
A company having understanding of cultures in other countries can manipulate marketing strategies accordingly and use them effectively. For example- the main slogan of coke is open happiness. But happiness is defined differently in different cultures. So it targets that and has different types of advertisements for different countries/cultures
Examples showing the importance of Cross Cultural Sensitivity and awareness are:
An American Company that manufactures golf balls packaged the balls in packs of four. They were successful and began selling internationally. However they were not so successful in Japan, where the number four holds the meaning of death.
When a soft drink was introduced into Arab countries, the Arabs didn’t buy it because the label had six-pointed stars on it and they interpreted it as pro-Israeli. When they printed another label in ten languages, the Arabs wouldn’t buy again because one of them was Hebrew.
Recognising the importance of cross cultural sensitization will help the company to understand the needs, preferences of customer for a product. A company won’t sell a product that would not be accepted by the people on cultural grounds. For e.g.-. if a package food company tries to sell beef in India, it might not be as successful as expected because cow is considered the sacred animal to Indians.
Communicating and working across cultures often presents huge risks for international businesses. Understanding culture of other country can help prevent wasted time, lost revenue and damaging misunderstandings which occur as a result of a lack of knowledge and understanding of the target culture. Understanding how people think and why they behave the way they do will help employees work more effectively, which in turn, will give the organisation a competitive edge over other organisations who lack this intercultural competence.
Cross culture sensitivity helps the company to understand the implications of cultural difference on business, understand how they are perceived by their international counterparts, communicate effectively across cultures and build successful cross cultural relationships.
We can impart the idea of cross cultural sensitivity to the employees by cross culture awareness training. This training offers participants with two types of training- One looks at a specific country or culture and how to do business with them. Cultural awareness training can make an important impact on any business or organisation wanting to maximize their potential internationally. With staff that can deal sensitively and effectively with clients, customers and colleagues from other cultures a business becomes more competitive and more profitable.
Thus, the idea of cross cultural sensitivity is inevitable in international business. For a company to be successful in international business, it should help the employees to be culturally sensitive. If different cultures are accepted by people of different parts of the world, then it leads to successful and profitable venture.
The Business of Business is Business
Friday, July 08, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
I understand that we all should give back to society once we reach a level where we can make a difference, but is it our duty? Is it the duty of corporate bigwigs to organise CSR activities, just to get these social activists off their back and the government from imposing taxes?
Charity as defined by the Oxford dictionary is “generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless”.
The key word here is generous. I would also like to mention here that an act can be generous only if it has the right intentions and starts off as a selfless act.
Many Businessmen feel pushed into making charities and indulging in CSR initiatives. The reason business exists is because the proprietors want to make money. It can be for many other reasons too, but certainly not to give away your money. Acts of generosity should only be invoked by something inside and not something external.
The Business of Business is Business. Business exists only so that it can generate more business. The hunger can never quite be satiated, but is it a sin not to be satisfied?
I agree that there are many scrupulous practices out there which show businesses as selfish operations with no concern for gullible customers. The customers too are very shrewd and if they are never questioned on their morality, then why are businesses?
It is an unsaid truth that most businesses run for profits alone and the brand building around it is to protect the customer from getting hurt by the true intentions of a business.
Yes, the corporates owe society but no more than society owes them. They create job opportunities, promote development and invoke aspirations in the public.
Society and businesses exist together because they need each other and not because they want to. So yes, there is no harm in pushing businesses to help in the betterment of society by giving aid, but it also isn’t wrong when businesses retaliate and refuse to give up their hard earned incomes.
The business of business is business and not charity, but to get businesses to contribute is society’s business.
IIFT shines at the Nissan Student Brand Manager Program
Thursday, July 07, 2011 Posted by Bhushan Bapat
1st day at IIFT
Monday, July 04, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
Author: Akshay Gupta (2011-2013 batch)
Here came 1st July 2011, my 1st day at IIFT, Delhi. With great expectations and hopes in my mind and with enormous energy I entered the campus of IIFT, Delhi the “IIFT Bhawan” located in the greens of the Aravallis.
The moment I entered the place I fell in love with this place all over again.. No this by no means is my second stint at IIFT..:), but because it reminded me of my school life.. I am not getting emotional by any chance, but I say so as it reminded of the greens of the Aravallis as it’s just a stones throw away distance from IIFT.
It was on the first day that I got a chance to interact with each and every one of my batch mates, I found a lot many people who from the first look seemed to be fun loving and as cheerful and on the other hand there were few who from there first look had started to scare the hell out of me.. and these people were those extremely serious kind of people.. with loads of knowledge on their head and who made me realize on the very instance about where I am and what I have for competition…:(.
The first day gave me a hang of what I will be experiencing in these 2 years of my life. The rocked totally, it drained all the energy out of me that I had been saving for so long.. But, still I was liking.. As that’s the way it happens at IIFT.. Go IIFT go….!!!
Los Conquistadores : 2009-2011 Batch
Sunday, June 12, 2011 Posted by Pratheesh
IIFT to Launch Foreign Trade Institute in Kampala
Wednesday, June 01, 2011 Posted by Bhushan Bapat
PS: The article was published in TOI. dated 31/05/2011 by RADHIKA P NAIR, BANGALORE
Here is the Link http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?articles=yes&pageid=7&max=true&articleid=Ar00702§id=5edid=&edlabel=ETBG&mydateHid=31-05-2011&pubname=Economic+Times+-+Bangalore+-+Corporate&title=IIFT+to+Launch+Foreign+Trade+Institute+in+Kampala&edname=&publabel=ET, it opens when u r logged in the e-paper.
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