Articles 11 to 20 of 64
Gurcharan Das on Change in India and Lessons from the Mahabharata
Best-selling Indian author and management consultant Gurcharan Das examines business from a perspective gleaned through his readings of the Mahabharata, the classic Indian epic. For example, the financial crisis, he says, was partly the result of human flaws which "enlightened regulation" could help to minimize. In addition to discussing the insight that the Mahabharata provides, Das spoke with India Knowledge@Wharton about the country's economic growth, and how it can overcome its nagging governance issues and excel in its competition with China.
VayuGrid Leverages the Power of Aggregation for Farm Prosperity
Social entrepreneur Gerard Rego and his colleagues believe they have the silver bullet to end the woes of India's small farmers. Their for-profit firm, VayuGrid, promotes dry-land cultivation of oilseeds, pools thousands of farmers into a marketplace for discounts and spurs entrepreneurship. Its untried model, however, calls for impeccable project management and operational efficiency to succeed, India Knowledge@Wharton learns from participants and investors.
Aegis's Sandip Sen on BPO Strategies: Go Global and Span the Customer Lifecycle
The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has seen mixed effects from the recent economic downturn -- some big clients like Bear Stearns went belly up, while other companies started outsourcing to cut costs. But BPO firms must have a global presence and serve customers at multiple points in their business lifecycles, says Sandip Sen, president (Americas) and global chief marketing officer at Aegis, one of India's largest outsourcing services providers. Sen, the founder of call center firm Customer First Services, talked to India Knowledge@Wharton about his strategies for brand building and remaining competitive.
How 'Generation Next' is Moving Up the Corporate Ladder at India Inc.
Young people at India's top family businesses are playing increasingly important roles in their companies. What sets them apart from the earlier generation of inheritors are their strong credentials: They have the right educational degrees, wide global exposure and, of course, the ambition to make it big. But experts warn that if they are to succeed, they also need the humility to appreciate the wisdom and guidance of older employees.
Tata Group, Infosys and Others: The 'Painful' but Necessary Succession Planning Process
Group holding company Tata Sons has appointed a panel to find a successor for chairman Ratan Tata, who is retiring in December 2012. Another panel is working at Infosys to select a replacement for chairman and chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy. Will it be an insider or an outsider? Amid growing debate over how successors should be chosen, both companies say that all options are open. According to one Wharton faculty member, "If [these companies] care about ... the prosperity of the business, it is prudent to appoint the most competent and most capable people to run [them]."
Hero Motors’ Pankaj Munjal: Going Global with a Passion for Wheels
Cars and bikes are in Pankaj Munjal's blood -- his family founded the US$5 billion Hero Group, the New Delhi-based enterprise comprising 20 companies including the world's largest manufacturer of bicycles. As managing director of Hero Motors and Hero Cycles, Munjal oversees the company's two-wheeler production and its global auto components business. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, he spoke about why his firm is focused on the small-car market, what he looks for in new hires, and what toys he likes to take for a drive.
Tata Consultancy Services' Girija Pande: China and India Are on Different Roads to a Common Destiny
Girija Pande, chairman of Tata Consultancy Services for the Asia Pacific region, knows both India and China well. In a conversation with Wharton management professor Jitendra Singh, he shares his thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of both countries, and the challenges facing their businesses and governments. China has perfected timely project execution while India scores in fostering innovation, but both face a shortage of skilled, global managers, he says.
Everstone's Roopa Purushothaman on India's Coming Urbanization Phase
A resurgence of urbanization will be the next big wave in India's demographic dynamics, according to Roopa Purushothaman, who heads research at Mumbai-based Everstone Investment Advisors. Purushothaman, who analyzes spending, savings and other consumer patterns in India's urban centers, says that more women in the workforce and greater credit access are other trends that are likely to continue. She shared her insights with India Knowledge@Wharton at the Wharton India Economic Forum in Philadelphia.
Wipro's Azim Premji: 'Ecology Is One of Our Big Bets for the Future'
Wipro chairman Azim Premji believes that just as the past few decades have been the "Information Age," the next few decades will be the "Ecological Age." And just as he transformed Wipro from a small oil and soap business into a US$6 billion IT and FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) powerhouse, Premji is now betting on ecology as the next big business opportunity for the group. In an interview with India Knowledge@Wharton, Premji talks about ecology as a social and business imperative, the vast opportunities that it holds, and Wipro's foray and plans in this space.
HCL's Shiv Nadar on Bringing Business-plan Rigor to Social Entrepreneurship
Shiv Nadar, founder and chairman of Indian IT group HCL, has forayed into setting up educational institutions and attempting to bridge the country's urban-rural divide. In a conversation with Wharton management professor Michael Useem and India Knowledge@Wharton, he spoke about his model of social entrepreneurship and building organizations, processes and leadership skills in students, among other topics.
