Kick Start your career with India's best Management Institute

Categories
FACULTY Speaks Jaipuria Noida

Bhisham Pitamah of Footwear industry- Prof. B D Nathani mentors students of Jaipuria Institute of Management for corporate careers

From sales executive to CEO in a career spanning over three decades, now that’s what corporate fairly tales are made of. Students of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida have the opportunity to be inspired by the prolific industry veteran, Prof. B. D. Nathani, who has come on board as Adjunct Faculty of the institute. An expert in sales, marketing and retail, he has been the man behind several top footwear, apparel and lifestyle brands. In fact, his contributions earned him the sobriquet of Bhisham Pitamah of Footwear industry. What’s behind it and his stint in teaching? We find out.

Stunning corporate career

In his long corporate career Prof. Nathani has worked with brands like Lotto Shoes, Woodland, Disney, New Balance & Crocs to name a few. He also worked as a consultant to Adidas and Liberty shoes. From launching new brands to turning things around for existing ones, he has done it all. Hence his epithet is truly deserved and justified. He smiles and says, “It was something my peers, friends and contemporaries in the footwear industry started calling me. I started with the launch of Lotto Shoes when there were hardly any professional footwear brands in India. Then I launched Woodland, which has gone on to become a huge International success. I think that might have led to the title of Bhisham Pitamah of Footwear industry.”

Transitioning into academics

It was by chance that Prof. Nathani ventured into teaching. As a corporate bigwig he was hiring students from a B School when he was asked to deliver a guest lecture at the institute. He relished the opportunity of interacting with young minds and also received positive feedback for his teaching skills. “After delivering a few lectures I realized that I was actually cut out for this. But after my first stint in academia, I was called back to the industry. Now I have this opportunity to work as an adjunct faculty with Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. It’s something I take very seriously and like to share my experiences with students,” he adds.

Bringing his best to the classroom

Prof. Nathani is a mine of industry experiences, which he is penning down in a book. It will cover his industry career with seven top brands, the challenges, highlights and mantras to success. But students of Jaipuria, Noida get to benefit from these experiences in the classroom. Ask him what he does to boost classroom engagement and he says, “I don’t really teach, I share the experiences of what I have learned in the field. I give them real life examples of how to launch a brand, how a brand fails and ways to relaunch it. When I see the glowing faces of students I get more satisfaction than I have had in my industry career,” he concludes.

Categories
Alumni Speak Jaipuria Jaipur Jaipuria Jaipur Home

A lookbook to how the recent graduates of Jaipuria, Jaipur help their juniors make it to the lists of premium companies

Jaipuria Institute of Management’s alumni are extraordinary in ways. Our alums’ contribution to the b-school is unarguably remarkable, helping the entire community of Jaipurians move the world forward- one at a time. Located across various parts of the country and the globe, our alumni help juniors make the best of their PGDM- sometimes through webinar sessions around multiple topics, through frequent mentoring, through guest lectures on campus, counseling them rigoruously before pre-placement season and what not!

Apart from being ambassadors, they have built formidable reputation for themselves as source of inspiration for their juniors. Jaipuria Institute of Management’s alumni take out valuable time from their busy schedules and fly down to the campus (that was once home for them!) to provide their guidance. Often, the guest lectures are conducted by students from the most recent graduating batch. This is beneficial for the students, most specifically because these alumni can provide the latest insights into the job market and placement preparation having been through the process themselves most recently.

Three recent interactions between the current batch and alumni from the Batch of 2015-17 illustrate the value of almuni mentoring at Jaipuria Institute of Management:

Bennett Elias, Assistant Manager, Mahindra Finance | 14 August

Dr. Lokesh Vijayvargy, Dean- Student’s Affairs welcomed Bennett who provided valuable insights into Mahindra Finance. He also educated the students that skills like communication, situational handling and attitude play an important role during placements.

His practical tips on reading newspapers regularly, forming peer groups to focus on industries, and to polish GD/PI skills with help of these peer groups were particularly useful. Bennett also guided the students to zero down the company on the basis of Job Profile, package, location, and growth.

Akshat Jhalani and Aarushi Jain, US Tax Consultants, Deloitte Hyderabad | 5 August

Akshat and AarushiAkshat and Aarushi specialized in Finance and Marketing respectively and were first among students who got placed in Deloitte, besides receiving the highest package of their batch.

Since Deloitte is a favoured recruiter, students were particularly interested in the insights that this session promised. The alumni spoke about building focus at an early stage and how students can be successful by concentrating on skills and knowledge.

Specifically, the alumni covered aptitude tests, skill requirement, interview preparation and emphasized extensive participation in events. They also stated the paramount importance of LSRW and being able to talk through the SIP experience for placement interviews.

Pragnesh Mehrunkar, Client Success Manager (Media Planning) Kenscio Digital Marketing Pvt. Ltd.

PragneshThe popularity of Digital Marketing made this particular session particularly interesting for the students. Pragnesh spoke about his responsibilities in this exciting field and walked students through aspects of client pitching, proposal preparation, negotiation tactics, and client service. He spoke about how undergraduate specializations do not matter in this field and how important it is to build domain expertise in Digital Marketing for success. He also discussed the current trends such as banner ads, jacket ads, video ads, email marketing, and dynamic emails.

Categories
Blog Jaipuria Lucknow

Interning with the Media industry- "not a child's play" and here's what Nimisha Dua of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow has to say about her summer

It’s not just glam and glitz in the world of Media. In fact, behind-the-curtains, the world is full of challenges, ethical ambiguities, pressing deadlines, last minute emergencies and intense test of intelligence. For Nimisha Dua of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow, her summer could not be better spent. “I interned with Discovery Communications India and have an insight into the dynamic and fascinating media industry. It gave me the opportunity to analyze my interests, strengths and capabilities,” she says as she recounts her experience.

On the road to self-‘Discovery’ with Discovery Communications India! Just how successful was Nimisha?

nimish1‘A detailed study on the availability and reach of the channels of Discovery Communications India in South and West India’ was the theme of Nimisha’s project. Nimisha had to track the non-availability of the channels in designated weeks and get them functional by talking to the FPRs. “I would start the day by reading news from media industry and carry out data analysis, interpretations, and connect with FPRs to trace any discrepancies. I also did an analysis on chrome data of non-availability of channels and competitor comparison,” she talks about the tasks that brought valuable experience.

Coping with the challenges- you need to walk that extra mile. Did Nimisha do it?

nimish2Nimisha is a Jaipurian after all! Given that it was her first close brush with the corporate world, especially in the media industry, there were bound to be challenges. Getting feedback from the FPRs was one of the biggest challenges, and required perseverance from her in the form of regular emails, calls and text messages. “But throughout my internship I was there with the belief that I was learning something new through these challenges. I was prepared to work for long hours, do more than what was required and go that extra mile to deliver on my responsibilities,” she adds.

Was Nimisha prepared to beat the blues of the Media industry?

Nimisha talks glowingly about her industry and institute mentors, who were always available to clear her doubts and monitor her progress. In fact, before her internship started, her industry mentor offered her special advice to be ready for the challenges. And that has been the case with all the learning experiences at the institute for her. “My biggest learning experience at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow has been being a part of the Media Relations Committee. It taught me to multitask, work in a team and build corporate relationships. I have done that during my internship as well and believe it will be an asset for my future career,” she states strongly.

Categories
FACULTY Speaks Jaipuria Jaipur

A narrative on how a Jaipurian is forged from Day 1 at the institute – Prof. Anvay Bhargava reveals the methodology

When management aspirants enroll for a PGDM program at a B School they rarely have corporate experience. It’s the responsibility of the B-school to ensure that their students get an insider’s view of how the business world functions. Only then can they be industry ready professionals, who are appealing prospects to recruiters. That’s something corporates often say about students of Jaipuria Institute of Management.

What’s the secret?

Prof. Anvay Bhargava, Assistant Professor, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur reveals the story behind the transformation of a Jaipurian.

According to Prof. Bhargava the development of students into professionals begins from Day 1. Jaipuria Institute of Management employs a carefully chalked out two pronged process that leads the new management recruits in the right direction. “The first instrument is Individual Development Program (IDP) where students are made to do their SWOT analysis. They assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks. They then figure out their aspirations and we try to locate the visible gaps in the chart,” he says rationally.

The exercise helps the institute have a basic format to work with. It then leverages its corporate network to have inputs from renowned industry professionals. They enlighten the students about the skill sets that are required in the corporate world, which can then be compared to their present set of skills. Jaipuria Institute of Management also focuses on personalized planning for each of its students. Says Prof. Bhargava, “If a student is interested in Income Tax profile at Deloitte, we take the effort to understand what it takes to prepare him or her for that particular role.”

Students’ aspirations and interests are also considered before the all important internships. Prof. Bhargava reveals that students are put through the paces before the internship so that they can give it their best shot. The efforts continue after students are back from their SIPs. “We again start the process with industry experts and connect the students with their industry mentor. Students have to make SIP pitch, which describes their two months’ learning in 3 minutes. It’s recorded and evaluated by industry experts, who offer valuable feedback,” he says.

Another crucial component in the development of students at Jaipuria Institute of Management is the mentorship program. Each faculty member of the institute works with 8 to 10 students to guide them through their academic learning and industry experiences as well. Prof. Bhargava believes it’s an integral part of the Individual Development Program and makes a huge difference to students. “Faculty mentors conduct formal and informal sessions with students every week. It builds their confidence and helps them keep pace with the learning,” he adds.

The industry exposure students of Jaipuria Institute of Management get is not restricted to the summer internships. They can make the most out of several short term and live projects that offer them valuable insights into the functions of the corporate world. “There are various live projects with Big Bazaar, Samsung, IMRB, lifestyle brands etc. We encourage students to go out in the field and gain firsthand experience. We stay in touch with their industry mentors to ensure that they build solid projects,” he concludes. You know that those form the building blocks of future managers.

Categories
Jaipuria Jaipur Placement Update

Rashi Sharma from Jaipuria, Jaipur gets placement with a local business with a great cause

Having grown up in the Pink City herself, Jaipuria, Japiur wasn’t an unfamiliar name for Rashi Sharma. A few of her friends were already studying there, and she was familiar with the various activities and fests that the institute sponsors for its students. Hence, when she decided to move from her science background to the dynamic world of management, she didn’t have to think twice before joining the institute. And as things have turned out, it’s the best decision she could have taken, especially with the news that she landed a job with Jaipur Rugs- an NGO with the vision of creating a society where equality, justice and peace prevail through socio-economic development opportunities for all.

Jaipur Rugs is a growing local company, and one that gives Rashi a fantastic opportunity to further develop her career. She believes that the strong placement programs at Jaipuria Institute of Management, where students have various options in front of them, is a tremendous benefit. Thanks to that, she will be working in a local company in a position that suits her personality to a T: “I am quite excited about my role as a project co-ordinator with Jaipur Rugs Foundation,” a visibly thrilled Rashi says.

If you ask her about the key responsibilities her job will involve, Rashi rattles off an expansive list: “Part of my job would be identifying, developing, and maintaining strong relationships with funding organizations. I would be assisting with preparing and reviewing grant proposals. I will also be conducting presentations on research work and findings at conferences, which I am quite excited about too.”

Rashi’s time at Jaipuria Institute prepared her well for this position, notably in her ability to be an effective public speaker and presenter. Acknowledging this, Rashi says, “All the presentations I had to make might have seemed like hard work at that point in time, but they were important to build my confidence. We were also made to take part in several activities that worked on our personalities and made us who we are today.”

Rashi will be the first to admit that it wasn’t easy going in the initial stages, especially since she came from a Science background and struggled with understanding management concepts. However, over time and with her dedication, she managed to bridge the gap between science and management. But she’s also mindful of the fact that she would not have managed it without the help of her faculty members who were accessible to her whenever she needed them. In addition, Rashi feels that working with students from different backgrounds also helped her immensely.

As Rashi starts off on her professional journey, does she have any advice for her juniors? “When you are on the job you don’t have time to learn; the time to learn is now,” she says. “All I will ask the juniors is to make the most of the brilliant learning opportunities they have at the institute and go after their dreams.”

Categories
Blog Jaipuria Featured Stories Jaipuria Lucknow Events

Jaipuria Lucknow hosts its two-day conference on Corporate Governance and draws attention from the best in the industry

Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow recently hosted its Eighth National Conference amidst much excitement and fanfare. Themed Corporate Governance (IIC 2013) the conference brought several leading lights from the industry on the same platform. One of the objectives of the institute is to offer its students a comprehensive learning experience by exposing them to the influences of real world corporate scenario. And the conference, held in the same vein, turned out to be a huge success

The two day conference began on 21st December 2013 with Mr. M. Damodaran, Former Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India inaugurating it. Mr. Damodaran has been member of the premier Indian Administrative Service, Manipur – Tripura cadre, since 1971 and has worked with the State and Central Governments in different positions. He is also a renowned voice in India’s financial sector.

Mr. Ashish Kumar Chauhan, Managing Director & CEO, BSE Ltd delivered the keynote address and set the ball rolling for the day by talking about the positives and negatives of the corporate world. According to him, “Conceptual technologies like invention of zero, double entry book keeping system, creation of corporate have their importance in time. The definition of corporate governance has evolved over a period of time and the corporates are now largely answerable to the youth.”

Mr. Damodaran went on to elaborate on the matter of corporate governance by saying, “It should be done in a manner that is consistent with the interests of stakeholders. Content in corporate governance is more important than its structure and mere compliance to regulatory framework is not governance.” He then went on to urge the youngsters to participate actively in the functioning of corporate governance.

Dr. Pankaj Gupta, Director General, Jaipuria Institutes of Management gave a vote of thanks and the IIC 2013 Souvenir was released. But the gathering’s appetite had just been whetted and they were looking forward to the next sessions with great anticipation.

Session 1

Mr. R. K. Dubey, Chairman and Managing Director, Canara Bank Limited moderated the first session of the conference based on Finance and Corporate Governance. He talked about the virtues of transparency, compliance and risk management in corporate governance before adding, “A company’s performance is reflected in the effectiveness of its boardroom dynamics.”

Dr. A.C. Mahajan, Chairman Banking Codes and Standards Board of India brought the impact of global financial crisis into the picture and talked about how businesses have had to reconsider their corporate governance. It was quite an insightful session that had complete attention from the audience throughout.

Session 2

This was a session on Legal Perspectives on Corporate Governance and brought Justice Sudhir K. Saxena, Honourable Judge, High Court of Allahabad to the panel. By citing examples of companies like Walmart and Satya he made his point, “Good governance is one that needs to be governed the least.” Mr K.V. Viswanathan, Additional Solicitor General of India took the message forward. He was of the opinion that corporate governance is a three-fold concept that includes sustainable business, generating long term value, and ensuring benefits for all stake holders.

Mr K.T.S Tulsi, Sr Advocate, Supreme Court was another important speaker on the panel and he made a mark with his inimitable style. He encouraged students to bring in receptance and glory to the Nation and emerge as ethical corporate leaders. It was a truly inspiring experience for students in the gathering as Netri Aggarwal said, “Rarely do we get to hear about legal perspectives in the corporate world. Listening to the bigwigs from the legal system has been a fantastic experience for me.”

Session 3

“Regulatory issues of corporate governance” was the topic of the third technical session meant to be informative for the gathering. Mr Atul Mittal, Director (Tax & Regulatory) Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd talked about synergy of transparency and ethical values in corporate governance. He said, “It’s a mechanism to increase the efficiency and the growth of the business.” He pointed out real life incidents to drive his point home amongst his audience.

Mr Prithvi Haldea, Chairman PRIME Database then highlighted the structural flaws in the laws of corporate governance and the ambiguity present in their definition. He tried to make the audience understand the importance of consistency, clarity and timely complete disclosure.

His talk drew the first day to an end and the participants went back home completely sated, looking forward to more on the next day.

Day 2 – Session 4

“Technology and Corporate Governance” was the session for the day and Mr. J N Gupta, Managing Director, Stakeholder Empowerment Services Pvt Ltd was at the helm of the matters. He highlighted the role of technology in issues like insider trading, surveillance, and its benefits in audit trailing. Mr. Pawan Kumar, Commissioner of Income Tax said, “The advent and adaptation of technology has made India one of the first countries to use 100% electronic registrations of companies.” With good use of numbers and statistics he made a huge impact with his talk.

Mr. N.C. Bajpai, Chairman of State Planning Commission on the other hand said, “As far as corporate governance is concerned, there is a structured internal accountability whereas in state government, we have diffused multi point accountability. Good governance coupled with technology accelerates development, ensures equity and entitlement to people.”

VALEDICTION

In this session, Dr. Anil Khandelwal, Former Chairman and Managing Director, Bank Of Baroda, shed light on how success can be achieved, making his audience sit up and take notice. He said, “Those who do not face rejection will never be entitled to personal growth; facing pain and rejection makes you successful.” He drew on his personal example where he almost lost his job when politicians criticised him for using orange colour in the new logo of Bank Of Baroda. He said it was seen as his allegiance to the BJP. But Dr. Khandelwal was quick to respond to the criticism as he said, “I’ll remove the colour in the logo as soon as you remove the colour in the Indian flag.” Thus he concluded that higher the risk one takes; greater is the chance of gain.

It was the right note for the conference to end as it had been enriching for the participants who were looking forward to take the ideas they learned to their classrooms and future careers. Said Mansi Srivastava “Not every day, do you get a chance to listen to such well known speakers who are experts in various fields. This conference gave us this opportunity and it’s an experience I won’t forget.” And it indeed turned out to me a memorable experience for many.

Written by: Sanchit Kacker and Soumya Sharma
Interviews taken by: Shubhi Tripathi and Deepti Bansal

Categories
Blog Jaipuria Featured Stories Jaipuria Jaipur Events

Jaipuria, Jaipur students spend a day at Autolite (India) Limited on an industrial visit that ignites their passion for success

A group of 9 students from Jaipuria, Jaipur visited Autolite (India) Limited on 27th December 2013.
It was an educational visit planned by the institute to help students understand the organisation and functioning of the manufacturing unit for automotive lighting and lamps

The visit also served as a platform from which students could learn how their theoretical learning could be put into practice. The students looked forward to the day and it did not disappoint them at any level.
Autolite Group, known for its progressive and dynamic approach to business, proved to be the perfect setting for students to learn more about industry operations which are its backbone.
The company is known for producing innovative products and offering them to consumers at reasonable prices. From automotive head lamps to halogen lamps, fog lamps to work and LED lamps, the company produces a wide range of products that have become a well-known name in the market.
At the manufacturing unit visited on the day, students were taken through all the processes involved in the light manufacturing unit.

It was an exciting experience for the inquisitive visitors took an avid interest in the production set-up. They were guided by their mentor Dr. Nidhi Vashishth and also received valuable inputs from the managers at the company who were eager to help nurture the young minds.

It was a complete, all-round experience that Nazmeen Khan was looking for: “It was great to see all the theoretical knowledge applied to practical life. I was also inspired by the conversations we had with the managers who taught us a few new things. I will remember what we learned from this day for a long time to come,” she said.

Students on the industrial visit also had an opportunity to interact with the Plant in-Charge and Human Resources heads for the units.
Through these interactions, students learned more about the various processes followed in the plants, besides manufacturing. They became aware of the importance of supply chain management and safety procedures. The role of HR in the organization was also discussed.
Prerna Jhawar, a student from the group, had an interesting observation to make about the learning during the day. “The company deals with foreign markets and assembles its raw materials through foreign trade. It was good to get an insight into how to be sustainable in the foreign market while knowing more about their marketing process and various other channels involved,” he noted.

Whilst staff at Autolite was eager to talk about the internal functioning of their organization, they were also keen to talk about the future of management as well. In fact, the group had a reality check of sorts when they were told about the expectations organizations have from management students.
Students agreed the day at the lamp manufacturing unit was educational, engaging and inspirational. And it related well to their institute’s belief of helping them learn through practical applications of theoretical concepts. No wonder the students came back from their outing feeling enlightened.

Anil Singh
PGDM Batch 2013- 2015

Categories
Jaipuria Academics Jaipuria Featured Stories

Innovations are a way of life at Jaipuria Institute of Management

‘Quality before Scalability’ is an oft-heard mantra, but nowhere does this hold as true as in the business education scenario in India. At the turn of the millennium, management institutes were sprouting in every nook and corner of the country. But thirteen years down the line, we notice that very few actually lived beyond a decade. One of those who not only survived but actually thrived – and is today recognised as a formidable brand -is the Jaipuria Institute of Management. Raised in the mid-nineties, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow was established by stalwarts from the domain of education from the pre-independence era. During its fledgling years, the management of Jaipuria Lucknow observed, studied and understood the dynamics of the Knowledge Revolution, and embedded this deeply into its DNA. So, by the time the second campus came up in Noida in 2004, innovations had become second nature to Jaipuria Institute of Management. It is for this reason that Jaipuria is today known for producing managers and leaders who are essentially Knowledge Society compliant.

“Frankly speaking, Jaipuria Institute of Management has come this far only because of its ability to innovate and keep up with the times, and at a very fast pace,” points our Dr. Prabhat Pankaj, Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur. “Student Councils, the Individual Development Plan through a strong mentor-mentee programme, increasing focus on industry connect, taking administrative decision-making right to staff and faculty, 24 x 7 accessibility of academic resources to students through E-learning, and social media tools… all such innovations are deeply ingrained within our DNA now. I strongly believe that in the UnCampus philosophy, our years of innovation have come together under one umbrella. All the four campuses are seamlessly integrated, allowing free exchange of ideas and events, and leading to unprecedented collaboration between students, faculty and staff.”

At Jaipuria, any time is a good time to bring in an innovation; new ideas don’t wait for the next academic year. Come winter, and Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur will be launching the ‘Winter Social Internship’ through which students will be interning with village panchayats or NGOs for a variety of purposes. Many a time, events happening within the campus inspire innovations. For instance, campus life after classes was always interesting, but a couple of years ago, the concept of ‘Life-after-6’was introduced formally, bringing in a series of value added activities. Today, foreign language classes and guitar classes during the 7-8 PM slot are big hits! The ‘Midnight Reading Hub’ is turning out to be another ‘happening’ innovation at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur.

The atmosphere at all the Jaipuria campuses is quite informal, with teachers acting more as facilitators and students being encouraged to think things through. With knowledge easily available through the internet, Jaipuria’s faculty focus more on the emotional aspects of students – acting as friends and guides and always keeping the learning process high on the  ‘fun quotient’.  Therefore, most of the teaching in Jaipuria campuses happens beyond the four walls of the classroom, in lush green lawns or on industry sites.

“Innovations in Jaipuria Institute of Management often are a natural outcome of the needs of the time,” says Dr. Rajiv Thakur, Director, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. “Technology and this generation’s behavioural choices have a major impact on how education is imparted on Jaipuria campuses. This has led to a paperless mode of education. Infact, the latest Jaipuria campus at Indore is completely digitaland has been from its inception because of the lessons picked up from other campuses. Societal demands ensure that traditional folk art and theatre very often become the medium for imparting education in sections where chalkboards prove to be ineffective.”

Jaipuria’s legacy of pedagogical innovations has now reached the threshold of being a game-changer. This year, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida, will be critically examining SIP projects from a completely different perspective. The aim will be to identify atleast half-a-dozen projects that can be ‘game changers’ for the industry and to actually create breakthroughs.

Interestingly, the management of Jaipuria Institute of Management believes that one of the major reasons behind their success is that right from the beginning, everyone within the folds of the Jaipuria campuses believed they worked for a B-school second to none. Belief generates hope, and hope generates enthusiasm and ownership. This ultimately generates outcome. All campuses of Jaipuria Institute of Management are among the top 5 in their respective regions. Jaipuria Lucknow is ranked 4th best among all B-Schools in North India. Riding on its hugely successful legacy of innovations, the management of Jaipuria is quite confident of producing managers who are well ahead of their times.

Categories
Blog Jaipuria Featured Stories Jaipuria Jaipur Events

Industrial visits start right from Orientation at Jaipuria Jaipur PGDM 2013-15

In the scorching heat of the summer in Rajasthan, we were on a bus on our way to the very first industrial visit of the batch of 2013-15. The bus journey was a wonderful time for all of us to bond with each other. But as we entered the realm of the famed Kagzi industry, the carefree chitchat and random thoughts were replaced by an awed silence. Established in 1996, Kagzi is an ISO approved industry with a turnover from around INR 5 Crore to INR 25 Crore. It is a decades-old industry with export connections in Australia and Europe, setting an outstanding example of how even a small idea, when approached with confidence, can make a huge difference.

The buzz of conversations between 300 craftsmen, the sound of water mixing with the cotton balls, the hum of machines, the vibrant spreads and shreds of papers… all these activities united to make a wondrous spectacle. Clips hanging above drying sheets of handcrafted papers – beyond the reach of our hands – enthralled our eyes with the sheer beauty of colours. We experienced the delight of being in the presence of workers who answered our doubts and queries with humility of true artisans. There were ladies who were expertly sorting out the scraps and clothes, and then boiling and churning the scraps in huge machines with added colour. The scraps were then put on a sieving tray, wrapped on both sides with a cloth and pressed. After pressing, the paper was hung for drying. The excellent craftsmanship and creativity was worthy of praise. The diligence and dedication of the craftsmen towards their craft was truly inspiring for us and we watched them completely engrossed.

The owner, Mr. Mohammad Sharif – an entrepreneur who specialises in manufacturing and exporting handmade paper made from old scraps, clothes and used paper – is truly a great man, making the ‘best out of waste’.

While most visitors restrict themselves to visiting just the manufactured product outlet, the Kagzi factory opened its inner sanctum to the students of Jaipuria Jaipur. For me personally, the printing on the dried paper was the most eye-catching part of the process. We were told that the paper lasts for more than 10 years. Despite going through the entire manufacturing procedure, it was still dazzling to see the final product at the Kagzi outlet.

We returned with many memories that we would hold on to over time… till the next time.

Priyamvada Shanker
PGDM 2013-15

Categories
Jaipuria Jaipur STUDENT Speaks

“Jaipuria Jaipur prepares us for life beyond academics as well”, shares Joel M. Mathew

Joel Mathew loves interacting with people, getting into their minds and figuring out the dynamics between groups. She wants to be an HR professional as she finds herself deeply interested in the study of human motivations and behavior. A final year student of PGDM HR & Marketing at Jaipuria Jaipur, she completed her B.Sc.in Botany, Zoology and Psychology from International College for Girls (ICG),Jaipur. Joel was already convinced by the reputation that Jaipuria enjoyed in her city, and an interaction with some of the faculty further helped her decide to join the institute. She describes her journey so far as fantastic. “Jaipuria has given me everything I wanted. To me, it’s my second home where I am led to walk upon the path of truth by keeping my ethics alive.”

Gravita India Limited, Jaipur, chose Joel for a summer internship. Gravita is an SME, and is one of the leading business groups in India operating in the field of manufacturingLead and its allied products. She interned with the HR department in the recruitment and selection vertical. Recognising the immense learning she got on the job, she says, “This internship really helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses while working in a corporate set-up. I even got a chance to sit on an interview panel with the company’s experts and that allowed me to experience the recruitment process from close quarters.” Joel thanks her industry mentor, Paritosh Vaishnav and Gravita DGM, Rohit Mathur for their support and motivation, without which she believes she would not have been able to complete her internship.

“The internship,” says Joel, “has made me calm and patient. I realised that I could survive adversity only when I kept my cool.” She also believes that interpersonal skills are a must to be able to do a good job and is grateful for all that she learnt about people, networking and getting the work done at Jaipuria. She also realised that the role of an HR person is crucial in hiring people who are the ‘right fit’ for the organisation.

Joel appreciates the effort Jaipuria is making to not only invite companies for internships and placements, but also to find the right internships for the students according to their areas of preference. “The college has made every effort to ensure that each student is placed in the right place. Some students even got placed with their dream companies, such as Fortis and Coca Cola. I was thrilled with my internship because I am focused on Recruitment and Selection,and Gravitahas provided a great start to my career.”

A travel enthusiast, singer and dancer, Joel aspires to establish herself as an HR professional in a reputed organisation. She is convinced that she is meant to work in that sphere and is working hard towards making her dreams come true.

Mobile Section