Quarterly |February 2012 | Vol. 1, Issue 1 | https://sites.google.com/a/fiib.edu.

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Message from Alumni Committee 1
Achievements 1
Interview with an Alumni 2
Alumni Emissaries 2
Campus Reporter 3
Mumbai Alumni Meet 5
Class Notes 7
Alumni Hub 7
Announcement section 8
Continuing Education for Alumni 8
Dear Fellow Alumni,
FIIB Alumni Committee takes great pleasure
to present to you the first issue of Alumni
eNewsletter FIIB Alumni Connection. This
quarterly eNewsletter has recently launched
a supplement Alumni Hub and we expect
both to help us in connecting and building
strong ties with our distinguished alumni. We
are dedicating the first issue of this
eNewsletter to the Mumbai Alumni Meet
held on October 2, 2011. The Mumbai Alumni
Meet provided a good opportunity for the
Alumni to network, to share their
experiences and revive old memories. The
Western India Alumni Chapter was formally
inaugurated during this meet and Mr Ravi
Virwani (Product Manager-Reliance Retail,
FIIBian, 2005 batch) was appointed as its
President.
This issue of FIIB Alumni Connection shares
recent endeavours, accomplishments and
upcoming events encompassing the
Founder's Day, Samavesh -2012 and
Meraki. FIIB is one of the few top Indian B-
schools which intends to impart a strong
sense of ethics and social responsibility to
upcoming management professionals so
that they can serve the needs of both
business and society. These events will help
budding management professionals in
developing this spirit.
In order to receive regular copies of our
eNewsletter, please register yourself at the
FI I B Al umni Onl i ne Communi ty
and update your
contact information. This will also help us in
sending you timely invitations for various
events. We would like to wish all our lumni
a very happy and colo rful Holi! Here's
wishing you an invigorating and happy
reading!
Warm Regards,
FIIB Alumni Committee

(https://sites.google.com/a/fiib.edu.in/a
lumni-test-1/home)
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MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI COMMITTEE CONTENTS
FIIB Turns 18 on Feb 21
Every year on February 21, FIIB anniversary is
celebrated in memory of the founder (late)
Mr R K Shrivastava (or R K Sir). This year too,
th
the 18 anniversary was celebrated with
pomp and gaiety on February 21. A
conference on 'Implementing Sustainability:
From Boardroom to the Shop Floor' was
organised on this occasion. The keynote
speaker for the conference was Mr
Inderpreet Singh Wadhwa, CEO, Azure Power.
This conference comprised 2 sessions:
session 1 related to a panel discussion on
Implementing Sustainability: From Board
Room to Shop Floor and session 2 included
incisive presentations by FIIB Business Review
authors: Prof. Swanand Deodhar on
' Moni tori ng I T for Envi ronment
Sustainability: A Maturity Model Approach'
and Prof. Sanjeev Varshney on 'Joy of Giving:
Marketing for a Cause. A Case Study'. The first
issue of the much-awaited revamped in-
house journal FIIB Business Review (FBR) was
also launched on this occasion with FIIB
reaffirming its commitment to become one of
the global preferred Centers for Excellence in
research and practice in sustainability.
During the afternoon, Jaagriti Club hosted 50
underprivileged kids on the campus. The kids
thoroughly enjoyed a magic show, painting
session, talent showcase session and a nice
supper. The event concluded with a Chat over
Chaat session in front of the FIIB greens.
FIIB has bagged the prestigious Dewang Mehta Award for best academic input in
finance. The 19th Dewang Mehta Award was received by Prof. Anupam Bhaskar on
November 26 in Mumbai at Taj Lands' End, Mumbai. Dewang Mehta Business Awards
recognise talent and leadership amongst business schools across India.
FIIB among top 50 B Schools
FIIB has been consistently ranked amongst
the top B-Schools in various reputed surveys
from time to time. Recently, FIIB was listed
among the top 50 Indian B-Schools by a
survey carried out by CNBC-TV 18. CNBC-TV
18's best B-Schools 2012 is the fourth edition
of the rankings that covers 145 B-Schools, 235
recruiters and 217 faculty members.
FIIBians score at Toastmasters
On October 16, 2011, the New Delhi
Institute of Information Technology (NDIIT)
hosted toastmasters area C2 contests of
District 41. FIIB contestants comprising of
Riddhi Singh, Pankaj Lakhera, Afzal Alam,
Jaspreet Singh, Richa Mathur, Asim Agha,
Nitesh Bhadadra, & Sumit Gupta were
praised for their brilliant performance.
FIIB Bags Dewang Mehta Award
FEATHERS IN FIIB CAP
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 1
AIDS CAMPAIGN BY JAGRITI
An AIDS awareness programme for FIIB
students was conducted on November 12 at
the campus by
J agriti (The
S o c i a l
Consci ence
club of FIIB).
The session
ed u c at ed
young FIIBians
about t he
causes and
prevention of
HI V- A I DS
followed by an interactive round. Students
participated in this quiz with enthusiasm and
received gifts from PEPSICO representatives
Mr Sanjay Gupta and Ms Ruchika Khatta, Dr
Sadia Samar Ali, faculty mentor for Jagriti
Club felicitated the winners.
'Networking is a key skill'
INTERVIEW WITH FIIB ALUMNI
Every year, FIIB graduating students make transition from exciting campus lives filled with extra
curricular activities and clearing exams at the campus to becoming corporate warriors in the real
world. It will be interesting to know the perspective of some of our alumni and their experiences.
Here is an excerpt of the interview with Mr Amit Garg, FIIB alumni of batch 1999-01 who
currently works as a business head, hand-to-hand retail solutions.
Your success mantra
Do things which you
enjoy very much and are
passionate about
Be down to earth and be
ready to learn and share
from anyone
Be willing to learn and
take risks
Be brave, go where
opportunities exist, if
you don't try, someone
else will
Always be yourself and
try to stay physically fit
Do you still believe in the same principle as
you did when you were a student?
I still believe in some of them, like learning by
doing. In order to develop expertise in any
area, we must acquire component skills,
practice integrating them and know when to
apply what we have learned.
Importance of networking in present times
Networking is an essential skill. In the long
run, the more you network
the better you will feel
about yourself. In order to
drive meaningful value
f r o m n e t w o r k
connect i ons, i t i s
imperative to invest extra
time and effort. Proactive
networking always helps
rather than passive
networking.
However, we need to bear
in mind that networking is
not about personal chat or
bragging about ourself. We
need an effective strategy
to ensure networking
results in word-of-mouth referrals, which
can be the most effective marketing tool. At
the end of the day, most people rely on
trusted recommendations and networks.
Always look for ways to help the people in
your network and stay in touch.
Your funniest moment as a professional
Working in areas about which you do not
know anything but are able to deliver well.
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY
Prof. Kalpana Chauhan presents a paper in
international conference organised by
IIM-Luck now
FIIB faculty research to be reported in
international research handbook on Open
ERP Systems and Strategies.
Prof. Sadia Samar Ali to publish a book on
present trends in supply chain in the
cement industry
Prof. Kal pana
C h a u h a n
pr esent ed a
research paper
titled, "Role of
Content Strategy in
Social Media Brand
Communities: A
Case of Higher
E d u c a t i o n
Institutes" co-
authored with Mr. Anandan Pillai (MDI
Gurgaon) in the international conference
in marketing Shaping the Future of
Research in Marketing in Emerging
Economies: Looking Ahead organised by
IIM-Lucknow.
Prof Swanand
Deodhar and Prof
KBC Saxena of FIIB,
Prof Rajen Gupta of
MDI and Prof
Mikko Ruohonen
of University of
Tampere, Finland
have published
their paper titled
'Business Models
of Open Source ERP Products' in Free and
Open Source Enterprise Resource Planning:
Systems and Strategies, a book published
by IGI Global, USA.
Prof. Sadia Samar
Ali along with Dr R
Dubey and Prof. S
Tiwari wi ll be
publishing a book
on Future Trends
in Supply Chain
P r act i ces i n
Cement Industry:
Suppl y Chai n
Engineering of Cement Industry. This will
be published by LAMBERT Academic
Publishing GmbH &Co. KG, Germany.
Prof. Sadia Samar Ali has also co-authored a
paper titled Effect of Logistics
Competencies on Performance of Indian
Manufacturing Firms- An Empirical Study
with Prof. R Dubey of the Asian Council of
Logistics Management. This paper
appeared in the (December issue) of the
journal.
KNOW YOUR ALUMNI EMISSARIES
Atanu Bora
1998-00
Rishi Srivastava
2001-03
Prateek Nirmal
2003-05
Upendra Kr. Ra
2004-06
Trailukya Dutta
2005-07
Dipesh Jain
2007-09
Suman Kr. Roy
2008-10
Priya Kumbhat
2009-11
FIIB introduces personalised email accounts for alumni on
Google @alumni.fiib.edu.in
Haven't used your alumni email account lately?
You'll have unlimited reasons to dust it off and give it a new try : Register to get your alumni email
You'll have 25GB of storage, integrated access to Google Calendar and Docs, and you'll be
able to email on the go from your mobile phone or tablet. Plus, your email will be safe, secure
and ad-free.
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 2
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FIIBians Tour Slovenia
and Finland
FIIB, in its endeavour to inculcate a global
perspective and a broader outlook in young
managers, organised two educational tours,
one to Slovenia and Italy and another to
Finland from September 23 to October 2.
The theme of the trip was 'Sustainability and
Environment'. During the trip, students were
provided insights into the sustainability
domain by faculty members from the
University of Ljubljana and Government of
Slovenia including Dr. Lucka Bogataj who
shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as a
member of Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change. The sessions focused on
issues such as climate change, environment
management, and integrating sustainability
with business. The students also visited the
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); one
of the constituent organisations of United
Nations. Another group of 14 PGDM students
took off for Finland on September 25 along
with Prof. K.B.C. Saxena and Prof. Kalpana
Chauhan. The trip was organised with the
objective of giving students international
academic and industrial exposure. During the
trip, the students visited three companies:
Nokia at Salo, Metso Automation and
Demola.
FIIB Welcomes Swedish Delegation
A Swedish delegation comprising a highly
diverse group, in terms of vocation and
educational
background,
visited the
campus on
November
3 0 . T h e
delegation
consisted of
l awyer s,
pol i t i cal
scientists,
edi t o r s ,
wr i t er s ,
journalists
a n d
entrepreneu
rs. The session began with a welcome address
by the FIIB Leadership Program (FLP)
students. These students apprised the guests
about India as a nation and informed them
about the economy, cultural mores, youth
and technological developments in the
country.
rd
63 Republic Day Celebration at FIIB
The 63rd Republic Day was celebrated by the
entire FIIB fraternity on the lawns with usual
pomp and gaiety. On this occasion, the
n a t i o n a l
tricolour was
hoisted by
F I I B
chairman,
Mr Manish
Kheterpal .
Af t er t he
chairman's
enlightening
and thought-
provoki ng
speech, the
gat her i ng
w a s
addressed by
Director Dr. A.K. Sinha and Dean Dr. K.B.C.
Saxena. On this occasion, Jagriti (the Social
Conscience Club at FIIB) organised a tree
plantation drive in the college gardens. This is
in line with the institute's commitment to
build a better tomorrow and greener future
for future generations.
Sam Walton College us enjoys Lohri
On Lohri, celebrations started after college
hours and continued till late in the evening.
The event was attended by Ms. Radhika
Shri vas-
tava, Mr.
Mani sh
Kheterpal,
f acul t y
staff and
students
o f t h e
institute.
After the
traditional
lighting of
the Lohri
bonf i re,
the group
comprising FIIB students and their
counterparts from Sam Walton broke into
energetic Bhangra moves. The sumptuous
south Indian cuisine served on this
occasion was relished by the group. A fun-
filled evening was an absolute delight to
the guests and much-needed break for
FIIBians.
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 3
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
by Hardik Virmani (FIIB Alumni)
Once my mom went to an astrologer to
know my future and what will I become. The
astrologer told her that he will not go for
further studies and after completing school
he will join the family business. When my
mom told me about this, I become very sad
and demotivated because of two reasons:
first, because of the astrologer's prediction
and second because I cannot hear dim or
low voice with my left ear. My mom told me
that your negative points can be your
strengths. There was a guy who lost his left
hand due to an accident and subsequently
took part in a Kung-Fu competition. He
wanted to take part in that competition. He
went to the Kung-Fu coach to learn Kung-Fu
and the master told him that he cannot
participate in the competition because it
demanded full physical fitness but he
desperately wanted to take part. After
sensing his never-die attitude, his coach
told him that he cannot ask questions
regarding whatever he teaches him and he
agreed. The coach taught him one step, to
move his right leg and punch with the right
hand with full power. The competition
began and he reached the final using that
one step taught by the coach to him. During
the final match, the spectators predicted
that it would be difficult for a one-handed
guy to win this match. When the match
began the competing participant beat him
during the first round and when the second
round began still he got beaten by the other.
In between when he got chance he did that
step and won the championship.
Hard Work Can
Overcome Hard Luck
FIIB under its Industry Interface Forum
recently held a HR Conclave on 'Innovation
in HR: Gearing for 2020'. In the Conclave,
eminent HR experts and practitioners from
the industry (such as Mr Suresh Dutt
Tripathi, Mr. Murli Dhar Shyam, Mr B. Ram
Mohan, Ms. Pritha Dutt, Mr Ashok Grover,
Ms. Ishita Adhikari, Dr. M.S. Rau, Mr.
Shekhar Ghose and Mr. Sumit Chaudhuri)
enlightened the assembled audience
comprising of students and young HR
professionals on various issues related to
Innovation in Human Capital Management,
Strategic Alignment of HR, and Innovative
HR Frameworks.
The chief guest of the conclave was Mr.
Suresh Tripathi President HR, SRF limited
and the keynote speaker was Mr. B Ram
Mohan- Vice-President, HR, Everest
Industries. Mr. Tripathi in his address
focussed on - A boundaryless, flattened
world with homogeneity in consumption
patterns and omnipresence of products and
services, changing employment contracts
and attitudes demands integrating HR
models for talent retention and attraction.
Mr. B Ram Mohan described HR as a
navigation tool and said the HR
professional should come out of its HR
professional name tag, and integrate
himself as a part of the business process to
understand how to contribute best to the
organisation.
During the inaugural session, Dr. A.K. Sinha-
Director FIIB welcomed the guest speakers
and delegates, and subsequently the FIIB
Dean, Dr. K.B.C Saxena, highlighted the
innovative approach followed at FIIB
curriculum. Dr. P.U.B Rao, HR Area
Chairperson stressed on the importance of
this seminar. Mr. B.Ram Mohan, Vice
President- HR, Everest Industries delivered
the keynote address. The first session
focused on Innovation in Human Capital
Management while the second session
revolved around the Innovative HR
Framework.
The HR Conclave stimulated the thought
process. Deliberations during the conclave
highlighted the emerging role of HR in 'new-
age' organisations. Emerging paradigms
acknowledged innovative HR management
as indispensable. With a new sense of
purpose, HR leaders were advised to have a
strong conviction in their objectives. This
was palpable in every speech and
presentation during the conclave's
deliberations.
Marketing Conclave
Brings Together Experts
Bazaar-the marketing club at FIIB, and
Forum for Industry Interaction, organised a
conclave on marketing Digital Marketing:
Where We Are and the Road ahead on
February 18, 2012 at its campus. The
conclave started with lighting the ceremonial
lamp and Saraswati Vandana. Dr. A.K. Sinha-
Director FIIB welcomed the guest speakers
and delegates. In his opening remarks, Mr
Mani sh Kheterpal, Chai rman-FI I B
emphasised the importance of digital
medium by citing interesting examples from
social media.
The conclave brought together experts from
the social media and mobile marketing
domain where they shared their knowledge
and experiences. This
conclave gave the audience
an opportunity to interact
with industry leaders and
experts on digital media and
marketing, who initiated the thought
processes in branding through digital media.
The audience got an opportunity to hear
from the accomplished business leaders and
entrepreneurs like Mr. Deepak Taneja- Head
Digital Marketing - Nokia India, Mr. Praval
Singh, Co-founder- Media redefined and
Dokito, Mr. Prateek Shah, Founder-
Greensmyles, Mr. Kinshuk Sunil, Co-founder-
Hashstash, Mr. Sanjay Gupta, Entrepreneur,
mentor-Mobisolv and others.
Professor Santosh Sood (Chairperson
Marketing) spoke about how marketing as a
domain has evolved over time and has
embraced digital media. Keynote speaker of
the event, Mr. Deepak Taneja said that
human beings need recognition and digital
technologies enable them to connect and
share their thoughts, their lives with others,
and this has given marketers an opportunity
to connect with this big pool of target
audience. He also discussed the challenges
which a marketer needs to address.
In the track related to social media marketing,
Praval Singh discussed the trends and said
that social media will be more real-time and
mobile with more usage of various
applications and that brands would look
differently at creation and sharing of content.
He also predicted that e-Commerce in India is
not going to be social anytime soon. With the
example of Pinterest and Path, he stressed
that social applications with great interface
would go viral in future, and there will be
more and more product and service launch.
Mr. Prateek Shah, a known name in social
media training and consulting, kept the
audience engaged with his impressive
presentation and discussed the 10 simple
lessons from the success of current rage
Kolaveri di. He focused on delivering beyond
expectation, and that in online space, it needs
to be good and not essentially beautiful to be
successful. Social media success can make
other media talk about the
brand. Mr. Karnatak also
expressed his thoughts that
with online media the 4P's of
marketing have taken a
different meaning and should be treated
accordingly.
In the track related to mobile marketing, Mr
Kinshuk Sunil and Mr Sanjay Gupta discussed
the immense possibilities the mobile device
has in a country like India and also discussed
the present state of affairs. Mobile devices
don't work on standalone basis, and in India it
has not yet developed as a mature marketing
medium. They emphasised that innovation,
persistence, and breakthrough are the only
key to succeed in mobile marketing and
brands are now using social mobile apps for
engaging and rewarding the consumers.
All in all, it was a very well-received conclave,
where the audience came up with various
questions and sorted out their confusion and
misconceptions about different aspects of
digital marketing. They also got various tips
on how to use social media for capturing job
opportunities and personal brand building.
Prof. Kalpana Chauhan delivered the vote of
thanks to the eminent speakers, delegates
and audience and also to all others who
worked for the success of the event, and
hoped that in future too, FIIB will keep on
getting similar support in organising events.
DIGITAL MARKETING
Innovation In HR:
Gearing For 2020
HR CONCLAVE
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 4
Reviving Friendships,
Refreshing Emotions
FIIB ORGANISES MUMBAI ALUMNI MEET
Recently, FIIB organised its first annual alumni
meet of the Western India Chapter on
October 1, 2011 at Hotel Tunga Regale,
Mumbai. Along with distinguished alumni,
this event was attended by Mr. Manish
Kheterpal - Member Governing Board FIIB,
Prof. Anupam Saxena and Mr. Saurabh Gupta,
coordinatorAlumni Committee. Throughout
this event, strong nostalgia was present,
memories were rekindled, friendships
revived and emotions refreshed. The
programme began with the welcome of the
guests and a video presentation on the
strategis initiatives launched by FIIB.
Throughout this event, Mr Kheterpal actively
interacted with the alumni and shared with
them how their alma mater is redefining
boundaries and exploring new horizons. He
was also excited to hear career stories,
favourite FIIB moments and numerous
suggestions from fellow alumni. Mr
Kheterpal expressed his strong commitment
to do wheatever is required to strengthen the
bonds among the FIIBians and to bolster their
relationship with their alma mater.
FIIB VFTT Series:
Bringing Real Life
Experiences
LEADERSHIP SERIES
View from the Top (VFTT) series initiated by
FIIB aims to bring real life experiences for
budding managers at FIIB. Eminent
corporate speakers have been invited to
share their real experiences in the
classroom.
A list of illustrious speakers invited in the
past for VFTT series is enumerated below:
Shailendra Jain, Regional Head - EMEA
and APAC Barrie & Hibbert Ltd (A
Moody's Analytics Company)
Nachiket Mor, Chairman - ICICI
Foundation for Inclusive Growth:
KV Kamath, Former Chairman - ICICI
Kiran Karnik, Former President -
NASSCOM
Shubhinder Singh, Managing Director -
Reebok India
Mr. Mehmood Khan, Ex-Global
Innovation Leader, Unilever
Mr. William Bissell, MD, FabIndia
Mr Salil Kapoor - COO, Dish TV India Ltd
Mr Deep Kalra- Founder and CEO, Make
My Trip.
For complete details related to FIIB VFTT
series and videos log on to:
http://fiib.edu.in/index.php?option=com
_content&view=article&id=113&Itemid=
122
CONGRATULATIONS TO PRESIDENT OF WESTERN INDIA CHAPTER
Mr. Manish Kheterpal felicitating Mr Ravi
Virwani (Batch-2005) as President of the
western India chapter. Mr Ravi Virwani is
currently Product Manager (Reliance Retail) .
On this occasion, Mr
Virmani said, As they
say, coming together is
just a beginning . . . At
FIIB Western Chapter
Alumni Meet we made
this beginning with an
idea to take relationship,
bonding among fellow
FIIBians and with FIIB to
a new level. A level at
which we can re-live old
memories, a level at
which we can leverage
our pr of essi onal
expertise, a level at
which no one is bound
for anything but willing
to help." He urged and
invited every single FIIB
alumni to help in making
this network stronger in
whatever manner one
could.
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 5
The Turning
Point of My Life
By Sunita Devi (FIIB Alumni)
There have been several milestones and
turning points in my life. I think one of the
best turning points of my life was meeting
my high school English teacher. She taught
me English in both ninth and tenth
standards. The reason why I liked her and
still do is because I think she understood
me. We thought alike. She was extremely
good at English. Creativity is lost on some
teachers but she wasnt one of them. She
nurtured my creativity and exhorted me to
be even more creative. She placed the
highest premium on merit, talent,
creativity and hard work. I have so many
fond memories of her, my old school, my
friends and other teachers, memories that
are enough to last me a lifetime and more. I
shall cherish the memories of my teacher
for the rest of my life. She was one of a
kind.
MESSAGE FROM FRIENDS
Rohit Jain and Navin
Chaudhary
my roommates,
where are you guys!
Please connect.
Love you.
Hi Anshuman!
Where are you?
We all miss you so
much
Nishant Raj and
Aditi Jain, Wish You
both a happy
married life!
During my tenure at
FIIB, the following
batchmates and
seniors have played
an important role in
my life:
Rajeev Gautam,
Pranay Chaudhari,
Rajesh Singh,
Ashutosh Pande,
and Sumit Banerjee.
I want to thank you
guys. I love you
guys!
Ajay Chandalia
(1996-98)
Vivek Batra
(1996-98)
Deepak Mishra
(2006-08)
Ravi Virwani
(2003-05)
Jitandra Singh
(1998-00)
Write a message for your
friends and send it to us on:
alumni@fiib.edu.in
by Anvay Tailang (FIIB Alumni)
India's retail sector is estimated at $400
billion, of which modern organised retail
sector is only 5%, according to Ernst & Young.
There are some 5.5 million grocery stores in
Indian cities. The expected spending on
personal and home products in modern retail
stores is expected to increase from $1.8
billion to $5 billion by 2015, according to
Nielsen. Sales at modern trade stores have
grown 31%since last year.
Although, India allows 100% FDI in cold
storage chains, investors have little interest
due to rare front organised retail. So, word of
mouth, from kirana stores, to fruit sellers, to
business associations to Parliament is: 'FDI in
Retail'. However, some people/groups are
favouring this and some people/groups are
against this step.
FDI in multi-brand retail has long been a
contentious issue in any discussion of the
country's economy. If there is only one store
or bank in town, you don't have to be very
good. If you have three or four, the best will
survive and then automatically the customer
benefits.
The Need of the Hour: There is a huge
opportunity to bring newer products to the
consumer at a faster pace and the relaxation
in allowing foreign players in retail in India
will have its logical impact on the supply
chain, be it in logistics, manufacturing or food
processing.
Retail Sales Zoom 31%
Since Last Year
India is the world's largest producer of fruits
and vegetables and we waste 25%of it worth
Rs. 50,000 crore annually. With FDI in multi-
brand retail, the freshness of products will be
better, prices will be stable and there will be
no shortage of quality products.
There is a grave paucity of operators with cold
chain transportation as also a dire need for
cold chain warehousing. For this, you need
volumes, and that's where FDI in retail will
help. With the presence of multinationals in
retail, industry expects a quantum jump in
warehousing space. Larger warehouses,
along with the introduction of the much-
delayed Goods and Services Tax (GST), will
lead to the introduction of stellar
warehousing facilities. India will then have a
large number of warehouses, especially
across central India. In a country, with lack of
sustainable infrastructure, this has resulted in
primeval warehouses and unorganised
logistics, and one expects the entry of foreign
retailers may bring about a change.
For management of supply chains, 'Organized
Retail' is a necessity and the need of the hour.
These will provide economies of scale
through their high end scales of operations.
These will eliminate the intermediaries which
are possible for price hikes at every stage,
from the step of harvesting to final retailing.
Thus, the benefits of this 'FDI': Low Priced
Goods & Inflation Check.
Contd. on page 7
Jiban Jyoti & Gatish
Nayak Did, Next
time when the
alumni meet is
happening in Delhi.
DO VISIT!!
Pankaj Kumar
(2003-05) Daddu!
Connect with us!
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 6
WELCOME TO FIIB ALUMNI HUB
Alumni Hub: The FIIB Alumni Hub intends to serve its alumni by actively communicating with them. Apart from the eNewsletter, this Hub will be
an excellent source for accessing knowledge, resources and networking. All alumni are cordially invited to promptly join and register with the
Hub for regular updates about upcoming events. Here alumni can also request documents like marksheet, etc.
Features Available at the FIIB Hub: Discussion Forum, Alumni Directory, Picture Gallery, Alumni newsletter, Alumni Blog, Project Opportunities
and Mentoring, Career Services, FIIB Speaker Videos and continuing education. For more information, visit:
https://sites.google.com/a/fiib.edu.in/alumni-test-1/home
CLASS NOTES
I am Gitanjali Bahri,
from the first batch of
1995-97. I left FIIB
Gitanjali Bahri
(1995-97)
almost 14 years back
and am currently
working for Crocs
I n d i a . M y
professional journey
has been really
satisfying and the
greatest role of FIIB
h a s b e e n i n
i n c u l c a t i n g
confi dence and
entrepreneurship.
Vivek Vashishtha
(1995-97)
Sanjai Srisvastava
(1996-98)
FIIB has been a
temple of learning
for me as it has
enhanced my
t h i n k i n g
capabilities. I still
believe in the same
principle when I was
a st udent , my
success mantra for
life is You are what
you repeatedl y
think.
The days at FIIB
were full of fun and
learning. The most
r e w a r d i n g
elements have
been professors,
staff and fellow
students. All of
them have shaped
my experience at
Fortune and each
one still inspires
me to constantly
improve with the
pract i cal and
industry-oriented
knowledge that I
got from FIIB.
Contd. from page 6
Out of Focus Matters: First, multi brand retail
stores are allowed to set up shops in cities
with a population more than 1 million, which
means 53 cities of this country. It means (as
according to government) that inflation is a
problem in only 53 cities of India. What is the
LOGIC behind this clause?
Second, when it comes to fruits and
vegetables (the logic behind Cold Chains) in
India, Agriculture Produce Marketing
Committee (APMC) Acts are fallacies in the
ideology of retail. To purchase food grains in
states, foreign retailers should have to pass
through these APMCs. They have to pass
through tax structures of these committees.
The presence of these APMCs is so strong that
dismantling them is quite impossible, without
a legal framework. So, taking only FDI as a
note is not enough, since proper legal
structure is a primary requirement in
strengthening base for foreign players,
keeping in mind that agriculture is a state
subject and we have 28 states and 7 union
territories.
However, political policies, connected with
business principles and practices are
always questionable, due to lack of far
sighted viewpoints. This will lead to 'Fallacy
of Composition', framed by Prof. JM
Keynes, as according to which 'what seems
good to individual, may not be good for a
group' and vice versa. Retail is a clear
example in present perspective.
Anvay Tailang is from 2008-10 batch and
currently works as Management Trainee
at Kandla Port trust. He could be reached
at anvaytailang@hotmail.com
FDI IN RETAIL CONTINUES TO BE A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 7
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
Annual Samavesh
Festival round the corner
This year Samavesh 2012, the Annual
Management & Cultural Festival at FIIB,
New Delhi is proud to organise its fourth
edition. The fourth edition of Samavesh
scheduled for March 2-4, 2012 at the FIIB
campus will be centered on sustainability
and innovation. Samavesh 2012 is all about
going green and adopting sustainability to
the next level. FIIB Student Clubs are all set
to roll out the red carpet for the three days
and delight visitors with FIIB hospitality.
Samavesh 2012 will serve as a unique
platform where young innovators can freely
showcase their capabilities outside the
classrooms.
Samavesh 2012 events: Dress up (Package
Design), Table Topics, Eureka (Ad mad
show), e LAN e jung counter strike, Tryst
with Destiny (Poker), Tall Tale, Vaudeville
(Nukkad Natak), Symphonia , Felicity (Dance
with DJ), Portfolio Analysis, Motif (Collage
Making), Portfolio Muqabla, Sports Quiz,
Guess Goose, Kabaad se Jugaad (Waste
Management), Balls of Fury (Pool),
Samanvay (Alumni meet), Fotog (Click a
pick), Twist n Turn (Solo Dance), Choreo
(Group Dance), Band Performance by
Faridkot and Alumni Meet
FIIB
conducts four-day entrepreneurship
workshop under the FIIB Continuing
Education Initiative for Alumni, FIIB recently
launched an exclusive workshop for its
alumni spread over 20 hour hands-on
module on entrepreneurship. The focus of
this intensive 20 hour hands on module
programme is to equip participants with tips
to become an entrepreneur and learn to
make a successful business plan.
Beginning from February 11, 2012 this
workshop is spread over 4 weekends and
mainly cover 4 sessions.
Upcoming Workshop on Innovation: FIIB
and INPAQT, Netherlands is soon planning to
launch a workshop on Enabling Innovation
and Achieving Excellence through
Competence Development.
Further details about the programme will
be added soon. Keep watching FIIB Alumni
Hub for details:
FIIB Continuing Education Initiative:
https://sites.google.com/a/fiib.edu.in/alum
ni-test-1/home
Udaan, E-cell at FIIB believes that, if India is
to be a developed nation by 2020, it needs
to facilitate investments in socially,
financially and technologically sustainable
entrepreneurial ventures. In order to
promote this belief and vision, Udaan has
planned to organize a pan-India Business
Plan Competition - Meraki each year.
Meraki will provide a platform for all
potential entrepreneurs to ideate and
evolve their business ideas. This year
Meraki is scheduled for March 2. So far, FIIB
has received large number of entries from
eminent Indian B-Schools including IIMs.
The incentives to the winner comprises of a
cash prizes of Rs. 1, 00,000 and Rs. 75, 000
for the first and second teams respectively
with a chance to present their B-Plan before
venture capitalists.
Stages involved for Meraki, 2012
Complete details are available at:
https://sites.google.com/a/fiib.edu.in/meraki/
MERAKI COMPETITION
Dear Readers!
This quarterly eNewsletter will be circulated to all FIIB alumni and important stake holders of
FIIB including the Governing Council and Academic Council. For the forthcoming issue, we
would like to invite articles and views on important issues related to the world of business and
also regarding your experience at the FIIB and how it has helped you in your career and life.
Please share with us your thoughts and ideas. Please send your articles to:
alumninewsletter@fiib.edu.in / Looking forward to hearing from you
FIIB Alumni Association: You can reach us at: alumni@fiib.edu.in; Add: Fortune Institute
Of International Business, Plot No. - 5, Vasant Vihar, Opp. R.R. Hospital, New Delhi 110057
!
The Depreciating Rupee
Various reasons are
being extended to
justify the large
depreciation of the
rupee. This includes
large scale withdrawal
by FI I s. Forei gn
exchange reserves
data reveals that the
forex reserves have increased from about
USD 305 billion in end-March 2011 to about
USD 318 billion in October. So even though
reserves have not substantially increased,
they have not fallen either.
What has been the quantum of rupee
depreciation? Since April 2011, the Rupee
has depreciated over 16%against the US
dollar, over 13%against the British Pound,
over 10%against the Euro and over 27%
against the Yen. This means that rupee has
been depreciating against all other major
currencies, not only the dollar.
The RBI calculates a 6-currency index to show
the movement of the rupee in comparison
with other major currencies. According to RBI
data, during the financial year 2010-11, the
real effective exchange rate of the rupee
showed a substantial upward increase of
13%, while between end-March 2011 and
mid-October 2011, the rupee has shown a
real depreciation of 6.3%. So, RBI could justify
this deprecation by saying that the real
appreciation of the rupee during 2010-11
needed to be reversed.
However, a depreciating rupee is
contributing to inflation in a substantial
way. The share of foreign trade in goods is
estimated at over 30%of GDP. So a large
deprecation of the rupee will increase
input costs substantially, especially in the
case of oil imports. The question that
arises is the appropriateness of a large
devaluation of the rupee at the present
juncture when the economy is facing a
high inflation rate, the fiscal policy is
deteriorating, and monetary tightening
appears to be ineffective.
Given the above, RBI would be well
advised at present to intervene in the forex
market to try and stem the rapid fall in the
rupee, and thus mitigate the effect of
rising input costs. Once inflation comes
under control, the rupee can be allowed to
continue its downward trajectory if RBI is
of the opinion that there is real
appreciation of the rupee.
(By a faculty member)
FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2012 FIIB ALUMNI CONNECTION NEWSLETTER 8