it’s really not easy

 

 

I never knew choices could kill!

 

 

Bound in a situation where I need to choose one from three options – IIMA/ISB/Cranfield, I am troubling my grey cells like I never did before.

 

 

To ease my perspective I tried to list down positives and negatives of both IIMA-PGPX and ISB-PGP. I ignored Cranfield as I am not too keen to leave
India despite the award of 50% scholarship.

 

 

 

IIM-PGPX (the new one-year MBA)

Positives:

1. Strong 60+ years’ history and a reputed brand;
2. Unmatched resident faculty;
3. Focused target on senior management positions post PGPX;
4. Built in mandatory exchange program at no extra cost;
5. Clear monetary advantage of 6lacs (including the exchange programme);
6. Strong alumni (but will PGP alumni gel with PGPX is a question).

Negatives:

1. Untested;
2. Comparison with PGP inevitable – may happen on 7 Jan;
3. The confusion for a PlaceCom strategy for PGPX vis-à-vis PGP will continue for initial few years;
4. Too academic;
5. With all students coming after 7+ work-ex, the mind sets are rigid and it may take some time before our thoughts, beliefs are shaken and reshaped. Initial few months could be very tough owing to ego clashes etc.;
6. I am told that for PGPX-1 the institute could not arrange a faculty for finance.

ISB-PGP

Positives:

1. Sans the “X”;
2. Pursues only one course PGP so efforts are well directed & coordinated;
3. On the high growth path;
4. Chance to interact with international faculty;
5. We old dogs get to learn new tricks with more of younger population around which also means lesser ego clashes;
6. More of student initiated activities;
7. I am awarded a fee waiver of Rs.2 lacs;
8. I stand to save Rs.3 lacs if I get 50% scholarship, and a Rs.10 lacs if I get 100% scholarship.

Negatives:

1. Too diverse a student profile – work-ex ranging from 2 years to over 15 years;
2. Point (a) must create confusion among recruiters;
3. Expensive and too royal;
4. International faculty is not resident leaving students to fend for themselves after they’re gone;
5. Nothing known about the resident faculty. Seems the school relies more on visiting faculty;
6. Alumni support not strong;
7. Despite the fee waiver, I may suffer a financial loss of Rs.3 lacs if I don’t get the scholarship.

DO I LOOK CONFUSED? You can bet!

holding on

Decided to hold on to the other option before the facts get clearer even though that holding on is going to cost me over 15 grands. I don’t think that cost is too much considering the number of years i have infront of me with a optimistic forethoughts.

Putting on table today’s BL…

Is the gaga that all are going on Indo-US nuclear deal required? How much of it does trickle down to improve the common man’s life is nobody’s concern. Just consider that it would only by 2050 that India will generate 25% of its electricity through nuclear means – another 44 years and just 25%!? And the hoopla over the nuclear deal! Don’t forget that India is richest in terms of thorium reserves in the world and do we know what US wants from us in return for its nuclear plans?

CRR has been hiked suprisingly. Seems YVR takes a lot of joy from throwing in surprises but he does it with care – rising it in Friday evening. That way he gives the markets time to cool and consider the rational and so he saves any abrupt changes in prices. I may not agree to the step of rising the CRR but i concor with his style.

Bengalooru though was always there on the world IT map, it now gets a formal stamp as Infosys breaks into the NASDAQ 100. Way to go, Infy!

The NDC (National Development Council) has come under a lot of talk for reasons of PM’s political remark and the talk shadowed the promising economic remarks that were made. The NDC endorsed the approach paper setting out an average 9% GDP growth beginning fiscal 2007. In the NDC, the FM, PC sought backing of all state’s CMs for early passage of pension, banking and insurance bills.

Will it prove to be yet another masterstroke from ICICI Bank – the taking over of Sangli Bank that gives I-Bank the much needed penetration in the rural India. The only shortcoming could be that the Sangli Bank has presence only in Maharashtra and Karnataka. But i believe I-Bank won’t take long before showing prsence in richer rural areas.

Legendary Ford must be turning in his grave – with the family inheritors planning to pledge family jewels to avoid bankruptcy.

apprehensions galore!

The apprehensions are galore among all looking forward to April 2007 and things will get a little clear – for worse or for better – on Jan 15th. Will have to make arrangements for that tomorrow, right away. Won’t repeat the last mistake of keeping such things pending.

Lets see what BL has to say…

Indian Bank has really bounced back from where it was some 4/5 years back to being at a position to come out with an IPO. Its an IPO of 8.6 crores equity shares. Dr K C Chakraborty must be a proud CMD!

India’s old friend, Russia is willing to offer India all the support in her energy sourcing. Sakhalin I is giving good paybacks and the same is expected from Sakhalin III, where India is again likely to get a good share.

West Bengal CM, Mr Budhadeb hosts a seminar on “Why not Bengal” to attract investments and his state concomitantly witnesses violent protests and culling of the same in Singur on Tata Motor’s plant under the issue of acquisition of land from farmers. Contrast this with the farmers of Pune who very judiciously pooled their lands to generate huge incomes from their lands by giving them on some basis to businesses like BPOs etc. Thus business is no social activity though society has all the benefits if both businessmen and social activists work together. But that needs to wash the eyes off suspicions.

Philippines could emerge a challenge to India’s aspirations in the BPO business as it rises its share in such market. The major advantage is the more of western culture being followed by the society there.

A recession in US is being feared amid Mr Nouriel Roubini, professor of economics at Stern School saying, “Expect a fullfledged recession by early 2007″. What could be the effects on India? How would WTO talks that are in the process of being revived shape after recession sets in US?

Soon, we’ll have some Wal-Mart stories taking shape in India – kind of stories we hear from the west. Bharti and Wal_mart shake hands and next year we will have the first such store – with front being managed by Bharti and the back operations being managed by the global giant.

Will the Zen Estilo from Suzuki shake the Indian market as did Swift?