Tag Archive: KIAMS News and Events


This slideshow requires JavaScript.

26 April 2016

KIAMS has been awarded the prestigious “CSR Top Institutes of India Award 2016” at Le Meridien, New Delhi on 24 April along with IIMA, IMT Ghaziabad, Symbiosis, IIT’s and other Institutes. The annual national level awards are presented by the reputed Competition Success Review (CSR) Group.

Dr. CN Narayana, Principal Director received the award on behalf of KIAMS. Reacting to the award, Dr. CN Narayana said “KIAMS appreciates the dedication of all faculty, staff, students, and alumni of KIAMS for the extraordinary and concerted efforts in the last one year.”

Dr. CN Narayana is working to fulfill Mr. SL Kirloskar’s vision of achieving excellence in education and is confident that KIAMS will reach the list of Top 30 institutes of India in next two years. KIAMS was set up more than 25 years back when Mr. SL Kirloskar laid the foundation stone of the Institute. The Institute was envisaged as a Centre of Excellence that focused on industry-immersed management education for managers of the 5 Kirloskar Group companies. Subsequently, KIAMS transcended into a much-aspired B-schoolin 1995 and has continued its rich tradition and built on its strong foundation under the current generation of the Kirloskar family.The CSR Award is yet another market recognition that follows the numerous accolades KIAMS has received in 2016, including the ‘Knowledge Management Leadership Award’ at the ‘Golden Globe Tigers Education Leadership Awards’ in Malaysia.

About CSR

Competition Success Review, or CSR for short, is India’s premier general knowledge magazine. The magazine is hugely popular across India, particularly with students who wish to appear for competitive entrance exams (Civil Service, MBA and others). Its content includes general knowledge trivia with a focus on Indian current events, Interview with IAS toppers, Interview and GD tips and sample question papers for different competitive examinations.

CSR was established in 1964 by Mr. S. K. Sachdeva who is also the Managing Director. Its popularity is validated by many sources – as per Audit Bureau of Circulation figures CSR is India’s Largest Selling Magazine in English Among all Fortnightlies & Monthlies (January- June 2007).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Pune. 13 April 2016.

KIAMS bagged dual honours at the recently held ‘Golden Globe Tigers Education Leadership Awards’ in Malaysia.

KIAMS won the ‘Knowledge Management Leadership Award’ for 2016 while Dr. CN Narayana, Principal Director KIAMS won the ‘Outstanding Asian Faculty of HRM Award’ for 2016.

2016 has been an eventful year with Dr. CN Narayana winning awards at the International Education Leadership Awards 2016 by International Association of Researchers and Academicians (‘Indo Global Exemplary Educationist Award’ and ‘Best Director Award for B-schools’) and KIAMS bagging the ‘Top Institute Award’ by Competition Success Review magazine.

Reacting to the awards, Dr. Narayana said “I am indebted to all my students and well-wishers including my faculty, staff of KIAMS, for making me worthy of my 2nd international award and a dozen total awards till date for academics, research and leadership contribution to management education”.

This is the second international award KIAMS has won under knowledge management – the earlier one being in Dubai and these awards are a reflection of the efforts put in my management under the leadership of Dr. Narayana, who has joined a little over a year ago. KIAMS is scaling new heights and continues to aspire for even greater success in future.

About the awards

The Golden Globe Tigers Awards aim to recognise “TIGERS” in Marketing, Branding CSR & Social Innovation, Education& Academics across leadership levels in individual and organisation that aim at believing that excellence is infinite and perfection has no limit and targets are milestones not an end of the journey.

The Golden Globe Tigers Awards is multifunctional, multidisciplinary and industry focussed.

About Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies

Kirloskar Group Of Companies, one of the largest industrial conglomerates in India, has been growing and enriching lives for more than a century now. KIAMS was conceived as a training institute and knowledge hub in 1991. It was envisioned as a learning centre where Kirloskar Group Managers shared their expertise, experience and kept up with the latest concepts and movements in Management.

In 1995, the training institute was opened to managers all over the country.

5As a BBA graduate, Megha Dey could have opted for an MBA to further her career prospects. But she chose to do her PGDM because she believed that the curriculum would make her industry ready. After spending two years at KIAMS, an institute she had heard a lot about, she agrees that she made the best decision. She has now been placed in a facility management role with Quess Corp Avon, which is a subsidy of the global giant IKEA. Here she shares the journey of her transformation from a hopeful student to a confident management professional.

When asked to put her journey with KIAMS in words, Megha counts many positives. According to her things that seemed difficult and intense when doing them were also a huge learning experience in hindsight. “The rigorous presentations were definitely tough but they were totally worth it at the end of the day. I have learned so much about team effort besides gaining theoretical and practical knowledge. While the job I have bagged is the perfect entry in the corporate world for me, the knowledge I have gained during my time here will last me a lifetime,” she says.

In her new role as a professional with the company Megha will be responsible for meeting clients and discussing various facilities offered. She will also have to strive to boost the sales of the company. She is keen to prove her mettle by delivering on these tasks, just like she managed to impress during the placement interview. On what went right in the interview, she says “I had gathered fair bit of knowledge about the company, which is why I could talk about different scenarios and offer them the best solutions. I also relied on my SIP experience with Bank of Baroda (Kolkata) to come up with relevant answers during the interview.”

Megha mentions the IRP sessions at KIAMS as the main preparation for placement because not only did they improve her communication skills but they also helped her answer situational questions, which were the crux of her interview. Above all her confidence gained during the PGDM years showed clearly. That’s her advice to her juniors at the institute as well. “Be confident and everything will fall into place. Pay attention to classroom learning and projects because that will prepare you well. But also make the most of your time on the campus and with friends because it won’t come back,” she ends on an emotional note.

4Abhijit Das, student of PGDM Batch 17 at KIAMS believes that his placement as a Management Trainee with Pathfinder Publishing Pvt. Ltd (the company that runs careers360.com) is a big deal not only because of the reputation of the company but the fact that it is the perfect culmination of his academic tenure. The going has been tough for him as he lost his father during the first year of PGDM. But that only pushed him to excel in his studies and focus on the placement process. He admits that with the help of his faculty team and friends at the institute he has managed to get the final outcome he was hoping for.

Reflecting on his two years at KIAMS, he says “The placement with such a prestigious firm was the icing on the cake. My mother, who is a housewife, was extremely supportive during these two years. The placement has made our dream come true. But at the same time I feel the knowledge and confidence I have gained at the institute will help me in the long run. It certainly helped me crack the all important placement interview.” He goes on to add that all the assignments and activities he was a part of during his program helped him learn in the best possible way. That coupled with the confidence he had gained enabled him to impress his recruiters.

After completing his graduation in engineering, Abhijit was working in the construction field but soon enough realized that he needed to boost his competencies to build his career prospects. That’s why he chose to do his PGDM from KIAMS and believes that it’s a decision that has held him in good stead. “I would like to specifically mention the contribution of our faculty members in molding us as future professionals. They were always available to clear our doubts, point out mistakes and help us rectify them in a constructive manner. I believe this relationship goes beyond placements and will be with me for the rest of my life,” he states.

According to Abhijit, every day spent at the institute was a stepping stone towards his future career. The Summer Internship he did at Tata Steel helped him put the concepts he had learned into context and that’s how he made his mark during the placement interview. He is now at the cusp of an exciting journey ahead. “KIAMS has been a new life experience for me and it has prepared me for challenges in my career. Managing product life cycle, Project development and management, Planning, Scheduling, Co-ordination with different teams, Product testing, Market Research and analysis will be some of my job responsibilities and I feel up to the task,” he adds confidently.

Ask him about the aspects of his life at the institute that he is going to miss and Abhijit mentions different celebrations, the time spent with his friends and the campus itself. He holds those memories close to his heart and is going to cherish them for a long time to come. He also has valuable advice for his juniors at the institute. “You should follow your dreams and identify your area of interest. Whatever domain you choose; be it Product Management or Operations, you will find a lot of scope in it if you have in-depth knowledge of the subject. Try to build on your learning and the sky is the limit,” he says all ready to spread his own wings.

Avisek Sarkar believes in following his instincts and mak3ing smart decisions at the right time. That’s why the engineering graduate who was interested in technology decided to switch to management. He says that he wanted to give his career the best platform, which is why he opted for the PGDM with KIAMS. He now stresses that he has managed to combine his technical abilities from engineering studies with analytical, logical thinking from his management program. Perhaps that is what impressed his new employer; Oracle Financial Services Software.

The excitement of being placed with a global powerhouse like Oracle is written large over Avisek’s face. He also realizes that his corporate journey has only begun and he will have to prove his mettle. “The role I have been offered is in financial analytical application development. As a member of the software engineering division, I will have to do detailed design based on high level design specifications. I will also have to assist in system planning, scheduling and implementation, testing bugs, building enhancements etc. I feel prepared for these challenges thanks to my learning at KIAMS,” he says.

Bagging campus placement with a corporate biggie like Oracle is no mean feat. There is a great deal of preparation that goes into making one’s mark in the interview. Avisek sheds light on the process as he says, “One thing that went in my favour was the fact that I had domain knowledge. I also believe you need to be calm and composed during the interview to be able to make the best impression.KIAMS not only helped me build a solid foundation of knowledge but through different initiatives like IRP sessions ensured that I had overcome my fear of public speaking. It reflected in the interview and helped me a lot.”

Avisek also asserts that his learning at the B School was intense with long hours on a daily basis. But his faculty members made things easier by keeping things relatable. His SIP with Novotel Kolkata also enabled him to get valuable practical exposure that he counts on as he prepares for his corporate sojourn. “My time with KIAMS has been a memorable journey altogether. Even the tight class schedules, late night group studies, presentations were fun and lively for me. I am going to miss the hostel life, time spent on the campus and just hanging out with my friends whenever I want,” he says emotionally.

His advice for juniors who might be interested in a job profile like his – “It’s a Financial Analyst profile and if that’s something you are interested in as well then you need to have a strong base in finance and economics. Practical exposure besides academics is also important. But above all be confident and stay true to yourself. You will achieve your goals if you believe in yourself and put in the efforts.” That’s something he himself has done, and is now reaping the benefits for it.

After karen-saldanha-250-225x300completing her graduation in Oman, where her parents both work as corporate professionals, Karen Saldanha decided to come to India to pursue higher education. She was keen to pursue a career in management and believes that KIAMS has helped her in a big way, borne out by her placement with HDFC Bank.

Karen admits that it took her a while to get over the initial shock of being chosen as a Relationship Manager by HDFC Bank because there were several other right candidates for the job. She also thought her interview wasn’t going too well but managed to turn things around for herself. “Initially it was going all wrong and I think I gave some wrong answers. At one point they even gave me a chance to learn the correct answer for one of the questions. I came back having prepared for more than that, which might have impressed them,” she says with a smile.

She also talks about the efforts taken by her institute to prepare her for the placement process. According to Karen the courses in GD, interviews and business communications groomed students and instilled confidence in them. “Besides that the modules where we were taught what the industry expects of us were very helpful. They had included courses on Customer Insight, Digital Marketing, Strategic Management, International Business, Brand Management, Consumer Behaviour etc and they helped us tremendously,” she adds.

Karen also points out that though she had got placed in her very first attempt she chose to not accept the offer as she wanted to make a bright start to her corporate career. She expects it to happen with a big name like HDFC where her job responsibilities will include, “Meeting clients and addressing their problems, ensuring cross selling of banking products and overall maintaining good relationships with them. I did my internship with Reliance Retail, Chennai and believe that experience will come handy in my job,” she asserts.

While Karen is on cloud nine at the moment, she also feels a hint of sadness knowing that she won’t be spending time on campus with friends. She states that one major advantage of a residential PGDM program is that you make friends for life. Ask her if she has any advice for juniors and she says, “Take efforts to match industry’s needs of skills and knowledge, pay attention to classes and do your assignments diligently. The secret to my good grades is 100% attendance. You might also want to create a LinkedIn profile because networking is the key.” Speaking like a true professional, she already is.

1Getting into a reputed B School in many ways is a life altering event for any management graduate. Hence I had huge expectations from KIAMS and I have to say they have been fulfilled to a large extent. I also realize from the way things are going that by the time I complete the program I would have achieved everything I had hoped to and more.

Of course it wasn’t smooth sailing from the word go and we took some time to settle down. Days were long and filled with classes, assignments, group studies, senior-junior interactions, sports activities etc. But each one of us has managed to bring that extra burst of energy to deliver on the tasks expected of us. It has also taught us a lot about time management, which is crucial.

Another important learning for us through these assignments has been team work. Even before we got to know each other well, my batch mates and I were working on the same team in some project or another. It brought out this incredible bond amongst us, which I believe will lead to long lasting friendships in the future.

The campus with its serene surroundings is the perfect place to hang out and nurture these bonds. Our first choice of things to do would always be a trek on the small hills around the campus. We sing motivational songs, push each other to go further and higher. The experience of reaching the peak as a team is something that cannot be described in words.

While there are these fun moments, things get pretty serious in the classroom. There are various activities like live project assignments, writing project reports that teach us a lot about management concepts. We also get an insight into the corporate world and into the minds of renowned professionals through guest lectures.

One of the most important aspects of learning at KIAMS is the relationship we share with our seniors and faculty members. They are very knowledgeable and help us whenever we have any issues to deal with. I like the fact that they are easily approachable and we can talk to them as equals, which I doubt you would see at any other institute.

Everyone at KIAMS, including the non teaching staff has been welcoming. That’s the reason we have never felt that we are away from home. This has become our home away from home and I believe this association will only get stronger and richer over time. I just know that this is going to be one of the most enriching experiences of my life.

2Ask for Prof. Abhishek Narasimha on the KIAMS campus at Harihar and you are sure to be greeted with a smile and directions to the ‘YouTube Prof’. You look inquiringly at the student, and all you get is a matter-of-fact:“You’ll know when you meet him.”

An Engineer with a PGD in Signal Processing and Communication Technology from Coventry University, UK, Prof. Abhishek Narsimha prima facie teaches nothing remotely close to any of his Engineering subjects. That could be because of his other education – an MA in Political Science. Well, that too is not something he teaches at KIAMS. Prof. Narsimha has been, for quite some time now, been teaching HR purely out of his passion for Organizational Behavior, Cross-Cultural Management, Business Ethics & CSR. A compulsive researcher, Prof. Narasimha has many papers and articles to his credit, which he has presented at a number of prestigious seminars and for which he has gained recognition. So where’s the connection in his academic background?

“A very strong connection, actually,”he says with a smile, answering a question he must’ve been asked a thousand times. “Engineering helped in shaping my analytical and rational thinking, while Arts have helped me in developing my softer side. I try to combine both, to bring out a wide range of perspectives. For instance, while discussing supply chain issues in Business Ethics, it is important to bring in issues like the Savar Building Collapse in Bangladesh, where workers were exploited and were employed under norms violating the charter of ILO. Moreover, promotion of democratic values like freedom of expression, just and humane conditions of work, as well as the promotion of human rights, should be the main goal of every business. It’s what the long term sustainability of any organization depends upon.”

He rattles of a number of crises that have arisen due to globalization, like the mining of Coltan (an important mineral in laptops and mobile phones) during the Congo Civil War (1997-2003), and moves fluently into the importance of cross-cultural understanding.

“Owing to globalisation, the erosion of territorial significance has been an important phenomenon in social, political and economic activities. It has led to mass consumerism and similar consumer lifestyles around the world. But at the same time, it has revealed inherent diversity and has led to an expression for stronger cultural values in different parts of the world, which are rooted in traditions. Like the promotion of the Coca leaf in Bolivia, the failure of Walmart in Germany and rise of Pan-Islamism in Egypt. Therefore, we can see a dialectic interaction of globalization with respect to different cultures. Cross-cultural understanding today has significant implications in HR policies, Marketing, as well as in identifying a right business strategy to target a particular country.”

He then goes into the nuances of why McDonalds serves McAloo Tikki, or PizzaHut sells Birizza (Biryani + Pizza) in India.

“Every choice”he concludes, “is finally a combination of the head and heart.”

And what’s with this tag of “YouTube Prof?”

“Ah!”he exclaims breaking into a smile. “I use videos from YouTube to bring in the concept. We keep the delivery simple and clear in the classroom. We do a lot of group assignments to get students to apply these concepts to real life scenarios. Of course there’s reading material, but I include a lot of discussions and debates around key issues based on the material.”

Prof. Narsimha comes across as an idealist, which is not so surprising considering that he is still young. He concedes that being from the same generation helps him connect with his class better. His work with Shiksha Aadhar, a community initiative for the education of underprivileged children in and around Electronic City in Bengaluru, has been well acknowledged; though he prefers keeping a low-profile when you broach the subject.

“I’ve always been interested in gaining knowledge and sharing it with people. It’s why I took up teaching. I believe it is necessary for young people to get into teaching to contribute towards building a better future with holistic individuals. If all young people take up corporate jobs or get into startups, who will take up the baton of imparting learning in society?”

Prof. Abhishek Narsimha is currently researching the efforts of Dharavi Market, a social enterprise startup, working to bring the craftsmen of Dharavi (one of Asia’s largest slums in Mumbai) to the World Wide Web.

Dharavi Market attempts to break the myths about slums being places of poverty and misery, and helps realize the spirit of entrepreneurship among slum dwellers. They have a website where they display the products of the craftsmen, and they have an app they can use to upload their products directly on the website of the company. There are a wide range of products from shoes, leather jackets, apparels to pottery products all made by the people of Dharavi.”

Given that most of the research in business management focusses on large corporates and new age startups, this seems like quite a revelation. Prof. Narsimha, for one, is extremely excited about this social experiment.

“After all, it’s not every day that you come across an opportunity to go beyond the regular stuff, and explore entrepreneurship at the bottom of the pyramid.”

1As a KIAMS Visiting Faculty for Marketing, Prof. Anand Narsimha is known for his quick wit and quirky one-liners – something he carries from his years as a hotshot in the advertising world. However, of late he’s been using the same catchphrase with remarkable regularity. Faculty members on KIAMS campus say that Prof. Anand now resorts to settling debates by simply uttering the phrase: “Best B-School with Industry related curriculum in Marketing”. Actually, KIAMS recently bagged the National Education Award for “B-School with Industry Related Curriculum in Marketing” for 2015, which is something Prof. Anand Narsimha is evidently pleased about.

“Teaching Marketing at KIAMS has really been a 3-pronged effort,” says Prof. Narsimha. “The learning outcomes of the Marketing courses are designed to deliver not only the requisite ‘knowledge’ (knowing), but also the key skills’ (doing), which are extremely important for any industry-ready professional. The courses/topics in the curriculum are kept current, through constant review and updates, in sync with developing industry trends. And finally, a judicious blend of core faculty (academicians) and visiting faculty (industry practitioners) are deployed to deliver the courses, and this enriches the pedagogy.”

An Ad Guru-turned-academician, Prof. Anand Narsimha is a product of IIM-C, with a MS in Behavioural Sciences from BITS Pilani. His phenomenal run in the Ad Industry spanned nearly 25 years, taking him from JWT, McCann Erikson. He ruled the roost as the Executive VP at Saatchi & Saatchi before setting up India’s first Shopper Marketing Company (MASH) as the CEO at Madison Media. He has branded and advertised a mind-boggling range of products for corporate behemoths like P&G, Nestle, Dabur, Tata Tea, ITC, Britannia, Cavinkare, Mother Dairy, BPL, Sony, Samsung, Hyundai, TVS Motors, Hero Motors, Epson, Benetton, Tata AIG, HSBC.… the list goes on.

He has driven several game-breaking brand strategies and campaigns, winning effectiveness awards and global recognition. He has led brand teams in winning two Cannes Film Lions and a host of EFFIEs.

He also set up India’s first Shopper Marketing Company with Madison Media.

About 5 years back, he decided to leave the corporate world to pursue his passion for inspiring and mentoring young people; going from being a “Sage on the stage, to a guide on the side”, as he puts it, with the seasoned advertiser’s frugality for words.

“It is a big challenge to engage young people today (in the classroom or outside), who have short attention spans, are in a 24×7 networked environment and an information rich world. The best way to engage them is to make the classroom interactive’. I resort to a lot of storytelling to convey concepts, frameworks and tools – weaving interesting examples, anecdotes and situations around them.”

For many of his students at KIAMS, simply a look at his LinkedIn profile is a lesson in engagement and projection. Most of the examples and case studies that he discusses in class are based on true life industry situations. He believes in making students ‘learn by doing’; so his class assessment and assignments are actually brainstorming sessions involving the application of concepts and generation of new ideas.

“No armchair thinkers in my class at KIAMS,” he cautions with a smile. “The desk is a dangerous place to observe the world from. Over the last decade, there’s been a big change is Marketing. Power has shifted into the hands of the consumers, and marketers have to transfer brand ownership to them. So, while earlier brands talked and consumers listened – or ignored – today, the ‘branddoes, and consumers talk’. ROI in Marketing is no more about ‘Return on Investment’ but ‘Return on Ideas’. It is all about creating powerful ideas that connect with consumers in an authentic and engaging manner.”

Apart from his multiple teaching commitments – he’s a faculty at IFIM Business School, and also a Faculty resource at IIM(B) – Prof. Anand Narsimha is a gourmet who loves cooking and travelling around the world, exploring and experiencing the cuisine of different regions.

CNN with awardNoted corporate-honcho-turned-academician, Dr. C.N. Narayana is the recipient of the 2015 “Visionary Leader Award for excellence in Education, teaching and Leadership”. Dr. C.N. Narayana – or CNN as he is popularly referred to – was bestowed the honour in a glittering ceremony at Taj Land’s End, Bandra. The award was given at the World Thought Leaders and World Education Congress held in Mumbai on the 23rd and 24th of July.

The World Education Congress is an annual affair, which attracts worldwide participation. This year, the Conference partnered World Thought Leaders, and was designed around the theme “Evolving Trends in Education”. The Congress examined modern and traditional knowledge systems. The focus was to explore how education can help develop the mental, emotional and physical skills needed to help facilitate personal excellence, as well as psychological and socioeconomic well-being in the challenging times the world faces today.

Dr. C.N Narayana expressed his feelings after winning the latest award” Visionary Leader Award for excellence in Education, teaching and Leadership”. . He said I believe in what Late APJ Abdul Kalam used to reinstate about his living philosophy- “If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun” and every time I am extended an award or bestowed with an honor, I make sure I stay grounded and my aspirations to make meaningful contribution to academia and world at large get multiplied. He envisions taking KIAMS to new heights, to push the boundaries of convention, and introduce novel , innovative ideas to management grads.

A Management PhD in HRM Strategies (2008) from Canterbury University, UK, Dr. C.N.Narayana is currently the Principal Director of KIAMS, one of the foremost industry-backed management institutes in the country, receiving its support from the engineering giant Kirloskar Group. Dr. Narayana comes from a sterling corporate background, where he spent nearly 25 ears, before moving into the academia in 2010. In his corporate roles, he has traversed a number of industries, with organisations like Godrej & Boyce, GE Appliances, Thermax, Xerox, RPG; Dr. Narayana reached the zenith of his corporate career at Essar Group as the Head – Global Working Capital Assurance. After being bestowed a PhD by Canterbury University, Dr. Narayana shifted into academia, starting with International Management Institute, where he held the dual roles of GM, Operations and Professor between 2007-08. He returned to IMI later in 2011, again in a dual role, as Registrar and Secretary, Board of Governors, and Chief of Operations for New Delhi and Bhubaneswar. Simultaneously, in June 2014, he was inducted as a Professor of HRM and Director of CDL by IFIM, Bangalore, before taking over as Director of KIAMS.

Dr.C.N.Narayana has received many awards both in the Corporate sector and in higher management education, including Time Research Award in 2013,  22nd Dewang Mehta Award for Best  HR Professor Award 2014, Innovative Business School Award 2015 (DNA Award),  Best Professor of the year 2015 by Asia Education Summit & Headlines Today and now World Educational Congress and Thought Leaders “Visionary Leader Award” in July 2015.