Interesting!

McKinsey has apparently published a collection of essays on global trends. I have not read these essays myself, but one of the predictions according to Times online, is that Spanish will join English as the official language of the U.S. by 2040.

Check this and some other interesting predictions on:
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article6070049.ece

The Duke India Business Forum

A shout out to my friends RP and KM for their stellar efforts in organizing the First Duke India Business Forum scheduled to take place on the 22nd of March at Fuqua. The two alongside many of my classmates have worked hard to put together an impressive list of speakers for the event.

An excellent opportunity to learn about the challenges and opportunities in Indian business for all those who can attend it. The Forum is open to anyone who wants to be a part of it. To register, visit: http://www.dukeibf.com/DukeIBF/Registration.html

Yeh Dilli hai mere yaaaar...

…yahan Ishq, mohabbat, pyaar! Too bad, I do not have a hi-tech cell phone in which to put this song as a caller tune while I am in Delhi. I do not know yet how much ‘pyaar’ Delhites have to shower on the streets, but I am already in love with the city. Even though this is not my first time to Delhi, it is the first time that I am staying here and exploring a bit. I see development everywhere I look around. Delhi seems to have become so much more livable from 10 years ago. The roads are getting wider and power cuts are not that much of an issue in residential areas. The single biggest infrastructural landmark in Delhi however, is the Metro. Suddenly, you have huge metro stations built underneath areas such as Connaught Place. I traveled in the Delhi Metro for the first time yesterday. Inside the station, there were people who I am sure would never even have gone up an escalator before. For them, we now have efficient, affordable and air-conditioned public transport. I covered a distance of around 40 kilometers in about half an hour! I was amazed. No wonder Sheila Dixit was elected for the third time in succession. People appear to have rewarded the Congress party for the good work.

I joined Udyogini today – so far so good. People appear nice and dedicated. Frankly speaking, I was not expecting such a systematic and coherent organization. The CEO is very knowledgeable and well versed with what is going around in the non-profit industry around the world. Udyogini is constantly looking to adopt best practices in their operations. They work hard to get the best talent possible. More than the money, it is the people they require from donors. I am glad to see all this in an industry where work ‘on the field’ is largely rural and requires you to work at a level that can be comprehended by the villagers. I am off to Ranchi on Wednesday, to do a value chain analysis for one of the projects that Udyogini has in the nearby areas.

Anybody looking to dedicate time for an NGO and serve the cause of upliftment of women in rural India should definitely consider working for Udyogini.

MBA Conquered

My MBA study is over!

This week I went to school to attend my last lecture towards an MBA. I am graduating a couple of months early with feelings of happiness, achievement and a trifle sadness as I will in all probability not be studying full-time again. But overall I am happy over the way things turned out. I am very glad I decided to come to Fuqua for what has been the most educative two years of my life.

Beginning from March, I will be working for a non-profit organization (Udyogini). I am very excited about this opportunity because it will allow me to spend time and experience the non-profit industry in India up-close and personal. This is something that I always wanted to do but was not sure when and how I will make it happen.

Udyogini is supported through a World Bank initiative and works with poor women to improve their skills as producers and their knowledge of the markets they operate in. I will be working for their business development unit which provides services to its field projects as well as external clients.

The fact that I will travel to various villages in India and stay there for 3-4 weeks in order to understand everything only adds to my excitement. I have spent my entire life in urban India and I look forward to experience the rural life that is home to over 70% of our country's population.

Back after a loong break!

Sometime back, I decided for no apparent reason that I will stop posting. Maybe, I figured that my B-school experience will be the same till I graduate. I was certainly wrong on that front. Every moment can be a new learning and a new experience - specially if you are a B-school student at Duke. From what I hear, this year's intake is going to be ultra-competitive with many people wanting to shield themselves from recession and take refuge in the 'safe' environs of a B-school. Hope you know what you are getting into :-)

I am in Bangkok these days - studying at SASIN Business School as part of an exchange program that Duke has with them. I highly recommend B-schoolers to go on exchange. Exchange program makes you realize the value of learning outside of class more than ever. Thailand has been a totally different experience - language barriers, cultural differences, heavy tourism focus - everything has made the trip unique. The amazing street food being the highlight for me. They can make their 'Fired' Rice really fiery mind you!




I am finishing my required credits and graduating early. This means I am not returning to Duke after exchange. Instead, I am returning back to India and working for a non-profit for four months. More on that later.

Evolution with time

Life is still busy. I just got back home after leaving for school early in the morning.

Here's how I spent my day:
0200 hours: Go to sleep. Have done enough socialization for the day.

0715 hours: Wake-up!

0800 - 1530 hours: Reach school and then proceed for COLE Leadership Fellow Team Building exercise at an Army Base Camp near Durham.

1600 - 1700 hours: Brief pit-stop at home. Shower and dress up for a Leadership celebration event at a nearby restaurant.

1700 - 1830 hours: Attend the event.

1830 - 2100 hours: Classmate's daughter's first birthday party.

2100 Hours: Scheduled phone call with a Class of 2010 admit.

2200 hours: Writing this blog and debating whether I should go for the awesome Fuqua Latin Party taking place tonight. Or should I just sweat it out at the racquetball court for an hour and then hit the sack?

This is a far cry from a day in my life around six months back! There were learnings then, there are learnings now. Each interaction here has the potential to enrich your experience. I am learning that there is a certain time for every type of experience. Hopefully, I am going through my set of experiences at the right time - neither too late nor too early.

In other news, an admitted student mailed me informing that I am one of ClearAdmit's in the Best Student Blogger category. Not too bad, huh?

Chicago must be beautiful

I was invited by my summer internship employer to spend a weekend in Chicago. Met people at the firm, got to know prospective fellow interns better, partied for a couple of nights, caught up with old friends from India, all this while staying in a plush hotel in the heart of downtown.

I like Chicago for some reason. It was typical Chicago weather, what with the winds and the snow. However, I get this feeling that it is a buzzing place. There's movement all 24 hours, everyone looks busy, people are friendly, so many activities going on any day of the week and there's plenty of history associated with the city. There is a certain order to the chaos in Chicago. Having spent four years in Bangalore and having loved every moment of it, I guess that's the way I like it. I hear that Chicago is particularly vibrant during summer time and I look forward to spending 10 weekends there. Hopefully, I will get a decent nest in downtown itself, and that will enable me relish the place even better.