February 8, 2012

With the dramatic sweep of Mumbai's Nariman Point as their backdrop, IMD Alumni and members of the Executive MBA Class of 2012 gathered on January 31 to share experiences about the unique opportunities and challenges of the Indian business environment. 

Some 70 people exchanged views in the Trident Hotel's Rooftop Room, making for a lively discussion on some of the characteristics of India's business context.  

Each year the EMBA class holds the first of a series of discovery expeditions in India, before heading to Shanghai and Silicon Valley later in the year. As explained by Professor Phil Rosenzweig, the EMBA Program Director: "One of the central pillars of the EMBA program is globalization. Through company visits, working on consulting projects with Indian companies, and visits to slums and rural areas, participants experience firsthand not only the business environment in India, but also the powerful socio-economic forces shaping this dynamic economy."  

EMBA participants shared their experiences of their consulting projects with four Indian companies and organizations: ICICI Bank, the Omidyar Foundation, Biostadt India Ltd and the Remaking of Mumbai Federation. Topics ranged from CRM and mobile connectivity, distribution and financing of solar home systems, to finding a viable strategy to redevelop Mumbai.  

Students benefited from the input and feedback of Mumbai's business elite over drinks and dinner. Among those present were Harsh Goenka, chairman of RPG Enterprises, one of India's largest business groups and president of IMD's India Alumni club, as well as senior executives from Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Tata Strategic Management Group, SKS Power Generation and DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals.  

One of the Indian business scene's predominant characteristics is the rapid rate of change, summed up as follows by IMD Executive Director Hischam El-Agamy: "In India, the first thing I ask when I meet friends is 'what's new?' and something always is."  

You can read more about the EMBA discovery expedition on the EMBA blog.