Alumni News

Amish (PGP 32nd batch) on how IIM Calcutta taught him the business of writing

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Amish Tripathi the author on Tuesday revealed Amish Tripathi the negotiator.

Tripathi, who was at IIM Calcutta to collect the distinguished alumnus award, told Metro how his B-school stint helped his writing career.

"From my IIM education, I learnt to negotiate my contracts hard and see to it that my books are marketed well. I have learnt a lot about negotiating contracts," Tripathi said.

He said knowing the art of negotiating was crucial to becoming a successful author. "Writing, in a way, is a business too. It is a small-scale industry," he said.
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InI Farms: Pankaj Khandelwal (PGDCM 5th batch) fruitful venture into the horticulture business

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For Purnima and Pankaj Khandelwal, their entry into the horticulture business happened by chance.

The husband and wife team had started their first venture, a consulting firm, InI Consulting, in 2003. InI stood for Insight and Intellect and the company helped clients with their India entry strategy, agri-rural consulting and infrastructure services.

Second venture
One of InI’s assignments was to help a group of Swiss-German investors that was looking to invest in a Gujarat-based horticulture company. Pankaj was involved in running the horticulture company for the investors. “That is where our initiation into agriculture happened,” says Purnima Khandelwal.
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Puneet Gupta (PGDM 46th batch) comes up with waterless bathing products

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Personal hygiene is essential for human beings, but there are many who reside in areas with water scarcity, in extreme weather conditions, or are unable to bathe because of old age. Thanks to an IIM alumnus, there may be a way out for such people.

It was while working closely with soldiers on a project that the idea of a waterless body bath and shampoo popped up in Puneet Gupta’s mind, and that’s how Clensta was launched.
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IIMC alumnus, Ajay Bisaria (PGDM 20th Batch), the new high commissioner to Pakistan hopes for better relations

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ATTARI: Amidst raging controversy over Pakistan' alleged role in Gujrat elections and meeting of Congress leaders with Pakistan's high commissioner and former ministers, the newly appointed Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria crossed over to Pakistan via Attari land border on Tuesday.

While avoiding to comment on any controversial issues, Bisaria, in a brief interaction, told TOI that he was going to Pakistan with a hope to further cement the relations.
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Taranjeet Singh Bhamra (42nd Batch/2005-2007) start-up aims to help farming

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A young agricultural engineer born, brought up and educated in a Bengal town that has launched many brilliant careers is returning to his roots after more than a decade abroad to sow what he has reaped.

Taranjeet Singh, a 37-year-old alumnus of IIT Kharagpur and IIM Calcutta, aims to change the way agriculture is practised in this part of the world through his start-up AgNext, which he started in 2015 with fellow IITians Deepak Jaiswal and Mrigank Sharad. "Data has brought a lot of value to health care, biotechnology and such other fields. Agriculture should also be data-driven. We should use imagery, the Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics to do agriculture," he told Metro.
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Devi Yesodharan (38th Batch/2001-2003) pens a fascinating mix of fiction and fact set in the Chola kingdom of the 11th century

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Rajendra Chola, the magnificent king of an enormous empire stretching from the south to the Ganges; an emperor who was not afraid of the sea; who commanded an impressive Army and Navy that was the envy of the world. Aremis, a Greek girl taken as prisoner and transformed into a strong, if wilful, warrior.

A fake queen, a temperamental naval commander, a his gorgeous mistress, a guru who doesn't give his blessings easily.

Devi Yesodharan, former speechwriter to NR Narayana Murthy, alumna of NIT Calicut and IIM Calcutta, former Economic Times journalist and former researcher for Nandan Nilekani's book, Imagining India, has written a fascination mix of fiction and fact set in the Chola kingdom of the 11th century.
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Tata Motors appoints P B Balaji (28th Batch/1991-1993) as new Chief Financial Officer

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Tata Motors on Monday announced the appointment of P B Balaji as the new Chief Financial Officer, Tata Motors Group from November 2017 replacing C R Ramakrishnan, the current CFO who retires by September 30, having already served a several extensions.

The company said in a statement that Balaji will help drive financial performance and bring greater rigor to operations and investment decisions across the different entities.
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Cisco appoints Sameer Garde (25th batch) as India and SAARC President

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Networking giant Cisco has appointed Sameer Garde as its India head effective August 1, following the exit of Dinesh Malkani, who was President Cisco India and SAARC, earlier this month.

Malkani, who continued in his role until Monday, will remain associated with Cisco as strategic advisor till the end of September.
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SRL Diagnostics appoints Arindam Haldar (30th Batch/1993-1995) as CEO

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Diagnostics firm SRL Diagnostics today said it has appointed Arindam Haldar as its new Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

Haldar, who joined SRL in October last year as its Chief Operating Officer, has worked with global brands that include Colgate, Pillsbury, Hen-Dazs and Sterlite.

“I see a very promising future for the diagnostics industry in general and SRL in particular, and am confident, that Haldar with his experience will take the organisation to its next phase of growth,” its Executive Chairman Malvinder Singh said.
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Tata Sons appoints Birla’s Saurabh Agrawal (30th Batch/1993-1995) as group CFO

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Saurabh Agrawal, 48, head of corporate strategy at the Aditya Birla group, has been named group chief financial officer (CFO) of Tata Sons Ltd, the company said on Monday. He will join the holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate from July, the statement said.
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