Atharva – Potent and Purposeful
An insatiable hunger for challenge is the only pre-requisite for you to come to Atharva – TAPMI’s annual B-School fest. Like every year, the three day event is action packed with a host of competitions like the ever popular Quiz on the Beach (QOTB), the marketing game Chakravyuh, the traditional stock trading contest – Outcry and many more.
We at Atharva understand that preparation and participation involves a sizeable effort and costs time. And to make your efforts worth it, Atharva is designed, unlike many B-School fests across the country, to offer a mix of business-related as well as cultural events. When you have the talent, then we will provide you the platform to prove it. Vibes, the inter college dance competition for the twinkle toes and tapping boots, has always been one of the most sought after events that sees participation from several institutions across the country.
Polemic, the corporate debate, is to be moderated by T.V. Mohandas Pai, former CEO of Infosys. This year, it boasts of an impressive list of speakers like politician Dinesh Gundu Rao, Madhu Goud Yaskhi and Dushyant Singh, a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. The topic for this year is ‘India in the 21st Century: Vision, Hopes and Aspirations’.We have seen them battle it out in politics. It’s time to watch it live at Polemic!
Across various industries, HR managers look for those who can put the theory into practice, apply the textbook in the real world. Are you able to co-relate trends in the industry? Or, is there a creative genius in you looking to empower a brand or shape a company’s strategy? Events managed at Atharva are of a certain kind –which seeks to quiz the B-school grad, to intrigue, to test the skill set and decision making abilities while dealing with ambiguity and surprise. Atharva, as a concept has evolved immensely over the years and at TAPMI it has been a collaborative effort involving external functional committees viz. Marketing & General Management (MGM), HR Fora, Social Endeavour Group (SEG), the Finance and Operations Forums and the like to aid the event design. Be it a stock market simulation or ensuring that a B-plan recommendation is implemented in practice; the functional committees have been the proverbial ‘cog in the wheel’.
In the previous years, events such as QOTB have received special mention in a number of newspapers and online blogs. Similarly, the media partners for Atharva 2011-12 will be The Hindu’s Business Line and Manipal based online journal ‘Chill Maadi’. The Atharva Pre-Fest edition on Chill Maadi is available HERE.
With just a day to go, keep watching this space for the plethora of updates we have to offer. 
Splash of Atharva
Fervour in the air,
You know it, Feel it here,
A whim, a fancy, to point it out,
Wondering if it was just another emotional bout…
Well, here in TAPMI campus it’s definitely not a “bout”. The buzz is there, the cause for it no doubt is Atharva! If you are an ardent Harry Potter fan, try recollecting how the Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry suddenly transforms itself and puts on a completely new garb. That’s exactly what has happened to TAPMI. Last evening, you remember seeing the same dull brick and mortar walls, and next morning you are wondering who painted Atharva all over the place!
Walking around the campus you can see bright posters, and tall banners adorning most of the walls. The place looks like it has suddenly broken out into a riot of colours. The mess, the academic block, TAPMI greens… all of it have miraculously altered, and are now united by one spirit, one sensation that runs widespread, Atharva is here!
It’s not just the campus, but the streets of Manipal and Udupi as well which have been adorned with Atharva decorations and promotions! The majestic banners bring a huge deal of pride to every single TAPMIan, for he belongs to the family which is organizing one of the biggest ever events to hit Manipal!
The zest has mesmerized the students too! You could find a few pacing around loaded with sheets, chart papers etc. while others gather in groups, and have fervent discussions about what events to participate in. The campus of a management school never seemed so pulsating and animate with vigour! Just being here, in and around the campus, makes you want to plummet in and contribute to the gung ho.
Many students are still unaware of their true potential and Atharva becomes a giant step towards sensitising them and motivating students to develop interest towards application of management skills beyond the pages of their books. The events aim to unleash the managerial potential within.
More than the fest or the events or the competitions, it’s the mounting, building up liveliness, the vibrancy around the campus, that has made the wait for the climax a gala event in itself. The anticipation for Atharva mysteriously manages to glorify the journey!
A visit to remember…
Yet another proud moment for TAPMI… A milestone for Atharva…
T. V. Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys, was on an official visit to our beautiful TAPMI campus. He was voted ‘CFO of the Year’ in 2001 by IMA India. He won the ‘Best CFO in India’ award from Finance Asia in 2002, and ‘Best Chief Financial Officer in India’ in the Best Managed Companies poll conducted by Asia Money in 2004.
Mr T. V. Mohandas Pai was here on an official visit to meet our respected Director and Deans. Post the interactions, he also enquired about the progress of ATHARVA and discussed various topics worth debating upon at POLEMIC, where he would be the Moderator. POLEMIC is an event wherein we get to see the industry stalwarts and academicians from diverse backgrounds battle it out on stage in an exciting and thrilling corporate debate against their resolute opponents. Though the topic for the debate has not been finalised yet, it would surely be a current hot topic concerning business, politics, corruption, inflation, cultural renewal, etc. which has an impact on our country as a whole. With the arguments and counter arguments that would be flowing in, one would be able to appreciate the multiple perspectives which are backed by sound experience and knowledge.
The discussion also revolved around the choice of speakers, where Mr. Mohandas Pai insisted that there should be representatives of today’s youth. Our focus would therefore be to invite young and successful entrepreneurs, politicians, socialists, who provide a completely different perspective towards prevailing issues.
Indeed a moment to cherish for Atharva, which has taken a giant leap forward in leaving an indelible mark for years to come! With our theme being “Renaissance” this year, we would like to draw the attention to the power of youth in transforming the outlook of the society and future managers in the process of gearing them up for all future endeavours. Looking forward to a prodigious stimulation of neurons…….. :)
All about the online battle field…
Confucius said : No good thing in life comes without a preliminary round.
OK, we made that up; but with good reason, of course.
Atharva ’12 is to be held in Jan, from the 20th to the 22nd. However, the wheel has already been set in motion from early November, with something that has been familiar to every b-school ever associated with the event – the Waves.
Fancily named, yet crucially important, the Waves constitutes of two parts ; the first of which is Atharva Online – exciting online quizzes ranging over a plethora of management streams designed to give students across the country a taste of what they can expect, come Jan. And of course, considering the interest we have seen over the years for Atharva’s Management Games, preliminary quizzes for every event are a part of the Waves mix.
Innovative questions served up with the typical Atharvan joi de vivre, and the prospect of earning some extra pocket money off those grey cells for the reluctant geniuses, Waves was kicked off on November 15th with the unique Sports-Business quiz, Bizkick.
Specifically designed for those who could tell their Robinhos from their Mourinhos, the online Bizkick quiz was taken with great enthusiasm by over 150+ students across the country, culminating with team XIM-B taking home a sweet deal of INR 2000.
And it was ON. Swiftly followed by Brandish, the- ‘You guessed it!’- Brand Quiz, which saw an exponential increase in the level of participation.
During every single quiz, the Atharva Den housed a group of anxious and excited Atharvans, few of them monitoring the technicalities, and few others guarding the phone – all set to respond to participant queries! Next in line was the tough yet necessary task of shortlisting students who had to come down to TAPMI to be a part of Atharva and test their mettle against students from other top b-schools.
Preliminary quizzes for almost all the major events have seen an overwhelming participation from major colleges. On the way, we have seen fine examples of sportsmanship and class, all culminating in us identifying the lucky (!) teams who will be representing their respective colleges for OUTCRY – the unique trading game, CHAKRAVYUH – the Marketing Maze. SAHAYOG and SANCHAY are on the cards next.
As a wise man once said: Nothing can substitute true spirit. Atharva Online will continue to surprise, entertain and tickle those rusty ol’ brain cells (hopefully) with newer quizzes up until the D-day.
And how it all began…
Amidst all the anticipation, commotion and chaos that surrounded the process of getting into committees, Atharva was overwhelmed with the number of applications for its team this year. More than half of the batch had listed Atharva as their top preference! A “Live Atharva” Campaign was conducted that tested the newbies on their knowledge of Atharva. This concluded with the winners sharing breakfast with the Mystery Atharvan, who was none other than the Chairman, Prof. Gururaj Kidiyoor. What a way to start off!
The winners of the 'Live Atharva' campaign with Prof. Gururaj Kidiyoor
3 panels simultaneously conducted the process of interviews for a couple of days. These grueling sessions nearly extended into the wee hours of the morning most times. The seniors sure had a tough time selecting the special team, who would keep the spirit of Atharva alive!
Atharva - The Generation of Change
The new team was welcomed into the den, only to realize that their first task was to clean up the place. They sure did a wonderful job of not just cleaning up, but making it feel like home. The seniors, who were pleasantly surprised, rewarded and welcomed the juniors with an amazing evening at the beach, a splendid dinner and a huddle on the greens that led to a warm bonding of the entire team.
The Atharva juniors in the den
Work Hard, Party Harder! The message was clear! Portfolios were assigned and the juniors got to work. The seniors, of course, have always been there, supporting and guiding the vibrant and enthusiastic team. The immediate task at hand was to create a website for Atharva. To put this in place, the design, creative and content team worked at length. In less than a month, a dazzling website was set up!
As the event draws closer, a lot of expectations and a lot of excitement is in the air. Ask the Atharvans what is in store. Is Atharva 2011 going to be the grandest ever? They say this is just the beginning!
Watch this space for more.
Renaissance – What it means to Atharva 2012
Several centuries ago, the light of renaissance changed the future of a continent and decided the fate of the world. Time witnessed development so rapid that it could hardly keep up. It was a courageous few who were looked back upon by future generations as the architects of the present. This year, 2011, will also be seen by future B-Schools as the time that TAPMI changed the world of B-School competitions forever. Atharva 2011-12 will usher in a new era of B-school competitions by undergoing a complete metamorphosis from its earlier form. Atharva of yester years was consistently ranked as one of the top B-School fests in the country, and the few who have been part of it are testimony to the fact. But there was still something wanting, the desire to exceed expectations and set precedents, and from this desire spawned the new Atharva.
Atharva overhauled is bigger and better than ever before. Veterans from various fields have congregated and associated themselves this year with one of the biggest B-School fests in the country. Mr. T.V. Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys and the best CFO in India for 2001, will be the chief judge for Polemic, our cut-throat, no holds bar, corporate debate. Mr.Giri Balasubramaniam, one of the biggest names in quizzing in India, will be the quiz master for Quiz on The Beach, a scenic setting to a nerve wracking battle of minds and wits. Electrifying performances by the dynamic duo Salim-Suleiman is sure to set the atmosphere ablaze in the small and peaceful town of Manipal. It is not every day that one can see T.V.Mohandas Pai, Giri Balasubramaniam and Salim-Suleiman on a single platform, but Athrava is all about revolutionizing conventions. Apart from an enviable list of high profile guests Atharva’11 has an array of events, each of which has been meticulously planned to bring out the best in a contestant, if he or she proves their worth that is. Events such as Abhivyakti, Sankalp, Tatva, Xpressions, Outcry, Sanchay, Chakravyuh, and Sahayog are one of their kind, and puts forth a platform for the best minds in the country to battle it out, with new challenges like never faced before.
It is not often that an opportunity arises to be a part of history, to be a part of something that is looked at as a pivot point in the future. Atharva 2012 is most certainly Renaissance in every sense!!
Convergence 2011
CONVERGENCE 2011, TAPMI’s special alumni meet, was held on 15th October in Bangalore. Close to 90 TAPMIans, who had graduated from the institute at different times in the last 25 years, and currently working in the industry, converged at Hotel Capitol. Joining with students, faculty, and staff, they spent several hours together in a charged atmosphere. All had so many things to share and reminisce, as also several thoughts and ideas as to how these gatherings can be led to the next logical step, leading to great outcomes.
The chief guest of the event was Mr Bhaskar Bhat, MD of TITAN. Mr Bhat is also TAPMI’s Governing Council member. Gracing the occasion by his presence, he shared his time and thoughts with those assembled. A new alumni newsletter, ABHIJNA, was released by him. A new alumni website too was launched by Professor Gururaj Kidiyoor, PGP Chairman and alumnus of the 1990 batch. A 15-minute presentation showcasing the dynamic growth and current ongoing developments at TAPMI was made by Dean (P & D), Prof Chowdari Prasad. This was received with rapt attention and visible pride by the audience.
Following the Chief Guest’s address was the felicitation ceremony. Alumnus of the Month awards were distributed, alongside a copy of ABHIJNA. Then the AoMs spoke, expressing their happiness at how TAPMI has been going places over the last few years. Many expressed their desire to participate and partner in the various initiatives and activities being undertaken and executed by their alma mater.
The highly successful meet concluded formally, with a vote of thanks by Dr Manjunath, member-Alumni Committee. Prior to this, formal photographs of AoMs with the chief guest were taken. Thereafter informal meetings continued in the hall, along with dinner, during which the discussions and conversations went on with lots of enthusiasm and much purposiveness.
The Alumni Affairs Committee is grateful to all those who graced this occasion and made it a grand success.
-Alumni Affairs Committee
Mr. S Sivakumar addresses students of TAPMI
Mr. S. Sivakumar, Group Head of Agriculture and IT, ITC Ltd, the architect behind the great idea of e-Choupal, delivered a lecture on ‘Inclusive Growth and Sustainability from the perspective of an Industry’ on 29th September, to the Management students of Manipal. This lecture, organized by TAPMI, is the eighth in line of the Silver Jubilee Leadership Lecture Series.
Dr.Shantaram (Trustee and Member of the Governing Council of TAPMI), Dr. Simon George (Dean – Academics TAPMI) and Dr. R. C. Natarajan (Associate Dean, TAPMI) were among those on dais accompanying the speaker. Dr. Natarajan introduced Mr. Sivakumar, as a leader who has won innumerable accolades in his field, a music enthusiast and an avid photographer.
Mr S Sivakumar addressing the students
Mr.Sivakumar started his lecture by addressing three questions – Who is excluded from current growth of market, Why should industry and business have a perspective in this issue and what action should be taken by them in this regard. He enlightened the students about various aspects of the world that are depleting and tending towards extinction. He emphasized that sections of population that do not have access to the basic necessities of life and technology have to be a part of this inclusive growth. The worst affected are our posterity who will bear the brunt of our acts. He mentioned that it now takes the earth about 1 year and 4 months to create what we have spent in one year. Hence he said that companies should now indulge in regenerating more natural resources than what they consume.
With increasing income disparity and environmental degradation, he said that there is every reason to supplement societal growth, especially in a country like India. The purpose of an economic citizen is to earn profit and their social duties lie in the taxes that come from their profits. He mentioned that if every company spends a part of its profit on rural development that alone will not be enough. He led by example that ITC practised what they preach, by being a carbon positive, water positive and a company which involves in solid waste recycling. He indicated that by following such methods, companies can achieve profits faster.
Assuming that more companies agree that the socio economic aspect is what they want to engage in, areas and ideas for sustainability open up. His message was clear, we need to create a whole host of business models that can eliminate the conflict between profits and what is right for the society.
Alumnus of the Month (October 2011)
Mr. Rajesh Narayanan (PGDM 1990-92)
The Alumni Affairs Committee (AAC) is pleased to announce Mr. Rajesh Narayanan (PGDM 1990-92) as the Alumnus of the Month (AoM) for October 2011.
Mr. Rajesh is currently the Senior Director – Global Support Business Operations at Oracle. He has been with Oracle for more than 7 years now and heads the operations of software support business for Oracle.
Mr. Rajesh is a Mechanical Engineer from the batch of 1989 of TKM College of Engineering, Kerala University. He specialized in HR during his PGDM at TAPMI from 1990-1992.
Prior to his role at Oracle, he has worked in various positions in San Engineering and Locomotive, Kirloskar Systems, Dharma Systems and CrossDomain Solutions.
On a personal front, he is an auto-enthusiast and loves to spend his free time off-roading and exploring the countryside.
The Alumni Affairs Committee wishes Mr. Rajesh Narayanan all the very best for his future endeavors.
- Alumni Affairs Committee (AAC)
Disha 2011
‘DISHA’ – which means ‘direction’ in Sanskrit, stands apt for the one of the major events – the HR conclave at TAPMI where industry experience meets academic rigour. DISHA which began in 2009 has been able to capture the interests of students and the industry too this year. DISHA, a two-day event, is being held on September 10th and 11th. The theme of DISHA 2011 is “Organisation of the future”. It is a leap from last year, with the event coming up with insights which proved useful for management students and for the corporate world alike to handle complex situations facing the ever dynamic field of Human Resource Management.
The event was graced by the presence of eminent HR heads of major companies – Mr. K.J.A. Swaroop (General Manager, ITC paperboards and Speciality Papers Division), Mr. Narsimha Prasad from Singapore (Program Manager and Head of People Technology and Operations in JAPAC, Google), Mr. Jacob Jacob (Chief People Officer, Apollo Hospitals Enterprises Ltd.), Mr. K. Subramanian (Vice President, Ma Foi Randstad), Mr. Girinarayanan G. (Director, HR, GE Energy), Mr. Anand Rego from Australia (Global Head of Recruitment Marketing, ANZ) and Mr. Benny Augustine (HR Head, Unisys). On day 2, Mr. Mayur Chaturvedi (General Manager Compensation & Benefits , Pepsico India ), Mr. Glenn Brass (founder and principal advisor ,People’s Pulse), and Mr. Venkata Narayanan (Executive VP, HR, Rane Holdings) and Mr. Shivakumar from Ramco would be addressing the students.
The conclave started with the ceremonious lighting of the lamp. Prof. Vasudev Rao, Director of TAPMI welcomed the guests, introducing them to TAPMI and its different achievements. He also emphasized on how the industry exposure would help the aspiring minds meet the inspiring minds.
Prof P.S. James, Senior HR faculty at TAPMI spoke on the theme of the HR-Conclave 2011. He insisted that there is a need for strategic interface and we do not have the manpower of the required nature in the industry. It is because of this that business schools in India find it difficult to create new talents, and hence, emphasized on the fact that B-schools are focussing on interacting with the industry as many times as possible. In this context, he called DISHA a direction setting exercise.
Day 2 began with a lot of events simultaneously held at different venues. The major events of the day were – “Expositus” the inter b-school case analysis contest, “Sophos”, the guest lectures by the eminent leaders of the companies and “Vrondi”, the mock press event.
EXPOSITUS
In Expositus, the participants were required to take up a case of any organization which has taken major initiatives to design or redesign itself within the previous 5 years and to analyze the impact of the same. The final presentation by the teams was judged by a panel of distinguished guests from the industry including Mr. K. Subramaniam from Ma Foi Randstad, Mr. Girinarayan G. from Lineage Power India and Mr. Benny Augustine from Unisys.
Students from IIT Delhi, Thiagarajar School of Management, Madurai, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, SIIB and SIBM Bangalore took part in the contest. The teams presented an external and internal analysis of the selected company, what initiatives the companies had taken in order to address their inadequacies. They were also given the chance of putting across their recommendations for the same.
SOPHOS
‘Sophos’ was aimed at giving students as well as the faculty an opportunity to know the perspective of the industry in the current scenario. In this context, the dignitaries spoke on various topics held concurrently at different classrooms.
VRONDI
This was an inter B-school Mock Press event, which involved the industry guests, the faculty members as well as the students. Students from prestigious colleges like IIT Delhi, SIIB, SIBM – Bangalore, Thiagarajar School of Management and Welingkar School of Management took part in the competition. Each team was given a different case and was to act accordingly.
VALEDICTORY
The Valedictory function was held on the evening of 11th September. The HR Forum at TAPMI thanked all the dignitaries who had flown down to TAPMI and interacted with the students.
