AXE THE TAX – A Tax Planning Session by Arthnivesh

On 12^th December 2019, the club members of Arthnivesh conducted a session on tax planning for the student cohort of TAPMI. It began with an introduction to taxes and their types, after which they delved deeper into income tax by relating it to the components of the salary. One of the hosts, being a CA, explained in detail the concepts of “previous year” and “assessment year” in tax computation.

The hosts then went on to describe the various tax slabs and also which parts of the income are taxable. Various deductions under Section 80C were also discussed to provide students with an understanding of how to avail tax benefits. One such example was the NPS, along with its recent developments.

Towards the end of the session, the hosts gave the students a brief and simplified example of how to use various websites to compute one’s own income tax. To conclude, a fun quiz was conducted for participants to self-test their learnings and takeaways.

Disha 2019: Day 6: Guest lecture: ‘Breaking Pyramids – New Paradigms’ by Mr. Aseem Sood, Modern Trade Head, Mars Wrigley

On August 4, Mars Wrigley Modern Trade Head Mr. Aseem Sood addressed the TAPMI cohort on breaking paradigms in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector in the country. As part of Disha Conclave 2019, he said that there are various distribution challenges in India, where the number of retail outlets outnumber the population of countries like Greece, Ireland, etc.

Mr. Sood stated that many “Indias” exist within the country, which pose various challenges with respect to finding the right channel partner, reach, distribution and of New Age. He also spoke about the need for organisations to drive accessibility and to ensure sustainable practices.

Mr. Sood concluded the lecture by giving a glimpse of the shopper marketing experience and how to ensure customers get the best experience while visiting retail outlets of companies.

DISHA 2019: Day 6: Guest Lecture: ‘Corporate World-Changing Dynamics’ by Mr. Mahesh Sanghavi, Chief Business Officer, Hero Fincorp Ltd.

Mr. Mahesh Sanghavi, Chief Business Officer, Hero FinCorp Ltd. Addressed the Tapmi Cohort in his session on ‘Corporate World-Changing Dynamics’ during Disha 2019. He brought with him a rich experience spanning 22 years in the corporate banking industry. He raised very important points and introduced the students to the changing dynamics in the corporate world.

Mr Sanghavi introduced the students to what the industry requires them to know, especially in terms of soft skills and emotional intelligence. Organizations are increasingly growing younger in terms of average employee age and Mr. Sanghavi took us through the different techniques companies utilize to motivate and manage, even flatter structures. He gave examples of industry disrupters like ‘Facebook’, ‘OYO’ and ‘BYJU’s’ as the companies he admires in creating business models of tomorrow.

Mr Sanghavi drove home the reality of why an entrepreneurial approach is something that is highly valued in organizations. He said, “Have an entrepreneurial mindset, and it will lead you far”. With companies tending to give more autonomy to the employees, entrepreneurial employees tend to outperform those who are less proactive.

Mr. Sanghavi also answered various questions raised by the students on the topics spanning business, finance, social media, sales and career choices. He concluded the session by sharing his piece of advice with the students, where he said “Do not let the stress of corporates get to you, learn where to let go, and stay healthy”

Disha 2019: Day 5 – Guest Lecture – ‘Artificial Intelligence using Big Data, HADOOP and IOT’ – Mr. Padmanabhan Bakthavathsalam – Verizon

On 3^rd August 2019, Mr. Padmanabhan Bakthavathsalam addressed the TAPMI cohort in a guest lecture about how Data Analytics has become a crucial part of the dynamic business environment today across all functions whether Finance, Marketing or Operations.

He then apprised the cohort about certain important concepts in data analytics like Big data and Hadoop ecosystem which was followed by a discussion around the upcoming tools in the data processing. This was followed by an interactive discussion about the importance of cloud computing. He actively used live examples to state the importance of various databases involved in the field of data processing.

He concluded his discussion by apprising the students of the various career opportunities and roles in the field of analytics and the expectations from the future business leaders. He further advised the cohort to exploit various platforms to hone their analytical skills.

Disha 2019: Day 5 – Guest Lecture – “Can Big Corporations Adopt A Start-Up Like Strategy By Going Beyond The Boundaries Of Function?-Mr. Sahil Sharma-CEO – RateGain

On 3^rd August 2019, Mr. Sahil Sharma addressed the TAPMI cohort in a guest lecture He discussed if big corporations can adopt a start-up like strategy by going beyond the boundaries of function. He initiated the session by discussing his corporate journey and how he eventually forayed into the fields of Human Resources after pursuing a degree in Economics.

He further discussed his journey in the hospitality and travel industry.  He elaborated the impact the industry has on the world economy, contributing 10% of the world’s total GDP. He discussed various pros and cons of the Waterfall and Agile methodology practiced by the industry in general. Then, he steered his discussion towards the strategy adopted in the start-ups and big business houses and the decisions considering adaptability, customer obsession and capital requirements.

He concluded his talk by providing an insight into the business model adopted by RateGain and by apprising the students about the skill sets required to enter the Hospitality and Travel Industry.

DISHA 2019: Day 5: Guest Lecture: ‘Emerging Business Models’ by Mr. Rajesh Brahmanyapura, Co-Founder & Partner, Sammati Consulting & Analytics

On 3rd August 2019, Mr. Rajesh Brahmanyapura, Co-founder and Partner, Sammati Consulting and Analytics addressed the Tapmi Cohort in his lecture on the topic ‘Emerging Business Models’. He started the session by asking the audience the meaning of a business model.  He quoted Warren Buffet, “In business, I look for economic castles protected by unbreachable moats!”

Mr. Brahmanyapura laid down a detailed understanding of what a business model is and how it has evolved through the years, citing examples of disruptive models like ‘OYO’, ‘Uber’ amongst others. The discussion then focused on innovation and the importance of it, in an emerging economy like India. He shared a few models about ‘innovation’ and explained the approach needed towards innovative models in this VUCA world.

Mr. Brahmanyapura also drove the audience’s attention to the concept of ‘jobs to be done’. He insisted that as a manager one should be really careful in selecting a model and not decide based on the present facts. One should have the ability to look beyond the numbers and attach intuition to it. He cited the infamous example of ‘Chotukool’ to explain the concept.

Mr. Brahmanyapura concluded the session by addressing career-related questions.  Queries about industry expectations from the new age consultants were raised, and he advised that “One should specialize and track industries of their choice. One should be an expert and speak the language of business experts”

DISHA 2019: Day 5: Guest Lecture: “Corporate Insights” by Mr. Gaurav Kumar, Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing, Meredith Corporation

On 03rd August 2019, Mr. Gaurav Kumar, Senior Manager, Strategic Sourcing, Meredith Corporation conducted a Guest Lecture organized by TAPMI’s annual management conclave, DISHA. He began the lecture by briefing the students about Meredith Corporation’s functions, business and his role in the organization.

Mr. Kumar then provided insights as to how the students must prepare themselves for the corporate world. “If you are doing something different than what you have studied, it is not a failure. It is an addition to your knowledge”, said Mr. Kumar. He elucidated the various expectations of the industry from a fresh management trainee and shed light on some of the essential elements required to become industry-ready. Some of the key qualities stated were – quick organizational alignment, critical thinking and analytical mindset, understanding of business requirements, business communication, application of knowledge acquired, responsibility, and ownership.

He also encouraged the students to give back to society at a later stage in their career. Mr. Kumar emphasized inculcating ethical responsibility along with environmental awareness throughout one’s career. He concluded the lecture by answering the questions raised by the cohort and sharing instances from his personal life. Mr. Kumar ended by saying, “Stay hungry, stay foolish!”.

Disha 2019: Day2 – Guest Lecture – “How can firms focus on new challenges and evolve beyond set boundaries?”-Mr. MK Verma-CEO – Money Maxx Finance Services

On 27th July 2019, Mr. MK Verma, Director of Money Maxx Finance Services Pvt. Ltd., addressed a gathering of finance enthusiasts in a Guest Lecture on the topic “How can firms focus on new challenges and move beyond set boundaries?”. The discussion revolved around the importance of 3V’s -vision, value, and vitality in order to evolve successfully.

He emphasized the importance of vision by discussing the diversification strategies followed by various companies and the importance of going beyond the set boundaries to encourage innovation and meet unforeseen challenges. He mentioned how all great inventions have risen out of change and disruption. He went over many examples and experiences in relation to this with the students in order to engage them in a meaningful discussion.

He also emphasized the importance of culture in any organization by maintaining a spirit of openness in handling uncertainties in the business environment and adapting to these challenges internally in the organization. Without this culture set in place, organizations face many hurdles in adapting to change. It is crucial for any organization to be transparent and empower young talent to take ownership to drive these changes in the organization. He believed that agility and young talent go hand in hand.

DISHA 2019: Day 1: Guest Lecture: ‘‘Success of Internet Business Models in today’s world’’ by Mr Sanat Kagwad, Business Head, TechTree IT Systems

On 26 July 2019, Mr Sanat Kagwad, Business Head- TechTree IT Systems addressed the TAPMI cohort about “Success of Internet Business Models in today’s world” as part of Disha 2019. He spoke about how organizations are moving towards “PHYGITAL” way of doing business. He elaborated by saying the fundamental aspect of any successful Internet Business Model emphasizes on 3 key processes: “Know Your Customer (KYC), Own Your Community (OYC) & Drive Your Commerce (DYC)”

 

Mr Kagwad commenced the session by sharing his experience as a ‘Business Head of TechTree, an Enterprise Implementation Company’. He shared his insights on how “Experience Commerce” defines the holistic customer journey, how some of the organizations have successfully implemented Internet Business Models. He explained further, by citing the examples of “IRCTC Ticket Booking System”, and the story of “Malayalam Manorama”. Malayalam Manorama, started as a News Agency, then moved to Educational Content, then to a Matrimonial Platform, and to Real Estate Portal and to the world of Comics. He elucidated, that he brought this example to showcase how the company has been successful in mapping the journey of a customer, driving commerce through community building, and growing organically.

 

He also pitched in examples of companies like “Jet Privilege”, “Club Apparel” and “Cred” to share how they have been instrumental in sustaining their customer base, and they have done so by building a community around them, gamifying the user experience, understanding the intricacies of customer buying behaviour and in-turn increasing their wallet share.

 

Mr Sanat concluded the session by driving home the idea that the tenets of a successful Internet Business Model, lie in “Knowing Your Customer, Building a Community & Driving in the Commerce.”

Expert Talk Series : “Excellence means doing your job right when nobody is watching” – Mr. Ashish Wadekar, Head Talent Acquisition, Corporate HR, Larsen & Toubro

On 3^rd November 2018, Mr. Ashish Wadekar, Head Talent Acquisition, Corporate HR, L&T addressed the enthusiastic cohort of first-year students and shared insights from his life experiences. Mr. Wadekar commenced the session by drawing similarities between his organisation and TAPMI, he commented that while L&T has been a pioneer in its business for over eight decades, TAPMI too enjoys a rich legacy of nearly forty years and both have strongly stood the test of time.

The session was aptly named, “Pause to explore possibilities” and Mr. Wadekar explained that there are certain critical values and traits that a manager must possess to deal with contingencies of the workplace, which through years of his experience, have stood the test of time as well. The first value was ‘Pursuit of Excellence’, which is also one of TAPMI’s mission values. He elaborated by saying that excellence is a continuous process and it defines an individual’s conduct in the workplace. With organisations rapidly increasing in size each year and need for better talent ensuring greater technical competencies, he explained how a pursuit of excellence helps individuals self-monitor and organisations function as a cohesive unit.

The second value centred around the idea of ‘Smartness’. Mr. Wadekar said that smartness is a culmination of ability, agility and stability. While ability comes from competency building, agility would mean the ability to respond to challenges and stability would signify the ability to be confident in what an individual pursues.

The third value is to ‘Challenge the Status quo’, Mr. Wadekar emphasized the importance of staying curious and asking questions that stem out of inquisitiveness. Eagerness to learn is essential to challenge the existing norms and beliefs as well as to continuously grow. The fourth value focused on the need to be ‘Proactive and not Reactive’ and being aware of one’s surroundings. The fifth value, ‘Feel the Accountability’ was explained through the famous case of TATA employees going out of their way to ensure the safety of their customers, who were stuck in the Taj Hotel on the night of the Mumbai terror attacks and the example resonated deeply with the students. The sixth value was about the need to provide ‘Feedback’ and how to use it as a mechanism for improvement or as Sir called it, “Feedforward”.

Mr. Wadekar concluded the session by reiterating that as students and future managers, we must learn to act and go the extra mile, for a vision as a mere thought is nothing without the required action but when coupled with the right efforts, could take the organisation to the apex of its growth story.