Five post-graduate programme (PGP) students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) have set up a Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) club to help students get hands-on experience by involving PE/VC players from India and abroad. Unlike finance clubs run by most B-schools in the country, this club exclusively focuses on PE and VC funding.

The lack of opportunities and experience in the PE and VC space led five students to set up the club called ‘Leverage’. With around 50 students interested in being members, the club will be a forum for students interested in all aspects of private equity and venture capital.

“We came up with an initial skeletal structure of the PE club by looking at institutes like Harvard and others from the Ivy League. But the end product has been entirely our idea of how a PE club should be. Although we prefer to call it an interest group for the time being, we plan to run a full-fledged club with more activities soon,” says Anirudh Singh, a member of the club.

“PE as an industry has boomed in India and we plan to invite speakers to the campus, hold conclaves, workshops and other events to provide a platform for the students and corporates to interact. Also, we are looking forward to hold intra-institute events, where the students can write an investment proposal and a panel of faculty members can judge them.

We have no restrictions when it comes to corporates as we would be involving both top- and middle-level players to encourage more and more activities in the field of PE and VC,” says Gagandeep Singh, another member of the club.

As part of formalising the club, the students are holding the first intra-institute event called the ‘Zen of Investing’, where the club plans to invite alumni working in the area of private equity, besides involving the faculty and students for the activity.

The club also has plans to tie-up with Post-Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) students to getter a better perspective of private equity. “The PGPX students would be able to share their experiences about private equity and with their support, we plan to involve ourselves with the corporates in a deeper way through various activities, including projects and case workshops,” adds Anirudh Singh.

The club is in talks with a few corporates, who have shown interest in sponsoring the club.

“We are considering more options for funding besides the institute and the corporates we are in talks with. Currently, we are in the stage of gauging the responses from the people about the club,” says Anirudh Singh, before adding, “Although we have started out PE and VC, we may consider branching out to other areas like micro finance later.”

More : business-standard.com

The QS World MBA Tour, the world’s leading series of career and education events, will organize a one-day fair for aspiring MBAs in the capital tomorrow.

The MBA fair will be held at the Hyatt Regency (Ring Road) in New Delhi tomorrow between 2 pm and 6 pm.

More than 30 B-Schools from across the globe including Toronto -Rotman, IE Business School, Bond, Cornell-Nanyang, Ashridge Business School, Hult, U21 Global, Durham and ESMT will participate in the MBA fair.

The London School of Business & Finance, the only UK based institution to offer dual programmes combining an internationally recognised MBA or MIB with ACCA, CIM, CIMA or CFA qualifications, will also be a part of the MBA fair.

Participants of the QS World MBA Tour, which will visit 50 cities in 32 countries this year, include 17 of the top 20 US business schools and all of the leading European business schools.

The fair will provide students a chance to interact with the leading international business schools and short-list the best option available to them.

Nunzio Quacquarelli, Managing Director of QS told NNE, “It is the perfect chance to make an impression face-to-face with the very people reading your application forms, and that is invaluable to gain an edge in this tough field. The QS World MBA Tour provides the best step in the application process, the opportunity to ask intelligent, tailored questions on topics like personal fit, career opportunities, school specializations and financial aid.”

More : indiaedunews.net

Pune, Jan 5: Scene I: A Balasubramanian, high-profile director of the prestigious Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), Pune, which is regarded as one of the best private business schools in the country, and flaunts a 100 — Position record percent Suspended after a student complains about what he agacés. He is a director and revolt finally recedes.

Scene II: The season is the placement. The Institute can not be without head and authorities to make a choice. Enter Mudholkar Ranjeet, 24, graduated in computer science and a student SIMS von’96 the classroom. A year after his separation from service graduation Mudholkar chucks his work with the Birla AMC Capital Limited, New Delhi and agrees with The Sims as director.

Gasp you like, roll their eyes and I wonder what went wrong. Thus, the child is soon rubbing shoulders with the management gurus and the top brass in the sector? Is he a genius or a boy, he is … SIMS is abuzz.

His courses are at a whisper in Art Gallery Mudholkar appointment, the rules we have not yet been violated because he was the unanimous choice of the symbiosis for the body, but some students and teachers are perplexed.

Indeed, Mudholkar academic record is not just World Class, sources say he was “ one of the best students .”“ One of his succès”touted round that Ratan Tata to participate in a seminar in Mumbai.

Few are under discussion. No student or teacher publicly criticized the new director. Indeed, the subject is taboo and there is a watchful eye on each eye, each time you question. “ Yes, it is a Go-Getter. It has big names on campus. Yes, it is in order, OK.”Mudholkar, but it is a “ type-of-Service”zu his alma mater. “ In fact, I am strongly with SIMS. Money plays no role,”he said. He prefers to call the discipline itself a soldier SIMS and said it is already in the momentum of things “.”

Paul Wellings, the vice chancellor of the Lancaster University, United Kingdom was recently in the Capital on a brief visit. During his visit a memorandum-of-understanding was signed between the Lancaster University and Jawaharlal Nehru University for conducting joint research in social sciences, says a press release.

Apart from this, Lancaster University has recently entered into partnerships to offer joint-degree programmes with Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore and collaborative degrees and joint research agreement in life sciences with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE). In addition, an agreement has been formulated for research cooperation with Lancaster INFOLAB21 and Computer and Communications Research, Institute of Technology, Mumbai.

Management conclave

The GLA Institute of Technology and Management, Mathura recently organised a management conclave `Managing change and transformation in India Inc in global perspective,’ says a press note. The conclave was inaugurated by A Kalanidhi, former vice chancellor, Anna University and advisor, Sterling Infocom Ltd; Alok Aggarwal, executive director, Polar Industries and Ganeshi Lal Aggarwal. The event began with a `Saraswati vandana’, which was followed by the presentation of the conclave theme by Alok Aggarwal, in which he stressed on the need to be fully abreast with the corporate sector and the importance of affordability, acceptability and availability in the same. In a highly motivating lecture, Kalanidhi expressed his simple yet profound ideas, on the occasion. Mementos were presented to distinguished speakers and a cash reward of Rs 10,000 was announced for the MBA topper of the institute.

Accolades for Aptech

Adding yet another feather to its cap, Aptech has been named among `India’s Biggest Newsmakers’ in the second annual Business Today - Cirrus Review of CEOs and Companies that got the best press coverage in 2004, as per a press release.

A global learning organisation, Aptech Ltd is playing a key role in helping individuals, organisations and nations adapt to the changing requirements of a knowledge-driven world. It has acted as a catalyst to change by encouraging the sharing of knowledge through intelligent training and education solutions. Aptech’s recent forays include learning services - e-learning and consultancy, ATTEST - testing and certification and Aptech Higher Education Services.

IMT courses

The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad invites applications for courses through the distance-learning mode. The courses are affiliated to the Vidyasagar University, West Bengal. The courses are: Master’s in Business Administration (MBA); Master’s in Human Resource Management (MHRM); Master’s in Marketing Management (MMM) and Master’s in Supply Chain Management (MSCM). The eligibility is a graduation or appearing in the final year.

In addition, it invites applications for one-year specialised diplomas in business administration, marketing management, personnel management, financial management, export management and material management. The eligibility for these courses is a 10+2 with a five-year experience or graduation, or a three-year diploma in engineering from the board of technical education, after a 10+2.

The forms and prospectus are available on payment of Rs 700 in cash. Contact the Advanced Management Institute, 67 (Basement), Hargovind Enclave, Opposite Railway Reservation Centre, Karkardooma, Delhi-92. The deadline is March 6, 2005. E-mail:imtdelhi9@yahoo.com.

Paramedical courses

The Nice Academy of Paramedical Sciences affiliated to Ch Charan Singh University, Meerut, under IDE invites applications for programmes, namely, hospital management; radio imaging technology and medical laboratory technology, wherein, the duration of the degree courses is three years and diploma and certificate course is one-year. In addition, it offers a physiotherapy programme, where the duration for the degree course is four years and diploma and certificate course is a one-year.

The biggest carmaker, General Motors, India’s capital was head hunted silicon, which offers a lot of 2005 on the conclusion of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore - Shanghai China a detachment of its establishment.

It is a unique double for the institute, which since the existence of the last three decades. While the GM head hunting is probably fairly well, it is perhaps for the first time that the Middle Kingdom would be the best after a taste of India’s most prestigious B-schools.

Turning to the figures. Against five companies during the year 2004 for the location zero (the first day of qualifying period), the number this year is almost three times. The newcomer to this year are HSBC, British Petroleum, Barclays, General Motors and Bank of America.

The list of companies in 2005 to zero Slot Board consists of three companies - McKinsey, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and AT Kearney.

Said Gauri Gupta of BCG: “The 2005 is well on track, particularly in analytical representation of a high degree of maturity.”

Other hirers contain a mixture of investment banks and industrial products.

Officials, which provides details have not yet been calculated, but seemed confident that these would be higher than those of 2004.

While Capital One has leased for New York, British Petroleum, it is anticipated that the supply of Singapore. HSBC is the attitude of New York, London and Hong Kong, while Deutsche Bank would recall staff to London.

One of the biggest banks in France, BNP recruitment, London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo.

The second day of negotiations, it is the turn of the usual suspects-FMCG majors like HLL and P & G. In addition to these two Citibank is also the second day, which is also the National Kidney Foundation, Singapore.

Bangalore, March 16. COGNIZANT Technologies has been the biggest recruiter in the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore’s (IIM-B) campus recruitment programme this year, notching up 24 of 180 students.

“They made 30 offers, but were accepted by 24 people and this is the first time that an IT company has made so many offers,” said sources in the institute. This year’s batch was snapped up in record time, according to the institute. In just two days, all the offers were made and accepted.

At the IIMs, ’slot one’ companies (chosen by the students) are given the first two days to conduct their placement process. This year, there were 14 companies that made 100 plus offers on day zero. These include Dresdner KW, Capital One, McKinsey Consultants, AT Kearney and British Petroleum. The ’slot two’ companies were P&G, HLL, ICICI, ABN Amro and Cognizant Technologies.

Officials, however, refused to reveal the average salary, as the details “are yet to be computed.”

MUMBAI, India — Rediff.com India Limited (Nasdaq: REDF), one of the leading worldwide online providers of news, information, communication, entertainment and shopping services for Indians, announced the appointment of Rashesh C. Shah as an Independent Director to its Board. Mr. Shah has also been appointed as a member of the Audit Committee.

Mr. Shah is currently CEO of Edelweiss Capital Limited. He also serves on the Boards of several Edelweiss subsidiaries and other companies. Edelweiss Capital is a leading financial services company based in Mumbai, India, whose businesses include investment banking, securities broking and investment management.

Mr. Ajit Balakrishnan, Chairman of the Board at Rediff.com India Limited said, “I am delighted to welcome Rashesh to the Board. He joins us with extensive experience and strong financial skills generated from his career in the financial services industry. His expertise will be of great benefit to the Board.”

Mr. Shah is an MBA graduate from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science from the University of Bombay. He is also a Diploma holder in International Trade from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi.

Over eight years after the University of Jamia Millia Islamia saw a violent and abrupt end to student activism, the campus is set once again to go to the polls. With elections to the Jamia Students’ Union all set for December 15, the students here will once again get a voice of their own.

With only students enrolled in the regular courses of Jamia Millia eligible to vote in the coming elections, over a thousand students belonging to the evening or part-time courses are likely to miss the chance to exercise their franchise. But the issue is hardly likely to be raised during the elections, with students noting that they would rather get a union in place first than take on the Administration.

As per the schedule announced, the last date for objections to the voters’ list is December 2, with the final list being put up on December 5.

While the last date for filing of nominations is December 6, the valid nominations will be displayed on December 7.

Following the withdrawal of candidates, the final list of candidates will be displayed on December 8. With the JSU Code of Conduct clearly stating that the contesting students can’t seek help or involve directly or indirectly members of political parties or religious organisations, the Jamia elections will be unlike other student elections seen on the Capital’s campuses.

While Delhi University and JNU both ride high on political power and ideology, Jamia students will be hoping to finally exercise a right that has long been denied to them.