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 History Society of the GCW organised a seminar on ‘Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Vishv Viapi Chetna’ in the college auditorium here today.

Dr Prithpal Singh, former Pro Vice-Chancellor, and Dr Khark Singh graced the occasion as the guest resource persons.

The Principal, Ms Prabhjot Kaur, accorded a warm welcome to the chief guest and distinguished professors from other colleges.Ms Gagandeep Kaur Bains conducted the stage.

Dr Prithpal Singh stressed on the importance of ‘bhagatbani’ as an indispensable part of Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

He also urged the students to understand the real meaning of religion and spread this message throughout the world.

Dr Khark Singh exhorted the audience not to consider Shri Guru Granth Sahib as a book only but as a spiritual guide in their lives.

He also threw light on the age-old philosophy of each person being equal in the eyes of God and urged everyone to understand the meaning of “Ekas Ke Hum Barak” as enshrined in Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

He said Shri Guru Granth Sahib was a symbol of unity and equality in our society and its ideology was common for to all religions.

Dr H.S. Dilgir referred to the “bani” of Bhagat Ravidas for humanism. He said women were superior in the society as per Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

Dr Kripal Singh also spoke on the topic. Students of the college also interacted with the speakers.

Ms Prabhjot Kaur, Principal of the college, stressed the need to study Shri Guru Granth Sahib in various institutions.

She referred to the work done by Dr Prithpal Singh Kapoor, Dr Khark Singh Kapoor, Dr H.S. Dilgir, Dr Baijinder Singh, Prof Pavittar Kaur, Prof Adarsh Kaur and Prof Prem Singla were also present.

The seminar was presided over by Dr Kripal Singh. Ms Narinder Kaur Saini, Head of History department on the behalf of Prof Gagandeep Kaur Bains and Prof Paramjit Singh, thanked the speakers.