The confidence, intelligence, aggressiveness, passion, competitiveness, Chuzpe-in a word, sharpness, nature, separate the winners from the losers in the bleeding edge of the work plan. We are very proud to announce that, yes, tomorrow, manager, whatever happens. Flashing, which have all been through cycles of the 2002 cases involving ingenuity quiz and discussion of competition between schools B organized by Business Today and Standard Chartered, in cooperation with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

But it was the final in New Delhi’s FICCI Auditorium, since all to a crescendo. That is where the 16 regional finalists converging met on 25 November in one to two months from region to region knock-out, processes about 70 B-schools in the gorges of the other.

On The Game? All summer courses paid by Middlesex University, UK, for each member of the team to win, but more than that, the honour of the very trophy. As was also crucial for India hyper-competition MBA population, the B-school pride.

The competition itself, having begun, has been completely claquent, sparks and thwacks, with its moments of tension and nervenaufreibende-ten minutes of happiness, reversals of trend. Super bankers Jaspal Bindra, CEO of Standard Chartered, which glued to his place for the whole five hours of animation, visibly impressed by the spirit of the struggle. As he said:”I am very satisfied with how the organization has worked. Manage We continue to participate in ingenuity.”And as the Bank prepares for the next hiring season, he already winners in its tourist attractions. ”We are very pleased to be connected with the 2002 ingenuity,’’said PS Viswanathan, processing Officer, TCS, as well impressed by the competition.

The public, for its part, gives to its value and its delirious joy by the procedure. RIP tosenden The cry of B-school enthusiasm very Spirit, invited the organizers, as Business Today, the publisher said Sanjoy Narayan, the ingenuity of an annual competition.

The Pow-Wows

There have been many warnings before. Discussions were going Globe-Globe, the argument argument nerve nervous. High Voltage-finished Equus Suhel Seth’s chief Moderation services that are not isolation.

In the first semi-final pitted the Northern Zone Qualifier Ankur-Huria Khalid Ahmed and MDI Gurgaon, against the East zone Avik Bhattacharya and Rohil Sehgal IIM-Kolkata. The theme: “Corporate Governance is equally important that Good Citizenship ‘; IIM Calcutta, for the movement, however, MDI. Three minutes for each speaker, followed by questions from the audience and jury, which therefore Neel Chatterjee, Regional Head (Corporate Affairs ), Standard Chartered Bank, PS Viswanathan Tata Consultancy Services and the Barun, Associate Publisher, Business Today.

– IIM Calcutta claimed that only a good citizen can be a good corporate governance. MDI Gurgaon displays a mixture of aggression and ugly calm confidence that corporate governance was not as important as good citizenship, it was more important. Given that the company has the responsibility of the line to improve shareholder value, and only these successes, we have done for other parties (the public). With this, MDI Gurgaon assault in the final of debate.

In the other semi-final, Hashim Kabeer hours and Roy Anirban IIM Bangalore crossword with a team of All-Deepti Srivastava and Ms. Anjali Sharma symbiosis centre and management of human resources development, Pune. The question: “Have Lost Hope responsible marketing on consumer protection in India?” Proposal for taking floor, the symbiosis argued that there is not such creature as “Indian Consumer and distributors all, it was wrong reading his eyes. - IIM Bangalore? If the customer is king, nobody can cover him. It appeared that the girl All had Wrapped Up and implementation of balanced force, but ended with a slip ill, contradicting his own argument, while the response to a question raised by the judges of the final discussion. “Had we been able to cross question of our adversaries, the result would have been different, “said Sharma have a shot.

(From Business Today (India))

Byline: Seema Shukla, T.R. Vivek, Subhajit Banerjee and Ankur Sabharwal

Confidence, intelligence, aggression, passion, competitiveness, chutzpah-in a word, sharpness fate that separate the winners from losers at the bleeding edge of business. We’re proud to report that, yes, tomorrow’s managers have what it takes. Flashes of it all were evident through the regional Acumen rounds of the case 2002-game, quiz contest and debate amongst B-schools organised by Business Today and Standard Chartered, in association with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

But it was the finals, held in New Delhi’s FICCI auditorium, that saw all of it reach a crescendo. This is where 16 finalists regional converged on November 25, brought together by a two month region by region knock-out process which had some 70 B-schools at each other’s throats.

At stake? All-paid summer courses at Middlesex University, UK, for each winning team member, but more than that, the very honour of the trophy. As also, of critical importance to India’s hyper-competitive MBA populace, the B-school’s pride.

The actual contest, once it began, was full of clatter, sparks and thwacks, with its nerve moments of tension and ruin nth minute reversals fortune. Super bankers Jaspal Bindra, CEO of Standard Chartered, which glued to his seat for all five of the pulsating hours, visibly impressed with the clash of wits. As he said,”I am very pleased with the way the event has worked out. We continue to participate in Acumen.”And as the bank readies recruitment for the next season, it has already got the winners within its sights. ”We are very happy to be associated with Acumen 2002,’’said PS Viswanathan, the transformation Officer, TCS, equally impressed with the contest.

The audience, for its part, conveyed its appreciation with its delirious and cheering through all the proceedings. The rip-roaring clamour of B-school enthusiasm the very spirit that prompted the organizers, as Business Today editor Sanjoy Narayan said, to make an annual contest Acumen.

The Pow-Wows

There was ample warning beforehand. The debates were going to go eyeball to eyeball, argument to the argument, nerve to nerve. High-voltage stuff, with Equus Suhel Seth’s chief moderation services providing no insulation.

The first semifinal pitted the North Zone’s qualifiers and Ankur Huria Khalid Ahmed from MDI Gurgaon, against the East Zone’s Avik Bhattacharya and from Rohil Sehgal-IIM Calcutta. The topic: ‘Corporate Governance Important Is As Good As Citizenship’; IIM Calcutta, for the motion, against MDI. Three minutes for each speaker, to be followed by questions from the audience and panel of judges, which included Neel Chatterjee, Regional Head (Corporate Affairs), Standard Chartered Bank, PS Viswanathan, Tata Consultancy Services and Barun The Associate Publisher, Business Today.

IIM Calcutta-contended that only a good citizen can be a good corporate. MDI Gurgaon displayed a mix of brazen aggression and quiet confidence, arguing that corporate governance was not as important as good citizenship, it was more important. Because a’s foremost corporate responsibility was to enhance shareholder value, and only such success could let it do anything for the stakeholders against (the public). With that, MDI Gurgaon stormed into the final debate.

In the other semifinal, P.M. Kabeer Hashim Anirban Roy and from IIM Bangalore-crossed words with an all-woman team of Deepti Srivastava and Anjali Sharma from Symbiosis Centre of Management and HRD, Pune. The issue: “Have Lost Hope Marketers On The Indian Consumer ‘Speaking for the proposal, Symbiosis argued that there is no such creature as the” Indian Consumer “, marketing and had got it all wrong in reading his mind IIM-Bangalore’s take? If the consumer is king, no one can give up on him. It seemed that the girls had it all wrapped up with their assertiveness and poise, but ended with a careless slip up, contradicting their own argument while answering a question from the judges of the Final debate. “If we had been allowed to cross question our adversaries, the result could have been different,” said a visibly dejected Sharma.

Anyhow, that made it MDI Gurgaon counter-IIM Bangalore for the trophy, the former enjoying the advantage of a raucous home crowd turnout. The rules for the finals were bent just a little, allowing the two teams to fire questions at each other in the end. The topic: ‘Autocrat Makes The Best CEO’. “Most definitely,” argued IIM-Bangalore. “Autocracy of ideas is essential. The CEO needs to take the matter by the scruff of the neck and take decisions almost without dilly-dallying,” asserted IIM-Bangalore’s Anirban Roy. But the team did say morality under a tyrant PRESIDENT? And, as MDI Gurgaon’s Huria said, “With a participatory CEO, there is no room for an information gap”. Then came the questions. Autocrat, participatory CEO or visionary, who would you prefer, TCS asked ‘Vishwanathan. “A visionary CEO,” Huria answered, “is best suited for a company operating in a sector like biotech sunrise. Participatory But a leader is essential for companies in the well established sectors.” That might have clinched it for MDI, more or less, though according to the judges, it was just a whisker’s difference at the end.

The Buzz Beeps

The quiz contest was no less a cracker, with quiz-master Joy Bhattacharya (of fame ESPN Super Selector) looking in need of a ringmaster’s whip. In the ring: The West’s zone sp Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai, the East’s XLRI, Jamshedpur, the South’s School of Communication & Management (SCM), Cochin, and the local favourites, Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi .

It was roars, wails and laughter all the way, some credit for which must surely to go and Rajiv Rai Anustup of Quizician Datta, who set the questions. The very first one, in fact, on the female leveraging of assets by Sara Lee’s Bali Co division (yes, Wonderbra), the hall got nice and attentive.

The participants themselves proved remarkably well-informed, though there were some tough nuts which they had even crack. Thrown open to the audience’s hall, the correct answer was found more often than not, these winning pop-up trivia-heads prizes such as Ray-Ban Titan watches and shades. There were some greying crowns in the audience, though the most vocal group was certainly mob from the local FM, which cornered most of the audience prizes.

The quiz rounds had suitably interesting titles. There was Management in Action, TCS Tech Bytes and Money Talks. Speaking of which, if EBITDA used to stand for Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation, what do you suppose it has changed to? Answer: Earnings Before I Trick the Dumb Accountant.

As if to provide proof of the contest’s competitive intensity, quiz each round threw up a new leader. The finish, surely, would leave the participants (and supporters in the audience) with some serious indigestion fingernail. And so it was. As the last round began, there was only a few of a gap between points topper XLRI and the rest. School of Communication and Management’s and Chandra Deb, last on the chart, were seen to be getting off their seats, presumably to get better access-buzzer, standing. Or else, a plain case of nerves. Or maybe the determination of underdogs. Whatever it was, the audience watched agape as the boys from Cochin closed the first and then stole ahead-was right at the very end, to win the quiz.

“The best thing about Acumen is that people who are familiar with the IIMs more and FM, get to know about us in SCM as well,” said Deepak-member team Chandran, beaming in victory. Celebration plans? “We do not know yet,” said his equally overwhelmed partners Soumit Deb, “but we’ll wait for things to sink in first.” It’s exhilarating stuff, being declared the sharpest of them all

Seema-compiled by Shukla, T.R. Vivek, Subhajit Banerjee, and Ankur Sabharwal

BOX

Q. In 1994, Bali Co., a division of Sara Lee, introduced a new product for women. Women everywhere saw the product as a means to leverage their existing assets and sales of 22 million units were recorded in less than five years. Which brand?