Winter Intern: Updates

The responses for winter internships have been quite encouraging lately. I got 90 hits and six applicants yesterday. And there are others who want to know more before making a commitment.

So here is the outline of the project:
Note: The number of days will actually vary. This is just a tentative outline.

Day 0: You are briefed about the basics of marketing and market research.

Day 1-3: You are given a list of schools and proposals. You submit the proposals to these schools and also meet someone in charge (Principal or Vice Principal etc). This is where marketing skill is required. You must show them what is in it for them. (and there is)

You visit more schools on your list and follow up on those you have submitted a proposal to. In this follow up, you set up a free workshop for students.

Next 7 days: Now you have some workshops lined up in many schools. In these workshops you conduct a market research study on the students participating in the workshop.

Another 5 days: The field work is over. Now you do an econometric study and make projections based upon your study.

You must focus on following aspects in your report
1. Current to next ten years projection of no. of students seeking engineering/management education in India,
2. The role and contribution of ‘Coaching Institutes’ in filling the knowledge/skill gap in students seeking admission to premier institutes in India,
3. The role and objectives of schools in taking forward the students desire to pursue engineering education from a premier institution,
4. The role and objectives of colleges in taking forward the students desire to pursue management education from a premier institution,
5. Profiling benefits sought after by the prospective students/schools/colleges through direct interactions.

I hope this information is helpful for those who are interested but do not know what it involves. Remember, marketing and sales basics remain the same in every sector – success depends upon how accurately you can assess a market for which you must acquire great people skills. Every deal boils down, at one point, to the chemistry between the Marketing Executive and potential Client.

Winter Intern for IITians

well well….
so we are hiring. Finally it looks like the startup is taking off. 🙂

The internship is actually for a joint project with IIM Lucknow professor, for on-field research about “Market Dynamics in the Higher Education Sector in India” to take place in Dec 2009.

This would be a true hands-on market research experience – invaluable for any undergraduate. The icing on the cake is possible acknowlegement / recommendation from IIML prof.

Those interested can mail : utkarshiitd@gmail.com 🙂 🙂

Two Indias

I wonder, where are the poor?

In India, we always keep talking about how we are going to be the next superpower and how fast India is growing. Frequently, on many international indices, India scores pretty well for a developing nation. Our GDP is on all time high lately. India is world’s second largest market, and world’s most lucrative market, which explains the setting up of so many international brands in the country for the Indian consumer. All of the major car manufacurers, FMCG companies, cosmetics, design labels, sport equipments and now nuclear technology are vying with each other to have an opening in India. The India consumer it seems, is an eternally hungry million headed monster, and is larger than entire Western Europe put together.

One thing that still bugs me is the fact that this entire economic might of our nation actually comes from the consuming class. Kishore Biyani, the founder of Big Bazaar has said in his book, It Happened in India, that the consuming class contitutes only 14% of the total Indian population!

The whole of Indian economy is run primarily by 14% people.

This is what I call the India A. The rest is India B.

Now, India A also controls the media. The owners of newspapers, the journalists who write therein and the readers, all live in India A. The entertainment industry, similarly is run by and for India A citizens. India B has gradually become invisible.

India B shows its might only at the time of elections. The exit polls, taken by India A within India A and seen by India A shows that the political party most favored in India A would win. (Remember the decline of AB Vajpayee led NDA?)

Yet, it is the the favorite of India B that wins. This is why exit polls almost never give correct results.

I have frequently heard people in India A say something like “all of the money in the nation is in the hands of a few people”. Little do they realize that they ARE the ‘few people’.

India A is also very funny. It keeps blaiming everyone else for India B’s plight. Another rhetorical statement very popular in India A is: ‘I hate politicians’. But they prefer to avoid long cues during election time for voting. They just don’t!

India A does not let its money seep off to India B. Just think about the sixth pay commission for India A.

There is no such plan for India B which serves India A. After the Sixth Pay Commission, just think how many people are going to increse the wages of their dhobis, kaamwaalis, drivers, sweepers etc.

India A is a one way valve.

The service comes from India B. It allows India A citizens to focus on their work, free of everyday hassles of cooking, cleaning, waching clothes, dusting their houses etc. This is the reason why India A is performing so well on International indices. Compare them with the hapless Europeans and Americans, who have to do all these chores and work as well. They are no match for India A.

This allows India A to generate a lot of money. But very little of this money permeates into India B.

India A is clever.

I can say I hope for things to get better. But then the sweeper walks into my office and asks for an advance. I summarily refuse.
Irritated, i ask why is the advance needed?

‘Winters’ he says.
‘I left my jacket for my father in the village. I need a new one… i don’t have any….’

Struggling Entrepreneur…Really?

Well, they say that it is the courageous who start up… or the fools with a bloated images of themselves.

I am still trying to belong to one of these. While I may or may not succeed, it is undoubtedly the greatest thing that ever happened to me. It is addictive… the release from your own limitations… the belief that you can take a risk and still live… the belief that world does not revolve around a seven figure salary but a sense of power that is rarely felt.

Before one thinks that this is all entrepreneurship is all about, let me clarify: it is also about responding to the neighborhood auntiji who asks what are you doing after graduating….. “uh.. ummm… well…. main apna khud ka…” and this is the point where you should never hesitate using sophisticated words like ‘entrepreneuship’ . And NEVER…NEVER try to respond totally in Hindi (just to keep them comfortable) and adding “dhanda kar raha hu”. They might just turn around and walk away.  [of course it did not happen to me ;)]

Entrepreneurship is also about the dust and the toil and the frustration and gaining customer trust. The good part is you can read Fountainhead when in need or better still ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’. Steve Jobs rocks :).

The good thing is loads of new experiences, dealings with people you never thought you might need, and a rejuvinating experience in terms of personal beliefs.

Yeah… I impressed my self … [a rarest occurrence]

Hello world!

I am still not sure y are we doing this…looks like a total nonsense to me neway…but neva mind…n two blogs..u cud have waited fr me only loser