university

connect
a teri university MBa newsletter
voluMe 1
l

issue 1

MarCH 2012

Sustainable development: What it means for business?

Zinaida Fadeeva & KausHiK ranjan BandyopadHyay

Sustainability practices of coal-fired thermal power plants

ajit KuMar saHu

Knowledge@ TERI University

projeCts By deepaK sHarMa & sanCHit CHawla

message

chairmans

welcome and commend the efforts of MBA students of TERI University in starting the first quarterly newsletter connect. The two MBA programmes - of Business Sustainability and Infrastructure were started in their present forms less than three years back. The clamour for sustainable and ethical practices and for attending to the societal concerns has become increasing vocal from all the stakeholders. The MBA (Business Sustainability) programme of TERI University is unique in the sense that it trains students to bring this necessary perspective of sustainability in management practices, the importance of which is being steadily appreciated in the corporate sector. Similarly, MBA (Infrastructure) programme is one of its kind in the country covering a gamut of issues in Infrastructure, the development of which is so critical for the growth of the country. The programmes leverage TERIs extensive knowledge capital in sustainability and infrastructure issues to instill a deep sense of social, environmental and ethical consciousness among the students. These students help the companies they join to inculcate a core value system and an understanding of the larger economic, social and environmental respon-

sibilities. No wonder the programmes have attracted deep appreciation from different stakeholders: the corporate sector, the Government, NGOs, multilateral and foreign organisations and the general public including the customers and clients. The MBA students have played a very important role in this growing image of these programmes. Apart from their interactive approach with the faculty leading to continuous evaluation and qualitative improvement of the programmes, they have been excellent ambassadors of TERI University in the outside world. The Newsletter is a logical extension of this approach and is a manifestation of the desire to reach out to the alumni, the corporate sector, to the academic in general as also to general public. There has been a spurt of extra-curricular activities of the students in the current academic year and the Newsletter brings out some details of the same. I congratulate all those who have helped in bringing out this issue. I particularly commend the efforts of the Editorial Board for this new venture.

Prabir Sengupta Chairman, MBA Programmes, TERI University. Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi

2 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

from the

editors desk

MarCH 2012 voluMe 1

l

issue 1

hough a long road lies ahead, it is overwhelming that in such a short period, TERI University MBA programmes have received plethora of accolades and worldwide recognition. TERI University along with its state of the art infrastructure and in-house expertise offers two unique MBA programmes with specialization in Infrastructure and Business Sustainability. The programmes equip the students not only with the conventional acumen in Marketing, Finance and Organizational Behavior but also inculcate the sustainability values and ethics in business by imparting the concept of triple bottom line from the very beginning. As part of MBA Infrastructure, special training is imparted to students on issues like Risk Management, Competition Policy, Economics of Regulation and various infrastructure sectors whilst MBA Business Sustainability students study subjects like Principles and Concepts of Sustainability, Climate Change and Development, Business Ethics, Business and Society and Contemporary Issues in Change Management. connect is the first ever quarterly newsletter of the MBA Programmes, TERI University and as the name suggests, is the first step towards reaching one and all, the first attempt to bring to the forefront the initiatives of the MBA fraternity, and finally the first move to seal the gap and connect all. As sustainability has made its way from backroom to boardroom, our first issue focuses on Corporate Governance and Sustainability. The two articles presented in this issue are very informative and highlight the need for corporations to go back and redesign their processes in the challenging business environment. The other sections provide a glimpse of the MBA students life at TERI University. We hope you enjoy reading connect, as much as we enjoyed putting together our very own MBA Newsletter. Your views and feedback are valuable to us, reach us at connect@teriuniversity.ac.in. Regards,

Akanksha Jain & Kaveri Ghosh, MBA Infrastructure, 2010-12

this issue

inside

4 Course outline 5 artiCle

10 events

Sustainable development: What does it mean for business?

7 artiCle

Sustainability practices of coal-fired thermal power plants

9 projeCt report

Convocation, Akash launch, MBA Fest, workshops and other campus news
14 aluMni speaK 15 noted speaKers 15 industry testiMonials

Knowledge @ TERI University: Student projects

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

MBa Course outline

Infrastructure
Competition theory and policy economics of regulation: theory and evidence l infrastructure policies reforms and law l energy l telecom l transport l urban infrastructure
l l

Business Sustainability
Business and ethics Business and society l Climate change and development l Community relationship management l Contemporary issues in change management l Cross cultural management l environmental economics
l l

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t sK

ills

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Fun

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cs, mi no iness co s al e bu e eri able porat rch, g ana tain Cor sea t, M , sus ent, ns re ch n me ility em atio ear nce ageainab anag oper e res verna n ma ust g m nd tativ go s in s of s rketin trics aQuali y and od t eth cep , Ma ome ce, olic h md con olicy econ finan ent, p rc p g, sea an y ate nm re iples energ portin rpor nviro o e nc y, re C pri rateg and ics, omic st ting nom con o e n ou oec bal acc Macr , glo ds tho me

, ting e rke trad a , e, M ces anc esour Fin n r a um

Highly-qualified & experienced faculty

Visiting lecturers from reputed institutions

Small batch size; more personal attention

4 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

sustainable development

story

what does it mean for business?

he notion that maximizing profit and addressing societys needs could go hand in hand has been well recognized by businesses long back. However, sustainability issues still live on the periphery of business operations and are mostly limited to complying with the legislative demands or manifest itself in the form of charitable deeds often far removed from the core of business operations. The growing global and regional trends, however, provide strong reasons for the private sector to bring economic logic closer to the social and environmental considerations as a motto of carrying out the businesses successfully. There is no second thought that economic challenges dramatically affect all the global regions and, in turn, drive the state to regulate the ways in which private sector is governed. The global financial crisis is a case in point that inherently led the state to exercise stringent control on business in order to resist any adverse consequences of business operations on the economy and society. In such a situation, the inculcation of sustainability values and perceptions by business turns out to be all the more crucial as the availability of finances from both public and private sources diminishes. To be precise, the business corporation that has sustainability values integrated in its operations more strongly and coherently stand a better chance to retain their best employees and minimize the effect of crisis.

dr. Zinaida Fadeeva

Associate Fellow for the Education for Sustainable Development programme, United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies, Japan

dr. Kaushik ranjan Bandyopadhyay

Associate Professor and Director MBA Programmes, Department of Policy Studies, TERI University, New Delhi

If one carefully analyses the recent trend and pattern in consumer behaviour over the last decade, a preference could clearly be observed for the greener and more fairly produced products, regardless of the consumers willingness to pay the premium that the products with higher embedded sustainability values demand. More recent market research in Asia also indicates that more and more aware consumers private individuals as well as businesses demand stronger product accountability through labeling, reporting on the origin of the product and its ingredients like carbon content and more. The growing interest in the safety of the products, right from the food that we consume to cars and toys that we buy from the market, and rising concerns among the consumers about the ways they are produced (say whether they are produced by using child labour or by using labour in exploitative and unhealthy conditions) are drawing worldwide attention and is not just limited to a handful of developed countries. It is also quite heartening to observe and as brought out by recent surveys that graduates from business schools do make a careful examination of the reputation of future employers in doing well while doing good as an important argument in making decisions about prospective work choices (see http://www.csr-asia.com/ for more details). One can also witness the current trend towards evolution of the new global drive for re-evaluating and redesigning of the development and business models. This drive comes from the felt needs and demand worldwide for rapid transition to a green

March 2012

connect | 5

economy. The green economy is usually perceived as a new model of development based on pursuit of prosperity, wellbeing, social equity and environmental sustainability (i.e. lowering environmental risks while preserving ecosystems and minimizing loss of biodiversity). The fulcrum of the concept of green economy is green growth. It comes from the assumption that growth is necessary for developing countries and a key to increase economic and social well-being through poverty alleviation, creation of jobs, provision of essential goods and services and development of infrastructure. What does this growing drive towards green economy imply for markets and business? This would essentially mean different pricing of resources (say, based on carbon content), shifting of preferences towards cleaner energy alternatives, requirements for designing green buildings, demands for smarter mobility solutions. A multitude of other sectors that are symbiotically intertwined with this trend of development (like insurance, food, transportation, construction, energy, utility, finance etc.) would also experience dramatic changes. Hence, prompt actions towards integrating sustainability in a more coherent manner by any economy would inherently provide a first movers edge to them and their businesses for years to come. The Asian economies, in general, and India, in particular, should take full advantage of this opportunity. However, it also needs to be duly acknowledged that it would be a challenging task to strive for a green trajectory in a standalone manner by any state without forging a close partnership between the private sector, the government, the research institutions and the civil society, among others. Besides the much-needed intensive innovation, a comprehensive research and policy framework

The fulcrum of the concept of green economy is green growth. It comes from the assumption that growth is necessary for developing countries.

needs to be put in place apriori to make this a grand success. Such innovations that are required to be carried out both by the traditional and emerging businesses - should not be merely confined to efficiency improvements or retrofitting but needs to be essentially directed towards structural change by bringing to the fore new models of product and service delivery. Furthermore, in order to steer the innovations in the right direction collaboration with public sector would be necessary both in terms of resources as well as in terms of creating enabling policy conditions for private sectors to successfully carryout such innovation. It would also necessitate concomitant capacity development either by augmenting the existing skill-sets or creating new skillsets for managers, engineers, educators etc. Such innovation would demand new models of financing, organizational and institutional structures coupled with new market governance. Business schools have a critical role to play in this much-needed transition to green and just society. They need to recognize that plethora of needs and challenges that we face at the local and global levels today could actually be turned into potential business opportunities for tomorrow. In order to translate these challenges into business opportunities, business schools should have a strong research component that would provide a critical edge in developing innovative solutions. That is possible when the schools go beyond narrowly defined business education and build on the topics with focus on local and global sustainability, governance, ethics, entrepreneurship and innovation. Successful engagement with businesses in a course of the studies along with innovation in the curriculum and research could make these programmes an example of new modality of education leading towards more responsible and innovative business practices. n

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story

sustainability practices
of coal-fired thermal power plants
lectricity is the prime mover of growth and vital for sustenance of a modern economy. The projected 8%-10% GDP growth of the Indian economy depends rather heavily on the availability of electricity to propel all-round industrial, agricultural and commercial growth. With the government eyeing a capacity addition of 78,577 MW during the XI Five Year Plan (20072012), the annual addition to achieve this ambitious goal which envisions a power for all scenario in the country stands at 15,715 MW. The National Electricity Policy seeks increase in the annual per capita consumption of electricity from the present 613 kWh to 1000 kWh by 2012.

ajit Kumar sahu

Dy. General Manager (Civil); Lahmeyer International (India) Pvt. Ltd, Gurgaon

To usher in additional generation capacity for meeting the growing power needs of the country, the Electricity Act 2003 was introduced which opened up the sector. The reforms were taken for giving strength to the sector while making it more competitive and economically stronger. The latest order, Open Access in Interstate Transmission System, allows private parties to put up large power plants and sell them to the buyer of choice.

Barriers in Setting up New Plants: As far as the

large coal power plants or the ultra mega power plants are concerned, the various issues that plague this process is the land, environmental clearances, availability of fuel (coal), irrational tariff and poor financial health of State Electricity Boards (SEBs).

All India Power Scenario: Indias installed capacity stood at 186,655 MW, as on 31-Dec-2011. Thermal power from coal (including lignite), gas, and oil based plants contribute about 65.87 % tothe total power generation in the country, followed by hydro of 20.75%, renewal energy/other sources 10.80%, nuclear 2.56%. The state sector contributes about 44.79% (83,606 MW), the Central about 30.93% (57,733 MW) and private (IPPs) nearly 24.28% (45,316 MW).It is apparent that the pace and growth of electricity generation in the country has not kept pace with the demands of development and has been unable to seal the gap between supply and demand. On the flip side, the distance appears to be widening and India continues to remain a power deficit country.

Land: Land is a very important issue and has repercussions on both society and environment. Availability of suitable land is becoming a huge challenge for future as well as current planned power plants. Problems have been compounded due to demand from other competing sectors and certain objections raised by the local population. Land requirement for thermal power plants depends on many factors viz. unit size and number of units, type of coal (Indigenous or Imported), location (pit-head or coastal) etc. Besides there are also different site specific issues which determine the land requirements. The optimum utilization of land is more significant in finalizing the power plant.
The gross capacity addition of power in India (in MW) 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 3,277 4,348 4,645 4,017 3,115 2,858 3,951 3,948 3,568 6,852 9,263 3,453

Avenues of Setting up New Power Plants: Significant amount of additional capacity to meet the XI Plan targets are required to overcome omnipresent power shortages and spur industrial and commercial development. In general, power plants with the lowest variable costs (fuel costs) should be employed to meet the base demand, while those with higher variable cost for the peak demand. Coalbased power plants have lower variable costs than those based on naphtha or natural gas. To meet the base demand as well as capacity addition target there is a need to develop large capacity projects at national level. Ultra Mega Power Projects are steps in that direction. In addition to UMPPs, several power projects have been identified and considered for development at the state level.

Environmental clearances: Thermal power plants require not only huge capital investment but also various natural resources like, fossil fuels and water that adversely affect the environment and generate a stress in the local eco system. Stringent norms have been made by the regulatory agencies to control and mitigate the damages caused to the environment by these power plants. Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan (EIA/EMP) is considered as one of the most important document for utilisation by all concerned to understand the environmental implications of the proposed development activity and take appropriate decisions. Availability of Coal: Limited availability of domestic coal is constraining development of Indian

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

Statutory Clearances

Water supply agreement Consent for establishment Environmental clearance Forest clearance Civil aviation clearance for chimney height NOC for construction of chimneys Company registration Rehabilitation and resettlement of displaced families by land acquisition (if required) Land availability Fuel Linkages Fuel Supply & Transportation Clearance from Archaeological dept (if required)

State Govt. State Pollution Control Board MOEF, Govt. of India State Forest Dept. / MOEF Airport Authority of India/ Ministry of Defence Ministry of Defence Registrar of companies State Govt./ Govt. of India State Govt. Govt. of India/ State Govt. Fuel supply Agency Govt. of India

Non-Statutory Clearances

power sector. The shortage of coal is likely to reach 137 MT this fiscal. The poor quality of domestic coal is also a concern for power plants. Due to high ash content ranging anywhere between 35 to 45 percent and low gross calorific value, the requirement of coal is higher, which in turn requires more area and cost for coal handling system as well as ash handling system. It is imperative for most plants to utilize imported coal due to shortage and poor quality of domestic coal. The tariff too rises due to the use of imported coal, which raisesthe cost by 30 paisa/ KWhr for every 10 per cent increase in imported coal in the blend. This could also be attributed to the fact that the major coal suppliers namely Indonesia and Australia have raised coal prices.

and assign responsibility for the realization of user charges has yet not been able to bring down losses to the desired level.

The Way Ahead: It is evident that India falls short

in power generation and coal will dominate Indias energy basket to meet the base demand. The super critical and ultra super critical technology is becoming popular due to better thermal efficiency.Due to higher thermal efficiency these technologies have the benefit of lower heat rate, lower specific fuel consumption and hence reduced ash generation, reduced GHG emissions (CO2, SOX, and NOX). The goal for achieving reduction in GHG and harmful emissions would mandate technology upgrade of power plants and moving to innovative features such as flue gas cleaning.Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), energy efficiency, efficiency in water utilization, minimizing sulphur dioxide and other emissions, and development of a green house gas abatement strategy into the plant design and technology, are few sustainable options. The shortage of coal can be minimized by stepping up domestic coal production by allotting these blocks to central and state public sector units and for captive mines to notified end users. Initiatives for intensive exploration of coal should be taken up by the government. Use of washed coal, clean coal technology like integrated gasification combined cycle is another option. Infrastructure for import of coal for coastal stations should also be developed. The key to the problem of AT&C losses lies in implementing information technology based monitoring systems, distribution automation systems and smart technologies at consumer interface points. Policy framework for transmission lines, in addition to power generation, should be framed to provide for high voltage 1200KV AC system long power transmission lines. It is also necessary to set up a robust energy R&D system for developing relevant technology and energy sources that enhance energy security and lead to energy independence in a cost effective way and for overall growth of the country. n

Poor Financial Health of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs): The elementary problem faced by
the power sector is the poor financial conditions of the SEBs or successor entities in most states. Over the years, the SEBs has become white elephant, contributing nearly 10-15 per cent in the overall state fiscal deficit. Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses of most SEBs are as high as 30 per cent. In order to address some of the issues, reforms like unbundling the state electricity boards into separate generation, transmission and distribution units and privatization of power distribution has been initiated either through outright privatization or the franchisee route. However, it has thrown up mixed results. Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) meant to upgrade the distribution system, minimize transmission and distribution losses, improve metering

Primary impact on environment due to a power plant is from the combustion of fuel and discharge of effluents through waste water.

8 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

Knowledge @ teri university

development of biofuel
ndian biofuel sector has advanced in the 21st Century and the adoption of National Biofuel Policy in December 2009 has important implications for a country looking to foster its energy security and attain energy independence. The project Policy Assessment and Strategy Development for Biofuels, was aimed at analysing the biofuel practices in Germany and coin strategies for India. Broadly, the study of different stakeholder groups and their roles in the formulation of the German biofuel policy along with a comprehensive analysis of large-scale production of biofuels in India was carried out to build the strategies. Secondary data supplemented by unstructured interviews were mainly used. The methodology adopted for policy assessment was Advocacy Coalition framework

Deepak Sharma and Sanchit Chawla are TERI University MBA students of class of 2009-2011. Deepak took up major project at Freie Universitat, Berlin, on Policy Assessment of German Biofuels Industry and Strategy Development for Biofuels in India and Sanchit at The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, on Sustainability Reporting: A Business Strategy, in partial fulfillment of the MBA programme. Here are the excerpts of their research projects.

which sought to identify the emergence of actor networks and advocacy coalitions in the formulation of German biofuels policy. The results shed some light on the challenges and conflicts that a country faces while transforming a current energy system into a low carbon economy and the role of various private and public stakeholders in this arena. The major findings indicated that ethanol and biodiesel policies should be separated, production of ethanol should be only through molasses and biodiesel production is both economic and socially attractive proposition. Further, it showed that second generation biofuels hold tremendous potential for India and there is a need for extensive research in the area for attaining the targeted 20 per cent biofuel blending till 2017. n

deepak sharma

sustainability reporting
ustainability reporting is the practice of informing the stakeholders of the company about the social, environmental and economic performance of company. It informs shareholders about the key risks and challenges for an organisation and its approach towards managing it. A sustainability report is a tool to demonstrate how an organisation is integrating economic and social issues within the business strategy. Business leaders are increasingly realising the importance of sustainability reporting as a management tool for better decision making. The rising trend towards sustainability reporting is an indicator of its wide acceptance globally. The project was undertaken to understand the importance of sustainability re-

porting as perceived by companies. The companies from Oil & Gas and Cement sector were selected for the survey. These companies are following GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) guidelines for reporting on Sustainability practices. Respondents include senior executives responsible for reporting process in this organisation. For these companies, the major driving force for sustainability reporting was enhancing the corporate image of the organisation. Companies believe that reporting motivates their organisation to move towards sustainable development. Sustainability reports demonstrate a link between

business strategy and sustainability strategy of company. This link make readers believe in the commitment of the organisation towards sustainability. The comparative analysis of sustainability reports of multinational and Indian companies shows that multinational companies has better stakeholder engagement process than Indian companies. n

sanchit Chawla

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

events

alumni meet 2011

We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere - Tim McGraw The MBA department at TERI University hosted its first-ever Alumni Meet on December 4, 2011, under the aegis of the TERI University Alumni Association. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Bhavik Bakshi, Vice Chancellor, TERI University, moderated by Prabir Sengupta, Chairman of the MBA Programmes, and Dr. Kaushik Bandhyopadhyay, Director of the MBA Programmes. The theme of the meeting this year was the first step, highlighting the first stride towards building an alumni network for the first MBA programme in India that develops skills for business managers to work in the field of Infrastructure and Business Sustainability. The event involved interactive sessions between the alumni members, the faculty and the second year students. The discussion revolved around the following areas: Perceptions of the TERI University MBA Programmes in the industry and the expectations from the students; Suggested changes in the course structure to make it more relevant in industry. The session was full of activity and received much valuable suggestions and feedback. The meeting ended on a positive note with suggested action-points to help take the MBA programme to a higher level. The alumni members were enthusiastic about the initiative and congratulated the faculty members and the student batches for their effort. They showed their wholehearted support for conducting the alumni meet at least once every year.

teri sports club 2011

TERI Sports Club (TSC), founded by TERI University MBA class of 2010-12, successfully organised its second annual sports meet this year. Held between September 28 and October 12, the event witnessed an overwhelming response from all the courses of the university. JMD Oils, Supreme Cycles, TZINGA, Planet Sports and Lotto were partners to the meet.

acara challenge 2011

Two teams of MBA students from the TERI University won the Acara Challenge organised by the University of Minnesota and Acara Foundation. They bagged Acara scholarships of $5000 each. The shortlisted teams developed two business models -- Sewasanas and TextRA. Sewasanas the name suggests, is communitydirected cooperative model that aims to create and maintain water-less toilet facilities in urban slums. These facilities would check the spread of food and water-borne diseases, increase quality of life, and provide employment opportunities for local residents. The other model, TextRA is based on versatile resource accessibility network that would instantly deliver key information on food and water availability at various places to the resource-deprived individuals. 21 teams from various US, Indian and Mexican universities participated in the competition. About 50 mentors from industry guided the students in their projects and an equal number of judges helped in evaluating them. TheAcara Challenge was aimed at developing Business Plans for tackling Food and Water Security issues. The competition engaged students in a multi-discipline, multicountry collaboration to develop sustainable solutions and business models.

10 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

aahvaan 2011
The fest kick started with the Panel Discussion. Stalwarts like Amit Kumar, Tata BP Solar, Balwant Joshi, ABPS Infrastructure, Mahesh Vipradas, Suzlon and Prof N.K Bansal, IIT Delhi led the discussion on Sustainable Energy Options for Developing Nations. Events including the TERRAGREEN quiz, Hyperthesis, Grey Matterz, Weighted thoughts and Treasure hunt fired neurons in the left brain. For the right side, there were events like Mudra, Dhwani, Crescendo, Face Painting, NukkadNatak, Ad Mad, Kabaad se Jugaad. All events saw participation like never before and truly reflected the brilliance the students harbor in them. All in all, Aahvaan 2011 organised by the students of TERI University was a beautiful combination of thought, laughter, brilliance and exhilaration. The threeday TERI University fest was organised by students across disciplines,an event that spoke of their cohesiveness and teamwork.

aakash launch

MBA students got a chance to attend the much publicised launch of Akash Tablet PC at Vigyan Bhawan by Kapil Sibal. The students were involved with a project on designing the logo, name, distribution and marketing plan for the tablet as part of their course assignment. Much to their surprise they were not only a part of the launch, but also received the device from the Human Resource Development minister himself.

M&M sustainability challenge 2011

The Mahindra group held its first ever Mahindra Sustainability Challenge 2011 to commemorate World Environment Day at Mahindra Towers, Worli (Mumbai). The event comprised speeches and presentations on sustainable business practices, followed by the Sustainability Quiz. The Quiz was conducted by two TERI University MBA students. The event was designed and conducted by Mahindra Ugine Steel Company (MUSCO), which instituted the Harish Mahindra Memorial Trophy on the occasion. UlhasYargop, President - IT Sector & CTO, Mahindra Group was the Chief Guest for the occasion. RomeshKaul, Global CEO - Gears Business (Systech Sector) and Beroz Gazdar, VP Group Sustainability marked the opening of the event with their speeches. A total of 16 teams from the various companies of Mahindra Group participated in the first ever Sustainability Challenge Quiz. Mahindra Automotive Sector team was crowned the champion of the Sustainability Quiz, while Mahindra Satyam team emerged runners-up.

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

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events

transcendence 2011

Annual Business Fest of TERI University

The MBA students, of the Department of Policy Studies at TERI University, organized the first-ever Business Meet Transcendence 11 between 2-3 December 2011. Transcendence, as the name suggests, envisions the MBA students dream of touching newer horizons, going beyond the ordinary. TERI University, being the pioneer of the first MBA Programmes in India in the field of Infrastructure and Business Sustainability, with this event aimed to sensitize and debate the key sustainability challenges that the corporate sector would face in the changing business environment.The central theme of the event this year was, Sustainability Paradigm - The Corporate Perspective. Premier B-schools, globally recognised corporate leaders and policy makers of the country took part in the event. Prabir Sengupta, Chairman, MBA Programmes, TERI University on his inaugural address said, By any indication, the coming years are not going to be business as usual. The clamors of various stake holders like customers, NGOs, Judiciary, Government, etc. will compel the players in business and society to pursue a much more sustainable process than at present. This is a new challenge before us, particularly for those dealing with young minds, who will be leaders of tomorrow, and will facilitate change. In all our activities we

have tried to deal with these challenges by internalising the issues related to society, environment and ethics in our management education as successful management of these concerns will mar or promote the businesses of tomorrow. Transcendence 2011 symbolises this approach the approach for going beyond the immediate and keeping our sights steady on future way of our business. We have played havoc with mother earth so long and proper

management of the future is a necessity. We at TERI University are nurturing our students to flag off sustainable growth for future. Dr. RK Pachauri, Chancellor, TERI University, who could not attend the event, sent his wishes via a video-recorded message for the participants encouraging them to be the torch bearers of this changing business environment and become sustainability leaders of the future.

guru tatva 2011

Teachers have a unique place in the hearts of their students. The MBA students last year made an effort to put together an event --Guru Tatva, to reach out to their teachers and show gratitude for their unstinting support. Guru Tatva marked unique occasion of celebration of teachers day where students felicitated the teachers for their remarkable contribution.

convocation 2012
TERI University held its convocation ceremony on 4 February, 2012. The eminent guests and speakers included Naina Lal Kidwai, Group General Manager and Country Head of the HSBC Group; HE James Alix Michel, President, Republic of Seychelles; Bharat Jagdeo, Former President, Republic of Guyana; Erik Solheim, Minister of Environment and Minister of Development Cooperation, Kingdom of Norway; and Dr Elinor Ostrom, Nobel laureate. TERI University has made a rapid beginning in re-orienting higher education, said Dr. RK Pachauri, Chancellor-TERI University and Director-General- TERI. Higher education must be research based and here in the University, we

12 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

In this two-day business fest the following events were conducted: StrateGem (Business strategy plan competition): Participants were provided with Kingfisher Airline case study and were asked to develop strategies for future of the airline, for its sustenance and growth in the industry. Mystique (Technical paper presentation): Paper presentations on Innovation to promote infrastructure sustainability in the Indian context was the theme for Mystique.Participants enumerated various technical breakthroughs in the field of infrastructure and exemplified how it can be suitably

Belligerence (Debate round) A highly

charged event with participants arguing that Is India Inc. doing enough in sustainability, beyond CSR vis-a-vis China? saw maximum participation from premier institutions of the country. Students drew parallels between India and China with respect to innovation for sustainability. Students from top colleges of the country including IIFT and FMS and IITs participated in the two-day event. Leadership Summit : The summit was the central event of the fest that saw leaders from the corporate and

used in India for sustainable growth.

public sectors, apex federations, and non-government organisations delve into sustainable business solutions and discuss Business Sustainability- Future Challenges and Strategies. Vineet Nayar (CEO HCL Technologies), S Chouksey (Whole time Director, JK Lakshmi Cement), Raju Kapoor( Executive Director, National Seed Association of India), Dr SK Sharma (Ex-Secretary General SAARC) and Annapurna Vancheswaran (Director Sustainable Development Outreach Division, TERI) formed the distinguished panel of speakers. The panelists shared their vision and perspective on sustaining businesses, how this is a key challenge that organisations across the globe are facing today. In their view, businesses are finding it increasingly difficult to sustain their growth amidst the global financial turbulence and changing world order, increasingly embracing the sustainability paradigm. They further said that leaders from all part of the world are engaging in dialogue with their stakeholders to ensure all-inclusive growth in their triple bottom line (people, profit and planet), hence realizing the need to go beyond philanthropic, risk mitigating investments in community development and to devise ways to do core businesses differently, going beyond the obvious CSR. Transcendence 11 was a reflection of the ethos of the institution, internalising the concept of sustainability, across the various programmes at the university.

ensure that students are driven to conduct research. We also welcome partnerships from across the globe and our expansion plans are underway, he added congratulating the students. Nine doctoral degrees and 157 masters degrees were awarded at the Fourth convocation ceremony. With the growing need for developing alternative methods through specialised education to create a sustainable living, TERI University graduates dedicated themselves to the importance of environmental protection and the need to maintain equity, ecological security, and the wealth of global natural resources.

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

13

aluMni speaK

he MBA programme by Department of Policy Studies has a global outlook and the unique component of twin internships provide the industryimmersion needed. Moreover, the organisational expertise of TERI lends itself naturally to the support the programme structure. Getting back to school after working 10 years was a turning point. The experiences at TERI University made it a landmark. Besides academics, students get to organise many industry facing events and most notably the universitys plug-in for the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit - a flagship event by World Business Council for Sustainable Development or WBCSD, India Chapter. These events are a window

for students to interact with leaders from the government, non-government and private sector organisations. From providing advisory services in the area of identity management to providing advisory services in the area of energy security, the career transition for me has been transformational, to say the least. As a proud TERI alumnus, I now work with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (www.unescap.org) in Bangkok.

The organisational expertise of TERI lends itself very naturally to the support the MBA programme.

abhijeet deshpande

Consultant, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) MBA-INFRA | 2008-10

he uniqueness of the MBA programme at TERI University is that it not only introduces one to key principles and practices of the management, but also provides a platform and exposure to practice those and develop capability to think creatively over situations and cases that are dealt by the entire industry. I am currently working for Analytics Team of Wipro EcoEnergy and now realise jasmine singh that the domain specific Senior Executive, knowledge that we gather Solutions team, here gives us an advantage Wipro Ecoenergy over others and helps us MBA-INFRA perform and adapt to the 2009-11 industry much faster.

proudly sit in my office at Wipro extra-curricular activities. The management team of the MBA proEco-Energy today grateful to gramme has always been extremely the faculty, colleagues and ofsupportive and encouraging and ficials at the university. The course taken personal interest in ensuring itself being unique in nature has holistic development, the benefits been tailored for businesses and of which I see reflected in corporate sector at large. my work. Additionally, it does not What sets the course restrict students who are uniquely apart is the interested in any specific fact that there exists a aspect of sustainability or symbiotic relationship energy. between students and the A special mention institution, the managehas to be the quality of ment learns along with the faculty who are well the students. qualified, extensively pulkit Khanna In conclusion, the experienced in both busi- Senior Executive, course and the university ness and academia. TERI Business University itself provides Development Team, offer a unique set of opportunities that prepare additional opportunities Wipro Ecoenergy one for this journey of for personal growth and MBA-BS life. development through 2009-11

14 | c o n n e c t | March 2012

noted speaKers jagdeep s. Chokker

Former Dean IIM-A
Dr. Chokker held intensive session on sustainability and ethics in the corporate sector, the current scenario and way forward. In the interactive session, students debated on the sustainability solutions for future and the role of corporate sector.

Keiichi ushijima

Head, Global CSR Strategy and Promotion, Hitachi Ltd

An animated speaker, Mr Ushijima, drew examples from day-to-day life to illustrate how CSR has evolved and has become integral to all functions at Hitachi. The focus is in working with top management to link strategic CSR with corporate business strategy to better inform decision makers in aligning the business to solve fundamental global issues. The key roles of CSR are to support business development that links between social issues and business solutions, to improve quality of management, moreover, comprehensive risk management and effective communications.

dr. ram sai yelamanchili

Bayer
The pharmaceutical and chemical industry on contemporary does not enjoy a reputation for being environmental friendly but Dr. Yelamanchili illustrated cases where Bayer had demonstrated that sustainability can be incorporated successfully in businesses. It gave an insight on how sustainable business thrive work and grow.

Manoj sharma
IOCL
The oil and gas industry has generated lot of interest and has seen significant activity in the last few years. Mr Sharma appraised students of the current scenario while discussing the risk management techniques used by the industry. Stressing on the need to hedge risks he said the futures market of crude oil would play a pivotal role to absorb short term volatility in prices.

industry testiMonials

he European Investment Bank (EIB) is the public bank owned by the Member States of the European Union (EU) set up to promote EU policy. In the summer of 2009, its Environment and Social Office (ESO) benefited from the services of a student from TERI, working in the Bank under its student internship programme. The student supported ESO in its on-going work on identifying and measuring the carbon footprint of the Bank. ESO benefited from the technical knowledge of the student and his commitment and applications. The student in turn gained a valuable insight into the workings of one of the largest financial institutions in the world.

ERI University has very good infrastructure and education facilities. Industry exposure is a must for the students. We feel TATA BP SOLAR gives the students an excellent exposure through two months summer internship. We also benefitted from the sincerity and enthusiasm of the students during summer internship 2009. The student gain practical knowledge by working in of the largest solar company in Asia Pacific. We look forward to such associations.

he curriculum at TERI University is a perfect blend of academic inquisitiveness and practical experience from the industry. The coursework encompasses all the aspects of the infrastructure sector right from the development stages, the execution stage, continuing on till the operations. Critical topics such as regulatory policy, sector economics, finance and commercials as well as the socio political aspects associated with large projects are addressed intensely. This equips Students from TERI University with skill sets required for succeeding in the complex world of Infrastructure development and management.

peter Carter

amit Kumar

European Investment Bank (EIB)

Head Access to Energy TATA BP Solar India Ltd

v sreedhar

General Manager Reliance Industries

March 2012 | c o n n e c t

15

To get in touch with us:

akanksha jain

Kaveri ghosh

91 9990073166 91 9810030569 akanksha.jain@teriuniversity.ac.in kaveri.ghosh@teriuniversity.ac.in connect@teriuniversity.ac.in

teri university
university
10, Vasant Kunj, Institutional Area, New Delhi 110 070 Telephone: 011 2612 2222/2004 | www.teriuniversity.ac.in