TURNING BACK TIME.........SAMANVAY 2012

“We talked, 

We walked,

for a Moment in Time.

You passed through my life that day and left your mark.

You may never pass my way again,

Or you may stay for a lifetime.

No matter what,

I want to say thank you for the impression you made 

that will stay with me for eternity.

I enjoyed the walk, 

I enjoyed the talk.

I am blessed for that moment in time”

The two year walk through the journey of life in KIAMS will forever be remembered by each of its students. Bonds were formed over late night assignments, the chapter called life was taught in classes and so many memories played like a movie over this moment in time.

Samanvay-2012 was an endeavour for the alumni to play the movie of college life once again and remember their cherished memories. It was an initiative taken by us to stay in touch with our alumni and to ensure that our alumni feel connected irrespective of the physical boundaries. These meets have been providing a platform for all alumni to know the progress KIAMS has made in the years from when they left the college. The meets are not only an occasion for the alumni to get nostalgic but also to help us to maintain the strong connection with our alumni and gain from their knowledge and expertise of the industry.

On the day of Samanvay, the atmosphere was tempered with nostalgia. The ceremony started with the hosting of the KIAMS flag which was followed by the lighting of the lamp done by our two directors Dr.Gopal Iyengar and Dr. Janaki Naik, the alumni representatives of B-13 and B-14, Mr. Sandeep Kayastha the administration head and our key note speaker Prof.Giribala Dewasthale, who in her speech highlighted the importance of the alumni’s bond with the college. The highlights of the event were the speeches by the Alumni who shared their experiences. They were all very nostalgic about the two years that they had spent in the college. They were all unanimous in echoing their feelings that the institute has played a very vital role in shaping their destiny. The present alumni representatives introduced themselves and the presentation of Pragati was shown followed by the meeting held near the stepping stone of the Alumni Association was laid.  

Then came the time for which we were extremely curious and that was the interactive session with the alumni. For the graduating batch, it was an opportunity to gel with their predecessors, who had been there, done that, and had now moved on to newer horizons in their lives.  

The post lunch session included games like tug of war, kite flying, pottery making and T-shirt painting which brought out the inner child in all our alumni. Time slipped by like the grains of sand in an hour glass and the evening came with the twinkling stars in the sky, the moon was up and our entire campus was decorated as if stars themselves had come down to celebrate.

 Then came time for the real party to kick in, the cultural night was arranged with dance, songs and skit performances by the students and even by some alumni. With the beats of the last song played still in our heads we moved on to Ashwamedha, the sports event of KIAMS. The lamp was lit by our alumni and sports representative and then there was the prize distribution followed by lighting the torch of Ashwamedha.  It was a pleasure to see people from the oldest batches dropping in and sharing in the laughter and easy conversation. 

The night was turning dark and the breeze lowered its temperature, and among this there was a rock-band performance and a born fire, it was an awesome feeling sitting under the open night sky with our alumni, an open born-fire accompanied by scrumptious rabri and jalebi. The day ended with everybody present jiving away and simply, having fun.

Morning again knocked the door and everybody met at the breakfast which was followed by adventure sport activities like rappelling and spider web, then post lunch, we took our alumni for an outing to the Pawna damn.

 The time for Samanvay to draw to a close had now come, we bid farewell to our alumni’s and hoped the next Samanvay would come soon.We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they are called memories. Some take us forward, they are called dreams. Samanvay is one such time machine which brings us close to both our memories and our dreams.

By:

Mrinali Rao

Alumni Representative

KIAMS B-14

QUID PRO QUO

QUID PRO QUO

Operacy: Navigating through challenging times and in corporate world it’s all about how an entrepreneur manages his resources; the capital and financial resources in particular, that help a business to survive tough times. The finance event named QUID PRO QUO was organized with the purpose of checking the risk analysis and the level of financial planning of the participants using the nemesis of virtual stock market.

There were nine teams comprising of three players each out of which one of them was from our college. The player from our college played the role of a BROKER while the other two were the traders. It was our privilege that Prof.Arvind Sinha and Bidyanand Jha sir were there throughout the event to oversee that proceedings went on smoothly. The software developed by our senior Shyam Sir was used to conduct the event. In the event, there were two files one was for the broker and the other was a projector file. In the projector file, there were various shares and their prices were to change every thirty seconds. The players after noticing the trend of the change in prices were to decide whether to purchase a particular share or sell it. However, the ultimate decision of the buying and selling of the shares lay in the hands of the traders.

To make it all the more exciting, there were news flashes which would facilitate the participants to predict the change in prices of the shares. However, the news was not flashed throughout the game, they were given a few minutes of risk trading when no news was flashed. Also a few times the news was just a rumor to make participants understand the real market scenario and this helped us understand the analytical skill of participants.

There were two rounds: preliminary and finals. The preliminary round was conducted in three batches. Each batch comprised of three teams. Out of the nine teams, the teams with the maximum current account balance qualified for the final round. The preliminary round extended for fifteen minutes. The most important part was by the end of the fifteen minutes, the player was supposed to sell all his shares. If they failed to do so, they would be disqualified.

The top three teams qualified for the final round which continued for ten minutes. The rules were the same only the players had to sell the shares by the end of ten minutes now instead of fifteen minutes. Out of the three teams in the finals, the team with the maximum current account balance would be declared the winner of the event.

The event proved to be quite a big success and we are glad to have organized it.

Operacy Finance Event Coordinators

Links to videos:

Culturals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1EXENJsKZY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PwnKsU2kPY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXk1NOwKZ7I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AIjP0u5AIs

Marketing and HR Events:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gk2cMuaHK8I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K3NJDPZ1Y4

Operations and Business Plan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hpKREmMwp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9g8BB0NEUU

Onam:

Onam, the harvesting festival of Kerala, was celebrated on the 9^th of September in our college. Being the cultural reps of the college my co rep and I tried our level best to make the occasion a successful one. We planned out the programs 2 days before the occasion. It comprised of a traditional onamdance that was performed bythe b-14 students, a skit, which was, based on the story of mahabali, and a song by prof. RNV sir. We also made sure to invite all the faculty members for the occasion along with their family members.

On 9^th morning the Gulmohar team started decorating the ROTUNDA with a lovely Rangoli design. The Rangoli was made with variety of flowers of different colors. The entire batch contributed in making the Rangoli. It was indeed a beautiful one.  By evening 6.30 the entire decoration was over by the talented Gulmohar team and then by 7 pm we started the program. It began with the lighting of the lamp by our honorable director DR. GOPAL IYENGER along with the other faculty members. The lovely traditional dance and the skit followed it. The program came to an end by 8 pm.  Dr. GOPAL IYENGER concluded the program with a short speech. Later, everyone was invited for the dinner. It was in the traditional style. The hospitality reps really did a great work by organizing the dinner in a traditional manner. The food also comprised of the typical Kerala dishes. Each and everyone enjoyed it. The best was the serving part. It was really fun serving all the students as well as the faculty members.

The icing on the cake was the tug of war competition between the section A and section B students. Everyone participated with great enthusiasm and the end was the most unexpected with no one winning but the college losing out on a sturdy rope.

Finally the wonderful occasion had come to an end and we were really satisfied that everything had went off well. The appreciation given by our director, faculty members and the students encouraged us to a large extent. We hope that being the cultural reps we keep celebrating such occasions with great enthusiasm and hence maintain the unity and integrity among the students.

Thanks & Regards

Bhavani Devi

Cultural Rep: B-14

The Fresher's Day at KIAMS

"It was the best of times,

 It was the worst of times;  

It was the age of wisdom,

It was the age of foolishness..."

 - Charles Dickens.

The world today has become so complex and intertwined that the words spoken by Sir Dickens still rings true. When I joined KIAMS, I had a plan, but who can be sure of anything in such a twisted world? As the days passed and I got imbibed into the KIAMS culture, I realised that I was at a place which is truly a kaleidoscope of all that is best and I found my vision clear for the first time. Of all the events that had happened in the past one month, “Fresher’s day” was the most awaited day for our batch. It took a never-ending month for this day to arrive and finally when it did, all were super excited and the most important reason behind this was the “DJ night”. This was the first DJ night that we experienced at KIAMS and I must say, each and every student enjoyed it to the fullest. Anyway, coming back to the actual fresher’s party, it was simply awesome! We had a great time and for me, especially, it was an unforgettable day. I bagged the title of MISS FRESHER ! In all, 6 girls and 6 boys were nominated. I must confess, it was a really tough competition. All the nominees were asked to speak on a given situation for 3 minutes in the first round and the situations given were really funny. After the completion of the round it was good to know that I had been promoted to the next round i.e., the talent showcase round. This was the round where none of the nominees including me were prepared. I somehow managed to perform one dance on the song “Mann mohini teri ada” from the very famous movie “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam”. I had no idea what I had performed but the feedback given by others made me realise that it was actually a good performance. All the performances were really nice and definitely the judges would have had a tough time in eliminating any of the nominees. Finally, I was promoted to the next round where only 3 nominees each from the girls and the boys side were left. The final round was the question and answer round. In this round I was asked the question, “Whom do you consider the toughest competitor among the finalists and why do you think you should be ‘Miss fresher’? “. Well, that was a pretty tough question but I managed to gather my wits and give a befitting reply. After the completion of the round there were 2 performances from the seniors’ side which was really appreciable. Then came the most crucial moment i.e., the declaration of the results. The cultural rep of our college came up to the stage while we held our breath. As soon as my name was called out, there was a huge round of applause and the feeling within me can’t be expressed. I was overwhelmed when I was called on to the stage and was given the medal by Ex-Miss fresher, i.e., Swati ma’am. Then all my friends came up to congratulate me and the happiness which I found on their faces made me feel really special. These are the few moments which I can never forget and which will be treasured by me forever.

It was almost 10 pm when the DJ night began. The cultural rep of our college asked me and Mr Fresher to flag off the DJ night. The ambience which was created at the Triangle was simply perfect. The DJ night continued till 12 and those 2 hours were simply amazing!  We danced continuously for 2 hours and still felt like dancing even after midnight. At last I and Mr. Fresher were gifted a Cadbury’s Celebration chocolate pack and were asked to conclude the DJ night, which we did with a heavy heart. Finally the DJ night came to an end and we all gathered in Raghu’s, the hot spot of our college. We sat there almost till 1.30 pm and then finally went back to our rooms. That night while I was going to bed, I just recollected everything that took place during the entire evening and frankly speaking, I think this was one of the most memorable days of my life. My friends, the on-the-spot performances, the Miss Fresher title, the DJ night; everything was simply unforgettable.

I am thankful to KIAMS, my seniors and of course my batch mates for all the support which I have received till now. I can envisage the entire 2 years of my life in KIAMS and I am sure it is going to be a wonderful journey ahead for which I have my loins girded.

Thanks and regards

Bhavani Devi

Kiams,PGDM- I

Words about my few days at KIAMS....

KIAMS. . . The journey started on the day First of July!

The inaugural function was overwhelming. It’s been twenty days since that function, but one voice which still feels fresh is the voice of  Vithika ma’ m .The pledge we took on the day will inspire all of us to abide by  the rules and regulations of this prestigious institute. Talking about the Campus, there’s more than everything that a Management College requires. The view of the campus is Breathtaking. The soothing ambience and the wonderful climate creates a great atmosphere to experience and study the management rules and regulations. One word which I think no KIAMS B-14 guys or gals, can ever forget in their lives is” ROTUNDA”. In fact, each and every member of B-14 will miss these Rotunda sessions badly. It has helped everyone in showcasing their talents in some ways or other. I am sure nobody will ever forget the words like, ”ATTHANI-CHAVVANI”, ”BOZUNGA”,or “PRANAAM CHACHAJI” may it be the member of B-13 or B-14.Many sweet memories have already evolved from these sessions, and I am sure every  single member of this batch will take with them some of their life’s happiest  moments from this college. FRIENDS- They are one of the most important part of your life, and I am lucky to have Ravi, Arpit, Surya, Rocky etc. to name a few as my friends. The first Birthday Celebration of B-14, Ishan Sahni simply “GREAT CELEBRATION”..I am sure the CAKE REPS, Anshul Sir and Debapriya Mam must have gone through lot of such Birthdays. About our Dear Seniors, I hadn’t dreamt in my life that for the first 20 days or so, we  would have to live in such strict rules and regulations like putting on Formals and name tags,etc..But I have realized that there must be a sense of respect between the seniors and juniors.  I must say that the Seniors have been very friendly and supportive and I am sure they will extend their support for us in the coming year also. Talking about the different Rep. positions, I have understood the various responsibilities that these Representatives have to handle and I must say our seniors have handled it very well. It has been hardly 2-3 days that we have entered the Sports ground, and we all are very much impressed by the facilities on offer. Now, the thing which I loved the most here and which I think separates KIAMS from other institutes is the BUDDY SYSTEM.I am sure till now, every member of   B-14 must have known who is his/her buddy. Also, I would like to mention here that I am the most luckiest one to have the best  buddy  which one can get in the form of Miss Chandni sandhu (Mam).Hats  off to Anup Sir, I am sure holding this Buddy Rep position would not have been easy, But he has delivered it in a great fashion. Talking about the seniors, if asked about the one who inspired me the most, undoubtedly my vote goes to our Cultural Rep, Nitin Sir. He is very Calm &  Compose and surely a man of Character.

Overall, the experience till date in KIAMS has been great. Heartiest thanks to the seniors. Looking forward to a great life here. KIAMS Rocks..

Regards,

For BRAND CLUB, KIAMS

RITESH KOTHARI

 B-14

WORDS FROM MY MEMORY AT DANDEKAR'S

I did my SIP in G.G. Dandekar, Nagpur.  It was altogether a great experience which made me gain lots of knowledge and made me do so many jobs which were paradoxical in nature, some of which I’m mentioning here.

1.       Done the Operations project to Market Research

2.       Walk on Village roads to National Highways

3.       Travel in A/c Bus to share Auto's

4.       Travel in 3rd A/c to General Compartment in Trains

5.       Talk with merchants to farmers.

6.       Talk with mill owners to the operators of rice mills.

7.       Food in 3 star hotels to road-side hotels.

8.       Walk in cold rains to hot summer.

9.       Finally learn the hard concepts to handling practical problems..

About Dandekar

Place where we can learn

Place where we find employee care

Place where we can see great hospitality

Place where Long-lasting Machinery Manufactured

Place where we can find best Managers and Workers

During SIP

The rice mill at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh

My Eyes are searching for Rice Mills

My Ears are hearing the Performance of Dandekar

My Mind is working on Process Improvement Techniques

My Mouth is talking about experiences at Dandekar

Finally my heart is thanking the people of Dandekar

Dandekar's Caption is Built to Last, and my experiences with Dandekar will stay and help me throughout my life. I got the support from the best people of Dandekar. Fortunately most of them were our alumni and I feel proud to be working with them. Thanks to Everyone……………

Syama Sundhar.K

Batch - 13

for Brand Club
Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies

P.S.- Syama Sundhar during his SIP done the Market Research in North Portion(5 Districts) of Andhra Pradesh. And Operations Project is done in BMD Rice Mill, Rourkela . Orissa.

PRAGATI- THROUGH MY EYES AND EFFORTS-4 (The Operations)

Operations!! It was already sure that it will need work force and talent to achieve excellence in performance. It required work right from beginning to end or even after that. What an experience it was. From making the layout to post Pragati work, it needed all.

Layout designing was one of the important activities of the Operations team. It had to be functional, with maximum space utilization; it took us 9 layouts and 6 visits to the field to make the best one. The worry or the need was to build a layout that suits Indian citizens’ mindset, not too big in structure, a change from past years layout with no motive to cover complete field and we finally achieved it.  For designing we kept all our operational skills to increase the efficiency and effectiveness. This final layout was according to our all requirements that are the complete footfalls will visit all the stalls while moving towards cultural area which helps them for promoting their business and products. Also our motive was to keep 2 stalls of opposite side to be near to each other with enough space for fully loaded lorry’s to enter and this layout also helped to decrease the problem of dust which was eminent during previous years. We came to the final one just 3 days before the D-day. We had to struggle like anything to get lot of permissions to conduct this event; Police, Municipal Corporation, Fire, BEMC, Sports authority and what not. It made us cry for each and every point and at each and every point, not only for the effort and time but for money too. But we had to do it anyhow and we did it till the last minute of Pragati work.

We also were having lot of work in electrical field. Right from getting permission and then getting the transformer installed with enough supply and the generators for emergency (which comes surely lot of times in a day). We calculated the supply and all types of devices and electrical equipments needed from a switch board to the socket and gave it to the supplier. And off course, when you have a generator, it can’t run with water. And when workers declined to get the diesel, then we had to run every now and then to get the gensets refueled. You will say it was getting hectic for us, but frankly saying we were enjoying that too.

Finally the day had arrived too near. Now the main work started. The shamiyana supplier came with all their materials to build the stalls. They were doing their work during day and we had to invigilate them every minute to take care that nothing gets short for our customer’s operational needs. To get the sizes of stall correctly and placing at the right point and the toughest part was to build and place the cultural stage of right size with right requirement and it took the most time. Also the electrical supplier came with their equipments at just another day and they too started their work. We had to see the installation of all electrical equipments, the power supply and transformers at one go.  So we had to co-ordinate and take care of both of them together. It was a great learning for us how to manage more than one operational activity at once and in a short time with most efficiency.

It was again our responsibility to take care for all the materials in the field and so in night we were sleeping in the open field watching beautiful open space and stars and moons over us and at the same time battling it out with the mosquitos in a quest to protect our blood. We had to continue sleeping there at night till the end of Pragati with different students on different nights, except one day when I too slept there and that too alone in complete field killing mosquitoes complete night.

And finally the D day came. I went to field right in the morning 6 o clock. We were watching the complete structure that was in front of our eyes. It was hard to believe that finally it was happening for us. Tears came into my eyes at that moment. For the next 3 days we were looking for all the services that were needed by the stall owners. Sprinkling water 3 times a day and running after sprinkler every time so that they should not do any mistake and should sprinkle on each and every part, looking after the fault repairing, drinking water supplies, getting diesel and many more small activities. It was an achievement by us. Really operation team has done a splendid job. Makrand and Amit have a great hand in this to make it a success.

By:

ROHIT RITURAJ

Pragati Rep

KIAMS B13

PRAGATI- THROUGH MY EYES AND EFFORTS-3 (The Culturals)

If Pragati 2011 was a big hit, its culturals were even bigger. The three areas the shed area, the stage and open ground all of them were heavily jammed and one could hardly find space to keep one foot forget two. The excitement and the flurry in the eyes of the little children who had come from Harihar, Rannibennur, Davangare and nearby villages could be very well seen through their little heads popping with excitement here and there jumping around and playing. The reason being obvious, Pragati. It is one of those rare events of the area that gives a chance to all little children to participate in various events constituting arts and sports and above everything, I truly believe the thing which would excite them the most is a three day BONA FIDE bunk from their schools. Moreover, big proof of Pargati being a main event is the participation of around 600 to 700 students each day.

The first day, 19 January began with three events simultaneously in the three regions, the drawing contest in the shed region, slow cycling in the open ground, the crowd, and my personal favourite Fancy dress competition, where even the kids look no less than professional ramp models. I can still very well commemorate the innocence and charm on each one of their faces, the way they were carrying off their hot attitude and designer wear they sure looked like future Johns and Bipashas. Fancy dress was followed by the group dance competition for age groups 9 to 14 years followed by solo singing for the children of 5 to 8 years of age. Simultaneously around 50 students participated in drawing competition in which they were told to draw on whatever topic they felt like and they did not disappoint the judges. 

Now I need to take a deep breath because the condition of Ankur and Saurav was pitiful, gosh! Enduring lines of children for slow cycling, Hats off to both of them for handling such a magnanimous crowd. Some children so canny that they actually changed their names and stood up like first timers for re enrollment. 

Putting everything together I believe it was a great learning experience for them and also for us, after all in case we have some naughty and cunning kids in future it would be helpful to us as in how to handle them (giggle*).

And finally the slow cycle race came to a halt and was followed by solo singing and dance competition which ran till 6 pm in the evening. After that at 7.30 pm a rocking band performance was given by a local band which gave full throttle head banging and some sprained necks for the next morning. And yes please don’t go by the word local, there were enough of sheela and munni type numbers sung by them and trust me the quality of performance they gave was unmatchable, the craziness of crowd very well elucidated it.

The second day begun with henna (MEHANDI) competition under the shed area, the beautiful henna designs they made were worth appreciating. The girls of KIAMS took a leverage of the contest by giving a helping hand (by helping hand I mean the selfish girls wanted to get their hands full too). Followed by solo and group dance contest for age group 5 to 8 years of age and 9 to 14 years of age for which we had enormous number of sign ups, the response was so humongous that we had to close the registrations beyond 60 entries for each age group. Two local western dance groups gave a heart throbbing performance setting up the evening at great heights. The evening show was marvelous; the most popular band of Harihar “BONGOLE’’ gave a rocking performance during the same evening.

The last day was thought to be light as far as competitions were concerned because it was the prize distribution day. The chief guest for the day was the IG of Davengare. 

The organization of a Rangoli competition for girls and women of the surrounding areas colors marked the last day and flowers lit up the whole atmosphere and made the whole festival brighter. Just when we thought, it was over another round of solo singing for age groups of 5 to 8 and 9 to 15 years was organized followed by solo dance for age groups 9 to 14 years, just to make sure that no one was left out and everybody got an equal chance of participation.

The late evening began with award and certificates distribution ceremony from 6 pm onwards. The chief guest was felicitated with flowers. Anantram sir took over the stage and like always his words instilled a wave of excitement and motivation amongst students of KIAMS.

Altogether KIAMS cultural was a big hit and was a great experience of learning for each person who helped to organize it. May we encounter such auspicious moments as long as we are a part of the KIAMS FAMILY.

By:-

AANCHAL SETHI

Cultural Representative

B-13

PRAGATI- THROUGH MY EYES AND EFFORTS-2(the culturals)

For three months the campus was abuzz with Pragati. But what was more amazing was the journey to the Pragati that stood apart from all the Pragati of yesteryears. This one was with little support  from the management and the Kirloskar  group.

Till the very end moment the very Pragati being held stood as a huge question to all of us. With fingers pointing towards batch 13’s and its abysmal display of unity and planning and coordination Pragati was at the cusp where a decision not to hold Pragati 2011 loomed over us all. But as luck had it we saw a deluge of money coming in from various customers that had us on hold. And the rush to sell more was evident with the prospecting team unleashing its full power onto the fields. We sold stalls and that too in plenty. Three days before Pragati, the stalls had been sold and the operations came into mighty action. Creating one of the most beautiful layouts ever for Pragati the operations team was in full swing. And then arrived the “D” day! The day for me and my team, the culturals were on. For the last two months we had gone from school to school and from college to college in Harihar, Davangere and Ranibennur calling participants for various events we had kept for the three days. A team that is made out of the people after the making of all the other teams is always in questions. But my team for sure never let me feel alone and estranged and helpless. Meetings were held regularly to decide on how to run the show on the 3 days. I had people constantly backing me and encouraging me when i felt i was losing control. My team was supportive in its best spirits. Of course there were times when people did not turn up and times when i had to take their tantrums but then that is part and parcel of the game. I am grateful to my teammates who never shied away from working and  my words fall short for the praises i have for them. It was for the teams work that for the first time we achieved a record over 1100 participants for the cultural events during Pragati. Hats off to you people. The teams were further divided into smaller teams to handle individual events, calling judges and handling the performers in the evening as the day closed in. And it finally came to the 3 days where all our efforts were to be tested. For once even i was not expecting the kind of response we had. It was amazing to see how small kids came wonderfully dressed for the fancy dress and how the enthusiasm was inescapable. For three days the dancing, the singing, the drawing, the rangoli , the quizzes and the sports did not seem to end. The processes we had set up to deal with the participants and on-the-spot entries were running well. And it was awesome to deal with the people who came up fighting to us and the ones who desperately wanted a prize. For three days the team held the ground and the result was one of the best shows till date. The turnout for the late evening entertainment was mindboggling for the second and third day. And not to forget kudos to the promotions team that did some amazing stuff to attract the crowd into the ground during Pragati be it the rally or the students dressed up like animals and the Hanuman running everywhere in Harihar. The day after Pragati was uncannily silent and weird. It seemed as if the world had slowed down. There was no rush to get the certificates made or to call a team meeting. I did not have to remind someone of the work i wanted him to do. I missed the field and the adrenalin. There were no more negotiations to be done with the management or finance to be taken. But there was something far more precious that i carried with myself, something that made me a better person and a better manager teaching me the modern aspects of team work and networking. It was experience and learning and there are things that I cannot describe but things that shall always remain with me as a cherished memory.

by:-

NITIN SHARMA

Cultural Representative

B-13

PRAGATI- THROUGH MY EYES AND EFFORTS

It was 25^th January and just 25 days to go for Pragati and still just 1 stall sold. Nobody knew whether Pragati will happen or not. I was in prospecting team, which were the obvious reasons for my fear caused goose bumps. Will Pragati happen or not?? I repeat it here twice in three lines but the count is nothing as compared to the number of times the question hit me and hurt real hard.

 A sunny day it was and 2 pm, I went out with the determination of doing something with lot of enthusiasm and passion to make it happen. The thirst of doing something was so high that the strength was at its best. I got down at the market place looking around the market thinking from where to start and how to start. There was so many questions with no answer like can I do it?? As I closed my eyes looking for an answer a voice from inside said “Yes you can” and with this determination entered the first shop. The shopkeeper asked “what do you want?” and I felt somebody has stolen the words from me and I didn’t had anything to say. Then I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and started speaking. I had my first prospect for Pragati when I was out of the shop. I felt for a moment the world was mine and I can make it happen. There started my journey for Pragati, a journey which added a lot of experience and understanding. I was all set to make my career in marketing. Trust me nothing was as compelling as those 25 days which I spent on road doing prospecting, fighting and playing with dust and learning from the prospects. Learning was never so easy and interesting for me but during prospecting it was interesting to understand the concepts with a much better idea which we learned in the marketing classes. It was difficult to convince the shopkeepers to take a stall and then to suggest them to take a bigger one. Many incidences were there when I went on going to a shop for many days but unfortunately was not able to convert. I never got demotivated because till that time I had a lot of confidence of doing it. The time passed and the D day came nearer, pressure increased the targets were high and it had to be achieved in the next 10 days. The other concern was that there were no tractor companies coming, which was very disappointing. I felt I should give it a try and again went out with a new determination of converting it from where many of my batch mates returned unsuccessful. I and my partner went regularly for the next 7 days doing a prospecting for around 10 hours each day. We never gave up and then within the next two days we converted six tractor companies and also Maruti Suzuki. It was a great feeling to convert the tractor companies like New Holland, Teffe, John Dere, Kubota, Sonalika and Mahindra. Also there was Bajaj and Ape Piaggio. I entered the college and suddenly people started congratulating me. I was confused and then I went to my Pragati representative and he told me “Congratulation for achieving a target of 1.15 lakh”. I just felt it was yesterday I started with my first achievement of Rs 1500 and today it was 1.15 lakh. I just had in my mind that- “I did it”.  A tough journey of prospecting ended and the D day arrived.

            I was on the field working for the three days along with the boys. I did all the work like arranging chairs, tables, putting banners, providing water etc which a few other girls can even think of. It was lovely to see the stalls which I brought with a hard work of 25 days. It gave a feeling of “I can do it and I did it”.          “Dogs and sales person not allowed” this is what I read somewhere. The first thing what I decided in my career was “Never be a sales person” – a person being humiliated every time even though he/she is in the best of attequates and attire (no offence to anyone,  but it was my perception till I did Pragati).

            23^rd February 2011, the closing day of Pragati. Prize distribution was going on and I was standing at a corner thinking of my whole journey of prospecting.  Suddenly I heard an announcement- “Shikha Gupta the Best salesperson 2011 will receive the prize from the Assistant General of Police, Davangere.

And then I said to myself- “I am a sales person and love every aspect of it. I am proud to be a part of Pragati 2011 and thank it for changing my wrong perception about sales”.

 Regards,

shikha gupta

batch-13

kiams harihar