Synapse 2K5: The Marketing Seminar at IIM Kozhikode

Synapse 2K5: The Marketing Seminar at IIM Kozhikode
Post-event Press-release

Synapse 2005, the two-day annual marketing seminar of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK) was organized at the institute's scenic campus in Kozhikode (Calicut), Kerala, on July 23rd and 24th, 2005. The event was organized by MPower, the marketing interest group at IIMK, and was supported by CII, with ITC as the Platinum Sponsor. The online media partner for the event was Exchange4Media and Business Line was the print media partner. The event featured top marketing gurus expressing their views on the theme "The Brand New World: Local Competencies, Global Challenges". The theme of the event was chosen keeping in mind the changing face of marketing, where the old rules no longer hold and new market dynamics evolve overnight.

The event was inaugurated by Dr. D. S. Broca, Chairman, Post Graduate Programme who opined that seminars like these help students hone their management and leadership skills and provide them with an opportunity to get a dose of real industry challenges. He stressed the need for socially sensitive corporate citizens, one of the guiding principles of IIM K.

Mr. Hemant Mallik, VP Marketing, ITC Foods, delivered the keynote address. He gave a riveting account of ITC's foray into the food industry. He took the two case studies of Aashirvaad Atta and Sunfeast Pasta and explained how the company leveraged its considerable knowledge in areas like blending and supply-chain management. He highlighted ITC's concept of 'honest pricing' and the rural initiative 'e-choupal'.

Mr. V. K. Chandrashekaran, VP Sales & Marketing and Regional Head (India & SAARC), Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, gave a comprehensive overview of the patents regime in the country, in light of the recent change in patenting procedures. He called this era a paradigm shift from the time when global organizations exploited Indian markets to now when the Indian organizations are going global. He attributed India's favourable position in the global scenario to a large talent pool and Indian innovativeness.

An interesting first-hand account of rural marketing was given by Dr. G. Ravi Prasad, Vice President (Marketing), Murugappa Group (Godavari Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd). He shared how the sudden shift from an urban environment to a rural one can unsettle a young marketing executive. He spoke about the importance of monsoons, the rapid growth of the market and the challenges of infrastructure and complexity in that sector. He pointed out that innovation in reaching out to the villages of India is the need of the hour.

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Contributed by -
Media Cell,
IIM Kozhikode.

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