IIM, Ahmedabad Successfully Concludes "Confluence 2009"

IIM, Ahmedabad Successfully Concludes "Confluence 2009"

The afternoon session was chaired by Prof. Abraham Koshy, IIM Ahmedabad. The first speaker for the afternoon was Dr. Preetha Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. She discussed the new growth paradigms for India namely - education, healthcare and infrastructure.

According to her, the numbers tell a flattering tale, and while we may be prone to thinking of the huge Indian population as a "problem", it is infact an unprecedented opportunity. She emphasized that even though Healthcare may be considered a recession proof industry, it has its own challenges and entails an enormous responsibility. The pressures of competition and bench marking are ever present under the scrutinizing eyes of the people who not only are their customers but also look upto them. She said that on introspection, India seems to have shaky foundations as it lacks even the basic infrastructure and healthcare, especially in the rural areas. And there is no government intervention or support available for most cases. She said, looking forward, the key to strengthening India lay in innovation and support from all fronts - be it investors, government or healthcare providers.

Next, Mr. Shailesh Rao, MD, JAPAC Media & Platforms and India Sales & Operations, Google India talked about "a few operating mantras" that all budding managers can take heed of as they step outside their campuses. There are a few global trends that one should be aware of - increased complexity both in terms of products as well as variety, move from analog world to digital - where the consumers have their own voice and can exercise power. The companies are also listening to the consumer and are constantly analyzing and experimenting with the information they receive. This has ushered in a highly competitive and volatile world - where the companies are constantly appearing, disappearing, sizing, resizing, restructuring and so on. Such is the world one is entering, that one has to not only face up to but also be a part of and take important decisions for. He also reiterated that the future lay in innovation only. And also in getting the right people for the right jobs. The tradition hierarchical organizations might become dysfunctional going forward and higher productivity lay in matrix organizations where most decisions are taken in groups. In the end, he mentioned that hiding our head in the sands will not make the change go away. We have to face up to it and be prepared for it. He also said that the next round of capabilities does not have to take the direction of seeking and finding the right information. In future, information will be available to all. The skills we need to develop are what will we do with that information, how do we analyze it and correctly use it.

Mr. Arvind Mahajan moderated the panel discussion for the final day of Confluence 2009 to a packed auditorium. The varied backgrounds of the day's speakers resulted in a lively discussion of the changing paradigms of success.

Contributed by -
M. Arun,
Coordinator,
Media Relations,
Confluence 2009,
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

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