Testimonials

IGTC conducted a nine-month Executive Business Management Programme for Clariant Chemicals, specially customized for 26 of their high performing managers from diverse functional areas and business divisions of the organization. The objective of the programme was to equip them with a holistic and cross-functional exposure to all aspects of management and the essential thought process and skills required to assume leadership positions in the future within the organization.

Lectures sessions were conducted by senior IGTC faculty who engaged participants to build knowledge, create understanding in core business principles, nurture sound thinking by providing challenges and opportunities to explore. The participants also interacted activelywhich made learning more enjoyable. To culminate their learning’s of the past nine months the programme was concluded with a final Capstone Project where the participants took extra efforts to present significant business plans which could be taken up by the organization in the near future. The projects were evaluated by a panel of distinguished faculty along with Business Heads from the organization.

The programme ended with a huge success due to perseverance, determination, time management and complete dedication of the participants. The commitment and hard work of the participants were acknowledged by Dr. Deepak Parikh, CEO and Managing Director of Clariant Chemicals India Ltd. and Mr. Claus Hefner, Head of Group Human Resources by presenting them with certificate of successful completion of the programme and a small trophy which served as a symbol of achievement. Mr. Pravin Kalawar, Head HR, Clariant Chemical India Ltd., Ms. Radhieka Mehta, Director, IGTC Mumbai, a few business heads,faculties and other facilitators were all present to encourage and support the participants in their moment of glory.

On 9^th January 2016, IGTC had a special start to its milestone 25^th year, with the Certificate Awarding Ceremony of the EBMP 1^st Pune Batch 2015 and the inauguration of the EBMP 3^rd Pune Batch 2016.

Certificate Awarding Ceremony of EBMP 1^st Pune Batch

Amidst a lot of euphoria and celebration, IGTC hosted the grand Certificate Awarding Ceremony for the 1^st Pune EBMP Batch 2015 at the Poolside of the Courtyard Marriott, Pune City Centre.

The year 2015, wherein IGTC committed itself to bring world-class learning and knowledge building to Pune, had flown by.  After 26 weekends of painstaking effort, hard-work and sacrifices of family life, it was a delight to witness the emotional journey of the 45 managers, as they stood tall amidst their professional network, filled with a sense of pride and accomplishment, while they received their certificate

The formal event commenced with Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce extending a warm welcome to the talented gathering of professionals comprising of business heads from the organisations, the EBMP participants of all three batches in Pune and their families.  He remarked, “2016 is a very special year as the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce completes 60 years and IGTC completes 25 years of existence in India.  When I see the development of our training activities in India over these 25 years, the growth has been exponential and we just have to continue the graph.  We are happy for our member companies, because we do something that they need.  If our members like our services, there is nothing like it.”

Chief Guest of the evening, Mr. Roland Folger, MD and CEO of Mercedes Benz India endorsed, “I’m very impressed today to see the level of engagement, networking, emotional ties that have been created in this programme, the team spirit displayed by the participants and their dedication to make time for this programme.  I am very proud of our team of 16 people who have gone through this programme.  The one that have finished are so overwhelming motivated and engaged, and I think that this is the spark that also jump over to the participants that will join from now on!

Mr. Umesh Nagarajaiah, MD of Bosch Chassis Systems India shared, “The feedback that I got from my company participants that the whole programme covered the basics very well, explicitly, with clear examples and case studies.  The collaborative work that you have done together on your projects really speaks volumes that the course that brought about a change in you.” Further, he emphasised that knowledge is useless if it does not lead to action.  He urged them to sustain the change that they have undergone, to be agile, and to inculcate focus and passion in their daily lives, as that is what will take them places.

Dr. PKC Bose, VC and MD of Saertex India shared a high-spirited video presentation on the thought ‘Finish Strong’.  In his speech, he quoted, “Being an alumni of IGTC is big.  Going forward build your capabilities with focus, commitment, consistency & communication to gear up for the changing business scenario.”

The same joy and excitement resonated in the speeches given by the managers who were a part of the programme.  In a heartfelt speech, Amit Talreja, Senior Manager – Finance & Controlling, Brose India Automotive Systems took everyone back to their journey of the year gone by.  Filled with gratitude, Amit spoke highly about the programme and said that the practical approach in teaching gave them the direction to move forward.  “Approachability, ability to listen and flexibility to adapt were some of key learnings at IGTC.  It helped us to imbibe how structured we should be, how practical and grounded we should be, and how we can shape your career based on the knowledge that we have gained.”

Shashidhar Pasupulati, Lead Product Manager from Bosch Limited narrated the transition that they experienced through the programme, “Over the course of time we realised that we were turning into CEOs. Though we all came from different backgrounds such as Finance, Sales, Operations, today we all speak the same language. We have started to think out-of-the-box and now we know much more about the business ecosystem”.

Shweta Singh, Senior Manager from Mercedes Benz presented the work of her team on their final business project plan on ‘Bonded Warehousing’.  This was the best project as judged by the panel of IGTC faculty.  She recalled, “All the faculty were so unique that I remained motivated throughout the journey to know what more is coming my way.  Their method of sharing practical knowledge and their experiences is what makes the course so special.”

Sameer Surani, Manager-Sales from Mercedes Benz India was specially invited and applauded for his 100% attendance through the programme. Ms. Piyusha Jagtap, daughter of Mr. Sudhir Jagtap, General Manager from Bosch Chassis India also shared a few words of happiness on her father’s success.

What echoed through all their speeches was great gratitude towards the exceptional faculty and unconditional support from their family members.  The certificates were distributed among non-stop cheer and applause.  Finally, Mr. Zubin Kabraji, Regional Director of Indo-German Chamber of Commerce raised the Vote of Thanks to all the dignitaries, company members, esteemed faculty of IGTC, EBMP participants and their family members for their presence.

Off the dais, Dr. Harkant Mankad, Faculty, Managerial Economics quoted “I found the Pune EBMP Batch very vibrant and competent, and clearly one of the better batches that I have taught, not only at IGTC but across business schools, nationally and internationally, where I have been teaching!”

Elated participants shared a great time celebrating the special evening with their colleagues and carried the precious memories on the journey forward.  To conclude, within one year, the IGTC programme has been an astounding success, far exceeding the expectations of the industry with 125 participants taking the course and 32 companies now partnering in this initiative.  For Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC and the entire IGTC team, it was an evening of great satisfaction as they had somehow been instrumental in changing another set of 45 lives toward a better future, and that is all that mattered!

Inauguration of EBMP 3^rd Pune Batch

IGTC inaugurated its EBMP 3^rd Pune Batch 2016 with a record 50 participants.

Due to positive feedback from their existing employees, organisations such as Bosch Limited, Brose India Automotive Systems Pvt. Ltd., INA Bearings India Pvt. Ltd., Knorr-Bremse Technology Centre India Pvt. Ltd., Mercedes Benz India Pvt. Ltd., Puja Fluid Seals Pvt. Ltd., Thyssenkrupp Industries India Pvt. Ltd., Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. & Wirtgen India Pvt. Ltd. continued to endorse the programme by nominating more employees.

Some new companies such as Erwin Junker, Garlock India Private Ltd., iHome Furniture Pvt. Ltd., Kendrion (Pune) Pvt. Ltd., Nederman India Pvt. Ltd., Pitre Business Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Softech Controls Pvt. Ltd. &Vulkan Technologies Pvt. Ltd. also chose to join the initiative and take advantage of this executive programme for further training of their managers.

IGTC team and faculty welcomed the new participants as they embarked on this one-year journey of appreciation of various business functions.

Performance Evaluation and Compensation – Relevance of the Bell Curve

Another eventful year came to an end for the Indo-German HR Partner Forum, with the final meeting being hosted by Siemens at their R&D Building of their Kalwa Plant on 3rd November 2015. The topic, most relevant and apt around every year-end, was “Performance Evaluation and Compensation – Relevance of the Bell Curve”.

It was a well-attended session with Senior HR Professionals from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd., BASF Group, Bayer Group, Bharat Forge, Bosch Group, Evonik India, Häfele India, LANXESS India, Mercedes-Benz India, Schaeffler India, Siemens Ltd., TÜV India, Volkswagen India, Wacker Chemie India were present at the meeting.

Two well-renowned consulting companies – Hay Group and Towers Watson – set the agenda for the day by sharing industry practices in the implementation of the bell curve. Thereafter, the hosts Mr. Ramesh Shankar, Executive Vice-President – Human Resources and Mr. Rupesh Basu, Head – Talent Acquisition, Human Resources shared Siemens’ practices, approach and experiences via a presentation. This was followed by a presentation on Bosch’s “Past, Present and Future” by Ms. Pallavi Shastri, General Manager – HR.

The most debated area to which the partners sought insight from each other was the availability of an alternative, effective system that can measure performance.

Post lunch, the group was taken on a factory tour of Siemens’ Transformer unit which was a fascinating experience for one and all especially for those from the automobile industry!

As IGTC nears its 25 years of excellence, a lot of things have changed. But one thing that has not changed since inception, is the endeavour to give a new flavour to classroom learnings. To aid the same and as a highlight of the New Year, IGTC unfurls a lecture series on “Best Practices in German Organisations”. With real corporate stories coming straight from industry leaders now holding distinguished positions within their organisations, the series for Batch 2014 – 2016 has helped the students to connect classroom theories to real time industry practices.

Where books that stand tall on the library shelves speak volumes of knowledge, industry experts speak of applied knowledge.  This lecture series is therefore piloted by senior managers from our partnering training organisations to give the students a real-world view of Best Practices within different areas of an organisation.

The series is conducted over September and October 2015. Following are some of the key speakers:

Nurturing Talent for Leadership

Ms. Sujatha Patel, Senior Vice-President, Human Resources, ThyssenKrupp India

While most companies today wish to hire an individual for his/her core competency, there are a few who would also like to base their selection on moral values of the individual. A session on Moral Leadership was a complete eye-opener for the students. Ms. Sujata Patel brought back students’ attention to core values that drive individual decisions. The idea was communicated positively by pasting posters of famous leaders on the classroom walls, understanding and questioning leadership at workplace driven by a highly interactive session. The class was filled with positive energy to learn and lead in the future.

Supply Chain Management

Ms. Jane Nazareth, Head Logistics & Factory Supplies- South Asia Clusture, Siemens Ltd. and Alumni Batch 1996 – 1998

Industry today has experienced a great shift in product availability. With emphasis on building a strong SCM network, companies have gained an edge over others. Ms Jane Nazareth facilitated an engaging session that highlighted important factors in planning a supply chain route. She covered technical aspects such as capping the cost, geographies and concept of “TOCO” or Total Cost. She also described the need of shift from ‘price based’ to ‘value based’ buying mentality in SCM. She ended the session by educating the students on how to deal with uncertainties in SCM.

Sales Force Automation and Change Management

Mr. K.S. Harish, Country Group HR Head, South Asia, Bayer Group

Change is a given in any environment within which a company operates, in this session students learnt about how to leverage it for company’s best. Mr. Harish took the students through the Bayer Value Chain – from seed to harvest and made them revisit their childhood images of a farmer and a postman.  He conveyed that success depends upon developing new age competencies and that data synthesis is the step towards innovation and differentiation. He also put forth a viewpoint that biggest resistant to change are people but communication and building trust amongst them can facilitate it.

Organisational Excellence

Mr. Georg Sparschuh, President, SCHOTT Glass India

A session conducted by a German Speaker, was a different experience for the IGTCians. Having worked in German companies, in close association with structured German systems, Mr. Sparschuh’s session led the students by example. With his vast experience and enormous international exposure, he portrayed to the students a great example of excellence, hard work and dedication. Students appreciated his brilliant style of presenting the topic and enthusiasm with which he interacted with the entire class.

Careers in the General Insurance Industry

Mr. Saptarshi Bhattacharya, Head-Talent Acquisition & HR Analytics, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company

The students were really impressed with Mr. Saptarshi’s presentation who was one of the youngest leader to address this lecture series. His session set the tone for industry expectations for a candidate in a General Insurance industry. His knowledge about the Insurance Sector was immense and was well received by the students.  He also played a video on how Bajaj Allianz made a difference to the lives of J&K flood victims in times of crisis and helped them to understand the importance of crisis management.

Role of Communication

Ms. Ramya Rajagopalan, Head Communications and Government Affairs, Siemens Ltd.

‘The communications team is the custodian of the reputation of the company’

Corporate Communications is a fairly nascent and comparatively lesser known function in the Indian industry. The students gained a lot of value and perspective about the function and its peculiarities from the interactive session.  The discussion on current brands in crisis as well as relation of campaigns such as ‘Customer First’ & ‘1:16’ which have been implemented at Siemens India Ltd. ensured the concepts were understood in a practical light. This synced well with the theoretical & practical method of learning at IGTC.

Excel based Data Processing and Analysis

Mr. Jaywant Yewale, Assistant Manager- MIS, B|Braun Medical India

The insights and expertise in the field of MIS and MS Excel helped the students get better knowledge of the field and broaden their horizon. The shortcuts as well as concepts of Filter, If, VLOOKUP and Pivot Table will aid them in their corporate life. The class unanimously appreciated the ease with which the concepts were explained and the simplicity in the manner it was delivered.

Compliance and Legal

Ms. Raelene Anto, Senior Manager, Law and Compliance, Bayer Group

Compliance, its importance, the pillars, potential risk factors and the legalities was explained through a case study which was an effective way to grasp these important concepts for the students. The learnings regarding compliance at our work place will guide the students to be successful and proficient professionals.

Talent Acquisition and Performance Appraisal

Mr. Rupesh Basu, Chief Manager – Human Resources, Siemens Ltd.

Performance Appraisal is an important aspect of one’s career. As the students gear up to join the corporate world, appraisals will be the basis of their progress as well as a gauge of their learning which was effectively highlighted by Mr. Rupesh Basu. He pointed out important aspects for a student such as need to know what to expect out of a review with your manager as it makes the objective clearer; career anchor exercise conducted gave the student a clearer picture of which functional department they are looking at. Mock interviews were conducted to gain a perspective on how to present and showcase one’s candidature. What the students learnt will go a long way not only in their present functional capacity but also when they conduct appraisals.

Sales and Marketing

Mr. Ankush Sane, Senior Manager, Sales and Marketing, Automotive Aftermarket, Bosch Limited

Mr. Yashovardhan Bichu, Territory Manager, Sales and Marketing, Automotive Aftermarket, Bosch Limited and Alumni Batch 2011 – 2013

Bosch values, ethics and work culture were seamlessly explained by means of various real life case studies. The Bosch Distribution Model and its functioning at Pan India level was extremely interesting for the students to understand. The encouragement and education given to new employees as well customers (both distributors and retailers) with the Sales Force Academy and with effective online tools respectively was outstanding. As stated by the German Chancellor Ms. Angela Merkel: ‘Researchers here in Germany are probably wonderful and great, but those in India are quite creative and innovative.’ This fascinates the students to look forward to Bosch Limited as the most admired company in India.

“The ‘Best Practices Series in German Organisations’ has been the most interactive sessions at IGTC. We got an opportunity to listen to industry experts about real life examples in their organisations and how they dealt with crisis situations. It was also inspiring to see how leaders have paved their way in the industry. We are thankful to the management at IGTC and industry speakers for their insights.”

– Aakanksha Varude, trainee with Bosch Automotive Electronics India

“The series was truly an enlightening one. It gave us the knowledge and exposure of the key people in various industries. An important insight which we got from the series is that many companies are proactively driving change management in their organisation. To be the best in the organisation today, one need to create a sound strategy. We need to focus, create value, and develop a vision and mission with core values in place. There is a lot of focus on working in synchronization and building interpersonal skills. In a nutshell, we have learnt a lot and are now inspired to lead.”

– Richa, trainee with SCHOTT Glass India

For the 5th time, BASF India conducted the seminar series in collaboration with IGTC in order to promote good governance practices among the student community. The objective of the seminar series is to sensitize and prepare the youth to emerge as responsible corporate citizens.

Dr. Raman Ramachandran, Head South Asia, Chairman & Managing Director, BASF India at the inauguration lecture highlighted that values must not only be accepted but truly believed and practiced by all the employees of the company.

Other lectures were conducted by senior BASF managers whom train students on all practical aspects of governance and ethical issues in different functional areas such as Procurement, Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Sustainability and CSR.

Beating the market blues, final placements for the PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015 at Indo-German Training Centre made an incredible beginning with many students being absorbed by their training organizations and the remaining students finding their match through the Open Placement Process which commenced in January 2015.

Multinational organizations such as Amazon, B Braun Medical India, Baja Aliianz General Insurance Co., Barry-Wehmiller International Resources, BASF Group, Bayer Group, Bosch Group, Electro Mech Material Handling Systems Pvt. Ltd., Fuchs Lubricants India, Habasit Iakoka Pvt. Ltd., Mercedes-Benz India, Neilsoft Limited, Nepa India, Schaeffler Group, Siemens, Steinbach & Partner, Urban Ladder and Wacker Metroark are the key recruiting partners at IGTC till date.

Nishita Naidu, the first from the batch to receive a pre-placement offer from her training company – Archroma India Pvt. Ltd. expresses “Success occurs when opportunity meets preparations – This stands true for every IGTC student. At IGTC we are prepared to take on every knocking opportunity or challenge and are able to turn them into success stories. The course is structured in such a way that every student gets to experience the best of both worlds that is in terms of faculty and industry exposure through the 3 stints at the assigned training company. Being the first to be placed just after my second stint, I believe, this has been possible only because of how the German Dual System has been structured and how it help us mold as individuals.”

Shreya Venkatraman ecstatic to join her dream company states, “BASF – IGTC – BASF, life has come a full circle. IGTC with its holistic general management programme has paved a path for me that helped me start a career in the largest chemical company. The value addition, knowledge and experience gained in IGTC is colossal. The Dual Education System has instilled immense confidence in me to face the rigorous work environment. The institute ensures that individual attention is paid to each student and ensures that they achieve a 100% placement record. IGTC was one of the best decisions I made in my life and I am proud of it.”

As always, Bosch Group created a big bang at IGTC, recruiting five students. Melissa Pinto overwhelmed to be called Senior Engineer at Bosch Automotive Electronics India says, “I have learnt numerous things through my 18 months journey at IGTC, be it through the several projects that I undertook or through the knowledge and experiences that our faculty share. The concept of the German Dual Education System at IGTC is something that is truly unique. Implementing my learnings from each phase at my interning company, Bosch Automotive gave me a better understanding of the theoretical concepts while gaining industry experience. The 3 stints of practical training through cross functional departments gave me the exposure to various departments and enabled me to better understand my true area of interest. After being placed in Bosch Automotive Electronics, today I can proudly say that I am living my dream!!”

A very happy Parikshit Sangvikar, Sales Executive, Neilsoft Limited says, “This year’s placement session was initiated with Neilsoft Limited, Bosch Group and Siemens coming in the first week to our campus. I cracked the Neilsoft intensive recruitment process which was a great learning experience for me. Post my placement, we volunteered to help and support our batch mates by means of mock interviews which would give them edge to crack forthcoming interview processes.”

Aayush Jain delighted to be absorbed by his training organization quotes, “I had a very great experience during my journey as an intern at Schaeffler India. The experience I got during my training really helped me to crack the rigorous selection process at Schaeffler India. I am grateful to my mentors for giving me excellent opportunities to work on live projects during internship stints. This has boosted up confidence in me with unique experience of working with world class companies. Honestly, IGTC has helped me to carve a path with full determination so that I can start my career with a strong organization like Schaeffler India and fulfill my dreams.”

Harshad Despande of Electro Mech Material Handling Systems Pvt. Ltd. says, “Before joining IGTC, I was working with Electro Mech Material Handling Systems Pvt. Ltd. as a Sales Engineer. In my tenure there I realized the need to be better equipped so as to understand the intricacies of the business and address the concerns raised by customers in a better way. IGTC offered exactly that – An exhaustive General Management Curriculum with an opportunity to apply the learning in reputed German organizations. I was given an opportunity to intern with Mercedes-Benz India, which culminated into a great learning experience. At IGTC we were trained by not just academicians but also industry experts. Hence in the true sense of it, I was trained by the best! Mr. Tushar Mehendale, Managing Director, Electro Mech Material Handling Systems Pvt. Ltd., realized the value IGTC adds to its students. Keeping that in mind, he considered me for the post of International Business Development – Kenya. I cannot thank IGTC enough for this opportunity.”

Alok Badamikar, now Manager – After Sales at Mercedes-Benz India adds “Dream come true: is very small a quote to express the feeling which I went through when my final placement happened in my training company which is – ‘The best or nothing’, Mercedes-Benz India. Working for the three pointed star is the ultimate dream of an auto fanatic mechanical engineer willing to pursue a career in the automotive industry. The platform at IGTC gave me an opportunity, guided me, trained me and made me worthy enough to pursue a career at Mercedes-Benz India. I am thankful to the every single moment of the 18-month journey that I have spent as the student of IGTC Mumbai. I was and will always be a proud to be an IGTCian!”

IGTC is extremely grateful to the industry, faculty, alumni and all others who were involved in making the Placement Process a resounding success. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC is satisfied that challenging roles and positions were offered this year to the students which endorsed the fact that IGTC is the platform for excellence and quality in management training.

On 22^nd January, 2016 IGTC hosted a delegation from the city of Karlsruhe, Germany.  Mr.Wolfram Jäger, First Mayor of Karlsruhe headed the delegation. He was accompanied by Ms. Andrea Bühler from EnergyForum, Karlsruhe, Ms. Simone Pflieger from Economic Development Department of Karlsruhe, Mr. Daniel Schneider from SMIGHT and Mr. Jochen Ehlgötz from TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe. Ms. Iris Becker along with her team from Lets Bridge IT, the official representative of the City of Karlsruhe in Pune was also present with the delegation.

In the past, IGTC has hosted several delegations from Germany but this one was truly special.  The reason being it was hosted in conjunction with Stephan Schenkel, President, DHBW Karlsruhe, Volker Ihle, Dean of the Business and Engineering programme, DHBW Karlsruhe and their student delegation comprising of 21 young German students, who were undergoing the Business Environment India study programme at IGTC, Mumbai.

Radhieka R Mehta and Stephan Schenkel warmly welcomed the delegation to the collaborative, intercultural bond shared between IGTC and DHBW, while Volker Ihle (who also happens to be the first director of the IGTC when it was started in 1991) recounted history and the establishment of the German Dual Education System in India at IGTC by organisations such as Siemens, Bayer and Bosch.  Following this Mr. Wolfram Jäger presented the wonderful city of Karlsruhe and the ample opportunities that it unfolds for students.

Students of the IGTC Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration from Batch 2014 – 2016, then took the stage to present their alma mater IGTC, its programmes and life@IGTC as management students.  In a well- synchronised English and German presentation, they narrated their stories and their journey of 18 months at IGTC.  “We are proud to imbibe the spirit of working, mit einem Indischen Herz und ein Deutsches Gehirn, with an Indian heart and German Brain” was the unanimous message conveyed by them. They stood as brand ambassadors of future Indo-German relations.

The IGTC and DHBW students then elaborated on their fascinating student exchange programme and expressed their views about visiting and living briefly in both these countries.  It was evident that youth from both countries is increasingly fascinated by the rich heritage and culture of India and German and they are keen to explore education and business opportunities.

IGTC student Surbhi Parekh summed up the entire experience in her words. “The presentation to the Karlsruhe delegation was a prestigious affair. Students at the Indo-German Training Centre had the opportunity to interact with the dignitaries of Karlsruhe & thrill them with the unique dual-education system of Germany, but the Indian way! Abbas & I had the chance to interact with Mr. Wolfram Jäger, the Mayor of Karlsruhe, on various topics like the SmartCity project of Karlsruhe city & the anticipated outcome of Pune as India’s next SmartCity project.”

IGTC has ensured that students are exposed to end number of intercultural and business opportunities within the Indo-German fraternity & beyond. What better learning environment could management students ask for?”

IGCC hosted its 59th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 23, 2015. The meeting was attended by representatives of several hundred companies from the Indo-German business community. The focus of this year’s AGM was “Make in Maharashtra.”

The Chief Guest at the event was Hon’ble Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He spoke at length about the ‘Smart Cities’ as well as the ‘Make in India’ initiatives. He highlighted that Maharashtra is the biggest manufacturing hub in the country which can provide immense investment opportunities and German companies who have big presence in the state can invest more. The Guest of Honour, Dr. Martin Ney, German Ambassador to India said his country is an ideal trading partner for India and assured that strengthening of the Indo-German trade relations will be his priority. Germany can help India generate the clean energy necessary to fuel India’s economic growth, improve its waste management systems and clean the air of polluted cities at the same time, he added.

Dr. Martin Ney, German Ambassador to India visited the Indo-German Training Centre (IGTC) Booth along with Mr. Michael Siebert, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai, Mr. Hubert Reilard, Incoming President of the IGCC & M. D. EFD Induction Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC. In their conversation, Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC highlighted the growing importance of the German Dual Education System in India, the need for skilled training and IGTC’s sustainable model of learning and working with strong German and Indian Multinational organisations.

Dr. Günter Krüger Awards for Excellence was presented to the most outstanding student of the Indo-German Training Centre.  Ms. J Shilpashree recruited by Infineon Technologies – IGTC Bangalore, Ms. Pooja B trained by Frost & Sullivan – IGTC Chennai, Mr. Nisarg Shah trained and recruited by BASF India and Mr. Rohit Pillai trained and recruited by Bosch India – IGTC Mumbai were felicitated – a moment that the trainees will cherish for the rest of their lives.

IGTC students learn to stretch and gain the competitive edge and time management skills by engaging beyond academics. Volunteering and giving back to the society is a subtle, underlying theme within the programme. On the other hand, developing a streak of innovation is also experienced through participation in various simulations, workshops and design thinking training programmes. A respite in their busy schedules is, but obvious, a game of football!

Saturday, 5^th September 2015 – A day which the EBMP Participants Batch 2014 – 2015 will remember and cherish; also a day to dedicate to the extraordinary teachers for their effort in sharing their knowledge through the programme.

Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC extended a warm welcome to the managers and their families. A video depicting the journey of these 21 managers through the one-year programme made the participants recreate their moments of joy, learning and bonding. Dr. Mankad, faculty at IGTC touched the crowd with his viewpoint, ‘The more you know – the more you realise – the less you know.’ Hence, fundamental learning will never end. Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) highlighted the growing importance of training, having an open mind while taking decisions and the need to constantly innovate and stay updated. He congratulated the participants and handed over the certificates to each participant. The Vote of Thanks was proposed by Ms. Veena Kulur, Programme Co-ordinator, IGTC.

IGTC Journey

The Cooperage Ground at Cuffe Parade, Mumbai was echoing with the sounds of delighted cheering and the frequent thuds of the football being kicked on Thursday, 3^rd September 2015. In what turned out to be one our most spectacular days, a hundred and thirty seven students consisting of seniors and juniors along with the IGTC Management Team were in the middle of a full-fledged tournament that had star players, photographers, commentators, cheer leaders and of course, a roaring crowd.

There were two groups in the league stage consisting of four teams each. Each match was for a duration of 5 minutes per half, and two matches went on simultaneously on adjacent grounds. Amid budding fan followings for “stunning footwork” and “brilliant goals”, the team spirit, team bonding and discipline experienced amongst players, student referees and supporters was a key learning that we all took back.

– contributed by Anubhav Deb and Rohit Sathe – PGPBA Batch 2015 – 2017

Suvin Nambiar, trainee with SSI Schaefer International Systems shares his experiences, “I participated in the India Warehousing Show exhibition at Pragati Maidan in Delhi this July, where I got to meet several existing and prospective clients of SSI Schaefer and to discuss with them how SSI Schaefer’s solutions can help with their logistics and supply chain needs. I learnt a lot out of my interaction with the Head of Logistics of Coca Cola, and senior managers of automotive companies such as Honda, Hero and Mercedes-Benz and furniture giant, Ikea. I also learn a lot from enthusiastic entrepreneurs, who shared their visions with a tinge of passion.

My best interaction was with Mr. Xavier Perello Pairada – Asia Pacific Regional Manager, SSI Schaefer International who gave me the overall view of our business in India and enthused in me a passion for warehousing automation.
My key take-aways from this training stint was the knowledge and insights of the logistics industry; understanding our customers; and developing business communication skills. I am truly indebted to Mr. Suunil Dabral, County Head, SSI Schaefer International for his constant support and mentorship.”

Mihir Bhavsar, trainee with Clariant Chemicals India says, “This is a quote my mentor Mr. Raj Khemani, IT Head, Clariant Chemicals India shared with me on the last day of training:
‘An attitude of positive expectation is the mark of superior personality.’ Something so profound that left a lasting impact on me.”

Ketki Sonawane, trainee with Siemens India expresses her leanings, “I was fortunate to be part of the organising team to conduct the first ever Mobility Employee Meet which was held at three locations (Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore) on the same day. My mentor Mr. Pranav Patil, Head-Communications, Building Technologies and Mobility, Siemens India appreciated my contribution.

He shared a piece of advice that he had learnt through his corporate experience – ‘the person sitting in front of you, may be anyone, always knows at least two things better than you. So never underestimate anyone’s knowledge.’

I realised that every person has something unique and so the learning process never ends. I am extremely motivated and look forward to my third phase of internship.”

Aakanksha Varude, trainee with Bosch Automotive Electronics India shares her learnings, “My mentor and guide – Mr.Vinoth K Kumar, Assistant Manager – Production, Bosch Automotive Electronics India time after time kept conveying two things to me,

1.  Always think one step ahead
2.  Always make sure that you consider macro implication of the decisions you make

These two viewpoints have made a big impact on me as a student and as an upcoming manager.”

Vipul Bajaj, trainee with Mercedes-Benz India shares his experiences with his dream company, “I assisted to arrange and manage the first ever MAQ Net event held at the Pune plant wherein all the project managers and quality managers were called to the plant so as to explain to them various aspects to be carried out at all dealerships. I learned the standards and measures to be carried out at any dealerships which is the role and responsibility of the managers and Network Development team. I look forward to my third phase of practical training.”

Surbhi Parekh, trainee with DBOI Global Services expresses her learnings, “My mentor Mr. Kunal Sharma, Manager- Private & Business Clients, DBOI Global Services asked me on my first day at training, ‘What is it that you wish to learn?’ How many mentors do we come across who ask trainees about their preferences? Mr. Sharma helped me chalk out a roadmap with all the areas I wanted to understand and ensured that I receive training for the same from experts within the team. Under the guidance of Mr. Sharma, the training phase evolved to be an enriching experience with greater understanding about the Financial & Banking industry.”

Urvil Matalia, trainee with Bosch India is extremely proud of the feedback received by his mentors. Urvil truly believes in the saying “If you get, give. If you learn, teach.” This he applied in the CSR activities which added to his appreciated work style.

Krishna Saurabh Purohit, trainee with Bosch Automotive Electronics India shared his learnings as follows:

1.   To have a clear clarity of concepts rather than half knowledge
2.   Prepare a proper structure along with timelines for any topic that has been assigned
3.   Importance of punctuality at workplace especially in production will help solve a lot of issues
4.   Team work – the one and only tool to achieve success
5.   Most importantly – ‘Listen to understand rather than listen to reply’

Forum Vora, trainee with Extentia Technologies shares her experience, “I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Umeed Kothavala, CEO, Extentia Technologies. He conveyed a quote – ‘It is important that one should meet people and network; not come to the office to only do their work.’ I found it extremely important and this would help me in the future.”

Venugopal Nair, trainee with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company Limited shares his learnings, “Follow a structure and plan each day in advance so that life becomes structured – these words said by Prof. Fakih Sir is what I followed during my internship stint in my company. Working on this principle along with the support, guidance and evaluation from my mentor Mr. Shyam Sukumar, Zonal Agency Manager, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company and his energy levels drove me to perform beyond my capabilities.”

Jeet Thakur, trainee with Mercedes-Benz India shares his learnings, “Every day, getting a chance to work at my dream company with some of the most talented individuals has truly changed my approach and helped me develop in terms of my skill set and as a person.
I got the best hands-on experience and a platform to apply my marketing knowledge that I gained at the Indo-German Training Centre. The biggest moment of my internship was during my final project review, when my mentor – Mr. Khan, General Manager, Corporate & Specialty Sales, Mercedes-Benz India told me that he was very impressed with my growth and progress and compared it to that of a caterpillar coming out of its cocoon and becoming a butterfly. Getting an opportunity to train with Mercedes-Benz Indiahas truly been a remarkable experience.”