Testimonials

On Thursday, 20^th August 2015 Evonik India hosted the Indo-German HR Partner Forum at Indo-German Training Centre, Churchgate. Senior HR Professionals from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, BASF Group, Bayer Group, Fuchs Lubricants India, Häfele India, Lanxess India, Mercedes-Benz India, Schaeffler Group, Siemens Ltd., Volkswagen India, Wacker Chemie India, Wacker Metroark Chemical were present at the meeting.

This HR Partner Meet revolved around the topic of Talent Management, L&D and Employee Engagement and the key speakers for the day were:

“I look at the IGTC Executive Programme as the fuel that will propel our company, and the individual, to the next level.  The participants from Vedic come from a hard core technical and engineering background, with varying levels of experience.

Based on his experience and maturity to grasp the practicality of all subjects, one of them now acts as a real stakeholder in Vedic.  He is taking steps for the overall good health of the organisation, not only as a SBU Head, but beyond.”

Nirav Sampat, Managing Director, Vedic Pac Systems Pvt. Ltd.

2^nd EBMP Batch (July 2015 – June 2016) inaugurated in Pune 

Due to the overwhelming response of the Executive Business Management Programme in Pune, IGTC was proud to induct another batch of 29 managers into the learning experience on Saturday 11^th July 2015.

The high performing managers are nominated from organisations such as Bosch Chassis Systems, Bosch Limited, Coventya India, Indovance Inc., Knorr-Bremse Technology Centre India, Kurtz Far East, Precison Seals Manufacturing, Puja Fluids Seals, Rittal India, Teradata India, Thyssenkrupp Industries, Volkswagen India and Wirtgen India. They come from diverse functional areas such as Finance, Marketing and Sales, Manufacturing Engineering, Production, Operations & Maintenance, HR and Administration, Customer Quality Management, Automotive Service Solutions and possess diverse work experience ranging from 3 years to 27 years.

Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC welcomed the batch and introduced the speakers for the day. Mr. Zubin Kabraji, Regional Director, IGCC highlighted the role of the Chamber and the growing importance of Vocational Training.  Prof. Sydney Prabhu,Faculty for Principles of Management shared his view on the difference between knowledge and skill, knowledge refers to learning concepts whereas skill refers to the ability of using that information. Prof. Parmeswaran, Faculty for International Finance referred to thesignificance of being internationally sound. The participants of the first batch of the EBMP in Pune shared their experiences and welcomed the new batch to this phase of ‘unlearning, learning and re-learning’.

First reactions and learnings from the programme:

“I thank IGTC for the exciting first 6 days of eye opening, mind opening and extraordinary lectures, experience and knowledge put in front of us. I look forward to learning and applying through the programme” – Niyant Singh, Assistant Manager, IT Security, Volkswagen India

“The induction of this course was facilitated with excellent, energetic professors. Their method of imparting experience and exposure to the real world in terms of managerial responsibilities will definitely equip us to effectively carry out our role.  I was aware about performance being a function of ability and motivation over and over again. Having attended the recent sessions it definitely takes us closer to understanding the ways to align employee motivation, organizational environment and productivity. Looking forward to all upcoming sessions with these extraordinary faculty and batch mates.” – Anil Kedar, Associate Practice Lead– Global Delivery Center, Teradata India

6^th EBMP Batch (July 2015 – July 2016) inaugurated in Mumbai

On Saturday, 25th July 2015, IGTC inaugurated the 6th Batch of the Executive Business Management Programme in Mumbai with 18 managers from BASF India, Batliboi Limited, Bosch Limited, Coating Specialities (I) Ltd., HDFC Ergo General Insurance Company Ltd., LANXESS India Pvt. Ltd., Merck India Ltd., NABARD, Rittal India Private Ltd., Siemens Ltd.

Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC welcomed the batch and highlighted how management is common sense and this programme will help them gain the right knowledge to succeed in the professional world. Prof. Anant Amdekar, Faculty for Business Law emphasised that commitment is extremely important and the time spent during the programme is worth the investment. Participants from preceding EBMP Batch shared their experiences in terms of learnings, knowledge gained from the extraordinary faculty, friendships and bonds developed, and much more. Prof. Sydney Prabhu, Faculty for Principles of Management shared his outlook on knowledge being fragmented and how the programme acts as a facilitator to tie the loose ends together.

The lamp of knowledge was lit to wish all success to the participants. This batch will be engaged from July 2015 – June 2016 on the learning path.

IGTC saw a significant rise in the number of applicants for the unique, industry-driven Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration. The Admission Process was divided into two stages:

Stage I: IGTC Written Test and Group Discussion

Stage II: Personal Interview conducted by Collaborating Training Companies

Based on the Written Test, Group Discussion, Past Academic Performance and Work Experience, applicants are shortlisted for Stage II to meet and interview with Collaborating Training Companies.

The Trainee Selection Process was conducted on 9^th and 10^th June 2015 by senior business and HR heads of the collaborating training companies. Day 1was set aside for collaborating companies looking at technical candidates from various backgrounds such as Electronics, Mechanical, Production, Instrumentation, etc. Day 2 was for the Chemical and IT backgrounds as well as the commercial backgrounds such as B.Com, B.M.S, B.B.A, B.B.M and B.A. It was an enormously unique experience for all the candidates to undergo interviews with their dream companies for selection as a trainee.

IGTC received support from 35 strong German and Indian multinational companies such as Archroma India, B|Braun Medical India, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co., BASF Group, Bayer Group, Bharat Forge, Bosch Automotive Electronics India , Bosch Limited, Brose India Automotive Systems, Claas India, Clariant Chemicals India, DBOI Global Services, DHL Express India, Epcos India, Evonik India, Extentia Technologies, Fuchs Lubricants India, Gold Seal Saar Gummi India, Groz-Beckert Asia, Häfele India, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co., Knorr-Bremse Technology Center, KSB Pumps India, LANXESS India, Mercedes-Benz India, NRB Industrial Bearings, Schaeffler Group, SCHOTT Glass India, Siemens Ltd., Schaefer Systems International, SMS India, Steinbach & Partner, Thyssenkrupp Industries India, TÜV India and Volkswagen India.

Due to the increasing requirements for trainees from the partnering organizations, IGTC Mumbai for the first has increased capacity to take two batches of students for the PGPBA Batch 2015 – 2017. Overall the process went smooth and the most deserving students found their matches with their dream companies.

Senior Representatives share feedback on the IGTC Trainee Selection Process 2015:

“Participation in the IGTC selection process has exposed us to understanding the pool of talented students and the potential that we have in the future. The process was conducted flawlessly”
– Dhiraj Rathod, Human Resource, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
– Aditya Kakode, Human Resource, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance

“The Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration is an excellent value oriented initiative which will bridge the gap between education and practical industrial realities. The German Dual System helps to create opportunities for students to get hands on training and multi-dimensional aspects of functions which will guide them to pave his/her career in the right path”
– Nandkumar Khopade, Human Resource, Brose India Automotive Systems
– Mayur Bhadkamkar, Operations, Brose India Automotive Systems

“The content and intent of the PGPBA course is good in view of putting theory into practice. It’s a unique experience to meet so many different candidates from diverse backgrounds and expectations.”
– Nitin S. Gawhane, Human Resource, Thyssenkrupp Industries India

On Monday, 2^nd March 2015 marked an end to an eventful and exciting 18-month journey for 51 students and also at the same time marked a beginning of a world full of opportunities and experiences for these 51 Graduating Students of the Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration (PGPBA). The Taj Land Ends, Bandra played the perfect venue, filled with radiance and spirit of accomplishment complimented with the presence of proud parentsand distinguished guests from industry and academia to support and applaud the achievement of these bright sparks.

Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries on the dais. He started off on a humorous note by stating that we all are influenced deeply by German standards which shows as the event started perfectly on time as planned.  He enlightened the audience by saying that if one types Allianz on Google, the first thing that pops up is ‘skilling’ which is an important of tool education. He also appreciated the work done by Bajaj Allianz in the field of skilled training.

Mr. Tapan Singhel, President, IGCC and Managing Director and CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company stood by the opinion on skilled training and stated that after these 18 months of theoretical learning at IGTC interspersed with practical training at an assigned German organization surely prepares the students for the industry. The German Dual System has time and again proved this by grooming students to be readily employable in the practical world.

Alok Badamikar and Neha Kuriakose, IGTC students addressed the audience with great vigor and confidence. They described IGTC as a school for unlearning, learning and relearning. They began their speech by defining some of the most commonly used concepts such as management, team work, friendship and love through their experiences at IGTC.  They explained that the course was always on a high note right from the induction week up to the submission of their capstone projects. They recalled how this 18-month journey was innovative, full of visions, warmth, relationship, belief, faith, rare and much more. The entire spirit of IGTC lies in the way everyone helps each other come what may. They ended their speech by thanking the IGTC management and dedicating a small visual of their cherished moments at the training centre.

Alok and Neha, IGTC Graduating Students, PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015 deliver their Graduation speech

Mr. Hariharan M., Academic Faculty for Strategic Cost Management at IGTC, advised the graduating batch with three important lessons:

• Even if the course is over, the learning never gets over and it is continuous
• Never forget to chase your dreams and keep your goals in sync with your passion
• Never blame anything on others and introspect

He was of the view that Google today blocks learning as information seeking is extremely easy but what is important is the journey to find this information. He concluded by conveying to the young professionals that the world is waiting for them.

Mr. Santanu Ghoshal, Vice President, Human Resources, Schaeffler India believed in the fact that business education has evolved in India and is still evolving at a faster pace. Industry is compliance oriented and no deviations are entertained. He praised the IGTC’s course by saying that the three different training projects add strength to the students’ knowledge. He advised the students to learn aggressively, never fail to experiment and mainly never fail to fail. He ended his speech by saying that, ‘Price of not acting in a situation is much more than acting and failing.’

Mr. Santanu Ghoshal, Schaeffler India expresses his thoughts on business education in India

The Guest of Honour, Mr. Michael Siebert, Consul General, German Consulate General in Mumbai, lauded the students on their achievements and highlighted the importance of Indo-German careers in a student’s life. He threw light on the upcoming industrial fair at Hannover, Germany where India is the partner country and visualized India-Germany relations at a new high.

Mr. Michael Siebert, Consul General, German Consulate General in Mumbai highlights the importance of Indo-German careers for a student

Chief Guest, Mr. Richard van der Merwe, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Bayer Group in India greeted the crowd with a warm “Namaste” and congratulated the students, their families and IGTC for their efforts and diligence. He strongly advocated that the students must protect their voice, their spirit, their values and their perseverance in the competitive corporate world and not be intimidated by others. He also reminded the student that now that they have graduated there is no room for excuses. He went on to advice the students to follow their hearts, to stop worrying, continue to learn every day, be creative and challenge the status quo. He ended on a lighter note saying, college days are wonderful but things will only get better from here and that this is not end but only a beginning.

Mr. Richard van der Merwe, Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Bayer Group congratulated the students and IGTC for their efforts

The speeches were followed by the highly awaited certificate distribution ceremony. Breaking the trend of the previous years, the students of the Graduating Batch decided to talk of each and every fellow batch mate as they came up to collect their awards and certificates. Each student was also presented a customized crystal plaque as a souvenir from the IGTC along with their certificate. The Bayer Scholarships of Rs. 50,000/- each to three students was awarded to Alok Badamikar, Neha Kuriakose and Ruchika Natrajan. Dr. Raman Ramachandran, Chairman & Managing Director, BASF India Limited presented the award for the BASF Corporate Governance and Business Ethics Seminar Series to Alok Badamikar who also was the Bayer Scholarship recipient. Like every year, it was tough to decide the best performing student of the batch, hence for the first time IGTC Mumbai had two Dr. Günter Krüger Award for Excellence which were awarded to Rohit Pillai and Nisarg Shah.

Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, Indo-German Training Centre proposed the Vote of Thanks to all the dignitaries, corporate guests and proud parents for their presence and support.She conveyed her sincere appreciation to the management of all participating companies, who have been training partners and final recruiters for the PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015. Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC gave gif

Finally, post a formal group photograph, now it was time for the fresh graduates to partake in the quintessential hat-toss ceremony, cheering each other and soaring their hats as high as their aspirations. Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC left a last message for the young graduates, “Say goodbye to the comfortable and secure life within IGTC. Get ready to march to the beat of the business world! Raise a banner….. where a banner never flew.”

– Contributed by Aakanksha Varude, Neha Joshi and Richa Kumar – PGPBA Batch 2014 – 2016

On Tuesday, 10th February 2015 was a significant start to the year for the Indo-German HR Partner Forum as over 40 senior HR Partners from Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co. Ltd., BASF Group, Bosch Group, Brose India Automotive Systems, Evonik India, Häfele India, HDFC Ergo General Insurance, KSB Pumps, Mercedes-Benz India, Merck Group, Schaeffler Group, Siemens Ltd., TÜV India, Wacker Chemie India and Wacker Metroark Chemicals were a part of this meet.

The meeting was hosted by Volkswagen India at their Pune Plant and the topic of the day was ‘Labour Relations including Contract Labour’. The day began with a warm welcome extended to all the HR Partners by Mr. Peter Raussendorf, Executive Director – Human Resources, Volkswagen India. Mr. Akash Sangole, Human Resources, Volkswagen India made a detailed presentation about Volkswagen India, its operations, Mach 18 – global strategy that is followed with an emphasis on the activities done with respect to Contract Labour. The Union President of Volkswagen was also invited to speak on the objectives of the union and the support that they are provided with by the organization.

Mr. Arvind Kshotri, Option Positive – an expert on Labour Relations expressed his findings about the importance of synchronization between management and the union to be progressive so as to obtain prosperity for the organization. On special request, a slot was provided for a presentation on Vocational Education and Training Network (VETnet) – an initiative by the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and supported by the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK). Mr. Zubin Kabraji, Regional Director, IGCC and Ms. Judith Evers, Manager DE international Services, IGCC emphasized that the youth unemployment rate in Germany is lowest as compared to any other European country solely due to the German Dual Education System. Owing to this success the IGCC aims to start their pilot project from March 2015 which is a 3 months basic course in metal working based on German curriculum.

Following this interactive discussion, Mr. Chaitanya Halbe, Corporate Communications, Volkswagen guided the HR Partners through the plant tour in his own flamboyant style. This was complemented by allowing the HR Partners to sit through the rigorous but safe test drive to have an experience of one aspect of the quality check. Post lunch, detailed presentations were made by Ms. Pallavi Shastri, Human Resources, Bosch Group and Mr. Abhay Waikar, Head of Employee Relations, BASF Group with respect to the main theme of the day – ‘Labour Relations including Contract Labour’. At the end of the day, the need of the hour for all the HR Partners was to form a working group that could work in tandem about the details and intricacies of the extremely large and important topic of Contract Labour and Industrial Relations.

On behalf of the Indo-German HR Partner Forum, Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, Indo-German Training Centre proposed the Vote of Thanks and a group photograph was taken. The day ended with an icing on the cake which was – Motor Sport Stunts performed by professionals and this was not all, they allowed the HR Partners to not only view this extravagant and impressive session but also sit next to the driver and experience the thrill themselves. The entire day was exceptionally organized by Volkswagen Human Resources team in terms of hospitality and left an impact of Volkswagen being a truly customer sensitive organization.

On Friday, 23^rd January 2015, IGTC was proud to host two eminent personalities: Peter Friedrich, Minister for the Bundesrat, Europe and International Affairs of the State of Baden-Württemberg, Germany and Fritz Kuhn, Oberbürgermeister (Lord Mayor), Stuttgart and the accompanying business delegates to talk about IGTC, the German Dual System and its growing importance.

Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC welcomed the delegation by laying emphasis on India as a growing economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative ‘Make in India’ and importance of skilled training in India. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC elaborated on the vocational training initiatives of the chamber such as the VETnet project and Eurem (Energy Efficiency Solutions) as well as the training programmes at IGTC. She handed over the presentation to the students of PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015 to take the audience through their journey of the full time 18 month Post Graduate Programme in Business Administration (PGPBA) and their experiences and learnings from the programme.

The detailed presentation by the students was interactive, interspersed with German words to add to the enriching experience.

Here is what some students have to say about their experience after presenting to such esteemed luminaries:

“Throughout the 45 minute presentation, we regaled the delegation with our experiences and told them about how IGTC has helped us achieve our professional goals through the programme. The delegation was thoroughly impressed with our experiences, so much so that each member of the delegation personally expressed their appreciation to all the students who presented and had brief interactions with each one of us. Such opportunities to present to esteemed dignitaries is what gives us the confidence and the motivation to expand our professional horizons and achieve much more.” – Rohit Pillai, PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015

“When we started our presentation, each one them looked extremely interested in what we are sharing. The idea of including German one liners worked out very well as they seemed to really enjoy the unexpected surprise. We proudly presented in front of them about our individual assignments and we were literally showered with praises after the end of the presentation. Every delegate made it a point to come to us and compliment us on some of the aspects of our presentation. The experience of presenting in front of them was extremely interesting and motivating for all of us. Towards the end of the last phase, the success of this presentation was in a way certificate for all of us that we are ready for the industries. Thanks to IGTC!” – Alok Badamikar, PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015

Indo-German Training Centre welcomed the third group of 23 students from the Duale Hochschule Baden- Württemberg (DHBW), Karlsruhe for their well-established Intensive Study Programme “Business Environment India” from 3^rdto 15^th January 2015. The delegation was led by Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Schäfer, Head of Department – Management in Commerce, DHBW Karlsruhe and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eric Zimmerman, Head of Department – Business Administration and Engineering, DHBW Karlsruhe.

Their 13 day schedule was meticulously planned to keep a varied mix of lectures, industrial visits and cultural sight-seeing.  The delegation was formally inaugurated at IGTC by Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC who also gave the students an orientation of the city and what to expect in this city that never sleeps – Mumbai! Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC welcomed the delegation of young students and took the opportunity to give them insights on economic ties between India and Germany and emphasised on the new initiative by the Prime Minister of India – Narendra Modi called ‘Make in India’.

The lectures at IGTC included an Overview of the Logistics Industry in India with a live demonstration of the famous Dabbawalla system in Mumbai; an Overview of the Economic, Political and Cultural Environment in India and an interactive lecture on the Retail Industry in India with a guided tour to the traditional, wholesale Crawford Market and the hi-end, retail Hi-Street Phoenix and Palladium Mall.

The industrial visits to German and Indian companies such as Tata Motors, Pune and Volkswagen, Pune was fascinating for the students as they could understand and compare how an Indian automobile organization functions as compared to the German organization. The visit to Siemens, Worli was interesting as the students learned about Siemens operations in India and their involvement tin Corporate Social Responsibility. Tech Mahindra– an IT Services company that provides end-to-end CRM solutions for the people in the UK, Ireland and Australia imparted the students with knowledge about the massive IT sector and their operations. At the upcoming, luxurious, residential project “The Park” of the Lodha Group, the students gained a first-hand experience of seeing Indian labourers working on a construction site. This was followed by a visit to the legendary ACC Cement House, which is an energy-efficient, environment-friendly building.

The cultural visits included a visit to Dharavi – Asia’s largest slumwherethe students were amazed to see the workshops of tanning of leather, the recycling of plastic containers, the making of garments, etc. which dispelled all notions of Dharavi being a place of misery. An excursion to Matheran, Asia’s only automobile-free hill stationgave the students a different aspect as compared to the traffic and constant buzz in the city. The travel to Alibag, a coastal town in Raigad District by ferry was spectacular with the sea gulls flying as close as possible.

After the 13 day programme, final presentations at IGTC were made by the students on topics such as Opportunities and risks for German companies in India in the field of Marketing – Distribution and Communication; Products, Brands and Quality; Human Resources – German employees and Indian employees and in the field of Logistics. Followed by a farewell dinner at The Village – an Indian themed restaurant, where the students danced to Indian songs and enjoyed their Indian meal.

This is what some German students had to say about their trip to India:

“The exchange programme enriched my personal as well as my professional life. Exchanging views with Indian students on culture, economy and business has widened my horizon. The programme gave us the opportunity to receive an insight into everyday life and to experience the business environment in India. Thanks to a varied programme, organized by IGTC and the Indian hospitality, our stay was a unique one.” – Anika Sedlacek, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg

“The programme is a great opportunity to learn a lot about the Indian culture, people and business in India. It gives a comprehensive overview in a short time and you will learn a lot during your time in India. Besides that you can meet a lot of new people and have a lot of fun with the other participants and the IGTC students.” – Paulina Kreutel, Witzenmann GmbH

On 9th January 2015, the Indo-German Training Centre achieved a new milestone by launching its One-Year Executive Business Management Programme in Pune.  The first batch comprises of 46 managers, nominated by leading German companies in Pune such as Bosch Chassis Systems India Ltd., Bosch Ltd., Brose India Automotive Systems Pvt. Ltd., Flux Pumps India Pvt. Ltd., Fristam Pumps (I) Pvt. Ltd., INA Bearings India Pvt. Ltd., KSB Pumps Ltd., Maharashtra Multi Distributors Ltd., Mercedes Benz India Pvt. Ltd., Terragni Consulting Pvt. Ltd., Vedic Pac Systems Pvt Ltd., Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. and Wirtgen India Pvt. Ltd.

The inauguration was done by Mr. Tapan Singhel – President, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and Managing Director and CEO, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co in the presence of Mr. Michael Ott, Deputy Consul General, German Consulate General, Mr. Devdutta Chandavarkar, Vice President-After-Sales and Retail Training, Mercedes Benz India and Mr. Peter Raussendorf, Executive Director-Human Resources, Volkswagen India, who attended as Special Guests on the Dais.  Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC, Mr. Zubin Kabraji, Regional Director, IGCC and Ms. Radhieka R Mehta, Director, IGTC hosted the event.  The audience comprised of the EBMP participants along with senior HR and Business Heads of all sponsoring companies and some faculty members.

As a special part of the agenda, Mr. Amit Rane, Head of Quality Assurance Components at Volkswagen India relived his past experience as an IGTC EBMP participant of Mumbai Batch 2010-2011 and shared his career growth thereof.  Dr. Harkant Mankad, Academic Faculty at IGTC also welcomed the incoming participants to the learning path.  It was a lovely evening filled with enthusiasm and aspirations for the year ahead.

Lectures on Managerial Economics began on the weekend of 10th and 11th January 2015.  The vibrant batch looks forward to their learning journey on the note, “The capacity to learn is a gift, the ability to learn is a skill, the willingness to learn is a choice!”

Partner University – Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) hosted the second group of 25 IGTC students from 5^th October 2014 to 17^th October 2014 in Karlsruhe, Germany. The 13 day programme was meticulously planned by DHBW faculty – Prof. Volker Ihle, Head of Department Business Administration and Engineering, International Coordinator; Prof. Peter J. Lehmeier, Head of Department Business Administration; Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Schäfer, Head of Department, Business Administration, Management in Commerce and Ms. Birgit Schlenker, University Communication, Events and Project.

This student exchange programme helped the IGTC students gain from diverse experiences, understand cultural boundaries and create memories and friendships that transcend the boundaries of distance and time.

Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Senior Project Manager at Siemens AG gave a lecture on Project Management that covered pros and cons of investment decision, external and internal factors, cost of project, crisis management, feasibility and more. He truly was an expert as he has successfully completed projects for Siemens in the most unique and toughest of conditions.  A discussion on Tata Interactive Systems was conducted by Mr. Saurabh Mittal, Managing Director Germany, Tata Interactive Systems in which he highlighted different aspects of acquisition and how to tackle and overcome differences in social and cultural practises. An interactive lecture on Internationalization and its need was facilitated by Mr. Ashutosh Kumar, Chief Business Consultant, SAP.

Beyond lectures, industry visits to the following world class German companies was on the agenda:

1. Mercedes Benz A and B Class factory, Rastatt – well known German automobile manufacturer
2. SAP AG, Walldorf – multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations
3. Siemens AG – largest multinational engineering company
4. Klingel Mail Order Company, Pforzheim – Germany’s largest mail order company and a leader in logistics and warehousing
5. SEW Eurodrive, Graben-Neudorf – biggest manufacturers of belt and conveyor drives
6. Drogeriemart Zentrale – largest chain of retail stores headquartered that sells cosmetics, healthcare and household products, and health food

The students were mesmerized with the level of automation, logistics, production, employee-employer relationships which they witnessed at the industry visits. Dreams came true for many car lovers after their visit to the outstanding, state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart.

Meetings with eminent personalities were arranged who extended a warm welcome to our student delegation were:

1. Mr. Michael Obert, Mayor, Karlsruhe in charge of planning and building and real estate management
2. Dr. Udo Götschel, Director, Foreign Trade and Infrastructure and Ms. Ramona Lange, Consultant, International Economic Affairs, Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK)

Of course the trip was filled with cultural visits and sightseeing to some of the most beautiful and scenic places that takes ones breath away. The “wunderbar” city of Heidelberg, Schwarz Wald – the Black Forest – lush greenery, the antique cottages, those fairy tale paths in the woods and the live demonstration of the “Schwarzwaldkirschtorte” – black forest cake makes anyone fall in love with Germany.

The visit to Bruchsal Palace captured attention by its art, paintings and its beautiful décor.  The Museum of Musical Instruments gave an insight to German music from the 17^th to 20^th century. The Oktoberfest at Wasen, Stuttgart was truly an experience of a lifetime.  Trains at this time in Stuttgart were no less than the Mumbai locals but the atmosphere at the Oktoberfest was electrifying. There were people dressed in traditional Lederhosen and Drindls, giant steins of beer were seen everywhere.  The students were completely flabbergasted with the giant carnival! The highlight from the cultural visits was the adventure park called the Kletter Park where one can experience the woods by climbing challenging heights with the help of ropes and overcoming obstacles.

The trip culminated with presentations by the IGTC students about their learning’s and impressions about Germany. A special Indian dance was performed by the students to the German audience which was enjoyed and appreciated by all.

This is what the students had to say after their Germany visit:

“Germany showed me that no matter how serious and factual you get, you always have time to observe beauty and create it.  Art seems to be such an integral part of Germany; it was a pleasure to notice it everywhere we went.”

– Ajita Shringapure, PGPBA Batch 2014 – 2016

“Scenic, beautiful, well-planned and peaceful yet lively would be the words I would use for the city of Karlsruhe that I miss dearly after completing our stay there. My first glimpse into Germany reaffirmed the love for technology and engineering that Germans are famous for. The visits to Mercedes-Benz Plant – Rastatt, Klingelmail, Siemens and many more got me to witness all the concepts learnt in our classroom training. Our share of fun at the Oktoberfest, Mercedes-Benz Museum, Kletter park was unparalleled. But what would drive me to go back to this amazing country would be the warmth of the Germans, the unique culture and the rich history that blends beautifully with modern technology.”

– Anushree Pednekar, PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015

“Never ever have I felt I would fall in love with a city other than Mumbai. Never did I feel I would have a sense of belonging in any other place. My trip with IGTC to DHBW, Kahlsruhe changed my perceptions. The sheer beauty of the place took away my breath. I loved the people I was with and loved the people I met there.”

– Anisha Masur, PGPBA Batch 2014 – 2016

“With my stolen heart in Germany I can say: ‘Business Environment Germany’ is a programme that consists of lectures, industrial visits, sightseeing, city tours, culture and interaction with German students. I appreciate IGTC and DHBW for designing such a valuable program and giving us this opportunity to learn and understand our German counterparts better.”

– Amit Kanyan, EBMP Batch 2013 – 2014

As an Inventor Company, Bayer understands that young talent is fundamental for long term sustainable growth. Since several years Bayer conducts the Bayer Scholarship Program called “Championing Success” which is an effort to recognize and appreciate meritorious students across various institutions as well as business programmes such as IGTC.

The rigorous and exhaustive selection process consists of an initial short listing based on Academic Performance and an Online Assessment Test.  The students then qualify for the most interesting and challenging round where in the students have to demonstrate real life situations consisting of the values demonstrated with respect to the Bayer L.I.F.E Values. Since competition was tough, a last surprise round was announced, which consisted of an group interview in which the students had to voice a statement that they deeply believe in and in turn convince the others to also believe in his/her statement. This proved to be the decisive round for the selection of the finalists.

Alok Badamikar, Neha Kuriakose and Ruchika Natarajan – PGPBA Batch 2013 – 2015 were announced as the three extremely deserving and highly meritorious winners of the Bayer Scholarship Program.  Here is their feedback on the process:

“The scholarship process made us sit down and think about our day to day behaviour and its alignment with the L.I.F.E. values. Creativity, innovation, presence of mind, self confidence, analytical skills, general knowledge and communication skills were put to test throughout the process of assessment. The constructive feedback provided by the panel members was the best take away for all of us. I sincerely thank Bayer for undertaking this initiative. I am and will be a proud Bayer Scholar”

Alok Badamikar, Batch 2013 – 2015
“Bayer Scholarship to me is a form of recognition and appreciation for my hard work and things that I truly believe in. It is a source of motivation for the numerous forthcoming challenges that await me.

Bayer is a world renowned brand and one of the world’s leading chemical and pharmaceutical company, known for its innovation. Hence to be awarded as a ’Bayer Scholar’ will hold abundant value in the industry. The experience was highly enriching in terms of the interactions and exposure with experienced professionals, which has helped boost my confidence. The selection process was unique especially the last round, it was a blend of a debate, group discussion and just pure exchange of thoughts on various subjects. The procedure was a holistic assessment of marks, qualification, work experience, communication, creativity, cognitive ability, conceptual clarity and most importantly values. This overall assessment increases the significance of the award and will help me stand out as a performer in all my future endeavours.”

Neha Kuriakose, Batch 2013 – 2015
“I feel thrilled and humbled at the same time to have won the Bayer Scholarship 2014. This Scholarship appreciates sincerity and encourages healthy competition. The biggest contribution of this whole process was the newfound confidence it has given me to speak about myself and my beliefs. I am thankful to all the people who have supported me throughout the process, because at the end of the challenge I realized that we win not just for ourselves but also for friends and family. Bayer’s L.I.F.E. values are reflected strongly within the organization and I am grateful to the team for being very supportive throughout the process.”

Ruchika Natarajan, Batch 2013 – 2015