Professor Madhuri Saripalle’s publication in the Asian Journal of Technology Innovation

A new publication by Professor Madhuri Saripalle, Professor, Economics and Chairperson – MBA Programme, IFMR GSB has been published in the Asian Journal of Technology Innovation. Titled, Driving productivity: a comparison of the Indian automobile manufacturers and component suppliers, the study analyses the factors influencing productivity within the Indian automobile industry, specifically examining the component manufacturers and the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
AJTI is the official journal of the Korean Society for Innovation Management and Economics (KOSIME), the Asia Association of Learning, Innovation and Coevolution Studies (ASIALICS) and the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI). 

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Krea University’s academic contingent from SIAS excelled at Biswamil 2024, hosted by OP Jindal College

Krea University’s academic contingent from SIAS delivered an outstanding performance at Biswamil 2024, an event hosted by OP Jindal College. The team showcased exceptional talent, teamwork and strategy, securing first place in every competition. 

1. Stock Market Fiasco (Stock Market Valuation Competition) 

   – Winners: Dheer Panjwani, Manan Malik and Mudit Kohli  

   – Prize: Rs 10,000  

2. Pitch Up (Shark Tank-style Business Pitch Competition)  

   – Winners: Dheer Panjwani, Sarthak Bhargava and Sibhi Aravindan  

   – Prize: Rs 10,000  

3. Stakeholders Meet (Representative Conversation for Lobbying Interests)  

   – Winner: Sarthak Bhargava  

   – Prize: Rs 6,000  

4. Turncoat Debate  

   – Winner: Sibhi Aravindan  

   – Prize: Rs 6,000  

Dr Vivek Radhakrishnan at ‘Why Read Kant Now?’ symposium

Dr Vivek Radhakrishnan, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, SIAS was invited to participate in a symposium on ‘Why Read Kant Now?’ organised by the Goethe-Institut Mumbai and the German Department of Mumbai University on 29 and 30 November, 2024. Dr Radhakrishnan gave a talk titled, ‘How ‘Humean’ was Kant?’ at the symposium. He also moderated the inaugural keynote by Professor Rajendra Dengle (Retired Professor of German, JNU) and the special lecture by Professor Heiner Klemme (Professor of Philosophy, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle).

Dr R S Sathya Saminadan presents paper at NGSC – 2024 Conference at IIM Jammu

Dr R S Sathya Saminadan, Associate Professor of Practice, IFMR GSB presented his paper, ‘Marketing to Aliens’, at the NGSC – 2024 Conference at IIM Jammu on 22 and 23 November, 2024. The paper explores strategies for effective intergalactic marketing, combining creativity with established principles of marketing. It underscores the importance of adaptability and ethical considerations in marketing to diverse and unfamiliar segments, a concept that resonates with contemporary challenges in business strategy.

Dr Venkata Srinu Bhadram gives a talk at Cera4S-2024 at IIT Madras

Dr Venkata Srinu Bhadram, Assistant Professor of Physics, SIAS was invited to give a talk at the International Conference on Advanced Ceramics for Sustainability (Cera4S-2024), held at IIT Madras from 28 – 30 November 2024. In his talk titled, ‘Extreme Pressure as a Route to Discover New Metastable Materials’, he discussed the pivotal role of high-pressure techniques in discovering new metastable phases of ceramic materials, such as transition metal nitrides, oxides and high-entropy complex oxides. He highlighted how combining high-pressure experimental methods with machine learning approaches has the potential to drive transformative advancements, offering sustainable solutions for materials-based technologies. 

Jazz it up: A musical collaboration 


The Jazz Explorer Trio’s recent performance, presented by the Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth (SPIC MACAY) at Krea University on December 2, 2024 (the second in a series of collaborations), beautifully captured the essence of global cultural exchange. Comprised of Danish artists Lars Møller (saxophone), Thor Madsen (guitar) and Jonas Johansen (drums), the group seamlessly melded jazz traditions with a global perspective. 

Their setlist featured tracks like Blues In FiveA Woman’s PurseMoose and Know, showcasing their musical brilliance and their ability to weave cheerful, conversational rhythms into their compositions, creating a deeply moving experience. The trio also delighted the audience with previews of tracks from their upcoming album, inspired by Miles Davis’s iconic Kind of Blue.  

The evening had a magical quality, taking the audience on a journey through rich soundscapes, from the contemplative elegance of jazz to the playful, interactive exchanges between instruments. The performance highlighted the trio’s commitment to cultural dialogue, resonating strongly with SPIC MACAY’s mission to preserve and share diverse heritages. The connection between jazz improvisation and Indian classical music — both rooted in spontaneity and presence — was evident throughout, as the trio engaged in intricate, meditative interplay.  

The group’s deep engagement with Indian influences added layers of richness to their performance. Møller, in particular, has studied Indian classical music extensively, which informs their ability to blend these influences into their jazz compositions. This performance, reminiscent of the spirit of Kind of Blue or the quintessential So What, celebrated modal jazz — where simplicity meets infinite variation, akin to Indian classical ragas.  

This collaboration under SPIC MACAY exemplifies how jazz and Indian classical music, despite their distinct origins, demand the same sense of presence and spontaneity from both performers and audiences. The synergy of these traditions stands as a testament to the universal language of music and its power to bridge cultures. I eagerly look forward to future collaborations between SPIC MACAY and Krea University.  

A report by Pranvi Khare, Cohort of 2027, SIAS

Ananya Manikandan from IFMR GSB secured second place in a national-level competition organised by XIMB

Ananya Manikandan, a second-year MBA student at IFMR GSB, secured second place in Financius ’24, a national-level article writing competition organised by X-Fin, the Finance Association of Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar (XIMB). The competition focused on ‘Financial Restructuring in Volatile Markets: M&A and Strategic Solutions.’ Ananya’s achievement comes with a cash prize of ₹3000, and their article will be featured in Finshastra, XIMB’s annual business magazine.

Professor Anil Srinivasan pens an article in TNIE

Professor Anil Srinivasan, Visiting Professor of Practice, Literature & the Arts, SIAS penned a piece for The New Indian Express (TNIE) titled, Till we respect the environment, December will be season of sorrow for Chennai. In this column TNIE invites prominent citizens to pen their experiences and suggestions that can help mitigate the impact of rain. The article straddles experiences of environmental changes with an imperative need to respect the environment with absolute and unfettered dedication.

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Dr Proma Raychaudhury publishes a peer-reviewed article in EPW

Dr Proma Raychaudhury, Assistant Professor of Politics, SIAS has published a peer-reviewed article titled, Gendering Loyalty in Indian Electoral Democracy: The Trinamool Congress and Its Construction of a Female Constituency in West Bengal in Economic and Political Weekly (Vol 59, Issue 48, pp.87-95) as part of a Special Issue on General Elections 2024.  

Through a consistent surge in their salience and distinguished by their autonomy, female voters have become an indispensable constituency in Indian electoral democracy in recent decades. Through a constructivist approach to populist political representation, this paper studies the conceptual terrain of the relationship between voter loyalty and populist democracy in the context of female voting and partisan support in contemporary West Bengal. This paper explores how the leadership of the All India Trinamool Congress in the state constructed a “loyalist” constituency of female voters who are beneficiaries of state-sponsored welfare schemes while exercising the logic of “othering” to exclude female critics and dissidents of the regime from such a constituency. Through interviews with grassroots workers of the AITC, this paper also analyses the gendered expectations that underscore the populist constituency of the “loyal female voter” in West Bengal.

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IFMR GSB Phd student Kumar Ashuthosh’s article was published on Ideas for India (I4I)

Kumar Ashuthosh, a fifth-year PhD student at IFMR GSB, has published an article titled Street Safety and Girls’ Secondary Schooling in India on the web portal Ideas for India (I4I)I4I is an economics and policy platform that features evidence-based analysis and commentary on issues related to growth and development in India. Established in July 2012 by a group of economists from the International Growth Centre (IGC), I4I operates under the joint direction of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) University of Oxford.

Abstract of the article: Street harassment in India is still a constraint on women’s education, dimming their future. Analysing the case of ‘SHE teams’ in the state of Telangana, this article shows that the introduction of special police units dedicated to women’s safety on streets led to a significant increase in girls finishing grade 12. Further, it establishes that the impact is not driven by non-street safety determinants of schooling.  

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