Suresh Vasudevan

The Journey- From the IFMR GSB Classroom to Leading Transformative Change with LEAD at Krea University

June 2, 2022June 6, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Alumni Spotlight, Spotlight

As part of the IFMR GSB Alumni Spotlight Series, we spoke to Preethi Rao, Associate Director, LEAD at Krea University and alum of IFMR GSB, 2006 on her journey through the years at her alma mater and how the learnings translated beyond to her trailblazing professional path.

How was your IFMR GSB experience-the classroom and the learnings?
The IFMR business school has been well known from inception for the quality of education produced and the top notch faculty that they had on board during my time, and continue to maintain till date. Our batch was an ‘experimental’ batch of only 20 students so we were a close knit and diverse group. This in itself provided opportunities to bring about innovative ideas and diverse opinions to the table. Combined with this, the teaching methods employed by some of the faculty, involving participatory and practical activities and aligned scoring techniques, has inspired a ‘learning by doing’ culture that I have carried forward in my professional career as well. We also had a mentorship model and we were all assigned a faculty mentor which helped us both in terms of pedagogical support and personal development. Academically, I had opportunities to excel, and am a proud silver medalist as well.

Could you share a short gist of the professional path you chose and the milestones along the way ?
When I was studying at the business school, the then Chairman, Mr Vaghul and Dr Nachiket Mor, along with established professors from international universities such as Harvard and MIT, conceptualized and set up research centres to tackle key development issues in India. As a student, I had the opportunity to listen to lectures from eminent scholars such as Prof. Abhijeet Banerjee, Prof. Ester Duflo (Harvard) and Prof. Antoinette Schoar from MIT. As they were setting up the research centres, we were approached by the centre heads for research positions at the centres. I joined the erstwhile Small Enterprise Finance Centre which focused on MSME research and development as a Research Associate in 2006. I worked on interesting research studies, notably on a pan India study on the chit fund industry and how the indigenous financing mechanism provided access for low income households and small enterprises to much needed credit. I had the opportunity to present the research report to the then Hon’ Finance Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, and it received much appreciation. Our research findings were used as supporting evidence for requests for the legislative amendment and included in the report of the Standing Committee of the Lok Sabha in 2015-16. The Lok Sabha passed the Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill on November 20, 2019.

In 2014, the research centres were integrated under a common umbrella called IFMR LEAD. During this time, I took a more management oriented role, overseeing the field and primary data collection operations at LEAD. Thereafter, I moved into more strategic roles, leading innovations and the Digital Payments Lab under our Catalyst initiative. Currently, as Associate Director, I oversee the leveraging evidence function (collaborations, training, learning and communications, and innovations) and contribute to strategic decision-making at LEAD. I also act as the PAC (Policy, Advocacy and Communications) lead at IWWAGE, our initiative focusing on women’s economic empowerment. As part of my growth trajectory, I have been able to build networks and also publish articles in my areas of expertise such as digital finance, open data and small business development.

How did the classes, pedagogy and network at IFMR GSB help navigate this stellar career path?
The business school provided a robust environment to inculcate independent thinking while also encouraging teamwork through group assignments. Such opportunities to work with teams and navigate the dynamics helped in my career where I had to work with and lead teams from different backgrounds and at varied experience levels. As students, we were expected to take initiative and drive our own outcomes, which I continue to imbibe and execute in my current role. We were encouraged to speak our minds and contribute to discussions which has helped in my growth as a leader.

A note from you that we could share with the IFMR GSB graduates of tomorrow?
I encourage the current students of the business school to really think out of the box, try new things and always be inquisitive. Student life provides the platform where personal values can be developed. What we learn and follow as students, will define our approach to life thereafter. So, while this is the time for play, focus on your goals and make sure you get the best out of the system and the experienced faculty members.

Looking back as an alum, are there moments of nostalgia, or an anecdote from your time at IFMR GSB that you cherish till date?
There are many unforgettable moments from my time at the business school. As a day scholar, I had to create multiple excuses (assignments, combined studies) at home in order to get permission to stay over at the hostel. I remember many occasions when we ventured out late at night to coffee shops and ice cream parlors to overcome stress from coursework.

Let’s Walk the Sustainability Talk

June 2, 2022June 20, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment In Focus

The Krea University campus centres around the ethos of holistic sustainability. Several projects and initiatives, aligned with the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, aim at increasing resource efficiency, reducing environmental footprint and fostering biodiversity on campus. In doing so, Krea’s green campus continues to promote the values of efficient and accountable use of scarce resources, and supports the wellbeing of all members of the Krea community.

Krea students champion some of the key sustainability-focused initiatives on campus. Three Krea students — Pratibha Khullar, Avinash Panakkal and Sai Balaji Suresh — graciously agreed to take us for an informative and enjoyable Sustainability Walk, showcasing the landscape, infrastructure and conservation practices that are part of this thriving campus that embodies the principles of sustainability.

Avinash, a first-year student at Krea, asserts how important the values of environmentalism and sustainability are for the Krea community. “Here at Krea, we place great emphasis on sustainability, be it in terms of environment, wellbeing or student life”, he says. It is this awareness about the impact of every individual and collective action, that makes Krea an educational hub of inclusiveness, creativity and innovation, where learning is not limited to the traditional classroom.

The Butterfly Garden
Our Sustainability Walk begins with a visit to the Butterfly Garden. Inviting us to explore this beautiful part of the campus, Pratibha, a first year student at Krea, tells us that hundreds of butterflies can be observed in this area every day. “There are dozens of butterfly species seen throughout the year; some of the easily identifiable ones are Striped Tiger, Plain Tiger, Glassy Tiger, Common Grass Yellow, Cerulean, Oriental Grey Pansy and Crimson Rose”, she specifies. The Butterfly Park provides both a visually appealing landscape, as well as cover and protection for butterfly and other pollinator insects.

Biodiversity Zone
As we walk along Krea’s famed Perimeter Pathway, we reach our next sustainability landmark — the Biodiversity Zone. “The water body and the surrounding area are part of a designated biodiversity zone at Krea”, says Sai, a second-year student at Krea. He explains that the zone acts both as a flood control and a large reservoir for collecting rainwater. Due to the high water table and rains, water is available throughout most of the year. This water is used for irrigating Krea’s entire landscape. This is a significant water conservation measure. “We can maintain and keep the campus green thanks to this”, he adds with a sense of pride. These man-made water canals also contribute to the campus microclimate.

Although the entire 40-acre campus is a lush green space, we have dedicated a three-acre area at the north-west of the campus for indigenous and locally-adapted flora, with the purpose of building and nurturing a small self-sustaining forest ecosystem. The biodiversity zone is already becoming a sanctuary for many species of birds, butterflies and other insects that are frequently spotted on campus.

Sai is aware of the value this zone provides to the Krea community and the larger environment. He tells us that the water body and the greenery support many types of insects, birds and fish. There are 37 identified varieties of bird seen and/or living on campus. Among them are the Black Drogo, Indian Roller, Pied Kingfisher, Indian Cormorant and Spotted Owlet. “One of my favourites is the Golden Oriole, which has a beautiful yellow colour and flies around in pairs,” says Sai.

Sai is very enthusiastic about taking the next steps. “We plan to vegetate this zone with native flora and nourish a natural ecosystem; in addition to the existing trees, we plan to plant more than 500 local forest species of trees,” he explains. Since the project is based on the principles of permaculture, the zone has a potential to become a ‘food forest’ vegetated with green leafy vegetables, microgreens, amla, lemon and pomegranate trees. Through several student-driven clubs, such as the Nature Club, Ecology Club and the Social Outreach club, students can actively participate in this project and develop a sense of ownership for biodiversity conservation.

Organic Farm
A small nursery of plant saplings and seed depository is set on campus. A student-led initiative, called ‘Community Organic Farming’, has also started off successfully. The initiative aims at promoting sensitivity towards environmental issues. It provides students a chance to get hands-on experience of what it is like to be working on land and growing crops from scratch. This experience makes one aware of where our food comes from, and instils a feeling of appreciation for the land and for the farmers.

“On this land, we plan to grow a variety of locally sourced organic vegetables”, explains Pratibha. Before expanding the project on a larger scale, the students involved in the project selected a small patch of land to work on as a prototype. They planted a local variety of spinach, after preparing the land to make it cultivable. “After almost a month-and-a-half of hard work, daily waking up early in the morning to work on this land, the result is truly rewarding,”Pratibha concludes with a smile.

Solar Panels
With a constant effort to reduce the carbon footprint, and a vision to make Krea carbon neutral one day, there is a fully-operational 520 kWp solar photovoltaic installation on campus. The solar panels have produced a total of 750,000 kWh of renewable energy. Avinash aptly draws our attention to the importance of using solar energy as a renewable source of energy. “These solar panels help cover around 35-40% of our electricity consumption; they help reduce our CO2 emissions by an amount equivalent to that absorbed by 40,000 trees in one year,” says Avinash. Here are plans to increase the solar panel capacity gradually over the next few years, to produce more green electricity.

Sewage Treatment Plant
Our next sustainability spot on campus is the sewage treatment plant, which not only makes us less dependent on freshwater, but also reduces our overall carbon footprint associated with the process of procuring water through the Water Supply and Sewage Board of Sri City. Our treated water can be used for landscaping, cleaning external spaces, flushing, etc. Pratibha tells us that this is an innovative low-energy technology which involves nearly no moving parts except for the pumps. “All the wastewater from the campus gets treated here. All recycled water is used for the flushing requirements in the campus. This has helped reduce our dependence on the outside source of water. We aspire to make Krea water self-sufficient one day.”

Waste Segregation
As we enter the main Academic Block at Krea, Sai points out the colour-coded waste bins, strategically placed on each floor of the building. “We try to segregate all our waste on the campus by using separate, colour-coded bins for dry waste (such as paper and plastic), wet waste and e-waste,” he explains. The recyclable waste (like paper and plastic) goes to relevant vendors for recycling. Krea has already started a program for organic waste management. Krea will soon have its own compost facility, where all the wet waste generated on campus will be processed. Awareness about the importance of not wasting food is high among the Krea community. “The amount of food waste is quite low, since we make a conscious choice not to take more than we can eat”, says Sai, concluding our Krea Sustainability Walk.

Forthcoming Projects and Initiatives
Kshitij Amodekar, Associate Director – Design and Sustainability, Krea University, delineates the sustainability journey ahead, with several projects and initiatives already in the pipeline.
“Sustainability has various interpretations, and the applications are wide. We are striving to improve our understanding and delivery of these within the Krea community and the extended community around Krea University. While we work on this, we march on with various initiatives in the next year or so like biodiversity plantation, onsite organic waste management, planning new buildings with energy saving systems and planning for expanding our renewable energy capacity, etc. One of the most significant challenges of the 21st century is the human-environment relationship and our collective impact on our planet.”

Watch the Krea Sustainability Walk video here

Krea University conducts health awareness programme for women support staff

June 2, 2022June 2, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Latest at Krea

Personal hygiene kits distributed to women support staff

Chennai, June 02, 2022…On Menstrual Hygiene Day, Krea University conducted an outreach activity in an attempt to increase awareness of all issues related to menstruation. This was an initiative of the Student Outreach Club, Aikyatha in collaboration with the Office of Student Life at Krea. On the occasion, personal hygiene kits from Gohygiene Foundation Chennai was presented to all women present.

Dr Sulochana Christopher from Kauvery Hospitals led the workshop for more than 45 women support staff at Krea University on all health-related issues including myths surrounding menstrual issues. The talk was conducted in Telugu, with Dr. Sulochana patiently explaining various aspects and addressing all doubts raised by the support staff. Personal hygiene kits from Gohygiene Foundation Chennai were presented to all women present.

The event began with a video outlining various health issues facing young women. It sought to dispel all fears and myths surrounding the onset of menstruation in young girls and touched upon various issues in some detail. The video drew the assembled women’s attention to issues that would occur naturally with the onset of menstruation and alerted them to issues that would require consulting a gynaecologist. Some home-made remedies to alleviate physical discomfort were highlighted and tips on personal hygiene were also shared.

Dr Sulochana Christopher of Kauvery Hospital then addressed the assembled women and explained to them in detail how normal the onset of menstruation in a young girl is, how to keep oneself healthy, the importance of proper nutrition and alerted them to health issues.

Vidhya Munuswamy, Dean of Students said the event was in line with the institution’s commitment towards sustainability. “The health and well-being our staff is of utmost importance to us; the support staff at Krea are recruited from the neighbouring villages in the region. As earning members of their households, we want to ensure they are well looked after.”

Speaking at the event, Dr Christopher said, It is important that many more institutions conduct these kinds of awareness initiatives events to reduce fear and clear misconceptions. It is the best way to keep yourself healthy and happy.

Dr Christopher went on to speak about the proper way to dispose of sanitary pads, and other precautions that need to be taken during the menstrual cycle.

Bolt 2022: Krea’s First-Ever Olympics Festival

June 1, 2022June 2, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Latest at Krea

In May 2022, a Sports Festival called Bolt took place on the Krea campus. The nine-day mega event, fully organised by the students, saw more than 150 participants across sixteen sport disciplines. Bringing together both experienced athletes and sports enthusiasts, Bolt 2022 excelled in exhibiting wonderful team spirit, fair competition and, above all, a lot of fun.

Johanna Zaheer Hashmi and Priyanka Prasanna Acharya, first-year students at SIAS, have been instrumental in spearheading and organising the event. Both are passionate athletes. Johanna has been playing football for ten years and competes in various track and field events including (but not limited to) vaulting, shot put, long jump, high jump, and cross-country running. She has studied taekwondo, karate and judo, and is currently learning boxing. She is incredibly passionate about sharing football with her peers and making sports fun for everyone, regardless of their skill or background. Priyanka has been a competitive rhythmic gymnast for the past 10 years and has represented India at Asian championships. She also enjoys kickboxing, running, and cycling. She has been an exercise enthusiast since her childhood and is interested in exploring and learning new sporting activities and sharing her experiences & skills with everyone.

What is Bolt 2022? When did this event take place?
Johanna: Bolt 2022 is the brainchild of the SIAS Sports Club and it is the first-ever Olympics festival held at Krea. It was a nine-day sporting event that was conducted from the 6th of May to the 15th of May 2022.

Could you tell us a bit about the Sports Club at Krea, its purpose, membership and organisational structure?

Priyanka: The Sports Club consists of 2 sports representatives, 13 sports heads, and approximately 130 club members. The sports club is divided into sports and non-sports wings, where all sports club members contribute toward building a sports culture at Krea. The sports heads propose events and ideas, which are discussed with the core committee and then the representatives to help make those events a reality. The sports club meets thrice a month to discuss the events, agendas, and goals for the trimester.

How was the idea of organising a week-long sports event at Krea conceived?

Johanna: Since we began our term, we’ve had in mind a sports event that would include all the sports students at Krea want to play. From discus throw to a marathon, we wanted to do everything under the sun. It started with the idea of a university-wide Olympics, that later got chiseled down to sports that we have the equipment for and sports we want to start playing at Krea. We had lots of conversations and meetings with the core committee and the sports heads, and together came up with Bolt. We also had meetings with the Office of Student Life (OSL), Vidhya Munuswamy, Dean of Student Affairs, and Bhavani Theagarajan, Manager, VC Office. We also spoke to the Operations Team about the required manpower that we would require before and during the sporting event. Bolt 2022 was conducted in collaboration with the Recreation Club, which handled the indoor sporting activities. Overall, it was an amazing experience that all the three batches were eagerly waiting for, and it was a hectic but engaging event to manage.

Which sports disciplines were included, and what made Bolt 2022 a success?

Priyanka: The Bolt 2022 sports events were divided into two categories: indoor and outdoor sports. The outdoor sports played were badminton, basketball, cricket, dodgeball, throw ball, volleyball, discus throw & shot put, tug of war, kabaddi, kho-kho, and half marathon (2.5 km). The indoor sports included were table tennis, carrom, chess, pool, foosball.

We estimate that over 150 students participated in Bolt 2022. We owe great debts of gratitude to the Dean of Student Affairs, CAO, OSL, Operations, and Bhavani for all the support throughout the Festival. We would also like to recognise the efforts of Anten Jesu, our trusty cameraman who documented our events. A big thank you to all the volunteers & referees who have selflessly contributed and helped us run the entire event smoothly and efficiently. We would also like to appreciate the efforts of the Sports Club Core Committee, without whom Bolt would not have happened. Last but definitely not least, a big thank you to the student body for bringing your talents and potential to the field and inspiring us to keep organising events like this.

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the great contribution of the thirteen Sports Heads who created Bolt 2022 from scratch, made it such a success, and now continue to shape all future sports initiatives at Krea:

Football Heads: Arjun Anand & Pria Jacob
Basketball Heads: Chirag Singhal & Smriti Venkatraman
Badminton Heads: Jeswin John & Adnan Qureshi
Cricket Heads: Hariom Khemka & Pranav Balakrishnan
Volleyball Heads: Aparajith Kaushik & Shruti Dalal
Miscellaneous Sports Heads: Rohit Behera & Smriti Mishra
Indoor & Gym Head: Arya Dutta

What future events is the Krea Sports Club planning?

Johanna: A few prospective events which we plan on conducting are faculty-student matches, track & field events, powerlifting, and a proper marathon in Sri City. We are also planning on starting self-defence classes and basic MMA training on campus, as many students are interested and would like to explore those disciplines. We are also planning on conducting more yoga workshops and staff-student matches to help inculcate a stronger sports culture at Krea.

Images Gallery

For more pictures and information regarding Bolt and other sporting activities at Krea, please check out Krea’s Sports Club Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/krea_sports/

Research study by IFMR GSB faculty accepted to various prestigious peer reviewed conferences

June 1, 2022June 1, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Media mentions

“Does Gender-based Awareness Campaign Improve Girls’ Educational and Learning Outcomes? Empirical Evidence from India” by Prof Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay co-authored with Sona Mitra, Sayli Javadekar and Narbadeshwar Mishra Empirical Evidence from India” has been accepted for various prestigious peer reviewed conferences across the globe.

In the months of June and July, the paper will be presented in the 2022 North America Summer Meetings of the Econometric Society to be hosted by Miami Herbert Business School, Econometric Society Australasia Meeting (ESAM 2022) to be hosted by University of Queensland, Nordic Conference in Development Economics (NCDE 2022) to be hosted jointly by Aalto University, University of Helsinki, and Helsinki Graduate School of Economics in collaboration with UN-WIDER and LABORE and 30th Annual Conference of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE) to be hosted by The Graduate Institute Geneva.

A recent op-ed in The Hindu Business Line articulated the outcome of this study. Please click here to read more

The study was funded by the Krea Faculty Research Fellowship 2020.

Hear from Prof Jyoti Prasad Mukhopadhyay as he lays out the vision, philosophy and methodology that contributed to the research.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LLORz38MVE

CFOs Need to be Co-pilots to the CEO, Sustainability Champions, M&A Wizards and Storytellers says Krea University and D&B Study

May 30, 2022August 5, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Latest at Krea

Krea University and Dun & Bradstreet’s Quantitative and Qualitative Study of CFOs in the Nifty 250 Presents the “The Future CFO: Changing Roles, Changing Goals”

The biggest challenges for CFOs are availability of skilled person-power, broader stakeholder management and managing new-age roles driven largely by digitization and sustainability
Finance executives with an MBA degree experienced faster career growth

Mumbai and Chennai, May 30, 2022: The IFMR Graduate School of Business at Krea University and Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) today announced the findings of a study that captures the shifting priorities, new focus areas and diverse skill sets of new-age CFOs. Titled “The Future CFO: Changing Roles, Changing Goals”, the study is based on quantitative and qualitative insights from dozens of Indian CFOs and outlines the changing role of CFOs, key capabilities and competencies needed for CFOs of today and tomorrow, and the shifting priorities and newer responsibilities for CFOs. The study also presents interesting changes in the demographics of Indian CFOs over the last five years.

Mr. Ramkumar Ramamoorthy, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Professional Learning at Krea University,said,“Technology is fast becoming the language of business, and sustainability its underlying grammar. Rapid digitalization and a sharper focus on ESG have triggered a renaissance in the CFO office. Today’s CFOs play multiple roles—they are trusted partners to CEOs on not just financial but also strategic matters, conscience-keepers of Boards in enhancing stakeholder trust, storytellers deriving hindsights, insights and foresights from financial data, and PE-minded investors strengthening core businesses with investments in next-gen start-ups. This study delves into the skills, attributes and actions required of new-age CFOs to transform their organizations into purpose-led brands, drive profitable growth, enhance stakeholder satisfaction, and increase competitive differentiation.”

Ms. Preeta Misra, Senior Director, Dun & Bradstreet India said, “The relationship between a CEO and a CFO is critical for any business. Our study foundthat the ability to envision the business growth is the most important trait for a CFO. To be a trusted partner to the CEO, CFOs need newer skills to address newer demands of the market. The finance team now needs to become a multi-disciplinary team to champion organizational transformation, to manage existing challenges and capitalize on newer opportunities.”

Key takeaways:

Availability of skilled person-power remains one of the biggest worries for CFOs.
MBA is a career accelerator. In Nifty 250 companies, 47% of CFOs with an MBA are under 50 years, as compared to 35% of CFOs with non-MBA qualification for FY 2022.
From traditional CFO-led activities—accounting and auditing, financial analysis and planning, investor relations, financial risk management, product pricing and regulatory compliance—CFOs now find themselves more involved in corporate strategy, organizational transformation, digitization, enterprise risk management and ESG implementation, and they feel these would be focus areas for next five years as well.
Leaders need to walk the talk. The avowed commitments made by boards to increase diversity at executive levels do not reflect in the actual appointments. In FY 2022, there was no woman CFO in Nifty 50 companies, and the number was less than 5% in Nifty 250 companies.
86% CFOs gave high importance to digital technologies such as analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cloud-based systems that are increasingly deployed to help CFOs transition from “systems of record” to “systems of engagement and intelligence”. This calls for new-age competencies largely driven by new-age technologies.
CFOs need to build relationship capital through greater people-oriented skills including communication and collaboration with teams across the organization.
CFOs need to be storytellers to present the larger corporate purpose as well as business, operational and financial strategy to multiple stakeholders.
In addition to allocating capital to minimize unsustainability, CFOs need to create newer financial models to shape business sustainability and achieve publicly disclosed sustainability goals.
Educational institutions and professional bodies need to curate new-age programs across these focus areas and new-age skills to enrich the capabilities and competencies of finance professions in the country.

-end-

About the report

The report highlights the shifting priorities, challenges faced, and key focus areas of CFOs based on primary surveys. The survey interviews of CFOs were conducted between January and March 2022. To capture the demographic changes, D&B analysed the Nifty 250 companies—Nifty 50, Nifty Next 50 and Nifty Midcap 150 index companies for FY 2016 and FY 2022 to see how the needle has moved over this period across different facets and mine insights. D&B chose the Nifty 250 as they represent over 70% of sales for FY 2022 of India Inc. and constitute about 86% of market capitalization of the listed NSE universe.

Click here for the report

About IFMR GSB at Krea University

Propelled by the 50 years strong legacy of IFMR and in line with Krea University’s ethos of re-imagining education empowered by the unique Interwoven Learning, IFMR Graduate School of Business is preparing impactful and effective business leaders who can solve the problems of the future. Having evolved from a research-based institution to a full-fledged business school IFMR GSB’s curriculum blends a mix of theory with simulated real-life exposure and endeavours to shape business practices through inventive, sharp thinking and cutting-edge research. Porous boundaries bring the real world to the classroom and enable students to gain an an immersive learning environment, aided by programmes, internships, workshops and sessions in collaboration with diverse global institutes and eminent speakers from varied fields. IFMR GSB offers a full-time MBA programme, executive and management development programmes for experienced professionals and PhD program in affiliation with University of Madras.

Over 20 years, IFMR GSB has built a robust network of 5000+ eminent alumni across the spectrum of industries who bring in valuable insights and expertise to the students while the illustrious Academic Council provides deep insights and direction to IFMR GSB’s teaching, design curriculum, research and related activities. The Governing Council, Executive Committee, and Board of Management at Krea University include eminent leaders from the world of finance and economics such as N Vaghul (former Chairman of ICICI Bank Ltd), Raghuram Rajan (the 23rd RBI Governor), R Seshasayee (former Chairman of IndusInd Bank), Raghu Sundaram (Dean of NYU Stern School of Business), S Mahalingam (Former Chief Finance Officer. & Executive Director. Tata Consultancy Services), and Esther Duflo (Nobel Laureate and Co-Founder and Co-Director at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), among others.

IFMR GSB at Krea University Contact:

Name: Akhila Krishnamurthy
Email: [email protected]

About Dun & Bradstreet

Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For more information on Dun & Bradstreet, please visit www.dnb.com.

Dun & Bradstreet Information Services India Private Limited is headquartered in Mumbai and provides clients with data-driven products and technology-driven platforms to help them take faster and more accurate decisions in domains of finance, risk, compliance, information technology and marketing. Working towards Government of India’s vision of creating an Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) by supporting the Make in India initiative, Dun & Bradstreet India has a special focus on helping entrepreneurs enhance their visibility, increase their credibility, expand access to global markets, and identify potential customers & suppliers, while managing risk and opportunity. Visit www.dnb.co.in for more information.

Dun & Bradstreet Contact:

Name: Kaustav Bhattacharya
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 9650306645

With a vision to interweave policy making with digital well being, Amartya Sinha heads to Harris School of Public Policy

May 5, 2022May 5, 2022 Suresh Vasudevan 0 Comment Student Spotlight

Amartya Sinha hopes to remedy the complex challenges within the world of today that rally around digital wellbeing and data privacy. He aims to design policies, create awareness and encourage dialogue in relevance, a vision that has led him to the Master of Public Policy Programme at Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago.

When the acceptance offer came knocking

Amartya received the acceptance call from the School in April and for the first few minutes he couldn’t believe the news. “The feeling, in a single word, was ‘exhilarating’. I had finally gotten accepted to the top school of my choice and I didn’t need to worry. Once it sunk in, I started working on scholarships and other funding choices for the programme.”

Amartya had applied only to the colleges that ranked high in his list of choice and while he doesn’t recommend others to do the same, his efforts and judgment have paid him well.

When asked on what he would suggest to future aspirants of higher studies, Amartya adds, “Start off by identifying what you exactly want to do. Figure out that career path, the right job and then retrace, and pick the right course as a means to that path. It’s okay to be confused and work towards clarity. I myself didn’t have much of a clue until the presentation that started it all.”

The session that started it all

“It all started with the presentation from Harris School of Public Policy, organised by the Career Service Office (CSO) at Krea in September.” Amartya believes that the session offered clarity and opened up his mind to the various options available that he could pursue. Amartya had applied and was accepted to multiple top universities and chose Harris School of Public Policy.

The vision for the future

Amartya aims to increase awareness about data privacy and design policies which are effective for digital wellbeing. He emphasises on how following his foray into the field and with the learnings gathered, he is much more conscious of his presence online and is careful about data sharing. While they may seem innocuous, our digital footprint can often lead to compromise of personal information. “We should be in control of our digital presence and wellbeing – not the other way around.”

The Krea Journey

“Krea has been instrumental for my development and growth. I joined Krea because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and had an open mind to pick and choose everything.” Amartya’s path through Krea has been truly exploratory, meandering through various streams of study before zeroing in on what he really wished to focus on. He also believes that if he hadn’t been given this large choice of subjects and rare combinations to choose from, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

“The process to choose the Major and Minor was very interesting. I explored everything, and even tried Literature though I quit after four classes. I then took up Economics as Major which was my default choice, and Social Studies as Minor; but later realised that I would like to do more on the Social Studies side with Economics as a Minor, along with a concentration in Politics.”

Amartya tried and tested multiple choices before landing on the one he really wished to pursue, very true to the ethos that Krea academics is rooted in.

Assignments that steered the vision

The internships and assignments at Krea also helped Amartya foresee what his future goals would be. In the second year, Amartya worked as a Data Analyst for Prof John Mathew, with Kaustav Mehta and Ananya Raju on a research project focusing on impacts of SARS-CoV-2 in India using Spark NLP to make language detection pipelines for big data. “I hadn’t done any CS courses but I did programming for the project and it made me aware of the scope and reach of technology.”

Amartya has handled various initiatives over time that firmly hit home the fact that Krea is diverse, inclusive and the experience; holistic. He was the Tech Support for the Online KICs (Krea Immersion Case) and a Conversation Partner who helped freshers build proficiency in the English language. He also worked with the Admissions Team and prepared guides for the Tech Literacy Bridge Program aimed at helping students transition to basic online learning and tools.

“I believe Krea teaches you that you don’t necessarily need to have the skills to come in, you need to have the passion and then you take the path onwards.”

Amartya was also part of the Constituent Assembly, and was an Indoor Sports Representative for the Sports Committee. He also helped host three tournaments in Table Tennis, Foosball and Chess in the first year before the world evolved in response to COVID-19. He has also imparted Table Tennis lessons to fellow peers.

Faculty like friends

“The faculty at Krea form a fundamental part of the Krea experience. Professors are more like friends; you can just walk into their office and have a dialogue.” Amartya firmly believes that the bond shared between faculty and students at Krea is respectful and more of equity than coming from a place of authority. Amartya also shares gratitude towards a number of faculty members who helped him through the learning journey, including the clarity on the choice of Major and Minor, various assignments and internships and overall, in just being great mentors.

The Nostalgia Moment

Amartya has had various memorable moments interspersing his Krea journey but one of the most memorable highlights is his joining the choir in the first year. “I always wanted to sing but knowing that I am not a good singer, this was my free ticket to saying I am one.” Amartya was a bass singer and thanked Prof John for insisting that he join the choir. He has both performed and directed for the choir.

How did Krea happen?

Amartya hails from Nalanda but has spent most of his life in Navi Mumbai. He believes he was a confused young man ( and still is) albeit powered with curiosity. “If an idea pops up in my mind, I latch on to it and figure it out and this has led me to do various things like programming, video audio editing, photography, mountain biking and so on.”

Amartya found Krea in the year of the University’s inception and the KIC along with the holistic admissions process won him over to make the choice to choose Krea over other Liberal Education Schools and that’s where it all started.