Independence Day 2021

 An independence day show put up virtually by our students at NMIMS Bangalore- some glimpses.

Good going!

Virtual and Real Meets

 The last three months at NMIMS Bangalore has been a flurry of activity, and meetings, mostly virtual, with students who are members of various activity clubs and committees. Some virtual events too, with industry participants. For a change, we did a small event to felicitate the Rank-holders and Medal winners of the 2020 graduating batch. Though a bit late, at least it was in person, and it was great to see some students in person. Earlier, there was a meet over dinner with senior Placecom members.

Glimpses of various events and meets here, with my new young friends..

PR Committee, and Placecom -above and below.

Placecom member, and Jt. Director, Placement.

More events ...

Host and student, Manuja Seth, at the Graduation Ceremony 2020 Batch.

Events- above and below (TEDx)

My office, Bannerghatta Campus-below. Koramangala campus, above, where we offer executive programs and B.Com.

NMIMS Bangalore Convocation Pics

 Some pics from the Virtual Ceremony held on Jan 23, 2021. Delayed by COVID. Brand Bangalore NMIMS.

The Chief Guest speaks.

The Vice Chancellor speaks.

and Yours Truly.

Registrar, Dr. Meena Chintamaneni (above), and our host and student Manuja Seth below.

A Virtual Convocation at NMIMS

 Technically, it's Graduation Day 2020. My first experience of a virtual one, like many firsts in the past year. We should have had the event in April 2020, but that was not possible. Circumstances have forced us to do it virtually. It will be held 23rd January 2021.

This year, it will be a relatively low key affair, but we have a very good Chief Guest whose address the students should look forward to. Mr. Ganesh Shenoy (pic below), has a lot of experience of FMCG or packaged goods industry in companies like Unilever and MTR Foods, where he is currently CFO. The Vice Chancellor Dr. Ramesh Bhat and Registrar will join from Mumbai.

                                           at a meeting with the Chief Guest to invite him (above)

Online Initiatives From NMIMS Bangalore

 The pandemic has not dimmed the enthusiasm of our students at Bangalore. There is a spate of online events by different clubs and committees. Two of them are kicking off this weekend. The first is a TED-X talkathon on Saturday the 16th, and then a Strategy Conclave -online, of course- by the Strategy Club. 

Two of the speakers at the TED-x event - you may recognise at least one. Dalip Tahil, above.

From the Strategy Conclave- Prof. Harsh Vardhan, the mentor faculty, above, and a member of Paramarsh team, below at the event on Jan. 16th.

It is commendable that these students are able to organise events from multiple locations, while not being able to meet physically. Maybe this will facilitate future organization of such events and others too. Of course, personal meetings build a different sort of closeness and camaraderie and might be a different experience in some ways. But this is quite good, and the best possible alternative under the circumstances.

We also have another mega event, the Annual Convocation, happening online in the coming week. On the 23rd morning, to be precise. We all are looking forward to the much-delayed event. Again, a physical event would have been nice to have, but we have to move on, just as many other universities or institutions have. Mr. Ganesh Shenoy, CFO, MTR Foods, will be our Chief Guest at the Convocation.

Interesting Business Ideas - Virtual Holidays

 Do you really have to go somewhere to prove on social media that you went there? The short answer is No. Basically, you have to have a few pics of yourself superimposed on those sight-seeing marvels. That a company can do, apparently. I heard about this line of business (on social media, I think- ha, ha). 

For a price, you can visit Bhutan, Alaska, Bali, New Zealand, or whatever place catches your fancy on that day. The price may differ, depending on whether you are (virtually) visiting Bhedaghat with its wonderful Marble Rocks, or Gulmarg's ski slopes. Or Yash Chopra's favourite, Switzerland. If you are feeling like a foreign visit, you can choose between the Great Wall of China (ok, not now, maybe), or Disneyland in USA. Or Japan's Mount Fuji.

The simplicity of this idea is striking. Armchair travel, anyone?

Life in the Next Century

Obviously, not mine..this is 2091 and beyond, not 2019..

You come into this world. Your Mom takes a selfie with you (and Dad if he is around), and sends it up simultaneously on all media- before anyone can ask her What's Up, it's on WhatsApp.

You sign up a few friends on Instagram before you leave the hospital- could be other kids born nearby. You go home, and meet relatives- via Skype, of course, and they send you flying kisses. Less scope for infections, you see..all for the good.

You get an online application for Kindergarten, High School, IIT and IIM, all at the same time, and fill them up with the help of your 10 year-old sibling. Also, a passport application, just in case..

You play with friends, all possible games online, and go to school-also online. You download directly into your brain all the content shared by teachers, and then write exams by Thought Reader- the teacher can directly read your thoughts by scanning your brain.

You date people by going to restaurants in the Second Life, and imagining you ate/drank. You give a rating to your date, and she/he does the same to you.

You choose one of these eventually, and live happily ever after- she/he in their home, and you in yours.

How does this sound for Utopia?

What Friends Mean

They remind you that you are not alone. Of course, in a way different from your family members. The ones who give you advice -right and wrong, are usually friends. They stand by you when the going gets tough.

 College gang above, and MBA classmates, below.

 Dilliwalas when I was one, briefly..

 Can Chennai be far behind?..

 Man's best friend, on IIM B terrace many moons ago.

 KIAMS students with me..

 IMT students..

 more of them..

 Harfan maula Chasha and gang at IIMB.

 Samren and Annie, life support in the U.S.

 Fog and Golf go well..Dhanapal, at Kodai Golf Club.

 Indore MDP on Digital Marketing..

 and the winners of the Google Online Marketing challenge on karaoke..

Friendships of childhood are often strong, and can persist over decades. The ones formed later in life can be strong too, but have less time to be tested. I can remember many friends made pre-facebook days, who are still friends. We are in touch virtually a lot more than earlier, but that helps too, just to check on what's new and be reassured that they are doing fine. I consider myself fortunate to have a large friends' circle, including former colleagues, former students and just friends from college and beyond. I have made friends from blogging, too- fellow bloggers. Others share interests such as travel, photography, food, or gossip. Just made a bunch of new friends over the last two years through a music group I joined, thanks to a former student from 1991.

Meeting old friends or new is a joy for a fairly long period, and highly recommended. Unexpected meetings, even more so.

Make friends, meet friends. It's Friends' Day. But then, every day is.

Economy- It Does Not Exist

There's actually nothing  like the economy! I just discovered this fact yesterday. A finance minister, the RBI governor, and so on are mythical characters. What does it matter to a man on the street (just a phrase, by the way, he may not actually be on the street), the aam aadmi?

There is no such thing as the economy. What is there is a commodity and a price for it. And either you can afford it, or you can't. Think of anything at all, and it fits this description. The rest is hoopla, baloney, verbiage,  and so on. So that the pink papers survive, like their yellow counterparts.

For an average person, there is nothing like the economy- only a set of commodities, services or products, sold to him by other services, like advertising, retailing etc. and some of these he ends up buying. And we teach people how to do these things.

So what do econo'mists' do? They create the mists that others try to peer through, and don't succeed. So their profession can thrive.

The Virtuous and the Virtual

We were always told that one should lead a virtuous life- by the parents, by the elders, by the scriptures, and so on. What we (mankind, or most of it) have done is somewhat different. We lead a virtual life, instead of a virtuous one.

Question is, why? There are several reasons. The virtual life is a lot easier. All you need is a computer with an internet connection. You can virtually live your entire life on it. Of course, someone has yet to figure out how to drink coffee on the net and well,... brush your teeth, but pretty much everything else can be done on it. Education, for instance. From simple homework, to projects, to an entire degree, you can virtually do a KG to PG on the net. There are some students who believe that education did not exist before Bill Gates. Instead of B.C., they probably would probably understand B.G. (Before Gates) a lot better. And to think that we actually lived in that era- incredible as it seems to a youngster today.

If you wanted to be virtuous, you would have to go to the library, read books, copy (xerox) important stuff, re-read it, understand it, and so on. What a waste of time and effort. The virtual world, with its two step invention, reduces "virtually" anything to Cut and Paste. If the nice guys at google have already done it for you, why replicate the effort?

In an effort to be virtuous, you would need to take responsibility for everything. Making friends, rearing your children, doing household chores, and for growing up. Now, you don't need to. Remain in the virtual world, and you don't need anything, except a dad or mom early in your life, to buy you a computer (with an internet connection). Friends are made and maintained on facebook. When was the last time you met all your facebook 'friends'?

A virtuous life meant sacrificing things, for others' benefit. In the virtual world, all you sacrifice is your sleep, because nothing real exists, so there is no need to sacrifice anything.

My stomach groans in hunger. Is it for real? Let me find out. Will be back soon, after a short break.