MBAs' Indian Trip to Learn How to Succeed in Emerging Markets

The students will meet with founders and CEOs of India’s leading companies in order to learn what unique aspects of these entrepreneurs and their business models have allowed them to succeed in one of the most important emerging economies of the 21st Century.

The initiative has been supported by the Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (CFEL), part of Cambridge Judge Business School. Dr Shailendra Vyakarnam, CfEL Director, commented: “ We’re delighted support this student-led venture as part of the focus on entrepreneurship. There is much to learn about the challenges of setting up businesses in developing countries and India provides an exciting model.”

Spending four days in New Delhi and three days in Mumbai, the visit will enable the students to understand and experience firsthand the way entrepreneurship is really done in emerging economies.

Traditional case-studies of entrepreneurial businesses founded in the Silicon Valley are no longer recognised as the only applicable model for business, particularly in emerging economies such as India.

Integral to their learning experience will be one-on-one interactions with the CEOs and leading business men and women who have all been on the frontier of leading India’s economy to global success.

They have been carefully selected from nine different industries using a set of strict criteria such as being leaders in their field, highly innovative and having played a leading role in addressing India’s challenges.

They will also represent a range of companies formed at different points over the last four decades to provide insight into the context of leadership and decision-making as the size of the firm has grown, and within the expanding business environment of India.

They will be meeting :

- Dr. Surinder Kapur, Chairman and Managing Director, Sona Group;

- Patu Keswani, Founder and Chairman, Lemon Tree Hotels;

 - Sudhir Rao, Founder and CEO, Indus Age Advisors;

- Rana Kapoor, Founder and Managing Director, YES Bank;

- Vikram Saraswat, Head of Sales and Marketing, Evalueserve;

- Manajit Ghoshal, Founder and CEO, Mid-Day;

- Akash Bhanshali, Founder and CEO, Enam Securities;

- Geeta Dharmrajan, Founder and Executive Director, Katha;

- William Bissel, CEO, FAB India;

- Dr. Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV.

By identifying what can be learnt from businesses which have started and succeeded in India, the Cambridge MBA students will develop a best practice network for success in other emerging markets.

Among the group are students from Nigeria, South Africa and China who plan to set up businesses in their own countries after they’ve completed their Cambridge MBAs, using the synergistic business models found in India.

The project will culminate in a presentation given by the group upon their return to the School and will provide a blueprint for future entrepreneurship trips to other emerging economies.