Tackling difficult times

Updated on: Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Kolkata: Department of Business Management, Calcutta University, held its annual conference on the topic Meltdown Aftermath: Response of India Inc. on January 17 to bring the leading industry experts from diverse fields like coal, petrol, human resource, insurance, etc.

Parth S Bhattacharya, chairman, Coal India, inaugurated the conference and gave a brief account of what lead to the economic slowdown in developed countries. The domestic market demand in India played the most important role in keeping India afloat through the crisis, according to Bhattacharya and the other experts at the sessions.

Speaking on crisis management at home turf, Indrani Sen, managing partner, AIDIAS, said, “Crisis management is a new science of management, in which communication and public relations play an important role as stakeholders are kept abreast of whatever measures you are taking for combating the crisis and the progress on it. It prevents fear formation among stakeholders.”

Is Indian MNCs taking over companies overseas a sign of any impetus to the home turf or was it is due to failure of home turf that capitalists siphoned off?

Sushanta Chakraborty, GM-market & product management, HPL, said, “India is not limited within India, but spread all across. For any business minimum economic volume is important because the way our costs are given, confinement within country is neither profitable nor survivable. Also, by investing outside, we are getting their way of working and R & D. They invest 20-25% profit in R & D, which Indians don’t do often. Even if Indians do, product innovation is far ahead overseas. Thus by investing overseas we cut our costs and stay abreast with others. We also are able to utilise our exploding population by investing ourselves outside the national boundaries.”

Students enjoyed a peek in the recruitment sector given by Somesh Dasgupta, GM-HR, DPSC. He (Dasgupta) explained how students after graduation jump for the best pay packets and after 2-3 years of rigorous working and pressure decide to go for a second educational degree or course to specialise in one field. Most students or professionals think the cost office and good packet are good for living, which is wrong. It is core sectors of economy which they return to eventually for learning, and develop in it,” said MBM student Suparna Ganguly.

As the upcoming challenge facing Indian economy, Sen said, “I think the investment which our private sector units are looking at will make our economy dependent on global economy in future. This is where we need to study and assess the impact of this global meltdown of how we managed, so that when it hits us next time, we are prepared to take steps.”

This annual conference is organised by the department to bring recognition of department’s existence among people. “This conference was conceived 15 years back to market this department of university which has no way to advertise itself. Many don’t know that this course exists from past 32 years. But we are constantly trying,” shared Prof Nabinananda Sen.

Tackling difficult times

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