'It is important that our executive MBAs experience India'

'It is important that our executive MBAs experience India'

Q&A: Phil Rosenzwieg, Professor, Strategy and International Management

Chitra Unnithan / Ahmedabad February 15, 2010, 0:18 IST

The executive MBA programme at Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) is ranked among the top 20 such courses worldwide. As part of the course, the institute conducts a Discovery Expedition to India. Phil Rosenzwieg, professor of Strategy and International Management, and his students recently visited India as part of the expedition. Rosenwieg spoke to Chitra Unnithan about his experience. Edited excerpts:

What is the Discovery Expedition all about?

EMBA Discovery Expeditions are real-time lessons on exploring new trends and ideas, and evaluating their relevance for participants and companies. They include visits to the likes of Silicon Valley and Shanghai. Our programme involves work with company-specific assignments, along with three Discovery Expeditions to other parts of the world. Our goal is not just to learn about the economy and business challenges but also to learn about the social and environmental issues.

After Shanghai and Silicon Valley, why did IMD choose India for the discovery programme?
India is a very important part of the world stage today. It is very important that our executive MBAs experience India. India is a global power in the making, if it manages to achieve anywhere near its full potential over the next few years. Our visit to India sets us up nicely for our next trip to Shanghai in May, as there are many points of comparison and contrast between these two giant nations — economically, socially, politically, environmentally, and more.

What were the take-aways from India?

India is also a place of stark contrasts, often positioned side by side: abject poverty next to western luxury and sophistication; global corporations (both Indian and foreign) next to grassroots entrepreneurship. IMD Executive MBA participants visited leading companies including Infosys Technologies, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Zensar and interacted with speakers who talked about issues like entrepreneurship, advertising in Indian culture, spiritual life, and microfinance. The participants stayed in Mumbai where they witnessed the full range of urban life — from Marine Drive to Dharavi, a slum of more than a million people. The group also travelled to Pune, and visited villages east of Pune to understand rural issues, including education and agriculture.

And last autumn, five leading companies (ICICI, Tata Motors, Wipro Water, Zensar, and Jaipur Rugs) identified two projects each, which groups of students began to work on in December, first on a remote basis, then during their time at IMD from Jan 17-23, and then while in India, finally making presentations to the client firms on this month. Perhaps this was the most valuable part of the Discovery Expedition.

How important is India as an education market for IMD?

India is highly important as a country for us to learn about. It has not, so far, been a large market for IMD, but we hope that will improve over time. We have had a few Indian nationals doing our EMBA, and would like to have many more.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/%5Cit-is-important-that-our-executive-mbas-experience-india%5C/385701/

Jaipur Rugs Company website in Other languages:

Jaipur Rugs Company website in Other languages:

English : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com

Arabic : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com/ar

Turkish : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com/tr

Russian : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com/ru

Japanese : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com/jp

French : http://www.jaipurrugsco.com/fr

Jaipur Rugs Foundation

The secret of life is in art- Oscar Wilde

Jaipur Rugs Foundation, a social initiative of Jaipur Rugs Company Pvt. Ltd (JRCPL) theorizes on producing employability for the unemployed, providing employable opportunities for the ambitious artisans and supporting them in every way to graduate them as entrepreneurs. Its purpose is to uplift the underprivileged communities through the art of weaving in those areas where agricultural activities are not possible.

The goals of this ground breaking foundation are:
- To encourage and improve the living conditions of the rural weavers and artisans
- To enhance their earning capacities through proper guidance and training
- To facilitate the rural artisans with the latest technologies
- To make the Indian carpet industry at par with the International standards

Jaipur Rugs Foundation came into being in 2004. In a span of just four years, the foundation has expanded to eleven states in India touching 1000 villages, over 10000 families and more than 25000 artisans. Currently, Jaipur Rugs Foundation plans to expand its spheres across all states in India.

More on Jaipur Rugs Foundation

The founder and trustee of the Jaipur Rugs Foundation, Nand Kishore Chaudhary believes in supporting the rural artisans and weavers in a way that they transform themselves into entrepreneurs and take the industry to a new level. Jaipur Rugs Foundation was earlier known as the International Research and Development Institute. The foundation’s model propagates the idea of a facilitator that bridges the underprivileged and unemployed with the government.

JRF’s website now has new sections for the viewers to interact. So if you want to browse through all the information pertaining to carpets, weavers, want to leave your comments or suggestions or want to be abreast of the recent changes and developments in the industry or foundation, do visit us at:

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/news.htm

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/JRF-Article.htm

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/2-JRF_Article.htm

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/map.htm

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/guestbook.htm

Say ‘No’ to Child Labor

Owing to the growing population, the means and standards of living in India are depleting in the rural areas. Child labor is very common to see in all industries. Children are considered to be the futuristic bread earners and therefore are induced by their families to work along with them. Factories and other industries have failed to set up prescribed standards of work and environment for these helpless children. They continue to work on the looms or coal mines behind closed and guarded doors………

Click here for more information


Old Methodology

Traditionally, all the designs that were used in the carpet were done manually. It was entirely dependent on the designers’ creativity to produce a range of colorful designs. Design outline is prepared on white paper and then filled with appropriate colors to make them different from existing designs. The same design was used to be converted into different graph papers to enable weavers understand them clearly so that while interlocking of wool into cotton they could interpret the designs accurately. After the finalization of design, a reduced graphical format of the complete design was prepared and given to weavers. The whole designing process used to take around 20-25 days depending on the compactness and size of the carpet.

New Methodology

With the advent of advanced computer systems, designing softwares are used inorder to facilitate the designers with vivid colors and graphs. The ‘maps’ are prepared and a print of these is sent to the weavers. While weaving one translates verbally the graphical design into their own weaving language called “Boli” and concurrently other person interlocks the woolen threads into a net of cotton threads called as “Tana-Bana”. Time taken for interlocking the wool varies according to their knotting compactness. Thus, the higher the compactness the greater is time spent by the weavers. At the end of the process, a tough carpet made by weavers goes through several chemical processes and final product comes out as a soft and colorful floor covering.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

JRF Scores on Google Page Rank

Google is now running its latest Page Rank update. JRF’s website http://www.jaipurrugs.org has moved from a page rank of 0 to a page rank of 3 and other websites that we manage have also witnessed their page rank increase this morning. As noticed in the past, the update usually takes a couple of days to settle, so do not get too ecstatic because the Page Rank scores might still change. Regarding the rankings, I have not notice many big differences as the rankings’ changes usually take place over a larger period of time before and after the effective Page Rank change. The last Google Page Rank Update took place mid- January, just after one in October 2007. Based on the last three consecutive updates, I would suspect that Google actually proceed with the update every 3 to 4 months, which would bring the next one around July-August 2008.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Press release – Jaipur Rugs Foundation

Jaipur Rugs Foundation (JRF) is a Not for-profit organization, registered in Public Trust Act, unveiled its new website www.jaipurrugs.org. This website is new outlook of foundation’s vision and mission. Unveiling the fresh website, Mr. Nand Kishore Chaudhary, Trustee of JRF Said “We always want To create, a society where equality, justice and peace prevail by providing equal opportunities in economic and social development.
“Finding yourself through losing yourself”

Jaipur Rugs Foundation is an initiative of Jaipur Rugs Company: JRF was founded in 2004 as a non profit foundation to promote and encourage the development of traditional manufacturing system of Indian Rugs Weavers Company Additionally, Helping them to boost production and reducing waste by using appropriate technology and effectiveness in the traditional system of manufacturing, they can achieve the global platform. Mr. N K Chaudhary, the chief promoter and founder of the institute dedicated his 35 years of experience in carpet business. Nowadays he shares his experiences by working with communities and developing practitioners through training programs and personal communications. He is involved in the corporate commitment for rural transformation.
New features of site:
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/news.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/3-JRF_Article-One_Rug_One_Story-N.K._Chaudhary.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/2-JRF_Article.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/map.htm

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Our Internal Links...

http://www.jaipurrugs.org/ENGAGE.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/Lets Weaver Dream.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/Photo-gallery.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/Trust.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/activities.htm
http://www.jaipurrugs.org/Report & Development.htm

JRF- Working for Women Empowerment, Eradicating Social Injustices

Simply creating carpets & rugs & making India a global champ in the home furnishing sector are not the only priorities that define the Jaipur Rugs role. Jaipur Rugs is one large family which considers its artisans, weavers & workers an integral part of this one big family. And, thus, the upliftment of these dedicated weavers is one of the topmost priorities of the company's development strategies.

To develop weavers and their family, Jaipur Rugs Company formed its social unit known as Jaipur Rugs Foundation in 2004. Jaipur Rugs Foundation is now involved in several economical and social programs of govt. and other agencies to uplift the quality of life of weavers & their families. We deals and works for the betterment of the carpet industry keeping the following goals in mind:

  • Work towards eradicating social injustices.
  • Increase the standard of living of the weavers.
  • Offering regular work & right payment.
  • Promotion of new designs as per the international demand so as to bring more work to the weavers thereby accelerating income and prosperity.
  • Working for the empowerment of women. Empowering women for us implies influencing strongly not only on their economic life (income and earning potential) but also their personal life (self-esteem and influence on family decisions). We give them equal priority on wage levels, participation in decision-making and labor standards.
  • Upliftment of the weavers' community by creation of facilities which enhance the efficiency of the weavers through carpet weaving which in turn lead to the economic growth of the industry.
  • Nurturing ancient legacies.
  • Enhancing the skill of the workers through training and exposure.
  • Non involvement of middlemen, making the weavers free from exploitation and under payment.
  • Promotion of research for new technology to bring the Indian carpet weaving industry closer to the international market.
  • Helping the weavers in becoming productive and contributing members of their communities.
  • Providing prospects for the overall personality development as health, education, including children's education etc.
  • Welfare schemes through microfinance which help the artisans get motivated for becoming financially sound and able to hold assets like their own looms.

JRF is dream of its founder Mr. N. K. Chaudhary, who worked along with rural artisans for 30 years. He firmly believes that each carpet is the aesthetic sense and inner feelings of artisans, which is their power of expression. At present JRF has ensured sustained livelihoods to 25000 artisans in wool reeling, dyeing, carpet weaving, repairing and many downstream jobs in the production chain. We constantly strive to link the livelihoods of poor with markets and to bring them in the mainstream. Today weavers need to understand end customer and vice versa.

Achievements:

· Sustained Livelihoods to 25000 artisans

· Our intervention has provided additional income of Rs18000/annum to each artisan.

· The capacity building programmers have developed skilled human resource, capable to meet global challenges.

· Local youths employed as service providers to mobilize, generate awareness, ensure quality control and deliver services to artisans.

· Women constitute 80% of total artisans. Hence, a greater space for women empowerment

· Another 30000 artisans can be employed for the work.

· Linkages of artisan for insurance, health, banking through ICICI Lombard, artisan Health cards, and access to banks has enabled us to mitigate risks of artisans.

· Assured buy back arrangement through Jaipur Rugs Co. Pvt. Ltd has given surge and sustainability to the clusters.

· Some local success stories from rural India have began to surface.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Weaving a large web- JRF

Weaving a large web
How a man who learnt to weave with two looms in his compound in a small Rajasthan town built a country-wide network of 25,000 artisans in 8 states to build India’s largest hand-knotted carpets company.
Sixty-year-old Mr. Nand Kishore Chaudhary wakes up at 5am in the morning and takes stock of his supply chain. It consists of 25,000 artisans and 4000 looms spanning remote and sometimes notorious locations across 8 states in India. The looms are located in the yard of the artisan’s houses. But yet his quality team can tell which square inch of the carpet was made that week and on which loom and at which artisan’s house. Each loom is visited twice a week. A production progress report is generated and sent to the head-quarters.
The looms are in some of the remotest areas of the country like the Bhil tribal area in Gujarat. But information reaches the Jaipur Rugs head-quarters in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Each new carpet is a different story; it is hand-knotted by a family, sometimes over ten months.
The company has itself been crafted by Chaudhary very unconventionally; the organisation structure evolves organically. “I have learned to understand people deeply and recruit” he says. “This is a company that runs without management” he finishes. The workers have graduated into running the stores and the supply chain.
The designs for the carpets are generated on a computer by traditional artists.
Jaipur Rugs makes a variety of carpets from the finest to the more mundane; and in different sizes from the very large to small. The material is either silk, wool or both combined to create very unusual effects. The company uses 16 shades in a carpet and takes pride in the fact that nobody can combine shades and tones like them.
www.jaipurrugs.org

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