Vol 3 | Issue 3 | July 2016

Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | July 2016
QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF IBS GURGAON | FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY

GUEST SEMINARS @ IBS GURGAON
Dr. Kulwant Singh, Hony. Advisor, Urban Basic Services,
UN-Habitat on “Role of Private Sector in Delivery of
Public Services” on 8th April, 2016.
IN THIS ISSUE...
Director’s Message 1
From The Editor’s Desk 2
GST - State’s Perspective 3
GST: When and Why? 4
Interaction With : Mr. Arvind Kumar, IRS 5
Campus Buzz 7
Convocation 2016 9
Faculty Forum 12
Celebrity Watch : Raghuram Rajan 16
All About GST Bill 17
GST Bill - A Panacea For Indian
Economy 18
Alumni Success Story :
Karan Bhujbal, Class of 2010 19
Book Review : Rebooting India 20
Prof. C. L. Bansal, Professor, Public Policy and
Governance, MDI, Gurgaon on “Challenges and
Opportunities before Startups: Theory and Practice” on
20th April, 2016.
Chief Editor
Prof. S. C. Sharma
Managing Editor
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal
Associate Editor
Dr. Nidhi Tak
Editorial Team
Dr. Tavleen Kaur, Akshita Maheshwari, Vasudha
Dada, Tushar Sharma, Megha Goyal,
Priyanka Aggarwal
Mr. Arvind Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Heavy
Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt of India on “Goods
and Services Tax (GST) - It’s Impact on Indian Economy”
on 5th July, 2016.
Cover Design
Rudra Pratap Singh
Publisher
Mr. Prashant Singh, Manager, Admn.
B SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
GOODS & SERVICES TAX: WILL IT TRANSFORM
INDIAN ECONOMY
Goods and Services Tax (GST) has been in news since
2000 when Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee appointed
a Committee headed by the then Finance Minister of
Government of West Bengal to design a model for GST. Since
then, it has passed through several stages of deliberations,
debates and diatribes, both inside and outside the Parliament.
On 14th June 2016, in its long and winding journey,
GST reached an important milestone when the Empowered
Committee of State Finance Ministers approved the model GST
Bill and the Ministry of Finance released the draft document for
public debate.
The discussion in electronic and print media suggests
that almost all state governments have arrived at consensus
on several contentious issues, even though enough evidence
exists to the contrary as well.
GST is defined as “any tax on goods and services other than alcohol for human consumption.” It
is expected to subsume all indirect taxes imposed by central and state governments such as central
excise duties, additional excise duties, service tax, custom duties; state taxes like VAT or sales tax,
central sales tax, entertainment tax, entry tax, purchase tax, luxury tax, entry tax etc. In all, it is likely
to replace 17 taxes.
Considering the fact that India is a federal country, the model Bill provides for dual GST wherein
both the centre and states will concurrently levy central and state GST respectively. It is expected that
the base and other essential design features would be common between central GST and state GST.
For inter-state trade, only the central government will be authorized to impose and collect GST and
the proceeds would be shared in accordance with the provisions of the Act, as and when it comes into
existence. The Bill proposes an additional levy of 1% on inter- state trade in goods and services.
The primary purpose of bringing GST is to create a unified All - India market for businesses
engaged in the production, financing and trading of goods and services with a single tax rate, and
providing comfortable business environment to foreign firms which have to incur huge compliance
costs because of multiplicity of taxes, wide variations in tax rates, scale and extent of exemptions etc.
The major benefits of GST will emanate from increase in the size of the market brought about by hassle
free movement of goods transported by road, and streamlining of procedures for payments of GST
and availing tax credits in different locations. In final analysis, GST will contribute significantly towards
making of one India through economic, financial and commercial integration.
It is expected that GST will also help in checking generation of black money in the economy
through plugging of loopholes and effective compliance. The economic and administrative measures
coupled with improved coordination amongst tax authorities would result in raising the rate of
economic growth and employment generation..
At the same time, there are many unanswered questions at this stage: What would be the impact
of GST on inflation? Which sectors and industries are likely to gain? Who will be the losers and why?
How will it influence the smaller firms as against the large firms? What is the rationale of keeping liquor,
tobacco, petroleum, electricity and perhaps real estate out of the ambit of GST?
Answers to these questions are not straight or simple and would unfold themselves several years
after the introduction of GST. It would be a real test of Indian federal structure and the institutions
governing it.
I am sure you will enjoy reading this issue of Samvaad which attempts to address some of these
issues.
Prof. S C Sharma | Director, IBS Gurgaon
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 1

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
This issue of Samvaad focuses on the various aspects of Goods and
Services Tax (GST) and its implementation in India. The GST is the biggest
indirect tax reform in India since 1947 and aims to transform India into a
uniform market by subsuming all the indirect taxes and by breaking the
current fiscal barrier between states. A uniform GST across the country
will remove the cascading effect of various taxes and improve the ease of
doing business by creating a seamless national market. It will result into less
paperwork and hopefully will translate into a lower tax burden by removing
distortions from the system. With the bill being discussed in the parliament since 2009, and with the
great momentum built over the years, it is high time that all parties arrive at a consensus to pass the
bill. Any further delay in GST’s implementation may impact India’s industrial growth and send wrong
signals to global investors keen to invest in world’s fastest growing major economy.
Adding to the momentum of research activities at IBS Gurgaon, the last quarter (April-June)
was a time for faculty members to focus on their research work, share their progress, learn from
each other and get inspired. A series of faculty research seminars were organised where 12 faculty
members took the initiative to present their research findings with the faculty group at IBS Gurgaon.
It was an opportunity to feel proud of the expertise and competencies of institute’s highly diverse
and experienced pool of committed faculty members.
Convocation Ceremony for the Class of 2016 saw eminent guests from the industry sparing
time to address and motivate our young leaders to step into the corporate world with confidence
and determination. The knowledge and skills acquired by them at IBS during the last two years will
certainly be instrumental in shaping their careers.
IBS Gurgaon welcomed the new class of 2018 with much enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
Orientation and induction classes were held to bring all students on a common learning platform.
It was encouraging to see students coming in large numbers to attend the very first session on the
campus. Their eagerness and quest for learning was obvious during the orientation classes and I
am sure will continue during the regular classes as we constantly endeavour to provide intellectual
stimulation through discussions, debates and experiential activities.
I am happy that this issue of Samvaad brings out the debate surrounding GST and includes
carefully selected faculty and student articles on the theme along with regular columns of Campus
Buzz, Faculty Forum, Interaction With, Celebrity Watch, Alumni Success Story and Book Review. I
invite all readers to explore the contents and share with us ways and means to enhance the impact
of Samvaad.
Happy Reading!
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal | Associate Dean (Research), IBS Gurgaon
E-mail : shalinik@ibsindia.org
“Little else is requisite to carry a state to the highest degree of opulence from
the lowest barbarism but peace, easy taxes, and a tolerable administration of
justice: all the rest being brought about by the natural course of things.”
Adam Smith
2 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

GST - STATE’S PERSPECTIVE
Prof. Arun Kumar Agarwal*
The Goods and Service Tax or GST is a system of taxation where
there is a single tax for goods as well as services. GST is a consumption
based tax/levy which is applicable on goods and services at the place
where final/actual consumption happens.GST is collected on valueadded
goods and services at each stage of sale or purchase in the
supply chain. GST paid on the procurement of goods and services
can be set off against that payable on the supply of goods or services. The manufacturer or
wholesaler or retailer will pay the applicable GST rate but will claim back through tax credit
mechanism until the final stage of sale to the end consumer is reached.
Worries or concerns for states
1. The foremost worry for states is the loss of revenues, which is perceived to arise from two
factors. First, it is the manufacturing states that are more worried than the others because
value added tax, or VAT, the current taxation regime in states, is an origin-based tax while the
good and services tax (GST) is a destination-based tax. In the origin-based tax system, tax is
collected where the supplier of good is located while in the destination based system, tax in
collected where the consumer of a product is located. Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat
are among the more industrialized states and they fear big losses of revenues on movement
of goods made in their states.Secondly, loss of revenue may arise from GST replacing the
plethora of state taxes as they exist today.
2. Risk of Loss of fiscal autonomy. States will not be allowed to introduce any new tax at will,
change the rate of tax or give exemptions to any class of goods or service provider. They will
also not be allowed to unilaterally levy cess or surcharge or increase tax rate to raise resource
in the event of a natural calamity. Any change to tax rates will have to be within a narrow
band prescribed by the GST Council. Any changes to the tax rate will need to be agreed to
with three-fourth majority at the GST Council. While states together have weightage of twothird
in any decision and Centre will retain the balance one-third. This effectively means
that states together will not be able to act on their own or take any decision, consent of the
Centre will be necessary. This is akin to giving the Centre veto power.
Assurances from the Central Government
a. Compensation for losses suffered in the first five years: States have been assured 100 per cent
compensation for losses suffered in the first three years and 75 per cent in the fourth year and
50 per cent in the fifth year. However, the finance ministry expects that all states will not need
compensation for five years. Consuming states in particular may see their revenues increase with
the implementation of GST.
b. Further, to address the fears of revenue loss of manufacturing states, the union government has
said additional tax of up to one per cent would be collected on inter-state trade of goods for two
years or longer period if the centre-state body, the GST Council, so decides and be transferred
to the states. This is in lieu of the central sales tax (CST) that stands abolished when GST is
implemented. Tamil Nadu, for instance, estimates its losses from scrapping CST will be Rs 3,500
crore annually.
c. The Finance ministry expects that revenues generated by states from taxing services will more
than make up for losses they suffer when octroi and entry tax, entertainment tax, luxury tax and
other state level taxes are withdrawn and that the concerns of the States are too premature..
*Prof. Arun Kumar Agarwal is an Adjunct Faculty in the area of Finance at IBS Gurgaon
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 3

GST: WHEN AND WHY?
Dr. Mandeep Mahendru*
Goods and services tax (GST) is India’s most ambitious indirect
tax reform plan so far, aiming at making it comprehensive as nearly all
goods and services will be taxable, with minimum exemptions. GST may
prove out to be a game changer by creating seamless uniform market,
dismantling fiscal barriers between states, which in turn will help reduce
the cascading effect of tax on goods and services.
GST which got through Lok Sabha on 6th May, 2015, is a tax levy on
manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services at a national level. GST is a value-added tax
levied on goods and services (except the list of exempted goods and services) that is paid by the final
consumer while the retailer takes credit of the tax he has paid when buying the goods for retailing. In
this way, all the services of retailer or the chain behind him are taxed apart from the actual value of
production of the commodity. It is proposed to be implemented as a dual GST. At central level, it will
be called CGST and at the State level, it will be known as SGST. The rate levy will be decided mutually.
A lot of debate is going on the need for GST. As another level of tax reform, GST is going to screw
up the tax system in the country. Tax policy of any country plays vital role in bringing efficiency and
effectiveness in the economy. In the past, India has relied too much on the indirect taxation system
because of agrarian economy, low level of income and lack of reliable system to track personal income.
From time to time, Government comes out with various policies to bring tax reform to simplify and
strengthen the tax structure. One such step towards the simplification and rationalization of Indirect
tax structure was taken by introducing VAT. Citizens of India welcomed this step and VAT has become
a very popular tax. Very soon, people identified shortcomings in the structure while levying VAT at
both centre and state level. CENVAT also has a limitation of non inclusion of several taxes such as VAT,
Surcharge and the like.
To address such issues, GST as a part of comprehensive tax reform to ignite the harmonized
consumption system, has been proposed to which the lower house has given its nod, but is still waiting
in upper house. GST has been well accepted around the world with more than 140 countries in
agreement where GST rate ranges between 15 to 20%. Going to be a single tax levied on goods
and services being sold, GST will eliminate multiple taxes like CENVAT, Central sales tax, State sales
tax, Octroi etc which will help in reducing tax evasion and lead country towards economic growth.
The single taxation is going to put rest to the debate about republic and federation of the states
where goods can freely move within the country broadening the thinking of the corporate to pan
India level. The single tax system will lead towards increased transparency, less paper work and less
accounting complications, leading to more competition among the manufacturing sector proving
beneficial for the consumer. The efficiency will increase as a result of uniform taxation system since
state specific advantages will go. The simpler the tax, more will be the compliance. By removing the
cascading effect, layers of taxes and simplifying structures, GST will bring simplicity, more compliance
and will help in widening the tax base. With GST, the cost of the production in domestic economy will
fall leading to global competitiveness of manufacturers. According to expert bodies, GST will boost
India’s economic growth by nearly 1 to 1.7%..
In terms of growth, the macroeconomic impact of introduction of GST will really be significant.
A shift from income to consumption-based taxation will surely increase the revenue of the country
which in turn will increase the investment. In turbulent times when the fiscal deficit management is
critical, a complete failure to implement GST will surge the fiscal deficit to around 4% during FY16-17.
The need of the hour is to take care of certain issues including taxation on interstate services, stock
transfers, and integration of central and state taxes before moving further.
*Dr. Mandeep Mahendru is a Faculty Member in the area of Economics at IBS Gurgaon
4 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

INTERACTION WITH :-
Mr. Arvind Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of
Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt of India
Q: How difficult and challenging would it be to
implement GST in a large federal system like India?
A federal polity like India is characterised by diverse socio-economic and cultural ethos. While
states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamilnadu are at one end of the development continuum;
North eastern states, Hill states stand at the other end. Implementation of a uniform GST across all
states becomes challenging to that extent. GST implementation envisages a robust IT platform.
Each participating state has to provide IT support on real time basis. In other words, the most
laggard state will decide the pace of GST implementation and its functioning. Nevertheless,
India is determined to take up the challenge and put GST in place very soon.
Q: GST being a destination based tax, what will be its impact on the
revenues of manufacturing states?
GST, by virtue of being destination based tax, does not encompass in its fold the origin based
tax like Central Sales Tax (CST). It is true that in the GST regime the manufacturing states or
the producing states may lose CST revenue, but it is also true that generally these are the very
states that also have large volume of service transactions. Under GST, these states will collect
enough revenue by taxing services. It is also a fact that buoyancy of service tax is much more
than that of CST, VAT (Value Added Tax) or Excise duty. In any case, Central Govt has promised
to compensate those states which report fall in revenue by implementation of GST.
Q: GST will make India one common market. How will it affect our
international trade?
A common market under GST would mean that one buys some inputs from one state, some
from other and sells it in third state, yet he is reimbursed his ITC (Input Tax Credit). In a similar
fashion, one can produce in any state, export from any port and can claim reimbursement from
any state. Under GST, with the removal of cascading effect, the net indirect tax ceteris peribus
will be lower than before, hence the product pricing becomes more competitive in international
market. As far as imports are concerned, GST envisages abolition of CVD (Countervailing Duties)
and SAD (Special Additional Duty) on imports, hence it may be the case that in the short run
imports would rise but in the long run it will adjust to market forces since the Excise duty too is
abolished and manufacturing becomes cheaper.
Q: Will there be less corruption once GST is implemented? What are your
views?
The genesis of corruption perhaps lies in the human interface and exercise of discretionary
powers. GST is expected to avoid human interface and is to work mainly though IT module, for
which Government is designing GST network. The taxes can be filed objectively while sitting at
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 5

office/home. There will be a lot of automation in GST system which will act as check against
scrupulous activities. In such a paradigm, there should not be place for corruption.
Q: What is the tax rate structure proposed under GST?
GST envisages two rate structures: (i) Central GST (ii) State GST. IGST will be charged on interstate
transactions which would be roughly the addition of these two taxes. At present, there is no
consensus on tax rates. The Constitution (Amendment) Bill has provision for formation of GST
council headed by Union FM. This council is entrusted with the task of deciding the rates of GST,
the exemption turnover threshold etc.
Q: Will prices go up or down with GST? How will it benefit the common
consumer?
Generally price of a good is a function of demand quantity, quality, taste etc. and not tax rate.
However, under GST the net indirect tax on inputs will become lower, with reduced transaction
cost etc. the supply side economics will be eased up and with competitive market, the benefits
are expected to be passed on to the common consumer.
Q: What will be the impact of GST on the Indian economy?
There are studies to show that with GST in place the GDP of India would grow between 0.9
to 1.7%. With the rationalisation of indirect taxes and business entities having to report to less
number of tax authorities, there will be a positive impact on ease of doing business in India.
GST being familiar tax regime for the international business communities, the prospects of FDIs
and other forms of investment will increase greatly, which will have an accelerator effect on the
economy. Interplay of all these factors will boost the Indian economy.
Interacted with:- Samvaad Team, IBS, Gurgaon on 5th July, 2016
GST is 'Brahmastra' for country: Assocham
(Source: The Economic Times, Jul 12, 2016)
CHENNAI: Terming the Goods and Services Tax Bill "Brahmastra" for the country,
industry body Assocham said the country needs to have a simple platform to
move goods within states.
"GST is a Brahmastra for the country. Actually, we need to have a simple
platform to move goods within India than we move goods outside the country,"
Assocham president Sunil Kanoria told reporters.
Stating that the present movement of goods within the country involves multiple
processes, he said "it is more difficult to move trade within the country than
moving it externally (outside India)".
"We believe GST is possible and expect it to be passed during the monsoon
session of Parliament. It (GST Bill) will have a multiplier effect across states in
the country.” he said
6 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

CAMPUS BUZZ
Orientation Classes
The orientation classes for the students of
Class of 2018 started from 2nd June, 2016. It was
a 3 day program. During these three days, Prof.
S.C. Sharma, Director, IBS Gurgaon addressed the
students giving them the future vision and how IBS
will play a major role in shaping their personality
and career in upcoming two years; Dr. Anupama
Raina, Dean, Placements made the students aware
about the placement process and gave them
guidelines for effective performance; Dr. Renu Verma, Academic Coordinator shared the details and
guidelines about the academic functioning of PGPM program; Dr. Shalini Khandelwal, Associate
Dean conducted Personality Development sessions and talked to students about the impact of
different personality dimensions on managerial effectiveness; Dr. Vikas Gautam, Advisor - Student
Council, Prof. Ekta Chauhan and Dr. Nidhi Tak, Joint Coordinators, Student Council exposed the
students to the outside classroom activities at IBS which play a major role in overall development of
students at the campus. Prof. Sangeeta Shahane, Area Coordinator, Soft Skills briefed students about
the importance of Soft skills and how it helps in developing the personality and improving career
opportunities for students.
Talk by Director, Prof. S. C. Sharma on “Exit of Raghuram Rajan as the Governor
of RBI”
Prof. S. C. Sharma, Director, IBS Gurgaon, delivered a lecture
on “Exit of Raghuram Rajan as the Governor of RBI” on 21st
June, 2016 in the campus auditorium. Prof. Sharma highlighted
the initiatives taken by Mr. Raghuram Rajan as the Governor of
RBI and the past and current situation of Indian economy. As the
news of Mr. Rajan’s exit made people fear about the crashing of
the economy, Prof. S.C. Sharma shared the other side of the story
stating the loopholes in the system while emphasizing on the
leadership qualities a person should have to take everybody along.
In-house Excel Workshop
During 2-3 May, 2016, Prof. Shweta Sharma, Prof. Shweta
Agarwal, Prof. Sudarshan Burari and Prof. Vandana Jangid
conducted Excel Workshop for ACC, Library & Admin staff
members of IBS Gurgaon. Key deliverables were lookup functions,
conditional formatting, pivot tables, go to function, text functions
like concatenate, data validation google forms, google sheets,
google drive, Mail merge, labels and email messages, twitter
account and social media, followed by problem solving.
From 10th May to 13th May 2016 an in-house excel workshop
for all the faculty members was conducted. Key deliverables were conditional formatting, sorting
&filtering; custom sort, advance filtering, cell referencing, dashboard, power pivot, pivot tables, data
validation, Installation of data analysis tool pack and its practical implementation, Advance Excel tools
likegoal seek, scenario, solver, etc.
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 7

One Day Management Development Programme on “Financial Orientation for
Non- Finance Business Executives”
IBS Gurgaon organised a One Day MDP on “Financial Orientation for Non- Finance Business
Executive on 14th May, 2016. The programme was coordinated by Dr.Sombala N, Faculty & MDP
Coordinator and Prof. Ranika Chaudhary, Area Cordinator, Finance, IBS Gurgaon under the guidance
of Director, Prof. S. C. Sharma and Dean, Prof. Gautam Kaul.
The Programme was specially designed and structured with an
objective of imparting basic skill-sets in understanding of the
principles of finance and costing in business to non-finance
business executives so that the key decisions can be evaluated
in the light of financial implications. The various interactive
sessions with hands on learning experience were conducted
by Dr. Daryab Singh, Prof. Arun Agarwal and Prof. Vivek Bhatia,
Faculty, IBS Gurgaon
English Language Proficiency Classes
Soft Skills department at IBS Gurgaon organized English Language Proficiency Classes for the
Class of 2018 from 13th June, 2016 to 25th June, 2016. The main objective of these sessions was to
build functional grammar and business vocabulary along with enhancing the oral presentation skills.
Emphasis was placed on structured thinking, coherent sentence formulation, linking paragraphs and
honing students’ reading skills by way of analyzing caselets, newspaper articles and situations.
More than 60 students enrolled for the classes. Students were divided into 2 batches which
were being taken up by Prof. Deepa Diddi and Prof. Shikha Gupta respectively. Activities like group
discussions, public speaking, presentations were the part of classes and handouts on how to improve
communication skills were provided to the students for future reference.
Club Activities @ IBS Gurgaon
Under the aegis of Student Council of IBS Gurgaon, 20 student clubs operate and coordinate
various academic and non - academic activities and events on the campus. The clubs consist of
representatives from I & II year who are responsible for ideation, creation and management of year
round competitions and activities at IBS Gurgoan.
CLIPPIT
“CLIPPIT” was organized by ETHNOS CLUB - the HR Club
of IBS Gurgaon on 24th June, 2016 under the guidance of Dr.
Reshmi Manna. The activity consisted of teams with 4 members
each aiming at relationship building within the team in spite of
external interference. The event saw huge participation of 120
students from Ist & IInd yr. The 3 winning teams were awarded
with certificates of appreciation and trophies.
LOGO HUNT
“LOGO HUNT” was organised by MARK!T CLUB - the Marketing Club of
IBS Gurgaon on 24th June, 2016. The event
examined the awareness of different ‘logos’
among the students. The competition was
held under the supervision of Dr. Ranjita
Gupta and Prof. Vineeta Jha. 64 teams of 2
members each registered for the competition and after 4 rounds,
only 5 teams proceeded to the finals. There were 3 winning teams
who were awarded with certificates and trophies by the Director.
8 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

CONVOCATION 2016
IBS Business School. Gurgaon organised its Convocation 2016 on 18th June. 2016, at Air Force
Auditorium, New Delhi. The occasion was graced by business honchos from corporate world,
viz. Mr. Vikram Pawah, Managing Director, Harley-Davidson, the Chief Guest for the ceremony;
Mr. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd., the Distinguished Guest;
and Mr. B.N. Puri, Executive Director & CEO, Asian Institute of Transport Development, the Guest
of Honour. Prof. S. C. Sharma, Director, IBS Gurgaon, presided over the function.
At the commencement, the Director, IBS Gurgaon, Prof. S.C. Sharma welcomed the
distinguished guests, faculty members, graduating students and accompanying parents to the
momentous occasion. During his address, Prof. Sharma shared the journey and accomplishments
of IBS. He emphasized, that to be a successful professional, an individual should always be keen
to add value by being an effective team player, a leader and a researcher. He advised students
to develop themselves as an individual and professional with an infinite capacity to adjust,
negotiate, reconcile, innovate, and also unlearn and relearn. Prof. S.C. Sharma congratulated
the students and their parents for successful completion of the two years of the PGPM program
and with this note, he declared the convocation open!
Distinguished Guest, Mr. Bhaskar Pramanik presented the medals and plaques to the
meritorious students of the Class of 2016. In his address to the students, Mr. Pramanik spoke
on making of India, stages through which the country has passed and period that the country
has witnessed in the last 50-60 years. He also spoke on the demographic dividend that
India presently has in terms of its young and talented population which needs to be skilled,
particularly in rural areas and smaller towns.
Mr. B.N. Puri, Guest of Honour distributed certificates to the graduating students and in his
address to the students, he spoke at considerable length on the need for ethical conduct by
various stake holders, in promotion and management of businesses. He relied heavily on the
Indian scriptures to support his viewpoint that the meaning of Dharma is contextual and different
forces in the society pursue dharma from their individual or sectional view. He administered the
oath to the graduates of batch 2014-16.
The convocation address was delivered by Mr. Vikram Pawah, Managing Director,
Harley-Davidson, the Chief Guest of the ceremony. Mr. Pawah connected with the students
in his energetic and vibrant demeanour. He spoke about the challenges faced by the present
generation in the corporate. He drew attention of students towards three major factors, which
make the current business scenario different from the preceding periods. In his view, the three
major challenges which have to be managed by the present generation are handling highly
accelerated speed, complexity and enhanced level of uncertainty. He distributed certificates to
the graduates and congratulated them for their success.
At the closure of the event, Dr. Renu Verma, Associate Dean & Academic Coordinator
proposed the vote of thanks to all the reverent guests, Director, faculty members, students and
their parents for making the event a great success with their benign presence!
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 9

CONVOCATION 2016
Lighting of Lamp ceremony
Saraswati Vandana by 2nd year students
Dignitaries on the Dais
Academic Coordinator, Dr. Renu Verma welcoming
the Chief Guest, Mr. Vikram Pawah
Prof. S.C. Sharma, Director, IBS Gurgaon, delivering
the Welcome Address
Mr. Vikram Pawah, MD, Harley Davidson, delivering the
Convocation Address
10 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

CONVOCATION 2016
Mr. B.N Puri, Executive Director & CEO, Asian Institute
of Transport Development administering the oath to
the graduating students
Captivated audience at the convocation ceremony
Dr. Renu Verma delivering the Vote of Thanks
Prof. S. C. Sharma felicitating the Guest of Honor,
Mr. Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft
Corporation (India) Pvt Ltd
Prof. S.C. Sharma with the distinguished guests
IBS Gurgaon Faculty Members
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 11

FACULTY FORUM
Faculty Research Seminars at IBS Gurgaon.
A series of 12 faculty research seminars were organized during
April-May, 2016 with the objective of knowledge sharing and promoting
a research culture at IBS Gurgaon. The seminars were coordinated by
Associate Dean & Research Coordinator, Dr. Shalini Khandelwal.
Dr. Vikas Gautam on “Impact of Corporate Reputation and Consumer Trust on
Perceived Risks and Purchase Intentions in Online Shopping Context” on 13th
April, 2016.
Dr. Vikas Gautam’s study explored the relationship between reputation management activities
and consumers’ intentions to purchase through perceived corporate image, consumer trust and
perceived risk. The study concluded that intention to purchase behavior
can be predicted as a dependent variable with a rate of 74 % through
antecedent constructs triggered by RM activities. The empirical results
of this study show that perceived risk can be decreased by increasing
consumer trust and positive corporate reputation based on RM activities
(i.e. making high-volume and continuous commitments to the market
for superior customer satisfaction, announcing the famous people preferring the offering of the firm,
sponsoring important events in social life) of the firm.
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal on “The Impact of Self Efficacy, Need for Achievement
and Demographic Variables on Management Students’ Perception Regarding
Web Based Learning Resources (WBLR)” on 13th April, 2016.
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal discussed the growing importance and usage of Web Based Learning
Resources in management education. Her research focused on the demographic and personality
differences among students that may affect their perception of the various dimensions of WBLR. Her
study concluded that students’ self efficacy has a significant impact on
their perception of easiness and availability with respect to WBLR. The
other personality variable of need for achievement affects the perception
of usefulness and quality in relation to WBLR. However, the demographic
variables of age, gender, graduation stream, rural-urban background did
not have any significant impact on students’ perception regarding WBLR.
Dr. Jyoti Ahluwalia on “Technology Enabled Finance” on 27th April, 2016.
In her talk, Dr. Jyoti Ahluwalia explained the concepts of Fintech firms, Bitcoin, Digital Currency
and the Blockchain technology. She mentioned how technology is
taking finance to new frontiers and changing the face of the industry.
The digitalization process is creating a revolution and providing newer
solutions to the finance industry. The talk explained the process of
creating the digital coin using the Blockchain approach and how
Blockchain as a technology was now being used in almost every industry.
12 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

Prof. Vineeta Jha on “Branding of Hospitals in Healthcare Sector” on 27th
April 2016.
Prof. Vineeta Jha discussed about the Indian health sector which
has been at vanguard of growth in the past decade. The main propellers
of growth have been increasing health awareness, disposable income,
increasing population, growing lifestyle related health issues, thrust in
medical tourism, improved health insurance penetration, private and
public sector initiatives etc. The role of private sector is accentuated by the increased demand being
nominally met by government sector plagued by resource crunch and delayed decision making.
Prof. Gautam Kaul on the book “Man’s Search for Meaning” by the famous
Austrian Psychoanalyst Viktor Frankl on 11th May, 2016.
Prof. Gautam kaul discussed the fundamental theme of Frankl’s
book and emphasized on the issue of survival. Although Frankl witnessed
and experienced horror, Man’s Search for Meaning focuses less on the
details of his own experience and more on how his time under Nazi rule
showed him the human ability to survive and endure against all odds.
Frankl believed that meaning can be derived from purposeful work, love
and courage in face of difficulties. In coping with situations of utter helplessness, Frankl explained
that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose
one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.
Dr. Sombala N. on “Self Compassion” on 11th May, 2016.
Dr. Sombala talked about developing self compassion and self esteem among management
students. Self-compassion refers to the ability to hold, understand and acknowledge one’s feelings
of suffering with a sense of warmth, connection, and concern and
accepting that one’s negative life experiences are an inevitable part of
human life. People, who are characterized as compassionate, embrace
others’ weaknesses and shortcomings without judging themselves.
Ways to develop self compassion is through: extending kindness and
understanding to oneself rather than harsh self-criticism and judgment;
seeing one’s experiences as part of the larger human experience rather
than as separating and isolating; and holding one’s painful thoughts and feelings in balanced
awareness rather than over-identifying with them
Dr. Ranjita Gupta on “Disruptive Marketing and Brand Building – A Case study
of Patanjali Ayurveda Limited” on 13th May, 2015.
Disruptive markets are overturning old market certainties. Most companies still follow a traditional
marketing strategy that is good for existing markets, but it cannot predict the emergence of new
markets. Marketers need to learn how to create markets where none
exist. The case study aims to understand the tremendous success of
Patanjali Ayurveda Limited, an FMCG company established in 2006 and
its foray into Ayurvedic, herbs, food, cosmetics & juices, that touched an
annual turnover of 2500 crore (US$370 million) in 2014-15.
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 13

Dr. Mandeep Kaur on “Impact of Advertisement Expenditure on Firm’s
Performance: A Case of FMCG Industry in India” on 13th April, 2016.
Dr. Mandeep Kaur shared her research on a sample of 100 FMCG
companies in India where she studied the impact of advertising and firm’s
performance for the period ranging from 2005-06 to 2014-15. The study
used sales, profits and firm value as measures of firm’s performance.
Tobin’s Q ratio was used as a proxy for firm value. The study found a
positive impact of advertisement expenditure on sales, profitability and
firm value. The study further observed that sales revenue and profitability
have a positive impact on firm value.
Prof. Jean Saldanha on “Compostwali of the Daily Dump” on 19th May, 2016.
Prof Jean Saldanha shared the case study that she had presented in Mumbai at the CII Western
Region Edgefarm HR case writing competition 2015 2016, co authored with IBS student Hempriya
Banga, for which they had been awarded the first prize in the primary
data category, on Feb 26, 2016. The presentation focused on a category,
not often covered by business case studies, i.e. the waste industry which
has a value of over US $ 1.5 billion in India. Prof. Saldanha emphasized
how a case study with a good story must be backed with a clear learning
objective and strong teaching notes.
Dr. Tavleen Kaur on “Employee Reviews on Company Independent Websites’
on 19th May, 2016.
Dr. Tavleen Kaur’s seminar presented a conceptual framework on
how job seekers perceive company independent websites as a tool for
providing recruitment communication and their impact on organizational
attractiveness using Information Realism, Person-Environment fit
framework and Source Credibility framework. She shared that apart from
company websites, job seekers are now using company independent websites, forums or online
communities to gather a more truthful picture and information about the job and organizational
attributes.
Dr. Anupama Raina on “Challenging Field Situation and the Making of a True
Leader: Takeaway from Abduction and Release of an IAS officer” on 20th May,
2016.
Dr. Anupama Raina’s presented her case on the making of a leader, a hard task master, a young
IAS officer, who was posted as a district collector and the circumstances that led to his abduction.
She discussed how someone who is highly committed, enjoys power,
can make a difference in the lives of others, yet remains grounded
and fearlessly works to achieve the set targets. This case had a lesson
for everyone aspiring to be a leader and showed how to demonstrate
leadership in the most challenging field situations.
14 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

Prof. S. K. Baurai on “The Google File System” on 20th May, 2016.
Prof. S. K. Baurai made a presentation on the research paper written by Sanjay Ghemawat,
Howard Gobioff, and Shun-Tak Leung of Google. Google has pioneered in the art of processing the
big data in a distributed environment and that also with the cost effective
commodity computers. The File System is widely deployed within Google
as the storage platform for the processing of data used by their service
as well as research and development teams that require large data sets.
This research paper and few more from Google have been the basis that
helped in developing the Hadoop platform for Big Data Analytics.
IBS Gurgaon congratulates Dr. Ranjita Gupta and Dr. Nidhi Tak on successfully completing
their Ph.D. from Banasthali University.
Paper Publications
The following 3 papers were published in Advances in Economics & Business Management,
Volume 3, Issue 2/3, April-June, 2016:-
• “Disruptive Marketing and Brand Building – a Case Study of Patanjali, Ayurveda Limited”
by Dr. Ranjita Gupta
• “Social Media brings Paradigm Shift in Brand Management” by Prof. Vineeta Jha
• “A Review of Profitability and Performance of Major Sectors of Small and Medium
Enterprises in India” by Prof. Vineeta Mishra
Dr. Shalini Khandelwal’s case study “ iDreamCareer.com: A Case on Social Entrepreneurship
in Education” was published in 8M - International Journal of Indian Management and
Strategy, Volume 21, Issue 2, April – June, 2016.
Dr. Sombala N’s article “Floods in Kashmir Valley: A Note on the Disaster and Conflict Interface”
was published in World Focus: Indo-centric Foreign Affairs Journal, Issue May 2016.
Paper Presentations
The following 3 papers were presented at Conference on Brand Management (CBM 2016),
IIT Delhi held during 16 -17 April, 2016:-
• “Branding of Hospitals in Health Care Sector” by Prof. Vineeta Jha
• “Patanjali, Ayurveda & Ramdev- Redefining Brand Building - The Indian Way” by
Dr. Ranjita Gupta
• “Dimensions of Service Quality and their Impact on Customer Loyalty: A Study of Major
Telecom Players in Delhi NCR Region” by Dr. Ranjita Gupta
Dr. Ranjita Gupta presented her case study “Disruptive Marketing and Brand Building – a Case
Study of Patanjali Ayurveda Limited” at the International Conference on Leadership Strategies
for Management of Marketing, Accounting, Business, Entrepreneurship, Economics and
Tourism, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi on 15th May, 2016.
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 15

CELEBRITY WATCH : Raghuram Rajan
Born on February 3, 1963, in a Tamil Brahmin family, Raghuram
Rajan is well known as an economic reformist and is largely loved by
the industry and market participants for his consistent and transparent
communication.
Rajan did his schooling from Delhi Public School, RK Puram, where he learnt Hindi for the first
time. Before this, he had attended a French school at Belgium, where his father, R Govindarajan, an IPS
topper and a staff officer of Research and Analysis Wing was posted. During his graduation at IIT- Delhi,
he was awarded with the Director’s Gold Medal as the best all-round student. In 1987, he earned a Post
Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
where he was a gold medalist. Apart from being a brilliant academician, he is an author, avid quizzer
and runs marathon.
After graduation, Rajan joined Tata Administrative Services as a management trainee but left after a
few months to join the doctoral program in management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. In
1991, he received a PhD for his thesis titled Essays on Banking, where he realized his research interests
in banking, corporate finance, and economic development.
Raghuram Rajan has earned several awards in his career, starting from ‘Fischer Black Prize’,
awarded by the American Finance Association for his contribution to the theory and practice of finance.
NASSCOM, in 2010, named him ‘The Global Indian’. He was even awarded for his book “Fault Lines:
How Hidden Fractures Still Threaten the World Economy’ in the same year. In the following year, he
received the Infosys Prize for Social Sciences – Economics for his work on analyzing the contribution
of financial development to economic growth. In 2013, he received an award for his ground-breaking
research work, which influenced the macro-economic policies around the world. Subsequently, in the
year 2014, he was conferred with the Central Banker of the year Award by various publications.
Rajan was the youngest chief economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 2003 to
2006 and was a Professor of Finance at the University of Chicago, Booth School of Business from
1991 to 2013. He is also a visiting professor for the World Bank, Federal Reserve Board, and Swedish
Parliamentary Commission. He joined the Indian government as Chief Economic Advisor to the Ministry
of Finance and prepared the economic survey for India for the year 2012 - 13 before heading the RBI.
At the helm of RBI, serving as the 23rd Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Rajan has
contributed immensely for improving the country’s economic scenario and led profuse developments
in the Indian financial system. Under his governorship, RBI came out with a new monetary framework
that focused on bringing down inflation, the lowest since 90’s and rising of Foreign Currency Non-
Resident (B) deposits to bolster foreign exchange reserves. Today, the Forex Reserves are high as that
of $363 billion, all due to his pragmatic approach. His presence made our currency stable. Moreover,
he released on-tap licensing to ease the process of banking. Lower inflation and stability in currency
markets helped bring down key repo rate to a five-year low, which enhanced the economic growth
and consumer spending as well.
In a recent interaction with the students at Kolkata Presidency University, Raghuram Rajan
batted for the federal government on the GST bill, describing it as an “absolutely good thing” for
the country as it will expand the tax net, shore up revenues for the exchequer and reduce the state
barriers, making the country a common market place.
Raghuram Rajan’s practices, principles and contribution towards our economy are commendable,
making our country reach new heights and compete strongly in the global financial ecosystem.
Compiled By:- Priyanka Agarwal, Class of 2017, IBS Gurgaon
16 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

ALL ABOUT GST BILL
Robin Manocha*
GST or the Goods and Services Tax is an indirect tax that brings
together most of the taxes that are imposed on all goods and
services (except a few) under a single banner. This is in contrast
to the current system, where taxes are levied separately on goods
and services. The GST is a comprehensive form of tax based on a uniform rate of tax for both
goods and services. However, the GST is payable only at the final point of consumption.
Touted as the “single most important tax reform since 1947”, the Goods and Service
Tax (GST) has been in the offing for a decade and continues to be the top priority on the
economic agenda of the government. Although GST has been the subject of wide scrutiny
and debate, most of the discussions have been centered on its road to passage or on its
larger form and structure.
Much emphasis has been placed on the benefits of uniformity that the GST would
usher in. Accordingly, GST would comprise an equal Central GST (CGST) and State GST
(SGST), with no deviations from the rates/exemption lists, so as to obviate potential “rate
wars” between States. Even in terms of the model law, the potential for deviation stems
from the concurrent powers of the Centre and States to enact their own GST legislation,
compounded by the inheritance of the existing disjointed tax structure. It may be recalled
that even the Value Added Tax regime began with a pledge of uniformity, but devolved over
time as each State formulated different tax events, rates and exemptions.
Most crucially, the GST Dispute Settlement Authority, which would have reined in any
deviations affecting the harmonized structure of the GST, has been done away with. The
existing tax system has typically followed a model of rewarding States where production
activity is based (origin States), as opposed to States where consumption is high (destination
States). Accordingly, most States have incentivized the setting up of local industries in order
to drive growth and augment tax collections. While origin States may chalk out measures to
redress the imbalance, consumption and production patterns will not alter overnight, and
industrialized States could be left in the lurch, at least in the immediate aftermath of the
GST. Interestingly, there seems to be no globally available precedent which offers a solution
to such an imbalance. In the inevitable shift which the Indian GST necessitates, destination
States such as Bihar and Kerala clearly stand to gain in terms of revenue, while origin States
such as Gujarat and Maharashtra stand to lose, and had expectedly put up more initial
opposition to GST. In order to partially level the playing field, the Centre proposed a 1 per
cent origin-based additional GST.
Along the road to GST, it is also critical that these issues are subjected to the same level
of governmental and public scrutiny so that the implementation of GST is a success in letter
as well as in spirit.
*Robin Manocha is a student of Class of 2017 at IBS Gurgaon
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 17

GST BILL - A PANACEA FOR INDIAN
ECONOMY
Aditi Shukla*
There has been a big rush to push GST bill into action. Goods and
Services tax is a tax levied when a consumer buys a good or service. It is
designed to subsume with a single comprehensive tax which brings all the
other taxes under one umbrella. It aims to eliminate the cascading effect of
taxes on production and distribution prices on goods and services.
Previously, excise duty and service tax were levied by central government while value added tax was
levied by state government which was one of the reasons why such a cross utilization of credits was not
allowed. However, GST aims to solve the issue of cascading of taxes. It never made any difference to
people whether the tax is levied by the state or center. A tax is a tax and there is a tax on a tax currently.
GST is designed to combat this problem. Solving the problem of cascading of taxes will be a win- win
situation for the citizens of the country and the government.
The question still remains unanswered whether it would be implemented in India? There is a dual
view as today states have autonomy in collecting taxes, they are also worried about central government
sharing the tax revenues with them. If India becomes a common market, then the states will have to
share their power of taxing with the union government. It would mean that states will not have the
power of increasing or decreasing the taxes as much as they want. On the other hand, the consensus
of opinion is that the implementation of GST would lower prices of goods, thereby benefiting both
consumers and manufacturers. It would also simplify the tax code, which currently is a disaster. It
would also reduce the compliance and procedural costs as returns and reporting will be comfortable
under GST. According to some experts, it would also add approximately 100 to 200 basis points to GDP.
Though there are three models of GST which would be levied for state, center or both. According
to some experts, India should adopt a dual GST model administered by central and state governments
in order to abate the differences between state and central governments. Keeping these differences in
mind, the bill has proposed to have a GST council where in the state and central minister of finance will
have equal powers followed by a Dispute Settlement authority to mitigate the issues between both the
governments. Also, it would encourage the small businesses to come into action as the location bias will
be removed through this comprehensive bill and the youth will be able to come up with more startups
without worrying about the tax differences in different states.
Interestingly, according to the Joint Working Group appointed by the empowered committee in
2007, India would have a quadruple tax structure having components namely- Central tax on goods
extending up to retail level, Central service tax, State VAT goods, State VAT on services. All these matters
are still being figured out and worked upon by the state and central governments so that they come out
with the best and calibrated GST bill. This “dual v/s quadruple” matter of abundant complications and
entanglements has acquired urgency for the government. April 2017 is seen as the last window for rolling
out GST. For GST to be implemented from next April, the government will have to pass the central GST
legislation once the Constitution amendment bill is cleared by Parliament and state legislatures.
GST has been subject to lot of opposition. “All parties other than Congress are supporting GST and
even Congress chief ministers are in favor of it,” said a top government source, adding that the Centre
was confident of successfully pushing the legislation through Rajya Sabha .West Bengal CM Mamta
Banerjee’s support for GST has also buoyed them, sparking optimism that CMs of other ‘consuming’
states, such as Bihar, Odisha, Kerala and UP, will also back the GST bill since they stand to gain through
higher tax collection. This would be the first tax of a kind in India and if laid out legislatively correct and
publicly beneficial, it will definitely be a panacea for our country’s economy.
*Aditi Shukla is a student of Class of 2017 at IBS Gurgaon
18 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

ALUMNI SUCCESS STORY
4 Tenets for Professional Success
By: Karan Bhujbal, Class of 2010, IBS Gurgaon
‘Dilon mein tum apni betabian leke chal rahe ho, to zinda ho tum’.
This line from Javed Akthar, from the movie Zindagi Na Milegi
Doobara, sums up the constant fears and apprehensions I had while
doing an MBA. Where was I going to get placed? What would be the
right career start for me? Would it be interesting enough? And above all,
how much would I earn in the short and long term?
That was 6.5years back and fast forwarding to the present, I currently work for Vuclip, a Silicon
Valley originated company in the digital media entertainment space. I’m a part of the global corporate
marketing team, and I look at marketing communications across various regions. Prior to this, I worked
for the MSL Group, Publicis Groupe’s Strategic Communications and Engagement Company, for 5.5
years. My core functional areas were Public Relations (PR), Social Media and Experiential Campaigns.
My professional journey is just 1% done, but there sure have been some lessons, that essentially
made my mental make-up and have helped me grow in the corporate world.
Everything counts
From the way you dress, to the way you talk, to every presentation
you give and every point you make in a meeting, everything counts.
Your bosses, your colleagues, your clients, your investors and your
customers, all are judging you, consciously or unconsciously, at each
moment.
In 2014, I made it to the list of India’s top 30 Under 30 PR professionals by PRmoment.in. The
achievement was special, because one, my employer nominated me and two, I made it to the final
list. The achievements cited to file my nomination included strategic thinking for my clients, creative
execution, innovative approach, impact in terms of marketing and business impact of campaigns.
But what made these achievements possible was a day-on-day relentless drive for excellence,
to deliver meaningful results and an always-on conversation with internal and external stakeholders.
Without this, I wouldn’t ever come up with any creative solution, I wouldn’t have ever been able
to discover a problem, let alone solve it and I most certainly wouldn’t have got the trust from my
employer and my clients to execute things.
Attitude is everything
I think, over the years I’ve built a strict work regime for myself, be it reaching office on time,
having a ‘yes, can’ attitude, to focusing on results and not efforts and a perpetual self-improvement
drive.
At the end of 2014, my client Opera Software’s Global CEO was visiting Delhi. We wanted to
make big news. So we decided to do a flash mob, with our global CEO dancing in it, with his senior
leadership team and 50 professional dancers, at one of the biggest malls in Delhi. And this was
just one of the activities scheduled for him, within the 24 hours he was here for. We got all experts
together, a dance school, an events agency, our PR act and social media, in no time and got things
going. The result - the flash mob was a huge success; it made news not just in India, but in global
publications too.
A week later, we got a mail informing us that Opera’s stock prices rose by a few basis points and
since no other event had happened in the past week, it was probably our flash mob that did it. We
didn’t plan for is; but I guess our attitude made it happen.
Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016 | SAMVAAD 19

Articulation is victory
There are many ways to say this, like ‘Begin with an end in mind’, or ‘Ambition without knowledge
is like a boat on dry land’. This applies to an idea you’re about to pitch, a point you’re about to make
or an interview you’re about to give. You need to know what you want to achieve out of it and you
need to appropriately communicate it.
At the beginning of 2015, I was clear that I needed a new challenge; something that was in the
consumer space; that built on my current skill set and more, and that gave me international exposure.
In that pursuit, I got a role with Vuclip, my current employer, where I’m working in international
markets. I now have done campaigns across Malaysia, Indonesia and UAE and all of that has been an
enriching experience. But if I hadn’t articulated to myself what I wanted, this experience would never
have happened.
Camp is what you make out of it
At the end of 2010, I was given a client Evernote, which was a US based productivity app. I was
apprehensive of what could I do to promote an app and being a good performer, why was my
employer giving me such an unknown brand to work with.
But with strategic communications and a great team, we managed to organically increase the
user base of the app from 20,000 in December 2010 to 5 million in September 2015. I also won
6 Indian and international industry awards for our work on the brand, such as Gold – Marketing
campaign of the year at the 2014 International Business Awards, Technology campaign of the year
award at 2014 PR Week Asia awards, Best use of social media for crowdsourcing at the 2013 PR Daily
Social Media awards, Gold Stevie at the 2013 International Business Awards and Best PR campaign in
the technology category at the 2013 Indian PR and Corporate Communications awards.
For any questions or comments, feel free to ping me on Twitter @KB_Ideabaker.
BOOK REVIEW
Rebooting India: Realizing a Billion Aspirations
Author: Nandan Nilekani and Viral Shah
Publisher: Penguin Books India, 2015
Rebooting India reconnoiters the faults in India’s road to effective governance
and imagines patching these problems with technology. An audacious premise
and prescription to this book is that, one hundred people contained in 10 startups
can append government and can essentially transform India. As a pioneering
example this book uses AADHAR, the world’s largest social identity program on
which Nilekani and Shah worked and created a startup with in the government.
Nandan Nilekani, who is called as “ the Bill Gates of Bangalore” the cofounder and former
CEO of Infosys along with Viral Shah, the co-inventor of the Julia programming language, and cofounder
of FourthLion Technologies , says that the book is a combination of things they have done
and the things they have extrapolated in future with similar approach. Beyond the potential of the
AADHAR card, the book also sketches how vital area of governance such as health, education,
the legal system can be transformed with the help of technology. The book also highlights 12
challenges where technology can make a difference and a bang of the buck for using technology.
It will also be a critical part for the effectiveness of GST, which has been put forward as the
next big thing in the country. Once accepted, its implementation will depend on how technology
is able to pilot the tie up of things so as to bring an ideal solution.
Rebooting India pictures a new governance paradigm shift, via access to a data network that
has every single Indian on it.
Reviewed By:- Komudi Arora, Class of 2018, IBS Gurgaon
20 SAMVAAD | Vol. 3 | Issue 3 | JULY 2016

AWARD WINNERS
Ms. Hempriya Banga, receiving NJ Yasaswy Gold Medal & Sumanta Dutta Memorial Award
Ms. Jaspreet Kaur, receiving NJ Yasaswy Gold Medal & Sumanta Dutta Memorial Award
Ms. Kalpana Yadav, receiving Manu BhatnagarMemorial Award

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