It is therefore fitting (symbolic would be too symbolic a word here) that one of the most sacred ceremonies at IIM Cal takes place around this season. The word itself is just perfect. It is indeed time to reminiscence, not just for the returning heroes, but also for the welcoming hordes. To look back at the time that has been and look ahead at what lies in store, while doing what you can to define it. The last week has seen 60 of our revered Elders return and take centre stage once more. They, who had left the alma mater with eyes that shone of promise and a will to scale new heights, returned to the place which gave them the gifts to do exactly that and more. A simple look at the brief snapshot of each one of them is ample testimony to their more than impressive achievements. For one memorable weekend, we watched in awe as more and more of the newsmakers of those yellow pages that are delivered to our rooms every morning filled the familiar landscape. We witnessed in wonder, the curious case of all these Benjamin Buttons as time flew backwards, putting 20-something souls into 40-something bodies. And we observed in admiration, the 25-year old camaraderie, that once defined the soul of this place and forms of which continue to do so, take shape once more and become increasingly palpable.

As we made sure that Reminiscence 2009 was a reason to remember, the symbolic season entered our thought process and we tried to get a glimpse of the next chapter. As the new year, and with it the new decade, loomed tantalizingly in the distance, we wondered what our own homecoming would be like. 25 years after we leave the portals of the land with the 7 lakes, how much of what we have taken will we be able to give back? 25 years will see us establish ourselves into the transition that is about to begin soon. We will start ahead in the rat race that the real world is supposed to be, and battle to stay ahead of the pack. There will be 2 battle-lines firmly drawn within us as well- the expanding waistline and the receding hairline, and we wonder which battle will be easier. And then the ring of yet another Blackberry brought us back to the gala night and as we saw the owner pop it away to continue his precious discussion with another of his ilk, we realized that we had some enormous shoes to fill. And then we reached for another helping of the delicious fare.

25 years later, bonfires, bulbs and our own anticipation will light up this southern suburb of Calcutta once more. Amidst deafening thumps shall we walk again on the metaphorical red-carpet and go about separating the old comfortable familiar with the new and exciting unfamiliar. Climate change might have taken place, leaving environmentalists among us bemoaning while the more athletic of us firmly strap our ice-skates on. The promising new profs of today, bright sparks in the present’s vast floodlight, will by then have become the legends that constitute the yore of Joka- the wonders that the excited newbie calls to tell his friend about, scarcely believing his luck at being taught by such distinguished academics. New and more sophisticated hostels will dot these everyday grounds, but somehow, our own hostel shall remain the best. Footer-volley will kick off again, although the legs that do so will have lost considerable agility. 25 years later, as the age divide disappears, obeying its annual custom, and we, along with the then-students, make merry along the crackling bonfire; as the young and the old revel together as the Children of IIM-C and as all worries are forgotten for one brief, yet unforgettable winter evening, the spirit of Joka shall rise once more. And its silent joy shall be audibly shared by one and all.

-MM

The Baap of all Marketing events is here- Mandi 2009.

Mandi would be the first in the series of Experiential Marketing events that Census conducts during the year. This year, it will take place from 18 October 2009. This event tests the marketing, selling and strategic skills of the participants over a period of 8-10 days. It also focuses on the execution part of the theories that have been imparted to our fellow students. In its inaugural edition, over 200 IIMCians participated in the event. The title partner for this year’s edition of Mandi is ITC.

Last year, the week-long event was conducted in two phases- an elimination round and the final round. With around 200 participants (in 50 teams) fighting for a place in the finals, only 7 teams managed to do that. Designed as a simulation of the real market-place, this contest allowed the teams to select their own product and bid competitively for promotions and stall location. The finale of the event saw a huge crowd turn-out numbering nearly 600. The presence of a DJ, who was dishing out popular songs, added to the boisterousness of Mandi.

This year, Mandi promises to be bigger than ever. With innovative ideas, new rules and a whole new format, IIMC is guaranteed to be in for a jam-packed weekend.

For the 1^st round, teams of 4-5 members are required to

• Design a product with a maximum price of Rs. 20
• Design a promotion for CRY (Child Relief and You) on the theme “Is education for all a reality?”

The teams can note that only the advertisement message is important and not the presentation. The effectiveness of the ad message and the feasibility of your product are the criteria to judge the qualifying teams for the next round.

Round 2 will promise to separate the budding Kotlers from the hoi-polloi (was that an insult?). The top teams will be awarded 1000 bidding points to bid for scarce resources like banner space, mess raids and location of stall while each team will also be given Rs. 2000/- to finance their non-scarce resources like raw materials for the product, posters etc.  Teams need to price their products appropriately and can also offer bundled discounts. They can also take advance bookings for their products but all transactions would necessarily have to take place at Mandi only. Each team can engage in various forms of product/service promotion in the form of banners (a maximum of 2 per team), posters, mass mailers or IP spamming and employ other innovative forms of communication.

Each of the 700 IIMC students would be given 20 Tau (our currency!) to spend on the various products on display in the basketball court on the day of the finale. The winners would be decided based on the total profits garnered by each team. And guess what? The teams get to pocket their own profits!

So clear your calendars for the 18^th of October and witness the smartest guys on campus battle it out for the title of the Mandi Champs! Be there!

The game is called “Lost in Joka” – and was launched with much secrecy by placing countdown posters across the campus. Today at noon, the team revealed what the game is all about.

The first task given to the participants is to form groups of three and collect a variety of articles based around a story. This list of articles includes things as mundane as orange bags and red socks to weird and crazy things like a heart shaped key-chain, a photo of Sonali Bendre in a black top, an X Ray, and an Om marked Kurta! One of the queerest things on the list is a letter of recommendation from a second year student and a Microeconomics exam paper.

The announcement has sent first years scurrying across the campus looking for this stuff. The case prizes announced and the opportunity to take part in tomorrow’s finals seem too good to resist. The writer has personally received requests for red socks, a copy of Atlas Shrugged (which he had!) and white canvas shoes. Rohit Mehta, a first year student taking part says “It’s been a ton of fun so far. We have managed to collect all the items apart from 3/4. Its been really enjoyable so far. As for tomorrow, I’m not thinking too much. I like surprises!”

Abhejit Agarwal, the Sponsorship head for Intaglio 2010 said “Hosting an event to welcome incoming freshers is a long standing tradition of the club, and a great way for freshers to mingle with their own colleagues and get to know their seniors.” When asked about what the contestants could expect in the finals – he was non committal. All he said was “the treasures that teams will collect will be very important in the second round, which will be in L1 tomorrow.” This game is strategically positioned before Intaglio recruitment events, and as such serves as an ideal platform for the group to convince students that they are the club to join. Speaking about recruiting, Abhejit also added that “Traditionally, Intaglio is the first club to present during club presentations. We will present this Monday. We will be launching a website soon for freshers which will detail the way Intaglio is structured and what we are looking for in them”

We at Jokatimes wish all contestants the very best of luck and hope that we have a smashing Intalgio 2010!

for Jokatimes – Abhishek Nagaraj

Seniors looked on with pride and a hint of reminiscence, remembering similar moments not too far ago. Chandrima Das, a senior and a member of the band said “I can’t believe it’s been one year already since we were in the same place as these guys! They seem to be an awesome bunch and sure know how to have fun. I think I speak for all my batch-mates when I wish them a rocking two years at Joka.” Seniors were joined by some recent alumni who had made the trek back to campus, just to remind themselves of what a stupendous place Joka can be. Anirudh Tara, another senior added “It was a joy to see the seniors and juniors have so much fun together and JBS was impeccable as always. I think the traditions and legacy of IIMC shall be passed into good hands. To the fuchhas: embrace and cherish all that you can because it’s all going to be yours to uphold soon enough.”

The freshmen however were oblivious to such emotion; they were busy setting the dance floor on fire. First to the tunes of the band (which belted out some classic numbers) and then to the ever-perfect DJ-ing by IIMC’s very own Justin Cherian – the Cultural Secretary (or Cultoo as he is more affectionately known). Justin unflinchingly concentrated on his music and churned out one hit number after another to keep the party going till the wee hours of dawn.

JBS BaroC too had a night to remember. Firstly, the night was made doubly special for them because it was ringleader Bhuvan Prasad’s birthday. The virtuoso violin player whose soft-spoken style has won many a hearts received a full rendition of “Happy Birthday to You” from everyone present. Aastha Sahdev took charge of the famous IIMC song – “Early Days” and Bhupesh Pangti made a maiden transition from the guitar to vocals. All in all, JBS made a favourable impression on the first years.

Tired legs and weary eyes making their way back to their rooms in the early hours of morning marked the end of the academic year’s first party. While both work and play awaits the residents of Jokaland, the party heralded an exciting year ahead. It marks their transition from new, uninitiated freshmen to rightful members of a tradition that they will cherish and preserve.

From all of us here at Jokatimes, we say welcome to the batch of 2011!

Abhishek Nagaraj – for Jokatimes

The Beginning

It started out as a crazy idea. Tired of the usual case contests and simulations that anybody and everybody could do, the members of MarCell wanted to have an event that would blow away the participant’s mind. The brainstorming sessions went on into the early mornings, and only the craziest ideas were accorded some merit. After two months of cussing, swearing, frustrations and much tearing out of hair and slashing of wrists, MarGod was born.

MarGod

The idea was just beautiful in its simplicity. Take a normal day in the life of a brand manager. Then, add a whole lotta crazy. Repeat as necessary.

MarGod is not a contest. It is a blood-sport. When the gladiators rumbled in ancient Rome, at the end of the day, only one of them walked (or limped, or hobbled, or was carried, as the case may be) away. MarGod is just such an extravaganza. Set over three days of mayhem, madness and blood, sweat and tears, MarGod will test the contestants to the limits of their endurance. How else would you separate the boys from the men, or rather, the God from the mortals.

MarGod begins on the 12^th of January, 2009. If you think you have it in you to be crowned the Marketing God of the campus, be there…

(we would like to ask you to take this moment and imagine how it would look on your CV: “Crowned the Marketing God of the Campus”. Not that a CV point should ever be a reason to participate in a contest, but still, you have to admit, it does look kinda nice…)

What do I need, in order to participate?

Just like the Miss World contest, MarGod is all about you. That does not mean that we have a swim-wear round (cancelled at last minute by holding a gun to the event head’s head), in fact, MarGod requires you to be fully clothed at all times. All you need to participate is to be there when MarGod begins. Then, take a deep breath, and let the ride begin. Just be prepared for anything and everything… If we were crazy enough to hang those scarecrows around the campus, just imagine how crazy the actual event would be…

Video

(An observation from “Where there’s a will”)

The Dramatics Cell at IIM Calcutta staged its showcase play “Where there is a Will“, its third of the season. Following the success of the first two plays “Udhaar ka Pati” and “The Importance of being Earnest”, the audience had huge expectations from this play. It would be apt to say that they were met and in style. This play, which also happens to be the first play penned down by noted playwright Mahesh Dattani, was about Hansmukh Mehta – rags-to-riches businessman and patriarch, his wife Sonal, son Ajit, daughter-in-law Preeti and mistress Kiran Jhaveri!

The play turned out to be a dark comedy with deep undercurrents of humour which kept the audience bound to their seats till the end. Set in a typical Indian setting of a joint family, the play was based on the promise of a will that kept a business tycoon and his family together. As it turned out, the cleverly designed contents of the will brought his wife and his mistress together after his death and held the troubled family close. The presence of the ghost of the dead Mr. Hansmukh Mehta added moments of brilliant humour and subtle observations to the play which expertly dealt with the shades of the relationships that he had forged with his late father, son, wife and mistress.

Akhil Mohan Gupta excelled in his role as the patriarch and had the audience in splits with his comic timing. Portraying the role of a confused son, trying to carve out a way of living for himself Aayush Shrivastav did dramatic justice both to the shades of black and white in his character. The initial part of the play was livened up by the father-son interactions and the chemistry in-between them. However the second half of the play saw the arrival of the mistress to the traditional Mehta house. It was here that Vaishali Aggarwal and Radha Ladkani, as the wife and the mistress added an in-depth understanding of relations to the story. While Vaishali displayed fine nuances of her acting both in comedy and in tragedy, Radha added dazzle and grit to the story. The sly, conniving couple of Hansmukh Mehta’s daughter-in-law Preeti and her old friend Deepak was aptly played by Shikha Tomar and Naresh Krishnaswamy.

The fine blend of music and lights made it a delightful evening for the connoisseurs as well as the commoners and much of it could be attributed to the brilliant pair of directors, Shehzad Kazi and S. Srinath and the music director Archish. The sets were innovative and the unusual setting of rooms without any physically visible walls was displayed to perfection. The Dramatics cell at IIM Calcutta has a long history of staging world class plays and with a legacy of successful plays like Sartre’s “Keane” and Shankar Shesh’s “Ek Aur Dronacharya”, this evening added more glory to Dramatics cell’s history.

Shashank Kumar
~Yet Another Drams Cell Member

This weekend, 22, Camac Street was electrifying with activities, filled with fun, masti and complete family entertainment made possible by the students of Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIM C). Are you wondering why these would be managers, were entertaining people of Kolkata? Are you thinking that you will hear some management concept or some management session was going on? The answer is a firm no. While a large group of 1200 odd Kolkatans were participating in games and having fun, the way in which they responded and made choices during the course of the game gave the IIMCians enough information to read their consumer behaviour.

Yes, whoever thought that reading consumer’s mind is impossible, were proved wrong and Team Census, under its flagship event ‘Ulhaas’ unravelled the minds of the motley group of Kolkatans. More than 150 students of IIM C burnt their mid night oil, designed, devised & built strategic games to read the consumer behaviour and characteristics, with fun as an experience, they subtly gathered information about their attitudes, beliefs or opinions to any proposition.

The event strategically held at a place that naturally generates a strong footfall had more than 1500 participants ranging from 8 years to 60 years playing games based on themes like Kolkata Knight Riders, Rock Anna, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi etc. Even while they were waiting for their turn to play the games the audience were entertained with quizzes, tambola and antakshari contests happening on stage. The event was partnered with firms like T.I.M.E, Kolkata Port Trust, VLCC, Hindustan Times, Red FM, and Channel 10. Wild Stone, SBI Life Insurance, Starmark, Turtle, CRY provided live projects which were disguised as games, which ensured that companies obtained results free of any distortions or biases. The partners also had a great opportunity to increase brand awareness and test waters for new product launches.

During the entire duration of the process the enthusiasm among the students was palpable, the energy and the effort that the students of IIM C put in to make an impact was incredible. Every participant had some prize to be won, and the teams that had designed the games will subsequently be judged based on the effectiveness of the research and the impact it will have.

Not surprisingly, Ulhaas has over the years managed to carve a niche for itself in the thoughts of the business makers in the country and in the hearts of the Kolkatan public. The students signed off with a promise to be there again next year.

External Relations Cell
IIM Calcutta

Apart from IIM C, the finalists from eastern zone are from eminent b-schools like , IIFT, XLRI and XIMB. The event will comprise of Debate, Quiz and a Bourse game.

Then as the D-Day approached everyone’s gtalk status messages began to change into “Everyone’s invited to Udhaar ka Pati, 9pm Friday IIM C auditorium!”. A week of in-house word of mouth publicity later, the famous Dramatics Cell of IIM Calcutta presented before us fortunate many who filled the auditorium choc a bloc that night, their adaptation of Vanmala Bhawalkar’s well known Hindi comedy of errors Udhaar ka Pati. Let me assure you right at the outset that the play could not but have been a grand success, given the formidable amount of hard work that goes into every Drams Cell production. The audience lustily cheered and laughed throughout the 90 odd minutes of this wonderfully directed laughathon.

The story revolved around the hare-brained schemes of Sheila Sharma (Rucha Naik), and her gossipy neighbor Shobha (Shruti Bhatnagar in an excellent cameo). It seems Sheila has been bragging about her simple Professor husband to a gossip in her village, who has promptly tattled to Sheila’s Grandpa (Shashank Kumar) So what’s the problem? Well, Sheila had eloped with the poor Professor Ashok Sharma (Salil Patil) much against her grandfather’s wishes, and he hasn’t spoken to them since. After hearing the stories of grandeur, Grandpa suddenly decided that its time to pay his “rich and handsome” Grandson-in-law a little visit. Thus begins the comedy of errors which finally leads Sheila to designate Ashok as the Maharaj (cook) while she gets Shobha’s Brother Naresh (Prashant Pareek) to play her husband for 2 hours. However, the best laid plans of mice, men and Sheila often go awry, and so 2 hours turns into a day, Ashok is mistaken for a Daaku and the Udhaar ka Pati seems to be pretty interested in Shiela herself!

Add to this a talkative servant (Raman Thakral), old-fashioned and kharoos Dadaji, and the most hare-brained Inspector(Ankit Katiyal) ever and we have a grand concoction. To add to the twists in the tale/ tail, we had the Director of the play Pranjali Agarwal herself in a short cameo playing hot Rita.

The performances were good, with Rucha Naik as Shiela not having to act much as she simply played herself. Ditto for Salil as Ashok and Shruti as Shobha. Raman Thakral put in a performance worthy of a thespian, switching from bumbling servant to …. well, that would reveal the plot. Shashank Kumar was unrecognizably perfect as Dadaji and Ankit Katiyal provided the laughs as Inspector. Prashant Pareek hammed it up more than a notch or two, but made up for it with his laments for “Ritaaaaaaaaaaaaa.” And Pranjali Agarwal was of course pretty much the “cry-baby” of the show.

The Production team put in a grand effort, with every thing going off without a hitch. Every detail was taken care of including the intermission music!

All in all a wonderful effort by the Dramatics Cell of IIM Calcutta. And now we know why they are THE Dramatics Cell.

Chandrima Das

This new wave seeks not to establish a new set of boundaries, a new set of limits, and a new sky. This new wave challenges us: the children, the students, the businessmen – the proponents of change to look within us, to find where we fit in, to find where we make a difference.

This new age is unlike any before it.

For not only are the rules changing, but so are we. Awake to the clarion call of destiny that finally beckons us. Aware of the sacrifice and effort that has shaped this day, we change too. The gauntlet has always been ours to adopt after all.

As a business school meet, Intaglio has been but a platform for the brightest minds of today to assemble. This year, aware of the vicissitudes that mark the rapid change of the game, we strive to ensure the answer, complete the circle of transformation not of the world, but of ourselves first.

It is in this recognition of the need of the hour that we seek to cultivate thought leaders, cultivate the heralds of the new order. Marked as we are by the human proclivity for the present, we cannot yet say when or how the world will change, but ready shall we be. It is this redrawing of our own horizons that we recognize as the first step, the bedrock of success.