A group of 20 students along with a faculty member from the Yale University's School of Management is visiting India this month as part of the varsity's initiative to help students learn more about a country 'emerging as an economic force in the 21st century.'
During their on study programme in India, they will be attached to companies to learn business practices and environment in the country.
Yale's 'Business on the Indian Subcontinent Study Trip 2006,' is a new initiative combining a six-week course and a two-week trip to India. The business study trip to India is the centerpiece and primary component of the 'Emerging Market Study Trip, Destination India' course.
The students are expected to attend all classes and attend all company meetings during the trip. The visit is intended to familiarise students with India's general business environment, highlight the development of key industry sectors and offer insights into the management practices at individual companies.
In addition to five classes taught by Yale faculty, specialising in Indian politics, culture and business, the students have been carrying out research in preparation for the trip.
Teams of two or three students will be assigned to one of the companies that the class will be visiting and will prepare a comprehensive report on the firm.
Each report will include sector and company overview, history, financials, and competitive landscape.
The teams will also present a market analysis, an assessment of opportunities and threats faced by the firm and identify strategic decisions facing management. Company reports will also include background information on senior management. Grades for the course will be determined by quality of the presentations on company/industry and the final reports as well as participation in the course and meetings on the trip.
"We are pleased to be a part of this program," said Manu Bammi, CEO of SmartAnalyst that provides outsourced market research and analytics products and services, in a statement. The company is hosting the Yale students group that will tour its India-based operations.
SmartAnalyst offshores several research functions to its office in the northern Indian city of Gurgaon, where it employs a large staff including business analysts, financial analysts, scientific analysts, editors and technical staff.
The Yale alumni will have the opportunity to meet SmartAnalyst staff and learn about the company's products and services. They will also have the chance to gain insight about the challenges and benefits of doing business in India.
The Yale group will visit eight other companies in addition to SmartAnalyst.
"Our company offers a great example of successful offshoring for the students to analyse and they will gain excellent first-hand experience that will help make them very competitive in the global job market," said Bammi, a Yale alumnus himself, ahead of the trip.
Yale MBA student Lauren Skryzowski said that one of the program's goals is to find out more about global opportunities for collaboration, outsourcing and offshoring and that SmartAnalyst is a great fit for this objective.
"Any graduating MBA from this point should try to develop a firsthand understanding of both India's and China's business environment in preparation for their future as a global leader, especially considering the flat world in which we all live," she added.
