Doing Business in India

Last two months, I taught a new course titled "European Business Environment" in the first semester to the batch 2010-12 students of Masters in European Studies & Management (MESM) at the Manipal Centre for European Studies.  This new 2 year post graduate program is being offered by Manipal University in partnership with TAPMI, Manipal, which I have been coordinating from TAPMI's side.

Accidentally or unexpectedly I was asked to handle the course by our Director, although initially the course was designed / structured by another colleague who has subsequently quit TAPMI's services.  Looking at the diverse backgrounds and level of exposure of the students, I went on re-designing the course structure by including the fundas of Doing Business in India (2010), the contents of which were sourced / down-loaded from the net.  I spent about ten sessions familiarising the students on all related aspects of doing business.

The later sessions were even interesting, as I went on delving deep in to the European Union and the different business practices and regulations in the twenty seven countries / members of the Union.  The students were also exposed to the various MNCs of Europe operating in India and the business environment in different parts of the EU viz., Central, North, Southern, Western and Eastern Europe.  It was a rich learning experience for myself first besides making it an interesting learning process for the students through the experiential mode of presentations and assignments.  Overall, I enjoyed delivering the course during which period, I went on downloading and collecting huge information on the related topics.  Now I have comfort.

More interesting to me was an unexpected experience on the 23rd December when being on vacation I went to IIM-B to meet some friends.  My ex-colleague is Manager of MDPs and one of the programs being offered by them is titled "Doing Business in (with) India" scheduled in the second week of January 2011.  The participants appear to be from outside India, for a five day program costing about 5,500 USD (Rupee equivalent to 2,50,000) which is a hopping fee.  I only wonder, if such a program is offered by TAPMI!