The IIMB Podcast

Episode 24: Prof. YLR Moorthy on Marketing and Branding in the digital age by The IIMB Podcast

The Communication Cell and the Student Media Cell of IIM Bangalore bring to you the IIMB Podcast Series, a platform to discuss the latest business, economic, management, and social issues that matter. The Podcast series will witness IIM Bangalore fraternity, including but not limited to the faculty members, alumni, and students, provide their insights and perspectives on the topics and issues that surround us. In this episode, Professor Prateek Raj chaired a high-impact discussion shedding light on the transformative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on India's economy and its profound repercussions on the labour market. The podcast, a revisit on the previous podcast led by the Professor at the beginning of the pandemic, explores a comprehensive range of topics, including the seismic shifts in work culture prompted by the pandemic, the turbulent times of layoffs faced by many industries, the massive labor migration that ensued during the crisis, and the enduring post-COVID landscape. The insightful discussion also sheds light on the present situation of the economy, highlighting mass lay-offs in the IT sector and the changing views on work-life balance.

For Episode 22, we have Prof. Kumar with us, to discuss the history of the institute, the IIMB History Project to commemorate the 50th year of IIMB. We also talk about entrepreneurship in India, how to fund your startup, what mistakes to avoid and more. Listen on to find out more!

In the 21st episode, Prof. Shainesh, discusses his coauthored classic marketing management book with Professor Philip Kotler, Kevin Keller, Alexander Chernev, and Jagdish Sheth. The book is regarded as the bible of marketing, the book talks about the disruptions in industries and business models due to digitalization globalization, growth in eCommerce, digital communication, the impact of social media, and the widespread use of data analytics and artificial intelligence. The talk gives insights into the various aspects of digital marketing, from its evolution to the way forward.

In the 20th episode, Prof. Debolina discusses her research paper “Are women from Venus? A mixed method study determining important predictors of job pursuit intention across gender groups”. The discussion dwelled on the Indian landscape and challenges faced by women in a higher management roles. The episode carries an undertone of developing a gender inclusion perspective among the upcoming leaders so as to Fastrack's corporate involvement in creating suitable policies and work culture.

The nineteenth episode of the series features a conversation with Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Professor in the Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources Management area at IIM Bangalore, about the fundamental features of starting an inclusive business and the kind of challenges that aspiring social entrepreneurs can expect to encounter on the way. Much is said about the for-profit new age business models & their product innovations, latest technology, customer centricity, value creation &, more than anything, their rising valuations. In the midst of all this, a new breed of businesses is walking a tight rope by creating enormous value via solving some of the fundamental accessibility & affordability challenges for a customer segment that is usually ignored for its suppressed purchasing power & lack of disposable income. In this episode of the podcast, Prof. Sourav Mukherji further helps the listener understand the fundamental characteristics of inclusive businesses & the various challenges faced by them. While illustrating the need for such models, he also details the crucial role of leadership in creating the right culture in the organization to deliver maximum societal benefit.

In the eighteenth episode of IIMB Podcast series Prof. Deepti tries to derive insights from Ayushi & Madhusudan's journey of ideating & developing a sustainable solution during the course of the Schneider Go Green 2021 competition. The discussion dwelled into the methodology adopted for developing an innovative & inclusive solution to counter climate change, making it scalable using core management concepts and importance of selecting an effective communication channel to improve adoption. The episode carries an undertone of developing this perspective among the upcoming leaders so as to fastrack corporate involvement in the fight against climate change.

In the seventeenth episode of IIMB Podcast series Dr. R. Srinivasan, Professor in the Strategy area at IIM Bangalore shares his insights on Platform Business Models. He recently authored a book with the same title and released a MOOC on IIMBx. Dr. R Srinivasan talks about the functioning of a platform, how they grow, the various types of platforms that exist and the architectural elements of platforms. He also talks about the reasons for the recent growth in the number of platform businesses and the impact caused by higher penetration of Internet and smartphones. Further, the episode touches upon how the landscape has become quite competitive, and what determines a winner in this virtual race, which begins from solving the chicken-egg problem in acquiring the first block of customers but does not end, rather becomes even more challenging, upon establishing dominance through setting standards. Towards the end, the episode delves into the extent to which regulations and market maturity affect success, while drawing parallels between the developing countries and the West, and opportunities that exist through overcoming traditional market inefficiencies.

In the sixteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series on April 11th, Dr Nilam Kaushik, Assistant Professor in Strategy area at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and IIMB Young Faculty Research Chair, shares her insights from her research on gender disparity in STEM education as well as jobs. Dr Nilam Kaushik explains the reasons behind the gender disparity in STEM education and jobs in the global and the Indian context. She also draws upon her own experiences, having worked in the technology sector. The episode touches on the socio-cultural nuances associated with gender around the world, which is reflected in the prevalent gender disparity conundrum and how the preferences for competitive working environments also impact the gender ratios in organizations and the role of corporates to make workplaces more women friendly. Towards the end, Dr Nilam presents a detailed analysis of existing solutions like the IIT Girls reservation to possible future solutions which can promote STEM education among girls.

In the fifteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Ganesh Prabhu, Professor in the Strategy area of IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on opportunities, challenges, and the future of electric mobility in India. Prof. Ganesh Prabhu talks about the different aspects of electric vehicles such as manufacturing and supply chain, the role of different stakeholders and challenges in adoption in the mass market. The episode touches upon how electric vehicles have gained momentum and are touted as the most sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. Towards the end, Prof. Prabhu also talks about how Elon Musk has led Tesla to bring about a revolution in this space and managed to make Tesla a market leader in the fast-growing electric vehicle segment.

In the fourteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. M S Sriram, Professor in the Public Policy area of IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on financial inclusion in India vis-a-vis the microfinance institutions and other institutions that deal with it in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prof. Sriram talks about the resilience of the sector given its inherent nature of rising and standing up to these shocks, along with the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future models of financial inclusion of the poor. The episode touches upon the advent of digital within the MFIs, newer business models for the financial inclusion agenda and the road forward for the sector. Additionally, the episode features insights on reverse migration and the entrepreneurial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for rural India and how MFIs and other financial inclusion organizations stand to play a role in it.

In the thirteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Manaswini Bhalla from the Economics and Social Sciences area of IIM Bangalore shares her insights on the role of culture, social and informal networks, and connections on economic outcomes in the business context. Prof. Bhalla explains how identities and social associations play a significant role in decision making and business deals like mergers and acquisitions, client or vendor selection, etc. The podcast also touches upon the impact of COVID-19 and the emergence of the gig economy on social associations as virtual working becomes the norm.

In the twelfth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Rakesh Godhwani, Founder, School of Meaningful Experiences, Communication Expert, Author and Adjunct Professor at IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on communication for leaders during a crisis. Prof. Godhwani explains why communication is an essential attribute for managers and leaders, how leaders use effective communication in times of crisis, the pedagogic communication elements, and how one can develop effective communication skills. The podcast also touches on aspects of communication styles and how they are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic imposed virtual working style.

In the eleventh episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Vasanthi Srinivasan, Chair, Digital Learning, and Professor in the area of Organizational Behavior & Human Resource Management, shares her insights on people management in the virtual world. Prof. Srinivasan talks about human resource and people management issues in the virtual world induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. She shares insights on how things have evolved and how individuals can collaborate effectively in virtual settings. The podcast touches on various aspects such as how sudden change in work culture has affected the wellbeing of employees and what can organizations do to steer this transition smoothly for their employees. The podcast also delves into various aspects such as virtual collaboration, permanent and temporary changes brought in the work environment by the pandemic to the future of the workforce and how should one prepare for it.

In the tenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. A Damodaran, from the Economics & Social Sciences area at IIMB, shares insights on the COVID-19 pandemic and its implications on international conventions and bodies. Prof. Damodaran discusses how international bodies like the World Health Organization and pharmaceutical companies can tackle COVID-19 and leverage the proficiencies of organizations like GAVI for vaccine distribution. The podcast touches upon the topic of climate change, and the Paris Climate Agreement. It also delves into the subject of negotiations in a virtual world and how a global economic recovery can be made possible through multilateralism.

In the ninth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Rahul Dé, Professor in the Information Systems domain at IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on Artificial Intelligence, and its relevance and implications for businesses and managers. Prof. Dé focuses on the building blocks of AI, i.e., hardware, data, and algorithms and explains how the simultaneous development of computational abilities, sophisticated algorithms and large volumes of data has led to broader scale applications of AI in numerous sectors. The podcast revolves around AI's managerial and business implications, AI's adoption in industry and policy-making, and the ethical and privacy concerns that emanate from the increasing use of AI in our daily lives.

In the eighth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Suresh Bhagavatula, Professor in the Entrepreneurship Area at IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on starting up in a virtual world amidst the changes induced by the pandemic for workforce and collaboration. Prof. Bhagavatula brings his insights from his work on entrepreneurial networks to educate on how collaboration, serendipitous encounters, and other startup characteristics stand changed in this COVID world. The podcast revolves around questions on various legs of starting up, such as finding problems to solve, ideation, team building, hiring and raising funds, and how they stand impacted because of the changes induced by COVID-19.

In the seventh episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Praveen Krishnan, a PGP 2011 alumnus of IIM Bangalore and Head of Product at The Ken, shares his insights on the evolution of the media industry and how technological advancements and the COVID-19 pandemic are accelerating changes in this dynamic industry. Praveen discusses the crises currently impacting the media industry, the advent of new monetisation models which are moving away from traditional advertisements, how product thinking is slowly becoming a critical focus point for media companies, and where the media industry is headed in the coming years.

In the sixth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Hema Swaminathan, Associate Professor at the Centre for Public Policy at IIM Bangalore, shares her insights on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted India's female workforce and deepened the gender imbalance in the Indian society. Prof. Swaminathan discusses various new challenges that India's female workforce is facing due to the pandemic, and how business, government and society can help to reduce the adversities of this crisis and bridge the gender gap that has deepened as a result of the pandemic.

In the fifth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Rajendra K Bandi, Chair, Information Systems area, and Chair, Centre for Software & Information Technology Management at IIM Bangalore, talks about the issues surrounding data protection and privacy which have come to the forefront due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of contact tracing apps like ‘Aarogya Setu'. Prof. Bandi discusses how open source code can help instil confidence and adoption among the public, how close is India to getting its own privacy protection law, and what is the right level of data that can be deemed shareable with companies providing services.

In the fourth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. R Srinivasan, Professor of Strategy, shares his insights on the shift towards online education and its impact on offline learning models. Prof. Srinivasan talks about various apprehensions about online education of multiple stakeholders, i.e., learners, teachers and educational institutions. He touches upon how online learning is leading to changes in learning styles and teaching styles and how infrastructural challenges remain to be a crucial barrier for online education. References: [1] Datar, Srikant M., David A. Garvin, and Patrick Cullen. Rethinking the MBA: Business Education at a Crossroads. Boston: Harvard Business Press, 2010. [2] Srinivasan, R. (2020, April 13). The 4 axes of online learning [Blog post]. Retrieved from: https://r-srini.in/2020/04/13/the-4-axes-of-online-learning/

In the third episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director of IIMB and Professor of Strategy, shares his insights on Atmanirbhar Bharat and how competitiveness and innovation can drive India's growth. Prof. Krishnan discusses India's push towards self-reliance, popularly called as the Atmanirbhar Bharat program, and how India can develop and bolster its economic growth by riding on this plan.

In the second episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Dalhia Mani, from the Entrepreneurship Area at IIM Bangalore discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the start-up ecosystem. Prof. Mani shares her thoughts on the impact of the current scenario on the start-up world, work-from-home culture, future challenges, and opportunities for entrepreneurs. The episode touches upon her recent research work with NSRCEL and her thoughts on the importance of investments, fundings, the role of government in reviving the system, and upcoming trends in the entrepreneurial world.

In the first episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Prateek Raj from the Strategy Area at IIM Bangalore discusses various issues surrounding the Indian Economy in the wake of COVID-19. The podcast focuses on reverse migration, opportunities for India, and the Hindi heartland in general, in the wake of the pandemic.