The Rotman School of Management Focuses On India As Part Of Its Global Approach Towards MBA
India has continued attracting global interest after solidifying its position as the world’s fifth biggest economy. India’s position as the largest economy of the world, coupled with being the second most populous country in the world, makes it a major market for consumer specific companies. Brands such as Amazon, Apple, Walmart among many others want to participate in India’s story.
As business schools continue adding a global dimension to their MBA programs, Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto has a head start when it comes to focusing on India. The business school plays host to the India Innovation Institute, as it aims to focus on India as a major player in the global economy and how the country is betting on technology, manufacturing, services among other sectors to transform itself into a true global powerhouse.
India Innovation Institute
Launched in 2011 as a joint venture between Rotman School of Management and the Munk School of Global Affairs, the India Innovation Institute was designed to bring together “faculty and students who are looking at problems of innovation in which India is engaged – and that’s innovation across the spectrum: innovation in technology, innovation in service, innovation in process and social innovation”. The institute’s inaugural director was Professor Dilip Soman, who also served as the Corus Chair in Communications Strategy and a professor of marketing at Rotman.
Professor Partha Mohanram, Director of the India Innovation Institute and CPA Ontario Professor at the Rotman School of Management, who was named the Director of the Institute in 2016, says:
“I see Innovation as a two-way street. There is a lot that India can learn from the west and developing economies as it tries to modernize itself, lift millions out of poverty and manage growth while dealing with the problems of climate change. However, there is also a lot that the rest of the world can learn from India.”
The institute has since discussed issues such as Demonetization and the impact of India’s economic potential on Canadian-Indian relations.
Events and Conferences
The India Innovation Institute also hosts events and conferences regularly on topics such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s victory in 2014, Investing in India, the Canada-India economic partnership, Canada’s opportunities and challenges for diversifying trade with China and India, as well as the Rotman MBA South Asian Business Association’s 2nd annual Canada-India Innovation Conference. Some eminent speakers who have been invited to speak at these conferences include the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan, as well as the former Finance Minister of India, Arun Jaitley.
Rotman School of Management has also hosted another event ahead of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s India visit in 2018. Focusing on India as a long term investment, the panel for the event featured Dinesh Bhatia, the consul general of India in Toronto, Soumen Roy, who heads Canada’s operations for Tata Consultancy Services, an IT subsidiary of India’s Tata Group, and Le Luong, director of Nurture Growth Bio Fertilizer, which supplies bio-organic fertilizer and is growing its presence in India.The discussion was led by the India Innovation Institute director Partha Mohanram.
Bhatia estimated the bilateral trade between India and Canada to be worth $8.3 billion in 2017, but also emphasized on the need for more investment from Canadian companies in India.
