Monday 26 August 2013

Highlights of the STARTT Business Development Program


Business Development Workshop organized by the STARTT on 24th August was a platform for many Entrepreneurs, Business Managers, potential businessmen, and students to learn about strategies, regulatory framework, challenges, risks, and successful tips in engaging in business and profession.

Shri Francis Antony, ITS (Retd) (Former Commissioner, Special Economic Zone) welcomed the participants. Session was inaugurated by Rev Dr Thomas Kallukalam CMI, Director, STARTT.





Dr Sibichen K Mathew IRS delivered the introductory address about the relevance of a professional approach in doing business and stated how and why shortcuts would never lead to enduring success. He said, the Business Development Program is aimed at creating business leaders with professional competence, regulatory awareness, social responsibility and ethics. 

Prof P D Jose, IIM, Bangalore started the workshop with the topic ‘Strategies for business success’. He has explained, with illustrations of several companies, how unique strategies led to growth and success. The participants interacted with the speaker narrating their personal business strategies.

Prof P D Jose (IIM Bangalore) on Business Strategies


Prof Shanker Subramoney (IIM-Banglaore)

Prof Shanker Subramoney, IIM, Bangalore gave a very interesting session on ‘General Commercial Knowledge for successful business operations’. None thought that a complex topic like Commercial Contracts can be explained in such simple language. The session was very entertaining and informative for all the participants since the speaker had taken pains to prepare slides with cartoons and graphics.




Don Joseph facilitating the guest speaker

Chavali Narayan, Associate Director, Ernst&Young

Shri Chavali Narayan,FCA, LLB (Associate Director, Ernst and Young) dealt the topic Professional Management, accounting and taxation. He explained the regulatory frame work within which the businesses run, and the need for compliance. He answered the queries raised by the participants on the procedures to be followed.

K A Joseph, Director (Innovation), SJS Enterprises Pvt Ltd


Shri K A Joseph, Director (Operations, Technology and Innovation), SJS Ltd (A world leader in manufacturing of Automatic dials and Climate control overlays) narrated the frequently committed mistakes by business leaders. He gave practical examples of how strategies failed because of the incorrect perceptions of the managers and entrepreneurs. He emphasized the precautions to be taken by the start-up companies while launching and entering the market.

Mathewkutty Sebastian, CEO, Timbre Media
Shri Mathewkutty Sebastian, Founding Partner and CEO, Timbre Media (Formerly, Head of Word Sapce, Middle East, South Asia, and North Africa), explained how certain brands were successful and certain brands failed miserably. He explained the challenges businesses face, narrating his personal experiences, and suggested solutions to overcome the problems.

Excerpts from the feedback submitted by the participants



‘..Would like to have more elaborate sessions, for example, each session/topic lasting about 4 to 5 hours’

‘Workshop has given me a lot of insights on how to do business’

‘Now that we got a general overview, we need more advanced sessions in future’

‘All the sessions were excellent and useful’

‘Request to organize one day long program to include more time for sessions’

‘Very well coordinated’

‘There was shortage of time to cover some topics in full. The sessions provided motivation to imagine success and to work for it’

‘Kindly give more publicity for this programs’

‘Ask participants to share the feedback through social media channels. Upload the presentations online. Participants can be given a small hand out of the agenda. Capture video recording of the sessions for archival and reference purposes.’

‘Signage to be placed near the gate to indicate the location of the program. Educate the security personnel about the venue correctly’

‘There should be random surprise gifts to the participants. Improve the professional appearance of STARTT blog’

‘Place water bottles for the participants beside them. Start sessions at 3 pm, instead of 2 pm. Have sessions of 30 to 40 minutes duration, instead of 45 minutes to 1 hour’

‘Some sessions on FDI/FII may be organized’

‘We suggest you to organize sessions on sources of funding and the nuisances and capital mobilization’

‘There should be more opportunities for participants to share the problems they face now in their business, especially start-up firms’

‘Thank you so much for conducting such a program which was so helpful for everyone who want to start a business. I liked it. I understood it, And I believe! God bless STARTT’

‘This is a wonderful experience to me and I got the inputs I wanted’

‘Need another exclusive session on the interface with government departments while starting a business’

2 comments:

  1. Comments by e-mail from Roy Immanuel:

    "The programme on Business Development was a wonderful experience. Prof.P.D.Jose delivered an excellent session on how to fix business strategy by rendering, collecting and managing Values. Prof. Shanker, with his unique style of approach, presented the commerce aspects of business with a full length interactive fun-stuffed session. Shri. Mathewkutty, in his vibrant session, asserted that productive imagination rather than vast knowledge will frame a good business curve, narrating his own leadership experience. Shri K.A.Joseph innocently presented his own mistakes(14 in nos.)committed in his 25 year long business life and very practical solutions to avoid each of them. Shri Chavali Narayanan conveyed the importance of maintaining accounting data and gave simple tips and precautions that should keep in mind. A very enthusiastic and active participants of 50+ in number really made the event a grant success indeed. In precise, the programme as a whole, was an international standard MBA course, which have done in a 5 Hrs. session."

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  2. Comment from Praveen Nair

    The program gave much more than what we expected. Looking forward for more such programs

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