The Corporate Connect - Mr. Chandrashekhar Tatapudy

The members of the Corporate Relations Committee (CRC) of SIMSREE had the opportunity to interview Mr. Chandrashekhar Tatapudy, CEO and  Co-founder of Yasham Life Sciences Private Ltd. on the 27th of September, 2013. He is also currently a business Advisor to Carlson Caspers, a US based law firm, Eduriser Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd., an education content delivery company, VSBT, Baramati a biotech institute, Cool Flo Engineers Pvt. Ltd., a manufacture of large industrial fans for cooling towers and TDK & Co, a chartered accountancy firm.

Mr. Tatapudy has 33 years (27 years in the US and 6 years between India and the US) of successful experience as a strategy consultant (6 years), entrepreneur, co-founder and CFO of two California Silicon Valley based software companies (12 years) and engineering consultant (15 years). Mr.Tatapudy specializes in India-Entry strategies for US companies and in US entry for India-based companies.  He has authored ‘Gujarat Sails to Success’ for the Gujarat State Government, a book released at Vibrant Gujarat, 2007.

Mr. Tatapudy’s experience spans across bioscience, pharmaceuticals, energy, software, infrastructure, education and engineering industries and in companies from large to small.  He has worked in the Bay Area (California), New York City, Mumbai and Hyderabad.

Mr. Tatapudy holds an MBA and a BE in Mechanical Engineering and is a naturalized US citizen (emigrated from India in 1980).  He is Past President of the Indo-American Society (IAS) in 2008-09 and is active in various committees of IAS.

Excerpts from the interview:

Team CRC: What according to you are the entry barriers for budding entrepreneurs who wish to enter into the field of bio-technology or pharmacy?

Mr. Tatapudy: In India, it is difficult to start any kind of business because of limited scope but the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) which is a Government body has been very supportive. It provides subsidies and good schemes to attractive projects. A combination of science and management will definitely help the young entrepreneurs having innovative ideas to excel in their business.




CRC: What qualities do young entrepreneurs who want to open up a start-up need to have?

Mr. Tatapudy: Youngsters should first test themselves for finding out whether they have the attitude of being an entrepreneur or not. Self-belief is one thing that makes you do wonders. They need to have passion and the attitude to work towards their beliefs. They should be clear with their thought process and think and plan how to make the optimum use of the limited resources.


            

CRC: The parliament aims to come up with a regulatory body named Central Drug Authority which will be in lines with Food and Drug Administration, USA. What are your views on this?

Mr. Tatapudy: This kind of regulatory body will definitely be helpful. People in this sector will be more organised and committed.  However, what I feel is that seriousness on legal end is required. For this India has to improve itself on law enforcement. Unless this system is in place, the enforcement and implementation of the regulatory body would be a problematic.




CRC: According to recent report by Ernst and Young, biotech sector in India is expected to achieve revenue of $ 11.6 billion by 2017 whereas the current economic scenario shows a slowdown where India is growing at a GDP of less than 5%. What according to you will be the future of the biotech sector in India?

Mr. Tatapudy: I am not sure about that statistics but yes the sector is bound to grow at rapid rate in the years to come. We can't relate this growth to India's GDP growth because most of the revenue will be generated through exports. Though, domestic sales in this industry will be low in next few years, it will thrive on international business. In fact I would suggest young MBA graduates to join pharmaceutical sector. So the future of this sector is really bright.

  

CRC: As you have stayed in USA as well as India for long durations, so how will you relate India's growth post independence to that of USA

Mr. Tatapudy: India has developed lot post-independence. India had lady prime minister and adopted secular stance in very early years. The democracy is India's backbone. The demographic capital of India will help it further as compared to USA. Also the democratic system gives it edge over China. In the long run India will be more stable than China. India has a lot of influence in African continent. As Africa will grow the India will prosper.




CRC: As we know there is a huge scope of exports from this sector. But is there any corresponding import too?

Mr. Tatapudy: Yes we do import some items from different countries across the world. But imports form a very minor part. Actually the biotech sector has very smart people. They use research and management very well to generate revenues. They have to deal with different litigations and law systems in different countries. Thus R&D, management and law play measure role in success of this industry.  So a small per cent of imports does not make a big difference.




CRC: Is there any benefit that the pharmaceutical sector gains because of Medical Tourism?

Mr. Tatapudy: Yes we can say that the sector is at an advantage due to Medical Tourism. This is mainly because of the good services that are provided in time and with lower costs. In some of the western countries, the waiting list for the patients is too long. This pulls people from abroad for treatment of various diseases.  However there exist problems in litigations. If any foreigner sues any hospital or a doctor then their money will be at stake. Indians are not used to this. The penalty that has to be paid can be huge. So here insurance sector comes into play. Please note that, in India, this is another sector which will grow tremendously.




CRC: Is India’s population an asset according to you?

Mr. Tatapudy: Population of India is often referred to as Demographic Dividend. However in my opinion currently India’s population is the Demographic Capital. There are some major problems in the economy like corruption, lenient judiciary system, etc. but every economy passes through similar stages. India’s growth in post-independence period has been outstanding and there is larger scope of India beating China in long run.




CRC: What are your suggestions for the first year MBA students? What according to you can make them industry ready?

Mr. Tatapudy: Frankly, the real battle starts at work. Working in corporate world gives you more learning than any kind of textbook. Another important thing is observing actions of people around and learning from them. Believe in your gut feeling and take decisions by following your intuitions. 

 CRC: It has been a pleasure talking to you, sir. Thank you for sharing your valuable time with us.

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Lord Meghnad Desai's guest lecture at SIMSREE Campus!!!

We had a phenomenal guest lecturer at our campus today. A celebrity economist, British Labour peer and Padma Bhushan awardee, an author and a Dilip Kumar admirer, all rolled into one. Yes, it was none other than Lord Meghnad Desai.

The event, coordinated by the Alumni Committee, was flagged off by the Director of the Institute, Dr. Sandhya Dhabe, who welcomed the guests on campus. Chairperson of Sydenham Institute of Management Alumni Association (SIMAA) Mr. Ashish Bhasin gave the introductory speech, outlining the illustrious life of Lord Desai. Following this, former Director SIMSREE and Hon’ble Registrar of Mumbai University Dr. M.A. Khan delivered a brief welcome address. Among the esteemed attendees at the event was Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, alumnus of the batch of 2002 and Divisional Manager at Dhanlaxmi Bank, who was instrumental in arranging the guest lecture. Accompanying him was Mr. Kailash Rathod, General Manager at Ogilvy and alumnus of the batch of 2003.
                                                                          

The guest lecture by Lord Desai was a highly interactive one, with the audience throwing a plethora of questions at him from various areas concerning India, its economy and politics. Needless to say, he fielded each of the questions with aplomb. Among the wide array of topics discussed at the lecture were the dilemma faced by our economy of choosing between fuelling growth and controlling inflation, the assumptions of Efficient Market Hypothesis, the separatist movement in Kashmir, whether macroeconomic indicators really indicate growth, Indian politics, the Amartya Sen versus Jagdish Bhagwati debate, the BRICS being a misnomer etc. His views on Indian politics thriving on poverty as a means to sustain itself were especially interesting. Lord Desai shared with students his insights and opinions accumulated over a life rich in academic as well as political accomplishments.

Mr. Sachin Tendulkar, Divisional Manager, Dhanlaxmi Bank, delivered the vote of thanks. The event was concluded by Mr. Kailash Rathod who offered Lord Desai a token of appreciation on behalf of Sydenham Institute of Management.

We are sincerely thankful to Lord Desai for kindly consenting to visit the campus for the guest lecture, and to Mr. Sachin Tendulkar for his endeavors in making the guest lecture possible. 

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SIMERATIONS '13

SIMERATIONS, the flagship event of SIMSREE, was held from 20th September - 22nd September, 2013 to bring together the student community in a 3-day management-cultural-sports extravaganza. The annual fest is organized by an enthusiastic, energetic Students' Events Committee of SIMSREE. Simerations’13 gave students, all over the country, a chance to participate in an array of 20 events ranging from management to cultural to sports to literary to general. Prizes worth 4 lacs were won by the participants. The associate sponsors for the event were State Bank of India and Union Bank of India.

Simerations’13 saw a participation of over 3000 teams across the events. Most of the events were conducted in multiple stages, wherein the first round was online and the shortlisted teams were called on campus. The opening ceremony was graced by the presence of the Director Dr. Sandhya Dhabe, ex-director and currently the Registrar at Mumbai University Dr M. A. Khan, Prof. Ashish Pawaskar, Dr. R. K. Srivastava and Dr. Sangeeta Pandit. Dr. M. A. Khan declared the event open for students. Auspicious lighting of diyas along with prayer song, a speech by the Students Events Committee’s coordinator, Krunal Shah, followed by an energy-packed performance by Vishal Nandkumar, a student of the senior batch marked the start of the event.

The management events – Fineureka, Spotlight, Filmark, Whiplash, Convergence, Millward Brown Link Quest – gave the students a chance to present their ideas to the industry stalwarts who judged the various events. Not only did the best teams win cash prizes, few lucky teams got a chance to intern with companies like Activeark JWT and Catapooolt.

The literary events included MUN (Model United Nations) and Triathlon. Participants simulated the UN general assembly and found solutions to the most pressing global problems of today. Triathlon was a 3-stage race to the finish, a triathlon that put the participants’ left and right brain to the test. The event saw participation of 20 teams.

Cricket fanatics had a reason to cheer in this edition of Simerations’13; not only could they enjoy the game in the 'Box-Cricket Event', this time they could also experience the bidding process in the event ‘The Franchisor’. The participants enjoyed the chance to bid for the players, cities, cheer leaders, celebrities in the IPL like bidding event. Sports enthusiasts had a fun time with various other games like Chess, Table Tennis, LAN Gaming. Another event that saw huge participation was the Treasure Hunt. Participants had to do a series of tasks at certain locations to claim the treasure!

Amongst all these were the cultural events where the students who are otherwise busy with assignments and projects got a chance to let their hair down and follow their passion. Cultural events included Picture Perfect (A theme based photography competition), Guitar Warz, Salsa Workshop, Just Dance (Street Dance competition), DJ Night. Picture Perfect, with over 100 participants, brought the creativity of the participants to forefront and the judges guided the participants about the approach to be taken for future projects. The dance competition was judged by prominent personalities like Mr. Muddasar Khan (Bollywood choreographer) and Ms. Madhu Sneha (Femina Miss Fashionista 2012). Like all good things come to an end, so did Simerations’13 but it ended with a bang (DJ Night).

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BLOOD DONATION CAMP AT SIMSREE

SSR (Students Social Responsibility) committee Of SIMSREE in association with Tata Memorial Hospital and Think Foundation carried out a blood donation camp and thalassemia checkup on SIMSREE campus on 11th September, Wednesday.

The camp started with a very informative power point presentation. This presentation helped break myths about blood donation and it educated the students about the importance of blood donation. The presentation also had detailed information about thalassemia. The NGO is trying to ensure that no child is born with thalassemia and the students were encouraged to check whether they were thalassemia minors by conducting free tests. After, the presentation the blood donation session was carried out.

The students exhibited their participation in abundance. This camp spread the feeling of contentment among the students of SIMSREE. Last but not the least, special thanks to Dr. Sangeeta Pandit who guided SSR committee throughout the entire process.

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CII CEO Connect

The second edition of “CII CEO Connect” received an overwhelming response at Sydenham Institute of Management Studies Research and Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE) on 29^th August, 2013. The initiative started by Confederation of Indian Industries aims at facilitating the engagement of eminent business leaders from Indian industry with current MBA students by initiating connect between both. SIMSREE witnessed the conglomeration of elites such as Mr Ninad Karpe, Chairman, CII Maharashtra, MD and CEO, Aptech Ltd.; Mr Harit Nagpal, MD and CEO, Tata Sky; Mr Neeraj Roy, MD and CEO, Hungama; Mr Anuj Puri, Chairman, CII WR Infrastructure, Real Estate & Construction Sub-Committee and Chairman & Country Head, Jones Lang LaSalle

The Connect focused on exclusive discussion about Succeeding in a Turbulent Economy and expectations of CEOs from MBA graduates. While stressing on unavoidable uncertainty in current scenario, speakers also discussed the importance of entrepreneurship. The CEOs emphasised on factors that are instrumental not just in helming the challenging times but for gaining excellence as one ascends the corporate ladder as well. 

The 90-minute rendezvous with the CEOs sure did make the students of SIMSREE absorb what it takes to be a 'FORTUNE' at the bottom of the managerial pyramid.This event would not have been possible without Dr. Sangeeta Pandit, who played a key role in arranging it.

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Guest Lecture by Mr. Sachin Khandelwal

Mr. Sachin Khandelwal an alumnus of 1992 batch is a professional who has donned many hats. 

He is presently MD at Magma Housing Finance Ltd, former MD & CEO at ICICI Home Finance Company and Director, SIMAA. 
He has worked extensively for SIMSREE and is deeply involved with the activities of the alumni association. 

He held an interactive session for the 2013-15 batch on 29th August 2013, in which he shared with students insights accumulated over twenty years of rich work experience. He enlightened students about multiple topics related to his area of expertise, including real estate, automobiles, credit cards, housing loan and auto-finance sectors. 

He fielded a plethora of questions raised by the students, ranging from career guidance, professional courses like CFA and the changing scenario of retail finance to the importance of ethics, culture and value systems. 

The session, coordinated by the Alumni Committee, was interactive and very well-received. Dr. M. A Khan, former Director of the Institute and presently Registrar of Mumbai University, also attended the session and addressed the gathering. 

He commended Mr. Khandelwal for taking out the time and efforts to reach out to his alma mater, and requested him to continue his endeavors in this direction. Mr. Khandelwal committed to try and revert to the institute with projects for the students to work upon. 

This spontaneous gesture was received with resounding applause from the students.
We are grateful to have Mr. Khandelwal at the helm of SIMAA and extend our sincere thanks to him.

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Guest Lecture by Mr. Alroy Lobo

On 26th August 2013, Mr. Alroy Lobo, Chief Strategist and Global Head equities, Kotak Mahindra AMC and alumnus of the 1988 batch visited the campus and addressed the junior batch.

The session began with a brief introduction about Mr. Lobo’s glorious academic and professional past. He spoke on investment management as a career option. Thereafter he discussed the various skillsets that are required to become an investment manager. He also addressed a plethora of questions ranging from the importance of small investors in the Indian markets to the recently introduced US immigration bill.

Mr. Lobo elaborated the various facets of capital markets and shared some valuable insights based on his personal experience. He further dwelled into the various challenges faced by an investment manager both in personal and professional life. He stressed on the importance of being updated with the latest happenings in the field and developing the ability of making relevant inferences from the same. The session ended with a brief question and answer round.

Overall, the session was very interactive and the batch learnt a lot from this discussion. The Alumni Committee would like to thank Mr. Lobo for the valuable time that he spent and for sharing his knowledge and experience with the batch. We look forward to having many more interactions with him in the future.

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