1|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

2|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Contents
I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. From The Directors Desk ..3 FromThe Chairpersons Desk....4 Re-Orientation Program..5 The Orientation Week.6 Alumni & Guest Speakers7 Think Everest : Atul Karwal 8 Campus Buzz
a. Cultural Night (ZEST)..9

b. Sports Night.10 c. Culyug.11 d. Concepto.exe.....11 e. Dart em Up..12 f. League Of Titans: Smashathon...12 VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. High Tea with Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney13 Alum Musings.....14 Alum Quotes16 Through An Exchange Students Eyes............17 Interview with Ziyarat.18 Glimpses From The Past& IMT Family Get Together...20 Introducing New Junior Alumni Relationship Committee..22 Suggestions and Feedback..25

3|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

From the Directors Desk

A new batch signifying the start of a new chapter in IMTs history just got
inducted with the orientation of PGDM 2011-13. And here we are back again catering to the growing needs of the corporate world and collaborating with it, not merely to sell or to source, but to provide a platform of opportunities to our stakeholders to co-create intellectual as well as economic capital with the world's best talent. As the new batch takes its first step in the corporate world it is you who they look up to and derive their inspiration from. I appreciate that many of you took out time and visited the campus during the orientation week and interacted with them, boosting up their morale and giving these budding managers a glimpse of their lives ahead. The mark of any school lies in the quality of values it delivers to its stake holders, and alumni are the best brand ambassadors of any business school worth its name anywhere in the world. As IMT Alumni, you have distinguished yourselves in all aspects of business and leadership, in India and abroad. Now it is the time to co-create the value you want IMT to deliver to the world. IMT is taking many new initiatives for such collaboration and co-creation of values. As one of the early steps towards this, on the 12th of July evening, we inaugurated a conclave series with Thought Leaders of the world at The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. Our inaugural session was with Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney, Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation Clinical Professor of Marketing and Director, Center for Research in Technology & Innovation at the Kellogg School of Management. Dr Sawhney interacted with IMT Alumni and some invited business leaders on Innovation in a networked world, collaborating to create. We intend to continue this series of interactions with Thought Leaders once in every quarter, and we hope you will take advantage of these momentous opportunities. On similar lines, we are creating new avenues for the alumni to get involved in the learning agenda of the next generation such as by co-teaching in modules of existing courses, participating in research work and developing cases, and creating assets for Executive Learning. I would be delighted to see you partner with your alma mater in this important process of co-creation of intellectual capital that influences industry best practices. Industry interface in IMTs academic curriculum is always acknowledged as a competitive advantage. It is the effort of alumni like you that make our efforts relevant to the context. We are gearing up to be the best in delivering Customised Corporate Education in the country, and I invite you to make IMT your education partner for life. I am confident that our journey towards excellence and creativity will impact the world of business in general and the world of the IMT alums in a positive and rewarding way. Dr.Bibek Banerjee Director

4|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

From The Chairpersons Desk

I
am delighted to present to you the first issue of Sampark for the academic year 2011-2012. Fresh from a long summer break, ALCOM has begun its activities once again. Orientation Programme for the incoming batch of PGDM 2011-2013 was held with a lot of enthusiasm. We had a number of distinguished alumni who delivered guest lectures during the Orientation Week, giving our budding and potential managers an insight into their two years of stay at IMT and consequently what lay ahead in their professional lives. Founder President of Alcom, Mr. Rajeev Karwals address was videorecorded and was shown to the new batch of students on the fifth day, i.e. Valedictory function. Mr. Karwal reiterated many of the messages which were conveyed during the first four days. He urged the students to follow their passion and never to put money as the most important criteria while selecting a job. Some IMT Alumni and business leaders came to Leela Kempinski for the talk by Prof. Mohanbir Sawhney. Alumni were our special invitees at this function and all efforts were made to enable maximum participation. During the Orientation Week and Prof. Sawhneys lecture we had met some Alumni who are now getting connected with IMT after many years. Its very heartening to see happiness all around and a feeling of dj vu prevailing. It will be our constant endeavour to involve and engage a larger number of Alumni in mutually rewarding activities. Please send in your suggestions at alumni@imt.edu so that we can create many more such platforms and opportunities where present and past students/families can interact and rejoice in an extended IMT family. IMT faculty family get together on 9 July this year created tremendous bonhomie. Our Alumni data base shows that many of them are proud Entrepreneurs! We would like to share your stories (Good & Challenging) with the IMT fraternity and will be grateful if you can share them with us along with correspondence details so that interviews can be recorded at your convenience. The new Alcom students team of first year students is in place and is being introduced in this issue. With their exuberance and diverse backgrounds I am confident that Alcom will make a bigger and a greater impact. A copy of the News-letter Sampark will be reaching you on the 1st of every month. The untiring spirit and efforts of our Sampark Team and everyone involved with it have made this issue a reality. I accord my felicitations to all involved! Wishing you & your families Good Luck in all your endeavours going ahead. Do keep in touch! Dr.Seeta Gupta Chairperson, Alumni Relationship Committee
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do." Mark Twain

5|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Re-Orientation Program
This
year IMT had a Re-orientation Program from 12 June for second year students and an Orientation Program over 05 days for the new batch of students. There is a small history to the Re-orientation Program. Most of the faculty members along with the director, Dr. Bibek Banerjee visited Jim Corbett Park from 11th to 13th April, 2011. In the directors words it was a pro-treat and not a re-treat. Essentially this was planned as a combination of VISION sharing and standardization of many processes at IMT. All arrangements were meticulously organized by Prof. Kaushik Datta, the marketing professor. The basic theme to be conveyed to the students was, How would you like to re-orient yourself as responsible citizens?

In the numerous interactive sessions at Jim Corbett it was decided that as and when the second year students return in mid-June after 810 weeks of summer internship from the industry; they would need to engage in some kind of mid-stream self-assessment/analysis at IMT. The faculty and the students also need to have a clear understanding and agreement on issues of discipline, punctuality, code of conduct and of-course issues like no ragging of new students etc.

Students were also encouraged to think in terms of what they would expect from IMT once they graduated. This kind of brainstorming helped students as well as the faculty to explore ways in which the IMT Alumni could be effectively engaged with. An example that could be addressed: Can we do something for career progression of the Alumni? It was unquestionably accepted that alumni and student interface at the IMT campus needed to be enhanced as this would be mutually gratifying and satisfying in many ways. Seeta G

6|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

The Orientation Week

IMT never sleeps. The phrase truly came alive in the orientation week. Life here is totally different from what most of the new students would have experienced till now. The week started with the Directors address. He spoke of the challenges and opportunities awaiting them and the need to make the most of their two year stay at IMT. Throughout the week there were sessions by the alumni who shared their valuable experiences. They taught the students, in subtle ways, what IMT seeks to inculcate in them and what industry expects from them. Presentations by various clubs and committees also made their mark. Its really encouraging for a fresher to see that everything here is managed by students and that really makes IMT what it is. The students got an insight into multifarious activities of IMT. A new introduction in this years orientation programme was Art of Living program. All the students immersed themselves into the activities around it and were immensely affected by it in a very positive way. On the last day of five day orientation week, a video recording of the address by the Founder President, ALCOM, Mr. Rajiv Karwal (Class of 1984), was shown to the new batch. For most of the students the week was like living an entirely different life. This Orientation Week packed layers of unforgettable memories for everyone.

7|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Alumni Speakers
Mr. Laxmi Kant Gupta (Batch of 1991), CMO of LG India, talked on the Changing Role of Marketing. He discussed the present market, the need to innovate with the changing need of customers and the future market scenario. Mr. Nitin P Khanna (Batch of 1994),CEO of Aantrishti Human Development Solutions Pvt. Ltd. talked on Leadership and its importance for a manager. Talking about how managers have to take their whole team forward and emerge as leaders in the bleakest of times. Mr. Ashim Nayar (Batch of 1988), Partner of Agro Food, shared his views on The New Global Manager. He talked of his work in the Gulf and Oman, travelling through different cultures, diverse business etiquettes and imbibing the right attitude to create healthy relationships with global partners. Mr. Aseem Arora (Batch of 1984), MD of Paridhy Staffing & Consulting Pvt. Ltd, and also President of the Alumni Relationship Committee, presented an insight into Entrepreneurship, sharing his experiences and encouraging the budding managers to follow their passions as professionals. He also talked of what 'not to do as an Entrepreneur. Mr. Rajeev Mathur (Batch of 1986), Director of Springboard, in the panel discussion on Entrepreneurship shared his valued experiences and highlighted various hurdles that a manger needs to cross while establishing his own enterprise. Ms. Ruchi Agarwal (Batch of 1995), Assistant Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Comviva, talked about Business Etiquettes and their importance in the corporate world. She also stressed on Cross Cultural Issues and the need to be aware of them in todays expanding business scenarios.

Other Guest Speakers

Mr. Anand Pillai, Sr. Vice President and Global Head of Talent Transformation, Intrapreneurship Development & EFCS (Employees First, Customer Second) Transformation Initiatives shared his experiences explaining what a manager must do to understand different cultures and manage relationships with diverse people. He emphasised on the importance of having a positive ATTITUDE. Mr. Pankaj Agarwal, CEO and co-founder of Clickindia.com, in the panel discussion on entrepreneurship shared with the students, his journey as an entrepreneur. He encouraged the students to pursue their passions and told that the right time to start as an entrepreneur is "whenever you feel you are ready".

8|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Think Everest: ATUL KARWAL

Mr. Atul Karwal, the Joint Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad was the Chief Guest of the Orientation Week and shared with the students his unique experience of scaling the 29,029 feet high peak of Mt. Everest. Mr. Karwal was part of a 15-member strong police team that completed the expedition in its first attempt. He was the first person from Gujarat to scale the peak and the only IPS officer in the team who reached the summit. Mr. Karwal spoke candidly about his surprise when he received the offer and how he dove head first that he did not conquer the Everest but could only scale the peak because she allowed him to do so. His speech was filled with breath taking visuals from his journey like that of the Khumbu Icefall. The area is a particularly treacherous one to traverse and is not far from the base camp, making their first step one of the hardest. Students were riveted as Mr. Karwal took us through his journey. The many ascents as they got acclimatised to the conditions, the sight of fellow mountaineers who had fallen and the final climb to the peak which started in complete darkness. He aimed not to impress, but to focus on the On Everest: AtulKarwal into preparing himself for the task at hand, most memorably of night long walks around Ahmedabad with a 22 Kg rucksack on his back! He spoke of the many challenges he had to overcome, the times he felt he could not continue and the times he was saved by what he could only describe as a guardian angel. Mr. Karwal showed great humility when he said values of organisation, teamwork and sheer determination. His words brought into focus everything that goes into achievement and the sheer bliss that follows.

Published By Viva Books Launched by The Dalai Lama

9|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Cultural Night (ZEST)

The Cultural Night was organized to mark the end of the orientation week. It was a welcome change to a mostly academic week that had just passed by. It was a great opportunity for the incoming batch to show-off their talents. In the first week itself, the students were able to synchronize their musical talents and form a band despite their hectic schedule. They kickedoff the event in style. This was followed by a performance by the now famous - Ziyarat, the IMT rock band. Next up was a comic play with an implicit satire on the current political situation of the country. It was definitely a reality check for the future of the country. The Mime and mimicry acts, Shrek and Pink Panther lightened the audiences moods and took them back to the realm of the unreal. The four single ladies got the crowd croon to their tunes and left them begging for an encore. The most appreciated performance was another comic play depicting the lighter side of student life at IMT. After all, the audience could relate to every bit of the performance. Last but not the least, the Fashion Show sent a few hearts racing. And why not? Someone once famously said beauty with brawns is rare, we have it all at IMT. A befitting finale to some wonderful performances. Every act was cheered and booed. Well, to each his own taste. If this wasnt enough, to top it all was the DJ. He made the crowd groove to some pulsating music well into the wee-hours of the morning. A catharsis well deserved. Alls well that ends well!

10|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Sports Night
with the folks playing on the court. The seniors won this match too but one thing's got to be admitted that the juniors showed amazing spirit and were cheered by juniors and seniors alike. Yet again it was sports which brought everyone together. Thus, in the first week itself IMT displayed that it has a history in sports and the juniors need to Arent the sweetest memories of life, the ones of your childhood when you used to play till you lost your breath and no matter whether you win or lose, at the end of the day you felt content. After the cultural night it was time for the much awaited sports night. It was time for the junior batch to showcase their potential and show that they have it in them to carry the sports legacy of IMT forward. The stage was set for cracking contests in both football and the basketball matches and the audience was ready to cheer their favorites. The Football match was a cracker of a contest and the junior team gave a tough fight to the seniors. Every move by the players on the ground was followed by cheers and boos at the same time from every end of the field. Finally it was the senior team which emerged as the winners but the juniors too earned a lot of praise from the audience. The night was still young and now it was time for the Basketball match. There was a tremendous display of passion on the field as the whole college seemed to have got involved play hard to maintain it. But, yes the sportsmanship they showed was commendable and raises our hopes for a brighter future in sports.

11|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Culyug
After Zest, the cultural extravaganza, the cultural committee was back with Culyug which was the first cultural event organised by the junior batch members. There was an overwhelming response from the students in terms of participation and enthusiasm. The amphitheatre was buzzing with excitement as the junior band performed. Their performance left the crowd craving for more. It was followed by an impromptu dance competition in which every section had a group performing and they were provided with props which varied from a bucket to a badminton racket. The audience was divided amongst different sections and each section cheered their participants to the core. Next event

was flushtration in which the participants had to sing a song on an on the spot situation given to them and the audience had to decide their fate as to whether they stayed or were flushed out. The final attraction was the DJ which took the madness of the night to an altogether different level. The event was definitely a welcome change after the hectic academic schedule and the quizzes.

Concepto.exe
The stage for an event like Concepto.exe could not have been better. 420 students, all itching for a chance to show off their ability to successfully start and run a business. The first year sections all squared off against each other, vying to be the most profitable business venture to cater to the students of IMT Ghaziabad. The basketball court was transformed with stalls that offered food, entertainment and music. The food was a welcome change for the students who had arrived only a month ago. The market for these ventures was the students themselves and thus, new and creative ideas came up as services to be marketed. From hot breakfast delivered to your doorstep to a service that offered to free your hostel room from bugs. Students cut their losses on failed ideas and moved on to fresh ones quickly as they competed for the best prize of all, bragging rights among peers!

12|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Dartem Up
Dart em up aimed at providing a platform to contestants to explore their instant creativity, to enhance their skill on how to connect to incompatible subjects. The purpose was to encourage them to show their out of box creativity and instant decision making ability. This would help them to become good leaders and take decisions in any unconventional situation. The event contained fun-elements and a role play revolving around the area of international business. The fun part involved a dart game and then a role play to depict the marketing skills used in international market. Thus this gave the participants a chance to show their talent on this ground and also to accept various challenges while having fun.

League of Titans: Smashathon

The most awaited, most talked about sports event saw its innaugural on the 21st of july, 2011 where all enthusiastic, energetic hearts gathered to celebrate the opening of the series of sporting events. League of Titans comprising of series of events like Cricket, Badminton, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Lawn Tennis and Throw ball, kick started with 'Smashathon'-the intracollege badminton tournament. With the onset of dawn started the innaugural ceremony organised by the sports committee of Institute of Management Technology. Mr. Lawrence L. Garber, Associate Professor of Marketing at the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business at Elon University, and Visiting Professor at IMT Ghaziabad was invited as the chief guest who unfurled the banner and gave a very lively, motivating talk on importance of sports following which applauses roared down the entire campus. The sports committee of IMT,Ghaziabad was introduced and then all the fourteen teams marked their footing with their team song and team flag.

13|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

High Tea with Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney

A man of many facets, a globally renowned academician, author, speaker and consultant, Dr. Sawhney is a truly Ph.D. of dynamic A from Business, of He talked about innovative entrepreneurship inspiring all of us to think out of the box and go beyond the realms of old conventions. He said that instead of selling products and servicing them, we should give away products and sell services. He concluded by saying that the key to success lies in Starting small, but Thinking big! personality. invention.

Wharton School Dr. Mohanbir Sawhney University

Pennsylvania, a Master's in Management from IIM, Calcutta, a Master's in Arts from University of Pennsylvania and B-Tech from IIT, Delhi, he has left no stone unturned in exploring his true academic potential. He serves as full-time faculty and Director of the Centre for Research in Technology and Innovation at Kellogg School of Management, an advisor at Bahwan Cyber TekPvt. Ltd. and Converge Labs Corporation and Principal of Michigan & Oak LLC, besides being associated with many other premier organisations in the academic and corporate world. His expertise lies in e-Business strategy, technology marketing and innovation. He has several books, journals, and blogs and research papers to his credit and has been rated among the most influential people of the Internet economy. We at IMT, had the privilege of hosting a lecture by Dr. Sawhney on Perspectives on Global Innovation. This event was conducted as a part of the Global Brains workshop, an initiative by our Director Dr. Bibek Banerjee to facilitate better connect and co-operation with members of our alumni community. Dr. Sawhneys speech was centred on the importance of business innovation and how it is different from

It was an opportunity of a lifetime to have been a part of this conclave. In an article on his blog, Dr. Sawhney says that he gets a huge high every time he addresses an audience and it almost feels like he is being paid to enjoy himself. On the contrary, we feel that it is actually the audience that enjoys itself more. There are very few speakers who can stimulate an audience to think beyond their Dominant Mental Pattern and Dr.Sawhney is indeed one of them.

14|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

ALUM MUSINGS IMT MOULDING LIVES

My two years at IMT Ghaziabad were undoubtedly the most interesting and fulfilling ones of my life and in hindsight, Im so grateful that the permutations and combinations of my admission acceptances and rejections lead me to this school. The greatest thing that IMT Ghaziabad had to offer to me was a strong and deep rooted culture that few other schools possess. We competed with fervour, took responsibility for what we did, played hard, set new levels of GPAs every term - and the parties lasted much longer than the guy with the largest capacity. What I love about IMT is that it a completely student-run school. From orientation to placements, from cultural events to handling hostels and discipline, from hosting international conferences to 72 hour-nonstop sporting tournaments, it is the students who run this school, make it a livewire of the most engaging and challenging experiences, and in the process, learn countless lessons about management, money and more. The 1st year curriculum at IMT exposed me to a gamut of business fields, be it organizational behaviour, financial management or entrepreneurship. I had an undying zest towards marketing and in the 2nd year, I got to study relevant subjects such as strategic brand management, marketing of services, new product development etc. The professors had the knowledge, practical experience, charm and skill required to train us in these domains and we often wound up chatting endlessly with them outside the classroom about the best Indian entrepreneur or whether the latest M&A deal made any strategic sense. The academic richness of the college gave me the skills and knowledge to land me an intensive internship in sales force management and finally, my dream job in branding. Personally, I could not have asked to fit more experience, growth, maturity and learning in any 2 years of my life. As a member of the Student Affairs Council, I lead and managed the lives of 1000 students every single day. As the coordinator of our flagship management and cultural festival, I learnt about strategizing, raising sponsorships worth lakhs of rupees, marketing, and generally handling extreme amounts of stress. Sports being a religion at IMT, I picked up two of them throw ball and badminton, while playing until the early hours of the mornings. The great part about having such a large batch size was that I learned to deal with the most interesting and diverse set of people, a lot of whom are now friends for life. AvantikaKapoor :Batch of 2011

15|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Incidentally, IMT also gave me the opportunity to spend a trimester on exchange at IPADE Business School, Mexico, which is one amongst the FT Top 100 b-schools in the world. This was an unmatched learning experience in terms of exposure to global business practices, interacting with business managers from around the world, imbibing cross cultural skills and the chance to travel the world on my own. Some of my memorable moments spent at IMT were the night-long meetings at the Student Affairs office, the thrill of being appreciated for making that perfect sales presentation, the anxiety of giving a dozen interviews on the first day of placements, the unending conversations sitting at the hallowed amphitheatre, the shouts and celebrations when our section won the nail-biting basketball finals and the 12 hour marathon parties. If individuals are looking to open their mind, learn about management - its technicalities, theories and applications, decode the real meaning of business jargon that theyve always heard about, and breed within an environment that broadens their self-horizons and equips them to successfully thrive in the industry, then this is the place to be. IMT opens doors to the most exciting career opportunities with diverse profiles and globally renowned companies. IMT stands for the freedom to immensely explore and develop oneself and comprehensively grow in ones career path. For me, IMT summed up as a checklist of everything that I looked for in a business school.

16|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Alum Quotes
The residential course at IMT was a new form of education I got exposed to. Learning Management in the class room as well as the interaction with fellow mates during evenings was a complete input required to handle the corporate circles. The real life situations at IMT themselves were a good learning experience. I always knew IMT would keep growing and so it is. My best wishes to IMT for its continuing success. IMT grilled me to strive hard to realise my true potential and prepared me to be the best in my chosen profession, in the industry. It also taught me the value of patience, perseverance and hard work, to which there are no alternatives in life.

- Rajeev Karwal

-Sandeep Sharma

The MBA Program at IMT has helped me tremendously in achieving my career goals. The If I were to describe what IMT really stands for, it would be all round development. This is embodied in its Work Hard and Play Hard culture, as well as in its approach to academics, i.e the right balance of theory and its applicability to real life corporate issues. Other than this, the opportunity to work with and to be taught by some of the sharpest brains in the country contributed a lot to my learning experience. It would be fair to say that IMT has made a significant impact in developing me into the professional that I am today. course has helped me to develop the Management skills, competence and confidence required to take on challenges in the market place. The faculty, staff and corporate trainers have developed leaders out of us, not just Managers. At IMT, continuous learning is a way of life and the focus is on developing the Individual person, not just the syllabus. The motto of IMT is Living, Learning and Leadership.

-Puneet Verma

-Ravneet Singh

Besides IMT different is a great learning and and development backgrounds. It

giving to

me

solid me

foundation with

in and

management, IMT provided opportunities interact institution which is highly sensitive to students of temperament moulds them into complete managers to take on the challenges of the dynamic corporate world and emerge as Winners.

numerous

with professors

the alumni who broadened my perspective about the markets and the industry. My overall experience at IMT was that of tremendous learning while having a lot of fun which, I feel, made it all the more effective.

- J T Jacob - Rajiv Talwar

Source: Life@IMT Blog.

17|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Through An Exchange Students Eyes

Q. Tell us something about yourself: I come from SouthWest France, near Toulouse. I am a student at the ESC Rennes School of Business and I have come to study in India for a year. Swann Le Moigne After 3 years of Bachelors (International Business + Engineering) in the UK, I did the first year of post-graduation from ESC Rennes. Last year, I took up a yearlong internship with Nissan in Paris. Now, here I am at IMT Ghaziabad, for my final year of post-graduation in Marketing. Q. What difference do you find in the educational system of India and your country? Its really close to the French way of teaching. Many faculty members have some great work experience, which is very beneficial for us because we get a chance to also focus on practical aspects, along with theoretical concepts. The main difference is the pedagogy, under which we discuss and analyse company cases. The classes are a brainstorming session and I feel that this will be more productive in the long run. Q. Did you have any inhibitions before coming to India? Many people tried to influence me in France, but I did not want to have any stereotypes or inhibitions in my mind. I came here to discover the people, culture and country. I wanted to have a full emotional experience without any judgment. My main aim was to learn about a very different culture (from the West), because I feel it would be very beneficial for my personal and professional growth. Q. How did you like the Indian culture, people and the Indian food? The culture is amazing and I think we Europeans have a lot to learn. There are so many differences which also led to some misunderstandings, like people sharing a bottle of water. I come from an environment in which individuality is more prevalent, but here people are closer and believe in sharing. They display certain belongingness towards each other, even if they are together for just a year or two. Ill love to learn that, to make myself a better and more open person. Food is an aspect that needs time. I have got used to it now but it was very difficult in the beginning, due to the spices, unlike our diet in Europe. I really like Indian food and the way people eat it. Q. Tell us one thing that you like the most about IMT. The campus definitely! It looks like a small paradise when you come out for a walk at night. Its never calm, but always abuzz with enthusiastic people playing and engaging in different activities. The atmosphere is very special and I really like it! Q. What all learnings are you going to take with you when you leave India? After just two months, there are many things coming to my mind so Im not sure what it would be like at the end of a whole year. But I recall one thing people in France say about India: When you go there, in the first month you just want to go back to your place, and after one year you realize that you may want to stay in India and not want to go back Thus, see you in a year guys!

18|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Interview with Ziyarat

(Laughs) Guess Ive finally started understanding a bit of music. Arihant Mehta: Im basically into harmonica, playing it as a hobby for the past 4-5 years. When I came here and found these guys it was a great experience because I always wanted to take my hobby seriously and this gave me a chance. I also play bass guitar. Today we have with us the band who has redefined music here at IMT. It is the band IMT takes pride in. It is ZIYARAT. They reached the finals of ASPIRE, a national rock band competition. The four guys with elements of music just as their hobbies just bumped into each other and thus came into existence Ziyarat. Lets get to know by the band itself the story of their inception and more Q. So, tell us something about Ziyarat? A. We are an alternative soft rock band. We were formed six months back at IMT. Infact all of met for the first time at IMT and our first performance was the song Aasma and after that we started performing our own compositions. The best thing about us is our comfort level with each other that portrays a good on-stage chemistry. Q. And now wed like to know you Dheeraj Pandey: Id like to add that of the four of us, Karan has the most knowledge. He comes to our rescue when we get our scales wrong and go haywire. So eventually it turns out to be a good composition. Recently Shamindra Mukherjee has also joined us as the keyboard player and a guitarist. He finally completes the band because at times we really required a keyboard player. As for me, my influence on the band is more of Progressive Rock, a hint of that youll find in every song of ours. Ive been playing the guitar for the past 3 years now. As mentioned earlier we complement each other well, Dheeraj is great on the rhythm guitar and hes an awesome singer and I just fit in giving in a bit of suggestions on the technical part.

individually. A. Diwakar Manda: I am the lead vocal and

the lyricist. I am practicing the rhythm guitar but havent started playing it as yet. I started singing 6 years back in college. I belong to the Sufi genre but have caught up rock lately thanks to my band members. I sang classical but did not have any professional training. I started composing 2 years back on a trial and error basis, with improvement showing of late.

19|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

bad weather conditions from Shillong to 23rd in Delhi. Karan couldnt make it so we composed the song in 2-3 days and had a French guy Paul who played the guitar beautifully. Q. How many songs have you composed and performed as of now? A. Five. Two more are being worked upon. Q. So how did the name come up? A. While looking for a name this word Ziyarat just struck out of somewhere and it sounded perfect and eventually we learned its meaning was to visit and it actually made sense as music makes us visit the various aspects of life. Q. HmmmWhat would you count your biggest achievement as? A. When we played our own composition MahiVe in the zonal round of ASPIRE. Q. Your experience? A. Amazing experience. While entering the competition we never had winning in mind but had only thought of giving it a shot and eventually we reached the finals. We were also told that we were one of the favorite bands of the judges. Our finals were postponed due to Q. So how do you manage with studies? A. (Everyone laughs loudly) We cannot keep away from music even during our quizzes and exams so we jam everyday even if its not for a long time. All our hobbies (including movies) have taken a back seat and the academics and Ziyarat are the only things we devote our time to. Q. So what do you plan for the future? A. Hmmm. A good placement and a settled life. Yeah we do hope we land up in the same cities so that we can jam on weekends. And if we do get any opportunity to expand Ziyarat and play under this name in future well definitely take it up. Lets see what happens. So, all the best guys for your future ventures and we hope to keep listening to your compositions till we are in IMT and perhaps even later.

20|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

21|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

22|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Introducing New Team of Junior Alumni Relationship Committee 2011-2012

ABHISHEK DIXIT B. Tech (Electronics and Communications) Work Ex: 21 months in Infosys I play table tennis and love singing. I look forward to strengthening our ties with the alumni.

AKSHAT CHAUDHARI B. Tech (Computer Science and Engineering) Work Ex : 19 months in TCS I am a graphic designer and passionate about animation. I look forward to provide my creative inputs to take Alcom to greater heights. I am a dog lover.

ANKUR BHASKAR GHOSH B. Tech (Mechanical) Fresher I am a voracious reader and interested in creative writing. ALCOM gives me an opportunity to interact with the most valuable asset of IMT , its Alumni APRAMEYA RAJPUT B. Tech (Biotechnology) Fresher I am very passionate about football and am also a DJ. I also have keen interest in caricature and photography. I look forward to do my bit to develop IMTs alumni relations. ASTHA GUPTA B. A.( Economic Honours) Work Ex: 20 months in Parvah (NGO) I like to sing, read and interact with people. I am sure that ALCOM would give me a chance to take my interests further, and also help me discover new ones.

PANKHURI AGARWAL B. Tech (Electronics and Instrumentation) Fresher I like clay modelling, craft and pottery. I also love to travel. I look forward to making the maximum use of my time spent at ALCOM.

23|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

PRAGYA MADAR B. Tech (Production) Fresher I come from a defence background and love travelling. As a member of ALCOM team, I will ensure that our alumni always feel connected to IMT.

PRANAV S IYER B. Tech (Mechanical Engineering) Work Ex: 18 months in Cummins I am a sportsperson and I love playing football. I also read novels. I look forward to strengthening our ties with the esteemed alumni base. RUSHABH THARANI B.M.S. Work Ex: Started a Wellness Tourism Company I am an adventure sports enthusiast and play football. I will contribute innovative ideas to engage our alumni.

RUTUJA KAGWADE B. Tech (Electronics and Telecommunications) Fresher I like travelling and have a keen interest in singing. I am also a dancer.

SANDEEPAN BHATTACHARYA B. Tech (Mechanical) Fresher I enjoy playing basketball and reading. I hope to make a valuable contribution being a part of the ALCOM team.

SANJUKTA MUKHERJEE M. A. ( English Honours) Fresher I enjoy creative writing, dancing, and cooking. I believe in Henry Fords saying Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success. SIDDHESH NADKARNI B. Tech (Informatin Technology) Work Ex : 32 months in Infosys I like singing, playing cricket and travelling. I look forward to maximally utilize my stay at ALCOM.

24|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

SOUMYA GHOSH B. Tech (Electronics and Telecommunications) Work Ex: 31 months in TCS I am a nature lover and like playing cricket and football. I would like to make the most of my next two years at ALCOM. SUNDARESH IYER B. Tech (Electronics and Telecommunications) Work Ex: 30 months in TCSI play the guitar and the tabla and enjoy making conversations. I look forward to interacting with the alumni and making them stay connected to their roots.

TANUSHREE ARORA B. Tech (Information Technology) Fresher Im interested in creative writing and passionate about poetry. I would like to make a valuable contribution to the alumni magazine Sampark.

Special Mention

Mr. Gaurav Malik needs no introduction: As the backbone for all Alumni related activities, Mr. Malik is keenly involved in the day to day functioning. He looks after all administrative activities of the committee, acts as an interface between the college administration & the alumni base and above all guides the student members of the Committee. As the Committee enters into a new exciting year, we would like to thank Gaurav Sir for all his guidance and help.

25|Page

Sampark Volume 5 Issue 1

Compiled By: The Sampark Team Alumni Relationship Committee IMT Ghaziabad

For any Queries or Suggestions Please feel free to mail us at alumni@imt.edu

Classes are in full swing and so is the dedication of the students!