H R R O U N D TA B L E

redefining
employability

BY ARVA SHIKARI

Employability has been an issue that has plagued

the industry as the bookish knowledge of a new
employee is inadequate in the long run as
sustainability is a huge aspect in the growth of an
individual. So, what is the long run focus to
enhance employability skills for making it
beneficial for individuals and organizations?

rof. Indira Parikh, Founder

President, FLAME; K. A. Narayan,
President - Human Resources,
Raymond Group; Prabir Jha,
Senior Vice President & HeadHR, Tata Motors; and Madhavi Lall,
Regional Head Human Resources, India
& South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank
reflect on the issues related to it and
speak on how b-school grads can be more
employable!
What are the factors that are redefining
employability for b-school grads?
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: Over the last

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November 2011

five decades, the post graduate program

in management education has changed
its focus significantly. There are many
new additions in the curriculum and
methodology of teaching.
Fifty years ago India was in the
process of professionalizing managers
in existing manufacturing and service
organizations. Subsequently as
technology advanced and IT became
significant the knowledge, attitude and
skills required also changed. Both
knowledge and technology became
obsolete and skills and management
perspectives also required changed. At

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H R R O U N D TA B L E

PROF. INDIRA PARIKH has done her M.Ed. (Rochester), and Ph.D. (Gujarat)
and is a retired IIMA Dean. Currently, she is the Founder President of Foundation
for Liberal And Management Education, Pune. She is the Founder Member of
Sumedhas: The Academy for Human Context. She is
on the Board of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and K. A. NARAYAN has done his post-graduation in Commerce, Law
several other organizational and academic boards.
and Personnel Management. He is an alumnus of Harvard
The current focus of work is on transformation of
Business School. He has over 27 years of experience in the field
organizations and corporate boards. Prof. Parikh has
of human resources. He is presently the President - Human
been a recipient of many awards.
Resources for Raymond Group. Prior to Raymond, he worked
with Wockhardt, Lupin Laboratories, Garware Group and the
Mafatlal Group. He has been a recipient of
several industry awards for outstanding
PRABIR JHA is presently the Senior Vice President and Head-HR at Tata
work in HR.
Motors. After almost 10 years in the Indian Civil Services handling the entire
gamut of HR & IR issues, on his switch to the corporate world, he has worked
in senior management positions for organizations like Thermax, TechMahindra,
and Dr. Reddy's. He has handled all areas in HR with special
interest in change management, OD interventions, global HR
MADHAVI LALL is currently the Regional Head Human
strategy, employer branding and leadership capability
Resources, India and South Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.
development. Prabir has consistently been featured in the "List
In her current role, Madhavi is responsible for developing and
of Most Powerful HR Professionals in India" and won several
executing people strategy for the bank. She leads the people
professional recognitions.
agenda within the region and ensures the delivery of strategy,
V. KRISHNAN is the Executive Vice President of Human
Resources at Dabur. He is a part of the team that leads Dabur's global human
resources with the responsibility for driving organizational development strategies that
support the company's global growth, talent management and total rewards for more
than 5,000 employees worldwide. He is currently responsible for the human resource
activities for sales and marketing of all domestic businesses i.e. FMCG, retail and
pharma, apart from anchoring key corporate HR initiatives, with the primary mandate
of talent acquisition, development and retention.

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people development and

leadership capabilities to build
pipeline for future growth. She
brings with her about 20 years
of experience spread over
leading
multinational
companies.

November 2011

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
that point of time organizations
corporate tone. Franchisee
needed that kind of managers,
comfort in dealing with the
and that kind of b-school
candidate will eventually lead
graduates and management
him/her to interesting
education provided that. Today,
customer and trade insights.
the
whole
nature
of
After all, it's the customer and
organizations have changed
the trade that drives business
and also the environment.
planning.
Therefore, organizations are
PRABIR JHA: Creativity,
looking for b-school graduates
willingness to manage
who can take on the
ambiguity, excellent peer
responsibility immediately and
relationships, networking skills
not spend too much time in
and the ability to have a high
preparing them for induction
result bias are things that
into the world of work.
recruiters typically look for in
K. A. NARAYAN: Business
a fresh b-school graduate
schools are focussing on
these days. It is assumed that
building a powerhouse of
having survived two years at
managers who are equipped
a b-school would have
with functional knowledge.
imparted a base level of
While
knowledge
and
fundamental skills.
intellectual acumen have been
MADHAVI
LALL:
The
environment today in which
the single most important
the Indian business schools
criteria for ascertaining
operate in is in a state of flux.
employability of management
Dynamic changes brought
school candidates until the
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH
about
by
economic
recent past, the scenario today

globalization, new knowledge

is undergoing a transformation. Founder President Foundation for Liberal And
environment, technological
Large corporations are Management Education, Pune
influences and others have
looking beyond knowledge in
redefined
the expectation levels of
their future employees. While
knowledge they impart. However,
industry
and, thereby, have
functional knowledge is important,
students ought to be taught to treat
challenged the future relevance of
corporates are increasingly hiring for
this knowledge as a stepping stone
business schools. Employers not only
attitude. Especially, over the past
to further learn in the work
expect graduates to have technical
decade, when the global and Indian
environments that they finally find
competencies and subject matter
markets went through a volatile and
themselves in. Students should not
expertise, but, also require graduates
at times even precarious moments,
consider their learning as over once
to demonstrate a range of broader
it is employees with resilience and a
they step out of the b-school.
skills and attributes that include
positive outlook that stood the test
Students with an open mind and
critical thinking, adaptability, ability
of time and supported their
the willingness to continuously
to see the trend and predict the
organizations in the re-building and
upgrade find preference with
future with reasonable accuracy and
growing process. Also, downturns
recruiters, given today's dynamic
managerial abilities. These changing
have taught organizations to think
business environments. Take the
trends in the thought process of
long-term and adopt a value-based
instance of textile retailing which is
corporates are increasingly becoming
approach to doing business. A tenet
predominantly franchisee-led.
the prime criterion for evaluation of
they would like to see in their
Whether the candidate is hired in a
b-schools grads.
managers as well. Thus, attitude and
marketing or business role, he/she
V. KRISHNAN: The key factor would
values-based approach is a key factor
needs to understand that they are
be their ability to look at the
deciding employability of today's and
dealing with entrepreneurs and
emerging picture, yet not be averse
future managers. This is at times even
franchisees who are experts in the
to rolling up the sleeve and dirtying
fundamental to employability!
business in that geography, and that
one's hands. What's imperative is that
Another key parameter that
they create great value for the
b-school graduates should be able
enhances employability of b-school
organisation. The candidate needs to
to develop an "ant-to-eagle"
graduates is their ability to learn,
adapt to their psyche, language etc.
perspective. They should be able to
unlearn and re-learn. Yes,
while dealing with them almost from
think laterally and innovatively, and
management schools play a pivotal
day one. It is important for them to
role in equipping their students for
implement workable solutions in the
place
themselves
in
the
a fulfilling corporate career,
business context.
entrepreneur's shoes while tempted
predominantly
through
the
Another important factor is that
to use jargon or adopt a stiff

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November 2011

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
the b-school graduates should be
able to develop a balance between
task and relationship at the
workplace. In a nutshell, they should
have a good balance between the
left and right brain.

true and sustained employability will

need to get underwritten beyond
academic performance.
MADHAVI LALL: The Indian
education system has time and again
been criticised for the skills it
inculcates in its students and the skills
that industry experts look for. There's
a huge mismatch between skills that
academic institutions inculcate in
their students and the skills required
by industries, due to poor and
inadequate industry- academia
linkages resulting in theoretical
knowledge without practical
application.
Graduates
and
postgraduates, without industry

How far are they affecting the

employability levels of b-school
grads?
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: There is a
definite correlation between
education and employability.
Experience is very important.
However, with the management
education b-school graduates tend
to understand what is required in
the organization at a faster pace.
The younger the generation the
more they are responsive to
newer technology that comes into
the marketplace. However,
understanding technology is just
not enough. They have to
respond to the needs of the tasks
required and within the
framework of the organization.
This is where the employability
becomes the issue.
K. A. NARAYAN: The impact of
factors like attitude and the ability
to learn of b-school graduates is
indeed being felt in their
employability levels. While
corporations are approaching bschools on the basis of the brand
standing these schools have
developed in the market, at the
time of selecting candidates from
these schools, corporates are
evaluating candidates for factors
inherent to their personality and
complementing their business
PRABIR JHA
outlook. Thus, employability of
Senior Vice President and Head-HR
candidates is today dependent not
Tata Motors
just on the brand value of the
school, but, also of the individuals
specific skills, constitute 69% of the
coming from there.
unemployed people.
PRABIR JHA: They affect in a very
A common problem facing
significant way. Many of the
business
schools today is the alarm
evaluation methods try to look at
raised by companies about b-school
the softer dimensions far more
graduates not being employmentcritically than in the past. I know
ready. This is primarily due to
from my own experience that
student's inadequate exposure to
candidates with a very impressive
management practices and lack of
academic pedigree have very often
experience in the application of
failed to pass muster on these
management concepts.
leadership dimensions. While at top
V. KRISHNAN: Our education system
b-schools, everyone does get a job,

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November 2011

tends to be a bit skewed on

theoretical and conceptual learning
with weak linkages to application in
the real world. A curriculum more
aligned to challenges faced by
corporates in the real world would
help in reducing the settling-in time
of b-school graduates significantly.
From a growth point of view,
India is on the verge of becoming
the third largest economy in the
world, backed by a healthy GDP
growth compared to the West. We
will also be having a strong surplus
in working population (age 15-50) by
2020, which should help us maintain
the momentum on this growth story.
A significant portion of this
demographic dividend lies in
rural areas, which will be one of
the important growth engines in
future. To leverage this advantage
it is imperative that the
education agenda focuses on skill
building and vocational training,
which makes the youth
employable in the organized
sector. This can be best
accomplished by a collaborated
working between the state,
academia and industry.
Have Indian b-schools been
successful in achieving those
employability levels? What
changes do you see?
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: As
Indian b-schools are growing in
large numbers the quality of
education may differ with each
of the b-schools. In a process of
transition in the initial phases,
many new initiatives of b-schools
may begin. However, as the
numbers increase sifting starts
to take place and there is a
differentiation between the
quality of education in different bschools. As such, good schools with
competent faculty and committed
students would require additional
inputs to align themselves to the
requirements of the organization.
K. A. NARAYAN: Indian business
schools are currently in transition
from being just a knowledge-provider
to becoming a manufacturer of
managers with a well-rounded
personality. Increasingly, b-schools

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
etc., but, a lot more still needs to be
are realizing that values and attitude
MADHAVI LALL: Top b-schools are
done.
are integral to the management
more equipped in bridging the
learning process. However, they have
employability gap in the Indian
Do you see any skills gap that can
a long way to make it a key
scenario because of their strong
be taught / coached to improve
component of their syllabus.
industry-interface which ensures
employability levels of b-school
Premier business schools have a
their students get the right
grads? How?
brand premium, based on the
orientation to prepare them for the
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: The most
learning model and content they
corporate world; the same cannot
important aspect is the attitude. If
have created over the years. This is
be said about most other b-schools
the attitudes are appropriate, then
a model tested for success in the
in India. Unfortunately, the lack of
the skills can be learnt very quickly.
industry interaction to groom future
past. There are other management
Basically, the business schools need
managers in b-schools has resulted
schools that have deviated from the
to prepare students for the realities
in candidates whose capabilities do
set model to incorporate some of
of work life and equip them with
not match the desirable capability
the factors deciding employability.
understanding of ways of relating and
level of a prospective employer. The
However, they are yet to show
working anchored in values of life
positive side to this is that there is an
results.
and work.
increasing level of awareness and bWhile business schools see an
K. A. NARAYAN: B-schools can
schools are now taking various steps
element of risk in imbibing this
in mitigating the employment gap.
increase employability levels of their
change, with corporates looking for
V. KRISHNAN: While the premier and
students by focusing on making them
managers who are personalities and
A-category b-schools are aware of
holistic managers. Students need to
not just functional experts, they are
this and have started working on the
be coached with real life scenarios
sure to adopt a learning model which
same, there are many others who
of how knowledge needs the strength
is beyond just imparting knowledge
still have a long way to go. In the
of right attitude and values to tide
soon.
recent past, there has been more
over challenges. This takes students
PRABIR JHA: In a talent-deficit
emphasis on industry interactions,
beyond their textbooks and helps
environment that India is, I honestly
live case studies, interaction with
them think on-ground and as
think employment is not a worry.
senior professionals from the
managers starting their b-school
What is more significant to keep in
industry, leveraging alumni network
days.
mind is whether all such candidates
PRABIR JHA: The ability to
will actually grow and deliver
work in two very different
such that career derailments
contexts - global and the
do not happen. Having seen
rural Indian context - is a
numerous students across
useful skill to help work on
some of the finest b-schools in
for b-school graduates. Both
India, my worry is that not too
have huge possibilities, but,
many leave you impressed as
need a very different
a clear select. Much of the borientation. I also feel that
school curriculum is about the
the ability to pick up more
standard electives, but, does
languages and appreciate
not adequately address on the
cross-cultural nuances is
softer dimensions of work
becoming
increasingly
effectiveness. Soft is always
important. At the same time,
more hard. Given the unusual
there must be a very
skew in our selection process,
conscious effort to teach bstudents with an engineering
school students to think
or quantitative background
more 'pluraly'. There is a fair
clear the current assessment
bit of one-dimensional
norms. Is that indeed reflective
thinking that one sees on
of creativity, customer bias and
campuses these days. Broad
leadership acumen? Can these
basing the composition of
really be taught? And if they
the class is an immediate
can, how much are b-schools
requirement. It is very
bothered about students
important to get more
acquiring these?
diversity of thinking on bThere has been some
school campuses in India.
movement on some campuses,
Real life business and
no doubt. However, this is too
K. A. NARAYAN
leadership is not just about
little and possibly already too
the ability to solve tough
late.
President - Human Resources Raymond Group

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
mathematical
equations!
Communication and presentation
skills are another area that needs to
improve. Many b-school graduates
are very poor at broad based
communication,
informal
influencing and presenting their
ideas. Making a smart PPT is not
winning hearts and minds.
MADHAVI LALL: Apart from the
technical skills, a range of broader
skills and attributes that include
critical thinking, adaptability, ability
to see the trend and predict the
future with reasonable accuracy and
managerial abilities are what many
organisations look for in b-school
grads. Some ways in which these
skills can be developed and honed
are through industry interface,
workshops, industry mentoring
programs and live project
experiences.
A frequent aspiration of graduates
is for them to take on the so called
"higher end" roles such as strategy,
products, etc. Graduates need to
understand the criticality of working

in the trenches in "real" roles such

as sales to understand the inner
workings of the organization and be
ready to take on higher end roles
subsequently.
Another important gap identified
is the lack of a global mindset
amongst students. There is a need to
develop cultural intelligence,
specifically a better understanding of
which practices, strategies, and
behaviours are universal and which
are contingent. Students need to be
provided with opportunities to
interact with students in different
countries by way of projects/
assignments to build a global
outlook.
V. KRISHNAN: I think there is a
strong need to bridge the 'campusto-corporate' gap. At Dabur, we do
this for management trainees
through a structured three-session
intervention called C2C. Typically, our
education system throughout our
student life, right from nursery
school to b-school tends to be
individual performance and
competition oriented,
which tends to catalyse
a win-lose paradigm at a
sub-conscious level,
whereas the corporate
life is all about win-win collaboration, working in
teams, and achieving
shared goals without
diluting
individual
accountability.

MADHAVI LALL
Regional Head-HR India and South Asia,
Standard Chartered Bank

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November 2011

How can organizations

help 'to be' b-school
grads in reaching those
employability levels?
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH:
Organizations need to
broaden
their
perspectives to focus on
life of the young
generation, be sensitive
to their life space, to
their ambitions and
aspirations and to the
environment in which
they have grown up. The
transition from student
to work life need to be
facilitated and not just
taken for granted that it

will happen automatically. The

organizations need to have a good
induction process in place which
enables the entrants to have their
first understanding of the
organization, the work they are
supposed to do in alignment with
the vision and values of the
organization.
K. A. NARAYAN: An analytical study
of existing business personalities in
the industry, and the story behind
some of their achievements and
challenges can initiate b-school
students to think like managers. For
this, corporations can engage with
management academicians to
develop content based on their reallife experiences. This can then be
used for college study. Further,
engagement with corporate leaders
beyond guest sessions goes a long
way in helping b-school students
improve their employability.
PRABIR JHA: Organizations must
ideally select what they need and not
get into making Cinderellas' from
nothing. The mad rush for slots is
something I have never understood.
If you hire wrong, you can do
nothing later. Assuming one has
hired for a broad mix of
competencies that one needs an
organization must have a robust
feedback culture. Multi-stakeholder
feedback, honest and free
conversations, coaching support and
aggressive rotation to give multiple
experiences help the younger
graduates absorb and internalize
newer competencies. By continuous
learning
and
unlearning,
organizations can equip graduates
with the wherewithal to remain
employable. It takes time, effort and
perseverance which at times neither
side is willing to commit to. In fact,
even in an age of two minutes
noodles, somethings take time!
MADHAVI LALL: One of the most
crucial measures that can be
adopted to promote employability is
to include appropriate integrated
placements, internships and work
based learning opportunities of
significant duration into their
courses. Corporate or industry
interaction in a structured and
regular manner helps students gain

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
a perspective of the real world and
present a platform to groom future
managers. Workshops conducted by
experienced corporate trainers will
help build the students potential by
providing
a
whole-rounded
experience of thinking and learning.
Industry feedback on what business
requires is crucial for the b-schools
to remain agile and aligned to the
needs of the recruiter.
One other area where the
corporate sector can bring a lot of
value is by helping b-schools identify
the gaps in their present curriculum.
While organizations may not be able
to directly influence curriculum
redesign, they can contribute to
student learning through structured
interactions with students by way of
guest lectures, live project
experiences,
well-structured
internships etc. The increased
involvement
of
recruiting
organizations in b-school activities
can also subsequently impact change
in curriculum to make it more
industry relevant.
These steps will provide a
threshold to initiating the change and
bridging the gap between "what is"
and "what should be".
V. KRISHNAN: I genuinely feel that
a well managed summer internship
program is a good solution to most
of the issues we have discussed so
far. Two months time is good enough
for both the organization and a bschool grad to assess compatibility
and culture fit from all dimensions.
Pre-placement offers (PPOs) ensure
that there are no surprises on either
side, and that the graduate settles
into the organization much faster.
Currently, almost 50% of our
management trainees are through
the PPO route, which we would like
to enhance further.
We, at Dabur, have constantly
focused on getting top talent for our
businesses. We intend to stick to this
approach of creating and sustaining
the talent pipeline to supplement our
growth both in the domestic and
international markets, through our
structured MT programme, YMDP.
Given the fact that both our domestic
and our international business has
been growing at a healthy pace, we

38

November 2011

are fairly upbeat about hiring this

year. We are also planning to hire
some MTs for international
assignments. Over a period of time,
we intend to create a global cadre,
which has Dabur's DNA for success
and with a global mindset.

beyond mechanics is welcome. Both

for b-schools and organizations, it
would be a win-win to have
managers
who
emote
and
understand people while managing
challenges.
PRABIR JHA: Industry and the
academia need a far closer interface
so that the curriculum design is in
line with the future needs of
business. Sabbaticals for faculty with
industry will help build a deeper
appreciation of what is needed on
the ground. I am also a strong
advocate for a more broad based
composition of the class. Today, the
gene pool is extremely narrow and
inbred, with its obvious implications
to fresh and more inclusive thinking.
Learning from others with different
perspectives will be more relevant
than just plain left brained bias which
may make great executive assistants,
but, not path breaking business
leaders. A lot more focus on
improving soft skills must happen
real time in b-schools. This is the
biggest casualty in today's campuses.
No one thinks it is important and

Are there any kinds of further

initiatives and/or partnerships
needed
for
bridging
the
employability gap necessary to
reach the desired employability
levels?
PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: For fifty
years
education,
especially
management education, for b-school
graduates of IIMA was for
professionalizing
managers,
management and employability. In
the initial years b-school graduates
were trained to bring about
transformation in organizations.
Many organizations were not ready
for that. It took some time for both
the b-school graduates as well as the
organizations to align themselves to
propel the organizations for growth
on a bigger canvas. Subsequently and
gradually as the organizations grew
at a faster pace, they started looking
for b-school graduates for instant
employability. The organizations
did not want to invest time in the
young people to grow and settle
into the organization through
wholesome process of socializing
and induction. Now the
environment has further
changed and the b-school
graduates have also changed.
Similarly, the management
education is also changing. This
is a new phase of growth for
the court, organization,
management education
and the b-school
graduates. All need to
align for new ways of
employability and
defining the work
culture.
K. A. NARAYAN:
Any initiative that
enhances
the
quality
of
education in bV KRISHNAN
schools and helps
students think
Executive Vice President-HR

Dabur India Ltd.

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H R R O U N D TA B L E
this possibly becomes the single
biggest career derailers of otherwise
smart brains. A combination of the
left and the right brain is an
imperative.
MADHAVI LALL: To "manufacture"
talent for the long term, the
government, academia, and the
industry need to work together to
better align education and workforce
training with the needs of the
industry.

Some initiatives that may help

Companies need to implement a
robust workforce strategy that takes
into account not only the skills
needed to execute business strategy,
but external factors that impact
talent sources such as demographic
shifts, technological revolutions, and
the rise of emerging markets. This
analysis of skills needed now and in
the
future
must
involve
governments
and
learning
institutions investing in the right
kind of training in order to plug
skills gaps.

Businesses should be incentivized

to develop talent locally and
collaborate with schools to make
sure they are providing the skills
and training that the marketplace
needs over the long term.

Universities need to periodically

review the curriculum and make it
more updated.

Work experience during courses

appears to be a highly positive
influence on employability and
should continue.

Employer involvement in course

design and delivery is positively
associated with the quality of initial
employment found by graduates.

Tapping opportunities to leverage

and engage on the alumni network
in the learning process can be useful
too.
V. KRISHNAN: More focus on
application-based learning through
'action learning projects', involving
working with cross functional
members would be a good step
forward.

After reaching those desired

employability levels how will it
impact the future of employability

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November 2011

outlook of b-school grads?

PROF. INDIRA PARIKH: In my view
any
education,
especially
management education, has to be
for life anchored in ethics and values
and open to growth and
transformations. Today's youth is
borne in a different India, a moving
India, a prosperous and respected
India and in an India of plenty. Their
aspirations, achievements and
ambitions are qualitatively different
than of previous generation. This
generation is eco - sensitive, looking
for role models whom they can
believe in and respect and want to
contribute and make a difference.
Loyalty, obedience and conformity
have
been
replaced
by
commitments, negotiability and
dialogue and wanting to experiment.
They are also looking for equilibrium
in their life spaces - be it work or
family.
As such, employability has to be
looked in terms of perspective of
life, attitudes to work and life and
playing multiple roles in multiple
systems. Work cannot be the only
overwhelming life space of an
individual today. What is required is
that competence requires a human
face and wholesomeness. The
environment has become turbulent
full of insecurities and uncertainties
and as such the ability to respond to
ongoing change is required by bschool graduates, the management
institution and the industry.
K. A. NARAYAN: While the
employability outlook of at least
premier b-schools has never been
an issue, the quality of employable
talent that b-schools churn out every
year will improve considerably if
students are taught to look beyond
the structured course content. That
would mean better placement deals
and brands for their students to work
in. For the corporate world, it would
mean better managers in the future
and thus, a stable business
environment.
PRABIR JHA: Given the current
demand-supply in equilibrium, it is
not about immediate employability,
but about its sustainability. Will the
crop passing out today continue to
be employable even if there is a

reversal in the business demand for

talent? Who will then survive and
possibly thrive? Who will be more
likely to face the firing squad? I have
seen in my career people do not
over the years lose out on
fundamental skills, but, really on the
softer dimensions of their persona.
Some just cannot accept criticism,
forget setbacks. Others cannot get
over the "I, me, myself" mindset. Still
others have never been risk takers
and get cocooned in their little
illusory worlds. Unless, b-school
grads are continually focussed at
their reinvention and not fool along
to believe that more money or a
fancy title is quicksand, they will
always be at a risk. What you do
after your degree is actually more
important, than your degree. The
brand reputation you build over the
years is what ultimately drives
employability.
MADHAVI LALL: B-school grads
today need to align themselves with
the outlook of what the organization
of the future and the ways of
conducting business in the future
are likely to look like. Shrinking
market boundaries, adapting to
diverse cultures and newer ways of
functioning must be engrained in
their acumen to execute. Not only
must they be 'future ready', but also
equipped to drive the change.
The future of employability of
the 'now' generation of b-school
grads will also depend on the
acceptance and recognition of the
missed opportunities and unmet
needs for creative and integrative
thinking and understanding
organizational realities. The
approach also needs to shift from
reactive to proactive.
V. KRISHNAN: India is still one of
the strong growing economies of the
world, and corporates are always in
short supply of young talent. So,
employability per se of students
especially of those from the good bschools will never be an issue.
However, if some of the issues we
have discussed so far get addressed
by collaborative working between
academia,
industry
and
administration our students will be
HC
'future ready'.

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