Episode 24: Prof. YLR Moorthy on Marketing and Branding in the digital age by The IIMB Podcast

The Communication Cell and the Student Media Cell of IIM Bangalore bring to you the IIMB Podcast Series, a platform to discuss the latest business, economic, management, and social issues that matter. The Podcast series will witness IIM Bangalore fraternity, including but not limited to the faculty members, alumni, and students, provide their insights and perspectives on the topics and issues that surround us.

In this episode, Professor Prateek Raj chaired a high-impact discussion shedding light on the transformative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on India's economy and its profound repercussions on the labour market. The podcast, a revisit on the previous podcast led by the Professor at the beginning of the pandemic, explores a comprehensive range of topics, including the seismic shifts in work culture prompted by the pandemic, the turbulent times of layoffs faced by many industries, the massive labor migration that ensued during the crisis, and the enduring post-COVID landscape. The insightful discussion also sheds light on the present situation of the economy, highlighting mass lay-offs in the IT sector and the changing views on work-life balance.

For Episode 22, we have Prof. Kumar with us, to discuss the history of the institute, the IIMB History Project to commemorate the 50th year of IIMB. We also talk about entrepreneurship in India, how to fund your startup, what mistakes to avoid and more. Listen on to find out more!

In the 21st episode, Prof. Shainesh, discusses his coauthored classic marketing management book with Professor Philip Kotler, Kevin Keller, Alexander Chernev, and Jagdish Sheth. The book is regarded as the bible of marketing, the book talks about the disruptions in industries and business models due to digitalization globalization, growth in eCommerce, digital communication, the impact of social media, and the widespread use of data analytics and artificial intelligence. The talk gives insights into the various aspects of digital marketing, from its evolution to the way forward.

In the 20th episode, Prof. Debolina discusses her research paper “Are women from Venus? A mixed method study determining important predictors of job pursuit intention across gender groups”. The discussion dwelled on the Indian landscape and challenges faced by women in a higher management roles. The episode carries an undertone of developing a gender inclusion perspective among the upcoming leaders so as to Fastrack's corporate involvement in creating suitable policies and work culture.

The nineteenth episode of the series features a conversation with Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Professor in the Organizational Behaviour & Human Resources Management area at IIM Bangalore, about the fundamental features of starting an inclusive business and the kind of challenges that aspiring social entrepreneurs can expect to encounter on the way.

Much is said about the for-profit new age business models & their product innovations, latest technology, customer centricity, value creation &, more than anything, their rising valuations. In the midst of all this, a new breed of businesses is walking a tight rope by creating enormous value via solving some of the fundamental accessibility & affordability challenges for a customer segment that is usually ignored for its suppressed purchasing power & lack of disposable income. In this episode of the podcast, Prof. Sourav Mukherji further helps the listener understand the fundamental characteristics of inclusive businesses & the various challenges faced by them. While illustrating the need for such models, he also details the crucial role of leadership in creating the right culture in the organization to deliver maximum societal benefit.

In the eighteenth episode of IIMB Podcast series Prof. Deepti tries to derive insights from Ayushi & Madhusudan’s journey of ideating & developing a sustainable solution during the course of the Schneider Go Green 2021 competition. The discussion dwelled into the methodology adopted for developing an innovative & inclusive solution to counter climate change, making it scalable using core management concepts and importance of selecting an effective communication channel to improve adoption. The episode carries an undertone of developing this perspective among the upcoming leaders so as to fastrack corporate involvement in the fight against climate change.

In the seventeenth episode of IIMB Podcast series Dr. R. Srinivasan, Professor in the Strategy area at IIM Bangalore shares his insights on Platform Business Models. He recently authored a book with the same title and released a MOOC on IIMBx.

Dr. R Srinivasan talks about the functioning of a platform, how they grow, the various types of platforms that exist and the architectural elements of platforms. He also talks about the reasons for the recent growth in the number of platform businesses and the impact caused by higher penetration of Internet and smartphones. Further, the episode touches upon how the landscape has become quite competitive, and what determines a winner in this virtual race, which begins from solving the chicken-egg problem in acquiring the first block of customers but does not end, rather becomes even more challenging, upon establishing dominance through setting standards.

Towards the end, the episode delves into the extent to which regulations and market maturity affect success, while drawing parallels between the developing countries and the West, and opportunities that exist through overcoming traditional market inefficiencies.

In the sixteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series on April 11th, Dr Nilam Kaushik, Assistant Professor in Strategy area at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) and IIMB Young Faculty Research Chair, shares her insights from her research on gender disparity in STEM education as well as jobs.

Dr Nilam Kaushik explains the reasons behind the gender disparity in STEM education and jobs in the global and the Indian context. She also draws upon her own experiences, having worked in the technology sector. The episode touches on the socio-cultural nuances associated with gender around the world, which is reflected in the prevalent gender disparity conundrum and how the preferences for competitive working environments also impact the gender ratios in organizations and the role of corporates to make workplaces more women friendly. Towards the end, Dr Nilam presents a detailed analysis of existing solutions like the IIT Girls reservation to possible future solutions which can promote STEM education among girls.

In the fifteenth episode of the IIMB Podcast Series, Prof. Ganesh Prabhu, Professor in the Strategy area of IIM Bangalore, shares his insights on opportunities, challenges, and the future of electric mobility in India.

Prof. Ganesh Prabhu talks about the different aspects of electric vehicles such as manufacturing and supply chain, the role of different stakeholders and challenges in adoption in the mass market. The episode touches upon how electric vehicles have gained momentum and are touted as the most sustainable and environmentally friendly solution. Towards the end, Prof. Prabhu also talks about how Elon Musk has led Tesla to bring about a revolution in this space and managed to make Tesla a market leader in the fast-growing electric vehicle segment.