The Global Opportunities & Threat Analysis (GOTA) Program brings awareness of how a truly global economy works and also offers a different perspective to the participants making them receptive to entrepreneurial learning. On these trips, the group manages to get tremendous International exposure and knowledge of Multinational corporations. There is something new to learn for everyone on this tour. The seminar sessions conducted by professionals from  various companies falling under different industries/sectors is a blessing in disguise for the students, as they not only  imbibe knowledge from these lectures but also  get familiar with the foreign market, difference in work cultures and the way in which business is conducted overseas. The interesting subjects/topics that were discussed were extremely informative, right from the 6 guiding principles for being successful to the importance of networking to managerial decision-making, and last but not least… the art of influencing others.

The series of appointments and lectures are of great utility in terms of opening up many new doors and insights into world class management practices, planning processes, cross-cultural nuances, and administrative insights with right mix of experiential and case learning. The groups manage to learn and gain a great deal of academic, practical education along with a healthy dose of fun and frolic in course of whole event.

From the starting of the year 2007 till date IIPM students have visited various destinations for their GOTA Program such as:

• BELGIUM & PARIS - European Commission, European Parliament, Airbus 380, Imi Brussels, Agri Chemicals, Port Of Antwerp, Palm Breweries
• USA - USIBC, World Bank, Information Management Consultants, Citigroup, DOW Chemicals etc.
• AUSTRALIA - SEEK Ltd, Age Print Centre, Melbourne Stock Exchange, ANZ, Ford Performance vehicle point etc.
• ENGLAND - GSM Association, British Telecom, IBM, Adm Capital, Citibank etc.
• LONDON - Xanadutec, Misport, Oxfam, Lehman Brothers , British Telecom., GSM International, Citigroup, Siemens, IBM, Esprit Partner, Credit Suisse , Mc Kinsey & Co., Real Media etc.
• SWITZERLAND – Nestle, ITC, Michael page, WTO, Lehman Brothers, Merck Serono, WIPO, Migros etc.
• FRANCE & BELGIUM – Euronext, Ghent University, European Parliament, Antwerp Port, Airbus & Concorde, Forrester Research,
• GERMANY – Munich Re, ARRI AG, BMW, Deutche Bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, Infosys, Satyam, OPEL, Deutsche Borse Group, Tata Consultancy Services etc.
• Many more....

Taking a look back at our journey to Belgium and Paris, feels as if yesterday was today. Our trip could not have started in a better way than with our visit to European commission. The world order is changing and the EU is playing a crucial role in doing so. Our visit gave students a preview on the trade bilateral ties between India and EU.

Our next stop got us thinking if thinks were just going to keep getting better at every step of our tour. The drive down to Toulouse brought was to Airbus 380 manufacturing facility, which was in sorts a dream come true for the students. This visit gave us a behind the scene picture of what exactly takes to get this magnificent flying objects that we see over our heads every day up and running. Our visit to Airbus got our students very excited as they witnessed planes with the Kingfisher logo on them being manufactured up close and personal.

The next three days were fun and frolic for the students as they got time off in Paris Shopping and the Disneyland trip was just what the doctor ordered!!

On our return to Belgium, students visited to the Port of Antwerp which is one of the 6th largest business port in Europe. Today the world revolves around a buying and selling axis and ports are an indispensable part of this activity. Random appointments sometimes can spring up Indian surprises. Acquisitions is the flavour of the season for India inc. Agri chemicals a company owned by an Indian which is into manufacturing of agriculture chemicals. Some one said it right Indians are going places!! The next destination was a BINGO!! For the 21st century "beer generation". Our visit to Palm breweries the oldest beer manufacturer in Europe, was a real treat for some beer bellies. Its no hidden secret that free beer is always welcome!!

As management students we have a moral duty to stick to the agenda and mean business!! Our final appointment was strategically aligned with our experiences over the last fourteen days. A lecture at IMI Brussels by on strategic management was an interesting insight into the contemporary management issues.

As I often revisit journeys and go back into time. It reaffirms my faith in the fact that the best way to build perspective about the world around us is to build it "Together"!!!!

This time IIPM also took some of its brightest lots to the USA on 1st October for 12 nights. The students visited some of the biggest names in the corporate world and were enthralled by the overall experience that they acquired that the whole trip had to offer. The students visited a number of reputed organizations such as USIBC, World Bank, Information Management Consultants, Citigroup, DOW Chemicals and a lot more.

The students also got to visit the UN office where the students were awed by the amazing infrastructure that it had to offer. The students also got to see the General Assembly and the Security Council and it was an experience to cherish for all the IIPM students who were there on this trip. The students also visited Sanofi Avertis which is one of the prime forces in the pharmaceuticals industry and gave the students an insight into how this industry works and how the whole process of developing a new medicine takes place.

The Land of Oz is an amazing experience by itself, but the part which is hidden to the world is the strong economy which Australia is. Around 30 students from the SS 07-09 batch were taken to Australia on the 14th of September. The students attended a lot of seminars and conferences which provided them with an insight into how the companies work in Australia and what kind of business opportunities does Australia have to offer.

The students attended seminars and conferences in some of the reputed organizations of the world such as SEEK Ltd, Age Print Centre, Melbourne Stock Exchange, ANZ, Ford Performance vehicle point, and a lot more. The students also visited the Melbourne Cricket Ground where they were given a VIP tour of the stadium and got to see the Australian Cricket team practicing in the nets and got to meet a few of them too. The students visited the Theatrette at the National Gallery, the Parliament house, University of Canberra, Australian Broadcasting Company and a lot more.

Even though the schedule was pretty tight for the students, they enjoyed a lot. The ever happening Australian nightlife had a lot to offer to the students and made a memorable trip for this IIPM Batch.

The home of the Queen has always been a favorite destination for a lot of Indians, and this GOTA trip had a lot to offer to the students. Students were exposed to a number of company visits, seminars and conferences, lectures delivered by some of the most prominent and reputed International speakers from some of the most important organizations.

The sessions for the students started off with a visit to the Royal Bank of Scotland wherein Mr. Steve Lenon gave the students a basic understanding about the history of the Bank. The students were then taken to a number of organizations such as GSM Association, British Telecom, IBM, Adm Capital, Citibank, and a lot more.

The students appreciated the seminars and the sessions and came back a more confident and knowledgeable future of India.

At IIPM we believe that it is not only important to understand how a business or the operations involved in conducting that business works, but also to understand the cultural and ethnic backbone of the society which influences the overall business environment in that country. And what better a place than, Japan, which is so rich in its culture which has led to Japan being so successful an economy.

A group of around 50 students from the SS 06-08 batch were taken to the Land of the Rising Sun, Japan on the 20th of July for 11 nights. The students learned the importance of discipline and honor which the Japanese rate the highest in their lives and which has created that niche and the leadership which Japan has created for itself. The country which gave us Kaizen and a number of other efficiency improving techniques had a lot to offer for the young minds of IIPM.

The first day was free for the students and they enjoyed the cuisines and hospitality that Japan had to offer. The second day started off with a visit to the Kyoto University followed by a visit to the Panasonic Center. The students got to visit the Suzuki motor company and Honda which really excited the students watching how the whole plants and the operations work in those companies. The students were then taken to interact with the Ambassador of India to Japan who gave the students an insight into his experiences in Japan and how even the Japanese culture is quite similar to the Indian culture. The students were then taken to the PASONA Inc. and the India Center where a seminar was conducted to understand and analyze how the relationship between India and Japan are and how they can be improved and made fruitful for both the companies. The students also had a lot to say in it and gave their views on how both the countries can move together to help each other out in improving towards a much brighter future.

The students had an amazing time in Japan and with fond memories and new cultural understandings, they returned back to India on the 1st of August.

The GOTA trip took students to the beautiful country of Belgium. With its enthralling natural beauty and its flower gardens, Belgium was a treat for the students. The students were then taken to the romantic capital of the world, Paris. But between these beautiful destinations the main purpose behind the whole trip was never forgotten. The students were equally excited about the companies and the organizations they were supposed to visit.

The students visited the European parliament & the European Commission, followed by Duval Industry visit which really got the students worked up. The subsequent days were followed by a seminar on Strategic Management by Mr. Guy Knapton. The students then visited the Port of Antwerp where they got to see the various operations and activities which go on behind the curtains at a port. This was followed by a visit to Rotterdam School of Management and the ENPC School of International Management wherein a seminar was conducted on the topic "India's Competitive advantage in IT offshore outsourcing: Why should Europe be afraid?" which led to a good discussion and question & answer session.

Overall some exciting moments and a lot more to carry home which would help these young minds to tackle and understand the Business environment surrounding them and how and in what direction it would move.

The word which best describes Switzerland is compact. Compact because in such a small place, is overflowing abundant natural beauty and culture. And within this compact world of nature and beauty, we have a number of organizations which touch the lives of the people living in the biggest of the economies to the smallest. At IIPM, we provide our students with the best in terms of International exposure of academics and corporate training, and what better place to start off with than the place where the best and the most important people of the world sit, Switzerland.

A group of around 84 students in all with their respective faculty members were taken to Switzerland for a period of 11 days from the 14th of July till 25th July, 2007. During the trip, the students met with a number of prominent personalities who left a deep impact and influenced the young minds of the IIPM students. The company visits started off with a visit to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), followed by visits to UNCTAD and Zidao Communications, wherein an interesting seminar was conducted by Ms. Ellen Wallace, which led to a lot of discussions and a lot more to desire from the students. A number of good company visits and seminars followed at Webster University, Michael Page and the World Trade organization (W.T.O).

After some exciting moments in Switzerland the students move towards the land of the elves and the famous Santa Claus, Finland. The students visited the Finnish Tourist Board and with a lot of good memories to cherish and a lot more interactive sessions and knowledge they came back to IIPM to share their experiences with others.

The GOTA trip to Sweden and Finland which departed on 22nd June was very good. I would like to highlight on some aspects which need to be planned before fixing appointments in a GOTA trip here.

Firstly, the spokesperson in VOLVO was really nice. The visit to their plant was mind blowing as everything was mechanized and automatic involving less no. of manpower. But in addition to this, a presentation comprising of the business strategic moves adopted by the company in their past years, was there. This has benefited the students as it was thoroughly explained with case studies. Same thing is applicable in the presentation of SKF.

Secondly, the presentation of the speaker in ELECTROLUX was phenomenon. But he mostly emphasized on the success stories. He also explained the reasons of improper penetration of their products in Indian market and their plans to compete there with other products in future.

Thirdly, the visit to Bank of Finland was beneficial for the students. The topic of monetary policies of Central European system was also discussed was discussed & the students really praised the presentation.

Willkommen to the land of Beethoven

So what is common between magnificent Mercedes, alluring Audi, braveheart BMW, poised Porsche, vivacious Volkswagen, steadfast Siemens, sought-for-solution SAP, adventurous Adidas – Willkommen to the land of Beethoven – Federal Republic of Germany. A trip to Vienna and Munich sounds like heaven and when you are in the company of 38 students; it sounds more than just heaven. Well with those feeling MBA students of FW 2006-08 left for their Global Outreach & Threat Analysis (GOTA) program on June 15, 2007. After an emergency landing at Nunberg Airport (our hearts literally sinking and praying to the lords above), we finally landed at Munich International Airport and wee immediately whisked away to Vienna. From physical beauty to world class-cities, Austria is globally acclaimed for its outstanding quality of life and stable political environment. Due to these factors, Austria attracts immigrants from all over the world for business, tourism as well as for permanent citizenship. Our first meeting was at the Vienna Economic University where the students went around the University and learnt about the various courses there. The students also had the opportunity to visit United Nations where they were shown a video, which elaborated on the various initiatives undertaken by United Nations. A seminar by Dr. Nusime Margot elucidating the cultural changes between Austria & India was very enlightening.

The group was then transferred to Munich on road. This gave us an opportunity to see the breathtaking scenic beauty, Europe is famous for. The drive was totally exhilarating and the awe-striking panorama of peaks and lakes! Ooh la la! In Munich we had two seminars on Sony Ericsson and Siemens conducted by the husband-wife duo Manish Pandey and Anshoo Pandey. We had a few light days too in Munich and visited the Olympic Stadium, BMW Museum, Allianz Arena (site of the FIFA World Cup final). It was on a nostalgic note that we returned to New Delhi but the sweet memories of Vienna and Munich will surely remain with us for a long time to come.

The GOTA trip to London, scheduled on 9th June’07, was one of the most insightful and enriching trips of IIPM. Students were exposed to various seminars and guest lectures delivered by senior executives from reputed international corporate, social as well as educational organizations.

The first session was taken up by Ms Sonia Mezzacuadra from Oxfam. She provided students with the basic understanding CSR and gave valuable inputs on Corporate Governance and Fair Trade. She easily bridged the gap between theory and practice by furnishing relevant and latest examples from the industry. The next session was by Mr. Maximilano Chechile from IBM. He spoke on change management within as outsourcing project. He explained the case by quoting the example of t-finance and its operating model which made the session very informative. One seminar that really inspired students was the one by Prof. Nigel Donegan from South Thames College. He spoke about Disability at Workplace and the challenges involved. After his lecture, the students promised to view disabled people in a different light.

Students also greatly appreciated other sessions taken up by senior executives and professionals from British Telecom, GSM Association and Citigroup.

22nd April'07, the second day in Rome commenced with the seminar addressed by Ms. Tuhina Biswas who introduced the students to the Italian life and culture and briefed them a little about the Indo-Italian trade scenario too. I would call it enlightening but not very productive as all she discussed was the social and cultural events of the country. On the contrary, VDC Technologies Spa seminar was knowledgeable and offered the students a platform to understand the functioning of an Indian company in Europe. The seminar with ENEL seemed educative for the students as it threw light on the functioning of the Italian electrical systems in a modern yet traditional country like Italy. Mr. Dario Garofalo's detailed presentation of electricity management was helpful to a great extent and his enthusiastic questions from the students were quite impressive. An encouraging and a complete learning experience for the students as it engrossed them and gave them an opportunity to actively participate in the discussion that followed. The seminar in Madrid on the aviation industry by G.S.A.R Marketing was reasonably absorbing and interesting too. I personally feel that such seminars can be a real boon to students as both Mr. Ramon Alvarez Adams & Ben Hessler offered the students an insight to the global aviation industry. Overall it was an over-whelming experience and a learning one.

Global Opportunities and Threat Analysis program is organized by IIPM to give its students international exposure of academics and corporate training to impart first hand exposure. This time group of 68 students and 2 faculties from the UGP batch Fall Winter 2006-09 was taken to Switzerland for a period of 15 days from 19th April 2007 to 4th May 2007. During the visit we had interactive sessions with the international faculties/ professionals from various institutes and corporate houses like Zidao Communication, WTO, Michael page, United Nations, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Webster University. These sessions were very interesting and students were able to understand the topics discussed which included subjects like Entrepreneurship, background about WTO, Interview techniques, etc.

• Ms. Ellen Wallace of Zidao Communication was instrumental in sharing the information with the students. The topic of the session, Entrepreneurship, turned out to be an interesting one. Lot of students had a post session individual discussions with the faculty and the faculty was equally interested in clearing the doubts of the students.
• Mr. Shishir Priyadarshini, WTO, was one of the best faculties along-with Ms. Tulika Tripathi of Michael Page. They were able to keep attention of the students throughout the session. The topics of the discussion (Background about WTO, Interview Techniques) were very much relevant for the students. Students rated both these sessions as the best sessions.
• During the session at WIPO (Two Faculties), students seemed to be slightly uninterested in the first session. The reasons cited for the same by the students included lack of clarity in communication. The second session was taken by Mr. Guriqbal which turned out to be a good interactive session between the faculty and the students.
• The group also had a company visit at United Nations wherein the students were taken around the UN Headquarters and were informed about various relevant facts which were appreciated by the students as well.

Overall the visit to Switzerland was good with a mix of leisure and educational activities. The students enjoyed during the free days and they also were punctual when it came to the meeting timings.

What happens when you blend education with double-packed excitement in two awesome countries like Switzerland and Finland? A wonderful experience via the GOTA trip with the group H30 is the way I would like to describe it. On the one hand, we had amazing fun exploring the beautiful cities like Bern, Geneva and Olten and on the other hand, we had brilliant interactive sessions with outstanding personalities from the corporate milieu – like Ms Veena Jha of UNCTAD, Mr. Bates of Webster, and Ms E. Wallace of Ziado Communication. There was a superb Sunday too, which was studded with a seminar on communication skill with Ms Tulika Tripathi and Mr. S. Shine of Michael Page fame followed by an elegant evening in the Luzern city. That is how we bided adieu to this blissful country – Switzerland and reached in the land of Santa Claus. Heilsinki the capital of Finland was drenched with rain when we started for an interesting conference addressed by Mr. Timo representing Finnish Tourist Board. And in a session of two hours he spoke about promoting bilateral trade relationship between India and Finland. To sum it up this GOTA Trip emerged as a hub for gaining knowledge and gave the students an invaluable opportunity to be exposed beyond India. Of course, there was the additional gift-the zeal engulfed in the entire voyage.

The meetings and seminars that were arranged in this trip were enlightening and gave tremendous exposure of the corporate culture. But, some of the lectures were not interesting and should be improved.

The lecture conducted by Mr. Debjit from Infosys was excellent & knowledgeable and was appreciated by all the students. The presentations given by Mr. Prem Puri from IBM and Dr Peter Heij along with Mr. Aloke Palsikar from Satyam Computers were intellectual and highlighted various aspects of management which would be beneficial to the students in future.

The Gota Program for the 9H batch had gone to Frankfurt (Germany) and Paris (France). There were nine meetings that were scheduled for the batch. The meeting that held the maximum interest for the students were the factory tour of Opel and the lecture by Mr. Prem Puri of IBM. The meetings were very informative and had a great impact on all the students. The presentation in the Deustche Bundes bank and the opening remarks by the high commissioner of India were also appreciated greatly by the students. Practical sessions that were held by companies like OPEL and Deutstche Borse were a huge hit with the students as they were for the first time able to see how work is carried out by organizations on the shop floor.

The Opel factory visit was the most thrilling and cherished trip. All the students enjoyed and at the same time learned about this automobile company. The trip to the Money Museum in the Deutsche Bundes Bank was also exciting. Students learned about various currencies and their history.

The lecture given by Mr. A Padmanabhan of Tata Consultancy Services on Business Excellence was knowledgeable but students did not enjoyed much as it was elongated.

Also, presentations given at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and AFII - Agence Francaise Ministry of Industry and Finance were not well appreciated by the students. The speakers were not able to converse properly in English and thus were not able to put across their views in the right manner.

All in all, the GOTA trip was well organized and was a good learning experience.

Country visited: LONDON              Batch: SS/2005-07           Duration: 8 NIGHTS

Country visited: Switzerland              Batch: UGP/04-07           Duration: 15 Days

Country visited: SWITZERLAND        Batch: PGP/FW/05-07           Duration: 8 DAYS

Country visited: Switzerland             Batch: PGP/FW/SS/04-06           Duration: 11 Days