Shebu Raphael (92PMIR) as Global HR Chief of Marlabs

BANGALORE (CIOL, June 21): Marlabs India, wholly owned subsidiary of Marlabs Inc. today announced Shebu Raphael as its worldwide head of human capital.



In his new role Raphael is responsible for HR services to the projects and professional services in India, the US besides other markets where Marlabs operates in.

Earlier Raphael was the director - HR services, North America for Birlasoft

Vikram Rao (75BM) Joins AV Birla Board

According to Times of India (June 20, 2006) Vikram Rao (75BM) has joined the boad of the AV Birla group.He was the Head of Garment Business of the group.



The news item reads:
"He was roped in from Arvind Mills as group executive president of the fabric business. He was instrumental in the Birla's acquisition of Madura Garments.

Over the years, he played a significant role in consolidating and growing the garments business, product development and forging partnerships with retail chains across the country. Under the new dispensation, he also has additional responsibility of Jay Shree Textiles and Vikram Woolens."

Vikas Gupta (88BMD) joins ABP

Vikas Gupta (88BMD), Marketing Head, Coca Cola India has put in his papers at the flavored water giant. Gupta is scheduled to join the Anandabazar Patrika (ABP) Ltd as President, Businessworld magazine and Chief Marketing Officer of the group. He will continue to be based in Delhi.

...He has been with the cola major for over 10 years, including a five-year stint at Coke headquarters in Atlanta. Before joining Coca Cola India in 1994, he worked with Brooke Bond and P&G India. Gupta is an alumnus of XLRI (Jamshedpur) with specialisation in marketing & finance. Gupta has also worked with Brooke Bond and P&G India in their marketing departments prior to the 1994 era.

Conquering Antarctica.. Ashish Asthana (92BMD)

Seniority Counts!! ;0)

Just around the time when the current batch of students are planning for flag-off for a trip to Mt Everest Base Camp this month, one of their super-super-super... seniors is on his way to Antarctica



Ashish Asthana (92BMD) is part of the expedition 2041.com/ to Antarctica (Feb 26 - March 10)...
You can listen to his Audio Dispatch (click here)

and read his musings:

"I believe it is a combination of my passion for this expedition and my deep rooted belief in the power of the individual which won me my place on this trip. I passionately believe that individuals are capable, alone and collectively, of making a difference -- as exemplified by what one of my country's most revered leaders, Mahatma Gandhi, a single man in a loincloth, accomplished. I come from a country (India) and practice a religion (Hindusim) which believes that each man has a destiny and a path to follow. It has always been one of my dreams to, during my lifetime, set foot on all seven of the world's continents, and touching Antarctica always seemed like it would be the most challenging. This expedition is dear to my heart because I have a keen sense of the environment and come from a background where respect for nature and recycling is a way of life. What Robert Swan is doing is legendary and to be able to participate in his efforts is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. I hope to return from this trip with an enhanced sensitivity to how lucky we are to be in a position where we can make a difference. I look forward to convert that realization into reality by doing what I can to make the world a better place to live in, for ourselves and the generations which follow. For, we do not inherit our planet from forefathers but borrow it from our children and theirs and theirs..."

George Zacharias (82BMD) Logs into Yahoo! India

Global internet company Yahoo Inc has appointed George Zacharias as managing director of Yahoo India, with effect from January 30, 2006.


George Zacharias (82BMD)

He would be based in Bangalore and work with the head of Yahoo's global software development center Venkat Panchapakesan to draw on those resources and build a stronger India-focused product organisation, it added.

Zacharias moves to Yahoo! from Sify, where he was President and Chief Operating Officer since 2000. Prior to joining Sify, Zacharias had spent 16 years in a variety of sales, marketing and export assignments at Madura Coats in Bangalore. In 1997, he was appointed President of Madura Garments, a leading garment/retail company in India, then a division of Madura Coats. As President of Madura Garments, Zacharias was responsible for $23 million in business, which he grew to $55 million in annual revenues in two and a half years. Zacharias graduated from Nagpur University with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1980 and from XLRI, Jamshedpur with a PGDBM in 1982.

Zubin Mody (93 PMIR): The New Head (HR) of IndusInd Bank

IndusInd Bank appoints Zubin Mody Senior VP-HR
[Hindu BusinessLine, January 5th, 2006]



MUMBAI: IndusInd Bank announced the appointment of Mr Zubin Mody as its Senior Vice President, Human Resources.

Mr Mody will be responsible for the entire HR function of the Bank, IndusInd said in a release here. Mr Mody was earlier with ICICI Lombard as Head HR and had also worked for FMCG brands such as Marico Industries and Heinz India. - PTI

GG Gets Special Best Blog Award

Here is a news about Gautam Ghosh (99PMIR) - or rather, about GG's Blog - from the Recruiting.com site:



Everyone knows by now that two weeks ago, Jay-Dee made a tragic mistake and accidentally left Gautam Ghosh, the Indian HR Thought Leader, off of the voting list for the Best HR Blog of 2005.

I didn't say anything at the time. Jason apologized and Gautam graciously accepted. And I thought that was that.

But then I started thinking. (It happens once in a while). I thought that the optics on this thing weren't very good. Someone might think that we'd cut Gauty deliberately because he lives in India and it would cost us lots of money to fly him to Las Vegas if he won. I went to Jay-Dee.

"Jay-Dee, we've got to do something. Everyone is going to think we cut Gautum because he lives in India."

"Gautum lives in India? I thought he worked in a casino."

"No. He lives in Bangalore. Listen, we've got to do something. Give him a special prize."

"Okay, give him a hundred Starbucks."

"There's no Starbucks in India!"

"Really!!! Okay, listen, Ileane Frank just donated an iPod Shuffle to the prizes. There's only one. Let's give it to him."

"Yeah! Great! What's an iPod Shuffle?"

"I don't know."

"And, what should we give it to him for? What award?"

"Just make one up."

The problem was solved. Then I realized something. The Las Vegas prize is awarded by a jury. Not popular vote. So, no one would have thought that we screwed Gautam anyway.

But we're all happy he's getting a special prize all the same. And not a consolation prize. Because he's a winner even without an award and doesn't need to be consoled.

Mind you, now I've got other worries. Will an iPod work in India? And does he have the bandwidth to download songs? Ugh! That's enough thinking already. Please, brain, leave me alone!

But, friends, before I go, I'm proud to announce that the Recruitosphere's award for HR Thought Leader of the Eastern Hemisphere for 2005 goes to .......drums...... The Indian HR thought leader himself, Gautam by Ghosh.

Gautam, Gautam, he's our man.
So say the boys from Canuckistan.

Alumni HomeComing 2005: Registration Form

Homecoming 2005
November 19-20 (Sat-Sun) @ XLRI

...plan to return to/revisit the roots: have a trip down the memory lane, network with those who passed through the same portals across batches, interact with the current batch and faculty (and the old stalwarts in the mess, hostel and staff;0), discuss and participate in what XL and alumni need from - and can do for - each other, etc.... and of course, touch base with the alma mater (remember Bodhi Tree? Dadu's? Evening Dosawala? Enright Hall?;0)

Download the Registration Form
(or mail me for the form - your early registration will help us plan better)

Sneak Preview:
19th Nov:
We plan to start by 9:30 after registration (so do plan, to reach here by 18th evening). There are number of things we have planned, e.g.:

- take you down the memory lane, re-introduce you to XL now (and that more it changes, the more it remains the same;),

- discuss what XL and its alumni can do for each other, and can work together on. Also share the vision of XLRI (we started this exercise last year, and are in the process of implementing it)

- a huge lunch, hosted by Director, XLRI, with the whole community (students, faculty, staff, XL board of governers) in the hostel lawns

- an interaction with the current batches on "What it Means to be an XLer"

- Like last year, in the evening, we have a Big Event planned - a panel/debate - in Tata Audi. This year's theme:

"India Inc. has failed Mera Bharat"
- and this, naturally, followed by Cocktails and Dinner

20th Nov:
Well, you have a choice. You can decided to:
- join the Golf
- play cricket with the students, staff, faculty
- go on a trip to Dimna
- or visit old haunts like Frank's
... plan your own agenda with friends and batchmates. Basically, the idea is to have fun.... and all arrangements will be made.

"Officially" we will close with lunch at Beldih Club, hosted by Mr Bushen Raina, President, Alumni Association (BME 73, and MD Tata Tinplate)
[... this is because, some may like to catch the evening train back to Kolkata to take morning flights.]

But "Unofficially", we don't close :0)... hope that many of you will stay back and overnight (I mean so much to catch up - batchmates, Frank's, evening Dosawala, Basanto...

Remembering Mahesh... He still makes a difference!

This week's Star TV episode of Kaun Banega Karorepati (KBC) featured the Bollywood star-couple Kajol and Ajay Devgan, and was dedicated to Cancer Rose day. The money they win was to go to Mahesh Memorial Trust

And they won... Rs 1 crore!!!





Yes, this was a tribute to Mahesh Mahadevan (78BMD), who could play his guitar (and "raghupati raghav raja ram") holding it above his head, who ventured into composing music from a corporate career - and won the National Award for his first film "Nammavar"... And though he is no more with us - his motto remained "Live - Beyond Cancer"...

...And he lives - and still makes a difference in the lives of people.



Before his death, in his will, Mahesh ("Dracula Mahesh" he used to call himself, while living on blood transfusions) formed the Trust, which will aid and support institutions involved in the treatment of cancer and create public awareness about the disease.



The list of trustees reads like the city's "who's who" directory and includes Kamal Hassan, Mani Ratnam and former cricketer K. Srikkanth.

The obituary on the site of Mahesh Memorial Trust reads:

Mahesh Mahadevan, the respected composer and music director, passed away in the early hours of October 29, 2002. He was 47 years old and had been battling cancer for 13 years. In these 13 years of affliction he had brought to his life and the life of those around him a joy that epitomizes the trust’s motto "LIVE – beyond cancer".

Mahesh was a very versatile and talented person. He handled his business and creative interests with dexterity. An MBA from XLRI, Jamshedpur, he was a Director of Finance and Administration at Real Image Media Technologies. Prior to this, he worked in various capacities as a Corporate Manager in companies including Chennai based India Pistons Ltd..

Mahesh had developed a childhood passion based on prodigious talent for music. Over the last decade, Mahesh has composed more than 250 popular advertising jingles including the extremely popular Regaul Blue jingle. He has also directed the music for six very successful multi-language motion pictures. His first feature film, Nammavar, won him the national award for the best music.

Nammavar (Tamil) - 1994

Kuruthi Punal (Tamil) - 1995

Preeminchu Kundaam Raa (Telugu) - 1997

Pelladi Choopistha (Telugu) - 1998

Padutha Theeyaga (Telugu) - 1998

Alavanthan (Tamil) [background score] - 2001

Moonnilonnu (Malayalam)

Vaanam Vasapadum (Tamil) [ongoing project]

Untitled film by Janaki Vishwanathan (Tamil) [ongoing project]

Over the last ten years, Mahesh was actively involved in cancer counselling and in motivating other cancer patients to approach treatment with a positive attitude. His work in this area has been of immense help to patients.

It is coincidental (or perhaps not so, really, given the common DNA of XL) that the last page of Abhijit Bhaduri's (84PMIR) book Mediocre But Arrogant ends with this letter from Fr Hathaway (or Fr Hathi... No prizes for guessing the person;0):

"...No, you were not here to understand the Corporate Sector or the intricate theories of management. You came here to understand yourself and your strengths. To believe how easy it is to make a difference. That is the purpose of higher education.... There are no limits to which we can grow as human beings. Every morning we get up and make a choice about how much we will do to make a difference... Too many people give up the opportunity because they do not believe they can make a difference. I do hope this education has given you the belief within.... Never underestimate your ability to make a difference"

Mahesh intuitively understood this wisdom.... And continues to make a difference!

XLRI Regional Alumni Meet @ Kolkata September 10th

A Touch of Class

It took three months of meticulous planning, numerous meetings, unearthing and contacting alumni from across the decades... and, in the process, a core team of XL alumni (see the team in action at the end of this page) formed and came together at Kolkata.

XLRI Regional Alumni Meet, held at Nalbon, Kolkata on September 10th '05, was a different event than what many had experienced previously...

what with Fr McGrath, Fr Abraham, Fr Casimir Raj, and Bushen Raina joining in..





well... if you want to know more...

just go to
http://xlalumnimeetkolkata.blogspot.com/