CEO of Goli Vada Pav holds four classroom sessions at the ISB
In August 2011, during a core course in Entrepreneurship, four batches, each comprising 72 students, underwent a session on the challenge and opportunity of starting and sustaining a business in an unorganized sector in India. Each session was accompanied by the case study, developed under the aegis of the Centre for Teaching Learning and Case Development (CTLC) at the ISB, - ‘Goli Vada Pav- Fast Food of India’.
The case takes the reader through different stages of embarking on a new business venture, the trials and tribulations, and the need for immediate innovativeness. There are three parts to this Case and each part deals with three distinct stages that the business went through since its inception. Mr. Venkatesh Iyer, CEO of Goli Vada Pav, shared his experiences with the students and solicited their suggestions, as he aspires to spread his company across geographies and expand its revenue from INR 120 million to INR 3 billion by 2015.
In addition to engaging with the CEO, students also got the opportunity to meet the case writer, Ms. Sonia Mehrotra, who was present for all the sessions. This case, taught by Prof. Ramakrishna Velamuri at the ISB, was adjudged as one of the top five cases in the ISB-Ivey Case Competition in 2010. The case awaits publication.
This endeavour, orchestrated by the CTLC, received significant appreciation from students as well as the CEO and the Case writer. The CEO and the Case writer congratulated the CTLC with the following laudatory words-
“I would like to thank you for the wonderful experience I had during my visit to ISB. I have been visiting various management colleges of good repute across the country, but would say ISB is a world apart. The campus, the classrooms, and the soothing green environment were breath taking. The Goli Vadapav case has been structured and written beautifully by Ms. Sonia Mehrotra. The way Prof. Ramakrishna Velamuri presented and discussed the Goli Vadapav case was a good eye-opener for me. What was interesting for me was that more than 75% of the students understood the Goli Vadapav business and challenges very precisely, as if they had practically been involved in the business. Some of their questions have set me thinking about some new ways of looking at our business” - Mr. Venkatesh Iyer, CEO GVPPL
“The Goli Vadapav case was ranked among the best case studies in the 2010 ISB-Ivey Case Competition. The Centre for Teaching Learning and Case Development thereafter helped me connect with Professor Rama Velamuri, who mentored me on this case study. It was truly a learning experience. Additionally, It was a rewarding experience to participate in the teaching sessions of the case, along with the CEO of GVPPL. The sessions were very interactive and definitely, one of the best experiences of my professional career.” - Ms. Sonia Mehrotra, Case writer
