Digital Headstart Module (DHM)

Digital Headstart Module (DHM)

Digital Headstart Module (DHM)

Digital Headstart Module (DHM)

The Experiential Learning Programme (ELP) encourages you to work with the industry on real-world business issues. This gives you the chance to apply your learning outside a classroom setting and gain new perspectives on business and major global issues.

The Experiential Learning Program is a live consulting engagement undertaken by students as part of their elective curriculum. The initiative is designed to combine the diverse experience of the students and their deep domain expertise to offer increased value to clients. The key objective of the ELP is to provide students the opportunity to work directly with companies in real-time and gain additional hands-on experience. Exposure to cutting edge management research and theory further gives the students a more relevant perspective to real-world business issues.

Students participating in this program are required to prepare a consulting proposal for the client (scope of work, timeline etc.), make the necessary primary/secondary research and prepare a final report and present findings with recommendations to the client. Many companies also use this programme as their pre-recruitment exercise.

The Experiential Learning Programme has generated a tremendous response from both students and corporate communities. Since 2004, ISB students have engaged with over 450 companies across a wide range of industries and successfully completed close to 800+ assignments.

Examples of projects from previous years:

1. Building a strategic roadmap for a KPO to reach its full potential in the Indian Market
2. Landscaping an industry sector to provide driving themes for potential investment in the sector
3. Marketing Strategy for an online travel firm with a focus on adventure tourism
4. Evaluating investment opportunities in specific Tier 2/3/4 cities for expansion of the hospital chain
5. Developing marketing and distribution strategies to reach off-grid rural consumers for solar lighting
6. Developing digital marketing and business strategy for top three beverage brands of this firm
7. Marketing and Pricing strategy for a branded sports solution provider

ELP projects are always strategic in nature and focused on addressing live business issues of immediate relevance to the client. With guidance from a faculty advisor and industry experts, the student team comprising of 3 - 4 members works on the consulting assignment over a five month period from July to November and is committed to putting in about 150-200 man-hours. Teams can travel for up to 10 days over the project period for field work. The ELP is a one-credit course for which the student team is graded by the client and faculty advisor.

ELP projects allow you to integrate concepts learnt during core terms and to apply your skills towards developing industry specific expertise. It gives students the chance to apply their learning outside the classroom setting and gain new perspectives on business issues. Through this program, students get the opportunity to complement their academic experience and get exposure to consulting skills and frameworks. In addition, students get to work in a team of members from different background and culture.

Students must form a team comprising three to four members and submit an Expression of Interest. The client who has sponsored the project selects team based on application and relevant work experience.

Successful completion of the ELP count towards the 1 credits (Term 6).

The ELP requires significant commitment over a five-month period of Term 3, 4 & 5. In addition to the regular weekly project and work schedules, students are required to travel to client office and make field visits, if required.

The client fee for participation is ₹1,00,000 + Taxes per project for Indian corporate entities or $5,000 for non-Indian corporate entities.

Costs associated with travel to the client office or field visits for students such as airfares, accommodation and related expenses are covered by ISB.

Further information about how to approach companies, form teams and the final selection process will be presented at a special info session during Term 1.

“ELP helped me realise the market reality!”

“I spent over 20 minutes of my interview with Goldman Sachs discussing my student project. It really gave me something relevant to talk about.”

“Every company that interviewed me wanted to know about my student project. Trying to switch careers with my IT background, the ELP helped me differentiate myself from other students.”

“Bringing together the concepts of various other courses, Exposure to issues that will arise when implementing a strategy”

“The fact that the ELP gives you an opportunity to explore any particular industry in depth and analyse the market dynamics by applying the various course concepts and frameworks that we have learnt is the most valuable take-away for me.”

“Our first consulting experience that provided us exposure to product marketing for technology products.”

On joining, all students of the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) at the Indian School of Business (ISB) go through the Leadership Development Program (LEAD). The three day LEAD programme at ISB is aimed at providing every student with an in-depth understanding of their strengths and areas of improvement so as to develop them into effective leaders.

During the LEAD program, the students are introduced to the ideas of leadership, derailment, personality, and emotional intelligence. The programme is designed such that it has a mix of training methods: classroom teaching, high fidelity business simulations and one-to-one coaching sessions. These methods are used to sensitise and develop essential skills for leadership such as effective listening and communication, presentation, team building, assertiveness and problem solving skills.
 
LEAD focuses on three key elements to foster learning:

1. Assessment to help students identify their strengths, and developmental needs
2. Challenges in the form of novel experiences to develop new capabilities
3. Support by study groups and larger ISB system to sustain the motivation for learning and growth.

The LEAD program allows students to:

1. Develop an awareness of the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary to become effective leaders
2. Identify key interpersonal and teamwork skills in order to effectively manage teams
3. Leverage the diversity in experience by sharing feedback on their own and others’ interpersonal skills
4. Observe and practise selected interpersonal skills necessary for leadership and teamwork

Develop personal and team action plans for success in the coming academic year.

ISB uses a validated personality assessment and a 360-degree (multi-rater) feedback assessment tool, which relies on carefully structured questionnaires to systematically collect opinions about a student’s personality and behaviour. At the start of the program, students are given an overall summary of the feedback they have received in terms of individualised reports. The feedback is used only for developmental purposes. Faculty coaches will encourage students to do the following:

1. Explore their feedback
2. Develop personal goals based on the feedback they have received
3. Develop a plan at ISB to strengthen their leadership capability

The program also focuses on the importance of team norms and teamwork to better leverage the diversity in expertise. A high fidelity business simulation exercise is used to gain insight into an individual's behavioural tendency in a team environment. This game allows students to explore their team interactions and how it correlates with their business success in the game.

Post LEAD, students have the option to enroll in a variety of experiential skill-building workshops during the weekends over the first four terms. The themes of these workshops include:

1. Business Presentation, Business Writing & Speed Reading Skills
2. Technical Skills such as Excel, PPT etc
3. Project Management & Business Analytics
4. Primary research and survey development skill
5. Business and Social Etiquette