NITIE’s Mandi : A Confluence of the mind and market
August 1st brought a contended smile on the faces of the students of the Management Batch of 2009 of NITIE. On this day each student of NITIE puts into practice all theoretical management skills learnt in class by selling the educational products made by an NGO, Navnirmiti and all this for a social cause enabling disadvantaged children to get a basic education. Conceptualized by Prof. T.Prasad, Mandi stands as a hallmark in NITIE’s curriculum It is a unique socio-marketing initiative and in that NITIE is the first business school in India to adopt the experiential method of teaching.The entire amount collected is donated to the NGO Navnirmiti which provides the event with toys (for sale) in the first place.
The inauguration of the event was done by none other than Ms. Nandita Das, social activist and a versatile actress. Also present was Wg.Cdr Surendra Malhotra who heads the CDMA – Mumbai Circle for Reliance Communications.
NITIE students on the field
Sunil, a management student recounts, “The overall experience was exhilarating. Selling toys on the street is no joke. Convincing parents is easier than convincing kids. The rains also made the task harder. But perseverance did pay in the end”. One of the customers Mrs. Purnima Desai had to say, “The kind of enthusiasm shown by the young budding managers is unparalleled. If each corporate in his own small way can do something for the society then this world would be a better place to live in”.
Getting a taste of the real Market