Mahindra University Outlines a New Paradigm for Higher Education

Higher Education 

* To develop multi-skilled Leaders capable of Reflection, Innovation, and a commitment to Inclusive and Sustainable progress.

* Focus on both IQ and EQ, combined with the power of Emerging Technologies to educate Future Citizens for and of a Better World.

The Mahindra Group today launched Mahindra University (MU), which is focussed on offering a world-class, futuristic education in India. Its mission is to develop multi-skilled leaders, capable of reflection as well as innovation, and ones who are ethical and empathetic. To drive a meaningful shift in the way that higher education is imparted in the country, MU will drive interdisciplinary academic excellence, integrating the study of science and technology with the Humanities, Ethics & Philosophy, and Design.

It will operate as an autonomous University, with its contemporary, new-age curricula being curated to fully leverage emerging technologies like Data Science, Blockchain and Data Analytics. MU will uniquely enable the holistic development of its students, combining the Emotional Intelligence (Right Brain) and Artificial Intelligence (Left Brain) paradigms.

Mahindra University is part of the Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Tech Mahindra. It reflects the standards and reputation of the entire Mahindra Group, mirroring its core purpose of Driving Positive Change in the lives of both peoples and communities, enabling them to Rise.

The university will also be a platform to balance education with real world experience through entrepreneurial projects to solve complex challenges facing society. This, combined with the provision of extra-curricular activities like sports and music, will help revolutionize higher education for millennials and help build a hyper-skilled, future-ready talent pool.

Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group and Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, “High quality education has transformative powers for individuals and nations, alike. Mahindra University will strive to deliver a more balanced education, combining the latest technology with Liberal Arts, to create next generation leaders that have a holistic world view.”

The sprawling 130-acre, multi-disciplinary campus in Hyderabad will offer undergraduate, post graduate and PhD courses. MU includes the Ecole Centrale School of Engineering that was set up in 2014.

Vineet Nayyar, Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, “With the education landscape continuously evolving, there is a need for a dynamic and empowering approach to education that goes beyond business and is at par with the technological demands of the industry globally. In line with this, the Mahindra University will be a key enabler in providing a holistic educational and learning experience that involves analytical and design-led thinking, quantitative and creative problem-solving skills and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.”

CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra and Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, “The Mahindra University is a testimony of our commitment towards bridging the skill gap and creating global leaders that are willing to change, adapt and transform according to dynamic market needs and business environment. The university will also provide access to multi-disciplinary learning focused on leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. This will help the students to develop new-age competencies and inculcate entrepreneurial thinking to enable them solve complex challenges faced by the society.”

As a part of the immediate roadmap, the University will launch the School of Management (2021-22), School of Law (2021-22), Indira Mahindra School of Education (2021-22), School of Media & Liberal Arts (2022-23) and School of Design (2023-24).

An estimated 4,000 Students and over 300+ Faculty members will be in place across the various Schools at Mahindra University over the next five years.

The Minerva Fund - Mahindra University Scholarship Program is available to ensure that deserving students have access to a quality education. Efforts are also being made to drive inclusion in awarding scholarships across geographies, gender, and academic excellence, among others, to create a stronger society and a wider talent pool for industry and academia, alike.

Prof Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, “Mahindra University aims to revolutionise the educating environment for the future workforce of our country through necessary industry-academia collaborations to prepare the students for present challenges and future industry needs. The university will bring together expertise of international faculty and will provide access to innovation and research hubs with top academic partners. We plan to be a holistic learning platform for the students, providing access to studies related to Engineering, Law, Management, Education, Media & Liberal Arts, Design and others.”

MU will also to bring the Corporate and Industrial ecosystems together through its Centres of Excellence. Students will have access to the Mahindra Group’s expertise through a Centre of Excellence, visiting faculty and other strategic engagements. Students will be provided opportunities to interact with CEOs, CXOs of organizations across the country.

MU already has a Supercomputer Lab with an advanced NVidia GPU-based supercomputer, the DGX-1. It also has a Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI), a Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and a Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Systems (CSIS).

Additional CoEs being considered include, the Centre for Computational and Experimental Mechanics (CCEM), the Centre for Research in Optics and Photonics (CROP) and a Centre for Executive Education (CEE).

About Mahindra University:

Mahindra University marks a significant milestone in the Mahindra Group’s journey in the higher education sector since its entry in 2014, with the Mahindra Ecole Centrale (MEC) College of Engineering. Aimed at educating and developing ‘Global Thinkers and Engaged Leaders,’ the Mahindra University is headquartered in Hyderabad, India. It is supported by the Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra, the flagship IT company of the US$ 19.4 billion Mahindra Group. The. Mahindra University was notified by the Government of Telangana vide Ordinance No.1 dated 20th May 2020. Mahindra University has already received 100+ admissions till date.

The New Mantra: Future of SMEs Post COVID 19 in Indian Market

By Sandip Chhettri,COO,TradeIndia

While the novel coronavirus has wreaked havoc upon the organized world, it has also ushered an opportunity for the new tides of transformation to emerge. This evidently bleak situation where businesses and institutions have suffered substantial losses on account of the global pandemic also holds the potential for heralding a profound paradigm shift in the way businesses are imagined and defined, namely the shift from offline to the online digital medium. While most organisations in the world have sanctioned their employees to work from the safety of their homes, there is still a lot of ground left to cover. There is an overwhelming gamut of businesses belonging to sectors, which have hitherto operated in a conventionally offline manner.

Industry types such as the manufacturing industries, retail operations, hospitality, mobility, etc have always existed along the physical contours of operation. While the big multinational corporations have the advantage of vast capital and resource to their disposal, small and medium enterprises benefit from their agile and more compact nature of working. Therefore, opportunities exist for both David and Goliath in this new world order to streamline their operational mediums to achieve seamless objectivity.

The lockdown has taught the entire business world a lesson in the survival of the fittest tactics and how best to leverage seemingly adverse conditions to one’s own gain. The Government of India has brought in a surfeit of bailout packages, amended fiscal policies, rate cuts, loans and waivers to rescue the ailing industries in the country. It has also unequivocally championed the need for the nation to become self-reliant, besides heralding a slew of ingenious schemes such as the ‘vocal for local’, financial aid and an INR 20,000 crore security reprieve. The centre is also endorsing the immediate need for businesses, academic institutions, and public sector units to immediately and effectively shift to online means of business to maintain market relevance.

Here is a slew of essential factors every SME and MSME must go through before recommencing their operations once the lockdown gets lifted:

Neutralize the scene

No matter the size, nature, or dimension, the primary concern for every business is to initiate an in-depth assessment of the existing company assets, its overall financial health and security aspects. As the pandemic has interrupted operations, productions and sales across frontiers, it is essential for companies to arrive at a realistic and holistic overview of the present situation in the face of the virulent pandemic. The company leadership must resolve the various deficits, prospective inflow and outflow of capital, latent expenditures and burdens. Obtaining dependable and actionable reports regarding the various respite from government, apex trade and commerce bodies, investors are important before undertaking critical decisions such as pay cuts, scrapping of potential future investments, growth and expansion plans, etc

Realigning your goals 

Re-appraisal of all business blueprints is of the utmost essence for SMEs in the event of such an industrial setback. The post-pandemic landscape is surely going to be different than the pre-COVID days and businesses have to revamp and realign their planning and strategy for the future accordingly. There is a need for a realistic and well-formed map for the road ahead while taking into consent the outlook of the various stakeholders of the company. The leadership should also reschedule the company objectives in accordance with the unprecedented coronavirus developments. Reforming the annual execution plan can constitute a spectrum of diverse business variables such as suspension of funding rounds, forging new partnerships, or discontinuing unfavorable ones.

Embracing the digital

The current environment dictates that SMEs as well as the smaller entities immediately switch to the digital pathways of business engagement and create a strong and veritable online presence. By tapping optimally into the potential of social media, businesses can even generate sales through interactions with peers and customers via online channels of communication. This is the age of digital media marketing and entrepreneurs must harness it now, more than ever. Those organizations that have hitherto operated through offline modes should etch out a transition layout for the imminent digital future without compromising on employee efficiency or data safety. 

The revolution must be live

The fourth industrial revolution is a well-timed boon indeed, a veritable blessing in disguise for businesses around the world. The latest technological disruptions such as the AI, ML, IoT, CRM, Cloud and other innovations must be leveraged by even the SMEs. Businesses should adapt to the fourth revolution of smart automation and invest appropriately to bestow a new-age tech-empowered operational facelift, thus thriving in the digital economy. Tech-empowered businesses have the edge over conventional competitors churning greater ROI and market performance even in the times of a pandemic.

Though the necessary investments for these overarching business augmentation and up-skilling may seem unfeasibly vast, it is an essential cost that must be undertaken considering the future consequences.  Businesses must execute optimum risk-mitigation strategies in the face of the pandemic and should also seek to acclimatize for any future crises.

British insurer Aviva will layoff 1,690 jobs

British insurance giant Aviva said on Thursday it would cut 1,100 permanent jobs and 590 contract positions by the end of 2009 -- the latest British financial group to axe jobs amid the economic crisis.

"There is expected to be a reduction of 1,100 permanent roles by the end of 2009," Aviva said in a statement.

"In addition, 590 contract positions will be closed over the next few months," it added.

The leader of Britain's biggest union, Unite, said the announcement to shed 1,100 permanent roles "will cause alarm across the insurance industry."

"It is unacceptable that once again shareholders received their full dividends while the workers who brought the company this success are rewarded with job losses," said Unite boss Derek Simpson.

"The Aviva workforce is continuing to live under constant uncertainty about their future," he added.

Agencies