From Our Correspondent
JOWAI, Dec 2: For the first time in its history, a Jowai-based NGO called Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) has hosted the first batch of students from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong as part of the Institute’s Community Immersion Programme. The objective of the programme is to leverage the Institute’s business expertise to provide strategic guidance and actionable solutions aimed at enhancing and uplifting local businesses in the Northeast. It also aims to equip entrepreneurs with valuable professional insights. The students will actively contribute their expertise to foster the growth of local businesses while simultaneously driving the economic and social development of the North Eastern community.
The initiative serves as a platform for students to gain hands-on experience, applying their extensive knowledge to address real-world challenges faced by local enterprises.
The immersion programme comprises different stages, starting with the virtual connect phase. This initial stage involves assigned groups establishing contact with enterprises and setting up virtual calls. Enterprises are encouraged to use this opportunity to discuss the challenges they would like the students to address during the field visits.
The second stage is field immersion, where the groups embark on fieldwork, visiting enterprises and their associated communities. This stage aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the enterprise through interactions with employees and leadership and assessments of every stage of the value chain.
The programme’s deliverables include assigning a dedicated team of MBA participants to each business. Potential future collaborations could enable businesses to benefit from the Institute’s perpetual flow of knowledge and expertise.
The programme also incorporates a dedicated week of observation and analysis of every aspect of the business. The outcomes will include impactful recommendations, detailed reports, and practical solutions tailored to the businesses’ needs.
Welcoming the first batch of seven students from the fifth semester, with Ayushi Srivastava as the team leader, Dr HH Mohrmen, secretary of SURE, expressed hope that the entrepreneurs supported by the organisation would benefit from their interaction with the IIM students. He also hoped the students would learn about the culture and way of life of the local people of Meghalaya during their visits to the villages. Three more batches of seven students each will join the immersion programme hosted by SURE at later stages.
On Monday, the IIM group had a fruitful interaction with the senior staff of SURE. On behalf of the students, Ayushi Srivastava expressed gratitude to the organisation for hosting them and facilitating interactions with the farmers. Others who spoke include Katyayni Jaisawal and Priyamvada Rathaur.