Really, I'm Not on Vacation

People don't believe me when I say I wasn't on vacation. Sure, I got to see a FEW things, but the majority of my time in India was spent in a hotel conference room --with lunch breaks filled with naan, curries and sweets--taking notes and listening to lectures. Don't believe me, here we go:
Introduction: The interaction in India with subject experts is to give a balanced and nuanced
view on India's current socio-economic status and what it will take India to be a strong
economic force in 2020 and beyond.


BANGALORE: Emergence of India and Bangalore as IT hub, entrepreneurship in India,
doing business in India, microfinance and political economy of Indian development

Wed 9 Jan 

Hotel: Monarch Luxor
67 Infantry Rd. Bangalore

1:00- 2:00pm For those interested, buffet lunch at hotel
2:00-3:30pm: Walking tour of Bangalore

Class in hotel meeting salon

3:45pm- Welcome by Professor Rajan and Michal Malur.

4:00-6:00pm: Rajeev Gowda, Indian Institute of Bangalore (IIMB), "Introduction to
India's Politics, Society and Economy (including Centre-State Relations) and Overview of
Program"

Dinner at hotel 6:30pm


Thu 10 Jan

Breakfast at your leasure
Class in hotel meeting salon

9:00-10:30am: Rishi Krishnan, IIMB, "Innovation in India or Uday, CISCO Product
Development out of India"
11:00pm-12:30pm: Ramanujan Sridhar, CEO BrandComm, "India’s IT Sector"
12:30pm Lunch at hotel
1:00pm Departure
2:00-5:30pm: Field trip to Narayana Hrudayalaya and Infosys
7:00pm Dinner at local restaurant


Fri 11 Jan

8:15am: Depart hotel
9:00- 10:30pm- Visit Parikrma (NGO School)
11:00- 12:30- Visit Janalakshmi (Mirco Finance)
Lunch at hotel
2:00 – 3:30pm: CEO Ujjivan, “Microfinance and Financial Inclusion in India”
4:00 – 5:30pm: Manish Sabharwal, CEO Teamlease, “An Indian Entrepreneur’s Story”

Evening: Free -- We went to none other than the Hard Rock Cafe


Sat 12 Jan

Breakfast at your leisure
9:00 – 10:30: Debriefing session with Professor Rajeev Gowda
Break- Check out of rooms, store luggage in lobby
10:45-12:15: Discussion with Professor Rajan
12:30pm Lunch in hotel
2:00 Load bags and depart for airport
Flight Information: Jet Airways 418 Departs BLR 4:30pm arrives BOM 6:05pm

Evening: Free

Check into Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport,
C.T.S No. 215, Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East,

Mumbai: Are India's cities engines of growth? What is the role of civil society and the
non-governmental organizations in the Indian transformation? Will India become a
manufacturing export powerhouse? How stable is the Indian financial system? What
makes India an attractive investment destination?


Sun 13 Jan

Breakfast at your leisure
9:30am - 5pm: City Tour of Mumbai -- 5 of us rented a car and went about it on our own
Evening: Free --I had dinner w/ M's oldest brother and wife

Mon 14 Jan
Breakfast at your leisure
Class in hotel meeting room
9:00am – 10:30am S. Chandrashekar, Associate Prof Indira Gandhi Institute of
Development Studies, "India's Urban Growth: Are India's Cities Engines pf Growth? How
broad-based is urban development and what is its trajectory? "

11:00am- 12:30pm Poornima Dore, SDTT, "Role of Civil Society and NGO sector in
development.: A large factor in India's growth and development has civil society
movements and the NGO secotor. What has been its contribution?"

12:30pm Lunch at hotel

1:30pm – 5:30pm: Field Trip to Dharavi, Asia's largest "slum", home to nearly a million people
and  contributes extensively to the national product in terms of manufacture of goods and
services.
.
Evening Free


Tues 15 Jan

Breakfast at your leisure
Class in hotel meeting room
9:00am – 10:30am 9:00am – 10:30am Saugata Bhattracharya, Axis Bank, "Mumbai as an
International Financial Centre -Aspects of the Indian Economy"

11:00 – 12:30pm Dimple Bhandia, Reserve Bank of India, "Financial Stability Report"

12:30pm- Lunch at hotel 2:00pm – 3:30pm K Balachandran, IRIS, "Improving Governance and Transparency -
The Role of XBRL: What is being done to improve governance and transparency in the
financial system?”

4:00pm – 5:30pm Dr. C. Veeramani, Associate Professor, Indira Gandhi institute of
Development research (IGIDR), International trade with China India perspective.
7:30pm Farewell Group Dinner

Wed 16 Jan
Individual departure: we flew to Dubai!