Prof. Shailendra Dasari is an engineering graduate in Electronics & Communications from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Prof. Shailendra Dasari is also an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad where he pursued post-graduation in management. Subsequently, he was awarded a Ph.D. in management by Bharathiar University, Coimbatore. Prof. Dasari has an industry experience of over 32 years in various senior leadership roles in organizations of repute such as Tube Investments (HOD-Marketing), Steel Tubes of India Ltd (GM), Vishal Precision Steel Tubes (Executive Director), and Sathavahana Ispat Limited (Executive Director). His areas of expertise are project management, new product development, key account management, and strategic sourcing. Apart from teaching, Prof. Dasari was actively involved in institution-building efforts through research, training, and consultancy. He published about 40 articles, book reviews, case studies, and research papers in various management journals and magazines. He also conducted more than 20 MDPS for senior industry professionals and quite a few FDPs for management teachers.

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GITAM Bangalore

You have held key positions at various prestigious institutions and corporate organizations throughout your career. What is that one thing that made you excited and walk with GITAM on the journey?

Penchant for innovation embraced by the Senior Leadership team ably led by the young President Mr.M.SriBharat.

How do you balance the needs of faculty, students, and administration as a Director In-Charge of a School of Business?

Students come first. Everything we do is intended to provide them the best of experiential learning. Faculty members are picked up on the basis of the expert knowledge they possess in their respective domains. They enjoy sufficient freedom and are encouraged to experiment and innovate to engage the students meaningfully. Administration is a matter of routine.

As a Director In-Charge of - the School of Business, what is the USP or what are the differentiating factors that make GITAM Bangalore stand out from other Business schools?

While GSB-Bangalore is guided by the vision and mission of the University, the USP of GSB-Bangalore is industry-institute collaborations aimed at providing a lot of practical insights and opportunities to work on live projects to students that helps them to be industry ready by the time they graduate.

How do you stay current with the latest trends and developments in the field of business and incorporate them into the curriculum and programs offered by the school?

We have representatives from industry in our Board of Studies. They help us fine tune the curriculum to be aligned with the industry requirements. We also have visiting faculty from industry teaching our students a few courses that are application oriented.

How well is GITAM focusing on maintaining industry relationships with companies in order to leverage them for live projects, training, and placements for the students?

Our MBA students have to do live projects at the end of the first year, popularly known as asSIP (Summer Internship Project) in the industries that hire them, for a period of 6-8 weeks. Some of the organizations where our students do their SIPs are Big Basket, Decathlon, L&T and so on.

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What is something an MBA aspirant can expect from joining the GITAM School of Business, Bangalore ?

Experiential learning through case studies, field projects and SIP which helps them apply the theoretical concepts, tools and techniques learnt by them in the classroom to real life situations. This makes their learning permanent.

What are the biggest challenges business schools are facing right now, and how do you plan to address them as the Director-in-charge?

There are more than 4000 business schools in India. While everyone cannot get into IIMs, students can explore the other business schools such as ours. We need to stand out in the crowd, not just by marketing gimmicks but by adding value to the students and providing them placement assistance. The competition being cut-throat and some of the business schools resorting to misleading promises, the challenge lies in helping the students to cut through the clutter and opting for GITAM School of Business as their preferred destination.

Can you describe What is the significance and support GITAM provides for entrepreneurship and innovation?

We have a full-fledged VDC (Venture Development Cell) mentored by Professors from North-Eastern University and the University of Nebraska, USA-to name a few. All the students have to do a course on Entrepreneurship offered as a University Core and continue to be guided by the faculty and industry mentors to explore their entrepreneurial skills.