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COVER STORY LEADERSPEAK / M&M

52 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

“ITWOULDBE
GOODTOBEINA
VUCAWORLD”

Sitting at the top spot of the Mahindra Group, Anish Shah,
ManagingDirector&CEO, Mahindra&Mahindratook
over the role when the company was braving some very
tough times. Shah, however, is a man with a plan, and
this has been more than evident in every step the company has
taken ever since he transitioned to the role in April 2021. In this
conversation with Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief,
BW Businessworld Group, Shah speaks about the challenges that
leaders face today, the need to plan for anything and also details
some of his early experiences and the things that will take priority
in his mandate ahead.

Photograph by Neha Mithbawkar 53 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COVER STORY LEADERSPEAK / M&M

Mahindra was undergoing a tough Photograph by Neha Mithbawkar
time and the world was submerged
in an international crisis and this is
the time when you were transition-
ing into what would lead to your
current position as Mahindra’s MD
& CEO. Some of these would have
been unprecedented challenges —
how did you navigate these at the
time?
Let me begin from 18 months ago.
The transition was announced in
December 2019, but the first step
took place in April when I took over
as the Deputy MD and CFO. If you
look back at that time, our stock price
had dropped 70 per cent since Au-
gust 2018. The pandemic had begun
and the nationwide lockdown was
imposed. We were seeing significant
losses with all our international sub-
sidiaries; in two years prior, we had
been clocking losses of Rs 3,500 crore
every year with the international sub-
sidiaries. Many new challenges were
surfacing daily. You add to that a new
team coming in place, without the
ability to come together in person,
and there is a set of circumstances
that would be demanding for anyone.

This was the case with me as well.
What helped a lot, however, were the
roles I had been through in the past.
Sometimes when you face difficult
streaks, you will feel frustrated and
it can be overwhelming but those are
the things that help build a career. If I
had not been through several difficult
roles in the past, it would be very dif-
ficult to get past this.

On the face of it, the transition was
taking place at a tough time. But,
and I have said this to several of my
colleagues, the role I had before this,
which was to turn around GE Capital
in India, was much tougher in many
ways. One big reason for this also is
that this role has many positives to it.
The culture of the Mahindra Group,
the leaders we have, the strengths of
our businesses, and the trust that the
consumers place in us, are all very

54 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

Anish Shah Key Career Highlights lenges, let’s speak
more on some of

the external chal-

lenges. What are

some of the top

three or four meg-

atrends that you

see in this VUCA

world?

The first is purpose.

President & CEO Joined M&M Board A company’s reason
GE Capital India as Deputy MD & to be, its purpose, is
Group CFO very becoming im-

Joined Mahindra Group Appointed portant for every-
as Group President Managing Director & one. At one point,
(Strategy) and a Member CEO many would ask
of the Group Executive Board questions on why

we are focussing on

purpose and spend-

significant positives. that is part of who we are. We have ing money that could be returned to

to balance the emotional with the investors in another way. We particu-

So, staying positive… practical aspect of what our inves- larly did not face this because our in-

Yes, as a leader, the first thing to do tors want. We are here, placed by our vestors have always understood our

is to focus on the positives. It is very investors. They invest capital in us reasons. But many companies have

easy to get lost in the labyrinth of the and we have to return, generously. been asked about purpose vs. profits.

tests and trials we face. But staying This perspective is very important Today, that has disappeared. Even

optimistic helped us tremendously. and hence being able to execute is the consumers are looking at companies

Also, we came from a great position most critical. and questioning whether they are re-

of strength. We may have lost market The fourth, and perhaps the most ally doing good for the community.

share and market capitalisation tem- important, is the ability to build a They want to be associated with such

porarily but those things can be fixed. strong team. Once you do that, you companies only.

The second is to be very clear on have to empower them and have When I joined the Mahindra

what needs to be done. The difficulty them say what needs to be done. Group, that was my first question ––

and its root cause must be identi- Working together makes a strong what is the purpose and the culture

fied. When we did that, everything organisation. of the company? And that is what

became very clear. As we presented One of my bosses had told me that, attracted me. In fact, that is what at-

to the board, for example, the finan- ‘Anish, you are as good as your team’. tracted many of my colleagues to the

cial impact of Ssangyong and its im- I have taken this to heart. I have kept Mahindra Group. This is becoming a

pact on our market cap, the board a very high bar of who we bring into lot more important. Companies that

unanimously advised we had to exit. the team. Once you have a strong set need to thrive and want to be success-

Similarly, when we repeated this pro- of leaders, you empower them to run ful have to begin with a purpose. The

cess with other businesses, it was the and that is what has keeps the com- advantage that we have at Mahindra

same reaction. Clarity of thought and pany going. Group is that this is in our DNA. It is

required action is a must. not something we have invented, this

The third and very important is While we are on the subject of chal- is who we are.

how do we do it. Tak-

ing the tough call is

difficult but execut- Companies that need to thrive and want
ing it is more so. Many to be successful have to begin with a purpose.
emotions are attached

and they have to be ... at Mahindra Group ... this is in our DNA
honoured because

55 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

LEADERSPEAK / M&M

COVER STORY The second megatrend is around the principles under which the com- ing to continue in the time to come.
consumer expectations. Consumer’s pany was set up. That ad did not talk During the pandemic, this happened
demands from companies have risen about setting up a money-making naturally across all our businesses.
significantly, especially in India. It is business but that it was there to do None of our companies or our leaders
no longer an option to deliver some- good for the community, to create waited for us to issue a central com-
thing mediocre. With digital accel- an environment where diversity was mand on how to reach out to commu-
eration in the last 18 months, con- valued. To create equality in the work nities or do the needful to extend help
sumers are seeing a different level of environment that people would enjoy during the crisis. All businesses had
service already and that is becoming and ultimately to contribute to the begun taking steps simultaneously
the benchmark. We have to do better country. That has been in our DNA because our leaders, and our teams,
than expected. Companies not only since then. We hear about ESG (en- imbibe Rise.
have to adapt to this change but also vironment, social, governance) today
deal with the fact that there are even but we have been living it for 75 years. I have to agree with you. In fact,
start-ups that are meeting consumer we see and hear much about how
expectations better than larger com- On the environment front, the every business now has to be a so-
panies. So, how do companies change work began for us in the early 2000s. cial business. But this can be mis-
their process, and become more agile This is where we took the leadership construed by some as well. What
and react to the voice of the consum- role. We put a team in place for this is your advice on how to approach
er? How do they more collaborative? and made commitments around car- this the right way?
bon neutrality goals, and launched Social business is not just about giv-
The third trend is uncertainty. projects to reduce energy usage. We ing back to the community but it is
You mentioned the VUCA (volatility, have always felt that environment, doing so while growing and creat-
uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) social and governance are the key ing value. Anand (Mahindra) spoke
world. I would say that looks like a doctrines by which we operate. This about People + Planet = Profits. We
great world in comparison to where is very important for us. see and live this on a daily basis. We
we are today. One would look back at know from our experience that we
that world today and say, it would be Even if you observed the leadership can balance doing good for the com-
nice to be in that world. The world transition, the important aspect is munity and reward our investors at
today is a magnification and multi- the continuity in change. Our focus the same time.
plication of where we were. Leaders on Rise, on enabling communities
have to be able to manage that, live to rise and do more with them, is go-
with that and create plans around
that. This is a world where we need
to create optionality to move into the
future direction quickly. And this
can only happen if we are able to deal
with uncertainty in different ways.

You spoke about being collabora-
tive and agile, and this reminded
me of Rise, the one-word articu-
lation of Mahindra’s purpose if I
can put it that way. In fact, in the
75th AGM, Mr Anand Mahindra
while sharing the company’s fu-
ture vision also reiterated on Rise.
How does Rise change in the time
ahead?
Rise and its tenets remain relevant
in our future as well. Let’s look at the
foundation of the company. In 1945,
our founders placed a newspaper ad-
vertisement, where they spoke about

56 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

It is known that Mahindra has way today. This is completely in line was the CFO but in this case, it was

been a top performing Nifty stock with our work culture as well, so I am a CEO that became a CFO. The CFO

for 17 years but in this period, we also surprised that we have not had more role was part of the transition. When

have been the leaders in ESG. The women leaders in our company. To the transition itself was first an-

recent Havard Business School case some extent, this is also a function of nounced, given the complexity of our

study looks exactly into this and that what we are seeing across India, and organisation, our board decided to

is what we have to take forward. The the women leaders in India, even in do this in a very structured manner.

more economic value we create, the the present day. We will change this As part of that plan, they advised me

more social value we can create. At and take leadership on that front. We to take over the CFO role for a year.

Mahindra, we are also quantifying will develop and groom all leaders This really was a great move because

this. There are various methodolo- equally, and we will give them equal it enabled me to see the details in all

gies used by experts around the con- opportunity. We have seen the value our numbers, to see our company and

cept of quantifying social value. This in diversity and we will continue to its various businesses up-close and be

is important because then we can drive this as we move forward. able to play a significant role in shap-

measure social impact as rigorously ing it as well.

as financial performance and we can Mahindra Group right now is in To your point, CFOs know the de-

set and grow targets. Based on this, more than 100 countries. You have tails of the company. They see all as-

Mahindra Group roughly estimates acquired, set up offices, design stu- pects and know the levers that need

that while we have driven 42 billion dios and plants, and you are also to be pulled in a world where inves-

dollars worth of economic activity global leaders in some categories. tors are looking for more returns.

in FY21, the social and

environmental impact It is not about the function but about giving
we created was around

4 billion dollars. This experiences, grooming talent, and allowing
is what we are driving

together. them to fail and learn

On the subject of so- Give us a sense of your internation- However, I would still not generalise
cial, Mahindra Group has taken al ambition and where we will see this. Because in the world today, we
many initiatives on diversity. How- you headed. are also seeing the need to be creative,
ever, in your current set of business We are and we will be a global busi- to innovate, to deliver much higher
leaders, across all your companies, ness. International is a very impor- than expectations, to move quickly
you still do not have a woman in a tant aspect with regards to getting and handle uncertainty. There are
leadership position. Why is this the the best technology and being able leaders across all functions that can
case? to gain leadership position in inter- do this very well. The key is giving
Diversity is very important, and I national markets that also help us in them early exposure.
must tell you that in the first 12 hires India. Our primary focus here is to
we had at the group corporate office deliver the best global products to This was the case for me. At the
in our top leadership bands, nine of consumers. We have very high ambi- age of 29, I was in a very senior role
the hires were women. This is a jour- tions and at the same time being able in a large company like GE, where
ney that takes time because the most to execute them. The expansion or my peer was 12-15 years older than I
important aspect here is to ensure entering new markets will depend on was. At the age of 36, I was running
meritocracy, to ensure that the peo- our specific businesses but broadly a global company for GE across 30
ple we hire and promote are done those are the guardrails. countries, and at the age of 39, I was
based on merit. Hence, these sen- the CEO of GE in India. It is not about
ior women leaders have been hired My last question is slightly broad- the function but about giving experi-
based only on merit. This is critical er. We see many CFOs succeed to ences, grooming talent, and allowing
for any organisation, and its people become CEOs, you are an example them to fail and learn. This is a very
including our women colleagues. We of this as well. What makes CFOs important element for any company
have not compromised on this. such great CEOs? in its future readiness, and we are
You are right that before this role, I very focused on this at Mahindra as
That being said, this is something well.
we are focussing on in a much bigger

57 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COVER STORY IN FOCUS / AUTO

Someofthemoredifficult
decisionsthatMahindra&
Mahindratookwereinits

farmandautobusiness,
whichalsoistheproverbial
jewelinitscrown.Thesetwo

divisionshaveadopteda
boldandfocusedstrategy

toshapeitsfutureplay
By Noor Fathima Warsia

CRITICAL
CONSOLIDATION
O NE OF THE SUPER ACTION businesses for Mahindra &
Mahindra (M&M) is Auto & Farms. The sheer size of these focus, defined by a clear path of eco-
businesses is enough to create a ripple effect across group nomic viability. On the face of it, there
companies, should even a part of a plan not play out as per are no flaws in this strategy but the
expectations. Not surprisingly though, some of the deci- jury is still out on whether this will
sions that Mahindra took whether it was exiting partner- deliver the desired outcomes.
ships, relinquishing stakes or a very firm view on capital
allocation were connected with this division. Farms: Global Leadership
The company has moved goalposts in some areas — elec- M&M is already a world leader in
tric vehicles — and become more aggressive in others — tractors by volume, but the road for-
ward is about broad-basing and con-

global targets for the farm equipment sector (FES) and new solidating this leadership across FES.

launches planned till 2026. If there was one attribute that “We have a very strong presence in

underlined most of its actions, it would be a laser-sharp domestic tractors and the leadership

58 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

between the two brands, Mahindra tionally to bring some of this technol- pain points in its low-performing
and Swaraj, continues. We see a big ogy to India and ensure its global phase was the accrued losses of its
opportunity to build farm machinery footprint also builds on this strategy. international subsidiaries. “We now
as a growth driver,” notes Rajesh There is also the likes of Krish-e initi- have turned around our FES subsidi-
Jejurikar, Executive Director, Auto & atives, where M&M is introducing aries from a profit management view-
Farm Sectors, M&M. farming as a service. “The Krish-e ini- point, which was a major task last
tiative has a significant on-ground year. And we have seen three positive
Globally, tractors’ revenue is about presence through our dealer outlets quarters in terms of profit in our FES
35 per cent of total agriculture and digital presence through apps, subsidiaries,” Jejurikar adds.
machinery. In India, this equation is precision farming, rental models and
more than reverse, with non-tractors the likes. We are doing some exciting Design & Digital First Approach
farm machinery being only at about work here that we believe will gener- Technology became priority for the
20 per cent. This is where the head- ate value,” Jejurikar says. auto industry on the whole. This
room for the next level of growth applied to Mahindra as well, and
comes in for M&M. “We often say M&M’s global story around FES is M&M looks at it through many legs.
India is tractorised, not mechanised. also very prominent with strength in Internally, M&M made technology
Farm mechanisation penetration markets such as North America, and digital work harder to improve
today is what the tractor market was where it is the number three brand in cost structures and drive business effi-
in the 60s. We are doing much work tractors. The acquisition of Mitsubishi ciency. The company implemented
to grow this for machines that go with in Japan also, investments in Finland, everything in manufacturing 4.0,
tractors and also the self-propelled business reshuffle in Turkey, and using digital sensors, internet of
ones,” says Jejurikar. presence in Brazil, have all strength- things (IOT), computer synchronised
ened M&M’s global presence, accord- machines and so on. The second part
To tap the potential of this space, ing to Jejurikar. The reason this is was transforming customer experi-
Mahindra has acquired, partnered important is that one of Mahindra’s
and reshuffled businesses interna-

“Design is a strong building block for all our products
including electric. That would be key in differentiating

us going forward”

59 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN FOCUS / AUTO

COVER STORY “Thar and XUV700 have created ripples and
attracted large bookings. These models may allow

M&M to recapture its lost glory in SUVs”

ences. “This was especially important each sub-aggregate of the product. In XUV700 will see the group launch
from a perspective of how consumers product, we have used to connect it nine new products by 2026.
buy, discover and engage with the back to improve performance and
brand, content creation and every- experience.” Commenting on the performance
thing in a customer journey from of the sector, Anish Shah, MD & CEO,
search to conversion,” explains M&M has also made design central M&M observes, “Thar did very well
Jejurikar. Thar, for example, was to its strategy — it has launched for us opening new segments. The
completely digitally-led in its launch. M.A.D.E, the studio in the UK in XUV300 is doing well, generating
addition to the India studio. Besides, 6,000-7,000 bookings a month. The
The third leg is how technology is it has hired former Tata head of Bolero Neo got 7,000 bookings in its
used to get products to work for better design, Pratap Bose. “Design is a first month. We are excited about the
impact, both in farm and auto sectors. strong building block for all our prod- XUV700. I personally tested it and it
“There are several use cases where we ucts including electric. That would be is simply a phenomenal vehicle, one
have been able to execute precision key in differentiating us going for- that we would be very proud of. A new
farming, predictive analytics, auto- ward. We will also build a strong launch is coming up early next year as
mation and the like for our custom- human-machine interface capability well – in all, we have five blockbuster
ers, demonstrating the benefits in since user experience will be the crux products in a 12-18 months time-
metrics such as productivity, output, to success in the born electric space,” frame. This positions M&M very dif-
cost reduction, etc,” says Jejurikar, says Jejurikar. ferently.”
adding, “In auto, the XUV700 is a
prime example of how we have com- Reviving The SUV Glory Market experts, too, are optimistic
pletely transformed the intelligence M&M has refocused all its energies about some of these moves. According
of the product, programmed Alexa to on SUV once again, identifying this as to Deepak Jasani, Head, Retail
work in a certain way, provide differ- its primary force. The launch of Thar Research, HDFC Securities,
ent drive modes, and customise even in 2020, and the recently launched Mahindra’s new leadership, fresh tal-
ent, and a sharper focus on its core

60 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

“We often say India is tractorised, not mechanised.
Farm mechanisation penetration today is what the

tractor market was in the 60s”

business underpinned by 12 all-new or small four-wheelers and shared mobility segment was earlier in con-
models in the auto space have set in mobility, and the personal segment. sideration. Some of these new prod-
motion the biggest transformation “In the last-mile mobility segment, ucts would be derived out of M&M
for the Indian SUV brand since the there is a clear return of economic current IC engines and some would
launch of the Scorpio. “Thar and benefit for using EVs. In the personal be born electric. M&M’s platform
XUV700 have created ripples and segment, however, the additional product strategy is to prepare it for
attracted large bookings. These mod- investment in the asset does not really 2025-30. For the born electric portfo-
els may allow M&M to recapture its pay off. We are seeing traction in the lio, the company is looking at its inter-
lost glory in SUVs,” Jasani notes. commercial segment,” Jejurikar says. national presence once again,
strengthening it with the focus on the
On this aspect, Shah is confident. M&M believes that the goods last- right talent. All of M&M’s plans place
“We have a new logo, and we are look- mile mobility is ready for take-off and importance on sustainability as well,
ing at regaining our number one posi- is its primary area of focus right now. which is a group and company objec-
tion in SUVs. With a very grounded “We have set up a separate vertical tive for Mahindra.
platform, where we have many calling last-mile mobility. We see
strengths, we are looking at reaching many opportunities to grow there in Having rejigged much of its plans,
the sky and taking the company to a both domestic and export. We are M&M’s farm & auto sector intends to
new level. The next step for auto will well-positioned there with a strong retain the might of an 800-pound
be electric vehicles and taking leader- product. The personal segment will guerrilla, but with an added hawk-
ship in that,” he comments. take three to five years to evolve and like focus on targets. And this, very
penetrate. Our priority is to get a top- much, is in tune with the group’s over-
The Revisited EV Strategy notch SUV electric portfolio ready by all restructured strategy.
M&M sees EV in two buckets — the 2025.”
commercial segment, which it calls [email protected];
last-mile mobility like three-wheelers This is a change from M&M’s ear- @NFWarsia
lier strategy, where even the shared

61 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COVER STORY IN CONVERSATION / TECH

THE NXT OF
EVERYTHING

A mong Mahindra Group’s specifically identified ‘core businesses’, Tech
Mahindra’s focus continues to be on new-age technologies such as Cloud,
5G, AI, data and analytics and Blockchain, which the company’s MD & CEO,
CP Gurnani,believeshaveenabledconsistentandsignificantgrowth.
Gurnani discusses this and more in this interview with BW Businessworld’s Group
EditorialDirectorNoor Fathima Warsia.Excerpts:

It has been growth across metrics for Tech Mahindra last year. While the technology sector
per se is growing but what are some of the levers that you think especially worked in driving
this growth?
Technology is the key that has unlocked the doors of opportunities, allowing us to soar higher
and help people to experience the ‘Nxt of Everything’. We witnessed an all-round performance
and growth across all our key markets and all the industry sectors. We delivered 4.1 per cent
quarter-on-quarter growth with 58 new accounts, 60-plus new wins, and the highest Rs PAT in
Q1, delivering excellence and overall growth, working from all vectors. I think overall the company
is in good shape.

I believe, the growth Tech Mahindra has witnessed is the result of all our associates, clients and
stakeholders working together. In a world that is moving so fast, if you continue to stand where
you are, you are actually moving backwards. Hence, we have made it our mantra to deliver the
future right now. Our continued focus on cutting-edge technologies even during the pandemic has
enabled us to cater to the strong demand from clients and has ramped up acquisitions and deals as
well. New-age technologies such as cloud, 5G, AI, data and analytics and blockchain have helped
us to grow consistently and significantly and build new, improved capabilities in the customer
experience and customer management space. We expect to further rise in the value chain of the
BPO (business process outsourcing) services.

Please do elaborate more on some of the specific growth drivers for the company, some as-
pects that perhaps guide you in your acquisitions decisions or similar investments?
At Tech Mahindra, growth is a never-ending journey; we may face adversities on the path, but we
overcome them and continue on the growth path, which leads to a sustainable future. Nurturing the
technologies of the future, such as cloud competency, 5G and investing in blockchain has helped us

62 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

63 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION / TECH

COVER STORY

to loop in large deals in healthcare and cloud and digital space. That remains particular that you think will contin-
BPS sectors and allowed us important at the core of our business. Tech Mahi- ue to transform in the times to come?
acquisitions. These, along with invest- ndra formed a Cloud Advisory Board The market is becoming flatter by
ments in the high-tech vertical have of 30 members divided across EMEA, the day, and we have to go back and
acted as the propellant of our growth America and the APAC regions. We understand what the market today
story. While ensuring the wellness of have moved beyond trials on 5G; we are is. For example, some sectors may be
employees and maintaining business doing deals and continue to involve in stuck for the smallest of components
continuity under all circumstances still conversations with the customers. The due to supply chain disruption. Mar-
continues to be our priority, we are now company will be investing in branding ket dependencies have become much
endeavouring to engage in collabora- and marketing activities this fiscal. more. If you were to ask me, verticals
tive disruption with new-age partners are overlapping and this only means
and ‘FutuRise’ together. With the efforts and investments that we have to focus more on digital
that we have made, particularly in the transformation. Against this backdrop,
BPS, cloud and digital engineering last two to three quarters, in our client our strategy is a digital strategy, our tal-
are all driving growth. We expect dou- engagement programme, we have a ent is digital talent and our differen-
ble-digit growth from the cloud adop- greater potential to get a tailwind and tiator is how we apply that into sectors.
tion business, while 5G and blockchain we continue to build a pipeline across So, it does not matter which sector we
will bring new growth frontiers. The all our theatres. Whether it is APJI, speak to, we have to speak that specific
key focus will be on the following block- EMEA or Americas, our funnel con- sector’s language. When I look at our
chain-led initiatives such as digital tinues to evolve into a healthy trend. customer’s customers, every vertical is
payments, government to citizen ser- becoming digital, and the boundaries
vices, digital identities. Recently, we an- Even though technology is disrupt- are reducing.
nounced around six acquisitions in the ing every sector, is there any sector in

64 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021 Photograph by Shutterstock

We are focusing on the high-tech what is called feedback. We may be- experiences. Everything I read in sci-

verticals. We will now be formally re- lieve that we provide the best service ence fiction is now a reality and today

porting every quarter on this. For us, or product in the world and we may be I feel proud to be at the helm of one of

it is hyper scalars, product engineer- engaging the customer as well but if we those organisations in the tech ecosys-

ing companies, and some of the uni- don’thavethefeedbackloop,howdowe tem,whohavebeencreatingthisreality.

corns. This vertical has now shown us build on that.

the highest growth. Over the last five I believe we do a decent job of bring- As you just said, much has changed

quarters, and this quarter particularly, ing all of these three together. This ap- and at a very fast pace no less. What

it grew over 8 per cent. We have also proach is more scientific now because keeps you going personally?

seen good results in BPS. Business the world around us has changed. It I salute the values and vision set by the

processes as a service and platforms is is no longer one method but several founders of Mahindra 75 years ago.

a new business unit. This will become things that happen. In addition to this, They were just about setting up the

one of our high investment areas. We there are also external stakeholders. companybuttheirvalues,areflectionof

are back on a strong growth track with These are all part of customer experi- whichcanbeseeninthecompany’sfirst

a focus on profitability and operational ence management. And we need tech- ad in 1945, had an orientation towards

improvement. nologytoenable,measureandcontinu- people,societyandbusiness.Everytime

Our areas of the future are connec- ously improve it. This is why we took I look at that advertisement, I feel I am

tivity, digital experience enhanced by this a step forward and call it human among the custodians of these values,

design and ESG. Connectivity is the experience management. who must nurture and pass this dream

area of strength, globally. For exam- forward. This is what keeps me going.

ple, Tech Mahindra designed, built, How much does being a part of Inmanyways,thisiswhatIcallthespir-

tested and operated the

world’s first 5G end-to- We delivered 4.1 per cent quarter-on-
end cloud native plat-

form for a Tier-1 car- quarter growth with 58 new accounts, 60-plus
rier in Japan. Customer

behaviour has changed new wins, and the highest Rs PAT in Q1
fundamentally; physical

space is being replaced

by digital space, and this is where our Mahindra Group help in achieving it of Mahindras and Tech Mahindra.

focus on digital experience and design some of this? At Tech Mahindra, we spend a lot of

comesin.Allourinvestmentshavebeen As a part of the eminent Mahindra timetryingtounderstandtheorganisa-

in 5G, cloud computing, data manage- Group,wearecontinuouslyinnovating tional vision, the individual vision and

ment through AI and more on human and challenging conventional think- how we fit into society to deliver these.

experience management. ingtoenablecustomerstowinthrough No vision is complete without goals.

digital transformation, consulting and Hence, what is the organisational mis-

Let’s speak more about what you de- business re-engineering services and sion, the individual mission and how

fine as human experience manage- solutions.Wedeliverseamlessandinte- does this anchor into society?

ment.HowdoyoulookatthisatTech gratedexperiencesacrossdigital,physi- The third part of the same equation is

Mahindra? cal and convergent dimensions. With organisational values and culture. Cul-

There are three parts to human expe- more than 126,200 employees across ture is the collective sigma of 13,000

rience management as we see it. The 90-plus countries, we are serving the people. When you convert strategy to

first part is about the sentiment. When needsof1,058globalcustomersinclud- cultureortheotherwayround,youhave

you looking at this, how do you ensure ing several Fortune 500 companies. defined the organisation and individu-

that emotion is equal to a relationship, As a company with a purpose, we al. This is why we go back to the 1945

which in turn is equal to trust. The have always endeavoured to build a ad.Ithasbeenrefinedovertimebutthe

second part is about technology as an connected world where all can enjoy basicshavenotchanged.Ourpurposeis

enabler. All of us use technology to do connectedexperiences.Intandemwith bigger than our service offerings or the

the same thing and add value to what thisview,weaspiretoenrichtheIndian technologybecauseitanswersthebasic

we are doing. We use technology, as its tech ecosystem through collaborative question of why we exist.

consumers, to continue and enhance efforts while striving to generate in-

our experiences. And the third part is novative and customer-centric digital [email protected]

65 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COVER STORY IN FOCUS / FINANCE

Makeover
With A Phygital
Model

Mahindra&MahindraFinancialServices
isattheheartofruralIndiameeting
differentfinancialneedsoverthelast
25years.Thecompanyispushingthis
propositionforwardbyinvestingin
datascienceanddigitaltodiversifyits
products By Noor Fathima Warsia

I N MANY WAYS, IT WOULD NOT be wrong to say
that Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services took
financial inclusion with products such as housing
financing, insurance, mutual funds and the like to
rural India; in the process also joining the league of
players that truly understand how consumers
behave and what they demand in the deepest pock-
ets of India. Continuing a journey of 25 years, where
the company registered consistent growth, its focus
now is to become ‘phygital’ in its presence and
approach.
“Very clearly, we have begun to invest heavily in
data science, in digital and have created a vertical called
Digital Finco as part of our growth strategy. We have to
participate in the consumer’s lifecycle and not just stay
with the products that we are in. These consumers need
short-term, small-ticket loans for two-wheelers, consumer
durables, for health and education needs and they are bor-
rowing this in ad hoc ways,” explains Ramesh Iyer, Vice
Chairman & Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra
Financial Services. He explains that given the company’s
customer base, penetration across India, and knowledge of
the market, Mahindra Financial Services is looking to cre-

66 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

ate products that can be delivered them and speak their language, we “It has been a successful 10-year-

digitally rather than physically. recruit people from the local markets, old partnership. The balance sheet

“We are transforming ourselves making it easy for our employees to crossed $1billion. We have 12-13 per

from a physical model to a digital understand the challenges of our cus- cent return on equity in that market

model. But this is not to say every- tomers,” Iyer says. and a 70 per cent penetration. We

thing will move to digital or stay phys- In its journey so far, Mahindra has cover the whole of US and are looking

ical; we are moving to a phygital financed more than 7-8 million cus- at markets such as Canada, Brazil and

model. In the next three years, you tomers. The products it finances are Mexico where DLL has a presence,

will see us become strong technology- not aspirational but necessities. These and Mahindra has a dealership out-

wise, digitally and use meaningful consumers’ livelihood comes from the let,” Iyer informs. This is a similar

insights from our database to develop vehicle, making Mahindra partici- model that Mahindra Finance has for

new products for our consumers, pate in the ‘earn and pay segment’ of Sri Lanka. Next on the company’s tar-

while ensuring our core remains the rural market. From financing get is Bangladesh. Even though this is

stronger,” he adds. vehicles, the company added prod- still in a project stage, the company

While this is going to be a large area ucts such as rural housing, insurance sees this as a “real opportunity”.

of investment for the company, the and even mutual funds, all to enable

other would be in its people capabili- rural consumers to meet their liveli- Expecting A Good Festive Season

ties. The financial company is also hoods, safeguard their interests and Mahindra Finance did face a tough

strengthening its branch first half of the year but

network to “remain surviving cycles has

closer to customers”. “We “In the next three years, you will become second nature to
will continue to remain the company. A broad

the gateway for rural see us become strong technolo- trend for rural would be
India. In three years, that the second half of
gy-wise, digitally and use mean-
with these changes, we the year is stronger due

look to double our bal- ingful insights from our database to festivals, weddings
ance sheet,” says Iyer. and with lesser climatic

Robust Rural Play to develop new products” impact. “Historically, the
non-performing assets

Mahindra’s financial sec- pick up in the first six

tor balance sheet is no months and drop in the

small figure either, hence firmly keep- grow. “Many of our customers con- second half,” Iyer says.

ing it in its group of ‘core businesses’ sidered opening bank accounts after He explains that rural has two

post the group’s recent reorganisa- we spoke to them for financing. In a streams of cash inflow – farm and

tion. “We began with one branch and true sense, it is financial inclusion infra. “If these do well, the consump-

five people, at about Rs 30-35 crore in that we have been part of in the last 25 tion story begins. We believe the infra

1994-95. Today, if all the assets in the years. We have also been instrumen- story will open up post-monsoon. All

financial sector are taken together, tal in taking the insurance product to vectors are in place for rural to boom

our balance sheet would be close to Rs rural India,” notes Iyer. in the last quarter of the year,” he adds.

1,00,000 crore,” informs Iyer. Festival is a real buying time for

At its inception, Mahindra Finance International Footprint Continues consumers in rural India. This year,

chose to be in rural markets, as a ser- Collaboration was always part of once again, there is pent up demand

vice to finance the Mahindra vehicle. Mahindra Finances’ growth strategy. due to the first half. This is among the

To understand consumer needs, In its international foray, it took the reasons why Iyer believes demand

Mahindra opened branches across JV route in the US and Asian markets will bounce back. “The monsoon was

India bringing its footprint to more as well. Mahindra Finance’s interna- good and government actions have

than 1,400 branches today, covering tional footprint followed that of been very positive with road projects,

all geographies, reaching more than M&M’s. Mahindra Finance USA is a mining, coal excavation and the likes

80-85 per cent of districts in the joint venture between Mahindra and opening up. We are optimistic about

country. Mahindra Financial Services and De the time ahead,” he concludes.

“Our customers are spread across Lage Landen Financial Services

4,00,000 villages. To understand (DLL ) of the Rabobank Group. [email protected]

67 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION / HOSPITALITY

‘WeAreNotA
Quarter-to-quarterCo’

COVER STORY Mahindra Holidays & Resorts puts the word ‘long-term’ at the very centre of
its business model. Driven by membership concepts and focused on family
vacations, this was among the businesses that managed to hold its own
despitethepandemic’sharshhitonhospitality.Kavinder Singh,Managing
Director&CEO,MahindraHolidays&ResortsIndiaspeakstoNoor Fathima Warsiaon
the company’s roadmap.

On the long-term commitment model and consequent day in 2021, we are committing to give the family great vaca-

growth… tions till 2046. Not many businesses commit beyond a year or

Our business model has allowed us to be a zero debt com- two warranty. This was only possible if the company enjoyed

pany. We gained significant momentum in the last seven timelesstrust.BrandMahindra,hence,forthismodeltowork.

years when we almost doubled our room count from 2,000 to The other crucial aspect was the long-term sustainability of

4,000-plus.Wealsomovedupourmembercountto2,50,000 thebusiness.Thebusinessmodelhadtobedesignedsuchthat

members. Even during the pandemic, we grew our cash on itcouldwithstandtheupsanddownsofbusinesscycles. This

hand from Rs 781 crore to Rs 940 crore. This is an amazing iswherewelookedtobuildadditionalincomestreamswithin

feat because companies struggled in this period globally. We thismodel.Thisactsasahedgetotheupsanddowns.Weare,

have no peer in the world that has this business model. Un- therefore, in a position today, where despite the hurdles, we

like other businesses that are around room rates, our model not only delivered profits but also increased our cash.

is driven by experience and magical moments, given the long-

termcommitmentthatisinvolved.Forus,engagingthefam- On recovery post-pandemic…

ily is central to our business. The recovery becomes even more pronounced if you have to

look at it quarter-on-quarter. In the last quarter, we clocked 85

On why brand Mahindra was crucial to the model… per cent without vaccine rollout. This meant we were able to

We began this business 25 years ago, on September 20, 1996, inspire trust and confidence. We could do this due to various

to be precise. At some point in the early days, the idea to cre- initiativesweundertooklikecreatingaSafeStayprogramme

ate a business that served the needs for family vacations took with contactless transactions, the best disinfection proto-

shape. Vacation is about cols and so on. We created

experience; people don’t “Even during the pandemic, we physically distant but
want to stay cooped up in socially connected activi-

a hotel or just do sightsee- grew our cash on hand from Rs ties, travel with confidence
ing, they want to do more. program and other new

Our model needs mem- 781 crore to Rs 940 crore. This is concepts.
bers to sign up for long pe- an amazing feat because We added to our inter-
riods but why would any-
one pay in advance, in this companies struggled in this national business where
case, 25 years in advance. we already have a robust
presence in several mar-

To put this in perspective, period globally” kets. We acquired Holiday
whatever we are selling to- Club Resorts, which is the

68 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

tors. Mahindra invested Rs 18 crore when
the business started. Today, we are at a
market cap of Rs 4,500 crore and we are
a self-sustaining business from a financial
standpoint. If you look at all our stakehold-
ers, whether it is our customers, investors,
environment, or our people, it has been a
steep climb upwards for us on all metrics.

On what kept the company going…
This journey is possible only if you keep an
eye on the long-term because we are com-
mitting and engaging our members for the
long term; we are not a quarter-to-quarter
company. We are very confident that lei-
sure tourism and domestic leisure per se will
boom in India, in the times ahead. We keep
growing our business model, creating new
destinations. Today, on the back of consist-
entgrowth,weare the largestleisurehospi-
tality player in the country and the largest
vacation ownership company in the world
in terms of the number of members if you
exclude America.

largest timeshare player in Europe, based out of Finland, and On investments ahead…
we climbed up to 79 resorts in March 2021. We added nine In our business, there are three fundamental
resorts even during the pandemic. We grew not just in terms things that we should do all the time. Make
of profits but more importantly, by living our purpose. the customer experience such that every
moment is magical. From the time that a
On living with purpose… consumer wants to book a trip until they
We have spent time and energy in making our presence blend leave the resort, there are a million things
in harmony with nature while doing work with micro-com- that can go right or go wrong. In line with
munities and creating sustainable livelihoods for them. This our business philosophy, our focus is on how
is in line with our purpose ‘Rise’. We are probably the only we can ensure those millions of moments
hospitality player that has signed all commitments related of truth give delight. The second is whether
to the environment, renewable energy and being water posi- we are doing this well. We are a business of
tive, among others. Much of our initiatives have also been ac- referrals and more people may want to become our members.
knowledged on various platforms. We need to keep adding capacity. The third point connects
back to this, which is to keep adding members to ensure that
We have created value for our shareholders and inves- this capacity gets utilised well for a sustainable business.
In our way forward, we want to create marquee resorts,
build on our ethos, and in line with that, we want to add 1,500-
odd room units. We are looking to build capacity through
acquisition, by building own resorts or by leasing. In terms of
investment, the ballpark number is Rs 1,000-1,200 crore but
as time goes by, we may even accelerate it. However, our confi-
dence in our business model has only grown with time. We are
a pure-play family vacation provider and that is what works in
our favour. This is what we will continue to build on.

[email protected]

69 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN FOCUS/ LOGISTICS

GROWING
WITH INDIA

COVER STORY MahindraLogisticsisamong potential we see is phenom-
enal.”
thegroup’s‘growthgems’that
The logistics market is
areexpectedtobecomebillion- around $200 billion at pre-
sent but the way the indus-
dollarbusinessesin3-5years, try is structured, Mahindra’s
addressable market is at $17
atargetthatitbelievesitis billion. The company’s
vision is to accelerate com-
‘uniquelypositionedtoachieve’ merce. “Our ultimate goal is
to orchestrate all our ser-
TByNoorFathimaWarsiaHE MAHINDRA LOGISTICS STORY vices together in what I call
began two decades ago from within the the lego block strategy. In
auto and farms sector of the group. What this, we use unique ways for
began as the logistics provider for each of our customers to
Mahindra & Mahindra, less than a dec- offer the best value and best
ade later, evolved into a separate entity fit driving productivity and
eyeing the space of ‘Mahindra for logis- reducing costs,” explains
tics’. For Rampraveen Swaminathan, Swaminathan.
MD & CEO, this transition means not
only expanding and building its share in A Resilient Business
the ecommerce space but also continuing Market experts are optimistic about Mahindra Logistics.
to move beyond its core strength from In Q1FY22, the company posted a “better than expected”
sectors such as auto to include the likes of pharma, FMCG, performance. Analysts say that Mahindra Logistics deliv-
durables, manufacturing and others. ered a resilient Q1FY22, where despite the second wave,
revenue dipped 10 per cent and the earnings dipped 26 per
As far as numbers are concerned, Mahindra Logistics cent, beating market estimates. “The key positive is the
(MLL) is ticking all the right boxes. It is India’s largest pro- company’s high-margin and the return on capital
vider of contract and third-party services, focusing on the employed. The non-M&M warehousing business contin-
enterprise markets. Anish Shah, MD & CEO Mahindra & ued to add space even as its top line dipped sequentially.
Mahindra informs that the logistics business recently Margin at 5.2 per cent (up 50bps QoQ) is again a testimony
climbed to a market cap of $720 million, which was 2.7 to MLL’s strong asset-light business model,” a senior ana-
times over the last time. He says, “The business provides lyst from Edelweiss observes.
end-to-end services for various enterprises and has weaved
in the latest technology to create a seamless set of services. As large corporates are outsourcing the supply chain
We have marquee customers including various ecom- function to specialised logistic players, Mahindra Logistics
merce companies as part of our focus area; the growth is among the beneficiaries. This is also a reason why it
could withstand higher fuel costs and regional lockdown.
“Mahindra Logistics displayed an agile business model, led

70 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

as well, stating that cargo is ready to
take off on this aspect.“This industry
will grow more as India grows. With
logistics, now it is about core execu-
tion. We will make some acquisitions
along the way and grow it into a much
larger business,” informs Shah.

Social Empowerment
Mahindra Logistics is also investing
in talent in a big way, calling it the
“fuel for an industry like logistics that
is fragmented”. Given all elements of
its current strategy, Mahindra
Logistics is very upbeat. In the middle
of the pandemic, it raised its goal to
become a Rs 10,000-crore company
from a Rs 6,000-crore company. “The

“We have marquee customers including
various ecommerce companies as part
of our focus area; the growth potential

we see is phenomenal”

by stickiness in its warehousing reve- India,” comments Swaminathan. The opportunity in India is far greater
nue. It also saw greater customer pandemic accelerated trends such as than outside for this business. As the
retention, cost-cutting measures and changes in India’s consumption industry formalises, we would have
network optimisation (backed by economy, warehousing growth, and three or four very big players. We are
strong IT infrastructure) in its trans- rise in omnichannel. The Mahindra working very hard on being one of
portation division,” says Pankaj Logistics chief points out that these, them,” Swaminathan comments.
Pandey, Head of Research at ICICI in turn, create demand for services
Securities. integration, digitisation and automa- Stating that the company is
tion. He says, “In the next decade, uniquely positioned to achieve this
Pandey, however, does caution that logistics companies will make money target, he points to the Rise philoso-
the company should watch out for the by creating the perfect orchestration phy as a key growth contributor.
downturn in auto. “The auto segment deploying technology.” “Mahindra Logistics draws inspira-
comprises 60 per cent of Mahindra tion from Rise, where the bigger part
Logistics’ revenues, which could neg- This was on Mahindra Logistics’ of our purpose is to positively impact
atively impact the business,” he says. radar even before the pandemic. communities, and emerge as a signifi-
Expanding its service lines, it is lever- cant social multiplier. We are proud
Poised For Growth aging technology for productivity and of what our teams are doing in this
This being said, the macros for the cost reduction, re-imagining its cus- space. We do this because it is proven
sector are favourable. “If you have to tomer experience. In last-mile mobil- that ‘doing good’ is ‘good business’.
‘make in India’, you have to move in ity, the company is bullish on electric The Rs 10,000-crore target is my job
but delivering to the community is far
more attractive for me,” says
Swaminathan.

[email protected]

71 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION / REAL ESTATE

‘RealEstateIsWaiting
ToBeDisrupted’

Mahindra Lifespace is among the businesses in the group that recorded losses
in the past couple of years. The cautious approach at the time eventually
transformed into a focused strategy on markets, project turnaround time
and specific areas that the company wants to play in. In this chat with BW
Businessworld’sNoor Fathima Warsia,Arvind Subramanian,ManagingDirector&CEO,
Mahindra Lifespace Developers, explains how this has now created momentum for the
company that is pushing it forward. Excerpts:

You began your journey at Mahindra Happinest, the Lifespaces. Many times I would end up asking questions
affordable housing division. We saw some interesting that may appear even silly but eventually it helped uncover
propositions from the company at the time. What were many things.
some of your thoughts behind it?
I must begin by stating that, in many ways, I am an accidental You are right, I came in to lead the affordable housing
real estate professional. I joined the company seven years business, which was a bridge to another leg of my previous
back after a long stint in management consulting, where a work. This was about customers who had the means but did
bulk of my work was around technology. Moving into real not have access to various product categories. This segment
estate was strange but it naturally had an impact on how made business sense but individual companies found them
I view the sector and what I wanted to do with Mahindra unviable. We saw innovation in that space come from cross-
sectoral collaborations and industry intersections. There was

72 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

demand but supply did not meet it. I came to Mahindra with Give us a sense of some of your plans to be back on the

the single-minded goal to crack this consumer group. We growthtrajectory,especiallyinthebackdropofthelosses

were looking to create a category for the country as a whole you have reported recently.

with Mahindra leading the charge. That is a fair critique; the losses have been more recent. Prior

to the last two years, we were a profitable company. That was

What were some of the early experiences in that objec- a period of external and internal reset. External factors are

tive? known but internally, we rethought where we were headed

At that time, it was evident that this sector was ready for dis- and what we sought to achieve. From a growth perspective,

ruption. In the last many decades, family behaviour, people’s we were flat, and that is where we are now much more en-

lifestyles and ethnography have evolved but the design think- ergised, committed and clear on where we want to be. Our

ing from the supply side had not kept pace. In the production cautious approach at that time paid off and we were not

process, for example, the last major disruption in the space saddled with legacy issues. Our balance sheet is strong. We

was cement and that was a century ago. We have not done are almost a debt-free company.

any significant material or even a construction method in- Tectonic shifts are happening in both the demand and

novation in a long time. Almost every aspect of real estate supply side and there lies the opportunity. If you looked at the

seems to be stuck in history. There was a need to make it classical parameters of land, labour and capital, the organ-

contemporary from a proposition perspective, which was ised sector will steal a march. Land sellers are more cautious.

why was real estate important or what roles do homes play, This is one business, where capital is the raw material. By

and also from a delivery perspective of how do we construct labour, I mean talent, and in this, the smartest are not put-

better quality, faster, cheaper. Each of these was ripe for fresh ting up their hands to join the sector. But within that, players

thinking. like us who have a conglomerate behind us attract the right

We hit some early success with these ideas in some of our talent. From a demand standpoint, customers have become

first few launches. In one of the properties, for instance, we risk-averse. From this perspective, our past may look cheq-

took out a proposition centred around maintenance cost. We uered and flat but our future looks much brighter.

said that in addition to what was otherwise promised in eco-

nomic housing, we would also bring the maintenance cost Your future strategy appears to be very focused in terms

down by half. We did this of markets, lands you

by embedding sustain- want to buy or the turn-

ability elements such as “From a demand standpoint, cus- around time. What are
solar power, water saving your expectations from
tomers have become risk-averse.
and the likes, quantify- From this perspective, our past this?
ing its impact on mainte- There are two things to
nance. It worked. There this. The economics of

are several such examples may look chequered and flat but this business was once
where we lead this emo- about buying cheap

tive and life-changing cat- our future looks much brighter” lands and building on
egory with innovations. that, hoping that as land

price escalates, the prop-

This is on the residen- erties will sell higher.

tial side. Give us a sense also about the industrial parks, This has changed today. The competitive advantage is in

and how some of the plans on this change in the wake of the conversion cycle. If we can do this faster, shave a year

changes in the sector. and some cost off, there is much more economic benefit. We

We pioneered industrial parks. We set up the first one need to hence buy land that is ready to market. We want land

in Chennai almost two decades ago with a philosophy of parcels of a certain size that comply with our overhead costs

livelihood (creating jobs), living (residential) and lives but do not need too much time to complete. Geographically,

(social). This concept holds much promise. During the real estate is a local business. Most developers do well in their

pandemic, Mahindra World Cities in Chennai and Jaipur home markets. We have chosen to be only in two cities to

were among the first to restart operations. The business build more depth and relevance to our customers. We are a

continuity and ability to bounce back came to the fore small player and we want to be salient, and punch above our

and this was appreciated. This is a theme for the next few weight in brand recall. We expect this to drive our growth.

decades, of how we create resilient communities, living

spaces and developments. [email protected]

73 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN DEPTH ECONOMY

Two years of the Covid-19
pandemic has no doubt severely
eroded India’s real GDP but there
are some green shoots that are
reinforcing faster recovery
By Ashish Sinha

H OW’S THE ECONOMY FARING? That’s the
question topmost in everyone’s mind as In-
dia, experiencing a lull in the raging Covid
pandemic, tries to ease curbs to facilitate
revival of economic activity. Let’s hear what
experts and data points have to say. To be-
ing with, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), in its July forecast, came out with its revised estimate
of India’s deficit and debt relative to GDP for FY22. It pegged
the general government fiscal deficit to GDP ratio at (-) 11.3
per cent, which is, in fact, the third-highest among major
advanced and emerging market economies, after the US and
the UK. While that may be worrisome, there are a number of
green shoots that point to a robust and sustainable recovery
going forward.
The recently launched National Monetisation Pipeline,
which is estimated to garner Rs 6 lakh crore over FY22 to

TIME TO
PLOT GROWTH

FY25, may contribute Rs 88,000 crore in FY22, but that 2019 levels, exports grew 34.5 per cent reflecting pickup in
comes with a cautionary note. “The aggregate as well as year- external demand, said D.K. Srivastava, Chief Policy Advisor,
on-year value under NMP is only an indicative value. The EY India.
actual realisation for public assets may depend on the tim-
ing, transaction structuring, investor interest, etc.,” a senior According to officials in the finance ministry, the bank
official said. credit growth has showed encouraging trends with non-food
credit growth crossing the 6.5 per cent mark in the fortnight
The recent data on GST collections are more than en- ending July 16. This happened after having remained muted
couraging. In fact, the collections are growing on a month- for nine fortnights. “On the sectoral front, credit off take by
on-month basis. The July 2021 GST collections stood at Rs agriculture and allied activities, micro, small and medium in-
1,16,393 crore, which was an impressive gain over Rs 92,849 dustries registered accelerated growth in June, demonstrat-
crore collected in June 2021. The merchandise exports ing positive effects of the implementation of Aatmanirbhar
growth (y-o-y) also remained high at 49.8 per cent in July Bharat package,” an official said.
2021 due to partly favourable base effects. “Compared to July
Another factor for remaining bullish stems from increased

74 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

growth of 20.1 per cent as compared to a contraction of 24.4

per cent in Q1 FY21, as per an official statement. The Gross

Value Added (GVA) also clocked 18.8 per cent growth in the

first quarter (estimated at Rs 30.48 lakh crore, as against Rs

25.66 lakh crore in Q1 of FY21).

The supply side depicted that Q1FY22 growth was led by

manufacturing and construction. Services remained a lag-

gard as contact-sensitive sectors bore the brunt of localised

lockdowns. Financial and real estate improved sequentially.

The expenditure side reflected healthy private consumption

and solid fixed capital formation at 55.3 per cent.

The fiscal data, also released on 31 August 2021, showed

a sharp 83 per cent growth in the gross tax revenues during

April-July of FY22 over the corresponding period of FY21.

“This gives an indication of a significant policy room for

the government to uplift its demand and its contribution

to output in the remaining part of the current fiscal year so

as to ensure that the overall growth per-

The GDP in formance for the full year of 2021-22 does
Q1 of FY22 is esti- not fall below the growth expectation of
9.5 per cent, both by the RBI and the IMF,”

mated at Rs 32.38 Srivastava of EY adds.
lakh crore, as In the July 2021 update onthe World

Economic Outlook, the IMF did bring

against Rs 26.95 down India’s FY22 GDP growth forecast
lakh crore in Q1 of estimates to 9.5 per cent from its earlier
projection of 12.5 per cent in April 2021

FY21, showing due to the impact of Covid’s second wave.
a growth of 20.1 The RBI, in its August 2021 monetary
policy review, had also estimated India’s

per cent growth at 9.5 per cent for FY22, the same
as its original forecast in June 2021. The

cumulative effect of two years of Covid has

led to an erosion of India’s real GDP such

gross inflows of Foreign Direct Investment numbers which that at the end of 2021, real GDP would exceed the level in

have “more than doubled” to $18.3 billion in April-May 2021 2019 by only 1.5 per cent.

compared to $8.5 billion in the corresponding period of the “India may still emerge in the negative territory if the

previous year. It is a fact that the foreign exchange reserves economy is not able to show a benchmark real GDP growth

reached $620.1 billion by end July 2021, equivalent to more of at least 7.8 per cent,” says Srivastava of EY India. “Such an

than 18 months of 2020-21 imports. This, according to ex- eventuality may arise if Covid’s third or subsequent waves

perts will go a long way in acting as a critical cushion against turn out to be unduly strong,” he adds.

possible “hot money” outflows from the Indian markets. Meanwhile, more Indians are now under the insurance

net that ever before totalling 68.98 crore, of which 10.34

Growth Projections crore are enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima

State Bank of India (SBI) in its monthly Ecowrap research re- Yojana and 23.40 crore in the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha

port had expected India’s GDP to grow at 18.5 per cent in the Bima Yojana, with claim servicing ratio of 93.7 per cent and

June quarter due to low base effect. But when the official GDP 77.3 per cent respectively. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and

numbers for Q1 (April-May-June) of FY22 were finally an- hope for a better and faster economic recovery in the current

nounced on August 31, it surprised everyone with its record quarter and the next.

growth pace. GDP in Q1 of FY22 is estimated at Rs 32.38 lakh

crore, as against Rs 26.95 lakh crore in Q1 of FY21, showing a [email protected]; @Ashish_BW

Photograph by Shutterstock 75 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION

“BACK TO BUSINESS
AS USUAL”

SanjaySethi,IAS,Chairman,JawaharlalNehru Foot Equivalent Units or TEUs. We have
PortTrust(JNPT)speakstoBWBusinessworld’s been doing five million TEUs for the last
Urvi Shrivastav on the functioning of ports in three years, but we want our capacities to
India,JNPT’snewinitiatives,anditssustainable double. Also, the responsibility of setting
businesspracticesinthenextnormal.Excerpts: up the largest port in the country, or the
Wadhawan port, has been given to JNPT,

which was approved by the Union Cabi-

net last February. We are also working

Giventhedisruptionsinthesupplychainlastyear,howarethingsshap- on rail connectivity measures, as well as

ing up for JNPT now? detailed engineering, including changes

Last year was in fact very challenging due to the pandemic. There were in the layout and the kind of model that

disruptions at JNPT as well due to supply chain disruptions and demand will help the potential concessionaires,

contractions. The first quarter of the last financial year, hence, was particu- and the financial engineering part. This

larly bad. However, things picked up after October. This year is more likely is an ambitious project that looks at a ca-

business as usual. JNPT is functioning like any other port in terms of traffic pacity of 24 million TEUs, which will put

already. it among the top 10 ports of the world as

per current rankings.

Digitisation picked up for all last year. What are some of the measures

taken by JNPT in its digital transition? What are the measures taken by JNPT

One of the key reasons for disruption was manufacturing not happening to ensure the sustainability of the port

at the fullest capacity. Transportation from the hinterland to the port was and sustainable business practices?

affected in a big way. The drivers who manned tractors and other vehicles We consider sustainability the key pil-

in the port were not welcomed back by the gram panchayats. We got people lar on which the port functions. A ma-

from other states to fill the gap and made arrangements for “It is notewor- jor part of sustainability
thy that if a port
them to stay, including food. This was so for 4-5 months is energy transition, for
that were very challenging. For our personnel, we made which we use solar en-
sure the chain is not disrupted at the port level. We made ergy, which fuels 30 per

sure we had a new standard operating procedure for our is not competi- cent of our energy needs.
working where people felt comfortable. Regular sanitisa- tive, it cannot This will be as high as 40
tion activities were undertaken and strict Covid protocols per cent in the next two

were followed. We had new seating arrangements for meet- be sustainable. years, and 60 per cent by
ings, how we could get in touch with the state authorities, Sharing infor- 2030, the stipulated tar-
and all the other stakeholders. All these measures were get. In addition, we are

undertaken to ensure the smooth functioning of JNPT. mation and working on a pilot pro-
ject on floating solar in-
getting a lot of it
When it comes to logistics, what are the measures JNPT online is the real frastructure in seawater,
is undertaking right now? and using EV vehicles
In terms of capacity, we have the fourth container ter- in our port area. We are

minal which got completed in its first phase in 2013. In way to cut cost also using gantry cranes
phase two, environmental clearance is awaited, which will and time” at the port, where the es-
start when we achieve a capacity of 10 million Twenty- timated carbon footprint

76 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

saved every year is 3,500 tonnes. We are “For a country tainable. Sharing information and getting
also conducting a pilot project using like India, con- a lot of it online is the real way to cut cost
20,000 litres of biodiesel for our internal tainerisation is and time, which, in turn, helps the port to
movements. We have replaced our 600hp going to go up, become cost-competitive.
diesel engines with 450hp diesel vehicles. and the rising
What is the future of maritime space
We have set targets for increasing the freight rates once Covid is a thing of the past?
green cover at the port; we alfeady have a imply the same. The vessel size is increasing when we
huge mangroves plantation. Safety is a big Our share in the talk about global economic uncertainty.
component of sustainability, and we have overall trade is However, in the ports sector, the existing
taken adequate safety measures adding definitely going reports show some optimism, where 9.1
to the sustainability quotient. The three per cent growth is sought. However, we
pillars of environment, social, and govern- to increase” are also dealing with issues of empty con-
ment combine to make sustainability as tainers, and ocean freight rates rising. For
we understand it. We also look at public- a country like India, containerisation is
private partnerships, which will help in- going to go up, and the rising freight rates
crease operational efficiency and, in turn, imply the same. Our share in the overall
financial efficiency. There is also a Skill trade is definitely going to increase, so
Development Centre, which we started in there is a reason for the country to be op-
collaboration with al Cargo. timistic. There is a consolidation in the
shipping market, with lesser players get-
What are some of the practices that ting in there, which is both a plus as well
smaller ports can adopt? as a minus.
Among non-major ports, out of 200, only
about 100 are active. It is noteworthy that [email protected]
if a port is not competitive, it cannot be sus-

77 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

ESSAY

By Vasudha Mukherjee

Best Varsities
for Engineering

The best engineering institutes in India,
offer not just knowledge, but also help
develop practical skills of their students
and encourage them to be creative. They
motivate their students to make a social
impact. Here is how we picked them

A GOODENGINEERINGinstituteteachesaspir-
ing engineers the theoretical frameworks
and the principles of research for economi-
cally viable solutions to technical problems.
A great engineering institute does all of this
and more. It not only churns out efficient
engineers but creates real change-makers in industry.

BW Education presents the best engineering institutes
of 2021 that have successfully lived up to their reputations
by meeting the expectations of industry and the ambitions
of their students. This Engineering Ranking is a guide to
technical universities that continue to strive to develop the
country’s most promising engineers.

After a year of turmoil for all, including the space of edu-
cation, it is perhaps, more important than ever to look at
how institutes have thrived through the social-distancing
restrictionsthatapandemichasmandated. Manyplatforms
host rankings of educational institutes based on varying
parameters like academic surveys, the income generated,
international reputation or research facilities

A ranking system does more than bestow a prestigious
title on an institution. It offers a competitive platform that
allows educational institutes to showcase their potentials. It
is a system that provides a unique perspective on how these
academic institutions meet the demands of the market and
students alike. The competition encourages efficiency and
improves quality.

BW Education Engineering Ranking strives to rank in-
stitutes based on criteria that address the unique demands
of India, while also securing a competitive edge on a global

78 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

scale. Even the minutest change in the have been judged on the same scale.
methods used to measure these cri- The points for each category have been
teria, can change the ranking of an determined in accordance with the im-
institute. portance of that criterion in the educa-
tion sector.
The goal of higher education surely,
is to nurture and guide raw talent into Research, teaching and employabil-
skilled professionals who can effective- ity account for 20 per cent of the total
ly contribute to society. Bearing this in points.Thesearethe coreexpectations
mind, this engineering ranking system of students, parents and educators of
has been curated to spot the best engi- technical institutions. These are also
neering institutes in the country that the key skills that government bodies
reflect innovation, competence and and the job market use to determine
India’s goals for education. the efficiency of any academic body.
Experienced, qualified educators are
The Methodology the most important criteria for a stu-
The curated list of rankings in these dent in choosing a university. Employ-
pages have been determined using ability is the end goal. These factors
a 10 to 20-point scale on the basis of have influenced the rankings.
which excellence in research, innova-
tion, teaching, employability, infra- Both Innovation and infrastructure
structure, inclusiveness and the social carry a weightage of 15 per cent each.
impact that these institutions make Proper infrastructure such as smaller
have been assessed. The points have class sizes, interactive tools, creative
then been added to create a sum to- classrooms, natural light, etc. can be
tal out of 100. The tally of the points motivating factors for both educators
awarded in each category determines and students. The physical environ-
the rank of the respective institutes. ment of the university can encourage
Higher education institutes both pub- creativity and thought leadership. In
lic and private, from across the country times when a pandemic rages on, hav-
ing a strong digital infrastructure has
also become vital to learning. Innova-
tion in the university also allows prac-
tical knowledge and skill training for
faculty and students.

Inclusiveness and Social Impact
carry the final 10 per cent weightage.
This criterion is about taking those
additional steps to ensure equal op-
portunity. The most successful innova-
tions solve our most urgent problems.
Therefore, social impact is the measure
of success of any innovation.

Expectations from educational in-
stitutes change with time. This past
year has witnessed significant dis-
ruption in India’s education system.
Great innovations have been evident,
especially within technical universi-
ties, which took the pandemic as an op-
portunity to find creative solutions to
everyday problems. This list reflects the
demands of the new environment.

Photograph by Shutterstock 79 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION ENGINEERING

Shanthi Pavan, IIT Madras

‘The Pursuit of
Excellence Remains
the Same’
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras
is a renowned technical and research university
that ranks high among the IITs around the
country. It has produced some of the greatest
engineers, entrepreneurs and disruptors of Indian
industry. Professor Shanthi Pavan, Dean of
Academic Research, IIT Madras, talks to
BW Businessworld about upholding the quality of
education, research and development while
adhering to the Covid-19 precautions. Excerpts:

BY: VASUDHA MUKHERJEE

W HATARETHEmakingsofagooden-
gineering institute?
A vibrant set of students and faculty,
striving towards excellence, nurtured
by an environment where high-quality
teaching and research are the norms,
which offer opportunities for technology translation and
entrepreneurship.

What initiatives has the institute taken to ensure that
research and development (R&D) continue to thrive
amidst the pandemic?
While many among our students, staff and faculty had to
face personal challenges, we did our best to alleviate the
unfortunate circumstances caused by Covid-19.

Students doing theoretical/computational work quickly
got used to interacting with peers and faculty over video.
Their work continued without a break, albeit with a reduced
pace, during the initial days of the pandemic. We brought
back many of our PhD students who needed to access on-
campus experimental facilities in a phased manner as soon
as it was feasible. We continue to do so. Many scholars de-
cided to stay off-campus in Chennai and commute to the
departments so that they do not lose out on time.

80 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021



IN CONVERSATION ENGINEERING

Shanthi Pavan, IIT Madras

We encouraged that so that as many students as possible science, which aims to provide IIT quality education in this
could be productive under these circumstances. We had to in-demand area at scale. This unique programme, which
carefully manage interactions in the dining halls and hostels perhaps has the most flexible entry criteria I am aware of,
lest there be a breakout. offers multiple entries and exit points – which is another key
aspect of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
How is the institute incorporating the new National
There is much debate on how the skills demanded from
Education Policy 2020 guidelines into its curriculum?
The IIT Madras strategic plan that was in place had already fresh graduates have changed. To what extent does
recognized several aspects recommended in the National
Educational Policy 2020. We redid our curriculum in 2013 this hold true of aspiring engineers?
in a way to offer significant flexibility in the way a student Aspiring engineers should be well-grounded in the basics.
could choose a course programme. This way, a student who The ‘fad of the day’ will keep changing over 40 plus years of
is passionate about biology but ended up in electrical engi- one’s working life, and it is humanly impossible to train a stu-
dent for the entire duration of a career. The most important
part of education is to `learn to learn’, and to drive home the
point that one has to be a lifelong learner. Fortunately, the in-
ternet makes high-quality learning material easy to access.

COVID PRECAUTIONS: What are the key takeaways from the pandemic?

Interactions in the hostels What has changed? What has stayed the same?
The pandemic has forced us, like everyone else, to rethink
were ‘carefully managed’ many aspects of our functioning. The delivery of our lec-
tures and assessment methods have undergone a sea change.
neering by force of circum- We are convinced that going forward, a hybrid approach
stance, can actually pursue involving classroom teaching but archived lectures which
his passion by signing up for
a sequence of courses in the allow students to review
biotechnology department. concepts covered in class,
make up for missed class-
They still have to do the es etc. is here to stay.
minimum number of cours-
es needed to justify an electrical engineering degree but the Our research admis-
programme is otherwise flexible. The second set of examples sions have gone com-
are our Interdisciplinary Dual-Degree programmes. We pletely online. We are
have created several such areas with a lot of student interest able to attract a wider
like data science and robotics, among others, which take in pool of better-quality
students from any undergraduate branch. applicants since pro-
spective PhD students
Our students have upgraded paths from the Masters to no longer have to travel
the PhD programmes, and we see more and more students long distances across the
taking this path after getting excited by what they experi- country at the peak of
ence during the Master’s programme. We have also created summer to attend a one-hour interview. Interactions with
many joint-degree programmes with eminent universities students are now possible from anywhere, and at odd hours
abroad to leverage the strengths of multiple institutes by if necessary.Traveltomeetings,whichsometimestookaway
bringing unlike minds together. Last but not the least, we two working days for a one-hour meeting, has been replaced
have our online BSc programme on programming and data by online meetings – and this is definitely here to stay.
On a lighter note, one can now attend multiple meetings
at the same time – something which was not possible earlier!
Research conferences have gone online (or hybrid) – and
organizers have realized that the number of attendees has
increased dramatically, while costs have been reduced at
the same time. This, again, is a model that is bound to stay.
Well, everything academic has undergone a sea-change. The
mantra now is ‘if anything can be done online, do it’. The only
aspect is that the pursuit of excellence remains the same.

82 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021



IN CONVERSATION ENGINEERING

Prof. T.G. Sitharam, IIT Guwahati

‘To Excel, an Ambience
of Healthy Education and
Research is Necessary’

The Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati
maintains its competitive edge through
innovation, digitization and by upgrading its
campus and curriculum. Professor T.G. Sitharam,
Director, IIT Guwahati talks to BW Businessworld
of its achievements, projects and initiatives

BY VASUDHA MUKHERJEE

W HAT MAKES for a good engineering
institute?
Teaching, learning, research and efficient
administration constitute the basic founda-
tion of a good educational institute. Well
trained and hardworking teachers with in-
novative teaching capabilities; state-of-the-art infrastructure,
laboratory facilities and above all, capable and eager students,
are the prerequisite. Special attention to the mental and physical
health of both teachers and students through counselling, cul-
tural and technological events, sports, etc. are equally important.

To excel, an ambience of healthy educational and research
atmosphere needs to be created for all the stakeholders, where
innovative ideas are reinvigorated and nurtured. The institute
has recently developed a document ‘ART’ (Administration, Re-
search and Teaching) where emphasis on enhancing the quality
ofeachof theseaspectstothelevelof thebestuniversitiesacross
the globe has been outlined.

What initiatives has IIT Guwahati taken on research
and development (R&D)?
The R&D section has taken significant initiatives to connect
IITG research outcomes with industry. Interactive workshops
were organized but not limited to the state-of-the-art non-con-
ventional technologies on automation, robotics, drones; 3D and

84 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021



IN CONVERSATION ENGINEERING

Prof. T.G. Sitharam, IIT Guwahati

4D printing; application software development; technologies for What are you doing to implement the new National
NF Railways, connecting research outcomes with sustainable
development goals, etc. Initiatives taken to establish new centres Education Policy (NEP)?
of excellence with industrial and academic interventions includ- We have established four schools for multi-disciplinary educa-
ing CoE-Sustainable Transportation and Logistics, CoE-on tion on data sciences, health sciences and technology, energy
Quantum Technologies, industrially focused CoE-on Artificial science and technology, agro and rural technology and the Centre
Intelligence, International Research Centre with Deakin Uni- for Indian Knowledge system. We have introduced more hands-
versity on Sustainable Polymers, Australia, and industry-driven on training in the courses and curriculum, including industry
R&D activities with Taiwanese counterparts, research visibility training and research.
for R&D stakeholders of the institute at various national and
international platforms such as Pan IIT World of Technologies, There is a special focus on upskilling Socio-Economically
all IIT Research Fair mega events and so on and so forth. Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs). We are working to increase
women’s participation at all the levels of the IITG system, and
The R&D section initiated the Distinguished Woman Re- to welcome more international students and an overall increase
searcher Award for contributing significantly to the R&D activi- in UG/PG capacity. The campus will be made friendly towards
ties of national and international importance each year. Further, specially-abledhumanresources.Implementationof aNational
the R&D section has announced an R&D dissemination award Research Foundation hub at IITG and high-end facilities to
to the Best Student Researchers Team across the institute to boost R&D in different focus areas have been identified.
highlight individual Department/Centre/School’s research
What jobs are most in demand in engineering?
THE CAMPUS: will be In new startups, manufacturing sectors and
made friendly towards the health sector, there is a significant increase
specially-abled human in demand. Data science, machine learning,
resources artificial intelligence, etc. are also very much in
need. Since most of the work has been shifted
online and with an increase in online-based
services for healthcare and education there is a
greater demand for computational knowledge
where we have seen more recruitment.

activities to the rest of the world and many more initiatives have What are the challenges ahead and
been taken and are ongoing at IITG.
the future prospects of IIT Guwahati?
What are the notable projects undertaken by IIT G? IIT Guwahati has put in every effort to over-
It is noteworthy to mention that IIT Guwahati received more come all unprecedented challenges of this
than 100 sponsored projects even during the pandemic. Multiple pandemic – from virtual lessons to ensuring
CoEs were offered to the institute during this pandemic, some of continuity of learning for students, to virtual-
them are as follows: reality based convocation addressed by Prime
Minister Modi, wherein 1,803 students gradu-
l Mega Project on Development Programme in Electronics ated – to resounding success of virtual placements and virtual
Product Design funded by MeitY. internships, to ensuring the safety of students, staff and faculty
with Covid-19 protocols on campus.
l Centre for Excellence in Disruptive Innovations and Product The researchers at IIT Guwahati worked tirelessly on inno-
Development for Affordable Rural Healthcare, sponsored by the vations to tackle Covid-19, which resulted in innovations such
Indian Council of Medical Research. as self-check kiosks, multiple Covid diagnostic kits, low-cost
UVC LED systems for disinfecting surfaces, spray-based anti-
l Development of signal and channel models, circuits and viral coating and PPEs, developing a vaccine, low-cost intuba-
antennas for next-generation wireless systems with an emphasis tion boxes, drones for spraying disinfectants, software for safe
on vehicular communication, funded by MeitY air travel and farmers’ welfare. An inspiring example of Atma
Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is IIT Guwahati partnership with RR
Animal Healthcare to develop, manufacture and commercialize
Covid-19-related kits which include the viral transport media
(VTM), viral RNA extraction kit and RT-PCR kits. Above all,
this pandemic has taught us that the benefits of one-to-one in-
teraction among students and teachers can never be replaced.

86 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

QUCA&OLIMRTYEMSEIETDTAUERCDCATHTOION

DR THANGAM MEGHANATHAM,
Chairperson, Rajalakshmi
Institutions

Rajalakshmi Educational Trust, established in Through the TIFAC Core in Machine Vision and the
the year 1997, is committed to offering high- Centre for MEMS and Micro Fluidics, consultancy solutions
quality educational services across Engineer- to multiple industries across different segments have been
ing, Management, Architecture, Nursing, K-12 provided. Some of its clients include Super Auto Forge,
and educational training through the various Mando Brakes, Auro Labs, etc. The value of the consultancy
institutions run under its aegis. Rajalakshmi Institutions provided has crossed Rs 1 crore, a feat which has catapulted
(RI) promoted by the trust have carved a niche for itself Rajalakshmi Institutions into an elite league of very few
in research. Ever since its inception in the year 1997, the institutions capable of providing customised solutions to
group has taken giant strides towards differentiating itself industries.
by focusing on innovation and research amongst its faculty
and students. Needless to say, the institutions are accredited by the
National Board of Accreditation (NBA), National Assess-
RI offers a diverse choice of programmes in Engineer- ment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), Tata Consultancy
ing, Management and Architecture. The engineering pro- Services (TCS) and Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS).
grammes range from Food Technology to Biomedical, Aero- In its 24th year of existence, Rajalakshmi Institutions have
nautical, Chemical and Biotechnology apart from the more become synonymous with high-quality technical educa-
popular choices like Computer Science, Electronics and tion. It has come a long way in establishing itself as a group
Communication, Mechanical, etc. Nine of these departments that celebrates excellence with a proven track record of
have been approved as research centres by Anna University meeting the expectations of all its stakeholders. In the
toofferM.S.(byresearch) andPh.D.programmes.Wearethe coming years, the Rajalakshmi Group of Institutions will
first in Tamil Nadu to offer futuristic postgraduate courses in continue to push the envelope in setting newer bench-
architecture viz., M. Arch. Digital Architecture and M. Arch. marks in research and teaching and contribute its might in
Urban Design under self-financing colleges category. nation-building.

87 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

IN CONVERSATION

Prof. Ajit Kumar Chaturvedi, IIT Roorkee E N G I N E E R I N G

‘Bringing out Quality engineering education is the topmost
Centrality of priority at the Indian Institute of
Science is Key’ Technology (IIT), Roorkee. Prof. Ajit Kumar
Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, talks of
maintaining the integrity and quality of
education while adhering to Covid protocols

enabler was the access to all the e-journals and e-books to
which our library subscribes. Normally this access is avail-
able only when one is physically inside the campus. However,

with some effort, it was possible to
make it available online to our stu-
dents even though they are not on the
campus.

BY VASUDHA MUKHERJEE How have you implemented the

W HAT makes IIT new National Education Policy
Roorkee stand
(NEP) 2020 guidelines?
out among en- This semester is unique because IIT
Roorkee has launched as many as
gineering insti- seven new academic programmes,
some of which draw inspiration from
tutes? NEP 2020. Further, in the existing
A good engineer- five-year programmes, the institute
ing institute gives space to students has introduced the option to exit after
to explore themselves and discover their talents and inter- four years. This is also in line with the
ests. To make this happen, it is not adequate to have a cur- new NEP.
riculum that provides time to the students for themselves,
it needs significant resources like physical space, 24-hour How are Indian institutes in the
access to facilities and labs for experimentation and fab-
rication, and amenities for sports and cultural activities. education sector competing on a
The institute should provide an ambience that encourages
students to raise questions inside as well as outside the class global scale?
and also encourage informal interactions between teachers India is attracting a large number of international students.
and students. The institute should bring out the centrality of This is a good trend and will eventually lead to improvement
science in engineering education and the fact that humani- of our global ranks.
ties and the social sciences are indispensable for developing a
world view in the minds of students which is closer to reality. Skills demanded from fresh graduates entering the
Last but not the least, the curriculum should promote group
activity and collaborative projects. market has changed. To what degree does this hold

good for aspiring engineers?
This has been true for quite some time. It is probably a re-
flection of the fact that the expansion of our engineering
education put pressure on the country’s ability to deliver
quality engineering education. We hope that the system
will soon stabilize at a quantitative level at which quality will
not be compromised. Further, online resources can play an
important role in providing access to good quality engineer-
ing education.

What measures were taken to support R&D during the What lesson can we take away from the pandemic?
We have realized that online education is much more useful
lockdown? and powerful than was believed before the pandemic. We
First and foremost was to provide adequate e-resources to have also seen that productivity can be enhanced by cutting
both teachers and students so that they may closely replicate down on some travel by using online resources.
the usual classroom and the laboratory experience. One big

88 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

CSAIE4NN.TAR0DVGEUREAINSEETTEAITNRHEDGYRAYS DR S. RAJESH,
Director, Saveetha Engineering College, Chennai

Saveetha Engineering College (SEC) is de- whereby learners can select subject, faculty, schedule
termined to bring a transformation through and domain electives. Beyond the curriculum practi-
a curriculum designed for the future as they cal learning enhances the employability and entrepre-
put forth tremendous efforts into an auton- neurial skills of students. As director, Rajesh has created
omous institution creating industry ready Saveetha Teaching Learning Centre (STLC) and Saveetha
engineers and lifelong learners. Established in 2001 by Centre of Future Technologies (SCoFT). STLC focuses on
Dr. N.M. Veeraiyan, a committed medical professional, faculty development, student development and curricu-
SEC today has 4,349 students across 12 undergraduate lum development. Through STLC, educators are trained
courses, eight postgraduate courses including MBA, MS to global standards with Indo Universal Collaboration
by Research and doctoral
programmes in five depart- for Engineering Education
ments. SEC was awarded (IUCEE). SCoFT focuses on
autonomous status by the the centres of excellence
UGC from 2019-2020. in future technologies of
all disciplines including 3D
Director Dr. S Rajesh says, Printing, Robotics, Indus-
“Best colleges make the best trial Automation, Artifi-
engineers. SEC is an autono- cial Intelligence, Machine
mous institution with Indus- Learning, AR/VR, Digital
try 4.0 ready curriculum im- Manufacturing, and New
parting 21st century skills.” Product.
According to the National
Institute Ranking Frame- “We have achieved 97 per
work (NIRF), Saveetha Engineering College is ranked 96 cent placement in the 2020
out of 5,000-plus colleges including the IITs and central, batch with 410-plus students receiving placement offers
state and private institutions in India for the academic year on Day One. More than 250 companies visited our campus
2017-18. SEC has been awarded grade ‘A’ with a score of for placement offering the highest package of Rs 16 lakh
3.19 on a scale of 4 by the National Assessment and Ac- and average package of Rs 5.1 lakh,” says Rajesh, adding,
creditation Council (NAAC) for five years. Also, the National “SEC is recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research
Board of Accreditation (NBA) has accredited five of its UG Organisation (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and
courses. Industrial Research (DSIR), and is set to drive the innova-
tive curriculum in engineering with a noble vision to create
SEC offers fully-flexible, choice-based credit system lifelong learners.”

89 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 OVERALL

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

1 Indian Institute of Maharashtra West Public 19.2 14.8 19.4 18.5 15 9.6 96.5
Technology Bombay 18.8 14.5 19.4 19 14.8 9.2 95.7
18.6 14.3 19.2 19 14.8 9 94.9
2 Indian Institute of Tamil Nadu South Public 18.5 14.3 19 18.8 14.7 8.8 94.1
Technology Madras 18.5 14.2 18.8 18.6 14.7 8.8 93.6
18.3 14 18.8 18.6 14.6 8.7 93
3 Indian Institute of Delhi North Public
Technology Delhi 18.3 14 18.7 18.4 14.5 8.6 92.5

Indian Institute West Bengal East Public 18.2 14 18.6 18.3 14.4 8.6 92.1
4 of Technology 18.1 13.9 18.5 18.3 14.4 8.5 91.7

Kharagpur 18 13.8 18.7 18.3 14.2 8.5 91.5

5 Indian Institute of Uttar Pradesh North Public 17.9 13.7 18.7 18.3 14.2 8.6 91.4
Technology Kanpur 17.9 13.7 18.6 18.1 14 8.6 90.9
17.7 13.6 18.6 18.2 14 8.5 90.6
6 Indian Institute of Uttarakhand North Public 19.1 14.5 14.8 17.5 14.8 9.6 90.3
Technology Roorkee 19 13.4 19 18.3 13.8 6.7 90.2
18.9 14.4 19.2 18.3 11.6 7.7 90.1
Indian Institute of 14.8 13.3 19 18.2 14.5 9.6 89.4

7 Technology (Banaras Uttar Pradesh North Public 17.6 11.5 18.5 18 14.2 8.5 88.3
Hindu University)

Varanasi

Indian Institute of Assam North Public
8 Technology

Guwahati

9 Indian Institute of Madhya Central Public
Technology Indore Pradesh

Indian Institute of

10 Technology (Indian Jharkhand East Public
School Of Mines)

Dhanbad

11 Institute of Chemical Maharashtra West Public
Technology

12 Jadavpur West Bengal East Public
University

13 Anna Tamil Nadu South Public
University

14 Vellore Institute of Tamil Nadu South Private
Technology

15 Birla Institute of Rajasthan North Private
Technology & Science

16 Manipal Institute of Karnataka South Private
Technology

Thapar Institute of Punjab North Private
17 Engineering And

Technology

Indian Institute Telangana South Public
18 of Technology

Hyderabad

90 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 2021

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

19 Indian Institute of Punjab North Public 17.6 13.5 17.1 18 13.4 8.4 88
Technology Ropar North Public 17.7 13.3 18.4 15.8 13.8 8.4 87.4
West Public 17.5 13.4 18.2 15 13.8 8.2 86.1
20 Indian Institute of Himachal
Technology Mandi Pradesh South Private 17 13.3 18.9 14.1 14.4 7.6 85.3
South Private 18.1 14.2 14.9 14.1 14.3 9.5 85.1
Indian Institute Gujarat East Private 12.6 14.1 18.7 16 14.2 9.4 85
21 of Technology North Private 14.5 13 15.9 17.8 14 9.2 84.4
North Private 13.9 13.2 15.2 17.1 13.4 7.1 79.9
Gandhinagar South Private 14.6 14 14.8 18 14.4 9.1 84.9
East Public 14.4 13.4 16.4 17.9 13.9 8.3 84.3
SRM Institute Tamil Nadu East Public 17.3 13.3 14.1 17.3 13.9 8.2 84.1
22 of Science And
South Public 17.3 13.2 18 17.7 11.7 6.1 84
Technology East Public 17.3 13 14 17.7 13.7 8.2 83.9
South Public 17.2 13 13.9 17.7 13.8 8 83.6
23 PSG College of Tamil Nadu South Public 17.1 12.9 15.8 17.6 11.6 8.1 83.1
Technology South Private 15.4 13.9 12.6 17.8 14.1 9.2 83

24 Birla Institute of Jharkhand South Private 15.3 13.8 13.5 17.9 13.9 8.1 82.5
Technology South Private 18.2 13.7 12.2 15.7 13.2 9.4 82.4
South Private 16.1 13.7 12.3 17.1 13.8 9.3 82.3
25 Amity Uttar Pradesh
University

26 Galgotias Uttar Pradesh
University

27 Amrita School of Tamil Nadu
Engineering

28 Indian Institute of Bihar
Technology Patna

Indian Institute Odisha
29 of Technology

Bhubaneswar

National Institute Tamil Nadu
30 of Technology

Tiruchirappalli

31 National Institute of Odisha
Technology Rourkela

32 National Institute of Karnataka
Technology Surathkal

33 National Institute of Telangana
Technology Warangal

Shanmugha Arts Tamil Nadu
34 Science Technology &

Research Academy

Sri Sivasubramaniya Tamil Nadu
35 Nadar College of

Engineering

36 R. V. College of Karnataka
Engineering

37 Thiagarajar College Tamil Nadu
of Engineering

91 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 OVERALL

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

38 Indian Institute of Rajasthan North Public 15 12.9 15.8 17.6 13.6 6.8 81.7
Technology Jodhpur Public 14 13 15.7 17.5 13.5 7.8 81.5
Public 16.9 13 13.8 17.4 13.3 7 81.4
Visvesvaraya Maharashtra West Public 16.9 12.9 14.5 17.4 13.5 6.1 81.3
39 National Institute of Public 16.8 12.8 16.6 17.5 9.7 7.8 81.2
Public 16.7 11.8 14.3 17.4 13.8 7.1 81.1
Technology Private 14.2 13.5 13.2 17.5 13.8 8.8 81
Private 14.4 13.4 14.5 16.4 13.6 8.6 80.9
National Institute Haryana North Private 18 13.3 14.4 15.2 12.7 6.8 80.4
40 of Technology Private 14.8 13.4 16.9 15.1 12.9 6.9 80
Private 14.1 13.1 13.1 17 13.8 8.6 79.7
Kurukshetra Public 14.7 12.7 14.5 17.2 12.7 7.8 79.6

41 Aligarh Muslim Uttar Pradesh North Public 14.7 13.5 15.6 14.3 13.4 7.8 79.3
University Public 13.7 12.9 17.9 12.6 13.1 8.9 79.1
Public 16.6 12.6 13.4 16.1 12.7 7.6 79
42 National Institute of West Bengal East Public 16.5 12.3 13.5 17.1 12.3 7.1 78.8
Technology Durgapur Private 14.7 13.3 6.5 78.6
Private 17.3 11 18 15.1 11 6.8 78.5
43 National Institute of Kerala South 12.8 13.8 16.8
Technology Calicut

Sathyabama Institute Tamil Nadu South
44 of Science And

Technology

45 B. M. S. College of Karnataka South
Engineering

Koneru Lakshmaiah
46 EducationFoundation Andhra Pradesh South

University

M. S. Ramaiah Karnataka South
47 Institute of

Technology

48 Coimbatore Institute Tamil Nadu South
of Technology

Indian Institute of

49 Engineering Science West Bengal East
and Technology,

Shibpur

Motilal Nehru Uttar Pradesh North
50 National Institute of

Technology

Jawaharlal Nehru Telangana South
51 Technological

University

52 Delhi Technological Delhi North
University

National Institute Maharashtra West
53 of Industrial

Engineering

B. S. Abdur Rahman Tamil Nadu South
54 Institute of Science

and Technology

55 Kalinga Institute of Odisha East
Industrial Technology

92 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 2021

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

Karunya Institute Tamil Nadu South Private 15.5 12.9 14.9 16.8 10.1 8.2 78.4
56 of Technology and South Private 13.5 12.8 13.7 16.8 13.2 8.2 78.2
North Private 13.4 12.7 15.5 16.4 13.1 7 78.1
Sciences South Private 14.3 12.6 15.6 14.6 13 7.9 78
North Private 14.1 12.6 13.2 16.5 13.1 8.3 77.8
57 Kongu Engineering Tamil Nadu South Public 14.2 12.4 15.1 16.8 13.3 5.9 77.7
College North Public 15.4 12.4 13.9 16.6 13.3 5 76.6
West Public 12.1 12.2 14.5 16.7 13.2 7.7 76.4
Jaypee Institute Uttar Pradesh North Private 13.1 12.5 14.4 16.4 12.6 7.3 76.3
58 of Information
West Private 12 7.5 76.2
Technology
West Private 13.3 6 76
59 PES Karnataka East Private 12.9 6.9 75.9
University South Private 12.8 7.7 75.5

60 PEC University of Chandigarh North Public 12.4 7.4 75.3
Technology
Central Public 13.4 7 75
61 Pondicherry Pondicherry
Engineering College West Public 12.4 7.1 74.9
North
62 Jamia Millia Delhi East Public 13.9 6.9 74.6
Islamia North Public 12.6 7 74.5
North Private 14.4 5.7 74.1
63 College of Maharashtra
Engineering

64 Chitkara Punjab
University

Bharati Vidyapeeth

65 Deemed University Maharashtra 12.2 15.4 16.4 12.7
College of

Engineering

66 MIT- Maharashtra 12.3 15.4 16.3 12.7
WPU 12.1 14.9 16.2 12.9
12 14.3 16.1 12.6
67 C. V. Raman College of Odisha
Engineering

Hindustan Institute Tamil Nadu
68 of Technology And

Science

Malaviya National Rajasthan 12.3 13.2 17 13
69 Institute of

Technology

Maulana Azad Madhya 12.4 13 17 12.2
70 National Institute of Pradesh

Technology

Sardar Vallabhbhai Gujarat 12.2 13 16.9 13.3
71 National Institute of

Technology

National Institute of Assam 12.1 14.4 13.8 13.5
72 Technology 12.2 13.7 15.7 13.3
11.6 13.9 16 12.5
Silchar

73 Panjab Chandigarh
University

74 Apeejay Stya Haryana
University

93 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 OVERALL

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

Bannari Amman Tamil Nadu South Private 13.7 11.8 13.6 16 11.3 7.6 74
75 Institute of South Private 13.6 11.9 14.4 14.8 12.3 6.9 73.9
North Private 13.3 11.8 13.1 15.8 12.4 7.4 73.8
Technology North Private 13.4 10.7 14.8 15 12.5 7 73.4
South Private 12.5 11.5 13.6 15.7 12.4 7.3 73
76 Cmr Institute of Karnataka Private 12.8 11.4 14.8 14.8 12.3 6.7 72.8
Technology South Public 12.2 12.3 13.5 14.7 13.2 6.5 72.4
Public 13.7 12 12.7 14.8 13.1 6 72.3
77 Sharda Uttar Pradesh North Public 12.6 12 13 14.6 13 6.8 72
University West Private 13.1 11.8 11.6 15.5 12.8 7 71.8
South Public 12.2 11.9 12.4 16.4 12.9 5.8 71.6
78 Kiet Group of Uttar Pradesh North Public 12.3 11.7 13.4 16.2 12 5.9 71.5
Institutions South Public 13.2 11.8 11.3 16 12.6 6.3 71.2
South Public 12.8 11.6 11.6 16.3 12.7 6
79 Kumaraguru College Tamil Nadu Public 11.8 11.5 12.7 15.2 12.9 6.8 71
of Technology North Public 11.5 11.6 12.6 16.1 13 5.8 70.9
South Public 11.7 11.4 12.4 16 12.6 6.2 70.6
Mukesh Patel School West 70.3
South Public 12.3 11.3 12.1 15.9 12.7 5.7
80 of Technology Karnataka North 70
Management qnd Public 12.3 11.2 12 15.9 12.5 5.9
North 69.8
Engineering
North
81 National Institute of Himachal East
Technology Hamirpur Pradesh

Defence Institute Maharashtra
82 of Advanced

Technology

83 Sri Venkateswara Andhra
University Pradesh

IILM College of Uttar Pradesh
84 Engineering &

Technology

85 AU College of Andhra
Engineering Pradesh

College of Kerala
86 Engineering

Trivandrum

Indraprastha Institute Delhi
87 of Information

Technology Delhi

88 University College of Telangana
Engineering

89 Army Institute of Maharashtra
Technology

90 Government College Tamil Nadu
of Technology

Guru Gobind Singh Delhi
91 Indraprastha

University

Indian Institute

92 of Information Uttar Pradesh
Technology

Allahabad

National Institute Tripura
93 of Technology

Agartala

94 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 2021

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

National Institute Meghalaya North Public 11.4 11 12.7 16 12.8 5.7 69.6
94 of Technology East 12.1 11.3 12.4 15.8 12.4 5.5 69.5
12.3 11.6 13.5 13.6 12.2 6.1 69.3
Meghalaya 11 11.4 12.9 15.7 12.2 5.8 69
12 11.2 13.2 14.6 12.1 5.8 68.9
95 National Institute of Chhattisgarh Central Public 11.9 11.2 12.9 13.5 12.2 6.9 68.6
Technology Raipur 12.2 11.1 13.1 14.5 12 5.5 68.4
12.2 11.1 13.1 14.5 12 5.5 68.4
96 Lovely Professional Punjab North Private
University 12 11 12.3 15.4 12 5.5 68.2
12.2 11.1 11.3 15.3 11.8 6.3 68
Nitte Meenakshi Karnataka South Private 11.4 11.2 12.3 15.2 11.8 6 67.9
97 Institute of
11.7 10.8 12.1 15.3 12.3 5.6 67.8
Technology
12 10.5 12.2 15.2 12.1 5.5 67.5
98 Reva Karnataka South Private 11.3 11 12.4 14.4 12.3 5.9 67.3
University 12.4 11 11.2 15.2 11.6 5.7 67.1
12 5.6 67
International Institute 10.9 12.2 15 11.3

99 of Information Maharashtra West Private

Technology

Dayanand Karnataka South Private
100 Sagar College of

Engineering

Sagi Ramakrishnam Andhra Pradesh South Private
101 Raju Engineering

College

Vel Tech Rangarajan

102 Dr. Sagunthala R&D Tamil Nadu South Private
Institute of Science

And Technology

103 Presidency Bangalore South Private
University

104 Alliance Karnataka South Private
University

Pandit Dwarka Madhya Central Public
Prasad Mishra Pradesh
Indian Institute
105 of Information
Technology, Design
And Manufacturing
(IIITDM) Jabalpur

106 Shri Mata Vaishno Jammu and North Public
Devi University Kashmir

107 Sreenidhi Institute of Telangana South Private
Science & Technology

Kalasalingam Tamil Nadu South Private
108 Academy of Research

& Higher Education

109 Saveetha Tamil Nadu South Private
Engineering College

95 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 OVERALL

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

110 K J Somaiya College of Maharashtra West Private 11.6 10.7 11.5 15.5 11.3 6.2 66.8
Engineering 12.2 10.8 11.3 15.2 11.8 5.4 66.7
12.1 10.7 11.4 15.2 11.6 5.5 66.5
111 JK Lakshmipat Rajasthan North Private 12.4 10.6 11.5 15 11.5 5.2 66.2
University 12 5.6 66
11.7 5.5 65.9
112 Amity Maharashtra West Private 11.1 5.9 65.8
University 12.1 5.5 65.5
12.4 5.5 65.2
113 Siddaganga Institute Maharashtra West Private 11.4 5.5 65.1
of Technology
12.2 5.6 64.9
Manav Rachna
11.9 5.4 64.7
114 International Haryana North Private 10.1 10.5 12.1 14.4 11.4 5.6 64.6
Institute of Research 10.8 5.9 64

And Studies 12.6 5.4 63.9
11.6 5.6 63.7
115 ITM Chhattisgarh Central Private 10.5 12.1 15 11.1
University

116 GNIOT Group of Uttar Pradesh North Private 10.4 12.3 14.8 11.3
Institutes

117 Ansal Haryana North Private 10.3 11.6 14.8 11.2
University

118 Dr. C. V. Raman Chhattisgarh Central Private 10.3 11 14.9 11.1
University

Hope Foundation-

119 Finolex Academy of Telangana South Private 10.4 12.1 14.6 11.1
Management and

Technology

Institute of

120 Aeronautical Telangana South Private 10.2 11.3 14.6 11
Engineering (IARE),

Hyderabad

Shobhit Institute

121 of Engineering and Uttar Pradesh North Private 10.1 12.2 14.1 11
Technology Deemed 10.1 15 13.9 9.9
10 12.1 14.3 10.9
to be University

122 D Y Patil Maharashtra West Private
University

Gokaraju Rangaraju

123 Institute of Telangana South Private
Engineering And

Technology

K. E. Society’s

124 Rajarambapu Maharashtra West Private 10 15.3 10.2 10.4
Institute of 10.2 13.2 13.2 9.9

Technology

125 Amity Chattisgarh Central Private
University

96 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 2021

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

Dayanand Sagar

126 Academy Of Karnataka South Private 10.5 10 13.3 14 10.5 5.3 63.6
Technology & 10.5 5.2 62.4
10.4 5.3 62.2
Management 10.4 5.1 62.1
10.4 5 62
127 Rajalakshmi Tamil Nadu South Private 9.2 10.1 13.2 13 10.4 5.9 61.9
Engineering College 9.1 4.9 61.5
9.3 4.9 60.4
AISSMS All India Shri Maharashtra West Private 9.2 10 12.1 13.9 10.5 4.4 60
128 Shivaji Memorial
9.4 4.8 59.7
Society 10 4.9 59.3
10 4.7 59.1
129 KLE Institute of Karnataka South Private 10.1 9.7 15 11.9 10 4.8 58.9
Technology
10.9 4.7 58.5
Prasad V. Potluri Andhra Pradesh South Private 10.8 9.7 15 11.9 10 4.6 57.9
130 Siddhartha Institute 10.3 4.3 57.4
10.7 4.6 57.2
of Technology

131 Rabindranath Tagore Madhya Central Private 10.8 11.9 13.8 10.3
University Pradesh 9.8 12.9 13.7 11.1
9.9 12.8 13.6 9.9
132 Sanskriti Uttar Pradesh North Private
University

133 Adamas West Bengal East Private
University

JLU School of Madhya Central Private 9.7 13.7 13 10
134 Engineering & Pradesh

Technology

Shri Shankaracharya

135 Institute of Chhattisgarh Central Private 9.6 12.7 13.5 9.7
Engineering & 9.5 11.6 13.4 9.9
9.5 11.6 13.3 10
Technology 9.3 12 13.3 9.4

136 Srinivas Institute of Karnataka South Private
Technology

137 Technocrats Institute Madhya Central Private
of Technology, Bhopal Pradesh

Vignan’s Foundation

138 for Science, Andhra Pradesh South Private
Technology &

Research

VNR Vignana Jyothi Telangana South Private 9.4 10.4 13.3 9.8
139 Institute of Engg & 9.5 10.3 13.2 9.5
9.3 11.6 12.1 9.8
Technology 9.2 10.2 13.1 9.4

140 SJC Institute of Karnataka South Private
Technology

141 Medi- Caps Madhya Central Private
University Pradesh

Accurate Institute Uttar Pradesh North Private
142 of Technology and

Management

97 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 PUBLIC

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

1 Indian Institute of Maharashtra West Public 19.2 14.8 19.4 18.5 15 9.6 96.5
Technology Bombay 9.2 95.7
9 94.9
2 Indian Institute of Tamil Nadu South Public 18.8 14.5 19.4 19 14.8 8.8 94.1
Technology Madras 8.8 93.6
8.7 93
3 Indian Institute of Delhi North Public 18.6 14.3 19.2 19 14.8 8.6 92.5
Technology Delhi
8.6 92.1
Indian Institute West Bengal East Public 18.5 14.3 19 18.8 14.7 8.5 91.7
4 of Technology 8.5 91.5
8.6 91.4
Kharagpur 8.6 90.9
8.5 90.6
5 Indian Institute of Uttar Pradesh North Public 18.5 14.2 18.8 18.6 14.7 8.5 88.3
Technology Kanpur

6 Indian Institute of Uttarakhand North Public 18.3 14 18.8 18.6 14.6
Technology Roorkee

Indian Institute of

7 Technology (Banaras Uttar Pradesh North Public 18.3 14 18.7 18.4 14.5
Hindu University)

Varanasi

Indian Institute of Assam North Public 18.2 14 18.6 18.3 14.4
8 Technology East

Guwahati

9 Indian Institute of Madhya Central Public 18.1 13.9 18.5 18.3 14.4
Technology Indore Pradesh

Indian Institute of

10 Technology (Indian Jharkhand East Public 18 13.8 18.7 18.3 14.2
School of Mines)

Dhanbad

11 Institute of Chemical Maharashtra West Public 17.9 13.7 18.7 18.3 14.2
Technology

12 Jadavpur West Bengal East Public 17.9 13.7 18.6 18.1 14
University

13 Anna Tamil Nadu South Public 17.7 13.6 18.6 18.2 14
University

Indian Institute Telangana South Public 17.6 11.5 18.5 18 14.2
14 of Technology

Hyderabad

98 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES 2021 (PUBLIC)

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

15 Indian Institute of Punjab North Public 17.6 13.5 17.1 18 13.4 8.4 88
Technology Ropar 17.7 13.3 18.4 15.8 13.8 8.4 87.4
17.5 13.4 18.2 15 13.8 8.2 86.1
16 Indian Institute of Himachal North Public 14.4 13.4 16.4 17.9 13.9 8.3 84.3
Technology Mandi Pradesh 17.3 13.3 14.1 17.3 13.9 8.2 84.1

Indian Institute Gujarat West Public 17.3 13.2 18 17.7 11.7 6.1 84
17 of Technology 17.3 13 14 17.7 13.7 8.2 83.9
17.2 13 13.9 17.7 13.8 8 83.6
Gandhinagar 17.1 12.9 15.8 17.6 11.6 8.1 83.1
15 12.9 15.8 17.6 13.6 6.8 81.7
18 Indian Institute of Bihar East Public 14 13 15.7 17.5 13.5 7.8 81.5
Technology Patna
16.9 13 13.8 17.4 13.3 7 81.4
Indian Institute Odisha East Public 16.9 12.9 14.5 17.4 13.5 6.1 81.3
19 of Technology 16.8 12.8 16.6 17.5 9.7 7.8 81.2
16.7 11.8 14.3 17.4 13.8 7.1 81.1
Bhubaneswar

National Institute Tamil Nadu South Public
20 of Technology

Tiruchirappalli

21 National Institute of Odisha East Public
Technology Rourkela

22 National Institute of Karnataka South Public
Technology Surathkal

23 National Institute of Telangana South Public
Technology Warangal

24 Indian Institute of Rajasthan North Public
Technology Jodhpur

Visvesvaraya Maharashtra West Public
25 National Institute of

Technology

National Institute Haryana North Public
26 of Technology

Kurukshetra

27 Aligarh Muslim Uttar Pradesh North Public
University

28 National Institute of West Bengal East Public
Technology Durgapur

29 National Institute of Kerala South Public
Technology Calicut

99 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021

RANKINGS 2021 PUBLIC

BW BUSINESSWORLD BEST ENGINEERING

BW Rank 2021
Institution
State
Region
Category
Research
Excellence
(20)
Innovation
(15)
Teaching
(20)
Employment
(20)

Infrastructure
(15)

Inclusivess
And Social
Impact (10)

Total
(100)

Indian Institute of

30 Engineering Science West Bengal East Public 14.7 12.7 14.5 17.2 12.7 7.8 79.6
and Technology,
14.7 7.8 79.3
Shibpur 13.7 8.9 79.1
16.6 7.6 79
Motilal Nehru Uttar Pradesh North Public 16.5 13.5 15.6 14.3 13.4 7.1 78.8
31 National Institute of 14.2 5.9 77.7
15.4 5 76.6
Technology 12.1 7.7 76.4
12.4 7.4 75.3
Jawaharlal Nehru Telangana South Public 13.4 12.9 17.9 12.6 13.1 7 75
32 Technological 12.4 7.1 74.9
13.9 6.9 74.6
University 12.6 7 74.5
12.2 6.5 72.4
33 Delhi Technological Delhi North Public 13.7 12.6 13.4 16.1 12.7 6 72.3
University

National Institute Maharashtra West Public 12.3 13.5 17.1 12.3
34 of Industrial

Engineering

35 Pondicherry Pondicherry South Public 12.4 15.1 16.8 13.3
Engineering College 12.4 13.9 16.6 13.3
12.2 14.5 16.7 13.2
36 Jamia Millia Delhi North Public
Islamia

37 College of Maharashtra West Public
Engineering

Malaviya National Rajasthan North Public 12.3 13.2 17 13
38 Institute of

Technology

Maulana Azad Madhya Central Public 12.4 13 17 12.2
39 National Institute of Pradesh

Technology

Sardar Vallabhbhai Gujarat West Public 12.2 13 16.9 13.3
40 National Institute of

Technology

National Institute of Assam North Public 12.1 14.4 13.8 13.5
41 Technology 12.2 13.7 15.7 13.3
12.3 13.5 14.7 13.2
Silchar 12 12.7 14.8 13.1

42 Panjab Chandigarh North Public
University

43 National Institute of Himachal North Public
Technology Hamirpur Pradesh

Defence Institute Maharashtra West Public
44 of Advanced

Technology

100 | BW BUSINESSWORLD | 30 August - 13 September 2021