As part of a new business initiative, the Ross School of Business has recently begun working with TVS Logistics — a company that handles logistical work for automotive, electronics and component manufacturing companies — to establish a program in India.
Specifically, the collaboration aims to develop a domain expertise, management and organization-building program in the country. According to Business Prof. M.P. Narayanan, the main goal of the program is to train technical employees more formally in a logistical setting.
Narayanan said because India is a fast-growing country, it needs to “upgrade human capital” in order for its businesses to continue to grow successfully.
While this program will generate revenue for the Business School and help fund educational efforts at the University, Narayanan said they “don’t do anything just for the sake of revenue.”
“Here we are getting into a deeper engagement with this company,” he said. “We don’t just teach them — we teach and they apply what they teach for a project within the company … we are engaged even within the project.”
Melanie Barnett, chief executive of education for the Business School, said that the staff that will be running the program will bring vital skills and information back to the University from India.
“It’s a great opportunity for our faculty to work with and learn from real executives working in real companies grappling with real issues, and our faculty bringing that back to their other work such as their research and teaching,” said Barnett.
She said University students will benefit from this exchange by having professors who are able to discuss real-life situation, adding that the program has the possibility to evolve and become an even more advanced and beneficial program.
“What we hope to have happen is that a broader and more multifaceted relationship evolves,” she said. “For example, maybe student action learning projects take place and grow at TVS. Maybe TVS recruits our graduates. Maybe we provide relevant research to TVS. There are benefits going both ways.”
Executive Director of TVS Services, S. Ravichandran, explained that if the three-year program goes well it will lead to increased interactions between the University and TVS, in addition to establishing potential for a global program.
In an e-mail interview, Ravichandran wrote that TVS has been growing rapidly over the past few years and is showing no signs of slowing down. He added that he anticipates that TVS will earn around one billion dollars in the next three to four years, but needs help from the Business School in order to gain the administrative experience necessary to handle such tremendous growth.
“The program envisaged has much uniqueness which we believe is a good example of co-creation,” Ravichandran wrote.