Namaste, India - Delhi Edition

We arrived in India tired, but excited!  

New Delhi Airport

At the airport we were greeted with beautiful leis by Dr. Gupta’s father.  What a treat!   

We started the next morning at EMPI with an ethic makeover.  It was a great way to start our trip.  Next we began our workshop on Media Innovations.  Our professor, Noorul Islam, was excellent at “out of the box” teaching.  It was a fun way to learn and we really saw things in a different perspective.  I also enjoyed the interactive format of the workshop.  After lunch we visited several sites with the students from EMPI.  Not only was it great to see the tourist attractions, but we also made new friends at the same time.  I’m glad we had the opportunity to stay at EMPI for a few days and bond with the local students.  The Lotus Temple was beautiful and serene.  I had never heard of IndiaGate before my visit, but that was great as well.  Luckily we were able to visit before the protests began, effectively shutting down India Gate to tourists.  That evening we visited Dilli Haat.  There were so many beautiful handmade items.  Again, one must be good at negotiation to get a good bargain in India.  Luckily one of the EMPI students helped me purchase some souvenirs.   

India Gate

The next day we continued our Media Innovations workshop.  Again, Professor Islam did a wonderful job in using creative techniques to reinforce the ideas.  I always learn better by doing, so this teaching method is great for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed his program, however my favorite lesson was by Dr. Saran.  Her presentation on the female archetypes of Indian women using the goddesses of India was spectacular.  I always find presentations of female empowerment in the business world to be quite interesting, but Dr. Saran’s presentation was particularly impressive.  The clear examples and the assignment to find real-life examples of each goddess helped to thoroughly understand the lesson.  That night we said goodbye to our new friends and attended a dance/fashion show on campus.  Some of us had purchased sarees, so this was an excellent opportunity to show off our new outfits.  It was very enjoyable and gave us a chance to socialize further with the local students.   

Embracing the culture

The next day we departed and went to the Coca Cola India Head Office to meet with Mr. Debabrata Mukherjee and Mr. Rajeev Minocha.  Since I hope to work for a multinational organization one day, this was an especially exciting opportunity for me.  The presentation covered the obstacles Coca Cola had to overcome when they entered the Indian market, and the continued challenges to continue gaining market share.  This type of meeting is why I feel the study abroad tours are such a useful tool for any aspiring professional.  We learn first hand from local business people what to do in these type of situations.  Case studies are excellent learning tools, but when you meet with companies such as Coca Cola and Dr. Lal PathLabs, one can learn first hand how local and global companies do business in a country.