MGMT 6906 - Impact Report

Winter 2022

MGMT 6905: BRINGING BUSINESS IDEAS TO LIFE

IMPACT REPORT OFFICE OF INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHULICH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, YORK UNIVERSITY

Table of Contents

01

02

About the course

Special Guests

03

04

The Challenge Statements

Solutions

05 Thank You

MGMT 6905: Bringing Business Ideas to Life Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Schulich School of Business Impact Report - Winter 2022

About the Course

FROM THE INSTRUCTORS In January 2022, GMR Group and the Schulich School of Business worked together to launch the inaugural cohort of MGMT 6905 - Bringing Business Ideas to Life. The course provided students with the opportunity to experience and contribute to innovation in a real world and large scale corporate environment.

This novel format made the course the first of its kind to be offered at Schulich, exclusively available to our first year MBA in India students.

This course represents an important advancement in teaching and learning at the university, creating space for the private and academic sectors to collaborate and co-create the future of business practices and education. It also acts as a catalyst for intercultural understanding and professional cooperation, bridging the innovation ecosystems of Toronto and Hyderabad.

There are no two organizations better suited to realize this opportunity. The relationship that has developed between GMR Group and the Schulich School of Business is unique and invaluable. We are thankful for the opportunity that this course created to further strengthen the tie between our two organizations.

We are so humbled by the growth and passion discovered throughout this course and have no doubt that our students will be the next generation of innovation leaders.

Chris Carder

Executive Director Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Schulich School of Business

Rama Iyer Head of Innovation GMR Group

ABOUT MGMT 6905 Students in Schulich's MBA India cohort spent the 12 weeks of their winter term enrolled in this course. Weekly classes combined the global perspectives of guest lecturers with the airport specific focus of GMR's industry leading experts.

Teams of 5-6 students were each assigned a real challenge that GMR is trying to address within their Hyderabad International Airport, and were given the duration of the course to work on a solution.

Teams were each given access to a mentor from within the GMR business unit that was addressing the challenge, as well as an external industry leader from India's innovation ecosystem.

During the final class, student teams presented their ideas to a panel of judges for the chance to win cash prizes.

"Our two organizations, Schulich and GMR, have much in common. From a culture that is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence to a strong commitment to corporate social responsibility. That commitment encompasses ethical business conduct at all times, sound corporate governance, environmentally sustainable business practices, and triple-bottom line thinking. This is the business model that we teach at Schulich, and this is the business model that GMR Group practices."

- Dean Detlev Zwick Schulich School of Business

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

54 Schulich MBA

India Students

10

6 Ecosystem Mentors

GMR Mentors

13

Speakers

$10,000 In total prize funding

10

Challenge Statements

Special Guests

A Beginning Like None Other!

During the first week of class, students had the privilege of meeting Chairman Rao of GMR Group. They learned about his journey to become an entrepreneur with global influence, and the challenges he faced that led to his success.

"People see me as a successful entrepreneur but it's been full of adversities and challenges.

Nevertheless, I never blamed the situation and always tried to convert these adversities into opportunities. Learning from these adversities have shaped me into who I am today " - Chairman Rao

"Mr. Rao's reflection that behind his entrepreneurial journey lay a great amount of adversity and how it took him an enormous amount of perseverance to deal with these adversities was truly insightful. I also admire Mr. Rao's willingness to embrace and drive change throughout this journey, something which I believe every business leader needs to follow."

- Ashwinth Sharon Prem (MBA'23) "Its no longer survival of the fittest, but survival of the most innovative" Such pearls of wisdom shared by Mr. GM Rao in the session are going to stay with us for a long long time. It was a privilege and an honor to hear your inspiring life story."

- Ashi Choudhary (MBA'23)

GUEST LECTURERS Week 2

Nicole is a partner with 2150. She talked about Smart City design, and how it is being executed around the world.

Nicole LeBlanc Partner, Platform 2150

SGK Kishore Executive Director & CIO GMR Airports

Mr. Kishore, Executive Director and Chief Innovation Officer for GMR Airports talked about the GMR Focus of Digital Transformation & The Airport.

"Instead of accountability, appreciation should be used as a crucial strategy for enhancing productivity and creating a better work culture." - Yash Matai (MBA'23)

Week 4

Keith Loo, Co-founder and CEO of Skinopathy & Schulich Instructor talked about corporate innovation and how to make a compelling case.

Dr Muthukrishnan M Health, Safety, and Co-founder and CEO, Skinopathy; Head of Environment, Sustainability Schulich Instructor Airports, GMR Group

Keith Loo

Dr. Muthukrishnan M, Head of Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability for GMR Group's Airport Sector spoke on the sustainability imperative for new ideas at GMR.

"I figuratively and literally changed my view of ideas, on their sustainability/ survivability and on how to actually pitch them" - Abdul Gaffar Khan (MBA'23)

Week 5

Sapan Gupta, Master Planner of GMR's Hyderabad International Airport provided an overview of the unique challenges involved with designing for airport users.

Sapan Gupta

Master Planner, GMR Hyderabad International Airport

David Dougherty Partner Ascendis

David Dougherty, Partner at Ascendis discussed environmental design and how to appropriately leverage technology.

GUEST LECTURERS Week 6

Jeremy Vo, Co-Founder and CEO of LeapMotiv talked about infusing data-centric strategies into new products.

Jeremy Vo Co-Founder & CEO, LeapMotiv

Week 7

Gary Fung, Head of Technology, Venture Studio at Highline Beta gave an analysis of the ecosystem around enterprise technology blockers through his master class.

Gary Fung

Head of Technology, Venture Studio, Highline Beta

Rishi Mehta

Chief Strategy Officer Digital and IT GMR Group

Matthew Patience

Director, Application Development, Kinetic Commerce

Also during Week 7, panelists Rishi Mehta and Matthew Patience spoke about emerging technology. Rishi Mehta is the Digital Head of Group Works at BCM Office of GMR Group. Matthew Patience is the Director of Application Development at Kinetic Commerce. They each shared their perspectives on the emerging tech and trends that are shaping their industries.

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

GUEST LECTURERS

Week 11

Sahil Barua Co-Founder

Sahil Barua, Co-Founder of Delhivery, gave students an innovation masterclass! At Delhivery he is responsible for setting the overall strategic direction of the company and also works closely with the engineering & product teams.

Sahil has built a team of over 66,000 that has successfully fulfilled over 1 billion orders across India and has built a nation-wide network servicing over 17000 pin codes.

"Hearing Sahil Barua's story about the development of Delhivery was truly motivating. The decision to focus on a small number of distribution facilities and polish them before expanding further demonstrated how critical it is for a business to hone operational efficiency early on."

-Dinker Gulati (MBA'23) "Delhivery’s commitment towards social responsibilities and its employees is commendable and an excellent lesson for upcoming startups and entrepreneurs."

-Kanika Tyagi (MBA'23)

GMR MENTORS "This course has given us the opportunity to solve real world industry problems in such a safe and experimental environment and I am grateful to our mentors for giving us a direction and a structured approach to solve it. By following the recommendation of our mentors, we will be able to deliver a solution that as a team, we could be proud of."

- Ankita Tiwari (MBA'23)

Shashank Rajeev

Kishore Devarkonda

GM-F&B,Commercial Services & Advertising GHIAL

Manager of Intrapreneurship GMR Innovex

Avtar Singh

Head Innovation WAISL

Senior Technology Leader GMR- HOI

Sunil Munnangi

Subramanian MH

Shobhit Goel

AGM- Airport Operations & Safety GHIAL

Narayanasamy Venkatachalapathy

Head of Environment & Safety GHIAL

AGM – Quality and Compliances GMR CARGO

Sailav Panda

AM-Commercial Non-Aero GHIAL

Dhruv Godara

Manager Innovation GMR AeroTech

Dinesh Kumar

Manager- Air Service Development & Commercial Strategy GHIAL

ECOSYSTEM MENTORS

Rajeev YSR

Vijay Bhaskar

Chief Mentor EV Masterclass

Head of Customer Experience ObjectFrontier Software

N Venkatesh

Amit Sabale

Sr. Director, Engineering Silicon Labs

Rajendra Prasad Telugu

Director Hexagon

Sriram Yarlagadda

Senior Manager, Digital Director Marketing Solutions Collaborant Incubators Private Google Limited

JUDGES

Srikanth Peddibhotla Vito Giovannetti

Founder & Chief Architect HappiCities Lab

Co-Founder Treasured

Vikrant Varshney

Co-founder & Managing Partner SucSEED Innovation Fund

The Challenge Statements

CHALLENGE STATEMENTS GMR's business units curated a set of ‘challenge statements’ that would help them achieve their vision of elevating their airports into micro smart cities. Challenge statements were randomly assigned to MBA student teams, each with a dedicated mentor from the GMR business unit that provided the challenge statement, and an external mentor from India's innovation ecosystem.

How can HYD airport achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030?

It is important to GMR Group to effectively contribute to fighting the climate change crisis. This goal is also aligned with the government of India’s COP-26 commitment, and helps to be prepared for stringent new regulations that are expected in the coming years.

How can real-time passenger behaviours and profiles be captured in non-intrusive ways?

Commercial planning at the airport is dependent on the needs of passengers travelling through the airport. Therefore, understanding the passenger profile is critical in order to plan and provide the various services and options that are most needed by passengers.

SECOND PLACE SOLUTION

How can the airport prepare for the new generation of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles and the impact it will have on India's aviation industry?

As one of the leading infrastructure providers, it is important for GMR to look into emerging areas and explore standalone and partnership models to develop eVTOL ground infrastructure and airport operations that facilitate the vertical landing and take-off of the electric taxis.

What platform or solution can be deployed for Crowd Behavioural Analytics (CBA) in crowded areas?

There is significant potential at the airport for cross promotion between various offerings. It is very important to capture the behaviour of the passenger and their user journey within the airport to enhance revenues.

Is it feasible to implement a digital health passport for air travel in the Indian aviation industry?

The digital health passport will be impossible to falsify, allowing a much higher quality of service in GMR airports through a decrease in bottlenecks, queues and congestion. It will result in a more organized process with seamless travel, leading to improvements in GMR’s reputation.

CHALLENGE STATEMENTS What trends in AR, VR, and XR are being adopted in the aviation industry?

By understanding the expected impact of AR/VR/XR throughout the aviation industry ecosystem, GMR will be able to assess these technologies from the airport operator perspective.

How can new systems be used to improve cargo visibility and tracking in a multi-stakeholder environment?

Air cargo handling involves a diverse set of stakeholders who perform a different set of activities in each transaction. If the coordination, interaction, and processing steps involving all these stakeholders can be made more seamless, automated, transparent and secure using new generation technologies, the shipment processing times, efficiencies and customer experience can all be improved along with the resulting gains in business performance.

WINNING SOLUTION

How can airport passenger handling capacity be enhanced using next generation technology and innovation?

Enhancing passenger handling capacity will help to optimize the current airport infrastructure and improve passenger experience.

Can the outer body scanning of aircraft be automated to identify dents at MRO (Maintenence, Repair, and Overhaul)?

As the leading MROs in the country, GMR Aero Technic (GAT) needs to employ technologies that facilitate faster turnaround of aircraft that come in for maintenance by optimizing Aircraft Downtimes, thus ensuring enhanced operability of aircraft for the airlines. The use of technology in maintenance will be a key differentiating factor between GAT and other MROs.

What organic marketing strategies can be used to increase the adoption of the Hoi app among travellers?

Increasing adoption of the Hoi app will help GMR to understand the customer better, allowing them to provide tailored service to passengers, and improving the passenger experience.

Solutions

WINNING SOLUTION Team 08 How can airport passenger handling capacity be enhanced using next generation technology and innovation?

Abhishek Banerjee

Dinker Gulati

(MBA'23)

Madhava Reddy

(MBA'23)

Siddharth Raj

(MBA'23)

In memory of:

(MBA'23)

Madhu Nittala

Mentors Dinesh Kumar

AGM - Quality and Compliances, GMR CARGO GMR Mentor

Sriram Yarlagadda

Director: Collabrant Incubators Private Limited External Mentor

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

WINNING SOLUTION Problem Airports are approaching their maximum passenger handling capacity. Addressing this problem requires a deep understanding of airport value chains. Potential areas that can be optimized through the incorporation of new technology into existing infrastructure need to be identified, and the 80/20 rule should be applied to prioritize the implementation.

Solution This team proposed a host of technological and innovative solutions. These included the installation of facial recognition kiosks at departure gates, self-service bag drop kiosks, and Computed Tomography (CT) screening equipment. The team also recommended NextGen Innovations such as a baggage concierge, a smart multi-level parking system, and passenger traffic tracking to improve passenger handling capacity.

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

SECOND PLACE SOLUTION Team 04 How can the airport prepare for the new generation of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) passenger vehicles and the impact it will have on India's aviation industry?

Monishi Dutta Choudhury

Shivanshu Kapoor

Chirag Kaushik

Abhishek Mishra

Prem Singh

Sabarinath Suresan

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Mentors Sunil Munnangi

Head of F&B and Services at Hyderabad International Airport GMR Mentor

Rajeev YSR

Leader, Mentor, Speaker, Faculty External Mentor

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

SECOND PLACE SOLUTION Problem The team was presented with a challenge to understand the impact of the new generation of eVTOL passenger vehicles on the aviation industry. In India, passengers and citizens experience high rates of traffic congestion and accidents on the road.

Indian cities have long struggled to improve last-mile connectivity with public and e-Commerce activities increasing exponentially in the last 5 years.

Solution This team presented a two-phase solution which included the implementation of various 'vertiplaces', including vertihubs, vertiports, and vertistations. The team developed a futuristic project along with its proposed infrastructure design and a viable business plan for the new technology. The solution was aligned with GMR's goals, sustainability focused, and aimed at improving customer experiences, brand reputation, revenues, and operational efficiency.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 01 How can HYD airport achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030?

Amoli Kar

Anand Bhanu

Jerin George

Yashvardhan Mehta

Gowri Prakash

Surya Praneeth Suravajjula

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Mentors Narayanasamy Venkatachalapathy

Head Airport Safety & Environment GMR Mentor

Rajeev YSR

Leader, Mentor, Speaker, Faculty External Mentor

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS

2% 4+

OF GLOBAL CO2 EMISSIONS COME FROM THE AVIATION INDUSTRY

AIRPORT CARBON ACCREDITATION LEVEL TO REACH NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2030

Problem Overcoming carbon emissions has become a global issue today, especially in the aviation industry, which contributes approximately 2% of the overall CO2 emissions. GMR is working to have their airports achieve Level 4+ under the Airport Carbon Accreditation by 2030, representing net-zero emissions.

Solutions This team explored options for GMR to use a mobile application to track stakeholder specific emissions. They identified key solutions focused on emissions from airport owned or controlled sources, from the consumption of purchased energy, and from sources that were not controlled by the airport but that they may influence in order to achieve the targeted net-zero emission by 2030. The solutions were also analyzed from a financial perspective, along with possible risks and corresponding mitigation strategies.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 02 How can real-time passenger behaviours and profiles be captured in non-intrusive ways?

Pavneet Ajnala

Gaurav Dahiya

Pavreet Kolhi

Tashi Mohan

Sayan Mukherjee

Prachi Shirole

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Mentors Sailav Panda

Associate Manager GMR Mentor

Vijay Bhaskar

Head Of Customer Experience at ObjectFrontier Software Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship External Mentor Impact Report 2022

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problem Presently, both customers and GMR face problems when it comes to sharing and capturing data. Pain points of the customer include a lack of digital services and awareness about airport services, as well as hesitation to share data or download additional apps. GMR's limited access to data interferes with their desire to improve the customer journey, understand customer profiles better and increase revenue opportunities within airport services.

Solution The proposed solution aims to capture data in order to improve customer experience. The purpose was to drive revenue through customer centric data. The AI powered solution that was recommended collected both micro and macro level data through the use of a chatbot and computer vision algorithms respectively.

Not only did the solution provide a competitive edge to GMR with its cost effectiveness and improved quality of service, it also generated opportunities to increase revenue and easily scale within the AI ecosystem.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 03 What platform or solution can be deployed for Crowd Behavioural Analytics (CBA) in crowded areas?

Suraj Bhatia

Ashi Choudhary

Priyanka Jha

Abdul Khan

Neelam Patel

Sankalp Deep Vyas

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Mentors Kishore Devarkonda

Head of F&B and Services at Hyderabad International Airport GMR Mentor

Vijay Bhaskar

Head Of Customer Experience at ObjectFrontier Software Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship External Mentor Impact Report 2022

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS "INTRUSIVE METHODS OF EMOTIONAL DATA COLLECTION ARE BEING PROACTIVELY IGNORED AND AVOIDED BY CONSUMERS TODAY."

Problem Airports handle over 100 million passengers on a yearly basis. They are in the 'customer experience business' and want to capture and analyze data to better understand the customer journey, behaviour, and satisfaction levels. GMR currently uses simple techniques like personal surveys to capture customer satisfaction and emotional engagement data.

Solution This team developed a proprietary technological solution to the problem.

The solution collected, analyzed and generated insights on the emotional data collected from passengers. This would result in revenue generation through a repository of passenger data, improved brand reputation and brand value, increased customer satisfaction, and greater operational efficiency.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 05 Is it feasible to implement a digital health passport for air travel in the Indian aviation industry?

Sarabdeep Singh Gambhir

Sanhita Guin

(MBA'23)

Pravesh Jha

(MBA'23)

Kumar Rahul Prasad

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Rahul Sreekumar

(MBA'23)

Mentors Shashank Rajeev

Innovation Consultant at GMR Innovex GMR Mentor

Sriram Yarlagadda

Director: Collabrant Incubators Private Limited External Mentor

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problems

Dynamic regulations

Lack of preparedness

Hassle prone travel experience

New caveat of security concern

The aviation industry has been severely impacted by the pandemic, not only from the customers’ perspective but also from the airlines, airports, and regulatory and security personnel. In addition, the ever-changing regulations, lack of preparedness, hassle prone travel experience, and security concerns are some additional problems that the Indian aviation industry presently faces.

Solution

This team recommends that GMR lead the initiative to integrate IATA Pass with their own mobile app. IATA Pass is a mobile app that helps travelers store and manage their verified COVID-19 tests and vaccinations. The team believes that this should be integrated with GMR's HOI mobile application.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 06 What trends in AR, VR, and XR are being adopted in the aviation industry?

Devadath Harindranath

Supreet Malhotra

(MBA'23)

Ashwinth Prem

(MBA'23)

Ajinkya Ratnaparkhi

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Ankita Tiwari

(MBA'23)

Mentors Avtar Singh

Head of Innovation and Platform Engineering at WAISL Limited GMR Mentor

Rajendra Prasad Telugu

Director - Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division at Hexagon External Mentor

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problem The aviation industry has not yet felt the benefits of Extended Reality (XR) integration. This results not only in lost productivity, but also limits sources of revenue for airports. Integrating emerging technologies like AR, VR, and XR into the aviation industry would improve operations and open new avenues for revenue.

Solution This solution aimed at improving the retail experience for passengers through a metaverse mall, and improving the cargohandling operations at airports. These changes would position GMR as a tech leader in the airport sector and help the group enhance its brand image with existing and future customers by providing a one-of-a-kind experience. GMR's practices would become benchmarks in the Indian aviation industry and these innovations are needed to allow growth in the industry.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 07 How can new systems be used to improve cargo visibility and tracking in a multi-stakeholder environment?

Devendra Mittal

Chandan Sahoo

Sai Pulagam

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Ankit Singh

(MBA'23)

Sai Bharadwaj Vedam Venkata

(MBA'23)

Mentors Subramanian MH

AGM - Quality and Compliances, GMR CARGO GMR Mentor

N Venkatesh

Sr. Director, Engineering Silicon Labs · External Mentor

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problem Stakeholders involved in cargo shipment utilize IT systems in isolation. The process involves a lot of paperwork at various stages, increasing the difficulty and time required to track the cargo. There is a need to improve trust and verifiability, simplify and automate clearances and interactions, improve traceability, and integrate the IT systems of various stakeholders.

Solution This solution revolved around a digital innovation project which utilized Blockchain technology. With the potential to digitize the global air cargo supply chain, the solution would improve transparency of cargo movements, mutual financial settlements, and also help improve booking times. This would result in more trust across ecosystems, improved efficiency, and increased revenue and opportunities.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 09 Can the outer body scanning of aircraft be automated to identify dents at MRO (Maintenence, Repair, and Overhaul)?

Priyanka Aenugu

Akshay Anand

(MBA'23)

Sakti Jena

(MBA'23)

Yash Matai

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Paras Shah (MBA'23)

Mentors Shobhit Goel

Manager – Innovation and Special Projects – GMR AeroTech (MRO) GMR Mentor

Rajendra Prasad Telugu

Director - Safety, Infrastructure & Geospatial Division – Hexagon External Mentor

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problem Aircraft downtime that is required to make repairs is costly for airlines. This problem can be addressed by deploying technology that enables faster turnaround of the airplanes that come in for repair, minimizing downtime and providing better operability of the aircrafts for the airlines.

Solutions This solution recommended utilizing digitized 3D scanning, which provides greater accuracy, even for complex geometries such as an airplane. This scanning does not require the disassembly of physical components, which results in increased efficiency and financial growth.

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Team 10 What organic marketing strategies can be used to increase the adoption of the Hoi app among travellers?

Nikhil Bane

Shenali D'Gama Rose

(MBA'23)

Shivoy Malhotra

(MBA'23)

Prrithive Thakkum

(MBA'23)

(MBA'23)

Kanika Tyagi (MBA'23)

Mentors Dhruv Godara

Senior Technology Leader, HOI GMR Mentor

Amit Sabale

Senior manager, Digital Marketing Solutions for Ed Tech & Saas External Mentor

ADDITIONAL SOLUTIONS Problem The HOI app is currently being used by GMR for its airports, and is interested in increasing adoption of the app by passengers, through the implementation of organic marketing strategies. This involved increasing awareness about the app, broadening the knowledge of its use and features, and generating a pleasant and seamless passenger journey.

Solutions This team recommended enhancing the user interface of the HOI app through gamification and augmented reality. In terms of the organic marketing strategy, social media, Search Engine and App Store Optimization, and influencer marketing strategies were presented to increase visibility and brand awareness, operational efficiency and the customer experience.

Thank You

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS

Chris Carder

Instructor Executive Director at Schulich's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Chris Carder is the Co-Director of Entrepreneurial Studies and Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Schulich School of Business. He is a Serial Entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in the Digital/Technology Sector and a sought-after Startup Advisor, Investor and Advisory Board Member. He holds a broad network of senior relationships throughout the Innovation/Startup and Venture Capital Sectors.

Rama Iyer

Co-Instructor Head of Innovation at GMR Group

Rama Iyer is the Head of Innovation at GMR Group and a thought leader in the technology and startup ecosystem. He brings over 20 years of experience working with large tech companies such as Cisco and Ericsson, founding startups, and serving as a member of the leadership team which founded THub, India’s largest startup ecosystem. Rama holds several advisor and board member positions in India and abroad, and was recently recognized in Startup Réseau’s ‘Top 10 Corporate Innovation Leaders in India’.

COURSE PARTNERS

GMR Group

GMR Group provides infrastructure that helps mankind achieve their quest of creating a better tomorrow, today. Since its establishment in 1978, the GMR Group has been constantly developing its capabilities in the creation of mega infrastructure projects. They span the domains of developing, operating, managing and owning international airports as well as setting up and operating major energy utilities. Developing and operating modern highways, urban infrastructure facilities and developing multi-product Industrial Investment Regions are the other areas covered by the Group. While quality and operational efficiencies guide all the strategic business areas, the Group accords equal, if not more, emphasis on its work in the area of Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility. Through GMR Varalakshmi Foundation, the Group promotes and manages projects across the spectrum of education, health, hygiene and sanitation, empowerment and livelihood, and community development.

GMR Airports

GMR Group entered the airport space in the early 2000s and is now one of the top five airport developers globally. Within India, the group owns and operates the Delhi and Hyderabad International Airports and operates Bidar Airport, with the Goa and Visakhapatnam International Airports currently under development. They are the only Indian airport developer with airports outside of India, having developed and continuing to operate the Mactan Cebu International Airport in the Philippines, and with the Crete International Airport in Greece currently under development. GMR Group aims to set the highest industry standards in sustainability, passenger experience, operations, information technology/innovation, airport services and offerings, design, engineering, and project management.

Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022

COURSE PARTNERS

Schulich School of Business

As the first major business school to deliver an internationally recognized two-year MBA program with India, Schulich is acknowledged as a leading provider of transformational management education to many of India’s best and brightest minds.

Students in the Schulich MBA in India program benefit from the connections they force in India and Canada. Graduates have gone on to pursue dynamic roles in both countries in areas such as financial services, marketing, supply chain management and consulting.

The Schulich MBA in India program features the same curriculum as the MBA in Toronto with the added benefit of a tightly knit small cohort of students, access to corporate India, and a professional development course that runs for the duration of the first year of study.

Schulich offers the first year of this MBA program at its Hyderabad campus, taught by the same award-winning faculty members who regularly teach at the Toronto campuses. In the second year of the MBA India program, students study in Toronto and customize their studies by choosing and combining from Schulich’s 17 MBA specializations.

Students may also pursue the Graduate Diploma in Culture, Communication & Leadership in Canadian Business, a concurrent MBA diploma that provides an in-depth appreciation of the cultural differences, business practices, conventions and vocabulary needed to succeed in the Canadian business environment.

Accredited by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Schulich’s MBA, India Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022 Campus is offered in partnership with the GMR School of Business in Hyderabad.

We acknowledge the contributions of the people who worked tirelessly to support bringing this course to life.

Ashwin Joshi, Executive Director at Schulich School of Business MBA India Program Chelsea Gray, Associate Director at the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Shashank Rajeev, Innovation Consultant at GMR Innovex Shuvo Gomes Charles, Project Manager at the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Sunil Kumar, Associate General Manager at GMR Group Vijender Trivedi, Marketing, Admission, International Relation at Schulich School of Business

Contact Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Schulich School of Business York University 111 Ian MacDonald Blvd, North York, ON M3J 1P3 (416) 736-2100 https://schulich.yorku.ca/schulich-startups/ info@schulichstartups.com @schulichstartups Office of innovation & Entrepreneurship Impact Report 2022