The CampusFever team caught up with the Director of Welingkar Institute Of Management, Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, who has been the guiding force in making Welingker a name to reckon with, to let our users have a clear insight into what the new courses for being the new age Business Managers is like. 
Dr. Salunkhe holds degrees in the fields as diverse as Mechanical Engineering and Management in "Operations" and Doctorate in "Turnaround Strategies". A teacher and a lifelong learner Prof. Salunkhe is passionate about turning education into a mush more effective and useful tool. He has had a rich corporate experience of 12 years, which includes his tenure with Mahindra & Mahindra, ISPL and other companies.
What is the uniqueness of PGDM(e-bizz) specialized courses and what is the duration of the course?
This PGDM(e-bizz) course is a unique blend of MBA curriculum with nearly 20 technology related (conceptual) subjects. The course is aimed at preparing techno-savvy managers who can be effective leaders driving innovative business models and transforming businesses as they embrace and leverage technology. Most industries today such as Banking, Insurance, IT, ITES/BPO, Retail, Pharma, FMCG , Telecom are highly geared on it and need people who can integrate technology with business strategy - The e-Biz programme does precisely this. The course has all the usual specializations such as Marketing/Finance/Operations/HR and now Retail. What is advantageous is that the student can also select a Industry Segment to focus on. This subject is like a Finishing Course for the student to prepare him thoroughly for that industry. Recruiters are happy about this since the students are focused and well prepared for those industries and it makes it very easy for the recruiter to identify the right talent from the large number who apply. The duration of the course is two years on a fulltime basis.
What is PGDM (Business Design) about?
Since The market today is everchanging, it is essential to question the conventional framework and to 'Design' your own rules of business. It's not about the world of design, it's about the design of the world. The market-driven era is finally giving way to the people centered era. Businesses today are built around humans, not merely as customers of commodities. These days the world is based on creative economy, where 'Design' is the key differentiator for a company's success. And that's what PGDM (Business Design) aim at.
What PGDM Business Design Offer?
In order to weave Design Thinking into the main stream management, a multidisciplinary approach to management education is imperative. The PGPBD is therefore: The only program of its kind which blends Business and Design Nurtures Design Thinkers who can lead innovation in industry and apply design thinking to products, processes, customer experiences and even business models and strategy Nurtures a set of Design Managers for the growing Design Industry - pure design houses, media and advertising industry, content creation houses, IT industry as also corporate who need managers to interface with designers Develops an entrepreneurial / intrapreneurial mindset.
What is the Role of a Business Designers?
There are many roles a Business Designer has to play. Design Strategist / Design Interface Manager Business Analyst / Solution Architect / Information Architect Business & Organizational Architect Client / Account Manager Usability Manager 'Design Thinker' in any conventional roles Innovation Evangelist
What are the new pedagogies Welingkar is using for effective understanding of the courses?
The mode of teaching is equally important along with the content being taught. Teaching the subjects in an integrative manner is given high priority. Methods have been designed to learn by doing - prototyping, hands-on and experiential learning as designers tend to learn through activities. Also, multiple media is used to present and learn the topics. Apart from this Critical Thinking, which questions every aspect, and Holistic Thinking, a human's centered approach, is looked after. The best way to have a holistic view of business is to have an integrated learning approach that can be effectively imparted using project based learning.
