“Take risks, and celebrate failures as well”, suggests Mr. Manish Kothari, MD of ISBR

“Invest in yourself and enrich your competence.”
-Mr. Manish Kothari

Experience in the education industry 

I think working in education industry allows me to help students learn and find resources to improve their lives. It gives me a chance to motivate students to become successful in their life, personally as well as professionally. Besides, we are always surrounded by energetic and enthusiastic youth which is very refreshing at end of the day.

You interact with fresh ideas and fresh views. In life, there is no full stop for learning and this industry helps me achieve that at my workplace itself.

Significant challenges faced as a Managing Director of ISBR

Certainly, I would like to mention few of the challenges I faced as a Managing Director of ISBR :

1. Creating & maintaining the highest level of standard in the delivery of higher education program beyond mere compliance but also set a new standard.
2. You have to be in the right place at the right time with the right product to be successful.
3. You have to be disruptive in your thinking and constructive in your action. You have to set right goal, create a right path and set the right process to achieve the goals. All that you do must meet the goal. Before you start, you must know the end. A clear vision is a must.

It was challenging in making parents understand the benefits of our new modes of teaching, such as using videos, presentations and industry knowledge via study tour. This is not a trend but it is an innovation which is helping our next generation to adapt and face the competitive environment while pursuing their careers.

One of the biggest challenges in the education sector is the recruitment and retention of qualified, competent and dedicated teaching resource. We have been successful in this task primarily because of the benchmark we have established, and an effective sourcing and recruitment process. We have created confidence by providing a human resource to manage their businesses.

Curriculum at ISBR

We have a solid program management plan which is written after thorough research and analysis to reinforce the program goals. This plan is shared with the administration, faculty and staff. The curriculum and instruction led practices are based on a well-developed performance-based learning objective and authentic assessment process.

We keep our instructional design and the pedagogy/andragogy relevant to the student learning process and experience and workforce options. Contextual teaching and learning methods create a simulated work environment which is paramount in developing essential skills which are aligned to the expectations and the best practices of the industry.

Know more about the faculty at ISBR here.

Goals in mind for ISBR

Our prime goals and objectives are:

1. Providing “best in class” contemporary management education
2. Facilitating open and performance-driven culture, and an ecosystem that fulfils the overall objective.

Suggestions for the current youth and the aspiring students

• Never underestimate yourself and never assume that you aren’t good enough to succeed.
• Invest in yourself and enrich your competence.
• Plan ahead, it’s best to have a roadmap in hand; seek guidance from your friends, professors and seniors.
• Taking risk is worth its while. I strongly believe that failures also need to be celebrated.
• Follow three rules to lead a successful life:

1. Jeevana Parishrama (Work hard),
2. Jeevana Utsaha (Live every moment)
3. Loka Sneha (Be down to earth and respectful to others)

Journey so far and path to rise to further heights

Hailing from a business family, it was always an easy option for me to continue with it. I had the vision to start something new and I looked at education segment. I started with a team in Hubli, a Tier-2 city. I ventured with the peer support and guidance. The success of one venture at hometown motivated me to look beyond and Bangalore was open to new budding entrepreneurs. I hastened to move into establishing an education institution at Bangalore. Started IBMR with diverse programs; 2-year MBA and 1-year PGDM, and Diploma programs from different universities like BU (Bangalore University), SMU (Sikkim Manipal University) and MKU (Madurai Kamaraj University). We also started courses for working executives. This experience and success pushed me to start a new institution and that’s when ISBR was born on a model different from earlier institutions, attuned to the new opportunities and demands of the industry.

Our business profile took a new dimension with the inheritance of BET embracing a rich past. ISBR group diversified into new areas of education including Entrepreneurship, Business Analytics, Travel & Tourism, Health Care and went on establish a Law College, a PU College and a Ph.D. Research Center in Electronic City. ISBR research Centre can boast of the finest outcomes, productive collaborations and partnerships. Center for Executive Education is another initiative that will benefit the corporate through training and continuous education. Young Entrepreneur Award, Jewels of Rajasthan Award and many prestigious awards came my way to motivate and challenged me to do more.

One CSR to quote as a sign of inclusive development of society

Our institution has taken up, supported and partnered with many CSR projects. Among them are Save Environment, Tree Plantation, Blood Donation and volunteering in Swatch Bharat projects. Notable project with great impact on society is the project of donating uniforms to the needy school children. 25,000 uniforms have been donated in the last two years.

ISBR is a proud partner in this collective effort along with ELCIA (Electronic City Industry Association) and RCF trust. ISBR is able to motivate many munificent donors, NGOs and the corporate to actively participate and contribute to the resources towards this end. I have had the privilege of mentoring the Project Umeed Run 2017 held on 3^rd September with 10K, 5K and 3K run.

Culture in ISBR

We are the best in class in delivering management education that builds resources like:

• Youth, who are competent and capable and bring good culture
• A culture of discipline, positive response
• A culture that ensures continuity
• A culture that ensures cohesive team building among the stakeholders (students, teachers, industry and the management)

A climate has to be productive, thereby creating a climate that results in positive outcomes like:

• A well nurtured and groomed student ready to start a career
• Providing a valuable and relevant human resource to the industry
• Creating resource for growth and sustenance for a futuristic organization

Placement opportunities at ISBR

Placement at ISBR has by far been an excellent index of competence through learning. ISBR has been ranked 6^th best in placements in B-School Placement survey 2015. The diversity and expanse of the opportunity basket provided by us lead to prepare our students to take up challenging assignments in varied sectors and domains.

Know more about the placement opportunities at ISBR here.

Relationship with the ISBR Alumni

The graduating students of ISBR continue to stay connected with the Alma mater and engage themselves in various professional activities including hosting seminars, taking teaching assignments and mentoring students of successive batches. ISBR also recognizes accomplishments of its alumni through a process of obtaining employer endorsement on the performance of the alumni. The achievers are recognized and awarded as Gems of ISBR who virtually become the ambassadors of the institution. Further, ISBR Alumni association provides a platform for the alumni to continuously network and share their best practices among the peers. The silver lining is that many have become entrepreneurs in the process. As a matter of fact, Alumni initiative has led to the establishment of incubation center at ISBR.

“See your success in the success of others thus empowering others to succeed.”

Philosophy of leadership

My philosophy is founded on a belief that every person is UNIQUE and every person has the innate strength and potential. A leader should harness the strength of an individual for a purpose. Leadership style emanates from your understanding of the capabilities and nature of the other person. Your leadership must nurture a relationship with people so as to build leadership in others.

It’s important to “See your success in the success of others thus empowering others to succeed.” Every day is a learning curve and every person is a source of learning. Whenever and wherever I see a challenge, I first internalize that challenge with my purpose, goal, and potential. Then I relate this to my team. I connect with my people to understand their potential and their capabilities. I try to empower them and provide resources to achieve the purpose. No human being is perfect; I am ready to accept failures. If you can demonstrate an evolving leadership style that has progressed teams and contributed to the bottom-line of your institute, then you are gold.

Takes on education being digitalized

The digital environment is transforming teaching and learning in our schools. With education being digitalized, teachers are using online networks and social media to connect with other schools and peers who can help them adapt their teaching practices. Students are connecting with other students across the country and across the world, engaging in self-directed learning in areas of personal interest and expertise. We are committed to taking full advantage of this opportunity to help our schools become world leaders in digital education systems through changes brought in our infrastructure, practices, and pedagogy.