Guest Lectures

Sonam Wangchuk, a visionary engineer, innovator, and education reformist, is an inspiration to many for his remarkable contributions to sustainable development and education in Ladakh, India. The prospect of a session by Sonam Wangchuk presented an unparalleled opportunity for our students to learn from a true trailblazer. Taking this forward, a session with Sonam Wangchuk on July 27, 2023, was an exceptional opportunity for our PGDM -batch 2023 students to interact with a visionary leader.

In his session, Sonam Wangchuk spoke about Inspiring Sustainable Development, Nurturing Innovation and Creativity, Education Transformation, Cultivating Leadership and Community engagement, and Lessons in Perseverance and resilience. He said that, just like his character Phunsukh Wangdu in the Bollywood movie “3 Idiots”, which was portrayed by actor Aamir Khan, students should be focused on gaining more knowledge and should not be driven towards degrees, jobs, and pakages. He asked the students to be creative and encouraged them to think critically and outside the box. By sharing his own experiences of turning challenges into opportunities, he motivated students to pursue their own ideas fearlessly. His insights, experiences, and innovative ideas motivated and empowered students to become future agents of positive change in their communities and beyond.

He stressed sustainable development and environmental conservation and urged the students to actively participate in conserving nature. He continued, saying that “each individual can make a difference” and make the world a better place to live; he discussed the concerns related to land, water, energy, food, and related issues. He emphasised locally-driven solutions and environmental conservation to the extreme in order to instill a sense of responsibility and awareness among the students.

At the end, the session with Sonam Wangchuk was indeed a momentous occasion for our students that promised to leave a lasting impression on them, fostering a spirit of innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility.

Asian Business School, Noida under its lead lecture series organised a guest talk by Ms. Pritika Mehta, Founder of SOCKSOHO, on January 17th, 2023. Ms. Pritika captivated the audience with her story of founding SOCKSOHO, discussing the challenges she had in the beginning and informing the students about seed capital, venture capital, and angel financing. She promptly responded to all the questions and inspired the students to work diligently to achieve their goals. During the ceremony, the Grand Finale of Young Asian Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 was also introduced, and the winner of Young Asian Entrepreneurial Challenge – Arun Das was felicitated by Ms. Pritika Mehta and was awarded with the tag of one of the Finalists of YAETY – 23. Arun got the chance to interact with Ms. Mehta and she gave him the advice and suggestions to make improvements in his Business Plan for the Finale of the Event.

Ms. Mehta had a small conversation with the other students as well and she give them her wise insights for the inclusion in Business Plans. Ms. Garima Malhotra also had a fun filled session with her where she asked questions in relation with Entrepreneurship, Startups, Ventures in a Quick Rapid-Fire round, which she responded very enthusiastically and off course the students were able to learn more from this quick session.

She explained the students about the importance of E Business, E Commerce and how can Gen Z engage themselves into such opportunities, which are available now at ease and off course few years back how much it was difficult to reach out people. Ms. Mehta told students that how much fortunate she was to open up her venture and take important decisions of her life and emphasised that each one of them also should have that capability of making their own Decisions.

In the end Mr. Ravi Sharma delivers the vote of thanks in which he thanked her to accept the invitation to enlighten the students of Asian Business School with her wise words towards entrepreneurship. Mr. Ravi also invited her on the Advisory Board of EDIC – ABS, which she readily accepted and felt honoured, and as the Session concluded, Dean ABS, Dr. Shweta Batra, felicitated Ms. Pritika Mehta with the Memento.

Asian Business School, has organised a guest talk with Dr. Augusto Lopez-Claros, Executive Director and Chair of the Global Governance Forum. He is an international economist with over 30 years of experience in international organizations, including most recently at the World Bank.

The talk was on the topic “Economic Governance in the Post Covid World”. Sir started his discussion with how one country should invest in education rather than investing in army and safe guarding themselves from the neighbour countries, rather they should establish healthy relations amongst, so that no one would be needing their armies. He also shared his views on carbon emission and change in weather cycle, which again is something of utmost crucial concern for the countries where population is also rising very fast. Dr Claros. Further spoke about the poverty & inequality of income distribution among the class of society, and he emphasised that we must focus on improving the immunity & health of kids as malnourishment is one reason which actually takes the development of one nation years behind. In last sir has given his concern on the role & contribution of women in society that how educated women are also restricted from employment and even being well qualified they don’t contribute to the economic growth of the society. With all these wise words sir has open the stage for the students to ask queries to which he responded very enthusiastically and also shared all the knowledge which he is able to in such span of time. The session was very informative and full of knowledge.

Mr Anshu Gupta, Indian Social Entrepreneur & Founder-GOONJ – popularly known as “THE CLOTHING MAN OF INDIA” – offered a most moving live webinar session on his life and mission for the PGDM students & aspirants of Asian Business School (ABS) on Friday, 30th October 2020 under its “Leadership & Entrepreneurial Aspiration Development (LEAD) Program”.

Mr Anshu Gupta is an Indian social entrepreneur who founded GOONJ, a non-governmental organization (NGO) headquartered in Delhi. Popularly known as the “Clothing Man of India”, Mr Anshu founded Goonj to offer a sustainable economic model to eliminate poverty and related issues. Under his leadership Goonj created a barter between urban surplus and village communities’ labour, triggering large-scale rural development work. Forbes Magazine listed him as one of India’s most powerful rural entrepreneurs. He has also won many national and international honours including the Ashoka and Schwab Fellowships. He was awarded the Magsaysay Award for his work on transforming the culture of giving in India and for highlighting material as a sustainable development resource for the poor.

Mr Anshu has done his Mass communications twice and masters in Economics. Starting as a freelance journalist, Mr Anshu left a corporate job in 1998 and founded GOONJ with a mission to make clothing a matter of concern and to bring it among the list of subjects for the development sector. An Ashoka Fellow and the Global Ambassador of Ashoka, Mr Anshu is creating a mass movement for recycling and reuse of tons of waste material by channelizing it from the cities to the villages, as a resource for rural development. A powerful and inspiring speaker, Mr Anshu addresses many national and international forums to bring clothing to the development agenda and to motivate the youth to take action. He is a regular speaker in many parts of the world on innovation, leadership, village development, power of youths and social entrepreneurship.

A core initiative of Asian Education Group (AEG) – considered as the largest centre for professional media, IT, law, management, fashion & hospitality education in Asia with world-class facilities – this webinar was organized by Asian Business School (ABS) ) – which is a constituent group college of Asian Education Group and is ranked as one of the best B-schools in Delhi NCR – for all PGDM/MBA students & aspirants. Since this webinar was a closed session, students were required to register for the same. The webinar was followed by a lively Q&A session with the distinguished guest.

The eagerly awaited session commenced with a poignant video clip weaved around the soul-stirring poem “SAFAR” written by Mr Anshu Gupta himself that depicted the heart-rending tale of some common category of people in our lives during this ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. Thereafter, following a formal welcome note and a brief but highly impressive introduction of the distinguished guest by Dr Supriya Srivastava on behalf of the AEG family – Mr Anshu Gupta took centre stage of the session.

Thanking the management of Asian Business School for inviting him for this talk, Mr Anshu Gupta at first extended his warm greetings to all students. He then got back to the visual rendition of his poetry “SAFAR” which was shown as the preamble for the session. Setting the tone of his talk for the day, Mr Anshu Gupta said, “The video clip on SAFAR was a reminder of how we misbehaved and ignored the people (like the house help, cook, drivers, car-washers, migrant labourers) who were integral to our life and existence during the last few months of the Coronavirus pandemic that compelled them to go on a mass exodus from cities back to their rural bases.” Referring to his own life story and his intense interest and work towards mitigation of sufferings of people during natural disasters happening around him that taught him great lessons of life, Mr Anshu Gupta said, “COVID-19 pandemic is a different kind of disaster and that is what has been depicted in the poetry SAFAR. It is time to relook into it. The crisis is not yet over. The problem of migrant people is bothering me a lot. Nowadays, I keep thinking about what can we do so that they can come back to places from where they had to migrate helplessly.”

Commending all those people who went out of their way to feed these migrating people, Mr Anshu Gupta said that homeless people always existed and there is much that each one of us can do for them. Here, he recounted the telling story of Habib, the rickshaw puller, who collected unclaimed dead bodies for Delhi Police as a matter of his bread & butter. He spoke at length about his spending a week during the winter season with Habib and closely watching his intense struggle for a living. While at it, Mr Anshu observed the absolute lack of winter clothing for Habib and his family consisting of his wife and a little daughter. One day he came to speak to his daughter about how she managed to keep herself warm during winters. The answer provided by her chilled his conscience. Habib’s daughter said, “Jab mujhe thand lagte hain, toh maain laash se chipak kar soti huun!” That chilling answer, to quote Mr Anshu Gupta, “gave him a vision on CLOTHING.” And, “that is how Goonj started.”

Thus, after working in the corporate sector for some time, Mr Anshu Gupta started Goonj in 1999, with his wife Ms Meenakshi Gupta and a few friends, to work on the basic need of clothing, an issue that does not have a place in the development agenda. Using cloth as a metaphor for other crucial but ignored needs like sanitary pads for menses or school material for education, for the last 18 years, under Mr Gupta’s leadership Goonj has taken the growing urban waste and used it as a tool to trigger development work on diverse issues like roads, water, environment, education, health etc. in backward and remote pockets of India. Under Goonj’s flagship initiative ‘Cloth for Work’ village communities across India work on their own issues and get the urban material as a reward for their efforts. Cloth for work and all other initiatives of Goonj have received various, national and international, awards and accolades.

Mr Anshu Gupta then opened the session for questions. As expected, there were a series of questions all related to his life and the missionary work, to which the famous guest provided answers to the utmost satisfaction of the students.

Towards the end, in his message for the ABS students, Mr Anshu Gupta shared some great words of wisdom and inspiration and said, “Jindagi ek baar mille hain. It is good to live the dreams of your parents, but live your own life … have dreams … and fulfil those dreams. Most of you are very fortunate … and our struggle is to grow, not survive. You need to understand these privileges and strive to work for those who do not enjoy such privileges. The country today needs DOERS … and the Coronavirus pandemic has given us all an opportunity to make a difference in somebody’s life!”

Once done, Mr Anshu Gupta was presented with a “Memento” on behalf of the Asian Education Group, which was greatly appreciated by the honourable guest.

With this, this most moving live session with Mr Anshu Gupta – “THE CLOTHING MAN OF INDIA“– came to an end.

“The Father of Modern Marketing” and “The World’s Foremost Expert on the Strategic Practice Of Marketing” – PROF. PHILIP KOTLER – presented a most insightful live webinar session on the topic “COVID Impact: Marketing Strategies for New Normal” for PGDM students & aspirants of Asian Business School (ABS) on Saturday, 26th September 2020 at 4:30 pm (IST) under its “Leadership & Entrepreneurial Aspiration Development (LEAD) Program”.

Prof. Philip Kotler (born 27 May 1931) is an American marketing author, consultant, and professor; the S. C. Johnson & Son Distinguished Professor of International Marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (1962-2018). He is the one who gave the definition of “marketing mix”. He is the author of over 80 books, including Marketing Management, Principles of Marketing, Kotler on Marketing, Marketing Insights from A to Z, Marketing 4.0, Marketing Places, Marketing of Nations, Chaotics, Market Your Way to Growth, Winning Global Markets, Strategic Marketing for Health Care Organizations, Social Marketing, Social Media Marketing, My Adventures in Marketing, Up and Out of Poverty, and Winning at Innovation. Kotler describes strategic marketing as serving as “the link between society’s needs and its pattern of industrial response.”

Prof. Kotler helped create the field of social marketing that focuses on helping individuals and groups modify their behaviours toward healthier and safer living styles. He also created the concept of “demarketing” to aid in the task of reducing the level of demand. He also developed the concepts of “prosumers,” “atmospherics,” and “societal marketing.”

Professor Kotler was the first recipient of the American Marketing Association’s (AMA) “Distinguished Marketing Educator Award” (1985). The European Association of Marketing Consultants and Sales Trainers awarded Kotler their prize for “Marketing Excellence”. He was chosen as the “Leader in Marketing Thought” by the Academic Members of the AMA in a 1975 survey. He also received the 1978 “Paul Converse Award” of the AMA, honouring his original contribution to marketing. In 1989, he received the Annual Charles Coolidge Parlin Marketing Research Award. In 1995, the Sales and Marketing Executives International (SMEI) named him “Marketer of the Year.” In 2011, he was given the title of being a Legend in Marketing; in 2012, he was #1 on the Management A-List of Academics; in 2013 he became the first recipient of the William L. Wilkie American Marketing Association Foundation’s “Marketing for a Better World” Award for significant contributions to marketing theory and practice; also in 2013, he was inducted in the Management Hall of Fame; also in 2013, he became the first recipient of the Sheth Foundation Medal for Exceptional Contribution to Marketing Scholarship and Practice.

Professor Kotler has consulted for such companies as IBM, General Electric, AT&T, Honeywell, Bank of America, Merck and others in the areas of marketing strategy and planning, marketing organization and international marketing.

He has been Chairman of the College of Marketing of the Institute of Management Sciences, a Director of the American Marketing Association, a Trustee of the Marketing Science Institute, a Director of the MAC Group, a former member of the Yankelovich Advisory Board, and a member of the Copernicus Advisory Board. He is a Member of the Board of Governors of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a Member of the Advisory Board of the Drucker Foundation. He has received honorary doctoral degrees from the Stockholm University, University of Zurich, Athens University of Economics and Business, DePaul University, the Cracow School of Business and Economics, Groupe H.E.C. in Paris, the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna, Budapest University of Economic Science and Public Administration, and the Catholic University of Santo Domingo.

He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and South America, advising and lecturing to many companies about how to apply sound economic and marketing science principles to increase their competitiveness. He has also advised governments on how to develop and position the skill sets and resources of their companies for global competition.

An initiative of Asian Education Group (AEG) – considered as the largest centre for professional media, IT, law, management, fashion & hospitality education in Asia with world-class facilities – this webinar was organized by Asian Business School (ABS) ) – which is a constituent group college of Asian Education Group and is ranked as one of the best B-schools in Delhi NCR – for all PGDM/MBA students & aspirants. Since this webinar was a closed session, students were required to register for the same. The webinar was followed by a lively Q&A Session with the illustrious guest.

The eager session commenced with a welcome note, followed by a brief but highly impressive introduction of the illustrious guest by Ms Garima Malhotra on behalf of the AEG family. Thereafter, Prof. Philip Kotler took the virtual centre stage, all the way from his residence in New York, USA!

Extending his warm greetings to all students, Prof. Philip Kotler began his talk by reminiscing about his visit to India years ago for some academic research work, when he spent about 9 wonderful months here along with his wife and made many friends and associates. He proudly avowed being “always a friend of India”.

Thereafter, Prof. Philip Kotler got on to the topic of the webinar – viz., “COVID Impact: Marketing Strategies for New Normal” – and termed the “terrible” COVID-19 pandemic as one of the “Major Wicked Problems Facing Humankind” (along with Economic slowdown, Growing income inequality, Climate change & a warming planet, Racial & ethnic injustice, Capitalism mostly benefitting a few, and Democratic institutions under siege) that is severely impacting the world in myriad ways.

Proceeding by way of a powerful PPT presentation, the highly acclaimed and erudite speaker talked at length and in great detail on specific aspects like “COVID-19’s Impact”, “How Countries Responded”, “How Consumers are Changing”, “New Consumer Behaviour Groups”, “Initial Business Responses to COVID-19”, “How Businesses Make Further Changes?”, “How Fast will Consumers Respond to Reopening?”, “Recovery Rates for Different Industries”, “Why Companies Need To Re-Assess Their Marketing Model?”, “How Pandemic Exposed Weaknesses in Many Economies?”, “Major New Themes in Marketing”, “V-Shape Recovery is Unlikely!”, “U-Shaped Recovery More Probable”, and “How will Capitalism be Affected?”

Deliberating with great scholarship and authority about the pandemic’s impact in the domain of “Marketing”, the most learned and illustrious guest speaker enumerated Five Conclusions – viz., (i) Most industrious will recover, but at very different rates; (ii) More businesses will adopt Stakeholder Capitalism & Social Responsibility; (iii) Economic recovery to full employment will take between 2 to 4 years; (iv) Legislators need to fix their nation’s health, education and social assistance systems; and (v) COVID-19 has accelerated the speed of growth of the digital economy.

Prof. Philip Kotler then opened the session for questions from the ABS PGDM students & aspirants. A series of questions related to marketing, advertising and branding were put up by the students as well as an ABS faculty member to which the highly learned and distinguished speaker provided the most convincing answers.

Towards the end, in his message for the ABS students, Prof. Philip Kotler shared some golden words of wisdom and said, “Find your passion. Think about what impact you wish to make on people and society at large. It could be a big or small impact, but it will be a pleasure for you to know more about something and make things perfect in your mind.”

Once done, Prof. Philip Kotler was presented with a glittering “Memento” on behalf of the Asian Education Group, which was profusely appreciated by the honourable guest.

With this, this most insightful session with “the father of modern marketing” and “the world’s foremost expert on the strategic practise of marketing” – PROF. PHILIP KOTLER – came to a fitting end!

“Daughter of India” and currently the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry – DR. KIRAN BEDI – delivered a truly invigorating live webinar session on the topic “IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE & INTEGRITY IN EVERYDAY LIFE” at Asian Business School (ABS) on Saturday, 12^th September 2020 at 5:00 pm for all PGDM/MBA students and aspirants under its “Leadership & Entrepreneurial Aspiration Development (LEAD) Program”.

Dr. Kiran Bedi (born 9^th June 1949) is a retired Indian Police Service officer, social activist, former tennis player and politician who is the current Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She is the first female Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and started her service in 1972. She remained in service for 35 years before taking voluntary retirement in 2007 as Director General of Police, Bureau of Police Research and Development.

As a teenager, Dr. Bedi became the national junior tennis champion in 1966. Between 1965 and 1978, she won several titles at national and state-level championships. After joining IPS, Dr. Bedi served in Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh and Mizoram. She started her career as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Chanakyapuri area of Delhi, and won the President’s Police Medal in 1979. Next, she moved to West Delhi, where she brought a reduction in crimes against women. Subsequently, as a traffic police officer, she oversaw traffic arrangements for the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and the 1983 CHOGM meet in Goa. As DCP of North Delhi, she launched a campaign against drug abuse, which evolved into the Navjyoti Delhi Police Foundation (renamed to Navjyoti India Foundation in 2007).

In May 1993, she was posted to the Delhi Prisons as Inspector General (IG). She introduced several reforms at Tihar Jail, which gained worldwide acclaim and won her the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1994. In 2003, Bedi became the first Indian and first woman to be appointed as head of United Nations Police and Police Advisor in United Nations Department of Peace Operations. She resigned in 2007, to focus on social activism and writing. She has written several books, and runs the India Vision Foundation. During 2008–11, she also hosted a court show Aap Ki Kachehri. She was one of the key leaders of the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January 2015. She unsuccessfully contested the 2015 Delhi Assembly election as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. On 22 May 2016, Dr. Bedi was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

An initiative of Asian Education Group (AEG) – considered as the largest centre for professional media, IT, law, management, fashion & hospitality education in Asia with world-class facilities – this WEBINAR was organized by Asian Business School (ABS) ) – which is a constituent group college of Asian Education Group and is ranked as one of the best B-schools in Delhi NCR – for all PGDM/MBA students & aspirants. The WEBINAR was followed by a lively Q&A Session with the most distinguished guest.

Delivered under the aegis of its “Leadership & Entrepreneurial Aspiration Development (LEAD) Program”, the session commenced with the collective singing of our national anthem during which all participants stood up at their respective virtual places in respect and regard and joined the illustrious guest, Dr. Kiran Bedi in the solemn rendering of the national anthem.

This was followed by a welcome note and a brief introduction of the honoured guest by Ms. Garima Malhotra on behalf of the AEG family. Thereafter, Dr. Kiran Bedi took centre stage.

Beginning her most awaited talk, Dr. Kiran Bedi straightaway came on to the topic of the webinar, namely ‘IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE & INTEGRITY IN EVERYDAY LIFE” and confessed that the two topics of “DISCIPLINE” and “INTEGRITY” were quite dear to her heart and she loved and fostered them as the two key aspects of her value system in her life and achievements.

Quoting a verse from “Katha Upanishads”, she defined “DISCIPLINE” as something without which there is no way we can control our life and its various situations, both good and bad. Talking about the specific benefits of ‘Discipline’, Dr. Bedi said, “Discipline helps you channelize your energy, develops an attitude of positivity, increases your focus, improves your mental health, and maintains peace in the society. And, in the long run, Discipline becomes a bridge between your Goal and Accomplishment.”

Dr. Bedi then defined “INTEGRITY” as “being gracious, respectful, trustworthy, responsible and helpful.” She further said, “People with integrity are steeped in the moral principles of right and wrong; they are humble, authentic, honest, they don’t make rude arguments, and continue to be like this even while no one is watching.” Explaining what they get out of this, Dr. Bedi said, “It strengthens relationships, builds self-awareness, broadens your mind, and makes you happier and healthier.”

Citing her own personal example, she talked at length about her lifelong adherence to these two principles of “DISCIPLINE” and “INTEGRITY” and how they helped her win all her goals in life by making right choices and has made her what she is today.

Dr. Kiran Bedi then opened the session for questions from the students. A shower of questions related to her life, struggles and achievements were put up by the students to which the distinguished speaker provided the most convincing answers. Her one special tip to the youth was, “Make better choices … and value them!”

Towards the end, in her message for the ABS students, Dr. Kiran Bedi said, “Time is flying … Do more, Learn more … NOW! Don’t regret later. This time will not come back again. I’m happy, I did it. I wish you all the same!”

Once done, Dr. Kiran Bedi was presented with a glittering “Memento” on behalf of Asian Education Group, which was well appreciated by the honourable guest.

With this, this most invigorating session with this illustrious “Daughter of India” and currently the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry – DR. KIRAN BEDI – came to a fitting end!