Request Proposal

Business, Economy and Social Enterprises in India: Coping with Crisis

This program provides students with an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge to assist social enterprises in India develop strategies to cope with crisis, such as COVID. The program envisages a unique collaboration between students in two countries to combine both international and local perspectives for problem-solving. Using the COIL model, this program would involve co-teaching and mentoring by faculty in India and a faculty country. Faculty would provide insights into factors shaping India’s economy and business and this would lay the foundation for students to embark on their project work with specific social enterprises. Students engaging in this course would not only gain skills to tackle real world issues but would also gain deep understanding of Indian business culture. In the process, these students would also provide an enormous service to social enterprises in India to thrive in extremely difficult conditions.

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the main factors shaping India’s business and economy in the context of social enterprises
  • Develop skills to deal with crises and find innovative solutions to real world problems
  • Gain insights into the way social enterprises are pivoting their organizations’ strategies to deal with the pandemic
  • Develop personal and professional skills such as communication, teamwork and empathy in an online setting

Program Components

  • Orientation and Project onboarding
  • Faculty-led sessions on India’s Economy; Innovation; Social Enterprises; Crisis Management
  • Panel session with social entrepreneurs across the world who have developed innovative solutions to deal with the pandemic
  • Project Presentations
  • Cultural activities

Duration and Contact Hours

The program would be for four weeks and would consist of:

  1. Two online class sessions per week of 1.5 hours for each session
  2. Project work for 20 hours per week
  3. Weekly calls with the client—minimum one per week
  4. Weekly calls with a mentor—minimum one per week

Total program time commitment: Approximately 100 hours

Comprised of approximately:

  • 10 hours of online sessions
  • 80 hours of project work
  • 10 hours of online interactions with clients and mentors

Local Students Selection and Training

Undergraduate students currently enrolled in Universities/colleges in the relevant disciplines across India would be eligible to apply for the program. Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for the program. Students in India would be selected through a rigorous process consisting of the following:

  • An application consisting of a resume and writing sample
  • Interviews conducted by a panel of Authentica staff and industry experts

Students who pass the interview would then have to undergo training conducted by Authentica Faculty and external experts. The students would be evaluated on this training and only those who are able to score successfully in this evaluation would be able to participate in this program.

 

Eligibility

Undergraduate students in disciplines such as business, economics, development, international studies, environmental studies.

 

Cost

USD 1295 per student

Project Hosts

Shaktiism

A social enterprise working to empower marginalized women in India by teaching them skills such as sewing, this organization repurposes and recycles donated sari fabric to create gorgeous, unique fairtrade accessories and gifts, ethically handmade by the artisans. Provide solutions to ensure that the company can continue to profit while assisting women.

Green Worms

A social enterprise that focuses on solid waste management through innovative solutions. Work with this organization to develop online materials to assist them in their awareness and training campaigns to continue so that they can continue their outreach during the current crisis.

Faculty Profile

Dr. Anitha Ramanna, Head, Programs and Instructional Design is responsible for designing and delivering experiential learning programs at Authentica. She has a doctorate in International Studies and a Post-Doctoral fellowship from the International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C. Anitha is a Fulbright Scholar, and was affiliated with the University of California, Berkeley and Harvard University in 1998-99. She was C.R. Parekh fellow with the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2005.

Anitha is interested in innovative teaching methods that challenge students to learn from experiences outside the classroom. Her teaching experiences include: Assistant Professor, S P Jain School of Global Management, Adjunct Faculty, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, Visiting Research Associate, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and Lecturer, University of Pune. Anitha also facilitated experiential learning experiences as a Visiting Faculty with the Alliance for Global Education, an organization that delivers study abroad programs for students from US Universities in India.  Her articles have been published in journals such as the Journal of World Intellectual Property, International Journal of Technology Management, Development Policy Review and Asian Biotechnology and Development Review. Her research interests focus on Intellectual Property Rights, International Relations, Public Policy, and Political Economy of Development.

Authentica would play a key role by:

  • Being the provider for sourcing projects and ensuring the smooth process of the internship from start to finish.
  • Providing the Faculty for the India part of the program
  • Carefully scoping the projects along with the host companies and would assist in the selection of students as well as matching students to teams and projects.
  • Select local students as participants in the program
  • Provide a mentor, an expert in the country, who would conduct weekly meetings with the students to ensure the success of the projects.
  • Assist with the project management technology and other tools required for virtual collaboration.
  • Delivering a relevant Speaker Series

Expressions of Interest

Please contact us to develop a tailored program incorporating your requirements. We would also be happy to provide you further details of the program including a detailed course outline and projects.

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