Pre-Induction Assignment

Pre-Induction Assignment
MBA - Batch of 2019-2021
 Pre-Induction Assignment

Greetings Batch of 2019-21,

Congratulations to all of you for braving all the preparations, interviews and selection processes and
making it to one of the prestigious management institutes in the country. DMS has made its firm
mark in the field of management education and the students are an important contributing factor for
its success. We welcome you to the Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi and wish you all
the best for all your future endeavors.
In every practice, training is important for conditioning the mind. Similarly, prior knowledge and
understanding is necessary for further learnings in MBA. In view of the above points, the Pre-
Induction Assignment (PIA) has been prepared to kick start your journey of MBA and acquaint you
with a few of the important fundamentals at an early stage. It will give you a feel of the academic
experience that lies ahead in the next two years. The sections have been designed to introduce and
illustrate some basic concepts of Finance, Operations, Strategy and Consulting, Human Resources and
Marketing.
We are not interested in reading Google results and are looking for your original interpretations and
answers for the questions. The performance in all these activities will be considered in selection of
the clubs and committees of the department and will prepare you for the Summer Placements.
The questions have been designed primarily to encourage you to learn and hence it is entirely in your
interest to put in your best foot forward. Life from now onwards would be what you make of it rather
than what is offered to you. It is strongly recommended that you complete the PIA honestly and submit
it within the deadline.

“If you want something you have never had, then you have got to do something that you have never
done”.
 Pre-Induction Assignment

PERSONAL PROFILE

“Who you are, defines what you do” and vice versa

An introduction is something one needs to give constantly at every stage of one’s life. The better it is, the
brighter is your chance for making an impression. There is little point in being a genius, a visionary, an
entrepreneur or a socialite, if you can’t convey to people that you are one.
The following exercise is an opportunity for you to present/market yourself in a creative and fun filled
manner with an underlying formal/corporate tone. You must ensure that the content is precise and avoid
writing paragraphs or full sentences.

You must prepare a 4-slide power-point presentation (excluding cover slides) to showcase yourself. It is
suggested to use graphics/pictures wisely to enable you to engage with the audience effectively. The
content must cover the following topics:
➢ My journey so far
➢ My expectations from/objectives of MBA program, academic interests
➢ I love to indulge in (passion/interests/hobbies)
➢ The Socrates in me (values/principles/philosophy)
➢ 2 aspects of my personality I wish to reform

NOTE: a. You are not allowed to use or embed a video in the ppt
b. You will be presenting this presentation during induction so prepare it accordingly.
c. Format of file name is <YourName>_<EntryNumber>_PIA’19.pptx
 Pre-Induction Assignment

Accounting and Finance

1. Answer each of the following questions briefly (150 words). For each question, provide a relevant
practical example.
a. Explain the difference between assets and liabilities
b. What is Balance Sheet? How is it different from Income statement?

2. What are the 4 broad categories of ratios? Explain the various ratios under each category. Also
explain the stakeholders who would be interested in a ratio and why. (750 words)

3. What is the conceptual difference between EBITDA and EBIT? Explain different situations where
EBITDA usage is apt instead of EBIT. (100-150 words)

4. Write a descriptive view on companies Act 2013.

5. What are adjusting entries? Why are they necessary for preparing the final accounts?

6. Differentiate between corporate finance and project finance. What do you understand by non-
recourse financing in this case?

7. Define Public-Private Partnership with examples.

8. Define:
a. NPV
b. IRR
c. EPS
d. RFP
e. RFQ
f. DSCR
g. DSRA

9. State the meaning of:

a. Outstanding expenses
b. Prepaid expenses
c. Income received in advance
d. Accrued income

10. XYZ Ltd. is into the business of power generation. They burn coal in the boiler to produce steam,
which powers the turbine. XYZ Ltd. is looking for alternative sources of fuel which can replace coal
and are environmentally friendly. Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) is one example. RDF is obtained by
processing domestic waste. For converting domestic waste into RDF, XYZ Ltd. would require a
processing facility. The processing facility would require an installation cost of Rs. 10 Crores. In
addition to that, XYZ Ltd. would need a pneumatic injection system to feed RDF into the boiler.

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

The capital cost of pneumatic injection system is Rs 10 Crores. RDF will substitute coal and the cost
savings will serve as the revenue for the processing facility. The estimated revenue and operating
expenses for the RDF processing facility one year after making the investment are as per table - 1.
Calculate the financial feasibility of installing the RDF facility using Net Present Value method. The
cost of capital is 20%. The corporate tax rate is 29%.

Income Statement for the RDF Processing Facility (in INR Crores)

11. Find the weighted average cost of capital for the following capital structure.

Expected shareholder’s rate of return is 20% and tax rate is 35%

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

Marketing
“Marketing is a race without a finishing line” ~ Philip Kotler

*All questions in marketing section are to be answered within the word limit of 200 words

1. What is Guerrilla Marketing? Which industries can implement it? Suggest ways in which DMS can do
Guerrilla Marketing.

2. What is the difference between B2B and B2C marketing? How are C2C and C2B shaping up today’s
businesses? Discuss with relevant examples.

3. Patanjali is known for its diversified product portfolio and challenging big FMCGs with its distribution
network in the country. However, its sales declined in recent times. Discuss the importance of product
portfolio strategy for FMCGs.

4. What is Doppelganger brand image? How companies should tackle such kind of problems?

5. What is Surrogate Advertising? How it is used in the context of Indian companies?

6. What is Rural marketing? How it is different from traditional marketing? Examine the challenges faced by
companies to operate in the rural market.

7. Compare Marketing 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.

8. What is STP? Differentiate amongst ‘Needs’, ‘Demand’ and ‘Wants’.

9. What is Marketing Mix? Explain the variables considered in it with the help of an example. Differentiate
between Product and Service marketing mix.

10. Write Short notes on the following type of pricing

a) Premium
b) Penetration
c) Economy
d) Skimming
e) Psychological
f) Neutral

11. What is the difference between Interruption marketing and Permission marketing?

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

12. Differentiate between the following terms (50 words):

a. Marketing and Selling
b. Product and Service
c. Branding and Marketing
d. Product and Brand
e. Brand image and Brand identity
f. Brand value and Brand equity
g. Push marketing and Pull marketing
Explain each of them with examples to substantiate your answer.

13.Explain CTA and ATL marketing? Give two examples for each?

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

Operations

1. Write short notes on the following:

a. Supply chain management

b. Different types of Inventory
c. EOQ
d. Lead time vs Throughput time vs Cycle time vs TAKT time
e. Make to order vs Make to stock
f. Buffer stock vs Safety Stock vs cycle stock

2. With Industry 4.0 at the forefront, how would digitization make supply chain more efficient and agile?
Sight 2 use-cases with an effective approach.

3. Write brief notes on the following Manufacturing practices

a. Lean
b. Kaizen
c. TPS
d. Poka-Yoke
e. JIT
f. Kanban

4. Forecasting techniques are used by industry experts to make predictions based on past and present
data. Compare Qualitative and Quantitative forecasting methods based on their strength, weakness &
usage. (Note: classification is required only for Qualitative methods)

5. Quality control tools are a designation given to a fixed set of graphical techniques used in
troubleshooting issues related to quality. Identify the 7 different quality control tools and write short
notes on each of the following.

6. Gartner supply chain 2019 report establishes Unilever, Apple, Amazon, P & G and McDonalds as the
Masters of Supply Chain Management Worldwide.
a. Take any one of these Giants and analyse its supply chain in detail (highlight the best practices/key
differentiators that is followed/present in their supply chain strategies)
b. Identify one Indian firm that is in the same industry and compare the supply chain strategies
adopted with the Master selected above (Unilever/ Apple/ Amazon/ P & G /McDonalds)

7. GST has affected the supply chain, logistics and warehousing of various manufacturing and retailing
giants. Take any two prominent companies in different sectors and comment on the above statement.

8. A Fortune 500 retailer is facing stock-out options at some of its stores and excess inventory at other
locations. It lacks standard operating procedures and is struggling to move its products through its
supply chain into the stores. It was also facing some serious issues with its supplier base off late. Identify
supply chain improvements that could optimize inventory levels and raise profits?
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 Pre-Induction Assignment

9. Suggest some strategies to optimize the production of Cadbury Dairy Milk at the plant of Mondelez in
Pune.

10. As an operation manager of a traditional tiles manufacturing industry you are facing challenges due to
globalization (foreign companies eating up the domestic market share). As the industry is traditional,
what can be the probable reasons behind the challenges in terms of operations?
Also, design a supply network to enhance your reach and market share in both domestic and global
market (Hint: Include Manufacturing management, Procurement, Logistics management, issues in
managing global operations and the ways to overcome the same)
11. In India, there is a lot of waste of food crops and grains due to lack of facilities (ex. Infrastructure,
primary resources, etc.). If you were to suggest only one idea for implementation, then what would your
proposal be (in terms of operations and agro-supply chain) so that this problem can be mitigated?
Elaborate the solution in less than 500 words.

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

Human Resources
Section A | Human Resources - Basics
1. Briefly describe the various HR processes (Engagement, Recruitment, Selection etc). Differentiate
between Recruitment & Selection using an example. (100 words)
2. How has technology impacted various HR practices over the last two decades? (500 words)
3. Describe the importance of Human Resource as a corporate function? (Identify at least 5 parameters and
elaborate in 500 words)
4. From a period where humans were considered as machines, HR has come a long way. Trace the evolution
of HR and find out the rationale behind moving from a reactive role to a strategic function. (500 words)

Section B | Human Resources in an Organizational set up

Instructions
• Questions in this section do not have any right or wrong answers. You are expected to come up with
original ideas backed by proper reasoning.
• Answers to these questions are contextual in nature which can differ from one organisation to another.
Hence, state your assumptions clearly (industry in which company is operating, number of employees
etc).

1. What are the various verticals of Human Resources in a large-scale organization and what function do
they perform? Which are the key job profiles under these verticals? Explain with the help of an example.
(500 words)

2. (a). What do you understand by Process Audit, Process Gap & Process Improvement? How are they
related? (100 words)
(b). You are an intern in Human Resource department at a large-scale organization and your manager
has asked you to do a process audit. What would your approach be? (250 words)

3. The organization you are working for has selected you for their CSR initiative. As part of this, you will be
working part-time with an NGO which has its units in various cities across the country. Your job is to do
the selection of candidates for a leadership role. The selection has to be done for all 50 units of the
organization, for which you need to take around 100 telephonic interviews in a month. The organization
has only shared their names and contact numbers with you. Keeping in mind that you also have a full-
time job, answer the following:
a. What would your approach towards conducting the interviews be?
b. What will be your selection criteria?
c. What are the things you will keep in mind while conducting the interview?
d. Would you put more efforts & take a different approach if you were being paid for the job?
(Assuming you believe in the cause that the NGO is working for)

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4. The workplace-as-an-experience is emerging as a priority among HR leaders. Citing this new trend, your
organisation has decided to revamp its office-space to boost productivity and offer employee
experiences that empower creativity, collaboration and innovation. As the HR leader, your task is to
devise a 5-point plan elaborating the features you wish to incorporate and how they will enhance the
workplace productivity. (State any assumptions regarding the nature of your organisation.) (500 words)

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 Pre-Induction Assignment

Strategy and Consulting

1. Indian IT sector is heavily reliant on the US for its business and now with changing US regulations, this
sector is heavily impacted. Please discuss the latest developments happening in this regard in the US as
well as in India and how could Indian IT companies minimize the threat?
2. Use guesstimates to identify the number of app-based cabs running in your state. Discuss the approach
and mention all the assumptions clearly.
3. As the competition intensified, sales of an apparels manufacturing company started dropping
dramatically, putting pressure on the price premium that the company once enjoyed. The company had a
narrow product line, which limited the growth opportunities and concentrated the risk. You must assist
the management in devising a plan that provides a growth platform to the company, diversify its business
and enhance shareholders’ value.
4. Patanjali has been growing in stature day by day. To take on the Multinational FMCG players like Unilever
and RB, Patanjali has launched a plethora of products ranging from floor cleaner to dishwasher and
toothpaste to face wash. But not all products are worthy of the investment of time and money. Patanjali
has hired you as a strategic advisor and you need to give them ideas on finding the products that would
eventually bring them market share and revenue. Apply the BCG matrix and find Patanjali the answers
that they are looking for.
5. Perform portfolio analysis of Tata Group using the GE matrix. Use tables, charts, financial reports in
support of your answer.
6. What is the difference between Strategic Alliance, Mergers, Acquisition and Joint Ventures?

7. What is a Hostile takeover? Give a concise timeline of a recent hostile takeover in Indian Business Arena.

8. Differentiate between the Mission, Vision and Strategic intent of a company?

9. How companies are using latest trends in technology such as Blockchain, Artificial intelligence to gain
competitive advantage. Explain the same with an example of a company successfully doing so.
10. Being competitive is not just to focus on the opponent players but also to understand factors that impact
business environment. Analyse the competitive story of XIAOMI, the world’s top selling smart phone
manufacturer, using Porte's five forces?
11. Uber failed in China but survived in India. Analyse Uber’s entry strategy in India.

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