NMIMS Distance Learning Program

Assignment Question December 2019

Solution by DistPub.com Team
Email: distpub@gmail.com

B2B Marketing

1. Lay down the Business buying process of a company that deals in books of fiction and sells them to
book retailers. (10 Marks)

2. McKinsey provides consultancy services to large and medium size organizations. Should it go for
skimming price method, penetration pricing method or going rate method? Please provide with reasons
to do the same. (10 Marks)

3. SK Enterprises which manufactures Audio systems for Retail market in consumers is now planning to
make audio cum navigation systems for the B2B market for Automobiles with various price points and
sizes. As the sales and marketing manager, how would you
a. Devise a marketing- communications and PR strategy to create awareness for the new product in the
segment (5 Marks)
b. How would you decide the segmentation, targeting and positioning strategy for the product in the
B2B market? (5 Marks)
Brand Management

Q1. The market size of India’s beauty, cosmetic, and grooming market is expected to reach $ 20 billion
by 2025 from the $ 6.5 billion, with the rise in disposable income of the middle class and growing
aspirations of people to live a good life and look good. This was surely a huge opportunity for Nivea
brand in India. areawise.in

The 120-year old, Hamburg (Germany) based Beiersdorf has often been credited for meticulously
building the Nivea brand into the world's number one personal care brand. According to a survey
conducted by A C Nielsen in the late 1990s, the brand had a 15% share in the global skin care products
market. While Nivea had always been the company's star performer, the 1990s were a period of
phenomenal growth for the brand. By successfully extending what was essentially a 'one-product
wonder' into many different product categories, Beiersdorf had silenced many critics of its umbrella
branding decisions

For year ended December 2017, Beiersdorf surpassed HUL in the deodorants segment for the first time,
with an 8.7% share of the urban market, compared with HUL’s Axe that had 7.7% share. A year ago,
HUL’s share was 8.3%, versus Nivea’s 7.1%. Since 2011, Nivea India has been the fastest growing affiliate
within Beiersdorf’s operations. “In all the segments that Nivea has entered, it has gone from being an
insignificant brand into one of the top three brands in the category,” said Rakshit Hargave, SVP for
Beiersdorf India and Sub-Saharan Africa. “In 2016, Nivea has outgrown the category by three times and
has been able to beat market sluggishness in the December quarter.”

(Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fmcg/we-are-market-leader-in-
some-sectors-against-the-mighty-hul-nivea/articleshow/57678531.cms
Source:https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/marketing-management-
indian/9789352861859/xhtml/chapter011.xhtml)
Evaluate the positioning of Nivea and discuss how the positioning strategy has led to the brands success.
(10 Marks)

Q2. Iconic US superbike maker Harley-Davidson is planning to launch a mid-size motorcycle in the 250-
500 cc range for emerging markets as it eyes major gains in India and plots to challenge Royal Enfield’s
leadership position. Harley-Davidson will be addressing this fast-growing segment through a strategic
alliance with a manufacturer in Asia after a tieup between TVS and BMW and one between Bajaj Auto
and Triumph Motorcycles.
Announcing new mid-term plan till 2027 named ‘More Roads to Harley-Davidson’, the US giant said it is
developing small-displacement (250-500 cc) bike for Asia’s emerging markets through a strategic tie-up
with a manufacturer in Asia. This new product and broader distribution is intended to fuel Harley-
Davidson’s customer access and growth in India, one of the largest, fastest growing markets in the
world, and other Asia markets,” the company said in a statement. Harley-Davidson plans to offer its
most comprehensive lineup of motorcycles, competing in many of the largest and fastest growing
segments with a full portfolio across a spectrum of price points, power sources, displacements, riding
styles and global markets.

Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/auto-news/with-india-in-focus-harley-
davidson-to-come-out-with-250-500-cc-bike/articleshow/65200522.cms

Examine the brand personality of Harley-Davidson and its relevance in a promising market like India. (10
Marks)

Q3. In the increasingly competitive environment of business, the development and launch of new
products has become an important competitive tool. In a crowded marketplace, there is greater need
for differentiation; in markets that are stagnant there is pressure to create excitement. The Dove brand
started its life in 1957 in the US, with the revolutionary new beauty cleansing Bar. With its patented
blend of mild cleansers and ¼ moisturizing cream, it is #1 Dermatologist Recommended brand in the US.

Today apart from its moisturizing soap, Dove has extended the brand by launching many new products
like: Body Washes, Hand and Body Lotions, Facial Cleansers, Deodorants, Shampoos, Conditioners and
Hair Styling products. In India, Consumer goods major Hindustan Unilever launched a brand of soap in
1990s that was considered expensive, frightfully expensive, for the times we lived in. For about Rs 30 for
a bar, it was nearly twice as expensive as any toilet soap brand that was then sold in India.
Dove did what it does best all over the world - not use supermodels to endorse the brand. Rather it got
real women who used the product to give testimonials of their experience with the brand. In India,
Doves brand team in the 1990s decided to adopt the same line of thought for the Indian market too. In
some ways the brand was the opposite of Lux, the beauty bar of film stars. Dove showed beauty in
ordinary people. Dove extended to shampoos in 2007, the brand decided to take the similar route.
However, this time around user-generated content had started becoming very popular. HUL tied up with
online service providers and even took content generation offline. Camera crews in Mumbai, Delhi and
Bangalore asked women questions on hair care. In less than two weeks about 1,000 minutes of video
footage was recorded and uploaded on popular portals. In a span of 9 days, over 250 women were
interviewed and 1,000 minutes of footage recorded. This content when uploaded online elicited a huge
response and according to HUL took the online involvement of consumers to a new high. Then talking
about damage to hair in the daily routine of real women like how staying in an air-conditioned
environment strips hair of moisture and so on, were highlighted. Not willing to give its damage care
expert image to the competition, Dove has even extended rapidly into hair conditioners and hair masks.

(Source:https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/the-secret-of-doves-
success/articleshow/5095968.cms?from=mdr)
(Source : https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3123594)
a. Evaluate the brand extension strategy of Dove. (5 Marks)
b. What are the reasons for the success of Dove in other categories and the potential benefits to the
parent brand? (5 Marks)
Business Communication and Etiquette

Q1. You are an entrepreneur and have just launched your online venture closetfashion.com, selling
trendy and stylish apparel for women. Since you have just launched ClosetFashion, customer service is
of prime importance to you. A customer has written an angry email complaining that the silk blouse she
purchased last week has shrunken. She mentioned that she washed the blouse by hand. Your website
clearly mentions that the silk clothing cannot be hand-washed or machine-washed at home, it should be
dry-cleaned. She is asking for a replacement or a complete refund of Rs. 2000. How would you respond
to this complaint? Draft an email. (10 Marks)
2. You’ve been job-hunting for the last 2 months and have finally landed an interview with your dream
company and dream profile. What are the different types of job interviews? How will you prepare
yourself for each of them? (10 Marks)
3. a. Digital Communication is changing business communication. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of Instant Messaging? (5 Marks)
b. You have just finished drafting an email to your investors. How will you revise it to improve its
readability? Name 2 Readability Indices. (5 Marks)
Business Economics

Q1. Calculate the following:

Quantity Total Fixed Total Variable Total Cost Average Cost Marginal Cost
Cost Cost
25 10 18 ? ? ?
26 10 20 ? ? ?
27 10 21 ? ? ?

Q2. “Determinant of demand are the important factor which influences the decision of the consumers
to purchase commodity or a service”
With respect to the above statement discuss any 5 determinants of the individual demand.

Q3 a. Suppose the monthly income of an individual increases from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 which
increases his demand for clothes from 20 units to 25 units. Calculate the income elasticity of demand
and interpret the result.

Q3b. Quantity demanded for tea has increased from 100 to 160 units with an increase in the price of the
coffee powder from Rs. 40 to Rs. 50. Calculate the cross elasticity of demand between tea and coffee
and explain the relationship between the goods.
Business Ethics Governance and Risk

Q1. India's water crisis is often attributed to lack of government planning, increased corporate
privatization, industrial and human waste and government corruption. areawise.in In addition, water
scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by
year 2050. Can you recommend two policy changes with details of how this will address the water crisis
issue for increasing population of India in an ethical manner. (Your answer must have logical points that
make sense. Do online research to find solution to the water problem) (10 Marks)

Q2. Protecting data privacy is urgent and complex. This protection is necessary because of the all-
pervasive, technology-driven and information-intensive environment, typical of today’s corporations.
Multiple risks involved in data management is propelling information/data protection to the top of the
corporate management agenda. What according to you are the two ethical risks faced by the business in
relation to data protection and can you choose and explain any two Data Protection Principles
applicable to businesses in India? (10 Marks)

Q3. In Chandrapur, renamed the coal city, Western Coalfield Ltd’s (WCL), a public sector coal mining
company’s, overburden dumps are located very close to the river beds. The Mana and Lalpeth mines,
especially, have dumped so much over-burden in the Irai river that the river-bed has risen by several
meters. Coal mining so close to rivers may also cause damage to the mines themselves. During heavy
rains river water enters the mines even now, making coal extraction very difficult. The move to allow
coal mining activities up to 250 meter from river banks has angered environment groups, especially in
Vidarbha, an area currently reeling under floods, and where major rivers like Wardha and Irai are
already heavily polluted because of coal mining. If the mines are moved closer, such incidents will rise,
posing danger to mine workers. WCL will also incur losses. Mining has also adversely impacted river
fauna. The forest land is turning into a desert and the wild life, specially tigers are disappearing.
Somehow we have failed to intelligently sustain and manage the resources of nature, the primary source
of all supply chain.
a. Do you think environmental sustainability is an ethical principle? Elaborate on any two
issues/principles involved in environmental ethics. (5 Marks)
b. How can business embed environment protection/sustainability within overall business strategy?
Elaborate on any two critical ideas/processes/steps.
Business Statistics

fixed acidity volatile acidity citric acid residual sugar chlorides

7.4 0.7 0 1.9 0.076
7.8 0.88 0 2.6 0.098
7.8 0.76 0.04 2.3 0.092
11.2 0.28 0.56 1.9 0.075
7.4 0.7 0 1.9 0.076
7.4 0.66 0 1.8 0.075
7.9 0.6 0.06 1.6 0.069
7.3 0.65 0 1.2 0.065
7.8 0.58 0.02 2 0.073
7.5 0.5 0.36 6.1 0.071
6.7 0.58 0.08 1.8 0.097
7.5 0.5 0.36 6.1 0.071
5.6 0.615 0 1.6 0.089
7.8 0.61 0.29 1.6 0.114
8.9 0.62 0.18 3.8 0.176
8.9 0.62 0.19 3.9 0.17
8.5 0.28 0.56 1.8 0.092
8.1 0.56 0.28 1.7 0.368
7.4 0.59 0.08 4.4 0.086
7.9 0.32 0.51 1.8 0.341
8.9 0.22 0.48 1.8 0.077
7.6 0.39 0.31 2.3 0.082
7.9 0.43 0.21 1.6 0.106
8.5 0.49 0.11 2.3 0.084
6.9 0.4 0.14 2.4 0.085
6.3 0.39 0.16 1.4 0.08

Q1. For the data on 26 red wines given above, conduct the following analysis:
i. Provide five-number summary i.e. the minimum, 1st quartile, median, 3rd quartile and maximum
value for fixed acidity. Arrange them in increasing order on a straight line, draw a box plot and interpret
what it means.
ii. Calculate the correlation coefficient between fixed acidity and volatile acidity and between residual
sugar and chlorides. Comment on the strength and direction of association for the two variable pairs.
iii. What can be stated about the cause-effect relationship between fixed acidity and volatile acidity,
based on the correlation coefficient score?
Q2. For the data in the table below:

i. What do high kurtosis and skewness figures denote?

ii. Free Sulphur dioxide and total Sulphur dioxide have mean, median and modes that differ substantially
from each other. What can you infer from this?

iii. By looking at the descriptive stats of the variables, identify two that may be closest to being normally
distributed. Why?

Desc Stats fixed acidity volatile acidity citric acid residual sugar chlorides free sulfur dioxide total sulfur
dioxide density pH sulphates alcohol
Mean 6.85 0.28 0.33 6.39 0.05 35.31 138.36 0.99 3.19 0.49 10.51
Med 6.80 0.26 0.32 5.20 0.04 34.00 134.00 0.99 3.18 0.47 10.40
Mod 6.80 0.28 0.30 1.20 0.04 29.00 111.00 0.99 3.14 0.50 9.40
SD 0.84 0.10 0.12 5.07 0.02 17.01 42.50 0.00 0.15 0.11 1.23
Kurt 2.17 5.09 6.17 3.47 37.56 11.47 0.57 9.79 0.53 1.59 -0.70
Skew 0.65 1.58 1.28 1.08 5.02 1.41 0.39 0.98 0.46 0.98 0.49
Range 10.40 1.02 1.66 65.20 0.34 287.00 431.00 0.05 1.10 0.86 6.20
Q3. Lok Sabha in India is to discuss a key constitutional amendment, and there will be four rounds of
voting. In each round of voting, assume that the ruling party has a 60% chance of winning, i.e. getting
the resolution passed by majority vote. Further assuming that the voting rounds are independent of
each other, what is the probability that:

a. The ruling party will win 0 rounds, 1 round, 2 rounds, 3 rounds or all 4 rounds of voting?

b. The ruling party will win at least 1 round?

Capital Market and Portfolio Management

Q1: Ramesh wanted to purchase stock of ABC Ltd. He estimated the return and probabilities of
returns by analyzing the past records. Calculate risk and return of the stock to help him make
investment decision.

Probability Returns(%)
0.4 25
0.25 18
0.35 20

Q2. Alok was responsible to handle the portfolios of HNI clients. His manager asked him to prepare
a report on different measures of risk to quantify the amount of risk associated with each investments
so that it becomes easier to convince the clients based on their risk appetite. Help Alok to prepare the
report. (10 Marks)

Q3. ABC wealth managers had two portfolios but they have to decide which one of the following has
to be offered to the client based on the following information:

Risk-free rate is 7.5 %.

Return on the market portfolio is 14%
Standard Deviation of the market is 8%
In order to help ABC wealth managers, make decisions, calculate for Portfolio Bluechip and Midcap:
a. Jensen index and identify which one of the two portfolio is better. (5 Marks)
b. Treynor index and identify which one of the two portfolio is better. (5 Marks)
Cloud Computing

Q1. You are a consultant to a not-for-profit organization (aka NGO), which is looking forward to
implement cloud ERP called ERPNext. You are asked to provide the recommendation with justification
on the choice of cloud deployment model and cloud service model. You can make suitable and realistic
assumptions, if needed but you will need to mention them explicitly. (10 Marks)

Q2. A large manufacturing company has decided to adopt cloud for its sales department. However, it is
apprehensive about storing customer data in the cloud. The CEO has invited you to brief her on specific
security challenges the company would face. (10 Marks)

Q3. “This is simply ridiculous!” Mr. Manas Gupta couldn’t control his anger when Ms Sai Lokhande tried
to explain the rationale behind steep increase in subscription fee for their CRM SaaS solution. Mr.
Gupta, Sales Head for Acme Water Solutions Pvt Ltd, was instrumental in subscribing to CRM SaaS
solution provided by the company owned by Ms Sai Lokhande two years back. Ms Sai Lokhande had
quoted very competitive subscription price at that point of time. It took almost six months for Acme
Water Solutions to get solution configured for their needs at the end of which users were happy using
the solution.
When Mr. Manas Gupta flatly refused to paying any additional price, Ms Sai Lokhande got up from her
chair and started leaving the cabin of Mr. Gupta. However, while leaving, she reiterated the need for
increase in price and commented that her company will need to switch off the running solution if they
don’t receive revised subscription fee at the stipulated date. After Ms Sai Lokhande left the cabin, Mr.
Gupta figured out that it would not so easy to simply switch to another CRM solution in available time.
He suddenly realized that he has got into a vendor lock-in with this CRM solution.

a. How cloud CRM vendor could create vendor lock-in for the company? (5 Marks)

b. What can company do to reduce vendor lock-in? What are the lessons learned? (5 Marks)
Compensation and Benefits

1. SYNTAX is a newly set up start up in India which is operating in financial services sector. The
company’s product is meant for a regular salaried person who has a burden of paying income tax
annually. With the use of technology and innovation, SYNTAX has helped customers share this burden.
The company is going for a recruitment drive as it plans for domestic expansion. You are an HR Head of
SYNTAX and you suggested top management to offer such pay packages which will be a balanced
combination of direct and indirect compensation. Which indirect compensation components will you
include for a position of Regional Head, Business Development?

2. VEDANT Ltd is an upcoming IT firm in Mumbai specializing in software for educational institutions.
The company is planning to formulate the compensation strategy to attract and retain the talent in its
organization. You are hired as a consultant by VEDANT Ltd and you are required to give the structure of
compensation strategy to the company. How will you structure the compensation strategy for VEDANT
Ltd?

3. STRIKE 10 is a newly set start up in Bengaluru. The startup is operating in online trading of sports
merchandizing. The company is planning to start an Individual Performance Pay program to motivate
the employees to come up with higher performance levels. You are an HR Manager of STRIKE 10. In this
background, answer the following:
a. Will you consider Individual Spot Awards? If yes, why? (5 Marks)
b. Which spot awards will you give? (5 Marks)
Consumer Behavior

1. What are the steps in the consumer decision-making journey? Describe your decision-making journey
for the following products: (10 Marks)

(a) Luxury Watch

(b) Breakfast Cereal

(c) Protein Shake

2. What is Just Noticeable Difference? Brand A has decided to increase its price by Rs. 2, the j.n.d for this
product category has been found to be Re 1. Brand B has made changes to its product formula to make
it last for 4 days more, the j.n.d for this product category has been found to be 3 days. Explain the
implication of j.n.d for Brand A and Brand B?

(10 Marks)

3. a. In context of Consumer Personality, what is the Self-Concept? Explain the 4 types of Self-Image. (5
Marks)

b. Explain the 4 elements of Consumer Learning with an example.

Corporate Finance

1. Assume that ABC Ltd has equity share capital of Rs. 15,00,000 divided into shares of Rs150 each. The
company wishes to raise additional total capital of Rs. 6,00,000 for expansion through Rs.3,00,000 in
equity shares and Rs. 3,00,000 in debts at 10%. The EBIT of the company is Rs. 3,00,000 and tax rate is
50%. Calculate EPS. Suggest what will happen to EPS if entire capital was raised through debts. (10
Marks)

2. Alpha Ltd is expecting an annual Earnings Before Interest and Tax of Rs. 1,50,000. The company had
10% debentures of Rs. 5 Lakhs. Calculate the overall cost of capital of the firm if the cost of Equity is 12%
assuming NI approach in the calculation. Suggest what happens to the value of the firm when more
debentures are issued. (10 Marks)

3. Mr. Mehta works as a Management Consultant in XYZ Ltd and his role involved analyzing capital
investment projects. His manager asked him to analyze project X which involved capital investments of
Rs. 10,00,000 and the cost of capital of 12%. The projects net cash flows are as follows:

Years 1 2 3 4 5
Cash Inflow 20,000 30,000 40,000 45,000 50,000
Calculate:

a. Net Present Value of the project and suggest whether project is to be accepted or not. (5 Marks)

b. Internal rate of return and suggest whether project is to be accepted or not (5 Marks)
Corporate Social Responsibility

Q1: Assume you are handling the CSR activities of an organization M/s Padega India.... Explain any five
CSR activities that you will initiate for the organization? Explain with reasons. (10 Marks)
Q2: Explain any five types of stakeholders for the organization M/s Padega India. Explain the
organization’s responsibility towards those stakeholders. (10 Marks)
Q3 a. Explain Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR for M/s Padega India. (5 Marks) b. What are the various steps
involved in the development of CSR Strategy for M/s Padega India? (5 Marks)
Cost and Management Accounting
Q1. Cost control is all about identifying and controlling business related expenses with an objective of
increasing profits. In order to control the costs, management compares the actual performance with the
expected results.
If the actual performance is not up to the mark, then the management takes corrective actions. Keeping
this fact under consideration, discuss the essential techniques (any five) which are in general applied by
management to control the cost element. (10 Marks)

Q2. Maheshwari & Sons wants to recruit management accountant for their head office. Among the ten
candidates shortlisted they have to select one as the most suitable candidate. Discuss the qualities they
will look in to the candidate for the position of management accountant. (10 Marks)
Q3a. Annual demand for a particular item produced by Manikk Ltd is 20000 units. The cost of carrying
inventory per unit per annum is 10%. Per order of inventory costs Rs 80. The supplier agrees to supply at
the price of Rs8 per unit. Determine the total cost for ordering 20000 units (5 Marks)
Q3b: For Amit manufacturing company, the job work is executed by A Unit. The unit had an incomplete
job as on 30th March 2019. The cost sheet on the same date reflects direct material and direct labour
cost of Rs 7 lacs and Rs 5 lacs, which have been incurred on the job till date.
Additionally, the firm incurred following costs as on 31st March 2019
Direct material cost 30000
Direct labour cost 50000
Indirect labour cost 30000
As per firm's policy, factory overhead is absorbed on the basis of 120% of direct labour cost. In the light
of above mentioned information, calculate the value of Work in progress as on 31st March 2019 (5
Marks)
Customer Relationship Management

Q1. In your opinion what differentiates the relationship you share as a customer with your hair stylist
versus the sales person at a huge departmental store? How can the relationship be classified and what
aspects contribute to it? (10Marks)

Q2. As a marketing professional, which phase of data analysis requires your most attention and why?
(10 Marks)

Q3. Snigdha is the Campaign Manager in Unexplored Destinations Tours & Travels Pvt. Ltd. She is
responsible for running successful campaigns so maximum tours are booked with their organization. She
is handling a relatively raw team and needs to handhold them to achieve the objectives.
a. The team needs an overview of campaign management. How can Snigdha explain the same to her
team in an effective manner? (5 Marks)
b. What different kinds of campaign can they run in order to achieve the organizational objective?
e-Business
Q1. Digital payments transaction value is growing 3,000 times to Rs. 1,638 lakh crore in just 15 years.
Along with this the constantly nagging frauds threaten the Digital India initiative. India has consistently
recorded thousands of digital transaction frauds worth Rs.1 lakh or more in each of the last three
financial years. With regard to ATM / Debit card, Credit card and Internet banking transactions of over
Rs.1 lakh, there were 1,367 frauds reported in FY 2016-17; 2,127 frauds in FY 2017-18; and 1,477 frauds
in FY 2018-19. Digital payments frauds make up for a significant portion – up to half – of all bank fraud
cases. You have been appointed as a Chief Security Officer (CSO) in a leading bank in India to help tackle
the issue and inform customers on safety practices to follow during online transactions. What are the
certain measures that you will undertake to prevent an online fraud in a bank?

Q2. There are around 20,000 people working in the online pharmacies (e-pharmacies), in around 10
online pharmacy firms in the country. Netmeds.com, one of the largest e-pharmacies with claims of
more than 3.7 million customers in over 610 cities and towns. The market size of e-pharmacies was
approximately $512 million (Rs 3,500 crore) in 2018. It is predicted that there will be a compounded
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 63 per cent which will reach $3.6 billion (Rs 25,000 crore) by 2022. Explain
the entire supply chain management process for managing the supplies of medicines by online
pharmacies. (10 Marks)
Q3. Every year an increasing number of students and working professionals take to their computers and
access education through online or distance learning programmes to enhance their skills. By leveraging
technology and high-quality educators, organizations aim to move closer to democratising education at
all levels. And, looking at trends, the number of people adopting online education platforms is expected
to increase significantly in the near future. As per a recent report released by KPMG India and Google,
Online Education in India 2021, the market for online education in India is expected to witness a
magnificent growth of eight times in the next three years, i.e., from USD 247 million in 2016 to USD 1.96
billion in 2021. Such high growth in online education market is projected to be the outcome of increased
number of paid online education users from 1.57 million in 2016 to 9.5 million in 2021.

Organizations are using innovative ways of engaging with students. A University recorded higher rates of
student renewal after adopting social media (from 60 per cent to 83 per cent). Engagement with
students can take place with platforms like Lurningo which allows students to post queries and
encourages interaction in the form of responses and explanations. It rewards the most relevant
response in the form of ‘bonus points’ or ‘LurnPoints’ given by the faculty or instructor. Social platforms
specially used by colleges to reach students can be made interesting. Use of gamification, artificial
intelligence and machine learning can help students learn and access the platform on the basis of their
needs and learning abilities. Apart from Facebook and WhatsApp groups, and in-house apps like these,
Google platforms like Sheets, Docs and Slides are also popular with both students and faculty.
a. What are the major drivers that have resulted in the growth of this sector in India? Will online
education replace tradition face to face learning? Justify your standpoint. (5 Marks)
b. What are the different ways in which online education organizations’ can use technology to make
learning more engaging? Will using these technologies improve learning outcomes? (5 Marks)
Emerging Technologies: IoT, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality

Q1. The manufacturing sector in India, is going smart. A labour intensive process of manufacturing goods
has now transformed itself using technology to boost productivity and save costs. Manufacturing 4.0 is
about automating core processes to improve quality and stay competitive. Consumer goods makers
have adopted internet of Things (IoT) to track processes and deployed robots on the shop floor. With
the help of an example manufacturing company explain how it has used IoT and augmented reality on
its shop floor. (10 Marks)
Q2. Virtual Reality (VR) provides immersive experiences to simulated worlds and interactive how-to
guides to revitalized experiences. Marketers are using VR to offer their customers a magical wonderland
for marketers looking to offer their customers something more. With the help of an example, discuss
how organizations are using VR to their advantage and engage better with customers. (10 Marks)
Q3. Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices have made remote monitoring in the healthcare sector
possible, unleashing the potential to keep patients safe and healthy, and empowering physicians to
deliver superlative care. It has also increased patient engagement and satisfaction as interactions with
doctors have become easier and more efficient. Furthermore, remote monitoring of patient’s health
helps in reducing the length of hospital stay and prevents re-admissions. IoT also has a major impact on
reducing healthcare costs significantly and improving treatment outcomes. IoT is undoubtedly
transforming the healthcare industry by redefining the space of devices and people interaction in
delivering healthcare solutions. IoT has applications in healthcare that benefit patients, families,
physicians, hospitals and insurance companies. The healthcare industry is rapidly adopting new-age
technologies such as Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to improve access and outcomes,
especially in rural areas. In this scenario, it is the responsibility of businesses to ensure that the
technology acts with responsibility and transparency. In recent years, India has seen increased IoT
adoption in education, governance and financial services. IoT Technology has made it possible for
doctors to see and interact with patients who are located far, with smart login devices. The patients’
medical data and case history are automatically transmitted to the doctor for analysis.
(Source:https://www.analyticsinsight.net/iot-healthcare-exposed-serious-cyber-attack-risk/)
a. What are the potential cybersecurity challenges in using IoT in healthcare? (5 Marks)
b. Enlist a few areas in which IoT can be used in healthcare. Identify the benefits of using IoT in
healthcare in a developing country like India. (5 Marks)

Employee Development and Talent Management

Q1. Discuss the employee development and talent management of any one e-tail/e-commerce giant.
(Example: Amazon, Alibaba, e bay etc.) (10 Marks)
Q2. As the technology is becoming more advent, the dependency on manpower has decreased
considerably in many sectors. In such VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) times it
becomes inevitable for organizations to keep the employees satisfied and engaged. Based on the
motivation strategies what can be done by organizations to keep the employees’ morale and
enthusiasm high? Discuss with suitable example of any contemporary organization. (10 Marks)
Q3. It is not possible for organizations to develop all the necessary skills of the employees with the help
of on the job training, therefore it is equally important to amalgamate it with off the job training.
a. Discuss any three off the job training methods which are being adopted by new age companies like
Uber, Zomato etc. (5 Marks)
b. Also compare and contrast on any three points between on the job and off the job training. (5 Marks)
 Enterprise Resource Planning

Q1. Fresh milk startup Country Delight has raised $7-10 million in a Series B funding round led by
venture capital firm Matrix Partners. The company claims to source milk directly from the farm,
eliminating the middle men and allowing farmers to earn a premium. It also invests in cold chain and
quality testing infrastructure at the farmer’s location. The company offers other milk-based products
including paneer, curd and ghee through its mobile app. This company wants to implement an ERP
package to streamline its processes and manage its relations with the customers. As an ERP consultant
highlight three modules you would recommend Country Delight to implement. Justify your standpoint.
(Source: https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/country-delight-raises-funding-in-round-led-
by-matrix-partners-1548182312046.html)

Q2. For more than 50 years, Everest Spices has helped cooks create tasty dishes with its range of pure
and blended spices. As one of India’s leading spice brands, Everest Spices strives to run efficient
processes to help ensure that prime-quality products reach customers fresh from the factory. However,
with multiple, disparate systems it was difficult to gain the visibility required to monitor the company’s
operations effectively. To address this, Everest Spices decided to deploy an intelligent ERP solution to
support integrated processes and provide real-time insights across the company. What are the factors
the Everest Spices must keep in mind during ERP vendor selection?
(Source:https://www.sap.com/documents/2018/12/4416850c-2d7d-0010-87a3-c30de2ffd8ff.html)

Q3. A leading school in Mumbai, with an 86-year old leading Education Network teaching over 70000
students across India planned to implement an ERP package. This institute has 200+ work locations
spread across 8 states and employs 4500+ employees across the country. The institute emphasizes on
the use of technology in teaching in all their schools, with state-of-the-art computer labs and interactive
boards installed in classrooms. Due to its effective use of technology in education, this Education Group
was awarded the “best ICT enabled school” in all of India. With the geographically dispersed staff, the
Group was looking for a comprehensive and integrated solution that would connect their growing
network of schools, standardize and automate their business operations and help them get a better
control over their operations. Some of the key challenges that were faced by this institute were manual
maintenance of HR and Payroll related activities via excel sheets. Lack of centralized HR, Poor data and
operations management across geographically scattered locations. There was a lack of employee self-
service, lack of an integrated and comprehensive recruitment and talent management suite. Data
regarding the employees was scattered and employee data was not integrated with core HR processes.
(Source:https://media.featuredcustomers.com/CustomerCaseStudy.document/ramco-systems_podar-
education-network_None.pdf)
a. Explain the functionalities of HR module that help mitigate the challenges faced by this group? (5
Marks)
b. What are certain challenges that the group could face while implementing the ERP package? (5
Marks)

Essentials of HRM
Q1. Kanye Apparels Pvt. Limited is a home grown brand. It has come long way from being a family
business to a mid-sized organisation. Traditionally they always believed in appraising employees through
checklist method. Recently many employees have come out being very vocal about their displeasure on
the traditional way of appraisal and feel it is an unjust way of assessing them. You have been hired as a
consultant to propose a new appraisal system. Also, conclude by justifying your selection for the choice
of appraisal method.

Q2. Alaya infrastructure is a small sized organisation having 150 employees. The organisation never had
a formal induction training. You are their first ever HR Manager and you strongly feel the need to have
induction training. You are asked to present the concept and need for induction training to senior
management. Conclude by emphasizing on the importance/advantages of induction training.

Q3. A web content creation organization name Natika which is into humor based content is expanding
and wants to hire a social media intern. Advertisement has to be placed for the vacancy. Based on this

a. Write a job description for social media intern for the above organisation.

b. Write job specification for the above profile.

Financial Accounting and Analysis

Q1. Wildcat Ltd, a manufacturing company sold a machinery for Rs 8 lacs at the year end. The company
had purchased the machinery four years back for Rs 15 lacs and had depreciated the same using written
down value method of depreciation @ 20%. As an accounts executive of Wildcat Ltd, calculate the WDV
of the asset for the four years, accumulated depreciation for four years and profit/loss on sale, if any.

Q2. Mr. Shil Wants to record the financial transactions of his newly started business. Discuss what
accounting steps/stages he need to adhere so that the transactions can be duly recorded and processed
in order to prepare the financial statements.

Q3a. Following information is available in respect of a company named, as Beta Ltd

Particulars Amount
Profit before taxes Rs 50 lakhs
Dividend declared per share Rs2
Price of the share prevalent on stock exchange Rs 200
Applicable tax rate 35%
Share capital of company 5 lakh shares of Rs 10
each

Calculate-
  Earnings per share
 Dividend Pay-out Ratio
 Price earnings ratio

b. Prepare the cash flow statement from investing activities of Alpha Creative Ltd for the year ended
March31, 2019
Particulars Amount
Plant acquired 160000
Claim received for loss of plant in fire 45500
Unsecured loans given to subsidiaries 595000
Interest on loan received from subsidiary 72500
companies

Also give reasons for the classification of above activities as inflow /outflow
Financial Institutions and Markets

1. You are appointed as a Senior financial research analyst in a reputed firm. Your manager asks you to
advise him on the different ways to test market efficiency. Discuss the ways for testing market efficiency
which will help the firm’s investment to earn excess returns. (10 Marks)

2. Mr. Prakash wants to start up his venture. He has no idea about the investment stages which forms
the building block for the start-up business and therefore, seeks help from his financial advisor Mr.
Sharma. Discuss the three stages of venture capital financing to Mr. Prakash (10 Marks)

3. Ms. Sunita, after completing her graduation, has recently joined a bank. With a steady income now
and good growth prospects for her career, she intends to save regularly and increase the amount of
savings gradually over the years. Her colleagues in the bank have advised her investing in Mutual Funds
(MFs), as a suitable option for her. However, Ms. Sunita is not at all familiar with MFs and has some
queries such as:

a. What are mutual funds and why should she be investing through mutual fund? (5 Marks)

b. What are the various types of mutual funds? (5 Marks) Prepare a detailed answer for her queries.
Fundamentals of Big Data and Analytics
1. The Healthcare industry is inundated with massive volumes of data generated each minute. With the
adoption of electronic health records, mobile health apps and wearable technologies this is poised to
increase dramatically over the next few years. Predictive analytics is used to analyze current data to
predict future using data mining, statistics, modelling, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. It
helps enhance various aspects in the healthcare segment. These include patient care, chronic disease
management, supply chain efficiencies, and hospital administration. Explain predictive analytics and its
importance in the healthcare industry. With the help of a suitable example elaborate how patient data
can be used for preventive healthcare. (10 Marks)
2. Every business today, needs to be on social media be it a small independent store to a large multi-
national brand. Merely having a presence on social media is not enough, an organization has to measure
the success of the posts and use various strategies to develop better campaigns. Social media analytics is
needed to regularly spot trends and see what’s working. Explain how an Indian organization has used
social media analytics to its benefit
(10 Marks)
3. Sports over the years have become extremely competitive — today, the scenarios are so intense that
a minute can completely flip the course of a game. And in order to stay one step ahead of the rivals,
sports teams are opting to analytics. And it is not only because of the competitive pressure but also
because of fans base who seek detailed information about players, their performance and the reason
why the team won or lost. Simply put, sports analytics is the practice of applying data gathered from a
player’s or team’s performance under different circumstance for better decision making and improving
performance. It can also be used to understand and maintain a team’s fan-base and capture the eye of
investors. Sports analytics is not a very new concept, though — it has been around for quite some time.
However, the recent advancements in data collection and management have expanded its role
significantly. (Source: https://www.analyticsindiamag.com/why-sports-analytics-is-more-than-just-a-
numbers-game/)
a. Select an Indian Premier League (IPL) team of your choice and elaborate on how it used analytics to
strategize its game. (5 Marks)
b. How can analytics be used in sports to understand fan preferences and predict the winner of the
game? (5 Marks)
HR Audit

Q1. Pharma Care Enterprises is a MNC which is taking over a small family owned enterprise called
DermaBoss. You have been appointed to do HR audit with the objective of reducing potential legal risks
to the company post the merger. What type of HR audit will you conduct and what are the steps you will
follow to do the same? (10 Marks)

Q2. Software Inc. is a start-up with offices across India. The management team consists of the founders
and their family members. The business has been quite profitable but they now want to expand. Their
investors have advised them to go in for an HR Audit. Your company has been appointed as the HR audit
firm. The CEO of the company has asked you to present the various methods of conducting the audit,
given the spread of operations. Please list out the various methods of data gathering in the audit along
with benefits and limitations as per the context of the case. In the conclusion, please suggest one key
method of data collection you would recommend in this context. (10 Marks)

Q3. Asha Foods is a company that is into operating restaurants in Mumbai. The owner of this company,
Mr. Shetty, now wants to move into International waters by setting up a restaurant in Singapore. He
plans to have his existing operations head move to Singapore and hire a few local employees to make up
the team. So, Mr. Shetty has appointed your consulting firm to help him with his business plan. Your
firm has suggested doing a HR audit as part of the process.
a. As the HR Auditor in charge of the audit, explain the benefits of doing this audit (5 Marks)
b. What aspects of HR should the audit focus on? (5 Marks)
Industrial Relations and Labour Laws

1. Bikram has been with Trackon International in the production department for 10 years. The company
grew with leaps and bounds and management changed. The new management brought in a lot of new
rules, which the labours were not very happy with. Bikram decided to bring the labour under one flag
and decided to have a trade union started for more organized efforts towards settlements. Please
elaborate on the duties of a trade union and process of registration of a trade union in India.

2. Jamshed is about to retire from his position of the union leader at Raycon Industries. The company is
one of the largest textile companies in the country and operates 3 different strong trade unions.
Jamshed has been leading his ‘balwaan union’ for 7 years and thought that he must get a new leader
now. While he is handing over the charges to Chandrakant, he gives a tip ‘collective bargaining is the
mantra to succeed without losing a working day’. He also has a long chat with Chandrakant giving him
some tips about the gravity of holding bargain power. In light of this case, please list down factors that
have an effect on bargaining power of a party in collective bargaining.

3. Pranjal was working on a project with an NGO for spreading awareness about various labour laws
among the workers of different factories which were situated in a deeper area in her state. Those
workers were mostly uneducated and were not aware of their own rights in many places. Her group
decided to speak about Health, Safety and welfare as their theme. Pranjal decided to speak about two
issues Employment of women in factories and an overall awareness about objectives of factories act.
Please answer following questions in light of the case.
a. List various restrictions towards employment of women under section 66 of factories act.
b. Please list down in short, objectives of the Factories Act, 1948.
Information Systems for Managers
 All answers to be explained in not more than 1000 words for question 1 and 2 and for question 3
in not more than 500 words for each subsection. Use relevant examples, illustrations as far as
possible.

 Answer should in your own words. Don’t copy answer from any source.

 Follow the following parameter for answering the assignment questions.

For Theoretical Answer

Assessment Parameter Weightage
Introduction 20%
Concepts and Application related to the question 60%
Conclusion 20%

For Numerical Answer

Assessment Parameter Weightage
Understanding and usage of the formula 20%
Procedure / Steps 50%
Correct Answer & Interpretation 30%
1. The healthcare space inundated with the presence of 4, 00,000 apps approximately which are
involved in monitoring and improving user’s health. These apps monitor user’s health data like calorie
intake, physical activity, heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns and various other parameters. With
the help of these self-monitoring apps users get more personalized information and are capable of
transforming how healthcare will be delivered to them. Healthcare industry is embracing analytics to
improve disease prevention, increase the accuracy of diagnoses, provide safe medications, and make
treatments more effective. Give examples how different stakeholders in the healthcare industry use
analytics (Healthcare professionals, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies and government).

2. Fresh milk startup Country Delight has raised $7-10 million in a Series B funding round led by venture
capital firm Matrix Partners. The company claims to source milk directly from the farm, eliminating the
middle men and allowing farmers to earn a premium. It also invests in cold chain and quality testing
infrastructure at the farmer’s location. The company offers other milk-based products including paneer,
curd and ghee through its mobile app. How do you think technology can help this startup in improving
the dairy supply chain from process management to tracking products and deliveries?

(Source: https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/country-delight-raises-funding-in-round-led-
by-matrix-partners-1548182312046.html)

3. The northern Spanish city of Santander has become the testing ground for "smart cities" around the
world. Smart Santander is a smart city experiment aimed at improving the quality of life, reducing
energy consumption and engaging its citizens in civic duties. The city implemented wireless sensor
networks and embedded 10,000 sensors on its streets and municipal vehicles to monitor garbage
collections, crime air quality and manage street lighting for better energy efficiency. The Santander
Smart City platform allows to integrate all the information of the different municipal services and
thousands of sensors deployed by the city. The latter devices collect multiple data: from air quality,
noise or temperature to which parking lots are free or occupied on different streets or when it is
necessary to water a particular park or garden. For example, buses have sensors at the top that allow to
know the level of pollution in different areas of the city. They have also been installed on street lamps
and walls inside small white boxes in order to measure noise, temperature or brightness. Multiple
devices installed on the ground monitor how many cars are parked in certain streets while different
information panels indicate the free places in a given area to park the car. Even paper containers and
containers have volumetric measurement sensors that indicate how full they are. This information is
especially valuable when planning collection routes, which may vary according to needs. As garbage
trucks are also intelligent, it is possible to monitor their travel and activity. Source:
(https://elpais.com/tecnologia/2019/07/17/actualidad/1563371290_289881.html)

a. What are the benefits of a smart city? Considering the dark side of smart city are you sceptical to the
benefits of a smart city.
b. What are the potential cybersecurity challenges faced in a smart city with data being collected in this
way?
Insurance and Risk Management
Q1.Mr. Rohan is appointed as the risk manager in a reputed insurance firm. Discuss the strategy on how
he could mitigate risk using different technique of risk management. (10 Marks)
Q2. Sheetal and her husband are working in a reputed multinational company. They both are well
settled and are maintaining a decent lifestyle. Since they are working for the private company, their
parents asked them to buy a retirement plan which can compensate their lifestyle even after their
retirement. Assume yourself to be sheetal’s insurance advisor. Discuss the three broad steps which you
will consider for managing their retirement Plan. (10 Marks)
Q3. Which method of premium calculation would be used in each of the below cases:
a. Same rate of premium is charged from individuals under the same situation (5 Marks)
b. Method frequently used by commercial fire insurance companies (5 Marks)
Integrated Marketing Communication
Q1. You are the owner of a Fashion Jewellery store. You have planned an end of season sale. How would
you use sales promotion tool to make the sale a success? (10 Marks)

Q2. You are the brand manager of an FMCG Hair company and your company is launching a new hair oil
which is good for colored hair. Explain the Integrated Marketing process you will use to launch the
product? (10 Marks)
Q3. Case Study
Alia Bhatt – Brand Ambassador Uber Eats
You are Brand Manager for Uber Eats. You have tied up with Alia Bhatt as the Brand ambassador.
a) Think of an interesting active integration of Uber Eats in the next Alia film. (5 Marks)
b) How would you leverage Alia Bhatt to promote your brand? (5 Marks)
International Banking and Foreign Exchange Management

Q1. A dealer has the following position in GBP against INR:

Spot – GBP 20 million Long
Three months forward – GBP 20 million short
The spot was executed at an average rate of 100.50 and the forward rate was 100.75.
The dealer now wants to close his position. If the prevailing swap quotes are as follows, what is the
profit/loss in squaring off his position?
GBP/INR Spot: 100.6510/100.6530
3-month Swap: 9135/9170 (10 Marks)
Q2. Mr. Mehta was a businessman and was planning to expand his operations to other countries as well
but he was not very sure about the forex market and also how his business would get affected by
various factors. He decided to meet a bank manager who can help him understand these factors. If you
are the manager help him understand the various factors that would cause the fluctuation in the
exchange rate which may affect his business as well. (10 Marks)
Q3. Neha has completed her MBA and has joined the Treasury department of a bank. During training her
manager explained her that any open currency position may give rise to exchange rate risks. If the
dealer leaves this position unhedged, he carries the risk that the exchange rate might turn adverse the
next day. He wanted her to prepare report on:
a) Position limits on a currency that a dealer can carry during regular trading hours. (5 Marks)
b) Position limits on a currency that a dealer can carry over to the next day up to this limit. (5 Marks)
International Business

1. The World Economic Forum publishes the Global Competitiveness report annually which ranks
nations across 12 pillars of global competitiveness. Develop a regional Asia-Pacific Outlook for a
minimum of 5 economies in the region. (10 Marks)

2. You are travelling to an African country (select one) and your colleague recommends you to visit the
website of Centre for Intercultural Learning. Collect information and prepare a brief write-up on the
cultural characteristics affecting workplace conduct in the selected African country and compare it with
the Indian culture (10 Marks)

3. In late 1990s, Levi Strauss, the iconic jeans brand decided to restore its lost sales through a shift in
strategy. They decided to allow the national managers to adapt the product offers and re-work on the
marketing strategies. The products were re-designed for physical differences. Regional flavor was given
to the advertisements especially when around 60% of the business started coming from emerging
markets.

a. How does the brand Levi demonstrate the globalization of markets. Identify 5 such Indian brands who
indicate the same global phenomenon. (5 Marks)

b. Do you think that this strategy will continue to work in future? Identify 5 global brands that practice
standardization? (5 Marks)
International Finance

1. You work in an investment bank IBANK. You will be meeting the CEO of GlobeTech next week, who
wants to understand how different international financial markets operate, as they might look to raise
short-term loans or debt or equity in the future. You know the CEO has very little knowledge about this,
so you have to explain to him starting with the basics. As you don’t want to confuse him with many
options, you decide to write in simple words the nature and purpose of four out of the five types of
International Financial Markets. Limit the description to maximum one page per market type.

These should be generic write-ups, nothing specific to GlobeTech. (10 Marks)

2. One day before the meeting, the CEO of GlobeTech calls up and says now he is interested to read a
write-up about Foreign Exchange Risk, as GlobeTech deals with Foreign Exchange and he should be
knowing about the different type of risks. You have little time to prepare for this, so you decide to write
on only three out of the five risk categories, from a general perspective, that you have learnt in the
International Finance course at NGA-SCE. After that, to keep the client happy, you decide to do
something extra. GlobeTech has to have some hedging strategies to manage its Foreign Exchange risks.
So you also write from a general perspective about three corporate hedging strategies.

These should be generic write-ups, nothing specific to GlobeTech. (10 Marks)

Q3. A US company has exported goods worth Eur 100 million, receivable after 3 months, to a Germany
based company. The forward rates are expressed as:

EUR-USD Spot 1.0973 – 1.0974

Three months Forward 75.5 – 76.0

a. Is the EUR quoting at discount or premium to the USD? What is the forward rate applicable at which
the US company will enter into a forward contract? (5 Marks)

b. Suppose USD is depreciating. Should the US exporter go for hedging the risk? If he hedges the risk
with a forward contract and the actual spot rate after 3 months turns out to be the same as the currency
spot rate, what is his notional profit/ loss?

International HR Practices
Q1. CHIRAG Enterprises is a leading Indian Garment manufacturing company. The company is planning
the international expansion. It is about to set its first international factory at Indonesia. The company
plans to send a team of 50 employees to start the project. Before the team is sent to initiate the
proceedings in Indonesia, HR Manager is instructed to conduct a ‘Pre-Departure Training Program’.
Assume yourself as an HR Manager of Chirag Enterprises and give the components of effective Pre-
Departure Training Program that you will conduct. (10 Marks)

Q2. ABC Ltd is a strategy consultancy firm operating in India. The company has started its operations in
Europe now and have sent a team of 30 employees to head a project in London. The company is about
to initiate the performance management program at its London plant. As an HR Manager, which modern
method of performance appraisal will you suggest to be started in London? (10 Marks)

Q3. TRENDS Ltd is a leading retail chain in India and the company is expanding its operations in South
AMERICA. As an HR Manager, you are supposed to make a decision about the international
compensation of employees who will be working in South America. In this context, answer the
following:
a. What will be the components of the international compensation that you will offer to the employees
in South America. (5 Marks)
b. Which international compensation approach will you follow? Going rate approach or Balance sheet
approach? (5 Marks)
International Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Q1. An Indian company is into the business of ice cream and is a strong brand. The company is exploring
international opportunities for which they have orders for their products in the European countries.
Explain the strategic approach of the company for successful order execution and brand building
activities with the customers internationally. (10 Marks)

Q2. The company Relax foods is into confectionary business without the use of sugar and want to set up
the company business outside India by launching its products in potential countries. What is the
strategic approach the company would employ for the successful launch? Develop an entry plan and
analyze the right logistics and SCM strategies which can enhance the service quality with on time
availability and generating good market share of the company. (10 Marks)

Q3. A food company named Eat Right is in the Indian market for about 8 years. The company now is in
the domestic market and has gained good brand recognition by its innovative designs and multiple
products. It has orders from Europe. The order types differ as per seasons ranging from Full Container
Load (FCL) to Less than Container Load (LCL)
a. Work out a logistics plan and routes how it must ship the products and what elements of importance
it should consider while doing so like containers and packaging. (5 Marks)
b. What kind of production planning and pricing patterns it needs to implement and what are the supply
chain strategies that need to be followed? (5 Marks)
International Marketing

Q1. Due to US President Donald Trump’s policies it is becoming difficult to export steel components to
US. You are a big exporter of auto components to the US. Hence you want to evaluate setting up a new
Plant in America and also explore option to expand in that market. Evaluate whether you would like to
set up Plant in the US or Mexico on basis of International Business & Marketing Environment
parameters to come to a decision. Both countries are now part of NAFTA agreement. (10 Marks)

Q2. You are the CEO of a FMCG company and wish to enter China. You have a strong global brand.
Evaluate any 3 entry options to enter into China. Which of the market entry options would you finally
choose & why? (10 Marks)

Q3. The LEGO toys market has strong growth and reasonable volume in India. The Toy market is
dominated by Mattel and many smaller Indian players in this segment. Mattel enjoys a 30-50% higher
pricing compared to other leading Indian brands. As LEGO you have decided to enter the Indian market
in India in a big way either by setting up own manufacturing.

a) Suggest what would be your pricing strategy for the Indian market. (5 Marks)

b) Suggest the possible brand positioning for your LEGO Toys. (5 Marks)
IT Infrastructure Management
Q1. Green Information Technology (IT) aims to minimize the negative impact of IT operations on the
environment by designing, manufacturing, operating and disposing of computers and computer-related
products in an environmentally-friendly manner. It aims to reduce the use of hazardous materials,
maximize energy efficiency during the product’s lifetime, the reliability or biodegradability of defunct
products and factory waste. Green IT is important for all classes of systems, ranging from handheld
systems to large-scale data centers. Government regulation is only a part of an overall green computing
idea. The work habits of computer users and businesses have to be modified to minimize adverse impact
on the global environment. With the help of an example, explain the initiatives taken by an Indian
organization to practice Green IT. (10 Marks)

Q2. Organizations that have voluminous transactions are drawing to server farms to be able to provide
continuous data streaming and processing (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Netflix). A server farm or server
cluster is a collection of computer servers – usually maintained by an organization to supply server
functionality far beyond the capability of a single machine. What are the benefits of server farms? What
factors do organizations bear in mind while setting up server farms? (10 Marks)

Q3. Individuals now have unlimited access to health information and, as a result, they have become
actively involved in improving their health. There are now close to 400,000 health apps that monitor a
variety of health data – heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, calories intake, physical activity,
blood glucose, cholesterol levels, and several other parameters. This self-monitoring information is set
to increase, get more accurate, and transform how healthcare will be delivered to the people. Cloud
computing comes to the forefront here as it helps with storage of private and confidential patient data.
It enables healthcare professionals and citizens/patients to access their data at any time and place.
Health organizations use cloud computing to reduce costs, simplify management, and improve services
in a safe and secure manner. Clinicians can be more flexible in their work as they are not confined to
their office to access patients’ health records. Healthcare professionals can also exchange information
about a patient with their colleagues at other locations to inform or negotiate about possible medical
options. Cloud services available to health and life science organizations today extend well beyond email
and communications, meetings and collaboration. Hospitals and physicians are starting to see cloud-
based medical records and medical image archiving services. The objective is to offload a burdensome
task from hospital IT departments and allow them to focus on supporting other imperatives such as EMR
adoption and improved clinical support systems.
(Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/health-it/healthcare-analytics-how-data-
is-transforming-the-healthcare-landscape-in-india/70288906)

a. What are the advantages of adopting cloud computing in hospitals? Give an example of an Indian
hospital chain that has successfully adopted cloud computing. (5 Marks)
b. What are different cloud adoption models? Explain certain security challenges in implementing cloud
computing at hospitals? (5 Marks)
Logistic Management
Q1 You are involved in logistical system design and administration. Discuss the six different operational
objectives you need to simultaneously focus to achieve these objectives (10 Marks)
Q2. You are in the process of designing the Physical Distribution system for your organization. What are
the two major objectives and the six influencing factors that you may have to consider to meet
customer service goals? Give examples. (10 Marks)
Q3. You are the manager of a consumer appliance store that sells electrical appliances. One of the home
appliances is estimated to have an annual demand of 900 units. The store incurs Rs.180 for every order
it place for the delivery of this appliance from its supplier. The storing cost is Rs.90 per unit per annum.
a. What will be your ordering quantity to keep the total inventory cost minimum? (5 Marks)
b. Discuss the advantages the store will get if you codify all the items in the store. (5 marks)
Management Theory and Practice

1. M/s Paper Write Corporation deals with the manufacturing and selling of paper bags. The company
has started this business looking at the opportunity that exists, after plastic was banned by the
government in some states. The company has never used any modern day management practices and
the business continues to function in the traditional way. Mr. Ajay has been appointed as a Manager to
handle the overall functioning of the business. He notices few things in the company:

a) One person reporting to three bosses

b) No specialized worker in the factory

c) Long hierarchy to get any approval

d) No following of rules and regulations

e) No designated place for inventory, tools, equipment’s, etc.

f) The team work among employees is missing.

Advise Mr. Ajay any five of Henry Fayol’s principles which can solve the problems mentioned above.
Explain the same with description.

2. M/s Paper Write Corporation problems don’t seem to end. The company doesn’t use modern day
technology in the departments. Some observations made by Ajay are:

a) The company uses register for employee attendance.

b) The company has a manual process of writing entry in the books of accounts.

c) The leaves are applied on paper which has a lengthy process of approval.

d) All the orders are sent through hard copies to the suppliers.
e) The inventory management is not practiced effectively due to the lack of usage of technology.

Advise any 5 modern day technologies which will make the system more productive and effective.
Explain the same with description.

3.a. There is no motivation among employees and workers in the organization. How will you motivate
the employees and workers of M/s Paper Write Corporation?

3.b. Explain the style of leadership that will be suitable for M/s Paper Write Corporation. Elaborate on
the choice of leadership selected.
Manpower Planning Recruitment and Selection

Q1. Explain the concept of quality of work life. Give an example of your own work place/ any other
where you think initiatives for quality of work life of employees are taken. Elucidate the initiatives.

Q2. Manpower planning is an essential function in organizations. While it may not always lead to a
positive process, it sometimes leads to actions such as corporate restructuring.
Do you think corporate restructuring has become rampant? Give any one industry example. What are
your views on corporate restructuring in the light of advanced technology, IoT and artificial intelligence?
(10 Marks)

Q3. Greencloud is a reputed Air Conditioner manufacturer for more than four decades now. They
recently came up with a new design in air conditioners which could be moved from one place to the
other. During the installation of one of such air conditioners, the customer service agent encounters a
conflict on installation of a particular part with the customer. The customer happens to prove himself
right and produces an evidence of the e-catalogue he had referred while buying from the e-commerce
website. On asking the agent about his unawareness of the installation of the particular part, he replied
that they are right away sent for service calls after product launches without a formal training and all the
knowledge that they gather is from various tech and social media websites.
a. What according to you is the root cause of the problem and what could be the other possible
repercussions of the same?
b. What kind of action plan do you suggest in the above case?
Marketing Management

“Balwaan Gyms and Akhadas” is a new enterprise started by two young fitness freak entrepreneurs Mr.
Balraj and Mr. Balbuddhi. Balwaan Gyms and Akhadas is a chain of gyms with a vision to make everyone
healthy. The company has already opened 15 Gyms and Akhadas across five cities namely Mumbai,
Bangalore, Pune, Delhi and Kolkata.

The gym has all modern facilities and amenities like 24*7 security, convenient parking, flexi hours, group
Classes on fitness, Personal Training, Private restrooms for males and females. The most unique thing
about Balwaan is that it also has all Indian style akhadas where
traditional body building is taught. Balwaan’s every store has a healthy café where they serve traditional
healthy food and drinks at extra cost.

The membership fees for the same is 24,000 per annum without a personal trainer.

The company has been relying only on word of mouth for yearly memberships. The company has not
undertaken any marketing promotion campaigns for the same. The company is falling short of its
expectation when it comes to membership and revenues.

Assume the company has hired you as a Marketing consultant and they want you to advise them on the
following issues:

Q1. List and discuss the major bases for segmentation of consumer markets. Explain the four variables in
detail for Balwaan.

Q2. How will you promote the Brand Balwaan Gyms and Akhadas online? Explain five platforms that you
will use to promote the same.

Q3.a. Explain various levels of product with reference to Balwaan Gyms and Akhadas.
Q3.b. Which celebrity will you select as a brand ambassador for the Balwaan Gyms and Akhadas? Explain
the choice of your celebrity with five reasons.
Marketing of Financial Services

1. Design a Financial Literacy program targeted at college students for a Mutual Fund (Asset
Management Company) of your choice. (10 Marks)

2. Ashok Bhatia, (age 29 years) works with a pharmaceutical company and has not yet started to save for
his retirement. Ashok is married to Preeti (age 25 years) and they have one son aged 2 years. Ashok
wants you to prepare a plan for him to retire latest by age 55. (You can make any assumptions to further
build up your case.) (10 Marks)

3. Amish Shah, aged 35 years, is employed with a MNC. His wife Pooja, aged 34 years, is also working
part - time. The couple has two children - daughter Rima aged 7 years and son Ansh aged 4 years. Amish
and Pooja require your help to make a few financial decisions. (Give justification and reasoning for the
option you would suggest to your client. You can make any assumptions to further build up your case.)
a. Amish and Pooja want to invest for their children’s higher education for the long term (over 12 to 15
years). They want to know whether they should make lump sum equity mutual fund investments or
invest in SIPs of Equity MFs. (5 Marks)
b. Amish wants to take a Life Insurance cover of Rs 1.5 crore. Advise him whether he should go for a
ULIP or a term insurance. (5 Marks)
Marketing Research
1. As a researcher, you need to study how many kirana stores in Mumbai sell tomato ketchups of the
Nestle Maggi brand. Which non-probabilistic sampling method would you use to complete your
research. Also state the reasons behind choosing that method. Also explain as to how will you proceed
ahead with choosing the areas/ localities in Mumbai to conduct your research along with timelines. (10
Marks)

2. You are the Head of a Market Research Organization. Your FMCG client has recently introduced
“Digest Healer,” a new type of biscuit that contains ingredients that are meant to be good for Diabetic
patients. The FMCG company wants to understand how customers are reacting to their recently
launched biscuit. Draft a Questionnaire containing not more than 20 questions that would succinctly
address the query posed by the FMCG client.

(10 Marks)

3. You have been recently appointed as a “New Product Development” Head for a South Indian fast food
retail chain conglomerate named as “Gujarat is Great” which operates in Western & Southern India
regions only. You have been asked to develop 2 new innovative products as part of their Menu.

a. Explain the process in detail to arrive at the creation of your 2 new products (5 Marks)

b. Is there a need to conduct Test Marketing? If Yes or No, please state your reasons to support your
answer. (5 Marks)
Marketing Strategy

1. Tata Starbucks is a 50:50 joint venture between Starbucks and Tata Global Beverages (TGBL) in India.
Tata Starbucks opened its first store in India in Oct-2012, and as of Aug-2019 had c. 157 stores in India.
“Our continued growth in topline and sensible approach towards expansion will help us achieve break-
even by March 2020. Coffee business in India is growing substantially. The coffee culture is being
spearheaded by millennials, upwardly mobile and people who travel and understand brand. Two years
ago, we set up 25 stores (in a year). During last fiscal 2018-19 we added 30 stores. This year we will beat
that number substantially and by end of March 2020, we will have added many more stores than we
added in the past.” – Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks (source: The Hindu BusinessLine, 7-Aug-
2019). Tata Starbucks achieved sales of c. INR 442 crores in the financial year ending Mar-2019 (source:
the Hindu BusinessLine, 7-Aug-2019). You work as a Marketing Strategy consultant; provide
recommendations regarding growth strategy to help Tata Starbucks increase the sales 5 times by Mar-
2024 (relative to sales in financial year ending Mar-2019). (10 Marks)

2. Founded in 1946, and incorporated in 1958 in Japan, Yonex (www.yonex.com) is a well-known brand
and manufacturer of sports equipment for badminton, tennis, etc. Inspired by the success of PV Sindhu
and Saina Nehwal in international badminton tournaments, Prakriti, a first generation entrepreneur
founded ‘ABC’ in 2019 with a vision to build the first Indian billion-dollar brand in sports equipment and
related products/services, and become No. 1 brand in the category in India by 2025. Prakriti has hired
you as a consultant; review and analyse the Marketing Strategy of Yonex and its competitors in India,
and provide recommendations on Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning Marketing Strategy for ABC
in badminton rackets category. (10 Marks)

3. Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. (hereafter referred to as Colgate) achieved sales of c. INR 4,500 crores
in FY 2019, having grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of c. 4.5% since FY 2014. Pacol,
an entrepreneur, is planning to build INR 1,000 crores (in sales) brand ‘Pacol’ by FY 2025 in the Oral Care
products category in India, and has hired you as a Marketing Strategy consultant. Review and analyse
Colgate’s Marketing Strategy in India.

a. Explain various stages and their characteristics in industry life cycle, with specific comments regarding
the current stage of Oral Care products industry in India. (5 Marks)

b. There are 5 key themes/ ways to identify competitive advantages for a brand/ differentiate from
other brands, as a part of differentiation and positioning strategy; explain these with
suggestions/examples in context of ‘Pacol’. (5 Marks)
Operations Management

1. What is the need of Materials Requirement Planning (MRP) in a manufacturing company? Select any
manufacturing company of your choice, and do a detailed study of its MRP process. (10 Marks)

2. Define aggregate operations planning. With the help of one example for each strategy, distinguish
between the different aggregate operations planning strategies. (10 Marks)

3. US is set to construct the world’s largest ethane cracker plant in the US Gulf Coast region. Qatar
Petrochemical (QP) and Chevron Phillips(CP) Chemical have signed an agreement to jointly develop the
project. The complex is expected to comprise a 1,900-kiloton-per-annum (KTA) ethane cracker and two
high-density polyethylene (HDPE) units with a combined capacity of 1,680 KTA. QP will own a 70%
majority share in the joint venture and CP Chem will hold the remaining 30% stake. Chevron Phillips will
also provide project management and oversight, and it will be responsible for operation and
management of the facility. The plant’s location will give it access to significant quantities of ethane
produced by US shale basins, including the prolific Permian Basin. The facility will raise Qatar’s
polyethylene production capacity by 82%. It will support an estimated 9,000 jobs during construction
period, and once operational the facility is expected to provide 600 full-time jobs. (Source: US to build
world’s largest ethane cracker plant by Teresia Njoroge - Jul 15, 2019
https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/07/us-to-build-worlds-largest-ethane-cracker-plant/ )

a. Discuss the factors that affect plant location decisions. What are the key factors that may affect the
ethane cracker plant? (5 Marks)

b. Name the four major types of plant layout. For the above project, what should be the ideal plant
layout? (5 Marks)
Organisation Culture

1. Management theorists are always of the opinion that leaders are the true reflection of any
organisation. They are the ones who are responsible to not only guide but also mentor you in the
journey which will help reach the organisational as well as self-goals or objectives. Based on the above
statements discuss the dynamic role of leaders which helps to create innovative organisational culture.

2. Antara joined a FMCG organisation as a Management Trainee-HR. There is a lot of expectation from
her where she needs to be agile and learn the culture of this organisation and adapt to it. The culture of
any organisation is conveyed in various ways, based on the above scenario discuss what are the
different ways through which Antara can learn the culture?

3. Krishnan joined as an AGM-HR in a leading Educational Institute. He noticed that there was no
socialisation process for the employees. They (employees) hardly knew each other since there was no
ice breaking, minimal interaction and everyone was working in silos. Krishnan promotes the point that
there should be a socialisation process for new as well as old employees as it attempts to integrate them
into the culture of the organization.
a) Suggest any three socialisation tactics which Krishnan should use.
b) What could be the active consequences of socialisation tactics used?
Organisational Theory Structure and Design

Q1. PharmaCare Enterprises is a MNC, which is planning to takeover a small family owned enterprise
called DermaBoss. Your firm has been tasked with doing an Organizational Analysis prior to the
takeover. Detail out the techniques you would follow for doing an Internal Analysis of DermaBoss. (10
Marks)

Q2. Asha Motors is a family owned automobile company that is making electric vehicles (EV). With the
enhanced focus on EV and the public inclination towards purchasing non-polluting vehicles, the
company expects a sudden surge in demand and thus potential growth. The company promoters have
realized that to take advantage of this, the company needs to scale up and drastically change the way
they operate and to do so, they need an External Analysis. Detail out the four concepts of External
Analysis and the Scenario Planning technique for this analysis. (10 Marks)

Q3. Software Inc is a start-up with offices across India. The management team consists of the founders
and their family members. The business has been quite profitable but they now want to expand. Their
investors have advised them to go in for an Organisational study using the 7 S Framework. The CEO of
the company has asked your firm to share a presentation on this.

a. Please detail out the concept and features of an organisation. (5 Marks)

b. What is the 7 S framework? (5 Marks)

Organizational Behavior
Q1. Arjan is an employee who is never on time for work or meetings. He has been issued several
warning memos but in vain. The management is not able to take stringent action against him as he is
very good at his work and is one of the top performers. As his reporting authority you still feel that he
should respect time and be disciplined. From the different elements of reinforcement which one should
his manager choose to get the desired behaviour? Conclude by giving why it (the one which you chose)
is the best suited.

Q2. Choose one Asian and one European country. Compare and contrast communication in their
cultures.

Q3. Krabi Textile is going online from retail mode as the management feels that it is the need of the hour
to be present in the digital space. People are resisting this change and you are the one chosen as the
leader by the management to lead in this tough time.

a. What all people skills would be required by a leader to be effective in such times?

b. How would you differentiate between being a manager and leader?

Performance Management System

1. Abhinav Saxena is a software professional whose performance appraisal is due. During the past 12
months Abhinav has worked on three different projects with three different superiors. All his superiors
have quit the organization. Abhinav is now being appraised by a new boss, Narayan Swamy. The only
data point available is the Critical Incident Diary maintained very diligently by all the previous superiors
of Abhinav. Assume you are Narayan Swamy how would you approach this situation and also utilize the
Critical Incident Diary to ensure the appraisal process is objective and fair?

2. Sameera Sharma is a Team Leader and leads a team of 10 employees. Akanksha who has been part of
Sameera’s team has just resumed from her maternity leave. Akanksha is having trouble managing her 7-
month old baby, home and work. Akanksha is a committed and hardworking employee yet extremely
stressed with the situation. Akanksha is thinking of quitting and approaches Sameera for a counselling
session. What steps should Sameera take to ensure that the counselling session is meaningful and
achieves a successful outcome.

3. Karan Kapoor has a startup business - Akanksha Enterprises - that recycles plastics and makes
decorative items. He started the business 2 years ago with 5 employees. Today it has grown pan India
and has 100 employees. Karan has now hired Amita Patil as HR Manager and wants to introduce
rewards and incentives in their organization. This will be the first time they will be introducing the
concept of rewards. Amita Patil, HR Manager is leading this exercise.
a. What steps should Amita take to link performance with compensation?
b. Prepare an incentive scheme for Sales Executives who sell the decorative items?
Project Management
Q1. Using an example, describe the adaptive project life cycle model. (10 Marks)

Q2. Describe the different types of Project Management Offices (PMOs). In your opinion which one is
the most common PMO structure? Why? (10 Marks)

Q3. Terra Drone Indonesia, a group company of Terra Drone Corporation, one of the world’s largest
providers of industrial drone solutions, has successfully completed two pilot projects that demonstrate
how construction companies can benefit from drone surveying and mapping services. Using drones
equipped with Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, Terra Drone Indonesia has carried out
survey-grade topographic mapping for two different dam construction projects in the country. Project 1:
Bogor, West Java, Indonesia In Bogor, the LiDAR drone technology was demonstrated to Wijaya Karya
(Persero) Tbk, a construction engineering company working on a dam project in Megamendung.
Covering an area of almost 20 hectares in a single day, Terra Drone Indonesia captured high-resolution
data and images to generate an accurate topographic map and 3D model of the construction site. The
data and images can now support decision-making in project controlling activities such as planning or
measuring the work progress. Project 2: Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia In Purworejo, the
survey activity was conducted for PT PP (Persero) Tbk, one of the main players in the national
construction business in Indonesia. Over a period of four days, Terra Drone Indonesia carried out aerial
LiDAR topographic mapping for a dam construction project in an area with dense vegetation to capture
data and images for facilitating impeccable construction progress.

Source: https://www.tdworld.com/overhead-transmission/terra-drone-indonesia-shows-construction-
companies-benefits-aerial-lidar

a. Create a work break down structure (WBS) for project 1. (You can assume different activities for this
project). (5 Marks)

b. Assume different roles/activities for project 2 and develop a RACI model.

Sales Management

1. Synergy computer systems has 3 sales executives in Mumbai. Their performance for the month of
April – June 2019 is detailed below. You are the territory manager in charge of their performance.

Name of the executive No. of sales calls No. of orders Actual Sales INR
Sanjay Mishra 1550 350 350,00,000
Tapan Sharma 1100 280 280,00,000
Supriya Ghosh 1600 580 580,00,000

Critically evaluate the performance of the sales executives. What are the steps you can take to improve
the performance? (10 Marks)
2. Connect with a senior sales person from two industries – IT industry (such as TCS, Infosys or any other
company) and consumer product industry (such as P&G, Dabur or any other company). Study and
prepare the sales organization structure of these two companies. (10 Marks)

3. Orion Fashions Ltd is a fashion brand in India. They are predominantly in fashion wear from men and
women. The company has 3 plants in India and employs over 800 sales people. However the company
has been hit with the economic slowdown in the country. To make things worse, cheaper imports of
fashion wear and e-commerce has affected store sales. The sales people are left with slimmer pay
cheques and many of them left the company. The sales people also put pressure on the top
management and negotiated a 10% increase in salary for all sales employees.

a. Do you agree with the Top managements plan to give a flat increase in salary to all sales people (5
Marks)

b. What are some of the non-financial tools of motivation that you can use (5 Marks)
Services Marketing

Q1. You have decided to open a 3-star hotel property in Surat by the name “Comfort Inn”?

You wish to pursue a very unique strategy when it comes to Customer Satisfaction by introducing a
“Service Guarantee” policy. Design an effective Service Guarantee policy & set the criteria for it too
along with enlisting of benefits of incorporating such a policy. (10 Marks)

Q2. You have been appointed as an external consultant to help a local municipal hospital in Mumbai by
the name of “King Edward Memorial Hospital”. This hospital faces a lot of administrative issues.
Undertake a Service process redesign exercise. What innovative mechanisms would you bring to the
fore to ensure that the municipal hospital undergoes a radical transformation & that patients get
prompt service. (10 Marks)

Q3. You are an Indian Ayurveda products brand by the name of “Ayur” & wish to enter the US market.

a. Which market entry strategy will you choose & explain the reasons behind your choice. Also briefly
explain as to how will you expand & in which regions. (5 Marks)

b. Suppose the above stated brand Ayur decides to diversify & expand into the education sector by
introducing courses & degrees in Ayurveda in the US. Which market entry strategy should it pursue in
order to enter the US market? Explain the reasons behind your choice. In which region do you suggest to
set up the Ayur University. (5 Marks)
Strategic Cost Management
Q1. Swadeshi Industries has four potential projects all with an initial cost of Rs. 20,00,000. The capital
budget for the year will only allow Swadeshi industries to accept one of the four projects. Given the
discount rates and the future cash flows of each project, which project should they accept? (10 Marks)
Q2. An auto component manufacturing company is contemplating introducing a new inspection process
in their assembly line to save on rectifying cost. The current production is in batches; each batch
produce 5000 components. The cost of inspection of each component is Rs 50, the cost of rectifying
each defective component is Rs 250. If a defective component is sent to the customer and returned, it
will cost the company Rs.500. Calculate at what percentage of defective rate it would be beneficial for
the company to adopt the proposal. (10 Marks)
Q3. You work for a strategic consulting firm specializing in Cost Optimization; ABC Company is looking
for some advice regarding Break Even Sales, Margin of Safety, and impact of selling price on the two
metrics. The company has provided you the following information:

Sales Units 10,000

Selling Price ₹ 15
Total Cost ₹ 75,000
Fixed Cost ₹ 20,000
Net Profit ₹ 25,000

Using the above information, you are required to:

a. Calculate Break Even Sales (in Rs.) and Margin of Safety (in Rs.) (5 Marks)
b. Calculate the new Break Even Sales and Margin of Safety if the selling price is increased by 20%. (5
Marks)

Strategic Financial Management

Q1. Calculate EVA if the Earnings before interest and tax is Rs 10,00,000 and applicable tax rate is 30%.
The capital structure of the firm consists of 65% Equity and 35% debt capital. After tax cost of debt is 6%
and after tax cost of equity is 11%. Total borrowed capital of the firm is Rs 18,00,000. (10 Marks)

Q2. Alok was working as the project manager and had to decide which one of the projects has to be
selected on the basis of Net Present Value if the discounting factor in the case of both projects is 10%
and initial investment required is Rs 5,00,000. The cash inflows of both the projects are: (10 Marks)

Year Project A Project B

1 Rs. 75,000 Rs. 40,000
2 Rs. 1,25,000 Rs. 75,000
3 Rs. 2,00,000 Rs. 1,00,000
4 Rs. 2,25,000 Rs. 1,50,000
5 Rs. 2,50,000 Rs. 2,25,000

Q3. Walter and Gordon model analyze the impact of distribution of dividends on the valuation of the
firm but the formula used in both the cases are different. Company ABC Ltd wanted to evaluate the
price of the share in both cases. The company earns Rs 5 per share and the cost of capital to the firm is
12%. The company earns return on investment of 15% and the firm is planning dividend payout ratio of
30%. Calculate:

a) Price of the share using Walter Model. (5 Marks)

b) Price of the share using Gordon model.

Strategic HRM

Q1. BENTAX Ltd is a leading textiles firm in Mumbai. It is strategically planning to expand in North India
and hence the company has planned to set up 10 plants across UP, Punjab, Delhi and Chandigarh. You
are an HR Manager of BENTAX Ltd. To allow company to successfully implement the growth strategy,
you are required to suggest the effective Strategic Human Resource Planning (SHRP) process. Write in
detail the process of SHRP that you would recommend. (10 Marks)

Q2. You are an HR Manager in TELCO Teleservices. Your company is planning huge domestic expansion
and for the same you have decided to start the branches of your company all across India. Now a huge
challenge for you is to acquire the talent. In this background, discuss what are “Make Vs. Buy staffing
decisions” and also answer which one of these will you choose to acquire the talent that is needed? (10
Marks)

Q3. ADISYNCH is a new start up in Bengaluru which is operating in Education sector. It is an online
learning platform to school and college students in India. The startup hires tutors from all across the
country. In your recent recruitment drive you selected 50 new tutors from 15 different states in India. In
this background, answer the following questions:
a) Which training method will you use to train these tutors? Why? (5 Marks)
b) Describe the characteristics of the method that you are proposing to use. (5 Marks)
Strategic Management
Q1. You have been appointed as a Strategy Consultant to a Swiss shoe making brand namely “Bally”
wanting to enter India. ...Once the strategy has been chosen, explain the categories of customers you
would target?
Q2. UNIQLO is a Japanese casual wear designer, manufacturer and retailer that wishes to enter India’s
Retail market. Conduct a PESTLE analysis for Uniqlo in India & suggest whether Uniqlo should enter India
or otherwise.
Q3. You are the Chairman of Isuzu Motors in Japan. Your Indian subsidiary Isuzu India has managed to
gain only under 2% of the market share so far & Competitor brands such as Maruti & Hyundai account
for 50% & 17% of the market shares respectively.
 a. What turnaround strategies can you suggest to arrest the decline of revenues & profitability of your
company?
b. In your opinion, would it be considered appropriate to pursue a Combination Strategy? State your
response with appropriate justifications & reasons.
Supply Chain Management

Q1. What are the three decision phases of Supply Chain Management? What are some key decisions
made in each phase? Please give 2 examples of decisions in each phase. Also comment on how are the
decisions made in each phase linked with each other

Q2. XYZ parts is a company making brake pads for trucks. It wants to set up its manufacturing and
dispatch warehouse either in Delhi or Mumbai. From the city they select, they will make shipments to 6
cities- Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad and Chennai. Each parcel they ship to their
customers in these cities weighs between 750 grams and 900 grams. They negotiated with a logistics
company for shipping their parcels and the best rates they got for all parcels up to 1 kg are given in
below table:

The number of orders they are expecting to get from each city per month are given in below table

For manufacturing, storing the inventory and dispatching, they need a 10000 sq. ft warehouse. Monthly
rent in Mumbai for a 10000 sqft warehouse is Rs. 1.5 lakhs per month and in Delhi it is Rs. 90000. All
other costs of operating the warehouse and manufacturing is same for both the cities. How will the
company decide how which city is cost effective to operate? Which city as per your calculations should
be there preferred location?

Q3. Case Study/ Caselet

Axis Apparels is a company based out of Delhi, India. They produce garments using fabric imported from
a factor in China. The factory in China dispatches the goods on the same day when they receive the
order. The shipments are made through air and the transportation lead time is 10 days include customs
clearance at both countries. Once the fabric is received, the company performs QC test in a lab and only
after that, the fabric can be used for making garments. QC test takes 10 days. On an average company
uses 3,00,000 meters of fabric every month. However, the business development team of the company
has informed that any day they can receive a new order from a client and in that case the consumption
of fabric per month can go up to 4,50,000 meters
a) How much safety stock of fabric should the company maintain? (5 Marks)
b) At what inventory level the order for new lot of fabric should be placed. (5 Marks)
Taxation Direct and Indirect

1 . Mr. Somaya recently joined as a marketing executive in a construction company. The Human
resource department of the company recruited him at a CTC of Rs6.5 lacs, annually. The said
department asked him to follow adequate tax planning so as to minimize income tax liability. However,
being a graduate in Marketing Somaya is confused among the terms tax planning, tax avoidance and tax
evasion. He approached you for discussing the differences in these terms. You recently come to know
about the difference by studying them under the course of Taxation – Direct and Indirect. Explain him
the needful with suitable examples. (10 Marks)

2. The basis of charge under the head salary is different when compared with income from other various
sources. Further, there are certain deductions under the Income tax Act which are available only to the
salaried employees and which are in addition to the deductions under Chapter VI of the income tax Act.
Mention at least three of the deductions available to salaried employees with the maximum deductible
amount for each of them. Also, discuss the conditions needed to be satisfied in order to charge any
income under the salary head. (10 Marks)

3 a. Mr. Morgan received voluntary retirement compensation of Rs7.5 lakhs after service of 30 years. He
still has 5 years of service left. At the time of VRS, he was drawing basic salary of Rs 25000 per month,
Dearness allowance Rs 7000per month. Compute his taxable voluntary retirement compensation,
assuming he can’t claim any relief U/S 89. (5 Marks)

b. Ramman is a resident and ordinary resident in India for the previous year 2018-19. He owes a house
in London, which he has to let out at pound 15000 per month. The municipal taxes paid to the Municipal
Corporation of London is pound 7000 during the previous year 2018-19. The value of one pound in India
rupees to be taken Rs 90.50. Compute Ramman’s Net Annual Value of the property for the Assessment
year 2019-20.
Total Quality Management

1. How the QFD process helps to the organization cause? (10 Marks)

2. Explain your understanding (Process perspective) & give appropriate examples to explain: Acceptance
Sampling, Double sampling & sequential acceptance sampling? (10 Marks)

3. A manufacturing cos manufactures bangles for different sizes for the kids of different group. You are
appointed as an expert. You selected 1 unit (As sample) in every 5 finished product. Total population size
is 50. You checked each and every specification given to you. Below are the number of defects identified
by you in each of the sample.
Sample No No of defects Defect / Sample
1 2 2
2 3 3
3 1 1
4 2 2
5 3 3
6 4 4
7 2 2
8 1 1
9 3 3
10 2 2
a. Calculate the UCL & LCL for the mentioned scenario? (5 Marks)
b. Assume the below & calculate Cp & Cpk. (5 Marks) USL LSL Recorded results
47 25 49
47 25 19.4
47 25 47.6
Treasury Management in Banking
Q1. Explain the process (in terms of Risk/ Returns/ Ratings etc.) to select bonds in both Rising and
declining interest rates scenarios. Select one bond each from the below bonds with long term and short
term maturities (eg 10 years as long term bond and 1-3 years as short term bond) and evaluate their
risk/ return parameters such as Maturity, YTM etc.
Suggest which of these will outperform/ underperform in current interest rate scenarios. (Assume
interest are being paid annually)
Q2. Explain ALM process in banks. Discuss the impacts of Positive and Negative Gaps on the
profitability of a bank in different interest rates scenarios. You are required to analyze the above
impact with the help of following balance sheet excerpts of a bank:

Scenarios for Impact analysis:

1. Interest rates increased by 1%
2. Interest rates decreased by 1%
(10 Marks)
Q3. Case Study:
While current accounts and savings accounts have different objectives, the banks stand to benefit
from the low cost of servicing these deposits. In the current scenarios it has been observed that
private banks such as HDFC bank, Kotak bank etc. are able to raise higher saving account / current
account deposits compared to their PSU counterparts. Also the other income is now becoming
more significant as a % share of total income of private sector banks compared to PSUs.
In relation to above scenarios, analyze the following (With examples):
a. Why PSU banks are not able to raise money from low cost saving and current account deposits
ratios? What impact would it have on their profitability? (5 Marks)
b. What are the reasons behind increase in share of other income in total income for private sector
banks as compared to PSU banks. (5 Marks)

Solution by DistPub.com Team

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