Understanding Innovation, Technology, and Culture in the Business Context Through Ahmedabad’s International Immersions

Nandini Panchal, a 2023 graduate of Amrut Mody School of Management, recently spent time at Institut National de Recherche En Gestion Urbaine French (INREGU), Lyon, France, as part of an International Immersion. One of the most interesting places she visited was a cooperative brewery, Bieristan, that operates under the umbrella of Cooperative Grenade. Nandini shares, “Their cooperative structure reminded me of Amul’s. Le Grenade focuses on local sourcing and ecological agriculture, whereas Amul empowers and impacts millions of people in the dairy supply chain in the Indian context. However, what struck me was that despite their distinctiveness, their core values -- community, sustainability, and empowerment are very similar, inspiring a shared vision of a more inclusive and compassionate world.” Late last year, Nandini had a similar opportunity to observe Amul, the world’s largest milk cooperative, closely as part of an experiential immersion jointly offered by Ahmedabad University and The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

International Immersions such as these are integral to the University’s Integrated MBA programme. Over Summer 2023, 60 students and faculty visited INREGU, Lyon, France; University of Applied Science, Nysa, Poland; and Rushford Business School, Berlin, Germany. Students took short-term courses at these universities to explore and understand the nuances of conducting business in the European region. It presented an excellent opportunity to students to have a worldview of business, organisations, processes, work ethics, innovation, and diversity.

Understanding innovations, innovative practices, and cultural parallels, and ways of incorporating new technology into business was a key focus for the 2023 International Immersion. One of the stops of the France cohort was the Nanotechnology Institute of Lyon which allowed them to observe the use of nanotechnology research, particularly its potential in medicine. At Delivery, a co-working space and a networking platform for SMEs and innovators in the field of mobility, the Germany cohort interacted with innovators working on autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, and self-tightening shoes. The Poland cohort collaborated with Erasmus Scholars across the world including Mexico, Germany, and India, and attended workshops on quality management.