Business students return from India

It’s not often that a person gets to see one of the wonders of the world, ride an elephant, visit with top government officials and see poverty and happiness all in the same place, but 50 IU students did just that this month.\n“Every day was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said IU sophomore Jason Lewis.\nLewis was part of the Kelley School of Business Sophomore Block Honor Program that took a 10-day trip to India from Nov. 9 to Nov. 19. \nThe second annual program, part of the school’s “Emerging Market Experience,” is comprised of 50 sophomores in the Kelley School of Business who take the same classes in the 15-credit program. Students took a seminar class on the history, culture, religion and politics of India in preparation for the trip.\n“India is unique,” said Vijay Khatri, IU professor of information systems and teacher of the seminar. “It is the world’s largest democracy, has a rapidly growing and vibrant middle class that makes it attractive to many consumer goods companies, and its stock market and real estate are on the major upswing.”\nStudents said one of the highlights was a trip to Agra, India, to see the Taj Mahal, regarded by many as the most beautiful example of Mughal architecture in the world. This destination had special importance for sophomore Kara Findley.\n“I fulfilled my lifelong dream of seeing the Taj Mahal since I was 7 years old,” she said. “It was absolutely beautiful.”\nIn addition to sightseeing, students also visited some of India’s top businesses, including Maruti-Suzuki, one of the largest car manufactures in India. They also got a chance to talk to top officials at Infosys, a company specializing in consulting and information technology services.\n“The people there said it was the most intelligent conversation they had in years,” Lewis said. \nNot all the time was structured, however. There was time to walk around parts of India, and one student found himself with an interesting opportunity.\nWhile the students were inside the walls of a temple, a local man asked sophomore Tom Hagenberg if he wanted to ride an elephant that many people were crowding around. Hagenberg said “yes” and got to ride the elephant. \n“I jumped on it,” Hagenberg said. “It seemed surprisingly normal.” \nStudents also got an opportunity to do something usually reserved for visiting international dignitaries such as President Bush and other high ranking officials. \n“We were hosted by Pranab Mukherjee, the minister of External Affairs,” Munirpallam Venkat, chair of the undergraduate program in the Kelley School and trip chaperone, said in an e-mail interview. “This was thanks to our alum Deepinder Hooda, the youngest member of Parliament.”\nFollowing the visit with the minister, students traveled to the city of Venkat in Chennai. There they visited Hand-in-Hand, a public organization dedicated to eliminating child labor and providing education for students affected by child labor and poverty, according to its Web site. \n“It was incredible to see kids halfway around the world with so little, yet so happy to learn,” sophomore Brittany Nelson said. “It was impossible not to care about them.”\nIU students said both the children at the school and Indians they met during their trip were welcoming and often treated them as celebrities. \n“A man approached me and I couldn’t understand what he wanted,” Findley said. “At first I thought he was a beggar, but then I realized all he wanted was to take a picture of me holding his son. \nDean of the Kelley School of Business Dan Smith said he feels this experience will have a great impact for students. \n“Students will become better citizens of the world,” Smith said.\nOver the course of their trip, the students gained a new perspective and were opened to different ideas. \n“Seeing the world from a new perspective was incredible for me,” Nelson said. “I realized there is a lot out there different from what I’ve seen.”