DLF chief calls for courses on real estate

The graduation ceremony of the Indian Business School (ISB) turned into an extended classroom with business honchos and academicians giving out secrets of success, both in personal and professional lives.

KP Singh, chairman of DLF Limited, one of the biggest real estate firms in India, who presented the certificates to the students, said urban planning and policy making in India had been dogged by archaic laws.

There is a need to include real estate, housing and urban infrastructure concepts at the college levels apart from providing an exposure to the aspiring civil servants.

"Changes in infrastructure and real estate often involve loss of time, money and demolition of constructions," he said, adding India was being faced with the twin challenges of sustaining the economic growth and revamping the urban infrastructure.

Stating that growth would happen regardless of the political system, Singh said that for long the country assumed that the private sector had no role in providing housing to the poor and creating other amenities. "This thinking resulted in not many private firms coming forward to partner in development activities."

However, the focus should be on managing change and creating surpluses to ensure that all people have access to them. "The outside world is seeing India as a land of opportunities with independent thinkers," he said adding that time was ripe to recognise, harness and exploit the intellectual capital of the country.

According to ISB Dean M Rammohan Rao, the B-school has been focussing on spotting changing business trends. There are 25 full-time faculty at the ISB and another six will join shortly. ISB, together with the industry, will offer joint certificate courses in various areas, he said.

In all, 422 students graduated on Saturday. "The stay has been painfully joyful,"' said Neeraj Mehta, outgoing student and a medico who took to market research in this year's placements.