NITIE organizes Mandi -- a social initiative for experiential learning

Its even better when learning is combined with a social purpose. That what Mandi, an annual event organized by Mumbai-based NITIE (National Institute of Industrial Engineering), set out to achieve on August 1. For this program, NITIE students applied all skills learnt in class by selling the toys made by an NGO called Navnirmiti. And it seems to have been a big success!

Conceptualized by Prof. T. Prasad of NITIE, Mandi is an important part of NITIEs curriculum as it integrates the theoretical principles of statistics, managerial economics, marketing and basic market research with their practical application. It is a socio-marketing initiative and, according to NITIE, it is the first business school in India to adopt this experiential method of teaching.

Noted social activist and actress Ms. Nandita Das inaugurated the event. She stressed on the fact that unless we believe in something that we do, we cant put in our best foot forward and neither can we achieve the desired results. The inspiration and the drive to do the work have to come from within. Also present on the occasion was Wg.Cdr Surendra Malhotra who heads the CDMA-Mumbai Circle for Reliance Communications.

According to NITIE, the central purpose of MANDI is threefold. Firstly, to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children who lose out on basic education. Secondly, students practice the classroom concepts of Marketing, Principles of Management, Business Economics, and Accounting in the real field. Thirdly, this unique event intends to impart an additional dimension to the learning of the students who buy these toys, says NITIE.

The collection from the proceeds was donated to the NGO Navnirmiti which provided the event with toys. Last years proceeds went towards the education of many children: slum dwellers, tribal children and the children in special schools.

Mandi student organizers say that overall experience was exhilarating. Selling toys to children who, with their short attention spans, are one of the toughest classes of customers to please, was a learning that no case discussion or text could replicate. Strategizing how to convince these young minds and inculcating an interest in them in just 10 minute-time span was a task in itself, said the organizers.

Mandeep Manocha of NITIE pointed out: Selling toys on the streets is no joke. Convincing parents is easier than convincing kids. The rains also made the task harder. But perseverance did pay in the end.
Another student Shweta recounts her experience at Juhu beach: Middle class people couldnt afford Jodo the higher priced product -- but understood the educational value of the toys. They enthusiastically bought out the Tangrams and Pentominos.

Founded in 1963, NITIE has achieved many milestones in the course of its progress. Its sincere and dedicated pursuance of the objectives has led it to register itself as a pioneer educational institution in the field of industry specific researches and teachings. It offers several course including PGDIM, PGDIE, PGDISEM and PGDITM.