On Day 1, the sessions emphasized the fundamentals of Business Analytics, explaining the distinction between Business Intelligence, Analytics, and Data Science, and highlighting various types of analytics (descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive). A hands-on session on Excel focused on essential techniques such as data cleaning, pivot tables, and advanced functions like LOOKUP and conditional formatting.

Day 2 delved into Business Analysis frameworks, documentation processes such as BRD and FRD, and best practices in Data Visualization and storytelling. This day also included practical exposure to Power BI, enabling participants to design interactive dashboards and work with DAX functions.

On Day 3, the focus shifted to Data Analytics using Python. Participants were introduced to key libraries such as Pandas, NumPy, and Matplotlib, followed by a session on the role of a business analyst in project management, covering methodologies like Agile and Waterfall. Practical work involved performing exploratory data analysis (EDA) and basic forecasting models using Python.

Day 4 explored advanced dashboarding and storytelling techniques, offering comparative insights into Power BI, Tableau, and Looker Studio. Business case studies such as customer churn analysis and sales forecasting were discussed. Participants engaged in hands-on practice building interactive dashboards using Tableau and Looker Studio.

Finally, Day 5 was a full-day deep dive into Tableau.

The FDP concluded with the design and publication of comprehensive business dashboards addressing various domains like sales, marketing, and HR.

Overall, the FDP significantly enhanced expertise in business analytics tools and methodologies, equipping the learners with the necessary skills to integrate data-driven decision-making into academic, research, and consultancy projects.

Speaker for the workshop was Mr.VarunKhanna, Senior trainer from Barclays. First day in the beginning of the workshop Dr. Ajay Kumar, Director – I.T.S School of Management, Ghaziabad welcomed the speaker Mr.VarunKhanna by presenting a plant sapling.

Total 21 students from PGDM 1st year & 2nd Years attended the workshop. The objective of the workshop was to equip participants with essential soft skills and communication techniques to enhance their personal and professional effectiveness. The workshop covered the following topics;

·         Building Confidence and self-Esteem

·         Time Management & Prioritization

·         Team Building & Collaboration

·         Presentation & Public Speaking Skills

The workshop was interactive and participatory, with a mix of lectures, group discussion, role plays and games.

During the second day of the workshop Dr. Ajay Kumar in his address said that all the participants should practice the takeaways from the workshop in their professional life effectively. Students will be awarded with certificates of participation by Barclays. At the end Dr. Ajay Kumar presented a plaque to the guest speaker Mr.Varun Khanna as a token of gratitude.

The session aimed to provide insights into how international business differs from domestic trade and the various geopolitical factors influencing global commerce.

2.0     Highlights
The workshop began with a fundamental question: “How different is international business from domestic trading?” This set the stage for a discussion on key distinctions such as regulatory frameworks, currency fluctuations, market dynamics, and cultural considerations that businesses must navigate when operating internationally.

The workshop also shed light on the dominance of the US dollar in global transactions, emphasizing its role as the world’s primary reserve currency. A thought-provoking discussion emerged when a student raised question about the potential of a BRICS currency as an alternative to the USD, leading to an engaging debate on the feasibility and implications of such a financial shift.

The discussion progressed to the significant role geopolitics plays in shaping international business. Key topics covered included:

1.      Resource Nationalism: The control and protection of natural resources by sovereign nations and its impact on global supply chains.

2.      Protectionist Policies: The principles of protectionism, including tariffs, quotas, and subsidies, and their effects on international trade.

3.      Trade Wars : Analysis of recent trade conflicts, including the economic tensions between major economies.

4.      Role of the World Trade Organization(WTO):How the WTO facilitates trade dispute resolution and enforces trade agreements.

The workshop covered the various instruments used in international trade to exert political and economic influence, including:

a.      Sanctions:Economic penalties imposed on nations to enforce international laws and norms.

b.      Embar goes: Trade restrictions imposed on specific countries to achieve geopolitical objectives.

c.       Other Trade  Barriers: Non-tariff barriers such as licensing requirements and customs regulations that impact global trade.

The interactive nature of the workshop fostered active student participation. Engaging discussions, critical questions, and insightful debates marked the session. The satisfaction and enthusiasm of the students were evident in their expressions and positive feedback as they exited the auditorium.

3.0     Conclusion

The workshop successfully provided students with a comprehensive understanding of international business and its geopolitical influences. By addressing real-world trade issues and engaging with thought-provoking questions, the session enriched students’ knowledge and critical thinking abilities, preparing them for future challenges in the global business landscape.

The workshop took place on 17 February from 1:30 pm to 5 pm focusing on HR Analytics. Mr. Rohit Bharadwaj conducted the initial session, followed by Dr. Richa N. Agarwal subsequent one. 

Mr. Rohit Bhardwaj delivered an informative and insightful session on HR Analytics, providing a comprehensive overview of its definition, types, importance, and applications. He elaborated on the various aspects of HR analytics, including descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive analytics, highlighting their significance in driving organizational success. The session also delved into key HR metrics and KPIs, such as workforce demographics, diversity, recruitment, employee performance, engagement, satisfaction, retention, and turnover, emphasizing their role in informing strategic HR decisions. Furthermore, Mr. Bhardwaj underscored the importance of HR analytics in enabling data-driven decision making, leading to improved recruitment, retention, enhanced employee experience, increased diversity and inclusion, and ultimately, driving business outcomes.

Dr. Richa Narayan Agarwal led an interactive and informative session, focusing on the practical application of Excel formulas in creating dashboards and charts. Participants gained hands-on experience in designing various types of dashboards and metrics, exploring the capabilities of Excel in data visualization.The session delved into the importance of correlation formulas in data analysis, enabling attendees to identify relationships between different variables. Dr. Agarwal provided clear explanations and examples, illustrating how correlation formulas can be applied to real-world organizational challenges.By mastering these formulas, participants learned how to uncover valuable insights, detect trends, and identify areas for improvement. This knowledge will enable them to inform data-driven decisions, drive business outcomes, and contribute to organizational growth

Through this session, attendees developed a deeper understanding of Excel's capabilities and gained practical skills in data analysis and visualization, empowering them to make a more significant impact in their organizations.

A financial model represents a company's past and present operations while forecasting future performance. Understanding these models is crucial, as they serve as decision-making tools for businesses. Executives use them to estimate costs and project potential profits for proposed ventures.

During the workshop, students developed a PPP Financial Model in Excel, integrating past, present, and forecasted data. The model was structured into three key components: Input, Output, and Management Summary. By the end of the session, students were able to analyze whether an investment in the project would be viable.

The workshop witnessed enthusiastic participation, with students actively engaging in discussions. The debriefing session highlighted the importance and real-world relevance of financial modeling. The highly interactive nature of the session ensured deep learning and engagement among students.

The workshop introduced students to the CHAMPS framework, which emphasizes Commitment, Hard Work, Attitude, Motivation, Passion, and Self-Discipline as essential qualities for career success. Dr. Kumar explained how these attributes play a crucial role in shaping an individual’s professional journey and how students can integrate these principles into their daily lives to achieve their long-term goals. Dr. Kumar elaborated on the importance of understanding corporate culture, workplace ethics, and industry demands. Real-world case studies and examples were shared to help students align their academic learning with practical industry applications. Additionally, the session emphasized the need for a success-oriented mindset, encouraging students to develop resilience, adaptability, and a continuous learning approach to stay competitive in the ever-evolving job market.

The session not only enhanced their understanding of success principles but also motivated them to take proactive steps towards personal and career growth.

Prof. Yachna Malhotra of I.T.S School of Management took up the workshop and introduced the importance and requirement of Personal Branding in the professional and corporate life.

Initially to get connected with the participants, an ice breaking activity was conducted to make students alert and active listeners for the session.The session was a mix of both the slide show coupled with some interesting activities, engaging videos and online quizzes to make students understand the significance and need of Personal Branding and how to make best use of their smart phones and social media to increase their networking and branding in the virtual age.

The session covered various aspects of personal branding like creating a personal brand statement, identifying target audiences, and using social media platforms to build a brand. The advantages of personal branding like creating connections, enhanced reach, making narrative and leadership building were discussed at length. Some real life examples coupled with video examples were discussed in the class for better connection and understanding of the subject among the audience.

The session concluded with an online quiz on Personal Branding in which all the students actively participated and realized their learning outcomes of the session. Studentsjoy was further enhanced with the virtual certificates they generated based on the scores in the online quiz.

The attendees were enthusiastic and engaged throughout the workshop, asking questions and sharing their experiences related to social media and personal branding.

In the session Mr. Devashish Ghosh shared his journey, how he started his career in one of the leading retail organization Jumbo Electricals in Dubai, but he faced lot of challenges as he is not having good command on English or any other language. So he decided to learn foreign language and he chooses the Japanese language because very few people opt this language.  He further stated that after completing his language course he got ample of job opportunities from various Japanese MNC’s with in India & abroad, as more than 1400 hundred Japanese companies operated in India only.  

According to Mr. Ghosh if student learn foreign languages, it would help them in getting better placements, internship and multiple opportunities to start up their own business ventures. He showed some videos to the students where he showcase how small town students reach to foreign MNC’s by just learning foreign languages.

At last he shared their organization app by which students can learn Japanese language which is free for two months for the students of ITS School of Management and later on if they still want to go ahead, with nominal  payment which will be shared with the concern heads of the ITS School of Management.

The session was followed with question/ answer   round where students proactively participated.  The workshop was concluded by the valuable word of thanks of Prof (Dr) Ajay Kumar who also expressed his opinion on the various aspects of the topic and signing the MOU withErish Consultancy & Solutions Pvt. Ltd.