The Darden Global MBA for Executives residency in India will take place in January in New Delhi, Agra and Chennai, India (visit Academic Calendar for proposed dates). During the residency, you’ll learn about business operations (both manufacturing and service organizations), decision analysis utilizing international cases and live operation situations, marketing, strategic decision-making in the face of turbulent times, and both the nuances and major differences in conducting business in India.

Courses taught during "Term 5: Entering New Cultures and Contexts" and during the India residency include:

• Decision Analysis
• Marketing
• Operations
• Strategy
• Global Leadership Explorations (experiential)

New Delhi, India

Hotel: The Imperial Hotel

Day 1

Orientation to residency

• Full day exploration of ancient India via monuments to the Mogul Dynasties.
• Market studies of the Old Delhi market place contrasted with a visit to modern Gurgaon and its adoption of the modern box stores (hypermarket).

Days 2 - 7

• Three case method classes per day taught by Darden Professors Bodily, Fairchild, Modica, Raz, and Venkatesan (some of which will be taught by multiple faculty during a single class session — watch this Darden Team Teaching video to learn more).
• Lunch is with the faculty most days, allowing students to have off-line discussions and get to know the faculty more personally.
• Learning teams will meet at the hotel.
• Company visits and Global Leadership Exploration activities, including:
  • A visit to the Northern Indian Chamber of Commerce to explore the challenges of inter-state commerce and better understand the political structure's impact on business. Discussions will also include growth projections and infrastructure plans. 
  • Following a Marketing class on Leonardo Oil, we will be visited by VN Dalmia, chairman of Leonardo Oil, who will discuss bringing olive oil to India, as well as providing insight on entrepreneurship and family businesses.
  • A visit to Feeding India’s kitchens and distribution center for most of New Delhi to see a private-public service to feed young school children.
  • A day in Gurgaon, including a morning visit with management at a Maruti-Suzuki auto manufacturing plant, an afternoon spent at GenPact, a back office processing (BOP) and call center, and an evening at Picante Mexican Grill, a restaurant chain entrepreneurial venture of two Darden alumni.
  • A couple of private business lawyers will come to discuss the rule of law as it applies to business and share the hurdles surrounding starting and running a business in a very litigious society.
  • The Chairman of the Times of India will come to speak about why real newspaper readership is growing in India, while shrinking in the rest of the world, and why the media has a responsibility to help guide young people to improve society.
  • An afternoon with a yogi master, learning the art and benefits of yoga in the development of strength, balance and harmony.

Agra, India

Day 8

Beginning with a train ride through North-Central India, a day is spent exploring the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, considered pinnacles of the Mogul dynasties and the amalgamation of Islamic architecture. Return to Delhi for a flight to Chennai.

Chennai, India

Hotel: Taj Coromandel

Day 9

Day in Chennai on your own to investigate the cultural relevance of the surroundings

Days 10 - 14 

• Three case method classes per day taught by Darden Professors Bodily, Fairchild, Modica, Raz, and Venkatesan (some of which will be taught by multiple faculty during a single class session — watch this Darden Team Teaching video to learn more).
• Lunch is with the faculty most days, allowing students to have off-line discussions and get to know the faculty more personally.
• Learning teams will meet at the hotel.
• Company visits and Global Leadership Exploration activities, including:
• A visit to Apollo Hospitals system to study both hospital services in India as well as their rural and African Distance Medicine programs.
• A trip to a Renault Parts manufacturing plant to focus on supply chain management and to speak to managers about producing many of the parts for the worldwide production of Renault cars.
• A dinner and discussion with a guest chef at Southern Spice to learn about the importance of spice in Indian cooking and daily life.
• Meeting and address by the Dean of IIT Madras, one of India’s most distinguished technology and engineering schools.
• A site visit to a major ancient Hindu temple.
• Thursday evening: residency closing dinner, cultural show and a trip to the South Indian Music Festival.