S. Manikutty Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, India

Prof. S. Manikutty is a mechanical and an electrical engineer, graduating from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (London) and the Institution of Electrical Engineers (London). He joined the Indian Railways as a mechanical engineer in 1969 and served in various managerial positions. While in service, he did his doctoral programme in Management (Fellow Programme) from the Indian Institute of Ahmedabad, India. In this programme, he obtained the second highest position in the combined class of MBAs (PGPs) and doctoral students in terms of GPA (3.55 on a scale of 0 to 4) and the award for the best thesis proposal.

On completion of his doctoral programme, he joined the Indian Railways back as a Professor in the Indian Railways’ in-house training college at Baroda. He was there between 1985 and 1987 and 1989 and 1990. From 1987 to 1989, he worked as a member of a team of consultants deputed to the Aqaba Railway Corporation, Ma’an, Jordan.

In June 1990, he joined the Indian Institute of Management as a member of faculty in the Public Systems Group. Here he did work on education (mainly adult literacy), transportation and community participation in the drinking water and sanitation sector. He did evaluation of total literacy programmes in a number of districts in different States (see Reports), a study of the Jan Shikshan Nilayams (Adult Literacy Centres) and a study of the State Resource Centres for the National Literacy Mission. He also coordinated a faculty team for the study of community participation in drinking water and sanitation projects sponsored by DANIDA and the World Bank.

In 1996, he moved over to the Business Policy Area where he has been engaged in different areas of research including: global competitiveness of industries, role of government in enhancing competitiveness of industries, strategies for family businesses and strategic alliances. He has been a member of the Centre for Telecom Policy Studies at IIMA and has done work on consumer preferences in telecom and policy studies (see publications in telecom).

During his stay at IIMA as well as earlier, he has taught a number of courses at the Masters and doctoral levels, mainly in competitive strategy and general management.