Chairman of CBS, S K Birla, and a host of senior industry representatives and eminent guests would be present at the convocation function.

Pradeep Kashyap, Founder & CEO – MART, is known as the Father of Rural Marketing in India, has in the past years addressed 40 Global events in the US, UK, France, Netherlands, Bangladesh and India. He has spoken on a wide range of topics –Innovation in Emerging Markets, Investment Opportunities in Rural India, Inclusive Marketing, Rural Marketing and Conscious Business and Inspired Leadership.

“It is our endeavour to introduce our students to innovative field of studies and management practices in action which, while providing excellent career opportunities, are rooted in the process of nation building as well. Rural marketing is one such exciting field and Mr Pradeep Kashyap is an authority on the subject who can inspire bright young students of our School and pursue excellent careers ahead,” said Dr Gautam Sengupta, Director, Calcutta Business School.

Kashyap is recognized as a thought leader and is a regular speaker at CEO forums in India and abroad. He has been Marketing Advisor to Ministry of Rural Development and has served on Prime Minister Office and Chief Minister Committees on rural development. He is a World Bank and United Nations consultant. He was Chairman, Khadi Commission National Marketing Committee and member of the NABARD and SIDBI national advisory committees.

He has worked in the corporate sector for the first 20 years with MNCs like Exide, BOSCH & DENSO, and the next 20 years as a rural development and marketing advisor. He has worked relentlessly to create tens of thousands of livelihoods for rural poor through collective marketing, public private partnerships and the 300 Gramshree melas organized in 75 cities for sale of rural products. He co-created Project Shakti with Hindustan Unilever to appoint 46,000 poor women from micro finance groups as company dealers and has pioneered another low cost, last mile rural distribution model by appointing village entrepreneurs on bicycles for many FMCG and durable companies. He has also pioneered the concept of ‘Inclusive Marketing’.

CBS, a leading B-School of Kolkata providing residential PGDM course, had recently introduced the L N Birla Memorial Award for Corporate Excellence.

 Image: Pradeep Kashyap addressing at an event in France