Editorial

Volume 17, Number 3 Article by B Mahadevan September, 2005

Editorial :

You may recall that in the last issue of IMR we published papers from the IMRC 2004 conference on Innovation. In this issue, we bring to your attention another set of four papers from the IMRC 2004 conference. All these papers focus on the issue of innovation in the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) domain, an area of much activity in the country. Understanding specific issues pertaining to innovation in such a sunrise industry may be of value to us.

We have carried several interviews on the contemporary theme of `Bottom of the Pyramid'. Many readers have appreciated the timeliness and the quality of these interviews. In this issue we revisit this theme and explore how satellite technology could be utilised for increasing the reach of critical services such as education and healthcare. India's space programme is a classic example of scientific sophistication achieved through self-reliance. Championed over three decades by a series of visionary leaders, the Indian Satellite Research Organisation (ISRO) is now one of six agencies world-wide that handle the entire cycle of building, launching and controlling satellites. The Interview with the ISRO Chairman illustrates how satellite technology could play a vital role in addressing the needs of a large number of people who are at the bottom of the pyramid, and the associated management challenges.

The product development process offers considerable value creation opportunities for firms. In the last ten years many organisations world over have been turning their attention to the New Product Development (NPD) process. Our Round Table feature focuses on this important topic. While the main discussion paper brings to your attention the multi-faceted issues that organisations are likely to face in NPD, the companion papers kindle further research interest on the subject. I hope this will motivate good research in this subject and I look forward to receiving many contributions from authors on this topic in the future.

The Management Educators' Forum provides insights into a critical area pertaining to academics, while an additional paper addresses the relevant issue of how mergers affect shareholder wealth.

I would like to bring to your attention three calls for papers for future Round Tables and the announcement pertaining to IMRC 2006. I would once again like to remind you about the next IMR Conference scheduled for July 2006 and encourage you to participate in the conference proceedings by sending your abstracts well before the deadline.

Reprint No