UC Business Students, Regional Companies Go On Virtual Trade Mission to India

Regional companies are exploring business opportunities in India with guidance from University of Cincinnati business faculty and students. As part of that effort, the students and the regional companies they are assisting will go on a virtual trade mission at

8 a.m., Thursday, July 21

, at the offices of Frost Brown Todd, a law firm located at 201 E. Fifth St., downtown.

The nine MBA students are in a “Business Law for Managers“ class led by attorney Ilse Hawkins, UC adjunct associate professor of accounting. Lending support to the class and project is Pradyot Sen, UC professor of accounting.

According to Hawkins, the basic problem the students are looking at on behalf of regional companies relates to what’s called the India Global Cold Chain. She explained, “Between 30 percent to 40 percent of India’s crops are lost after harvest due to lack of cold chain facilities and infrastructure to store and transport the food in chilled compartments or containers.”

So, the students are seeing if regional companies can be part of the solution to the problem, companies that could then prosper by way of helping to solve this issue while also helping to resolve a humanitarian issue. That’s where the July 21 virtual trade mission comes in.

Attending that virtual trade mission will be

• UC’s Hawkins, along with the nine MBA students in her class.
• Joseph Dehner of Frost Brown Todd, who serves as chair of the India United States Business Network.
• John Borchers, CEO of Simplicool Technology, Inc., Waynesville, Ohio. 
• Doug Tyger, COO, AcuTemp Thermal Systems, Dayton, Ohio.
• Trent Fisher, CEO, SAS Automation, LLC, Xenia, Ohio.
  

During the virtual meeting, these representatives will introduce themselves and their services to up to six potential partner companies in India as well as to Atul Khanna, director of the India Global Cold Chain Alliance.

As part of the overall project, the UC students will prepare a report for each of the three regional companies. Each report will analyze the client firm, applicable Indian and U.S. law, competitive conditions and strategic recommendations.

Then, if the students are able to secure study-abroad grants, they intend to attend the Global Cold Chain Alliance Expo in Mumbai, India, in December 2011, on behalf of the three client firms. At that time, they would also visit businesses in Delhi, India, as part of their own global-education experience.