Kumar Bhattacharyya : the unsung guru
"Kumar Bhattacharyya arrived in Britain from India in the late 1970s with a singular vision: to bridge the huge, historic divide between British Industry and the academic world which was causing universities to turn out students who lacked the technical and financial knowledge that companies needed and demanded." "To close that gap, Bhattacharyya founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick and developed a postgraduate degree course, the integrated Graduate Development Scheme, to school students in the discipline that he called Engineering Business Management. Recognising the inter-relation of management education and technical research, he developed WMG's other main stream of activity: technology development. Among the projects on which WMG has worked are the innovative K-Series engine used by MG Rover and Land Rover, the Rolls-Royce Trent aero-engine and the wing for the Airbus A330 and A340 wide-bodied jets." "But alongside his highly-regarded work with companies in Britain and overseas, Bhattacharyya has enjoyed a parallel but secret career as a senior adviser to two British prime ministers - Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair - and to the Cabinet Office, the Office of Science and Technology, and the Department of Trade and Industry. He has influenced many policy decisions, from the treatment of the car industry to the privatisation of British Steel. His authority stems from at least three sources: the broad scope of his engineering knowledge, his international perspective and his sensitivity to the changing needs of his market. He delights in slaughtering sacred cows, be they the MBA system or the consultancy culture. But throughout his career, he has deliberately maintained a low profile."--Jacket
Print Book, English, 2002
Random House Business, London, 2002