QuantumScape CEO Jagdeep Singh juggles the many activities required to lead the next-generation battery pioneer. Founded in 2010, QuantumScape's mission was to develop new "solid-state" car batteries that would improve upon traditional lithium-ion batteries in key areas such as range, charging speed, durability, cost, and safety. Success, they believed, would accelerate the transition from gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles. Between 2010 and late 2020, QuantumScape operated in stealth mode and raised venture financing totaling more than $800 million. The team grew to over 200 employees, nearly all scientists and engineers working on the technical challenges associated with creating a solid-state battery that could be produced at scale. By summer 2020 it was clear to Singh and the board that the company required more capital to help fund its commercialization plan. In November 2020, QuantumScape went public by merging with a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC). Now, with that capital in hand, production facilities under construction, and a signed joint venture with Volkswagen, Singh expected to see cars with its batteries on highways by 2025.

In 2021, AppHarvest completed construction of a 60-acre indoor farming facility, one of the world's largest, recorded its first sales, and went public in a multi-billion dollar IPO. Described as "a force of nature," Jonathan Webb founded the company to bring jobs back to Appalachia. Now, as he plans for more indoor farms, he has to face the challenges of growing a company quickly.

Samson Paper's 森信紙業 (SEHK: 731) main business was the manufacturing, trading, and marketing of paper products in China. After the company failed to file its year-end 31 March 2020 annual report before the deadline, the stock was suspended. Following the suspension, a board meeting was held on 11 July 2020, after which the board received resignation letters from one non-executive director (NED) and three independent non-executive directors (INEDs). In a public announcement on 14 July 2020, Samson declared that at the board meeting, Samson's auditors had advised: "There were substantial payments made to the company's connected party's suppliers. Such payments were booked to inter-company accounts rather than amounts due to the connected party." According to Samson's announcement, the NED, INEDs, and the auditor did not receive satisfactory replies from management on the commercial substance and intentions of these transactions during the meeting. The management denied any wrongdoing in relation to these transactions. On 18 July 2020, after the company had defaulted on a HKD780mn loan, it filed for voluntary liquidation.

Sardar Patel farm is a 150-acre organic farm located in Kathwada, Gujarat, India with 125 farmers living and working on the farm. Dr Dinesh Patel, a cardiologist and second-generation farm leader, played a vital role in converting the farm from chemical farming to natural farming. Though he was successful in this conversion process, the issue of farmers becoming careless and lazy caused a lot of problems for Patel. He tried many ways to improve the performance of the farmers but did not succeed. The farmers were not even ready to discuss their issues and avoided him as much as possible. Finally, he attended a leadership course, and with the help of an interview method taught in the course, Patel was able to identify and understand their problems and issues. Patel worked towards a solution while also focusing upon its sustainability. The case emphasizes upon interpersonal issues that arise between farm leaders and farmers, and depicts how Patel solved the said issue successfully with a sustainable solution.

With the arrival of a digital era, digitalization has penetrated into every aspect of production and life, and brought many new opportunities and challenges. Under such circumstances, traditional enterprises have launched digital transformation one after another. It's worthwhile to draw on the experience of these enterprises in addressing the pain points and difficulties encountered in their chosen strategic path and the progress of digital transformation. Beiqi Foton Motor Co., Ltd. ("Foton Motor" for short), established in 1996, kicked off digital transformation in the integration of informatization and industrialization (IoII). After 2015, Foton began to step up efforts in digitalization, established the "114" digital system architecture, and built an automotive ecosystem integrating vehicle manufacturing, core parts, auto finance, Internet of Vehicles and e-commerce for the commercial vehicle market. This case focuses on the process of Foton Motor's digital transformation.

Set in 2020, this case focuses on the strategic roles of the Association of Independent Wealth Managers (AIWM), as an industry advocate of the independent asset managers (IAMs) in Singapore. This case is motivated by two observations: first, the rapid growth of the IAM sector in Singapore, and second, the need for self-regulation, self-education, and self-advocacy among the burgeoning group of diverse IAMs on the island. The case examines the motivation behind the establishment of the AIWM in 2011, its vision and mission, its roles toward members in terms of services provided, contributions to the sector, and the strategic plans to represent the IAMs as key stakeholders in the evolving wealth management ecosystem of Singapore. The case also explores the value propositions of the IAM's wealth management model, the public's awareness and reception of the model, and how the AIWM can more effectively advocate the IAM model to various stakeholders. Lastly, it prompts the reader to think deeply on the open question of how the AIWM can help its members address a pertinent question that clients are asking the IAMs - "How are IAMs able to help clients achieve a more holistic and inclusive wealth management offering?"

Few leaders will deny the importance of cybersecurity in their company's digital offerings. And yet, too often, security is an afterthought, addressed only after a product has already been designed. New research reveals three reasons why this happens, along with four steps leaders can take to change the behaviors of their development teams and move them toward a mindset of designing for cybersecurity.

Procam International, set up by brothers Anil and Vivek Singh, has been working in the field of sports management in India for over two decades. Procam was the first organiser of large-scale long distance running events in India, including the 2004 Mumbai Marathon. The case discusses Procam's approach to introducing large-scale participatory sports events in a country dominated by spectator sports. They began with a large-scale city marathon at a time when India had few distance runners and had not witnessed a major city event involving thousands of participants.

At luxury fashion house Maison Chloé, minds were focused on the first collection of new Creative Director, Gabriela Hearst, which was just hitting the stores. Chloé's CEO, Riccardo Bellini, had recruited Gabriela, known for her commitment to sustainability through her own brand, to epitomize the Maison's new responsible purpose. Riccardo, along with Sustainability Director Aude Vergne, had been swift to accelerate Chloé's purpose-led transformation in an industry that materially contributed to the planet's environmental and social problems. They had focused particularly on the social aspects of ESG in order to impact the environmental ones. But the "S" was definitely harder than the "E." The case explores the transformation steps put in place across Chloé's supply chain, design, governance of the sustainability transformation, and B Corp certification application. Transforming in less than two years was a sprint, and the stress had taken its toll. The case closes asking whether the transformation would make a difference: Would lower impact products be welcomed by consumers, and was Chloé doing enough to ensure the continuing desirability of luxury in rapidly changing times? For luxury-focused classes, the case emphasis can be on discovering what it takes to become a purposeful luxury brand.

CreditAccess Grameen Limited (CAGL) was a successful company serving the credit requirements of the niche customer segment of lower income households. It was registered as a non-banking finance company microfinance institution (NBFC-MFI) and focused its loan book on a specified category of customers defined as inclusive customers. Given the nature of vulnerability of the customers, the segment as well as the organizations serving it, were open to several risks that went beyond the risks faced by mainstream banking and financial services companies. These included political risks as well as social risks, as evidenced in the Kolar crisis and the Andhra Pradesh (AP) crisis discussed in the case. CAGL had weathered many crises that hit the organization and sub-sector either due to regulatory over-reach or macroeconomic factors. CAGL was able to resiliently sail through this crisis given its flexible repayment systems, where the customer could choose the schedule. It recognized that the model of group guarantees was no longer effective, but nevertheless kept the system intact for the purpose of aggregation of transactions. The COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge to group meetings and aggregation, as lockdowns and social distancing threatened the basic premise on which the Grameen model was built. CAGL was able to innovate even during this crisis - it leveraged its operational technology and focused on retaining customer loyalty and stickiness. With all these under the belt, CAGL was now ready for the next leap forward. With the transition of ownership from promoters to investors, CAGL had also moved from having a social orientation (sometimes at the cost of financial efficiency) to being an investor-driven corporation with social objectives. It therefore had to clearly delineate its commercial and social activities.

This case is based on a four-month-long ethnography conducted during January-May 2020 in the research lab of an established IT-BPM (Information Technology - Business Process Management) services organization (ITSO) situated in Bengaluru, India. It focuses on the dilemmas facing this research lab garnering AI expertise as it operates under a larger service-based organizational environment. The case deals with the important themes in current times: project life cycle of an AI project, the various roles for such emerging technology projects, and the strategies of the Indian IT firms implementing these projects. The case brings out perspectives of technical and managerial work roles at ITSO as they engage in IT-BPM services augmented using emerging technologies like AI. Furthermore, it tries to bring out crucial dilemmas facing ITSO's AI Research Lab. These dilemmas stem from the fact that while this lab's stated objective was to further research expertise around AI, its sustenance depended on executing AI projects emerging from ITSO's mainstream IT-BPM services offered by its ODCs. This case tries to bring out the challenges faced by the research lab and its key members as they try to navigate through these dilemmas. It also provides opportunities to discuss the challenges facing the Indian IT sector as it transitions into AI technologies and projects.

In 2016, MakeMyTrip, a prominent player in the online booking of travel space in India, moved to acquire arch-rival Goibibo (GI) to consolidate market share, build complementary synergies, and enable profitable growth. MMT was a leader in the online travel and premium hotel booking segment. GI penetrated the economy hotel segment and acquired redBus (RB) to diversify into the online bus booking space. Due to the merger, the processes of policies of the three entities in various aspects of business had to be aligned for smooth operations so as to capitalize on the expected synergies of the separate entities. Key priorities during a merger are in engaging and retaining critical talent and aligning human resource management policies and practices, including employer branding, talent acquisition (internal and external), performance management, benefits and policies, and separation and exits. Strategic talent decisions and cultural alignment can significantly influence the capabilities and performance needed of the workforce after a merger and acquisition (M&A). An integration project team had been commissioned for this and was expected to make recommendations to achieve this standardization. The case examines the challenges of identifying all aspects of people systems and processes that influence organizational culture. Alignment and standardization of the disparate organizational policies of the merging entities and communication of the final policies and practices require balancing organizational and employee needs and expectations. The case highlights the need to prioritize the integration of functions based on strategic organizational requirements.

The case describes the problems in agricultural practices in the north-western states of India and the efforts of a non-governmental organization, CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD) and CII Foundation (CIIF), to address those problems. Through the journey of the CIIF team in learning about the problem and piloting the solutions, the case describes the nature and scale of the problem of crop residue burning (CRB) after harvesting the paddy crop. The case explains the decision-making pattern of farmers and the factors that compel them to adopt the unsustainable practice of CRB. The case sensitizes students to the adverse impact of such unsustainable agriculture practice not just in the local ecology but also in the air quality of the nearby region of Delhi NCR. The students can not only learn about the various technical solutions but also about non-technical aspects such as how successful collaborations between various governmental and non-governmental stakeholders can help address the problem of crop residue management (CRM). The pilots on a smaller scale (select villages) by CIIF also generated valuable data about the key considerations of farmers in choosing CRB over the eco-friendly alternative CRM solutions. The students are expected to use this data to objectively arrive at the CRM option best suited for a particular farmer. The data presented in the case allows for the learning and application of various multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques such as analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and decision tree analysis.

Supplement to case IMB893.

The case opens with a recent proposal from Motherson Sumi Systems Limited to simplify the ownership structure of the group which had become complex over the years as a result of global acquisitions, among other reasons. To set the context and enable a discussion on the potential concerns with the existing group structure and the impact of the proposed restructuring, the case is divided into three sections that trace the evolution of MSSL from a small firm that got an unexpected opportunity to become a wiring harness manufacturer and progressed to a global tier-1 auto-component company with presence in 41 countries and over 135,000 employees. The first section provides the early history of the firm and its strategy that enabled it to take advantage of opportunities provided by liberalization of India's economy in the 1990s. It also provides insight into the management style of the founder, who opted to relinquish his formal executive role and take up the role as chairman. The second section provides an account of MSSL's 5-year visions, MSSL's acquisition led growth strategy that enabled it to become a global company, and the role played by the group holding company, which was controlled by the founder family, in making acquisitions and pursuing diversified business opportunities. The third section elaborates on the proposed restructuring scheme that is intended to address investor concerns about the existing group structure and the potential conflicts. Finally, this section also provides details about the latest 5-year vision plan announced immediately after the announcement of the group restructuring scheme.

The two-part case "The House of Tata: Governance Challenges" is based on one of India's oldest, renowned, and most internationalized business groups. The case provides an account of the evolution of the Tata Group with an emphasis on the developments in the last 30 years (the years following economic liberalization in 1991) and the legal tussle between Tata Sons (the Group's parent company) and its minority shareholder (SP Group). The legal battle has been keenly watched for its potential ramifications on the evolution of corporate governance in India, a country marked by controlling ownership of corporations and concerns over protection of the interests of minority shareholders. The first section of Part A of the case, Tata Group: Early History, traces the early years of the Tata Group, its management philosophy, the formation of Tata Trusts, the leadership years of its long-serving legendary chairman, JRD Tata and the emergence of SP Group as a minority shareholder in Tata Sons. The second section of Part A, Ratan Tata Years, begins with the elevation of Ratan Tata as chairman of the Group in 1991 and details the Group's transformation through the institutionalization of formal systems and processes, entry into new industries, bold global acquisitions, and radical innovations such as Tata Nano. Cyrus Mistry Years captures the key strategic choices made by the Group's next chairman, Cyrus Mistry, and his Vision 2025 for the Group. The next section, The October Shock, details the abrupt removal of Cyrus Mistry as executive chairman of Tata Sons and the subsequent controversies that culminated in him being removed as a director in all the group companies. The final section of Part A, Chandrasekaran Years, provides details of the Group strategy under its current chairman, Chandrasekaran.

The two-part case "The House of Tata: Governance Challenges" is based on one of India's oldest, renowned, and most internationalized business groups. The case provides an account of the evolution of the Tata Group with an emphasis on the developments in the last 30 years (the years following economic liberalization in 1991) and the legal tussle between Tata Sons (the Group's parent company) and its minority shareholder (SP Group). The legal battle has been keenly watched for its potential ramifications on the evolution of corporate governance in India, a country marked by controlling ownership of corporations and concerns over protection of the interests of minority shareholders. Part B of the case begins with a section titled The Legal Battle detailing the ensuing legal battle between Tata Sons and Cyrus Mistry at the company law tribunals - the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal and the NCLAT (National Company Law Appellate Tribunal). This section also captures the disagreement between Cyrus Mistry and Tata Trusts regarding the former's performance as chairman, the role of the board and the role of the trusts in the governance of Tata Sons and Tata Group. The following two sections, The NCLT Order and The NCLAT Order, captures the salient aspects of the contrary rulings of NCLT (in favor of Tata Sons) and NCLAT (which supported the claims of Cyrus Mistry). The final section, Appeal to the Supreme Court, details the appeals filed with the Supreme Court of India, a new controversy between Tata Trusts and SP Group about the latter's ability to pledge their shares in Tata Sons, a settlement proposal by SP Group, and the final verdict by the Supreme Court of India in the legal battle between the two set of parties.

Through a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, LKQ Corp. became the leading aftermarket auto parts distributor in the U.S. by the early 2000s. Beginning in 2012, the company began similarly consolidating the European marketplace. However, by 2017, the company still lacked a meaningful presence in Germany, which was the largest automotive market in Europe. Stahlgruber AG, the largest German distributor, became available as an acquisition opportunity. Senior LKQ management had to decide whether to participate in the sale process, and if so, how high to bid. Bain Capital, which was also making aggressive moves into the European marketplace, was likely to be the other significant bidder. On one hand, "Project Jigsaw" (named as such because Stahlgruber would be the jigsaw piece in the center of the European puzzle) represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for LKQ. On the other hand, the competitive bidding process would force LKQ to stretch financially. The case presents the challenges and opportunities presented by the Stahlgruber acquisition.

In 2021, Greg Bush, Jr., owner, president, and CEO of KFA, Inc. is working with his leadership team to plan for the future. KFA provides consulting services on software and project management needs for infrastructure projects. Bush and his team have just debuted a new product, PHAZE, which offers a low-cost option for the industry. He's exploring several options for growth - selling PHAZE in the developing world, targeting smart city projects, or focusing on KFA's core consulting business now that the Biden infrastructure bill has been signed into law. Which path should he choose?