Participants during Day One of the games. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

With the supply of quality managers trailing behind the demand from the industry, the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is busy honing managerial talent to bridge the gap.

In a first-of-its-kind initiative by a chamber of commerce, BCCI has organised a two-day management game competition.

From drawing up business strategies to implementing them and analysing competitors’ responses to maximising profits — management games expose participants to the entire spectrum of corporate decision making. Premier B-schools like Indian institutes of management (IIM) use this tool to groom budding managers.

“Managers can hone their skills with this exercise and that’s why we have organised it,” said Khokan Mookerji, secretary general, BCCI.

Over 60 participants from companies like Exide, Hindalco, Tata Steel and CESC are sitting for the strategy showdown. Spread over five rounds, the name of the game is booking maximum profits in a fiercely competitive, piracy-prone music industry.

According to M.N. Pal, professor of IIM Calcutta, such exercises enable future managers to gauge the consequences of their decisions and reduce possibility of errors in real life.

“Simulation of a real-life business scenario can help better understanding of all aspects of decision making in a competitive environment,” explained the professor of management games.

Shafquat Irshad, a participant, agreed: “It is a great way to develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills.”

Besides focusing on today’s managers, BCCI is targeting wannabe managers. “We are offering a six-week course in soft skills to students of Scottish Church, Shri Shikshayatan and Bethune colleges,” mentioned Mookerji.