Dr Ojas Mahapatra, CEO of Dunedin-based Photonic Innovations Limited (PIL), who is originally from Odisha, is the only Indian among the 14 recipients of this year's Prime Minister’s Business Scholarships announced by Economic Development Minister Simon Bridges last week.
Mr Mahapatra, along with Mr Peter Floris, the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of the New Zealand Merino Company, will attend the one-month-long Senior Executive Programme (SEP) at the London Business School (LBS) throughout this October.
The scholarships, established in 2010, are designed to improve the international competitiveness of New Zealand businesses by providing access to managers and executives of internationalising companies to top international business programmes unavailable in New Zealand. Since 2010, 73 executives have received these scholarships from a wide range of sectors, including IT, engineering, and manufacturing, which has helped in improving the international competitiveness of their companies. The successful applicants also get a unique opportunity to expand their international connections and expertise.
“This [international networking opportunity] was one of the main reasons I applied for the scholarship at LBS,” Mr Mahapatra said, while expressing his gratitude to the PM for the scholarship.
Notably, the Programme – apart from covering topics such as how to manage complex stakeholder relationships, develop business strategies while improving operational and strategic agility – will also enable Mr Mahapatra to tap into the 16,000-strong Executive Education Network of LBS alumni in over 150 countries.
“This news add to an already fantastic week for our company as just on this Monday, we have signed a distribution deal to sell their patented laser-based ammonia detection equipment in Australia with Gordon Brothers, which is the biggest refrigeration engineering services company in Australasia,” he said. PIL already has a similar distribution arrangement with Active Refrigeration in New Zealand that was announced in June.
Meanwhile, the Minister, while stressing on the “extremely positive” flow-on effects of these scholarships for New Zealand businesses and the economy as a whole, concluded by adding, “This is a unique way of supporting New Zealand’s businesses to develop valuable international networks, which are incredibly important to our economy. Ultimately, these greater connections made by our top executives will grow the economy and make our businesses more internationally competitive.”