“Today, 625 students have graduated: 24 students from the Fellow Programme in Management, 40 from the Post-Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management, 85 from the Post-Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management, 73 from the Executive Post-Graduate Programme in Management, and 403 from the Post-Graduate Programme in Management,” announced Professor G Raghuram, Director, IIM Bangalore, at the institute’s 44th Annual Convocation ceremony, held on March 22.
The students graduated from the prestigious institution this year in the presence of chief guest Arundhati Bhattacharya, former Chairperson, State Bank of India, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chair, Board of Governors, IIM-B, Prof G Raghuram, Director, IIM-B, eminent Board members and faculty.
The Director went on to say that IIMB’s doctoral programme has set a record by graduating the maximum number of 24 this year. “Of the 279 doctoral scholars who graduated over a nearly 40-year period, over 100 got their degrees in the last five years,” he added.
First IIM to award MBA to PGP
“We embarked on a journey of converting our diploma-granting programmes into degree-granting programmes last year after the IIM Act came into place. In 2018, IIM Bangalore was the first IIM to award an MBA to the Post-Graduate Programme. For the 2019 convocation, we brought our doctoral programme, the PG Programme in Enterprise Management and the Executive PG Programme in Management into the degree granting fold. We are now working through the modalities of converting the PG Programme in Public Policy and Management into a degree granting programme.”
Listing some of the student achievements, Prof Raghuram made special mention of the first batch of seven students who recently completed the Professor NS Ramaswamy Pre-doctoral Programme, a one-year apprenticeship programme with a focus on inclusion, launched last year.
Sharing IIM-B’s success story in Executive Education, he said, “Our Executive Education portfolio continues to be on the rise and making significant impact. During 2018-2019, the number of programmes crossed the 200 mark, going up to 218. The total number of participants crossed the 6,000 mark, a 17 per cent increase over the previous year.”
The Director also highlighted the achievements of faculty and alumni, institute events, IIM-B’s social initiatives, and its future plans. “We are launching a two-year MBA programme in Analytics from 2020, and expanding existing programmes. Our Committee for Future Directions will soon bring their deliberations to the faculty with a focus on a 10-year vision, including how to leverage our second campus. The ongoing focus on improving the ecosystem for research continues.”
He thanked all stakeholders associated with the institute for working towards accomplishing the vision and mission that IIM-B has set for itself and helping build the great institution.
Wishing the students success, he said, “Work hard and achieve all that you set out to. Be focussed on making a value-adding difference. Embrace integrity in thought, word and deed. Discover your ikigai , your maksad , or sense of purpose that is individually meaningful, socially relevant and sustainable. I wish you the ability to dream big, take risks, fail occasionally, learn continuously and be happy.”
Among the graduating students this year, there are 12 students with disability, who have displayed outstanding grit during the gruelling two years of study.
Gold medallists
A total of eight students across different programmes have been awarded gold medals this year.
PGP (Batch 2017-19): Ayush Gupta, Arjun Singh and Vaibhav Singh, for first rank, second rank and best all-round performance, respectively.
PGPPM (Batch 2018-19): Kushagra Mittal, for best academic performance.
PGPEM (Batch 2017-19): Sukanya P and Hariram Thirukarugavur Ramesh, for first rank and for best all-round performance, respectively.
EPGP (2018-19): Indranil Paul, for first rank, Xelene Aguiar, for best all-round performance.
Building the right kind of leadership
Earlier in the evening, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chair, Board of Governors, IIM-B, in his address, highlighted the institute’s milestones during the academic year 2018-19. “Over the years, IIM Bangalore has grown to become India’s leading management institute that attracts the best and brightest students from across the country. The alumni of this institution are sought after by leading companies from across the world, including my own,” he shared.
He pointed out that the companies of the future will invest more and more in digital assets and their managers will have to supervise bots too, and not just humans. “So, the management curriculum must evolve to cope with a rapidly evolving digital landscape. And I am happy to say that IIM Bangalore is moving in the right direction to build such business leaders for tomorrow.”
His speech focussed on the global rankings that IIM-B has achieved recently, its partnerships with leading global organisations such as Mphasis, Ford Foundation, Infineon, Commercial Taxes Department, Government of Karnataka, and others, to enhance the value of the school as a leading hub for management studies and research. IIM-B continues to be a preferred destination for recruiters looking for fresh talent, he added.
Congratulating the graduating students, he said: “I am sure there are great takeaways from your time here. Make us proud of your achievements, but also give back to society. And continue your association with your alma mater .”
‘Keep challenging yourself’
In her inspiring address, Arundhati Bhattacharya, chief guest at IIM-B’s 44th annual convocation, recollected incidents from her own life and career, while she addressed the students on ‘Setting up for Success’.
She pointed out that to be happy, one needs a modicum of success in whatever they do. She listed the attributes that help bring about such success. “You must keep challenging yourself; have a proper estimation of your capabilities; keep learning; have not only depth of knowledge but breadth of coverage. Most of all, in this quest for success, do not forget to be kind and passionate,” she advised the graduating students.
Distinguished alumni
On the eve of the convocation ceremony, on March 21 (Thursday), the Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA) 2019 were presented to three very deserving candidates, by Prof G Raghuram, Director, IIM-B, and Dr Hasmukh Adhia, Former Revenue Secretary, Govt. of India, a Distinguished Alumnus of IIM-B himself. The Distinguished Alumni Award winners this year are Lakshmi Kaul (PGP 1980-82), Hitesh Oberoi (PGP 1994-96) and Rajkumar D (PGP 1982-84).
Lakshmi is a social entrepreneur in the field of education, having set up schools for children with special needs; Hitesh is Co-Promoter, Managing Director and CEO of Info Edge, and has been instrumental in launching new products and services at naukri.com , while Rajkumar D is Chairman and Managing Director of BPCL.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards, instituted in 2007 at IIM-B, are given to alumni in recognition of their achievements of exceptional merit and excellence in their chosen field of endeavour — be it industry, management, entrepreneurship, research, academia or social service. Each recipient of the prestigious award receives a citation and his/her name is engraved on the wall of fame at IIM-B.