- Decision on changing logo put on hold, for now: Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA
NE EDUCATION BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, APRIL 14
Self-made billionaire Falguni Nayar exhorted the students “to spend the early years of your career taking the right risks and make some bold bets on yourself and test what you like and what you don’t.”
IIMA alumna and Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Nykaa.com Falguni Nayar was addressing the graduating students at the 57th Annual Convocation of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) here on Wednesday.
The ceremony was held on the lush green lawns of the famed Louis Kahn Plaza, the venue for all Convocations held at IIMA since 1974. Notably, the Convocation was held on-campus after a gap of two years.
In her convocation address, chief guest Falguni Nayar said, “Don’t be afraid to take risks along the way. You are blessed to be entering a world which is now increasingly risk friendly. Spend the early years of your career taking the right risks and make some bold bets on yourself. Test what you like and what you don’t. Take on roles that put you outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Discover new interests and hone on skills you excel at. You don’t need to have all the answers today about what you want from life but you do have the benefit of low opportunity cost in your current phase of life so make the best of it. And remember, no matter what anyone says, it is never too late to start all over again. Decision making will not always be easy, and often there will be no straightforward answer. So, trust your gut to an extent, it will guide you well.”
She also quoted the example of his batchmate and cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle and her own in starting a new venture in beauty sector at the age of 50 and succeeding in it. She also added that there is no short cut to success.
Sharing his experiences with the graduating students, Chairperson of IIMA Board of Governors Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “The fundamentals of business building are perhaps now truer than ever. External circumstances will most certainly change ferociously over the coming few years. There will be many shiny opportunities that will come your way, tempting you with their ephemeral promises. This holds true as much in the context of your careers. It is important, therefore, to stay the course. Identify which problems and what type of people excite you and invest time in them both. Ride out the short-term froth.
A good guiding principle in your choices is to go where the energy takes you. This reflection is best explained through a quote that hit my whatsapp feed this morning— “Stick with people who pull the magic out of you and not the madness.”
IIMA Director Dr Errol D’Souza said, “For managers dear students the landscape has changed. It is no longer about short-term financial targets and efficient execution. Ever since the Great Financial Crisis, and even more so since the pandemic, there is some room for a swashbuckling Elon Musk but soft skills such as compassion and collaboration are going to be a top requirement. Your views on corporate strategy will be important but so will those on climate change, discrimination and inclusion, human rights, culture wars and a host of other issues. You will face challenges from outside the organization as well as from within. Welcome to tumultuous times. You are going to be wrong sometimes and you should embrace your vulnerability. Encourage dissent and constructive criticism. I am confident you have learned much from each other and from the campus and you will go very far.
As alums of the institute give to the world your time, some of your wealth, and the best of yourself. We will look on with pride and happiness at your achievements and we will share your sorrows. May you be joyful and successful. अनेकों शुभकामनाएं”
The batch toppers from each programme were awarded gold medals in recognition of their academic accomplishments. However, no gold medal was awarded to PGP FABM students as none of them failed to meet the 95 percentile criteria, said IIMA Director.
| PGP (Batch 2020-22) | 387 |
| PGP FABM (Batch 2020-22) | 47 |
| PGPX (Batch 2021-22) | 136 |
| PhD | 14 |
| Total | 584 |
| Gold Medallist at the 57th Annual Convocation (PGP 20-22) | Shubham Goyal Vaibhav Agarwal Nitin Kulshreshtha |
| Gold Medallist at the 57th Annual Convocation (PGPX 21-22) | Amit Kumar |
No logo change as of now: Chairman
Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of IIMA’s 57th annual convocation on Wednesday, the board’s chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “We have decided to put the proposal for a new logo design of the institute in abeyance. A further decision on this will be taken after wider consultation by the IIMA director with all stakeholders.” The institute had earlier said that the new logo design will be unveiled in June.
