- Insight to break bubbles; Intention to act with purpose
- Inner Stillness to anchor clarity; Impact to serve the world
- “Integrative Intelligence… becoming ‘wholly’ human” defines leadership
- From hunger strikes to global boardrooms: a journey beyond boundaries
- Music, meditation and mentors shape a multidimensional life
- 629 graduates step into a non-linear, AI-driven future
R MANICKAVASAGAM
AHMEDABAD, MAR 28
“In the world of Artificial Intelligence, Integrative Intelligence is about becoming ‘wholly’ human. That will define true Leadership,” declared Chandrika Tandon in a stirring pep talk to 629 graduating students at the 61st Convocation of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) here on Saturday, urging them to “get out of your bubble, explore strategically, think critically, and act with intention and commitment.”
Delivering the convocation address, the business leader, humanitarian, and Grammy-winning musician outlined four guiding mantras — Insight, Intention, Inner Stillness, and Impact — calling them the pillars of “Integrative Intelligence” in an AI-dominated world.
Recalling her own unconventional journey, Tandon said, “If I had followed tradition, I should not be here,” narrating how she undertook a hunger strike to pursue college and later to join IIMA, defying early expectations of marriage. “My dwelling was narrow. But my world vision was vast,” she reflected.
She paid rich tributes to mentors who shaped her path: “Prof Bhattacharyya…who opened doors for me to explore the world… Prof Kalra…who made me understand the depths of everything I did not know… Prof Mohan Kaul… and Prof Sambrani who showed me that business leaders can be multidimensional.”
Highlighting Insight, she exhorted students: “You need to get out of your bubble… Explore strategically. Think critically. Do not get stuck on a single path… breakthroughs do not happen in the lanes. They happen at the intersections.”
On Intention, she stressed the need for deliberate action: “You need intention to move from an accidental to an intentional life… execute right with clarity and commitment, however challenging the goal.” She shared a turning point triggered by reading Autobiography of a Yogi, which led her to re-engineer her life and pursue music alongside business.
Calling music a powerful stressbuster and pathway to creativity, she said, “In the new world you will need less analysis but more imagination… the ability to see what does not exist.”
On Inner Stillness, she described meditation as transformative: “Increased calmness… clarity of thought… creativity soared… and a deep sense of compassion and confidence.” She added, “We all have cracks in our boats. But if you do not work to strengthen your own, how can you carry anyone through rough waters?”
On Impact, she emphasised purpose beyond self: “Your goal… is to leave your corner of the planet a better place.” Reflecting on her philanthropic and academic contributions, she noted, “It was no longer about me… but a purpose much higher and bigger than me.”
Summing up, she said, “INSIGHT; INTENTION; INNER STILLNESS; IMPACT — my four mantras of Integrative Intelligence.”
Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Pankaj Patel, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA, told students, “You are now part of something far greater than yourselves… That is not a footnote. It is the standard you now carry forward.” He urged them to be entrepreneurial: “Stop seeing constraints as obstacles… Leadership… is the acceptance of responsibility.”
Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, highlighted institutional strides, including new centres at the Dubai campus and the launch of the School of Artificial Intelligence. He advised graduates to remain resilient: “Careers… often follow a non-linear trajectory… adapt to constant change with clarity and determination.” Emphasising values, he said, “True leadership lies in the ability to connect global knowledge with local insights.”
A total of 629 students graduated across programmes — 20 PhD scholars, 408 MBA-PGP, 45 MBA-FABM, and 156 MBA-PGPX — amid a vibrant ceremony at the Louis Kahn Plaza.
Five gold medallists — Viraj Modi, Akshit Mittal, Devavrat Wagle (MBA-PGP), Jagrati Goyal (MBA-FABM), and Harsh Modi (MBA-PGPX) — were honoured for academic excellence. The graduating cohort also included four visually challenged students, marking a celebration of resilience and inclusion.
As the convocation procession, led by institute dignitaries, moved through the iconic campus, the ceremony symbolised not just an academic milestone but the launch of future leaders equipped to navigate an AI-transformed world — with humanity at the core.
