IIM Bodh Gaya welcomed the incoming batches of MBA 07 and Ph.D. 02 on 23rd – 24th July 2021. The institute organized the Orientation Ceremony for its seventh batch of MBA and second batch of Ph.D. students. The ceremony was inaugurated by invoking the Goddess of Knowledge, Maa Saraswati, through a melodious Vandana.
This year, the institute has inducted 212 students, out of which 35 are female students. With 140 freshers in a batch, the average work experience of the batch is 23 months. The upcoming batch is rich in academic diversity. Students from multiple disciplines like Bachelors of Design, Commerce, Science, Commerce, Management, Pharmacy, Humanities, Journalism, Veterinary Sciences, and Engineering have come together in this batch. This year, six new Ph.D. scholars have been admitted to the institute, including two female scholars in Operations Management, Economics, Finance, Human Resources, and Organizational Behavior. It is a matter of great pleasure for the institution to have such an academically diverse batch of students and always a boon when the diverse mindsets grow and contribute to the alma mater and the society together.
The ceremony began with a presentation by Dr. Prabhat Ranjan, Chairperson, Admissions on the students’ profile, followed by an introduction of the Ph.D. and MBA program by Dr. Krishna Mohan TV, Coordinator, Doctoral Programme, and Dr. Md. Laeequddin, Chairperson PGP. The event was taken forward by the Director of the Institute, Prof. Vinita Sahay, who welcomed the new batch and wished them good luck for an exciting and enriching journey with the Institute. She briefed the new batches about the responsibilities that came along with being a part of an IIM and encouraged students to live up to the brand’s legacy and take it to newer heights.
Dr. Sahay welcomed all the respected dignitaries and paid her gratitude to them for gracing this auspicious occasion. The first guest address was given by the Guest of Honour of the ceremony, Mr. Gautam Kumra, Chairman, McKinsey‘s offices in Asia, and BOG Member of IIM Bodh Gaya. He enlightened the audience about the pool of choices students get in these times and briefed the audience on the power of focus, ambitions, mastery, serendipity, growth mindset, and purpose to achieve their goals. He highlighted the skills of a CEO and S-curve, which explains the highs and lows of learnings and success in the career.
The event was taken forward by the Chief Guest, Sri. Tripurari Sharan, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Bihar. He enlightened the audience about the glorious history of the ancient world’s iconic institutions, which were situated in our country, and the importance of Sannidhata (the Chief treasury officer) and Samaharta (the Chief Collector General of Revenue) in the growth of the economy. He stated the importance of public institutions, which are the enclaves of economic development, and how the first impulse of economic growth came from these institutions.
Post the session, the walkthrough video of the new campus was showcased to the new batch. The next dignitary to grace the podium was Mr. Santhosh Buddhiraju, Head of Inventory (Design, Planning, and Operations) at Flipkart. He welcomed the batches and discussed his experience as an MBA student in IIM Lucknow. He enlightened the students about his experience in Flipkart and the importance of inventory management. He also talked about the importance of stakeholder management with assertiveness and empathy. ‘Given the ability to be good with people and data, is what we look for at Flipkart.’
The second half of the event was started with a session by Mr. Vivek Sharma, Head Credit – Retail Lending and Payments, Axis Bank. He spoke about the Financial Inclusion scenario in India and how there is a scope of financial independence in the country. He briefed the audience about the various product offerings in the Retail Lending market and discussed the Retail Credit process. The session was succeeded by an address by the Guest of Honour, Mr. L. Ramkumar, Chairman Shanthi Gears Limited, President- Madras Management Association, and the BOG Member of IIM Bodh Gaya. He highlighted the learnings and value additions that MBA courses bring in the lives of the students. He mentioned that the conflicts that a manager needs to solve and maintain a constant balance of everyone’s needs in his career are propelled by the skills, tools, and techniques learned during the MBA days. He spoke about the growth of a leader out of an executive and how to do little innocuous things consistently that make a leader.
The next session was by Mr. Himanshu Madanmohan, Director, Safal Constructions, India. He talked about how fast-paced the world is to envision one’s near future. He spoke about a student’s expectations from an MBA program and how consistency is what makes one stand apart from the rest. He also talked about the Indian Real Estate and Construction industry and where it stands in comparison to eco-friendly construction done in Oslo.
The event was taken ahead by Mr. Sameer Nagarajan, Global President, Human Resources, Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited, who emphasized the importance of Ethics, Integrity, and Honesty. He quoted his life examples to highlight that it is okay to discover your passion at a later stage of life and never forget to have fun with what you do.
The last session of the day was with Ms. Richa Singh, Founder, and CEO, YourDost. She started her session with a few activities like writing an autobiography, writing a title in 60 sec and asked the audience about the difficulties they faced in the activity. She raised a pertinent question of how one wants to be remembered after death and what makes oneself happy. She also explained what a counselor does, and described the stigma attached to it.
The Day 2 of the Orientation Ceremony scheduled on 24th July saw the same levels of enthusiasm among the audience. Day 2 saw a panel of eminent personalities who graced the event. The event started with a spiritual session with Mr. Akhilesh Parmanu, Faculty, Art of living, who rejuvenated the audience. The speakers for the day were Mr. Srinivas Peddi, Sr. Vice President, Zen Money; Mr. Shreevar Kheruka, Managing Director, Borosil; Mr. Harsh Kumar, Partner, IBM Global Services; Ms. Vinita Bali. Ms. Bali is the Independent Director and Former MD, Britannia; Sudipto Mandal, VP, CHRO-HR Star Cement; Mr. Sunil Naik, Director, DHL Global; Sri. Pankaj Dikshit, Director, Industries & Technical Development, Govt of Bihar; Sri. Abhishek Singh, District Magistrate, Gaya, Bihar; Mr. Shitiz Modi, Product Marketing Manager (B2C), Google Search; Mr. Rajeev Rajan, CEO, McDonald’s; and Mr. Krish Danam, Managing Partner, Skylife Success, USA. The ceremony ended with a guided meditation session by the Samatvam Team, IIM Bodh Gaya.
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