“Rewrite Rules, Retain Your Values”, Exhorts Chief Guest Shri Kishore Biyani 

Nagpur: The Indian Institute of Management Nagpur conducted its 3rd Convocation for the batch of 2017-19 in a ceremony held today at Chitnavis Centre, Nagpur. 55 students of the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management graduated in this ceremony, which was graced by Shri Kishore Biyani, Founder and Group CEO, Future Group as Chief Guest.

The event began with the Director’s presentation of the Director’s Report for 2018-19. Director Prof L S Murty elaborated upon the growth that IIM Nagpur has seen in the past year, including reconstitution of the Board, increase in student intake, student achievements, growth of the faculty and introduction of new courses, establishment of a Centre for Entrepreneurship and the IIM Nagpur Foundation for Entrepreneurship Development (InFED).

He also spoke about the progress made towards the development of IIM Nagpur’s permanent campus at MIHAN, with the groundbreaking ceremony, ‘Shubharambh’ by Maharashtra CM Shri Devendra Fadnavis and Hon’ble Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari in the presence of Guardian Minister for Nagpur, Shri Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

He added that the exercise to develop a logo and motto for the Institute had been fruitful, and thanked the National Institute of Design (NID) for designing the logo. He mentioned that the motto, ‘satyam cha swádhyáya pravachanécha’, sourced from the Taitriya Upanishad, best encapsulated the values of IIM Nagpur.

Prof Murty concluded with a congratulatory note to the students, extolling the virtues of teamwork, cultivating the art of good communication, and expressing the desire to maintain a life-long relationship with the students.

Shri C P Gurnani (Chairman, Board of Governors, IIM Nagpur and CEO & MD, Tech Mahindra), gave the welcome address, sharing with the outgoing batch insights from his interaction with Shri Kishore Biyani, as well as his own experience.

Citing an example from cricket, he mentioned how a sportsman of the stature of Sachin Tendulkar would focus on the value he would offer to the team, instead of fussing about following younger captains and budding managers. He said, would be known by the value they bring to their team, and the trust and relationships they build with their peers over their long careers. He expressed the desire that thought leadership in India should be East-looking, focussing on entrepreneurial growth in Asia, instead of following a traditional Western orientation, and hoped that IIM Nagpur would evolve to greater heights in the future.

Shri Gurnani’s address was followed by the conferral of degrees to the PGP Batch of 2017-19. 50 students received their Masters degrees in Business Administration at the ceremony, and 5 students were awarded the same in absentia.

The Indian Institute of Management Nagpur Gold Medal for Scholastic Performance was awarded to Mr Vaibhav Gupta, while the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur Gold Medal for Best All Round Performance was awarded to Mr Yash Pramod Thakur.

The presentation of degrees and medals was followed by the Chief Guest’s Convocation address. In a thought-provoking speech, Future Group Founder and Group CEO Shri Kishore Biyani spoke about the values that guide him and his leadership ethos. He related how the Future Group promotes introspection and constant improvement of the self, while maintaining a futuristic outlook.

He said, “We believe in the power of flow. This is a value inspired from nature. Nature rarely stops. It always finds a way, no matter what the obstacles are. Often in life or in business, we encounter challenges or want to be 100% sure before we move on (to) something. Instead, it is better to move on, find a way and learn and correct in the journey,” he added.

He further cited that he sought role models in Dhirubhai Ambani and Dr Verghese Kurien, who inspired him to dream big and fight against all odds, in the pursuit of growth. Concluding on an inspiring note, he exhorted the students to rewrite the rules, seek originality while retaining values in a constantly evolving world.

The Convocation was declared closed by the Chairman, subsequent to the singing of the National Anthem.