The new cohort has the highest number of students since the inception of the programme
30 March, 2024, Bengaluru: “India is set to progress at a tremendous pace in the next 20 years, and every sector, be it healthcare, education, telecom or others, will transform. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of you. Look at preparing yourself to play this crucial role in the transformation of the country”, said Sukanya Roy, Director, NASSCOM, during her special address at IIM Bangalore. She was the Chief Guest at the inauguration of the 2024-2025 batch of IIM Bangalore’s one year full-time MBA for experienced professionals, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), held on 30th March 2024. This year, IIMB welcomed 83 students into the globally ranked EPGP. Sukanya Roy, an alumna of the EPGP Class of 2013, manages all initiatives for the Global Capability Center and Business Process Management industry segments for NASSCOM.
Opportunities and learning at IIMB
During her talk, Sukanya Roy discussed the opportunities EPGP offers to its students and what the course meant for her. She also pointed out to the new batch that the diversity of industry segments and background of the EPGP cohort brings diverse perspectives, thereby offering a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow. “Growth and career do not only mean an upward movement of designations; think about your career in terms of learning and how you can bring about change.“
She advised the new batch to start by listing what they wanted to learn at IIMB. “To start learning, you need to first unlearn a lot, including your habits form the corporate world. Never underestimate what you can learn from your batchmates. Network, try to find collaborators and build relationships. The world is full of opportunities – try to figure out which opportunities you want to make your own. Remember, MBA teaches you to solve problems in an analytical manner without losing creativity. And above all, cherish these moments while you are students at IIMB.”
Sharing her own IIMB journey, she said, “At IIMB, I got the chance to understand myself. I managed my journey from the focus on learning. My ability to shape my career has been based on my priorities, which again is something I got from EPGP. Clarity of different situations also came from EPGP.”
“While at IIMB, I actively took part in events where we had to invite expert speakers from top institutions. For that, I needed to interact with their offices, trying to highlight the merits of EPGP as an MBA course. Remember, that was at a time when EPGP did not have the FT and other rankings that it has today!”
Her talk was followed by a Q&A session during which she shared that while pursuing EPGP at IIMB, other than academics her focus was on networking and project work. Answering a query on her key takeaway from EPGP that helps her stay ahead of the crowd, she said, “That would be my ability to keep learning. I would advise you all to figure out the learning mechanism best suited to yourselves.”
Batch profile
Earlier in the session, Prof. Kunal Dasgupta, Chairperson, Admissions & Financial Aid and faculty of the Economics area of IIMB, congratulated the students for making it to the prestigious and globally top-ranked programme. Discussing the batch profile of the EPGP Class of 2024-2025, he said that the new cohort has the highest number of students in the history of EPGP, out of which there are 27% women students. He added, “The average age is 30 years; average work experience is seven years, and 14% have international work experience. The average GMAT score is 690. The highest number of students are from Engineering background, followed by Commerce, Science and others. There is a lot of diversity in industry background including Manufacturing, IT, Energy, Finance, and others like Pharma, Retail, Fashion and Government agencies.”
To get the best out of the IIMB learning experience
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the students stating that their gaining admission into the course speaks volumes for their aptitude and potential. He went on to share few expectations from the students. “Bring elements of your diverse experiences into the classroom so that it can be a takeaway for others in the batch as well as faculty. Moreover, get a good work rhythm from the very beginning since EPGP demands hard work and consistency. Understand your own strengths and weaknesses, identify your aspirations and work towards achieving the same. This will guide your choice of Electives, other activities in the school and ultimately guide you towards your goal. The Career Development Services (CDS) Office will also be a facilitator.”
“We have a whole range of opportunities outside academics that you should take advantage of. It will help you broaden your perspective. EPGP alumni are very successful also, so try to reach out to them for mentorship. In all these, if you are facing any difficulty, reach out early for help and support. Connect with the programme office, or the councelors. Hope you have a great academic and multidimensional stay. We are concluding celebrations of our Golden Jubilee, and a host of activities are being conducted at the campus. I am sure your presence will enrich all such activities.”
From the Deans
Prof. Rahul Dé, Dean, Programmes and faculty of the Information Systems area of IIMB, while explaining that the Programmes Office coordinates activities between different programmes of the institute, advised the students to blend and learn from one another. “There is a mix of courses you can choose from. The next one year will be full of activities. I encourage you to do everything with full vigor. Make use of all the facilities, but do be responsible. Go through the manuals and other tools which will help you. Remember, we do not compromise on academic quality or integrity. You also have the freedom of using Generative AI, but understand that technology, use it responsibly and enhance your learning. And do reach out to us for any support that you may require.”
Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Alumni Relations & Development and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area of IIMB, pointed out to the new batch the importance of reaping the benefits of the excellent alumni network at IIMB. “You have 15 batches before you, get to know the alumni, understand the network – it can prove to be invaluable for mentorship. It is important in B-schools to take advantage of the alumni network. You have a plethora of opportunities here in terms of organizing events, talks, and more. Make good use of your time at IIMB. To be productive, take care of your health. Be part of the community and make best use of the resources here.” He explained in brief the functions of the Alumni Office at IIMB.
Transformative learning through EPGP
Prof. Ashok Thampy, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and faculty in the Finance & Accounting area, IIMB, gave an overview of the programme. “EPGP is one of the top-rated MBA programmes not only in India, but in the world. The programme has evolved over the years. The Electives are integrated providing you the opportunity to take a number of courses. It also increases the complexity of the programme as a lot of coordination is needed, and this is where the EPGP Office comes into play.”
He pointed out that the programme requires significant and continuous effort. “The programme will be intense, there will be challenges too, you must learn to navigate through those. All this will help you transform and develop into a better self. Get to know your batchmates, take part in activities and committees, know how the programme is run and what you can do in the next one year.” Prof. Thampy then proceeded to introduce the Chief Guest Sukanya Roy.
Hostel Officer Komala Devi, Senior Executive of EPGP Vanitha Anand and the EPGP Office team were among those who were part of the inauguration. The rest of the day included orientation sessions for the new batch, which will continue till 5th April 2024.
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