This year, Sandhya Shekhar (PGP 1984), Prashant Jain (PGP 1991), Mathew Cyriac (PGP 1994) and Vineet Saraiwala (PGP 2015) are the four alums to receive the coveted award to be presented during the PGP reorientation on 15th June

13 May, 2025, Bengaluru: Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) has announced the names of the recipients of the Institute’s Distinguished Alumni Awards for 2025. Instituted in 2007, the Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented to alumni in recognition of their achievements of exceptional merit and excellence in their chosen field of endeavor – be it industry, management, entrepreneurship, research, academia, or social service. Each awardee receives a citation and her/his name is engraved on the Wall of Fame in the Institute. This year, the awards will be presented on 15th June 2025, during reorientation of the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP).

The four alums who are the recipients of the DAA this year are Sandhya Shekhar (PGP 1984), Prashant Jain (PGP 1991), Mathew Cyriac (PGP 1994) and Vineet Saraiwala (PGP 2015).

IIMB Director Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, the Deans and other faculty members congratulated the DAA 2025 recipients.

Sandhya Shekhar, PGP 1984

Sandhya Shekhar currently works with the industry, academia as well as the start-up and innovation ecosystem. She is an Advisor and Strategy Consultant to several corporate entities in the areas of Business Strategy and Digital Transformation. She serves as an Independent Director on the governing boards of Uno Minda Ltd., MI Torica, Mynda Onkyo, MITIL Polymer Pvt Ltd. and UCAL Ltd. Earlier, she had served two terms on the boards of several companies in the Amalgamations Group. She is a member of the committees constituted by BIRAC BIoNEST to help scale the biotech incubators nationally into a robust innovation ecosystem. She is a visiting faculty at few educational institutions. She serves on several advisory boards including SOIL Institute of Management and the Sarada Ranganathan Endowment for Library Science. She has served on Government of India policy committees as well.

Working across three distinct fraternities of corporates, educational institutions and the innovation ecosystem has helped her understand and uncover huge synergies, cross-pollinate ideas, and triangulate learnings. She actively helps organizations and institutions leverage these possibilities in her current engagements.

Earlier, she had occupied many CXO positions. She has worked at the confluence of industry and academia helping to build and scale a vibrant innovation ecosystem, in her former role as the first CEO of IIT Madras Research Park, the first university research park in the country. She has extensive industry experience, having worked as Director – Asia Pacific Consulting, Gartner Inc. (spearheading the crafting of business and digital strategies for global companies); CTO, BconnectB.com (setting up several digital pure-plays in the BOT mode); Head – Knowledge Management Research, Aptech (evolving knowledge strategies for global organizations); and as Group Consultant, NIIT (leading the regional consulting practice). She has worked in multiple industry domains.

She is an alumna of IIM Bangalore and IIT Madras, and is a university rank holder in her under graduation. She earned her PhD from IIT Madras, with her dissertation winning the global award for Outstanding Doctoral Research from the European Foundation for Management Development and Emerald. She is a recipient of several awards and personal commendation letters from global leaders. She was felicitated as an Outstanding Woman Achiever during the 100th International Women’s Day. She is an author of several books, papers and articles. Her co-authored book on Knowledge Management was the first book in India on the subject and her subsequent book titled, ‘Managing the Reality of Virtual Organizations’ published by Springer has received worldwide acclaim. A TEDx speaker, she is frequently invited to deliver speeches at international and national conferences as well as forums.

Honored to receive the DAA from her alma mater, Sandhya says, “I am deeply humbled by the magnanimity of numerous people involved in the process, who thought me worthy of this award. I joined IIM Bangalore as a clueless youngster. This wonderful institution gave me the confidence to navigate my professional journey, besides a deep sense of well-being by making me a part of a caring fraternity. Most importantly, it has given me invaluable friends.”

Prashant Jain, PGP 1991

Prashant Jain, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of 3P Investment Managers, had previously served as Chief Investment Officer at HDFC Mutual Fund. He has 31 years of investment management experience.

Prashant holds the distinction of being the only fund manager in India and one of the few globally, to have continuously managed a scheme for over 28 years (fund named HDFC Balanced Advantage Fund, earlier known as HDFC Prudence fund, a hybrid equity debt fund). Apart from being the most awarded fund manager in India, he also has the distinction of being the first fund manager in India to have managed 1 lac crore of equity funds.

Prashant worked for SBI Mutual Fund (1991-1993) as well as Zurich India Mutual Fund (1993-2003) in different capacities. He moved to HDFC Mutual Fund, subsequent to the takeover of Zurich India Mutual Fund by HDFC in 2003.

He co-founded 3P Investment Managers in 2022, a firm focused on long-term investing. The 3Ps stand for Prudence, Patience and Performance. 3P Indian Equity Fund, an open-end AIF targeted for HNIs, had a strong start. This fund currently manages around Rs 17,500 crores for nearly 970 families.

He earned his PGDM from IIM Bangalore in 1991. Before this, he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur. He is also a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur.

Prashant credits the Institute and its faculty for a lot of his own successes, adding that he was honored at receiving the DAA. “The education and learning at IIMB have played a key role in shaping my career, equipping me with the tools to keep on learning and the confidence to face challenges.”

Mathew Cyriac, PGP 1994

Mathew Cyriac is Executive Chairman of the PE firm Florintree Advisors and Co-founder at deep tech fund Yali Capital. He had earlier served as founding member and PE Co-head of Blackstone India. He has been recognized for many firsts in his 30-year career spanning investing roles in India and the US. Mathew’s journey – from IIMB gold medallist to a global investment professional – epitomizes excellence, innovation and purpose-driven inclusive leadership.

A mechanical engineering graduate from the College of Engineering, Guindy, Mathew worked at Tata Motors before joining the world of finance with Bank of America, and then moving to Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He held key roles at Credit Suisse in Los Angeles, California and Quintant/iGATE Fremont, California, before returning to India to join Blackstone.

As a founding member and PE Co-head of Blackstone India (2006-2017), he pioneered control-oriented investing – acquiring majority stakes in portfolio companies to drive operational turnarounds – now a key strategy in the Indian PE industry. His leadership has transformed companies like Gokaldas Exports, MTAR Technologies, CMS Infosystems and Data Patterns, creating new benchmarks for value creation.

At Florintree Advisors, a homegrown PE firm, Mathew has built a reputation of actively investing time and capital in growth stage companies, resulting in stellar IPOs for companies like Data Patterns, ideaForge and MTAR. At Yali Capital, Mathew has partnered seasoned tech investors and operators to fund start-ups like C2i Semiconductors and 4baseCare, powering India’s deep-tech innovation in semiconductors, AI and genomics.

Mathew has also driven operating excellence by serving as a board member for Data Patterns, MTAR, ideaForge and CMS IT; as independent board member for Tata Capital and Tata Play, and as Chairman at Gokaldas Exports.

Beyond finance, Mathew’s focus lies in his commitment to inclusive growth. Under his stewardship, companies like Gokaldas Exports employ over 45,000 women, providing them sustainable livelihoods that uplift communities. He has funded several other causes like trauma care at CMC Vellore and supporting EKAM Foundation’s work in improving child health and education outcomes.

Mathew’s bond with IIMB is profound – from mentoring students as a corporate finance guest lecturer to investing in ventures founded by IIMB alumni and hiring IIMB talent as CXOs, both at Florintree and portfolio companies.

His transformative experience at IIMB inspired him to invest in the growth of the Institute through the Tony James Centre for Private Equity & Venture Capital on campus, that fosters academia-industry synergy through scholarships, research and faculty chairs, boosting IIMB’s efforts in remaining a global hub for investment education.

Mathew’s career has been dedicated to integrating profit with purpose. From engineering turnarounds to mentoring founders, he has demonstrated that business success and positive impact can thrive together. His humility, ethical leadership and relentless focus on nurturing talent – whether at Blackstone, Florintree or Yali – reflect the values IIMB instils in its alumni.

Humbled and honoured to receive this prestigious recognition, Mathew says, “Receiving the news for this award, I experienced the same excitement that I felt, when I received the admission letter from IIMB, 33 years back. The two years at IIMB built a very different level of confidence in me which became a guiding force in my life. I cherish equally the friendship with my batchmates and the mentorship I received from my professors. On this occasion, I would like to remember my beloved parents and thank my two brothers, wife Elizabeth and my daughters Anna and Angela for always standing by me.”

Vineet Saraiwala, PGP 2015

Vineet Saraiwala is Founder and CEO of Atypical Advantage, India’s largest livelihood platform for persons with disabilities. The platform supports over 30,000 individuals with disabilities and partners with 400-plus corporates across India. It has enabled more than 5,000 dignified livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Vineet’s work has significantly influenced corporate India’s approach towards disability inclusion as a business imperative. He has opened up meaningful job opportunities for persons with disabilities across sectors including FMCG, semiconductors, automobiles, IT and other manufacturing industries in India.

Beyond employment, Vineet has partnered with more than 550 NGOs, as well as state and union government bodies, to drive sensitization workshops and skill development programs – contributing to systemic changes in workplace accessibility and inclusion practices.

He has consistently bridged the gap between business innovation and social equity, believing that generating compassion is the only way to create a better world. He has dedicated his life to the cause of disability inclusion and is determined to close the inequality gap for persons with disabilities within his lifetime.

After completing his MBA from IIM Bangalore in 2015, Vineet joined Big Bazaar, where he led the firm’s initiatives to make shopping accessible and facilitated the hiring of over 500 persons with disabilities across its stores.

Vineet’s pioneering work has been recognized nationally and internationally. In 2024, Atypical Advantage received both the National Startup Award for Social Impact and the National Award for Best Placement Organisation presented by the President of India. His impactful pitch on Shark Tank India was widely credited for mainstreaming inclusion across the nation.

When he is not working on solving this massive social challenge, Vineet can be found trekking, cycling or running. He has cycled over 5,000 kilometres on his tandem bike and completed more than nine half marathons.

Vineet shares, “IIM Bangalore gave me the wings to dream beyond limitation and the foundation to build a movement for inclusion. This recognition is not just mine – it belongs to every person with a disability who dared to dream, every ally who believed in the cause, and every organization that opened its doors to diverse talent. I hope this award inspires many more to build a world that truly belongs to everyone.”

He adds, “I also hope that this award inspires the creation of more social entrepreneurs alongside founders and CXOs, ensuring that the wisdom of the nation’s brightest minds is channeled into solving its toughest problems. Without IIM Bangalore, the dream of building Atypical Advantage would not have existed. I am here only because the Institute gave a visually impaired boy a chance – a ticket to empower others like him.”