03 APRIL, 2021: The inauguration of the Class of 2021-23 of the Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), at Indian Institute Management Bangalore, was held this morning. Dipesh Shah, Managing Director at Samsung Research India Bengaluru, and Vinod Nair, Co-Founder & Director, Enzen Global, were the chief guests. The batch comprises 75 individuals, including nine women, from diverse professional backgrounds with an average work experience of 12 years.
IIMB Director Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Dean Programmes Professor Abhoy K Ojha, Chairperson Admissions and Financial Aid Professor Ashis Mishra, Chairperson of PGPEM Professor Gopal Mohapatra and Dean Administration Professor Rajendra K Bandi addressed the students.
In his welcome address, Prof. Rishikesha Krishnan said this was a good time for professionals to upgrade their skills and reposition themselves for changes and transition. “Periods of lull and disruption are usually followed by periods of rapid growth. Having the right skills, education and exposure will position you quite well to take advantage of the opportunities that will open up post pandemic,” he pointed out. Spending a few minutes on the model of online education adopted currently, he urged the participants to prepare well for class, especially with regard to cases, and contribute to class discussions. “Faculty who teach this programme are experienced and globally reputed. They can give you insights that will complement your own experience,” he added.
Offering an overview of the batch and the selection process, Prof. Ashis Mishra drew attention to the increase in the number of participants from the banking and financial sector and engineering when compared to the previous year.
Congratulating the participants for choosing the PGPEM – the most highly ranked weekend MBA programme in Asia, Prof. Abhoy Ojha, who played a big role in the launch of the PGPEM, had special words of praise for the chief guests and alumni Dipesh Shah and Vinod Nair. “IIMB keeps in touch with industry needs and tailors its programmes to suit the needs of working professionals. The PGPEM is an example of this effort,” he said, adding that he, as a faculty member, drew from the diversity and experience of the PGPEM cohort. Urging the participants to reprogramme their minds and become students rather than customers of IIMB, Prof. Ojha called upon them to be proactive and engage with the community. On the subject of ethics and etiquette, he emphasized that academic integrity and behaviour of the highest standard are expected of everyone.
Quoting a study of PGPEM alumni, Prof. Gopal Mohapatra said they had listed high RoI, great learning for growth and development within and outside the organization, and personal brand building and networking as the key features of the programme at IIMB.
Lessons from leaders
Expressing delight at the opportunity to reconnect with IIMB, Dipesh Shah, Managing Director at Samsung Research India Bengaluru, described the programme as a “life changer”. He explained that the programme drew him out of his shell and boosted his confidence. “Our middle-class upbringing usually holds us back. Programmes like the PGPEM help us articulate our ambitions and realize them.” Recalling the lessons from the marketing classes of the late Professor PN Thirunarayana, from the strategy classes of Professor J Ramachandran and Professor Rishikesha Krishnan and from the organisational theory classes of Professor Abhoy Ojha, to name a few, Dipesh said concepts from all these classes have helped him navigate his career.
Vinod Nair, Co-Founder & Director, Enzen Global, encouraged the participants to use their time at IIMB to boost their personal and professional growth. “Do not be disappointed, 20 years from now, by the things that you did not do at IIMB! Use every opportunity here to become a better version of yourselves.” Spending a few minutes on the art of storytelling, he emphasized the power of stories to inspire and motivate people. “Great leaders are great storytellers,” he added.
A session on the case method, adopted at IIMB, was conducted by Professor Sourav Mukherji, Chairperson, Centre for Teaching and Learning. Professor Rejie George, from the Strategy area, spoke on ethics and their importance, and Professor Vasanthi Sinivasan, Chairperson, IIMBx, addressed the students on digital learning. Professors Anil Suraj and Mukta Kulkarni offered an overview of the IC and emphasized the need for participants to maintain the highest standards of conduct. The session concluded with an ice-breaker session with senior students of the programme.