Chief Guest Ananth Chandramouli, Managing Director – India Business Unit at Capgemini, delivers the special address
09 April, 2022, Bengaluru: “EPGP made the most significant contribution to my journey from being a backbencher to being in the battle foreground,” said Chief Guest Ananth Chandramouli, Managing Director – India Business Unit at Capgemini, at the inauguration of IIM Bangalore’s one year full-time MBA: Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) batch of 2022-23, held on April 09, 2022. IIMB welcomed 75 students during the inauguration of the globally ranked MBA.
Ananth Chandramouli, an alumnus of the EPGP Class of 2010, which was the inaugural batch, explained that coming from an engineering and technical background, although he did well in his career to start with, he felt disillusioned after a point of time, after which the EPGP taught him to learn different aspects of business including teamwork, functions like HR, Marketing, Delivery and Operation, etc. “Learning how to learn is what I got from EPGP. Dear students, the programme will help you jumpstart your thoughts.”
He considers peer learning to be one of the key takeaways from a programme like EPGP. “Make the most use of the diversity of your batch, in terms of industry, background, gender, etc. Try to associate with your non-engineer peer group. Make use of the International Immersion also which will not only help you bond well with your classmates but will also give you the viewpoint of a completely different economy.”
“Learning for life”
Pointing out that EPGP may not provide instant gratification, he said: “Remember, EPGP is a learning for life. There may not be immediate Return on Investment, but the long-term benefits could be substantial. So, soak in and enjoy every moment. But have reasonable expectations. Keep you people network on. And start giving more. Be part of committees during your stay at IIMB and try to resolve real issues.”
He added that post EPGP, it becomes important to identify the right opportunities. “You need to influence, engage and excite people. Perseverance and credibility are two other elements which will stand you in good stead.”
“EPGP is not only a great opportunity, but a responsibility as well. You need to be brand ambassadors for EPGP as well as IIMB and stay engaged with your alma mater. Do not lose sight of the big picture or be disheartened by stumbling blocks. Keep the EPGP flag flying high”, was his advice to the new batch.
Earlier in the day, Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIMB, while welcoming the new batch, gave a brief historical background of the institute, its programmes and other activities, and how it has evolved into the top-class B-school that it is, today. “You are a niche group. Try to bring your work experience to the table and apply what you learn here in decisions for your organizations. The IIMB faculty can also learn from you, provided you actively participate. IIMB does not believe in passive learning – come prepared to class and build on it. Think hard how best you can leverage the knowledge you already have, align it to the IIMB learning and then give it the best possible outcome. Thus, you can build something distinctive for yourself and the organization you work for. Do not follow herd mentality,” he said.
Prof. Rishikesha Krishnan also spoke about placement and career development, International Immersion, Global Network courses, etc. He advised the students to be ready for disruptions. “But the good news is IIMB is well equipped and technically sound to handle such situations with online classes, hybrid classes and more. Moreover, health and safety of our students and other stakeholders is our priority,” he added.
Prof. Ashok Thampy, Chairperson, EPGP and faculty in the Finance & Accounting area, gave an overview of the programme and spoke of how EPGP was conceived. “EPGP has grown from strength to strength. Last year, QS ranked EPGP among the world’s top 50 MBAs. One of the USPs of the programme is peer learning. A lot of alumni have told me that EPGP was transformative for them. Let me tell you that the programme is fast paced - lot of new skills to be acquired and lot of effort to be put in. The coursework will be challenging. But in the long run, EPGP will help you become more productive and contribute more substantially to your organizations.”
Prof. Ashis Mishra, Chairperson, Admissions & Financial Aid, and IIMB faculty in the Marketing area, presented the batch profile. While the average age of the batch is 30 years this year, the average work experience is 7.8 years. The average GMAT score is 697, and maximum number of students have come from engineering background, followed by Commerce, Science and other backgrounds. There is a diverse mix of industries also. The number of women students have shot up this year – at 24 %. “Management education is about peer learning, and we always try to get a good cohort,” he said.
Prof. Rahul Dé, Dean, Programmes, and faculty from the Information Systems area, highlighted that EPGP was among the most highly ranked management programmes in the world as well as in India. “It is an intense programme, and the faculty wants you to listen, read, analyze and comment. Engage with other activities on campus like seminars, national and international contests. Interact with other cohorts as such interactions will help you learn. Make the best use of resources on campus like the library, highly trained faculty, etc. and above all, be conscious of academic integrity,” he said.
EPGP at IIMB
The Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management at IIM Bangalore is an intensive one-year residential programme created specifically for professionals with outstanding track records and five to 12 years of work experience in a wide range of industries. A key advantage of the EPGP is that the coursework enables the students to draw on the diverse and extensive work experience of their peers as part of their learning.
IIMB designed the EPGP specifically to nurture forward-thinking and creative managers – the business leaders of tomorrow who will create value for their organizations as well as for society.
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