IIMB faculty share thoughts on how to set the stage after graduation with PGP and PGPBA students at ‘Pragya 2025’
Life lessons from their teachers motivate the soon-to-be graduates
5 March, 2025, Bengaluru: Words of wisdom on the next chapter of life, along with sharing of life experiences and anecdotes - often laced with humor, marked the evening of lectures by invitation for the graduating students at IIMB, that was Pragya 2025.
A tradition at IIMB, Pragya is an interaction where students invite their professors to deliver special lectures – outside the classroom and in the Open Air Theatre (OAT), organized by the Students’ Academic Council of the institute. The three professors invited by the students to deliver the special lectures at Pragya 2025, held earlier today, were Prof. Y L R Moorthi of the Marketing area; Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Alumni Relations & Development and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, and Prof. Haritha Saranga, Chairperson, Sustainability Taskforce and faculty of the Production & Operations Management area.
Prof. Haritha Saranga shared that there were three secret ingredients to leading a balanced life, that she learnt from her own life experiences. “While achieving great things, you can also lead a good life. For that, you need happiness beyond instant gratification or personal achievements, which are more temporary in nature. Being content through stable relationships and meaningful habits will bring lasting happiness, both mentally and physically. Thereafter, you also need to find the larger purpose in life wherein you can contribute to the larger society – we are all in search of that. The uncertainty of the rat race will give you a lot of stress, but finding meaning and purpose will provide the necessary balance. That is the second ingredient. The third is psychological richness consisting of novelty, complexity and perspective change. You will be content if you are able to fill your life with these three ingredients”, said Prof. Haritha, adding that working for the cause of sustainability, something that the whole world needs, has been her own calling.
Prof. Sourav Mukherji, a sports enthusiast, gave examples of iconic sportspeople such as gymnast Simone Biles and defining sporting incidents such as the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974, to list elements towards the road to success that the managers of tomorrow may follow. His list was not just focussed on knowledge or strategy, but the ability to create impact beyond profit and numbers. “Understand your opponent’s and your own weaknesses before devising strategies. Remember, bad things happen to people, and you need to bounce back. Do not think that hard work will ever go to waste – through resilience, you can overcome bad things. Learn to face failure in life without regret or disdain. There will be temptations galore, but stay focussed on what you stand for in life, what gives you a sense of satisfaction.”
He pointed out that one is often faced with unfortunate incidents in life, which leave us feeling powerless. “We think that we are too small, too insignificant, to change the world. But remember – do not let the world change you!”
He summed up his address by listing perseverance, hard work, honesty and humility as his top picks to follow in life. “Do not take yourself too seriously, try to be detached when needed, but do stay focussed.”
During his address, Prof. Y L R Moorthi quoted from episodes of the historical TV drama series ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ (‘India: An Exploration’) based on the book, ‘The Discovery of India’, showing interactions between emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his advisor Chanakya. His short yet very impactful speech drove home the strong message that the intense hard work and burning midnight oil by students during their tenure at IIMB will be very rewarding eventually, helping them achieve great success in their careers. “Coming to the institute was your destiny. Your sweat and toil are the price you pay for achieving phenomenal success later on in life”, said Prof. Moorthi, often referred to as the ‘Marketing Guru’ fondly by his students.
Reflective, fun and motivating, the lectures were a journey of learning for the students, at a different level.
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, also addressed the students, telling them that there have been drastic changes in the world economy from the time he himself graduated. “Although geopolitics is a challenging domain today, you people are very well placed in terms of the high quality education you have received and the abundant opportunities on offer. You need to be sensitive of the environment and be agile to take advantages of the changing situation. Reposition yourself with alacrity – continuous learning and retraining will stand you in good stead. Stay open to all the signals around you, understand what is happening in the world stage and then charter your own course of action.”
He also urged the students to be mindful of their physical and mental fitness, other than having an economically productive life – in order to stay happy. “Fitness is of paramount importance in whatever you do. Please keep close connect with friends and family.”
Prof. Mukta Kulkarni, Dean, Programmes; Chairperson, Office of International Affairs and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, while introducing Harish Mittal, President, IIMB Alumni Association (IIMBAA), told the students that they will always remain part of IIMB even after graduating from the institute, being part of its illustrious alumni network. Harish Mittal gave an overview of IIMBAA and welcomed the students to be soon part of the network. Prof. Manaswini Bhalla, Chairperson, Post Graduate Programme in Management and PGP in Business Analytics, and faculty of the Economics area, too interacted with the students.
Click here for photo gallery
IIMB faculty share thoughts on how to set the stage after graduation with PGP and PGPBA students at ‘Pragya 2025’
Life lessons from their teachers motivate the soon-to-be graduates
5 March, 2025, Bengaluru: Words of wisdom on the next chapter of life, along with sharing of life experiences and anecdotes - often laced with humor, marked the evening of lectures by invitation for the graduating students at IIMB, that was Pragya 2025.
A tradition at IIMB, Pragya is an interaction where students invite their professors to deliver special lectures – outside the classroom and in the Open Air Theatre (OAT), organized by the Students’ Academic Council of the institute. The three professors invited by the students to deliver the special lectures at Pragya 2025, held earlier today, were Prof. Y L R Moorthi of the Marketing area; Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Alumni Relations & Development and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, and Prof. Haritha Saranga, Chairperson, Sustainability Taskforce and faculty of the Production & Operations Management area.
Prof. Haritha Saranga shared that there were three secret ingredients to leading a balanced life, that she learnt from her own life experiences. “While achieving great things, you can also lead a good life. For that, you need happiness beyond instant gratification or personal achievements, which are more temporary in nature. Being content through stable relationships and meaningful habits will bring lasting happiness, both mentally and physically. Thereafter, you also need to find the larger purpose in life wherein you can contribute to the larger society – we are all in search of that. The uncertainty of the rat race will give you a lot of stress, but finding meaning and purpose will provide the necessary balance. That is the second ingredient. The third is psychological richness consisting of novelty, complexity and perspective change. You will be content if you are able to fill your life with these three ingredients”, said Prof. Haritha, adding that working for the cause of sustainability, something that the whole world needs, has been her own calling.
Prof. Sourav Mukherji, a sports enthusiast, gave examples of iconic sportspeople such as gymnast Simone Biles and defining sporting incidents such as the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in 1974, to list elements towards the road to success that the managers of tomorrow may follow. His list was not just focussed on knowledge or strategy, but the ability to create impact beyond profit and numbers. “Understand your opponent’s and your own weaknesses before devising strategies. Remember, bad things happen to people, and you need to bounce back. Do not think that hard work will ever go to waste – through resilience, you can overcome bad things. Learn to face failure in life without regret or disdain. There will be temptations galore, but stay focussed on what you stand for in life, what gives you a sense of satisfaction.”
He pointed out that one is often faced with unfortunate incidents in life, which leave us feeling powerless. “We think that we are too small, too insignificant, to change the world. But remember – do not let the world change you!”
He summed up his address by listing perseverance, hard work, honesty and humility as his top picks to follow in life. “Do not take yourself too seriously, try to be detached when needed, but do stay focussed.”
During his address, Prof. Y L R Moorthi quoted from episodes of the historical TV drama series ‘Bharat Ek Khoj’ (‘India: An Exploration’) based on the book, ‘The Discovery of India’, showing interactions between emperor Chandragupta Maurya and his advisor Chanakya. His short yet very impactful speech drove home the strong message that the intense hard work and burning midnight oil by students during their tenure at IIMB will be very rewarding eventually, helping them achieve great success in their careers. “Coming to the institute was your destiny. Your sweat and toil are the price you pay for achieving phenomenal success later on in life”, said Prof. Moorthi, often referred to as the ‘Marketing Guru’ fondly by his students.
Reflective, fun and motivating, the lectures were a journey of learning for the students, at a different level.
Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, also addressed the students, telling them that there have been drastic changes in the world economy from the time he himself graduated. “Although geopolitics is a challenging domain today, you people are very well placed in terms of the high quality education you have received and the abundant opportunities on offer. You need to be sensitive of the environment and be agile to take advantages of the changing situation. Reposition yourself with alacrity – continuous learning and retraining will stand you in good stead. Stay open to all the signals around you, understand what is happening in the world stage and then charter your own course of action.”
He also urged the students to be mindful of their physical and mental fitness, other than having an economically productive life – in order to stay happy. “Fitness is of paramount importance in whatever you do. Please keep close connect with friends and family.”
Prof. Mukta Kulkarni, Dean, Programmes; Chairperson, Office of International Affairs and faculty of the Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area, while introducing Harish Mittal, President, IIMB Alumni Association (IIMBAA), told the students that they will always remain part of IIMB even after graduating from the institute, being part of its illustrious alumni network. Harish Mittal gave an overview of IIMBAA and welcomed the students to be soon part of the network. Prof. Manaswini Bhalla, Chairperson, Post Graduate Programme in Management and PGP in Business Analytics, and faculty of the Economics area, too interacted with the students.
Click here for photo gallery