The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) on March 30, 2024, hosted its 59th Annual Convocation in the lush green lawns of the majestic Louis Kahn Plaza , which has served as the Convocation venue since 1974. This year, the Institute had the honour to host Ms Madhabi Puri Buch, IIMA alumna and Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), as the Chief Guest. Ms Buch was joined on stage by Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA; Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA; and the Board of Governors and faculty members.
The Convocation procession was led by Professor Pradyumana Khokle, Dean (Programmes), along with the Chairperson of the Doctoral Programme in Management, Professor Diptesh Ghosh. They were followed by Chairpersons of all programmes, faculty members, and graduating students, wearing ceremonial stoles decorated with the IIMA logo. As the Convocation procession entered the iconic LKP in the warm radiance of the setting Sun, the procession was cheered by the members of the IIMA community and family members of the graduating students.
Delivering the welcome address, Mr Pankaj R Patel, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIMA spoke about the changing landscape of the industry, on the back of technological innovations and disruptions, and advised graduating students on the importance of being humane in their approach as young leaders. “A leader should have an appetite for technological innovation. He or she must have the openness to understand the technical advancements happening around and the impact that it could possibly have on the business or the organisation,” he said.
This year’s Convocation celebrated the graduation of a total of 610 young leaders from four programmes, including 20 scholars from the Doctoral Programme in Management (DPM), 396 students from the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (MBA), 47 students from the two-year Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agri-business Management (MBA-FABM), and 147 students from the one-year full-time Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (MBA-PGPX). All of them received their graduation certificates from the Chairman.
Siddhant Agarwal, Pancham Gupta and Ayushi Srivastava from MBA, Kartik Nayyar from MBA- FABM, and Gopi Ethamukkalam from MBA-PGPX programmes were felicitated by the Chief Guest with gold medals in recognition of their academic accomplishments.
Sharing her experience and insights with the students in her Convocation address, Ms Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson, SEBI recounted her days at the Institute as a student and said that the most valuable takeaway for her was the ability to think through challenges, do right and leave no stone unturned to achieve the goals that she had set for herself. Sharing anecdotes from her own professional journey, she urged the students to introspect, explore and discover their own personal mantras that would eventually serve as their guiding light in their professional journeys ahead.
She advised the students to choose the right approach and be adaptable to the changing business landscape. Speaking of the opportunities that lie ahead of the fresh graduates, Ms Buch said, “My generation got to ride the wave of the dawn of a new India. You will get to see the high noon of the new India. Everywhere, there is opportunity for growth, for inclusion, for entrepreneurship, for breaking the mould, and for leading the world.”
In his concluding address, Professor Bharat Bhasker, Director, IIMA, gave a brief overview of the institute’s activities and achievements during the past one year. Addressing the graduating batches, Professor Bhasker said, “The rigorous training and holistic skill development you have received at IIMA has equipped you with the confidence to thrive in a complex and ever-changing world. Today’s increasingly dynamic and digital era demands a new you every few steps ahead. So, keep reinventing yourself with new learnings and skills. Keep sharpening the right aptitude and acumen to turn every challenge into an opportunity.”
Motivating the graduating students with the words of Franklin D Roosevelt, Professor Bhasker said,“ ‘A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor’. So, take charge of your sail, and I am sure that you all will make a mark to take the glory of IIMA far and wide.”
The ceremony concluded with the Chairperson declaring the convocation closed. As the ceremony concluded, graduated students celebrated this momentous occasion of their lives with their families and friends.
