Dear alums,
I am glad to present you with this combined issue of Connexion (July-September and October-December).
As the world around us is evolving at a breathtaking pace, there is an ever-growing demand for learned, proficient education and human development specialists willing to address critical challenges. At IIM Calcutta, the legacy rooted as an eminent management institute continues to inspire us and fuel our growth as we teach, study, and support the development of our youth.
The cover story highlights our annual Foundation Day and the Distinguished Alumnus Award ceremony. Four distinguished alumni of IIM Calcutta were bestowed with the coveted Distinguished Alumnus Award on November 14, the 63rd Foundation Day of your alma mater. The Foundation Day Lecture was delivered by Mr. Sudheesh Venkatesh, alumnus and Chief Communications Officer and Managing Editor of Azim Premji Foundation.
You will be happy to know that despite the testing job market scenario, we were able to successfully close the summer placement for the flagship two-year MBA programme for the 60th batch. Nurturing and focusing on the aspect of social impact, IIM Calcutta conducted two management development programmes for the elected representatives of Panchayat Zilla Parishads in West Bengal and another for the officers of the Indian Armed Forces seeking a fresh start in the corporate world.
IIM Calcutta has significantly improved its alumni outreach through reunions and other activities. In addition to Reminiscence, there was PGP 23rd's retirement rave and PGP 31st batch's silver jubilee celebration. This issue also highlights several stories illustrating how our alumni continue to make us proud in their chosen fields of engagement.
I want to close with a warm thank you to our students, faculty and alums. Thank you for being persistent, for keeping up the spirit and perseverance over decades, and for the continued support as we evolve to do better and stay true to our values.
Do visit your alma mater whenever you are in the city of Joy.
Happy Reading and Season's Greetings!
Professor Manish K Thakur
Dean (New Initiatives & External Relations)
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta celebrated its 63rd Foundation Day by hosting the Foundation Day Lecture and the Distinguished Alumnus Award ceremony at the campus auditorium on November 14, 2023.
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1st Rank Holder, MBAEx, 58th Convocation
"My experience at MBAEx program at IIMC has been nothing short of transformative. The holistic learning environment, exceptional faculty, and enriching peer network prepared me to excel in the business world. The rigorous curriculum, practical exposure, and industry interactions equipped me with the skills needed for success. IIMC's unique pedagogy and diverse subjects, from technical to anthropology and politics, broadened my perspective. My focus on learning led me to earn the first rank and Gold Medal, reinforcing my value of purpose and process in shaping outcomes. Overall, IIMC provided transformative experiences and a strong foundation for my personal and professional growth."
An IIM Calcutta alumnus, Souvik embodies extraordinary aspirations and is a visionary who has woven a multi-faceted journey. In IBM Souvik spearheads artificial intelligence (with specific focus on GenAI) and IBM garage solutions. IBM Garage is a value-based iterative delivery of business innovations with our clients. Recognized for his large-scale transformational abilities, he has secured the IBM Service Excellence award thrice and led a 250+ strong consulting team at PwC India before joining IBM. Beyond his corporate endeavours, Souvik's literary pursuits shine as an acclaimed author of four books, shedding light on history, mystery, and the narratives of the underrepresented in the society. A visiting faculty at esteemed institutions, he imparts his wisdom to eager minds. With accolades including the Kathasahitya award, Souvik's narrative inspires us to dream big, innovate tirelessly, and leave an indelible mark on the world.
The article Making sense of Artificial Intelligence and beyond was published in Telegraph Online on 29.09.23 by Souvik Das. Following is the link to the article:
https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/making-sense-of-artificial-intelligence-and-beyond/cid/1969802
PGP's 31st batch of IIMC celebrated its much-awaited 25th-year reunion on campus from December 15-17, 2023. The number of alums attending the reunion was quite large, going over north of a hundred. The two-day-long reunion consisted of several events starting from an early morning campus run, games at the multicourt, musical performances by two bands, and interactive sessions with the Deans and Director-in-charge, among many others. The alums reminisced about their Joka days while revisiting the old hostels, OH quad and the jetty and went back with happy memories.
December has always been the time for the alums to return and celebrate the Joka Nostalgia. PGP's 33rd batch, too, was not an exception. A large cohort of over 110 alumni rejoiced in their old days on the campus of seven Lakes on December 21. They had it all, starting from the campus walk, treasure hunts, Trout and Ries cricket match, JBS BaroC performances, and a captivating dramatic performance that ended with a standing ovation. They also revelled in the gastronomical delight of Calcutta-style street foods. The reunion also had an in-memorium session for those no longer there today. An interactive session with the deans and director-in-charge and another one with the current students were organized for the entire batch.
PGP's 23rd batch of IIM Calcutta enjoyed their retirement rave on the IIMC Campus on December 15. More than 65 alums attended the reunion. The current JBS Baroc performers organized a musical performance for them at the LVH quad, and a cricket match between the current students and the alumni was held at the multicourt.
IIM Calcutta was delighted to host the first-ever reunion event of alumni of IIMC's executive programmes on healthcare management over the years-- Healthcare Executive Management Programme (HEMP), Post Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management (PGCHM) and Executive Programme in Healthcare Management (EPHM). The reunion event, organized from 25th - 27th August 2023, included interaction with the current and past Programme Directors, panel discussions in which IIMC faculty, invited guests and alumni participated, reminiscences of alumni and their personal journeys, celebration of alumni achievements, etc. The reunion has strengthened the connections between the Institute and executive education alumni and within alumni, establishing new bonds across batches of healthcare executive education long-duration programmes.
The Office of the Long Duration Programmes (LDP) at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta hosted the first reunion event for alumni of TLPWE (Transitioning into Leadership: A Programme for Women Executives) on Dec 8th and 9th, 2023. This two-day event included interactions with the current Programme Directors of TLPWE and IIM Calcutta faculty involved with the programme, panel discussions with faculty members and invited guests, and guest lectures by key position holders of various organizations. TLPWE alumni from across batches were ecstatic to be back on campus and renew their bonds with IIM Calcutta and each other.
Alumni reflections revealed the intriguing journeys of participating TLPWE alumni and how the programme has impacted their professional and personal lives. There were several goosebumps moments as alumni shared their key takeaways from the programme. Their will to stride forward with even bolder steps in the coming days was very evident from their narrations.
IIM Calcutta launched this unique programme for women executives from various walks of life in the year 2017 to sensitize participants to the transformation of women in organizations from managerial roles to leadership positions and subsequently attempts to equip participants with both theoretical and applied skills that would guide them to navigate their paths through the complex processes of managerial renovations. The programme is offered once a year, and currently, the 7th batch of the programme is ongoing.
Diving into innovation at MiSummit 5.0! Our dynamic team, led by Apoorva Singh and Nupur Vyas, emerged as National Winners, clinching the top spot with a stellar Go-To-Market strategy for Xiaomi's MiSummit 5.0, securing a 15% market share in the Indian audio category while staying true to Xiaomi's lean portfolio philosophy. Kudos to the 9K+ participants from elite B-Schools, UG, and PG colleges in India who made MiSummit 5.0 an exhilarating showcase of talent and innovation.
The third G-20 Anti-Corruption Working Group meeting was held in Kolkata from August 9-11, 2023. During the meeting, the Assistant Vigilance Officer from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata invited IIMC to participate in an Inter-College essay writing competition. The competition’s topic was “Role of youth in preventing and countering corruption at the international level”. Vivek Pradhan, a student of PGPEX-VLM, won the competition and was awarded a cash prize at the prize distribution ceremony on August 7, 2023. The ceremony was held at the Bengal Paddle Vessel at Man-O-War Jetty, Strand Road, Kolkata.
The North East Entrepreneurship Development Programme (NEEDP), an initiative led by the North Eastern Council and powered by IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, has played a pivotal role in driving the success of startups it incubates. The program's success is evident in its ability to propel 22 startups from the pre-revenue stage to generating early revenue, thanks to its comprehensive support system, including mentoring sessions, capacity-building boot camps, and grant provisions.
The PGPEX – VLM presented "Embarking on a collective journey of excellence", the distinguished Team Mavericks at IIM Calcutta, featuring the experienced expert Mr Aman Gupta, the seasoned professional Mr Gaurav Kumar and the competent veteran Mr Gunjan Kumar. The team has won the national level case competition organized by IIM Nagpur and secured 4th position in another "Opstruct" case competition organized by the prestigious IIM Ahmedabad. Woven into a rich tapestry of expertise across various domains within the expansive manufacturing realm, the team demonstrates its prowess through the adept execution of Six Sigma projects. Mr. Aman Gupta and his counterparts contribute to this collaborative effort, with each member being a luminary in their own right. Mr Gaurav Kumar, a seasoned metallurgist and digital champion, imparts a layer of precision and technological finesse. At the same time, Mr Gunjan Kumar, a logistics virtuoso and process automation expert, elevates the team's capabilities with strategic acumen. Together, this collaboration of skills navigates the intricate landscape of manufacturing with finesse and forward-thinking ingenuity. Through their combined efforts, the team has successfully tackled both a challenging Six Sigma case study and a sustainability case study, revealing the depth and breadth of their collective expertise.
Comprehensive tripartite partnership agreements have been formally signed between three key entities: the West Bengal State Rural Livelihood Mission (WBSRLM), the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP), and startup partners, namely, Yespoho India Private Limited—a prominent fashion wholesale company based in Hyderabad—and Fiducia Labs Private Limited—an online service industry company situated in Maharashtra. This collaborative alliance signifies a concerted commitment to foster sustainable rural entrepreneurship and empowerment initiatives.
The remarkable team of IIM Calcutta’s PGPEX VLM-17th batch performed exceptionally at the national-level case competition hosted by the Operations Club of the Indian Institute of Management Nagpur in association with KPMG India. Outshining more than 1200+ teams from different premier institutes nationwide, this team showcased their expertise in tackling real-world challenges. Team Invincibles (Sarabmaan Singh Bakshi, Prathamesh Chavan, Ramaprasad E T) from PGPEX-VLM 17th Batch was declared 2nd Runner-Up in OPMACH 2023, case competition organized by IIM Nagpur.
IIM Calcutta completed its summer internship placement week for the 60th batch on 18th October by securing 513 offers for 466 students.
Despite the challenging market conditions, we closed the summer placement cycle for the first-year students of the flagship 2-year MBA program. The placement drive supported a hybrid process for over 240 roles opened by over 165 recruiters from all industry sectors. The enhanced design of the process involving Hold & Wait and Dreams enabled recruiters to find a better recruiter-student fit, allowing the process to be student and recruiter-friendly.
The students received an average stipend of 1.65 lakhs per month and the median stipend went as high as 1.7 lakhs per month, both being an institute record despite the macroeconomic conditions. The highest domestic stipend was recorded at 3.75 lakhs per month with the top 25 percentile of the batch receiving an average stipend of 2.31 lakhs per month.
This resounding success was attributed to the entire “Joka Community” as the alumni from over the years and the current batches came together to pull off this feat. IIM Calcutta showed great character in upholding its culture of “leaving no one behind” as it ensured placements for all the candidates who opted in for the placement process.
Rishabh Agarwal, an incoming BCG intern, said “The idea of securing stellar internships, which once seemed distant, has now surely materialized. Considering the difficult market conditions this year the efforts by the placement team and the entire senior batch far supersedes the expectations. Their hard work not only reduced our workload but also drew in new recruiters, effectively bridging the gap left by the firm's reduced intern intake compared to the previous year.” Amisha Gupta who is set to join P&G in summer 2024 said, “We are immensely proud that even in the face of a challenging market environment, our collective courage, determination and immense support for each other has helped us excel all together. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to IIM Calcutta and its placement team for fostering our growth and providing us with the opportunity to shine.”
BAFA BAGS, a startup based in Assam and incubated under the North East Entrepreneurship Development Programme (NEEDP), has recently secured a significant investment of Rs. 50 lakhs from NEDFi Venture Capital Limited. This financial support marks a pivotal moment in the startup's journey, providing them with resources to scale up their operations.
The 17th batch of PGPEX-VLM hosted Mr Krishna Srinivas, the Executive Vice President at Tube Investments of India Ltd, on November 25, 2023. He heads their Corporate Technology Centre in Chennai. Mr Srinivas is a seasoned professional with three decades of experience identifying, developing, incubating and delivering technology-led businesses. He has successfully transformed engineering capability and organizational understanding by leveraging opportunities arising from technology change. He is an alumnus of prestigious academic institutions such as IIM-B, the University of Warwick, and IIT-M. Learning from industry experts like him is an exceptional opportunity to understand real-world challenges and develop crucial skills.
The 11th edition of the Tata Social Enterprise Challenge Grand Finale (2022-23) unfolded at the IIM Calcutta Campus, serving as the stage where entrepreneurial innovators, daring to navigate the demanding landscape of business, showcased true heroism in their pursuit of creating a positive societal impact.
The 17th batch of PGPEX-VLM was excited to host Mrs Sandhya Shekhar, Advisor to the State Bank of India, as part of the IT Advisory Council for Digital Transformation on December 1, 2023. Mrs. Shekhar is a distinguished individual, honoured with several excellence awards from esteemed organizations such as Gartner, Aptech, and NIIT. She has been recognized as an Outstanding Woman Achiever during the 100th International Women’s Day. She is also an accomplished author with multiple published books and a dynamic speaker at international and national forums. As the founding CEO of IIT Madras Research Park, she has played a pivotal role and served as an independent director in various organizations. Currently, she is actively engaged in strategy consulting, research, and advisory roles, working with corporates and educational institutions in India and abroad. Furthermore, she contributes as a visiting faculty member in several leading academic institutions. Attending her session at DoMS, IIT Madras presented a valuable opportunity for the batch to understand the real market scenario and learn how to achieve a competitive advantage through innovation and coherence, paving the way for a sustainable future.
The grand finale of the Maruti Suzuki NURTURE Idea Hunt, conducted in collaboration with IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, took place at the IIM Calcutta Campus, marking the exciting culmination of the competition. The top 12 startups, chosen from regional editions in West Bengal, Assam, and Meghalaya, fiercely competed for the coveted winner's title.
The Financial Research and Trading Laboratory, IIM Calcutta, and the Stern School of Business, New York University, hosted the India Research Conference over Zoom on October 6,2023. Prof Kose John of NYU Stern and Prof Vivek Rajvanshi of IIM Calcutta were the organizers. At the virtual meeting, leading academic and policy experts discussed Indian financial markets and their implications for the global economy. The conference's primary objective was to provide a platform for India-centric severe research. The event had two sessions for presenting academic papers and discussion and another for the keynote speech.
Prof. Kose John, NYU Stern School of Business, opened the conference with a welcome note and introductory remarks. Next, we had the presentation and discussion of four research studies. Among the four scholarly papers presented at this conference, one research paper titled "Does an Exclusive Relationship with Government Banks Matter During Climate Shocks?" was from IIM Calcutta and presented by F&C group doctoral student Mr. Harish Kamal and co-authored by Prof. Samit Paul and Prof. Avijit Bansal of IIM Calcutta. This paper was discussed by a faculty from an Indian business school, ISB Hyderabad. Another paper (out of the four papers presented) was (co)authored by an IIM faculty (IIMB). The moderator of the first and second academic paper presentation sessions was Prof. Jennifer Carpenter and Venky Venkateswaran of NYU Stern, respectively.
The keynote address was shared by Dr Ravi Jagannathan, CME Group/John F. Sandner Chair of Finance, Northwestern Kellogg School of Management, on the topic "Environmental Activism: Endogenous Risk and Asset Prices". Prof. Matthew Richardson of NYU Stern introduced Dr. Ravi Jagannathan.
After the keynote speech, the conference ended with a concluding remark by Prof. R Rajesh Babu, IIM Calcutta.
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta is proud to welcome the first batch of the Business Management Program for Defence Forces. This six-month-long programme offers in-campus, immersive learning for officers that leverages IIM Calcutta’s decades of experience in delivering high-quality, impactful executive education.
This certificate programme has been designed explicitly as a unique transitional course for the officers of the Indian Armed Forces seeking new innings in the corporate world. The curriculum features a blend of management concepts, equipping officers with foundational management skills and emerging ideas in various fields to make our officers future professionals. The batch comprises retired and serving officers from the Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force.
The inauguration programme was graced by Major General H Dharamarajan (AVSM, SM, VSM), General Officer Commanding (GoC), HQ Bengal Sub-Area, who inspired the incoming batch in his address as the Chief Guest. Prof. Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Director, IIM Calcutta, also addressed the batch and spoke of the rigour of IIM Calcutta’s executive education programmes. The programme was inaugurated by Major General Dharamarajan and Prof. Sarkar with the lighting of a lamp. On the dais were Dean (Academic) Prof. Bhaskar Chakrabarti, Dean (New Initiates and External Relations), Prof. Manish Thakur and Brigadier Rajeev Kapur, SM (ADG of DTE Resettlement Zone East). Chairperson (Long Duration Programmes), Prof. Rajesh Bhattacharya, welcomed the batch.
The Programme Directors, Prof. Nandita Roy and Prof. Somdeep Chatterjee conducted an academic orientation for the batch. Prof. Nandita Roy encouraged the participants to ‘use core concepts as a springboard for emerging ideas that imbricate contemporary management theory and praxis’ to best utilize this course as a springboard for their future, and Prof. Somdeep Chatterjee emphasized the ‘need to be ready to adapt to a dynamic business and economic environment’.
The IIM Calcutta Innovation Park collaborated with Hettich, a globally recognized household fittings brand from Germany, for conducting a three-day training program at the Hettich Poddar Woodworking Institute in Faridabad, Haryana. This initiative aligned with IIMCIP's ongoing NRETP Incubation program, wherein 11 rural entrepreneurs from various districts of West Bengal under the WBSRLM project actively participated and acquired valuable skills.
IIM Calcutta conducted a management training programme for the elected representatives of Panchayat Zilla Parishads in West Bengal from 20-24 September, 2023 on campus. The five-day training for the Sabhadhipatis and Saha Sabhadhipatis, covering a breadth of issues like communication skills, women’s empowerment, local entrepreneurship, grassroots-level leadership, and negotiation, was inaugurated by the Minister-in-Charge for Panchayats and Rural Development in West Bengal, Sri Pradip Kumar Mazumdar on September 20. He said,” I am sure that with transparency, ability, and responsibility, the newly elected Sabhadhipatis and Saha Sabhadhipatis of Panchayat Zila Parishads in West Bengal will benefit immensely from this training programme conducted by the professors of IIM Calcutta”.
The training programme directors, Professors Rajesh Bhattacharya and Bhaskar Chakrabarti from the Public Policy and Management Group of IIM Calcutta, said the programme will help bring world-class management to the panchayats. They also said such programmes make the Institute achieve its Board of Governors-approved strategic priority of combining global recognition with local relevance.
Social Impact has always been a strength of IIM Calcutta. Recently, the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park has partnered with the National Rural Livelihood Mission to create a nurturing ecosystem at the grassroots. This training at the Institute is expected to contribute to new initiatives at the Panchayats.
A two-day “Fusion Design Workshop” was organized, in collaboration with Taneira (A Tata Product), for selected artisans from West Bengal and Bihar incubated under the NRETP Incubator Program, to train them on producing exclusive designer sarees combining Kantha Embroidery and Madhubani Painting.
The CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel Limited and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta, TV Narendran, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur.
IIM Calcutta alumnus and BoG member Ashish Kumar Chauhan, MD & CEO, National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), has been awarded the "Lifetime Achievement Award - Leaders in Custody Awards for Asia Pacific" by Global Custodian, a leading international publication covering securities services.
Dr B R Shenoy Award for Economics 2023 has been awarded to IIM Calcutta alumnus Professor Krishnamurthy Subramanian, former Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India, for his pivotal role in shaping policies that helped the Indian economy navigate through the unprecedented challenge of COVID-19.
IIM Calcutta is delighted to share that Mr Srikant Sastri, an alumnus of the 20th PGP batch, has been appointed as Chairperson of ‘The Geospatial Data Promotion & Development Committee (GDPDC), the national-level apex body for formulating & implementing guidelines and strategies for India’s Geospatial sector.
The Madras Management Association (MMA) Managing Committee, at its meeting held on July 7, unanimously elected IIM Calcutta alumnus K Mahalingam, Director, TSM Group of companies as President of MMA for the year 2023-24.
Mela Ventures, a Sebi-approved Category-2 Alternative Investment Fund founded by Mindtree co-founders Krishnakumar Natarajan and Parthasarathy NS, appointed Viju George, a technology industry veteran in investment analysis, as the full-time partner.
Asia Business Outlook magazine has recently spotlighted "Top 10 Most Promising Executive Coaches in India -2023" with IIM Calcutta alumnus Anamitra Chatterjee, Accredited Executive Coach (EMCC) on the Cover. He also received a Certificate highlighting this recognition.
Procter & Gamble India, maker of brands like Ariel, Whisper, and Gillette, has appointed IIM Calcutta alumna Mukta Maheshwari as the Company’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), effective September 1, 2023.
Personal care brand Clensta has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Navin Prajapati as Vice President of Retail Sales and New Initiatives. With seven years of experience, Navin is set to utilize his profound market insights and understanding of consumer preferences.
Leading the charge in technology-infused retail in new India, ace turtle has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Shivcharan P as the Chief Business Officer of fashion.
360 ONE Asset has appointed IIM Calcutta alumna Aarthi Ramakrishnan as Head of Strategy for the Asset Management Business. Her key role will be enhancing the firm’s focus on global asset management and gift city platforms.
Evera, a leading EV cab aggregator and service provider in Delhi-NCR, has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Kapil Sharma as its Chief Operating Officer.
Pune-based Flash Electronics, a leading electronic component manufacturer, has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Rajnish Diwan as Chief Executive Officer of the company.
Fintech firm BharatPe has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Kohinoor Biswas as the Head of Consumer Lending business and he will look after the entire PostPe operations.