I am pleased to present before you the June 2022 issue of CONNEXION – our quarterly newsletter. It contains a short report on our Annual Convocation as well as reports on the incoming batches of MBAEx and PGPEX-VLM programmes. Besides, it offers the highlights of some of the activities that the Institute has undertaken in the last quarter (April-June 2022). I am particularly proud of the accomplishments of our distinguished alumni, and we are happy to disseminate the information to the wider audience. I appeal to you personally to write to me about your achievements and/or success stories of other batch mates and friends that you know of. Your efforts will help us showcase these accomplishments to the wider IIMC community.
You will be happy to learn that despite the fluctuations in the Covid-19 scenario, we are managing all our academic activities in-person, which makes our students’ training and experience at IIM enjoyable and meaningful. At present, our Joka campus is abuzz with classroom teaching and other associated activities of all our five academic programmes: DPR, MBA, MBAEx, PGPEX-VLM and PGDBA. Our management development training activities have also picked up momentum. In fact, IIMC ranks number two among Indian Business schools in the Financial Times rankings for Executive Education for the year 2022 with an overall rank of 59 for open programmes. We are also closely working with Capacity Building Commission (CBC), New Delhi to deliver training modules in the areas of our expertise. Our long-duration programmes have witnessed growth both in terms of revenue and the number and diversity of offerings. As an Institute, we are firmly engaged with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and are in the processing of working out concrete plans, given our mandate as a public institution of management. We remain committed to the goal of increasing accessibility to quality higher education through the use of cutting-edge educational technology (EdTech). Likewise, our research endeavour is in the direction of internationalisation while remaining focussed on the national priorities in terms of policy relevance and social impact. More importantly, we are extraordinarily delighted to report to you that IIMC has successfully retained its third rank in the NIRF rankings for the year 2022. This would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our faculty, administrative staff, students and alumni. I thank you all for your efforts and look forward to your continued support!
Happy Reading!
Professor Manish Thakur
Dean (New Initiative and External Relations)
The annual graduation ceremony or Convocation is a day devoted to celebrating a critical juncture in students' lives, a time of unbridled optimism. After two years, the graduation ceremony for the batch of 2022 (PGP 57th batch) was held on April 29, 2022, at IIMC campus. The Chief Guest who graced this landmark event was IIM Calcutta alumnus, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bombay Stock Exchange, Mr Ashish Chauhan. Shri Shrikrishna Kulkarni, Chairperson - Board of Governors, IIM Calcutta and Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Director, IIM Calcutta also graced the occasion.
Read More >In April 2022, IIM Calcutta’s Centre for Development and Environment Policy (CDEP) launched a new initiative - Building Roadmaps for Industrial Decarbonisation and Green Economy (BRIDGE). Broadly, BRIDGE has three interrelated objectives: first, contribute to the creation of knowledge and knowledge bases on how to accomplish an effective and just carbon transition; second, build awareness and train executives of public and private energy firms in evolving best practices on transition in India and other developing nations; and third, build awareness and expertise among postgraduate students and encourage doctoral research on low carbon transition finance and strategy. The first training programme under the BRIDGE Initiative was conducted for NTPC in April 2022. Subsequent editions of the training programme have been planned for NTPC, Coal India, and ONGC.
Read More >We present here the awardees of the 57th Annual Convocation 2022 with their personalised views and expressions:
Awardee of 'Satish K. Sehgal Doctoral Student Award' and 'Best Publication Doctoral Student Award'
During my time at IIM Calcutta, I chose to do my research in online misinformation and machine learning. Given the nature of the rapidly evolving digital news landscape, I found it pertinent to learn about the interplay of user activities on social media platforms and their vulnerability to fake news. My research aims to develop a framework for regulators and social media platform moderators alike to help them understand user intentions and behaviour with varying degrees of misinformation in the online domain.
Indian Institute of Management Calcutta has taught me “intellectual humility”. My continuous interactions with my professors & Doctoral peers have inspired me to believe that learning is a continuous journey. During my stint at IIM Calcutta, I have had the immense pleasure of working with highly accomplished faculty who have also taught me the fine art of balancing research, academics & personal life. I am overall grateful for the environment that was fostered for me at IIM Calcutta.
Awardee of 'Nirmal Chandra Memorial Doctoral Student Award' and 'Best Publication Doctoral Student Award'
IIM Calcutta has had a profound influence in transforming my professional and personal self. The intellectual diversity and socio-cultural vibrancy that IIM Calcutta embodied helped broaden my worldview and gave me the platform to pursue my academic aspirations with the utmost freedom. Within the hallowed gates of this great institute, I found myself a sanctuary to fearlessly curate my scholarly expressions amidst supportive and student-centric faculty members.
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1st Rank Holder: MBA/0324/57
The camaraderie that Joka nurtures has been inspiring. The multitude of experiences at Joka has helped me nurture my curiosity while at the same time teaching me the power of collaboration, be it case comps or late-night exam preps, my experience here has taught me how the power of learning from diverse perspectives helps us develop more robust and inclusive solutions to challenges. The wonderful peer network is it my batchmates, juniors and seniors have always been supportive of my goals and ambitions to the utmost degree. In conclusion, Joka truly imbibes the spirit of leaving no one behind, and hence we develop a sense of belongingness with the grand old institute. I hope to be able to apply my learnings from my enriching experience at IIM Calcutta to drive a meaningful impact on society.
2nd Rank Holder: MBA/0167/57
The past 2 years at Joka have been the most eventful, exciting, and enriching years of my life which I’ll always cherish. IIM Calcutta helped me to become more than just an academically knowledgeable person to a completely different personality. It transformed me into a more confident and joyful person than ever before. Finally, it gave me the finest friendships and memories with my batch mates, seniors, juniors, and professors which stays priceless for me.
The Doctoral Programme and Research (DPR) office organised Fresher's Welcome programme for the 2022 batch of Doctoral students on July 4, 2022. Director, Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Dean (NI&ER), Professor Manish K Thakur, and Chairperson - DPR, Professor Ramendra Singh were present in welcoming the newly admitted students in 2022. A total of 16 students were admitted under various groups of this programme. There are 9 male and 7 female students in the batch of 2022.
IIM-Calcutta welcomed the MBAEx Batch 16 with an inaugural programme that included a welcome address by the Director, Chairperson MBAEx, former Chairperson of the MBAEx programme, Chairperson-Career Development and Placement Office, Chairperson-Student Affairs Committee, Chief Administrative Officer, and a few MBAEx alumni who interacted with the incoming batch to initiate them into the programme. The programme started on May 5. The students also had a separate interactive session with Dean (Academic) and Dean NI & ER.
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The Inauguration ceremony for the PGPEX-VLM 16th batch was held on April 16, 2022. It commenced with IIMC's traditional lighting of the lamp by Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Director, IIM Calcutta, Professor Sumanta Basu, Chairperson PGPEX-VLM IIM Calcutta, Mr. Sunil Mehta, Chief Financial Officer - Coal India Limited, and other dignitaries of the PGPEX-VLM programme. Prof. Sarkar started his address by highlighting how three institutes of national importance synergized with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC), and Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) emphasizing on exposure the students shall receive while pursuing this course and their contribution to the nation as well as to the world.
Read More >International Immersion Module is an essential and unique feature of the MBAEx programme, giving students exposure to study a new culture and a new perspective. This year, IIM Calcutta partnered with ESSEC Business School in France and Mannheim Business School in Germany. Students were allocated business schools based on their interests and alignment with their learning objectives. Due to travel restrictions and uncertainties caused by the pandemic, the immersion programme for both schools were held in online mode. The immersion module for ESSEC was centered on luxury business and the booming start-up ecosystem in France, and also drawing parallels with the expansion of the Indian start-up landscape. Mannheim’s module was aimed at students learning the contemporary challenges across various business streams facing German companies. This also included a virtual visit to the European Central bank. The module covered various facets of French and German Culture, Technological Competitive Advantage, Economy & Start-up Culture. Guest lectures from various dignitaries such as the CFO of a German MSME, SVP (Salesforce), and founders of French and German start-ups gave students perspectives on real-life challenges faced by managers and entrepreneurs.
The Leadership talk series features eminent leaders from the industry, who narrate their professional journey, share insights on the latest trends, discuss the challenges looming on the horizon & guide the students with the way ahead. Mr Sushim Banerjee, CEO, Indian Iron & Steel Sector Skill Council (IISSSC) interacted with the students of PGPEX-VLM Batch-16 on May 26, 2022 about current trends in the Indian Manufacturing Sector, the potential of the Iron and Steel Sector, and the need for manufacturing sector growth as an effective tool for accelerated GDP growth. He emphasized 'Strengthening of MSMEs' and 'Skill development' as crucial enablers in sustaining and enhancing the sector's growth trajectory. He also elaborated on the need for diversification of products, moving towards alternative cleaner fuels, reducing Carbon footprint, increasing innovation, and greater participation in the global value chains as a way for sustainable growth.
Mr Samip Mutha, Vice President and Head of Digital and Innovation, RPG Group also addressed them about the importance of Industrial Revolution 4.0 (I4.0), touched upon reduced decision time due to real-time data availability, the four pillars of I4.0 - Connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, Human-Machine interaction, and Advanced Engineering, Conglomeration of Manufacturing & I4.0, and the potential of I4.0 to increase manufacturing pace and efficiency for the RPG group as well as for Indian Manufacturing Sector as a whole. He concluded with the line "Do something Everywhere and Do Everything Somewhere."
PGPEX-VLM boasts of an alumni base of 15 years who are always eager to give back to their Alma mater. The alumni connect series offers the opportunity for current students to learn and interact with the alumni and listen to their experiences.
Mr. Ashish Gupta- (Alumnus, Batch 7), currently CEO & Founder- Bambinos.Live, addressed the students on May 04, 2022, pertaining to the subjective aspects of leadership and how students can leverage the VLM programme to become a visionary leader. He enlightened the batch on how start-ups are creating value, tapping untapped opportunities, and facing challenges in the Indian start-up ecosystem. His advice to the current batch was to follow start-up stories of the various sectors and understand one’s expectations if one has a desire to be part of the start-up revolution.
On May 18, 2022, Mr. Alok Sahu- (Alumnus, batch 4) Director- Tetrahedron Manufacturing Services, shed light on what Industry 4.0 is, how it presents a huge opportunity to the industry, its acceptance level in the Indian Manufacturing Sector, and how it can be an enabler for our industry. He guided the batch to “Graduate from Engineering mind-set to Management mind-set and look at the Bigger Picture” and focus on “Why” rather than “How” when building solutions, for creating superior value. He shared the importance of identifying future Technological advancements, forecast market needs, time management and delegation of tasks, especially in a start-up environment.
The Financial Research and Trading Laboratory (FRTL) hosted the 7th Research Summer School in Empirical Finance and Accounting during May 1-10, 2022. The research summer school 2022 was an eleven-day programme with two components: 10-day sessions held in hybrid mode during May 1 - 10, 2022, and 1-day online presentations on June 11, 2022.
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Indian Institute of Management Calcutta was established in 1961 with the initiative of none other than the visionary Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. Dr Roy was an eminent physician, a respected politician, a freedom fighter, a great educationist, and a true patriot.
He served as an alderman and as Mayor of the Calcutta Corporation. Under his able leadership, the corporation made remarkable developments in education, medical facilities, and infrastructure. He also served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. His governance restored law & order to its former glory.
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Indian EdTech portal upGrad, has recently appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Rakesh Raju as the Director of Brand Marketing. He joined the firm after working with CavinKare for 6 years.
Lendingkart Technologies Private Limited announced the appointment of IIM Calcutta alumnus Sandeep Sonpatki as Chief Business Officer – Platform Head. In his new role, Sandeep will help Lendingkart scale the Platform business - develop offerings, drive partnerships with banks and financial institutions in India and other emerging markets and achieve revenue growth.
Mashreq Bank, one of the leading financial institutions in the UAE, has appointed IIM Calcutta alumnus Rajeev Chalisgaonkar as its new Head of Business Banking and NEOBiz - a full-service digital bank exclusively for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), start-ups and young entrepreneurs.
Equirus Capital- one of India's leading financial services firm recently announced the launch of its Multi-Cap PMS Strategy - Equirus Core Equity. Gaurav Arora, Portfolio Manager at Equirus and an alumnus of IIM Calcutta will manage the strategy.
DTH Service Provider Dish TV appoints IIM Calcutta alumnus R C Venkateish as a Non-Executive Independent Director for a term of 5 consecutive years.
LatentView Analytics itself was latent till in November last year but it exploded on the stock market with its IPO. It created history by becoming the highest subscribed IPO at a record 326.5 times, making its Founder Venkat Viswanathan a billionaire!
Vodafone Idea, the third-largest telecom operator in India has hired IIM Calcutta alumnus Shailendra Singh, former Airtel CEO UP & WEST as the new ‘Operations Director’ for the company.
MD and CEO of Procter & Gamble India, IIM Calcutta alumnus Madhusudan Gopalan has been elevated to Senior Vice-President, Grooming and Oral Care for P&G Japan and Korea. He took charge of P&G India in 2018.
An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Pravin Gupta earned his law degree from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia at the age of 75 years and now he plans to help youth in need.
Recur Club, an innovative fin-tech platform headquartered in Singapore facilitating non-dilutive growth capital for companies with recurring revenues, has closed its $30 million seed funding round. The company is founded in 2021 by Abhinav Sherwal and Eklavya Gupta, both alumni of IIM Calcutta.
Goa-based Education10X, the world’s first financial literacy platform for kids, has formally launched in India under the aegis of BrightCHAMPS. Education10x, founded by IIM Calcutta alumni Bhavishya Chaurasia, Gyan Tiwari and Prasanna N Muley, is focused on delivering world-class financial education to kids from 8 to 16 years of age.
| Month | Sl No. | Name of the Programme | Programme Director(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JULY | 1 | Leadership and Team Building | Prof. Chetan Joshi | July 11 - 15, 2022 |
| August | 2 | Management of Organizational Change | Prof. Vidyanand Jha | August 01 - 05, 2022 |
| 3 | Digital and Social Media Marketing for Business Growth | Prof. Saravana Jaikumar | August 22 - 26, 2022 | |
| 4 | Business Leadership Programme: Module I, II, III | Prof. Amit Dhiman, Prof. Anirvan Pant, Prof. Peeyush Mehta | "Mod I: August 22 - 27, 2022 Module II: Nov 7 - 12, 2022 Mod III: Jan 30 - Feb 04, 2023" |
|
| 5 | Interpersonal Effectiveness and Leadership Excellence | Prof. Chetan Joshi | August 22 - 26, 2022 | |
| September | 6 | Strategic Brand Management | Prof. Saravana Jaikumar | September 05 - 09, 2022 |
| 7 | Strategic Cost and Performance Management | Prof. Manju Jaiswall | September 05 - 08, 2022 | |
| 8 | Strategic Sourcing and Vendor Management | Prof. Peeyush Mehta | September 12 - 15, 2022 | |
| 9 | Managerial Leadership and Conflict Resolution | Prof. Chetan Joshi | September 12 - 17, 2022 | |
| 10 | Managerial Leadership and Team Effectiveness | Prof. Abhishek Goel & Prof. Rajiv Kumar | September 19 - 23, 2022 | |
| 11 | Analytical Communication and Data Presentation | Prof. Pragyan Rath & Prof. Nandita Roy | September 19 - 23, 2022 | |
| October | 12 | Managerial Effectiveness | Prof. Abhishek Goel & Prof. Rajiv Kumar | October 17 - 21, 2022 |
| 13 | Communication and Presentation Skills | Prof. Vidyanand Jha | October 31 - November 04, 2022 |
For further query, please contact at: Phone: 033 7121 6016 (D) / 6000-01 (B); E-Mail: program_mdp@iimcal.ac.in