The campus life at Joka is almost limping back to normalcy despite Covid-19 pandemic and the related restrictions issued from time to time by the Government of West Bengal. Indeed, classes are being held in the online mode. However, we have called 75 per cent of our MBA students to the campus to facilitate peer learning in their hostels, and to enable them to partake of the bountiful slice of nature that IIMC has historically been proud of. Our decision to give the students the option to come back to campus emanated from our awareness of the internet connectivity issues that those from small towns, villages and the remotest areas were facing. With an elaborate Covid-19 protocol in place, we are happy to report that our everyday lives are increasingly coming out of the unforeseen burden of the global pandemic. As enlightened citizens, our students are extending full co-operation to us in terms of their adherence to norms of masking, social distancing and the like. Participants of other programmes, namely, the doctoral, the MBAEx, PGDBA and the PGPEX-VLM were also extended the opportunity of staying on the campus which they have maximally availed of.
Since you read the last issue of Connexion, we have got a new Director, Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar, who incidentally has been with us as an esteemed faculty colleague for the last 25 years. We are happy to welcome him in his new role. Professor Sarkar is an internationally acclaimed academic in the field of information systems, and we look forward to working with him in taking IIMC to greater heights. We are pleased to inform you that Mr. Debapriya Dasgupta, who is our alum, has joined us as Advisor (Alumni Connect). You may have received some communication from him about our activities. In any case, he will keep in touch with you and seek your help in updating your profile that we maintain at our alumni office. Indeed, our alumni keep making us proud through their manifold achievements in different walks of life. This newsletter itself contains vignettes of their accomplishments, and reveal to us their hard work, enterprise, visionary leadership and firm commitment to economic growth and societal well-being. Please do bring to our notice your laurels so that our current batch of students get inspired and put in their best to follow in your footsteps.
We complete 60 years of our institutional journey on 14 November 2021. For our Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, we are putting together an array of events and activities about which we will keep you posted. To facilitate tax-effective contributions from our alumni and well-wishers in the Diamond Jubilee Year, we have opened a “Friends of IIMC Fund” account with the Charities Aid Foundation, America (CAF). This fund can be accessed at this link.
We look forward to receiving your feedback on this newsletter. At the Institute, we are working on establishing a Chair Professorship out of the endowment we have received from the PGP -27th Batch. I am happy to report that the PGP-28th Batch is working towards a similar endowment. Also, we felt overwhelmed when our alums approached us with offers of gift of oxygen concentrators for our health centre. Likewise, as you will read, one of our alums has made a generous contribution to help us with campus infrastructure. We remain thankful to them and remain committed to our sustained engagement with the larger IIMC family.
Professor Manish Thakur
Dean (New Initiatives and External Relations)
Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar took charge as the new Director of IIM Calcutta on August 18, 2021, succeeding Professor Anju Seth who resigned in March this year. Professor Sarkar has been associated with the institute for two-and-a-half decades. He has been a faculty member at the institute in three stints — first between 1997 and 2000, then 2002 to 2006 and from 2008 onwards. A professor of management information systems, Prof Sarkar has also served as the Dean of new initiatives and external relations from 2015 to 2018 at the institute.
Professor Sarkar has also been a visiting professor at the University of Miami, Florida, USA. Between 1990 and 1995, he was lecturer in the department of computer science and engineering at Jadavpur University. An alumnus of Ramakrishna Mission Residential College Narendrapur, he did his BTech, MTech and PhD in computer science and engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He is a leading researcher in the field of information systems with numerous publications in prestigious international journals to his credit.
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IIM Calcutta has secured 3rd rank in India Ranking 2021, conducted by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) with an overall score of 80.04. The institute scored highest among the top three institutes (18.4) in the Combined metric for Faculty with PhD (or equivalent) and Experience (FQE) parameters. The improvement in the Quality of Publication metrics is a testimonial to the institute’s strengthened focus towards research efforts in the last one year. IIM Calcutta performed well in terms of diversity, scoring 24.31 in Percentage of Women and 0.73 in Inclusion of Economically and Socially challenged students, as compared to 23.41 and 0.59 last year, in the respective parameters. It also scored highest (72.90) in Outreach and Inclusivity Index among the top 20 B-schools.
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IIM Calcutta secured 53 position in QS MIM Ranking 2022 for MBA (PGP), 76 position in QS Global MBA Ranking 2022 for MBAEX and 55 position in QS MSB Ranking 2022 for PGDBA. In regard to QS Global MBA Ranking 2022, IIM Calcutta leapfrogged from the 79th position last year to the 76th position globally this year and the 14th position in Asia. It performed amongst the top 27% schools globally and the top 30% in Asia out of 286 programs.
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IIM Calcutta has recently achieved the distinction of successfully conducting 45,000 exams virtually across various programs since June 2020. Global online examination and remote proctoring platform, Mercer Mettl, is IIM-C's exam partner in leading it’s shift to the digital mode of education. The transition to the online education ecosystem, amidst the prolonged pandemic-induced disruption, helped the B-School maintain academic and examination continuity. It also strengthened the institution's vision of adopting modern-age technology to enable world-class digitized education while adhering to its strictest code of conduct in education.
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IIM Calcutta received funding support for developing state-of-the-art academic and infrastructure facilities from the 27th PGDM batch. The class of 1992 raised a healthy amount amongst their batch members to give back to their alma mater. This contribution from the alumni batch will be utilized in the establishment of an endowed chair professorship along with augmenting classrooms for pedagogical flexibility. This will include upgradation of the technological framework along with improvements in allied infrastructure. The PGPEx classroom L-52 in the New Academic Block has been renamed as ‘CLASS of 1992 – 27 FOREVER Seminar Hall’ in recognition of their contributions.
Bhavesh Manglani, a PGP 43/13 [2006-08] graduate, worked in the telecom sector for about 3 years before trying his hand at entrepreneurship, is one of the founders of Delhivery, currently India's largest e-commerce logistics company. Bhavesh is keen to give back to his alma mater, a token of gratitude for shaping his thinking and enabling his success so far. He has recently donated to the Director's Fund in respect to the Diamond Jubilee celebration of IIM Calcutta
A group of alumni of 42nd PGDM batch have recently donated one unit of oxygen concentrator to the institute. In memory of Dharmes Oraon, who died due to Covid, some of the same batch alumni led by Dheeraj Singh came forward to donate an oxygen concentrator for the IIM Calcutta community, especially for group D staff and contract workers. The oxygen concentrator is being kept at the medical unit of the Institute. "This donation of a life-saving device reiterates institute-alumni relations. Such generous gestures on behalf of our alumni is an affirmation of the emotional connection that they have with their alma mater," said Professor Manish Thakur, Dean (New Initiatives and External Relations), IIM Calcutta.
IIM Calcutta celebrated 75th Independence Day at IIM Calcutta on August 15, 2021. The event included the hoisting of National Flag followed by National Anthem. Director In Charge, Professor Subir Bhattacharya, Dean (Academic), Professor Bhaskar Chakrabarti, Dean (New Initiatives & External Relations), Professor Manish Thakur, MBA Chairperson, Professor Suren Sista, Chief Administrative Officer, Mr Alok Chandra, President, Student Council, Akash Agarwal and IIMCEU President, Susanta Ghosh addressed on the occasion. Programme concluded with cultural programme by the students.
With due permission from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, the Second round of ‘Vaccination Camp’ was successfully organized by IIM Calcutta on its campus at Joka on 3rd September 2021 through Pulse Diagnostics. A total of 393 persons, comprising 238 faculty members and staff, and 155 contract daily wagers were vaccinated with first and second dose of Covishield and Covaxin vaccines. Earlier, the Institute had organised the first round of 'Vaccination Camp' on campus on 7th June 2021, during which 296 persons were vaccinated. Present at the camp, Professor Manish Thakur, Dean (NI&ER) said, “We are committed to the health and safety of all our community members. This vaccination drive is a demonstration of our resolve to create a safe environment for one and all.” IIM Calcutta has a COVID committee in place which monitors and ensures all Covid-19 related protocols as well as government guidelines issued from time to time.
IIM Calcutta launches a one-year executive programme in healthcare management (EPHM) commencing from September 2021. The programme aims to provide an outlook of the healthcare sector across the world, the latest policies and their implementation. This also comprises practices such as disaster and epidemic management which is extremely relevant for professionals in the current environment. The objective of the programme is to develop an interdisciplinary orientation towards the management of healthcare and training the participants in managerial leadership. The course also familiarises participants with innovation and entrepreneurship in the Indian healthcare sector and inculcating comparative frameworks in understanding healthcare challenges in developing countries.
Mr. Bharat Ravuri, Managing Director of Principal Mutual Fund, was the speaker for the MBAEx Seminar Series lecture session hosted on 21st Aug 2021. He has nearly three decades of Corporate and Entrepreneurial experience in Financial Services. He gave a thought-provoking Speech on “Leadership traits for the Digital world”. He spoke about various challenges companies are facing with the emergence of new age digital technologies and how the MBAEx cohort has to create new frameworks as future leaders of the world. He also spoke about Indian FinTech Space and the changing investment patterns of customers. “Learn, UnLearn, Re-Learn” -this was the profound message that encapsulates the entire session.
The Leadership talk series for the Cohort 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. The LEADERSHIP TALK series were held between 21-06-2021 to 18-07-2021 and the cohort is looking forward for many leaders to deliver their talks in the coming months. The batch has been fortunate enough to host the leaders such as Mr. Pawan Koul (AVP – IFB Industries Ltd.), who discussed the aspects of Globalization in the Supply Chain, creating new levers of business, and evaluation of risk in the present business context.
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Mr. Abhinav Johri, Director & Practice Head – Digital Consulting, EY was the speaker for the MBAEx Seminar Series lecture session hosted on 22nd Aug 2021. Mr. Johri is a Digital Expert & Thought Leader with diverse Global & Regional consulting experience across India, Europe, UAE, South Asia & South Africa. He spoke on "Management Consulting in India & International Market". The current batch, with diverse backgrounds, benefited from the insightful session which highlighted how digitalization has changed the management consulting practice, how it has evolved over time and the scope of consulting for MBA graduates with diverse working backgrounds.
PGPEX-VLM boasts of an alumni base of 15 years who are always eager to help the batch with their experiences. Every year seniors share their experiences through the alumni connect series. The Cohort looks forward to them and benefits from their advice, wisdom, and support. They are also an essential part of grooming the batch through a mentor buddy program where a senior guide and shapes the buddy and becomes a support system. The COHESION Alumni talk series started on 20-06-2021 and it is a successful ongoing event. Mr. Gourav Garg(Senior Consultant-Mckinsey & Company) discussed life in consulting and shared a handful of experiences from his distinguished career.
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IIMCIP along with the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched FOCUS, a three month long Accelerator program for revenue stage start-ups from North East region with aim to help them scale their business beyond the NE Region and raise funding. The call for applications has been launched and the acceleration phase will be from October to December, 2021.
The Meghalaya Chief Minister Shri Conrad Sangma felicitated the outgoing cohort and welcomed the incoming cohort at the graduation cum welcome ceremony at Shillong on August 9, 2021. While speaking about the crucial role being played by PRIME Meghalaya, the Chief Minister, applauded the efforts of IIMCIP in supporting early stage entrepreneurs within the state.
The Assam Chief Minister Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Udyam Assam 3.0 program at Assam Startup - The Nest on August 16, 2021. Also present were Minister of Industry & Commerce, Shri Chandra Mohan Patowary and other dignitaries. The Chief Minister appreciated the role of Assam Startup in supporting entrepreneurship development in the state. Various start-ups showcased their products and services on the occasion which generated tremendous interest among the program attendees.
On September 14, 2021, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu inaugurated the state Incubator which IIMCIP is the implementation partner to. Present at the occasion were a battery of Government officials and dignitaries who much appreciated the first of it's kind grand incubation facility.
A team of 3, from MBAEx-15, secured 1st position in Strato-Domino, a case study competition by the Delhi Technological University. The competition had 1048 contesting teams from premier B schools of the country.The notable aspect of the team was its diversity comprising a Data Scientist- Himanshu Chauhan, a sales strategist- Paras Gupta and a Dentist- Dr. Pooja Chouhan. The team is thankful for all the learnings and support from IIM Calcutta professors and their peers in the batch for helping them reach a position where stepping out of comfort zones and winning is a possibility.
IIMCIP incubatee SuperProcure, a real time freight sourcing and collaboration platform for manufacturing companies, has raised a funding of Rs 9.68 Cr from Tradezeal Online Pvt Ltd (IndiaMART). Tata Consumers, Birla Corporation, Shyam Metalics, Rallis India, Vectus, Havells, L&T Construction, Pepsico, Godrej Agrovet, Austin Plywood are few of their key customers. Another incubatee Free Stand Sampling Solutions has recently raised a funding of Rs 1.10 Cr led by SucSEED Indovation. FreeStand enables FMCG brands to deliver physical product samples to digitally targeted customers at scale. The startup has worked with 12 FMCG brands across 5 different categories and has enabled product evolution with over 5 iterations.
Aashish Chandorkar has recently been appointed as ‘Counsellor’ in India's Permanent Mission in the World Trade Organisation for three years. For the first time, a private person has been appointed at the Mission. The WTO is a 164-member multi-lateral body, which deals with global trade. India is a member since 1995.
Pankaj Kumar has recently taken charge as the Director (Offshore) of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). As Director (Offshore), Kumar will be responsible for the entire gamut of Offshore Oil & Gas fields contributing around 70 per cent of crude oil and 78 per cent of natural gas production of the ONGC.
Atul Bhatt has been appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of disinvestment-owned steel company Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL). Bhatt was the CMD of state-owned consultancy firm MECON, which offers a full range of services required to set up a project from concept to commissioning including turnkey execution.
Global specialty packaging company EPL Ltd recently announced that its board of directors has appointed Anand Kripalu as the Managing Director and Global Chief Executive Officer of the company effective August 18.
Shiprocket, the tech-enabled logistics and fulfilment platform, has announced the appointment of Atul Mehta as its chief operating officer (COO). In this role, Mehta will be heading Shiprocket’s logistics platform in India and will be responsible for sales, account management, supply chain operations, customer operations, and seller excellence functions. Outside these core responsibilities, he will work with the founding team to drive innovation and build long-term strategies.
Power System Operation Corporation has appointed Anshul Bhargava as director for human resources. Bhargava will be overall in-charge of coordinating and implementing human resource policies, talent management, human resource development, industrial relations and other strategic HR functions in the organisation.
FCB Group India has announced the elevation of Vidyadhar Wabgaonkar as the CEO of FCB Cogito, the independent consulting arm of the Group in India. Vidyadhar has been leading FCB Cogito for over four years now. An engineering gold medalist and a rank holding MBA from IIM Calcutta, Wabgaonkar comes with a rich marketing background that includes stints in P&G India and MARICO Industries.
PGPEX alumni, Mr Jeetendra Singh is now Joint Secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Government of India. Prior to joining the Department of Heavy Industry, he was posted as Executive Director Corporate Coordination (EDCC) in the Railway Board
Shell India has appointed Ms. Debanjali Sengupta as Country Head of Shell Lubricants India, starting 1st August 2021. Prior to joining Shell, Debanjali has worked in Tata Motors in the Domestic as well as International Business. She was part of the batch of 2003, PGDBM.
ZestMoney, one of India’s largest and fastest growing Buy Now, Pay Later platform recently has promoted Mandar Satpute to the role of Chief Banking Officer (CBO). Prior to this, Mandar was Vice President, Banking Partnerships. He has been with the company for more than 4 years and began his stint as Head of Partnerships in 2017.
Private equity firm Actis Llp has promoted Abhishek Bansal as director in its energy infrastructure team to the position of a partner. Bansal earlier worked at International Finance Corporation for seven years.
Harvinder Singh Banga has joined Mahindra Logistics as Head of Technology - Operations and Business Partnering. In the new role, Banga will lead the digital transformation initiatives and will strategically manage IT to benefit the business.
Zee Media has appointed Abhishek Nigam as its chief operating officer for the digital business. He was previously associated with Airtel as product head for its B2C platform. Nigam will be responsible for the entire digital operations that include 20 brands across 12 languages touching more than 300 million viewers across digital replicas of Zee Media.
| Month | Sl No. | Name of the Programme | Programme Director(s) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 1 | Leadership and Team Building | Prof. Chetan Joshi | Oct 4 - 9, 2021 |
| 2 | Managerial Effectiveness | Prof. Abhishek Goel & Prof. Rajiv Kumar | Oct 25 - 29, 2021 | |
| November | 3 | Competitive Marketing Strategy | Prof. Suren Sista | Nov 8 - Dec 5, 2021 |
| 4 | Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 – What every manager needs to know about them | Prof. Debashis Saha | Nov 12 - 21, 2021 | |
| 5 | Digital and Social Media Marketing For Business Growth | Prof. Prashant Mishra & Prof. Saravana Jaikumar | Nov 15 - 19, 2021 | |
| 6 | Managerial Leadership and Team Effectiveness | Prof. Abhishek Goel & Prof. Rajiv Kumar | Nov 15 - 19, 2021 | |
| 7 | Rebooting your Strategy: Converting the digital threat to a Strategic Opportunity | Prof. Biswatosh Saha | Nov 15 - 21, 2021 | |
| 8 | Sports Management | Prof. Suren Sista | Nov 22 - Dec 19, 2021 | |
| 9 | Finance for Non-Finance Executives | Prof. Manju Jaiswall | Nov 25 Dec 5, 2021 | |
| 10 | Management Lessons through Sports and Films | Prof. Suren Sista | Nov 29 - Dec 26, 2021 | |
| 11 | Healthcare Leadership and Management Programme | Prof. R.Rajesh Babu & Prof. Manish Thakur | Nov 29 - Dec 10, 2021 | |
| December | 12 | Ecommerce and Social Media Analytics | Prof. Saravana Jaikumar | Dec 6 - 10, 2021 |
| 13 | Developing Leadership Potential | Prof. Abhishek Goel & Prof. Rajiv Kumar | Dec 6 - 10, 2021 | |
| 14 | Digital Operations and Technology | Prof. Peeyush Mehta | Dec 6 - 11 , 2021 | |
| 15 | FinTech, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency | Prof. Debashis Saha | Dec 10 - 19, 2021 | |
| 16 | Business Analytics for Strategic and Tactical Level Decision Making | Prof. Saibal Chattopadhyay & Prof. Uttam K. Sarkar | Dec 13 - 17, 2021 | |
| 17 | Becoming an Effective Sales Manager | Prof. Prashant Mishra & Prof. Ramendra Singh | Dec 13 - 17, 2021 | |
| 18 | Managerial Leadership and Conflict Resolution | Prof. Chetan Joshi | Dec 13 - 18, 2021 |
MODE OF DELIVERY: Over LIVE ONLINE classes (in staggered phases)
For details of respective programmes, please click on the Programme Name on our online calendar at https://www.iimcal.ac.in/mdp/mdp-calendar