55th Convocation of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade held in Delhi

New Delhi: The 55th Convocation of Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) was held on 23rd August, 2022, at its campus in New Delhi. Shri Piyush Goyal, Honorable Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distributions, and Textiles, Government of India, was the distinguished Chief Guest, and Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chancellor, IIFT and Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India, presided over the function. Degrees were conferred to more than 600 students from different batches of IIFT’s flagship MBA (International Business), Masters in Economics, Ph.D. in Management and Economics, and Executive Programmes. The toppers from each batch were also awarded gold, silver and bronze medals in recognition of their accomplishments.

Delivering the convocation address, Shri Piyush Goyal, Honorable Minister of Commerce & Industry, applauded the institution’s efforts in maintaining the rich legacy of being among the topic institutes of the country, and contributing towards rich research and training programmes along with its diverse teaching curriculum. The honorable minister pointed out that, “change is inevitable, and if we are rooted in the past then, we may not progress.” He presented the country’s vision @2047, and posited that collective efforts are required to bring the required change, and showed confidence in IIFT’s capabilities in achieving the same. Highlighting the importance of international trade, he mentioned that in order to progress swiftly, competing with other countries in terms of prices, quality, services, etc. is mandatory. This will surely bring prosperity to the citizens. The honorable minister also highlighted some key areas, which a leading institution should work on, viz. student diversity, internationalization of the curriculum, the role of alumni in collaborations, among others.
Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chancellor, IIFT and Secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India also complimented IIFT for its significant achievements and continued contribution to training, research and policy making. He commended the institute for its efforts in maintaining the top-rankings in the world. The honorable secretary also congratulated the institute for coveted AASCB accreditation, which is given to only top 5 per cent institutions of the world. He credited the recent success of the ministry for smooth negotiations of FTAs to IIFT’s research centres, viz. the Centre for WTO studies, Centre for Trade and Investment Law, and the Centre for Regional Trade. He stated that India is at a cusp of change, and the new aim will be a USD 30 trillion economy, which will be transformative and will represent the aspirations of its people. He encouraged the students to pursue their goals with ‘confidence, drive, and determination’. He called on the students to dream wild and take risk, and urged them to contribute towards the aim of Vision India @2047.
In his address, Prof. Manoj Pant, Vice Chancellor of IIFT, appreciated the perseverance and hard work of the students, faculty, administration and other staff members in bringing the institute to where it is today. He highlighted the achievements of institution by giving a special mention to 100 per cent placements in its flagship MBA (IB) programme, with a hike of approximately 20-25 per cent compared to the last year. The students from MA Economics have also been placed well in both the private and public sector, and the institute’s economics division now rank 6th in internationally recognized IDEAS-Repec. The Vice-Chancellor stressed the internationalization of the institute, and also highlighted the recent tie ups with prestigious universities of the USA and Europe. He also pointed out the research initiatives taken up by the institute that helped in improvising the national and international rankings. Finally, Prof. Pant announced the new five-year integrated programme, to be initiated in the Kakinada campus from September 2022, and another campus of the institute at Maidangarhi is in the making.