IIM Sambalpur celebrates its 7th Foundation Day embracing the diverse cultural heritage of India

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur was established by MHRD, Government of India in 2015 and was declared as an Institute of National Importance as per the IIM 2017 Act. Since then, the institute has been regarded as one of the coveted Business schools of the country. IIM Sambalpur celebrated its 7th Foundation Day today with much fervour while strictly following COVID protocols. The ceremony held in the blended mode was graced by Chief Guest, Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Govt. of India, Guest of Honour, Shri. Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority, Keynote Speaker, Shri. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate, Affairs Officer, Flipkart and Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur. The ceremony was also attended by the students, faculty member, staff of IIM Sambalpur along with members of the media. The commemorative program had a formal ceremony followed by a cultural program.

In his addressal, Chief Guest, Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Govt. of India, said, “At the outset let me congratulate the entire family of IIM Sambalpur for completing 7 years. Your passionate contribution in building this institution with utmost sincerity and dedication. I am sure Maa Sambaleswari’s blessing will take this institution to greater heights in the years to come. As you all know, Sambalpur is one of the fastest growing cities of Odisha and a land enriched with rich cultural heritage, where you have freedom fighters like Veer Surendra Sai, globally renowned poets like Swabhaba kabi Gangadhar Meher and saint like Bhima Bhoi has emerged. As students, you must take inspiration from their lives and must leave an indelible mark in the field of education. Sambalpur is the cultural capital of the Western Odisha, a cradle for Sambalpuri Handloom, dance and music which is revered worldwide. IIM Sambalpur has been the fusion of a long-cherished dream of having a management institute of national importance in Odisha, the seeds of this institution were sown during the tenure of Late Shri Arun Jaitley. As students of IIM Sambalpur as you embark on your life’s journey, you will not only become responsible citizens of the country but also leaders of tomorrow. You must work towards bringing a synergy of modern knowledge and traditional values to ensure that you represent yourselves as the true brand ambassadors of India. Under the visionary leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the National Education Policy 2020 aims to update, upgrade and upskill our youth. The policy is based on the foundation of accessibility, affordability, equity and quality, needless to say it aims to transform our education system with the emerging dynamics of the 21st century. NEP is an important step towards an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, I assure you that we are relentlessly working towards making this policy a success. A healthy workforce is only possible when we have a competent workforce of skilled management professionals and I am sure IIM Sambalpur will act as a catalyst to fulfill this dream and help excel in nation building to the best of their potential.”

Guest of Honour, Shri. Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority, added, “I am delighted to be a part of this foundation day. Education is the most important ingredient for nation building, it cannot be trivialized. IIM Sambalpur has been on the trajectory to nurture responsible leaders for future with an entrepreneurial mindset. An educational institute must stand on strong values and IIM Sambalpur has been a defining factor in earning that trust. When we talk about Innovation, Integrity and Inclusiveness, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal embodies all those attributes. An educational institution must have a physical as well as digital infrastructure intertwined. Then there is a need for intellectual infrastructure to prepare the students for future, lastly, and importantly it must have an emotional infrastructure. The duty to build emotional infrastructure lies with the students. I am sure IIM Sambalpur will become one of the most memorable institutions in years to come.”

Some of the key achievements:
ü Pioneers in introducing the innovative Flipped classrooms
ü One of the highest gender diversities among IIMs since 2019
ü MoUs with MSME, Govt of India, India SME Forum and several international universities
ü Incubation centre with MSME, Govt of India to encourage local weavers and artisans
ü Hon’ble PM Shri Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone of the permanent campus
ü Ground-breaking online proctored exams
ü Introduction of Executive MBA degree program
ü Association with Flipkart to support small businesses
ü Classrooms with state-of-the-art digital infrastructures and successful placement seasons with top organizations

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “The theme of the 7th Foundation Day of our Institute is “Indian Culture” which has great diversity but is very Innovative, Inclusive and with high Integrity. Our values are very much aligned with the Indian culture. IIM Sambalpur was established in the year 2015 with 49 students in the first batch of MBA and currently 6th and 7th Batch of MBA strength is 328, 3 batches of PhD is 15 students, and 2 batches of Exe PhD with 22 students and 1st batch of Exe MBA with 54 executives. The Institute outscored most other top Institutes in terms of highest gender diversity in MBA (2019-21) batch with 49% girls’ students and 43% girls in MBA (2020-22) and 46 percent in the current year (2021-22). In intellectual capital we started with a faculty strength of 3 in 2017 to 17 full time faculty members in the current academic year. IIM Sambalpur was also decisive in initiating international partnership with a leading 6 Business Schools of Europe and Asia during the year. Albeit being the youngest IIM of the country, IIM Sambalpur, this is yet another glorious feat. For collaborative work, IIM Sambalpur has signed three MoUs and partnered with the Ministry MSME, Flipkart, India SME Forum, JSW, Vedanta Ltd., MCL, IOCL, and The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), Delhi. We have also set up Incubation Centre and currently 7 startups are being incubated at IIM Sambalpur.”

He further added, “Most notable during the year has been the significant milestones achieved by the Institute in infrastructural development. 2021 has been a revolutionary start for the Indian Institute of Management, Sambalpur. Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone of the permanent campus of IIM Sambalpur on 2nd January 2021. Work on our permanent campus is in rapid progress and we expect to complete the first phase of the campus by August-December 2022. IIM Sambalpur has ranked 61 in the recent NIRF ranking and amongst the third generation IIMs it stands 2nd and 1st across India and is positioned in the ‘HEI of Eminence: Institution of Academic Excellence’ category in the OBE Ranking 2021, by R World Institutional Ranking.”

Addressing the audience, Keynote Speaker, Shri. Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate, Affairs Officer, Flipkart stated, “This institution is spearheaded by some great minds. As a country that has emerged from the pandemic, it has changed how we perceive businesses and everything else. There have been fundamentals shifts that covid has created in our lives and businesses. It has become evident that companies can no longer operate without considering of the larger context. This impacts the way we interact with different stakeholders. We have seen companies and businesses come together and support the Government during the tough times of covid. There is a need for businesses to be more responsible and inclusive. At Flipkart, this is exactly what we are try and do – build responsible growth and businesses. We believe this is all connected and coupled with our aspirations.” He further elaborated on Flipkart’s initiative to support small businesses through Flipkart Samarth and their partnership with IIM Sambalpur.

The Program witnessed awards and felicitations of key achievers from various fields. Indian field hockey player and member of the Olympic bronze winning Indian hockey team, Amit Rohidas and renowned Sambalpuri singer Padmashree Jitendra Haripal, famous for the super hit song Rangabati, were honoured during the program for their marvelous accomplishments. IIM Sambalpur also awarded merit scholarships worth INR 1,00,000 each to the top seven students of second year based on their academic performance in the first year. This scholarship by the institute was initiated in the academic year of 2019-2020. As an institute that works towards integrating local communities, cultures and take them to global platform, a cultural program followed. This program entailed performances by students, Indian classical, tribal and folk artists who showcased the cultural diversity of the country. From the classical Odissi to the traditional Sambalpuri dance form Dalkhai and Dhap, folk dances from Bengal, Assam and Odisha to fusion dance by the students, the evening celebrated the rich cultural heritage of India.