IIM Kozhikode’s Annual Management Conclave Concludes; Sports Legend Mahesh Bhupathi, IRCTC CMD, leave behind lasting impressions
Kozhikode: The Annual Management Conclave of IIM Kozhikode, ‘Horizons 2020’, concluded here, recently. The two-day event (Feb 01-02, 2020) with the theme of “Above and Beyond” was organised by the Industry Interaction Cell (IIC) of IIMK and witnessed speakers from diverse backgrounds, who shared their insights and experiences with the students and faculty members at the leading B-School.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIMK, said, “At IIM Kozhikode we believe in providing the best of opportunities for students to test their business acumen through Live Projects offered in various domains. It allows them to have a first-hand experience of the business issues faced by organisations. It is essential that budding managers stay in touch with the real world, while honing their skills in the classrooms.”
Entrusted with all non-placement industry-related activities at IIM Kozhikode, IIC is committed to forging a long-term symbiotic relationship between the institution and the industry. The Industry Interaction Cell (IIC) also acts as the link that connects IIM Kozhikode to the outside world. This edition of the ‘Horizons’ saw Indian tennis legend Mr Mahesh Bhupathi open the summit. The 12-time Grand Slam winner and former ATP rank 1 shared anecdote from his days representing the country and discussed the challenges in succeeding against the finest in the world. The athlete turned entrepreneur stressed on the need to nurture a strong sports culture in the country. “India needs a strong top-down funnel for developing world class talent in sports. Private sports foundations can play a major role in developing world class athletes” the ATP world record holder stated.
Further, the afternoon session hosted the Chairman and Managing Director of the Indian Railway Catering And Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) Limited, Mr Mahendra Pratap Mall. In his interaction with the students, Mr Mall touched upon the future roadmap of the company and the many hurdles overcome leading up to its fabulously successful listing at the bourses. Referring to the challenges in managing a state-owned enterprise in a price sensitive market, while returning a healthy profit growth year after year, he added, “There are constraints, and there always will be. It is your job to work with them, strategize a plan and execute it for the organization to achieve sustainable growth.”
The final speaker session saw Ms Subhalakshmi Nandi, Director of Policy at the International Centre for Research on Women (ICRW) discuss the economic and social aspects of gender and caste-based discrimination. Keeping the evening light-hearted was marketing professional turned stand-up artist Mr Kumar Varun. The MBA from FMS, Delhi had the audience in splits at his meticulously crafted wisecracks that captured the nuances of the lives of management students at premier business schools across the country.