IIM Nagpur Inducts 355+ Students into Its MBA and PhD Programmes
Nagpur: The inauguration of the 10th Batch of Flagship MBA programme (2024-26) and the 4th Batch of PhD Regular programme (2024-28) of IIM Nagpur was held at its MIHAN campus on July 14, 2024. The inauguration of the Executive PhD programme is slated for July 15, 2024. On this occasion, IIM Nagpur welcomed a diverse cohort of newly inducted students representing almost all parts of the country.
Of the total 355 MBA students enrolled, 144 are female, while 211 are male. Representing their presence from 25 states of India, students from north-eastern Nagaland to Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, the southernmost states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, besides home state Maharashtra, UP, Delhi, and Bihar, amongst others, made the cohort’s presence a mini-India.
Among these students, 191 have six months and above work experience, with fewer than six months experience in the substantial number of 158 freshers. This batch has a majority of students from the Engineering background, with 132 students, while those from the Arts & Commerce stream are 128. Besides 30 Bachelor of Science students opting to pursue the MBA programme at IIM Nagpur, a substantial number of 60 students have a Medical background, too. It is another noticeable factor that many Medical students choose to pursue an MBA from IIM Nagpur. It showcases the Institute’s academic and gender inclusivity and diversity.
The inauguration programme for the newly inducted students started with lighting a lamp and Saraswati Vandana. Professor Prakash Awasthy, Chairperson of the MBA programme, delivered the Welcome Address and said, “It is the day you, as students of IIM Nagpur, are going to transform your lives.” It was followed by the Welcome Address by the Dean of Academics, Faculty and Alumni Affairs, Professor Prashant Gupta. He said, “It is challenging, but you have the potential for a remarkable transformation.”
While welcoming students, he also shed light on the history of Management Education worldwide and the MBA programme. As students of IIM Nagpur, you, as smart ones, will become smart leaders. He described both smart and leadership traits in broader terms. Being ready with continuous learning for the next two years will be transformative.
Dr. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM Nagpur, warmly welcomed the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour and students for the fruitful learning journey they will begin at the Institute. He stated how, in a decade’s journey, IIM Nagpur speaks volumes about its transformative growth.
“The campus is smart, and you, as smart students, will bring new laurels in the next two years,” he said and discussed how IIM Nagpur set a benchmark in Executive Education. It has the distinction of being the first to start courses in Cybersecurity and Blockchain programmes. It played a remarkable role by launching 25 varieties of programmes in less than three years.
IIM Nagpur’s programmes in the areas of NGOs are equally remarkable. Located at the centre point of the country, IIM Nagpur gives a locational advantage to students and organizations for easy connectivity. “As a fast-growing Business School in India, IIM Nagpur developed its identity as a Holistic Business School,” he said.
The Guest of Honour, Dr. Rajesh Dighde, Director of Engineering, Meta – Reality Labs, inspired students by saying, “You have come to the right place at IIM Nagpur’s fantastic and mind-blowing campus.” He guided the new students through his journey from building cranes to Metaverse/AI. “You can’t do something relevant today but irrelevant tomorrow. Life and the market are not static, so you have to keep yourself moving ahead,” he said. “Many famous companies disappeared in 3 decades, so you must be like water, adapt to situations and environments. Re-invent, re-engineer, re-invest, re-invent, and re-calibrate with physical, mental, and spiritual robustness. Failures are expected, and how much you learn from your mistakes does matter.”
The Chief Guest, Mr. Kamal Bali, President & Managing Director, Volvo Group, said, “You are a future leader of India. Congratulations on joining a world that is entirely different to keep you ahead. You live in a world today that is in a mess where fast changes occur every moment. You will be the Rockstar as you are born in the right time, at the right place, and with the right people to emerge as leaders tomorrow,” he said. Due to continuous reforms, it is India’s decade, if not a century. IIM Nagpur is undoubtedly going to nourish you further.
On this occasion, Dr. Metri, the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour presented the Director’s Merit Certificates to second-year students. IIM Nagpur provides 10 Merit-based and 10 Need-cum-merit based scholarships to the students, which includes full-tuition fee waiver. One more scholarship was announced on this occasion; therefore, IIM Nagpur will now offer 21 scholarships from the new session.
Professor Ranjitha GP, Chairperson Student Affairs, conveyed the Vote of Thanks. She thanked the distinguished guests for their words of wisdom to the IIM Nagpur students.