IIM SAMBALPUR welcomes its first Executive MBA batch through a virtual inauguration program

Sambalpur: After introducing their Executive MBA degree program for working professionals in March 2021, IIM Sambalpur, welcomed their first Executive MBA batch through a virtual inauguration program. The session was graced by distinguished and esteemed guests which included Chief Guest, Mr. Rajeev Dubey, Chairman – Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., Mahindra First choice Wheel Ltd. & Mahindra Steel Service Centre Ltd. and Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker Mr. Sandeep Tyagi, Director-HR, Samsung Electronics. The inauguration program also witnessed a welcome address by Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur. The program began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, followed by introduction of the Executive MBA Program by Prof. Shikha Bhardwaj, Chairperson, EMBA to the faculty members, staff, students and media journalists. The program was concluded with vote of thanks by Prof. Merlin Nandy, Chairperson, PGP. There are 54 students in the first batch of the two-year program. They have come from diverse sectors from Banking and Finance to It & ITEs, manufacturing and several others. SBI, ICICI, AXIS, TCS, Deloitte, Amazon, IBM, JK Cement, Tata Steel, Alstom, Ministry of Home Affairs are some organisations whose employees are a part of the first batch of Executive MBA. The average work experience of the students is 9.7 years, and they are working as mid to senior level executives in their respective organizations. There are 2 students from Germany in the mix.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur, said, “The Executive MBA Class of 2021 with 54 participants is a vibrant combination of executive in terms of diversity in their profile, industry, academic, gender with experience ranging from 4 to 15 years at the executive role. In a very short span, IIM Sambalpur has become a fully integrated Business school. Generally, it takes 15-20 years to achieve what we have accomplished in 6 years. We operate around our 3 core values of Innovation, Integrity and Inclusiveness. If you as a professional acquire these 3 Is in your value system, you will be highly civilised and have a transformed personality and will be able to create value and impact for yourself, your surroundings, society and civilization. The role of IIM Sambalpur is to build entrepreneurial capacity so as to create wealth for our Country and our society. Our unique proposition is to nurture a larger number of start-ups and entrepreneurs across the country. Hence, we encourage our young MBA students to align themselves with our Vision and participate in executing the same. We desire you to acquire skill and capability to create for the organisation and yourself.”

He further added, “We are all witnessing massive disruption in our socio-economic life due to the global pandemic. We have to learn and discover ways to fight it and move on. However, a new world order is expected post the COVID crisis. New jobs will also get created in industries which will be more in demand post lockdown such as healthcare services, pharma, telemedicine, ecommerce, social ecommerce, eLearning, online offline solutions, robotics and drone-based logistics, specialized IT services for global as well as domestic clients, organic farming, manufacturing for domestic and global clients which will boost and guide companies to further invest in Make in India. We are all waiting for the curve to flatten including the Government, but as equal stakeholders I believe it is the right time to shift from an economy focused on aggregate GDP growth to differentiate among sectors that can grow and need investment.”

Chief Guest, Mr. Rajeev Dubey, Chairman – Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd., Mahindra First choice Wheel Ltd. & Mahindra Steel Service Centre Ltd. added, “My congratulations and salutations to all those who are embarking on this fascinating journey. I am sure it will be a journey of magic, mysticism, learning, unlearning, relearning, discovery, and fun. In this new normal what organisations require is proactive decision making at various points of the value chain which means the concept of leadership has to change. We have to go to what is known as distributed leadership. In addition, there is a requirement for a deep connection with stakeholders, especially the consumers and that requires empathy and extreme care. Five leadership behaviours that will be highly crucial in this time of disruption and transformation – the ability to connect the whole mind, to be a multiplier of energy, passion and engagement by listening and respecting and not wanting to command and control, knowing how to manage fear and leverage failure to enable innovation to take place, being mindful by being open to all possibilities and to create trust through authenticity. Transformational leaders are led by purpose, have the ability to combine knowledge with implementation and aligning these two with their being, their inner space, their purpose, their dream.”

Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker Mr. Sandeep Tyagi, Director-HR, Samsung Electronics highlighted, “I am delighted to be amidst you today in the Executive MBA Orientation Program. The topic today is a most talked about discourse – Business transformation in a digital era that has been disruptive and the transformation that has happened is humungous and unparalleled. The speed at which business has transformed has made digital become the key enabler. Some of the statistics tell us that that by 2025 there will be 900 million active users of internet customers in India and the third largest online shopping country after USA and China. The pandemic has changed the human experience, buying and using behaviour. The onset of Omnichannel mode of selling (a combination of Online and Offline mode) from digital to phygital is the new mantra. It connotes that digital is going to be synchronized with offline mode of selling. India is expected to add 140 billion turnover in terms of online shopping. Rural penetration is and connecting the last mile population through optic fibers has been phenomenal. Online education has become the new normal given a thrust to digital sales and customer choices. We need to find a hybrid model of online and offline model of classrooms to bridge the digital divide. Digital competency has become a key skill set for success and benchmark. I wish all the students the very best and wish they all have a great career ahead.”

The Two-year degree program will follow the institute’s innovative experience learning through Flipped classroom pedagogy in blended mode (mostly online). The classes will be scheduled on weekends and weekday evenings. The program has been designed to provide candidates with rigorous, cutting-edge curriculum to build responsible leaders with entrepreneurial mindset. It will entail interactions with faculties from top national and international Business Schools, CEO immersion program, and specialization in all domains with emphasis on digital innovation. With the core values of Integrity, Inclusivity, and Innovation, the institute will be extending their aim of creating responsible leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset, for working professionals as well, while accelerating the digital transformation of the country. Being a pioneer among IIMs, to conceive the concept of Flipped classroom, which enabled a smooth transition from offline to online classes, and online proctored examinations and admission process, IIM Sambalpur truly stands for comprehensive education.