IIM Tiruchirappalli inaugurated the 10th batch of the Post Graduate Programme in Business Management (PGPBM) on Saturday 11th September 2021

Trichy:  IIM Tiruchirappalli inaugurated the 10th batch of the Post Graduate Programme in Business Management (PGPBM) on Saturday 11th September 2021. The two-year program based out of Chennai campus is designed for working executives to bridge the learning-doing gap and address the changing dynamics of business.

The inaugural ceremony started on an auspicious note with the invocation and lighting of the lamp.

Prof. Deepak Srivastava, Dean Academics, welcomed the 10th batch calling it a landmark for IIM Trichy’s PGPBM program. He elaborated on how the program is appealing to working executives. It provides a unique opportunity to both upskill and reskill, essential in a technologically evolving world.

Prof. Karthik Dhandapani, Chaiperson PGPBM, in his address, threw light on the diversity of the batch comprising of 55 students- the largest batch size inducted into the program. The batch boasts students from both private and public sectors, both engineering and non engineering background with an average experience of 12.4 years. Prof. Dhandapani highlighted how this could play a vital role in enriched peer learning as it includes students who have just begun their careers and those with vast work experience.

Director of IIM Tiruchirappalli, Dr.Pawan Kumar Singh took to the podium and reminisced about his own experience of imparting executive learning. He said to the participants that it is the golden period of his academic journey. He further urged students to absorb knowledge using all five sense organs and adopt four different perspectives to view the world to emerge as a leader.

Following this, alumnus Ms. Sundarakamatchi Somasundaram, Director Concentrix, spoke to the students about her experience in the programme, she threw light on how students may initially find it challenging to balance their personal and professional commitments alongside the programme but reassured them that they would overcome their self-doubt and become a better versions of themselves by the end of the programme.

Following this the Chief Guest of the ceremony, Shri Vinod Kumar Singh, Director(Personnel) Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., addressed the gathering. He congratulated the batch on embarking on a new journey at IIM Trichy and went on to map out his journey with Power Grid and share his insights with the students.
Shri. Vinod Kumar Singh highlighted the humble beginnings of the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. In 1989, which was at the time, the smallest company in the Power Sector aspiring to become a Maharatna company. He then outlined a few factors he witnessed over his 30 years at Power Grid that he attributes to their success story, firstly he emphasized on how a can-do culture at the company propelled their growth through the decades. This growth was significant in the Operations and Construction domains but limited in manpower which enabled them to empower and up-skill their employees better. Secondly, Shri Vinod Kumar Singh stressed on the importance of adaptability, by highlighting how jobs go obsolete over time and challenge companies to find new ways to align their organizations. In this aspect, he touched upon how Power Grid developed their workforce and redeployed them. Thirdly he inspired the students to pursue technological innovation in their industries and create global benchmarks instead of limiting themselves to local equivalents, a key philosophy in Power Grid’s pursuits. And finally, he emphasized the importance of faster decision making, and ensuring the decision-making process is inclusive of all stakeholders to limit conflict and he went on to talk about how flatter hierarchies can achieve faster decisions. He closed his address admiring the professional diversity of the incoming PGPBM batch and wished them the best for their future.

Prod. Karthik Dhandapani, announced the merit list awardees the PGPBM 2019-21 and 2020-22 batches as follows:

• Term Toppers PGPBM 2019-21 Srihari J(Term 4), Anand K V(Term 5).
• Term Toppers PGPBM 2020-22 : Vigneshwer Dhinakaran(Term 1) and Nivetha Devanandh (Term 2 & 3)
• Director’s Merit List PGPBM 2019-21: Ram Selvan V, N. Nanda Kishore, Malarvizhi K, Mohanapriya J, Srihari J, Godse Rujul Mohan
• Best Industry Project PGPBM 2018-20: A Muralidharan, Arasuprakash S, Raja SLN

Vigneswar Kumar delivered the closing address with a vote of thanks and the ceremony was concluded with the National Anthem.