XLRI – Xavier School of Management, one of India’s premier B-Schools, celebrated its 65th Annual Convocation. The virtual Convocation ceremony was held to bid a final farewell to the 2019-21 batch.
Mr. Sandeep Kataria, Global CEO, Bata Corporation, graced the convocation ceremony as the chief guest. Mr. T. V. Narendran, Chairman, Board of Governors at XLRI & MD – Tata Steel India and South East Asia, Fr. Paul Fernandes. S.J., Director of XLRI, Dr. Ashis K. Pani, Dean, Academics at XLRI, graduating students, and their parents connected virtually.
On this significant day, 506 XLRI students virtually received their graduating certificates and medals, including – 178 & 181 students of Postgraduate Programmes in Management – BM, and HRM; 101 students of 15-months PGDM (General Management) Program; 06 students of Fellow Program in Management (FPM) and 40 students of the 2018–2021 batch of PGDM-BM Programme (Evening).
On the occasion Mr. T. V. Narendran, Chairman, Board of Governors, XLRI, in his address said, “It is indeed a privilege for me to witness the 65th Convocation ceremony as the Chairman of the Governing Board of XLRI. XLRI was established in 1949, soon after India gained Independence, and for over seven decades has consistently striven to uphold its mission – to help shape competent business leaders yet upholding high personal values and societal concerns. The industrial township of Jamshedpur is indeed fortunate to have such a progressive management school that offers much more than management-centric education programs. XLRI has always placed high importance on its students adopting ethical conduct, cultivating a values-driven culture, and shaping an integral character formation of its students”.
Congratulating the students on their graduation day, Mr. Narendran said,” It is rare that we come across multiple large challenges in such a short period – a life-threatening pandemic, climate weirding as a consequence of climate change and an economic downturn. As aspiring business leaders of tomorrow, these unprecedented challenges offer valuable learnings as we have all suddenly moved into a scenario where the managerial acronym VUCA (short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) has acquired totally different meanings. The new VUCA world challenges you to build your resilience quotient, take care of your own health and those of your loved ones and friends and also beckons you to support to the extent possible, all the marginalized people who live life on a day-to-day basis”.
“In these trying times, I wish each of you all the very best in all your future endeavors, and I urge you to remember “these times shall also pass,” and we shall overcome these challenges as a business school, as a nation, and as a global family,” he added.
Fr. Paul Fernandes. S.J., Director, XLRI, congratulated the graduating students and advised them to uphold the values they have imbibed at XLRI – to be responsible leaders who are extraordinary professionals with a sensitive conscience. In his address, he said, “It is indeed my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all of you. This is the second time the convocation is being held virtually due to COVID restrictions. We would have been delighted to see all of you on the campus witnessing the graduates receiving your medals and diplomas physically. We are proud of your achievements and brilliant accomplishments, my heartfelt appreciation to the faculty and staff of XLRI for assisting you on your academic journey. We had a successful year in 2020-21, and it is the result of our teamwork and our determination to take this institution forward and make it globally renowned and a top-ranked Business School in the country.”
Father Paul further added, ” XLRI feels proud to present the Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial and Social Peace to Shri Sandeep Kataria, first Indian to be the Global CEO of Bata Corporation.”
This year XLRI conferred the prestigious ‘Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Social and Industrial Peace’ on Sandeep Kataria, Global CEO, Bata Corporation. He also delivered the convocation address.
Accepting the medal, Mr. Kataria said, “I am truly humbled and feel privileged to accept the Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial and Social Peace. I want to express my gratitude to the governing board of XLRI for bestowing on me the prestigious Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Social and Industrial Peace. While any recognition is a privilege, one received from the alma mater is truly special. I am told that I am the first alumni to be bestowed upon this honor – and while I humbly accept this esteemed medal, I am sure there are many more deserving alumni members. We will be seeing more familiar names on this list soon”.
Delivering the convocation speech to the graduating students, he said, “Hearty congratulations as you graduate from this prestigious and outstanding institution. Despite the challenges that the pandemic has thrown at you, I am sure through your hard work and innovativeness, along with ample help from the hard-working faculty members, you have grown tremendously. You are ready to take on the new normal of this VUCA world. As you step out with the tremendous education that XLRI has given you, you will have the privilege to work in large and illustrious organizations with lots of smart people. At the beginning of your career, you may feel intimidated by all the seniors around you. Remember to speak up and be heard, as you will undoubtedly add a useful perspective and enrich the discussion. Never let the small voice in your head hold you back. As you grow and lead big teams, you will often be called to take the final decision. But again, remember to pause, listen and learn from the whole team before you decide. Leadership is anything but doing the popular thing. It is about doing the right thing AND taking people along. One thing that I can promise you all today is that there are going to be ups and downs in your careers. As surely as you will have the highs, wins, successes, and lots to celebrate, you will also have the misses and lows. Remember to take both in your stride, keeping your eyes on doing the best that you can without a sense of victimization or entitlement”.
Addressing the graduating students in his speech ‘Reimagining Our Future,’ Mr. Kataria said, “you are graduating at an amazing moment in time for the Global Economy and especially India. I am not referring just to the pandemic, which has impacted almost everything over the last 15 months. There are worries about the pandemic, probably the most significant world event of our lifetime. It has managed to touch everyone in a most personal way and unarguably pushed back the world economy and people 5 to 10 years. But with the innovativeness and ingenuity of the human race that has been displayed over the last 15 months, I believe we will soon have medical worries behind us. When I look at the future with optimism, I refer to the inevitable rise of the new order, a new normal, an opportunity to recast many of the notions that we have taken for granted over the last 50 years and provide an opportunity like never before. Combined with the continuing changes in the geopolitical map of the world and the triple disruption of technology, global warming, and markets that have been gathering pace over the last decade, we will see significant changes in the workplace within your career spans”.
Dr Arindam Saha, Doctoral program pass out-2021, and Managing Director, Vista Intelligence said “XLRI not only imparts quality education with thrust on the latest research findings, case studies etc, but also teaches values of life. It has transformed me from a corporate executive to an entrepreneur “
Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Industrial and Social Peace, instituted by XLRI in 1966, in honor of the Late Sir Jehangir Ghandy, former Chairman of the Board of Governors- XLRI is awarded to Heroic Leaders who have contributed towards the growth of their respective organizations and also impacted the growth of our nation in a significant way. The medal was instituted by XLRI in gratitude for Sir Jehangir Ghandy’s yeoman contribution to XLRI and the society at large. One of the oldest medals instituted by a higher education institution, the medal is awarded during XLRI’s Annual Convocation Ceremony to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of industrial and social peace in the country. In the past years, the medal was conferred on eminent business leaders like Mr. N R Narayana Murthy, Chairman Emeritus, and Chief Mentor, Infosys Technologies Ltd. in 2012, Mr. Shiv Nadar, Founder & Chairman, HCL and Shiv Nadar Foundation in 2013, Ms. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairman, State Bank of India in 2014, Ms. Mallika Srinivasan, Chairman & CEO, TAFE (Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited) in 2015, Dr. Sunil Kant Munjal, Jt. Managing Director of Hero MotoCorp & Chairman, Hero Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd. in 2016, Mr. Adi Godrej, Chairman, The Godrej Group in 2017, Mr. TV Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education and Aarin Capital & President of AIMA in 2018, Ms. Anu Aga, Former Chairperson of Thermax Ltd in 2019 and Mr. Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd in 2020.
