It was a homecoming of sorts for Dr. Deepali Kacker, Jaipuria, Lucknow alum as she came back to the campus to deliver a talk on “Emotional Intelligence and its Implications at Workplace”. A student of the 97 Batch, Dr. Kacker has gone on to become a much sought after management consultant. Having worked with several big names in the corporate world, she has gathered huge experience in the field. She was more than willing to share it with the students of her institute who had plenty of take homes from the session.

In an interview with the campus journalists Dr. Kacker talks about her experience of coming back to the institute, which played a major role in molding her as a professional.

How was the experience of addressing students from the institute you studied in?

It is always a different experience when I come back to Jaipuria, Lucknow. Since I have been working in the corporate world and as a visiting faculty for the last few years, when I got this opportunity I grabbed it with both hands. I feel a sense of achievement to come back as a teacher to the institute where I once was a student.

What are your memories from the days you studied here?

When we did our PGDM here there wasn’t a lot of infrastructure as things were just coming up. But I remember there was a small canteen where you would get samosas and tea. It was a good place to hang out with friends and a source of many memories. I also remember the industrial visit to Maruti factory in Delhi as a huge learning experience.

What has been your institute’s role in helping you achieve your corporate dreams?

We may have joined the program at Jaipuria, Lucknow with some kind of knowledge but it was the institute that connected it with practical experience and exposure. It taught us presentation skills and offered us insight into how organizations work. We were then taught to implement the skills we had learned through summer training and projects. It transformed our knowledge to suit industry requirements.

Being an accomplished woman corporate professional did you face challenges like keeping a balance between your work and personal life?

Yes, home support is important but it’s more about planning things. As women we need to balance many things. I have to prepare for lectures, and I don’t like to keep things for the last minute because our schedule is dependent on several people. We are handing dual responsibilities and have to be impeccable with planning.

Jaipuria will complete 20 years on September 8. What are the changes you see in the institute over the years?

It has seen many positive changes and come a long way. Since I go to many colleges I can proudly say that my institute has consistently maintained superior quality of education. Every time I come back here I see something new on the campus. The learning offered by the institute goes a long way in students’ lives. You can see that in the careers of its alum, who have scaled new heights of success.

As a successful alum yourself who has been there done that, what is your advice for present day students?

most important thing is to assess yourself before deciding on your career. Of course there are several jobs that are out there but you need to choose one that suits your personality.

“Risk is directly proportional to reward,” said guest speaker Mr. Jitendra Kumar at the August 26 marketing conclave organized by Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow.

Mr. Kumar is a Board Member, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) – the regulator of securities market in India. Held under the mentorship of Dr. Shubhendra Parihar, the session’s theme was “Careers in Securities Market.”

Mr. Kumar started of by reminding us that “[the] securities market is a subset of the financial market”, before explaining how SEBI was formed as an administrative body way back in 1988. However, following the liberalization andprivatization of the markets, as well as emerging trends in globalization and the Harshad Mehta scam in 1992, it was transformed into a regulatory body to protect the interest of investors.

To further explain why a securities market was required, its role, and the need for a regulator, he used the examples of the Sahara Parivar Investor Fraud case, the Great Depression of 1930 and the financial crisis of 2008. He also elaborated upon the concept of crowd-funding and ‘free riders’.

He discussed the wide range ofcareer opportunities in the securities market. This was especially important to the students in attendance, as many of them will soon be entering the job market. After the session, students appeared more informed and enthusiastic due to the rich learning experience. 

Jaipuria student Arpan Kumar Chattopadhyay pointed out: “Today’s session was enlightening in terms of both theory and practical knowledge of booking and finance-related concepts.”Sanchit Mehrotra liked how Mr. Kumar explained the different concepts by correlating them with real life examples.

All in all, it was an informative session, one where we realized the securities market wasn’t as intimidating as it was made out to be and that there was a plethora of opportunities we could explore later.

Article contribution: Kumar Saurabh, Shruti Kirti & Nikita Srivastava (Sr. Campus Journalist)
Photographers: Sumit Chatterjee & Panshul Krishna