On 1st March: Alumni Annual General Meet hosted by Jaipuria Lucknow elicits fantastic response from alumni who offer priceless suggestions and inspire current students to achieve greater success

Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow hosted its 14th Annual General Meet, Samyantar on 1st March 2014. An annual event that brings together distinguished alumni of the institute, it was held in the jam-packed hall of Hotel Grand JBR, Lucknow. Jaipuria Institute of Management has always considered its alumni to be its global ambassadors who have managed to keep its education standards quite high. Hence, it was no surprise to see the ‘who’s who’ from Jaipuria Institute of Management present at the event to welcome home its alumni.

Prof. Dr. Pankaj Gupta, Director General, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Dr. S. R. Musanna, Director, Jaipuiria Institute of Management, Lucknow, Dr. Dheeraj Gupta, Dean, Dr. Kavita Pathak, Associate Dean, Mr. Amit Vij, Vice-President of Alumni Association, Dr. Manisha Seth, Treasurer of Alumni Association and all other faculty members made their presence felt at the event. But the highlight of the evening was the institute’s alumni representing different batches who had descended on the historic city from various parts of the world. And, they filled the function hall with infectious energy that was carried forward throughout the evening.

The events unfolded with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, after which the Director General and Director welcomed the alumni. They also went on to talk about the achievements of several of the alumni, which was quite inspiring to the large number of students in the audience. The platform was then set for Dr. Pankaj Gupta to make a proud announcement on the behalf of the institute. Jaipuria Institute of Management has received AIU certification for equivalence of PGDM with MBA in effect from 26th November, 2013. The fantastic news drew big applause from the audience, which was now clearly in a celebratory mood.

The audience was also in for a cultural treat with dancer Ajay Wadhwa, dressed as Lord Krishna, left the audience enthralled with a mesmerizing dance performance. Current students of the institute also put together a video on the theme of “Past holds Future” for the alumni. It was a visual walk down memory lane for the alumni who could relive past memories that they treasured so much. The video had turned the mood in the hall quite emotional and it somehow managed to bring the whole gathering, across different years, at the institute together.

After the nostalgia trip, it was time to look forward to the future with the panel discussion titled “Gearing up for the Change – Campus to Corporate”. Mr. Amit Vij from the batch of 97 moderated the talk that was meant to offer direction for the institute and its future students in order to take on the challenges of the corporate world. Mr. Arpan Sanyal, CII executive got things going as he talked about resistance to change, while Mr. Bilal Ahmad, Manager, Central Bank of India from the batch of 2010, mentioned how change can be incorporated at the campus level.

Several of the illustrious alumni put forward their opinions during the highly engaging panel discussion that drew healthy feedback from the audience. Mr. Abhishek Agarwal, Chairman Lotus Institute Of Management (Batch 2006), then proposed a unique idea of an alumni funded annual competition for students. The panel discussion then came to an end with promises to work on the suggestions made by the alumni.

A vote of thanks was then proposed before the alumni cut a cake to begin the informal celebrations. It was a great opportunity for them to interact with each other and current students who obviously had a lot of questions for them. Everyone finally had a chance to let their hair down and groove to the music as the evening came to an end with the promise of coming together next year. And many present at this grand gathering can hardly wait.

On 22nd February, the Jaipuria Institute of Management Lucknow hosted a Management Conclave, which focused on the important field of Consumer Experience Management. The conclave also brought forward new ideas that are necessary for future managers in the world of marketing. This event was a great benefit for the institute’s students, who made the most out of the opportunity to interact and learn from industry experts. And, the experience of listening to stalwarts in the industry was the icing on the cake for the students who are eager to embark on a career in management and marketing.

Students came in large numbers to hear from Mr. V. P. Kamath, Group Chief Operating Officer at Nova Medical Centers Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore. A renowned name in the field, Mr. Kamath gave the opening address at the conclave and had the audience enthralled throughout his talk. Right at the onset he made students aware of the evolving scenario in marketing and the current trends that are here to stay. The traditional approach to marketing as far as consumer experience is now passé, and that’s something he highlighted in his speech.

“Two main things drive current marketing scenario: technology and globalization. As these two elements keep growing, prospect of marketing will grow disproportionally,” Mr. Kamath declared. According to him, these aspects have somehow contributed to the shift from marketing in its traditional sense. He reminded students how conventional strategies involved a focus on mass population and low participation of consumers, which is something one cannot afford in today’s times.

Students at the conclave listened in rapt attention as Mr. Kamath began talking about relationship building, which is the future of marketing. “Earlier success of a company was determined by the current market share and profits”, he said. “But today the participation of consumers is high and success is determined by lifetime market share and profits. Hence if you want to survive in the market, there is no alternative to long term relationship building.”

It was a point well made by the eminent speaker who strongly held the students’ attention. And, they were in for another enriching experience when Mr. Achal Rangaswamy, Director Marketing Advatech Cera Tiles Ltd, Ahmedabad took to the podium. He had students’ interest piqued right from the word go when he said, “[the] Spirit of enterprise always starts with saving. Ordinary people sell bulbs, good people sell lights and outstanding people sell a noble prize.”

Mr. Rangaswamy then went on to share experiences from his own glittering career. That’s just what the participants of the conclave were hoping for because it brought them insight into different functions of companies. The lesser known facts about businesses that he shed light on are certainly going to stay with the students, as is his message about reaching out to consumers: “Sell joys, experience, adventure, saving, comfort, sleep, peace, fun and not just product.”

“It is all about loving your job,” he continued as his speech and the conclave came to an end. That was another important bit of information for the students who left the event excited and enlightened.