IIMB Celebrates Golden Jubilee Foundation Week

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) inaugurated Golden Jubilee Foundation Week on 26 October 2023, in the presence of President of India, Droupadi Murmu.

Murmu said, "The logo of the institute stating ‘tejasvi navadhitamastu’, which translates to ‘let our study be enlightening’, is most fitting to the ethos of IIMB. It is a window to self-development, enlightenment and discovery of your talent."

The event held at IIMB’s Bannerghatta Road campus was attended by Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore; Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, the four deans, former and current faculty, students and former and current staff of the institute. IIM Bangalore is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Foundation Week and a host of events are being held during the weeklong celebrations.

The President of India flagged off ‘Swarna Twaran’, the 50-hour Golden Jubilee relay walkathon on campus by students, faculty, staff and alumni of the institute. The flag was handed over to Prof Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Alumni Relations & Development. 'Swarna Twaran' aims to communicate the message of healthy and sustainable living as well as discovering the capability of endurance that we all possess within us. The event will conclude on 28 October 2023. This is an IIMB community event where anyone connected with the institute (faculty, staff, students, alumni, pensioners and their family members) will walk, jog or run, to express their commitment to fitness and feel one with the IIMB community and its Golden Jubilee celebrations. While the event is being held at the IIMB campus, alumni chapters from across the country and the world have been encouraged to organise marathon events at their respective locations during this 50-hour time window.

The Governor of Karnataka, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, in his address, congratulated IIMB on its Golden Jubilee and said, “IIM Bangalore’s innovative ideas, the achievements of its students and alumni in diverse fields, the contributions of the world-class faculty, the research collaborations and industry partnerships, and the extensive range of Executive Education programmes impact our growth and progress as a nation."

The Governor of Karnataka released the book, ‘The Making of a Campus: IIM Bangalore’, authored by Kiran Keswani, which tells the story of the architecture of IIM Bangalore and of the people who have inhabited its ‘spaces’ and made it into the ‘place’ that it is. It shares how this campus came into being and how it has been experienced over time. The book includes narratives built from talking to IIMB’s faculty and staff as well as tells the story of the design and planning efforts of Chief Architect Dr Balkrishna Doshi, architect Achyut Kanvinde and architect Sanjay Mohe towards the making of this campus. The book is designed as a visual commentary on the architecture of the IIMB campus and is illustrated with colour photographs.  

The Governor also launched a film on IIMB titled, ‘IIMB: The Journey Towards Excellence’, to mark the institute’s Golden Jubilee Year. Documenting the IIMB journey from its inception to the present, the film portrays the challenges and triumphs, the accomplishments, and the future directions of the institute through the voices of its many stakeholders, past and present – the directors, members of the board, faculty, alumni and administrative staff who have been part of the 50-year journey. The audience had the opportunity to watch glimpses from the main film in a three-minute trailer.

Professor K Kumar, former faculty in the Entrepreneurship area, who now leads the History Project of IIMB, offered a brief overview of the book and the film.

Earlier in the evening, Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, welcomed the President of India and the Governor of Karnataka. “IIMB is on a mission to shape leaders and pioneers and the school is grateful to the Government of India and Karnataka in helping craft the mission. With this kind of support, our commitment to excellence remains unwavering and is sure to soar to greater heights,” he said.

Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, highlighted the various accomplishments of IIMB, its programmes, centres, faculty, students and alumni, during its glorious 50-year journey. He described the evolution of the institute adding how it has managed to adapt very well to the changes in the broader environment.

About the road ahead, he said that the institute aims to have greater impact on areas like the healthcare industry which would benefit from better managerial capabilities and processes, as well as the MSME sector as MSMEs are important growth engines of the economy and some of the greatest sources of employment. 

A host of activities, led by the institute’s students, alumni and staff, are in store to commemorate the momentous occasion of IIM Bangalore’s Golden Jubilee. American Economist Professor Rebecca Henderson of the Harvard Business School will deliver the Foundation Day Lecture on, ‘Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire’, on the 50th Foundation Day of IIM Bangalore, on 28 October. The day will also feature the IIMB Director’s special address. Other highlights include ‘Suvarna Sangeet’ – a grand music presentation by IIMB’s PGP alumna and noted classical vocalist Manasi Prasad and her troupe later on the same day. A Hindi play titled, ‘Gagan Damama Bajyo’ will be presented by the troupe ‘TheatreNama’, on 29 October, written by actor-playwright-poet Piyush Mishra and directed by Aashish Rana. The celebrations also include scholarship awards, achievement awards, felicitation of former employees, Staff Recreation Club (SRC) prize distribution, cultural programmes, quiz, alumni-led events and more.