IIM Bangalore began the new session for its one-year full-time Executive Post Graduate Programme (EPGP) batch on May 6, 2020. The inaugural function for students was held online for students. The first term of the course will be held online. The first term of the PGPEM first year, which begins today, will also be online.
"This is the era of sustainability, responsibility, and how we give back to society. It is time we shift from a traditional form of learning to innovative learning. We should be adaptive to change, share knowledge, and be courageous to fight the odds," said Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, who was chief guest at the inauguration ceremony.
Addressing the new batch and sharing insightful lessons, Preetha Reddy said one had to be courageous and ready to face the odds. "Organisations have to be passionate and pioneering. Observing the tough times due to the widespread epidemic, continuous change will be the new normal from now on. We must be resilient, be able to see opportunities in crisis and reinvent ourselves. As participants of the world of business, we must equip ourselves to deal with its VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) characteristics."
Rajat Mathur, Principal at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and EPGP alumnus, in his special address to the batch, shared his experience as a former student and explained how the programme would help them turn into future leaders. "As you transition from a professional to a student, you may have to unlearn and innovatively relearn some lessons with an open mind. Create competitive advantage for yourself by identifying your differentiating skills and play on them to step up. Leverage your strengths and skills and collaborate with your classmates to solve organisational problems. Do not let biases from your past affect your learning. As a leader, you will be projected as an epitome of ethics. You not only represent yourself, but the brand too," he explained.
The inauguration of the Class of EPGP 2020-21 took place in the presence of Prof. G. Raghuram, Director, IIMB, Prof. Abhoy K Ojha, Dean of Academic Programmes, Prof. R Narayanaswamy, Chair, EPGP, Prof. Ashis Mishra, Chair, Admissions & Financial Aid, Prof. K Kumar, Dean, Alumni Relations & Development, and a few faculty members.
A total of 73 students have joined IIM Bangalore's EPGP this year from various educational and professional backgrounds, hence forming a cohort with diversity. Prof. Ashis Mishra, Chair, Admissions, IIMB, noted that female students constitute 10% of the batch and 85% students come from engineering background.
The average work experience of the batch is 7 years, with minimum experience of 5 years and a maximum of 11 years and majority of the professionals come from the private sector followed by public sector, government, and NGOs
The manufacturing sector (14 students) dominates the current cohort. The rest are from Engineering (12), Energy (12), IT Products/Services (11), Banking/Finance (4), Defence/Embedded Systems (2), Chemicals/Fertilisers (1), and other industries (17).
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