Speaking about the importance of the day, he said, "Convocation is "shifting the orbit" and beginning a new phase of life for the participants of our programmes."
Sharing the achievements of IIM Indore during the year 2007-2008, Dr Parashar said, "I am glad to inform you that the year 2007-08 will go in the history of IIM Indore as a year of transformation and consolidation. Our position has consolidated in terms of faculty strength, long term programs, MDP and In-company programs, research, consultancy, societal image and ranking. The transformation this year has focused on strengthening quality of teaching and training programs."
He added, "Quality in management education, as you know, is truly a function of infrastructure, inputs and processes adopted in the matters of teaching, training, research, consulting and governance."
During the year, IIM-I offered six long-term programs. These Programs are: 2- year PGP, 18- month EPGP, 6-month Program for Defence Officers, 12-month BBB-Gen management Program, 12-month BBB- Sales and Marketing Program and 4- year FPM.
Dr Parashar said that IIM-I has consolidated the batch size of flagship program, PGP, at 180, just over two years. Further, the size will go up to 240 from July 2008 session; and we are aiming to raise it to 300 from July 2009.
In his speech, Dr Parashar also announced that from April, 2008, IIM-I will be adding two new BBB programs, namely -- 12-month Family Owned Businesses and Entrepreneurship Program; and 12-month Retail Management Program.
Talking about rapid expansion in the MDP area, Dr Parashar said, "This year our MDPs and In-company programs would total up 120, compared with 65 last year, and just 6, in not too distant past ie during 2004-05. The number of participants in these programs this year increased by more than 100%, from 1134 last year to more than 2300 this year. The gross revenue grew by 200% from Rs 1.25 crore last years to Rs 4.0 crore this year. From executive education, overall, IIM Indore generated gross revenue of 12.38 crore compared to 4.5 crore last year, and the net revenue of 6.0 crore compared to 2.5 crore last year. That is almost 150% growth both in terms of gross and net revenue."
IIM-I also has a strong orientation towards society. Said Dr Parashar, "In a country like India where Below Poverty Line (BPL) population constitute nothing less than 30%, social orientation among our people, and more so among our youth, our future leaders, is not only nice but critically needed. The program of study at IIM Indore places strong emphasis on societal orientation. Society, Business and Management
(SBM) is a compulsory course for PGP students. As part of the SBM course this year, each of the participants had a oneweek internship with an NGO or the CSR wing of a corporate entity." Some of the organisations to which students were attached include Helpage India, Kolkata; Helen Keller Institute for the Visually Impaired, Vanayur, Kerala; Laxmi Organic Industries Limited, Raigadh, Maharashtra; Durgapur Steel Plant, CSR Department and several others.
During the academic year 2007-08 Institute has signed following 4 International Exchange Program.
Highlighting institutes initiatives to establish more connect with industry, Dr Parashar informed that some of the leading guest speakers at the institute this year include Mr. Phillip Holland, Chairman, My Own Business Inc., USA; Mr. Kishore Biyani, MD, Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited and the Group Chief Exe. Officer, Future Group; Mr. Paresh Choudhary, Head Corporate Communication, Hindustan Lever Ltd; Mr. K.G. Anantkrishnan, Managing Director, Fulford India Ltd, and several others.
Ending his address on a buoyant note, Dr Parashar said, "We consider ourselves the fastest growing business school of India and aim to be among the world's foremost business schools in the next 5 years. Please permit us a bit of arrogance, if it so sounded. But we assure you that our feet are and shall remain on the ground."
