Last Updated on September 21, 2026
MBAUniverse.com News Desk
Mr Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO of Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) and an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, was conferred the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award (IMC DAA) 2026 at the Valedictory Session of the 16th Indian Management Conclave on 19 September 2026, at the IIM Lucknow Noida Campus. The award was presented by Dr Amit Agnihotri, Founder & Chair, Indian Management Conclave, and Dr Satyabhusan Dash, Dean, Noida Campus, IIM Lucknow, in the presence of Dr Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University. In his acceptance address, Mr Garg reflected with gratitude on the role of management education in his journey, on India’s artificial intelligence opportunity, and on what management education must become in the age of AI. Later, in a conversation with Dr Agnihotri, he reflected on his leadership journey and offered advice for the next generation of managers. Read this article for key highlights from his address, official citation, and the legacy of the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award.
KEY THEMES FROM MR TARUN GARG’S ADDRESS
Mr Garg is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor India Limited and the first Indian to lead the company since its inception in 1996. Under his stewardship, HMIL achieved its highest-ever sales for three consecutive years, delivered record profits and secured industry-leading EBITDA margins. He was also the chief orchestrator of HMIL’s landmark Initial Public Offering, the largest in the history of the Indian equity markets.
Mr Tarun Garg was nominated for the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award 2026 by Dr M. P. Gupta, Director, IIM Lucknow, and his colleagues, including Dr Satyabhusan Dash, Dean, Noida Campus, IIM Lucknow, and Dr Vikas Srivastava, Professor of Finance and Dean (Programmes) and Member of the Board (2022-25).
In his acceptance address, Mr Garg reflected on gratitude, on India’s AI opportunity, and management education for the age of AI.
1. Gratitude, not achievement, at the heart of leadership
Mr Garg opened not with a record of accomplishments but with a reflection on gratitude, to the institution that shaped him, the teachers who challenged his assumptions, the mentors who trusted him, the colleagues and teams who strengthened him, and his family. He recalled entering IIM Lucknow more than three decades ago and quickly realising he was surrounded by people equally bright and often more articulate. Those two rigorous years, he said, built discipline in how he approached problems, humility in how he engaged with strong minds, and the confidence to make quick decisions, alongside a lifelong habit of learning.
Accepting the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award 2026, Mr Tarun Garg said: “This award may carry my name, but the journey behind it has never been mine alone.”
2. India’s AI opportunity: “Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India”
Placing India at the centre of the global AI moment, Mr Garg pointed to the IndiaAI Mission, with an allocation of over ₹10,300 crore and advanced GPUs being deployed to expand access to computing infrastructure. He noted that around six million people are employed in India’s technology and AI ecosystem, projected to cross $280 billion in revenue this year, with AI expected to add approximately $1.7 trillion to the economy by 2035. He recalled the AI Impact Summit hosted in New Delhi and the “Seven Chakras” framework for translating potential into scale: economic development and social good, safety and trust, social inclusion, resilience and innovation, democratised access, stronger scientific research, and human capital at the centre of it all.
Placing India at the centre of the global AI moment, Mr Garg observed: “Technology creates value only when people understand and apply it well.”
3. The enterprise AI journey in three stages
For businesses, Mr Garg described an AI journey unfolding in three stages. The first is efficiency: AI helping teams analyse information, improve forecasts, prepare drafts and complete routine work faster, with the time saved reinvested in customers, innovation and problem-solving. The second is intelligent automation, where repetitive activities are streamlined and managers receive timely insights, but only after the underlying process has been examined. The third is intelligent co-working, where people and AI complement each other, AI bringing speed, scale and pattern recognition, and people contributing context, creativity, empathy, ethical reasoning and accountability. His central caution to managers was that AI strategy must always begin with business strategy. He urged leaders to start every AI initiative with a single question, what problem are we trying to solve, and to measure progress not by the number of tools adopted but by better customer experience, stronger quality, faster decisions, higher productivity and improved business outcomes.
Cautioning managers against automating a flawed process, he remarked: “If a process is poorly designed, AI may simply help us perform the wrong activity faster.”
4. What remains distinctly human
Even as AI advances, Mr Garg was clear about where enduring human advantage lies. AI may outperform people in speed, scale and pattern recognition, he argued, but originality, authenticity, passion, empathy and a positive attitude will remain distinctly human strengths. The task for leaders is to leverage the technology without becoming dependent on it: to let AI support judgement, expand capability and sharpen decisions, while people continue to provide the purpose, responsibility and leadership that drive growth.
Offering leadership lessons at the IMC 2026 Valedictory Session, Mr Tarun Garg remarked: “AI may outperform us in speed, scale, and pattern recognition, but originality, authenticity, passion, empathy, and a positive attitude will remain distinctly human strengths.”
5. Reimagining management education and assessment
Turning to management education, Mr Garg argued that the learning curve of institutions must remain steeper than the rate of change. If students can use AI to analyse a case, build a model or prepare a presentation, then assessment must increasingly examine the thinking behind the output: how the problem was framed, which sources were trusted, what assumptions were challenged, what alternatives were considered, and where the student demonstrated independent judgement. AI literacy, he said, must extend well beyond prompting to include model limitations, potential bias, responsible data use, confidentiality, governance, human oversight and accountability. From his own experience, he observed that AI models can sometimes reinforce a user’s initial thinking rather than test it rigorously, which is why he urged students and faculty alike to ask sharper questions, seek opposing views and probe for what may be missing.
On the future of management education, he added: “The quality of an AI-generated solution will often depend on the quality of human curiosity behind it.”
IN CONVERSATION WITH DR AMIT AGNIHOTRI
Following the address, Mr Garg responded to wide range of questions by Dr Agnihotri covering the choices and competencies behind a career that has taken him from a first assignment out of IIM Lucknow to the leadership of one of India’s largest automakers. The exchange offered candid, practical guidance for MBA graduates and B-schools alike.
Dr Amit Agnihotri (AA): Congratulations on receiving the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award 2026! What factors defined your early career success after graduating from IIM Lucknow?
Mr Tarun Garg (TG): Thank you for the recognition. It really means a lot to me.
Four things mattered most in those early years. Hard work: there is no shortcut, and I put in the hours to learn my function deeply. Proactivity: I did not wait to be told, I looked for problems to solve and volunteered for them. Communication: I learned to express my ideas clearly and to listen even more carefully. And trust-building: I delivered on what I promised, consistently, until my word became something colleagues and seniors could rely on. These competencies helped me a lot in my early career and built a foundation for my leadership journey.
AA: B-schools focus a lot on teaching domain knowledge. What role does it play in success as a manager and a leader?
TG: In my view, Domain Knowledge is hygiene. It is the minimum threshold you must clear simply to be in the room. Once you have it, your people skills begin to matter far more.
The real differentiator is the ability to derive insight from domain knowledge. Insight is a very powerful tool: it is what turns information into strategy, and strategy into business success. A manager who can read the numbers is useful; a manager who can see what the numbers mean, and act on it, becomes indispensable.
AA: In the later part of your career, what were the key competencies that put you on top?
TG: There are many areas on which a leader must deliver. But, two areas have been critical to my success. First, there is no substitute for hard work, even at the top. I continue to be among the first to reach the office and one of the last to leave, because leadership is not an exemption from effort, it is a heightened responsibility for it. Second, empathy with every stakeholder is key. Whether it is employees, dealers, customers, suppliers or investors, the ability to understand what each one needs, and to act with genuine concern for them, is what holds an organisation together and earns its trust over the long term.
AA: What are your recommendations for MBA graduates to prepare for future?
TG: Beyond domain knowledge and people skills, I would urge every MBA graduate to work consciously on Executive Presence. In a corporate role, you are being judged every single minute: in how you carry yourself, how you speak, how you handle pressure, and how you make others feel in your presence. It is not about being loud or flashy; it is about clarity, composure, credibility and the quiet confidence that makes people want to follow you. Your career progress will depend on it as much as on any technical skill, so invest in it early, seek honest feedback, and refine it continuously.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CITATION
Reading the official citation, Dr Amit Agnihotri traced Mr Garg’s journey and its significance for Indian management education. The citation records that Mr Garg is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor India Limited and the first Indian to lead the company since its inception in 1996. Under his stewardship, HMIL achieved its highest-ever sales for three consecutive years, delivered record profits and secured industry-leading EBITDA margins. He was also the chief orchestrator of HMIL’s landmark Initial Public Offering, the largest in the history of the Indian equity markets.
The citation notes that Mr Garg is now steering HMIL’s next phase of growth, powered by future-ready mobility, customer-centric innovation and the guiding vision of “Make in India, Made for the World,” including the commissioning of a new plant and the introduction of a host of new products. It highlights his “People First” leadership, built on empathy, collaboration and empowerment, and his commitment to communities beyond business. Before HMIL, he built an illustrious career at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, joining as a Management Trainee and rising steadily through the ranks, a journey the citation describes as embodying how Indian management education opens the door to leading global companies.
The citation captures its spirit in the opening line: “The true measure of a great business school lies in the leaders it sends out into the world.” The citation was signed by Dr M. P. Gupta, Director, IIM Lucknow, and Dr Amit Agnihotri, Founder & Chair, IMC, on behalf of the entire management education fraternity.
THE IMC DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD: LEGACY & PAST HONOUREES
Instituted in 2015, the IMC Distinguished Alumni Award (IMC DAA) is presented each year to outstanding business leaders who graduated from Indian business schools and have gone on to make a significant impact on business and society. The award reflects a simple conviction: the success of B-school alumni is the best representation of the value of MBA education. It is conferred at the Conclave by the Vice-Chancellor or Director of the host institution together with the Chair of IMC, in the presence of academic leaders from India’s leading institutions. Representative honourees include:
| Awardee | Position | Alma Mater |
|---|---|---|
| Shri Rajesh Agrawal | Commerce Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India | IIFT Delhi |
| Mr Ravi Kumar S | Global CEO, Cognizant | XIM Bhubaneswar |
| Mr K K Natarajan | Co-founder, Mindtree | XLRI Jamshedpur |
| Mr Neeraj Kakkar | Founder, Hector Beverages (Paper Boat) | MDI Gurgaon |
| Mr R S Sodhi | Former Managing Director, GCMMF (AMUL) | IRMA |
| Mr Ajay Kapur | CEO, Cement Business, Adani Cement | K J Somaiya, Mumbai |
Mr Tarun Garg now joins this distinguished roll of honour. The award is part of the wider legacy of the Indian Management Conclave itself. Since 2010, IMC has been hosted by India’s most respected institutions, and has been graced by former Presidents of India Late Shri Pranab Mukherjee and Shri Ram Nath Kovind as Chief Guests. Over the years it has brought global management thinkers such as Dr Henry Mintzberg and Dr Srikant Datar to Indian audiences, alongside leading Indian business figures including Mr R. C. Bhargava, Chairman of Maruti Suzuki, and Mr Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico.
Read key highlights of IMC 2026, only on MBAUniverse.com, India’s No.1 MBA portal:
