“Education is not just about going to school and getting a degree. It’s about widening your knowledge and absorbing the truth about life.”
− Celebrated mathematician Shakuntala Devi
This is what the Seminar Series of the one-year MBA, the Executive Post Graduate Program in Management (EPGP) at IIM Bangalore, is all about. On 17th May, 2019, the 2019-20 batch of EPGP set the ball rolling for the Seminar Series and who better, they decided, than an alumnus to begin this journey with.
Ajith Pai, Chief Operating Officer, Delhivery, and an alumnus of IIMB, from the Class of 2008, presented an insightful session on e-commerce logistics, technology and data science application in supply chain management and the way Delhivery is capturing and creating value for its customers in this space.
What made this interaction more meaningful was the knowledge of challenges that a logistics management organization goes through, especially in terms of its geographical and cultural context. Mr. Pai also demonstrated how machine learning is creating disruptive innovations in the field of logistics management and how its use is aiding in solving logistical problems, specific to the Indian context. The 76-strong EPGP class engaged enthusiastically throughout the session with Mr. Pai, asking questions pertinent to the current policies, regulations, market scenarios and future prospects in the sector.
The legacy of the business school is also strengthened by the leaders it has shaped over the years of its existence. Having someone reach such high a stature and then return to his/ her alma mater to share the knowledge and experience they have acquired, instills a sense of pride and motivation.
This EPGP seminar was the first step towards a holistic learning approach that the institute has facilitated. While it provides a platform for understanding the current corporate contexts, it also presents students with an opportunity to delve into areas beyond business contexts.
Debapriya Majumdar is a current student of EPGP 2019-20 at IIM Bangalore. After graduating as Power Plant Engineer from National Power Training Institute (E.R.), she worked at Thermax Ltd. as a proposal engineer for international sales and proposals of Thermal Power Plants and then at Siemens Ltd., as project execution engineer. Her hobbies include reading; her favourite authors being Leo Tolstoy, Rabindranath Tagore and Mitch Albom, and performing classical dance – Bharatanatyam.