798 students graduate with 8 winning gold medals at the 50th Convocation of IIMB
PhD scholar receives awards for excellence in research
28 March, 2025, Bengaluru: “The future is faster than you think and the world’s biggest problems are its biggest opportunities as well. And we can solve the biggest challenges with the help of technology, at the same time being aware of its impact on life and society” said Chief Guest Dr. S. Somanath, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Professor and Former Chairman, ISRO, during his special address at IIM Bangalore’s Convocation ceremony, this evening.
IIMB hosted its 50th Convocation on 28th March 2025. Degrees were awarded to the students of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme and the MBA programmes – the Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) and Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). Students of the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM) received the Master of Management Studies (Public Policy) degree, while some received the Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Management. One PhD scholar received awards for excellence in research, while gold medals were awarded for Best All Round Performance, First Rank and Second Rank.
A total of 798 students from various programmes graduated, this evening. The programme-wise details are as follows: 18 Doctoral Programme (PhD) students; 80 from Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM); 82 from Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP); 72 from Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA), 529 from the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and 13 from the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM). In PGPPM, while 10 students received the PGPPM degree, three received the diploma.
The students graduated from the prestigious institution this year in the presence of the Chief Guest, the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Board Members, Director, Deans, faculty, alumni and staff of the Institute, being cheered by their proud families all the way.
Gold medallists and PhD award winner: This year, a total of eight students have won gold medals, which includes one student winning two medals. Moreover, a PhD scholar received two awards for excellence in research.
In the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) 2023-2025, Manthan Dhabriya is the first rank holder, while Ritvik Sandip Saraf is the second rank holder.
Paritosh Ashutosh Sharma is the Gold Medallist for Best All Round Performance for Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2023-2025 combined.
For the Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2023-2025, Faiz Alam is the first rank holder.
In Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) 2024-2025, Parth Tiwari is the first rank holder and Siddharth Pujari is the Best All Round Performer.
In Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM) 2023-2025, Naveen Rathani is the First Rank Holder as well as the Best All Round Performer.
In the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM), Avais Patwegar has won the gold medal for Best Academic Performance.
The Institute Research Award was won by Ashish Singh Bhandari, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student of the Production & Operations Management (POM) area of the graduating batch. He is also the winner of the inaugural Professor Prakash G. Apte Research Award. The ‘Professor Prakash G. Apte Memorial Endowment Fund’ has been initiated by Alok Apte, son of Late Professor Apte, and his well-wishers. These two awards seek to inspire the school’s Doctoral students to achieve greater heights in terms of research quality and productivity.
Chief Guest’s address
Dr. S. Somanath, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Professor and Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), based his talk on the technological evolution as we see it today and its impact on life and society. “The future is faster than you think and the world’s biggest problems are its biggest opportunities as well.” He went on to list some of the top-most disruptions brought about by technology. “Technological evolution is now global and exponential, with sensors, AI, robotics, virtual reality, blockchain, etc. With all these, we are reinventing the business model.”
He also forecasted emerging technologies that are likely to play significant roles in the future. “In the coming years, a robot may replace other devices, becoming very powerful by translating command to actions. Digital connectivity and computational power will surely increase. Scarcity will give way to abundance - in terms of power, water, healthcare, learning, resources, expertise, etc. We see poverty and famine already coming down. Connectivity between people and everything else will increase; AI and humans will collaborate; research domain will broaden; there will be advanced diagnostics, plus sensory perception of human beings will be enhanced. Other domains of work to face disruptions include digital medicine, electrical mobility, technology with low carbon footprint, green hydrogen initiatives, quantum sensing, sun powered chemistry, biomedical interventions, and more.”
Talking about the impact of such disruption, he pointed out that the rate of population increase is coming down. “This may benefit developing nations, but not so in the case of developed ones, as knowledge and skill transfer will face a challenge. Nations will also face migration issue, climate change burden, economic disparity affecting employment, leading to revolt within societies creating disturbances for states and governments. Institutions will weaken, new democracies may emerge. There will be challenges of great nature for which we do not have the answer. We can only solve all these challenges by working with technology. As a country we are still adopting technology, whereas we should be actually creating the same. For that we need more institutions working towards creating professionals who can work for the cause. I wish you all become leaders who help make this transition in the years to come.”
Chairperson’s message
Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, while sharing his message, commended the Institute for its initiatives on sustainability, inclusivity as well as nation building, apart from academics and research. He made mention of IIMB’s collaborations with leading national and global organizations which play a significant role in enhancing the Institute’s reputation. He also highlighted IIMB’s achievements in terms of placements and the Institute’s position in prestigious national as well as global rankings, adding, “The ability of IIM Bangalore to adapt to the changing times has been a key factor in keeping its MBA programmes among the world’s best, as reflected in top rankings, both nationally and globally.”
Dr. Devi Shetty wished the graduating students every success and congratulated them on the range of their achievements, both as students and as alumni. “A word of advice on this very important day of yours. You are a privileged lot to be graduating from one of the top B-schools in the world, and this may facilitate the first phase of your careers. Just like it is very easy for children of film stars to bag the first film. But remember, only through sheer hard work will you be able to sustain that success.”
Pointing out that the ability of technology to change the world is overestimated in the short run and underestimated in the long run, he advised, “AI is important, but it is yet to be seen how much it will transform the world. You need to understand technology well, and gauge how much the estimated technological growth will actually materialize.”
Director’s address
Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, highlighted some of the achievements of the Institute as well as faculty, students and alumni, and shared details on IIMB’s programmes, centres, events, digital learning initiatives, the initiatives on internationalization, entrepreneurship, and more. He spoke about the newly established Global Centre of Excellence for Digital Public Goods and the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital, and their objectives. The recently set up IIMB Development Foundation which is aimed to boost the Institute’s fund-raising activities and the ‘Professor Prakash G. Apte Memorial Endowment Fund’, initiated earlier this year by Mr. Alok Apte, son of Late Professor Apte to recognize excellence in research, also found mention in his address.
Prof. RT Krishnan also thanked the Central Government and the Government of Karnataka for their continued support of the Institute in all its activities.
Wishing each student the very best on their journeys ahead as well as a life-long association with their alma mater, Prof. RT Krishnan said, “As you embark on your careers, please understand that organizations and their leaders need to up their game to handle the complexities of dynamic business and social environments. Although geopolitics is a challenging domain today, you are very well placed in terms of the high quality education you have received and the abundant opportunities on offer. Reposition yourself with continuous learning and retraining. You will face diverse challenges along the way; stay focused on creating solutions, retain your enthusiasm and please be mindful of your physical and mental wellbeing, and remain connected with friends and family.”
Click here for photo gallery
798 students graduate with 8 winning gold medals at the 50th Convocation of IIMB
PhD scholar receives awards for excellence in research
28 March, 2025, Bengaluru: “The future is faster than you think and the world’s biggest problems are its biggest opportunities as well. And we can solve the biggest challenges with the help of technology, at the same time being aware of its impact on life and society” said Chief Guest Dr. S. Somanath, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Professor and Former Chairman, ISRO, during his special address at IIM Bangalore’s Convocation ceremony, this evening.
IIMB hosted its 50th Convocation on 28th March 2025. Degrees were awarded to the students of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme and the MBA programmes – the Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM), Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP), Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) and Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP). Students of the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM) received the Master of Management Studies (Public Policy) degree, while some received the Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Management. One PhD scholar received awards for excellence in research, while gold medals were awarded for Best All Round Performance, First Rank and Second Rank.
A total of 798 students from various programmes graduated, this evening. The programme-wise details are as follows: 18 Doctoral Programme (PhD) students; 80 from Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM); 82 from Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP); 72 from Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA), 529 from the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and 13 from the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM). In PGPPM, while 10 students received the PGPPM degree, three received the diploma.
The students graduated from the prestigious institution this year in the presence of the Chief Guest, the Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Board Members, Director, Deans, faculty, alumni and staff of the Institute, being cheered by their proud families all the way.
Gold medallists and PhD award winner: This year, a total of eight students have won gold medals, which includes one student winning two medals. Moreover, a PhD scholar received two awards for excellence in research.
In the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) 2023-2025, Manthan Dhabriya is the first rank holder, while Ritvik Sandip Saraf is the second rank holder.
Paritosh Ashutosh Sharma is the Gold Medallist for Best All Round Performance for Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) and Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2023-2025 combined.
For the Post Graduate Programme in Business Analytics (PGPBA) 2023-2025, Faiz Alam is the first rank holder.
In Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) 2024-2025, Parth Tiwari is the first rank holder and Siddharth Pujari is the Best All Round Performer.
In Post Graduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM) 2023-2025, Naveen Rathani is the First Rank Holder as well as the Best All Round Performer.
In the Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy and Management (PGPPM), Avais Patwegar has won the gold medal for Best Academic Performance.
The Institute Research Award was won by Ashish Singh Bhandari, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student of the Production & Operations Management (POM) area of the graduating batch. He is also the winner of the inaugural Professor Prakash G. Apte Research Award. The ‘Professor Prakash G. Apte Memorial Endowment Fund’ has been initiated by Alok Apte, son of Late Professor Apte, and his well-wishers. These two awards seek to inspire the school’s Doctoral students to achieve greater heights in terms of research quality and productivity.
Chief Guest’s address
Dr. S. Somanath, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai Professor and Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), based his talk on the technological evolution as we see it today and its impact on life and society. “The future is faster than you think and the world’s biggest problems are its biggest opportunities as well.” He went on to list some of the top-most disruptions brought about by technology. “Technological evolution is now global and exponential, with sensors, AI, robotics, virtual reality, blockchain, etc. With all these, we are reinventing the business model.”
He also forecasted emerging technologies that are likely to play significant roles in the future. “In the coming years, a robot may replace other devices, becoming very powerful by translating command to actions. Digital connectivity and computational power will surely increase. Scarcity will give way to abundance - in terms of power, water, healthcare, learning, resources, expertise, etc. We see poverty and famine already coming down. Connectivity between people and everything else will increase; AI and humans will collaborate; research domain will broaden; there will be advanced diagnostics, plus sensory perception of human beings will be enhanced. Other domains of work to face disruptions include digital medicine, electrical mobility, technology with low carbon footprint, green hydrogen initiatives, quantum sensing, sun powered chemistry, biomedical interventions, and more.”
Talking about the impact of such disruption, he pointed out that the rate of population increase is coming down. “This may benefit developing nations, but not so in the case of developed ones, as knowledge and skill transfer will face a challenge. Nations will also face migration issue, climate change burden, economic disparity affecting employment, leading to revolt within societies creating disturbances for states and governments. Institutions will weaken, new democracies may emerge. There will be challenges of great nature for which we do not have the answer. We can only solve all these challenges by working with technology. As a country we are still adopting technology, whereas we should be actually creating the same. For that we need more institutions working towards creating professionals who can work for the cause. I wish you all become leaders who help make this transition in the years to come.”
Chairperson’s message
Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairperson, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore, while sharing his message, commended the Institute for its initiatives on sustainability, inclusivity as well as nation building, apart from academics and research. He made mention of IIMB’s collaborations with leading national and global organizations which play a significant role in enhancing the Institute’s reputation. He also highlighted IIMB’s achievements in terms of placements and the Institute’s position in prestigious national as well as global rankings, adding, “The ability of IIM Bangalore to adapt to the changing times has been a key factor in keeping its MBA programmes among the world’s best, as reflected in top rankings, both nationally and globally.”
Dr. Devi Shetty wished the graduating students every success and congratulated them on the range of their achievements, both as students and as alumni. “A word of advice on this very important day of yours. You are a privileged lot to be graduating from one of the top B-schools in the world, and this may facilitate the first phase of your careers. Just like it is very easy for children of film stars to bag the first film. But remember, only through sheer hard work will you be able to sustain that success.”
Pointing out that the ability of technology to change the world is overestimated in the short run and underestimated in the long run, he advised, “AI is important, but it is yet to be seen how much it will transform the world. You need to understand technology well, and gauge how much the estimated technological growth will actually materialize.”
Director’s address
Professor Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore, highlighted some of the achievements of the Institute as well as faculty, students and alumni, and shared details on IIMB’s programmes, centres, events, digital learning initiatives, the initiatives on internationalization, entrepreneurship, and more. He spoke about the newly established Global Centre of Excellence for Digital Public Goods and the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital, and their objectives. The recently set up IIMB Development Foundation which is aimed to boost the Institute’s fund-raising activities and the ‘Professor Prakash G. Apte Memorial Endowment Fund’, initiated earlier this year by Mr. Alok Apte, son of Late Professor Apte to recognize excellence in research, also found mention in his address.
Prof. RT Krishnan also thanked the Central Government and the Government of Karnataka for their continued support of the Institute in all its activities.
Wishing each student the very best on their journeys ahead as well as a life-long association with their alma mater, Prof. RT Krishnan said, “As you embark on your careers, please understand that organizations and their leaders need to up their game to handle the complexities of dynamic business and social environments. Although geopolitics is a challenging domain today, you are very well placed in terms of the high quality education you have received and the abundant opportunities on offer. Reposition yourself with continuous learning and retraining. You will face diverse challenges along the way; stay focused on creating solutions, retain your enthusiasm and please be mindful of your physical and mental wellbeing, and remain connected with friends and family.”
Click here for photo gallery