Alumni News

IIMB Thanks

Harsh Mariwala, Founder and Chairman of Marico Limited

Mr Mariwala instituted a chair in the institute in the field of Innovation and Leadership with the objective of advancement of Research and Training. The chair is titled “Ram Charan Chair”.
We are happy to share his message here:

Innovation continues to be an essential catalyst and a critical driver for economic growth, especially for emerging economies like India. Many leading and ‘future-ready’ organizations are now focusing on an enabling culture and a reward-and-recognition mechanism to drive innovation. A lot of successful legacy organizations are fostering an innovation-based culture and have ‘institutionalized’ innovation within the organization and among the stakeholders. Start-ups in India are creating a vibrant ecosystem for innovation to thrive.

We believe that education and research play a major role in driving innovation in society. This is where institutions like IIM Bangalore can contribute significantly to the cause.  With the larger aim of advancement of Research and Teaching in the areas of innovation and leadership, we instituted the Ram Charan Chair at IIMB in 2021. I am sure with our combined vision of fuelling innovation and leadership, the Ram Charan Chair will contribute immensely to enriching management education and driving innovation capability amongst Indian organizations.”

Dinesh Khanna and Deeptha Khanna, PGP Class of 1998

Dinesh and Deeptha Khanna have contributed towards the IIMB golden jubilee and in recognition of this contribution, an IIMB classroom is named “Kumar Khanna classroom”. We share their message here: 

It is no exaggeration to say that IIM Bangalore changed our lives. For young 20-plus-year-olds growing up in military families, the institute opened up a world of business and opportunity that we had no understanding of. IIMB equipped us with core skills – analytical rigor, clarity in communication, strong strategic constructs, how to collaborate and work effectively in organizations… and even while we didn’t realize it then, the muscle memory of this rigor helped us in every step of our careers. But IIM Bangalore is special to us for more than expected. It is also where we met, 26 years ago, and where our respective parents met as we graduated. This is where our very own Two States story was written. It is to honor the profound impact IIMB has had – not just on us, but on our two families as well — that we were delighted to offer a contribution in the name of our parents. We are thrilled with IIMB’s commitment to expanding its platform to reach and shape even more lives. Congratulations and thank you.” 


IIMB Alumni to Head Execeutive Education Department at IIM Bangalore

Mr. Parthasarathy S, PGP 1994, will lead the Executive Education Department at IIMB beginning in January 2023. He was previously the Head of IIM Bangalore Alumni Relations Office.

Mr. Parthasarathy said “Since EEP makes a substantial contribution to IIMB’s top line, my key priorities are to reinforce current procedures that have gotten us to where we are now and accelerate development through innovation. As we prepare to commemorate IIMB’s Golden Jubilee this year, we’ll aim to establish IIMB as the organisation that working executives turn to for leadership in the field of management education.

In this endeavour, I look forward to lean on our alumni to help us meet our objectives. As the former Head of Alumni Relations, I have seen first hand the immense warmth of our alums for their alma mater and the willingness to contribute to the growth of IIMB.”


Meta has named Vikas Purohit as its new Head of Global Business Group in India

Vikas Purohit has been named the new director of Global Business Group in India for Facebook parent company Meta. The vertical, which targets the biggest advertisers and agency partners in the nation, will be led by the former CEO of Tata CLiQ.

Arun Srinivas, director and head of ads business for Meta in India, said: “I am happy to welcome Vikas as he joins our team to shape the role that Meta platforms can play in enabling companies, supporting India’s economic growth, and expanding the country’s digital advertising ecosystem.”

According to Meta, Purohit will report to Srinivas and will be supported by the major business vertical teams, agency teams, and business solutions teams of the company.


IIMB Alumni joins as academic director for ISB

Dr. Mayank Mathur, PGSEM 2010, has joined ISB as an Academic Director effective Dec 2022. Dr. Mathur has 22 years of extensive expertise in the field of information technology. He has also instructed courses on strategic management, operations strategy, data mining, and strategic analytics at several institutions.

We wish Dr. Mathur many congratulations.


IIMB Alumnus Sunil Nataraj scales Mount Everest

He ascended 8849 meters / 8.8 kilometers above sea level. To put things into perspective, a standard Airbus A320 travels at around the same altitude.

To be able to conquer worries and cherish every breath we take sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Many congratulations.


IIMB Alumni on Shark Tank Season 2

Second season of Shark Tank India, telecasting on SonyLiv has seen some dynamic ventures this season. Among these were IIMB Alumni led ventures Flatheads and Atypical Advantage.

“All my inboxes are filled. It has been an uproar of love and support. I never expected it to happen in my wildest dream. I don’t know what to say,” says Flatheads owner Ganesh Balakrishnan.

Recently, Ganesh appeared on Shark Tank India 2, where he pitched his business and ultimately won viewers over with his honest story. The billionaire said he would take a vacation, find work to help support his household, and then reassess his company strategies. Ganesh ended up sobbing as he shared his low points with the “sharks,” which made him an accessible figure for many.

Vineet Saraiwala, Founder Atypical Advantage said, “I can only be grateful to all Sharks for showing so much love & warmth for Atypical Advantage & wanted to say , “ I Love you all with my deepest reverence ”. I had gone to Shark Tank not to represent my company or represent that community which has been one of the most marginalised but only & only because this cause of livelihood requires that perspective ( nazariya ) which is greater than anybody of us. In fact my pitch clearly states that my vision is to make our company Atypical Advantage obsolete when we reach a stage when everybody gets equal opportunities. Let’s together work towards that Inclusive world.”


IIMB Mobile App

IIMB has launched an e-calendar for 2023 on the Institute’s mobile app. We encourage you to download the IIMB app and block your calendar for all the exciting events in the months that follow, such as the IMR Doctoral Conference in early February.

Download the IIMB app on Andriod or iOS here: https://onelink.to/ep5j62