Alumni Reunions

The Batch of 1998 Celebrates Silver Jubilee Reunion

When the silver jubilee batch of the Indian Institute of Management has to celebrate its silver Jubilee reunion, it has to be the Golden Jubilee year of the Institute. Isn’t it? Mathematically, yes. But the PGP 98 batch decided to transcend conventional mathematics and leapfrog into Platinum standard for the batches to come, in terms of grandeur and by making it a memorable event.

The preparation for the reunion had started several months back – right from booking rooms at the Institute, the invitation to fellow batchmates, follow-ups, coordination calls, drawing up a detailed schedule, fundraising…right up to deciding what soup and side dishes to order.

But, the reality of reunion struck us, only when batchmates started posting pictures of their boarding the flight and arriving at the Institute and hugging other friends. In a way, Christmas arrived a tad early in 2023, 22nd December, to be precise. By late noon, eighty batchmates from various parts of the globe had made MDC at the campus, their temporary home.

Since no icebreaking was needed, thanks to being in touch over social media, we used the time to marvel at the new additions and facilities added to the campus since we left. It looked a little more crowded, but the enchanting greenery remained the same.

The batch decided to drink from the fountain of everlasting youth and challenged themselves to a cricket match, which ended up in an exciting last-ball victory. The victorious team was lustily cheered, while they were busy nursing their bruises and aching shoulders.

The fountain seemed especially potent and, therefore, we all went to Uru microbrewery to shake our legs, pull legs, sing, and relive our old golden days. Late evening, we retired to MDC, very reluctantly, to nurse our sore legs and aching shoulders.

But, while we slept, the Alumni Association and the Institute horticulture department decorated the designated classroom with fresh flowers. When we assembled on the 23rd morning, we were pleasantly surprised. We had a round of discussion on our learnings in life and what we plan to do in future. We were later joined by

Director Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, and Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean of Alumni Relations and Development, briefed us about the developments, initiatives, and plans – especially the new campus. It was very satisfying to know that the Institute is growing in stature and shall surely be one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world, in the coming decade.

The batch had taken a new initiative of inviting not only the Professors who taught us but also key non-teaching staff viz. PGP admin head, placement head and our mess in charge. We were greatly touched to receive Prof M R Rao, our Ex-Director, and sixteen other Professors who kindly consented to and travelled all the way to the Institute. We were honoured in honouring them with shawls, flower bouquets, books and handmade ‘Thank You’ cards. During our few hours with them, we shared anecdotes, had hearty laughs, posed for group photos and had lunch together at MDC Gardens. It was an afternoon we would cherish and which would bring smiles on our lips for a long time to come.

A sumptuous lunch was followed by batch presentations on fundraising, after which we assembled for the evening party at MDC Lawns. Under the decorative lights and high-quality sound system, we spent endless hours talking, batch presentations, catwalks, stand-up comedy and singing.

In another first, our batch came out with a batch video album, produced entirely by the batch, which narrated our experience at the Institute and life thereafter, through songs sung by batchmates. It came out very well and was much liked by the batch.

The dinner waited for us endlessly, as we all felt satiated. After dinner and collecting our copies of our group photos, some of us headed to the L square at hostel blocks to join the Christmas Eve party with the current batch, while others decided to have a Karaoke session at the MDC.

When the night was giving way to dawn, very reluctantly, we started leaving for the airport, rail stations and our respective homes in Bangalore, carrying sweet memories.

We thank IIMB and our Alumni Office for their support and for making our stay so comfortable and memorable.

(This article was penned by Pashupati Davella, PGP 1998)

Alumni Reunions at IIMB: A Heartwarming Celebration of Memories and Insights

Alumni from various batches gathered at IIMB for a series of reunions, feeling nostalgic as they reconnect and reminisce about their time at the institute. Accompanied by their families, they added to the warmth of the gatherings. Director Rishikesha T Krishnan, Dean of Alumni Relations & Development Prof Sourav Mukherji, and Head of Alumni Relations Mr. Utanka Sarma warmly welcomed the alumni. Informative sessions provided updates on recent developments at IIMB, alumni relations, and ongoing development activities. Alumni also shared insights and suggestions, fostering a sense of community and aiming to benefit both current students and fellow alumni.