Alumni Service Award 2026
Giving back, building connections: Nityanand Shenoy and Ganesan Ramachandran receive Alumni Service Award 2026
The relationship between an institution and its alumni is built over time, shaped not only by professional accomplishments but also by the commitment of graduates who continue to give back. Whether through strengthening alumni networks, creating opportunities for students or supporting the institution’s larger ambitions, their contributions help sustain a community across generations.
Recognising this enduring spirit of service, IIM Bangalore has selected two graduates of its Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) for the Alumni Service Award (ASA) 2026: Nityanand Shenoy (PGP 1987) and Ganesan Ramachandran (PGP 1994). The award acknowledges their significant and sustained contributions to the Institute, the IIMB Alumni Association (IIMBAA) and the wider alumni community.
Instituted in 2023 as part of IIMB’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Alumni Service Award recognises alumni whose voluntary efforts have strengthened the Institute’s alumni ecosystem. As Prof. Vasanti Srinivasan, Dean, Alumni Relations and Development, noted during the ceremony, the award was conceived to recognise contributions that go beyond professional achievement — the work of alumni who act as ambassadors and advocates for the Institute and its community.
The 2026 recipients represent two distinct but equally important dimensions of this commitment: building and sustaining a vibrant alumni network, and deepening the relationship between the Institute, industry and its students.
Nityanand Shenoy (PGP 1987): Building a connected alumni community
For generations of IIMB alumni in Mumbai, Nityanand Shenoy has been a familiar and dependable presence. His nearly 15 years of service on the Executive Council of the Mumbai Chapter of IIMBAA helped transform it into a vibrant network of approximately 1,000 alumni.
Shenoy began his career at Godrej & Boyce before moving to Johnson & Johnson, where he held several leadership positions. He later led PRS Permacel as Managing Director and President, guiding the business through its acquisition by San Neng Ban and its subsequent integration with Grindwell Norton. Following his retirement, he pursued further qualifications in coaching, counselling and psychology. He now devotes time to mentoring underprivileged children, counselling young adults and providing pro bono leadership coaching to non-profit organisations.
His association with IIMB’s alumni activities dates back to his graduation in 1987, but his active involvement in rebuilding the Mumbai Chapter gathered momentum around 2010, when the association was struggling. Recalling that period during his acceptance speech, Shenoy spoke of joining a small group of fellow alumni to revive the Chapter and restore its activities. Over the years, the effort went beyond organising meetings and events. It involved putting in place sound financial management, building a stable leadership team and establishing processes that would allow the association to function independently.
Today, he believes, the Chapter has reached a stage where its systems and activities are sufficiently established for it to run almost on its own, with a younger generation of alumni stepping in to take it forward. His commitment to the community was also reflected in his personal participation in the Chapter’s annual Anusmarans, having attended 14 of its 15 editions.
Shenoy also played an important role in the early editions of IIMBue, the Institute’s flagship alumni festival, securing sponsorships and mobilising alumni participation. His involvement extended to alumni engagement and governance-related initiatives, helping strengthen the foundations of the association.
Accepting the award, Shenoy spoke warmly of the identity, professional growth and lifelong friendships that IIMB had given him. He recalled how his batch of around 90 students had formed close bonds that have endured over the decades. The friendships, he said, were among the most lasting gifts of his time at the Institute.
For him, giving back was never about recognition. It was a responsibility arising from what the institution had given him. He encouraged fellow alumni to contribute in whatever way they could and expressed the aspiration of seeing IIMBAA become one of the country’s strongest alumni associations. He also pledged to continue supporting its growth.
Ganesan Ramachandran (PGP 1994): Creating opportunities through industry engagement
Ganesan Ramachandran, Managing Director at Accenture Global Capability Network, has strengthened IIMB’s engagement with industry through a sustained partnership between the Institute and Accenture.
With more than 30 years of experience spanning the automotive sector, entrepreneurship and strategy consulting, Ramachandran has built expertise in digital transformation, supply chain strategy and technology-led business transformation. Since joining Accenture Strategy and Consulting in 2008, he has advised clients across industries on business transformation and operating models. At Accenture Global Capability Network, he leads supply chain and engineering capabilities.
His contribution to IIMB has been particularly visible in campus recruitment and student engagement. He has been a key anchor in Accenture’s campus recruitment efforts, with the organisation hiring more than 100 IIMB students each year. Beyond recruitment, he has consistently made himself available for leadership talks, career counselling, student mentoring, industry interactions and company visits.
His engagement also extends to international student exchange programmes and management programmes for defence officers at IIMB, broadening the scope of the Institute’s industry connect and learning opportunities.
During his acceptance speech, Ramachandran reflected on the new identity that IIMB had given him when he joined the Institute nearly three decades ago. He described his continued engagement as the way he knew best to contribute to the institution.
He was quick, however, to point out that Accenture’s recruitment of IIMB students was not simply an act of giving back by an alumnus. It reflected the quality of the students and faculty at the Institute. He credited the academic environment and the calibre of IIMB’s graduates for the organisation’s continued engagement, while acknowledging Accenture’s support in enabling him to contribute to the Institute.
He also thanked his batchmates, several of whom were present at the ceremony, for their enduring friendships and encouragement, and acknowledged his organisation for giving him the freedom to support initiatives that benefit the larger community.
Looking ahead, Ramachandran called for greater collaboration between industry and academic institutions. He emphasised that even institutions at the top must continue to reinvent themselves, and expressed his happiness at being part of that journey with IIMB.
A culture of giving back
The Alumni Service Award recognises contributions that are often made quietly, over many years, without the expectation of formal acknowledgement. In introducing the award, Prof. Srinivasan highlighted the importance of continuity of engagement, the scale and impact of contributions to alumni networks, and the extent to which recipients embody the values of the Institute.
The experiences of Shenoy and Ramachandran bring these qualities to life. One helped rebuild an alumni chapter and establish systems that will sustain it for years to come; the other has used his professional position to create opportunities for students and strengthen institutional partnerships.
Their stories also offer a reminder that giving back need not take a single form. It can mean showing up, making connections, opening doors, mentoring the next generation or building institutions that can outlast individual contributions.
For IIMB, the Alumni Service Award is not merely a recognition of past service. It is an invitation to the wider alumni community to carry that spirit forward.
