The Department of Management, Amritapuri (Kollam), inaugurated its 10th Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, on June 11, 2018. The event was called “Shubharambh” (an auspicious beginning).
Sampoojya Swami Amritageetanda Puri, a senior disciple of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Chancellor Sri Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), and the Head of Mata Amritandamayi Math, Bengaluru, presented the benedictory address to the students. The chief guest of the ceremony was Mr. Raja Ray, Director KPMG Global Delivery Centre, Kochi. Prof A. R.G. Menon, Head Student Affairs, Amritapuri campus, presided over the program.
The ceremony began with an auspicious lamp-lighting by the dignitaries followed by a recital of prayer by the second year MBA students. Prof. Rajiv Nair, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Amritapuri, delivered the welcome address in which he remarked about the need for developing strong foundations and the importance of having values.
Dr. V. S. Somanath, Dean of Amrita School of Business and Chairperson, Department of Management, Amritapuri, sent a very warm welcome message, in the form of an audio to the students, from the United States. In his address, Dr. Somanath stressed the importance of three crucial skills in the era of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics: cognitive ability and emotional intelligence, diverse thinking approaches and the ability to collaborate all the while stressing on our values. The Dean also pointed out the value of students having a humility-based mindset to deal with challenges, both in learning and personal life, as they transform and grow.
Sampoojya Swami Amritageetanda Puri, in his insightful address, mentioned the stories of Swami Vivekananda and the relevance of epics like Ramayana to future managers. Swamiji also pointed out that Amma is the epitome of a perfect manager, and brought out the fact that the true meaning of Amrita is “to awaken awareness”.
Mr. Raja Ray, in his address, explained the offshore business model of KPMG Delivery Centre and how it helps the US audit firm. Mr. Raja Ray pointed out the fact that at KPMG people are treated as the biggest asset and they focus upon the three Es: Energize, Empower and Execute. He brought in anecdotes from his personal life and touched upon the changing scenarios in audit, vouchering and innovation with the advent of technology.
Prof. A. R. G. Menon spoke on the relevance of time management and discipline for students in order for them to excel in their lives. He stated that the MBA programme has some of the most disciplined students he has interacted with. Mr. Maheshwar Pratap, Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Amritapuri, who along with his team, heralded the entire admission process, delivered the vote of thanks. After the ceremony, Swamiji distributed Prasad to students, parents, staff and faculty members and offered his blessings.
An active alumni interaction was followed in which the alumni addressed various concerns by the students and urged them to reach out for any kind of support. Mr. Haridas (2009 batch and Amritapuri MBA Alumni President), Center Director, Trivandrum, Bayada Home Healthcare, USA; Ms. Surabhi (2011 batch) working with TCS and Mr. Sreerag (2012 batch) working with Amrita TBI, interacted and shared their experiences of the journey with the audience. The alumni interaction was followed by an activity where the students were asked to identify their mentors as a group and take a selfie. The group who took the shortest time was declared winners. The activity saw students actively seeking out their group members and talking to faculty members while enjoying and interacting with everyone.
Followed by a sumptuous lunch, Prof. Jithesh, Senior Manager, Learning and Development, The Directorate of Corporate & Industry Relations (CIR) at Amrita, took the students through the various Corporate and Industry Relations activities at Amrita. The day’s proceedings were concluded with a talk on ‘Introduction to Post Graduate Program (PGP)’ by Prof. Rajiv Nair. The end of the inauguration ceremony marked the beginning of another journey for the students of two years filled with fun, learning and growth as they transform from students to managers.
