XLRI Holds 60th Annual Convocation on 2nd April, 2016

The momentous occasion of 60th Annual Convocation of XLRI- Xavier School of Management was celebrated on 2nd April 2016 with great zeal. Students donned their graduation hats and gowns and received their medals and certificates in the presence of Mr. T. V. Narendran, Chairman, Board of Governors at XLRI & MD - Tata Steel India and South East Asia, Fr. E Abraham S.J., Director of XLRI, Dr. Pranabesh Ray, Dean, Academics at XLRI and other dignitaries.

On this significant day, 587 XLRI students received their graduating certificates and medals including – 361 students of Postgraduate Programmes in Management - BM and HRM of batch 2014-16; 119 students of 2015 batch of 15-months PGDM (General Management) Programme; 20 students of Fellow Program in Management (FPM) from Jamshedpur Campus and 70 students of 2013–16 batch of PGDM-BM Programme (Part Time). This year, the second batch of the 2014-16 batch of the Global MBA Programme launched by XLRI in partnership with Weatherhead School of Management, USA and School of Economics & Management of Tongji University Shanghai, China also received their graduating certificates.17 Indian students will be awarded the certificates and medals from their home school - XLRI and a joint certification from the 3-schools’ consortium at the Convocation.

Congratulating the students on their graduation day, Mr. T. V. Narendran, Chairman, Board of Governors at XLRI said, “I encourage you to develop a habit of lifelong learning so that you continue to be an asset to your organisation and the society at large. Always remember to serve the society around you with compassion, honesty, and integrity.”

Inspiring the students to be good leaders, Mr. Narendran said in his Presidential address, “The spirit of XLRI lies in the line – ‘For The Greater Good’. So as you go forth using your capability, hard work you do and the opportunities you have, do not forget there is a greater good out there to which you can contribute in a big way.”

He further added, “I am delighted to be part of the 60th Annual Convocation of XLRI. XLRI not only lays emphasis on high-quality, management-centric education but also focuses on inculcating values and skill-sets required to become responsible corporate citizens. It is this emphasis on becoming a well-rounded individual that sets XLRI apart from other business schools in the country. The institution has always helped mould and assist students to become thoughtful and fine human beings.”

In continuation of forty-seven years tradition, XLRI conferred the prestigious ‘Sir Jehangir Ghandy Medal for Social and Industrial Peace’ on Dr. Sunil Kant Munjal, Jt. Managing Director of Hero MotoCorp & Chairman, Hero Corporate Services Pvt. Ltd.

Accepting the medal Dr. Munjal said, “I humbly accept this great honour. This recognition is not mined alone; this is due to thousands of people within our organisations and those working with the organization.” He dedicated the medal to his father late B M Munjal, who incidentally was the recipient of the same award about sixteen years ago.

He congratulated the students and inspired them to be good leaders, “Leadership will make all the differences,” he commented.

Delivering the Convocation Speech to the graduating students, he said, “We are a nation on the move. We are building new infrastructures and projects in India. We know that what was seen for a long time as India’s liability, which is a large number of people; is now being called our demographic dividend. It is also true that we can only bring alive this dividend if we train, skill and educate all the people; and that would be a powerful nation.”

Emphasizing on the need of entrepreneurship in his address, he said, “In India, we keep talking about jobs. But the jobs would not come from the existing enterprises. Large enterprises worldwide do not create new jobs after the first four –five or ten years; it is the small, mid-size enterprises which create jobs. It is highly needed to actively encourage more entrepreneurship and leadership which is actively willing to take a risk and grow. For us, it is absolutely important that our economy grows.”

Addressing the students Fr. E Abraham S.J., Director of XLRI said, “I would like to take this opportunity to express my most sincere congratulations to our 587 students who are graduating today. This is the largest batch that XLRI has ever had. “As you move on to the next phase of your work-life journey, strive to live the kind of life that XLRI envisions us to live – to be leaders who contribute their mite to their respective organisations and also have a sensitive social conscience.”