E- Induction At IIM Sambalpur

Our inaugural address and keynote speech were delivered by the Chief Guest Mr. Guru Prasad Mohapatra, IAS, Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), a dignitary from the Government of India, and Mr. Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India & South Asia respectively and they gave us an idea about how important these two years are going to be for us. Seeing them made me understand how good education is important to reach heights in career and how our prestigious institute is going to help us in molding our life into a much higher standard than ever imagined.

All of these were accompanied by team building and induction week activities coordinated by the 2nd years for different clubs and committees, which were, in the long run, making us industry-ready. Apart from going virtual and digital in all aspects of our life, our “New Normal” now included preparatory activities till early dawn and college classes from the morning. Sleeping 4-5 hours a day became a luxury, and the constant hustle-bustle made us realize that getting into this IIM might be the first step in our road to success, but we have a long way to go to become successful.

They say that the strongest of swords are forged in the hottest of fires, and our IIM Sambalpur follows the same. Apart from the IIM Brand, flashy salaries offered at the end of the program, our institute provides much more than what meets the eye. Here you are molded, skills are honed, and to sum up, here, not only managers are recruited, but leaders are built who are ready to face any challenges that life may throw at them.

Over the next days of the induction week, we were introduced to several fields by venerated academicians and also shown sneak-peeks of the industry by several industry leaders. All of these were also accompanied by several team-building exercises in the evening and how much trust is going to be necessary for working in and with a team. It was an experience that one could never explain in mere words. Towards the end of this induction week, I felt happy with one realization, that I have gained one more family, the IIM Sambalpur family. Being the 6th batch of this institute, we are the torch-bearers and flag wavers of this institute, and we will help it achieve its full glory. At the end of this 7-day program, when I was going to bed and was getting mentally prepared for the classes to start the next day, I saw an image getting gradually clearer on the canvas of my imagination. It was a little boy with big dreams proudly scratching big golden letters on the walls of my heart – “I made it to IIM Sambalpur now”!

Kaustav Das Gupta
IIM Sambalpur (MBA Batch 2020-22)