My MBA Experience at IILM

An MBA is not merely a degree. It is not merely a course that allows us to gain an entry ticket into the world of corporate functioning and entrepreneurship. It is a pool of experience that we dip into time and again to gain valuable pearls of wisdom and insight.

My reflections may resonate with those who have graduated from the best MBA colleges in India.

Developing Business and Relationships:

Even as I embarked on my MBA journey in one of the top MBA institutes in Noida I was aware that I would be specializing in entrepreneurship. My greatest learning during my time at IILM, however, was developing relationships. Closely interacting with the faculty and business leaders was an eye-opener.

Add to this the fact that each one of my peers added to the wonderful network I was developing. While I did have some idea about the work of an entrepreneur, I was soaking in all the aspects of business development.

Career Growth:

My MBA experience at IILM, refined my views on career development. One of the greatest mistakes that our generation makes is to equate ambition with shortcuts to growth. Even for those who achieve a phenomenal amount of success in their careers in a relatively short time, life is never a bed of roses.

Setbacks, struggles, and an occasional failure are inevitable. Getting past career hurdles is something that I would not have learned without spending the time I did studying the nuanced lives of various industry leaders and pioneers during my MBA. The course equipped me with the skills that I require to get ahead in my career.

Personal Development:

The time I spent at IILM pursuing my MBA degree was not only a defining phase as far as my career goes but was also instrumental in shaping my own personality, my personal ambitions, and outlook. It taught me the value that we add to goods and services by way of our work is not defined by the profits we rake in, but by the difference we make to the lives of people across the globe.

From our stakeholders to colleagues, from those in need of our solutions to the common man of our nation – our dreams must necessarily be from the growth and development of everyone around us. Our growth lies not only in our own prosperity but in the growth of all the lives we touch.

My MBA experience at the IILM was an exceptional one that opened up numerous avenues for me to explore through my professional life. It also connected me with many brilliant people who had made their mark in the business world or set out on the wondrous journey with me.

4 Things I Learned at PRME 2018 Session on Impactful Innovations for Sustainable Development

For three eventful days, IILM, one of the best MBA colleges in India, was buzzing with the 5th International Conference on Resolution to Resolve: Sustainability Practices in Industry and Education. And what a spectacular learning experience it turned out to be.

Amongst its many plenary sessions, the most awaited one was on Innovation and Sustainable Competitive Advantage that was pegged for post-lunch on Day 2. The agenda revolved around expanding the scope of innovation to include not only creating something entirely new but coming up with novel ideas to solve existing problems in the society. Over 90 minutes, four experts shared their experience and their respective organization’s impactful innovations bringing about a positive sustainable change.

Here are the four lessons I learned after attending the same:

MBA colleges in India

Management and education are two different languages:

In her talk, Dr. Shalini Lal focused upon the challenge of understanding innovation at management institutions, and integrating it at every level with purpose. Dr. Lal also differentiated the two languages of management and education on various points, such as failure, which is often viewed negatively in management, while being conversely true in innovation labs.

“There need to be enough people at the highest levels of an organization who understand and are able to speak the language of innovation for them to be able to see potential in ideas that get generated,” she remarked.

Block-chain technology is the next big thing in sustainable development:

Mr. Ravi Chamria, CEO, Block Chain Enthusiast and Fintech Expert, was the next speaker in the session who enlightened the audience on the history of block-chain technology and Bitcoin, its components, and how his organization has used it as a game-changer for sustainable innovation in fields such as food supply chains and mining.

Commenting on the complete transparency and sustainability of a blockchain process in businesses, Mr. Chamria said, “Through a smart contract on the blockchain, it is ensured that whatever has been authorized through a sustainability certificate, it is being adhered to.”

The purpose of every business should be innovation

 Next, Mr. Ravi Bhatnagar, Head External Affairs & Partnerships, Reckitt Benckiser, spoke about the various collaborations of his firm with the UN and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the various innovations that the company has introduced, like the Rexbot AI for queries on sexual health or Augmented Reality for delivering education. Another interesting topic which he touched upon was the need to encourage B-school and PGDM students to come up with innovations of their own, something which Reckitt Benckiser’s Mavericks Challenge does by creating an innovation pipeline and platform for the brightest management minds of the country.

“If we are not purpose-led, and if we are not thinking about innovation and sustainable competitive advantage, there are good chances of failure. The purpose should come before business. If you are not investing in the future, which is the next 10 years, in terms of your consumers, it will be too late,” he concluded.

Sustainable development from the perspective of work-life balance:

The final speaker at the session was Prof Holger Briel, Dean, Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University, China, who discussed the concepts of co-living and co-working spaces and read his paper on the findings of both practices in Europe and India. Interestingly, Prof Briel was not an endorser of the practices as he called for inclusion of employee happiness as an important factor in the sustainability of businesses and organizations. Towards the end, he gave three recommendations at a personal, organizational and government level that can enable organizations and individuals to create perfect work-life balance.

To sum up, the future of management and organizations is intricately tied to innovation which takes into account sustainable development goals set by the UN. For aspiring students of business, this was a great lesson in the importance of sustainability and the need to think out of the box.