A bag pack, a white shirt, black trousers, a tie and a conscience full of expectations; that’s how I walked into ‘Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies’ on my first day. Ever since the first day, I was assured that this college is all about tradition and protocol. It is this fierce nurturing of values that sets apart Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. When it comes to tradition, JBIMS is second to none! And rightly so; when you have 52 years of legacy prodding you, ‘Tradition’ is the least you can expect.
Our college life started with interactions with some of the who’s who of the Indian industry and we were an enraptured audience while they reminisced about their days at JBIMS. The day started out with us addressing the professors respectfully in class and ended up with sharing Chai with them in our canteen! We are always in college, sharing ideas, discussing things, having philosophical discussions on life and intense discussions about the business model of the Idliwala who serves Idlis just around the corner. We were taught to mingle with and learn from our classmates right from day one. Our classes start from any time around 7 AM onwards but we are enthusiastic to go even at dawn. JBIMS has a culture of fostering opinions and encouraging individuality. This culture has been brought about by professors who are CEOs and who want us to engage with them without holding back. It is always a two-way street at JBIMS, open to communication for one and all. In a very informal, yet professional setting, we have met our idols and been inspired.
To be faced with real life challenges and case studies from day one of our course was intimidating. But it was a journey of self-discovery and elegant solutions. Coming from academia focused backgrounds, it was refreshing to be dunked in practical realities.
There is so much to do at JBIMS! We have committees and clubs for everything from Lecture scheduling to Infrastructure. They give us a platform to develop our soft skills and work as a team. Managing submissions and activities by the clubs; competitions to be fought fiercely and conferences at 5 star Hotels have all become a way of life. Being in the business hub of India, we can always go to markets and businesses to see in action the theories we learn. We have visited the bazaars of old Mumbai and Malls in most upscale of areas in search of answers for assignments. Watching movies at the behest of professors and contacting consulates for individual projects has shaped us.
In my first year, our support system and go to guides were our mentors from the second year. JBIMS has a tradition of assigning mentors from the senior batch based on profiles. We, as juniors, learnt the ropes from these mentors. JBIMS is all about friendships and bonding. JBIMS is an institution which gives a treasure trove of knowledge and people.
I don’t know where the journey of self-actualization will lead me to – I don’t really think about it too much – maybe because I know that I am in good hands.
Which ABG Company would you like to work for and why?
I would love to be a part of the Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited. I am interested in marketing and I believe being a brand manager for either of the big retail brands would do wonders for me wherein I can do justice to the brand as well.