Sustainable Shillong

Being a photographer, some part of heart always wanted to go to IIM Shillong. And from the day I arrived here, there's not one moment where I didn't appreciate its beauty. But that's not what impressed me the most here. Being one of the top B-school's is one good part. The other is that, IIM Shillong from its very inception has envisioned a self-sustaining a society that enhances the basic principles and value system of symbiotic living. IIM Shillong doesn't just say it, but follows it. We had one week of course on sustainability where we were taught its basic concepts. Through the week, we were taught to interrogate the understandings of basic tenets of life and living with the principles and practices of sustainable development. The effect of the concept of sustainability in various sectors of finance, marketing and operations were taught. Maybe classroom learning is something that even the other B-schools do. But course ended with a trip to a nearby forest. That was one of the most peaceful trips I ever had. Mawphlang forest is one of the biggest sacred forests of the world. We spent around two hours in the forest knowing about the different species of plants inside. The natural beauty that sustainability has kept with the forest was beautiful. The fact that not even a single tree was cut for more than 800 years, is a live example of sustainability. We went for a short trip inside the forest and then went for a trek nearby. That trek is something that changed our view about sustainability. Being a photographer, I always admired nature's beauty. But this time, I was feeling peaceful and happy for it. The view of the green valley inside the clouds was the most beautiful thing I ever saw. Walking through the valley, feeling the clouds on our face and the slight showers every now and then, every moment is memorable. The importance of sustainability then sunk into us. We didn't even get the thought of throwing any garbage there, as we usually do everywhere else. More than the fun we had, the realization we got, played more on ourselves. That will remain as one of the most memorable moments of my life.

Which ABG company would you want to work for and why?

I want to work for Hindalco Industries, a subsidiary of the Aditya Birla Group. It is an Aluminium and Copper manufacturing company. I graduated as a Metallurgical and Materials Engineer from VNIT, Nagpur. So, right from my graduation, I had an interest in the sector of materials and their research. Being an MBA graduate and using my graduation skills would give me a strong hold in this field. My interest in the field will motivate me to work and perform better. So, Hindalco Industries is one of my target companies for my future.

Dinesh Reddy PGP 1st Year IIM Shillong