“Professionalism, Punctuality, Passion and Perseverance should be the core values, every professional swears by.”

These were the words of Subhash Kakarla , the Founder and CEO of Phoenix Global, a gold medallist alumnus of IIM Ranchi and a recipient of AsiaOne’s 40 Under 40 award. IIM Ranchi has been the breeding ground of many such entrepreneurial ventures. An incubator personified. IIM Ranchi has not only been a successful recipient of academic awards and accolades but has produced leaders who pass on the flame that is management education. Leaders who want to bring about a change to the world we all live in, one venture at a time.

In this article, I document some of these entrepreneurial stories and try to to break down what is in the soil of IIM Ranchi that creates such exemplary and inspiring leaders. IIM Ranchi can be attributed to the successes of ventures that range from upskilling students (of engineering and management) to being equipped professionals- Phoenix Global , to creating ideas that contribute to the political world - P-Marq, an online election prediction tool. 4Sight 250 is another such example of an idea that makes life easy for us , intelligently. It creates short and crisp analysis of the business news focussing on pillars like Market Dynamics, Competitor Research, Company and Revenue-Risks . Kare.In, Onbikes and Sastik are other such gems to be created by IIM Ranchi Alumni.

Every business success was an entrepreneurial venture first but with the right funding , mentorship and strategies, some took off and hundreds failed. Apple, Microsoft, AirBNB , Uber, Facebook, Instagram and more indigenously Nykaa, PopXO, Cred, Myntra , Oyo have set a precedent for the world of dreamers and believers. What is it then , about IIM Ranchi , that helps it provide students with the attitude to take over the world? When I asked Subash this question ,he humbly replied: “ My friends at college, my seniors, juniors and everyone else around me , was my voice of reason when I used to simmer with ideas. Notably Ayush and Manikanta , my juniors helped me structure my thoughts and gave me the motivation to take the challenge head on. But without the esteemed faculty , who were always ready to make me go back to the basics and strengthen my line of reasoning, Phoenix Global couldn’t have been where it is today.”

While talking to him , I realised , an entrepreneur needs to think 10 steps ahead of an average Joe to anticipate problems and changes needed in the society. Phoenix Global was borne out of a need to highlight the importance of adding structure and method to management education. It got direction when Subash thought that simply doing a course could only take a student so far. Equipping them with live courses from the right set of industry professionals and making sure they apply their skills to the real world was a much needed next step to the chain of online upskilling.

So it is safe to say that the Khelgaon Hostel has seen as many brainstorming sessions to find the right problems to solve, as it has seen students share smiles, hardships and exam stresses.The faculty, the peer group and the facilities have been the right catalyst for students to go ahead and follow their heart.

Lastly, a word out there to all budding entrepreneurs from Subash; “ You will see successes and people sharing in on them, the failures will make you feel lost and lonely , but those are the moments of illumination that help you recork, adjust the sails and choose on a better direction to take with your idea.”

Arsheen Kaur Chugh

IIM Ranchi- The Simmering Pot Of Entrepreneurs