Choosing IIM Kashipur is no doubt my wisest decision to date. When I first joined the institute, I had my doubts. Did I make the right choice? Will I be able to compete with the brightest minds in the country? But, as the days passed by, I felt myself evolving, I could feel the change in me, and I was able to perform more than my limit. Then I realized, IIM Kashipur has embraced me.
Let’s talk about IIM Kashipur, the IIM in the North. Located in the Industrial Belt of Rudrapur, it is surrounded by many prominent industrial establishments with likes of Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto Limited, Nestle India, Ashok Leyland, Parle Agro, Dabur India Limited, and Micromax. It allows budding future managers to have more hands-on experience.
It was in the month of May that I got calls from IIM Kashipur and other new IIMs and I found myself in a dilemma over which one to choose. Finally, I selected IIM Kashipur. After a lot of thought process, I gave importance to following factors to take a decision.
A campus is often considered majestic when the buildings are glorious, the facilities exhaustive and the location prime. My definition of a campus, however, tends to be different. The true beauty of it all is not in the red brick buildings laid out in perfection, or the meticulously laid out facilities; they are only material symbols of who we are. This does not define us! Yes, we do have 13 Bloomberg terminals and yes, we undeniably possess an enormous digital library that is nothing short of world class and without a doubt, we live in one of the best hostels, however, we are not unique in this way!
“Indian Institute of Management” or in short IIM needs no introduction, the name speaks for its own. There is a notion that if you do not have an MBA degree from IIM then you are also one among many other people having an engineering degree hoping for a bright future; more like a pushover.
To answer this, we need to turn this question around on its head. What makes a campus unique? Is it the facilities? Is it the environment? Or is it the people you inhibit the campus with?
Having spent my childhood at the foothills of Himalaya dissecting India and Bhutan I was always intrigued by the natural beauty aof my countryside and also the amalgamation of people of varied ethnicity. The rural upbringing exposed me to the various cultures, languages and I was very much fascinated to be in the midst of this cultural confluence. I enjoyed my childhood celebrating not only Durga Puja, but Bihu too, along with Danda Puja, Bathow ritual, the Nepali culture, the traditions of Rabhas, Sautal, Oriya, the Bhojpuri way of life, their foods amongst many. I also had the opportunity to learn Bodo, Nepali, Rabha, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Nagpuri just by mingling with my childhood friends. But the quest of making a career drove me to cities where the cultural integrity is diluted because of modernization.
It’s been more than a year since I joined IIM Kashipur. The drive from Delhi to Kashipur is still very much intact in my memory. The wait and earnest longingness to be in the place, which is going to be your abode for the next two years can really make one impatient. It was no different for me. Situated in the midst of nature, engulfed by greenery is IIM Kashipur.
