At IIM Raipur, We Live Like A Close-Knit Joint Family

By IIM Raipur

I was sitting in my home watching some daily soap on TV with my family. My eyes were definitely there on the TV but something else was running through my mind. I had left my job for some mediocre b-school. I was confused, perplexed, frightened. I kept on asking the same question to myself, "Have I already taken the worst decision of my life?" And then my phone buzzed…

I got a mail from IIM Raipur offering admission. IIM Raipur had chosen me. And that very moment I knew that I was going to take the best decision of my life-Getting into IIM Raipur, the best thing ever happened to me in my academic career. A fortnight later I had already set foot on what was going to be the most thrilling journey ever.

I entered the Campus with a baggage of thoughts with some nuances and rumours further fuelling it. All the hype about the lack of infrastructure and facilities that an IIM should possess further made me uncomfortable. Moving to the new campus was the only ray of hope that I and my batchmates could see. But, yes there is always a but…I have been here for 20 days now and I am already in love with this campus. In fact, now the thought of moving to the new campus intimidates me!

One building is only what you can see from the outside. But as one enters inside- their opens the magical gateway to the temple of infinite knowledge, an unending array of opportunities and unlimited fun! All the academic-related facilities are on par with any of the established IIMs. But where would you get a facility wherein the dining hall is 40 metres away, the fitness centre is 20 metres away and the academic block is right above you! The best thing is that you can still make it to the class at 9.30am even if you get up at 9.15!

The pre-conceived notion of the lack of infrastructure is, on the contrary, what makes this institute unique and gives an added advantage that no other institute possess. Networking, bonding, friendships, be it professional or personal is the one thing that you will be taking away from here in heaps. We live here like a close knit joint family. Here …“You will never walk alone”…even to the washroom!!!

Facilities: you name it, we have it! Gym-yes, we have not one but two…one open and one closed! Cricket ground-yes! Football ground-yes! Basketball court, volleyball court, badminton court, table tennis?—yes yes yes yes we have it all. Surprised? Shocked? You ought to be!!!

The girls and the boy's hostel dorms are in the same building, though on separate floors. So you can definitely see the love of your life around all the time! At the same time, it’s strictly prohibited for the boys to enter the girl's floor…so you can only see her standing 20 metres above you. But we have a solution for that as well. There is this area inside the campus around the building where you can walk all night long! The only drawback is you won’t get the time!

Yes, we do lack the privacy that one needs! But who needs privacy when you are surrounded by your family members!

Which Aditya Birla Group division would you want to work for, and why?

I would like to work with UltraTech Cement Limited. Today, Cement industry is one of the fastest growing industry in a developing nation like India and there is a lot of potential and opportunities waiting ahead. But with great opportunities and a blooming market, the risk from the competitors increases tenfold. To sustain the competitive advantage and to continuously capture the part of value creation, it is very important to focus on business strategies. So I would like to be part of team that decides the strategies for the business to always stay ahead!

Abhishek is a first-year student at IIM Raipur