A memorable classroom experience at IIM Trichy
“You have two years ahead of you. Either you can ‘relax’ and time shall pass till the day you earn the degree, or you can ‘stretch’, push your limits and make the two years an experience. Now you may choose.” This was the concluding statement of our professor for Marketing Management when he wrapped up the course in Term 1 a year ago. His words instantly stroke my natural desire to thrive and not just survive. As Maya Angelou says, “Surviving is important, but thriving is elegant.” Yes, at IIM Trichy one gets to learn this lasting spirit to thrive in any season which makes it unique.
Having secured an admission to a ‘new IIM’ was a matter of pride and responsibility to me. Pride, a natural consequence of the fact that IIM is a coveted name in the management field and a learner’s dream for the immense platform it is. Responsibility, a thoughtful consequence of the fact that my school is in its early growth stage, like an ambitious start up and every student is a promotor who will earn supernormal returns just as in the initial phase of a growing company. Leadership is set. Now where does the capital come from?
It comes from the contagious ambition of IIM Trichy to become 5 in 5 (being in the Top 5 within the next 5 years). This ambition has streamlined to all of us here visible tangibly in our state of the art campus, awards and competitions won including CFA Research Challenge, War room(finalists), Yes Bank Transformation Series etc. It is intangibly felt in everyone who belongs to IIM Trichy including the staff, faculty (as evident from the Professor’s words above) and students. Yes, there is capability. Now, where is the incentive to thrive?
It comes from the newness of our Institute. Being in an 8-year-old school, we get to partake in this growth story in multiple ways. From setting up clubs and committees, designing our flagship management events like Nishtha and Dhruva, clearing the hurdles of securing facilities like sports complex to the beautification of the campus and nearby localities, we ‘stretch’ our frontiers each passing day. There are hurdles at the onset. For instance, being part of Finvest (the finance and Investment Club), I and the team organised the first Management Conclave in February 2017. Our Director Sir instructed us to raise sponsorship externally. It was a difficult task considering the small-town Trichy is. However, we organised a mall campaign with few family events and games and raised 1.25 lakh over a weekend. Hence, every challenge manifest itself as an opportunity here. And we, the students, rightly identify these as our way to thrive not just survive.
We believe that enabling others (community, traditions, workplace) to thrive is equally fulfilling. Hence, we have community welfare built into the system and the curriculum. Students undertake sustainable development projects during their second year as part of Make A Difference. The projects completed includes Waste Management Methods, Post-Cochlear Implant guide and securing FSSAI registration for SHGs.
As the saying goes “a smooth sea never makes a great sailor”, we overcome the disadvantages of being new by vociferously using the external opportunities available to us. These include the professional affiliations our students secure like CFA, International Student Exchange, case competitions we take part and the mega events we conduct like the Sunburn, Management Conclaves among others. We consume the diversity and business practices that exist beyond the borders through the courses like International Business Practices where students work on-shore in foreign companies implementing the recent corporate developments. Thereby, we chase all options available to us across the globe creating “Brand IIM Trichy” synonymous to “Brand I”- when we partake in this growth story, we get equipped to handle tasks, simple or complex, effectively and collectively.
With this dichotomy of being outstanding yet new serves the whole purpose of an MBA. We are always alert, converting challenges to opportunities and thereby creating value- the very essence of business. Because we not just survive, we thrive despite odds. Hence, my school is unique for the culture it teaches above the facilities and luxury it gives us. THE FUTURE BEGINS HERE.
Which Aditya Birla Company will you want to work for and why?
I want to work in the projects of Aditya Birla Finance as it is the common ground that gives positive synergy to me and the company. Here, I would like to leverage my previous experience working in the markets and corporate banking divisions of RBS where I handled cash management products for corporate. As a banker, I understand the thrift that financial awareness and discipline can bring to a common man and business at large. AB Finance will be a versatile platform to learn and deploy the nuances of creating this thrift.
This article is written by Maria Manaza Yesudas - Class of 2019.