India needs dynamic leadership from youth

India is passing through exciting times and an era of intellectual capital wherein the youth have a very significant and leading role to play, Anil Ambani, vice-chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited, said here on Saturday.

Addressing the graduation ceremony of the third batch of students (Class of 2004) of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Ambani said the country which was on its way to becoming an economic superpower was in need of dynamic leadership from the youth.

Dwelling into his personal life and the inspiring role of his father Dhirubhai Ambani, he said leadership was exhibited in setting examples and attracting others to emulate the same. Stating that the right attitude was key to success in an organisational set-up, he advised the students to grow to command respect rather than demand it.

Sharing his association with the ISB, Ambani said the institution would not have become a reality but for the efforts of two persons "" founder-dean Rajat Gupta and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. However, he said he believed that "unless you have a special relationship with God, not too many individuals in their lifetime can have opportunities to create a world-class institution like the ISB".

Earlier, Ambani began his speech on a humourous note, saying, "I reverse the instructions given to you at the beginning of the programme. Switch on your mobiles... I have a business to take care of."

He urged the ISB to encourage more women students and create a way for women to take leadership roles in the corporate world.

Rajat Gupta, senior partner at McKinsey & Co and chairman of ISB, asked the fresh graduates not only to strive for success but make others around them successful as well. He laid thrust on safeguarding values, saying one should live by them. He also advised them to develop great equanimity and not be carried away by success or disheartened by failure.

Dipak Jain, dean of Kellogg School of Management, said: "Kellogg is committed to making the ISB a world-class institution. I am very pleased to see the remarkable progress the ISB has made in just three years." Kellogg is one of the ISB's partner schools -- the graduation certificates are co-signed by the deans of the ISB, Kellogg and Wharton.

Vijay Mahajan, dean of ISB, in his welcome address explained the achievements of ISB. "The ISB is poised for great things. Our students are exceptional "" their talents have been well appreciated by the corporate world, and we have had yet another outstanding placements season." The meeting also paid rich tributes to Sumantra Ghoshal who was the visiting faculty at the ISB.

ISB Scholars of Excellence were presented to two students "" Karthik Jayaram and Tejaswy Mohanram ""for their consistent and exceptional academic achievement. The Sumantra Ghoshal award for excellence in strategy and leadership and change management, instituted by Ghoshal himself last year, was presented to a student, Santhosh Bandireddi, who excelled in two courses -- corporate strategy and management of organisations.

Earlier, the ISB announced the winners of ISB Professor of the Year awards. Jagmohan S Raju of the Wharton School was given the award for the core courses, while N R Prabhala of University of Maryland was honoured for the elective courses.

ISB is now preparing to welcome the Class of 2005 on April 17.