IIM-B’s business festival, Vista - 2011, kicked off on a perfect note, with the the-me ‘Be the Change’ which is sequential to its yester-year’s theme of ‘Scripting the Future’. And who else could have been better than stalwarts like N S Ramaswamy, a Padma Bhushan awardee, and founder director of IIM-B, who himself had witnessed change for more than four score years; Jayaprakash Narayan, a perfect example of an ace bureaucrat turning politician representing democracy to the core; and Bhaskar Bhat, MD of Titan Industries from the house of the Tatas, which has a legacy of 143 years?
The ambience was set by Ramaswamy with ‘Asato ma sadgamaya’ and students embracing it with all the discipline. Calling the fest a platform to discuss the ideas which are free of bias, free from any ideological han-g-ups and bringing valuable change that can be sensed all over the world (citing turmoil, unrest, uprisings all over the world), Pankaj Chandra, Director, IIMB, opened the floor for the eminent guests.
Bringing the industry perspective to the word ‘Change’, Bhat voiced innovation means the change and said, “Managers can scale up an industry. But only leaders can shape the industry.” And encouraged students should not just be the change, but drive the change. Narayan explained every business needs innovation; first create need and then products to meet the need and scaling profits. “This is not wrong. But ask one question if the product or service we are selling, does it have a ‘multiplier effect’ on the person who is consuming it?” There are many such things which can be done adding value to lives of people and still earn profits, he added. And advised students to look for such opportunities.
Students waited eagerly for the old man’s turn to come and there was a laugh riot and a spontaneous applause broke out when Ramaswamy took the stage and amused the students with his experience across the ‘n’ number of things he encountered throughout his life.
The ‘Cartman’ (he heads an NGO Cartman which aims to foster culture, philosophy, spirituality and concepts drawn from ancient thoughts) asked students to add ethics, morals, philosophy, music, dance, fasting, prayer, culture, yoga to their curricula and bring change and value addition to every living being.
After the power-packed and insightful speeches for a non-stop two hours, the students seemed to nod in agreement and promised to drive the change and add value to society.
