IIM-A puts proposal to change the logo on hold

Ahmedabad: The decision to change the logo of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) has been put on hold, the chairperson of the premier institute’s board of governors said on Wednesday

Ahmedabad: The decision to change the logo of Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIMA) has been put on hold, the chairperson of the premier institute’s board of governors said on Wednesday.

The institute’s faculty, alumni and at least two former directors have opposed the new logo. (HT File)

“We have decided to put the proposal for a new logo design of the institute in abeyance. A further decision on this will be taken after wider consultation by the IIMA director,” said the board’s chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla while speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of IIMA’s 57th annual convocation on Wednesday.

The institute had earlier said that the new logo design will be unveiled in June. “This decision has been put on hold,” said Birla. The BoG had met on Wednesday ahead of the convocation ceremony in Ahmedabad.

The institute’s faculty, alumni and at least two former directors have opposed the new logo.

The present logo was adopted in 1961 when the institute was set up. It has a motif of ‘tree of life’, inspired by the carved stone latticework grille of the16th century Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. The logo also has the Sanskrit verse “Vidya Viniyogadvikasa (development through the distribution or application of knowledge)”.

The convocation ceremony on Wednesday was held on the lawns of the famed Louis Kahn Plaza, the venue for all IIMA convocations since 1974. Notably, this was the first convocation ceremony to be held on campus after a gap of two years owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nykaa.com founder and CEO Falguni Nayar, who is an IIMA alumna, was the chief guest at the event.

Addressing the students, IIMA director professor Errol D’Souza, said they should encourage dissent and constructive criticism.

A total of 584 students from the Two Year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP), Two Year Post Graduate Programme in Food and Agribusiness Management (PGP-FABM), One Year Full Time Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) and PhD Programme in Management (PhD) graduated from IIMA.

“The fundamentals of business building are perhaps now truer than ever. External circumstances will most certainly change ferociously over the coming few years. There will be many shiny opportunities that will come your way, tempting you with their ephemeral promises. This holds true as much in the context of your careers. It is important, therefore, to stay the course. Identify which problems and what type of people excite you and invest time in them both. Ride out the short-term froth,” said Birla in his speech at the event.

A good guiding principle in your choices is to go where the energy takes you. “This reflection is best explained through a quote that hit my whatsapp feed this morning— ‘stick with people who pull the magic out of you and not the madness’,” he said.

Delivering the Convocation address, Nayar told the graduating students not to be afraid to take risks along the way. “You are blessed to be entering a world which is now increasingly risk friendly. Spend the early years of your career taking the right risks and make some bold bets on yourself. Test what you like and what you don’t. Take on roles that put you outside of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Discover new interests and hone on skills you excel at. You don’t need to have all the answers today about what you want from life but you do have the benefit of low opportunity cost in your current phase of life so make the best of it. And remember, no matter what anyone says, it is never too late to start all over again,” said Nayar.

Addressing the students, Professor D’Souza, in his speech said they should encourage dissent and constructive criticism.

“For managers dear students the landscape has changed. It is no longer about short-term financial targets and efficient execution. Ever since the Great Financial Crisis, and even more so since the pandemic, there is some room for a swashbuckling Elon Musk but soft skills such as compassion and collaboration are going to be a top requirement. Your views on corporate strategy will be important but so will those on climate change, discrimination and inclusion, human rights, culture wars and a host of other issues,” said D’Souza.