A professor at Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur recently received an emotional farewell from students and faculty after completing 33 years at the institute. Taking to LinkedIn, Manish Singhal, a professor at XLRI Jamshedpur, shared a video of the farewell, showing Professor Venugopal Pingali walking out of his classroom with a bouquet of flowers.
In the clip, Pingali was seen stepping into the corridor as students and faculty members broke into applause and cheers. Students and staff stood on either side of the corridor as he slowly made his way through the crowd. Several people reached out to shake his hand, while others smiled and clapped as he made his way through the crowd. Pingali appeared visibly touched by the gesture, smiling as he acknowledged those who had gathered to bid him farewell.
Watch the video below:
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{{/usCountry}}In the caption of the post, Singhal said that the farewell marked Pingali's final session at XLRI after a 33-year academic career. Singhal said he only learnt at the last moment that students, staff and faculty had assembled outside the classroom to see the professor off.
Singhal also recalled meeting Pingali when he joined XLRI in 2006, when Pingali was serving as Dean (Academics). He described him as an accommodating person who took individual circumstances into account while making administrative decisions.
"Venugopal Sir was Dean (Academics) when I joined XLRI on 13th April 2006, and the welcome he extended has stayed with me for more than twenty years since. I had not submitted my thesis before joining, and after I completed my first course, he encouraged me to return to IIM Calcutta and finish it. When I pointed out that I did not have enough leave remaining, he simply said we could adjust it against the following year's allowance," Singhal wrote.
"That accommodating nature, where individual circumstances were genuinely factored into administrative decisions, is what I remember most fondly," he added.
Pingali was also remembered for developing marketing frameworks based on the realities of Indian markets, which Singhal said had influenced generations of MBA students. "IIM Visakhapatnam gains considerably from his continued service," the post concluded.
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Social media reactions
The farewell video prompted former students and colleagues to share their memories of Pingali and reflect on his contribution to the institute.
"This is a deeply moving tribute," one user wrote, praising Pingali's empathy, support for students and colleagues, and leadership.
Another former student recalled attending Pingali's marketing classes in 1997-99. "In addition to marketing fundamentals, he taught us the power of humility and humanity. All the best Prof! Thank you for the impact you have had on thousands of students, and colleagues across your career!" the user wrote.
"A true icon. And the farewell does justice to the immense contribution he has made to XLRI," another person commented.
"Nearly two decades ago, I had the privilege of being his student. He had a gift for making learning simple, engaging, and genuinely fun," another user said.