IMC 2021 Day 1 hosts Global Thought-leaders & 150 Directors from IIMs, ISB, MDI and top B-schools: C P Gurnani, MD, Tech Mahindra; AICTE Chairman Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe; edX Founder Dr Anant Agarwal; Infosys President Ravi Kumar call for Learner Centric MBA

With more than 150 Directors and Deans from India’s leading institutions attending, Day 1 of the 11th Indian Management Conclave (IMC) 2021 at MDI Gurgaon on December 20 was a big success. IMC 2021 Day 1 hosted addresses by CXOs and Global Thought-leaders including Mr C P Gurnani, MD, Tech Mahindra; AICTE Chairman Dr Anil Sahasrabudhe; edX Founder Dr Anant Agarwal; Ravi Kumar, President, Infosys. Aligning with conference theme, they called for Learner Centric management education.

Organized by MBAUniverse.com in partnership with India’s top B-schools and knowledge Organizations, IMC is India's definitive annual Management Education Conference & Awards Platform. MDI Gurgaon, a pioneer in Executive Education and one of the Top B-schools, is the Partner and Host for 11th IMC 2021.

Inaugural Address by Mr C P Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra
Delivering the Inaugural Address, Mr C P Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra said, “Young executives today are different from past generations. They are not just pursuing traditional job-satisfaction matrix like rewards and careers, but they want to go beyond and make a positive Impact. They are not satisfied with just the salaries and promotions, they want their work to make an impact on society and environment. B-schools and corporates must support and nurture this spirit.” 

Speaking on IMC 2021 theme, Mr Gurnani said, “Learning styles of today’s learners is again different from past. They want to consume information in small chunks and shared informally. As a result, at Tech Mahindra we have changed our approach. We rely on shorter modules and fire-side chats, rather than formal keynotes.”

International Keynote Address by Prof Anant Agarwal, Founder, edX
Delivering the International Keynote Address on IMC 2021 Theme, Prof Anant Agarwal, Founder, edX said, “Indeed, our Education Institutions and Systems must become Learner Centric. For more than 100 years, we have been driven by supply side. Professors decide what to teach, and how. Rarely do we ask the students what they want to learn and how.”

Offering the blueprint for creating Learner Centric education for Future of Work, Prof Agarwal said, “Learner centric education can be fostered by focussing on three properties: i) Modular & Stackable Education, ii) Blended Education and, iii) Lifelong Education. If we adapt our current design with these three ideas, our education should become much more Learner Centric.”

Special Address by Dr Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE
Dr Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, AICTE addressed the Inaugural Session of IMC 2021. He said, “NEP 2020 promotes multifaceted and multi-disciplinary learning in many ways. B-schools should make the best use of the NEP framework and emerge stronger as degree granting institutions.” 

Complimenting IMC Conference, he said, “Led by Shri Amit Agnihotri, Indian Management Conclave is a great effort to bring all stakeholders together every year. AICTE welcomes policy suggestions from IMC forum.” He was speaking virtually from Jammu where he is launching the ‘Happiness Index’ for Government of India.

Mr Ravi Kumar S, President, Infosys receives IMC Distinguished Alumni Award 2021
IMC believes that Alumni are the best ambassadors for Indian Management Education. IMC Distinguished Alumni Awards (IMC DDA) are presented to outstanding business leaders every year, who had graduated from an Indian business school and are making a national and global impact.

IMC DAA 2021 was presented to XIMB Alumnus Mr Ravi Kumar S, President, Infosys. Accepting the award, he said, “Receiving the IMC Distinguished Alumni Awards (IMC DDA) is a great honour for me. I thank XIMB and IMC for this recognition. My education at XIMB has made a big impact on my life for which I will remain ever grateful.”

Recognized as a global thought-leader, Mr Ravi Kumar further added, “Rapid advancements in technology is changing everything! Future of Work is already here, and Skills Landscape is undergoing tremendous change. Management Schools have a great opportunity to deliver life-long learning. They should augment their offering to support learners throughout their corporate careers, as they undergo many transitions.”

Plenary Sessions focus on Right Class-Mix and Student Engagement & Learning
To provide a roadmap for Learner Centric MBA Education, Day 1 Plenary Sessions focused on following sub themes:

• Understanding Student Expectations
• The Right MBA Batch-Mix
• Student Engagement & Learning Modes

Speakers for the plenary sessions included Dr Ranjan Banerjee, Dean, BITSoM Mumbai; Dr Prafulla Agnihotri, Dean, Vijay Patil School of Management Mumbai;Dr Suresh Ramanathan, Dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management Chennai; Mr Dibyendu Bose, Senior Director of Admissions, Indian School of Business (ISB); Dr Madhu Veeraraghavan, Director, TAPMI Manipal, Dr Monica Khanna, Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai and many other distinguished speakers.

Celebrating MDI –the Academic Leadership Incubator
One of the salient contributions of MDI Gurgaon to the management education ecosystem in India has been the academic leaders it has proffered to IIMs and many other leading institutions. This session celebrates this unique contribution and also aims to discuss the challenges and opportunities of academic leadership development in Indian context.

Speakers for this special sessions included Dr Pawan Kumar Singh, Director, IIM Tiruchirappalli; Dr BhimarayaMetri, Director, IIM Nagpur; Dr Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur and Dr Anup K. Singh, Director General, NIRMA University Ahmedabad

Detailed session reports and highlights will be published soon.

Day 2 promises more insights
Day 2 of IMC 2021 promises to be even more insightful.

• Attend Masterclass by Harvard Business School’s Prof Das Narayandas @ 9 AM
• Directors Roundtable on NEP 2020 begins at 11.30 AM with 10 Top Directors
• Valedictory Session & IMC Award Announcement with Dr Rajiv Kumar, VC, NITI Aayog begins @ 2.15 PM
• AACSB Certificates presentation to IIFT, XLRI, MDI @ 2.30 PM
• Refer IMC 2021 Program Agenda for Plenary 3 and other exciting sessions

It is noteworthy that IMC 2021 is an exclusive in-person leadership conference. Sessions are not being telecast online or virtually.

Also Read:

• IMC 2021 Day 2: NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, AICTE Vice Chairman Dr M P Poonia put spotlight on MBA Education Policy in NEP regime; Dr Janat Shah, Director, IIM Udaipur and top Directors discuss learner centric MBA
• PGDM Institutions are doing a good job; NEP 2020 to offer opportunities: AICTE Vice Chairman Dr M P Poonia at 11th IMC 2021
• IMC 2021 Awards for Excellence in Management Education: GIM Goa wins Gold; Jaipuria Institute wins Silver

Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for IMC 2021 Highlights.