Leadership Series

Hyderabad, 16th November 2022: IMT Hyderabad hosted the Leadership Series session on 16th November 2022. The speaker for the event was Shri. Shivan Bhargava, CEO-AP and Telangana Circle, Bharti Airtel Ltd. The event began with granting a warm welcome note to our honourable guest by Harshita Parihar, a student of the batch 2022–24. The speaker commenced the oration by talking about his journey from being a student at IMT Ghaziabad to becoming a leader at Bharti Airtel. He told students that the telecom industry has so much potential in the market by giving an example of the recent launch of 5G. He talked about the revolution of the telecom industry which happened in 2016. He informed the students that our nation is way ahead in the digital economy sectors compared to other nations. He mentioned that India is one of the top two countries in the world for digital adoption, and the industry still has a lot of room for expansion. He shared a glimpse of the evolution of Bharti Airtel Ltd. after which he explained Airtel’s strategic pillars for improving customer experience and being future-ready in the industry.

The speaker told the students that Airtel is now going to be a lifestyle company with the telecom sector having its back. He offered students seven mantras based on his own experiences and explained how these mantras help him in his life. He also stressed the importance of always getting feedback and the fact that there is no such thing as a work-life balance; instead, work-life integration is the key. The address concluded by giving career advice to the students, where he shared a crucial timeline that everyone should adhere to, outlining the various life stages: 20s to explore, 30s to harvest, and 40s to financially retire. He advised to always keep a positive attitude with a smile on the face, which will ultimately lead to greater rewards.

The event advanced with a small question and answer session from the students. Sapna Gupta, a student of the batch 2022–24, introduced the IP Awards which were distributed to recognize the efforts of the students of batch 2021–23 during their internship period. Mr. Shivan Bhargava felicitated the distribution of cash prizes and certificates to the 12 winners of the IP Awards, which were from different specializations. The top 10% of meritorious students from the batch 2021–23 were also felicitated with certificates by the guest. Dr. Vinay Kumar Kalakbandi, Associate Professor and PGP Chairperson, announced the winners of the business quiz which took place in July this year for the batch 2022–24. The event came to an end with a vote of thanks presented by one of the students, and a memento of appreciation presented by Dr. Venkata Chaturvedula, Professor and Dean - Academics to the guest.

Shri Kamal Nath, the Chief Mentor, IMT Hyderabad, via video message, spoke about the importance of a management degree, one of the newest forms of science and one of the oldest forms of art. He also spoke about IMT knowing the importance of knowledge and new ways for sustaining microscopic & telescopic vision, which will become the hallmark of one's career. At the end of his address, he congratulated all the students and hoped to hear more success stories.

The Chief Guest, Ms. Shobana Kamineni, mentioned the significance of this day in a student's life while addressing the students. She noted that students shouldn't be afraid of trying new things as they have a lot to learn about this new digital world. She also mentioned that the right path would always be the hardest. She stated that India has tremendous opportunities in the health sector and can become an economical yet effective healthcare alternative. She ended her oration with a quote by Pope Francis.

The event moved forward by presenting the medals and diplomas to the students of both batches. The ceremony was closed after the director facilitated the management oath. The vote of thanks was presented to all the guests by the Dean, Dr. Venkata Chakrapani C, which formally concluded the event.