The Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam (IIMV) inaugurated the 12th batch of its flagship PGP (MBA programme) on Tuesday. A total of 341 students have enrolled in this new batch, with women accounting for nearly 48% of the cohort.
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IIMs have traditionally lagged in terms of women’s representation, with female admissions across all IIMs typically accounting for only 30% to 35% of the student population. However, in a welcome trend, IIM-Visakhapatnam has achieved near gender parity over the past two years, with women comprising almost half of its incoming MBA cohorts. The 341 students come from 25 states across the country.
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The institute also launched the eighth batch of its PhD programme and the third batch of its executive PhD programme. Interestingly, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation commissioner Ketan Garg, a 2018-batch IAS officer, has enrolled in the executive PhD programme. A total of 14 scholars joined the PhD programme, while 17 enrolled in the executive PhD programme.
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Girish Kumar Sugumaran, president of SLK Group and director on the board of SLK Software, attended the event as chief guest. Speaking on the theme, “The World is Changing, and It Is Yours to Build”, Sugumaran urged students to embrace change, challenge conventional thinking, and prepare themselves for a rapidly evolving future.
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“Artificial intelligence will be a powerful enabler rather than a threat. AI will fundamentally alter the way organisations operate, allowing smaller teams equipped with advanced technology to achieve outcomes that previously required large workforces. I urge students to move beyond the traditional mindset and instead focus on creating value, building enterprises, and generating opportunities for others,” said Sugumaran.
“At the same time, certain qualities remain timeless regardless of technological advancements. Aspiration, curiosity, ownership, perseverance, and resilience continue to be the foundations of success,” he added, encouraging students to nurture their curiosity, take responsibility for outcomes, and develop the resilience needed to overcome setbacks.
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Introducing the concept of “intellectual flexibility”, Sugumaran said future leaders must be willing to continuously learn and adapt across multiple domains. “Unlike earlier generations that often spent their entire careers in a single profession, today’s graduates would need to acquire expertise in several fields over the course of their careers,” he said.
IIM-Vizag director Prof. M Chandrasekhar said the institute has emerged as a preferred knowledge hub for education and entrepreneurship, and a sought-after learning destination for aspiring managers as well as senior professionals from the government and industry.
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Referring to the impact of artificial intelligence on future careers, Prof Chandrasekhar cited the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of Jobs’ report, which estimates that by 2030, 170 million new roles will be created globally while 92 million existing jobs will be displaced, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs.
“The opportunity is therefore real. Our academic programmes are intensive in both depth and breadth. They will have a significant AI component embedded within them. You will learn what AI can and cannot do, where its outputs can be trusted and where they must be questioned. You will be encouraged to ask the right questions of analytical outputs, challenge assumptions embedded in models, extract signal from noise and translate quantitative insights into language that supports effective decision-making,” Prof Chandrasekhar told the incoming students.
