IMT Nagpur Revisited July 2025

 I have a high dose of nostalgia when visiting Nagpur. This time it was a visit to the institute that I really cherish as a workplace. After 2013, I was visiting them for the first time. The roads are now very good, and the drive is a breeze. Met the new director, and my old secretary Archana, in addition to lots of staff and faculty..

With the Director Dr. Rajneesh Chauhan, and external Dr. Mukherjee from MDI, with old colleagues TK Chatterjee, Rajnandan Pattnaik and Subodh Tagare.

At the placement office with Isha and the new team.

Coffee with Colleagues, above, and dinner with two at Tuli International, Sadar.

My old haunt- where we played Golf!

The Year Gone By- 2013

2013 was a good year.

In Jan I was recruiting faculty at IMT Ghaziabad.

In Feb I was planning a convocation at IMT Nagpur.

In March we welcomed Mr. Azim Premji at the convocation.

In April we had a faculty meeting spread over Nagpur and Bhedaghat (Marble Rocks) close to Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, my home-state to be (though I didn't know it then).

In May, we had a series of alumni meets of Nagpur alums across 5 cities. Also took a family break to Thailand and got introduced to a few Buddhas-sitting, smiling and reclining. A boat ride on the river was a highlight.

Welcomed a brand new batch of students at Nagpur in June. Taught them Golf and the case method.

A very wet monsoon followed in July- August. Lot of guest faculty from my IIM batch came to speak. So did Devapriya Roy, a friend and author from Delhi.

Went to visit Lonar crater in Buldana district, formed by a meteorite hit. Fantastic sight. Had a great golfing trip to Kodaikanal with Gadgil and Vijayakumar, colleagues at Nagpur.

September, back to Ghaziabad and a round of appraisals of faculty.

October, met a lot of Osmania University friends at an outing to Bheemeswari, near Bangalore. Planned the Ghaziabad alumni parties with Alcom. And tasted some excellent wines at a friend's place in Bangalore.

November, met an old schoolmate after 35 years. Also had a few unique farewells, in two Delhi clubs and at the Kulchawala in Ghaziabad, apart from an official one.

December-moved back to teaching after many years of mostly administration, at IIM Indore-my fourth IIM, including one as a student.

Read a few good books along the way, watched a few good movies. And totaled 1700 friends on Facebook. Got a few good comments on the blog too. Crossed 50,000 views on the blog. Thanks, readers.

The journey continues...Musafir hoon yaaron...

Ghaziabad Convocation 2013

The Ghaziabad convocation went off nicely and smoothly last evening. Mr. Adi Godrej minced no words when he said we have been floundering as an economy for the last couple of years, but improved in the last couple of months. His advice to young graduating students was simple. Dream big AND work hard. We usually forget the second part, conveniently. He also said your vocation should be a vacation- to be enjoyed! Good way to put it.

Considering that over 700 students from both Ghaziabad and Hyderabad (first batch) graduated, it was a short ceremony. And the ambience was festive, the weather quite pleasant (a minor miracle in Delhi-could be the doing of the new Pope).

On the whole, a nice ceremony. The food was exceptionally good, with the hot on-site tandoori rotis and hot gulabjamuns adding a dimension of yumminess not always visible in these mass offerings.

2012- What Was and Was Not

2012 started off with a New Year's party, and will probably end with an end-of-the year party at a remote location one day before the last day. Some highlights of the year were-

My older daughter Prarthana graduated and went in for an M.A. in English, and now she speaks Tolstoyese at times. Frightening.

My younger, Pooja, continues getting daunting assignments as part of her B. Arch. We hope she builds things (or is it designs?) which are joy-giving.

My book was launched in the retail space from the virtual-alone. Twice. I had to add a Nagpur section to it as I moved out to Dilli, the place which controls India, so many years after independence. Not counting renegades such as Bangalore, who acquired a life of their own.

Mukesh Ambani came to our party-I mean convocation- at Nagpur.

Anna Hazare and Kejriwal happened, and Modi did better than the Indian cricket stars.

The Delhi gang rape and the Connecticut shooting proved that beasts among men are still around, and we may or may not have a solution.

I read a lot of books, and some good ones among them. The Etymologicon may be a highlight.

My Brand Mgt. book with Bhagyalakshmi did not get published. Well, you need something for 2013, too. Can't afford to leave blanks in the CV of life.

My blog (just) crossed 25,000 views, many of them inexplicably from countries that don't have an English-speaking populace. IT world screw-ups in counting is a plausible explanation, as suggested by a reader.

I saw some good films, and one was a ghost from 1983 called Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro.

Played a little bit of golf, but in general, less than 2011. Hope that will improve with time and age. The slower your reflexes, the righter you get your shots in this game. Like wine in a way.

Single malts. Made a discovery that Amrut single malt is as good as some Scotch malts, and made in Namma Bengaluru.

Met a few friends and students after years- it was lovely. As some wise guy sang- What a feeling! His next line was, I believe, dancing on the ceiling. Not recommended unless you are practising for bungee-jumping.

Cheers.