Meeting Nidhi

 A long time ago, when I worked with Kirloskar Institute at Harihar, we launched a brand new PGDM program there. The first batch of students were 30 from all over India. Among them, I have been in touch with some regularly, and some I met too. Nidhi Kanungo, after quite some time. She happens to be from Indore, my place of residence right now. So, we met, while she was on a visit from the U.S. 

At our campus.. last time I met her Dad at IIM Indore.

This time, her Mom was with her.

Her Mom with my wife above,

and cheers! below.

Harihar- Workplace with a Difference

My longest stint in one workplace (7 years) has been at Kirloskar Institute or KIAMS, Harihar. A unique place in many ways. For one, it had an 18-hole Golf Course in the campus. Never again have I had THAT kind of feeling! But even more charming were the people-students, staff and atmosphere. It was close to being an ideal and idyllic workplace.

 Some of us at the Harihar campus-above and below.

 A get-together at my place with Batch 1. I have met Achint and Nidhi from the pic above and Savitha from the pic below in the last year!

 Some of our non-teaching staff and Prof. Dhanapal, on a trip to Hubli. Below, Profs. Sandeep Kayastha and Vijayakumar, and families-mine too, at Ooty-Doddabetta.

Great times, marked by a lot of parties at homes-Pavan and Jamuna were great hosts, at Kondajji, a lake-hill-dam site nearby, Rajanahalli, on the river Tungabhadra, and longer trips to Jog Falls, Hampi and Belur-Halebid. And yearly vacations to Goa, Ooty etc.. I wrote a case many years later about Golftripz, courtesy Jogeswari, a batch 2 student. Many students have remained in touch (met Smita in Dubai, and Swapna and Vidya in Singapore), so many years later. Here's a pic with Nidhi (and her dad) at IIM Indore last year!

Memories 2017

The good ones from the year.

Winsome smiles.

A student group winning the Google Asia Pacic title for a Digital Marketing competition, ably led by Kalaivani, and comprising Mathan, Akshaya, Swathika, Chandran and Sadhana. It was an awesome achievement, and nothing pleases a teacher more than a student's achievement.

Teaching the course itself, with some innovations like an online bidding game. And an MDP (short training program), and meeting some great minds -faculty and participants.

Then, a major conference which my young colleague Abhishek organised so well along with NASMEI and UT Austin.And a conference in Colombo on Tourism, my current research interest. The pics below are from these two, in reverse order.

 In Oct. Yu (Fanni) Wong, a new friend, speaks at Colombo.

with Prof. Rishikesha Krishnan, and Abhishek Mishra. July 2017.

Nidhi, an old/still-young student of Kirloskar MBA from long ago, visited me, her then-mentor, at IIM Indore. She has an infectious smile, as you can see-

Of course, great times with other past students -met Sapna Patni, Bhuvneet Raheja, Garima Shah, Zargar Basharat, Shafique Gajdhar, Pallavi Sharma, ...and then some. And colleagues-met Shahida here at our own conference. Might have to continue...with more memories, might create a few more before the year is out.