New Delhi : IMI Delhi, India’s first corporate-sponsored business school, hosted its 42nd Annual Convocation Ceremony, conferring diplomas to over 430 students across its range of management programmes, including the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM). The ceremony, held at the IMI Delhi campus, marked a defining moment for the graduating class as they crossed the threshold from academic life into professional leadership.
Siddharth Jain, Managing Partner and Country Head, Kearney India, attended the ceremony as the Chief Guest. He was joined by Smt. Savitri Kunadi, Former Indian Ambassador and Member, IMI Board of Governors, who presided as Convocation Chair, along with Dr. Suresh Ramanathan, CEO, IMI; Dr. Himadri Das, Director General, IMI Delhi; and other dignitaries.
The ceremony commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, followed by the presentation of the Annual Report by Director General Dr. Himadri Das.
Dr. Suresh Ramanathan, CEO, IMI, addressing the graduating class directly, said, “You’ve been in a cocoon these past two years, safe and secure within IMI. The world you’re stepping into is different, and you won’t just be competing with graduates from other institutes, you’ll be up against AI itself. Being curious is the single biggest thing that will serve you in this world. Ninety percent of graduates today will blindly use AI and take what it gives them as gospel truth. What will set you apart is the ability to question that, to push further until you get to the answer you truly believe in. Be bold, be curious. That is how you will stand out.”
Dr. Himadri Das, Director General, IMI Delhi, said,
“Stay hungry, stay foolish. This is super important, and it’s even more relevant today. You can’t afford to get complacent. Stay hungry, stay foolish. You don’t know everything—I don’t know everything. None of us do. You have to stay hungry to keep learning, and it’s good to stay foolish to keep growing, right? And the most important thing, to me, is to be a good human being. Nothing beats that. Be kind to people—people who are your juniors, your peers, and your seniors.”
Mr Jain subsequently presided over the conferral of Distinguished Alumni Awards, medals, and Dean’s List felicitations, before delivering the convocation address. Diplomas were conferred across FPM and Post Graduate programmes by the Convocation Chairperson, who thereafter declared the proceedings closed. The gathering rose for the National Anthem to conclude the ceremony.
In his convocation address, Siddharth Jain, Managing Partner and Country Head, Kearney India, drew on his experience advising some of the world’s most complex organisations to offer a candid perspective on what industry truly demands from management graduates today.
“Aim big and chase growth, not money. Be surgical, not busy, run your own race, and prioritise connect over content. Play the long game, never stop learning, and embrace AI, but always double down on your own judgement. The ceiling you see is not the ceiling that exists. It rises with you.”
