What is life without challenges? And what is more cherished than the feeling of having conquered all of them, both foreseen and unforeseen? The Certificate Ceremony of the 6th EBMP Pune Batch was the true embodiment of this victory.
One year of intertwining high pressure jobs due to receding market conditions with a rigorous academic schedule comprising of lectures on weekends, frequent tests, assignments, open book exams, and a detailed final business plan, was no small feat. Surely, each and every one who had fully participated and lived through this journey deserved a grand celebration and recognition, and the IGTC team went all out to organize and host a beautiful ceremony on Saturday 11th January 2020 at the O Hotel, Pune.
The dignitaries for the grand evening were Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd.; Marja Einig, Deputy Consul General, German Consulate General Mumbai; Georg Graf, President, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce and Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. And the other dignitaries were the 55 graduating managers off the dais, who stood tall and proud in front of the audience consisting of their senior corporate partners, faculty and family members.
Bernhard Steinruecke opened the event by sharing his happiness on always beginning the New Year with an event linked to education, upskilling, career progress and transformation. He also highlighted the growth and momentum that the EBMP course has gained among member companies year after year.
President Georg Graf did the formal welcome on behalf of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. In his speech, he advised the participants to remain grounded. While the business of business is business, he urged them to never compromise on their ethics and social values regardless of where the world is going. His key message was “Business of business is now purpose, responsibility and sustainability.”
Chief Guest Gurpratap Boparai, Managing Director of Škoda Auto Volkswagen India Pvt. Ltd. started his speech by fondly recalling his early days when he was a student too. While he also spoke on imbibing the right values and ethics, he emphasized on humility. By remaining humble, one continues to learn, not only from the people who are above on the corporate ladder but even people who are below. Very candidly, he shared that corporate life is not always smooth. Just like business cycles, there will be ups and downs in one’s career. One has to tide over them. One has to be persistent, not give up and continue to do one’s best. Results come but sometimes it is not as instant as desired. He concluded by stating, “One cannot afford not to continue learning, as we do not know how the world is evolving, the downturn in one’s career also has to be wisely utilized”.
Guest of Honour Marja Einig, Deputy Consul General, German Consulate General Mumbai elaborated that lifelong learning will be one of the aspects which will have to be integrated in the work-life as digital technologies change the whole the way of life, how will robotics and artificial intelligence improve lives and the planet as a whole in a positive, constructive way. She also added, “This strong and lively Indo-German network of mutual support, including your companies who trust in the value of this program since many years, is a fantastic basis for your future development – please stay connected with this crowd for the years to come.”
To give the audience a short insight into the life of an IGTC student, Dr. Harkant Mankad delivered a short but powerful lecture on ‘Economics in Hard Times’. He emphasized on how the last decade was extremely difficult and stressful, and the fact that we have entered in the age of perpetual crisis, a sign of time where repeated disruption and less resolution is becoming the new norm.
On behalf of the graduating EBMP managers, a core team of 8 managers – Kalpesh Gupta -Vulkan Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Vignesh N- Tata Technologies Ltd, Susmita Vaikar- Siemens Information Systems Pvt. Ltd, Harmandeep Sokhi- Happy Beverages and Foods Pvt. Ltd, Prashant Bhandari-Bosch Ltd, Sandhya-Kimberly Clark India Pvt. Ltd, Anup Honrao, Anup Upasani- ARaymond Fasteners India Pvt. Ltd and Shreya Joshi- Knorr-Bremse Technology Centre India Pvt. Ltd. recreated the avalanche of wonderful memories in the form of a heart-warming video and some personal narratives. The core of their speeches were some promises:
- a promise to remember that before they become future CEOs, they need to remain present CEOs of their own lives
- a promise to be master players of their own game before they take on the world
- a promise to compete with oneself first
- a promise to enjoy every aha-moment with a child-like innocence
- a promise to be fair, to be real, to let synergies drive the world
The evening concluded by the most awaited distribution of trophies and certificates followed by the Vote of Thanks by Radhieka Mehta. The audience stood up for the IGTC Anthem. The graduating batch took a final bow at IGTC. They bid adieu to a year that ended fruitfully, one where they had upgraded their knowledge and renewed their urge to think innovatively and seek excellence.
