Anjuman – The Annual Leader’s Corporate Luncheon, is one of the most anticipated events at IIM Lucknow. Anjuman 2011, structured along the same lines as its predecessors, brought together iconic leaders as key note speakers and provided an ideal platform for corporate heads, alumni, IIM Lucknow faculty and a select set of students to interact and learn from one another.
The theme for Anjuman 2011 was “Renaissance 2030: Shape the Change” and the keynote speakers this year were Dr. Devi Singh (Director, IIM Lucknow), Mr. H.K. Dua (Padma Bhushan and MP, Rajya Sabha), Mr. Sanjeev Bikhchandani (CEO, Naukri.com), Mr. Ashank Desai (Founder, Mastek Limited) and Mr. Baru Rao(COO, Capgemini, Europe).
The event was flagged off by a keynote address from Dr. Devi Singh (Director, IIM Lucknow) who succinctly summed up the salient challenges facing India, and the possible paths the country should tread in future, to ensure holistic development.
Mr. H.K Dua (Padma Bhushan and MP, Rajya Sabha) expanded the ambit of the discussion by stressing on the role of youth in India’s development. Exhorting the young management students of the campus to take an active interest in the administration of the country, Mr. Dua harped on the need of fresh ideas for sustaining India’s economic growth in the new millennium.
Mr. Sanjeev Bikhchandani (CEO Naukri.com) gave a personal tinge to his discourse as he enumerated examples from his life to describe how an individual’s endeavours fit in the greater scheme of things. Stressing on the need for entrepreneurial skills, Mr Bikhchandani praised the Indian social system for consistently churning out new ideas, which according to him are invaluable in shaping the future course of the nation.
Mr. Baru Rao (COO, Capgemini, Europe) regaled the crowd with his immaculate Urdu, as he successfully speckled the serious discussion with humorous anecdotes from his life. Marvellng at the great growth that India has achieved in the past, he talked about the need for inclusive growth and social integration, as necessary measures to rein in India’s continued prosperity.
As the sunny morning progressed into forenoon, the event shifted into an interactive session where the guests sought to engage the key-note speakers on a wide array of issues relevant to contemporary India. The rich flow of thoughts brought newer ideas to surface as the leaders balanced their positions vis-à-vis the inputs from the crowd.
The event concluded with a sumptuous lunch which presented the lighter side of the leaders, as they opened up to informal discussion with the attendees. Even as the orange hues of the evening sun signaled the successful closure of the luncheon, the campus was abuzz with the reflections of the event gone by. Speaking about the event, Karan Sehgal, a first year student of IIM Lucknow, remarked “Events like Anjuman are few of the unique ways in which industry interaction is facilitated at IIM Lucknow. By bringing together such a diverse set of leaders, teachers and corporate, Industry Interaction Cell has successfully amalgamated the best of campus education with industry experience.”