Invitation For Alumni Meet 2010 - Connect '10

VGSoM Alumni Meet 2009

VGSOM was successful in organizing two regional alumni meets in 2009 to stay connected with its alumni in Mumbai and Kolkata.

Following is a brief dossier describing the evenings. For those who attended the meet, this is a refreshing recollection, while for those who couldn’t make it…well...this is what you guys missed!

VGSOM Alumni meet – Mumbai, 2009

It was finally the 29th of August 2009 urging to be set as a memorable day. The place was Golden Swan club, a nice little cosy place to have an event like the Alumni meet of VGSOM for this year.

It was six in the evening when our first guest poured in, being welcomed jubilantly by us. As time trickled away, slowly and steadily the crowd, the VGSOM crowd, started coming in, all with friends of theirs. “Hey! Has someone from this batch come?” was the usual round of questions that was hailed at us. That was the registration desk at their service.

Enter the banquet hall and its already filled to its full capacity. Our esteemed Prof. Gautam Sinha was already spreading his charisma among his past shishyas. It was apt to have him kick-start the event with one of his mesmerizing and spell binding speech. It was VGSOM revisited for all when GS, as we very fondly call him, called out to them with his catchy one-liners that he has for one and all whether it be the past pupils or the present ones. The torch was then handed over to Prof. C.S. Mishra. He being new to the college supported the notion that teachers have an enriching experience teaching at VGSOM. It was well received by the proud alumni that their alma mater still holds out that vibrant energy and gusto in it to enlighten everyone in its umbrella.

The next in line were our very own Alumni. The moment they were handed over the mike to recall their nostalgic memories, we could hear the far resounding cry: “When I visited BC Roy……..”, “When so and so became ill we took him to BC Roy……..”

It was only the VGSOM spirit that made us laugh away the pain and sadness in all the memories of past. Was it the end of sharing the old days? No way. (As if the rolling on our stomachs, laughing away was not enough, the classrooms and escapades with professors rolled in next.) The classrooms stories and escapades with professors followed in next which got everyone rolling with laughter. Oh! It was an evening full of laughter. Anyone peeking in could have said: “Are they the same executives managing companies?” But yes they are. It only showed the present torch bearers of VGSOM, how important it is to have that “fun” part in our lives to lead the “serious” part of business.

This small write-up will not suffice the many incidents that were shared that evening, but saying this: “We are still laughing at it in our leisure”, will sum up all.

It was drinks and music which filled the air to take the place of laughter. The voice was equal to if not more than a disc. It was the talk between people, or was it the past memories which rendered itself loud: to be heard to be shared. The intensity of past engulfed all in its fold to finally announce the arrival of the time where we could satisfy our palette. It was dinner time! But yes no one could hold back the past memories speaking aloud, not even the lip smacking food served out. The filling up of Graffiti was just a way to say “Best of Luck”: Safe voyage across the ages.

As the phrase goes, “The light should spread and fade away the darkness”. This was the parting unsaid message that went across, each one being a part of the promise to spread the light, the light that their Alma Mater: VGSOM had given them and the Alumni meet had renewed. It was an adieu to come back, come back to their very own, for light, for guidance, for energy and most of all to give back what they had received.

VGSOM Alumni meet – Kolkata, 2009

The day, 5th September 2009, started on a very dark note. Lord Indra, at his playful best, had decided to shower his blessings on the city of Kolkata. It was pouring heavily the whole day and things were going from bad to worse by evening with no signs of respite. We were scared. Will the meet happen? Will the alumni turn up in good number? Will Sadhu Sir make it to the meet? These were a few questions that were haunting us.

Here we learnt our first lesson. No rain can overcome the power of love and connection between the two inseparables. Did the alumni turn up? Of course, they did and that too in decent numbers. Now even Indra couldn’t stop us from having a good time.

Meet started at around 6:30 PM. Among the first few to walk in were Mr. Soumitra Poddar, IBM and Mr. Biswarup Ghosh, Steris both from the first batch of 1995. They were joined by Abhishek Sahay and Subhashis De from 2000 batch. Among the veterans were Anil Punia from 2006 batch; Hemant Rawat, Anurag Mohan, Shubhadeep Sarkar and Anand Kumar from 2007 batch. Shubhadeep also holds the distinction of attending the meet in both cities. Fresh blood was represented by the gang of seniors from 2009 batch apart from 2010 and 2011 batch students.

The day coincided with Teacher’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than being with our beloved Sadhu Sir. He was presented a memento by the alumni from the first batch on behalf of all VGSoM students, present and old.

A couple of videos were shown capturing the life at VGSoM. These were moments of emotions when everyone got a glimpse of their alma mater, the campus that once used to be their home. Some of them were rejoiced, on seeing themselves or their batch mates in the old pictures. Suddenly memories were stirred and everyone had a story to tell of his/her own. The video worked like an ice-breaker. Words started flowing readily, and there were stories to be told, jokes to be shared, and memories to be re-lived.

Everybody shared his/her personal experiences about college, campus life, professional life and learning after once stepping in corporate world. People talked about how much they miss the fun they had in IIT Campus, mixed hostels they stayed in, how they just managed to pass in exams after either sleeping whole night or burning the midnight oil on the last day before exam. Conversations spanned varied topics from the current market scenario to the on campus romances. Drinks started flowing in and acted as the catalyst for more discussions.

Dinner was served during the course of time but it seemed no one was keen to eat. They needed more time with their friends, with their past. Food can wait.

Finally amidst the moment of nostalgia and the ticking clock, the alumnus departed after cherishing the experience of meeting after a long time and also leaving us with thoughts to ponder. They changed our outlook, molded our thoughts and made us realize how much we are going to miss these days in college.

We realized that we will all go our separate ways, but will never really part.

All India VGSOM Alumni Meet 2010

VGSOM is back with a bang! This year, we are planning to conduct the alumni meet on a grand scale on a nationwide level and this cannot be possible without the support of all our alumni.

Please find below the invitation for the VGSOM All-India Alumni Meet 2010.

Dear Alumnus,

With immense pleasure, we cordially invite you along with your family to the VGSOM Alumni Meet 2010. The meet will be held in 4 cities on 26thJune, 2010. This occasion will again give you a wonderful opportunity to come together and relive your VGSoM days. So make sure you don't miss out on this one!!

The details of the scheduled meet are as follows:

Date : Saturday, 26th June, 2010

Place : Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru

Venue : Will be notified shortly

Time: 6.30 PM onwards.

Registration Fee: Will be notified shortly

Kindly confirm your presence by entering your details in the form at the link below:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dE8ySjBLTjdiaVpBS0xhby1sMzE1TlE6MQ

or by dropping a mail to alumni.vgsom.iitkgp@gmail.com or by calling up on the phone numbers mentioned below latest by 23rd June 2010.

Looking forward to your presence at the meet.

With Best Regards,

Alumni Committee,

VGSoM, IIT Kharagpur

Contact persons :

For Kolkata: Amey Kolhatkar (+91-9051498521)

For Mumbai: Akashdeep Prasad ( + 91-9619084228)

For Delhi: Divya (+ 91-9891308539)

For Bengaluru: Uday Pogari (+91-7676857455)

Press Release - VGSoM IIT Kharagpur celebrates All India Alumni Meet

VGSoM, IIT Kharagpur celebrates its 1st All India Alumni Meet in Style

A picturesque view defined by a lush outfield, a green top, a big grandstand and shining sun. This description is of the Chinaswamy Stadium, Bangalore which was the venue of the First All India Alumni Meet of Vinod Gupta School of Management (VGSoM), IIT Kharagpur on the 27th of September 2008. What better place to be when you meet up with old friends and catch up on all those years gone by, reminiscing about the memories of the campus, the rainy days, the sluggish afternoons, beads of sweat before the exam and of course the hectic schedule of a B Schooler.

Organizing Team of the Event
Sitting (L to R) – Swati Garg, Neelima Sahu, Col. Indrabalan, Sonika Verma (all Batch of 2009)Standing (L to R) – Sudhanshu Jain, Manish Sinha, Pradyumna Mahajani, Akshat Mohindra, HR Sampreet, Sachin Mehta, Rohit Sharma, Alok Casekar, Alok (all Batch of 2009)

These are just some of the things that were palpably present throughout the meet. The idea was conceived by Colonel Indrabalan and his handpicked team of twelve would be executives, three ladies and nine gentlemen from the class of 2009. The presence of IIT Kharagpur alumni made the event even more memorable as they acted as the torchbearers to help VGSoM herald into a new beginning. Prof. Parameshwar P Iyer, Principal Research Scientist and Head Placement and Industrial Liaison at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore was the Chief Guest for the meet. The meet was also graced by the presence of Mr. Ramesh Hariharan, who is the founder Director of Deffusion Consulting and Managing Trustee of LeadCap. Mr. Ravichandran Rajamannar also found out time from his busy schedule to apprise the alumni about the initiatives taken by the PAN IIT Alumni Association.

Panel Discussion in full flow

Sitting (L to R) – RVLN Arun Kumar(Batch 2002), Amit Jha(batch 2001), Prof Parameshwar P Iyer (Chief Guest, IIT Kgp alumnus), Mr Ravichandran Rajamannar(IIT kgp alumnus), Nanditha(Batch 2008), Wg Cmdr Vinod (Batch2007), Pankaj (Batch2005), Kesavan (Batch 2004)

The alumni started trickling in and were received by an exceptional performance of the Madras Engineers’ Group Pipe Band which has incidentally been a part of many ‘Beating the Retreat’ at the Republic Day parade. The characteristic and enchanting notes of the Saraswati Vandana laid an auspicious foundation to the official start of the alumni meet followed by a spirited speech by the organizing team. The call for greater accountability of the alumni was made and their feedback along with their resounding spirit to view VGSoM as a B School to reckon with the best in the world was invoked.

As part of the alumni meet, a small video capturing the moments of VGSoM right from its inception was shown to the 80 people strong alumni who became nostalgic about the past memories and found out time from their busy schedules to be a part of this great evening.
An open house discussion about the role of the alumni in strengthening the brand of VGSoM, enthralled the audience. The fulcrum of the discussion was how and what best we as brand ambassadors of VGSoM can do to enhance the effectiveness of the alumni association, increase the alumni connectivity/affinity and sense of pride and build a perception of the philanthropic worthiness of VGSoM by creating a ‘giving’ culture.

The felicitation of the two of the senior-most members, in order of the year they graduated in, stood out as a humorous moment coupled with nostalgia and a moment where the tide reversed, current students felicitating the ex-students. To add glamour to the event was the presence of the major sponsors Canon, Golden Gate along with the beverage partners United Breweries and Red Bull.

As is the norm in alumni meets, a sumptuous dinner along with some fine drinks in tow followed. Tweaking the famous movie title as it aptly defines one of the most cherished days for every VGSoMite “An Evening at Chinaswamy Stadium” celebrating VGSoM turning fifteen this year, a coup of sorts literally.

Please check out the following links:

1. http://www.coolavenues.com/bschools/080901/vgsom-alumni-1.php

2. http://www.mbauniverse.com/innerPage.php?id=ne&pageId=1453

3. http://www.pagalguy.com/index.php?categoryid=44&p2_articleid=1441

Akshat Mohindra
Corporate and Media Interaction Cell
Batch of 2009

The next step....!

Dear Alumnus,

At the outset allow me to thank you on behalf of the batch of 2009 for gracing the alumni meet with your presence and active participation. It was indeed a pleasure to meet all the senior alumni and have such interesting and meaningful discussions. We have made keen note of many of your thoughts and suggestions and eagerly look forward to working with you towards building a very strong alumni network which is very essential for a B-School and empowering for its alumni. The Alumni meet in Bangalore was only the first step towards re-connecting and brainstorming, the larger goal of re-uniting the alumni with the B-School and connecting the alumni amongst each other will require continued efforts and many initiatives.

As committed during our discussion in the meet, the current students will extend full support in building and creating the network in the form of a recognized and formal association. Building and sustaining the network will require equal commitment from the alumni. As proposed during the meet, we are considering formation of the Association that would aim at growing and strengthening itself (and also at integrating with the TAA and the larger IIT alumni network) . For this we propose a working group that would take up initiatives and the responsibilities of founding the formal association. This group could have about 4 members from current students (Students alumni committee at the B-School) and about 5 alumni from the passed out batches. As the founding office bearers of the association this working group will draw up plans for institutionalizing the association by inviting discussion and building consensus and seeking support from alumni and faculty. Together this work group would take on the tasks of formulating the objectives, charter, composition and identify need and modalities of intense relationships with alumnicomm, TAA etc, and also register the Association. In addition it would attempt to create a dedicated website and plan the next formal meet. Such initiatives need to be taken up by this working group till the time the community becomes user driven and sustainable and active.

We invite volenteers forf the work group.

Please feel free to pour in your thoughts either by replying to this mail or preferably by posting on the blog http://www.vgsomalumnimeet.blogspot.com/

I quote a line from Prof Iyer's mail "As a wise academic at a Workshop said recently, "After

all is said and done; so much is said, and so litle done". We are determined to prove this wrong !

Thanks and Regards

All-India VGSoM Alumni meet now at Chinnaswamy Stadium Club House, Bangalore

Dear Alumnus,

The number of confirmations for the alumni meet has over exceeded our expectations, with alumnus travelling from far-off places like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad and of course Bangalore.

Owing to the overwhelming response of the alumni community, we had to look out for a bigger venue and how bigger can it get than Chinnaswamy Cricket stadium itself.

Request you to please note the change in the venue and time for the alumni meet.

Details:

Venue: Gate No. 1, Hall: P-2-C, Chinnaswamy Stadium - Karnataka State Cricket Association Club House, MG Road, Bangalore.

Date: 27th September, 2008

Time: 5:00 PM onwards

Registration charges (at the venue): Single - Rs 350 .....Couple/ With Family – Rs 200 additional

Map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=chinnaswamy+stadium+bangalore&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=65.263254,113.203125&ie=UTF8&ei=0IvYSPe-GKDg2gLR65D-Cg&view=map&attrid=

The itinerary for the evening includes:

· Live performance by a Pipe Band – the finest and one of the oldest bands of the Indian Army – known to play during “RD Parade Beating the Retreat”.

· Talk by Prof Parameshwar P. Iyer, Principal Research Scientist at IISc Bangalore and an IIT Kharagpur alumnus, head of the Technology Alumni Association, Bangalore Chapter. He is also a member of the Entrepreneurship Cell at IIT Kharagpur.

· Open discussion with alumni on “Strengthening alumni network and placing VGSOM on the global map"

· Felicitation of eminent VGSoM alumni

· Cultural program by Mr. Amit Dixit, professional Ghazal singer.

· Free gift vouchers for 3 days - 2 nights at a 5-star resort Golden Waters (http://www.goldenwaters.com/), backwaters of Kerala worth 10,000/-

· Sumptuous dinner and drinks to facilitate networking and merrymaking

With the event having grown SOO BIG, you don’t want to miss it!

With confirmations from alumnus spread throughout the batches, you don’t want to miss it!

With this being the only meet in this academic year, you don’t want to miss it!

With sponsorships from United Spirits amongst others you surely don’t want to miss it! :)

All those who haven’t confirmed as yet, RSVP to vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com or call any of the coordinators below.

Please also take out a few minutes to check our blog, www.vgsomalumnimeet.blogspot.com for the latest trivia.

Waiting to catch up with you all!!

Thanks & Regards,

Batch of 2009.

Contact Details

Mobile numbers:

Sachin Mehta: 09964679806

Sampreet HR: 09880010794

Pradyummna Mahajani: 09740365400

Sonika Verma : 09739841342

Manish Sinha: 09739801002

Neelima Sahu : 09742095526

Rohit Sharma: 09741402970

Email id: vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com Blog:http://www.vgsomalumnimeet.blogspot.com/

Official invite for the Alumni meet, 2008

Come one, Come all !!!

Dear Alumnus,

Greetings from VGSoM!!

Life is an amalgamation of moments that define its course. There are events that are determinants for they lay a lifelong impact and are cherished forever…

And when life stalls from the breakneck speed, a sense of déjà vu overwhelms reality।

Our alma mater turned fifteen this year. It is time to look back at the paths trodden, take a walk down memory lane, celebrate our very existence and blaze a new trail to seek a promising future. VGSoM wants to share this glorious moment with its worthiest treasures, its alumni

It gives us immense pleasure to invite you with family to the All-India VGSoM Alumni Meet on 27^th September, 2008, at Kochhar Institute, Bangalore.

Registration: 04:15 PM

Start of event: 04:30 PM

Venue: Kochhar Institute, near Kendriya Vidyhalaya MEG, St. John’s Church road, Frazer town, Bangalore. Landmarks: Thom’s bakery, Lavanya theatre – 1 Km from Commercial Street.

Let’s get together, share memories, honor achievements and forge new opportunities.

The key events of the evening include:

· Open discussion with alumni on “Strengthening alumni network and placing VGSOM on the global map"

· Felicitation of eminent VGSoM alumni

· Live performance by the Pipe Band –the finest and one of the oldest band of the Indian Army – known to play during “RD Parade Beating the Retreat” for an august audience comprising heads of states

· Talks by professors of VGSoM and other eminent personalities

· Free gift vouchers for 3 days-2 nights at a 5-star resort Golden Waters (www.goldenwaters.com), backwaters of Kerala to a lucky few J

· Cultural program by the students of VGSoM

· Sumptuous dinner and music to facilitate networking and merrymaking

As numbers need to be determined in advance, request you to confirm your participation by 20th September 2008 by email to: vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com

You can also confirm via phone at the contact details mentioned below

You can keep the cheerful banter flowing and the mood upbeat by exchanging comments on www.vgsomalumnimeet.blogspot.com

We would be obliged if you could forward this letter to your batch-mates and other alumni of VGSOM. Alternatively, you could provide us with their contact details and we would be happy to spread the word. 

We look forward to your esteemed company at the meet.Please find attached in the mail, an invitation for the event।

With best regards, Batch of 2007 – 09, VGSoM
Contact details: Sachin Mehta: 9964679806    Pradyummna Mahajani: 9740365400     Sampreet HR: 9880010794     Sonika Verma : 9739841342      Manish Sinha: 9739801002     Neelima Sahu : 9742095526
Email id:vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com              Blog:http://www.vgsomalumnimeet.blogspot.com/ 

Tête-à-tête with Dr. Prabina Rajib

MBM - VGSoM, 1994 - 1996
Ph.D. (International Finance) – IIT Kharagpur, Batch of 2000
Faculty, VGSoM, 1997 ~ present

"As long as I feel good and love my students, I will be here."
- Marilyn Mason on completing 60 yrs of being on the faculty, the longest tenure in University history.

Can you describe your days as a student?
My days as a student included lab classes and endless assignments and the funniest part of that was that 18 of us used to sit in an oval table and yawn one after other. There used to be software labs at night. I learnt cycling in IIT. We use to give back to back exams for 5 days or even 2 exams a day and personally visit the companies for dissertation and placements and all that resulted in the Director taking personal interest in VGSoM affairs.

What made you join VGSoM for MBA in its conceptual years?
Actually this was the only thing I could lay my hand on as a married woman whose husband was deeply in love with her and also the euphoria of being a student at a premier institute like IIT Kharagpur

Journey over the years at VGSOM
I have seen the growth of VGSoM (though we could have achieved much more) over these 15 years. There has been increase in the number of students, the number of faculty, better and more organized placement. I have seen the existing building getting constructed and change of deans with absolute contrasting ideas and ways of working.
In addition to all these changes, I have grown a lot personally. As I look back, a sense of pride and joy overcomes me. I could have never imagined a better quality of job and life. I enjoy being a teacher, interacting and learning from bright lot of VGSoMites as well as other department students. The funniest part is that I have started enjoying research work.

Message to the alumni of VGSoM
15 years of presence has built a strong formidable alumni network. Please do visit VGSoM, IIT Kharagpur and share with us the journey of your life. As they say “The roads may be bumpy but with a good companion you don’t see the roads”. We want you all to share your experiences, help students in placements and just spend time at IIT Kharagpur. We now even have a big bazaar ;)

For what Prabina Ma'am has been doing, click here

An Ode to Life @ VGSoM

Oh, how cruelly sweet are the echoes that start
When memory plays an old tune on the heart!

For VGSoMites like me, the tune can be an assorted mix of an occasional cycle bell tring, buzzing of little green insects (hell yes! :)), the thought of a movie night marathon, mention of words bakar, assignments, group discussion, group studies, …well err…group chaos, maggi, xerox, committee, coffee, Illu, DC++….. it goes on and on….
As we say there is never a dull moment at VGSoM…except maybe when the LAN is down….
The course begins with a balancing act - on the cycle, in the rain, with a new lappy clung alongside and with/without rain gear (doesn't change things much)...first lesson learned and first skill conquered…multi-tasking...which we all master by the end of the course through activities like concentrating on Bonds and Debentures while munching on the calorie rich egg cheese sandwich at Eggies, reading Dilbert on lappy and pretending to take notes, positioning oneself in a way to avoid the line of sight of professors and catching up on lost sleep….yeah we are a talented bunch ;)
One would truly reminisce these golden moments of leisure and learning specially after entering the big bad corporate world… will miss those formidable archetypal pillars bearing the "Dedicated to the Service of Nation" message, which even after two straight night outs never fails to raise that unusual fervor in you….
Maybe few years down the line in our respective careers, whenever we would look back upon the crazy days spent in our beloved Alma Mater, each one of will know how every moment spent there, in some way has shaped us into what we are today….truly the best of times!!

- A student of batch 2007-09.

Core organizing team

The core organizing team for the first ever VGSoM Alumni meet(2008) and their responsibilities is:

Overall and alumni-meet day coordination, blog managment:
Sachin Mehta (sachinmehta@gmail.com, 9964679806)

Messenger team:
Pradyumna Mahajan (pradytcs@gmail.com, 9740365400)
Manish Sinha (sinhamk@gmail.com, 9739801002)
Rohit Sharma (rohit204@gmail.com, 9741402970)
Neelima Sahu (sahu_neel@yahoo.co.in, 9742095526)
Swati Garg (swatigarg25@gmail.com, 9986929063)
Alok (alok.dce@gmail.com, 9980751711)

Creative team:
Sampreet (hr.sampreet@gmail.com, 9880010794)
Akshat Mohindra (akshatmohindra@gmail.com, 9740365444)
Sonika Verma (verma.sonika@gmail.com, 9739841342)

Logistics and infrastructure: Alok(09980751711)

Cultural events team: Swati Garg, Rohit Sharma, Alok, Akshat Mohindra

Budget & accounts: Manish Sinha

Myriad hues of a glorious tale

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us. ~Winston Churchill

For more photographs, feel free to drop in a mail at vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com and we will mail them to you right away!

What's happening at VGSoM? ...keep following..

Ofiicial blog of VGSoM

illu & rangoli...eternally creative at IIT

For more photographs from Diwali-2007, feel free to drop in a mail at vgsom.alumni.meet@gmail.com and we will mail them to you right away!

Quotable qoutes for B-School grads

..............on nostalgia, MBA, professors and more!!

The business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective. ~Warren Buffett

A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep. ~W.H. Auden

College is the best time of your life. When else are your parents going to spend several thousand dollars a year just for you to go to a strange town and get drunk every night? ~David Wood

Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense, but the past perfect! ~Owens Lee Pomeroy

I learned three important things in college - to use a library, to memorize quickly and visually, to drop asleep at any time given a horizontal surface and fifteen minutes. ~Agnes DeMille

The MBA trains the wrong people in the wrong ways with the wrong consequences. ~Henry Mintzberg

It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days. ~Isabel Waxman

I do what I love. You don't need an MBA to be successful. You need a unique concept and guts. ~Deborah Karabin

People seem to get nostalgic about a lot of things they weren't so crazy about the first time around. ~Author Unknown