IIM-V celebrates its 12th Foundation Day with aplomb

Visakhapatnam: Marking a significant milestone in its journey of fostering entrepreneurial leadership, academic excellence, and nation-building, the Indian Institute of Management Visakhapatnam (IIM-V) celebrated its 12th Foundation Day on Saturday.

Delivering her Foundation Day address, former Secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Labour and Employment Sumita Dawra, who previously served as the Principal Secretary, Higher Education Department, government of Andhra Pradesh, appreciated the remarkable growth the institute achieved over the years. Speaking on India’s transition from demographic advantage to demographic dividend, she emphasised that the country is currently witnessing a rare ‘Goldilocks period’. She highlighted the importance of skilling, reskilling and upskilling, along with the need for continuous learning, unlearning, and relearning in a rapidly evolving global economy.

Also, Sumita Dawra spoke about how Artificial Intelligence, while disruptive, can be leveraged as a significant advantage for the gig economy and the growth of Global Capability Centres in India.

Addressing the gathering, M. Chandrasekhar, director, IIM-V, highlighted the institute’s remarkable progress over the past decade. He noted that in a little over ten years, the institute has established a strong reputation for delivering high-quality management education that seamlessly blends theory with practice. The institute has emerged as a nurturing ground for future leaders contributing meaningfully to the private, public and social sectors as professional managers, entrepreneurs, and stewards of emerging enterprises, the director underlined. The journey of IIM Visakhapatnam began on January 17, 2015 when the foundation stone was laid by the then Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Smriti Irani, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandrababu Naidu.

In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the institute’s magnificent 241-acre campus located at Gambheeram Village, Anandapuram mandal.

Supported by a strong and diverse faculty base and a sharp focus on research, innovation, and leadership development, IIM-V serves the learning aspirations of over 15,000 learners annually from across the globe through its on-campus, online and hybrid programmes.

The institute hosts IIM-V-FIELD, one of India’s fastest-growing incubators, nurturing nearly 200 startups, of which 75 percent are led by women entrepreneurs.

As part of the celebrations, Sumita Dawra presented merit certificates to eight high-performing PGP students in recognition of their outstanding academic performance. Also, awards were presented to students, faculty, and staff for excellence in sports and other achievements.