Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow celebrated its Twenty Years Of Excellence in the field of management education with a three day extravaganza. The celebrations held between 6th and 8th September marked its 20th Foundation Day and brought together practically everyone from the Jaipuria family, Directors, faculty members, past and present, alumni, students and their loved ones.

Such was the magnitude of the event that Shri Ram Naik, Honourable Governor, Uttar Pradesh was the Chief Guest for the final day celebrations that also had several leading lights from the industry and academia in attendance. He gave an inspirational speech where he said “While appearing for job interviews, it is not your score, but your personality which becomes the selection criterion. I would like to share some tips I learnt as a student- Smile; smile a lot but also keep in mind when not to! Next is, to Learn to Appreciate others, Do not belittle anyone and lastly, There’s always a better way of doing things. In this age of information technology Indians are facing global challenges and stiff competition but these can be overcome with our innate confidence, time management and ability to excel.”

From sporting activities to a fete that made everyone go down the memory lane, an emotion filled Jelfie (Jaipuria Selfie) to a Flash Mob; a wide range of activities started the revelries on a high note. The flash mob held at the Wave Mall, Gomti Nagar to raise awareness about Women Empowerment and the Twentieth Foundation Day in particular got a stunning response as it drew more than 800 visitors. As Vinay Singh Pundir, alum of 1997 Batch said, “Jaipuria doesn’t just prepare to be successful management professionals but fills you with a positive attitude and tells you that there’s a solution to every problem in the world.”

The same positive energy and camaraderie was on display when the alumni interacted with first and second year students on the Founder’s Day. Several fun filled activities including a cricket match, that the Alumni team won bragging rights for, were organized to strengthen their bond. ‘A business tea party cum interactive discussion’ with MIDCOM Group in the presence of alum Mr. Anand Narayan Kapoor, Vice Chairman and Mr. Akash Kumar, Managing Director was held to offer students insight into the corporate world. The gathering also served as a networking platform for present and future professionals in the midst.

Of course, the alumni were relishing the opportunity to come back to the institute and interact with their friends, peers and present students. As Mrs. Mamta Kumar, alum Batch 1998 said, “It’s great to see how my institute is growing and nurturing the future of so many students.” The alumni themselves had their part to play during the Alumni Mentoring session where they shared their experiences with the students. At the session Teri Meri Baat, the discussion veered around Success Vs Happiness, which had important lessons for students. The alumni panel was also chosen as the celebrations continued.

Dr. M. Ashraf Rizvi, Director, Jaipuria, Lucknow thanked the alumni for their contributions as he delivered the welcome address on the 20th Foundation Day. Shri. Sharad Jaipuria, Chairman, Jaipuria Group delivered a rousing speech where he reaffirmed his commitment for learning, adapting and improving to attain excellence. The Honourable Governor gave away the cash prize of Rs. Five Lacs to the winning team of MIDCOM Business Challenge Competition. The meritorious students of three programs of the 2016 Batch were awarded with scholarships. Speeches by Shri. Naik and Shri. Shreevats Jaipuria made further impact on the gathering.

Sagarika Bharadwaj, Sakshi Agarwal, Shikha Gupta, the first, second and third rank holders for the PGDM batch were the big winners of the night. Several of the faculty members were given Loyalty Awards for their commitment and untiring efforts. Dr. N.K. Dhooper, Founding Director and Prof. Subrata Chakraborty, Former Director were warmly felicitated for their contributions to the institute. Alum Smita Singh, from Batch 1999 had the last word on the celebrations when she said, “Jaipuria has given us so many wonderful memories throughout our academic years. Today it has given us another special memory that will stay etched in our minds.”