With in MBAEx witnessed a growing representation from ISRO, including the inclusion of Srinath Ravichandran, Co-Founder and CEO of Agnikul Cosmos, to think through the managerial potential in space startups.
The Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM Calcutta) conducted the inauguration ceremony for the 18th batch of the MBA for Executive (MBAEx) programme on April 26, 27, and 28.
While the programme enrolled a diverse range of professionals, the gender representation of the academic batch 2024-2025 shows a significant disparity, with 88 per cent male students and 12 per cent female students.
The MBA for executives programme is a residential programme meant for executives with more than five years of professional experience.
These professionals in this batch have come from various sectors including manpower solutions, mining, aerospace, re-commerce, power and energy, ITES, insurance, healthcare, government – defence and space, financial services, consumer durables, construction and infrastructure, and automotive.
The inauguration theme “From Job Seekers to Job Creators: Reimagining MBA in Contemporary India”, was a quote from programmes alumnus Ramaswamy. The inauguration also included entrepreneurial alumni. Additionally, it also showcased IIM Calcutta’s MBAEx program’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurial spirit among its students and aligning the program with India’s growth trajectory.
The inauguration ceremony included welcome addresses from Professor Saibal Chattopadhyay, Director-in-Charge, and Professor Bhaskar Chakraborty, dean of academic programmes.
Additionally, Professor Ramendra Singh from the Marketing group at IIMC offered insights on the concept of “Bottom of the Pyramid” (BOP) with real-world case studies.
The ceremony also included a two-day “startup garage hackathon”.
Startup Garage Hackathon
The “Startup Garage Hackathon” was co-created by IIM Calcutta and the Innovation Park led by CEO Subhrangshu Sanyal. It provided real-world exposure to entrepreneurship for the participating students. A total of 80 students actively participated in the hackathon. They developed startup ideas, engaged with investors, and received mentorship. Three winning teams were chosen based on three criteria: validation, profitability, and passion for their ventures.
The hackathon awarded prizes to three startups. The winning idea belonged to Easy Toys, whose concept even had a dedicated category web page design. The first runner-up was Insta Dine, with its winning validation surveys. Howdy secured the second runner-up position.
