Quartet from IIM Bangalore
Four freshly minted Fellows from IIM B who joined XIMB in 1988 created an aura around XIMB from the late 1980s till the mid-1990s. Uday, Suma, TAS and Gopal were experts in their domains, and students were awed to be taught by them. They distilled their knowledge and perspective into discipline and transparency, which made them demigods in their own right.
Lone ranger from IIM A
Govind, the lone ranger who was not even a PhD or a Fellow but a PGDM from IIM A with work experience, enthralled not only the students with his knowledge and effervescent style of teaching in the marketing domain but also mesmerized the top management of XIMB. Govind attained cult status like the IIM B quartet.
Others
There were others like Father D ‘Souza (yes, he taught OB and Stress Management), Dr CGK Nair, Dr Murthy, DVR, Lata, Mrs Mohanty, etc., who raised XIMB from just another B School to THE B SCHOOL, which became the hallowed destination for many of the intelligent students of my generation. Personally, despite securing a seat at XLRI J, I opted for XIMB due to the advice of the then Dean (Academics), Dr CGK Nair, the reputation of the faculty, their dynamism and, of course, the fact that only merit opened the doors for admission.
Missed Opportunity
My late mom (who looked upon me as a sensitive kid) was disinclined to send me to Bihar for my MBA. (XLRI Jamshedpur during the 1990s was part of undivided Bihar). She believed that it was a lawless state. Even after 30 years (Since graduating with a PGDM from XIMB), the reputation has not improved significantly!
Reminiscences
Many B Schools tried to copy this model and are still doing so. Onboarding IIT and IIM folks to create the wow factor has typically not been that successful.
Whenever there is a discussion about Bhubaneswar emerging as the education hub of Odisha and eastern India, apart from IIT Bhubaneswar, XIMB also is taken in the same breath.
Many of the faculty of yore have left XIMB since the late 1990s and have become beacons in different B Schools and institutions of importance, yet the contribution of the aforementioned in cementing XIMB’s status as one of India’s top B Schools is undeniable.
Even today, there is a steady stream of good faculty joining XIMB, whose credentials are impeccable. In fact, two of my classmates (toppers in our Class of 1991) joined the B School as Professors of repute who carved a niche for themselves in the institution, DP and Punya.
XIM University should have been XIMB University, but due to the miscalculation of one of the top management, XIMB is the brand name, not Xavier.
XIMB alumni are still revered over the decades not only for having produced captains of industry or entrepreneurs of distinction but for maintaining the culture and tradition that the Jesuit Fathers had instilled in their formative years. The alumni are growing under the watch of Debu and Shekhar, whose passion for taking their alma mater to great heights is undeniable
It is typical to hear parents seeking a seat at the venerable institution after their ward completes engineering, CA, CS, graduation, etc., Pan India.
There is no denying the fact that XIMB’s culture & tradition, management practices, acclaimed faculty, activities outside the classroom, dexterity to evolve with time, infrastructure, and, finally, its placements (in the given order) have made it a much sought-after B School for generations of ambitious students and their equally determined parents.
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