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‘Collosal waste of talent’: Sanjeev Bikhchandani remembers Verghese Kurien speech to IIM graduates
- Sanjeev Bikhchandani recalled that speech by Verghese Kurien at IIM Ahmedabad was blunt, sarcastic, and condescending.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder of Naukri.com, shared his thoughts on the kind of convocation speech and the kind of convocation speakers that leave an impact on students. He recalled a speech by Verghese Kurien at IIM Ahmedabad.
He said that the speech by Verghese Kurien, Chairman of NDDB, made a lasting impact. In his speech, Kurien speech was blunt, sarcastic, and condescending.
Sanjeev Bikhchandani remembered that Verghese Kurien referred to the graduating class by referring to IIMA as the ‘Indian Institute of Management for Shampoo Salesmen.’ He also referred to management institutes as ‘training schools for shampoo salesmen.’
“He was not polite. He was downright rude. He was condescending. He was sarcastic. He was caustic. He was insulting. He spoke a few home truths to the graduating class. He taunted us,” said Bikhchandani on Twitter.
“This is the Indian Institute of Management for Shampoo Salesmen. And that the entire graduating class could now look forward to a life where they spend their time selling soap and shampoo. For that is the limit of our aspiration and ambition he said. We just wanted to work for Multinational Corporations peddling their wares to Indian consumers. Such a collosal waste of talent he called it. And throughout his speech he repeatedly used the term “shampoo salesmen” derisively to describe the graduates of IIMA,” he added.
Bikhchandani said that Dr. Kurien's speech made their ears burn, but it was also one that they remembered long after their convocation day. He noted that the class of 1989, to which he belonged, produced the highest number of entrepreneurs in the history of IIM-A, indicating that some students did take Dr. Kurien's challenge seriously and pursued different paths.
“He challenged us to do something more meaningful with our lives and try and make a difference. But then he lamented that his words were going to fall on deaf ears and that we would take the safer option,” he added.
Bikhchandani said that warm fuzzy convocation speeches don’t make lasting impact.
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Business NewsNewsIndia‘Collosal waste of talent’: Sanjeev Bikhchandani remembers Verghese Kurien speech to IIM graduates
First Published:20 Jun 2023, 06:22 PM IST
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