Indus Valley Times

By Mahendra Darjee

Sambalpur, Feb.2: IIM Sambalpur, one of the premier management institutions, is all set for the inauguration of its permanent campus by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This was informed by Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur.

Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal also informed that the inauguration will take place on Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 2 to 3 pm. On the occasion, Shri Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister, Odisha; Shri Raghubar Das, Governor, Odisha; Shri Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways; Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways, Communication and Electronics & Information Technology; Shri R. K. Singh, Union Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy; Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal; Shri Bishweswar Tudu, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti; along with Shri Nitesh Ganga Deb, Member, Lok Sabha; Shri Jayanarayan Mishra, Member, Odisha Legislative Assembly and Shri Nauri Nayak, Member, Odisha Legislative Assembly will grace the inauguration. The event is expected to draw as many as 4000 audience from various parts of the nation.

Prof Jaiswal further informed that on this day, the Hon’ble Prime Minister will lay the foundation, inaugurate, and dedicate 23 projects in Western Odisha related to Education, Road Transport, Coal, Railways, and Mines, collectively worth of 51,235 crores.

Up on the visit of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur very enthusiastically said, “The three guiding principles of IIM Sambalpur’s ecosystem are innovation, inclusivity, and integrity. Our dedication to these principles led us to make a significant adjustment to our admissions process in an effort to improve the gender balance. We use a sophisticated version of the flipped classroom approach, in which most learning takes place outside of the classroom.”

Prof. Jaiswal emphasized the Master Weavers project, also known as BunkarValleys.com, as an inventive effort to digitize and market the goods and enterprises of master weavers on platforms like Flipkart and ONDC, in order to highlight the IIM Sambalpur’s dedication to giving back to society.

It is to be recalled that, IIM Sambalpur has seen the long journey from year 2015, when it was initially started its temporary campus at Silicon Institute of Technology, near Sambalpur city. Later the campus was shifted to the Sambalpur University premises. The construction of the permanent campus commenced by the Project Management Company, NBCC in the year 2021 at Basantpur spread over 200 acres with an investment of Rs. 401.94 Crore.

The new campus is equipped with modernized facilities for administration, faculty, academics, auditoriums, libraries, sports zone, incubation centers, hostels, and dining. It seamlessly incorporates regional art and architecture.  IIM Sambalpur has its own Incubation Centre, governed by the Innovation and Incubation Cell, to build an ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs by providing them with a platform to interact, learn and network with a multitude of people which includes investors, venture capitalists, industry experts etc.

IIM Sambalpur also value to its regional art by incorporating a symbiotic relationship with the architecture. Traditional IKAT – a patterned textile-dyeing technique is mapped onto the brick facade which gives a remarkable elegance to the campus.

IIM Sambalpur stands as a beacon of sustainability, exemplified by its impressive 4-star GRIHA rating for its campus. Committed to environmental consciousness, the institute has incorporated cutting-edge technologies to reduce its ecological footprint. The campus boasts a photovoltaic solar power plant on the rooftops, coupled with advanced features like movement sensors controlling lighting, solar water heating systems, and LED lighting. The implementation of Astronomical Timers for external lighting and a high BEE star rating further showcase the institution’s dedication to energy efficiency, aiming to cut electricity consumption by an impressive 55%.  In a significant stride towards water conservation, IIM Sambalpur has also implemented an onsite wastewater treatment system, recycling approximately 80% of water. This recycled water is intelligently reused for horticulture and flushing, underlining the institute’s commitment to sustainable practices and responsible resource management.

IIM Sambalpur offers a diverse range of academic programs, including the two-year MBA for global leaders, a customized Executive MBA for emerging leaders, a flexible MBA for Working Professionals with a dual degree option at Delhi Campus, a PhD program focusing on innovative management education, and an Executive PhD uniquely designed for working professionals. Apart from this, MDP programme of IIM Sambalpur covers futuristic themes, general management, and customized offerings for the institutions. In-company or customized MDPS are training programs designed to cater a specific set of participants with specific requirements. Such programs are designed on need-analysis of client, understanding of industry requirement and according develop training content to simulate an appropriate context. These programs collectively underline IIM Sambalpur’s commitment to providing a comprehensive education that meets the evolving demands of the contemporary business landscape.

Recently, the Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, inaugurated the ‘Rangavati Centre of Excellence in Cultural and Sustainable Management’ at IIM Sambalpur as a part of the 4-Day 9th PAN IIM World Management Conference (WMC). The primary focus of the center will be research on the art, literature, culture, and history of western Odisha, with a special emphasis on textiles