Events
Mentorship Session
Our NVD teams are entering the second phase of the program, marking an exciting milestone in their journey. To ensure they continue progressing toward success, we have arranged a one-on-one mentorship session that will provide invaluable guidance and support. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Sumangal Pugalia for offering his time, expertise, and insights to the team. His guidance will be instrumental in helping the teams sharpen their skills and broaden their perspectives as they tackle new challenges. This mentorship session is not just an opportunity to learn, but also to grow, innovate, and push boundaries. We are excited to see how this experience will shape the teams’ future achievements and help them reach new heights. Here's to learning, growing, and accomplishing even greater milestones together in this incredible journey ahead!
Expectations Of the FMCG Sector In Sales Role
MR. INDRAJIT DEB GUPTA
IMI Kolkata hosted Mr. Indrajit Deb Gupta, Marketing Manager, The Coca-Cola Company, for an enlightening guest lecture on "Expectations of the FMCG Sector in Sales Role".
The session covered various aspects of the sales role, emphasizing the key expectations that MBA students aspiring to enter the domain should have from the FMCG sector.
The interactive session aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the sales domain. The difference between sales and marketing, the various stages involved in sales, types of sales, and region-wise differences in consumption patterns of consumers, were touched upon during the session. Mr. Gupta's expertise on the matter has provided a clear perspective on the skills and knowledge needed to excel in the domain.
Shift Business From Manual To Automation
MR. RISHAV MULLICK
On July 31, 2024, Mr. Rishav Mullick, Director of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick, delivered an inspiring lecture organized by ATOM, the Operations Club of IMI Kolkata, under the IQAC initiative. The event, titled "Automation and Scalability in the Food & Beverage Industry," provided insights into the business's growth and legacy since 1885.
Mr. Rishav, along with Mr. Gautam Mullick and Mrs. Lopamudra Mullick, shared their journey of integrating automation while preserving traditional flavors. They highlighted the importance of Supply Chain Management, Digital Marketing, and Customer Satisfaction in achieving business success.
The session was highly beneficial for our management graduates, offering practical knowledge on scaling operations and adapting marketing strategies. It equipped students with real-world insights and innovative approaches, preparing them to excel in dynamic business environments
Poster Competition
IMI Kolkata recently hosted a Poster competition on campus as a part of the New Venture Development program, where student groups presented their innovative business ideas to a very special guest, Mr. Arijit Bhattacharya!
His tailored feedback gave our students invaluable insights, guiding them to refine their ideas and approach with a fresh perspective.
Kudos to all the NVD participants for their hard work, creativity, and drive! Moments like these fuel the entrepreneurial spirit on campus, paving the way for tomorrow's game-changers.
His tailored feedback provided our students with invaluable insights, helping them refine their ideas and approach. With his guidance, they gained a fresh perspective, empowering them to improve and move forward with greater clarity and confidence. This mentorship session has truly been a transformative experience for the team.
Tata Social Enterprise Summit 2024
Our students from the International Management Institute Kolkata, had the incredible opportunity to participate in the Tata Social Entrepreneurship Challenge organized by IIM Calcutta.
This event showcased a diverse array of startup pitches focused on socially relevant sectors, fueling our students' entrepreneurial spirit and helping them refine their own venture ideas.
The insights gained from witnessing innovative solutions addressing pressing social issues will undoubtedly shape their approaches as they develop their own projects.
We are proud of our students for actively engaging in this enriching experience and can't wait to see how they channel their learnings into impactful ventures!
Annual NVD Development Programe
MR. ASHISH RAJ
IMI Kolkata was pleased to host Mr. Ashish Raj, Vice President, Venture Builder, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, for an enriching session on Venture building as part of the "Annual New Venture Development Programme".
Mr. Raj shared valuable insights with the students, explaining the essence of new ventures and how their development helps build various skills while providing practical knowledge. He also highlighted how different aspects of business contribute to the success of a new startup and how it often reflects the ideals of the owner.
GUEST LECTURE
MR.SANJEEV JAIN
On July 17, 2024, organized a guest lecture under the initiative of IQAC on "Navigating BTL Sales in Dynamic Business Environment, delivered by Mr. Sanjeev Jain, founder and CEO of Supra Pens.
Mr. Jain shared his expertise on understanding the product, building sales relationships, and the importance of branding and customer trust. He highlighted the roles of offline and online sales in FMCG/FMCD, market topography, ROI, and effective distribution pipelines.
His insights on being driven by passion, incentivizing results, and distinguishing between brand and commodity will greatly benefit the students, equipping them with practical knowledge and strategies for their future careers in sales.
Guest Lecture on Lean Startup
Mr. Avelo Roy
On August 7, 2024, Mr. Avelo Roy, Managing Director, Kolkata Ventures, delivered a motivational lecture organized by the IIC Club of IMI Kolkata, under the IQAC initiative, aimed at budding entrepreneurs. The lecture, titled "Lean Startup: A Bootstrapping Guide for Budding Entrepreneurs, focused on the principles of the lean startup methodology.
Mr. Roy emphasized the importance of starting with a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) using market research to guide product or service development. He highlighted the significance of perseverance in entrepreneurship, sharing the idea that "your first business is not your last business." He also stressed the necessity of maintaining a disciplined mind, stating that failure is an lesser essential part of success. He concluded the lecture with an inspiring message: "Power your dreams with deadlines.
Final Pitching Event: NVD and LBA
On 1st September 2023, IMI Kolkata organized the final pitching events for its New Venture Development and Local Business Accelerator programs. Students presented their entrepreneurial projects to a panel of mentors and industry experts, receiving critical feedback and guidance to refine their ideas and accelerate growth.
Judges reviewed the projects, offering detailed feedback and suggestions to improve their work and ideas. Their insights helped participants identify key areas of improvement, validate strategies, and explore potential opportunities for scaling their ventures.
Additionally, judges emphasized the importance of building sustainable and scalable business models while focusing on solving real-world problems. They encouraged participants to leverage their strengths, enhance their market research, and adopt innovative approaches to stand out in competitive markets. The constructive feedback served as a stepping stone for students to refine their entrepreneurial vision and align it with current industry trends.
Poster Competition For NVD Students
On 7th October 2023, IMI Kolkata held a poster session cum mentoring session for validating startup ideas of students.
8 early startup projects participated in the poster competition.
The guests were eminent entrepreneurs from the Kolkata/West Bengal region, Mr. Arvind Kushwaha, Co-founder of Delivery Pigeon and Mr. Sumangal Pugalia, Co-founder of Pacific Designs.
On 7th October 2023, IMI Kolkata organized a poster session cum mentoring session to validate startup ideas of students. The event saw participation from eight early-stage startup projects, providing students with an opportunity to showcase their ideas, receive feedback, and gain valuable mentorship from industry experts.
Guest Lecture on Startup Ideation
Mr. Shamik Guha
On 4th October 2023, IMI Kolkata had the honour to host Mr. Shamik Guha, an entrepreneur funded by Shark Tank India.
Mr. Shamik shared his journey of building smart helmets and offered key insights into his experiences with Indian consumers and his journey at Shark Tank India. The audience was enthralled by his journey and had several questions to ask about Mr. Shamik’s experiences.
Mr. Guha shared how early stage entrepreneurs should consider startup ideation. His tips and tricks helped the students to apply in their own entrepreneurship projects.
Guest Lecture on Sustainability Businesses
Ms. Pallavi Luharaka
IMI Kolkata had the honour to host Ms. Pallavi Luharaka, one of the most successful startup entrepreneur from Kolkata. She has represented India’s sustainable businesses in various global forums and won several entrepreneurship awards.
The event was held on September 20, 2023. Ms. Pallavi had an interactive session with the audience who were highly inspired by her journey and the scope of sustainable businesses.
Future of Entrepreneurship
“Difficult things are not difficult till the time your perceive things right”
On September 13, 2023, IMI Kolkata under IQAC, ECell and IIC had the honor of hosting Mr. Kunal Mukherjee, Director and CEO of Emsurg Healthcare (India) Pvt. Ltd., for an enlightening session on the "Future of Entrepreneurship" in India.
During his talk, Mr. Mukherjee emphasized the significance of perception when venturing into entrepreneurship and illustrated this concept using the Ikigai framework, which focuses on the pursuit of passion for success. He also delved into essential aspects of the entrepreneurial world such as risk-taking and research and development. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A session with the students, adding depth and interest to the event.
We extend our gratitude to Mr. Kunal for sharing his valuable insights and preparing aspiring entrepreneurs for their journey.
Guest Lecture on Achieving Product Market Fit
Mr. Jaydip Mukherjee
IMI Kolkata had the honour to host Mr. Jaydip Mukherjee, Co-Founder and COO of SnapE Cabs, one of the most ambitious EV cab startup in Kolkata.
Mr. Mukherjee shared his journey and the problems being solved by his startup. He gave some amazing statistics about the cab hailing industry and the change possible with EV cars.
He gave inspiring and motivational advice to students to be brave and to pursue their dreams. It was a true honour to host Mr. Jaydip Mukherjee.
Date- 9th August,2023
Entrepreneurship Summit
IMI Kolkata’s Entrepreneurship Summit is organised annually along with student orientation to sensitize the incoming batch of MBA students towards entrepreneurship as a career.
This year is 2023, we hosted a panel discussion on academic entrepreneurship and hosting 4 eminent personalities:
Ms. Vinita Saraf, Founder, Ek Tara
Mr. Ankit Chhaparia, Founder, Coftea
Mr. Ritobroto Mukherjee, Director at Emsurg Healthcare India
Mr. Rahul Basak, Founder of Philoyes Studio
Panel Advice and Q&A Session The panelists offered valuable advice to young scholars on entrepreneurship and career growth. They emphasized the importance of skill development, adaptability, and innovative thinking. The event concluded with an extended Q&A session, where the panelists addressed various questions, sharing insights on entrepreneurial challenges, opportunities, and success strategies.
The Entrepreneurship Summit, organized annually, includes panel discussions and interactive sessions to inspire and guide students toward pursuing entrepreneurship. It aligns with the student orientation program to introduce the incoming MBA batch to the opportunities and challenges in the entrepreneurial landscape.
Guest Lecture on Validating Startup Ideas
Ms. Rachna Jaiswal
IMI Kolkata is proud to host Ms. Rachna Jaiswal, one of the most well known entrepreneurs in Kolkata. She is the Director of AKJ Industries.
She conducted an interactive lecture on entrepreneurship and shared her personal journey. She gave several important pieces of advice to women entrepreneurs.
Her motivational talk helped students gain practical insights on early stage entrepreneurship, skills and mindset needed to succeed. We thank Ms. Rachna Jaiswal to give us her valuable time.
DATE - 26TH JULY, 2023.
Tata Social Entrepreneurship Challenge
Name of the Event- Tata Social Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Theme of the Event- An understanding of the entrepreneurship ecosystem and networking opportunities.
Name of the Speaker(s): - Praabal Kumar Basu (Social Entrepreneur, Ideator, Founder at ZAARII) and Kalyan Koley (Social Entrepreneur, Founder of Aegipan Animal BioCare(P) Ltd.)
Hosted By: - Indian Institute of Management Kolkata (Calcutta) and TATA Social Enterprise Challenge.
Date and Time of the Event: - 3rd March 2023 (3pm to 5.30pm)
NEEV - IMI Kolkata's Incubation Centre
IMI Kolkata’s Incubation Centre, NEEV, was launched on 30th September 2022 to foster entrepreneurial innovation within and beyond the IMI Kolkata community. As part of this initiative, a Section 8 Company named IKN Innovation Foundation was incorporated on 26th June 2023 to drive the incubation activities formally.
NEEV serves as a dynamic platform designed to ignite and nurture the spirit of entrepreneurship. It aims to provide early-stage entrepreneurs with critical support through mentorship, structured training, and access to essential resources. This comprehensive support system empowers individuals to develop, launch, and scale their ventures effectively.
The platform not only focuses on startups within the IMI Kolkata community but also extends its reach to external stakeholders, creating a broader ecosystem of innovation. By equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the tools to navigate challenges, NEEV promotes sustainable business growth and innovative problem-solving. Through its initiatives, NEEV envisions contributing to a thriving entrepreneurial culture that encourages collaboration, creativity, and long-term success.
SIGNING OF MOU
As part of this initiative, IMI Kolkata signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with 16 industry partners from the local region, particularly Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The partnerships will allow students to gain hands-on experience by working closely with these entrepreneurial businesses, addressing real-world challenges, and contributing to their growth.
The New Venture Development program offers additional mentorship opportunities for students from seasoned industry mentors. This will enable students to develop innovative solutions, acquire entrepreneurial skills, and cultivate leadership qualities necessary to drive new ventures. The Local Business Accelerator will focus on supporting local MSMEs, helping them scale their operations while benefiting from IMI Kolkata’s resources and expertise.
Entrepreneurship Courses at IMI Kolkata
IMI Kolkata has launched two ambitious entrepreneurship courses, (i) Local Business Accelerator and (ii) New Venture Development, where students undergo a 6-month long completely hands-on curriculum.
Local Business Accelerator (LBA) track is designed to provide industry oriented curriculum to students. By engaging directly with local businesses, students obtain hands-on experience on the challenges faced by real businesses. The extended internship type curriculum also helps boost local businesses.
New Venture Development (NVD): Students have the opportunity to start their own companies in the campus and use IMI’s infrastructure and networks. This 6-month long programme will give students exposure to developing a real startup idea and running the early startup functions hands-on.