Inspiring INSPIRA’20

CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Lavasa has been inspiring students and faculty alike in their ventures and initiatives. CHRIST, Lavasa has persistently functioned on the ideology of bringing within its fold external and industry partners including, but not limited to, academic institutions, corporate bodies, stakeholders and well-wishers to build, strengthen and develop its core focal objective - `Excellence and Service’. Thereby the objective of the holistic evolution of young minds is achieved.

Department of Commerce and Management came up with a novel idea of initiating a business fest entitled, `INSPIRA’ on 31st January and 1st February 2020 in the premises of CHRIST, Lavasa. A wide variety of events have been meticulously planned to showcase the talent of young enthusiasts across various disciplines. INSPIRA intends to ignite young minds with unique ideas and ascend on the path to success.

31st January 2020 marked the beginning of INSPIRA’20, a two-day event. The inauguration ceremony of the first edition of INSPIRA began with invoking blessings of the Almighty and the traditional lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries while Priyadarshini sang the invocation song. Ms. Shubhashree Acharya, HOD, Department of Commerce and Management, formally welcomed the august gathering and inspired the audience to aspire. To mark the occasion Rupa gave a graceful dance performance.

Then the ever efficient anchor, Dhruv Sangwan invited Director & Dean Dr Fr Jossy P George, a seasoned scholar and the force behind the program to share his opinion. Rev Fr Jossy conveyed his congratulations to the Department of Commerce and Management for their initiative.

Director extended a warm welcome to the invited guests, students, judges, students, and faculty. He began his inspirational address by referring to INSPIRA’20 as an excellent opportunity to let the contestants express their creativity and potential. He further motivated them to exhibit their competitive spirit and give their best. Fr Jossy rightly articulated that the best CEO of a company possesses the capability of thinking differently in order to perform well. He was proud to share that CHRIST, Lavasa is considered as the business analytics hub and is on the road to success.

He further asserted that the holistic approach through extracurricular activities develops the thought process of skill-based students. CHRIST nurtures them to give their best performance. Fr Jossy was highly appreciative of the student-driven program even though it is just the beginning. He invited everyone to put their best foot forward and be a winner and cherish the memories of a memorable stay in the Lavasa campus.

The Chief Guest on this occasion was Dr. Philip Coelho. Ex VP, Kalyani Steels. He has done MA Sociology and MA Personnel Management from Pune University, Labor Welfare from TATA Institute of Social Sciences and PhD in Commerce from Pune University. He is currently Adjunct Faculty, Human Resource Management, Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD). He has successfully shared 30 years of teaching experience with the students at SCMHRD. He worked as Senior VP Human Resources, Kalyani Carpenter Special Steels for 36 years. Dr Philip has hands-on experience in various industries in all aspects of HRM for a total of almost 40 years. As an efficient teacher, he inspires and ignites imagination and instills a love of learning. His attitude, way of storytelling and wisdom pulls the students to an enthralling experience of learning. The esteemed Chief Guest addressed the august gathering and then the event was declared open.

The Chief Guest specifically mentioned at the outset that the event is dedicated to the students. He categorically mentioned that the world is quite competitive in nature and one ought to be well prepared for the same. He rightly mentioned that the need for the hour is to have young energetic and enthusiastic students. He congratulated Christites to be fortunate enough to have got admission to such a prestigious college and as they will embark on a journey into the professional world after graduation they will be prepared to face the challenges.

He reiterated that one faces competition at every stage of life for nearly everything. He inspired the students to compete with the best of their ability and prove their mettle. He further added that education plays a vital role as they stand at one end of the spectrum and they ought to be ready to face competition. He gave valuable statistics related to management courses and colleges and motivated the students to be an edge over others. They must practice relentlessly and persistently with honesty and integrity because life tougher as one climbs the ladder of success. Prisha and Aditya felicitated the Chief Guest.

Next keynote Speaker, Dr Jyothi Kumar addressed the faculty members and the contestants. She is presently Dean – School of Business Studies and Social Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru. She is a fellow member of the United Board and is also a member of the Academic Council, Board of Management and Planning and Monitoring Board at Christ University. Apart from such distinguished associations, Dr Jyothi is also part of the Board of Studies of PES University and BENNETT University. She has handled various responsibilities and is a consultant for management training for major corporations.

Dr Jyothi began on a positive note and thanked the organizers and the college profusely for being invited to be a part of the pioneering event. She instilled confidence in young students and asked them to applaud for themselves since a positive attitude can make a big difference. She added that the students must cooperate when they are pushed to test their limits as it is a learning experience. She appreciated the title, `INSPIRA’ which in itself is motivating and will definitely help the participants to find their inner self. She is optimistic that the competition will help them to grow as they are able to identify what they are good at.

She further reinforced the concept, when she explained that working in tandem with others is more important than the competition as it is a learning experience. She wisely mentioned that the world is not just looking for specialists but generalists are also in demand. She encouraged them to be confident and warned them to avoid being arrogant of their intelligence. She ended her inspirational speech by motivating the students to be self-motivated, put in their heart and soul into an activity, learning by doing and conveyed the blessings and best wishes of Bengaluru CHRIST fraternity.

Then the anchor invited the event coordinator, Assistant Professor Vijaykumar to address the gathering. He shared his experience related to the journey of the event from the beginning. He felt proud to be a part of the Department of Commerce and Management and expressed his gratitude. He was deeply indebted to Director & Dean and thanked him for his constant support and encouragement. He also expressed his appreciation towards Fr Arun, staff, students and special invitees who graced the occasion.  He rightly considered it a momentous moment to be a part of an event that was largely student-driven, who exhibited an abundance of enthusiasm and willingness from the beginning. Their purposeful devotion to making it a historical event turned out to be a blessing in disguise. He wished everyone to take part in the events with a positive attitude and find acceptance of their endeavors.

Deepika Yalamanchili gave a vote of thanks and made important announcements pertaining to the events scheduled for INSPIRA. Dhruv Sangwan anchored the entire program confidently and efficiently. The competitions have begun on the right note.