ANUSMRUTI 2016 - Alumni

January 2016
SIIB ALUMNI TEAM PUBLICATION
ANUSMRUTI 2016
“Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven.” - Tryon
Edwards
SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
COLLEGE COLLAGE
ANUSMRUTI 2016
“No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are
thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth" - Robert Southey
It was a day to reminisce the old times and rejoice the cherished moments experienced before.
It was SIIB’s Annual Alumni Reunion Meet – Anusmruti 2016 held on the second Saturday of the
New Year, 9th of January, 2016. The host batches for this year were 1994-96 and 2004-06 who
were celebrating their 20 years and 10 years respectively. Also, all the guest batches were
invited to be a part of the celebration. More than 80 alumni from across all the batches along
with their family members attended the event making it a resounding success. The day began
with a panel discussion where four eminent alumni – Mr. Rahul Wani (Oracle), Mr. Deepak
Vazirani (Danone India) , Mr. Amit Khamkar (Danfoss,Denmark) and Mr. Vibhu Grover (HDFC
Bank) interacted with the students making them understand the intricacies of corporate world
and how they should work towards their goals with perseverance and patience.
Alumni started walking in from afternoon onwards and were greeted by the members of the
Alumni Relations Team. It was a delight for the alumni to wear ID cards bearing the words
#ProudAlumnus. The formal event began with an address by Vice Chancellor, Dr. Rajani Gupte
and our Director Dr. Asmita Chitnis.The event continued with the host batches and guest
batches being felicitated by Dr. Rajani Gupte and Dr. Asmita Chitnis and then the alumni shared
their insights recreating nostalgia in air.
The SIIB Alumni Excellence Award – “Sarvashreshtha Award 2016” was awarded to Mr. Vikas
Saraogi (2001-03) for his outstanding achievements in his area of work. The award depicts the
honor that SIIB awards to its alumni. This was followed by Prof. S.V. Godbole and other senior
faculty members sharing their thoughts.
The event came to an end with a series of colorful cultural events performed by the Kshitij
(SIIB’s very own CSR initiative) kids, the music club of SIIB – The Richman & Co, and I-Beats,
SIIB’s official dance club. The power packed performances held the audience enthralled.
Each alumnus present, parted with a smile on their face and a promise to stay in touch. We
thank all alumni for gracing the event and look forward to seeing them again next year.
IGNISENSE 2016
Igniting the fever
This January, frenzied festivity grappled the entire SIIB family as the college conducted its
biggest fiesta of the year, Ignisense 2016. Ignisense - the annual management and cultural fest
of Symbiosis Institute of International Business broke all barriers and proved to be a thumping
success this year. It hosted a plethora of management contests involving all verticals such as
Marketing, Finance, HR and Operations. Also on offer were several quizzes, games and fun
activities and culturals such as band performances and dance contests. The grand scale of the
event could be gauged by the fact that more than 2400 students participated and won exciting
prizes as a part of the event.
Ignisense’16 had something to offer to everyone –
 1000 faces - the flagship event
 Halosphere- the HR event
 Markwiz- for the marketing enthusiasts ,
 Finatics - for the finance gurus
 Opium-for the supply chain masters,
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Mach B - Cognizesta - the Quizzing event
Prastav - the Agri event and
Synergy conducted by E&E students.
These events were conducted in various rounds over the period of two days.
Also the amazing show put up by the contestants at Pulse- the Dance competition and Style
check – the Fashion show grabbed eyeballs. The DJ night came alive with some fabulous foot
tapping numbers belted out by DJ Tejas and Vh1 Supersonics. The crowd danced their hearts
out and was left wanting for more.
Ignisense lived up to it’s name as “The Carnival of Rebels” as an event that enticed, enthralled
and captured the attention of every individual involved in it in some way or the other.
After a successful IGNISENSE’16, we look forward to a bigger and grander IGNISENSE’17
HAIL IGNI!!!
TIME TO CELEBRATE
You are a leader if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more , do more and
become more – John Adams
The Director of an elite institute such as Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB) is
the principal driver of change and innovation through the direct involvement in every aspect of
the Institute: academics, governance, research, and consultancy.
On 5th of January, this year our Director, Dr. Asmita Chitnis successfully completed one year as
the Director of SIIB. On behalf of the entire SIIB fraternity, we celebrated the occasion with an
interactive session with Ma'am. The students were delighted to listen to Dr. Asmita Chitnis as
she made fond recollections of her journey and spoke about her passion for teaching.
The fun part of the evening was the talk show hosted by Senior Corporate Relations Team
member Daryl Peris as he led Asmita Ma’am to share interesting tit – bits about her life and
career. The event ended with cake cutting as the audience broke into applause.
We are proud to have Dr. Asmita Chitnis as our guiding Principal and hope that she’ll take SIIB
to greater heights.
REPUBLIC DAY CELEBRATIONS
True Independence and freedom can only exist in doing what’s right – Brigham
Young
India celebrated its 67th Republic day this year and the festivities at Symbiosis Infotech Campus
on this account were marvelous, where we showcased our unity through all the cultural
diversity. The faculty, students and staff of all the institutes got together for the celebrations
which were organized and hosted by SIIB this year. The event commenced with the hoisting of
our national flag after which the directors of the respective colleges shared their thoughts on
this special day.
Starting off, our Director–Dr. Asmita Chitnis, addressed the gathering and shared her views on
where our country stands today and what is kept ahead for us in the days to come.She put
forward various factors that have made the growth of our nation stagnant and also made us
aware of our duties and responsibilities towards our country. This was followed by a beautiful
rendition of patriotic songs by the students.
This day awakened our senses and stirred in us an awareness of our duty towards our nation.
JAI HIND!
PEARLS OF WISDOM: GUEST LECTURES
We are made wise not by the recollections of the past but by the responsibility
of our future – George Bernard Shaw
The students of SIIB got an opportunity to interact with stalwarts such as Mr. Varun Gandhi and
Mr. David Piachaud who visited SIIB in order to share their knowledge, expertise and real life
experiences.
Mr. Varun Gandhi , Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, renowned statesman and visionary
leader conducted a session on “Ideas for New India” on 14th Jan 2016 . This was a very
interactive session which helped students to understand how youth plays a major role in the
welfare of the Society and can contribute towards a brighter and more prosperous nation.
Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics Mr. David Piachaud , conducted the
second session on 19th Jan on PROSPERITY AND POVERTY : The Future of Social Protection.
Mr. David Piachaud has had an illustrious career as Member the Council of Economic Advisers,
Executive Office of the President, Washington DC and Economic Assistant at the Dept of Health
and Social Security.
He conveyed his message to the SIIBians regarding the importance of Social Protection, it’s
various Forms, and Growth Issues for the future of Social Protection and how both growth and
equity are needed for economic and social progress.
Both the sessions turned out to be extremely insightful and interesting and were followed by a
Q & A session where the students interacted with the guests.
We look forward to many more such learning experiences in the times to come.
YOGA SHIBIR
Your body is the most priceless possession and health, the greatest gift.
Prime Minister Modi recently declared 21st June as International Yoga Day. To highlight the
extent to which this practice has penetrated throughout the world, 175 nations co-sponsored
the UN resolution, the highest ever. To celebrate this mental, physical and spiritual exercise,
which originated in India, Symbiosis International University decided to organize a Yoga Shibir
for its students and staff on the apt occasion of National Youth Day (Yuva Diwas). This day is
celebrated on 12th January every year across the nation, to mark Swami Vivekananda’s
birthday.To make this event even more remarkable, SIU had invited Param Pujya Shri Baba
Ramdev to conduct the session and talk about the benefits of practicing yoga regularly.
The Junior IB students, faculty and staff reached the scenic SIU, Lavale campus by 3 pm. To
ensure maximum comfort while performing the various exercises, students had been advised to
have light lunch and wear loose attire beforehand. Everybody was asked to convene in the
football ground at the place allocated to their institute. Giant television screens were placed
alongside the sides of the ground to make certain that even the participants at the back of the
ground would not miss out on any of the action.
Soon, Baba Ramdev graced the event with his presence, along with Dr Mujumdar and other
eminent members of the Symbiosis Society. After felicitations, he was presented the national
flags of the 85 countries whose students study in the different institutes of Symbiosis, by the
respective students. Symbiosis is truly an international university, not only in name, but also in
spirit.
Baba Ramdev then took the stage, where he captivated students and staff for close to two
hours with graceful poses and light humour. He started with simple breathing techniques,
meant to improve respiration and stamina. With each pose or “asana” he demonstrated, he
also expanded on the virtues of that particular exercise. He gave the participants ample time to
master each exercise before moving on to the next one. Instructors also moved through the
crowd for the benefit of the participants, and guided whoever needed help. Baba Ramdev then
moved on to some easy physical exercises he believed would help the youth remain fit, both
physically and mentally, in times of stress. 6500 students and staff members assembled in neat
lines, each one practicing the art of Yoga on a pleasant and tranquil evening is truly a sight to
behold. To exhibit the advantages of regular and consistent yoga practice, he performed some
exacting and challenging poses, which would be difficult for anybody, but for they were
particularly impressive for a 50-year old. He noticed an international student performing all the
asanas skillfully and invited him onto the stage, engaging in friendly competition with the
student and encouraging him to perform even more difficult asanas.
Baba Ramdev also spoke about his philosophies and in particular, his business venture
“Patanjali Ayurved”, each product of which is manufactured using completely herbal and
mineral products. One of his many profound lines was, “People use pens worth lakhs of rupees.
I still use a ₹2 pen today, but my signature can make a decision worth a thousand crores.”
As the session and day both came to an end, the physically exhausted but mentally rejuvenated
students piled into the buses to take them back to their respective institutes. It had indeed
been a fruitful session for all the participants, and a day to remember.
CELEBRATIONS GALORE AT SIC
Spreading joy and cheer!
It was that time again, the time to sing, dance and enjoy delicious food with the retreating
winter. The time for the most awaited festival of SIC. It was time for Lohri.
Lohri is a popular Punjabi festival, celebrated by people from Punjab and in many parts of North
India. People believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice.A key
feature of Lohri is the bonfire. Lighting of the fire has been common in winter solstice festivals
throughout time and the world, it signifies the return of longer days.
This year Lohri was celebrated by the students of SIC with full enthusiasm and joy. The
celebrations began with prayers to God by Guru Ardas followed by a traditional Lohri bonfire.
This was followed by dance performances by the Punjabi Munde and Kudiyan of SIC. All the
students of SIC also enjoyed dancing to the beats of Punjabi music and a delicious Punjabi
spread for dinner.
Also the SIC Tamilian family gathered to celebrate Pongal with great pomp and gaiety. Starting
with the traditional preparation of Pongal the day unfolded with Pooja being performed in the
atrium. A delectable Tamilian meal and culturals were lined up for the evening.
WHAT’S NEXT!!
 Campus Updates
 PI-WAT Process
Register for alumnus ‘ SIIBían forever ’
http://alumni.siib.ac.in/contact
‘Get in touch with your batch’
https://www.facebook.com/groups/115610721861153/
‘Grow your connections with your alma mater’
http://www.linkedin.com/in/siibalumniassociation
SIIB Blog :
http://blog.siib.ac.in/2013/06/12/good-afternoon-alumni/
Credits:
Anindita Neogi, Umang Jhawar,Vasuki Chitter, Ankur Bali, Yashi Agrawal, Achal Vijay.
SYMBIOSIS INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
G. No. 174/1, Hinjewadi, Taluka – Mulshi,
Dist. Pune – 411057, Maharashtra, India.
Tel: 020-22934320
Telefax: 020-22934316
Email: [email protected], www.siib.ac.in