Can India’s Future Business Leaders Shape an Inclusive, AI-Driven Economy? Reliance Advisor Alok Aggarwal Explains

“In one generation, we’ve moved from punch cards to AI, from waiting days for replies to a world surrounded by satellites. The pace of innovation is humbling and empowering,” said Shri Alok Aggarwal, Senior Advisor at Reliance Industries, as he addressed the 12th Convocation of IIM Kashipur. 

Aggarwal's speech seconded these words, affirming that the industry-academia interface needs to prioritise market preparedness as much as it needs to prioritise character development. "Graduates need to be professionals and more; stewards of innovation, integrity, and inclusivity," he said.

Taking inspiration from his own early professional life in banking and the emergence of computer science, Aggarwal leveraged this context of change to present a compelling message that Success for the privileged few who graduate from India's top institutions is not only about accomplishment, but about creating meaningful, inclusive change. 

AI Education Taking The Forefront

Aggarwal's talk, imbued with introspection and foresight, highlighted how technology, and particularly AI, has become pivotal to business and society. However, he cautioned that technical excellence must be anchored in ethical leadership. He implored students not merely to adopt the equipment of industry in the present age but to use it to create a fairer, more compassionate world.

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Management Education  with Industrial Change

Delivering the valedictory address, Prof. Somnath Chakrabarti, Director and Dean of Academics, emphasised the need for management education to adapt along with industry change:
"We are aligning academic practice with global shifts from AI-driven analytics and sustainable development to India's rise as a skill-building and manufacturing hub."
This philosophy permeates the institution's initiatives, ranging from encouraging women leadership (70% women in the MBA Analytics batch) to initiating global exchange programs and executive training in AI, healthcare, and rail management, in association with industry leaders such as NSE Academy and Max Healthcare.

Bharat Meets B-School & Experiential Learning

To stand by its ethos of rooted leadership, IIM Kashipur continues to invest in experiential learning through grassroots consulting with more than 90 rural organisations in Uttarakhand, merging management knowledge with practical problem-solving in sustainability, entrepreneurship, and community development.
In keeping with India's civilizational wisdom, the institute also incorporates the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) into its curriculum, borrowing from ancient texts and cultural heritage to impart timeless values to modern managers.

Celebrating  Management Aspiration

The convocation was a milestone for IIM Kashipur with its biggest-ever graduating batch of 598 students across five flagship programs, a 36.5% increase in batch size compared to last year. The ceremony was both a celebration and an affirmation of the institute's resolve to create future-ready managers who combine strategy with social awareness.

This year, 10 medals and 24 Director's Merit List awards were given for academic and all-around excellence. But as Aggarwal told the graduates, their journey is only starting.
"You are in the top 0.01%. Use your education not only to rise, but also to raise others," Aggarwal added.