From Degrees to Roles: IMT Ghaziabad Rewires Management Education for the AI Era

IMT Ghaziabad, a pioneer in management education for over four decades, hosted its Convocation Ceremony 2026, celebrating the achievements, resilience, and dedication of the graduating Class of 2026.
The ceremony was graced by Dr Shashi Tharoor, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Thiruvananthapuram and Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, who delivered the convocation address as the Chief Guest.
In a compelling and forward-looking address, Dr Tharoor urged graduates to redefine success beyond personal advancement, positioning management education as a foundation for meaningful societal impact. Emphasizing the enduring relevance of values in a rapidly evolving world, he described ethics as a form of long-term capital.
Encouraging graduates to embrace the ‘triple bottom line’ of profit, people, and planet, he noted that while careers built on accumulation may impress, only those anchored in purpose endure. He further underscored that integrity is a strategic asset, and that education serves not as a shield against uncertainty but as a compass guided by empathy, courage, and sound judgment.
The convocation marked a significant milestone, with over 745 students receiving diplomas across programs including PGDM, PGDM Marketing, PGDM Financial Management, PGDM BFS, PGDM Dual Country Program (DCP), PGDM ExP, and the Fellow Program in Management, reflecting their readiness to lead in a dynamic global economy.
Delivering the keynote address, Shri Kamal Nath, Chief Mentor of IMT Ghaziabad, encouraged graduates to align performance with purpose and act decisively in uncertain times. He highlighted three essential attributes for future leaders, curiosity, courage, and conscientiousness.
The ceremony also celebrated the achievements of distinguished alumni. The Distinguished Alumnus Award 2026 was conferred upon Tarun Arora (Batch of 1995), CEO and Whole-time Director of Zydus Wellness Limited, and Akash Gupta (Batch of 2008), Co-Founder and CEO of Zypp Electric. The Young Alumnus Achiever Award 2026 recognized Arushi Sachdeva (Batch of 2014), Co-Founder of Dohful Cookies & Coffee, and Pranav Dangi (Batch of 2014), Founder and CEO of The Hosteller.
Congratulating the graduating cohort, Dr Atish Chattopadhyay, Director of IMT Ghaziabad, reflected on the structural transformations reshaping organisations and societies. He noted that the role of managers is evolving—from controlling processes to collaborating with intelligent systems, from executing plans to navigating ambiguity, and from pursuing efficiency to balancing purpose with performance.
Highlighting a defining institutional shift, he emphasized IMT Ghaziabad’s transition to a Role–Competency framework, aligned with emerging industry realities where organisations increasingly hire for roles rather than generic functions. He noted that this approach is designed to ensure that graduates are ‘role-ready from Day One,’ combining targeted technical capabilities with behavioural and managerial competencies, while retaining the agility required for long-term career evolution.
Reaffirming the institute’s vision of being ‘a professional school contributing to the knowledge economy,’ he highlighted IMT Ghaziabad’s strategic focus on knowledge, innovation, tech-readiness, entrepreneurial mindset, and sustainability. Emphasizing the essence of leadership, he remarked, “Leadership is not a position, but a practice,” adding that the institute is deliberately transforming into a globally engaged, future-ready institution committed to shaping leaders with capability, character, and sound judgment.
As caps soared into the air, the ceremony concluded on a note of pride, celebration, and optimism, marking not just the culmination of an academic journey, but the beginning of a new chapter for the Class of 2026.