India needs thought-leadership to play important role on global stage: Kumar Mangalam Birla

While delivering the Valedictory Address at the 20th AIMS Management Convention in Mumbai on August 29, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said, If India has to meet its promise of becoming one of the largest economies of the world by 2050, India needs to produce thought-leaders, and shape thought leadership.

In his address, Mr Birla divided thought leaders into five types: those who create passion with their call for idealism and hope (like Noble Laureate Rabindranath Tagore), those who create frameworks that guide analysis of human behavior and business management (like A Maslow who created the famous hierarchy of human needs theory or Michal Porter who created the 5-force model), those who challenge the world with contrarian thinking (like Mahatma Gandhis Non Violence movement), those who create new products & service and finally, common executives who respond to challenges by going beyond the call of the duty.

Commenting on the role of management education in creating thought leaders Mr Birla said, Management school alone can not produce new thought leaders. They can facilitate the process. Students themselves should take onus you can take a horse to a pond, but cannot make it drink water! So, for students, self-mastery is key.

The valedictory address also saw Prof. Dr. Uday Salunkhe, the Out going President - AIMS & Director, Prin.L.N.Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research hand over the AIMS leadership mantel to Dr. M. R. Rao President Elect - 2008-09 - AIMS & Dean - Indian School of Business (ISB).

Several awards including the Ramaswamy P. Aiyar Best Young Teacher Award, Best Case Study Presentation Award, ICFAI Best Teacher Award, J.L. Batra Best Research Paper Award and Best Student Paper were presented at the valedictory function.