SPJIMR Graduates Nearly 1,000 Leaders Across Nine Programmes in 2026 Convocation

The S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), based in Mumbai and part of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, conducted its 2026 annual convocation on May 9, bringing together graduates from nine distinct academic programmes. The institution, established in 1981, marked 45 years of operation as a leading management education provider in India, holding accreditation from EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA.

The convocation was structured across two ceremonies—a morning session dedicated to working professionals and an evening session for full-time students. Dean Dr. Varun Nagaraj presided over the proceedings, with support from Deepak Parekh, Chairman of the SPJIMR Governing Council, alongside faculty members, industry representatives, and families of the graduating class.

Nearly 1,000 graduates joined SPJIMR's alumni community, which now exceeds 18,000 professionals globally. The morning programme welcomed approximately 500 participants completing five professional development tracks: the Post Graduate Executive Management Programme (PGEMP) with 264 graduates across five cohorts, the Post Graduate Programme in Marketing & Business Management (PGPMBM) with 33 graduates, the Post Graduate Programme in General Management (PGPGM) with 51 graduates from Delhi and Mumbai locations, the inaugural batch of the Post Graduate Diploma in Management Online (PGDM Online) with 37 graduates, and the Post Graduate Programme in Development Management (PGPDM) with 91 participants, representing the programme's largest graduating class in its 15-year history.

A significant milestone emerged for the PGEMP programme, which celebrated its 25th year of operation and the graduation of its 1,000th participant from founding partner Larsen & Toubro, underscoring a long-standing institutional collaboration.

The evening session featured approximately 500 full-time graduates across four programmes. Notable achievements included Dr Arti Jain's completion of the Fellow Programme in Management (FPM, PhD-equivalent), alongside 239 graduates from the Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), 118 from the Post Graduate Diploma in Management Business Management (PGDM BM), and 164 from the Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM).

Ms. Zarin Daruwala, Group CEO of PL Capital (Prabhudas Lilladher) and former Cluster CEO for India and South Asia at Standard Chartered Bank, addressed the morning cohort. Drawing from her experience navigating India's banking sector through its digital transformation, Daruwala encouraged graduates to move beyond their comfort zones. "Just like the falcon, all of us can fly high, reach the sky, and achieve much more. But very often, we cling to our comfort zones. So embrace challenge and change, because change will be the only constant in your journey ahead," she said.

She reinforced her central message by synthesizing three foundational elements: "SPJIMR has given you knowledge, frameworks, and discipline. Your parents have given you values. Your professors have given you wisdom. Technology has given you tools. But only you can give the future direction."

The evening ceremony featured Ms. Debjani Ghosh, Distinguished Fellow at NITI Aayog, former President of NASSCOM, and former Vice President and MD of Intel South Asia. Notably, Ghosh is herself an SPJIMR alumna from the 1993 batch, lending personal resonance to her remarks on leadership in an AI-driven world.

Ghosh emphasised the primacy of continuous learning in navigating technological change: "The one thing, and the only one thing, that defines your ability to get ahead in this race is your ability to learn, unlearn, and learn again. I am sorry for those who thought that today learning is over. Learning is just starting for you."

She cautioned graduates against losing sight of distinctly human qualities amid rapid technological advancement: "In this world of ever-changing technology, humans will shine for things that are typically human: our compassion, our integrity, our empathy, our creativity. Don't give up on these things. This is way more important than all the skills that you have learned."

Dean Dr. Varun Nagaraj positioned the institution's mission beyond individual achievement. "You should be proud of your accomplishment, it is a testament to your talent and effort. But today I also want you to look beyond yourself. Dedicate yourself to the pursuit of the greater good, your success and happiness should come from enabling others in society to succeed and thrive," he told the graduates.

He concluded with an institutional challenge framed through historical reference: "Paraphrasing John F. Kennedy: ask not what SPJIMR can do for you, but what you can do for SPJIMR, by contributing your time, talent, and treasure. Make sure that you and your future organisations do well by doing good. Innovate and drive change, but do so wisely."

The convocation reflected SPJIMR's foundational commitment to positioning management education as an instrument of broader social transformation. The graduating cohorts, diverse in background yet unified in purpose, have been shaped through academic rigour, case-study methodology, and the institution's signature approach of connecting classroom learning with real-world application. The collective message emerging from the 2026 convocation underscores the institution's vision of developing leaders capable not merely of optimising existing systems, but of reimagining them in service of the common good.