03 July, 2025, Sri City
IFMR Graduate School of Business (GSB), Krea University welcomed the newest cohort of MBA students with Prarambh – the orientation programme on 3 July 2025. The day was packed with engaging sessions from leadership, faculty, staff, and students.
Prarambh 2025 witnessed the Krea community extending a warm welcome to the incoming cohort, both academically and socially. The incoming class comprises 264 students from 21 states, 3 Union Territories, and 138 towns and cities. These students went through a holistic admission process which evaluates applicants with tailor made rounds curated for freshers and experienced aspirants.
Speaking to the students at the inaugural ceremony, Chief Guest Joellan Andrew Fernandes, Senior Vice President at BNY Mellon took the audience through his journey of grit and determination both within and beyond his corporate stints. He imparted wisdom gained from the professional spectrum and the lessons he gathered along the way. He emphasised on how learning doesn’t always come from classrooms, sometimes it comes from taking detours.
He emphasised on three rules he wished the students would abide by in the long run; focusing on skills over job descriptions, turning learning into ROI and owning it all. While the institution and organisation would provide the scaffolding and plan, it was ultimately up to the students to choose, decide and pursue relentlessly on the same. He added, “Your background doesn’t define your ceiling, your curiosity does. The gap between you and success is sometimes just one skill.”
In her address, Professor Madhuri Saripalle, Chairperson, MBA Programme, IFMR GSB welcomed the new cohort and added, “MBA is a golden ticket, a gateway to a great job and successful career ahead. But at times the journey is more important than the destination itself. You will become stronger, wiser and ready for the world, where you will make thoughtful choices, not just for your own success but for the well-being of the ones around you. You will lead in a dynamic environment full of uncertainties and a critical part of your journey will be values, ethics and sustainable business practices. Many of your learnings will not come from books but from your experiences.”
Throughout the day there were sessions led by faculty members as well as various function heads at Krea, including Nagarani M, Head – Corporate Relations and Career Services; Amanjit Kaur Ahuja, Director of Education and Student Experience, Col (Retd) Satya Saran, Chief Administrative Officer and more, ushering in the students into their two years of learning with information that would help them steer smoothly through this journey. The Orientation sessions panning Case Study Workshops, Substance Awareness, Disability Awareness, Mental Health, Awareness on Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH), and a glimpse into all the Clubs and Committees at IFMR GSB will continue to be held up until 19 July 2025.