Sathyanarayanan has more than twenty-three years of industry and academic experience, having worked in organisations such as BIM, CII, and CBS and European Union’s Global projects like the Economic Cross-Cultural Programme (ECCP). Sathya Ram considers himself a motivator, and enjoys being a catalyst to vibrant, young minds, motivating them towards excellence in their respective areas of strength.
Before joining IFMR GSB, Sathya Ram worked with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Head of Education Initiatives, and was actively involved in setting up an Education Practice in the southern region, fostering enhanced industry-institute interaction. He also spearheaded the Industry Bridge project with IIT Madras and contributed to the conceptual foundation of a government-backed Incubator in Chennai.
With extensive experience in teaching PG-level Marketing courses, corporate training through MDPs, and consulting assignments in India and abroad – especially in Finland, Singapore, and Sri Lanka – Sathya Ram has trained executives from various companies such as Toshiba, L&T, FLEX, CEAT Sri Lanka, Escorts, GATI, BHEL, Sutherland, Indian Railways, India Post, LIC, etc. He was also running a consulting practice under the brand Purple Ring. As an invited expert, Sathya Ram effectively plays the role of a sounding board in the strategy and marketing meetings of several companies, and also works on long-term consulting assignments.
Sathya Ram was an invited Member of the CII Southern Region Core Group on higher education policy, and a member of the Expert Committee of the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce. Sathya is also a Gold Medalist in Marketing and a University Grants Commission NET-JRF holder. Other noteworthy achievements include winning the London Business School’s Case Development Initiative in 2009 and the AIMA-ICRC case writing competition in 2022.
Sathya was instrumental in winning three awards for the Graduate School of Business: the Gold Award for the case study on IFMR’s research eco-system in the 7th Indian Management Conclave (IMC) held at IIM Ahmedabad; the ASSOCHAM’s Award for Best Institute Serving Social Cause – CSR; and the MMA Award for Managerial Excellence in the Education Institutions category.
Sathya has taught marketing and consulting courses as an invited guest faculty at LIBA and Goa Institute of Management. He is a recipient of the Dewang Mehta Award for Best Teacher in Marketing and the Impact Best Professor award. Sathya regularly blogs on marketing and other business issues.
Sathya Ram brings an invaluable strategic perspective to the boardroom. He is a very effective sounding board. Sathya serves as a trusted advisor, actively participating in and shaping the strategies and marketing initiatives of several organisations. Moreover, Sathya’s commitment extends to long-term consulting partnerships, offering a wealth of knowledge and expertise for sustainable growth and success.
Functional Expertise
Certifications and training attended