IIM Sambalpur held its 10th annual convocation on Saturday, awarding degrees to 416 students across five different programs. Notably, 76 percent of the graduates in this cohort are women.
The graduating class included 314 students from the MBA program (2024–26), 39 from the Executive MBA program (2023–25), 36 from the Executive MBA program (2024–26), 17 from the Executive MBA for Working Professionals (2024–26), and five scholars completing their PhDs for Working Professionals, alongside another five PhD candidates.
The ceremony featured Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, the Governor of Odisha, as the chief guest, with Prativa Mohapatra, Vice President and Managing Director of Adobe India, serving as the guest of honor. Also in attendance were Prof. Chandan Chowdhury, Chairperson-In-Charge of the Board of Governors at IIM Sambalpur, and Prof. Mahadeo Prasad Jaiswal, the Director of IIM Sambalpur.
During the event, the Chairman’s Gold Medal was presented to Srijan Chakraborty (MBA Batch 2024-26), Varsha Sameer Meher (EX MBA Batch 2023-25), Priyanka Rath (EX MBA Batch 2024-26), and Allwyn Francis (MBAWP Batch 2024-26). Additionally, the Director’s Gold Medal was awarded to Chirag Kundra (MBA Batch 2024-26), Sk Aftabuddin Mohammed (EX MBA Batch 2023-25), Rajkishore Kar (EX MBA Batch 2024-26), and Alok Shukla (MBAWP Batch 2024-26). Manya Singh (MBA Batch 2024-26) received the IIM Sambalpur Gold Medal for Best All-Round Performance.
In his speech, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal congratulated the graduates, highlighting the institute’s achievements during the 2025-26 academic year. He noted that IIM Sambalpur had significantly improved its standing among India’s top business schools, rising 16 places in the NIRF 2025 rankings. He emphasized the institute’s reputation for innovative learning, particularly its AI-enabled educational approach, which has earned it recognition alongside prestigious institutions like Harvard Business School.
Prativa Mohapatra, the guest of honor, motivated the graduates by discussing the transformative changes in the world over the past three years. She explained the shift from a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) environment to a BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible) context. She also praised IIM Sambalpur’s beautiful campus and its commitment to academic innovation.
