Vista, the 3-day long annual business fest of IIM Bangalore, concluded at one of the India’s best management institute. With ‘Be the Change’ as the theme, Vista 2011 was an endeavor to demolish the established citadels of management to bring about a new breed of thought leaders.  

On 30th September, the business fest began on a sanctified note amid chants of pious mantras and invocation to the Almighty to lead from darkness to light, and from ignorance to wisdom. The inauguration ceremony presided over by the honourable director of IIM Bangalore, Prof Pankaj Chandra saw the participation of keynote speakers of the likes of Prof NS Ramaswamy, the founder of IIM Bangalore and a Padma Bhushan awardee, Mr Bhaskar Bhat, the MD of Titan, and Mr Jaya Prakash Narayan, President, Lok Satta Party.

With TATA group as the title sponsor, Vista 2011 provided an opportunity to win prizes worth 13 lakh across a total of 32 events. Bzzwings, the B plan competition with a seed fund opportunity of Rs 1.5 Crore as the reward, saw huge participation from the elite business schools of India like ISB Hyderabad, NITIE, SJMSOM (IIT B) and, of course, IIM Bangalore. With veterans like Mr. G Adanki, lead mentor at Mentor Square, Mr. Nagendra Satyam, and Mr. Vasudeva Awadhani, an expert on clean energy, as the judges, the students could not have got a better platform to showcase their entrepreneurial ideas. Shell sponsored public policy event, Vidheyak, focussed on sustainable business, and was hugely appreciated by all. Bizzare, the quizzing event sponsored by Nielson and conducted by the ace quiz-master Barry O’ Brien, beckoned the best quizzers in the country to reap the dividends of their investment in business knowledge.

On 1st October over 120 students participated with enthusiasm in the ‘Run for Change’. ‘Run for Change’ highlighted the commitment of the students to usher in change not just in the business domain but also in the moral, ethical, and cultural ideals of society. Vista 2011 demonstrated its commitment to social change by contributing Rs 350 for every runner to the NGOs Samarthanam, Snehasadan, and Seva-In-Action that are supported by IIM Bangalore, along with complementary T-shirts and other merchandise.

The highlights of the business fest were the Vista Conclave and the CXO Conclave. The concluding day of the three day long business fest of IIM Bangalore, Vista, was enlivened by the presence of some of the leading names in India. The Vista Conclave saw people of the likes of Mohandas Pai, Justice Santosh Hedge, Nandita Das and Narain Karthikeyan participate in an eclectic panel discussion on the leitmotif of India’s largest business fest, ‘Be the Change’. Professor Rajeev Gowda, the chairman of Public Policy Centre at IIM Bangalore played the devil’s advocate to perfection, bringing out the candid and intellectual from the august guests.

Nandita Das talked about her journey as a social worker, an activist and as a non-mainstream actress. She exhorted the gathering to contribute that one drop in the ocean and bring about the change one wants to see in the world. As a path-breaking artist herself, she placed great strength in the power of art to influence the masses and rebuffed the ‘arrogance of class’ that the intellectual display. A candid thought, indeed.

Unbridled honesty and perfect humility defined Narain Karthikeyan’s talk as he outlined his difficult journey to the top of the racing circles in F1. His is an identity defined by racing and a life by sheer determination and focus. As a way of paying back to the country and the sport, the young achiever has initiated the NK Racing Academy that is pioneering a new breed of world champions. Truly, a way to be the change.

Mohandas Pai has been one person who has been a precursor of change in many lives. For someone who has been one of the most prominent corporate figures in India, the switch to social activism was one driven by a desire to add meaning to life. His work with the Akshay Patra initiative has changed the way lakhs at the bottom-of-the-pyramid saw education. He set the responsibilities straight by saying that “the privileged have a greater calling.”