Kolkata :The inauguration ceremony of the 17th batch of PGPEX-VLM was held at IIM, Calcutta in presence of the chief guest Mr. Nakagawa Koichi, Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata, on 18th April 2023. Post Graduate Program for Executives for Visionary Leadership in Manufacturing (PGPEX-VLM) is a one-year full-time residential program conducted jointly by three premier institutes of India, viz. IIM Calcutta, IIT Kanpur and IIT Madras, whose mission is to develop future Visionary Leaders for the manufacturing sector in India so as to enhance the global competitiveness of our manufacturing sector.

The ceremony was commenced with IIMC's traditional lamp lighting by the chief guest Mr. Nakagawa Koichi, Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata, Mr Babu Khan, CEO, CII Naoroji Godrej Centre for Manufacturing Excellence, Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar, Director of IIM Calcutta, Professor Manish Thakur, Dean (NI & ER), Mr G Sunderraman, Executive Vice President-Corporate Development - Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd and Chairman, CII VLFM Senior Advisory Committee, and other dignitaries of the PGPEX-VLM program.

Professor Uttam Kumar Sarkar emphasized the long-lasting synergy of three institutes of national importance in association with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

The coordinator for IIT Kanpur, Prof.Deepu Philip, stressed upon the significance of visionary leaders in the manufacturing sector and the need for continuous transformation through innovation. Prof.LataDyaram of IIT Madras asked the students to challenge oneself through continuous efforts in order to become visionary leaders.

The inaugural event also had dignitaries from CII. Mr. G Sunderraman, Chairman, Executive Vice President-Corporate Development - Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd and Chairman, CII VLFM Senior Advisory Committee, expressed his sincere gratitude to Padma Shri Prof. Shoji Shiba, one of the founders of the VLM program and the innate need for visionary leaders in the manufacturing sector, and the very ideology of this program to contribute young leaders to the manufacturing industry with a vision to compete globally. This was followed by Mr Babu Khan, CEO of CII Naoroji Godrej Centre for Manufacturing Excellence cited the significance of sustainability and green manufacturing.

Mr. Nakagawa Koichi, Consul-General of Japan in Kolkata, the chief guest of the event, highlighted about the contribution of the Indian manufacturing sector to the nation's GDP, the long-lasting industrial cooperation between Japan and India, and the relevance of this program to contribute visionary leaders to the manufacturing sector of India.

The students of the 17th batch of PGPEX-VLM gained deeper insights about the program and present industrial scenario from the various keynote addresses given by the distinguished dignitaries.

Prof.Sudhakar Reddy, Chairperson, PGPEX-VLM, IIM Calcutta, gave a vote of thanks to conclude the occasion. The program's ability to meet the expanding demand for techno-managerial leaders who will influence the neo-industrial revolution highlights its uniqueness. Since 2007, the programme has nurtured an array of visionary leaders who preserve the fundamental values of the VLM community.

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