Execution turns vision into reality: Sajjan Jindal
Business Reporter :
Addressing the IIM Nagpur’s convocation ceremony at its MIHAN premises on Saturday, JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal gave a powerful and grounded message to the graduating management students. Calling terms like ‘effortless’ and ‘overnight’ myths, Jindal said execution is the only thing that turns vision into reality.
Jindal was chief guest of the 10th convocation ceremony of IIM Nagpur while guest of honour was Chairman of Sigma Capital Limited Deven J Mehta. C P Gurnani, Chairman of Board of Governors, IIM Nagpur; Dr Bhimaraya Metri, Director of IIM Nagpur; Members of BoG, and faculty others were also present on the dais.
In an inspiring address, Jindal urged the students stepping into the real world to prioritize rigorous, unglamorous execution over mere strategy. He illustrated his philosophy through the journeys of three iconic personalities – tennis legend Roger Federer, ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan, and Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy.
Jindal began with Roger Federer’s famous single-handed backhand, explaining that its perceived elegance was not natural grace, but the result of thousands of daily repetitions. “What looked like genius was actually discipline applied consistently over the years,” Jindal remarked, drawing a parallel to business leadership where intuitive courtroom judgment is simply the accumulated product of past, smaller decisions.
Turning to Indian pioneers, Jindal highlighted E Sreedharan’s monumental feat with the Delhi Metro. Defying skeptics who believed Indian systems couldn’t handle the project’s scale, Sreedharan built a global-standard infrastructure in a record time.
“He did not deliver a vision speech; he built a system,” Jindal noted.
Further, he spoke about Narayana Murthy, who spent eight years building an internal culture of transparency and client service before Infosys rapidly scaled post-liberalisation. “The breakthrough looked sudden, but the preparation took years of repetition in obscurity,” Jindal said.
Reflecting on his own journey building the Vijaynagar steel plant – now the world’s largest single-location steel facility – Jindal emphasized that world-class institutions are built by maintaining strict standards.
Concluding his speech, Jindal left the graduates with a call to lead with integrity, conviction, humility, courage, and love for the country, stating, “India does not need people who can see the future; it needs people willing to build it correctly.
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In his address, Mehta urged the students to carry four important success mantras with them as they move ahead in their professional and personal journeys. “Integrity, hard work, faith and courage are important values which will help you face difficult situations and take sound decisions in life,” he said.
He also called upon the students to remain positive and grounded as they grow in life. “Grow in life and keep smiling,” he said, adding that success should be accompanied by humility and happiness.
Referring to India’s growth story, Mehta said India is a shining country with immense opportunities ahead. He encouraged the young graduates to actively contribute to the nation’s progress. “India has a lot of growth to achieve. Be a part of India’s growth,” he told the students.
Earlier, C P Gurnani said that management education must evolve as rapidly as the world it prepares students for.
“Our curriculum is being continuously updated to embed AI literacy, data analytics, and digital strategy across all programme,” he added.
In his introductory remarks, Dr Bhimaraya Metri highlighted various initiatives and achievements of the institute. A large number of students, parents and others attended the event.
The graduating cohort of IIM Nagpur included 347 students from the MBA 2024-26 batch, 95 students from Executive MBA programmes across the Nagpur and Pune cohorts, and one Executive Ph.D. scholar.
This year, IIM Nagpur received six international offers and recorded its highest package of Rs 73.17 lakh per annum, with 250 companies including leading MNCs, reputed Indian companies and major PSUs participating in the placement drive.
Several students were honoured for outstanding academic performance, all-round excellence and achievements in specialised areas.
