IIM Jammu Hosts Talk on “Management Lessons from the Mahabharata: A Pathway to Leadership

Jammu: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu on Thursday organized an enriching offline talk titled “Management Lessons from the Mahabharata: A Pathway to Leadership and Happiness” at the Mandapam Auditorium. The talk was led by Mr. Debasis Satapathy, Chief General Manager – HR at NBCC (National Building Construction Corporation) New Delhi, Government of India, a renowned expert in Human Resources.
The session began with a brief introduction of the guest speaker by Dr. Mamta Tripathi, Chairperson, Anandam, IIM Jammu, who set the tone for the event by highlighting his vast experience and his unique approach to integrating the teachings of the Mahabharata into modern management education. Her opening remarks created an ideal context for the enriching session that followed. During his talk, Debasis Satapathy, Chief General Manager – HR at NBCC emphasized how the Mahabharata, the world’s largest epic, offers invaluable management lessons that remain relevant today. He highlighted how the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has advocated for the inclusion of Mahabharata’s teachings to enrich management education. The session covered a wide range of leadership and management topics, including Strategic Thinking and Result Orientation, Empathy and Conflict Management, Talent Identification and Management, Planning and Organizing, Resilience and Perseverance, Proactive Leadership and Delegation, as well as the Art of Listening and Emotional Intelligence. To make these lessons relatable, he demonstrated animated videos and clips from the Mahabharata, illustrating how its teachings can be applied to modern-day management challenges in an easy-to-understand manner. He also engaged the audience with a practical exercise, encouraging everyone to stand and laugh aloud, showcasing the importance of positive energy and well-being in leadership. The interactive session was followed by Q & A. The event was well-attended by IIM Jammu faculty, staff,
and students, who left inspired with fresh insights on applying ancient wisdom to modern management challenges. The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. Eshika Aggarwal, Co-Chairperson, Anandam, IIM Jammu. The event was coordinated by Team Anandam, IIM Jammu. This event reflects IIM Jammu’s commitment to incorporating holistic and interdisciplinary approaches to leadership and management in its curriculum.