The inauguration ceremony for the participants was held on the campus of SPJIMR. The event was attended by senior faculty, guests and speakers and the participants were from 13 states in India. There are a total of 37 in numbers. Further, it has been mentioned that there are almost 50% female participants in this group and the average work experience of the participants is eight years.

Prof. Tanojkumar Meshram, Chairperson of PGPDM, extended a warm welcome to the new batch of students. Prof. Meshram indicated that a classroom setting is an environment where students feel comfortable and where learning extends beyond books and technical knowledge.

Learning in his classroom includes an attempt to connect concepts with real-life situations for creating sustainable change, Prof. Meshram said.

Prof Varun Nagaraj, who is the Dean of SPJIMR, spoke about the diversity of the batch. The participants are from NGOs, CSR departments, corporate organisations and government organisations. He encouraged the participants to leverage diversity and work with each other.

The chief guest, Sachin Shende, the Regional Director of the Reserve Bank of India Nagpur gave examples from his own experience, particularly in supporting entrepreneurship and the development of MSMEs. He emphasised the need to have strong intermediaries who are equipped to link the government, industry and communities. However, he added that it was equally important to have good intentions and support them with discipline and skills. He was pleased to see everyone embarking on a journey that helped them build such significant capacities.

SPJIMR's PGPDM program has emerged as the only development management program in the country that has achieved the prestigious Triple Crown of accreditations from the EQUIS, AACSB and the AMBA associations. It provides both theoretical and practical knowledge to professionals working in NGOs, CSR departments, foundation sectors and government-connected development sectors.

As Batch 27 started its academic journey, SPJIMR thus reiterated its commitment towards creating leaders who can design and lead impactful initiatives for the underserved communities across India.

Also Read

• AP ICET 2026 Registration Started; Mock Test Soon

• IIMK Partners with IOB for Leadership Programs