KOZHIKODE:
In a red letter day in the history of the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode’s Indian Business Museum, a pavilion dedicated to the Indian Navy was unveiled here today. Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command, did the honours in the presence of Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIM Kozhikode, Mrs Sapana Chawla, Mrs Aditi Chatterjee and other senior faculty, officers of IIM Kozhikode and the Indian Navy.
The Indian Navy pavilion is the first pavilion dedicated to our country’s mighty defence forces and has been set up by the Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala (Kerala). The pavilion is an inspiring space which displays a replica of the indigenous ‘Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette’ built by the Garden Research Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRSE), a Govt. of India undertaking under the Ministry of Defence. The corvettes boasts of 90% indigenous content with a tonnage of 3250 tonnes and till date GRSE has delivered three such warships to the Indian Navy.
Besides this, the visual display units will also showcase awe inspiring videos of the ‘Life in Indian Navy’, the rigorous training modules of the world’s 7th largest Navy along with a dedicated video showing Indian Navy’s push for self-reliance through indigenisation. As the museum attracts many a young visitors over the academic year, it also lists out various entries through which dedicated citizens can join the force, along with galleries depicting the Navy’s role in providing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and the historical sea battles it won to strike deep terror in the heart of the enemies.
Vice Admiral, AK Chawla also addressed IIMK students at Gurukul, the latest innovative addition to open learning by the Institute. Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Admiral congratulated IIM Kozhikode on its Silver Jubilee and termed it an honour for Indian Navy to house a pavilion at the Indian Business Museum at IIM Kozhikode. Adding further he mentioned that India’s growing economic strength and prosperity will benefit immensely from re-discovering our sea-faring prowess of the yore. He recounted how the powerful navies of the Cholas played a vital role not only in the expansion of their Empire, but also in propagating Indian culture and Indian thoughts beyond maritime boundaries as early as in 10th century AD.
Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, Director IIM Kozhikode, who in his first stint at IIMK was the brain behind the concept of an Indian Business Museum added “The IIMK Business Museum was created to acknowledge befittingly and consciously recognize the contribution of India’s business leaders, corporates in the making of India; to inculcate and inspire the spirit of innovation and business entrepreneurship among the youth of India. The addition of this Indian Navy pavilion to our Business Museum is a tribute to our defence forces who through their sheer determination and technical prowess have spearheaded innovation and indigenisation to not only compete with the best of the world, but also safeguard the interests of our businesses beyond our shores.”
IIM Kozhikode and the Indian Navy, two premier Institutions of the country, had also earlier collaborated in conducting a Certificate Program in the Management of Social Initiatives for members of the Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA) in the year 2020. The Certificate Program in Management of Social Initiatives scientifically was designed by leading academics of IIMK offered participant Navy wife an opportunity to learn theory and practices of management with focus on managing social initiatives like Corporate Social Responsibility projects, NGO activities and social enterprises.
IIM Kozhikode houses the only Museum dedicated to capturing the fascinating journey of the business ecosystem of India interwoven with the historical narratives which have shaped the country’s past as well as its future. Spread over 23000 square feet the Museum tells the amazing saga of Indian business in a chronology-cum-thematic manner, such as the ancient, medieval, colonial, pre-independence, post-independence, business sector, public sector, banking sector, technology sector, individual contributors, makers of modern India etc. The Reserve Bank of India pavilion and the “India in Space Gallery” set up by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are the other star attractions of the Indian Business Museum.
