When IIM graduates were called 'shampoo salesmen' by Amul boss Dr Verghese Kurien

Sanjeev Bikhchandani recalled a speech by Verghese Kurien at IIM Ahmedabad years ago. (Image: @sbikh/Twitter and drkurien.com)

Sanjeev Bikhchandani, the founder of Naukri.com, shared his thoughts on convocation speeches and the kind of speakers that leave a lasting impact on students. While many were sharing videos of commencement speakers from prestigious universities in the United States, Bikhchandani offered a different perspective based on his personal experience.

Recalling his own convocation ceremony at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Bikhchandani highlighted the power of a speech that is not just slick and polished but one that challenges and provokes the audience. He vividly remembered the speech delivered by Dr. Verghese Kurien, the Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and former Amul boss, who served as the chief guest at the convocation of his seniors’ batch.

Dr. Kurien's speech was far from polite; it was filled with bluntness, sarcasm, and condescension. He taunted the graduating class by referring to IIMA as the "Indian Institute of Management for Shampoo Salesmen." He also referred to management institutes as "training schools for shampoo salesmen."

“He was not polite. He was downright rude. He was condescending. He was sarcastic. He was caustic. He was insulting. He spoke a few home truths to the graduating class. He taunted us,” Bikhchandani wrote.

Dr. Kurien criticized the graduates for their limited aspirations and their inclination to work for multinational corporations, peddling consumer products to Indian consumers, he added.

“He opened by congratulating the graduating class. He then said that this is not the Indian Institute of Management. This is the Indian Institute of Management for Shampoo Salesmen. And that the entire graduating class could now look forward to a life where they spend their time selling soap and shampoo. For that is the limit of our aspiration and ambition he said. We just wanted to work for Multinational Corporations peddling their wares to Indian consumers. Such a colossal waste of talent he called it. And throughout his speech he repeatedly used the term “shampoo salesmen” derisively to describe the graduates of IIMA,” Bikhchandani recalled.

On the Ashoka WhatsApp group there is a discussion on the convocation speech and what kind of convocation speakers we should look for. Most people are posting videos of commencement speakers from US universities.

I posted the following message

A random thought on…

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— Sanjeev Bikhchandani (@sbikh) June 19, 2023

Reflecting on his own experience, Bikhchandani questioned the effectiveness of warm and fuzzy convocation speeches that fail to make a lasting impact. He argued that the speeches that truly resonate are the ones that challenge the status quo, provoke deep thinking, and inspire graduates to go beyond their comfort zones.