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From Learning to Legacy: My Journey at IIM Kozhikode
Some journeys give us knowledge. Others reshape the way we see ourselves, our work, and the possibilities ahead.
My journey with the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode has been one of those experiences.
What began as an opportunity to learn within one of India’s most respected institutions gradually evolved into something far more meaningful. After months of learning, interaction, reflection, and application, I am now proud to carry this association forward as an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode.
Looking back at the photographs from my time on campus, I see more than classrooms, buildings and milestones. I see a chapter that strengthened my understanding of entrepreneurship, strategy and leadership—and, equally importantly, reminded me of the value of curiosity, relationships and lifelong learning.
The Foundation: Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation
At the heart of this journey was the Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (ENVC) programme.
Entrepreneurship has been an important part of my professional life, but the programme encouraged me to examine it through a more structured lens. It reinforced that entrepreneurship is not merely about generating ideas or launching ventures; it is about identifying meaningful problems, testing assumptions, building resilient models and continuously aligning innovation with execution.
The experience challenged me to think beyond immediate opportunities—to look at ventures through the interconnected lenses of strategy, sustainability, adaptability and long-term value creation.
That perspective has stayed with me well beyond the classroom.
Alongside ENVC, I also completed the Management Development Programme on Strategies for Product and Marketing, which added another dimension to my learning. It strengthened my understanding of positioning, consumer behaviour, product thinking and market-oriented execution.
Together, these experiences helped bridge two worlds that are often treated separately: entrepreneurial creativity and disciplined strategic thinking.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
One of the most valuable aspects of IIM Kozhikode was that learning was never confined to lectures or presentations.
Interactions with faculty members brought academic frameworks into the realities of business and entrepreneurship.
I remain grateful for the guidance and insights of Prof. Sreejesh S., Programme Coordinator and Associate Professor of Marketing Management. His approach brought together academic depth and practical application, encouraging participants to understand not merely what a framework says, but how it can translate into meaningful decisions.
My interactions with Prof. M. K. Nandakumar similarly offered an opportunity to reflect more deeply on strategy and leadership. His perspective reinforced an idea that continues to influence my thinking: strategy is not simply about planning for what we can already see—it is also about developing the foresight and resilience to navigate what we cannot.
These conversations became some of the most enduring takeaways from the experience.
Discovering the Stories Behind Institutions
My time at IIM Kozhikode also allowed me to discover dimensions of the institution beyond academics.
A visit to the Indian Business Museum introduced me to the extraordinary work and dedication of Mr. Appasaheb Naikal and to a remarkable archive of India’s business and entrepreneurial heritage.
Walking through that history was a reminder that innovation does not exist independently of the past. Every generation of entrepreneurs inherits ideas, institutions, successes and failures from those who came before it.
Progress becomes more meaningful when we understand the foundations on which it is built.
I also had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Shajin K. S., popularly known as Drone Machan, whose creative work captures IIM Kozhikode from an entirely different perspective. It was fascinating to see how technology, visual storytelling and creativity can reveal the character of a place beyond what words alone can communicate.
A Campus That Became Part of the Experience
There is something distinctive about IIM Kozhikode’s campus.
Set amid the greenery and hills of Kerala, the environment creates an unusual combination of intellectual energy and tranquillity. Classroom discussions, conversations over meals, quiet walks around campus, cultural interactions and moments spent simply observing the surroundings all became part of the learning experience.
Beyond the campus, exploring Kozhikode—its culture, heritage, landscapes and beaches—added another layer to the journey.
Those moments mattered because education is rarely limited to what appears on a curriculum. Sometimes an informal conversation, an unexpected encounter or a few quiet minutes of reflection can influence us as deeply as a formal session.
When My Own Books Became Part of the Journey
One of the most personal moments of this association was being able to share my work as an author with people and institutions at IIM Kozhikode.
Presenting my books to professors, programme leadership, friends and members of the institution was more than a ceremonial gesture. For me, it represented an exchange of ideas—a connection between what I had learned through my own professional and entrepreneurial experiences and what I was continuing to learn at IIM Kozhikode.
A particularly special moment came when Careers Decode Blueprint & Risepreneur found a place in IIM Kozhikode’s Nalanda Library.
Seeing a book I had written become part of the library of an institution from which I was learning carried a meaning difficult to capture in words.
And the journey continues, with my newer work also becoming part of this evolving association.
From Participant to Alumnus
When I first wrote about this journey, I was still experiencing it.
Today, I write from a different vantage point.
I am now officially an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.
That transition carries both pride and responsibility.
To me, being an alumnus is not simply an additional credential to place beside one’s name. It represents an enduring relationship with an institution, its intellectual traditions, its people and the values one carries forward from the experience.
The programme may have reached its formal conclusion, but its influence continues—in the ventures I build, the ideas I explore, the people I engage with and the decisions I make.
The Journey Continues
IIM Kozhikode gave me frameworks, perspectives and conversations that strengthened my understanding of entrepreneurship and strategy. But perhaps its deeper contribution was something less tangible: a renewed sense of curiosity and purpose.
It reminded me that irrespective of how much we have already experienced professionally, there should always remain room to return to the role of a student—to question assumptions, encounter new perspectives and allow ourselves to evolve.
What began as a programme eventually became a chapter of personal and professional transformation.
And today, as an IIM Kozhikode alumnus, I do not see this as the end of that chapter.
I see it as the beginning of a longer association—one in which learning turns into application, experiences turn into contribution, and memories become part of the foundation for what comes next.
The classroom journey may have concluded. The journey of learning, building and contributing continues.
