Mr. Anil Rai, Anil Rai, Anil Rai IILM, Mr. Anil Rai Attend the Education Convocation Address IILM

I extend my hearty congratulations to the young graduates. You are going to enter a new exciting world of business opportunities, which is changing rapidly. There are extraordinary times ahead and you should be prepared to face the challenge of change.  Those of you who are able to anticipate the change and exploit it will be more successful than others. We in India should have the ambition of leading from the front and make things happen on our own terms.  

India is fast emerging as a global economic power in the 21 st century. China and India have emerged as dramatic, dynamic competitors in last one decade. India 's economy has been growing at the rate of 8% annually for the last couple of years and a large number of foreign investors are making a beeline for investments in Indian Territory .

The famous Goldman Sachs report predicts that India along with China and USA will be the three top economies of the world by 2050. According to the economist Jeffrey Sachs, this could happen sooner than 2050 and also that if India plays its card right, it could occupy even a higher position.

Government of India has also taken many initiatives for promoting Economic growth and Infrastructure development, Bharat Nirman, an infrastructure development programme for unleashing the process of growth in rural areas; Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, for holistic development of infrastructure and basic services in an integrated manner in urban areas; liberalized Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) norms and permitting FDI in new areas under automatic route, simplification of procedures and the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) will give a major boost to the infrastructure development and economic activities in the country. New Governance Reforms, Right to Information Act and more autonomy and accountability to Public Sector will have far reaching implications in improving efficiency and effectiveness in all sectors. This will create new opportunities for the technical and business professionals.

For many of you, this day will be an extremely happy one. You are graduating from one of the finest business institutes in the country, with a splendid future in front of you. When you reach a certain stature in life, India should have eliminated poverty and be nudging into the ranks of the middle-income countries. Some of you will have climbed your way to the top of Fortune 500 companies, while others will have created them. Some will be charismatic political leaders while a number of you will choose to dedicate your lives to helping others through social work. In whatever you do, you will all face challenges - after all this is what makes life exciting - but I am sure you have been trained here to overcome them.

You as business graduates have many choices, of choosing what kind of work you will do and how you will do it. Make full use of that choice. As fresh graduates, you will be extremely eager to climb the corporate ladder, to be a vice president in five years, and a CEO in ten. Are these the right objectives? The fact is when young, we think we will be happy if we achieve a lot - we want fame and fortune, and as rapidly as possible. Yet as the Bhagwad Gita tells us, the goal itself is of limited utility, it is the process that matters. If you do not enjoy the job you are doing, if you do not feel you are a productive and contributing member of society, rapid promotion or increasing fame will simply not be enough compensation. If you do not like going to work everyday, the fact that you are driven to it in the best car of the world is not going to make it any more pleasant.

My advice to you will be to reach out and explore. Try different things. Be unconventional. You will, undoubtedly, hit dead ends. However, you also are more likely to reach your vocation in life, the Careers that was made for you. And when you work with all the passion in your heart, you will find that not only does success come as a matter of course, but also it is incidental because work itself is its own fulfillment.

You have to adopt a Pro-active approach. Besides, your main role in the corporate world, you should strive to improve the quality of life of the poor in the rural and urban areas of the country. Touch the lives of the common man for uplifting the quality of life. It is in these areas where young, competent minds can play a strategic role. There is a need for students to emulate a sense of vision to withstand the competition. You should never lose your intellectual curiosity and should learn from everything you do. Not only concentrate on your success, but help make people successful and they will, in turn, help you to succeed in whatever you pursue. And, above all, be a good human being!