My Dear Alums,

We are entering our 10th year, and it is a humbling experience to take stock of where we are and what we have achieved. The School’s visible success is due, in a big way, to the excellent work all of you have done in the Industry. It is also gratifying to see that we have grown so quickly. I believe there are at least 5 countries in the world whose total population is less than the number of ISBians out there (go on, Google to find out which countries these are).

We have completed the first phase of our growth, and we are now on our way to opening our second campus at Mohali which should be operational in April 2012. More importantly, we have achieved our vision of being a top-ranked B-school. We have gone from a class of 126 students that spent its first few weeks off campus to a class of 570 students and more than 40 resident faculty, who regularly publish in top tier international journals. We have also launched the PGPMAX program for senior executives and are also the largest provider of executive education in India. We have now officially reached the 12th rank in the list of the world’s best B-schools, and established centres of excellence in seven specialized areas for focused industry and government linkages with four more new institutes coming up in Mohali. These are reminders of not just how much we have achieved in the last 9 years, but also of the weight of expectations that lie on our shoulders and how far we have to go.

Milestones are meaningless unless we celebrate them. And celebrations are meaningless unless they involve everyone who has contributed to this success. And what can make it more special than having all of you down for Solstice 2010, which is also the start of the year-long celebration of the School turning 10, from the 17th- 19th of December.

It is heartening to see so many of you making a difference in the industries and functions you have taken up. I believe the ISB alumni family has between them over 100 start ups, and many of you have not only gone on to become leaders in the corporate world but have also had an impact on society through various non-traditional career choices. The overarching priority for us is to be a school of relevance in the socio economic context that we operate in. ISB should not just be known for creating high quality business leaders, but also as an institution that plays a pivotal role in addressing some of the major challenges facing society today. Hence, our theme ‘Education that shapes the economy’ for ISB’s tenth anniversary celebrations.

Solstice 2010 promises to be a very special experience. It will be informative, enriching and of course, entertaining – it is difficult to envisage a situation where the Class of 2011 plans something and it doesn’t turn out to be entertaining. To mark the beginning of the ISB@10 celebrations, the theme for Solstice this year is ‘Term 10’. And on that note, let me add that I have just received word from the ASA, who have made attendance in Term 10 compulsory, with 100% weightage for CP. So, you had best show up, and participate whole heartedly.

See you all soon on campus.

Best Regards,

Ajit