'Backwaters' - the Annual Business Summit of IIM Kozhikode is a confluence of corporates, young aspiring leaders and scholars to facilitate exchange of ideas and tackle problems that have been crafted to create new frontiers in the realm of management. Backwaters is a test of the acumen and experience of the brightest students of the top management institutes across the country.
Backwaters 2019 was a roaring success with 25k+ participants students from 150+ institutes across India including the top 20 B-schools participating in 25+ event spread across 3 days which featured 2 Panel Discussions, 4 Inspiration Speakers, 5 Workshops, 19 Management Competitions and 2 Pronites. The star attractions included Healthcare Summit, Speaker Series, White Knight (National level business plan competition), Model United Nation (Simulation and competition), Avatar: The Ultimate CEO (Competition to choose the best CEO), Shiksha (CSR initiative to help students chose a right career path), Workshops and other events.
Over the years backwaters had eminent speakers like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (Former President of India), Mr. Kapil Sibbal (MP, Rajya Sabha), Mr. Shashi Tharoor (MP, Lok Sabha), Ms. Suparna Mitra (CMO, Titan), Mr. Jitendra Kalra (COO, Reliance Industries), Mr. Duvvuri Subbarao (Former Governor, RBI), Mr. Shankar Venugopal (VP, M&M), Dr. Harish Pillai (President, Aster India), and the likes. Backwaters also had workshops organised by Google, Walmart Labs, etc and Pronites featuring Local Train, Indian Ocean, Kenny Sebastian and others.
Additionally, the Backwaters organizes inter-sectional fest for the incoming batch at Kampus. It hosts simulation events with corporates (ICICI Master of Stocks), annual quizzing events (Bizzathlon, WIPRO Earthian Sustainability Quiz) and debating competitions (Annual Great Debate) along with publishing the annual management magazine, MindScape. Backwaters is also responsible for organizing TedX Talks on campus. We endeavour to make Backwaters a place of learning while lighting the competitive fire in all of us which encourages us to think above and beyond the set norms by pushing boundaries and setting new standards wherever possible.
An annual half-marathon conducted along the serene Kozhikode beach, Calicut Half marathon is a platform for the students to engage with the local community and use running as a form of expression to spread awareness about social causes. We aim to celebrate the joy of running and inculcate this habit amongst the youth that shall be the pioneers of our nation.
The marathon has been held annually since 2010 and has grown into one of India’s largest student run half-marathons.
In our quest to make the society a better place to live in CalMar have joined hands with many NGOs, corporates, educational institutes, district administration and civic authorities over the years. The event was an initiative to promote living in harmony with nature and bringing about a positive change in people's lifestyle through a variety of initiatives.
Over the years, some of the themes the marathon has created awareness about include “Compassionate Kozhikode”, “Road Safety” and “Healthy Living”. The last run was held on Feb 23rd 2020 and the theme was “Pursuit of Happiness: Healthy Body, Healthy Mind”.
Since 2019, the event has also been used as an opportunity to present the IIM K – National Excellence award to felicitate sportspeople for their contribution to sports in India. Last year the award was given to Babita Phogat.
We hope that this event inspires all the runners taking part in the marathon and encourages them to pursue their dreams despite all odds. Also, we aim to provide students with an opportunity to have a social impact and disburse their civic responsibilities by giving back to the community.
The Cultural Committee of IIM Kozhikode is an integral part of every student's life at Kampus. Culcom, as it is popularly called, works throughout the year to ensure that the time spent at Kampus is memorable. The committee's premier event is the Annual Cultural Festival, Echoes conducted in the month of February. ‘Echoes' includes a wide variety of events like Music, Dance, Theatre, Quizzes and Literary Events spread over a period of three days. Echoes acts as a platform for the students at IIMK to get to showcase their hidden talents promoting development of their softer skills, it helps students appreciate various arts forms and culture through exposure to varied performance and also promotes the culture of IIMK where management training is complemented with the overall development of individuals.
Echoes 2020, one of the biggest cultural fests across South India was organised during February 7-9, 2020. Students from B-Schools across the country participated in the event. The event saw a total audience footfall of 17,000 students over the three days of the fest. The flagship events included the Campus Princess which saw the likes of Miss Supranational 2019 Shefali Sood and the pronites with nation-wide known artist like Benny Dayal and international DJ Aron Chupa and Lil sis Nora, which were the major attraction in the year’s festival.
Truly capturing the essence of a Business School, Entrepreneurship Cell is a catalyst to developing the business orientation of the students at IIM Kozhikode. The interactive, learning yet enticing activities scheduled by the Committee such as Dhandha, Start-o-Sphere, Marketing Rumble are instrumental to linking developing business minds with the reality of the current world of business.
The committee's flagship event is the Start-o-Sphere which it organizes in association with IIMK LIVE, business incubator and entrepreneurship development centre of IIM Kozhikode, every year. The event attracts participation from Start-ups all over the country and allows budding ideas to be examined by investors who have the power to breathe life into them.
Infrastructure Committee (IC) coordinates with the various stakeholders to maintain and improve the infrastructure and facilities for the student community at IIM Kozhikode. The main responsibilities of the committee are taking care of the mess, night canteen, gymnasium and hostel infrastructure. Furthermore, the committee conducts Food Fest between sections, where seniors and juniors of different sections participate to make their team win. InfraCom also has events scheduled during the Cultural Fest.
The Main Objective of the Committee is to act as a communication channel between the students and the institute authorities to resolve any issues. Matters pertaining to gym, hostel, mess and night mess are addressed by the Infrastructure Committee.
It is under the realm of Infrastructure Committee to make the hostel authorities cognizant of the problems faced by the residents.
The Industry Interaction Cell (IIC) acts as the link that connects IIM Kozhikode to the corporate world. IIC provides the platform wherein students, academia, industry stalwarts and leaders from all the spheres of life come together and share ideas. Through its various initiatives round the year, IIC ensures that the budding managers stay in touch with the real world, while honing their skills in the classrooms. Entrusted with all the non-placement industry-related activities at IIM Kozhikode, IIC is committed to forging a long-term symbiotic relationship between the institution and the industry.
IIC provides plenty of opportunities to the student community at IIMK to test their business acumen through Live Projects offered in various domains. It allows them to have a first-hand experience of the business issues faced by organisations. IIC organizes Vertical summit where eminent speakers from different management verticals are invited to share their experiences and learnings with the students. IIC also organizes Horizons, the two day flagship annual management conclave of IIMK. IIC is also responsible for conducting all year round workshops and guest lectures from the industry practitioners .Through this initiative, IIMK has witnessed the presence of speakers like Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Late Prof C.K. Prahlad, Dr. D. Subba Rao, Dr. J.J. Irani, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Dr. Harsh Mariwala, Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra among others over last few years. The Industry Interaction Cell is looking forward to a successful academic year ahead with a number of guest lectures and workshops lined up.
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In the millennial age where going digital is a must, Students’ Product Management Committee (ester Students’ IT Committee), is that student body which develops and maintains digital products for the student fraternity at IIM Kozhikode. Thereby making the campus friendlier to live in. We are not just all work; we have fun. We organise the annual gaming tournament ‘Cyberwars’ for all the student communities on campus.
Collaborating with Computer Centre our Committee makes sure that the campus is truly CONNECTED, while also implements policies and procedures pertaining to Webmail usage, Intranet, IIMK Live and any other products that the committee initiates on the campus for improving the student life in the campus. By rolling out new IT products to get done regular chores online in collaboration with Computer Centre we make the daily routine job of students hassle-free.
Konquest, the knowledge committee of IIM Kozhikode, guides and mentors students through the Summers and Final Placements Processes. It aids the student community by facilitating CV building activities and conducting GD-PI workshops. The committee organizes a pre-internship workshop, where internship attending students can interact with seniors who interned at the respective companies. The committee also conducts knowledge sharing sessions to help students prepare for various National and International level case competitions.
The committee prepares a compendium of study material across domains and provides it to the incoming PGP batch aspirants to help them prepare for their IIM Kozhikode Interview process.
The committee gathers information from students regarding their placement processes and share it with subsequent batches to help them gain insights into the recruiting practices of corporates visiting IIM Kozhikode
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Merchandising and Design Committee (MADCOM) of the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode brings the best official merchandise like jackets, sweatshirts, polos, mugs, bottle, etc. and other helpful services for the IIM K community.
MADCOM consists of 14 members-7 from each years with 3 of them designers. Having some of the best digital and graphic designers in the campus, they design merchandises that become student favourites.
This official merchandising body also facilitates many services that make the lives of IIM K students easy. MADCOM facilitates bank loan processing and payments, tailored suit deals on campus, safe passage of baggage for both incoming & outgoing students as well.
Being one of the oldest committees on the campus, they’re a closely knit team with a singular motto of "Making Life Easy @ K!"
The Public Relations Cell (PR Cell) is the first point of contact for the upcoming batch of students as it creates a forum for candidates to receive mentorship and interacts with seniors who have gone through the interview process and made it to the God's Own Kampus, IIM Kozhikode. The most visible activity is the handling of social media accounts on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pagalguy, and blogging on KFiles (the official blog of IIM K).
The cell coordinates with other committees every now and then as it covers all the major events happening in the college like guest lectures, annual fests, and business conclaves and updates them for online presence updated regularly. PR Cell acts as a liaison between the college and external publications like Matrubhumi, Hindu, ToI, etc. working closely on pre-event promotions and post-event releases. The Cell also interviews industry experts and dignitaries who visit the campus to help the students gain insights about the current industry trends.
PR Cell designs and releases the two most awaited publications of the year- Spandan, the business magazine, and Eclat, the literary magazine, collaborating with students and faculty not just from the institute but also others outside. It also prepares the yearbook for the graduating batch. Apart from all this PR Cell has its own initiative, Humans of IIM Kozhikode on Facebook and Instagram to share the stories of people who belong to the Kampus.
The Students’ International Exchange Committee acts as the link between the IIMK community and the international universities to facilitate knowledge exchange facilitating the acquisition of the myriad perspectives needed for business studies. The committee facilitates IIMK students to leverage opportunities of cultural exchange, studying abroad for a few terms and adding to their personal development. Moreover, the committee acts as the first point of contact for the international students coming to IIMK, easing their transition and troubleshooting issues they may face.
Projecting the diverse face of IIMK, the committee also organizes events like the International Day comprising food and cultural festivals. Contributing to the international side of public relations, the aim of SIEC remains to strive for symbolizing the rich melting pot that IIM Kozhikode is.
In order to meet the twin objectives of inculcating a sense of social responsibility in its students and to make a difference in the society in the form of initiatives that culminate in social development, Social Service Group (SSG) was formed in IIMK. SSG conducts social initiatives on behalf of the student community at IIMK to connect students with the local society in unique ways. The initiatives taken by SSG range from Expressions, an event exclusively for the support staff; Painting Auction, where paintings made by small children are auctioned; Wish Tree, an event to fulfill the wishes of orphanage children with participation of IIMK student community; Joy of Giving, where gifts are distributed to the support staff from the donations of the outgoing batch; Books Donation; Clothes Donation and Blood Donation Camp. The Flagship event under SSG is DISHA, an educational initiative through which students selected from various schools in Kozhikode attend personality development classes conducted by IIMK students at campus. Moreover, SSG also conducts a general health check up camp for the entire IIMK fraternity called 'AAROGYA'. SSG believes in the adage ‘Charity Begins at Home’, involving the students in giving back to the society, inculcating a sense of social responsibility.
The Sports committee (Sportscom) in IIMK is a student body that caters to the need of all sports and game activities on campus. Emphasizing on the premise of a sound body and mind, the committee hosts series of sporting events round the calendar to keep the student community engaged.
The committee also acts as an interface for its inter college tournament, Sangram (4-pronged B school tournament) which it hosts every alternate year. It also manages other popular intra college leagues in sports such as Football, Cricket, Basketball etc. These are held in IPL style bidding process and summons a great deal of exuberant participation and viewership.
Making sports inclusive for all of IIMK community, Sportscom also conducts Chakravyuh, an event which gauges the mettle of not just PGP students, but also FPM and staff members across 6 sports.
Making sports inclusive for all of IIMK community, Sportscom also conducts Chakravyuh, an event which gauges the mettle of not just PGP students, but also FPM, BL and staff members in sports.
Apart from this, the committee constantly looks for ways to make sports experience for students at the campus better.