SAMBALPUR: The Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Sambalpur celebrated its 11th Foundation Day on Thursday.
The occasion was graced by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who inaugurated three new facilities on the campus including the BS programme hostel, Rangabati open theatre and Cafe hub complex. These new spaces are designed to improve students’ life, offering modern accommodation, a cultural platform, and areas for social interaction.
Pradhan praised the institute’s progress and said “Good institutions are not monotonous; they are creating case studies like IIM-S.” He also urged the institute to prepare a case study on Sambalpur’s rich history in art, culture and heritage.
Highlighting the institute’s achievements, IIM-S director Prof Mahadeo Jaiswal said, “In the past 10 years, the institute has created its own niche among the 21 IIMs with a world-class campus built in record two years, saving Rs 35 crore from the approved budget. We climbed 16 spots in the NIRF 2025 rankings to reach 34th place and became the first to introduce AI-enabled classrooms globally.”
Prof Jaiswal also highlighted that IIM-S has maintained strong gender diversity since 2019, with 76 per cent of the current MBA second-year batch being women. The institute is working towards international ‘Triple Crown’ accreditation and has supported 80 local master weavers to take their craft to global markets through digital platforms, he added.
On the occasion, the union minister awarded selected students with Rs 1 lakh each and felicitated master weavers for their achievements.
Among others, Rural Development Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, IG northern range Himanshu Kumar Lal, Sambalpur collector Siddheshwar Baliram Bondar, SP Mukesh Kumar Bhamoo and SMC commissioner Rehan Khatri were present.