Interview by Yash Panchal

ITM

 

Dr. R.G. Ratnawat is currently the Director at ITM-SIA Business School, Mumbai. He is a highly self-motivated professional having over 33 years of blended experience in academics and industry with concrete accomplishment. He has qualifications of Ph.D. (Management) from Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, preceded by MBA (HR) and M.E.(Civil). He is an author, AIMA accredited management teacher, soft skills trainer, certified psychometric test professional, and a motivational speaker.

Experience in the education industry and how it’s the best sector to work in  

I have been into academics for over three decades now. The experience over the years tells us that the expectations of stakeholders have increased while the level of commitment on part of the students has come down. Parents look for a return on investment while the students are focused only on the outcome in terms of good placement. While focusing on results is good, one must be ready to go through the process and make himself/herself a strong candidate to face the corporate world.      

Education industry remains the best industry to work for, despite its own share of pitfalls. Here, you directly touch the lives of the people that makes it unique and interesting.

A democratic leadership        

Leadership is all about facilitation and motivating the people. I would describe my leadership style as democratic. I draw my inspirations from people from different walks of life on a continuous basis.

Difference between ITM and other institutes         

The environment at ITM is more corporate in nature, while in previous organizations it was more conventional academic.

The growth of students through placement opportunities available at ITM      

The opportunities provided to students at ITM are enormous. But it is always a two-way process. Our job is to provide opportunities while the students must commit for hard work and grab the same.

We provide opportunities to students for all-round development along with best of the academics.

Time management

I start my day with a to-do list and review the same periodically during the day.

Views on an ideal school environment

An ideal environment would be one where people draw happiness out of the work they do. While we try our best to create and sustain such an environment, every individual is unique and alignment of individual goals with the organizational goals always remains a challenge. I believe in connecting with every team member at an individual level.

Curriculum of ITM      

Students’ exposure to the industry at ITM is way more than our equivalents. A good percentage of our students get PPOs at the end of their five months’ rigorous internship. NGO internship at ITM teaches the students to be compassionate and caring towards society. Our curriculum gets revised every year to keep pace with the developments taking place in the business world.

Connecting with the students

We have an open-door policy where both students and faculty/staff can meet the director at any time. We also remain connected on social media.