“The PIR survey provides a student-centric lens to see how we are doing on our short-term and long-term goals and helps us identify where we could go next.” Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR

SPJIMR uses the PIR survey as a mirror of how its students (SPJIMR calls them participants) see the institution’s activities; it is in part a validation of what the school is doing right, and it points it in the direction where it can do better.

Some of the suggestions received in the earlier editions of the PIR indicated that initiatives like Abhyudaya and Development of Corporate Citizenship (DoCC), which are mandatory and essential to the SPJIMR curriculum, are seen as valuable and life-changing experiences by students. Abhyudaya, which means “growing together”, is an initiative where MBA participants mentor school students living in impoverished urban neighborhoods. DoCC is a five-week social internship program for SPJIMR participants to work with grassroots organizations in remote regions on social and ecological justice issues.

SPJIMR engages with the community through events such as Ehsaas and Aasra. Ehsaas is a platform for partner organizations, including small social entrepreneurs and women self-help groups, to showcase, market, and sell products from their organizations. Aasra is an inclusive sport and cultural fest for people with disabilities, where over 100 participants from 11 non-profits and schools across Mumbai celebrate life through sports and cultural activities. The PIR survey indicates that these activities positively impact SPJIMR students and society.

While SPJIMR has been using its platform to address community challenges for some time, the PIR survey highlighted to the school the need to raise its game on environmental policies and actions and further empower students. It provided insight into a generation of students demanding a more enterprising partnership with the school on issues like reducing carbon footprint and managing waste on campus. As a result, the school will incorporate Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) criteria into the decision-making and daily activities of 20 student committees that run various school activities and events. ESG criteria are also driven into academic courses across curricula. SPJIMR sees PIR feedback as instrumental in reinforcing its belief in involving participants in the governance process in various school activities.