Summary
Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship now has more than 4000 alumni
Series of knowledge sessions, fireside chats, sports and other events have been planned for the year long celebrations
SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) is celebrating 25 years of its management programme for the next generation of family enterprises.
A series of knowledge sessions, fireside chats, sports and other events — all led by the alumni of the Family Managed Business (FMB) programme — are lined up through the year. across
The year-long celebrations will culminate in a grand finale — the FMB Connect. An awards function will be held to celebrate the achievements of SPJIMR’s FMB alumni. The goal is to raise a toast to family entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the silver jubilee celebrations,
Harsh Mariwala, founder and chairman of Marico, noted the need for a culture of innovation and governance for family businesses. “If you have to succeed in the marketplace, you need to innovate, not just to launch a product but also on a perpetual basis.” He emphasised the values of trust and transparency within small businesses.
The post graduate programme for Family Managed Business (PGP-FMB), under the aegis of SPJIMR’s Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, now has more than 4,000-plus alumni, several brands and influences thousands of family businesses within India as well as neighbouring countries like Nepal.
“Growth and scaling up of businesses should also ensure that such growth creates value for the society. This is the guiding principle of management education at SPJIMR,” SPJIMR dean Varun Nagaraj said.
The notable alumni of the Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, include members of families that own Naturals Ice Cream, RR Kabel, Siyaram, Shemaroo, Vicco, Jyothy Labs, Safex Fire Services, Baidyanath, Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale and Lagu Bandhu. In 2018, the alumni family businesses cumulatively accounted for more than 30 billion USD of net worth, employing more than 200,000 within their enterprises and contributed to USD 10 billion worth of exports.
Tulsi Jayakumar, executive director, SPJIMR, recounted the history of the centre and its various programmes. “We were the pioneers in entrepreneurship and family business. We are the leaders in the space today,” she said.
The programme was launched in 1997 to raise awareness about the importance of the family enterprise as a business model. India is only behind China and the US for the highest number of family-owned businesses and they constitute 60-70% of the GDP. SPJIMR realised the importance of formal management education for the next generation to lead and expand the multi-generational business and also innovate via entrepreneurship. The modular programme offers a curriculum which focuses on experiential learning, with renowned faculty at the helm to groom and skill family business leaders to carry forward their complex enterprises.
Vivek Chinoy, director of Sigma CapSeal and a PGP-FMB alumnus, said SPJIMR’s FMB was a life-changing experience. “It changed the way we looked at and ran our businesses. We have made friends for life here, whom we can depend on for anything in both our personal and business lives,” he said
Last updated on 04 May 2022
