Manipal: ‘Disha’ the flagship HR conclave of T. A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal held from the 23rd to 25th of August 2016 completed its eighth edition this year. This conclave saw around 900 odd students interacting with some of the top industrial leaders. These five days were packed with 50 top HR professionals visiting the campus and enlightening the students with their valuable insights.

The theme of Disha, “VUCA World: HR at Crossroads?” was selected keeping in mind the volatile and ever changing market scenario. VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) has always been there, but it has only been felt for the last couple of years. This theme was to make the students aware of the situation and how to navigate in such a market.

The chief guest for the opening ceremony was Mr. Dilpreet Singh, Director-Human Resources, India and South Asia, IBM. He declared the ceremony open and said that there is no crossroads in HR since there is just a one-way entry to the market. After the inauguration, the entire week saw panel discussions, Onimia and guest lectures known as SOPHOS. Each day had varied themes like “Technology: Creating turbulence or Assisting HR”, “Agile HR for VUCA World” and “Global Upheaval: Impact on HR”, among many others. The 5 days were marked with 18 hrs of panel discussions, 50+ hours of industry interaction with the students, 45+ guests from 21 different sectors and more than 250 students participating in the competitions.

During these five days of DISHA, the finals of three extraordinary events were also conducted. Students displayed their talents through – We the People (the Debate Completion) and Vrondi (the Mock Press Event). Both these events saw huge student participation and were judged by both faculty and industry delegates visiting campus. And in addition, the new event – Embauche, where the participants assume as the Board of Directors as they select the best hire from among the world leaders.

The valedictory address was graced by Honourable Sri Ramdas M Pai, Chairman, TAPMI Trust; Dr. R. C. Natarajan, Director, TAPMI; and Col. P. S. James, HR Area Chair. Ms. Puja Agarwal, the convenor of Disha and HR Forum thanked the student body and faculty for their active participation and brought DISHA 2016 to a close.