Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the US$ 16.9 billion Mahindra Group, received an honorary doctorate at the 53rd Convocation of IIT Bombay. Mahindra was conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) for his extraordinary commitment in furthering the cause and growth of the automobile industry, and for his significant contribution to the social development of India.
"Everyone says that ‘Jugaad' is India's biggest contribution to the world. What I want from all of you is to work towards moving from ‘Jugaad' to ‘Jhakaas'. This is about thinking differently and not just thinking cheap. 'Jhakaas' is about disruption and sustained disruption requires an educational culture where questioning is encouraged and failure is embraced.
"I would argue that one of the 'I's in IIT stands for imagination. This is an educational culture where your faculty has created an environment that encourages you to think and provides opportunities to take the creative leaps of faith. So, I urge you all to go out there and focus on this 'I'. This will lead us to not only 'Make in India' but also 'Imagine in India," said Mr. Anand Mahindra, while speaking to the graduating students after receiving the award.
"The Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) is the highest honour bestowed by IIT Bombay. Over the past two decades, Mr. Mahindra has contributed immeasurably to the development of India's indigenous automotive industry and the success of vehicles like the Scorpio and the XUV500 is testimony to this contribution," said Professor Devang V. Khakhar, Director, IIT Bombay.
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