Jowai, Dec. 2: The Society for Urban and Rural Empowerment (SURE) has proudly hosted the first batch of students from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Shillong as part of the Institute’s Community Immersion Programme. This initiative marks a historic milestone for SURE, as it collaborates with IIM Shillong to empower and uplift local businesses in the North East region.
The primary goal of the Community Immersion Programme is to utilize the business expertise of IIM Shillong to offer strategic guidance and actionable solutions for enhancing local enterprises. This initiative not only aims to boost economic and social development in the region but also provides valuable insights for entrepreneurs to grow and strengthen their businesses.
The immersion program is structured in multiple phases. The first phase, known as the virtual connect, involves the IIM students engaging with local businesses through virtual meetings. During these sessions, businesses can outline the challenges they are facing, allowing students to tailor their future efforts toward addressing these issues during the field visits.
In the second phase, field immersion, students visit local enterprises and interact with both business leaders and employees to understand the day-to-day operations. This hands-on fieldwork aims to provide a deeper understanding of the enterprises and their value chains, enabling the students to identify areas for improvement.
Each business will be assigned a dedicated team of MBA participants who will provide detailed reports and practical recommendations based on their observations. The program also paves the way for potential future collaborations between the businesses and IIM Shillong, fostering long-term growth opportunities.
Dr. H.H. Mohrmen, Secretary of SURE, expressed his optimism about the impact the program will have on both the entrepreneurs and the students. He highlighted that SURE’s local community members would gain valuable insights and guidance from the IIM students, while also having the opportunity to share their culture and experiences with the visiting teams. Dr. Mohrmen also mentioned that three more batches of IIM students will join the program in the coming months.
The first batch of seven students, including team leader Ayushi Srivastava, were welcomed by the senior staff of SURE. During the interaction, Ayushi Srivastava expressed gratitude to SURE for their support and for facilitating meaningful connections with the local farmers. Other students, including Katyayni Jaisawal and Priyamvada Rathaur, also shared their thoughts on the experience.
The Community Immersion Programme stands as an exemplary model of collaboration between academic institutions and local communities, driving sustainable growth and development in the North East region.
