AHMEDABAD: After two years, MICA, Ahmedabad, on Saturday hosted its Annual Convocation ceremony for its 25th, 26th, and 27th batch of its flagship PGDM-Communications Program and the 29th, 30th, and 31st Batch of Crafting Creative Communication (CCC) Course. Scholars of MICA's Fellowship Program in Management-Communication (FPM-C) Batch of 2015-18 & 2016-19 were also awarded their fellowship.
The landmark celebration witnessed over 700 graduating students brimming with joy as they received their diplomas and certificates in the presence of MICA's Governing Council members, MICA President & Director, the Dean, the faculty, and parents.

Delivering the convocation address, MICA Alumnus and founder of India's recent Unicorn ACKO Insurance, Mr. Varun Dua, shared his insights on 'Choice' and 'Purpose.' Speaking on choices, Mr. Dua said, "Life will give you choices whether you like it or not. And you always have a choice. How conscious you are about your choices and how well you accept the consequences of your choices is all that matters. Choices which make you, you. Not choices that are an output of the collective hashtag wisdom of the times we live in."

He added, "Purpose is like your GPS, your radar in life. The purpose is internal; it is what you want to do. It is something you would be happy doing for free. Your purpose does not have to be a start-up or a business. Whatever it is, it is a place where you dream, where you love and are in constant dialogue with yourself, your thoughts, your ideas, and your will to improve. This dialogue with yourself is a million times more important than all the banter you want to share, like, or comment on. More often than not, people who find their purpose will find success. So climb the mountains, start a business, figure out e-waste, be an influencer, help the farmers or be Sundar Pichai, whatever floats your boat. But try and find your purpose."

Emphasizing the salient skills one must adopt, he said, "The first is delayed gratification as it lets one control their life, and the second is communication."

He said, "Purpose makes you want to get up in the morning; choices let you sleep at night. So if you want to impose your will, make people see the world through your lens. And don't trade what you want most for what you want now." Mr. Dua, in his light-hearted address, encouraged the graduating batches to savor all emotions they might feel in this journey of life and dream big with their eyes open.

As part of the yearly awards, the institute announced academic excellence awards for all three batches and outstanding alumni awards. Interestingly, of the 21 awards, 19 were won by female students. Dr. Shailendra Raj Mehta, President & Director, MICA, said, "This is a milestone and a record for a management school. The brave new world is here, and I am happy that MICA is paving the way."

Dr. Mehta concluded his speech by referring to a couplet by Allama Iqbal, "Wahin jahan hai tera jisko tu paida kare. Ye sang-o-khisht nahi, jo teri nigah mai hai" which translates he as "Here is to all the MICANs, present and future, that they create the world in their own image, not just the bricks and stones that they see in front of them.”

Established in 1991, MICA is the first residential institute in the country and perhaps in the Asia-Pacific region, dedicated to creating Leadership in Strategic Marketing and Communication.

Its spirit lies in its grasping of contemporariness, addressing the needs of an ever-changing environment. The MICA brand assures effective delivery of Strategic Marketing and Communication solutions to the industry, government and community.

Today, it is the alma mater of professionals serving in leadership positions in some of the best-known companies in India and the world, in marketing, brand management, research & analytics, advertising, media, digital and other strategic marketing and communication-driven businesses.