VMPL
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], April 6: MICA - The School of Ideas, India's premier institute for Strategic Marketing and Communication, hosted its 31st Convocation ceremony for the Class of 2026, marking a significant milestone for 255 graduating students. The event served as a prestigious gathering of academic excellence and a nostalgic reunion, as both the Chief Guest and the Director celebrated their shared heritage as alumni from the Class of 1996.
Sushant Dash, CEO, Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. and a MICA alumnus (Batch of 1994-1996), delivered an inspiring keynote address centered on the theme 'Sparks of Excellence'. Drawing from three decades of industry leadership, Dash offered a practical compass for navigating professional journeys in an Ai-driven era.
Addressing the graduates, Mr. Dash emphasized that while brilliance is a starting point, lasting success is built on character. He said, "Talent is common, alignment is rare and excellence is a team sport. Chase sparks, they are important. But build discipline, that is what will keep success."
He further encouraged the Class of 2026 to Prioritize purpose over prestige during the foundational years of their careers. He went on to inspire the students to Embrace simplicity in problem-solving rather than gravitating toward complexity. Dash also encouraged them to cultivate sound judgment, describing it as the most irreplaceable human skill as Ai continues to democratize knowledge. He finally emphasized on understanding the shift from ideation (zero-to-one) to the rigors of execution (one-to-hundred).
Ms. Jaya Deshmukh, Director & CEO of MICA also a first batch alumna, articulated a bold new vision for the institute. She unveiled the MICA Lens, anchored in the 5Cs: Creativity, Culture, Communication, Commerce, and Community.
"We nurture creative thinkers in the age of imagination," Deshmukh stated, reflecting the institute's commitment to defining the human advantage in a technological world. She highlighted several institutional achievements.
Prime among them was a revamped curriculum featuring five new functional specializations and participation in the AI India Impact Summit 2026. Besides that she also highlighted an MoU with Governement of India backed, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) for joint Master's programs and interdisciplinary research. Deshmukh also took pride in stating that MICA's faculty and scholars contributed 53 academic publications and secured 3 patents.
In her closing remarks, she reminded the graduates of their larger responsibility: "Each one of you has a role to play in our national ambition of Viksit Bharat. There is something about the MICA DNA that will make each one of you stand out."
The ceremony saw the conferral of degrees upon 255 graduates across four primary programs -
- PGDMC: 152 students
- PGDM: 49 students
- CCC: 48 students
- FPM: 6 scholars
MICA continues to see strong industry confidence, reflected in exceptional placement outcomes. Summer placements for 2025-26 concluded with a 31% increase in the recruiter base, involving 97 companies.
The final placement process registered over 130 companies with the highest package recorded at ₹45.67 LPA offered by Google. Similarly, the CCC program reported 47 students receiving internship offers across 18 distinct roles from 27 companies.
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