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Esade Alumni Mumbai Chapter brings together global leaders to promote trade and investment

Last June, the Esade Alumni Mumbai Chapter held an exclusive event that brought together leaders in trade and investment, offering a unique opportunity for dialogue with top-tier guests.
Udeepto

After several presentations, the evening evolved into a dynamic networking session that welcomed alumni from leading international schools such as LSE, LBS, IESE, INSEAD, MIT, Columbia, Berkeley, Yale, King’s College, Stanford, HBS, and IMD.

With record attendance — 40 Esade alumni and over 65 participants in total — the gathering not only strengthened the network of contacts but also created strong momentum for future collaborations by fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas and connections among global professionals. Among the guests were the Commissioner of the Trade Office of Spain in Mumbai, representatives from the Foreign Trade and Investment Office of Catalonia in Mumbai, the Basque Internationalization Agency, and executives from Cushman & Wakefield.

Mumbai

We talk with Udeepto Maheshwari, president of the Esade Alumni Mumbai Chapter 

-The June event brought together an impressive group of global trade and investment leaders. Beyond networking, what do you consider the main outcomes of this meeting, and how does the chapter plan to leverage this momentum for future collaborations or initiatives?

Udeepto

The Esade Alumni Mumbai Chapter has been at the forefront of collaboration with other institutions since its inception. Collaboration and cooperation are among the key lessons from an Esade education that one can carry into both professional and personal life.

The Mumbai Chapter has long been an integral part of joint initiatives, either by hosting sector- or theme-focused panel events or by organizing social networking mixers. Most of the top 20 business schools regularly coordinated events in Mumbai to network, leverage professional and business opportunities, or simply connect with like-minded individuals. At the time, most alumni chapters in Mumbai were smaller in size — except for the larger institutions. But Covid and the lockdown changed everything. Not only did our numbers increase as Indians returned or deferred admissions, but cross-school collaboration and networking came to a standstill.

This year, our objective was simple: to reignite the spark by once again hosting an event of this scale and, more importantly, to recreate meaningful dialogue. We conducted surveys and polls across our alumni, and there was overwhelming support within our community to organize an impact-driven networking event with other business schools. Little did we know it would result in such a major turnout — especially in a city like Mumbai, with weather-related and infrastructure-related challenges. What made it easier was that many of our alumni were also connected to other institutions in various capacities. With this in mind, we began preparing, planning, and aligning with business schools, chambers of commerce, MNCs, and fellow alumni across chapters.

The chapter will definitely build on this momentum. We are already exploring micro and macro events with other institutions, not only in Mumbai but also in other domestic chapters. The International Alumni Networking (IAN) Event created a platform for like-minded educational institutions committed to holding joint events and generating connections, professional alliances, and business synergies.

– How do you assess the impact of various institutions’ participation on the event’s dynamic, and what strategies does the chapter have to expand this type of collaboration in future gatherings?

Based on this event, the chapter will be shaping its strategy for the coming year, while I will be focusing on external relations in coordination with our International Alumni Heads and Coordinators.

This comes at a time when the “India story” has re-emerged, with many Indians returning as the local economy continues to grow at a rapid pace.

Our external relations initiatives will revolve around the following priorities:

  • Promoting Esade at multiple government levels.
  • Supporting greater placement of Esade alumni in Indian firms, given the competitive landscape — following our philosophy of alumni helping alumni, not only from Esade but from other business schools too.
  • Participating in discussions with Spanish Chambers of Commerce and the Spanish Embassy in India. For example, earlier this year, the heads of the three Spanish business schools were invited to meet the Honorable Prime Minister of Spain, Mr. Pedro Sánchez, although the interaction had to be cancelled due to security and scheduling issues.
  • Increasing media visibility through articles and insights from journalists who attended the event.

The impact of this event has been tremendous, with senior alumni connecting with recent graduates and vice versa. From media professionals to business leaders and alumni working in conglomerates and MNCs, people are reconnecting, meeting, and actively staying in touch. And once again, conversations are flowing at a moment when India is buzzing with activity.

Special thanks to the Esade Mumbai Team — Gopi Tanna, Chanakya Shah, and Videesh Pursnani. This event would not have been possible without our daily calls and their dedication. And of course, thanks to all our VVIPs and Chief Guests.

We also extend our sincerest gratitude to our Delhi and Bangalore Chapter Heads, Aditya Singhal and Ritika Saxena, for promoting the event in their cities, which encouraged alumni to fly in from different locations.

It required significant logistical effort to bring everything together, but in the end, it was well worth it and very well received.

 

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