6th August 2025, Mumbai: The Deeksharambh 2025, a six-day induction programme for new students of the School of Branding and Advertising (SoBA), NMIMS Mumbai Campus, was held on a solemn and elegant note in the college auditorium to mark the beginning of a transformative academic journey for aspiring professionals.
The orientation program commenced with the registration of new students, followed by the traditional lamp lighting and chanting of Saraswati Vandana to dispel the darkness of ignorance with the light of wisdom. The NMIMS Anthem instilled a collective spirit of unity, pride and belonging among students and faculty.
The proceedings began with an introduction of the School by Associate Dean Dr Kiran Desai. She shed light on the institution’s academic ethos and its focus on creating industry relevant skillsets. She emphasised, “The core principles of a meaningful education and career in advertising and branding lie a focus on strong fundamentals in business, marketing and branding, and an unwavering commitment to delivering real value – not just to marketers and organizations, but to society at large.”
The Registrar, Dr Tanmoy Chakraborty, reaffirmed that, NMIMS, recently reaccredited with the prestigious NAAC A++ grade and an outstanding CGPA of 3.67 out of 4.0, remains dedicated to maintaining academic excellence and value-based education across its campuses.
Mr. K. V. Sridhar aka Pops, Global Chief Creative Officer, Nihilent Limited, Co-Founder, Nativepur, Hall of Fame, DMIA, best-selling Author of ‘30 Second Thrillers, graced the event as the Chief Guest. Mr. Sridhar has garnered recognition in Campaign Brief Asia’s ‘40 legends of last 40 years’ besides a Creative Achievement Award from the New York Festivals. NMIMS students embarking on their careers benefitted from the scintillating presence of the man himself who shared practical insights into advertising, creative and branding careers.
An engaging panel discussion was held on ‘Career Paths in Branding and Advertising, Challenges, Opportunities and Career Strategies’, followed by Q&A and concluding remarks. The distinguished panellists were Mr. Sukesh Nayak, CCO, Ogilvy, Ms. Darshana Shah, CMO, Aditya Birla, and Mr. Ajay Mehta, CCO, WPP.
Dr. Desai introduced faculty and staff members of SoBA and expressed gratitude to distinguished guests, faculty and student coordinators for making the ceremony a success. The audience rose for the National Anthem to close the inaugural session with dignity and patriotic reverence.
A brilliant dance performance by NMIMS’ very own Zephyr, a deeply engaging musical performance by Leherein, a spectacular and extravagant fashion show by Atelier and the comic Sa-Re-Drama Act enthralled the audience in the afternoon session.New students were introduced to various committees, councils and forums before the grand ceremony culminated with a Vote of Thanks by Student Anchors for all guests and participants. The event set a profound and aspirational tone for the year ahead, laying a solid foundation for a purpose-driven and intellectually enriching academic life at SoBA.
Counsellor sessions, origami and caricature workshops, presentations by various departments, speeches by guests, student portal and library orientations, presentations on incubation centres and sound therapy sessions were also held over six days through July 23.