Anand Mahindra, the Chairman of Mahindra Group, asked students to reinvent themselves and think innovatively to deal with a hybrid world. Addressing the second convocation of Mahindra University here on Saturday, he related the story of how Lord Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipa by donning the avatar of half-man-half-lion Narasimha.

“Hiranyakashipa could not be killed by a man or by a beast, or during the day or night, or inside a house or outside, or on the earth or in the sky. Vishnu had reinvented himself to deal with a difficult problem and killed the adversary bypassing the boon,” he said.

Non-linear thinking

Stating that there are several takeaways for the students from the story, he said the students need to think differently to deal with a world that is increasingly going digital. “Vishnu had abandoned linear thinking. Reinvention is the name of the game. Soft skills are as important as hard skills. One has to constantly reskill to meet the newer challenges,” he said.

Also read: Mahindra University ties up with Norwegian University for M.Tech programme

“One needs to embrace technology while continuing to rely on empathy and the ability to collaborate, the qualities that humans have. The more our lives are intertwined with machines, the more important it is going to be to preserve and nurture the humanity that distinguishes us from a decision-making algorithm,” he added.

He said that technology was here only to augment humanity and not replace it.

All about choices

Ronnie Screwvala, Chairman of upGrad, said the success of people depended on the choices they make. “You should focus on 6 C’s — clarity, connect, conviction, curiosity, change, and choice. “You must acquire these skills as they enter the phase of lifelong learning. He stressed on the importance of “how we learn and who we learn from”.

Also read: Mahindra University starts MBA programme

Asking students to constantly reflect on improving the lives of others around them, he urged them to develop a sense of empathy and redefine their own success. 

Three PhD students, 22 M.Tech, and 262 B.Tech students received their degrees at the convocation. G M Rao and Screwvala inaugurated Life Sciences Lab Complex and Mahindra e-Hub on the campus.

Related Topics