Giridhar Ramachandran

I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Academic Council Chair at Jamshedpur Management Association!

The last steps in the 8 year long and life shaping journey leading to the PhD. Made possible with great support from friends and family.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐬. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬. Yesterday, we welcomed the newest batch of full-time students at XLRI. The auditorium was packed—with energy, nerves, proud parents, and wide-eyed students trying to soak it all in. During my short interactions with them, questions came up, as always: "𝐻𝑜𝑤 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑?" "𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠?" "𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝐼 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑒?" And quietly, from the parents: “𝑊𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑦 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑜𝑘𝑎𝑦?” To all of them, here’s what I say: Yes, the rollercoaster is real. The grind will begin soon—cases to prep, quizzes you didn’t expect, deadlines that sneak up on you. But so is the magic. Lifelong friendships are made over chai in the mess. Confidence is built in classrooms and committees. And somewhere in the middle of it all, you’ll discover who you really are. To the parents: Your children are in good hands. XLRI Jamshedpur is not just an institute, it’s a community. We’ll challenge them, yes—but we’ll also support them. And they will grow in ways you cannot imagine yet. To our recently graduated students: Your rooms now belong to someone else. But the stories you left behind—the laughter, the late nights, the legacy—live on. Come back often. This place will always have room for you. And to the new batch: In the coming days, I look forward to sharing a paratha with you at Bishu’s, a plate of podi idli at Aiyer’s, or even heading out on a ride to the countryside. 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐰. #XLRI #NewBeginnings #WelcomeHome #JoyrideAhead #StudentLife #Nostalgia #Community