There are times in life when opinions about a place change so fast that you don’t even realize; IIFT did the same to me. Little did I know that I will fall in love with this place sooner than I would ever imagine. From cribbing over the short deadlines and 6 AM yoga, never ending assignments and popup quizzes, the classes from 8-8; we as a batch have come a long way ready to take on the responsibilities as proud IIFTians. The cribbing is still there, but overshadowing the cribbing is the feeling one feels as a part of one of India’s top B-school where every day you are ready to take on the challenge that awaits you round the corner. The 3 Ds of Discipline, Decorum and Deadline are instilled deep into us but along with them we IIFTians also enjoy the parties and the accompanying 3Ds- Dinner, Drinks and DJ.

“All work and no play made Jack a dull boy” is though clichéd but very much the mantra we follow here in IIFT. Academics is there to stay but is accompanied by the loads of fun we have. UWL- the unique sports fiesta, Quo Vadis- the mélange of all management, cultural and fun events, Alum Night- the enthusiastic coming home of the distinguished Alumni : every one of these events bonds you to this place even more and more. But the frolic is not limited to the annual discrete events, there are birthdays, there are treats and then there are parties (the load of subject ranging from 8 to 16 over a trimester never kept us away from parties). And then there are “GO IIFT GO” moments when one of us makes us proud by winning some laurel at national or international level.

Engineers, Doctors, Physiotherapists, Biotechnologists, Economists, Commerce or Arts background-you name the degree we have a person, North, South, East, West- we are a mini India. The wide variety in the batch gives you an enormous opportunity of peer learning definitely, but also what it gives you is the chance to savor the cuisines from all around the country. The week after coming back from homes is spent mainly in sharing and tasting the delicacies. The true cosmopolitan spirit reaches its peak when the IIFT family come up together to celebrate the festivals- the Ganpati Pooja, the Saraswati Pooja , lohri, Guru Nanak birthday and of course Holi and Diwali. When at IIFT, you will feel the joy of “home away from home” at all times.

Two years at IIFT is doubtlessly a journey of unending mirth and laughter, of achievements and evolving, of unraveling the best in you, of learning to tackle the toughest of the problems and busiest of the schedules, of making friends for a lifetime and learning lessons which will last a lifetime and of being the best at the best place with the best.

Manvi Bajpai

MBA2009-11