Jamshedpur: While addressing the students of XLRI, Vineet Nair, an alumnus of the institution and former CEO of HCL Technologies, highlighted the critical role of innovation in the success of startups. Nair, who is also founder and co-chairman of Sampark Foundation, delivered this message while attending the inauguration of Ensemble-Valhalla at XLRI Auditorium as the chief guest.
The opening ceremony of the three-day festival included lighting of the lamp by Nair and other distinguished guests on stage. During her speech, Vineet Nair recounted her own experiences at XLRI, dating back to 1983, and shared an incident involving Professor Magreth and tribal unrest on campus. This incident prompted him to highlight the word ‘Adivasi’ as a common theme among the students’ written reflections.
Nair advised students to first decide whether they want to pursue a job or launch their own startup. For job seekers, he stressed the importance of finding work that truly makes them happy and matches their interests. In the context of startups, Nair highlighted the vital role of innovation, saying that without it, a startup would be futile. He encouraged students to think carefully about their goals before acting, drawing an analogy to the way dogs follow a trail, emphasizing the importance of focused direction.
Vineet Nair also engaged with the students by answering their questions and reminiscing about his own experiences, inspiring and motivating the future leaders of XLRI.
