Update: Order has been reversed when faculty members opposed the move by Prof. D’Souza
A section of the faculty of IIM-Ahmedabad has opposed a proposal to change its iconic logo, saying the move “will have far-reaching implications and long-term consequences” on the institute’s brand and stakeholders. It has been rumored that IIM-Ahmedabad Director Prof. Errol D’Souza is behind this logo change.
The proposal was approved at a recent meeting of the IIMA Board, according to a letter sent by the faculty members to the IIMA board of governors chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla. Former IIMA director Bakul Dholakia said, the proposal “defies logic and reason” and will “dilute the identity” of the country’s foremost business school.
The existing logo, inspired by latticework or jaalis of the Siddi Saiyyed Mosque in Ahmedabad, has a Sanskrit Shloka “Vidya Viniyogat Vikasa”. Dr. Vikram Sarabhai played a key role in picking it, according to the website of IIMA.
Dholakia, who served as IIMA director between 2002 and 2007, said he was aware that at least 45 faculty members had signed the letter.
“The logo is our identity – the jaali and the Sanskrit verse define us and our Indian ethos. For us, it is a symbol of our Indianness, our connection with “vidya”, and our link to the institute. It is our commitment to “Vikas” of the country, industry, society, students, and management discipline. It is our philosophy and mission statement. Any change in the same, either in artistic rendition or change in verse, is an assault on our identity. The change in logo is sure to have a long-lasting impact on the IIMA brand,” stated the letter.
It added that, as part of the proposal for change, two new logos had been proposed — one for international consumption and the other for domestic purposes. The faculty was informed of the proposed changes in the academic council meeting on March 4, it stated.
