Accepting the medal from the Chairman, Reddy said, “It is an honor and I thank you for inviting me to the 66th Annual Convocation of XLRI. In the turbulent 2 years, a ray of hope has been provided by the healthcare service.” And I believe this award is for the unsung heroes in this field. If COVID-19 was a war then these people were indeed peacemakers and that is what brings me to the heroes of today.
Congratulating the students, he said, “Today is a very special day in your life, it may be once or twice or four times but every time it is very special and to graduate from the most prestigious institute of India. I congratulate all the students, faculty for nurturing and caring, family who supported and encouraged to study hard and everyone in the ecosystem to see what you have done.” Reddy in today’s era. Talked about the need for agility and flexibility. He said, “Agility is a mantra used by all organizations and workplaces today. Just like we cannot survive without oxygen, corporates can also survive today without agility. As an institution that is highly appreciated and forward-thinking, agility is hard on each of us. It’s not DNA that doesn’t exist. It’s a quality that Helps you turn around in dire situations.”
He said, “Over the past two years there has been concern in the healthcare industry and a country like ours has coped so well with COVID that it is now becoming a lesson for universities abroad (Harvard and Boston). I myself have taken a session and talked to India about fighting covid and I am proud to be an Indian. We showed the world how sustainable we can be. I am proud to be an Indian.”
He also shared some facts like, India has discovered the Kovid-19 vaccine in 4-5 months. 70% of medical items were imported earlier. Overnight government factories turned into medical factories and they manufactured masks and PPEs. There were not enough ventilators in India and a company called Metronics gave their patent rights, companies like Tata and Mahendra started manufacturing ventilators and this is a great lesson to give back to the society. The oxygen crisis is also another example.
XLRI also presented special awards to 10 students, including XLRI Medal for Social Initiative, Best All-rounder student in memory of Parineeth Reddy, and for achieving highest CQPI in various streams.
XLRI Director Pt. Paul Fernandes. SJ congratulated the graduating students, he said, “XLRI started in 1948 with a dream to change the face of the earth. We thank our President for all his services and continuous support for XLRI. Social And we thank Dr. Preeta Reddy for accepting our Sir Jehangir Gandhi Medal for Industrial Peace. My dear students, you are known for your service to humanity, so I hope that someday we will be your part of humanity. Will be able to respect you for service.
CEO & MD Tata Steel, and Chairman XLRI TV Narendran addressed the graduation ceremony. He said, “The last 2 years have given us a lot of time to reflect on what is happening around us, exposed us to weaknesses and how we deal with things happening around us. We fool ourselves by saying that we are strong, developed and advanced. Such a small virus had such a huge impact. This virus showed that we can find solutions to problems, the way the world fought together and the way people came together to find solutions is unbelievable. The last 2 years have given us momentum for the future. We have become more inclusive. Local issues become global and global issues affect us locally. India is a potential source, but also a potential market.”