Prof. Arvind Tripathy has been associated with the School of Management since 2008. He has 25 years of experience comprising 7 years of corporate experience and 18 years in academics. A Ph.D. in Management in the marketing area, he is an alum of the Department of Business Administration, Utkal University. He is an alum of IIM Ahmedabad (FDP program 2013). His PhD topic was “A multilevel exploration of factors influencing retail image and patronage and service quality assessment of retail centres''. He was associated with the advertising industry in Mumbai and Bengaluru and media services in IT training in Kolkata. Later he moved to the academic world of management education. Apart from his teaching assignments, he is actively involved in MDPs in organizations like SIDBI, IDBI Bank, Utkalika, OFSDP, Mahanadi Coalfields and in-house training programs of All India Radio & Doordarshan. He has been a resource person/trainer in various marketing workshops of national and international fame. ‘Enhancing the capacity of middle and small-scale enterprises in Orissa Regional Chapter’ was a European Union-Govt. of India project. He has served as a marketing consultant for the ‘Capacity enhancing’ program for the craftsman and handicrafts trading societies from Odisha organized by Trade Kraft UK and IRFT Mumbai. He is also involved in projects from the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi (Ministry of MHRD, Govt. of India) in the social sector as a Co-Project Investigator.

KIIT School of Management

Being the Head of the Marketing Department, what are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

As Marketing Area Head, my role is to see the students can get a strong understanding of the concepts, appreciate the dynamic nature of the marketing domain and constantly keep track of the change in trends so that they can strategize and apply the concepts to achieve positive results in the businesses they are associated with. Further, develop a temperament to be tech savvy to embrace digital inclusiveness.

How do you tend to establish healthy relations with the students and fellow faculty? 

Students should be encouraged to develop a healthy and cordial relationship with faculty members so that they can discuss emerging scenarios in the market as well as give key insights by engaging in crucial research-based activities. Bring more rigor to classroom discussions.

How do you try to bring in a practical approach towards subjects and make it industry-oriented?

To bring in a practical approach towards subjects I focus on making projects more industry or market-based. Help the students appreciate the practical realities of the business world and be able to apply the concepts learned in the classes.

What are the best practices offered by the department to the students which help them gain the necessary skills? 

Students get first-hand exposure during the summer internships. At KSoM the corporate mentorship helps the students to align their expectations and prepare themselves on the current requirements of the industry.

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How do you strategize the curriculum and how often does it get updated to make it befitting for the students? 

The Curriculum is validated both at academic levels and industry levels every 2-3 years. Changes required are incorporated in the syllabus accordingly and as per the industry standards so that students don’t face many challenges while entering into the highly competitive corporate world.

What are your views on placements and higher education for the students from a Marketing Background?

Placements for the flagship program of MBA is one of the key initiatives of the School of Management. Students are prepared especially for current emerging trends by active participation of the industry and academic professionals. A robust and rigorous training program has been created to make the placement initiatives successful. It is a continuous process and implementation tools keep evolving with time. Students with an interest in higher education are suitably counselled by the senior professionals, alumni and academicians.

How do you help your student cope with the competition being so high in the outside world? 

To cope with the competition, I always suggest my students to participate in various School events in Marketing. It gives the students a sneak peek into what the competition from other schools is like. It helps them prepare well.

Do you have any extracurricular activities clubs/ programs to enhance the skills of the students or expose them to real-world challenges?

Matrix Club (Marketing Club) is one of the activities clubs for students who are interested in marketing, it has a range of activities in the domain area throughout the year. It encourages students to participate in internal and external competitions.

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How does the curriculum of the marketing department ensure the best practice of the industry? 

We in the marketing department always focus on constant validation from the industry through various engagements like conclaves, conferences, workshops etc. and these are all student-driven events.

How does the marketing department enhance the skills of the faculty and prepare them according to industry standards? 

We at the Marketing department always encourage the faculty members to take up research, faculty development programs and consulting projects from the industry and government as well.

What do you see as the Marketing department of Kiit School of Management’s greatest strengths and how it can be enhanced?

Faculty have industry exposure at multiple levels before getting into teaching. Faculty academic credentials from top-notch management institutes help in blending the practical with theory. Further, the constant focus on including the changes in the curriculum vetted by the industry does help the school to scale the challenges.

What valuable advice would you like to give the students for them to have a prosperous career ahead in Marketing?

Students must have the hunger to learn, unlearn and relearn at all times and at the same time be innovative and stay relevant as per the industry standards.