Shirpur, Sep 03: SVKM’s NMIMS Shirpur Campus celebrated its 16th Graduation Ceremony, conferring degrees on 331 students from its constituent schools. The ceremony brought together graduating students, parents, faculty and university leadership to mark the Class of 2026’s transition into the professional world.

The ceremony was graced by Mr. Arun Nanda, veteran Mahindra Group leader and former Executive Director and President, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited, as the Chief Guest. Drawing from his five-decade corporate journey, Nanda shared insights on combining ambition with purpose and values as students step into the professional world. Shri Rajgopal Bhandari, Mentor, NMIMS Shirpur Campus, presided over the ceremony, while Dr. Sunita Patil, Campus Director, presented the Academic and Sports Annual Report 2025-26.

Addressing the graduating students, Mr. Arun Nanda reflected on the importance of combining professional ambition with purpose and values. “When you work with both ‘Karma’ (duty) and ‘Dharma’ (righteousness), the output is of a different kind,” he said. He also urged students to remain lifelong learners and adapt to a rapidly changing world shaped by AI, automation, sustainability and digital transformation.

The year saw the campus make notable strides in research and innovation, with faculty contributing 143 Scopus-indexed publications, 10 books and 48 book chapters, while filing 10 patents. The campus also secured research grants of over ₹1 crore from various government funding agencies. Student achievements further added to the year’s milestones. Master Chirag Vijayvargiya emerged as the grand winner of HackwithInfy 2025, competing against more than three lakh participants, while the campus drone team secured third place among 70 teams at the Boeing Aero Modelling Competition at IIT Gandhinagar.

The campus also emerged as the Best Campus for Sports among seven NMIMS campuses, alongside winning four NMIMS University Sports Awards. Cultural and technical platforms including Protsahan26, Ambiora26 and Vistaar26, along with new certification programmes in Sports & Fitness, Music & Well-being, and Yoga & Meditation, provided students opportunities to pursue interests beyond academics.

The ceremony also featured the Sustainability Oath, with graduating students pledging to uphold sustainability and social responsibility as they embark on their professional journeys. The graduating cohort included 252 students from MPSTME, 43 from SPTM, 26 from SAST and 10 from the School of Commerce, Dhule Campus.

The ceremony concluded with the National Anthem, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Class of 2026 as they carry forward the knowledge, skills and values gained at NMIMS Shirpur. The occasion also reflected the institution’s continued commitment to nurturing future-ready professionals through the vision and leadership of Shri Amrishbhai Patel, President, SVKM and Chancellor of SVKM’s NMIMS Deemed-to-be University.