Let there be more academic scholars like...

Prof. Pillai always weaved dreams of developing and expanding his institute and students. To begin with, he did not possess a traditional mindset, unlike most academicians. I too was unconventional like him and so we got along well with each other. Very often he said that the present examination system followed in higher education is borrowed from the Britishers and that it is based on memory only. That is the reason why it creates tensions in the minds of the students. Instead, as followed by many American universities, there should be no year-end examination system; it should be an open book system. I agreed with Prof. Pillai that as far as possible, we should have the open book system as it empowers students with more knowledge – which is more important in the interest of students. But how to acquire this knowledge? Is it by reading books only? Both agreed on one point.

To begin with, we need to create curiosity in the minds of students, which leads to inquisitiveness. This further leads to creativity. They begin to think of original ideas and that leads to innovation. What a wonderful journey it would be if we teachers handle the students in such a way that they get inspired to innovate but this is not happening. Let there not be a stereotype syllabus. The point I am making is that Prof. Pillai was different from hundreds of other professors. He made a difference but was harassed by the government authorities. They imposed a heavy fine on him, which was beyond his capacity to pay. He preferred to close the institute. We had this discussion over dinner at his house and I remember seeing this genuine academician so nervous. Let there be more academic scholars like Prof. Pillai and let there be boldness amongst the educational fraternity to stand up to their autonomous courses. Education is the birthright of every citizen and it should not require government permission to run autonomous institutions. May God give strength to his family to bear the loss.

"Great teacher, able administrator, good adviser"

I will always remember Pillai Sir as a great teacher, able administrator, good adviser and more importantly, a very fine humble human being who always cared about wellbeing of his students

Sanjay Ranbir Bali
Former Senior Vice President & Head HR,
Samsung Electronics South West Asia RHQ
(MPM&IR - Class of 1987)

I met Late Prof. Pillai for the first time in June 1987 when I joined Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune. He was our Professor and course in-charge. A great communicator, a good listener and always there to motivate us to stay disciplined, study hard and build a positive outlook. He created multiple opportunities for us to learn and stay focused on building our career each day.

Every afternoon, he would have a special class for us as students, where one realized that he was a gifted teacher who made even complex subjects so interesting that even the notso- bright students in the class would be eager to learn.

Later, during his Directorship of SCHMRD when I interacted in an industry with his many students, I came to know that he had a balanced spirit, always taking special and personal care of people around him and providing an equal opportunity to each student to flourish in academics and develop an all-round personality to succeed in their professional life.

I will always remember him as a great teacher, able administrator, good adviser and more importantly a very fine humble human being who always cared about the well-being of his students.

I am shocked at Prof. Pillai’s untimely demise and offer my deepest condolences to his family for this irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace.

Prof. Pillai gave me vision

Prof. Pillai demonstrated the power of value-based education and always steered his students towards imparting their assignment with passion and diligence

Mohammed Asif Iqbal
Associate Director, PwC India

Prof. Pillai, a man who thought differently, was determined to create young empathetic leaders who could connect with the underprivileged strata of the society and could also deliver a fabulous, presentation highlighting solutions to business problems to CXOs of companies and top management. He was extremely proud of SCMHRD and SCMLD student processes which he designed meticulously - it was indeed rigorous and seemed very painful. However, he always told to students to follow stringent processes in academics and non-academics comprising of yoga and meditation. Students, of course, were very reluctant initially but felt grateful for these wonderful life changing experiences after they passed out from institute.

He always taught his students and his colleagues to look within and introspect on past actions as one could derive lesson in formulating action plan for a future course. Once, a yoga teacher complained to Prof. Pillai that all students except for one is not following his instructions. Prof. Pillai asked the yoga teacher to identify the student from the batch album. When he pointed to my picture, Prof. Pillai was astonished and he asked him whether he knew that I was blind. He affirmed but said that his eyes look normal. Prof. Pillai told Yoga teacher to speak out instructions of yoga posture so that I’m able to execute. He often would narrate this incident in conferences. Pillai Sir, who drew immense inspiration from Swami Vivekananda always told me that I’m made to lead change in our society and, I should remember that though I have lost my eyesight, I have the vision to make a difference and contribute to nation building.

He supported the concept of experiential learning and have always invited eminent personalities such as Mumbai Dabbawala, a street beggar who built a hospital, activist of sex workers and gave MBA students immense opportunity of learning through interactions through these street heroes.

As a matter of fact, I was asked to lead the entire class to climb up the tallest Peak of Maharashtra by which one student was blindfolded and was led by another student who could see but was not allowed to speak. We were encouraged to pick up a broom and sweep the streets as part of community services. Students used complain about this but expressed a great deal of appreciation for Pillai’s Sir ideology after passing out from the institutions. I clearly recall being reluctant along with my batch mate to participate in Yoga classes but in our corporate life, we joined Yoga classes after paying fees to improve our health parameters.

Prof. Pillai demonstrated the power of value- based education and always steered his students towards imparting their assignment with passion and diligence and delivering quality excellence, which will stand out. Pillai Sir taught us to pay attention to details and mitigate risk for all possible circumstances while taking up any initiative whether at a professional or personal assignment.

I recall being scolded by Pillai Sir for not asking the driver for lunch during the outbound trip and I learned my lesson that each one of us has a role to play in the value chain as the driver’s mandate was to ensure the that entire batch reaches to the destination safely and within time.

Prof. Pillai was a shining example of a man driven by the mission of preparing leaders of tomorrow who would build strong and inclusive India not out of commercial compulsion but purely out of inner urge of self-less contributions. His philosophy of action based leadership drawn from rural and Tier III cities would propel to empower the community and take the nation forward to the next level.

His personal connection with all alumni of SCMHRD and SCMLD and continuous mentorship shall be greatly missed. I am personally grateful to Prof. Pillai Sir for preparing me for the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complex, Unambiguous) world and today I have immense confidence to tackle these uncertainties through a great sense of hope.

Author

Mohammed Asif Iqbal, an associate director with PwC India who lost his total eyesight at the age of 16 years old, received his primary, secondary and partial college in the United States. He became the first blind commerce graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta, first MBA (HR) from SCMHRD (Symbiosis, Pune) and was instrumental in creating reservation quota for people with disabilities at IIMs, IITs and all government Universities and colleges in India. He was recognized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.

“A Gyan Yogi, Bhakti Yogi and Karma Yogi”

The struggles and agony Pillai Sir faced creating a new institute— the fight with the establishment can be clearly described as a fight with kauravas

Saugata Mitra,
Executive Director, Mother Dairy Fruit &
Vegetable Pvt. Ltd.

A saint, a teacher and a crusader that’s what I can describe my Guru, Prof. M. S. Pillai, commonly known as “Pillai Sir”. To be frank, Prof. Pillai defies to be defined, his goodness, his attributes can be defined but not him. Many lives he has transformed—transformation is possible by a Selfless Guru, not a teacher. A teacher teaches, guru transforms.

In those days he was first in the country to bring spiritualism in management, the basic teachings of Bhagavad Gita were brought to the forefront in management by him. MPM in our days was considered in a step-motherly way compared to MBA but Pillai sir stood like a rock with MPM students. Today if one compares the alumni of Symbiosis, it is the MPMs who are the jewels in the crown in the corporate world.

The struggles and agony Pillai Sir faced creating a new institute the fight with the establishment can be clearly described as a fight with kauravas but the beloved Guru could not fight the modern day kauravas. Later part the only thing that kept him high was his students and few friends. The friend who stood by him in all his upheavals was his closest student and friend, Bala Sir.

A true tribute to his friend and teacher the country, the students and all his disciples have lost a great Guru, not to be created in the Indian soil for years to come. I salute this guru for what I am today, for the thousands and thousands of students what they are today. It is said that one must have done great deeds in the past seven lives to earn a Good Guru and I was a lucky one.

May the great soul rest in peace.

“A mighty catalyst in transforming youngsters”

Bala Sir once remarked to me that “Pillai Sir is a SAINT”. When I mentioned this to Pillai Sir, he smiled and remarked that.... ”No Sir, Bala Sir is the SAINT”

P. Mahadevan, HR Trainer

It was in March 2005, I met Pillai Sir.

I had come to take admission for my son in SCMLD.

When I listened to him explaining the processes in Sadhana, I was spellbound.

I wondered what kind of a man would embark on such a challenging adventure.

I realized that I was in the presence of a revolutionary, a mild rebel and a mighty catalyst in transforming youngsters.

As a parent, I will be forever grateful to him for the learning my son obtained at his feet.

It was a great privilege to stand shoulder to shoulder with him and create great value addition to his institution, in the form of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD!

Bala Sir once remarked to me that “Pillai Sir is a SAINT”. When I mentioned this to Pillai Sir, he smiled and remarked that “No Sir, Bala Sir is the SAINT”. Pillai Sir once remarked, “History records only its version of what is success or failure, but fails to record great attempts.”

In an educational system which was controlled by corruption, Pillai Sir had the Courage to not only defy but also defend his values.

In my eyes he will always remain a warrior, who fought for what he believed, never bothered about the odds stacked against him.

Teaching to him was not just a career, it was a passion and an obsession.

Today he leaves behind a vacuum which can never be adequately filled. I thank God for having had the privilege of intimately interacting with Pillai Sir. I don’t want to say Rest in Peace, because I know he was always at PEACE!

"Failure is an integral part of our journey"

I think today’s generation is used to being successful but failure is an integral part of that success journey and I think he taught us that really well

Dr Pratima Sheory, Director, Symbiosis Centre for
Management and Human Resource Development
(SCMHRD)

I don’t know if I classify as his alumna or somebody who worked with him but it’s a combination of both. I want to say so many things but let’s just leave it to my first interaction with Pillai Sir, which was in 1999. When I met him, he gave his feedback that there seems to be a person who is right now without a job and may be willing to join as a faculty. I walked into his office and looking over his spectacles at me he said “Kya kar rahe hai? Abhi gharmein baitho, itna seekha kyun hai? Idhar join karlo”, he said. I said “Sir, once my child is about a year old, I'll join”. He congratulated me for being blessed with a baby boy. This was in January 2000 and then on the 6th or 7th of January 2001, I got a call again “Ab hogaya ek saal” and I remember somewhere around 15th January or so he called me to meet Mujumdar Sir in his cabin. So that’s my first meeting with Pillai Sir and I cherish it.

I worked with Pillai Sir till mid-2003, and then I moved to an industry job. Once in a year, we would speak to each other, but we would always keep in touch. I visited Sadhana Centre For Management & Leadership Development (SCMLD) a couple of times and once he said “Abhi to tum naukri kar raha hai, par yahape karega?” I said, not now maybe later. In the year 2013 when I took over at SCMHRD, I had called Pillai Sir and I remember one of the key messages he gave me, “whatever you do, ensure that students are always benefited. An institution is made by the people that work there and in case of an educational institution, it is made by those who pass-out from there”.

Recently, around two months back I had spoken with him and he had said, “we are looking to reformulate the vision and mission for SCMHRD and we would like to take your inputs on the same.” But, I presume now I will have to wait for an aakash vani from him to finalize that vision and mission. Pillai Sir has done a lot for this institution and he will continue to do so in the years to come in spirit...

Raghunath Medge, President, Mumbai Dabbawalas Association, who is here at present was invited here at SCMHRD. The Mumbai Dabbawalas management strategy has become a Harvard case study and Medge credits all that to Professor Pillai.

Professor Pillai was the one who introduced me to SCMHRD and for me Symbiosis is synomyous with SCMHRD. All of us are proud that here we cleaned the toilets, swept the floor and did other maintenance the chores because of Professor Pillai. I think today’s generation is used to being successful but failure is an integral part of that success journey and I think he taught us that really well. I hope the association continues in the coming years where we can probably give more light to his vision and do more things that he was looking to maintain.