Ahmedabad, April 2026: MICA – The School of Ideas, India’s premier institute for Strategic Marketing and Communication, successfully concluded its 31st Convocation for the Class of 2026, conferring degrees upon 255 promising graduates. The ceremony transformed into a landmark reunion as both the Chief Guest and the Director & CEO shared the stage as proud alumni from the Batch of 1996.
The ceremony was graced by Sushant Dash, CEO of Tata Starbucks Pvt. Ltd. and a MICA alumnus (Batch of 1994-1996), who delivered an inspiring keynote address titled ‘Sparks of Excellence’. Drawing from three decades of industry leadership, Dash provided a practical compass for navigating careers in an AI-driven era.
Emphasizing that brilliance is merely a starting point, Dash said, “Talent is common, alignment is rare and excellence is a team sport. Chase sparks, they are important. But build discipline, that is what will keep success.”
He further encouraged the Class of 2026 to Prioritize purpose over prestige during their foundational career years. Further he encouraged students to embrace simplicity in problem-solving rather than gravitating toward unnecessary complexity. Dash also emphasized on the need to Cultivate sound judgment, which he described as the most irreplaceable human skill as AI democratizes knowledge. He ended his keynote asking students to Master the shift from ideation (zero-to-one) to the rigorous demands of execution (one-to-hundred).
Jaya Deshmukh, Director & CEO of MICA and a fellow alumna, articulated a bold vision for the institute anchored in the MICA Lens of Creativity, Culture, Communication, Commerce, and Community.
“We nurture creative thinkers in the age of imagination,” Deshmukh stated, reflecting the belief that creativity remains the defining human advantage in a technological world. She highlighted several institutional achievements.
Prime among them was a revamped curriculum featuring five new functional specializations and participation in the AI India Impact Summit 2026. Besides that she also highlighted an MoU with Government of India backed, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) for joint Master’s programs and interdisciplinary research. Deshmukh also took pride in stating that MICA’s faculty and scholars contributed 53 academic publications and secured 3 patents.
In her closing remarks, she reminded the graduates of their larger responsibility: “Each one of you has a role to play in our national ambition of Viksit Bharat. There is something about the MICA DNA that will make each one of you stand out.”
The graduating batch of 255 students represented a diverse range of programs:
- PGDMC: 152 students
- PGDM: 49 students
- CCC: 48 students
- FPM: 6 scholars
The institute’s strong industry reputation was further evidenced by exceptional placement results. Summer placements for 2025-26 saw a 31% increase in the recruiter base, with 97 companies recruiting the entire cohort. The final placement process continues with strong momentum, having already engaged over 130 companies. Notably, the highest package recorded stands at ₹45.67 LPA, offered by Google.
Additionally, the CCC program reported encouraging outcomes, with 47 students receiving internship offers across 18 distinct roles.
