January 15, 2025: The 30th edition of Chaos, the highly coveted annual cultural festival of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), recently concluded at the Institute with a vibrant blend of music, dance, drama, art, and knowledge sessions. Held from January 9 to 12 on the theme of ‘Déjà vu’, Chaos 2025 celebrated creativity, energy, and talent with a touch of the 90s era in its design and decoration across the campus, offering elements of the nostalgic roller coaster to thousands of participants and visitors from across the country.
The festival was put open on January 9, 2025, with a tree plantation session by the IIMA community and a lamp-lighting ceremony by IIMA Director Professor Bharat Bhaskar along with Professor Balagopal Gopalakrishnan, Chaos 2025 Team and festival Secretary Karthik Bonda. The four-day cultural extravaganza began with a soulful performance by Grammy Award winner Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who wove magic on his Mohan Veena under the starlit sky at the iconic Louis Kahn Plaza.
The exuberant energy of music only magnified with each passing day with the star-studded lineup for the next three pro-nights where three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej mesmerised the audience with his soulful symphonies, blending global rhythms with Indian roots. Music composer and singer Amit Trivedi lit up the stage with his electrifying melodies, creating an unforgettable musical journey. The festival concluded with a power- packed finale by Pineapple Express and DJ Trement, whose high-octane performances turned the night into a pulsating celebration of music and joy.
The high-profile speaker sessions at Chaos 2025 were another major highlight that gave a unique chance to the audience to listen to some of the most distinguished leaders and visionaries, offering invaluable insights across diverse domains. From sustainability and politics to entrepreneurship and judiciary, these sessions captivated audiences with thought-provoking ideas and inspiring stories.
Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha Dr. Sudhansu Trivedi, addressed the audience with an insightful talk marked with historical references and anecdotes on the evolution of India’s political landscape, future vision, and the role of youth. He delved into parallels with global demographics, providing a captivating perspective on growth and sustainability. In his concluding remarks, Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “Thought processes of dividing and ruling the world based on different compartments, as seen in various parts of the world, lead to challenging consequences. India’s model is the alternative way for society which is based on philosophies like “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and “Aham Brahmasmi”. It is beneficial for the economy, society, as well as individuals. There is no doubt that India is all set to rise because we are the youngest country but also the oldest civilisation, we have a promising future but a very glorious past, and we aim for peace and prosperity for all in the future.”
On the penultimate day, Chaos had the opportunity to host Paytm Chairman, Managing Director, and CEO Mr. Vijay Shekhar Sharma, who advanced India’s digital payments revolution. During an interactive session, Mr Sharma, with his charismatic storytelling, shared lessons from his journey from humble beginnings to entrepreneurial success. He inspired the audience with tales of resilience, innovation, and creating opportunities against all odds.
On the Final day, India’s former Chief Justice Dr. D.Y. Chandrachud’s session offered a masterclass in leadership and judicial philosophy. He discussed his pioneering work on e-courts, insights on equality, and justice for marginalised communities, while engaging in heartfelt interactions with the audience. Delivering a keynote address on ‘Leadership and Governance in Public Institutions’ and encouraging the young audience to imbibe the values of leadership in their careers, Dr. Justice Chandrachud said, “Leadership is about making largely correct decisions based on objective data and guided by the larger good of society. These decisions must also be timely, efficient, ethically sound, and sustainable. Leadership is also about empowering others. This requires us to understand the systems we operate within and strike the right balance that advances progress while protecting fundamental rights and inclusivity.” He also advised students to be good listeners, trust their instincts, and know their strengths to use them wisely without striving for perfection as these qualities keep one grounded in the face of adversity.
The event also organised a green panel discussion moderated by Prof. Amit Garg from IIMA that featured industry leaders like Taral Shah and Nilay Patel from CREDAI Ahmedabad and Varun Sridharan from Greenvironment. The session explored sustainable urban living, green technologies, and futuristic visions for Ahmedabad.
Moreover, Chaos 2025 unfolded as a grand spectacle of creativity, competition, and passion, bringing together the best of talent from across India. From dancers, who captivated the audience with their vibrant expressions to powerful stage plays and solo acting, E-sports battles, AdMad challenge for budding marketers, the battle of musical bands, stunning fashion shows, and film making contest, each competition at Chaos 2025 was a testament to the unbridled talent and boundless imagination of its participants, making the festival an unforgettable journey of artistic expression.
Chaos 2025 also brought enriching Faculty Masterclasses by IIMA faculty members and an array of immersive workshops by experts that blended learning with creativity, offering participants hands-on experiences across diverse fields. Professor Amit Karna conducted a Design Thinking workshop, guiding participants through the five-step process of Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. Professor Satish Deodhar conducted an insightful workshop on Ancient Indian Economic Wisdom, where participants explored the profound connections between traditional Indian economic principles and modern economic theories. He discussed incidents of ancient India that reflected economic principles. He also discussed how that is consistent with modern economic thought. Professor Prashant Das conducted an engaging workshop on Art Valuation and Investment, where he talked about the various aspects of art that are considered important in both primary and secondary markets – artist, art style, and uniqueness. He also talked about the indigenous aura art price index for the valuation of Indian Art.
Apart from these formal events, Chaos 2025 also featured a range of thrilling informal events that added excitement to the festival. The rides section brought heart-pounding fun with attractions like the Bull Ride, Meltdown, Hammer Hit, and Angry Birds, where participants slung balls through holes. The bowling alley, air hockey, and Fish ball offered additional entertainment. The 90s Mela theme brought nostalgia with games like Ring Toss and Pyramid Cup, alongside hand-held games such as the Water Game, Bubble Ring Toss, and Console games, making for an exhilarating, lively experience. Apart from these, The Indian Army organised a weapon display on 10th Jan, which was a complete showstopper with participants making a beeline to learn about some of the weapons used on battlefields.
With such a diverse range of engagements and the backing of leading brands, Chaos 2025 has once again proven to be a festival that brings together culture, creativity, and community spirit like never before.
About IIM Ahmedabad:
The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) is a premier global management Institute that is at the forefront of promoting excellence in the field of management education. In more than six decades of its existence, the Institute has been acknowledged for its exemplary contributions to scholarship, practice and policy through its distinctive teaching, high-quality research, nurturing future leaders, supporting industry, government, social enterprise and creating a progressive impact on society.
IIMA was founded as an innovative initiative by the Government, industry, and international academia in 1961. Since then, it has been consolidating its global footprint and today it has a network with over 80 top international institutions and a presence in Dubai. Its eminent faculty members and more than 44,000 alumni, who are at the helm of influential positions in all walks of life also contribute to its global recognition. Over the years, IIMA’s academically superior, market-driven, and socially impactful programmes, have earned high reputation and acclaim globally. It became the first Indian institution to receive international accreditation from EQUIS. The Institute is also placed first in the Government of India’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), India Rankings 2024. The Institute has been ranked 43rd globally in the Financial Times (FT) Executive Education Rankings 2024. The renowned flagship two-year Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) is ranked 39th in the FT Masters in Management Ranking 2024 and the one-year Post Graduate Programme in Management for Executives (PGPX) has been ranked 41st in the FT Global MBA rankings 2024.
IIMA offers consultancy services and more than 200 curated executive education programmes in customised, blended, and open enrolment formats for a diverse audience comprising business leaders, policymakers, industry professionals, academicians, government officials, armed forces personnel, agri-business and other niche sector specialists and entrepreneurs.
To know more about IIMA, please visit: https://www.iima.ac.in/
About SOUL: The School of Ultimate Leadership (SOUL) is a premier institution committed to cultivating ethical leadership for the public and private sectors. Through programs like the Pinnacle Voices Leadership Series, SOUL aims to inspire and empower leaders to navigate the complex challenges of today’s world with integrity and values.
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Ms. Shivangi Bhatt | manager-comm@iima.ac.in and pr@iima.ac.in
