In the clip, Pingali was seen stepping into the corridor as students and faculty members broke into applause and cheers. Students and staff stood on either side of the corridor as he slowly made his way through the crowd. Several people reached out to shake his hand, while others smiled and clapped as he made his way through the crowd. Pingali appeared visibly touched by the gesture, smiling as he acknowledged those who had gathered to bid him farewell.
I had not submitted my thesis before joining, and after I completed my first course, he encouraged me to return to IIM Calcutta and finish it. “In addition to marketing fundamentals, he taught us the power of humility and humanity. All the best Prof! Thank you for the impact you have had on thousands of students, and colleagues across your career!” the user wrote. “Nearly two decades ago, I had the privilege of being his student.
In the caption of the post, Singhal said that the farewell marked Pingali’s final session at XLRI after a 33-year academic career. “Venugopal Sir was Dean (Academics) when I joined XLRI on 13th April 2006, and the welcome he extended has stayed with me for more than twenty years since. When I pointed out that I did not have enough leave remaining, he simply said we could adjust it against the following year’s allowance,” Singhal wrote. (Also Read: Professor’s chocolate surprise for students at Bengaluru’s Christ University goes viral ) Another former student recalled attending Pingali’s marketing classes in 1997-99.
Singhal said he only learnt at the last moment that students, staff and faculty had assembled outside the classroom to see the professor off. He had a gift for making learning simple, engaging, and genuinely fun,” another user said.
