Professor Vinayshil Gautam passes away
Professor Vinayshil Gautam, one of India’s most respected management Guru, academician, institution builders, and above all a great human being, is no more. He breathed his last in New Delhi on January 8, 2025. Born on June 3, 1946, he leaves behind a formidable intellectual legacy. Through his teaching, writing and insights, he shaped a generation of managers and policymakers.
Professor Gautam was widely regarded as a management guru in the truest sense of the term. He began his career when management was still evolving as a discipline in the country. With his keen sense of issues that managers confront, he emerged as a formidable voice that inspired numerous management trainees and seniors alike. His was a sane voice that emphasised values, integrity, and long-term thinking over short-term gains. His work consistently bridged theory and practice, blending Indian ethos with global management principles.
He was an institution builder. As the founder director of IIM Kozhikode and leader of the consulting team of IIM Shillong, his contribution was immense. He was the Vice Chairman of FORE at the time of his passing away. In various capacities, he worked tirelessly to raise the standards of management studies in the country. He believed that institutions were not merely brick-and-mortar structures but living ecosystems shaped by ideas, culture, and people. He always laid great emphasis on honesty, purpose and humility.
Beyond the classroom, Professor Gautam was an avid reader and writer. He was a prominent columnist with the Pioneer newspaper. In fact, his last article appeared days before he passed away. He would always call to wish a New Year, and this year was no different, though nobody imagined it would be the last greeting. His columns were marked by clarity, moral courage, and intellectual depth. In an era increasingly dominated by noise, his writing stood out for its reasoning and principled stance.
To his students, he was a demanding yet deeply caring mentor. To his peers, he was a rigorous scholar and a generous intellectual. To his children, a loving and caring father. He is survived by his wife and three children. He would be missed by all, and the void he leaves behind in the sphere of management academia would be hard to fill. He will continue to live in the hearts of the people whose lives he touched. Adieu, Professor Gautam!
