After the news of the demise of renowned academician and management guru Dr. Pritam Singh broke out, many top educationists flocked to social media to pay tribute to him and to reminisce his contribution in the field of management education and corporate management space in India.
Dr. Singh, 78, was considered as a Guru by CEOs, HR leaders and students, professor and mentor and was awarded the Padma Shri by the President of India in 2003.
Bimtech Director Dr. H. Chaturvedi, wrote, “People like me feel as if our guardian has left us and we are like orphans.”
“For last 25 years, Dr Pritam Singh, one of the tallest person in management education, has greatly influenced many young academicians and management educators who were in search for the right path in their academic lives. I was one of them. In 1996, it was a chance that he visited my office at the AICTE in connection with some work related to the accreditation of the MDI, Gurugram where he was the Director. I was a junior officer looking after the file, so I have done whatever I could do. In the very first meeting, he charmed some of the young officers like me and invited all of us to visit MDI. We went there together and were offered a sumptuous lunch by Dr Singh. We were simply overwhelmed by his warmness and simplicity.”
“I have umpteen of anecdotes and episodes about Dr Pritam Singh Ji. He was a legend and an icon in the Indian Management Education. Today I received several calls from my friends belonging to bschools fraternity. All of them are weeping and crying. In my life, I wept only a few occasions particularly when I lost my father. I am crying today like a child.”
Anadi Pande, Professor of Strategic Management – IIM Lucknow said, “Dr Pritam Singh was a rare blend of executive effectiveness and far sighted visionary competence. He left indelible imprint on institutions and people he touched. I write this with deep melancholy. May God give him peace.”
Mahadeo Jaisawal, Director – IIM Sambalpur said, “Leader who creates more leaders, transform people who in turn transform organisations, create culture of performance and celebration are few descriptions that I can think about Dr Pritam Singh. The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things and that’s what Dr Singh is all about. I met him first time in 1997 at MDI where he was the Director and that meeting was so warm and welcoming that I decided to join MDI while opting out the IIM option. Today I lost my Management Guru and Fatherly figure, RIP.”
Barttanu Kumar Das, Former Senior Vice-President and Head Human Resources – Blue Dart Express Ltd said, “He was an icon and great thinker, his natural power of charming and attracting people to conversation was very unique and special, he had uncanny power to establish rapport with people on the first meeting itself and leave a very deep impression, great loss, sad moment, may his soul rest in peace.”
Pradeep Kulshrestha, Professor & Dean, School of Law – Sharda University said, “He was great personality and contributed hugely to the management education. Huge loss to fraternity. I had an opportunity to meet him few months back at Sharda University. Om Shanti.”
Sunil Mithas, Professor and World Class Scholar – University of South Florida Muma College of Business said, “I am very sorry to hear this. He was a transformational leader and I was fortunate to have many instances of interactions with him over the years since 1996. Most recently we were on a panel on 14 May 2020 where I heard his mantras on leadership. He will be missed a lot and I wish his soul to Rest In Peace.”
Kamal Singh, Executive Director – Global Compact Network India said, “Who has created several good leaders can only say that he was truly a one of the inspiring leaders of our times. Dr Pritam Singh passion to develop & build good leaders (Most of them are leading today India’s finest organisations & Institutions. He did not only live for himself but made significant contributions to Institutions/organisation he was associated with ! He also left behind a legacy that people can also be inspiring brand & be known without the adjectives of organisations they represent. We salute to his outstanding contribution to Indian Education Sector & pray that departed Soul rest in peace.”