Jamshedpur professor gets heartfelt farewell from students after 33 years of service

Students and faculty at a college in Jamshedpur lined the corridor to applaud a professor on his final day after 33 years of service. The farewell prompted colleagues and former students to recall his humility, humour and lasting influence on generations of MBA students.Jamshedpur professor gets heartfelt farewell from students after 33 years of service (Photos: Prof. Manish Singhal/LinkedIn)College students and faculty at a college in Jamshedpur gave their professor an emotional farewell after 33 years of teaching, lining the corridors to applaud and personally thank him on his final day at the institute.Manish Singhal, a professor at Xavier School of Management (XLRI) Jamshedpur, shared the video on LinkedIn, capturing the farewell given to Professor Venugopal Pingali.In the video, Pingali was seen walking out of his classroom with a bouquet of flowers in his arms as students and faculty members gathered along the corridor. The moment he stepped out, those waiting for him 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 clapped and smiled as he walked past them. Pingali appeared visibly touched by the gesture, smiling as he acknowledged those gathered to see him off. The farewell marked Pingali's final session at XLRI after a 33-year academic career. Manish said he had only learnt at the last moment that students, staff and faculty had assembled outside the classroom to give the professor a farewell.Singhal also recalled meeting Pingali when he joined XLRI in 2006, when Pingali was serving as Dean (Academics). He remembered Pingali for his accommodating nature and for taking individual circumstances into account when making administrative decisions. Pingali was also remembered for developing marketing frameworks rooted in the realities of Indian markets, which Singhal said had influenced generations of MBA students.Take a look at the post here:The farewell prompted former students and colleagues to look back on Pingali's long association with the institute. One former student recalled how their batch's WhatsApp groups were filled with discussions about his simplicity, humour, humility and presence.Another described the farewell as a fitting expression of gratitude for a professor's role in shaping the lives of young students, while another called Pingali a true icon whose contribution to XLRI had been appropriately honoured.A former student also fondly recalled taking Pingali's Sales and Distribution course in the mid-1990s, emphasising just how many generations of students had crossed paths with him during his decades at XLRI.- EndsPublished By: Yashna TalwarPublished On: Aug 15, 2026 09:16 IST