Career Advisory Services
The Career Advisory Services (CAS) at the School of Human Settlements, XIM University, plays a pivotal role in managing all placement-related operations while acting as a vital link between academia and industry. With a vision to support students’ career aspirations and foster long-term institutional partnerships, CAS leads the end-to-end coordination of final placements for students of the MBA in Urban Management & Governance.
In addition to overseeing the placement process, CAS is responsible for building and maintaining strong relationships with industry stakeholders. This includes facilitating corporate communications, enhancing the school’s visibility in relevant sectors, and marketing the capabilities of its students to prospective recruiters. The team also manages summer internship placements for first-year students, ensuring they gain meaningful exposure to real-world urban challenges and professional environments.
To further strengthen industry-academia collaboration, CAS organizes a wide range of professional engagement platforms such as Leadership Talks, Summits, and Annual Business Conclaves. These forums offer students a chance to interact directly with senior professionals, gain insights into current trends, and understand the evolving landscape of urban development. Through these efforts, CAS not only supports individual career trajectories but also contributes to the broader mission of preparing socially aware, industry-ready urban professionals.
About School of Human Settlements
The School of Human Settlements at XIM University is dedicated to advancing knowledge and nurturing talent for the creation of sustainable, inclusive, and livable cities. At the heart of its academic offering is the MBA in Urban Management & Governance—a distinctive program designed to equip students with the skills and insights needed to address the complex challenges of urban development and governance in a rapidly evolving world.
The program places a strong emphasis on real-world relevance, blending foundational management education with specialized training in urban systems, public infrastructure, and policy frameworks. Students are encouraged to critically engage with pressing urban issues through a multidisciplinary lens, and are prepared to work across public, private, and civic sectors.
Practical learning lies at the core of the School’s pedagogy. The curriculum integrates collaborative modules and field-based experiences in partnership with institutions involved in policy design, impact evaluation, governance reform, and infrastructure planning. These engagements not only enhance academic learning but also enable students to develop actionable, context-sensitive solutions for contemporary urban challenges.
Final Placement
The final placement season for the MBA in Urban Management & Governance recorded strong outcomes, with the batch securing roles across a diverse mix of organizations in consulting, sustainability, real estate, urban infrastructure, and public policy.
Recruiters this year included KPMG, Accenture, Larsen & Toubro, Tech Mahindra, Flipkart, Zomato, TERI, WRI, Palladium, CRISIL, Samagra, Knight Frank, Savills, Anarock, Prestige Group, Grant Thornton, Nangia & Co., Piramal Foundation, ITDP, Sarda Group, Square Yards, Metro Group, GPS Renewables, ECS, HBSS, Recykal, IRIS Carbon, Saahas Zero Waste, Binbag, KP Climate, Aurassure, Finvalue, REPL, NEXTYN, Pragyan, Ruchi Foodline and among others. The diversity of recruiters, ranging from global consulting firms and sustainability-focused enterprises to urban mobility startups and public policy institutions, underscores the program’s positioning at the intersection of urban management, governance, and sustainable development.
The program recorded an average package of ₹9.3 LPA, a median of ₹7.2 LPA, and a highest package of ₹17 LPA. The increasing participation of industry partners year on year is a testament to the program’s growing relevance and to its graduates’ professional readiness to address real-world urban challenges.
Summer Internship
The Summer Internship Program (SIP) is a critical, credit-bearing component of the MBA in Urban Management & Governance at XIM University, designed to bridge academic learning with industry practice. Over an intensive 8-week period, students are placed with esteemed organizations where they undertake multidisciplinary, goal-oriented projects that allow them to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world urban contexts. This offers the students valuable exposure to professional environments across sectors such as sustainability, infrastructure development, consulting, public systems, and governance.
The 2025 – 26 Summer Internship season marked a significant milestone for the program: the largest batch to date was placed in a single month, making it the fastest placement cycle in the program’s history. This achievement reflects both the growing industry confidence in the program and the caliber of students it produces.
Participation this year came from a wide array of reputed organizations, including Larsen & Toubro, Accenture, Grant Thornton, Tech Mahindra, Sarda Group, Tata Steel Foundation, JSW Cement, Fin Value, Wienerberger, Kalpataru, UMTC, Re Sustainability, Praja Foundation, Center for Public Policy Research, SWR Waste Management, among others. Students were placed across functions spanning ESG reporting, climate and sustainability planning, waste and water management, urban infrastructure, smart city solutions, and urban mobility, reflecting the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of the program’s curriculum.
Student’s Achievements:
- Social Entrepreneurship Conclave, 9th February, 2019, Bhubaneswar.
- Summer Exchange Programme at SGH Warsaw, Poland, 1st to 19th July, 2019.
- 25th Annual International Association of Jesuit Business School (IAJBS) World Forum, 19th to 23rd July, 2019 at XIM University.
- XIM University – Model United Nations 27th to 28th September, 2019, Bhubaneswar
- Sampark, the CSR effort, 31st October to 3rd November, 2019, Bhubaneswar.
- National Organization of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) Annual Conference, 26th to 28th December, 2019, Dehradun.
- 4th Annual Research on Cities Summit organized by School of Human Settlements from 7th to 8th February, 2020
- Conducted Workshop on Urban Informality, at National Association of Students of Architecture (NASA), Bangalore, 7th to 10th February, 2020.
- 1st International Webinar Series on “Natural Disaster Resilience for Built Infrastructure (NDRBI)” which was jointly organized by the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India during 24th – 28th August 2020
- Participation in Inter-college and Intra-college sports events.
- International Trivia Competition organized by the International Relations Committee on 8th September 2020.
- Research articles published on various prestigious platforms.
- Urban Trivia Competition in UNNOVATIONS’ organized by the School of Human Settlements on 22nd December 2020.
- 5th Annual Research on Cities Summit organized by School of Human Settlements from 10th to 12th February, 2021.
- Student got selected for the UNSSC-UNFCCC online course “The Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a Development Agenda” that was conducted from 31st May to 9th July 2021
- 6th Annual Research on Cities Summit organized by School of Human Settlements from 10th to 12th February, 2022.
- 1st Prize – Present to Represent (Showcase Pinup) organized by National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) 2022
- 1st Prize – Play with Colour (Canvas Painting) organized by National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) 2022
- 2nd Prize Porraiture (Photography) organized by National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) 2022
- 3rd Prize – This or That (Debate) organized by National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) 2022.
- 1st Prize – Parivartan (Presentation on Gender Sensitive Mobility) organized by National Organisation of Students of Planning (NOSPlan) 2023.
- 8th Annual Research on Cities Summit organized by School of Human Settlements from 8th to 10th February, 2024.
CAREER ADVISORY SERVICES COMMITTEE
Mr. Francis Thomas Castelino
Associate Dean – Career Advisory Services
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone No: +91-8864013593
Career Advisory Services Committee Officials
FACULTY MEMBER
Prof. Nalin Ranjan
STUDENT TEAM MEMBERS
Coordinator: Prabhnoor Khanna
Mail ID: [email protected]
Team Members
| SL No. | Roll No. | Name | Designation | Phone No |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
UMG25028 |
Prabhnoor Khanna |
Coordinator |
9914282777 / 8018779936 |
|
2 |
UMG25010 |
Aparna Menon |
Executive Member |
6238842830
|
|
3 |
UMG25039 |
Sreyanka Mohapatra |
Executive Member |
9433799175 / 7077349175 |
|
4 |
UMG25044 |
Vishal Wasekar |
Executive Member |
8329865729 |
|
5 |
UMG25045 |
Vivek Soni |
Executive Member |
7435958828 / 9937250841 |
Prabhnoor Khanna
Aparna Menon
Sreyanka Mohapatra
Vishal Wasekar
Vivek Soni
LinkedIn Profiles
School of Human Settlements CAS LinkedIn Profile : http://linkedin.com/in/corporate-relations-xahs-career-advisory-services-cas-7b32831a3
Preetikrishna Panda
Aditya Padhy
Industry Institution Engagement
As part of this Engagement, we offer industry exposure to students through Leadership Talks and the ARC Summit. These events provide a platform for industry leaders to share their insights and expertise with students, shedding light on the critical role of urban management in today’s world. Through engaging discussions and presentations, industry leaders highlight the significance of urban management and its implications for shaping sustainable and inclusive cities. Students gain valuable knowledge about the current landscape and future prospects of urban management, equipping them with a broader perspective and understanding of the field. These events foster a collaborative learning environment, where students can interact with experienced professionals, ask questions and explore the diverse dimensions of urban management.
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS
The Summer Internship Programme forms an integral component of both the courses offered by the school of Human Settlements with an attempt to bridge the gap in student’s perception between academics and the corporate world. Under this programme, students undergo an 8-week internship at organizations where they are encouraged to take up time bound multi-disciplinary and goal-oriented assignments. During this period, the students seek to learn the various dimensions and their operations in their respective organisations. This not only enhances their analytical and decision-making abilities but with hands on experience further grooms them to be future managers.
XUBERANCE (FINAL PLACEMENT)
The placements witnessed a multitude of sectors ranging from Urban Regeneration and Renewability, Urban Waste and Water Management, Urban Mobility and E-Governance along with several others, offered by the 17 companies which participated in the process this year. The MBA – Urban Management and Governance program at XIM University, Bhubaneswar produces professionals equipped with sound management and organizational skills, and understanding of the urban domain – professionals who not only understand intelligent and smart urban technologies, but also can look beyond, and set the strategic road map for the city, by taking into consideration its local, regional and global context. School of Human Settlements has launched an innovative Planning Program, i.e., Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), in tune with prevailing national and international perspectives and approaches to urban and regional planning and development. MURP is designed to develop an understanding of the complexities of urban systems and processes, and functional knowledge and skills for urban and regional planning.
Along with the XAHS program’s prominent recruiters in XIM University such as CRUT, Honeywell, Recity Network Pvt. Ltd Several new companies showed keen interest in the batch. Some of the new recruiters were Quantum Leap Studio, SAHAAS Zero Waste, World Resources Institute, Janaagraha, TATA Trusts, Centre for Public Policy Research, and several others.
LEADERSHIP TALKS
The Leadership Talks organised by SHS CAS offer a unique opportunity for students of the MBA in Urban Management & Governance to gain corporate insights from esteemed industry leaders. These sessions serve as a platform to engage with current trends, best practices, and emerging challenges across the urban sector, equipping students with the perspectives needed to thrive in their future careers.
Leadership Talks – 2026
Date: January 31, 2026
Speaker: Mr. Pratyush Kumar, Assistant Vice President at Invest India
Mr. Pratyush Kumar delivered an engaging session on smart decision-making and leadership in complex systems. He emphasised the value of deep observation, patient listening, and comfort with ambiguity over the instinct to immediately fix problems. He addressed the role of empathy and people investment in trust-based sectors such as banking and public services, critiqued cheap labour as a short-term efficiency strategy, and encouraged students to bridge administrative responsibility with design thinking and human-centred leadership.
Leadership Talks – 2025
Date: February 1, 2025
Speaker: Mr. Bhaskar Hazarika, Corporate Affairs Professional, Hitachi India
Mr. Bhaskar Hazarika provided valuable insights on corporate governance, risk management, and sustainability in urban development. He discussed the importance of business-government collaboration for policy reform, smart infrastructure, and climate resilience, urging students to align corporate strategies with sustainable urban growth.
Date: February 20, 2025
Speaker: Mr. Sanjeeb Lahiri, CHRO, GRP Ltd.
Mr. Sanjeeb Lahiri provided strategic insights on the role of leadership, technology, and policy in shaping resilient urban settlements. He emphasized the importance of adaptive strategies to tackle urban challenges and highlighted how industry-academia collaboration can drive impactful change.
Speaker: Mr. Kush Giramkar, President of Operations, GRP Ltd.
Mr. Kush Giramkar shared practical operational insights on implementing sustainable and scalable urban solutions. He focused on how real-world strategies can bridge the gap between theoretical urban management concepts and their practical applications.
Date: July 25, 2025
Speaker: Mr. Rupayan Dutta, Associate Director & Technical Lead – Growth, Governance & Urbanization at Ecorys
Mr. Rupayan Dutta traced the evolution of urban governance in India, drawing from his professional journey spanning road development, Smart City projects, and field experience in Ladakh. He mapped the progression of key urban programmes — from JNNURM and RAY to AMRUT, Swachh Bharat, Smart Cities, and PMAY — and described the real infrastructure of a city as governance and institutional frameworks, not merely physical structures. He also highlighted the role of multilateral and bilateral partnerships in advancing India’s urban agenda.
Date: September 9, 2025
Speaker: Mr. Partha S. Mohanty, Senior Vice President, Hitachi MGRM Net Ltd.
Mr. Partha S. Mohanty spoke on the inseparability of modern urbanisation and digital governance. He outlined MGRM’s lifecycle-based e-governance platform and cited the Government of Odisha’s school education project — serving over 6.2 lakh schools and 80 lakh students — as a landmark example of scalable governance technology. He presented a structured governance framework of Information – Interaction – Transaction – Transformation, and advocated for anonymous digital complaint mechanisms and holistic education to drive institutional accountability.
Date: September 6, 2025
Speaker: Ms. Pompiya Mondal, Associate Director, CRISIL Limited
Ms. Pompiya Mondal, drawing from extensive experience across Asia and Africa, shared key ingredients for a career in urban consulting — including analytical thinking, navigating bureaucracy, and embracing complexity. Her session covered water supply planning, solid waste management, and the role of PPPs in urban utilities, while highlighting emerging trends such as climate-resilient infrastructure, circular economy principles, digital governance, and blended finance as the future of urban infrastructure.
Leadership Talks – 2024
Date: January 11, 2024
Speaker: Mr. Shailesh Pathak, Head of Department, Growever Infra Private Limited
Mr. Shailesh Pathak unveiled the layers of Smart City initiatives, discussing how technology, policy, and community involvement play a key role in creating sustainable urban environments. His session emphasized innovative solutions and strategies for implementing smart infrastructure in cities.
Date: June 29, 2024
Speaker: Ms. Namita Aggarwal, Head – Municipal Revenues, Janaagraha
Ms. Namita Aggarwal highlighted the importance of urban development and robust municipal revenue systems in driving India’s growth. She emphasized the need for sustainable, inclusive, and financially resilient cities, encouraging students to contribute toward effective urban governance.
Date: November 23, 2024
Speaker: Mr. Anoop Phanse, Associate Director, APAC Consulting Division, Palladium
Mr. Anoop P. shared insights on Palladium’s global initiatives to address climate change, inequality, and sustainable urban governance. He focused on impactful projects such as zero-waste slum development, sustainable mobility, and empowering communities, inspiring students to drive social and environmental change through urban solutions.
Leadership Talk by Mr. Cherysh Karuvely, Associate Director of KPMG India Mr. Bhaskar Hazarika, Corporate Affairs Professional, Hitachi India
Mr. Anoop Phanse, Associate Director, APAC Consulting Division, Palladium
VYUHAM 2025
The School of Human Settlements, XIM University, hosted the third edition of VYUHAM on 23rd August 2025, a flagship event under its Career Advisory Services that has steadily established itself as a premier platform for dialogue on urban futures. With each edition, VYUHAM brings together distinguished professionals from across industries to engage with students and faculty on the most pressing questions shaping India’s urban landscape.
VYUHAM 3.0 was anchored around the theme “Urban India 2047: Towards a Green, Sustainable, and Inclusive Future.” As India approaches its centenary of independence, this theme invited a focused, forward-looking conversation on what sustainable and inclusive urbanization must look like, spanning infrastructure, governance, environment, mobility, and real estate.
The event featured an eminent panel of speakers representing some of the most respected organizations in their respective fields. Their insights offered participants a rich, multi-sectoral understanding of the opportunities and responsibilities that define urban development in contemporary India.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our speakers for their valuable contributions to this edition.
- Tarini Prasad Sahoo, Associate Partner – Sustainability & ESG, BDO India LLP
- Dipesh Dwivedi, Director, PMI Electro Mobility
- Ashutosh Limaye, Regional Director, Strategic Advisory & Valuations, ANAROCK Property Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
- A Shankar, MRICS, FITP, FIIA, Head of Government Advisory & Solutions, JLL India
- Sachin Pant, Managing Director & CEO, IQT Consulting S.p.A. (Part of Accenture)
Contact us:
XIM University
Career Advisory Services Office
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +91-674-2377775 (CAS Office)
Mobile: +91-9861394422 (CAS Officer)
University Website: https://xim.edu.in/