New backpacks, nervous smiles and more than two thousand students and parents walking onto campus for the first time- that was the scene at CMR University through the last week of July, as the Inauguration and Orientation for the Undergraduate Programmes 2026-27 rolled out across three campuses on three separate days. Each event carried its own guest list, its own school of students, and its own version of the same message: welcome, and here’s what the university actually expects of you now.
HRBR City Campus, 22 July: welcoming the School of Management
The first ceremony was held at CMR University’s City Campus in HRBR Layout, welcoming the new batch into the School of Management, across programmes including BBA, BBA in Data Science and AI, BBA in Digital Marketing, BBA in Business Analytics and BBA in Tourism and Hospitality Management.
Vice Chancellor Dr H. B. Raghavendra set the tone early, telling students and parents that CMR University exists to nurture individuals capable of creating meaningful global impact by helping them discover their strengths, build character, and prepare for success through academic excellence and holistic development.
The Chief Guest, Shri BNS Reddy, IPS (Retd.), Former Inspector General of Police, Karnataka, brought a grounded, no-nonsense message to the stage. He quoted “Success is earned through perseverance, discipline and hard work and every student carries the potential for greatness, provided they stay committed to learning, respect their teachers and make every opportunity at university genuinely count.”
Pro Chancellor Shri Jayadeep K. R. Reddy closed the ceremony with a presidential address focused squarely on the road ahead. He noted, “As AI continues to transform industries and reshape careers, adaptability has become more important than ever and it is through CMRU’s ‘Prepare for Success’ modules that the university equips students with both AI skills and human-centred competencies needed to prosper for professionals in future.”
OMBR Campus, 24 July: a bigger stage, four schools, one direct message
Two days later, the orientation moved to the OMBR Campus for a considerably larger gathering, over 2,000 new students and their parents, welcoming batches from the School of Economics and Commerce, School of Legal Studies, School of Management and School of Science and Computer Studies.
The Chief Guest, Shri Karthik Reddy, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Bengaluru City, used his address to urge students to embrace change, stressing that continuous learning is essential in a world evolving as fast as this one and that discipline, perseverance, along with commitment, remains the real foundation of long-term success. He also made a direct and pointed appeal, encouraging students to stay away from drugs and to support the Bengaluru City Police’s ‘Beda Bro’ anti-drug awareness campaign.
Guest of Honour Mr. Anil Prakash, Director, Projects at Bosch Global Software Technologies, Pune, spoke from the point of industrial advantage, encouraging students to embrace lifelong learning well beyond the classroom. Pointing to India’s rapid economic progress and the growing demand for skilled talent, he urged students to focus on building genuine skills and making the most of every opportunity, rather than worrying about exactly where their careers begin.
Dr. H. B. Raghavendra welcomed the gathering by thanking students and parents for placing their trust in CMR University, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to holistic development and academic excellence across disciplines, while Pro Chancellor Jayadeep K. R. Reddy used his presidential address to return to the theme of AI, describing it as an opportunity to integrate artificial intelligence with domain specialisation and reminding students that the ecosystem CMRU has built is only useful if they choose to make the most of it.
Lakeside Campus, 27 July: design, management and a message from the city’s police
The rollout closed at the Lakeside Campus, where incoming students from the School of Economics and Commerce, School of Liberal Studies, School of Science and Computer Studies, School of Design and School of Management were formally welcomed.
Chief Guest Sri G. K. Mithun Kumar, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police for the North East Division of Bengaluru City Police, brought a more reflective, values-driven address. He spoke of his own college days, pointed to Dr. K. C. Ramamurthy and Dr. Sabitha Ramamurthy as the kind of leaders students should look up to, and observed that while academia has changed considerably over the past decade, not every trend shaping young people today is a positive one. His advice was practical and direct: adapt daily, stay proactive, build life skills alongside technical ones, and use technology in the right spirit, since carelessness with it can just as easily leave someone vulnerable, financially or through personal data. He closed with a firm reminder to stay dedicated to the nation’s interest, to aim to be the best in whatever profession they choose, and to stay away from drugs entirely, both for its legal consequences and the toll it takes on health and life.
Guest of Honour Shri. Pramod R.K., Global Delivery Leader and Enterprise Architect at TCS, opened proceedings with a message aimed squarely at what comes after graduation, reminding students that CMR University is already on track to achieve total industry integration and urging them to prepare accordingly. He laid out five strategic pillars for succeeding in a world that changes faster than most degrees can keep pace with: master learning and unlearning, commit to hard work and dedication, embrace AI, understand what the industry wants through relevant certifications, and use technology to its full potential.
A consistent message, told three times
Three campuses, three guest lists, and three slightly different audiences across all of July’s orientation ceremonies stayed remarkably consistent. Discipline and perseverance from the retired IPS officers on stage. A steady, repeated emphasis on AI readiness from Pro Chancellor Jayadeep K. R. Reddy. And from Vice Chancellor Raghavendra, a recurring reminder that CMR University’s real goal is holistic development more than academic transcripts only.
For the new batch of undergraduates now settling into classes across HRBR, OMBR and Lakeside, that message probably will not fully sink in until a few semesters in. But delivered three times across three campuses, by voices ranging from senior police officials to industry leaders to the university’s own leadership, it made for a start that was hard to resist without getting positively inspired.
