Meet the Nuclear Scientist Pursuing an MBA at IIM at 84

While many octogenarians are content embracing retirement, 84-year-old Girish Mohan Gupta is still chasing knowledge. A retired nuclear scientist with a PhD and a long list of academic and professional accomplishments, Gupta recently earned an Executive MBA for Working Professionals from IIM Sambalpur, attending weekend classes, balancing business duties, and family life, all with remarkable discipline.

For Gupta, learning is lifelong. “I never considered age a barrier. Age is just a number. As long as you keep learning, you remain young.”

Originally from Bulandshahr, Gupta completed his mechanical engineering degree from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 1960. Even as a child, he had an inventor’s spark — assembling his first tube radio at the age of nine and rewiring his family’s three-story house with the help of two assistants. That same curiosity led him to design India’s first electrifiable concertina wire, a key asset in Punjab’s border security system.

Over the years, his passion for innovation earned him 17 national awards, including two presented by the President of India. His career included 19 years at DCM Limited and a stint in the U.S. as Vice President at Pittsburgh Steel, before he returned to India to launch his own enterprise in explosives and propellant equipment solutions.

His decision to join IIM Sambalpur came after watching Prime Minister Modi lay the foundation stone of the campus in January 2021. Inspired, Gupta enrolled to upgrade his practical knowledge in finance, strategy, and leadership. Weekend classes, group projects, case studies, and late-night study sessions became his new routine.

“My wife was furious I kept missing Sundays,” he laughs. “So, I announced five scholarships in her name. That kept her happily occupied.”

Despite the generation gap, Gupta says he fit right in. “I’ve always kept up with new technology and gadgets, and I’m a fast learner,” says Gupta, who scored 145 on an AIIMS-based AI IQ test.

Now, diploma in hand, Gupta is preparing for his next academic feat: a second dual PhD, this time in fast-breeder reactor technology, inspired by the prototype at Kalpakkam. For him, this isn’t just about adding credentials, it’s about continuing to blend hands-on experience with cutting-edge research for lasting impact.