IIM Bangalore Hosted 15th Edition Of EPGP Business Conclave 2024

* The event featured sessions by leaders from ONDC, SAP, Bajaj Auto, Intel, Bain & Co and Cummins India 

IIM Bangalore hosted the 15th edition of the annual EPGP Business Conclave, a flagship event of the Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management (EPGP) on this sunday. This year’s conclave was themed on, ‘Developing Future Leaders: Skills Beyond Technology’, and delved into the essential skills that transcend technology, exploring how leaders can harness the power of human potential to drive sustainable growth and innovation.  

The EPGP Business Conclave, serves as a distinguished platform for profound discussions on contemporary topics and emerging trends. The event features CXOs, strategists, technology evangelists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals who come together to analyze real-world business scenarios, deliberate on their social impact and stimulate meaningful discussions. 

During his welcome address Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director, IIM Bangalore  said “Companies that have enduring success do not depend on technology alone – other skills and knowledge are essential as well. During a review meet with external CEOs, the must-have elements of an MBA programme curriculum listed by them included digital, data and ESG, other than traditional components such as communication, leadership, problem solving, ethics and integrity. In that way, the essence of EPGP, a well-rounded programme, is similar to the theme of today’s conclave”

The inaugural session also included an address by Prof. Amar Sapra, Chairperson, Executive Post Graduate Programme in Management and faculty of the Production & Operations Management area of IIMB. He said, “The Indian government has taken up several initiatives so that the country can evolve into a manufacturing powerhouse, along with the promise in the areas of science and engineering. The priority of the Indian corporate sector should be to become a world-class factory of the world in the long run.

Open networks shaping future commerce  

The keynote address on, ‘The Role of Open Networks in Shaping Future Commerce and the Journey of ONDC’ was delivered by Harishankar Krishnan, Chief Transformation Officer, ONDC. “The implications of the open network lie in democratization, digitizing the undigitized and innovation which will unleash opportunities for start-ups. For business and technology leaders, it can drive value leveraging the ecosystem, lower barriers to entry, lead to business model innovation and boost digital talent and leadership”, said Mr. Krishnan on the promising pathway of India’s digital future.

Panel Discussion 1 – The first panel discussion on, ‘Building Future-Ready Organizations: Developing Leadership Skills That Go Beyond Technology to Foster Sustainable Growth and Adaptability’, featuring Shweta Mohanty, Head of HR, SAP in India, Balachander Lakshminarayan, VP of Marketing, Datawrkz, and Sarika Pradhan, VP of Human Resources, Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence, CGI, was moderated by Prof. Debolina Dutta, Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management area of IIMB.  

Energy transition  

The panel discussion was followed by a talk on ‘Strategic Leadership during Energy Transition’ by Subramanian Chidambaran, Chief Strategy Officer, Cummins India. 

Founder’s mentality  

Shyam Unnikrishnan, Partner, Bain & Company, led a discussion on, ‘Founder’s Mentality and Disruptive Innovation’. He said, “Most successful companies share three cultural characteristics – insurgent mindset, frontline obsession and owner’s mindset. Insurgency should never take a backseat. 

Panel Discussion 2 – The discussion on, ‘Leadership in the Age of Disruption: Navigating Change wih Data Analytics and AI’ was led by Sai Krishnan Mohan, VP – Data & Analytics, Bajaj Auto, Laxminarayanan G, Global Head – Automation & Transformation, Cyient, and Shriram Vasudevan, Technical Innovator, Intel. The panel was moderated by Prof. Shankar Venkatagiri, Chairperson and faculty of the Information Systems area of IIMB.

To lead a Global Capability Center  

‘Understanding the GCC (Global Capability Centers) Juggernaut: What Does it Take to Lead One?’ was discussed by Dr. Anilesh Seth, Independent Captives Consultant and Cofounder, GigVistas.