Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) teamed up with Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) to host The Northern Region Round Table on the theme of “Management for the Future” on the 10th of February, 2017. The event was organized at the JGBS campus and had several industry stalwarts, leaders from academia, and policy makers in attendance. Shri Sunil Arora, IAS (Retd.), Director General & CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt of India was the Chief Guest for the event.
Prof. C Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, OP Jindal Global University, initiated the proceedings with his Inaugural Address that enumerated the scope of the roundtable. In his thought-provoking speech, he said, “Managing for the future requires a deep understanding of the present. We need to think about what kind of society we want to build and what kind of governance we need.” Dr. Tapan Kumar Panda, Dean, JGBS, then took to the stage and welcomed the esteemed guests. Dr. B V Sangvikar, President, AIMS, spoke about the importance of the selected theme, saying “’Management for the Future’ is the most relevant theme and we must now think what exactly lies there in the future. This particular topic is close to everybody, and everybody is very curious about what exactly is going to happen in the future. Particularly, we are trying to understand what the future holds for management institutions and B-schools in India.”
He went on to add that “corporate firms are looking for job-ready students who can understand the bigger picture and contribute to their growth. B-school graduates are driving changes through their leadership positions.” However, he was of the opinion that management education has to evolve with changing times. He also revealed that AIMS, with its future perspective, will focus on identifying core issues and offering the best solutions.
It was then time for the Chief Guest, Mr. Sunil Arora to address the audience. He made a lasting impression with his speech. “We have islands and islands of excellence in the country, which is unattended,” he began. “These islands need to be expanded while ensuring a quality outcome of creating a cascading influence in the markets of skill and entrepreneurship.” He focused on the changing scenarios around the world and added that if we cannot make a significant impact in entrepreneurship and skills in the present financial year, we could miss the bus.
Prof. Ravi Agarwal, Vice Dean, JGBS, offered the concluding remarks after the Chief Guest’s talk. It was followed by an engaging panel discussion moderated by Dr. Tapan Kumar Panda. Mr. Ratnesh Jha, MD & CEO, Cambridge India, Mr. Dhruv Munshi, CEO, Vision Group, Mr. Ranvir Singh, CEO, Digitary, and Ms. Namrata Rana, Director, Futurescape were the industry experts present for the discussion. They made students aware of the industry expectations from future managers and offered valuable insights.
Mr. Dhruv Munshi encouraged the students by saying, “The key to success is in your hands and you should never hand it over. Jargons do not define success but your performance does. Keep the seeking spirit high and bright.” Mr. Ranvir Singh shared his perspective when he said, “Start defining what the future is to you. As the future is bright and things of the future are already here, we just need to find them through a continuous innovative mindset.” Panelists also took the time to answer students’ queries, which made it a truly enriching session that concluded with the Vote of Thanks from Dr. Manisha Mishra, Director, IBM, JGBS.