Keeping true to the running theme of contemporary times, IIM Nagpur hosted the 6th edition of its Annual Flagship Industry-Academia Interaction Summit - Illume 6.0 on 4th September 2021, with "Innovating Today to Revolutionize Tomorrow - Disruptive Trends of the Future" at the heart of the stimulating discussion. The virtual version of the summit, sponsored by Union Bank of India, UMA group, Business Standard & Startup Spine, saw some of the industry stalwarts from the worlds of strategy, technology, and marketing coming together to sow the seeds of futuristic innovation in the minds of upcoming leaders.
Speaking about the energy transition disruptions and the use of energy for social transformation, Mr. B. Ashok (CEO, Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd.) marked the launch of the day-long summit as the Chief Guest. His decades of rich experience in the petroleum and energy industry were evident from the deep insights into the PM Ujjwala Yojana, which he very aptly described as the transformational story of women at the bottom of the pyramid. "Disruptions are a reality," said Mr. Ashok, "but striking a balance between ambitions and pragmatism is important for successful outcomes" he concluded.
A well-defined strategy is vital to the success of any organisation, and the unprecedented events of the past year & a half have reinforced this. The first-panel discussion centered around strategy and moderated by Dr. Atul Arun Pathak (Faculty, Strategy & Entrepreneurship) was headlined by industry paragons like Mr. Gunjan Shah (CEO, Bata India), Mr. Shailesh Kekre (Ex Managing Partner, McKinsey and Co & Advisor to Board, B2B SaaS Start-ups), Mr. Krishna Gopal (Global Head of Sales Enablement, Tech Mahindra) and Mr. Sangram Singh(Head of Commercial Banking, Axis Bank). Emphasising on how the timeframe in terms of building strategy has now come down phenomenally, Mr. Kekre set the tone for the discussion saying, "What has changed is the pace of change and innovation." One of the key highlights that emerged from the discussion was-- Future is about ESG, Environment, Social & Government-- as put in the words of Mr. Gopal. Attributing the higher risk appetite and the confidence of today's youth to many disruptive innovations happening around us, Mr. Shah said, " One of the things that is allowing innovation to be the key driver going forward is the existence of a far faster feedback loop." Carrying the baton forward, Mr. Singh delineated Digitisation, Globalisation & Urbanisation as the megatrends defining disruptions in the banking industry.
Ms. Seema Kumar (CTO, Global Partner Solutions, Microsoft India), Ms. Anita Guha (CIO Talent Advisor, IBM), Mr. Amrinder Singh (Executive VP & Head of Europe, Hexaware), and Mr. Anshuman Vatsyayan (Director, NCR Corporation) graced the technology leg of the summit which held that being a technologist is no longer a choice. The discussion accentuated the importance of skills as the new currency in a changing world and how future businesses will demand 'Comb Shaped' competencies surpassing the prevalent 'T Shaped' competency Model.
The event took a detour towards the role of human sentiments in developing a brand in today's environment for the third-panel discussion in the Marketing domain. Industry veterans - Mr. Neeraj Kakkar (Co-founder and CEO, Hector Beverages) and Mr. Subramanyeswar S (Chief Strategy Officer-APAC, MullenLowe Group) - had engaging stories to share about the creation and promulgation of a widely acclaimed range of beverages - Paper Boat. The conversation ventured into both theoretical and sentimental aspects of marketing and brand management with a particular focus on preserving the heritage for authenticity and building a brand inspired by a purpose.
In the presence of Ms. Rekha Sethi, Director General of the All India Management Association, the Apex Body of Management in India, the event came to a close with a valedictory ceremony. Illume 6.0 came to a successful conclusion achieving its goal of providing management students with an opportunity to peer into the veil of time through the eyes of accomplished individuals who not only envisioned but realized the industry landscapes of today & tomorrow.