IIM Bangalore hosts Silver Jubilee Edition of Drishti Annual Leadership Summit

The two-day event at IIM Bangalore brought together industry leaders, professionals, and business school students to discuss innovations for a sustainable future.

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bangalore’s Postgraduate Programme in Enterprise Management (PGPEM) hosted its prestigious two-day Annual Leadership Summit, Drishti, on November 9 and 10, 2024. This year marked the silver jubilee edition of the summit, with the theme ‘Insights to Impact: Shaping Business Strategies for Tomorrow’. The event brought together a distinguished lineup of speakers, thought leaders, and professionals to engage in collaborative discussions and deliberations on innovation, business strategies, and sustainable growth.

Drishti: A Fusion of Business, Technology, and Academia

As per IIM Bangalore, Drishti is more than just a business summit. It represents a fusion of business, technology, art, culture, and academia, providing a platform to explore forward-thinking strategies that contribute to an inclusive and sustainable society. Over the course of two days, attendees participated in workshops, case competitions, speaker sessions, and panel discussions focusing on a wide range of topics, including HR practices, the startup ecosystem, and the impact of technology on business.

Keynote Speakers and Thought Leaders Share Insights

The summit kicked off with a welcome address by Prof. Rishikesha T Krishnan, Director of IIM Bangalore, who highlighted the importance of converting insights into tangible impact. He underscored the summit’s focus on practical business strategies that can be applied in today’s fast-evolving corporate landscape.

The opening day featured an inspiring session titled ‘Winds of Change’, with distinguished speakers like Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, IAS Officer and Paralympic medallist, and Aishwarya Boddapati, Vice President at Wells Fargo and Indian Navy veteran. Both speakers shared their journeys of resilience, leadership, and adaptability in the face of challenges.

Empowering Professionals and Driving Business Success

In his keynote address, Pankaj Rai, Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer at Aditya Birla Group, spoke about the evolving frameworks required for professional empowerment. He stressed the importance of driving impactful change within organizations and the need for professionals to take ownership of their careers to drive business success.

Another highlight was the session by Dr. Rhonda Duffy, Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at Biocon Biologics. Dr. Duffy shared her remarkable journey through senior leadership positions, from LEO Pharma to her current role at Biocon Biologics, providing valuable insights into leadership in the biopharmaceutical industry.

Day 1: Shaping HR Strategies in a Changing Business Landscape

The first day of the summit, November 9th, focused on workforce strategies and the changing nature of recruitment in today’s fast-paced business environment. A panel discussion on HR and Recruitment featured industry leaders such as Mandira Roy Choudhury, CHRO at Wipro Infrastructure Engineering; Namita V, Deputy CHRO at TVS Lucas; Rohith Hariharan, Employer Branding Expert at Ather Energy; and Sumit Katyal, AVP HR - Global Head-Total Rewards at Biocon Biologics. The panel explored key issues such as the evolving skillsets required for today’s workforce, trends in recruitment, and the strategies organizations are adopting to attract and retain talent in an increasingly competitive job market.

Day 2: Insight to Impact – Shaping Business Strategies for Tomorrow

The second day of the summit, November 10th, featured a high-impact panel discussion titled “Insight to Impact”, where thought leaders from leading organizations shared their perspectives on how to shape business strategies for the future. Panelists included Sudip Paul, MD at Accenture India; Vineet Shukla, CTO at Mahindra Teqo; Ashutosh Itkelwar, Managing Director at Optym India; and Shidhank Gupta, SVP & Service Offering Head at Infosys. The discussion revolved around innovation, technology adoption, and the role of leadership in driving impactful strategies that prepare businesses for tomorrow’s challenges.

Encouraging B-School Students to Bridge Theory and Practice

A central theme throughout the summit was the encouragement for B-school students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Drishti served as an important platform for students to engage with real-world business scenarios and gain insights from industry veterans on how academic concepts can be translated into actionable strategies in the corporate world.

With its focus on sustainability, innovation, and leadership, Drishti 2024 successfully provided a collaborative space for attendees to gain insights, share experiences, and prepare for the future of business. The summit's diverse sessions and speakers made it a milestone event in IIM Bangalore’s calendar, reaffirming its role as a premier institution for fostering future business leaders.

The silver jubilee edition of Drishti reaffirmed IIM Bangalore’s commitment to offering students, professionals, and industry leaders an inclusive platform to explore the future of business and society. By hosting thought-provoking discussions on leadership, HR strategies, technology, and sustainability, the summit not only celebrated 25 years of impact but also laid the foundation for the next quarter-century of shaping future business strategies.

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