The distinguished guests for the Inaugural Session included Dr Rajan Sudesh Ratna, Senior Economic Affairs Officer, UNESCAP South and South-East Asia Office, who was the Chief Guest; Ms Mercy Epao, Joint Secretary, Ministry of MSME, who was invited as the Guest of Honour; and Dr Satya N. Gupta, Chairman, Bluetown India and BIMSTEC, who attended as a Special Guest.

The Honourable Vice Chairman sir Shri Arpit Chadha addressed the students in the audience, asking them to utilise the deliberations as a serious means of developing themselves. He opined that in order to get ahead in life it was necessary to utilise such opportunities.

Dr. V.N. Bajpai, Director, I.T.S. Mohan Nagar, delivered the welcome address. Dr Bajpai alluded to the fact that it was a very compelling topic. Conditions in India were in place for an economic boom, but there was need for caution with regard to the bumpy road ahead.

Dr Rajeev Johari, Convener of the Convention, provided an overview of the day’s events. He also took the opportunity to trace out the evolution of the Convention since its beginning in 2018.

Dr Gupta provided facts and figures reflecting the current state of affairs with regard to the economy. He also referred to the startup revolution in India and relevance of SDGs.

Finally, Dr Ratna provided an illuminating portrait of the economic challenges facing India. Responding to questions from the students, he threw some light on issues like economic diversification, climate change and digital inclusion.

It was a very realistic yet thought provoking start to the day’s proceedings. It ended with the promise of more vistas of knowledge in the succeeding sessions.

Panel Discussion I

The participants in the first panel discussion included Mr. Priya Ranjan, Chief General Manager of Steel Authority of India; Mr. Amlesh Sinha, Vice President of MakeMyTrip; Mr. Manglesh Yadav, Program Director of Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Ayog; and Dr. Moonis Shakeel, Professor of Economics, Jamia Millia Islamia.

The session was focused on MSME, entrepreneurship, innovation, and startups. The event began with all the guests being welcomed with plant saplings by the dignitaries like Honourable Vice Chairman Shri. Arpit Chadha, Director I.T.S School of Management Dr.Timira Shukla,  Dr. Bajpai and Dr. Johari.

Dr. Shakeel set the ball rolling by enlightening the audience about the chosen theme. Mr. Yadav felt that the conditions of the country are very conducive for opening of startups. Noting that 84,000 start-ups have been registered, he mentioned various policies that are coming up in this regard. Mr. Priya Ranjan addressed the agenda for the event as a fusion of two topics, viz.- global reset along with economic reset. Mr. Sinha had the final word when he talked about how things have become automated with machine learning and data science.

The session was quite interactive as the participants asked several relevant questions that were answered to their satisfaction. It concluded with the presentation of mementos as a token of appreciation and gratitude. Overall, it was indeed a very insightful and thoughtful session, which enthused the students.

Panel Discussion II

The second panel discussion of the Convention was held in a hybrid mode. The discussants in this session were: Mr. Anand Mirani, Director, Simplus Exim Corporate Advisory, LLP; Dr. Sandeep Poddar, Dy. Vice Chancellor, Lincoln University, Malaysia; Prof. Vivek Nagpaul, Chairman Euro-Asian University & Career Network, Netherlands; and Mr. Wimon Pukong, Institute for Trade & Development, Bangkok, Thailand.

At the outset, Mr. Anand Mirani, Director, Simplus Exim Corporate Advisory, LLP dwelt on the ‘reset’ aspect. He explained how this is necessary for the developing economy and what it entailed.  He also touched upon the use of modern technology in shaping the future of the economy.

The second speaker was Dr. Sandeep Poddar, Dy. Vice Chancellor, Lincoln University, Malaysia. In his opening remarks Dr. Poddar drew attention to the UN Sustainability Goals for 2030. He emphasised on the various aspects of technology in exploring solutions. According to him the use of ICT gave new dimension to Industry 5.0.  

Prof. Nagpaul highlighted the reset aspect of innovation. In his view, technology gave better solutions to the customers. He emphasised on the need for collaboration.  In his opinion India holds lots of opportunities for youngsters. His parting shot to the management students was about cherishing ‘ethical business’.

 Finally, Mr. Wimon Pukong from Thailand used his research paper to underline the role of e-commerce as the driving engine for career promotion and service. He also covered the agri sector, industrial and logistics development in the Thai Economy through the use of IT.

As the programme drew to an end, the panellists were thanked on behalf of the ITS, with virtual plaques being provided as a token of gratitude and appreciation. The gathered audience including the students marvelled at the fruitful discussions and depth of knowledge sharing.