Celebrating 37 years of rich legacy, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar organised the 6th edition of the annual Business Excellence Summit from 14th September to 15th September 2024. The theme for this year’s summit was “Redefining Possibilities.”

The event was presided over by Vice-chancellor Fr. Antony R. Uvari, S.J., Deputy Registrar and Chief Financial Officer Fr. V. Arockia Das, S.J., Associate Dean – Career Advisory Services Prof. Francis Thomas Castelino, Prof. D.V Ramana and the honorable keynote speaker, Siddhartha Gupta.

The welcome address was delivered by Vice Chancellor Fr. Antony R. Uvari, S.J., who declared the Business Excellence Summit 2024, open. Swayam Deep Dash, General Secretary, Student Executive Council, took the opportunity to introduce the theme of the Business Excellence Summit.

Siddhartha Gupta, President - Mercer, an esteemed alumnus of XIM, Bhubaneswar delivered an empowering address on Redefining Possibilities. He spoke on the challenges of corporate capitalism and India's lower consumption rates, urging the audience to think beyond the status quo. Drawing from his journey, he emphasized the transformative power of innovation in the face of disruptions like COVID, AI, and sustainability. He highlighted resilience as the key to thriving in an ever-changing world. He also said, “People generally don’t step up to take charge, whenever you find yourself shying away or stepping down from adversities, do the contrary and seize every opportunity”.

Subhankar Pattanayak, Director and Head of Bid Management, ANZ and India, SAP covered themes about technology and the similarities and differences between technological changes over the years. He stressed the leadership qualities one needs to have in this ever-changing, AI-driven world and urged the students to always keep learning, and never let go of their curiosity. This was reiterated when he said, “Illiterate is not a person who cannot read and write, illiterate is a person who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn”.

Rajen Mishra, Director, Tech Modernisation, Grant Thornton INDUS, esteemed alumnus of XIM, Bhubaneswar shared valuable insights on the life of a management student, emphasizing the essential skills required to thrive in the corporate world. Misra encouraged students to explore topics they are passionate about and to dive deep into them, aiming to become well-rounded individuals capable of speaking knowledgeably on a variety of subjects. “Technology is not about building tech, but it is about understanding what I'm doing and why I'm doing”.

Amit Talgeri, CRO, Axis Bank, highlighted the need to ‘redefine possibilities’ in banking, aligning with the summit’s theme for 2024. He talked about the current banking landscape and how it has changed dramatically since the avenue of digital banking. Talgeri also talked about the five skills that every student must have irrespective of their domain- Data, Analytics, Technology, VUCA, and Corporate Etiquette. He articulated, “The way of doing business is shifting towards sustainability, resilience, and long-term objectives.”

Bhaskar Basu, Professor of Information Systems, was the moderator of a Group Discussion that was conducted with the speakers. He started with a general discussion about the current trends in the respective industries of the speakers. The use of responsible AI was also discussed.

Rishi Kumar Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, Larsen and Toubro Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited is an esteemed alumnus of XIM, Bhubaneswar. He is a Seasoned Marketing Professional specializing in Consumer Behavior and Brand Management. Having been associated with Airtel during its major dynamic transitions, he recalls the growth of the telecom industry and how the customers transitioned from a premium paid outgoing call to a Novel Handset. Verma mentions “The challenge is how you motivate customers to stay and keep choosing you, since they are our ultimate brand ambassadors”.

Sayantani Dutta, Chief Human Resources Officer, Bajaj Housing Finance Limited, conveyed profound gratitude for her journey, urging students to dream bigger and embrace ambition without limits. Reflecting on her own experiences, Dutta advised, “Enjoy your days here, do your best, because the world outside is waiting for you to take off.  A lot of things you’ll not realize until you step out of this place and bloom in the real world.” She stressed on the importance of a Unified Brand Vision in GE that could speak to the investors and consumers leading to the idea of “Imagination at Work.”

Ena Khurana, Chief People Officer, KiE Square Analytics, referred to her alma mater XIM, Bhubaneswar as “the Temple of Learning.” Khurana addressed the uncertainty and fear faced by the students during the learning process with a quote she follows personally - “The optimist fell 12 stories and at each window bar, he shouted to the people who were horrified below, well I am alright so far". According to her, one of the major essentials for today’s corporate world is to have a Pocket Skill. The key is to keep practicing it until one is so good at it that nobody wants to let them go.

Manmeet Sandhu, Chief People Officer, PhonePe, also an esteemed alumnus of XIM, Bhubaneswar discusses the major highlights of her professional journey leading to PhonePe. She highlighted the importance of believing in the process mentioning “You are wherever you’re meant to be. Learning from the worst experiences and joy from the best ones make you the person you are”.

The speakers opened the forum for an enriching panel discussion moderated by Prof. Soumya Sarkar, Professor of Marketing, around the theme “Creating a brand from a company perspective and consumer perspective by marketing and people handling”.

The second day of the event was presided over by Associate Dean – Career Advisory Services Prof. Francis Thomas Castelino. The keynote speaker of the day was Richard Lobo – CPO, Tech Mahindra.

Richard Lobo, Chief People Officer at Tech Mahindra and an alumnus of XIM Bhubaneswar, addressed leadership at XIM Bhubaneswar, focusing on innovation and ethics in the face of rapid technological changes. He discussed how AI, new business models, sustainability, and geopolitical shifts are reshaping the business landscape, urging leaders to adapt with visionary thinking and integrity. Using examples of ethical failures like Boeing and Satyam, Lobo emphasized that "there is no right way to do a wrong thing" and encouraged reflection on values and legacy. He shared how network analysis guided his HR journey, stressing that people are the greatest asset, and concluded with the thought: "A leader succeeds because their network succeeds."

Towards the end, Mr. Lobo honored Prof. Francis with his newly published book, “Human at Work: Arm Yourself to Thrive in a Fast-Hanging Workplace.”

Sambit Mohanty, Business Development Leader, India Startups at Siemens Digital and an alumnus of XIM Bhubaneswar, began his address by discussing the positive and negative impacts of technology across sectors. He detailed tech's impact on industries like retail, healthcare, telecom, manufacturing, and more. Mohanty then elaborated upon some challenges associated with AI such as data breaches, ethical concerns, plagiarism, and so on. “Generative AI levels the playing field for everyone with sound logic. In a VUCA world, tech enables endless iterations at minimal cost, driving change in defense, space, manufacturing, and banking.”

Biju Dominic, Chief Evangelist, Fractal Analytics and an XIM University alumnus, emphasized that advanced technology alone is insufficient to address human challenges. He illustrated this with examples such as the Air India Express crash and vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dominic also highlighted the importance of neuroscience and concepts like Emotional Rewards in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of human behavior. “There's often a gap between awareness and action. If data analysis doesn’t lead to behavioral change, its purpose is lost. Having data without meaningful action misses the point.”

Shridhar Dash, Professor of Finance, XIM Bhubaneswar was the moderator of a Group Discussion which was conducted with the speakers. The discussion shed light on the decision-making process based on data.

Dr Debabrata Dash, HR Head, Eastern India, Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India and an XIM University alumnus, delivered a talk on "Career Growth in Dynamic Industries." He emphasized on rapid technological advancements, AI automation, and global market shifts’ impact on career progression. Stressing the need for adaptability and data-driven decision-making, Dr. Dash highlighted the balance between innovation and financial stability for long-term success by saying, “A fundamental difference between job and career is that the job is given by the recruiter but your career is defined by you.”

Arnab Pal (Disney Star India) a distinguished alumnus of XIM University (Batch of 2005), began his address on a light note, sharing insights from his journey. He spoke about his transition from engineering to an MBA and how he navigated the challenges and opportunities in his career. He urged students to make the most of their college experience by balancing academic dedication with building strong peer relationships and fostering personal and professional growth opportunities. He said,“ Education is what you remember after you have learned everything”

Following the individual addresses, Arun Paul, Professor of Operations, delivered an inspiring talk, encouraging students to believe in themselves. He illustrated his message with examples of visionary leaders like Jeff Bezos and the resilience of the Indian Paralympic Team.

The floor was then opened for a Q & A session with the audience which delved into a range of thought-provoking topics. The discussion touched on the speaker's insights into the contrasting mindsets of previous generations and today’s youth, along with his valuable experiences and lessons from founding and leading the Media and PR cell at XIMB, which offered the audience rich takeaways.

The two days of Business Excellence Summit 2024, XIM Bhubaneswar's flagship event, came to an exhilarating end with the official Closing Ceremony. The General Secretary of Student Executive Council, Swayamdeep Dash, extended heartfelt thanks to the Vice Chancellor - Fr. S. Antony R. Uvari SJ, and Deputy Registrar and Chief Financial Officer- Fr. V. Arockia Das, speakers, and faculty for their continuous support that made the event a resounding success. Special mention was given to the Functional and Interest Committees of the institution for conducting exhilarating campus events. He thanked all the media partners for covering and amplifying the reach of the flagship event. The event concluded successfully with students taking away key learnings acquired during the two fruitful days of Business Excellence Summit 2024.