Raipur: Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur organised its 8th Leadership Summit from 24th to 25th August at Madai Auditorium of its campus. The two-day conference themed “Building Business Owners” brought together prominent corporate leaders and experts from various industries. They discussed leadership in the changing business landscape, with a special emphasis on sustainable and inclusive processes.
The event was graced by the keynote address of Chief Guest Rupesh Sanghvi, Founder & CEO, Ergode and Guest of Honour, Ms. Kamolika Gupta Perez, formerly of ServiceNow.

Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur organizing the 8th Leadership Summit from August 24 to August 25 at Madai Auditorium of its campus. The two-day conference themed “Building Business Owners” brought together prominent corporate leaders and experts from various industries. They discussed leadership in the changing business landscape, with special emphasis on sustainable and inclusive processes. The event was graced by the speeches of Chief Guest Rupesh Sanghvi, Founder and CEO, Ergode and Guest of Honour, Ms. Kamolika Gupta Perez, formerly of ServiceNow.
The Leadership Summit began with the welcome address by Prof. Rashmi Shukla, Placement Chairperson, IIM Raipur. She said, “It is a matter of immense pleasure for me to extend a hearty welcome to all the esteemed guests, speakers, faculty members and dear students to this Leadership Summit.”
Prof. Ram Kumar Kakani, Director, IIM Raipur, highlighted the important role of leadership in organizational value and employee development. He said, “Leadership is a vital tool of effective management, which helps in achieving the goals of the organization by utilizing its resources. Influential leaders motivate and guide employees, which is also beneficial for their career development.”
Chief Guest Rupesh Sanghvi expressed his gratitude for this prestigious conference and emphasised on the importance of entrepreneurial mindset, proactive leadership, power of self-study and AI in modern business. He encouraged the students and said, “Take decisive action, be determined and consistent towards your goal.”
Special Guest Kamolika Gupta, Group Vice President and Managing Director (East) ServiceNow, discussed “Embracing the opportunities that come our way and treading uncharted paths”. She also emphasized on the importance of the term “Business Owners” and explained the difference between a business ‘owner’ and a business ‘leader’. She also shared a story, which highlighted the role of ownership and its importance in the corporate sector.
The event also had panel discussions on some important topics such as “The Journey of Self Discovery,” “Unravelling New Horizons,” and “Facing the Challenges of Expansion.” These discussions saw the views of prominent industry leaders, including Abhishek Mohanty, Head Talent Management & OD, Marino Industries; Rupesh Sanghvi, Founder & CEO, Ergode; Sauran Paul, Country Brand Lead – External Business Partnerships, Pfizer; Subramanian Chidambaram, Chief Strategy Officer, Cummins India; Sumit Sangwan, Vice President – National Head – S&M, Havells; Anjani K. Jajodia, Vice President & EA to MD & CEO; Chandraprakash Jain, Vice President – HR Operations, Teleperformance; Ms. Maya Phuke, Deputy General Manager, Jio BP; Ms. Reena Evans, Senior Director of Operations Customer Experience, Acko; Saurabh Kumar, CEO Retail, Kalisuwari Refinery Pvt. Ltd; Digambar Bahuguna, CXO SVP – Customer Experience, Airtel; Manoj Nair, Head of Applications, Fujitsu Global Delivery Unit and Head of India Global Delivery Centre, Fujitsu; Nilesh Biniwale, Managing Director, Pattern; Praveen Kamath Kumbala, General Manager HR – Global Strategic Hiring and Redeployment, Wipro; Sharavanan MP, Vice President and HR Lead – Applications Offshore, Mphasis; and Ms. Vandana Prakash Dande, CDO, Forsys.
A keynote panel discussion on “Making a Difference by Leveraging Local Resources in Competitive Markets” was held. The discussion saw views shared by industry stalwarts including: Anant Sarda, President, Sarda Energy & Minerals Limited; Dinesh Agarwal, Executive Director, Heera Group; Ritesh Gandecha, Co-founder, Strataview Research; and Saurabh Agarwal, President, Real Ispat & Power Limited.
On the second day, the summit will discuss themes such as “Changing Dynamics of Tech Leadership,” “When Profit Meets Purpose: Shared Value Creation in Action,” “Building Bridges,” wherein esteemed speakers will share their valuable knowledge and experiences.
The summit will conclude with a closing address by Praveen Mahadevan, CHRO, Goldmedal India, followed by a vote of thanks by Prof. Smriti Pandey, Co-Chair, Placements, IIM Raipur tomorrow on August 25 .
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