PAN IIM Conference Begins with Inauguration of 'Rangavati Centre of Excellence' at IIM Sambalpur by Union Education Minister

4-Day 9th PAN-IIM World Management Conference begins at IIM Sambalpur
A special screening of the Pran Pratishtha Ceremony from Ayodhya Ram Mandir took place at IIM Sambalpur 

Sambalpur: The 9th PAN IIM World Management Conference (WMC) at IIM Sambalpur observed an important initiation where the Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the 'Rangavati Centre of Excellence in Cultural and Sustainable Management.' While inaugurating the Rangavati Centre of Excellence in Cultural and Sustainable Management, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said, "The centre will prove to be a hub for preserving the cultural heritage of Odisha, including dances, soulful songs, nature worship, and the rich food culture. The primary focus of the centre will be research on the art, literature, culture, and history of western Odisha, with a special emphasis on textiles."

The inauguration ceremony was graced by Mr Ratnesh Jha, Executive Director, UN Global Compact; Mr S N Tripathi, DG, IIPA, New Delhi, and Mr Romal Shetty, CEO, Deloitte. On the occasion, Prof. BS Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu; Prof. Kulbhushan Balooni, Director, IIM Kashipur; Prof. Bhimaraya Metri, Director, IIM Nagpur and Prof. Pawan Kumar Singh, Director, IIM Trichy were also present at the inauguration ceremony. 

Professor Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, IIM Sambalpur highlighted the 3Ds disruptions - Digitalization, Decarbonization, and Democratization of business. He said, "The world is changing and the world is disrupting through three Ds. Disruption due to digitalization, disruption due to decarbonization, and disruption due to democratization of business." He also emphasized India's potential to lead the world in digital disruptions, citing initiatives such as UIDAI and UPI. He further said, "Before the colonization, India had 32% of the GDP of the world.  Through innovation, sustainability and 3Ds, we can achieve it back." He added, "The Rangavati Centre at IIM Sambalpur, inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, will have an open theatre to showcase the vibrant art and culture of the region. This endeavour underscores our commitment to forging a significant bond with the local community, highlighting the significance of embracing and commemorating regional development and diversity."

The Chief Guest, Mr Romal Shetty, CEO, Delloitte South Asia emphasized the importance of innovation in various aspects of India's growth by focusing on collaboration, sustainability, and digital governance. Through the PowerPoint presentation, Mr Shetty emphasized the need for a holistic approach to innovation, highlighting examples such as Chandrayaan, Malcolm McLean's containerization, and Indian companies like Ceat revolutionizing the logistics industry. He said, "Innovation is a fairly large topic, including growth, governance and sustainability." Shetty underscored the Apple Watch as an example of far-sightedness planning for sustainability, and the remarkable success of India's FASTag and GST implementation in reducing waiting times, saving fuel and curbing corruption. He inspired students to learn to look at problems with different perspectives to innovate for multiple solutions.  He emphasized the need for the younger generation to stay in India and contribute to its growth, highlighting the abundant opportunities in the country."
The Guest of Honor, Mr S N Tripathi, DG, IIPA, New Delhi, highlighted scope of IIMs role in the country and the imperative need for a mindset shift in the numerous departments and organizations within Indian ministries and the basic structure of the Government.  He cited an example – “Thirty million people are governing this country and there are three crore bureaucrats right from linemen to chairman, who are part of the government and changing their mindset with 21 IIMs is not an easy task.”  He further said, "To develop the people of India, we need more insights than just data."
Earlier during the day, a Doctoral Consortium was also organised which proved as an invaluable platform for emerging scholars and doctoral candidates. The inaugural ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Sudhendar H. Rao, Conference Chair, IIM Sambalpur.
It is to be recalled that the 4-Day 9th PAN IIM World Management Conference (WMC) is being organised at IIM Sambalpur from Monday, January 22, 2024 to Wednesday, January 24, 2024 with the theme "Entrepreneurial Innovation and Digital Governance for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth.” The hybrid conference will witness the IIM Director Panel, CEO Panel, CHRO Panel, Startup Round Table Discussion, Accreditation Panel, Interaction with Editors and Research Paper presentations. The Conference will convene directors from 21 IIMs. The event is expected to draw participants from various IIMs, IITs, NITs, and other esteemed management institutes across India and globally. Around 1000 research papers will be presented during the Conference.