POST EVENT REPORT

of

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE IN
TURBULENT TIMES (ICBETT)

on

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2017

at
 GANGADHAR DESHMUKH HALL,
RASHTRIYA CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS
TOWNSHIP,
CHEMBUR, MUMBAI.

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Managing uncertainty is a new business imperative. Technological incoherence,
regulatory disruptions, geopolitical surprises, abrupt swings in consumer tastes
or behaviour, and several other factors have emerged as events that have caused
or are causing turbulence in these uncertain times. Hence the theme of
Conference was Business Excellence in Turbulent Times.

Figure 1 Backdrop Banner

The focus of this conference was to attract innovative and best practices in the
field of Business Management. The conference provided an inclusive platform
for academicians and business leaders to revisit and reconsider how to function
and sustain in turbulent times. The objectives of the Conference were:
Discuss and identify innovative methods which will serve as economic growth
engines in the future and will have potential of becoming industry leaders of
tomorrow.
Explore and rethink offerings, markets, business processes, organizational
structure to achieve growth.
Identify opportunities, find new market niches, create innovative new
offerings, restructure and re-position.
The Conference was jointly organized by ITM Kharghar and Quality Circle
Forum of India Mumbai Chapter. The deliberations of the Conference brought
to the fore plausible solutions and issues related to business excellence in

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turbulent times through examples, concepts, models, and cases presented by the
Chief Guest, speakers and panellists of the Conference.
The Conference was divided into the following eight segments:
1. Conference Inaugural Programme
2. Panel Discussion I Driving Excellence through Innovation & Co-
creation Strategies
3. Plenary Session I Business Excellence Management Insights I
4. Panel Discussion II Business excellence: Leadership for Creating a
World-Class Organization
5. Plenary Session II Business Excellence Management Insights II
6. Technical Sessions Paper presentations
7. Valedictory Address
8. Prize Distribution
Conference Inaugural Programme
The inaugural programme started with Saraswati Vandana and lightening of the
lamp. Professor Lakshmi Mohan, Campus Head, ITM Kharghar welcomed the
delegates and dignitaries of the Conference. She set the tone of the Conference
by stating that turbulence and excellence are part of the life, both professionally
and personally.
Professor R.S.S. Mani, Vice-President Institutional Development, ITM Group
introduced the Conference and reinforced that in turbulent times, path to
excellence is through collaboration as was evidenced in the power of
collaboration between ITM, QCFI, and RCF at the Conference.

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 Figure 2 The Lamp Lighting Ceremony

Dr. P.V. Ramana, Chairman, ITM Group of Institutions addressed the gathering
by defining turbulence and excellence. He advocated that in turbulent times,
cause of turbulent times can be ascertained, and one should look internally and
identify core strengths. Times of turbulence gives an opportunity to build big.

He also encouraged that one should go through the turbulent times, and it is the
historians call the times of turbulence as excellence period in retrospective.
Turbulent times become light houses, pointing to ebb and flow of business
cycles.
Mr. D. K. Srivastava, Executive Director, QCFI introduced the organization by
underlining its philosophy, vision, chapters, certifications, conference and other
activities. He also introduced the august gathering to its membership categories
and urged management professionals to join this organization to understand, and
practice Quality Circle.

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Mr. P.V. Rao, Managing Director, Pennar Group gave the Keynote address
entitled Best practices from global experience in Business Excellence. He
termed turbulent times in terms of external market, global scenario, domestic
environment, products and accessibility to raw materials as turbulent times. He
mentioned that in turbulent times, the biggest asset for company was team of
people that steered the company to have higher revenue and debt free company.
He suggested that fundamentals in terms of positive cash flow, restructuring of
new products, geographical presence, and vertical scale and expansion stood in
good stead in turbulent times. The main traits in people are to aim high,
integrity, and collaboration.
The Compendium of the research papers published by Himalaya Publishers was
released by the dignitaries on the dias for the Inaugural Programme, Convenors
and Co-Convenors of the Conference.
Dr. Sarit Prava Das, Dean, ITM Business School, Kharghar delivered the vote
of thanks to the dignitaries at the Inaugural Programme
Panel Discussion I Driving Excellence through Innovation & Co-creation
Strategies
This panel discussion was facilitated by Professor RSS Mani, Vice President
Institutional Development, ITM Group, He introduced each of the following
panellists who presented their views on the topic of panel discussion:
1. Mr. Rajesh Panda, Founder & CEO, Corporate Gurukul

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 2. Dr. Mallikarjun G., General Manager, Reserve Bank of India, Department
of Non Banking Regulation
3. Mr. Ganesh Iyer, Country Head, Chartered Institute for Securities &
Investment
4. Mr. Subrata Gupta, CGM, NABARD
5. Mr. Samudra Sen, CMD, Learning Mate
Solutions
Mr. Ganesh Iyer emphasized on 2 Is Innovation
and Integrity for driving excellence. He underscored that one should do the
right thing even when no one is watching you. Mr. Rajesh Panda suggested
that innovation was to cut off the rope of security, and to address the needs of
the market. He gave the example of Singapore as a country with small size and
tremendous amount of imports even for water and food, and yet believes in co-
creation at the highest level. Dr. Mallikarjun traced the history of money
transactions and regulation of finance and insurance sectors. He countered that
the consumer should be empowered with regulatory processes, and should be
financially literate. Innovation, according to him, should serve the consumer
regulation and protection.
According to Mr. Samura Sen, innovation in entrepreneurship starts with power
to dream and power to make the dream come true. He insisted that there should
be a vision and belief towards innovation. Cocreation for him was to convince
other to work and create company that lasts a lifetime. Mr. Subrata Gupta
countered what come first innovation or co-creation? He suggested that
innovation came first and with it came co-creoation. His example of co-
creation was NABARD where rural Indian market was understood first, and
then innovation was built in with collaboration to co-create.

Plenary Session I Business Excellence Management Insights I

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This session was chaired by Mr. Rajendra Potdar, CEO and Founder MABEC.
He introduced each of the following session speakers:
1. Mr. J.C. Sekar, CEO and Co-Founder of AcuSen Technologies,
Singapore Learning and Development in Turbulent Times
2. Mr. Atul Kulkarni, Director, Head Manufacturing, Retail &
Transportation, Atos Driving smart business models in
manufacturing industries of the future
3. Ms. Preeti Sharma Menon, Managing Director, Viira Travels and
Logistics Pvt Ltd., Director Balaji Resorts, National Executive Member
of Aam Aadmi Party, Ex-CEO & MD Synergy relationship management
services The true meaning of excellence
Mr. Sekar attributed that in the VUCA world, and business in single world,
there are learning and development challenges. He mentioned that there are
2 key learning challemges attention and retention. He discussed that traits
of trainers and learners. Mr. Atul Kulkarni indicated megatrends in
manufacturing in terms of urbanization, consumerization, shifting economic
power, climate changes, and technological breakthroughs. He discussed that
manufacturing markets have evolved to service centric model, where service
are new differentiators, driven by digitalization and empowered by new
technologies. Ms. Preeti Sharma explained that in this cusp of time which
are turbulent times, social enterprises are the requirement of the day. Social
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 enterprises, unlike NGO, have healthy motive of profit maximization. She
gave example of Viira Cabs with women taxi drivers.
Panel Discussion II Business excellence: Leadership for Creating a
World-Class Organization
The facilitator for this panel discussion was Mr. Sapan Bardhan, CEO, Bardhan
Associates, Director, MABEC. He introduced each of the following panellists:
1. Mr. Tulsi Tawari, CEO & Strategist, Alternate Approaches
2. Mr. Subhash Mukherjee, MD, Q Factor Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
3. Mr. Mohammed Hussain Shaikh, Director, Pravesh Seafood Pvt. Ltd.
4. Mr. Arvind Bodhankar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tata Motors
Mr. Subhash Mukherjee explained that business excellence was not just delivery
of products, outreach to customers, profit is not the only important, and
management and leadership has changed in every sense. Mr. Arvind Bodhankar
emphasized that world class organization looks beyond profit, and considers
caring for the community and country. World class organization understands
and creates the need of the customer. Several traits of leadership were
enumerated by Mr. Mohammad Hussain Shaikh innovation, patience,
dreamer, imagination, strong purpose and forceful, crazy, and integrity and
belief in yourself. Mr. Tulsi Tawari gave examples of several world class
organizations in India and world-wide including Polyhydron, Belgaum, in
addition to Toyota, Aditya Birla Group, and BMW.
Plenary Session II Business Excellence Management Insights II
The following speakers spoke on each of the mentioned management insight
topics:
1. Mr. Shrikant Chandratriya, Vice President PMO (ER) and Business
Excellence, Tata Consulting Engineers Ltd. & Mr. Ravi Chandran, Head
Manufacturing, PEBS Pennar Achieving Excellence with hard work and
commitment

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 2. Mr. Vinay Sharma, MD & Founder, Oilfield Warehouse & Services Ltd.
Towards Entrepreneurship
3. Mr. Pramod Sadarjoshi, HCM Strategy & Transformation, Asia Pacific,
Oracle India Accelerating Customer Experience Strategy
Mr. Vinay Sharma defined entrepreneurship, and discussed how to perceive risk
and loss. He explained loss averse in entrepreneurship and urged to look at the
big picture of entrepreneurship with an intrinsic understanding of odds and
expected value of the business.

Mr. Pramod Sadarjoshi gave a presentation on accelerating customer experience

strategy through digital transformation. He gave vivid examples of digital
transformation, discussed top challenges for the CEO, and asserted that
employee was the first customer of the business and that customer experience
is a derivative of employee experience. He averred that in this VUCA world,
disruptions will be manifested in varied ways, and there will be a war for talent.
He discussed some of the talent trends and challenges faced by leaders.
Mr. Shrikant Chandratriya presented how Fortune 500 companies have stayed in
the business despite VUCA world, where they are not reactive but proactive.
He traced the business excellence models that have gained prevalence over a
period of time. He also presented the Tata Business Excellence Model, with its
emphasis on safety, customer promise, innovation, corporate governance, and
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sustainability. In todays VUCA world, change management and big data are
two trends that must be considered. Mr. Ravi Chandran explained that hard
work and commitment can address the complexity in todays business world
that can be layered horizontally, vertically and even laterally.

Technical Sessions Paper Presentations

49 Research papers were presented in technical sessions conducted
simultaneously in 6 tracks.
Valedictory Address

ICBETT Convenor Professor Neena Nanda gave the valedictory address.

Prize Distributions

Prizes were distributed to ITM Business School students in categories of role

playing, poster presentations, and social media competition.
Vote of Thanks was given by ICBETT Convenor Professor Geetanjali Pinto
who thanked the attendees, corporate sponsors, QCFI, RCF, and speakers,
panellists, and dignitaries who attended the Conference. She also thanked the

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support staff, administrative team, HR team, stage management team,
volunteers, HoDs, faculty and staff.1

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ICBETT 2017 Post Conference Report compiled and written by Professor Manisha
Rajadhyaksha

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