organised by JIMS Kalkaji The FDP covered key areas like AI in research, SEM using AMOS, qualitative analysis using NVIVO, and writing high-quality research papers for ABDC and Scopus journals. It focuses on CFA models to develop scales. How qualitative analysis is done through NVivo.

The objective of the FDP was to provide hands-on exposure to academicians and research scholars. . Accord importance to research activity in addition to academic activity. . Keep abreast of the latest developments in their specific subjects, and acquire knowledge and skills in new and emerging areas.More than 50 faculty members and research scholars have participated in the FDP from different institutions.

Following eminent personalities were present as speakers during the event;

·            Mr. M Ponnuswami, Co-Chairman, CII National MSME Council and CMD, Pon Pure Chemical India Pvt Ltd.,

·            Mr.Ajit B Chavan, Additional CEO & Chief Seller Officer & Social Inclusion, Government e Marketplace (GeM),

·            Dr.Ishita Ganguli Tripathy, Additional Development Commissioner, Ministry of MSME,

·            Mr. H. Shankar, Managing Director I/C of Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL),

·            Mr. J Venkateshan, General Manager (Materials Management), National Mining Development Corporation Ltd. (NMDC),

·            Mr. Sameer Gupta, Chairman, CII National MSME Council,

·            ShriPrashant Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,

·            Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources,

It was a significant event that provided a platform for industry leaders, policymakers, and MSMEs to exchange ideas, network, and explore innovative solutions. The summit was an opportunity for the students to gain insights into the latest trends, technologies, and policies affecting the MSME sector.

The event, organized by the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, took place from November 26 to 29, 2024, at the Development Academy of the Philippines Conference Centre in Tagaytay City.

The conference theme, “Exploring the Nexus, Charting the Future: Harnessing Collaborative Excellence and Pioneering Research for Tomorrow’s Challenges,” brought together renowned academicians, researchers, and professionals from across the globe to discuss transformative strategies for the future of higher education.

Dr. Agarwal delivered an engaging and insightful online plenary address on 28th November,2024  on the topic: “Optimization of Academic Structures in Higher Education: Framework and Best Practices for the Reclassification of Faculty Positions in State Universities and Colleges.” Her presentation emphasized:

Establishing a transparent and standardized framework for reclassifying faculty positions, with clearly defined criteria, processes, and evaluation metrics.

Aligning the reclassification framework with accreditation standards and guidelines to enhance the academic quality and reputation of state universities and colleges.

Strengthening the competitiveness of state universities and colleges through effective academic restructuring.

The session was highly appreciated by the audience for its relevance and depth, sparking meaningful discussions on improving higher education systems globally.

Prof. Agarwal described the experience as both enriching and overwhelming, highlighting the value of collaborative knowledge-sharing in addressing the challenges and opportunities in higher education.

Distinguished Guests:

• Chief Guest: Prof. (Dr.) B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu

• Guests of Honour:

- Dr. Huzaifa Khorakiwala Khorakiwala, Executive Director & Promoter, Wockhardt Ltd.

- Mr. Kaushlesh Maheshwari, President (S & M), Mangalam Cement Ltd.

Other Eminent Dignitaries

• Dr. R.P. Chadha, Chairman, I.T.S–The Education Group

• Shri Arpit Chadha, Vice Chairman, I.T.S–The Education Group

• Shri B.K. Arora, Secretary, I.T.S–The Education Group

• Shri Surinder Sood, Director-PR, I.T.S–The Education Group

• Advisory Board Members:

Prof. S.K. Jain, Dr. Harsh Verma, Shri Kamlendu Bali, Dr. A.K. Puri

Ceremony Highlights:

• Saraswati Vandana set a spiritual and inspirational tone.

• Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar, Director, highlighted institute achievements in academics, research, industry collaborations, and community engagement.

• Dr. Anusha Agarwal, Chairperson, elaborated on the PGDM program’s rigor, industry focus, and leadership development.

• Convocation Oath reaffirmed commitment to integrity, ethics, and responsibility.

• Inspiring addresses by dignitaries emphasized resilience, self-management, innovation, a

nd social responsibility.

• Formal distribution of diplomas & recognition of merit.

• Ceremony concluded with the National Anthem and group photography, capturing pride and joy.

At I.T.S, we nurture leaders who blend knowledge with values and success with responsibility.

The summit began with an address by Lt. General Raghu Srinivasan, who emphasized the strategic importance of India’s border road network for national security and regional development. He highlighted that despite geographical and climatic challenges; construction timelines are being accelerated and stressed the need for adopting new technologies and sustainable approaches. This was followed by a detailed presentation on the Vadhavan Port Project by Shri Umesh Sharad Wagh. He shared that the project, located at Dahanu about 150 km from Mumbai, is planned with a massive capacity of 300 MTPA and 23.3 MTEUs at a cost of ₹76,220 crore. The port aims to connect Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and northern states, but faces hurdles in land acquisition, environmental clearances, and financial structuring, which continue to delay its progress.

In the first panel discussion on Redefining Infrastructure, moderated by Vinayak Chatterjee, speakers including Abhishek Chaudhary, Nicolas Schenk, Shailendra Kumar Tripathi, Suresh Goyal, Col. Praikshit Mehra, and Awinash Awasthi shared their insights. The discussion highlighted that infrastructure projects are now moving beyond physical outputs to value-based outcomes with long-term sustainability and socio-economic upliftment as central goals. The panel also underlined the importance of integrating ESG frameworks and strengthening public–private partnerships to achieve holistic development.

Another significant session was led by Raman Kapil on Skill Development and Workforce Empowerment. He elaborated on Tata Projects’ Skill Shakti initiative, a work-integrated upskilling program for semi-skilled and unskilled workers aimed at creating a certified workforce and skilled trainer pool in areas such as carpentry, masonry, electricals, and bar bending. He also presented the Nirmaan Nayak initiative, which focuses on enabling career progression from helper to supervisor and engineer, thus retaining talent and building leadership capacity. A case study of Tata Projects showcased how more than 50,000 workers are currently engaged across sites, with training aligned to evolving industry standards and a balanced workforce structure across helpers, skilled, and highly skilled categories.

The second panel discussion focused on the Future of Indian Infrastructure, where speakers emphasized the need to address future socio-economic requirements by moving towards smart, sustainable, and digitally integrated infrastructure. The discussion brought forward the role of AI in project monitoring, predictive maintenance, and workforce development, alongside the growing importance of green financing to support climate-resilient projects. The panel also stressed inclusive growth with special emphasis on rural development and job creation.

The summit concluded with key takeaways that reinforced the importance of border infrastructure as a national priority and positioned the Vadhavan Port as a potential game-changer in reducing India’s dependence on foreign transshipment hubs. It was also highlighted that infrastructure success today is no longer measured by physical construction alone, but equally by its sustainability and social impact. Workforce empowerment through initiatives like Skill Shakti and Nirmaan Nayak is seen as vital for long-term growth, while the integration of AI, digital tools, and green financing will shape the future of Indian infrastructure.

Overall, the summit provided valuable insights into the evolving infrastructure landscape of India, underlining a shift towards resilience, sustainability, digital integration, and inclusive development.

The objective of the course was to provide participants with practical insights into entrepreneurship, focusing on innovation, intellectual property protection, commercialization strategies, exit routes, and financial structures. Dr. Majumdar delivered an engaging and insightful address, highlighting the importance of safeguarding ideas through patents, copyrights, and designs, and explained how technology and research can be transformed into viable products with proper approvals and certifications. He also discussed exit strategies such as IPOs, mergers, and acquisitions, while sharing real-world examples including innovations in PPE kits, developments in the EV sector, and royalty or licensing models. The session further shed light on common entrepreneurial challenges such as counterfeiting, data protection, and compliance issues.

The session started with Director PGDM, Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar, addressing the students. He felicitated the guest with a plant sapling and a memento. Mr. Trilok Kumar started the session by introducing Marketing 5.0 and asked the students about their career plan and the impact of technology in shaping their career pathway.. He discussed how PGDM curriculum and practical approach will help students in long run by equipping them with industry knowledge.

Key Topics Discussed:

Tech-Human Fusion Theory:
He emphasized the blend of empathy and AI in marketing. A notable example was Hindustan Unilever (HUL), which uses QR codes on its products to share real-life inspirational stories of individuals, enhancing emotional connection with the brand.
Brand Targeting Gen Z:
He discussed how brands like Prime Energy Drink, despite being premium price they target Gen Z by creating a social status symbol, showing how emotion and aspiration play a role in purchasing behavior.
Hyper-Personalization:
Mr. Kumar highlighted the power of AI-driven chatbots and real-world tailored experiences. He gave the example of Nestle, which, following the Maggi controversy, rebuilt trust by offering personalized diet and nutrition plans to customers.
Predictive Analytics & Innovation:
He explained how predictive analytics reveals customers' unspoken needs, which drives innovation. For instance, Cadbury uses consumer snacking behavior data to run targeted campaigns like “Snack Right”, empowering informed snacking choices. Similar strategies were cited for brands like Oreo.
Generational Marketing:
The speaker compared Millennials and Gen Z, emphasizing on their distinct thinking patterns, decision making styles, and brand expectations. Understanding these differences is vital for successful marketing strategies.
Emotional Branding in the Age of AI:
Mr. Kumar spoke about emotional branding and how AI can enable deeper human connections, making marketing not just transactional but relational.
Visioning the Future:
In an engaging exercise, Mr. Kumar asked students to close their eyes and imagine themselves five years into the future, visualizing their career paths and goals. He then encouraged them to share their visions aloud, sparking introspection and motivation among students.
To prepare for the evolving marketing landscape, Mr. Kumar emphasized the importance of:

Excel and AI tools for data analysis and decision-making.
Experience-building through:
Internships
Mentorship
Seminars & Workshops
Online Courses & Certifications
Recommended Books:

Artificial Intelligence (A New Era in Humanity) by Tyler Soloway.
Artificial Intelligence (A Guide for Everyone) by Arshad Khan
The session concluded with Q&A, where students asked insightful questions regarding careers in marketing, AI integration in FMCG, and brand strategy. Mr. Kumar answered each with depth and clarity, enriching the learning experience.The session was a powerful blend of practical knowledge, future-forward thinking, and motivational insights. Mr. Trilok Kumar’s industry experience, real-world examples, and engaging style made the session truly impactful. Students left with a stronger understanding of how Marketing 5.0 is shaping the future and how they can prepare to thrive in it.

The session was concluded by Dr. Kamal Singh (Co-ordinator PDGM 2025-27 Batch) by discussing the landscape of 4.0 technology to 5.0 and its impact on industry’s overall growth prospects.

The session was conducted by Ms. Kena Shree, Deputy General Manager, NTPC Limited, Noida. The event started with Director PGDM, Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar, addressing the gathering about the importance of leadership. He felicitated the guest with plant sampling and a memento.  Ms. Kena began the lecture with her story about understanding the leadership and  what makes a good leader and encouraged participants to share their views on leadership qualities. The session explored how leadership theories are not just concepts, but guiding principles for real-world decision-making and organizational success.

Ms. Kena Shree explained different theories of leadership in detail:

Trait Theory: Leadership is shaped by inborn qualities such as confidence, determination, and integrity. She illustrated this with the example of Ratan Tata, who is admired for his vision, humility, and ethical values.

Behavioural Theory: Leadership depends on actions and behaviors. She cited Virat Kohli, whose disciplined lifestyle, team-first approach, and high performance set behavioural standards for his teammates.

Contingency Theory: Leadership must adapt to the situation. She explained how Ratan Tata adjusted his strategies during the launch of Tata Nano to suit market needs and customer expectations .

Transactional Leadership: Based on rewards and accountability. She connected this to Virat Kohli’s leadership, where good performance is rewarded, but discipline and accountability are strictly maintained.

Transformational Leadership: Leaders inspire others to achieve beyond expectations. Ratan Tata transformed the Tata Group into a global brand with innovation and trust, while Virat Kohli transformed the Indian cricket team with his vision of fitness, aggression, and resilience.

The session was highly interactive, with students sharing examples and engaging in discussions. Ms. Kena Shree highlighted that leadership is not limited to authority but is about influence, adaptability, and inspiring others to achieve collective goals.

It was a thought-provoking and knowledge-enriching lecture, giving students clarity on leadership theories while relating them to real-life leaders like Ratan Tata and Virat Kohli. The session ended with a thank you note by Dr. Prem Prakash Srivastava .

Event commenced with the auspicious lamp lighting ceremony seeking blessings from Maa Saraswati. Shri. Surinder Sood, Director PR I.T.S The Education Group, warmly address the audience by discussing the importance of team work and collective efforts to achieve success in professional life. Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar, Director, I.T.S School of Management, gave opening remarks to the students by motivating the students to participate in cultural and academic activities for their holistic development. The event exhibited wonderful performances including group dance, poetries, solo singing, poem recitation and solo dance which left the audience mesmerized.

The rigorous process was adopted to select Mr. & Ms. Fresher and other titles from the nominees including introduction round, talent hunt round and question round. Towards the end, the jury members Prof. Dr Kumar Biswas, Dr Richa N Agarwal and Dr. Prachi Pachaury announced the names of Mr. & Ms. Fresher 2025 as Mr. Ashmit Yadav and Ms. Ishika Sharma from PGDM 2025-27 Batch were crowned Mr. Fresher and Ms. Fresher respectively. Mr. Lakshya Sharma and Ms. Gunjan Saini were declared as ‘Best Talent’ title winners. Mr. Prince Srivastava and Ms. Anshika Rai won the title ‘Fresh Face’ and Mr. Qamar Abbas and Ms. Prasidhi Jaiswal were judged as the winners of ‘Best Costume’ title in male and female categories respectively.

The event concluded with Director Dr. Ajay Kumar, along with the jury members, presenting awards to all the winners. The celebration was followed by a delightful dinner for everyone.

Prof. (Dr.) Ajay Kumar, Director, I.T.S School of Management, warmly welcomed the guests and delivered his inaugural address. The primary objective of this programme was to provide a platform for participants to reflect on and enhance their leadership and team-building skills, ensuring alignment with changing organizational dynamics and evolving learner expectations

The programme commenced with a highly engaging session on Leadership, introducing participants to core leadership concepts, leadership styles, and situational challenges in the current context. The participants were engaged with Leadership Self-Assessment Questionnaire and TNP (Task and People Orientation) Exercise. These activities enabled participants to reflect on their natural leadership orientation—whether they were more task-oriented or people-oriented.

To strengthen learning, real-world case studies of Microsoft, Reliance, IDBI Bank and Tata Group were discussed to give participants deeper understanding about leadership challenges in modern context.

The second session focused on Team Building and Interpersonal Communication, emphasizing:

·         Building trust

·         Developing social skills

·         Managing professional relationships

The session combined conceptual discussions with experiential activities to highlight the role of communication and collaboration in team effectiveness.

Key activities included

·         Johari Window Exercise – Enhancing self-awareness and mutual understanding

·         Transactional Analysis Discussions – Exploring interpersonal dynamics

·         Video-Based Discussions & Simulation Activity – Relating concepts to real-life organizational challenges

·         Strategic Maestro Activity

This exercise served as an energetic conclusion, reinforcing the programme’s central themes of leadership and team building in a memorable and practical way.

The day concluded with  Presentation of certificates and gifts as a token of appreciation and submission of feedback forms, where participants shared valuable insights and suggestions.