It was the yearly meet of all the IIC affiliated Incubation Centres of Delhi NCR and West UP. The event started with Inauguration Session and Demonstration of Innovations by YUKTI Innovations/Startup, KARTAVYABODH & Interactive Sessions and UDYAMI BAZAR (Entrepreneurs’ Market) and Display of IIC Posters.

The inaugural session had addressed by Mr. Dipan Sahu, Asst. Innovation Director, MIC, followed by Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Managing Director, BIRAC, Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman AICTE, Mr. Manoj Govil, Secretary, and Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

There were three parallel sessions during the event in which the first was based on INNOVATION- Round Table Discussion in which several panelists shared their thoughts about the startups and innovations. The second was based on a Knowledge Sharing Session by IIC Institutions while the third was based on YUKTI Innovation Challenge nominated innovators and early stage startup founders in which many panelists shared their own startup journey and motivational key points. Mr. Gautaam Jha, founder and CEO of Ventor Minds focused on By Using PR to build Brand Equity for Innovators, Mr. Shubham Prajapati and Mr. Arush Bartaria, NIC 2020 winner talked about ‘Idea to Product and Product to Startup’. Ms. Khushbu Verma, Senior Investment Specialist, Startup India discussed on “What makes a Startup Investable”.

A one-to-one mentoring cum pitching session was conducted with several jury members from corporate and industry discussing the queries of students and motivating them to create some new thoughts. They also discussed with students the problems that are faced by innovators.

The event was a platform for encouraging entrepreneurship, innovation, and the spirit of problem-solving on a global scale among India's youth.IIC elucidated the role of Indian Youth in the Indian startup ecosystem, discussing strategies to foster entrepreneurship and creating a supportive ecosystem.

The resource speaker was Ms. Shikha Verma, Founder and CEO of Vibrant Vibes Consulting and an expert in Learning & Development, Global Happiness, and Mindful Coaching.

The Session commenced with an engaging question-and-answer round. This not only heightened students' interest but also contributed to building awareness about the necessity and development of high-performance organizations."

In her presentation, she highlighted key workplace disruptions, including shifts in market demands, the influence of AI and technology, and the accelerated pace of change.

She emphasized on building high performance organisation through three-stage progression. This begins with the development of high-performing individuals, evolves into the formation of high-performing teams, and ultimately leads to the establishment of high-performing organizations. This strategic approach provides a clear roadmap for organizations seeking to navigate and excel in the face of contemporary challenges.

The speaker covered important topics, including building personal accountability, achieving high performance as an individual, and addressing the five team dysfunctions—trust, conflict, commitment—providing insights on resolution for improved collaboration among team members.

It was a successful lecture resulted in great learning experience.

Director Dr.Timira Shukla welcome the guest and briefed the students about the objective of the session. Dr. Anand initiated  the session by giving the overview of Home Appliance in UAE Market .The discussions also provided several ideas and suggestions for future product research. He told about how distribution process works & how it plays a very crucial role in making goodwill for the big brands. Students were excited to know about preparing a PSI report which helps in ordering stock & it is forecast by the sales team. Speaker gave information about the various sales channels and how we can sell our goods through, aggressive displays, local advertisement, store branding,offers discount & promotion.

The corporate talk session proved to be a valuable platform for how students can maintain logistics & do time clearance to avoid demurrages.  The virtual platform successfully bridged geographical gaps,allowing for the seamless exchange of ideas and insights.

Overall, the corporate talk was a valuable learning experience, connecting students with real-world industry practices and providing them with practical knowledge about the dynamics of the Home Appliances Market in the UAE.

At the end Prof. Yachna Malhotra expressed her gratitude to Mr.Anand for sharing his valuable time and insights with the students.

The inaugural session commenced with opening remarks by Conference Chair Prof. Abid Ali Khan, Aligarh Muslim University and Conference co-chair Prof. Qutubuddin S.M, Associate Professor of Industrial and Production Engineering at PDA College of Engineering, Gulbarga & Director IEOM Operations in India. They discussed about the journey of IEOM Society and the trends in the field of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management.

Dr. Ahad Ali, Conference Co-Chair; Director ofIndustrial Engineering Program; Lawrence Tech University, MI, USA and Executive Director, IEOM Society also welcomed the speakers, panelists and presenters. The other speakers included Prof. Dr. DK Banwet, FIE, Former Head DMS, IIT Delhi, Conference co-chair Dr. Seema Singh, Professor of Economics at Delhi Technological University, Delhi, India, Dr. Maffan Badar, Professor; Indiana State University USA, Dr. M Muzammil, Professor AMU , Cdr. Dr. Bhaskar Bhandarkar, Director General Institution for  IIEE, Muand Dr. Timira Shukla, Professor & Director I.T.S  School of Management, Ghaziabad. The speakers spoke on the inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary aspects of how industrial engineering has laid the foundation for Operations Management stream. The technological integration, flexibility and agility coupled with issues of sustainability were addressed by the speakers.

The key-note session followed was addressed by:

·         Dr. Christopher Harris, Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, United States. He discussed about the role of Chat GPT in demand forecasting, quality control and supply-chain optimisation.

·         Mr. Harjinder Singh Cheema, Managing Director, Cheema BoilersLimited, Chandigarh, India. He shared interesting and engaging videos on innovation and shared his journey from being a marine engineer to an entrepreneur.

The panel speakers for the session on ‘Women in Industry and Academia’ saw presentations by Dr. Seema Singh and  Prof. Dr. LEONG WaiYie, Vice President of International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES), Deputy Vice Chair of World Federation of Engineering Organisation (Women in Engineering Committee).

This was followed by research paper presentations by research scholars and students in various concurrent sessions.

During the event following competitions were organized;

1.      Best Indian Cultural Business Stall competition

2.      Best Indian Cultural Group Dance competition

3.      Best Indian Traditional Costume competition

A little music & embellishing lights, fragrant ambiance & creative impulses, jubilant faces, smiles all along, with Indian traditional costumes, was the perfect time to celebrate Navratra. In Business Expo competition participants compete with each-other by making stalls of various items like; food, games, books, decorative items, handicraft items etc. with an objective to explore their entrepreneurial skills.

The Best Indian Cultural Business Stalls were Judged By Dr. Shailendra Kr. Dubey & Prof. Durba Roy, Dr. Puneet Kumar, Dr. Neeraj Sanghi. Winners of this competition were members of Stall No.-9; Kishan Goyal, Khushboo Dubey, Aman Kumar Lath, Shantanu Singh & Shashank Kumar. Whereas First Runner-up were members of Stall No.-11; Rajat Pratap, Aman Goel, Vanshika Prakash, Priya & Nancy. And the Second Runner-up were members of stall No.-5; Krishna Kumar Raut, Sumit Kumar Yadav, Pankaj Kumar, Shivam Kumar & Roopal Singhal. Members of Stall No. 2; Akansha, Akash, Shivani and members of Stall No. 10; Sahil, Ankush, Supriya, Saurav, Shivangi were awarded by consolation prizes.

The Best Indian Cultural Group Dance performances were Judged By Dr. Namita Mishra & Prof. Smita Barik. Winner of this competition were Ekta, Princy, Anjali, Nupur. Whereas First Runner-up were Sanjana Pandey, Sonali Gupta, Sunyanka, Sakshi. And the Second Runner-up were Deepshikha, Sushma, Amanta, Himani, Priyanka, Shivani.

The Best Indian Traditional costume competition was judged by Prof. Yachna Malhotra & Prof. Astha. Winners of the competition were; Abhinath (Male) & Ankita Agarwal (Female). Whereas First Runner-up were; Abhinav (Male) & Prateeksha (Female). And Second Runner-up were; Alankar (Male) and Monika Negi (Female). Daksh, Ashutosh (Males) & Sakshi (Female) were awarded by consolation prizes.

All the Winners were awarded with Trophies & Certificates by Dr. Timira Shukla, Dr. V.N. Bajpai, Dr. Anusha Agarwal, Dr. Namita,  Prof. Yachna & Prof. Astha.

The Event was followed by musical Dandiya Eve, which witness very cheerful enjoyment by the students.

The Resource Persons was Mr. Alakshendra Mishra, General Manager, Business Development at Satra Services and Solutions Private Limited. The event was graced by the presence of esteemed Director Dr. Timira Shukla along with Prof. Neha Shrotiya and Dr. Rajeev Johari.

Mr. Mishra emphasized the evolving demands of marketing in the 21st century, shedding light on the pivotal role of innovation. He underscored that innovation and creativity go hand in hand with understanding the customer’s needs, gaining valuable customer insights, and staying informed about competitors. These elements constitute the bedrock of contemporary marketing analysis. This session was a remarkable opportunity for the students to grasp the dynamic nature of marketing in today’s business landscape. 

The event aimed to showcase the collaborative efforts between OIL INDIA LIMITED and the IIM Lucknow Incubator Centre in the realm of startups and innovation. It provided a platform to inspire entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving among the youth of India. The distinguished guests on the dais included the Chief Guest, Dr. Ranjit Rath, Chairman and Managing Director of Oil India Limited, along with Dr. Pankaj Gosawami, Director of Operations, Oil India Limited, Prof. Anadi Pandey, faculty coordinator and Director of IIML EIC, and Mr. Yamini Bhusan Pandey, Managing Director of IIML EIC, who shared their insights on innovation and entrepreneurship.

The session was conducted by Mr. Sagar Venkateshwar, Author, “The Marketing Gita” . The session kicked off with a quiz which sparked the interest of the students.  It aimed in providing awareness about the brands and its positioning. 

He illustrated the “Iceberg Theory”, in which certain aspects, such as ads and posts, are readily apparent, while others, like marketing research, financial planning, and product development etc remain concealed beneath the surface, all contributing to the brand's improvement.

The speaker stated, "You are your own brand," emphasizing that one's personal brand defines their identity and is a reflection in the market. He also emphasized on creating own brand with knowledge , skill and hard work.

Drawing from his experience he further gave various examples emphasizing the critical role of segmentation differentiation and positioning for designing marketing strategies for different brands.

It was an interactive session having a lot of learning.

The program was initiated under the gracious presence of  Mr. Anurag Jindal, Head, FP&A, Airbnb Capability Center India Pvt Ltd. Gurgaon.  Dr. Timira Shukla, Director, Dr. Anusha Agarwal, Professor & Chairperson PGDM and Dr. Neeraj Sanghi, Professor (Finance).

In the beginning of the session, Dr. Timira Shukla greeted the guest with plant sapling. Mr. Anurag Jindal, the resource person of the guest lecture, disseminated the knowledge of various corporate financial statements and their relevance in analyzing financial position of the company. He briefly introduced to the students about the difference in financial statements of Indian companies and American companies. He demonstrated practical relevance of Market Capitalization, EPS and Price Earning Ratio to the students. Mr. Jindal explained the importance of Price Earning ratio in valuation of the company.  In this session, he discussed the difference in the financial statements of the companies of manufacturing and service sectors.

It was an interactive session as students asked their quires related to the contents covered during the session. Dr. Anusha Agarwal felicitated the guest with memento and gift as token of remembrance.

 The event inaugural session began with opening remarks of Amitabh Kant G20 Sherpa, Government of India in conversation with D. Shivakumar Conference Chair - SHRMIAC23 & Operating Partner, Advent International Private Equity. The session commenced with the discussions on Made in India @ 75 that has emerged as one of the largest in the world, with a vibrant start-up ecosystem. In an attempt to understand this remarkably robust and resilient growth story of Indian business and enterprise, Amitabh Kant offered a multi-faceted survey of the nation’s business heritage and culture in Made in India.

The event's theme, underscores HR and technology’s pivotal role in accelerating business growth. The summit delved into cutting-edge panel discussions on the topics  such as Level Up & Elevate: Being Future-ready, Hiring Expertise for Talent Excellence,Leadership Amid Change: Building Organizational Resilience from the Inside Outand more through keynote speakers, panel discussions, and experience-sharing sessions, offering valuable insights into Human Resource  transformative potential across businesses. The sessions and conversations with some of the brightest minds in business, helped to realise the importance of transparent knowledge-sharing to elevate your organization's performance.

The 2-day conference concluded with big learning that "Where there is great power there is great responsibility." As the HR function continues to stay the centre of attention by virtue of the immense power vested within, in terms of orchestrating and navigating the entire course of an organization's success trajectory, it is up to HR leaders to lead the way.