7th Edition of IEC on Economic Growth & Sustainable Development

  
SDMIMD, in association with the Bangalore Chambers of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), organised the 7th International Economics Conference (IEC) on the theme - Economic Growth and Sustainable Development: Emerging Trends on November 24 & 25, 2022. The 7th edition of the IEC was inaugurated by Mr P.G. Yogindra, Former Executive Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). Mr Yogindra, during his inaugural address, said, ‘economic growth and sustainable development needs to be balanced, and each economic activity must focus on three dimensions of sustainability – economic, social and environmental’. The guest released an electronic version of the Conference Proceeding as a CD during the inaugural event. 
 
The two-day conference deliberated the emerging economic growth and sustainable development issues from various dimensions. 
 
The conference had an overwhelming response as more than 140 delegates from different parts of the country participated in the conference. More than 100 research papers/case studies were presented and deliberated across two days. The conference was attended by academicians, research scholars, and corporate executives.  
 
Earlier, Dr B. Venkatraja, the Chairperson of IEC, welcomed the gathering and presented the conference's theme. Dr N.R. Parasuraman, Director, SDMIMD, in his address, focused on the importance of the theme and the need for Industry-Academia deliberation. 
 

Success is a Marathon, not a Sprint - Abhishek Jain
Mr Abhishek Kumar Jain, General Manager - Investor Relations & Taxation, Wipro Ltd, delivered the keynote address to the 7th International Economics Conference (IEC) on November 24, 2022. Mr Abhishek shared insights into India being an emerging alternative to China and how good tax collection has helped reduce the fiscal deficit. Speaking of technology adoption, every company is technology-driven, and this environment has bought in high scope in the IT sector. Dr M. Sriram, Associate Professor of Finance at SDMIMD, chaired the session. 

Session on Manufacturing and Sustainability by Mr Dhakharia
Mr Awibhawan Dhakharia, Business Head, Liebherr India Pvt Ltd., was the speaker for the Technical Session on November 24, 2022, during International Economic Conference (IEC) focused on Manufacturing and Sustainability. Mr Dhakharia presented how the 'Make in India' shifted the gear of the manufacturing sector, with a focus on the aerospace industry, in India and its contributions to making India a manufacturing hub of the World. He further iterated on how the manufacturing ecosystem is being developed in India and how this will propel India to be a manufacturing hub of the World and move ahead with - Make in India and Make for the World. Prof. Mohammed Minhaj, Associate Professor of Systems at SDMIMD, chaired the session. 

Invited session on Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)
Mr Rajesh Kumar Jha, Country Environment Sustainability Manager, ABB India Ltd and Co-Chair of the ESG Panel at BCIC, was the Distinguished Speaker for the technical session of the 7th International Economics Conference (IEC) on November 25, 2022. Mr Rajesh focused his talk on ESG elements and the strategic approach towards becoming an ESG leader. The speaker illustrated how the Government is bringing policies through its governing agencies, such as SEBI, that try to inculcate the mentality of Business Responsibility and Sustainable Practices by mandating disclosures on the same, which will make India a global leader for sustainable growth. During his presentation, the speaker highlighted the importance of water in sustainability and explained the instrumental role of software such as BMS and EMS in transforming ABB’s plant to achieve the same. The session was chaired by Dr. M. Sriram, Associate Professor at SDMIMD. 

‘Think big, think digital, think green' – Dr Kamalesh Vyas
‘We need to display personal social responsibility. Sustainable, conscious, ethical and honest work is the path toward a sustainable economy. The strategic actions of corporate organisations ought to ensure that sustainability is sustainable for all stakeholders’ thus said Dr Kamalesh Vyas, Partner at Deloitte, in his valedictory address during the International Economic Conference (IEC) on November 25, 2022. Dr Kamalesh, while discussing the eight key driving elements of sustainability, said, “think big, think digital, think green” is the mantra for future Economic Growth and Sustainable Development.
 
Dr M. R. Suresh, Professor of Marketing at SDMIMD, chaired the session and presented his thoughts on sustainability. Dr B. Venkatraja, Conference Chairperson, proposed a vote of thanks.