Guest Lecture 2223

‘AI for Good’ Invited talk by Prof. Davy Cielen

‘Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot replace roles but rather create a need for a newer set of skills in the new paradigm. The application of AI in medicine, education, manufacturing, analytics and other areas has proved that AI and its various applications have the potential to bring out positive change in society. AI will never be able to replace jobs that require empathy, creativity, intuition, and compassion. These are human traits that machines are incapable of replicating,’ thus said Prof. Davy Cielen, a co-founder of the Maiton Consulting Group, London. SDMIMD organized the invited talk on February 9, 2023.

The speaker presented various tools such as Dalle2, MID Journey, Chat GPT, and Digital Humans that make AI more accessible to the public. Further, Prof. Cielen explained the three stages of AI - Narrow AI, General AI, and Super AI - and highlighted that transfer learning requires much less cost than before.

The talk, followed by the Q&A, provided valuable insights into the current state of AI and its potential for the future.

Talk by Dr Christian Hitz

'Advancement in technology for social well-being is always a Wah Factor, and today it is Artificial Intelligence (AI); in the next few years, it will be much-evolved technology. Effective Data Management can best optimize these technological innovations' thus said Dr Christian Hitz, Senior Lecturer and Director of Studies in Data Science at Zurich University of Applied Sciences. Dr Christian delivered the invited talk on the topic 'Future of AI' at SDMIMD on February 7, 2023.. Dr Christian expressed that new business models are being developed for leveraging the power of AI. However efficient data management and governance frameworks are crucial in organisations for reducing the complexity involved in the decision-making process.

Prerana Invited Talk – Mr Vijay Kumar

‘Integrity, Situational Awareness, Financial Knowledge, Investing Experience, Credibility in the Market and Network with Financial Professionals, are the core qualities for a wealth manager. Often wealth management is linked to the financial stream, but it is a blended combination of finance and sales’ thus said Mr. Vijay Kumar, Alumnus of PGDM 2009-21 Batch and Independent Financial Advisor and Wealth Manager, on February 3, 2023 at SDMIMD.

Mr Vijay said that the with the increase in the global wealth the private wealth sector is showing significant growth. The role of private wealth manager is becoming more relevant and significant to navigate the complexities of financial markets for the individual investors.

The talk introduced the students on campus about this avenue and how they have to prepare themselves to enter this domain.

Speakers of 7th International Economics Conference

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.

Guest Lecture 2223

Invited Talk on ‘Presenting Analytical Insights

Mr Kiran Sathyanarayan, Advisor, Data Science, Dell Technologies, was invited to deliver a talk on 'Presenting Analytical Insights' on November 14, 2022. The session was organized as part of the business intelligence course as part of the PGDM Program. The interactive session introduced the various nuances and techniques of understanding & presenting analytical insights.

Interactive Session on Funding Opportunity for Research

Dr Sudharshan Reddy Paramati, Chair Professor of Financial Economics and Climate Change, School of Business, University of Dundee, was on campus to discuss the funding opportunity for the research. Dr Sudharshan introduced the various scholarships and research avenues in the area of finance for the young managers of PGDM 2022-2024 during the interactive session held on November 17, 2022. The session followed a discussion with the faculty team on the academic tie-up between SDMIMD and the University of Dundee.

Invited talk by Mr Sudhir Mysore

Mr Sudhir S. Mysore, Product Owner, SAP Labs, India, was invited to introduce the SAPs Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution to the PGDM Batch 2022-2024 as part of the course Understanding Information Systems in Organization (UISO) on November 12, 2022. Mr Sudhir, with his rich experience in managing a team involved in developing Digital Manufacturing solutions for manufacturing customers; and his involvement as part of the solution team for SAP’s Marketplace strategy, brought industry examples to the classroom in introducing the fundamentals of ERP and availability of functional features that helps the manager for effective decision-making.

Invited talk by Prof. Jagadish

Prof. S. Jagadish, Former Professor - Operations, Indian Institute of Management – Bangalore (IIMB), delivered an invited talk for PGDM 2022-24 on November 4, 2022. Prof. Jagadish discusses the values and management principles relevant to the current scenario. Further, the speaker discussed how young managers could achieve identity by following value-based directions. The inspiration talk concluded with an interactive Q&A. The Director of the institute, Dr N.R. Parasuraman and Deputy Director, Dr S.N. Prasad, graced the occasion.